by Eve Langlais
His hips bucked, and his fingers threaded her hair as she began to bob his shaft, sliding her mouth up and down the length of him. His rock-solid flesh pulsed in her mouth. She grazed him with her teeth, and he gasped. She pinched the tip harder, and his hips thrust so hard she had to hold on.
He groaned and bucked as she sucked him harder, trying to make him come, but he held off, groaning and fighting.
“Come for me,” she whispered.
“Not until I’m balls deep,” was his reply before he changed his grip to grab her and pull her up the length of his body until he could kiss her.
He rolled her onto her back and embraced her hard, his tongue sliding along hers, his body heavy against her. His hands roamed, sliding under her frame, grasping her ass cheeks and squeezing. He yanked her against him, pinning his erect cock between their bodies, grinding against her clit, making her gasp. Pant. Ache.
She wiggled until his cock ended up where she wanted it, pressed against the opening of her sex. Her legs wrapped around his waist. It took only tightening them to pull him into her, the thickness of his shaft stretching her nicely. When he’d gotten as deep as he could go, he paused and she was the one to pulse, her pussy tightening around him. Wanting…
“Oh.”
He pulled out and slowly slid in.
Out.
In.
A slow torturous tease that had her digging her nails into his back.
“Give it to me,” she huffed, aching for satisfaction.
He growled in reply and slammed his cock home. A cry emerged from her, a noise of satisfaction that was almost a humming purr as he pumped her. He filled her so perfectly. Gave her plenty to clench. Their mouths remained meshed, their kiss passionate and hot with panting breath.
Her nails dug in as her body raced toward a pinnacle of pleasure. He pounded faster, the angle hitting her just right, just….
“Ahhhhh!” She couldn’t help but scream as she climaxed, her body bowing and taut as the bliss rolled over her.
He kept going, pistoning into her faster. A firm grip on her hips, he thrust even harder into her, the bumping action reviving her orgasm and rolling her into a second one. This time he came with her. Yelling her name. Spilling against her womb. Collapsing atop her, his weight welcome.
The smell of blood, though… She glanced over his shoulder to see she’d partially shredded his back.
“Oh shoot. I’m sorry,” she gasped, ready to run for a medical kit.
But the smug man rolled to her side, tucked her into a spoon against him, and rumbled, “Sorry about what? I’ll wear those marks as a badge of honor.”
“Everyone will think I’ve claimed you.”
“They wouldn’t be wrong,” was his reply.
12
He’d spilled his heart. Told her what he felt. What he hoped for.
And did she suddenly succumb and declare her undying love?
No. But she did have sex with him. Epic, mind-blowing, beat-his-chest sex that had him passed out hard after—hopefully not snoring. When he woke, he found her snuggled against him. Where she belonged.
Problem was she hadn’t come around to his way of thinking yet. Which he could understand. He’d hurt her. Caused her to lose faith in him. Made her believe she wasn’t the most important thing in his life. At the time, she might have been right. After all, he’d chosen his family over his relationship.
And had regretted it ever since.
If he wanted to make a go with Maisy, he’d have to be able to commit wholeheartedly. No more secrets. No more choosing anyone over her. Time to show her he was a changed man.
That didn’t prove easy. During the day, they barely saw or spoke. The things they had him busy doing made the hours pass in a blur.
He had lessons in how to be a bear. It wasn’t all picnic baskets and eating honey. The way a bear moved was drastically different than a kangaroo. The weight dispersed in ratios that meant relearning how his limbs worked.
When he wasn’t figuring out how to walk on two legs in his new shape, he sparred, discovering great strength in his blows—when he managed to land them. He didn’t have the same speed as before.
When he wasn’t training, he volunteered to be a hamster in a lab—where he got to see Maze. Sort of. She worked on the samples with all kinds of expensive machinery, whereas he spent most of his time in the patient areas, donating blood and providing tissue samples. He even ran on a treadmill with wires hooked to him. All in the name of science—and peeks at the woman who was rocking his nights.
Every morning she snuck out of his bed as if he were a dirty secret. All day long he’d wonder if she regretted it, and then, that night, they would look at each other over dinner, or they’d run into each other coming back to the guesthouse. Within moments they’d find a room, his, hers, didn’t matter. The evening always ended up naked and satisfying. And if they woke at the same time in the middle of the night, the bed was solid enough not to make noise and wake any of the other guests.
Over the course of that week, Jakob found a new equilibrium. He’d moved past needing strong emotion to trigger a shift and had been practicing slipping in and out of his panda. While he did not yet feel at complete ease in his skin, he’d at least progressed to comfortable. He didn’t trip on his own paws anymore, and when he swung, he now connected, even harder than before now that he had some weight behind it.
Given he didn’t have the bouncy hind legs, he sought out new moves. He studied a few movies, including the famous Kung Fu Panda. Sure, the cartoon aspect exaggerated the possibilities. For example, he couldn’t leap and hang suspended in the air. Gravity worked doubly quickly on his weight it seemed, and he fell rapidly each time. But he could body slam hard enough to make the earth shake.
