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  “Oh. God,” she cried out for me again. “More,” she begged.

  I didn’t stop thrusting into her willing, tight body. With my hands holding her, my nails turning into claws, I let the beast free, let him taste the pleasure only our mate could bring forth.

  My balls drew up tight, my orgasm imminent.

  “Yes,” I roared out, my bear flashing forward, my body growing bigger, my bones threatening to break as I shifted.

  I roared out as I came, and came really fucking hard. I filled her with my cum, gave her every last drop that was in my balls, made my mate take all of it, all of me.

  Grunting as the pleasure consumed me, I coated every inch of her pussy until I knew as soon as I pulled out of her our combined fluids would seep out, making a wet spot on the bed.

  My lips were by her neck, my canines elongated, extra saliva pooling in my mouth as the need to mark her ran high in me. I pierced the slender arch of her throat, my teeth sliding into her easily, a low growl leaving me. I was partially shifted, my body bigger, my muscles thicker. My nails were claws, no doubt my eyes glowing. This was my bear right now, taking control, making me primal.

  I broke away from her neck and looked down, seeing the mark on her throat … my mark. She was completely mine now, undeniably.

  “Zakari,” she whispered, her pleasure still coursing through her. The scent of it filled my head, a like warm, floral scent in the summer months.

  Her pussy clenched and relaxed around my semi-hard cock, and when I forced myself to pull out of her tight heat, a hiss left me. Pulling back enough I could look at her cunt, I saw how red and wet she was, how sensitive she must be because of me. I watched my cum and her wetness slip out of her and move down the gorgeous crack of her ass. My cock started stiffening again at the sight.

  The sight of her turned me on like no other. Proprietary feelings slammed into me, ones that would only grow with time, become even more powerful as our mating grew, as our connection strengthened.

  Without thinking, without even realizing what I was doing, I gripped her ass cheeks and spread them wide. I stared at the tight, puckered hole begging for attention. I leaned forward and ran my tongue up the length of her ass crack, the scent of my mark, of her arousal, filling my head. I could smell the slight aroma of flowers and orange blossoms.

  I closed my eyes and groaned as I ran my tongue along her hole, gently probing it, my hands still on the cheeks of her bottom. She cried out, the sound one of pleasure and pain, my claws no doubt digging into her flesh, bruising fingerprints no doubt covering her creamy, peachy flesh.

  I ate her ass out like I was a starving man, like I couldn’t get enough.

  I can’t.

  I never will.

  The low sound that left me was purely animal. As I continued to lick and probe at her asshole, rimmed the fuck out of her, I reached around her belly, felt the heat of her pussy, and touched her clit.

  “Come for me,” I ordered.

  Her back arched and she thrust her ass back against my face as she did just that, as I rubbed her clit back and forth, forcing that orgasm from her until she was wailing her completion. When she sagged forward, now flush with the mattress, her climaxing wringing the energy from her, only then did I pull back.

  Her scent covered my mouth, my cock now big and thick again, hard and ready for more claiming. I cupped her pussy and added pressure, her body sliding up the bed slightly. I stared into her now wide eyes, her lips parted, her breath coming from her in soft pants. I could see—smell—her acceptance of this, of us.

  Leaning in, I wanted her to know the truth, to know exactly what this was, who she belonged to.

  “Mine.”

  Chapter Seven

  Zakari

  One month later

  I knew why she’d wanted to go out tonight, knew what she was going to tell me. I smelled her nervousness, the fact she was trying to act like she wasn’t anxious.

  And even though I was a happy fucker right now, I played it cool.

  I opened the door for Bethany and instantly wrapped my arm around her waist, pulling her in close to my body. We headed toward the front of the restaurant, my bear on alert, the possessive fucker looking for any male who even glanced her way. There were a couple younger guys off to the side smoking cigarettes, and as I inhaled deeply and scented to the fact they were wolf shifters, I wrestled with my possessiveness.

