Carter’s mouth found her most tender spot and his senses went into overdrive. She smelled so fucking good, her pomegranate body wash wafting into his nostrils, combining with the intoxicating scent of her sweet sex, dripping from her wet entrance. He flicked a tongue over her clit and she moaned loudly, clenching her legs.
Her pussy was covered in a slick sheen, and Carter growled happily as he licked her, lapping up her juices like a hungry dog. Waves of carnal desire thumped in his groin, his heart beating urgently, every cell in his body screaming to take her hard and rough and claim her as his mate once again. She bucked her hips, eager for his mouth and groaning against Max’s lips. He slipped his tongue inside her then sucked on her tender clit as she rocked more and more desperately. He plunged two fingers inside her and she yelped, grabbing on to the back of his head and digging her fingers into his tangled mane of golden hair. She did the same to Max, palming his hair, pressing his mouth hard onto hers. Carter finger fucked her, sticky sweet wetness dripping from his rough fingers.
Jules arched her back with a wild, feral yelp, and Carter felt the muscles of her pussy clench against his fingers. A gush of wetness coated his entire hand and face. She shuddered, body seizing, and he knew she just had her first orgasm.
His cock throbbed painfully as he licked and sucked the juices off of her. Jules pushed Max’s head off of hers and gasped for breath, her pale breasts heaving up and down in the lacquer moonlight. Carter sat up and tore off his loose flannel shirt. He felt the sticky intrusion of the bandage on the back of his neck and ripped it off swiftly, tossing it to the floor. He unzipped his pants and released himself, crouching between her legs. He propped them on his shoulders as he pressed right at her entrance.
“I’ve been waiting for this so long, Jules,” he growled, his voice low and thick with need.
“Fuck me, Carter,” she breathed, panting. “Your mate.”
The urgency in her words drove him mad with lust. He pushed inside her, filling her completely in one swift move. She screamed in pleasure, taking him whole, her pussy clenching tight around him. Carter roared so loud and intensely that the glass of water on the bedside table shook and trembled.
He pumped, hard and deep, plunging into her as she panted and groaned. Max sat at her head, leaning down, whispering sweet nothings into her ear. She nodded, her hand reaching down in the dark room and fumbling for his zipper. He helped her free his cock, and it bounced free. She wrapped her fingers around it and pumped him slowly as Carter bucked his hips into her. Skin slapping against wet skin, his chest huffing and puffing as he thrust. His hands traveled to her breasts, kneading the soft flesh there, squeezing at her nipples, sending shivers of pleasure through her. She ground her hips against his, meeting him fully.
“God, I love you, Jules,” Carter howled, muscles tensed. He roared again as he released inside her. He made sure he was buried deep, coating her insides with as much of him as possible. He wanted to give every last drop of himself to her, offer his bear to her completely. She screamed again, thrashing her body, convulsing around his cock.
“Ah, Jules,” Carter huffed, sweat pouring off his forehead. He rolled over on to his back on the bed next to her, stretching his arms. He felt blanketed in pure satisfaction.
His mate was back. Jules turned her head and smiled, their eyes locking and sharing a moment, the air simmering with electricity. He kissed her softly, her lips prickling his with shocks of wonder and delight. Then his eyes widened and it hit him: he told her he loved her! He pulled back, his cheeks flushing red hot, but Jules only giggled.
Max caressed Jules’s sweet face, her cheeks cherry red from exertion. She was panting, her limbs still twitching slightly from the aftershock of her orgasm with Carter. Her eyes were locked on with his, smiling luxuriously. Jealousy prickled Max’s core, knowing that Carter got to claim her first this night. But what did it matter? She was his mate, too.
She turned her head and looked at Max, giving him a tired mix between a moan and a giggle. Her fingers loosened around his cock in her grasp.
“Jules,” Max said softly. “If you’re too tired, we don’t have to continue.”
“No, I want to,” she objected. She rubbed her forehead and tried to rid the exhaustion from her eyes.
Max felt like his cock might explode with desperate need, but he did his best to smother it and push it down. “Don’t worry, Jules,” he said as he removed her hand. “Get some rest, please. I can tell you’re completely exhausted.”
