My Hero Bear (19 page)

The tears really started flowing then. She hadn’t thought the day could get any better than having both her brother and Dylan come home safely from what she knew was a dangerous mission. But the day
had
gotten better. So much better than she ever could have imagined.

She looked over at her brother, a twinge of panic flaring within her. She didn’t need his approval, and if he didn’t give it, it wouldn’t change her decision. Still, she wanted to know his reaction.

Hunter smiled at her and nodded. “For what it’s worth, you have my blessing. A hundred percent.”

Joy blossomed inside her.

“Yes!” she shouted. “Of course, I’ll marry you and be your mate!”

Dylan placed the ring on her finger and got to his feet. He gathered her in his arms and lifted her up to kiss her.

***

Rory and her two favorite men in the whole world sat around and talked for a while. It was so good to see her brother again and to catch him up on things he’d missed during his time away.

They chatted like that for hours, avoiding the serious subjects like their father’s death and whatever horrors Hunter had faced over the last few years. Rory got a sense that they all knew there would be time enough for that later. Tonight was a night of celebration, not mourning.

As they talked, Rory’s eyes kept falling on Dylan. He wore a T-shirt that showed off his muscles. It lit a warmth inside her, filling her veins with liquid heat.

She wasn’t sure if her brother knew something was up, but eventually, he said he was tired and was going to bed. They said their good nights and Hunter retired to their father’s old bedroom, tucked away at the far end of the house.

That just left Rory and Dylan all alone for the first time in three weeks.

She glanced at him, a shy smile curving her lips. She wasn’t sure why she was feeling so timid. She hadn’t felt this bashful a few weeks ago at Dylan’s home. But she felt like things were different now. This meant more. Before, if things hadn’t worked out, they could have walked away. But now she had agreed to be his mate. There was no walking away now.

To her surprise, Dylan smiled back. It was a light, radiant smile. It didn’t carry any of the old weight she’d seen on his face when they were first reunited three weeks ago. Something had changed in Dylan, and it was a change for the better.

Dylan was just staring at her with that wide smile on his face. Rory felt the heat rising in her cheeks.

“What?” she asked shyly.

“Nothing,” he said, his smile growing even bigger. “It’s just really good to see you.”

“Aww, did you miss me?” she asked, trying to make a joke.

Dylan nodded, his face turning serious again. “I really did. I don’t want us to ever be apart again. Never again.”

“Me neither.”

As if to illustrate the point, Dylan sat down next to her on the couch and pulled her close to him. She snuggled in against his chest, listening to the beat of his powerful heart. It was beating fast, in tempo with her own racing pulse.

Rory ran her fingers lightly over Dylan’s broad chest. “What do you say we find some privacy?”

He chuckled, low and deep. “I was just thinking the same thing.”

Dylan pulled her up into his arms, lifting her off the couch. She giggled, encircling his neck with her arms.

“Tell me where to go,” he said.

She led him to her old bedroom, on the other side of the house from the master bedroom. He closed the door behind them and placed Rory gently back on her feet.

“What now?” she asked, looking up at him.

He didn’t hesitate. “This is what now.”

He slanted a firm, intense kiss over her mouth. His strong hand curled against the small of her back, pulling her body close to his. She loved the way it felt to lean against his strong, masculine frame. There was no doubt in her mind that this was the man she was always meant to be with. Their bodies just seemed to fit perfectly together.

Electricity crackled through every nerve ending in her body. He lit a fire inside her that felt amazing.

She’d been dreaming of this moment for the last few weeks. The longing for him had built up into deep, hollow ache that only he could fill. But it wasn’t just their time apart that had her feeling this way.

What she felt at that moment went beyond the physical. It wasn’t just the way he kissed her or the way he touched her. There was an intimacy between them now. It was like she knew for sure now what it was like to be in love and what it was like to
be
loved.

It was the greatest feeling in the world.

All the obstacles they’d faced over the years felt like they’d been worth it. When two people were truly meant to be together, nothing in the world could keep them apart. Not war, not scheming jealous rivals, not even the passage of time itself.

Rory and Dylan’s love had overcome all of those things to bring them together here in this moment, and Rory intended to make the most of it.

Her fingers hooked into the waistband of his jeans and she pulled him back towards the bed. It was the only urging he needed. They tumbled into bed together, his body pressed over hers.

He trailed kisses down her neck, sending shivers through her. His sure hands pulled her robe open, revealing her breasts to his hungry gaze.

He kneaded her breast gently and took her nipple in his mouth, swirling his tongue around it until it hardened to a sensitive point.

Dylan was gentle and attentive. It was like he was taking his time to savor her body and milk as much pleasure from her as possible. Apparently, she hadn’t been the only one looking forward to this moment for the last couple of weeks.

“That feels so good, Dylan,” she moaned. “Please don’t ever stop.”

Her body writhed on the bed beneath him, overwhelmed by the sensations Dylan awoke within her. His mouth teased and nipped at her breasts, first one, then the other. And his hands stroked over her skin, caressing all of her most sensitive places.

He spread Rory’s thighs and gazed down at her center. Then he brushed his lips over her thighs, kissing her and licking her and working her up into a frenzy.

