Betray the Bear (Bear Valley Shifters #4)(5)

Figured. Crossing her arms against a sudden chill on the breeze, she turned to go back to work.

“Anya,” Nathan said over the murmured welcomes of his clan.

She paused and turned, waited.

“You’ll go to my room and wait for me there,” he said in a deep, authoritative voice.

“Are you f*cking serious?” Merit sounded completely offended.

He ghosted the vile woman behind her a hard look, then turned back to his new second-in-command, Brooks. Sometimes Anya thought Brooks, with his thoughtful gaze and quiet patience, would make a much better alpha than Nathan. He’d lost the last alpha challenge though, so that was that. The Long Claws were stuck with bloodthirsty, stubborn, domineering Nathan.

He didn’t check to see if she was obeying orders. She’d never disobeyed, though she wanted to more and more just to feel stronger. Her parent’s voices filled her head on those occasions. Anya, you’ll be mate of the greatest alpha. It will be the most important thing about you now. You must always make him happy, or you’ll bring shame on our family.

If they were still alive now to see her growing unhappiness, would they care? Both had been born and raised Long Claws. Mating for love was a foreign concept to her clan. Maybe that’s why she’d mistaken the potency of her feelings. She hadn’t an example of real love to compare it to.

She crossed he arms like a shield across her chest, and cast one more lingering glance at Nathan before she turned away. His house was in the back of the clan, behind a row of kit homes that had been built when the Long Claws won the land from the Kodiaks in a bloody battle. Her sneakers made scuffling sounds against the pavestone walkway, and she slipped through the door into the cool draft of the air conditioning.

A sprawling living room and kitchen took up most of the first floor, but the second floor was where he meant for her to go. Her stomach clenched and filled with warmth just looking at the room atop the stairs. She’d had so much pleasure in this room with him, it was as if her body prepared itself for ecstasy despite the turmoil in her mind. No, Nathan didn’t know how to love, but he took care of her physical needs in a way she imagined no other man could. That had to count for something, right?

Knowing what was expected of her, she unhurriedly peeled off her shirt and unfastened her bra. Her breasts bobbed free of their restraint and she sighed in relief. The fabric of her jeans brushed her smooth legs as she pulled them down, and when she was completely naked, she turned to a full-length mirror. The rich red and gold of the curtains and fabric of the room blurred away. No incense was lit yet, but the smell still clung to the room. Nathan had a bias against hair, and required she keep herself waxed completely smooth. He didn’t use her as much anymore, but she kept up the grooming habit just in case.

Use? What a strange word to apply to what he did with her. She enjoyed sex with him too. But something was changing inside of her. She frowned at her reflection. Was sex enough to satisfy her for the entirety of her life?

It has to be, the shade of her mother whispered.

She took a deep breath and expelled it from her lungs. Draping her hands on her slim hips, she turned from side to side. She was twenty-five but looked much younger with the lack of hair on her lady parts. Or maybe it was her face. Eyes too wide and innocent looking, nose too petite. She even had freckles across her cheeks, though Nathan preferred she cover them with make-up, which she did. Today, she must’ve wiped the foundation from her cheeks as she worked the gardens in the relentless sunlight.

“You’re beautiful,” Nathan said in a low voice from the top of the stairway. She searched his reflected face in the mirror but he was serious and calm as he admired her backside. “Get on my bed.”

His command sent a thrill through her. She’d always been attracted to dominant males who knew what they wanted.

“On your knees,” he said, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. His hooded eyes followed her journey to the bed, and a wicked smile crooked his lips as she settled onto her knees on top of the plush, king-sized mattress.

He pulled off his shirt and shucked his jeans, then took himself in hand and pulled a long stroke against his erection. “Now, touch yourself.”

Spreading her knees wider, she trailed her fingertips down her stomach and cupped her sex. With a deep, teasing breath, she slid her finger inside of her and arched her neck back. His breath hitched as she eased out and pressed in again.

A minute passed and still, he didn’t touch her. She was going to come soon and he usually didn’t like her finishing without him, but he wasn’t stopping her either. She closed her eyes and moaned as her hands shook against their duty.

“Stop,” he said, just as she was about to tip over the edge.

She froze, irritated that she was so close and controlled by his frivolous wants. Stalking to the bed, his approach was slow and deliberate, like a predator on the hunt. His shaft looked stone hard and an angry red. She drew her gaze up his body to the scars Joanna’s new mate had inflicted during battle.

“Don’t look at that,” he demanded in a harsh voice.

Sliding out of herself, she averted her gaze. His long fingers were painful as he jerked her chin to meet his eyes.

“What’s wrong with you today?” he asked low.

“Nothing.” She bit her tongue against the urge to walk out.

“You know better than to look at the scars, yet here you are, defying my orders.”