Her hair was still damp. It dripped down her back and over her shoulders.

Not that she cared.

Not even a little bit.

The world could be ending and she probably wouldn’t give a toss.

She straddled Gage, her feet on the ground. Her hands clasping his shoulders. His cock deep inside her. Her boobs jerked up and down as he lifted her up and down, as he pounded into her from below in strong, easy strokes.

The sound of their ragged breathing filled the forest. That and the sucking, wet sound her body made with each hard thrust. Edith should be embarrassed about how wet she was. At how close she was to coming, but it felt too good for her to care. If anything, the slapping, sucking noises turned her on even more. If that was even possible. He nipped at one of her nipples, made a growling noise from low down in his throat. So damned sexy. Everything about this man was sexy. From his broad shoulders, to his thick biceps, to that gorgeous smile. The one that made a dimple pop to the left of his mouth. Oh, that mouth. That wicked tongue, those wicked lips. He suckled on her nipple a couple of times before lifting his head. His jaw was tight, his eyes bright. His golden flecks more prominent.

He smiled at her for a half a second before clenching his jaw.

This had all started with him laying her down and sucking on her clit. Sucking. She’d never been sucked before. Licked, yes but sucked, no. It was the best. A soft vacuum over one of the most sensitive places on her body. He hadn’t allowed her to come though and had given her the choice of position this time.

Thing was, Edith had ridden this man many times, only, not in the way that she wanted. Not like this. Riding him was superb. It might be her new favorite thing.

Edith moaned. He was big. So very, ridiculously big. He hit every spot inside her. Every. Single. One. She looked down between them, to where they were joined. To where he slid in and out of her. She was about to come. Edith lifted her head; she could feel her eyes rolling back. Could feel her hands clutch at his shoulders. Could feel herself clamp down on him as pleasure rushed through her. Wave after wave. She made a very deep, very weird groaning noise. She had zero control at this stage. Could only feel. Gage held onto her, holding her in place. He kept going. Pushing her higher and higher.

She yelled his name and his lips crushed against hers. Finally, finally … he slowed, drawing out her pleasure. Easing off. Then he was pulling out, clasping his cock and fisting it. His eyes on hers. Intense and beautiful.

She so wished that he could find completion inside her. She needed to be the one to bring him pleasure. Edith gripped the base of his cock with her own hand. He closed his eyes and groaned, clearly enjoying her touch.

“Let me,” she panted out.

“Edith,” he groaned, it sounded like both a warning and a plea. She’d ignore the first and go with the second. She scooted back, leaned over and took his dick into her mouth. With her one hand, she stroked his balls and with the other, she fisted the base of his cock. “Oh god, Edith. Shit!” He said a couple more cuss words. His fingers threaded through her hair. “Curls.” A deep rasp. Definitely a warning.

She ignored him, deep-throating him. His balls pulled tight in her hand.

“I’m going to. I …” he groaned. His fingers tightened a smidgen on the back of her head as the first spurt hit her throat. She swallowed, continuing to suck him off with her mouth and to pump him with her hand. It took a few more swallows before he was done.

Gage slumped back as she released him. He groaned. His big chest heaved. He lay like that for a time before lifting his head. A beautiful smile played with the edges of his mouth. “That was amazing. You are amazing.”

She felt her own mouth tug into a smile. Could feel how her cheeks heated. Gage sat up, he put an arm around her middle and pulled her against him, placing a kiss on the top of her head. “What I wouldn’t give for a soft bed and a couple of hours to burn.”

“Let me guess, you’d sleep like a baby. Don’t think I haven’t noticed that you don’t sleep well out here. That you lie awake keeping watch.”

He shrugged. “I don’t need much sleep during the summer months. We bears tend to do our sleeping during the winter.”

“You hibernate?” She looked up at him.

His eyes were wrinkled at the corners. “I sleep like a human during winter. Six or seven hours at a stretch, may as well be hibernating.” He rolled his eyes.

He considered six or seven hours long. Huh! No thank you. Edith needed her beauty sleep. “What, life’s too short to spend it all in bed?” She made a face.

“Something like that. Although, if you were in bed with me, I think I’d hibernate winter, spring, summer and fall.”

