Bear with Me (Half-breed Shifter Series) Read online

  Having his hatred would be so much worse than simply being his platonic friend.

  As soon as she was done, she shoved at his chest, crushed because now everything between them was ruined.

  “Rhea,” he started, his voice hoarse, but he let her have her way. He slid out of her—for the first time since they’d started their marathon sex together—and she rolled away putting her back to him as she hugged herself.

  “Please.” He touched her back, but she shrugged him off. What if that was only the mating heat talking? It had to be because he’d never been like this with her before.

  “Don’t. Touch. Me,” she whispered shakily.

  He removed his hand with a sigh and collapsed on his back beside her. They lay like that for minutes, hours...well, maybe not hours. She was still too fresh into her heat to go that long without needing more sex. It was probably more like forty-five seconds.

  But she went for as long as she could last. Next to her, Brick growled, “Damn it, Rhea. You’re going to hurt yourself if we don’t do something...soon.”

  She hated how he could feel how much she needed it, how he needed it as much as she did...because they were fucking mated now. She’d wanted him to come to her of his own free will.

  But he was probably suffering right now, because she sure as hell was. She needed his cock, deep... so deep, moving and rubbing against her. Which meant he needed it too.

  Not wanting him to hurt as much as she was, she rolled from her side to her belly and hiked up her ass, so he wouldn’t have to look her in the eyes. She just couldn’t look in his eyes right now. What if she saw regret? “Just...do it.”

  “Rhea...” he started, his voice hesitant but strained. See, he didn’t want to want her.

  She reached down her hand and rubbed her clit, her body growing more and more aroused by the second. It hurt because she needed a penis during her mating heat to truly appease any aches, but she knew it’d put him over the edge.

  “Damn it,” he muttered. “Stop hurting yourself.” He grabbed her hips and yanked her ass backward, impaling her with his hard, hot length.

  Oh, God, yes! She moaned out her pleasure and surged back against him, relishing each and every plunge. “More. Brick, more...”

  He buried his fingers in her hair and tugged her head back as he fucked her from behind. It made her chest arch out and her breasts ache, wanting to be squeezed and pinched.

  “Say you want me,” he ordered in her ear.

  “I want you,” she complied, wanting his cock deep, deep, even deeper but also wanting his true affections.

  “Now tell me you’re mine.”

  She bit her lip, refusing.

  His fingers bit down more firmly on her hair. “God damn it, Rhea. I swear, I will stop fucking you right now if you don’t say it. If you have ever felt anything for me, you will tell me you’re mine.”

  Rhea pulled in a sharp breath, her eyes flying open wide. Ever since his mother had shoved him so harshly out of her life, Brick’s biggest fear had always been rejection from the ones he loved the most. He’d confided that to Rhea years ago.

  Remembering the scared, lost boy her father had brought into town one quiet night, she bowed her eyes and said, “I’m yours, Brick. I’m all yours.” She could never hurt him with any kind of rejection. And besides, it was the complete truth.

  He let out a whimper and bit her on the neck, remarking her all over again. And not because he had to—because the itching need to mark a mate only came over a shifter once in their life—but because he wanted to. Joy swelled in her breasts. He wanted her, he truly wanted her.

  The re-sealing of their bond triggered an orgasm, and as her body shuddered, her own canines elongated. The first part of him she saw was his arm where he had his hand braced in the mattress by her face, so she leaned toward him and bit his wrist, tasting his essence and coming even harder as he shouted out his triumph and filled her with his seed.

  Chapter Five

  Five minutes after Rhea had bit him, Brick was still floating off his mating high. She’d fucking bit him, marking him as hers just as he’d marked her as his. Lifting his hand, he studied the petite bite mark on his wrist. Damn, even that looked sexy. But then, his Rhea couldn’t do a thing that didn’t look hot.

  She turned onto to her side, facing him. And yep, that was hot too. With a big happy grin, she rolled her eyes. “You are way too obsessed with that mark.”

  “I’m thinking about cutting off my arm and dry-freezing it so I can have this sucker framed.”

