Bear Next Door (Shifter Protection Agency Book 1) Read online

  But it seemed she had nothing to worry about. Sam’s eyes sharpened, turned hungry, and in an instant, he had flipped her over, resting between her open legs. One hand dipped beneath the fabric of her sleep shorts and pressed against her, smirking when he found her already wet.

  Laura keened, back arching as he set a steady pace, finger thrusting into her pussy.

  “I’ll take that as a yes,” she said breathlessly.

  “Why don’t you try?” Sam’s voice was little more than a growl and Laura was shaking with want. Her tongue felt heavy in her mouth and she gasped the word like a prayer.

  “Fuck me, please, alpha.”

  “Fuck,” Sam let out a long low groan and surged up to her mouth, claiming every inch of her until she was shuddering beneath him, hips rising to meet the finger still inside her.

  “Alpha, more, please.” She was enjoying this too much, fuck, it felt so good. Sam whimpered, burying his head in her neck and inhaling sharply. Laura bared her neck, willing to submit to the pleasure he was giving her.

  “Whatever you want, baby, your alpha will take good care of you.” Another finger joined the first and the stretch felt phenomenal.

  “Yes!” She spread her legs wider, tilting her hips up and trying to drive him deeper.

  “What else were you thinking about, hmm? Squirming like that in my arms. What was it that got you so wet for me?” He lowered himself before she could reply, pulling down her shorts and licking a long stripe up her folds. Tears gathered at the corner of her eyes as she grunted and writhed like an animal.

  “Thought about, oh god, about when you carried me like I was nothing and how fucking small I felt- ahh! Want you to claim me, wanna be yours.”

  “You’re mine, baby, gonna make you feel so good, I promise.” She threw her head back against the pillow, looking up at the ceiling to try and clear the heavy fog of lust in her head. Sam’s tongue was hot and heavy inside her; he was devouring her and Laura couldn’t get enough. She felt delirious. He’d barely touched her and she felt like she was going to explode with pleasure. Sam was making the most delicious noises, little gasps and pants escaping his mouth as he fucked her with his tongue. After a long, blissful minute, Sam pulled away and Laura tried not to whine at the loss. “Up on your hands and knees, Laura, present for your alpha, good girl.”

  White-hot pleasure ripped through her and she hurried to obey, almost losing her balance and tumbling off the bed. Sam grasped the back of her neck, keeping her head flush with the pillow and Laura did moan then. Loving the intoxicating feeling of being held down, the casual strength he had over her was electrifying. She arched her back, pushing out her ass, presenting for him. It felt filthy but she couldn’t bring herself to care as two of Sam’s fingers slipped back into her with ease, the new angle making it easier for him to crook his fingers into her g-spot.

  “Alpha,” she whined, pressing her hips back as much as she could. The hand on her neck was a glorious pressure against her and she felt like she was about to come apart, but he was teasing her and she wanted him in her. Now. “Please.”

  Sam swore, removing his fingers and rubbing soothing circles into her lower back. Laura purred.

  “Sorry, baby, you’re just so gorgeous I got distracted. Condoms?” Laura pointed vaguely in the direction of the bedside table and Sam leaned over to retrieve one, his hand temporarily leaving her neck. Laura shivered at the loss. Without his fingers inside her and his weight on her she felt horribly empty. She didn’t realize she was whimpering until his hand returned. “It’s okay, darling, so good for me. You’re perfect, Laura. So perfect for your alpha.”

  There was the sound of rustling as Sam presumably opened the condom wrapper and then the head of his dick pressed against her entrance and Laura went completely still, holding her breath as Sam pushed forward, inch by inch, until he was fully inside her. She felt so full.

  She wasn’t going to last long. Sam set a languid pace, rolling his hips into her, hitting her g-spot again and again until she was trembling with need, unable to do anything but lie there and take it. He pressed kisses over her shoulder blades, licking and biting as he fucked her.

