The sound of it—my actual name, not my title or some fearful honorific—triggered something primal in me. I surged forward, kissing him with all the hunger and possession my bear demanded, swallowing his cries as I changed the angle of my thrusts.
The electronic disruptions around us intensified with his pleasure. The kitchen became a chaos of flashing lights and erratic mechanical sounds—the digital clock flashing random numbers, small appliances turning on and off, the refrigerator's motor running hot then cold in irregular cycles.
I released his wrists to grip his hips, my fingers nearly spanning his waist completely as I held him in place for deeper thrusts. Freed, his hands roamed my chest and shoulders, nails digging into my skin with just enough pressure to make my bear howl in approval.
The difference in our sizes should have made me cautious, but Mishka seemed to revel in it, urging me on with breathy demands that grew increasingly incoherent as pleasure built. His boldness was as intoxicating as his body—this slip of a human challenging me, matching me, accepting all of me without fear.
"Mine," I growled against his neck, the word pulled from some deep, instinctual place I rarely acknowledged.
"Yes, yours," he agreed, surprising me again. "And you're mine."
The reciprocal claim sent a shock of heat through my system. My bear roared its approval, spurring me to drive into him with renewed fervor. Mishka met each thrust eagerly, his back arching off the marble, his electronic abilities broadcasting his pleasure in the flickering lights and humming appliances.
I felt his body tensing, saw the flush spreading across his chest to his face, heard his breathing grow more ragged.Determined to watch him come undone, I slipped a hand between us, stroking him in time with my thrusts.
"Let go," I commanded, my voice barely recognizable. "Show me what happens when you lose control."
His eyes flew open, locking with mine as pleasure overtook him. His entire body tensed, back bowing off the marble, a cry tearing from his throat as he reached his peak.
Above us, the light bulbs exploded in a shower of glass and sparks, plunging the kitchen into semi-darkness illuminated only by the erratically flashing displays of various appliances.
The sight of him—eyes wide, lips parted, body trembling with release—combined with the sudden clenching of his body around mine drove me over the edge.
My own climax crashed through me with an intensity I hadn't experienced in all of my existence. I buried my face in his neck, my growl entirely inhuman as pleasure shuddered through my massive frame.
For several long moments, neither of us moved. The only sounds in the kitchen were our ragged breathing and the occasional electronic beep as devices settled back to normal operation. I was acutely aware of my weight on his smaller body but couldn't summon the strength to move just yet.
When I finally lifted my head, I found Mishka watching me with an expression I couldn't quite read—somewhere between wonder and wariness. I eased off him carefully, but didn't go far, keeping one arm wrapped possessively around his waist.
"Are you alright?" I asked, my voice still rough.
A small smile curved his lips. "I think I broke your kitchen."
Indeed, the overhead lights were dark, glass shards scattered across the floor. The digital displays on various appliances were either blank or showing nonsensical symbols. Even the refrigerator had gone quiet, its motor apparently shocked into silence.
"A small price to pay," I replied, surprising myself with the sincerity behind the words.
We lay there in the semi-darkness, our bodies still trembling with aftershocks, neither speaking as we caught our breath. I traced idle patterns on his sweat-dampened skin, reluctant to break contact even for a moment. My bear, sated for now, purred contentedly inside me.
Eventually, Mishka turned his head to look at me, his green eyes reflecting what little light remained in the kitchen. There was a question in them, one I wasn't sure I had an answer for.
What happens now?
I held his gaze steadily, letting him see the truth in my eyes. In my century of existence, I had claimed many things as mine—territory, possessions, power. But never had I claimed someone this way, never had I wanted to.
Until him.
"This changes things," he said finally, his voice soft but steady.
I nodded, pulling him closer against my side. "Yes," I agreed. "It does."
Neither of us elaborated further, but we didn't need to. Something fundamental had shifted between us—something neither of us had anticipated but neither could deny. Whatever came next, we would face it together.
My bear rumbled its approval. Mine. Protect. Keep.
For once, the man and the beast were in perfect agreement.
Chapter Five
