Zach would always be a high energy showoff, but Angus suspected that part of his friend’s constant need for attention was the fact that underneath, Zach was actually really lonely for his mate.
Corey was sitting at a table with Drew having a heated discussion. There was something going on over there. Angus needed to pull back from his mate for a moment or he wasn’t going to be able to wait to claim her until after the wedding.
“I need to talk to my crew for a minute,” he whispered in her ear.
“We still need to get Malcolm. I forgot all about him once they brought out the dinner.”
“Let’s go back to the atrium right after I find out what Drew and Corey are arguing about,” Angus said, taking Poppy’s hand to lead her off the dance floor.
They sat down at the table where Drew and Corey were talking. They looked over at Angus and Poppy like they’d interrupted something private. As Levi’s second in command, there wasn’t much that was private to Angus with the crew.
“What’s going on, guys? This is supposed to be a celebration for our alpha.”
“I was just telling Corey that his app is irresponsible,” Drew said.
“I simply created the app. The way people use it is entirely up to them.”
“So you’re saying that Quinn running off was my fault?” Drew said, growing angrier.
Angus could tell Drew had been drinking. He also knew how badly Drew was hurting. Most of the bridesmaids in Juliet’s wedding party been friends with Quinn. And none of those women had heard anything from her, if they were telling him the truth, anyway. Having them all here had to hurt. Having Corey suggest that Drew himself was at fault for Quinn’s disappearance was making it worse.
Quinn was a grown woman who took no responsibility for herself or her reactions. Drew probably should have waited to claim her, but that didn’t mean it was his fault she ran off. How was he supposed to know she would change her mind the next morning?
“Corey, please don’t make Drew’s situation worse by suggesting such a thing.”
“I’m not suggesting it was his fault that Quinn left. I’m simply defending my app. It’s a piece of technology. It is morally neutral. I’m not going to listen to him sit here and blame a dating app for his personal problems.”
Drew looked so angry red that Angus was afraid he might take a swing at Corey.
“Guys, let’s just put this conversation on hold for a while. I do not want a fight at Levi’s wedding. Do you hear me? Drew, go talk to someone else. Corey, stop antagonizing him. He’s hurting. Have some empathy for your crew mate.”
Corey was a genius, but empathy had never been his strong suit. Gaging the crew’s emotions and mending fences had always kind of been Angus’s thing. He could take out most of these guys because of his superior size, but his role in the crew had always been to soothe more than to dominate. The size thing just made the rest of the bears more willing to listen.
“Fine. I didn’t start this conversation in the first place. It isn’t my fault he’s being irrational,” Corey said, getting up to walk away.
Drew just sat there and took another long swig of Fate Mountain Lager. Angus frowned. His friend was in bad shape. If he kept going like this, he was headed for trouble. Drew was a bright, talented, good natured bear, who would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. Angus hated to see him deteriorate and refused to sit by and watch it happen.
“Drew. You’ve got to pull yourself together, bro. I’ve never seen you like this and I’m worried.”
Drew growled at Angus. Beer foam stuck to his beard. Angus could see Drew’s bear teeth show behind his lips. Angus rolled his eyes. Drew could not take Angus in a bear fight. Certainly not as a drunk-ass bear either.
“Why don’t you have Corey track down your mate and then go find her? I can go with you if you want.”
“I’m not going to go find someone who doesn’t want to be found. How many times do I have to say that?” Drew said in a slurred voice.
He stood up from the table, nearly knocking it over, then staggered away out the French doors and onto the outside patio.
“That poor bear,” Poppy said.
“I’m sorry you had to see that, sweetheart. Let’s go find your bird.”
They walked out of the dining room and took the opposite hall to the atrium. It was empty now except for the rows of chairs and the flower-covered archway above the temporary podium. Angus couldn’t see the bird anywhere.
“Malcolm!” Poppy shouted.
