Cynful

Chapter Fifteen

“I’m exhausted.” Cyn flopped down on the sofa with a groan.

Julian flopped down next to her and pulled her close. “Me too.” His dark hair caressed her as he leaned over and kissed the top of her head. “Any idea what we’re going to do?”

“About?” She began stroking the length of his hair that had fallen across her chest. It always amazed her how soft it was.

“Ryan and Glory.”

She smiled. “Steal their clothes, lock them in a room together and let nature take its course.”

“Huh. I should have tried that with you.”

She smacked him in the stomach. Like that would have worked with her. It would have only pissed her off.

“That is why I don’t think it will work with Ryan and Glory.” He nibbled on her ear. “You keep caressing your breasts with my hair and I’m going to get ideas.”

She blushed as she realized he was right. She had been stroking her breasts with his hair. “Good ideas or bad ones?”

Julian smiled against her neck as he licked the mating mark. “Definitely bad.”

Cyn shivered and brushed his hair over her nipple.

“I think that would work better if we take your clothes off.” Before she could suggest they move to the bedroom, he was tugging off her T-shirt. “Bra too.”

She moaned as his hair brushed against the tops of her breasts. Shit. She couldn’t believe they were going to do this. She’d never had any kind of weird fetish before, so what was up with the feel of his hair?

Her bra hit the floor, and her nipples were exposed to the air. God, she ached, and he’d barely touched her.

Julian kissed her, tasting her mouth in slow, sensual strokes. All the while he was undoing her jeans, sliding them down her thighs, exposing her hot-pink panties. “Take them off the rest of the way.”

She pushed off her jeans and panties, eager for what he had planned. He had that wicked gleam in his eye, the one that promised they were both about to have some fun.

She could use some damn fun.

Julian straddled her thighs, careful to keep his weight off of her. He put his hands on top of the sofa, effectively caging her. “Now. About my hair.” He shook his head and the ends of his hair tickled across her nipples. She arched her back, unable to stop herself from reaching for the pleasurable sensation. “Like that, hmm?”

“Oh God.” She covered her face with her hands. “I’m a perv.”

He laughed and pulled her hands down. “Nope. You’ve just given me another reason to never cut my hair.”

She glared at him. “You’d better not.” She loved his hair. She whimpered as he stroked the long, silky strands across her breast. Maybe a little too much.

“Don’t worry, Cyn. Everyone has a thing.”

She stared down at his crotch. “I hope not.”

He chuckled and leaned forward, nibbling the side of her neck. “Not that thing.” He arched his hips, brushing his hardened thing against her. “Something that turns them on. Yours is my hair.”

She leaned her head to the side to give him better access. She wanted to wear a different mark there, one everyone would understand. “What’s your thing?”

Julian bit down gently and sucked. Cyn wove her hands in his hair and cupped the back of his head, holding him to her. She wanted his mark good and dark. She bucked her hips, the sensation of him sucking up a mark on her going straight to her clit.

“Still want to know my thing?”

She nodded. If he reacted like that, she’d give him anything he wanted.

“Wait here.” He hopped off of her and raced out of the room. Was he going for whipped cream? Chocolate? Maybe…no, he was running up the stairs. What was up there? Dildos? Did he have a box of vibrating fun he wanted to play with?

He came back down with his hands behind his back, completely naked. His dick bobbed as he walked, rock hard and mouthwatering. “Want to see?”

“Yeah.” Now she was curious. She sat up straight, eyeing him with some misgiving. He looked guilty as hell.

He held out a red bit of fabric. “Put it on for me?”

She stood and took the fabric from him. It wasn’t until she held it that she realized what it was. “I’m going to need more kanji, aren’t I?”

“That depends on where you want to stick it.”

She stifled a laugh and slid the red satin Sailor Mars skirt up her thighs. When it was at her knees, he held up his hand. “Wait!” She paused, wondering what the hell he was up to.

When he moved behind her she knew. And I thought I was the perv.

“Okay. Go.”

She teased him, sliding the skirt up slowly, giving him the show he so obviously wanted. She even made sure to wiggle her ass as the skirt slid up those final few inches, causing it to sway enticingly.

He moved in close behind her, lifting his hair and sliding it over her shoulders until it cascaded over her breasts. “Hold still, sweetheart.”

