by Maia Starr
He struggled to rise, even as Kyle lumbered over, his shadow engulfing the alpha wolf.
Angry, backed into a corner, Dax could no longer rise to his feet. A flash of fear was visible in the wolf’s slitted eyes, though it quickly disappeared as he lifted his maw to howl one last time in defiance of Kyle.
It was then that Kyle ended Dax’s life with a swipe to the throat. Dax’s howl was cut short, and the wolf spasmed as he gurgled and went limp.
The moment didn’t leave an impact on Kyle initially. He was too stunned to feel anything, until he turned and saw Tiffany coming out from around the tree. She shook all over, her eyes dark and arms reaching out to him. It was like a tidal wave of desire washed over Kyle right then and there.
It was over. Dax was dealt with, Alexander avenged. Emily could rest more peacefully at night now.
And Kyle could finally claim his mate.
Shifting back to his human form, Kyle surged over to Tiffany, picking her up in his arms and embracing her, pressing his lips to hers. At first, Tiffany had been shocked by the sudden embrace, but then she accepted him fully and pressed back, her touch heating Kyle’s veins. He didn’t feel the wall from her anymore now. It was taken down, and that gave him an idea.
Crouching down quickly, Kyle wrapped his arms underneath Tiffany’s legs and lifted her. She shrieked in surprise, looking up at him curiously. Kyle smiled.
“I’m claiming you here and now, Tiffany. You’re my mate, and I’ll make sure you remember that for the rest of your life.”
She touched his face with her caressing fingers, the touch quickening his pulse. “Then prove it to me, that I’m not making the wrong choice here.”
Kyle bolted away before she could finish her words, his desire for her at the pointing of bursting forth. Re-energized, Kyle raced away back to the closest place they could be alone.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Tiffany
Desire overflowed from Tiffany now. After the surge of adrenaline she had gotten from watching Kyle fight for her, protect her against Dax, Tiffany didn’t think she would be able to hold back anymore. Her walls were broken, and there was nothing left standing in the way of her growing affection for Kyle.
There had been moments where Tiffany, hiding behind a tree to keep herself out of the battle directly, thought Kyle might have been on the losing end. All hope had drained away in those moments, the hope not for her wellbeing, but that Kyle would survive. Her heart had nearly exceeded its limits each time, almost bursting when she wasn’t sure which shifter would come out on top. She hadn’t spent much time with Kyle, yet she found herself unable to take her eyes off of his bear form.
A bear shifter. Even now, as they Kyle carried her and flitted through the forest at an incredible but durable speed for Tiffany to handle, she almost couldn’t believe what Kyle was. A bear shifter...is this all just a dream? This is real, isn’t it? Placing her hand against his hot, sweaty chest, she felt the rapid thumping of his heart beneath. I’m touching him here? That’s his heart, beating so loud, so strong...for me.
Tiffany burned bright red with the realization that this was reality. Everything had happened. Kidnapped just days after coming to start a new life in Salem, Tiffany was sold to a man she’d never thought would be real. Chiseled and sexy, sweet and powerful, a man who could shapeshift into a bear. It was crazy to her before she came, but now she barely even questioned it. Jack had warned her about those crazy rumors...yet she hadn’t listened. And she was glad she hadn’t.
Striding through the forest, and now skirting the edges of downtown Salem, she rested her head against his chest. Her own heart began to sync with his as he ran, her adrenaline continuing to go crazy as she touched him.
Before long, they had arrived on the road leading to her house. She wondered what her few neighbors would have thought, seeing Tiffany in a naked man’s arms, sprinting down the road and kicking in her front door. Not that she cared what others thought at this point. Tiffany liked a good adventure, especially when it ended happily like this.
After Kyle had kicked in her door, which swung open and slammed against her wall, allowing Kyle to slip inside with her still curled in his arms, careful not to damage anything else despite how his muscles were bulging in anticipation of sleeping with her. Quickly marching into her bedroom, Kyle tossed her on her bed like the last time, and Tiffany shrieked playfully. She scrambled to sit up, eyeing him playfully as he climbed onto the bed, and pressed his lips to hers once again. A tingling sensation followed through, her sensitivity rocketing up as they kissed and touched each other. His meaty hands were all over her stomach and back, as gentle as ever, helping to pull up her shirt.
