And he wasn't done, not by a long shot. He'd spent too many lonely nights aching for her not to squeeze every moment he could out of this night.
He nipped and kissed his way down the side of her neck while he toyed with her nipples, feeling them harden and rise beneath his questing fingertips as he listened to the changes in her pulse and breathing.
"Oooh." Nika's breath shuddered out of her as he simultaneously bit the back of her neck and gently pinched the tips of her breasts. She pushed back against him and rubbed her velvety ass against his rising cock. "I'm really glad you're not done."
This time, she insisted on riding him as he sprawled on his back, hands reaching up to caress her taut, rounded belly and breasts.
When he came, holding her hips and thrusting up into her with a loud growl, she collapsed panting onto his chest.
"Okay, now I'm done!" she panted. "Have some mercy for the pregnant lady."
Ash frowned. He'd climaxed this time, but she hadn't, and he could sense that she was still aroused.
"No, you're not done. Not yet." He traced the line of her spine and felt her shiver beneath his touch. "I want to see you come, Nika. What kind of mate would leave you hanging?"
She laughed.
"I can't move," she protested, giggling. "Honest. And it's okay. I'm still one orgasm ahead of you, remember?"
He did remember, and the memory of his sweet mate arching and shuddering beneath his lips and tongue only stoked his hunger.
"Who's keeping score?" he asked, grinning. He put his hands on her waist and lifted her off him. "I want to do this. Just lie back and enjoy yourself."
* * *
Ash was as good as his word as he wriggled down the length of her body, stopping every few inches to kiss her skin.
He ended up between her thighs, where he did things to her with his talented mouth that made her scream his name over and over again.
Exhausted at last, she finally fell asleep in his arms, floating in warm, boneless bliss and feeling safe and cared-for as he curled protectively around her.
Nika awoke to sunshine, the smell of freshly brewed coffee, and the smoky, tantalizing scent of frying bacon. She opened her eyes, feeling truly refreshed and energized for the first time in months…and discovered that the bed was empty.
Only a dented pillow, a crumpled comforter, and Ash's clean masculine scent remained to remind her that she hadn't passed this night alone. Disappointment shot through her. She'd been looking forward to cuddling a bit before they got up and faced the day.
A flash of movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention. She turned her head to see Ash walk into the master suite, followed by Thunder, who was trotting at his heels and staring up at the tray in rapt adoration.
Ash was dressed in a plain canvas apron and nothing else. He held a breakfast tray loaded with scrambled eggs, crisp strips of bacon, smoked sausages, and a big golden waffle drizzled with melted butter. There was a steaming mug of coffee and a small glass pitcher fragrant with maple syrup.
He glowed with the sweet happiness that she remembered from their initial courtship. The sight of him took her breath away and reawakened her desire for him.
"Morning," he said in a warm, deep voice. "Pay no attention to the starving-hound act—Thunder's already conned me out of a sausage and a piece of bacon."
Nika laughed and gave Ash a slow, appreciative once over, her glance lingering on his broad shoulders and tightly muscled biceps before dropping to the mug of coffee on the tray.
At the sight of it, she clasped her hands over her breasts like a silent-movie heroine. "Is that French Roast? Ash Swanson, you are my hero."
He laughed and came over to perch on her side of the bed, holding the tray level with her chest. Thunder trotted to Ash's side of the bed, jumped up, and curled on top of the comforter. "I remember how well you function before you've caffeinated."
Back in Seattle, when they had first begun spending weekends together, he would always bring her breakfast in bed. She had always found it an incredibly thoughtful and caring gesture.
And now, even after all that she'd done, this gesture, even more than his passionate lovemaking, showed that he still really cared for her.
Her throat tightened, and her eyes prickled and grew blurry.
She cleared her throat, trying to suppress the urge to cry like a baby. Stupid pregnancy hormones!
"Function?" she asked, trying to keep her tone light and bantering. "I'm not ashamed to admit that in my world, nothing happens before coffee. Thank you."
