by Amelia Jade
"Hi," he said plainly, not breaking eye contact. In fact, he never wanted to look at anything else again, for nothing would ever come close to the beauty he found within her now. That single spark of life, the drive that powered her, was all he needed to see to know that he had been blessed when fate had chosen his mate.
"Hi, my name is Alyssa Williams, and I'm a huge idiot," she said, a smile tugging at her lips.
"Nonsense, don't be like that," he tried to tell her, but she shook her head as vigorously as she could, though it barely moved as he watched.
"No, I am. I should have told you the truth right from the start."
He cut her off, not wanting her to talk too much. Even those two long sentences had taken up much of her energy.
"Apologize to me later, when you're stronger, if you insist on feeling that such a course of action is necessary. Hell, you can take me out to dinner if that'll ease your conscience." He laughed for her, though he could see the delight in her eyes at the joke.
"Fine," she said without argument. Her eyelids began to droop, and he could tell that she was running out of strength. Sleep would claim her soon, so he pulled up the bedsheet to ensure she was properly tucked in.
"I still want to stay with you," she said.
He opened his mouth to reply, to tell her that she could stay for as long as she wanted, but she was already asleep by that point. The slow rise and fall of her chest told him she was breathing fine.
Looking around the hospital room, he spied a chair in the far corner. Picking it up with a quick jerk of his long, muscled arms, he set it down whisper-quiet next to her bed. Closing his eyes, he laid his head back, joining her in sleep within moments.
"Hey, wake up, sleepyhead."
A pillow hit him in the face. Immediately he was alert, sitting up straight and looking around for what had just happened as he blinked sleep from his eyes. The covered cough and giggle from beside him told him all he needed to know.
"Did you just wake me by throwing a pillow at me?" he questioned, assuming an officious, pompous air of superiority as Alyssa giggled again. He beamed at the change in her in just a few more hours. She had used the powered hospital bed to incline herself up into more of a sitting position, from which she had launched her attack.
"I respectfully deny any such action, officer. As you can see, my pillows are clearly all accounted for. I have no knowledge of the origins of the pillow which has caused you such distress."
He raised an eyebrow at the glaring unevenness of the pillows surrounding her. There was very clearly one extra pillow on the far side of the bed, compared to the side closest him. She giggled again.
Without hesitating he stood up from his chair, lightly grabbed her hand, and kissed her full on the mouth. After a moment of shock, she melted under his touch, kissing him back with all the energy she could summon. He kissed her slowly, softly, not wanting to hurt her or drain her of energy. But he couldn't resist any longer; he needed that touch.
"Oh my," she said softly as they broke for air minutes later to the unimpressed throat-clearing of a nurse. Tanner turned to see the same nurse who had told him she was going to be okay standing in the doorway with her arms crossed.
"These are not visiting hours, sir. I must perform some checks on the patient. I'll need you to step out."
"Do what you have to do, nurse," he rumbled, not making any motion to leave. He didn't want to be rude. She had been nothing but nice to him, but this was his mate. He was with her now, and there was nothing that would make him leave her side again.
"It's okay, my bodyguard," Alyssa whispered to him from the bed. "It's just lady stuff that she needs to talk about anyway," she finished with a wink, before weakly shoving him away. Although she did not have much strength yet, he swayed with the effort.
"You sure?" He hadn't felt so protective of someone in awhile, but she was vulnerable and needed his strength.
"Yes, now get out you goof," she repeated, a soft smile on her lips as he moved away. He got to the door and paused, but she nodded at him. With a grimace he turned and pulled the door shut behind him.
As it turned out, he wasn't out there for long.
"WHAT?"
He was headed back toward the door in a heartbeat as Alyssa's voice raced out of the room. Her shout had been filled with fear and nervousness, but he was positive there had been more to it. The door practically came off the hinges as he pulled it open and hurled himself inside.
"What's wrong? What is it? Are you okay?" he said in a tumble of words, rushing to the bedside and grabbing her hand. She had seemed too strong just a moment ago, there was no way she could be dying. He couldn't accept that, he just couldn't.
"I'm fine," she said, sitting back into the bed as he lowered her down to it.
"What was that shout all about, then?" he pressed, looking back and forth between her and the nurse. There were surreptitious glances, though not nearly as subtle as they thought they were being. Something was going on, and they were not filling him in. Tanner felt his temper rising, blood rushing to his face as his anger threatened to take over.
"It's nothing bad, so simmer down. In fact, as I was about to tell the nurse here, it's impossible," Alyssa told him from the bed, before taking a deep breath and turning over to look at him. He could see that this was taking up precious amounts of her remaining energy, draining her reserves quickly as she fought to maintain her focus.
"What's impossible?" he growled, wishing one of them would tell him already.
"Jackie here says that I'm pregnant."
"That's impossible," he said, echoing her statement from moments earlier.