  Mine, my bear said deep within me.

  I moved so she was now on the other side, farthest away from the group of men. Although I knew they wouldn’t try anything, not if they were smart, not if they scented I was a grizzly shifter. They wouldn’t dare to fuck with a mated bear. If I could, I’d keep her locked up in my room and feed her from my hand every day.

  But my female wanted me to wine and dine her, and she called the shots, so whatever she wanted she got. And tonight, that was dinner at her favorite Italian restaurant in town.

  For the last month, I’d hardly let her out of my sight, and it wasn’t just because she was all but living with me now. I said “all but” because we hadn’t officially sat down and talked about it, or more so I hadn’t told her I couldn’t let her leave. But I knew she loved being there, and hell if I didn’t love having her there.

  Although she still worked at the bar, I grudgingly tried to get her to quit. I only wanted her to work if that’s what she really wanted, and not because she thought she needed to. I could take care of her. I wanted to.

  Her grandmother, on the other hand … she could bring the fear of God into me with just a scathing look, and I’d only met the woman once. That had been enough.

  Although Bethany had brought in someone to care for her grandmother full-time, she still visited her a few times a week. I think she did it more because she felt an obligation, or maybe even guilt, than wanting to please her grandmother. Because, truth was, the woman was miserable and brought everyone down with her.

  I held the door open for her and kept my hand on the small of her back as she entered. I looked over at the guys smoking their cigarettes, one of them looking in my direction. I narrowed my eyes and growled low, the sound traveling through the night air. He straightened and turned from me, the warning clear, his submission evident.

  Good. I’d hate to have to put him in his place in front of all his buddies. But, to let him know Bethany was mine, I’d do anything.

  Once we were seated at a table, I stared at her, unable to take my focus off of my mate. She was by far the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen, and every day my feelings for her grew, the connection, the mating pull, stronger than ever.

  “Can I start you off with a bottle of wine?” the waiter asked and produced the wine list. Before he could hand it to Bethany, I cleared my throat and shook my head.

  “No wine, thanks,” I said gruffly and smiled, and although I wasn’t a grinning man, not for pleasantries at least, it probably came out more as a snarl. “Give us a minute.” I knew Bethany was about to give me an earful with my being brisk right then.

  The waiter nodded once before turning and leaving. I turned my attention back to Bethany and saw she looked annoyed. She lifted an eyebrow, and I couldn’t help but chuckle at the fire inside of my mate. God, I loved her.

  “What was that about?”

  I took her hand and brought it to my lips, kissing her knuckles as I stared into her eyes. “I love you,” I said against her flesh and she rolled her eyes. But through her annoyance with me, I saw a slight smirk on her lips.

  “I love you too.” A moment of silence passed and then she leaned back in the chair and looked annoyed. “You know already, don’t you?”

  I didn’t hide my ear-to-ear smile.

  “Dammit, I wanted to surprise you.”

  “Baby, I’m a shifter. There’s no surprising one of us.”

  She rolled her eyes.

  “You doing okay with it, though?”

  She sobered and looked down at her napkin. “Honestly?”

  “Of
course.”

  She glanced up at me. “I was scared as hell at first. I mean, it’s not like we have known each other—”

  “I’ve known you’ve been out there my whole life.” Her cheeks turned pink and I knew my words had embarrassed her. They were the truth, but she was still getting used to this mating. I got that, and I was patient.

  “I thought you’d be upset. I thought I should be more upset. Hell, I thought my dad would freak out but apparently he’s ready to be a grandpa.”

  That made me happy. Although I had yet to meet her father, I’d spoken to him on the phone and explained how everything had happened, and how I wasn’t giving her up. She was my mate for life.

  He was a down-to-earth man, and I liked that. I liked him and was glad he’d given me his blessing to be with his daughter … even if I would have been with my mate regardless. There was no way me or my bear could or would have walked away from her.

