Addie’s fingers run through my hair, soothing me. “When I saw Gunnar shift, it was so scary. It almost ended things between us.”
“Me too,” Harley says. “But remember when I was kidnapped and on the plane?”
I nod, of course I remember. It was a terrifying day for all of us.
“Well, Blaine shifted and his Kodiak strength is what saved my life. It made me less scared and more in awe. He’s more than a mountain man, he’s an untamed bear too.”
They explain to me about being mated, how once it happens your partner can imprint thoughts on you, and vice-versa.
I listen, realizing that is why Weston knew I was thinking about having his baby.
“It doesn’t happen all the time, of course, and never in the house. But sometimes the Koleman brothers need to let their bears free, they need to let them roam wild,” Addie says.
“And you just let them traipse around the forest and sleep in caves?”
Addie smiles softly. “I don’t want to change who Gunnar is. He is different than other men, but also more fierce, more protective, more …” She bites her lips. “Well, let’s just say when his bear stirs inside of him, the sex is really, really good.”
I swallow hard, thinking about the unhinged sex Weston and I had earlier today.
My face must flush scarlet because Harley laughs. “I knew it. You’ve so slept together.”
I shrug, neither denying or admitting to anything. “It just makes no sense,” I say. “It’s the stuff of fairy tales, not real life.”
Addie grins. “We already talked about it, Kate.”
“Oh yeah?”
She nods. “Remember? Your love story is more Beauty and the Beast than Cinderella.”
I groan, realizing now what she was talking about.
A shadow moves by the doorway, and I catch Piper watching us, listening. Had she seen Weston shift too? From the look in her eyes, I know she did, and I also know she was just as blindsided as me.
“This is insane,” Piper says, the fear I’d felt a few moments before mirrored in her eyes.
“Piper,” Addie calls out as our friend darts down the hall. “Crap.”
“I’ll go after her,” Harley says, jumping off the bed.
I hear some of the men calling out Piper’s name as the front door shuts.
“We can’t tell anyone about this,” Addie says. “It would put them all at risk. Including Finley.”
“Is Finley a shifter too?” I ask.
“No.” Weston’s mom stands in the doorway. “The women in our family don’t shift. Only the men.”
Addie and Elizabeth sit with me for a bit, until I’m able to stand without the floor spinning on me.
The guys are on the back porch in deep conversation, the tension obvious. But Finley seems oblivious to what happened as she runs around the backyard making enormous bubbles with the string bubble wand Addie bought her.
Piper and Harley finally come back in the house, but Piper refuses to meet any of our eyes, just sits at the kitchen table and takes the two-fingered shot of scotch Elizabeth offers her.
A few more people show up, including a few kids, and all talk of bears and shifters becomes hushed.
“The cake looks amazing,” Weston says to me, as I finish the last of the icing.
I glance over at him, just briefly, but it’s enough to have those damn butterflies taking flight in my stomach. Even with everything I know about him now, the attraction is undeniable.
We need to talk, the thought is forced into my mind.
“You,” I say, pointing at his chest. “Need to get out of my head.”
He gives a hard nod, then grabs a few more beers from the fridge before going out back.
“He really cares about you,” Elizabeth says.
I hadn’t realized his mom was still in the room.
“If I’m understanding the whole...” I whisper the word, “Mating thing. Then it’s more of a physical response than an emotional one.”
“You’re wrong.” Her lips twitch slightly. “Sure, the lust is a driving force, one I’ve never heard a woman complain about, but...”
My cheeks heat up at her openness.
“It’s the love, the complete devotion, the bear’s need to protect that makes it whole. Real. I didn’t think my Weston would ever find his mate, but after Heidi...”
“Was she his mate too?”
“No. A bear only gets one in a lifetime. But I think you should ask Weston these questions.”
I nod, knowing she’s right. But also not sure if I want to know any more. It’s all so crazy. Maybe the best thing to do is call my old boss back, accept his job offer, and hop on the next flight out of Alaska.
Chapter 13
Weston
I’m grateful when Kate stays to help clean up after everyone else has left. I expected her to leave with them. Wouldn’t have blamed her if she had. What I did today, shifting like that, attacking the grizzly, it was careless, reckless. I’m lucky that no one other than Kate saw.
Except for Piper. That’s a whole other mess. One that I hope Addie and Harley will be able to handle. But right now, I only have thoughts for one woman.
Kate.
She’s in the kitchen washing dishes when I come in after putting Finley to bed.
I come up behind her and feel her tense. “You can leave the rest of those. I’ll do them in the morning.”
“Is Fin asleep?”
“Out cold the second her head hit the pillow.” I place my hands on her waist and spin her around. “We can talk now.”
She lets out a shaky breath. “I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes. It’s just so...unbelievable. So what is it? Magic.”
I snort. “Isn’t that what we call anything we don’t understand?”
“You turned into a bear, Wes. Not sure anything will help me understand that.”
“It’s genetics.” I lift my shoulders and let them drop. “I’m hardwired this way. Same as every male in my family.”
