Fealty Of The Bear (4 page)

Her words seemed to excite him even more, because he gripped her waist and pulled her into the bedroom down the hall, never ceasing the slow roll of his tongue against hers. God, she was putty in his hands. His touches and licks were just right, like he’d explored her body before and knew just what she liked.

With a practiced
snick
of the back of her bra, he pulled her free of it and eased back to enjoy the sight of her. “You’re perfect,” he breathed, and his hungry look matched his words.

Muriel had never felt more confident than right in this moment. What did she have to lose? It wasn’t like with Bron, where she’d have to face him in the morning after knowing his heart hadn’t been in their bedroom antics the night before.

Logan would leave in the morning.

All they had was tonight.

He pulled his shirt from his back and tossed it to the floor. The bandages didn’t bother her. His tight abdomen peeked out from beneath the strips of gauze, and she trailed tiny kisses to each place his skin was exposed.

Each time her lips brushed him, a tiny puff of air left his lips and his muscles flexed under her touch. Hooking her fingers into the top of his jeans, she pulled down slowly until his thick shaft was released. It was red and swollen, ready and alluring, and when she looked up to his face after studying it as he’d done to her breasts, he had his chin tilted back and was searching her face with hooded eyes.

She dropped to her knees and grazed her teeth against his hip. His cock twitched and she smiled at her effect on him. How could she not feel beautiful in a moment like this, when she was causing such a sexy reaction from this captivating man?

Dominant and powerful, he was allowing her to keep his back pressed against a wall as she did what she pleased with him. A surge of confidence took her and she ran a long stroke of her hand from the base of his cock to the tip. A single bead of cum sat at the tip of it, and she flicked her tongue against it just to taste him. Salt and man. Her panties were nearly soaked now, and she was the one in control.

When she took his head into her mouth, he groaned and leaned his head back against the wall. His fists had been clenched at his side, like he was trying not to touch her, but at the first circle of her tongue, he ran his fingertips through her hair.

He didn’t push her onto him, but instead seemed to revel in the slow pace she set. And when she found the rhythm he seemed to react to best, he rolled his hips in time with her mouth.

God, he was the sexiest man she’d ever seen, and his powerful legs were trembling from what she was doing to him.

“Touch yourself,” he said in a deep velvet voice.

She’d never even thought of doing that in front of a man, but suddenly, she wanted to try everything with him. Logan was conjuring her inner goddess, and balking against his sensual commands would only hurt the progress she was making.

The slow rip of her zipper filled the room, and she sucked the tip of his cock as she released him. He took himself in hand as she shimmied out of her remaining clothes. Easing back onto her bed, she spread her knees wide and leaned back on one arm.

His eyes went wide, and his fist began slowly pumping his shaft as he watched her finger trail down her stomach. Watching his swollen cock as he milked himself was the hottest thing she’d ever witnessed, and when she pressed her finger inside of herself, the sensation sent delicious shivers down her spine.

“Again,” he rasped.

She pulled out of herself and pressed in again, and he matched his stroke to hers. She set their pace, and as pressure began to build with each touch, she arched her neck back and closed her eyes. She was going to come soon.

“Not without me, baby,” Logan said against her ear. He’d made it across the room so fast, but before she could convince herself to be startled by his speed, he tugged at her hand and dipped his long middle finger into her up to his knuckle.

A long moan left her lips. How did it feel even better when it was his finger inside her?

A deep growl filled his throat as he settled between her legs and rested the head of his cock against the wetness he’d conjured. He pushed shallowly into her and she leaned into him, gripping his short, raven colored hair and dragging his gaze from her bouncing breasts to her eyes.

He slid into her slowly, filling her until she cried out with the pleasure of taking all of him. He brushed her clit with every pump of his hips, and she’d already been so close.

“Logan,” she whispered as he pressed deeper. He felt so good inside of her.

Her orgasm crashed through her and she clawed the back of his neck as her toes curled in ecstasy.

A cocky smile took Logan’s too sensual lips as her body was wracked with throbbing pleasure. He brought his mouth to her taut nipple and flicked it with his tongue, bringing a deeper arch to her back. And as the final aftershocks subsided, he said, “Go hold onto that headboard. I’m not finished with you yet.”

