by Jenika Snow
Everything he said was right and had that ball of dread in her belly dissipating until there was only pleasurable warmth that filled every empty spot in her.
It had only taken a few hours under him, a few weeks of worry and angst, and now an hour spent in his presence and listening to his sweet words for her to want to give every part of herself to this shifter.
“I have no doubt the child you carry is mine. I can smell my scent permeating from you, as if your body knows it is in the presence of its mate.” He spoke fiercely, like he had known this would be the outcome.
Male shifters were known to be territorial, possessive, and all-around alpha in everything they did, but Charlie was in a whole other class. He put every man she had been with to shame.
“Even if you decide you’re not ready for something between us, I want you to know I will always be there for you and our baby. Do you understand me, February?” His blue eyes never left hers until she felt herself nodding in response.
She might not have known much about him, but deep in her heart, she knew he spoke the truth. If there was one rumor she heard about Charlie that she would believe over all else, it would have to be the one that he took care of his family above all others, and that his word was his livelihood.
“I believe you, but, Charlie?” Licking her lips and smoothing her hands over the napkin, she knew she wanted to give them a chance. It wasn’t just about the baby, and she had a feeling Charlie wasn’t the kind of man to do something just because. “I do want to see where this goes between us.” His grin was wide, and he didn’t have to say anything to show that her words had meant the world to him.
This was good, and for the first time in her life, she actually felt like she was going down the right path.
That revelation scared the shit out of her.
13
After Charlie left Ary, but not before promising to see her later, he sat in his truck and let his thoughts consume him. All he could think about was the child who grew inside Ary, his child. There was no doubt in his mind she was telling the truth.
The scent of her was a mixture of everything whole and pure that made up his little ocelot shifter, but there was an underlying scent, his scent, that surrounded her.
He hadn’t really noticed it before, not when there had been a plethora of other aromas that invaded his senses since stepping into the café, but once out on the patio where the fresh air swirled around them and he could really concentrate, the smell was undeniable.
He didn’t need an ultrasound to know that their child would be a bear shifter, not when he could sense so much of himself around and inside her. Or maybe it was just his overactive imagination wanting to find something, anything that could further tie Ary to him.
His bear awakened at the thought of her, and he raked his claws, trying to escape and go to its mate. The possessiveness he felt for her was unlike anything he had ever encountered, and it only intensified since he now knew she carried his cub.
He needed to get his emotions under control and calm the fuck down. This was the biggest news that had come into his life, and he needed to share it with his brothers, the two people who had always been by his side, even when he was acting like a pompous asshole.
Giving them a quick call and finding out they were at Ford’s home, he made his way toward the cabin that was nestled deep in the Sweet Water Mountains. Out of the three of them, Ford preferred his privacy and solitude above all else. Charlie always attributed it to Mina, but he had never questioned Ford on the reason for his distance.
He took the winding road that ascended the mountain and turned off onto a narrower dirt path. He should have taken his Harley instead of his truck, because he was barely clearing the evergreens that lined each side of him. When he came into the clearing that housed Ford’s two-story cabin, he pulled the truck beside Bram’s pickup and cut the engine.
Climbing out of the vehicle and making his way into the cabin, Charlie couldn’t help but feel nervous. This was a new emotion for him, and one he didn’t know if he liked. Despite the unsure feelings swirling inside him, he couldn’t deny he was excited to tell his brothers they would be uncles.
Would they be more surprised that he was going to be a father, and that he was going to mate with an ocelot shifter, or that he was going against everything he ever said about how he wanted his life to go?
When he entered the cabin, he saw Bram and Ford sitting around the dining room table with a bottle of whiskey between them. Their laughter lowered when they noticed him. “Isn’t it a bit early for Crown, boys?”
Bram lifted his shot glass up in salute and downed it. “Hell no, not when we got some incredible news to celebrate.”
“Yeah?” He made his way to the table and sat beside Ford. “It can’t be as incredible as mine.” His brothers looked doubtful, but before he could tell them, Bram started talking.
“We just got word that the CEO of Piefer Industries wants to contract Wylde Construction for a large condominium job in Denver,” Bram said with a grin on his face.
“Yeah, they want us to leave next week to meet with the CEO, Allister Piefer, and go over the contract and blueprints for what they have in mind.” Ford threw back his shot and poured him and Bram another, as well as filling an empty glass for Charlie. “Charlie, man, we are talking about a multimillion-dollar deal, and they want us, a small construction company from Sweet Water, to do it for them.”
Charlie ran a hand over the back of his head. This was incredible news, but as he looked between his brothers, he knew his news still surpassed theirs. “That is great news.”
“Man, why aren’t you throwing the shots back and celebrating with us? This is a huge step.” Bram pushed the glass closer to him. “A huge step for the business. Mom and Dad would be drinking right along with us if they were here.” Silence descended around them, and they each looked down at the table.
It had been a long time since they actually brought up the memory of their parents, but Bram was right that their parents would be excited and proud the family business was flourishing.
