Weighty thoughts raced through King’s mind as they ate. He should probably make some attempt at small talk, but he’d never been good at it, and this thing with Marilee was too important to screw up with hasty words. What he wanted to do was tell her how much he cared for her. Tell her how much seeing her in danger had hurt him. Tell her how he wanted to protect her from everything he possibly could…for the rest of their lives.
But, of course, he couldn’t say any of that, just yet. It was way too soon. Even among regular shifters, there was usually some kind of courtship before anybody started making declarations. Of course, with her being so different from any shifter he’d ever known, plus this crazy situation, he wasn’t sure how it would all work for them.
That’s why, when his phone rang about halfway through the meal, he was glad of the distraction. He reached over to where he’d left his phone plugged into a wall outlet for a recharge and picked it up with an apologetic look in Marilee’s direction.
“Ace,” he answered when he saw his brother’s name on the screen and punched through to pick up the call.
“How are the hawks treating you?”
“Like my namesake,” King told his older brother. “They sent us a really good steak dinner.”
“That’s good. Sorry to interrupt, but I’ve got a route update for you. I’ll send it through to your phone after we get off this call. And Big John wanted me to tell you that his mate wants to get a look at what’s on that trailer before you attempt to cross the town’s protective ward. So, they’re going to meet us in a secure location to the south, on the reservation.”
“You’ve got connections on the res?” King asked, knowing they wouldn’t just breach Native American territory without permission. The ties between the Native tribes and shifter society were subtle, but definitely there.
“Not me, but the town shaman—a fellow named Gus—set this up,” Ace told him.
“Understood,” King replied. He was impressed that Grizzly Cove had its own shaman.
There weren’t all that many shifters who also had magical gifts. Bears, of course, were more magical than most, and it was a bit more likely to find bear shifters in the role of shaman than other species. Though it wasn’t unheard of for the occasional wolf or cat to follow the shaman’s path. It was a spiritual calling that involved the use of magic.
Most shifters had some natural protections against magic being used on them, but few shifters had magic they could use to affect the world around them, other than the basic magic that allowed them to shapeshift in the first place. So, when a shifter found they could actually use magic, they often felt a call to use it in service of the Mother of All. That’s how shaman came about.
When a non-shifter felt a similar call, they often became holy men and women. Priests and priestesses, though the gift skewed almost completely female, so it worked out that there were mostly priestesses who served in shifter communities or among other magical folk. They did the work of the Goddess and used their gifts in service to Her Light.
“You said they’d meet us. Are you planning on joining me earlier?” King asked his brother, going back to something he’d said earlier.
“Yeah. After this business today, I figured I’d head out sometime tonight and try to meet you halfway or something. Provide a little escort for the rest of your journey.” Ace paused. “It doesn’t sit right that you’re out there on your own, in danger.”
King understood. “Now you know how I felt when I heard what you and Sabrina faced while I was goofing off with the wolf Pack in Iowa. I should’ve been there for you, bro, and I’m sorry I wasn’t.”
“No. Don’t feel like that. I’ve come to believe that this is all working out the way it was supposed to happen. Fate or something, you know? Sabrina and I needed to bond, and we both know, from our time in the military, that sharing danger forms bonds fast, that are really hard to break.” Ace’s voice dropped. “You’ll understand when you find your mate.”
King looked over at Marilee. She’d risen from the table and was busy at the small sink, cleaning her plate off and tidying up. King was beginning to understand, but he couldn’t tell his brother that at the moment. Instead, he kept silent and just watched her move. She was enchanting him, just swaying by the sink, doing dishes.
Damn. He had it bad.
Marilee cleaned her plate and utensils, leaving King to his phone call. It sounded like plans had changed, but probably for the better. She could just about hear what Ace was saying on the other end of the phone, even though the volume on the earpiece was set for shifter senses. Still, as a wolf, she had really good hearing.