  “Yuck! I refuse to hang body parts on my wall...or have a one-armed mate.”

  He glanced over at, her his mouth falling open. My wall? “Shit. That’s right. We will be living together after this, won’t we?” Then he cringed. “Damn, I don’t know about that. It’s going to be hard living with a slob like you.”

  Okay, fine. So he was the slob and she was the neat freak.

  “Oh...you.” Rhea grabbed a pillow and slapped him in the face. He growled and leapt on her, tackling her onto her back onto the bed, and pinning her down with his body.

  His cock hardened, but he didn’t slide inside her when she whimpered and opened her legs for him. Instead, he just studied her face, amazed this was really happening. Expecting to wake up any second, he grabbed a handful of sheets and swooped the blanket over their heads until they were tented under it and covered completely.

  “Remember when we used to make blanket forts together in your parents living room?”

  She nodded, her blue eyes alive with delight as she grinned up at him. “Dane and Brynn would always poop out and leave way before we did.”

  “One night, we stayed up late, laying on our stomach and facing each other while we rested our chins in her hands and talked until dawn.”

  “I remember,” she whispered, her eyes alight with affection. “I swear we talked about everything that night.”

  He shook his head. “Not everything. I never did tell you how much I wanted to kiss you that night. Or do this.”

  He sank his cock into her slowly, and her eyes widened as her body accepted him, hugging his length tight in her womb.

  “I never actually thought that wish would come true.” He pulled his cock almost all of way out before he gradually eased back in. Hesitantly, he leaned down and hovered his mouth over hers, waiting for her to accept him again, almost expecting her rejection.

  Except his Rhea had never been able to reject him. Not even when he’d stolen her right to pick her own mate. She looped her arms around his neck and lifted her mouth to press it against his. His tongue wetted the seam of her lips, and she opened, letting him in, accepting more of him.

  God, he loved her.

  Slowly working his tongue and cock in rhythm, going in and out at the same time, Brick made love to his mate, wanting her to feel every single inch of him. She wrapped her legs around his waist and dug her heels into his ass. Hauling her into his arms, he sat them upright so she was straddling his lap. The sheets slipped down over his shoulders but their bodies remained united.

  He filled her until heat spread up from his balls and out the tip of his dick. This orgasm was slow and warm but lasted forever. When he filled her, he instinctively knew they’d just created new life together. And as she rested her head on his shoulder afterward, he held her close.

  “I’m glad it was you,” she said again, making his whole life worth living.

  ***

  “Oh, my God. I’m about to crawl the fucking walls.”

  Rhea polished off the last pork rib her mom had left on a plate by the door and wiped her mouth. “We could leave any time, you know. It’s at least five hours between each heat wave now. I think we could—”

  “No fucking way,” Brick growled as he continued to prowl and pace the room. If she didn’t know any better, she’d swear he had some cat in him. Bears didn’t usually get this restless. In fact, couldn’t they sleep in one spot for weeks at a time?

  “We’ve only
had five days of this. Aren’t mating heats supposed to last like two weeks? I want my full two weeks of nothing but you. And besides, you’re dad’s going to kill me the minute we walk out of this room. I’d like to prolong my life for as long as possible, thank you very much. Even if it’s only for a few days longer.”

  Rhea sighed. “He’s not going to—”

  “You didn’t see his face the first time I marked you. I swear to God, Rhea. He’s going to kill me.”

  “You know what you need?” She strolled to him and took his face in her hands.

  He let out a delicious growl and his eyes heated with desire. Stepping in closer to her, he guessed, “To fuck you against this wall?”

  “Mmm.” She licked her lips. “That too. But first...you need to let your animal out to play, baby. You haven’t done that once since my heat started. The poor guy probably feels suffocated.”

  Brick let out a bitter laugh. “Yeah right. My huge bumbling bear would rip this poor, tiny room to shreds.”

