by Fel Fern
Chuckling, Connor took a step back, his gold-green eyes dancing. The werebear peeled off his shirt, and he froze, staring at the hard planes of muscles. Ink curled all over Connor’s upper body and arms.
“You’re not undressing.” At Connor’s command, he took off his pants, then his boxers. He kicked them aside only to see Connor fully undressed, a monster of a cock hanging between his legs.
He licked his lips. “I’ve never had anything so big inside me.”
“Intimidated, little human?” Connor asked.
He shook his head. Then, in moments, Connor spun him by the shoulder, hand fisting his hair, teeth on his neck. He groaned, aroused when Connor nudged his prick between his ass cheeks. The werebear didn’t rut him yet, merely started kissing his neck again, seemingly focused on one spot.
Then he felt a sudden painful prick, felt the blood dripping down his neck a moment later, but he wasn’t terrified. Maybe dominant shifters did this biting thing all the time. Craning his neck, he saw it wasn’t as deep as he thought through the mirror on the wall. The wound didn’t look like a messy bite either, but neat and precise.
What took his breath was Connor, pupils a pure gold. “Need to be inside you now.”
Definitely an order, but he was all but ready to have the huge shifter buried inside his ass. “How do you want me, big bear?”
That nickname made Connor rumble—in approval?
“On your hands and knees. Fuck. We need lube.”
“I have some, in my small travel bag. It’s orange and inside the outer zipper of my wheeled luggage.”
Connor took no more than a second or two and returned with the lube in his hand. “You planned on meeting some stranger to fuck?”
The werebear’s voice was harsh, possessive. He scoffed and answered, “Well, that or, you know, personal time for myself.”
“I’d like to see that, you touching your dick and balls under my command.”
The suggestion sent a shiver down his spine. He couldn’t recall the last time he’d been this horny, this honest with another man.
“I think I’d like that, too,” he whispered. Plus, that only implied that after tonight, there was a promise of a second time.
“Good. Now, on your hands and knees,” Connor said.
He did just that, only to feel Connor’s rough and callused hand on his spine. Connor dragged his fingers lower, to the crease between his buttocks. He opened his legs wider, but Connor only rubbed at his hole, then walked up to him, cock near Danny’s face. Knowing what the werebear wanted, he flicked his tongue over Connor’s tip, licking away the pre-cum.
Connor speared fingers through his hair, groaning as he continued his exploration. Danny circled Connor’s cockhead, paid attention to the sensitive spot underneath. He covered every ridge and bump, not missing a spot before Connor tugged his hair.
“Take me in your mouth,” Connor said.
Danny did as he was asked. Since Connor was too big, he took in a few inches, sucking hard, trying again and again until he was able to take the werebear’s entire shaft down his throat. He bobbed his head up and down, before Connor pulled his prick away. He licked the remaining cum off his lips, surprised Connor leaned in close and kissed him hard on the mouth.
Connor nipped at his lip, drawing a little blood. “Ready for me, little human?”
He nodded, unable to speak. Connor positioned himself behind him. He heard the lube being uncapped and felt Connor’s slick fingers inside him. Connor widened him for access. Those few minutes felt like torture of the worst kind, because his dick had hardened from half to full mast by now.
Danny was on the verge of coming, but he held it back, refusing to act like some horny teenager with little control over his body. Thankfully, Connor finally replaced his digits with his cock. The werebear gripped his hips and breached him.
He let out a breath, the bite on his neck aching slightly, but the burn of Connor’s entry only lasted a few seconds. Once Connor pushed past the thick ring of muscles, he could breathe easier.
He was touched Connor didn’t just go all the way in but pushed in steadily, slowly, until he was seated deep inside Danny.
“Fuck, you’re so tight,” Connor murmured.
“And you’re so big.” It was true. Connor’s prick felt so huge in him, that Connor completely stretched him wide.
“Time to make you fly, baby.” Connor began thrusting in and out of him, replacing the initial pain with pleasure.
