Page 8 of Burned By My Mate (Twisted Oak Pack: First Responders #3)

EIGHT

Logan

“I have to go into work for a little bit,” I tell Emerson the next morning.

It’s early, but I can already feel the mating heat. My bear is on edge inside me, and I’m already tired of having to hold him back.

Just bite her already! He orders me, but I ignore him.

She has to choose us too, I remind him.

“Okay,” she says as she stands and starts to clean up the breakfast dishes.

“You can come with me. You’ll be safe at the fire station.”

Our hands brush as I pass her a plate to load into the dishwasher, and we both inhale sharply. I can smell her desire at that moment, and I realize that she must be able to feel the mating heat, too.

So do something about it! My bear snaps.

“I’ll just go get dressed,” she says, her voice shaky.

I nod tightly. I want to reach out and pull her into my arms, but I know that I can’t. Not until she says she wants me too.

She has to want us too, my bear says, and I sigh.

Let’s just think about something else to distract ourselves.

She looks pretty in our clothes, my bear says, and I roll my eyes.

Not about that. Harris says that we’re making some headway with Red Fog.

Harris had come over last night while Emerson was in the shower and told me about what happened with the two members of the Red Fog Pack. Ryker and Griffin had killed one of them and sent the other back with a message for the Alpha of the Red Fog Pack—Stay off our land and away from our people.

I have a sinking feeling that it won’t matter. The Red Fog Pack seems determined to start a war with us or scare us from this land. The best we can figure out is that they’re pissed that they were run out of town when Ryker and Griffin came here and took over as the Alphas. Before them, this place was filled with criminals and lowlifes. They really cleaned it up when they arrived and became the leaders.

My best guess is that they want their land back or that it’s an ego thing. They lost the battle against Ryker and Griffin, and now they want payback. Either way, they won’t stop.

Emerson comes out, dressed in my clothes, and I swallow a moan. I know that I need to buy her some new clothes, but damn do I love seeing her in mine.

My bear grumbles in agreement, and I clear my throat.

“Ready to go?” I ask, and she nods.

I take her hand and lead her out to my Jeep. We hop in, and I scan the forest as we make the short drive into town to the firehouse. I spot Harris waiting for me out front when I park and he waves at us.

“Is Harris a shifter too?” Emerson whispers, and I nod.

“Yeah. He’s a wolf.”

“Is everyone in town a shifter?”

“Most. We have some bears, foxes, wolves, rabbits, a few big cats.”

“And everyone gets along? Wolves don’t go after the rabbits or anything?”

“No, we’re all part of the same pack. We look out for each other. We don’t kill each other.”

“But other packs…their members?” She asks softly, and I know that she’s asking about the Red Fog Pack.

“We can kill them,” I tell her grimly, and she nods, looking grim herself.

We climb out, and I usher Emerson into the station. I want her out of sight and somewhere that I know she’ll be safe.

“You’ll be okay in my office,” I tell her as I open the door, and she nods as she heads into the room.

She plops down onto my office chair, and I smile as she spins around. I can see her looking at the papers on my desk and the awards on the wall.

“You’re good at your job,” she says, and I snort.

“Did you think that I sucked at it?”

She giggles and shakes her head.

“No, I’m just surprised by all of the awards and thank you notes.”

Harris comes up behind me and clears his throat.

“Got a minute?” He asks me quietly, and I nod.

My bear paws at me. He doesn’t want to leave our mate, but we have to.

We have to keep her safe, I remind him, and he groans.

“I’ll be right back,” I tell Emerson, and she nods.

I close the door and head down the hall to Harris’s office. I close the door after us and he takes a deep breath.

“There was another fire,” he tells me, and I curse.

“Where?”

“A few cabins. Not too far from your mate’s place. It looks like they’re too scared to come any further onto our pack’s land. They’re sticking close to the border between our lands.”

“Any injuries or casualties?”

“No, everyone was able to get out safely. One cabin was empty. It’s a vacation rental, and the next guests aren’t scheduled to come in until next week.”

I nod, and he sinks down onto his seat.

“What are we going to do about this?” He asks.

“Have the Alphas said anything? What about Crew or Tucker?”

“They’re pissed. All of them,” he says and I nod.

“We all are.”

“Ryker and Griffin have set up a meeting for later tonight with their Alpha and leaders. None of us have high hopes.”

“And if it doesn’t go well? We can’t keep letting them get away with this shit.”

“I know. We’re all on the same page about that. If they can’t come to an agreement tonight… then that means war.”

We share a dark look and I sigh, resigned. I think that we both know that after tonight, we’ll be at war with the Red Fog Pack.

