by Sable Sylvan
“Why do you keep getting me fancy lingerie if you don’t even look at it?” asked Rose.
“I don’t get it. Hannah orders all your clothes,” said Thorne, kissing down Rose’s belly.
“So what should I wear?” asked Rose.
“The clothes you wear are fine, wear whatever you want, I’ll never be satisfied,” said Thorne, looking up at Rose with a wicked side grin. “If I had my way, you’d walk around here stark naked.”
“You really are an animal,” said Rose.
“I can’t help myself, you’re a gorgeous woman, and anything covering you up...I just wanna rip it right off,” said Thorne, lowering his basketball shorts before sliding up to press his forehead against Rose’s.
Rose could feel Thorne’s growing erection against her belly. “You going to stick it in me, or just play with it?” she asked.
“That’s up to you,” said Thorne.
Rose reached down and touched Thorne’s growing shaft. “In me. Now.”
“Now who’s talking like an animal?” said Thorne with a laugh. “The way you’re barking orders, I would’ve sworn you were a wolf shifter in a past life.” Thorne slipped the tip against Rose’s entrance and then slid in to home, feeling the canal he’d missed so much since the night before.
“Holy shizz, I’d almost forgotten how big you are,” said Rose with a gasp.
“You want me to pull out?” asked Thorne. “Because I thought you could handle this.”
“I can. What I can’t handle is your sass,” said Rose, gripping Thorne’s hair. “Faster. Harder. You know how I like it.”
“Oh yeah, baby, I do” said Thorne, pulling up and away from Rose as he slid out. “Get on your hands and knees. Now.”
Rose got into the position and Thorne teased her entrance before sliding in and holding Rose’s hips firmly, anchored himself before hitting a home run, finding her G spot on the first thrust. Rose moaned and Thorne smiled to himself: Rose could be sassy but once she had his cock she was too enraptured to talk.
Thorne ran his hands down Rose’s back: he had never had the opportunity to appreciate Rose’s back, as the dresses Hannah had chosen for her were far too modest for his taste, with no plunging necklines or backlines, with hems too high to allow Thorne to see things he ought not see in public. The heels had put Rose’s tits and ass on display: for that, he was eternally grateful to his sister, and from the doggy style position, Rose’s ass looked absolutely scrumptious, her hips wide and perfect for taking his big, hard thrusts. Thorne ran his hands over that amazing ass and growled with desire, squeezing the luscious cheeks between his palms, the rough pads rubbing against Rose’s skin and leaving marks for mere seconds, each set of marks fading away as a new set of grip marks was left.
Thorne wrapped his hands into Rose’s hair: he pulled it gently and Rose was driven wild. Thorne gripped a bit harder and Rose pushed back against Thorne’s cock, as if he was just a fucking post, a dildo attached to a wall that she wanted inside of her, to satisfy a need. Thorne had never felt sexier in his life. Nothing compared to being used by Rose for her pleasure.
“I’m going to turn you,” said Thorne.
“Into...a werebear?” asked Rose, confused.
“No, that’s not even how that works,” said Thorne, shaking his head. “No, back onto your back. I want to see your face, Rose.”
“Oh, Thorne,” said Rose with a moan as he kept a hold of her and flipped her back onto her back. She gripped onto Thorne’s back harder. “I’m...I’m so close.”
“Yeah, I can feel you, baby,” said Thorne with a grin. “I want you to come, honey. Can you do that for me?”
“Of...of course,” said Rose between moans. She bucked her hips up against Thorne and pressed hard against him, pushing his shaft as far into her as she could, as Thorne lifted her ample hips and helped press her curvy thighs against is waist, letting Rose ride him from below.
“You’re gonna make me cum too,” said Thorne, biting his lower lip hard enough to make himself bleed. “Holy shizz, Rose, that’s...wow, that’s some pussy you’ve got.” The bucking action, combined with the uncontrollable twitches of Rose’s aroused canal, was sending his body wild, and his eyes flashed each time he worked to keep the orgasm back.
“Then cum for me,” said Rose. “Don’t you dare hold back, Thorne. Show me what a beast you can really be, and ravish me, you wild, wild man!”
