An Alpha's Tempest (Water Bear Shifters 4) (8 page)

Ben taxied the tiny Cessna into the waiting hangar, and killed the engine, happy to have the flight over and done with. He loved flying, but he had a hard time concentrating on anything but Rhythm when she was sitting right next to him. Her smile and laugh were intoxicating, and every time he took a chance on acting a little bit flirty, she seemed to respond positively.

He wanted so badly to pull her into his arms and hold her close, stroking her long, silky hair and feeling her body pressed against his. But he obviously couldn’t do that while flying a plane, and he doubted there would be many chances to make a move over the next day. They were here for a somber occasion, and he didn’t want to let his own desires get in the way of honoring a bear who had passed.

But, oh, how strong those desires were. They seemed to grow and intensify with every passing minute. The more time he spent around Rhythm, the harder it was to get her out of his head. Ben sighed and put on the most neutral expression that he could, then reached over to help Rhythm open the door and exit the plane. When his skin brushed her skin, he felt a jolt of electricity shooting through his body, centering itself on the area between his legs.

Tomorrow was going to be a long day.

Sawyer was waiting for them in the far corner of the hangar, and Ben gave himself a mental pep talk. He had to get himself together and focus on the task at hand. He needed to speak with Sawyer about plans for tracking down the scientists, and he needed to help Rhythm through the funeral tomorrow. He had a feeling that it was going to be an emotional experience for her.

“Ben, Rhythm,” Sawyer called out to them in greeting. “Good to see you again. Thanks for coming out.”

“It’s our pleasure,” Ben said, reaching out to shake Sawyer’s massive hand. It was almost comical how large grizzly shifters were, even next to a giant panda shifter like himself.

Sawyer shook Rhythm’s hand next, and planted a kiss on the top of her hand. “My lady,” he said. “Thank you for coming. It means a lot to Evan’s family.”

Ben felt himself bristling with jealousy as he watched Sawyer’s lips touch Rhythm’s hand, even though he could tell that the gesture had been completely friendly without any ulterior motives. He had to get a hold of himself. His bear was growling and clawing at him, demanding that he claim Rhythm for his own. But this wasn’t the time or place for such actions.

“I’m so glad to be here,” Rhythm was saying, her soft voice sounding shaky with emotion. “I’m honored that Evan’s family wanted me here.”

Sawyer let out a deep, weary breath. “Hopefully, this will be the last of our clan to suffer this fate. Ben tells me you’re going to help with the efforts to stop the scientists?”

Rhythm glanced at Ben, and then back at Sawyer. “Yes. I’m not sure how much I really know, but whatever I can do to help, I’m happy to do. These guys have to be stopped.”

“I agree,” Sawyer said. “On behalf of all the bear shifters, and my clan in particular, we deeply appreciate your help.”

“We need to talk while I’m here,” Ben said to Sawyer. “I’m hoping you have some ideas for how to get a network of shifters organized and mobilized to keep an eye on the scientists, so that they don’t snatch up any more test subjects. We have to stop what happened to Evan from happening to any more bears.”

“I have some ideas, and I’m sure you do as well,” Sawyer said. “If we put our heads together, we can figure this out. But let’s save the strategizing for tomorrow. It’s getting late, and you two must be exhausted. Let me show you to the cabin that you’ll be staying in. Follow me.”

Ben saw Rhythm reaching for her duffel bag, and he stepped in quickly to grab it. “Let me,” he said, and then felt his heart melting when Rhythm smiled up at him in appreciation. He really had to get in control of his emotions, damn it.

Sawyer walked a few paces ahead of them, talking back to them over his shoulder. “I hope you don’t mind, but I put you in the same cabin. We just don’t have enough empty spots right now to give you each your own cabin.”

Ben coughed nervously. Did that mean they were sharing a bedroom? Because he didn’t think he’d be able to sleep in the same bed as Rhythm and keep his bear under control He might be spending the next two nights on the couch. Or the floor, if there wasn’t a couch.

