Saved by her Bear (Black Ridge Bears Shifter Romance Series Book 3) Read online

  “That for me?” Her eyebrows rose, warmth flooding her irises as her smile widened a little.

  He chuckled. “It was for Lowe, but I suppose I can let you have it.”

  She rolled her eyes at him and snatched the flower, smiled at it and then frowned. Her eyes lifted to lock with his again.

  “Is this from my planters?” She sighed and tapped him on the forehead with the flower when he grinned at her, not feeling even a trace of regret over his actions. She pulled a face at him, but there was no real anger in it. “I just planted those.”

  He released her when she pushed against him, letting her drop to her feet.

  “How is Lowe?” She twirled the flower in her fingers. “And Cameo, and Holly?”

  “They’re all good. The others are too.” He added that because she never asked about Rune or Maverick, had a tendency to avoid them as much as possible whenever she came to the Ridge. He knew Rune had scared her though so he could understand that.

  The two bears had been keeping to themselves recently anyway.

  “There’s a get-together tonight.” He gave her a hopeful look, because Saint expected him to be there and he couldn’t disobey his alpha, even when he wanted to be here with Skye, didn’t want to miss one of their dates.

  She rubbed her neck and rolled her head, grimacing as her eyes closed.

  She pouted as she looked at him. “I want to go too. I’ve been working flat out this week.”

  Knox rubbed her shoulders through her worn black Guns N’ Roses T-shirt, growing aware of something.

  She had twisted her dark hair up into a knot at the back of her head, exposing her nape in a way that felt intentional to him as he gazed at it. He shook that off. It was warm today and she had been busy, had probably tied her hair away from her neck because she was hot and sticky, and had wanted to cool down, not because she was trying to get his eyes on her nape.

  Still, he couldn’t stop staring at her bare neck as he murmured, “I’d like you to come. Everyone would love to see you again.”

  Stacy, the mousy-haired female behind the bar, hollered, “Go! I’ll cover tonight with Jon.”

  Skye looked over her shoulder at her friend, tormenting him with a flash of her nape.

  “Thanks. I owe you.” She turned back to him and stilled. “What?”

  He brushed trembling fingers up her neck and couldn’t stop himself from uttering, “What’s this all about?”

  The nerves he was battling grew worse when a look entered her eyes, one that told him he wasn’t going crazy and he had been right to think her pinning her hair up had been intentional.

  Gods.

  He swallowed hard.

  “You look spooked again,” she whispered and sidled closer to him.

  His eyes darted between hers. “You’re sure? Like really sure? You should think about it, because if we do this—”

  “I’ve been thinking about it for weeks, Knox, and the answer never changes. I want to be with you. I want this.” She stroked a hand down his chest.

  A sudden urge to growl and seize hold of her swept through him and he gritted his teeth, his lips drawing back in a grimace as the need to mate with her before she could change her mind took control of him, only it was miles of driving and a long walk to his cabin.

  Skye slipped her hand into his and tugged him towards the door to the left of the bar, one that led upstairs to her apartment.

  Stacy shook her head and kept polishing the glasses as Skye pulled him past her. “At least keep it down this time. Last time you almost gave old McGregor a heart attack.”

  A blush stained Skye’s cheeks.

  Might have heated his too.

  He wasn’t sure he could keep the noise down this time either. Already the urge to mate with Skye was stealing control of him, had him hard in his jeans and aching to be inside her. His fangs dropped, mouth watering at the thought of sinking them into her nape.

  She opened the door and he grabbed her, scooped her up into his arms and took the stairs two at a time. He crossed her small living area to her bedroom and dropped her on the bed, made fast work of her clothes as his heart thundered, blood rushing as it heated. Her little moan as he tossed her boots and jeans aside and pulled her top off, revealing her body to his hungry gaze, urged him on together with the scent of her desire and how flushed her cheeks were.

  She wanted this. Really wanted this.

  Knox shed his own clothes, not slowing even as Skye raked her gaze over him, silently devouring every inch of his body with it, making him wild for her. She removed her bra and threw it aside with a sultry smile on her lips, a wicked glint in her eyes that dared him to come and get her.

