4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Quinn

I keep my eyes shut while my mate slowly moves closer when all I want to do is pull her under my body and fuck her.

I came late to the party simply because I didn't want to go. I did make a promise and I like to keep them. Her scent hit me the second I opened the door. Her beauty and pureness struck my battered heart.

It was easy to see the past that haunts her, even if I didn't know her story. I have heard what she went through and respected the strength of the woman before I met her. No one in this crew can keep a secret except me. I will go on as if I don't know and let her tell me when she wants to. I understand more than most how hard it is to voice the shit that has shaped us.

I hold still while she climbs under the blankets. Her hand reaches under her pillow for the knife I left there. If it made her feel safe, there was no reason to move it. She fiddles with the blankets for a moment. I give her time to adjust and fall still.

"Are you cold?" I ask when I feel her tremble. I open my eyes when I sense her gaze.

"I—" she starts.

"You can tell me," I encourage.

"I am always cold now," she says softly .

"Thank you for telling me." I roll to my side. "Will you let me warm you?"

"How?" she asks.

I slide my arm under the blanket and across her waist. She gasps as I pull her partially under my body, my leg settling between hers and my free hand curling over her head, cupping the opposite side of her pillow. My head rests beside hers, my mouth at her ear.

"Better?"

She clears her throat twice before saying, "Yes."

"From now on, if anyone wants to get to you, they will have to go through me." I squeeze her hip. "I am not easy to defeat. Do you believe me?"

"I do."

"Good. Now sleep, Little Cub," I whisper.

It is torture to smell my mate and the need that is demanding me to ease. I don't show anything I feel on the inside with any expressions on the outside. I'm sure she has enough emotions going through her; she doesn't need mine. I know what she needs and will do whatever I have to to give it to her.

Her breathing deepens, and her body slowly relaxes. She needed me to give her permission and provide a safe environment to sleep. I don't mind sleeping in a closet. I have slept in much worse places. I actually like being in a small room, as long as she is with me. I'm sure she locked the closet door last night, but I noticed she didn't close it tonight.

I noticed many things about my mate right away. She likes the light; all the lights were on when we entered. Her hand shook as she turned off the one in the bathroom; my command was the only reason she flipped the switch. She is obsessed with locks, and her eyes constantly went to them in the short time we have been here. I wasn't surprised at her confession of being cold. It's warm in the room, and she has the heat on in the apartment, but she chooses to wear winter pajamas. Bears run hot like most shifters. We love wearing as little as possible but cover ourselves with blankets. I usually sleep naked, but I settled for taking off my shirt.

I don't want to scare my mate. But I also want to push her. Push her to see she is capable of living how she wants and without fear.

I deal with women who have been abused every day. I hear their stories and their desire to move on from their abusers. It is not an easy road. They live for so long within the confines of their abuser's limitations. I strive to have the resources to help them heal. I know human and shifter therapists, depending on who needs help. It is rare to have shifters come to me for help, though. The main reason is that if they are in a relationship, their mate would never treat them the way human men treat their partners. It would physically hurt me to do anything bad to my mate. Of course, there are exceptions. Not every shifter is a good person, just as every human isn't.

I don't know what else the men who forced her into the cage did to her, and until I do, I have to tread carefully. Steph's body and her bear may be ready to mate me in every way, but her mind isn't.

I need her trust.

I have done things in my life that I am not proud of. I might not be worthy of a mate, but I don't care. The universe decided to gift me with one, and I won't give her up.

My grip tightens.

She belongs to me, and I will do whatever I have to to tie her to me, to need me forever.

I am wide awake when my mate starts to squirm. We are in the same position we fell asleep in. I can feel her heat on my leg. Her forehead is dotted with sweat. She licks her lips as her eyes flutter open.

"Morning, Little Cub," I rasp.

"Morning," she whispers.

"Did you sleep well?" I shift to my elbow and look down at her.

"Very well," she says, surprised. Her legs brush mine, and she freezes.

"Good."

