Rhythm tried to keep her conversation light, limiting it to benign observations of the landscape around them. But she could tell that Ben’s thoughts were far away, in an unhappy place. When they finally made it back into the cabin and shut the door behind them, Rhythm turned to face him, running a finger down the side of one of his cheeks.
“Hey,” she said softly as she kicked off her shoes. “You seem really upset. I know it’s been a long day with a lot of serious things to think about. But are you okay? Your eyes have such a sad look to them.”
Ben sighed, his breath ragged as he sucked air in and out. He kicked off his shoes as well, never taking his eyes off Rhythm. Their faces were almost touching. “I’m okay. It’s just been an emotional day. It was hard to sit there in that funeral, watching a clan saying goodbye to one of their beloved members. It made me realize that I never truly got to say goodbye to my clan members. They all died so quickly, one after the other, that holding funerals wasn’t feasible. And, besides, the bears that were still alive were sick and on the verge of death themselves. It was such a confusing, awful time. In the end, I got really sick myself. By the time I recovered, every last one of my clan was gone. I buried them in a mass grave back home in Montana. I don’t know if I’ll ever even have the chance to go put flowers on their gravesite again.”
Rhythm reached to put her arms around Ben, drawing him into an embrace and holding on tight. She had no words to make this situation better, just as she’d had no words to make Evan’s widow feel better earlier today. She silently cursed the scientists, but she did her best to remain stoic on the outside. She sensed that she needed to be a rock for Ben right now. He might be a tough panda shifter, brawny and carrying the alpha gene. But he still had a big heart, and she could tell that his heart was hurting beyond comprehension right now. When he finally spoke again, his voice sounded quiet, but determined.
“I just can’t imagine what it would feel like to lose you, now that I’ve found you,” he said. “You’re all I have left in this world, Rhythm. Sure, I’ve got a good job and my rescue crew. But you’re the first person since I lost my clan to make me feel truly alive again. I don’t want to lose you. I won’t lose you. I won’t let them take away everything from me again.”
“Shhh,” Rhythm said soothingly, leaning her head against Ben’s chest and stroking his back. “You’re not going to lose me. We have a lot of shifters on our side. We’re going to come through this, and, believe it or not, one day this awful time in the history of shifters will be just a memory.”
“I hope you’re right,” Ben said sadly. “I’m supposed to be an alpha, and be tougher than anything. But the thought of losing you now that I’ve found you is unbearable. I know it doesn’t sound very macho of me to say this, but I think the grief of losing you, too, would kill me.”
Rhythm looked up at Ben, and planted a soft kiss on his lips. “Feeling emotions like that doesn’t mean you aren’t tough, or that you’re not acting like an alpha. It means that you’ve been brave enough to get in touch with the deeper, spiritual side of yourself.”
Ben sighed, and Rhythm felt his cock stirring against her as he wrapped his arms tightly around her and held her close. “You’re so sweet,” he said.
“I’m not just saying that to be sweet,” Rhythm said, her voice slightly muffled by his shirt. She could hear his heart beating, and she took a moment to savor the sound before she continued talking. “I’m saying it because it’s true. No one can be truly strong until they have faced the deepest sorrows life can throw at them, and yet have remained standing on the other side of it all. You’ve done that, Ben. You know what true sorrow is, and yet you’re still standing.”
Ben didn’t say anything in response. Instead, he reached back and tugged at the hair elastic that held Rhythm’s hair in a bun, until her hair fell free in loose waves around her shoulders. He put his nose against the top of her head and breathed deeply, while stroking his fingers through her hair.
“I love the way you smell,” he said. “It’s so calming and reassuring. You know how it feels when you’ve been away on a trip for a long time, and then you walk through that front door to be greeted by the familiar smell of home? That’s how I feel when I take in your scent. Like I’ve been away for a long time, but I’m suddenly home.”
