A Forbidden Love

by Lorelei Moone

  "I do have to admit, though, that I'm afraid I had a hidden agenda asking you to meet me here..." Jamie said.

  Alison cocked her head to the side and folded her hands on the table. Those green eyes staring at him almost made Jamie lose himself again. A deep breath helped him regain focus.

  "Applecross Bay, 1995." Jamie paused and observed Alison's reaction.

  She pressed her lips together and all the color seemed to drain out of her face. Her eyes darted back and forth between Jamie's and random spots around the room. She reminded him of cornered prey, and although it was in his instinct to always maintain an advantage in any confrontation, he felt uneasy about putting her in this position.

  "That's it. That's why you looked familiar," she whispered.

  Alison loosened her hands and rested her face in them for a moment, before looking up at Jamie again through the gaps between her fingers.

  "I guess that's it then," she said, under her breath.

  "What?" Jamie asked. His mind was racing. Although he was certain that he'd been dreaming of her every night since, it was still a shock to hear her admit that she'd been there. He hadn't lost his mind after all.

  "The game's up, eh?" She blinked a few times and Jamie could see that her eyes had glazed over slightly.

  She was visibly upset, and although he should be furious that this woman had had anything to do with what had without a doubt been the very worst day of his life, he couldn't muster anything other than sympathy. She'd been only a child back then, like him.

  Jamie reached across the table, resting his hand on top of her arm. To ignore the intense attraction he had for her, especially while touching her was a tall order, but he managed to suppress it somehow. "Alison."

  She sniffled and reached into her handbag, retrieving a pack of tissues with her free hand. After struggling to get one out of the wrapper, she dabbed the corners of her eyes with it.

  "I can't explain it, I should be angry. I should demand answers. I should... I don't know. Really, I just want to know what happened," Jamie whispered.

  "And I should be scared right now," Alison responded, a thoughtful, though still teary-eyed expression on her face. "But..."

  "So let's talk. Figure it out." Jamie gently squeezed her arm, enjoying the warmth as it filtered out of her skin and into his fingertips. It was too easy to touch her, so tempting to do so much more...

  "He's safe, you know. Your little brother. I don't know where he is now, but he's safe," Alison whispered.

  "Matthew. That was his name. We used to call him Matty." Jamie took Alison's hand, threading his fingers through hers. He hadn't said his brother's name out loud in years, it had hurt too much. For some inexplicable reason it felt good to open up to her of all people.

  "I know. Matthew." A lone tear ran down her cheek as she looked up from their entwined hands resting on the rugged wood of the table. "It was Dad's idea. I had no choice but to go along."

  "I know. It's okay," Jamie tried to comfort her. His own pain paled in comparison to the regret and guilt emanating from her. It was heart wrenching, to sense her emotions so keenly.

  "It was all part of an experiment. You see, Dad was convinced that every child is born innocent, and if introduced to the right sort of surroundings at an early age, they'd grow up exactly the same as any of us. Matthew was one of the first," Alison explained. "And my name isn't really Carter, it's Campbell."

  Alison tried to pull her hand back, but Jamie couldn't bear to let go. "But then your name isn't really Abbott either, is it?" Alison asked.

  "No. It's not. I didn't want anyone to look up my history when I joined the Alliance. Whatever happened in the past, it's none of their business." Jamie looked away and pinched the bridge of his nose to ward off another one of his persistent headaches. "Campbell... Any relation to-"

  "Lee Campbell. He's my dad," Alison interrupted.

  As huge as that revelation was, it didn't surprise him. They looked at each other in silence for a few seconds.

  "When I get back to the office in the morning, am I going to find him where I left him?" Jamie asked.

  Alison bit her lip, hard. "I haven't told anyone. I was supposed to, but I just couldn't. It doesn't make any sense."

