9

When Cedric promised he would return the next day to Bethany, he had been intent on keeping his word to her. Staying apart for so long had clearly made her heart grow fonder, or something like that, and now was his time to act, to have her grow used to his presence, so both her body and her mind could accept him becoming a regular part of her life. Any plan beyond that, he had none as of yet, but he had figured he had time. Time until decisions needed to be made. Time until he had to confront the reality that he was a bear who longed for her companionship rather than his own solitude.

And then the weather had turned, and the first winter storm had begun, bringing with it heavy wind and snowfall. It was still coming down thick as he began to bundle himself up, not that he really needed it to stay warm, but...

He had made a promise. He was going to keep it, one way or another.

When Gareth insisted, a few years earlier, that they needed to purchase a snowmobile, Cedric had bristled, but agreed to splitting the cost all the same. They were bears, and could weather any winter storm, even if he would rather stay in his cabin than venture out into the snow and ice. If he didn"t have what he needed when a blizzard took over, that was his own damn fault.

But now, he valued his brother"s wisdom, although more often than not the snowmobile was something used for fun rather than practicality. Gareth had likely never intended on his brother using it to head into town and give him a viable excuse as to how he had made the trip, but that was exactly what Cedric planned to do.

Bethany didn"t need to know that he was a bear who could easily shift and saunter into town any time he wanted. A normal human man would never brave such weather on foot, and really, not even on the snowmobile.

But he was determined to keep his promise... and he desperately needed to see her again.

The journey was a long one, but Cedric knew the route well, sticking to the normal path he took in his truck as he knew the road was firm underneath layers of ice and snow. More than once he considered hopping off and shifting, but he kept at it all the same, until he eventually passed the Welcome to Bear Valley sign. A few minutes later, he could just make out Bethany"s cabin thanks to his supernatural vision, and pulled into the space where her truck normally sat, now empty.

That was odd, and confusing, but he could see the smoke coming from her chimney and see a light on within. She was in there, he had to hope, and the truck was...

Well, not his problem. So long as Bethany was inside, that was all that mattered.

He was stiff and sore as he climbed off the snowmobile, a sign of his age and his need to shift, but he ignored it as he lumbered up the steps and pounded on her front door. He only had to wait a few seconds for her to open it, her mouth opened to speak, only to freeze when she saw it was him.

Who had she been expecting, if not him?

"Rick? Oh my God! It"s a blizzard out there! What are you doing here?"

For a brief moment, he questioned his own judgement. Was he being presumptuous, in coming despite the storm? Had she not wanted to actually see him? Was he reading too much into their interactions from the night before?

"Had to see you. Promised I would come back." The words sounded stupid to his own ears, but they were all he could muster, under the circumstances.

Maybe he was a little affected by the cold.

"Get in here! You"re going to freeze to death!" Bethany insisted, grabbing his snow covered jacket and tugging him in. "Take all of that off! You"re lucky I already have chili going, to warm you up!"

He didn"t want chili. He wanted her.

Bethany was clearly dressed more for comfort, he noted, as he began pealing off the layers in her entryway and watched her make her way into her small kitchen and pull out a bowl. She was in socks, sweatpants, and his shirt, and it made his mouth water. Knowing she was wrapped up in his clothing, after spending the night with her, made him ache a certain way he couldn"t describe.

"You"re crazy for making this journey out here, and so close to night! What were you even thinking? The snow is coming down hard out there! I know I said I would hold you to your promise, but not during a storm! Honestly, men..."

He didn"t like being compared to other men. Didn"t want to think about other men in her bed, or in her heart. His jealousy was once again rearing up, despite him trying to push it back down. Bears were never jealous, and meant to be open to sharing. Besides, he was the one in her cabin now, without a single scent of another man in the air.

Just the scent of another woman.... her cousin, if he had to guess.

"You"re as crazy as Cordelia," she continued on, shaking her head as she return to him with a bowl of something that smelled pretty good, and a spoon. "She left town a few hours ago to go and see this guy she"s been seeing. You might know him? His name is Owen. He was supposed to come and pick her up for a few days spent at his cabin, but then with the snow..."

"Yeah, I know him," Cedric confirmed, not offering anything more. "Maybe I am crazy, but I have a snowmobile, and it"s not too thick."

It was a weak excuse, but the more he looked at her, the hungrier he became.

It was winter, after all. He was meant to eat well to prepare for his hibernation.

Probably not cunt, but that was all he had a taste for.

