Island Stripe Pride - Chapter 40: Chapter 40

Trench exited the elevator in rare form. His skin itched, the Tiger in his mind’s eye hissed and paced. He was angry. He was hungry. And he was horny. He wanted his fucking mate. Now.
Was he a raging, possessive asshole?
Yep.
And he would own that shit, too. Later. After he found his wayward little kitten.
Mine.
The whole ride home, Dean had been acting like a total fucking prick. He didn’t even let him speed! Using his Alpha voice to ensure Trench had no choice but to listen, the fucker made him do the actual speed limit the entire way back to the city.
He could not wait to see her. Bria, his Tiger breathed her name. The beast was just as anxious as he. And it wasn’t just the threat of those Wolf assholes that made him angry. It was the fact he missed her.
Shit. Trench was acting like a total fucking pussy.
Takes one to know one, his Tiger replied.
Apparently, everyone’s a fucking comedian. Even Cats. SMH.
The second Trench stopped the car, he jumped out, slamming the door. She was close. Trench sniffed, picking up her scent in the air. Slightly faded, her vanilla citrus fragrance teased the beast within so much he was practically drooling in the elevator car all the way up to his floor.
There was so much to discuss. So much that he needed to tell her. The first and foremost being that he was sorry for rushing her, but he would never be sorry for claiming her. She was his whole heart, whether she believed him or not. And if not, then he vowed to work every day to earn her trust, and to be worthy of her as his mate. He had no choice. Trench was in love with her.
He swallowed hard, wishing the steel box would move faster, for fuck’s sake. It was difficult to admit, but fuck yes, he did. He loved her.
But did he love her enough to let her go? That was something Dean had brought up, and his beast had gone a little crazy. In fact, he needed a new steering wheel cause he damn near crushed the thing when his Neta had posed the question.
“Shit,” Dean muttered once the doors opened.
Mild curiosity had Trench looking up, and then everything turned red. Instead of finding his precious mate inside his apartment safe and warm, he saw that backstabbing motherfucker Carter eyeing his woman like she was a tasty piece of cake.
“Motherfuckerrrrroooaaarrrr!” Trench roared, going a little bit berserk.
Like. Literally. Trench exploded into the hallway. His claws aiming for the two-faced SOB. No sooner had he landed a solid punch to the fucker’s jaw, then the other man changed his skin for fur.
The hall was pretty cramped for two Tigers to tussle, but caution and common sense were both overthrown by Trench’s fury. Thankfully, Dean had tucked Bria behind him, and on some other level, Trench knew he would not allow her to get hurt.
Incapable of stopping, he wrestled and clawed, bit, and shook the other, equal in size Tiger. He’d never felt such rage so fast or sudden. Yeah, he’d killed, but it was never personal. Not like this.
“ENOUGH!” roared Dean, but only when he said it again using his Alpha voice did Trench loosen his jaw, dropping the other Tiger to the carpeted floor.
Did he have the urge to bury him beneath the dirt? Yes. He just needed to find some dirt. Maybe he could drag him to the rooftop garden? Good idea.
Grrr.
“Carter, go see if the doc is available to clean you up. Trench, get your ass inside and talk to your mate before she clocks you over the head. Not that you don’t deserve it. Bria, you okay?”
She nodded while Trench shifted back to human at the same time as Carter. The man had some wicked looking cuts and bruises, but judging from his own less than stellar feelings, he imagined he looked just as bad.
“I was just teaching her about being a Shifter man. She wanted to know why I wouldn’t look her in the eye,” Carter explained, averting his gaze from the still angry Enforcer.
“Fuck man, I---” Trench tried.
Bria stomped her feet, and walked inside, her posture angry as her expression. Okay. So, he was a total dick.
“Better go talk to her, man. I’ll be fine,” Carter replied.
“Just get going, you fuckheads,” Dean muttered, leaving them to it.
“Congrats, man, and trust your instincts. She’ll make you a good mate,” Carter finished before limping away.
“If she’ll still have me,” Trench grumbled.
He was getting blood on the tile. Shit. He’d need to take a shower, but first he wanted to make sure she wouldn’t bolt. Trench tracked her scent to the kitchen, where she had placed his previously unused kettle on the stovetop.
“Bria---”
Her head snapped up, and she turned to look at him. Her eyes were wide and gold, and he knew she was having trouble controlling her Tigress.
Dammit.
“Here,” she growled, her voice thick with her animal.
She’d tossed him two towels and gestured to the sink. Trench stepped forward, washing the blood from his hands and his face. He wiped away the water, his wounds already healing. Neither man had really wanted to hurt the other. He realized that as he took in the shallow scratches and scrapes.
Bria inspected him, wiping spots he’d missed. And not too gently. Fuck. But he would take it. He deserved it.
Trench was a selfish prick flying off the handle like that. Look at him, standing there, blood on his hands. Like a fucking caveman, when she was everything opposite. Everything sweet and soft and light and beautiful.
“Bri---”
But he didn’t finish, cause she’d thrown herself into his arms. A sob wracked her body once, and Trench panicked. But then, she was kissing him.
