by A. B Lee
“Chance…” her fingers were back against his chest, curling of their own volition into the hard ridges of muscle. She didn’t know if she was trying to hold him back or pull him closer.
With what sounded like a pained growl his lips came down on hers. Not gentle, not testing the waters, but hard and with a purpose.
So much desire swelled within him. He fisted her hair and dragged her head back and to one side as he pressed his tongue against the seam of her lips, demanding that she open for him. His need to taste her was driving him wild…
Rebecca complied on a gasp from the shock of the rush of adrenaline that shot through her system, the jolt of pure excitement that shot to her womb, and the slight tugging pain of her hair wrapped inside his fisted hand.
There was another sound that emanated from his chest and caught in his throat- hungrier now as his tongue swept over hers, curling and devouring, claiming the taste of her for himself and revelling in it.
Breathe… she needed to breathe. Her heart was thumping in her chest and her ears. His hungry mouth was clamped against hers as he devoured her with so much passion that it made her more than heady, it made her downright floaty, and being squished against the wall behind her back as he pressed ever closer, not close enough, had her lungs fit to burst…
Chance heard the hard breaths that she was pulling in through her nose. He had hardly taken a breath himself since he’d claimed her lips. The moment he found the strength to wrench his lips from hers, he heard the hard gasp of the breath that she took and took his own, but he wasn’t done yet, and he ran his tongue down over her stretched neck, licking and tasting, before he brushed his cheek against hers as he licked up towards her ear…
“You taste so damn good…” he growled out. His beast was clawing for more, urging him on, and demanding that he take her… now.
“Chance…” Rebecca’s eyelids slammed shut the moment that his lips closed against the soft skin of her neck and he sucked hard. A hard jolt of pleasure went straight to her womb, the inner muscles of her channel clenched hard, searching for him inside of her, and a moan caught in her throat.
Chance kept her hair fisted within his hand, keeping her neck stretched and her head back so that he could suck, nip, and lick where he liked, where he needed, and she didn’t complain.
He pressed his hips harder against her. His cock ached to be released, needed to be inside of her, and he used his other hand to get between them and press a finger against the seam of her jeans to rub over her clit.
“Fuck…” Rebecca bit out as her hips tried to push her body harder against his hand, but he had wedged her back against the wall with just one hip that held her in place.
“I need to fuck you…” Chance’s mind settled on that one curse word from her lips.
Was she offering? Did it matter? His beast was demanding that he take her…
That sounded good to her ears, although she didn’t have a damned clue as to why. She didn’t know him, but she wanted him with a fire, with a fever that wracked her body and made her hornier than hell. She tried to push away the lust and concentrate on what it was that she was actually doing, but her mind failed her as her body wanted more.
His lips came back up to hers. His finger pressed harder, moved faster over her clit… what the hell was he doing? He growled long and hard even as he devoured her once more…
“Chance, you’re in a fucking barn!” Shane’s voice echoed off the walls.
Something inside of him hit hard; like a sledgehammer to his head. His brain shifted gears- his beast pulled back, and he released her lips; resting his forehead against hers as his finger stilled against her clit.
“I need to finish what I started for you, but then I’m going to want to take you all over again…” he growled and panted between words. His mate was panting right along with him.
“It’s… I’m…” she gave a small shake of her head.
His other hand released her hair and he palmed the wall on either side of her head. He pulled back slightly, able to see her in the darkness even if she couldn’t see him.
“I need you to walk away from me, Rebecca…” he growled out. He didn’t know if he was strong enough to turn away from her.
“The problem is- I don’t want to.” Rebecca heard the deep groan from within him. He pushed away from her with all of his might and turned on his heels…
“You’ve experienced what I’m capable of…”
“If that’s your worst, bring it on.” Rebecca couldn’t believe what she was saying. He was dangerous, but not in a physical sense, at least not then. He’d gotten rowdy, out of control, a little rough- maybe, but she’d liked it… more than liked it, hell, she was as horny as he was, as needy as he was…
“You should leave…” Chance growled to scare her. It didn’t work, the sound of her chuckle in the darkness echoed off the barren walls.
“I couldn’t find the damn door if my life depended on it.” Rebecca snorted her amusement. “But it doesn’t depend on it, does it, Chance?” She’d backed him into a corner with that damn question.
“I don’t know, and that’s the fucking problem.” Chance growled each and every word.
Chance’s attention was taken momentarily by the sound of Jackson outside the door. The alpha was talking to Shane, but he didn’t have a mind to listen in. His mate was all that mattered now…
“Well I don’t know if that’s enough to scare me off, Chance.” Rebecca was being honest. She’d spent the remainder of last night tossing and turning as it all went through her mind.
At one point she’d used her mobile phone to surf the internet about shifters and mates. Some of it had shocked the hell out of her, and some had enticed her to learn more. But nothing had prepared her for the actual events inside the barn.
Her body ached with wanting him. That wasn’t normal. At least, it wasn’t normal for her.
“Think about Darby.” Chance threw that into the mix and waited for her reaction.
