by C. D. Gorri
“Sorry,” he said to Marcus.
“Bal? What is the plan now?”
“Well, my friends, I suggest we lay a trap. The Hunters won’t be back tonight. Tomorrow, after sunset, they will most likely try again. The one you unfortunately killed was quite strong, if anything he was the leader of the clutch. If you are going to post guards you must be discreet, their sense of smell is triple that of a healthy Vampire,” he said.
“What does that mean?”
“That means think of your own ursine noses and amplify it by a hundred. They have latched onto the she-Bear’s scent. They will come for her.”
“Over my dead body!” Nate roared.
“Probably, yes,” the Vampire agreed, “but let us hope it doesn’t come to that. The Hunters are strong, I wish to avoid their deaths. But if you are cornered do not hesitate,” his voice was grim, but Nate suddenly felt a new respect for the man.
“Who are they to you?”
“My friends. My family. Strangers. It is hard to tell once they have crossed that line, but there is someone I owe my life to. It is for this person that I try to save these twice damned souls,” Bal said with an edge of deep sorrow to his tone that made even Nate sympathize with the Vampire.
“We understand and, because of your friendship with the Macconwood Pack, we want to help. But you must also understand that Luisa is newly mated to Nate, he is going to be extremely protective of her-” Marcus began.
“You’re damn fucking straight I am. Listen up, anything happens to her-”
“Understood, my new friend. Please, believe me when I say I will not risk her safety in place of any Hunters now that I understand the situation, I vow this to you,” the Vampire nodded as he spoke his oath.
With their plan finalized, Nate bristled. He did not want to put Luisa in danger. Especially when she wouldn’t take their mating to the next step.
But how could he protect her when she wouldn’t recognize what they had?
Chapter 9
Luisa woke alone in her bed. For a moment, she smiled happy with the world and everything in it as she inhaled that subtle autumn sage scent that clung to her skin. Nate. She smiled again. Her Bear was satisfied knowing she had a mate and reveling in his claim.
Then reality set in. She was mated and yet not. My fault. Pain lanced through her connection to her animal. The beast did not understand her human’s reticence. She simply wanted her mate. Now. Especially after being attacked by Hunter Vamps the night before.
She-Bears were strong, but Vampire strength was something out of the ordinary even for supernaturals. Hunter Vamps were especially dangerous because they no longer bore any semblance to the human beings they once were. Any moral or ethical code they may have once lived by was long gone once they fell into madness.
Bal had explained the night before that the supernatural community still widely debated whether or not that fall was a choice. Immortal beings were tricky. Even those with the mere potential for immortality.
Imagine spending hundreds or thousands of years in a world where the average lifespan was gone in the blink of an eye. Luisa shivered just thinking about watching all her family and friends die. Horrible. No wonder they went mad. Her knowledge of Vampirism wasn’t as extensive as she’d have liked, but she understood loneliness.
Growing up with a sick mom was difficult, but watching her older sister take every responsibility wasn’t any easier. Luisa did her share, but she knew Krissy had sacrificed much of her youth in her effort to care for both Luisa and their mother.
Luisa paid her back by acing her way through college and medical school. Coming back to Barvale after a stint at St. Francis Hospital to work in the brand new Barvale Urgent Care Clinic was like a dream come true.
It was also the reason she’d been hitting the brakes on this thing between her and Nate. This thing is our mating. Come on. Go get our mate. Her Bear’s mournful growl made Luisa frown. The animal within her had never been so forlorn. She sat up and strode to the bathroom, surprised when the scent of fresh brewed coffee met her nostrils.
Brushing her teeth quickly, she strode out to the kitchen and was shocked to see Nate standing at her stove. He wore a pair of low-slung jeans on his narrow rodeo rider hips and nothing else. Luisa bit her lip as her dark eyes traced every visible inch of him.
His sleek muscles were tanned and glistening in the summer sunlight that streamed in through the windows. He looked good enough to eat. Especially as he worked his magic at her stovetop. She sniffed and sighed. Pancakes. He was making homemade blueberry pancakes drizzled with honey and whipped butter. If she hadn’t been in love with him before, she sure as hell was now.
