“You can leave it for now. We’ll keep an eye on it,” he told me as he turned down the heat and opened a tin of tomatoes.
“Time for extracurricular activities, I asked?”
I swooped under his arms and bobbed up, kissing him on the mouth. “You are a delightful distraction,” he croaked as my tongue flicked over his teeth. “But let’s finish cooking and then you’ll be my prisoner, unable to leave the bed for the rest of the day.”
I clapped my hands. “Are you going to tie me up?
“I wasn't planning on it, but if you behave…”
“Fine,” I huffed. “Now what?” I stirred the mixture while he added the tomatoes and a spicy sauce. That was followed by the green leaves I’d seen earlier which he said was spinach. “I’ve read about that in comics when I was a kid.”
“Great,” Brad deadpanned.
“What? Comics are informative and instructive. Don’t knock them. They’re all under the literature umbrella.”
Brad made holes in the mixture. Interesting! And poured an egg in each one. “Wow!” What had started out as a soggy mess, smelled amazing, and an enticing aroma filled the kitchen that had my mouth watering. Once the eggs were done, Brad sprinkled a few things on top and served me a portion.
“Oh, my God, this is so good.” The competing flavors of the spices and herbs along with the eggs and vegetables had me shoveling in mouthful after mouthful. “Where did you learn to cook like this, Brad? This is heaven on earth.”
“My aunt. Neither my mom or dad were interested in cooking, and my aunt lived with us after her husband died. She taught me.”
“I’d like to meet her and thank her.”
“You will.”
After we’d had second helpings, I leaped off the stool and took my mate’s hand. “Ready?”
“Most definitely. Glad you’re so eager to help.”
Is that a smirk? “Huh? Oh, a blow job? Sure, it’ll be my pleasure.” I wriggled my hips and beckoned him as I headed toward the bedroom.
“Never heard it called that before.”
“We can call it anything you like.” I took the dish towel and did that stripper move where I rubbed it over my ass one way and then the other.
Brad stalked toward me, leaned over and whispered, “Dishes, Gabe.”
Damn! “Oh, right!”
After filling the dishwasher, I pranced around the island, hoping we were finished.” Are we done?” I asked.
“Nope.”
Oh, God, now what? Brad, the man, the bear shifter who was my mate, was wiping down the counter. He really has a tidying fetish. All things cleaning were foreign to me. Perhaps I should introduce him to Corey.
But he pounced on me and swept me into his arms, reminding me of a romantic hero in literature. That’s a grand gesture! “Now I throw you on the bed, take off my shirt you’re wearing, and fuck you. Unless you think the floor needs mopping? Or the carpet vacuuming?”
“Gosh, that’s a hard one. Fucking or vacuuming?”
He tossed me over his shoulder and his hand slid under the shirt and squeezed my ass. “I’m still waiting?”
“For what?”
“Your answer.”
“Fucking. Every time. With you,” I added.
He growled and slapped my butt. “We are bonded for life, Gabe. Any alpha so much as looks at you and I’ll rip his throat out.”
I needed to look into his eyes. “Put me down, Brad.”
His brow furrowed as he asked, “What’s wrong?”
Time to be serious. I placed a hand on either side of his face. “I can’t control the rest of the world, but you have my love, my heart, and my commitment.” I pointed to where he’s bitten me. “This scar is proof that I am yours forever. And you belong to me.”
Brad rested his forehead on mine. “I love you, Gabe.”
“Likewise.”
Eighteen
Brad
I was mated less than a minute and I first felt the difference. My bear was completely controlled. For the first time in more days than I could count, my bear let me just be. It filled me with a calm I’d never before experienced.
Gabe was at work, and though my caseload was light, I headed to Willow Den. I needed to thank Soren’s scrawny ass and figure out how to best introduce my mate to the den. He was mine and I wouldn’t hide him, nor would I hide my den from him.