"I can"t believe you drove all the way into town in this weather just to see me," she said with a shake of her head. "I know I"m amazing, but I"m not so amazing that you should be risking your own life."

"I won"t apologize for needing you," he answered without thought. "Can"t get enough of you. Need my sunshine, even in weather like this."

She froze in front of him, eyes wide, and he took a risk, taking a step closer to her. The bowl was still in his hands, but he needed to kiss her, if she would let him.

"And I"m going to keep coming back, so long as you don"t tell me to go away."

It was a prompting, an offer, for her to send him away, if she didn"t want to see him. He had meant what he said that first night, that he would do his best to let her go when she said she was done with him, but until then...

"You are insane," Bethany whispered with a shake of her head. "But I can"t say I"m upset to see you."

Good. That was good. He would rather she be excited to see him, but not upset was good enough for now.

She closed the distance between them and pressed a kiss to his cold cheek, not exactly where he wanted her mouth, but pretty fucking close. He turned his head and kissed her lips, and she held the kiss for a moment before pulling away, and journeying to her kitchen again, to pick up a bowl with a spoon in it, likely her own meal.

"Eat up, and get warm," she insisted while shaking her head. "And then, we"ll see what we can do to pass this storm."

That sounded pretty fucking good to him.

"Where were you last night?"

Cedric looked up from the snowmobile, which he was currently filling up with fuel again, intent on heading back into town. Another night spent with Bethany, ravaging her three times, and he was still desperate for more. He had once again snuck out in the early morning, too chickenshit to wake up beside her, but with an excuse already written into his head about needing to feed animals, or some such.

He didn"t know if she would even ask, of course. She had yet to ask him why he was leaving before morning, and he wasn"t going to bring it up. Just because she let him fill her nights, didn"t mean she would let him interrupt her day. Besides, she had mentioned having a few errands to run that day, if the storm slowed enough she could venture out. He would have likely been in the way.

"Hello? You going to answer me?"

Cedric set down the fuel can as he turned to look at his twin, who was completely naked, despite the cold. Gareth had probably spent the storm out in the snow in bear form, something he enjoyed doing. While other bears liked to hunker down, his twin enjoyed roaming in it, feeling the wind in his fur, and laying out in the snow and even getting buried in it.

Crazy bastard.

"Wasn"t ready to hunker down yet. Still not. Got an itching in my fur," Cedric answered, not the complete truth, but not a lie either. He did have an itch in his fur... Bethany.

"Come out with me, then. We can roam like when we were cubs."

"We"re not cubs anymore, Gareth. I don"t know how you can stand being knocked down by that wind."

"But you would rather be a human and take the snowmobile?"

"Yup."

Cedric didn"t really know what else to say, so instead, he busied himself with replacing the fuel cap and fitting his gloves on. It was near to growing dark out there, and while there was a light on the snowmobile, and he could see in the darkness, he didn"t want to keep Bethany waiting, nor did he want to have to explain that the darkness was no different from the light for him.

"I don"t understand you," Gareth said with a shake of his head, and turning towards the open doors. "You"ll have to explain it to me some time."

He knew that. Knew he would have to explain himself.

But how could he explain something he didn"t even really understand?

The drive into town was cold and long, but Bethany was there waiting for him, once again wearing his shirt and her socks, although nothing else. Her cabin was warm, but not so warm she should have been down to basically nothing. She was waiting for him, which warmed him better than her chili ever could.

And when he picked her up and laid her down on her bed, with his face going immediately between her thighs, he tried to figure out what the hell he was doing... and how much longer he could last in denial of the fact that he was out of control.

The next night, when he arrived, was much clearer. He nearly drove his truck, but storms were unpredictable, and he didn"t want to have to dig himself out halfway there, or end up with his truck in town and no way to leave in the morning. She still hadn"t mentioned his leaving so early, nor had they discussed again his arrival despite the storm. It was clearly something she wasn"t ready to talk about, so he was going to respect that.

She was the one in charge of broaching more serious topics. He was only there to have her grow used to his presence, so when the conversation did come up...

Bethany had been demanding and wild almost immediately, barely allowing him to take his boots off before she was on him, and riding him on the rug in front of the fireplace. His hands were still cold as they ran from her breasts to her hips, helping her keep in rhythm as she shuddered from her orgasm. She was made to ride a bear, and to be fucked by one, and as he had already known, her body was willing to take more and more of him with every encounter.

