Phoenix (11 page)

***

“In here,” he managed to get out before Sydney smothered him in kisses again.

She reached behind him and turned the handle, letting them into the room. He backed into the room before snagging her with his arm and kicking the door closed as he turned to be able to see where he was going. Boots came flying off their feet, landing heavily on the floor and missing the mat, but he didn’t care. He was pretty positive Sydney didn’t care either. They were too wrapped up in each other.

“Nice place,” she said, evading him for a moment as she glanced around, before returning her attention to ensuring he was properly kissed. Uriel liked that. He made an appreciative noise but didn’t stop what he was doing.

He set her down. “You’re going to have to walk through the doorway, sorry. It’s a really tight turn,” he said sheepishly.

She hopped down from his grasp, standing between him and the doorway. “You just want to look at my ass while I walk ahead of you, don’t you?” she said accusingly, raising her eyebrows suggestively at him.

“I must confess, you have caught me. I cannot lie,” he told her, then made a spinning motion with his finger, telling her to turn around.

“Disgusting,” she said without any malice, turning to proceed down the hallway he pointed at. As she walked, her hands crisscrossed in front of her and he watched as she smoothly lifted her shirt over her head.

“Oh,” he said excitedly, hurrying after her as the bra she was wearing followed the shirt to the ground. Just before he reached the opening, a pair of pants came flying out the door.

“You know,” he said conversationally as he entered the room, not pausing in his stride as he bore down on the now completely naked Sydney who was splayed across his bed.

“Yes?” she asked seductively, and he inhaled quickly as she bit her lip, her eyes screaming at him with desire.

“I seem to recall you complaining about unfair practices last time once of us was naked and the other wasn’t,” he managed to finish through a suddenly dry throat.

Sydney’s hand touched her collarbone, and as he watched, she slowly slid it down her body. She arched her back slowly, the palm of her hand caressing her breast as he stared, unable to react.

“Take off your shirt,” she ordered, fingers idly playing with her nipple.

Nodding feverishly, Uriel took a fistful of material and used his shifter strength to literally rip the shirt from his body.

Sydney gasped, but her shock quickly turned into a smile. The look in her eyes told him full well she knew what she was doing, but he didn’t care, his eyes focused intently as she pressed the base of her hand slowly down her soft stomach and between her legs. He ached to see her continue, but she crossed her near leg over the top, moaning slightly to tease him.

“Not fair,” he said, standing patiently beside the bed as she pretended to focus on herself, ignoring his presence.

Her eyes snapped open. Uriel felt like every muscle he had was swollen and flexing, including his cock, which practically ached it was so hard.

“Lose the rest of the clothes,” she ordered, using her free hand to touch her neck, while the hand he couldn’t see continued to move between her legs.

It took him but a few seconds to disrobe completely, and as he did, she sat up, sliding to the edge of the bed nearest him. A crooked finger summoned him instantly to a standing position in front of her.

“My my,” she said appreciatively as his cock presented itself for her, as hard as steel and pointed right at her. “So hard,” she murmured, wrapping her hand around him.

His eyes closed and he moaned loudly as she gently stroked him up and down. His eyes flew open and he gasped in surprise as she unexpectedly took him into her mouth. The warmth of her lips and the pressure of her tongue conspired to make him even harder, though he wasn’t sure it was physically possible.

“Holy shit,” he muttered as she took him deeper into her throat.

I must have done something right with that surprise.
He wasn’t sure he had done enough to deserve the attention she was currently giving him, but as she began to use her spit as lubricant for one hand while caressing his sac with the other, Uriel felt no pending urge to tell her of his thoughts. She was quickly bringing him to the edge through a combination of skill and the sheer visual and audible imagery of how much she seemed to be enjoying herself.

There was nothing like a woman sucking on his cock and loving every minute of it, he thought. His groans and noises filled the room, and the more noise he made, the more she worked frantically to finish him. Uriel felt himself swell, and moments later his legs began to tremble as he shot jet after jet of hot liquid into her mouth. Sydney didn’t flinch, continuing her motions well after he had finished cumming.

“That,” he started to say before taking a moment to catch himself, “was unbelievable.”

She looked up at him and smiled. “Good,” she said. “You can return the favor at a later date. Right now though, I want you.” She flipped over from her sitting position to all fours, her knees on the edge of the bed.

