by Alana Hart
I could see Amy’s soul pulsing bright, multicolored with vibrating emotion, so beautiful and pure. I could see where our bond tied us, but…I searched frantically, looking, seeking the one thing that would mean this woman was mine to keep.
Nothing. There was no bond.
I opened my eyes, her gaze immediately capturing mine, demanding to know.
“Nothing. I can’t find it.”
Her mouth fell open, eyes wide with shock, then she snapped her mouth shut. “Look again. It has to be there. I know it.”
Persistent and determined, my mate was not giving up.
“Amy, you have to get away from me. I’m not sure how much longer I can hold back,” I warned her, my hips already swiveling forward, trying to finish the mating dance. I was losing the slippery grip I had on control.
She groaned, her lids fluttering as her pussy pulsed around my cock, squeezing tight, calling me. “Dammit, Ryan Everson! Look harder!” she snapped, her body already responding to mine.
“If you don’t get away from me…I won’t be able to let you go…and you’ll react to my emotions…and tie yourself to me…” I punctuated my words with sharp thrusts of my hips, unable to halt the forward motion.
“Maybe I want to tie myself to you, maybe I’ve changed my mind,” she panted, writhing beneath me.
“You don’t mean that. It’s just the mating urge talking—”
“So look for the damn bond again!” she growled through gritted teeth.
Actually growled! Startled, I closed my eyes, doing as she asked.
Nope, not there. Wait! What was that? Was that—?
Our bond linked us soul to soul, and I had assumed that all bonds started in the same place. And I had been right, but instead of a new bond, a separate bond— this fragile thread, so thin it was nearly transparent, was a direct continuation of ours. A result of ours, of her now sharing part of my shifter soul. It was hiding in plain sight, spiraling off after millimeters into nothing, blending so well I hadn’t seen it at first. I couldn’t see the rest of the bond, because our bond wasn’t complete!
“Say the words,” I growled, surging forward to claim her mouth in a victory kiss. She was mine, I was hers. She only needed to complete the bond.
“It’s there?” she gasped into my mouth.
“It’s there,” I confirmed, thrusting deep. “Say the words, say you’ll be mine. Forever. The words will come, just feel for them,” I reassured her. Taking her hips in my hands, enjoying the soft give of her curves, I trailed my hands up the back of her thighs, tilting her, angling her. Her generous ass cushioned my balls as I drove even deeper, the slapping of flesh against flesh echoing through the room, her soft sighs caressing my senses.
Her pussy grabbed at me, wet and silky, sliding against my cock, pressing against the sensitive ridge. I groaned, pulling her tighter. “I love you! Do you need to hear me say it? I love you. And I love Luke, like he were my own!”
“I know. I can feel it,” she gasped out.
“Then, why? Why are you torturing me like this?”
“I’m just…enjoying the ride!”
“Why, you little minx! There’ll be plenty more rides like this one. If you play your cards right. And mate me!” I growled, slamming back into her forcefully.
She grinned at me, satisfaction on her face. “But, there’s only ever one first ride. Oh!” Her grin was wiped off her face, replaced with one of lust, as I reached between her legs, thumbing her clit.
If she didn’t say it soon…
“I choose you, Ryan Everson, to be my true mate, the other half of my soul. I will run with you, live with you, share my heart with you, and be true to you.” She looked at me, eyes glinting. “I don’t have to bite you, do I?”
Her emotions hit me, searing into me, and my back arched, my head rocking back on my shoulders. The essence that was Amy sunk into me, healing me, making me whole. Her hopes, her dreams—they were all open to me now, a part of me.
“I guess that’s a no then?” she added wryly, when I managed to roll my eyes back into my head.
My hips had still been thrusting, but now I grabbed her, rolling her over so she straddled me. I wanted to see my mate in her full glory, her heavy breasts swinging as she rode me, her plump thighs gripping me tight, milking me for my seed.
“Ride me,” I growled, gripping her hips, and moving her on my aching cock.
She started to move, her hips undulating above mine, her core squeezing me tight.
I stroked my hands up her softly rounded stomach, up her ribcage, and cupped her bouncing breasts, teasing and tweaking her lushly distended nipples. A tawny brown color, just like I had imagined.
Her dark hair cascaded around her shoulders, her eyes narrowed, head tilted back, mouth parted in passion, and chest heaving as she rode me. She was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, and she was mine.
I felt the beginning of my orgasm start to build at the base of my cock, the pressure teasing and tantalizing, just on the sweet side of pain.