She picked up the mug and inhaled the rich, strong aroma.
"I slept really well last night," he said, and his expression left no doubt as to his meaning. "How about you?"
"Never better," she told him, and took her first sip of liquid heaven.
Suddenly ravenous, she grabbed the silverware off the tray and dug into the plate of breakfast food he had cooked for her. Everything was delicious—the eggs moist and fluffy, the sausage pleasantly spiced, and the waffle crisp and tender inside.
Ash watched her as she ate, a satisfied smile playing around his bearded lips. "That's venison sausage," he told her. "My brothers and I went on a hunting-camping trip last fall, and we got lucky. They still haven't let me forget that I passed out while we were butchering it."
Nika tried to decide how she felt about venison as she chewed and swallowed a mouthful of the sausage.
"Poor Bambi," she said finally. "So cute, yet so delicious."
Ash chuckled, and the sound caressed her.
When she finished eating, the plate was clean.
"Stay put," Ash told her as he picked up the tray. "I'll be back."
* * *
She and Ash showered together in his huge master suite bathroom. Or rather, she stood under multiple jets of luxuriously hot water while Ash gently scrubbed her from head to toe with a richly foaming unscented body wash, then shampooed and rinsed her hair.
Nika stood luxuriating under his ministrations, his strong fingers massaging her scalp, and realized that she had never felt so pampered.
Ash finished rinsing her hair. Sweeping aside the sleek, wet strands, he kissed her neck as his hands dropped to her breasts and began to work their magic.
She leaned back against him and felt his cock hardening against her as he made slow, tender love to her with his hands and his mouth.
His fingers slipped between her legs, stroking and teasing, kindling her desire to an urgent flame unquenched by the water and steam surrounding her.
Nika drew a shuddering breath and caught his hand.
"I want to spend every morning with you like this," she said, just before she bent her head and kissed each of his fingers before drawing his forefinger into her mouth and sucking on it.
Satisfaction filled her as she heard Ash take a sharp breath. His cock was now fully erect, the thick shaft pressed against his lower belly. Her pussy throbbed with a hungry ache to feel it inside her as quickly as possible.
"So do I," Ash said, sounding breathless.
He withdrew his finger from between her lips and turned her around. Then he bent her forward. She complied eagerly, bracing her hands against the cool marble tile of the shower wall and spreading her feet apart.
"Please," she begged, and he responded by guiding his cock to her entrance.
She felt the broad tip push against her, and a thrill of anticipation shot through her.
"We should get married as soon as possible," he said, and thrust home.
Nika moaned with the sheer pleasure of being filled and stretched by him once more. Then his words sank in. "Married? But we're already mated!"
"Something that the government doesn't know or care about," he told her, as he began to move.
His hands returned to deliciously tormenting her breasts. "I want to make everything official before our baby is born."
"Yes," gasped Nika. "Oh, yes."
"Good. Then that's settled." His hands tightened on her hips, a
nd the rhythm of his thrusts sped up.
Nika stopped thinking. She yielded to the sensations coursing through her, the spiral of desire winding ever tighter as warm water continued to pour over her.
"Come for me, sweet Nika," Ash whispered and reached down to stroke her clit with his fingertip.
His touch sent her tumbling over the edge. Bursts of intense pleasure shot through her like jewel-colored fireworks as she felt him shudder against her with his own release.
Afterwards, when they had dried off and dressed, Ash made her a mug of herb tea, and they sat at his kitchen island to talk.
"I know we always talked about a small wedding, but this will be really small and informal," he said, his hazel eyes glowing with happiness.
Nika smiled at her mate, feeling buoyant with her own happiness. "I don't care about the size of the wedding or anything except marrying you." She shook her head. "And it's not like I can invite my parents or anyone from my clan."
"I'm sorry about that," Ash said, sobering for an instant.