Holy shit. Her bones were already made of putty. If he made her come again, she would be nothing but an amoeba on the bed. But it was hard to argue when his eyes were so serious and thirsty for her skin, and the anticipation of feeling his release inside of her made her bound to the head of the bed like an overeager puppy.

Gripping the cold wood in both hands, she watched his shadow play across the wall in front of her. Smaller and more defined it became as he stalked her slowly, and when he was right behind her, he squeezed her ass firmly and pulled it back against him.

“Arch your back for me,” he rumbled.

She did as he asked, and he spread her knees wider. She could feel his bandages against her back and his warm breath tickled her ear as he nibbled at her sensitive lobe. Gripping the bed harder, she melted back against him as he thrust into her wet sex.

She moaned as he ran his hand over the swell of her hips and to the front of her. He rubbed slowly just above where he was pumping into her, and the pressure began to build again.

His kisses trailed to her neck just beneath her ear and he pounded into her faster and harder. The bed groaned in rhythm to their movement, and she pressed against him, meeting him each stroke.

Skin slapping as he bucked against her, his teeth sank into her neck just as the first shot of heat burst into her. A low snarl rippled through him. His bite should’ve hurt, but all she could feel was the blinding intensity of another orgasm. She cried out as he gripped her hips and throbbed inside of her. Warm wetness trickled down her thighs as she detonated, like he’d given her more than she could hold, and she panted as his body seized again inside of her.

He released her neck as the last pulse of pleasure died away, and pulled her down against him. Cradled in his embrace, she sighed in deep contentment and fell asleep feeling safe for the first time in as long as she could remember.

He would leave tomorrow, but tonight, Logan had been hers.

Logan tied his boots and shrugged into his jacket. The leather still smelled like a crime scene, but Muriel had done him a favor by being thoughtful enough to clean it right away.

Out the living room window, pink and gray tinged the dawn sky and he could still make out the subtle twinkle of a few stars. The longer he stayed here, the more danger he put Muriel in, and after last night, he cared enough about her to keep her far away from the hell he was trailing.

On a magnetized notepad stuck to her refrigerator, he scribbled a quick letter and padded as quietly as he could down the hallway to her bedroom.

He’d slept better than he could remember with her in his arms.

Whatever had possessed him to bite her neck last night wasn’t something he could bring himself to regret. If she knew the real meaning, she would hate him. Now he had a secret claim on her that she’d never understand, and he’d never push. Someday, when his life was at an end, he would know a part of her was his for always, and he would draw on his memories of last night to help his transition into the next life.

He could just make out her soft hair fanned out across the pillow, and as he leaned on the open door frame, his eyes began to adjust to the dark again. Her full lips were slightly parted and the fine arch in her brows relaxed. From here, her creamy skin nearly glowed in the dark, begging him to run a finger down her cheek just to see if it felt like satin as he remembered.

His heart thumped erratically against his sternum and he crossed his arms over his chest to stifle the odd sensation. No woman he’d ever met had affected him so completely. She’d been beautiful as she touched herself for him last night. None of the constant insecurity he’d seen in her yesterday had tainted their time in her bedroom.

She’d owned him, body and soul.

She’d been upset and vulnerable near the linen closet last night, and then she’d let him touch her. His chest had burned like hellfire when they were together, but he hadn’t dared complain. She felt too damned good against him.

The thought of leaving her before he was able to find out more about her made his guts turn icy. But if she was going to survive him, he needed to leave her now. His next mark was Bronson Cress, and though he didn’t have the first clue where the alpha of the Hells Canyon shifters lived, he was sure he could find out in town somewhere.

Logan’s first choice had been Marsden’s clan. They were more obscure, and harder to find, but the old codger had booted him to the curb without a care for his plight.

If Bronson Cress said no to protecting him, Logan was as good as dead.

****

The phone rattled across the night stand and clattered to the wood floor. Muriel squinted one eye open and glared at the alarm clock. Six in the morning, really? Who the devil would call this early?

Reaching over, she nearly fell out of bed stretching her fingers toward the phone as it skittered away from her like a roach. The vibrate function on her cell was impressive.

She barely registered Bron’s number before she accepted the call. “Is Sam okay?” she asked immediately. There was no other explanation for why her ex-husband would be calling her, much less at the ass crack of dawn.

