Bearly Mated (BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance) Read online

  “What language was that?” Daniel teased.

  Patrick flipped him off. “I said, she called me a terrible lover.”

  To Patrick it seemed like the entire bar went quiet. The music from the jukebox played on. There were a few shifters present, along with the humans. He should have known better. Daniel threw his head back and laughed hard. He slapped Patrick’s back.

  “That’s a good joke.”

  The chatter around them resumed, or maybe it had never stopped, and it was all in Patrick’s tormented head. He saw in Daniel’s gaze, blocked from everyone else’s view, that Daniel knew he hadn’t been joking. The fact that Patrick had had this conversation in public was a testament to his confusion over how things had turned out with Lizzie. He still craved her, having the hard-on from hell to prove it, but he had to admit if only to himself she’d bruised his ego with what she’d said. She had pissed him off, and he had wanted nothing more than to get away from her. When he pushed the anger aside, he had discovered guilt. Never in a million years did he want to hurt Lizzie, but he did, and he couldn’t take it back. He had waited years for her, and now he had screwed it up.

  “Go back,” Daniel said simply. “Make it right. That’s the only way.”

  Patrick had to agree. He left his brother and walked through the bar. Several pairs of eyes were trained on him, but he ignored them all. Within a few feet of the door, he stopped and backpedaled a couple paces. The door burst open, and Annie stood in the opening, breathing hard.

  “Patrick, I didn’t expect to see you here.” Her voice was deep and sultry, as usual, and when she moved it was with liquid grace. Wearing tight white pants that snuggled against her slender form, she pouted up at him and laid hands on his chest. He removed them and dropped them to her sides. “I thought you had gone with that human, but you came to your senses?”

  He gritted his teeth. “She’s my mate, Annie, and you know it.”

  Annie circled him, moving slowly. She didn’t make the mistake of touching him again, but her proximity might as well have been a caress. “I don’t sense it. You’re not taken.”

  “I am,” he insisted. “Back off, Annie. You knew from the beginning we weren’t going to mate. We’re both born shifter.”

  “There’s no law against it.”

  “As I said, it’s too late.”

  She stood in front of him again, frowning. “She can’t handle you. That’s obvious, or you wouldn’t be here.”

  He raised an eyebrow at her.

  “Patrick, you know there’s been unrest among our kind. Choosing her, especially now, it’s not a good idea.”

  “I don’t recall asking for your opinion about how to lead my people.”

  She gasped at his rudeness, but he had had enough of her criticizing Lizzie.

  “Lizzie is my mate. End of discussion.” He glanced around the bar where others murmured. “Is that clear to everyone? Good.”

  As he started forward, Annie stepped aside, sullen and quiet. She probably hadn’t given up, and the fact that he and Lizzie weren’t solid was a problem. He would go back and try harder. Daniel was right. The more times they had sex, the better. Patrick didn’t doubt for a second he could please his woman.

  Chapter Six

  Lizzie sat at the kitchen table eating a bowl of cereal. She’d been alone an entire day, twenty-four hours, and she didn’t have a car to drive herself home. Sure, her cell phone worked, so she could call Emmy to come pick her up, but the embarrassment of it all kept her silent. She was a failure. As morbid as it was, if she had died from the bite, she would at least have saved face. No, she had to have no reaction whatsoever. Nothing. She had even peered in the mirror at the bite mark, hoping to see evidence of it healing fast. That would be a sign that she was turning. Instead, a bumpy scab had formed in the shape of Patrick’s mouth, and the wound still stung.

  Depressed, Lizzie shoveled another bite of corn cereal into her mouth and munched. She glanced down at her frumpy form. Dressed in an oversized T-shirt and droopy sweatpants, she wouldn’t appeal to anyone, least of all Patrick. Maybe she should try sprucing herself up again and adding some makeup.

  “With what?” she grumbled. With Patrick’s mad dash from the council hall, she was okay because she had already tucked her suitcase into the trunk of his car. Too bad the psycho bear had taken the car and her clothes with him when he abandoned her. “What will I do if he never comes back?”

  “I wouldn’t do that.”

