Chapter Seventeen

Heather could sense the increasing stress level that wafted off Isaiah as the day progressed. As soon as he was done working, they returned to his parents’ home, ate dinner with the family, and then made their way to his cabin.

He closed his eyes for a moment before exiting the SUV, rounded it quickly, and lifted her down to the ground. She had to jog to keep up with him to get to the house.

He didn’t seem to breathe until they were inside with the door locked.

She knew members of his extended family were outside. He’d communicated multiple times with several people. She didn’t know who. And it most likely didn’t matter. She’d never met any of them. But she could read him enough, especially in his agitated state, to know they weren’t alone. Others were guarding them.

As much as she would prefer not to discuss the shit-storm that was her current life, she needed information. He’d spoken out loud to his parents and his brother and sister over dinner, but he’d also exchanged communication he didn’t want her to hear. Was he trying to protect her?

She broke the silence. “How many of your people are out there?”

He shook his head. “Nothing gets by you.”

“Oh plenty gets by me. I’m constantly spinning in circles trying to figure out what isn’t being said. It’s growing annoying.” She furrowed her brow. He needed to stop coddling her.

He dropped his keys on the end table by the couch and let his hand drift down to grasp hers. Without a word, he led her down the hall to the master bedroom and shut the door. After kicking off his shoes, he sat on the edge of the bed in the dark and reached for her.

She went to him, stepping into the spread of his legs and inhaling his scent. Immediately she lost some of her resolve. She shook her head to clear her mind. “Talk to me.”

“Just so you know, not much would change if I completed the binding. You would still find yourself blocked from any conversation going on around you that you weren’t invited into. It’s kind of strange to an outsider, I suppose, but we’re used to it.

“When we’re at the kitchen table ten things happen at once without a sound. My mom communicates with my sister. She also communicates with my dad. Both of those are separate and unrelated and blocked from the other. Meanwhile, I might be talking to Joselyn and Wyatt at the same time in an open three-way.

“It’s not really rude in our minds. It’s just how we compartmentalize. No one wants to hear my chat with Wyatt about the payroll or my mom’s talk with Joselyn about eye makeup.”

She nodded. “I get that. But you do realize I’m involved in no conversation except the one I’m having with you.”

He sighed and threaded his fingers in the hair at the nape of her neck. “Eventually that will change. I’m sure of it. Over time, you’ll be able to speak with the rest of my family too. In the meantime, I don’t mean for you to feel alienated. But I also know there’s a lot of information being thrown at you all at once.”

“You can’t protect me from everything, Isaiah.”

“I get that. And I don’t mean to. I’ll tell you everything you need to know. I just wanted to get back to the house where everyone wasn’t shouting into my head at once so we could speak in private.”

“Okay. Talk.”

His fingers were stroking her scalp in slow circles that soothed her. “Two of my cousins are roaming the area. Just keeping an eye out.”

“Don’t people need to sleep?”

He smiled. “They’ll figure something out. Don’t worry. They’ll trade in the middle of the night. No one is put out, if that’s your worry. We protect our own with our lives. It’s how we were raised.”

“But I’m not one of your own. They could be frustrated to be helping out a stranger.”

He shook his head. “No one feels that way. First of all, you’re one of us now. That’s already been established. It has nothing to do with you and me binding ourselves together. Even if we didn’t, it wouldn’t change your new status as a member of the Arthur pack. Not every shifter in the pack is a blood relative. We take people in for various reasons from time to time.”

“Oh.” She hadn’t realized that. “Okay, so what about the others? You think other shifters are following me?”

“Unfortunately yes. If I had gotten my information from anyone else, I would doubt the source, but not this guy.”

She was sharp enough to read between the lines. He had an ally in the neighboring family. He’d already told her that. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to put two and two together. And she understood perfectly why he would keep the person’s identity to himself. Probably his own parents didn’t know. “Austin Tarben,” she whispered.

He exhaled slowly and nodded, his hands sliding down to grasp her fingers. “Yes.”

She gripped his hands. “The bottom line is that I’m endangering myself and making everyone in your pack work overtime while I stubbornly refuse to bind myself to you.”

He shook his head rapidly and hauled her body against his. “Please don’t think that. No one else does. It’s not irrational for two shifters who met two days ago to hold off on the permanence of a binding even if they are totally head over heels. When you add the fact that one of them was human until two days ago, it would be absurd to expect them to bind.”

