Bear's Claim (Bear Heat Book 3) (10 page)

Luke had been taken to
another hospital. The young man had been rushed into intensive care
and the doctors were running a whole battery of tests on him. The
initial toxicology reports had indicated that he had been injected
with a huge dose of bear shifter serum. More tests were needed
before the doctors could decide on the best course of treatment.
Luke had been conscious and lucid when they told him the test results
and he had made his wishes clear. He didn't want to become a murder
weapon like Michael. If they couldn't find a cure for him, he wanted
them to terminate his life.

Hope Hospital had been shut
down, and a manhunt was on for the Director of Hope Hospital. Dr.
Lucien Sanchez had vanished without a trace. He had emptied his bank
accounts and escaped, probably with the help of the Mob. Alberto
Birns, the Mob boss who had financed the whole harrowing experiment
and operation, and a few of his lieutenants had also gone into
hiding. Thor was working closely with the new head of C-18 to flush
them out. He would have to go deep into the belly of the crime world
to track these evil men, but he would not stop until he brought them
all to justice. The work he did was dark and dangerous, but now,
there was a ray of light in his life. A light that shone pure and
bright and true.

Thor pulled the covers up
over Aubrey's shoulder and kissed her hair. Aubrey, the light of his
life and the mate of his heart. She represented everything that was
good and right in his world. She was what he was fighting for.

Aubrey shuddered and
murmured in her sleep. He heard her call his name and he immediately
knelt down beside her.

“I'm here, Aubrey,”
he whispered. “I'm right here.”

Aubrey's eyes fluttered open
and she reached out to clasp his hand. “Thor,” she
rasped. “Stay with me.”

“I'm not going
anywhere,” he promised.

“Hold me,” she
said plaintively.

He lay beside her on top of
the covers and tucked her into his side. But she pulled him down and
made him get under the covers with her.

Thor wrapped his arms around
her and rocked her soothingly. She sighed heavily, and he heard
her sadness and regret in that sigh. Thor desperately wanted to
cheer her up. He wasn't used to idle chitchat, and he had to rack
his brain for lighthearted topics. But he managed. He would do his
best to take her mind off all the unhappy things that had happened.

He began by telling her what
the Black Bears had been up to. It was just mundane, trivial stuff,
like Dylan's squabble with Baxter over the chocolate cake that Olga,
Ethan's night secretary, had baked and brought to the office. “Dylan
won the last slice in the end,” he said. “Well, he
didn't really win it. He just crammed it into his mouth when Bax
wasn't looking.” He was finally rewarded with a muffled
giggle.

Heartened, he continued
talking even though he was the least chatty bear in the entire clan.
He kept to happy, upbeat topics. He told her that Cora had dropped
by to see her while she was sleeping. “Cora said to tell you
that you're supposed to go shopping for baby clothes with her this
weekend,” Thor reported dutifully.

Aubrey slapped her forehead.
“Oh, I almost forgot!”

“She said you'd better
be dressed and ready by noon. Or else.”

“Ah, I remember.”
Aubrey smiled. “A new fast food place has just opened in the
mall. We've been wanting to check out their fried chicken and
seaweed-flavored chips.”

“Sounds awesome.”
He grinned. “Oh, and Caleb just called from Boxville,
Prisha's hometown. He said that everything has gone really well.
Prisha's parents have agreed to give him their daughter's hand in
marriage. He's over the moon!”

Aubrey laughed happily.
“That's wonderful!”

“It is. Caleb said to
tell you and Cora that you gals can start planning the wedding. He
said they will have a traditional Indian wedding in Prisha's
hometown, and they will have another celebration with the whole clan
when they're back in the city.”

“Ooh, we'll make sure
Prisha has the most spectacular Black Bears wedding!” Aubrey
rubbed her hands with glee. “I've got to rope in all the
she-bears in the clan. I'll be the chief wedding planner, since Cora
is pregnant,” she declared.

“Knock yourself out,”
Thor laughed. “Caleb will appreciate it.”

