BearTrapped (6 page)

Evette shivered and hugged her shawl tighter around her shoulders before heading back through the round door that marked the entrance to her house. Inside her boys sprawled on the straw-stuffed couches facing the main fireplace. Atop the faded red brocade, Donal and Kegan snored beneath knitted
blankets
. Their father, Melvin
,
was out hunting as usual, since he never thought they had enough to eat
for the winter
. Truth be t
old, with these behemoths
at home, they didn’t.

“Stop sawing logs and get up you two hair
heads,” Evette said, snatching first one and then the other blanket off their sleeping forms.

Donal snorted awake. Kegan rolled over and planted his face in the back of the couch.

“Get up,” she said, pushing at his back
and tugging his dark red hair
.

“I’m just so tired, Mama,” Kegan said
, yawning
.

“I don’t care. A bad storm’s coming. I want you two to go get Braeden. I’m worried about him
being out there alone
.
He’s never weathered a storm like this before. And I’m tired of him missing solstice with the family.
”

“He’s a grown man,” Donal said. “Let Dad go get him. If we go we won’t be back until tomorrow night.
You’d rather us go out in this weather?
”

She crossed her arms over her ample bosom and gave them
the look
all mothers commanded.
Donal and Kegan stood without hesitation and stomped around, trying to locate their cloaks
and boots
.

“Where’re we supposed to look? You know he won’t come with us. He’s too hard-headed.”

She sighed in exasperation. “You know where he goes every
winter. It’s not that far
. If you all weren’t such jackasses my baby would be home right now. Do what you have to to get him home. I want my whole family here for solstice.
Go and get back.
”

Donal and Kegan stalled as long as they could under the watchful eye of their mother, but she wasn’t backing down and she wasn’t leaving the room so they could return to sleep. She pointed a plump finger at the round door until they ducked through the opening and left with unhappy grumbles.

***

Indecision
took hold with an agonizing grip.
Kimber
knew she shouldn’t run
from the larger predator
, that it would only provoke him further
, but she had a little advantage with the distance. The possibility to outrun the much larger bear was slim, but she knew she couldn’t fight him on her own. Her only chance was to get ahead, find someplace to hide, and hope like hell he didn’t pursue her.

Breaking her trance,
Kimber whirled around and scrambled up the rocky incline, ignoring the sudden stitch in her side as ever
y
muscle in her body revolted with surging adrenaline. Snow-slicked rocks tumbled loose, clamoring down to strike around her pursuer as she barreled upward.
The sound they made striking against one another created a hollow echo.

She imagined the beast right behind her, could practically smell its fetid, fishy breath breathing down her neck. Fear and dread heightened her senses to horrific proportions, flooding her mind with images of jagged claws and teeth ripping into her. She used her horror as fuel, pressing forward, feeling tears sting her eyes and her breath harsh in her throat.

Another roar ripped through the countrys
ide. Flinching, she flung a backward glance
to see how much time she had left to live. A
second
bear hurtled toward her attacker, smaller but no less deadly.

“Braeden!” she said
, recognizing him at last. She choked
on a scream and bit her knuckles.

He barreled into the larger, darker bear, forcing the beast to slide down the loo
se, gravelly path. Snow burst with the impact
, powdering the air like
tossed
flour. Braeden growled deeply, long and loud as he shoved the aggressor back with his head and shoulder
, squaring off to protect his territory
.

He was angling the bear towards the shore, away from the path leading up to her, using his head and shoulders to batter against the other. His foe growled and snapped
. When they locked snouts over each other’s faces, Kimber gasped in fear, expecting to see blood. Enormous paws struck chest and s
houlders
, making horrendous, audible thumps
. Kimber’s heart leapt into her throat,
as they vied
for domination. They were nearly the same size and coloring, making it difficult to keep track of which one was Braeden in the flurry of movement.

Jerking free,
Braeden’s beast stood on its haunches, holding his great paws up to strike his foe down.
Now she could see he was smaller than his opponent, imitating a twisted dance of slapping paws and bravado.
The rival bear slipped on the shoreline, falling onto his back as Braeden
dropped over him.
She swallowed a lump in her throat, her insides twisting with dread as t
he bear latched onto Braeden’s ear, struggling to push him off. Braeden dug his back feet into the ground, shoving, biting,
and
twisting.