  Neither of them could form words, their pleasure gasped out in pants and whimpers and growls. Laura could feel herself getting closer and closer to the edge and when Sam squeezed his fingers gently around the back of her neck and sank his teeth into the meat of her shoulder, she came, clamping down on his cock as she rode out her orgasm. Sam panted into her shoulder, thrusting once more before cumming with a low groan and resting his head in the divet of her back.

  They stayed there for a few seconds, regaining their breath and then Sam pressed one last kiss to her neck and sat back.

  “You know,” he said almost sheepishly, “I’m not actually the alpha.”

  Laura laughed weakly, still exhausted. Her legs felt like jelly and she gratefully fell forward onto the bed, snuggling down into the duvet.

  “So I’m good to just ask you questions now, right?” Sam paused in the doorway, two mugs of coffee held in his hands. He was shirtless and looking deliciously sleep-rumpled. Laura shuffled back until she was resting against the headboard.

  “I suppose so, yeah,” he agreed, sliding back beneath the covers and handing her a cup.

  “Good, because I still have so many…” She didn’t know where to start. For years she’d been researching mythical creatures, trying to find out as much as she could about shapeshifters. She knew every urban legend, every fairy tale, most in multiple languages and now she was dating one. “How do you make a shifter?” She’d read several theories, from eating the meat of a wolf mixed with human meat, being scratched or bitten by a wolf… Did it work the same with bears? “Oh, wait a second!” She put down her mug and shot from the bed, rooting around in her bag until she found her notebook before diving back beneath the covers, already opening the book and holding a pen poised. “Ready.”

  Sam laughed. “Okay, so, you can’t actually make a shifter at all, except with very painful and difficult magic. We’re born; my parents were shifters.”

  Laura scribbled in her book. It made sense, the number of times he’d bitten her, she would have been a bear herself by now if the bite was infectious.

  “So, how much of you is human? Like, fuck, I don’t know how to put this without sounding like an asshole…”

  “It’s the scientist in you, spare no thought for my feelings, ask away.”

  “How- how much is human Sam in control of bear Sam? And vice versa?”

  Sam leaned back for a moment, contemplating her words, and Laura wanted to kiss him. Then she remembered she was allowed to do that so she did, pressing soft kisses on his cheeks and across his nose.

  “Human me and bear me are the same person, my thoughts are the same, my actions are the same…The only thing that I guess is different is the alpha thing. David’s in charge, we take orders from him and he has the last say in any decision the sleuth makes.” Laura’s pen was flying across the page as he spoke. Her brain was moving a mile a minute, questions tripping over themselves, scrambling to be the next one she asked.

  “If we have kids, would they be bears?” She froze. Where had that question come from? She felt her cheeks heating up and she hid her face in her hands.

  “Thinking about kids already, huh?” Sam teased. Laura groaned. Who brought up kids this early on in a relationship? Jesus, Laura, you don’t even want kids right now! She did one day though, with Sam if they were together for that long. She hoped they would be.

  “It just slipped out! I told you I had lots of questions!”

  “This feels like the weirdest round of speed-dating ever,” Sam remarked, still laughing. “But to answer your question...” He wrapped a comforting arm around Laura’s shoulders and she buried her face in his neck, still not ready to show her face again. “I have no idea, we’d have to ask Stella – witches know more than we do about pretty much everything.”

  That made Laura look up.
r />   “Yeah, I was going to come back to that…. Witches? Magic?”

  “Ah, yeah, those things also exist.”

  “And Stella is a witch?”

  “Yup.”

  “Fuck. Anything else I need to know?”

  “I’m not a doctor. I work for an organization that protects shifters in Mystic… Uh… The string of murders recently was probably done by one of those sort of weird half-wolf half-man things… I think that covers it…”

  Laura stared at him. Sam scratched at the back of his head meekly.

  “You’re not a doctor?”

  “That’s what you got from all that?”

