TWO
The next morning, she went to her mother's home to find Luke's brothers packing her things onto a wagon. Though it had been less than a day since she had been there, her life in the cabin felt like a different lifetime. Her mother hugged her warmly and she told her that her mate was Luke. The news pleased her mother endlessly. She seemed to finally be at peace with her daughter's future. She thought about telling her mother about how she had been left alone the night before, but she did not want to burden her when she was clearly so pleased.
It was the sight of her bags and cases being carried from the home that finally made the boys realize she was leaving them. They cried and clung to her. It took her mother and her sister to pry them free as she was helped into the wagon by Luke's brother. He was smaller than his brother and his eyes were friendlier. He smiled at her warmly and they fell in to casual conversation while the rest of his brothers sat in the back of the wagon. They were five minutes into the ride when she realized he had already said twice as many words to her as his brother had the night before.
During the short ride, she did her best to look calm. She knew Luke would be waiting for her and she did not intend to let him realize how nervous she was about their lives together. He stood outside the tent expectantly. She was surprised by how small it was. She expected the son of the chief to live more lavishly, but it suited her just fine. In fact, it reminded her of the tent she had lived in with her mother and father when her sister was born. Those had been some of their happiest days and she hoped she and her mate might have similar times in this tent.
It was made of a variety of animal pelts to highlight his skills as a hunter. She knew that all of the warriors used such tactics to show others their bounty. She had always thought it was a showy practice, but as his mate, it was reassuring to her that he was more than the spoiled son of the chief.
He stood near the tent’s open flap. She thought that he would at least give her a smile, but he had no such assurance to give her. Instead, he was pacing back and forth, clearly anxious to get to the duties he had mentioned the night before.
He helped her down from the wagon and mumbled a few words to his brother that she couldn't quite make out. He then motioned for her to follow him. She had expected some sort of warm greeting after their passionate night together, but she was sorely disappointed. He did not even take her hand as he led her in to his tent.
"Welcome," he said with only the slightest of acknowledgment of her presence.
"Thank you," she replied, feeling strange to feel so awkward about the man she would spend the rest of her days with.
"This is my home. I suppose it's ours now, isn’t it," he said, looking as uncomfortable as she was.
He gestured around the room and she took in the full details of the room in which she stood. It was clearly the main living quarters. It was sparsely furnished, to say the least. A rough wooden bench was the only thing one could call real seating and there were no cushions or softness to speak of. A small table stood near a curtain that separated the room from another section of the tent that she assumed was the sleep area.
“Well, I would give you the grand tour, but this is about it,” he said, looking at her to gauge her response.
“It is a good, solid home,” she said, giving him an encouraging smile.
He seemed to accept that answer and left her alone to go help his brothers grab the last of her things. When they had brought her bags and trunks into the space, he turned and seemed to take notice of her again.
“As I told you yesterday, this is your domain. Feel free to do as you like to it. I do hope you will be able to make it a more homey space. It is barren, as you can see. I am sure that would not be comfortable for you so make any change you see fit. There is no need to consult me about any of them. I'll be fine with any change you desire,” he said practically.
“Thank you,” she said with a reserved smile. The thought of making the space a home appealed to her and she looked forward to having a project to occupy her mind. “I will make it a comfortable home for you,” she said quietly.
“I'm sure that you will. I have been told that you excelled in all of your studies,” he said without looking at her.
“I have tried to apply myself to them,” she said, unsure what else to say to him.
“Is it alright with you if I call you Kalia?” he asked formally. The question caught her off guard. It had never occurred to her that he might call her anything else.
“Yes, I would prefer it,” she answered, trying to match his formal tone. “How would you like me to refer to you?” she asked hesitantly. She had never heard him called anything else, but she thought perhaps it would be rude not to ask after he had taken the time to ask her the question.
“Luke will be fine,” he said. “I need to excuse myself now. I have duties to attend to. Will you be alright here?”
“Yes, I'll begin work here immediately,” she vowed, looking around at the space she stood in.
