by Bear Naked
When Alice was seated once more Melissa exhaled and knew that spilling all of this might not have been the best idea, especially where Ary and Candace were concerned. Although she had known Ary and Candace practically her whole life, the other females were like family to her as well. They had all been through their own shit, and because of that had bonded with one another over it.
“So, spill the beans.” Candace leaned back, her belly big and round as well, and her expression one of exhaustion. It was like a freaking hormonal convention in the kitchen with Candace and Alice pregnant, and last she heard Ary and Kenzie were trying for more kids. It just made Melissa feel even older than she already did.
“I pretty much told you everything. He didn’t even ask my name, didn’t do anything but bark orders and expect me to just go with him and complete the ‘claiming’.” Kettah snorted and brought her glass to her mouth. “Yeah, yeah, I know all of you are very aware of what I’m talking about, and have to deal with that bullshit every day, but you all know I’m not into the guys ordering me around.” Ary gave her a bland look, and Melissa rolled her eyes. “Okay, I am, and can admit I like a male that can take charge, but that doesn’t mean I’m used to men expecting me to just do as I’m told without even questioning them.”
“Welcome to the club, honey.” Olive smiled, but she knew that as much as they all bitched about the fact their mates were clear alpha males, dominating and possessive, they wouldn’t have had it any other way. The only difference between Melissa and them was the fact she had always been a bit assertive herself. Sure, each of them had their own strength, but Melissa liked to push it even more, or so she had been told. This was just her, and since her mate was clearly the type of male that wasn’t used to hearing the word no, he and Melissa might have a bit of a problem.
“So you don’t even know his name?” Alice asked after she finished taking a sip of her drink.
“No.” It sounded crazy even to her, and she had experienced the damn situation firsthand. “We didn’t even have time to get that far. He was all telling me to get in his car so we could ‘talk’ about what was happening. At that point I was beyond pissed, and took off.” There were a few soft chuckles that came from Candace and Ary, and Melissa sliced a glare at them.
“Hey, don’t be getting all pissy with us. You deserve this for giving us a hard time about Charlie and Trace.”
Eh. Melissa couldn’t really argue that point, but that had just been superficial. Deep down, she had yearned for her own mate. It was a natural reaction, one that came from her wolf and her human side.
“Was he all He-Man, hear me roar?” Kettah lifted a brow in question, and when Melissa nodded but also rolled her eyes, Kettah chuckled. “Well, you are definitely now a member of the club. I won’t lie and say I don’t like the way Bram gets all huffy if another male even glances my way innocently, but there are also plenty of times where I have to tell him to calm down, because he is acting a bit irrational.”
“It’s the nature of the beast, no pun intended.” They all glanced at Talia and started laughing. The red fox shifter had nailed it on the head pretty accurately.
“What do you plan on doing?” Candace asked as she rubbed her belly. There was a slight pinched expression on her face, and Melissa knew it was because the little bear growing inside of her had one painful kick. The doctor had told her the little bear would be a big one. Then again, judging by the size of his father Trace, and his older brother Liam, that really wasn’t a surprise.
“I don’t know. Running last night might have been a dumb move, because I sure as hell know that he won’t just walk away.” Melissa rested her elbows on the table and stared into her glass at the little bits of lemon floating in her drink. “I’m not getting any younger, and believe it or not, I would like children.” She looked up at the females, and saw all of them had their rapt attention on her. Their expressions were a mix of empathy and understanding. They had all been in this situation at one point, and she was glad that she had been able to talk to them about this. “I don’t know his name, or where he is, but I’m not stupid enough to think that he probably doesn’t already know who I am and will be finding me soon enough.” She rubbed her eyes, knowing that this situation wasn’t as difficult as she was making it out. “I guess I’m going to have to talk to him, and let him know that I am not like the other females he has clearly been with that have lifted tail for him when he snapped his fingers.” There was a collective snort from the females, and Melissa knew that it was the universal noise for “good luck with that”.
