Mallory's Bears (17 page)

“Rick, please.” If he didn’t know what she meant, then she’d be lost.

“Get her on her side.”

“Naw, man, I have another idea.” Gunner, his muscles tensed, eased his cock out of her. He stood, taking her along with him. “Get on top of me on the bed.”

She gritted her teeth. If she didn’t get his cock and then Rick’s inside her at the same time, she wasn’t sure what she’d do. Trembling, she waited for Gunner to lie on top of the bed. He reached into the nightstand beside him and brought out a tube of lube.

“Come here. Let me get you ready.” After squeezing some of the lube into his hand, he stroked his cock, covering it with the gel.

Rick laughed. “Leave it to my brother to want a sandwich.”

She was shaking when she knelt over Gunner with her face at his feet. Squeezing out more, he gently spread it over her butt hole, then worked it into her dark space. His fingers fought against her clenching walls of nerves, but it didn’t take long for her to relax.

“Ready? Sit on me, baby.”

He guided her to him, and once she could feel the tip of his cock at her anus, she shoved her body back. He entered her, forcing his huge cock to spread her open. She moaned, the sharp pain filling her. Closing her eyes, she worked her body back and forth, rocking against him. Bursts of pleasure filled her, this time from the back to the front.

“Lean back on me.” He helped her ease her body back, bringing her hands to the bed on either side of him. He nibbled on her neck. “That’s it, baby. Just relax.”

The farther she bent, the stronger the pressure was inside her. She wet her lips, and as Rick dipped the bed to climb up, he positioned himself on top of her.

He lined her up, then drove into her. She bucked, but she was caught between the two of them as their cocks impaled her.

Having both of them with her, both of them receiving as much pleasure as she got from them, added a higher level to their lovemaking. Together they drove into her, piercing her, plunging into her with abandon.

“Mallory, you feel so good. So right.” Rick kissed her, adding a third pleasing element to the experience. His growl rolled out from somewhere inside his chest to flow into her mouth. Again he pumped into her, and her pussy walls clamped around him. Holding his body over hers with one hand, he massaged her clit until it was burning and throbbing, seeking relief that would only come with her release.

If she could’ve, she would’ve held them to her forever. Her body, however, betrayed her, building her climax until it had no place else to go. The friction of one cock shoving into her pussy as the other plundered her asshole grew. The tide of her release washed closer to the shore. She had no choice but to set it free when Rick snagged her nipple in his mouth at the same moment that Gunner lifted up and bit her on the neck.

“Bite me! Harder!”

Gunner bit down, stinging his bite into her flesh. She screamed out her orgasm as it exploded, taking all of her with it. The pressure was so incredible, shredding her so she could do no more than let their movements work against her trembling ones.

Gunner fell back and groaned out his release. Hot cum filled her butthole then slid out of her to cover both of them. Rick held on a moment longer, then pulling away from her, he lifted his head and…roared.

She gaped at him, too exhausted and stunned to move.

Did he just roar? Like an animal?

After prodding him several times, Rick finally scooted off her and fell to the other side of the bed next to Gunner. Mallory hadn’t thought she had the energy to move, but after seeing Rick open his mouth and let out a sound that could only be called a roar, she had to get away.

She snatched up a nearby quilt and wrapped it around her body. “What was that?”

Rick appeared unfazed. “What was what?”

“What was that sound you made?”

Even if Rick hadn’t paid attention to what he’d done, Gunner had. He punched his brother on the arm, then flung his legs over the bed. “That’s just a weird sound he makes when he comes, that’s all.”

“Bullshit. I’ve never heard anyone make that kind of noise. It sounded like it came from an animal. A really big animal.”

“I didn’t even know I made a sound.” Yet Rick didn’t look at her.

What is with them? Yet another secret?

“Double bullshit.” Her plan had gone awry. She wasn’t the one who was supposed to get angry and spill her guts, but that was exactly what was happening. Holding back was no longer an option. If she didn’t get answers soon, she’d have to question everything she knew about them.

“Mallory, what’s the big deal? So I groaned.”