I just didn’t know how best to do it. No bear in my lifetime had a human mate, if they had it would’ve been so much easier. Just follow precedent. Done.
The books of old weren’t much help. They focused on the how do you know and what to do about it bit, ignoring the what comes next part I desperately needed.
I parked my car only to find Barry there.
What was it with their family? It was like they had a sixth sense devoted exclusively to my whereabouts or something.
“Barry.” I acknowledged him and was planning to just walk on by when he grabbed my arm. “What is that?” he demanded, pulling on the collar of my shirt.
“It is what it looks like.” I twisted out of his grasp. “If you’ll excuse me.”
“Who is it? Is it Finn?” Spit flew out of his mouth as he spoke and flew through the air. His eyes grew wide as the light caught the droplets, and if I had to guess, he instantly regretted his outburst.
“Why would you think...I don’t have time for this.” What, did he just pick the first random name of a single shifter and hope it stuck? I kept walking straight to Soren’s place, not bothering to look back. Barry could die mad about me not picking him. Not once had I even hinted I wanted to be anything to him—not a friend, a lay, or a mate.
“What has your panties in a bunch?” Soren met me halfway down the hallway. “Are you on your way to my place?”
“I was. You busy?”
“I was going to go for a run, but it can wait.” He turned right around and I followed him back. “So what’s up?”
“My foul mood is Barry being a shit. That’s not why I came, though.” I shouldn’t have even given it real estate in my head. “I came to talk to you about our den and my mate and how to do all that.” For someone whose career was to persuade people with my words, I sure didn’t have any when it mattered.
“We will introduce him to the den and they will accept him as our own, the way we do with all mates.” As if it could possibly be that easy. Or maybe it was. We were fully integrated into the human world—sure, though only our human halves, but still.
“I’ll talk to Gabe about it.” He would need to be comfortable with whatever we decided to do about it, but I was hoping he wanted to go old-school with a public mating ceremony.
“While you’re at it, maybe talk to him about my ass. It is fabulous, and the fact that he doesn’t see that is problematic for me.” He pushed my shoulder playfully.
“My mate has eyes. If he says it is scrawny, then it is. Full stop.“
“You just want to keep getting laid,” he teased.
“That is true, but also not why. You’ll see one day.” Maybe he would try the app. I wanted him to be as happy as I was finding myself—possibly more so. He deserved it.
“I’ll just have to prove to you how stunning my ass is. Run time?”
“Run time.”
We went outside and took our bear forms. It was the first time in so many months that I could let my bear take full control as we ran. In many ways it was like my very first run. We wrestled, ran, jumped in the river, and even found a berry bush which we managed to deplete of all its offerings. It was everything I loved about letting him loose—the only thing missing was sharing it with my mate.
Sure, it would be different sharing this experience with a human mate, but we would make it work. No, not work, we would make it our own.
When my limbs started to get tired and the midday sun began to wane, we wandered back to the clearing behind Willow Den and took back our skin.
“I needed that. It’s been a long time since he was able to just do h
is thing.”
“I missed him.” Soren reached down to grab his clothing. “And I miss my jeans. Why didn’t you bring them back?”
“I did. They're in the car. I’ll get them.” I went in long enough to grab my keys and jogged outside to get his clothing only to come face to face with not just Barry but also his father, Barrett.
“Excuse me.” I clicked the fob hoping to give them the hint.
“There is no excuse to hide your mate from the den.” Great. While Barrett was doing a piss-poor job at keeping his irritation bottled, his wrath was simmering just below the surface. I could smell it. But there was no reason for his fury. He was not my mate and was never even a friend. The whole thing was ridiculous.
“I am not hiding him.” Although now I half wondered whether I should if for no other reason than to protect him from their bologna.
“Then bring the bear here to show himself. I know he’s not den.” Which meant the entire time I was frollicking in the woods, Barrett was causing chaos in the den. Great. Just great.
“No, he’s not.” I would give him that much. Not that he deserved anything from me. I opened the car door and grabbed the pile of clothing.
