Heartsridge Shifters: Owen (The Protectors Book 1) Read online

  My eyes clung to her with a longing that made me fucking glad she didn’t look back.

  Then I groaned. She’d walked away with my damn coffee.

  Another day done. Yanking off my shirt, I aimed it at the wash basket, running a hand through my hair. It hadn’t gone as badly as I’d expected—turns out, the humans knew how to take orders—but there was still a lot of work to do. Tomorrow, they’d be treated to another slap in the face, a reminder that despite walking and talking like humans, we were animals. Tomorrow, we were letting our beasts out to play.

  I chuckled, imagining the upcoming chaos while shucking my sweats and flicking the shower on, bracing myself against the freezing cold water and stepping in.

  Next on the list: go file a report with Carter. The bossy cat had texted earlier, trying to throw his weight around. The water now scorching hot, I bumped my forehead against the tiles, closing my eyes and let it wash over me while running through the list in my head. I had a surveyor’s report to look over and Julie’s cafe needed restocking, and the invoices had to be finalized. A couple of pack members had lodged disputes which were sitting on my desk, waiting for my attention. I needed to pin down the bear Alphas for our weekly update meeting, which usually took place whenever the hell we were all hanging in the same place, but with this bootcamp, I was out of the loop. And there was the goddamned bootcamp itself. Everything was going fine, but something was niggling at me. Something felt … off? The trainees were working out fine, everyone getting along. As promised, none of them believed that shifters were dumb animals—emphasis on the dumb, because we sure as hell were animals. Or that we were abominations of nature that should be segregated. I wasn’t saying that those who thought that way were purist thugs, just plain ignorant humans, blinded by old prejudices and scared of change. But they were definitely not the kind of ideologies someone looking to train with us should have. So that was good news. I shook my head, rubbing my throbbing headache against the now heated tile. So what was it that was bugging me?

  My stomach rumbled, reminding me that it was way past dinner. Ah, crap. There was also the whole finding a new cook for the packhouse. I wracked my brain, running through names, but came up blank.

  “Owen?” Bree’s voice drifted through the open doorway, her footsteps coming closer.

  Blinking water out of my eyes, I slicked my hair back, a grin tugging at my lips. “In here.”

  The footsteps paused outside the door and I could almost hear the inner argument she was having.

  Leaning against the wall, I faced the glass screen, wiping away enough of the steam so that I could see out. “You already have my ass burned into your retinas, remember?”

  When she didn’t approach, I almost cut my shower short, catching myself at the last moment. I was the alpha of this house and I would not be chased out of my own goddamned shower. After the cold shoulder treatment she’d given me today, especially after that little chat this morning, if she wanted to talk to me she knew exactly where I was. “Suit yourself.” Grunting, I squeezed some soap into my hand and swiped it over my chest.

  “You did that on purpose.” Indignation colored her voice, her exquisite aquamarine eyes firing with flecks of electric green as they tracked the trail of bubbles down my chest.

  Well, if that’s what she wanted to believe. Lowering my hand, I let it swipe through my happy trail, grazing the edge of my hip and accidentally wiping my elbow over the glass, clearing a little more steam away. “What can I help you with, Bree?”

  She swallowed hard, then tried to cover it by coughing into her hand, her eyes darting away. “Geez, cover that thing up, would you?”

  I turned around, giving her a view of my ass. “Better?”

  “Not really,” she muttered into her fist, leaning her ass up against the vanity.

  Which just gave me ideas. Lots and lots of ideas.

  She looked like she was going to say something, but stalled at the last moment, indecision flickering in her eyes. And something else … pain? Despair?

  Whatever it was, it put the fear of God into me. I shoved the shower door open, managing to brace myself against the metal enclosure before I closed the gap between us. “Tell me,” I ground out.

  She picked at a spot of toothpaste in the sink, peeling it away with her nail. “Have you ever had to make a decision that would change your life forever?”

  Yes. I swallowed my initial answer, forcing a new one out, “What kind of decision?”

  She laughed, but it was a hollow sound that tore at my chest. “Nothing. It doesn’t matter, and it’s not why I’m here.”