  “I’d kind of already guessed the rest of it,” she admitted sheepishly. “I’ve kinda been doing investigations of my own. I found this weird sort of mist in the forest and a cap that I’m sure belonged to one of the missing people… Although I’m guessing Stella already told you?”

  Sam nodded. They lapsed back into silence. It was a lot to take in: Sam was a shifter cop, not a doctor. And Stella was probably a witch, but Laura found herself strangely calm, it did make a startling amount of sense.

  “You being a shifter cop is kinda hot.”

  “Yeah?”

  Laura rolled so she was straddling his lap.

  “Definitely. You get access to handcuffs with a job like that.” She rolled her hips, purring happily when Sam’s hands gripped her hips with a groan.

  “Laura I- christ - I need to go. David needs us all back at the agency.” Laura pouted but climbed off of him. “I’ll be back tonight?”

  “Only if you bring the handcuffs.”

  When she opened her eyes it was dark outside. Must have fallen asleep, she thought to herself. Sam would be back soon. Laura rolled over, stretching out his limbs and then she caught sight of a woman in the corner of her room.

  She opened her mouth to scream but the woman made a gesture with her hand and Laura gagged, no sound coming from her throat.

  “It’s okay,” she said. Her voice was soft and calm and Laura instantly relaxed. “There you go. I just bought you a drink, see?” She placed a glass of water down on the bedside table and ran a hand over her cheek comfortingly. It felt amazing and Laura leaned into the touch. She was getting sleepy again, eyelids heavy and drooping. “Here, drink up and go back to sleep, hmm?” Laura nodded sluggishly, drinking from the glass as she held it up for her.

  The water was fresh and clear and it tasted wonderful. The best thing she’d ever tasted. When it was all gone, the woman lowered her gently back onto the bed and retreated to the window. “Goodnight, darling.”

  “Goodnight,” she mumbled back. The woman blew her a kiss and promptly disappeared…

  Laura bolted upright. Outside, the sun was just beginning to sink behind the horizon. She must have dozed off. What a weird fucking dream though, she thought. She quickly got undressed and slipped under the covers. I might as well get an early night if I’m falling asleep fully-clothed this early in the day.

  It’s not like I have anything to wait up for.

  17

  Sam

  It was already dark when Sam finally made his way back up Laura’s path. It had been a long meeting, full of difficult decisions and lots of arguing. All he wanted to do was crawl back into bed with Laura and not move for a solid few days. He felt a blissful smile come over his face just thinking about it and practically floated up the porch steps to knock on her door. When she opened the door and looked out at him, however, Sam got the distinct feeling that something was wrong.

  “Hello?” she said, sounding very unsure. Sam blinked at her – he knew he was a bit later than they’d planned but Laura was acting like she didn’t even know him. He hadn't thought she’d be the type to get so upset about something like this.

  “I know I’m late but I figured we were only gonna watch a movie or something, so I thought it’d be okay,” he said apologetically. “I even found those handcuffs we talked about, although I’m exhausted right now, so maybe tomorrow.” Laura stared at him. “Laura?”

  “I have literally no idea what you’re talking about.” She looked him up and down, gaze lingering. “Are you a stripper?”

  Sam looked down: tight jeans, black t-shirt and leather jacket, handcuffs swinging around one finger...

  “A stripper? I’m not a stripper. Laura, did you forget we were seeing each other tonight?”

  Laura took a step backward, like Sam was a crazy stranger trying to make conversation.

  “I’ve never met you before in my life.”

  What the fuck is happening? She can’t have forgotten, it was only a few hours ago it’s like she’s been brainwashed or… His eyes widened.

  “What’s the last thing you remember?” She took another step back, scared now and Sam fought to control the urgency in his voice. She looked ready to slam the door in his face.

  “What? Listen, man, I just moved here, I’m all for pulling funny pranks on the neighbors, just you wait, I’m gonna wrap your car in saran wrap, but at least introduce yourself first.”

