Wicked Bite by Rebecca Zanetti
They were on opposite pages, and that had to change and now. She needed to change that. So she challenged the alpha, knowing full well what she was doing.
He stepped into her space, his entire body vibrating. His muscles clenched and grew defined. Determination glowed like lava in his eyes. “My bite gives me every right, and it’s time you learned that. I’ve tried so hard to be somebody else. Something else. That’s fucking over.”
She shoved him in the abdomen. Hard.
He didn’t move an inch.
“You said we’re over,” she snapped, shoving freezing wet hair out of her eyes, hurt bubbling through the anger. “We’re done. Over. So get the hell out of my life.”
“No.” He tugged her wet sweater to the side and ran his thumb across his bite mark.
Electrical jolts swept down and around her, hitting every nerve. Panic mixed with her anger. “Yes.”
His gaze remained on the bite. “You’re reckless, dishonest, and a pain in the ass.” He looked up, his hard eyes making her breath catch in her throat. “You came here. You wanted to mate a shifter. Me. An alpha grizzly.”
“So?” she challenged, her legs outright trembling.
“You did exactly what you’d planned in your nice safe office a world away. You wanted to mate a grizzly bear alpha.” His hand slid up her neck to cup her head. “I tried to be nice. Gentle. Patient.” Twisting his wrist, he shoved her toward the cabin. “I tried to be what you probably thought you wanted.”
She stumbled and then pivoted around to face him. “Fuck you.”
“Yeah.” He planted a hand against her upper chest and pushed, sliding her backward over the ice as he moved. “It’s time you got what you really wanted.”
Her hands windmilled and she tried to plant her feet, but he was too strong. Before she knew it, the porch steps stopped her slide.
His hand remained planted across her chest. “Get. Inside. Now.”
She stared at him, so many feelings bombarding her that she couldn’t find just one. Rain slashed down on him, and in the gray day, his features were all rugged planes of strength. His eyes glowed. Steam rose from him. The smart thing, the safe thing to do would be to turn around and go into the cabin. That movement would give him a few seconds to control himself.
She didn’t want his control.
Now she wanted all of him. Logic didn’t explain it; neither did strategy. But deep down, in a place she’d never explored, she needed to know all of him. He wasn’t the only one with ancient, wild, and passionate blood pounding through his veins.
So she lifted a foot to the next step.
Satisfaction gleamed in his eyes.
And she kicked him right in the shin.
He stilled. Sleet blasted around them, shattering against the wooden porch. She panted, her face wet, her sweater plastered to her, waiting. Watching him. Wanting to run but knowing she wouldn’t get an inch. She lifted her foot again to kick.
And didn’t make it.
He took her down, and hard.
Her ass bumped the porch. Before she could strike, he flipped her over, her knees on the bottom step and her elbows landing on the top. Pain shot up her arms.
He shredded her sweater, ripping it apart in the back. “Kicking me is something you won’t want to do again. Ever.”
Exhilaration streamed through her along with caution—warning she couldn’t heed, even if she’d wanted to. She struggled, slapping back, aiming a kick at his gut.
His groin pushed against hers, holding her in place and immobilizing her legs. “I warned you.” Cold air swept her bare back, and rain pummeled across her skin. Even so, she could feel his heat.
He ripped off her bra, forcing her arms up to let the straps free. Challenge rose in her, hard and fast, with a dark female edge. She rose up and swung back, swiping her nails across his abs. She dug in and smelled blood. His growl rolled inside her, deep and full, setting her on fire. Her desire was turning to a hunger that hurt.
Leaning over her, he manacled her wrists before her in one hand, ignoring her struggling shoulders. He wrapped the bra around her wrists—tight.
She used her hands as a club and struck sideways.
With a growl, he loomed above her, his hips forcing hers down as he punched a board in the porch, his skin hot and bare on hers. The narrow plank disintegrated into shards of wood. Her eyes bugged out. “What are you—” He punched another plank, leaving just one in the middle. Oh, he did not—
He wrapped the bra beneath the remaining plank and tied it firmly.
