Chasing Paradise

Chapter 4

“What do you mean she’s not here?” Ethan shouted at the beefy man who answered the door. This was the address the woman had given him. Gwen was supposed to be here. It was becoming increasingly harder to maintain control. The wolf inside him was distressed and struggling to get free. Seeing another man in the same house as his mate, a mate who had run from him, was a shock he hadn’t prepared for.

To hear he had spent the better part of the day traveling for nothing was testing his restraint. His wolf was itching for a fight. The horse shifter in front of him might just find himself on the wrong side of his anger.

“And who the hell are you to her, anyway?” His hands fisted, his frustration reaching its boiling point. It drove him mad seeing this male standing between him and his woman.

The man calmly leaned against the doorway, blocking Ethan from seeing inside. Clearly, the man either didn’t know the trouble he was courting or he didn’t care. “An old friend. A good friend. But, like I said, she’s not here.”

Taking a deep breath, Ethan strove for calm. The barest hint of an ocean breeze floated in the air. He knew that scent. Gwen.

The shifter was lying. He didn’t know why, but he knew his nose wouldn’t. Gwen was inside and he would find her. Even if he had to go through this man to get to her.

Everything around him took on an amber hue as his eyes shifted. His mate had run from him. Soon she’d learn running from a wolf only opened herself up for a hunt. Now that he’d cornered his prey, Ethan would make sure she didn’t escape him again. It was time to claim his mate. Right here. Right now.

“If you don’t step aside, I will tear you apart.” His voice was more wolf’s than man’s. The shifter didn’t rush to get out of his way as expected, but stared at him, raking his eyes over Ethan from head to toe.

“Let’s get something straight, wolf. I’m not scared of you. I’ll let you in because ultimately I believe it’s what Gwen needs, but if you hurt her, I will take you down. We clear?”

Ethan jerked a nod. Twice today someone had stood between him and his mate. His wolf wouldn’t stand for much more. It took all his willpower not to attack him just for the pleasure of fighting.

He couldn’t understand why Gwen was here in the first place. She should be cuddling with him in bed, wrapped up in the sheets, not trying to ditch him. What had he done so wrong to cause her to flee? The night had been as good for her as it was for him. He’d made sure of it.

Okay, if he were honest, sneaking out of her bed the morning after such mind-shattering sex had been a shitty thing to do. But his emotions had been in turmoil. The whole reason he’d come to the resort was to escape mating, not to head straight toward it. He’d thought he had more time.

But fate had its own schedule and, apparently, it was done waiting. Time had run out, and he had found his mate. The more he thought about it, the happier he grew. How could he be upset when he thought about Gwen? She was a beautiful, sexy, and smart woman who belonged to him. Just as soon as he claimed her.

The sting in his gums intensified as his fangs extended, poking his lipin anticipation. He felt almost feral. Taking the stairs two at a time, Ethan followed Gwen’s scent to a room at the end of the hallway. Quietly, he eased open the door.

She sat on the floor across the room putting clothes in the dresser drawers, her back rigid. She didn’t turn around when he entered the room and shut the door.

“Did he leave, Ty? Thanks for chasing him away. I really don’t want to see him,” she muttered quietly, sniffling into a tissue.

Ethan stood back examining the scene. It was obvious Gwen was upset. The anguish in her voice broke his heart. He never wanted to hear her crying again even though he knew he would at some point if they spent a lifetime together. No matter how perfect their relationship would be, or how well suited they were, tears were bound to happen. Still, he’d do everything in his power to make sure it didn’t happen often. All he wanted was to make her happy.

Right now, he was more concerned by the cause of these particular tears. He knew it was his fault. That knowledge sat heavy on his shoulders.

Whatever hurt he had caused Gwen, he vowed to fix it. But right now, he had a more pressing concern. No matter what boneheaded thing he’d done, he was her future mate. A mate she’d left twiddling his thumbs in California. His wolf demanded to know she’d never run from him again. There was only one way to make certain.

He snarled as he crossed the room until he stood directly behind his woman. She stiffened at the sound and ever so slowly looked up into his yellow eyes.

