by Cecilia Lane
He’d felt happiness and joy before, but nothing to the degree that unfurled in his chest with those words. He flipped them over, scenting for any trace of fear that might remain. Nothing. Only excitement and wildflowers greeted his nose.
Bear shoving forward, he ran his mouth up the column of her neck. “Say it again.”
Her voice turned breathy. “I want you to mate me and I don’t want you to hold back.”
Cole pulled back and studied her face. His cock strained against his sweatpants. It was everything he could do not to bury himself inside her that very moment. “What do you mean?”
“I mean...” she trailed off, chewing on her lip. “You’ve been gentle with me. Careful. And you don’t need to, not anymore.”
He dragged his fingers down her arms, raising goose bumps as he went. Running out of arm, he wrapped his fingers around her wrists and pulled them over her head. “You want me to fuck you, is that what you’re saying? You want me to be rougher?”
A slight tug was all it took for him to release one of her hands. She cupped his cheek and kissed him lightly. “I trust you.”
Two long, horrible, worrying days and finally it was over. He was back on his feet. Or rather, off them. In good health. He was better and—
Rylee’s thoughts vanished into thin air the moment Cole slid his hand under her top. He palmed her breast through her bra before clever fingers inched the lacy material out of the way.
“Tease,” she breathed.
A growl eased out of his chest and he moved quickly, shoving the hem up over her waist and chest. He tugged and pulled and trapped her wrists in her shirt, then bent back to her breast.
Rylee arched into him the moment his lips closed around her nipple. He tongued and sucked until it was a stiff peak. He cupped her other breast, teasing and thumbing until that, too, was a hardened nub.
Freeing her hands, she trailed them down his body. So strong. Packed with power. And now all hers.
That was a jolt to her system on par with the hard rock of Cole’s hips right where she wanted him. Hers. Mating was a serious commitment. For life. And he chose her. One tiny, damaged human laid claim to the big bad bear. She felt like she could take on the world with him at her back.
Rylee pressed her palm to Cole’s shaft, squeezing as she slid up and down. She adored the feel of him. Loved how his hips jerked against her hand. Delighted in the groan that caught in the back of his throat.
Power. That’s what she had with him. Just as much power as he had over her.
His hand slipped down her bare stomach and plunged into her panties. He zeroed in on her at once, driving a finger straight into her center.
“Mine,” he said, voice full of sexy gravel. His eyes were pure gold as he watched the reactions he drew from her.
She couldn’t manage any sound but a throaty moan. She chased his hand on every retreat, seeking more of the pleasure that blossomed in her core. He had her right on the edge of bliss with a searing hot look and fingers that knew exactly where to touch.
“More,” she pleaded.
She caught his nostrils flaring. Testing for any hesitation, she assumed. And when he found none, he dipped his head back to her chest. His teeth scraped gently over her nipple. Then he moved again, trailing fire and kisses down her navel.
His fingers slipped from her and she cursed softly. “You’ll have to do better than that, little bit,” Cole teased.
He made quick work of the button and zipper of her jeans, then pulled them down her legs so fast she thought they were ripped away.
He lifted her and eased her back on the bed. His eyes roved over her body and she saw herself through them. Flushed cheeks, messed hair, bra askance and pushing her breasts higher. Heat and utter need darkened his gaze.
Her bad bear wouldn’t be held back much longer. Rylee pressed her thighs together to hold back a shiver of excitement.
Wise mistake. Cole’s golden eyes grazed down her body and another growl pooled more heat in her core.
He dipped his head between her legs, shoulders pushing her thighs apart. Her panties snapped, and he attacked with his mouth.
“Fuck,” she hissed. A dark chuckle was the only sign that he’d heard her.
Cole’s fingers returned, spearing her and curling inside. He made it his mission to turn her every breath ragged and harsh. He sucked and tongued, stroked and plunged.
Her world reduced down entirely to him and his worship. There was no other word for it. Her pleasure brought his own. His groans sprang to life on the heels of her moans. She arched and writhed, and he feasted.
Rylee threw back her head. His name burned her lips and fire burned through her veins.
Then he was on her, sliding home with a hoarse growl. He rode through her orgasm, breath beating out of his lungs. He filled her in one solid thrust, pressing all around her, taking up a spot in every cell of her being.
One thrust, two. He held himself up on his hands, giving her space and being gentle. Careful. Testing her limits. Rylee wrapped her arms around his neck and drew him down to her. She’d been serious before. She trusted him with her life. She didn’t want him to hold back.
“Harder,” she groaned into his ear.
His hips rocked into her, but then he restrained himself again. He skimmed a trail of hot, sucking kisses up her throat and across her jaw. “You don’t smell afraid,” he growled into her mouth.
“You wouldn’t hurt me. Don’t hold back anything from me. I’m yours.” She chased his lips into a heated kiss. She pushed her tongue past his lips and rolled her hips, meeting him stroke for stroke everywhere they were connected.
Cole’s eyes glowed a brighter gold with the last bit of hesitation dropping away. “Mine,” he growled again and thrust harder into her.