She wasn’t too keen on the magical whatever they’d been towing behind her SUV all day, so stopping to look at it before entering the domain of the bear shifters sounded like a good idea to her. She didn’t want to be held responsible—rightfully or not—for bringing something truly dangerous into Grizzly Cove. Better to sort out what, exactly, they had, before exposing everyone in town to possible danger.
She heard King say goodbye to his brother and go back to his dinner. He spoke to her in between bites while she remained a few yards away, in the kitchen area of the cabin.
“We’re going to meet up with Ace tomorrow. He’s riding out to meet us a bit earlier than originally planned,” King told her.
She hadn’t heard that part of the conversation because she must have moved to the sink by then, but it didn’t surprise her. She’d understood the brothers were unusually close. Sabrina had told her all about the trio of bear shifters who usually went through life together but had separated to go on walkabout, as she’d called it. Marilee had only ever heard that term used in relation to Australian aboriginal people, but she understood the concept. The brothers had split up, traveling in different directions for some time, away from each other and everything they had known before.
It had really worked out well for Ace, at least. He’d crossed paths with Sabrina—his true mate. It was almost as if the Mother of All had sent him on his quest into Canada to find her. Marilee wasn’t one hundred percent positive she believed that the Goddess would take such direct action in the lives of Her followers, but it was possible, she supposed.
She didn’t dare hope that the Mother of All would ever take such a close interest in her own life. After all, she was just a runt. A white weirdo, as the other wolves had tagged her back when they were kids. She’d never really gotten over that nickname, and over the years, she’d sort of grown into it, despite her best efforts.
Whatever. Those jerks were gone, now. She’d left them behind back in Canada, and she hoped to never see any of them, again. The only person worth knowing from her old life was the one she was trying to get to—Sabrina. Marilee’s new life started, now. Or, maybe, this was some interim place between old and new, and the new part would truly start once she got to Grizzly Cove and reunited with her best friend. She wasn’t sure.
Either way, the old part was over. She shouldn’t even entertain thoughts of the things they used to call her, or the way they used to treat her. That was over and done with. Thank the Goddess.
“Ace will escort us to a meeting place just outside the permanent ward of Grizzly Cove,” King went on a minute later, after he’d chewed and swallowed another bite of his cooling steak. “Apparently, they have some pull with the local Indian tribe. There’s a reservation to the south of the cove, and we’ll meet there.”
“I heard that part,” she told him as she finished fussing with the dishes and turned to face him.
“You heard that?” King seemed impressed.
Marilee shrugged. “I’ve always had pretty good hearing, even for a wolf.”
“It would have to be to hear my phone. I’ve got it set so low, even my brothers—or, should I say, especially my brothers—can’t hear the other side of the conversation.” He chuckled. “I mean, we’re close and all, but a guy has to have some privacy, right?” He finished his last sip of beer and stood from the table, carrying his empty plate toward her and the small sink she was standing in front of. “If it isn’t Ace being overprotective, it’s Jack being nosy. Both drive me nuts, from time to time.”
She smiled. “I guess it’s not easy being the middle child. Although, I always wished I’d had siblings. Being part of a close family must be nice.”
King dropped his plate in the sink and then scooped her unexpectedly into his arms. He stood there, holding her and rocking gently from side to side. She thought she even felt him kiss the top of her head, and her heart raced, but also melted a little.
“I’m sorry, honey,” he said softly, still holding her tight. As far as she was concerned, he could hold her forever. “I didn’t mean to sound ungrateful. I know you’ve had a rough time of it. I would change that, if I could.”
“My childhood wasn’t your fault,” she told him, enjoying the closeness, the feel of his warmth against her.
She had received so little comfort in her life. So few hugs like this. Given freely. Given because someone cared enough to express concern and compassion. She was quickly coming to understand why Sabrina had claimed over and over that bear hugs were the best.
He drew back after a moment more, but didn’t go far. He stood, looking down at her, holding her gaze with his. It was almost hypnotic, looking into his deep brown eyes, but she was powerless to look away and break the contact. It was as if she was starved for this kind of embrace, this kind of intimacy.
“The thought of you hurting, hurts me,” he told her, his voice low and rumbly, the way she liked it. But his words gave her pause.
