Grizzly Mountain (Arcadian Bears Book 1) Read online

  His gaze roamed to her chest. She was breathing heavily, her nipples puckered, her breasts swollen. As he leaned forward to flick his tongue over a nipple, she gasped, arching into him, grasping him tighter with her fingers. He loved the feel of her holding on to him like that.

  Ordinarily he wouldn’t let a woman control things to this extent, but he felt differently about this woman. His mate. The one he would take in every humanly possible way over the course of their lifetime. Was he usually dominant and in control? Hell, yes. That would not change. But she brought out another side of him, and he found he liked it.

  A vulnerability that made him weak in the knees just looking at her.

  He switched to tease the other nipple with his tongue, not wrapping his lips around the stiff peak but tormenting it with wetness.

  She moaned, wrapped her small legs around his thighs, and pushed into him farther.

  He had to stop her before he came prematurely. He set his hands on her biceps and trailed his fingers toward her hands, peeling them from his arms until he held her wrists. As he drew them over her head, she blinked. “Let me control this,” he pleaded.

  Her eyes still fluttered as though confused from passion.

  He pressed her wrists into the bed. “Can you keep them here, baby?”

  She didn’t answer. Finally she shook her head subtly, perhaps without knowing.

  He smiled. “You want me to tie them down?”

  Her eyes went wide. “I want you to fuck me.”

  He shifted her wrists to hold them both with one hand, using the other to cup her breast and then pinch her nipple. Hard.

  She screamed out. “Oh God.” Her pussy flooded with more moisture. He knew because he could scent it.

  Yes. Lord, yes.

  “Can you keep your hands here, Heather?”

  “I don’t know.” At least she was honest.

  “If you touch me, I’ll blow. And I want to enjoy you first. Need you to keep them above your head.”

  She nodded.

  He grabbed a wadded corner of the comforter from behind her hands and set it in her palms. “Hold on to this. Don’t let go.” The bedding was trapped from the other side and under her body. It wouldn’t give if she tugged. Perfect solution.

  He tapped her wrists one more time and then lowered to cup both breasts and stare at them. Perfection. Larger than her frame would suggest. And yet he’d caught her not bothering to put on a bra more than once. She hadn’t worn one the entire day, in fact. Did she do that often?

  He nibbled a path down her belly toward her pussy, veering to one side to kiss her thigh and lick a path toward the center without giving her the relief she needed. She dug her heels into the bed and lifted her ass up toward him. Apparently her ankle didn’t hurt at all anymore. Thanks to her shift.

  He flung an arm over her hips and held her down.

  He wanted to savor this first coupling with her no longer human. It was more intense than earlier. If she intended to have sex to prove she could walk away, he wasn’t going to make it easy on her. Was it fair? Nope.

  He licked along the outer edge of her lower lips, up one side and down the other while she squirmed and writhed beneath his hold. When he finally ran his tongue between her lips to taste her essence, she screamed.

  God yes. She was his. She was totally his. Did she know it? Did she feel the connection with the same intensity as him?

  He slowly dragged his tongue up until it flicked over her clit.

  Shocking him, she came. Hard. Her tiny body shuddered with her release. He didn’t even have to touch her again. Instead he got to watch the best show on earth. How often did a woman orgasm while her man got to watch with no direct stimulation? Never, he suspected. Or maybe it was a thing mates did because they were so connected.

  “Isaiah. Damn you. Please… It hurts.”

  He winced for a moment before he realized she meant the need, the tight ball of driving need. Not an actual physical pain. He wasn’t done yet. Lowering his fingers from the forearm pinning her hips to the bed, he pressed on the skin above her clit and pulled the hood back, exposing her.

  She stiffened and moaned. “Oh. God…”

  So fucking sexy.

  With his other hand, he circled the little nub with one finger. It swelled beneath his gaze, pinkening. He lightly tapped it with one finger.

  She dragged in a sharp inhale.