As if reading Ben’s mind, Sawyer glanced back again and said, “Don’t worry, though, it’s a two bedroom cabin, so you’ll have plenty of space.”

“I’m sure it’s fine,” Ben said a little too quickly. “Thank you.”

“No problem,” Sawyer said, stopping at one of the charming little cabins that lined the street near the hangar. This is you guys. The place should be stocked with food, towels, and blankets, but let me know if you need anything. You have my cell number, right Ben?”

Ben nodded. “Yup. I’ve got it. But I’m sure we’ll be fine.”

Sawyer nodded, and held the door to the cabin open for Ben and Rhythm to step inside. “Alright, then, I’ll leave you two so you can get some rest. The funeral is at ten a.m. tomorrow, at the main meeting hall in town. Just go south to the end of this street and take a right. It’ll run you straight into the corner on Main Street where the center is located.”

“Thanks,” Ben said. “We’ll see you tomorrow.”

With a little wave, Sawyer disappeared into the night, and Ben closed the door behind him. When he turned around, he came face to face with Rhythm, who was inches from his face and looking up at him with determined, almost defiant eyes.

“Rhythm?” he asked, feeling confused and a little alarmed. “Is everything okay? You look like you have something to say.”

“I do,” she said. “Listen, I want to help you, and the entire bear shifter community out. But if we’re going to work together, we can’t constantly be dancing around our feelings like this.”

“What do you mean?” Ben asked warily.

“I mean enough with this flirting like high schoolers. We’re both adults. If we’re going to share a living space, we can’t act like there’s no chemistry between us when there clearly is. Are you interested, or not? If you’re not, that’s okay. But I don’t think I can continue to live in the same house as you, seeing you every day, if you’re not. Because I am interested. And it’s starting to feel like torture, sitting here pretending that I’m not burning up inside every time I see you.”

Ben was floored. He had thought that Rhythm was sending off a few signals that she might be interested, but he had never expected this. She had seemed almost shy about his advances, and not like the type of person who would get in his face and demand that he be in or out. But if she wanted an answer, then he was in. All in. He knew he was going to catch hell from his clan for starting things up with a woman, after all the teasing he had done to them about their girls. But he didn’t give a damn anymore. He had to admit that, after being around Rhythm, he now understood what they meant when they said that you couldn’t stop yourself from wanting a relationship with your lifemate once you found her. He couldn’t stop himself around Rhythm. Just the sight of her intoxicated him.

He took a step toward her, intending to smother her with a kiss so intense that she wouldn’t know what hit her. But then he forced himself to stop. He
could
stop himself around Rhythm, and he
would
stop himself. He couldn’t in good conscience go down this path and sleep with her until she understood what being with him would mean. Sure, she knew about his being a bear shifter, and about the fact that he was a hunted man right now, thanks to these idiot scientists. She even knew that, if they ever had children, their children would be bear shifters. But she didn’t know about the concept of lifemates. She didn’t know that if they slept together and bonded, she would never truly be able to escape him again. She would be tied to him forever, their souls intertwined.

Rhythm saw his hesitation, and her face fell. She must have mistaken the pause for disinterest, and he rushed to assure her that this wasn’t the case. Far from it. He reached out and took her hands in his own.

“Rhythm, listen,” he said, his voice deep and brimming with desire. “I want to be with you. I’ve been captivated by you since the first moment I laid eyes on you. But, if we’re going to be together, there’s something you have to know. Bear shifters all have someone out there who is meant for them. This person is known as their lifemate. Lifemates are tied to each other, and drawn to each other like a magnet throughout their lives until they finally find each other. When they do cross paths, the attraction is strong, and nearly inescapable. That’s what I feel for you, Rhythm.”

Rhythm’s eyes widened. “Really? You’re kidding! I’ve felt that toward you. Like a strange pull that I can’t seem to escape. I can’t stop thinking about you, or wishing you were near me when we aren’t together.”