Rhythm smiled as she felt Ben’s erection growing. It felt good to be needed. It felt good to have someone compare her to the comfort and familiarity of home. She had thought a day like this, with someone who fit so perfectly with her, was far, far away—if it would ever come at all. But here she was, snuggled against a man who was her perfect fit.
A man who needed her.
She had felt connected to Ben on a deep level after they slept together the night before. The lifemate bond he had spoken of was strong, and it connected her to his emotions. When he was happy, she felt it. But when he was in distress, she felt it, too. And she could tell that he was feeling a deep sadness right now. He needed her, and the reassurance her touch could bring.
Rhythm felt a shiver of excitement go through her body. Although she wasn’t happy that Ben was feeling sad, it did feel nice to be needed. Knowing that this big, sexy bear shifter needed to feel her touch made her feel incredibly sexy and alive.
“Come on,” she said, grabbing his hand and leading him to the bedroom where they had spent the night before making wild, passionate love. She would make love to him again, now. But this time it would be slow and sweet. It would be just the balm that his aching heart needed.
Rhythm pushed Ben against the wall gently and then began kissing him while her fingers went to work on the buttons of his shirt. While her tongue danced in his mouth, she unfastened the long row of buttons and pushed the shirt off, helping him wriggle the sleeves off of his arms. He moaned as her hands touched his bare chest, a deep, hungry moan that let Rhythm know that he was beginning to release some of the angst that was pent up inside of him.
He reached down and hiked up her skirt, searching underneath for the treasure that belonged to him. Rhythm was wearing thick tights to stay warm against the Alaskan chill, and Ben impatiently pushed them down, taking her panties with them. Rhythm used one hand to balance herself against Ben’s body, and she pulled off the tights and panties completely with the other hand. Ben grunted in satisfaction, reaching his hands back underneath the skirt of her dress and finding the entrance to her dripping wet channel. It was Rhythm’s turn to moan as Ben slipped two of his fingers deep into her. At the same time, he resumed their kiss, tugging Rhythm’s tongue deep into his own mouth. He seemed to take great pleasure from being connected to her in two places like this, and Rhythm closed her eyes as she enjoyed the feeling of his fingers applying pressure against her insides. Even though they had only spent one night together before this, he seemed to have memorized exactly where each supersensitive nerve ending was located on Rhythm’s body. He expertly moved his fingers back and forth, sweeping across each pleasure center with skill.
She could already feel his body relaxing, and she smiled as she melted into his touch. If this is what it took to keep her man at peace and happy, then she had gotten a pretty good deal. As Ben continued to stroke her with his fingers and tongue, she reached down to unbuckle his belt. Once that was taken care of, she moved on to unfasten the button and unzip the zipper on his pants. Then she pushed his pants and briefs down in one combined movement, letting his erection spring free.
He moaned as he felt the relief that she had brought him by removing the constriction of his clothes, but Rhythm knew that relief wasn’t enough. He needed her. He needed to be inside of her, and feel her pulsing around him. Rhythm stepped back, and pulled Ben away from the wall. Then she pushed him onto his back on the bed, and climbed up over his body that was completely naked except for his socks. With a grin, she pulled off both socks and threw them aside.
“There,” she said. “That’s how I like you.”
She didn’t bother to take off the rest of her own clothes, tho
ugh. She didn’t want to waste any more time. With her dress hiked up around her waist, she slid up so that her dripping, throbbing sex was right over his solid, throbbing erection.
“Just relax,” she whispered, slowly lowering herself over his thick shaft. “Everything is going to be okay. We have each other.”
Ben moaned, closing his eyes as her warmth enveloped him. Rhythm closed her eyes and couldn’t help but let out a low moan of her own. She still couldn’t believe how large his dick was, or how firm and erect it stood. The pressure it put against her inside walls was tremendous. It pushed against her, insisting on making room for itself, and sliding against her most sensitive skin as it did. The tremors of delight that it sent shooting through her body were unlike anything else she had ever experienced. Her intention with bringing Ben in here had been to ease his mind with pleasure, but the pleasure he was bringing her just by being inside of her was intense. She felt the moisture between her legs continuing to grow, dripping around Ben’s thick shaft and lubricating him with her juices.