“Why?” she whispered.
He shook his head slowly from side to side. “I’m not really sure, but it does. You…matter, Marilee. I want you to be happy. The thought of you being sad makes my bear want to claw something.”
“That doesn’t sound good,” she quipped, trying to make light of something that sounded way too serious for such short acquaintance.
“But it is good. My bear…cares for you. I care for you, Marilee. I know this is sudden, and we’ve only known each other a few hours, but there’s something… I can’t really explain it. Maybe it’s because I know what happened with my brother and Sabrina. And I know, from talking to Sabrina, about you, and how you were treated up to now. Somehow, I want to change all that. I want you to be happy and well treated from now on, and I’ll bleed anyone who messes that up.”
“That’s…” She didn’t have words. She was very confused by what he was saying, but her inner wolf basked in his possessive stance.
“Too serious, right?” He smiled, just one corner of his mouth lifting with self-aimed humor. “I know. Sorry.” He moved his hold on her so that his hands were on her waist, like a lover’s. The embrace went from comforting to combustible, just that easily. “Okay. I get it. I can tamp it down a bit,” he told her.
No need to hold back on my account. She wanted to laugh with him and admit her own crazy feelings, but he’d already taken a step back emotionally. She couldn’t come forward now. She’d sound like an idiot.
“How about we take this one step at a time?” he asked, firming his grip on her waist and tugging her incrementally closer. She liked the feel of his hard thighs—and other things—against her.
Mutely, she nodded. She was all for moving forward with him at any pace. Somewhere along the line, she had decided to damn the consequences. She wanted to know him in the most intimate sense. She wanted to feel him inside her and hold that memory forevermore.
She decided not to think about tomorrow. That would take care of itself. Tonight was really all she had, and she was going to make the most of it.
“You liked my kiss, didn’t you?” His voice dropped to a low, sexy timbre that sent shivers down her spine.
“I did,” she managed to whisper.
“Would you like me to kiss you again?”
She found herself nodding in agreement as his head dipped lower, his lips trailing across hers in a tantalizing game. Then, he pounced. His lips claimed hers, conquering, coaxing, cajoling until she responded in kind. She went a little wild, her hands wrapping around his neck, her legs parting, pressing against his.
When he insinuated one of his thighs between both of hers, she gasped into their kiss. This was getting hot and primal. A flash fire that went from zero to inferno in sixty seconds. Or less. It was as if she was starved for him and couldn’t get enough of the feel of him. Her wolf whined in need and delight—a mix that confused her as much as it spurred her onward.
He lifted his thigh, rubbing against her, and she groaned. She didn’t have time, or energy, to feel self-conscious. He kept pushing her higher. Making her dare more. Want more. Want him.
All with just a kiss and some strategic touches. The man was a master, but she refused to think about how he’d gained his skills. Jealousy had no place in the middle of this. In the middle of them. There was no room for pettiness or regrets. There was only space for King and Marilee. Two strangers brought together by circumstance and danger. Two souls traveling together for a time. She couldn’t count on more, but she was resolved to ignore tomorrow and just focus on tonight. The here. The now. The man.
When he began tugging at the fastenings of her clothing, she didn’t resist. In fact, she helped him. And then, she began pushing at his clothes, wanting them gone. There was too much fabric. Too much distance between her skin and his.
His shirt disappeared, and then hers. He bent, trailing kisses down her jaw and over her collar bone. His hands cupped her breasts and held them up, one at a time, to his mouth, where he sucked and licked, driving her passion right through the roof.
He moved one hand to her pants and unfastened them before pushing them away, all the while distracting her with the way he paid homage to her breasts. She felt the cool air against her bare butt and realized he’d done away with both pants and panties. They were pooled at her feet, but that was easily remedied. She stepped out of them, sliding off her slip-on shoes along the way.
She felt his big hands cup her ass, touching lovingly, before he lifted her in one powerful motion, sliding her onto the countertop next to the sink. Holy cow, that was chilly! But, as a wolf shifter who, until recently, had lived in Canada, she’d felt worse. Room temperature granite was nothing compared to the snow and ice of a Canadian winter.
