here when you woke up. Why didn't you tell me, Emily?"
Why? How do I tell you that? 'Hello, I'm dying, would love a hook-up, ok thanks bye'.
"Why haven't you told me why you bolted from me like you were on fire?" she asked, turning the tables.
"You've not let me." He whispered; his head down.
"Ok, so, tell me."
Holden tried to explain how he used to be; how the endless hookups had grown tiring and that he was swearing off sex in the hopes of kindling a real relationship. He spoke of true loves and fated mates.
"So you can't have sex?"
"Oh I can, I just vowed not to."
"Until when?"
"Mid December."
She did the math, realizing that she'd probably not make it that long.
"And there's another thing I haven't told you." He looked away when he spoke. He knew this may be the one thing that made him lose her.
"Yes?" He's married, oh god, he's married I knew it.
"I'm a bear shifter."
"You're a what?" she leaned in, sure she didn't hear him correctly.
"I'm a bear shifter, Emily"
The room was quiet for a while as she processed it. What would this mean, exactly? Was she strong enough to accept this?
"You know, one of my online friends is married to a wolf shifter."
And that was it. No questions, no answers, just that. She laid there and rested as he held her hand. Soon she'd be strong enough to leave the hospital, and when she was he'd be taking her home to live with him. No questions, no answers, just that. For as long as they had.
Chapter Nine: Two Check Offs
It had been a few weeks since they returned from the hospital. Emily was growing stronger under Holden's 24/7 care. He'd shifted a few times in her presence, and where he'd always felt ashamed and less of a man for it, she laughed and loved it - making him stronger than ever.
That night, while curled up together in bed, Emily's hand went to his inner thigh. Softly stroking upwards, he felt his cock grow hard.
"Emily, baby, I don't think we should. It'd take all your strength."
"How about we make a deal.'
Interesting, what does she want to bargain?
"What deal?"
"One tremendously powerful night of sex, and then I promise we will be good for the rest of the time I'm here." Neither of them counted days or weeks anymore, they knew it was going to happen and didn't want to be reminded of how close it was. "I'll knock 'one time fling' off my list and be able to scratch off 'find true love' as well."
"Are you sure?" he didn't want to do anything to hurt her or lessen the time he had, but he knew it was just as important to her as it was to him.
"Completely. I want you and your bear to know everything about me, every gasp and sigh, every curve and feature."
Holden buried his face in her neck, not needing to be told twice. His lips found hers and parted her lips to kiss her deeply. His hands went under her, finding her wetness and teased her clit. She sighed deeply in his ear as her hands worked to graze his cock with her fingernails.
"Don't you dare hold back, promise me that." She murmured into his bare flesh.
"I won't, I promise, hold on." He growled as he tossed her back onto the bed. He had the strength of ten men as he picked her up effortlessly and slid her onto his lap. He teased her gently at first, easing just an inch or so inside her wet folds. Just barely easing it in and out, making her crazed with longing. His teeth nibbled at her nipples, bringing his tongue to lick at the corners of her breasts.
"Oh you're driving me crazy, Holden." She gasped.
"Really, let me speed that up then. Buckle up." He roared as he plunged her fully onto his erect cock. He twitched and grew inside of her as he felt her inner walls contract and expand around him. Her essence oozed all around him and her muscles milked his cock of every drop of pre-cum. Over and over again he drove himself deep within her, stretching her as he continued to grow. Long and hard, he pounded her as he ground her clit over his pelvis, causing her to shudder.
Her breath was ragged,