They playfully wrestled then, laughing as Kyle stripped. They rolled and kissed until she was completely naked and sitting on his stomach. Heat filled her, her body trembling in anticipation of what was just about to come.
Kyle stared up at her at first, his eyes running the length of her body and stopping when they locked with hers. He smiled dangerously, leaned up to kiss her as he positioned his body beneath her. She helped, connected their bodies together with her hands, and she gasped and straightened. Kyle moaned himself, slowly beginning to thrust up, Tiffany’s body rising and falling on top of him. Tiffany was already drooling from the initial pleasure, her mind thinking of nothing other than Kyle.
The bed rocked as they picked up speed, Tiffany’s body growing more sensitive with every movement. Waves of pleasure rolled up her spine to her face, making her expression twist in a way that showed her ability to handle the pleasure coming her way. Kyle became rock hard beneath her, his huge muscles bulging. Bringing up his hands to her beautiful hips, he gripped them tightly, making Tiffany stutter in pleasure. Eventually, Kyle began to go faster and harder, smacking into Tiffany with such force that she was forced to lean over, pressing her chest to Kyle’s. They kissed as the pleasure built up, made her mind swim, her body beginning to act on instinct.
Suddenly, the pleasure crescendoed, leaving Tiffany spasming and jerking in Kyle’s arms. They groaned in unison, Tiffany’s eyes rolling back, the heat spreading like wildfire in her veins. The spasms seemed to go on endlessly, Tiffany losing her sense of time until Kyle threw her onto the bed next to him. Turning her over, he pulled her hips back to his and dragged her face back to his. He waited a second for Tiffany’s breathing to come back, as she’d forgotten how to breathe for a few seconds, but once she breathed heavily again, he brought his lips to her ears.
“I love you, Tiffany,” he whispered, his breath brushing against her ear and neck. “You’re mine, and I love you. You’re amazing.”
And then he began to thrust just as hard as earlier, leaving her body jiggling and arched as she laid on the bed. Her mind was scrambled now; Tiffany’s only thoughts were those of the sheer pleasure she was enjoying at the moment. Kyle had a boundless pool of energy, his movements just as sharp as they had ever been. She couldn’t say how long they remained like that, laying on the bed, Kyle humping her wildly as she shrieked in ecstasy. Eventually, Kyle stiffened again, his whole body spasming along with Tiffany’s. Her hand found his, locked their fingers together, as the room went silent with their strained spasms. Then they both sucked in fresh air as they relaxed. Tiffany’s body was completely spent, she realized, and so was Kyle’s for the time being.
Unhooking himself from her, Kyle rolled her over to face him. They both panted, smiling dumbly at each other, and laughed.
She touched his face, felt the warmth in this cheeks. Her smile grew.
“You claimed me, right?” Tiffany said.
“Yeah, that’s how it works.”
“Not normally.”
“Well, not for you boring humans.”
Tiffany chuckled then, meeting his eyes once again. They held each other like that for a few minutes, just watching.
Tiffany didn’t come to Salem looking to fall in love, but she had found an amazing man anyway. But she had wanted a thrill, deep down insi
de, and Kyle had given her just that.
“Thank you…” she whispered.
“No,” Kyle said, moving closer. “Thank you for coming to Salem when you did. If not for you, I would have gone insane. Literally.”
One last time, she kissed him, lightly, and leaned back. “So, what now?”
Kyle stared at her before answering. “Well, I’m the alpha of the Woodland Bear Clan, one of the most powerful shifter communities around. You’ll come live with me in my territory, meet the rest of my clan.”
“Will there be other humans there?”
“Definitely,” Kyle said, his cool tone of voice more than reassuring her. “My best friend’s widowed wife is human. Emily. She’s a bit...outspoken, but you’ll like her.”
“And can I continue to work at Herbert’s Diner?”
