Anna Claire was already on board, but Gunnarwas still worried she wasn’t ready. How many times did she have totell him for the male to understand she knew he was going to bekind and loving to her the first time?
Just thinking about the mating caused heatto pool at her core. Her body felt the need to mate, but he wasn’tanywhere around. She didn’t have to fight the feelings her body wasproducing. The heaviness in her breasts and the wetness between herthighs was a clear indicator she was close to going into heat forthe second time since she’d come of age.
At twenty-two, she was still scared of whatwould happen to her during the spring. Last season, she was forcedto sit in the kitchen chair at her house while her father stood by,watching while strange men came to their land to touch her. Hewanted to breed her for the next generation, and she’d prayed tothe gods that none of them had been a match for her.
Thankfully, they had listened, but notbefore she’d been treated so badly by one of her own clan. Thenight Dwayne came for her in those woods, Anna Claire’s life hadchanged. She was cut open by his claws and touched by his humanhands. If it wasn’t for Ada sending her mate, Anna Claire would’vemost likely died that night.
With each of her limbs tied to two trees anda spiked collar around her throat, she couldn’t shift or the spikeswould have impaled her. She would’ve bled out and died withinminutes.
A shiver rolled across her skin as shepulled the blankets tighter over her shoulders. The ache betweenher legs pulsed and she pressed them together. She was definitelygoing into heat, and without Gunnar there, she was going to sufferuntil he relieved her. She was tempted to call one of the elders tosee if the females could find a sedative, but having them leavetheir homes would put them at risk. If the hunters were still outthere, they could be shot, and she wouldn’t put them in danger.
“Oh, Gunnar, why won’t you touch me?” shewhispered as the heat began to fade. She let out a breath shedidn’t even know she was holding. The next round of heat would hitmore and more the closer she got to her peak. It could be five toten days before she was over it, and by then, Gunnar would know.There would be no way he wouldn’t sense it. Although they hadn’ttouched, the male would be riddled with lust, and knowing Gunnarlike she did, he’d do everything he could not to touch her whileshe was fertile. He would say the mating would be too much for herto handle.
Closing her eyes, she tried to let theexhaustion take her away. She needed to sleep for a little while,and maybe, just maybe, the heat would somehow go away.
A rumble woke her from a dream. It was agood dream; one where she’d lived a full life before coming to theMorgan clan. The sound echoed through the room again as she shookthe sleep from her fogged brain.
“Gunnar?” she mumbled as she opened hereyes, blinking against the darkness.
“Your scent has changed,” he growled. Hiseyes were glowing, and even in the dark, she could see his body.It’d swollen, his shoulders tight with bulging muscles. His matingscent mixed with hers, and she moaned when the ache between herlegs increased.
“I’m going into heat,” she moaned. “Eithermate me or sedate me, Gunnar. I am in no condition to discuss thiswith you.” She was horny…and exhausted. Her bear wanted the touchof her male to ease the mating fever, and the last thing she wantedto do was to argue with him.
“I can’t…” Gunnar cleared his throat, andshe closed her eyes, because Anna Claire didn’t want to see himwalk away. If she did watch him leave her to suffer, she would loseher mind. Crying wasn’t going to solve it, and she hated sheddingtears, anyway. She’d done enough of that over the last year.
“Just go, Gunnar,” she growled, baring hercanines at him. They were thick in her mouth, and she felt her bearpushing for release. She fought the change, but it was hard. “Gods,just leave me alone.”
“I can’t sedate you, Anna Claire,” hefinally said. She risked a glance in his direction, and when shesaw him strip off his shirt, a new, stronger heat surged inside herbody. “You are my mate, and I want what’s best for you. Tell me ifyou’re not ready. I need to know now.”
“I’m ready,” she panted as he popped the topbutton of his jeans.
His long, brown hair hung over his shouldersin waves. Oh, how she longed to run her fingers through it and theshort beard he’d kept neatly trimmed over the past few weeks.
“Can you stand?” he asked, frowning when heapproached. “I want our first touch to be with us eye to eye, AnnaClaire.”
“Oh, Gunnar,” she sighed and tossed asidethe covers. She didn’t look very sexy in her yoga pants and tanktop. She guessed, at that point, it really didn’t matter. If whatshe knew was to happen, the moment they touched, there wouldn’t beanything else to focus on besides making love and marking eachother.
She steadied herself, despite the achebetween her legs, and stood tall and sure in front of the male.He’d been so hesitant over the last year. The last thing she wantedto do was show any body language that would make him think she wasscared or unsure.
“Anna Claire,” he breathed as he raised hishands, cupping her face tenderly.
The shock of his touch sent her body to thefloor, but he quickly scooped her up and pressed his lips to hers.Magic swirled around them, an invisible bind wrapping around theirbodies as their inner bears snarled with something betweenexcitement and primal need.
Her back met the mattress, but she didn’tcare. There was nothing to be afraid of with this male’s touch. Theattack she’d been through couldn’t be compared to what she wasdoing now. Gunnar was her mate, and those men were nothing to heranymore. Their brutality didn’t hold any weight over her life onceGunnar touched her for the
