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  She tried to match each of his strokes with her hips, becoming attuned to this man, her mate. It was still odd for her to think of him as her mate.

  Mine.

  That was what Caleb was. He belonged to her, just as she did him.

  She let out a squeal as he moved their bodies, rolling himself into a sitting position so she could straddle his waist.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I want to feel all of you. Ride me, beautiful. Let me watch.” He ran his hand down to her hips and guided her up and down his thick length.

  He groaned, the sound arousing her more. She didn’t want to stop. He gripped the flesh of her ass as he helped her. She took him deep inside her, savoring the fullness.

  “Do you have any idea how good you feel? How tight your pussy is? I want to make you pregnant, Bethany.” He leaned forward and licked her tits, sucking each nipple into his mouth.

  She cried out as he bit down. The pain sent a shockwave through her body, but he soothed out the bite with his tongue as he licked across her heated flesh. Her heart raced, her entire body ready to go off again at any moment.

  She whimpered as she felt that familiar tightening in her core.

  Caleb growled again, and this time, he slammed up to meet her thrust for thrust. She watched him as he used her body, the intensity and strain on his handsome face. When he came, she felt every pulse as he sent wave upon wave of his cum into her body.

  She showered him with kisses, unable to get enough of her man.

  The heat slowed in her body, but a gentle hum of need was still there. Would it ever be gone?

  “I didn’t mean to do that,” he said.

  “What?”

  “Make love to you again. I was going to be a nice guy. Run you a bath. My plans went into the gutter when I saw you standing there naked.”

  She giggled. “You were going to take care of me?”

  “Always.” He ran his hands down her back, an affectionate touch.

  Her mind felt clear and whole. She painted a trail down his chest with her finger. “So, you’re a wolf?”

  “Yes.”

  “And I’m your mate?”

  He winked. “Yes.”

  “Does this mean we can get married?”

  He touched the bite he’d given her. “This means we’re already married. It’s a lifelong commitment.”

  “But I’m not a wolf. I think I’d like to hear you say the traditional vows.”

  He frowned.

  “Oh, come on, please,” she said.

  He laughed. “You want me to propose?”

  “If we’re already married, what difference would it make? You said you wanted to get me pregnant, and I could be carrying our baby now.”

  Again, he growled.

  “I love it when you do that.”

  “I love you, Bethany, so fucking much.”

  This made her gasp. He didn’t give her a chance to think about what he said. He loved her? Was it too soon? No. Could she trust her own feelings?

  “Marry me, Bethany,” he said. “I couldn’t give you the courtship I wanted. I can at least do this right.”

  “Yes.”

  “I’ll make sure my guys get everything ready for us to have a wedding. Would you be happy to have one at the house?”

  “Yes, of course.” Did she love this man? Yes.

  Was her mind playing tricks on her?

  Caleb kissed her hard. “Let me go and run a bath for you.” He turned them onto their sides and she went willingly. He pulled out of her. “I’ll always take care of you.”

  After being alone all of her life, his words were like sweet music. She wanted to believe in them. It was exhausting only counting on herself since she was young. However, life had taught her to always be careful, and she couldn’t help but worry. What if they were moving too fast? Was she the wrong mate?

  No one ever stayed with her. Even when she was born, her parents hadn’t wanted her around. No one in the foster system had cared about her. She’d always been overlooked or handed back. There was always someone better than her.

  Sitting up, she crossed her legs, feeling all the old insecurities swamp her. She remembered feelings of hope as a girl only to be completely shoved into despair and loneliness from the constant rejection. Tears pricked her eyes.

  Caleb wasn’t like that. She had to forget the past and look to the future.

  How do you know? What do you know? He’s a wolf.

  Caleb came back to the bedroom with a smile, but he stopped when he looked at her.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  “Nothing, just a little tired.” The lie rolled off her tongue and she hated it.

  She’d rather go through the heat, the intense need than feel this. She was breaking her own rules of keeping strong and she was annoyed with herself for doing it.

  Caleb sat on the edge of the bed, taking her hand. “You know, I can tell you’re lying.”

  “It’s nothing.”

  “Bethany, you’re my mate. I can’t make you happy unless you tell me what it is that makes you upset.”

  She stared down at where he held her. Even this felt good to her. “It’s just … I’m so happy.”

  It was crazy to be scared of being genuinely happy. It seemed too good to be true, and she was terrified it would be ripped away from her.

  “You look and smell like you’ve been crying.”

  “You can smell tears?” she asked.

  “Yes. You’re sad. I don’t want my mate to feel anything but happiness.”

  She didn’t want to sound so insecure to him. This was more than she could have ever hoped for.

  “Just … don’t break my heart, please.”

  He smirked. “Is that all? You never have to worry about that.” He let go of her hand and scooped her up in his arms. “I know there’s more going on here and one day, I hope you’ll be able to trust me with your heart. I’ll never break it, I promise.”

  She wanted to believe him.

  Chapter Eight

  The rain finally let up, the sun filtering down through the forest canopy. The rich scent of black earth and new life filled the air. Droplets of rain trickled down from leaves, and Caleb had to wipe some from his face.

