ROMANCE: PARANORMAL ROMANCE: Mated, Bearfoot and Pregnant (Bear Shifter BBW Pregnancy Romance) (Werebear Hero Fantasy Romance) Read online

  "No can do. You stay right where you are. I don't give a shit about what you have to stay, but Jessica might."

  Jessica. Was she Gabriel's fiancée? Victoria couldn't think of another reason why Gabriel's scent upon her skin would matter. But things weren't stacking up. She'd gone back to the motel alone, and the thing that had sprung at her from the shadows couldn't have been human. Could that lawyer, Finneus, have organized a capture like this in the twenty minutes it had taken her to cross town? And even if he could have, how did he know where she was staying?

  "Please, just tell me what's going on," Victoria begged. "I promise I won't struggle or bug you any more if you just tell me what's happening. I'm so confused."

  Before the man had time to speak, his companion hung up the phone and shook his head.

  "She's not picking up. It must be crawling at work. Usually she's out between one and two. We'll just have to keep her until then."

  Now that the call was over, the tall man approached her again. From the looks of him he wasn't much older than she was, somewhere in his late twenties. He kept his stubble carefully shaved, and there was a slinking grace to the way he walked that suggested great agility. Something so fluid it barely seemed human. Something familiar.

  Victoria narrowed her eyes and tried to work it out, and as she did she caught sight of his eyes. Warm and brown, she'd seen those eyes before. Both men shared the same coloring, but the creature in the parking lot had possessed it as well.

  "What's your name?" the tall man asked. He looked down at her, a sly grin on his face. Victoria had gone from sure of her safety to uncertain. There was something off about both of them, and it made her uneasy.

  "Victoria." There wasn't any point in lying. The last time she'd lied she'd gotten kicked.

  "Lewis Leroux," the tall man replied, "and this is my younger brother, Steven. You know, I think I see what Gabriel sees in you."

  Victoria swallowed hard. There was a predatory hunger in Lewis' brown eyes that was a bit too eager. Victoria did not encourage him to continue the thought, but he took the initiative onto himself.

  "Auburn hair, those big blue eyes. Your children would be gorgeous. And with my royal strength running through their veins..."

  He reached out and ran the back of his hand gently over her cheek. Victoria's stomach turned. Even if it had all been a lie to seduce her, Gabriel had always treated her kindly and made her feel valued. The way Lewis touched her and spoke to her made her feel objectified and degraded. There was a sharp tilt to the words he spoke that terrified her, as though he would think nothing of doing her harm if she didn't agree.

  "Maybe I'll take you for myself," he concluded. The knuckle of his index finger traced across her lips, but Victoria did not open her mouth or greet him with affection. When Lewis finally drew away, Victoria exhaled sharply through her nose and tried to gather herself.

  "Gabriel's scent's all over her," Steven said, digging his hands into the pockets of his jeans as he looked her over. "You don't think he's claimed her?"

  "No. The scent of him is on her skin, and it's incriminating enough that Jessica would want to investigate it, but he stopped. If I take her now..." The hand that had drawn away from her face met her knee and then traced up her thigh, disappearing beneath her skirt. Victoria began to twist in the chair, trying to avoid his touch.

  "Stop!" she insisted. "Don't touch me!"

  Why was this happening to her? For so long she'd been scoffed at and disregarded by men, and now she had too many interested in her for all the wrong reasons.

  "I'm a better King than Gabriel could ever hope to be," Lewis cooed to her. "How would you like that? To be my trophy Queen, the spoils of war snatched from the Fallen King's fingers. Every child you'd bear me would be a sigil of our superiority."

  Scents. Kings. Mates. Bloodlines. Victoria had no idea what they were talking about. The more she heard, the more she was convinced that they'd taken her by accident.

  "I just want to go home." As desperate as she had begun to feel, Victoria would not allow herself to cry. So many times she'd shed tears when the going had gotten tough, but before these men she had to remain steadfast in her resolution. It was too early to tell, but Victoria was near certain they would prey on her weakness like vultures upon roadkill.

