by M. L. Briers
June’s heart was weak, and when he looked into her mind and found the one thing that she’d latched onto in her darkest hour – Curtis, he felt bad for the man.
He hoped to whatever God just might have been listening at that moment in time that her heart was still strong enough to pump his blood around her system so that it could heal her. Because vampire blood or not – there wasn’t a damn thing that he could do to save her if her body and mind had already given up on life.
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Curtis fought with hate in his heart and rage within his soul. He knew the rules to win a battle, you left your emotions behind, but he couldn’t do that this time.
He could scent the human blood that filled the air, and that powered his hate, his anger, fed his need to rip Goran’s beast apart until there was nothing left.
That wasn’t just any human that the man had gone after – that was his mate – his life – his love – his chance at happiness.
If she died then his dreams of home, of family, of cubs, died with her.
He died with her.
Fate couldn’t be so damn cruel, could it?
The red rage that clouded his vision made him see only blood and death. It made him wilder than he’d ever been in his life before.
He could feel Goran’s claws tearing up his fur, his flesh, but he didn’t give a damn.
Curtis angled one swipe of his razor sharp claws after another at his mate’s attacker. The beast was just as wild fighting back, and yet, for one long moment, the veil drew back, and Curtis could see his opportunity to strike hard and to strike smart, and he took it.
Just as Goran’s bear reared back and twisted his body to bring his claws down in a fresh assault, so Curtis was in the right damn place at the right damn time. The beast’s soft spot was exposed, from his neck all the way down his underbelly, and Curtis made the most of the opportunity that his opponants mistake had afforded him.
He went in hard and fast, slicing from the man’s neck downwards with his right set of claws, and then, as Goran’s bear reared back in shock and pain, so he brought his pad around and sliced into the bear’s throat, as deeply as he could, and with an accuracy that ended the beast’s life right in front of his eyes.
Curtis tossed his head back on his neck and roared his victory as the huge bear dropped to the floor in front of him. Then; he whirled on his paws towards his mate and found the vampire kneeling over her.
The red mist of anger came down once more.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
~
Justin assumed that he had time to be gone from June’s side before Curtis’ bear reached him. He was wrong.
With a roar of anger, Justin felt the crushing blow that came from one of his friend’s large paw;s as the beast backhanded him across the face, and knocked him clean across the aisle and through one of the large panes of glass.
It took him only a moment to shake that hit off.
Justin sat up, but he made no move to get back inside the structure, as the bear snorted the air and grunted, padding towards his mate as she lay on the ground.
Then the beast gave way to the man, and Curtis was back in his human form, even if his eyes were still wild and his body was held taut by his mate’s plight.
Curtis twisted his head on his neck like a curious bear and listened for the sound of her heart beating. His torn up, bloodied body was held ridged as he collapsed down beside her.
He reached for his mate, bringing her battered body into his lap, and Curtis’ hand shook as he traced her cheek with his fingertips.
Justin’s heart lodged in his throat at the sight of it.
“Nooo,” Curtis bit out, so damn quietly that the vampire wasn’t truly sure that he’d said it.
“Crap…” Justin bit out.
He’d tried his damnedest to save her. He’d failed.
“Do not die here tonight. I die with you, love…” Curtis’ voice was still full of his mournful beast.
“Wait, she’s not dead?” Justin pushed up to his feet, and Curtis snapped his head around on his neck and growled at the vampire who was bent at the waist and peering inside the greenhouse. “Nooo, this is good news!”
“Do not take one more step towards her or…”
“I will kill you where you stand, yadda- yadda, heard it before,” Justin felt like doing a damn jig.
“Justin,” Curtis growled.
“Ah, if she’s not dead by now, and she has my lovely blood within her veins…” he left it there as he grinned back at the shifter.
Curtis opened his mouth to tell the vampire exactly where to put his head, but the sound of June, gasping for breath, made him wrench his head back around towards her.
His eyes drank her in. His ears heard the kick of her heart inside of her, and he cradled her gently in his lap, bringing her closer to his chest.
“Aren’t I just Mr. Wonderful, go ahead, you can say it, I’ll never tire of hearing it,” Justin grinned, but Curtis ignored him, his eyes, his mind, his heart was mesmerized by his mate.
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“I’m sorry,” Curtis needed her to know. He needed her to understand that he hated himself for every second of her suffering.
Curtis felt ashamed. He understood if his mate hated him right down to her very soul and never wanted to lay eyes on him again.
He’d go. He’d leave and never darken June’s door again.
He owed her that much.
“For saving me?” June said.
She was still sitting, propped up against the solid oak headboard of her bed, where she’d been kept a prisoner for the last, however long it had been since her mate had carried her there, and had, apparently, cleaned her from head to toe.
