Chapter 7
Russo
The full moon changes everything. I’ve lived through dozens of them, but never like this. Never with my mate asleep beside me.
I wake before dawn, my bear already pacing beneath my skin.
Mate. Claim her.
Tonight. In a few hours, I tell him. Be patient.
Mine, he growls.
His voice has been relentless since yesterday, and now it’s almost impossible to think about anything else.
Ever sighs softly in her sleep and instinctively rolls closer until her forehead rests against my shoulder. My bear immediately settles.
I smile, brushing my fingers through her hair. She’s warm, safe, and here. After searching half the world for her, waking up beside Ever still feels unreal.
Her eyes flutter open a few moments later, and my heart lurches in my chest.
“Morning,” she whispers.
“Morning, mate.”
She smiles sleepily before stretching. Halfway through, she freezes. “Do you…feel different today?”
I chuckle quietly. “I was about to ask you the same thing.”
She presses a hand to her chest. “It feels like…electricity,” she says, sounding amazed.
“Yeah.”
“I can feel the energy. It’s buzzing all over my skin. I-I’m so aware of my body and yours—” she cuts off, blushing.
I grin. “Me too.”
“My bear won’t stop humming.”
“Mine either.”
She bites her lip. “I kind of… just want to be close to you.”
I reach for her hand. “I know.”
The moment our fingers lace together, my bear rumbles contentedly.
Neither of us lets go.
Not that morning, nor the rest of the day. It’s like as soon as we touch, we can’t bear to pull away from the other. We’re two magnets, and with each passing second, our force, our bond, only grows stronger.
We make breakfast, our hips brushing as we move. We head outside to practice shifting, and I had hoped that the cool air would ease the fire burning inside me. It doesn’t.
It doesn’t help when we both strip down and work on getting her to shift easily. I can’t stop reaching for her hand or brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. My eyes drink in her curves, her pale skin, the sweet swell of her tits and ass.
My mouth waters, and I strain to hold my bear back. He wants me to claim her now; fuck waiting for tonight. I want that too, but I won’t rush my mate.
We’ll do this right, I tell my bear.
He growls reluctantly.
“I think I’ve got it!” Ever calls.
I snap out of my dirty thoughts and focus on my girl.
Ever shifts first, and I grin as I watch her little brown bear bound across the yard, chasing butterflies with complete determination, even though she never catches one.
I shift a heartbeat later, and the instant our bears see each other, they run together.
We wrestle in the grass, splash through the creek behind the cabin, and race between the trees until both our bears are breathing hard.
Every few moments, Ever’s bear bumps against mine simply because she wants to.
My bear thinks it’s the greatest day of his life.
She likes us. No, she loves us. Mark her. Claim her.
Soon, I answer.
I can’t help smiling all morning. Eventually, we both shift back, and Ever laughs as she steadies herself.
“I think she’s happier than I am.”
“I don’t think that’s possible.”
She looks over her shoulder at me. “You’d be surprised,” she mumbles.
The breeze catches her hair and sends her scent to me. For one dangerous second, I forget how to breathe.
Fuck, she’s beautiful.
The full moon hasn’t even risen yet, but every instinct inside me demands I pull her into my arms and claim her.
Not yet, I tell my bear and myself.
My bear grumbles loudly.
The afternoon passes in a blur. We eat lunch, then try to read, but neither of us makes it through a single page.
We play a board game, but halfway through, we forget whose turn it is because we’re too busy smiling at each other.
By evening, the moon climbs the sky, and the pull between us becomes impossible to ignore. Every heartbeat seems louder, every glance lingers, every accidental touch becomes intentional.
Finally, Ever sighs dramatically. “I don’t think we’re accomplishing much today.”
“I’ve noticed.” I laugh.
“I think I’m going to go take a shower.”
“Okay. Are you hungry?”
“I could eat.”
“I’ll get started on dinner.”
I watch as Ever heads upstairs before I head into the kitchen. I glance at the clock as I enter and breathe a sigh of relief. Just a few more hours until the full moon. We can make it.
I hope.
The sound of the water running overhead does absolutely nothing to help my concentration, but I try to focus.
I chop vegetables, start the pasta, and stir the sauce. I try to remain calm and not give in or think about my mate, naked and wet, one floor above.
I fail.
My bear refuses to cooperate. Mate, he grumbles.
“I know,” I say impatiently.
Mate, he repeats stubbornly.
“Jesus,” I growl.
I’m determined to ignore him and my desires. I focus on making the best dinner for my mate and me. I’m aware of the water turning off upstairs, of my mate moving around our bedroom.
