Page 22 of Matched By the Dragon

“Don’t wear yourself out before he even gets here,” my bear warned. “You want to save some energy for the claiming vows.”

The furry guy was right but I couldn’t stay still. I was slick and hard and unsure if Durin wanted to go all the way. Sheesh! Why the hell was I pacing the guestroom like a virgin wondering if his boyfriend was ready to give it up? It was just sex. Sure, it was sex for the first time with my true-mate. It was our claiming vows and that meant we’d really know what was going on inside each other’s heads. Still. It was just sex!

“Sex with the bear I’m going to spend the rest of my life with,” I mumbled to myself. “The bear I want to spend the rest of my life with. That’s just great, Brad. Put all the pressure on two traumatized bears. Sheesh! You’re not asking for much at al---”

Someone knocked on the door and unless one of the cubs suddenly grew to six foot five it had to be Durin.

“Durin?” I asked anyway because apparently my mouth enjoyed making me sound like an idiot.

“I found your map,” he said.

I sniffed the air. He smelled as nervous as I felt. Was he nervous about the claiming vows or because he was about to tell me he didn’t want to exchange them tonight?

“If you don’t open that damn door I’m going to figure out how to bite you on the inside!” my bear growled.

I opened the door. Durin stood there in only his pajama pants. His dark hair was still damp and brushed back. In the dim light of the hallway he was handsome with his broad shoulders and abs and knowing smile.

“Mate, were you by chance rambling to yourself?” he asked, leaning one hand on the doorway.

“Uh, maybe. You were in the shower,” I laughed, a blush creeping over my face and my neck. My ears burnt bright red. I tried not to rub at them as he leaned closer.

“Well, I was talking to you through the door about a snack until I realized maybe you’d gone to get one without me. So, I got dressed and went out into the kitchen and found your treasure map.”

“Do you want a snack first?” I asked.

“Maybe after,” he shrugged. “But I’m keeping this. Gonna start a scrapbook because I have a feeling you’re the sort of bear to leave lots of little love notes.”

“There was one on the nightstand too. Wasn’t sure if you’d see that one,” I flashed him a sheepish grin.

“I’d have sniffed you out even without the notes.”

“I set up a baby monitor,” I said. “And I have condoms – just in case you decide me and the cubs are enough and….” I stopped myself from rambling.

“If we never had another kid, we’d still be enough together,” he nodded, pushing a stray lock of hair out of my face. “I don’t want more kids because we’re lacking something or even because they’d be mine biologically. Biology doesn’t make a family. Love and effort do and the real question is are you ready for another kid? You’re the one who will have to carry the baby or babies, mate.”

“I…” I started and stopped. “That’s always going to be a complicated question for me. I want to scream ‘yes’, but then if I start overthinking it, I don’t know.”

“Mate, I know no amount of promises will chase away your trauma entirely and I also know that you’ve only seen me as a teddy bear, but these muscles aren’t just for show. They’re real and my bear isn’t just big because we won the genetic lottery. He’s a hunter and the things I’d do to anyone who tried to hurt you or take one of our children – any of our children – away from us are things I’d never describe to you, but I’ll tell you this, they’ll pray that Frost comes and drags them to the pit just so it stops hurting. I’ll pray that he gives me five more minutes to make my point.”

I swallowed hard. Why’d he have to go and say something sexy like that? He smelled so big and strong and his scent chased away the panic attack that was trying to creep into the back of my head and ruin our night. Unable to stop myself, I stepped forward and buried my face into his chest. I breathed in his scent until he and the safety that came with him was all I thought about. Then I scent marked him. He was mine and I was going to keep him forever.

When I was done scent marking him, Durin cupped my chin and lifted it so that he could gaze into my eyes. I melted a little bit and a chill shimmied down my spine. He claimed my lips in a kiss that started soft and slow and picked up as we went. His warm tongue slipped into my mouth as he walked me backwards. For a second, I thought he was walking me toward the bed, but instead, he shut the door and I found myself between it and him. He leaned one hand against the door above my head and kissed me again, harder this time.

I rested one hand on his chest. His heart was beating as fast as mine was. I kissed him hard, our tongues dancing between our open mouths. I lost myself to kissing him. Why had I put off making out with this bear for so long? I vowed to spend my every free moment in the future trying to kiss him like this. We’d never sleep again, because I wouldn’t stop kissing him.

He ran a big, warm hand over my chest and stomach through my t-shirt. For a moment, I hated myself for not taking the damn thing off before he got here. Now this stupid fabric was between us. Was that my thought or my bear’s? It was difficult to tell right now. That sometimes happened if we wanted exactly the same thing at the exact same time. It was a rare occurrence.

I squeezed Durin’s pec as he sucked my bottom lip into his mouth and nibbled on it. When he released it, he walked me backwards to the bed. Just before the backs of my knees would’ve hit the mattress, he lifted me up and laid me onto it instead. He was such a gentleman sometimes. Then he tugged off my shirt and I let him. At least the stupid fabric was out of the way so he could finally rub those big, warm hands all over my naked torso. A happy sigh escaped my mouth, and my skin gave rise to goosebumps as he caressed me. Then his mouth was on mine again. His tongue plunged into my mouth, twisting and turning around my own.

Mmmm… Maybe good things really did come to those who waited for the right time. I wrapped my legs around him despite both of us still having our pants on. Then I wrapped my arms around his neck and held tight. I ground my hips up, rubbing my hard cock against whatever I could touch of him. Then, reaching between us, I grabbed his dick through his pants and gave him a good hard squeeze, making him growl into the kiss. He was long and thick inside my fist as I held onto him while we kissed. I stroked him slowly through the cotton of his pajama pants, happy just to finally have him in my hand.

“I want you to claim me tonight,” I whispered in between kisses. “I want your bite on me, and I want to crawl inside your soul and see the rest of you. I want you, Durin, all of you. I’m scared of everything bad in the world happening to us, but I’m not afraid of you. I trust you and maybe I love you – no, I do love you and that scares me. Oh, gods! I’m rambling!” I said, laughing and embarrassed. “I can’t even stop rambling while I play with your dick. I think I’m a lost cause.”

“I’ve told you before,” Durin said and kissed up and down my throat. “I don’t mind your rambling. I particularly don’t mind this rambling. You’re rambling about how much you want me.” He let out a delighted growl and kissed my throat again. “Any man who stops his mate from rambling his praises and inner most thoughts is a dumb ass. I’m a lot of things, but I’m not a dumbass. Continue,” he smirked against my skin.

“I..” I didn’t know what to say now that I’d put myself on the spot. So I just squeezed his dick until he let out a deep, throaty growl instead. Then I stroked him again.

“I’m happy when I’m with you. Sure, some things still ping off danger inside my brain, but somehow over the last few weeks, I’ve started to trust you. I want you to stay with us forever,” I said, my eyes misting over.