She was naked under the covers and had only just managed to stop her cheeks from burning with embarrassment every time that she looked at him. Or, more accurately, snatched glances in his direction when she felt he wasn’t watching her.
She still couldn’t quite meet his eyes. The thought of him seeing her naked, even while she was out cold, was mortifying.
“That was Justin,” he waved it away as he paced back and forth over the carpet.
He’d cleaned her first, then himself, and somewhere along the way, the vampire had brought him some clean clothes that he kept in his truck for times when he lost, or destroyed his others while shifting into his bear.
At first, he’d thought that she wouldn’t look at him because he was walking around naked. Then, when he’d got dressed it had finally dawned on him that she wouldn’t look at him, because she couldn’t because she hated the sight of him.
It was the second time that his heart had broken that night. Now that she seemed to be healed; he only wanted to say his piece, and then he’d be gone from her life forever.
“I thought you said you fought the bear,” June said.
“That was me,” Curtis nodded.
“Then his blood might have saved me in the end, but you saved me first,” June reasoned and watched the man frown.
It was strange, but she hated that he wouldn’t look at her. She knew that she’d spent the better part of the last few hours looking anywhere but at him, but now the need to see his eyes was clawing within her.
“I almost killed you.”
“That was Goran.”
“Still my fault,” Curtis grumbled a growl within his chest.
“So, what are you sorry for, exactly?”
“For almost getting you killed. For Goran. For the vampire blood. For meeting me in the first place – oh, and for putting a Justin sized hole in the greenhouse.” He scowled down at the carpet as if it had done him wrong.
“I’m sorry, what about my greenhouse?” June fidgeted in the bed.
She had a mind to get up and check the damage, but she was naked, and she figured that he’d seen enough already.
“Sorry,” he growled.
“I fixed it,” Justin called in
muted tones from somewhere on the other side of the bedroom door. “It’s boarded up.”
“Go away,” Curtis growled at the door as if it had also done him wrong.
“Not likely,” Justin called back.
“Did…?” June cleared her throat. “Justin see me… naked?”
“What?” Curtis growled, his head snapped up and his eyes locking on hers. “No!”
June felt the heat of his gaze, and it was locked and loaded on her. Now that he was staring into her eyes he couldn’t seem to look anywhere but there.
“Ok, good,” she shrugged.
“I should leave,” Curtis growled at the thought.
Mine…
“You should?” June sounded a little lost in her thoughts. “You should!” then she sounded emphatic and somewhat relieved by his suggestion.
Curtis’ heart broke a little more.
He wanted to drag his eyes away, wanted to drag his body towards the door, but he just couldn’t seem to do anything other than stand there and stare back at her.
“Maybe one day you can forgive me,” Curtis said, so quietly that she narrowed her eyes on his and strained to listen.
Mine… His beast growled.
Look at the way that she’s looking at me, bear. Do you really think our mate still wants us?
Do you really think there is a hope in hell that we could woo her now?
Do you really think that she doesn’t hate me for the pain I’ve caused her?
That she could ever forgive us?
That she would want to live with a shifter and all that entails?
Put herself in that kind of danger again?
No.
It’s too late. It’s done.
I failed.
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
~
“Done,” June said with a small shrug of her shoulders, and Curtis snapped his head forward toward her.
“Huh?”
June noted the strangest look on his face, and she almost laughed. The man looked like he didn’t know which way was up.
“And the internet says you guys have good hearing,” she offered back. “Done, forgiven,” she shrugged again.
“What now?” Curtis growled, and his beast rose up within him.
Mine…
“Ok, well it can’t be your superhuman hearing that’s the problem,” June offered back.
“You said you forgive me,” Curtis just wanted to make sure that he wasn’t wishful-hearing her.
“For what, I’m not sure,” she lifted a hand and motioned towards him. “But, you seem to think that Goran was your fault, so…” she shrugged for the third time. “Ok, forgiven.”
Curtis fidgeted on his feet. He was still trying to wrap his head around his mate’s attitude when there was thud against the closed bedroom door.
“For the love of God, would you get it through your thick head,” Justin said as he rested his forehead against the door and groaned inwardly. “She forgives you. She wants to mate with you, although, that’s just the dirty thoughts that are flying around in her head and not a definite call to action, just yet, and she’s healed.”
Curtis’ lower jaw started to fall as he stared at his mate. June’s lower jaw was also on a downward path, but then she gasped in a breath, and her cheeks went a nice bright red. He liked that color way better than how she looked a few hours ago.
“You absolutely read my damn mind!” June exclaimed, eyeing the door as if she wanted to kill it.
“Yes,” Justin chuckled. “Thoughts that would make a nun blush. Good for you! Good for Curtis!”
“He…!” Her eyes were widening as she lifted her hand and pointed an outstretched finger towards the door.
“I know,” Curtis growled. “Do you want me to kill him?”