“Human.” Barrett sniffed again. “Don’t tell me you soiled this den and ruined my son’s future for a filthy human.”
There was no point denying it. No good could come of that. “Your son’s future and mine were never intertwined, Barrett. My mate, human or not, had no influence over that. If I had wanted Barry, I’d have taken him as my mate a long time ago.”
“Ahh, but you would have to save your life,” Barry added. He glanced at his father and for a fleeting moment I felt sorry for the younger man. I couldn’t imagine being raised by Barrett. His father inclined his head and Barry continued, “Don’t think we didn’t see you spiralling out of control this past year.” Barry’s disdain surprised me. I had thought him horny and possibly lonely, not cruel. “You’d have taken me. I know it. I could have been sitting in a seat of power. You disgust me.” He puffed out his chest. Another peek at Barrett. I got a sense of the father pulling the strings, and Barrett’s deep-seated anger was being channeled through the younger man.
“What power?” Soren spoke from behind me. “Beta’s mates have no say in anything to do with the den. That’s not how it works.”
“But they do, Alpha.” His father barked back. They influence the Beta, who in turn influences the Alpha. And now I have no other choice but to take the power as my own.” Barrett took three steps, closing the distance between us. “Beta Brad, this is an official ultimatum. A Full Moon Challenge between you and me.”
Fuck my life.
“Take it back, Barrett. You don’t want to do this.” I was younger and stronger than he was, and the only end to a Full Moon Challenge was death. Nothing else would suffice.
“You didn’t hear my terms. You will be fighting in your mate’s stead.” He sneered, revealing globs of spit on his teeth. Meaning if I lost, so did Gabe.
I stood there paralyzed by fear as they walked away, a smug look on both their faces.
“I vow to you, my friend. The full moon will be his last day on this planet.” Soren bared his neck. These were not just words. He meant them.
“But what if he wins?” I couldn’t allow Gabe to pay the consequences of our kind’s antiquated rules. There was a reason I’d never witnessed a Full Moon Challenge. They were barbaric and really needed to be stricken from our laws. If only it were that easy.
“If he wins,” Soren growled, “my challenge to him will immediately follow and his blood will pour and so will that of his son.”
Nineteen
Gabe
The lecture dragged on, minute by torturous minute. I loved being with my students and challenging them to think beyond the tired imagery and symbolism literature students had wrestled with for centuries. My time in front of a crowded lecture hall energized me. This job… no, it was more than that. This career where I advised and assisted young minds to question, defy, and object to everything they had been taught about the English language was a path I’d chosen years ago. I urged my first- and second-year classes to forget everything they had absorbed from years of reading, watching, and listening to novels, TV, movies and plays, songs, and comics.
And once we stripped away that learned history, we began a journey together, and it was as exhilarating and fascinating to watch as I hoped it was to experience.
But today, I glanced at the clock on the back wall, inwardly cursing as the second hand moved so very slowly. I rarely stood behind the lectern and delivered a formal lecture. Instead, I wandered back and forth, asking questions, sometimes very close to the front row, other times charging up the aisle as students responded and argued.
But right now I sagged against the lectern, letting it support me, holding me up because I was worried I’d topple over. And my students were not blind to the fact that I wasn’t my usual self. There were shared glances and murmurs as silence hung in the huge space while I gathered my thoughts and tried to recall what I was talking about.
And when time was up and I announced, “Don’t forget your assignments are due tomorrow,” a hushed, almost horrified silence hung over the auditorium.
One omega in the front row glanced at his peers who nodded at him before speaking, “But Professor Rafferty, the date you assigned is next week.”
I tapped my laptop screen. I’d zoned out and somehow skipped seven days into the future. “Of course, silly me. Sorry to give you a scare.”
There were gasps of relief and hands clasped to chests as they gathered their books and computers and shuffled out. It was rare to finish a class and not have students gathered at the front lobbing questions about an assignment or an issue I’d brought up during the session. But they sensed something was wrong and no one approached me.
