Hard (The Bear Chronicles of Willow Creek #2) (14 page)

A second later, the sound of Meghan Trainor singing
Like I'm Gonna Lose You
fills the air, and Amelia walks out of the house wearing a purple dress and carrying a bouquet of white and purple flowers. She makes her way to us, walking slowly. When she finally reaches us, Ethan lets out a growl and grabs her, kissing her deeply for all to see. I can’t help but laugh at them, but it’s cut short when my woman walks out of the house, my father at her side.

Every day that I’m with Liza, she surprises me a little more. When she asked my father if he would take her father’s place and walk her down the aisle, I was in complete and utter awe over how amazing she is. The fact that I get to stand by this amazing, gorgeous woman for the rest of my life is a blessing I refuse to ever take advantage of.

Walking toward me, Liza is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. Her rich brown hair is tied into some intricate knot on the back of her head, with small purple flowers woven into it. She’s wearing a traditionally white wedding dress, but hers fits snuggly, showing off every one of her curves. It’s strapless, allowing everyone in attendance to see my mating mark on her shoulder. 

With each step she takes, I can feel my bear becoming more excited. He wants to take her, claim her in front of everyone. I fight him back, demanding control. As she gets closer, a smile spreads across my face as my eyes land on her neck. She’s wearing a solid gold necklace, with a bear paw charm, showing everyone that she is claiming both me and my bear. 

When she gets close enough, I grab her and pull her in for a kiss. “You look beautiful, Angel.”

She runs her hand over my chest. “You look very handsome, too, soon-to-be husband.”

The preacher clears his throat behind us, drawing our attention, and says, “Who gives this woman to be wed?”

My father puffs out his chest with pride and says, “I do.”

“Why didn’t I get all this stuff?” Amelia whispers, but a quick chuckle from Ethan shuts her up. 

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here in the sight of God to join together this man and this woman in the state of holy matrimony. These two come now to be bonded for life, to be partners, lovers, and mates.” The preacher’s smile grows as he says, “Therefore, if any man can show any just cause why our leader cannot be joined to this woman, by God's Law or laws of our community, let them now speak, or else hereafter forever hold their peace.”

After a second’s hesitation, he goes on. “The two of you are as blessed as the magical rowan tree. Your love shall blossom and grow, sharing its beauty with our world.”

Liza lets out a sigh then looks up at me and mouths, “I love you.”

The preacher doesn’t give me time to reply to her before he is talking again “Eli, will you take this woman to be your wedded wife, to share the remainder of your days? Will you love her, comfort her, honor, and keep her, in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, so long as you both shall live?”

My lips spread into a huge smile as I say, “I do.”

He then looks at my mate and asks, “Liza, will you have this man to be your wedded husband, to share the remainder of your days? Will you obey him, serve him, love, honor, and keep him in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, so long as you both shall live?”

She nods and replies, “I do.”

“Eli, now repeat after me,” the preacher says, reciting the vows that will tie my mate and I together for eternity.

“I, Eli, take you Liza to be my wife, my mate for eternity. In the presence of God and before these witnesses, as your mate, I promise to be a loving, faithful, and loyal husband to you. I will protect you and our children for as long as we both shall live.”

The preacher looks at my mate with a smile. “Liza, now it is your turn to pledge your life to your mate. Repeat after me…”

“I, Liza, take you Eli to be my husband and my mate. In the presence of God and before these witnesses, I promise to be a loving, faithful, and loyal wife to you, for as long as we both shall live.”

“You may now exchange the rings,” the preacher continues, nodding his head at me. 

Taking the ring my father gave me last night out of my pocket, I slide it onto Liza’s finger. “With this ring, I thee wed.”

She looks at it for a second, tears pooling in her eyes, before turning to Amelia and taking something from her sister’s hand. “It was my father’s,” she says before sliding it onto my hand.

It doesn’t quite make it to my second knuckle. Liza looks up at me with sadness in her eyes. “It doesn’t fit.”

