Page 16 of Kodiak's Heart

“Your lip’s bleeding,” he informed her and frowned as she jerked a hand up to cover her mouth, eyes going wide. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, I… I didn’t get any blood on you, did I?”

“No,” he lied, hiding the smear on his thumb for some reason. He didn’t question it.

“Laramie,” she began, but he shook his head, cutting her off.

“Don’t say anything that’ll piss me off. This isn’t just lust. It will happen again, only next time I plan to be buried deep inside you when I come. Malachi may have been the one who sent you here, but you don’t belong to him.”

“I don’t belong to anyone,” she assured him.

He smiled, the smile of the beast within him.

“Yes, you do,” he countered, licking his lips and watching her flush at the reminder of what he’d done. “Every inch of you belongs to me. Including those sexy sounds you make when you come and the sweet nectar coating my tongue and throat.”

“We can’t—”

“We will. Again and again,” he assured her before adding a warning that had her snapping her mouth closed. “As you saw, my dick’s still hard and ready to go a second round. Trust me when I tell you, another denial from your lips right now will end with you bent over while I work my cock up your tight pussy. And the screams I’d pull from you will wake the whole damn house.”

“No.”

He smiled again. “We both know it wouldn’t take much to have you purring for me again,” he vowed. “I heard a lot of pretty sounds from you, baby. Not a single no.”

Her gaze narrowed, but she kept her lips shut. Smart woman. They both knew he was right. “Towels and washcloths are in the cabinet to your right.” He stopped and shook his head. “God, woman, you take my breath. I’ll be thinking about you all night. Imagining you sliding naked between my sheets. Soon, it’ll be the two of us in that bed, with me sliding into you. All night long.”

She swallowed but said nothing. Her control was commendable. He wanted her to challenge him, to deny him, to say anything that would give him a reason to prove otherwise.

“I’ll see you in the morning,” she offered as she finally broke their gaze to bend and work off her other shoe before tugging off her pants. She stood before him proud and tall, not the least bit bashful to be naked while he still wore far too many clothes. “Good night, Laramie.”

“Good night, Emersyn. Dream of us,” he encouraged. He leaned in to kiss her, but she turned her head at the last minute, so he pressed his lips to her temple instead. It took all he had to step out of the bathroom and close the door quietly behind him. He wanted to stay. It ached to leave her. What the hell would he do? He’d told her she belonged to him, and she did. They belonged. Yet it was all wrong. While his entire pack expected him to take a mate, none of them expected it to be a human woman who’d shown up out of the blue. One with a little girl who called her mom, one who smelled like Malachi Blackstone.

He crossed to the bed and glanced down at Ruby. She was curled on her side, blonde curls so like Emersyn’s swept back off her face. Maybe, he was thinking with his dick as Xandra had accused, but there was no denying the little girl was Malachi’s daughter. His scent covered her. Not to mention the same big, green eyes as both Sidia and Jaeda.

Ruby mumbled something in her sleep, and a tiny whimper left her. Laramie automatically reached out to soothe her.

“You’re safe, baby bear. I won’t let anything hurt you here. Promise.”

She stilled as if accepting his vow. He prayed he’d be able to keep his promise. Because he was smart enough to know Malachi had sent them to him for a reason. The man was placing himself in danger, of that Laramie was certain. What did Malachi know? Was there a connection between the attacks on the two bear dens? There had to be. Laramie didn’t believe in coincidences. He had to talk to Malachi, had to find out where the man was and how he could help. Malachi wasn’t the only man who’d lost family. Far too many of them had.

He heard the shower start behind the bathroom door and stood. He had to leave the room before the thought of Emersyn naked under the spray of water was too much to fight and he walked in to join her. The smear on his thumb caught his eye as he reached for the doorknob. Without thought he brought it to his mouth and sucked it off. His nostrils flared, and he licked his lips, longing for a better taste.

His bear pressed hard beneath his skin, rising as something called to them both. He forced his feet to move as he slipped quietly from the room and headed upstairs to catch a few hours of sleep in one of the empty rooms there. Something tickled at his senses. Something that didn’t quite make sense.

He stepped onto the main floor, and his temper spiked when he saw Jensen there. There was no question his brother had been waiting for him.

“Hey, got a sec?”

“What is it?” Laramie snapped, and his temper threatened the tight leash he held on it when his brother inhaled before meeting Laramie’s gaze. “Don’t.”

Jensen sighed. “Be careful. We don’t know anything about this Emersyn. What’s her last name?”

Laramie clenched his teeth. No way was he admitting he hadn’t even asked. Fuck!

“I’m just saying. Tonight was a start, but there’s a lot more we need to learn. There’s something about her.”

Laramie growled.

“I don’t mean like that,” Jensen snapped. “Just be cautious. Use your head. The one with the brain in it.”

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