“A bear. A big ass, really mean and really angry polar bear, to be exact. And he’s coming for me. You boys fucked up bigtime.” Everything in me started to settle when the gunfire slowed and then stopped completely, a piercing scream marking the end of the crew above.
“You don’t want to be in here when he comes down those stairs. He’s going to think you hurt me.” I almost felt bad for the asshole.
“Make them stop! I didn’t do anything! None of this was my idea! Make them stay away!” His words were swallowed up by a deadly sounding growl that was immediately followed by Gray slamming into him and taking him down. The sounds that followed weren’t pleasant, nor were they anything I’d be able to forget anytime soon.
I leaned against the boxes and dropped the weapon. My hands shook as the adrenaline slowly faded, leaving just a sick feeling of nausea and achiness in its wake.
“Gracey!” Gray stood in front of me, naked, blood coating his body. “Are you okay?!”
I covered my eyes and groaned. “I do not want to see that, Gray!”
He laughed but it sounded watery. “Yeah, you’re okay.”
He led the way up the narrow stairs and I followed him up with my eyes down, not wanting a visual of my brother’s naked ass to go along with the frontal one of a few minutes ago that I’d already be scarred from.
As soon as I set foot on the deck of the boat, I was pulled into Kon’s big arms and yanked into his naked body. He was covered in blood, too. It even soaked his blonde hair and splattered down his face. He was very much naked and the evidence of his eagerness to see me was pressed into my stomach.
“Fuck, Grace. I thought I’d lost you.”
I pushed away from him and stood with my hands on my hips. “Which time? When I was kidnapped, or when you called me your mistress?”
Gray snorted from behind us. “She’s not exactly a helpless damsel, is she?”
I shrugged. “Am I supposed to cry and thank you for rescuing me now? I had it all handled when you boys showed up.”
Kon scoffed and put his hands on his hips in a pose mocking me. Only, I didn’t have a hefty erection completely on display. “Are you serious?”
I nodded. “I’d already taken two of them out. I was on my way up to finish them off when you kids crashed my party.”
Gray threw his head back and laughed. “I told you she could handle herself.”
Kon grabbed me and easily threw me over his shoulder. Faced with a very naked ass, I felt subdued for a moment. “I’m taking you home. This is stressing me out.”
I sighed. “Is this going to be a common theme?”
“Without a doubt.”
Gray grunted. “Hey, by all means, leave me here on cleanup duty. I’ve got to find myself a mate so I can skip out on the dirty work, too.”
26
Grace
If I thought Konstantin as a man carrying me around was infuriating, I was pushed to a whole other limit when he shifted into his massive polar bear and had me hang on to his fur while he swam us back to shore. On land again, I was soaking wet, freezing, and still so angry with him that I kept contemplating shoving him back in the water and walking home by myself. He still hadn’t mentioned Valentina. For all I knew, he’d just come to rescue me before they went off to his kingdom to live unhappily ever after. I didn’t know whether I could let my guard down with him.
When he insisted on carrying me back to my trailer, I was so exhausted from the drugging and the adrenaline drop, I let him. He was going to get a piece of my mind, though, so I was just adding his offenses up, making a list of things I was going to get off my chest before he left, while I still had a chance.
He set up the outdoor shower like a pro and put me under it before joining me and taking his time rinsing my hair. When he pulled my shirt over my head and tossed it away, his eyes were hungry as they ran down my bare chest.
“Freebird is too small for two people.”
It was the last thing I was expecting him to say, so I was floored into silence.
“I don’t fit very well. Especially, in the bed. And we need an indoor shower we can both fit into. Are you opposed to a house?” He peeled my leggings down my legs and helped me out of them. “I just lost my inheritance, and a lot of money, but I have a decent nest egg saved up. Enough to buy a nice house. I’ve been living in the P.O.L.A.R. house listening to everyone making love to their mates for too long. It’s my turn, but I want us to have our own place. On the beach.”
I stammered. “What?”
“I do like this outside shower, though. Maybe we’ll add one.” He peeled my underwear down and then washed the rest of my body. “I don’t want to give up seeing your naked, wet body under the moonlight.”
I shook my head. “You… You’re not leaving?”
“Leaving you? Hell no.”
I shoved him so hard that he stumbled into the van door. “And you’re just now saying something?!”
He straightened and grinned. “Pardon me, I was busy rescuing you.”
“Why?” I stood there, completely exposed, my heart in my throat. “Why aren’t you leaving?”
“Because I love you and I won’t live without you.” He held my gaze. “I’m sorry it took so long. I was trying to maneuver a way out without hurting my team, the guys I care about, and I ended up hurting you. I can’t tell you how sorry I am about that. I’m sorry I fucked up.”
I put my hand on his chest when he tried to come too close. “You suggested I be your mistress while you made babies with Valentina.”
He growled and pulled me into his body. Shutting the water off, he carried me inside and put me down in the middle of the tiny kitchen, my table still broken on the floor. “I was desperate. It was stupid.”
“Yeah, it was.”
“What do you need from me to be able to forgive me for how stupid I was? I’ll do anything. I’m sorry, Grace. You deserved better.”
I licked my lips. “I do deserve better.”
He frowned and looked away.
“Are you going to be better?” I grinned.
He waggled his brows, his eyes hopeful. “Wanna give me a test run?”
I shrugged and looked back towards my bed. “It’s too bad you don’t fit in my bed.”