  In a way, it made a lot of sense to Jamie. She hadn't been able to do her job and reveal the location of the Alliance building, just like Jamie knew he wouldn't be able to reveal Alison's real identity to anyone within the Alliance. He'd rather take a knife and slit his own throat than to betray her. That could only mean one thing...

  The more he thought about it, the more things fell into place, and it also explained why he hadn't been able to get her out of his head ever since that first meeting twenty years ago. They were fated. Back then he hadn't been able to shift yet, so he couldn't sense the connection as strongly as he did now, but his inner bear had seen her once and the memory had never left him alone. They were meant to be.

  "What do you know about us?" Jamie whispered and leaned across the table. It was difficult being so close to her, surrounded by her scent, without taking things further, but he didn't want his eagerness to startle her.

  "Only what I've been told. That you're half man, half animal. That human morality doesn't apply to you, only animal instinct."

  Jamie let out a chuckle. "That latter part isn't quite true, but all right."

  "Sometimes you turn into... a bear?" Alison asked, her eyes wide with either curiosity or apprehension. Perhaps a bit of both.

  "Yeah. A bear. Let me guess, you people watch Wolf as a documentary?" Jamie joked. "True, we feel certain instincts a lot more keenly than ordinary humans do, but we're not immoral or out of control. Well perhaps in some scenarios we like to let go a bit... If you get my drift. But we don't go around killing people indiscriminately."

  "It's hard to know what to believe. Most people don't even know you exist. I can't go to the library and do research, except in the horror section."

  "Fair point. But then that's because when people do find out about us they tend to pick up their torches and pitchforks..." Jamie grinned.

  Alison pulled away and folded her arms, scowling at him.

  Jamie regretted teasing her so much, but he couldn't help it. It had been the only thing he could think of to try to cheer her up. At least she'd stopped crying.

  "I'm sorry. It's just hard to know truth from fiction," Alison remarked.

  "I'm sorry too. I'm not being fair to you. You're taking all this very well, I must say." Jamie smiled at her, and felt his excitement surge to new levels when she reluctantly smiled back.

  "All this stuff you feel right now, there's a reason for it..." Jamie started. "I feel it too."

  "Oh?"

  "It's one of the main differences between us and humans, save for the turning into an animal bit. Our relationships work a bit differently than yours. When a bear finds his mate, they connect on a deep, almost subconscious level."

  "Is that what this is? Does it ever fade?" Alison's eyes widened and Jamie was once again shocked at how green they were.

  "Bears mate for life," Jamie replied.

  "This is insane. I feel like I could wake up any moment now and find that all of it has just been a crazy dream." She picked up her glass and took a big sip.

  "I know. We should hate each other, instead we're sitting here, having a pleasant chat over a couple of beers..." Jamie smiled at her, hoping she'd reciprocate. He ached to see her smile again.

  "I feel like I want to do more than chat," Alison whispered, then covered her mouth as though she was surprised she'd actually said that.

  Jamie let out a laugh loud enough that some of the people seated nearby turned to see what was going on. Her body's visceral reaction to his presence had been obvious to him from the start, but she had no way of knowing that of course.

  "Oh believe me, I know what you mean." Every fiber in his body yearned to get close to her. To feel her skin against his...

  He could barely take it anymore. Somethi
ng had to be done or his heart would explode out of his chest.

  Alison kept her eyes fixed on Jamie as he got up from his seat and joined her on her side of the table. She didn't protest as he slid his hand around the back of her neck and leaned in, drinking in her scent before allowing his lips to touch hers.

  "Wow," Alison breathed, then wrapped her arms around his shoulders and returned his kiss with a deeper, even more passionate one.

  It was as though all the fuses in Jamie's mind blew all at once. If they hadn't been out in public, he would have ensured that their clothes would come off that very moment, in shreds most likely. A warm feeling overwhelmed him that was so unusual, alien, that he couldn't identify it at first. Then he realized its meaning: after twenty years of yearning after the same woman during every one of his sleepless nights, he'd found his home.

