SpringFever Shifters in Love

by Lia Davis, Milly Taiden, Kerry Adrienne, Vella Day, Andie Devaux

  He gave a short nod and walked to the kitchen. When was the last time he’d gone shopping? Opening the fridge, he frowned. “I have beer, water, and milk.” He glanced at the date on the carton, then threw the thing in the trash. “Scratch the milk.”

  Her light laugh reached his ears, making him smile. “Beer is fine.”

  A woman after his own heart. He picked up two long-necks and went back to the living room. Taking a seat next to her on the sofa, he removed the cap to one of the beers before handing it to her. “What would you like to know about me?”

  She studied her beer and picked at the label. “I’m not sure where to begin.”

  He sat back and propped his feet up on the coffee table. “Well, I’m a black bear. Shifters tend to be a little larger than the non-shifting animals. We don’t have to hibernate in the winter because we are actually humans with an animal soul. No, that sounds odd.”

  That got a giggle out of her. “The way Connie explained it, shifters are from magickal bloodlines like witches, but are a separate species from human and witches. They are one with their animal spirits, and shifting is a natural part of life.”

  “That’s a pretty good description. Although there are some differences from Pack to Pack.”

  Her head bobbed and her black hair swayed. He reached out and brushed the ends, feeling the silky strands against his fingers.

  “That makes sense. Even witches have different powers and beliefs.” She glanced at him and smiled.

  The tip of her pink tongue swiped over her bottom lip. He tracked the movement and without a conscious thought, leaned forward and crushed his mouth to hers. Passion overrode all forms of caution as he thrust his tongue into her mouth, searching for hers.

  She moaned into the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck, drawing their bodies closer. A low growl escaped him. Awareness of her seeped into every pore of his body—her scent, her nearness, the heat of her skin.

  Mine.

  Yes, he agreed with the bear. Nichole was theirs.

  With another low, soft growl, he tore his mouth away from hers and trailed light kisses down her jaw to her throat. Her breath came in short pants as she clung to his shoulders, scoring his skin through the thin cotton of his T-shirt with her nails.

  Clamping down his jaw to keep from biting her, he tightened his hold. “If you want me to stop, now is the time to say so.”

  “It’s crazy, but I don’t want you to stop. I ache everywhere. Is this normal?”

  He inhaled her cool, berry scent, then kissed her nose. “Perfectly normal when you’ve met your mate.”

  Uncertainty darkened her gaze. He pressed his lips to hers, keeping her from denying the mating. Her scent betrayed her. The slight musk mixed in her natural scent said she was more than ready for him to take her, to pleasure her until she screamed his name.

  “The first thing you will learn, is that you are beautiful.” He stood, lifting her with him and carrying her to his bedroom.

  After laying her on the king size bed, he hovered over her. “One thing about bears is…” A kiss to her forehead. “…we love beautiful, curvy women.” He kissed her nose, then her lips before adding, “Plus, we mate for life.”

  Her eyes widened as her lips curved into a sensual smile. “So, you will spoil me until the end of our lives?”

  Whether she knew it or not, she had accepted him. At least a small part of her had. “Every day we have together.” He pressed a finger to her lips. “Now stop thinking and just enjoy the moment.”

  He moved to the end of the bed and slipped her shoes off, then crawled on the bed between her legs. With a quick jerk, he removed her tight, black jeans, taking her panties with them. A half groan, half growl rumbled in his throat.

  Her green gaze locked with his, watching him. Without breaking the eye contact, he sank down between her legs and nudged her thighs apart. When he spread her lips, she sucked in a breath. “So wet.”

  He licked from her entrance to her clit, savoring her sweet taste. His dick pressed painfully into the zipper of his jeans. Nichole closed her eyes, and he covered her sex with his mouth, sucking and teasing. Pleasure rolled through him with each pleasured moan she released.

  Slipping two fingers inside her hot, wet pussy, he flicked his tongue over the bundle of sensitive nerves. Her hips moved in time with his thrusts and licks, telling him what she wanted. Picking up the tempo, he replaced his tongue with his thumb so he could watch her when she came.

