Her thoughts skidded to a halt as she approached her apartment and found her Mum leaning against the wall, a relieved look on her face when she saw Ari. They looked alike, but her Mum looked slightly older, with dark brown hair instead of auburn; Ari had got that colouring from her Dad.
“Mum.” She smiled nervously. She loved her Mum, and didn’t want to feel like they were at odds, but she also didn’t know what she was here for, which worried Ari slightly.
“Have you had a good day?” She could hear the strain in her Mum’s voice as she tried to act casual.
“It was alright thanks.” She fit her key into the door, gesturing for her Mum to go in first, selfishly hoping that Bjorn was already out, and they could avoid having whatever confrontation this was in front of him. He already knew that her Mum was judgemental about the whole situation, she didn’t want to make his opinion of her any worse. “Would you like a drink?” She dumped her work bag on the side and made her way over to the fridge to pull out the bottle of wine she had chilling in there; no way was she having this conversation without a glass.
“Please,” her Mum answered, and Ari poured two glasses, handing the first one to her before taking a drink, relishing the taste as she swallowed it down.
“You okay?” Ari asked, feeling surprisingly calm given the circumstances.
“I’ve come to apologise.” Her Mum moved around to perch on one of the seats at the breakfast bar, fiddling with the bottom of her wine glass as she did. Ari waited patiently, not wanting to give her an easy out.
“If you love this man, whoever he is, then I can get past the fact he’s not a fox.” Ari grimaced despite herself, it wasn’t exactly the most glowing thing for her to say.
“Good.”
“Ari…”
“What? You want me to just accept your apology despite the fact that you more or less said you wouldn’t accept Bjorn? Just because he’s not a fox? You know that’s not how these things work, Mum. It’s not like I have a choice who my mate is,” she half shouted, unable to stop herself.
“Ari, I said I’m sorry.” Her Mum looked hurt, but Ari’s anger was simmering too much to be ignored.
“I know Mum, but you need to understand that this wasn’t easy for me. It took me months to accept Bjorn was my mate as it is, and then another couple of months trying to hide it from everyone around us so we didn’t lose our Council seats. And then, that man went and had the rules changed so that I could keep mine, giving up his own in the process. He’s been patient and kind, and he’s strong and fair. Isn’t that the kind of man you want for me?” She was getting worked up, and it was all that she could do to keep the tears at bay, but everything she was saying was true. Bjorn had proved himself time and time again to her, but she was the only person that he should have to prove it to. Her Mum opened her mouth to speak, but Ari held her hand up to stop her. “I’m not done. I love him, and he loves me, but you probably don’t realise how much your judgement of him hurts me.”
“I’m sorry Ari.” Her Mum sighed, a pained look crossing her face. “It’s just that after your father and I, and Christine and Tyrone, I just kind of assumed that your mate would be a fox too, not a…”
“Bear,” Ari finished for her, conflicted. She could understand her Mum’s reasoning, but that didn’t stop her from feeling angry. She also dreaded to think how she would have reacted if she’d been like Kemnebi, and mated with a whole different type of paranormal. She let out a short laugh at the thought, before stopping herself.
“Will you tell me about him?” she asked hesitantly, almost as if she was worried about how Ari would respond. Feeling like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders, Ari began to tell her about Bjorn, a smile spreading over her face as she talked about him. After what felt like an age, her Mum asked to see a picture, making Ari thankful that Bjorn had insisted they take one the other night.
“Here.” She handed her Mum her phone. The photo was of the two of them half looking at the camera, unable to completely take their eyes off one another.
“He’s handsome, Ari.” Her Mum gave her a knowing smile and Ari laughed slightly, the wine had helped to loosen the pair of them up, and they now able to talk about Bjorn without the conflict of the past hour.
“He is, and sweet and charming.” She sounded so love struck that she almost hated herself for it. Almost, but not quite. It was definitely worth it.