****
Before Melissa even left the office she knew that he was waiting outside for her. She hadn’t seen or heard him, hadn’t scented the wild bear in him, but she just knew, and felt it right down to her bones. But to cement that fact when she locked up the front doors and stood on the sidewalk, it was to see her mate leaning against a very black and shiny Tahoe. Even after she had talked to the girls yesterday, Melissa hadn’t actively sought him out. For one thing she didn’t even know where to start. She assumed going over to Dakota Dark’s and asking around would have been a start, but then again she also knew he’d find her sooner or later. Mates were persistent, and she knew that from watching her friends find theirs. He wore distressed jeans that showed how muscular his legs were, but not tight enough to show off a bulge like she had seen some of the Wrangler-wearing citizens of Sweet Water walk around in. Melissa had never been one that liked a man that wore pants tighter than ones she owned, but to each his own. His t-shirt was black and snug enough that every bump and ridge of his extremely well defined muscular chest was on display. Now that was a sight Melissa had no problem staring at. His baseball cap had the symbol of some nationally recognized team. And to top off the entire “look” he had on a pair of dark sunglasses that made him look so damn sexy it should have been illegal. His arms were crossed and his biceps bulging from the act. He had one leg propped up behind him on the SUV, and when he pushed off he walked toward her like there was nothing that could touch him, and deep down Melissa knew it wasn’t just an act. This male screamed deadly, powerful, and downright frightening to anyone that crossed his path. How did she know that? It was this feeling in the pit of her belly, the way her animal paced inside of her—not frightened, but certainly aware that this male was no stranger to violence or death.
He stopped a few feet in front of her, but didn’t smile or say anything in greeting. The heat that came from him, the scent of his bear that was right there, told Melissa that he was not totally human right now. He took off his glasses, and when she looked into his eyes her pulse raced. The night she’d met him the shadows had been too thick for her to really see any distinguishing features on him, but out in the open with the sun above them showed that his eyes flashed from a dark brown to a blue so light they were almost eerie in appearance. They reminded her of Talia’s eyes, but there was coldness behind his that had a shiver racing up her spine. When his eyes flashed back to a deep chocolate color she knew his bear was trying to take control. Clearly he was having a pretty hard time holding back, and when she got a concentrated scent of the arousal that came to him she actually took a step back from the force. Instantly she became wet, and she felt her nipples harden beneath her silk blouse. The grin he gave her wasn’t sweet and kind, but one of animal satisfaction. It was a flash of his straight white teeth, and the hint of his canines starting to lengthen as his bear scented her lust. He took a step forward, and she took one back. Although the sun was still high, it would be dusk in a few short hours, and there wasn’t a lot of foot traffic on the sidewalks.
The cold, unforgiving front door stopped her retreat, and when he placed one hand on the glass by her head, leaned in an inch, and lowered his eyes to stare at her lips, everything inside of Melissa stilled. He looked back at her face after a few seconds, and inhaled deeply while holding her gaze with his own. A low hum of desire left his chest and speared right into her body.
“You wouldn’t believe how easy
it was to find out all about you, Melissa Amelia Damien.” He seemed to purr out her name even though he wasn’t of the feline variety.
Her lashes fluttered, but she forced them to stay open. He leaned in another inch, and she should have pushed him away. This felt like it was moving so fast. He might be her mate, but she had just met him, and he was moving so fast, and being so forward. But she couldn’t find the strength to do that. Instead, she found her hands clenching tightly into fists, and she pressed her thighs together, hoping to stem off the flow of her arousal, but actually creating pressure on her clit. Yeah, that had made it a hell of a lot worse.
“I bet I could kiss you right now and you’d clutch at me like you were starving for it, wouldn’t you, mate.” Before she could say anything something seemed to snap inside of him, and his dark eyes flickered back to blue. He took a step back and took his hat off only long enough to scrub a hand over his head and down to his face. The movement caused his right shirtsleeve to ride up, and Melissa caught a glimpse of the dark lines inked onto his flesh. They appeared tribal, kind of, but there was something off about them. He put his hat back in place, slipped his glasses over the bridge of his nose to conceal his eyes from her, and breathed out roughly. Melissa finally exhaled, not realizing she had been holding her breath the entire time she watched him try to get himself in order. He cleared his throat a few times, looked left and then right, and then when he finally seemed to move away from the hypothetical edge, he offered her a smile, but it was a bit forced.