“Of course you can,” Kyle said. “That decision is entirely up to you...as long as you don’t mind the hour-long commute.”
“I mean, I’ve got that rundown car my boss gave me…”
“Then you’re good!”
They giggled again, and Kyle caressed her face, pulling a lock of her hair behind her ear. “I’m so glad I met you, Tiff.”
“Well, I’m much gladder to have met you,” Tiffany replied.
Kyle shook his head. “Nope, I’m happier than you are about all this.”
“I beg to differ!”
And so they continued to laugh and talk, lying in bed, with Tiffany not regretting a single moment of any of it.
Chapter Thirty
Kyle
Months had passed since Tiffany had become Kyle’s mate.
Had it really been so long? It had felt longer for Kyle, much longer than he ever expected it to. Last year, time had gone by at a snail’s pace after everything that had happened with Alexander and Emily, and Kyle’s alcohol addiction. Nothing was right. Kyle had been chosen to duel for the title of alpha, and he had won, instantly leading an entire clan of his bear shifters. Yet it wasn’t until now that Kyle truly appreciated the fact that he held that title.
He was alpha, and no matter how many bears challenged him for the title, he remained the top of the food chain.
Even now, as Kyle stood amidst a ring of his bear shifters, pointing enthusiastically at a younger bear shifter standing cross-armed away from him, he didn’t waver in the slightest as to whether he’d win or not. Yet the crowd cheered and raved, howled out in excitement as the younger bear smiled and cracked his neck. Kyle similarly cracked his knuckles, making sure the sound carried through the glade they stood in.
An older shifter came forward, cleared his throat, and held up a single hand. “Today, we have another challenger for Kyle, to take the title of alpha! What will be the outcome? Well, we’re all about to find out in three...two...one...fight!”
The younger shifter, much smaller compared to the alpha, threw himself forward, lunging sharply at Kyle. The alpha bear chuckled and side-stepped, allowing the younger shifter to stumble forward and trip to fall face first into the ground. A roar of laughter rang out from the crowd while the younger shifter lifted his face and smiled up at Kyle. Kyle, in turn, spun and flexed for the crowd, marching around with a giant smile on his face. Suddenly a roar sounded from behind him, silencing the crowd, and Kyle turned back to spy a bear now standing where the young shifter once stood, his jeans tattered and left on the ground.
Kyle’s smile broadened. “Well now, aren’t you a feisty one.” The younger bear waited patiently as Kyle shifted, probably not wanting to win the fight so one-sidedly, and then charged once Kyle rolled his grizzly shoulders.
Taking a step forward, Kyle roared and rose onto his hind legs. A single swipe from Kyle’s paws sent the younger bear sprawling to the ground and out of the ring. The crowd parted quickly as the bear rolled to his feet. He roared once again, ignoring the fact that he had just lost the duel, and charged Kyle.
Oh well, I’ll play with the kid for a bit.
And so he did, throwing the younger shifter around this way and that, entertaining the crowd. Flashes of his duel to claim the title of alpha entered his mind, remembering how indifferent he’d felt that day. Becoming alpha months ago had been bittersweet, his tongue dry, and Emily’s anger had thrown him off balance. And then his insanity had begun to go wild, trying to make him go feral before he could even avenge Alexander.
Alexander...it had been over a year since his death. But, whereas before Kyle could only think with remorse over his best friend’s death, now he smiled at his memory.
Throwing the young bear one final time up and over the crowd, he sailed and smacked into the ground, earning another roar from the crowd as Kyle shifted back and raised his fists in triumph. The younger shifter finally shifted back, admitting defeat as he pounded his fist into the earth energetically. Kyle, laughing humbly, marched over to the young shifter, clasping the man by the shoulder as he rose to his feet. “That was a good fight! Maybe you’ll get me next time, huh?” The younger shifter smiled, though he could see in the man’s eyes he was agonizing over the defeat. “Oh come on! You and I, let's eat dinner together later. Sound good?”
The young shifter’s smile widened, and he nodded. “Yeah, that would be awesome.”
“Then meet me later! Whenever you want...but, uh, don’t come too early. Tiffany was in a bad mood earlier...women get like that sometimes when they’ve got to deal with pregnancy, you know.”