“So, when can I meet him?” Her Mum nervously took a sip of her wine, watching Ari closely to make sure that she hadn’t crossed the line.
“I’m not sure, I’m surprised he’s not back by now. He’s out with Dad tonight.”
“He lives here?” She sounded surprised, but not as much as Ari was. They’d only been out in the open for a couple of days, she hadn’t even considered that he’d moved in. Yet he had a toothbrush in the bathroom, and shoes on the rack by the door. She didn’t mind the idea of him moving in, rather it filled her with a happy glowing feeling that she barely recognised, but they hadn’t actually talked about it yet.
“I don’t know, I guess so.” She shrugged and busied herself with topping up their wine glasses.
“Sounds like you need to talk about it.”
“Yes, I think we do. I’ve liked having him here, I want him to stay.” Her Mum smiled at her.
“You look like I did when I first met your father.” She covered Ari’s hand with her own, and the two of them exchanged looks that said everything they needed to; the past was now the past, and her Mum would work hard to accept Bjorn into the family.
16
Bjorn hated to admit it, but he was nervous. Ari had told her that her father was more of a beta male than an alpha one, but that hadn’t done anything to stop his worrying. After all, this was the father of the woman he loved. His approval meant a lot to Ari, and so it meant a lot to Bjorn too.
He glanced around the bar, trying to spot the man who held his future in the palm of his hand. He only had Ari’s description to go by, but as soon as the red-headed man entered the bar, he knew he was the right one. Bjorn gave a nervous wave and got a smile in return. He studied the man as he walked towards him. It was easy to see the similarities to Ari, it was there in his pale eyes and his auburn hair. Other than that, he didn’t look old enough to have a grown daughter, but that was typical of shifters. From what he remembered of his parents, they didn’t look old enough to have him either. He was fairly tall, and athletically toned, with an intelligent glint in his eye that betrayed his relation to Ari far more than his appearance did.
“Bjorn I presume?” He held out his hand and Bjorn took it, shaking firmly and successfully hiding his nerves.
“Yes, sir.”
“None of this sir nonsense, call me George. I have a feeling that we’re going to be in each other’s lives for a long time.” He smiled and motioned for the bar tender to bring him a beer. They sat there in silence for a few moments. “So, what do you do, Bjorn?”
“I’m a private investigator.” George’s eyebrows raised in surprise.
“For paranormals?”
“Not necessarily, anyone can hire me.” He shrugged. He kept his job more through a necessity to keep busy. Technically, he didn’t need the money; he’d been the sole heir to his family, and they’d been beyond rich. But the loneliness that accompanied their deaths still haunted him, and so he’d become a PI. Hunting down cheating spouses and missing people gave him something to focus on.
“And that’ll be enough to support my daughter?” This time it was Bjorn’s turn to raise a questioning eyebrow. He had a vague idea of how much Ari earned, and he doubted she needed supporting financially. More than that, he couldn’t imagine her wanting to be supported financially. It’d go against everything he knew about her.
“I think that Ari can take care of herself, but it certainly won’t cost her to have me around,” he answered evenly, despite his inner bear having its hackles raised by the challenge. Luckily, his logical side was winning through, especially knowin
g just how important this meeting was; not just to him, but to Ari too. George chuckled.
“I see that you know my daughter well.” He clapped Bjorn on the back and pride swelled up within him.
“It’s hard not to, she’s a force of nature.” He smiled to himself, thinking of all the little ways Ari made her personality known. Most of those were also the little things he loved about her, even if her need for independence was sure to drive his inner alpha crazy.
“You’d better look after her.” George’s eyes fixed him with a heavy stare that left no doubt in Bjorn’s mind that, despite the fact that George was slighter than he was, if he hurt Ari then he’d be a dead man.