“But not females?”
“No. Even though Finley insists she’ll be able to shift when she gets older.” I chuckle, but Kate doesn’t even break a smile. “What else do you want to know?”
“There are more...people like you?”
“Shifters? Yeah. This is Kodiak territory, but we get the odd brown bear that comes into town. And then there are the Grizzlies.” My lip curls at the mention of them.
“You don’t like them?”
“We’ve been at war with their damn clan for generations. But my relationship with Heidi made things worse.”
I tell her everything. How Heidi was mated to another Grizzly. How the man was the one who tried to hurt Finley. I tell her about the clan council, and about mating and the abilities that some have being able to read each other's thoughts.
Last, I tell her that she has a choice.
“I can’t make you stay, Kate. If you want to leave, there’s nothing I can do to stop you.”
“But we’ll still be...mates.”
“Yes, but you can still move on, start a life with someone else.”
“And you?”
I grind my back teeth. “Fin and I were fine before you came here, we’ll be fine if you leave,” I lie. Even though I know it makes me a selfish asshole, I add, “But I want you to stay.”
“I want to be honest with you, Wes.”
“That’s what I want too,” I say. “So tell me the truth, do you think there is any chance you and I … that you could choose me?”
Kate dips her chin, a shy look on her face. It reminds me of the woman I thought she was before we got to know one another. She’s loved and lost in the not too distant past and I don’t want her to get hurt again. Not on my account.
“I don’t know, Wes. The truth is, it scared me, you losing control today.”
I run a hand over my beard, pacing the kitchen. “I know. I fucking lost it. But Kate.” I turn to her. “I’ve never felt this wa
y before. About anyone.”
She blinks fast, and I see tears in her eyes. “I haven’t either, Wes. That’s what’s so scary.”
I want to pull her into my arms, swear my undying devotion - but she’s not ready for that after everything that went down today.
“Can you give me a chance? Us a chance?” I ask her. “Give me a weekend, then decide what you want.”
“I don’t want to hurt Finley, have her here, seeing us … test the waters,” Kate says. “If it didn’t work, she’d be crushed.”
“Then let’s leave. Go away for a few days. Focus on you and me.”
“And the bear inside you?”
“He won’t roam free. I can control him, if that’s what worries you.”
“You couldn’t control him today.”
“I was looking for a fight. Damn, I’ve always chased trouble, Kate.” I drop my head, hating that she saw me at my worst. “It’s hurt the people I care about the most. I’m so sorry for fucking up today.”
“I forgive you,” she says. She steps toward me, on her tiptoes, kissing my cheek. “I’ll go away with you, Weston Koleman.”
I lift my eyebrows, not having expected this, but damn, hoping I’d hear those words. “Yeah?”
She nods. “I was scared today,” she says, batting her long lashes. “But also, I was pretty turned on.”
“You were?” I clench my jaw.
She nods, licking her lips. “You, untamed … it stirred something inside of me too.”
I grunt, stepping closer to her, wanting to pull her into my arms, make wild love to her all night long. But she shakes her head.
“Nope,” she says, placing a hand on my chest. “Not with Finley here. When we go away.”
I grin, shaking my head at this mate of mine. “Then you better pack your bags, darlin’, because we’re leaving in the morning.”
Chapter 14
Kate
I’ve never been on a small plane like this, and I squeeze Weston’s hand as his cousin Dayne flies us toward Anchorage. It’s the biggest city in Alaska, and while I haven’t exactly missed the hustle and bustle of a bigger Main Street, I love the idea of going somewhere new and exploring that place with Weston.
“You look nervous,” he says - well, yells. We’re both wearing headsets to block the loud roar of the plane’s engine.
“It’s a good nervous,” I shout. And it is. I think Weston was right, we need some time without my friends and his family around, watching us. We need to see if we are compatible … beyond the bedroom.
Leaving his house last night was torturous. My body was screaming to just pull him to his bedroom and lock the door and get down to business.
But sleeping with Weston is more complicated than that. We have to consider Finley. Which is why when he called me at the crack of dawn this morning and told me we were catching a plane in an hour, I was immediately excited.
I want to give us a chance - I can’t imagine walking away from Alaska if we have unfinished business.
My eyes are fixed on the small window to my left as the short plane ride passes quickly. Soon enough we’re exiting the plane and headed toward a rental car waiting for us.
“It’s weird seeing you drive a Prius,” I tell him. “You look so much more comfortable in a truck.”
He smiles, putting the car in reverse and heading toward the highway. “I’m comfortable anywhere you are, Kate.”
His words send a jolt of warmth through my body. I like the idea of being someone’s comfort, the same way I want someone to be my protector. Still, it also feels like a level of pressure on this relationship working.
“So where are we headed?” I ask.
“After we check into the hotel I thought we’d check out an Anchorage Food Festival.”
My eyes widen. “That’s today?”
“Yeah, today and tomorrow. Lucky, right?”