Yes, Danny thought, craving connection of the most intimate kind with his werebear. Without realizing it, he began to think of Connor as his, but it didn’t seem wrong. It wasn’t just their bodies that seemed connected, but also their hearts. The pressure inside him continued to mount with each entry, and he found himself meeting Connor for every thrust.
Connor fucked him faster, going deep and deeper each time, breaching his most intimate places. Then the werebear reached for his dick and began to stroke. The dual assault of Connor taking his ass and working his prick proved too much.
He let out a gasp when Connor hit that sensitive place inside of him, arched his back when Connor went for his prostate again. Danny clawed at the wooden floor, nails leaving tiny scratches.
“I’m close,” he whispered, aware of his balls tightening against his body. Danny’s dick hung heavy between his legs. Every muscle in his body tensed up.
“Me, too. I want to hear you come undone for me, little human.” Connor then gave his cock another tug. That did the trick. He came, pressure bursting as he screamed out Connor’s name. Danny spilled his load all over Connor’s fingers.
His werebear wasn’t done. Connor hammered in and out of him several more times before finishing inside his ass. No condom, he thought, but shifters didn’t catch anything, and he was clean. Then he let his mind slip into a sea of bliss. He nearly crumpled on the floor, but Connor easily caught him. Connor settled cross-legged on the floor, pulling Danny against him.
Danny straddled Connor, locking his arms around Connor’s neck. Connor felt warm against him, there was no need for a blanket or other winter clothing for the moment. Connor’s gaze rested on his neck, those yellow eyes clearing.
The werebear swore.
“What’s wrong?”
“I shouldn’t have bit you.”
“Huh? Isn’t biting like a shifter thing?”
“This particular mark is special. Don’t ask, not yet. I don’t want to ruin this. You feel so fucking good against me, a perfect fit,” Connor said.
He felt that way, too. Every inch of his body felt languid. He could fall asleep right in Connor’s arms, except something about Connor’s words bothered him.
“What are you hiding from me?” he grumbled, but Connor started stroking his back. Damn, that felt good. He let out a sound of pleasure.
Connor’s gaze lit with amusement. “Did you just purr for me?”
“Must be your imagination.” He cuddled closer to Connor, loving the feel of those steel-corded arms round his body. These arms, he sleepily thought, would catch me if I fell, would always hold me close.
“Connor, what aren’t you telling me?”
“Tomorrow.”
“No lies between us, remember? You established that rule,” he said. Exhaustion began to set in though, reminding Danny he had a long day. Tomorrow was a fine time to continue this discussion, he thought.
“I did. I don’t plan on holding anything back, but for tonight, I just don’t you to hate me.”
Connor sounded so sad that he decided to let it go.
Chapter Seven
Connor couldn’t sleep. He kept staring at the now bandaged mate mark he put on Danny an hour, or was it two hours ago? He wasn’t too sure. His bear couldn’t understand his confusion. To the beast, binding Danny to them had been the best move. Danny had been everything he imagined, even better, his submissiveness matching his own dominance.
Danny didn’t seem to find him too rough or intimidating, either. All of Con
nor’s past experiences with other men seem to pale terribly in comparison to the sizzling and mind-blowing sex with Danny.
Then he’d fucked things up by giving Danny the mate mark. Needing to think, he carefully slipped off the covers. True to Danny’s word, the human continued snoring loudly. Danny looked adorable though, curled on his side. Connor lifted up the comforter over Danny’s body, waiting to see if Danny would wake.
No reaction. Then again, it must have been a tiring day for the human. Connor padded out of the room, not bothering to dress. Careful not to make a noise, he slipped out of the cabin and shut the door behind him. The lights in the main cabin were off.
His brothers were probably asleep. Good. He shifted, the smooth change surprising him. His inner animal still couldn’t comprehend anything wrong with their earlier actions, but at least the grizzly wasn’t fighting him.
Danny, he thought with surprise, kept him steady. Once his paws hit the snow, he no longer felt the cold. He thought he spotted a light turning on in the kitchen, but before Mac and, God forbid, Rick, saw him, he bolted to the nearest line of trees. The fact the cabins were surrounded by thick woods had been the reason his mom chose to build their home and business on the outskirts of town.