She yanked back, fighting, trying to free her hands. They remained in place. A startled laugh escaped her, even with the desire and warning coursing through her. She stretched, trying to dislodge him, her palms flattening on the rough wood.
“No hitting,” he whispered in her ear, his breath hot.
She shivered and bit back a whimper. “You ass—”
He yanked off her jeans and panties, leaving her nude in the pelting rain. The sleet cooled her, while the male behind her heated her right up. She fought the restraints a moment longer. Then she stopped, panting. She couldn’t move.
His hand wandered down her back, and she arched into his touch. Her head dropped. This was so crazy. She’d driven him as far as she could, and she’d never in her entire life felt so alive, wanted somebody else this much. She was outside in the elements, naked, on her hands and knees.
She threw back her head.
Her icy hair flew back, a powerful mass, and smashed into something.
He growled.
Was that his face? She pressed her lips together and then gave up, laughing. She’d hit his face with ice from her hair.
He palmed her core. Shock powered through her and she went silent. Mini-explosions rocked her entire bottom half, and her legs shook on the wood. He leaned over her and bit her ear. “You’re wet. For me.”
She blinked and tried to swallow. “Oh yeah?” she gasped out. “That isn’t a gun in your pocket.” He was rock solid against her.
He chuckled, and the sound of a zipper releasing cut through her. His hand twisted, and he stroked two fingers inside her. Pleasure bombarded her, teased her, took her over. She gyrated against him, needing so much more. His thumb brushed her clit, once and then twice, and she shut her eyes as tiny pinpricks of sensation overcame her need to challenge him.
His fingers were ruthless, driving her high but not letting her go over. Every time she came close, he slowed down or moved. Finally, she was one long mess of frantic nerves. “What do you want, little witch?” he rumbled, stroking her too gently.
She whimpered in pure frustration.
His thumbnail scraped her clit.
Jolts snapped through her. “You. I want you,” she gasped, trying to find words—any words. She no longer even felt the rain or the cold, just him and what he was doing to her.
His hand flattened under her pelvis and he lifted, tilting her hips up even farther. Then he paused. His shaft pushed into her, getting instantly wet, and he shoved in with one incredibly hard thrust.
Her head snapped up, and she arched her back. Pain and pleasure edged together, whipping through her. He was so big. Bigger than before—fuller. He took up every centimeter inside her and then some. His cock pulsed in her, caressing needy nerves, teasing her even more.
He tongued her ear. “Breathe, Ness.”
She expelled air.
“Good girl.”
The words should piss her off. But all she could do was feel. “Move. Now,” she panted.
A hard slap on her ass resonated throughout her body, and she moaned. Her sex quivered around him. “This is the one place in your life you don’t give orders, baby. Never again.” He bit into her earlobe.
She tilted her head to give him better access. Oh, she’d challenged him to this, but she hadn’t expected to feel so . . . taken. She was utterly and completely beneath his command. He’d stolen the control as if it had been his in the first place. “Bear. You’ve ma
“Have I?” His chuckle warmed her neck. “I don’t think so.” He reached around her and rolled her nipples between his fingers.
She moaned, her head dropping, the feeling too erotic to escape.
Then he tapped his way down her abdomen to her clit.
Her eyes opened and barely focused on the closed cabin door. Passion pulsed in her veins. “Wh-what are you doing?”
“Whatever I want to do.” His tongue lashed the bite mark on her neck.
She exploded around him, her entire body rolling with an orgasm that left her breathless. But it wasn’t enough. He was still inside her, stretching her, taking her.
To her shock, his fingers found her clit again. “No,” she moaned.
“Yes,” he corrected, his fingers slick from her wetness. Something tugged in her hair, and then shocking cold touched her clit.
She arched and cried out.
“You like ice. Remember?” he asked, swirling a small piece around her clit.
The cold sensation with the hot shaft inside her pushed her into a craving that shook her entire body. “Bear.”
