Stepping onto the wooden walkway that wrapped along the front of his cabin leading onto the porch, his steps slowed. Kicking the door open, he didn't stop until he reached the bedroom. Slowly lowering his unconscious mate to the quilt covered mattress. Ignoring his current need for clothes, he slowly lowered his large frame to sit on the bed next to her.
Reaching into the bedside table, pulling out a lighter he preceded to light the oil lamp that sat on top. The soft light caused the pale, the bright color of her hair to glow in the dim light. Dark circles shown against her pale skin like bruises. However her wrists and ankles held actual bruises, which she seemed to have sustained over and over again. What had she been through? He made a silent vow to discover who had mistreated her and he planned on shredding them into small bloody confetti.
After removing and tossing her soaked pants aside, his trembling hands settled against the blood stained shirt that covered her upper half. After baring her body to his eyes he forced himself to only look to assess her for wounds. His eyes quickly zeroed on the wound along her ribs. Dried blood covered the wound now and showed no sign of bleeding. It wasn’t deep and judging by the lighter skin around the wound, it was already practically healed. As quickly as it appeared to be healing it wounded even need to be bandaged.
It was then that he allowed his hungry eyes to take in the appreciating sight her and creating to the need for him to check for drool. She was beautiful. But as his bear actually did drool at the sight of his naked mate, his sharp eyes took in her alabaster skin. Her voluptuous figure made his bear want to rub all over her. Bears never had much of a taste of bony women. Sex was sex, no matter the form of a pretty female. But bears were ravenous for curves and lots of meat on a woman. Her breasts; which he was trying to deny their existence, were perfect and causing havoc on his good intentions.
Just one taste...?
The thought wasn’t his; but this bear’s. A surprised gasp left his lips as for the first time; he was connected to his animal. They were no longer two separate beings, but practically one being and it was all because he’d found her, his mate. His eyes fell on her rosy nipples. Just one taste? Shaking his head quickly back and forth he stopped that thought before he could finish it.
His bear silently pouted that he wouldn’t get to get a taste of their mate tonight as they’d hoped. Chuckling to himself, Doyle headed into the connecting bathroom. After gathering some antiseptic, he returned to her side. It was then that he noticed the strange twin metal bracelets that tightly circled each wrist. The skin beneath them; that he could see, was painfully raw. His bear wanted to snap the thin metal bangles off, but nothing could be done about them while his mate was asleep.
Carefully; he cleaned the wound at her side; pausing every time her body flinched in pain from his touch. Now he knew he defiantly was going to let his bear loose on whoever had hurt his mate. Placing the items on the floor, he carefully pulled the quilt out from under her nearly frozen form. After covering her soft skin up to her neck, he collected the disregarded clothes before leaving his bedroom.
Upon entering the wide living room, he crouched down before the fire place. Tossing the destroyed items over the fresh logs, he began reaching for the box of matches when the howling wind increased outside. He would have to be sure to keep a fire going through the night for his human mate. Unlike humans; shifters could regulate their body temperatures, which meant he rarely used his stone covered hearth. After tonight it would finally get some real use out of it. How strange it was to go out hunting and come back with his true mate. On the other hand, what bear questioned when a bounty of honey drops into their lap?
Honey...? I want honey! His bear cuffed out, eagerly. Though normal grizzly didn’t eat honey like the typical bear, he and his bear had developed a taste for it over the years. Licking his lips Doyle closed his eyes as he imagined what his mate’s honey would taste like. Hopefully he’d find out soon.
One thing that kept prickling at the back of his mind was why she had even been out there tonight? How had she ended up out in a blizzard in only thin clothes and worn boots as protection? Was she running from someone? Was she was lost? And most of puzzling of all, why didn’t she carry the scent of a human? Whatever the answers may be, his mate was going to have some explaining to do. At least he didn’t have to worry about her sneaking off when she had no suitable clothes.
