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Growling for Mine

by

Alexa Riley

Dedication

For Celia Kyle … Thank you for inviting us to write in your world. When I discovered bear books I binged on yours, and now we can’t believe we are a part of the Grayslake Series.

Cover by Sara Eirew Photographer & Mayhem Creations

Chapter 1 *Lola*

“You window licker.” I bring the heel of my cowboy boot down on the dash of the car, making me jerk the car into the wrong lane before I right the wheel again. Thankfully, there wasn’t any oncoming traffic.

The rap music completely dies under my assault. It had a good run. I rub the spot I just kicked in appreciation that the radio even lasted this long, but I had to give it one last kick just in case. It had worked twice before.

I’ve been on the road for over twelve hours, and Grayslake is approaching as fast as the snow is starting to fall. And it seems to be getting heavier by the second. I’ve never driven in snow. Heck, I’ve never even seen it in real life before. The closest I’d ever gotten was when my tiny online graphic design company got asked to do brochures for some fancy ski lodge out in Colorado. I’d spent three days looking at stock photos of snow.

I debate pulling over and just maybe touching it for a second. I bite my lip, mulling it over in my head. Picking up my phone, I see I’m twenty minutes outside of Grayslake. Maybe it isn’t such a good idea. I need to get to town before the snow gets too thick. My bald tires can’t take much more of this. I’m not sure any part of this car can take any more of this. The thing could fall apart at any moment.

At the thought, I hear a loud click come from the engine.

“Edith. Don’t you do it.” I glare at the check engine light. “We can’t get stranded out here! Those shifters could be here.” I glance out both side view mirrors, then my rear view. “We need to investigate before we just stumble across one in the wild. We get ourselves into trouble when we don’t plan first.”

I try to reason with Edith, but she has a mind of her own and her time is clearly coming to an end. Maybe getting this wild hair about finding out if these shifter whispers were true wasn’t such a great idea, but I needed out of town, and for some reason this was the only thing that was driving me. Almost like there was an invisible string pulling me.

I knew the moment I saw that eviction tag on the door of the apartment I share with my mom that she hadn’t paid the rent and mostly likely spent my share I’d given her. I didn’t feel like sticking around and picking up the pieces this time. I packed a bag, grabbed my laptop, and took off after leaving a note of my own taped to the door. Told myself I’d go as far as Edith would take me, and I headed in the direction of Grayslake.

I still haven’t even heard a peep from my mom. I’m not sure why I thought she’d be calling my phone begging me to come back. Oh, yeah, money, that’s why. Still, over twelve hours after I’d left and not a single call or a lousy text. Who am I kidding? She probably hasn’t made it home yet. She can up and disappear for days on end.

Shit, is that what I’m doing? I cringe at the thought of being like my mom. My mom likes to be different. New people in and out of her life all the time. She never keeps a boyfriend more than a month. She thinks of herself as a hippy. I had another word in mind, but I kept that to myself. She’s still my mom after all.

Flipping on the wipers, I wince at how it’s only making it worse. The snowy ice smearing makes it almost impossible to see out of the window. I can’t see for crud now. I check my phone again and it still says I’m twenty minutes away. Grr. How is that even possible? I’m stuck in the Bermuda Triangle of shifter land. Oh, my God. It’s like the one Friday the Thirteenth movie and I’m just going in circles, but instead of having a beat-up van, I have an old Volvo.

I glance at the speedometer and see I’m only going fifteen miles an hour. I push down on the gas to pick up speed, but my tires don’t agree. I’m instantly sliding, the car spinning out in circles.

“Edith, get it together!” I yell at the car, but she once again doesn’t listen to me.

We hit a metal rail that gives way too easily, sending us over the snow-covered hill. We slide down, and the journey feels like it takes seconds and hours all at once, until the car comes to an abrupt halt. My head hits the steering wheel, making pain shoot through my body all the way to my toes.

Cold air enters the car, and the chill cuts right through me. I can’t seem to open my eyes. I feel shattered glass all around me. The car groans, and I pray that we aren’t going to slide any more. I don’t think I can take another hit like that. I inhale deeply, trying to pull air into my lungs, but the cold just makes it burn.

I’ll freeze to death out here. The tracks, no one will see them with how fast the snow is coming down. They’ll be covered in minutes, most likely. Now the little bear-covered underwear I put on don’t seem so cute anymore. I thought they would be lucky to help me on my shifter quest. Now, when they find my body, they’re going to see I’m a twenty-year-old woman wearing little bear underwear.

I open my mouth and let out a scream, hoping someone will hear me, but all I hear in return is the sound of the wind picking up. The cold settles into my bones as everything goes black.

Chapter 2 *Bleu*

The snow is really starting to come down, and I know it won’t be long until several feet coats everything. They said it would be the worst snowfall we’ve seen in over twenty years. I decide to bring in an extra load of wood from the shed. Just as I reach the porch, I hear a loud screech in the distance, followed by the sound of a crash. Dropping the wood, I leap from the porch, shifting before my paws hit the snow.

This is a dangerous time of year to be on the roads, so I hope whoever this is is okay. I run through the forest, trying to make it to where I heard the noise. I’m not close to the road, but my hearing is good, even in human form. When I’m almost there, I hear the sound of a female screaming.

The sound sends panic down my spine, and I run even faster.

When I come to the bottom of a hill, I see an old, beat-up car flipped on its side. I bolt towards the car. Climbing on top, I look in and see a woman passed out inside. The window is busted open and she’s already dusted with the falling snow. I rip the door open and then shift back to human form in case she wakes up and I scare her. Reaching down, I pop her seat belt, pulling her from the car. I look back inside and see only a small bag. I grab it and throw it over my shoulder before climbing off the car, holding her gently.

Mine. The word hits me hard.

Looking down at her, I see she’s tiny and shivering. She’s not dressed for cold weather, so I hold her to me and make my way back to the cabin as quick as I can in human form. The way the storm is coming down, she won’t be getting her car off the bottom of that hill for quite some time, and if she doesn’t get warm soon she’s going to freeze to death. Her delicate-looking skin won’t be able to take it.

Pulling her closer to me, I hurry through the trees and snow, getting back to my cabin in record time. I carry the little thing straight inside and head to the fire, holding her and dusting some of the snow away. Her clothes are completely soaked and she’s shivering in her sleep. Her lips are blue now, and her teeth are chattering. I don’t know what to do.

“I’ve got to get you warm, little one.”

She’s so incredibly tiny. Her body must be frozen to the core. Laying her down on the blanket in front of the fire, I start to strip off the wet clothes. Her blonde hair has soft gold touches to it in the firelight, and it reminds of the color of honey.

I take off her thin, long-sleeved shirt. Her simple white bra underneath is soaked, so I have to take it off, too. I look away as I cover her with a blanket, trying to keep her modesty intact as much as possible. I don’t know this woman, but I would hope that if someone were to find my mate, they would take care of her without hurting her. The thought of her having a mate makes a growl rumble in my throat.

