Ella turned her head to look at him. It took a moment for her to realize he was speaking directly to her and that his voice wasn’t coming through the earpieces he had placed over her ears. She swallowed and lifted her hands to remove the headset. Placing it on the hook next to the seat, she gripped her lance in her hand and slid across the seat when he moved to exit the metal bird.
Her left hand reached out and gripped Ty’s shoulder as he wrapped his hands around her waist and lifted her out. Ella stared at the impossibly large house, wondering how anything so large and ornate could have been built.
“This is where you live?” She asked in a husky voice, staring at the dark wood and stone structure.
“Yes, with my family,” Ty replied. “I have my own rooms along the west side of the house.”
Ella nodded, unsure of how to respond. Once again, the feeling of panic rose inside her, and she hoped that she hadn’t made a mistake which could jeopardize her life. She started forward but pulled up short when Ty wrapped his arm around her waist. A shaft of pain from her ankle reminded her that she wasn’t completely healed yet.
“What?!” Ella gasped when she felt her body being lifted off the ground.
“Watch the lance, darling. I’d like to keep my head on my shoulders,” Ty teased as he carried her toward the house. “Once I get you settled, I’m calling a doctor to come take a look at your ankle.”
“It is fine,” Ella muttered, blushing when she saw Van and Peterson grinning at her. “They will think I’m weak.”
“Who cares what they think!” He softly growled in her ear. “You shouldn’t be walking on your ankle.”
“Ty,” Ella started to argue before growing quiet when she saw an older couple walking toward them.
Her arm tightened around his neck when she saw the dark scowl on the man’s face and the puzzled look on the woman’s. She could immediately see the resemblance to Ty in the man and Tracy in the woman. A shiver went through her and her fingers tightened on the lance.
“Ty, where in the hell have you been? I’ve had the Board of Directors for the Observatory calling me to complain that you went off on some poor rancher who was trying to protect his property. The man is threatening legal action against you,” the man stated before his gaze locked on Ella and a look of confusion changed his scowl to concern. “What happened? Did she get lost in the woods? Do you need a doctor?”
“Yes,” Ty replied, stopping when his mother reached out to touch Ella’s cheek.
Ella watched as the woman’s hand froze just a breath away from her cheek. The woman’s eyes widened and the confusion in them changed to shock when Ella stared back at her in silence. Ella held herself still when the woman’s hand moved again.
“Oh, child,” the woman murmured in a soft, compassionate voice. “Where did you find her, Ty?”
“In the Olympic National Park. She broke her ankle several months ago and is still having pain. I’d like Ben to take a look at her,” Ty replied. “She needs time to get used to things. I don’t want anyone else to know about her.”
“Of course, take her inside. I’ll call Ben,” Lena Bearclaw replied, stepping to the side.
“We’ll get the stuff out of the helicopter and store it, Ty,” Van called out.
“Thanks,” Ty answered.
Ella glanced over her shoulder at the woman who was still staring at her in shock. Ella’s gaze moved to the man standing next to the woman. His expression still held that puzzled look until Ty’s soft words sank in.
“Why doesn’t he want anyone to know about the girl?” The man asked in confusion.
“Because she isn’t supposed to be alive,” the woman replied, pulling a small slender box out of her pocket.
“She’s not… What the hell is she supposed to be?” The man demanded, his eyes following Ella’s slender form as they moved further away.
“Extinct,” the woman said. “Hello, Ben, this is Lena Bearclaw. I have an emergency at the house. Is it possible for you to come over? No, no, going to the hospital isn’t an option. This is a private matter. No, it isn’t life threatening. Yes, an hour would be fine. Thank you so much.”
Ella turned her head away and laid her cheek against Ty’s shoulder. Suddenly, she felt very, very tired and very, very alone. Ty must have felt her distress because his arms tightened around her and she felt the brush of his lips against her hair.
What have I done? She wondered as he stepped through the door that Tracy opened and into a home unlike anything she had ever imagined.