“That's good. There's quite a bit to do. I'll return at sundown. You'll find anything you might need to prepare dinner in the ice chest behind the tent. If you should need anything else, all the kitchen supplies are in the cabinet near the table,” he said, gesturing to a plain wooden cabinet she had not even noticed on her first glance around the room.
“Is there anything you would prefer for your evening meal?” she asked, remembering her mother asking her father such questions before he went off to hunt with the other males.
“I'm sure whatever you choose will do well,” he said, as he turned and walked away with his brothers, who had been silently waiting for him outside the tent.
The first thing she did was draw back the curtain to the sleeping area to confirm her suspicions that it was as barren as the rest of the tent. It was as she had imagined. It was nothing more than a barren mattress on the floor with a wool blanket bundled on top of it. She wondered then if this was where he had chosen to spend the rest of last night instead of in her arms. There was no use dwelling on it, she knew, but still it seemed so strange to her.
She returned to the main room with the intent to begin to unpack her things, but she soon realized there was no use in unpacking until she cleaned the space. She knew she had hours until his return, so she changed from the newly designed dress she had arrived in, to one of her old cotton dresses she often wore while helping her mother around the cabin. It didn't take her long to find a bucket she could use as a scrub bucket and she filled it at the water pump nearby. She rolled up her sleeves and got to work.
Though the space was small, it took her nearly four hours to get in all spick and span. Though it had not been messy, per se, Luke had never really done a proper cleaning of the space. It took her ages just to get the layers of dirt off all of the surfaces in the tent.
After she got the space clean, she knew she needed to do something to get dinner started. She wanted to really wow him with her skills at cooking. After all the time that she spent cleaning the layers of dust and smoke out of the tent, she could not bring herself to start a fire inside. Instead, she used a ring of stones to create a fire pit outside the tent. She moved the cooking rack that he had inside to the pit and got her fire started.
While she waited for the flames to die down enough to begin cooking, she went out back to find the place he had told her she could find all she would need to cook. While there were a variety of meats, there were few vegetables. She pulled venison and began to chop it up, when she noticed the wilds of a garden on the edges of the clearing around the tent; after a bit of digging, she was able to gather enough vegetables to make a hearty venison stew. She also made a mental note that rehabilitating the garden needed to be high on her list of tasks to accomplish in their home.
After she got the stew simmering, she returned to the interior of the tent. Though it was now clean, it was still very sparse and she hated the thought of her mate coming home to such a barren space. Luckily, she had always enjoyed sewing and had long been creating too many pieces to be used by her family. She had packed up all of the extra pieces and brought them with her to her new home.
Her mother had always told her that the kitchen was the heart of the home. Though the tent did not technically have a kitchen of its own, she thought the table was a good place to start. She pulled a tablecloth from one of her trunks and spread it across the table. Just that pop of color made a surprising difference. She rummaged through one of her bags and found an old vase that she and her mother had made together when she was a younger girl. After putting it on the table and filling it with wildflowers, she felt confident he would be pleased with what she had done.
The wooden bench would need to be painted; there was no doubt about it. Still, she could do a little something to make it seem warmer when he returned home. She pulled some pillows that she had embroidered with flowers and laid them along it. When she still had many pillows left over, she decided to use them to make a lounge in the room. She wanted Luke to be able to come home and feel relaxed and comfortable in the home. She looked around the space and felt satisfied he would know how much work she had done in his absence.
After checking on her stew, she was pleased with the flavors and hoped he would be satisfied with it when he returned home, hungry from a hard day’s work. By the look of the sun, she knew she was running out of time, but she still needed to prepare the bedroom. While working on her ceremonial robe, she had also stitched pillows and a blanket in the same style and of the same fabrics. It had been Mali’s suggestion and in the end, they were all pleased with how it had all come together. Because the pieces were already done, it did not take her long to replace his simple wool blanket with the more luxurious things that she had made for their home. She had just put the last pillow in place when she heard him approaching.
“Welcome home,” she said as he walked through the opening.
“You seem to have been busy,” he said, though he offered no word on whether or not he was pleased with what she had done. He did not smile, but he did not look displeased, either.