“I need to get back to my mate,” I tell him, and he nods.

“How is that going?” He asks.

“Well, she knows about shifters and us being fated mates now.”

“And is she ready for tonight?”

“I don’t know,” I tell him honestly. “I can’t tell what she’s thinking or feeling. I hope that she chooses me.”

“If she doesn’t, you can come and spend the night at my house. I’ll get the guest room ready for you,” he offers.

“Hopefully, it doesn’t come to that,” I grumble, and he nods.

“Hopefully.”

I nod and head back to my office. Emerson is inside with Miles and Jensen, two of the EMTs who work here at the station.

“Hey, Logan,” they greet me, and I nod.

“Miles. Jensen.”

“We were entertaining your mate,” Miles says, but I can see on his face that they were in here to make sure that she was safe.

We’re all close here at the firehouse, and I know that they’re good guys. There are not many first responders in Twisted Oak. There’s not much need for us here, or there wasn’t before the Red Fog Pack started acting up.

“Thanks, guys. I’ll take it from here.”

They nod and say goodbye to Emerson before they file out and head back to work.

“They were nice,” she says, and I smile.

“Yeah, they’re cool.”

“Are they bear shifters too?” She whispers, and I shake my head.

“Wolves.”

“Hmm.”

“Are you ready to head home?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you hungry?” I ask her as we head out to my Jeep.

“I could eat.”

“There’s a diner in town that’s pretty good. Or I can make us something at home.”

“Is it safe to go to the diner?” She asks and I nod.

“They’re hitting homes closer to their pack land. The diner is in the center of town. I doubt that they’ll come that far onto our land.”

“Okay. I trust you.”

Her words hit me right in the chest. She trusts me. That has to be a good sign.

“Have you given any more thought to what I said yesterday?” I ask as we head the short distance to the diner.

“About you being a shifter?”

“About us being fated mates. About the mating heat today.”

“Yeah. I’ve thought about it,” she says softly as we pull into the parking lot and park.

“Can you feel it?” I ask, needing to know if she wants me even a fraction as much as I want and need her.

“Yeah, I can feel it.”

“Do you want to be my mate?” I ask her.

“I…need to know more about what that entails. I need to know that I’ll be safe here.”

“You will be. I’ll keep you safe,” I promise her.

“You can’t be with me twenty-four-seven,” she points out.

“I could.”

“I don’t want you to be. We need to have our own space sometimes.”

My bear growls at that, and I hold him back.

“Okay. I can give you some space.”

“What? Are you going to hide in the bushes outside your house?” She asks with a snort, and I try not to let my face show that that was exactly my plan.

She sighs and leans her head back against the headrest.

“I need to be somewhere where I feel safe. I was looking for a place that felt like home, and I thought this was it, but I can’t be afraid to leave the house.”

“So, we’ll move.”

“You love it here. This is your home.”

“I need you. Wherever you are is home.”

“It’s crazy to me that you’re so sure about this. We’ve only known each other for a few days.”

“That’s just how it works with shifters. You’re it for me. My one and only love.”

“It doesn’t usually work that way for humans,” she says as we climb out of my Jeep.

“I know, and I know that you’ll need more time to develop these feelings. I guess I’m just asking if you want to have these feelings. If you think that you could feel this way about me.”

We meet at the front of my car, and she looks up at me.

“Yeah. I could,” she says quietly, and I swallow hard.

My bear is celebrating inside of me. We’re one step closer to having our fated mate.

We head into the diner and take a seat at a table in the back, away from the other people. I pass Emerson a menu and watch her as she scans it for something good to eat.

“Do you have any other questions about…” I trail off, looking around the diner to see if anyone is close enough to hear us.

“A ton, but is it safe?” She whispers.

“Maybe we should wait until we get home.”

She nods, and the waitress comes over to take our order. We both get burgers and a coke. Once the waitress is gone, Emerson turns to me.

“Tell me about yourself.”

“Like what?”

“Where are you from? Why did you become a firefighter? Where’s your family? Any siblings?”

“I’m from Montana, but I moved to Twisted Oak a year ago. I needed a change of scenery.”

She nods, and I go on.

“I became a firefighter because I wanted to help out my old pack. My dad was a firefighter, too. He passed in a fire when I was sixteen. My mom died two years ago, and after that… it just didn’t feel like home anymore.”

She nods, looking somber.

“I’m sorry, Logan.”

I nod and the waitress comes back then to drop off our drinks.

“No siblings?” she asks, and I shake my head.

“Only child. What about you?”

“Same.”

“How did you become an artist?” I ask her as we wait for our food.

