Mating Fever (Morgan Clan Bears, Book 3) Read online

  “You already love her, Gunnar,” Gaia scolded again. She had taken over his mother’s duties like a champ even though she didn’t have any children of her own. “Claim her.”

  Gunnar didn’t want to get into the reasons for his hesitation. He nodded at the female and stood as a sign he was ready to leave. Drake followed him out after they said their goodbyes.

  Gaia was right; he needed to claim her.

  But could he bring himself to touch her after all she’d been through?

  Anna Claire tossed and turned in the bed. All the females had all taken their leave after Gunnar and Drake had left to get supplies. The males were in the main house, watching over the land. Luca and Ransom were going out to search for foreign scents while Rex stayed back to watch over the house.

  She’d felt exhausted after their walk to the elders’ homes, but she never told Gunnar. The hormone spike from the desire to mate was getting stronger, and she knew they’d need to come to an agreement soon. The pain of going through the mating heat wouldn’t be pretty.

  Anna Claire was already on board, but Gunnar was still worried she wasn’t ready. How many times did she have to tell him for the male to understand she knew he was going to be kind and loving to her the first time?

  Just thinking about the mating caused heat to pool at her core. Her body felt the need to mate, but he wasn’t anywhere around. She didn’t have to fight the feelings her body was producing. The heaviness in her breasts and the wetness between her thighs was a clear indicator she was close to going into heat for the second time since she’d come of age.

  At twenty-two, she was still scared of what would happen to her during the spring. Last season, she was forced to sit in the kitchen chair at her house while her father stood by, watching while strange men came to their land to touch her. He wanted to breed her for the next generation, and she’d prayed to the gods that none of them had been a match for her.

  Thankfully, they had listened, but not before she’d been treated so badly by one of her own clan. The night Dwayne came for her in those woods, Anna Claire’s life had changed. She was cut open by his claws and touched by his human hands. If it wasn’t for Ada sending her mate, Anna Claire would’ve most likely died that night.

  With each of her limbs tied to two trees and a spiked collar around her throat, she couldn’t shift or the spikes would have impaled her. She would’ve bled out and died within minutes.

  A shiver rolled across her skin as she pulled the blankets tighter over her shoulders. The ache between her legs pulsed and she pressed them together. She was definitely going into heat, and without Gunnar there, she was going to suffer until he relieved her. She was tempted to call one of the elders to see if the females could find a sedative, but having them leave their homes would put them at risk. If the hunters were still out there, they could be shot, and she wouldn’t put them in danger.

  “Oh, Gunnar, why won’t you touch me?” she whispered as the heat began to fade. She let out a breath she didn’t even know she was holding. The next round of heat would hit more and more the closer she got to her peak. It could be five to ten days before she was over it, and by then, Gunnar would know. There would be no way he wouldn’t sense it. Although they hadn’t touched, the male would be riddled with lust, and knowing Gunnar like she did, he’d do everything he could not to touch her while she was fertile. He would say the mating would be too much for her to handle.

  Closing her eyes, she tried to let the exhaustion take her away. She needed to sleep for a little while, and maybe, just maybe, the heat would somehow go away.

  A rumble woke her from a dream. It was a good dream; one where she’d lived a full life before coming to the Morgan clan. The sound echoed through the room again as she shook the sleep from her fogged brain.

  “Gunnar?” she mumbled as she opened her eyes, blinking against the darkness.

  “Your scent has changed,” he growled. His eyes were glowing, and even in the dark, she could see his body. It’d swollen, his shoulders tight with bulging muscles. His mating scent mixed with hers, and she moaned when the ache between her legs increased.

  “I’m going into heat,” she moaned. “Either mate me or sedate me, Gunnar. I am in no condition to discuss this with you.” She was horny…and exhausted. Her bear wanted the touch of her male to ease the mating fever, and the last thing she wanted to do was to argue with him.

