by Lacey Thorn
“Yes,” she agreed before taking him deep and swallowing the tip until he swore he’d come down her throat.
“Rissa.” Her name was a hard growl. He was hanging on by a thread and had been from the moment she’d been taken. He wasn’t sure when his bear would breathe again. “Sit on my cock and fuck me hard.”
She peeked up at him, her hair a curtain around her face. God, she was the most exquisite woman he’d ever met. His want for her was a need that defied logic, defied…everything.
She rose over him, and he reached out to grip her hips to steady her as she moved into place. She held his cock then sank down on it. He couldn’t shake the memory of how she’d looked when he’d found her. Arms and legs spread wide and tied down on a metal table. Covered in blood. So still and quiet that he’d feared she was already gone. He’d lost it. Lost any shred of sanity as his bear had taken full control. And raged.
“I’m here, Slade.” Rissa bent down, brushing her lips over his. “I’m here.”
And he was never letting her go. He growled as she rode him. Each rise and fall ended with a grind of her pelvis against his. She braced her hands on his stomach at first then ran them up her body, pinching and tugging at her nipples before lifting her hair and letting it fall back around her. His fingers clenched around her hips, and another growl spilled from his lips as she moved faster, then faster still. He felt the flutter of her channel around his cock seconds before her cries of pleasure filled his ears. Before she’d even fully collapsed against his chest, he’d flipped them over, lifting both her legs high along his hips as he pounded into her.
“Don’t stop.” She panted the demand, but he had no intention of stopping anyway. She jerked him lower, so his chest rubbed hers. The feel of her hard nipples sliding along his skin, the way she lifted her face and rubbed along his neck, it all fired his blood. It had him grunting and growling, hungry for more.
He pulled back long enough to flip her to her stomach. She automatically went to her hands and knees then dropped her chest down, widening her knees in invitation. He slammed home, riding her deep and hard, pulling wails of pleasure from her lips. Had he thought her exquisite? God, she was more than that. So much more. He took her savagely and would have hated himself for it if she hadn’t met him thrust for thrust. If she hadn’t screamed and begged for more. Still, it wasn’t enough for either of them.
He stared at her ass, knowing what he wanted, what his bear demanded. The ultimate submission. He ran his finger along the crease of her ass, finding her tight back hole and tapping against it. She tensed momentarily then sighed and said the one thing he craved.
“Yes,” she hissed. “Fuck my ass, Slade.”
He pulled out and ran his hand through her slick folds, gathering her natural lubrication and bringing it to her ass. He coated her, slicking her enough to begin working his fingers in. She moaned and moved into him, taking his fingers eagerly. He primed her, stretching, and preparing her until they were both at the point where they couldn’t wait. He slid his fingers out and held her open while he pressed the head of his cock against her, pushing inside the tight entrance, gritting his teeth as he fought the ring of muscle trying to keep him out. Then sliding deep as her body finally granted admittance.
“Fuck,” he growled, drowning in her tight heat and fighting the urge to fuck her as savagely there as he had her sex moments before.
“Slade!” Her voice broke as she reached back, nails sinking into the back of his thigh as she urged him to move.
He tried to be slow, but each stroke had his balls drawing taut with the need to spill inside her. Her cries only stoked the fire.
“Oh, God! It feels so good. Slade, it’s so good. I’ve never… mmm.” She broke off with a moan.
He couldn’t agree more. It was more than good. It was incredible. Sex with her only got better and better, and he wanted a lifetime of it. A lifetime with her. He increased his pace, though he fought the instinct to take her hard. Not yet. Not this first time. He’d keep his control.
“Slade. Please. I need… I need…” She stopped as if she didn’t know what she needed, just that it was something only he could give her.
He slid one hand under her, down her belly to the juncture between her legs and the swollen bud so greedy for his touch. He brushed over it, and she cried out, her body bucking beneath him. He rubbed tight circles over her until she broke again, shouting her pleasure as she tightened like a vise around him, shredding his control completely.
