“It’s so good to have you here, Buck,” she said.
Chapter 9
Buck followed Maria down a well-worn deer trail through the forest and down a rocky hillside. After a while, she turned to him and asked if he wanted to see the campground where she foraged for supplies.
“I'd love to see you do that,” he said with a laugh, imagining his mate scavenging a campground.
As much as he hated to think of her out on her own, he still respected her strength and resourcefulness. He knew she was in desperate need of help, but she had done well in taking care of herself, considering the situation.
The more he thought about it, the more he respected and admired her. Maria’s long brown hair was matted with mud and blood and was twisted up on the top of her head in a messy bun.
“I want to find another bar of soap to wash my hair,” she said. “I used most of my soap to wash out a wool blanket I found.”
“I forgot to bring soap,” he said, suddenly realizing that he'd left that off his shopping list.
“What you brought me was more than generous,” she said. “Especially since I kept running you off.”
“You didn't run me off.”
“I tried,” she said with a giggle.
“Nothing you could do could ever push me away,” he said earnestly. “I've been waiting for you for a long time. The moment I saw your picture on Mate.com, I knew that you were my mate. When I found you in the woods, my grizzly wanted nothing more than to take you home and keep you safe.”
“And I wouldn't let you,” she said.
There was humor in her tone, and Buck was glad for that. He didn't want her to feel guilty for not wanting to leave her cave. He had come to understand why she was so adamant about staying on the mountain.
At first, he’d left because the sight of her feral teeth and claws had freaked him out. Then he’d come to realize he didn't have the right to force her to do anything. Finally, he’d come to understand why it meant so much to her. She needed to learn to control her animal.
His grizzly had been able to force her out of her shift, but Maria needed her shift to be under her own power. A woman like Maria could never be in a relationship unless she was her own person and her own lioness. Until she had herself under control, she wouldn’t be able to trust him not to control her.
The most important thing Buck could do was give her space to heal so that she could come to trust him. When he'd suggested she show him around, she'd been more than willing to give him a tour of her life. Buck decided that was a step in the right direction for both of them. They continued down the hill and walked through a clearing until they came to a thick stand of willow trees by a creek. Maria crouched behind the trees and scanned the campground in the distance.
“That's it,” she said.
“What do we do now?” Buck asked. He didn't have any experience scavenging campgrounds.
“Come on,” she said, waving him on behind her.
They walked down a trail along the creek that bordered the campsites. Maria stopped and checked the trail to see if there were any campers in the site. The first one was occupied so they went on to the next. The second site was clearly empty.
“What do we do now?” Buck asked in a low voice.
“Just look around for anything that campers might've left.”
She opened the camping cabinet and gasped with glee.
“This is exactly what I needed,” she giggled.
“What is it?”
She pulled out a bar of soap and showed it to Buck. He laughed and told her good job.
They checked the other sites using the same technique as they had with the first. Buck was starting to get an adrenaline rush from being so sneaky. He knew there was nothing illegal or ethically wrong about what they were doing, but Maria felt the need to keep a low profile. And she was probably right. The Rangers might run her off if they caught her.
At the next few vacant sites they checked, they found a can of artichoke hearts, half a box of spaghetti noodles, and an unused box of camping brownie mix.
They shoved everything into the pillowcase Maria had brought and turned around to head back toward the cave.
“I'm going to show you that hot spring where I find raspberries now.”
“Oh yes, let's go check it out,” Buck said.
They went back up the same trail, but diverged to continue along the creek. They climbed back up a hill along the rocky shore of the creek bed, stepping up past waterfalls. Finally, they made it to a large pool that was created in the creek bed by a natural dam.
“There's a hot spring here,” she said, pointing across the water at a place where it was blue and brilliant under the other edge of the pool.
“Really?” he asked.
“Yeah, I bathe here all the time,” she said, kicking off her hiking boots. “The raspberries are on the other side.”
“You’re getting naked to get raspberries?” he asked.
“Nah, I need to wash my hair,” she said.
Buck watched in amazement as Maria peeled out of her clothes and dipped into the water. His grizzly started to growl, the scent of his mate making him dizzy. His cock hardened and he had to make a decision.
He pulled out of his own clothes and followed in behind her, trying to keep his grizzly under control at the site of her beautiful tanned skin. She had delicate, slender curves and perky perfect breasts with dark nipples that pointed toward the sun. His mouth watered and his bear rumbled uncontrollably. He squeezed his eyes closed, trying to calm down.
Maria waded over to the hot spring and settled into the water along a rocky ledge. There was a natural bench there that she sat on while she dipped her hair into the water and lathered it with soap. All mention of raspberries was forgotten. Buck found the sight of her tight nipples and curvy hips far more enticing than any wild fruit.
Buck waded to Maria and sat beside her, watching her run the bar of soap through her muddy dreadlocks.
After several washes and rinses, she was satisfied and set the soap down. She began to run her fingers through the long strands of her dark hair. Maria turned away from Buck and flipped her hair over her shoulder.
“Could you help comb out my hair?” she asked, looking up at him over her shoulder.
