by Kara Jones
“Do you always keep extra clothes with you?” she asked.
“I never really know when I need to transform on the fly, so it’s a necessity,” he replied.
Once he was done, he asked her for directions to her place and they set off, Lucas giving her his helmet and his jacket to keep her warm as they drove off. What felt like minutes of travel to Justine was actually a half an hour’s drive. She had been quite content to lean her head on his back, feeling his warmth through his shirt with her arms wrapped around his waist.
Lucas whistled low as he stopped his bike in front of Justine’s place and took his helmet off to admire her residence. He helped Justine take her helmet off and walked her to her front door, and that’s when she realized that she hadn’t thanked him yet.
“Would you like to come inside? I can fix you a burger or something,” Justine offered lamely, and Lucas smiled.
“Aren’t you even scared of me after you saw what I could become?” he asked. She bit her lip and looked down on the ground, embarrassed.
“To be honest, I don’t know what to think about you having this weird power to turn into some kind of were-bear, but… I also know that if you were going to hurt me, you would’ve done that already. Heck, I doubt you’d have saved me in the first place,” she said softly. Lucas’ smile wiped off his face and he nodded, all trace of humor gone.
Justine opened the door and Lucas was just as amazed at the interior of her house as he was on the exterior of it. Her place looked larger inside, and he suddenly felt inferior compared to her obviously well-off lifestyle.
“Where’s the rest of the folks?” Lucas asked, and she shook her head.
“My parents died when I was young, and the butler who took care of me died when I was in high school. I’ve lived alone since then,” she replied. She waved her hand, gesturing at him to follow her into the kitchen. She opened the fridge and took out a lot of food and ingredients, a couple of them were in danger of toppling over, so Lucas went and took them off of her hands and placed them onto the counter. She smiled gratefully at him before grabbing an apron off the hangers and put it on before getting to work.
Lucas watched; enthralled as she cooked with such efficiency and finesse, a stark contrast from the spoiled, never-lifted-a-finger-in-her-life-to-work person that she put on. In almost no time at all, she had molded and fried burgers from scratch, even managing to make a small serving of baked potatoes while she was at it.
“You’re amazing,” he whispered, and Justine stuck her tongue out at him.
“Shut up and eat, you big lug,” she said, pretending to be annoyed.
They ate their fill, and since Lucas wasn’t much for conversation, Justine did most of the talking. It was surprising enough for her that Lucas was paying attention to every word she said, but she wasn’t expecting him to open up as much as he was opening up to her now.
“Don’t you get lonely living here by yourself?” Lucas asked. Justine’s mirth slipped off and she gathered up the plates and put them in the sink, scrubbing them so she didn’t have to look at him. Lucas frowned.
“I got used to it, I guess. I mean, I’ve spent so much time being alone that it’s sort of a big deal for me whenever I go out to clubs and treat everyone in there like I know them all so personally. But,” she placed the dish she was scrubbing back in the sink and turned back to him, her eyes looking so sad and so beautiful that it made his breath catch in his throat like a hiccup. “Just because I’m used to being alone doesn’t mean I don’t get lonely,” she whispered.
He got up from his seat and approached her slowly, placing his arms on either side of her as he leaned in, their breaths tickling each other’s faces.
“You don’t have to be lonely anymore,” he whispered before taking her lips in his in a searing kiss. Her hands sneaked up to his neck, still dripping with soapy water. He twitched as the drops fell down his back, and he grabbed both of her hands off his neck and wiped them on his shirt before grabbing her by the waist and lifting her up. Their tongues continued to fight for control as he turned and placed her on top of the counter, his hand climbing up from her waist and holding her breasts, squeezing it lightly until she moaned in his mouth.
He pulled away from her, taking the ends of his shirt in his hands and pulling it over his head. She pushed the straps of her dress off her shoulder before pulling one arm out of the hole, and then the other, making Lucas groan as he saw that she wasn’t wearing any bra. He helped pull the garment off of her before putting one nipple in his mouth and sucking hard. She grasped his head and pulled at his hair, as he mercilessly teased her breasts with his mouth and tongue, his fingers pinching and pulling at the other until she felt herself shaking with pleasure.
“Aren’t we… moving too fast?” Justine whispered, a part of her trying to think rationally. Lucas let her nipple go with a pop before staring at her with heated eyes.
“Do you want me to stop?” he asked, his voice low and seductive. She swallowed and shook her head, and it was all the answer he needed.
He popped the buttons on his jeans and grabbed her by her ass to pull her by the edge of the counter. He groaned as he placed his fingers on her wet heat before putting it to one side, exposing her core to him. He licked his lips hungrily and seemed to contemplate whether to eat her pussy first, but Justine made the decision for him by leaning forward and pulling at his jeans, snaking her hand inside and grabbing hold of his dick, making him hiss. She stroked him a couple of times before she pulled him out completely, positioning him at her entrance.
Lucas didn’t need any further instruction, and he didn’t give Justine much warning. He buried himself inside of her completely in full stroke. She had to lie down on her back and let the tremors of her body take over.