Their moves turned sluggish as exhaustion set in—she could see the slowed reaction of the bigger bear as he
struggled
back to his feet and tiredly hit Braeden, locking jaws one more time before releasing each other. The bigger bear dropped his head, huffing as he slowly backed away from Braeden down the beach.

Braeden watched him go, breathing in great puffs as his foe—beaten—retreated.

The blood that roared in her ears finally dulled as relief set in.
When
the rogue bear
was no longer in sight, Braeden approached her. She held up her hands to stop him. “I’m okay. Go get your stuff and let’s head back to the cave.”

He nodded his great head and rushed down the beach back to where he’d appeared from. Moments later, he returned in his human form, dressed haphazardly with his shirt and cloak askew and carrying a string of fish. The worried expression on his face couldn’t begin to echo the relief she felt seeing him safe and whole.

“
That was a rogue
. I thought they’d all fled the area, but h
e must have smelled me cleaning fish up river,” Braeden said when he stopped in front of her.
“That or…”

All she wanted to do was hug him
tight and never let go
. She settled for cupping his square jaw
, and the way he pressed his face into her hands caused a warm, tingling sensation to travel down her arms and shiver her spine
.
She withdrew reluctantly when he nodded toward the path. Snow fell harder, clumping on her shoulders and in her hair.
The temperature dropped, but she hardly noticed.
“
Or what? Will he return?”

He shook his head
, taking her hand
as he led the way back to their retreat. “He knows you’re
u
nder my
…,” He glanced down at her. “P
rotection.”

Braeden pushed through the deepening snow, clearing a path for her as the incline steepened. She appreciated his grip on her hand, aiding her through the pass. They were soon back to their cave. She shook her cloak out, and he buried his catch beneath the snow just outside the entrance
, cleaning his hands
before joining her inside. Kimber didn’t remove her cloak, for the air was chilly without their fire.

“Let me get this going again,” he said, slinging his hands dry before gathering kindling. Kimber watched him in silence, breathing a sigh of relief as the spark caught and flames ate the bundled wood.

He glanced around as he straightened from his crouch. “You cleaned. I thought you didn’t like home-making.”

She
draped
her cloak across the wood pile to dry near the fire.
When she turned, her face was inches from his chest. She tilted her head to find him looking down at her with hooded eyes. A breathlessness caught her lungs. “I…can be persuaded into a role. Sometimes.”

Braeden caught her arms, rubbing them up and down as if trying to warm her. “You need warming. Your arms are like ice.”

She shuddered. “I have been in need of a bear hug.
”

“I’m happy to oblige,” he murmured, closing her in his embrace.

“I was so worried about you. I’ve never been so scared,” she whispered as she
cuddled against his chest, enjoying the scent of his skin
which peeped
through the lacings of his shirt.
“Am I still under your protection?” she asked, nuzzling his hard muscles and tilting her face up to his neck. The crook of his shoulder formed a perfect nook for her mouth and chin.

He shuddered when she scraped her teeth against his skin. “A bear protects his mate from others. The rogue knows you are mine.”

Was she crazy for liking his words? “Are you my mate?”

“I will be,” he growled and lifted her into his arms. She yelped and giggled breathlessly as he strode the short distance to their bedding.

He settled her onto the furs, taking the hem of her dress and lifting it up over her head before she could offer any protest. She lay back, sensuously writhing on the bed
ding
to entice him to cover her with his body. He paused only long enough to rid himself of his clothing, and then knelt on the furs
. His slow crawl toward her made delightful shivers creep down her flesh.

“What changed your mind?
” she said on a gasp as he dipped his head and kissed her raised knee.

He slid his hands up her thighs, parting them for his passage. “When I heard you scream my name, I knew it. Seeing that rogue
threaten you—you were mine in that moment. I will never let anyone harm you as long as I live.”

