VEX: Valley Enforcers, #1 (15 page)

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked, faking offense.

“You’re hard-headed and don’t understand how to roll over and play dead when the time calls for it,” She said cheekily. She propped herself up on a shoulder and kissed my chest right above one of my healing scars. “Don’t mourn for someone you haven’t lost. I don’t know Hakeem, but I know that he’s your brother. He’s strong enough to get through whatever it is he’s struggling with.”

I let her words sink in as we laid in a comfortable silence. She meant well, but I wasn’t going to stop worrying about Hakeem. I had debated calling our mom, but it wasn’t as if Orson showed up with a letter and news that my brother had died in a horrific battle. I wanted to think positively, but with the security breech acting as a noose around my neck it was hard to step back and breath. The only positive thing that came from the ordeal was that the target was completely off Acacia’s back. We were hundreds of miles away when the cameras and the new male scent were found. I had been with Acacia the whole time. She hadn’t done anything remotely sketchy or suspicious. I knew she was innocent but I wanted my clan to know that she wasn’t involved in any way.

“We need to clean up, but I am too comfy to move,” She mumbled, sounding half-asleep, against my skin.

I carefully wiggled my way out from beneath her and dashed to the bathroom. I cleaned myself up as quickly as possible and ran warm water on a rag. When I got back to the bedroom she was breathing lightly with my pillow pressed up against her body. I turned the light off and gently wiped the stickiness from between her legs. I tossed the rag into a hamper and climbed back into bed, replacing the pillow with my body. Acacia snuggled against me and my soul let out a content sigh.

“Why don’t we need condoms?” She asked suddenly.

I rolled so I was on my back. She rested her head in the crook of my arm. The light spilled in from the window and glossed her face with an ethereal glow that belonged around a wooden nymph or a mystical fae. “It’s harder for humans to carry shifter children. Pregnancy isn’t rare, but it takes a lot longer to get with child.”

“Oh,” She whispered. Her eyes closed for a second before the chocolate orbs found my face again. “But it isn’t impossible?”

“It just takes some time. The shifters I know with human mates always joke that it gives them more time to practice making babies.” I tried to make light of the situation, but I understood the heartache that came with fertility issues for human-shifter couples.

“You’re my mate.” It was a declaration, not a question. My bear sprang to life with the animalistic urge to mark what was mine. 

“I’m your mate,” I said proudly. My voice thickened with emotion as I tried to skim over the details I’d left out in the past. “I know I haven’t been completely upfront with everything, but I’m trying, Acacia. Know that mating isn’t frivolous. It’s more than dating or marriage. It’s for life. Truly for life. There is nobody else out there for me. You’re it. The fates created us for one another and brought us together for a reason. You’re my soul mate, Acacia, and when you’re ready I’ll give you my mark and you’ll give me one in return. Then our bond will be sealed forever.”

“You’ll turn me into a werebear?” Her voice was almost a panicked whisper.

“The only way to be turned into a shifter is through very dangerous black magic. You’re either born a shifter or you’re not.” I squeezed her closer and pressed a kiss to her forehead. It was slick with nervous perspiration. “Don’t worry about it right now. I didn’t mean to scare you. I just want you to know how serious I am when it comes to you.”

She gave a slight nod and kissed my chest before hooking her leg over mine and closing her eyes again. I was exhausted; but after a tumultuous few days I couldn’t help but bask in her presence. I never put a lot of stock in what mated pairs said about bonding, but Acacia was turning me into a waking rom-com… minus the comedy. Her presence made me feel at ease. My world was cracking and the safety blanket wrapped around my life was fraying, but with Acacia sleeping soundly next to me, everything seemed a hell of a lot simpler.

Vex

I leaned against the counter and watched as Acacia shoved a spoonful of cereal into her mouth in the most unladylike way as possible. My own breakfast was long gone. I was stalling, trying to make the minutes before I had to leave go by a little bit slower. Seeing Acacia in
my
clothes again (when hers were a few feet away from the closet shoved inside her duffle bag) in
my
kitchen drew something incredibly caveman-ish out of me.

“So Elizabeth told me to ask you about the bridal shop picture,” Acacia said with a slurp as she downed the contents of her spoon. “What’s that all about?”

“Nothing,” I groaned. “Forget about the picture.”

Acacia slid her bowl to the side and hopped off the stool. Her finger wagged as she approached me. “You know I can’t do that. Fess up mister.”

With a rueful sigh I pulled my phone from my pocket and scrolled to the infamous photo. “I’m about to lose every ounce of respect and all my man points with you.”

“Don’t be so dramatic. Your man points got lost in that delicious bun of yours. Not to mention the whole ‘afraid of the dark’ thing.” She held out her hand. “Gimme.”

“I’m not afraid of the dark. I don’t like horror movies. There’s a different. And before I give this to you, just understand that peer pressure is alive and well. Especially when you’re a thirty two year old man in a bridal shop surrounded by shifters and a very persistent little human woman.”

Her eyebrows crooked upwards. “Now I’m
real
interested.”