  “This is what I’ve always wanted. This is what I’ve waited for.” I had her hand in mine still and moved my thumb along her pulse point. “I waited for you, saved myself for you. Even though I didn’t know what you looked like, who you were, I knew you were out there. And I never gave up hope, never stopped searching.” I brought her hand up to my nose and inhaled deeply. “Your scent is ingrained in my body, in my very cells. You’re a part of me now, forever.” Her breath hitched slightly.

  “I just thought you’d be upset because it was so sudden,” she whispered.

  I was shaking my head before she even finished speaking. “This is my dream come true. You’re my fantasy come to life. All I’ve ever wanted was you, babies, and the love of my mate.” I pulled her hand so she knew to stand. When she was right in front of me I pulled her down onto my lap. She made a slight sound of protest as she looked around, a little embarrassed that I was doing the whole PDA thing.

  “Zakari,” she said, her cheeks pink once more.

  “Look at me, baby.” She did so instantly. “You are the only thing I’ll ever want. You are the only person who makes me whole, happy, and without you there is no future. This baby is a piece of both of us, and you bet your gorgeous fucking ass I’m over the moon about it.” My bear flashed forward and I heard her intake of breath. She saw him, the possessive fucker who’d kill for her. I also smelled the blooming, sweet aroma of her arousal. The grizzly also brought that out in her.

  I grinned and leaned in to nip at her mouth.

  “A baby,” she whispered, and I pulled her impossibly closer. It would never be close enough, but it would have to do. “You sure you’re ready for all of this?”

  “I’ve been ready for all of this my entire life, mate,” I whispered against her ear. “If you thought I was possessive before you carried my child, you haven’t seen anything yet.” I kissed the shell of her ear and felt her shiver. Placing a hand on her belly, I imagined her getting big and round. God, that would look so beautiful on her.

  As if my life couldn’t get any more complete, my mate was carrying my young. Everything had come full circle, and fuck, it was perfection.

  Maddix

  I shoved a few water bottles in my backpack, some trail mix, and a few pieces of fruit. I did this hike every week, something that got me away from everyone and everything, had me in the heart of the mountains, where my bear felt the freest.

  It was the only thing—at this point—that gave me a moment where I wasn’t losing my fucking mind.

  I headed out of my cabin, stepped off the porch, and made my way toward the back property. I’d made this path over the years, the ground worn from my footsteps, from my journey. There was a cave about two hours from the cabin, one that held a small waterfall.

  Sitting in front of that waterfall had me connecting with the earth, with myself. It allowed my bear to come forth and just … breathe.

  Because at this stage in my life it was all I had.

  I had family, my brothers. I had the cabin I’d built with my bare hands, the property that gave me privacy. But it wasn’t enough.

  I used this time to really find out who I was. And so, I did this not just for myself, but to help clear my head, to tell myself that one day I would find my mate, that she was out there. But it was hard being optimistic, feeling like life would finally be complete, that the puzzle pieces would all fall in place.

  With Zakari now mated and happy, his other soul, the other piece of his life found, I wanted to be happy for my brother. I wanted to help him celebrate and be joyous that he’d finally found his female. But a part of me, one that was selfish, a bastard, was jealous. And I hated myself for that.

  I hated the fact that I couldn’t be one hundred percent happy for a member of my family. We all had waited so long, were still waiting, and so another part of me took this hike every week to help realize that it was okay for me to be a little upset and withdrawn.

  It was okay for me to be envious of my brother and what he had, what I might never have.

  Although my mate was out there, it wasn’t a guarantee that I’d find her. Some shifters never found their other halves, and fucking hell did that suck. To go through life wanting one essential thing and never having it. But I’d search for her, go to the ends of the earth, keep looking, hoping that I’d find her.

  And that’s all I could do. Hope.

  But I would fucking find her. I would.