Smirking, he watched as flames began licking at the discarded items before completely consuming them. The idea of his mate without the barrier of clothes sounded like a good idea to him. Plus with the impending storm ahead, it may call for some cuddling— naked cuddling. With a dangerous smile, he headed back to his sleeping mate, fighting not to rush to her side. As her mate, it was only right that he provide her with the warmth of his body as long as she needed it.
The things I will suffer through for my mate…
3
Squinting at the bright sunlight shining on her face, Aria opened and closed her eyes against the unfamiliar sight. Was she dead? Stretching her arms along her sides, causing her to wince as her ribs burned with pain.
No, not dead yet. The thought had her smirking that she’d survived evading her captors. Suddenly events from the previous night began filtering behind her closed eyes. The last thing she remembered was shivering in a dank cave in the woods and judging from the warm mattress she was presently lying upon. She wasn’t still in that cave.
Without opening her eyes, she tried to calm her racing heart as she took in as much as she could about her surroundings. At the labs, it was essential to know all you could before giving yourself away by opening your eyes. The room smelled of cedar and sandalwood, a pleasant change from the smell of disinfectant that she was accustomed to. The sound of snow slipping off the roof sounded close and told her there was a window nearby, a likely escape route if needed.
The mattress she was on suddenly shifted and dipped to her left, startling her. Opening her eyes slowly, she was greeted by a pair of lips coming straight for her. Reacting in self defense she brought up a tightly clenched fist, smashing into one of the blissfully closed eyes of her attacker.
* ~ * ~ *
Our mate’s awake! Doyle’s bear cuffed out in excitement.
He’d never survive wooing his mate at this rate. It was very difficult to be honorable when his bear was as horny as a sailor after a year at sea. Not that he was much different. During the night, he’d crawled under the quilt, holding his mate’s naked form against his equally naked one.
All through the night while holding her everything inside him urged him to claim her before she slipped away. Tempting as the thought of sliding between those snow white thighs and claiming the most intimate part of his mate was. He reminded himself that she may not be as friendly later if he was to push her. This was defiantly a test of patience from the creator. Already he’d fantasized about his mate several times since waking up. Turning on his side, he gazed down at her closed eyes. Why wouldn’t she open them if she was awake? Maybe this princess needed awaking in another way.
Not stopping to think of the intelligence of his actions, he leaned down. His lips hovered barely an inch above her slightly parted ones. Closing his eyes he moved in on his prey and was seconds away from tasting nirvana. Next thing he knew, pain exploded as a small fist smashed into his left eye. Falling onto his back, he cupped his eye in pain.
As her attacker fell away, Aria rolled out of the bed and onto the floor. Struggling onto her weak legs, she glared at the obviously naked man that had been seconds away from attacking her.
Alright, maybe attacker was a bit strong… But that didn't mean she wanted to be molested by some handsome stranger.
Handsome didn't even cover the definition of him as her eyes adjusted to the morning light. His arms and chest was powerfully built, not from the benefit of a bow-flex but more than likely from hard work every day. His skin had a dark tan that made her feel much paler than she actually was. After rubbing at his offended eye, his hand
reached up to run through his shaggy mane of dark hair that fell to his nape.
One thing was for sure, his mate was easily startled. No telling what other parts of his anatomy would have been in danger, if she had the opportunity. Her hit wouldn’t leave a mark on him, but it would urge him to be more careful when approaching her. Her eyes were like a deer in headlights, frozen in fear. Staring at him, she seemed to be studying him as she waited for his first move.
Smirking at her close examination, his chest seemed to puff out more as the rust colored quilt slid further down his stomach as he shifted his legs. “Morning.” his voice seemed to rumble as he spoke. “You are a sight that I can only pray I get to see every day.”
Glancing down, Aria blushed furiously as she took in her nakedness. Reaching out to snag the pillow she’d been using, she held it in front of her as a shield against his eyes.
“Who are you? Where am I? And why am I naked?”
