The Soul of a Bear Page 5

  “- ayla… Babe - ,” Paul’s voice snapped me out of my daze, and I whipped to face him before shaking my head wildly. “Are you ready to order?”

  “Uh – uh – yeah …” Heat flushed my cheeks even while I prattled off what I wanted, and I watched the waitress walk off with our menus through blown pupils. Paul took my hand, his eyes searching and curious when I met them, and I pulled my lips between my teeth before speaking up. “She’s pregnant … I wonder if she knows …”

  “You’ve never smelled a pregnant woman before?” Embarrassment burned my cheeks and ears at the question, and Paul chuckled even as I nodded furiously.

  “Of course … I just - I’ve never been so close to one before. It just surprised me. It’s not like I’m an idiot, but I sometimes forget that humans can get pregnant at any time.” Paul nodded firmly, in understanding but didn’t let go of my hand, and I slowly flipped his palm to trace his roughened, hard flesh. Decades of work were in his hands, and a comfortable silence settled between us before he broke it.

  “Speaking of, it’ll be winter soon. How do you deal with that? It’s one of those times of the year that Jon and I don’t have much contact since my work gets so busy.”

  “Hibernation.” For the first time, I realized how tough having a human mate was going to be, and I sighed heavily as Paul trained his intense, dark eyes on me. “Not like that. I just will sleep a lot - like, eighty percent of the time - days at a time. When I get hungry, I’ll wake up, but it won’t be for more than a few hours. I usually go to my mom’s house since she has a basement - it feels better.”

  Which means we won’t be spending too much time together. My thought was written on Paul’s face, and my small smile was filled with guilt. Not that I can do anything about it. Damn, crap instincts.

  Chapter Nine: McKayla

  “So, this is my place.” Nerves tightened my chest, as I led Paul into my rather large efficiency apartment, and I kicked off my shoes stiffly before shutting the door behind us. My room was moderately clean to the point that it didn’t stress me out, still, it was obviously lived in. The coffee table at the end of my king-sized bed had mail scattered across it, and an empty mug sat on the window sill less than a foot away.

  That was right next to a pile of cigarette butts in a glass ashtray, and I jumped to toss it out of the open window, but I was too late. When I turned around, Paul was watching me from under arched brows.

  “I don’t smoke - I had a friend over a few days ago and forgot to throw them out.” My excuse sounded like a big, fat lie despite being true, but Paul didn’t try to call me out as he closed the few feet between us. Holding my breath in quivering lungs, a strangled whimper lodged in my throat when his palms cupped my cheeks.

  Paul’s kiss sent shockwaves rippling violently down my neck and chest, and he pushed his tongue impatiently past my teeth. Wrapping my arms weakly around his shoulders, I gave in to his erotic probing as his tongue tangled with mine. Sweeping along the roof of my mouth, he left a thick trail of saliva in his wake that caused my taste buds to tingle. His chapped lips stole my breath, and I shuttered my eyelids tight as he forced me back.

  My knees hit the edge of my bed, and Paul cupped the back of my head while his other hand slid down to grab my thigh. Moaning softly, I hopped up to wrap my legs around his waist and grind against the bulge in his jeans. He had no hair to grab onto, but my fingers found no problems gripping his shirt. Even with the fabric between us, the thick muscles shifting just under his skin played against my fists, and I pulled and tugged in a mindless, wordless request.

  “Tasty –” Paul broke our contact only for the shortest, most frantic second, to tear off his shirt, before he attacked my neck with sloppy, open-mouthed kisses. A hot pink mist invaded my mind, and I shivered and groaned when he flicked my artery with the tip of his tongue.

  He knew just which buttons to push, and an experienced body lowered me onto my bed to drape over me. The heat of him seeped into my flesh, and goose bumps prickled my skin when his harsh, cold breathe swept down between my breasts.

  Following the trail he’d created, Paul made his way to my chest as it heaved in gasping pants. His hand on my thigh sailed heavily around my hip and up, dragging my dress along, and I lifted my hips with a moan. Compared to his touch, my cotton dress felt silky smooth and his fingertips crept up without so much as a shiver to halt their journey north.

