Mating Instinct (Morgan Clan Bears, Book 2)

by Theresa Hissong

  Rex leaned into the next kiss, directing Ada to lay back. He released her and kissed down her jaw and throat again, continuing on to her breasts. He cupped one while using the flat of his tongue to taste the other. Her dark nipples hardened from his attention. She shivered when he nipped at the tight bud. With one touch, he knew he’d never tire of tasting his mate. She was made for him, and he would love her for as long as the gods allowed him.

  “Oh, Rex,” she hummed. “I don’t know what to do.”

  “Ada,” he whispered, moving back up her body so he could look into her golden eyes. “I’m going to take care of you. I promise.”

  “Please, touch me…something,” she panted, her fangs growing thick in her mouth. “I already want to mark you.”

  “Not yet, my mate,” he teased, and kissed her again.

  He pulled back to remove his shirt with one hand, balancing himself over her with his free arm. The last thing he wanted to do was break the connection, but he wanted both of them naked so he could prime her for their mating.

  Ada’s fingers danced over his exposed chest, her eyes watching as she moved over the dips and valleys of his abs. There was a heat about her, and he had a feeling once his mate understood their union a little more, she would be insatiable with her need for his lovemaking. The more she touched him, memorizing his body, the more powerful and all male he felt.

  The two of them scrambled to remove the rest of their clothing, coming back together once they were fully nude. Rex’s beast snarled in his head to flip her over and mate her the proper way, but he couldn’t do that just yet.

  “I’m going to touch you, Ada,” he said, slowly running his hands over the flat of her stomach. “You have to tell me what you like and don’t like. I want this to be special.”

  Ada nodded, the tops of her cheeks blushing a soft pink as he pushed her left leg out to the side. The heat between her legs encouraged him to run his fingers through her wetness, taking a little extra time to roll her clit until her hips began to undulate on the bed.

  “Rex.” She growled out his name as he circled her opening. “More.”

  “Like this?” He teased and pressed one finger inside her. Her tightness sent his need for her into overdrive. Squeezing his eyes closed, he had to control himself or it’d be over before it ever began.

  “Yes,” she breathed.

  “Look at me,” he heard himself say when her eyes closed in pleasure. Ada’s eyes popped open, but they closed again when a soft moan fell from her lips.

  Rex was mesmerized by how beautiful she was in the throes of pleasure. He’d forever crave the desire in her eyes and the way her lips parted softly as she moaned from his touch. He hadn’t even mated her properly, but he already knew he’d move heaven and earth to keep Ada Carlisle happy.

  She was beyond nervous, but with every touch, every tender moment, Rex was weaving his way into her heart and soul. She trusted him more than anyone she’d ever known.

  “Rex,” she breathed, unable to form the words she needed to tell him what she wanted. “Please, mate me.”

  “I’ll be gentle,” he hummed and removed his hand from between her legs. The absence of his touch sent her beast into a snarling frenzy. The bear wanted the mating as much as Ada did. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he settled between her legs. He wasn’t ready to mount her, and she’d admit it was calming to know he wasn’t going to give into his beast just yet. His human side wanted to make things right for their first time. “Wrap your legs around my waist.”

  She did as she was told, looking into his eyes as he reached between their bodies. She felt the warmth of his cock rub against her opening. He was thick, thicker than she ever imagined a male to be.

  Ada sucked in a breath when he pressed against her, stretching her. The need to complete their union had her urging him on by lifting her hips. “Rex, just do it.”

  “I’m not going to just do it, Ada,” he replied. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “It won’t hurt for long,” she reminded him. The elder females of her clan had prepared her for this. The talks they’d had gave her more information than she should have, but she was thankful for them. “I’m a shifter. As soon as you take my virginity, my body will heal. I won’t bleed, nor will the pain be too much.”

  Rex dipped his head to take her lips in a fierce need as he pushed his cock inside her. She felt the bite of pain, but it was only for a moment. He stilled, but Ada needed him to move. Her hips had a mind of their own as soon as he was seated. “More, Rex. I need you to move.”

