Shifters of Grrr 1 (27 page)

With a shout, she heard the men move, making a last, desperate rush for their car. There was no hope for them, though she couldn't see quite how it ended. Their shouts turned to cries of terror, which very quickly morphed into screams of agony. The last, bloodcurdling cry pierced the night, followed by a snap and a low gurgling noise that faded away into the brush around her.

For several long minutes, Harley lay curled up in a ball, unwilling to open her eyes to see if it was over. Sobs of mixed terror and relief took her as the adrenaline began to fade, leaving her to face the reality of what had just happened.
 

Three men had their lives taken from them, all because they were too arrogant to take no for an answer. It was pathetic and she knew it, but deep within her were still some pangs of sympathy for the lives that had ended so abruptly. A gust of wind caressed her naked body, reminding her of just what they had done to her. Much of her sympathy faded, though only numbness replaced it.

A burst of heat enveloped her, mere moments before strong arms picked her up. She struggled at first, kicking and screaming against her unseen attacker.
 

"Hush, Harley, it's okay now. You're alright." Calan's smooth voice washed over her, calming her down and forcing her to regain her senses.

"I've got you," he whispered once more, holding her tightly against his chest as her struggles subsided and she leaned into him. He was heading up the road, keeping his body between her and the clearing, for which she was thankful.
 

"Did you kill them?" She hesitated to ask, but part of her just had to know.

"Yes," he growled out, the anger radiating off of him so strongly she sat up in surprise. If he took note of her moving within his arms, he didn't show it, carrying her easily, as if she weighed no more than a blanket.
 

She wanted to ask him more, about why he was still so furious. There was more to this than it seemed she could tell, but once he got her to the truck and laid her down in the back, a warm blanket covering her, darkness claimed her quickly.

***

The sizzling, crackling sounds of fresh bacon stirred her from her slumber. The smell of breakfast cooking nearby brought her to wakefulness, along with the sounds of coffee pouring.

"How do you like it?" he murmured from the nearby kitchen. She was in his bed in the apartment, the open concept allowing him to make breakfast while he kept an eye on her.

"Just cream, please." She sighed in surprise and relief. At that moment, caffeine and food sounded like the next best thing to heaven. Her stomach rumbled its agreement loud enough for both of them to hear. Calan flashed her a grin at the apparent sign of happiness from her.

"And breakfast, is served," he said, bringing two platefuls stacked high with steaming scrambled eggs, the aforementioned bacon, a pancake and of course, the angelic caffeine.

She dug in with gusto, the sounds of contented eating filling the room.

***

Calan

Calan looked over at his mate, his eyes searching her for any sign of trauma from the night before. It had been a harrowing experience, and he couldn't believe how close he and Jeb had come to being too late. The food helped to wash away the taste of iron in his mouth, even though it was but a memory. Human blood was never something that would grow on him.

He regretted the way things had happened the night before. It hadn't been his intent to kill them, but when he had come upon the scene of Harley tied naked to the table, his bear had surged in
 
his mind, temporarily taking control.

"What's wrong Calan?" Harley looked at him, worry evident in her eyes.

She must have seen something reflected in his eyes, something that he had let through. He wondered if he should lie, to help her stay calm. For some unknown reason, he decided to tell her the truth.

"I'm upset with myself with the way I handled last night." Not only that, but he was scared. Scared of what else he had been hiding within himself all this time.

"I don't understand. You don't have anything to be upset about."

"I'm not a killer Harley." He knew it sounded like he was pleading, but he had to make sure she knew that he would never, ever hurt her.
 

"It's just, when I saw you there, it brought back memories."
 

"Your parents," she whispered. He had never told her exactly what had happened to them, except that they had died when he was still young. It was time he changed that.

"Yes. My parents."

"I thought they died in an accident."
 

"No, it was no accident at all." He closed his eyes to organize his thoughts. Harley's hand squeezed his shoulder tightly, encouraging him to take his time. He closed his own overtop of it, holding it tightly against his chest.

"It was shortly after the news broke worldwide that shifters were real, that we actually existed. My parents went into King City as ambassadors, I guess you would call them. They wanted to show the world that we were harmless, that we could all coexist."
 

"A crowd of useless sacks of meat like the ones who took you showed up, began to stir the crowd against them. The other shifters managed to flee, but my parents were surrounded."
 

He took a deep breath, trying to get his emotions under control. It had been a long, long time since he had talked about what had happened with anyone. Harley seemed to sense this, leaning in to help support him. He kissed the top of her head absentmindedly, appreciative of her presence.

"They could have gotten out, but that would have involved shifting to their bears. People would have been hurt, possibly killed, if they had done that. So my parents did nothing while the ignorant bastards beat them senseless. Then one of them pulled a gun and shot them both in the head."

Harley cried out in anguish, desperate to help him, holding him tightly as he shed a tear in both eyes, one for his mother, one for his father. Head bowed, he let her hold him for some time, until he felt the weight upon his shoulders loosen. By talking about it, and letting someone see how much he hurt, it seemed as if perhaps the healing process could finally begin.

"I love you, Harley Hammond." He hadn't meant to say it, but the words just felt right, as if he needed to say them now.

"I love you too, Calan Winters." If he had been startled by his own words, he nearly fell over in surprise at that. He opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again, before finally closing it.
 
He had no idea what to say.