Cyn did as he asked, wondering what he was going to do next. She didn’t have to wait long. He slid his hands under the skirt and palmed her ass. He began nibbling on her neck again. “You like this?”

It had potential. “You going to do anything besides feel me up?”

“I was thinking of fucking you. If you don’t mind, that is.”

“Oh. No. That’s okay.” He was suddenly stroking her pussy, his fingers playing with the curls. “Fucking’s good.”

I have got to stop sounding like a squeaky toy when he touches me there.

He licked another spot on her neck. “Walk forward.”

Forward was the stairway. Were they going upstairs? She was so ready to be fucked into the mattress.

Cyn took a tentative step forward and Julian moved in sync with her, the two of them awkward in all the right ways.

Suddenly she was pushed forward, her hands landing on one of the steps. “Have I mentioned how much I love your ass?”

She squirmed as he stroked the round globes. “You’re not going there.” Not now, anyway. If they ever did that, she was going to be well prepared, well lubed, and well and truly drunk. He wasn’t about to go where no man had gone before without making sure both her inside and her outside were greased.

He laughed. “That’s not the hole I’m looking for.”

She glared at him over her shoulder. “So what are you looking for?”

He grinned that evil, Grinchy grin, and got on his knees behind her. Within seconds his tongue was in her pussy and she was nearly on her knees herself. She went up on her toes as he found a really good spot to suck. “Oh God. Jules.” Her hands clenched in the carpet. The pleasure was overwhelming. She folded her arms on the step and rested her head on them, watching her red skirt sway gently as her mate ate her out.

She began to push back against him. She needed something larger than his tongue in her. “Fuck me, Jules.”

He gave her one last swipe before he stood. “Sure you don’t want to come first?”

She growled, low and inhuman. If her mate didn’t get his dick in her in the next two seconds she was going to jump his ass and do it herself.

Julian grasped her hips in a firm grip and pulled her back. He slid into her with a moan, his hips slapping against her ass at the force. He leaned over her and placed his hands on either side of her head, his hair a curtain around them, locking them in their own little world.

“Tug on my hair. Play with it. Do whatever you want,” he whispered in her ear. She shivered as he gave her shoulder a gentle bite, not strong enough to break the skin. He ground his hips against her, driving his cock even deeper. “I wanted to do this the minute I saw this skirt.”

She shifted position until she was kneeling on the steps. She spread her legs wider, wanting him as deep as he could get. “Give it to me.” She tugged his hair hard and was rewarded by his Bear growl.

Fuck. She never thought hearing him growl like that would be such a turn-on.

She tugged on his hair again and Julian went wild, pulling upright to pound into her with such force she had to brace herself on the step. He kept pulling her toward him as he fucked her until she got the message and began thrusting back, making them both work for it. She stroked her clit furiously, ready to come. “Jules. God, Jules.”

With a strangled groan he came, pouring inside her in a hot wave.

Shit. She was so. Damn. Close. Just two more seconds. That was all she—

Razor-sharp fangs sank into her and she screamed, coming in a white wave of pleasure so brutal she nearly passed out.

Julian draped himself over her and panted in her ear. “I love this skirt.”

Damn it. There went those stupid, happy giggles again. One of these days she was going to have to admit why he made her so happy all the fucking time.

He kissed the side of her neck and helped her to her feet. “Bed.”

“Bed,” she agreed, and staggered up the stairs with him. Snuggling down with him in the warmth of his bedroom both scared her silly and made her yearn to say three simple words. She snuggled up against him as they drifted off together, her last thought one of self-preservation.

But not today.

Finding Ryan was turning out to be harder than she thought. It was like the man had fallen off the face of the earth. The amazing Super Bear said he couldn’t sense Ryan, even when they left the town limits. They’d spent two whole days just combing the campus, only to come up empty-handed.

Today, Julian was returning to work and Cyn was going with him. She was looking forward to seeing him do what he loved. And it was obvious he loved helping people. He put on those blue scrubs, and his whole face lit up. His smile was brighter, his walk lighter. There was a sparkle in his eye that had been missing for the last few days. Just listening to him chatter about his upcoming day while they ate breakfast together was enough to drive home one simple fact. There was no way she’d ever be able to take this away from him. She would do better to just pluck his heart from his chest and have done with it.

