by Lola Gabriel
“Then spend the night with me,” Noah said.
“What?” Chessa demanded.
“Spend the night with me. One night. For old times’ sake. I swear I’m better at it now than I was back then.”
Chessa gave a soft laugh. “I reckon we both are.”
“So, do it then. One night. No strings. Let’s get it out of our system once and for all.”
Chessa paused. She listened to all of the reasons her head gave her not to do it. It would be too painful. It would bring back old feelings. It would be pointless; they could never be together. She ignored every one of them and listened instead to the voice inside of her that begged her to relent and enjoy one night with Noah. It wasn’t like anything would change, but he was right. It would bring them closure, get it out of their systems.
“Okay,” she heard herself say. “But we’ll have to be quiet. I can’t leave Mom alone, and we can’t wake her.”
“I can promise you I’ll be quiet, but you?” Noah winked. “Well, I’m not sure about that.”
Chessa rolled her eyes, although her whole body tingled at his words. She pushed aside the voices in her head that were telling her this was a mistake. She smiled at Noah and then opened the gate and went up the path. She didn’t have to turn around to know Noah was right behind her. She opened the door and stepped inside. When she turned to close it, she found herself pressed up against Noah. He gently pushed the door closed as their lips touched again. They moved along the hallway and into the lounge, their mouths still locked together, their hands all over each other.
By the time they reached the couch, their jackets were gone, as was Noah’s t-shirt. He stepped backwards, breaking their kiss. Chessa looked at him, at his naked chest rising and falling in time with hers. She could feel her clit throbbing, almost begging for Noah’s touch.
He reached out and pulled her top over her head. He moved closer to her, running his tongue down her neck as he unhooked her bra and pulled it down her arms, throwing it to one side. He kissed down her chest, sucking an erect nipple into his mouth. Chessa felt pleasure explode through her body as Noah moved his rough tongue over her nipple. His hands moved lower, opening her jeans and pushing them down her legs, her panties following them.
She kicked her sneakers off and stepped out of her clothes. Noah nibbled gently on her nipple, making her throw her head back and gasp. One of his hands came to rest on her hip while the other moved lower, probing between her warm folds and finding her clit. She moaned quietly when he began to massage it, spreading the tingling feeling through her whole body. The heat spread through her limbs, over her skin. It was all she could do to bite her lip and keep her moans inside. She closed her eyes, concentrating on how good she felt, how good Noah was making her feel.
He moved his mouth away from her nipple, and she opened her eyes again in time to see him getting to his knees before her. He pulled his fingers away from her clit, wrapped his hands around the tops of her thighs, and then he leaned forward. Chessa did a single sidestep, opening her legs wider for Noah as his tongue connected with her clit and sent shivers of pleasure through her.
As his tongue worked on her, his hand slid around to the back of her body, cupping her ass cheeks and pressing her closer to him. Noah ran his tongue back and forth across her slit, lapping up her juices and making her pussy clench. He went back to her clit, flicking his tongue side to side across it, making Chessa gasp. Her head fell backwards, and her eyes closed once more.
Noah sucked her clit into his mouth, squeezing it between his tongue and the top of his mouth. Chessa’s body was strumming, throbbing as her climax built up in her stomach. Noah flicked his tongue over the tip of her clit again, and when he pressed it firmly, Chessa went over the edge. She saw flashes of red against her closed eyelids as her body reacted to Noah’s touch. Her center clenched tightly while pulses of pleasure went through her clit and up into her stomach, making her muscles rigid.
She could feel the tendons standing out on her neck, pleasure snaking through her body. The red flashes turned gold as she climaxed, biting down on the inside of her mouth to keep herself from crying out. Her climax began to fade, and a shudder went through her, leaving behind a pleasing warmth.
Noah got to his feet as Chessa lifted her head and opened her eyes. They stood facing each other, panting. Chessa could see Noah’s eyes darkening, the beast inside of him awakened. The thought of it sent tingles running over her skin. He reached out and pulled Chessa’s body against his, mashing his lips onto hers again, claiming her mouth. She could taste herself on his tongue, on his lips, and it turned her on even more.
She pushed her hands between their bodies, opening Noah’s jeans and pushing them down. She stroked his hard cock through his boxer shorts, and he moaned into her mouth, kissing her harder. She pushed his boxer shorts down and circled his cock with her fist. She began to move her hand up and down, working his length, enjoying how he felt in her hand.
He kissed down her neck, and she squeezed his cock gently, making him gasp. He began to walk backwards, taking Chessa with him. Her fist continued to move up and down his cock, faster now. He was panting for breath by the time he reached the couch. He took her wrist and moved her hand from him, sitting down. She straddled him on the couch, moving her hips so her slit ran over his cock, and he gasped again.
She smiled at him, a smile filled with the lust she felt for him. She lifted herself and reached down, taking his cock in her fist. She lined it up with her center and pushed herself back down, taking him inside of her.
