Protective Instinct Read online

  Rosa hugged her back with a tight grip. “You’ll be moving out soon too, I’m sure. If that jackass can pull his head out of his butt.”

  Her sweet sister’s blunt statement made Teresa laugh as she stepped back. She was incredibly happy for her sister but it felt like another reminder that the one thing she desperately wanted was right out of her reach. She sure as hell wasn’t going to give up on her and Ryan, but she didn’t know what to do at this point. She’d had a few lovers but those relationships had been casual and short lived. She didn’t have tons of experience with males.

  After Rosa left to meet Rafael, Teresa decided to check some of the fence lines. It was mostly busy work, but right now she needed to not be at home. The ranch and outlying land covered hundreds upon hundreds of acres and she wouldn’t go past the patrolled areas. Plus they’d installed extra security recently around a lot of the outer areas of the property in case someone got stupid and tried to trespass.

  Since she didn’t want to interact with anyone else in her pack at the moment this was the perfect way to get some alone time. She loved pretty much everyone on the ranch but she was too on edge. No one deserved her bitchiness right now and she could feel it bubbling up underneath the surface.

  Unlike her sisters, who all craved getting off the ranch for work and play, she loved it here. They had so much land she could run for miles and miles and not see another soul.

  Feeling slightly better, she grabbed a small bag with extra clothes just in case and let Ana know she was headed out so her cousin could contact whoever was on security. Then she got her horse and headed out.

  * * *

  In wolf form, Ryan stalked through the woods, his hunger—and anger—mounting each second that passed. He’d just found out from Ana that Teresa had gone riding out to check the fence lines.

  By herself.

  Okay, so she was well within the secured areas and had checked in with some of the males patrolling. Still, she shouldn’t be out there alone. He might be acting irrational. Maybe. It didn’t feel like it though.

  Panic hummed through him as he raced through a small patch of trees, lush and green now that it was spring. Her vanilla and amber scent was getting stronger now. He’d called ahead to one of the guys on patrol before stripping and shifting. He knew what area of the property she was on.

  So close now.

  He burst through the trees, his paws hitting the soft earth as he entered the clearing. There she was.

  All soft, lush curves. His female was crouched down next to something. He couldn’t see what and he didn’t care. Her horse whinnied softly, dancing back and forth as if nervous.

  “It’s okay, girl,” she murmured, not looking up. “It’s just Ryan.”

  So she did sense him. But still wasn’t looking at him, acknowledging him. That pissed him off.

  When he was within twenty yards, she stood and turned to face him. Her expression was neutral, but her emotions were off the charts. The main one he felt was pain. The sensation of it rolling off her was like a dagger to his gut.

  It was all his fault too. Most of his anger that she’d come out here alone dissipated. If she’d still have him, all that pain was about to end right now.

  He shifted back to human form, skin replacing fur as his bones aligned back into place. Her eyes widened just a fraction as she raked her gaze over him.

  He was pleased when she paused at his cock—which was already rock hard for her. He figured that wasn’t going away anytime soon. Not when he was in the same space as Teresa.

  “What are you doing here?” Her voice was wary.

  “Why the fuck are you out here?” Okay, maybe he hadn’t lost all of his steam. The horse trotted away, putting some distance between them as she headed for the tree line.

  That pushed the wariness right out of her gaze. Straightening, she marched over to him, crossing the distance with determined strides. Seeing her riled up got him way too turned on. She stopped in front of him, hands on hips and her expression furious. The amber flecks in her dark eyes seemed to spark. “You think you can talk to me like this? Ever?”

  “With all this shit going on, yeah, I’ll talk to you exactly like this.” Risking getting swatted away, he grabbed her hip, tugging her toward him in a move he knew was purely dominant.

  She let out a surprised yelp, but didn’t pull away. She also didn’t touch him. Just kept her hands on her hips as she glared up at him. “We have more than enough security and I’ve already checked in with the guys on patrol. And I’m so far inside the unsecured areas it’s not even funny. Something you know. So pull your head out of your ass. You don’t check in with me.” Oh yeah, there was hurt in her voice now. “I don’t have to check in with you.”

  “I went to talk to Connor about getting us a separate house.” The words came out as a shout, even though he hadn’t intended to yell. He was just so damn edgy—and had no one else to blame but himself.

  She blinked, her hands falling to her sides. “What?”

  “Yeah.” Pulling back, he raked his hand through his hair. He couldn’t touch her and say everything he needed to. “I…should have told you but I needed to bring something solid to you. The last two days spent in that cabin, being around you with nowhere to go for distance but not being able to touch you whenever I wanted was hell. After that first day I finally realized what I’d been doing to you the past few months. I’m a fucking asshole.”

  She started to protest, maybe to try to make him feel better because that was the kind of female she was, but he shook his head. He needed to get this out.

  “I wanted to offer you everything you deserve when I ask…” Sweat rolled down his spine despite the cool air. “I want to make a life with you, bond with you, have cubs with you. If you’ll still have me.” God, he felt like an insecure adolescent. He was letting all that bullshit with his parents go. He had to if he ever wanted to move on with his life. And the woman he loved deserved him to be all-in. He’d die for her and he needed to damn well show her.