He kissed her cheek and nibbled a path to her ear, making her shudder. “No one expects you to make that monumental decision right now. Hell, no one expects me to, either. So relax. Stop worrying about it. Let me remind you how good we are together.”

She felt him smile against her neck. “Right, because that will make it so much easier to fend you off,” she joked.

“Mmm.” He nuzzled the very spot she knew he would bite eventually. “Never said I was going to play fair. I just asked you to let me make your world spin.”

She shivered, grabbing his waist and angling her lips toward his. “Can’t turn that down.”

His hands went to her sweater and up under the thick material to cover her waist. When he slowly eased them up to her breasts, he froze, his lips no longer moving over hers. “Damn. You’re full of surprises.”

She smiled against his mouth. “You said you weren’t a fan of bras.”

“I did indeed.” He cupped her breasts, holding them loosely at first as though weighing them in his palms, and then he thumbed her nipples until she arched into him. Her lips broke free as she tipped her head back. Every time he touched her, he lit her on fire. Just the simple act of stroking her nipples beneath her sweater made her horny.

“I love it when your mouth parts like that,” he whispered. “Makes my cock so hard watching your face open up. The joy. The pleasure.”

She tried to focus on his words, but his fingers continued to toy with her nipples, driving her higher until she thought she might come from their attention alone.

When he released her breasts to drag her sweater over her head, she whimpered before she could stop herself.

He smiled. “Baby… You’re so damn responsive.”

“Only with you,” she shared.

“Love hearing that.”

His hands went to the button on her jeans while she did the same to his. Simultaneously they popped buttons and lowered zippers. The only problem was he was sitting and she was standing. In moments he had her jeans pooled at her feet. She had her hand twisted backward inside his pants, cupping his cock.

He stood long enough to shrug out of the jeans without dislodging her touch.

The silky smooth feel of his length in her hand made her stroke up and down the skin. He let her, for about ten seconds, and then he grabbed her hand and pulled it away. “Climb onto the bed. Get in the middle. On all fours.”

She hesitated, considering how demanding he was and whether or not she should be so turned on by it every time. Was she setting a precedent she wouldn’t be able to escape later?

He stroked her arm up and down. “What’s wrong, baby?”

“It bothers me that your dominance goes straight to my clit and makes me so hot. Every time. Like I’m not even me.”

He set one hand on her butt and pressed her pussy against the mattress between his legs. “It’s just a new you that you’ve never met. You weren’t with the right man.”

“Is it the shifting?”

“Nope. It’s always been in you, this need to have a lover with a dominant tendency. You just didn’t know it. Until you meet someone who can make your body scream, it’s hard to be aware of the need.”

“It’s consuming me.”

“I know, baby.” His words were soft. Gentle. So understanding. Even though he’d given her a command, he wasn’t angry she’d hesitated. He simply took the time to talk to her.

She also knew full well when they were done talking, he would still expect her to do as he said. That thought made her shudder.

“A couple of forces are at work. One is your need to be controlled a bit in bed. It drives you so much higher than vanilla sex ever will. The other thing is the magnetic pull of our bodies to each other. I know I said Fate was a silly notion, but I’ve changed my mind. Nature indeed has a plan for us. I know it in my soul. She will be relentless in Her quest to ensure we do Her will.”

“And you’re convinced Her will is for us to bind together.”

“I know it with every ounce of my being. But,” he held up a finger, “I am patient, and I absolutely won’t rush you. There’s no reason to rush. Just because I’m sure of us and what we’ll be together for the rest of our lives doesn’t mean it has to start today.”

She bit her lower lip. Was he right? Or was she being ridiculous? And who said she had to wait for him to decide when they finished the binding? He’d said himself either party could do it at any time.

“You’re entitled to your own timeframe. I won’t rush you. I’ve said that before, and I mean it. We’re on your calendar, not mine.”

“But I’m endangering myself and others.”

He set a finger on her lips. “You’re not. Stop it.”

She lowered her gaze to his lap, the location of his bobbing erection. Even in the midst of this serious discussion, he was aroused. Of course, she was too. Wetness leaked between her legs, increasing with every touch of his hands and every gentle word from his lips.

He changed his tone to seductive. “How do you feel when I order you around in bed? When I hold you down and make you come?”

She shivered, unable to stop the response as his fingers toyed with her butt cheek, inching their way closer to her tight rear hole. An unbidden moan escaped her lips.

“Oh baby, that’s what I thought. Now, climb onto the bed on all fours.”

