COWBOY ROMANCE: Justin (Western Contemporary Alpha Male Bride Romance) (The Steele Brothers Book 1) (26 page)

While Henry slept on the couch, recovering from his ordeal, Cecelia guided Marcus into her room where they could chat in private. “We have to go,” she told him. “Tonight, while it’s still dark. The sun will rise soon.”

              “No,” Marcus said firmly. “We don’t know these woods. We need the light.”

              “But what if their backup comes before then? We can fight off a band of four Bear Hunters, but no more than that. Not when it’s just us.”

              “I want it to be just us,” he declared, caressing her cheek.

              Before she could respond, he kissed her. She wanted to resist, but she couldn’t. Having Marcus near was the only thing holding her sanity together. There was something different in his kiss this time. It was hot, but there was an affection in it, an affection he refused to show her before.

              It made her want him even more. They tore of their clothes the way they tore off their vulnerability. This was no longer just sex. Marcus meant something to her. That was the déjà vu she kept feeling when she was around him. It was an awakening. She wasn’t a bear, but he was her mate. She knew that now. It gave special meaning to the night.

              Marcus set her on the bed. His cock was already fully erect, but he was in no hurry. He kissed her stomach gently, seductively, gliding his hand along her thigh as his lips touched her flesh. It was like a feather being dragged slowly across her body. Every kiss tantalized and aroused her. The closer he got to her core, the wetter she became. She wanted him to drink her in, to use his bear tongue to taste her.

              When he finally did, a shock of electricity shot through her. His tongue was strong and warm, reaching the part of her clit that pleasured her the most. She grabbed his hair, struggling not to scream as he bobbed his head up and down, circling his tongue against her pink folds, igniting the spot within her that made her body hot with bliss.

              Ready for him, she lifted his head to her and kissed him, leaving her core free for their bodies to connect. With his muscular, tattooed arm, he spread her legs apart wide, and he entered her, filling her core with his cock. As he pushed himself inside of her, they continued to kiss, their lips inseparable.

              She began to pant, the heat within her rising with every thrust of his cock. He brought her to the edge, and then he sent her over, freeing her body into a haze of pure, golden bliss. They came together, their destinies united. He was her mate, and she was his. She was always his.

***

She slept naked by his side, wrapped in his arms. It was only for a few short hours, until the sun rose to light their path, but she was grateful for what time they had together. Her sleep was deep, anchored by her exhaustion. There were no nightmares this time. There was only peace.

When Cecelia awoke, she tried to turn towards her lover, blinking against the sunlight that poured in through the window, but she couldn’t. Something held her back, restrained her. Bleary, it took her a moment to realize her hand was tied expertly to the bed. And that she was no longer naked. Her flannel had been carefully buttoned around her to keep her warm.

“Marcus!” she called.

He didn’t answer. She knew he wouldn’t. He had done this to protect her, leaving to face the Bear Hunters alone.

***

Chapter Six

              Marcus

              The old man had been telling the truth after all. Marcus had suspected it was all lies to trap them in, but the Bear Hunters were as Henry told – three wolves and a cougar. They circled him in his bear form, leering at him as they guarded the cave that held the Johannsson family. The wolves had transformed, it would take wolves to fight a bear, but the cougar remained in his human form, holding a spear high, waiting for a chance to strike.

              He didn’t regret tying Cecelia to the bed. It was something he’d very much like to do again, if he survived. It had to be done. She wouldn’t have let him leave without her, but he refused to allow her to risk herself, even for the lives of the family that slumbered in the cave.

              A wolf attacked, snapping its jaws against his neck. His fur was thick, shielding him from the bite, but the weight of the creature dragged him down, allowing the other wolves to pounce. Growling loudly, he shook one of them off, but it came back, more vicious than before.

              Cecelia, he thought, ignoring the pain as one of the wolves finally penetrated his fur with its teeth. I have to protect her. If I die, she becomes their captive. I can’t let that happen. I love her.

              It was one thing to recognize a mate. It was another to fully accept her into his heart, removing the barbwire he had put up after the war. His strength renewed, he fought back against the wolves. He fought for her.

              It wasn’t enough.

              His will held strong, but his momentum faded, and he began to black out. He stayed conscious long enough to see Cecelia stand in the sunlight, his last vision of her before he lost to the wolves.

***

Cecelia

              “Marcus!” Cecelia shouted as he fell to the ground.

              She wanted to run to him, but she couldn’t. The wolves blocked her, turning their attention to her. She could almost see the humor in their eyes. To them, she was only a human, nothing special. Confronting them was a joke.

              I’ll show you who the joke is, she thought, full of rage.

              Henry had set her free, leaving her with strange words before she left. You are more than what you seem. Where there is power to heal, there is power to destroy. Help him. Help them all.

              A wolf sprang towards her. While it was midair, she flung her hand towards it, imagining its leg breaking in half. The wolf yelped and missed her, landing on its side. When it rose, it stood on only three legs.

              The other wolves froze, uncertain. Now they knew what she was. And so did she.

              Where the wolves faltered, the cougar took their place. He dropped his spear and charged at her, changing as he did into an enormous cat. She willed the air to be knocked out of his lungs, and he collapsed to the ground, panting.

              It wasn’t a fight. It was a massacre, and they knew it. The wolves darted away, the injured one limping behind. As soon as the cougar regained his breath, he did the same, sneering at her briefly before running into the woods. She would have chased them, made sure they never hurt another family again, but she had to see to Marcus. He was badly injured.

She made a transition of her own. The peace and light she needed to heal overcame her rage, calming her blood, and she set her hands on Marcus. It didn’t take long before he was sitting up in his human form. Without hesitation, he wrapped her tightly in his arms.