  He pinched it between that finger and his thumb next, making her moan louder. Her thighs quivered.

  So goddamn sexy.

  He released the tight bud and sucked it into his mouth, flicking his tongue over the tip rapidly.

  Heather was another woman. She wiggled beneath his hold, unable to break free. Her hands flew forward to land on his head, burrowing into his hair, grasping at his scalp with the tight grip of her fingertips.

  He released her clit, jerked free of her hands, and grabbed her wrists. He knew she would be confused between the tight hold he had on her and the reverent way he kissed the inside of her wrists with such gentleness.

  Her eyes met his and her mouth parted, her face red with arousal. “Isaiah?” She was questioning his resolve to tie her to the bed.

  The truth was, he didn’t want to break the intensity of the moment performing shaky knots. Instead he did the next best thing. He grabbed her waist and flipped her onto her belly while she squealed.

  She wouldn’t be able to reach for him in this position. Her hands landed at her sides, and when she scrambled to push herself off the bed, he set a palm on her lower back and held her down.

  If there was a chance in hell he sensed she wasn’t on board, he wouldn’t restrain her like this, but her pussy creamed, filling the room with more of her pheromones.

  His cock grew painfully impatient. He grabbed her under the knees, spread them wider, and settled them open to him on the bed, lifting her torso off the mattress.

  She lifted her head and neck with her elbows tucked beside her face, arching her back.

  More sexy.

  With one hand braced above her bottom, he thrust two fingers into her, making her whimper. She’d come moments ago, but she already climbed back to fully aroused from being flipped over and restrained with a hand on her back.

  She was so wet. He fucked her fast with those two fingers, avoiding her clit until she writhed. He spun his hand sideways so he could reach her clit with his thumb and then lifted his gaze to watch her reaction to his next words. “Fuck my hand, baby. Make yourself come.”

  Her head lowered until her forehead landed on the bed, her chest still propped partially off the bed. A wild whimper filled the air. “Isaiah. Please.”

  “Oh, baby. You’re so needy. Do it. Show me. Let me watch you come on my hand. Fuck yourself. Show me how you like it.” He held his fingers steady inside her, his thumb at her clit. Slowly he added a third to entice her to move.

  She grounded down on him, filling herself fuller. For a moment she pressed her clit into his thumb, rubbing back and forth, and then she rose up and thrust back down.

  He watched as her sweet hands fisted the sheets at the sides of her head. Her hair fell in gorgeous messy waves to curtain her face and obstruct his view of her features. It didn’t matter. He’d have his entire life to watch her come. This first time he asked her to do it for him, he knew it would be easier if she didn’t have to face him while she masturbated against his hand.

  Her breaths came in sharp gasps as she lifted and lowered her ass over his hand with no apparent rhythm. Sometimes she rubbed her clit for a while on his thumb. Sometimes she plunged on and off his fingers.

  She was soaked by the time she lifted her forehead and moaned into the room again.

  Her orgasm came slowly this time, the pressure around his fingers increasing with every thrust. Finally, the dam burst. She screamed out, arching her neck and fucking him faster.

  Even after she was spent, she continued to fuck his fingers for long moments until she finally collapsed onto her belly,
her legs straightening until they hung off the side of the bed.

  Isaiah tucked one arm under her body and hauled her upright, not wanting her to pass out on him until he could wring one more earth-shattering orgasm out of her.

  “Please. Oh, God, Isaiah, please…”

  He held her back against his chest with one arm, her heavy breasts resting against his forearm. After brushing her hair away from her face so she could see, he reached between her legs from the front and tapped her inner thighs. “Spread open for me, baby.”

  She spread her knees wider.

  He toyed with her clit to see where she was.

  She grabbed his arm, clearly not too sensitive for his touch. Her body jumped back to attention.

  Jesus. Fuck. She was so damn hot.

  He grabbed his cock between her legs, lined himself up with her pussy, and thrust in to the hilt.