“Come with me,” I urged her on, thrusting up into her and meeting her downward stroke. With one hand, I reached between her legs, parting the darks curls and finding the jewel nestled within. Locking eyes with her, I stroked. “Come for me now.”
Her eyes widened, her body tensing above mine, thighs clamping hard around my hips, her pussy pulsing around my cock, tightening. Clenching me hard, her back bowed, her nails scoring deep in my thighs, a low moan spilling from her lips.
On a roar, I let go of control, thrusting wildly, until I fell over the edge with her, holding her still, locked tight against me, as I came deep inside her, my cock pulsing with orgasm.
She collapsed on top of me, our skin sticky with sweat, our hearts beating rapidly, chest to chest. Her soft body snuggled into mine, and she murmured sleepily, “Can you check the bond again, my love? Check on our son?”
Our son! Joy filled me—I was a dad! Closing my eyes, I didn’t even have to look hard. Now that the bond was complete, the link to Luke shone strong and steady, looping out into the distance. “Our son is fine.” I stroked her hair, noting her happy smile. “I’ll teach you how to see the bonds. There are lots of fun things you can do with them. When Craig met his mate, I remember they had loads of fun learning to control their emotions.” I let the bond speak for me, flooding it with love for my mate.
“Oh! Wow!”
Feeling a little devious, I switched emotion, sending lust spiraling down the bond.
Amy let out a strangled moan, rubbing against me, her arousal sweet in the air.
I rolled her over for round three.
Oh yeah, this was going to be fun…
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Amy
Many hours later, and another shower, we made our way down from the cabin, Ryan’s hand wrapped around mine. My skin still glowed from the fourth, and final, round of lovemaking. The fifth I had postponed until later, much to Ryan’s disappointment, but I needed to see Luke. I needed to physically make sure he was all right.
Ryan had already started to make arrangements to move us into the cabin with him, talking about cutting out a proper path through the forest and setting up a lighting system. For our human eyes, he’d said, and I’d just grinned, loving the way he had accepted us into his life. It didn’t seem to matter to him that Luke and I were human.
Actually, that was a thought. “If we have babies—”
He swung me around, pulling me into his arms. “Which we will, of course. I want a big family. But only if that’s what you want?”
“Of course I want your babies, you big oaf!”
“Oaf? I’m mortally offended!” He clutched his chest theatrically, smirking at me.
“What I was trying to say, if—”
“When.”
I rolled my eyes at him, continuing, “—When we have babies, will they be human or shifter?”
“Shifter. Our genes are strong. Does that bother you?”
I shook my
head, trying to wrap my mind around having cubs as children. “Do they…” I struggled, trying to find a way to put it.
“Don’t worry. Shifter children are born human. They shift for the first time during childhood.”
“Ah, that’s good.” Phew! Another thought hit me. “Luke! Will he stop aging, be stuck as a child?”
Ryan chuckled, wincing. “No, the aging doesn’t slow until we hit late teens, early adulthood. Otherwise childhood would be painful for all shifters. Could you imagine being a teenager for longer than necessary?”
Double phew! I would have hated to have to explain that one to Luke.
We carried on walking, eventually reaching the station. There was a clatter, then Luke burst out of the door, throwing himself into my arms.
“Mom! I knew it was you! I knew! And I don’t know how! But I knew it was Ryan, as well! Like I have a sixth sense or something! How cool is that?” he babbled on, words tumbling over each other in excitement. Turning to Ryan, he looked at him shyly, his foot tracing patterns on the floor. “So, do I get to call you Dad?”
Pulling Luke into a gruff embrace, Ryan hugged my son to him, smoothing his tangle of hair. “You can call me Dad, or Pa, whatever you want. Is it okay with you about—”
“About you and Mom?” Luke’s words were muffled against Ryan’s jacket.
“Yeah,” Ryan replied, visibly holding his breath.
“It’s cool. No, it’s better than cool! I mean, I have the coolest step-dad ever! But I know, I can’t tell anyone, about—you know—so don’t worry, your secret is safe with me!”
Ryan’s breath came out in a rush, then a grin spread across his face. “Your mom and me want to tell you everything, but later, is that okay? How do you feel about moving into my cabin? It would be ours.”
Luke’s reply was muffled, but his head bobbed enthusiastically.
“I think that was a yes!” I said, laughing. I was so happy, I thought I might burst.
Luke pulled back, looking up at us. “There are some people inside, waiting to talk to you both.”
Turning, we followed him through the door, into the warm station.
The station was empty, apart from John and a very well built man, who slouched in one chair. And Will, who I could hear cursing from one of the cells in the back. Serves him right, I thought to myself, refusing to let him dampen my good mood.
