VEX: Valley Enforcers, #1 (10 page)

Neither of us were speaking any understandable language. Vex’s rumbling grunts were more akin to a troglodyte than a human, and a nonstop stream of throaty moans and botched requests came from my mouth. He seemed to understand me well enough. The hands that were kneading my ass slid up to my waist. Despite his rough caveman actions and noises, he grabbed my hips softly and lifted me, as if he were afraid I’d disappear into the hot spring air.

“I need you.” He held me above his erect cock as he waited for permission. We didn’t have condoms and I hadn’t bothered replacing my birth control when it ran out months ago, but I didn’t care.
Need
was an understatement at that point.

“You have me.”

The words barely left my lips. Vex impaled me on his shaft. He let out a guttural grunt that matched the shaky moan vibrating from my chest. The toy I had been using was no comparison to his thick member. He twitched inside of me, reminding me that he was alive and not a figment of my imagination. My eyes rolled slightly as my body stretched to accommodate him. His fingers momentarily tightened, digging into my skin, as he let out a steadying breath. Our pubic bones touched. However cliché, it was like we were two puzzle pieces. Vex was made for me, and I was made for him. I had no doubt in my mind. My brain felt like it was going to explode as the epiphany hit me.

Vex’s jaw was slack and his eyes were closed. I felt his cock flex inside of me as if it were yelling at the man it was attached to. Neither of seemed capable of moving, but our bodies blazed with a budding connection that could only be described as magic.

I rocked my hips, and it seemed to jolt him back to life. Seconds had passed, but it felt like an eternity. A hand left my hip and snaked up the front of my body, dipping between the valley between my breasts, before caressing my face. His fingers were damp with sweat and sex, and the pungent aroma wafted up and circled us. I was shocked by the intimacy of the act, which otherwise was primal. He tilted my head towards him, and when our eyes connected, I saw a ghosting  shadow of a bear reflected in the pools.

“Mine.”

And then he moved. The moment was gone, but forever tattooed on my heart. His hips flexed once, twice, and then a third time as his hands circled back to my waist. When he had his grip, I felt my body jump in the air. He thrust into me with a force I didn’t know existed. The expression on his face was half amazement, half desire. I bucked against him, matching his strokes with movements of my own.

My words slurred like I’d downed a bottle of whiskey. “
Yes, yes, yes!
” It was the only word I was capable of saying. I gave up speaking all together and resorted to squealing moans as he pulled out nearly to the tip before slamming our bodies back together.

His strokes were long and punishing and fueled by white hot lust. My nails dug into the fabric of the sofa as I leaned forward and rested my head in the crook of his neck. My mind felt like putty, and all I could do was brace myself and enjoy the rest of the ride. Strands of hair clung to his neck, but I suckled the skin with the intent to mark him as my own.

Vex slowed his pace slightly. His hands moved from my hips to my ass. He grasped my cheeks and spread them, keeping hold as he used my fleshy orbs as leverage. My body moved on auto-pilot as I started rocking to ride him. Each time my hips contracted my clit brushed against the tangled pubic hair above his cock.

“So close,” He groaned. His words were close to my ear. “Lift your head, baby. I want to see your face when I come. I’ve dreamed about it for far too long.”

I kissed his neck softly before pulling back just enough to give him a view of my face. My hands traveled from the back of the couch to either side of his face. I held him there, wishing I could trap us in the moment forever. He looked at me like he owned me, and in that moment, I was willing to give him my soul.

His cock swelled inside of me. I felt it pulsate, stretching me even more than I already had been. His movements were never anything but precise as he thrust into me with long strokes. His head tilted to the side and his eyes fluttered, and seconds later my name was a rasping moan on his lips as he came. With our bodies connected and his cock buried completely inside of me he coated my walls with a long stream of semen. The sensation of his warmth filling me was nearly enough to make me have another orgasm.

I had never felt the need to cry after sex. Vex fucked me hard and loved me even harder. I swallowed the lump in my throat and captured his mouth for a kiss to keep the tears at bay. I wasn’t prepared for Vex. I wasn’t prepared for the intimacy or the love that he graciously gave to me. I wasn’t ready to hear the words or say them myself, but that didn’t mean they weren’t true. Vex could read me like a book. I knew he was aware of my feelings for him.

