Chapter 12

Valery

K arter’s words are scripted out of a romantic movie. Achingly sweet and thoroughly unrealistic, and yet I believe every word.

Which makes me wonder…

He’s from a small, close-knit community and has never lived anywhere else. Even though I think he’s the hottest man ever made, and every woman with a pulse should lust after him, is it possible that he’s never had a girlfriend?

Ever?

Considering he’s touching me with timid reverence, is it possible he’s never?—

No.

Maybe?

“Can I ask a question without offending you?” I ask while trailing my fingertips over the ridges in his abdomen, taking an eyeful of his hard, long cock and the drop of pre-cum spilling from the tip.

He certainly looks ready for me.

His brow furrows. “You can ask me anything and everything.”

I bite my lip, meet his eye, and gently glide over the length of his shaft which jumps in my hand. “Have you been with a woman?”

The blush hitting his cheeks tells me everything I need to know. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

“Me? Are you sure?” I’m not sure how I feel about this.

Excited to be seen as someone special.

Nervous that I’ll let him down.

Overwhelmed by the love filling my vacuous soul.

Raw from the myriad of emotions tempting my heart.

He frames my face in his big hands and pulls me down on his chest, rolling me to my back again. Looming over me, he presses a sweet, chaste kiss to my lips. “The surest I’ve ever been about anything.”

“Make love to me, Karter,” I whisper against his mouth, ready to take him anyway I can. I’ve never been with a virgin before—even when I was one—but considering Karter has rolled me underneath him again, I’m guessing he wants to take the lead.

“I will.” He kisses my forehead, the tip of my nose, the hollow of my throat, and then my lips with such reverence, it’s like he’s blessing me. “But first, I want to explore you.”

There are no more words as Karter moves down my body, peppering my skin with kisses, lavishing my breasts with attention and suckling my nipples between his lips. I arch into his caress, threading my fingers in his hair as he moves from my left to my right and back again, his touch growing firmer and more insistent the more vocal I become. He doesn’t ask me for direction, doesn’t check in—and I like it. While he might be inexperienced, he’s completely in tune with me, reacting to my verbal and nonverbal cues to what I like and what I love.

A sharp stab of pleasurable pain lances through me as he scrapes his teeth over my nipple, and I hiss while dragging my nails against his scalp. “Yes.”

He growls, muttering something unintelligible as he ventures down my body and places light teasing bites along my curves and across my hip. Shouldering his big body between my legs, I spread eagerly for him, moaning as he throws my left leg over his back and presses his mouth against the tender flesh inside my right thigh.

Reminiscent of this morning, he inhales deeply and nuzzles his face into the apex of my thighs. “Mine.”

“Yes, I am,” I say, smiling as he lifts his head to meet my eye.

His brow relaxes and his eyes are so full of love, I’m on the verge of saying something crazy. “Thank you, babe.”

“For what?” I smile at the nickname.

He shakes his head. “Just, thank you.”

I love you is on the tip of my tongue when he lowers his head and swipes his tongue along my slick, damp opening. A deep growl rumbles from his chest, making the bed vibrate underneath us, but there are no more words as Karter’s hunger and primal male drive to consume his woman takes over.

I’ve never felt something more mine in my life.

Pushing my legs wide, Karter’s fingers dig into my thighs as he roots around with his tongue, lips, and teeth. At first he seems consumed, like a starved man who can’t decide how he wants to attack the food on his plate. But once his tongue flicks across my clit and my body bucks under his mouth, his purpose becomes singularly focused and he slows down, licking and sucking until I’m thrashing my head against the pillows.

“Oh god, yes, Karter. Right there,” I say with genuine enthusiasm, praising his novice skills. I wasn’t expecting to orgasm our first time—I mean, that would be a lot of pressure to put on both of us—but he has me well on my way in a matter of minutes. Considering he’s never done this before, I’m thoroughly impressed by his natural talent.

Although, I won’t ruin the mood by telling him that.

Karter cradles my ass in his hands and shakes his head between my legs, rubbing his beard against my pussy to provide delicious friction against the sensitive lips. He sucks my plump, engorged clit into his mouth, his teeth scraping against my flesh, and skyrockets my orgasm to the edge. The sheer voracity with which he consumes me is addictive, like I’m the drug he’s out of his mind and desperate to have.

I scream as a long overdue climax rips through me, gripping the sheets as my body contorts in his capable palms. “Oh, Karter!”

“Mine,” he growls over and over again as he licks and sucks my gushing arousal, his tongue probing deep inside my pussy.

I’ve never been eaten or pleasured like this before. That was next level erotic and while I want more, my body needs a break.

“Again,” Karter groans as I pant for breath and push his head away.

“You have to give me a few minutes.” I crook my finger in a come-hither motion.

He crawls up my body and lies on my side, his lips glistening with evidence of me and a job well done.

“Have you gone down on a woman before?”

“No.” Karter props his head up on one hand, the other drawing circles around my breast and plucking my nipples into firm peaks.

