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  Caleb took a deep breath, holding back his questions as he tightened his arms and rocked her side to side. She was experiencing abandonment, a common affliction amongst weres who had been living in a pack or clan and then kicked out. Most bears who were raised in a clan were not loners by nature, and being forced to live without the protection or help from the clan community was extremely hard on them.

  The only way Caleb himself had survived it was by starting the Silver Grove Fire Station. And even so, he still missed the Blackwater clan fiercely, though he knew it was corrupted and no longer the same clan that he’d grown up in.

  “Shh.” He pressed a kiss into her hair. “It’ll be alright. Do you want to sleep with me tonight?”

  Sonya nodded against his chest. Caleb scooped her up into his arms and carried her to the bed. He laid her down gently then had to pry her hands off his arms long enough to close the bedroom door, reassuring her over and over that he’d be back. Once he’d secured it, double-checking the windows for good measure as well, he slid into bed beside her and pulled her back flush against his chest, spooning her.

  “You’re safe,” he murmured into her ear, trying to soothe her by stroking his hand up and down her side. His hand traveled the dips and valleys of her body, and he did his best to try not to get distracted by her curves. It wasn’t exactly difficult; she was shaking like a leaf again, not a trace of arousal scenting the air around her. “I’m not going to let anyone hurt you.”

  “I just want him to leave me alone,” Sonya whispered. “Why won’t he leave me alone?”

  He continued stroking her until she finally fell asleep, then buried his nose into the crook of her neck and did the same.

  Sonya woke, still snug in the cradle of Caleb’s arms. The digital readout of the alarm clock by the bed told her it was only 3am, and that she should close her eyes and go back to sleep.

  Instead, she looked down at the broad forearm slung across her abdomen, cradling her tightly against Caleb’s rock-hard chest. The hairs covering his torso teased her spine, and she could feel the grooves of his six-pack outlined against her lower back. One of his muscular legs was tossed over her leg, the other one wedged snugly between them.

  Well, he certainly didn’t have any trouble making himself right at home.

  Sonya snorted at the absurdity of that thought. Of course he was making himself at home—he was home, and she was an intruder in his bed. She couldn’t fault him for wrapping himself around her while he slept. Unfortunately, her snort seemed to attract his attention; he huffed out a disgruntled breath and pulled her closer, tightening his hold on her.

  Something hard and insistent pressed against her bottom then and she jumped, startled. Her panties were the only thing separating his cock from her bare flesh; it was poking straight through the opening of his boxers. Seconds went by as she waited with bated breath to see what he would do, but she soon realized he was still asleep. His breathing was light and steady.

  She remembered reading somewhere that men got erections multiple times during the night while they slept and guessed this was just the first time she’d ever witnessed it in action. Closing her eyes, Sonya tried to go back to sleep, but his cock had settled right on top of the crack between her cheeks, and she couldn’t stop thinking about it.

  I wonder what he’d feel like in my hand?

  Before she had time to think better of it, she reached back with her right hand and closed her fingers around his shaft. Caleb’s response was instant. He groaned and pulled her more firmly against him, his fingers sliding down toward her crotch. Sonya’s breathing quickened; she could smell his arousal now, rich and pungent and earthy. She started moving her hand up and down, keeping the motion slow as she explored the texture of his cock with her fingers.

  “Is it time to get up already?” Caleb murmured in her ear, his voice heavy with sleep.

  Sonya chuckled a little, starting to withdraw her fingers. “No, it’s still early. You can go back to sleep.”

  “Don’t you dare stop,” he growled, grabbing her hand. He wrapped her fingers around his shaft again. Sonya hesitated, wondering if this was really wise, but then Caleb’s hand slid down between her legs, his long fingers pressing against her cleft. She gasped, pleasure sweeping her misgivings away, and involuntarily tightened her grip on his throbbing cock.

  Caleb responded with another groan that made her even hotter. She could feel her panties growing moist beneath Caleb’s fingers, and she pushed her hips more firmly into him. It had been so long since she last had a man; she hadn’t dared sleep with one since Damien had caught and punished her the last time she’d tried to flee him. He’d made it very clear she was his and no one else’s.