Thorne didn’t have to be told twice: he dug his hands against Rose’s hips and pulled them, hard, up and towards him, pressing into Rose harder and harder while Rose still tried her best to ride him from below, both Rose and Thorne fighting for dominance in the sheets. Feeling Rose’s wanting was enough to drive Thorne over the edge, and he came in a slurry inside of Rose.
The heat from Thorne’s climax pushed Rose past the brink, and she let go of her lover as she held the sheets and pulled them as they pooled around her, moaning loud enough to wake the staff. Rose’s back arched as the warm pleasure ran through her body like liquid fire.
Thorne’s mate mark glowed again, but it wasn’t as bright as the first time it glowed. The petals of the rose glowed, first the red sections, then the yellow, and this time, Rose touched the mark as it glowed, and felt its heat with the tips of her fingers.
“Thorne...that was amazing,” said Rose as he slid out and lay next to her. “But...why didn’t your mate mark glow as brightly as it did the first time?”
“My mate mark will never glow the way it first glowed with you, ever again,” said Thorne. “The mate mark is meant to show me who my fated mate is, and after that, whatever makes the mate mark glow slowly stops, well, glowing. At least, it doesn’t glow as hard. It’ll always have a faint glow whenever you and I make love.”
“Why was the sex we had so much...calmer, tonight?” asked Rose, putting her hands behind her head and turning to look at Thorne.
“I think it must be because you tamed my bear,” said Thorne, holding Rose close, brushing a lock of her wavy brown hair out of her face. “All these years, I tried on my own to tame the bear...but you, and your simple grace, that was what the bear needed. Ever since you were confirmed as my fated mate...I’ve felt so much calmer around you. I can’t imagine ever being apart from you, and for the first time in my life, I feel like I’ve found the place where I belong.”
“Thorne...I never would have thought that I would have fallen in love,” admitted Rose. “Not with you, not with anyone. I was always so busy, taking care of my sisters...but being around you? I know that humans don’t have fated mates, but if we did, I’m sure you’d be mine, because around you, I just feel...right. I just feel like I’m at home with you. I know it sounds crazy: I love my family. I do. But part of me feels like I was living at home because it was an obligation...not because I wanted to be there.”
“You don’t have to do anything out of obligation anymore,” said Thorne. “Not for me, not for anyone.”
“Thorne...thanks,” said Rose. “For everything.”
“So...do you think you can forgive me for my atrocious behavior tonight?” asked Thorne.
“Of course I can,” said Rose. “But I was serious about what I said before: you’re going to need to make peace with your bear by the wedding, or else...well, you know.”
“Thank you, Rose...for giving me a second chance,” said Thorne, pulling Rose close. “Anything else?”
“I know you’re busy with business...but we need to spend way more time together,” said Rose, turning over and brushing hair out of Thorne’s eyes. “You’re going to have to make the time for me.”
“Of course,” said Thorne. “I didn’t want to rush things...but at the same time, couldn’t stand to be away from you before. Are you sure you’re ready to take that step?”
“We’re already engaged, doofus,” said Rose, flashing the diamond ring that Thorne had placed on her hand before kissing Thorne on the cheek. “I better be ready. No, scratch that. We better be ready. We’ll have a while to make more
mistakes, new mistakes, but as long as we work together, I’m sure that we’ll be able to handle anything life throws our way.”
Epilogue
Three Months Later
Thorne’s forest manor had never been more abuzz than it was on the day of his wedding, but the wedding was, as most things in Thorne’s life, entirely centered around Rose. The entire wedding had a rose theme, from the rose-scented invitations to the guest book with rose-watermarked pages. Now, only one rose mattered to Thorne, the man who had dedicated his life to roses in a search for his true love, and it was the one that he was waiting for at the altar on the long awaited day of his waiting.
Thorne had learned to control his bear: Rose and Hannah helped Thorne reconnect with the rest of the family and Thorne starting shifting when he wanted to. Thorne learned how to listen to the roars of his bear spirit, learned how to listen to what the bear was telling him...and as Thorne let the bear out more, the bear stopped roaring so loudly, stopped trying to take over Thorne’s life and his body, because the man and the bear had finally become one. There was no more Beast: just Thorne, a man with two souls, but one heart, a heart dedicated to the woman that had changed his life in immeasurable ways for the better.