Mossy green eyes caught hers as he turned with a tray in his hands. His smile lit up the room and she was breathless for the second time that morning.
“Morning, honey, I told you I would make you breakfast today. I was gonna surprise you and serve you in bed,” he said and placed the tray down on the table before he reached for her.
Luisa went willingly, raising her lips to his only to be disappointed when he dropped a chaste kiss on her mouth. Still, he swallowed her in his embrace. She loved the feel of his warm, sun-kissed skin against hers.
It was nice waking up to him, she realized with a smile. Even though she was fairly certain he spent the night on the couch instead of in her bed. She frowned and bit her lip.
“Hungry?” he asked as he backed away from her and moved the food from the tray to the table.
“Yes, thanks. Did you make all this?” She took a bite and moaned as the flavors burst across her tongue. Was that lemon zest mixed in with the blueberries? Pure heaven.
“Sure did,” he poured them coffee and fixed hers perfectly before he sat down to join her.
“Oh my God, Nate, this is really really good!”
“Thank you. My mama taught me how to cook when I was younger,” he shrugged off her compliment and she was delighted to learn her mate was shy!
He stood and refilled his cup of coffee lazily before sitting back down at the table. The intimacy of it felt cozy and right to her. He laughed and smiled a lot. Teased and joked as he refilled a plate with thick bacon slices laced with his special blend of cayenne and brown sugar.
“This is like bacon crack,” she moaned and bit into her third slice.
“I sure love to watch you eat, honey,” he said.
Luisa swallowed her bite down and licked her lips. That deep growl in his voice matched the flash of light she saw in his green eyes, but still, he did not touch her. Nope. Disappointed sigh. Nate remained firmly in his seat.
She felt herself leaning towards him, desire pumping through her veins. What was it about this man? Even when he wasn’t touching her, she wanted him like no other. He’s our mate, her Bear answered readily.
“Nate,” she said and moved closer to him.
She was very aware of the thin robe she wore. Knew that in the right light it was practically see-through. His eyes flashed as she placed both hands on his shoulders, pushing his chair back so she had room to scoot up on his lap.
His large hands came around to cup the rounded globes of her ass, keeping her firmly straddling his legs. Her secret place pulsed with need and she gave a little flex of her hips, rubbing against his jean covered staff. He was hard and ready, his breathing uneven as she ran her hands up and down his naked pecs.
“Luisa, what are you doing?”
“You know what I’m doing,” she nuzzled his nose and brushed her lips across his. He tasted like coffee and brown sugar, with a hint of cayenne that left her lips tingling for more.
“Honey, this is dangerous,” he nipped her lip and she couldn’t agree more.
She reached down between them and unfastened his jeans. Holding him in her fist she gripped his hard length and squeezed, loving the hiss that escaped his lips and capturing it with her mouth. She kissed him without reserve. Tangling her tongue with his, savoring the strong spicy flavor that was all Nate.
> His cock pulsed in her hand and she moaned. Mine. Her she-Bear growled the word into her mind, and she knew the animal inside of her was tired of being kept from her mate.
Luisa was going to fix all that. She was going to tell him she’d made up her mind. Right now. But first, she needed to taste him. Yesss. Her she-Bear hissed the word, approving of the way she took control of the situation.
Unused to being the sexual aggressor she found herself invariably turned on by this role reversal. Sliding down his body, she knelt on the floor at his feet. His green eyes glittered in the sunlit kitchen.
“Honey, you don’t have to do this,” he said and cocked his head to the side, running his tanned fingers through her messy blonde curls.
“I know that, but I want to. Need to taste you,” she moaned and leaned forward. With the tip of her tongue she traced his engorged mushroomed head before taking it inside the warm cavern of her mouth. She licked the slit, tasting the salty drop of precum that greeted her lips. He was sweet and savory, everything she could ever need, and she wanted more.
