Page 173 of Secret Shifters Next Door

I pressed his back against the wall. “What’s going on with you? You look sick.”

Steff shook his head. “Nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

“Look, I know the last few months have been pretty chaotic, but your health has gone downhill really fast.”

“I’ve got it under control.” He turned his head away from me.

I grabbed his chin and lifted his face to me and saw his bear eyes staring back at me. It became clear, then. After everything that happened, I’d totally forgotten about the curse. I’d been so concerned with whether or not Kellan would survive, it completely slipped my mind. Steff didn’t just look like shit. He was dying.

“It’s the spell, right?” I asked.

Steff nodded sadly. “It’s getting too hard to hold the bear off. He’s fighting for dominance, trying to take over to claim you. That’s what happened that morning when I pinned you down. I can’t hold him back much longer. I’m sorry. I should have told you sooner.”

I pulled myself into him, laying my head on his chest and letting the water wash over us. “You should have told me.”

“You were watching your brother fight for his life. There were more important things to worry about than to ask you if you’d thought about being claimed yet. If you’d made a decision.”

“You should have. I made my decision. You only had to ask.”

Before he could say anything, I kissed him. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close. A low rumble made his chest tremble, and I grinned as I pulled away.

I pressed my forehead to his. “I appreciate that you’re always looking out for me. But I want what you want.” I kissed his chest, “I’m ready.” My hand drifted down his stomach, and I wrapped my fingers around him as he quickly began to stiffen. “Claim me.I want to spend my life with you, and I want you to claim me. Now.”

THIRTY-SIX

STEFF

The moment the words were out of her mouth, it was like all the exhaustion and pain vanished. My body had been on the brink of death for days but that was almost fully forgotten when she asked me to claim her. I pulled her close and kissed her hard. My cock was already hard, and her gasping, hungry breaths pushed me further over the edge.

Without looking, I reached back and shut the water off. We stumbled out of the shower, dripping across the floor, never taking our lips off each other. I picked April up and carried her to the bed. Not bothering to dry off, I threw her down and climbed onto the bed.

Settling myself between her legs, I leaned forward and took her right nipple in my mouth, sucking it gently. April moaned and arched her back. My tongue slid in circles around the nipple before I took it between my teeth. April’s breath caught in her throat as I gently squeezed it between them. Not hard but not soft, either.

“Fuck.” The word hissed out of April’s mouth in a low moan.

Moving up her chest, I peppered her breasts and sternum with kisses until I got to her neck. I licked and sucked at her throat, getting more turned on by the second. April snaked ahand between my legs, stroking me until my eyes rolled to the back of my head. Her fingers were soft and delicate, but there was hunger in the way she moved her hand.

Knowing I couldn’t hold back any longer, I let her guide me into her pussy. We sighed in unison as I slipped into her. I’d never felt her so wet, and I rested my head on her chest, enjoying the feel of her, loving how close it made us, but the desire inside me was like a raging fire. Ineededher.

My hips began to move, slowly at first, rocking inside her. I looked into her eyes. The look on April’s face was the half-lidded expression of lust and bliss. I moved faster, pulling my entire length out of her and back in. I wanted her to feel all of me with every movement. She dug her nails into my back and wrapped her legs around my ass, pulling me in deeper with every stroke.

She pulled my head close and pressed her lips to my ear. “Harder.”

I obeyed. I fucked her. Every ounce of love, desire, need, and passion I had for her welled within me every time I buried myself inside her. She gasped and breathed heavily with every movement. Her face flushed, and her mouth dropped open into a perpetual ‘oh.’

I slid my fingers into her hair and grabbed a handful of the gorgeous red locks. I pulled, gently tugging at the hair and smiling as she gasped. She looked at me and grinned. My own climax was coming, and quickly. I moved faster, her taut nipples sliding against my chest with every movement.

April groaned, and her back arched off the bed, her hips thrusting against mine as she came. “Oh, God.” She was barely able to catch her breath as she looked into my eyes. “Come, Steff. Come inside me and claim me.”

Those words alone sent me over the cliff. Exploding inside her, everything I was seemed to shatter and reassemble in an instant. The bear within me roared with delight and pleasure.My jaw ached as my fangs grew and I bit into the soft place between her collarbone and shoulder.

April screamed and pressed a hand to her chest. Pulling my head back, I looked at her to see if I’d hurt her. The expression on her face wasn’t like anything I’d ever seen before. Her eyes bulged in surprise, but there was a confused smile on her face.

“April? Are you okay?” I asked, still gasping from my own orgasm.

She nodded, then frowned and shook her head. “I… I don’t know. It’s like something is erupting inside me.” She took a deep, steadying breath. “It’s like I’m being split in half.”

I smoothed the hair out of her face and pulled her close. “It’s okay, let it happen. I’m right here.”

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