*.*.*
Ty’s arms tightened around Ella. He could feel her shivering in his arms despite the warm interior of the house. He cut through the large kitchen, murmuring a swift hello to the cook before he turned to the left and down a long corridor. He tried to see his home through Ella’s eyes.
The rich, dark wood paneling rose halfway up the walls before ending in a soft white, textured plaster. Paintings, many of them collectors’ items from around the world hung in ornate frames. Each painting was illuminated by a special lamp to enhance the images without damaging the paintings or canvases. He grimaced when he saw several depicted scenes of shifters attacking human villages. He would need to remove those before…
“I want to go home,” Ella whispered, staring at one painting.
Ty’s gaze followed Ella’s and he almost cursed out loud when he saw where she was staring. Of course, she would see the one painting out of all of them that he wished he could have hidden. It was a rare painting by a brilliant artist depicting the genocide of the human race several centuries before.
This particular painting showed a woman being dragged away from her village. In the background, the artist had captured the burning village and the bodies of the woman’s dead mate and children. While the painting was a work of art, it wasn’t one that he would have chosen for Ella to have seen first.
“Ben will be over shortly,” Lena said, walking up behind them.
Ty nodded to his mom. “Thanks, Mom,” he said, waiting as she opened the door to his suite of rooms.
“Is there anything I can do?” Lena asked, pausing at the door.
Ty nodded his head. “If you could ask Martha to fix something for lunch, I’d appreciate it,” he said, turning to look at his mom with Ella still in his arms.
“Of course,” Lena smiled back at them. “What is her name?”
“Ella,” Ella whispered before she lifted her chin. “I am called Ella. I am human. What form do you take when you turn to your beast?”
Ty had opened his mouth to respond, but Ella had beaten him to it. A rueful smile curved his lips when he saw the fire in Ella’s eyes. She might be scared as hell, but she wasn’t going to be intimidated or let anyone know it.
His mother’s delighted laughter warmed him. He could tell that she liked Ella’s direct approach. It also didn’t hurt that she could tell he was very protective of Ella.
“I’m a grizzly like Ty, Tracy, and my mate,” Lena chuckled. “I’ll gather some of Tracy’s clothing that I think might fit you for now, and then we can order more after Ben leaves. I’ll also check with Martha about lunch. I look forward to getting to know you better, Ella,” Lena said, stepping out the door and closing it behind her.
Ella stared at the closed door for several long seconds before she leaned her head against his shoulder and released a deep sigh. He wasn’t sure what that meant, but at least she hadn’t knocked him upside the head and tried to escape. They would take things slowly until she was feeling safer.
He turned and walked through his living room and down the short hallway to his bedroom. Striding through the room, he entered the spacious bathroom. He decided to forgo the shower for the large garden tub.
“How about a hot bath to soak your ankle?” He suggested, gently setting her on the side of the tub.
“I would like that,” Ella replied in a quiet voice. “This is much different from our homes.”
Ty glanced around the bathroom as he turned on the
water and checked the temperature. He had never really paid much attention to it. He had always just taken it for granted. If he was honest, he would admit that he was spoiled. He had missed it when he was camping. Having to get up in the middle of a freezing night, fighting with the zipper on the tent just to take a piss had been an inconvenience, but not as much as it would have been if he were a woman. He didn’t even want to think of how unpleasant it had been finding a place to take care of his other needs.
He returned his gaze to Ella, who was removing her outer jacket. Under it, she wore her long tunic and belt. He reached over, took it and her lance, and set them on a low bench. She stood up and released her belt and held it out to him before she reached for the bottom of her tunic.
Ty swallowed as he watched Ella slowly undress. The fact that she was completely oblivious to the effect she was having on him and his bear was obvious. He rolled his shoulders when he felt his bear’s enjoyment. His nose wiggled, trying to get a scent of arousal from her.
“Do you have to sneeze?” She asked, tilting her head and giving him an amused look, as if she knew he didn’t. “Your nose is twitching.”