  Grabbing a towel, I secured it around my waist, moving toward her smooth and slow, a predator stalking skittish prey. “Bree—”

  “I might have to quit my cushy new job.” Before I could get a word out, she snorted. “Scratch that, I’m definitely going to have to quit my job.” She flicked the blob of toothpaste into the drain, contempt curling her lip.

  But, why? What was she pissed at? “You not having fun, sugar?”

  When her eyes met mine, they were so fucking … real, it was like I could see into her soul. Then the shadows returned, clouding her thoughts. “Kicking ass? What’s not to like?”

  “Then why leave?” Because that’s what she was saying. She was telling me she was fucking leaving. Just like that. Without even giving me a chance, giving us a chance.

  “Choices. Both shit, but they’re all I’ve got.” Her voice was barely above a whisper as she scratched at the sink, hair falling over her face and hiding her from view. “So, yeah. Sorry about that.” Pushing away from the cabinet, she shoved her hands in her pockets and shrugged. “Thanks for the opportunity.”

  Like I was just a goddamned employer to her.

  “I think you’re forgetting something,” I growled, blocking her exit.

  Her eyes widened, then narrowed, but it didn’t stop her from tracing the line of my jaw with her gaze, or feasting on my lips. Her scent rose between us, ripe and sweet and tinged with her arousal, wrapping around my cock and tugging it to life. It jerked beneath the towel binding, demanding her attention. Demanding to be welcomed by her body, to plunge inside her silky, wet heat and claim her as my own. This thing between us, it was too raw, too alive, too goddamn savage for her to walk away from.

  And she felt it too.

  No more running.

  I stalked forward, satisfaction pumping through my blood when her gaze dropped to my cock, her chest rising as she sucked in a breath.

  “Owen, don’t. I have—”

  “You’ve made your mind up, you’re leaving.” Me, I added silently, my wolf howling with rage. “There’s nothing I can do to convince you to stay.” I made it a statement, keeping my voice flat and level, not an ounce of emotion allowed to leak through.

  She bit her lip, sucking it into her mouth, before shaking her head. “Nope, nothing.” The words came out clipped, forceful, but her gaze dropped to her hands as her shoulders hunched, brow furrowing.

  I almost took a step back. Where was the woman who could cut through my bullshit with her wit and thrived on giving me a verbal smackdown? I could understand being afraid, even scared of the future, but this … this scared me. The woman I knew didn’t cower or hide; she fought scrappy and didn’t give a shit about the rules.

  Because we were one of a kind; I knew her.

  I caught the back of her head, sliding my fingers through her hair as my other arm curled around her waist, yanking her against me. “If there’s nothing I can do, then this shouldn’t mean a damn thing to you.” My words were growled against her lips, a lick of heat against the seam of her mouth.

  Her hands came up between us, palms flat against my chest and ready to shove.

  That was my girl. Never giving up. A fighter to the last.

  Aquamarine eyes stared up at me, spitting fire and swirling with a cloud of emotions I couldn’t even begin to try and understand. But it was the heat I was interested in, the heat that stole into m
y gut and squeezed me tight. I hadn’t even tasted her properly and I knew for sure.

  She was the one.

  Exhilaration and relief shot through me.

  Her fingers curled and her nails dug into my chest, tiny pricks of pain slamming into the flesh encasing my heart.

  I claimed her mouth, the savage beast rising up inside me as I groaned against her lips, our bodies sliding together in utter perfection.

  She yielded on a moan, and my control snapped free of its final tether.

  I fell into her.

  Chapter Ten

  Briana

  I was lost. His taste. His strength. The deep, husky sounds he was making, hummed against my lips. His mouth moving against mine, firm and possessive. His hands skimmed my body, pulling me closer, squeezing me tight. Heat spread out in waves from where his body pressed against mine, my core throbbing with a primal beat. Now. Yes. Need you…

  I jerked back, blinking him into focus.

  His stubble still tingled along my skin, my lips swollen from his kiss. His hips rocked forward as he nipped at my neck, his hard shaft digging into my stomach.

