Shifters of Grrr 1 (16 page)

He hesitated for a bit before answering that one, clearly trying to decide how much he should say. In the end, when he finally spoke, she sensed no deceit or trickery from him, so he must have chosen to tell her the truth.

"There are many of us, Harper. I'm not sure how many, but I would say tens of thousands in the country alone. Globally, perhaps one or two million. Nobody is completely sure since many communities keep to themselves. If the government or some corporation were to find out about us, it would be horrific what would happen next."

He looked away, and she could sense the pain in him as he thought about how they would be treated. That was a feeling she knew all too well, and something she had firsthand experience with. It was unlikely that the shame and judgment she had received for being bigger could touch the idea of being effectively an alien, but she still knew what it was like to be an outsider.
 

The sideways looks when people thought she wasn't looking were the worst. She could handle the people that came up to her and made a comment, because then her wit could respond and take them down a level. But when they silently judged her from their own high horse, that cut much deeper than any verbal insult anyone could come up with.
 

Before she knew what she was doing, Harper reached her hand across the table to take his, squeezing it in support. Despite her terror at what she had witnessed the other week, Jake still appeared to be the same person she had opened herself to before. That part of him, at least, deserved her support. If only she could figure out a way to get over her unease, and fear, of what he could become.

The last thing she wanted to become was one of those movie heroines who trusted the man, but inevitably became betrayed by the monster that lived within him. Harper Muller was quite happy being a normal human being, thank you very much.

"I would never hurt you," he said, shock evident on his face that she would even think such a thing.

"It's not you that I'm worried about Jake."

"Then what is it?"

"It's that, that thing, inside of you. Your monster."

He looked at her in surprise for a moment. Then he burst out laughing, holding his sides as he bent over the table. He was beginning to draw stares, causing her to blush at the attention.

"Harper, you have watched far too many horror movies," he finally managed to utter between chuckles.

"What do you mean?"

"There is no monster within me. It's just me. I have the soul of a wolf within me, but I remain in control, even when I shift." He lowered his voice so as not to be heard, but it didn't dim any of the utter seriousness with which he stated his case. Through their connection, which seemed heightened as she held his hand, Harper
knew
that he was telling the truth.

"So, you're never going to bite me, turn me into a werewolf?"

"You're born into it, Harper, not turned. It doesn't work that way." She began to breathe a sigh of relief at his words.

"But as for biting you, well, that's a little different. You see, a wolf has to claim his mate, to mark her as his own."
 

She looked at him in shock, her heart racing anew. There it was, she thought, the truth finally comes out. He wanted to
bite
her. Then she would likely turn crazy and -

"Whoa, calm down there. You are blowing this
way
out of proportion." There he was, reading her feelings again. She wondered how people stayed sane with that type of ability.

"It's just a simple bite while we make love, my dear. I'm not going to rip your throat out or any nonsense. Just a tiny puncture of the skin, that's all it takes. If I do it right, you shouldn't even shed any blood."

"And if you do it wrong?" she wanted to know.

"Never happened to any of the shifters I've ever known, and it's not something we tell ghost stories about either, so," he trailed off, giving her a moment to think it over.

"I can't believe this is happening," she said after a minute.
 

There was no denying that she had a connection with Jake, that when he was around she was happier than ever. They worked well together, and he was also gorgeous and a stud in bed. There was, on the face of it, nothing more she could ask for from a partner. He had mentioned more than once about him needing to mate, get married and have some pups. She snorted softly at that term, still not able to say or think it without wanting to laugh.
 

She stared into those green eyes of his as she tried to make up her mind. Was she truly ready to open herself up, allow this man to claim her, and spend the rest of her life with him?

He smiled softly at her as she watched.

Damn right she was! After five years, this man had come along and won her heart within a week. It seemed crazy when she thought of it that way, but it seemed like they had known each other for so much longer. Now, though, she had to get over her fears and accept what the world was giving her.
 

If she looked back at this moment twenty years from now, she wanted to be able to say that she had gone for it. Harper didn't want to be a lonely old lady reflecting on this day for the rest of her life, regretting the fact that she was too scared to try something new, no matter how different.

She rose, grabbing her bag.

"Where are you going?" he asked, confused.

"
We're
going to my place." He still didn't seem to understand, not moving from his seat.

"Now."

She used her best command voice, then pressed a finger to her neck, and looked at him suggestively, hinting at what she wanted.
 

He grinned, following after her with a jump to his step. Her heart was already racing, blood rushing through her system. Harper wasn't entirely sure whether the excitement of bedding Jake again or the nervousness of letting him claim her was more to blame. Either way, she was in for one hell of a ride.

This time they made the drive in peace, neither of them pawing at each other. She was glad, for she wanted this time to be slower, less frantic paced. It would be necessary to do so to keep her calm and collected.
 

She took his hand as the door closed behind them, leading him straight ahead to her bedroom at the end of the hall. The light was muted in her room, for she had left her blinds down this morning, which she was thankful for now. Turning, she took charge, knowing that she would not be able to do so in a bit, once Jake's alpha side asserted itself.

This time she wanted to explore his body, to please him the way she knew he would please her. First, she kissed him, tilting her head back as he leaned in, running her hands through the thick hair on the back of his head, pulling him tight as the kiss deepened. Her lips parted as his tongue hungrily explored her mouth, his desire showing in its urgency.