  “Oh-h… yeah-h-“I moaned loudly when Paul squeezed my breast, arching into his touch and tossing my head in ecstasy. He kneaded the tight, heavy globe while his free hand unfastened the zipper down my right side, and he groaned against my sternum before lifting his head. His eyes were almost black, darkened from need, and my breath caught in my throat at how beautiful he was.

  “Turn around and put your ass in the air, McKayla.” My muscles jumped to do what Paul demanded, and as I shuffled unsteadily, he tugged at my dress. Once freed, I shivered from expectation while he tossed the fabric to the floor to tease my calves with the feathery sensation of his fingertips. “You’re not going to punch me if I touch your ass, are you?”

  “No!” Cracking, my voice escaped my throat as a squawk and I wagged my hips automatically. The heat in my abdomen spilled over into my lace, cream-colored panties, and Paul wasted no time pulling the fabric between my butt cheeks. His lips and teeth assaulted my quivering flesh, and I gripped the sheet underneath me and slid my knees farther apart in wanton need.

  Slowly making his way to my center, Paul groaned and squeezed as his saliva dribbled down my thigh. Friction burned my clit and waves of pleasure, thick with anticipation crashed into my heart as he tugged my panties up and down. Licking the thick liquid that stained almost to my knees, he moved my panties to the side as was I reduced to a quivering, needy mess.

  “Hah-!” I arched sharply as cold air and saliva hit my flushed, aching folds, and I barely had time to breathe, after my high-pitched moan, before Paul’s tongue surged past my entrance. His teeth grazed my clit, his hands gripped my butt cheeks with bruising force, to keep me in place, and I buried my moans in my mattress. Tonguing my trembling inner walls, his groans and grunts sent shockwaves down my thighs, and I popped my ass out automatically as moan after moan escaped my throat.

  “Suck my cock, Babe.” I was panting harshly and blood roared in my ears, but, even then, Paul’s demand couldn’t be drowned out. I glanced behind me from under heavy lids, and my slightly blurred vision became sharper as he shirked off his jeans. His cock sprang free, thick and red, causing saliva to flood my dry mouth and my core throbbed wildly in expectation.

  Paul didn’t have a cock that worried me with its size and I could wrap my hand around it, comfortably when he shuffled in front of me. Looming over me, perched high on his knees, he tangled his fists in my hair tightly as I balanced on one arm.

  I wrapped my tongue around the bulbous, spongy head of his cock, groaning at the dry, manly taste of him that shot to the back of my mouth and down my spine. Saliva eased his push past my teeth, and his low groan sounded in my ears as he thrust. Whimpers and small moans slipped around his length as I took him deeper, and he tugged on my hair before withdrawing. My lips trembled against his silky, hot skin, and I pumped the base of his cock and sucked in a sharp breath through my nose.

  “Oh, God - yes…” Catching his fiery gaze, I feasted on the sight of all of Paul’s muscles bunching and shifting under the coarse, sparse hairs that coated his chest. I slid down his length, hollowing out my cheeks to suck, and a pleased groan burst from his throat as he jerked his hips forward. His sac slapped against my chin, and I closed my eyes to focus on the feel of him.

  I shivered as raging lust flooded my veins, and I took in the glory that was my mate, as he pushed saliva out from between my cheeks to dribble down my neck. With each thrust, his grunts grew lower, more intense, and I ground shamelessly against my mattress as his pleasure elevated my own.

  All too soon, Paul yanked my head back, and I gasped for air as he sat b
ack against the wall to pull me onto his lap. My body moved without thought, and my lips sought his while his hand slipped between my open, quivering thighs. Thick, rough fingers parted my drenched folds, spreading the moisture and fumbling with the crotch of my panties.

  There wasn’t time to remove the annoying underwear properly, and I reached between us to palm his cock. My core ached, weeping sweet juices, and Paul thrust up as I sunk down, until the head of his cock pressed insistently against my entrance. Taking a deep, shuddering breath, I cupped his face as his hand gripped my ass hard, and our tongues danced when I finally slid down.