She pushed her hips forward, begging him for more. He took her cue and lapped at her greedily. His tongue slid between her lips, and she threw back her head and moaned. Dylan licked and sucked at her sensitive mound, trailing his tongue up her slit until it found her swollen clit.

His tongue swirled around her hard bud, stroking it with just the right amount of pressure to get her hips squirming and her pulse racing. He slid a finger into her soaking depths as his tongue tortured her clit, driving her wild.

His stroking finger worked inside her, sending waves of pleasure through her aching body. She could already feel the orgasm building inside her. She was panting and moaning as he pleasured her with his skilled mouth until finally she couldn’t hold back any longer.

A wave of pleasure crashed over her, washing her away in its current. Her whole body tightened up and trembled with the force of her release.

Her body collapsed back onto the bed, breathless and quivering.

When Rory could breathe and think again, she looked into his eyes.

Dylan trembled with anticipation, and she loved him for that. It made her feel sexy and desirable, the way every woman should feel.

He positioned himself over her. She could feel his cock nestle between her legs, right at her throbbing entrance. He grabbed the base of his shaft and stroked her folds with his head, soaking it in her juices and teasing her lips apart.

Then Dylan thrust inside Rory. She gasped at the feeling and her face twisted up with pleasure. He slowly started pumping his hips against hers, stroking his cock inside of her. Rory moaned at the feeling. He picked up the pace of his thrusts, moving deeper and faster.

The feeling of him was intense. Dylan seemed to find parts of Rory she never knew existed. He was a master at coaxing pleasure from her body, confirming her feelings that they were a perfect match for each other. This was more than attraction. This was fate.

“Dylan,” she moaned. “I want you to mark me. Make me yours forever.”

Dylan looked down into her eyes, and she shivered at the look of desire and love in his emerald depths. “Are you sure you’re ready?”

“I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life.”

“Don’t you want to wait for the wedding night?”

She shook her head and smiled. “No way. You’ve already brought me the best wedding gift in the world. My brother. So why wait? I don’t want to spend another moment not being yours completely.”

Dylan leaned down to kiss her. At the same time their lips met, he thrust himself deeply inside her. She moaned into his mouth, savoring the feeling. He planted kissed down her cheek and her neck until he reached her shoulder.

She readied herself for the bite, closing her eyes and trembling with anticipation. “Do it,” she whispered.

Dylan’s teeth sunk into Rory’s skin. There was some pain, but not as much as she’d expected. Her shoulder felt tingly and warm, kind of the way the rest of her body was feeling but a little different.

She could feel something change between her and Dylan, like they were connected not just physically but spiritually. She could feel him inside her mind, almost like a sixth sense had been awoken inside her.

It was like a vague impression of his emotions and feelings. She could feel the love he felt for her, along with the desire and arousal coursing through his body. It was like his pleasure gave her pleasure now, spiraling together to make her feel the most intense thrill of her entire life.

“Oh my god,” she breathed. “Do you feel that?”

She could tell by the look on his face that he did. “Yes. I had no idea it would be like this.”

“It’s incredible,” she said. “I’ve never felt so…”

“Connected,” Dylan said, finishing the thought.

She nodded. “Exactly.” An impish grin spread across her face. “Well now that we’re so connected, let’s see what making love is like now.”

Dylan grinned back at her and plunged into her depths. The feeling was almost too intense to handle now. Rory threw her head back and moaned wildly.

Dylan leaned down and took her nipple in his mouth while he thrust inside her. Then he planted kisses all over her chest, neck, and lips. Rory felt drunk with pleasure.

He pumped his hips, sliding in and out of her with a steady, maddening rhythm. She moaned as he increased his pace, plunging himself into her deeper and deeper.

Waves of ecstasy washed over her, consuming her with pleasure until she thought she might break into a million little pieces.

“Come for me, Rory,” Dylan whispered.

It was all the urging she needed. A tidal wave of pleasure rolled over her, sweeping her away with its fury. She felt her whole body tense up and shake. His body froze over hers as his cock spasmed inside her, filling Rory with his fertile seed.

Time seemed to stop as they came together. Nothing else in the world seemed to exist but the two of them in that room, connected in a way that could never be broken.

Epilogue

Rory stood outside of Dylan’s house, although now it was technically her house, too. It had been five months since Rory and Dylan had been reunited and became mates. Life had seemed like a blissful dream since then.

They’d been married almost four months now, even though the wedding just felt like a formality after Dylan had marked her as his. Still, it had been a lovely affair.

Now that Hunter was back, Rory didn’t have to take on the responsibility of leading her clan. She was free to move in with Dylan at his family’s old home. Dylan had taken some time off from his duties as Peacekeeper. He wasn’t sure if he was done with that life altogether, but he was sure he needed to make up for lost time with Rory.

His days were spent clearing dead trees from the clearing around the house and his nights were spent in bed with Rory. At the moment, Dylan was planting a row of saplings in the bare earth. Now that the dead trees had been cleared away, it was time to bring some life back into this part of the valley.

It would take some time before these trees grew into anything resembling the former forest around the house, but it already felt more serene, even with just the little splashes of green the saplings provided.