“Would you like your dinner now or do you usually take in later in the night?” she asked, realizing she should have asked him that before he left in the morning. That was part of why she had chosen to make a stew. It was something she could serve him whenever he chose to eat it.
“I think now will be fine,” he said, sitting down at the table expectantly.
“Very well. I'll be back in just a moment,” she said as she pulled a bowl down and ran out to fill it.
She was too nervous to eat herself and he did not seem to notice that she did not join him in his meal. He ate quickly, without looking up. When he finished, he pushed the dish away and rose from the table without a comment on the food.
“I have firewood to chop,” he said, leaving without a glance back at her.
She quickly cleaned up the dishes from his dinner and waited for his return. Though he was a strong and capable man, it seemed to take him ages to chop the wood. When he finally did return, he had a sheen of sweat on his skin that brought back echoes of the heat from her loins the night before. He seemed to sense her thoughts as he crossed the room towards her. Rather than touching her, though, he simply stared down in her eyes for an endless moment.
“Will you show me what you have done in my absence?” he asked, though she knew that he could see what she had done.
Slowly, she showed him the additions and told him of the time she had taken to clean their home from top to bottom. She wanted them to have the best start possible and he seemed to appreciate her effort, though he did not dole out praise for all that she had done.
Before she took him to the bedroom to show him her work on that space, she had a few things that she needed to know. “Where might I find garden tools?” she asked him.
He looked a bit surprised, but pleased. “I'm afraid I have not yet retrieved them from my brother who borrowed them a few weeks ago, but now that you are here, I suppose I should have them available to you,” he said, staring off towards the overgrown garden.
“I would appreciate that. I like to work the garden and I find it very useful in cooking to have a nice variety of produce and herbs,” she said, wishing that he would meet her gaze as she spoke.
When she pulled back the curtain to reveal his sleeping area, he was clearly shocked by the transformation. She was happy to see the effect that it had on him. He seemed genuinely happy with the work she had done. He entered the space and lowered himself onto his bed, now transformed into their marriage bed.
Luke lay back on the new bed she had made for them. There, propped in the pillows, he looked like the embodiment of temptation. Once again he was shirtless, his trousers made of deerskin. There was a primal energy around him that sent shivers down her spine.
His eyes met hers and he looked her up and down, his intent clear. "Please me," he ordered.
The words shocked her but they also thrilled her. Slowly and deliberately, she lowered herself down beside him and crawled toward him. He bit his lip in approval and she drew closer to him. Her hands, shaking a bit, went to the flap of his pants. She hesitated a moment, deciding to take her time. After all, the night before had all happened so suddenly that she had not had the opportunity to explore his body as she would have liked.
Through his pants, she caressed his manhood. His eyes widened at her boldness but she had no intentions of stopping. Even through his pants, she could feel his massive member swelling. Her fingers returned to the flap of his pants, but this time she did not hesitate. She freed his penis and looked down at the natural wonder in her hands.
Slowly and deliberately, she stroked it. She moved her hand up and down, taking in the amazing feeling of being in control of the powerful bear in front of her. He was lying docilely, allowing her to explore as she wished. With each stroke, it grew harder and heavier in her hand. The sight of it was mesmerizing to her.
It was then that she recalled how amazing it had felt when he had used his mouth and tongue to stimulate her nipples. She swooped down and licked his member, beginning at the base and moving towards the tip. The way his hips bucked confirmed to her that he enjoyed the sensation. Emboldened by his reaction, she took the entire length in her mouth. He gasped aloud and wove his fingers through her hair, guiding her mouth further down and then back up. She continued the motion, using her hands to cup his balls as she bobbed up and down.
He threw back his head and roared. He looked almost as though he was in pain and she froze, worried that she was causing him pain. Her hesitation was all the time he needed to take control once again. He grabbed her roughly by the hips and pulled her on to his lap. He moved her like a rag doll until her legs were draped around his waist. He'd reached under her skirt and tore her panties from her body.
He gripped her hips once again and lowered her down on to his engorged penis. She did as she thought he wanted, but she worried as she had never ridden a man before. Remembering how he had guided her head while she pressured him with her mouth, she began to move her body up and down. As they had the night before, their bodies merged as one, moving in sync. She moved quicker and quicker, savoring every cry of pleasure she pulled from him. In her current position, she set the pace and she was enjoying every lustful second of it.
