“I’m fine,” she promised and waited forGunnar to open the door. He followed her into the kitchen afterleaving the shotgun on a rack above the backdoor. With Aria walkingnow, they had to keep the guns out of her tiny reach.
“Want some lunch?” he offered as his bodyrelaxed and his eyes returned to their normal brown color.
“I do,” she nodded and washed her hands.“Maybe after lunch, we can have some alone time in ourquarters?”
“I’d like that very much,” he replied as hiseyes darkened.
With everything happening, and the increasedsecurity, Gunnar had spent a lot of time in the woods behind theirhome, searching for the human males. The plan was for them to shiftand take turns scenting for them and hiding in the darkened areasof the land in the hope that Harvey and his buddies would attemptto return for information.
So far, there had been no sign of them.
“Gaia will be over sometime this evening,”she reminded him.
“So will the sheriff,” he added, serving hera bowl of his delicious beef stew.
They ate in silence as they shared a meal.Gunnar sat to her right and kept his free hand on top of her knee.The connection was welcomed, and even though she knew hisreasoning, she felt more at ease when they touched.
Rex and Ada entered not long after andgrabbed themselves a bowl before joining them. They were quiet, andthe tension in the air was thick. Everyone was on edge, unsure ofwhat the next several days would bring.
“We are going to retire to our room for theafternoon,” Gunnar announced as he took her empty bowl. Anna Clairecovered a yawn with the back of her hand and stood from herseat.
Ada and Rex gave them a nod and resumedeating as they walked away. Gunnar took her hand and the matingconnection swirled around them. The magic caused a shiver to rollup her arm, and his mating scent sent a wetness between herlegs.
By the time they reached their quarters,Gunnar had picked her up and carried her over the threshold withhis tongue deep in her mouth and his strong hands gripping herass.
“We have seven days until the first, but Iwant to go at them sooner,” Harvey stated, sitting on his old, worncouch. It’d been two days since Skipper Jones had arrived with hisson, Don. They’d brought their own weapons and were as anxious asHarvey to get rid of the bear shifters.
“I’m ready when you are,” Don said withexcitement. The kid was barely into his mid-twenties and so eager,it sent a thrill through Harvey. It was about time the youngergeneration fought for something other than free healthcare andhigher pay. Those abominations would rule the world if they spreadtheir species with the humans. All it would take was for them tostart knocking up females and the world would be full of them. Itwas time to take a stand now before things got out of hand.
“I want to know, why didn’t they come outwith the panthers?” Skipper asked as he rubbed his chin. “There’ssomething fishy about that.”
“Whatever the reason is, we won’t have toworry about it for long,” Harvey stated. “As of the first of June,they’ll all be dead.”
The two other males made noises that soundedlike agreement and headed for their room. Harvey had sent hisdaughter to her mother’s house for the next two weeks, saying hewas going to be out of town. He didn’t want her anywhere near thosebears.
“Get some sleep and we will head out aroundthree in the morning to get more information on those bears,”Harvey ordered. “I know how to access their land from theback.”
Anna Claire gritted her teeth as Gunnar usedhis tongue between her legs. The sensations of his hot tongue onher core and his soft hair on the inside of her legs was too much.“Gunnar…oh, Gunnar.”
He moaned as he made another pass with histongue, making her legs vibrate from the love making he was doingdown there. Holy shit did it feel amazing. Anna Claire didn’t knowsex with her mate would be this…intense.
“I can’t…” Anna Claire’s voice was gone. Shecouldn’t speak coherent words when he was coaxing a release fromher body. Her mate had been insatiable ever since that first night,and if she was being completely honest, so was she. “I need youinside me, Gunnar.”
“But I like this,” he mumbled as he releasedher. “I like it when you squirm.”
A blush painted her cheeks as his goldeneyes caught hers as he watched her over the top of her mound. “Ilike you…inside me.”
She’d been very vocal since their firsttime. He liked it when she stated what she wanted, and he told herthat every chance he got. The whispered words while they workedtogether in the kitchen were the best. Gunnar liked to get herworked up while her hands were full of ingredients for a meal.
“How bad do you want it?” he teased as heclimbed over her body.
She’d never tire of touching him. Every timethey connected, the mating touch would spark against her skin,sending goosebumps all over her flesh. His hair, his short beardthat she’d asked him to keep, and the strength in his touch causedher to melt in his hands…or under his tongue in most cases.
His cock touched her opening, and AnnaClaire raised her hips enough for him to slide inside her. As heseated himself, she felt the stirrings of release, but she didn’twant it to end so soon. Clamping down on her desire, she rotatedher hips to feel him deep in her core.
“Come here, honey,” he breathed as he slidhis arm under her body, sitting up so she was upright with him.They were face to face as he lifted her, slowly moving her smallbody up and down on his cock. “I want to watch you fall apart in myarms.”
“Keep doing that,” she hummed. “But I don’twant it to end.”
“You holding out on me?” he smirked. AnnaClaire knew he was accepting her challenge by the growl and flashof fang he gave her.
“Never,” she lied and eyed the mating markon his neck. She leaned forward and brushed his hair off his neck.He cursed loudly