Uriel didn’t speak. He simply stepped up behind her and placed the tip of his still-hard cock against her opening. He rubbed himself gently on her several times to ensure he was coated in wetness before trying to slide himself inside.

“Oh. Yes,” she moaned from in front of him as he slowly pushed his entire length into her in one smooth thrust.

Reaching forward, he put his hand on the back of her neck and used that as his leverage to pull her back into him. He was fairly sure she would be into that, but part him knew it was rougher than they had yet explored, so he prepared to back off quickly. The sudden rush of wetness and increase in volume of her cries told him he didn’t have to worry.

His hips moved back and forth in long rhythmic motions, and he tried his best to constantly maintain it. He wanted to ensure that she had a chance to adjust to his size before he moved faster.

“Faster,” she begged him only moments later, to which he was only too willing to oblige. Sydney, he had learned, enjoyed harder, rougher sex than most of the women he had been with before. It was new to him, but he had no qualms about it either. His hips slammed forcefully into hers from behind, burying himself completely within her on each thrust, and she only cried out for more.

His hand released her neck and he pushed his fingers up through her hair, twisting it up in his grip as he gently pulled on it. This drove Sydney wild and she bucked and writhed in his grasp, pushing herself back against his cock as he moved into her nonstop.

Without warning her walls tightened around his girth as she began to tremble within his grip. Letting go of her hair he wrapped his hand around her chest, cupping one of her breasts and pulling her up to him. He had to hold her upright, but that wasn’t a problem with his strength, and it allowed him to gently bite and kiss her neck as she shuddered one last time, before nearly going limp.

“I need a moment,” she gasped, collapsing onto the bed as he let her go, and clawing her way into the center of it.

Naked and still hard, he followed her. She moved to stop him as he lined up between her legs, but he gently shook his head. “Trust me,” he told her.

Nervously she opened her legs, and he saw her visibly trembling from the climax she had just had. Ensuring he was still wet, he pushed inside of her. Instead of continuing his movements as he was sure she expected, Uriel simply lay down on top of her, nuzzling his head gently into the crook of her neck and kissing her soft, exposed skin.

Neither of them moved for some time, but he felt her breathing returning to normal, and as it did, her hips twitched under him.

“Please?” came the whispered request in his ear, seconds before she tugged gently on his lobe with her teeth.

“Like this?” he replied, pushing himself up onto his elbow, moving his hips slowly against hers. It was an awkward perch, off-balance on his left side, but he was learning to adjust. The nice part was it allowed him to kiss her while he thrust, which he did now.

Being with Sydney was unlike anything Uriel had ever experienced before. She knew just where to touch him and what to say to evoke the strongest feelings and desires, ones he hadn’t even known he had. She coaxed and guided him, unafraid to tell him how she liked it. That confidence was so powerful it filled the room, reaching out and grabbing the two of them and heightening the experience to new levels.

He knew what he was doing, but she knew how she liked it, and combined that produced an exotic euphoria within him that he simply craved more of. They rolled around on the bed for what felt like hours, learning every nook and cranny of each other’s bodies, trying things and discarding them if need be, working to find the perfect way to please each other. There was give and take from both parties, a mutual understanding that was deeper than it seemed. Not only did they know they needed to ensure the other enjoyed themselves, they
wanted
to do so. He had never before been with a woman so invested in ensuring that
he
could sit back, relax, and enjoy himself.

She took it upon herself to do this repeatedly, forcing him down onto his back and allowing him to simply watch her while she rode his cock. It was as if she knew that he relied as much on visual stimulation as audible, and he did his best to reach out to her emotionally, without saying it, but investing his time and energy into her, making it clear how he felt nonetheless.

Neither of them wanted it to end, but Uriel felt himself tightening and knew his release was near.

“I’m going to cum,” he told her, straining as she mounted him once more, her hips bouncing up and down on top of him.

“Good,” she said with a smile. “Do it. Now,” she ordered. She pressed her arms together and rested her hands on his chest. This had the added effect of pressing her breasts together and amplifying their size. Between that and her telling him what to do, he let go. His hips bucked and he writhed underneath her as his cock erupted deep within her, spilling his load as she moaned his name, continuing to ride him until he was completely spent.

“Holy shit,” she said, sliding off him several minutes later to collapse heavily onto the carelessly strewn comforters that lay everywhere in haphazard piles.

