Gripping her breast and hips harder in his hands, he lifted her off to get deeper inside her body. The sensation blew her mind, and her body responded with another bursting climax.
She felt weak and light-headed, but Brody didn’t quit. She slid away, gasping, and turned to him, reaching up to put her arms around his shoulders.
He growled and lifted her up on the back of the couch as she wrapped her legs around him. He grabbed her ass and hips, moving her up and down on his thick cock. Millie was in a complete daze, and shock after shock of pleasure pulsed in her as she clung to Brody’s chest. Something had gotten into him. Something she liked.
With a growling groan, his entire body clenched. Hot liquid shot into her core and she moaned, taking it deep inside her. Brody held her still on his body, as he slowly fell away. He set her on the back of the couch and tried to fix her dress, looking bashful.
“I… fuck. I don’t know what got into me. I can’t control myself when I’m around you.”
“Please don’t control yourself,” she said, breathlessly.
“Millie. I’m an animal.” He still held her against his damp chest.
“I like animals. Especially you.”
He looked down at her, the light in his eyes showing their true color. “You are a special woman, Millie. I wish I could give you more.” Then he pulled away.
Chapter 15
Millie didn’t stay, and Brody didn’t blame her. He’d been a complete bear when they’d made love, and he’d been less than affectionate afterward.
He hated that he’d let himself get so out of control with Millie. No matter how many times she told him that she’d enjoyed it, he still felt like he’d crossed a line.
Not because the sex was so rough or anything, but because he couldn’t give himself to her in the way she deserved. If it had been any other time, he would have gladly opened his complete heart to her. He would have dedicated his time to wooing her and winning her.
Millie didn’t seem reluctant to be with him. She’d given him all the space and all the opportunity to pursue her. He had messed it up with the bitter darkness that seemed to grow heavier every day in the pit of his stomach.
He grabbed a bottle of whiskey off the top shelf of his cabinet and sat on the couch to watch sports on satellite TV.
As he drank himself into a stupor, he knew that this was not the man he wanted to be. Failure to find Chris’s killer and going after a false lead for so many days while all the other leads went cold—it made him feel even worse about himself.
He woke in the morning after having passed out on the couch, alone. A living room window remained open, letting in the cold morning air. He rose, a chill in his bones, his head pounding.
Disgusted with his lack of control, he went to shower and change before he started his day. He’d had Chris’s cellphone overnighted to his tech contact, and he would be hearing back about it today.
Before that information came in, he had meetings with the department of fish and game and with the forest department. It wasn’t the best day to be hung over.
Being the lead detective on a murder investigation involving his best friend was messing with his mind. He wasn’t trained for this. He wasn’t even a real cop. He was a game warden, a profession that centered on policing hunters and fisherman. He wasn’t cut out for this kind of thing.
Shifters coming out had created a massive backlash no one had anticipated. Brody had liked the idea of not having to hide anymore, but the truth hadn’t exactly set his people free. It was more dangerous than ever to be a shifter.
He spent the rest of the day in meetings on the phone and with the forest department at their offices in town. Hunting season was in full effect and it would take a concerted effort from all of them to keep the wildlife and humans safe during this time of year.
After his last meeting of the day, he was on his way back to the sheriff’s department when he got a phone call from his tech guy.
“Hey Brody,” the tech guy said. “I’ve got those results.”
“Great. What have you got for me?”
“Well the number that last called this phone is the land line of Sheriff Winston Charles.”
“What? That has to be a mistake.”
“I’m afraid not. The other calls are from Natalie Charles’s cell phone, but from much earlier in the day.”
“Thanks. This helps a lot. Can you email me the data?”
Brody hung up the phone and slammed his palm onto the steering wheel. The sheriff was the last person to call Chris. Could he have wanted Chris dead? It just didn’t make any sense. Unless the sheriff decided he didn’t want his daughter marrying a shifter.
Brody thought back. Chris and Natalie had become engaged before Chris came out as a shifter. Natalie knew for a long time, but her dad had just learned about it in the last month.
Shit. It had been sitting in front of his face all along. Cold anger drifted over his face.
His cellphone rang, making him jump. He grabbed it and looked at the number.
Millie.
“Hey babe,” he muttered
“Hi Brody. We need to talk.”
“Can it wait? I’ve got a new lead on the case. It’s big.”
“Really? What did you find out?”
“The last caller was the sheriff. Natalie’s dad.”
“Oh my God. It all makes sense.”
“I just can’t believe my boss and old friend would do something like this. It was right in front of me all along and I didn’t see it. I have to handle this delicately.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I have to call in some backup from another department, get a warrant, and go out to search his place.”
“Brody. About last night…”
“Millie, can we talk about this later?”
“I know I’m your mate. That means something. I feel like you’re holding back from me.”
“It’s just a lot to deal with right now, sweetheart. I can’t give you what you need.”
“If you’d just open up to me…”
“Babe, we can talk about this later. Okay? I promise things will be better. Just give me time.”