"Did you?" she asks, studying my face so close to hers.

"Yes," I answer and watch her eyes drop to my lips. Fuck, I want to take her mouth. Her top lip is bowed; I want to bite it. She is beautiful. Her black hair is just past her shoulders but so thick my fingers would have plenty to grab. I can hear her heart speeding up and smell her scent getting stronger. I know what she needs, but does she want it? I slowly move my thigh closer to her pussy, and she rolls her hips. "Do you need me, mate?"

She swallows, and a bead of sweat rolls down her temple. "Yes," she says softly. If I were human, my ears wouldn't have heard.

I press harder. "Use me," I growl.

Her wide eyes look down and back up quickly. "Quinn?"

I give her more of my weight. "It will help if you orgasm." I pull her hip. My thigh makes full contact, and she rolls her hips. "That's it, Little Cub." I slide my hand away, up her stomach, between her breasts, and to her neck. I circle her throat, resting lightly. The smell of her desire fills the closet.

"Shit," she groans. "That feels so good." She puts her feet flat on the floor and then circles my leg.

"Good girl," I rumble. I lower my head, pressing it to hers, our lips almost touching. The wetness from her pussy soaks through her pants into mine. Her hips jerk unsteadily as her heat increases. "Keep going, Little Cub."

"Please, Quinn," she begs.

"What do you need?" I ask.

"I—" she hesitates. "I don't know."

"You need to keep moving those hips," I say, flexing my fingers. "Do you like my hand here?"

"Yes," she groans.

"Do you like it when I squeeze?" I ask, and I do lightly.

"Yes, please."

"I will give you what you want." I press my palm to the front of her neck. "I won't ever go too far. Do you believe me?"

"I believe you."

"Good. Tell me to stop if you don't like it, and I will." She nods, her head rubbing on mine. "Do you want my mouth?"

"I've wanted to kiss you since last night," she confesses.

"Thank you for being honest." I tilt my head and lick her top lip. "For future reference, you can kiss me whenever you want." I bite her bottom lip and then suck it lightly.

"Please," she whispers, and I move my hand from her neck enough that I can use my finger to pull on her chin.

"Let me in," I demand, swallowing her moan with my mouth. Her taste will be my addiction. I have had very short relationships in the past, but nothing has come close to kissing my mate while she rides my leg. Of all the things you can do with a woman, this is the tamest, yet the most important and powerful. It doesn't matter to me how I help her with the heat as long as I do it; no one else can relieve her.

She lifts her head from the pillow, chasing my lips as I try to pull away, and I can't help feeling pleased. I give her what she wants. She mimics my tongue, swirling, exploring each other's taste.

I have to pull away so we can catch our breath.

I slide my knee on the floor, putting more pressure between her thighs, and her head digs into the pillow.

"Quinn," she whimpers.

"Are you close?" I ask, repositioning my hand on her delicate neck.

"Yes," she cries.

"Get there, Little Cub," I encourage. "You smell so sweet; I want to smell more of it."

"Fuck," she groans.

"Yeah," I say. "Come, baby." Her hips come off the floor, and she comes.

I don't move, not only to let her calm down but because I'm hard as a fucking rock, and the pressure feels good.

"Umm…" She looks down and bites her lip.

"What?"

She looks anywhere but my face. "Do you…" she trails off.

"No, Little Cub," I chuckle. "I just need a minute to calm down."

"Are you sure? I could—"

"It pleases me to ease your heat. I will be fine." I don't want her to force herself to relieve me of my hard-on. I want it to come naturally, and she needs more time.

"Okay," she whispers.

I slowly start to move away, inch by inch, holding in the groan caused by the touch of her body and the regret of leaving it .

She pushes up, her hand raking through her hair. She looks at my chest.

I am a big guy; I'm active and take care of my body. I used to work out daily with my crew—we had to be in top shape. I don't get as much exercise now. I love her eyes on me, and I bask in my mate's pleasure. I only have a couple of tattoos: a bear claw marks over my shoulder and a bear on my back.