He nibbled a path along her inner thighs, hot and wet and burning her alive with need.
He nuzzled her slit, licking her juices and teasing her clit until it swelled beneath the tip of his tongue. A moan escaped her, and she lifted her hips as he ravenously sucked her clit.

Speaking was an effort.
“But, we are not the same. I should have never begun this. It can’t be.”

Braeden lifted his head, capturing her gaze. “It’s happened before. It’s happening now. You and I are both trapped in this. Do you really want to go back?”

She shook her head, taking a shaky breath. “No. I don’t have the strength anymore
even if I wanted to
.”

“I’ve enough
strength
for us both,” he growled and
slid
her backside
up
onto his waiting lap.

Looking down, she could see his
thick, hard
cock
standing at attention
. She closed her legs on his hips, fighting the urge to flinch and close her eyes as his strong fingers parted the folds of her sex. “Don’t hurt me,” she
pleaded
, feeling excited and afraid
.

“Never,” he promised, catching her swollen clit with his fingers. “Fate brought us together for this, Red. You were meant to be mine.
In fact…
”
He caught her hands and pulled her up until she straddled his lap, sandwiching his cock between her nether lips.
Riding high on him, she was perfectly positioned for a kiss.

He leaned his forehead against hers, slipping a hand around her back to cup one cheek. “Now you’re in control,” he said in a soft voice. “Take as much of me as you want or need.”

Braeden wedged his free hand down to her mound, rubbing her cream over her swollen clit as he nipped her bottom lip. He sucked it into his mouth as she moaned and shuddered against him.

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, tilting her head into his kiss and thrusting her tongue into his mouth. She could well believe a part of her was lost kissing him, for her head
spun in a dizzying rush of passion
.
Her b
lood pulsed, quickened by excitement. He suckl
ed her tongue, famished and ravishi
ng to her senses.
She wanted so much from him—holding back was an effort.

He tore his mouth
from hers, breathing raggedly--
his chest brushing against her nipples with every harsh breath.
“Take me inside,” he said.
“Lift up. I’ll help you.”

She nodded shakily, doing as he asked. With his hand on the base of his shaft, he nudged the swollen head of his cock against her opening
, stretching it impossibly wide
. She stiffened, easing him inside infinitesimally.
Every inch tortured her with equal parts pain and pleasure. Confirming her desire to be sensually hurt only heightened her longing, for she knew the
sting
was fleeting
and would make the pleasure sweeter by comparison
.

Biting her lip, she saw him grimace, and a shudder rippled through him.

“I…thought you’d…done this…before,” he breathed, holding stiff and still.

She pushed down, gasping at the tightness, allowing her slick passage to slowly
devour
his length. “Not quite like this. It was more of…an accident.”

Braeden gave a throaty chuckle, switching both hands to her hips to guide her. “You shouldn’t surprise me like this. Damn, you’re tight, Red. And so hot and wet. There. All the way
inside
.
You kill me with your body.
”

She sank down, engulfing his thick cock until she could take no more. Her inner muscles relaxed as she held him inside, sitting still and ad
justing to the foreign invasion. Braeden caught her in a kiss, his arms tight around her back, urging her to move. She rocked experimentally, locking mouths and arms—a trembling, quivering mess of emotion and need. The understanding of why he’d tried to hold back hit her full force. Joining bodies was powerful, more than satisfying a need to quell the mating heat. She had the sensation that she’d lost a piece of herself when she allowed him to penetrate her mouth and her core, but she’d gained more.

Her heart swelled with his tender, warm touch and the exquisite taste of his kiss. She tangled her fingers in his
silky
hair and smoothed the tight muscles in his neck. A slow, tensile strength moved her, rocking her hips to grind her clit against his groin w
ith each slight lift of her body
. Tension increased, urging her faster. His calloused hands gripped her ass, forcing her up and down on his cock in a rhythm that made her melt.

“Catch it, Kimber. I’m close. I’ll need to pull out soon,
” he said, tearing his mouth from her lips
.

“Stay with me. Don’t leave
just yet
,” she said breathlessly, riding him and looking deep in his eyes. “I’m so close. You can’t stop.”

“I’ll try,” he ground out, grimacing with the effort to control himself.