  “Fuck, Ada,” he growled, rearing back to look at her. His eyes were the color of his beast, and she knew hers were the same. The beast that lived inside her was prowling just under her skin.

  A snarl bubbled up from the depths of her chest, causing Rex’s upper lip to lift in a predatory snarl. His canines were thick and she wanted to feel them at her neck. “Mark me, Rex. I want to bite you.”

  “Patience, sweetheart,” he moaned and thrust inside her a little harder than before.

  Ada’s animal pushed so hard at her skin, she bucked Rex hard, knocking him over to his side. He cursed when she scrambled from her back to position herself on her hands and knees, dropping her face to the mattress. “Rex, now. We need this.”

  His hands dug into her hips as he positioned himself behind her, pushing inside as slowly as his beast would allow. The anticipation of the mating swirled between them, magic connecting them in more ways than the physical act of sex.

  With every thrust, an animalistic growl vibrated through him, and when he pulled her back to his chest, she felt the vibrations. His hand was tangled in her hair, and his arm made a bracket across her stomach. The change of position lit a fire inside her body.

  There would’ve never been enough descriptions from the elder females to prepare her for the things her body was experiencing. A craving built inside her body. She felt like she was going to explode, and Rex was what she needed.

  “Rex, I don’t know what is going on,” she cried out as the need increased.

  “You are my mate,” he growled in her ear. “I will make it better.”

  She wanted to ask him what he was talking about, but couldn’t do anything more than pant with his punishing thrusts. He tightened his hold on her hair, making a fist at her scalp. There was no pain, and even if there was, Ada was certain her beast would want more.

  “Mate,” he snarled as he tugged on her hair, yanking her head to the side. She gasped loudly as his fangs sank into her neck.

  The explosion she was waiting for ignited, and Rex slammed into her body as she tried to rumble out a series of pleas for him to continue. The release was otherworldly. There was no explaining what had happened between them other than the mating was complete when she felt his cock swell and pulse inside her.

  “Your turn, Ada,” he replied. She blinked at him as he rearranged them so she was straddling him. “Take me into your body and mark me. Complete this.”

  She didn’t hesitate to wrap her tiny fingers around his cock, mesmerized he was still hard for her even after his orgasm. His fingers dug into her hips again as she seated herself, moving up and down a few times to adjust to the new position.

  “Sit up, Rex,” she purred, not even recognizing her own voice. She felt sexy and sultry for the first time in her life. The male…no, her mate, had made her feel this way. Rex Morgan was the cause of her happiness.

  As he pressed his chest to hers, she wrapped one arm around his shoulders, gathering his long hair into her fist, mimicking the hold he had used on her. Her strike was fast, and the coppery taste to his blood urged her beast to drink his offering, sealing them together forever.

  “My mate,” she grinned as she pulled away from his neck.

  Anna Claire bit into the back of her hand to keep from screaming. She scented Dwayne Knobs as she ran through the woods. He was close, and her beast was terrified he’d find her. The low branches of the trees slapped at her face as she
ran.

  Frantically, she searched for a place to hide. Her beast was no use, cowering inside her mind. Her eyes were the only thing helping her see into the night. It had to be close to daybreak, and if she could make it to the highway, she might be able to flag down a vehicle.

  “I’ll find you, Anna Claire!” Dwyane bellowed from somewhere behind her. He wasn’t as close as she thought he would be, and that alone gave her a renewed sense of strength to push her legs to run faster.

  She jumped over a dead tree, tumbling as she came down in some vines. No, she couldn’t get tangled. Tearing at them with her human nails, she scented her blood before she saw the vines turning red from the tips of her bleeding fingers. His footsteps were getting closer.