“I’ve always loved drawing and being creative. I was a bit of a daydreamer, even more so when I was younger. Once my parents were gone, I guess I kind of escaped into my head. Art became an outlet. When I realized that I could make a living off of it, I was all in.”

I smile at that, and the waitress comes over to drop off our burgers. We both dig in and make small talk as we eat. She asks me about the town, about my hobbies, about places that I’ve been.

After we finish eating, I pay the bill and take her hand as we head back to my Jeep. The sun is starting to set and the mating heat is growing with every passing second.

We need to bite her, my bear growls.

I ignore him and drive us home. My bear and I sniff the air as soon as we get out of the Jeep. There’s nothing, though. I still scan the tree line for any sign of movement as I go to get Emerson’s door for her.

“Tell me about shifters and the culture. The rules,” she says as soon as we walk inside.

“We’re like humans, but we can turn into animals.”

“Does it hurt?”

“No.”

“And you can do it at will?”

“Yep.”

“Can you…talk to your bear?”

“Yes. I can hear him in my head, and we can communicate.”

“Does that get annoying, or is it cool?”

“Both.”

“What else?” She asks.

“We can heal faster than regular humans. Our hearing and vision are better, too.”

“And what happens if I become your mate?”

I swallow hard. I know how important it is to get this conversation right. My entire future and happiness ride on it.

“Then we’re together. For life. I’ll never want another woman. I’ll never even look at anyone else. I’ll do everything in my power to keep you safe and happy. My bear and I won’t rest unless you’re happy. You’ll get some of my traits. You’ll be able to heal a little faster. You’ll be able to see and smell a little better. It won’t be as good as mine, but it will be heightened.”

“And if I say no?”

“Then I’ll try to change your mind until you ask me to stop. I’ll give you as much time as you need. I’ll give you anything that you nee?—”

She launches herself at me, and I catch her easily.

“Emerson,” I breathe, and she smiles.

“I want to be yours.”

“You are mine. And I’m yours.”

Her legs tighten around my waist, and I swear I forget how to breathe.

She’s in my arms, exactly where she belongs—pressed up against the wall of my cabin, her soft curves molding to every hard line of my body like she was made to fit there. Her arms are looped around my neck, and her fingers are tangled in my hair, tugging just enough to make me growl low in my throat.

“Logan…” she whispers, her breath brushing over my lips.

“Yeah, baby?” I rasp, my voice hoarse with how badly I want her.

Emerson leans in, her mouth grazing mine. Teasing. Testing. Tempting. Then she kisses me again, deeper this time, and it’s like a dam breaks.

I kiss her like I’ve been starving for it—because I have. Holding back, watching her walk around my place in those paint-stained leggings and oversized shirts, smelling like lavender and sunshine, pretending I wasn’t dying to touch her, taste her, claim her. It’s been torture.

Now that I have her, I’m not letting go.

Her lips are soft and sweet, but the way she kisses me? It’s fire. Her tongue brushes against mine, and I groan, gripping her tighter as I push her back against the wall. She gasps into my mouth, and I take the sound greedily, swallowing it like it’s the only thing that can satisfy the aching need coiled low in my gut.

Her thighs squeeze my hips, dragging me closer, and I can feel the heat of her pressed against me. My hands slide down her back, cupping her ass, and I lift her a little higher so I can kiss her neck, her jaw, that sweet spot just beneath her ear, making her shiver.

“You drive me crazy,” I murmur against her skin, nipping lightly. “You have no idea what you do to me.”

She tilts her head, giving me more access, and I take full advantage, licking and sucking at her pulse until she moans and arches against me.

“Logan…”

God, hearing my name like that—needy and breathless—makes my control snap another thread.

I pull back just enough to look at her, her flushed cheeks, her kiss-swollen lips, her wild red hair a mess from my hands. Her eyes meet mine, and there’s no fear in them. Just heat. Trust. Want.

And that’s all it takes.

I crash my mouth back onto hers, one hand fisting in the fabric of her shirt while the other cups the side of her face. Her skin is warm, soft, and she tastes like honey and heat and something that feels like forever.

Bite her! My bear roars.

Her nails scrape down the back of my neck, and I shudder, barely holding myself back from losing all control. My hips rock against hers, and she gasps, her legs tightening around me.

“Logan,” she whispers, and damn it, the way she says my name? It’s ruinous . I’d burn down the whole world if she asked me to. I’d rebuild it just to keep her warm.

“Emerson,” I groan against her lips. “You drive me insane. I can’t think when you’re this close.”