  Even as they rolled, my eyes threatened to bulge out of their sockets as he filled me comfortably. A prickling, cold sensation reverberated through every bone in my body, and I wrapped my arms around Paul’s neck and clenched my knees against his hips.

  “Yea-a-as-s-!” I hissed out a moan as Paul thrust. I ripped my head away to throw it back in the throes of ecstasy. His cock caressed my walls, his head reaching that spot, so easily that I came nearly came undone. “Oh- oh God…”

  “T- tight -“Paul stuttered slightly against my throat, and groaned breathlessly as I moved in time to his steady pace. My heart struggled to beat properly with each thrust, and he pulled my head up to mash his lips onto mine. Our kiss was frantic, words lost under the moans and grunts of our symphony, and I dug my fingernails into his sweat-slicked flesh to move in earnest.

  Toppling in mere seconds, Paul rolled onto his back, and I braced my palms against his chest to ride him. Rolling and dipping, I lost myself around him as he groped my breasts shamelessly. Hoarse half-words escaped his throat under my moans, and he slid his hands down to grip my hips and force me down harder.

  “Take my cock, Babe- take it - take it - take I t- take I t- take it…” My strangled scream drowned out Paul’s demands, and my final vestige of self-control slipped from my grasp. The orgasm that hit me sent my body into uncontrolled spasms, and I clamped down on his cock as he held me in strong arms to thrust hard and fast. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t hear, and white washed behind my tightly shuttered eyelids as I came with a fury.

  The episode refused to die completely, even when I managed a choking gasp, and I would’ve fallen backwards if Paul wasn’t holding me up. His harsh pants flurried around me like a disorientating gale as he jostled until I was underneath him. Slithering around him to hold him close, my arms trembled while his hips nestled between my thighs, and his lips met mine sweetly.

  Paul’s thrust stole my breath as I moaned into his mouth, and my knees jerked up. Carefully propping my legs against his elbows, he set deep, easy strokes that only stoked the raging fire in my abdomen.

  “Open your eyes for me, Babe.” Whispering hoarsely from above, Paul ground his hips against mine in a thrust that caused pleasure to choke me. Forcing my eyelids apart, I moaned pathetically before something sharp pierced my vision. Snapping open fully, my eyes widened at the fevered glimmer in his orbs.

  It almost looked… wild.

  Chapter Ten: Paul

  I fiddled with my phone as the familiar sound of water slapping on tile droned in my ears, I couldn’t wipe my smile off my face. I scrolled through my texts from Jon, and still smirking, even as my memories supplied me with the thoughts that went into my cautious conversations about his mate.

  How could I even begin to comprehend what was between them? Even worse, I had inserted my opinion where I now knew it didn’t belong. My concern for my best friend had blinded me to the fact that his wasn’t a normal relationship, and guilt seeped into my chest.

  If I felt this way as a human, how must he feel?

  “Paul - are you coming in or not, because I’m almost done …” McKayla’s drawling, suggestive tease caused my ears to twitch, but I only shook my head despite the fact that she couldn’t see me. She was a sex-fiend, and that alone was incredibly attractive.

  But, there was another part of her I wanted to explore, and her glorious tits covered in soap weren’t included.

  “I already told you I’m not, Babe.” My smirk widened at her audible whining from beyond the bathroom door, and I kept my gaze on my phone as I typed out a text to Jon. The short sentence was simple, but I hoped it got my point across because I wasn’t going to repeat myself.

  Paul: I apologize for being skeptical of Lucy.

  Tapping the ‘Send’ button, I had enough time to inhale deeply before Jon sent an equally simple text. His reply was only two words, but a horrible weight lifted off my chest, and I straightened my back and rolled my shoulders.

  Jon: I accept.

  “What are you doing saying ‘No’ to this, huh?” My eyes whipped up, and my pupils narrowed into fine points as McKayla gestured to her own, naked, body. She’d dried off, but small droplets of water dripped from her long hair to slip between her breasts. For a long moment, I did nothing but appreciate what she was showing me, and she sauntered towards the bed with a deep sway to her gait and a naughty smile tilting her swollen lips.