He pumped into her relentlessly. Feeling every inch of her squeezing him tight after each stroke, he knew he wasn’t going to last long. He moved his hand down and pinched her clit, and she cried out as her orgasm pulsated through her. He groaned as her walls clenched around him, and he released his seed inside of her, thrusting inside her over and over until she took every last drop. He collapsed on top of her, both of them breathing heavily as she cradled him, his head lying on her breasts.
They lay like this for a moment before Lucas lifted his head and looked at her with hooded eyes.
“I think I want you again,” he said, and Justine shivered.
“So, take me,” she replied, and he wasted no time in picking her up and doing just that.
Chapter 6
Justine woke up feeling deliciously sore and warm the next morning, and she smiled as she recounted the sexy things she and Lucas did in the kitchen… then the floor… then her bed, twice… then the shower… and finally in bed again as he took her from behind. He was practically insatiable, and she let him use her over and over, coming over and inside of her, and it felt incredible.
She didn’t regret a thing that happened between them, but she was worried this was just a one-time thing, despite their multiple performances last night. She didn’t know how she’d feel if it was.
She turned to her side to look at him and she was startled to find him already awake and staring at her sleepily. He pulled her closer to him and he placed a sweet kiss on her forehead before placing his forehead to hers, staring deeply in her eyes.
“Hey,” he said, and she smiled.
“Hey…,” she trailed off and her eyes widened as she realized something very important. “We’ve had sex for about a million times, and I still don’t know what your name is,” she said.
Lucas blinked before laughing loudly, realizing she was right. She let him laugh his heart out before glaring at him.
“Lucas. My name’s Lucas, beautiful,” he said.
“My name’s not beautiful. It’s Justine,” she said, and Lucas nodded, liking the sound of her name. “I don’t want to ruin the moment but… I’d really like to know where we stand now,” she said.
Lucas would be lying if he
said he wasn’t expecting her to ask that question, but he wasn’t afraid to answer it. He was terrified of how she’ll react, though.
‘Oh well.’ Lucas thought. ‘In for a penny, in for a pound.’
“I want you,” he said, and he watched as Justine’s face broke into a smile. He paused, staring at her smiling face before he continued. “I want you as my mate,” he completed, and she frowned, not comprehending. “You’re forgetting that I can turn into a bear. It’s not just me who can do that. We’re a pack of bear-shifters.”
“Okay, hang on,” she said, sitting up and wrapping the sheets around herself as she looked at Lucas seriously. “You need to give me a play by play because I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Lucas sighed and began to tell her everything about himself and his clan, and his heart clenched painfully in his chest, as he watched Justine’s face grow more and more troubled.
“I need to think about this first,” she said finally, and he bowed his head, already knowing she wasn’t going to accept. Justine frowned at the hopeless look on his face and she cradled his head with both of her hands to look her straight in the eye. “I’m not saying ‘No’, Lucas. I’m just saying I want to think about it, okay?”
Lucas gave her a half-smile before nodding. He looked at his watch and told her he had to go back, and she let him go with an awkward hug.
Putting all of that on one plate was tough, Lucas knew, but he felt something strong for her the moment he kissed her last night, and he was sure the feeling wasn’t about to disappear anytime soon, if at all.
He just wished that Justine really was considering the thought of being with him; being his mate instead of offering him a sorry kind of rejection.
Chapter 7
A month had passed since Lucas gave her space, and he was dying to see her. They had exchanged phone numbers before he left, promising to keep in contact, and she hadn’t sent any messages to him since. Granted, he wasn’t making an effort to contact her either, but it was more because he wanted to respect her wishes and give her what she wanted instead of forcing what he wanted to her.
The Elders were still dead set on marrying him off to a member of another clan, and he was running out of time. He needed to know if he had some sort of future to look forward to with the woman he chose or if he was doomed to be a puppet of the Council.
His phone rang and his heart leaped, as he saw Justine’s name flashing on the screen; he answered.
“Can I talk to you?” Justine asked as soon as he picked up. Lucas frowned. “It’s really important.”
“Sure,” he said.
Justine bit her lip and fidgeted in her seat nervously as she waited for Lucas to arrive. Today was not only the day she answered Lucas’s proposal, but to tell him something else that would change their lives forever.
She heard the bell ring and her head snapped up as Lucas entered the café, searching for her. She raised her hand and Lucas smiled upon spotting her, making his way over to the table.
“Sorry I’m late,” Lucas said, and she shook her head.
“It’s okay. Thanks for coming,” she said, and he smiled. “I’m not going to beat around the bush because I owe it to you for making you wait this long,” he opened his mouth to protest, but she continued.
“Before I answer your question, I need to tell you this one thing, and that this is partly the reason why my decision is the way it is.” She took a deep breath before nodding. “I’m pregnant, Lucas,” she said, finally.
Lucas froze as he heard her say those two words. He wasn’t about to ask her if he really was the father because he knew he didn’t use protection all those times he’d been with her that night. He also wasn’t an idiot to understand what she was telling him.
