Ella and the Beast (More Than Human Book 1) (10 page)

Ella knew what he meant. It was impossible to live in as small of a village as she did and not know what happened between a man and a woman. While she never had the urge to be with one of the men from her clan, it did not mean that she hadn’t craved the close relationship her parents had enjoyed. She had never thought it would be possible, simply because she never desired one of the men the way she desired Ty at this moment.

Her eyes burned at the thought of how fleeting their time together would be. If she were to spend the rest of her days alone, she would do so with her memory of being with Ty to give her comfort. She ran her hands over his smooth skin, trying to memorize him.

“I want you, too,” she said with a conviction that shook her. “I want to be with you as a woman is with a man.”

She watched as Ty closed his eyes and drew in a long, hissing breath. It was not the only reaction he had to her statement. His hips pushed into her and she could feel the hard outline of his manhood even through their clothing. When his eyes opened, she stared back at him with the same intense fire of need.

A soft giggle escaped her when Ty awkwardly tried to unzip the bedding with one hand. She released him and held it so he could pull the metal tab down. The moment it was free, he sat up, grabbed the end of his sweater, and pulled it over his head.

“Oh!” Ella murmured, her eyes widening at the muscles rippling across his chest. Unable to stop, she ran her hands over his flat stomach and up through the light coating of hair covering his chest. “You are beautiful.”

His nipples were hard pebbles and she ran her palm over them. He jerked and muttered a curse. His hands moved to the fastening of his pants. He undid them, then rolled to the side and stood up as far as he could in the cold tent. It didn’t take him long to discard his pants and the thick socks.

Her eyes remained glued to his long, thick cock. There was nothing short or soft about him now. The cold was definitely not affecting him this time. She reached out with her right hand and ran her fingers over the bulbous head in fascination. Her hand paused when it jerked up and down.

“If you keep doing that, I may totally disgrace myself,” Ty muttered, grabbing her hand and kneeling down beside her. “Now, it is your turn.”

“Lay down,” she whispered, pulling away and rolling to her feet so that she was standing on the opposite side.

*.*.*

Ty nodded and slid back onto the sleeping bag. He swallowed when he saw her trembling fingers move to the ties of her pants. Unlike his insulated cargo pants with a button and a zipper, her pants had a thin strip of woven material that threaded through them like the laces on his boots. She loosened the string and pushed down on her pants. Under them, she had a pair of thin cotton-like leggings to help keep her warm. She loosened those as well and they fell to the ground.

His gaze greedily ran over her. She looked so damn beautiful standing there in nothing but her long tunic. Her fingers moved with agonizing slowness to the bottom of her tunic. She pulled it off and he almost groaned out loud when he saw that she was wearing another long shirt under it. From the twitch of her lips and the dancing in her eyes, he suspected she knew the effect she was having on him.

His gaze flickered down to his cock and he grimaced. It was pretty obvious what she was doing. His cock was dancing up and down like a young kid on his birthday. All he needed was a big bow around it. The soft sound of her giggle drew his attention back to her and his gaze grew heavy when he saw that she had cast aside her other long shirt and was now wearing an almost transparent white chemise. Her nipples were dark against the thin material. The taut peaks strained against the fabric, begging for him to suck on them.

“Come here,” he ordered in a husky voice.

Ella slowly knelt on the side of the bedding. Her long hair fell over one shoulder and down her back. Her brilliant blue eyes were wide and he could see the flitting expressions of excitement, desire, and uncertainty running through them.

Sitting up, he reached out to cup her breasts in his hands. She leaned into him, moaning when he ran his thumbs over the sensitive tips. Lifting them, he sucked on one nipple through the nearly transparent material before doing the same to the other. She raised her hands and tangled them in his hair, holding him to her while her hips rocked with need.

He leaned back and stared at the darkened spots where his mouth had been. Each area highlighted her nipples that were outlined by the wet cloth and seemed to beg him for more attention. Releasing her breasts and running his hands down along her sides, he wrapped his left arm around her waist and pulled her closer while he fastened his mouth over her right nipple again and gently teased it with his teeth.

She shivered and pressed into him. He took advantage by sliding his right hand down her thigh before moving it over the curls between her legs. She opened for him, murmuring his name when he slid his fingers along her soft folds. The storm raging outside was no match for the one raging inside him.

He held her steady when she swayed. He stroked his fingers along her slick folds coating them in her desire before he slid his finger into her vaginal channel.

