by Nicky Fox
“No.” He laughs. “You know what I mean.”
“I know. I don’t want to talk about that right now. I want to be in the moment. Are you in the moment?”
“Uh, yes. I’m in the moment, definitely.” I gasp as I feel the first push of his cock.
“Then stop talking and get inside me.” My lumberjack braces himself over my body with one hand and the other he uses to guide his cock inside me. He’s big; almost too big. The throbbing stops almost immediately replaced with a pinch and then he’s inside me all the way to the hilt. My hand rests on his stomach to keep him from entering me anymore. I don’t think I could take it. The sting fades and I test the waters by rocking against him.
“Fuck. Are you okay, Red? You’re so tight. Oh, my God. This feels amazing.” Paul pulls out slightly as the sound of suction echoes through the room. “Damn.”
“Move. Please.” I don’t need to ask twice. Paul pulls out almost all the way and then he slowly rocks back in until I can feel his balls at my backside. He tortures me with an easy rhythm. I gaze into his eyes as he pushes inside me over and over again. Paul’s eyes are darker than normal. He closes them in ecstasy. I’m climbing higher and higher. Feeling his body against mine makes me feel safe and loved.
“Paul.” The feeling is becoming too much. He sees the signs of my upcoming orgasm because he licks his thumb and then presses it against my clit. I grip onto his shoulders as he moves his thumb around my clit. I scream out. Paul pumps harder inside me and just as my pussy clenches, he bites down.
“Oh, oh.” With his bite, my orgasm punches harder through me, and I come until there’s a wet spot beneath me. Paul releases from my neck and then stills inside me, giving me his cum. He lets out a tremendous roar, claiming me as his mate. Almost collapsing on top of me, he catches himself before he crushes me with his big form. I hold on to his back as we catch our breath.
Chapter 17
Paul
I’ve died and gone to heaven. That’s what it’s like being inside Scarlett. She was so warm, wet, and tight. I could make love to her all day. And the way she comes, she looks like a tortured angel. I want to pleasure her over and over again just to see her mouth open in euphoria. Red’s asleep in my arms right now. Those two orgasms really took it out of her. Plus, her body is changing. My shifter DNA is inside her now. She’s a part of me and I’m a part of her; we’re finally one.
In the shifter world this is even stronger than a marriage or wedding. We said our vows between these sheets. Scarlett will probably be out for a while. I pull on my clothes and exit quietly to let her sleep.
Stepping outside, Ben greets me with a smug expression. His lip quirks up on the side like he knows what we were doing in there.
“Are we going to talk about it?” Ben crunches down in the snow.
“Nope.” My gaze reaches the trees that surround Red’s house. I don’t sense any shifters, but I have a feeling Max is going to come back here and try to take Scarlett away from me. He thinks he can do it with force but I’ll die protecting what’s mine. If Max kills me, he can claim Scarlett. As long as I’m breathing she’s safe.
“Oh, come on. I could hear you up there ya know. It was kinda torture.” He sighs. “Damn. I need to find my mate.”
“When do you think they’ll come?” Max and his gang of wolf lawyers aren’t used to the wild as much as Ben and me. They’ve been holed up in an office all day. I work outside and Ben lives outside. I know this land better than my own. It’s far enough out of town that if a shifter war started no humans would be privy to it but it’s also close enough that if we need help, we can go for it.
“Not tonight. Rest easy, Paul. I’ll stay here, and when you and Scarlett go back to work, I’ll walk the area. Keep an eye out for you.” Damn. I forgot about Scarlett going to work. She’s a freakin’ easy target with a bull’s-eye on her back on that bike of hers. Maybe I can convince her to stay home. I make enough for the both of us, and I have a nice nest egg. Hell, we might’ve even made a cub. She could have my baby growing in her belly right now. “What are you smiling about?”
“Nothing.” I clear my throat and grunt. Now that’s all I can think about, getting Scarlett pregnant.
“You have that weird look in your eye. Why don’t you go check on your mate?” Ben nudges me as he walks back and heads into the woods. I probably should check on her. I don’t want her waking up without me being there. Holding her in my arms is the best feeling.
