Bear Naked (Halle Shifters) (26 page)

She couldn’t help it. Her lips curled, mostly in a smile.

“Now, let your Bear out. She wants to come out. Close your eyes and scent…” He looked around. “Well, scent the shop. We’ll head into the woods later, let your Bear
really
out.”

Glory closed her eyes and sniffed.

The chemical scents of the inks and antiseptic, the metallic ting of needles and the dust and cardboard—it was overwhelming. “We have a mouse.”

He nodded. “I can set out a trap if you want.”

She shook her head, entranced by all the new scents filling her nose. Her mouth began to water. “I smell Kung Pao chicken too.”

“Bears are omnivores, so what tastes good in human form will usually taste good in Bear. We’re taught that a Bear’s sense of smell is much stronger than that of a bloodhound. We can track prey over miles, and our mates even further than that.”

She opened her eyes. “Sight?”

“Our night vision is better in Bear form, and we aren’t color blind the way most other shifters are. We have the full human spectrum.”

“That’s cool.” Her voice was almost gone, lost in a deep bass rumble, totally inhuman.

“It’s okay, sweetheart.” His voice had gone gravelly as well. Ryan was changing with her. “Let go. Follow the spiral path you sense before you. Your Bear will guide the way.”

She could feel it more than see it, the spiral path Ryan was talking about. It swirled inside her, strange yet familiar at the same time, leading her to the presence that had woken inside her. The creature stirred, stretched, filling her thoughts with its own.

Her Bear was curious, proud, and filled with need for their mate.

Glory’s skin rippled, flowed over muscle and bone that was suddenly way too big for her frame. Everything tingled, as if her limbs had gone to sleep and were just now waking up, but the pain she expected didn’t come. Instead, it was seamless, a flow of water over rocks rather than grating of bone over tissue.

It felt…good. Different, but good, and she understood now why Tabby needed to run in her fur. Glory wanted out, wanted to roam the forest, finding new scents. She wanted to go exploring in her new badass furry skin, and woe to anyone who wanted to stop her.

She looked up from her hands to find herself nose to nose with another Grizzly. Ryan had changed as well, following his own path to release his Bear.

Glory made a chuffing noise, running her nose along his chin, his neck, taking in his scent until she was satisfied she could find him no matter where he went.

Ryan did the same, sniffing around her, rubbing against her until she couldn’t tell her scent from his any longer. The scents mingled, melded together, marking them both as taken.

Ryan’s massive Grizzly head whipped around, a low snarl startling her. He positioned himself in front of her, his shoulders bunching as he went to two feet in an aggressive stance that shocked her.

Ryan was protecting her, but she had no idea what from.

After a minute, he settled back down with a chirring noise, a remarkably satisfied sound that had her rumbling what should have been a laugh.

She watched as Ryan slowly shifted back to human. It was like watching water flow through him, moving him and bending him, blending man and animal together until one was gone and only the other remained. She wished she’d been able to watch him shift into his Bear, to see the strength in him made flesh, but all that naked skin was worth missing out on the transformation.

“Change back, Glory.” Ryan began picking up his clothes, laughing when she whined. “Tonight, I promise. We’ll strip down to our skin and just enjoy each other. But until I can get you into the woods and show you what being a Bear is really all about, you need to go back to work.”

She could call out sick. Hell, she owned the damn place, along with Cyn. Tabby would—

“No.” Ryan was laughing, but his eyes were still dotted with brown. His Bear was all for her idea of ditching work, but the man ruled. “Shift back, sweetheart.”

She did as he asked, settling into her human skin with a pout. “You are no fun.”

He leaned his forehead against hers. “Tell me that again when you’re writhing in my lap, screaming my name.”

Glory gulped. “Okay.”

For some reason, it took her just as long to get dressed as it did to get naked. It might have had something to do with the way her hands shook, but she refused to give Ryan the satisfaction of knowing how badly he’d affected her.

From the grin on his face, he already knew.

Well. This was going to get awkward.

Temp had seen them change.

Ryan didn’t know how to tell Glory that her brother, whom she trusted, had caught how they shifted in Cynful’s back room. Chasing after the man when he ran wasn’t an option. A Grizzly—or a naked accountant, for that matter—chasing a man down Main Street Halle wasn’t a sight the locals were ready for.

Glory had needed him, needed his strength, his ability to guide her through her shift and back again. And leaving her alone, when she’d been attacked in broad daylight, wasn’t an option. He’d do something about Temp later, maybe after he spoke with Bunny and Julian. The Spirit Bear would know what to do. In the meantime, he’d enjoy the fact that his mate had finally changed.

My God, she’d been a gorgeous Bear.

Ryan pulled his mate into his apartment after her shift was done at Cynful, desperate to feel her skin to skin. Seeing her change, watching the flow of her animal over her, had made him realize that Glory really
was
his. She would forever be his mate, his woman, his to love, to fuck, to have children with.

“Rye? What’s going oh…
Oh
.”

He’d dropped to his knees as soon as the door shut behind them, lifted up her skirt, and kissed her covered pussy.

“I’m going to go with…you’re horny.”

The laughter in her voice would disappear soon enough. Ryan had every intention of feasting on his mate.

His.

God, he still couldn’t get over it.

“Bed?” Glory’s voice was breathless and filled with desire.

Nah. He’d never make it. “Sofa.”

She whimpered. “You’re going to kill me.”

He smiled and picked her up. “Consider me baby bear.”

She quirked her eyebrow at him. “Just right, huh?”

He loved the fact that she got him, even when they were both exhausted. “Yup.”

She laughed when he dropped her on the sofa, careful not to hurt her. The only pain she’d feel tonight was sexual. He had every intention of draping her over the arm of the sofa, of pounding into her until they were both screaming.