  "And I've decided that your new home is with me," Lewis announced with a victorious smirk. "I'll claim you in this very room, and take you home as my Queen. Whatever ties Gabriel has to you won't matter anymore."

  The hand dipped further. Victoria clenched her thighs together and threw all her body weight to the side, hoping to knock the chair over. It wobbled on its legs, but did not fall.

  "HELP!" There had to be someone nearby who would hear her. Victoria thrashed and strained against her bonds, and Lewis laughed at her efforts. The hand beneath her skirt lifted it up slowly.

  "HELP ME!" Was there no hope? The tears she'd fought so hard to stave off began to dot the corners of Victoria's eyes.

  He'd almost pulled the skirt back entirely when the sound of splintering wood and the slamming of a door broke the scene. Victoria's head whipped towards the source, tears partially blinding her. Despite her obscured vision, there was no mistaking him. Gabriel stood in the door, his chest heaving and his eyes narrowed.

  "LEROUX," he bellowed. Lewis drew his hand back and turned his head to look at Gabriel, but even as he did Gabriel had disappeared. One moment the blonde soldier stood in the doorway, and the next a lion stood in his place. The clothes Gabriel wore had shredded with a haunting rip and fell around him in tattered strips. It was as though the beast had burst forth from inside of him like fire taking to gas.

  Victoria blinked the tears away to try to get a better look. In the time it took her to clear her eyes, the lion had sprung through the air and tackled Lewis to the ground. A familiar ripping noise broke through the silence of the room, and when Victoria looked down, Lewis had disappeared. At her feet were two huge beasts, one blonde, the other black. Luxurious manes revealed them both to be male. And in the tiny expanse of the bedroom, they clawed and tore at each other as though they fought to the death. Both of them growled and roared; Victoria had never heard another sound as loud or as frightening as the ones they made.

  "Shit," Steven mumbled, the word lost amongst the fearsome snarls and the gnashing of teeth. "Fuck this, Lewis. I just wanted to show her to Jessica. I'm not fighting a Liston. You brought this on yourself." Without waiting for an answer or otherwise engaging with the struggling lions on the floor, Steven ran for the open door and disappeared into the night.

  A kidnapping. Bad blood between Lewis and Gabriel. Lions. Victoria plunged into the cold depths of a world she knew nothing about, but was forced to discover. Two lions fought for her — one to free her, the other to possess her — and all she could do was sit and watch.

  It fast became evident that the blonde lion was the strongest of the pair. The two rolled as they struggled to pin the other to the ground while clawing and gnashing, but more often than not the blonde lion wound up on top. More muscular and skilled, after a short struggle he was able to pin the black lion to the floor. Both creatures had sustained injury; deep, bleeding gashes ran across their sides and on their faces, but neither seemed to care. Blood pooled on the floor beneath them and soaked in their coats, much more visible on the blonde lion. It looked bad, but the worst was over. With the black lion pinned, the blonde lion set his jaws upon the aggressor's throat and clamped down not with lethality, but with dominance. The fight faded from the black lion's eyes, and Victoria saw how his body grew slack. When he had submitted entirely the blonde lion drew away, and Gabriel took his place and rose to his feet, naked. Deep gashes decorated his chest and ran across his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. Blood ran liberally from them, streaking his skin red. The pain did not distract him; Gabriel looked as firm and dominant as ever, shoulders back and chin held high.

  "If you touch her," Gabriel hissed, the words like venom, "if you think
about touching her, I will pin you all over again, but next time you will not walk away from the fight. Do you understand, Leroux?"

  The black lion looked up at him from the floor, warm brown eyes narrowed. A moment later Lewis lay in his place, staring up at Gabriel with spite. Victoria's heart hammered in her chest; the tension between Gabriel and Lewis was thick.