Her fingertips coast over the claw marks, and I close my eyes, loving the feel of her touch.

"What do these letters mean?" she asks, and my eyes snap open.

"I'll tell you another time." To explain, I would have to tell her the whole story, and neither of us was ready.

"Is there more on your back?" She kneels beside me, looking over my shoulder, and I willingly turn. "Wow. It's beautiful."

I have a snarling bear's face over the majority of my back. "I've never been called beautiful."

"It's amazing," she says, her fingers outlining the tattoo.

"Thank you. I would love to sit here for hours and let you explore, but your touch isn't helping me calm down."

She jumps back, holding her hands to her chest.

"Sorry." She smiles.

"Don't be sorry; this will probably be the one time I will deny your touch. Prepare." I cup the back of her neck. "Will you come to my office with me? I have a client coming soon, and I don't want to be without you," I tell her honestly. If it were up to me, we would never be apart.

"Of course."

"While you shower, I'll get breakfast ready. It's supposed to be warm outside, so I suggest wearing something cooler. I have an hour until I have to be there, so we have time." I ruffle her hair and leave her sitting on the closet floor, staring after me with her wide, gorgeous eyes .

I grin as I swipe my shirt off the bed. My bear, and the human that holds him, loves her attention.

Breeane did well stocking the fridge. I grab bacon, eggs, bread, and hash browns and get to work.

My dad was grateful that my mom taught us how to cook. After she disappeared, we took turns making food. None of us loved doing it, and a few of my siblings weren't great at it, but it was edible. I didn't mind it. I liked experimenting with different ingredients but mostly stuck to the basics. I'm glad I can feed my mate.

I flip the bacon and put the hash browns in a pan as Steph enters the kitchen. I smile at her as she passes me and sits at the counter. She looks rested. She is wearing jeans that show off her fantastic ass. She followed my advice and wore a black tank top. I want to lick all the exposed skin. Her hair is still wet, and her shoulders are damp.

"You like cooking?" she asks as I give her a water bottle.

"I do." I like feeding my mate. "Do you drink coffee?"

"I love it," she sighs, and I move to the coffee machine.

"Are there any foods you don't like?" I ask, putting a pod in the machine. She looks down at my pants, and I have to hide a smirk. There is no hiding the damp spot on my thigh. She looks away quickly, a flush on her face. It should dry by the time we leave.

"I hate cooked tomatoes, carrots, and spicy food."

"So bacon is good," I tease.

"Who doesn't like bacon?" She wrinkles her nose.

"Good point." I place her coffee in front of her. "Do you like it sweet? Creamer?"

"Yes to both."

I set the sugar and creamer beside the cup. "Good to know," I say, moving back to the stove.

"It's odd," she whispers .

"What?" I crack the eggs into a bowl.

"We are thrown together because of the bond, strangers, and we know we are meant to be, but we know nothing about each other."

"Isn't that how everyone meets? There is an attraction, and then you learn about each other. Unlike humans, we have the knowledge that it is forever." I whip the eggs and add butter to the skillet. "We know this is going somewhere."

"True," she says softly. "Do you have a family?" she asked before taking a sip of coffee.

"I have five siblings. Four brothers and a sister."

"Are you close?"

"Yes, I don't see them often, but we talk at least once a week." I dump the eggs on two plates and add the rest of the food. "They are planning to visit soon. You?" I set her plate in front of her.

"I have a brother and sister. I also have four uncles."

"I should look forward to being grilled by them." I smile.

"I hope not." She picks up her fork.

"You don't have a good relationship?" I frown.

"That's not it. I love them, but I had to get away from their protectiveness," she admits. She fiddles with her food, hiding her eyes from me. "You know, don't you?"

I look at her uncomfortable expression and place my hands flat on the counter. "What I know is that you are my mate. Nothing will affect my dedication to you." I lean forward. "And sorry to say, I doubt your uncles are half as protective as I will be, Little Cub."