  “Come for me, baby.”

  A scream ripped from her as the orgasm slammed into her and her body spasmed while her pussy squeezed his fingers.

  Good, gods, she was gorgeous when she came.

  ***

  Nichole smiled like she had never done before. If she thought she’d had orgasms before, then she didn’t know what to call what she’d just had. And Trey hadn’t even had sex with her yet.

  “You okay?”

  She nodded, not trusting her voice to work.

  His handsome, rugged face appeared in her line of sight, and her heart skipped a couple of beats. She cupped his cheek and smiled. “You have a very talented tongue.”

  A laugh burst from him before he nipped at her chin. “You taste divine.”

  When she went to shake her head, he kissed her, hard and deep. Hunger rose within her again, building into a throbbing need to have him inside her. She tangled her tongue with his, tasting herself.

  Snaking an arm around her, he lifted her up and removed her sweater. With quick efficiency, her bra went next. The swish of clothing falling to the floor faded away when he flicked his tongue over one nipple.

  Heat coiled in her belly, spreading throughout her body. Damn. The man was going to break her. No, he was going to ruin her for all others.

  “Trey.”

  The single word came out needy, but she didn’t care. She wanted him inside her. Now.

  With a soft growl, he stood and removed his clothes. Hunger lit up his blue gaze, intensifying her own. When he positioned his cock to her entrance, she pressed a hand to his chest. “Wait.”

  A sensual smile lifted his lips. “I can’t carry human diseases, and you’re not ovulating.”

  She frowned. “You can’t? I’m not? How can you tell?”

  “When females ovulate, their scent changes. It’s sweeter.”

  “Oh.” She suppressed the urge to smell herself. Nichole, you’re being silly.

  “I can wear a condom if it makes you feel better.”

  She stared at him. Concern laced with mischief danced in his gaze. She’d bet he didn’t even have a condom. Really, did it matter? She trusted him. Somehow, in the short few hours she’d known him, he’d gained her trust and started to wiggle his way into her heart.

  “No, you don’t have to wear one.”

  The blue in his eyes darkened, then shimmered. He nipped at her bottom lip as he thrust inside her, drawing a gasp from her. She fisted the sheet and dug her heels into the mattress. Pleasure raced through her veins and straight to her core, building.

  His body tensed just as her release exploded, dragging her over the edge. His orgasm followed, his hot seed spilling inside her.

  Trey collapsed beside her and gathered her close. His heart beat frantically in her ear. She smiled and snuggled into him. “That was…”

  “Amazing,” he finished her thought.

  Laughing, she kissed his chest before releasing a sigh. “Yes.”

  “We should really get up and shower.”

  She nodded. “I know, but I don’t want to move.”

  Without warning, he got out of bed and lifted her into his arms to carry her to the bathroom. He set her on her feet and turned on the shower. Cocking her head to the side, she watched him, admiring his large, muscular backside.

  He straightened and slowly turned to face her, a wide smile brightening his features. “Like what you see.”

  A giggle bubbled up and she averte
d her gaze. Heat filled her cheeks and she could only imagine that they were bright red.

  A moment later, Trey had his arms around her waist and his mouth on hers. A sigh slipped through her lips when he lifted his head to stare into her eyes. “I like it when you look at me with that fire of yours.”

  “I’m in trouble.”

  “Why?”

  “My heart is in jeopardy of being broken.”

  His brows dipped and he caressed her cheek. “Not by me. Remember, bears mate for life.”

  Yeah, but humans didn’t. What if she didn’t want this in a few years?

  And why was she thinking about the future already?

  Because Trey had wiggled his way into her heart. It didn’t make any sense.

  “Don’t fight what is fated to be,” he whispered a moment before he scooped her up and entered the shower.

  Warm water cascaded over both of them. Trey lowered her to her feet and kissed her briefly. “I’ll go as slow as you need me to. Just promise not to walk away from me until you understand fully what it means to mate with a bear.”