“Didn’t you have some news of your own?” Ford prompted.
“Yeah, I do, and it’s even bigger than yours.” This had his brothers looking at each other then back at him expectantly.
“Well, spit it out,” Ford urged him to continue when he just looked at them.
“It must be huge if you think it’s bigger than Piefer,” Bram said right before he poured himself another shot. His smile was wide, and the excitement poured out of him.
“Yeah.” Charlie picked up his shot and tossed it back. The burn of the alcohol traveled down his throat and settled like a lead ball in the pit of his stomach. “You know the ocelot shifter I was telling you about, the one I wanted to mate?”
“Ary, right?” Bram asked slowly and looked over at Ford.
Charlie nodded. “Well.” He cleared his throat, feeling his own joy and happiness grow to a monumental point inside him. He was excited to see how his brothers would react. Ever since their parents passed away in the car accident years ago, he always looked after Ford and Bram, even though they were adults.
The three of them stuck together, and always would, but he had Ary in his life now, and she carried his child. Things would change most definitely, and although he knew his brothers would be happy about this, he couldn’t help but wonder what the future held.
He wanted to start a life with February, and not just because she was pregnant, but that little fact had every possessive instinct inside him rushing to the surface and threatening to spill out. He needed to control himself and keep his bear in check or he would surely frighten her away. “Looks like I’m going to be a father.” The heat in the room became stifling, and he cleared his throat.
“Father? What do you mean?” Ford asked slowly, but Charlie knew he understood him just fine.
“You’re having a baby with the ocelot female?” Bram leaned back in his seat and started tapping his fingers along the tabl
e. It was a habit he had when nervous.
“Yeah, I am. I asked her to have lunch with me, because I wanted to talk to her about taking the next step in a relationship. Turns out, she had her own reason for agreeing to come, and that was telling me the broken condom ended up with her being pregnant.”
“Shit, man.” Bram sounded stunned. “I mean, I don’t know the girl or anything, but I have to play the devil’s advocate here. She did go home with you willingly after you two just met. You don’t think maybe there is a possibility she got knocked up by a different guy she let take her home?”
Charlie knew Bram meant well and was just looking out for him, but just hearing those words had his inner animal on the verge of breaking free. He felt his muscles start to swell with the imminent release of his bear. The fact that he was having a hard time restraining his animal scared the shit out of him.
“Damn, Charlie, I meant no disrespect. I was just making an observation.” Bram and Ford stood at the same time and took a step back. Charlie’s whole body shook as he tried to control his bear. All it had taken was for him to hear something negative about Ary, even if it had been from one of his brothers, and his bear wanted to taste blood and feel flesh ripping beneath his claws.
“What the fuck is happening to me?” His voice was distorted, sounding like an animalistic growl. He curled his fingers into the table, heard the sound of cracking wood, and knew he needed to rein himself in or he’d end up hurting his brothers. Closing his eyes and taking a few deep breaths, he did the only thing he could think of that might make his bear refrain from coming out: he thought of February.
He pictured her lush body beneath his, the spearmint scent of her flesh as he ran his tongue along every dip and swell. He pictured her crying out his name as he buried himself deep inside her and marked her with his seed. He wanted her smelling like him completely and wanted his claw marks on her succulent body so every male, shifter and human alike, would know she was his.
Slowly, the bear inside him calmed and backed down enough that he could take control. He let go of the table, felt pieces of wood fall from his hands, and lifted his eyes to Ford and Bram. They stood several feet away, both having the same stunned look on their faces.
“Holy fuck, Charlie. That was the most intense fucking thing I have ever seen.” Ford picked up the Crown off the table and drank right from the bottle. He started chuckling and handed the bottle to Bram, who drank it in the same fashion. “I thought for sure you’d lose it and tear out our throats.”
“I’ve only ever seen something that intense at Slater’s, and only when other shifters wanted blood on their hands as sport. I mean, damn, Charlie, she really is your mate, huh?” Bram took another drink and handed the bottle to Ford again. They did this back and forth until there was nothing left.
Charlie ran a hand over his face, felt the sweat that had accumulated along his brow from his near shift, and breathed out. “I am so fucking sorry. Shit, I have no damn clue what in the hell is happening. I feel like I’m losing myself to my bear. It wants out so damn bad, and every passing day, it is getting harder to control him. We should be one entity. I feel like my human is trying to control an animal intent on taking over.” Was this how Bram felt? His youngest brother was more bear than human, had been for as long as he could remember.
Did Bram always feel this wild and untamed? If so, Charlie could see why he did bare-knuckle fighting so often. A glass of water was placed in front of him, and he thanked Bram.
“And to make matters worse, ever since Ary told me about the pregnancy, I’ve been feeling so damn territorial and possessive.”
“Charlie, why are you even trying to fight it?” Ford asked. His brother sat in the spot across from him and set a brand-new bottle of whiskey on the table. “What do you think will happen if you shift? You think you’ll hurt your girl? Not likely. Damn, dude, your bear wants to claim her. I say go for it, let him mark her, and then you can go on being one person again instead of feeling pulled in two different directions.”