A small sliver of hope flared within him, but he shut it down immediately.
"I'm just reading the test results, and that's what they say."
"I hadn't had sex for months until yesterday. How is it possible to pick up such an early pregnancy?"
Tanner felt himself blush momentarily as Alyssa informed the nurse of their escapades. He also didn't correct his mate that now it was, in fact, two days ago, as she had been passed out for quite some time.
"They can't. You're positive you haven't had any sexual relations in the past three months?"
"Positive. The test must have come back false."
Tanner's ears pricked up as he heard the disappointment in her voice. The nurse offered her apologies and left, leaving them alone again. He turned back to Alyssa after closing the door, preparing to ask her why she too had seemed dejected, but once more she had fallen asleep.
With a smile he walked over to her and pulled the sheets up tight. His mate snuggled up under the infusion of warmth. Tanner leaned over, kissing her softly on the lips, before returning to his chair. He could wait.
Chapter Fourteen
Alyssa
Birds chirped outside the nearby window, the yellow rays of morning sun lancing in as the curtains were pulled aside. A warm breeze fluttered in, caressing and teasing the loose ends of her hair as she rolled over, trying to pull the blankets up over her. A stronger set of hands took them and pulled them back down.
Alyssa blinked, sitting up in the bed. The black comforter was now sitting in a pile at the foot of the bed, right in front of a mischievous-looking Tanner.
Wow, he looks so hot.
He was wearing a compression shirt over work shorts. The tight material of his top clung to every curve of his body, showing off every muscle on his finely-sculpted body. For the first time since the fight, Alyssa felt her body begin to tingle in response as she gazed at him. As her eyes slowly opened to their full awareness, she took in more and more of his body.
His arms bulged as he placed his hands on his hips, the motion broadening his chest. The V-neck extended down just far enough for her to see his collarbone, the smooth, lightly-tanned skin exposed to her voracious gaze. She drank in the sight of his wide, thick shoulders and the way they stretched the fabric beneath them. He cut an impressive figure, and one that her body hungered for.
Beneath the remaining sheet, her scantily clad body awoke, blood rushing between her legs, fueling the growing ache within her. The thin sheet could not hide it as her nipples hardened, pushing through as a telltale sign to Tanner of what kind of mood she was in.
Her bottom lip curled up and under her teeth as she bit down gently. Meeting his stare once again, she lay back into the bed, still holding the sheet tightly to her body, letting it drape across her curves. As her head came to rest on the pillows, she inhaled, arching her back ever so slightly at the same time.
"Oh, that's how it's going to be this morning, is it?" Tanner said with a grin.
Not speaking, she nodded at him meekly, eyes wide open. Then, as he watched, she very clearly pushed her hand down her soft stomach and between her legs. His eyebrows rose at the same moment his jaw hung slackly. Enjoying the attention, Alyssa let a soft moan fill the air as she made contact with her swollen clit, guiding her fingers below her underwear, which was already wet to the touch. Using the warm honey she rubbed herself a little faster.
That was all it took for Tanner, who quickly stripped down to his boxers before climbing onto the bed, making his way up toward her. Relishing the thought of his kiss, he caught her completely off-guard when he stopped halfway, ripping the sheet away from her.
Without hesitation he gently pushed her legs aside, kissing his way up the tender, milky white flesh of her inner thigh, until he reached her cunt, kissing it through the flimsy fabric barrier, igniting a pleasure she couldn't hope to match on her own. A shudder rippled through her body as he delicately pulled the fabric aside, the warmth of his tongue caressing the swollen folds of flesh between her legs.
This was what she had longed for, a man who wished to take care of her, to please her simply because he enjoyed it. Over the past two weeks she had come to accept that Tanner was her mate, but they hadn't done anything about it, not until she was more recovered. Now their bond was going to be complete, and Alyssa could not be happier about it. She felt at peace.
"Oh," she gasped as he slowly pushed a finger inside of her, curling it up to hit her most sensitive areas.
Perhaps not quite at peace yet, but if he continues doing just that...
As he fell into a rhythm with his attentions, her body began to writhe in time with him. Her hips matched his pace when he sped up. Moans slid from her throat, interspersed with gasps each time he hit it just right. She was getting close, so very close.
Sensing that, Tanner's free hand slid up her stomach, cupping one of her breasts in its warm, gentle grasp. One finger traced small circles around her nipple, occasionally flicking it or tugging on it gently. She used one hand to match him, while the other held his face tight between her legs.
"Don't stop. Please don't stop. You're going to make me cum," she gasped, her back arching involuntarily.
The world disappeared from her view as the orgasm ripped through her body. It exploded out from between her legs, enveloping her entire body as she shook and convulsed under his attentions. He didn't stop, his tongue still doing wonderful things to her as he moved his hands, holding her tightly to him.