“Ethan?” she squeaked. She stood in a rush and backed away from him. A growl burst from his throat. Backing away was just another form of running in his mind. Ethan still stood between her and the exit, but seeing her running from him yet again caused something to shift inside him. Some primal side he tried to keep buried broke free.

He stalked her until her back hit the wall behind her.

“What are you doing here?” she whispered.

Instead of answering, he pressed her body further against the wall with his own and leaned down, capturing her lips in a heated kiss.

Her hands floated in the air above his chest. This was a moment of truth. Either her hands were raised to push him away or clutch him closer. Her hesitant response cut a path through the red haze of anger, allowing reality to intrude. Frustration swamped him. If Gwen didn’t acknowledge they were destined to mate, he couldn’t in good conscience take the next step. Mating was for life. It wasn’t something he would force on anyone, destiny or not. If time was what she needed, time was what she’d get. But she could damn well spend it with him. At least in the same state, if not in the same room.

Just as he started to back off, her hands fisted in his shirt, clinging to him desperately.

The primal beast within went wild, the scent of her arousal floating in the air around them. He pushed her roughly against the wall, his body flush against hers. Her small groan of desire caused Ethan’s need to grow impossibly larger. The clothes needed to go. Now. His hands snaked up her body, pulling her shirt up and off.

Barely breaking contact with her lips, Ethan threw the shirt to the floor before he thrust his tongue into her mouth once more, devouring her taste. He was a starving man and Gwen was his favorite dish.

Massaging her nipples, Ethan became frustrated with the barrier of her bra and brutally ripped the straps, shoving it down her torso and baring her breasts to his gaze.

Without warning, Ethan leaned down and assaulted Gwen’s nipples with his tongue. Drawing one rosy peak into his mouth, Ethan sucked hard, letting her feel the edge of his teeth. A strangled moan escaped Gwen as she twitched against him.

How did he do this to her? Heat engulfed her until all she could do was mewl in need. God, she was on fire. She clung to Ethan’s shoulders, her nails sharpening as her inner animal clawed toward the surface.

This rough side of Ethan was completely opposite from the calm, collected party guy she’d met the night before. But damned if she didn’t like it.

She would have laughed if she had the breath for it. Like it? Hell, she didn’t just like it. She worshipped it. This man demanded and took until Gwen could do nothing but offer him anything he wanted.

The tender peaks of her breasts brushed against his shirt as he moved back up her body, capturing her mouth once again. The delicious flame of desire in her belly burned brighter.

The brush of his clothing against her naked skin set her on fire. Her hands moved toward his shirt buttons, but before she reached the first one, she found her hands raised above her head and held against the wall. The helpless pose pushed her breasts out, opening her further to Ethan’s caresses.

The vulnerable position, as well as the small grunts he was making, caused a blast of renewed heat through her blood. The whole thing felt so…primal. Gwen had never been more turned on. She moaned and thrust her breasts against him.

He understood her silent plea. Clutching her hands in one of his, he reached down with his other to remove her skirt. He struggled for a moment and Gwen was sure he’d have to release her hands to work the zipper. The wall scraped against her back as she writhed against it. This was taking too long.

A tearing sound rent the air.

The sound cleared some of the haze of desire from her brain. Opening her eyes, Gwen looked down in shock. Ethan’s claws were out and her skirt lay shredded on the floor, completely ruined. A protest rose to the surface–that was an expensive skirt–but his mouth covered hers before the words left her mouth. Argument forgotten, she sank into him with a moan as his tongue tangled with hers. Need returned with a vengeance, drowning her in longing.

Without warning, he tore his mouth away from hers and buried his face against her throat. She mewled in protest, animal instinct driving her now. Why did he always pull away when she needed him? His breath fell hot and heavy against her neck as his hands gripped her hips, stilling their movements.

“Stop me now if you don’t want this, Gwen. I can’t stop if we go any further,” Ethan whispered against her skin.

Stop? Gwen could no more stop this than she could stop breathing. If Ethan pulled away now, she’d spontaneously combust.

