Safe with Her Bears

by Madeline Hill

  He leaned on his elbow next to her, and growled as his hand found her ass, squeezing one cheek through her jean shorts.

  “Carter, I’m trying to draw,” Jules objected, swatting at his shoulder playfully.

  Carter smacked her ass hard, and she squealed. “Ow!”

  He leaned his face close, grinning, and rubbed his nose against hers, his whiskers tickling her cheek. “I want you again,” he growled, his hot breath sending plumes of need through her body.

  Jesus, she’d sucked him off in the morning before they got out of bed, and before lunch he’d pinned her up against the wall in the hallway, pressing his thick erection right up between her legs. He tore off her shorts, turned her around, and mounted her from behind, pounding her rough and hard, giving her a shivering orgasm, and making her body quiver and turn into jelly before releasing himself.

  Max had watched the scene with fire in his eyes, and as soon as his eyes met hers, she knew she’d4 give him a turn. So as she was still feeling the aftershocks of her orgasm with Carter, Max pressed her back against the wall and spread her legs, stuffing himself deep and pummeling her, bringing her to the brink of another screaming orgasm. He pulled out and she fell to her knees, taking him in her mouth as he roared with satisfaction.

  That was only an hour and a half ago. Now Carter was ready for another round. Jules was continually amazed at her own voraciousness. Her panties were sopping wet just from having him in the vicinity. Her clit thrummed with electricity as she gazed into his eyes. Their mouths pressed together and he used his strong arms to pull her on top of him, grinding his impossibly thick erection into her crotch. She burned for him as she crouched down and unzipped his fly, freeing his magnificent cock. He was thick with need and hard as a rock, as if he hadn’t had an orgasm in days.

  She licked her lips before diving in. Carter tossed his head back and let out a feral growl as she took him in her mouth and sucked gently. He laced his fingers through her hair and pushed himself deeper, filling her mouth. She relished the taste of him on her tongue. It drove her wild with hunger. She couldn’t help plunging a hand down her shorts and rubbing herself as she sucked him harder and harder, desperate for him to explode inside her, and for his delicious cream to spurt down her throat.

  She felt herself cresting the wave of an intense orgasm when Carter suddenly pushed her off his cock. He grabbed her and tossed her onto her back, tearing off her shorts and taking her panties with them. She was lucky he hadn’t ripped them yet.

  He buried his face in her, tongue shooting out and licking her up and down. She shivered, gripping his head and pushing him deep as she wrapped her legs around him. He sucked on her clit, making her groan with pleasure. Her back arched and she bucked her hips into his face, and once again she felt an orgasm rip through her, tearing her apart and making every part of her scream out in pleasure. He glanced into her eyes with a satisfied grin before heaving up and pushing the entire length of his cock inside her. She cried out, digging her fingernails into his back as he bucked into her. Her legs trembled around him, and incredibly, she knew another orgasm was right around the corner.

  Max knelt in the damp dirt, dragging his fingers through the earth. He dug a hole, sprinkled seeds from a sack at his side, then pushed the dirt back on top and patted it with a satisfied smile. A scream sounded from inside the cabin. He looked over his shoulder and listened to the sound of Jules’s pleasure combined with Carter’s grunts and roars.

  Good God, Carter was at it again. That boy just couldn’t control himself. He wanted her multiple times a day. The worst part was, every time they did it, Max wanted a piece of the pie, too. He instantly grew hard and stiff, and an odd combination of jealousy and competitiveness took over. He always wanted to claim Jules afterwards, to make sure she was his too. It was silly, but he chalked it up to the feral side of him, the carnal nature of his bear.

  At times he worried for her, hoping that she wasn’t getting too tired or sore. But she clearly loved every minute, and even initiated it. Nearly every day he’d wake up in the morning to the feeling of Jules’s mouth around his cock, sucking him hard and drawing out a blissful orgasm to start his day right. Throughout the day she’d interrupt whatever he was doing and practically rip his clothes off, eager to feel him inside her.