Harley smiled up at him, before leaning up to brush her lips against his. Although it was just supposed to be a casual kiss, his cock flared to attention, the kiss deepening, indicating something more. He easily picked her up, swinging her over until she was straddling him as he sat on the edge of the bed. Forgotten breakfast plates clattered across the floor as he kicked them out of the way.

"I'll be gentle," he murmured in her ear, hoping to put to rest any concerns she had about making love after being roughed up the night before.

"I'm not made of fucking porcelain," she growled at him, nipping lightly at his ear.

He chuckled heartily, ripping the ill-fitting white t-shirt of his off of her, exposing her breasts to his hungry mouth. Hands grasped the back of his head, pulling him in tight amidst a gasp of pleasure as his lips closed over one of her nipples, his tongue flicking across it, making it harden under his touch. Nails dug into his back as Harley let out a cry of pleasure.

Their lips met again as he picked her up, swinging her around to lay on her back. She opened her mouth as the kiss lingered, their tongues intertwining as they met. He could feel his bear surging to the surface, urging him to claim her, to make her his mate forever. He held back, unsure of whether that was the best thing for Harley at the time. In the end though, the decision was taken out of his hands.

"Take me," she said breathlessly, her piercing blue eyes staring deep into his gaze as she lay back, baring her neck for him.

"You're sure?" he asked breathlessly. He didn't want to ask, just in case it ruined the moment, but he had to know. If he claimed her, and she had only said it because she was horny, he'd have to live with that regret for his life.

"I wasn't ready earlier, but I see so much more clearly now Calan. I want to be your mate, to stay by your side, and raise your cubs. Now take me!" The last was a command. Never one to let a beautiful woman down, Calan grinned and moved towards her neck.

His bear knew what was about to happen, and did its part to help with the process. Pressure increased in his jaw, until his canines flicked out, ready to mark his mate. With a growl, he bit down on her neck, puncturing the skin ever so slightly. He felt the bond take, and moments later his teeth retracted. Licking the wound to help it heal, he moved back enough to look Harley in the eyes.

For the first time, he saw his mate looking back at him.

"Now claim me the old fashioned way," she said with a grin, pulling the shorts he had dressed her in off and throwing them to the side.
 

"Mmm, with pleasure my mate," he replied, dropping to his knees, kissing his way up her legs. He could see how wet she was, how ready for him. He wanted to show her how much he truly cared though, so he took his time. His tongue explored every inch of her, licking up all the warm honey that poured from her. Her clit practically throbbed under his touch. It didn't take long for her to begin to writhe within his grasp, her back arching as pulses of pleasure ripped through her.
 

"Just fuck me already," she begged several moments later, when her senses returned.

She spread her legs, gasping as he plunged his hard cock into her wet cunt. He buried himself completely in one smooth motion. Her canal was so tight he remained immobile for a few moments, letting her stretch to accommodate his size. As he did, he kissed her passionately, forcefully, urgently. He needed this as much as she did, and that was reflected in their movements.

After that, no more words were spoken for quite some time.

***

Harley

Harley looked over at her mate and smiled.
 

They had been mated for a couple of months now, and she couldn't imagine her life without him. The swiftness of that attachment scared her, but anytime she felt worried, she could turn to the firm sense of commitment that seemed to radiate off of her mate.
 

Her
mate.

No one else's. Just her, and her alone. And in return, she was his mate. It was a bond that transcended their human halves and united them with their animal side. It merged and melded them into one being. They shared experiences and emotions on a level normal humans couldn't begin to comprehend.
 

Even now, as she basked in his presence, he looked up sharply from the set of bed sheets he was examining. When he saw her looking at him the way she often did, he broke into a grin. He tossed the sheets down, walking over to her in two short strides. He picked her up, mashing his lips into hers as he swung her around in a circle.

"Why hello," she giggled, returning the kiss, with interest.

"Shall we get out of here?" He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

"No, you crude beast! We need to get some sheets for the bed!"

They were out shopping for house things. The renovations on the inside were finally finished to the point that the two of them felt comfortable moving in there. There was still plenty to be done, and the two of them worked hard every day when they weren't on shift.

Thankfully, for both of them, working side by side was no longer an issue. In fact, their bond allowed them to become more efficient than normal. They often completed their tasks in a fraction of the time it took the other teams, simply because they understood each other so well.

Harley had never experienced such a level of harmony before, and each time it hit her, she smiled until her cheeks hurt.

"Calan this is delicious," she said later that day as they sat down for dinner.
 

"Why thank you, mate of mine."

She ate it all in a hurry, then went and spooned some more on to her plate. She hoped he didn't ask, simply assuming she enjoyed it so much she wanted a bit more.

"Everything okay my love?" He was eyeing her speculatively, clearly aware of the fact she was trying to hide something from him. It hadn't even been an hour and she'd already been found out! At least he'd been outside when she had first noticed, far enough away that she'd been able to conceal the mixed emotions of excitement and dread from him.

"What's wrong?"

"I hope nothing, Calan. I'm just..." she trailed off, giving herself a moment to focus before starting again.

"I'm just not sure how you're going to react."

"Well, you're getting me pretty worried now Harley. So just spit it out!"

"I'm late."

"You are? For what? You don't work today. Did you have an appointment or are you meeting up with some friends?" He looked at her curiously, not understanding at all.