Ethereal King

by Ariana Hawkes

  In ten minutes or so, he turned right and headed back towards the road. They came to a tan-colored, beat up rust-bucket of a car, and he stopped and lay down. She jumped off, and the cold wind instantly chilled her again. As she watched, the bear’s body started to change. It kind of contracted in on itself, his fur disappeared and heavy bear bulk became human muscle and sinew. There was a series of cracks and crunches and he reared back onto two legs, and suddenly, Caleb was standing in front of her, stark naked.

  “Hi,” he said with a grin, and casually moved his hand in front of his manhood. Paige was too shocked to reply. She continued to stare at him, vaguely aware that her mouth was hanging open. He opened the door of the car, pulled out his clothes and slipped them on. “Come on, let’s go. You must be freezing,” he said. She shook herself and climbed into the car. Caleb jumped into the other side. “Does this thing even have heating?” he muttered, fiddling with the dials in the dash. A stream of warm, dry air came out of the vents. She turned to face him, completely overwhelmed.

  “Are you ok?” he said.

  “Yes. Thanks to you. But, are you? You just fought with a wolf.” He laughed.

  “All in a day’s work. But look at you – you’re freezing. Your lips are blue. Come here.” He put his arms around her and pulled her against his warm, strong body. He hugged her tight, running his hands up and down her back, telling her that everything was ok now, and then they were kissing, his lips impossibly soft on hers, his tongue soft and velvety.

  “Paige, I’m so happy and relieved that I found you,” he muttered when he finally drew away from her. “I was so worried that I wouldn’t be able to catch up with you in this crappy old car.”

  “What happened to your car?”

  “Kurt did. He broke in and killed the electric system. I hired this one from the owner of the hotel. I have to say, it’s held out better than I would’ve expected. Now we just need it to keep going long enough to get us back to the hotel.”

  “What about Kurt’s car?”

  “Do you think anyone will come looking for him out here?”

  “It’s possible. His gang will start to wonder where he is, and a car like that’s going to attract a lot of attention.”

  “He didn’t have a spare tire did he?”

  “Nope.”

  “Hmm, let me check the trunk.” He got out of the car and investigated. “Good news. There’s a spare in there.” He started the engine and the car coughed to life. “We’d better go back and see if we can fix the flat, and then do something with the car.”

  Paige shivered at the sight of the car. She wanted to forget everything about Kurt as quickly as possible.

  “Shall I help you? she asked.

  “No. I’m good. Stay here in the warm,” Caleb replied. She watched him while he worked, digging the snow away from the wheel and expertly jacking the car up and changing the tire. He was back in a few minutes. “I’ve managed to attach the spare, but it’s probably going to be a difficult drive,” he said. “Will you be able to drive the other car?”

  “Sure,” she said, a little excited at the rare opportunity to drive.

  She stayed a long way behind Caleb. Although he was driving at a crawl, he wasn’t having an easy time, the car juddering along and constantly trying to veer off the road. She was terrified that something would go wrong and the wheel bracket would snap and he’d flip the car or something.

  She followed him back to the junction with the highway. He turned onto another small road that she hadn’t noticed before and they stopped in front of a big, black space. There was no moon, or street lighting, and all she could see was darkness. Caleb put his phone torch on and walked into the space. She rummaged in the glove box and the side pockets of the car, checking that there was nothing of hers in there, and then she got out of the car and ran after him.

  “What’s this?” she said.

  “Ravenna Lake, apparently. And right now, it’s frozen, but hopefully the ice isn’t too thick.” She gasped.

  “We’re going to dump the car in there?”

  “I think it’s the best thing to do. Unless you’ve got any better ideas?”

  “It seems like a waste of a beautiful car. But we could never sell it, because it’d be dangerous for whoever bought it. And if we abandon it, it’s going to make it way easier for Kurt’s moronic friends to figure out what’s happened to him. So, yeah. I agree.”

  “Sure? I mean, it’s officially your car now.” She nodded.

  “Let’s do it.”

