“By the way, babe, the only person you’re going to sacrifice your virginity to is me, so don’t expect any orgies in your future.”
Sky felt the heat of her embarrassment on her cheeks. Sky was pretty sure she had her first full body blush in her life. It also proved to be her breaking point.
“Now, wait a minute. What the hell? One minute you’re telling me you’re broken and we aren’t good for each other, now you're telling me you’re the one who is going to take my virginity? Get a clue, Bas. When and if I give up my V-card, it will be my choice, and it won’t be up to a man who can’t even decide if he wants to be with me or can’t even give me the answers I need to survive.”
Sky liked seeing Bas laugh, but her words brought him around quickly, and he wasn’t laughing anymore. Bas gave her a quick kiss, shocking Sky. This man ran hot and cold all the fucking time. He helped her up off the ground.
“Come on, babe, we need to keep moving. I have a feeling those guys aren’t going to give up so easily.” He placed the backpack on his back, and they started walking. Where Sky wasn’t really sure, but after a while, she just couldn’t hold back her questions.
“Bas, um... How come you still have your clothes on after you Shifted? In every book I’ve read about Shifters, they have to strip before they transform. Shouldn’t you be like naked right now?” And yep, that got another laugh out of her big and burly man.
“Now, babe, if you want to see me naked, all you have to do is ask. Just what kind of books have you been reading?” he said, wiggling his eyebrow.
No way was she going to expose her obsession with exotic paranormal romance novels, and truth be told, she was disappointed he wasn’t naked. The guy was gorgeous and she was dying for a peek. When she didn’t respond, he answered the question.
“Babe, we Shift fully clothed and when we Shift back the clothes remain. That stuff you read is fiction. The only things those writers got right were our animals and the size of our cocks,” he laughed. Sky noticed said cock was starting to bulge from his really tight jeans. The man had no shame and adjusted himself right in front of her.
Dang, she would pay for some alone time with that bulge. She was a virgin, but that didn’t mean her battery-operated boyfriend didn’t get some much-needed use every once in a while. Sky just wanted to experience the real thing now, for the first time in her life. She was surprised to find the whole bear thing didn’t bother her anymore. The draw to Bas was intense, and she wanted to explore it further. Now, would he let it happen or shut her down?
Right now, though, Sky was spent. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d eaten or slept. She knew it had been at least seventy-two hours, but couldn't be sure. The adrenaline from all that had happened was wearing off, and she was practically dead on her feet. All she wanted right now was some sleep and maybe a few more kisses. Or an up close and personal introduction to the mysterious bulge; yeah, wishful thinking. Even she knew she was too tired for that.
“Okay, Sky, we have a couple of choices. If I know my brother, he packed a pup tent. We can either bed down for the night or keep going. There are some lights up ahead, so we might be coming to a town or something. Ladies choice.”
Skylar was shocked he offered her a choice, but she was too tired to analyze it very closely.
“Whatever you want, Bas. I’m tired, but I can keep going if you think it’s best. Or you could go furry, and I could take a nap while you do all the hard work,” she tried to joke.
“No can do, babe, I don’t think there are any wild grizzlies in rural Illinois. If someone caught sight of us, we would have more to worry about than the guys trying to track us down.”
“Do you think those guys are linked to the others?” Sky questioned. “They didn’t look the same or act the same. They weren’t like you or the snake man.”
“No, Sky, those guys back on the road were different and all human.”
“Do you have any idea who they are or what they want?” Sky asked. “I mean, how many people can be after me?”
Bas didn’t answer for a while, but then said, “Listen, there’s a possibility of three factions after you. I don’t have all the details, but two of the groups are human. They are looking for breeders, women that hold Shifter DNA. The last group of people, the one you’ve already had contact with, are all Shifters. They are known as The Association. They want the same thing as the other, only they want pure DNA, women with only one strand of animal DNA.