  She jumped at the sound of his voice. So deep in thought, she hadn’t heard the car pull up, but Patrick stood in the doorway, looking as sexy as when he left. She on the other hand hadn’t pulled a brush through her hair, and she wore his clothes that were too big and too long for her. She probably looked like a misshapen mushroom.

  “You left me!”

  “I’m sorry.” He tossed the car keys on the table, and she couldn’t help staring at them. Anything to avoid looking at him. His presence filled the small house and made her want to feel his arms around her. She reminded herself what happened the last time.

  “I didn’t die.” She raised her chin in defiance. The fact that she reached mid-chest took some of the fire out of her stance, but she held it anyway. “Not that you would have known.”

  “I would have, Lizzie. I was always aware of you.”

  “Does that mean…?”

  He hesitated. “No. I can smell up to twenty miles away. This whole time I was never more than seven from you. I wouldn’t leave you alone not knowing if you would get into trouble.”

  “T-twenty miles,” she stuttered. “I don’t remember that from the training.”

  He offered her a wry smile. “You’ll learn a lot being with me.”

  “I don’t know.” She focused on her cereal, which had gone soggy, and stirred it just for something to do. “I’m not feeling any different, no new awareness of myself or you. I think it didn’t take.”

  “I can’t bite you again.”

  Her gaze flew to his. “So you’re taking me back home?”

  “Is that what you want?”

  She scowled. “Don’t you put this all on me, Patrick. I wasn’t the only one that messed up.”

  His eyebrows rose. “You did nothing wrong.”

  “Don’t patronize me.”

  He grasped her shoulders and dragged her to him. Lizzie sucked in a breath, bringing with it the scent that was uniquely him. She didn’t need to be a shifter to recognize it. Patrick was in her blood long before he bit her. Although she was nervous, she let him hold her because this might be the last time. His cock was rigid against her belly. At least he still desired her.

  “I can’t bite you again because it’s against the law, not because I don’t want to.”

  She tilted her head back to see his face. “No one will know.”

  “My people will. The council would welcome the excuse to go against my wishes. Besides, the risk to you is greater. I refuse to hurt you again.”

  Lizzie didn’t know if she should kiss him or push him away. Everything pointed to them not being compatible, and she hated the uncertainty. “What if I never change? What if I’m stuck as a human, which isn’t a bad thing. I mean I’m happy with who I am, and—”

  He kissed her, pushing his tongue into her mouth. She met his with hers and ground against him, enjoying his tight cock. Patrick raised his head an inch, but she chased after him, stretching to her toes to nip his bottom lip. He moaned in her mouth.

  “You’re not shy,” he whispered. “I like it. You go after what you want, and when you change, you will be a perfect match for me.”

  She drew away and reached for the band of his jeans. “You think I’m no match for you now? Try me.”

  Patrick’s eyes blazed brighter. “Lizzie, be careful. My control isn’t strong.”

  She lowered his zipper and flattened her palm against the bulge there. “I know, and if I were to take off this T-shirt right now—I’m not wearing a bra by the way—you might not be
able to take it.”

  His teeth clamped together, and she knew in that instant he was picturing her breasts. Wow, she actually had the alpha by the balls so to speak. The power grew her ego a bit.

  “And if I was to spread my legs so you can tell how wet I’m getting with my hand on your cock, that might be dangerous.”

  “Oh, honey,” he moaned, “you don’t need to open your legs for me to know. And I’ve had your sweet come. Nothing tastes better.”

  Her nipples pebbled at his words, standing stark behind the thin material of the shirt. Patrick noticed, and she almost lost hold of his cock as she tried to free it from his boxers. He was more than a handful, but if she didn’t try, she would lose him. Damn, if she wouldn’t give it all she had. This was Patrick, and hell, she could have some nice memories of him wearing out her pussy if nothing else.

  She stooped and dragged his jeans and boxers over lean hips with shaking hands. His cock popped free, and the tip bumped her lips. On instinct, she stuck her tongue out and tasted the salty precome. Patrick fell against the chair nearest to him, and he gripped the back to stay upright. Lizzie blinked in shock when the wood splintered under his hold.

