Tristian: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (Blackbeary Creek Book 2) (6 page)

Their words floated past her and disappeared into the open air. In the past, she’d stupidly given their insults too much power, but no more. She didn’t need the opinion of two nasty people she didn’t even like.

She drove through town faster than she should have, and minutes later, she turned down the long, tree-lined driveway that led to the clearing. The main house, Tristian’s home, stood tall and proud, and the sight of it ignited the feelings she’d been ignoring for the past week.  

Home.

She was exactly where she was supposed to be, even if she had to face some pissed off bears to get there. Aiden stepped in the round-about first, followed by Ethan. By the time she parked and got out of her car, Zach and Graham had joined them.

She was a tall woman, but these men towered over her, and their once friendly faces were now hostile, angry and unyielding.

“What the fuck do you want?” Aiden asked.

“I need to see Tristian.”

“Why?” Ethan asked.

“Because I love him,” she said, simply.

“Right,” Aiden said, sarcastically. “You haven’t been around for days. What’s the real reason?”

“That is the real reason,” she said, calmly. “I’ve loved him from day one, but when he told me he loved me, too, I ran because…”

As much as she didn’t want them to find her lacking, she knew they wouldn’t help her unless she was completely honest.

“…because I was scared. I thought he deserved someone better than a boring, chubby bookworm.”

Zach burst out laughing, and Graham turned to try and hide his smile. It was only then that she saw Tegan sitting on the porch of her nearby home. The woman offered her a friendly smile, and started down the steps toward the group.

Only Aiden and Ethan’s faces remained severe, and she was pretty sure Aiden didn’t have another expression.

“He’s gone,” Ethan said.

“What do you mean, gone?”

“All right,” Tegan said, pushing Ethan aside. “Let me through.”

Ethan allowed Tegan to move past him, and then took a step closer to his mate.

“Seriously, guys,” Tegan said. “Back-off. They clearly make a perfect couple, and she obviously loves him. That’s why they’re laughing, by the way, because you two are so alike.” 

Aiden, Zach and Graham went back to their homes, but Ethan stayed glued to his spot.

“How about some coffee?” Tegan said over her shoulder.

Ethan grunted a response, and then reluctantly disappeared into his home.

“We don’t know where he is,” Tegan said. “On Thursday, he told us he was going to tell you everything, and ordered us to stay gone until dinner. When we got back, all we found was remains of your picnic site, and a pile of shredded clothes. If we don’t get undressed to shift, then the change shreds our clothes, so we figured something went wrong. That and the fact that we can’t find him.”

“What do you mean?”

“We’ve searched, but he clearly doesn’t want to be found. That’s mostly why the guys are so angry. Threats about exposing our secrets can be handled, but Tristian has never disappeared for days at a time. Never. He always does the right thing.”

Scarlett’s heart ached for what Tristian must be feeling. She knew what rejection felt like, and she’d needlessly forced that pain onto her mate.

Mate.

She turned the word over in her mind, and decided she liked it. They were more than just a couple, Tristian belonged to her: mind, body and soul.

“Okay, so how do we get him back?” Scarlett asked.

“We wait for him to return,” Tegan shrugged.

Fuck that!

She looked past Tegan, between the houses and focused on the trees beyond the clearing. Tristian was out there somewhere, possibly roaming by the creek, or wandering aimlessly through the trees, and it was her fault.

She couldn’t leave him.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t do that,” Scarlett said.

She stepped around Tegan, and half-walked, half-ran toward the tree-line.

“Scarlett! Wait! Ethan!”

She could hear Tegan yelling in the distance, but she didn’t stop. Once they shifted, Tegan and Ethan would catch up to her easily, and she needed to start looking for Tristian more than she needed her next breath.

“Tristian!”

She called his name as she wove in between tall trees, and carefully maneuvered through the uneven dirt terrain. After several minutes, the trees broke and revealed the smooth, grassy bank of the creek.

The crystal clear water flowed lazily over smooth pebbles and dirt, releasing a barely audible tranquil song into the quiet haven. She stopped momentarily to listen to the peaceful melody, and she wasn’t surprised when two black bears pushed their way through the trees to stand behind her.

She turned in their direction, and smiled. They were both larger than their animal cousins, though one was slightly smaller than the other, but she wasn’t afraid. The smaller of the two had Tristian’s eyes, and she immediately understood that Ethan and Tegan now followed her in their bear forms.

Considering she’d run off without protection against the full-bears, she welcomed their support. She nodded to show her appreciation, and continued down the bank of the creek, flanked by her bears.

Her bears?

The thought made her pause, but only for a moment. Tristian had said she would help lead the clan, so it would make sense they would be her bears, too.

The creek widened, and she called out Tristian’s name again.

She saw movement on the other side of the water, and suddenly, another large black bear moved from the safety of the trees and stood on the soft, grassy bank.

She immediately recognized Tristian’s eyes, and took a step toward the running water. His answering roar doused her idea of crossing, and her bodyguards retreated into the tree-line.

She knew Ethan and Tegan were going home, and she was glad. She wanted to be alone with Tristian.

“I’m sorry,” she called to the animal. “I let fear guide me instead of listening to my heart. I love you, Tristian, and I want to be with you…all of you…more than anything.”

The bear bounded across the creek, aimed in her direction, but she didn’t move. She didn’t even flinch. Even if he decided to let her go, she knew he’d never physically hurt her.

When the bear reached her side of the bank, he changed into his naked, human form in one smooth, seemingly painless, transition. He placed one hand on her cheek, and studied her with brown eyes filled with love.

“Say it again,” he said, his voice barely audible.