Chessa looked into his eyes as she took him in, enjoying the darkness of them, the lust in them. She bit her lip as she began to move up and down. Noah ran his hands up her back, clasping her shoulder blades and pulling her closer. He nibbled down her neck, running his tongue over her shoulder and then moving down her chest. She threw her head back, giving him access to her. His hands moved to the front of her body, kneading her breasts and teasing her sensitive nipples. She began to move faster as she felt herself moving close to the edge once more.
His cock slammed against her g-spot, moving his hips in time with hers, his strokes short and fast. She felt her center clenching around him, making her tighter as her orgasm washed over her, waking her body up, making every cell sing. Her breath caught in her throat, and for a second, she was frozen. She couldn’t move or breathe, pleasure lighting her on fire and making her feel more alive than she had ever felt.
Noah put his hands on Chessa’s hips, moving her up and down. Her orgasm began to fade, and the paralysis broke. She sucked in a huge, gasping breath, and then Noah lifted her, turning her on her back with him on top of her. She looked up into the black eyes of a bear. She felt a spark of excitement flood her as he pounded into her. She wrapped her legs around his waist, pushing him in deeper, wanting him to claim her, wanting him to fill her up. He moved faster, his breath a series of ragged pants as his own orgasm built up inside of him.
Chessa gripped his shoulders, digging her nails into him. Her pussy clenched tightly, and she felt Noah’s cock twitching as his orgasm hit him. He buried his face in her neck, making an animalistic moaning sound that filled Chessa with desire. His body went rigid, the muscles in his back hardened under her hands. Noah spurted into her, and she felt the heat in her pussy. She clenched again, drawing out another low, animalistic moan.
Noah’s body relaxed again, and Chessa held him tightly against her, panting. He was gasping for breath against her neck. He shifted, coming up onto his knees, and Chessa instantly missed the heat of his body on hers. She sat up and kissed him; a tender, gentle kiss. She shuffled so that she was beside him. Noah wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and she leaned into his body, resting her head on his shoulder.
When Chessa felt like she was under control, she gently lifted her head from Noah’s shoulder. She didn’t want this to end, but she knew it had to. She knew it was time. The longer they sat wrapped up in each other, the harder it would be to let go.
“See, I told you I could be quiet,” she said with a grin.
Noah smiled and reached out to stroke her cheek. “Next time, we’re going to go somewhere where we can make all the noise we want. And there’ll be no holding back. I’ll make you feel things you only ever dreamed of.”
Chessa felt the now familiar clenching at his words.
“Noah, there won’t be a next time,” she said gently as she took his hand in hers, moving it from her face. His eyes flashed black, and Chessa thought she saw tufts of fur sprouting over his shoulders.
“You are mine, Chessa,” he said, his voice a low growl that sent a rush of desire through Chessa. It took everything she had to not throw herself into his arms and demand he take her again right now. The tufts receded, leaving Chessa wondering if she had imagined them there. His eyes turned back to the warm brown color she loved.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured, back in control of himself. “But it’s true, Chess. Nothing has changed. I love you every bit as much as I did back then. I will only ever love you.”
“Noah, stop,” she pleaded.
“No, I won’t stop. I can’t stop. You have to know that we’re destined to be together. I know it with every instinct in my body. Chessa, you’re my mate, and I’m not letting you go again.”
“But…” she started. He put his finger to her lips, silencing her.
“What if I told you there might be a way for us to be together? A way you could become immortal with no risks?”
“Then I’d do it tomorrow. But there isn’t a way.”
“There might be,” Noah said.
Chessa felt her heart skip a beat, but she refused to let herself believe it. She couldn’t risk letting in the spark of hope that was trying desperately to become a flame. She was afraid that if she did, and her hopes were dashed, she wouldn’t be able to come back from that.
5
There was a spring in Noah’s step, one he couldn’t hide, as he headed towards his parents’ house. It was all he could do to stop himself from breaking into a run. He was full of pent up energy after last night. It had been amazing, by far the best night of Noah’s life. Being with Chessa again was more than he ever could have hoped for, and it was everything he had always dreamed it would be.
His mind kept drifting back to how she had felt in his arms. How she had looked, naked, her pale skin illuminated by the moonlight streaming in. Even the clouds had parted for them, willing them to be together. He kept tasting her kiss on his lips, tasting her juices. And he kept imagining her tight little pussy wrapped around his cock. She was his. There was no question about it.
He wanted to get in his car and drive out to the mountains and let his bear out. He wanted to let his inner beast take over him for a few hours and run his energy off. But he had to rein it in a little bit longer, until he had talked to his parents and told them once and for all that his thing with Raina was over. He knew they wouldn’t be happy about it, but he was past caring what they thought. He had given in to them once, and he wasn’t ready to do it again. Raina had been right. Chessa was his destiny. That was why she was back.
Noah was almost certain Raina would be right about the Sanmere, too. He felt that Chessa was his mate with every instinct in his body, and his instincts had never been wrong before, so why would they be wrong now?
He reached his parents’ house and tried to appear serious. It was hard to keep the grin off his face, but he knew his father would never take him seriously if he thought he was lovesick.
