Bear Naked

by Dana Marie Bell

  She reached behind her and cupped his erection. “Think harder.”

  Hissing, he pulled down his zipper, pulling his cock out for her to stroke. “Fuck. Touch me, please.”

  Glory turned, kneeling for him, sucking him into the hot, wet cavern of her mouth. He closed his eyes, trying desperately not to come as she languidly stroked her tongue up and down his length.

  As much as he loved the feel of her lips wrapped around his cock, he was going to have to put an end to it soon. Just as he thought to move away, Glory swooped down, taking almost his whole length into her mouth.

  “Shit.” Ryan backed up, his cock sliding out of her mouth with a pop. He gripped the base and prayed like he’d never prayed before. He had to make her come at least one more time, and he intended to do it by marking her again. “Over the sofa.”

  With lazy grace she draped herself over the arm of his sofa. “Too hard?”

  He snorted. He hadn’t forgotten their game. “Better than too soft.”

  She giggled, spreading her legs farther apart when he gently nudged at her feet. “Will it be too big?”

  He smacked her ass cheek, making sure not to hurt her. He knew his strength, how to temper it, and wouldn’t intentionally hurt her for the world.

  Still, the sound was loud, startling, and she went up on her toes. Wide-eyed, she glared at him over her shoulder. “Fuck you.”

  “Okay.” And before she could move away Ryan slid inside her until his thighs touched hers.

  She was laughing, her shoulders shaking. “You suck.”

  “Yup, I do.” He started moving, the urgency not as intense, the need tempered by affection for his quirky mate.

  “You’ll suck again?”

  He leaned over, bracing himself on the arm of the sofa, hands on either side of her head. He licked the mating mark, groaning as she clenched around him. “Again.” He nipped the mark, letting her feel his teeth. “And again.” He dragged his fangs over it, smiling when she bucked under him.

  “Rye.”

  Her voice was breathless, her body trembling. She needed as much as he did, so Ryan began to truly move, keeping his thrusts deep and long. He wanted to feel all of her, the slide and drag of skin on skin, the feel of her beneath his teeth drugging his senses. Her scent flooded him, mingled with their desire until he felt drunk.

  She was so much smaller than he was, so much stronger than anyone gave her credit for. But Ryan understood, and gave her what she needed. For all that her tiny frame was under his, held down by him, she was in charge.

  “Harder, damn it.”

  Ryan began moving with such force the couch began to slide across the carpet.

  “Yesss.” She hissed, her head thrown back, her curls sliding around, tempting to him grab hold. Her nails bit into his sofa, morphing to claws, ripping the leather in her passion. “More. Fuck, more, Rye.”

  So he gave her more, setting a bruising pace that would leave them both sore at the end.

  “Oh, fuck. Fuck me, Rye.” She was moaning, taking what he gave her, lost in the pleasure of their coupling. He doubted she even realized when her head tilted, giving him access to her vulnerable neck.

  Shuddering, Ryan took the invitation, sucking on her mating mark with all the hunger he’d felt when feasting on her.

  Glory collapsed, crying out, so close even he could feel it. “Bite me!”

  Ryan obeyed, sinking his fangs into his mate, marking her again.

  Her whole body froze, her muscles locking around him in a vise grip that was so fucking tight, so good, Ryan followed her over the edge. The orgasm ripped through him, blinded him as he poured himself gladly into his mate.

  “Shit.”

  Glory’s gasped curse had him laughing weakly. “Tuckered you out, did I?”

  She pushed a curl out of her face with a trembling hand. “The bed would be just right.”

  Staggering, holding each other up, Ryan led his mate to the only place he really wanted to be.

  Chapter Eighteen

  “It’s simple. You’re going to try and find me, and I’m going to do my best not to be found.”

  Glory shook her head. Barney sounded so sure of himself. The man had no idea how tenacious Ryan could be. He’d be found. She had no doubt of that. He couldn’t hide from someone like Ryan Williams, not for long.

  “I’ll stay here and keep Glory safe.” Gabe, who’d come to Cynful with Barney, settled on the gray chaise. He pulled out a tablet PC, but instead of the video game she expected, he opened an e-book. “I swear I won’t go anywhere until you get back. Between Alex and me, Glory will be safe as a baby Grizzly in her den.”

