His body tensed in anticipation, and the bear inside him roared awake.
Like a doe who’s caught a predator’s scent, she stilled. Completely. “All right.”
His vision narrowed to her—only her. “Do you understand what’s entailed in a shifter mating? We’re not like witches.”
Arrogance firmed her chin. “You have the same working parts, Bear. Come on.”
“I’m a fuckin’ animal, baby.” She had to know what she was agreeing to. “We don’t nip your skin and soften it with a kiss. We bite. Really bite.” He’d seen a shifter lose a shoulder after a mating. Sure, it had eventually grown back, but still.
“I understand.” She faltered. “So. Well. All right. The cabin?”
“No.” His voice dropped to a hoarse rasp. It was decided then. “Run.”
It took her a second to catch his meaning, and then her instincts kicked in. She bunched her legs and sprang toward the road.
He caught her around the waist and whipped her around to face a trail through two pine trees that led into Grizzly territory. “That way,” he growled, setting her down and smacking her on the ass.
Hard.
She yelped and then launched into a run.
The beast inside him broke its shackles.
Chapter 16
Nessa careened through the trees, snow falling all around her, her breath panting out. The thrill of the chase rippled through her, making her faster. She dodged to the left and between barren huckleberry bushes.
Silence came from behind her.
She didn’t relax. A hunter never made sounds.
But she had hunted plenty in her youth. Her limbs tingled with life—with energy. Every mating was primal, but mating an alpha, an alpha shifter, took it to another level. She wanted this.
For now, for today, she became lost in it.
Instead of running away, she circled around. There he was.
Tall and strong, he strode through the trees, his head up, scenting the air. He stilled.
Oh, he’d caught wind of her altered course. Thank goodness she’d worn her boots with traction. Something told her she was going to need it.
For now, she pressed closer, planning an attack from behind. He pivoted. “Ness.”
She halted, hidden by several young cedar trees. Her heart beat so hard her ribs expanded.
His gaze swept the trees and then settled right where she stood.
Her mouth gaped open. No way could he see her. Excitement pumped through her, followed closely by arousal. Why this turned her on, she’d never know.
But she felt alive.
“We’re done playing now. Come out,” he ordered, warning glittering in those primal eyes. “If you make me come and get you, you’ll regret it.”
The male didn’t know her at all. Even so, she didn’t want this to end. Not yet. So she pushed her way out of the brush, stopping only yards from him. With his warning about shifters, had he really thought she’d run and hide? Cower from him? Not a chance in blooming hell. “Tired of chasing, shifter?” she asked.
A low rumble spilled from his chest.
Her thighs trembled in response. Yes. This.
“Come here,” he rasped.
She forced a laugh. “Why? You too tired?”
Warning flared hot and bright in his eyes. His fists clenched. “No. You turned and started running the wrong way.”
She frowned. The wrong way? Oh. He’d wanted to chase her to the safe and warm fire in the cabin—because she wasn’t a shifter. She wasn’t as strong as a shifter mate. Boy, did he have that wrong. “The trail leads to your cabin.”
“Yeah.” He cocked his head to the side, looking not quite human. Like something more . . . something that stalked prey.
A shiver trembled down her back. If she was going to do this, she wasn’t holding back. More important, she wasn’t going to let him hold back. Not with this. “Don’t think you can take me out here?” She spread her arms through the falling snow. “Too much for you?”
His breath steamed the air. “What are you playing at?”
That was just it. She wasn’t playing. Keeping his gaze, she walked toward him, noting how his shoulders relaxed with each step.
“Good girl,” he said.
Her smile should’ve provided warning. “I’m not that easy, shifter.”
His eyes burned. Yeah, he didn’t like it when she called him that. Her smile widened. “You want me? You’re going to have to earn it.” Before he could respond, she twisted her body and aimed a roundhouse kick to his ribs, followed by a side kick to his left knee. He coughed and went down, surprise darkening his face.
Leading with her left, she punched him in the cheek. His head rocked, and he fell sideways.
Sucking in as much air as she could take, she turned and ran. Instinct grabbed her tight, and she let it rule, jumping over bushes and between trees—away from the main trail.
A roar echoed through the entire forest from behind her.
She stopped breathing. God. What had she done? He was already up and after her.
Rain mixed with the snow, soaking her suit jacket. Water matted her skirt, hindering her movements. Her boots squished in snow turning muddy and sticking. At least there were only a couple inches on the ground.
Bear yelled her name from somewhere behind her. The anger in it, the passion, made her run faster.
Thunder cracked the sky open as if in agreement.
She slipped on a patch of ice, her arms windmilling. Regaining her balance, she leaned against a cold spruce tree and panted in air, trying to get her bearings. The trees, their limbs dusted with snow, rose high and quiet around her. No other sounds pierced the forest.
Silence.
The silence of a stalking predator. His essence, his determination, his very intent rode the wind.
A sense of urgency shot through her limbs. She moved deeper into the forest. A branch cracked to her left. She turned right, hustling for a narrow trail, hunching her shoulders against the wind. A shiver took her.