“Your dad was involved with them in some way. I don’t know how, and we might not ever know, but Sky, there aren’t any natural born female Shifters we are aware of right now. There hasn't been for over a century. You, this connection we have, and this mark, all mean that you’re my mate. But things aren't adding up because we aren't supposed to get the mark until we’ve mated. So, how is that possible? I don’t know. You’re an anomaly my people haven’t encountered yet. Do you know if your parents used artificial insemination, adoption, or any other means to have you? I know it’s a weird question, but all the women we are finding have been a product of one of those types of engineered conceptions, with a little DNA manipulation thrown in the mix.”
“Bas, I have no idea,” Sky responded. “I was five when my parents died. I don’t know how I was conceived and really don’t want to know. What I can tell you is I look just like them, a mixture of both my mom and dad.”
“Honey, that isn’t possible. I just said Shifters only breed boys. Your dad, or at least Lloyd Thomas, was a known Shifter.”
“Yeah, I kind of already figured that out on my own, Bas. But I do look just like him and my mom both. Give me my bag out of the backpack, I’ll prove it.”
Bas dropped the backpack off his shoulders and pulled out Sky’s small bag, handing it to her. She opened it and dug through it, pulling out a picture and held it out for him to take.
“Now, tell me I don’t look like both my parents.”
Bas looked at the picture. It was of three people—a man and a woman, holding a little girl. The mom had Sky’s build and nose, but her eyes and mouth were all her dad. It shouldn’t be possible. There hadn’t been a female Shifter birth, besides McKenna, in over a hundred years. But there was no denying she was related to both the people in the photo.
“Shit, babe, I see what you’re talking about. These are your parents or really close relatives. I don’t know what to think about all of this. I need to get us somewhere safe where I can make some calls. Maybe even get a bird in for an evacuation, but none of that is going to happen unless we keep going.”
Chapter 18
Sky was dead on her feet. It felt like they had walked for miles. When she was just about at her end, Sky saw the light up head. Walking up to the edge of an overgrown parking lot, Sky took in her surroundings. The place was a dump, but it looked like it was empty. No cars were parked outside, and the only lights on were the one lighting up the parking lot. Thankfully Bas proved to be pretty resourceful and jimmied one of the locks, letting them into a musty room.
“Sorry babe, but this is going to have to do,” Bas apologized. “Wait here while I check the place out, okay?”
There wasn’t much to check out, and Sky was reluctant to touch anything. She figured no one would find them there since technically they weren't there. At least she hoped no one would find them. She was so tired and overwhelmed with everything that had happened in the last day or so, she could no longer hold off the inevitable meltdown she’d been so desperately holding at bay. Bas gave her just enough time to work herself up into a proper panic. How had those guys found them at the gas station? Bas had told her they lost their tails on the highway, but they were still there, how? And what about the other people, the Shifters? How had they tracked her down, and what had Shelby had to do with any of it? Somehow Bas had made it into her space without her even realizing it.
“What’s wrong, babe?” Placing his hands on her shoulder, he said, “Damn Sky, you’re tighter than a piano string.” Sky had been sta
nding just inside the door. “If this place freaks you out so much, we could try another room or move on, but I think you need to get some sleep before we do. You were almost falling asleep when we were walking.”
He began to rub her shoulders, and it felt magnificent. Shutting her eyes, Sky sunk into the moment. She couldn’t help the moan that passed through her lips. His hands felt so good on her body. Bas slid one of his hands up her neck and weaved his fingers under her hair, further dislodging the ponytail she had placed there earlier. The grip he had in her hair allowed him to angle her head for the kiss he placed on her lips.
The kiss was gentle, teasing at first. Bas sipped at her lips, running the tip of his tongue first across her bottom lip, then the top. Sky whimpered and tried to move closer, encouraging him to kiss her deeper, but Bas wasn’t having any of it. She wanted this moment more, then she wanted to fight him. Bas increased his grip in her hair, and Sky surrendered to his sensual assault.
His other hand moved from her shoulder down her arm, ultimately making its way to her lower back, pressing her closer to his manly heat. This time she wasn’t really sure what the noise she was making. Maybe it was a plea that she needed him so badly. Bas broke the kiss.