I slapped the phone in her hand, and on cue, the deep belly laughs filled the kitchen. I would’ve loved them any other time, but they were at my expense. The tiny glowing screen held a picture of me in a tiara and a feather boa in a very compromising position in front of a bunch of full length mirrors in the bridal shop where Alexis bought her ceremony dress. Orsa told me that Alexis had it framed in her office. I hoped it was a joke, but Orsa wasn’t much of a trickster.

Acacia tapped at the screen a few times as her shrilling laugh died down to a few chortles. “I don’t know if that added man points or took them away. I
do
know that that picture is going to be my new phone wallpaper. Goodbye Mulder; hello Vex dressed up like a fairy princess.” She looked at the screen one more time and laughed before handing my phone back to me. “Peer pressure, eh?”

“Alexis was going through some shit, and I just wanted to make her laugh.” I shrugged and bit the inside of my cheek in hopes that it would keep the blush from my skin. “Sue me.”

“That’s sweet,” Acacia mused. She tugged at the hem of the shirt. It was a reminder that she wore just her panties beneath it. “I’m kinda jealous of Alexis. You haven’t dressed up for me, and my whole life is basically me going through some shit.”

“What do you want me to dress up as? A French maid? Doctor? Nurse? Firefighter? Mail man? You name it, baby.” I smirked and pulled her against me. “Sexy P.E teacher? Done. I’ll even throw in a few lame lines. Something like
‘you can’t dodge these balls
’.”

She thumped a playful hand against my chest and laughed. This time it was the laughter I wanted to hear. Airy and light. It lifted my spirts while simultaneously making my dick hard. “Ew, no. My high school gym teacher was balding and had a beer gut but he always wore really tight shirts.”

“Exactly. You’ll get to replace those memories with me in short shorts, a sweatband, and a whistle. Nothing else.” I intended my jab to be playful, but Acacia was rubbing against me as I spoke. My voice unintentionally took a husky tone as I smelled the musky whiskey of her arousal. I definitely wasn’t into role playing, but if she wanted me to dress up like King Kong and climb on the roof, I would.

She stroked my cock over my jeans. Her fingers lingered on my waistband and she looked up at me with big eyes. Her face was makeup free. It made her look a little younger. A lot more innocent. And it was making all the blood rush between my legs. She smiled and stood up on her toes so our faces were close. “I don’t need costumes. How about just you naked – nothing else?”

We didn’t have time. I was already running a little behind schedule. But there was no way I was going to turn her down. I slid my hands down her side and hooked my fingers under her underwear. “We have to be quick.” A quick tug. The sound of the thin fabric tearing clashed with her surprised gasp.

And then before I could even blink she was on me. Her tongue probed into my mouth and she locked her arms around me. I let her have the upper hand for a few seconds and surrendered to the forceful way she was rubbing against me. Bunching the shirt in my hands, I held her to my chest and flipped our positions so that she was pressed against the counter and I was in front of her. I slid a hand down and cupped her naked sex. She ground against me; her warmth seeped through my skin and changed me on a fucking molecular level. She was good at that. She didn’t even know that just one touch set off a missile inside of me.
Mine.

“Let me taste you,” She moaned against my cheek.

My cock jumped inside my jeans at the thought. The words spilled from my mouth grievously. “No time.”

Her hands flattened against my chest and she pushed me away from her. Confusion twisted on my face for a fleeting moment. It soon became evident that she didn’t care what I had to say about the matter. She dropped to her knees while tugging down my bottoms. I didn’t even have time to let out a silent thank you.

Acacia wasted no time teasing my cock. She licked her lips and impaled her mouth on my member. Her tongue slashed at my sensitive skin while she held my hips and guided me in and out of her mouth. My fingers ached to pull at her hair. I felt weightless. To keep from stumbling backwards I reached forward and braced myself against the counter. Acacia adjusted her position on the floor to accommodate the new position, and somehow, it felt like she was taking even more of my cock in her throat. Streams of profanities slipped from my mouth.

“You’re a fucking goddess, baby,” I groaned. My eyes rolled open and I looked down at her. Goddess was an understatement. “Just like that.”

She moaned around my shaft. The vibrations nearly sent me over the edge. Acacia looked up at me with eyes that told a story of desire. All thoughts of being late to my shift went out the window. All I could think about was pleasing my mate. I relished the feeling of magic around my cock for a few more sensational sucks. Her tongue flattened against the underside of my cock and she slowed her pace. She zig-zagged down before flicking her way around my head. I reached down to pull her away when she slurped my length down her throat one last time.

“Shit, Acacia. You’re killin’ me,” I groaned. I nudged her away from me. Her mouth tightened around my cock while she pulled back, filling the room with the lewd noise of saliva around dick. It popped out of her mouth with an animated noise. Her sex eyes were pinned on me again. Her eyes were normally almond shaped and slightly upturned, but from her spot on the ground they appeared wide and sensual. “On your back.”

I kicked one leg out of my pants and dropped to the ground. Still wearing my shirt – though it was pushed up past her breasts while she tweaked her nipples – Acacia waited for me almost impatiently. I knew she was wet, but I spit into my hand and lubricated my cock. I fell over her and claimed her mouth for a kiss while I sank into her. The kiss melted into a clashing of satisfied moans.

