by Godiva Glenn
He tangled a hand in her hair and held her upper body down as his hips slammed against her ass and sent him deeper and deeper into her aching pussy. This was a new side of him, but new wasn’t bad. Besides, something told her that he’d only be like this occasionally and that the peaceful giant side of him still existed.
Perhaps it would be a surprise and each time he bedded her the side that awaited her would be revealed. No matter what, he was still her Valdus.
“You’re tight,” he growled.
Of course, she was. The excitement combined with the tension of holding herself in this position meant her muscles were like taut bands. It still felt wondrous, but she knew the entire purpose was his pleasure for now.
Just as he’d seen Troy and Gabe with her on the couch, ‘using her,’ so was his mission now. The base nature of him made her burn.
“Fill me,” she whimpered.
He dragged himself in and out, slowing. “You haven’t had enough yet.”
With that, he pounded harder. Her fingers gripped in vain at the glossy wood surface, but the only thing keeping her upright was his hand in her hair and his cock plowing her pussy.
His stamina had returned to him with the ability to move around, it seemed. She moaned as her body wound into a tight ball of pleasure. Being slammed and fucked into a near coma was exactly what she needed, just as he needed to do it.
Biting her tongue, she aimed to hold on to the impending explosion as long as she could. Valdus released her hair and both hands took her nearly numb hips. His fingertips dug in as he held her still against his pistoning hips.
His cock twitched inside her and he roared as he came. She closed her eyes and could feel the firm pulsations as he emptied. His motions slowed to a halt and he pulled out. His hand caught the drip and his fingers worked his escaping cum into her folds, massaging her clit.
Even in his frenzy, he knew she hadn’t finished and now worked to remedy that. His warm body curled over hers as his fingers circled and teased her, rekindling the bliss that had slipped away only moments before. She gasped as his caresses found the perfect rhythm then sucked in a deep breath as stars exploded behind her still clenched eyes.
Her body relaxed, but he held her up even as her nerve endings sent tremors of ecstasy.
“We need to find your men, and get you some dinner,” he whispered. “You haven’t been taking care of yourself.”
“They have names,” she chastised, still catching her breath.
“I know. Gabe and Troy. Let’s go find the humans.”
Chapter Twenty
Troy
The sky was a gentle lavender as the sun began to set over the tall trees around the resort. It was gorgeous, and according to Chell, the sky was often violet or pink on Solara. He tried to imagine waking to a pink sky that never transitioned into blue, and at the same time, he digested what he’d learned from their day with Valdus.
“We’d be making history,” Troy mused.
Gabe made a neutral sound of agreement.
Talking with Valdus had brought a lot of things to light. For one, there had never been a female bear shifter to choose more than one mate on Solara, though previous male leaders had chosen up to five at once. It would be a shift in tradition for Chell to have three, and not in a bad way.
Another thing Valdus had revealed was how deeply he cared for Chell. Gabe and Troy only knew her a brief time and were already impressed with her. Valdus had known her for years. And for the life of him, Troy couldn’t imagine how Valdus was okay with two strangers coming along and interrupting a relationship with his soul mate.
Not only was he okay with it, he honestly wanted to get to know them. He clearly had some issues, but they seemed more about Chell’s needs and feelings than his own. He’d even tried to coerce a decision out of them, for her sake.
“At this very moment, what would you answer?” Troy asked.
Gabe bent down and found a flat stone along the edge of the lake they walked around. “I’m still processing everything about Valdus.”
“I like him.”
Gabe tossed a smirk toward Troy. “You would.”
“He’s a lot like you. In fact, meeting him makes me think there must be bear in your blood.” He wasn’t exaggerating. In fact, ever since Chell had explained that humans were descended from the Nova Aurora shifters, he’d wished there was a DNA test for it. He was curious.