Eventually, Ever comes downstairs wearing one of my oversized T-shirts, her damp hair falling over one shoulder. She smiles shyly when she sees me.
I glance desperately at the clock. Another hour and a half.
Fuck!
“Are you okay?” she asks.
I look at her for a long moment. Is she not feeling the same way?
I’m dying over here, and she looks fresh as a daisy.
I study her closely, noticing her flushed cheeks, pebbled nipples, the sweet scent of her arousal, and the sweat breaking out on her forehead.
She’s not unaffected by me or the full moon. She’s just better at hiding it.
“Russo? Are you okay?”
“Barely,” I rasp, earning a laugh from her. “Dinner is ready.”
I pull out her chair for her and set her plate in front of her, grabbing us each a glass of water before I join her at the table.
Dinner is unusually quiet—not awkward, but I can tell that we’re both concentrating too hard on not jumping the other at the table to make small talk.
Our knees brush beneath the table, and it feels like being electrocuted. Ever inhales sharply.
“Fuck, I need you,” I growl.
“When?” she pants.
“Soon.”
She nods, looking dazed.
I hurry to finish eating, then stand to clean up. She moves to help, and I try to put some distance between us as I rinse the dishes and pass them to her to load in the dishwasher. We finish picking up in silence. Once we’re done, we stare at each other, unsure what to do next.
“So…” I begin.
“So,” she echoes.
Neither of us finishes the sentence. Instead, she steps closer, close enough that I can feel the warmth radiating from her.
She searches my face for a minute, then clears her throat. “I can’t wait any longer.”
I breathe a sigh of relief. “Me neither.”
“Is it time?” she asks hopefully.
I look at the clock. “Close enough.”
We both move at the same time, crashing together, our hands clinging to each other as our lips meet.
The kiss steals every coherent thought from my head. My hands slide into her damp hair, holding her as if she might disappear if I let go. She rises onto her toes, her fingers knotting in my shirt while she kisses me back with the same desperate hunger burning through my veins.
Mate. Mine, my bear rumbles, nearly delirious.
Ever lets out the sweetest little sigh, and it almost undoes me. I’ve imagined kissing my mate on the night of the full moon a thousand times over the years. None of those fantasies come close to this.
Her lips are impossibly soft, warm, and eager.
Every brush of her mouth against mine feels like another thread binding us together.
I cup her face, memorizing every inch of her as my thumbs brush across her flushed cheeks.
The bond between us hums so loudly that it almost drowns out everything else.
Every place we’re touching feels alive, sending sparks dancing beneath my skin.
Her hands slide from my chest around my waist, pulling me impossibly closer.
“I can’t get close enough,” she whispers.
“I know. I feel that way too.”
For a long moment, neither of us speaks. We simply stand there holding each other while the moonlight spills through the cabin windows, silvering her hair and making her eyes shine. My bear settles enough to let me appreciate the moment.
I lean down and kiss her forehead, then lower, peppering kisses across her cheeks, her nose, and nibbling at her ear.
“Russo,” she gasps as I trail kisses down her neck. “Take me to bed. Please.”
“Yes, mate,” I answer, happy to oblige.
I bend, lifting my mate easily in my arms, and practically sprint toward the stairs. My bear is elated inside me, salivating at the thought of claiming our mate.
I carry Ever into our bedroom, my heart racing as I lay her down on the bed. I straighten, staring in awe at my mate.
“Please don’t make me wait,” she cries.
I smirk as I tug my shirt up and over my head. “Strip,” I order.
She hurries to wiggle out of her clothes. I bite back a moan as she rips my shirt over her head, and her tits jiggle free. My mouth waters. I can’t wait to get my hands and mouth on those sweet melons. I can’t decide which part of her I want to lick first.
Her neck. Then bite her, my bear suggests.
My teeth elongate at the thought.
Ever tosses her panties and the shirt over the side of the bed, leaving her naked before me. I almost tear my clothes trying to get them off, jumping onto the bed beside my mate. Ever wraps herself around me, and my heart almost explodes at how good it feels to have her naked skin against mine.
“You feel so good,” Ever moans, rubbing against me.
“It will feel even better in a minute,” I promise her.
I push on her shoulders until she lies back. Moving over her, I nudge her thighs wider to make room for my big body.
Ever’s eyes widen, and she gulps comically when she sees the size of my cock.
“It will fit,” I promise.
She looks up, locking eyes with me. Her face softens, and she nods, trusting me completely. Seeing that has me falling even more in love with her.
“I’ll make this good for you,” I vow.