When I get in bed with Red, I accidentally wake her up.
“You’re so cold. Were you outside?” She turns over and faces me. I lift the blanket to look at her naked body. Damn. She’s all mine, and she loves me back. I’m a lucky son of a bitch. This is the woman I’m going to spend the rest of my life with. She pats the sheet down so I can’t look at her delectable body.
“Yes. I was outside. Ben just gave me his report. No sign of any shifters.” I trail my fingers under the sheet and down her stomach. Red makes a sharp intake of breath as I go lower until I’m cupping her mound. “You want me here, honey?” Moving quickly, I roll on top of her. “Or, if you’re sore, I could kiss it and make it all better.”
“Mmm. I like it when you talk like that. It turns me on.” I know it turns her on. I can feel my hand getting wet. I kiss the side of her neck and let her think about it for a moment.
“What do you want?”
“You,” she says immediately. My bear growls. He’s surfaced more since I’ve claimed my mate. I’m optimistic it’s only a matter of time until he breaks out. Having claimed my mate, I no longer worry if he’ll hurt her. I know he can’t be feral with our mate claimed. Moving down Red’s body, I decide to taste her honey again. She doesn’t stop me. With my first lick, her pussy becomes soaked. Damn.
“Paul.” God. When she says my name, I become unglued. She can ask anything of me right now and I’d do it for her. Just let me stay between these legs. I swirl my tongue around her clit. She seems to really like that. This time, I slip my finger in her pussy. She gasps as I pump it in and out of her. If I’ve learned anything from that first time, it’s that Red likes it fast and hard, and that’s just what she’s going to get.
When I suck on her clit, her ass raises from the bed. I hold it up so I can get a better angle. Her legs clamp around my head as I attack her pussy. I can tell she’s about to come.
“Give it to me, Red. Give me that honey.” I kiss her pussy and then pump inside of her hard as I concentrate on her clit.
“Yes. Yes!” Scarlett gasps and grips onto my head as her core moves against my lips. Her juices flood my mouth and I lap it all up. She’s perfect. Her chest rises and falls quickly. I fondle her breast as she catches her breath. “More,” Red demands. “I want you inside of me.”
I rub her pussy with my thumb as I sit between her legs. “You’re not too sore?” She shakes her head and reaches for me. I can’t deny her anything. “You could get pregnant.” I know Scarlett knows how babies are made, but I just want to make sure she’s okay with it. I want a family with her more than anything but I’m older than her. She might want to wait. We’ve never really talked about it. This all happened so fast. This isn’t the way I would’ve planned this.
I would have taken her out on dates, lots of them. We would’ve made out in the bed of my truck one night. I’d walk her home every evening from work. Then, when she was ready we’d have sex with protection. After a year, I’d ask her to marry me and when she was ready, we’d have cubs. It seems that it wasn’t meant to happen that way. She’s been away almost ten years and here we are mated and possibly starting a family. I can’t say I’m disappointed.
“Do you want babies with me?” Red’s trying to play off the question like it’s no big deal but I can see this answer will mean a lot to her.
“More than anything. I can’t wait to see you round with my child. You’ll be the most gorgeous pregnant woman there ever was.” She giggles.
“Come here.” Red crooks her finger a
t me and like a dog I come running. Hovering over her, she unbuttons my pants and takes my cock out. She guides me to her warm center and I push the rest of the way in. Surprising her, I pull her to the edge of the bed and extend her legs to my shoulders. Then, I pound into her like we’re trying to make a baby.
Her breasts bounce with every thrust. She’s clawing at the bed and I’m trying not to come. It’s difficult when she’s having all these mini-orgasms on my cock. She clenches me like a vice. Wetness drips to my balls as I circle my hips and grind into her. She’s screaming my name now as a wave of euphoria erupts inside and I spill my seed in my mate. Every time we come together it just gets better and better. My life is made because of this woman. She’s finally mine.
