RaleighPointRescueSue (18 page)

One of the bears strode over to where the guys had been
flung like discarded toys. The bear crouched and rippled, and Zack stood
grinning.

Hot panting breath scalded her neck, and she whipped her
head around. Lisa’s world narrowed once more. Everything grew quiet. It seemed
like the birds in the trees overhead were even holding their breath. A huge
head and a pair of brilliant blue eyes were calmly staring at her. Large arms,
ever so gently, lifted her up, and cradled her. A soft muzzle pushed gently
into her chest, and mild rumbling noises vibrated through her. She watched skin
ripple, muscles contract, and hair vanish in wonder, all the time she was held,
and hot breath bathed her face.

“Mac.”
Lisa smiled and breathed in
honey.

Chapter Eighteen

Mac had clearly demonstrated to everyone, including Daniel,
that he had no intention of surrendering Lisa to anyone, not for a long time,
if ever. She would have been thrilled before she had spoken to Brett. Now, she
was just numb. She told Mac she was tired and managed to avoid Riley, although
that was easy. Mac had refused to put her down.

They had to suffer through an F.B.I. debriefing. Lisa had
been discovered gone within seconds of her following Brett. Zack had just arrived
home and had seen the black SUV. It had only taken moments for them to pile
into a car to give chase. Mac got Daniel on the phone, and he’d pleaded with
them to just follow until the F.B.I. could get there. They hadn’t known whether
anyone had guns, and stopping the car would have put Lisa in even more danger.
They’d been in the car that had overtaken them when Lisa had managed to get
Brett to pull over.

Lisa had felt sorry in the end for Brett. He’d risked
everything for his chance to belong to a wolf pack. Apparently Angie hadn’t
been as happy to live at Raleigh Point as everyone had thought, and when
Killian’s attempt had been prevented, it had given him the idea. It looked like
Miranda had been on the payroll for a while and explained why the team always
seemed one step behind.

“So, that’s it then, Daniel?” Mac had wanted definite
assurances.

Lisa caught the slight hesitation from Daniel before he had
admitted that apart from Brett’s testimony, they didn’t have any actual
evidence yet to associate the Alpha from the pack in Erie with anything other
than responding to Brett. Lisa was safe, though. Mac’s arms tightened around
her at that.

When they were done, Mac had carefully laid her down in the
bedroom and kissed her softly. He kept giving her puzzled looks, but she told
him she was tired and had asked him to get her some water. The glass was on the
nightstand. She pretended to be asleep when he brought it back. She wasn’t sure
if she could have faced him then. She wasn’t sure she could face him now. Lisa
sat in her bedroom back at Raleigh Point, alone.

She had been given another chance at living her life. For
that she would always be grateful, but she couldn’t stay, not when she knew if
he had any other choice, he wouldn’t be interested in her.

Maybe Daniel would help her? Cassie had told her she had up
to six months before she had to worry about going into heat again and maybe by
that time she could find someone else, someone safe and kind. Not someone with
clear blue eyes you could drown in and definitely not a bear. If she ever
smelled honey again, she thought she would be sick.

“Lisa?”

She jumped. She’d been so lost in her
thoughts,
she hadn’t heard the door open. She tried to fix a blank look on her face as
Mac walked in. “How are you feeling, honey?”

Don’t call me that.
Lisa
shrank back as his hand came out to touch her.

Mac pulled his hand back and looked puzzled. “Are you
feeling okay? You must be hungry. Riley was
gonna
have a look at you. I wanted to make sure you were awake.” He laughed. “I’m not
sure I’m ready for even Riley to touch you yet.”

Lisa closed her eyes and felt another little piece of her
heart break off.

“Lisa? Maybe I should get Riley up here?” Mac put his arm
around her and pulled her close. “Talk to me, baby.”

She couldn’t help it. A strangled sob pushed its way out,
and she jumped up. He couldn’t touch her. She couldn’t do this if he touched
her.

“Lisa?” Mac sounded worried now.

She took a steadying breath and willed her voice to sound
normal. “Would you call Daniel for me, please? I need to go.”