  When she stroked her fingers down her neck, he growled and bared fangs, half of him expecting her to grow fearful at the sight of them. She didn’t. Her heated look only grew more intense, more hungry, scalded him and had his cock rock hard.

  She dropped her hands to her panties.

  On a low growl, he grabbed her, flipped her onto her knees at the edge of the mattress and tore them away. He snarled as he filled her in one thrust, claiming her body, tried to convince himself to be gentle with her but it was impossible as his gaze landed on her nape.

  Knox drove into her, clutching her hip with one hand to keep her in place and running his other one down the line of her spine.

  He stared down at her as he filled her, his gaze tracking over her curves, her scent making him wild as he fought to calm his racing heart and remain in control. He wanted this to feel good for her, wanted it to be a moment neither of them would ever forget. Her pleasure trickled into him through the fragile bond that had been slowly growing between them and he groaned as she rocked back against him, taking him deep into her whenever he withdrew. He could sense her need, couldn’t hold back the growl as the urge to pleasure her stole command of him, the need to satisfy his female a powerful drug that forced him to obey it.

  She moaned, the breathless little sound teasing his ears as he stroked her deeper, harder, lowered his gaze and watched his rigid cock sliding into her with each powerful thrust. Gods. He groaned and gripped her harder, his instincts roaring to life to sweep him up in them as he took her, as he looked at what he was doing and how his shaft glistened with her arousal. Need rolled through him, twisting him tight inside, until he was sure he couldn’t breathe.

  He needed more.

  He needed all of her.

  On a low growl, he grabbed her right breast and pulled her up to him, bent his knees to keep himself inside her and stared at her nape, his rough breaths bouncing back at him as he thrust into her. She moaned and writhed, her keening cries gaining volume and pitch as he drove into her welcoming heat, as she tightened around him and he sensed how close she was.

  She lifted her arms and draped them over his shoulders, and he groaned as she cupped his nape, as she held on to it as he took her. He savoured her sweet cries as he shifted his left hand to the apex of her thighs and stroked her between them, fondling her bundle of nerves.

  Her body kicked forwards as she cried out and trembled around his length, milking it in a demanding way that had the need blazing within him growing stronger, had him pushing her through the haze of one release and towards another as he stared at her nape, as he lost himself in the moment. She moaned and clutched him, rotated her hips and drove him mad, pushing him to the very edge.

  On a feral snarl, Knox angled his head and sank his fangs into her nape, gripped her hard and kept her in place with his bite as he drove into her, as he thrust harder and deeper, claiming all of her. The first drop of her blood on his tongue had fire raging through him, had the world dropping away as something altered inside him, as everything changed in a heartbeat.

  Her feelings flooded him, her pleasure mingling with his, growing stronger by the second as the bond formed between them, linking them deeply, allowing her to feel everything he did too.

  Sweet gods.

  Stars winked across the darkness of his closed
eyes as his release rolled up on him like a tidal wave, as it broke over him and almost broke him in the process. Every inch of him quivered in time with Skye, trembled as fiercely as her body was as she broke apart again, as his cock kicked and throbbed inside her. He released her nape, managed a single swipe of his tongue over the puncture wounds to steal the pain away.

  And then collapsed to his knees.

  “Knox!” Skye turned towards him in an instant, dropping to all fours, her beautiful flushed face awash with concern.

  He swallowed hard and struggled to breathe as he continued to shake, as pleasure rocked him and refused to release him, was sure he looked like an idiot or weak to her.

  She slipped from the bed onto his lap, wrapped her arms around him and kissed him, lightly stroking her lips across his. Distracting him. Calming him. He sank into that kiss, drowned in the feelings it held, in the ones he could sense in their connection as it slowly finished forming.

  A bond that was forever.

  His beautiful mate continued to hold him, eased him down and pieced him back together, gazed at him with affection and not judgement in her eyes as she finally drew back to look at him. She feathered her fingers across his damp brow, down his cheek, her look one of concern now.