Finally, he grabbed her hips again and began to pump up into her furiously. She gripped his shoulders in an effort to meet his pace. When her pleasure took her, it rocked her even harder than it had the night before. He did not loosen his grip on her hips, continuing to thrust in and out of her until he had spilled every ounce of his seed within her.
She collapsed onto his chest in exhaustion. The feeling of his sweaty body beneath hers was oddly comforting. Instead of leaving her as he had the night before, he grabbed the blanket that had fallen from the mattress and pulled it over them. His hand settled possessively on her backside as he drifted off to sleep. Her last thought before slipping into unconsciousness, was that, no matter what happened, she would never have to worry that her life would lack physical pleasure with Luke as her mate.
*
When Kalia awoke in the morning, she was disappointed Luke was no longer beneath her. She was even more disappointed when she reached out for him and found the other side of their bed cold. She stretched slowly, enjoying the sensual ache all over her body. Reluctantly, she rose from her cozy cocoon of blanket and pillows.
The last thing she wanted her mate to believe was that she was lazy. She knew from the glow around her that it was barely past sunrise but she had a lot of work to do and she needed him to respect her work ethic. Besides, she could not remember a time when her mother had risen late.
As she rose and the cool morning air hit her naked body, she relished the sensation. She only wished that Luke were there to help warm her up. Despite her relative inexperience, she was beginning to think she must be a lustful person. Since the night of their mating, most of her thoughts were centered on being with Luke physically. Though they did not have an emotional connection to speak of, the feeling when he was inside of her was the most natural thing in the world to her. She craved him and it was a bit unsettling to her.
She dressed quickly in a simple pair of buckskin pants and linen top. Though it was a practical outfit, it accented her figure nicely and she hoped her mate would take notice. She rushed outside and found the clearing surrounding their tent empty and from the look of it, Luke had been gone for quite a while. Her bear senses told her that his scent trail was over three hours old, meaning he had left well before dawn. Though she could not fathom why he had, she resigned herself to the facts and got to work.
She knew a large part of her role, as his mate, was to make sure he was well cared for, which meant making sure he was well fed. The fire cooking pit he had built outside the tent was large enough for only one pot, which meant she really couldn't cook more than the most basic meals. That, she knew from her mother, would never do for a warrior of Luke's caliber. Many males took mates primarily because they were sick of eating their own cooking.
She knew there was a pile of rocks that would do nicely for her purposes so she headed off. The physical labor of hauling and placing the stones helped to clear her mind and it seemed to take no time at all for her to finish the project. When she finished, there were three super-sized pits so that she could cook different foods at different heat levels. She felt so good about her work that she used more flat stones to give herself a solid work surface around the cooking pit. It was nearly noon when she had put the last stone in place.
She was sweaty and dusty when her bear senses told her that someone was approaching. Before the visitor entered the clearing, she knew it was another male and he was a werebear. She could tell by his strides he was strong and lean, though she knew instantly that it was not Luke. She knew his scent as well as her own and it definitely was not him approaching her.
When he did enter the clearing, she did not recognize him. He was tall, with jet black hair and deep green eyes. There was something about him that made her uneasy the second she laid eyes on him and the way that he approached her. She was used to the way warriors carried themselves, but this was somehow different. He was every inch a predator and he was looking at her as prey.
“Hello,” she said tentatively.
“Greetings. Who might you be, my lovely girl?” he asked, his eyes locked on hers in a way that made her even more uncomfortable.
“I'm Kalia of the house of Manard,” she said, holding her head high.
“My name is Bertram." He paused and looked her over. "I was familiar with your father. He was a brave warrior,” he said, still eying her as though she was a piece of meat. Though his words were kind, there was something in his tone that put her even more on edge.
“Thank you. I'm proud to be of his lineage,” she said, guardedly. She made no effort to extend her hand in greeting, but he still continued to inch closer to her.