“Ty!” Ella cried out his name and her head bowed as she held him against her.

He continued teasing her nipple while he slid his finger in and out of her. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her. If he could make her mindless with need, with desire, it would minimize the initial pain when he took her for the first time.

Twisting, he slowly pulled her down until she was lying on the bedding. Neither of them felt the cold air. The combination of their body heat, the hot water from their meal, and the insulation provided by the snow pressing up against the tent made the interior almost too warm.

He pulled his finger from her and ran his hand up to the edge of her chemise. Sitting back, he pulled it up and over her head before tossing it to the side. He paused and stared down at her. Her hair was fanned out around her head and across the sleeping bag. Her body was laid out for him, her breasts swollen and her nipples rosy from his attentions.

His hands moved over the outer part of her thighs. He licked his lips, staring at the moist curls. His cock strained upward. He wanted to bury himself in her, claim her, and never, ever let her go. Just the thought of it made his cock seep with pre-cum.

His gaze rose to lock with hers. He reached out and grabbed her hands when she started to touch him. His grizzly rose up inside him, pushing at him to claim their mate. Her swiftly inhaled breath showed him that she could see the shimmer of the bear in his eyes, the silver flames brightening as his primitive self strained to take what was his.

Holding her wrists gently in his grasp, he leaned forward and slid down enough to align himself with her. He transferred both of her wrists to his left hand and held them just over her head. His legs parted, forcing Ella to open for him and he gripped his cock in his right hand and guided it to her entrance.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” he whispered as he pressed forward just far enough that he could feel the head of his cock stretching her.

“You won’t,” she whispered, staring up at him with glittering eyes full of trust. “I want you, Ty. I want to be with you.”

A strangled groan tore from his throat and he lowered his head to capture her lips. She parted for him, at the same time lifting her hips and wrapping her legs around the back of his thighs. His right arm moved up to brace himself even as he felt his cock push deeper into her, stretching her.

She was so tight that he could feel every inch of her as he slid deeper. His mind was fighting to stay focused. He didn’t want to rush their first time. He deepened their kiss, drawing her tongue into his mouth. His hips rocked forward just enough until he could feel the barrier of her virginity. Sweat beaded on his brow while he held still against the pressure of her legs urging him closer. His left hand tightened around her wrists and he thrust forward, breaking through the thin barrier and claiming her as his.

He captured her cry in his mouth, holding still for a moment before he began moving. His hips slowly rocked back and forth, giving Ella time to become accustomed to his size. He knew when she was ready to take their lovemaking to the next level when her hips began moving in rhythm with his. She strained to pull her hands free. Not wanting to release her just yet, he reached over and grabbed one of her wrists with his free hand so he could pull back far enough to see her face.

“Are you ready?” He asked in a husky voice, sliding almost all the way out before pushing deeper into her with slow, measured strokes that were driving them both crazy. “I want to take you, Ella, but I don’t want to scare you or make you too sore.”

“What you are doing is driving me crazy,” she moaned, twisting to break free. “It feels so good, but it feels like I need more.”

“Will you trust me?” Ty asked through gritted teeth.

Ella paused, her hips pressed up against his. Her eyes were wild with need and her cheeks were flushed with the heat of her desire. She looked as wild as he felt.

“Yes,” she whispered.

“Then let me show you how a shifter takes his mate,” Ty growled.

Ella’s strangled gasp combined with the winds of the storm. Ty pulled her arms out to the side and leaned over her. Using the upper muscles in his legs to steady himself, he began moving his hips in strong, powerful strokes. His cock heated as he pushed in and out of her slick channel. She was so wet now that he could feel her juices flowing out around his cock and soaking the bedding underneath. Each movement was both a blessing and a curse as he felt her body greedily sucking at his. Her vaginal channel tightened, squeezing him every time he pushed in and resisted when he tried to pull out. He could feel her muscles wrapping around the bulbous head of his cock until he wanted to cry out.

The need to reach deeper, to lock inside her, was overwhelming. With a shuddering curse, he pulled free of her. Her cry of dismay turned to shock when he moved just far enough to grasp her leg and pull it over his bent head. With a quick tug, he flipped her onto her stomach. Wrapping his left arm around her waist, he pulled her up until she was on her hands and knees. He gently pushed between her shoulder blades.

“Stay like this,” he grunted out in a harsh, desire-laden voice.

