by Vella Day
He shone it on the snake. “Let’s get you back to where you belong, big fella.”
Her hero stepped into the tent, grabbed the snake as if it were as harmless as a rock, and came out with it wiggling in his hand. “I’ll put him someplace where he won’t bother you.”
Will was gone only a minute. When he returned, her teeth were chattering.
“Come here.” Will gathered her in his arms and held her tight.
The hug more than made up for having a snake in her tent. Suddenly she realized that with a big hole in the side, there was nothing to stop another animal from getting inside either. “Could I move my sleeping bag into your tent for the night? The hole freaks me out.”
Will looked down at her and lifted her chin. “I’d like nothing better. Get your sleeping bag and grab whatever else you need. I’ll make room for you.”
For the first time since she arrived in the forest, Acacia was excited to be sleeping in a tent.
Chapter Seven
Will never should have said yes to Acacia’s request to sleep in his tent, but she seemed upset by the appearance of that snake. It was a harmless black snake, but in the dark, he understood she wouldn’t be able to tell.
“Where would you like me?” Acacia asked as she swung her light around his small tent.
“There’s not much choice. It has to be next to me. It might be labeled a three-person tent, but that’s only if there’s no gear.”
“As long as no snakes can get in, I’ll sleep anywhere.”
Acacia placed her foam padding on the ground next to him and then tossed her sleeping bag on top. She plopped down and put what she had in her hands at her feet.
The urge to gather her in his arms and kiss her made his nails and teeth sharpen. Thankfully, she couldn’t see the hair that had sprouted on his face.
Mate, mate, his bear cheerfully announced.
I know.
The problem was that he didn’t want to mess this up. “Is your bag dry?” he asked. “I know it was damp this morning.”
“It’s fine.” She opened her sleeping bag, ready to snuggle in for the night when she grunted.
“What is it?” His pulse soared.
“I forgot that my feet are caked in dirt.”
Will smiled. “I have just the thing.” He removed his headlamp from the side pouch, slipped it onto his head, and turned it on. He found some wet paper towels he kept stored in a plastic bag. “Give me your foot.”
She might want to clean off her feet by herself, but too damn bad. If he didn’t touch her soon, he wouldn’t sleep a wink.
“I can wash them myself.”
He’d called it. Will picked up her foot anyway. “After the trauma you’ve been through, you need to let me do this.”
She leaned back onto her elbows. “I appreciate it. I’ll close my eyes and pretend I’m at a spa.”
He laughed. Acacia was awesome. He swiped the cloth across her foot using a fair amount of pressure so as not to tickle her. Had she not groaned, his bear might have been able to behave himself. His cock hardened.
“It was so worth walking outside and getting my feet dirty just to have you do this.”
His mood suddenly shot up from that comment. She must have stepped in a soggy spot, because her feet had an unusual amount of mud on them. It took two towels to finish cleaning her first foot. “Next.”
She switched feet, and he repeated the process. After he shoved the dirty towels in a small trash bag, Will then cleaned his feet. If she’d asked to return the favor, he would have turned her down.
Acacia slipped into bed. “Thank you for everything. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”
Before he could respond, she reached out, cupped the back of his head, and kissed him, causing every cell in his body to explode. From his erotic reaction to her, Acacia Faiten was no doubt his mate.
Without thinking, Will stretched out on his sleeping bag and pulled Acacia on top of him, chest to glorious chest. She might roll off and then tell him to fuck off or, his life would get a whole hell of a lot better now.
When she pressed her hips against his hard cock, his brain almost disengaged. All he could think about was sinking his dick into her. Yes, they’d only just met, but it seemed as if so much had happened in the last two days that proved they were fated to be together. While he knew the truth, it was way too soon to breach that topic with her.
Stop analyzing and enjoy her, his bear growled.
I will.
Acacia took the next step by running her tongue along the seam of his lips. When he let her in, his need went wild. She turned off his headlamp and then slipped it off of him. Shit. He hadn’t realized the blinding light was still on.
His eyes must still be reacting to residual light, because he swore her body had lit up from the inside out. Will might have questioned it, but right now his body was too much on fire to have any kind of discussion. He slipped his hands under her shirt, and when he rubbed his palms up her back, her silky-smooth skin caused his breathing to increase.
Acacia lifted her head. “How about switching places?”
This must be a dream, because she couldn’t have asked for anything better. Her sleeping bag was right next to his, so Will rolled them onto hers. She smiled, lifted up, and kissed him again. When she slid her hands under his briefs and grabbed his ass, he nearly came.
Needing to touch her more thoroughly, Will threaded his hands through her hair and pulled her closer. Their tongues tangled, probed, and explored. Acacia widened her legs and then bent her knees. Holy hell.
This time, it was Will who broke the kiss. “I don’t have any protection with me,” he whispered.
He held his breath, waiting for Acacia to either say it was okay or that she had no intention of sleeping with him.
“I’m good.”
Will thanked whoever was watching over them. Was it really Fate? He’d been taught from a very young age that the final union was pre-determined from long ago. It certainly seemed like that might be the case.