  “I want you to shift. I want to meet your bear - properly.” My request sent McKayla’s brows up in surprise; her sultry display temporarily frozen, with one knee on the edge of the mattress. The sight pulled a chuckle from me, and I crawled over to her to lay flat on my back. “I mean, it’s not fair that you get all the attention, right?”

  “Uh – okay - I mean, yeah … totally fair …” Sputtering slightly, McKayla took several steps back, and I watched from the wrong side up as her expression morphed into tender affection. Her shift was quick, but I’d watched Jon so many times that I knew what to expect.

  McKayla’s bear was beautiful in a majestic, proud kind of way, and her shaggy, light brown coat shimmered with health. The floor creaked in protest against her weight, but I stayed still as she watched me through intelligent, large eyes. All she had to do to reach me was lean forward, and her groan reverberated underneath the carpet and up the bed frame.

  The beast was big, but I knew that she wasn’t massive by any means; McKayla was average-sized, and there was nothing wrong with that. Grinning wide as she nosed the crown of my head, I reached up to slide my fingers up into her jowls.

  “There she is.” I murmured as the creature shuffled closer, I closed my eyes and held my breath as she nuzzled my face forcefully. “Yeah … who’s my girl, huh?”

  A gruff grunt answered my question, and I huffed a laugh before McKayla’s beast turned to offer her side. The whole situation should’ve brought me to tears of laughter, as I rolled up and sat on my knees; this huge creature in this tiny apartment, and I was borderline sexually attracted to her.

  Which was fucked up in its own way.

  “You like that?” Combing my fingers through her coarse, thick fur, I only laughed when she grumbled and leaned into me. The bed buckled under her weight, and I smiled fondly when she started rubbing against it while I caressed her back.

  Our time together only lasted about five minutes, but it was more than enough for me. Reluctance shone in McKayla’s beast’s eyes before she retreated, and her human took her place. Smiling goofily at her, I didn’t protest when McKayla sidled up to me to place a sweet kiss on my lips. The contact wasn’t sexually charged at all, and I cupped her cheek to thumb the contours there, before we broke apart.

  “That was nice of you, Paul. You have no idea how many times I’ve heard about humans that aren’t comfortable with their mate’s beast… it’s asinine.” I pulled McKayla onto the bed with me and held her to my side as memories bombarded my mind’s eye. Pursing my lips together tightly, I tried to beat down the disdain that was building in my chest, before speaking up.

  “Actually, I do kind of have an idea. I remember when Jon met his first ever potential mate - she was a human. We were … what, like, eighteen? Fresh out of high school and still not in college … Anyway, they dated for months and he thought she was the one. She was great, but, it all fell apart when he told her; showed her, what he was. I was there for moral support, but it just wen
t to shit so fast I couldn’t do anything to help. She didn’t even try to deny what she saw, but she was just so shocked - you know the deal. So, a week goes by, and she’s somewhat over it - she wants to try. The thing was, she never even wanted to know when Jon shifted. She didn’t want to do anything outdoorsy with him. It lasted a month or so before he just broke it off. It took him a long, long time to date again, and then he ended up with this bitch shifter Claire - that’s a whole other mess.”

  A soft hum followed my story, and I blew out a hot breath; that whole incident still pissed me off. Both with that girl whose name I couldn’t even remember anymore, and with Claire. In hindsight, Lucy wasn’t so bad. At least she was too insecure to leave him, but that thought only left a bitter taste on my tongue.

  “I never put much into potential mates. A couple of times, a male would try to come at me, but I got my ass out of that quick. There are so many stories of potential mates with ‘good’ bonds working out, but there are so many more where they don’t. Bears do have ‘the one’; it’s just harder to find them.” I replied with a hum of my own, and stared at the ceiling through dazed eyes. “And Jon and his family didn’t mind you knowing?”

  “Nah -” I answered immediately, cracking a smile as my childhood surfaced in my mind’s eye. “My mom was always busy working to support us, and my brother was being a pissy troublemaker. Jon and I lived next to each other, so we were friends since we got home from the hospital. Our mothers were friends, too, even though I don’t think my mom knows. It was never really a secret, per say, since I started realizing something was off when we were, like, nine years old … but no one really came out and said anything specific until after I witnessed Jon shifting for the first time.”