Cyn understood. She missed Living Art like she’d miss an arm or leg. Her fingers were itching to get back to work, to make the art that she loved. He’d bought her some sketchpads and some pencils, but it just wasn’t the same. When they weren’t hunting for Ryan or sleeping, she was drawing new flash for the display cases. She had one in particular that she thought she might want to ink on Julian, but she’d have to run it by him first. He was the only man she’d ever been with whose skin was ink free, and she longed to change that.

“You’re going to be a good girl today, right, and let Daddy work?” She glared at him, but all he did was chuckle. “You’ll sit quietly and eat your cookie and drink your juice?”

“Only if the juice has vodka in it,” Cyn muttered. She held up her sketchbook. “Do I get to color too?”

“Only if you’re coming up with a tattoo for me.” He shot her a cheesy grin. “Remember, it has to say ‘Property of Cyn’ in big, bold letters.”

“I’ve told you before that I am not tattooing that on your ass.”

“I bet I could get Tabby to do it.”

“You really want Alex to find out that Tabby saw your naked ass?”

He frowned, but he was having a hard time keeping it in place, the smile he was holding back threatening to break free. “Good point. He’s mean when he’s pissed.”

“Yep. And since you’ve proven you know how to use this—” she patted his cock through his scrubs, “—I’d hate to lose it to a Grizzly mauling.”

“You and me both.” He pressed her hand closer. “Hold that thought, would you?”

Aggravating man. She was giggling again despite herself. She swatted at him with the sketchbook, delighted when he laughed. Who knew something so simple as a man’s laughter could make her feel so good?

“I spoke to Tim.”

There went the good mood. “What was his decision?”

“He wants to meet Rick Lowell.”

Cyn blinked. The Poconos Pack Alpha was a scary fucking dude. If Tim was thinking of going that route, he had bigger balls than she thought. “You think Rick would go for it?”

“With Tabby and I to vouch for him, I don’t see why not. And Rick has been muttering about wanting a nurse or doctor up at the Lodge for some time. Tim might be just what the Pack needs.”

“Has Rick tried to get you to move up there?”

“Yup.”

“And your answer was?” She was pretty sure what it had been, but it wouldn’t hurt to have it confirmed.

“Nope.”

“Good. I don’t think the Red Wolf Ski Lodge needs a tattoo artist.”

There was a soft smile gracing his lips. “Haven’t you figured it out yet? I go where you go. If that means I live the rest of my life in Halle as an illegal immigrant, so be it. If you choose to move to Hawaii or Alaska? I pack my bags. My only request is that we not move to a big city like New York or Los Angeles. I don’t think either one of us would be very comfortable there. Besides, our Bears would have no place to roam when we wanted to shift.”

The thought of Julian in a place like New York or Los Angeles, with so many people in pain, sent shivers down her spine. He would literally kill himself trying to heal the world. It was now her job to see to it that her Super Bear would be around to save those who truly needed it.

She picked up her sketchpad and began to draw.

“We’re here.” He pulled into the parking lot attached to the doctors’ office and parked in the employees’ only area. “Alex told me that if you and Tabby want to go out for lunch he’s willing to take you. The only thing I ask is that if you do, don’t leave his side.”

It would be nice to go out to lunch with Tabby. “Maybe Alex could take us to the hospital, see how Glory’s doing today.”

“I could meet you there if you wanted to. You and Tabby should be safe in the hospital.” He pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “Promise me you’ll be careful. It would literally kill me to lose you now.”

She paled. She’d forgotten that. When she asked Tabby about her mating with Alex, Tabby had told her that when two shifters mated their life forces were intertwined. That meant if anything happened to her, Julian would die.

“Cyn?”

She took a deep breath and tried to calm down. She could freak out later, maybe with Tabby. Or better yet, Alex. She now understood why Alex reacted the way he did every time his mate was threatened. She’d almost forgotten about Tai’s words, the vision he had of Julian lying in a pool of his own blood. “I’m fine.”

He pushed her hair back behind her ear. “You sure?”

“Yeah.” She’d have to be. She didn’t stand just to lose Tabby and Glory now. She had a whole fuzzy family, the most important of which was the fuzzy sitting next to her. She offered him a smile, cursing to herself when it trembled. “Just a whole lot of shit going on.”

