The Write Bear (Highland Brothers 1) (6 page)

H
udson looked
at this woman lying in front of him. She was everything he ever wanted. Everything he needed. She was his fucking mate, but he was too afraid to tell her. Too afraid to fuck her. Afraid he’d hurt her after what he had put her through this afternoon. But she wouldn’t listen. She wanted him. She needed him.

“Fuck,” he groaned as she pulled his belt from the loops. His bear couldn’t resist her.

Her eyes landed hungrily on his throbbing cock. His bear wanted to plunge into her, take her again roughly and wildly. But he couldn’t do that. He needed to prove to her before he told her the truth that he could treat her like she should be treated. He could make love to her. He could be gentle. He could be a man.

He closed his eyes as he felt her shove his boxer shorts off his hips. Before he could position himself over her she wriggled toward him. He felt the heat of her mouth take him inside.

“Oh fuck,” he growled. He began to lightly pump against the ridge of her mouth and the softness of her tongue. He didn’t want it to end like this. He withdrew and looked down into her eyes. She was fucking unbelievable.

She rolled on to her back, spreading her knees to the side. She was ready. More than ready for him. He placed the tip at her entrance feeling the heat of her center, letting her sweet honey coat him before sliding deep inside her.

“Oh, Hudson,” she moaned.

“Too much?” he asked. His hips were moving faster, she was like a drink he was thirsty for all over again. He didn’t think he could slow down.

“No, you’re never too much for me.” She smiled.

And he knew then exactly what he had to do.

She wrapped her legs around his waist, locking her ankles at his low back. He tilted her hips forward, and plunged the head of his hardness as far as he could. Like a bolt of lightning shooting from his body to hers he drove himself deeper into her folds, into her soul—searing his body to hers with a ferocious burn consuming his cock like nothing he had ever experienced.

“Oh, shit, Riley!” His mouth landed on hers as he felt the release shudder through him. He filled her with everything he had. His tongue lashed in her mouth as she sucked against his lips.

She began to vibrate around him and he knew what was happening. The first time he had claimed her for himself, but this time she was claiming him—taking the release he was giving her for herself. Pulling it into her protective and warm depths.

He looked in her eyes. The eyes of the woman who was his mate. The mother of his cubs.

R
iley nestled
into the crook of Hudson’s chest. The heat still penetrating from their bodies.

“Do you feel good?” he asked.

“I feel incredible.” She stretched against his solid form. All the hard muscles of his legs.

“Good.” He wanted to make her feel pleasure like she never had. It was his job now after all.

His hand lingered over her belly, flattening his palm. She was exquisite. Soft and warm. Her body opening up to him like a flower with gentle petals meant only for him. Even if she didn’t know yet what had happened between them, he did.

“There’s something I need to tell you.”

“And it’s not book related?”

“It’s not book related.” He kissed the side of her neck.

“And you can’t lie?” she giggled.

“No, I can never lie to you.”

“You realize that sounds completely strange.” She twisted in his arms so she was facing him. “Just spit it out, Hudson.”

“There’s no good way—no easy way—no way you’re going to understand—” He was a damn bear. A strong powerful, rip-your-head-off bear. Why couldn’t he just say the words?

“Let me guess. You want to keep me up here in the family house as your sex slave.” She teased, toying with the hairs on his chest.

“Not a bad idea, but no. That’s not it.” He took a deep breath.

Her eyes darted back and forth, searching for a hint of what he was about to explain.

“Riley, you’re my mate. You are my life now. My everything.” He rubbed a thumb against her cheek. “This is forever.”

“Forever?” she whispered. “But we…I just…it’s been…”

He nodded. “There’s more. That’s the most important though. Remember that when I tell you the next part.” He swallowed, his throat closing momentarily. “I’m a bear.”

Her expression froze. The rosy hues dotting her cheeks disappeared. “A bear?” She created space between them, jostling the sheet off her arms.

“Yes, that’s right. A shifter. A bear shifter.”

She sat forward, taking the sheet with her. “What kind of messed up mind games do you play?” She rolled to the side, scurrying to the bathroom. “I’ve heard a lot of fucking excuses from guys but nothing like this.” She slammed the door.

“Shit,” he mumbled. “Riley!” He pounded on the door, forcing his bear to remain calm while he handled it. “I’m not messing with you.”

He thought he heard sobs muffled through the door. “Go away, Hudson.”

“It’s the damn truth. I’m a bear. You’re my mate. Today sealed all of that. We are forever, Riley. Forever.”

The door flew open and he looked down at the woman who had stolen his soul. “You expect me to believe that?” She huffed past him, throwing clothes in her suitcase.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m packing to leave.” She zipped the side. “You can finish the book. Don’t finish the book. I don’t give a fuck.” She spun to face him. He saw the rage firing in her eyes. “But don’t call me. Don’t bother with more excuses.” She jerked the handle in her hand and rolled the bag behind her.

Hudson chased after her. “Wait, you can’t leave.” He took the steps two at a time until he was in front of her, blocking her exit. “We’re mated. You can’t leave me.”