Fuck, she was really kissing him.
Bria had launched herself at him and had her mouth fused to him, and her hand on his cock. He’d caught her, of course. Always would.
Cupping her ass, he kneaded the globes, holding her fully clothed body against his nude one. There was nothing better than the feel of her soft curves against the hardness of his own flesh and the taste of her mouth as she kissed him with everything she had inside.
Mine.
“Bri---” he knew he had things to say, but she wouldn’t let him. Her small hands covered his mouth, and she was shaking her head fiercely.
“Nuh uh. You would have gotten a chance to talk if you hadn’t done all that, but not now. No way.”
“Bu---”
“Listen to me, Trench, I need you to just shut the fuck up and fuck me. Now. Like right now,” she demanded.
Yesssss. Mine.
The Tiger inside him peeked through his eyes, he knew it when he saw hers looking right back at him.
The fight had turned his female on, and Trench was all about pleasing his woman. He knew they had to talk, but she was clawing at his shoulders and growling deep in her throat.
The sexy sound had his cock harder than a baseball bat. The metal kind. And damn, but he was dying to bury the thing to the hilt inside her tight heat.
He dropped her on the counter, tearing at her leggings and the little slip of silk she wore beneath it. Urgency rode him hard, but fuck, he was gonna have a taste of her first.
Her shirt was still on, but she never looked sexier, legs spread, head thrown back, mouth wide open. Trench was already on his knees, mouth closing over her sweet sex by the time she screamed his name.
Bria moaned aloud, rocking her hips in time with his tongue. Her fingers threaded in his hair, she pulled on it, pushing him harder against her mound. Fuck, but she was gloriously wanton. Sweeter than pie, and more savory than whiskey. He lapped at her slit, collecting all her juices and swallowing them down like they were precious to him. And they were.
Lick after lick, he swallowed her down, then she was coming, and by the gods, it was beautiful. Her brown eyes flashed gold as she tried to catch her breath. His sweet mate caressed his face while he slowed his ministrations. Trench never wanted to stop licking her, and from the way she bit her lower lip, he knew she wasn’t inclined for him to stop, either. Not any time soon.
Still, the counter wasn’t very comfortable. With his mouth still on her, Trench slid her forward, lifting her legs over his shoulders, he had his hands supporting her back when he lifted her. Bria let out a surprised gasp, but she laid back, trusting him to keep her aloft and pleasured with his tongue.
Her utter faith in him was humbling. Evidence that there was, in fact, a God, or gods somewhere in the ether. He dropped her gently on his enormous bed and fucked her with his tongue and fingers. When she came one more time, he slid up her body, relishing her release. Then he filled her with one hard plunge and rolled them over.
“Trench,” she moaned.
Damn, he sure loved the sound of his name on her lips. Promised himself he’d get to hear it often. That was if he played his cards right. And he would. Just for that, he would do anything.
“Ride me, kitten.”
Fingers gripping her luscious hips, Trench laid back and watched his mate as she moved. First, in slow, soft slides, up and down his dick. Then she grew confident, lost in the pleasure his body could bring her. Bria’s head was tossed back as she began to move in earnest. Her sweet pussy squeezed and tightened, fuck it felt so good.
Like coming home. Like coming apart and back together again.
Fuck, he was going to come. Soon. But not without her. With his thumb, he found her clit, stroked the nubbin while she pumped faster and faster.
“Close. Gonna,” she moaned.
Trench sat up, tugging one cotton covered nipple between his teeth. He grabbed her waist and alternated lifting and slamming her on his cock, over and over, harder and faster, until she shattered all over him. Her hoarse cry echoed in the room as she came, and just before he did, pain exploded on his shoulder, followed by the most profound pleasure of his entire existence.
His sexy kitten had claimed him with her bite.
“Fuck,” he roared as her sex wrang out every bit of bliss he had to offer.
They collapsed together on the bed. His cock was still buried deep inside her as they both slipped into a dreamless sleep. They woke up hours later still entwined, only his dick was hard once more.
Trench held her close as he made love to her that time. Lips meshed together, he never stopped kissing her throughout that slow, thorough lovemaking. Not once. This time, when he claimed her, he asked her clearly first. His blood racing, near to bursting his veins wide open, when she said yes, again.
“I love you,” Bria whispered.
She collapsed against him, utterly spent and happy, so very happy he felt it inside of him. That telepathic communication, her knowing, whatever miracle it was, he felt her inside of him, and he knew what love really was then. His heart swelled ten times its normal size.
She loved him, really loved him, and Trench had never felt better than right then. Which was why he was an even bigger piece of shit than he’d ever suspected.
Fuck.
How was he going to tell her she had no choice but to shut down her vlog? Even with her new status as both Shifter and mated to a Pride Enforcer, Bria’s vlog was dangerously close to revealing the supernatural world.
It wasn’t something he could protect her from. Not now. Maybe not ever. And the knowledge was driving him insane. There was only one thing for sure. Trench wouldn’t survive without her. He wouldn’t even want to try.