  Max smirked. She was too good. He’d felt so incredible ever since she gave herself to them. It wasn’t just the sex. The three of them had developed an unbreakable bond. His heart felt content and satisfied for the first time in his entire life. He felt comfortable. At home. At times it concerned him, because it all felt like a dream. In a way he felt like he was losing his sharpness. His edge. He just felt like he was on cloud nine every single day.

  The rattle of an engine approached. Max turned with a shock to see a red pick-up coming into view from around the bend. A mop of curly brown hair jiggled behind the windshield, and his heart picked up the pace in his chest. He stood and waved, dread forming in his belly, as Zariah approached. He side-glanced to the cabin nervously, hoping that Jules and Carter could hear the truck.

  Zariah stepped out and slammed the door, scowling.

  “Hey, Z!” Max greeted.

  She trotted over to him, hands on her hips. “We have a problem, Max.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Larry, the grocery clerk in town. He got roughed up by a group of bikers. He’s got a broken rib and he’s covered in bruises, but he’ll be okay.”

  Max gasped. Larry was a fixture of their little town. He’d been the clerk since Max was a little boy. “Why would they do that?”

  “They were trying to get information... about you and Carter.”

  Max clenched his fists, realization setting in. “They’re cougar shifters, aren’t they?”

  “Probably,” Zariah frowned. “This has to do with that Jules girl, doesn’t it? Are they after her?”

  “I think so,” Max shifted his weight, unsure what to say. The screen door screeched open and Carter stepped out, his face flushed, his hair a frizzy mop on his head. He was shirtless, his fly undone. It was obvious he’d dressed in a frantic hurry.

  “Oh, hey, sis,” Carter greeted with a nervous smile. “What brings you up here?”

  Max narrowed his eyes. “Larry’s been attacked by cat shifters. They were looking for Jules and trying to get information about us.”

  “Larry? The old guy who works at the grocery store?” The other two nodded, and Carter’s face fell.

  Zariah looked at the bears suspiciously. “Why would you two know anything about Jules’s whereabouts?”

  Carter shrugged. “Don’t know. But I imagine they want to get their revenge on us, since we killed one of theirs.”

  Zariah arched a dark eyebrow. “You did? When?”

  “Last week,” Max answered quickly, not confident in Carter’s ability to spin a story. “He attacked us in the woods. He was looking for Jules.”

  “Oh,” she replied. “Well, you guys had better be careful. I think you should go find these guys and give them a piece of your mind. Send them a message so they don’t hurt any more innocent people.”

  Carter and Max looked at each other with solemn resolve and nodded.

  “If you need some extra muscle, give me a call,” she added. She turned on her heel to return to the truck but paused. She eyed Carter up and down suspiciously, then dragged her eyes over to Max, searching.

  “What?” Max asked.

  “Something’s fishy,” she said slowly. She looked back and forth between them.

  “Must be the salmon we cooked for lunch,” Carter joked awkwardly.

  Zariah smirked, her eyes lighting up with mischief. “Oh? I haven’t eaten. You got any leftovers?”

  “Nope,” Carter blurted. “None. You know us. Big appetites and all.”

  “That’s too bad. I wouldn’t mind a cup of coffee, though.”

  Max clenched his jaw. He knew what she was up to.

  “Actually, Max and I were just about to leave,�
�� Carter said. “We had to pick up some things in town. We might as well go now and see if we can deal with this cougar issue.”

  “What, you can’t spare twenty minutes to have a cup of coffee with your big sis?” Zariah asked, her question coming across more like a taunt.

  “Not today, Z,” Max said wearily.

  Zariah narrowed her eyes and clenched her fists, her body tightening. Like a flash of lightning she bolted towards the house, forehead lined with determination. Carter blocked the door, his eyes widening. He glanced at Max nervously, but what could they do?

  “Let me in, Carter,” Zariah commanded.

  “No.”

  “She’s in there, isn’t she?”

  “You can’t just barge into our house like this, Z. Get the hell out of here and mind your own business.”

  Zariah stepped back and crossed her arms, smirking smugly. “I knew it.”

  “Zariah, it’s none of your concern,” Max said helplessly.