Their bodies pressed together for the first time in what felt like forever. She dropped one hand to his groin, gently tracing the hard bulge of his cock through his jeans. Her other hand she rested on his flat, muscular chest, basking in the heat that radiated off of him as they continued to lock lips, enjoying the simple act of affection.

With both hands, she removed his shirt, stepping back a half step to take in his glorious figure. He was the perfect specimen, every muscle of his core perfectly defined, she noted, her fingers running across them all, exploring the dips and curves of his form. It made her somewhat resistant when he went to remove her first piece of clothing.

"Stop it," he whispered in her ear as she reluctantly allowed him to take her shirt off. "I like what I see, and you're going to have to start accepting that."
 

As if to emphasize his point, he ran his hands across her sides, grabbing her side tightly as he pulled her curves into him. She wasn't convinced until he took her hand and placed it on his cock once more.

"Men are aroused through visual stimulation. I'm aroused from what I'm seeing, which is you, wearing far too many clothes," he finished wickedly, attacking her with gusto this time. She giggled with delight as he removed the rest of her clothing, leaving her stark naked in front of him.

"Enjoying the view, mister?" she asked sarcastically, hands on her hips as he stood a pace or two back from her, looking her up and down more than once.

"Very much so," he replied, his jeans dropping away as he stepped forward, his cock as hard as steel beneath his boxers.
 

When he came in range, she dropped to her knees, pulling his last article of clothing down with her. He sprang free as she released his shaft from its confines. Wrapping her hand around the base of it, she marveled once again at the sheer size of him. It surprised her to realize she had fit him inside of her without a problem. From an up close view, it seemed much more intimidating.

Not one to back down from a challenge, she grinned up at him, licking her lips in anticipation. She had always enjoyed the look men gave her just before she took them into her mouth. The sheer anticipation and desire mixed together was a powerful combination, that always made her want to please them as best she could. With Jake, having not only his wants displayed clearly on his face, but being able to feel his desires through their bond made it almost as pleasurable for her, as she hoped it would be for him.

Harper let herself become sucked into the building storm of emotional and physical connection between the two of them. Her free hand found its way between her legs, touching her aching clit and bringing herself near to the point of orgasm. She drove herself over the edge just as he tightened within her other hand. Streams of liquid-lava erupted across her body as she sat back, doing her best to stay upright as her own climax ripped through her, heightened by the feeling of his hot load on her chest.

Sitting back, he shuddered, holding himself upright on the edge of the nearby bed for a moment, before sitting heavily onto it. Reaching out, she grabbed a towel and began to clean herself up. She started making her way to the shower, but a hand around her waist stopped her.

"Not yet, we'll do that together when we're done." She looked down, noticing that he was already hard again. A smile played over her lips as he picked her up easily, settling her down onto his lap.
 

Reaching back, she guided him towards her soaking wet entrance. The wetness coated him easily so that he slid into her cunt in one swift movement. She cried out in surprise, pain and pleasure all at once. He was stretching her well past her norm, but at the same time it felt so
good
.
 

There was some so utterly feminine and powerful about taking a man inside of you, something that spoke to the core of her was a woman. She couldn't explain it, but each time she pushed back onto him, she reveled in the sensation of having something buried deep within her, as well as the growls her man was making.

Her man.

She had accepted him now, in all ways but one. Looking into his eyes, she drove her point home by slowly reaching up and pulling her hair to the side. The soft, vulnerable skin of her neck was bared to him now, and she waited for him to do what he needed to.

The moment came swiftly, without delay. His teeth punctured her skin, sending a lance of pain through her body. Then, as quickly as it had come, it was gone. He gently licked the spot on her neck until all the pain had fled.
 

"What happened? Why did you stop?" she asked, not understanding. Was it something she had done?

"That was it, my love. Nothing more to it."

She looked at him askance, her hand reaching to touch the spot. There were two faint marks, but her hand came away clean, without a trace of blood.
 

"I don't feel any different though," she wondered, unsure of what to do next.

"You aren't supposed to. Other shifters can sense it, will know instantly that you've been claimed."

"What about regular men?" she asked dryly, not sure just how many other shifters she was likely to come across in her lifetime.

"It will make them think twice if they decide getting frisky with you is a good idea."

"Oh, well I enjoy getting 'frisky' as you so elegantly put it. So you're going to have to do the job for all those other men who want it," she told him teasingly.

"With pleasure," was his only response as he rolled her onto her back, staying deep within her the entire time.

Jake was true to his word, because, for the rest of the afternoon, he did his best to make sure she was completely satisfied.

She was.

***

Epilogue

"Wait, I thought you said they were going to leave and continue their search?"

"So did I, but it looks like they're going to be staying here now. Something in the air, I suppose. I'm not really going to argue, my dear. Besides you, I don't really know a single person in town."

Harper looked at her mate, feeling the happiness he was trying to contain roll off of him. She smiled, hugging him tight. He deserved that, and she hoped his friends could find mates of their own as well.

Mate.

Despite having had two months to get used to that title, it still seemed a little weird to refer to herself as his mate, and vice versa. It was the most descriptive term though, for their relationship was far deeper than anything two humans shared. In the months since she had let him mark her, she couldn't recall one incident where they had fought.