King grinned at her, his expression filled with passion and possession that turned her on like nobody’s business. Then, he put his hands on her knees and spread them. She just about spontaneously combusted on the spot.
When he stepped into the V he’d made of her thighs, she wanted to rub up against him like the wolf that lived inside her. She wanted to splay herself in submission. She wanted to show him in every way possible that she was receptive and ready for his most intimate possession.
His left hand rose to cup her nape as he brought his lips back to hers. His right hand rose along the inside of her thigh, seeking, searching, and then finding the spot where she most wanted him to be. Sweet glory be! She moaned when he found her entrance with one thick finger, pushing within as if testing her readiness.
She was wet and hot, ready for anything, and she wanted him to know it. His growl originated deep in his chest. She could feel the rumble against her breasts as he moved closer. It was a growl of approval as he discovered what she already knew. She was with him. Now he just had to take what she was offering.
He kept his mouth on hers, kissing deeply, exploring her mouth with a sensual mastery that she had never before experienced. His left hand moved away from her nape as the other surged in and out of her tight hole, priming her for a possession she wanted with every last fiber of her being.
And then, he left. She opened her eyes to find that he’d moved back from both the kiss and the sweet torture he’d been performing below, to unbutton and unzip his pants. He didn’t hesitate. He just pushed them down, revealing a long, hard cock that made her mouth water.
Damn. The boy was built. And she was just the girl to put all that masculine loveliness to good use.
His gaze met hers as she reached for him. When she wrapped her fingers around his erection, he was looking deep into her eyes. She saw his pupils dilate with pleasure, and she felt a certain feminine power she had seldom experienced in her relatively sheltered life.
“You like that?” she asked in a low sultry tone she had never once heard come out of her mouth before. King brought out all kinds of new aspects to her personality.
He growled, and she squeezed him gently in reply. She liked the way he responded to her. As if she were special to him. As if it mattered that it was her—Marilee—giving him this pleasure. As if she mattered. It was a heady feeling.
“Let me,” he begged, seemingly unable to get out a full sentence. But she knew what he meant. She wanted it too. And, like him, she was similarly incapable of putting her thoughts into coherent sentences right now.
“Yes,” she said, keeping it simple. Simple was good.
In answer, his hands moved to her hips, dragging her closer to the edge of the countertop. She helped him slide her closer to what they both wanted.
And then… Contact. He slid into her, the counter putting them at the perfect height, since he was so tall.
He pushed all the way in then paused, meeting her gaze. She could see the moment he lost control, and she reveled in it. He began to thrust. Hard. Fast. Making her sweat and growl in delight, yearning higher, wanting to reach someplace she had seldom seen before.
Sex with other men had always left her wanting. Wondering. Somehow, she just knew King would be the one to show her, finally, what it was all about. What it could be, if the man she was with cared for her, even just a little.
They may not have known each other that long, but she knew, in her heart, that King cared. He was a good man. He had compassion. He knew a bit about her past through Sabrina, and whatever he had been told to get him to ride to her rescue. But, more than that, he’d taken the time to talk to her while they travelled together. He’d treated her as a partner, not a dependent. He’d been nice.
And what he was doing now felt very nice, indeed.
Scratch that, it was freaking tremendous! She lost the ability to even think as he pushed her to whole new heights of passion. His possession was thorough, but he was thoughtful. He held her hips and was careful to shield her from the truly wild thrusts that overtook him toward the end.
She exploded into a fireball of light just seconds before he did, coming apart, only to fuse back together, again, after a long drift among the stars.
After their session in the kitchen, King lifted her in his arms and carried her into the bedroom, where he started the process of making her scream with delight, all over again. And again.
They made love through the night, speaking little but saying a lot with touch and sensation. He showed her new things and made her feel…so much. Her heart opened and accepted him. She was very much afraid she would never dislodge him from it, but she was feeling way too good to care.