She glanced over her shoulder, but kept her head down. He ran his hand down over the curve of her ass, kneading it before he aligned his cock with her again. His loud groan filled the tent as he pushed through her swollen folds. If he thought she had fisted him before, that was nothing compared to what it was like now. Every inch of them was connected, sealing them together as one.

He slid his hands to her hips, his fingers tightening on them as he began moving again. Her heavy breathing told him she was finding this new position just as exciting as he did. Her fingers curled into the sleeping bag as he drove deeper into her.

A low moan of satisfaction resonated in the tent when his cock was embedded in her all the way to his balls inside her. Bending partially over her, he caged her beneath him while he cupped her small breasts in his hands. He captured her nipples between his thumb and forefinger and pinched them. The added stimulation sent her reeling over the edge. Her hot moisture coated his cock as she pushed up and back, her body stiffening as she came around him. The force of her orgasm took his breath away. Her body fisted him and he felt her tighten around his throbbing shaft. The pulsing walls of her vagina stroked his heated, sensitive flesh and a loud hiss ripped from his throat as his hot seed shot out of his cock, deep inside her. His hips jerked in time with his pulsing orgasm, as he poured himself into her.

His hands tightened on her breasts, his fingers clamping down on her swollen nipples as wave after wave of ecstasy washed through him. Unable to pull out of her, he slowly sank to the side while holding her tightly against him.

“Ella?” He started to ask in a harsh, strained tone.

“You didn’t hurt me,” she mumbled with a desire-sated sleepiness. “I don’t want you to leave me – not yet.”

“Not ever,” he swore, leaning forward and pressing a hot kiss to her bare shoulder.

He reached down and pulled the sleeping bag over them. He knew it would take several minutes for his body to relax enough to safely pull free of her. Once he had them covered, he wound his arm back around her waist, holding her spooned against him. He would clean her after his body relaxed, until then, he would hold her close.

Mate ours,
his bear rumbled in contentment.

Yes, ours,
Ty silently responded.

Ella stirred and listened to the silence. The storm had passed. Careful not to disturb Ty, she carefully slid out of his arms. Goosebumps formed on her skin when the cold air hit her.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Ty’s husky voice murmured right before his arm shot out and he pulled her close again.

Ella giggled and as rolled on top of him. Her hair created a curtain around them while she stared down at him. Her gaze moved to his head. She couldn’t believe that they had forgotten all about the fact that he had been knocked silly just the day before.

“What’s put the frown on your face?” He asked, lifting his right hand to tenderly touch her cheek while he slid his left hand along her bare hip. “Goddess, I want you again.”

Ella’s eyes widened when she felt the evidence of his statement against her inner thigh. She shook her head, her eyes twinkling in amusement. As much as she would have liked to experience his loving again, nature called.

“I need to visit a bush and I want to see how much damage the storm has done,” Ella whispered. “How is your head?”

Ty sighed and leaned up to press a hot kiss against her closed lips. “It’s fine. I told you, shifters heal quickly. In another couple of days, there won’t even be a mark,” he said with a grin, running his right hand down her side. “I can’t wait to get you to my home.”

Ella lay down on top of him head and pressed her lips against his neck. She silently berated herself. How could she have forgotten that he would return to his world? It was ridiculous to expect him to stay here with her. He had a family, a life, among the Others. Tears burned her eyes at the thought of losing him. Once again, the overwhelming sense of loneliness threatened to pull her down into its inky depths.

“Hey, did you fall back asleep?” He teased.

“You are warm and soft. It would be very easy to do so if I didn’t need to pee so badly,” she retorted, hiding her despair.

“Now that you mention it again, I need to visit a tree of my own,” he chuckled, rolling to the side and pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Damn, it’s cold.”

“Not as cold as it will be,” she replied, grabbing her clothes and hastily pulling them on. She laughed when Ty fell over as he was pulling on his boots. “I thought shifters were supposed to be graceful.”

Ty grinned up at her. “Not in the winter in a small tent,” he replied with a wink. “I thought humans were supposed to be slow and noisy.”

Her smile faded and she shook her head. “Not if you want to stay alive,” she replied.

“Ella…,” Ty started to say, sitting up. “It isn’t like that anymore.”

“How can you know, Ty?” She asked in a quiet voice. “How many humans walk among you?”

He ran his hand down over his face and shook his head. “None,” he admitted. “But our laws will protect you.”

“What if they don’t?” She whispered, staring at him with wide, troubled eyes.

“Then I will,” Ty vowed, touching her cheek.