“Stop with this mated, mate, mating talk. If you weren’t that into me all you had to do was say something. You didn’t have to pretend. You didn’t have to use me like that.”

He saw her eyes glisten with tears. Please don’t cry. He couldn’t see her like this.

“I didn’t use you. I would never use you.” He looked around, helpless to stop her from leaving.

“I know how this works. I may not have had a lot of boyfriends but I get it. We’re here alone. You needed a good fuck and then you woke up and realized who was in your bed.” The tears slid over her cheeks. “I should have gone the first time.”

He shook his head. “No, don’t say that. Never say that.” He gripped her shoulders, bringing her against his chest, but she wiggled free.

“Would you sit for a second?” He led her to the living room, planting her on the couch. “Let me explain. Please.”

She sat on the edge of the sofa, not ready to stay for long.

“I’ll start from the beginning. I’ll explain everything.”

She crossed her arms, but at least she was listening. All he wanted to do was wrap her in his embrace and tell her that together they could face this. They could live with the bear, but Hudson wasn’t sure it was the truth.

“I’m waiting,” she fumed.

Hudson ran his hands against his face, as if he could draw strength from his chiseled jaw. He didn’t know where to start. How he was going to explain the shifter world she now existed in.

R
iley couldn’t believe it
. She had shared everything with him. Given him every part of her body. Places no one had touched. Screamed his name. Obeyed his commands under the sheets. And what was more humiliating was that she had begged for it, pleaded for him to take her into oblivion like an animal. It felt good. It was satisfying and quenched something primal deep in her core. Staring at the man in front of her, she didn’t know whether to hate him for what he had done, or love him for opening her eyes to her sexual goddess.

“Aren’t you going to say something? You’re supposed to be a master with words. Best-selling author and everything.” Her words were harsh, but she was done being his sexual toy. She wanted answers before she packed up for the final time.

“I’m a bear.” He held his hand forward, quieting her protest. “A real, vicious, living, breathing, bear shifter. It’s who I really am, Riley.”

She swallowed hard. He crouched to the floor and the flames cast a deep shadow over his back.

“I was born a shifter. My brothers and I were born into this life. We didn’t ask for it, though they seem to handle it better than I do.” He paused. “This is a lot to take in. I know it is.”

“Keep going,” she whispered. Her thoughts hadn’t landed on whether this was fact or fiction, she only knew she had to let him speak. Let the husky-laden words fill the room.

“It’s why I’m here. It’s the reason I spend so much time in the cabin. I can be myself here. All of me. The bear and the writer.” His hand landed on her knee and she shuddered at the impact. “Don’t be scared of me, Riley. I won’t hurt you.”

She heard a low rumble from his chest, and the hair along her forearms prickled. This might be for real. He might be an actual fucking bear.

“I don’t know what to think right now.” She wanted to move his hand away, but she was nervous to touch him. Nervous her body would betray her.

“I came up here to escape one of my bear responsibilities.”

“And what was that?” She barely had any life in her voice. Her throat was clamped tightly together.

His eyes locked onto her gaze, searing her with emotion. “To find my mate.”

“Mate?”

“Yes, you.” He rubbed the pad of his thumb against her bottom lip, and she felt an involuntary sigh escape from her mouth. “You’re my mate, Riley. Forever.”

She shook free from the spell. From the heated connection stirring between them. “You keep saying mate, but I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I think I can explain it.” He rose from the floor, taking a step from her. Good, she thought. She could reason through things if he gave her some distance. “See, in the bear shifter world, we have one mate. One fated person we spend forever with.”

“But, I’ve seen you.” She didn’t mean to interrupt. “You’ve been with lots of women. There are pictures of them everywhere.”

He nodded. “True. But they weren’t my mate. I can date. Hell, I can fuck who I want, but there is only one. One I will give everything to.”

His eyes bore into hers.

“And if I haven’t found her in my thirtieth year, then I am free to live a life how I choose. Bear and human. No rules. No mate.”

“So you’re hiding out from women?” It came out almost as a laugh. Riley quickly covered her mouth.

He glared at her. “I’m not scared of women. I was trying to protect her. Whoever she might be. Turns out
she
is
you
.”

“Protect her. I mean me from what?” Riley moved forward, the fear churning in her stomach.

Hudson’s eyes dropped to her stomach. His palm flattened against her shirt.

“From bearing my cubs,” he whispered.

“C-cubs?” She took a step back. “No. No way.” She remembered the sex they had. No protection. Not a single condom. Nothing. She had wanted him to fill her with his release, she begged for it like she needed it to keep breathing. It wasn’t anything she had ever wanted before from another man. But in the moment she thought she’d die if he didn’t fill her with the essence from his cock. She had wanted it over and over.

“Why didn’t you use a fucking condom?” she screamed.

He hung his head. “When a bear finds his mate you don’t use condoms. I asked you. I told you I had to take you.”

“But I didn’t know what in the hell you were talking about. I couldn’t stop myself.” She covered her mouth. “I wanted you from somewhere in me I didn’t know I had.” It had felt out of her control. She would have killed to have him inside her—she knew it. It was epically the best fucking experience of her life.