Despite the hind kick being his favorite move as a roo, he couldn’t manage even a partial foot lunge without falling over. On the flip side, with his grippy paws, he could climb. Trees. Buildings. He could scale anything he could sink claws into, which he had to admit was kind of cool, especially when he climbed to Maisy’s window after a particularly long day and tapped on the glass.
He knew she was in there. Had seen her shadow passing by the curtain, but she didn’t answer his knock. He plastered his face to the glass. “Grawr.” He couldn’t exactly say her name.
She heard and turned, blinking at him before sliding up the sash. He slipped in before shifting.
“Was it too complicated to come in through the front and knock?” she asked.
“Don’t be jealous just because I’m a master climber.”
That brought an unladylike snort to her lips. “You’re mediocre at best.”
Which was better than useless. “You look worried. Have you still not managed to reach your dad?” She’d talked to him only twice since their arrival.
She shook her head. “He’s not answering any of the numbers I have for him.”
“I thought he left you a message yesterday.”
“He did. Two words. Doing great, according to him.”
“You think your dad is lying?”
“I think it’s odd he’s not answering or that I haven’t heard from Peach since we left,” she said with a scowl.
“Surely he’d tell you if something happened.”
Judging by her expression, maybe not. “Want me to sic my brothers on his trail?”
“They’re already looking. Jebbie hasn’t been able to find any traces of him.”
He tried to not be jealous at her nickname for his brother. Jeb had known her longer, but Jakob had seen her naked. “Meaning he’s hiding real good.”
“Or he’s been taken, and Peach with him, and the messages I’m getting are fake and meant to keep me from looking.”
Her worry was contagious. “When do we leave?”
“Who said I was leaving?”
He eyed the bag with clothes spilling out of it. “Were you just going to hare off without saying anything?”
Her shoulders slumped. “T
his is my problem, not yours.”
“I call dingo shit. If you’re worried, then I’m worried. I like Peach and your dad. So let’s put our minds at ease and book a flight home.”
“You can’t go. You’re still learning.”
“Bah. I’m fine.”
She arched a brow. “Is that why you’re here instead of doing your agility exercises with Georgina?”
His lip jutted. “She wants to pit my skills against the simians in her development department.”
“And?”
“Those monkeys cheat. They always win because they can use their tails,” he grumbled. “Plus, they steal my bamboo.”
“Poor bear,” she mock-soothed.
“That’s right, poor me. I need a hug.”
“Only a hug?” she teased, coming close.
“And maybe a kiss to make me feel better.”
“Just a single one?” she said before pressing her mouth to his.
Her heat enflamed all his senses. His hands reached to cup her ass and yank her close to him.
It might have gotten inappropriate really fast if a little voice hadn’t said, “Why are you kissing my mommy?”
Jakob froze and slid his hands to Maisy’s hips, mostly to ensure she didn’t move, given he was naked and hard, but shriveling quickly due to their audience.
“Peach?” A surprised Maisy turned to look to her left and the tousled head that suddenly popped up from the pillows.
“Hi, Mommy!” The little girl beamed and waved.
“How did you get here?” Maze sputtered.
A good question, because until that child showed herself, he didn’t have an inkling she was there. Her scent hadn’t even triggered, yet now her vibrant youth filled the room.
Odd.
“I took a plane,” Peach declared.
“With Pappy?”
The child shook her head. “He said no. Pappy wanted us to hide, but you need me.”
“Did you have one of your visions?” Maze asked softly, turning to face her daughter.
Jakob used the cover of her back to reach for a robe lying over a chair. It wouldn’t fit quite right, but it beat standing in the buff.
“The bad people are coming for me.”
“Like hell they are,” Jakob stated, tying the sash. Didn’t take a leap to know Peach meant his mother. “I’m going to make sure all the bad people stay far away from you.” He’d die before he let anyone harm the little girl.
Maze appeared somewhat shell-shocked. “How did you get into the Academy? Who let you in?”
Meaning, who hadn’t notified Maisy her daughter had arrived? And how was it neither of them perceived her scent until she announced her presence?
“I snuck in. It wasn’t very hard. The slow man never even saw me,” Peach stated, beaming with pride.
Maisy, however, looked fit to explode. “Of all the dangerous, irresponsible things. You mean to tell me you left Pappy, hiked to the nearest town—”
“I didn’t walk long. A nice man in a big truck gave me a ride.”
Maisy’s eyes almost fell out of her head. “Made your way to the city with a stranger, boarded a plane—”
“Inside a suitcase once I took out the clothes. But I kept the snacks.”
“Then what? Hitchhiked to the Academy?”
“Yes,” Peach replied.
Jakob could see Maze held on only by the barest of threads so he stepped in to give her a chance to compose herself. “Are you okay? No one tried to hurt you?”
Those big brown eyes turned on him, and the little girl’s smile melted his insides. “I know how to hide.”
“I think you scared your mother, though.”
“Try more like I’m pissed. I want to know why my dad didn’t admit what had happened. Going great my butt!” Maze ranted. “I am going to kill him.”