But first, he had a mate to taste.

A bunch of filmy fabric hit him in the face. Apparently Glory was way ahead of him. While he’d been daydreaming about what he wanted to do to her sprawled, naked body, she’d gotten her clothes off. He tossed the clothes aside, moaning at the sight of her splayed legs.

“Ryan?”

“Yeah?” Whoa. His voice hadn’t cracked like that since he was a teenager.

“You might want to check and see if I’m too hot or too cold.”

The blush on her cheeks was in direct contrast to her bold words. “I’ll have to eat a lot to make sure.” He knelt at her feet, ready to worship her. “You know, blow on it if it gets too hot, warm it up if it gets too cool.” He stroked a finger down her stomach until it rested just above her clit. “Until it’s just right.”

She shivered, her hips thrusting toward his hand. Her expression was filled with desire as she buried her hand in his hair. Instead of the pressure he expected, the demand, her caress was soft, pleading. “Yes, Rye.”

He took his first taste of the night, ready to set aside their game. The need to make her come was overwhelming, almost as intense as when she claimed him. So instead of gentle touches, he took her into his mouth and suckled her, enjoying her startled, pleasure-filled cries.

The hand that had been softly stroking his hair clenched, holding him in place while she thrust her hips against his face. Ryan did his best to follow, but a sharp tug told him to stay still.

Glory was beautiful, wild, her curls spread out beneath her. Her pink nipples stood, ripe and ready for Ryan’s mouth. He wanted to taste her there, too, to suck and bite and scratch the flawless skin with his beard, just to watch her quiver. He’d mark her with his beard, his teeth, his come until they were both a pile of satisfied goo on the floor.

But first, he had to make his mate come.

She was muttering, tugging at him with impatient hands, demanding that he do
something
, anything, but Ryan refused to give up his prize. He growled, loving her choked cry as the vibrations of his growl rocketed through her, triggering an orgasm.

Well, now
. Wasn’t that interesting?

Ryan continued to lap at his mate, soothing her, building her back up as the shivers began to turn once more into moans. But this time he growled for her, kept the sound going, giving her his own version of a hummer, Bear style.

Glory went wild beneath his mouth. The grip in his hair became painful, but he couldn’t care less. His mate was taking from him, accepting the pleasure he gave her, and nothing could drag him away.

This time, when she came, her eyes scrunched shut and her whole body shook. Her breath came in panting gasps, her skin flushed, and Ryan nearly came in his jeans at the sight.

Ryan waited for the spasms to pass, for her eyes to open and focus on him. The precious, rare smile, the one she only gave to him, crossed her face. “Mmm.”

She stretched, thrusting her breasts up, tempting him. “Just right?”

She nodded and moaned softly again, a happy, sated sound.

“My turn, then.” And he wouldn’t last long, not at all. Just watching her had him throbbing, aching. He needed to bury himself inside her again, both fang and cock.

Glory stood, almost toppling over. He righted her, laughing when she made a face. “What?”

“Mm. Nothing.” No way was he going to say he was proud that he’d made her knees weak. If he did, she might show him how
not
weak they were. Once he was certain she could stand on her own, he moved the end table out of the way and gestured toward the sofa. “Over the arm, sweetheart.”

Maybe she was just as eager for this as he was, because she did what he asked without arguing. Or maybe she was finally done with arguing.

“Are we fucking, or are you going to frame it?”

Ryan laughed as he realized he’d been staring absently at her naked ass. “I’m thinking.”

She reached behind her and cupped his erection. “Think harder.”

Hissing, he pulled down his zipper, pulling his cock out for her to stroke. “Fuck. Touch me, please.”

Glory turned, kneeling for him, sucking him into the hot, wet cavern of her mouth. He closed his eyes, trying desperately not to come as she languidly stroked her tongue up and down his length.

As much as he loved the feel of her lips wrapped around his cock, he was going to have to put an end to it soon. Just as he thought to move away, Glory swooped down, taking almost his whole length into her mouth.

“Shit.” Ryan backed up, his cock sliding out of her mouth with a pop. He gripped the base and prayed like he’d never prayed before. He had to make her come at least one more time, and he intended to do it by marking her again. “Over the sofa.”

With lazy grace she draped herself over the arm of his sofa. “Too hard?”

He snorted. He hadn’t forgotten their game. “Better than too soft.”

She giggled, spreading her legs farther apart when he gently nudged at her feet. “Will it be too big?”

He smacked her ass cheek, making sure not to hurt her. He knew his strength, how to temper it, and wouldn’t intentionally hurt her for the world.

Still, the sound was loud, startling, and she went up on her toes. Wide-eyed, she glared at him over her shoulder. “Fuck you.”

“Okay.” And before she could move away Ryan slid inside her until his thighs touched hers.

She was laughing, her shoulders shaking. “You suck.”

“Yup, I do.” He started moving, the urgency not as intense, the need tempered by affection for his quirky mate.

“You’ll suck again?”

He leaned over, bracing himself on the arm of the sofa, hands on either side of her head. He licked the mating mark, groaning as she clenched around him. “Again.” He nipped the mark, letting her feel his teeth. “And again.” He dragged his fangs over it, smiling when she bucked under him.

“Rye.”

Her voice was breathless, her body trembling. She needed as much as he did, so Ryan began to truly move, keeping his thrusts deep and long. He wanted to feel all of her, the slide and drag of skin on skin, the feel of her beneath his teeth drugging his senses. Her scent flooded him, mingled with their desire until he felt drunk.

She was so much smaller than he was, so much stronger than anyone gave her credit for. But Ryan understood, and gave her what she needed. For all that her tiny frame was under his, held down by him, she was in charge.