The cold engulfed her hands, and she shoved them into her pockets, trying to keep her balance.
A sound to her right.
She switched directions again. Then again.
A thick stand of trees stood in her way, so she maneuvered around them, emerging at the back of the cabin. Bear’s cabin. Her ears rang. He had herded her there. She whirled around to find the threat.
He strode out of the forest, his shoulders wide, his face hard. His clothes were plastered to his body, outlining every defined muscle and tendon. His shaggy hair was wild in the crazy wind. But his eyes. They glowed a supernatural color. With something feral and unreachable.
She took a step back, unable to stop herself.
Thunder cracked, and she jerked.
“Why did you kick me?” Low, guttural, the primal tone cut through the storm.
The lump in her throat kept her from answering.
“Nessa.” His tone owned the word. Owned her name.
She was stronger than this. A woman like her would never cower. “This is all or nothing.”
The animal in him reacted to her words, visible just beneath his skin. Anger, dark and primal, overtook the wind. Even the snow felt like a touch from him. “Cabin. Now.”
She could go to the cabin like a meek little human. Or she could show him. Show him she was strong enough to be his mate, whatever that meant. At least for this moment. After, there would be intrigue and undercover work, and probably more hidden agendas. But in this time and this place, he was all male, and she was female. If this was going to happen, then that’s all that mattered right now. It was all that could matter. So she stood her ground. “Make me.”
His head snapped up. The growl he emitted was darker—deeper—than she’d ever heard. The female inside her heeded it. She turned and ran, seeking safety. Adrenaline lit her on fire, and she aimed for the river.
He caught her by the nape before she’d cleared the cabin, sending them bot
h sprawling through the snow. He wrapped himself around her as they tumbled end over end, keeping her off the rough ground. Even so, snow and ice splattered her, and she shut her eyes. The world spun in every direction.
They landed with him on his back and her on him. She gasped and jumped up, pushing off the impossibly hard ridges of his chest.
He stretched to his feet, his gaze pinning her in place, his body between her and the rushing river. Rips marred his T-shirt, and the talons of the dragon tattoo nearly glowed a dark omen.
She’d forgotten. Oh, he was mainly a bear shifter—a predator of the forest. But deep inside his flesh, inside his very bones, a dragon still lived. Unpredictable and deadly. A primordial being not understood by many. “Bear,” she whispered.
He stalked toward her. Broad and dangerous, his body moved fluently. But his face. Hard ridges and predatory planes. His eyes glittered with masculine intent.
She backed up. If he was still hampered by his illness, he didn’t show it. In this time and place, nothing else mattered but the two of them. A week ago, she had never been within a foot of him. Now? There was just them. For this slice of time, her entire world narrowed to the beast of prey deliberately stalking her.
Because she’d wanted this—and she’d challenged him.
It was too late to stop him, even if she’d wanted to. She quivered, caught. Reality tried to creep in, and she looked around almost frantically.
“There’s nowhere to go,” he whispered, the deliberateness of his steps toward her all the more threatening than if he had charged. “Cabin.”
She stood straighter. A witch didn’t submit any easier than did a shifter. Her people were long on this earth, and they created fire from ice. They understood the laws that sustained the entire world. They were power, and they were strength. She was part of that flow. “No.”
His lids half lowered.
She turned and ran again. What had she been thinking? Panting, she dodged around a tree and smashed right into his body. He didn’t grab her.
Freaking out, she ran the other way, her legs pumping and her arms swinging. She rounded a series of bushes and collided with him again. She bounced back, her butt hitting a sapling.
He towered over her, not saying a word.
Desire slammed through her so quickly she swayed. Coupled with fear, it left her entire body alight with a shocking anticipation. She couldn’t back up any farther.
“This is what you wanted,” he said, his eyes glittering way beyond lust. The animal shifted beneath his skin, shimmering, always present. He remained in human form, but he was no longer anything close to human. Maybe he never had been. His eyes blazed, and red flushed across his rugged cheekbones.
Her knees trembled with the instinctive need to flee. Her blood pounded, hard and fierce, wilder than the storm vibrating through the air. She moved to run, and he stepped into her space, pinning her between his body and the tree. Hunger, primitive and deadly, shone in his eyes.
Hunger for her.
A preternatural silence surrounded them both—all from him.
She shot her knee up, and he swatted it down, his hand clapping hard against her thigh. Her gasp burned up from her compressing lungs.
“Enough.” His mouth slammed over hers, furious and forceful, knocking her head back against the tree. He kissed her deep, taking everything he wanted, penetrating her mouth with his tongue. All male, all alpha, all-controlling. His canines were elongated, and they scraped her lips but didn’t cut.
Their threat remained.
Her knees gave, and he held her upright, kissing her as if to squash any defiance, any challenge.
She moaned into his mouth, lava rushing through her veins. Digging her nails into his ruined shirt, she stretched on her toes, trying to get closer.
He didn’t let her move. Not an inch.
Thunder cracked again.