  Caleb rolled the car up to the water’s edge, and then they both pushed it from behind. As soon as it hit the ice, it moved smoothly, and the momentum kept it going for a good 20 feet before rolling to a stop. They watched tensely.

  “What if the ice doesn’t break?” she said.

  “I’ll have to go get it,” he replied, through gritted teeth.

  The ice didn’t break.

  “Damn,” Caleb said softly. “I’ll go bring it back.”

  “Caleb, no!” she yelled, but it was too late; he was already running out to the car. As he reached it there was a loud creak. Her heart thudded. It could mean only one thing. The front of the car dipped. “Come back!” she screamed in terror. He turned towards her, and at the same moment, the car lurched forward and the back wheels lifted. A big sheet of ice see-sawed up in front of Caleb and he began to tip back towards the car. He jumped, taking a huge leap over the jagged edge and back towards the shore. Paige whimpered, willing the ice not to break in front of him. He landed in a roll, got to his feet and skidded to the water’s edge, just as the car nose-dived into the water, completely submerging in seconds.

  “Whew, that was close. I almost had to swim back!” he said cheerfully. Then he saw her stricken face. “Hey, it’s ok,” he said, pulling her close and enfolding her in his arms. “It’s ok. I’m here. I wouldn’t have left you. I’m here to protect you. Forever.” She looked up at him, stunned.

  “Do you mean that?” she said, gazing into his incredible blue eyes.

  “Of course. You’re my mate, Paige. I knew it from the first time I saw you. I would never force myself on you, but I’m really hoping that you feel the same way too. I can’t imagine not being with you. I want to spend my life looking after you and making you happy, and making sure that you never suffer any unhappiness ever again.”

  “Oh, Caleb, I feel the same,” she breathed. “I just want to be with you.”

  He took her hand and led her to the car.

  “Then let’s go!” he said.

  Back in the car, he looked at the map on his phone.

  “I really don’t feel like going back to the hotel tonight after everything that’s happened. And it’s only another couple of hours to Green Fields from here. I suggest we spend the night there, and then deal with the car tomorrow. How about it?”

  “Sounds great!” she replied.

  11

  Calm washed over Caleb as they drove along the quiet highway. He’d found his mate. She wasn’t hurt, and Kurt and his car were gone for good.

  “Caleb?” Paige said. He turned his head to look at her, and instead of ducking away from his gaze as she had so far, she looked at him openly, her clear gray eyes intelligent and strong. His bear rumbled with desire. He wanted her so badly. He couldn’t wait to be alone with her – just the two of them, with no odious ex-boyfriend on their trail – and take her to bed and claim her for his own.

  “What is it, honey?”

  “How did you know that Kurt would get a flat tire so you’d have time to shift and run after us?” He grinned.

  “I might have given him that flat in the gas station parking lot.”

  “That’s what you were doing down by the side of the car!”

  “Yup.”

  “And why did you wait until Kurt shifted until you fought him?” He shrugged.

  “I had to fight him as an animal. Otherwise it would’ve been unfair.” She smiled.

  “You’re a real decen
t guy, Caleb.”

  “I try to be. Although, he was enough to stretch the limits of anyone’s decency.” She was quiet for a few beats, staring out at the snowy darkness.

  “I’m embarrassed that I chose him as my partner. I was really naïve.”

  “Hey, we all make mistakes.”

  “I was young and stupid and he made me feel special at first. But I quickly realized that it was all show.”

  “I won’t hurt you ever, Paige. I hope you know that,” he said. Her full, soft lips parted in a dazzling grin.

  “I do know that, Caleb. You’ve already proven that by risking your life to ensure my safety.”

  “Your safety is my main priority,” he said, and he stopped himself before he said too much and scared her away. He had to remind himself that she’d only known him for two days, although it already felt like forever.

  “Hey, I just remembered something!” Instinctively, he tensed, but her tone was light.

  “What’s that?”

  “I managed to rescue some cash from the glove box of Kurt’s car. Quite a lot of cash, actually.”

  “How much?”