“As you should be. Why are you here at Luke’s tent? Has he finally gotten himself a mate? I can’t believe he finally admitted to anyone, even his elders, that he needed another in his life. I have waited a very long time to see this day. Tell me, how long have you been mated?” he asked, clearly pleased with the situation for reasons that he was not about to share with her.
“It has only been a few days since our mating ceremony. I'm still working to make this place a home for us,” she said, feeling like she should not share any more details with him.
The first thing bears were taught as cubs, was to trust their most basic instincts. Nature has a way of warning when something is wrong or dangerous and it is the worst betrayal to ignore those warnings.
“He must have been thrilled to have you selected as his mate. I can see from the shape of this place that you are a good little worker. You are lovely, of course. You have a nice shape and I'm sure he enjoys your body immensely. Yes, I am sure that he was very glad to see you waiting for him in your mating ceremony lodge,” he said as he circled around her, taking in every detail of her form. She didn't answer him, but the expression on her face told him all that he needed to know.
“But he hasn't told you that, has he? I can tell by the look on your face you do not believe I speak the truth. I promise you I do. I've not said a word I do not believe to be the absolute truth. He hasn't told you though, that is plain as day. Don’t let it bother you, my dear. He's not the type to allow himself to care about another and even if he does, he surely wouldn't lower himself enough to tell you. He likely would never tell anyone. I think he lives in constant fear someone will take the person he loves away from him,” he said, with a leering smirk on his face.
“Who are you?” she asked, refusing to take a step away from him and show any sort of fear.
“My name is Bertram and I have quite a history with your mate. I'm sure he wouldn't have mentioned me to you or anyone else, though. No, I am sure he keeps our past from everyone. However, I do believe he will have to tell you something when he comes home because you're obviously going to have some questions after this little chat,” he said with a smirk.
“Why are you here?” she asked without blinking, not allowing him to intimidate her at all.
“Oh, I am not even sure of that myself. I did have a plan, you see. However, meeting you has changed that. Yes, you have changed my plans entirely,” he said, running his eyes up and down her.
“What exactly are you trying to say?” she asked.
“Oh, you'll see in time. Yes, you and I are going to get to know each other well before this is all said and done. You have my word on that. You might even come to thank me for what's to come. Your life will be much more interesting, you see, because of the plans that I have made for your mate,” he said, looking diabolical as he spoke.
“You're talking in circles,” she pointed out, unsure of what in the world he was getting at. He was rambling like a mad man and it was more alarming than if he had threatened her directly.
“Yes, I suppose I am. I wonder what he will say to you when he comes home and smells my scent here. It's been years since he and I have had any direct contact, but I'm sure he'll recognize it. A person doesn't forget a thing like that. No, he'll remember it and I'm sure he'll need to do a bit of thinking before he gives you some sort of answer. He isn’t the type to tell you exactly what he is thinking, of course. He'll give you some sort of calculated answer, but it will never be the whole truth. He'll never let anyone get close enough to know his thoughts. Any man who cannot let a glorious creature like you into his heart and mind is a waste of a werebear. He might use you for your body, but he will never give you more than that,” he said, looking deep in her eyes as he spoke to gauge her reaction.
If he was looking for her to cower or look suspicious of her mate, he was going to be very disappointed. She stood stoically and met his gaze but did not speak further. In her mind, there was no further point in speaking with him.
“I see you have made up your mind to speak no further with me. Don’t worry, my dear. I won’t hold it against you. One day, you'll have to tell me what happens when he comes and smells me here. I wonder if he'll be able to keep that temper of his in check. I'm sure he worked hard to make sure no one, especially you, knows just how dark his temper can be. It would bother him endlessly if he lost control in front of you. Still, I don’t think he'll be able to help it. Either way, I'm sure the story will be amusing. You and I may even laugh about it one day. Goodbye for now, my lovely little friend. I'll be seeing you soon.”