He let out a low growl, and his hands moved to her breasts. He opened his eyes when he realized she was still wearing her dress.
“This dress is lovely, but it has to go,” he growled out. Then he grabbed the skirt in his hands and pulled the whole garment up and over her head. He reached to unclasp her bra and threw it aside as well, then his hands returned to her breasts, where his thumbs quickly found and stroked her alert nipples.
“Much better,” he murmured, closing his eyes again. “I want to feel all of you.”
Rhythm’s nipples tingled where his thumbs were making contact with them, and the heat between her legs was growing with every passing second. She sat straight up, letting Ben’s huge dick go all the way into the deepest part of her. Then she began slowly rocking her hips forward and backward. She kept the motion slow and constant, and she began to lose herself completely in the feelings of ecstasy that were washing over her body. The pressure and heat grew and radiated out from the spot where her channel rubbed steadily over Ben’s shaft. She whimpered with pleasure as she fought to keep her release at bay as long as she could. She didn’t want to give in just yet. She wanted this moment to last for as long as possible.
Ben covered each of her breasts with his large, strong hands, squeezing tight as he arched his hips upward against her body.
“Come on, baby,” he said. “Come for me. Give yourself to me. Lose yourself completely.”
The encouragement he was whispering sent Rhythm over the edge. His sexy voice sent chills of delight shooting through her, and she couldn’t hold back any longer. With one long, glorious scream of his name, she let go.
Over and over, her muscles clenched around him. Hungry and demanding more of him, they continued to pulse as wave after wave of pleasure shot through her, releasing a fresh rush of passionate emotion with each surge. Ben opened his eyes and watched her, pleased with how she had reacted to his body.
“That’s it, baby. Show me how I make you feel,” he said. Rhythm could only whimper in response—a whimpering that grew more intense when Ben started thrusting his hips upward against her. The power that emanated from his groin was overwhelming. There was no timidity in his movement, and no doubt that he was proudly taking his woman. Even though he was underneath Rhythm at that moment, he was completely in control. After only a few thrusts, he threw back his head and let out a roar. He stiffened, and spilled his seed into Rhythm, filling her completely with himself. The white hot sensation sent a fresh wave of pleasure across Rhythm’s body, and she cried out again with delight.
When the intensity of the moment had faded, Rhythm rolled off of Ben to snuggle directly next to him. She was a sweaty, sticky mess, and so was he. But neither one of them cared. They held each other close, drinking in the sweet sensation of just being so close to each other. Ben pulled a blanket up over their naked bodies, and wrapped his arms tightly around Rhythm. He put his nose right up against her nose and gave her a soft nuzzle, sending sweet warmth through her body again at the pleasure of his touch.
“Thank you,” he said. “I needed that. I needed you.”
“I know,” Rhythm said, giving him a gentle kiss on the lips. “The truth is, I needed you, too. I know we have a long, dangerous road ahead. But don’t let sadness or worry overtake you. We’ll make it out of this together. And we’ll be stronger than ever thanks to the tough times.”
Ben sighed deeply and squeezed Rhythm tighter. Then, despite the fact that it was still early evening and neither one of them had eaten dinner yet, they both drifted off into a deep sleep. The only thing either one of them needed at that moment was the perfect peace of resting in each other’s arms.
Chapter Eleven
Ben woke out of his dream with a confused startle, and opened his eyes to see sunlight streaming in through the cabin’s bedroom window. Next to him, Rhythm grunted in her sleep, disturbed by his sudden movement. He held his breath for a minute, but she didn’t open her eyes. As she settled back into sleep, he slowly, carefully sat up. He squinted at the clock on the dresser, and raised an eyebrow in surprise when he saw that it was already eight a.m. He was used to waking up at six in the morning, so this was sleeping in for him. Not only that, but he had been asleep since about six p.m. the night before, by his calculations. He couldn’t remember the last time he had slept a solid eight hours straight, let alone fourteen hours!