Mine. The word hits again even stronger than before.

Carefully I remove her wet jeans and boots, only to discover her underwear has little bears all over it. I smile, thinking the little cubs are cute. Maybe if she likes bears…

I stop the thought before it starts and cover her with another blanket. Leaving her by the fire for just a moment, I go to my room and stoke the fire in there. The room is bathed in the glow of the fire in moments, and I throw a few fresh logs on to keep the room warm.

When I go out to the living room, I’m careful to remove her panties while she remains covered before I pick her up and carry her to my bed, tucking her in under the thick blankets and watching her settle into sleep.

I sit on the edge of the bed and brush a few strands of hair away from her face. She looks young, maybe late teens, early twenties. Her round cheeks are finally starting to show some color and she’s stopped shivering. As my fingers stroke her cheek, she lets out a long sigh and snuggles into the covers more deeply.

She’s so tiny and fragile. She needs someone to take care of her. Maybe that’s what brought her here. I could protect her easily. She is so small, I could just carry her around with me everywhere. No one would dare to even look at her.

The storm is howling outside now, and I’m so thankful that I found her when I did. Had she been out there another hour, she would have surely died. There’s no telling how long this storm will go on, so she’ll have to stay here until it passes. And then she can leave.

Maybe she doesn't have to leave.

The thought of keeping her flows through my mind, and I sit there, letting it play out in my head. How it would be to keep her for my very own. Having a curvy little thing like her to warm my bed at night.

I leave her there and go to the living room, picking up her soaked clothes off the floor and hanging them in front of the fire to dry.

Looking at the panties, I turn around to make sure no one is watching. I know that I’m alone, and the woman is in the next room sleeping, but this somehow seems sneaky. Picking them up, I bring them to my nose and inhale. The little cub-covered panties smell like her sweet pussy, and I growl into them.

I shouldn’t be doing it, but the scent has my mouth watering and my hand going down the front of my pants. I grab my thick cock and feel it pulse as the scent of her sweetness makes my inner bear ache with need. We won’t go to her, and we won’t take what she isn’t willing to give. But my bear and I can sit here by the fire, smelling her pussy and thinking of all the things we would do to the little blonde in our bed.

Chapter 3 *Lola*

I wake up warm and comfortable, my eyes heavy like I’ve been sleeping for days. I try to reach up and rub them, but my arms are pinned. I’m stuck in the car. The thought hits me hard, taking me back to the slide down the hill. The pure fear that rushed through my body, being trapped with no escape.

My eyes fly open in panic, and I’m looking up at a wooden ceiling. The room is lit by a small fire in the fireplace. I lick my dry lips and try to remember how I got here. There was a man. A giant man. He pulled me from the car and carried me here.

I wiggle, freeing my arms, and that’s when I notice I’m naked. Sitting up, I take a better look around the room. Everything is wooden: the walls, ceiling, and floor. The walls look like they’re made out of wooden logs. It’s rustic. Even the giant bed I’m in looks like someone hand-carved it.

Getting up from the bed, I wrap a blanket around myself. My knees almost give out, but I catch myself on the end of the nightstand. I hear a loud crash from somewhere in the cabin, then I hear what sounds like a freight train heading towards me.

The door bursts open, and the biggest man I’ve ever seen in my life is standing in the doorway with a look of panic on his face. I feel like I should be the one with that look. In three long steps he’s in front of me, picking me up. I squeak as he puts me back down on the bed.

“You’re going to hurt yourself.” His voice is deep and gruff, and I know I’ve heard it before. He must have talked to me. I can remember dipping in and out, and each time I’d hear his voice whispering to me. His hand brushing my face. “I’ll keep you safe. Nothing will hurt you when I have you,” he’d said. And I believed him.

He starts running his hands over me like he’s checking me to make sure I’m uninjured. He pulls part of the blanket off me, and I should protest because I’m naked, but all I can do is stare at him.

His hair is a dark chocolate brown and looks like it might be due for a trim. Or maybe he’s just been running his hands through it a lot, making it look messy. Even on his knees next to the bed as I sit on the side, he’s still taller than me. Wow. This guy is freaking ginormous.

One of his hands brushes my hip, and it’s so soft it makes me giggle. His eyes shoot up to mine and he just stares, eyes locked on mine. His eyes are just as richly brown as his hair, but a thin gold circle runs around his pupil. Then his eyes drop to my mouth. His attention there makes me lick my lips, and a sound comes from deep in his chest.

The hand on my hip digs in a little.

“I’m Lola,” I finally say.

He nods like he already knows that, and his eyes drop down further. The blanket is pooled at my waist. This time he licks his lips when his eyes land on my breasts.

I should cover myself, but he’s already seen it. He’s the one who pulled off my soaked clothes, I’m guessing.

“You already know that?” I ask, breaking him from his boob-trance. He jumps up, turns, and heads for a dresser. He pulls out a shirt and throws it to me.

“It was on your driver’s license, which I have confiscated,” he informs me, his back turned to give me privacy to slip the shirt on. I go to stand, and he turns, rushing back to me, gripping me by the hips.

“You’re going to hurt yourself,” he says again. It’s clear he doesn’t want me out of this bed.

“Bathroom?”

He nods and carries me into the bathroom. He flips up the toilet lid and sits me down and just stands there.

“You’re going to watch me pee?” I raise my eyebrow, and he turns around, giving me his back like that is any kind of privacy at all.

When I can tell he's not going to let me to pee alone, I get on with it. I get up to wash my hands and he comes up behind me, putting his hands on my hips like he’s holding me steady.

I look in the mirror at him, our eyes locking. He looks like he hasn’t slept in a few days. Or shaved, for that matter.

“You going to tell me your name?” I cock my head to the side.

“Bleu.” He turns me, picking me up again, but this time I wrap my legs around him. His steps falter, and that’s when I remember I don’t have any underwear on. Only his giant shirt that drops to my knees when I’m standing.

“I will feed you, then bathe you.” He says it like there’s no room for debate as he carries me through the house, sitting me in a sofa chair in what looks to be his living room. Then he heads to the kitchen and starts pulling stuff out of the refrigerator.

“Are you a cop or something?” He’s bossy enough to be one.

“No. I’m a carpenter.” He pulls some pans out of a kitchen cabinet and starts cooking. His eyes keep popping up to look at me like he thinks I’m going to make a run for it. Heck, I don’t even know where the fudge I am.

The carpenter thing makes sense, though, with all the wood around here. Almost all of the furniture looks handmade.

“You said you confiscated my driver’s license,” I remind him. That’s why I thought he was a cop. Oh, and the bossy thing.

“Yes, you clearly shouldn’t be operating a vehicle. You need to go somewhere, I’ll drive you or I’ll go get what you need.”