  On a half-laugh, half-sob she nodded and threw herself into his arms. “Yes you stupid male!”

  “Stupid,” he muttered as she wrapped her legs around his waist.

  In response her lips met his, hungry and fervent. Right then he knew they weren’t making it back to the ranch anytime soon. Fine with him. He felt as if he’d been waiting a lifetime for Teresa. While he might still have shit to work through, he knew that things between them would never be like what his parents had. Teresa knew who he was and accepted him. Finally accepting that reality had made a huge weight lift off his chest. It was okay to be happy.

  Feeling possessed, he took them to the ground, needing to feel her underneath him as he pushed inside her.

  The grass was soft but he paused as he went to unbutton her jeans. “Outside’s okay?”

  She snorted and began tugging her shirt off. That was apparently the only response he was getting.

  In seconds he had her totally naked, the grass and her clothes her only blanket. The lust in her eyes as she looked up at him told him all he needed to know. She didn’t care about their surroundings either. He loved that about her.

  “You know I love you,” he blurted, wanting the words out there even though he’d said them numerous times in the past couple months.

  “I love you too… Now get down here.” They met each other halfway, his mouth covering hers with that familiar, hungry intensity.

  There was no need for any more words as she wrapped her legs around him, so incredibly tight, as if she was afraid to let him go.

  He wasn’t going anywhere. Never again. To think he could have lost her because he’d been so blinded, so worried.

  Reaching between them, he cupped her mound. She was already slick with need. For him. That knowledge humbled him as much as it sent a shiver rolling through his body. In the past few months he’d seen and kissed all of her, but this felt different.

  They were outside, with maybe an hour of sunlight left. T
here was nothing between them anymore. And this would change everything.

  Though the most primal part of him wanted to just thrust into her, to feel her tight body clasping around his cock, he wanted to taste her first. She was an addiction he couldn’t get enough of, didn’t want to get enough of. And he really wanted to make her go crazy with pleasure before he completely claimed her.

  When he tore his mouth from hers, she let out a sound of protest that quickly morphed into a moan of pleasure as he captured one nipple in his mouth.

  Her fingers slid through his hair, holding his head tight. “Don’t need…foreplay.”

  Well she was going to get it. He was too beyond words at this point to respond. His cock was heavy between his legs as he continued kissing a path down her bronzed stomach. She had no tan lines and he knew from spending time with her that she liked to run around in the fields in wolf form then sunbathe naked when no one was around. One of her secrets, she’d told him a couple months ago. He planned to learn every secret his sweet Teresa had to offer.

  Her hips rolled once as he reached the juncture between her thighs. A small thatch of dark, soft hair covered her mound. He ran a finger along the length of her slit, savored how wet she was before sliding two fingers inside her. So tight.

  She arched into him. “More.” A breathless whisper.

  Her clit peeked out, swollen and pink. Without pause he gave her what she craved, sliding his tongue over the pulsing bud as he began stroking his fingers in and out of her.

  They quickly found a rhythm as she rolled her hips to his thrusts and teasing. She tasted like pure heaven, her inner walls clenching tighter with each stroke of his fingers. He could imagine what she’d feel like around his hard length, had thought of little else from the moment he’d met the sensual female.

  “Your taste… I fantasize about it,” he murmured.

  In response, she tightened around him. He could feel the little tremors rolling through her, knew it wouldn’t take long for her to come. They’d been building up to this for months and months, even before he’d admitted what he felt for her. Even when he’d been trying to keep her at arm’s length, the sexual tension between them had been intense.

  “Ryan,” she moaned, her fingers tightening on his head.

  He felt just the hint of claws but then they were gone, as if she was restraining herself.

  He knew what she wanted without her having to say any more. Her body spoke for her. He actually shook as he raised his head and slowly withdrew his fingers from her.

  Splayed out on her clothes and the green grass, the setting sun playing shadows off her soft curves, she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. For just a moment he drank in the sight of her, all her sweetness, her full breasts and the indent of her waist.

  Knowing that this beautiful, strong woman wanted to be with him forever brought him to his knees.

  Then she reached for him and he lost all thought. He covered her body with his, driving into her as he did.

  He groaned into her mouth as he slid into that perfect silkiness, burying himself to the hilt. For just a moment he pulled his head back, breathing hard. He needed to see her eyes. Needed to see that this meant as much to her as him. It didn’t matter that he could feel the emotions rolling off her in wild waves. Her amber eyes practically sparked with hunger and lust.

  Unable to stand it, he cupped her cheeks and crushed his mouth over hers. He stroked his tongue against hers, not moving just yet because he wanted to savor every second of this.

  As if they were already perfectly in sync, when he finally pulled back, she rolled her hips in tune with him. They found a rhythm so quickly and each thrust inside her he knew he was close to the edge.

  He had no doubt that they’d bond during this mating. It didn’t matter that it was daylight, that there wasn’t a full moon and he wasn’t taking her from behind. Teresa was it for him and he’d sensed it from the moment he’d met her.

  That type of knowing didn’t happen for most shifters. Some, sure, but he was in the minority. Maybe because he was an empath he’d just had that knowledge. Whatever it was, he thanked God that she was his and he’d found her.