  Finally! She scurried to her feet and ran, seeing light in the distance. Make that two sets of headlights traveling down the highway. What had she been thinking when she decided to hide in the wooded area across from the clan’s land? Why hadn’t she run farther away? She didn’t know anything about the outside world, and if she was being honest with herself, she was scared.

  “There you are,” Dwayne snarled as he took her to the ground, jumping on her back. She fought him, but she was too weak to get him off.

  “No!” she screamed.

  His hands wrapped around her throat, cutting off the air she needed to breathe. A fist landed on her cheekbone and stars filled her vision. Her fangs grew with the impeding shift. Her beast was going to tear him apart before he could kill her.

  “Come here, you little bitch,” Dwayne snarled, removing something from his pocket.

  Anna Claire dug her claws into his forearms, but he didn’t even flinch. Fear like nothing she’d experienced before shocked her nerves as he pressed her body into the ground. His hard body covered her as he continued to squeeze.

  The stars were fading along with any light her shifted eyes could see. Dwayne’s face came into view through the tunnel of her vision. Something poked against her neck and she tried to reach for it, but her hands were knocked away. “It’s an imbedded collar. If you shift, you will die.”

  “No, don’t,” she pleaded when he began to tear at her clothes.

  “You’re going to regret running away from the clan,” he spat as he punched her again.

  This time, she gave into the unconsciousness and let the darkness take her.

  Chapter 11

  Ada pulled the covers over her shoulder and ran her fingers over Rex’s thick forearm as it held her like a prisoner to his chest while he slept. The clock on the side table read it was only two in the morning, and she needed to get some sleep. The beast inside of her rumbled, not caring about the time. She was with her mate…her real mate. She’d been saved from the monster who wanted to sell her and the crazy man who wanted to purchase her for his own.

  It could’ve been so much worse. What would’ve happened if Robert had succeeded and she’d been sent to Montana? Would she have been a slave to the male? Ada shivered hard from the knowledge of what that meant. Being sold to a male was only good for one thing, and imagining being forced against her will to mate a male sent tears leaking from her eyes. There were bad humans and shifters all over the world, and if she hadn’t run away when she did, she’d be just another statistic. Her life would’ve been something out of a horror movie.

  “What’s wrong, Ada?” Rex rumbled as he moved away, raising up on his elbow to peer over at her face.

  “I was thinking about what my life would’ve been like if I hadn’t left the clan when I did,” she answered honestly as she rolled toward him. She couldn’t lie to him.

  “Don’t think about that,” he urged, stroking some hair back from her cheek. “You’re here and you’re safe now.”

  “Anna Claire!” she jerked, remembering the other female. “Damn it!”

  She’d been so self-absorbed about mating Rex, she’d forgotten about the younger female. They needed to get to her before Robert sold her to that male in Montana in Ada’s place.

  “We are going today to rescue her and punish Robert for his crimes,” he vowed, tightening his hold around her waist. “Shh, mate. I promise to find her and bring her to you.”

  “Thank you, Rex,” she sighed, and covered her forehead with the back of her hand.

  An entire new worry formed in her head. Rex and the others would be leaving today to take out Robert O’Kelly and the others. Robert was vicious, and he didn’t care for strangers on his land, much like the Morgan clan. The difference between the two was startling, however, and Ada shivered remembering how savage the O’Kelly clan could be when provoked.

  “They have guns, Rex,” she announced. “He has a lot of fire power, and I don’t want anyone getting hurt.”

  “We won’t get hurt,” he promised, and pressed his lips to her cheek.

  “This is serious,” she pressed.

  “We are taking some of the panthers with us,” he explained. “They know what they’re doing.”

  “What if someone gets hurt?”

  “The Shaw pride has a healer, and he will be on standby should someone need him.” Rex nuzzled against the mating mark on her neck, and for a moment, Ada forgot all about her old clan and the danger Rex and his family would be facing. Feeling him hold her sent all of the bad memories away. All of the men who’d touched her, all of the hatred from Robert O’Kelly…all of it. Rex made things better. He made her feel like a female should, and her bear rumbled in her chest as a form of agreement.