He glanced over at the beautiful woman sleeping next to him. He had a feeling that her calming effect on him had been what relaxed him enough to get him to sleep for so long. He had probably needed the rest, but now it was time to get moving. He needed to get back to Kodiak and get started on preparations for the next crew meeting about the scientists. He wanted a solid search plan in place, and he still had no idea how to get started on that. He had two days to figure it out, and he was hoping that Rhythm would be able to help him.
She kept insisting that she didn’t really know much about the scientists, but she knew more than she thought she did. He was going to spend the plane ride back picking her brain, and then he was going to spend all of his free time sitting at his desk in Kodiak until he had figured this out. Enough was enough, and it was time for a breakthrough in this silent war against the scientists. The shifters had tiptoed around and held back long enough. It was time for the scientists to know that their days were numbered.
Ben stood and walked out to the kitchen as quietly as possible. He would get some breakfast going, which would likely lull Rhythm out of her sleep. That girl had a serious obsession with bacon—Ben was quickly learning that if the aroma of bacon was filling the air, Rhythm wouldn’t stay asleep for long. Ben chuckled. His kind of girl.
A few minutes later, to Ben’s amusement. Rhythm poked her head into the kitchen and sleepily asked, “Do I smell bacon?”
The pair ate breakfast quickly, not talking much as they wolfed down their food. Then they got ready to go, packed up their things, and headed for the airport. Sawyer was in the hangar, looking over some paperwork at the desk in the corner that served as a makeshift office. He came over to bid them farewell, and made small talk with Rhythm while Ben did his preflight checks on the plane. Ben had a feeling that he had made a lifetime friend in Sawyer. He seemed like the type that was loyal to a fault, and he had already proved invaluable in the fight against the scientists.
After bidding Sawyer a final farewell, Ben and Rhythm climbed back into the tiny Cessna to head home to Kodiak. Ben couldn’t keep from stealing glances at Rhythm as he taxied out to the runway. She looked adorable with her headset on, and her eyes wide with excitement at the chance to make this flight in the daytime. Since it had been dark when they flew in to Frost Peak, she hadn’t been able to enjoy the scenery. Today, the sun was shining brightly and she’d be able to take it all in.
Once they were in the air and at their cruising altitude, Ben started in on the list of questions he had for Rhythm. He had waited to really dig into the topic of the scientists with her fo
r a variety of reasons, the most important of which was that he wanted to give her a little mental space to recover from the ordeal she had been through before he started dredging it up again. But he couldn’t hold back any longer. As winter approached and the days grew shorter and darker, Ben felt more anxious than ever to solve this puzzle. He wanted spring this year to be a time of peace and rest, and that meant he had to take care of the scientists before the first wildflower buds started appearing on the Alaskan landscape.
“So tell me what you know about the scientists,” he said, leaving the question purposefully broad. He wanted to know what Rhythm’s main impression of their enemy was before he started drilling down to his more specific questions.
“Uh, well, I’m not sure exactly what to tell you,” Rhythm said. “I thought I knew a lot about them, but most of that turned out to be false. You already know I thought that they were a pharmaceutical company developing painkillers and things like that. Since that turned out to not be the case, I’m not sure how much I can trust anything else they told me.”
Ben shrugged. “Why don’t you just tell me what your experience was? Don’t worry about whether anything was true or not. Just tell me what working there was like for you. Start at the beginning and share anything that comes to mind, no matter how trivial it seems.”
“Okay. Well, the very beginning was when I was still back home in California. I was having trouble making ends meet, so I jumped at the chance to come to Alaska for such a high-paying job. I thought it was strange that they were paying so much, but I figured that’s what they were forced to do in order to get people to come live and work in Alaska.”
An Alpha's Tempest (Water Bear Shifters 4) Page 10