Gabe threw the stone across the lake, managing to get it to skip three times before sinking. “In any given situation, someone has to be in charge. Valdus seems the type to place himself in that role, and I see why, since he’s a shifter and he’s got history with Chell… but I don’t like that.”
“No one is in charge in a relationship, bro. I suppose if anything, Chell’s in charge. If you don’t see that…”
“Right, but then who’s the second-in-command?”
Troy rolled his eyes. “Why does it matter? I don’t care. I know where I stand with her. She doesn’t ignore me when you’re around, and vice versa. Unless that changes, I don’t need to have a pissing contest with you and a bear.”
“You’re not having any contest,” a deep voice growled.
Troy and Gabe turned from the lake to find three large men closing in.
“What the fuck? Who are you?” Gabe demanded.
Shifters, Troy guessed. There was no way humans had made it onto the grounds without being followed. “We’re guests here. We don’t need trouble.”
The tallest of the men sniffed the air. “Guests of a certain bear whore. We know. You reek of her desperation.”
“You want to take that back?” Gabe asked.
“Not particularly.”
Gabe flew at the man and landed a solid punch on his jaw before being tossed aside like a puppet.
Troy’s heart raced. Gabe crawled on the ground but didn’t appear seriously injured. Part of Troy wanted to rush over, but his brain told him to buy time. The resort had rather intense security. Falcon shifters were constantly flying overhead as guards, and who knew, maybe that dragon was around somewhere.
He held up his hands. “Solomon? I guess?”
“You’ve heard about me? Lies and slander, I imagine,” the tallest said.
“Heard that you don’t know how to please a woman,” Gabe called.
Fucking hell. Troy glared at Gabe, but one of the other shifters already had him. Gabe fell back, letting his shirt bag off his body then tackling the stranger. Gabe’s fight or flight was definitely malfunctioning in the fight direction, shifter or not.
Solomon laughed and took a step forward. Troy stepped back, then a loud roar nearly knocked him off his feet. Two massive bears charged them. He dove away then looked around for Gabe.
The shifter was kicking Gabe in the stomach, and Troy’s instinct to remain calm imploded. He jumped on the guy’s back and they both tumbled to the ground. The air vibrated with growls, and the very sound made Troy’s blood cold, but he wasn’t about to let some shifter douchebag hurt his best friend.
If he was right—and he prayed he was—the two bears that had joined the fight were Chell and Valdus. He didn’t look back, though, more focused on the task at hand. He rolled from the shifter and yanked Gabe up by the arm.
A screech cut through the air, distracting the shifter as his hands had stretched into massive paws. His gold eyes searched the sky, and in that moment, Gabe punched him directly in the face. Blood poured down his nose, but a second later it was no longer a human nose.
The flutter of wings brushed past Troy’s head and a massive falcon tore at the bear’s eyes as its muzzle snapped blindly. After a few seconds, it turned and ran, and Troy finally looked over to see how Valdus and Chell fared.
A piece of torn flesh hung from Chell’s shifted mouth, and the bear she’d attacked was hauling ass into the trees. Valdus, still in bear form, loomed over an unmoving mass of fur. His teeth were locked into it, and the smell of blood drifted through the breeze.
Th
e falcon landed and shifted immediately into a nude curvy woman. “Stop,” she shouted. “He is dead.”
Valdus growled, but Chell lumbered over to him and licked his face. After a moment, they both shifted back into their human forms. Chell touched Valdus’s cheek then ran to Troy and Gabe, embracing them both.
“We were almost too late,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.
The falcon shifter knelt by the dead bear. “Did you need to rip out his throat?”
“Three bear shifters against two humans. What do you think?” Valdus replied. Thick streams of blood covered him from mouth to chest, drying against his bare skin, but he seemed unconcerned.
“He’s a criminal,” Chell said, looking over her shoulder at the guard. “Solomon. You should have received a communication about him and the Steel Claw clan.”
The falcon shifter stood and toed the body. “I see.” She straightened her shoulders and looked around. “Are any of you injured? We have a medical facility on the grounds.”