“You have a mean streak in you,” he muttered, his eyes glued to the thin long sleeved shirt she wore under her tunic.
He could see the outline of her areolas and her nipples were taut even in the warm room. A pleased smile curved his lips when he caught the faint scent he was searching for – she was not immune to him either. Taking a step closer to her, he reached for the bottom of her tunic and began pulling it up and over her head. He tossed it on the bench before cupping her breasts in his hands.
“Ty,” Ella whispered with a soft ache in her voice, as she leaned into him.
“Geez, Ella, you’re killing me,” Ty whispered, running his thumbs over her taut nipples. “I want you. It’s crazy, I should be more concerned with taking care of you and all I can think about is burying myself as deeply as I can inside you.”
He bowed his head and closed his eyes when he felt her slowly pull down the zipper on his jacket. Once it was free, her hands slid down his chest to the hem of his sweater. He felt his stomach muscles tighten and his breath caught when her fingers touched his bare flesh.
He cursed softly and opened his eyes to stare down at her. He released her breasts and shrugged out of his jacket, tossing it on the growing pile of clothes on the bench. Her hands were already working his sweater up and he grabbed the end and pulled it off the rest of the way.
Their hands began moving more frantically. His fingers on the button and zipper of her borrowed jeans, and her fingers on the button and zipper of his. They both kicked off the last of their clothing, stopping long enough to hastily remove their boots. He heard her heated curses when she couldn’t figure out how to undo the buckles on the boots Tracy loaned her. He knelt and quickly undid them.
Reaching over, he turned off the water before rising to his feet. His hands slid over her body when he stood up. Her hands tangled in his hair, pulling him closer, as she hungrily captured his lips.
His hands slid around her, cupping her ass and pulling her up against him. Her legs automatically opened when he pulled her up. Stepping over the edge of the tub, he sank down into the deep, pool of warm water.
Ella straddled him, their lips locked together in an urgent, desperate kiss. Ty rocked his hips, his cock throbbing with need as he tried to align it with her channel. If he had any doubts to her readiness, they were quickly swept away when the tip of his bulbous head touched her slick moisture. His arms tightened around her as she sank down on him, slowly impaling herself on his long length.
As he filled her, they both released a heated moan that echoed throughout the bathroom. His hands splayed around the top of her buttocks, pressing her down as he pushed upward. He could feel every silky inch of her as his cock slid deep into her, connecting them again.
His lips teased her, encouraging her to take all of him. She nibbled on his lower lip, running her tongue over it before sucking it into her mouth. The motion made him think of what it would feel like if she were to do the same to his cock. His breathing increased at the thought and he began moving his hips, driving into her. The added stimulation to her already sensitive nipples as they rubbed against him drove her over the edge, plunging her into an orgasm that took her breath away.
“Ty!” Ella cried out, her body stiffening as she suddenly came. “Oh, yes!!!!”
Ty held Ella’s hips tightly between his hands. She was arched backwards in his arms, her hands curled in the bed covers next to his shoulders, her eyes tightly closed and her lips parted in ecstasy. He leaned forward and closed his lips around one rosy nipple, suckling on it and prolonging the intensifying her orgasm.
The ripples from her orgasm made him shudder and he explode, filling her womb with his hot seed. He forced his eyes to remain open, gazing up at her flushed face as she came, he continued suckling hard on first one nipple then the other until they stood up swollen and round. He ran his rough tongue across the tips, knowing that they would be sensitive. He was rewarded when her vaginal channel clenched and pulsed around his cock.
“Oh, Ella,” he groaned, pulling her tight against his body as they both shuddered. “You make me cum like an inexperienced cub.”
Ella’s soft laughter warmed him. She wrapped her arms around him and held him just as tightly as he was holding her. Her forehead pressed against his left cheek. He could feel the warmth of her breath against his neck when she released a long, satisfied sigh.
“Everything will be alright, won’t it, Ty?” She whispered. “The others of your kind won’t take me from you, will they?”