“Sure,” he said, coming closer.
The warm water from the hot spring felt good on his body. The feeling of her hair between his fingers and the smell of her body so close was better than anything he'd ever experienced before. His cock stiffened so hard he didn't know how much longer he could deny its need.
Running his fingers through her hair, he untangled each knot and then ran his hand over the long black cascade over her back, inching closer to whisper into her ear.
“That's better,” he said softly, and kissed her neck gently. “You smell so good.”
“So do you,” she purred.
He reached around her and slid his hand under her tight little breast. He squeezed and tweaked her nipple gently, not able to hold himself back a second longer. Instead of pushing him away, Maria tilted her head back and rested it against his chest. He turned her to kiss her, and she climbed into his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. His tongue slipped between her lips and he pulled her hard against him.
His fingers found the soft folds of her core, teasing out the slick wetness of her sex. She gasped as the pad of his finger pressed her tight mound. He kissed her more deeply, his grizzly going wild with demanding growls of desire. He slid his finger down her wet slit, circling around her opening and pressing against her clit again.
“Buck,” she groaned, squeezing him to her.
“Is this okay?” he asked, twisting his thumb on her mound.
“Oh yes.”
He lifted her over the ledge of the pool so that she rested on the soft green grass and leaned back across it on her back. Buck kissed down her body, sliding between her legs. His tongue slid up her pussy, licking up her sweet cream.
She groaned and writhed unde
r him. He had to hold back every instinct in his body not to climb over her and drive his cock deep into her wet warmth. The taste of her sex was enough to satisfy the beast for now. He loved every second as his tongue lapped up her pussy. She ran her fingers through his hair, threading them tightly in his locks. She bucked against him, unable to contain her desire. It was so beautiful, he couldn’t resist her any longer.
“Mate,” he growled, pressing two fingers inside her wet core.
“Oh Buck,” she cried, her body spasming on his fingers as he slid them against her g-spot.
He growled into her clit and then sucked it to push her even further. A scream of pleasure ripped from her lungs as she came. She squeezed her legs around his head, holding him tight. He slid his hands up her hips and slowly parted them, moving up to kiss her and rest his pelvis between her thighs. His cock pressed against her ready entrance as he gazed down into her blazing brown eyes.
She was so beautiful. So perfect and innocent. He moved his hips, sliding his cock up and down her slit. She groaned, and tipped her pelvis toward him, inviting him in.
He gritted his teeth, trying desperately to retain control. He needed her more than he’d ever needed anything in his life. It was like she was the oxygen he needed to live. Without her he’d suffocate. But he kept himself back. He held onto control. Buck angled the head of his cock against her opening and cupped the nape of her neck, looking into her eyes.
“I need to be inside you. Do you want me to stop, Maria?”
“I want you, Buck,” she gasped, pressing back against him.
He growled and gazed down at her with the intensity of his desire. His grizzly was frantic to claim his mate, and Buck couldn’t withstand the need much more. Maria’s eyes grew wide as Buck slid a fraction of an inch inside her.
He leaned down to kiss her. His eyes almost closed before he saw it happen. His beautiful little mate, with the goddess like curves, full pouty lips, and sweet wounded soul, shifted right below him.
One second his queen was a perfect young woman, the next she was a screeching mountain lion. The female cat hissed and scratched at him, crawling away from him defensively.
“Maria,” he said, stepping away from the cat’s warning hisses.
He instantly lost his desire, his heart pounding and his head fuzzy, wondering what he’d done wrong.
“Maria, please. Did I hurt you? Was I going too fast?”
She hissed at him again and took a swipe at his face. Buck ducked away, unable to comprehend what had just happened. He was stuck in place, stunned and immobile. Before he could stop her or shift himself, she bolted, tearing away into the forest.
“Maria! Wait! What did I do?” he yelled after her.
He knew it was no use. Her cat had taken over and Maria was no longer there.
Chapter 10
1Buck violently shook the water from his fur and roared. He picked up her scent on the air and rushed after her, charging into the forest. His animal mind was frantic with worry and rage. He had been so ready to claim her, to mark her as his for all the world to see. To finally bond as mates and to feel each other deep inside.
But somehow, he’d made a mistake. He’d made a wrong move and scared her. He was sure that she wanted it. She’d said she did. It must have been the feral beast inside who had reacted poorly. The lioness had ripped out from within Maria and stole a precious moment they could never get back.
Buck’s grizzly couldn’t contain his despair. He wailed into the treetops as he ran, calling out to her in his animal voice.
She kept running and he continued to follow. A mountain lion was fast and lithe compared to a full grown male grizzly bear. He could only lumber along, following several steps behind. He followed her scent to the base of a tree and looked up helplessly. His massive paws and long claws were not made for climbing. He couldn’t follow her into the treetops.
The grizzly sniffed the air, trying to keep the scent in his nostrils. He held it for a while, following along under the tree. After a while, it faded into nothing. He sat on his haunches and growled. He refused to believe he’d lost her.
