by Maia Starr
It was no wonder Dax didn’t seem to want to part with Tiffany at first. That arrogant, sly alpha wolf shifter probably saw all of this in those few hours she was in his indelicate care. Dax. The alpha’s face was still familiar to Kyle, and yet he still couldn’t place it. But those wolf-like features unnerved him, and every time he looked into Tiffany’s eyes, he saw the fear she retained from the wolf and his pack. All Kyle wanted to do right was to hold her, to tell her everything would work out in due time.
“Still won’t say anything?” Tiffany said, sighing and moving around him. “Fine then, I’m outta here again.”
In that split second, Kyle spun on his heels and shifted, growing enormous and hairy in a matter of seconds, his voice becoming a fierce growl as he roared as gently as he could at Tiffany, the woman flinching at the sudden transformation. Stamping his feet, Kyle allowed some of his frustration to let loose, as leaves and dirt flew up everywhere. His clothes were ripped apart, scattering to the ground in ribbons and tufts. For a moment, Kyle though his bear had gone feral, and that he had scared his mate off, but when he looked down, he found her standing still.
Maybe she’s afraid?
Lumbering within her reach, he stared her down silently, waiting for her to turn and run.
Instead, Tiffany reached up, slowly, to touch his cheek, running her tiny fingers through his hair. Her touch calmed him, sent him wild on the inside yet kept him controlled on the outside. Her fingers were light, her hand smooth, and she stared up with a widened gaze, more a look of wonder than fear. They continued like that, standing in the forest, Tiffany slowly getting closer and closer until she caressed either side of his face with her hands. Eventually, a smile formed on her pretty lips.
“Your fur is so soft…this...this is crazy.” Glancing all along him, tugging at his fur, she glanced into his dark eyes. “Can you understand me like that?”
In answer, Kyle nudged her playfully, the woman forced to take a few steps back as she giggled.
Kyle shifted back to his human form, his body now completely naked, catching Tiffany off guard once again. Her eyes struggled to stay above his waistline, and as he strode closer, her cheeks burned brighter. Once he was directly in front of her, he cupped her hot cheeks in his hands and pressed his lips to hers. The act sent sparks flying, his heartbeat going crazy as his body was filled with a warm, fuzzy aching. Tiffany didn’t hold back on the kiss either, as if she’d been waiting for this moment. The world spun by; time came to a standstill. The wind died down, and all the animals nearby either left or grew quiet. All that mattered was the scene playing out in the forest: Kyle and Tiffany’s kiss, the heat becoming like a whirlwind of lust as the kissing became more frantic.
This is what Kyle was waiting for: the moment to put his insanity to rest. Finally breaking off the kiss, his body already poised to take off in the direction of his house, he looked deep into her love-struck eyes. “So, what do you want me to do now?”
There was a pause in between their breaths, allowing the moment to sink in. “To prove you aren’t just going to use me for sex,” she said.
“Isn’t that counterproductive, then?” Kyle said. “If we go right now…?”
Tiffany simply shrugged. “This better be some damn good sex then.”
At her last comment, Kyle scooped her up and took off towards his house all in one fell swoop, his legs pushing him to go faster than ever. Tiffany screamed in excitement, her touch making his blood boil.
Chapter Seventeen
Tiffany
Kyle erupted in a flash of lust that Tiffany had never experienced before. Scooping her up against his chest and rushing through the woods, Tiffany’s adrenaline was already racing by the time Kyle kicked in his front door and carefully brought them both inside. Her voice was also already strained due to the excited screaming that escaped her as they flitted through the trees. She’d experienced that frightening speed twice before, but never with her blood heated like this. It was an amazing feeling, knowing someone wanted her that much, whether that someone was human or shifter.
In the living room, Tiffany assumed Kyle would drop her on the couch, but instead he pushed past and jogged upstairs, with Tiffany curled in his burly arms.