She was a human, of that he was certain, and yet not even she could resist his pheromones, helping her body to accommodate and accept his cock every time. The soreness that had earlier plagued her seemed to bother her no longer, which he was grateful for, although he would have gladly rubbed down and massaged her aching body had she asked.

And now, they were laying on the ground, his fingers playing with her curls while she rested with her head on his chest, running her hand up and down his hairy chest.

"The weather wasn"t so bad tonight," she commented idly, and he nodded his head, even if she couldn"t see it. "Didn"t have to worry about you freezing your dick off."

"That almost sounds like you care," he pointed out, although that was broaching on subjects like feelings, which he knew not to touch on. She had been pretty clear from the start that this was nothing serious, although he doubted she had expected him to return. After all, she had thought he was a seasonal worker, and not a long-term resident.

"If it freezes off, you can"t fuck me with it. Same with these fingers, and you know how much I love your fingers inside of me."

She did. She really did. His fingers would be branded for eternity with the feeling of her clenching around them, while she screamed his name.

Rick. Fuck, he needed to correct that, but at this point, it felt stupid to mention it.

"Tell you what. If I think I might get frostbite, I"ll stay away, and you can enjoy one of those toys you love so much."

"I"ll practice for that show I"m supposed to put on for you."

Fuck, he really did want to watch her bring herself to an orgasm with those buzzing things, but any time she mentioned it, he was ready to fuck her again, and couldn"t wait. She would have to tie him up real good and stay out of arm"s reach if she was serious about that.

"Why do you always leave before I wake up?"

The question made him freeze, his fingers still wrapped around curls and his heart suddenly pounding. It was a serious one, one he had practiced an answer to, or really an excuse, but after he had just teased her for caring about him, it felt somewhat serious.

"Didn"t know if you wanted me to stay," he answered honestly, his heart still pounding, and his stomach now in knots.

If she told him she didn"t want him being there when she woke up, or told him not to come around anymore...

"But staying means morning sex," she prompted. "And I do love morning sex."

Fuck, to see her in the early morning, with her hair like a halo and her body still sleepy as he fucked her slowly...

"I would love to soak in my sunshine first thing in the morning," he answered while shifting himself to sitting up. "But if we"re doing that, we should probablymove to the bed and get some sleep..."

"We probably should."

Only, as Cedric pushed himself up off the floor and offered Bethany his hand to pull her up, he knew that sleep was the last thing on their mind.

After another round of sex, this time with her legs over his shoulders and his mouth on her breasts, she fell asleep, with Cedric curled around her, his eyes closed. He never normally slept beside her, instead staying awake so he could leave when the night neared it"s end and the morning came. She had told him to stay the night, to not leave in the morning, and so...

When he opened his eyes, it was to a mouth full of hair and a soft and warm body pressed against his. Bethany was still asleep, but she was now turned towards him, her arm wrapped around his middle, and his arm thrown over top. It took him a few minutes to realize where he was, and a glance at the clock told him the time as well.

It was late. Later than he would ever normally wake up. Late enough that Gareth had probably already fed the animals, and was wondering where the fuck he was.

He probably should have given a shit about sleeping in, but with Bethany in his arms, he didn"t really care.

It was on pure instinct he moved, pressing a kiss to her temple, and then to her nose. She wrinkled it in response, and he moved lower, kissing her softly on the lips. He didn"t want to startle her, as this was the first time she would be waking up with him by her side, but she kissed him back for a moment before pulling away and blinking her eyes open, a smile on her lips.

"Rick..." she breathed out, the shortened form of his name sounding more like a prayer than a statement. "You"re still here..."

"Need my sunshine in the morning," he answered, although calling it morning was generous. "Told you. I"m sticking around until you"re done with me."

She closed her eyes as she kissed him again, and he kissed her back while pulling her closer, and slid his leg between hers. She parted them easily, and his hard cock pressed against her belly as they kept kissing.

Only for her to suddenly pull away, and start climbing from the bed.

"Stay right here," she insisted with another peck on his lips. "Have to pee."

Cedric rolled onto his back as he watched her walk away, admiring her backside as she moved. He loved watching her walk towards the bathroom after every round, if her legs were strong enough to manage it, to go to the bathroom. She was always beautiful, but with her curls, now very messy thanks to their night together, hanging loose down her back, with her backside bouncing with every step...

He was the luckiest man in town. That was for sure.

Like some sort of goddess, she returned to him, her halo of golden hair now a little more tamed, as though she had finger-combed it while in the bathroom. That wouldn"t last long, as he intended on ruining it again as soon as he had his hands on her, whether from it rubbing on the sheets or from his hands tugging on it while she rode him.