“She’s changed back, but her injury still looks rough,” he said in a strained voice. “I know I have no right to ask this of you after everything we’ve been through and after everything you’ve already done for her, but could you come over and take a look at her stomach?” His voice cracked on the last word and dipped to a whisper. “I don’t trust anyone else.”

And that was all she needed to know. That right there told her shit was hitting the fan in piles with his clan if he was desperate enough to come to her for help.

“I’ll be there in twenty minutes,” she muttered, then hung up.

It was Saturday and she’d planned on throwing a couple of plate sets and heating up the kiln in the backyard to fire last week’s work. She had bills to pay, after all—late ones. But this was Samantha, and Bron had just snuffed out the life of his alpha and was likely battling to maintain his rank now. The last thing he needed was to worry about Samantha’s safety.

She rolled over to apologize to Logan for the early morning phone conversation, but his side of the bed was cold and empty.

“Logan?”

No answer.

A pang of anguish jutted through her. She knew he was going to leave, but she hadn’t had a chance to tell him goodbye. And it was almost a tragedy she hadn’t had the opportunity to thank him for what he did for her last night. He probably wouldn’t be able to understand the depth of the emotional damage not feeling wanted all those years had caused, and Logan had sewn up a great deal of those open wounds with one night of intimacy.

Heaving herself out of bed, she brushed her teeth, showered in record time, then slid into some jeans and a green sweater that matched her eye color. With her hair pulled back into a damp ponytail, she slid her favorite snow boots over skinny jeans and strode into the herb room. Packing a black satchel with everything she thought she’d need, she turned her head at the fragrant scent of coffee.

When she made her way into the kitchen, it sat steaming in the pot, but Logan’s boots were gone from beside the front door.

Her heart dipped to the floor. The coffee had given her a moment of hope, but Logan was really gone.

Wait. She plucked the top sheet of the notepad from the refrigerator and read the scribbled writing.

Muriel,

I’m good for any favor you ever need. Here’s my number. Please call anytime.
Even if you just need to talk.

The last sentence had been scribbled out, but she could still read it just barely. He’d signed it first name only and written his number at the bottom. She read the note twice more and folded it absently.

He must have been raised with sisters. That was the only explanation she could think of that a tough talking and acting and looking man like Logan would be so sensitive to offer an ear if she was having a rough time.

And last night, he’d made sure to take care of her thoroughly before he finished. She wouldn’t ever admit it out loud, but it was the first time she was able to have an orgasm with a man. He’d probably ruined her for everyone else.

Grabbing her keys, she strode out the front door and stopped short.

Logan was looking under the open hood of her jeep.

“I thought you left,” she said softly. He’d hear it fine with his shifter senses.

“I meant to, but your abused jeep distracted me. Did you know that the damage on this side is crowding your internal parts? She won’t run long like this. I can see two hoses leaking from here and your belt is cut up in a couple of places too. Not to mention the damaged parts all near this area.” He gestured with black greased hands.

“How do you know so much about cars?”

“It’s what I did before I came here. I’m good at fixing things.”

“You’re a mechanic?”

“Among other things,” he said.

His eyes tightened with every question she asked. That answer was a cop-out, and she could see it clear as day. He was avoiding real answers to keep her distanced, the confounding man. After the night they’d shared together, what was the point?

“Can you fix it?” Boldness wasn’t her style, but she’d been affected when she’d thought he left without saying goodbye this morning. And honestly, she could use his help if he was able to fix her jeep for cheaper than the body shop in town could do. “I can pay you.”

Logan stared off into the woods with a troubled look to his dark eyes. “I shouldn’t stay here, Muriel. I can’t be seen with you.”

His admission ripped through her middle, and she swallowed hard before she found the words to respond. So he could fuck her, but being seen with her was out of the question? “Forget it then. Your bike is in the woods near where you crashed yesterday. I can take you to it, but I have an errand to run across town first.”

“You smell angry, or…” He flared his nostrils. “Something.”

She sidled around him and lowered the hood on her jeep. Without another word, she slid behind the wheel and started it up. To her surprise, Logan sat in the passenger’s seat and clenched the grab handle. He hadn’t taken his eyes from her face, and the traitorous creeping heat burned her cheeks under his scrutiny.

“I said something to upset you.”