To be held like that was another strange, compelling feeling. It was hard to describe, but she could say with certainty that it was comforting. Despite the sheer speed with which they moved, Tiffany’s hand had pressed hard against his chest and felt his big heart pound beneath. The sensation was exhilarating, turning on all the switches inside of her. It didn’t matter that they’d been in the middle of an argument; there was time to talk later. For now, Kyle was going to show her what he desired. Tiffany had a feeling she’d understand much better how things would be between them afterward.
Slamming open the door to his bedroom, the duo dashed inside and Kyle tossed Tiffany onto the bed, the sheets muffling her delighted shrieks. His grunting could be heard over the shuffling of the sheets, and as she finally untangled herself, he climbed above her, his meaty hands on either side of her shoulders as he stared down at her. Between his pecs and neck, his muscles were visibly straining, veins pulsing as he tried to keep himself from going overboard.
“Tell me when,” he said, his hungry gaze fixed on her.
Smiling slyly, Tiffany reached up to steadily brush her finger along the edges of his pecs, drawing lines between the muscles. He groaned at the teasing, every part of his body hardening at her touch. She enjoyed the moment, dragged it out until she finally leaned up to whisper in his ear. It had been a long while since the last time she’d had sex...she wanted to make the most of it.
“Now,” she whispered, her hot breath brushing against Kyle’s ear. All at once, his hands clawed at the fabric of her clothes, sliding them off as quickly as he could. The pace sent her teetering, trying to stay steady while he desperately struggled to get at her. The struggle was endearing, made her stomach a den of butterflies ready to explode. Soon, she was just as naked as Kyle, this mouth reaching down to kiss all over her neck and chest, continuing down until his head was between her legs. His beard tickled her, causing her to giggle as his head bobbed between her legs, and her breathing became ragged. His tongue flickered so quick that Tiffany was caught off guard as her body swelled and drew together, spasming as she moaned and shuddered.
Without waiting for her to cool down, Kyle mounted her, inserting himself to heighten the pleasure. Tiffany squealed in delight at the sudden insertion, her body still sensitive to every movement and touch. His thrusting sent her over the edge, her mind becoming jelly as he growled and quickened his pace.
Tiffany was beginning to forget where she was, that she was in a stranger’s house, that she was kidnapped the night before and sold to the very same stranger, that Salem wasn’t entirely what she thought it’d be. She even forgot Kyle’s name for a few minutes, when the wave of pleasure was nearing its peak, and, for a few seconds, she forgot her own as well.
Heat poured into her, her skin beginning to sweat like crazy. Her whole body melted into Kyle, and her ability to figure where she began and ended was quickly falling apart. They were one, encompassed in a single hour of pleasure and ecstasy. After a while, Tiffany smelled the scent of Kyle’s fur, the overpowering aroma of his bear filling her nostrils and mind.
Soon, much quicker than she had wanted, Kyle arched his back and groaned heavily, his hips pressed deep into her thighs. He erupted, his whole body shuddering in pure pleasure, the ripples washing over Tiffany as she quickly pressed her lips to his and wrapped her arms around his neck.
Things began to come back into focus for Tiffany as the two stayed like that, breathing deep and remembering where they were. Tiffany collapsed underneath him, breathing hard, her limbs stiff and body exhausted.
“No…” Kyle growled. “I’m not done yet.”
Pushing his arms underneath her, he turned her over and began to thrust even harder. Tiffany’s whole body twitched with every slap of skin and Kyl
e’s dominance over her. She didn’t know what to think of him anymore. Who knew a woman could feel so much pleasure? She was completely absorbed in him now, her focus on his every movement.
She couldn’t exactly remember what happened next, as her mind climaxed soon after he turned her over, and the only thing on her mind was the pleasure. Kyle hardened again and straightened, and shivers caused Tiffany to stretch and cave inwards, her body arching in an attempt to stay sane. The alpha shifter was a madman in the bed, and if he went any longer, Tiffany wouldn’t be able to stand up. But then he collapsed into the bed next to her, and she fell as well, her back to his torso. With one hand, Kyle turned her over, gently kissed her once again, and smiled. “That was—”
“Amazing,” she finished, her voice coming out strained and weak. It had taken up all her energy just to keep up with the shifter, and it had been worth it.
