“I’m certain. And why are you so worried about Cullen? Does he worry about you when he mounts Klesa or any of the other females you both mate with?”
Damon took her hand and guided her inside his hut. It was in more disarray than Cullen’s, with bandages strewn nearby the bed as he was stabbed by Shauna not long ago. As she moved to remove her frock, Damon stopped her. “Please lie with me for a while. There’s no rush. We have all night.”
Elaina crawled on the fur-covered bed, wrinkling her nose at the putrid smell that came from a concoction that Hannah had been using for Damon’s knife wound. Damon took off his shirt, and beneath it was a white bandage that crisscrossed his chest to hold it in place. “Perhaps you’re not up to this,” Elaina finally said.
Damon didn’t say a word as he lay next to Elaina, taking her into his arms, not in a passionate embrace, but to simply hold her. Elaina giggled as Damon breathed in, tickling her scalp as he took in the fragrance of her hair. He interlaced his fingers with hers and kissed her lips ever so softly, then each of her eyelids that she closed as his lips neared them.
Elaina’s chest rose and fell at his gentle kisses and she ached in a way she hadn’t before. He was teasing her. She whimpered as she shifted in the bed, trying to bring him closer, but he kept his hips away from her. “My, but you’re an impatient one. I’m not like my brother. I like to take my time.”
Damon licked between Elaina’s lips until they parted. As his tongue entered her mouth, Elaina tentatively touched hers with his, getting lost in his kiss. Damon wound both of his hands into her hair, massaging her scalp, and it strangely was quite arousing even though Elaina was screaming on the inside for Damon to touch something more intimate.
They locked lips for a time and Elaina winced the first time Damon’s fangs nicked her lip. To pay him back, she returned the favor. He pressed the back of his hand to his injured lip. Damon sat up, laughing. “Taking a nibble is fine. You don’t need to take a chunk.”
He ran his hand along the outside of her frock, his fingers finding her nipples. He rubbed back and forth across the fabric until they hardened beneath the material. He pulled up her frock and worked his hand beneath the fabric, cupping a mound in his hand. He massaged her, squeezed, and pinched her nipples hard enough for her to feel a jolt that made her grow moist between her thighs.
Damon tickled his way down her abdomen, over her hip, but when she tried to part her thighs he closed them. “Not so fast.” He paid attention to every inch of her flesh and lifted her frock a bit more until it rested just above her breasts. Elaina was dying inside. She wanted his fingers to touch her between her legs as he was driving her insane.
Damon finally brought her knees up and parted her thighs, taking his place between them, his hot breath blowing on her sex. Elaina moaned and felt the moisture pouring out of her. He carefully parted her folds and stared at her sex like he had never seen what a woman looked like between her legs before.
“You’re beautiful and pink. Do you want to feel my tongue, Elaina? Should I lick you here?” he asked her with a wicked glint in his eyes.
Elaina pounded the bed with her fists. “Please,” she whimpered.
Damon chuckled, and when his tongue touched her clit, she jumped as shards of pleasure rippled over her and her sex tightened and released in rapid succession. His tongue found her most sensitive spots. When he took her clit into his hot mouth and suckled it gently, Elaina thrashed on the bed. His tongue made long strokes now and found her love channel, moving in and out until Elaina screamed for him to take her.
Damon finally stood to shuck his pants, and as his hardness sprung upward, he knelt on the bed. Elaina cupped his sacks and brought his long and curved shaft toward her waiting lips. She licked the bead of moisture that had formed on the tip, enjoying the musky and salty taste. Her tongue then found the ridge of his mushroom-like head and followed it with the tip of her tongue, enjoying the gasp of pleasure Damon let escape from between his lips. She took the tip into her mouth as Damon rocked his hips forward. Elaina concentrated only on the head, sucking it in and out of her mouth, increasing the pressure. She grazed him with her teeth accidentally and Damon said, “Watch the fangs.”