He held her hips in a tight grip while he powered in and out, fucking her as hard and deep as she’d wanted moments earlier. She shuddered beneath him, moaning as he took and took until he slammed deep, pouring his cum deep into her ass until he was completely empty. He remained buried inside her for long moments, following her down as she collapsed beneath him. He barely managed to avoid crushing her under him, tugging free at the last possible moment and landing at her side.
Slade gasped for breath, his heart galloping in his chest. For the fist time since Rissa had been taken, his bear eased. That part of him didn’t retreat. It remained close to the surface, but it wasn’t as dominant as it had been. He rolled toward her, skimming his hand up and down her spine as her breathing evened out.
“What?” he asked when Rissa murmured something beside him.
She turned her head, nuzzling into his pillow as she whispered it again. His heart stopped as he stared at her. A smile tipped her lips. Her skin flushed. She edged closer toward him even as she eased into sleep. The words left her lips once more as if she couldn’t keep them inside.
“I love you.”
Even knowing she was asleep, he couldn’t stop himself from leaning in and kissing her soft lips, before giving the words back to her.
“I love you, too, baby.”
He’d laughed when he’d watched his brothers’ mates lead them in circles. Now, he was in their shoes, willingly led by the woman who owned his heart and soul. He only hoped he and Rissa could share what his brothers had found with their mates.
Koby had fallen first. He’d rescued his mate while she’d been hunted. Koby had killed both men following her. Sidia was fond of saying Koby had taken her breath when he’d walked up to her, wearing only the blood of those who’d thought to kill her. The two were insatiable for each other, and it was no surprise she was pregnant already.
Next had been Declan. That one had really surprised Slade, but seeing his brother with Xandra now, you’d never know she’d fought the mating bond. Her need for vengeance had almost cost Declan his mate. Even now, the couple were on the trail of the man who’d helped orchestrate the attacks on the Holloway den. They’d likely hook up with Xandra and Sidia’s brother, Malachi, who’d left the Holloway den and ended up a part of the Washington den. The den of Emory Langston.
Which brought him to his eldest brother and the den alpha, Laramie Holloway. Malachi had sent Emersyn Langston along with his daughter, Ruby, to the Holloways for their own protection. Laramie had known from the first moment that Em was his mate. The rest of them had been just as adamant she wasn’t. They’d all thought she was human, but when push had come to shove and Ruby’s life had been on the line, Em had shown them all who she was. A female Kodiak. The only one in existence as far as they knew. Laramie had mated her in front of everyone, while she was dressed in nothing but his shirt and the blood of the woman she’d slain while protecting Ruby. That had been the first night he’d tasted Rissa, and he hadn’t stopped chasing her since then.
He finally forced himself to stop thinking and move, to leave the bed and go clean up, bringing a washcloth and hand towel back with him so he could see to her.
She never moved, not even to give a disgruntled murmur when he shifted her body as he took care of her. When he finished and rejoined her in bed, she immediately moved, curling into him and resting her head on his chest.
As the scent of sex finally eased, he caught something else, something that had his heart galloping once more. There
was a subtle but distinct new scent. A mixture of her and him. A scent that occurred when a female bear accepted her mate and marked him as hers. Though she hadn’t said the words yet, she’d made her claim. She might change her mind in the morning, but the scent was there. Even she couldn’t deny it. He’d have the vow. She’d claim him as her mate. He wouldn’t take no for an answer.
Chapter Four
Rissa woke alone. She had no idea how long she’d been asleep. Her body ached but in a good way. In the I-had-amazing-sex way. Slade was an incredible lover, and what they’d shared had been indescribable. She’d never thought of taking anyone there, but it had been natural for Slade to sink deep inside her ass. She’d reveled in the sensations. And she wanted to do it all again. Later. After she took care of a few other things.