Rylee gasped as he drove his cock deeper. Each drag of skin filled her with a longing he immediately solved. His fingers dug into her hips and held her in place. His thrusts sped up, gliding against her in shorter, rougher bursts that made stars appear behind her eyes. She dragged her nails down his arms and back, looking for something to hold on as he turned her world inside out.
His eyes found her and locked her in his gaze. Need and desire circled there, right along with possession. She belonged to him, utterly and entirely. She was bound to him completely and he hadn’t yet put his fangs in her skin.
And as he took her, he gave himself.
“Say it. Say the words.”
His words rough and raspy and sent liquid heat spilling inside her. “I love you, Cole Strathorn. I love you, I love you, I love you.”
He gathered her into his arms, eyes still meeting hers. She could feel eternity there, just behind his lids. Eternity with Cole. That was the most perfect idea ever thought into existence.
“Yours,” he growled against her lips. Then his mouth was gone, and he kissed a line straight to her shoulder.
He slammed into her again and again, hips jerking and losing that perfect rhythm. Pleasure and emotion twined together and tied them together.
“Yours,” he murmured against her skin.
Her whole body shook. Now. It had to be now. Right on the cusp of another shattering orgasm, right before her mind slipped away from her, Cole sank fangs into her shoulder and thrust one final time into her.
Rylee cried out from the total pleasure overload. She dug her fingers into his hair. She felt raw and needed to tether herself to something, to him.
She didn’t know how long they stayed wrapped up in each other’s arms. It was impossible to care. She had her mate and a peace she never thought possible after years of pain.
With light kisses, Cole pulled from her and tucked her against his side. She loved this hidden side of him. The need to touch after. She’d grown insecure before and thrown on one of his shirts. Now, though... she wanted his eyes and hands and mouth on her. They belonged to each other.
A grin spread across her face. “You’ll need to meet my mother and siblings. I’m sure they’l
l want to meet the man that stole my heart.”
Cole snorted. “I’d rather be shot again.”
He dodged her first playful slap and caught her second. A cocked eyebrow and fingers rough from hard labor running over the fresh claiming mark on her shoulder were enough to distract her from thoughts of anything but staying forever in their bed.
Epilogue
“... and in further revelations, the investigations into Major Brant Delano’s actions in Bearden have led to three more enclaves stepping out of the shadows. With more supernaturals revealing themselves every day, one must wonder at the incredible lack of foresight in this attack on United States citizens. This is Arabella Hocking, continuing your coverage of what some are calling Shifter-gate. Tune in tomorrow for the latest breakdown of the subcommittee’s proceedings.”
Rylee reached for the remote and flicked off the television mounted to the wall. She’d avoided watching most of the seemingly endless hearings on exactly how Delano was able to pull off his incursion into the Bearden enclave, but she still liked to catch a summary at the end of the day. And when nothing new was ready to be reported, Arabella Hocking liked to air pieces on the citizens of Bearden. More than a few had stepped forward, despite an early resistance. Someone put a bug in their ear that showing off regular life would make them sympathetic figures in the media.
It was a good strategy. The number of protesters outside the enclave dwindled every day, while the number of those toting signs of support grew. The coverage that painted Delano as a rogue commander certainly helped, too.
Her part in the narrative wasn’t over, either. She’d been flown out to D.C. to give her testimony, then shipped back to her home lab in Nevada to meet with the supervisors there. That was when she was offered a dream come true: stay in Bearden and manage the needs of research teams with the goal of understanding and spreading knowledge of the supernatural residents. She had the trust of the town, it was argued, and what she lacked in management experience could be solved with a plethora of resources at her fingertips.
She was under no illusions. Her silence was being bought, but it was a price she was willing to pay. Besides, the clearly stated goal of understanding and showing the supernaturals were no bigger threat than a neighbor across the street was what she wanted in the first place. Now she had some very public guarantees that no harm would be done.
Leaving Bearden was never an option. Cole was there, and she couldn’t leave her mate.
Absently, her fingers ran over the mark under her shirt. Just thinking about the man drifted her into blisteringly hot daydreams. The response was even more powerful when her bad bear walked into the empty lab.
His eyes slid to her fingers tracing the mark. Heated gold simmered there when he jerked his gaze to her face. “We can be late,” he said thickly.
Rylee yanked her hand away and stood quickly, chair scraping against the floor. She kept the table between them. “We cannot be late. People will notice if we keep showing up late for everything.”
Lunch, work, dinner, coffee, brunch, and runs in the woods were all examples of tardiness just that week. She nearly missed her plane to Nevada on her last summoned meeting. The man was insatiable, and she loved it even if she complained.
Cole was around the table faster than she could track. She was almost willing to let him give her a bear of her own just to watch him move. But that was on the backburner, at least until she had her new teams up and running. Taking time off to manage an unruly new beast wasn’t in the cards.
Rylee’s back hit the wall. Cole’s thumbs rubbed slow circles against her hips while his lips traveled a hot journey down her neck. “You smell like wildflowers, little bit. I bet I could have you screaming in five minutes.”
Heat curled in her center and her heart picked up speed. Then his lips met the top line of her mate mark and any resistance vanished. “Make it two and we have a deal,” she breathed, hands already winding around his neck.
