by Amanda Jones
"Show me."
Jeb didn't argue, simply heading towards Calan's truck. There would be little time before they did something to his love, and he intended to show them all how bad an idea that was. If she hadn't been touched by the time he got there, he might even let them all live.
Part of his anger was directed at the men who had kidnapped his mate. But as he slewed through another turn, following Jeb's directions, he realized that part of his anger was directed at her, for being there alone. She knew that Dusty was just looking for an opportunity to corner her alone, so why had she given him one?
He just didn't understand why she was acting so irrational today. Being mad at him was one thing, but making stupid decisions was another. It wasn't going to stop him from helping her, or raising all sorts of hell with Dusty and his gang, but it angered him as well.
They turned onto a road that clearly had seen recent use. There was only one single track of tires down it, and the center channels were slightly off-color, indicating that whoever had made them, had done so recently. His bear pushed closer to the surface as they closed on their prey.
***
Harley
Harley cried out in pain as her head hit the bed of the truck as they bounced over another bump in the road.
At least, she tried to cry out, but the gag muffled the noise enough that it barely qualified as a whimper. Struggling against her bonds yet again, she commiserated about the events that led to her being here.
From the fight with Calan, to her desire to have a few drinks to numb the pain. The only thing that had been numbed was her caution and, after Dusty had hit her, pretty much everything.
After work, she had gone home and waited until Jack arrived to take his truck. She felt bad for practically ignoring him, but Harley just wasn't ready to talk yet, not even to her dad. Sleep had refused to come, so she had decided to head to the bar, have a few drinks and try to calm down. The effort of ignoring Calan all day had taken its toll on her.
They had gotten the jump on her as she left the Quencher to head for home. She was about to open the door when he had spun her around and pinned her to the jeep door.
"Well my-my, look at what we have here boys. This poor little lambs lost her way. What do you say we help her out?" The evil laugh that had come from his mouth after that had sent shivers down her spine, chilling her to the core. She knew exactly what they intended to do with her.
"Knock it off Dusty, even you can't be that stupid. You know people will find out it's you."
"There won't be any proof of that little lamb, none at all. Why, they would have to find your body first."
That stopped her cold. He had thought about this, he knew what he was doing, had even planned it out before. If he had gone to that much effort, she was in a world of trouble. Nobody was nearby either, but perhaps she could make enough noise that someone would hear her.
"Oh no you don't." Before she had even finished inhaling he clamped an iron hand over her mouth. Her knee-jerk reaction was to bite down on his hand as hard as she could.
"You bitch!" he yelled, balling his free hand into a fist. That was the last thing she remembered seeing until she woke up in the back of the truck.
Although shifters were stronger than normal humans their own size, Dusty and his two friends were enough to overpower her. If she had been Calan though, they would have ended up in a heap. Unfortunately, Calan was not around to rescue her from this situation.
She asked herself yet again what he and Sam had been talking about. Why had he left the apartment so early? Had he truly been bragging about fucking her?
The more she thought about it, the less likely that seemed to be the case. Not once during the time he had attempted to court her had Calan come across as the type to air that sort of information out for everyone to know. If anything he had been fiercely protective of her, making sure he was by her side as often as he could manage. The one time she had pushed him away, she ended up trussed up like a pig in the back of Dusty's pickup.
She had been an idiot, she realized. Her own insecurities had blinded her to whatever the truth was. Harley had practically wanted him to betray her, because that would validate all the terrible things she was thinking in her head. But he hadn't, she forced herself to say.
Just because he hadn't made her breakfast in bed didn't mean he was going to up and leave her. Still, he had made no effort to hide the fact that he wanted to mate her, yet when he had had the chance to claim her as his own, he hadn't taken it. All it required was breaking the skin of her neck with his teeth while they made love. It was practically effortless if you were truly with your mate, or so she had been told.
Yet her neck was smooth and unblemished, despite their rabid lovemaking the day before. Why was he holding back?
Because you weren't ready.
The little voice in her head cut to the chase far too easily for her liking. She snorted, because it was her own subconscious, so of course it knew just what to say to get through to her. She hadn't been ready to commit to him, and he had been able to see that, even when she couldn't.
Perhaps he really is my mate.
If her bear could roll its eyes at her it would be doing so right then, she could tell. The animal half of her soul thoroughly agreed with the assessment that Calan was her other half. It had seen clear the entire time, but she had ignored it, thinking her human mind was smarter. A sarcastic snort came from her bear, but it didn't attempt to convey any further emotions.
The truck slammed on its brakes and she slid roughly into the wall separating her and the cab. She struggled to break free before they could get to her, but the ropes held firm. She was hauled bodily out into the middle of a clearing. Her feet were bound as well, so they had to drag her, until they reached a picnic table.
One limb at a time, they bound her spread-eagled to it, leaving her hips at the edge as they tied her calves to her thighs and then anchored those to the wood. She dreaded what was about to happen, tears finally falling from her eyes as Dusty began to undo his pants.