She closed her eyes. “No. No, this can’t be happening.” She backed up again.

Hudson reached toward her. “It’s ok. We’re in this together. I promise you, Riley…”

But she couldn’t listen. She didn’t think she’d ever want to hear or see another one of Hudson Highland’s words again.

S
he spun on her heels
, running past the couch, down the hall, and tore open the front door. The tears streamed down her face. She raced past the car and climbed through the extended branches on the edge of the driveway, deep in the woods. She picked herself up when she stumbled over a root. Over jagged rocks and down the slippery moss-covered path she ran. Her gut hollow from his words. Her heart aching. Her head searing.

She collapsed on a rock, the sobs wracking her body. “How could he?” she cried. She looked up to see the lake sparkling under the moon. She had run to Hudson’s secret fishing spot.

She pulled her knees to her chest and for a moment looked down at her stomach. Could it be? Could she already be carrying his cubs? She instinctively rubbed her hand over her shirt, and felt a certain warmth spread through her. She smiled amidst the tears and confusion. Through the pain, she pressed against her stomach. Did this really happen?

She had never met a man like Hudson. Never had someone’s energy so directly affected her. Pulling her in, seducing her with sounds and scents. Even when he urged her to leave she couldn’t. Even when she was furious at him and was ready to drive away, she couldn’t. There was more to him than human words could explain.

She looked at the moon above. Was there an answer in any of this confusion that would make sense?

She heard the leaves rustle behind her and whipped her head around, expecting to see Hudson. Of course he would have followed her. He would want to explain more. Try to convince her to give him a chance.

But it wasn’t him. She saw green eyes glowing beneath the limbs and the low growl of a dog. She backed off the rock. Holy shit.

The animal crept forward from the recesses of the forest, licking its lips, pointing its sharp nose at her.

“Nice, wolf,” she stammered. “Nice, wolf.” She felt the edge of the banks, wetting the hem of her jeans. There was no where to go but into the lake. She took another step, the water now at her knees.

The wolf didn’t seem deterred. It pounced forward, splashing the water only a foot in front of her.

Riley screamed, her voice piercing the silent night. There was nothing to grab. No sticks. No loose rocks. It was only her and a hungry wolf.

Just as he bared his teeth again, she heard a roar echo through the trees. She searched in the dark, but the path was still. The wolf flipped in the direction of the trail, ready to fight, when a brown bear emerged, teeth gleaming in the moonlight, claws extended. He reared to a standing position, his chest barreled and massive.

The wolf lunged forward, taking the bear’s fur between its teeth. The bear rolled on its back, shoving the wolf to the ground with a thud. They stood, growling and facing each other with hatred in their eyes.

Riley stared in amazement as they continued to fight. The wolf pouncing and taking bites at the bear, while the bear would swat and slice the wolf with his vicious claws.

Her heart beat rapidly as she watched the battle. She didn’t believe the magic. It couldn’t be real, but as she watched the two animals, she knew she was watching Hudson defend her with his life. There was no doubt he was the man beneath the furry exterior. The man was there beneath the layers, fighting for her with all his strength.

She sank into the lake, the water rising to her hips. There was nowhere else to go. If she walked to the shore, she could get caught in the blades of their battle.

The wolf sank his teeth into the bear’s arm, and Hudson let out a roar. He threw off the attack, sending the wolf into the lake. Riley expected him to get out and attack once more, but the wolf floated to the surface, his eyes meeting hers. He had a new target.

With speed and accuracy, he began swimming toward her. Her eyes grew wide. He was headed for her, and the water was rising around her chest. She began to tread water, but she was no match for the wolf’s quickness.

Just as the tip of his nose reached her chest, his mouth opened and he snatched at her, ripping her shirt. Riley screamed, closing her eyes. He was about to take another bite, when the wolf squealed. He was being pulled under.

Riley swam farther away, watching the bear wrestle the wolf under water, holding it’s snatching jaws below the surface. Within a few minutes the struggle stopped.

She didn’t know whether to call out or whether to stay silent.

The bear swam toward her. She screamed as he gently circled his paws around her wrists, drawing them over his back. Her throat tightened, but as he pressed her close to his chest she felt the fear wash away. She clung to his neck as he swam to shore. Against his fur and massive body she felt safe. There was warmth in his arms.

She searched his eyes for something familiar. Something that was undeniably Hudson. The dark pools of brown glanced at her before he settled her bottom on a rock. She saw it. The strength of his soul speaking to her through the same eyes that had pierced her heart in Hudson’s bed. The man was there too.

He swam back to the center of the lake where he dragged the limp body of the wolf back to shore.

Riley watched in silence as he heaved the dead wolf over his shoulder and disappeared onto one of the trails. She began to shake, the coldness of her wet clothes invading what little warmth was in her body. Her teeth chattered and the goose bumps covered every inch of her flesh.

She tried to think of warm things. The fire back at Highland House. The heat in the sheets of Hudson’s bed. The way the glass of wine warmed her veins. How Hudson’s fingers fired flames between her legs. The sun against her face. She felt her body giving in to the cold. Her eyes began to close.