Grayslake: More than Mated: Waking the Bear (Kindle Worlds Novella) (6 page)
Tad followed Clint’s scent to a secluded cave about a mile from the house, but when he approached the opening, the other bear attacked him from above. Luckily, Tad had been expecting the trick, and dodged the first swipe of Clint’s claws.
They wrestled on the forest floor, and Tad managed to dodge all of Clint’s swings except one. Luckily, the attack had been weak, and he’d barely broken the skin. Tad, on the other hand, struck hard and fast, seeking vengeance for his mate. By the time the Enforcers arrived, Clint had passed out from the assault.
Once his rival was in the custody of the Enforcers, he ran back home.
Back to his mate.
***
Tad shifted outside his shop, and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Declan’s truck. It meant Audrey had followed his directions, and hopefully his brother had been able to keep her calm while they waited for him to return.
He glanced down at his shirt and realized it was covered in blood. It was his enemies’ blood, but he didn’t want to worry his mate, so he pulled the garment over his head and dropped it in the garbage can. She’d already seen him shirtless, and he knew he had nothing to hide.
He walked into the open bay, and saw both Audrey and Declan standing at the counter talking. She looked relaxed, but as soon as she saw him, she ran over and jumped on him, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. He slid his hands under her ass, and he nuzzled her neck.
“Are you okay?” she asked. “I was so worried.”
“I’m fine,” he said, “but we don’t have a lot of time, and we need to talk.”
He carried her to the counter, and nodded at Declan.
“I’ll wait outside.”
“What’s going on? Declan wouldn’t tell me anything.”
“I love you,” he blurted. “I know you probably have about a zillion questions, but we’re short on time, so I have to talk now and you have to listen. I love you. I’ve loved you almost from day one, but I was resisting it because of these scars.”
She opened her mouth to say something, but he put his finger up to her lips.
“My ex used a flesh-eating poison called Carvrix, or Carve for short, and left me for dead. Luckily, she didn’t cut near deep enough, but after that, I swore off women. Until you. Not every shifter has one, but you’re my fated mate, Audrey. That means that you’re the one woman in the world made especially for me.
“I’ve been fighting my feelings for you since that night in the bar, and I knew it was you in my bed this morning. I didn’t get angry because of the kiss, I got angry because it stopped. I went to bed last night with every intention of talking to you today, but things haven’t been going exactly as planned.”
Her giggle made him smile, and he continued.
“The problem we now face is the fate of your life. Our Itan, the clan leader, is on his way, and we need a plan. Humans can’t know about shifters unless they’re married to one, so you need to either mate with me, or another bear, within twenty-four hours.”
“Or what?” she asked.
“Or be killed.”
Tad turned to see Ty Abrams, the town sheriff, and leader of the bear clan, standing a few feet away with Declan by his side. He briefly wondered why his brother hadn’t warned him about the Itan’s arrival, but he quickly pushed the thought aside. He had more important things to worry about.
He turned back to Audrey, and placed his hands on her waist.
“Don’t be afraid” he whispered.
She nodded, and he lifted her off the counter, letting her slide down his body until her feet touched the floor.
“Itan,” Tad said. “This is Audrey Harris.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Audrey,” Ty said. “I wish it was under better circumstances. I heard Tad explaining your options, but I’ll repeat them so there’s no misunderstanding. You can stay here and mate with Tad, or, if you want to meet other bears, you can come with me to the clan compound. You’ll have twenty-four hours to choose a willing mate, but if no choice is made, then you’ll be eliminated.”
“I understand,” she said, speaking directly to Ty. “If he honestly wants to marry me, I’d like to stay with Tad.”
“Hell yes!”
Tad’s holler filled the room, and Declan and Ty laughed.
“I love you, too,” she declared, quietly.
He picked her up and threw her over his shoulder, and then tossed his keys to Declan.
“Close up for me, Dec.”
“No problem, bro,” Declan laughed. “Have fun.”
“Oh my god… Tad, put me down.”
She’d tried to sound firm, but her giggles revealed otherwise.
“Not a chance, sweetheart,” he laughed.
“Thank you, Itan,” he said, nodding once out of respect.
“You’re welcome, Tad,” Ty said. “It’s good to see you smiling again.”
“It feels good, too.”
And it honestly did.
Chapter Six
Audrey laughed as Tad practically ran to the house, and took the stairs two at a time. Dangling upside down like a sack of potatoes wasn’t her ideal way of travel, but Tad’s enthusiasm was contagious, and she couldn’t stop laughing.
“You have a nice ass,” she said, rubbing her palms over his round, perfect globes.
“So do you,” he said, smacking her bottom. “Careful, sweetheart. You keep touching me like that and we won’t make it to the bedroom.”
“Hmmm…” she teased. “That might be fun for next time.”
Seconds later, he burst through the door to the master bedroom, and carried her into the attached bathroom. She’d seen the duel vanity when she’d peeked in earlier, but what she hadn’t seen was a large, roomy shower with two shower heads, and a Jacuzzi style sunken tub.
Consistent with the rest of the house, blue tile accented the room and gave it a comfortable spa-like feeling. Not that it needed it. Any room with a sunken tub big enough for more than one person was automatically her favorite room in the house.
“It’s beautiful in here.”
“I’m glad you think so,” he said. “I want to take a shower and wash off all the dirt and…stuff from my fight with Clint. The fact that I’ve touched you as much as I have already is driving me crazy.”