“You have natural talent.”

He snorts. “Good, because my only desire is to please you.”

“And how can I please you?” Rolling to my side, I face him and trail my fingers down the treasure trail on his muscled abdomen to his thick, hard cock. My mouth waters as I anticipate wrapping my lips around him and taking him as deep as I can.

Has anyone touched him before, or will I be the first to do this too? Something primal and territorial rises in my chest as I ponder being the first. Suddenly mine seems more than appropriate.

But what do I have to give him in return? Not my virginity. Not my virtue. Does that matter to him?

“Everything about you pleases me.” Karter hisses as I wrap my hand around his cock and slide the pad of my thumb through the pre-cum dripping down his impressive length.

“Has anyone ever gone down on you?” I roll to my knees, stroking his shaft with my eyes glued to his.

“Outside of a kiss, I’ve never touched or been touched by another.”

Biting my lip, I move down his body and straddle his thick thigh. “I’m not a virgin, Karter. You understand this, right? I’m not special.”

“You are special.” He sits abruptly, framing my face in his hands. “I don’t care about who was before me. All I care about is that there is no one after me. Don’t confuse my lack of experience with a lack of understanding of what I want. It’s you, babe. Only you.”

“I’m in love with you,” I blurt out, my lips parted and jaw slack as I stare into Karter’s eyes and panic over my words.

Shit. Did I really say that? I think I did.

Do I mean it? Yeah, I think I do.

Karter drops his hands to my waist and moves me as if I weigh nothing, pulling my thighs around his hips to nestle my pussy against his cock. “I love you too.”

Without words—because really what else is there to say—I reach between our bodies and wrap my fingers around his erection, guiding him to my entrance. Even though I’m not a virgin, Karter is larger than any man I’ve ever been with, and I gasp as he penetrates me for the first time.

“Are you okay?” His fingers tighten around my waist, and there is true concern etched into his features.

“I’m fine. You’re very big.”

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You won’t.” I know this with every fiber of my being. Karter will never hurt me physically or mentally, spiritually or emotionally. My heart, mind, and body are safe with him. Slowly, inch by glorious inch, I lower myself until my ass hits the top of his thighs. My pussy pulses as I adjust and accept all of him into my body.

“Fuck,” Karter hisses, closes his eyes, and leans his forehead against my chest. “Feels so good.”

I half-giggle, half-moan. “It’s about to feel even better, baby.”

Slowly and gently I undulate my hips, gliding his perfectly curved cock against my G-spot to build delicious friction. Tingles build in my belly and travel through my limbs as I experience what making love is for the first time in my life. Having my heart connected to my pussy makes this experience brand new for me as well. Wrapping my arms around his shoulders, I tilt my face down and kiss the top of his head, claiming his lips when he pulls back. My movements become more forceful as I lift up and down, sliding him in and out of my soaking and wanton cunt, our tongues tangling and moans indecipherable from one another.

Another orgasm builds as I ride my mountain of a man. “Oh, Karter, I’m going to come.”

His fingers bruise my curves as he takes over, fucking me from underneath, guiding me into a harder bounce on his cock. The moment my pussy clamps down with my climax, Karter roars and pins me to his lap as his cock jumps and he shoots his load deep inside of me. My body trembles with the aftershocks of my release as we sit with our foreheads pressed together, panting for breath.

A bead of sweat rolls between my shoulder blades as sweltering heat wakes me from my sexy dreams. I’m facing a window where the predawn light filters through and memories of last night replay in my head.

Karter loves me and I love him. Could it really be this easy? Is it crazy to fall instantly head over heels for someone? I’ve never let myself do so before. Not even in high school—long before I had any experiences to jade my heart—did I swoon or profess my love for some random boy.

What I’m feeling now is foreign and a bit scary, and I’m not sure how I feel about it.

I kick my legs to shed the fur blanket Karter must have draped over us in the middle of the night as another wave of heat causes my naked body to break out into a sweat.

Karter grumbles, his breath hot in my hair, and tightens his arm around my waist to pull me closer, but the blanket is stuck between us and it’s ungodly hot. I pat his arm, also wrapped in the thick blanket, and roll to my back to come face to face with the snout of a bear.

Screaming, I scramble backwards off the bed, landing with a thud on the woven rug covering the floor. Claws scrape across my bare hip and down my thigh as the bear opens his eyes and shakes his head, a roar erupting from his gaping mouth and long sharp teeth.

“Valery. It’s okay. It’s me.” Karter jumps off the mattress and crouches down next to me. He sniffs the air, his eyes coming down to the blood on my leg. “Oh, shit.”

“What? What the fuck?” My hands tremble as I fend him off, pushing back to keep him at arm's length away from me. “What the actual fuck?”

“I can explain—” he licks his lips “—I have to clean this wound.”

“Don’t touch me!” I shake my head, the scratches on my hip the least of my worries. “Explain!”

Did I see what I think I saw?