  "Understood." Lewis scrambled to his feet, then stalked around Gabriel, never letting his eyes part from him. After a lingering glance he too broke for the door and into the night. The wounds he'd sustained weren't as severe as Gabriel’s, although he was still covered in blood. Gabriel had fought him to dominate and submit, not to hurt. Lewis had not offered Gabriel the same curtesy.

  "Gabriel," Victoria choked out when they were alone. Before her the floor was bathed in blood, and the man who'd made her feel things she'd never felt before was hurt. He'd saved her, and he'd paid the price for it.

  Upon hearing his name, Gabriel turned away from the door and looked at her. There was a gentle glint in his eyes so different from the aggression he'd shown Lewis.

  "Are you okay, V?" he asked. Without a thought he crossed the floor to her side, bare feet stepping through puddles of his own blood. "All of this is my fault. I'm sorry. You deserve better."

  "I'm fine. He didn't hurt me. He... He hurt you." It was hard to stay angry, even though she had plenty of reason to. Gabriel had risked his life to save her. No man had ever sacrificed so much on her behalf. "Those cuts look bad, Gabriel. I should take you to a doctor."

  "I'll be fine," he assured her with solemn certainty. Now at her side, he worked to undo the ropes that held her wrists together. The bonds slacked, and then she was free.

  "And you were a..." Saying it out loud meant that it was real, and Victoria hesitated. A lion. He'd turned into a lion before her eyes, and Lewis had, too. Before she'd thought of Gabriel as an angel, but now she knew he was something even more bizarre. No matter what he was, the concept was the same — he had been sent to protect her, and for that, Victoria was grateful.

  "Lion," Gabriel completed for her. He moved to stand in front of her once more, catching her eye. When he spoke, he did so with sincerity. "I meant to tell you, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I thought you'd never believe me, that you'd leave because of how crazy it would make me sound. The truth of it is, I was born a lion shifter, V. Both man and lion, the blood of Kings runs in my veins. I came back to America from the war in the Middle East to rule the pride since my father's death, but I am not much of a leader."

  Blue eyes downcast, Gabriel had to pause before he continued. Victoria's heart broke for him.

  "I lied to Finneus, I lied to you, and I've hurt the people who depend upon me for guidance. The only thing I didn't lie to," his gaze lifted, catching her's again, "is my heart. All I know about my fiancee is her name and her face; it's an arranged marriage. The girl I really want is the one sitting in front of me, the one I know I'd die to protect."

  Victoria's heart fluttered and warmth spread through her cheeks.

  "I'm calling the engagement off. You are the one for me, Victoria. My soul tells me so. Do you feel it, too? We call it The Bond. It happens when two souls destined for each other meet and everything falls into place. I was made for you, V. Of that, there is no doubt."

  The confession was crazy, but Victoria felt it, too. Gabriel had been all she'd thought about since they'd met, and being with him was easy. The things he made her feel and the way he treated her were without comparison.

  "Let me clean you up." There was so much to think about. On shaky legs Victoria rose, taking Gabriel's hand in hers. The stunning body she'd explored hours before was covered in blood and vulnerable, and it was her turn to take care of him.

  Together they made their way to the small bathroom. Victoria ran the water, heating it before activating the shower. As she did, Gabriel stood silently at her side. When the shower was ready she reached back to unfasten the top clasp of her dress and pulled down the zipper beneath. The garment pooled around her ankles, leaving her in just her strapless bra. That, too, met the bathroom tiles. Gabriel's eyes devoured her, and for once she did not feel self-conscious. There was nothing but adoration in the way he looked at her.

  "Come," she bade him, stepping into the shower. Her fingers laced loosely with his, drawing him after her. Both of them entered the stall, and soon the blood washed thin around their feet and down the drain. To Victoria's surprise, even the deepest of gashes had closed. The wounds were still present, but they were well on the way to disappearing.

  "Told you I'd be okay," Gabriel whispered to her, fixing her with a stunning smile. He caught her jaw in his hand and held her gaze up to his, letting their lips brush. "I'll fight for you until the end. A little roughhousing isn't going to do me in."