  She didn’t remember anything after she moved to Mystic, she didn’t remember him. All the memories they’d made, the times they told each other they loved each other…gone. Sam felt sick, like his heart was trying to claw its way out of his chest. Laura was still looking at him but her expression softened when she saw his face. He must have looked crazy to her right now, a stranger holding a pair of handcuffs on her doorstep, seconds away from crying his eyes out. He had to pull himself together, it wasn’t fair on her.

  Head still reeling, he took a deep breath, plastering a smile on his face and hoping it was convincing.

  “You got me, I wanted to welcome you to the area but I think I got a little carried away. My name’s Sam.” He reached out and when she shook his hand, he had to hold back a sob. It was such a familiar touch, one he’d come to crave and she didn’t feel a thing.

  “Nice to meet you, I think…”

  He laughed weakly. This was wrong, her not knowing him was wrong.

  “Well, I’ve got to go, promise me you won’t blank me because of my terrible attempt and making a joke will you?”

  Laura smiled sweetly at him and shook her head.

  “Never dream of it. I’m not brave enough to be that rude.” Sam smiled. It was true, she was a sweetheart.

  “No, I bet you’re not. See you around, Laura.” She closed her door a little quicker than she normally would and Sam could feel her anxious eyes on him as he walked back up her path and out onto the road.

  He headed straight back to the agency, rage building with every step he took. They’d wiped her mind – taken every memory she had of him. Memory-wiping spells were used almost exclusively by the witches and warlocks within the agency, since they were potent enough to erase months worth of memories and accurate enough to leave just enough for the victim to be none the wiser about it. It was the perfect way to ensure no one found out their secret and now it had been used to wipe him from his mate’s brain.

  Sam couldn’t bring himself to blame any of his friends – years of being as close as brothers left no doubt in his mind that none of them would ever do this. Stella too had always been a big supporter of bending the rules and putting yourself first. They all knew what Laura meant to him, how happy she made him. And what was more, they liked her, wouldn’t shut up about her. So someone else must have found out and told David… Was it one of the other witches? He barely recalled entering the building, easily walking the familiar route until he was stood outside David’s office.

  The heavy door was closed and the main lights in the office were off; a long-established sign that he didn’t want anyone disturbing him. Sam had lost count of how many times he’d been punished for barging in when he’d first arrived. Right now he didn’t give a shit, slamming it open so hard it rattled the bookshelves on the walls. David was behind his desk, pen poised over an important-looking document spread out in front of him. His dark eyes narrowed when he saw Sam
and he started to stand up.

  Good, he thought, get angry. Sam marched over, planting both hands down on the desk and growling before David could get a word out.

  “Did you have Laura’s memory wiped?” he demanded. David blinked at him then glared. Alpha scent rolled off of him in waves, making Sam all the angrier.

  “Watch yourself, boy, I’m the alpha here.” Challenging the alpha of a sleuth was never a good idea but Sam couldn’t make himself stop. The rage felt good, it was a decent distraction to stop himself from falling to fucking pieces.

  “Did you wipe Laura’s memory?”

  “Of course not. Why would I have reason to do that? Unless she’d somehow found out who you are.” He stared Sam down, unflinching. Sam felt the compulsion to submit to his alpha and fought it down viciously. “She didn’t figure out who you are, right, Sam?”

  Sam didn’t reply and David sighed, breaking eye contact and sitting back down. Sam stayed standing, still tensed for a fight. David ignored him, calmly tidying away the papers before looking up at him with a raised eyebrow. “What happened?”

  He wanted David to shout at him, to scream and curse and fight back, but he was calm, infuriatingly so, and all the rage left Sam’s body, leaving him exhausted. He sat.

  “I went to her house, we agreed we’d watch a movie or something but she had no idea who I was.” The blank look on her face played over and over in his mind and Sam clenched his fist on his thigh, lowering his head. He could feel David’s eyes on him, slowly putting the pieces together, and then he heard a sigh and the scrape of the chair as David once again got to his feet.

  A hand touched his shoulder. David was right in front of him, sitting on the edge of his desk.