As a shifter, wearing any type of jewelry is a hindrance. They get lost when shifting, so most men don’t even bother, but I know I won’t be one of them. Leaning forward, I whisper in her ear. “I will put it on a necklace and make sure the chain is big enough to accommodate my bear.”

“That’s perfect,” she says with a smile before turning back to the preacher.

He smiles at both of us then looks to our guests. “Those whom God has joined together let no man or woman put asunder. I pronounce Eli and Liza man and wife, mates for eternity.”

Looking back at me, he says, “You may now kiss your bride.”

I wrap her up in my arms, pulling her flush with my body. My lips gently take hers, not wanting to rush. I run the tip of my tongue over the seam of her lips. She lets out a little gasp that I take full advantage off, dipping my tongue into her mouth. Our kiss goes on and on, until we are both gasping for air. 

When I finally pull back, I smile down at her. “You’re mine now.”

She goes up on her toes and places her lips against mine again. “I’ve been yours since the minute we met.”

Kissing her one last time, I pull back and whisper into her ear, “So, now that we’re officially married, I’m thinking it’s time to but in some overtime on the whole baby making practice.”

Shaking her head, she just laughs at me. “Typical Eli, out of all the times for you to bring up sex, you do it now while we’re still up at the altar.”

Throwing a wink at her, I lace our hands together and begin pulling her down the aisle with me, not bothering to respond to her remark.

Hell, I am married to the hottest woman around. Who can fault a guy for trying?

THE END

Turn the page for a look at more books by Emily Minton and Julia Keith.

Rough

The Bear Chomical’s of Willow Creek

Book One

Ethan

AS DISGUSTED
as I was at taking a human wife before, my revulsion is completely gone now. The moment I caught the spicy-sweet scent of her arousal, I knew she was mine, my fated mate. She’s the one woman I’ve spent my entire twenty-nine years looking for. Now that I’ve found her, there’s no damn way I’ll ever let her go. 

Her brown hair reminds me of the earth after a long rain, beautiful and rich. Her skin is like porcelain, with a few freckles sprinkled across her nose. The scar on her face doesn’t take away from her natural beauty. She’s small, barely above five feet in her sandals. Her body is curvy, with luscious hips and succulent breasts. It’s all I can do not to take her on the floor in front of everyone. My bear is desperate to claim her in front of everyone, making it known that she is taken.

“You’re mine.” I growl out, looking into her jade green eyes. 

Taking a step back, a frown instantly mars her beautiful face before she murmurs, “Excuse me?”

Ignoring her question, I grab her hand and pull her through the airport at a swift pace. My eyes roam the space, looking for somewhere, anywhere we can get a minute of privacy. Finally spying a bathroom, I jerk her inside and shout at the men standing at the urinals. “Get the fuck out.”

Within seconds, zippers are up and the men are rushing out the door. Letting her go, I place her at the back wall. “Stay right there.”

Pushing the doors open to each stall,  I make sure they’re all empty, before pushing a trashcan in front of the door. As soon as I’m done, I turn to look at the human woman shaking on the far side of the wall.  Again the thought “mine” crashes through me and my bear goes wild, clawing my insides in his need to get to her. 

She places her hands flat on the wall behind her, never taking her eyes off me. “What’s wrong, Ethan?”

“Not a damn thing.” Walking towards her, I can hear her heart beating in a quick rhythm and smell fear radiating from her. Above that though, I can smell her need for me. She’s in heat, and I’m going to take care of her. I’m going to make her mine forever.  

Reaching her, I place my hand on her cheek. My large hand covers the entire side of her face, threading into her dark hair, making her appear even smaller than she is. Tipping her head back, I look down into her eyes and say, “I need you right now, Amelia. I’m sorry, I can’t wait.”

Her green eyes meet mine, and they are filled with both trepidation and excitement. “But we’re not married yet.”

I nearly tell her that I only need to mark her once and we are more than married, we’re mates. Instead, I gentle my voice, “You were mine the minute you got off that plane. A piece of paper isn’t going to change anything.  I need you now.”

