The Sheriff and His Air Goddess [The Shifters of Freedom Springs 3] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Maia Dylan

  “Ah! Fuck! Ryan!”

  Ryan grinned almost savagely at the confirmation that he stoked exactly where he needed to within her. He felt the tingling sensation at the base of his spine that told him he was getting close to his own climax. Wanting to see her go over one more time before he lost himself to the frenzy of the orgasm that hovered above him like a wave set to crash onto the shore, he leant forward and ground his hips against her so that he rubbed hard against her clit with his body, and that was all it took.

  Ariana suddenly tensed, screamed his name, which made him feel ten feet fucking tall, then shook madly as her orgasm claimed her. He felt the convulsive quivering of her pussy around him, and the flood of her hot cream against the sensitive skin of his dick. The rhythmic pulsing of her body around his milked him of his own orgasm, and he roared his pleasure to the world.

  When Ryan was able to move again, he gently lowered Ariana’s legs back to the bed. He fell slowly forward and held himself up on his arms for a few moments, dragging air into his lungs and wondering when he would actually get the feeling in his legs back. From the way they felt in this moment, he figured it would be a while.

  With a groan he moved so that he lay beside her. Ariana rolled toward him, and he pulled her up and over his chest so that she was draped across him. The weight of her across his chest had him feeling content. They lay like that for a few moments, and Ryan heard her give a great sigh of contentment that had him smiling.

  “Stop grinning like an idiot, wolf boy,” Ariana said with a voice that was raspy and cracked a little. Apparently, making love to her so well that she screamed his name at the top of her lungs would do that to a woman. “I’ll show you I can fuck you into the mattress as good as you just did to me in a minute. I am simply waiting for the feeling to return in my legs.”

  Ryan laughed softly as he squeezed her against his chest, loving the closeness and ease he had with her. “I’ll look forward to that, love.”

  They lay in companionable silence, and Ryan’s thoughts turned to the events of the day. There was one thing about the turn of events that saw the bear being his new deputy that was plaguing him.

  “Why do you think it is that Liam was able to step through the rift?” he asked, figuring that his mate was the most knowledgeable of all of them on all things prophecy.

  “I have no idea,” Ariana said on a sigh, lifting her head high enough to place her fist under it. “But I’ve been thinking that same thing. The only people that should have been able to even find the Pagan Stone were those of us directly affected by the prophecy. I figured that Mum and Dad can get through because, well, Casey and I are their daughters, and we carry a part of each of them within us. You and your brothers are mates to three of the Elementals, but Liam? It makes no sense. Neve is most definitely the Water Element. Even if we hadn’t sensed her using her powers today, as soon as I caught an echo of her resonance, I would have recognized her as one of us.” Ariana tilted her head in a cute thoughtful way that Ryan couldn’t help but find endearing. “You don’t think he could be Neve’s mate, do you?”

  Ryan frowned as he thought back to those moments at the Pagan Stone that afternoon. For wolves, the reaction to their mates when the mating bond snapped into place was instantaneous and so fucking strong it dropped them to their knees. He had seen it happen with his brothers Cole and Travis, on the night the two of them bonded to Fiona. Hell, he had felt it himself when he met Ariana for the first time. From what he knew about other shifters, the feeling was just as intense.

  “It’s a good thought, baby, but I don’t think he can be. Liam looked a little shell-shocked when he met Neve, and it was obvious that the two of them had a connection of some kind, but there is no way he could have stayed on his feet under the power of a mating bond connection snapping into place.”

  “But Liam is a bear shifter,” Ariana said as she looked sideways at him, and he saw the glint of mischief in her eyes. “Maybe they are just a lot stronger and more virile than a wolf shifter.” She grinned impishly as she placed her hand against his chest. He felt her moving her fingers through the hair on his chest, and his dick began to harden.

  “Oh hell no,” Ryan growled as he moved quickly, lifting her higher up his body so that she basically lay on top of him, face-to-face. The long, silken black strands of her hair slid across his skin, forming a curtain around them that closed them off from the world around them. “There is nothing stronger or more fucking virile than a mated wolf. And I figure now’s as good a time as any to prove that to you again.”