She gripped me like a vice. I was so wound up from her mouth that I nearly burst inside her the second I speared into her. I gave myself a second to breath. Acacia gyrated her hips beneath me. She lifted herself, inching my dick in and out of her slowly.

Dropping my head to her neck, I playfully nipped at the spot that already bore a bruise from the night before. My body moved against hers. It wasn’t as quick or needy as it had been the night before, but it wasn’t soft and sweet. “I wish I could stay here and make love to you all day long.”

“Stay. I don’t want you to go,” She breathed.

“It’s just a few hours.” It was thirteen, but who was counting? “You know I have to. I promise I’ll be back. I’d never leave you.”

Acacia touched my face and drew my attention to her eyes. The vixen appeal was gone, and she was looking at me with the most vulnerable expression. “I’m in love with you, Vex.”

The last part of humanity inside of me snapped. A silent beat passed between. And then I fucked her like our lives depended on it. I pistoned in and out of her like a machine. I lowered my head to her ear and growled, “I fucking love you, Acacia. You are
mine
.”

I pulled away before I could bite her. It wasn’t the right time. She deserved more than a raw fuck on the kitchen floor when we sealed our bond. I leaned back until my ass rested against my heels. Acacia looked like she was floating. With her back arched and her legs wrapped around me; tangling with my own limbs, it was like she was suspended in the air. Her breasts jiggled and bounced from side to side. The shirt had jostled down to partially cover one breast, but the rock hard nipple peeked out from beneath the thin fabric.

Neither of us were going to last. Acacia’s moans were growing and getting higher pitched. Her hand dipped to where our bodies joined and she started rubbing her clit with fervor. It was too much. I didn’t want to come before her, but I couldn’t stop myself. My body tensed as a powerful wave of release hit me. I forced my hips to keep moving, but I was numb to everything except the way Acacia’s sex was tightened around my cock, milking me both physically and mentally. My vision un-blurred just as Acacia shuddered beneath me. She looked like a woman possessed as her body twisted. Her nails pressed into my skin as her heels dug into my back. I felt myself stirring to life again as the arousing sensation of her orgasm surrounded us.

I kissed her jawline what felt like a thousand times. I was a broken record but I couldn’t stop myself. “Mine. Mine. I love you. Mine.” I found my heart half naked and in the middle of a quickie. It was cathartic. It was bliss.

Acacia twirled a strand of my hair between her fingers. “This should be scary, but honestly, I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life.”

“That’s how it should be.” I nuzzled her softly. My bear hummed a jubilant tune and rattled against my chest. He wasn’t a very vocal bear, but when it came to his mate he was a completely different animal.

Acacia ran her hand over my shoulder and rested her hand on my chest. “Is that normal?” She sighed and looked up at me. “You have to go, don’t you?”

“It’s normal. It’s better than normal,” I said with a wavering smile. “Yeah. I really have to go. Please stay here. If anyone you don’t know comes to the door call me. I don’t care if they say they know me. I don’t care if they say they’re part of the clan. Call me immediately, okay? I mean it.”

She nodded her understanding and whispered a soft, “Okay.”

Neither of us spoke while we untangled our limbs. Acacia stood and tossed her shredded panties in the trash while I hopped back into my pants and re-laced my boots. I pulled my hair out of my face and tied it back with a spare band I kept around my wrist. After a prolonged goodbye, I promised Acacia I’d be back after my extended shift.

I went dangerously fast as I rounded the curves on the mountain. The sky was dark with a foreboding heaviness that told me the day would provide more than just a little rain. I was late. Really late. And the long drive wasn’t helping. If I were able to shift I would’ve made it in less than ten minutes. I whipped into the clearing with tires spinning and dust flying.

“Where were you?” Tucker asked. He wasn’t hostile, but there was a hint of annoyance and relief in his voice. “We were getting ready to drive over and beat your door down.”

Justin piped up with a smirk. “Smells like sex.” He made a few crude gestures. “Rockabilly babe is back? Nice, man.”

“Don’t fucking talk about her like that or I’ll break your dick in half,” I snapped, visibly irritated by his jests. “She’s my
mate
, not some girl you pick up in a bar, asswipe.”

Justin held his hands up in defense. “I was joking.”

“You don’t joke about a man’s mate. Rule number one.” Deacon appeared out of nowhere. He itched his beard and stalked towards me, cornering me against my Tahoe. “Elizabeth told me Acacia showed up last night. Keep her at your place and we’ll be fine. I hope. I have too many other things to worry about. You’re late, and it seems like you’ve forgotten that shit is hitting the fan around here. Don’t do it again. I get it, but don’t waste our time again. I expect more from you. If this becomes a problem I don’t doubt that you’ll be challenged as the leader of the Enforcers. Now let’s suit up and go.”

“It won’t happen again, Deac.”

He looked right through my lie. We both knew that if it came to my mate or my clan, I’d pick Acacia every damn time.