Mac shot up. “Go? Go? What the hell?” His arms came around her,
and she shrugged them off.

“Don’t touch me.” Her body nearly vibrated with the need to
be held by him. She couldn’t hold out if he didn’t let go. Silence descended.
Lisa closed her eyes in desperation and took steadying breaths. Mac said not
one word. He clearly was working through this mating compulsion and was
probably incredibly relieved that he wasn’t going to be saddled with her.

“Lisa, what’s wrong?”

Lisa sighed. “It’s all right, Mac. I know. Brett explained
it.”

“Brett? What the hell? What did he say?” Mac pulled her
close forcibly. “Why would you believe anything he said? He was mad. I don’t know,
obsessed.”

“Because it’s the only thing that makes
sense.”
Lisa nearly shouted the words.
And it was.
She screwed her eyes shut as if not being able to see
him would make the pain any less. She was
a nobody
.
She’d spent half her life locked up, doing nothing, being nothing. This guy
practically went out with models for God’s sake. Lisa pulled at her sweater.
She didn’t even own her own clothes.

“What makes sense, honey?”

She shivered and opened her eyes as that calm voice vibrated
through her. She glanced at him. Warm blue eyes were fixed on her, as if they
saw right through her.

“Mating compulsion,” she whispered.

“Mating what?”

She could feel heat rise in her face. “It’s what you’re
feeling. It’ll go away.”

Mac’s whole length pressed at her, warming and protecting.
“How long before this feeling of yours goes away?”

“No.” Lisa glanced up confused. “Not my feelings.
Your feelings.”
She could feel his lips lift in a smile
through her hair. He was too close. She tried to step back, but strong arms
enveloped her.

Mac’s voice murmured in her hair.
“Why my
feelings?”

Lisa stammered. She couldn’t think when he was so close.
“B-because you’re a shifter.”

“Lisa.” Two warm fingers hooked her chin and brought her
face up to his. “So are you.”

Lips met lips in urgent, gentle, possessiveness like he
absolutely needed to do this thing right now, but he had all the time in the
world. She pulled her face away. “It’ll pass. You’ll be sorry. When it’s
finished and you realize—”

“Lisa.
So are you.”

A tiny kernel of hope fizzled in her chest.

“Lisa, do you love me?”

No, No!
Anything but that.
She fisted her hands tight and shook
her head. Warm fingers snaked under her chin and tilted her face. “Lisa, open
your eyes.” She blinked away the tears that ran down her face. He brushed them
away carefully with a gentle sweep of his thumb. “Lisa, do you love me?” More
tears ran, and wide arms circled her pulling her close. “You’re not answering
me.”

She couldn’t force words of denial past her throat. Strong
hands smoothed her hair and soft kisses were dropped on her head.

“If you can’t answer me, you ask the question.” He pushed
her away from him slightly and gazed at her face. “Ask me.”

Lisa gazed at him. She saw his eyes shining and marveled at
a glint of tears that dared to cloud those beautiful blue pools. So quietly,
she didn’t think he could hear her, she asked, “Do you? Do you love me?”
Urgently, louder this time.
“Mac, do you love me?”

Lisa waited for hours. Her whole life, while those lips that
tasted so good, pulled unbidden into a dazzling smile that sought out every
corner of her soul.

“I love you more than my life. I love you more than the air
that I breathe. I love you more than I could ever say, and I will show you how
much, every day, for the rest of our lives.”

Lisa jumped at him, heart and body and soul. Mac growled as
she wrapped her legs around him, and she pushed him into the door. Wild hands
and clumsy fingers tore off clothing. “Yes, yes.” Had he asked her a question?

God, he smelled amazing, and something inside her moved once
more. Mac staggered to the bed, holding onto her like a drowning man.
Open-mouthed, hungry, wet kisses pulled at her core and peppered her face. They
mauled each other like wild animals. Clothes torn and flew off in all
directions.

“Mac, need—”

“Yes, God, yes.”
He lay down. “Ride
me. Push your sweet pussy over me and take me.” He groaned. “Take me wherever
you want to go.”