I just watch him, unsure what to say to that. It takes me a minute to wrap my mind around it. I pull back the curtain I’m sitting next to and see everything is covered in snow. And by the looks of it, it’s still coming down hard. How long have I even been here? It’s clear I can’t go anywhere now, and the sun looks to be setting.

“What about when it’s time for me to go?”

A deep growl comes from the kitchen, making me look that way. Or maybe I’m not going anywhere after all.

Chapter 4 *Bleu*

Her sharp blue eyes watch me in the kitchen as I prepare her something to eat. I don’t say the words “you’re not leaving” out loud, but I think she understands. Maybe she thinks I’m acting this way because of the storm, but in reality, I’m keeping her

For the past two days I’ve stood guard over her. She slept for so long I began to worry about her, but finally she’s woken up. Seeing her lying there so helpless as she slept made my heart ache, and I knew I wanted to keep her. She needs someone to care for her and keep her safe, and I can do that. She will make a fine mate, and my bear completely agrees. Her wide hips are perfect for breeding and carrying young. I shouldn’t have looked at her naked body as long as I did, but I couldn’t help it. Her breasts were so full, and it made me think of her nursing our babies. Then I thought about suckling her there to taste the sweetness for myself.

I growl low in my throat, and I try to cover it with a cough. She has no idea what I am, but she’s not going anywhere. She’ll find out soon enough, but she’s mine no matter what.

I bring over the tray of food and set it down in front of her. I see her eyes grow wide with shock.

“Wow. That’s a lot of food.”

Looking down, I see the bowl of soup, sandwich, fruit, chicken, potatoes, and bread.

“You have been asleep for a long time. You need your strength. Eat.”

“Maybe just the soup to start with. I’d like to warm up a bit.”

She takes the bowl in her hands and tips it to her mouth, drinking the broth first. I go over to the fire and throw some more logs on top of the pile, making sure she’s getting enough heat.

I can show her what a good mate I can be. I will care for her like no other, and she’ll want to stay. That’s my plan. To make her dependent on me and to show her that I’m willing to do whatever it takes to please her.

When I walk over to where she’s seated, I stand there watching her drink the soup.

“This is really good. Thank you so much for rescuing me.” She looks up at me and then looks away as if she’s shy. “Why don’t you sit down?”

I realize then that maybe my standing over her is making her uncomfortable. So I kneel down in front of the couch.

She lets out a small laugh, and it makes me feel warm all over. Like when my bear gets to go play in the water. It’s as if I’m happy all over.

“Are you going to kneel there and watch me eat?”

“Yes.”

“So where am I? How far did you carry me from my car?”

“About ten miles.”

When the bowl stops before it reaches her lips and she raises an eyebrow, I explain.

“I have good hearing. And you’re not heavy.”

“My car must have made a really loud noise,” she says.

After she takes another sip, she looks at me and then leans closer, as if to share a secret.

“You know, I hear there are shifters in these woods.”

She looks around the room as if to spot one. Little does she know there’s one kneeling in front of her.

“Really? You heard that?”

She nods her head and takes another sip, but I can see the excitement in her eyes. “Yes. It’s the reason I was coming this way. I was hoping to run into one. Maybe find out what they’re like.”

“Why?” I growl the question, thinking of her taking another shifter male. The thought of her wanting someone else makes me want to prove how much stronger and better I am than everyone else.

She shrugs her shoulder and sets the now empty bowl down. She picks up a piece of fruit. “I don’t know. My life, um, kind of sucked where I was, and I was looking for a change.” She bites her lip as if nervous about what to tell me. “I guess I thought something magical might be just what I needed. I know that sounds silly.”

“It’s not silly,” I interject. She can want whatever she likes. I’ll be the one to give it to her.

“Thanks.”

The smile she gives me makes me want to tell her she found a shifter, but maybe she isn’t ready for that yet. But I like seeing her smile.

I watch her nibble on the fruit until she says she’s finished. Then I stand and pick her up in my arms.

“Bleu, what are you doing?”

“Bath. You need a soak.”

When I pick her up, her legs go around my waist again, and I feel her naked heat pressing against my loose shorts. There isn’t much keeping her pussy from me, and the thought of breeding her makes my cock lengthen and harden.

Lowering her a little so I can feel her heat against me, I hear a little gasp leave her lips. I’m sure she knows what it is, but she doesn’t say anything as I carry her to the bathroom.

Once inside, I set her down on the counter and take a step back. She looks down at the obvious tent in the front of my loose shorts, but I don’t say anything. It’s only natural that my body would respond to hers in this way. She’s the most beautiful woman in the world, so it must be pretty common for males to have erections around her.

I reach around to turn on the water for the tub. It’s a giant log that’s been hollowed out, and it’s big enough for even me to stretch out in. I add some fresh lavender to the water to help her relax, and then I lumber back to where she’s sitting. I reach for the hem of my shirt and pull it over her head.

Seeing her big breasts again makes me think of them full with milk, and I lick my lips. To taste them would be an honor, and I’m hoping she allows me to do that once I’ve proven I’m a good mate for her.

I pick her up, and once again her legs go around my waist, but this time she pushes down a little so that my prominent erection rubs against her. Her hard nipples rub against my chest. Breathing deeply, I can smell her heat, and I realize she may have need.

“Are you needing me, Lola? Would you like my mouth or cock?”

Chapter 5 *Lola*

I stare at him in shock. Did he just say what I think he did? His face is completely neutral, like he just offered to get me a cup of coffee rather than announced that he wants to pleasure me. Was that normal to him?

His eyes lock on mine, then drop to my lips. I can tell from his hard-on that he likes the idea, but I’m thrown by how easily he offered to do that. I don’t like it, and it sparks something deep inside me. Jealousy.

“Can you put me down please?” I ask, but when I wiggle, his very hard cock rubs against me again. I have to bite the inside of my mouth to keep myself from moaning and showing that I liked it.

He reluctantly puts me down in the tub, and I bring my knees to my chest, trying to cover myself a little. Wow. How has this flipped so fast? He studies me for a second, then turns, heading out of the bathroom. I let out a sigh of relief and lie back in the tub. The thing is massive, but it would have to be to fit him.

I close my eyes as the warm water starts to rise higher and higher on my skin, relaxing my muscles. When I feel something touch my leg, I almost jump out of the tub, but Bleu grabs me, stopping me.

“Bathrooms are unsafe. I’ll make sure next time I have a towel in here before I leave you alone. You’ll hurt yourself.” He says it like he wasn’t the one who just scared the shit out of me.

“I wouldn’t have jumped if you hadn’t scared me.” I put my hand to my chest, trying to calm my heartbeat. “How does someone your size move so quietly?”

“I see. Your hearing isn’t as good as mine. I’ll take care to always make noise when I move around you so as not to startle you.” He grabs some soap and rubs it on the washcloth in his hand, then starts rubbing it down my leg, washing me. I don’t know what to make of this man.