Chapter 18
Scarlett
We argued, but I won. There’s no way I would quit my job. I love working with Rose and Firn. I feel like I’ve been lost for a while and here with my job, my home, and now my man, I see things clearly. I already decided I won’t be going back to school. I want to deliver flowers and work at the flower shop. Hopefully soon, I’ll make Paul a daddy.
He was very concerned about my safety but I assured him that I would only take deliveries in town and I’d wait for him to take me to and from work. Max has been scarce but we’re still all on edge. We know it’s only a matter of time before he comes for me. I don’t get his fascination with me. Paul mentioned about my wolf heritage and that probably being the draw. Some things make sense now though. Whenever I was around Max and I had trouble moving, that was him using his alpha powers on me. Now that I’m mated Paul said that he can’t hold that over me anymore. I belong to the bear clan now.
Paul has been staying over at my house since the incident there with Max. He always makes me feel so safe. We pass out after making love, and I wake up in his arms every morning. I’m in heaven. If there wasn’t some deranged wolf on the loose, everything would be perfect. Now, if we can only find Ben’s mate. Paul told me she’s in the area. I don’t know how we can help them though. I don’t have heightened senses yet. So far, I haven’t noticed any gifts from my shifter mate.
“Hey . . .” Rose stalls.
“What’s up?” I put the clipboard down and give her my undivided attention. I can tell she’s apprehensive about talking to me.
“So, old Mrs. Fleming ordered some groceries. She’s out of food and her house is on the way to yours, so I thought maybe on the way you could drop them off?”
“Sure. Paul will be driving me so I can make the delivery real quick on the way home. It’s no big deal.” Relief floods Rose’s face.
“Oh, good. I was worried. Old Mrs. Fleming really needed food. There’s supposed to be a snowstorm rolling in and she might’ve been snowed in without food.”
“Do people really call her Old Mrs. Fleming?”
“No, just me. She is old though. I feel bad for her, all alone in her house. She has no family. God, what if I become that? Old Rose. I need to get out of this town. I would’ve met him already if he was here, right?” Wow. If I knew that one question would lead to Rose doubting living here, I would’ve kept it to myself.
“You’ll find a guy, Rose. I don’t think you have to move to do that. Plus, who would run the shop?” She collapses in a stool near me and huffs.
“You know, you and Firn could run this place without me. I’ve been wanting to start fresh, go somewhere magnificent.” She has no idea she lives in a shifter town.
“This place is magnificent.”
“That’s only because you found a man.” Rose pouts. I drop the topic. She seems fixated on leaving. I’m sure this is just a phase and she’ll come back around. Maybe a mysterious stranger will move into town and sweep her off her feet . . . I’ve definitely been drinking from the same punch bowl as Firn. I’ve actually read a few books that she recommended to me and they are really good.
It’s five o’clock and I’m waiting outside for Paul. I told Rose and Firn to head home. Paul wouldn’t forget to pick me up. Plus, I’m in the middle of town. There’s no way Max would have the balls to do anything in front of the town. Christmas lights twinkle in the storefronts and the shop windows display all the great treats, toys, and bargains.
I think about what Christmas gift I should get my lumberjack bear shifter. I’m not used to getting guys presents. What would he even want? If I know him like I think I do, Paul would probably want sex all day. I laugh to myself. Where is he? I give him a quick call when I begin to worry. There’s no answer. I hop from foot to foot. It’s cold outside. He’s never late. What if his truck broke down? He could be stranded on his way to come pick me up. Glancing around the square, I decide to head toward home. I’ll probably run into him on the way. Plus, Mrs. Fleming needs her groceries. I could pop in there for a bit to warm up.
I love my trusty bike. Maybe I could get Paul a bike for Christmas, and then we could bike together everywhere. I think I have enough money saved. He hasn’t told me yet what I owe him for the repairs. Just because he’s my boyfriend, I don’t expect him to wave all the costs. He worked and bought materials for my home and he should be compensated for that.