  When she settled herself more fully against him, her pussy lay directly across the now painfully tight hardness of his erection. He groaned as she sat up, her hips grinding a little against him in a tight circle that had him gripping her waist. Using her left arm, she dragged her hair up and over her head so that it fell in a thick rope over her left shoulder. Her hair was so damn long it fell down over her breast, almost hiding the succulent flesh from his gaze. She looked so damn sexy and beguiling Ryan felt he was in very real danger of swallowing his own tongue.

  “Oh no, lover,” she said in a voice that spoke of smoke and sin and had him almost panting with the need to be inside her. “Don’t you remember? It’s my turn to fuck you into the mattress.” She rose up onto her knees, then reached behind her to grip his cock, and Ryan arched his back at the feel of her small, soft hand gripping his dick firmly.

  “Sweet Jesus,” he growled through clenched teeth. “Fuck, just one touch from you and I am on the very verge of disgracing myself, before I’ve even had the chance to enjoy being fucked through the mattress.”

  “Ryan, baby.” Ariana’s voice had turned a little breathless as she placed his cock at her entrance. “Have you ever had a woman ride you like the stallion she thinks you are, and made you come so damn hard you see stars?”

  Ryan couldn’t take his eyes from hers and quickly shook his head no. Ariana grinned at him as she slowly slid her body down over his erection, swiveling her hips as she took him to the very hilt. When the head of his cock bottomed out within her, they both groaned at the feeling.

  “Well hold on tight, my wolf. I’m about to show you constellations the likes of which you have never seen before.”

  Ariana began to move on him, slowly at first, then picking up speed. He slid his hand from her hips and reached up to cup her beautiful breasts as they bounced so perfectly to the rhythm she set. Soon, her movements began to gather speed, and Ryan felt his balls pull tight up against his body, a clear sign that he was nearing an orgasm of huge proportions. The scent of sex and of his mate made his head swim, and the room echoed with their joint sounds of pleasure.

  When Ariana lifted her hands up into her hair, Ryan felt his heart stutter at the sight of her. With her back arched and her breasts thrust outward, she looked like the goddess he knew her to be. Just as he was about to slide his hands down her torso so that he could get his hand on her clit and drive her over the edge so he could let go and join her, she grinned at him.

  This grin was unlike any he had seen from his woman. This one clearly said she had him, and she was about to own his ass in all its naked glory. It was a grin that cast a spell and issued a challenge, all in one fell swoop. He narrowed his eyes and was about to issue a challenge of his own when she suddenly shifted, dropping her hands to his chest. She rose slightly onto her knees and began to slam her hips against his.

  “Shit!” was all he was able to grit out as his world began to burn around him. She added this roll of her hips with every rapid downstroke that had him gripping them in desperation, throwing his head back, roaring her name, and coming so damn hard he sure as fuck did see stars. Hell, he saw the whole damn Milky Way in an explosion of light he swore had actually left burn marks behind on his retinas.

  “Ryan!” he heard Ariana scream as she shuddered above him, coming hard, if the rapid and strong pulse of her pussy around his still-quivering dick was anything to go by. When she fell against him, he wrapped his
arms around her and pulled her tight against his chest. Ryan knew in that moment, that claiming bite or not, if Ariana did depart this life at the end of autumn, then she wouldn’t be going alone. He loved her completely and would follow her anywhere. Including into the abyss of death.

  Chapter 5

  “There has to be something we’re missing. This seems way too hard.” Neve swept her hair off her sweaty face, and Ariana couldn’t help but grin at the younger woman’s frustration.

  “You’re the one that bloody wanted to try this!” Casey grumped from where she was lying on the living room floor of her parents’ place, just as tired and sweaty as the rest of them. Kingi and Maggie were currently in New Zealand for Kingi’s sister’s birthday, so they had the house to themselves.

  “I know!” Neve threw her hands in the air in frustration. “So, why didn’t y’all tell me I was full of shit and that this was a stupid idea?”