I suppose I could have climbed on the lectern and announced I’d fallen in love with and been fucked by a man who was also a bear. We’d bitten and clawed at one another and were now mates. Men in white coats would have led me away after that outburst, and I guessed that accounted for my mood and wooziness.
Struggling with my briefcase and laptop back to my office, I was tempted to dump them in the bushes and curl up under a tree in the quad. While I was done with lectures for the rest of the day, I had assigned office hours where students could discuss their work or issues they were having with the courseload.
Ignoring the cafeteria, I sat in my office and mustered enthusiasm for the young people who came through my door. Plastering a smile on my face, I answered every question and reassured first years who were nervous regarding the mid-semester exams.
“Are you alright, Professor Rafferty?” an alpha asked as he hoisted his pack, weighed down with books, over one shoulder.
“Yes, Jeffery. Just a little tired.”
Not having the energy to get to my car, I stared at the couch I’d specially bought for my office. It ended up being a book depository, but I shoved the novels on the floor and lay down.
Closing my eyes, I wanted to lie still for a few minutes, but when I opened them, it was dark outside. I shot up thinking it was the middle of the night, and a bout of nausea hit me, making my head spin. Whoa! I fell onto the sofa, with my head between my knees until the room righted itself.
That’s why I’m so tired. Brad had me up all night. Brad! I hadn’t thought of him in hours! Nothing on the phone. Not a missed call or a message or emoji, not that I took him for an emoji kinda guy. Wasn’t mating with a human a big deal with a shifter? It certainly was for me as a human. Why wasn’t there a billboard outside campus saying, “Gabe is now my mate. I’ve claimed him!”
Maybe there was. I stuck my head out the window but everything was as normal. What if… what if he was having second thoughts? Humans and shifters were not natural partners, buddies or anything. And other than Soren, I’d not met any of his… den. Was that the right word?
Riddled with doubt, I staggered out of the buil
ding and got in my car. But as I drove along the backstreets preferring them to the freeway, I passed a strip mall with a pharmacy and went in.
“Hi,” I greeted the female omega behind the counter. “What do you suggest I take for a mild bout of the flu?”
“Got a fever?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Shortness of breath?”
“No.”
“Cough? Night sweats?”
“None of those.”
She gave me a look and asked, “What are your symptoms?”
“Dizziness, lack of appetite, nausea, and bone tiredness.”
Her brows knitted together as she drummed her fingers on the counter. “You’re a grown man, right?”
Is this a trick question? “Last time I looked.”
“Well, answer me this, had unprotected sex lately?”
“What’s that got to do with…?” Fuck, no! “No. That can’t be. It just isn’t… huh? No!”
She studied my face, leaning forward, her expressions changing from boredom to animation as I warbled and realization hit me. She grinned. “I knew you’d get there.” Grabbing two boxes, she shoved them in my hand. “Pee on these.”
I glanced around. “What? Here? Now?”
She smacked a palm on her brow and muttered something under her breath I didn’t catch before replying, “In your own bathroom.” After paying, I sat in the car, unable to piece together what had happened since I’d walked into the store. I went in tired and suffering from a cold or flu and came out carrying a baby. In my belly.
A little one that was part human and part shifter. Fuck! We were so new to one another Brad and I, we’d never discussed shifter rituals for pregnancy. Was there an indoctrination ceremony?
I raked my brains for how bear cubs were raised. Did the omegas keep their little ones? Were they handled over to a den caregiver? But as I recalled nature programs of bears with their cubs, the fear the baby would be ripped from my arms was doused.
And still Brad had not made contact. Sure, he didn’t know about the baby. But surely mating was special. Fuck him and that grizzly of his. That pair had rocked my world and I needed him. Them. Whatever!
Matched To His Bear: An M/M Mpreg Shifter Dating App Romance (The Dates of Our Lives Book 2) Page 8