“I can wash myself,” I tell him and reach for the towel, but he just goes farther down my leg and away from my grasp.

“I take care of you.” His tone is firm and soft, making something sit sweetly in the pit of my stomach. He finishes washing my leg, then moves on to the other. It feels good, and I want to lie back and relax. I should feel odd about letting a man I don’t even know wash me, but if he wanted to take advantage, he would have done it by now. Everything with him seems to be about keeping me safe. I don’t think anyone has ever worried about my safety. Not even my own mother.

I’d always spent more time worrying about hers. Even when I was as little as five, I was always trying to make sure she ate and cooked our meals. This is different. It’s nice, and I want to soak it up.

He starts to wash farther up my thigh, and my legs open a little for him. “You always just offer to pleasure women?” The question just pops out of my mouth, jealousy rearing its head again.

“No. I’ve never offered to pleasure a woman before,” he says simply. The cloth touches between my legs, his big hand making my thighs open wider for him.

I feel my breathing catch. I can barely look away from his hand between my legs, but when I look up, he’s looking at my face.

“I only offer for you.” His other hand grip the side of the tub as he leans in a little. “I will only ever do that for you.”

Then he’s leaning in more, and I can’t look away from the gold in his eyes. His mouth lands on mine, and the gold blends to something else as our lips connect.

His mouth is strong but soft as he pushes his tongue into my mouth. I can feel the hunger and desperation in this kiss. Like he’s been starving for me, and with one touch he’s lost all control and is going to take every bit of the kiss he can get.

The hand between my legs drops the cloth, and I feel his finger slide between the lips of my sex. I gasp when he slides across my clit. He pulls his mouth away, resting his forehead against mine.

“Like this?” He half growls as he does it again, making my hips buck. I want to wiggle closer, needing the pressure. He touches me with a teasing softness. I want something harder.

“Yes, please,” I beg, opening my legs even wider, giving him all the room he might need.

“Tell me.”

I open my eyes to see him staring at me, waiting for me to tell him what I want.

“Harder.”

His presses his finger a bit firmer.

“Right there.” I cry out my head falling back as he picks up speed. The orgasm hits me fast and hard, making my whole body jerk. Bleu keeps up his motions, and I have to jerk back away from his hand as the sensations are too much.

The sound of a growl fills the bathroom and makes my eyes fly open. Bleu’s breathing is heavy and his face is hard, almost like he’s angry.

“I want more.” He stands, taking me with him, making me squeal as he lifts me from the bath in one quick motion. In a few short steps I’m on my back on his bed, my legs hanging over the side. He drops to his knees between my thighs and pulls my legs open.

“I’ve never done this before, but I will learn fast. I made you cum already. I’m sure I can do it again.” He licks his lips, moving in closer to my pussy.

“What do you mean you’ve never done this before?” I stare down at him between my legs. I sure as heck have never done this either. I stayed as far away from men as possible. The men my mom had coming and going never gave me the urge to even date.

The most I’ve ever done was with Timmy, who stole a kiss in the third grade, and I kicked him in the shin because his breath smelled like the cafeteria’s macaroni and cheese.

His hand comes up between my legs, and he parts my lips like he’s studying me. His other hand opens my legs a little more before trailing down my parted lips. Then he starts to push inside me, and I hear a grunt.

“Bleu,” I moan, my head dropping back on the bed, not caring about my question anymore. I feel his hot breath on my exposed clit.

“I’ve never touched a woman before, but I’ll practice a lot and be perfect for my mate,” he growls before his mouth lands on my clit.

Chapter 6 *Lola*

His mouth lands on my pussy, and I almost come off the bed at the touch. I’ve never had someone put their mouth there before, and it’s magical and a little embarrassing. But most of all, it’s freaking wonderful and I never want it to end.

He’s sucking on me, and while it’s aggressive, it’s still gentle, and I moan at the feeling. His tongue is everywhere, and suddenly so are his hands. Running up my thighs, pushing them wider apart, and then a finger slips inside me and he hums against my sensitive skin.

“Jumping Jesus,” I squeak when I feel him push another inside me.

Suddenly, he takes his mouth away, and I make a sound that’s a cross between a moan and a whine.

“Did I do something wrong?”

I look down and his eyes look almost all black. I shake my head emphatically. “No, no, no, no. It was exactly right. Please don’t stop.”

“You are mine, Lola. You say my name.”

Before I can ask him what he means, his hot mouth and tongue are back on me again and my eyes are rolling to the back of my head. I start to yell out something unintelligible, and then I realize what he meant. I love that he wants his name to leave my lips, so I say his name as I reach down and run my fingers through his hair.

“Yes, Bleu. Just like that.”

He growls against me, and I feel the fingers inside me, stretching and rubbing until he finds my sweet spot. I can hear how wet I get when he rubs it, so he must know it, too. Feeling my cheeks burn with heat, I try not to think about what he’s doing. Instead, I think about how vigorous he is about giving me pleasure and how he seems to love being down there. He can’t seem to get enough of me.

I close my eyes and arch my back, trying to raise my pussy up and take the orgasm that is so close. One of his big hands splays across my stomach, and he holds me down with his strength. The sheer power in that touch has me shivering with more desire than I thought possible. Being held down by him as he laps at my clit drives me wild.

My legs start to shake, and then they tense as the single greatest orgasm of my life rockets through me. I scream into the cabin, but the wooden walls absorb my cry. I say his name over and over as I give in to the pleasure he’s giving me, falling deeper for this man.

After a few moments, I feel the smile on my face grow as he gives me little kisses. I’m back on earth, and all my senses are coming back. I hear a strange sound and open my eyes. I look around the room, but after a second I realize what I’m hearing.

Looking down at where Bleu is kneeling at the end of the bed, I see his arm and shoulder working fast. I can’t see down between his legs, but from the sounds of it, I know exactly what he’s doing.

He’s got his eyes closed, and his face is still between my legs, inhaling my scent and taking little licks every now and then. As if he’s tasting me while he jerks off. The sight is too fucking hot, and I shouldn’t be turned on all over again watching him.

But there this giant man kneels, at my feet, jerking off his cock to the taste and smell of my pussy. Who wouldn’t want this? Who wouldn’t be turned on by this kind of power? That I drove him to such need.

I open my legs wider and pull my feet up on the bed to give him every inch of me. His eyes fly open and he growls, as if I might try to go somewhere. Our eyes stay locked as I watch his arm speed up, and I can’t stand it anymore. I need to see what he’s doing. His eyes are a bright gold color, and then turn a little black. It should be scary, but it’s only drawing me in. It’s only turning me on even more.

“Let me watch, Bleu,” I whisper. I should be shy about asking for it, but I’m ready to cum again from this sneaky act, and I don’t care.

He slides two fingers up to my pussy and slips them inside me again. There’s no pinch of pain this time, so he must have worked me over pretty good when he was eating me out before.