The bedroom door suddenly opened. “Don’t blame me because she’s good. I had a hell of a time following our girl.” Herbert walked in with beetled brows. “You!” He pointed to Peach.
Jakob tensed, ready to intervene if the old guy did something.
“Hi, Pappy!”
Herbert beamed. “Excellent work. I barely managed to track you.”
“You mean you were following her the entire time and didn’t stop her?” Maisy said softly. Too softly.
Perhaps Jakob should step back before she drew blood and stained the fluffy white robe.
Her father looked a tad nervous. “She was never in any real danger.”
“You let her smuggle herself on a plane in the cargo area.”
“With snacks,” Herbert added. “Better than what they were serving on board, I’ll add.”
Maisy flung her hands. “I can’t believe you’re here. I thought you were hiding. You should have been safe in one of your hidey holes.”
The child emerged from under the covers and bounced close enough she could pat her mother on the arm. “No one is safe, Mommy. The badness is coming.”
“Unless we stop it first.” Jakob should have thought it odd a child was prophesying, and yet, her words matched the nagging in his gut.
Something wicked this way came. Best be prepared.
Herbert caught them up on more details of Peach’s cross-continent and ocean adventure while Maze cradled her daughter in her lap. Then Herbert left, looking for food and some open space. Days of confined travelling had left him grumpy.
He might have also wanted to leave before Maze tore him into strips. Despite Peach’s obvious good health and humor, the mama panther in her bristled at the danger her cub had weathered.
Once Herbert left, Maze eyed Peach. “What am I going to do with you?”
“Love me.” The child batted her lashes, and Jakob was ready to kneel down and promise his devotion.
Her mother didn’t melt. “You disobeyed my orders.”
“You need me.”
“I need you to be safe,” Maze barked, and tears brimmed in Peach’s eyes.
Jakob knew he shouldn’t, but he threw himself into the fray. “She’s probably safer at the Academy.”
“Now, but what about the days spent travelling here? Do you know what could have happened?” Her voice cracked.
Peach sniffled as she held out her arms. “I’m sorry, Mommy.”
“Oh, my little fuzz.” They wrapped each other in a hug, Maisy crushing her cub tight as a bear and nuzzling her head. “You are much too clever.”
“And wily. I think Peach needs to teach me how she hides,” Jakob exclaimed.
“You’re too big!” Peach declared with a giggle.
“It’s my butt, isn’t it?” He glanced behind, and the child laughed again before holding out her arms.
Jakob hesitated only a half-second before reaching for her. She clambered into his arms, and he got treated to a hug, too. A nice hug, the kind that had Maisy staring at him softly with a smile.
Was she also picturing what it would be like if they were a family?
He got a taste of what that meant as Peach chose the middle of the bed as her spot. Maisy climbed in beside her, and when he would have left, Peach grumbled, “You sleep there.” She pointed to the empty space on her other side.
It was a crowded affair, with Pappy thankfully choosing to camp outside in the forest. But Jakob wouldn’t have given it up for anything.
Not even the part where he woke up to a tiger cub gnawing on his nose.
He gave Peach a lazy swat that tumbled her over. She returned to perch on his chest and dug her claws in and uttered a soft grumble. Being a man, and one of five brothers, he knew of only one recourse. He flipped the sheet and farted.
The cub’s eyes widened, but it was the drawled, “Good morning to you, too,” that heated his cheeks.
He glanced over to see an amused Maisy. “Um, sorry?”
“It’s a good thing I have almost no sense of smell,” she muttered as she rolled out of bed. She didn’t even stagger as an energetic bundle of striped fur launched itself at her. She
tucked the squirming Peach under her arm. “I’m going to take her outside for a run before breakfast.”
“Want company?”
“Why don’t you sleep in a bit longer. I’ll probably run into Miranda and Kelly. They usually pass by every fifteen minutes in the morning until Chase gets up around nine.”
He watched them go and smiled.
His girls.
Holy bamboo stick dipped in chocolate. His girls. Being with them made him so happy. This was what had been missing in his life. A family of his own.
Now to convince Maisy to make the situation permanent.
He fell back asleep, mostly because he could. His morning class with Everett—he of the finely tuned nose—was cancelled. Something about the start of deer season setting off his wife.
He might have slept all day if there wasn’t a banging at his door. The kind of knocking that screamed panic.
He rolled out of bed and stumbled to the door to fling it open. Chase, his hair untidy and tie askew, paced outside.
Cold dread immediately gripped him. “What happened?”
“They’re gone.”
“Who’s gone?” he asked, his stomach sinking. It occurred to him no one had ever returned to the room.
“All of them,” grumbled the bear, whose skin rippled in agitation. “They took my honeys and yours, too.”
“Shit.” Understatement. “How? Was the Academy attacked?”
“The girls went to the mall to buy some stuff for Peach. They should have been okay. They had Tom along for support. But it’s as if their kidnappers knew they were going and set up ahead of time.” Chase paced the hall.
“Wait, you mean to say Miranda, Maze, Peach, and Kelly have all been taken?”
“Tom, too. I told you, whoever it was came prepared. I am going to eat their faces,” Chase growled.