She crawled over his thigh, intentionally teasing him with as much contact with her body as possible. She let her breast graze his arm on the way by and seductively crawled like a feline to the center of the mattress.

“Taunting me won’t ease your need.” His voice was deep, gravelly, firm. She affected him, even though he may fully intend to withhold gratification. His delay would only make her arousal grow.

“Spread your knees wider.”

She complied, biting her lip again to keep from moaning at the exposure.

“You can put your elbows on the bed. I like your ass up higher anyway. Plus your tits will drag across the sheet.” His description did nothing to dampen her desire. Every word was carefully calculated to tighten the ball forming in her belly.

She was acutely aware of her nipples stiffening against the sheet, her pussy leaking copious amounts of arousal between her spread thighs, and her exposed, private hole open for him to see. Instead of being mortified, she was more aroused than ever.

When he set a hand gently on her lower back and stroked her skin, she let her belly dip, her ass reaching higher.

“Heather… You’re so sexy…”

She set her forehead on the bed and tucked her lips between her teeth to keep from moaning.

With one hand resting on her back, he reached between her legs and dragged a finger through her folds. “So wet for me,” he crooned.

She squirmed.

“Stay still. Let me play.” He slowly eased his finger inside her. It felt amazing. It wasn’t enough. As he fucked that one finger in and out of her as if they had all the time in the world, her attention got divided by the feel of that finger working her pussy and one finger of his other hand easing down her crack.

Would he touch her there? Her mind warred with the concept. In a lucid normal moment she would cringe, but this wasn’t a coherent moment. She was so damn horny she didn’t care what he did. And she totally trusted him. Besides, if she were honest, his finger was driving her wild.

He pulled the pointer out of her pussy and circled her clit. All the while, his other hand inched lower. She thought it was his middle finger about to touch her tight hole. And she was unable to stop herself from rocking backward to encourage more.

“Uh uh. Don’t move. You have to stay still if you want me to make you feel good. You start wiggling all over the place and I’ll stop.”

She sucked in a sharp breath. Would he do that?

“Try me.”

She froze, fighting for her next breath while she squeezed her eyes shut as if that would keep her from admitting how titillating it was for him to touch her so close to forbidden territory. Who decided the back hole couldn’t be erogenous anyway?

“That’s a girl. I love how your skin flushes when you’re so aroused you can’t stop yourself.” His finger got closer while he spoke. Was he trying to deliberately distract her? “You make my dick so hard it’s about to explode before I can get inside you.” In one smooth motion, he pinched her clit with one hand while setting the one thick finger from the other over her tight hole and applying enough pressure for her to realize how much she craved whatever he had in mind.

“Isaiah,” she moaned into the mattress.

“Baby…” He rubbed her clit and her rear hole at the same time.

She stopped clenching her cheeks together at some point and willed him to enter her. “Do it. God, Isaiah, do it.”

“Mmm. I’ll decide when and what.” More torture. The kind of torture she wanted to feel for hours. That edge she hovered on in the moments before shattering had been right in her grasp for minutes now. Not seconds.

When his finger disappeared from the spot she never would have expected to crave pleasure from, she moaned. Please, God.

She heard a small pop and realized he had sucked the finger into his mouth. Lubrication?

As his thumb slid into her pussy from below, he pushed that wet finger into her tight hole.

She held her breath, bombarded with new sensations that threatened to destroy her. People said it was amazing. People who weren’t her. She should have listened.

He fucked in and out of both holes at once until her arms shook and she thought she might have a stroke from the intense pleasure.

“Come for me, baby. Come and then I’ll fuck your pussy.”

She let it go. Hadn’t even realized she’d been holding back. Had she done so for him? Waiting on permission? Or had it been to prolong the delicious pleasure?

In any case, her entire body shuddered with her release, including her ass gripping the finger thrusting in and out of her tight rear hole.

Isaiah worked her even as she came down from her high. And when he finally pulled out of her pussy, he didn’t release her ass. In fact, his palm gripped her bottom, keeping his finger lodged inside.

It felt so full. Tight. Nerve endings on fire for more friction.

Nudging her legs farther apart, he lined his cock up with her pussy and thrust into her.

She shouted. “Oh God.” The full sensation of having a finger in each hole was nothing compared to the feel of his cock against his finger. Ten times better.

As he thrust in and out, he held that finger buried as far as he could reach. His thick length stroked over the finger through the thin membrane separating her pussy from her ass.