  “I don’t know.” She pulled an envelope out of her purse. It was stuffed with money. “Oh my god. They’re hundreds.” She counted them out. “$21,700! Wow!” Caleb whistled.

  “Nice.”

  “That’s going to help me get back on my feet. To be honest, I was kind of worried about my financial situation,” she said, her voice full of relief. He was reminded of the $4000 of his that the hotel owner was holding on to. Without it, he was down to his last $1,000. But he’d be ok. At the worst, his cousin could lend him some.

  They continued chatting as they drove. He loved the way that Paige opened up to him now that she was no longer on edge. She had an amazing sense of humor and made him laugh constantly.

  He was almost disappointed when they saw the sign for Green Fields, signifying that the journey was nearly over. They turned off the highway and followed the road into the town. At the end of the road was a beautiful hotel which looked like a giant log cabin. It had a Christmas tree outside and twinkling lights at the windows.

  “Wow, that’s like the hotel of my dreams,” Paige breathed.

  “Let’s stay there tonight,” he said spontaneously.

  “What, really? Isn’t your cousin expecting you?” He was, but Caleb badly wanted to spend some more time alone with Paige.

  “No, I’m a day early,” he said. They exchanged a long look, in no doubt what sharing a hotel room would mean. His bear scrabbled at his insides, inciting him to do whatever it took to mate her. He shushed it up. “And he’s pretty laid back about when I arrive.” She looked at the hotel wistfully. “Looks like it has a spa,” he said. She laughed. He stopped the car. Then he reached across and took her hand in his own. “Paige, we can stay with my cousin if you prefer, but I would really like to spend the night with you here. I don’t expect anything from you at all; we can have separate rooms. But I’d love to spend some time hanging out with you, and getting to know each other better. How does that sound?”

  “It sounds fantastic,” she said immediately. She squeezed his hand tight and leaned towards him, and suddenly they were kissing again. He couldn’t even tell who’d made the first move. It was as if they were magnetically connected to one another, and all he was aware of was the incredible softness of her lips, and the way her tongue danced into his mouth. His bear purred and rumbled, urging him on, and it took a supreme effort not to run his hands all over her. She was so beautiful and sexy. And it was just too much. He pulled away laughing.

  “I think we’d better go check in,” he said. He drove the car into the lot.

  “What kind of room would you like?” the front desk clerk asked them in a kindly voice.

  “Uh –” he looked at the list of options, tongue-tied. Should he suggest adjoining rooms again, so that Paige wouldn’t feel pressured?

  “Are you a relative of Jake?” the clerk cut in.

  “Yeah, he’s my cousin,” he replied, surprised. “How did you know?”

  “Oh you look like one of us,” she said with a wink. “And seeing as you’re family, we can offer you our penthouse suite for the same price of a regular room.”

  “Wow! That would be great. Thanks!” he replied. “Oh, is that okay with you, Paige?”

  “You bet!” she said, and a quick glance at her reassured him that she was genuinely happy with the arrangement.

  “My pleasure,” the clerk said. “I’m Marlene, by the way. A second cousin of Jake.” Caleb introduced himself and Paige.

  “Have a great stay,” she said to them both.

  Paige shrieked with delight as they opened the door to the room. There was a super-king-size bed, and a sunken circular bath in the room. The ceiling was made of glass, with retractable blinds; the walls were decorated with wooden panels, and rugs and throws scattered around added a cozy, homely touch.

  “I guess this’ll do for one night,” she said.

  “Not too shabby, huh?” Caleb replied. They dropped their bags on a chair and then they stood, looking at each other shyly.

  “Are you hungry?” she asked. For maybe the first time in his life, he actually wasn’t. His bear had other things on its mind.

  “I guess. I mean, if you want to have dinner now, I can certainly join you.” She bit her lip.

  “I’m not so hungry either. I was thinking I might lay down for a while first.”

  “Oh, would you like me to leave you while you take a nap?” he said, taking a step towards the door. Her lips parted, but she didn’t speak immediately, as if she was figuring out what to say.

