Chapter 04

He ran through the pouring rain, his massive paws tearing up the muddy soil and uprooting sagging plants. There was a shallow cave less than a quarter mile from his mate’s encampment. It was the perfect location to lay a trap destined to get the television crew as well as the locals off his furry back. He spent two hours walking from the cave to a nearby pond, clawing up a few pines, and leaving muddy prints around and inside the small den. Then he left his final gift.

A partial footprint from his hybrid form.

Killian had always assumed the legend of Sasquatch and Bigfoot resulted from humans seeing a bear shifter in their hybrid form. The most powerful stage of a shifter’s transformation, the hybrid took more energy to maintain yet retained the characteristics of the other two forms. It allowed him to keep the claws and warm, protective fur of a large bear while retaining a humanoid's shape, agility, and dexterity. From a distance, it would be easy to assume he was either a very hairy man or a very man-like creature. Humans simply didn't know that both assumptions were right and wrong at the same time. He didn't think they were ready for the truth, though. He had no desire to end up in a zoo, laboratory, or government testing facility.

He returned to his bear form and took shelter in the cave. He wanted to ensure that the print wouldn't wash away in the storm. Three hours later, a rumble of thunder pulled him from an excellent dream of his mate. Stretching and yawning, he padded from the cave to find that the rain had stopped, the print remained, and the stars were beginning to break through the thinning clouds. Killian trotted towards the encampment. If his luck held, the crew were all abed and he could sneak into his mate’s tent for a quick romp or three.

Peering at the circle of tents from the clearing’s edge, he lifted his nose to the air and counted the different scents. The angry photographer snored worse than a badger. The dashing team leader slept in blissful peace; probably dreaming of Melody’s magnificent breasts, the pervert. Killian hadn't missed the sounds of masturbation coming from the supply tent. If he tried to do more than fantasize, he’d bite the man’s dick off. Growling, he scented the others, content to find they slept more or less peacefully. That left his mate. He licked his lips, and ambled into the clearing towards her tent.

He shifted into his human form, entered the tent, and feasted his eyes on his gorgeous mate. She had kicked off the thick sleeping bag and lay on her back, one hand resting on her bare stomach. Her shirt had risen up to just under those gorgeous breasts, and he knelt by her side and eased it even further. Her nipples called to him, and he was powerless to resist. Killian lapped at the sensitive buds, then blew on them so they roused from their slumber. His cock let him know they weren't the only ones waking up. He ran his hand over his thickening member with leisurely strokes as he eased his mate from sleep. The joy in her eyes warmed his heart and hardened his cock with equal speed.

“Killian!” she hissed, sitting up to peek through a curtain flap. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“I've missed you,” he answered simply, pouting when she covered her beautiful tits with her shirt.

“You’re just horny. Don’t think I don’t see what you’re doing.”

“That, too. Come with me?” He held out his hand, waiting to see if she would agree. She hesitated for less than a second, slipped her feet into her shoes, and laid her hand in his. He could have roared his happiness. Instead, he peeked through the door flap, eased from her tent, scooped her into his arms, and ran for the trees.

Killian took her to a mossy embankment near her bathing stream. He wanted her in his home, but it was too far away for the little time they had. The crew would get suspicious if she kept disappearing, and she had already informed him that she needed at least some sleep. He set her gently onto the spongy moss, and peeled off her clothing. She really was beautiful. Determined to go slower than their heated couplings of earlier, he captured her lips in a gentle kiss as his hands relearned her generous curves.

One hand traveled over the curve of her hip, along the crease of her thigh, and between the smooth lips of her pussy. Flicking her clit with his thumb, he eased two thick fingers inside her eager channel. She met each of his slow thrusts with an eager whimper, clutching at his hair and shoulders as she returned his increasingly heated kisses. Killian cupped her breast, thumbing her nipple that was stiff from arousal and the cool night air. When his nail scraped across the sensitive peak, she moaned into his mouth and pressed her breast into his hand. He pinched the pert bud hard between his fingers, tugging it as she gasped and squirmed against him.

“Oh, so you like it a bit rough, do you?” he whispered against her lips.

“I thought you were supposed to know that, already.” She whimpered when he released the tortured nipple, only to sigh when he replaced his hands with his mouth. “Soul mates and all that.” He bit her nipple none too gently, causing her yelp even as the scent of her arousal flooded his nose. “Don’t bite them off, for fuck’s sake, Killian!”