But she wasn’t about to let that go … whatever in the hell that had been. “Don’t you think that was a bit much? I mean, I know all about mates and the alpha claiming mentality. But what in the hell was that?” His smile faded and for a moment he did not respond, but the low growl that came from him was purely his bear trying to come out once more.
“Mate, you’d do well to not say anything right now, especially when it’s clear I’m barely holding on as it is.” He shook his head and looked down at the pavement. The muscle under his whisker-covered cheek flexed, and she knew that she needed to tread lightly here. Clearly this male was far more animal than human, and clearly he wasn’t used to a female with her … aggressive personality. Melissa wasn’t the type to just submit to a male, not unless she was willingly doing that in the bedroom. This male was grappling for control with his beast right now, and a part of her melted at the fact that he was trying. Trying was the least Melissa could do, too.
“You’re right.” A flicker of surprise moved across his face, and she crossed her arms in annoyance. “You don’t have to look so shocked. This is only the second time we are talking, and less than an hour of knowing each other. It isn’t like you’re used to my sassiness.” The corner of his mouth lifted, and this time it looked genuine, and if she was being honest he looked damn good smiling.
“Sorry. It’s just in that short amount of time I’ve known you all you’ve given me is the tug and pull attitude.” She lifted one shoulder, and uncrossed her arms so she could let them fall to her sides.
“Yeah, well spend a little more time with me and you’ll come to realize that I have a whole lot of piss and vinegar to give.” He started to chuckle, and the deep, rich sound was almost of orgasmic quality. Her body wanted him like no other, and the pull of being mates was so strong it was hard to resist at all, but she didn’t really want to jump right into this. Maybe this went against the grain of who she had always been, but she wanted to get to know him and not just jump in bed together. Melissa wasn’t a stranger to having one-night stands, and in fact felt no shame in it. She was an adult, a confident female, and she enjoyed sex. But this wasn’t just a one night stand. This was a lifetime commitment.
“Declan Faylon.” He held out his hand, and she eyed it.
“You want to shake my hand?” She was teasing, but the heated look he gave her had her smile fading.
“Shaking your hand seems like a far safer thing than what I really want to do to you.” His voice grew lower and gruffer, and the flash of chocolate brown irises told her he was still barely holding on to his sanity. She took a step forward and reached out to slip her hand in his much bigger one. Melissa had never considered her small by any means, short yes, but slim, hell no. But this male, her mate, was so tall and muscular, that she felt, dare she say, petite in front of him. Having to crane her head back just to look in his face had her heart racing, and feeling the way he gently tightened his hold on her hand at the same time he brushed his thumb back and forth along her flesh had her pussy clenching almost painfully. His throat worked as he swallowed, and she knew he could scent how wet she was, because she could smell how aroused he was. The need to look down at his crotch, knowing he was hard and wanting to see just how much he tented his pants ran high within her, but she wasn’t going to. Melissa could practice self-control. She could, and she would, right?
“Listen, I came here to see if you wanted to have dinner with me tonight.” He rubbed the back of his neck, and Melissa was struck by the fact he seemed nervous. That observation didn’t seem to fit the aura that surrounded him. “Shit.” She looked at him curiously. “I’ve never done this.” He gestured between the two of them.
“Done what? Ask a female out to dinner?” She smiled, teasing him, but at the hard, serious look on his face she sobered. “Seriously?” He was gorgeous with a body that looked like it was made out of marble. Yes, she had just thought that, but it was the truth.