Elaina wanted more of him in her mouth, and with a grip on his dangling globes, she pulled him further inside her mouth until she took him in as far as she could. Her eyes watered, but she kept going. Damon rocked back and forth to assist her, but he didn’t do more than she could take.
He suddenly pulled himself from her mouth. “Are you ready to be mounted, my beauty?” he asked.
She nodded and spread her legs wide, but he shook his head. “No. Get on your hands and knees and I’ll take you that way.”
Elaina did as he told her and waited with her ass high in the air, but instead of feeling him enter her, Damon licked her slit some more and she bucked against his face. He finally positioned himself behind her and slid into her tightness slowly, working in and out of her until she cried out. Then without warning he rammed into her much harder. He squeezed her round hips hard as he pounded into her until Elaina nearly collapsed to the bed as the rising tide caught her and sent her crashing on the other side. Instead of stopping, Damon held her hips, not missing a stroke, until Elaina cried out in protest.
He pulled free and flipped her to her back now. Gone was the gentle Damon that she had gotten to know as he gripped her legs and put them over his shoulders. She had no clue what he was up to as her ass was off the bed. He pressed his hardness into her with a jolt. Elaina rocked her head on the pillows. She hated this. It felt so good, but she felt like she had no control over her body as this werebear pounded into her.
From the doorway came Cullen’s gentle reminder, “Take it easy, brother. She just lost her virginity the other night.”
Elaina glanced over at Cullen as Damon continued to work himself between her thighs. She should have felt ashamed, but all she could do was lay there. She stared into Cullen’s eyes as his brother gave her stroke after stroke until she thought she’d die from the intense torture he was inflicting on her body until suddenly her sex began to pulsate rapidly and she cried out.
Damon’s face was completely red now, all the veins in his forehead and neck bulging as he spilled himself into her. Her thighs were lowered and before she had time to relax, Cullen was pulling her from the bed.
He pulled her out into the night air toward the stream naked as the day she was born. “It’s time to take a bath now.”
Cullen pressed a bar of soap into her hands, watching from the shore. Elaina wished she could see his face to gauge his reaction to her and Damon’s coupling. Was he upset? She had been surprised when Cullen had appeared in Damon’s hut.
Elaina trembled as she stood knee deep in the stream, wading in a bit further, turning her back to Cullen. Her heart thudded against her chest now; certainly Cullen wouldn’t expect her to now mate with him, too. She rubbed the soap between her legs and was quite sore. She hadn’t expected Damon to take her like that. In the beginning he was quite gentle, but he certainly had plenty of beast in him. She had been told since she had come here that she was to be shared by the two hunky werebears. So why had Cullen pulled her from Damon’s side so soon after they had finished their coupling? Perhaps it was really the fever because she really wanted them both, even though she didn’t care for the idea in the beginning. But how the brothers would handle it remained to be seen.
With a splash, Elaina submerged herself in the stream and came back up when she felt a tug at her leg. When she surfaced sputtering, Cullen roared in laughter. The faced each other and Cullen pulled her up against him. Her breasts were pressed against his furry chest and he kissed her on the forehead. “I didn’t like you rutting with my brother.”
“And I didn’t like you mating with Klesa.”
“Perhaps not, but I had to say my goodbyes. Damon will be doing the same a little later, I’m sure.”
Elaina tried to absorb what he was saying. “Do you think
it’s best to send her and your sons away?”
He sighed. “Yes. We can’t risk our bloodline ceasing to exist. Ethan will be good to her and the boys.”
“How can you be so sure? She didn’t look very happy about it.”
“It’s already been decided. We’ll make the journey tomorrow to the human town. Klesa needs to be near her own kind. I’ve worried about her health of late. She’s thin and fragile. She’ll never make it another winter here even if the clan could be held at bay.”
Cullen cupped Elaina’s breast and she enjoyed how it warmed her even as they stood in the cool water of the stream. His fingers moved down her abdomen and slipped beneath the water, resting between her legs. “Are you sore?”
