“Callie?”
“I’m in the kitchen!”
He lumbers his way through the house, relief on his face when he sees me. He drops his keys on the counter and pulls me into his arms. Cupping my face, he presses his lips to mine. Just like that, everything else fades away. I lean in to him, instantly under his spell. No one has ever kissed me the way Zax does. I doubt anyone ever will.
“Hey, baby.”
“Hey,” I croak.
He smirks, leaving me to sit at the table. I give him one of my own, turning to the stove. Let’s see what happens to his smug grin now. I bend at the waist, removing a bowl from the cupboard. My short dress assures he won’t miss my little surprise.
“You ready to eat?”
He begins to growl low in his throat. It’s not an angry growl. It’s the one that always precedes him ravaging me. I smile at my victory.
“You’re not wearing panties.”
I keep my back to him, trying to look busy. “I thought I’d try out this commando thing, too. I kinda like it.”
In a flash, he’s behind me, sinking his fingertips into my hips.
“Me, too. As of today, you don’t wear underwear while you’re under this roof.”
He spins me around, grabbing my waist and lifting me onto the counter.
“What are you doing?”
“Eating.”
He pulls me to the edge, dropping to his knees between my legs, and kissing his way up my thigh.
“You always smell good enough to eat.”
“Zax….”
“Fucking sweetest pussy in the world.”
I squirm on the counter, anticipating that first touch of his tongue. He moves to my other thigh, prolonging the torture. I palm the back of his head, trying to guide him to where I desperately need him. He chuckles.
“You love my tongue, don’t you, baby?”
“Yes….”
“Tell me.”
“I love your tongue, Zax. I want it in…” I take a deep breath, trying to continue my streak of boldness. “My pussy.”
He growls. Not low and steady like before, but loud and wild. His tongue attacks my clit, making my entire body quiver.
“Zax!”
His hands curl around my thighs, signifying he’s about to really get down to business. I get ready for the onslaught, but a loud knock at the front door yanks me out of the moment. Not Zax. He continues as if he didn’t hear the sound.
“There’s someone at the door.”
“So?”
A more urgent knock sounds.
“Aren’t you going to—” He sucks my clit into his mouth. “Fuck!” Tingles shoot through my body. “Answer it?”
“Not when I’m eating my woman’s sweet pussy.”
The knocking turns to pounding. Zax throws an angry growl toward the door.
“Just answer it. I’ll wait for you here.”
“Don’t you fucking move, Callie,” he warns.
“I won’t.”
He stomps off in a rage, and I instantly sympathize for whoever is on the other side of that door.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Zax demands.
“Hello to you, too,” a voice answers. A female voice.
I hop off the counter and quietly head in their direction. Zax has gone outside, closing the door behind him. Peeking through the window, I see the woman from the liquor store.
“I’ve been trying to call you,” the pretty redhead says. “Your number’s disconnected.”
“For a reason. I’m done with that shit, and you can spread the word. I got a woman.”
“Yeah, right.” She giggles.
“Get this through your thick skull, Laurie. Don’t come here again. Don’t try to call me, and don’t you ever fucking talk to me in public, either. You don’t even look at my woman sideways. You see her coming, you walk on the other fucking side of the street. Got it?”
“Loud and clear.”
She takes a few steps back, then turns and leaves. Zax comes back inside, pausing when he spots me at the window. I make my way to him, laying my palms on his massive chest.
“Did you mean all that, Zax?”
“Of course I did. I’m serious about this, Callie… about us. I need you to believe me.”
“I’m trying. I just… It’s hard.”
Crooking his finger under my chin, he tips my face up to his.
“You gave me a piece of Heaven that night all those years ago, Callie. Spent the last five years in Hell trying to get over you. Now that I have you back, I ain’t letting you go.”
“Oh, Zax….”
I choke back a sob as he picks me up. This is what I want—what I’ve wanted since I was sixteen. Zax Anthony Knight. He’s all I ever wanted.