  Chapter Six

  Nichole woke, confused for a moment at where she was. Images of the night before filled her thoughts and she warmed. Trey had given her passion beyond her wildest dreams. He was everything she’d ever wished for in a boyfriend. With a smile, she rose from the bed and stretched, her muscles aching in all the right places.

  She walked to the bedroom door and opened it. Hushed voices drifted down the hall. Drawing her brows together, she advanced toward the living room. A large man who looked a lot like Trey sat on the sofa, his stern glare pinning her as she entered the room, forcing her to take a step back.

  She recognized him from the café the day before.

  Trey turned to her and held out his hand. “Come here, Nichole. Please.”

  Hesitantly, she moved forward and allowed him to pull her into his lap. His warmth enveloped her in a tight, soothing embrace.

  “This is my oldest brother, Anthony.” Trey had a hint of a growl in his words. It was like he didn’t want his brother there.

  Meeting Anthony’s hard stare, she offered a smile. He nodded in return and said, “Good morning.”

  “Morning.” She kept her tone low. The man across from her held a power she’d never felt before. A voice in her head said to keep her distance.

  As if sensing her uneasiness, Trey linked his fingers with hers. Instantly, she relaxed.

  Anthony’s gaze locked onto their linked hands a moment before he raised his eyes to hers. “Secrecy is very important for us.”

  “Yes, I know. My best friend is a witch. She’s told me a little about shifters.”

  He raised a brow. “Like what?”

  Her pulse raced and she fumbled over her words. “I…she just told me you exist and to stay clear.”

  A bitter laugh escaped Anthony. “And here you are, the mate of a bear.”

  “I haven’t agreed to mate with your brother.”

  Trey squeezed her gently. “But I’m working on it.”

  Her cheeks heated and she glanced down at their linked hands. What did it mean to be mated to a shifter? Especially a bear.

  Anthony stood. “Come to dinner with the family tonight.”

  When he left, Trey let out a soft growl, startling Nichole. “Sorry, Ant can be an ass.”

  “He has a lot of power surrounding him.”

  “He’s the Marshal of the clan. It’s his job to see that the laws are enforced and ensure that the den is safe.” Trey patted her on the bottom as if he wanted her to get up.

  She stood and stepped aside when he did the same. “It makes sense now. He came by to make sure I’m not a threat.”

  The muscles in Trey’s jaw flexed. “He should have better faith in my judgment.”

  She felt a smile tug at her lips. “He worries about you.”

  Trey shrugged and led the way to the kitchen, stopping at the breakfast nook. “Have a seat, I’ll fix you breakfast. What would you like?”

  “I guess fruit and yogurt is out.”

  He rolled his eyes and turned to the fridge. “Yep. How about cinnamon French toast with a strawberry syrup.”

  “Sounds amazing.”

  His lips curved. “Good, because it’s what Tiffany dropped off right before Ant stopped by.”

  Nichole laughed. “I guess it’s a good thing I can cook.”

  “Hey, I can cook.”

  “Really? Like what?”

  “Cereal and mac and cheese.”

  She held in another laugh. “Oh, we’re living it up. Do you need help warming up the French toast?”

  He glanced at her, a playful gleam in his eyes. “I do know how to work the microwave, female.”

  Pressing her lips together to keep from smiling, she watched him move around the kitchen. His shoulders flexed and bunched as he pulled plates from the cupboards. Suddenly, he stilled and looked at her. “Where are you from?”

  “I was born in Jacksonville, Florida. My dad was in the Army, so we moved a lot.”

  He went back to fixing the plates and placed them in the microwave. “That must have been hard.”

  She shrugged. “It was part of my life.”

  “Where are your parents now?”

  Her stomach dropped. She really didn’t want to talk about them. “They retired in Florida.”

  The microwave dinged. He removed the plates and hooked his pinky through the handle of the syrup bottle from Beary Sweets. When he sat the items on the table and took his seat, he poured her syrup until she said when to stop.