She wanted him to know that whatever her decision was, it was partly because she was pregnant with his child. He waited for the feeling of cold feet to possess him, but instead, what he felt was unadulterated joy over her carrying his child, and he felt an overwhelming urge to kiss and worship her.
“Lucas? Did you hear me?” she asked, worried because he hadn’t said a thing at all.
“Yeah, I heard you. Does that mean what I think it means?” he asked, and Justine sighed.
“If what you’re thinking is, have I agreed to be your mate, then yes, it’s exactly what you think. But, I need to tell you the rest of why I made this decision,” she insisted, and Lucas nodded, letting her continue.
“I don’t want you to think that I’m just taking advantage of you because you got me knocked up; it’s not like that, although partly it is. I want to be with you because the moment I woke up that morning and you were right next to me, I knew then that I wanted this thing between us to last. Sure, you turning into a huge bear complicated things, and knowing that I’m about to become the wife --,”
“Mate,” Lucas corrected softly, and Justine glared at him.
“Wife of a leader of people who turn into bears at the drop of a hat, and I’d probably be way over my head, but…,” she reached over the table to hold on to his hand. “I don’t feel lonely anymore because of you. I don’t want to feel that way again,” she admitted. Lucas took her hand with both hands and kissed it softly.
“You didn’t have to explain anything, Justine,” Lucas said, and she looked at him uncertainly. “I would’ve just been happy that you said yes. You don’t seem to realize it, but you’re already saving me. I’m not going to end up with someone I don’t want to be with or someone who was chosen for me and not the other way around.”
Lucas got up from his seat and knelt on one knee in front of Justine, making her look nervously at the other customers in the café.
“I promise you, baby. I will take care of you both for as long as I live. I will never let anything or anyone hurt you, I swear,” he said, and Justine felt tears start to fall from her eyes and she smiled, putting one hand on his cheek.
“Thank you,” she said, and she bent her head down and gave him a kiss, the other patrons giving them a round of applause.
The transition from living all alone for most of her life to living as the wife of a clan leader was difficult for Justine, to say the least. Ever since Lucas had brought her to his village, she was accosted by the stares of everyone who lived there. The whispers followed her wherever she went and, although Lucas tried to be with her whenever he could, most of the time, he had to leave for an urgent mater or another; a lot of which were ordered by the Council.
That was another thing she had a problem with. The Council wasen’t at all pleased with Lucas bringing her into their fold and declaring her as his mate, as they wanted him to forge an alliance with another clan. They didn’t think she had anything to offer to the clan that would be of great advantage other than the child she was carrying, and they made it obvious to her that they despised her.
The only one who seemed to have shown at least a modicum of civility was Elder Graham, a long silvery-haired man who knew Lucas’ parents when he was still a baby. He helped her know her way around the village and taught her everything about their history and traditions. She had hoped that he would’ve been able to influence the rest of the people to change their thoughts about her, but sadly, it was not possible.
“They’ll get over it, Justine,” Lucas said, watching her pace their room that night. “They can’t do anything about it if I imprinted on someone they didn’t think I’d choose, but it’s too late for them to do anything about it once it happened. Just let them talk.”
“Yes, but I don’t want to walk around every morning with everyone looking at me like I took away their candy and gave them poison instead,” she muttered.
Lucas smirked and stood behind her, putting his hands around her and placing them on the slight bulge of her stomach. Justine leaned against him and she stared at their reflection in the mirror, a picture of a couple in love.
“Soon, they’re going to realize why I chose you, all of the reasons why I want to be with you, and then they’l
l love you almost as much as I love you,” he said, putting his lips in her hair and inhaling her scent. Justine froze at his words.
“You love me?” she whispered, and Lucas looked at her reflection with eyes filled with warmth and something she’d never seen before.
“I do. I have for a while now,” he turned her so he could see directly in her eyes. “The Council can keep trying to force me away from you, but I know one thing; I love you, Justine. I love you so much it hurts sometimes,” he said.
Justine smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug, and she wept on his shoulder as he held her tighter.
“You have to keep saying that. You have to keep saying you love me, again and again, until I get tired of hearing it,” Justine ordered.
“Oh, I plan on doing that for a long, long time,” he kissed the tears of her eyes away before kissing her fully on the mouth. He bent down and carried her like a bride, and made their way to the bedroom, smirking at her. “Now, how about I make you say my name over and over tonight?” he asked.
She raised an eyebrow at him in a challenge.
“I’d like to see you try,” she said.
Justine left their house with a new resolve that morning, leaving Lucas a note that she was out in the village, so he wouldn’t look for her once he woke up. His words last night had given her courage to face the people who thought ill of her, and she was determined to change their minds.
She started off with the children, playing with them and watching over them while their mothers went off to shop and buy some groceries. Afterward, she knocked on every door and gave them a batch of the cookies she made early this morning. A few of them were grateful while some merely took the treats before shutting the door in her face, but Justine considered it progress, nonetheless.
Chapter 8
She told Lucas about her endeavors when he met up with her later that afternoon, and he praised her for her efforts before telling her not to overwork herself.