Her eyebrows turned up with concern. “Are you sure?”
He heaved a heavy sigh and nodded. “Yes.”
Max leaned down and kissed her forehead softly. He refrained from touching any other part of her, fearing he would lose control and have to mount her right then and there. She smiled but her eyes expressed a glimmer of worry and perhaps the slightest inkling of hurt.
“Go to sleep, sweet Jules,” he whispered. The quiet air gave way to low rumbling. Carter had fallen asleep already. Jules and Max both giggled.
“Join him,” Max said with a warm smile. He caressed a lock of her luminous black hair and she smiled back uncertainly. But when Max rose and began to step out of the room, Jules crawled over to Carter and wrapped herself in him. She pushed his dead-weight arm around her shoulders and nestled in, closing her eyes and welcoming sleep. Max knew she would fall asleep in no time at all.
Crickets chirped loudly from the darkness of the woods. It was the only sound Max could hear at this time of night, even with his heightened bear senses. He leaned against the wooden railing of the cabin and brought the cool lip of his Budweiser bottle to his mouth, taking a swig of the bubbly liquid. Dark thoughts swirled in his head and dread rumbled deep in his core.
He couldn’t shake the jealousy of seeing Jules claimed by Carter. Of course, he would’ve gotten a turn if he wanted. But Jules seemed utterly exhausted and he didn’t want her to strain herself. She’d been through so much already. Part of him withdrew because he knew it was a bad idea. Carter should’ve resisted his baser instincts. As soon as Jules emerged with only a bath towel covering her deliciously thick curves, staring at the two of them longingly with those incredible emerald green Bambi eyes ...
His cock twitched in his jeans. Stop it, Max.
He had to resist her. He had to leave the room, because if he didn’t ... if he claimed her again and let his bear indulge in the sweetness of his fated mate ... he knew he wouldn’t be able to deny her again. He wouldn’t be able to do the right thing. He would never be able to part with her again.
But he had to. They had to turn her in. There was no other choice. The last thing he wanted to do was form an even deeper bond with her before turning her in. It would hurt too much. It would hurt them both ...
His thoughts were interrupted by the screen door nudging open. He cocked his head over his shoulder to see Jules standing there. Carter’s over-sized t-shirt and boxers hung loosely off her curves. It was the least feminine outfit one could imagine, but on her it looked so damn cute and endearing. She wrapped her arms around herself, shivering in the nippy air, and took a hesitant seat next to him. Without asking, she grabbed his beer out of his hand and took a long chug.
Max cocked his eyebrow and chuckled. “Well, you’re rude, aren’t you?”
Jules smiled, pressing her side up against him affectionately. She handed back the beer and wiped the condensation on her shirt. “What are you doing up so late? Couldn’t sleep?”
Max shrugged. “I’ve got a lot on my mind.”
Jules inhaled sharply, her eyes pained. “Because you want to turn me in, don’t you?”
He grimaced. The thought of doing that made his insides clench with anxiety and dread. “I don’t want to,” he said quietly.
She wrapped her arms around her knees and pressed her chin into her kneecap. “But you will, though.”
Max sighed. “I don’t know what to do. I know what I should do. But everything inside of me... the bear inside, is scream
ing no. I have an animal inside me that’s thrashing wildly. My bear hates everything about this shitty situation.”
Their eyes locked on, the cold air heating in the distance between them. Her jade eyes smoldered with want but were tempered by an icy glimmer of hurt and worry.
“I don’t want to complicate your life,” Jules said sadly. “I don’t want you to have to break the law. To have to deal with the stress of hiding me and protecting me. It’ll put you in a cage. It’s confining. Restricting.”
Max understood what she meant, but his heart felt the opposite. Being near his mate made him feel freer than he’d ever felt in his life. The external circumstances didn’t matter. As long as he had her, his bear was free. Happy.
Dread hardened into a heavy lead weight inside him. He took a long chug of beer, hoping the alcohol would dull the sharp edges of his emotional angst. This was hard. So hard.
“Why didn’t you want to make love with me?” Jules asked, her eyes piercing.
He tensed. “Because you were exhausted. I wanted you to rest.”