  Ariana giggled from where she sat on the floor with her back against the wall, letting her sore and aching muscles rest, fighting to calm her own breathing.

  “Because, you’ve only been here for six weeks, and we were too nice to tell you to fuck off,” Fiona mumbled, her voice slightly muffled from being pressed into the cushions of the couch she had collapsed in.

  Ariana pushed away the concern that there were officially only three more weeks of autumn. “Bullshit, we all thought it would be easy and that we’d pick it up fast. Who knew that although we can manipulate the natural elements of Earth, none of us have any natural skill or ability to dance?”

  “You are not wrong,” Neve groaned as she lowered herself gently into one of the brown armchairs they had pushed against the wall of the living room. “All those people doing it on the Internet and YouTube made it look so damn easy!”

  “Again, they were people with natural ability and rhythm.” Ariana pushed to her feet and groaned as she stretched muscles she had not used before. “We were just not meant to whip, nae-nae, and twerk.”

  “Is that what you’ve all been doing in here?”

  Ariana felt joy flood her system at the sound of Ryan’s voice. When she turned toward the doorway, he stood with his shoulder against the doorjamb, his arms crossed across his chest.

  “Had I known what you were doing, I would have come by earlier to watch.”

  “You perv,” Fiona accused as she moved to sit properly on the couch. “You just want to see us shaking our moneymakers.”

  “Nah, Fi.” Ryan gave the half grin Ariana loved and pushed off the doorjamb to walk toward her, wrapping his arms around her waist when he got within reach. “There’s only one Elemental I want to watch shake her anything, and I know all too well what her hips can do.”

  “Ewwww, dude,” Casey said with a shudder. “Honestly, there is no one in this room interested in hearing about Ariana’s hips and how good they move.”

  “That’s not entirely true,” Liam said with a grin as he stepped into the room. Both he and Ryan were dressed in their uniforms and had obviously come over during their shift. “As a red-blooded male with more than his fair share of testosterone, I am more than willing to hear about Ariana’s hips.”

  “Fuck off, Liam,” Ryan snarled in his direction. “Look for your own woman, and keep your eyes off mine.”

  Ariana shivered at the possessive tone in his voice. At first she thought he was entirely kidding, but she caught the glint of blue in his eye that told her his wolf was a little on the irritated side as well. She leaned into him and petted his chest, soothing and settling both man and wolf.

  “Ah, no. That is not going to happen. I’m not looking for a woman in my life, and I haven’t met one that would make me want to change my mind on that either,” Liam said on a laugh, but Ariana had the feeling that there wasn’t a hell of a lot of humor in the sound. She felt a pang of pain that struck at her very core, and she frowned wondering where on earth it had come from.

  “Neve.” Casey’s voice came down the link they shared as Elementals, and Ariana turned to look at Neve in the armchair. There was a shimmering sheen of tears in her eyes, and Ariana knew that the pain she felt within her came from Neve. Rain began to fall strong and steady outside as Neve’s blue eyes began to glow.

  Ariana felt her heart ache for the young woman who wore her emotions all too clearly on her face. She was in pain. Over the past month and a half, Ariana had suspected on more than one occasion that Neve had feelings for the bear shifter. She would get nervous and stutter slightly whenever he came around. This was something he didn’t do very often.

  Normally, Neve was a confident woman who had serious control over herself and her power. She could call the rain, draw moisture from the environment around her, and wield it with deadly accuracy. But as soon as Liam was anywhere near her, she suddenly lost that confidence.

  Liam, on the other hand, had been almost painfully unaffected by Neve. There were times when the group had been brainstorming about the prophecy, when Ariana thought she had caught him staring at the young woman longingly. But judging by that statement, perhaps she had been mistaken.

  “Casey?” Ariana shot her a look, trusting that she would interpret it correctly.

  “On it,” she sent back, just as she stepped in front of Neve to block her from view.

  Ariana desperately tried to think of a way to get Liam out of the room so that Neve would have a moment to compose herself.

  “Liam,” Ryan suddenly spoke, and Ariana’s gaze flew to his. “I left that information regarding the new moon out in the truck. Can you grab it for us? We’ll meet you in the kitchen.”