He rocked against her just enough to make her gasp. The ice melted, and his fingers heated her again. He touched where they were joined, where she was stretched around his size. Then he ran a finger over her clit again. Sensation pounded through her. “Move,” she whispered.
His ruthless finger circled her clit, enticing it into hardness, holding her on the edge. “You’re done with demands. Feel free to beg.” He licked along his bite while his fingers tortured her, holding her in place easily. Way too easily.
She couldn’t take it. He won. White flag. Game over. “Please, Bear.”
“Ah, you’re giving me what I want now.” His voice was pure rock and gravel—raw and hoarse.
“Aye.” She’d give him anything right now. Who cared? Her mind fuzzed. Her entire core was in need, throbbing uncontrollably.
“Good.” He drove her higher, circling and lightly pinching, forcing pleasure through her. She panted, moaning, losing any ability to think. He pulled out and pounded back in. She arched her back, taking him all the way. Then he slowly slid out and back in, enhancing each electric jolt.
A rough hand tangled in her hair and jerked her head to the side. Even that sensation was somehow erotic. Her neck was elongated and exposed, and now not even her head was hers to move. She tested him, tugging, and only ended up pulling her own hair. She bit her lip.
His bare chest heated her back as he leaned closer, his thighs pushing hers into the step. “Who did you mate?”
“You,” she panted, her body on a very thin edge. So close. So damn close.
“Right. Who am I?”
Words. He was saying words. She tried to follow, but he pulled out and slammed back in. Hard. “Ah, Bear. Alpha. Grizzly.” Those were right. Those had to be right.
“Yes.” His fingers played with her again. She whimpered. “I’m claiming you, Nessa. Right here. Right now.”
She may have gurgled.
He slapped her clit. Her head jerked, and hunger flared hotter.
“What are you, Nessa?” he demanded, his hold absolute.
She opened her eyes. This was beyond what she’d wanted. But here they were. “Claimed,” she whispered, her body relaxing into his hold. Ready for whatever he wanted to give to her. Submission she felt much deeper than anything she’d ever imagined.
“Yes.” His hands closed over her hips in a ruthless grip, and he hammered into her with hard strokes, driving her forward.
Never in her life had she felt such raw pleasure. He pounded, increasing his speed, and everything inside her exploded. She cried out, her body stiffening and shaking, sensation after sensation careening through her. He ground against her, his body shuddering over her.
She went limp.
Quick hands untied her, and he lifted her, carrying her into the warm cabin. There was nothing left to her. She was done. Sleep claimed her before he’d even placed her in the bed.
Chapter 25
Finally, a morning without sleet or snow. The sun even tried to peek between the clouds. Bear hustled toward headquarters, his mood too dark for the day. Even the slight sun didn’t cheer him.
He’d left Nessa sleeping peacefully in bed with two guards outside. She’d been exhausted.
What the hell had he been thinking, taking her like that the night before? Nothing. He hadn’t been thinking. Period. Damn, he was confused. His life had been nice and orderly before she’d shown up. Okay, maybe a little boring. Could he return to that? He stormed into the rec room and stomped back to the war room, where Lucas was manning several screens. “News?”
Lucas looked up, circles beneath his eyes. Scrapes from wolf claws were red and swollen along his neck. “Not yet. I’ve been trying to track down that wolf pack all night.”
“Did you contact Vilks?” Terrent Vilks led one of the most powerful packs.
“Yes. He doesn’t know who they are and guesses it’s just a rogue pack. Seemed rather pissed we were attacked. Wants to send reinforcements.”
“No,” Bear said. He had enough new faces around there for a lifetime.
Lucas rubbed his left eye. “I told him we appreciated the offer and would let him know but were fine for now.”
Bear studied his friend. “Why don’t you heal your neck?”
“I will. Had a couple of broken bones to do first and am just recharging.” Lucas stared at his full cup of coffee.
Guilt heated through Bear. It was his job to protect the nation and go without sleep, not Lucas’s. “Get some sleep, Luke.”
“In a few. After this search.” Lucas glanced around. “How long are the witches staying?”