"I'm Doyle McKenzie. You're at my cabin. What little of clothes you did have on, were wet so I removed them." Sitting up, Doyle's playful expression morphed into a serious one. "By the way; what were you doing out in the middle of a blizzard, anyway?"
"That's none of your business." Jerking her chin up, she glared down at him from her advantaged height. The less he knew about her trek in the woods, the better for them both.
"It is my business. I am your mate. That means you belong to me." He growled out.
Great, I've been rescued from an insane doctor by a delusional mountain man.
Narrowing her eyes in anger, Aria took a step back from the bed. "Listen here; I don't care how crazy you are. But I most certainly don't belong to anyone, least of all you. While I am grateful for your help, I’ll be going as soon as you give me back my things." She stated unconcerned as her hosts face tightened in frustration.
Tossing the quilt aside, the bed frame groaned under his weight as he rose to his full height. Uncaring about his naked body, he walked slowly around the bed, coming closer and closer to his mate. Aria felt her face heat up as her eyes landed on his impressive body. Had this man no shame? Keeping the large pillow pressed against her front, she forced her eyes elsewhere as he now stood in front of her.
"First off, I am not crazy. Secondly, you can’t have your things back because I burned them last night." he mentioned casually and a bit too arrogantly.
Outraged, her eyes jerked to his, nearly causing her to almost drop her pillow as she pointed a finger in his naked chest. "You had no right!"
Shrugging his shoulders, he smirked down at her. "I have every right."
Huffing out in exasperation, she blew at stray strand hair that slid in front of her eyes. “Put some clothes on, will you?” she bit out, her glare meeting his cheeky grin.
He wasn’t at all put off by his mate’s flexing her claws at him like a hissing kitten; however it was so exasperating walking circles around his mate. It was a struggle to tolerate with not only his bear's frustration, but his own. This explained so much why the pack elders tried to discourage mating with humans. Where shifters instantly knew their mate by scent and the bonding with their beasts, humans had nothing to tell them, "This is the one for me." If he pushed her too hard, she would become more resistant and he would never hope to seal their mating bond.
Walking to his dresser, he withdrew a pair of blue jeans and quickly pulled them on. He hoped with more clothes on it would put his mate at ease. Turning back around while pulling up his zipper he took in the suspicious and almost fearful gaze of his mate. Releasing a deep breath, Doyle held his hands out in front of her as non-threatening as he could. Seeing his mate was near a breaking point or at the point of breaking him, he took a friendly step closer which only seemed to frazzle her more.
"Look, there is a lot we should discuss and that conversation would be better with food in both our bellies. Take any clothes you need out of my stuff." He offered pointing at the five drawer dresser by the connecting bathroom.
As he took another step toward her, Aria took a step back for ever step he took. She came to an abrupt halt when her back hit the wall. Her eyes flashed up at Doyle’s unyielding ones. Her head nearly touched her back as she looked up at his towering 7 foot frame.
Resting one forearm above her head, Doyle leaned closer to her. A dark brown lock slipped over his forehead, giving him a rakish look. Raising his free hand, he gently gripped her chin. His eyes boring into hers, immovable and no matter how much she wanted to pull away, she couldn’t find the will. He smelled of spice and earth; causing ever cell in her body to focus solely on him.
“Who are you running from?” he asked with concern as her eyes flashed with surprise.
“No one,” She whispered, looking away from his piercing eyes. He didn't believe her for a moment and she knew it. The sooner she got rid of him, the sooner she could keep running.
Pulling away, he rubbed a tired hand over his eyes. This wasn’t going the way he planned at all. Allowing his hand to drop to his side, he gave the most pleading look he could muster.
“Give me just a little bit of time, to get know you and I will help you anyway I can. But know this; I refuse to back down once I have caught something in my sight that I want.” Closing the space between them once more, he cupped her cheek tenderly. “And I want you, my hissing little kitten.”
His declaration was as modest as this big lug could probably manage. His possessive words made her heart leap in a way that confused her. But she didn't just escape from one prison to end up in another. Placing her hands on his scorching chest, she pushed as much space between them that he would allow. Looking up at him with the defiance that she clung to, she lifted her chin.