“Then answer the question, Melody. What do you like? What do you want, right now?” He lapped at her taut nipple, his fangs scraping over her tender skin as his bear joined in their play.

“More,” she groaned. “More of this, more of you, more of everything. Just more!”

He laid her on the spongy moss, her legs resting over his spread thighs so he could watch his fingers thrust into her sopping pussy. She arched her hips to meet his thrusts, moaning when he added a third, and shattering when he added a fourth. He didn't give her time to rest. He rubbed her hard clit with his thumb as he curved his fingers to rub her G-spot. As she gasped and writhed beneath him, he assaulted her beautiful breasts. Pinching, licking, sucking, and biting her nipples, Killian coaxed a second and then a third orgasm from her responsive body. Tears leaked from her eyes as he brought her towards that peak for a fourth time. Before she could topple over it, he rolled her onto her stomach, pulled her to her knees, and thrust in balls deep.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, clasping one throbbing breast as he fucked her hard and fast. His slick fingers, no longer buried in her delightful pussy, tortured her throbbing clit. What had started as a need to make love to his mate had turned into another round of animalistic rutting. From Melody’s cries and moans of pleasure, she wasn’t disappointed in the change of plans. She had planted her hands onto the soft moss as leverage to meet his pounding cock. As his seed boiled up from his aching balls, he sank his fangs into her shoulder to hold her in place. The moment his teeth pierced her tender skin, she shook with a powerful orgasm that flooded his cock with her come. Killian lifted his bloody mouth from her shoulder to roar his own release to the sky.

Panting, he eased them both onto the moss with her cradled close to his chest. Killian lay on his side, reluctant to leave the warm haven of her pussy, and caressed her soft curves. His fingers played along her skin, brushing her bruised and sore nipples and stroking her throbbing clit. She moaned softly as another small orgasm shook her exhausted body. He growled in approval, kissing the bruises left by his bite.

“So, tell me.” Melody grabbed his hands, holding them away from her when he tried to coax more pleasure from her over-stimulated nerves. “What’s with all the biting? Am I your mate or a chew toy? Will I turn furry at the next full moon or what?”

“You are definitely my mate,” he chuckled while nibbling her sore shoulder. “There’s no getting away from it now. I've claimed you; you’re mine.”

“You’re also about three seconds away from my foot relocating your nuts into a shiny new pair of earrings.” She wriggled out of his arms, turning to stand with her hands on her hips. The stance pushed her magnificent chest into prominence. He drooled, and his cock sat up and took notice. “For once, could you just answer the Goddamn question? And wipe your chin; you look depraved.”

“Okay, okay!” He rolled onto his back, and stretched. He knew it showed his body to its best advantage, and hoped his mate would get too distracted by it to want to talk for too much longer. He wanted another good romp before taking her back to her tent. “Bears tend to be a bit energetic when claiming their mates…”

“No shit, Sherlock. I feel like I've been put on a perpetual fucking machine powered by psychotic Energizer bunnies. Don’t you ever get tired? Raw? Chafe?”

“The urge to mate as often as possible will lessen in time, but it won’t go away. You’re my mate. I want you.” He shrugged, then groaned when she crossed her arms under her breasts. The stance pushed them together and raised them into delectable prominence. He wrapped his fist around his throbbing cock and began to stroke slowly. “Um, yes, biting. Because we take great delight in claiming our mates, the gods, fate, whatever you want to call it, have deemed it necessary to make it harder to turn others. It’s supposed to allow the human mate to have an opportunity between enthusiastic rutting to consider the consequences, advantages, and disadvantages of becoming a shifter.”

His eyes followed her as she stepped between his legs, though he continued his slow strokes. When she nudged at his thighs, he spread them willingly. A rumble of lust vibrated through his chest as she knelt and replaced his hand with hers. A low roar poured from his throat when her lips closed over the dripping head, and he struggled not to surge forward and thrust deeper into her warm mouth.

“Go on, Killian.” Melody removed her lips from his cock, and gave him a sultry smile. “You wanted to tease, so now it’s my turn to play. That doesn't mean I don’t want to know about this biting thing.” Her warm lips sank onto his cock, and his claws sank into the soft moss. He growled when her breasts brushed against his heavy balls with every shallow bob of her head.