  “Thanks, man.” Ryan smiled, obviously relieved.

  Glory should be used to Barney showing up in Ryan’s apartment unannounced, but today he’d startled them with the news that Ryan’s training would begin today. Nothing, not the threat to Glory or Ryan, Hope’s reappearance, or Ryan’s need to keep Glory in sight at all times, could persuade him that they needed to wait. As far as Barney was concerned, Ryan was already on a hunt, and that meant he needed training, badly. Glory had agreed, making it two against one. She wanted Ryan safe, and Barney could help him.

  So despite Ryan’s reservations, Ryan and Barney would be leaving her alone for the day, relying on Gabe to make sure that the rogue Wolf did not get a hold of Glory.

  “We’ve got it covered. Get on out of here, guys.” Bunny shooed both Barney and Ryan toward the door. “Go teach Ryan how not to get dead.”

  “Ha. Ha. Very funny.” Ryan kissed the tip of Glory’s nose. “Do not leave the shop under any circumstances without Gabe or Bunny, you hear me?”

  “Loud and clear.” Even with her new Bear abilities Glory didn’t feel safe. She was still more Goldilocks than anything else, and the thought of trying to face down the rogue Wolf made her want to hide under something, preferably Ryan. Tito Salazar would get what was coming to him, but not by Glory’s hand. Glory just hoped Salazar didn’t hurt anyone else before he was caught.

  “Are you sure it’s safe for me to be here?”

  Glory waved good-bye to Ryan before turning her attention to her twin. It had taken some persuasion, but Hope had agreed to come to Cynful with them that day. Glory had been ready to have Ryan just pick her up and put her in the car, but Gabe had stepped in and convinced Hope that it would be easier for him to keep track of the girls if they stayed together. Because the Hunter made Hope feel safe, she’d agreed. In fact, instead of staying with Max and Emma like they’d originally planned, Sarah had insisted that Hope stay with her and Gabe. The Omega wanted to be close to help Hope with the trauma she’d suffered, and Gabe had assigned sentries to keep watch over her and his house when he wasn’t there. While Glory couldn’t say Hope was thriving, she was at least beginning to put on some much-needed weight.

  Hope had refused to leave the Anderson house for any reason, and Glory couldn’t blame her. But she wanted to spend a little time with her sister in an environment where they’d be fairly safe, and Hope had finally caved.

  Hope had not agreed to let Faith and Temp know they had found her. Like Ryan, she wasn’t certain she trusted them anymore.

  Her twin was still very skittish. Glory just hoped that, between Julian and Sarah, they’d be able to help her.

  Glory finished buzzing down Hope’s hair, evening it out until it was a pink fuzz on top of her head. She wondered if she could convince her twin to dye it. A pretty sapphire blue would look stunning on her. “If Salazar shows up here he’s in for a surprise.” Glory hitched a thumb toward Alex. “He may look like a big old teddy bear, but he’ll rip the arms off of anyone who touches you.”

  Hope didn’t look convinced, and Glory couldn’t blame her. Alex was busy chasing Tabby around the glass and wood counter, making kissy faces at his mate. He looked about as threatening as his nickname.

  “Why does his cousin call him Bunny?”

  “I can answer that.” Alex finally managed to catch Tabby and plan
ted a wet kiss on her neck. “My cousins gave me that nickname because I hate fighting. After a while, they started calling me Bunny, and it stuck.”

  “That’s not the whole story.” Tabby leaned back against Alex, who easily took her weight. “Alex has a cousin named Heather. She’s a Fox, and she works here now. When she was young, about twelve years old—”

  “Ten. She was ten.” Alex looked extremely uncomfortable. The big Bear didn’t like being reminded of why he chose not to fight.

  “She was a baby.” Tabby scowled, pissed on Heather’s behalf. “Anyway, about seven guys ganged up on her and tried to get her to change.”

  “Shifters don’t change until puberty.” Gabe snarled, his book forgotten. He’d heard the story secondhand, and taken a liking to Heather when he finally met her. Even Sarah was careful around the shy little Fox, helping her come out of her shell.

  “They were trying to force her into puberty.” And as someone who had almost been raped, Tabby was particularly upset on Heather’s behalf. “So Alex taught them the error of their ways.”