“Oh really?” said a third, more feminine voice.
Spinning around, Kyle’s gaze landed on Emily, her short stature nearly making him miss her. Pretending to do just that, Kyle cupped his free hand over his eyes and peered around. “I swear I heard someone say something to me just now…”
She kicked him in the shin, causing Kyle to shriek at the momentary stinging. The young bear shifter laughed. “Well, I’ll be going now, Kyle. See you for dinner?”
“Yeah,” Kyle said with a pained smile. “See you later.”
Both Kyle and Tiffany watched the young shifter leave with the rest of the crowd, now walking off in every direction. Turning to Emily, he scratched his head. “Sorry about that, Emily. It’s hard not to tease you, you know.”
“Yes, yes, just like how you tease, Tiffany too,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I bet your mate just loves it as much as I do.”
“I mean, you’re like a sister to me, so I can’t help it.”
“Of course you can’t…”
Silence followed her comment, and while she stared at him, searching for something in his gaze, Kyle looked away.
“When’s the last time you drank, Kyle?”
Kyle swung his gaze back to Emily, her eyes still locked onto him. “What kind of question is that?”
“Just answer the damn question.”
“Not since two months ago…”
Emily smiled at that, and Kyle thought he saw some of why Alexander had loved her so much. “Well, now, isn’t that a surprise. I suppose I can thank Tiffany for that too?”
“You can thank Tiffany for a lot of things, including ending my addiction...when I’m with her, I don’t even think about taking a drink.” It was true, too. Ever since she had moved in with him in the Woodland Bear Clan territory, her presence had allowed him to get rid of all the beer he’d saved up, getting himself to stop thinking about it. Sure, every once in a while, the urge to taste a drop got to him, but Tiffany was there to stop him. There wasn’t any point in letting himself go anymore.
“Oh?” Emily put her hands on her hips. “You know, you’re reminding me a lot of Alexander right now.”
Kyle started at that. “How so?”
“Just take a look around you, Kyle. Look in a mirror. The clan loves you. People smile when you’re around. My blaming you for Alexander’s death was wrong, plain and simple. You’ve gotten over your addiction, and now you have a mate who’s pregnant with your first cub.” As she spoke, another bear shifter woman and Emily’s two children came up. The oldest was running at them, coming up to say h
ello to his mother and to give Kyle a high-five. The youngest, cradled in the other woman’s arms, giggled when he saw Kyle. “And look at that...children speak the truth, you know. If they like you, they feel safe around you.”
A memory of Alexander’s grin flashed in his mind, and Kyle smiled. “Thanks, Emily. Want to come to dinner with us later tonight?”
She cocked her head in thought and then shook her head. “Not tonight...I need to get these two ready for tomorrow. They’re going on their first trip out of Salem. Besides, I don’t want to disturb Tiffany right now. Didn’t you say the other day she wasn’t feeling well.”
“Yeah, but that’s passed already. She’s got more energy than ever now. Well, then, tell me all about it when you get back.”
“Yeah, I will. I’ll talk to you later then, Kyle,” Emily said as she took her oldest child’s hand and walked away, with the other woman in tow.
Kyle lingered for a moment longer before heading off, walking in the direction of his house.
He reached it in no time, spying the little hidden shack with ease. He stopped just outside, eyeing the new front door he had installed in place of the old one. Three months was more than enough time to fix his house from the time he clashed with Dax and his pack inside...it felt like so long ago. The backside of his house, where the kitchen was located, had taken the longest to repair, mainly because it was difficult to find good glass doors in Salem. His bed was entirely replaced too, not only because it was shredded to pieces by Dax, but because Tiffany needed a firmer bed for her sleeping now. Things were different but Kyle was glad for the changes.
Opening the front door, Kyle stepped inside, peering around. “Hello, anybody home? I’m back!”
Walking gingerly down the stairs, Tiffany smiled down at him as he rushed over to help. With her stomach beginning to show, Kyle was hypersensitive to everything she did. “Here, let me help,” he said.