That said, the man was getting antsy, waiting for his fated mate, and this time, it was the bear that had to hold the man back and get him to stop worrying so much. Thorne hadn’t seen Rose all day, but that was normal: it was a wedding, after all, and it wouldn’t do for the groom to see the bride’s dress before the ceremony. Thorne’s cousins, Aspen and Cedar Asher, flanked Thorne: Aspen was his best man, and he’d been married the same month. Cedar was still finding his fated mate. They were his rocks, helping him keep his cool. The other Asher men knew what it was like to have an intense bear inside, and the two cousins knew how to control their bear better than Thorne did, but in the past months, they’d be instrumental in teaching Thorne to balance the man and bear spirits that were housed in his vessel.
The string quartet started playing and snapped Thorne out of his thoughts. He looked to the entrance to his home: the wedding was in the gardens, their friends and family sitting in folding chairs outside on the lawn. The double doors were opened by two staff member. Out walked the most beautiful woman that Thorne had ever seen.
Rose walked out wearing the most perfect dress: pale pink, perfect for an autumn wedding, the dress had pale pink rosettes made of silk making up the skirt, and the cap sleeves encircled Rose’s arms like petals, the soft fabric fluttering as Rose walked down the aisle, her two sisters carrying her trail as Jake Charleston walked her down the aisle. As Rose walked, the fabric moved around her curves, accentuating the round curves of her hips, the sharp dip of her waist, and the upward lift of her bosom, which was covered by a layer of lace. Rose was wearing a veil of pink tulle, held in place by a comb, her mother’s, which had been set with blue topaz gems by Thorne and her father as one of her engagement gifts. Of course, Hannah, her maid of honor, was there too, and Rose’s sisters took their places by Hannah as the official started reading the ceremonial script.
“You look...amazing,” said Thorne, giving Rose a soft smile. The bear was sitting back, watching gently: Thorne’s bear had calmed down since Thorne started taking the bear out, like a master taking a pet on walks, and finally, Thorne had become the alpha of the two souls within his body. While his bear was his beta, the bear’s role as the beta of the two soul pack was to protect Thorne and Thorne’s fated mate: there was nothing Thorne needed protecting from anymore, not even Thorne’s own self, on Thorne’s wedding day.
“You look good yourself,” said Rose from beneath the layer of mesh fabric. Although Thorne had almost exclusively worn suits around her the first few times he’d seen her, in the time between the proposal and the wedding, they got to know each other even more, and he’d taken her out onto Flathead Lake and onto the mill property, wearing flannel shirts and jeans. On this day, Thorne was wearing a dark suit, charcoal gray, with a pale red tie that didn’t clash with her dress. His shirt was white, expensive but thin, and through the shirt, Rose could make out Thorne’s mate mark.
As the ceremony started, Rose couldn’t keep her eyes off of Thorne’s eyes. His eyes were the same shade of emerald green that had first attracted her to him, but in the soft autumn light, they took on an antiqued gold tone, reflecting the multicolored leaves of the fall foliage around the manor.
“Rose Charleston,” started Thorne, reading his vows from memory. “I never in a million years would have thought that I’d find a mate as perfect as you. If anything, I hope that our story gives hope to other shifters and humans out there that still long for love today. Just as the leaves are turning, I’d like to turn a new leaf with you, and start a new life with you, and see what the coming years bring us together, hand in hand, heart in heart. Rose...do you promise to share with me all the bounties life has to offer us, our hearts bound in twain, as my fated mate?”
“I do, Thorne,” said Rose, wiping a tear from her eye. With that, Thorne smiled, placing a rose gold band that matched his onto Rose’s hand, above the engagement ring. “Thorne Asher...I never would have though that I’d be the princess in my own fairy tale, but you’re my prince, and I can’t imagine a life where I don’t wake up next to you every day. You’ve changed my life forever. Do you promise to stay with me through the ebbs and flows of happiness and tragedy that life may bring?”