Lisa slammed down on him.
Brief pain was
nothing as incredible fullness wrapped her up.
She lifted slowly, and
then slammed down again, over and over, until he was groaning and trembling as
much as her. Sweat streaked her thighs, and the heady smell of sex wove through
her. With a roar, Mac rose up and forced her down. He flipped her over, and she
screamed as her pussy clenched, frustrated, and empty.

“Soon, baby, soon.”

Lisa stilled as he leaned over the bed and in seconds cold
gel trailed over her buttocks.

God,
yes, yes.
She needed.
Lisa
jerked as a cold finger pushed at her.

“Push out, honey.”

Burning, shaking,
sweating
. Like a
predator, one arm across her shoulders pinned her down and the other used
fingers to tease, open. Something inside her reveled at his speed, wanting,
needed dominance. She struggled. Her wolf struggled.
Howling
inside.
She felt a hot burning as he pushed at her. Sharp pain her wolf
reveled in, then amazing fullness.
So perfect, so right.
Gasping, urging him on.

“Take me.”
Now.
Now.

Mac roared again. “Whose are you? Whose?”

“Yours.”
She screamed as stars
exploded in her body. On and on a vortex of pleasure and pain surrounded her,
dragging her down. She breathed, once, twice, then Mac bent to her neck and
sank his teeth in and pure white heat ripped her apart.

She barely heard his answering shout in the haze, and harsh
breaths dominated the room. He leaned over and pulled her in. “Mate.”

One word, one satisfied, loving word that Lisa felt to her
toes. Now she was branded.

Much later, Lisa stirred in warm arms. Mac smiled against
her bare shoulder and leaped to the bathroom. He returned a moment later with a
warm cloth and a towel.

“Not too sore?”

She hugged herself. She wanted the soreness. It stamped her
as belonging to someone—finally.

“I think we should go for a run.”

Run? She wasn’t sure
she could walk.
“I, Oh—” Lisa smiled her understanding and acknowledged the
urgency unfurling in her. He passed her a robe from the bed. “We’ll go down the
back stairs.” He grinned wickedly at her. “I’m not ready to share you yet.” She
let him help her with the robe and his hands brushed the bite on her neck.
Desire ran through her so suddenly, she gasped.

“Later.” Mac smiled knowingly. “I’ve someone I want to meet
first.”

They padded quietly down the stairs, out through the
backdoor, past the empty basketball hoops and toward the trees.

He pulled her in close. “So, no more doubts?”

Lisa shook her head shyly.

“Just so we’re clear.
Absolutely.”

Lisa stilled. Mac’s intensity doubled with his alpha power.

“You are the strongest person I have ever met. I’ve never
faced any challenge like the ones you’ve put up with every day of your life. I
am honored, Alpha Mate.” Mac’s alpha power swirled around her, and she sent her
own out to meet it.
Gloriously.
Perfect. He tugged her
closer.

“What do I do? Does it hurt?” Lisa was shaking.
Nerves or something else?

Mac pulled her robe down. “You don’t need to do anything,
someone wants to say hello, just relax.” She took two calming breaths and her
body crouched as if she needed to be nearer the ground. Heat and awareness
flooded her. Dust motes danced in the air, and the grass smelled so sweet. She
wanted to roll. Mac bent down to his gorgeous gold-brown mate.

“You’re beautiful.” He breathed, and she felt the delicious
sensation of a smooth hand running through her fur. In seconds, a huge brown
bear stood beside her. He bent one massive head and nodded to the woods. Her
heart leaped, and her body shook. She took off following him.

She would follow him anywhere.

*The End*

About the Author

Has loved books for as long as she can remember.
Books were always what pocket money went on and what
usually Father Christmas brought. When she ran out of her kids’ adventure
stories, she would go raid her Mom’s. By the age of eight she was devouring
classics like Little Women, and fell in love with love stories.

She’s still in love with them. Any size, any shape, any
creature – love is love, no matter what it says on the box. In fact if her
heroes and heroines don’t always fit neatly into a box, she loves them even
more.

Her latest adventure was relocating her husband and three
children from England to Florida, and finally after reading all those love
stories for so long, she decided to write her own.

Website:
    
www.victoriasue.com

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