“I take it you understand a little better now?” he asked.
“Yeah, I think I do.”
“Good, because I think I need another nap to recharge.”
Giggling, Tiffany watched as Kyle slumped into the bed and closed his eyes, his body curling up around her. She was engulfed within him, not that she minded. Before long, Tiffany found her own eyes unable to stay open, and she drifted off to sleep in his arms, forgetting all about Jack, about the kidnapping, letting herself feel safe in her alpha’s arms. The two held each other while they slept.
Chapter Eighteen
Tiffany
When Tiffany’s eyes fluttered open, she realized she’d nearly spent an entire day in Kyle’s home in the woods. What surprised her the most was that the choice to stay was partially willing on her part. She hadn’t minded that she’d discovered Kyle wasn’t all that bad, despite his very existence still blowing her mind. Shifters are very, very real. I’m shocked as to how quickly I’ve accepted that fact.
Kyle was a bear deep inside...soft and furry when she’d touched his cheek, yet when he roared cool shivers were sent down her spine.
She also had not minded his intense desire to bed her. In the heat of the moment, she’d forgotten about all her gripes with the man, his body engulfing her in a never-ending ride of pleasure. It was beyond anything Tiffany had ever experienced. Jack certainly couldn’t have made her feel like how Kyle had. What would her life be like if she had sex like that every single day? Would she just begin to radiate happiness and confidence? Or would she get tired of it? Tiffany didn’t know how to answer that question, but she supposed she wouldn’t truly know until it happened.
Tiffany paused on that thought, looking up to stare at the snoozing bear shifter. They were still in his bed, his bedroom darkened by the closed blinds. It was around noon, as Kyle’s alarm clock showed, yet they still rested. His snores, though, made it sound like it were the middle of the night, as if he’d spent an entire day running and exercising only to come back and collapse on his bed. Tiffany giggled to herself, her eyes drifting down to his chest. She laid a warm hand against his hot chest, feeling his smooth heartbeat beneath. His skin was rough yet comforting to touch, as if she hadn’t just met Kyle the night before. And his bear-like arms, the way they wrapped around her, keeping her close, made her feel undeniably safe. Like she was always meant to fit in those arms of his. He was able to break her in half with his strength but was conscious enough to be gentle with his touch.
A surge of emotion hit her as she thought quietly, her hand still against his chest. Tears found their way down her cheeks, the salty drops rolling as she tried to wipe them away. Those emotions still hit a wall somewhere inside her. A voice came from that wall, telling her over and over that despite how good a man or shifter Kyle was, he was still the guy who bought her. The guy who, despite treating her better than other men had, still had made a deal with the shifters behind the kidnappings. Sure, he had mentioned talking with his clan about those same kidnappers...but he had still gone along with it at first.
That apprehension still lingered, and though she put in the effort to think otherwise, not even good sex would get rid of that feeling.
As if that same apprehensive feeling began to override her other emotions, it seemed to override her sense too.
Suddenly, inexplicably, Kyle pulled her tighter to his body, groaning in some dream he must have been having. With her head so close, the smell of beer rushed out to greet her nose. Wrinkling her nostrils, Tiffany squeezed her eyes tight and pictured all those beer cans from the previous night. Kyle had an addiction, that much she was able to see, and she couldn’t be sure that addiction wouldn’t come back to haunt her. He was a shifter, after all. A normal human man she’d be able to handle, but facing down a bear? That job wasn’t so easy, especially if he, in some future drunken rage, decided to shift and beat her.
Kyle isn’t the good guy, right?
Feeling exhausted again, her eyelids heavy with anxiety and her body arching away from his naturally, Tiffany began to wriggle out of his embrace. Tiffany and thought Kyle would wake up at her attempt to slip his grasp, yet he didn’t the whole time. His arms, once she was clear of them, had drifted towards his chest as if he were still holding her. He murmured something in his sleep, something about a name as she stood up and sighed. Leaning in to hear better, she expected to hear her own name on the shifter’s lips, but instead she an entirely different name crossed his lips.
