Love at First Mate - Badlands Territory

She gives me that sexy, innocent smile that always hits me right in the balls.

“You’re perfect, you know that?”

She nods, pulling her sweet lips to the side, then gives me a wink. “I know.”

Nothing has given me more joy, more purpose, than finding my mate.

Thank you fate, for not listening to my dumb ass.

I have it all.

And I’m not going to fuck this up.Chapter 14WynterTwelve years later“Ah, God…” I choke out, my fingers tangled in Ragnar’s hair as he impales me on the last of his thrusts before he throws his head back, opening his mouth to roar, but with the last of my sensibilities I clamp my hand over his mouth and we cum together, my palm smothering the sound.

My head is spinning as I come down from my climax. Ragnar’s cock is still pulsing and pumping inside of me as he holds my ass in his hands and presses me against the wall, his mouth now on one of my nipples.

“Oww!” I yelp, swatting him in the arm as his teeth go sharp and he bites down.

He releases my flesh, my body stretched around him as I ride the high of my orgasms and he lets out a low growl.

“Just leaving my mark.” He licks over the spot where he just bit me, then kisses me slow and long, making me sigh and remember the first time he kissed me.

And the millions of times since. And how I love and cherish each and every one.

“We should get downstairs. Gran and Howard—”

“Are probably naked and fucking on our sofa by now.”

“Stop!” I giggle, but he’s right.

They are staying the night. It’s Christmas Eve and it’s tradition for them to wake up here on Christmas morning. They are as frisky as we are, and surprisingly even less inhibited about where and when they show their affection.

Still, we have stockings to stuff and a mess in the kitchen, so I convince my man bear to allow me to dismount from his still swollen cock and get us both dressed. We were soaking wet after giving all the kids baths.

They have fun phasing from human to bear when they are in the bath and they have even more fun making sure we are as wet as they are by the time it’s all over.

We put on some comfortable clothes then head down the stairs to finish our Christmas Eve duties.

At the bottom of the stairs, we both stop to look at the scene in the living room, where the fire is burning low and the enormous Christmas tree twinkles with colored lights and home-made ornaments.

There on the sofa are Myra and Howard, his arm around her, and in their laps are two furry bundles. It’s Leo and Logan, our youngest. Two years old this coming January, and our second set of twins.

Ragnar reaches for my hand and pulls me behind him toward the couch, where his gran opens one eye and smiles.

“You okay here?” Ragnar whispers, reaching down to run his fingers through Leo’s fur.

“Oh yes. We’re in heaven. Howard told them the story of how his family came to this mountain and helped found the Badlands. They think he’s some sort of shifter royalty.” Myra looks at Howard, who has his head back on the cushion, snoring.

“You want me to take them?” I ask, but she shakes her head. “You must be exhausted.”

“Pish posh.” She waves me off. “I’ll let Howard have his little nap, then we will carry them back up to bed. Why don’t you two go have some time alone?”

Ragnar pulls me to him, resting his hands on my shoulders as I stare at the disaster waiting in the kitchen.

“No, we need to get things cleaned up for tomorrow.”

Myra looks at Ragnar, then at me. “Of course, but first, can you do me a huge favor? I forgot to bring a couple of the presents for the girls. They are in the cabin…that’s where I did all the wrapping. Would you be so sweet, let your grizzly out and go for a run? Pick them up and bring them back. Please?” She smiles and I look outside to see the fresh snow on the ground, the light flakes still falling from the sky with a full silver moon over the trees.

“Sure,” Ragnar agrees before I can answer. “Come on. Let’s get you bundled up.”

I love riding on Ragnar when he’s in bear form, but I just feel like there’s so much I should be doing here.

“Why don’t I stay here and get things cleaned up. You go ahead—”

“No!” Both Myra and Ragnar cut me off in unison, before Myra adds, “Just go. You’ll need to hold onto the presents on the way back. I can’t trust a grizzly to not tear them into a million pieces.”

There’s no way out, so I’m bundled in a coat, scarf, hat, gloves and boots, feeling like the younger brother in The Christmas Story by the time we are outside and Ragnar steps out into the snow, and there’s a familiar flutter in my belly as he starts to change.