“With every part of my being,” he assured him, getting a deferential nod. The two of them moved on to safer topics, and Bjorn learned more about Ari’s family. George was clearly proud of all four of his children, and the way he talked about them made Bjorn long for one of his own. All he’d have to do was convince Ari to have one too, and that wasn’t something he was quite so sure of.
“I think it’s time to go.” George checked his watch, making Bjorn check the time on his phone, and he was surprised to see that three hours had passed. He was also surprised to see a message from Ari telling him that her Mum was at their place. She’d even used the word ‘theirs’ in her text, making him beam.
“Your wife seems to be at Ari’s apartment, I don’t have a car with me, but it’s not far.” He belatedly realised that George probably knew where Ari lived, but the older man nodded anyway and let it slip by. The two of them left the bar and made the short walk back to Ari’s flat in comfortable silence.
The sight that greeted the two of them when they arrived there had them both shell shocked for a few moments. It appeared as though Ari and her mother were both drunk, their giggles sounding loud even out in the hallway. The worst of it was that shifters couldn’t get drunk unless they wanted to, making Bjorn wonder what the hell had been going on.
“Ari?” he asked, putting more questioning into his voice than he should, but all it did was cause Ari to giggle louder.
“Oh, he’s even more handsome in real life.” Her mother ogled him, giggling along with Ari.
“Isn’t he?”
“I don’t know how you resisted him for so long.” She winked, and Bjorn looked away, not quite knowing what to do with himself.
“Come on, Diana. Let’s get you home.” George went up to his wife and helped her up to her feet.
“Don’t worry Georgy, you’re handsome too.” She kissed him, and it took George a moment to respond, though he pulled back quickly, clearly uncomfortable with her display of affection in front of their daughter.
“Here.” In an effort to avoid watching, Bjorn had gone over to the tap in the kitchen and poured a glass of water, handing it to George to give to his wife. He took it with a grateful smile, and Diana drunk slowly under his watch.
“Thanks, I’d better get her home. Good to meet you, Bjorn. Night, sweetheart,” he called the last bit to Ari, who was still giggling on the sofa. The two of them began to make their way over to the door, with Diana staggering slightly and George supporting her weight.
“Night, Dad! Night, Mum!” Bjorn padded over to her and sunk down onto the sofa. Ari immediately crawled onto his lap and straddled him, causing Bjorn to look up sharply and breathe a sigh of relief when he saw that her parents had left straight after she’d called goodnight.
“I take it she’s come around?” he asked, curious as to what had gone on between the two of them.
“Mmmm,” Ari answered, kissing his neck and running one of her hands up inside his shirt.
“Ari…” he warned and she looked up, her big pale eyes surprisingly clear, given how out of it she’d seemed only minutes ago.
“Yes,” she answered throatily, the sound going straight to Bjorn’s groin, something he wasn’t able to hide given her position on top of him.
“You’ve drunk too much for this.”
“Have I?” Her eyes sparkled. “I’ve only had a few glasses of wine. I was just caught in the moment.” He wasn’t convinced, but at that moment she began grinding against him, and his ability to think rationally flew out the window.
“Ari…” he repeated.
“Fine,” she huffed, rising to her feet, the coy smile he loved so much still on her face. “You show me yours and I’ll show you mine.” He gave her a confused look, not quite sure what she was on about. If it was sex, then they’d been heading there anyway, despite his better judgement. If not, then he really had no clue.
They no longer touched, and a pang of longing went through Bjorn even though she was standing mere feet in front of him. He may have realised that they were mates months ago, but he’d never expected it to affect him quite as much as it did.
Slowly, she unbuttoned her silk shirt, letting it fall to the floor in a messy pile. The moment that her suit skirt followed, Bjorn made to move towards her, but a shake of Ari’s head, and the mischievous look in her eye, stopped him. A low growl rumbled through his chest at the sight of her naked in front of him. But he didn’t move.
