Bears & Beauties - Complete (9 page)

Grayson took a seat across from Amber on a small wooden stool he’d retrieved from nearby. “So,” he started. “Have you given it any thought?”

Amber stared into her drink for a long moment. “I have.”

“I know it’s a lot to wrap your mind around. And I understand completely if you reject it all as sheer lunacy. But I thought you should know.”

“I…” Amber started. “I don’t think it’s lunacy. In fact…I know what you’re saying is true. All of it.” She looked up at Grayson, her eyes meeting his. There was no way she could even begin to deny it. The two were connected somehow, intrinsically woven together like two halves of a whole. She could feel his warmth inside her, just by staring into his eyes.

Dismissing any inhibitions, Amber rose from her spot on the couch and strode over to where Grayson was sitting. Placing her hand on his face, she felt the same electrifying sensations that she’d felt the first time they’d touched at the party. Just by stroking his soft skin, her entire body erupted in a sudden need for him. To be with him. To have him. To be his. And to have him be hers.

Wordlessly, Amber leaned in to kiss Grayson, locking her lips against his and taking him in entirely. The shock took over her for the first kiss. But as it continued she felt the pleasure flow through her. It burned warm in her stomach. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him closer. Their embrace became more passionate. She became entranced by the moment, wanting nothing more than to feel and be with Grayson. They kissed like that for a long time, the passion building until they were fully enraptured with each other.

With very little effort, Grayson lifted Amber off her feet and carried her into a nearby bedroom and over to the bed. He sat her down on the edge of the bed, and she pulled the tee-shirt over her head, sitting completely naked before Grayson.

“Oh my God, Amber,” Grayson stammered. “You’re absolutely beautiful.”

Amber smiled shyly and helped Grayson with his own clothes. She pulled his shirt off first, revealing his stunningly muscular body. Then she unzipped his pants and pulled everything off at once. His cock was erect before her, throbbing and ready to take her.

Amber hoisted herself backward further onto the bed and put her arms around Grayson as he climbed on top of her. He kissed her neck and continued down towards her breasts. He used one hand to massage her right breast while he ran his tongue over the nipple of her left.

Amber moaned and put her hand on his back, feeling the shape of his spine. She kissed his shoulder and reached down to kiss his neck. Grayson looked up at her and kissed her fully on the lips, taking her in once again as the passion between them continued to flourish. She took him closer and put a hand on his cock. It was hot to the touch, and Amber knew then that she wanted him more than she’d ever wanted anything.

Then she felt a hand in between her legs and gasped in surprise. Grayson kept going, rubbing his fingers against her. Her legs twitched. She clawed at him to keep going. Finally, when she thought she couldn’t handle anymore, Grayson entered her. He did so slowly, doing his best not to hurt her. As his cock throbbed inside her, Amber’s mind exploded in a blur of fiery colors. The pleasure was growing more and more immense by the second, and she didn’t know how much more she could take.

Slowly he began to move back and forth, pushing against her. Amber put her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss. She held him there, pressing her breasts against him as he thrust into her. The more Grayson thrust, the louder Amber began to moan, her mind still taken by a rainbow of pleasure.

Before long, Amber was rocking back and forth in time with Grayson’s thrusts. He grunted with each thrust, complementing her own passionate moan. With each thrust, the pressure inside her built, and she felt herself growing ever closer to her climax.

“You taste so good,” Grayson whispered into her ear, kissing her neck as he continued to make love to her.

Just as those words left Grayson’s lips, Amber couldn’t contain herself any longer. Her orgasm erupted, causing her vision to swim and her mind to reel from the electrifying pleasure that wracked her body. She could feel Grayson tensing up inside her as she tightened around his cock. He continued thrusting, slowly and deliberately, extending her climax as he built up and released his own. A warm sensation filled Amber’s channel, and she pressed her lips firmly against Grayson’s, taking him in to the very fullest.

Before long, they were curled up together under the sheets, Grayson breathing gently against the back of Amber’s neck. Amber lay there awake, thinking back over the events of the night. At that moment, she decided that didn’t want to be anywhere else. And that she never wanted to be anywhere besides by Grayson’s side.

Epilogue

Grayson stood at the front of the massive room, his father on one side, the reverend on the other. For the first time that he could remember, Grayson felt trapped in his suit. His bear roared from inside, sending a slight shiver of nervousness down his spine. It wasn’t that he was having second thoughts or that he regretted his decision to marry the love of his life. No, it was because the procession was taking too damned long, and all he wanted was to see his gorgeous Amber again.

Since the night of his parent’s anniversary party, Grayson and Amber had been inseparable. Over the months that followed they had rarely strayed from each other’s side, and both felt incomplete when they did. Grayson’s mother mandated that tradition be upheld, however, and Amber had spent the night and all morning with his mother. It had been over twenty-four hours since he’d last seen his mate, and that was twenty-four hours too many. The closer he got to seeing her again, the more riled up his bear became.

And now, the wait was over.

The processional stopped as the entire wedding party took their position. The wedding march began playing and the countless guests stood up from their seats, all eyes turned to face the beautiful creature making her way down the aisle.

Dressed in a flattering white gown, Amber was more beautiful than Grayson remembered. Even after all those months, she still took his breath away and electrified his mind with nothing more than her presence. She was elegant, gorgeous, and altogether wonderful. He had never met anyone like her and suspected that he never would again.

No one was as resilient as his Amber. No one was as quick-witted or sharp-tongued. No one could even begin to compare.

“Bah,” Grayson grumbled as the march carried on and Amber slowly worked her way toward him. “Screw this.”