“I do,” said Thorne, and Rose took his hand into her and placed a matching rose gold band onto Thorne’s ring finger. His band was wider than hers as he had no engagement ring and it fit his large masculine shifter proportions.
“I pronounce you husband and wife,” said the official. “You may now kiss the bride.”
With that, Thorne gently pushed the veil away from Rose, and then, he pulled his bride up and kissed her softly on the lips, lingering without moving further into her, showing her how pure their love was, how much he desired not only her body, but her heart, before pulling away, and taking her by the hand down the aisle.
Each side of the aisle threw not rice, but white rose petals, towards the bride and groom. Although any woman would have felt like a real princess walking through a rain of roses, Rose was too focused on her husband to really notice. The wide smile she had in her wedding photos would capture the beauty of the petals, but Rose was looking to Thorne. Her eyes ate up his kissable lips, his bright green eyes, and Rose squeezed his hand. Being with Thorne just felt right.
***
The rest of the wedding went off without a hitch. After the reception, the dancing started. Of course, Rose’s first dance was with her father, and Thorne danced with his aunt, Jennifer Asher, who was the closest thing he had to a mom, before Thorne pulled away from his aunt and Rose’s father retreated, so Thorne could take Rose into his arms, pull her closet, and dance with her.
Thorne pulled Rose close as the slow songs continued, holding her head against his chest as they did a simple two-step. Other couples joined in: the bridesmaids, then the groomsmen, and any significant others cut in, until most of the wedding guests were on the large ballroom’s dance floor, the lights low as the string quartet played old standards.
The string quartet faded out as a DJ put on a recent pop hit, and the rest of the wedding guests got on the floor and started jumping to the modern playlist. “Wanna get out of here?” asked Thorne.
“Lead the way,” said Rose. “We’ve made our appearance.” Rose assumed that Thorne was leading her upstairs for a quickie. She had no idea what was going to happen.
“Then come on, I have a surprise for you,” said Thorne.
Thorne and Rose made a discreet exit from the ballroom. The lights were too low and the guests too busy having fun with the festivities to notice that the newlyweds had left. Thorne led Rose up to their master bedroom: the old bedroom Rose had occupied had been turned back into a guest room, but Rose visited it with Thorne when she wanted a different view of the estate.
In the master
bedroom, there were two carry-on sized bags and two outfits laid out, comfortable, simple outfits: a dress for Rose, with comfy sandals, and for Thorne, jeans and a shirt. “What’s this for?” asked Rose.
“I know I told you your honeymoon was a surprise,” said Thorne. “But Hannah and I worked on an itinerary...and we’re going to be going somewhere very special, now.”
“Thorne, this is crazy,” said Rose.
“I thought you’d like it,” said Thorne softly. “I’m sorry, I—”
“Thorne, this is crazy, and I love it,” said Rose. “I’ve always wanted to elope: there’s something really romantic about doing some big and impulsive. I don’t care where you take me: we could go to Bora Bora or we could go to Antarctica. I meant what I said earlier: I’m happy, Thorne...as long as I’m with you.”
Rose turned and looked over her shoulder at Thorne. “Can you...help unzip me?” she asked coyly.
“Of course I can,” said Thorne with a growl, pulling Rose close and kissing her cheek from over her shoulder.
“You know...I scheduled some extra time for us in the itinerary,” said Thorne, pulling the dress down and revealing the nude lingerie that his wife was wearing under the dress. Wife. The word just felt right in his head. The bear roared and Thorne smiled back at the bear. He was learning that not every roar the bear made was angry: the bear had no other way of communicating with Thorne.
“I wonder what we’ll fill that extra time with,” said Rose sarcastically as she turned, stepping out of her dress and felt Thorne’s crotch, feeling his two swollen balls and a thickening, lengthening shaft. She lay back on the bed, wrapping her legs around Thorne’s sides, as she lowered Thorne’s tuxedo pants
Thorne leaned on one of the posts of the four poster bed as Rose lowered his boxers and gripped the pole tightly as Rose worked her magic on his shaft, getting down on her knees and taking his fullness into her mouth. They’d had months of practice now, and Rose had learned how to work his shaft masterfully, her tongue dancing across the tip of Thorne’s tip as if her mouth was having a dance recital.