  “I need to meet my brothers in about an hour,” he replied, glancing at the clock as Ada rolled to her back. He cupped her face and brought her lips to his. She’d never tire of kissing her mate. “That gives me time to make love to my mate.”

  Rex enveloped her body as he climbed over her, nestling himself between her legs. The second time wasn’t as painful, and any soreness from the night before was gone due to her advanced healing.

  “Promise me you will be safe,” she moaned as he rolled his hips. The slow slide of his cock heated her body, but her mind was still off, several miles away at her old clan. “I should go with you to tell you where everything is.”

  “We have satellite maps,” he mumbled, burying his face in her neck. “Stop worrying.”

  “There are several buildings on the land,” she continued, but Rex kissed her silent.

  “It’ll be fine, Ada,” he growled. “Now, give me your attention, mate. I’m not done loving you.”

  Ada’s head tilted as far back as it could go when he thrust harder, moving faster with each one. She had no idea that sex with her mate would be this pleasurable.

  Rex opened the front door, revealing three panthers. Savage, Booth, and Kraven entered right at 3 a.m., taking a moment to stop and shake his hand. Drake and Gunnar hovered in the living room as they took a seat on the couch.

  “First of all, I want to thank you for helping me serve shifter justice on the O’Kelly clan,” Rex began, pacing the floor. “There are several things we need to go over before we leave.”

  The sound of a car coming up the driveway paused anything else he was going to say. Drake held his hand out for them to stay while he rushed to the door, relaxing when he pulled it open. “The sheriff is here.”

  “What is he doing?” Gunnar asked under his breath.

  The panthers raised to their feet. Savage shook his head and crossed his arms over his massive chest. His longer, dark-brown hair fell into his eyes. “We asked him to come.”

  “Why?” Rex wondered aloud. “Hickory Flat isn’t his jurisdiction.”

  Rex was ignored as the panthers pushed past him to meet the sheriff at the back of his car. It was still dark outside, but he didn’t have any problems seeing the males remove a few rifles from the trunk of the sheriff’s car. “What is this?”

  “A little security,” Savage smirked, his eyes flashing the amber of his beast. Those cats were loyal and a bit ruthless when in protective mode.

  “Isn’t having the local sheriff providing you with weapons
illegal?” Gunnar asked, his eyes flashing with his approval.

  “Shifter law.” The sheriff shrugged and shook Savage’s hand. “Destroy them after you’re done, and be fucking careful. I’ll be in the area to watch over your mates.”

  Sheriff Lynch had offered to post himself up the road at the corner store. If anyone was going to come for the clan, they’d do it from that direction. If anything happened, Tessa was instructed to call the sheriff, and he’d be on their land in less than two minutes.

  “Will do,” Savage replied, handing off the weapons to his pride mates.

  Shifter law was fairly cut and dry.

  Stay hidden from humans.

  Treat your clans or prides with respect.

  And never…ever hurt a female.

  Rex and his brothers were not known to the humans, and he wanted to keep it that way. The panthers were already out, and the trouble it brought had almost cost them their pride. The bears were happier staying underground.

  “Let’s go,” Drake called out as he produced keys from his pocket.

  The males piled into two trucks and left the land, taking the main highway toward Hickory Flat. It was time to take out Robert O’Kelly and his two goons. Ada had given him descriptions of the males, and begged them to leave the elders alone. Rex’s plan was to take Robert out of power so the remaining members of the clan could live in peace.

  It took them half an hour to reach the town. They already knew their presence would cause the local humans to be nosey, because a town that small always looked out for each other. Their hope was to park in a wooded area across from the O’Kelly’s property, camouflaging their trucks before anyone saw them. Thankfully, they were the only ones on the road when they pulled off the blacktop, following an overgrown path into the woods.

  The moment they closed the doors, a whimper echoed through the thick woods behind them. All the males turned their heads, going on instant alert. “What was that?”