  He tested the air for something more.

  “The rain probably washed away his scent,” said Brian.

  “Then we’ll track him.”

  Caleb had regrets. He’d let that crazed bear walk away when he’d literally had him in his grasp. After checking the news reports and rounding up the remaining members of Joe’s sleuth, they’d determined three bears had gone rogue from the mutant genes. But the dominant one had already killed the other two. That left the same rogue bear that needed to be taken out.

  He'd been toying with them, leaving little calling cards near their home to let them know he’d been there. It was a game to him. The rogue was a killing machine. He’d wanted Joe at first, but now he wanted Caleb and his pack for becoming involved.

  “But he keeps stalking the property when we’re off doing patrols,” said David. “What about your mate?”

  “Even if something happens to Bethany, you’ll all still be free to find your mates. Wolves only mate once.” Caleb growled his irritation.

  “That’s not what I meant. Bethany’s part of our pack now. Even our wolves want to keep her safe.”

  He exhaled. His nerves were on high, and he was taking it out on those closest to him. “I know,” he said. “I could have ended this days ago, but I let him walk.”

  His pack had tried to warn him, but he’d ignored them.

  “You did what you thought was best. Now that we know there aren’t any more, we can handle it properly.”

  “I need to send Bethany away until we kill the bear,” said Caleb. It was the last thing he wanted to do. His wolf demanded he protect her and keep her close, but her safety had to come first.

  “Where?”

  He paced, the soft earth forgiving under
his booted feet. “Far away. The next town is hundreds of miles away. Reese, can you arrange a taxi and room at a nice hotel? I want her to have the best. ASAP.”

  “Will do.” Reese returned to the house.

  Caleb felt torn but good about his decision. Once he knew his mate was safe and sound, his pack would go feral until that bastard was rounded up. The bears were going to help, even if it had taken a lot of convincing.

  “David, tell Joe to prepare his sleuth.”

  A local taxi would be there within the hour, then they could begin.

  Joe joined them in the forest.

  “Speak of the devil,” said Caleb. “I was just talking about you.”

  “I still don’t like the idea.” Joe ran a hand down his face, dark circles under his eyes.

  Caleb frowned. “You’re a fucking bear. Act like it. You’re the largest shifters in the forest. You shouldn’t be afraid of anything or anyone. Think of your sleuth. They need a leader, an alpha, someone willing to fight for them and not bow out when things get tough.”

  “I’m not like you. You’re a born alpha, I’m not.”

  “Not all alphas are born, Joe. I started this pack from scratch, and we fought together for all the land we have. Nothing was handed to us. Nothing was easy.” Caleb patted his chest. “It starts here. You have the strength, size, and muscle. Get your heart and mind into the game and you won’t lose.”

  David chimed in. “Tell your men to get ready. As soon as Caleb’s mate is out of town, we hunt.”

  Joe nodded, not arguing.

  “I’ve got to tell Bethany the plan and have her pack a bag. My new mate is a major incentive to get this shit cleaned up fast.” He wanted to end this tonight so he could pick up Bethany tomorrow. They were still freshly mated, their desire and need still as intense as day one. It would be brutal being away from her longer than a day.

  “We do one more patrol then meet you at the house,” said David.

  Caleb walked alone through the forest. The birds and insects singing usually calmed the beast. He loved this land and wanted things back the way they were. There were so many beautiful places and things he wanted to show his mate. She hadn’t even met his wolf.

  “Hey, sweetheart.”

  He slipped into the house. She was sitting on the sofa, her legs tucked up beside her.

  “Is everything okay?” she asked. “Everyone seems so tense.”

  “More bear problems. Actually, that’s what I need to talk to you about.” He sat down beside her, resting a hand on her knee. “You need to leave town.”

  “What?”

  “Hush now. It’s just for a day or two until we find this threat. As soon as we deal with it and everything is safe, I’ll pick you up myself.”

  She shook her head. “I’ll be fine here. I don’t want to leave you.”

  The love bite and mating connection made it difficult to separate in the best of circumstances. His anxiety was already through the roof with the fact he had to send her hundreds of miles away.

  “Bethany, it’s dangerous. The bear’s playing a game of cat and mouse, and he won’t hesitate using you against me. I can’t let anything happen to you. You’re too important to me.”

  Reese opened the door, knocking to get his attention. “Cab’s ready.”

  She turned to him, her eyes wide with fear.

  “Baby, I need you to be strong. Pack a bag with a few essentials. This is only temporary,” he said.

  Even with her eyes glistening with unshed tears, she did as he asked and left to the bedroom.

  “That was fast,” he said to Reece.

  “Cab won’t drive out here. You know how the humans are. I can drive her into town when she’s ready.”

  There were so many old wives’ tales, most of them true, about dangerous beasts in the forest. The rogue had slaughtered dozens of large forest animals for pleasure, not even harvesting the meat. The humans were on high alert, keeping away from the woods.

  He nodded. If he took her, he’d be a mess, and it would be harder for her to go.

  Caleb entered their bedroom and sat on the king-sized bed. He watched her fold some clothes into a small suitcase.