“I’m sorry...Emily,” Kyle muttered, his face contorting in strange expressions. “I’m so sorry…”
Straightening, Tiffany frowned. Ah, so he isn’t a good guy, is he? He has another girl. An Emily. That story about needing me to keep him sane? Bogus, wasn’t it? He already has this Emily woman. I am supposed to be his sex slave or something...he was just buttering me up.
Tiffany worked quickly to get the find the few clothes she still had from the floor, opting to simply pile them in a small heap while she put on the new set Kyle had laid out for her. As much as she didn’t want to accept his handouts, after hearing Emily’s name cross his mind in his sleep, her old clothes smelled terrible.
Starting out into the hallway, an array of emotions continued to war inside of her. She did her best to keep quiet, but she realized quickly that Kyle was like a hibernating bear: nothing would wake him until he woke up himself, or he was hungry, she supposed.
Descending the stairs slowly, Tiffany eyed the living room, her mind wandering to the night before when Kyle had first brought her back. They’d talked after he had cut her bindings, and she’d been more scared of him then than now, yet a part of her still didn’t change from the previous night. Things might have been moving too quickly even for her. On the main floor, Tiffany sighed and marched over to the front door, her hand grabbing onto the knob and slowly turning it. She glanced back up at the stairs, expecting to see Kyle hovering there, watching her as she tried to leave, but she saw nothing.
This was her chance to escape. All she had to do was swing the front door open and step outside. Sure, she wouldn’t know which direction Salem was in, but she’d probably figure it out eventually. Either that or Amanda would figure out something happened to her after and hopefully send a search party or something. One way or another, this would work out, but she needed to make the first move.
With the door open, she stepped into the doorway, waiting for Kyle to rush down the stairs and wrangle her back inside. Her heart pounded like crazy, loud enough, she was sure, to wake Kyle up from his slumber. But nothing happened. She took a single step outside, stopped, trembled, and turned to look back inside.
If there was, by some chance, a tiny chance, that she was wrong about Kyle, Tiffany realized, she would never forgive herself for leaving him. Taking a deep breath, Tiffany stepped back inside, the desire to get answers from Kyle more pressing than her fear that he was just playing her. Closing the door with a soft click, she ventured into the kitchen, deciding to wait for Kyle to wake up. She’d made a deal with him, after all.
Chapter Nineteen
Kyle
Kyle
dreamed that night. He dreamed of Alexander, of the moments before Kyle partially passed out and was consequently rolled under log. He remembered the act like it was yesterday.
The dream began with him and Alexander leaving a party the Woodland Bear Clan had been throwing for someone’s birthday. He couldn’t remember whose it was, yet what he did remember was his best friend’s smile as he pulled Kyle into the woods, wanting to chat one-on-one about this and that. Alexander was the alpha, yet he still liked to complain about practically everything, and Kyle was the best listener out there, according to his best friend.
The alcohol addiction hadn’t started yet, even though Kyle was still downing drink after drink. He remembered that nauseous feeling in his stomach while when the two finally sat down, with Alexander asking if he was alright. The next thing Kyle remembered was several howls piercing the night air, Alexander’s startled, grave look, and then Kyle closed his eyes as he fell forward. Then he had woken up as Alexander rolled him through the forest, hiding him away, patting Kyle on the forehead.
“I’ll see you soon, Kyle,” Alexander had said in the calm and collected tone of his. “Let me just deal with some dogs first.”
And then he was gone from Kyle’s sight. Then the dream changed, went completely black, and all he could hear were Alexander’s screams.
Kyle awoke in the present day with sweat stinging his eyes. His breathing was ragged and his pulse going crazy. Because of the sweat, he closed his eyes, wiping at his eyelids with the back of his hands. Sitting up slowly, he found his bedsheets slick with the salty liquid creating small pools where he had lain in bed. Because of his adrenaline, Kyle was entirely focused on trying to remember his dream.
Alexander...dammit.