Keeping his fingers in me, he works them in and out as he leans back a little so I can see down to his lap.

I audibly gasp as I see his long, thick cock disappear into his fist and then peek out of the top. He grips it roughly at the same pace he penetrates me with his fingers. It’s almost like he’s actually having sex with me at the same time he jerks off.

It’s so dirty and feels so wrong, but I can’t stop my hips from moving with his fingers. I push down on them when he presses inside me, and I act as if I’m having sex with his hand. I ride his fingers as if they’re the big cock in front of me, and I moan when I see pearls of cum leak out of the tip.

He leans in every so often to rub his face between my legs. He doesn’t lick me or try to suck my clit, he just rubs it on him. It’s as if he’s trying to get my scent on him as he pleasures himself. The sight is the most erotic thing I’ve ever seen, and I can’t hold back much longer.

Reaching down, I rub my clit as he jerks off. His big body, the dark hair covering his chest, leading down to his cock, is so strong and sexy. Seeing his dick, I lick my lips and think about taking him into my mouth or into my body. I clench around his fingers, and he must feel it because he growls the second I do it.

His gold and black eyes bore into me as I rub my clit and get myself off. Having his eyes on me as I watch him jerk off is all it takes to send me over into another powerful orgasm. Although I want to close my eyes and fall back on the bed, I keep myself upright. I want to watch the second he goes off, and I don’t want to miss any of it.

I’m rewarded for my effort not a moment after I loudly shout my pleasure. And somewhere in the back of my mind, I’m thankful that we’re in a remote cabin.

My eyes don’t move from the tip of his cock as he slips his fingers from my channel and brings them to his mouth. He moves over me and cum jets out onto his stomach as he sucks my pussy juice off his digits and orgasms all over himself.

I watch with held breath as his thick cum coats the dark hair there. He keeps jerking his cock. His eyes are closed and he moans around his fingers as his huge cock releases onto his stomach.

“Oh my,” I whisper, and it’s enough to snap him out of his trance. I regret it, wanting him to enjoy his orgasm as much as I just enjoyed mine. But when I see the look in his eyes, regret is the last thing I’m feeling.

Chapter 7 *Bleu*

I have the scent of her all over my face, but I need more. Cumming on myself wasn’t what I wanted, but I had to release. If not, I would have taken her roughly, and I want to go slow. But now, seeing that she watched me, I need her all over again. It’s as if I never came. My balls ache to have her. I fought it the whole time I was tasting her pussy, the warm sticky juice like honey to me.

“Lola.” My voice is husky, and I see her shiver again with desire when I say her name. I’ve been dreaming about this for days. Finally tasting my mate. Giving her pleasure and everything she could want. Nothing prepared me for the reality. If I thought the need for her before was hard to control, I was very, very wrong.

“Take me, Bleu. I’ll give you whatever you need.” Her legs part even more, opening just for me.

Her words of submission make my bear come forward. He wants to mate, and I’m not sure Lola understands what that means. I can’t explain it to her now, I’m too close to the edge. Right now, I need to claim her as mine, and that’s the only thing that will make me sane again.

“You will be mine. If I mate you, you cannot leave. I will hunt you down and bring you back to our home.”

I sit up and watch as she licks her lips. She looks me up and down, and after just half a second, she nods.

“Mine,” I growl and reach out, flipping her over and pulling her to the edge of the bed.

Blanketing my big body over hers, I pull her tightly to me and feel the seed on my stomach rub between us. It smears on her back, and I love the feeling of marking her in every way possible. It turns me on knowing my seed is on her body, rubbing into her soft skin.

My big legs bracket hers. I reach around to her pussy, push her thighs farther apart and pulling her ass back towards me. I want her in an easy position to rut, and she is so little that this is probably the only way I can mount her.

“I’ve never done this before. But I will be good to you, Lola. I will be careful and make you cum. You like when I do that.”

I feel her lean her body more into mine, and I place my cock at her entrance.

“I’ve never done this either, Bleu. This is crazy.” I growl at her admission that I will be the first to ever have her. I wonder if she doesn't care for other people. She’s the first to ever spark my attention. I like having my cabin out by itself where no one can bother me. I thought I liked being alone, but if the past few days have taught me anything, it’s that I don't want to be alone anymore.

“It’s not crazy. You are my mate. This is what mates do,” I tell her simply. This is just how it will be. We have the crazy need because we’re meant for each other. I was made just to take care of her. It’s clear she needs to me do so. I will feed her so she isn't so small and make sure she isn’t allowed behind a wheel again.

She’s small now, but I will be gentle with her and treat her with care. Pushing past her soaked folds just slightly, the head of my cock penetrates her. Her muscles squeeze me, but after a second she relaxes and I push more of me into her.

The feeling of wet warmth sucking my cock has me growling. My bear is so close to the edge, but I rein him in as I try to remain calm and let Lola adjust to my size.

When she relaxes under me, I lean down and kiss her shoulder. I feel her warm, sweet skin on my lips as the need to bite her rises, and suddenly, marking her is all I can think about.

“More, Bleu.”

She wiggles on my cock, and I feel inches of me slip into her tight body. I grit my teeth and try to hold off. I will mark her. I will make her mine in every way possible. The chant appeases the bear in me, and I focus on giving Lola pleasure. I will always put her first.

I start to pet her clit as I gently give her the last few inches of me. She responds to my touching her, and I hear her moans start to get louder. I’m happy to have not caused her pain during our first time because I plan to take her many more times tonight.

She leans back a bit, seating herself on my lap. When she’s there, I gently rock us while I rub her pussy and feel her clench on me. The vice grip she has on me tightens. I wrap my free arm around her waist and hold her while I thrust up into her.

I start with short strokes, her tight pussy giving a little resistance, and build to longer ones.                                                Soon she’s bouncing on my cock, all the way up and then slamming back down. She’s taking me and moaning for more, proving that she fits me perfectly, but then she gives me more than what I hope for.

Her head tilts to the side, her curly, honey-blonde hair exposing her bare neck. As if something passes between us and suddenly the path is clear, she says the words I’ve longed to hear.

“Bite me.” They trip so easily from her lips, it’s like she’s been saying them to me her whole life. I’d always wondered if true mates really existed. I saw it before with my parents, but I just didn’t know how true it really was, but this moment proves it. Her body knows she’s mine. She might not fully get it, but the core of who she is does.

The two words have me salivating and doing just as she asks. Without a second of hesitation, I place my teeth on the place where her shoulder meets her neck and I bite down.

My sharp teeth barely break the skin, but I taste a tinge of metallic flavor and I immediately lick it away. I can feel her pulse against my tongue, the mating between us becoming stronger. Keeping my teeth in place, I thrust harder, needing to claim her body as well as her spirit. She is mine for keeps, and I want her to feel it in her soul.