She quickly showered, dressed, then headed upstairs to grab something to eat before hunting down her brother. She’d yet to speak with Adam alone since she’d awoken, and she needed to. For the longest time, it had been just the two of them. She needed to make sure he was okay and to reassure him that she was.
She stepped into the kitchen and found Jensen. One glance and she swore he’d been waiting for her.
“How’re you feeling?” he asked immediately.
“Hungry.” She shrugged as she moved around him and snagged an apple off the counter.
“You’ll need more than an apple,” Jensen stated. “I was about to make myself a sandwich. Turkey, ham, or roast beef?”
Rissa’s stomach growled. “Yes.”
Jensen laughed as he pulled out everything then layered meat, cheese, and veggies on thick slices of bread.
“What are you after, Jensen?” She had no delusions that he was feeding her without an ulterior motive.
“You’ve been out for weeks, Rissa. You need to eat. It’ll help.”
She merely stared at him until he sighed, putting away the food then handing her one of the sandwiches.
“I’d like to have you go back to the lab with me,” Jensen admitted then held up his hand when she moaned. “I want to make sure you’re healing okay. Please.”
“I’m fine.”
“You didn’t see him.” Jensen spoke softly.
Rissa shook her head, not needing to ask who he meant.
“He never left your side. I swear, if we’d have lost you, we would have lost him, too.”
“Was he injured? Did he get hurt coming after me?” No one had indicated he had, least of all Slade. She’d seen every inch of him and hadn’t noticed any bruises or cuts or healing wounds.
“His heart, Rissa. Haven’t you noticed?” He pushed open the door, and she realized she’d let him lead her to the lab, after all. She scowled but entered.
“It’s…” She paused not knowing what to say.
“Not like that?” he offered. “Complicated?”
“Between Slade and me,” she said instead.
“Slade’s always been the one who can fix anything. If something broke, Slade would mess with it until he had it apart and knew what was wrong. Then he’d fix it better than it had been before. He fixes things.”
Rissa shook her head. “I’m not a thing, and I don’t need… fixing.”
Jensen stared at her. “You’ve led my brother on a merry chase since you’ve been here. You’ve got him wrapped around your finger.”
“No, I don’t.” She thought of the man who’d picked her up and carried her to his bedroom then told her to stay in no uncertain terms. That wasn’t a man wrapped around her finger. That was a man making a claim. It turned her on, but there were parts of her past she needed to share with him before things went much further between them.
“Slade—”
“Enough,” Rissa cut in. “You’ve got me here, so do your check. I want to find my brother and speak with him before Slade decides to come looking for me and discovers I left.”
Jensen stared at her in silence, and she began eating, not backing down from his stare. He watched her eat. When she finished, he handed her the other sandwich he’d made. She didn’t let her surprise show. She relented, though, and held out her arm to him.
“What?” he asked.
“I assume you want blood or something. Go ahead.” When he just stood there, she continued. “Better hurry before I change my mind.”
Jensen laughed. Then he moved quickly around her, taking blood then checking her eyes with a light. He shuffled around in the workspace, and when she finished eating, he was immediately at her side, fingers probing the side of her head.
“Ow!” she groused when his thumb pressed around a tender spot.
“Still sore?”
“With your thumb stabbing into it? Yes. Normally. No.”
“Your skull was fractured, Rissa. I need to make sure everything’s healing correctly.”
She sighed, feeling guilty at her churlish attitude. “Thank you. For taking care of me when they brought me back.”
“I had to rebreak your thigh,” he told her.
“What?”
“It was already trying to heal when they got you back here. I had to break it again. I thought Slade was going to kill me when you screamed.”
“I screamed?” She’d thought she’d been unconscious the whole time.
“I broke your leg. Yes, you screamed.”
“I don’t…” She shook her head. “I don’t remember that. I don’t remember any of it.”
“You took a hard hit to your head.”
“Do you think I’ll remember?”