“Yeah,” he panted, still working to catch his breath. “Yeah,” he echoed, breaking out into a smile as he grabbed her with his arm and pulled her tight until she snuggled up against him, her body melding seamlessly into his.

“Yeah,” she said, kissing his chest.

She’s perfect.

Sleep shortly claimed them both, although neither were willing to admit who succumbed first. It would prove to be a point of dignity for both of them in the days to come.

Although he would never tell her, secretly Uriel thought it was him.

Sydney

Days turned into a week, and she continued to work with Uriel, improving his balance, fine motor control, and core strength to help compensate for his loss. He made great strides, and she had even caught him practicing some martial arts one day, moves that he would have likely fallen on his ass doing when he first came to her. The progress astounded her. She chalked it up to his dedication and to his ability to heal. She figured it must help him with relearning all of his muscle memory.

The two of them continued to see each other, and she fell harder and harder for him. Most nights were spent in each other’s arms, and most days she looked forward to seeing him for his regular appointment. Life was great.

Except Uriel still couldn’t shift. She wasn’t supposed to know, and he didn’t talk about it, but she knew. There were still occasional moments where she caught him in distress, or that the pain and—though he would never admit it—fear were allowed to shine through when she was near. She knew he was too guarded around anyone else, but she was beginning to break those barriers down, and Sydney could see that more than anyone else.

She had almost asked him that morning when he had come by for his appointment. It had been on the tip of her tongue, but she just couldn’t bring herself to ask. Not only because it wasn’t really her business, but because she didn’t want to hurt him. He had been so happy lately, and the last thing she wanted to do was bring him down by drawing attention to something that he could no longer do.

A heavy fist descended on her door several times in rapid succession, jolting her from her memories.

“Come in,” she called, momentarily focusing back on the paperwork in front of her, before her guest drew her attention. “Gabriel,” she said politely. “What can I do for you?”

He hesitated when she gestured at a chair, but after a moment of thought he sat gently in one of the leather office chairs across the desk from her.

“I need to talk to you, Doctor Hightower.”

His voice was respectful, but she detected an edge of steel behind it as well. It was almost as if he didn’t want to talk to her, but knew that he not only had to, but that he would need something from her she didn’t want to give up. That could only mean one thing.

“Uriel.”

The huge shifter sitting across from her closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. He nodded, running his hands through his hair in a clear gesture of frustration.

“Uriel,” he confirmed after a moment. “He’s asked to be reinstated to active duty.”

Despite herself, Sydney felt her jaw drop. She and Uriel had had several conversations, which had grown rather heated at one point about him returning to active duty with the Stone Bears. She had been vehemently against the idea, noting that he was making excellent progress, but that he still wasn’t better, and that he should wait it out.

Uriel had been adamant, however, to the point of desperation and anger, though he had never taken it out on her. He claimed that he not only
could
be of help to the Stone Bears, but that he
needed
to help them. That they were his brothers, and he couldn’t let them down any more than he already had. She’d tried to argue that by convincing them that if he wasn’t healthy and ready to go, he’d be putting them in more danger if they relied on him in a situation where he couldn’t perform as necessary.

She had thought that last point had gotten through to him, had convinced him not to re-apply just yet, but apparently she was wrong.

“When was this?” she asked.

“This morning. He was rather adamant about it too.”

Sydney snorted. “Yeah I can imagine. He’s been telling me he’s going to for some time now. I thought I’d convinced him to wait a little longer, but I think he feels guilty.”

“Guilty?” Gabriel asked, frowning in confusion.

“He thinks by sitting on the sidelines with me that he’s letting you down. That if only he could be with you, things would be going better than they are.”

She didn’t let on that Uriel had disclosed what was going on in the Valley to her. The revelation of the building conflict with an unknown enemy alongside the newfound knowledge that shifters were ended—the word still felt funny to say, but Uriel had asked her to use it—for what seemed like the slightest of reasons had rocked her world. She had asked Uriel many questions trying to understand it.

After all, she hoped to have kids one day soon—again, she hadn’t told Uriel that either, though she hoped to do so in the near future, after he had decided what was going on between them—and she needed to know if Origin and Genesis Valley would be a good place to do so. A safe place to do so.

“Can’t he see that we just want what’s best for him?” Gabriel said helplessly.