“I barely know my name when you do that, mate. Fuck!” She sucked a testicle in her mouth and teased it with her tongue. His brain misfired, while his cock oozed its approval. “Um, oh hell yeah, just like that. It takes a bit more than just a single – sweet baby Jesus where did you learn to do that? – um, a single bite from me to turn you into a bear shifter. I need to – holy fucking shit! – need to bite you on each of the four – dear God, yes - four major moon phases. Please, Melody, can’t we talk about this later?” He pleaded in a rush.

“No.” She lapped up the precum as it trickled from his cock like a fountain. She covered her finger with the slick fluid, as she rubbed the sensitive head. “If you wait, you’ll never tell me. I need to know this, Killian.” Her mouth descended like a bird of prey, and he was helpless against her attack. As he watched her swallow an impressively large amount of his cock, he once more sent his joyful gratitude to the watching fates. His mate gave great head.

“Okay, okay, moon phases. Your mouth should come with a warning label, you know that?” Killian took deep breaths in an effort to keep his pounding heart from running wild around the clearing. Then she hummed around his cock buried in her throat and he gave that fucker free reign. “Killing me here, mate. Jeez, so, yeah. Four bites on the phases: first and third quarter and the new and full moons. Full moon is tomorrow,  so that would start the process – holy mother of God, where do you think you’re putting that?”

“Relax, scaredy bear.” If a hum around his cock had been lovely, a giggle felt positively divine. Too bad she coupled it with a slick finger pressing into his very virgin ass. Then she rubbed against something in the vicinity of his navel and his back arched, his cock gave an enthusiastic hell, yeah!, and a happy roar bubbled up from his toes. “See? Knew you’d like that. Tell me the rest and I’ll let you come.”

“You are an evil woman, and I think I love you already,” Killian’s hips pumped in time with her voracious mouth and thrusting finger. He whimpered only a tiny bit when she added a second, but damn if she hadn't found some kind of secret pleasure button. His growls were a continuous rumble as he struggled with coherent thought. “On each phase with a bite, (holy shit, woman, that wasn't a suggestion!) you need to bite me back. It’s like a-an infection, I guess – ohyespleasermoreharder – as we need to exchange blood over a full month. Melody!” His balls were so hard and tight against his body, he feared they were going to make a full tactical retreat soon. As his orgasm loomed, his wicked mate put a death grip on his poor, aching cock to prevent his release. Her fingers rubbed his prostate with laser-sighted precision. He was going to go blind soon if she didn't let him come.

“Just a bit longer, my bear.” She nipped the purple head, flooding his already overwhelmed senses with more pleasure. He banged his head on the ground, told his pride to fuck off, and begged. “Soon, I promise. Now, what if I don’t bite you back, Killian?”

“Please, Melody! I’m begging you. Jesus! Okay, if you skip a phase, it starts over – dear sweet God in Heaven, don’t stop! It’s so we can’t force the change on someone. HOLY FUCK!”

Her nose brushed his coarse fur around the base of his aching cock as he lodged fully in her throat. Did she breathe through her ears? He nearly wept when she released her vice-like hold and the let the blood flow. He pumped his hips, fucking her face with savage intensity. It was simply a happy coincidence that his thrusts also pounded his ass onto her wicked fingers. When she finally let him come, his roar sent the birds into the sky and several trees shed their leaves in celebration of his release. Through the intense ringing in his ears, he heard her splashing in the stream and moving around just outside his range of vision.

“I think you sucked my bones out through my dick.” He melted further into the spongy moss, with a goofy smile on his face. Staring up at the twinkling stars, he realized that he was so relaxed that his voice had slurred when he talked. Killian giggled. He fucking giggled! Bears did not giggle, but hot damn! Warmth and pride filled his heart; his mate was fucking amazing.

“Well, you might want to hunt them up. It’s close to dawn and I've got to get some sleep.” Melody loomed over his sated and  relaxed body. He frowned. When did she put clothes on? “Unless you’re willing to give up this crazy idea of fucking with the show, I need to get back to my tent. So, up, up, up!”

Killian rolled over onto his hands and knees, and forced himself to stand. His legs shook, his ass throbbed, and his cock hoisted the white flag of surrender. This round went to his wickedly sexy human mate.

Hell.

Yeah.