When her clenches become tighter, I feel her shudder under me as an orgasm takes over her little body. It’s then my own need kicks in, and I spill my seed into her. It’s the strongest orgasm of my life, and something more is coming from me into Lola. While our bodies are twined together, our hearts connect as one. She has become mine in every way, and my bear lies down in relief.

We’re more than mated now.

Chapter 8 *Lola*

After Bleu made love to me, he picked me up and brought me back to the bathtub, saying I needed to clean up and this time he would join me. I hate the thought of washing him off me, but as if he could sense my hesitation, he explained that he would put it back on as soon as we were out.

I can’t explain some of these barbaric thoughts I’m having about him, the things I want from him. But they’re there and he seems to get and understand them. It’s like he knows what I want before I can even say it. And even more, I don't feel embarrassed about it. It feels natural.

I lie back against his chest, his big body wrapped around mine in the warm water. We soak in a comfortable quiet as he rubs my shoulders and kisses every bit of me he can reach.

“What made you ask for this?” he says, kissing the tender place where he bit me. The kiss to the mark makes a warm feeling grow in the pit of my stomach.

I pause, not knowing how to say what I think, and then I chicken out. “I don’t know.”

He wraps his arms tighter around me and nibbles on my ear.

“You are my mate now, Lola. I know when you’re not telling all that is in your head. Why?”

“It’s hard to explain.”

“Try.”

My curly hair is piled up on top of my head, and I feel his tongue trail down my neck. It’s distracting and wonderful at the same time.

“Something just came over me. I can’t really put it into words. I just had this overwhelming feeling that if you bit me, it would all be okay.”

“What would be okay?”

“My whole world. It felt like if I let you do this, that I would never have another worry. That I’d find what I was looking for.”

I feel him smile against my neck, his embrace so full of love.

“That’s it exactly.”

He places his lips on my skin, and I close my eyes, loving the feeling of us together. I don’t know how it’s possible to go through something like this in such a short space of time, but I feel like I’ve found the other half of my soul. Which is freaking crazy.

“I must tell you, Lola. You must know all of me.”

I turn in his arms, the huge tub giving us ample room. I look in his eyes and see a small bit of concern, and it makes me place my hand on his heart.

“What is it, Bleu?” My fingers dig into his chest hair.

“The shifters you spoke of earlier, they’re real.”

I smile at his words, thinking how incredible that is. It sounds magical and makes me feel like happily-ever-afters are out there. It was what I was looking for deep down when I hopped in my car and headed this way. Straight to Bleu, it would seem. I think that’s what I was looking for when I hopped in my car. Something pulled me this way. “That’s really cool. Do you know one?” I wiggle in his lap, trying to get a little closer, not liking any space between us. I’ve never been this intimate or close with someone before, and I’m savoring every moment of it like it could be snatched away from me at any moment.

He nods his head and looks deep into my eyes. The gold swirls around his pupils, and I feel almost like he’s pulling me into a trance.

“I am one.”

With his words, his arms tighten around me, but I don’t understand why.

“You are one? You’re a shifter?” I try to lean back to get a better look at him, like I might have missed something, but he holds me closer.

“I will not let you leave, Lola. You are mine. We are mated.” His words come out in a half growl. Looking at him, I feel completely confused. So I just shake my head.

“Bleu. Stop. I’m not going anywhere. Are you serious?”

“Yes.”

I bite my lip, not wanting to offend him but really needing to know more.

“What kind are you?” I whisper it like someone might hear us, even though I know we’re alone.

My eyes run up and down his big body, and I wonder if there are Bigfoot shifters. He’s flipping huge.

“A brown bear.”

I smack myself on the forehead and let out a laugh. Duh, Lola. Of course he’s a bear.

“I can’t believe you’re real.” Reaching out, I touch his face and look him over like I’ve never fully seen him before. As if I’m trying to look for the magic.

He pulls me closer and suddenly he’s standing up in the tub and carrying me with him again. We leave a trail of water behind us as we enter the bedroom. He stands me up in front of the fireplace and dries me off with a towel I didn’t see him grab.

“You are not leaving,” he says, and I can’t help but roll my eyes.

“Bleu, I have nothing out there waiting for me but a busted car and deadbeat mom. Meeting you has been the single greatest thing of my life. Why would I leave this?” He looks at me, but still I see a hint of doubt there. “Even if I had a family that wanted me, or somewhere else I needed to be, I would never leave you. You said it, we’re mated now. You just need to tell me what a mated shifter wife does so I can be the best damn shifter wife there ever was.”

“Wife?” he asks, smiling and raising an eyebrow.

Oh, shit. I hadn’t realized I let that just slip out.

“Or whatever. I mean, mate.” I stumble over my words, but he picks me up and pulls me to him, carrying me to the bed.

“You are mine. In every way.”

“Do I get to see you as a bear?”

I blurt the question out, and I feel so silly for asking it. He just smiles and puts me on the bed, climbing on top of me and snuggling into my neck.

“Yes, he would very much like to meet you.”

“Is he the same as you, or will he try to hurt me?”

He sits up fast, and a serious look takes the place of the smile that was there just a second ago. It makes me sad that I took the smile away, and I want to put it back on his face.

“He would never hurt you. We are one, my bear and I. We both want you, we are both mated to you, and we both love you.”

“Love?”

How is this possible? This is some insane crazy shit. We met, like, thirty seconds ago. How are we in love?

“Yes. It is the way. I know you are my fated, true mate. I live out here away from the big clan of Grayslake. We have runs once a month and sometimes I go to them to check in with Ty. He’s our leader. I drop some things off and pick up any supplies I might need.”

“So is he my leader now, too?”

“In a way, yes. But with how I live, it will be as if it is just you and me.”

“I like the sound of that.” Wrapping my arms around his neck, the smile I was missing comes back.

“I make furniture out in my workshop. I sell it to one of the dealers in town, but otherwise, I like to stay here.” His hand comes up, cupping my face. “Now I will want to stay here even more with my mate to take care of.”

Suddenly, something hits me, and I worry that we’ve made a mistake. “Bleu, what about pregnancy? We didn’t use anything.”

I’m not on any kind of birth control, and he sure as heck didn’t pull out. It never even occurred to me until just now. Then a wave of sadness flows over me. What if humans and shifters can’t breed? Will I never have a baby with my mate?

“Why would I use anything to stop a cub from growing in your belly? We should be lucky to have one. Maybe we will be blessed and have many.”

“We can have babies?” I hear the hope in my voice, and as crazy as this sounds, I want it to be real. I want it to be true. If there is one thing I’ve always wanted, it’s a family. A real one. Not like the one I had growing up.

“Yes. You are human, but you will carry our cubs. They will be able to shift like me.”

I feel the grin on my face growing bigger as I think about our little babies running around the cabin. I picture our lives together and what our future could hold.

“I like the look in your eyes.” His gold-rimmed eyes scan me with such tenderness.

“I like the life I see here with you.”

“Good. Then I don’t have to chase you in the woods.”