Did I wake up with a giant brown bear who turned into Karter in a blink of an eye?

That’s not remotely possible—although the scratches on my thigh beg to differ.

What was in that drink last night?

“I’m a bear shifter. I’m overly tired—it’s been two days since I’ve slept—and I guess I shifted in my sleep. I swear, neither me nor my bear would ever hurt you.” The look on Karter’s face as he rambles nonsense is pure anguish. He glances down again. “Please, as your mate, I have to clean your wounds.”

Shaking my head, I follow his gaze to my leg where bloody red scratches mar my smooth plump skin.

“Please.” He reaches out slowly and tentatively touches my knee. His voice wobbles and I feel his torment radiating off him in invisible waves.

Relenting, I slowly nod. “Okay.”

He moves quickly and before I realize it I’m in his arms as he carries me downstairs to the bathroom and sets me on the counter.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck.” He mutters under his breath as he turns on the tub and flings open the medicine cabinet.

I reach out and tentatively touch his tensed shoulder. Surprisingly, my need to comfort him outweighs the confusion and fear rattling my brain. “Karter?”

He stops his frantic movements and hangs his head. “I’m so sorry, Valery. I don’t know how to do this.”

Blinking in surprise, a breathy laugh escapes my chest. “Do what? Introduce an unaware human to a supernatural world where hot men turn into giant brown bears?”

He turns toward me, his eyes shining with unshed tears, his face the picture of seriousness. “Yes.”

Oh shit. This is real. “So this fated mate thing… there’s a bit more to it, huh?”

He nods. “Yeah.”

Suddenly everything clicks into place. The one-sided phone conversation in the tow truck. Kevin’s insistence I stay locked in my van overnight. His apologetic sadness when he found me in the foyer with his son. Dinah and Kade’s insistence that I hang around for a while. The torment in Kylian’s eyes and her cold dismissal when we met. Koran’s quip about taking Karter with me if I leave Fortune Falls. Kason and Kit’s odd flex about the three bears in the videos?—

Holy shit! “Your brothers are the bears in the videos, aren’t they?”

He nods, his voice soft and tone defeated. “Believe so. Honestly, I didn’t know about them until you showed me the videos yesterday. It does explain a lot, though.”

I shake my head as I think about all the hints they dropped last night.

“Those little stinkers.” I murmur. “They were telling me without actually telling me.”

Turning away from me, Karter turns off the faucets filling the tub to avoid the conversation. “Can I wash you?”

I throw my arms around his neck as an answer and let him lift me again to set me in the tub. The water is warm and clear, the little drops of blood from my scratches dissipating quickly. He grabs a bar of soap but doesn’t make a move to wash me, his eyes fixed on my hip. “I don’t deserve a mate if I’m the one hurting her.”

I take the soap from him and run it gently over my skin, feeling a slight sting and nothing more. “You didn’t hurt me, Karter. It’s barely a scratch. No worse than if I’d fallen down while climbing a rock or something.”

He shakes his head. “It could have been a lot worse. I’m not in control of my bear around you. I’ve been fighting him nonstop and I’m exhausted. The way we met yesterday proves he can’t be trusted around you.”

I don’t know what to say to that and hand him the bar of soap. “I think letting this air dry will be best. Then maybe some hydrogen peroxide or Neosporin or some antiseptic spray. I’m not much of a nurse, but it’s not deep, and I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

Am I in shock? Must be. I’m more concerned with his shame and grief than I am with the fact that Karter can shift into a giant brown bear who believes I’m his fated mate. After the tragic loss of my parents, maybe nothing can surprise me anymore?

Karter works diligently while avoiding eye contact and removes the stopper before turning to grab a towel off the rack. He wraps it around my back and lifts me out of the tub, my cold wet skin soothed by his warm body. “We should get back to the house. Hopefully, our clothes are where we left them and not soaked but the morning dew. I should have grabbed them last night, but?—”

“We had more important things on our minds.” I smile and place my palm against his bearded cheek, wanting to comfort him and get back the man I made love to last night. “Look at me, Karter.”

He drags his gaze up from the floor to meet mine. I see the sadness and remorse in his eyes, but I don’t understand why it’s there. I mean, I think I’m taking the whole I’m a bear thing surprisingly well, and this was nothing more than an unavoidable accident. He scratched me when I freaked out and kicked away from him. My response was appropriate given that I didn’t know I could wake up next to a giant grizzly bear, but now that I do know, I won’t flail in his arms ever again.

“Tell me you love me—this time in the morning light.” I press a chaste kiss against his lips.

He closes his eyes for a second and when he re-opens them, they are glowing gold and brimming with unshed tears. “I love you more than life itself.”

“I love you, too. The fact that you’re a bear doesn’t change that.”

Karter sets me down on the couch and pulls a blanket over my legs as he backs away from me. “You don’t know that yet. I haven’t told you everything.”

“Then I guess we’re having a conversation when you get back with our clothes.”