Page 16 of His Beast Mate

Involuntarily, I squeezed John’s bicep again where I’d permanently parked my hand. Hey, at least I hadn’t groped his groin. Yet.

“What is happening?” John asked.

“Felicia is in heat.”

“I heard that. What does it mean?”

I held up a hand. “Lers, do me a favor. I want to go upstairs and rest. That’s all.”

Lers looked from me to John and back. “Okay. Do you want painkillers?”

“They don’t help.”

“Based on…your recent history, I recommend not having anyone service you.”

Ah. He spoke of things I didn’t remember but knew they’d happened. My brain simply deleted the memories of the last heat I’d gone through. I’d been a mindless animal looking for anything and everything that would get me off. Those men were there. I said no, but the body said yes. Luckily for me, my memory of the ordeal was muddy. When Lers had examined me earlier in private before moving me into the room for Jamie’s visit he said my memory loss was a way of coping. The mind simply refused to access pain points and times of great trauma. Many a woman would love to be able to forget. I was lucky that I could. “I’m not gonna have anyone over.”

“If you change your mind and the pain becomes unbearable, ping me over the com. Though I advise against it, if you want, any male would proudly service you.”

“Hold up.” John raised his hand. “Service her how?”

“Don’t worry about it, John,” I said. “It’s a beast thing, and I’m gonna ride it out.”

John ignored me. “I’ll do it.”

The awkward moment stretched. Monitors hummed in the background while Lers and I stood there looking anywhere but at John.

Lers twirled his mustache and pretended to check something important on his tablet, then put it back on his desk. “Do you understand what kind of service she needs?”

“I’m human, not stupid. It took me a bit to figure out, ’cuz you’re beating around the bush.”

Lers eyed John’s crotch. “You are not aroused.”

“You don’t turn me on.” And then something magical happened. He threw a hand over my shoulder and squeezed. I took the liberty and put a hand on his ass. I squeezed. Nice and firm. I imagined it flexing as he pumped into me. A whine escaped my throat.

Lers didn’t take the cue. He misunderstood my whine and said, “Um, yes. A beast male is more suited for her needs.”

“How so?” John asked. I felt the tension in his body.

“A beast male knows how to best please a beast female.”

“Don’t you worry about that.”

“I worry because a quick romp between the sheets won’t do. A beast female needs to feel subdued. Felicia is a female with dominant tendencies. She would enjoy a male forcing her submission. Forcing is…inappropriate for her at the time when what she went through is fresh. I recommend she…”

“Shut the fuck up,” John said. “You’re operating under the impression that because I’m human, I don’t know shit. I know shit. I’ve come a long way and earned my right to stay at this beast fortress. I’m willing to accept the differences between our species. My daughter is mated, has a life of her own. I’ve thought about getting a woman for myself all my life, but it just never happened for me. I gave up, convinced there was something wrong with me. It wasn’t wrong. The beast female just hadn’t come to me yet. Isn’t that how this mating thing works?”

Lers and I stared. John continued, “I’m in my forties. I ain’t getting younger, but I ain’t getting older either. Because of this woman, I will see my great-grandkids and the world set to peace. I will always have this woman by my side. She said I was her mate, and I got two days in here before I head to Texas. I’m gonna do right by her.”

Stunned, Lers and I still stared.

“What?” John barked.

“That’s the longest I’ve heard you speak,” Lers said.

“I have my moments.”

“Well then, all hear John of Big Bear has mated Felicia.”

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