I feel him bury his face in my neck, and I let out a giggle as he growls. “Maybe you can pretend to chase me. That sounds kind of fun.”

The hard ridge of his cock rubs against my pussy, and my laugh turns into a deep moan. I feel tingly all through my body, as if my nerve endings are on high alert. I rub against Bleu’s big body, feeling the hair on his chest against my hard nipples.

His mouth moves down my neck to my aching breasts, and his hot mouth latches on. I raise my hips, welcoming him into me as the pleasure starts to race through my veins. When his cock is lined up perfectly, he’s hesitant to thrust in.

Reaching between us, I stroke his thickness until his hips buck forward and he’s entering me. I’m beyond full from his length and girth; not a single inch of space inside me goes unfilled. When he took me before, I felt a little pain at first from my virginity breaking, but he was so easy and slow that soon I was the one begging for more. Now that I’ve had him inside me, I know what to expect, but at this angle, he’s even deeper.

“Don’t hold back, Bleu. Harder.”

I feel his hesitation, and it’s as if I can read his mind. He’s trying to be careful with me, but I know he will give me what I want. He won’t ever deny me my pleasure.

“Yes, mate.”

He thrusts hard this time, and it makes me gasp out in pure ecstasy. The fullness of his aggressive body is almost too much for me. He’s rutting on top of me like his animal is here in his place, and for some reason that makes me even wetter.

His perfect strokes hit me in exactly the right spot, and it only takes me minutes before I’m tensing under him as my orgasm rolls over me. It’s deep and fierce, and I cling to Bleu as he growls into my neck. When I feel his teeth on my skin, I orgasm a second time, the pleasure almost too much.

His hot seed fills my body and I writhe with joy. Somewhere in my heart, I want a baby to take hold. I want to be connected to him in every way, and I want it now.

No more waiting for my life to start. I’m going to grab ahold of him and the life that I want and make it happen. I’ve let too many things pass me by, and I’ll be damned if this gets away.

Chapter 9 *Bleu*

I watch Lola as she works on her laptop, clicking away at a speed that can’t be human. Her eyes are trained on the screen in concentration. I let out a growl, perturbed that she can’t seem to take her eyes away from it. The sound makes her eyes come to me as a smile pulls at her lips. My growl stops instantly once I have her attention on me, and she just shakes her head and goes back to clicking away.

I’ve never had a jealous moment in my life. I’ve seen other mated shifters get jealous when other males get too close to their mates, but I seem to get jealous of everything when it comes to Lola. I want her attention on me. Maybe I’d let myself go too long being alone and now I want to soak up every moment of having a mate.

“The wireless modem will be here tomorrow,” she reminds me for the third time this week.

When she’d told me she ran an online business doing graphics for brochures and making business cards, I made sure she had whatever she needed to keep doing that.

I was just thankful that she did something that would keep her at home with me. Locked away in our cabin. I’d never been so happy to have a cabin out in the middle of nowhere before. I thought I enjoyed isolation before, but now I fucking love it.

I wasn't too happy when a man came to install the internet she needed. He had beady eyes and kept looking at my Lola. She’d just rolled her eyes at me when I growled at him. Lucky for me, she seems to think my jealousy and protectiveness over her are cute. Even after I made her wait in the bathroom until he was gone.

Over the past few weeks I’ve learned more and more about her. She has shitty parents. Every time I think about it, I want to track them down and rip them apart with my bare hands. Someone like Lola should be cherished and taken care of. I will gladly take that place, even if she gives me a heart attack with her clumsiness at times.

She wants a family that cares about each other, and I will give her that. I’ll prove to her that I will give her everything so she’ll never leave me.

“Don’t you have work to do?”

I grunt my response. I do. I took her to town last weekend to meet Ty and some of the townspeople. I dropped off some orders and picked up a few more, but I can’t seem to pull myself away from the house.

I know I’m going to have to start to let loose a little, but the thought of something happening to her because I wasn’t around to make sure she was okay scares the ever-loving shit out of me. I couldn’t go back to the life I had before. Odd how I relished that life weeks ago, but now the idea would be my worst nightmare.

I love her, but Lola is damn clumsy. Just today I stopped her from walking into the door, and then she tripped over nothing. Nothing. Just fell right over her own feet. I’m starting to think I was made to be a shifter just so I’m fast enough to keep her little ass safe.

I growled at her when I caught her from hitting the floor. She just shrugged it off like it was no big deal. “Must have been daydreaming about you,” she’d said.

“I’ll do it after your device comes tomorrow. Have you—”

She cuts me off, already knowing what I’m going to ask. “Yes, I checked the tracking and it will be here tomorrow. We just have to go to the post office in town.”

I don’t know what a wireless modem is. I just know it means she can move her work area out to the barn where I do all my wood carving. Then I can keep her near me.

“Come here,” she says, eyes still trained on the computer.

I’m instantly on my feet moving towards her. I’d had her in my lap while she worked, but she’d made me put her down because I couldn’t stop touching and licking her, which led to us on the floor or back in the bed.

I should feel guilty. Her body is so little, and I just keep pinning her down and taking her. I can’t seem to get enough of my scent on her.

I look over her shoulder to a screen that reads, Wooded Designs. I see pictures of different things I’ve made, some from the house, some I’d shown her out in the barn, and some I took to town.

“Now people can just place orders online and even send requests.” She clicks through more pages, showing me.

“You made this for me?” I feel a little guilty that I’ve been growling at her looking at her laptop when this whole time she’d been doing something for me.

She beams up at me. “Yes. You like it? I’ll keep track of everything for you. All you have to do is make the stuff and tell me project dates and things.” The smile lights up her whole face.

Just like that, she makes me lose control. I can’t stop myself from picking her up and molding my mouth to hers. Her legs come around my waist as I pushed my tongue inside her mouth.

I hold her tightly to me, wanting to feel every curve of her body. I push her back against the wall, and I can tell by the smell of her desire that she’s ready for me. It fills the air, making my nostrils flare and my hunger to be inside of her uncontrollable.

I need inside her. Now.

Reaching between us, I free my cock, yanking her shirt up roughly. I pull the panties she has on to the side and slide right into her. Her little body is always ready to take me. Her legs always parting to give us what we both need.

I growl into her mouth as I plunge in and out of her. My tongue matches the movements. Her fist-tight pussy grips me in a possessive hold. I start moving faster, pounding deep into her cervix with each hard thrust. I want to fill her there. The pleasure is almost more than I can take. I want to get lost and to let myself go over the edge, but I want to watch her go first.

When I feel her contract around me, I pull my mouth from her, wanting to hear the sounds of her pleasure as she cums while I drive in and out of her.

She screams my name, her body jerking under mine, but I don’t stop. I want another one. Her eyes start to fall closed, her lush lips parting. I bend a little, nipping her at my mate mark, making her jerk away.

“Another,” I demand.

“I don’t think I can.”