  “I can’t…” Gunnar cleared his throat, and she closed her eyes, because Anna Claire didn’t want to see him walk away. If she did watch him leave her to suffer, she would lose her mind. Crying wasn’t going to solve it, and she hated shedding tears, anyway. She’d done enough of that over the last year.

  “Just go, Gunnar,” she growled, baring her canines at him. They were thick in her mouth, and she felt her bear pushing for release. She fought the change, but it was hard. “Gods, just leave me alone.”

  “I can’t sedate you, Anna Claire,” he finally said. She risked a glance in his direction, and when she saw him strip off his shirt, a new, stronger heat surged inside her body. “You are my mate, and I want what’s best for you. Tell me if you’re not ready. I need to know now.”

  “I’m ready,” she panted as he popped the top button of his jeans.

  His long, brown hair hung over his shoulders in waves. Oh, how she longed to run her fingers through it and the short beard he’d kept neatly trimmed over the past few weeks.

  “Can you stand?” he asked, frowning when he approached. “I want our first touch to be with us eye to eye, Anna Claire.”

  “Oh, Gunnar,” she sighed and tossed aside the covers. She didn’t look very sexy in her yoga pants and tank top. She guessed, at that point, it really didn’t matter. If what she knew was to happen, the moment they touched, there wouldn’t be anything else to focus on besides making love and marking each other.

  She steadied herself, despite the ache between her legs, and stood tall and sure in front of the male. He’d been so hesitant over the last year. The last thing she wanted to do was show any body language that would make him think she was scared or unsure.

  “Anna Claire,” he breathed as he raised his hands, cupping her face tenderly.

  The shock of his touch sent her body to the floor, but he quickly scooped her up and pressed his lips to hers. Magic swirled around them, an invisible bind wrapping around their bodies as their inner bears snarled with something between excitement and primal need.

  Her back met the mattress, but she didn’t care. There was nothing to be afraid of with this male’s touch. The attack she’d been through couldn’t be compared to what she was doing now. Gunnar was her mate, and those men were nothing to her anymore. Their brutality didn’t hold any weight over her life once Gunnar touched her for the first time.

  “Gunnar, please,” she mumbled repeatedly until he finally came closer. His eyes searched her own, and once he found what he was looking for, he took her lips again. If that was all she got from him for the rest of their lives, she’d be happy. Kissing Gunnar was going to become one of her favorite things.

  His hair was softer than she imagined as he hovered over her, and the short beard he wore rubbed against her skin deliciously. One of his hands released her face and slid down her side, stopping at the waistband of her pants. She didn’t want to talk to him for fear it would jolt him out of this mating trance he was in. Lifting her hips, she moaned when he slid his hand around her back to push the material over her ass.

  “You are mine,” he whispered as if he was thanking the gods.

  His touch across her sensitive skin felt like fire, but the burn was welcomed. His lips molded to hers perfectly, and when his tongue snaked out to touch her own, she let out a moan worthy of a seductress.

  “Mount me, Gunnar, please,” she begged. The ache was building, and her bear was roaring in her mind. They wanted to feel his bite. She’d been told the mating would erase any hesitation once the connection was made, and the elder females had been correct. She didn’t
care about her past…she didn’t worry if he was going to be to animalistic…she just wanted his cock and his seed while he bit into her neck.

  “I want to taste more of you,” he growled. Gunnar was in his own passion, and when he pushed her tank top off and took one of her nipples between his teeth, she cried out with lust.

  Her tiny fingers searched for the fly of his jeans as a growl of frustration fell from her swollen lips. The moment she pushed his jeans past his ass, her hand wrapped around his hardness, and the warmth of it sent her body surging toward him.

  “On your hands and knees,” he ordered as he pulled away. She didn’t have to be told again, because the beast inside her was in charge. The animal knew exactly what needed to be done, and as she got into the position, Anna Claire breathed a sigh of relief. It was finally happening. Gunnar was officially her mate.

