CH22

This chapter may have material more appropriate to an "M" rating. Reader discretion is advised.

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Kate's eyes slowly opened and the first thing she noticed was that she was lying next to, or maybe on, something really warm. It also seemed to be moving a little. Up, down, up, down. Her mind was catching up when she finally figured out she was lying partially on Rick with her head on his shoulder, her face buried in his neck. The movement was his breathing as his chest moved up and down. One of her arms was tucked in under her somewhere while the other was draped over Rick who was lying on his back.

She was downstairs in her mother's bed that Rick was supposed to use on this trip. 'I came out here to make love to him,' she recalled. Then she remembered watching him turn into this monstrous bear who had held her close as she cried into his fur. Even armed with that knowledge she had come downstairs with the intent of following through on her original idea. What had he told her? Something about if they had sex they would be bound to each other for life.

Her mind took her back to last night. She had started out on top and was kissing him while running her hands over his broad chest. She had worked her way down his body to find his erection staring her in the face. Was he so damn big because he was a bear? She had a hard enough time getting his head in her mouth while she licked, kissed, and played with it, paying close attention to the slit at the top.

Kate didn't want to stop but she soon found herself on her back as Rick kissed her and worked his way down her body. He had paid a significant amount of time to her breasts and her nipples. He had finally made it to her core and it had only taken him seconds to bring her to her climax. Then he inserted two fingers into her and found a spot that had her climaxing again in moments. That was followed by three more before he switched back to paying attention to her clitoris.

After another orgasm he went down to her feet and sucked on her toes. He worked his way up and licked her core until she was about to climax again. Then Rick moved his way up her body. Finally he was kissing her; she could taste herself on his lips. She could also feel the head of his erection at her entrance. She wanted him inside her, wanted it bad. What her mind and body wanted was for him to plunge inside her, but she was soon glad that he hadn't.

It had taken him a number of minutes to slide almost all of him inside her. He was stretching her wider than she had ever been before and it hurt so good. Rick took his time until he was slowly sliding in and out of her and she wrapped her legs around him as her mind simply left her. She climaxed and then felt him fill her with his come. And it wasn't just another climax like any other. Her mind was exploding and she was sure she heard Rick in her head telling her that he loved her. What she wanted next was for him to move so she could have another climax just like that one, but when she tried to push him out of her body so she could force him back inside her, she found he didn't slide out of her.

It was at that point she could have sworn he had gotten even bigger and was trapped inside her. Still she wanted that next orgasm, it was like a drug that she just had to have. Kate reached down and stroked herself until she did climax and felt Rick come inside her again as the voice told her she was so very loved.

Minutes later Rick finally slid out of her. Then he started all over again. Six more orgasms later and he was back inside her and trapped within her as he climaxed inside her twice more. Each time had her head exploding followed by the voice tell her that she was loved.

She was ready for a break but Rick was sucking on her toes again and kissing his way up her body til he reached her mouth again. She'd lost count of her orgasms but there were more than she'd ever had before. He was inside her yet again only this time she was on top and was pounding herself up and down on him til she climaxed and found him trapped inside her again until he reached his climax. That one was her doing and she could see Rick smile as she thought about how much she loved him and what a good and caring lover he was. No man had ever done to her or for her like he had done.

Back to the present. Kate couldn't believe what they had done last night. She didn't know she or any woman was capable of that many orgasms. Plus why did Rick get trapped when he was inside her? She had tried several times to have him slide out of her only his erection never moved. He was literally trapped inside her and his size stretched her more the entire time.

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The next thing she noticed was that she really needed to pee, so she started to move off of Rick carefully so as not to wake him. That was when the pain between her legs revealed itself. WOW, she was sore! It was all she could do to walk to the foot of the bed, out the door, and into the bathroom. Just sitting down produced its own pain. GOD what had that man done to her?

Kate finished, washed up, and opened the door to find him standing right there just as naked as she was. "My turn?" Rick asked. "OH, sorry!" She stepped out of the way, walked back into the bedroom then laid back down on the bed. He soon came back into the room and she saw what she had made love to most of last night. She watched him crawl back into bed and wrap her up in his arms. She closed her eyes and moaned since it felt like another one of his award winning hugs. "GOD above but I love his hugs,' Kate thought to herself.