“Damn, honey,” he moaned and held her hair back from her face as she took him fully into her mouth.
Luisa had never been so turned on in her entire life. Taking her mate into her mouth she basked in the spiciness of his unique tang. He growled and his grip tightened as she took him deep, deep, deeper down her throat. Using her left hand she cupped his balls, stroking the sensitive skin and moaning as she continued to taste him.
“Honey, you gotta stop now,” he said and tried pulling her up, but she was a Shifter too and determined to swallow down every last drop of her treat.
Faster and tighter she sucked on his bulbous head, pumping him from root to middle with one hand, while tracing the rest of him with the other. She was amazed by how much she was enjoying herself. Her nipples tightened to hard beads and her own sex tightened and clenched on air as she worked to bring her mate to fulfillment.
“Fuck, Luisa. I’m gonna come,” he roared, throwing his head back as his cock jerked in her mouth.
She moaned long and hard as he spilled himself inside of her. Luisa took everything, swallowing all he had to give her. He moaned as his body went limp. Still she continued licking and sucking him until he was clean.
She leaned back on her heels, a satisfied smile on her mouth. She wondered if he understood her message. If he knew what this meant? She had no time to ask as his glittery eyes held hers.
“My turn,” he growled and pulled her up from the floor. Sitting her on the counter he parted her robe, stilling her protest with a shake of his head. He cupped her breasts, tweaking the nipples as he ran his hands lovingly over every roll and curve. She was unashamed of her body, loved the way he obviously worshipped it.
“Nate,” she protested. This had been for him. A way to demonstrate her love for her mate, but now the tables were turning, and she wasn’t sure she could last.
“You had your breakfast honey, now I get mine,” his head dipped, and she felt a tug on her panties.
Cool air washed over her throbbing sex, soon to be replaced by his warm tongue. Luisa bucked against him, banging her head on the cabinet, but she hardly felt it. She cried out in her passion. Her slick sex was more than ready for him. He slid two fingers inside as his mouth latched onto her swollen clit.
He was so good at this. So good at everything when it came to her body. Not to mention his skill at his work. Art was never something she excelled at, but she appreciated it. Appreciated him. Especially when he was going down on her. Oh my gawd!
She was not much into video games, but she’d seen his work. Had been curious about him from the get-go. Her mate was immensely talented. Had to be to work for Graves Enterprises. Randall Graves was a discerning businessman, a Werewolf who lived in the close town of Maccon City. He was a tech-genius and had a knack for making a success out of anything he touched.
No wonder he wanted her mate to work for him. Nate’s artistic talents were incredible. The painting he did for Marcus and Leya was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. He managed to capture the love between the couple in the strokes of his brush as he’d portrayed Marcus in his Black bear and Leya as her beautiful self.
Don’t get her started on the amazing renditions he’d made of her sister Krissy. The tall, Amazonian Bear Shifter looked regal and stunning as the newest she-Bear Avatar in the WolfMoon gaming world. He had an eye for beauty and the talent to go with it. Wonder what he sees when he looks at me.
Nate growled deep in his throat and it was all she could do to remember to breathe. The vibrations struck a chord inside of her like she’d never felt. She opened her eyes, watching his head move between her thighs as he brought her to heaven and back down again. Soothing, licking, tasting, kissing. He was simply amazing and all hers if she would only take him. Mine.
“Nate!” She called his name, bucking wildly as those expert fingers of his stroked that special spot inside of her that made her see stars behind her eyes.
Lick, suck, stroke, lick, suck, stroke. His mouth was like magic. She held onto the cabinet above her head as he continued his sexual onslaught with his mouth and hands. It was like he could read her mind, she thought with wonder as he added a third finger into her slick heat. With his talented tongue he tapped out a rhythm and she was mindless with it.
“Come for me, honey,” he growled against her sex and that was all she needed. That show of dominance, the slight command had her falling apart against his mouth. Willingly submitting to his decree. Hell yeah.
