Chapter 6 #2
“I was afraid you’d ask about that.” He leaned back, running a hand through his snow-dampened hair. “Electric Blue was the premier nightclub in Granite Gap. And what happened there is why I left Colorado.”
As soon as he said “nightclub,” Kymberlie had an idea about where his story was leading.
Gabriel’s voice grew flat, clinical, as he continued. “My pride First, Elias Harcourt, was also the city’s mayor. He ordered me to overlook serious safety violations at a nightclub owned by our pride Second. I refused.”
His golden eyes flickered with remembered anger.
“I filed safety violation reports, issued citations, even contacted the state Division of Fire Prevention & Control when Elias and the others wouldn’t let me shut down the club.
But before the public safety folks could investigate, there was a fire during a live show at the club.
The sprinkler system failed—exactly as I’d warned it would.
Thirty-seven people were injured. And a seventeen-year-old girl died. ”
Kymberlie’s breath caught. Her wolf whined in sympathy.
“After the fire, my citations and reports mysteriously disappeared from city records. Elias and the entire pride closed ranks.” His voice dropped to a near-whisper.
“They made me the scapegoat. My career, my reputation, everything I’d built…
gone. And a family lost a daughter who was just a month away from her high school graduation. ”
“So, that’s why you’re being such a hard-ass now,” Kymberlie said softly, pieces falling into place. “You’re trying to prevent another Electric Blue.”
Gabriel nodded, his mouth set in a thin line.
“I’m just lucky I saved copies of all my paperwork, so they couldn’t file criminal charges against me.
After that, I left the pride, and spent a few years on the road, doing freelance safety consulting.
When the Lemhi County Fire Marshal position opened, I jumped at the chance to start over in a shifter community.
I was hoping for a fresh start, but shifters like to gossip. ”
Kymberlie felt her heart twist. “Thank you for telling me.”
The fire crackled, valiantly trying to push back the cold, but a sharp chill still seeped through the drafty cabin. Gabriel noticed her shiver.
“I run hot in my sabertooth form,” he offered hesitantly. “I could help keep you warm… if you’d like.”
The suggestion sent a jolt through her. To curl up with him in their animal forms—it was intimate in a way that transcended mere sex. Her wolf whined with need.
Kymberlie nodded, rising to her feet. Before she could chicken out, she stripped, too cold to worry about modesty. She saw Gabriel’s fiery gaze follow her movements before he politely looked away.
Her wolf form burst forth in an effortless ripple of muscle and fur, the transformation smooth and instinctive.
Gabriel’s shift took longer. His breath hitched as bones ground and reshaped, his body convulsing as ancient magic pulled him into his sabertooth form. When he finished, he growled in relief.
His sabertooth shape was massive, with thick, pale-gold fur marked by dark brown rosettes, a shaggy dark gold mane, and long, curved canines.
In their animal forms, they settled in front of the wood stove. She curled against his magnificent chest and felt his thick tail draping protectively over her flank.
Her wolf had never been happier than right now, snuggled into Gabriel’s big, fluffy cat form, their breaths synchronizing as the storm raged outside.
This is where I belong, Kymberlie thought contentedly, and snuggled closer.
∞∞∞
She awoke to golden sunlight streaming through the cabin’s frost-laced windows. Somehow during the night, her wolf form had ended up completely encircled by Gabriel’s long feline body. His wide front paws held her close against his chest, as if she were his personal stuffed toy.
The fire in the stove had burned down to a few glowing embers, yet she felt deliciously warm, cocooned in his thick fur. She stretched, feeling contentment purr through her veins.
Gabriel’s sabertooth stirred, glowing golden eyes blinking open to meet hers.
For a moment, they simply gazed at each other, animal to animal, a wordless communication flowing between them.
His massive head dipped, and he gave her muzzle a long lick with his rough tongue.
The caress sent a shiver through her body.
Gabriel shifted first, his sabertooth form rippling and receding as his human features slowly emerged.
Kymberlie watched, mesmerized by his slow, painful-looking transformation.
When it was over, he lay panting on the rung, sunlight gilding the hard planes of his body and catching the golden hair furring his chest, arms, and legs.
His thick cock lay on the inside of one brawny thigh. He followed her gaze and grinned at her.
She looked away, embarrassed at being caught staring.
Her own shift followed, smoother and quicker than his.
She felt her bones realign and fur melt away, until she kneeled before him in her human shape once more.
An icy draft prickled her bare skin, but heat bloomed inside her at the way Gabriel’s eyes darkened, his gaze traveling over her with unhidden hunger.
“You’re beautiful,” he said, voice rough with sleep and something deeper. “Your wolf, too. Both of you are perfect.”
Kymberlie flushed, warmth spreading from her cheeks down her neck to her breasts. Gabriel tracked the blush with his eyes, and his throat worked as he swallowed hard.