I growl, knowing I’ll get it. I wonder how many times I can make her cum before I do.

Chapter 10 *Lola*

We’ve fallen into a comfortable rhythm, Bleu and I. It’s been a little over a month since he saved me, and it’s been the most wonderful time of my life. Every morning I wake up wrapped in his arms, and we spend our days side by side. I sit at the desk he made me in his woodworking shop and take care of our businesses. I answer his emails and try to put requests on the books, but he fills up so fast now.

“You’ve got three more requests for the sweetheart bench.”

I smile at him over the laptop and he grunts as he goes back to what he was doing. He made us a bench to cuddle on for the front porch, and I posted a picture of it online. But as soon as the first request came in for one, he said no. That was meant for me, and no one else would have it. I have the picture on the website showing his craftsmanship, but people keep trying to buy it.

Checking my emails, I sort through the junk and follow up with clients. When the email I’ve been waiting on pops up, I start to smile but bite my lip to keep from doing so.

“Bleu, I’m getting kind of hungry.”

It’s all I have to say and he pops up from what he’s doing and walks towards the house without a word. It’s kind of funny how he does that, but I can’t help but love it. All I have to do is mention one little thing about wanting to eat and he’s bringing me a giant plate of food.

As soon as I hear the door click shut, I’m in motion. It’s taken me all week to set this in place, and I want it to be absolutely perfect. I scurry around the shop, getting it ready, and just as I finish I hear him wiggle the doorknob.

I dart behind my desk, and I’m thanking my lucky stars I didn’t trip along the way, or it would have sent Bleu running. I try to control my breathing and act calm as he strides in with a tray of snacks for us. I say “us” because there’s enough for ten people, but he thinks this is how much I should eat.

“Here you go, my mate.” He kisses me on the lips as he places the food in front of me.

I pull up a blank page on my computer and type random letters and words, trying to look busy as he goes back to work. After just a second he makes a noise and I stop typing. I look out from behind my computer and pretend not to notice anything is wrong.

“Thanks for the snack. I was starting to feel weak,” I joke, but he doesn’t look up. “Everything okay, Bleu?” Trying to keep my tone even is an effort.

“Just looking at the requests you left for me. It’s odd, I don’t think I’ve ever gotten asked to do one of these before.”

I stand up and casually walk over to where he is standing, holding several pieces of paper in his hand. Each week I print out the requests for him, and he picks and chooses what he feels like doing next, and then I schedule it on the calendar.

“Which one is it? There were so many I didn’t really get a good look at them all.”

He looks at me and then looks back to the paper. “This one on top.”

I move beside him and take the paper from his hands. I know this image well. I searched for days to find the perfect one.

“Oh, how pretty.” I hand him the paper underneath the picture. It’s a printout of the email I just got. He takes it from me, and I make a humming sound as I look at the picture. “Maybe you could do one for practice first.”

“Lola?”

Looking up, I see Bleu’s gaze is glued to the paper in front of him. I give him another moment to let it register, and I stand there with the biggest grin on my face, waiting for it to click.

“Lola. Is this...does this mean…?” He stammers over his words and then looks to me with big watery eyes.

I start to cry, immediately moved by his expression, and just nod my head. He drops the email from the shifter doctor I saw two days ago confirming I’m six weeks pregnant with our bear cub, and scoops me up in his arms.

“A baby? We’re going to have a baby?”

“Yes,” I say in a thick voice as he buries his face in my neck.

I can feel the joy rolling over him in waves, because it passes to me as well. Last week when we’d gone into town to drop off some orders, we went next door to see the clan doctor and get a checkup. I’d told Bleu it was to make sure I was okay to have children, but I had suspected I was already pregnant. I slipped the doctor a note when Bleu wasn’t looking and explained I wanted to surprise him. Thankfully, she played along, and as we were leaving she said she would email me with some follow-up questions.

I feel his lips on my neck and then he’s looking into my eyes. The gold is swimming in tears of joy, and I swear I could almost burst from happiness in this moment. His mouth comes down on mine, and the sweet kiss turns passionate in half a second. Suddenly, I’m being laid out on one of his woodworking tables and he’s slipping off my leggings. He’s hurriedly unbuckling his jeans and getting his cock inside me as fast as he can.

When he enters me, I’m wet and ready like I always am for him. I moan at his thickness and look up into his eyes. His big hand rests on my lower belly as he eases in and out of me. His face is tender, but there’s still the raw need there, too. His passion shows as we couple and celebrate the next chapter in our lives.

He makes me cum three times on that table before he finally carries me to the house. But not before he grabs up the picture of the baby crib I had printed out and given to him. I knew this would be the first of many things he would make for our little cub, and I’m sure he’ll start working on it the second he lets me out of bed.

Epilogue *Bleu*

Eight years later…

The house is quiet, and I pull Lola closer to me in bed.

“I swear being around bears all the time, all I want to do is sleep.”

Smiling against her neck, I kiss my mark and nuzzle against her. “I’ve tried to tell you. Just give in and do what I say.”

I built a second floor onto the cabin when Lola found out she was pregnant with our first cub. Soon after our first boy, River, was born, she got pregnant again. We had our twin girls, Violet and Marigold, thirteen months after River. Then we decided to slow down. So of course she got pregnant again right away with our youngest son, Forbes. Four kids under four years old has kept us busy. But one thing is for sure, they’ve always slept great. Lola says it’s all the hibernating we like to do, but I just laugh and pull the covers over her.

It’s Saturday and all the kids are upstairs sleeping in, and I take advantage of our alone time.

Our businesses have grown over the years, and we have people in town who help us manage them. Luckily for us, we get to keep our privacy a good bit while the kids go to school and we work from home. We’ve established our careers, so we work when we want and we play when we want. But we always have weekends at home with just the family. The time with our young is precious and goes so fast. But I would be lying if I didn’t think they always pick the worst times to try to come talk to us.

Spooning behind Lola, I reach down and pull her leg over my hip, opening her for me. I slip my hard cock past her wet folds and slide home. She moans softly when I’m fully seated, and I do the same.

“I locked the door. You can go back to sleep now if you want to, mate. I’m just going to cum and keep my cock in you for a little bit longer.”

I slide my hand over her hip and between her legs, rubbing her exposed clit. I know exactly how to touch her to get what I want, and I know for a fact she isn’t going back to sleep. Not without at least two orgasms.

She looks back at me with a wicked smile and grinds down on my cock. Her smell of desire grows between us, and I give her what she needs. I will always give her anything she desires for as long as we both live.

“I love you, Bleu,” she whispers as we make love.

“I love you, too, my sweet Lola.”

We had a chance encounter that turned into more than either of us expected. But when I first held her in my arms, I knew she was mine. I’ve spent every day since then holding on to her, and I will spend the rest of my life doing the same. She and our cubs are my whole world, and it’s more than I ever dreamed of. She gave me this life, and I will show her just how grateful I am.

THE END

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