  His hand ran up her spine, tangling in her long hair. The bear inside her bucked against her skin, but Gunnar was there to hold her in place. It was natural for her to submit to her mate as he broke through her virginity.

  She hummed when he rubbed his cock against her wetness, coating himself in her essence. The gasp she’d held in when he pushed against her body came out in a yelp when he broke through.

  “Stay still, honey,” he cooed. “Let us get used to each other.” She knew he was struggling not to move just as much as she was. The pain wasn’t as bad as she expected, and the tear to her maidenhood would heal enough not to hurt within a few seconds.

  “I can’t,” she panted. “I need…you. You have to move, Gunnar.”

  “Yes, my mate,” he teased and made one thrust in and backed halfway out before thrusting inside her again.

  A storm was brewing inside her body, ready to crash into the earth. The thickness of his cock was just enough to touch every inch of her, giving pleasure without pain. As he continued to thrust, and with each one becoming faster, she fell to her forearms and pressed her face against the sheet. The beast inside her was guiding her, knowing what was going to come next.

  He tightened his fist at the back of her head and pulled her up so her back was to his chest. His hot breath sent chills to the skin on her neck as he licked the spot where he would bite her.

  “I’m going to mark you,” he warned only half a second before his canines sank into her skin.

  The storm building inside her rushed out with a gasp. The climax froze her voice, but he knew what to do. Just like every other aspect of her life since coming to the Morgan clan, Gunnar was ready, willing, and able to care for her. As he released her neck, licking over the spot where he’d marked her, her mate fell to his side and pulled her across his body.

  “Take me back inside your body and mark me as your own,” he whispered, using just one hand to cup her face so she would look directly into his golden eyes.

  She took his cock back inside her body and moaned from the feel of it. The slide of his hardness took on a different sensation. With her hands on his stomach, he lifted her hips to teach her the rhythm he desired while she was on top.

  “Oh, Gunnar,” she said once she finally had a voice again. It was muffled by her canines, but he heard the desire in her voice.

  Gunnar turned his head to the side in a silent offering. The beast inside her growled when she saw the spot where his neck and shoulder met. The bear told her to bite him where her mark would be seen by all other females, warning them that he was mated.

  She fell to his chest and bit into the spot. A loud roar fell from his lips as she felt his cock begin to pulse inside her. The warmth of his seed calmed her need, squelching the heat.

  His blood tasted like his mating scent. The earthy combination of his blood and scent calmed her, relaxed her. When she licked the spot on his neck, Gunnar pulled her back to his lips.

  “Hello, mate.” He smiled at her, and she found herself returning the gesture with a weight lifted from her heart.

  Chapter 6

  Sheriff Lynch listened to the radio traffic of a high-speed chase in the northern part of his town. The male was identified as one of the men he’d been looking for regarding the hunters on the dark web group that had been started a few months prior.

  Harvey Helms was the only one left in the area from the original four he’d had visions of, but that didn’t mean they were in the clear once this male was caught. The information he had found on the group made him sick to his stomach.

  They’d killed a clan already and had plans for a mass killing of any and all grizzly clans across the world in the next few months. It was only the end of March, but June first was the date those vigilantes had marked as the “death day” for the grizzlies.

  He’d already warned his panthers, but from the information on the site, those hunters were only after the bears. Why? No one knew. From his training, he figured they were honed in on only one species at a time. The fact that the grizzlies had been unknown for all this time upped their chance of becoming famous for bringing them to the media.

  Fame and fortune. The greed of it would bring out the worst in humans.

  “Turning south on Pleasant Hill Road,” a voice said over the mic.

  The male was running south of town, and that was the last place he wanted Harvey Helms to go. Heading south of town put him in bear and panther territory. While the panthers and bears weren’t exactly friends, they had an unspoken agreement to stay off each other’s land and out of each other’s business. They stuck to that, mostly, unless something big went down and they needed their help.