Ella raised her hand and laid it over his. “You are a good man, Ty Bearclaw,” she finally said, before pulling away. “Let us see what the first storm has brought to us.”

Almost two feet of snow blocked part of the entrance and Ty plowed through it to clear the way for Ella. Ella followed Ty out of the tent and straightened. The world was covered in white. She drew in a deep breath of the frigid air and exhaled.

“I love the first snow,” she said with a grin.

“I do, too, from the comfort of my living room,” Ty replied with a grin, rubbing his hands together.

“You are spoiled,” she informed him with a slightly haughty raise of her eyebrow. “I will return shortly.”

“Me, too,” he replied. “Unless you need some help.”

Ella could feel her cheeks heat and she shook her head. She wasn’t used to this type of teasing. Her lips twitched at his crestfallen expression. She was almost tempted to change her mind – almost. With a laugh, she headed toward the woods.

It didn’t take long to take care of her needs. It was too cold. Pulling a piece of a hickory stick from the small pouch she wore around her waist, she used it to brush her teeth.

She would love to heat some water, but that would have to wait. Instead, she scooped a small amount of snow up and used it to wash her hands and rinse her mouth. She quickly pulled on the fur lined gloves she had tucked into the waistband of her pants as she made her way back to the tent.

As she walked back to camp, the sound of crunching snow under her feet was all she heard. Her gaze took in the snow-laden branches. A sense of peace settled over her. This was her world. She might not be able to live in Ty’s world, but maybe he could come visit her here. She could move a little closer to the edge of the forest, near the road where she had fallen into the trap. She would find out where he lived. If his home was not too close to one of their cities, she could live close enough for him to be able to hike in. She would have to be careful, but she could do it. She was very good at remaining hidden when she wanted to.

Ella paused, her hand against the trunk of a tree, and watched Ty build a fire. It was hard to think of him as a beast now, even though she had seen him in his other form. Early this morning, he was so tender, so caring of her own pleasure. A grin curved her lips when he jumped back as the dried moss and pine pitch she had stored under the wood caught fire.

Bending down, she scooped up a handful of snow and began shaping it into a ball. Moving with the stealth she had perfected from years of hunting, she crept closer. She was almost on him when he turned his head. She grinned and threw the snowball. It connected with the center of his chest as he rose to his feet.

A squeal escaped her when his eyes widened and a mischievous grin curved his lips. Turning, Ella took off into the woods. She laughed when she heard his playful growl behind her. Darting under a branch, she struggled through the almost knee deep snow.

“You can’t hide, Ella. I’m a mighty hunter,” Ty playfully roared behind her.

Ella glanced over her shoulder just in time to watch him trip and fall face first into the snow. His muffled curse echoed through the air. She turned and shook her head.

“No, I am the mighty hunter. You are a clumsy bear,” she teased, picking up another handful of snow.

“Yeah, yeah. A minor slip,” Ty called back, sitting up on his haunches and wiping the snow off his whiskers. “Ugh! I need to shave. You should have told me I was getting all hairy.”

“I thought that was just the way you came,” Ella said, throwing the snowball. “Yes! Two for two!”

“That’s it, you’re going down,” Ty yelled.

Ella laughed and turned back into the forest again. This time, she used both her hands and her feet to move through the snow. She would have had a better chance if she had stuck to the animal trails. The snow wasn’t quite as high there. Her breath whooshed out in surprise when she felt Ty’s arm wrap around her waist. She twisted in his arms as they fell; her eyes unknowingly alight with love and laughter.

Her arms reached up to wrap around his neck and she pulled him down to her. Their lips connected, sealing out the wintry world around them as they became lost in each other once again. Ella kissed Ty with an anguished longing that seared her soul.

She reluctantly released Ty when he pulled back to look down at her. Her hand slid down and she tenderly stroked his jaw, feeling the dark stubble of his beard against her palm. Her eyes glittered with emotion. She knew she should shield the emotion in them, but she couldn’t.

“Ella, I’m falling in love with you,” Ty murmured, his eyes blazing with intensity. “I knew you were meant for me when I first saw you, but I never knew what love was until I met you.”

Ella sniffed and laughed as a tear escaped to slide down the side of her face. Reaching up, she pressed another hot kiss to his lips. She was about to tell him that she was falling in love with him as well when a strange noise caused her to jerk back.

“What is that?” She whispered, pushing against him and cursing when she realized she didn’t have her lance with her.

She had left it in the tent. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Her hand went to her side and she pulled the long, bone handled knife from her waist and rolled to her feet.