  With a grin, Rhea rubbed her nose against his. “It’s too bad you don’t have a smaller animal...like mine.” Leaping away from him, she morphed into her jaguar and gave him a hiss before vaulting around the room.

  He shook his head and chuckled. “Cut it out, you tease. You know I can’t...”

  But Rhea refused to relent. No mate of hers was going to suffer from cabin fever. Darting close enough to slide her tail along his leg, she zipped away again, knowing the predator in him wouldn’t be able to deny her blatant challenge to a hunt.

  Looking up at the ceiling, he tapped his toe and folded his arms over his chest. “Nope,” he said to the ceiling. “Not going to do. Not going to fall for that one.”

  So Rhea did it again, rubbing her hindquarters against his thigh this time. When she tried to escape him again, he lunged after her. “Damn it,” he muttered, making her laugh in her head because she knew she was winning. “That tail is mine, kitten.”

  He pounced, literally pounced after her. Rhea took off in delight, loving the chase. She glanced back, knowing he’d be in his animal form. But she was expecting to see a bear...not another jaguar.

  Letting out a startled scream, she tripped on a rug and went tumbling forward, landing in her naked human form. “What the hell?” she squawked trying to sit up and whirl around at the same time. But Brick had returned to his human form as well.

  “Baby?” His eyes were worried as he crouched beside her. “Are you okay? What’s wrong?”

  She shook her head, only able to gape at him. “I...you...Did you just turn into a...jaguar?”

  He pulled back, staring at her as if she’d gone insane. “No. You know my animal’s a bear.”

  “But...no.” She swung her head back and forth. “A bear was not what was chasing me just now. It was a freaking jaguar.”

  He sat back on his haunches, just staring at her. “Are you sure?”

  “Umm...yeah. It’s kind of hard to confuse a jaguar with a bear.”

  “But...” Now he was the one shaking his head. “Okay, I was wishing I could be a jaguar when I leapt after you, but...I’m a bear. I know I’m a bear.”

  “What if you’re both? Dane’s mate, Ari, is both a deer and a wolf.”

  His eyebrows lifted. “Really? I didn’t even know that was possible.”

  “Sure. It’s just rare. Mostly when two shifter species breed, the more dominant one will carry through to the child. But sometimes, a minor form will carry through too, making you duo-animagous.”

  “Well, shit. I had no idea.”

  “Try it again.” Growing eager, Rhea sat up on her knees, watching in fascination as he drew in a long breath and pop, turned into a jaguar, a full black-coated one, just like brother.

  “Oh, my God. You’re beautiful.” She reached out a hand, cooing as she buried her fingers into his sleek pelt. Brick purred and arched against her, approving of the way she stroked him.

  “I can’t believe you’re just now discovering you had a minor form. It must’ve been pretty diluted.”

  Brick nudged his nose into her arm, and she realized he wanted to her change too, so both of their animals could play. “Oh, you want to chase me again, do you?”

  When he nodded his cat head, she grinned. “Well, good luck catching me, mate. I’m one fast pussy.”

  With that, she sprang away from him, turning in mid-air before she landed on all fours. He dashed after her with a hearty snarl. She wasn’t expecting his speed, and had to scramble away clumsily. He caught her in seconds, and even though it irritated her, it also pleased the hell out of her. Damn, but her man was good.

  Playfully nipping at her neck, he mounted her from behind, reveling in his conquest. When his loins brushed against hers, Rhea couldn’t help but to react.

  Just like that, another heat wave struck. With a hissing growl, Brick brushed his fully hardened cock across her pussy again, except this time, it was no accident.

  ***

  Ten minutes later, Rhea collapsed onto the bed, landing on her back and staring up at the ceiling in awe. An embarrassed heat flushed her cheeks. “I cannot believe we just did that.”

  Brick only chuckled as he flopped down beside her. “What? Had sex?”

  She turned to stare at him with wide eyes. “In our animal forms,” she whispered the confession.

  “So? You’ve never done that before?”

  With a gasp, she slapped his arm. “Hell, no! Are you saying you have?”