"I'm glad you like them," a voice replied. It sounded different than the voice in the back of her head though. She lifted up to look at Rick who was smiling at her. 'Now what do I do?' Kate thought to herself. They had all day today to be together before driving home sometime tomorrow. 'We could always make love again, unless you're too tired?' the voice answered her question. It still wasn't the voice in the back of her head. Just how many voices did she have anyway? Plus she thought they had a deal, it was supposed to stay quiet for the next three days.

Was it possible? Kate looked directly at Rick. "Rick?" she queried. 'Yes, perhaps breakfast if you don't want to make love,' the voice asked her and Rick's lips didn't move. "That was you. I can hear you talking but your lips aren't moving." This time Kate spoke what she was thinking. 'It's part of the bond we now have that I told you about. You are now my lifetime mate,' the voice told her. Kate slapped his chest. "Cut that out and talk to me," she demanded.

He smiled and reached up to pull her head down and kissed her. "No more sex, at least not for a while, Rick. I'm so very sore. I need time to adjust to your size," she said to him. "Breakfast then," he said as she agreed.

"Are you sorry about last night?" Rick asked her since he remembered he had smelled alcohol on her breath. "NO! God, no. I knew exactly what I was doing. We're going to need to talk more about this bond you talked about though," she replied. "Do I need to be next to you to hear you talk without actually talking?" she inquired. "Not that I know of. We can test that today if you want," he said. "You don't know?" Kate was surprised. He shook his head. "I've never had a life mate before or been bonded to anyone."

She twisted her head around. "What about Alexis's mother? I'm assuming you had sex with her to get her pregnant," she said dryly. "True, but we weren't bonded and she wasn't my life mate. Meredith getting pregnant was an accident. After she told me, I married her to support her and the child. Alexis was one and we were celebrating and Meredith was holding her when Alexis suddenly shifted and turned into the cutest little bear cub I had ever seen." Rick was smiling as that picture came up in his mind.

"I take it that it didn't go well," she said gently. "May I try something? I don't know if this will work but it will answer your questions if it works," he said. She nodded, she loved and trusted him. He took her head in his hands, placed his forehead against hers and concentrated on the memories of that day.

Kate saw a tiny Alexis with wispy reddish-orange hair and a birthday cake that had one candle. Rick was trying to get her to blow out the candle while in some woman's arms who had red hair. She was thin and not bad looking. Suddenly Alexis changed into a fuzzy brown bear cub. The women freaked out and called Alexis a monster. Kate suddenly sucked in a breath at her calling Alexis a monster. The vision continued and the woman kept shrieking about Rick and Alexis being monsters. Kate watched her walk out on them, insulting and cursing both of them while leaving him holding a tiny brown furred cub.

She couldn't feel what he must be thinking but it didn't take much imagination. "My god Rick, she was positively horrid! Alexis isn't a monster, she's sweet and so very cute," she told him. "So it worked, you saw that?" he asked not knowing if it would work. Kate nodded. "That must have really hurt," she commented.

"I could take being called a monster; the first time I shifted I was convinced I was just that. My father's daily beatings didn't help any. But to call an innocent baby who didn't even know what she was doing a monster was difficult to take," he admitted. "Sometime in the next few weeks she served me with divorced papers. Her lawyer was quite specific. Meredith wanted nothing to do with Alexis or me and I've never seen or heard from her since then."

"Then why am i your life mate and she wasn't" Kate didn't understand. "Difficult to explain. Basically it boils down to i didn't love her like i love you. Because of this we didn't share chemicals and/or hormones with each other. We were never bound to each other like we are now." Rick does his best to explain.