He stepped into the house and went through to the kitchen, which was empty. He wandered around the familiar house, the house where he had grown up, and it occurred to him that even the memories of his childhood home where dominated by Chessa. The big back garden where they had spent hours sitting in the sun, talking about their future. The lounge where they had spent their evenings watching movies and eating popcorn. His bedroom where they had made out and began to explore each other’s bodies when his parents were at one function or another.
He finally found his father in his office, his brow furrowed as he read through a stack of papers on his desk. He looked up when Noah tapped on the open door.
“Everything okay, son?” Gideon asked.
“Yes. Everything’s great, thanks. Listen, Dad, I need to talk to you.”
His father frowned slightly. “Sounds serious.”
“It is.”
“Then stop hanging around in the doorway and come and sit down.”
Noah moved into the room and sat down opposite his father. He had played this scenario over and over again in his head since last night, but now that it was time to have the conversation, he found himself lost for words. He didn’t know how to start, so he decided to just do so with the obvious statement.
“Chessa’s back,” he said.
Gideon raised an eyebrow. “Really? It’s been, what, ten years since she left?”
“Nine,” Noah said, knowing fine well his father knew that.
“How is she?”
“She’s okay. Her mom had a heart attack, and she’s come back to take care of her.”
“Ally’s had a heart attack?” his father asked, and Noah could hear the genuine surprise in his voice this time.
“Yes, but she’s okay. Anyway, that’s not the point.”
“And what is the point?”
“I still love her, Dad, every bit as much as I ever have. But it’s more than that. My instincts are screaming at me. I know with every cell in my body that Chessa is meant to be my mate. It’s destiny. Fate. Whatever you want to call it. It’s meant to be, Dad, I know it.”
Gideon sighed. He placed his hands on the desk, his fingers intertwined. Noah could see his knuckles turning white where he gripped his hands so tightly together.
“Your destiny is to lead this pack, Noah, not to be chasing after some mortal. And that’s all there is to it.”
“No, that’s not all there is to it! You see the world in black and white, but it doesn’t work that way.”
His father shook his head. “You know, when you were young and you first met Chessa, I knew it was a mistake. I told your mom we should end it between you two, but she insisted it was just a teenage crush, puppy love. That you would outgrow her and accept your destiny. I went along with it because your mom was so insistent. Now I can see the error of our ways. We gave you too much freedom.”
“Too much freedom?” Noah repeated. “Is that some sort of a joke? You’re trying to force me to marry someone I don’t love, and you call that freedom?”
“No, son. I call that growing up and accepting some responsibility.”
“Fuck responsibility!” Noah snapped. Gideon recoiled, and he knew he had gone too far. “Look, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. But it’s like I talk and talk, and you don’t hear me. It’s like you have this path planned out for me, and you don’t even stop to consider that this is my life and I can plan my own path.”
“Noah,” his father told him, “listen to me. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry that you can’t go out and have fun with a mortal. I’m sorry that you can’t have your freedom. But being the alpha of the pack comes with certain assumptions, one of which is that you will produce an heir to take over from you when the time is right.”
“I know all of that. And believe it or not, I want to be a good alpha. I want to lead the pack well and have us all achieve great things. But how can I be a good leader, how can I be good at anything, when my heart isn’t in it?”
“Is Raina really so bad? Maybe we can find another bear.”
Noah shook his head, dismissing his father’s concerns. “It’s nothing to do with Raina. She’s actually a really nice girl. But she’s not Chessa. When I’m with Chessa, I feel different. I feel like I a
m powerful and strong, like I can be a good leader, a good man. Without her, I feel empty, like I’m just going through the motions, pretending to live my life, but not really living, just existing. How can you not understand this?”
“I do understand,” his father replied, a faraway look in his eyes. “I feel the same way about your mother.”
“And if she had been mortal? Would you have been able to walk away from her to fulfill your duty to the pack?”
“I’ll be honest. It would have been hard. The hardest thing I ever would have had to do. But yes. I would have done it. Because there would have been no other choice.”
“But there is a choice for me!” Noah argued. “Chessa might have Sanmere in her blood. And if she has, she’s already told me she would turn tomorrow so we can be together.”
“That’s a big step, Noah. One she should think through a lot more carefully.”
Noah laughed softly. “She’s had over nine years to think about it. You really think it’s a spur of the moment answer? She knows who I am—what I am. And she knows I’ll be the alpha of the pack one day. None of that phases her.”
“It wouldn’t work, son.”
“But—”
It was Gideon’s turn to raise his hand and cut Noah off. “Just hear me out. Let’s, for argument’s sake, say Chessa does have Sanmere in her blood. And let’s say she’s thought this through properly, and she turns. You two mate. Now, what happens if your first child is a female?”
“Um, we raise her to be strong and fearless and kind,” Noah said, not really sure what his father was asking him.
His father smiled sadly. “I don’t doubt that you would. You would be a good father, Noah, and unless Chessa has changed dramatically from the girl I once knew, she would make an excellent mother. That’s not my concern. My concern is what would happen if your firstborn child was a girl rather than a boy. What would happen if she didn’t produce a male heir? With Raina, there’s no danger of that.”