She's looking at your grizzly! His bear rumbled. Show her how big it can get! Show her that it's big enough for those wide, cub-bearing hips and those giant milk bags. She'll mate with you...right now!
Abel's eyes looked Effie's generous curves up and down as his bear spoke like a devil in his ear. His...grizzly...started to get hard, and Effie's eyes bulged as she noticed.
"Abel," she said, looking up at him with trembling, glassy eyes. They looked as wet as he hoped she was between her legs. He took a thick fistful of her gorgeous ass, and her hands probed down his hard body, trailing sweat across the contours of his muscles and the bulges of his adrenaline-filled veins. But then the reality of the situation rose up and squeezed his balls until they turned nearly blue.
Alex was possibly dying on the ground in front of them, and two extremely dangerous wolves were knocked out, but only temporarily.
"Effie," he said, "Alex..."
She lowered her hands further down his body, nearly reaching his dick, but she slowed as she looked at Alex, and they both snapped out of the spell. For now. He was tired of waiting. He would ravage her as soon as Alex was safe and the wolves were locked up.
"We need to get him to a hospital," Effie said, "Even if he's some kind of giant bird shifter."
Her hands still rested on his body. The radiating spheres of warmth from her hands on his skin felt like the only points in the universe that mattered, but she finally let go of him.
Abel let out a pained sigh at the loss of her touch, and his bear whined.
"He's a dragon," Abel said.
"Jesus," Effie said, shaking her head. She seemed beyond the point of disbelief. Shapeshifting bears and wolves were real. Adding dragons onto that wasn't exactly the biggest leap.
Abel slung Alex over his shoulder and carried him to the back seat, then he piled Gavin onto the other wolf. He sniffed at it: Jake.
"We're going to my place," Abel said, "I can't exactly cuff and arrest these guys, and Alex is a shifter, he'll heal fine on his own, he just needs rest."
Abel drove down a small path through the corn field toward his own car. He'd circled around when he'd spotted the wolves so he could sneak up undetected. He grabbed a thick set of chains from his car, and he wrapped both wolves up tight. When they awoke, they'd be tied up too tight to shift back to human form, and they'd have no way to break through the metal in wolf form.
They'd leave Abel's car in the field for now and take Alex's SUV. Before they got back in and drove, Abel grabbed Effie and pressed her against the SUV with his naked body. He was hard instantly, but he focused instead on her mouth. He slid his tongue into her, and he felt her lips warm and wet wrapped around his tongue. Their tongues danced and sung in the now setting sun, and an intense wave of pride washed over Abel. He'd protected his mate against all odds, and even after she'd seen what he was, she hadn't run away. The kiss sent warm tendrils of ecstasy through his entire body, and the kiss alone was enough to quiet and satisfy even Abel's dirty-minded bear.
When they finally pulled their lips from each other, they gazed into each other's eyes once again, saying things with their eyes that they hadn't yet spoken aloud. Things Abel had wanted to say ever since last night, but that he hadn't yet dared to. Humans didn't mate for life, and he was afraid of scaring her away.
He drove them toward his cabin in the woods, and he held and stroked Effie's hand as he drove.
"The killer," Effie said after minutes of silence, "the one who locked eyes on me. He was a shifter too?”
"Yeah," Abel said, "I smelled him. He’s a panther. That's why I had to get you out so suddenly."
"If the killer is a panther," Effie said, "then why did wolves come after us?"
"That's a great question," Abel said, "one that I'll have to ask these two when they wake up."
He didn't look forward to that. These two had nearly killed his mate, but Abel wasn't a monster. Normally he wouldn't fall victim to revenge fantasies, but for these two, it would take every last drop of his willpower to keep himself under control.
For now though, he'd take Effie home and rest. He'd relish the relative safety of his home in the woods. Relative safety. He'd never let his guard down, especially after what had just happened.
He began to drive down the bumpy dirt road, and Ellie fell asleep immediately. Her head tilted to one side, but her mouth didn't fall open like his when he slept, and she didn't drool all over her shoulder like a big dumb bear. With her eyes shut, she looked radiant, and even though she'd survived a rocket launcher explosion and a wolf attack, her hair still looked perfect. She was elegant, and he was a wild brute. They were perfect for each other.
The SUV was full of his enemies, his new friend he could trust, and his mate. The only thing they all had in common was that they were passed out like rocks. Only Abel was awake, left to his own thoughts as he drove into the night. The wolves had struck, but the panther from the bar was smarter than these wolves, and he still hid in the shadows. Abel knew he would not give up.
Abel heard a vibration from the back seat, and when he glanced back he saw a white light shining through Alex's pocket. Abel stopped the car, grabbed the phone, and answered.
"Bună seara," a deep voice said.
"This isn't Alexandrescu," Abel said.
"Ah, so you're the bear then?" the voice replied. The accent was at least twice as thick as Alex's, and the man sounded older.
"Yes," Abel said, "I didn't trust him, but I do now. He's safe, and alive."