“I don’t know – I’m thinking,” she hissed out.
“And after I saved your life,” Justin teased. “Well, hold that thought because I need to go. Don’t want to listen to you two mating.”
Curtis twisted his head around and looked at June, and the woman did the same to him. Then she swallowed down a good portion of her tongue.
June’s lips started to form a word, but she never got it out. Instead, she just waved an absent hand in the air.
“You want to be mine?” Curtis asked.
“Of course she does,” Justin called back as he made a point of stomping down each step on his way out of the house.
June’s eyebrows went upwards towards her hairline, her mouth opened and closed a few times, but she didn’t rush to speak. She did, however, remember the very last moments when she’d thought that she was going to die at the claws of Goran’s bear.
She’d thought of Curtis.
She’d wanted her mate.
She’d regretted not mating with him.
“I…” she cleared her throat once more. “We,” she started and stopped again.
“It’s not a hard question,” Curtis frowned.
“Don’t rush me,” June snapped back.
“I would never,” he shook his head fast, and she couldn’t help but see the funny side of that look he was giving her – she imagined it would be the same look he’d give her if she threw up on him.
“Yes,” June said.
“Yes?” Curtis had lost his chain of thought.
“Yes,” she frowned.
“Yes, you doofus, she wants to mate with you,” Justin called out from somewhere outside of the bedroom window. “What do I need to do? Draw you two a damn map.”
“I really want to kill him,” Curtis growled.
“I really think you should,” June offered back, and he snapped his eyes to hers.
“You do?” he frowned.
“Not right this minute, but someday,” she offered back with the brightest, most teasing and tantalizing smile that he’d ever seen.
Mine…
His length strained to be set free from the confines of his jeans, and a low growl rumbled through his chest.
“Someday,” Curtis rather liked that idea.
“Right now I think you should lie down, you look a little pique,” June offered, and he frowned.
“I do?” he growled. “I feel fine.”
“She wants you to get in the damn bed, you damn…” Justin shouted. There was a loud thud like he’d kicked something in annoyance, and then a deep groan. “It’s like a damn car crash; you want to look away…” He grumbled.
“I knew that,” Curtis called back.
“Did you now?” June grinned back at him.
“Well, I err – maybe – just hoped…”
“Relax, Curtis,” June chuckled, and that laughter sounded dirty to his ears, but then so did the look in her eyes. “I’ll be gentle.” She teased.
Curtis’ grin stretched from ear to ear. He started towards the bed, ripping his shirt off as he went.
“Please don’t,” he growled.
“Ooooh,” her eyes lit up at the sight of his naked chest, packed full of hard muscles. “I want to touch those.”
“Please do,” Curtis growled out, practically tearing off his jeans, and almost falling head first onto the bed in his haste.
June squealed at the sight of the big man heading towards her, but the moment that he regained his footing, his knee hit the mattress, and his weight took one side of the mattress downward, bringing his mate tipping towards him.
Curtis reached out with one hand and whipped back the cover from her body, as he wrapped the other hand around her back and yanked her against him.
“I’ve got you,” Curtis growled.
“I noticed,” June giggled, but the feel of his hot skin against hers set her blood on fire with need and her body to tingling in all the right places.
“Mine…” he needed to say it.
“Yours?”
“You are, mine,” he growled once more, dipping his head and claiming her lips in a series of hot kisses that made her head spin.
June didn’t care. She was all in.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
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Curtis couldn’t believe that he was kissing her. Not like this, not like he could finally have her all to himself, forever and a day.
She’d agreed to be his.
His mate.
His life.
His love and he’d never been more grateful, happier, or felt more blessed in his life before.
His hands took on a life of their own as they roamed her body. He’d broken from her lips to take her scent, truly take it in a way that he hadn’t done before, nuzzling in with the knowledge that he wasn’t going to scare her, or repulse her, or turn her away from him.
He started a slow exploration of her body with his lips and his tongue, that had become more frantic, more fevered with the scent of her femininity filling the air around him.
He’d been careful not to turn her over, the sight of her back, of the place that he’d one day soon put his bonding mark, would have been like a red rag to a bull where his bear was concerned.
He was keeping his beast on a tight leash.
Mine…
June had said she’d mate with him, and for now, that was more than enough.
They had time. He’d talk to her about it before he went ahead and did anything that he couldn’t take back.
Right then he was more than happy to be loving her as a mate should. He traced his tongue down her inner thigh towards her sex, and she responded by lifting her hips.
His wild side got a whole lot wilder on her offer. His blood was fevered with the need to taste her on his tongue, and when he dipped his head and took that very first taste, he knew that he would never get enough of her.
His mate was wild with need. Her hips were moving, and he had to lock a hand around her to keep her backside down on the bed as he had his wicked way with her, bringing her towards release, and then taking her over the edge and reveling in the taste on his tongue.