  “Block off Malone Road to the south and run him back this way,” Garrett called over the radio.

  “10-4,” his deputy responded.

  It was imperative Garrett be the one to arrest the human. He didn’t know how he was going to hide this one so the humans didn’t get wind of the bears. He had enough evidence to hold him for shooting up the Morgans’ land, but if word got out about them, the cool and calm the humans had shown during the original outing of the panthers could blow up in his face.

  The bears were deadly, and what made them so deadly was how calm they were. In a split second, your life would be over if you crossed a grizzly. Just like in the wild, they reigned supreme.

  “He’s bailing! He’s bailing!” Garrett’s curse echoed throughout the patrol car as he flipped on his lights and rushed to the scene.

  “Location?” he barked.

  When the address was given, he gritted his teeth. He just prayed he could find ole Harvey before those Morgan brothers got ahold of him. Gaia had mentioned they’d shot one of the females, and if Garrett knew them to be like his panthers, the human male wouldn’t survive a night out in the woods alone.

  In a matter of hours, Gunnar’s life had changed. He’d finally given up and touched Anna Claire when he’d come home to her sweet scent. He and his bear had already known what was going on the moment he’d crossed the threshold into his quarters. Her scent had been sweeter…stronger than before.

  They’d made a cub their first night together, and he was beside himself with joy. With his nose buried in her belly, his bear rumbled with happiness.

  “I can’t believe we did it,” his mate sniffled. Huge tears welled up in her eyes the moment she’d woken to realize they’d conceived the night before.

  “My mate and my cub.” Gunnar grinned as he moved from her belly to her lips. “My life is complete, Anna Claire. I’ve waited for you every spring, and now you’re here. I’m going to spoil you both.”

  “I like being spoiled,” she chuckled, but frowned. “You’re not going to let me lift a finger, are you?”

  “Probably not,” he mumbled, returning to nuzzle against her belly. Gods, the scent of her skin was too addicting. The moment he’d woken up at four in the morning, he had known exactly what he was scenting. His bear had rejoiced alongside him. They’d finally made a family.

  “You better not restrict me, Gunnar Morgan,” she growled and tangled her fingers in his hair, giving a slight tug so he would look at her
face.

  “We will have the pride’s healer check you out in a few months,” he said, knowing damn well he was going to have Harold come over before then to check on his cub. “If he says you and the cub are okay, then you can do whatever you want.”

  “I feel fine right now,” she said with narrowed eyes. “I have a garden to help plant with the females, and you have crops to grow.”

  “That we do,” he sobered, thinking about leaving the house with the hunters still around. “I don’t know how we are going to work it out this year. The hunter is still missing, and with him on the loose, I don’t want to leave you, or the other females, unprotected.”

  “You have my cousins,” she reminded him. “They’re capable of working the crops.”

  “That’s true,” he agreed with a nod, scenting her pregnancy again. He buried his nose against her stomach and inhaled. “Maybe they can take over for me for a few weeks. I haven’t gotten enough of your scent yet.”

  Well, who cared if he was as bad as a cat with a fresh pile of catnip? His new mate was making him a father, and he was going to wallow in the newness of the experience. The males would understand. If they didn’t, Gunnar would remind them of how ridiculous they’d been when Tessa and Ada were with young.

  “I’m hungry,” she chuckled when her stomach growled.

  His worry for her surfaced, and his brows pushed forward for a moment as he thought of all the recipes he could make for her and his cub to keep them healthy. “You need protein.”

  “Mmm,” she hummed. “Meat sounds delicious.”

  “Stay here and rest,” he ordered as he reluctantly backed away from the bed. “I’ll make you something and bring it in here.”

  Looking at the clock, he realized it was already ten in the morning. They’d refilled everyone’s supplies the day before, and he needed to make a large meal for everyone since they’d be at the main house once news of Anna Claire’s pregnancy got out.