"The cats?"
"No cats," Abel said.
"Ah, so they sent their little dogs after you. I see. Well, we are almost there."
"From Romania?"
The man laughed, "Dragons can fly fast, but not that fast. Alexandrescu pinged us that something was going down, and we were already near, but we couldn't fly further until nightfall."
"Do you know where I am?" Abel asked.
"Yes, see you soon." And then the man hung up.
Abel decided he'd have to trust these dragons. They would have resources to handle this that the police wouldn't. He really just wanted to crawl into bed with Effie and make her feel safe. If the dragons wanted to unravel this entire wolf and panther mess, he welcomed it.
After about twenty minutes, Abel pulled into the dirt patch in front of his cabin that served as a driveway. He opened the door, and a gust of wind swept across, bringing with it an overpowering scent of cinnamon and turmeric. He gently shook Effie by the arm until she woke up, and he pointed up to show her.
Three dark shadows crossed the moon, appearing as jet black silhouettes. They had wide wings and long tails that whipped as they turned. Even after they were no longer in front of the moon's radiance, Abel knew where to look, and could just barely make them out against the black sky. They grew larger as they approached, and Effie's eyes bulged wide in the moonlight. Soon, Abel felt a new gust of wind, one that pulsed as the dragons wings flapped hard just above the trees. The trees sighed and bowed under the dragons' approach, and finally they tucked in their wings and dove through the trees. Abel lost sight of them, until moments later, when three tall men walked out from the tree cover into Abel's driveway.
One of the men stepped forward and extended his hand. "I am Dragomir." His hand nearly crushed Abel's, but Abel smiled all the same.
Dragomir was tall and gaunt with jet black hair, snow white at his temples.
The two younger men behind him introduced themselves in turn, Iosef and Serghei.
They then all gently took Effie's hand in turn and kissed it. They looked at Abel as they did so, acknowledging that she was his mate. Their tenderness toward her was a show of respect: a way of saying that—if needed—they would protect her as he had protected Alex. Abel nodded his head to them in thanks. Shifters—whether bear or dragon or panther—could communicate with each other in ways that humans simply could not.
And then Dragomir cut right to business. "We appreciate what you did, and given your limited resources,
you accomplished more than we could have hoped. But you should let us take it from here. Hand these captives over to us, and let us do the interrogation."
"Fine," Abel said, relieved. "Whatever this all is—this alliance between panthers and wolves—Alex and I are the only shifters on the force here, and even if I got good information from these two, I wouldn't really be able to act on it."
"We'll handle this," Dragomir said. Emphasis on 'this,' as if this were everything in his world that needed taken care of. He didn't really know if this was in Dragomir's power, but he'd let himself believe it, for tonight at least.
Abel simply nodded.
"We'll leave you with your mate, but Iosef will stay nearby, just in case," Dragomir said.
"It's fine," Abel said, "I can protect my mate. You don't need to leave anyone to guard me."
Dragomir put his hand on Abel's arm and squeezed, shooting pain through his body. He gritted his teeth to stop himself from wincing or making a sound.
"You're strong, bear," Dragomir said, "but you're spent and exhausted. Let me do this for you. Serghei will stay close…but not too close." Dragomir gave a knowing wink, and Abel hoped his red cheeks weren’t visible in the darkness.
Abel sighed and nodded. He was not too tired to protect his mate, but he was too tired to argue about this.
"Let me," Iosef said, "I want to stay behind."
"I said Serghei would," Dragomir growled.
"Serghei is angry, out for revenge," Iosef said, "and I am not. I can do this better."
Serghei roared, and a small spark of flame lit up the night.
"You see?" asked Iosef.
"Serghei," Dragomir said, "help me get Alex and the prisoners."
Effie and Abel watched as Dragomir shifted into a massive dragon, scales glistening under the moon. Serghei then hooked a large harness to the dragon's body. The harness had multiple containers and bags. He threw the wolves into one pouch that was lined with a chain mesh, and Alex was strapped tightly onto what looked like a stretcher. Serghei affixed the stretcher to Dragomir's back, and covered all but Alex's head with thick blankets.
Serghei nodded to them, shifted, and soon the rush of air from two dragons taking flight nearly knocked Abel and Effie off their feet.
Iosef said, after the night was quiet once again, "Get some rest. I'll take watch," and he disappeared into the forest.
CHAPTER NINE
Effie
She was starving, cold, and exhausted. Her body had reached its limit, but she needed one thing more than all else. She needed Abel.
She forced herself to first shower, to wipe the dried blood off her arm. To cleanse herself of the sweat of exhaustion. Her arm hurt still, but there were luckily no shards of glass lodged into it. Her body felt like rubber, and her head was clouded by a confusing haze. She almost passed out while standing in the shower.
She toweled herself off, and then simply wrapped the towel around herself. She had no clean clothes to wear, and she'd rather walk out buck naked than put her blood-soaked, filthy clothes back on.
She stepped outside and saw Abel, totally naked, drenched in sweat and glistening.