Probably not long. After last night, Nessa would want to run for the hills. He couldn’t blame her, but he wasn’t sure he could let her go. His life had been calm and colorless before she’d arrived. Now it was chaos filled with color. “I don’t know. Just keep an eye on them.”
“Copy that. I’m also sending out another order for our men to get back here.” Lucas grabbed a manila file off the table. “Here’s the intel on Slam Bar downtown and the bartender. Interestingly enough, he’s a wolf shifter.”
Bear stilled. “Is that a fact?” He read through the file quickly. “Excellent. Come up with a strike plan, and we’ll talk about it later. For now, I have some interviewing to do.” Bear turned and slid a panel to the side near the door. Another keypad came up, and he entered his code, revealing concrete steps going down. “Have you checked in on Uncle?” he asked.
“Nope. The boys are in charge of the damn witch,” Lucas said cheerfully. “It’s great having prospects—even if they are undercover.” He cleared his throat. “They’re, ah, not down in the underground rooms.”
Bear’s head jerked. “Where are they?”
Lucas sighed. “River house.”
“What the fuck?” The uncle had set up Nessa and might have hired people to kill her. He’d known the airport location, obviously. That made him a key suspect.
Lucas shrugged. “You put the boys in charge, and they think he’s safe. Don’t worry. They’re both trained and won’t let Boondock free.”
Right. Bear slammed his fist on the keypad, and the door closed. “I’ll be back.” He loped through the storage room and headed outside for a trail on the other side of the garages.
His thoughts kept returning to Nessa. Had he bruised her? Part of the reason he’d never gotten serious with a woman was because he knew of the beast inside him. Nessa had almost purposefully unleashed that part of him.
But it was his fault. He was in control, and if he’d hurt her, he’d pay. She’d been sleeping peacefully, and she had orgasmed several times. But still. The woman deserved a softer touch.
He was an ass.
If anybody else so much as made her cry, he’d end them. Man, he had it bad. This had to stop. He needed to get himself under control, save her, and then get back to his peaceful l
His peaceful, boring, lonely life.
He hunched his shoulders and jogged through a forest still dripping from rain and sleet. But the sun helped. He kept his pace fast as he reached several forks in the trail, easily picking his way. Fifteen minutes later, he arrived at a sprawling house of wood and stone sitting over a wild river. He climbed the steps and then knocked on the door instead of opening it with the keypad. No need to get shot.
“Who’s there?” Garrett asked from the other side, sounding like his mouth was full.
“Bear. Open up.”
The door opened, and Garrett stood there with a plate of scrambled eggs. “We’re almost out of food,” the kid said, chewing thoughtfully.
“I’m sending Dage a bill,” Bear muttered, walking into a sprawling kitchen with granite countertops. The floor-to-ceiling windows looked out on a rushing river, gray and churning.
“Morning,” Boondock Lansa said, an apron around his waist and a spatula in his hand. “Hungry?”
Bear turned on Garrett. “I told you to secure him in one of the rooms.”
Garrett kept munching contentedly. “He can cook, and he doesn’t seem to want to go anywhere.”
Bear pinched the bridge of his nose to keep from swiping the kid’s head off his shoulders. “Where is Logan?”
“He’s downstairs in the rec room playing Xbox,” Garrett said. “We were up late last night with a Bastion Warrior Seven tournament, the three of us, and he’s moving slowly.”
Bear blinked. Several times.
Garrett’s eyebrows rose. “So, um. Tell you what. I’ll grab his plate and take it down to him. Let you guys talk.” Fetching another oversized plate of food, he hustled to the carpeted stairs on the other side of the living room and disappeared.
“Nice kids,” Boondock said, his eyes twinkling. “You sure you’re not hungry?”
“No. Sit down.” Bear motioned to the living room with the huge stone fireplace and comfortable couches. The house had come with the land when he’d purchased another twenty acres on his perimeter last year, and so far he’d just let guests crash there. It had five bedrooms, more than five bathrooms, and a couple of rec rooms. “You’re a prisoner, damn it.”