“Yeah, seriously. To be perfectly honest with you I don’t spend time with females aside from....” He snapped his mouth shut, and although he almost went there, Melissa also knew he hadn’t meant to. He crossed his arms over his chest, and she knew she had pissed him off, but then again she also knew what he was insinuating and the wolf inside of her bristled. It was a ludicrous reaction, given the fact she was no budding virgin herself.
“Listen.” She pushed some hair off her shoulder and wished she would have put the long, thick heavy mass up in a chignon. “Can we start over? Maybe you leave out the ‘You Jane, I’m Tarzan’ mentality, and I’ll lighten up on my bitchiness, at least until we get to know each other a little more?” He smirked, and she felt herself relaxing.
“Yeah, I can probably back off, somewhat. At least until we know each other better.” When he winked she would have swooned right there, because shit, did it look good on him. Okay, this was a good start. They were making progress, actually talking instead of having this Alpha vs. Bitch match, and she was feeling pretty good about that. “So, Melissa, would you like to go to dinner with me? I’m new at this whole mate thing, but you and I both know I won’t just walk away.” He didn’t say it cockily, but there was an undertone of assertiveness and determination in his voice. Melissa couldn’t get pissed at that, though. He was trying, obviously, and she would just have to bite her tongue when the whole alphaness came off a little strong. Besides, she wanted to see how this went, and where it ended. Taking the day to think about everything, and what the girls had told her, put a lot of perspective into Melissa. She could fight this every step of the way, or she could submit on her own terms, because heaven help her there was a part of Melissa that wanted to see how far this grizzly would go if she let him dominate her.
Chapter Five
Melissa looked in her rearview mirror for the twentieth time in the last five minutes. The dual headlights of Declan’s SUV shown right behind her, and her heart pounded hard in her chest. She pulled into the parking lot of a small Italian diner owned by a badger shifter married couple. It was a newer establishment, only being opened less than six month ago, but their pizza was homemade and the best Melissa had ever eaten. Declan pulled up beside her, and for a moment all she did was sit there. His name kept rolling around in her head, and even thinking it made her feel sensitive in all of her erogenous zones. Melissa looked out the window and saw him tightening and loosening his hands on the steering wheel. His jaw looked clenched, like he might be grinding his teeth. He didn’t turn to look at her, and
she didn’t move until she saw his chest rise and fall once more, as if he were exhaling forcefully. He tightened his hands on the steering wheel once before he let go. Only when he exited the SUV did Melissa get out of her car and meet him at the back of his vehicle. He kept his head lowered, but he seemed tense now, almost angry.
“Are you okay?” He looked at her, and she expected to see his chocolate eyes, but they were light blue. He offered her a smile, and although she still sensed something was off about him she didn’t press him..
“I’m good.” His voice was so low, God, it was so low, and masculine. He was the epitome of what a strong male was, but it wasn’t only the fact he was built like a tank, but the presence and aura that came from him.
“Okay.” She didn’t prod, because whatever was bothering him wasn’t her business if he didn’t want to divulge it. She just hoped this didn’t end up being a bad idea given the fact he was suddenly in a funk.
****
Declan stayed one step behind Melissa, and although he was barely hanging on as it was, he didn’t stop himself from watching the way her ass moved under the tight material of her skirt. The skirt itself wasn’t overly snug, but damn did she have a nice, big and juicy ass. In fact, everything about her was so damn delicious that he had to adjust his dick in his jeans as soon as he got in the SUV because the hard fucker had been digging into his zipper. He knew she had sensed that there was something off with him, but ever since he saw her yesterday his bear had been wanting out increasingly more. The asshole had been persistent and strong beforehand, but now that he had found his mate it was like some kind of switch had been turned on inside of Declan, making the already fierce grizzly inside of him even more temperamental. His animal wanted out, wanted to pin Melissa to the side of a building, against his car, or better yet take her back to his place so he could mark her up really fucking good. He wanted his twin puncture marks on the smooth column of her throat, wanted his claws marks creating erotic raised lines on her body, and wanted his cum and scent to fill her body. His cock jerked, and he clenched his hands into fists. Fuck, he wanted her, like right now, but he was going to need to get his shit together.