“I don’t think you would ever hurt Darby, and that is an honest to goodness gut feeling that I truly believe in.” Rebecca heard him move, felt the heat of his body once more. He was back all around her again, caging her in with his arms, only this time he didn’t use his body to keep her in one place.
She could feel his warmth, his strength, and she wanted to push forward to meet it, to touch it, but something told her not to.
“A mother’s instinct?” He growled. His lips were but a breath away from hers. She missed that contact.
“Yes.” She breathed out.
“Not one that I can share.” Chance informed her.
Then he grunted as he pushed away again. His body was as torn as his mind. He wanted contact, any, all contact with her, but if he was to keep his hands to himself then he knew he had to deny that urge.
“You really believe that you would hurt Darby, hurt me?” Rebecca needed to know. It was itching at her, she wanted to claw it away, to believe in him, to believe in herself, in happily ever after…
“I don’t know!” He roared…
“Chance…!” Jackson growled from outside the door, but it could have been against his ear as his alpha tried to calm him.
“I think you’re full of shit…” Rebecca wasn’t entirely sure what she was doing. Challenging the man- from what she had read it wasn’t a good idea, and yet she couldn’t stop, she needed to push him…
He was back all around her again. This time he used his hips to nudge her backside back against the wall. His growl was a warning, angry and dominate.
“I could bite you, turn you. Is that what you want, Rebecca?” Chance growled. His lips brushed hers as he spoke and she felt that touch deep within her.
“No. Not yet, maybe never, maybe soon- I don’t know.” Rebecca was being honest.
“Then why take the risk?” Chance couldn’t help but rock his hips against hers. His cock was searching for relief as it twitched inside of his jeans.
“Because you
’re my mate.” She breathed out.
Those words hit him hard. She could have taken a sledgehammer to his gut. She might as well have ripped off her damn clothes and dropped down on all fours before him on the ground.
He wanted to rut, to fuck like a Wildman… He wanted to take her slowly down the hard steel of his cock to the hilt. He wanted to pull back his hips and thrust back deep, so deep she’d never want him to leave her, never want him to stop…
Chapter eleven
“You- are…” Chance rested his forehead back against hers. “Fuck, woman, you don’t know what you’re asking of me…” Chance wanted so damn desperately to be the man that she needed- the mate that she wanted…
“Yes, I do. You could bite and I could become one of you. You could kill me. You could bite and I could die… or I could go out tomorrow and get hit by a bus.” Rebecca’s nails dug deeper against his shirt, clawed downwards, and he growled with everything that he had within him. “Life is risk. We can minimise risk, Chance, but we still have to live- until we die.”
“Darby…” Chance rolled his forehead against hers.
“I love my daughter unconditionally, but fate sent you to me, don’t I owe it to her to find out why?” Rebecca couldn’t- wouldn’t let it drop.
Now that she’d felt what it was like to be with him, close to him, kissing him- the fire and the fever of his need, his desire, his passion- life without that would be a much colder place.
Something altered within him- a sense of hope filled the void within his soul. But that’s all it was- hope, and hope couldn’t fix him, not the way that she needed him to be fixed. He was fucked up- there was no coming back from that.
“I need to go.” Chance pushed away from her.
Rebecca tried to reach for him in the darkness but she missed. The blinding light of day hit her square in the eyes when he yanked open the door, and for an instant before the pinpricks of pain made her slam her lids down, she saw him looking back at her with so much pain on his face that she wanted to ease his suffering.
By the time that she managed to blink her eyes and get them to adjust to the light, he was gone.
~^~
“Let’s get this done.” Chance demanded as he stood opposite Jackson and planted his feet. His bear would have out if the alpha didn’t make it fast enough to kill him with the first blow, but he knew Jackson’s bear, and the fight might be furious, but it would end as it should with his friend victorious.
“Not just yet.” Jackson eyed the man. If Chance wanted to push the point and kick this off then he would be ready for him and his bear.
“Jackson. It’s decided, we all agreed that this is the best…” Chance was muted by Marcus coming up behind his alpha.
“We agreed before you got control over your bear.” Marcus offered.
“That’s your opinion, Marcus, and you’re entitled to it, but this is happening.” Chance could feel his bear getting frustrated. The bear didn’t like this. Tough. Chance did.
“Not just yet.” Jackson repeated.
“I seem to remember saying the same thing.” Reece folded his arms across the broadness of his chest and waited for Chance’s glare to reach him.
“Thought you might need the help, Alpha?” Chance growled.
Jackson felt his bear rise within him, but he pushed it back. That was what Chance was hoping for, offer a challenge and get the bear pissed off enough to kill him, it wouldn’t work.
Alex had calmed his bear a lot more than anyone believed possible- Chance would have to work harder than a few words to get him angry enough to attack.
“Just waiting for Shane and Janice…”
“You gonna need the doctor’s help?” Chance tipped his chin down to his chest and eyed the man with a dark stare. Jackson just smiled.
The sound of a truck coming down the road made Chance flick his eyes in that direction. There in the front passenger seat was Rebecca, behind her sat Darby. Chance felt the rush of anger…
“That’s a shitty thing to do.” He started off on fast feet away from the group. Walking to meet the oncoming vehicle and his mate.