“Why don’t we shower together?”
“If we do that, our first time will be up against that shower wall. I can’t see you naked and not touch you.”
Yes! Please!
He’d just suggested her ultimate fantasy, but she knew he wasn’t serious.
“Okay, I’ll just wait on the bed.”
She moved to step around him, but he grabbed her arm, and stopped her retreat.
“Do you want the shower?” he asked. “Because I have no problem with that.”
She nodded, and he turned her back toward him.
“We can do whatever you want, sweetheart,” he said. “I just didn’t want you to think I couldn’t control my animal side, or something. If I had my way, I would have taken you on the counter in the shop.”
She smiled, and suddenly realized she’d never be able to hide anything from him.
“Okay, we’re doing that next,” he said. “Or if not next, very soon. I’m fine with christening the whole damn shop, the house and some parts of the forest, too.”
“Do you think it will work?” she asked, afraid to voice her fears. She knew he could lift her, but could he hold her up long enough for sex?
“Do I think sex will work?” he asked, obviously confused.
“No,” she said, clearing her throat. “Sex against the wall.”
“Oh,” he smiled. “Of course, why wouldn’t it?”
“Well, I’m not small, and I’ve never met any man who could manage my weight for something like that.”
“I think you’ve been hanging around the wrong men,” he growled.
“That might be true.”
“Get undressed, sweetheart,” he said, unbuttoning his jeans.
Audrey watched him shed his pants like a deer caught in a headlight. Like the rest of him, his legs were heavily corded with muscle, and she found everything about him sexy…including his feet. His thick, hard cock bobbed against his abs, and she couldn’t wait to be filled by him.
He turned on the water, and she studied his hard ass, until he disappeared behind the partition separating the shower from the tub.
She grabbed the hem of her shirt, and then hesitated as her ex’s hateful words about her body floated through her mind. He’d told a town full of people she was disgusting. What if Tad felt the same way? Would he send her to the clan compound to find another bear to mate with? What if no one wanted her? Would she be put to death because she was too ugly?
Tad stepped out of the spray, and walked across the tile floor to stand in front of her. He was dripping wet from head to toe, and big drops of water merged to form puddles on the floor.
He grabbed the hem of her t-shirt, and pulled the garment up her waist, forcing her to raise her arms so he could remove it completely. He threw the shirt on the floor, and reached around her back to undo her bra. He pulled the lace down her arms carefully, and then added it to the pile her shirt had formed.
He moved his hands to the button on her shorts, and then he linked his thumbs in the bands of both her shorts and panties, and pushed both down her legs. When the fabric hit the floor, he helped free her completely from the items, and added them to the pile.
She could feel his breath on her skin as he slowly stood, and then again when he leaned in for a scorching hot kiss. It was better than their first kiss because neither wondered what the other wanted, and by the time they separated, they were both breathing heavy.
Tad grabbed a towel from a cabinet hidden in the wall, and spread it out over the puddles covering the floor. He led her back into the shower, grabbed the soap, and proceeded to caress every imperfect inch of her skin.
“You are so beautiful,” he said, palming her breasts.
He gently flicked his thumbs over her nipples, and she grabbed the partition in an effort to stay upright. When he reached her generous belly, she forced herself not to flinch as he smoothed his hands over every hill and valley.
“Mmm…all mine,” he said, kissing her belly button.
He moved lower, and when he slid his hand between her legs, fire raced to her core from every nerve ending. She opened her stance, silently begging for more, but he continued caressing her legs all the way down to her toes.
When she didn’t think she could take any more teasing, he lifted one of the massaging shower heads out of its holder, and rinsed the soap off of every part of her body. When he reached the aching bundle of nerves between her legs, he turned the dial on the massager, and then held the pulsing water directly over her clit.
She spread her legs even further apart, and he slid a finger into her pussy. Her answering moan was met with another finger, and then another.
Audrey let go of the partition, grabbed her heavy, sensitive breasts, and started rolling her hard nipples between her thumbs and forefingers. Her moans echoed around the room, and her pussy throbbed wildly around his fingers.
“Tad, please,” she begged. “I’m going to come.”
He pulled his fingers out of her cunt, and dropped the shower head. She didn’t have time to mourn the loss of his touch, because he lifted her up against the wall, and slammed his cock deep in one powerful thrust.
The cry she made didn’t sound human, and he immediately stilled.
“Are you okay?” he worried.
“Hell, yes,” she sighed. “Fuck me, Tad.”
He held her up easily as he moved his dick in and out of her pussy, and Audrey lost count of how many times she came. Multiple orgasms had never been something she’d been able to experience, but she wasn’t about to complain.
Tad reached between them, pressed his thumb against her pussy, and she felt his cock start to throb. He moved his hips faster, until both of their cries filled the air, and then he sank his canines into the juncture between her neck and shoulder. His bite sent another orgasm spiraling through her, and he stayed buried deep inside her core as she came again.
They stayed joined together until their breathing resembled something normal, and then Tad shut off the water, and carried her to the bed.
She’d found out from Declan that bear shifters had a strong urge to hibernate, which explained all of Tad’s alarm clocks, so she wasn’t surprised when he fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.
Audrey was exhausted, too, but sleep came slower for her.
Probably because she was making a mental list of all the fun, sexy things she could do to try and wake her bear.
It was a long list, but luckily, she had a lifetime to get through it.
The End
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