  “Lizzie, Lizzie, Lizzie. Damn it, woman, what you do to me.” He grasped the back of her head in a light but firm hold. “Suck my cock, baby. Do it now. Please.”

  Half command, half plea, she couldn’t deny him. While she looked into his eyes, she tipped her chin higher and opened her mouth to take the head of his cock between her lips. Patrick hissed. She moaned soft and low and gave him the tiniest of sucks. He swore, and she drew away to giggle. Just sucking the alpha’s cock, she had control of him. She bet if she asked him anything right now, he would do it for her.

  With knowledge of her newfound power, Lizzie took the thick head farther into her mouth. She stroked as deep as she could and then let him slide out. His shaft glistened with moisture, and she licked along the sides.

  “Mm, yeah, baby, bite it there.”

  She did and felt him squirm. A little more pressure had his balls rising. The alpha liked pain, she noticed. Lizzie squeezed the base of his cock in both hands and let his cock slide deep into her throat.

  “How can you…” He gasped. “Such a tiny mouth. Damn it, yes, Lizzie. You’re going to make me come.” His hand touched her cheek, and she kept sucking his dick as hard as she could. His pants grew noisy, and she knew he wouldn’t hold out much longer.

  Lizzie pulled back to release him and raised the T-shirt over her head. She tossed it away and watched for his reaction. Patrick’s cock jerked wildly toward her. She grasped it and stuffed it between her lips again. Long strokes and pulling on the head with her mouth brought him to the brink, and when he gave a clipped, guttural cry, a spurt of his release hit her tongue. She withdrew his shaft from her mouth and aimed it at her chest. Thick, white come spattered over her breasts, and she used the tip of his cock to smear it.

  When Patrick had emptied himself, he pulled her to her feet, staring in wonder. She had a hard time keeping the shit-eating grin off her face. Patrick thrust her cereal bowl aside and thumped her onto the table with hands beneath her arms. “You’re a very bad girl, Lizzie.”

  She tilted her head to the side. “Were you disappointed?”

  “You know I wasn’t.”

  He moved in close between her legs, and she flattened her palms on his chest. “Patrick, you’re not going to do anything right here?”

  “Why shouldn’t I?” He kissed her and nuzzled her ear. “I still want you.”

  “You can’t be ready.” She arched into him just because she wanted to and tugged at his shirt. He raised it over his head and tossed it across the room. Patrick’s hot skin drew her fingers, and she traced the plains until she came to his flat nipples. They were stiff to her touch, sending pings of desire to her pussy.

  “What are you doing, Lizzie?”

  “Huh?” She blinked up at him.

  “Go find out if I’m ready for you.”

  She licked her lips, nervous, and explored downward to his abs. Halfway there, she lost her nerve. She recalled the last time and how much it hurt, but that didn’t stop the fact that she wanted him. A quick peer below gave her the impression Patrick had never even gone soft after he came!

  “Oh.”

  He captured her chin and raised it. “My dick’s not going down until it’s been in you, and I’ve ridden deep and hard.”

  She yelped because the picture he drew in her head made her crazy. Patrick found her clit through the sweats on the first try, and he massaged it with his thumb. She arched, whimpering, and leaned back on the table. He grasped her thighs and dragged her closer until she felt his cock.

  “You want it?” he asked.

  “Yes,” she moaned.

  “Right here?”

  “Yes!” Lizzie raised her legs and squeezed her knees against his sides. She arched more into him as his thumb movements took her closer to an orgasm. When he hesitated, she protested.

  “No, come on.” He lifted her down from the table. “There will be plenty of time for me to take you here, but we’re doing this right. If I hurt you because the angle was wrong on the table, I won’t forgive myself.

  “You’ve ruined the mood,” she teased.

  “When I have you naked under me, I’ll get it back for you.”

  In all honesty, nothing could ruin the mood. She wouldn’t be satisfied until he made her come a few times and he kept his promise of rough sex.