Angus watched her with concern. She loved that bird. He’d hate for anything to happen to it. Out of the lush greenery, a yellow bird burst out above them.
“Beautiful!” Malcolm squawked, swooping down to Poppy.
He came to a landing on her shoulder and rubbed her cheek with his head.
“Home,” he squawked.
All of a sudden, Malcolm burst off her shoulder and flew into the trees. Poppy watched him with a mixture of pride and sadness in her eyes.
“What do you want to do?” he asked her.
“He’s always been a grumpy bird, but he seems to really like it in here. I just want him to be happy.”
“Maybe Levi wouldn’t mind if he stayed,” Angus said.
“I could always come to visit him here since I’ll be living in Fate Mountain from now on,” she said.
Angus looked down at her and knew that he had his answer. Now he could freely claim her.
16
“You want to get out of here?” Angus said into Poppy’s ear.
His breath on her skin made her tingle all over. She’d been waiting to hear him to say that all night. The wedding had been beautiful. Levi and Juliet were clearly in love. It was heartwarming to see them on their wedding day. But Poppy had been waiting to finish what she and Angus had started in the gazebo every minute since.
Even being kidnapped and lost in the forest hadn’t lessened her desire to be with Angus one little bit. She wasn’t resisting her feelings for Angus anymore. She knew for sure that she wanted to be with him. It wasn’t just the pheromones. It wasn’t just the fact that he was gorgeous. He made her feel beautiful. Just the look in his eyes when he gazed at her made Poppy giddy with pride. She’d never felt that way. Angus didn’t just make her feel beautiful on the outside, he made her feel beautiful on the inside, too.
She was a nerdy, clumsy bookkeeper, but Angus made her feel exciting and sophisticated. Poppy loved who she was with him. She loved him. Angus was the sweetest, kindest, most goodhearted man she’d ever had the pleasure to meet. He belonged to her, and she would always be beyond grateful for that.
“God yes,” she said to Angus.
It was time for Poppy to take her mate back to her room and show him how she really felt. He growled at her words and took her hand. They were upstairs and walking down the hall to her room within a few minutes.
His big hand caressed the small of her back as she opened the bedroom door. The evidence of their wedding preparation was still all over the room. Towels and bathrobes were slung over chairs. Her makeup was spread across the desk.
When they stepped inside, Angus spun her around in his arms and held her by the waist. His big hands made her feel tiny. She ran her hands over his broad chest as excitement and apprehension circled inside her. He pulled her close and let out a deep breath.
His cock was stiff against her body. She could feel the pent up energy inside him as he held her. Angus took a few more breaths and then spoke.
“Poppy. I want you to be my mate. I want to claim you with my mark. I want us to be together forever. That’s why I’m asking now.”
“Angus. I want that more than anything.”
“You’re sure?”
“So sure,” she said, moving in closer.
She leaned up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his. He growled and unzipped the back of her dress. Her breath caught as he pulled the zipper down the small of her back and pushed the straps down her shoulders. His hot mouth
kissed a blazing trail over her shoulders and across her cheeks. He caught her mouth with his and unhooked her bra.
He pulled it away from her body and gazed down at her breasts. Angus made a rumbling sound in his throat and cupped them with his hands, hefting and squeezing her curves. He ran his thumbs over her tight nipples, and she gasped.
She stood there in her heels and panties with Angus still dressed. She reached for him. Poppy refused to wait a second longer. She wanted to lick every inch of her mate’s skin. She wanted to taste his stiff length with her tongue. She wanted to feel the dip between the hard muscles of his pecs.
Reaching up to Angus, she pushed his tuxedo jacket down his arms. He took the hint and pulled it the rest of the way off. But he didn’t stop there. Angus fussed with his cufflinks, and Poppy helped him get them off. She placed them on the table and then pulled his shirt open to reveal his chiseled chest.