She placed her hand over his, and kissed his palm.

“I love you, Tristian,” she said, looking up at him. “For always.”

***

Tristian placed his free hand on Scarlett’s other cheek, leaned down, and pressed his lips to hers. He devoured her mouth in slow, sensual touches until they were both breathing heavy.

As soon as he’d seen her walking along the bank, flanked by Ethan and Tegan in their bear forms, his dick had grown rock hard. Though she would never change into a bear, she was a vision of beauty in her place at the head of the clan, and the desire to mark her beautiful skin, and claim her as his own nearly consumed him.

“I love you, too,” he said. “Thank you for coming back for me.”

“This is impressive,” she said, sliding one finger from the base of his cock to the tip. “Are you always hard when you shift back into your human form?”

He trembled, and stepped away from her. Hell, he wasn’t even sure he could hold her hand without coming, but he knew she would need the physical connection. 

“No,” he said, holding his hand out for her to grasp. “Let’s go back to the house. I need a very, very cold shower. Like now.”

“Is that because of me?” she asked, ignoring his hand.

She sauntered up to his side, snaked her arms around his waist, and kissed him on the collarbone. He shook with a full-body tremor, but when he looked down into her beautiful, teasing green eyes, he found a new level of control. Her happiness was the only thing that mattered.

“Yes, sweetheart, it’s because of you,” he said, kissing the top of her head. “I want you, which you already know, but seeing you with the bears, and then touching you again, knowing you came back for me, has multiplied my desire by about a million. I’ll be okay after a cold shower, and then we can order Chinese. How does that sound?”

“Do you still want to mark me?” she asked. “Marry me?”

“Yes, of course, but not until you’re ready,” he said. “We have plenty of time.”

“No, we don’t,” she smiled. “I want it all, and I want it right now.”

She pulled out of his arms, and practically skipped to a nearby tree. Tristian watched as she pulled her shirt over her head, removed her bra, and then pulled down her panties and pants.

When she was completely naked, she faced the tree, bent at the waist, and placed her palms on the bark. Her gorgeous, round ass was in the air, wiggling around, waiting for his cock, but he held back. He didn’t want her to have any regrets.

“Scarlett,” he sighed. “Please get dressed, sweetheart. I can’t touch you without marking you, and I don’t have any protection. I don’t want you to regret our mating like you do our first time.”

“I don’t regret that,” she said, walking back toward him, “and I’m sorry I made you think that I did. My only regret was pretending to be someone I’m not, but then I realized something important.”

“What’s that, sweetheart?” he asked, pulling the rubber band from her hair.

“You bring out the best in me.”

“Are you sure about this?” he asked, rolling the band to his wrist.

“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”

He pressed his lips to hers in a bruising kiss, and bent down to lift her thighs off the ground. Scarlett wrapped her arms and legs around him, and her cunt slid up and down his cock as he walked them back to the tree. She was soaking wet, and his cock throbbed faster with every step. He knew he wouldn’t last long.

“This time is going to be quick, sweetheart, but I promise I’ll make it up to you once we get home.”

“Fuck me, Tristian,” she begged. “Mark me as yours.”

Hell yeah!

She didn’t have to ask him twice.

He positioned his cock at her entrance, and slid balls deep in one, smooth, powerful thrust. Scarlett cried out, and he pulled out and pushed back in with the same amount of power. She cried out again, and he repeated the move.

Her pussy clenched around his cock like a vice, and he felt the familiar tingling at the base of his spine. They were both so close, and he closed his eyes in an effort to hold off for a few more thrusts. He didn’t count on Scarlett wiggling on his dick.

“Scarlett, sweetheart, don’t move,” Tristian begged.

“Finish it,” she said, kissing his chin.

“Grab your tits,” he said, pressing her further against the tree with his pelvis. He repositioned her legs so his forearms were under her knees. “Roll your nipples between your fingers so I can see them.”

She followed his directions without hesitation.

“Yeah, sweetheart, just like that.”

He pulled out of her slowly, and pushed back in, gauging her reaction to the new position. Her eyes sparkled in the early evening light, and her mouth opened slightly as a low mewing sound escaped her lips. He wanted to hear that sound again.

“Okay, sweetheart?” he asked.

She nodded, and pulled harder on her nipples.

Tristian moved his hips fast, pistoning into her warm, wet core as if his life depended on it. Scarlett’s mewing noises grew louder until she sounded more animal than woman. When the tingling at the base of his spine became unbearable, he let his canines extend and bit down on the juncture between her neck and shoulder.

Scarlett’s scream echoed around the creek, and he knew it could be heard by everyone in his clan. The realization filled him with pride. He’d finally found someone worthy enough to stand by his side.

He released her skin, and licked the wound clean as his canines retracted.

Scarlett giggled, and he placed a chaste kiss on her lips.

“What’s so funny, sweetheart?”

“I can honestly say that’s the least boring thing I’ve ever done in my life.”

“Boring, my ass.” He laughed before getting serious again. “I love you, my mate.”

“I love you, too.”

“I’m going to let you down now, okay?”

“Yeah,” she nodded.

He lowered her legs to the forest floor, and once she was steady, he gathered her clothes and handed her the t-shirt.

“Here, put this on.”

She pulled the garment over her head, and he handed her the rest of the pile.

“Now hold these with one hand, and wrap the other around my neck.”

“What? Why?”

“Because I’m going to carry you home.”

“Oh, okay,” she smiled.

She extended her arm, and he scooped her up with one arm behind her back, and the other under her knees. Scarlett placed her clothes in her lap, and linked her fingers together behind his neck.