  Her nails scored his back, running down to his ass where she gripped tight. Groaning at the combined bite of pleasure and pain, he lifted his head back so he could look down at her. He was close and knew she was too.

  Could feel it in the tremors running through her body. Wanting to feel her coming around him more than he wanted his next breath, he reached between their bodies and tweaked her clit.

  It set her off as he’d hoped it would. Her eyes grew heavy as her head fell back. Lust clouded her vision as she started to climax. He could see it and more than that, he could actually feel the pleasure pulsing off her. The waves and sensations were more intense than anything he’d ever felt before.

  On pure instinct, his canines descended. Growling, he buried his face against her neck as his own orgasm ripped free. At this point their bonding was beyond his control; their emotions linked them, but he still sank his teeth into her. Just a hint of her blood coated his tongue as he continued to thrust. He lost himself inside her as he pierced the soft skin where her neck and shoulder met.

  Teresa was his.

  She cried out underneath him as they rode out their orgasm together until finally, he became aware of his surroundings again. The sun was about to set now as he nuzzled her neck, flicking his tongue over the small pinpricks of the wounds he’d left. They would heal in a matter of hours, but she’d always wear his marks—if the bonding had happened.

  Almost too afraid to test out if they were truly bonded, his head snapped up when he heard her voice in his head.

  That was intense. Pleasure radiated from her words as she linked with him telepathically.

  He looked down into those beautiful eyes. No regrets?

  I’m too tired to smack you. Her expression was one of pure love as she stroked a hand over his cheek. “I could never regret this, or you. I love you, Ryan.”

  He’d lived a long time and had no clue what he’d done to deserve her, but he was never letting her go. “I love you too.”

  Suddenly her eyes widened and she pushed up. “Turn around.”

  The bonding symbol. He’d totally forgotten. Females carried the very faint bite marks of their bonded mates for life and males carried a small tattoo. Usually something that symbolized their mate or something about both of them specifically.

  He twisted so his back was to her, but he half-turned so he could see her face. Tears glinted in her eyes. “What is it?” For just a second dread filled him until she smiled.

  “The gods or whoever seriously know what they’re doing,” she murmured. “It’s an intricate cornucopia filled wheat grains.”

  It took only a moment for him to realize why that was his symbol. “Your name.” Teresa meant to reap or harvest.

  Nodding, tears spilling down her cheeks, she leaned in and kissed him again, hard and fierce.

  He kissed her back just as hard, needing to consume her as she’d consumed him. She was his as much as he was hers.

  Chapter 9

  Sitting behind him on the edge of the bed, Teresa kissed a path up Ryan’s back before laying her cheek against him. He was so warm and solid. She wrapped her arms around him, holding him tight. She loved touching him, loved that he was all hers now. No barriers between them anymore.

  “I want to stay here all day,” she murmured, even though she knew they couldn’t. Still, she arched against him, her nipples rubbing his back. The friction made her shiver.

  His big hands covered hers on his chest and he groaned. “Don’t tempt me.”

  After they’d bonded in the woods they’d returned back to her place—where her sisters had made themselves scarce for the night—and she couldn’t remember how many orgasms she’d had before falling into a deep sleep. “Yeah, I know. I’m heading into town anyway.”

  He stilled at her words, as she’d known he would.


  He turned in her arms so he could see her. Even without their bonding link it was clear in his expression he didn’t like the idea of her leaving the ranch. She continued before he could say anything. “Nikan and Rafael are coming with Rosa and me. I want to go with her to Kaya’s shop and she refuses to stay on the ranch since she promised both Kaya and Matt she’d help out.” She shook her head when Ryan opened his mouth to protest. “Plus I promised Lucas I’d pick up something for him.”

  Ryan’s eyebrows rose. “What?”

  “Some game thing. I don’t know but it just released and it’s a big deal apparently.”

  “I’ll just order it online.” He stood, grabbing his T-shirt from the built-in bench next to her window.

  “No way. I told him I’d do this and… I want to. We’re all going to be living together soon. This should come from me.” She knew Lucas liked her and she adored and loved the kid. She’d helped raise her sisters so living with a cub wasn’t going to be different for her, but Lucas had been surrounded by males since he could walk and shift. It might be strange for him and she wanted to make his transition as easy as possible. If that involved bribing, so be it.

  “Trying to bribe a ten-year-old?” Ryan’s expression was wry.

  She jerked suddenly. “Did you read my mind?”

  He snorted and shook his head. “Uh, no. I can read your face though. He doesn’t need gifts from you.”

  She set her jaw into a firm line.

  Thankfully he relented with a sigh. “If you wait, I’ll go with you—”

  “No. We’re not going to change the dynamic of our lives because of something that might or might not happen. I’m a shifter, the same as you.” When he lifted an eyebrow, her cheeks flushed. “Okay, not the same as you but I’m still strong and I’ll have others with me. And it’s day time. If vamps want to hurt our pack, it won’t happen now.”

  “Unless it’s daywalkers.” There was no heat behind his words though, because he knew as well as she did that the chance of that was pretty much nil.