  “I hurt them, maimed one of them permanently. I forced them to their knees and made them apologize.” Alex grimaced. “But instead of making Heather feel safer, she became afraid of me. She wouldn’t look at me, come near me or speak to me. She was terrified every time I was in the same room with her. I decided then and there that I didn’t want any of my family to be afraid of me ever again. I started to learn anger management techniques like yoga and meditation, and refused to fight at all unless it was absolutely necessary.”

  “But that doesn’t mean that he can’t fight.” Tabby patted Hope’s hand. “If Salazar comes in here looking for you, he’s gonna face an overprotective Grizzly chock-full of pent-up aggression.”

  “Can you take on a Hunter?” Hope still didn’t seem convinced that she was safe here, and Glory wasn’t sure how to go about doing that.

  Alex nodded slowly, reluctantly. “I’ve never lost a fight, and I don’t plan on starting now.”

  All of them turned as the bell over the door jangled, startling them. In sauntered the last person Glory expected to see, his hat pulled low over his eyes. “What the hell are you doing here?”

  Barney winked at her and quietly made his way to the back room.

  Glory blinked. What the…?

  She followed Barney into the back room, leaving Tabby to finish dusting the hair off of Hope. What the hell was the Hunter was up to? Wasn’t he supposed to be showing Ryan what to do? Shouldn’t he be out there, with Ryan, keeping her mate safe? How was Ryan supposed to learn what he needed to do if Barney was back here, stealing her cherry cola? “What do you think you’re doing?”

  Barney opened her soda and chugged half of it before answering. “Didn’t you know? I’m a fugitive on the run. So where is the last place he would look for me?”

  “Back at the beginning?” Glory smirked. “You really think this is gonna work?”

  “Of course it will. It always works. Baby Hunters always think they know more than I do.” Barney leaned back against the mini fridge, practically sitting on it. “Gabe was one of the few who knew what I did. The bad guy almost always goes back to where he feels safe. He’ll run to his mama or his girlfriend and beg them to take him in, or give him money. The successful ones are the ones that cut off all ties with their past, creating new identities in different cities.”

  “Like Salazar.”

  Barney’s upper lip lifted in a silent snarl. “Salazar is an ex-Hunter. He knows better than anyone what to do and how to hide.” Barney huffed, the sound remarkably Bearish. “I should know. I didn’t want to tell your sister, but I trained the fucker.”

  That explained why Barney was taking this so seriously. “Do you think he’s taken people other than Hope?” Just the thought of it sent shivers down her spine.

  “No. I think he was obsessed with your sister. He had the one he wanted, but when Hope got away, he focused on her identical twin. I think if he was going to go after a type instead of a specific person he would’ve tried to snag someone closer to home.” Barney shook his head. “No, it’s definitely your sister that he wants, and he’ll use whatever means necessary to get her back, including you.” Barney grimaced. “I think he knew your likes and dislikes from Hope. He probably talked to her about you, or got her talking about you. Maybe at one time he thought to have you both. I’m not sure, but I’m inclined to think he was hoping taking you would make Hope come back to him.”

  “That makes me feel so much better.” Glory rubbed her hands up and down her arms. “Do you think—”

  “Gotcha.”

  Barney’s eyes went wide as he was yanked off of the mini fridge and thrown to the ground. His arms were pulled up behind his back as Ryan straddled him with a saucy grin.

  “You’re under arrest. You have the right to remain stupid. Anything you say can and will be used to mercilessly taunt you. Do you understand your idiocy as I have described it to you?”

  “Get off me, asshole.”

  Ryan laughed and helped Barney to his feet.

  “How did you find me so fast?” Barney wiggled his shoulders. He didn’t sound nearly as cocky as Ryan dusted him off.

  Ryan shrugged. “I used to play hide and seek with my cousins. Some of us took the game pretty seriously.” He pounded Barney on the shoulder, ignoring the other man’s pained wince. “Besides, it wasn’t like you tried all that hard to hide.”

  Barney mumbled something under his breath and finished the rest of the cherry cola. “The next test will be harder.”

  “I’m sure it will be.”

  Barney shot Ryan an evil look. Glory had the feeling that Ryan’s smugness had just earned him a test that was ten times harder than it was originally going to be.