"If you make it worthwhile, I promise we'll be swift once it's all over. You won't feel a thing. But if you struggle, we're going to burn you alive." He glanced over to where his buddies were busy uncovering a big rock pit, filled with pre-cut wood.
His clammy hand ran up her leg until it reached her shorts. He muttered something unhappily, taking out his knife to start cutting them off. In seconds, he had exposed all of her private parts completely. The fire was roaring now, the light casting shadows across her now naked body.
Rough, sweaty hands began to touch her, pulling on her nipples and squeezing her breasts non-too gently. Dusty was laughing evilly, positioning himself between her legs, preparing to take advantage of her. Harley screamed as best she could behind the gag, shaking her head, trying to do whatever she could to stop him. He was pressed up against her now, one more push and he would be inside of her. Sobs wracked her body as she began to accept the inevitable.
In the woods, a branch cracked.
All three men spun around, eyes searching the darkness.
"It was probably just a deer or something," Dusty muttered, turning his attention back to her.
A very deep, very angry sounding growl echoed through the clearing. This time the men looked at Dusty, waiting for him to decide what to do. He was looking around wildly, trying to find the location of the sound.
Behind them, another branch snapped, following by an equally menacing growl. Her heart raced with hope for the first time all evening. The scent from upwind had finally hit her.
The noise from behind them had been made by Jeb's bear! She would recognize that smell anywhere. Which could only mean that the deeper initial growl was Calan! He must have noticed signs of a scuffle by her jeep and called him down to help. Then, somehow, the two of them had tracked her down!
Her attackers were slowly retreating towards their truck now, moving as if they were dealing with a wild animal, not men out to rescue a comrade
. A shape moved in the woods and she closed her eyes, not wanting to see what happened.
With a shout, she heard the men move, making a last, desperate rush for their car. There was no hope for them, though she couldn't see quite how it ended. Their shouts turned to cries of terror, which very quickly morphed into screams of agony. The last, bloodcurdling cry pierced the night, followed by a snap and a low gurgling noise that faded away into the brush around her.
For several long minutes, Harley lay curled up in a ball, unwilling to open her eyes to see if it was over. Sobs of mixed terror and relief took her as the adrenaline began to fade, leaving her to face the reality of what had just happened.
Three men had their lives taken from them, all because they were too arrogant to take no for an answer. It was pathetic and she knew it, but deep within her were still some pangs of sympathy for the lives that had ended so abruptly. A gust of wind caressed her naked body, reminding her of just what they had done to her. Much of her sympathy faded, though only numbness replaced it.
A burst of heat enveloped her, mere moments before strong arms picked her up. She struggled at first, kicking and screaming against her unseen attacker.
"Hush, Harley, it's okay now. You're alright." Calan's smooth voice washed over her, calming her down and forcing her to regain her senses.
"I've got you," he whispered once more, holding her tightly against his chest as her struggles subsided and she leaned into him. He was heading up the road, keeping his body between her and the clearing, for which she was thankful.
"Did you kill them?" She hesitated to ask, but part of her just had to know.
"Yes," he growled out, the anger radiating off of him so strongly she sat up in surprise. If he took note of her moving within his arms, he didn't show it, carrying her easily, as if she weighed no more than a blanket.
She wanted to ask him more, about why he was still so furious. There was more to this than it seemed she could tell, but once he got her to the truck and laid her down in the back, a warm blanket covering her, darkness claimed her quickly.
***
The sizzling, crackling sounds of fresh bacon stirred her from her slumber. The smell of breakfast cooking nearby brought her to wakefulness, along with the sounds of coffee pouring.
"How do you like it?" he murmured from the nearby kitchen. She was in his bed in the apartment, the open concept allowing him to make breakfast while he kept an eye on her.
"Just cream, please." She sighed in surprise and relief. At that moment, caffeine and food sounded like the next best thing to heaven. Her stomach rumbled its agreement loud enough for both of them to hear. Calan flashed her a grin at the apparent sign of happiness from her.
"And breakfast, is served," he said, bringing two platefuls stacked high with steaming scrambled eggs, the aforementioned bacon, a pancake and of course, the angelic caffeine.
She dug in with gusto, the sounds of contented eating filling the room.
***
Calan
Calan looked over at his mate, his eyes searching her for any sign of trauma from the night before. It had been a harrowing experience, and he couldn't believe how close he and Jeb had come to being too late. The food helped to wash away the taste of iron in his mouth, even though it was but a memory. Human blood was never something that would grow on him.
He regretted the way things had happened the night before. It hadn't been his intent to kill them, but when he had come upon the scene of Harley tied naked to the table, his bear had surged in his mind, temporarily taking control.
"What's wrong Calan?" Harley looked at him, worry evident in her eyes.
She must have seen something reflected in his eyes, something that he had let through. He wondered if he should lie, to help her stay calm. For some unknown reason, he decided to tell her the truth.
"I'm upset with myself with the way I handled last night." Not only that, but he was scared. Scared of what else he had been hiding within himself all this time.
"I don't understand. You don't have anything to be upset about."
"I'm not a killer Harley." He knew it sounded like he was pleading, but he had to make sure she knew that he would never, ever hurt her.