“It’s a helicopter,” Ty exclaimed, looking up as a dark shadow flew over the top of the trees.

Ella impatiently brushed at the snow that fell from the branches above them due to the wind from the metal bird. Her lips parted and her eyes widened in fear when she got a better look at the beasts’ machine. She stumbled backwards a few steps and would have fallen if Ty hadn’t reached out and steadied her.

“It looks – huge,” she whispered, unsure of how else to describe it.

“It must be Tracy and the guys,” Ty muttered. “They’re landing near the river. Come on.”

“You go first,” Ella said in a thick voice. “I will follow.”

Ty glanced at her with a worried expression. She shook her head and motioned for him to go first. It made more sense so that they could step along the path they had already created through the snow.

“It will be alright,” Ty assured her turning back toward their camp.

“I know,” Ella whispered, watching him. “Be safe.”

Ella waited just long enough for him to reach the edge of the woods. The sound of the large metal bird would cover the sound of her running. Once she was far enough away, she would cover her tracks as well. It had been stupid of her to believe she could ever be a part of his life, much less his world. They were two different species – human and beast – from two totally different worlds.

*.*.*

Ty waited until the helicopter circled around and landed before he approached it. Through the clear glass, he could see Tracy’s and Van’s faces. He watched them remove their headphones before the side door opened and Peterson climbed out. Peterson turned and helped Tracy before turning toward Ty.

A grin curved Ty’s lips when he saw his sister running toward him. She had the irritated, I-worried-about-you expression on her face. He waited until they came closer before he spoke.

“Are you alright? Ella said you took a blow to the head,” Tracy demanded before he even had a chance to open his mouth.

“Yes, I’m fine,” Ty replied dryly. “I have a hard head, remember? It isn’t like you haven’t hit me upside it a time or two.”

“That’s different,” Tracy muttered, grabbing his face between her cold hands and holding it steady as she stared into his eyes.

Ty grimaced and shot Van and Peterson a deadly glare when they chuckled under their breaths. He pulled his face out of Tracy's hands and took a step back. He scowled when she put her hands on her hips and glared at him.

“What?” He asked, raising his hands. “I told you I was fine.”

“So, where is she?” Tracy demanded, glancing around.

Ty partially turned. His lips tightened when he didn’t see Ella. She was probably waiting for him to let her know everything was going to be okay.

“Don’t scare her,” he warned. “She thinks you’ll tear her to pieces.”

“Maybe a few centuries ago,” Van snorted, before he shrugged and held his hands up in surrender. “I know, I got it – no scaring the humans. I’ll behave.”

“I mean it,” Ty warned under his breath, glaring at Van and Peterson before he turned to look back at the woods. “Ella, it’s okay. It’s just my sister and our friends. They won’t hurt you.”

The four of them waited for Ella to step out from behind the tree. Ty frowned when she didn’t. Worried, he took a step toward the woods. He paused when he felt Tracy’s light touch on his arm.

“Maybe it would be better if the three of us waited by the fire,” Tracy suggested. “She must be terrified.”

“That’s a good idea,” Ty muttered.

“Tell her we don’t bite,” Peterson added with a grin. “At least, not without permission.”

“Shut up, Peterson,” Ty muttered with a shake of his head. “I’ll be back in a second.”

“Come on, guys,” Tracy ordered, grabbing the other two men by the arm. “Let’s give them some privacy.”

Van sniffed the air as they walked closer to the tent. A grin crossed his and Peterson’s faces and the two men raised their eyebrows at each other. Ty didn’t miss the grins that passed between the men or the knowing looks they shot him before he turned away. Raising the middle finger on both of his hands, he turned and walked toward the woods.

“Damned canine sense of smell,” Ty muttered under his breath.

Ty strode to the area where he and Ella were together just minutes before. He frowned when he didn’t see her standing near the edge of the woods. He pushed through the snow to where they were lying before the helicopter had flown overhead. Dread pulled at him the further he walked.

“Ella!” He called out, looking around. “Ella, honey, it’s okay. They won’t hurt you.”

He stopped and glanced back, seeing the path they had taken into the woods and then looked in the opposite direction. He could see Ella’s small prints leading away from his camp. He knew at that moment what she had done.

“Ella!” He roared as a shaft of fear tore through him. “Ella!”

He turned when he heard the sound of footsteps rushing up behind him. Grief tore at him. His mouth tightened into a line of determination when he saw the others rushing toward him.