With that, he turned and walked away. Before he left the clearing, he looked back over his shoulder and winked at her. It sent a chill down her spine and she was not able to feel any sort of relief until she could no longer hear his footsteps as he left. Her mind raced with whom he might be and what his connection to Luke was. To keep her mind occupied until he returned home, she threw herself back in to her work. Using the same stones, she was able to fashion a wood burning oven, ideal for baking breads and other things that would be of great use to her in keeping her warrior fed. She was so consumed in her work that the sound of Luke approaching earlier than expected took her completely off guard.
She heard his steps before she noticed his scent, which should never have been the case. She mentally scolded herself for allowing herself to be caught unaware. As a werebear, one always needed to be on guard and she had allowed herself to let her guard down.
When Luke entered their clearing, she could tell right away he was bothered. His eyes darted around, as though he was trying to see the threat he sensed had been there. The fierce look on his face took her breath away. It was the first time she had really seen him as a warrior and it stirred something inside of her. All she really wanted to do in that moment was to throw herself into his arms, but she could tell by the guarded way he was moving towards her that now was not the time.
He was a warrior trying to assess the situation. He was trying to understand the threat he faced and she couldn't interfere with that. Her mother had always made it very clear that you were to stay out of the way of warriors when they were engaging their senses in such a way. They were more prone to react instinctively rather than thoughtfully.
“What am I smelling?” he growled, sniffing the air.
She could tell by the look on his face he recognized the scent of the man who had been there, but he was testing her to see if she would tell him the truth. She wasn’t sure what to make of that, but she knew that she needed to be honest with her mate.
“You mean dinner or the scent of the strange man who came by here earlier?” she asked bluntly.
She knew him well enough to know that his ferocious look was not a dangerous one and she had no intention of walking on eggshells around the topic when she had done nothing wrong.
“The man,” he said, looking a bit surprised at her bold answer.
He stared at her, waiting for her response with a mixture of frustration and amusement on his face. His eyes were intense and as she looked up in to them, she lost all thought. His gaze was one a girl could lose herself in and not mind a bit. Finally, she shook off her daze and began to answer him. The problem was, she wasn't entirely sure where to begin, because she wasn’t at all sure what exactly the man had been after or who exactly he was.
“It was strange. He seemed to know you,” she began, remembering the twisted smirk on his face as he spoke about Luke. They clearly had a history that she did not know or understand.
“But you did not know him?” he asked, without taking his eyes from her face. Something in her face must have told him what he needed to know, because he began to relax even before she spoke.
“No, I've never seen him before today,” she said, causing his shoulders to relax fully.
He seemed to be relieved, though she could not fully understand why. If he loved her, jealousy might've been a reason, but she knew that that was not the case. Though, as she thought further, any man would dislike his mate having male company in his absence. She worried immediately he would be angry with her, but he showed no sign of rage.
“Did he threaten you?” he asked, taking a step closer and placing his hand on her shoulder in comfort.
She had been on edge since the stranger had come. The feeling of his hand on her shoulder meant more than she could describe in words. He made her feel safe and protected. She had always spent most of her time trying to make her siblings feel that way, but it had been a very long time since she had felt it herself. She wanted to throw herself in his arms and melt to him, but she did not want him to see how vulnerable and weak she felt.
“Not exactly,” she said, pulling herself together with great effort. She needed to be the brave mate he deserved. She could not show her weakness to him. She could not let him know how scared she had been by what had happened earlier.
“Really?” he asked skeptically.
She knew, of course, that he could hear the increased beat of her heart, giving away the fear she had felt. Still, he was kind enough not to point that fact out. Instead, he stood there patiently and waited for her to continue her story.
“Well, he was a bit threatening, but I don't scare easy,” she said, holding her head high as she spoke. She locked eyes with him and did not blink, doing her best to look her bravest.
“That's good to know,” he said with a gentle smile. Something about the way she was carrying herself clearly pleased him. “What did he say?” he asked, trying to seem nonchalant about his inquiry.
“He said I would be seeing him again soon,” she answered honestly. It was the closest thing he had given her to some sort of purpose to his visit so it seemed the best thing to share with him.
“He did?” he asked.
He kept his face blank, but she was familiar enough with him to see the anger flare in his usually gentle eyes. It was his eyes she loved best about him. No matter how serious or busy he was, his eyes gave away the tender soul within.