"Does Alexis shift?" she wondered. He shook his head. "She's never shifted since that day. I've never brought it up and I haven't talked to her about me being able to shift," he explained. "You need to talk to her Rick. She's probably scared shitless. If she ever remembers a portion of that day, even if it's just as a dream or a nightmare, she'll see herself as what her mother said she was…a monster. I'll help you, we can talk to her together," Kate offered and watched as silent tears traced down his face. He had never had any help with Alexis since Meredith left him, and now Kate, his beautiful, wonderful Kate, was offering her help. She suddenly actually felt like a life mate and a bonded partner to him. "I'd like that, I'd like that a lot." His little girl deserved more than just him.

"How about breakfast first?" she suggested when the satellite phone Kate had brought with her rang. The phone was actually Rick's though Kate and Johanna knew that he had ordered and received a replacement. "Or not," she added and groaned a little as she got up to answer it. Whatever they did today better not involve a lot of walking, she was too sore from last night to walk much. Her muscles in that area were protesting what she had done to them.

"Hello?" Kate answered the phone. "Hi Mom. No, we're up, we were just starting to think about breakfast actually. What's up?" she asked as Rick walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. She melted into him and closed her eyes. "I'm sorry Mom, what did you say?" She tried to step away from Rick but didn't get far. "That's great! Is he staying long enough for us to meet him before he leaves?" Kate questioned and could hear her mother asking him.

"The entire week? Okay." She was a little shocked but pleased since her mother seemed to like him. "What did he say about cost?" Kate queried. "One point eight million total. We're definitely going to need a loan," she stated since they had started out with that amount of money and barely had one million left. "What do you mean the purchase of the existing Wendys® isn't part of that cost?" She was perplexed. "The land, legal fees, accounting costs and insurance costs either?" She didn't understand. "Oscar's fee too? So who's paying those costs? That has to be at least what, another one and a half million if not more. …What do you mean he's not telling?" Kate spun in place and looked up at Rick.

"I'll get back to you Mom." She hung up and glared at Rick. "What have you done?" she demanded, poking him in the chest. He was the only person she knew that had that kind of money. "I don't know what you're talking about," he stated and took a step backwards. "You come back here and explain to me everything you've done." She stepped in closer and poked him in the chest again. "Everything! I'm your bonded life mate and you are going to tell me everything from now on," she asserted.

She soon found herself in Rick's arms which had her melting and losing her anger. She shook herself and pushed him away a little. "That's not going to work. Now start talking or else." Kate smiled as she reached her hand down then took hold of his scrotum and just held it. Her threat was unmistakable. Her hand being where it was caused him to suck in a breath and look down at her. "Alright! Yes, I paid for Oscar to do this. I paid for his airline ticket and the chartered jet that got him out here this time," he admitted. "What about the building, land, and other items?" She had both of her hands on his bare chest now. "Yeah, those too. I'm not trying to buy you and your mother Kate, so please don't think that. I was just trying to help. I know opening a restaurant, a really good one, costs money and lots of it," he explained.

"Helping like you did when Mom was so pissed off at you the last time? You just don't learn do you?" Kate tried to sound upset but she was too in love with him to pull it off. "How much?" she asked him. "How much what?" he echoed with a slight smile which earned him a smack to his chest. "The building and land were 1.45 million dollars." Rick braced himself for the verbal and/or physical assault he was sure that was coming his way. Instead he found himself being kissed soundly. 'I love you,' he heard in his head.

"You're not angry?" he asked hesitantly. "I probably should be but you better be prepared to be grilled - almost literally - if my Mom finds out what you've done," she warned him. "And thank you by the way. That was very kind of you and you didn't have to do it."

"I thought I did and you're very welcome." He wrapped his arms around Kate and kissed her soundly. She soon found herself in bed again, on top of him this time, bouncing up and down on his erection. She leaned way back and screamed out her orgasm as her mind exploded. Kate collapsed onto Rick and just rested there with an occasional kiss. She started sucking on his neck with the intention of giving him a hickey. 'What are you doing?' She could hear his voice in her mind. 'Just marking my territory,' she replied in her head.

"Kate, our bonding precludes either of us from having sex with another person. It simply can't happen. It's part of that chemical/hormonal sharing that we had," he pointed out."Oh." She had forgotten about that part. "Well this way those other women will think twice before they drape themselves all over you and try to kiss you," she countered. "We live in Newcastle, Wyoming, sweetheart. Just what other women are we talking about here?" he asked, really wanting to know. His question forced Kate to think about it. "SHUT-UP!" she countered hearing his chuckle in her head. "And don't call me sweetheart if you ever want to have sex again." Kate threatens him.