  And when I did find her, there was no going back, no stopping me. I’d claim her and I’d do it hard, fast, so she knew that there was no escaping. I wouldn’t let her go. I wouldn’t be easy and gentle. She’d see the full force of what it meant to be mated to a bear shifter, one who’d waited his whole damn life.

  My bear stirred, rose up as if an angry wave crashed to the surface. He was ready. He’d been ready.

  I felt all that need, all that possession slam into me.

  A virgin grizzly shifter, saving himself for his mate, not even able to get hard for another fucking female. And that’s exactly how I wanted it to be. I only wanted her … whoever she was, wherever she was.

  And I hoped she was ready for me, for everything I had for her. Because a lifetime of pent-up arousal was one wild fucking thing.

  Epilogue

  Zakari

  Seven years later

  I was busy working under the hood of my truck when I heard the children’s laughter. Bracing my hands on the edge, I lifted my head and looked out into the clearing where I saw the triplets, Brody, Willa, and Trevor, all playing.

  My children. Two boys and a girl.

  The lights of my life, the reason I worked so damn hard, to provide for them.

  They were rolling around in the grass, Brody and Trevor so like me and their uncles in their recklessness. And Little Willa, playing in the sandbox I’d made her, was the spitting image of Bethany. I had to smile at that, so glad that our little girl looked just like her beautiful mother.

  I’d built that play yard as soon as they’d been born, even though they hadn’t been able to use it for years, I’d wanted to have something prepared and ready for when they could run around. And when they got older, they’d used it every day.

  I looked over to the side where Bethany was crouched low, picking peas from the garden. She’d built that little patch herself, cleared it out, tilled it, and planted all the vegetables that currently grew in abundance. I was so proud of her, loved her more every day, and I knew my life wouldn’t be complete without her and our children in it. Willa ran toward the swing, laughing at her brothers as they wrestled.

  I heard Willa start to cry and snapped my head in her direction. My bear rose up protectively. I saw her on the ground cradling her knee, and I knew she’d fallen off of the swing. I was by her side a second later, scooping her tiny body into my arms and walking over to the picnic table just a few feet away.

  Sitting down with her in my lap, I gently pushed her hand away to see her knee, a red and angry scrape covering her peach-colored skin. I kissed the top of her head and whispered that everything would
be okay, that Mama would be here soon to help clean her scrape and put a princess bandage on it.

  And sure enough, Bethany was by us only moments later, a small first aid kit in her hand as she crouched in front of our daughter. She cleaned up Willa’s knee and had her favorite princess bandage on it only a moment later. And just like that our baby girl was all smiles. She hopped off my lap and ran back to her sandbox.

  Bethany stood, but before she could get away I reached out and curled my hand around her hip, pulling her in close so she was now sitting on my lap. I took the first aid kit from her and set it behind me on the table. I cupped her cheek and turned her head, so she was looking right at me.

  I leaned in close to kiss her deeply. My heart was full and my life was complete. The sound of our children growling had me chuckling and pulling away. We both looked over at the triplets and saw the boys had already turned into their bears. They were cute little brown grizzly cubs, more like fur balls if I were being honest.

  But they were our little fur balls.

  I grinned and shook my head, their clothing tattered remains around them as they wrestled and rolled on the ground. They were still learning, not fully having control over when they shifted, but growing bolder the older they got.

  As I held my wife and the mother of my children, stared out at the beautiful babies we’d created, I knew that life couldn’t get any better than this.

  But then, as the faint scent of something powerful, something intimate, filled my head, I knew life could get even better. I looked over at Bethany, my bear growling in approval. I hadn’t noticed it at first because I’d been occupied with Willa, and also because Bethany was only a few weeks along. Hell, she probably didn’t even realize it.

  I placed a hand on her belly and grinned as I watched her eyes widen. She glanced down at where my hand was.

  “What?” she said softly.

  I nodded my answer. “Another little grizzly shifter.” I grinned. Fuck, I was happy. I would be content to have this woman barefoot and pregnant, having a whole little clan of cubs running around.