  “Well, no. I never met another bear shifter, and I didn’t even know I was part jaguar until now, so I really hadn’t gotten the opportunity to.”

  “But...don’t you feel naughty?” She was back to whispering.

  He leaned in close and whispered back. “Why? We were both in our animal fur. We were both the same species. And wait for it...we’re mates. What’s the big deal?”

  “I don’t know. I just...I always thought it’d be...wrong.”

  “Because we’re also human?”

  She bobbed her head and then burrowed into him, hiding her face in his chest. “Well, we’re also jaguars too, baby. And jaguars do it. So, why can’t we in our jaguar form?”

  When she mumbled something in response that she didn’t really want him to hear, he leaned in close and said, “What was that? I didn’t hear you?”

  Clearing her throat, she lifted her face, but grew too embarrassed again. “I said I liked it,” she mumbled against his chest.

  “Oh, baby.” He sank his fingers into her hair. “I did too. I always like it with you.”

  Finally, she was able to look up into his warm, brown eyes. “It was different,” she admitted, “I mean, it felt...not really like human sex. But it was still good. I think...” And she had to duck her face again. “I think I’d like to do it again sometime.”

  His cock sprang to life against her thigh. “Right now?”

  Well, he was obviously on board with that idea. But it was still too new and embarrassing for her. “No! Not right now. Just...later. Maybe once a year...Or month.”

  He just grinned and stroked his fingers over her face. “As often as you want it, baby. I’m here to make sure you get everything your precious heart desires.”

  Rhea kissed his lips softly, once against grateful it was Brick who’d ended up here like this, even experiencing the tantalizing yet embarrassing parts with her. “I don’t think I ever would’ve been able to try anything like this with anyone else.” Threading her fingers through his, she held onto his hand and gazed into his eyes. “Only with my best friend. I love you so much, Brick.”

  He gulped audibly, and his eyes went moist. “Jesus, Rhea. I love you too. Fuck, I think that’s the first time anyone’s said those three words to me since I was living with my mother.”

  “Well, it’s not the first time I’ve felt it.” Pressing her forehead to his, Rhea rolled him into his back and climbed onto his lap, straddling him. “You know I’ve loved your for years.”

  “Yeah, as a friend. But ev
en then, you never actually said it before.” He gazed up at her, his brown eyes warm with awe.

  “Well, then I’m saying it now. Again and again, I love you, Brick Lowery, half-breed bear and jaguar. I love you as my best friend, and as my lover and mate.”

  When she came down on him, he arched up, his mouth gaping open and his eyes bulging.

  “God damn,” he muttered, “You feel so good around me. You always feel so fucking good.”

  Taking her shoulders, he lifted her up just enough to suck her nipples into his mouth. His teeth scraped over sensitive skin while his cock plundered and dove deep.

  “I love you,” she told him again, each time he thrust. “I love you so much.”

  “Rhea,” he groaned, bucking under her.

  “Take me, Brick. I’m yours. I’m all yours.”

  Flipping her onto her back, he came over her and thrust into her hard, his eyes alight with fever. “Mine,” he growled.

  “Bite me again.” She didn’t have to repeat the pleaded words; he lunged at her throat and punctured her pale skin.

  She screamed out her orgasm and jerked his wrist to her mouth to remark him one more time herself.

  Chapter Six

  “Are you ready for this?”

  Brick took Rhea’s hand and blew out an unsteady breath. “Fuck, no. But let’s do it, anyway.”

  “It’s time to face the world,” she announced as she opened the door to their love nest.

  Brick almost expected his new father-in-law to be standing on the other side, gun loaded and aimed, ready to start making his bear rug. The light in the basement den was on, but the room was empty. Whew. Thank God.

  Two weeks and three days had passed since he’d entered Rhea’s kinky torture chamber. And Brick felt like a completely different person than the one who’d entered it. He’d been so cocky and self-assured when he’d come to the Griffin house to spend Rhea’s confinement time with her. But now, uncertainties raced through his bloodstream. And Rhea’s father was actually the last thing to bother him.