Page 6 of Grizzly's Bear

She nodded. She knew that, knew he wanted her. She’d be lying if she tried to say she didn’t want him, but it was more complicated than that. There was a ghost between them, as well as missing fragments of time she really wanted to get back. What had happened to her? Other than the beating she’d obviously taken. She needed to call Ariel. See what the other woman knew about their time in captivity. They’d obviously been kept apart if all she’d told them was she’d heard Rissa scream. Then the scream cut off. She gingerly moved her fingers over the side of her head.

“Is your head still hurting?” Em asked immediately.

“I’m fine.”

“And Slade?” Em pressed.

“I…” She paused, giving her head a slight shake as if that might clear it. “That’s between him and me.”

Em stared for along moment, not saying anything. Rissa refused to fill the silence. Em might be her alpha, at least in her heart, but that didn’t mean Rissa needed to tell her everything going through her heart and mind at present. Especially when she was so twisted up and confused and… terrified. When she thought of being taken, her heart raced with terror. There was something there, pulling at her, but she couldn’t grasp it. All she felt was fear. It lodged in her heart, keeping her prisoner of something she didn’t know.

Shit! She was moments from breaking down. She barely held back her tears, and the last thing she wanted to do was give vent in front of someone. Blinking furiously, she rubbed her head again.

“I’m really tired,” she murmured, avoiding Em’s glance. Instead, Rissa let her lids drop closed. “I’m going to try and get some sleep.” She forced her lids open, silently praying she could hold the tears at bay. “We can talk later.”

Em leaned in and hugged her. God, she wasn’t making it easy on Rissa. Her emotion welled up more, and she literally had to bite her lips to hold back the sob in her chest.

“We’ll talk later,” Em agreed then stood and headed toward the door. “Let me know if you need anything.”

Rissa nodded, somehow managing to hold herself together until the door closed and she was finally alone. Putting her fist to her mouth and tugging a pillow to her chest, she buried her face and let the tears flow. She was surrounded by Slade’s scent, wrapped so thoroughly in it that it was almost as if he was there. Then he was.

“I’ve got you, baby,” he crooned, cuddling her close against his chest. “I’ve got you, and I’m never letting you go.”

Chapter Three

Her tearstained face broke his heart. She tried to keep her sobs silent, locking the sound in her chest, trying to lock in the pain as well. It ripped him apart. He hadn’t protected her. He’d made a promise, a solemn vow that she’d be safe, and instead, she’d been taken, beaten, and nearly killed. He’d failed her.

He swore it would never happen again. He’d prove to her that he could protect and keep her safe. That he could be a good mate. Her perfect mate. And that’s what he planned to be. Her mate.

She tucked her head under his chin, burying her face in his neck and rubbing her nose there. Marking him? God, he hoped so. He wanted her to mark him with her scent. Part of him wondered if she even realized what she was doing. Part of him didn’t care, which probably made him a huge dick. But didn’t that mean it was instinctual?

He held her, hoping she took as much comfort in being in his arms as he felt having her there. He’d never imagined meeting a woman like Rissa, but now that he had, he couldn’t imagine his life without her. He didn’t want to imagine it without her. So he held her, crooning words he doubted she heard. Held her even after she fell asleep. He hadn’t been spouting platitudes when he’d sworn he’d never let her go. He was keeping her with him for the rest of their lives. He’d fight anyone who thought otherwise. Including her.

Slowly, he moved them until they were lying on his bed. He followed temptation and stripped her naked, being careful not to wake her. Then he took care of his clothes before pulling her flush against him and settling the blankets over them. She nuzzled against him again, rubbing her nose along his chest and draping her leg over his thigh. He felt the heat of her against him, inhaled the sweet scent of her sex. His mouth watered. He wanted to bury his face between her thighs and feast on her for days. And he would. Soon.

Her palm slipped down over his stomach, making his cock twitch no matter how hard he tried to control it. She didn’t need his erection. Not right now. But her fingers wiggled lower, brushing along his shaft as it rose to full staff. He gritted his teeth, cursing himself as he reached down to pull away her wandering hand.

“Don’t stop me.”

Her whisper had him glancing down at her face. Her cheeks were flushed with color. Her breath coming in tiny pants as she wrapped her hand around his length, fingertips not meeting around his girth. One touch and she had him ready to explode.

“What do you want?” he asked her.

“I need you, Slade. I need to feel something other than the panic beating inside me. I need you to help me until all I know is you and the pleasure I’ve only ever found in your arms..”

He went to roll them over, but she stopped him, pressing her free hand against his chest and keeping it there until he was on his back with her rising over him. She held his shaft with a firm grip, running her palm up and down him while she straddled his hips. She bent down, brushing her lips over his briefly before kissing down his chest, following the thick line of hair down his stomach. She held his cock up and away as she nuzzled his groin, flicking her tongue out to taste him and drawing a harsh groan of need from his chest.

“Rissa.”

“I need you,” she repeated as if he might ask her to stop.

No chance in hell of that happening. He needed her. Needed to remind himself she was alive. That no matter what she’d endured at the hands of hunters, she’d survived, and she was here. With him.

“Take me,” he commanded, and gritted his teeth as she nuzzled her face along his groin, rubbing against him, spreading her scent. Here she went again. Marking him. Claiming him. He growled as she nipped his inner thigh before licking back up his shaft and swirling her wicked tongue over the crown. “Fuck!”

“Yes,” she agreed before taking him deep and swallowing the tip until he swore he’d come down her throat.

“Rissa.” Her name was a hard growl. He was hanging on by a thread and had been from the moment she’d been taken. He wasn’t sure when his bear would breathe again. “Sit on my cock and fuck me hard.”

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