Without warning, Grayson leaped from his place at the altar and raced toward the love of his life, reaching her in seconds and taking her into his arms.

“You have the rest of your life to be stuck beside me and you couldn’t wait a few more seconds?” Amber teased as Grayson embraced her.

Grayson shook his head, “Not a chance.”

Then he pressed his lips against Amber’s and kissed her as deeply and passionately as he could. When he finally pulled away, they stood there, bear and beautiful, and simply smiled.

The End

Bear & Broken

When a bear is broken, only love can make him whole again.

Kalvin Dare isn't your typical billionaire. Despite being an extremely wealthy entrepreneur, Kalvin spends most of his time as part of an underground shifter fight club. After months of reigning as the club's alpha and undisputed champion, Kalvin finally meets his match in the form of a conniving and vicious foe. Caught off guard then left for dead, Kalvin's world spirals out of control. His business starts to implode, his reputation is destroyed, and all hope seems lost.
Curvy medical student Megan Holt never expected to find a near-dead shifter in the alleyway next to her apartment, but that didn't stop her from saving his life once she did. Nursing him back to health, Megan finds herself caught up in a world that she never dreamed possible. Caught between her duties as his caretaker and her heart's desire at being his fated mate, it's all Megan can do to keep herself out of trouble while helping to rebuild the confidence that her new found lover seems to have lost.
When Kalvin's violent shifter past collides with Megan's upbeat view of life, it will take everything he has to fight off the forces that would see her dragged down into the abyss with him. If he is to protect his fated mate and see their love through the coming adversity, Kalvin will have to remake himself into the powerful alpha he once was. Can he regain his abilities in time, or will the growing storm leave her broken and him bare?

Kalvin

The first punch that collided with my ribs was enough to send me reeling against the side of the cage. Even with the wall there to catch me, I nearly slumped to the floor of the octagon, the air having abandoned my lungs. I gasped once then forced myself back to a standing position, hands up and bracing for another blow.

My opponent ducked low, his lithe and muscular form crouching into the familiar stance of a stalking predator. The big cat inside him - I couldn’t tell if it was a mountain lion or a jaguar, they both stink the same - all but roared at me as he curled his face up into a snarl.

My own bear, disgusted by the smaller shifter’s display, force-fed its strength into my tiring muscles and demanded that I lunge at him. Fighting off the urge to give into my opponent’s game plan, I instead planted both of my feet, squared up and lowered my center of gravity.

No sooner had I positioned myself when my opponent dove forward, lunging at my legs in an attempt to take me to the ground. I had anticipated his movement, countering instead by ducking low and grabbing onto the Big Cat’s shoulders, slipping one leg backward, then driving the same knee into his face as I jerked his body toward the floor.

My knee collided with the Big Cat’s face with a resounding crunch, instantly breaking his nose and sending him reeling onto the floor of the octagon. Outside the cage, the cheers of hundreds of bloodthirsty shifters rang out, echoing around the arena. This is what they’d come to see.

This is what I’d come to do.

I played to the crowd a bit while the Big Cat continued to writhe around in pain on the floor. I beat my fist against my broad and muscular chest, letting my bear release its signature bestial roar.

This is my territory, the bear roared inside my head. I’m the alpha here.

For months, this had been my routine. During the day, I worked as a successful entrepreneur. The founder of one of the world’s most progressive and valuable start-ups, I had more money than I could ever dream of spending. More resources than any person could ever need. And the thing is, I didn’t want anything to do with any of it. It had been by fluke and my bear’s single-minded determination that I’d become so wealthy. By the time I had realized what was going on and just how much money I was making, there was no putting a stop to it. I had an image to maintain now, and that image came with some serious consequences. One of which was that I would never be able to let my true self, my bear, out into the open.

So at night, I moonlighted as a cage fighter in an underground shifters-only fight club. Shifters from all over the region came to duke it out inside the cage. Not for money, but for dominance. To prove to their inner beast that they and not the others were the greatest. The fights drew crowds that swelled well into the hundreds at times, every one of them a shifter just itching for their chance at dominance. Most would never make it inside the octagon, though. They were too weak. Too fragile. Meant to be subordinate and ignored.

But not me. Not my bear.

Here, I was king.

As I made my way around the octagon, still playing at the crowd, I heard the familiar sound of flesh tearing and bones rending. Before I had a chance to turn around, a deafening roar sounded, silencing the cheers from the crowd. The distinct scent of a big cat was suddenly stronger, and I turned to see a massive mountain lion crouched down in front of me, its fangs bared and claws ready to strike.

My bear snarled as I braced myself, preparing to shift. My opponent had violated the rules. Shifting during a fight was strictly prohibited. But I’ll be damned if I wasn’t going to defend myself.

I started to clear my mind, letting the bear’s consciousness overtake my own, but it was already too late. Before I could shift, the massive mountain lion lunged toward me, its fangs digging into my shoulder as I threw my arms up in a defensive posture.

I roared as the pain ignited my senses, doing everything I could to force my opponent off of me. I threw a pair of punches into the lion’s stomach, but to no avail. The beast continued to tear into my shoulder, absolutely deadening my left arm.

I was bleeding profusely then and the world was starting to spin. I knew it wouldn’t be long before I lost consciousness or worse. But there was nothing I could do to get the monstrous beast off of me.

BOOM
!

An explosion sounded from the back of the arena, followed by a sickening thud right in front of my face. The mountain lion’s grip on my shoulder lessened suddenly and the beast dropped to the floor of the octagon, a tranquilizer dart protruding from its neck.