She removed her hands from his briefs and then yanked them down but not off. Two could play at that game. Will slid lower until his feet hit the tent flap. “I really need to get you out of this shirt. Will you be cold if you’re naked?”
She shook her head. “Not as long as I have you on top of me.”
He loved the way she thought. When Will dragged his hands from her waist to her tits, lifting off the shirt, his breath caught at her unexpected abundance. He cupped her breasts and squeezed them gently, loving their soft yet firm feel. His imagination went crazy, picturing the glory of licking and sucking on them.
“I wish we had more light so I could take you all in.”
“You do have other senses.” As if to prove her point, she dug her nails into his shoulder blades.
“How could I have missed that fact?” Will leaned over and sucked on one nipple while he twirled the other tiny bud between his fingertips. No doubt about it, this woman had to be from another realm. She was just that delicious.
Keeping her lips pressed together, Acacia moaned, no doubt trying not to wake up Lucas whose tent was less than fifteen feet from them. If his friend did wake up though, Will bet he’d be cheering for them.
Will wanted to explore so many places, but his bear kept threatening to make his presence known if he didn’t hurry up and make love to her.
Before he did, he needed one quick taste. Will rolled to the side, dragged off his T-shirt and briefs, and then returned to divest Acacia of her pretty undies. He slipped them down her legs and tossed them back onto his sleeping bag. Now that both of them were naked, he could concentrate on the two of them making love and abandoning themselves to passion.
With her still on her back, Acacia lifted her legs and wrapped them across his shoulders, her heels close to his spine. “Come here and show me what else you can charm besides snakes and fish.”
He laughed. “You read my mind.”
Not able to w
ait any longer, Will swiped his tongue across her opening, driving him closer to the brink. Her sweetness once more confirmed they belonged together. Will just needed to convince her they were mates in the truest sense.
Acacia grabbed a clump of hair on the top of his head and tugged. Every time he flicked her tiny nub, she pulled harder. “Yes, yes!” she whispered.
When his dick grew painfully hard, he crawled forward and pressed his cock to her entrance. “I want you.”
Her response was to give him another amazing kiss. Will drove into her, begging his bear to behave. He’d never been this close to shifting against his will.
“Take me hard,” came her breathy response as soon as she came up for air.
As much as he wanted to, he didn’t want to hurt her. Will had to use all of his restraint to ease into her once more. With each inch he traveled, his balls tightened, and a piece of his heart was lost to her. Acacia lowered her legs and planted them on the sleeping bag. When she lifted her hips, his dick slammed into the hilt, forcing him to close his eyes and concentrate on not coming.
He leaned over and kissed her neck. When his teeth sharpened, the temptation to make her his own nearly toppled him. Using what little control he had left, Will nibbled on the shell of her ear, inhaling her sweet scent.
Easing out of her left him wanting more, so he tunneled right back in, which sent sparks of lust straight up his spine. Acacia pushed on one shoulder, indicating she wanted to be on top, and he was more than willing to give her whatever she wanted.
In one smooth move, he rolled over onto his back, taking her with him so that she remained on top. Her hair hung down in her face as she leaned over, and her tits were right at mouth level.
What happened after that was kind of a blur. Breasts, lips, and pussy galore encased him. The moonlight streamed into the tent, backlighting Acacia, making her look like an angel. She sure as hell felt like one. Will never wanted this moment to end, but when she leaned forward, pressed her breasts into his chest, and kissed him like she wanted him forever, he lost it. His hot seed exploded. Acacia opened her mouth and gulped in air. When her inner walls squeezed him tight, it was clear her climax had taken hold too.
Even after that momentous event, his dick wouldn’t stop pulsing. Needing to catch his breath, he drew her close and rubbed her back to keep her warm.
“Got another one of those paper towels?” she asked a few minutes later.
“You bet.”
Reaching one was a bit tricky, but he managed. “Here ya go.”
She rolled off of him, cleaned herself up, and then dragged the clean end over his dick.
“Want to share my sleeping bag?” he asked.
“Two people can’t fit into one.”
“I was thinking of spreading one out for the bottom and using the other one like a blanket.”
She smiled. “Works for me, but I’m still putting on clothes. I don’t trust myself.”
With that comment, Will had officially fallen for her.
To Acacia’s amazement, she’d been able to sleep through the rest of the night. When she awoke, Will wasn’t in the tent, but the clanking of pots and cups, along with the scent of coffee told her where he was. As comfortable as she was under the sleeping bag, she couldn’t let them do all of the cooking.
After slipping on a light jacket to ward off the morning chill, she put on her shoes and went outside.
Will looked up, and when he smiled, Acacia couldn’t help but grin back at him. Last night had been epic. While he hadn’t said they were mates, with the incredible way he held her and made love to her, she was sure he knew they were. As much as she wanted to tell him she was willing and ready to be with him, several things held her back—the most obvious one was telling him she was a goddess of Fate. He might be aware of white lighters, but she bet he’d never met a goddess.
“Have any more hot water? I could use a tea.”
“Water we have.” Will grinned. “There’s your food supply.”
She searched through the contents and found her tea bags. The men were making eggs, but she didn’t want to use their resources, so she pulled out a bagel and some cream cheese.