“Damn babe, you’re beautiful. I love the way your lips are swollen because of my kiss.”
Sky looked into his glowing, beautiful eyes and said the only thing she could at the moment, “Bas, don’t do this unless you mean it. I’ll never be the type of person who goes with the flow or has a one-night stand, no matter how much I want it. You mean something to me, and if we go any further with what’s happening between us, your chance to run away will be gone because it will break me. I can feel it. Please, Sebastian, don’t break me.”
Bas was done fighting himself and his bear. The bruin hadn’t hurt her in the forest, only wanted to protect her. They had the mating marks, only different. Sky had crawled under his skin and made a home. He was done second-guessing himself and was going to take what was meant for him. If she turned out to be human, so be it. Bas would commit himself to her for all the days he had left in this world and never regret a second of it.
He kissed her as deeply as possible, expressing his thoughts and feelings without words. Legends and fairy tales be damned, she was his. Bas moved his hands back to her shoulder, but this time he removed her hoodie, leaving her only in a t-shirt and jeans. Bas turned her in his arms, pressing his front to her back. He moved his hands down her arms until he reached her hands, lifting them and placing them around his neck. He then traced the underside of her arms all the way down.
The tingles that followed his path made her knees weak. He continued his slow exploration until he reached the hem of Sky’s T-shirt. He lifted it until the unwanted garment had been efficiently removed from her body, leaving her upper half naked and vulnerable. He placed her hands back behind his neck.
“Babe, don’t move your hands, no matter what I do to you,” he ordered. “Do you understand?”
Sky managed a breathy, “Yes,” in response before his hands stroked little circles around her belly button. Sky thought she was going crazy. She’d never been this turned on in her life. This wasn’t a quick grope. Bas was making love to her body with his hands. She felt him brush the underside of her breast, still not quite where she needed it, but he was making her feel exquisite.
“Babe, I want you so bad. Do you want me?”
Damn, couldn’t he tell? Her nipples were diamond hard, begging for his attention. Sky was pretty sure her panties weren’t the only thing wet at this point. She didn’t answer him verbally, but she did push her bottom into the rock-hard evidence of how she was affecting him. When he didn’t move or respond, she whimpered, “Please?”
Bas responded by tracing first her areola, then, with a feather light touch, he caressed her nipple. Her body had a mind of its own. When she pushed back against him this time, he corrected her with a hard pinch to her straining nipple. It hurt, but it also felt magnificent.
“No, babe, we’re doing this my way,” Bas insisted. “We have all night, and I plan on taking this really slow. I want to taste and touch every inch of your beautiful body.”
Moaning again from his actions and words, Sky leaned her head back onto his broad shoulder, opening her neck to his kisses.
“That’s it, babe, just feel.”
After what seemed like hours of his sensual assault of her breast, he moved his hands down her stomach once more. Only this time his destination was the snap of her pants, popping it open with very little effort. The sound of her zipper lowering filled the quiet room. Sky was shocked he didn’t place his hand in the opening and delve deeper, but rather moved them around her waist until he could push them and her panties off her body.
Bas moved back, making Sky lose her grip around his neck. She was afraid he would stop again, but to her immense relief, he only lowered himself to the floor behind her. Placing kisses and tiny nips along the way, he stopped at her bottom. The small nips turned into a hearty bite, forcing another moan from her body.
Continuing down, he pushed her jeans further down her shaking legs. Sky was so overwhelmed she almost missed his commanded to lift first one then the other foot, so he could completely remove her only remaining clothing. He was driving her crazy with his hands, teeth, and tongue. Sky didn’t know how long she would be able to stay upright. Turning her once more, Bas placed her hands back on his shoulder. He didn’t need to tell her to keep them there this time. Sky was so overtaken with arousal, she didn’t know what she was doing.