  “Actually, it is,” she said with a scoff. “Your actions are causing harm and putting the townspeople in danger.”

  Carter’s nostrils flared, his eyes flaming with rage. He spat through gritted teeth. “Get. Out.”

  “You’re not thinking clearly,” she insisted. “I expected as much from you, Carter.” She turned to Max with a disappointed frown. “But you, Max? You’re supposed to be the voice of reason.”

  “We’ll turn her in, Zariah,” Max lied. “It’s none of your concern.”

  “Turn her in? How long has she been here, Max? When are you gonna do it?” She raised a finger. “I know! Let’s do it now.”

  She looked back and forth between them with a scowl, tapping her foot. “Well?”

  “Get the fuck out of here!” Carter bellowed, the force of his roar rustling the brown curls around her face.

  She blinked, nonplussed. “Remember when I was dating that guy in high school, Carter? The one with the motorcycle? Clayton, I think his name was.”

  Carter didn’t answer.

  “He was a jerk. He verbally abused me. Called me names. Cheated on me.”

  “What’s your fucking point?” Carter hissed.

  “You and Max tried to tell me to leave him,” she explained. “But I wouldn’t listen. Finally it got to the point where the two of you dragged him away, literally right out of my arms, and beat him up. Even though you were younger than I was, you protected me like big brothers. I hated you for it. I held that grudge for years. But now, in retrospect, I thank you for it. It was the best thing you could’ve done for me.”

  “Are you seriously comparing your high-school boyfriend to our fated mate?!” Carter shouted, incredulous. “You’re absolutely ridiculous.”

  Zariah put up placating palms. “Look, I know it’s not exactly the same thing. He wasn’t my mate. But the fact is, you guys did something for me that made me very angry at the time, but you did it for my own good. I was caught up in my emotions. I had fallen too hard, too fast, and I couldn’t think rationally about the situation. Look, I know Jules is your mate. Whatever doubts I had are gone now, since you’ve gone to such great lengths to protect her and hide her away. I get it. But that still doesn’t mean it should happen this way. It’s wrong.” She glanced at Max, and he shifted and looked away, not wanting to acknowledge her point, though he knew she was right.

  Her voice softened. “Just do the right thing. Turn her in now. I know she’s probably not a bad person, but she broke the law. Let her do her time. If it’s her first arrest, they’ll be lenient on her and she won’t have to serve for too long. You guys can spend that time getting your life in order. Saving money. Preparing for her. Then when she gets out, you can reunite and start your lives together. Properly, legally, without guilt and without putting other people in danger.”

  Max heaved a heavy sigh. His bear roared in desperate protest, but his logical mind knew she was right. Keeping Jules for themselves was the wrong decision. It was selfish, foolish, and potentially dangerous to both themselves and the people around them.

  Carter, however, seemed cemented in his determination. “You don’t understand, Zariah. You haven’t found your mate yet, so you don’t know how it feels. It’s impossible for us to part with her. Our bears won’t allow us. Our lives are meaningless without her here.”

  “Carter, I get it. It’s hard—”

  “No, you don’t get it!” he roared.

  “Please, little brother. Listen to me. We are domesticated. We’ve integrated into human society. We share our human selves with our bears, but we can’t allow the bears to take over and make all our decisions. Otherwise we’re no better than wild animals... no better than our full bear cousins who act purely on instinct, without the ability to reason or think abstractly.”

  Carter shook his head obstinately. “I know you’re just trying to look out for us, Zariah, but I promise you, it’s not necessary and it’s not welcome.”

  He glanced at Max with determination. “Max and I will take care of those cat shifters, and we’ll make sure they don’t hurt anyone else. As for the rest of it, that’s for Max and me to decide. Not you.”

  He stretched out his arm in the direction of the pickup truck. “So, kindly, screw off and leave us be.”

  Zariah harrumphed. She wagged her finger in Carter’s face menacingly. “If anyone else gets hurt because of you two, I swear to God I will come back up here and drag Jules away myself. I’ll bring others with me so you’ll be outnumbered, and you won’t have any choice in the matter.”