“Yes,” Elaina admitted. She gasped as Cullen’s fingers worked magic between her legs, but as a finger found her channel, she winced. “Please, I feel bad enough that I mated with your brother.”
He breathed against her forehead. “Why? We told you we share the females of this village.”
“But you just claimed I was your mate, and then got all mad when you found out I had kissed another before I even came here. That’s not exactly fair.”
“No, but it was a werewolf.”
“Liam is my friend. I don’t understand your reasoning, and I still think it’s a good idea to at least try to ask the werewolves for help with the clan.”
“I’ll think about it, but I really don’t think they’ll go along with it. Why risk their den for a bunch of werebears that they have no ties with?”
“Not you, but I certainly am friends with Liam. I’m sure he’d be able to convince the pack to help us.”
Cullen removed his hand from Elaina’s body. “Oh, and how would you convince him? Let him mount you?”
“No. Why would you even think that?”
“Well, you kissed him before and I think there’s more between you and this Liam than just friendship. I can see it in your eyes when you say his name.” Cullen left the stream and strode back to the village in a huff, leaving Elaina to wonder what he meant. She didn’t have feelings for Liam, not the kind that would drive her to mate with him. Or did she? She only had those kinds of uncontrollable feelings when it came to the two knucklehead werebears in this village that she couldn’t stop herself from mating with. This mating fever was for the birds, Elaina thought as she made way for the village.
The old one didn’t say a word as she passed her, like she was used to seeing naked females strolling around camp at night. Damon came out of his hut, handing her back the frock she had worn and watched in silence as she donned it.
“Where am I supposed to sleep tonight?” Elaina asked, unsure where she stood in the village now.
“With Cullen. He won’t have it any other way. He made sure to tell me to send you his way if you came back to my hut.”
“Okay, but he sure seemed mad back at the stream a moment ago.”
“Cullen is a proud man and werebear. He’s used to making demands and throwing his weight around, but he’s also the best brother I could have.”
Elaina shuffled her feet, feeling out of sorts since she had just mated with Damon not long ago. “Thanks.”
When Elaina tiptoed into Cullen’s hut, he was laying on his stomach on the bed. She admired his muscular haunches that she ogled within the glow of the fire nearby. She kept her frock on and crawled into bed beside him, longing to wrap her arms around him, but there was a distance between them now. How was it that he didn’t seem to mind so much that she and Damon had been together, but the mere mention of her kissing a werewolf drove him off the edge? Elaina wasn’t about to admit that she felt something more for Liam. It mattered not anymore since they would never have contact with each other again, unless Cullen changed him mind about asking the werewolves for help.
Chapter Six
Cullen wasn’t next to Elaina when she awoke, and as she rubbed the sleepiness from her eyes, she made her way to the center of the village where Hannah was stirring a pot that was suspended by three metal rods that held it above the open fire.
“Where is everyone?”
“Oh, they left ten minutes ago to take Klesa and the boys to civilization.” Elaina frowned. “Thanks. With any luck I can catch up with them.”
Before Hannah had a chance to say anything, Elaina rushed down the passageway that led from the village. She wasn’t sure which way they had gone. Think, Elaina. Use your bear senses, she told herself. The wind was blowing from the southwest and Elaina picked up Cullen’s scent rather quickly. She had to hurry before she wouldn’t be able to catch up.
Elaina made her way through the underbrush, careful not to make any unnecessary noise. There was no need to make herself known to any other animals or shifters that might be in the area. The more she walked, the thicker the pines were and she wondered if she was going the right way, but when she burst out of the trees that towered over her head, she was sure she had picked up the sound of the boys, Peter and Ivan, who were being shushed by Klesa. Excited, Elaina rushed forward and was pinned beneath the weight of a mighty paw of a grizzly bear. Instead of being shocked or frightened, Elaina stared into the bear’s eyes, and when she was released, she knew that it had to be one of her new werebear love mates.
The bear shifted and she stood staring at Cullen’s naked form. “What are you doing here?” he demanded.