“Just bruises here,” Troy said. He glanced at Gabe, who simply shook his head.
The falcon shifter’s angular eyes narrowed on Gabe. “He’s bleeding.”
Chell brushed her thumb over Gabe’s cut lip. “I can take care of him.”
Another loud screech pierced the air. Three falcons now circled the lake.
“Return to your cabin. We’ll clean this.” The guard inclined her head to Chell. “I apologize for this oversight in security. I don’t know what happened, but I will find out, and I will likely be tearing some throats of my own.”
“Thank you.”
The shifter leaped and transformed midair, swooping in a large circle before joining the rest of the surveying shifters.
“How did you know we were under attack?” Gabe asked.
“We didn’t. We were simply looking for you,” Chell said. “Valdus could smell Solomon and his companions from quite a distance, however.”
Gabe nodded to Valdus. “Guess I owe you.”
“We both do,” Troy added.
Valdus wiped his mouth and glanced back at Solomon’s body. “I rather wish it hadn’t come to it, but it is what it is.”
“I don’t know,” Chell said coolly. “Revenge tastes rather sweet.”
Valdus wrinkled his nose. “But Solomon tastes like trash.”
Troy looked away. He’d seen death before, but this was on another level somehow.
Chell lifted Gabe’s hand and inspected his knuckles. “You could have broken your hand. What were you thinking?”
“Not the first time I punched someone with a brick jaw,” Gabe muttered.
“I’m not sure if you’re brave or insane, but I like the fire in your spirit,” Valdus said.
Chell kissed his knuckles, apparently oblivious to the shifter blood smeared around her lips. “He’s both. I like it.” She turned to Troy. “And you fought too. Was taking on a bear harder or easier than running into a fire?”
He simply shook his head. It was a day for the books, to be certain. What if this would be their future? He and Gabe versus an entire planet of shifters?
Chapter Twenty-One
Gabe
Fighting a bear had never been on Gabe’s bucket list, but as he slumped on the dining room stool, sore and tingling from evaporating adrenaline, he mentally added it and crossed it off.
Valdus brought him a beer, and he was honestly so fucking thankful, he didn’t even bother telling the dude to put some pants on. It had to be a pain in the ass to ruin your clothing every time trouble came up. Gabe was definitely seeing why Chell usually skipped wearing a bra and only dressed for comfort.
He chugged half the cold beverage before putting it down and sucking in a deep breath. Troy did the same on the next stool over.
Chell placed herself between them, her hands rubbing over their heads comfortingly. She’d rescued them, but she acted like they were the heroes. His ego took the win gladly.
“I can’t wait to tell Mitch about this,” Troy said, breaking the silence. “Of course, by the time he tells everyone else, there will be twice as many bears.”
“God, I wish I could see probie’s face when that story circulates. Maybe for once, he’ll lose that snarky attitude,” Gabe added.
Chell clicked her tongue. “The outcome may have been a bit fairer if you’d have had my mark.”
Gabe looked up at her. “How so?”
“A mating mark strengthens both parties. It links lives,” Valdus explained. He glanced at Chell, and her head dipped subtly. He continued, “If you had mated with Chell already, you would have benefited from her age and shifter power.”
“She’s not much older than us,” Troy said. He held his beer against his knee and looked her over. “I would’ve guessed younger, actually.”
“I’m flattered.” She smiled weakly. “But I’m actually about twice your age, and Valdus is a bit older than I am.”
Gabe finished the remainder of his beer and crumpled the can in his fist. This part didn’t surprise him, though the look on Troy’s face was priceless. He’d missed the time that Gabe had pried an age out of Pierce. That grumpy bastard was pushing seventy and didn’t look a day over thirty-five.
“What do you mean we’d benefit from her shifter side?”