Ryan pulled away, striding forward and grabbing the stranger in a backslapping hug. “Jack! You made it! Good to see you, bro.”
“Good to see you, too. Though, I expected you a few hours ago?” Dark eyebrows slanted in unconcealed amusement, his gaze flicking to me. “John has been filling me in on what he knows—” the eyebrows rose higher, “—and I’ve had a look at Luke’s hand.” He turned to me and I bit back a gasp. With high cheekbones, a patrician nose, and full lips, the man was strikingly handsome. Strands of thick, dark hair fell over clear green eyes, which he brushed away with a grin. He was as tall as Ryan, and built on a similar scale.
“Wow, they sure do grow them big out here!” The words escaped before I had a chance to stop them.
Ryan gathered me into his side, clutching me possessively. “Amy, this is my brother Jack, the surgeon I was telling you about. Jack’s a little older than me. Jack, this is Amy, my mate. You’ve met our son, Luke.”
Jack whistled through his teeth, his eyes flicking between Ryan and me. “You work fast, bro.”
“When you know, you know.”
“Don’t I wish.”
I watched the exchange in fascination, noting the sadness in Jack’s eyes. Did all shifters want to find their mates? Then it dawned on me, what Jack had meant when he’d mentioned looking at Luke’s hand. “Do you think you can help Luke? And it’s nice to meet you,” I added as an afterthought, heat firing my cheeks.
“Nice to meet you too, Amy. And yes, I can help him.” Jack’s voice was low, rumbling in my ears. He seemed like a nice guy, and if he was willing to help Luke? Then he was a winner in my eyes.
“Would I have to bring him up to the city?”
“Actually, no. I’m thinking of moving. Here, in fact. Setting up a small clinic. Doing day surgeries and stuff.” He sighed, a heavy sound. “It’s time for me to move on, I’m afraid, and I’m just too old to start up in another city. Time to come home, hopefully for good.”
Another piece of the puzzle clicked into place. “Ryan said you had specialized in many areas! It makes sense now, given how old you are—” I broke off, suddenly aware of another set of ears in the room. Not Luke’s, because we would explain stuff to him soon, but John’s.
“Hey! Don’t worry about me. I know all this anyway!” He sat at his desk, coffee cup in one hand, a sandwich in the other.
“How?” Ryan demanded, his face puzzled.
“My family has always known about shifters. A lot of the town does, actually, but we give you guys your privacy. The town appreciates what you guys do, you know, keeping us safe, protecting the forest. You’re all one of us, part of this town. But secrets? Well, memories are long, and the world is digital now.” He waved the half-eaten sandwich in the air to highlight his point.
“People know?” Ryan sounded flabbergasted.
“That you’re not your grandson? Yup. But until you decided to tell us, we were just going to let it be.”
“Well, I’ll be damned,” Ryan murmured, whistling through his teeth. “Things are going to get interesting around here.”
“That’s for sure, bro. Looks like I arrived just at the right time,” Jack added, shaking his head in shock.
“Well, it’s good for me,” Luke piped up from the corner, where he had been watching and listening keenly. “I can brag to all my friends about my super-cool-step-dad!”
We all burst out laughing, his innocent outlook on the world lightening the mood.
Gesturing Luke over, Ryan pulled him into a three-way hug, tucking him between us. “We’re going home,” he announced to the room, then added, “Luke, what time’s your bedtime?”
Ryan’s eyes flared with heat as he looked at me over Luke’s head.
“9:00 p.m.!”
“8:00 p.m.,” Ryan countered.
“8:30 p.m.,” Luke haggled, tucked under Ryan’s arm as we walked out of the station.
I waved goodbye to John and Jack, John reassuring me quietly that the Sheriff’s department for the city was coming to pick Will up later that day, and followed my family out into the snow.
Jogging to catch up, I snuggled into Ryan’s embrace.
“Ready for round five?” he growled low in my ear.
“Round five?” Luke asked, with wide eyed innocence.
I laughed, catching Ryan’s wince.
Bedtime couldn’t come soon enough, for all of us!
***
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love Olivia & Alana
More Paranormal Romance collaborations from the Hart
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She's fighting for her freedom...she never counted on finding her true mate.
Wolf Shifter Kara Smith is on the run from her old pack. Her only goal – to escape the man she has been promised to and live on her own terms. The problem is that her chosen protector – the Alpha of the Colstone Wolf Pack – is sexy as hell, making her wolf sit up and pant, begging for a taste. Definitely not part of her plan.
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SNEAK PEAK:
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