Page 113 of Choose the Bears

“Books are the way to a lady’s heartandbetween her legs. Got it,” Kyle said. “So, who’s next?”

My lips moved, wanting to say something, anything, if it meant having my turn, but Asher cut me off.

“Truth.”

“This bite…” Imogen said. I saw it now, lurid and red, but I knew it’d fade down to something close to her natural skin colour. “Why is it so sensitive? Like, not painful.”

He’d claimed her? I stared at Asher, but he was entirely focussed on Imogen, so instead I got a sheepish look from Kyle. He knew as well, that while we were working, Asher… I watched my sleuth mate slide in behind Imogen, placing his legs on either side of hers as his fingers pushed her hair away. Asher pressed a gentle kiss to her neck, his lips fitting the bite he’d left upon her, and it was then I saw exactly what she meant. Her whole body undulated against his, fluid as a wave, as he sucked the skin.

“Oh! Oh…”

Imogen was putty in his hands, soft and open to him, her hands going behind her neck to hold him right where he was. His tongue worked, then his fangs did, provoking more and moresensation from her until her breath was coming in little pants. Rather than bringing her to climax, he pulled away, eyes burning like blue fire before he growled.

“It feels like that because you’re mine.” His focus shifted to us. “All of ours. Because the bear gods are kind and would only ever make the marking process a pleasurable one. Every time one of us touches this mark going forward, you’ll remember how I made you feel, how all of us will continue to please you every day we have together.”

A gentle kiss against the mark had her shivering.

“So, truth or dare, Imogen?”

Dare, I mentally prompted.Say dare, because I knew what I’d do. I’d dare her to come to me, curl in my arms and stay there for the entire night, just for the feel of her. I’d dare her to open the boxes and see every selection and give me her thoughts. I’d dare her to read every book, now, later, for the rest of our lives. Of course, that’s when she turned around and faced Asher with hazy eyes.

“Dare.”

“I dare you to let me give you another set of bite marks to match those.”

Kyle’s voice silenced me, his light tone doing a terrible job of masking how he really felt. Like always, he was making a joke of the thing that was actually really important to him. Imogen didn’t see that, though, her eyes jerking to take him in, searching, then softening before she moved a little closer. Crawling on her hands and knees, I hated that, it forced me to move forward and remove the tray, the bowls shaking as she was pulled into his arms.

“Is that what you want?” she asked.

“More than surf and turf. More than lamb roast. Even more than steak and blowjob day.” Imogen snorted at his reply, buthe forged on, tucking her hair on the unmarked side of her neck away. “More than anything else in the world.”

“Oh well, in that case…”

She barely breathed that out, rising up on her knees before dropping her head. I looked away before I saw them kiss. A wet sound told me everything I needed to know. That he kissed the skin first, making her sensitive, long for his touch, right before he struck. A strangled sound and I was forced to look back in time to see her arms being thrown out wide like she was falling, right before he caught her.

Fangs dug into skin, arms went around her, holding her tight, right as she fought his hold. I rose up, ready to free her, when I saw I’d misread the situation. Imogen wasn’t hurting, trying to get away from Kyle, but to get closer. She clung to his shoulders, his mouth closing over the mark he’d made, sucking hard on the skin, right before they pulled back to stare at each other.

He’d know just what was going on in her head, that’s what killed me. Every thought she chose to share, every feeling. They’d be tied as tightly as two people could be, bound at the soul level. That would happen for me too, I knew that academically, but rational thought was shoved aside as the bear flexed within me. He was always a pretty chill presence inside me, but not now. Claws formed and fur prickled across my arms as he pushed forward, wanting to insert himself in what was happening.

But that’s not how this worked.

Each of us in turn would find the moment to claim our mate, and mine would come. Just not now. I admit I had fantasies of this each time I bought a book or selected furniture, thinking of the moment when I would finally know Imogen was mine. Perhaps that’s why I was moving towards the door now.

“Lucas—” Asher said.

“Just a minute.” I paused in the doorway and held out a hand. “Just give me a moment, please.”

Just one second to collect myself, to keep all the feelings that raged in my breast and drove the bear mad tamped down. Now was not my time, I breathed that terrible knowledge in and then out, but it would come. It would surely come. With a nod, I walked down the hallway, intent on letting the rest of my sleuth enjoy theirs.

Chapter 59

Imogen

If you’d told me I’d enjoy being bitten before meeting my mates, I would’ve laughed. It sounded hot on the page, but in reality? Apparently it was so, so much better. When Kyle held me close, all I could smell, feel, and hear was him. His ragged breaths, his lips pressed against my neck, kissing his way down until I made a little whimpering sound, making clear what I wanted. He sucked in a breath and then he struck.

I thought it was just sex that made it feel so good, but that was not the case. The second his fangs sank into me, I was moving against Kyle. Rubbing myself against his thigh, trying to get some kind of rhythm going that matched the rapid flutter of my heartbeat, but that spell was broken when I heard Asher call Lucas’ name. My eyelids felt heavy, welded together, but I wrenched them apart in time to see my other mate walk out the door. For a moment I could only stare, unable to work out why that would happen when I heard his reply.

“Just… give me a moment.”

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