“I don’t know. You may, but you may not. The damage was extensive. And that’s just what I could see.”
It worried her that Jensen didn’t automatically have a response for her. Since she’d been with the Holloways, Jensen always had an answer when it was a medical question. He was who everyone turned to.
“The mind is complex, Rissa. You might never remember exactly what happened. Hell, it could be your bear is trying to protect you and doesn’t want you to remember. Or you might start recalling bits and pieces. Or you might wake up one morning and remember everything all at once. I don’t know. I can tell you, physically, you seem to be healing good as new.”
She needed to speak with Adam. Then she needed to call Ariel. If the other woman had been taken with her, then Ariel might be able to tell Rissa something that could trigger a memory.
“Do you know where my brother is?”
“Earlier, he headed out with Holt to check on a few things in town. He’ll be back soon.”
“And Slade? Do you know where he is?”
“I can honestly say I have no idea where my brother is,” Jensen assured her, though she wasn’t sure if she believed him.
“Well, I—”
She was cut off by a roar that seemed to shake the cabin.
Jensen grinned. “Don’t worry. I think you’re about to find him.”
Rissa sighed. “So I’m good?”
“Yes. I’d like to keep checking you, until your head is completely healed.”
She nodded. “Okay. I’ll make a point of coming to see you every day. For now.”
“Rissa!” Her name was bellowed, the sound a lot closer than the earlier roar had been.
“He’s tracking your scent,” Jensen murmured, his nose twitching.
Rissa stepped out of the cabin Jensen used as a lab and paused to watch Slade stalk toward her. Lord, he was sexy. She shouldn’t be turned on by the aggressive male glaring as he approached her, but she was. Without giving herself a chance to second guess, she met him halfway and wrapped herself around him. When he lifted her higher against him, she tugged his head to hers and pressed her mouth to his. He cupped her ass, his fingers flexing and squeezing, and she wrapped her legs around his waist.
“Jesus, get a room!”
Rissa didn’t lift her head to see which of the Holloway brothers made the remark. She didn’t care. She was all for following that advice.
“Don’t leave without telling me where you’re going again.”
The order fell from Slade’s lips as soon as their kiss broke.
“What?” She shook her head, still a little befuddled from his caress.
“I told you not to leave the room.”
That got through loud and clear.
“Excuse me.”
“I told—”
“I heard what you said,” she interrupted. “I was giving you a chance to take back your stupidity and not piss me off.”
“I—”
“Put me down,” she commanded, interrupting him again. She wiggled and shoved at him when he didn’t let her go. “I said put me down, Slade. Now.”
He dropped her to her feet but stayed inches from her. She had the impression he was ready to snatch her up again if she made any sudden moves he didn’t agree with.
“I’m not a child, and I won’t be treated like one.”
“You’re hurt. Still healing. You should be in bed.”
“Lucky for us, I have Jensen to check over me and make sure I’m healing just fine,” she snapped back.
Slade growled.
“And I don’t recall you worried about me being hurt when you were fucking me in the a—” She squawked as he pressed his hand over her mouth, cutting off what she’d been saying. She shoved his hand away. “You can’t have it both ways, Slade.”
“Why don’t I take you back to bed then. You were certainly more agreeable there.”
“You son-of-a-bitch. You’re lucky I’m an intelligent woman. One who knows you’re only being an overbearing ass because my being taken scared you.” His eyes snapped fire, but she saw the truth. He cared.
“You weren’t merely taken, Rissa. They beat the hell out of you. They…” He stopped, shaking his head. It hit her. She may have been the one injured, but she didn’t remember it. Slade had found her though, and seen what they’d done to her.
“Yes, they did, and I survived. You can’t lock me in your bedroom and never let me out.”
“I could,” he growled, and this time, she laughed.
“I might let you for a little bit,” she agreed then turned serious. “But I’ve never been one to hide, and I won’t start now.”