His mom might have been human, but she knew her boys often turned into bear cubs, and cubs liked playing in the forests. He sprinted further into the woods. Winter made everything bleak. No leaves or bushes, just black branches outlined by the half-moon above him. Connor wondered if Danny would agree to take a walk with him through these woods he and his brothers called home.
Danny might look slender and small, but he certainly had a spine of steel. His mate wouldn’t back away from a challenge—except, he almost forgot, Danny didn’t even know what that bite on his neck meant. Connor ran faster, thoughts troubled. He wasn’t aware of something tailing him until he heard a snarl.
He let out a roar of defiance in response. Seeing the huge reddish-brown bear in the cleaning ahead, Connor was annoyed. There was no mistaking Rick’s distinctive fur. Only Rick had inherited their mom’s hair, while Mac and he were black-haired, like their dad. He growled at Rick, warning Rick with his eyes to leave him the fuck alone and get out of his way. Connor needed to think, to plan his next move. The last thing he wanted was to lose Danny right after finding his mate.
Mate. Connor didn’t doubt himself or his bear. Danny was the one man he’d been searching for his entire life. He’d always thought dangerous shifters like him that couldn’t control their inner beasts didn’t deserve mates, that eventually he’d hurt his fated half. Except it didn’t feel that way at all. In fact, after giving Danny the bite mark, his bear felt more settled than it had ever been.
That didn’t mean he was in the mood to deal with his brother. Rick only sought Mac or him out for one reason, to talk.
Did Mac put Rick up to his? His older brother didn’t budge even as he came barreling at the other werebear. It was as if Rick knew he wanted a fight. They collided, two unstoppable forces of nature.
They clawed and bit at each other, rolling on the snow, each fighting to see who was more dominant. Danny would freak out if he saw this, but that was how dominant shifter males rolled. He fought to keep his animal stable.
Tired and all raked up, both Connor and Rick released each other. Fuck. Connor was bleeding all over the snow. Then again, he did a number on his brother, too. Without another word, they retraced their steps to the cabin. The kitchen light remained on, which meant Mac was indeed awake.
They entered via the back door, both cut up and covered in bruises.
“You two sorted things out?” Mac asked, dumb grin on his face as he decimated a bucket of fried chicken.
He narrowed his eyes. “No. Why did you send him after me?”
“Mac was worried,” Rick said.
They both found an extra pair of pants in the plastic drawer by the kitchen door. Their mom had been the one who suggested that idea, to have clothes nearby in case one of them needed to shift. Shifters were comfortable with nudity, but that was one habit she’d never gotten used to.
“Worried for nothing,” he said.
Rick studied him closer. “Your bear feels different.”
“It’s because Connor marked his human, our new tenant,” Mac drawled.
He wanted to punch the bastard in the face for sounding so smug, and for being so inconsiderate. If Mac planned on getting fried chicken, his brother could have asked if he wanted his own bucket, too.
“You did what?” Rick practically yelled. His older brother narrowed eyes at him, green eyes like his own.
“Fuck, Rick. You don’t have to say it like that, like Danny’s doomed to be with me. I know what I am, that I’m the most unstable shifter you know, but it was going to happen sooner or later,” he said.
To his surprise, Rick asked, “What do you mean?”
“My bear wanted to claim him the moment we met.” That was the reason why Connor had wanted Danny gone so badly the first time they met. He didn’t understand the confusing emotions brewing inside him before, but he had an inkling now.
Rick voiced what he’d been thinking. “He’s your mate.”
Connor huffed. “I know how ridiculous that sounds. I’m unfit to be with anyone, especially a human.”
Rick walked up to him, clasped his shoulder, looking more serious than Connor had ever seen him. “Connor, you sure?”
“Absolutely. My bear needs to be around him all the time. Now that I’ve given him my mate mark, I need to be close to him, too.” Connor realized his animal wasn’t as angry or uncontrollable like before. Was that an effect of mating Danny?
