My eyes ate up his form greedily, the hard angles of his jawline drawing me in. His beard was thick and dark, with just a soft sprinkle of salt and pepper at the edges. He looked like he’d been living in the woods for years. The way his thick thighs stretched the canvas of his camouflage pants was the first indication this man spent a lot of time maneuvering through the woods.
He was rough, with an animalistic edge to his solid form, but the way his eyes lingered on mine sent a thrill of tingles up my spine. I took a step closer, eyes hovering at the small red splotch growing on the cotton of his shirt. His body stiffened as if he sensed me, even though his eyes remained closed. I could smell the coppery scent of the life force seeping out of him.
“Blood.” I breathed as I assessed him, moving closer as something raw and alive tingled to life inside of me. Something I’d never felt before. I thought back to the sweet and simple relationship my parents had--despite the complications that the world tried to put on them. Their love and respect for each other gave them the strength to overcome any adversity, and there’d been many. That’s why they’d moved to their little cabin in the woods: to escape the prejudice of their societies for love. I’d always craved a bond like theirs.
So why was this stranger--this man--stirring feelings so deeply inside of me?
And then the stranger’s eyes opened.
My heart stopped.
Chapter 2
Brett
My eyes shot open and I was on my feet. My mind felt foggy, like I’d been hit on the head with a two by four, but there was no time to relax. Not when those fuckers were around and ready to take a piece out of me.
The scent of human, Wolf and Bear, all tangled up in a ball together, slammed into my nostrils. The smell should have been putrid to me, vile, but it had a scent of sweet honeysuckle and crisp mountain air. I should have felt the bile rising in my throat but instead I found it both calming and completely disarming.
I moved to hunt down the strange scent when it landed right in front of me.
“Not too fast,” she said, pointing the barrel of her rifle at me. I looked up into a set of hardened eyes, my Wolf blazing right at the surface, ready to take her and mark her as his, but the man refusing to succumb to the scent that laced every fiber of her being.
“You’re a fucking Bear,” I snarled at her.
She blinked her eyes and I could feel my cock stiffening. She was so fucking beautiful, I couldn’t control myself and I didn’t want to.
“How did you know that?” She stammered, her eyes widening as she stared at me.
“What?” I asked, shocked that she would ask such a moronic question. She should have scented my Wolf. Why couldn’t she? A panic rose in me at the thought that she couldn’t sense who I was. “What’s the matter with your senses?” I growled, stumbling to reach her.
I realized then that those hunters must have done more damage than I’d first thought. I fell back on the couch and saw my captive’s shoulders soften in relief as I heard the pounding of her heart slowing down.
“How do you not know who I am?” I asked, rubbing the ache out from the back of my head as a bump formed.
“Because I’ve never seen you before. Now answer my question--how the fuck do you know I’m a Bear?”
“You’ve got a mouth on you,” I said, my lips turning up into a smirk. Smiling was a foreign notion to me, I couldn’t remember the last time I'd actually done it. I couldn’t help thinking what other filthy things her mouth could do. My cock--dead for all of my life before now--sprang to attention, begging to be freed. Suddenly, all the hate I’d had for Bears dissipated.
“Listen, buddy, you’re making me lose my patience and you don’t want to see what happens next,” she warned, pushing the gun closer to me.
“I’m a shifter,” I said plainly, still confused why she didn’t know. “Can you stop pointing that thing at me?”
“I don’t trust shifters. Nothing good ever comes from any of you.”
“Any of us? You know you’re one of us, right?” I felt the tiny hairs on the back of my neck stand still. I hated hearing her talk like that, but what shocked me was that I didn’t feel insulted for myself. I was angry that she was saying unflattering things to me about my mate.
I caught the end of the barrel in my palm and disarmed her easily--too easily. She should have seen my movements coming, been able to block me. I still wasn’t at one hundred percent. I grabbed her and pinned her between myself and the couch, paying attention to her reactions. I didn’t want to scare her or make her uncomfortable, but I didn’t need to worry. Her pupils were dilated, her breathing labored, her heartbeat sounded strong and her scent was deliriously intoxicating.
“Fuck--how do you smell so good?”
“Pardon me?” She stammered, her voice much lower than it was a few moments ago.
“Your pussy, baby, it’s wet and making my mouth water.” I moved my hand until I was holding her wrist in my palms. “I like you pinned beneath me.”
“Why am I reacting like this to you? Normally I would be kicking you in the balls and shooting your dick off for doing this. But instead, I’m on my sofa and for the first time in my entire life I’m in heat.”
“It’s because we’re mated,” I said with a chuckle. “You really can’t tell?”
“I don’t have normal senses like you do.”
“But I can smell your Bear.”
“It’s because my dad was a Bear shifter. My mom was human, just like I am. Even though her father was a wolf. I didn’t inherit my dad’s abilities. But I have some of his talents.”
“So you’re human?” I asked.
“Yes. I’ve never shifted. I don’t have speed, or any heightened senses. Just plain old Shayla here.”
Her name was like a warm breeze, rustling in the trees. Sweet, beautiful and strong. It was perfect, just like her.
“It’s nice to meet you, Shayla. I’m Brett,” I said, grazing my nose along the hollow of her neck. She moaned as my hands let go of hers, roamed up the curves of her body and tangled with her soft, dark hair. “You’re so beautiful.”
“I think that’s the mate bond talking.”
“So you feel it?” I asked, not really sure how the bond impacted humans.
“Yes. My mother used to tell me things, and everything she said she felt is what I’m feeling now. I just never thought it would be this strong of a pull. I’ve never felt it before.”
“That pull between us will only get stronger,” I whispered in her ear, relishing the sound of her blood rushing in her veins. Needing her so badly that I couldn’t think straight.
Normally, when the bond set in, we would be naked, having sex up and down along every tree and corner of the house, but Shayla was human, and I wasn’t sure if that was the best route of action. From everything I knew about humans, their instincts were muted and they didn’t respond the exact same way as a shifter did. I needed her to know that she came first and always before I fucked her into oblivion.
“How about we get something to eat?” I asked, slowly shifting off her. She cast her eyes down and nodded her head slowly. “Don’t look disappointed, beautiful, all good things come to those who wait, and I promise there will be a lot of coming in your future.”