“You feel so damn good, baby. So good.” His voice was scratchy. He grabbed her hip to steady her, making her realize she was rocking with every thrust. His grip was firm and welcoming.

She concentrated on everything at once. Her nipples, her tight ass, her pussy, the way her clit pulsed every time he pressed in to the hilt.

Best sex of her life. Only one thing would make it better… “Bite me,” she screamed.

“Not going to do it, baby. Let me make you feel good.”

“Bite me. Dammit, Isaiah. Do it. Now.” She knew with every ounce of her soul she wanted him to claim her as his own, bind her to him forever. It wasn’t just the sex talking. It was a feeling she was suddenly very certain of.

It was right.

“Isaiah…” She whimpered, her attention drawn to how thick his cock was. Did it get thicker? Her neck tingled with the desire to be bitten. Other parts of her did too. Did it have to be her neck he bit? She wanted him to bite her thighs. Her ass. Anywhere. Everywhere. She wanted him to mark her so that everyone who glanced her way would know she was his undeniably.

But Isaiah didn’t comply. He fucked faster, his breath coming quicker. He held her hip so tight it might bruise. She wanted to see the marks of his fingers on her. She hoped he was gripping her that tight.

On one final thrust, he growled into the air, filling the room with an inhuman sound.

It made her come. She shattered under his control, her pussy pulsing around his throbbing cock while her ass gripped his finger. Her mouth hung open, dry. She didn’t have the energy to lick her lips.

For long moments, neither of them moved. She didn’t care. If she could freeze that coupling for all time, she would.

Finally, he eased out of both her holes. He held her by the waist and lowered her to her belly. “Don’t move.”

She couldn’t if she wanted to. Her limbs didn’t work, and her brain wasn’t functioning, either. She heard water running, and then the sound of Isaiah’s feet coming back across the floor.

He leaned over her and set a warm cloth between her legs. He was so gentle, caring for her when surely he was about to collapse himself. Did their monumental fuck not affect him the way it affected her? If that were the case, she would be horrified.

When he set the cloth aside, he eased onto his side, pressing his body against hers. He brushed her hair from her face to meet her gaze.

“Why?”

“I told you I won’t let you make that choice when you’re not in a clear headspace. Half the population of my species would be mated prematurely if they sank their teeth into every woman they had a good fuck with.”

She squirmed onto her side, a sudden burst of energy consuming her until she managed to sit up and grab his arms. “That was not a good fuck.” She shook him. Tears ran down her face. She was emotional and sated and pissed all at the same time. “That was an earthquake. The mountain fucking shifted a bit to the left. The foundation under your house was compromised.”

He chuckled.

“I’m not being funny.”

His face sobered. “I know, baby. But come on…that was pretty cute.”

She narrowed her gaze. She wasn’t in the mood to be funny. “You know what I mean. Do not belittle what we just did by comparing it to any random fuck. If you truly believe that, then tell me now so I can gather my things and get out of your house. I don’t want to be bound to you if you thought that was an ordinary everyday experience.”

He bolted to sitting, scrambled to lean against the headboard, and dragged her onto his lap. Cupping her face with both hands, he met her gaze. “You’re right. I didn’t mean to imply for a moment what we have is ordinary. It’s not. It’s out of this world. I’ve never felt like this before. It scares me to death. I’ve spent most of the last few days behaving like a lunatic because I’m so damn in love with you I can’t think right.

“When we make love, it’s like everything in the world is right and peaceful and perfect. So, no. I don’t take it lightly. I have never wanted something so badly in my life. You know that. Do not doubt it for a moment.”

She swallowed. He was nearly shaking her. “You’re right. I’m sorry.” She felt his love. It flowed into her, seeping into every pore as if he were becoming one with her. And yes, it was scary, but also undeniable and exciting.

He smoothed his hand back to grab her hair. “Look at me.”

She met his stare.

“I would die for you. I would do anything for you. It’s that powerful. It’s real. And I’ll sink my teeth into you and make you mine soon, but not like this. I need you to say it in the light of day. I need you to look at me in a way that tells me you get it. I need to see it in your eyes. The total surrender. The love. The pull. I need to know without a shadow of a doubt that you get me. That you’re one hundred percent in the same place as me. And then I’ll claim you. Not before.”

She nodded as much as she could move her head with his grip in her hair. “Okay. I hear you.”

“Good.” He tugged her face against his chest. His heart was racing. Hers was, too. And she snuggled against him and tried to slow her erratic breathing. Nothing else existed except the two of them. Nothing else mattered.