I don’t run into Paul on the way to Mrs. Fleming’s house. I do pop in for a moment and warm myself by her fire. She was very grateful I was able to drop her groceries off. By the time I’ve had a cup of cocoa at her place, it’s like a blizzard outside. I try to call Paul again on his cell but there doesn’t seem to be any reception, probably because of the storm.
I’m almost home. I can get there in five minutes normally from here. I really don’t want to stay here and have Paul worrying about me, plus I still could run into him on the way. I don’t want him freezing out there alone. My mind is made up. I bid Mrs. Fleming good evening and make the trek to my house.
I clutch my red jacket tighter as the wind threatens to blow right through me. I’m chilled to the bone. It’s taking longer than I thought to get through this snow. I can no longer bike, I’m forced to roll it across the snow. This is a disaster. The energy to move just a foot with my bike dragging behind me is taxing.
A howl erupts in the distance. I listen again, hoping that my ears are playing tricks on me. I’m just being paranoid. Snow billows around me and soon enough another howl calls out, closer than before. Fear grips me, and I know without a doubt it’s Max Wolf and he’s come for me. Ditching my bike quickly, I run as fast as I can in the snow. I’m stupid. Stupid to believe I could’ve made it to my home without incident. Mrs. Fleming’s home sounds good right about now. Why did I leave her house? I could’ve waited out the storm in front of a fire. But no, I wanted to be home waiting for Paul. I hoped he would meet me on the way home. It’s taking much longer to get to my home than I thought. There’s no view of the house and the snow around me has created a curtain in front of my eyes. The only image visible in this storm is my red jacket, like a target.
Barking breaks my train of thought. Max Wolf is not alone. There’s a whole pack hot on my tail. A boisterous howl echoes off the trees like a siren. My steps falter and I become disoriented, no longer sure of my path. The crunching of snow and baiting of breath comes next. I push myself to the limit running away from the sounds behind me. The snow lets up for a moment and the house comes into view. My safety is within sight. A branch lying in the snow I don’t see makes me trip and fall on my knees.
Glancing behind me, I see four wolves hot on my tail. I manage to get myself upright and head toward safety. Time is of the essence as I reach the clearing before my home. I might just be able to make it. My hands shake as I make a run for it.
Suddenly, my jacket is pulled from behind and I fall back into the snow. A wolf comes into view as I lie still. I scream.
Chapter 19
Paul
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I mumble as I try to turn the ignition on my truck again. It’s just not turning over. Fuck. I have to pick up Red. She’s waiting on me and my truck decides to die on me. I’m usually the last to leave so there’s
no one else around to ask for a jump or a ride. I slam the door, upset that I’m going to be late to see her. Something nags in the back of my mind, and I decide to look under the hood.
Everything seems to be in order until I look at the big open space where my battery should be. This was sabotage so I couldn’t get to Red. Fuck. She must be in danger. Blood races through my veins. I close my eyes and try to reach my bear. Bear. I need you right now. Our mate is in trouble. My vision blurs and my fingers burn. I feel my nose trying to elongate into a snout. Then, as quickly as it came over me it stopped, and he receded once again.
“Damn you, bear! Your mate’s life is in jeopardy. She needs you!” I roar out into the forest. I have to head to town. Hopefully, she’s still waiting on me. I gave her strict instructions not to go anywhere without me. Fuck. I sprint from the lumber site and push myself to the limit further than I ever have to get to my love. My lungs burn, brush and branches hit and pound my body as I trek through the forest to get to town.
This snowstorm is making everything difficult. A white blanket covers every surface of the town. The lights reflect off the snow creating the illusion of daytime. Racing to the store I see all the lights are turned off. Banging on the door, I call out Scarlett’s name on my last hope that she’s safe inside waiting for me. No answer, no movement, no sound. She’s not here. I’m able to pick up her scent leading out toward her house. Red’s out there alone.
I don’t slow down and I don’t lose her scent. However, after one bend I pick up the scent of wolves. They’re also tracking her and they’re close. I hear a scream and everything goes black. Rage fills me and boils over. Time stops for a moment and it’s like I’m teleported to the scene.