  Her body went rigid. Her nails dug into his arm. Her mouth fell open.

  When her head lolled onto his shoulder, he thought she might pass out.

  “That’s my girl. So sexy. You’re going to come for me one more time.”

  She moaned, tipping her head farther to one side.

  He set his lips on the tender skin of her neck and nibbled there, his instinct to mark her stronger than anything he’d ever felt.

  “Do it,” she mumbled.

  He tensed, holding his cock deep inside her, his other hand flattened on her belly, his body no longer moving. He inhaled her scent, nuzzling the skin where her neck met her shoulders.

  He wanted her to be his. He had no doubt in his mind she was his forever. But not like this. She was dazed, in a sexual fog. Not able to consent properly. He wouldn’t do that to her.

  Instead he licked the spot, teasing them both.

  “Bite me, Isaiah. Do it. God, just do it.”

  “No, baby,” he murmured against her skin. “Not now.”

  He bent his knees a few inches and thrust into her again. The position made her tighter than earlier. He cupped her pussy from the front and frigged her clit rapidly.

  She never stopped making the sexiest little sounds while his cock grew stiffer by the moment.

  He had to hold his breath to keep from coming too fast. His cock was ready to blow before he got inside her. Now… He wasn’t going to last.

  “Isaiah,” she called out.

  That was it. He held himself deep inside her while his balls drew up tight and his cock released hours of pent-up need against her womb.

  Her pussy gripped his cock, milking him. Her clit pulsed beneath his fingers.

  Long moments passed. He didn’t want to release her. But she was limp now. Sated. Exhausted.

  He eased her to the bed on her side. “Don’t move, baby.”

  He made his way to the bathroom, cleaned up, and returned with a wash cloth.

  She whimpered when he rolled her onto her back and spread her legs to wipe away their lovemaking, but she didn’t protest. And then he eased her body up the bed, settled a pillow under her head, and pulled the sheet over her. She was still way too warm for a blanket, but she would feel more secure with at least the sheet.

  For minutes he stared at her as she fell asleep, her mouth parting, her breaths evening out. If he could stand there forever, he would.

  From the moment he’d set his lips on hers in the living room, he’d blocked every other voice from his head, but they seeped in now. Not his family. They wouldn’t do that to him. But four alpha Arcadians standing outside his home pressured him to communicate.

  Lawrence’s voice came through over the others. “Isaiah, the woman has made the transition. We need to meet with her. You can’t remain holed up inside the house forever.”

  “Back the fuck off,” he communicated to them as a group. “Give her some time. She’s confused. This is all new to her. Let me handle it.”

  “Hours, Isaiah. Not days. We’ll give you until morning.” For the time being he was spared.

  He padded from the room long enough to turn off all the lights, and then he eased onto the other side of the bed, hauled his sweet mate’s back against his chest, and closed his eyes as she sank comfortably against him.

  Two seconds later, he was out.

  Chapter Twelve

  Heather woke to the sound of voices. She blinked her eyes, confused about where she was for several heartbeats.

  Warm arms held her tight.

  Isaiah.

  Shit. It hadn’t been a dream. She was in his bed, and the faint light in the room suggested it was morning.

  She’d known him twenty-four hours, had numerous orgasms in his care, and been fucked hard. So damn good that her pussy jumped to life even now.

  Voices sounded again.

  She tensed. The voices weren’t out loud. They were in her head.

  Isaiah didn’t stir. He was fast asleep, his grip still firm under her chest.

  Hot as hell.

  Even in slumber the man held on to her.

  “We just want to talk to you, Heather.” The male voice was firm. It belonged to someone older. Maybe in their sixties. How long did bears live? She had so much to learn.

  She remained still, knowing Isaiah would freak the fuck out if he thought she was talking to these people. “Go ahead. I can hear you.”

  Her communication must have been successful because she could feel as well as hear the relief in the man’s tone. “My name is Lawrence. I’ve come from the Arcadian Council. Not sure how much you know about us, but we’re the governing body of North America.”