Sydney’s lips formed a thin smile, devoid of any humor. “I think he understands it intellectually, but he doesn’t truly
get
it. To him, the best thing is for him to be out there helping you do your jobs.”

Gabriel shook his head. “I can’t see how much good he would be though. With only three paws, he’s a liability. I can’t give up a space for him over someone who can fight effectively if the occasion arises.”

“I know,” she said at last. “He’s much better on his feet and with his agility than he was a week ago. The progress has quite frankly been astounding. Nothing short of miraculous really. I do not doubt that in time, he will become a viable threat to many, if that is what is required of him.”

The leader of the Stone Bears seemed to consider her words. Part of her hoped he would still say no, to ensure that Uriel stayed safe. Another part of her hoped he would see his way to letting Uriel have another chance.

“Are you willing to put that in writing?” Gabriel asked. “That you believe he is well on his way to recovery?”

She frowned. “I suppose so. I don’t really have a baseline of his previous abilities however, so I can’t draw any comparisons.”

“I know, but if I have it in writing, I can point out to him that he’s on limited duty as long as he continues to improve himself with you. It will be a contract for him to follow if he wishes full reinstatement.”

Sydney felt her spirits lifting. “Oh, I can definitely do that. He’ll be so thrilled,” she said happily. “I bet that’ll let him get through to his bear too,” she added, scribbling down the note.

“He can’t talk to his bear?” Gabriel’s voice had changed completely, snatching her attention away.

She looked up, realizing what she had just done. “Ah, I don’t really know,” she said evasively. “I’m not a shifter, I don’t really understand these things all that well.”

Gabriel’s hand slapped down on the table angrily. “Do not lie to me, Doctor. This is a serious issue. Can Uriel shift?”

She sighed. “Not that I know of,” she admitted, defeated. Her stomach began to roil at the giant betrayal she had just committed. How could she have been so careless to let that slip? It wasn’t her secret to reveal! She thought she was going to be sick as her stomach continued to churn.

Uriel, I’m so sorry.

She knew that wouldn’t be enough to make up for what she had done. Her revelation would keep him barred from any sort of duty with the Stone Bears, she knew that much. That was the one area where Uriel didn’t seem to be making any progress. He rarely mentioned it and she tried not to ask, but it was fairly obvious he hadn’t been able to shift since the incident. She didn’t know why—there seemed no logical reason behind it by this point. It must all be in his head.

“I know that hurt you to admit, Doctor,” Gabriel said gently. “But that is a serious issue. If a shifter refuses to talk to their bear, it can drive the animal wild, until the insane beast overwhelms the human half and takes control. I have seen that happen before, although rarely, and it is never pretty.”

She frowned angrily. “Why does everything with you people have to revolve around violence and hurting others? Or each other? How fucking hard is it to do things peacefully?”

Sydney felt bad, lashing out at Gabriel. He didn’t deserve it. She was the one who deserved to be scorned, but lately it seemed every which way she turned there was another way for shifters to hurt people. She had taken up her profession to help
heal
people. She just couldn’t understand their obsession with violence.

Gabriel smiled sadly. “Why does a dog lick its own ass?”

“What?” she asked in disbelief, caught completely off-balance by the sudden change of topic.

“Answer the question,” he pressed gently.

“Because that’s what it does,” she answered after taking a moment to think about it.

“Exactly. It’s in its nature.”

He opened his mouth to continue speaking, but she held up a hand to stop him. “Wait, let me guess. Is this the part where you tell me,” she forced her voice to go deeper, “‘
Sydney, we may look like humans, but we aren’t. Never forget that.’
” She shook her head. “Uriel tells me that every other day!” she finished grumpily.

The smile that blossomed on Gabriel’s face didn’t help her mood either. “Well, since you did such a great impersonation, I no longer feel the need to say it.”

She rolled her eyes. The humor felt nice, though it didn’t help her forget what she had done to Uriel, and how it was likely to upset him.

“I need to go,” Gabriel said. “I’m sorry it came to this, but I had to know. I have to protect those under my command, and do what is best for all of them, not just Uriel.”

“I know,” she whispered unhappily. He was telling the truth and she recognized it, though she didn’t like it at all.

What she liked even less was the thought that soon she would have to tell Uriel what she had done.

He’s going to hate me…