“Yes. He also said that you wouldn't tell me your history together. He said you would never trust me enough,” she continued. She was not at all sure it was the right thing to do, but she was desperate to know, and, short of asking him directly, it seemed to be the best way to introduce the topic.
“There's no reason to go into it. I'll take care of it. He won't come back here and bother you again,” he said, taking his hand from her shoulder and looking away in an attempt to keep his emotions in check.
“What did he mean he would see me again?” she asked boldly.
She hated to press him when he was clearly already upset by the events of the day, but she was the most frightened by the stranger’s claim that he would see her again. She needed to know what he meant by it and she knew Luke was the only other person who could tell her.
“Don't worry about it,” he said as he turned to go into the tent.
“Alright, I trust you,” she called after him.
Her words stopped him in his tracks. He didn't turn to face her right away. He seemed to be wrestling with some thoughts before he pivoted on his heels and closed the distance between them in two strides. His mouth crashed down on hers and there was something there that she had never felt before. It was as if he was staking his claim upon her with this kiss, branding her very soul as his own. She eagerly kissed him back, trying her best to stake a similar claim upon his heart. His arms wrapped around her and pulled her body tight against his. She thanked the gods for her heightened bear senses. They allowed her to hear the beat of his heart and the blood coursing through his veins as he ravaged her mouth.
His scent filled her nose and she did her best to commit it to memory. She could think of nothing more appealing than the scent of sweat, tobacco, and leather that surrounded her. His scent was distinctly masculine and being so surrounded by it turned her on instantly.
He dug his fingers in to her hair, making her helpless to escape his kiss; not that she wanted to. She wrapped her arms around his waist, wanted to be as close to him as physically possible. The feeling of being so entangled with him was intoxicating. She wanted nothing more than to stay there, locked in an embrace with him, forever. He seemed to have the same idea, because he was in no hurry to stop. He was not pulling away from her. Instead, he seemed to be doing all that he could to keep her close to him.
When he finally did pull away for air, he had a mischievous smile on his face that warmed her heart. She was suddenly very glad that he did not smile often. It made moments like this all the more special because it was all for her. If she saw him smile like that at another woman, she knew she would likely turn right to her bear form and tear the woman’s heart out. Perhaps, she thought, this was what love felt like.
Without letting go of her, he pressed his forehead to hers and said, “That smells good.” He nodded towards the deer leg roasting over the open fire.
“Roasted venison,” she said as she tried to catch her breath. She felt the heat in her cheeks and it had nothing to do with their proximity to the fire.
“My favorite,” he said, staring down at her mouth as he spoke. She was not entirely sure whether he was talking about her or the deer. Either way, she was quite pleased with the way he was looking at her as though he wanted to devour her right there.
“It's fresh. I killed it myself this afternoon,” she said with a grin. She had taken half an hour in between her building to ensure she would have the freshest ingredients to cook for him. It was nice that he appreciated it.
“You have been busy,” he said with an indulgent smile.
“That's the mark of a good mate, isn't it?” she said, suddenly embarrassed by his praise. It seemed so odd to her and yet so right to be standing there in his arms, discussing something as mundane as dinner and housework.
“I suppose it is. I know exactly what I want after dinner,” he said, his hand lowering down her back and settling on her rump.
“What's that?” she asked, feeling breathless with anticipation.
“You,” he said, squeezing her butt to emphasize exactly what he wanted with her.
“Are you sure you want to wait?” she said, suddenly mad to have him inside of her as quickly as possible. Her skin was on fire and she knew if she did not have him soon, she would go mad with want.
“Never, but I would hate for all your hard work to go to waste,” he said with a smirk, pulling himself away from her with great reluctance.
“I promise the wait will be worth it,” she said, suddenly enjoying the idea of the sweet torture of waiting. The fact that he was so enthralled with her body was as arousing as anything she had ever experienced.
“It always is with you,” he said as he seated himself on the ground near the cooking pit. She could not remember ever carving a deer leg so quickly, but she had their dinner in front of them in record time. By the way he tore into his food, she could tell he had no intention of waiting very long and that was just fine with her.