  Lizzie strode ahead of Patrick into the bedroom. Here they were again. She would be lying if she said she wasn’t scared, but she was hot too. All over. Her body felt like someone had set a match to it, but it wasn’t anything she hadn’t felt before. She couldn’t put it down to turning. Unfortunately.

  Brushing thoughts of shifting from her mind, she faced her lover and almost fell at his feet. Patrick had pulled his jeans up but hadn’t closed them. They hung low on his hips, button undone and zipper down. He wore no shirt, and at some point he had heeled his shoes off so he stood before her bare-chested and barefoot. Talk about a man who looked good enough to eat.

  “I know what’s on your mind,” came his deep, rumbling voice. “Take off the sweats and let me see that pussy.

  She kept herself from mewling and dropped the pants around her ankles. Lizzie swore she almost came from his hungry expression.

  “On the bed, Lizzie, and spread your legs. As much as I want to eat you, I won’t. I going to bury myself so deep I might not find my way out of that hot, tight pussy.”

  She walked jerkily to the bed and climbed up. Patrick zipped from the doorway to where she had raised one knee to the mattress. He lifted her as if she weighed no more than a feather, and dropped her in the middle of the bed. He followed, pinning her under him. The head of his cock pierced her entrance, and she gasped.

  Patrick sucked in a desperate breath and leaned down to lick the column of her neck. He pressed his lips at the base, and she imagined he felt the wild tattoo that was her heartbeat.

  “I can’t hold it,” he panted.

  Lizzie raised her knees slowly and shut her eyes. She encircled his neck with her arms and tangled fingers in his hair. “Push in, Patrick. I can take you.”

  “Lizzie.” His call of her name was tortured, but he took a chance and plunged into her heat. She cried out. Tears beaded in the corners of her eyes, but not from pain. Or rather not just from pain, but also from white-hot pleasure. Patrick’s thick cock filled her and stretched her pussy around it. When he began to pump sooner than her muscles relaxed, she moaned in ecstasy. Knowing he couldn’t hold on because he wanted her so badly, got her hotter.

  She braced her toes against his ass and ground upward. Patrick reached under her, palmed both her cheeks, and drove her to him. His cock plunged to the hilt, and she was lost.

  He started pumping into her slow and easy, but soon he picked up speed, pounding faster and harder. She could never keep up with his intensity, and eventually she
let go. The bed springs creaked under them as Patrick wore her little pussy out. She screamed his name and scratched at the sheets. He didn’t stop pumping into her for a long, wonderful time.

  Chapter Seven

  “Ah, ah, ah.”

  Patrick leaned back in the patio chair and grinned. Okay, he didn’t feel that guilty to hear Lizzie’s ginger little squeaks as she moved from the bed to the bathroom. He knew he had worn her out. For the last three days, he hadn’t been able to stop himself from taking her. Since she had welcomed him each time with open arms and legs spread, why should he have said no? She was his mate, and that’s what his kind did a lot of. They fucked.

  Lizzie’s change hadn’t fully developed yet, but now he sensed it, growing excruciatingly slowly. The accelerated healing that was a part of his people’s nature hadn’t kicked in, so his baby would have to deal with being sore. She hadn’t complained since the first time he brought her to release with his cock inside her. She’d said he was the first to do that, and he was pretty proud of it. Patrick also knew she wasn’t aware yet that the bond had begun to take. He had tried to tell her, but she thought he humored her. He would need to be patient. She would see for herself soon.

  Unfortunately, alpha duties were cutting short their time alone together. Tomorrow, they would have to return to town. He had wanted to keep Lizzie isolated until she was sure of her new nature. He hated complications, but when given a choice between having Lizzie as she was now and not at all, well that wasn’t a choice.

  “Do you want pancakes?” she asked from the doorway. “And why are you out here? It’s freezing.”

  He let his gaze travel over her form. Curvy and soft, she got him hard with just a look. How the hell was he going to concentrate on work when he hadn’t gotten a chance to exercise all the pent up lust?

  “Why are you wearing a bra, Lizzie?”

  She touched her chest. “How could you tell? This sweater is—”

  “Too thick. I thought we agreed you’d walk around naked.”

  “You did. I ignored you. So, pancakes? I’m hungry.”