  Glory heard the muted sound of the bell out front. She didn’t think anything of it until Alex started growling. Dashing through the curtains, she was surprised to find Jim Woods standing there, staring at Alex with a frightened expression. “Look, I just want to talk to your cousin.”

  “Don’t you think you’ve hurt her enough?”

  Jim ignored Alex’s growl, returning Alex’s scowl with one of his own. “You don’t know everything that happened, and you have no idea what I’ve been through.”

  “What you’ve been through? What about what my sister has been through?” Ryan stomped over to Alex and stood next to his cousin, shoulder to shoulder. “Where were you when she was in the hospital, crying for you?”

  Jim sighed wearily, and ran his hand through his hair. He really did look tired, bags under his eyes and his shoulders slumped. “My mother is—”

  “Shit.” Barney raced past and out the front door. “Ryan, Gabe, get your asses in gear. I smell Salazar.”

  The two men quickly followed Barney out the door, their expressions grim.

  “Go.”

  Alex snarled, indecision on his face.

  “Sugar.” Tabby cupped her mate’s face between her hands. “Go keep your cousin safe.”

  “No.” But Alex was clearly torn, the need to protect Ryan almost as strong as his desire to keep Tabby safe.

  “Trust me. I can take on one Wolf.” Tabby turned her mate toward the door. “Go on, now.”

  “Tabby…”

  “Alex.” They stared at one another, a titanic showdown that Alex lost the moment Tabby lifted one dark brow at him. “Trust me, sugar. Glory’s changed now, and Hope and I are both Wolves. If this guy comes after us, he’s supper.”

  Alex’s shoulders sagged for just a moment before he pulled his mate into a quick, hard kiss. “Stay put, baby.”

  Tabby nodded, her expression fierce, and Alex raced out the door after the Hunters. Barney and Ryan wouldn’t be thrilled that the Grizzly had followed them, but if it came down to a fight Alex would be one hell of an asset.

  Jim Woods looked totally confused. They’d completely forgotten he was there in the chaos caused by Salazar’s scent. “What the hell is going on?”
r />   “Um.” The girls exchanged a quick, uneasy glance. They’d have to educate the man on shifters, thanks to Tabby’s little scene with Alex. “You see—”

  Glory was shoved violently to the side as someone raced past her from the break room. A dark-haired man Glory had never seen before snarled, reaching for Hope as Hope screamed in terror.

  Jim put himself between Salazar and Hope, holding his arms out and crouching for all the world like he’d fight the Wolf if Salazar took one more step. “Who the fuck are you?”

  Salazar grinned, his mouth full of his sharp Wolf teeth. “You’re about to find out, human.”

  Tito Salazar grabbed hold of Dr. Jim Woods so quickly none of them could stop him, and bit him right through his shirt.

  Ryan raced after Barney, Salazar’s scent barely detectable on the afternoon breeze. The guy had some balls coming so close to the shop during the day. The lure of Hope must have been too strong for the rogue Hunter to resist.

  Barney silently pointed, and Gabe broke off, heading down an alley between the Chinese restaurant and the small curio shop Glory loved to splurge in. Ryan stayed close to Barney, aware the other Hunter wouldn’t allow him out of his sight. Until he was fully trained and Barney gave his stamp of approval, Ryan would not be allowed to hunt on his own.

  Something was off. Wrong. Ryan sniffed, growling when he realized what was bugging him.

  Salazar’s scent seemed to be fading rather than increasing, and Ryan cursed under his breath. Unless Gabe had the scent, they were going to lose the son of a bitch.

  Barney stopped, panting and cursing under his breath. He punched the brick wall of the storefront he was standing next to. “It’s a red herring. Gotta be.” Barney sniffed the wall, making a disgusted face as he pulled back. “He fooled me.”

  “What you mean?”

  “The son of a bitch scent marked the walls.”

  Ryan froze.

  Shit. He knew about scent marking. Wolves weren’t the only animals who felt the need to mark their territory. Brown Bears would rub their backs up and down trees, marking their territory and warning away other Bears. Ryan, Alex and several of his other relatives had done the same when they changed shape, marking the woods they shared with the Pumas, who thankfully found the whole thing amusing.