Growling with determination, he continued to sniff and search the forest. He had to find her. When she finally shifted out of her lion form, she’d come back to him. He walked for hours until the daylight faded behind the mountains. The cool air rose around him as the night forest creatures hooted and crawled in the darkness. He kept going as the crescent moon ascended in the sky.
He growled wearily to the forest, pleading for her to show herself. He’d lost her trail some time ago and had no clue where to go from there.
He sat in a heap on the forest floor and grunted. His human mind worked at the back of the mind of his grizzly. He decided to go back to her cave and check if she’d returned. It was as good a bet as any other place.
Walking in grizzly form through the night, he arrived as the pale light of predawn glowed on the horizon. He walked into her cave, sniffing carefully for a fresh scent.
She wasn’t there. He moaned and sat down by the fire, shifting into his human form. He pulled a change of clothes out of his backpack and put on his shoes. Buck lit a fire and cooked a can of beans, thinking of her out there in the wilderness, lost, wild and alone. He couldn’t bare it.
Maria was trapped inside her own lioness. It killed him that he couldn’t help her. He rubbed his face with his hands, groaning again in his human voice.
The morning light filtered over the mountain and lit the forest outside the cave. He made coffee and drank it down, hoping that somehow she might still show up today.
After another hour and some breakfast, Buck stood up and put out the fire. He had to go back to the ranch. There was no way of knowing when she’d come back.
Leland would already be preparing the spring calves for branding this morning. Jessie had been waiting for weeks to start building his cabin, and Buck had a delivery of timber to make to his made buyer by the end of the week. He had too many responsibilities on his shoulders to sit in the woods any longer.
Buck grabbed his backpack, and started out of the cave, turning back to give it one last look. He shook his head, his heart sinking. Maria. It was all he could think. He turned away, starting down the trail back to his truck.
He hadn’t cut any timber in over a week. His life was unravelling and he couldn’t regain control of any of it. Buck was a quiet man, but he spent most of his energy on making sure that his world was in order.
Since Maria had come into his life, everything had been completely out of control. As much as he wanted to keep looking for her, he had other things he had to do. He growled at himself, wishing that he could put all his time and energy into taking care of Maria. But he simply couldn't.
He walked away from her cave and down the mountain, back to where his truck was parked at the edge of the forest. He threw his backpack in the truck bed and got behind the wheel. He gritted his teeth as he turned the key in the ignition, pounding his palm into the steering wheel in frustration.
The weight of his responsibilities hung on his shoulders. As he pulled the car out into the road and drove away. He wanted to help her. He wanted to be there for Maria, but all she did was run away. How was he supposed to take care of her when she couldn’t even be found?
Buck had believed that Maria was finally coming to her senses. That she would finally accept his help and come down off the mountain. But when they were right on the cusp of making things work, her inner beast freaked out. Buck was a patient man. But there was only so much he could take.
His grizzly growled at him from inside his mind, telling him he should not leave the mountain until he found Maria. But Buck's human mind could only think about his human responsibilities, the timber, Jessie's house, Leland's herd, what was he supposed to do? Just ignore everything until Maria's lioness decided to cooperate? His inner grizzly thought he should. But Buck ignored the beast and continued to drive back to the ranch.
When he finally arrived at home, th
ough the morning sun had risen toward its peak, and he could see Leland and Jessie already herding the cattle into the paddocks outside the barn. Jessie was even wearing a cowboy hat for the occasion. It made Buck chuckle since Jessie was more of an athlete than a cowboy.
He knew his brothers had already been at work for hours and he had missed a good portion of an important job that he shared with his family.
Buck approached the barn paddock and rested his foot on the wood fence. Leland rode over on the big quarter horse Shayla and nodded at Buck.
“Where you been?” Leland asked.
“I've been up on the mountain, trying to take care of business.”
“It's not like you to show up late,” Leland said, looking down at Buck from Shayla’s back. “Something the matter?”
“Buck's mate ran off from the Bright Institute a few weeks ago,” Jessie said.
“Why didn't you tell me that?” Leland asked, dismounting Shayla.
“I needed to take care of things myself,” Buck said.
“Your mate is in trouble. You should have asked for help from your Alpha,” Leland said, tying Shayla’s rein on the fence.
“If you must know, I found Maria a while ago up on the mountain. Her lion is out of control, and she refuses to come home. No matter how many times I’ve offered to take care of her, she just attacks me and insists on staying out there alone. She got pneumonia when the temperature dropped. I stayed with her all night. In the morning, I didn't ask her to come home with me. Instead I asked for her to show me her world because insisting she leave the mountain hadn’t worked. I’d decided to just be there for her. We were finally getting somewhere. Really connecting. But then she just shifted, turned on me, scratched the heck out of my face and ran off in lion form.”
“You left?” Leland asked.
“I tailed her all day and into the night. The lioness lost me in the trees. Then I went back to the cave where she'd been living and she wasn’t there. What else was I supposed to do? I have responsibilities.”
“Okay, Buck.” Leland started. “We’ll get the spring calves branded and then we’ll go look for your mate.”
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