She stepped forward and licked over his nipple. Angus growled and threaded his fingers through her hair. It wasn’t enough for Poppy. She needed to see his cock, taste it, touch it. She unsnapped his cummerbund and unbuttoned his pants. With a growl of her own, she pushed his pants down over his hips.
Finally, she had Angus standing there with his massive erection tenting his boxers. Poppy had to sit down. She sucked her bottom lip and shook her head.
“Damn,” she breathed, reaching up to pull down his underpants.
Angus growled and kicked away all the clothing before sinking to his knees in front of her. Poppy gasped with disappointment and pouted. He grinned at her and hooked his fingers in her panties, slowly pulling them down and over her feet. He flung them away and spread her legs.
“I get the first taste,” he said.
She leaned back and groaned as he dove into her pussy. Angus devoured her, furiously licking her sex. He ran his tongue up her slit and dipped in and out of her core. When he pressed his rigid tongue against her clit, she nearly came. She moaned loudly and ran her fingers through his hair.
Poppy held herself up on her elbow, watching Angus as he made love to her with his mouth. It was the sexiest thing she’d ever seen. Even hotter than the last time. Now they knew they belonged together. Nothing would stand in the way of their love.
Angus pushed two wet fingers inside her and she lost it, falling back on the bed. Her whole body released and her core throbbed around his pumping fingers. When he pulled away from her, she sat back up. He stood before her, his erection right in her grasp.
“I get a taste now,” she said, gripping him with her small hand.
He made a rumbling sound and looked down at her with hooded eyes, but didn’t stop her as she ran her tongue up the length of his shaft. He put his hands to his waist and watched her. Poppy looked up into his eyes as she sank her mouth over the hood of his cock and sucked.
Angus took a sharp breath through his teeth. Poppy was so turned on. She felt like she was in some alternate universe where girls like her got to have wild sex with men like Angus. She closed her eyes and took Angus deep into her mouth, gripping the base of his massive shaft to keep from choking herself.
The feel of him inside her mouth, stretching her, pressing against every part of her mouth, made her gush hot moisture between her legs. Angus growled above her, trying to keep himself still.
Poppy moved her mouth up and down over his cock. It felt so crazy hot to have him in her mouth like that. Every movement just made her want him inside her that much more. With a tear in the corner of her eye, and totally breathless, she looked up at Angus, ready to surrender to his control.
He knelt down as if in slow motion and moved her entire body back on the bed. He kissed her as he sank between her legs, smelling her neck, her breath, the scent of her pussy. He tilted his hips back and pressed his shaft against her soaking wet opening. She was slick with excitement and from Angus’s mouth, but the size of his hood still made her gasp as it pressed against her.
“Do you really want this?” he asked.
“Yes. Oh yes.”
He grabbed a condom from the nightstand and put it on without missing a beat. Angus held her close and pressed his sheathed cock slowly inside her, stretching her open. Poppy panted as he sank deeper. She’d never been so full. Angus was big. Really big. His muscled arms were big as they held her. His powerful hips were big as they pumped his cock into her core. And Angus’s cock. That was the most impressive of all.
When he sank the last inch inside her, Poppy threw back her head and groaned. Having him so deep and so close made the lights flip on inside her body and mind. She came, whimpering and screaming, right then. She throbbed around him as he pulled back and thrust again.
As he drove into her, Poppy experienced what could only be described as a never ending orgasm. She held on to his big body as he smoothly and slowly thrust again and again. He kissed her passionately and lovingly. Despite the mind blowing eroticism of it, it felt so tender and close. She cupped his face and looked into his eyes.
“Angus,” she groaned. “It’s so good.”
“Yes,” he growled. “I want to mark you, baby. I’ve got to mark you now. You’re mine. Mine.”
His words made Poppy tingle all over. Her orgasm crested again, and he pressed his sharp teeth to her neck.
“Yes!” she begged. She wanted those sharp teeth deep inside her, just like his cock. She had to feel it.