His fingers caressed my skin in a soothing motion. “Come home with me tonight.”

I buried my face deeper into his neck. “Did your meeting go okay? Am I… allowed?”

“I have permission. I’d take you even if I didn’t.”

I smiled into his skin. His place was a far better option than Big Betty. It had air conditioning, electricity, running water, and a bed that came straight from the heavens. And him, of course. I pressed a rapid stream of kisses to his neck, causing him to shiver beneath me. When I rolled my head away and looked up at him he looked at me like he was going to throw me down and give me round two. I was momentarily sated, but I knew I’d never tire of his body or the way he looked at me like I was the most beautiful woman in the world.

“Well, then, let’s go. I’m ready for a shower and something other than granola.”

“And here I thought you wanted to spend time with me…” He clucked his tongue against his teeth, a smirk on his face the entire time. “I really don’t have the energy to move, but I think our skin might melt together if we stay like this any longer.”

I wanted to tell him I could spend every day with him for the rest of my life and then some and never grow tired of his presence, but I wasn’t ready to cut my chest open and hand him my heart.
Too late; he already has it
.

Acacia

I dried my hair with a towel as I walked out of the bedroom and towards the kitchen in the center of the house. Vex was stirring something on the stove. He pushed me in the direction of his bathroom as soon as we walked through the door and told me he’d find something to cook while I washed up. Though he didn’t shower with me, he changed out of his clothes and was wearing a black shirt with a logo on the back for ‘Wood Brothers Construction’ and a pair of athletic shorts.

He looked over at me. “I didn’t feel like cooking a whole meal this late, and I wasn’t sure if you’d be okay with Hot Pockets and frozen pizza. I hope grilled cheese and tomato soup is okay with you.”

“Sounds perfect.” I leaned against the refrigerator. “I can finish cooking if you want to shower.”

“That would be great, actually.”

He brushed a kiss against my forehead and disappeared around the small lip that separated the master suite from the rest of the house. He had already laid out the supplies for the sandwiches and it didn’t take long for me to have them in the pan and grilling. Vex still hadn’t returned from his shower by the time the food was finished, so I plated them and set them on the island before going in search of him.

I pressed my ear to the bedroom door. When I didn’t hear the shower running a nauseating wave of panic sent my heart into overdrive. The horror movie fan inside me told me that something was very, very wrong on the other side of the door. I pushed it open regardless.

Vex stood shirtless with his back towards me. A myriad of new red scars, some scabbed and some still bleeding, marked his bronze skin. It didn’t look like he had gone through a meat grinder, but it was pretty damn close. I gasped, revealing my presence, and rushed over to him.

“What the hell happened to you?!” I shrieked. I attempted to run my hand against his freshly puckered skin, but he twisted and caught my arms in a light hold.

“Calm down, Acacia. It’s fine.”

“You think
that
is fine? Wolverine went to town on your back!”

“I had a bleeding tonight as part of my punishment. Can you help me put this damn ointment on? If it freaks you out I can find a way to do it myself.”

“Only part of your punishment? Because of me?” My voice wavered. I felt disgusted with myself. I had caused the marks on his back. And from the sound of it, that was only the beginning of his torture. “I’m so sorry, Vex. I didn’t mean to get you in trouble.”

He held up a hand. “I’m tired, hungry, and sore. I don’t want to fight with you about this tonight. You didn’t do anything. This rests on my shoulders.” He stretched his arm out and attempted to hand me the unmarked jar of goop that I had used on my side. “Please?”

I nodded and took the herbal salve. I slathered my fingers and cautiously began to paint his back. Though he made no verbal noise, his body tensed and his muscles occasionally seized. I hated that he was so blasé about punishment and mutilation. I knew there were things I didn’t understand about shifters and bear clans – though the things I didn’t understand were completely fascinating – but the aspect of bleedings was something beyond my comprehension. Vex talked about it with a lackadaisical approach that almost made my skin crawl.