“You sure he doesn't
mind?” She narrowed her eyes at him. “I'm not, you
know, a Black Bear. I'm close to the clan because Cora is my best
friend. Are you sure your Beta won't mind an outsider...”

“Outsider?” Thor
exploded. “You are my mate!”

“I...”

“You are, Aubrey. You
are mine, and you're part of the clan.” Thor cupped her face
and said, “I love you, Aubrey.”

“I love you too,”
she whispered against his lips.

He kissed her gently,
tenderly at first, then more fervently as she returned his ardor.
Aubrey moaned into his mouth and clawed at his shirt.

He scented her arousal, her
burning lust and hunger for him. She wanted him, needed him. It was
a mate's fierce need and desire. She instinctively, intuitively
sought comfort and pleasure from him, and Thor would answer her need,
take her and sate that maddening, consuming hunger.

He would not deny his mate.
Not now, not ever.

CHAPTER
TWENTY-ONE

Thor savored his mate slowly
even as she panted and writhed against him. His mouth moved over
hers in a slow, tender, lingering kiss. He felt her quiver in his
arms as he gently lowered her onto her back.

His touch was soft and gentle
as he caressed her belly and thighs. Aubrey arched her body to press
her ample breasts against his chest. “More,” she
panted. “I need more. I want...you.”

Thor shredded her t-shirt
with his claws and stretched her arms over her head. “You're
so beautiful, Aubrey,” he said, kissing his way down her face.
When he slipped a pebbled nipple into his mouth, she moaned and
writhed beneath him. He could scent the delicious rush of moisture
between her legs as he suckled her. She whimpered as he laved his
tongue across her stiff peaks, inflaming and stoking her lust and
desire.

She cried out when he ripped
her panties off. Her pink folds were wet and glistening, and Thor
latched his mouth onto her sweet, hot pussy with a growl. His mate
tasted heavenly on his tongue. Thor sucked and licked her thoroughly
before pushing his stiffened tongue into her slit. Her breathing
quickened as he began to fuck her with his tongue. She was so wet,
so ready, and he could feel her channel tighten and ripple. When he
rubbed her swollen clit with his thumb, she let out a cry and her
body shook as a powerful orgasm took hold of her.

Thor shed his clothes and
covered her shuddering body with his. She blinked up at him and
gasped as he entered her with one smooth stroke. She raised her hips
to meet him as he began to thrust.

He gripped her wide, round
hips and drove deep into her body. Her lush breasts bounced as he
took her harder. There was a light sheen of sweat of her dark skin,
and her sweet, angelic face was flushed with pleasure. It was the
most beautiful, breathtaking sight he had ever seen.

Thor moved his hands down his
mate's soft, luscious body, savoring every feminine curve. Her body
was perfect for him, and they fitted together like a dream. Thor was
a big male, towering and packed with hard, bulging muscles. He'd had
tiny, skinny females in his bed before but he had been too afraid of
hurting them to take much pleasure in their bodies. He needed a
woman with enough meat on her bones for him to hold and enjoy. He
wanted a female who could give as good as she got. Aubrey was strong
and brave, generous and protective. And she had a body that he would
never get enough of. Womanly, luscious and sinfully, irresistibly
hot.

Thor pinned her hands to the
side of her head as he surged into her. Aubrey wrapped her legs
around his hips and urged him deeper into her body. Lacing his
fingers through hers, he bent and kissed her on the mouth. Then he
pulled back and gazed deeply into her eyes as he made love to her.
She looked up at him with so much love and trust that he thought his
heart was going to burst.

She was his. Forever.

Thor roared his claim and
sank his teeth into her shoulder as he pounded into her. Aubrey
jerked and cried out as she shattered and fell headlong into a
swirling vortex of heady, drowning pleasure. Thor marked his mate
with his teeth, his scent, his body. His release was violent and
explosive, and he held her tight as he hurtled over the edge with
her. He kept moving inside her even after he was spent. She felt so
amazing, so warm and so right.

“You are mine,”
he growled possessively. “My mate.”