“I’ve always wanted to go,” I tell him. “My boss always said it was one of the best food festivals in the country because it features so much local, sustainable food. It was kind of a pioneer in the whole farm-to-table movement.”
“I didn’t know all that,” Weston admits, pulling the car up to a hotel. “I just thought you are into cooking and baking so …”
“That was really thoughtful Weston,” I tell him, a lump forming in my throat. It feels so good to be considered. The idea that Weston wants to make me happy makes me want to make him happy too.
“You do?” he asks, grinning as he parks the car. “Because I have a few ideas of just how you could make me happy if you were looking for suggestions.”
“Were you reading my mind?” I smack him playfully. “Not fair.”
“Hey, it’s a two-way street, Kate. My thoughts are your thoughts.”
I know the words are meant to give me a thrill, but they do the opposite. It overwhelms me. I care about Weston, but being his mate is a huge amount of responsibility. A huge commitment.
I’m not ready to make it.
We get out of the car and Weston takes my hand.
“I’m sorry,” he says. “I’ll stop reading your thoughts, I don’t want to add any pressure to you.”
I nod. “Thank you,” I say. “Let’s take our time, okay?”
He nods, leaning down and kissing my cheek. But I pull his mouth to mine. Kissing him deep and hard, my mouth parting, wanting him to know that I may not be ready for us to take things to the next level, I still very much want to be at this level with him.
“I can’t wait to get you in the hotel room,” he says between kisses.
But I shake my head. “First, though, we need to eat. I’m starved.”
Chapter 15
Weston
The afternoon passes quickly, and with each hour, my need to be with Kate increases. God, the woman has me worked up. I try to keep my need for her under wraps, but every time my hand brushes against hers there is a rush of excitement that covers my skin.
It doesn’t make sense to leave the festival after we eat lunch, so we spend the rest of the day loitering, hands held, taking in the sights. Eventually though, we need a break, our feet are killing us.
“Do you come to Anchorage often?” Kate asks as we sit in a beer garden at the festival.
“No, why would I? Bear Valley has everything I need. My family, my friends, my job.”
She nods, seeming to understand. “You like being a guide?”
I run my hand over the frosty pint glass. “For the most part. I have a deep need to be outdoors and taking tourists out in the woods satiates that to some degree.”
“Right,” she says picking up her pint. “You need to be outside because of the bear thing?”
“To some degree.” I shrug. “But even as a man, I love the mountains. It feels like home. What about you, Kate? What feels like home to you?”
“I’ve always lived in Seattle, but my parents sold our family home several years ago. Now they live on a sailboat, they have a slip in the city at a marina. It’s beautiful, but not exactly the kind of place you stay at for the holidays, or would ever bring the grandkids. It’s too small for much company.”
“Do you wish they hadn’t down-sized?”
Kate shakes her head. “No, it was their dream. And we had a whole plan, really. Matt and I … well, we bought a big house on Lake Washington. The plan was for family holidays and everything to be celebrated there.”
My jaw tenses and I set a hand on top of Kate’s. “And then the plan fell apart.”
“Right. We’d bought the house together, but after he died, I sold it. It was too painful, the reminder of what could have been.”
“And then you moved to Alaska.”
She nods. “Yep, after the sale went through Addie offered me this adventure. At the time everyone thought it was the perfect way to move forward with my life.”
“But now?” Her words at the time echo in my ear.
“Maybe it was too brash, too fast. Maybe upending my life in every possible way was
n’t the healthiest thing to do.”
I stiffen, not liking where this is going. “You still want to leave? Move back to Seattle?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“Then what did you say?”
She runs her finger over the rim of her beer glass. “I don’t want to have any regrets, Wes.”
“And being with me, with Fin, you think you might regret that?”
“It’s not about you guys. It’s about my career.”
“I like that your work matters to you, but I know who I am, what I want. Where I’ll be for the next fifty years. You have to figure that out for yourself.”
“How did you know, Weston, what life you wanted?”
“Look, before Heidi died, I was a mess. You know a bit about that. After Fin was born, things clicked into place for me. My priorities became crystal clear pretty damn fast.”
“That’s what I want,” she says wistfully.
I pull back, confused. “What does that mean? You want someone to die on you again? Because I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy.”
“No, I mean, I wish I had an experience, something that pushed my doubts away, that gave me a clear, direct path to the life I wanted.”
The conversation has a heavy tone. We finish our beers in silence and I wonder if the mood has gotten too somber or if we can still salvage the day. Kate must be thinking the same thing.
“Sorry if that got too dark,” she says finally.
“It’s okay. We need to talk this all through if we want to know where we stand with one another. With this relationship.”
She nods. “Want to go find some dessert?” she asks, tucking her hair behind her ears.
“I’d love that,” I tell her, taking her hand in mine, leaving the beer garden.
Walking around the food festival as the day comes to an end, we both seem to want to savor every minute we have together. It’s almost like after the weight of the earlier conversation, we want the evening to be that much lighter.
Untamed Daddy (Mountain Men of Bear Valley Book 3) Page 7