“Good,” she murmurs, brushing her nose against mine. “What happens now?”

“Now we go upstairs.”

She wiggles against me, and I groan.

“Are we going to bed?” She asks huskily.

“Uh-huh.”

She wiggles again, wanting me to put her down, but I can’t. I love how she feels against me, and I’m not letting her go. Not anytime soon.

I turn and head to my bedroom.

To our bedroom, I correct myself, and my bear nods.

I set Emerson down on her feet next to the bed and she reaches for my shirt.

“I can feel it,” she pants into my ear. “The mating heat. This pull ,” she stresses.

“It’s only going to get stronger as the moon rises,” I warn her. “And it’s going to last all night.”

She moans long and low, and it’s like music to mine and my bear’s ears.

“Need you,” she gasps.

“I’m yours. Always,” I promise her.

She manages to tug my shirt up, and I pull it the rest of the way off and drop it on the floor.

“Your turn,” I say, but she’s already reaching for my pants.

When she looks up at me, her pupils are dilated and filled with heat that threatens to scorch me.

I welcome the burn.

Emerson tugs my pants down, taking my boxers with them, and my cock springs free. She gasps when she sees it, and my bear grins inside of me.

“It’s so big,” she gulps.

“You’ll be able to take it,” I promise her.

“Are you sure about that?” She asks, letting out a nervous laugh.

“I’m going to get you ready. Besides, we’re meant to be together. We’re made for each other.”

Now that I’m naked with my mate, my bear is going crazy. He’s screaming at me to bite her, to mark her and make her ours. I want that too, but I need to get her ready first.

I strip Emerson naked as fast as I can. The mating pull is stronger now that the moon is high, and the need to bury myself inside her grows with each passing second. Emerson’s usually light green eyes have darkened, and I know that she can feel the lust too.

She steps out of her pants, and I pick her up and carry her over to our bed. I spread her out in the middle of the bed and come down over her.

“Fuck, you’re beautiful.”

She blushes and smiles up at me shyly, her hands trailing over my body.

“You’re so hot…and so big,” she says, and my bear puffs out his chest at her words.

I kiss her as she continues to map out the lines of my body with her fingertips. She’s driving me crazy, and she’s not even trying.

I break the kiss and start to trail little nips and licks down her neck. My body moves lower, prowling down hers like the beast that I am. She stretches her legs wider, letting me settle in the v between them.

I can feel how hot, wet, and ready she is for me, her juices slicking my stomach as I cup her breasts, my fingers pinching the hard peaks.

“Oh!” She cries out in surprise, and I look up at her face, taking in her flushed cheeks and the glazed look in her eyes.

She liked it, my bear growls, and I nod and do it again.

She arches up into my touch, and I grin as I kiss my way down her stomach. I can smell her desire, and I lick my lips. I can’t wait to get my first taste of her. I can’t wait until all of her juices are coating my tongue and face.

I tease her nipples, giving them one more pinch before I slide my hands down her sides and grip her thighs. I pry them open even wider and settle my shoulders between them.

“Fuck, mate,” I groan when I see her pink, drenched core.

“Logan,” she says hesitantly, and I hum a second before I lean forward and bury my face between her soaked folds.

Honey. Honey and cinnamon.

That’s what she tastes like, and I’m instantly addicted.

My bear moans in my head, and I groan as I bury my face between her legs.

My tongue circles her snug opening, and I tease her hole until she’s sobbing my name and squirming against my face. I can tell that she’s close, balancing right on the edge, and I’m dying to make her come.

“Logan!” She cries, and I moan, my lips wrapping around her clit and sucking the sensitive nub into my mouth.

“Logan!” She screams even louder, and I groan.

My tongue rolls over the little pearl, and her thighs snap shut around my ears. Her fingers tangle in my hair, and she grips it tight, holding me against her.

As if I would ever try to get away.

“Logan,” she moans when I slip one finger into her dripping core.

I graze my teeth against her clit, and she goes off.

She comes against my face, screaming my name so loud that it threatens to deafen me. My bear roars in my head, pleased and proud that we got our mate off.

I lick Emerson through the orgasm. My finger slips in and out of her slowly, curling to find that secret spot inside of her and rubbing until her juice starts to run down my finger and coat my hand.

“Again?” She gasps, her eyes wide as they lock with mine.

“Uh-huh. Need to get you ready,” I tell her as I add a second finger.

I keep my eyes locked on my mate's face, and I watch as pleasure takes over her features. She’s close again, and I add my thumb, circling her clit in slow circles just like her nipples earlier. Emerson moans, her hips starting to rock harder against my hand.

“That’s it, mate. Ride my hand.”