  Caleb’s other hand slid beneath her tank top to toy with her breast, and the throbbing between her legs increased. Her thoughts of Damien began to dissolve; it was hard to think of anyone else with Caleb’s hands all over her. Why couldn’t she take this moment now so that she would have good memories to hold on to later? If she was going to have to suffer as Damien’s mate for the rest of her life, she at least wanted to have good sex one last time before she went to him.

  “Turn around,” he growled, his breath teasing the shell of her ear. “I want to kiss you.”

  She let go of his cock and turned in his arms. Placing her hands on his shoulders, she gazed into his cornflower-blue eyes, darker now that it was night. He reached up to run the pad of his thumb across her lower lip, parting her lips slightly. She tasted a hint of herself on his thumb and flicked her tongue across the digit, watching in delight as his eyes darkened with lust.

  He kissed her then, gentle at first, just brushes of his lips against hers, then teasing with his tongue. She flicked her tongue out again in response, and then suddenly her mouth was wide open and their tongues were dancing, a glorious battle of the sexes. With a growl of her own, she pushed him onto his back so she could straddle his hips.

  “Wait.” His hands were on her shoulders, pushing her back. “Let me look at you.”

  The gentle tone in his voice took off the edge on her impatience, and she sat back, studying him as well. Her night vision as a bear was good, and the moonlight streaming through the blinds illuminated him nicely, dancing off the hard plane of his jaw and skittering down the ridges and valleys of muscle. His abs were covered by a trail of dark hair that disappeared beneath the waistband of his boxers, which were starting to annoy her. She tugged them down, and her eyes widened as his shaft sprung free.

  “Wow.” She reached out, trailing a finger down a vein that ran the length of his cock. It twitched in response, making her smile. “You’re bigger than I thought.”

  Caleb grinned. “Words that every man wants to hear.” He sat up then, settling his big hands on her waist and pulling her toward his mouth. Sonya shivered as he bit down gently on her hip then pulled her panties off using his teeth. Tossing the scrap of black cotton to the side, he pushed her legs open and began licking and sucking her pussy.

  “Oh God,” Sonya moaned, her hands grabbing for Caleb. She rested one hand on his shoulder, the other on his head, her fingers twining through his silky dark hair. His tongue was doing indescribable things, sending spirals of pleasure through her. Before she knew what she was doing, she started bucking against his mouth, incoherent cries spilling from her lips as she tried to tell him to keep going, to move his tongue faster, to suck harder. Somehow he understood and did all these things, one hand on her hip while his other hand clamped around her ass cheek, squeezing rhythmically.

  “Yes!” The buildup of pleasure suddenly crested and she came, shuddering against his mouth as she moaned. She felt Caleb’s arms tighten around her, one hand caressing her lower back even as he continued to lick and tease.

  Finished, she let out a satisfied sigh and looked down. He raised his head with a grin, and Sonya shivered at the glint in his eye.

  “It’s my turn now.”

  Caleb licked his lips, the taste of Sonya’s pussy still fr
esh on his tongue as he stared up at her. She was every bit as gorgeous as he remembered; all lean muscle and delicious curves, with a round ass and hips to die for—just as a were-bear should be. Her breasts were still covered by the tank top, but they’d felt good in his hands when he’d held them earlier, her taut nipple teasing his palm.

  “Take off your shirt,” he ordered.

  She smiled, white teeth gleaming in the dark, and he thought he caught a glimpse of fang. The bear often liked to come out to play during sex—he felt his own fangs start to elongate a bit as he watched her slowly pull the black tank over her head. Her breasts bounced free, beautifully rounded globes with puckered nipples that practically begged for his lips.

  “You’re so beautiful,” he breathed, reaching up to caress the undersides of her breasts. She bit down on her lower lip, eyes at half-mast, and he wondered how anyone could be so goddamn sexy. Leaning back against the pillows, he pulled her to him and took one of her nipples into his mouth, rolling it against the tip of his tongue. She moaned again in response, and his cock hardened even more; he couldn’t get enough of that husky, sexy sound she made when he was pleasuring her.