I wrap my legs around his waist, cradling his face as I stare into his eyes. My bear rushes to the surface, but I try my best to keep her at bay.
“Don’t hold back, baby. You never have to do that with me.”
I close my eyes, pushing her farther back. “I can’t.”
“Yes, you can. Let go, Callie.”
My eyes snap open, and my claws begin to extend. Zax’s eyes have changed, and as our gazes meet once more, my bear moans with need. For once in my life, I feel totally free.
I feel alive.
He lays me on his gigantic bed, quickly discarding my sundress. Embarrassment is temporarily forgotten, shyness taking a back seat. Zax removes the tie from his hair, knowing how much I love to run my fingers through it.
“Beautiful Callie.” He leans forward, kissing down my sternum. “Sexy Callie.” He sucks my nipple into his mouth, swirling his tongue around it. “Sweet Callie.” Moving down, his teeth nip at the spot just below my bellybutton. “Delicious Callie.”
I cry out, my body trembling with each word, each gentle caress. I’ve never felt more beautiful, more wanted, than I do at this moment. And I’m totally, irrevocably in love with this man.
“My Callie,” he growls, before burying his lips in my pussy.
“Zax!”
I come before he can even begin, shuddering as my body surrenders to him. He rips off his own clothes, stroking his hard dick as he stares down at me.
“Love watching you come, baby. Love making you come.”
I reach for him, needing to feel connected to him. He leans forward, sliding the head of his dick up and down between my lips, then pressing down on my clit.
“Love me, Zax,” I whimper. “Love me.”
“Forever, sweetness.”
And then he’s inside me. I sink my claws into his shoulders, but he doesn’t even flinch. I watch his eyes—his bear’s eyes—cloud with emotion. I close mine, shutting out the sight. I wish things were different, wish I hadn’t left his bed that fateful night. The last five years would have been so different, and I wouldn’t have ended up in the mess I’m in.
Zax sinks deep, giving me all of him, and pulling me out of my head. I moan, clenching around him. He echoes the sound, grabbing my hips.
“You’re mine, Callie. All mine.”
He picks up the pace, hitting a spot deep inside me that pushes all the right buttons. My claws extend fully, and I grab the sheets so I don’t hurt him. His breathing is ragged and his teeth and muzzle begin to elongate. Our bears are reaching out to each other, needing the connection as much as we do. With each stroke, my climax gets closer and closer. Zax slams into me, desperately seeking that zenith, also. My breathing gets out of control. I close my eyes and throw my head back, feeling my claws ripping into the mattress.
“Zax!” I scream his name as I come yet again, with a force I’ve never experienced before. Then, I feel it—the searing pain of teeth piercing my skin.
“Zax!” I scream again, this time in horror.
He grunts, growling deep in his throat as he comes, and also trying to take out a chunk of my shoulder.
Holy shit. He’s marking me.
He… he’s claiming me.
***Zax***<
br />
I lick at my mark, savoring the taste of her blood as I seal the wound. I don’t know what came over me. It wasn’t my intention to do it, but my bear had other ideas. Every time I’m with Callie, it’s like I lose a little more control over him. This time, I couldn’t hold him back. He really did a number on her, too. My heart sinks at the thought that I hurt her, but swells with pride in the next moment. Now everyone will know she’s mine. Next on the list is a couple of cubs. Who knows? She could be pregnant already. Look at me—claiming a woman, planning a family and shit.
“Zax…” Her voice shakes with fear. “What did you do?”
Her eyes are still closed, tears sliding out the corners. Shit. I did hurt her.
“It’s okay, baby. You’ll be fine.”
She shakes her head. “No. You shouldn’t have done that.”
“Callie, look at me.”