  “That was intense.” She smiled for him, one that stole his heart.

  “A little more than I was expecting.” But he should have known it would wreck him, that mating with her would do this to him, affecting him this deeply, because in his heart he had known that the love they shared was endless, deeper than normal love, the sort that led to a powerful mating.

  A powerful bond.

  She kissed him again and he took control this time, wanting her to see that he was strong, that his moment of weakness was over, even when he knew it wasn’t. She had a way of making him weak, and he loved it.

  Time trickled past as he kissed her, as he savoured the connection between them, and slowly his thoughts turned to Black Ridge and how the planned get-together was looking more like a party now. A celebration.

  Skye finally stood and he growled as he watched her walking into her bathroom, as he stared at the marks on the nape of her neck.

  His marks.

  His mate.

  He stood on trembling legs and dressed, sank onto the edge of the mattress as Skye moved around the room. He tracked her with his gaze, enjoying the way she glanced at him from time to time as she dressed, a shy edge to her dark eyes.

  He wasn’t sure there was a bear in all the world as happy as he was right now.

  When she finished dressing, donning her blue jeans and a pretty black flowing camisole that had purple flowers stitched onto it, she came to him. Kissed him. He groaned and kissed her back, getting fired up again.

  He tried to tug her onto the bed with him but she twirled out of his grip.

  “Come on. I don’t want to be late.” She untied her hair, letting it fall around her shoulders, hiding his mark.

  He huffed and stood, followed her back down the stairs and vowed that he would make love with her later, when they were alone in his cabin, assuaging his need to satisfy his mate.

  When they reached the bottom of the stairs, she was quick to scurry towards the main door of the bar, keeping her head down. Knox strode through it with his shoulders tipped back and his head held high. A few of the males tossed him looks, some of them disgusted while others looked as if they wanted to congratulate him on a job well done.

  He glared at those men, because he didn’t like the thought of them imagining his female naked, bucking against him, wild in the throes of passion.

  He strode after Skye on legs that were still a little unsteady and caught up with her on the deck of the bar.

  Paused and stared at her.

  Still couldn’t believe she was his mate now even when he could feel it in every beat of his heart.

  She looped her arm around his and smiled up at him, her eyes bright with the pleasure he could feel in her, the contentment. Those feelings ran through him too, had him smiling down at her as he lost himself in her eyes, in their bond.

  “Looks like it’ll be another busy day at the bar.” He dragged his gaze away from hers and noted that more of the outside tables were occupied now.

  “Thanks again for helping me out.” She tiptoed and he leaned towards her, wanting that kiss on his cheek.

  “What’s mine is yours, Skye. All of it.” He glanced back at the bar as he led her towards his truck. “I love this place too and I’ll do whatever it takes to keep it open. I know how important it is to you, so it’s important to me too.”

  She smiled. “And that’s why I love you.”

  Knox missed a step.

  Grinned at her.

  “You love me?”

  That was the first time she had said it.

  Before she could say a word, only blush, he said, “I love you too.”

  He swept her up into his arms and kissed her, an all-too-brief one that only got him fired up again, and set her down. She seized his hand and led him along the street, past his truck.

  “Where are we going?” He looked back at the pickup. “I’m parked right there.”

  “I should bring something for the party tonight.” She glanced over her shoulder at him.

  He figured she meant something like wine or a soda, a token gesture of thanks to the host of the get-together.

  Only she led him to the store and ordered a lot of steaks.

  When the cashier totalled it up, she looked at him. “What’s yours is mine, right?”

  He chuckled and kissed her, slipped his arm around her waist and his other hand into his pocket for his wallet.

  “Oh, and I’ll take that tray too.” She leaned right, away from him, and he tried to see what she was pointing at.

  He wasn’t surprised when the woman behind the counter pulled a whole tray of brownies out and started boxing them up. Skye had discovered a dangerous way into the hearts of everyone at Black Ridge a few months back when she had brought brownies for everyone. It turned out that keeping the females happy with chocolate had made her very popular with Saint and Lowe.