Then he brightened again. "We'll have great food, I'm sure Annabeth will make us one of her fantastic cakes, and I'll put together a playlist that'll keep everyone dancing all night," he assured her. "We could either hold the ceremony and reception here, at the ranch—Evan's house has a huge open-plan downstairs room that could host the reception, and it's not like he and Steffi actually live there—or I could ask Justin about renting out his restaurant."
"I liked Justin's place—" Nika began.
Then Thunder ran out of the master suite, barking wildly.
A moment later, Nika heard it, too: the distinctive whup-whup-whup of an approaching helicopter.
Nika's phone buzzed. She glanced down to see a one-word text message from Dimitri.
RUN!
Chapter 13 – Lost
Ash heard the approaching helicopter, but used to the sound of both the medevac services and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game's survey helicopters, he didn't take particular notice of it until he saw Nika suddenly turn white and smelled the sharp scent of her fear.
"It's my family! They're coming for us!" she said urgently, clutching her phone. "I just got a text from my brother."
Ash ran for the shotgun, which he had set down on the mudroom bench the night before, next to his bunkers.
"Nika, get my phone!" he shouted over his shoulder. "Call Mom, Dane, and Sheriff Jacobsen—they're all in my contacts."
She didn't hesitate, scrambling off the stool and making a beeline for the end of the long island countertop, where his phone was plugged into a custom charging station.
Up until now, Ash hadn't quite believed that the Medveds would actually dare to invade another clan's territory. Bear shifters weren't like sabertooth shifters, after all. It had been at least a century since the last bear shifter interclan war had taken place.
No one is taking Nika from me, Ash thought grimly as he began to load the gun.
He was a good shot and an experienced hunter, but he'd never shot a person before. Now, he was determined to do whatever it took to protect his mate from her crazy family.
He heard Nika leave voicemail for first his brother, then his mother, then reach Sheriff Jacobsen.
As she breathlessly explained their situation, ending with "…please hurry!" he felt his bear rise inside him.
Ash's heart raced with excitement. He had always sensed his bear's presence deep inside him, but until recently it had always seemed far away, sleeping and unreachable no matter how often he tried to wake it.
And he had tried—a lot—as he’d finished off his teenage years and moved out of the normal timeframe of a first shift.
But ever since he had met Nika last summer, he had felt his bear's presence grow slowly stronger inside him. It felt closer now…and awake at last.
Maybe this is it! Maybe this is when I make my first shift!
It makes sense, since I now have a pregnant mate to protect.
The helicopter's roar outside became deafening.
"Nika, go hide," Ash ordered. "The basement door is right over—"
He heard a sound that made his blood run cold, and he whirled around.
Nika stood in his kitchen, a big, razor-sharp chef's knife in her hand. Her face was colorless with fear, and he could hear her heart pounding even from this distance.
"No," she said quietly. She sounded oddly calm despite the scent of terror emanating from her. "If they get past you, it won't do me any good to hide. Whoever they've sent for me is going to be a shifter. They'll be able to track me wherever I run to." Ash saw her swallow hard. "This is it. I want to stay with you and fight at your side."
She ran to him and went up on her tiptoes to give him a brief but passionate kiss. "I promised I would stay."
Ash wanted to protest. As a male bear shifter, it was his duty to protect his mate and their baby. But he felt in awe of Nika's courage. Like him, she was trapped in her human form right now.
His bear rose inside him. Ash could feel his skin prickling. A sharp ache stabbed through his joints. It's now or never, he thought.
He thrust the shotgun at Nika. "Do you know how to shoot one of these?"
She took it gingerly and shook her head. "I've never even touched a gun before."
Ash paused, already halfway through stripping off his shirt. "Shit."
"Yeah," Nika nodded.
There was a long moment of silence between them. The sound of the approaching helicopter grew steadily louder.
Then she added, her voice shaky. "But how hard could it be? Just point it and pull the trigger, right?"
Her voice caught on the last word, and Ash guessed that she was wondering whether she could actually shoot a member of her own family, no matter how estranged she was from them.