“We made these eggs to share with you. The container wouldn’t last long, so we had to make it,” Lucas said.
They were both so considerate. “Then thank you.”
“I heard you had a little scare last night,” Lucas said.
Will would have told him about the snake, but had he told his best friend what happened afterward? It didn’t matter. Sooner or later it would become obvious that the two of them were together. “Yes, but some big bad bear saved the day.”
Lucas laughed. “I bet. We’re doing a fairly tame hike today along the river. Would you like to join us?”
“I’d love to.”
“I hope you brought something to swim in,” Will said. “There are some really great waterfalls and watering holes along the way.”
“I did bring one, but after feeling the water yesterday, it might be a bit too cold for my blood.”
“A quick dunk after a hot hike will be refreshing, I promise.” His smile convinced her.
“Okay then.”
When they finished breakfast, Acacia insisted on cleaning up. It was the least she could do. After washing the frying pan and other utensils, she stored them and then searched through her gear to get ready for the hike. She couldn’t wait for the adventure.
Chapter Eight
Will was thrilled that Acacia was willing to hike with them. Too many of the women he’d been with in the past wanted nothing to do with this outdoors stuff. Acacia was different—and so perfect in every way—but he didn’t want to get ahead of himself regarding mating with her. Taking one day at a time had always been the way he operated, and he saw no reason to change.
Because he didn’t want to push her past her limits, he and Lucas agreed that the trail running along the river would be the easiest. It also was one of the prettiest. The path had its ups and downs since several spots had dips due to waterfalls, but no part would be difficult to navigate.
Acacia came out of his tent wearing a cute bandana and carrying a small daypack with a water bottle stuck in the side pouch. He couldn’t be sure, but it looked as if she might be wearing her bathing suit underneath her hiking gear.
“I’m ready,” she announced.
Will checked to see that she had everything she needed. She did. “Lucas and I tend to hike a little too fast sometimes, so let us know if you need a break. We’re here to see the beauty of the land, and that requires us to stop and enjoy the view, so please remind us.”
She chuckled. “Got it.”
Lucas took the lead so Will could walk alongside Acacia. She almost tripped a few times, because her head had been swiveling every which way, taking in the natural beauty, but each time, she managed to stay upright.
Will inhaled deeply. The air smelled sweet after all the rain, and the sun had decided to come out and play. Because they were fairly high in the mountains, the air remained delightfully cool. Having his mate by his side made it even more wonderful. All he had to do was convince her they belonged together, and his life would be complete.
After an hour of trekking, Will suggested they stop and have a small snack. In truth, Acacia seemed to be working hard to keep up.
They found a downed log and rested on it. Halfway through their snack of nuts mixed with chocolate, a young couple came up the path. They were in their early twenties, sporting clothes that had seen better days. Just as Lucas, Will, and Acacia were about to head back out, laughter floated up the trail. Soon, the head of a woman and her young daughter appeared around the bend.
“Morning,” Will said, wanting to embrace everything about the day.
“Morning to you.” Both the mom and girl smiled as they forged ahead.
Wanting to give the hikers some space, they remained on the log another five minutes. Will slapped his thighs and stood. “Shall we?”
A
cacia popped up. “I’m ready.”
Within twenty minutes, they arrived at their first waterfall, and Acacia’s face lit up. “While these falls are pretty, those farther up are even more impressive.”
“Can’t we take a look at these?” she asked.
He never wanted to disappoint her. “Sure. We can take the path down the hill to get a better view if you want. You up for it?” Will asked.
“Totally.”
No one else was at the bottom, so they would be able to enjoy the falls all by themselves. Holding her hand, he led her down the steep, narrow path until they reached the riverbed. To the left was a series of rock slabs that helped create a gentle waterfall.
Acacia just stared. “It’s beautiful.” She spun around and faced him. “Thank you for letting me join you today.”
“We’re happy to have you.” Not only did Will want her by his side forever, he didn’t like the idea of leaving her at the camp. Given her history of camping mishaps, he would have fretted all day.
“We can’t swim here, but there’s a watering hole a little past some rapids,” he said.
“I’m game.”
After enjoying the serenity of this spot, they returned to the trail to continue their hike. When they reached his favorite area, he stood on the path to enjoy the view. The fast-moving water always made his bear want to play. He could only imagine the fish his animal could catch.
“Will?” Lucas called.
“Sorry.” He’d spaced, like he often did when he was in nature.
Before he could lead Acacia down to the falls, a scream reached him. Crap. It sounded as if someone was in trouble. He spun to face her. “Stay here.”
She froze. As much as he wanted to explain why she should remain there, he had to see who needed his help. It could just be a bear sighting or some bees swarming a person. Regardless, he needed to find out what had caused that reaction.
“Go,” Lucas said. “I’ll stay with her.”
With Acacia’s safety ensured, Will took off. He debated shifting into his bear form, but decided he would do that only after he found the source of the scare. As he neared the rapids, more shouts reached him. It sounded like a woman’s voice screaming for help. He kicked up his speed, careful not to trip on the rocks and roots jutting up at random intervals.