“You roared. Like some bear getting up on his hind legs and bellowing. That wasn’t a groan or a growl. It was a roar. No doubt about it.”

Rick slid off the bed, then started for the door. When he got close, her hand covered the place where he’d suffered the injury. “What happened to your wound? I saw it and there’s no way it healed that fast.”

The flash of anger darkened his expression. “Mallory, I don’t where you’re getting this shit, but it’s time to let it go. We had a great time just now. Why go and ruin it?” He jerked his arm away.

“Tell me the truth.”

“Mallory, don’t push.” Gunner stayed on the end of the bed, acting as though he was relaxed, but his body was tense.

“Fuck this.” Rick stalked out of the room. She couldn’t stop him anymore than she could force him to tell her what she wanted to know.

But she had to try. Gunner was more sensible, more accommodating than his brother. “And your eyes. Why do you get that weird amber color in your eyes?”

“So you’re questioning me about our eye color now? What can I say? People’s eye color change all the time. It depends on what you’re wearing.” He glanced down at his body. “Or what you’re not.”

“They don’t change like that.” She sat beside him. Even after having already made love, the urge to kiss him almost overpowered her anger. Whatever it was that they had between them, it was relentless in its conquest. She was ready to surrender to its will again. “Please, Gunner, if you care for me, you’ll tell me the truth.”

“Okay, fine.” He glanced at the door. “Rick’s going to kill me for telling you, but here it is. You thought he roared like a bear, right?”

“That’s what it sounded like.”

“Well,” he dragged in a breath, “that’s because it was the sound a bear makes. You see, Rick and me? We’re werebears. Men who can change from humans to bears.”

She stared at him, trying to understand what he’d said. Her stare soon turned into a dark glower. “Fine. Don’t tell me. But at least don’t feed me some nonsense about being were… Whatever you are.”

“Werebears. We’re werebears.”

She broke into a belly laugh. She had to give it to him. He could always make her laugh. “Okay, sure. You’re werebears. Now tell me the real truth.”

He opened his mouth to speak and she was sure he was going to finally tell her the truth. The house phone interrupted her chance.

“I have to get this.”

“No, you don’t. Let Rick pick up.”

He shook his head, then answered the phone. “Gunner here.”

* * * *

Rick had already gotten dressed in clean clothing by the time Gunner caught up with him. His brother’s expression was sour, telling him more than he wanted to know.

“Fuck. Who called?”

“Wallis Rilas. He said he found a dead cow and an injured calf on the road between our places.” Gunner looked like he was about to say more, then slammed his mouth shut.

Wallis was a werebear who liked solitude and rarely interacted with anyone. The fact that he’d called about the cow instead of handling the carcass himself meant it was bad. Real bad.

“What were you going to say?” He studied his brother, sure that something was up.

“Uh, nothing. Just that it doesn’t look like we’re going to get any rest.”

“Nope. But getting with Mallory was better than any amount of sleep.” Gunner was out of the room, no doubt to get to his room for clothes.

Why can’t we find that damn wolf?

With werebears and werewolves alike searching for him, Rick couldn’t figure out how the bastard had eluded them. It just didn’t make any sense.

The day had already sucked enough, but now that the wolf had made another killing and Mallory was mad as hell, it was going to suck even more. She had a right to know everything. Lying to her, even by omission, was eating away at his gut. He vowed they’d tell her as soon as they had enough time to deal with her reaction, good or bad. So far, they hadn’t had enough time at home to do more than sleep and eat. They were in and back out hunting as soon as they could.

Bullshit.

The real reason twisted his gut a little more.

What if we tell her and she leaves?

He shook the awful thought away. Gunner was right. Telling her would have to happen soon. Real soon.

He met Gunner downstairs, ready to spend the rest of the day and night searching for the wolf. He’d have to saddle up another horse so he could let his favorite, Gallahad, get some much needed rest. When the hell was he going to get his own much-needed rest?

Gunner was faster than he was in getting another mount ready. “Rick, I need to tell you something.”

“What?”

“I told her.”

Rick froze. “You told her what?”

“About us.”

Shit.
“Without me?”