He pressed against her skin, breaking the surface. It hurt. So good. She moaned, and he pressed them deeper. His teeth clamped around her flesh and Poppy felt it. She felt the bond between them come into sharp focus. She could feel Angus. She could feel his pleasure.
And he came, growling, his cock throbbing, his teeth still biting deep into her neck. Poppy held him close, wanting to remember every detail of this moment. His teeth slowly retracted and it hurt like hell. But Angus licked the wound, making the pain subside. He breathed into her neck and rolled away, pulling her close to him.
“We’re mated now,” he said.
Poppy could feel his heart pounding in his deep chest. How she loved the sound. She ran her hand over the small patch of hair on his breastbone and sighed.
“I can feel it. Not just the bite but the bond.”
“I feel it too. Stronger than before. It’s almost like I can feel inside you. I like it.”
He growled and held her closer. She liked it too. The sweet, soft-spoken man she’d mated was just as sweet and soft on the inside. Angus looked like a huge, muscular bear shifter on the outside. On the inside, he was a cuddly teddy bear. He was her cuddly teddy bear, and she loved him. Oh, how she loved him.
“It feels so good, Angus. I love you so much. I don’t know if I have room in my heart for it.”
“I feel the same way. But we can share it now. All that overflowing love. We can let it flow back and forth between our hearts.”
“Angus, you never cease to amaze me,” she said, closing her eyes.
Poppy was so tired. She’d been kidnapped, lost in the forest, rescued by helicopter, she’d lost her pet, and attended a wedding that day. Not to mention that she’d just been marked by a bear as his mate. She was worn out.
“I’m so tired,” she said.
He helped her get under the covers, and they cuddled together until they both fell asleep. Poppy loved to have her big ol’ teddy bear in her arms as she slept, and she was going to make sure she had him with her for the rest of her life.
17
Angus woke up the next morning with Poppy by his side. She was his one hundred percent. He ran his hand along her side and she stirred, turning into his chest. She looked up at him with her big brown eyes and smiled.
“Good morning, mate,” she said.
He purred and said, “Good morning to you, mate.”
His heart was so full, but he could feel Poppy there with him. Their bond was a strong current between them. Poppy was so close, almost inside him. He could feel her sweet spirit and her spunk. He patted her hair. He loved her so much.
/> “Want to get something for breakfast?” he asked her.
“I’m hungry, but not for breakfast,” she teased, running her finger up his hard shaft.
“My mate is hungry?” he said, rolling her curvy little body up onto his lap.
He was thick with arousal and wanted to watch her take what she wanted from his body. She gasped when she found herself on top of him, but looked down at his cock with the sexiest expression on her face as she squeezed her breasts together with her arms.
He pulled a condom from the nightstand and slid it over his throbbing manhood. Angus wanted to fill his bride this morning and watch her face as she took him. He slid his finger between her legs, feeling her slick arousal. Her eyes were heavy with lust.
Poppy’s full breasts called out to be licked. As he gripped her hips and pulled her onto him, he caught her pert little nipple in his mouth. She moaned as she took him. Angus sucked and nipped her puckered skin, pulling her velvety warm pussy over his hungry cock. Poppy moaned in little pants as he pressed up inside her the last inches of his length.
Angus laid back, looking up at his mate as she rode him. What a fucking sight to behold. Poppy was a dream girl. Her twisted braids hung around her perfect chocolate breasts. He held her hips and moved her body over him. He couldn’t believe how lucky he was to have finally found her. She’d taken his mark and now was riding on his lap with pleasure in her eyes. A long, sweet moan ripped from her throat, and they came together. She fell forward, and they held each other in the afterglow.
She kissed him hard on the cheek and pulled away with a giggle. He kissed her cheek, happy she was satisfied with the morning quickie.
“Mmm. Now I think I could go for some breakfast. I’m starving!” Poppy said.
She rolled out of bed and pulled on her glasses before grabbing a robe.
“I’m going to shower first,” she said as she trotted off to the bathroom.