Her lids slowly flutter open, giving freedom to the tears that pooled behind them. I try to wipe them away with my thumbs, but they just keep coming, flowing like rivers down her cheeks. I free my dick from the warmth and comfort of her body, lie down, and gather her to me. She lays her head on my chest, sobbing as she clings to me.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you, but I couldn’t help myself. I want you. I want you here with me, and not just coming over every night. You’re my mate, Callie. I know you know it. Nothing’s going to keep us apart now. Nothing.”
She sniffles, nodding into my chest. “Okay, Zax.”
I kiss the top of her head, tightening my hold on her.
“Don’t worry, baby. I’ll take care of you. You’re mine now.”
For the first time in my life, I feel complete. Callie is more than my other half. She’s not a fraction of my heart or soul; she is my heart and soul. And finally, she’s mine.
Mine.
***
I’ve been watching Callie sleep for hours now. I still can’t believe she’s mine. Finally. Seeing my mark on her shoulder has made my bear restless as fuck. I’m fighting the urge to wake her up, just so I can dive back inside her. But, she’s been restless, also. I don’t know if she’s in pain because of the mark, but she keeps shifting and groaning. If that’s the case, then it’s best I let her be. It’s not like I know anything about claiming a woman. I just gave in to my bear, and he did the rest.
“No…” she groans.
“Callie?”
“Please… no….”
Her head thrashes on the pillow, but she doesn’t wake up. I pull her close, tucking her in to my body, and holding her tightly. She settles in, calming down. I kiss her forehead, and with my woman in my arms, I allow sleep to claim me.
***Callie***
Never wake a sleeping bear. That’s been drummed into me since I was a child. I have no intention of waking the one whose arms I was wrapped in, and that’s why I’m quietly slipping away. I don’t want to leave like this, but I can’t be around Zax right now. I need to think. After waking up from a nightmare, I was unable to go back to sleep. My mind just wouldn’t shut off. I quickly pull on my dress and head to my car.
He claimed me. This should be the happiest night of my life but instead, things just became a whole lot more complicated. How is this going to work? Can we finally have the life I’ve always dreamed of? Will he regret claiming me?
Shit.
I touch the bite on my shoulder as I sneak upstairs in the dark, still shocked he did it. In my distracted state, I miss a step and go tumbling backward.
“Oh, shit!”
I bounce off the steps, landing at the bottom with a thud. Fuck. I think I broke my ass.
“Callie?”
A light comes on upstairs and Mom comes rushing out of her room. Great. Just what I need.
“Oh, dear. Are you okay?” she asks as she hurries down to me.
“I’m fine, Mom. Go back to bed.”
“What happened?”
“I slipped,” I answer, rubbing at the spot on my backside where I landed.
She flips on the light above the landing and tries to help me up. As soon as I’m on my feet, I try to turn the light off, but she sees the mark before I can.
“Sweetheart, is that…?”
I sit on the bottom step in defeat. “Yeah, it is.”
“You don’t seem too happy about it. Isn’t this what you want?”
“It is. I just believe he did it because he thinks it’s what I want.”
“I don’t think so, Callie.”
“Why?”
“That mark tells you all you need to know.”
“I don’t understand.”
She moves her robe to the side, showing me her mark. It’s all healed, but since she’s human, there’s a gnarly scar. It probably looked something like mine when it was made.
“Mine looked a lot like that when I got it,” she confirms. “I almost killed your father.”
“But you didn’t.”
“He said the bear knew I was their mate the day we met. As his feelings for me grew, it became harder and harder to control the bear. He told me he didn’t even realize what he was doing until it was done. I’ll bet if you ask Zax, he’ll say the same thing. There was a hell of a lot of emotion behind that bite, Callie.” She jerks her head at mine. “That’s not the mark of a bear doing a duty. It’s the mark of a bear in love.”
My eyes snap to my mother’s. “He loves me?”
She chuckles, tenderly resting her palm to my cheek.
“I’m so happy for you, Callie. You found him. You found your true mate.”
***
“Callie, there’s someone here to see you!”