“The only thing I want you to do is to get as far away from me as possible.” As soon as the words left her mouth, Aria felt a shift deep within herself. All the pressure inside her head quickly lessened, as though someone had opened the flood gates to let a river flow free.
Without warning, his body jerked away from her abruptly as if he’d been struck by lightning. Looking her in a confused daze, he abruptly turned and strode from the room. Moments later she heard what she guessed was the front door closing behind him. Maybe she finally got through that thick skull of his. Whatever just happened, she wasn’t about to waste what time she’d been given.
Pushing aside the relief that coursed through her, Aria marched up to the dresser and began sift through each of the drawers contents. She quickly settled on a long, blue sleeved sweater and a pair of matching drawstring sweats. Tossing the large pillow aside, she quickly pulled on the borrowed items. Both were impossibly large on her, but she refused to trudge through the snow in nothing but her own skin. Furthermore; she wasn’t taking the chance he’d come back and continue to press his absurd claim—with her naked no less.
* ~ * ~ *
The snow flattened under his pounding bare feet as his powerful body began picking up speed. Doyle had no idea where he was headed, but like a moth drawn to a flame, an unknown force compelled his legs to maintain their powerful strides. Weaving around icy crusted trees and over snow banks, the further he got the more the haze over him began to diminish.
After what seemed like crawling out of a deep desecrated grave, his bear surfaced with a vengeance. An ear shattering roar ripped out of his chest like an explosion. His chest felt on fire, throwing him to his knees. Gripping the solid earth under the heavy laden snow while lethal claws ripped through his fingertips as his bear nearly emerged.
Our mate is unprotected! His bear raged. Must protect mate!
Shaking his head, he fought to clear his mind as his bear raged at the idea of their mate being left alone. Staring down at the pallid power beneath is folded knees; he struggled to remember how he got miles from his cabin in the first place. The last thing he remembered was his mate’s chilling words at echoed off every corner of his mind.
“The only thing I want you to do is to get as far away from me as possible.”
As the words had l
eft her lips, he remembered feeling transfixed as his mate’s sky blue eyes began to glow brightly. In that moment, he felt like his will was not his own. He would have jumped off a cliff if she’d demanded. What dark power did she command? What manner of creature was she? What creature could control and manipulate the mind of a shifter? The only thing for certain was that she somehow compelled him to leave the warmth of his cabin, effectively abandoning his mate to her wishes.
Rising to his feet, Doyle turned to face the direction leading to his home. Glancing down at his long, black claws, he willed them to retract. He clenched his normal looking hands into tight fists.
He was alpha of his territory and he’d just been kicked out of his own home by a slip of a woman. Letting out a groan of embarrassment he rubbed a tired hand over his face. His family would never let him live this down if they found out. First thing he planned to do was to clear up who was the boss around here to his mate. Actually—that maybe the second thing, the first thing he planned to do was have himself a taste of his rebellious mate. If his mate didn't want to fight fair then neither would he. A baleful grin formed on his hard lips. He hadn’t had a female fight against him; much less use such an intriguing ability on him before. This would be interesting.
Rushing forward, he raced back to his evasive mate. He was very fervent to see what other secrets his mate was hiding. Each mile he covered made his bear pant in anticipation. As they neared the cabin, his mate’s warm honey scent floated on the wind. Reaching the upper crest that over looked the front yard of his cabin, he watched with quiet fascination as his front door opened.
His mate stepped unsteadily onto his wooden porch wearing some of his borrowed clothes and his heavy leather boots. The boots seemed to give her trouble as she attempted to walk in them without her small feet flying out them with every step. He watched as the wind gathered her flaxen locks, floating through the air like pale lace through water. The urge to wrap those long, silky tresses around his fist was as addictive as any drug.
Bearing It All (Grizzly Affairs Book 1) Page 3