  My heart thundered in my ears, at war with the pulsating ache of my libido finally kicking into overdrive. I shivered at the sharp nip of his teeth digging into my skin, a low rumble of pleasure humming across my collarbone.

  My head fell to the side, giving him room to work his magic, my hands roaming down his back and digging into his gorgeous ass. Holy smoking sexscapades. I wasn’t a shy, retiring virgin or anything, but it had been a while. A Sahara level dry spell.

  His large hand palmed my breast, thumb scraping over my nipple in a slow, torturous tease.

  Dry spell or not, it had never been like this. Consuming. Overwhelming.

  Utterly devastating.

  He pressed a kiss to my neck, nuzzling as he inhaled deeply.

  It was the touch of a lover, and so much more than a quick fuck with no strings attached. I had to tell him, make him see that this couldn’t be anything serious. I hadn’t planned on this happening, but I now knew I couldn’t walk away without this memory to sustain me.

  I could only hope and pray that he could live in the moment with me. No regrets.

  “Owen?”

  “Hmmmm?” He licked the lobe of my ear, then tugged it into his mouth, his hips moving in a slow circle, nudging my thighs apart inch by inch.

  I bit back a moan as friction caught fire in just the right place, my hands betraying my next words by digging into his ass and holding him against me. “I still have to leave.”

  His mouth descended on mine, his tongue sweeping in as if trying to erase my words, trying to coax new ones to form. That I’d stay, submit to him. That I’d be his.

  Dragging my hand up between us, I gripped his jaw, until his eyes found mine and held. “I can’t register and I’ve run out of time. I’m leaving. Tonight.” I bit my lip, sucking back a sob as a look of utter devastation flashed through his beautiful green eyes. But then it was gone, as if I’d imagined it.

  Heat burned bright, determination darkening his eyes to a shimmering gold. “I can protect you from whatever it is you’re running from.”

  “You can’t.” No one could. Didn’t he think I had tried to find a way to stay? Dante’s offer flashed through my mind, but I couldn’t. I just … couldn’t.

  His jaw flexed as he ground his words out, “You’re my fated mate, Briana.”

  “I know.” It was unheard of—dragons only ever found their mates with each other—but I couldn’t deny the connection between us. I waited for the panic to consume me, send me running as fast as I could, but I couldn’t move. My soul ached for him, sorrow and loss spilling from the void inside my chest and pressing against my skin. For the first time in a long time, I wanted to hear my true name spoken out loud. Just once more, and only by him. I bit my tongue until the urge passed, stroking my thumb over his bottom lip. “But I’ve still got to go.”

  His mouth swept across mine, and I let him, savoring his touch. “Right now?”

  My hand slid into his hair, gripping at the roots. “You can’t persuade me to stay.” Rather than pushing him away, I tugged him closer, stealing another kiss.

  His grin was pure wolf. “You’re not exactly shoving me away.”

  One hand on his ass, the other in his hair—yeah, he had a point. “I thought it only fair that you should know the facts.”

  His hand slid underneath my ass, lifting me onto the cabinet. He pressed between my legs, grinding against me. “Before we fuck, you mean?”

  Having lost my grip on his ass, I poked him in the shoulder. “You’re not playing fair.”

  “I’m playing the only card I’ve been dealt.”

  My answer was lost on a squeak when his fingers curled into the waistband of my pants, yanking them down and stripping them off. Crouching between my legs, he smoothed his hands up my calves, then my thighs, then hooked his thumbs into the soft flesh, spreading me wide.

  I could have stopped him. Could have slammed my legs shut.

  He gave me every opportunity to say no.

  But I didn’t. I wanted him, just for tonight.

  And he knew it.

  His mouth latched onto me, his tongue sliding into my core and licking deep, kissing me like he kissed my lips. Slow and languid, he built the tension inside me, coiling it tighter and tighter, adding a finger, then another, massaging me from the inside out.