“Your mate asked us to get her when you turned up again. We’re just looking out for her.” Jackson offered.
“And the kid?” Chance growled back over his shoulder.
“That’s your mate’s choice.” Jackson didn’t know why Rebecca had brought Darby, he guessed she had her reasons.
Chance waved the car to a stop. There in the back Darby bounced in her seat with excitement at seeing Chance. He groaned inwardly and growled outwardly.
“Go back.” Chance glared at Rebecca and she glared back.
“I wanted to say goodbye and give Darby closure.” Rebecca said as she kicked opened the door and got out. Chance sighed.
“Goodbye. Now go.” He didn’t need to be reminded of what he was losing. He wasn’t stupid, he was desperate. This was the only way out for all of them.
“That’s it?” Rebecca tipped her head and stared him square in the eye. “That’s all we get?”
“If you’re looking for hearts and flowers, I’m not…”
“Screw you, Chance. I’m not the hearts and flowers type, but if I were- I wouldn’t expect that from you.” Rebecca was done being nice. She hadn’t known what to expect when Janice and Reece had turned up on her doorstep to tell her that Chance had surfaced after twenty four hours of not knowing where he was or what had happened to him, but she wouldn’t be brow beaten with growls and brushed off with his particular brand of asshole.
“Chance- Chance…” Darby wound down the back window and stuck her head out with a big grin. Chance’s eyes flicked to her- his bear whined within him, and he felt a loss that hadn’t happened yet. “I made you a drawing…”
As Darby waved the sheet of paper in the air, his eyes caught sight of the bear- it might have had pink paws and looked half dog, but it touched him.
“That’s…” Chance looked back at Rebecca when she hissed out a warning. “Great, Darby.” Chance leaned in beside his mate’s ear as he past her and whispered. “Get her the hell out of here, now.”
He walked up to the back door and reached for the drawing. It felt as good as getting the damn pie from her, and he would like to have put it on the wall where he could look at it, in the same way that he’d kept that pie, but he wasn’t going to be around that long.
“Thanks.” Chance frowned as he held it in his hand and stared down at it. Only realising that his bear was standing beside a small figure of a human, obviously her.
The most prominent thing about Darby’s representation of the two of them was that the child in her picture was smiling, a big wide grin that took up the whole of her face.
His eyes flicked back up to Darby and there was that smile… He wanted to rip Jackson’s damn head off for allowing them here.
“That’s you and me…” Darby grinned wider.
“I got that.” Chance nodded.
“Mummy said you might have to go away.” Darby’s voice turned slightly sour. Chance’s stomach clenched hard.
“Yeah.” He didn’t know what to say to her. Mini humans didn’t understand life.
“I’ll miss you.” Darby offered on a whisper as if it was a secret.
“I’ll…” Chance growled in frustration. “Miss you too.” He would. If there was an afterlife where he could sit and ponder this one, he’d miss the hell out of her, but he’d watch over her as best he could. It was his job.
“Then don’t go.” Darby offered in simplistic fashion as she shrugged her little shoulders.
“Got to.” Chance scowled down at the picture in his hand.
“Someone’s making you?” Darby nodded as her eyes flicked to her mother. “I thought grownups could do what they wanted.” She sighed.
“Not always.” Chance offered back- taking in the look of disappointment on her face.
“That sucks.” She sighed again.
“No more taking off and getting lost.” Chance gave
a little growl to back up his words and her eyes lit up at the sound.
“I can’t promise anything.” Darby whispered again and that admission made Chance want to laugh, even though he felt like shit. “I’m naturally in-quish-ative.”
“Inquisitive.” Chance corrected her.
“That too.” She grinned up at him. Chance nodded.
“Then stop.” Chance offered with a shrug of his shoulders and a scowl.
“Then don’t go and I promise to be good.” Darby offered. “As best I can.” She added to cover herself. Chance had to laugh that time. It rumbled through his chest.
“I can’t do that, Darby.” Chance took a long step back from her. Somewhere deep within him guilt was working through every vein, every sinew, every ounce and essence of him.
“Then I can’t promise to be good.” Darby folded her arms across her chest and tipped her chin up in defiance. Chance sighed.
“That’s blackmail.” He scowled back at her.
“That’s… life.” Darby offered. Wise beyond her years.
Watching over her was going to be a full time job, he thought. But it occurred to him that no matter how hard he watched over her, he’d never be able to help her, save her from herself. He’d be helpless- he didn’t like the thought of that- standing by and not being there for her…
“Will you take her home?” Chance growled out as he turned on his heels and started away from the truck, away from Darby, and away from his mate.
“Something wrong, Chance?” Rebecca asked as she flicked her eyebrows high up onto her head and down again. She’d folded her arms across her chest, mirroring her daughter, and it annoyed him.
“Why did you come here?” He changed direction and stalked towards her.
“To say goodbye. It’s what people do when someone is running away…” Rebecca taunted him.
“I’m not run…” Chance growled and tried to bite it off as he had his words, but it was harder to silence that emotion.
“True. But as good as.” Rebecca shrugged.
“You make me…” He bit down on his anger, on the frustration within him.