Bas cupped her breast in his hand and brought it to his mouth. His lips captured her nipple, and Sky screamed. She was so close to orgasm, she just needed a little bit more. Running his unoccupied hand down her leg, Bas lifted it at the knee and placed it on his shoulder, opening her most feminine parts for his perusal and assault. She knew she was wet, but was almost embarrassed by how wet she actually was. When he opened her up, the cool air hitting her hot core only emphasized that fact.
“Babe, I’ve wanted to get a taste of you since the moment I laid eyes on you. That kiss back at RBMC didn't fill my need. I’ve never smelled anything so sweet. I would bet my last dollar you taste just as sweet.”
His words created another gush of moisture to leak from her, and it was Bas’ turn to moan. Sky was in the most vulnerable position of her life—naked and exposed—and yet she had never felt so cherished and special. Using his fingers, Bas opened her swollen folds. Further lowering his head, he drew a path with his tongue to her distended clit, lightly teasing it, then moving down to place it in her weeping core. Using his thumbs, Bas spread her lips, further exposing her clit. He then licked and sucked on her swollen clit like it was the most delicious piece of candy he’d ever tasted. Sky could feel the pressure building. She was so close to the most amazing orgasm in her life, but something held her back.
Bas looked up at her from his position on the floor and said three simple words, “Cum for me.” He then pressed his thumb into her sheath, sucking hard on her clit at the same time. Sky’s back arched and her legs shook violently. Lava ran through her body, and she screamed as the most incredible orgasm pulsed through her body.
Panting and gasping for air, Sky lost control of her legs. If Bas hadn’t been holding her, she would have fallen to the floor. She knew somewhere in her subconscious she should please him as well, but she was still lost in the grips of her personal euphoria. Bas had her cradled in his lap, soothing her as she came down from her high. Sky didn't want to move.
Bas carried her over to the bed—a mattress covered with a blanket—Sky hadn’t noticed before. She attempted to protest, wanting to do something for this amazing man.
“No, babe, let me take care of you.” Sky vaguely remembered Bas wiping the evidence of her orgasm away before she drifted off to a dreamless sleep.
Chapter 19
Sky woke up feeling the safety and warmth of Bas at her back, spooning her, and her first thought was to cry. She’d
never felt this way about another person. She also never believed another person could make her feel as good as Bas had last night. She could become addicted to this man. Rolling over to face the man who was quickly becoming her addiction, Sky took the time to really look at him for the first time.
His dusty brown hair seemed to have taken on a life of its own during the night. Sticking out at odd angles, some might think it was a mess, but Sky found it sexy. His skin was light, but the kind that tanned easily in the summer. Bas also had the longest eyelashes she had ever seen, resting on his cheeks. But it was his soft lips that really caught her attention, the bottom one just a bit plumper than the top. She was tempted to suck it into her mouth, but she had other plans on how to wake him up.
In his sleep, he looked so relaxed and boyish. Sky knew he was anything but, so she tried to figure him out. Bas was loving and caring, but also domineering and brash. He seemed to second-guess himself all the time, but when it mattered, he was confident and quick. He didn’t coddle her like most men would. He expected things of her, but also let her find her own way at the same time.
Being raised around bikers, Sky observed the men often. They either treated the women who were around like trash because that’s what they were, or they cherished the ones they chose to be a part of their small family. The latter would keep the women safe from harm and catered to them. Bas didn’t cater to her, but he did show her he cherished her in some way.
Closing her eyes for a second, she sought out the bond, their unique connection, and it was still there, only stronger. Bas was content, which made her smile. Sky had no experience with relationships, but she wanted one with Bas. She wanted the forever kind of relationship with him, complete with babies and white picket fences. It was all so crazy, quick, and out of this world.
She hadn’t lied when she told him he had the ability to break her. Something beyond them connected them, and she was tired of questioning it. Sky just hoped he followed through, and she didn’t break in the end. Taking something from her biker friends, Sky decided, for now, she would just enjoy the ride. If it ended and she ended up broken, she would just have to deal with it. This time she had with Bas was important, and she didn’t want to let a moment of it slip through her fingers.
NAC & The Holly Group - Box set: Alpha Team Page 97