Illuminating His Bear by Charlie Richards
Chapter Three
Zhaul followed his mate’s guidance, allowing him to lead him to the trees. His own bear rumbled with pleasure at getting some alone-time with their mate—sort of. After all, the other brown bears were tentatively making their way to the surrounding cypress trees, too.
Upon reaching the edge of the trees, his brown bear released his wrist. He rested his forepaws on the trunk and peered upward. Then he focused back on Zhaul.
His expression appeared expectant.
Zhaul glanced at the branches, and his own bear rumbled in his mind. Smiling, he asked, “Do you want to go climbing?”
The brown bear growled as he rubbed his big head against Zhaul’s chest. Then he scratched at the tree trunk.
“Okay.” Zhaul grinned as he whipped his shirt over his head. “I haven’t been climbing in forever.”
After dropping his clothes on the ground where they fell, Zhaul crouched and called to his bear. His body morphed, growing larger. Thick fur sprouted from his pores, and his limbs altered. Sharp claws extended from his fingers and toes, and his jaw lengthened to accommodate his massive teeth.
Zhaul opened his eyes to find his mate watching him with warmth in his deep brown eyes. As soon as he finished, the brown bear returned his feet to the ground. His mate rubbed his head against Zhaul’s in greeting, snuffling and rumbling with obvious happiness.
Returning the touches, Zhaul nuzzled over his mate’s ear, then along his neck and shoulder. He grumbled with pleasure, enjoying the petting. After a moment of that, he felt his mate grip his ear and tug lightly, his movements playful.
Grunting, Zhaul tugged free and attempted to do the same to his mate. The other bear was quicker. He slipped away, his eyes alit with his pleasure. Then the brown bear turned and bounded up the tree.
Zhaul followed, climbing swiftly. His claws dug into the bark of the cypress tree, propelling him upward. He followed his mate along first one branch, then another.
Every once in a while, Zhaul drew close enough to take a playful swipe at his mate’s body or a nip at his haunch. On a particularly wide set of branches where it broke into three smaller ones, his brown bear turned and pounced.
Going with the movement, Zhaul rolled backward, his body cradled in the vee the branches had made. His mate landed on top of him, holding him down with his front paws. He immediately began grooming Zhaul, licking his face, ears, and neck.
Zhaul stayed still under his mate’s ministrations, allowing his bear to push his head this way and that. After several minutes, the brown bear relaxed against him, and his nose pressed into his neck. Zhaul nuzzled his cheek against the brown bear’s, wishing for all he was worth that he could talk to him.
Recalling Tim’s words—giving the bears permission to relax as they saw fit—an idea formed.
Calling to his human form, Zhaul changed back. He ignored the scrape of bark on his backside as his shift worked through him. Once he had human limbs, Zhaul reached up and sank his fingers into his mate’s fur, enjoying the feel of the coarse hair under his palms.
Zhaul met the bear’s brown eyes, seeing the intelligence within their depths. His mate was in there. He knew it.
I just need to get him to come out.
“Can you shift?” Zhaul asked. When the bear just stared at him, he tried again. “Do you have the ability to shift?” After a second of hesitation, Zhaul added, “Or did the witches trap you in your bear form?”
For a moment, Zhaul just waited to see what his mate would decide to try to share with him. He massaged the ruff under his fingers while moving his other hand to rub the fur on his cheek. Smiling at the way his bear pressed into his touches, Zhaul wondered if the bear would try to respond at all.
Finally, the bear dipped his head in a semblance of a nod.
Zhaul realized that could have been an affirmative to any of his questions.
Damn. I didn’t think this through.
After a second of hesitation, Zhaul stated, “Tim ordered you to relax as you saw fit.” He watched his mate’s jaw tightened as he growled softly in agitation. Zhaul decided to press the matter by saying, “That means, if you decided you wanted to relax in human form, you could.”
To Zhaul’s pleasure, his mate cocked his head. He seemed to be considering that. The bear even swallowed thickly, as if gearing himself up for something.
Then the bear shifted. The transition was slow, and the twisted expression on his features betrayed his agony. The fur beneath Zhaul’s figures was replaced by sweaty flesh.
It took nearly two minutes, but finally, his naked human mate lay heavily upon him. He panted harshly, and every few seconds, shudders racked him.
Zhaul recalled the first time he’d managed to shift to his human form after being trapped for almost six months. It had been uncomfortable as hell. His skin had felt on fire, and his joints had ached.
From how his mate was acting, Zhaul wondered if the man had been stuck as a bear for even longer.
Doing his best to soothe, Zhaul rubbed up and down his mate’s back. He enjoyed the feel of his hard muscles under his deep brown flesh. His ribs were a bit more prominent than they should be, telling Zhaul that he needed more than a few good meals.
Gotta remember to mention that to Kontra.
His mate needed more food.
Pressing a kiss to his mate’s shaggy, dark-brown hair, Zhaul inhaled his woodsy masculine scent. Even tinged with the acrid bite of pain, he still smelled fantastic. That, coupled with their naked flesh pressed together, had a predictable reaction on Zhaul’s body, and he felt his blood heat as his cock stirred.