They both laughed. Something clenched in her though. Something deep because there would be no winter or spring for them. There definitely wouldn’t be another summer. There was only a couple more days and then it was going to end. She’d somehow managed to convince herself that it was okay when it wasn’t. Gage was the kind of guy she could see herself with. At least he had been honest with her and she knew where she stood. There was always the chance that he might change his mind. She somehow doubted it though.

“We’d better get going, Curls.” Gage lifted her to her feet.

She forced herself to smile at him. Gage took her hand in his, squeezing it as they set off.

* * *

Two days later …

You’re sure?” She sounded animated.

“Very sure.” His voice was still rough since he had only recently shifted back into his skin. “I recognize that hilly outcrop.” He pointed to the right of them.

“Um, okay if you say so.” Edith squinted in the general direction. “I can’t see a thing. It’s still too dark.”

“I keep forgetting how blind you are, human,” he joked, putting his arm around her shoulders. “If we keep heading west,” he gestured to where the sun had just begun to light up the horizon, “we should hit my village in two or three days tops.”

“But first we rest.” She turned into him, putting her arms around him.

“If that’s what you want to call it.” He smiled. “I need to scout the area because—”

“No, you need to come to bed with me.” She took a step towards their newly made shelter.

Gage narrowed his eyes on hers. He’d like nothing better than to take her up on that very tempting offer. “This part of the forest isn’t as dense. It’s a little riskier. You make yourself comfortable.” He touched the side of her face. “Eat some of those blueberries we found earlier.”

Her eyes lit up, then she laughed. It was a beautiful sound. “You know me too well, even after just a few days together. I’m a sucker for delicious food. If you had cupcakes with butter frosting, I’d sing karaoke.” She gripped his arm. “I wouldn’t recommend it though. I can’t hold a tune.” She widened her eyes.

“I can think of a couple of things I’d prefer anyway.” He kissed her. “You relax for a few minutes. I won’t be long.”

“You’d better not be, or I’ll be asleep when you get back.”

“I can also think of a couple of ways to wake you up.” He grinned at her.

She bobbed her eyebrows. “Sounds amazing.” Then she gave him a soft push. “Better hurry.”

He kissed her again, just a quick touch of the lips. As much as he told himself to stop doing that, he couldn’t seem to help it. If she was nearby, he wanted to touch her. Hold her. He wanted to kiss her and hug her and to make love to her. Gage gave a shake of the head. Not make love but fuck. Yep, that’s what he’d meant.

He headed out. If he remembered correctly, there was a hollow tree just to the south of there. He’d been on a scouting mission in this part of the woods and had taken shelter in the cavernous trunk before. It was in the direction of the—

Wait. What?

For a moment, it seemed as if the light from the soon to be rising sun had blinked out for a moment. A mere second. Maybe he had blinked. It was possible.

He stood utterly still, turning back to where he had left his female. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. His heart began to race and his palms became clammy.

There was no reason for him to feel this way. He could have blinked. It might not have been something blocking out the minimal light. What was he saying? He had most likely blinked. It made perfect sense. Only, he hadn’t blinked. Gage had always trusted his gut. Right now, despite it still being too dark for those fuckers to be out. It was telling him to run. To save his female. To act! To act now! His gut was screaming it!

Gage didn’t wait, he took off in a sprint, changing into his bear form as he ran. Everything became easier, quicker, more fluid.

Her scream punched him in the gut. Right there, dead center. It fueled him. Big fucking time. His hackles went up and a growl was torn from him. The growl only deepened as he entered the clearing where their shelter was.

There she was in a face-off with one of them. It was in man form.

Edith brandished a stick in one of her hands. She had the thing pointed at the beast. His Curls. His sweet, sweet female. She may as well have been holding a toothpick for all her stick would help her. Gage raced forward, putting himself between Edith and the beast. Edith sobbed as she caught sight of him.

“I am one of The Feral,” the male said. “Better if you stood down. Go now.”

Gage roared, his lips curled back from his teeth. Fuck you! He said it in bear, but he was sure that a creature such as this would understand what he was saying.

Fuck you!

He repeated as he walked towards the thing. There was only one of them. For now, at least. More would surely come. He stood a chance against one. At the very least, he could keep it busy long enough for Edith to get away.