Kate was taking her time getting dressed while Rick was already outside looking around. It was a secluded wooded area and he liked the look and smell of the place. Even the smell of the lake nearby was nice. He could also feel his bear dancing while out in space - he was that high off the ground. 'You alright in there, love?' Rick asked. 'I'm fine. Be out in a minute,'Kate replied.

She stepped out wearing leggings, an oversized t-shirt, and tennis shoes with short socks. "Can we not do a lot of walking please?" she pleaded. Rick started chuckling and opened his mouth to respond. "Be careful what you say. This morning might be the last sex you ever get," Kate threatened him, which got him to shut his mouth with a snap.

"How about a boat rental then. You can sit down for all of it." He offered a compromise. "Deal." She was in and soon they were gliding through the water in a small boat that had a single small outboard motor off the stern. He was following the coast line of the lake allowing both of them to see the forest area that edged the lake. He didn't dare bring them in too close for fear of running aground though. They were on the lake for a couple of hours before they took the boat back then walked back to the motorhome. "Ready for lunch?" Rick asked as Kate nodded. "You stay out here and enjoy the view. I'll bring lunch out," he offered and went inside.

Kate was silent while they ate and Rick was content to let her think things through. She had done a lot last night and changed both of their worlds. "Rick I know it hurts but please tell me about your parents. Are they still alive? Do they live anywhere near here?" She wanted to know his history, maybe even see some baby pictures. He sighed and lowered his BLT sandwich. Kate immediately regretted asking but he started talking before she could tell him to forget it.

"My father, not that he deserves the title, is Jackson Hunt. He's about my size and has white hair now. My mother is Martha Rodgers. She used to be a Broadway actress. She also did a TV daytime drama until her character was killed off. Then she met my father; they bonded and became life mates. She does pretty much anything he tells her to do along with everyone else. Not that I'm sure any of them have a choice." His father had complete control, as he had witnessed firsthand.

"You must hate him a lot," she said, basing her conclusion on the way he spoke about him. "My father decided since he had been given a son that I should take over the clan after he was gone, so he started teaching me everything he thought I needed to know. I was whipped when I got something wrong. Beaten mercilessly when I didn't stand up for myself or order the other children around, telling them what to do. I've had both my arms broken, my nose was broken I don't know how many times, plus I had a broken leg. If it wasn't for my healing ability I would probably have kidney failure and liver damage by now. Oh, I almost forgot about the four broken bibs and collapsed lung," he added as Kate dropped her lunch and reached to hold his hands. "But you look fine," she pointed out. She knew it especially since she had searched almost every square inch of his body last night and he, her.

"All shifters have the ability to heal their wounds. The worse they are the longer it takes, but everything eventually heals, save for losing a limb. In terms of physical power there is no one more powerful than a Kodiak bear. There are rumors of other shifters, ancient shifters who have great power, some even bordering on magic. Real honest-to-goddess magic, not illusions like David Copperfield," Rick explained.

"Do you have any magical abilities?" Kate asked. "Well, maybe some I suppose," he replied getting Kate to glare at him waiting for an answer as to what they are. Then she snapped her fingers and pointed at him. "Those amazing hugs you give." It suddenly hit her. Rick smiled at her. "My hugs are not magic so to speak. They do make a person feel better and take away any emotional pain they're feeling. But it's fleeting. A few hours later the pain returns if it's strong enough and affects them so much. My hugs give them some moments of peace that they didn't have but really needed," he confirmed.

That certainly made sense to Kate since she had felt what his hugs could do several times and wouldn't mind if he hugged her again. Anytime, like now even. "What else?" she queried. "You used to be a detective, you tell me." Rick put his elbows on the table and rested his head in his hands as he stared at her. Kate glared back at him. 'Challenge accepted,'she thought. 'Take your best shot,'Rick responded, grinning.