My eyes are drawn to her slender throat, her pulse beating erratically “We’re in a bathroom. I don’t want my first time to be in a bathroom.”

Her words take a second to register in my brain, and I can’t stop myself from crushing her against my body. She’s mine, only mine and completely untainted. I will be the only man to ever feel the pleasure her body can bring. I take a minute, attempting to control my need, before responding. “I won’t take you here, but I need to mark you.”

She wiggles in my arms, looking up at me with a look of confusion. “Mark me?”

Shit, this is where having a human mate is going to be tricky. She doesn’t understand what I need as a bear shifter. Even after I explain what I am, she may never understand. Taking in a deep breath, I lean forward and run my beard-covered cheek over her scar, letting know it doesn’t bother me. “I want to smell myself on you. No, I need to smell myself on you.”

“What did you just say to me?” she asks, her body shaking with a mixture of both need and fear. Her head may be telling her she should be afraid of me, but the rest is urging her to take me any way she can get me. 

Moving my hands to her hips, I pick her up and press her upper body into the wall, forcing her to wrap her legs around me. “I’m gonna lick your pussy, until your taste is the only flavor on my tongue. Then, I’m gonna pull out my cock and come all over you.”

Her eyes flare with indecision. “Uhm… I’ve never.  I uhm...”

Cutting her off with a deep kiss, I get my first taste of her as I carry her to the sinks. I continue to explore her mouth, sliding my tongue along hers, while placing her on the counter. Finally pulling back, I go to my knees, spreading her legs apart. Pushing her dress up, I take in her cotton-covered pussy. Rubbing my nose over her mound, I can’t help but breathe her essence in deep. “You smell so damn good.”

Rubbing my fingertips over her already damp cunt, I slide her panties aside and get my first look at her virgin pussy. If I didn’t have the ability to smell her need, I would have know damn well how desperate she is for me after one quick glance. Her lips are flushed and swollen, her clit peeking out desperate for attention. “Oh, fuck, baby. Your pussy is beautiful.”

Not hesitating, I dive into her wet center. The first taste of her has my bear growling out in need. Taking my time to savor her flavor, I slowly lick up one side of her pussy and down the other before stabbing my tongue deep inside. The second my tongue is thrust deep into her channel I feel her muscles begin to pulsate around me. 

Slowly dragging my tongue out of her body, I take a second to lick up all of her delicious juices before I carefully thrust a finger inside of her, feeling the barrier that proves that she is mine and mine alone.  At the same time, my lips latch onto her clit. Sucking hard, I move my fingers in and out of her creating a steady rhythm as I work to wring the orgasm out of her tiny body. Just as I feel her body begin to tighten, I allow my bear to come forward and my fangs to slide down. Maintaining the suction on her clit, I move just the barest amount and graze my fangs over her hard clit. It takes barely a moment, before her pussy clenches around my fingers and she screams out her pleasure, creaming all over my hands and face. 

I gentle my motions, lapping up the last of her juices before standing up to look into her dazed eyes. “Fuck baby, you have no damn idea how badly I needed that. Now, it’s my turn.”

She stares at me in her post-orgasmic haze, as I unzip my jeans and pull out my thick cock. I am so fucking hard; my dick feels as if it could burst at any second. I honestly don’t think I have ever been so turned on in my life. The head of my cock is a deep purple, and the veins covering my erection are pulsating with need and desire. Swiping my thumb over the head, I spread the drops of pre cum pouring out over my shaft, releasing a moan at how amazing it feels to have her watching me. 

I begin to stroke it slowly, just looking at my mate. With each slide of my hand she lets out a gasp, her eyes transfixed on my cock. 

“You like what you see baby?” I ask through pants.

Releasing a drawn out moan, she carefully slides to the edge of the sink before reaching down and running her index finger over the tip of my cock. Before I can even process what is happening, she sticks the digit into her mouth and sucks my come right off of her finger. “Mmm. God yes, I love it Ethan.”