She shook her head, her jet-black hair catching glimmers of silver moonlight. “That’s not why.”
“It is.”
“No, it’s not. I wanted to have you. I—” Her eyes lowered and cheeks grew rosy. Instead of finishing, she just shrugged. It seemed as though she was too shy to admit it.
Max clenched his jaw. He resolved to tell the truth. “I think it was a mistake going to bed with you. We should’ve kept our distance. Of course, Carter—” Max sighed, exasperated. “—There’s no controlling him. He’s not ashamed of his desire for you. He’s proud of it. He wants to shout it from the rooftops.”
Jules flinched and her eyes bulged with sudden anger. “Not ashamed? Are you ashamed?”
Max felt a stab of remorse. “No, that’s not what I meant. Really, Jules, I—”
She flung herself to her feet with a huff and turned on her heels towards the door. Max stood and gripped her hand tight, the shock of her touch sending electric shivers through him. His eyes lowered regretfully and spoke in hushed tones. “I could never be ashamed of you. What I’m ashamed of is—”
Jules’s breath hitched in waiting. He struggled with the words, forcing them to spill out. “Myself. My feelings. I don’t want this. I don’t want to fall in love. I don’t want a mate.”
Her eyes were glossy with confusion and hurt. “Why?”
Max sighed deeply, turning his eyes to the dark branches of the evergreens around them. How could he possibly explain it to her? “Because I ... I’m afraid it’ll end badly.”
Her face softened. A cloud of sad understanding overtook her. “I know. I am too. This is why I can’t put you guys through this. It’s not fair to you.”
Max shook his head. No, what wouldn’t be fair is denying the bears their mate... that wouldn’t be fair. Carter and Max would have no life at all without her. The problem wasn’t that. “No, Jules. It’s—”
His eyes clenched shut, his face twisting as he struggled. “It’s you. I’m afraid you’ll leave.”
When he opened his eyes again, she looked bewildered. “Why would I leave?” she breathed, her lips parted.
“I don’t know,” Max replied. His shoulders slumped. He dropped his hand from hers, skin growing cold in the absence of her heat. To his surprise, she warmed. Her lips tugged up into a tender smile and she stepped forward, pressing her soft curves against the hard planes of his muscular body. She wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing him against her. Prickling heat radiated all over him and he gasped to catch a breath. She craned her neck to look up into his eyes, the distance between them closing.
“You have nothing to worry about with me,” she whispered. “I’m your mate. I understand that now. I didn’t really want it either. I mean, the timing is god awful. But whatever this feeling is inside me, I know it’s real. I know it’s more important than anything else in my entire life. The way I feel when I’m with you and Carter... I feel safe. I feel wanted and needed. Genuinely loved. I don’t deserve it, but you give it to me anyway.”
Max studied her eyes, the words hitting him with bittersweet clarity. He caressed her cheek and pressed his forehead against hers, breathing deeply. He had to tell her. “My mother was a human,” he rasped, voice barely audible. “She was my father’s fated mate. But... something happened down the line. They fought. Their love for each other curdled and turned to resentment. One day my father came home to find her—”
His chest seized with pain. He shuddered as the memories rushed back. “—with another man. He snapped. He shifted and tore her and the other man to shreds.”
Jules gasped, her body tensing. She tried to step back but Max held her tight in his firm grasp. “I came home from school to find the house drenched in blood, guts strewn everywhere...” He swallowed hard, his voice coarse and pained. “My father disappeared. He was found three weeks later in a hotel room. He’d killed himself with a shotgun.”
Jules froze solid in his embrace, air rushing out in quick breaths. “I... I’m so sorry, Max.”
He clenched his jaw, using every ounce of his strength to fight the pain. He realized he’d been gripping Jules’s arms too tightly. He eased, leaving red marks on her tender skin. “I guess that’s why I don’t have confidence in this whole ‘fated mates’ thing. And given your situation—”
He lifted his head and looked down at her. Her eyes were brimming with tears, a look of shock and despair on her face. Her bottom lip quivered.
A wave of immense guilt struck him, and his stomach rolled. “I’m sorry, Jules. None of that has anything to do with you.”