  “I wanted to plan our wedding, not run to the other side of the world from you,” she said, not turning around.

  “It’s not the other side of the world, baby. It’s just the next town.”

  “And I know how far that is, Caleb. This just seems so unnecessary. Your house is secure. There’s a lock on the door. Can’t you call the police if it’s so bad?”

  He smiled to himself then patted the bed.

  She sighed and sat beside him.

  “Nobody knows about shifters. No humans. You’re one of us now, so you can’t be sharing what you know with the world. It would be dangerous, to say the least.”

  “So, no police?”

  “We have to handle everything ourselves. It’s never usually an issue for us. This is a unique situation,” he said.

  “And Joe’s involved?”

  “Well, your boss is a bear, and the guy we’re after is a bear, so he’s going to help. The only reason I’m making it my problem is because the rogue bear has been threatening our pack.”

  She bit her lip, the sexiest thing he’d ever seen. “I like the sound of that. Our pack. It feels good to belong to something bigger.”

  “And I promise I’ll come back for you. This isn’t forever.”

  “I know. It’s my problem. I’ve been sent away since I can remember, and nobody ever came back for me. The curse of being a foster kid.”

  “Foster kid?”

  “A girl without parents. Passed around from babysitter to babysitter, but never belonging anywhere.”

  “This is different. I’ll always come for you, Bethany.” He tilted her face up with a bent finger and kissed her softly on the lips.

  “What if something happens to you? What if the bear kills you?”

  He scoffed. “Definitely not going to happen. Never doubt my ability to protect you or our pack.”

  She was so adorable. He wished he could wipe away all her fears and pain. That bear was going to pay for this bullshit.

  ****

  It had only been a few days since their mating became official, since they’d consummated their relationship. Yesterday, the pack helped move all her stuff from the rooming house to their home in the woods. It was a bold move, but everything about it felt right. For the first time in her life, she had a family. A pack.

  Now, Caleb was asking her to leave. She’d just gotten there and now this? The prospect brought back old deep-seated fears. If anything happened to him, she’d be lost. Alone.

  She stood at the front door of the house with a bag in her hand. Bethany hated everything about this. Her life the past week had been a whirlwind. One day struggling to make her way at the diner, then mated to a wolf shifter and running from town to avoid getting slaughtered by a crazy bear. Her boss, he was a bear too. What else didn’t she know?

  “Ready?” Caleb came up behind her, wrapping one arm around her and taking her bag with the other. He kissed her neck.

  She closed her eyes, savoring his presence. “Kiss the bite,” she whispered.

  “Bad idea,” he said

  “Please. Who knows how long it will be until I see you again.”

  “A day. Two max.” He pulled the edge of her collar aside and kissed her love bite before tracing it with his tongue. A rush of heat flooded her pussy. It was the craziest thing, her body coming to life so easily.

  “But I need you.”

  “Bethany, this isn’t easy for me, baby. It’s for your own good. Things could get ugly.”

  She sighed. “Can you be the one to drive me to town, at least?”

  “Okay.” His hand slid lowered until he cupped her pussy in his hand. She dropped her weight into his palm, mewling from the pressure. “You’ll be the death of me. We better go.”

  He took her hand and they made their way to his truck in the
front. It wasn’t a long drive into town, but she wanted every extra minute with Caleb that she could get.

  The dirt roads were rough, the truck jumping and dipping, the suspension whining.

  “Promise me you’ll stay safe. Don’t be a hero,” she said.

  Everyone the rogue bear had come across had been slaughtered. Only those who ran and hid were still alive. Now he had his sights on Caleb and his wolf pack. Maybe the entire forest.

  “I like that you care.” He turned to glance in her direction. “I can feel our bond growing.”

  “Me too. I don’t know how, but I feel it, like we’ve known each other for years.”

  “I’ve been waiting much longer than that.”

  He abruptly hit the brakes. She braced a hand on the dashboard to hold herself in place. “What’s wrong?”

  When he didn’t answer, she turned to look at him. There was something in his eyes, and she knew. He wanted her. Just as she wanted him.

  Bethany bit her lip. “Here? Now? The cab is waiting for me.”

  He smirked. “The cab can wait. It’s a small town, so I doubt the customers are lining up.” He unzipped his jeans. “This is why you should have let one of my men drive you.”

  She ignored him and immediately reached into his pants and squeezed his hard cock. Caleb groaned and tossed his head back against the seat, his eyes closed. He looked so damn sexy. She released his erection and leaned over to wrap her lips around his hard cock.

  He sprang forward, his breath catching. “Baby?”

  She didn’t answer, just kept sucking him, bobbing up and down over his thick head. This was the first time she’d gone down on any man, and she wasn’t sure what she was doing, but the act came naturally. She wanted to taste him, please him. He was warm and smooth like silk on her tongue.

  “You’re perfect, Bethany,” he said. “Keep going, suck my dick. Just like that.”

  His fingers threaded into her hair and he held her firmly in place. His body tensed, but she kept on going. His pre-cum was tart but addicting, the essence of his alpha. Her eyes lolled back in her head as she took him deeper.