Faster than she would’ve ever believed possible, he ducked his head and tossed her over his shoulder. Her ribs impacted his solid shoulder with a dull ache, and the breath whooshed out of her lungs. Shock kept her immobile for several seconds. By the time she lifted her head to fight, he’d kicked open the cabin door.
She flew across the room and landed hard on the bed, bouncing several times. The man had thrown her? Her eyes widened, and she gaped at him. Without saying a word, he kicked the door closed.
Whoa. What had she done? Her mind spun, and if there were any words she could use, they were out of her reach.
He kicked off his boots and drew his shirt off over his head.
She swallowed. Her body trembled. So much need raced through her it was difficult to breathe. But the need was edged with caution. Maybe with fear.
“Clothes. Off.” His wide chest gleamed in the firelight. Standing there in wet faded jeans and bare feet, he was every inch the determined male. “Now.”
She pushed from the bed and stood, having to tilt her head back to meet his gaze. It was too late for submission. “No.” Her voice trembled, but she didn’t care. His animalistic senses were no doubt in full control, and he could smell her fear. Her arousal. Especially her defiance.
Raw pain flared in her right palm, and she winced. Slowly, she opened her hand to see the perfect mark of a delicate Celtic knot. The mating mark. It was said fate decreed it would only appear when a mate was near, but biology and science probably had more to do with it. She’d decided to mate. There it was.
His gaze caught the marking. “Clothes,” he growled, his fingers flexing.
She eyed the door behind him.
Color spread across his face, and he turned slightly to the side to give her a clear path.
She had to try. Gathering her strength, she lunged.
He stepped in her path at the last second, and she rushed into him. Using her momentum against her, he swung them around, landing them both on the bed. It protested with a loud creak and plunged to the floor.
Ignoring the splintered wood legs, he flipped her around to her hands and knees, ripping off her skirt and tights. Her panties were next.
She panicked, bucking against him, fighting his smooth movements. He countered every move, almost easily, and her jacket ripped down the back. She gasped—that was her favorite jacket. Claws shredded her shirt, barely touching her skin. She stilled completely and gathered herself. Oh God. He had to be in human form. He had to be.
She slowly looked over her shoulder to see him in full human form, all male.
He flashed his teeth. Mostly human form—his canines had elongated. Keeping her gaze, he unhooked her bra. It sailed over her head to land near a lamp.
Then his fingers found her core, the claws nowhere in evidence. Pleasure snared her, shooting up her entire body.
“Wet.” His chin lowered, and he scraped a nail across her clit. “For me.”
She arched and cried out, electricity coiling tight inside her. He pinched and released her.
Her head dropped from raw need. So much. She had to get him inside her now. “Bear,” she whispered. It was all she could say.
He knelt behind her, unzipping his jeans and shimmying out of them. Strong hands grabbed her hips.
She elongated her back, tossing her hair down it.
He growled. “Spread your legs.”
The order was sexy, the idea of submission a challenge. She gave a slight roll of her butt but otherwise didn’t move. Then she held her breath.
His fingers tightened before releasing her hips.
No. Her body rioted. They couldn’t stop.
Rough hands clamped onto her inner thighs and pulled. Her thighs spread, her knees pointed in, and her face fell forward to the blankets. She tried to push up, and his hand planted itself firmly across her upper back, holding her down. She struggled, trying to find leverage with her hands, but she lacked the strength.
The hollow ache between her legs widened to a painful emptiness—a furious need.
His erection probed her sex.
God. Now. Please. She b
it into a blanket to keep from begging.
One of his hands manacled her hip, while the other remained on her back. He pressed against her opening, and then he stopped.
She tried to push back against him but couldn’t move. He controlled her—he controlled everything. She shut her eyes, trying to dispel some of the hunger. Any of it. God, she needed him.
“Are you sure?” he growled, his voice barely recognizable.
It took her a second to translate. She was naked, vulnerable, and wide open for his use. There wasn’t a thing she could do to stop him. And he’d stopped himself.
Somehow, he’d paused and was asking her. Giving her control. For the moment.
Her body had wanted him, was open to him. Her mind had accepted him as a mate. At his question, at his strength, her heart opened just as wide. “I’m sure, Bear,” she whispered. “I’m sure.”
His grip tightened, and he shoved inside her, instantly yanking her back into him. Shock ripped through her at the sudden pain. Just as quickly, pleasure exploded around the pain, combining them until she couldn’t tell the difference. Until she didn’t care.
He hammered into her, hard and fierce. Relentless. Her first orgasm shredded her, frying each nerve, and she screamed his name.
Her body ignited as he continued to pound, forcing her to climb again and fall over the edge. She whimpered with the second orgasm, her face in the pillows. Wave after wave of harsh pleasure took her under.
She’d barely had time to catch her breath when he changed his angle, driving her up again.
Leaning over her, his lava-hot body bracketing her, his mouth enclosed her shoulder.
She stiffened, but coils of electricity were sparking inside her, hitting every corner. Her heart kept galloping.
His canines slid in slowly, deliberately. Pain slashed through her. He kept going, holding her, embedding those dangerous blades in her bone. She cried out, struggling against him, not able to move.