Jules shook her head. “No. I’m glad you told me. I understand.”
She hesitantly brought her hand to his face and brushed her thumb over his bottom lip. Her eyes searched his, eager to bring him back to her. He felt the tendrils of her influence wrap around his core, and he warmed at her desire for closeness. His sob story hadn’t scared her away.
“There is nothing I can tell you that will get rid of your fears,” she whispered, her breath hot against his skin. “All I can do is offer myself to you fully. I’m yours.”
The words rang like a bell. Affection bloomed in his chest. Deep yearning consumed him from head to toe, and the bear inside roared in triumph. He knew he was letting his bear take over, abandoning his logical faculties, but in this moment he didn’t care. He crashed his lips against hers, binding himself with his mate. She opened up for him, letting him dart his tongue inside and explore her fully. He squeezed her breasts, let his hands travel up and down the soft hills of her. Her skin radiated heat and longing. Her essence was silently calling to him, drawing his bear out from hibernation.
He growled, ripping her shirt over the top of her head, releasing her beautiful breasts that jiggled in the cool night air. His erection grew harder, throbbing for her, and he pushed her gently. She stepped back, carefully retreating up the stairs to the porch. He pushed her hard against the wall, grinding his hips into her. She spread her legs for him, moaning, and his hand found the warm slickness hidden there. He tore off the boxers and she kicked them away, and in one swift move he grabbed both her thighs and buried himself between them. They both fumbled with his zipper and she eagerly grasped for his cock, pulling it out to freedom and guiding it to her.
Max roared as he pushed inside, sliding the entire length of his cock deep into her. She cried out, panting hard as his hips went to work pumping her.
“Yes, yes,” she panted.
The words fueled his lust even further. He dug his fingers into her hips, plunging in and out as she bucked into him, welcoming every inch. He groaned and shuddered, unable to control the speed and intensity of his thrusts. His bear completely consumed him and hijacked his senses. He kissed her hard, probing her mouth with his tongue, tasting her, drinking her like she was a fountain in the middle of the desert.
God, he needed this so bad. How good it felt to be inside her. To claim her as his m
ate again. He laced his fingers in her hair as he pounded her into the wall, grunting and growling, completely chained to his desperate need. She accepted his dirty past; embraced his brokenness. Didn’t flee in disgust at his implicit accusation of her inevitable betrayal.
None of it mattered. She was his now. He knew she clung on to her freedom, her agency passionately. But she was willing to stop running. To stay with them. To give herself to them fully.
His need grew to a fever pitch. Jules moaned desperately, and he felt her muscles convulsing around him.
“Oh, God, Max…”
Max clenched his eyes as he finished inside her. His body shuddered, his groan turning into a rumbling roar in his throat. His thrusting slowed. He pressed his sweaty forehead against hers, both of them panting. His muscles eased, and he slipped out, guiding Jules’s feet gently to the ground.
She wrapped her arms around him, and they squeezed each other in a tight embrace. She nuzzled her head against his heaving chest, sighing.
“You are—” Max panted, “—just incredible.”
Jules giggled.
For the moment at least, Max’s discontent was gone. He felt rejuvenated, cleansed. As if releasing himself inside Jules eased the shackles of his pain and allowed him to think with clarity again. No doubt or fear remained in his mind.
The screen door screeched open and a sleepy Carter craned his head out, his eyes widening when he saw them. He chuckled, voice thick with grogginess. “You finally got your turn, huh?”
Jules slapped his shoulder playfully.
“You guys really need to keep it down,” Carter joked. “You’ll wake all the creatures in the forest.”
27
Jules had no clue what time it was when she crawled back in bed with her two bears, but it felt late. She settled right in between them and felt protected and safe having two powerful grizzlies on both sides. Her mind was spinning, her limbs sore and exhausted, her pussy tender and well satisfied. It all seemed to happen so suddenly. She didn’t intend to sleep with them again. In fact, her rational mind fought against the notion violently. Yet she had to admit to herself, what was she really thinking, going out clad in nothing but a bath towel? She knew the effect her body had on them. As improbable as it seemed, her body drove them absolutely mad with desire.
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