“On Earth, certain shifters are able to activate the shifter side of their mates. Wolves, mainly. A scratch, a bite, some sex… and you get a shifter out of a human,” Chell said, rubbing Gabe’s shoulder. “Bears don’t do that, and since I’m not from Earth, it definitely wouldn’t bring out any lurking shifter tendencies in you… but you’d become stronger. Noticeably so.”
“And you’d age more like us. The balance of mating a shifter—you’ll get to live as long as Chell,” Valdus added, crossing his arms.
Gabe’s brows lifted at that. He turned on the stool and looked at Chell. “Is he serious?”
She nodded. “I didn’t say anything earlier. I wasn’t sure if it would be a welcome change or something that would push you away.”
“More time with you could never be a terrible thing,” Troy said.
Chell took the empty can from Gabe and walked across the kitchen with it, a serious expression creasing her brow. “This resort was supposed to be safe.”
“I’m sure there’s only so much they can do,” Troy said.
“No, I agree with Chell. If Solomon had gotten into the cabin, who knows what could have happened.” Gabe rubbed at his chin. “You can’t have criminals waltzing in.”
“Since we found Valdus, I’ve known that it’s imperative to get him home. He will only regain so much strength here… and yet I’ve been keeping him away because I wanted to give you two time.” Chell tossed the can into the garbage and leaned back against the counter, facing the men.
“We didn’t know,” Troy said.
“Of course. But I’ve finally realized something. No amount of time will be enough time for you. The decision I need will always be difficult. Even if we spent a year together, it would still be hard for you to choose.”
Gabe stood, though his legs felt like they’d collapse beneath him. “What are you saying?”
“You have until tomorrow night to choose,” Chell said wearily. “Staying here is only making it more like torture for all of us. I almost lost you today, and I won’t remain here, putting your lives in danger, any longer.”
Troy’s eyes kept to the floor, but Gabe stared Chell down. It wasn’t easy for her to make the call, but she was right. Another week, another year, it would never be the perfect time to walk away from everything they knew to follow her to another planet. It’s not like she was talking about moving a city or state away.
Even if he was absolutely in love, it still wouldn’t be easy.
Gabe stood in his doorway, watching Valdus and Chell speak across the hall. For tonight, Valdus was switching rooms. Something about feeling anxious since he’d had his showdown with Solomon.
If Gabe had ripped out a guy’s
throat earlier, he’d probably be clinging to Chell for dear life. To each his own. But in a way, it made him happy, since it meant none of them would be in her bed tonight. It felt fairer that way, and yet his minor joy came with a hefty dose of guilt. She shouldn’t be alone tonight, all things considered.
Valdus walked away and Chell noticed Gabe watching. She came over to him, stress in her eyes but a gentle smile on her lips.
“Could I get a goodnight kiss?” she asked.
His hand found the nape of her neck and pulled her close. They hadn’t spoken much at dinner, which was the most somber delivery pizza party in existence. His mind was pretty much made, but he didn’t tell her that. There was still something he needed to take care of.
Her eyes closed and she gripped his chest eagerly. He took a second to admire her beauty before covering her mouth with his and giving her the gentlest kiss he’d attempted to date. She hid her emotions well—though he didn’t truly understand why—except for when she kissed. She felt tender and afraid, and kissed like she’d already lost him.
Pulling back, he traced his thumb over her lower lip. “Could I meet you in the morning? Just you and I, to talk about something?”
“Of course,” she promised. “But why not talk now?”
“If I don’t do things in order, it may turn out wrong.” It made sense in his head, at least.
She appeared suspicious, but she gave the corner of his mouth, the spot that was swollen and split, a gentle peck before nodding. “I’ll be here.”
She retreated to her room and he closed the door of his. Every muscle in his body ached, but he’d ignored it until now. Collapsing across the middle of his bed, he groaned into the comforter. The worst part was knowing that in the morning, it would be even more painful to move.
A low chuckle escaped him. What if he was too stiff and damaged to mate tomorrow night?