She was almost shy, though, as she climbed back into the bed and threw a leg over his middle to sit on his lap. Uncertain, really, as though this was new for her. Maybe it was, because at night, they were always desperate for one another after spending time apart. This time, it was more lazy, after sleeping side by side. He was cautious and uncertain as he sat up on the bed, pulling her with him as he shifted to sit back against the pillows, and moved his hands to her hips.

He felt different, somehow, as he looked into her eyes, and realized the burn to get up and shift was gone, along with the normal itching to go and see her. He felt calmer, more at peace, and less achy.

It was the best sleep he had enjoyed in a while, and it was all thanks to her.

Maybe he really could last all winter in human form, so long as she was beside him.

"You"re so fucking beautiful," he breathed out without meaning to. He wasn"t one for heavy compliments, save to say how good she felt and how well she was taking him, but in the moment, with sunlight coming in through the window and her lips looking well kissed and her hair glowing around her, she truly was. "Think I might still be dreaming."

"Do you dream of me often?" she asked, raising her eyebrow as her hands moved to his shoulders, then up into his hair.

Fuck, he wanted to answer that honestly, but he knew the truth might scare her.

"I think of nothing else," he answered, keeping all thoughts of her in his cabin and in his life permanently to himself. Better to let her think it was only about sex, by keeping it open and generic, instead of specifics. "I"m a lucky man, to have the privilege to wake up beside you."

Her smile was not as big and glowing as it normally was when he said something romantic, but instead more timid, genuine. As though she hadn"t expected his complete honesty.

"If you insist on driving out here no matter the weather, the least I can do is make sure you get a good night sleep before you head out..."

"Any night spent beside you is a good night, Sunshine."

He just hoped they never ended.

Bethany leaned forward and kissed him, saving him from saying anything else stupid or too much. He wanted to be honest with her, to tell her that he was out of his depth with her, thinking of things he had no right to think of, and wanting things so foreign to him, he couldn"t properly voice them, but until he knew what he wanted from life, and from her, he needed to keep those thoughts to himself.

Because if he scared her off too soon, or shared too much of himself before she was ready...

Her legs shifted higher on the bed as he lifted her up and settled her onto his hard cock, and they kept kissing as she began to ride him, not in any rush to reach the end. His hands stayed on her hips, or journeyed up her back into her hair, until her breathing became heavier and he knew she was ready to find relief. His fingers untangled to reach between them and roll her clit in time with his thrusts, and he swallowed each of her cries as she tightened around his length, until she was soft and leaning forward in his hold.

His arms wrapped around her lower back as he continued to work his hips, a difficult thing in their current position, but he managed it until he found his own peak, filling her with more of his cum. They were both already sticky from the night before, but now, his lap was a mess, and he longed for a shower to clean himself off, although that would mean washing away her scent.

He had been doing it fervently every morning, for fear of his twin smelling the scent of a woman on him, and not wanting to explain the who or why.

After, he stayed in place with his cock soft and slipped out of her. His arms remained wrapped around her body as she rested her head on his shoulder,and he thought about moving, but that would mean leaving her. It was one thing to slip out the door when she was still asleep, telling himself it was for the best, but it was another thing entirely when she was awake, and it meant saying goodbye.

"I have to work today," she finally admitted, and glanced over her shoulder towards the large clock on the wall. "Soon."

And that was his sign to leave, even if he didn"t want to.

"I should probably head on out. Looking clear enough to get some work done today."

Work which he would be rushing to finish, if he wanted to return to her again that night.

"Will I see you again tonight?"

It was the first time she had ever asked, although he knew she should already know the answer.

"Might be a little late, but now that I"ve slept beside you all night long, I doubt I can sleep anywhere else."

She gave him one more kiss before climbing out of his lap and heading into the bathroom, not inviting him to follow. That was a good thing, because if he did...

She would have been very late to work.

Instead, Cedric redressed himself, and at last thought, grabbed the shirt she had been wearing the past few days to pull on, and leaving the one he had worn the night before on her bed. When he heard the shower start, he pulled on his boots, and headed out the door.

He wouldn"t stick around to say goodbye. Not when every time he left, he feared it would be the last time he saw her.

Not when he knew that one day, it would be the very last he was allowed on her doorstep, and in her bed.

And yet, that night when he returned and met her at the bar while she was at work, she invited him to stay the night, and the morning.

Again... and again... and again...