As she sat panting on the counter, he took her face in his hands and kissed her lips, allowing her to taste herself on him. It was different from anything she had ever experienced and sexy as hell. His lips travelled to her ear and her neck. Finally, they closed over her breasts, sucking her nipples through the thin fabric of her gown.
She moaned and gripped him by the hair. Holding him to her breast and wrapping her legs around his waist. She wanted him inside of her. Right fucking now.
A knock at the back door brought Nate’s head up and he growled intensely. Luisa buried her face in his neck, the passion they’d just shared and were about to share still held her in its thrall.
“Hey bro, you in there?” Daniel called and she heard the knob twist.
“Don’t open that fucking door!” Nate yelled.
Luisa almost laughed as she saw the big man’s shadow through the curtains. He’d raised both hands and was now sniffing the air. She could almost imagine his expression. She giggled against Nate’s neck and he looked at her.
“Um, sorry to interrupt, bro, but I have to talk to you,” Daniel tried again, but wisely did not move to open the door.
“Yeah, I get that. Give me a minute,” Nate said in a calmer voice this time.
Luisa bit her lip, looking for all the world like a kid who’d gotten caught with her hand in the cookie jar and he laughed as he helped her down from the counter. He looked good when he laughed. Hell, he always looked good to her.
His Spanish ancestry was evident in his features especially in his straight nose and gorgeous caramel skin, but those mossy green eyes of his were all Devlin. A throwback to his Celtic forefathers. He was, in a word, gorgeous.
She loved looking at him. Hell, she loved every single thing about him, she realized. Her heart thudded in her chest and she swallowed hard.
“You alright, honey?”
“More than alright, um, Nate-”
“Good, cause I don’t want to rush you or confuse you,” he tucked her hair back and held her face in his large, gentle hands. He pressed a soft kiss to her lips that made her toes curl.
“You’ve been very patient, Nate-”
“I don’t mind, honey. I’ll wait for you. I want you to know that, Luisa. As long as it takes.”
“Nate-”
“Nate, come on, stop fucking around and open the door,” Daniel growled and knocked again.
“One fucking minute,” Nate replied and turned to the door.
“He’s my brother and all, but I’ll rip his head off if he sees you looking like that.”
“Like what?”
“All soft and loved, honey. That look is for me alone,” he dipped his head and kissed her again and the world seemed to stand still.
“Now, what do you say you go and get dressed for me, honey?”
“I will, but Nate-”
“That’s my girl,” he tweaked a curl and kissed her head, turning to the door to let his brother in.
He looked at her expectantly with his hand on the doorknob. She left the kitchen with a loud sigh. Luisa couldn’t believe this. She was finally about to tell the insufferable man she wanted the mating to be real and he wouldn’t let her get a word in. Go figure.
Well, one thing was certain. Luisa was finally ready to be mated for real!
Chapter 10
Nate was still itching to drag his delectable mate into a corner and love her till she agreed to never leave his side, but fucking Daniel had interrupted them.
He’d planned on finishing what they started when he left, but of course the head Enforcer was followed by the four fucking stooges otherwise known as Bowie, Locke, Tonic, and Bolder. He rolled his eyes and pretended to listen to them while his mind was focused on the footsteps overhead.
She’d just gotten out of the shower. He could practically see her supple curves glistening with water droplets as she patted herself dry and readied herself for her workday. He could still taste her honey on his tongue.
That single sweet-as-honey vanilla mint flavor that could only be his Luisa was better than anything he’d ever had. Ever. She blew away the memories of every other woman he’d ever known. They were nothing compared to his mate. My Luisa. That smart, sassy, no-nonsense kinda woman who knew when to take and when to give in and out of the bedroom had him wrapped around her little finger. She was his every dream come to life.
Strong and sexy, a thing of pure beauty for sure on two legs as well as four. Seeing her in her fur was something he relished. She was the cutest Black Bear he’d ever laid eyes on with her soft fur haloing her chocolate dark eyes and rounded ears. Much smaller than his own shaggy-furred half-Grizzly half-Black Bear self, he couldn’t help but wonder what their cubs would look like.