  He continued playing with her nipples until he couldn’t take it anymore and flipped her onto her back. “Are you ready?” he asked, fingering her dripping folds with one hand as he spread her legs with the other. He dipped them into his mouth to taste her again. If she wasn’t ready now, she never would be.

  “Yes,” Sonya moaned. “Please.”

  Those words were the sweetest music he’d ever heard. He pushed her knees closer to her chest then plunged into her, burying himself to the hilt. Her pussy clamped down on him, so wet and tight and amazing it was a wonder he didn’t come right then, and he had to stop and steady himself for a moment.

  “Are you okay?” She stroked his face, concern in her dark eyes.

  “Fine.” He smiled. “Just getting used to you.”

  “Getting used to me?” she frowned.

  Caleb nodded, rubbing his nose against hers. “I’ve never been inside someone who felt so good before.”

  He covered her mouth with his again and began rocking his hips against hers, pushing his cock slowly in and out of her. Her knees tightened against his hips, and he groaned as her fingers dug into his ass, kneading his cheeks as he had done to her before. It had been over a year since he’d last had a were-bear; there were very few of them at the Silver Grove Fire Station, and as the Captain he’d thought it unwise to get involved with them, so he hadn’t slept with any.

  If and when the Silver Grove Fire Station became a pack, he’d have to take one of them as a mate, but in the meanwhile he’d contented himself with the occasional one-night stand with the village women. He’d had some pretty good sex, but still…none of them compared to what it felt like to be inside Sonya right now.

  Caleb broke the kiss, pulling back a little so he could look at Sonya. Even in the moonlight, her hair glowed like fire across the pillow. Her eyes gleamed and her lips were swollen from his kisses. If he was an artist, he would want to paint her like this.

  “I wish I had a camera.”

  Sonya scowled at him. “Why?”

  “So I can capture you in all your vixen goddess glory.”

  She laughed, running a hand down his chest, past his navel, and to the juncture of his thighs. She placed two fingers on either side of his cock, presumably so she could feel him thrusting in and out of her. The sensation of his cock sliding against her fingers made him shudder, and she smiled.

  “Come for me,” she whispered.

  “You first,” he growled, reaching down and placing her hand a little higher on her pussy. Following his lead, she began rubbing two of her fingers in slow circles against her clit as he continued fucking her. He picked up the pace and she began rubbing faster, her breath coming in short gasps. Soon she was moaning and shuddering, her pussy clamping around him as she came.

  The sight and sensation was enough to finally push Caleb over the edge. He groaned, burying his face into her neck as he released himself into her, his entire body shuddering.

  Chapter Seven

  Sonya woke to the smell of fresh orange juice and frying bacon. She rolled over to find the bed empty; Caleb was obviously downstairs. Grabbing one of his t-shirts from the floor, she put it on and padded out into the hallway, intending to go downstairs and see exactly what he was cooking up.

  Smiling at the idea of Caleb cooking breakfast in nothing but his boxers, she nearly missed the second voice until she was at the top of the stairs. Pausing, she realized it was a male voice, her nose already identifying him as another were-bear.

  “… thought we were never gonna hear from you again, Cay,” the bear was saying, a hint of annoyance in his voice. “We were calling all day.”

  “I answered a few times,” Caleb said mildly, and she heard the crackle of oil that told her he’d thrown more bacon into the frying pan. “I’ve had my hands a bit full over here.”

  “I understand you wanting to go and play rescue and all that,” the other bear said, but Sonya could tell by the tone in his voice that he didn’t really, “but couldn’t you have left it to someone else? Surely this were-bear of yours has a clan of her own that can take care of her.”

  “Not as far as she’s told me.” Caleb’s tone sharpened. “And from what I’ve been able to gather, Damien seems to be after her for some reason. I haven’t found out why yet, but as far as I’m concerned, any enemy of my enemy is a friend. I’m going to help her, and maybe I’ll also be able to find out something that’ll help us get rid of Damien Blackthorn forever.”