“Please, don’t leave me.” Gwen didn’t care that she begged. She needed Ethan. She needed her mate. The past hours had been torture as her otter yearned for her wolf.

Pausing only to unzip his pants, Ethan thrust into Gwen without removing them. There was something wicked about being naked and fucked against a wall by a man fully clothed. His groan joined hers. The feel of him inside her, the delicious stretch as her body struggled to accommodate him, brought tears of pleasure to her eyes. As Ethan pulled Gwen’s legs up, wrapping them around his waist, he slid deeper, sending shards of pleasure through her body.

“Never. I’m never leaving you and you’re never leaving me again. You’re mine, Gwen.” Ethan continued thrusting inside her, his cock pulsing with impending release. His release burned in his balls as he struggled to hold it back. He wasn’t going to last, his lust was too great. When his muscles tightened, he knew he was out of time. Before he could let go, he needed to finish the mating.

“Who do you belong to, Gwen?”

Staring down at her, he waited for a response. She didn’t appear to have heard him. Her hands were fisted in his hair, her head thrown back, exposing her throat to his wandering mouth. A desperate moan escaped and she pulled on his hair when his hips stopped moving.

“Gwen. Who do you belong to?”

“You,” The admission burst from her on a sob. “I belong to you. Please make me yours.”

It was exactly what Ethan needed to hear. Giving his wolf free reign, he licked her neck just above her shoulder. The spot would perfectly display his mark of possession. Ethan bit down hard, sinking his canines into her flesh and releasing the enzyme that would bind her to him for all time. The link began to form, uniting them as one. He could actually feel it, their souls weaving together. There were no words.

Mate, his wolf whispered in his mind right before his world exploded into a blaze of colors and sounds. His body shuddered at the onslaught of sensations.

Through the haze of pleasure, he felt Gwen clench around him. Her cries of release tangled with his, echoing throughout the room.

Finally, Gwen was his. No one could stand in his way or deny she belonged only to him. Tranquility swamped him. All was right in the world, as long as Gwen was in his arms. He nuzzled her sweat-soaked hair and kissed her temple. He couldn’t wait for his family to meet her. His mate.

What had she done? Leaning against the wall, surrounded by Ethan’s warmth, by his scent, Gwen struggled to push down the panic bubbling to the surface. All she wanted to do was burrow against him, to take comfort in his embrace. Instead she silently cursed herself and her otter. Her shoulder throbbed where he’d bitten her. No, not just bitten her. Where he mated with her. And God, she’d never felt anything like it. Never experienced pleasure like that before. It was as if her very soul had exploded, and reformed intertwined with Ethan. And therein lay the problem.

Lost in passion, Gwen hadn’t even considered the consequences. Had never imagined it would go this far.

Now it was done and all she could do was curse herself. If she had one damn ounce of willpower, maybe she wouldn’t find herself mated to the one man capable of causing her irrevocable despair. Would he regret his decision now that it was too late to change it? Stupid question. Of course he would. Every word she’d heard him utter in the bar came back to haunt her. Just her luck, stuck with a mate who didn’t want her.

Reaching out, Gwen felt her tie to Ethan thrumming through her veins, his very presence pulling at her from the inside out. But mated or not, it didn’t change the facts. She knew the truth. Knew how Ethan felt about her. Being mated didn’t change anything.

She’d tried her hardest to save them both from this fate. Yet, here she was, mated to a man who didn’t think she was good enough for him. Who didn’t think her otter was good enough for his wolf.

Some part of him must have thought she was good enough. A shifter’s animal sought out their perfect match. But the human had their own thoughts and feelings separate from its beast. And this human didn’t want her. He’d already made that perfectly clear, whether he knew she’d heard or not.

The more she thought about it, the more Gwen’s spirits sunk. She wanted to cry, to wail at Fate. It just wasn’t fair. Why was she always the odd one out? The one who didn’t belong. Why was it her mate who didn’t want her?

Sensing Gwen’s retreat after such mind blowing pleasure cut a path through Ethan’s happiness. Pressed up against the wall and his body, he felt her physically and mentally withdraw from him. The wrench on their bond as she pulled away was downright painful.