  “I’ve heard some of the details.”

  “We’d like to meet with you. Perhaps you would be so kind as to come outside or let us in?”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea yet. I’m not even out of bed.”

  “We mean you no harm, but it’s our job to ensure your safety and that of those around you.”

  She could read between the lines. It was their job to make sure she told no one about their existence. Her instinct told her the man meant what he said, but since this was her first time communicating with someone telepathically, she needed to be leery. She couldn’t read his body language or his facial features. That left her at a disadvantage.

  There was no way she could honor the man’s request, anyway. If she moved a muscle, Isaiah would wake and haul her deeper into his embrace.

  “We understand your reluctance, and I don’t blame you a bit. This is all new to you. But please consider our position. Our task is to maintain the concealment of an entire species. We don’t take this lightly.”

  “I understand completely, and don’t take offense when I tell you I’m not ready to meet with you yet. I’m still acclimating. I hardly understand what has happened to me.”

  “We can help with that transition.”

  “Maybe you can. But I have no way to know where your interests really lie, so with all due respect, give me more time. You know there’s no threat from me as long as I’m inside Isaiah’s home. I don’t have any way to make a phone call. Give me more time.”

  “Perhaps we could set a time?”

  “Be careful, sir. Don’t place ultimatums on me. You know better than I do how infuriated Isaiah will be if he finds out. Just as you also must realize I can’t keep my thoughts from him. I have no understanding of your blocking skills, and this is my first real communication.”

  It was amazing even to her how calm she managed to remain during the entire discourse, considering she should have been jumping on the bed and glancing around to find the source of the voices.

  She felt stronger today. One day and already she had a better grip on her new reality.

  “Please, reach out to us soon. We grow weary of waiting.”

  Interesting choice of words, and she chose not to respond.

  Lips hit her neck, nibbling the spot where he should have marked her last night. Lust raced down her body the second he licked that tender skin. How long had he been awake? Or at least alert.

  “I’m
proud of you,” he whispered.

  Okay, long enough.

  “How much of that did you catch?”

  “All of it.”

  She smiled slowly. “How long have you been awake?”

  “About ten minutes longer than you.” His voice was still low, gravelly with sleep. “Best sleep of my life too, I might add.”

  “Hmmm. I concur. I don’t think I’ve ever slept that soundly.”

  “You needed it.”

  “Why didn’t you bite me?” She twisted her neck to see his face.

  “You weren’t ready.”

  “How could I be more ready?”

  He smiled that slow sexy smile that made her pussy jump to attention. “Making a decision to be forever bound to another shifter shouldn’t be done in the heat of intense sex, Heather. You’ll make the choice when the time is right, preferably not while my dick is inside you.”

  “I find I like you inside me.”

  “And I agree. Sweetest spot on earth, but not going to sink my teeth into your neck while you’re in the throes of passion.”

  She closed her eyes. “What do we do now?”

  He kissed the top of her head and spun her so that her chest flattened against his as he rolled onto his back. “Eat breakfast.”

  She giggled. “Hardly what I meant.”

  “One thing at a time then.” He narrowed his gaze at her, and his lips parted as though he had something else to say but was reluctant. “I might regret telling you this, but the binding can go either way, or both for that matter.”

  She cocked her head. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean I’m not the only one capable of binding us. You could do it too. We could also do it at the same time or one after the other in theory.”

  She smiled slowly. “So you’re saying I could sink my teeth into you if I wanted, even if you didn’t agree to it?” She knew she would meet no resistance, but she wanted to make sure she understood correctly.

  He rolled his eyes. “Like I said, in theory.”

  “And in practice? You mean usually the male claims the female?”

  “Probably in most instances, although modern couples often both participate.” He set a hand over his neck and rubbed it. “Please don’t get any ideas. You do not have the first clue about your strength. I would hate to bleed to death because you sank your teeth into me too far.”