“Go get ‘em, Brody.” She hung up and left Brody feeling just as confused as ever. He had to focus on getting Chris’s killer.
After his friend had some justice, maybe Brody could pull himself together. Maybe then he could give his heart to Millie. They could have a life full of fun and freedom, together. That’s what he wanted more than anything. After all this was over, maybe then he’d let himself have it.
Brody called the sheriff’s department one county over and requested the warrant be pulled by the sheriff over there. Investigating a law enforcement officer was tricky business, and he didn’t want to tip off the sheriff before he’d had a chance to search his place and bring him in for questioning.
Everything was set for later in the day, when the sheriff would be home. Brody had managed to keep it all under wraps until then. He arrived with the team of investigators right as the sheriff was pulling into his driveway at home.
“What’s going on?” Sheriff Charles asked.
“We have a search warrant and would like to ask you some questions about the murder of Chris Whitney,” the sheriff from the other county said.
“You can’t be serious,” Sheriff Charles said.
They flashed him the warrant, which he read over and handed back. He had no choice and had to stand out of the way. The sheriff from the other county had Charles sit on the couch and began asking him questions about calling Chris’s cell phone. The sheriff continued to deny everything.
Brody growled and went outside. There had been a faint tinge of something in the air that he couldn’t quite place. It could just be garbage or a dead squirrel. But Brody wasn’t about to let it go without investigating. He went to his truck and pulled his clothes off.
Shifting in the middle of the sheriff’s cars and crowd of officers brought a chorus of g
asps. He landed heavy on his front legs and growled low. He pulled air into his nose and over his tongue as he trotted into the forest behind the house.
The smell of death became stronger the farther he went. He came to an area of loose dirt where the smell was almost overwhelming. Shifter senses were stronger than even those of their animal counterparts and Brody’s were no exception.
He began to paw at the ground, digging furiously as the smell grew stronger. It was deep. Digging it up with his paws would take longer than a few men with shovels would take. He galloped back to his car and shifted, dirt on his arms. He pulled his clothes back on and told the officers what he’d found.
They grabbed shovels from the sheriff’s tool shed and went out to the hole Brody had started. With a team of four men, they dug quickly into the loose dirt.
Soon, they had a deep hole. The tip of a shovel hit something soft but unyielding. They uncovered the white flesh of a corpse as the smell stung Brody’s nose.
The officers pulled the body from the ground and something metal fell back into the dirt.
“It’s Chris,” Brody said.
“What’s this?” one of the officers asked, pulling a key from the dirt. He handed it to Brody. The clear logo of the Quatre ATV was on the keyring.
“We’ve got everything we need, boys,” Brody said.
The officers brought the sheriff to the police car. He’d lost it and was spewing angry slurs against shifters. “You should all die. All of you. You’re an abomination. I’d never let one of them touch my daughter! You should have left that animal to rot in an unmarked grave.”
Brody shook his head. All the darkness and anger hadn’t gone anywhere, even with the sheriff being caught. The reality of his world and the loss of his family was all just as painful. Shifters were being killed right and left. How could he bring his mate into a world like this? Maybe it was better for him to let her go.
Chapter 16
After the sheriff had been taken to jail and booked, Brody headed straight to Millie’s hotel room. He had to tell her how he felt. He had to get it off his chest. He just didn’t feel he could handle all of this. He couldn’t bring her into this world.
He knocked on her hotel room and she opened it with a smile. “Hi,” she said, “I was just about to go to sleep.”
She was in her pajamas and looked tired.
“I can go,” he muttered.
“No. Come in. It’s fine.” She yawned and backed away, allowing him space to walk inside.
He ambled in and sat at the end of the bed. He held out his hand for her to sit next to him. She took it and sat beside him, holding his hand. The warmth of her skin and the fragrance of her body confused him even more. How could he bring this woman into his messed-up life? She deserved so much more.
“Brody,” she started. He looked up into her dark brown eyes. “Being your mate is important to me. It means something. And to be honest, I can feel it. I can feel that we are meant to be together. I’ve never had this experience before in my life. At first, I thought I was just being a hopeless romantic. Not that I’ve ever been that way, but because I lost my job and I’m in this new place, I thought maybe I was just vulnerable. But then, the urge to be with you felt so strong.”
Brody looked away and didn’t speak for a long time. He stared at the beige carpet until his eyes stung. Then he looked up at her again.
“My world isn’t safe, Millie. I’m a mess. I’m broken. I’ve been drinking. It isn’t fair to bring you into this.”
She squeezed his hands tighter and put her delicate fingers on his jaw, forcing him to look at her. “None of that matters if we’re together. You just have to trust me.”
“I do trust you, Millie. It’s me I don’t trust. And the evil, ignorant humans in the world.”
“It’s okay. We’ll figure it out together.”
She slid forward and wrapped her arms around his chest, pulling him tight to her. He enfolded her in his arms and the surge of love and desire burst in his gut. He wanted to protect her. He wanted her to be safe and happy. But he also wanted her to be with him, forever.