  Jamie pulled back, and gazed into those familiar green eyes once more.

  "Now what do we do? About the others, I mean," Alison asked.

  "Honestly? I'll be damned if I know." What could they do? To say that both sides would be unhappy about their pairing was putting it lightly. At the same time he knew that this was just the start for them. There was no way he'd let her go after waiting all this time. "I guess we'll have to be careful. How good are you at keeping secrets?"

  Alison pressed her lips together, all the while maintaining eye contact. It was as though with that first kiss, the remaining distance between them had been bridged, permanently. She wanted him as he wanted her, he could see it in her eyes. The time for talk had passed.

  Let's go then, Jamie thought.

  Alison couldn't hide her surprise at hearing him in her head, but quickly recovered and nodded. She was ready.

  Chapter Six

  This was not how Alison imagined her evening would go. Not at all.

  She glanced up at Jamie, who'd rested his arm around her shoulder as they walked, protecting her from the winds that had grown even colder during the short time they'd spent at the pub together. None of it made any sense. He was meant to be the enemy. She was supposed to fight the shifters, not go home with one of them.

  And yet, she couldn't help herself. Her hormones, or whatever it was that made her feel this way about Jamie had overridden her capability for rational thought.

  He'd tried to explain it to her, the connection bears form with their mates, but she still didn't quite understand how it worked. If it was a bear thing, why did she feel it too? She should turn around and run, to leave him behind and never look back, but she couldn't. It was as though she no longer had a choice in the matter. Her decision making privileges were revoked indefinitely.

  Her brother would be furious. She couldn't imagine what her dad would say.

  In fact, she should be upset as well. After all, it was her life that was being affected the most. But as she walked through the dark, empty streets alongside the powerful half-man, half-bear that was Jamie, she was actually happy. She felt the glances of the occasional passerby, intimidated by Jamie's presence and it filled her with pride to be his. For him to be hers.

  Sure, they'd only just kissed, but it hadn't been like any other first kiss she'd shared with a new lover. She had never felt this way. She had never had this sense of belonging, this feeling of complete and utter safety, like the man she was with would walk through hell and back to protect her.

  Jamie would.

  She shivered against the cold and his arm drew her against him tighter. Alison closed her eyes and drank in his scent. The same perfume that had clung to the card he'd given her earlier that day, only stronger and more overwhelming.

  They were getting close to their destination, she could tell by the way his steps sped up. He was eager to get her home. In the crudest of terms she knew he was eager to get in her pants, and she didn't mind at all. She was equally keen to get in his.

  It didn't make any sense. But it felt right.

  Her heart jumped when Jamie paused in front of one of the terraced Victorian houses that lined the street. He retrieved a bunch of keys and guided her up the front steps. It was nicer than the little new-build flat where she lived. A lot nicer. So much for all the talk she'd grown up with about how shapeshifters lived like animals.

  During their short conversation at the pub it had become clear that a lot of what she'd grown up with had just been plain wrong. Just like Aidan hadn't acted like a senseless monster around her during all the times he'd questioned her, neither had Jamie. He seemed to be just a guy. Sure, he'd be a lot stronger than a normal man, but there was nothing too strange about him so far.

  Jamie unlocked the wooden front door and switched on the light inside the hall.

  "Welcome to my humble abode," he said.

  Funny guy. There was nothing humble about the stylish furnishings that greeted her.

  As she turned to face him, his hands were already on her. She wanted to close her eyes, but she didn't want to miss out on the view either. His blue eyes seemed to pierce her soul as he looked at her. Nobody had ever looked at her like this. Not Clive, to whom she'd given her virginity behind the bike shed when she was still in school, or her most recent lover Ian, a Sons member like her dad and Gareth. Nobody.

  She shut the door behind them and let out a surprised shriek when Jamie gathered her up in his arms and carried her down the hall. He knew exactly where he was going of course, it was his house, and she could very well guess.