I’ve been dreading those words ever since the sun came up. I didn’t sleep last night. I stayed up thinking about my mark, what my mother said, what Zax will do when I see him. I Guess I’m about to find out. Checking my watch, I see it’s still early so I know it’s not Zax downstairs. He won’t be up until at least noon. I pull on a robe and make my way downstairs. Before I reach the bottom, a familiar and unwelcome scent hits my nostrils.
No. It can’t be.
Fear courses through my body. This is one of those times, where I just want to shift and run away. Tentatively rounding the corner to the living room, I find the last person I expected. The last person I want to see. The reason for my nightmares.
“Hello, Callie.”
***Callie***
“What… what are you doing here?”
“Now, that’s not a question you should be asking your fiancé, is it?”
“Fiancé?” Mom asks, turning to me with raised brows.
I keep my eyes on the man standing before me. He’s the reason I left California, why I came back to Fall Valley. And now he’s here.
“You didn’t tell your mother?”
Trying to stop my voice from shaking in fear, I introduce them.
“Mom, this is Miles Kramer, my… fiancé.” I try not to throw up at the sound of the word. “Miles, June Masters.”
“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Masters. I wish it was under better circumstances.”
He gives her a bright smile—the one no one knows is just a façade. It’s the one he gave me in the beginning. The one that made me think he could be the man to make me forget Zax. Boy, was I wrong. Hiding behind those good looks—blond hair, blue eyes, and lithe body—is a monster, and I don’t mean his wolf.
Everything was great at first. He was funny, charming, and attentive. I didn’t love him but I thought he’d make a good husband and mate. He also didn’t try to push me into having sex when I told him I wanted to wait for marriage. It was a lie, but I thought he believed me. Then, as soon as I accepted his proposal, it all changed. The psychopath emerged.
California, 6 months ago
I wrap my arms around Miles’ neck as he rams his tongue down my throat. The man is hot, but his kisses leave a lot to be desired. However, he gets points for eagerness. I just don’t know how to break it to him. Especially now, since I just accepted his marriage propo
sal. I’m getting married. My heart sinks at the thought. I should be happy, but I’m not. How can I be, when the man I’m marrying isn’t the one I’m in love with? After the initial heartbreak, I thought I would get over Zax Knight. We were together, and he felt nothing. He’s not the one; just a stupid school-girl crush that I need to forget about. Miles is my future.
I put distance between us when his wayward hand covers my breast, giving it a squeeze. This is such a joke. I’m marrying a man whose touch I can’t even endure.
“Come on, Callie. I’m going to be your husband. It’s time we mated.”
“I’m just not ready. You said you understood.”
“And I did, but our circumstances have changed.”
“You’ve waited all this time. A few more months won’t hurt.”
For the first time since I’ve known him, his nostrils flare in anger. I don’t have much experience with wolves, but we bears always avoid conflict if we can. Especially me. We’re not territorial like them, either. While we’ll protect what’s ours, we don’t mind sharing. The one thing we don’t share is our true mate. The look on his face frightens me. It’s as if something has snapped inside him. Being cautious, I try to move away. Before I can, he grabs my neck, forcing me against the wall.
“Miles!” I shriek.
“This is getting old, Callie. What kind of fool do you take me for? I can’t even touch my own woman.”
His voice is like a barely restrained growl. I don’t know this Miles. The man I know would never lay a finger on a woman. This one? This one scares the fuck out of me.
“You think I don’t know?”
“Know what?”
“I’ve spent my entire life being second best to my brother. I won’t do it with my own fucking mate!”
His brother—the alpha of his pack. I know he has an inferiority complex where Reid is concerned, but I’ve never seen him get this worked up about it.
“I don’t know what you mean.” I grab his wrist, trying to get him to release me, but instead, he begins to squeeze.
“Who is he?” He squeezes harder. “What makes him so special? What makes him better than me?”
Runaway Bear Page 6