              “What were you thinking?” he asked solemnly. “I could have lost you.”

              “I was thinking that there was a family to save. And a mate to learn more about, a mate who brings out the light in me.”

              Together, with their hands held tightly around each other, they went into the cave to wait for the Johannssons to wake. Cecelia was relieved to see the family slept serenely and without injury.

              “It won’t be easy,” Marcus said. “They’ll tell the other Bear Hunters about you.”

              “Let them,” Cecelia professed, unafraid.

              Marcus squeezed her hand. “I know you’re this super soldier now, but I’m still going to protect you. I cannot not protect you. You’re a piece of me, Cecelia. The best piece of me.”

              “I’ll let you,” she said, “because I can’t imagine you not in my life. I’m sitting in a cave after the most hellish day of my life, and yet I’m happy. I’m so happy.”

              Marcus kissed her hand, sealing their promises to each other, just as Michael stirred.

              The little cub sat up, rubbing his eyes. Upon seeing Cecelia, he grinned brightly and spoke. “Hello, angel.”

THE END

A Highlander Bear Shifter Romance

Highland Bear Love

Chapter One

Kendell

              They chased her. Kendell Proctor ran deep into the woods, the thorny branches clawing at her dark blonde hair and sun-kissed skin. She had thought she’d gone in the direction of the road, but as the trees grew thick around her, blocking out the day, she realized she’d made a terrible mistake. She was lost in the woods, lost in the territory of those who hunted her – the wolves. It was only a matter of time before they caught up to her muddy footprints.

              This was not how the weekend was meant to turn out. Needing a break from the city, she’d come to the woods with her friends for a girls-only glamping trip. Her friends didn’t know she was missing. They thought she was flirting with the basketball player a few tents down. As Kendell ran for her life, her friends were sitting in their pretty canvas tent, painting their nails and gossiping about college life.

              Kendell wasn’t in college. Her family didn’t have the money to pay for it. But none of that mattered at the moment. The only thing that mattered was getting away, no matter how impossible it seemed. She was strong, but the wolves were fast. She’d only managed to get this far because their paws couldn’t climb up the rocky hillside she had earlier.

              Close by, a wolf howled.

              God no, she thought, frantic. Please, no. I’m so tired of running…

              Steering right, she hoped to find a tree she could climb, but she ran straight into the side of a cave, with no opening in sight. She was trapped against the rock. Backtracking meant delivering herself to the wolves. Staying meant letting the wolves find her.

              Refusing to make things easier for them, Kendell stayed and searched for a weapon, finally finding a large branch to use as a club. She was just in time. Three wolves broke through the dark of the woods, walking slowly towards her, playing with her, their eyes yellow and hungry.

              “Stay back!” she screamed, and she swung at the wolf closest to her, but it grabbed the branch in its bony jaws and tore it away from her hands.

              This was it. Her fate. The wolves had finally found her. Too exhausted to fight anymore, she fell to her knees, surrendering to their will. Death would be merciful right now, but she doubted they would kill her. Not straight away.

              The woods around her began to go black. She thought the sun had eclipsed, until she realized it was her exhaustion overwhelming her. I’m going to pass out, she realized, but she tried to hold on. Once again, she would not make things easier for the wolves.

              They circled her, closing in, making sure she truly was finished fighting, delighting in their conquest. Wolves did not speak, but she could see their satisfaction. They had won, and they knew it. Finally, ending her misery, one wolf lunged towards her.

              He didn’t reach her. An enormous brown bear barreled into the wolf, coming from the woods. The wolf fell on its side, whimpering. The others sneered at the bear and snapped their jaws, preparing to attack. To showcase his absolute strength, the bear stood on his hind legs and roared. He was massive, a god amongst the creatures of the forest.

              He proved his point. The wolves went running, scattering into the forest. Kendell would have cried from relief, but she didn’t have time. Her exhaustion dominated her and she passed out, falling to the leaves on the ground the way the rain fell before a storm.

***

Dermott

An Hour Earlier

              There was nothing better than fishing. Dermott sat on the pier of the lake his house overlooked, his fishing pole in hand. The waters of the lake were calm, like his spirits were. The lake was his refuge, much more real than the pretentious chatter and power meetings of his company in the city. Escaping the city for the weekend, he had gladly traded in his briefcase for a rucksack. He just wished it was for more than a weekend. That was the consequence of owning a billion-dollar company– he had lots of money, but he had very little time.

              Perhaps, if he had more time, he could finally find his mate. The house by the lake was his refuge, but he was starting to notice the emptiness of the halls. He wanted a family to fill it, but that wasn’t possible when his company needed his attention.

              The line on his fishing pole grew taut. A catch. He reeled it in, using his burly strength to wind the line, pleased when a large salmon surfaced from the water. It wouldn’t go to waste. He’d give it to his housekeeper Mary to fry for dinner that night.

              Setting the salmon in the cooler nearby, he traded it for a cold bottle of beer. He took a refreshing sip, staring across the lake. It reminded him of where he’d grown up in Scotland. The lake and the woods were very much like the Highlands where his family came from. That was why he’d purchased the historic home by the lake, buying it off an old family friend. He’d wanted a piece of home.

              He took another sip of his beer, but this time it tasted fowl. It wasn’t the drink; there was a stench in the air. Wolves. They were near. He could smell them from miles away. Wolves and bears did not get along.

              There was no point confronting them. As long as they stayed away, they weren’t his problem. That was until he heard a woman scream out to the wolves, clearly under attack. Abandoning his beer, Dermott ran from the pier towards the woods, transforming into a beast well able to handle a wolf.

***