Chapter Twelve

Bert

“How does this mating thing work?” he asked, turning toward me as soon as we were inside the bedroom with the door closed. “Because, believe it or not, this is all new to me.”

“Not all.”

“What?” He cocked his head in query. “I never even knew shifters existed before we met.”

“I get that, but most of mating is simply the to-be-mated partners making love.”

“Really? There’s no ritual? No special words or officiant saying we are now mated?”

I used our joined hands to walk him over to the bed where I sat down and tugged him into my lap. “I told you that mating is like being married, only for forever and all the rest of that, right?”

He nodded, leaning back to rest his head on my shoulder. “Yes, but you never said what we have to do to become mated. You know how humans stand in front of a judge or minister or someone else authorized and make vows to one another?”

“Vows they often don’t keep. I was always grateful to have picked someone who did, but then when he was taken from me, thought that part of my life was over. That I’d never find another man who measured up.”

“And now?” I kissed the top of his head and stroked a hand down his arm.

“Now I think I did find the only man like him because now I’ve found the very best bear shifter in the world and I don’t know how I measure up.”

“Fate,” I told him simply. “I was waiting all this time for my fated mate, but I never expected it to be a human with an amazing daughter as part of the package.” I kissed his lips and began to undress him. “But mating is a very private thing for shifters, a time when they come together and bond and the alpha marks the omega so anyone who sees him will know he is mated.”

“Just the alpha does the marking?” He tipped his face up farther and frowned. “So I can’t mark you in case anyone sees you and thinks you are up for grabs?”

I laughed, unable to stop myself. “Well, I suppose you could mark me too, if you like. It’s not something done often, but I kind of like the idea.” Standing, I finished helping him out of his socks, pants, and underwear and stepped back to take him in. My omega was leaner than me, with long, straight well-formed legs and a trim waistline, only a few faint stretch marks to indicate he’d given birth. His shoulders were broad, his arms perfect for hugging. “Yes, please mark me.”

“You’ll tell me when?” He watched me undress with undisguised interest. “And how?”

I pressed him back onto the bed and into the pillows, kissing everything I could reach. “I think, since we are fateds, you will instinctively know, but if not, I’ll say something, okay?” My kisses followed the soft, light happy trail down to his groin. “But now I need to taste you.”

I lapped away the sparkling droplet of precum before licking circles around the head, smiling at his quick inhale of breath. Opening wider, I took the tip in and sucked it gently. I’d been hard for him most of the time I was around him but at first had thought he had another male in his life, a partner.

But there was no such impediment there now. His late husband had been gone for some time, and now he lay sprawled on my bed, open and vulnerable and ready to be mine. All sex was not mating between shifters, but when there was intent, when two people were brought together by Fate, it was the most sacred of acts.

He throbbed under my tongue, and I sucked harder, faster, his hips bucking under my ministrations. I eased him into my throat, bobbing up and down, his moans guiding me to what he wanted from me. I was only too happy to give it to him.

Gliding my hand down, I found his hole, so hot and slick, my own cock throbbed in response. I coated my fingers in his slick, using it to prepare him for me. One then two fingers stretched him, reminding me of what awaited. And then, with a tremendous groan, Conrad rocked his hips upward and his cum spurted down my throat. I swallowed it as fast as I could, sucking harder, taking it all in.

When he sagged back, panting, I rose over him and grasped his thighs, pulling him to the edge of the bed and pressing his knees to his chest. He was exposed, his hole glistening. I fitted my cock to the opening and gave a push, coming up against hard muscle. Again, and again, and on the third time, I breached him. Once the head was inside, the rest glided in, his hot walls closing in. He wasn’t my first, but he was my best and my last.

Once he met his mate, a bear shifter was loyal. There would never be anyone else for me, but I didn’t want there to be. Moving in and out, I shuddered with the pleasure. This was why sex had never been a big deal to me. Oh, I’d sown my wild oats, but I’d always known it was nothing compared to what I’d find with a mate.

And now he was here, and he wanted to mate me, and that was such a turn-on, I struggled to keep from coming too fast. We’d never have our first time again, and even though I’d just made him come, I was trying to make this as good for him as possible. With that in mind, I braced myself on one hand and fisted his semi-erect cock in the other. Instantly, he was hard as stone as well and I jerked him faster.

He closed his hand over mine, squeezing and guiding me, helping me to take him to a second orgasm before I reached my first. I was proud of my self-control and his cum spilled over our hands and down onto his belly. The scent hit my nose, my balls tightened, and I tumbled over the edge into the hardest come of my life so far. My breathing stalled, my legs shaking, and the interior walls of my mate, milking me of every drop of my cum.

My knot swelled and I leaned low over my mate, offering my neck and shoulder to him to mark if he still wanted to.

He did, his teeth tearing more than piercing, but the pain felt so good. So. Good. The only worry was whether I’d stop bleeding after that, but it wasn’t exactly in the forefront of my mind. What was, was the throat of my mate. I was gentler than he had been, but then my teeth were made for this, and I managed not to cause more damage than necessary. I licked away the droplets of blood and, as my knot shrank, I lay down, enfolding him in my arms.

We cuddled for a while, but eventually Conrad had to go back to the room he was sharing with Natalie so she didn’t wake up alone in a strange place. It was hard to see him go, and all I could do not to beg him to stay.

But we were mated, and once we told Natalie, we would be able to share my room all night every night. Definitely something to look forward to.