  Sparks of arousal shot down her spine and buried in her gut. Victoria felt her sex heating, the desire to have him as hers growing. The Bond, she thought. Being with Gabriel felt natural.

  Hers until the end.

  Victoria closed her eyes and brought their lips together, directing them through a sweet kiss. The steam from the shower billowed around them, wrapping them in warmth. Gabriel's arms found their way around her waist and he pulled her close. His own swelling arousal pressed against her stomach, thick and lengthy. The treasure she'd been unable to uncover in the basement apartment was now hers to have. Gabriel rose to attention for her, hard within moments at the sight of her. True desire. Victoria had never felt so amazing.

  "Take me," she whispered as the kiss broke. Gabriel shuddered, and she felt his cock twitch in excitement.

  "You don't understand." There was hesitance and need mixed into his words. Gabriel wanted to take her, but something held him back. "If I take you now, there's no going back. I'll be your mate until I die. And you..."

  Victoria understood, and yet the decision was an easy one to make. That night at the Ambrogio they had met for a reason, and every event in her life that had shaped her had led her to this moment. Their souls were meant for each other, and fate had introduced them at long last.

  "Make me your mate," she said. "There is no one else I want more than you."

  Whatever troubles they would face for this decision, whatever she would have to learn about the world of shifters, and whatever growing she needed to do as a person, Victoria was sure that none of it was daunting enough to keep them apart. Every obstacle would be surpassed as long as they stood by each other's side.

  "Victoria." Hearing her name on his lips was a divine treat. Gabriel's arms tightened slightly around her, and he lifted her from the shower floor. With ease he moved them back until she was pressed against the wall and he was upon her, as though she weighed nothing. Victoria couldn't remember the last time a man had picked her up, let alone made it look effortless.

  They kissed again, Gabriel's lips hungrier this time. The passion increased, and her mind easily slipped back to how soaked she'd been when Gabriel had worshiped her clit. The same arousal she'd felt then crept back to settle in her bones and throb inside. Now the man who had shown her that she deserved pleasure would take her as his mate forever. There was no hesitation in Victoria's heart.

  Gabriel continued to hold her aloft, her back pressed firmly to the shower wall. Victoria lifted a leg and hooked it over his waist, opening herself for him. The position wasn't an easy one, but if any man were capable of it, it was Gabriel. He let her sink down, and before Victoria knew it, the thick head of his cock pushed against her entrance, but did not yet penetrate. She gasped, feeling herself start to tense already. Gabriel was much bigger than Peter had been, and Peter had taken her so infrequently that Victoria was sure she had to be tight.

  "I promise to treat you right," Gabriel breathed against her shoulder. "You deserve the best, and I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure you get it."

  How had she gotten so lucky? Victoria felt her cheeks flush. The declaration was pretty, but all she really wanted was him.


  A simple rock of his hips brought them together. The thick head that sat at her entrance pressed into her, and Victoria gasped again. Gabriel's rigid shaft parted her walls and claimed her, pushing deeper inside of her until he'd buried himself as deeply as he could. Desire throbbed in her clit and tensed her passage, and Gabriel took her increased tightness as an invitation to move. His hips began a slow, shallow rhythm, keeping him buried deep and striking the same spot with insistence.

  "You feel so good," she moaned, the breath catching in her throat as her heartbeat thrummed against her ribs. Gabriel smirked, pressed a hot kiss to her neck, and continued to pump into her.

  "Me?" he asked, the hint of a laugh in his voice. "It's you, all you. You're so tight." The more the spoke, the more he gave in to his lust. By the time he’d finished speaking he'd increased the speed of his thrusts, working into her with insistence. "God, V. I'm a lucky man to have you."

  The water from the shower washed down his back and over his shoulders. The rivulets trailed down between them, trapped between his fit, toned body and her soft curves. As he worked himself inside of her, putting pressure against her clit and hitting a spot inside that drove her wild, Victoria wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close. Their bodies worked in unison, hers grinding down against his to help him sink deeper, his thrusting up with abandon.