pushing him too close to the edge.
With a sudden roar, Nick pulled out of her mouth and threw her on her back. He pushed her legs wide part and shoved his cock forcefully into her wet, tight pussy.
Zoe cried out as he began to fuck her furiously. He wanted to take her hard, feel her body spasm around him and watch her tits bounce as he thrust into her. He wanted to claim her completely, make her surrender her pleasure to him and shatter violently beneath him.
Nick grabbed her generous breasts in his hands and thumbed her dark, erect nipples. She whimpered and grew wetter, lubricating his cock as he pistoned in and out of her.
Bending down, he bit the side of her breast and licked his way up to the pebbled peak. He teased and tormented her sensitive nipple with his tongue and lips, making her pant and beg.
Arching her back, she pleaded silently for him to take more. Her muscles were rippling and tightening, squeezing him rhythmically. Nick slammed into her again and again, pushing himself deep into her slick, wet heat. He suckled her hungrily, savoring the taste and feel of her in his mouth, in his arms.
Zoe raised her hips to him, taking him deeper into her body. Her eyes were fully golden, and when she pressed her hands to his shoulders, he felt her fingers curl into...talons.
Her talons were curved and sharp, and she drew blood when she clawed at his back. She gouged deep into his flesh, raking down his shoulder blades to his hips. There was a territorial, possessive, predatory gleam in her golden eyes. She was staking her claim, marking him as hers.
Nick snarled at the sharp pain and gripped her harder. He loved how tightly she was holding him with her talons. She would rather rip the flesh from his back than let him go.
Roaring with pride, Nick grabbed her and bit deeply into her shoulder. Zoe cried out, and her body shook and spasmed violently beneath him as she orgasmed. As she shattered in his arms, Nick released his seed deep into her hot, clenching body. He kept moving inside her even after she had milked every drop of cum from him.
Breathing hard, they collapsed on the mattress, their glistening bodies still entwined.
When Zoe opened her eyes, Nick saw that the golden light was beginning to fade. Her eyes were human again, and her talons had vanished.
Swallowing, Zoe raised her hands and turned them over slowly. “Did I shift? I felt myself...change. How is that possible?” she murmured. “I don't know how to shift. I've never done it before...”
“Mating is intense,” Nick said, drawing her close to him. “My bear will not be kept from its mate. When shifters claim their mates, they claim everything and give everything. Mating involves the animal and the human. You give yourself wholly and completely to your mate. There is no holding back. And—there is no going back.”
He sat up and heard her cry of distress. Immediately, he turned around. “What is it, Zoe?”
She pointed at the deep gouges in his back. The blood hadn't even dried. “I did that. Oh my God! I'm so sorry. I hurt you...”
“You didn't hurt me. You marked me,” Nick said smugly. “Everyone knows I belong to you now.”
“Oh.” She blushed. “Oh.” Tilting her head, she frowned and chewed her lip for a moment. “For twenty-nine years, I thought I was human,” she muttered. “So...am I an eagle shifter? My hands turned into talons. My dad was half eagle...”
“Honestly, I don't know. Your scent is not fully avian,” Nick answered.
She blinked at him. “What does that mean?”
“It means that you are not a full eagle shifter. You...”
“So I can't shift fully into an eagle? I just have talons, but no beak and wings and other eagle parts? Is that what you're saying?” She winced, looking disappointed and frustrated.
“No, Zoe. I didn't say that.” He pulled her to him and embraced her lovingly. “I don't know if you can shift fully or partially. Your animal is only just emerging. You've lived almost