What had happened? First, she had run and now, after sharing so much, she shut him out. All he wanted to do was strip out of his clothes and cuddle her warm body, but he knew without having to ask, it wouldn’t be welcome. How had things gotten so complicated?

Yesterday, Gwen had been warm, eager to please and be pleased. After their lovemaking, she had curled her body into his, arms wrapped around him. Today, her body fairly shook with distress and the need to retreat. Her small mewl of grief had his wolf rearing up. He swallowed the growl before it could escape, compelled to protect her from the cause of her misery. But how could he protect her against something he couldn’t see?

“Gwen, we need to talk.” He felt a shudder work through her system and cringed. That wasn’t a shiver of desire but one of distaste. Whatever had happened, it was bad. Nothing about this was going to be pleasant. But it had to happen.

All he wanted to do was tell her about his life in Alpine Woods, about his pack, and the house he hoped they would fill with children and laughter. Instead, he was faced with trying to determine what had gone so wrong in their relationship. And finding a way to fix it.

“Okay.” She seemed so vulnerable, her head bent back, avoiding his gaze. Looking down, he saw her nude body still surrounded by his almost fully dressed one. Of course she felt vulnerable. This wasn’t the way to have this discussion. They needed to be on equal ground if they were going to solve anything.

“Why don’t you get dressed and I’ll take you out to dinner? I haven’t eaten much all day.” As soon as the words left Ethan’s mouth, he remembered why he hadn’t eaten and his anger and pain surged forward. “Why, Gwen? Why did you leave me?”

Left him? Yes, Gwen had run away physically, but Ethan had run away emotionally before she had.

If Ethan thought she was the kind of mate who would wait around until he wanted to acknowledge her, he was in for a big surprise. Her otter might not have enough strength to hold back from the wolf who didn’t think she was good enough, but the woman sure as hell had enough pride to withhold herself from the man who didn’t want her.

“I didn’t ‘leave you,’ Ethan. I didn’t have you to begin with. I went on a vacation. I’m allowed to do something for myself, you know. It’s not always about what you want and need.”

The words sounded harsh even to her. After all, the man had chased her across state lines. But she needed to get a few things straight. Ethan might not want her, but it wasn’t always about him and his wants. If they were going to spend the rest of their lives together, Gwen needed him to know she wasn’t going to be stuffed into a corner like a toy he pulled out when he wanted to play. Gwen had needs, wants, and desires too. If he didn’t care enough to seek them, she’d make sure he listened. She was used to taking care of herself anyway.

“Easy, honey. Of course you’re allowed to do something for yourself.” His voice soothed her rough edges as his hand caressed her thigh. Things could be worse. He might not love her, but at least Ethan was kind. Many women weren’t so lucky. In her heart, she knew he would never intentionally hurt her. Everything had happened so fast. There was no time to brace herself, to wrap her head around her new situation.

Breathing deeply, Gwen tried to settle her nerves and get some perspective. Life had dealt her a tricky hand, but she was a strong woman. She’d take it and make do the best she could. After all, she still had her family and friends, a job she loved, and hopefully the future would bring children to spoil. The thought of children brought an ache to her chest. More than anything, Gwen craved children of her own.

“I’m sorry, Ethan. I didn’t mean to sound so defensive.” Gwen sighed. She needed to stop taking everything so personally. If she didn’t stop jumping down his throat all the time, they would be forever at odds.

Her apology touched him. Here was a woman who wasn’t afraid to admit her faults. Touching his forehead against his mate’s and cupping her cheek, Ethan vowed to be just as brave in admitting his faults. If only she’d tell him what they were.

Through the bond they now shared, he experienced the turmoil within her as if it was his own. He wished he could set her at ease. Women had never puzzled him before. Never had he struggled to figure out what to say or do. Yet he found himself scrambling with the one woman who mattered most. If only he could get her to Alpine Woods, he would make things better. His family would help him show her how perfectly matched they were for each other.

“It’s okay. Come on down when you’re ready. I’ll be waiting.”