She moans, her eyes falling closed as she grips my shoulders and uses them as leverage to ride my fingers. Her nails dig into my skin, and my bear and I both moan at the feeling, loving that we’ll have a mark from our mate, too. Emerson’s breaths become choppy, a red flush spreading across her cheeks as she nears her peak. Her red hair is tangled around her head, a few strands starting to stick to her forehead. Her eyes open, locking on mine as she comes again, her mouth forming a perfect O as she squirms against my hand.

“More,” she moans, her hips never stopping as she chases another orgasm.

The need is too much for me now, and I know that it’s time.

“I need to be inside you, mate. Stroke yourself for me.”

“Logan, yes!” she cries as she comes again.

My bear roars in approval as I move between her legs, my hands bracing on either side of her head.

“Yes,” she moans, and I lick her neck.

She turns her head, offering me more room to operate, and I wonder if, on some level, she knows what’s about to happen. That I’m about to mark her and claim her as mine.

“I need to bite you,” I whisper, and she nods.

I can smell her desire, can feel her need, and it only elevates my own.

I lick the base of her neck, and I can feel my teeth elongate as I prepare to mark her.

Do it! My bear roars.

I line my cock up with her glistening opening and lock my eyes with hers as I start to sink into her warmth. I don’t get far before my dick is bumping against her virginity, and I lean down, nuzzling her neck. My teeth sink into her delicate skin, and I bite her, claiming her as mine as I thrust through the thin barrier.

Emerson cries out, but I hear only pleasure in the sound. Her pussy is gripping me like a vice, and I swear my eyes roll back in my head as I feel all of her velvety softness wrapped around me.

I pause when I’m buried in her, letting her get used to the feeling of being stuffed so full, but I can’t wait long. I pull out tentatively, looking for any sign of discomfort on Emerson’s face, but all I see is longing and need. She moans when just the tip is still tucked inside her, lifting her hips to try to take me back into her tight pussy.

“Harder, mate,” she urges, her hands coming up to grip my biceps as I start to rock more forcefully against her.

I lean up on my knees more, my hands lifting to grip the headboard as I start to pound into her. The mating heat is taking over, and I lose myself in my mate as I rut into her like the animal that I am. I can feel tingles starting at the base of my spine, and my climax starts to hit right as Emerson throws her head back and screams my name.

Her pussy clenches around me, sucking my come from my balls, and I follow her over the edge, roaring as I fill her full of my seed. She’s still coming when I sit back on my heels and pull her into my lap. Her legs dangle over my arms as I keep my hands wrapped tight around her waist and bounce her on my cock. One orgasm rolls into another, and I feel her pussy clamp down tight as I continue to move her up and down my length.

“I’m not stopping, mate. Not for hours. I’m going to stay buried in this sweet pussy all night,” I promise her.

“Yes, Logan! Yes!” she screams as she starts to come again.

I flip her over after that orgasm, keeping my dick inside her as I settle her on her hands and knees in the center of the bed. She flips her red hair over her shoulder as she peers back at me. Her green eyes are darkened with lust, her red lips swollen and parted as she watches me grip her hips and start to pound into her.

“You like watching your mate fucking you, Emerson?” I growl, and she nods.

My fingers dig into her hips as I slam into her from behind.

“It feels like you’re stretching me so much more this way,” Emerson moans, and she starts to buck her hips back to meet my thrusts.

I hear her breath hitch, and I know she’s close. I rock my hips under her, rubbing my cock along her folds as my fingers stop their teasing circles. Emerson moans, arching under me, and I lick her neck, biting down slightly as I pinch her nipples. She comes with a shout, calling my name up to the ceiling as she grinds against me.

The sight is so beautiful, so breathtaking. Seeing her come triggers my own release and I come with her, groaning her name as I spill inside of her.

We collapse on our sides, her red hair spilling over my face and temporarily blinding me. I let her catch her breath as I nuzzle the back of her neck.

“Holy crap. Will it always be like that?” Emerson asks breathlessly.

“I will make sure that it always is like that. I will make sure that you are always satisfied, that you are always happy,” I promise.

My bear is finally calm inside of me. He’s curled up, satiated after we claimed our mate.

I pull her back more firmly against my chest. She sighs happily as she settles against me, my cock still buried inside of her as she drifts off to sleep, a happy smile stretching her lips.

I smile, brushing her hair back from her face so that I can admire the bite mark on her neck. I watch her sleep for a few minutes before I let my own eyes start to drift shut.

We’ll take a quick nap. Then it’s time for round two, I think, and my bear grins.

A very quick nap.