“Well, damn, Ford. When the hell did you get all philosophical and shit?” Bram chuckled and cracked open the alcohol. “I think we are all in need of some more liquor.” Charlie didn’t bother agreeing with Bram on both accounts. Ford was right, which left the burning question of why was he trying to hold himself back?
If his bear wanted to mark her as theirs, then so be it.
14
One week later
The sound of Charlie’s Harley pulling into her driveway was a loud rumble she seemed to feel all the way to her bones. It had been seven long days since she had seen him, although they talked on the phone several times a day.
He ended up having to leave with his brothers to Denver concerning some big contract. Everything was still so surreal, right down to the fact that Charlie wanted so much more with her.
Even their conversations over the phone had her feeling so much closer to him. The connection was frighteningly strong, so much so that her ocelot wanted to rub up on him and purr in approval.
He couldn’t see her watching him through her living room blinds, and she took that moment to appreciate the view. It had only been seven days since she had seen him, but it felt like far longer than that.
He knocked on the door, and she grabbed her purse and gripped the handle to pull it open. She only had a moment to take in his appearance: distressed jeans and white button-up shirt. But that was short-lived as he was charging in the house, using his upper body to press her against the wall.
A gasp left her at the feral intensity of the action, but he clamped his mouth down and swallowed the noise.
Their tongues tangled together, and the flavor of everything that was Charlie bathed her taste buds in spicy maleness. Their plans had been to ride up to the mountains to take a relaxing hike along a path that followed a small creek.
She had been there before, loved being out in the wilderness, as did all shifters, and wanted to show Charlie a hidden alcove that overlooked Sweet Water Lake.
Apparently, this bear had different plans for them. The hiking shorts she wore were modest, and that was clearly something Charlie didn’t appreciate, since he muttered against her mouth something about too many clothes before undoing the button and pulling the zipper down.
In one frantic motion, he had her shorts and her panties down her thighs and thrown to the side.
The low, rumbly growls that came from him vibrated through his chest and went straight to her clit. There was something definitely different about him, like he couldn’t control himself and needed this more than he needed to breathe.
She inhaled deeply, smelled the scent of his alpha bear surrounding him, and knew right now he wasn’t Charlie the human, but a wild animal.
“Charlie, what’s gotten into you?” Her words stuttered out of her from the rhythmic way he thrust his hips back and forth against her. His dick was hard and thick and brought back the erotically delicious memories of their night spent together.
Not that she was complaining, and if she thought he was alpha personified before, she was starting to realize there was more of it hiding inside him. He trailed his mouth down her neck and licked and sucked at every exposed inch until she begged him for more.
“I want you so fucking bad, Ary.” He slammed his hands on the wall on either side of her head. She swore the picture frames right above her head shook from the force of his actions. Through the corner of her eye, she could see his nails had turned into claws and were currently digging into the drywall. “I’ve tried so hard to control myself around you, but it’s just too fucking hard. I want to claim you, baby. I want the damn world to know you’re mine.” His voice was gravelly and no longer human-sounding. “I’m not going to curb the animalistic need to mate with you. Not now. Not ever.”
The air was charged with electricity, and the hairs on her arms stood up. It didn’t take her shifter senses to tell his bear was close to breaking free, not when she could see the swell of his muscles beneat
h his shirt or feel the aggressive arousal pouring off him. His huge body blocked out the light from the partially open doorway, and the heat that poured off him was like a sauna.
At the first touch of his fingers on her swollen, soaked pussy lips, Ary let her head fall back against the wall and moaned out.
How could one week make her feel so needy and desperate for him? As he used his knee to force her thighs wider apart, she gripped onto his lean yet rock-hard waist for support. Taking his index and middle finger and placing them on her inner labia, he spread them apart.
“Fucking hell, Ary. I can smell you, feel how wet you are for me, and know I won’t last five seconds once I have my cock shoved deep inside you.” Before she could respond, or at least make a noise that she was just as desperate as he was, Charlie had retracted his claws and pushed two thick fingers inside her.
Nails digging into his skin and mouth parting as the stretch from the penetration consumed her, all she could do was hold on as he started to fuck her with those digits.
In and out, he pumped them into her pussy, all the while keeping his eyes locked with hers. They were no longer blue but a dark color that seemed to swallow his pupils whole. It was a testament to how close he was to shifting. The fear over that fact should have left her immobile and not aroused, but it had a far different effect on her.
Her nipples swelled beneath the now too rough shirt, and as if he sensed that discomfort, he reached between them, placed one of his claws at the base of her throat, and started dragging it down until it reached the collar of her shirt. The material parted beneath his touch like a warmed knife going through butter.
Every so often, she could feel the very tip of his claw press against her flesh, not hard enough to hurt, but with enough pressure to let her know it was there regardless. It was a reminder there was no more Charlie Wylde in front of her. The male who touched her let off a scent of ownership, one that had her wanting to submit to him in every way possible.