Aubrey rolled him onto his
back and straddled him. There was a gleam in her deep brown eyes.
Without warning, she jabbed a finger in his chest and declared, “And
you are mine. So—I think I'm going to have to put a ring on
it.”

Thor rubbed his chest and
repeated, “A ring.” Then he grinned.

“What are you grinning
at me like that for?” she demanded, narrowing her eyes
suspiciously at him.

“I think you're going
to be real busy, Aubrey.”

“Huh?”

“You won't be planning
just one wedding. You'll be planning two!”

Aubrey blinked twice at him
before gasping. She raise her hands to her lips and squealed, “A
double wedding! You mean...really? Are you serious? Are you...”
Her voice quavered.

“Of course I'm
serious.” Thor got down on one knee and said, “Will you
marry me, Aubrey? I love you, and I will love you, cherish you and
protect you forever. I don't have a ring right now, but I will most
definitely put a ring on it.”

“I don't need a
ring...” she began.

“A ring,” he said
firmly. “I want you to wear my ring. But...” He
swallowed nervously. “You haven't given me your answer.”

Aubrey blinked back happy
tears and whispered, “Yes, Thor. My answer is yes!”

CHAPTER
TWENTY-TWO

Aubrey stood beside Thor and
watched Prisha and Caleb recite their vows and say their 'I dos'
before a minster. Prisha looked beautiful in a long-sleeved wedding
gown that had a satin sash across the shoulder. Prisha's designer
had incorporated the design of a traditional Indian sari into
Prisha's wedding gown. It was an elegant, exotic design, and Prisha
had exclaimed excitedly that she couldn't wait to see her daughter in
her wedding gown.

Caleb had teased his bride by
quipping, “We're just married, and already you're thinking of
our daughter!”

“Well, aren't you?”
Prisha challenged.

“Yeah,” Caleb
conceded with a grin. “Actually I am.”

Aubrey glanced up to meet
Thor's adoring gaze. “You look beautiful,” he whispered,
touching her gloved fingertips to his lips. Aubrey blushed and ran
her hand down her strapless, mermaid style wedding dress. The dress
hugged her abundant curves snugly and showcased her ample hour-glass
figure. She did feel beautiful, and so, so happy and blessed.

The whole Black Bears clan
was here, and her best friend, Cora, and all the she-bears were
dressed in similar lilac bridesmaid frocks. Everyone wanted to be
the bridesmaid, even Olga, Ethan's austere, no-nonsense secretary.
Prisha and Aubrey didn't want to leave anybody out, so that's how
they ended up with close to a hundred bridesmaids. It was the first
double wedding in the clan, and everyone was jostling for a bigger
role in the celebrations.

As soon as Caleb finished
planting a loud, long kiss on his blushing bride, the Beta of the
Black Bears bounded up the stage and winked at Thor and Aubrey.
Everyone laughed as Caleb hustled the smiling, affable minister off
the stage and cleared his throat.

“Well, I couldn't
officiate my own wedding. But—I didn't get myself ordained
over the internet for nothing! After officiating our Alpha's
wedding, I did announce that henceforth I would be officiating over
every single wedding in the clan. Except my own.” All the
Black Bears hooted and broke into applause and laughter.

“So, Thor and Aubrey,
are you ready to do this?” Caleb grinned at them as the clan
cheered. Prisha was looking on delightedly at her groom while the
minister stood beside her and chuckled.

Caleb beckoned Thor and
Aubrey forward with a flourish. When Thor said, “I do,”
Aubrey felt her heart skip a beat. He said it with love, conviction
and pride, and Aubrey knew without a doubt that this was where she
belonged. By his side, in his life, forever.

“I do,” Aubrey
answered in a strong, clear voice.

“I pronounce you
husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride!” Caleb's
booming voice carried across the lavish ballroom.

Aubrey opened her eyes and
smiled at her mate after he released her from the searing,
breathtaking kiss. The Black Bears whooped and wolf-whistled as they
crowded around the newlyweds, slapping the grooms on the backs and
embracing the two beautiful brides.