  The bedroom was as nice as the rest of the house, a large wooden bed standing proudly in the center of the room. The sheets, curtains, everything matched as though it had been chosen by a professional decorator. But he didn't care about keeping things tidy, just deposited her in the middle of the bed and climbed on top, kicking his shoes off as an afterthought.

  She understood now, this is was but a taste of what lay ahead. The one scenario in which bears apparently like to let go.

  "What's funny?" he asked, leaning down to nibble on her lip.

  Alison grinned against his lips. "I'm beginning to see how having a strong animal instinct can come in handy."

  "Just you wait, I'll show you animal instinct."

  She could do little more than giggle as he got to work on her clothes, unzipping her skirt and tugging it off her in one swift motion. He did the same with her blouse, flipped her over to rid her of her bra and panties and finally unzipped himself.

  "Wait a minute, you're not thinking of keeping all your clothes on, are you?" Alison demanded.

  He paused for a moment and looked down at himself, then at her naked form in front of him on the bed. "All right, all right."

  She turned onto her back again and observed as he undressed. Everything about him was perfection, from the sculpted abs to the well-pronounced pecs. If it wasn't for the lustful way he looked at her, he was beautiful enough to give any girl an inferiority complex.

  Aidan and Jamie had been the only shifters she'd met so far, so Alison had to wonder if they were all this fit.

  "To think you were going to hold out on me..." Alison teased and ran her hand over his firm chest.

  "In a rush to see and do it all, are we?" Jamie grinned at her, then hooked his arm through the crook of her knee and flipped her over again.

  Jamie got on top of her. The heat of his body against her bare back and buttocks made her shiver. He gently pushed her unruly locks out of the way and started kissing and sucking on her neck.

  Alison moaned into the pillow. God, he knew exactly what to do to drive her crazy. The stubble on his chin prickled against her skin, giving her goosebumps.

  He was right though, she was in a rush. Clearly, so was he. Throughout the short time they'd spent at the pub together, she'd felt her senses heighten to his presence. She'd been attracted to him from the moment she first laid eyes on the man, but what she'd felt while they were talking earlier was way more intense than any attraction she'd ever known.

  By the time he'd all but ripped her panties off, she was beyond ready.

  He leaned on
to one side and ran his other hand all over the soft curves of her body. His erect cock pressed eagerly against her ass cheek while he explored the curvature of her hips, then reached around her side and gently tweaked her nipple between his fingers.

  Every touch of his set her alight.

  She leaned up onto both elbows, allowing him free reign over her cleavage and breasts. All the while, he continued to lavish every inch of her shoulders with kisses and nibbles.

  Then, unwilling to delay the inevitable any longer, he adjusted himself between her legs, spreading her wide and guided his thick cock towards her slick entrance.

  "Oh!" Alison exclaimed, as he pushed against her, forcing her open.

  He was big. Bigger than she'd ever had. It burned, but pleasantly so when he entered her.

  Jamie filled her so entirely, she found herself lost in a haze of pleasure. He wrapped one arm around her waist and lifted her off the bed.

  She was utterly helpless in his arms when he started to thrust into her, slowly at first, then faster and faster. His finger found its way around her hips and into her folds from the front. It didn't take him long to locate her clit.

  Alison closed her eyes and just hung on. She could hardly move in his iron grip, neither did she need to because he was already doing everything right.

  Jamie sped up further, thrusting into her more intensely than before. Her body took everything he had to give without protest. The burn from his initial penetration faded and was replaced by a growing pressure on her G-spot.

  She cried out with every one of his strokes as her pleasure rose to new heights.

  "You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen," Jamie whispered against the back of her neck, sending shivers down her spine all over again.

  "You too. Most beautiful man, I mean. Oh God!" Alison responded, his intense thrusts forcing her to pause after every couple of words.

  She couldn't focus anymore, couldn't think. It was as though her mind was wiped clean of anything other than their union. He was completely in control of what was happening to her and she was just along for the ride.