"Sorry," he said, looking down at himself, "I didn't think you'd be out so soon."
She grinned. "Never apologize for being naked."
Suddenly he was holding her in her arms. It had just happened, as if they couldn't see each other without embracing.
"The shower is free now," she said, hoping he wouldn't want to shower. She wanted him too badly, and she wanted him right now.
"You smell so good," he said.
"You do too."
"No," Abel said, "I'm filthy."
"You smell like man. Like bear. I love that smell."
She ran a hand up and down his arm, her hand getting wet with his sweat. His tense muscles loosened and eased beneath her touch.
"God, Effie," he said, looking into her eyes.
They looked at each other, and Effie expected to hold that gaze for a long time, for their emotions to slowly heat up, with more touching and gentle caresses. But no, the pot boiled over instantly, and Abel let out a low growl and snatched Effie up into the air.
She felt like she was flying into the air as Abel lifted her like a doll. He tugged at her towel as he carried her to the bed, and the small cloth protecting her nakedness fell to the ground, forgotten. Abel threw her to the bed, and her breasts jiggled as she landed on her back. He towered naked in front of her, looking down at her. His big dick hardened and stood tall.
"So perfect," he said.
"I'm not too big?" asked Effie.
"God, no. Your curves, your hips, your butt, those breasts...it's everything a bear craves. Everything a man could want."
"But—"
He was on top of her before she could finish her thought. Reassuring her with his desire for her. He squeezed her big breasts as he climbed on top of her, and she shuddered and moaned. He hadn't yet touched her between her legs, but she felt herself drip wet instantly. He brought his mouth to her nipples and sucked, sending waves of pleasure through her body. He nibbled on her nipples, and she bucked her hips involuntarily. It felt so good. He was so good, and she couldn't wait to have all of him.
She grabbed hold of his steely rod, and he pulled his head back, opened his mouth, and let out a groan. When she began to stroke him slowly, his muscles flexed and tensed, and seeing him like that, she gushed wetness onto the bedsheets.
Effie had only stroked him a few times, and then he grabbed hold of her curvy hips, and effortlessly flipped her over, then pulled her up onto her knees.
Her body acted automatically: she spread her legs and stuck her ass higher up into the air, begging for him to enter her. She did not have to wait long, as she soon felt his red-hot manhood rubbing against her wet lips. She erupted into a moan. It had only been a day, but it felt like she'd waited for this her whole life.
He slid further in, his head sinking between her wet folds. She was so wet that it slid smoothly in despite her tightness and his girth. In and in and in, until he filled her up completely.
He squeezed her ass with one hand, and cupped one of her breasts with the other. Her whole body shook and trembled as Abel began to thrust in and out of her. Effie wouldn't have thought it possible, but she became even wetter as he thrust faster and deeper. His hands felt burning hot as he slid them down across her body, grabbing hold of her wide hips, and as she soaked his dick more and more, he squeezed her curves in thick handfuls.
Abel slowed down, but made up for it by pinching her ass, and when she screamed out in a cry of pain and joy, he slapped her ass, hard enough to skirt the border between playfulness and real pain. She screamed harder, and she felt her walls tighten around his manhood, which burned hot inside her.
"Faster," Effie said, "I can't bare waiting."
Abel groaned, but not at her unintended pun, but because she squeezed herself around his shaft in rhythmic pulses as she spoke, urging him to overwhelm her.
He obliged, slapping her loudly once more on her big ass, then thrusting with an intense and animalistic fury. Despite just having showered, she felt sweat dripping down her forehead, and his hands slid along her glistening body as he filled her up with his thick rod. She heard him grunting behind her, and she moaned loudly, thinking she could be louder than him. But she couldn't win this fight, as Abel began to growl. He roared with each thrust, and Effie could only squeal as the orgasm raced up from deep within her.
It suddenly overtook her in just an instant: her insides tightened involuntarily around Abel as he penetrated her, and her breasts slapped hard against her body with each thrust, nipples on fire. Her muscles twitched as a rush of ecstasy, which started from her heart, filled her up all the way to her fingers and toes. And then she felt Abel twitch inside her, and warm wetness exploded within her and filled her up. Her orgasm fell back down, leaving only a warm and golden glow behind.
Abel pulled out, and though he was no longer inside her, he wrappe
d his arms around her and fell down at her side. He held her like that, his six-pack pressed up against her back, and his semi-hard dick warm against the curve of her back. He stroked Effie’s arms as aftershocks of orgasm shook across her. His breath was warm on her ear, and when she finally stopped shaking, he whispered into her ear.
"Effie," he said, "do you know what it means to be my mate?"
"I think so," she said, and found her voice was a faint whisper. She was afraid to say aloud what she thought it meant to be Abel’s mate, as it all felt too good to be true. As if saying it would jinx it; break the spell. Let Abel say it.
"It means that as long as you want me, I'm yours. Bears mate for life, so it means I will always love you. Always. I've known that from the instant I first saw you."
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