  “By your tone, I take it you aren’t close.”

  “I’m not the picture-perfect daughter they’d hoped for.”

  He grunted before taking a bite. Once he finished chewing, he asked, “In what way?”

  “My best friend practices witchcraft, and I refuse to marry the man they picked out for me.”

  His gaze locked with hers. The blue in his eyes darkened. “You’re betrothed?”

  Shaking her head, she fought the urge to reach for him to comfort the bear within. “No. There is no contract. Thank God. Besides, the guy married someone else when I turned him down. I think he was relieved I had the guts to say no.”

  “Sounds like a winner with no backbone.”

  She snorted, which made the both of them laugh. “He was kind of a nerd, but smart, sweet, and cute. He had a bright future ahead of him. I just didn’t feel the fire.”

  Not like the one she felt with Trey. In fact, no one had sparked a flame in her like the bear shifter in front of her had.

  “What about you? Have you always lived here?”

  He nodded, and she was glad he allowed her to switch the subject back to him. “All my life. My dad is the Alpha of the clan. You met Anthony. I have one other brother, Ryan, who is the Beta. He looks after the needs of the clan and deals with conflicts.”

  “Like sibling rivalries?”

  “Yeah. The clan is one big family.”

  She scooted the last few bites around her plate. She had always wanted a large family, and now it appeared she had one if she wanted it. How could she commit to someone she’d met less than a day ago though?

  He reached across the table and covered her hand. “I want to show you the den.”

  Smiling, she held his gaze. “I’d like that.”

  His sensual mouth lifted in a brilliant smile, warming her to the core. Releasing her hand, he rose from his seat and moved to her side. His fingers were warm as they brushed her cheek. Tingles skittered over her skin. Lifting her chin, he dipped his head and pressed his lips to hers. The flame flared to life, threatening to consume her like a wildfire.

  Too soon, he broke the kiss, picked up her plate and walked to the sink.

  Damn, she was confused.

  She wanted him more and more each moment they spent together. It was crazy. Wasn’t it?

  ***

&nbs
p; Trey loved having his mate by his side and in his den. However, he could sense her battling her own feelings. He wished there was something he could do to make her decision easier, but there wasn’t. Nichole had to make her choice, and he would live with whatever decision she made.

  One thing he could do was make her day with him the best she’d ever had.

  “Trey?”

  “Yes.”

  “Tell me about mating.”

  He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Many believe mates are chosen by the Fates. Although we can complete the mating with anyone.”

  “Wouldn’t it be better with your fated mate?”

  “Of course.” He squeezed her hand slightly.

  “How do you know when you’ve met your fated mate?”

  He stopped and faced her. “For me, it’s your scent that sparks the bear’s interest. And the sound of your voice is soothing in a way I’ve never experienced.”

  Her heart rate increased as he closed the small gap between them.

  “What are some signs I should look for, for me?”

  Cupping her cheek, he pressed his forehead to hers. His bear puffed out his chest at Nichole’s soft sigh at their connection. “A draw, a feeling of belonging, I guess. It’s what I’ve felt since seeing you at Tiffany’s bakery.”

  The smell of peaches drifted around them, drawing a smile from him. Pulling away from Nichole, he turned to his mother. “Nichole, meet my mom, Madison.”

  “I began to wonder if my son was keeping you all to himself. Tiffany has chattered about you all morning. I had to come over and meet you.” Trey’s mom’s pale blue eyes sparkled with interest as she studied Nichole.

  Trey cleared his throat. “I didn’t want to scare her away so soon.”

  Madison waved a hand at him and linked an arm with Nichole. “Males are all the same. But they can’t help it. It’s in their nature to be protectors.”

  Nichole smiled wide. “So, if Trey’s father is Alpha, does that make you mama bear?”

  A song-like laugh escaped his mother. “Yes, it does.” She paused as if a thought had entered her mind. “I like you. You have a good soul and an open mind.”