  And had revealed that Rune and Maverick both had a sweet tooth.

  Knox paid for her purchases and took the heavy bags for her, led her to his truck and put them in the cooler in the back. He opened her door for her and she smiled as she hopped up into the cab. He rounded the vehicle and slid into the driver’s seat, and tried hard to resist gunning the engine and seeing just how quickly he could get her back to his cabin.

  The journey was agonising—every second cramped into the small space with her driving him wild with a need to kiss her at the very least. He did just that when they reached the trailhead, pinned her to the side of the truck and took his time about it, savouring the way she moaned and arched into him, how he could feel the pleasure she took from his kiss and how much she loved him.

  Knox locked the truck and grabbed the cooler, and Skye’s hand. The afternoon was wearing on by the time they finally neared home, following the creek. Voices sounded through the trees and Rath came into view, standing on the stony edge of the water, a fishing rod in hand.

  Ivy poked her head out from behind her mate, her hazel eyes warm and bright as they landed on him and Skye.

  Rath glanced at him too, reeled in his line and turned towards him. “Nice day for a walk.”

  “Summer is finally here. Planning to enjoy it too.” Knox lifted the cooler. “Party at the Ridge tonight. Skye bought an insane amount of steaks and brownies with my money.”

  She beamed at the cougar and his mate. “Come along. The more the merrier. We’re celebrating!”

  Knox couldn’t hold back his grin as he glanced down at her and saw the happiness in her eyes.

  “Oh, you mated!” Ivy came around Rath and swept Skye into a tight hug. “Congratulations! You are going to love it. Being mated… wow… just wow. You’d think they’d get less intense, but nope… they get more intense.”

&nbs
p; Rath scowled at his mate’s back, his grey eyes holding a hint of gold that told Knox the cougar alpha wasn’t angry with her, he was hungry for her. Probably thinking about their mating.

  “We’ll be there.” Rath was quick to grab his mate, pull her away from Skye and into his arms.

  Knox growled, wanting to do that with Skye, but she tugged on his hand, pulling him towards the Ridge. He obeyed, trailed behind her as she picked up pace now, as her excitement flowed through him.

  The cabins of Black Ridge came into view and he spotted Lowe already setting up the fire pit and the grill.

  “Skye brought more meat,” Knox hollered and held the cooler aloft as Lowe looked at him.

  His twin froze.

  Smiled from ear to ear.

  Knox should have known that his twin would be able to sense the change in him, just as he had been able to sense it when Lowe had finally mated with Cameo.

  “You mated!” Lowe took swift strides to him, shouted that loud enough that Saint came out of his cabin.

  “They mated?” Saint looked at Knox and then Skye. “Thank the gods. No more moody Knox growling and prowling around the Ridge.”

  Knox shot his alpha a look. He hadn’t been moody. Well, he hadn’t been that moody. Maybe a little moody.

  Cameo and Holly came and stole Skye from him.

  “Congratulations.” Holly snuck a glance at her mate, Saint, her grey eyes sparkling with that same cougar gold that had been in Rath’s eyes. She flicked her black hair over her shoulder and Saint growled, looked as if he wanted to whisk her away into his cabin.

  Instead, his alpha ran a hand over his dark hair and strode towards him and Lowe. Saint clapped a hand down on Knox’s shoulder.

  “Congratulations.” His dark eyes revealed how deeply Saint meant that and Knox clasped his shoulder.

  “Thanks.” He watched his new mate as Cameo grabbed her a beer from the ice pail near the logs that formed seats around the firepit and handed it to her.

  The females clinked their bottles together in a toast that had Skye grinning from ear to ear.

  Had Knox smiling too.

  Cameo’s blue eyes were bright with happiness and affection as they talked, her brown-to-blonde hair tied up to reveal her own mating marks on her nape. He remembered how relieved he had been when he had sensed the shift in Lowe’s mood and had realised he and Cameo had mated, could see in Lowe’s blue eyes when he glanced at him that that feeling ran through him too. His brother was happy for him, pleased that he finally had his mate.