Elaina tried her best to keep a straight face even though Cullen’s eyes were narrowed and flashing at her. “I wanted to tag along. I’ve never been to civilization before. The Bear Claw Pub is the closest I’ve been.”
“The pub isn’t civilization at all. Where we’re going you might not want to be. We’re trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible.”
“That might be hard with you in bear form, Cullen.” Elaina gave herself a quick once over. “I don’t see anything wrong with my appearance.”
“That frock isn’t even close to what humans wear, but I guess we’ll have to make do since none of Klesa’s clothing would fit you anyway.”
Elaina had to agree, so she didn’t take offense. “Thanks,” she replied happily. She had to admit to herself that she was excited to travel to the human town, or whereever they had planned to take Klesa and the boys.
Peter and Ivan were jumping around until Cullen barked out for them to stop. It bothered Elaina that the boys were chastised for simply being children. It wasn’t that long ago that she was just like them. Samson was equally as harsh at times.
“Can the boys shift?” Elaina asked.
Cullen narrowed his eyes. “I’m not encouraging them to do that just yet.”
Elaina’s arched one brow. “And why is that?”
“They’re young and will get themselves into trouble.”
“Yes, but I wasn’t encouraged to shift either and look how that turned out. I’m not even able to defend myself and have to rely on my two mates to protect me.”
“You don’t have two mates.”
“Well, first you claimed I was your mate and then not your mate. Which way is it?”
“No, you have no mates. Damon and I are just sharing you until your fever has passed. There’s no need for you to stay longer than necessary. Our troubles with the clan need not be yours. Perhaps your protector, Samson, is right and the clan is searching for you.”
“Oh, and where would you have me go when you both tire of me?”
“Back to your protector might be your best avenue.”
Elaina was seething mad now. “So you’d have me go back with Samson knowing that he locked me up in a room.”
“What if he had a good reason? What if he knows who you really are?”
“So you’re assuming that when he found me that he already knew who I was and kept the truth from me all these years?”
“It’s possible. What of his past? What do you know of it?”
“Nothing other than Samson feels a cave drawing made him believe that he was to look after me. It represented a bear and its wolf protector.”<
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“And that’s all you know?”
“Yes, that’s all I was told. He’s been protecting me from the clan. I just don’t know why and I guess I’ll never know, since I plan to never see him again.”
Cullen took ahold of Elaina’s arm and pulled her aside from the view and hearing range of the others. “I don’t want to see you hurt, and I can’t help but think that there’s a reason Samson kept you hidden all these years.”
Elaina sighed. “I don’t know, but I just can’t go back now. I want to stay with you and Damon, be it good or bad. I can learn how to fight if you teach me.”
“You need to be protected at all costs. I won’t allow the clan to harm you. That bear you fought with may have been from the clan, and if they came that close to the cabin you were raised in, they had to have been searching for you, Elaina. You might be in real danger.”
“I don’t believe this. You’re as bad as Samson. I refuse to go back, so you’ll have to get used to me being around. Besides, I might be carrying your or Damon’s child now.”
Cullen glanced away. “Okay, but know that I’ll protect you at any cost. We’ll ask the werewolves for help like you suggested, but know that if that Liam tries to put a hand on you, they’ll be mourning another alpha.”
“Oh, why is it that you’ll accept Damon mating with me then?”
“I don’t like it, but I accept it as it’s our way. That doesn’t mean that Damon and I won’t squabble about it. I made my claim on you first, and as such, I have more say than he does. You will sleep by my side every night until I no longer desire you to.”
Elaina opened her mouth to vent her anger at him, but he shifted back into bear form, dodging back to the others.
Sleep beside him until he no longer desires it? Of all of the arrogant things to say to her. She’d be damned if she’d allow that werebear to get the best of her. His admission that he was concerned for her safety meant something, though. She wished she knew more about why Samson had secluded her the way he had, but she wasn’t willing to go back to find out. For the moment, she was quite content to have two mates to choose from.
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