“Never,” Ty replied in a thick voice, lifting his hand to run it over her hair. “You are my mate, Ella. I would never let anyone take you from me.”
Ella leaned back and stared into his eyes. His throat tightened when he saw the tears clinging to her eyelashes. Her face was set into that stubborn line he was beginning to recognize and to love.
“You must not let anyone else know about the rest of my people or where you found me,” she said in a voice filled with emotion. “You have to protect them, Ty. For me, for the few of us that remain. Please, you must ask Tracy, Van, and Peterson to not say anything. Please! I… I could not live with myself if something were to happen to the others because of me.”
Ty sat up and pulled Ella back against him. He could feel her shuddering breath. Tenderly stroking her until he felt her body relax, he turned his head and pressed a kiss to her temple.
“I promise we will do everything that we can to protect them, Ella. None of the others will say a word,” he swore. He closed his eyes as he gently lifted her off of him. “Let’s get cleaned up. Ben will be here soon.”
“Who is he?” Ella asked, turning in his arms so that her back was now to him.
“A friend. He is a doctor and is sworn to protect his patients,” Ty said, reaching for the soap.
Ella groaned when he started moving his soapy hands over her. She drew her knees up and wrapped her arms around them as he ran his hands over her back. His fingers trailed over her skin, pausing when he saw a scar. There was a particularly long and jagged one that ran down along her left shoulder.
“What happened here?” He asked, tracing the almost four inch line.
“A small group of us were hunting,” she said, resting her chin on her knees and staring at Ty’s reflection in the mirrored surface of the wall surrounding the large pool of water. This was the first time she had ever seen her true reflection and she studied her features. “We were trying to gather eggs along the cliff. The rock gave out under my feet and I fell. I was lucky that I landed on a small ledge. Unfortunately, not before I hit a very sharp rock. I have never seen myself like this before.”
Ty’s gaze locked with hers in the mirror. Her hair hung in wet ropes down over her shoulders where he had carefully pushed it forward so he could wash her back. She straightened her legs and twisted around so that she could kneel
in the water between his legs.
He watched in fascination as she slowly reached up and touched her face. Her fingers traced her features, sliding over her eyebrows and across her cheeks before pausing on her slightly parted lips. Her gaze followed her hands as they moved down her body.
Ty sat up and scooted until he could kneel behind her. His hands rose and he covered the back of her hands. Together, they traced her body as she saw it for the first time. The moment was so powerful, so emotional, that Ty swore he could see the slender threads of their bond weaving around them, connecting them.
“Ty! I’m leaving some clothes at the end of the bed for Ella,” his mother called from the other room. “Ben is here.”
Ty closed his eyes and cursed. “We’ll be right out,” he called, opening his eyes to stare back at Ella. “You are an amazing woman, Ella.”
Her lips parted and a small, shy smile curved them. “You are not so bad for a beast,” she whispered.
“I swear, one of these days I’m going to have you all to myself, no interruptions. When I do, you are going to be so thoroughly loved, you’ll think I’m a pretty amazing beast.”
Ella laughed in delight and rose to her feet in the pool of water. She watched in surprise when he pulled a small silver knob, and all the water began to disappear. She shook her head.
“I have so much to learn,” she replied with a sigh and grabbed his shoulders to steady herself when he lifted her out of the large tub. “What you take for granted is so strange to me.”
“I’ll be there for you and so will my parents and Tracy,” Ty promised, grabbing a towel and rubbing her down. “I swear I could take you again right here.”
Ella blushed when she heard the sound of a man’s throat clearing in the other room. She giggled and looked at Ty with a grin. He rose to his feet and grabbed a pair of jogging pants off the shelf. He quickly pulled them on before he grabbed one of his T-shirts and pulled it over her head.
“It is as long as my tunic,” she laughed.
“It will have to do. Since when did my bedroom become Grand Central Station?” Ty growled loudly, reaching for Ella’s hand as they exited the bathroom.