In seconds, the pressure built again, threatening to cause a second climax in just seconds. Under his touch, she came again, feeling wetness flood out from between her legs as she screamed to the world how amazing it felt, that she loved it. Moments later, the shudders still wracking her body, Tanner pulled back. Thinking she had a moment of respite, Alyssa flopped back on to the bed, the aftershocks still flickering through her nerve endings.
"Oh my god," she gasped in shock as the large tip of his cock pressed between her legs, pushing inside of her as she lay frozen in surprise.
"Wait," she managed to get out before he went any further. Tanner looked at her in surprise, clearly wondering what he had done wrong.
"Come here," she whispered, pulling him close. Their lips met and fireworks exploded in her brain, the moment of contact just as powerful as her orgasm. She could taste herself through the stubble on his face, but she didn't care. It just added to the moment, making it more intimate between them.
Without warning, she pulled back, turned his head to the side, and with a nudge to her bear, her canines grew, until she plunged them into his neck.
He's mine, I want him.
She had claimed her mate, and the feeling threatened to overwhelm her, until she remembered the huge cock about to plunge deep within her.
Tanner had jerked back in surprise at first, but once he realized she had done it of her own free will, he smiled and claimed her as well. As his teeth pulled out of her neck, he moved his hips against hers.
Her lover and her mate, wrapped up in the same person, pushed inside of her, the two of them making love for the first time as true mates, claimed and fated for each other. The bond allowed her to feel some of his pleasure in the moment. It also allowed him to experience some of her sensations.
It only took moments for the two of them to climax together, his cock shuddering and pulsing as it shot streams of molten liquid deep within her as the walls of her pussy tightened around him. She wanted it all, wrapping her legs around his back to ensure he didn't go anywhere anytime soon.
"Good morning," came the whisper in her ear, bringing yet another smile to her face.
"Morning, my love, my mate."
"And here I thought I was the one providing the wakeup call today."
She giggled, the sound entirely opposite of what had just happened, but so utterly perfect nonetheless. Tanner settled down on top of her, his massive body providing her with a hulking blanket that generated its own heat. She snuggled in tighter to him, enjoying the moment. Tanner, on the other hand, moved his hips, the hardening of his cock within her a sign of things to come. Another giggle escaped her lips at the double entendre, but it was quickly silenced as his lips covered hers.
For now, she was all his, and Alyssa surrendered herself willingly to his desires.
***
"So, what do I do now?" she asked him, much, much later, as they finished dressing and prepared to sit down to some food. She eyed the fresh bread and hunks of cheese appreciatively, along with the assortment of meats and freshly squeezed juice, it made her mouth water.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, they won't quit coming after me. By leaving them, I present a threat to their way of life. I'm a dead woman in their eyes."
Her tone was serious, but Tanner just kept smiling the entire time. It was infuriating, because she could tell he was hiding something, but wasn't willing to come out with it.
So she flicked a piece of cheese at him.
"Hey, don't waste that! That's some good cheese," he complained, although not entirely serious.
"Then tell me whatever it is you're smirking about, or else I'll unleash another devastating blow," she replied, loading a piece of salami onto her fork.
"Okay, okay. You're ruthless," he said, throwing his hands up in mock surrender. She smiled and ate her ammunition.
"I made a call to the authorities, telling them what I knew and was able to infer from the confession of one that was left behind when we caught up with him. It told me enough to know that they were likely abusing people and forcing them to do things against their will. It sounded bad enough that I believe an entire group of the National Guard was sent in to ensure that things didn't get out of hand, since there are so many shifters there."
Alyssa could do nothing but stare.
"So, from what I've read and been told by old Service friends, the entire village is basically being dismantled. A few older women refused to leave their men, but most of the men, especially the elders, are all headed to jail anyway."
"Holy shit," she whispered.
She was free.
At least, after all these years of running and hiding, of fearing what would come next, she was truly free.
She began to cry, not caring as the tears streamed down her face. The sense of relief was so profound, so unbelievable, she needed them
as an outlet. Sobs wracked her body, but she was smiling through them, happier than she had been since she was a child.
"Not quite the reaction I expected, but I suppose I already got that this morning," he commented, coming around the table to wrap her tightly in his arms.
She punched him lightly, laughing despite herself. The humor was appreciated, helping to alleviate the gravity of what she had just been freed from.
"I love you, Tanner Bryant," she said, meaning it more than she ever thought possible.
"And I love you, Alyssa Williams. Now, and forever."
The End
Junkyard Bear
A Paranormal
Shapeshifter Romance
By Amelia Jade
Junkyard Bear
Copyright © 2015 by Amelia Jade
First Electronic Publication: November 2015
Amelia Jade
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the authors permission.
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental. The author does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for third-party websites or their content.
All sexual activities depicted occur between consenting characters 18 years or older who are not blood related.
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