  She turned, shooting daggers at Max as she headed towards her truck. “Get him to listen to reason, Max, please.”

  Max shuddered. Zariah recognized that Max knew she was right. She had a way of doing that, seeing right through people to know exactly what they were hiding.

  Zariah climbed in her truck, slammed the door and peeled out, sending plumes of dust from the dry dirt road into the air.

  Max’s heart sank as he watched her drive away. He felt more conflicted and confused than ever, because he knew deep down that everything she said was true.

  30

  Jules watched the truck drive away through the slits in the living room blinds. Her stomach turned and her head pounded. She felt sick. Her fantasy was over. Her dreamy fairy tale was just that: a dream. The veil fell from her eyes and she once again saw her situation for what it really was: fucked up. The fog of complacent happiness lifted and now life was crystal clear. Reality was sobering, and miserable.

  She couldn’t stay. She absolutely couldn’t stay, and it broke her heart into a million pieces. A vision of her future flashed before her eyes: lying on a hard bed in a cold, grimy cell. Eating lukewarm slop for every meal. Watching the seconds and the minutes tick by agonizingly slow as she waited out her sentence. Being separated from her bears for... years.

  Carter went back inside, his cheeks inflamed with anger. “Sorry about that, Jules. That was my big sister, Zariah. She’s obnoxious as hell and can’t stop sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong.”

  Jules tried to force a smile, but it just wouldn’t come. Her facial muscles kept tugging downwards and her vision blurred with a sheen of tears.

  Carter stepped forward, concerned. He grasped her hands gently. “What is it, love?”

  Jules only shook her head, her bottom lip trembling. Max stepped in at that moment and when his eyes fell on her, they shared a moment of mutual understanding. He knew it, too. He’d always known it, in fact. He’d likely buried it these last couple weeks and let himself drift away on wispy clouds of contentment, just as she had. But it was always there.

  “I can’t stay,” Jules cried, tears spilling over.

  “No, Jules, don’t,” Carter said, stepping close. “Don’t listen to what Zariah said. We’ll keep you. We’ll never turn you in. You have nothing to worry about.”

  “But people are getting hurt because of me!”

  Carter shook his head. “No, love. It has nothing to do with you. Ansell attacked us
first. We got our vengeance. Now his people are looking to retaliate.”

  “But it all happened because of me!”

  Carter grabbed her arms and drew her into his embrace.

  “Don’t worry,” he whispered into her hair. “We’ll take care of it. No one will get hurt. Everything will be fine.”

  His words of comfort warmed her slightly, but they weren’t enough to stave off the cold hard reality that she knew deep in her heart. He kissed her hair and took her cheek in his hand, brushing away her tears before leaning in and pressing his lips against hers. She felt Max’s presence hovering behind them, and the fact that he was silent told her everything she needed to know.

  Max knew what had to happen. Carter would try his hardest to prevent it, but they were being drawn towards an inevitable event, hurtling through time and space to meet their fate, whether they liked it or not. Prison was in her future. She was destined to spend years behind bars, separated from her bears. The thought of it killed her, but she knew it had to happen.

  “Carter,” Max’s voice entered her awareness. “We should go into town and deal with this sooner rather than later.”

  The phrase deal with this made her tremble. She knew he meant deal with the cat shifters, but it was true that they would have to deal with her not long afterwards.

  Carter sighed and drew away, and she clung to his hands as he parted.

  “You’re going to find those men?” she asked, panic stricken.

  Carter nodded. “We have to put a stop to them.”

  “What if you’re outnumbered?”

  “We’ll be fine,” Max said, his voice strangely cold. His tone made her feel helpless.

  “Promise me you’ll both come back in one piece,” she said, her heart fluttering at the thought of her bears putting themselves in danger for her sake.

  Carter grinned confidently. “Don’t worry, baby. We love a good fight. Cook us a big dinner for when we come back. We’re gonna need it.”

  She looked to Max. He clenched his jaw and nodded solemnly before heading towards the door, Carter following closely behind. Carter waved and winked. “See you soon, baby.”