"Firing a warning shot will usually make someone take you seriously," he said, and saw the relief in her eyes.
"O-okay," she said, and he saw her fingers go white where they gripped the wooden stock and the barrel. "Uh, Ash, why are you stripping?"
He paused with his hands on his belt buckle. "I think I'm finally ready to shift."
Nika's eyes widened.
Ash skimmed out of his jeans and the rest of his clothes as quickly as he could.
Acutely aware that he was standing nude in the middle of his mudroom, he closed his eyes and willed the change to begin.
Okay, bear. I'm ready for you. Do your thing.
Nothing happened.
Ash could feel his bear pressing against the inside of his skin, making it burn and sending pins and needles shooting down his arms and legs as sharp pain stabbed his joints. But that was as far as it got.
NO! he shouted silently. Keep going! We have to protect our mate!
But it didn't do any good.
Push, you fucking coward! Help me!
And then his bear was suddenly gone, dwindling down like a heat mirage on the highway to Las Vegas, as if the effort of rising this far had exhausted it.
Ash cursed and hurried to dress himself again.
He avoided Nika's gaze, not wanting to see her disappointment.
"I'll protect you," he muttered, shame burning through him. "Give me the gun."
Without a word, she handed it over. And then he felt her hand on his arm, warm and reassuring. A knot formed in his chest. She believed in him.
Even after what had just happened, she still believed in him.
He'd justify her faith in him…or die trying.
The helicopter was close enough now to rattle all the windows of Ash's house.
Ash took a firm grip on his shotgun and opened his front door.
He stepped out onto his porch just in time to see a man emerge from the helicopter that had just landed in the pasture next to Ash's house.
The newcomer was the biggest shifter that Ash had ever met. He looked like the Terminator.
Nika's father—because the Terminator couldn't possibly be anyone else—was clean-shaven and wearing an Italian desig
ner business suit. His wavy black hair was brushed with silver at the temples and trimmed in an expensive cut.
"Mikael Medved, stop right there!" Ash commanded, raising his shotgun and bracing it against his shoulder.
Medved ignored him. His gaze went straight past Ash to focus on Nika, who was standing at Ash's shoulder.
"Nika," Medved said in a deep, rumbling, Russian-accented voice. "Your mother orders you to return home with me."
Ash felt Nika's hand grip him, her fingers digging into the muscle of his shoulder. He smelled her fear and wanted to take her hand, but he didn't dare lower the gun.
"Papa, I am home. Ash is my mate, and I will stay here with him."
Medved shook his head. "You should know that it is impossible, radost' moya. Now be sensible and come with me." His tone sounded strangely gentle.
"No," Nika said firmly. "I'm sorry, Papa."
Medved took another step forward.
"Stop right there, Mr. Medved." Ash sighted down the gun barrel at the other shifter's knees. He couldn't bring himself to kill his mate's father in front of her eyes. The other shifter would suffer horrific injuries to his legs, but he would survive and heal…eventually. "Nika isn't going anywhere."
"I disagree," Medved said, calmly and with complete disregard for the gun pointed at him.
He met Ash's gaze at last, and Ash saw where Nika's striking gray eyes had come from. On Mikael Medved, they looked like shards of winter ice embedded in a pale, strong-featured face.
Deliberately, Medved advanced another step, snow crunching under his soles.
Okay, time for a warning shot. Ash aimed for a spot about a foot in front of those expensive Italian shoes, and his finger tightened on the trigger.
Nika's gasp was his only warning as he saw something move out of the corner of his eye. An instant later, something huge and brown barreled into Ash's side. The shotgun discharged into the air, and Ash went down under the weight of a snarling, roaring grizzly.
He heard Nika shriek with rage and fear.
Ash futilely tried to heave the bear off him and go to her aid.
A huge paw tipped with long, curving black claws swung at him with blinding speed, and that was the last thing Ash remembered before darkness claimed him.
Ash (Bearpaw Ridge Firefighters Book 6) Page 13