“Come on. I’ve tried to get you to tell her. So, I just decided to get it over with. She knows something’s up and she has a right to know.” Gunner paused, yet he knew he was going to say more. “I think you’re afraid to tell her.”

“Bullshit.” His brother knew him all too well. Besides, he’d already admitted as much. “So? What’d she say?”

Gunner turned away. “She didn’t believe me.”

Laughter rolled out of him, then the mirth changed to sadness. It was going to take a lot to convince her. “At least you got it out of your system. But don’t worry. We’ll do it when we get back.”

“We’d better.”

“Just get ready to go.”

He’d just cinched up his saddle when he noticed that his brother had led Sweetie Pie out of its stall. Gunner pointedly ignored him, which was never a good sign.

Shit. Tell me he isn’t saddling that horse for her.

“Damn it, Gunner.”

His brother held up his hand in a feeble attempt to ward off Rick’s rage. “I know. But I’m getting caught between the two of you bullheaded, stubborn—”

Gunner stopped, his gaze going past him. Rick didn’t need to turn around to know she was there. He could sense her as though the connection had snapped a chain around his neck and turned him toward her. She was irresistible even when he wasn’t looking at her. When he finally did, she took his breath away. Had he ever told her as much? He promised he’d tell her that along with everything else.

As soon as we have more time.

Coward.

“Those are the same thing. Stubborn and bullheaded, I mean.”

Rick couldn’t find strong enough words to say what he was feeling. Or maybe he could and knew he shouldn’t. If he did, they’d never make it back out to the hunt. Instead, he’d carry her back into the house, lock the doors, turn off the phones, and keep her in bed for the next week.

He mounted his horse, which was safer than looking at her. Instead of saying what he wanted to, instead of telling her how hot she was, he ground out his order. If nothing else, he’d keep her safe. “You’re not going with us so just get on back in the house.”

“Aw, crap.” Gunner handed the reins to Mallory, then got on his horse. “I’m out of this. You two figure it out.” He clucked to Fleet, urging his horse out of the barn. “See you there.”

“Mallory, please, all I’m doing is trying to keep you from getting hurt.” Trying to talk to her was like trying to talk to a stone wall.

She tossed her hair over her shoulder, then put her boot in the stirrup and slung her leg over her horse. “Suit yourself. I’m going whether you want me to or not. Deal with it.”

Her gaze shifted to the rifle that rested in the holster slung behind the saddle. “Or are you going to shoot me to stop me?”

“Of course not, Mallory. Don’t you get it? I’d never hurt you. And it would kill me if anyone else did.”

She blinked, surprised at his revelation. Her mouth parted in a way that nearly drove him wild with need. “I’m going and you’re not stopping me.”

Damn, but he liked a feisty woman, even if she was irritating as hell. Maybe because she was stubborn. And especially when her backside looked so damn good in a saddle.

I should tan her hide. Not that it’d do any good. But shit, it’d feel good to do it.

He admired her stubbornness. She reminded him of himself. As far as he was concerned, that wasn’t a bad thing. It was that last thought that finally convinced him to do what she’d told him to do. Just deal with it. “Gallahad, stay away from females. They’re more trouble than they’re worth.”

Trouble came in a different form as they rode over to the side road that lay between Wallis’s and their ranches. He heard the cow before he noticed its dead calf. Her plaintive mooing reached across the expanse of the pasture, leading them to her like a signal beacon. It churned his gut, but he kept a straight face, knowing Mallory would find the scene difficult to take.

As they crossed over from the downed fence to the dead calf, he could already hear her sniffs. Damn, how he hated to hear a woman cry, but it was worse knowing it was his mate that fought back the sobs. He had to give it to her, though. Her face was scrunched up as she teetered on the edge of breaking down, but she managed to keep from letting go completely.

“Babe, you don’t have to see this.”

* * * *

Mallory shook her head at Rick. Gone was the anger she’d felt toward the men. In its place came the utter heartbreak for the calf and its mother. Determined to face the horror, she pulled her horse up to Gunner’s, then slipped off. She couldn’t, however, bring herself to get too close to the calf. Even from several feet away, she could see the mutilation it had suffered.