Chairs lined up in perfect rows nearly filled the town square, and even those weren’t enough to contain all the people that planned to attend the Mayor’s opening ceremony. Bearden residents that couldn’t find and claim a seat lingered at the sides or in the streets hugging the square, some waiting patiently for the remarks to be over while others hurriedly finished prepping street stalls for the celebration.
Coming together was something they all needed, Cole explained. Not only did the individual packs and clans and crews need to seek comfort in one another, but the town needed it to heal. So a small carnival was planned, with food and games and drinking and dancing to bind the town back together after needing to defend themselves.
A platform had been raised at one end of the square. Pictures of every Bearden life lost during Delano’s attack were displayed for all to see. Too many faces, in her opinion, but even one would have been too many for her bleeding heart.
Callum led the Strathorns to the second row, where Nolan and Sawyer were sprawled out and saving seats for the entire clan. The front row was marked with printed signs proclaiming the names of honored guests. People milled around, shaking hands and slapping backs with the air of importance. Always thinking of her, Cole claimed the seats at the end of the row, leaving her the chair along the aisle.
Rylee pointed when she spotted the mayor’s assistant walking across the platform. It took a few minutes more before everyone found a seat. Only when a murmured hush fell over the crowd did Olivia Gale stand and make her way to the microphone.
“Spring is a time for growth and renewal. I’ve thought long and hard about the words I wanted to say today, and those words kept coming back to me. Every year, regardless of whether we’ve been inside an enclave or out, we’ve seen spring spread green over wintery lands. And that’s what I choose to focus on when I think about what has changed in a few short months. We have been forced to grow. We have been forced to show ourselves to the world. And we will thrive.”
A smattering of claps grew and grew. Olivia herself led a small team against Delano’s men. They’d saved and pushed dozens of families with small children down into the tunnels or into the mountains before they were overwhelmed.
Her story wasn’t the only one Rylee had heard over the weeks. Everyone seemed to have a story of helping someone out or making sure someone was safe. Judah and his police force, the ranchers on the outskirts of town, the Strathorns, even the Holden sisters all came up as heroes and heroines willing to fight for their home.
Bearden wasn’t just a place for them. Bearden was family and friends and lives. That dedication to one another misted Rylee’s eyes every time she thought about it.
“I’d like to thank the Wolfden, Ruin’s Edge, and Firebend enclaves for stepping forward as soon as they heard of our need. They stood up in the face of danger and added their voices to the cause of our collective survival. It would have been too easy to watch Bearden’s destruction and keep their own lives hidden. We cannot be destroyed if others are willing to raise the alarm. Thank you.” Olivia nodded to the leaders of the enclaves and favored them with a smile.
“I’d also like to extend a special thanks to the newest member of our community, and one with a great heart. With her whole world crashing down around her, she fought to keep us all alive. Everyone, please give our own Doctor Rylee Garland a brief round of applause.”
A flush grew on Rylee’s cheeks. She smiled and gave the crowd around her a tiny wave before ducking her face into Cole’s shoulder. “Was this you?”
“Not at all.” He squeezed her thigh. “You deserve it, though. Brave, perfect mate.”
“I didn’t do anything special,” she protested.
“You went out of your way, putting yourself in danger, to hold off someone perfecting ways to kill us. Pretty fucking special.” Cole lifted her chin and gave her a quick kiss. The applause around them turned to oohs and awws and Rylee dashed tears away from the corner of her eyes.
She’d found her place in the world.
The rest
of the ceremony concluded with a moment of silence for all the fallen. More than one set of eyes were wet when the crowd was released into happier activities.
She found herself grouped together with the rest of the Strathorns near the Mug Shot and Tommy’s Diner stalls nestled right next to each other. Leah was mercilessly teasing and challenging the others to games of shot glass ring toss, as she called it, demanding everyone take a shot before attempting to throw a ring over hooks. It was going as terrible as possible and Rylee could barely stand straight for laughing.
A round man with red cheeks toddled toward her. “Donal and Honora Conri,” Cole whispered quickly. “Leaders of the Conri pack and Wolfden.”
“Doctor Garland, what a pleasure to meet you!” Donal exclaimed. Honora gave her a tiny, practiced smile.
“Thank you,” she said, holding out her hand. She stiffened slightly when he bent over and planted a kiss on the back.
“You must come to our annual ball. We have discussed the subject, and will open our enclave to your researchers.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful! Thank you. That’s just… There’s a whole list of questions I’d like to ask whenever you have a moment. When and where and what you’d like me to do or not do.” Rylee snapped her mouth shut, realizing she was letting her words get away with her. She dipped her chin and said as gracefully as possible, “This is a great honor.”
Honora nodded. “Please, forward all your questions to our son, Finn. He will arrange everything.”
“A ball?” Rylee’s eyes widened as soon as Donal and Honora disappeared into the crowd.
Tommy glared after the Conri leaders. “Sounds as ridiculous as it is. They play dress up and wear masks, as if they can’t smell who each other are underneath. There’s food and dancing all night, then a big fireworks show at the stroke of midnight.”