When I was finished applying the ointment Vex apologized and attempted to put a shirt on, but the image of his fresh wounds were seared into my brain. My stomach no longer growled with hunger but with guilt and empathy. Regardless of the tumultuous sea of negativity in my stomach, I still ate. The food had gone cold by the time we walked back out into the kitchen. It didn’t matter. We ate in silence and marched back into the bedroom.

It was then that Vex put a shirt on so he didn’t ruin his sheets. Though he was holding me, I still felt like I was dealing with a fragile doll that would shatter if I moved the wrong way.

“I’ll be okay, Acacia. I heal faster than regular people. Remember?” His voice was soft and reassuring. He was the one who looked as if he had been mauled, yet he was comforting me. “Tomorrow I’m going to leave you here and go for my second bleeding –”

“You have more?” I whispered loudly. I turned and looked at him with wide, pleading eyes. “No. Tell your boss that I’ll bleed instead.”

“My
Alpha
would never be okay with that. Shit, Acacia, I’m not okay with that. Fuck no. I’ve gone through worse. He’s banned me from shifting between bleedings, so I won’t be able to heal until my last stripping tomorrow night.”

The tears I fought so hard to keep away started spilling, and I couldn’t get them to stop. “Two more? Vex, you won’t survive two more! I’m so sorry. This is my fault. I should have never come here. I’m so sorry. So, so sorry.”

“Don’t you
ever
say that again, Acacia.” His voice was like jagged rocks slicing away at my soul. “There is still so much I have to tell you, but now isn’t the right time. I swear to you, baby, I would bleed every night if it kept you safe and in my arms. It is a small price to pay to have you. Don’t you know that I’ve waited my whole life for you? This isn’t your fault. Please don’t pull away from me. I promise that I’ll be okay, but right now I just need to feel you next to me.”

How did he always see right through me? He read me like his favorite book. I was ready to curl inside my shell and block the rest of the world out. I was ready to run. I didn’t care about stupid shifters or the truth or anything but my own despair and how much I’d fucked Vex’s life up in less than two weeks. I was a wrecking ball. He didn’t see it yet, but he would. Everyone else did. The gold he saw when he looked at me was nothing but spray painted foil. It would peel away. It always did.

I let him wipe away my tears and hold me, but my soul didn’t settle and sleep never came.

Vex was pale, but that was the only indicator that he had lost enough blood to kill any normal person. We sat outside the large pole structure that housed the office for Wood Brothers Construction, which apparently was the business Vex’s Alpha and Beta (a position he sullenly told me about as we drove into the Valley) owned and operated. The office was only one building on a large plot of land. The back few seemed like they were storage, but there was an addition to the main office that held a modern and elegant sign reading ‘
Designs by Alexis
’.

He left as the sun came up and didn’t return until the red numbers on his alarm read 10:04. I hadn’t moved from the bed. He wasn’t wearing the clothes he left in, and it looked as if he showered. I didn’t dare look at his back. He coaxed me out of the room with the promise of UFO shaped pancakes – which are just regular pancakes, but the thought made me smile.

It was nearly noon by the time we made it to the Valley. We stopped at the body shop. We left a note and the keys in an envelope taped to the side of Big Betty before we rode off into the metaphorical sunset. Luckily a Bigfoot bandit didn’t have its way with her in my absence, and she was sitting in the lot behind the shop. They couldn’t work on it until the parts came in, but I was happy she wouldn’t be stuck on the side of the road.

I didn’t know what to expect at the ‘meeting’ I was supposed to have with Vex’s Alpha, but as we walked towards the door of the office I couldn’t help but feel like we were Rebels trying to infiltrate the Death Star.

“You must be Acacia.” I lifted my gaze from the floor and spotted a woman with beachy brown waves – though we were nowhere close to an ocean – and an incredibly chic outfit that looked like it belonged on someone’s Pinterest board. She was classically beautiful, and the smile she wore appeared genuine. She stuck out her hand. “I’m Alexis. I’m the Protector of the Stoneclaw Clan and the mate to the Beta.”

“Hi. Uh, nice to meet you… I think.”