Her expression changed fleetingly, and a moment later, a russet coloured fox stood in her place. Her words finally making sense to Bjorn. He took a moment to admire her. She was a little bigger than a normal fox, but not noticeably so, and she’d probably go unnoticed by a human. Her fur looked soft, and he yearned to touch it, before remembering that she was his mate, and that she wouldn’t just let him, but would likely encourage it. She cocked her head at him and he reached forward, his hand shaking with inexplicable nerves.
Reverently, he stroked her head, enjoying the silky soft feel of her fur against his hand. She leant her head into his touch, her eyes closing in appreciation and soft yips came from her, letting him know that he was doing the right thing.
“You’re beautiful, Ari.” He wasn’t sure why he whispered, but he did. Her eyes flickered open in a surprisingly human movement, and she fixed him with her shrewd gaze, now completely devoid of the effects of the wine she’d drunk; shifting could do wonders when it came to things like that.
She nudged him, taking on an impatient air despite her current shape. It took him a moment to realise what she was after, but the moment he did, he stood and began to unbutton his jeans, all but ripping them off along with the rest of his clothing. He concentrated on the image of his bear, or at least what he thought his bear looked like; he’d never actually seen it, even in a reflection. In mere seconds, he’d shifted, his form taking up most of Ari’s living room.
She studied him for a moment, before shifting back into human form; completely naked, with her auburn hair ruffled gloriously. He dwarfed her in size, but that didn’t phase her and she ran her hands through his thick brown fur.
“So are you.” She kissed the top of his head, causing a warm, fuzzy feeling go through Bjorn. Without even thinking about it, he shifted back and pulled her to him with a searing kiss. A kiss that felt so right that he wondered how he’d lived without her up until now.
Ari’s hands roamed over his chest, raking against his skin with her fingernails and making Bjorn’s breath shorten. His hands on her hips, he guided her movements, pulling the two of them back down onto the sofa. She sank down on him, not wasting any time, her head tilting back as he entered her in one swift move. Bjorn tried to focus on anything other than the feel of her around him in an effort to stop him finishing too soon.
The two of them moved against one another, incapable of anything more than moaning and grunting each other’s names. It didn’t take long for the pleasure to mount within Bjorn. He thrust his hips more furiously, and pulled Ari’s face to his, kissing her with unrestrained passion. Ari broke the kiss and threw her head back once more, letting out a long moan. He felt her pulse around him, breaking his concentration and the two of them finished in unison, collapsing into a sweaty heap on the sofa, satisfied and content.
17
2 years later…
&n
bsp; Ari watched as Bjorn made his way to her, a drink in each hand and a smile on his face. He kissed her softly and handed her one of the glasses, before sitting down next to her. He pulled her to him, one arm around her shoulders, and the other hand resting on her rounded stomach. It had taken her a couple of years to be ready to have a family, despite the guilt she’d felt, knowing how desperate Bjorn had been for children. But she had to admit that now she was pregnant, she felt completely different, and couldn’t wait to become a Mum.
“You sure you’re ready for this?” he asked softly enough that her family couldn’t hear. They were at her parents for Christmas dinner, along with Christine and her family.
“It’s a bit late for that now,” she teased him.
“Well yes, but…”
“Bjorn, we talked about this. I’m ready for a family, because that family is with you.” She touched his cheek gently and he turned to kiss her palm, sending a tingly feeling through her and making her wish that they were alone.
“And you’re okay with giving up work?” She knew that he was particularly worried about her giving it up, but she’d thought it through and decided it would be the best way to go. She’d kept her seat on the Council though, and would for as long as she could.
“I’m fine with it for now. It’s not like we need the money, and being there for the kids is going to be the most important thing.” She hadn’t discovered just how much money Bjorn had until they started talking about kids and if they could afford them. Between her own savings, Bjorn’s inheritance and his income from his PI work, they were more than set and their kids would never lack for anything. Not that she thought they would, there was no way that could happen with Bjorn as a father.
The Paranormal Council Complete Series 1-5 Page 10