Gage heard a cracking noise. It was shifting. Gave him a couple of seconds. He turned to his female and growled. Telling her to go. Willing her to leave.

She shook her head. “You go. We discussed this, remember?” She spoke quickly.

Gage growled again. There was no way in hell he was leaving her. It wasn’t happening. That plan had been ridiculous. He never intended on leaving her. Couldn’t do it!

If she followed the river like he said, it would be a couple of days tops and she’d be back at the village. Chances were one of the scouting packs would pick up on her scent long before then.

Edith shook her head, her curls bounced. “No, I’m not leaving you.”

His sentiments exactly. He turned back, looking into the ugly mug of the griffin. Bastard! Those eyes. So cold and calculating.

It made a screeching noise. Telling him to go. A veritable ‘fuck off’ if he had ever heard one.

He growled low and deep. Telling the griffin in no uncertain terms what it could go and do with itself. He would defend what was his until his last dying breath. He could see by the look in the griffin’s eyes that it meant to end him. To injure him gravely at the very least.

“No, Gage!” Edith screamed. “Please.”

The griffin came at him. Lightning quick! He could see by the way it traveled that it planned to swipe him with its right talon. He jumped towards the beast as it swiped, using its scaly arm as a vault. Gage aimed at its eye, his paw making sweet contact. His claws gouging at its eyelid. He was sure he punctured deep enough to break through.

Too easy.

It had been too easy. Why hadn't the creature moved away? If anything, its eyes had widened and zoned in on something. Panic had flared in those golden orbs as he struck, hence his success. It wasn't looking at him but past him though. It was looking at …

No.

What?

No.

Gage jumped, turning, doing a one-eighty. No. God no! Please let this be some sort of mistake. It was only when he screamed her name that he realized he’d shifted back into his human form. Edith lay in a heap on the ground. She must have run up behind him when that thing struck out with its claw. He’d moved and she’d taken the brunt of the hit. That swipe had been quick and deadly. The creature’s claws were sharp. She was gasping for air, bleeding from her nose and mouth. So much damned blood. “You tried to save me, Curls, no! Why would you do that? You should have left or stayed put, not put yourself in harm’s way.”

Edith smiled. Through all of her pain and suffering, she smiled. “I had to,” she managed to get out, between gasps.

The creature made a rumbling noise behind them, but Gage ignored it. He dropped to his knees beside her. He forced himself to calm down. He forced a smile, hoping it was reassuring. “We’ll get you back. We’ll …”

She shook her head. “No …” There was a look of peace in her eyes. He didn’t like it. He hated it. “Don’t give up on me, Edith. Don’t you dare give up.”

“Not. Giving. Up.” She gasped and wheezed. “Too late.” She kept gasping. Like she couldn’t get air in. It was no fucking wonder. Don’t look. Keep your eyes on hers.

“It’s not, no.” He was gasping too, only for very different reasons. Struggling to breathe. “I can’t lose you.”

“Don’t blame yourself,” she said, her eyes pleading. “My fault.”

The creature made another rumbling noise like it was trying to apologize.

“You’re going to be okay.” He used a firm voice, like if he made her believe it, it might actually happen.

She shook her head. She wasn’t gasping as quickly anymore. Her breaths were far more shallow. “Curls, please.” His voice broke.

Then he was being shoved aside. Gage flew several feet, landing hard. He felt dazed. It took a second for his vision to clear. Gage needed to move. Had to do it now. He shifted mid-jump, watching in horror as the griffin turned. It had his female up in its talons. The beast rocked back and took to the air. Gage reached up, snagging feathers, but they ripped free. He lost purchase and fell to the ground, landing hard.

Gage roared. Why was it taking her? What the hell could it possibly want with a dying female? He roared again. The sound filled with anguish. With pain. It ended in anger. Bitter and raw. There was a gaping hole in the canopy where the griffin had broken through.

Gage dug his paws into the ground and began to run. He wasn’t going to stop until he made it back to his village. He was going to keep his promise to Edith. Gage would amass an army and return to the land of the many towers. He would fight The Feral, taking as many as he could before he himself perished.