  “Well, I was thinking that you might want to lay down with me.” Although her voice was hesitant, she held his gaze with her lovely eyes, her chin jutted forward a little.

  “Do you – do you mean –?” he stuttered. She moved close to him, wrapped her arms around his middle and raised herself on tiptoes, her full lips pouting. With a groan of desire, he dipped his head and kissed her hard on the mouth. As she returned his kiss, he bent down, grasped her thighs in his huge hands and lifted her right up, so her legs wrapped around his waist. His bear growled and clawed at his insides. Take her now, it urged him. He intended to. Holding her ass in his hands, like two ripe peaches, he carried her over to the bed and deposited her on the big, feather bed. She looked up at him, her expression vulnerable, and her eyes dark with desire. He climbed on top of her, aware how small she was in comparison to him. They kissed again, increasingly hungrily. As he explored her mouth with his tongue, she sucked on it softly, and made little sighs and moans. Her hands slid underneath his shirt and ran up and down his back. As her nails chafed his skin, he lost control of his bear. He snatched at the buttons of her shirt, unfastening it all the way, and ripped it off her. But the sight of her bra made him pause, stunned. It was made from cherry-colored lace, and it was very sexy, supporting her big, beautiful breasts perfectly. The hard nubs of her nipples were just visible beneath the semi-transparent lace, and the sight of them made his cock twitch. His bear tried to take control of his body, make him rip the bra off, but he forced it back. He wanted to take his time with this gorgeous woman. She was his mate, and he wanted their first mating to be special for both of them.

  “Beautiful underwear,” he murmured, tracing his finger along the top edge of the bra, feeling how incredibly soft her skin was.

  “It’s my one indulgence,” she said. “I was always forced to wear such drab clothes that I made up for it by wearing great lingerie.” That made sense. He’d been wondering whether her frumpy clothes were her own choice, or had been dictated by her douchebag ex-boyfriend. He dipped his head and licked her nipples through the fabric, trying to draw them into his mouth, and she moaned in pleasure. He picked up the sweet scent of her arousal, and it drove his desire further. His bear took control again, pulling at the zipper of her drab jeans, and sliding them right off her hips. Her panties matched her bra perfectly. They
were also semi-transparent, and he purred at the sight of the blonde thatch of hair between her thighs. He gazed down at her, lying there in just her underwear, her deliciously ripe and curvy body ready to be taken by him, and for a moment he couldn’t believe that she was his. His bear huffed and scrabbled, wondering what was keeping him.

  “You still have your clothes on,” she said with a sweet smirk.

  “Oh –” he sat up to pull them off, and she came with him helping him, her small fingers deftly unfastening his buttons and zipper. Her eyes widened at the sight of him fully naked, and when she reached out and touched his cock, he almost came right there.

  “If you keep doing that, I won’t be able to keep my animal under control,” he snarled through clenched teeth.

  “I don’t want you to,” she replied. “I want you to take me as I’ve never been taken before. I want you to claim me as your own.” His bear roared. He couldn’t stop it, but the look on her face was pure delight. As he watched, she reached behind her back and snapped the clasp on her bra. She slid the straps off her shoulders and down her arms, and her soft creamy breasts were revealed to him. Her nipples were pale pink and begged to be sucked. He dipped his head to do just that.

  “Wait,” she said sternly, stopping him in his tracks. She hooked her thumbs into the waistband of her panties and began to slide them down too. It was like she was doing a sexy striptease for him. His cock was so hard that he felt like it was about to burst.

  At last, she was naked, nothing obstructing his view of her lovely body. With a growl of hunger, he pushed her thighs apart, and she didn’t resist him. He gazed at her pussy, so pink, pretty and open for him, her wetness running out of her, making her thighs slick and glistening.

  He couldn’t hold back any longer. His body pulsed with the energy of his bear as he climbed on top of her and slid his big, thick cock into her small, slick pussy. He felt her muscles rippling around his shaft and she cried out, her eyes becoming very bright. As her nails raked his back he stopped moving.