Her wolf paced anxiously beneath her skin, urging her forward with insistent whispers. Our mate. Claim him!
“Gabriel?” she whispered, his name half-plea, half-permission.
Then she leaned forward. Her mouth found his, her lips tentative at first. His mouth was softer than she’d imagined, contrasting with the roughness of his stubbled jaw against her skin.
His arms came around her. The kiss exploded into something desperate and demanding. When his tongue traced the seam of her mouth, she opened eagerly to him.
No one had ever kissed her like this—possessive yet generous, commanding yet questioning. She pressed closer, feeling the solid wall of his chest against her breasts. Her nipples hardened at the contact.
Gabriel groaned, the sound vibrating between them.
In one fluid movement, he scooped her up and carried her over to the bed.
His body covered hers like a living shield.
His weight felt right, protective rather than constraining.
She ran her hands over the broad expanse of his back, tracing the ridge of his spine, feeling the tightly coiled strength in his muscles.
“I’ve wanted this since the moment you told me off for posting that closure notice,” he confessed against her throat. His teeth grazed the sensitive spot where her neck met her shoulder, and she arched beneath him.
“Oh, so you like verbal abuse?” she gasped as his mouth traveled lower.
His chuckle rumbled against her skin. “Only when it’s coming from you, Kymberlie.”
His hands explored her with reverent intensity, cupping her breasts, his calloused thumbs sweeping over her nipples until she writhed beneath him. When his mouth replaced his fingers, sucking and teasing, she cried out, her fingers tangling in his thick hair.
“Tell me what you want,” he murmured against her heated skin. “Tell me what you need.”
What she needed was everything—his hands, his mouth, his body joined with hers. Her wolf pushed frantically at her consciousness, demanding completion of the mating bond.
“Touch me,” she managed, guiding his hand lower.
Gabriel followed her lead, his fingers stroking between her thighs with exquisite precision. She was already slick with need, and when he found the sensitive bud of her clit, she bucked against his hand.
“Like this?” he asked, circling slowly.
“Yes,” she breathed. “Just like that.”
He watched her face as he pleasured her, learning her responses, adjusting his rhythm to match her breathing. When he slipped first one finger, then two inside her, she nearly came undone.
“Gabriel—I’m close—”
“I’ve got you,” he promised, his voice husky with his own arousal. “Let go for me, Kymberlie.”
Her release hit like summer lightning, sudden and searing. She clung to Gabriel’s shoulders as waves of pleasure crashed through her, her body pulsing around his fingers. He kissed her through it, swallowing her cries, his free hand cradling the back of her head protectively.
As she floated back to awareness, she felt his hard cock poking her thigh. Without hesitation, she reached for him, wrapping her fingers around his impressive girth.
His breath hissed between his teeth as she stroked his length, learning the feel of him, what made his eyes flutter closed and his hips thrust instinctively.
“Show me what you like,” she said.
He covered her hand with his own, guiding her movements.
It didn’t take long. His breathing grew ragged, his muscles tensing as he approached his peak. When he came with a strangled roar, the sound of her name on his lips made her breath catch.
Gabriel’s heartbeat thundered against her ear as she lay across his chest afterwards, his arms holding her securely.
Her wolf prowled restlessly, unsatisfied. This joining, as pleasurable as it had been, wasn’t enough for her beast. It wanted more. It wanted to seal a mating bond with Gabriel.
Kymberlie felt the urge like a physical ache, a hollowness that demanded to be filled. Are you kidding me? she demanded silently. We just met. I’m not ready to hitch myself to this guy forever.
Gabriel rolled them gently, positioning himself above her again, his intention clear in his rekindling erection and the question in his eyes.
“You should know,” she said softly, placing her hand against his chest. “We can’t go all the way. My wolf wants to seal a mating bond.”
Surprise raced across his expression, followed by open delight. “It’s chosen… me?”
He sounded like she’d just given him a gift, and he was wondering if she planned to snatch it away.
She nodded. “My wolf is very… insistent about that. But I—”
“Need more time,” he finished for her, rolling to his side and gathering her against him. “I understand, Kymberlie. We haven’t known each other very long. But if it makes any difference… my cat half feels the same way about you.”
“Good. I’m not making any promises, but I want to get to know you better,” she said.
Then his phone, lying on top of the neatly folded pile of his clothing, pinged loudly. Gabriel rose from the bed and padded over to it, giving her an unobstructed view of his magnificent, tightly muscled ass.
“Highway’s been cleared,” he said, glancing from the screen to her face. “We can get going.”
Kymberlie nodded, feeling a complicated mixture of relief and disappointment. She’d been looking forward to making out with Gabriel some more.
But she needed to return to reality. There were only a few short weeks before Christmas, and she had a lot of work left to do if she was going to reopen in time for Melissa’s wedding reception.
But as they dressed and Gabriel pulled her close for one more lingering kiss, she wished they could stay here for a few hours longer.