I hadn’t known the name of Vex’s clan until that moment. Stoneclaw. She tossed around words that didn’t make sense to me with ease and familiarity. Mate? Protector?

Her lips thinned slightly and she gave a tiny nod. “Dean and Deacon were conferencing with Max, but I’ll let them know you’re here and we can talk.” She went to turn, but her heel pivoted back and she looked at Vex dolefully. “I hope you feel better soon.”

I wanted to hate her. Girls that looked like her were never nice to girls that looked like me. I hadn’t been bullied mercilessly in high school, but I received my fair share of snide comments and encounters with mean girls out for blood. Alexis looked like she could be a cold, hard bitch. But she spoke with sincerity to Vex when I expected to walk into hostile territory.

It felt like an eternity before she returned. “Okay. We’re ready for you two.”

              We walked down a wide hallway and into the only room with the door open. It was a fairly large conference room, but the size of the men in seemed like a shoebox. I had to hold back my immediate response of the two men who were standing at the head of the table. They looked similar, yet completely different at the same time. The larger of the two had dark cropped hair and a well-manicured beard. His gaze was intimidating, and though I wanted to stick my tail between my legs, I squared my shoulders. To his right was his near mirror image – without the beard or scary eyes. His muscles were less defined and his hair a little shaggier, but there was no denying the two were twins. They dressed plainly. The bigger wore a red and grey Henley with a pair of crisp jeans; the other wore a crisp white tee under a casual denim button down short sleeve shirt and a pair of dark pants.

“Vex. Sit, please.” The bigger, brutish one said in a demanding tone. “You must be Acacia. I’m Deacon Wood, the Alpha of the Stoneclaw Clan. This is my brother, Dean, who is the Beta. And you met his wife, Alexis, our Protector. Sit, please. We have some things we need to discuss.”

I gravitated towards Vex, seeking out the comfort of his nearness. Once everyone was seated there was an uncomfortable silence.

Dean tapped his fingers on the oak table. “What were your intentions when you decided to come to Brown Bear Valley?”

Before we walked in Vex told me to be completely honest but I still found myself hesitating before answering. “To prove that there were people that existed who turned into bears. I don’t know what Vex has told you about me but I had an encounter when I was younger. A shifter saved me and my father from two mountain lions. I’ve been trying to find proof for years, but there isn’t a whole lot of information out there.”

“Prove to whom?”

“At the time, everyone.” I looked at Vex out of the corner of my eye. “Now… just myself. I didn’t want anyone to get hurt.”

Deacon spoke up. “There isn’t information circulating because the existence of shifters is heavily guarded. There are special teams who get rid of people who stick their noses where they don’t belong. Do you understand that?” He didn’t even wait for me to respond before he continued. “Those same teams also take out inside threats, like shifters who go around telling humans about our existence and history. Not only did you put yourself at risk, but you put my entire clan and Vex’s life in danger.”

In those early days Vex had tried to get me to stop asking questions. He tried to get me to leave. My stomach ached with regret. I didn’t care if they killed me, but I wasn’t going to let Vex be slaughtered for my mistakes.

“That was never my intention. I didn’t think –”

He interrupted me. “That’s the problem. Are you aware, Acacia, that there were cameras found on my territory? Do you have any knowledge of that?”

“I know what Vex told me. That’s it. You have to believe me when I say that I have nothing to do with those cameras. I’m not a journalist. I didn’t come here for a story. I came here because after spending years being told I was wrong, I just wanted to feel right.” I dropped my voice and forced myself not to stare at my hands. “To be honest, I was starting to believe everyone when they told me I was crazy. I didn’t expect to find anything when I came here. I was just following a story I read about a man turning into a bear on the side of the road. I never thought I’d find the truth.”

“And now that you have your truth?” Dean questioned.

“I go on with my life just as I did before. Same shit, different day… right?” I joked meagerly. My tone turned grim. “Don’t hurt Vex any more. Please. Send your troops after me, but leave him alone.”

“It doesn’t work like that, Acacia.” Vex spoke up for the first time since the meeting started. His somber voice was haunting. “I broke the rules. You didn’t. I told you, you can’t sacrifice yourself for me. You won’t live through it.”