Mac spoke up. “What if he leaves town?”
Fuck, now his often not-so-serious brother looked concerned, too.
“We’ll figure things out when that time comes,” he finally said.
Connor wasn’t in the mood to get into an argument with his either of his brothers, not now. He understood what they were both getting at. If Danny left, his bear would start spiraling out of control again. Who was Connor kidding? He couldn’t live in the city, surrounded by steel, concrete, and people. His bear would feel suffocated. Sooner or later, his animal would want to be let out, to wreck things.
“That’s your fucking plan?” Rick asked dryly. “What if your bear snaps? Who’s going to clean up your mess?”
“Fuck off, this is my problem.” Fuming, Connor left them without another word. He understood the consequences, knew if his bear cracked, only his brothers would be strong enough to take him down.
“Connor—” Mac called after him, interrupted by Rick.
“Leave him be,” Rick said.
Connor hauled himself upstairs and back to his room. Once inside, he walked to the single window in the room. Yanking the curtains aside, he had a perfect view of Danny’s cabin. His bear woke and the mate mark between them came alive. It hurt to breathe, even being so close. His bear would like nothing better than to snuggle up against Danny, pull Danny in his arms. Breathe in the human’s familiar scent.
My mate.
Connor rested his forehead against the cool glass. Staying away was no longer an option, especially now that he’d given the human his mate mark. By doing so, he’d cursed Danny. What kind of bastard would do that?
Connor needed to think, to plan out his next course of action. Could he really convince Danny not to leave the Red Mountains?
Chapter Eight
“Connor?” Danny mumbled, rubbing at his eyes.
He couldn’t remember the last time he had such a restful sleep. Ever since he started receiving those threatening letters from his stalker, Ronald, sleep proved elusive. Danny needed to take sleeping pills to get some shut-eye so he wouldn’t look like shit for work the next day. He focused on the empty space next to him. Of course. Connor was long gone.
Danny turned so he lay on his back. His neck ached, and he touched the spot where Connor bit him last night. Danny rubbed the bandage Connor lovingl
y placed there the night before. The werebear had been so quiet, focused on the task. It was so sweet, and Danny never expected to see that side of the werebear. It was a pleasant surprise.
Was it wrong he found Connor biting him hot as hell? Danny made a mental note to check online if werebears really liked biting their lovers. How would his big, growly bear react if Danny bit him?
Wait a second. Connor was his bear now?
Danny ran a frustrated hand through his hair. He was treading on dangerous territory, treacherous ice, and he knew it. Danny couldn’t recall the last time he fell so fast and hard for another man. Ages, it felt like, and Connor didn’t even know the real him.
Guilt slammed inside him. Danny always prized honesty, and yet from the moment he met Connor, he’d lie his ass off. Okay, for a good reason, but maybe it was time to come clean. Connor didn’t even react when Danny gave him hints about what he did for a living. The big bear would probably even tease him for it at first, but afterward?
Connor would come around, he knew that. Even though they were practically from different worlds, they’d make things work.
Goosebumps appeared across Danny’s arms. The big question hung in the air. In two months, what would be their next step? Danny laughed, unable to help himself. Connor and he just had sex once, and he was already thinking that far?
Danny got out of bed, feeling restless. He found a thick pair of jogging pants and pulled on a chunky sweater before exiting the room. Danny made himself coffee in the kitchen before hearing the steady thumps outside the cabin. Curiosity won. With coffee mug in hand, he put on his fluffy boots and padded outside to check the source of the noise.
He nearly dropped his mug. Connor stood outside his cabin, shirtless of all things, wearing boots, a faded pair of jeans, and wielding an axe like he was born to it. Danny stared as a bead of sweat rolled down Connor’s left muscled arm. Connor’s chest heaved in and out, but he made the task seem effortless. Thump. Another log halved, and Connor set a new one on the stump.
Then the werebear paused, gaze directly on him. Connor gave him that hungry look again, stirring his dick to life.