All at once, he flipped her over on the bed, under him. He growled, growing hard instantly.
“Millie, marry me, have my cubs, be my mate,” he growled, his bear coming through his voice.
Millie gasped and giggled, pushing against his chest playfully. “I want that too,” she whispered.
He sank down and kissed her. The smell of her body was driving him wild. His bear burst forward in his mind and took over. All at once, he was yanking at her pajamas, pulling down her pants. Millie panted and made sexy little moans as he opened her up to him.
He pulled open his pants and sank inside her wetness as she wrapped her legs around him. “Oh Brody,” she whimpered.
“I’m going to claim you, Millie,” he growled. “I’m going to turn you.”
“Turn me?” she said panic in her voice.
He thrust into her; totally sure of what he needed to do now. She would be safer with her bear. If she was to be his mate, the haters would be after her no matter what. With the bear inside her, she could fight back. It was all so clear now.
“Yes. Are you ready for this?” He pulled back and thrust into her again, making her eyes roll back. She moaned with each thrust.
“I’m ready,” she gasped. “Make me yours.”
He roared and his sharp teeth descended in his mouth. He threw his head back and bit down hard on her neck, sinking his teeth deep into her veins. Millie screamed as she came hard on his cock, clenching around him as he pumped into her.
He was so close. When he marked her, she’d be forever changed. Tonight, the moon would be full and she would shift for the first time.
Firing his seed deep into her core, Brody came with an erupting force he’d never experienced. His teeth still deep in her neck, pleasure and hunger itched at his entire body. He pulled his teeth from her neck, licking the wound clean. Pulling his shaft from her, he rolled over, pulling her into his arms on his chest.
The itching contractions in his body still shot through him as he petted her hair. “You’ll change when the moon rises,” he told her.
“Tonight?” she sounded worried.
“Better to rip it off like a bandage,” he told her.
“This is a lot to take in.”
“We’re in it together, babe. Let’s go.”
He knew for sure this was what was right. He’d taken her by surprise, but he knew this more clearly than anything he’d ever known. He and Millie belonged together and he would do whatever it took to keep her protected and by his side. Changing her was the best way to do all those things.
“It’s going to hurt the first time,” he said, pulling some hotel bathrobes out of the bathroom. He handed her one and put one on himself.
“How bad?” she looked nervous as she pulled the robe on.
“Pretty bad, but I’ll be with you. And it won’t ever hurt again.”
“Okay,” she said, biting her lip.
“It will be okay,” he whispered. “Millie. I’m sorry I’ve been holding back from you. But I’ll never hold back from you again. I can see clearly now. We belong together. You’re mine and I’m yours. This is the surest way to declare our connection. This is my complete commitment to you. I’ll never hurt you. I’ll always protect you.”
“I’ll admit, I’m a little confused. And worried. I wanted you to open up to me, but I didn’t realize you’d be ready to turn me so fast.”
“That’s something you need to know about me. I’m kind of impulsive.”
“I’ve already seen that,” she said laughing.
“We need to go. The moon is rising.”
He took her hand and led her out of the hotel and into the forest near the lake. No one would be around this late at night. They’d have the forest and lake to themselves. The moon began to rise over the lake, and they dropped their robes on the fishing dock. Millie stood naked on the dock, the moon bathing h
er skin.
She screamed and doubled in on herself. “Oh God!” she yelled as the pain took her over.
“Just let go, Millie. Just let it take you.”
With a tortured roar, Millie’s body contorted into the form of a grizzly bear. Wind off the lake blew through her fur. She was magnificent. Brody changed all at once and stood beside her on the dock as she panted.
He called out to her through their link. Her animal eyes glowed in the moonlight, new awareness blinking to the surface. She roared as she followed him into the forest. Her excitement was palpable as they galloped through the trees.
In that moment, Brody knew he’d never been happier in his life.
Chapter 17
Brody stood at the head of the church, wearing a tuxedo. The room was full of his and Millie’s friends and family. His friends, Chance and Wyatt, fellow game wardens, had come to support him on his big day.
Both men had found their mates in the months following shifters coming out. It had been a challenging time, but finding their beloved mates was the best thing that had ever happened to any of them.
The wedding march started and the double doors of the church opened down the aisle. Millie stepped out, dressed in lace and silk. She looked like a dream floating toward him. His mate. She was as beautiful as her bear as she was as a woman. She came toward him, holding her father’s arm.
Millie gave her dad a kiss on the cheek and faced Brody as her dad took a seat. The preacher began the ceremony and all Brody could think about was how lucky he was to find a woman like Millie.
After they’d mated, they had decided to go away. Both of them wanted to see the world. To get over their past. With the sheriff behind bars for the rest of his life, Brody took a leave of absence from the sheriff’s department and Millie took one from the hospital.
She’d taken a position with Doctors Without Borders and they’d traveled through Africa and Eastern Europe, helping people in need.
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