He nodded as if he understood, but she sincerely doubted it. She barely understood it herself. “Let’s go in then.” He waved to someone over her shoulder, and she turned to find Dr. Howard, waving back from his own car. Climbing out of the car with him was Marie, and Cyn smiled to see her. Since the lunch they’d had together Marie had gone out of her way to email Cyn, slowly building a friendship with her. They might never have much in common beyond their men, but Cyn respected the hell out of her. “Good morning!” Marie gave a wave of her own, beaming at Julian and Cyn. “I hear you’ll be spending the day with Jamie.” Jamie and Marie wrapped their arms around each other’s waists, leaning into each other like they’d done it a thousand times before. They probably had.

“We thought it was a good idea. Do you have any problems with it?” She didn’t want Marie to worry about Jamie’s safety. Had anyone told Marie what was going on? Jamie already understood, and was willing to stand by them.

Marie waved her hand dismissively. “Not a one. Just do me a favor and make sure he actually takes those breaks he’s supposed to.” She gazed fondly up at her husband. “I’m off to get my hair done. Have a good day, sweetheart.”

“You too.” The pair kissed good-bye and Marie walked away, a spring in her step. Watching the two of them together gave her ideas on the way she and Julian would be once they settled into their own mating. Marie was her own woman, part owner in several of her father’s businesses, and a major contributor to at least two local charities. She was busy being who she wanted to be, and shared that with Jamie, just as he seemed to share his life with Marie.

Maybe saying those three little words wouldn’t change anything at all. Maybe she could have it all with Jules.

A bright shimmer on the ground caught her attention. She bent down and picked up an earring off the ground. “Pretty. I wonder who it belongs to?”

“Shit. That’s one of Marie’s favorite earrings.” Jamie reached for it.

Cyn was already moving, the earring clutched in her fist. She had something she wanted to ask the other woman, out of hearing of the men. “She’s right over there. Just wait a second before you go in.”

“Cyn, don’t you dare.” Julian strode after her, his expression alarmed.

Cyn rolled her eyes. “I don’t think anything bad can happen to me in the next five feet.” She held out her hand, earring in her palm. “Marie, I think you lost your earring.”

Marie started to turn. “Thanks—” She pitched forward, landing in a sprawled heap on the ground. Barely a second later Cyn heard the reason why.

Gunshot. The crack echoed loudly and seemed to come from everywhere at once.

“Down!” Julian shoved her behind the car before racing back to Jamie. She risked a quick peek and saw the Jamie lay on the ground as well. His skin had taken on a waxy, bluish tinge.

He wasn’t breathing.

She risked crawling to Marie. The shooter could still be out there, but Cyn was compelled to check on the fallen woman. She touched Marie’s wrist.

She was already dead. From the way the back of her head looked she’d been dead before she hit the ground. And if Marie was dead…

She got to her feet and raced toward Julian. Fuck the sniper. Super Bear was going to try and save Jamie, no matter what. If Jamie was too far gone, Julian would be taken with him. He would pour everything he had into keeping the man alive until there was nothing left to save himself with.

Cyn placed her hands on Julian’s shoulders and concentrated, harder than she had when Glory had been shot. She couldn’t allow Julian to go. Love, lust, freaky shifter hormones; it didn’t matter what she wanted to call it. If Julian died here there would be four bodies for the undertakers, three without a mark on them.

His hair was pure white, his eyes closed as he battled death itself. She followed him down the spiral of the healing path, lending her own strength to his, little though it was. She kept him tethered to his body as he somehow pulled a miracle out of his ass and got Jamie breathing again, got his heart to start. He repaired what little damage there was from Jamie’s body being deprived of oxygen. Jamie rewarded them with a whimper, but he didn’t wake up. When Julian slumped over, exhausted and unconscious, Cyn was there to catch him.

She was still sitting there, body bowed protectively over him, when Gabe Anderson pulled up. Lights and sirens blared from all three patrol cars, and in the distance she could hear an ambulance. She caressed Julian’s cheek, uncaring that her claws were out. “Cavalry is here, Jules.”

He didn’t stir. There was not a single strand of black in his wild mane of hair.