  I arched above him, my head tilting back and meeting the wall, thighs clenching and the heels of my feet digging into his shoulders. My fingers clasped the edge of the cabinet as my eyes rolled back, wave after wave of release ripping through me, pulsating and throbbing as I whimpered though gritted teeth.

  Not missing a beat, he stood, ripping the towel off, his hand wrapping around himself as he pumped and teased the large shaft, angling himself between my legs. With a yank, he had my ass balancing on the edge, my hand slapping down behind me for support. His cock teased my entrance as he tugged my tank top off, tossing it over his shoulder with a low growl.

  Rocking in small circles, he slid his thick shaft through my slick heat, rubbing over my sweet spot again and again as his mouth closed over my nipple, his large hand cupping and offering up my breast for him to feast on.

  “Mmmmm … delicious,” he growled, nipping at the puckered flesh before turning to its neglected mate, lavishing it with the same attention. He rocked harder against me, his heavy cock sliding up and across my stomach, teasing and taunting the bundle of nerves hidden between my thighs.

  Trailing my free hand down his back, I dug my nails into his muscular ass. “Quit teasing,” I muttered, but it came out a whimper. Heck, no. I didn’t whimper. Quick as a flash, I slid my hand between us and took the matter in hand, stroking him forcefully, squeezing until his mouth grew wild, his teeth biting and grunts rasping out against my skin.

  “Fuck,” he hissed, letting my nipple go with a pop. Pushing my hand away, he thrust inside me, impaling me slow and steady, stretching me perfectly. Strain cut sharp lines across his muscular frame as he gritted his teeth. “Fuck, Bree,” he breathed, slanting his mouth over mine and stealing my air, his hips pressing forward until we bumped together. His arm curled around me, pressing me as close as two people could possibly be.

  My legs trembled, his taste invading my mouth, his scent surrounding me and sucking me into a world where nothing else existed. Just him. Moving inside of me, working my body into a ball of neediness, nerve endings spiking with every sharp thrust of his hips, every jerk of his hand against my hip, dragging me closer, digging deeper. Breath mingling, my soft cries merging with his hoarse groans, we writhed in perfect synchrony, our bodies created to fit together. Wild and imperfect, fingers tugged and pulled, pressing and stroking, murmurs of nonsensical words falling from ours lips, imprinted into sweat slicked skin.

  I stifled a moan, biting into his pec, salt sharp on my tongue as he thrust faster, harder, coaxing sounds from me that were more an
imal than woman. I couldn’t get enough. Needed more. Needed to feel all of him. Straining, my toes stretched and back arched, my ass lifted into the air, an offering as he pounded into me, animalistic and raw, my shriek splitting the air as all the air in my body was squeezed out of me, muscles contracting and mind spinning.

  His roar vibrated through me, heat scalding my insides.

  I collapsed into him, his arms coming up and wrapping around me, holding me close enough that I could feel his heart stutter in his chest.

  Without words, he picked me up and carried me into the bedroom, following me down onto the bed and covering my mouth with his.

  He wanted more.

  So did I. I could only hope it would be enough.

  Chapter Eleven

  Owen

  Daybreak sifted through the open shutters, golden light catching on flecks of dust as they floated around the room. It slashed across the bed, highlighting our tangled legs, sheets twisted high enough to conceal the good bits, while showing off enough of Bree to tease my eyes.

  My arm had fallen asleep hours ago, but my only regret was not being able to feel her soft cheek pressing into my skin. I could see the trail of drool though, which was kind of cute, and could feel her breath puffing out against my chest, rhythmic and deep as she laid cuddled up against my side.

  The scent of sex filled my nostrils, musky and addictive. It was also one of the reasons why I’d been awake for hours, aching, despite having lost myself in this woman over and over. I had drank in her cries, lapped at her skin, buried myself in her body, joined us, left my mark deep inside her. It was the only thing easing my wolf, keeping him caged beneath my skin.

  He wasn’t happy that she didn’t wear my mark on her skin. Hell, I wasn’t happy. My canines itched, even as my cock jerked at the thought of sliding inside her once more, teeth and body. Joining us together in the ultimate act. But I wasn’t doing that until she admitted that she wanted it. Us.