  Liam left quickly, and Ariana got the feeling he sensed that something was off. Ryan kissed Ariana gently on the temple before he followed his deputy from the room. Ariana walked over to Neve and sat beside the pale-looking woman. She wrapped her arm around the shoulders of the pale woman and sighed.

  “I’m guessing that you’re feeling a little more for our favorite Ursidae deputy than simply friendship.”

  * * * *

  Neve sighed as she dropped her head back against Ariana’s arm. “I have no idea what you just said, but if you mean, do I think that man is sex on a cracker and have secretly changed his name in my head to Hottie McHotterson from Hotsville? Then, yeah, I do.” Neve cast her eyes around her Elemental sisters, and even though she knew they were probably fighting not to have it show, there were definitely shadows of pity in their eyes. This was just perfect!

  “Look, Neve,” Casey said as she moved to sit up. “We were all there the day you two clapped eyes on each other. It was pretty fucking intense. Have you tried talking to him to see if maybe there could be a spark of a little somethin’ somethin’? Perhaps see if it could lead to the two of you playing a resounding game of hide the salami?”

  “And you wonder why it is that people lock their doors around you,” Fiona said with a shake of her head. “Honestly, do you stay up at night thinking of ways to be crasser?”

  “Nope.” Casey winked at Neve, grinning. “It comes naturally.”

  “Neve, what my tactless and ever-crass little sister is trying to say,” Ariana said dryly, “is have the two of you tried talking to each other? Perhaps exploring if the attraction is mutual?”

  Neve barked a humorless laugh and launched herself off the couch. Her body suddenly filled with a desperate kind of energy. “I don’t know if any of you have noticed, but over the past month and a half, every time he turns up, I turn into a blithering idiot! Why the hell can I not keep myself together when he is in the damn room? I mean, Jesus Christ, I can control water!” Neve threw her hand out the window to point at the clouds that were gathering quickly over Freedom Springs. With autumn in full swing and the chill of winter already in the air, there was quite a lot of moisture in the air.

  “I am so freaking emotional around that man, and I have no fucking idea why!” Neve started to pace backward and forward in front of the window. “When y’all came up to me at the Pagan Stone, everything seemed to cli
ck into place for me. My whole damn life I have searched for my place, that one place where I fit and don’t stick out like a preacher in a whorehouse. You know what I mean?”

  “Ah, Neve.”

  She heard Fiona speak her name, but now that she was up and venting, she wanted to get it all out.

  “And that’s what I feel I have found here in Freedom Springs. Packing up in Virginia and ending up here just felt like I was being drawn here. And seeing Liam that day, standing with you all, hit me like a sledgehammer!” Neve’s heart was pounding as she remembered that day all too clearly. Stepping out of the mist she had pulled around her when she thought she may be in danger, and seeing them all standing there, she hadn’t been afraid. She had more of a “ah, there you all are!” moment.

  “Neve, sweetheart, you have to—” Ariana stood up from the couch, but Neve stepped back. She still hadn’t told them the part that was driving her insane.

  “It hit me because that was not the first time I had seen that man. Hell, I even knew he was a fucking bear shifter. I have seen him shift from boy to cub, from man to bear for nearly twenty years! What the hell can that mean? If I have seen him in my dreams for so damn long it feels like he has literally watched me grow up, what the hell does it mean now?”

  “Neve!”

  Ryan’s voice had her jolting out of her tirade and turning to look at him in the door. Oh God, had she been yelling? Had Liam heard her basically scream her lustful feelings and raging insanity to the room? Oh dear God, just shoot me now.

  “I’m not sure if you realize or not, but you are turning the showers that were forecast for this afternoon into a fucking torrential downpour!” Ryan snapped as he pointed out the window behind her.

  Spinning around, Neve felt her face flood red with shame. Cursing her Irish heritage for her quick-to-fire temperature as well the fact that she blushed at the drop of a hat, Neve started weaving the patterns that would dial the rain back. Within seconds it began to ease, until it stopped completely.