  Sonya placed a hand against her mouth to stop herself from gasping; the two bears downstairs would hear and know that she’d been eavesdropping. Caleb was only trying to help her because he thought she was an enemy of Damien? And he wanted to use her to try and destroy him?

  Her ears buzzing, she backed away from the stairwell and returned to the safety of her room. She certainly couldn’t go downstairs like this, disheveled from a night of passionate sex and wearing one of Caleb’s shirts. A cacophony of thoughts swarmed in her brain as she tried to process what she’d just learned, but she was having trouble trying to think past the feeling of betrayal in her heart.

  What did you expect? her inner voice snapped at her as she tugged on clean underwear. Did you really think he was just helping you out of a completely selfless desire? At least he’s not threatening or coercing you into doing anything for him.

  Sonya sighed. It was true that Damien was her enemy. She’d been trying to escape him for years and would have killed him a long time ago if she’d been able to. But the fact was that he was too powerful for her to take on… and likely too powerful for Caleb as well or he would have done it already.

  Finished dressing, she grabbed one of the larger shopping bags from their trip that she’d stowed away in the closet and began packing up her things. She’d have to send Caleb money to reimburse him for the clothes and toiletries. Where she was going to get that money from, she had no clue. If Damien found out that another were-bear had bought her clothes and supplies, he would be livid. There was no telling what Damien might try to do if he found out that Caleb had been helping her, and she couldn’t repay Caleb’s hospitality by getting him killed.

  No, she would have to try to scrape some money together over the next few days and give it to Caleb before she went to Damien.

  Rick lifted his head at the sound of floorboards creaking from upstairs. “Is that your were-bear?” He popped the piece of bacon he was holding into his mouth and bit down with a satisfying crunch.

  “I hope so,” Caleb said, flipping the last of the pancakes from the griddle onto a platter. “I didn’t let anyone else into the house last night.”

  Rick rolled his eyes and grabbed another piece of bacon. Caleb pushed the plate out of reach; if Rick kept going, there’d be none left for Sonya. The footsteps got closer, and he looked up to see her coming down the stairs again.
This time, her toned legs were covered by a pair of jeans, and she wore a simple t-shirt beneath a black jacket. It was nowhere near as sexy as the outfit she’d come down in last night…and yet she still sexy.

  At least until he saw the load of plastic bags clutched in her left hand, stuffed to the brim with clothing. That doused the fire in his loins like a bucket of ice water from the Arctic.

  “Hey, Sonya,” he said casually as she reached the bottom step. He placed a plate heaped with eggs, bacon, and pancakes on the bar. “Want some breakfast?”

  Her eyes shifted toward him, then Rick, and he didn’t miss the guilty flicker in her eyes. “Sure, I’d love to.” She dropped the bags by the staircase and hopped up onto a bar stool. “Who’s your friend there?”

  “I’m Rick Hammontree.” Rick extended a meaty hand, and she took it with a smile. “You clean up pretty well after a fire.”

  Her smile dimmed, and Caleb wanted to kick Rick. “Thanks, I guess.” She dug into her food with gusto. “I’d love to chat, but I’m in a bit of a hurry.”

  “A hurry?” Caleb raised an eyebrow. “Got an appointment somewhere?”

  Sonya shook her head. “Just work. My shift starts in half an hour.”

  “You’re planning on going to work today?” Caleb asked. Was she out of her mind?

  “I didn’t contact my boss to call in sick.” Sonya kept her eyes trained on her plate. “Plus, there’s nothing wrong with me. I need to be there.”

  “Now that’s just fool talk, honey.” Rick pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and handed it to her. “Call your boss and tell him you need the day off. He’ll understand. Having your house burn down is a lot to deal with.”

  Sonya waved the phone away, lines of tension bracketing her mouth. “No, please. I need to go in today.”

  “And bring your entire wardrobe with you?” Caleb asked. He felt bad for putting her on the spot when her body language was clearly pleading for him to drop it, but she was hiding something from him, and he needed to know what.