“I have to visit a friend who was injured. You’re welcome to come along, but you’ll have to stay out of the way. And stop putting out your dominant bear shit. There will be an alpha there with an injured mate. You’ll set him off. And trust me,” she muttered as she pulled away from the house, “you don’t want to see this one pissed.”

“Bronson Cress?”

She slid a suspicious glance to Logan and gripped the wheel harder. “How did you know?”

“He’s the only other alpha around besides Marsden.”

Right about then, she turned onto the main gravel road and pulled the jeep around her mailbox that read,
Muriel Marsden
, in neat painted letters.

Logan’s jaw dropped and his dark eyebrows lowered as he arched his gaze to her. “You’re the daughter of Steven Marsden, aren’t you?”

She ignored him and hit second gear.

“I must seem like a real prick to you, don’t I?” he asked. “You let me go off about what an asshole your dad was yesterday. Why didn’t you say anything?”

Stifling a smile, she said, “Because I agreed with you.”

Joseph was a small town in the shadow of the Hells Canyon Mountains, and as she weaved through the streets, the townspeople were taking advantage of the fair day. Fall was transitioning to winter, but the weather was unseasonably warm, and the sun, unhindered by clouds, warmed the streets of Joseph. People bustled like busy ants near the general store, and Mrs. Janet at the realtor office was sitting outside her building, rocking in an old chair and warming her hands with a hot cup of Joe.

Cracked paved roads, tally mark light poles lining East First Street, and parked antique cars on every corner gave the town a homey feel. Muriel loved it. Everyone seemed to know their place here. Her bear required quiet, and this town was about as quiet as it got—if she ignored the rumble of unrest coming to a slow boil in Bron’s clan. Right about now, she was feeling pretty happy with her decision to stay rogue.

Logan watched passersby with a kind of rapt curiosity. Twice he waved to people who met his eyes, but they seemed eager to look at anything but him.

She got it. The man practically smelled like dominance to her, but the feeling would be different for humans. He would seem dangerous without them being able to figure out why. Meeting his gaze would feel like a risk. Something about his disappointed glance to the front window as he seemed determined not to wave to anyone else struck her.

No one had a problem with her in town. She was a shifter, sure, but her bear was pretty low on the dominance totem pole. If humans had any inkling that she was different, they’d never shown it in front of her. It must’ve been sad going through life wanting to connect as Logan seemed to, just to get rejected time after time. How long would she last before she quit trying at all?

“Do you live in a small town?” she asked, just to take the focus off of whatever inner dialogue was going on in Logan’s head.

“A big town, actually. I rent a house in Portland.”

“Oh, I think Samantha is from there.”

“Who is Samantha?” he asked, swinging his gaze to hers. His amber colored eyes were lined with the strange gold color of his animal, but just around the edges. The sun reflected off of them as his eyebrows furrowed.

Dominant or no, the man could stun her with a look. He probably had no shortage of females vying for his attention, and something about that sent a pang of burning regret through her.

“You okay?” he asked.

Clearing her throat, she pulled her attention back to the road. “She’s the mate of the new alpha. She’s hurt and I’m going to make sure she’s healing all right. We almost lost her a couple of days ago when alpha turned over from Dodger to Bron. Dodger tried to kill her.”

“Why?”

“Because she was human, and now she’s not.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Muriel could see him watching her with a dumbfounded expression. “What do you mean
human
? You’re saying she wasn’t born a shifter?”

“Nope. Up until Monday, she was completely and utterly human.”

Logan’s voice dipped to a disbelieving whisper. “How?”

“I turned her.”

“Does your clan approve of you bringing back the old magic?”

“I don’t have a clan.” She turned onto Bron’s gravel drive and downshifted up a hill.

“Muriel,” Logan said as she pulled around a meadow in front of Bron’s cabin. “Why are you rogue and living alone without the protection of a clan?”

Disapproval laced his tone and she jerked her head sharply toward him.

“Why are you a rogue, Logan? Everyone one of us on the outside has our reasons. It’s not a life I chose on a whim. Shit happened and I’m trying to pick up the pieces after some really bad years. Maybe I’ll pick a clan soon. Maybe I won’t. But the beautiful thing about it is, it’s my decision. And I haven’t been allowed to make my own decisions in a long time. I’ll be damned if I make the wrong one.”