"It's just, when I saw you there, it brought back memories."
"Your parents," she whispered. He had never told her exactly what had happened to them, except that they had died when he was still young. It was time he changed that.
"Yes. My parents."
"I thought they died in an accident."
"No, it was no accident at all." He closed his eyes to organize his thoughts. Harley's hand squeezed his shoulder tightly, encouraging him to take his time. He closed his own overtop of it, holding it tightly against his chest.
"It was shortly after the news broke worldwide that shifters were real, that we actually existed. My parents went into King City as ambassadors, I guess you would call them. They wanted to show the world that we were harmless, that we could all coexist."
"A crowd of useless sacks of meat like the ones who took you showed up, began to stir the crowd against them. The other shifters managed to flee, but my parents were surrounded."
He took a deep breath, trying to get his emotions under control. It had been a long, long time since he had talked about what had happened with anyone. Harley seemed to sense this, leaning in to help support him. He kissed the top of her head absentmindedly, appreciative of her presence.
"They could have gotten out, but that would have involved shifting to their bears. People would have been hurt, possibly killed, if they had done that. So my parents did nothing while the ignorant bastards beat them senseless. Then one of them pulled a gun and shot them both in the head."
Harley cried out in anguish, desperate to help him, holding him tightly as he shed a tear in both eyes, one for his mother, one for his father. Head bowed, he let her hold him for some time, until he felt the weight upon his shoulders loosen. By talking about it, and letting someone see how much he hurt, it seemed as if perhaps the healing process could finally begin.
"I love you, Harley Hammond." He hadn't meant to say it, but the words just felt right, as if he needed to say them now.
"I love you too, Calan Winters." If he had been startled by his own words, he nearly fell over in surprise at that. He opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again, before finally closing it. He had no idea what to say.
Harley smiled up at him, before leaning up to brush her lips against his. Although it was just supposed to be a casual kiss, his cock flared to attention, the kiss deepening, indicating something more. He easily picked her up, swinging her over until she was straddling him as he sat on the edge of the bed. Forgotten breakfast plates clattered across the floor as he kicked them out of the way.
"I'll be gentle," he murmured in her ear, hoping to put to rest any concerns she had about making love after being roughed up the night before.
"I'm not made of fucking porcelain," she growled at him, nipping lightly at his ear.
He chuckled heartily, ripping the ill-fitting white t-shirt of his off of her, exposing her breasts to his hungry mouth. Hands grasped the back of his head, pulling him in tight amidst a gasp of pleasure as his lips closed over one of her nipples, his tongue flicking across it, making it harden under his touch. Nails dug into his back as Harley let out a cry of pleasure.
Their lips met again as he picked her up, swinging her around to lay on her back. She opened her mouth as the kiss lingered, their tongues intertwining as they met. He could feel his bear surging to the surface, urging him to claim her, to make her his mate forever. He held back, unsure of whether that was the best thing for Harley at the time. In the end though, the decision was taken out of his hands.
"Take me," she said breathlessly, her piercing blue eyes staring deep into his gaze as she lay back, baring her neck for him.
"You're sure?" he asked breathlessly. He didn't want to ask, just in case it ruined the moment, but he had to know. If he claimed her, and sh
e had only said it because she was horny, he'd have to live with that regret for his life.
"I wasn't ready earlier, but I see so much more clearly now Calan. I want to be your mate, to stay by your side, and raise your cubs. Now take me!" The last was a command. Never one to let a beautiful woman down, Calan grinned and moved towards her neck.
His bear knew what was about to happen, and did its part to help with the process. Pressure increased in his jaw, until his canines flicked out, ready to mark his mate. With a growl, he bit down on her neck, puncturing the skin ever so slightly. He felt the bond take, and moments later his teeth retracted. Licking the wound to help it heal, he moved back enough to look Harley in the eyes.
For the first time, he saw his mate looking back at him.
"Now claim me the old fashioned way," she said with a grin, pulling the shorts he had dressed her in off and throwing them to the side.
"Mmm, with pleasure my mate," he replied, dropping to his knees, kissing his way up her legs. He could see how wet she was, how ready for him. He wanted to show her how much he truly cared though, so he took his time. His tongue explored every inch of her, licking up all the warm honey that poured from her. Her clit practically throbbed under his touch. It didn't take long for her to begin to writhe within his grasp, her back arching as pulses of pleasure ripped through her.
"Just fuck me already," she begged several moments later, when her senses returned.
She spread her legs, gasping as he plunged his hard cock into her wet cunt. He buried himself completely in one smooth motion. Her canal was so tight he remained immobile for a few moments, letting her stretch to accommodate his size. As he did, he kissed her passionately, forcefully, urgently. He needed this as much as she did, and that was reflected in their movements.
After that, no more words were spoken for quite some time.
***
Harley
Harley looked over at her mate and smiled.
They had been mated for a couple of months now, and she couldn't imagine her life without him. The swiftness of that attachment scared her, but anytime she felt worried, she could turn to the firm sense of commitment that seemed to radiate off of her mate.