Ben closed his eyes briefly, overcome by the thrill of excitement that passed through him at Rhythm’s words. She felt it, too. They were destined for each other. But then he opened his eyes again, and his voice grew serious. “Rhythm, when lifemates sleep together, it forms a bond. An unbreakable bond. If we sleep together, we’ll form that bond. It doesn’t matter if you decide you hate bear shifters and never want to see me again. It doesn’t matter if you decide that you’re not attracted to me after all, and I’m the ugliest guy alive. You’ll be bonded to me. No matter how far you run, you’ll never be able to truly escape that pull toward me. It will be with you until the day you die.”

Rhythm giggled. “I can’t imagine ever thinking you’re the ugliest guy alive. You’re pretty much the opposite of that.”

Ben’s face remained serious. “Well, imagine it, Rhythm. Because if we go down this road, you’re going to truly be stuck with me. For better or for worse. Are you sure you want that? If not, now is the time to say so. You can walk away with no hard feelings. You can stay with one of the other crew members if you’re uncomfortable being at my house. But now is the time to decide. Because once we bond, it will be too late to go back.”

Rhythm stopped laughing, and her face grew serious as well. “Ben, I’ve already decided. I know not everything in our life will be perfect. Hell, our relationship so far has included my nearly dying in freezing Alaskan water and your needing help to stop a group of evil men from murdering you. But it doesn’t matter what we face. If we do it together, we’ll overcome it. I’m not afraid to be bonded to you. The only thing I’m afraid of is losing you, because I’m pretty sure I would never be able to find anyone else as strong, handsome, and caring as you. I don’t want to do life without you. I want you by my side for all of the adventures ahead of us. I’m sure a lot of people would tell me that I’m just high on the fumes of early love. But I’ve been through lots of little crushes on my life. I’ve experienced new love before. This is different. Deeper. I can tell. And I want more of it. I want more of you.”

Ben reached out and brushed a strand of Rhythm’s dark hair away from the perfect skin of her face. God, she was beautiful. And she was standing here telling him that she wanted to be his, all his for all time. Was he dreaming, or was this really happening? He felt a stirring in his cock, and he worked to steady his breathing. He was falling quickly over the edge, and he had to keep his wits about him long enough to be sure, really sure, that Rhythm was making the decision she wanted to make. He looked deep into her eyes, searching for understanding and sincerity in her gaze. And he found it. She knew. She appreciated the significance of the decision she was making, and she wanted to take this crazy leap with him.

“Don’t worry, Ben,” Rhythm said, seeing his questioning expression. “I’m a big girl. I know what I’m doing, and I know what I want. And what I want is you.”

Ben saw the earnestness in her eyes, and that was all the assurance he needed. His bear roared within him, and he couldn’t hold back any longer. With one swift movement, he grabbed Rhythm’s face with both of his palms, and covered her mouth with his. The heat that had been building in his body intensified, sending electric shock waves through every extremity. Rhythm met his passion with her own, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him deeply into her.

Their tongues danced, sliding back and forth across each other in what felt like a carefully choreographed show. Rhythm slid her hands down his back, reaching for his ass and grabbing a cheek in each hand, forcefully pushing his groin into hers. His cock responded, stiffening and pointing toward her, growing desperate for the release that she could bring it. He moved his hands to the back of her head, running his fingers through that silky hair that he couldn’t get enough of. Every part of her was soft and smooth.

He heard her moan gently, and he grew harder with excitement at the realization that he was the one making her moan. This was the last thing he had expected to happen when he closed the door behind them a few minutes ago, but he wasn’t going to complain. His whole body was burning up, filling with a fire that he knew only she would be able to quench. He ran his tongue across the smooth surface of her teeth, and then slid it deep into her mouth again, letting it graze across her tongue and the soft, warm roof of her mouth.

She pulled his groin in toward her again, and the shock wave that it sent through him was too much to take. He could feel his inner beast beginning to take over, as the primal need for his woman began to overshadow anything else he was feeling.
His
woman. He could hardly believe that she had so confidently told him that she wanted to be his, but he was taking what destiny had offered him with open arms. He pushed his erection against her, and closed his eyes with pleasure at the gasping sound she made.