His mate inhaled deeply and groaned softly. He slid his arms around Zhaul, tightening his hold. Rubbing his cheek against Zhaul’s pectoral, his mate also shifted his hips, revealing that he was quickly coming to be in an answering state of need.
Zhaul’s instincts reared up, flooding him with an undeniable desire to care for and please his mate. Lowering his hands to his soon-to-be lover’s slim hips, he shifted him a little to the left, allowing Zhaul to spread his legs. As soon as Zhaul cradled his mate between his thighs, the feel of the other man’s thick erection pressing against his own caused a zing of pleasure to streak up his spine.
“Fuck,” Zhaul whined, holding his mate’s hips tighter as he rocked his hips. “Tell me this is okay, my mate,” he urged, dipping his head to press wet kisses across his temple. “Can I please us both?”
Even as Zhaul asked for permission, he couldn’t stop the movement of his hips. It had been so damn long, and the feel of his mate in his arms caused his blood to rage with lust. The heady scent of his mate’s arousal set his mouth watering with a desire to taste… everything.
“Yessss,” his mate hissed, his voice gruff and low, guttural, as if he hadn’t used it in a very long time. He tightened his arms where they were wrapped around Zhaul’s torso and began rocking his hips more firmly. “Yessss, maaaate.”
His words were slurred and rough, but Zhaul understood. Having confirmed his mate’s acceptance, he sped up his movements. He knew it wouldn’t be long, for he already felt the tell-tale tingle at the base of his spine and enjoyed the way his balls began to tighten.
Zhaul slid his palms from his mate’s hips to his ass cheeks. While he felt his lover’s body tense a little, he never stopped moving. Flexing his muscles, Zhaul used the better hold to increase the pressure.
That seemed to be all his lover needed.
With a gruff moan, his mate was taken by racking shudders to his body. The heat of cum oozing between them, along with the delicious aroma of his mate’s seed, caused Zhaul’s senses to sing. His cock throbbed as his orgasm crashed over him, sending him soaring.
For several long moments, Zhaul just reveled in the sweet sensations of holding and marking his mate with his scent. While his mouth watered with his craving to taste his lover’s blood, he stayed the impulse… for now.
Zhaul felt his mate shift above him, easing up his body a little. Then his lover once again buried his face in Zhaul’s neck. He smiled as he released his man’s ass and rubbed up his back, pleased his mate would find comfort from his scent.
When his mate began to lift his head, Zhaul thought he would finally get to meet his lover’s gaze. Except, he didn’t. His mate stopped with his nose still touching the flesh where his neck met his shoulder.
“Biiiite meeee,” his mate snarled right before sinking his teeth deep into Zhaul’s flesh.
Gasping in shock, Zhaul tensed upon feeling the initial spike of pain. Then he moaned as the sweetest zings of bliss fired through his veins. His nipples beaded, and his cock throbbed.
Zhaul found himself blind-sided by a second orgasm, his balls feeling as if they damn well turned inside out as he coated his mate with another heavy load of jizz.
As his mate continued to suck at Zhaul’s neck, his orgasm seemed to go on and on. His brain stalled, and his instinct to bite returned in full force, his canines extending.
Unable to help himself, Zhaul did exactly as his mate had demanded—he bit him.
Snapping his head forward, Zhaul buried his teeth into the flesh where his mate’s neck met his shoulder. The other shifter’s life force welled up around his teeth, flowing into his mouth. The exquisite flavor of his lover’s blood coated his tongue, drawing a deep, satisfied groan from Zhaul’s throat.
Zhaul swallowed once, twice, then a third time. The groan and shudder from the man atop him sent a possessive thrill through him, and he clung to his mate even tighter.
Finally, Zhaul gathered a bit of self-control and eased his teeth from his mate’s neck. He licked the abused flesh, closing the wound and cleaning away the last traces of delicious fluid all at the same time. Seeing the claiming scar he’d left behind, pride raced through him.
While one of them would have to fuck the other to truly complete their bond, he still loved that he’d left his mark on his mate.
Feeling his mate’s arms loosen just a little, Zhaul rubbed over his back once more. He felt the other man ease his teeth free, and the tingles caused by him licking over his mark caused him to hum with pleasure. His dick even twitched, threatening to rise again.
After what felt like an eternity, but was probably really only a few seconds, his mate finally lifted his head.
Zhaul peered into deep, dark, and troubled brown eyes. His mate’s shaggy brows were drawn together, and there was a pinch to his bearded lips that worried him.
“I claimed you,” the man stated in his deep rough voice. He grimaced as he shook his head. “I shouldn’t have done that.”
Frowning as his heart began hammering in his chest for an all new reason, Zhaul countered, “It’s never wrong to claim your mate.”
“But I’m a slave. I have nothing to offer you. I can’t even control my own actions.”
Shaking his head, Zhaul declared, “You’re not a slave. Not anymore, and we’ll find a way to break the spells’ hold on your actions.” Seeing the disbelief etched across his lover’s features, he added, “I promise.”