Maybe, I was rushing it. I could’ve spent a while being angry and punishing him, but I would only be punishing myself. I loved him and I wanted him now, tomorrow morning, and for the rest of my life. There was no point in putting it off.
Kon pulled me into his chest. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
I took his hand and pulled him to my bed. “I’m so glad you’re not leaving.”
He eased me down to the bed and kissed me. I savored every taste, feel, lick, nibble. There was no need to rush or feel like I was doing something wrong. I took his kisses and gave them back, hungry for him, but so content in what he was doing.
When he rolled onto his back, I straddled him, looked down at him possessively. He was mine—all mine. I wanted to mark him the way he’d marked me. So, I did. I leaned down and bit into his left pectoral, right over a tattoo he had there—a polar bear and the letters P-O-L-A-R. I left my own claim on his body.
Kon groaned under me, his eyes glowing violet again. His fingers dug into my hips. “Grace…”
Already ready for him, I lifted my hips and sank down on his shaft. Both of us moaned, the feeling intense. His eyes landed on the mark on my breast and he caressed it.
“I should’ve marked your neck. I’m going to. I want it to show. Everyone should know that you’re mine.” He moved his hips. “And I’m yours.”
I let my head fall back at the sensation and braced myself on his chest. “Do that again.”
He sat up, grabbing my ass, and pumped into me. Our breaths mixed as we kissed. It was broken up only by heated glances at each other, moments lost in each other’s gazes.
One of his hands locked into my hair and he pulled it tight, opening my throat to his mo
uth. He licked a trail up to my ear and then nipped me before pulling my head to the side and raking his teeth across my tender skin.
“I’m going to sink my teeth into your skin, Grace, and I’m going to mark you. Everyone’s going to see that you’re mine. No one else will ever touch you.” His possessiveness heightened the sensation, his breath hot against my ear, his voice barely more than a growl. “You’re mine. Forever.”
I cried out when he did as he’d promised and sank his teeth in. A wild orgasm stole over me, shaking me. I felt his seed fill me and his tongue lapping at my neck. Clutching at his head, I held onto him as my body shook.
Kon laid back and then rolled us over so he was spooning me, his shaft still buried in me, still hard. His hips gently rocked against me as his tongue stroked over the new mark. “Forever.”
I gasped when his hand moved between my thighs and found the sensitive nub hidden there.
He growled against that spot and a fresh wave of need washed over me. “I almost lost you.”
I held onto him as he took me again, the sharp, broken edges of my heart melding perfectly back together with his tender murmurings. Kon was mine. I had a mate, and a home, and friends and family. I had everything.
27
Konstantin
“No, you chased me across Siberia like a crazy stalker dude. You kept telling me that I was yours and never stopped to explain what the hell you were talking about.” Hannah rolled her eyes and looked down at Serge. “Of course, I did think you were the hottest crazy dude I’d ever met, so there was that.”
I wrapped my arms around Grace and breathed in her delicious honey scent. Her hair fell over my face and I smiled into it. We were all having an early dinner at Susie’s Bayfront Diner while waiting for Kerrigan’s shift to be over so she could join us.
“At least he didn’t pretend to be a lost polar bear to learn how to best seduce you.” Heidi pretended to glare at Alexei. “I think they’re all a bit touched in the noggin, to be honest.”
“Hey. Roman didn’t do anything nuts. He pulled me out of the water and saved me from a hurricane. I would be fish food right now if not for him.” Megan cupped Roman’s face and sighed happily. “Either dead or married to a complete loser.”
He growled, unhappy with the idea. “You would’ve left him. You were always way too good for him.”
Grace leaned back against me and pressed a kiss to my lips. “They think they got lucky, but I snagged royalty.”
Serge snorted. “Royal pain in the ass.”
Dmitry shook his head. “I always knew something was up. The way he tiptoed through mud and held his pinky out when he drank tea.”
Laughing, I threw a balled up napkin at him. “Shut the fuck up. I’ve never done any of that.”
Kerrigan giggled and removed her apron as she sat on Dmitry’s lap. She leaned into Dmitry and whispering something in his ear that had him shifting in his chair. When she saw me watching, she turned bright red and hid her face in her mate’s shoulder.
Gray showed up, late as usual. He was soaked in sweat and half undressed. He really was more dog than man. He stretched into his t-shirt, pulling it over his head as he sat with the rest of us. “Sorry, I’m late. I was working on the house.”
Grace wiggled on my lap. “How’s it coming?!”
He patted her on the head and grinned. “It’s coming. I’ll be glad when I have something else to do besides work on a house for you and Prince Asshat under you.”
I growled. “If I remember correctly, you invited yourself into the work.”
“Yeah, yeah.” He clapped me on the shoulder as he snatched a cinnamon roll from the basket and sank his teeth into it. “I’m just ready for some real work.”
Serge nodded over at me. The look conveyed more than words could have. Being cut off from the main office had caused more of a ripple than we would’ve liked. The official call had come in only hours after Valentina chewed my father’s ear off about dumped and duped and something about a breach of contract. I’d give my father credit for one thing, he hadn’t made an idle threat. He’d disbanded P.O.L.A.R. immediately.
Fuck him. We weren’t helpless infants cut off from their mother’s teat. We’d just take things in a different direction. In fact, our new venture was almost ready.
“Almost there, brother.” I nodded at Gray and then kissed Grace’s neck. When she shivered, I growled into her ear. “Is it time to go home, yet?”
Grace grinned. “Soon.” I sighed happily. The woman had rocked my world and nothing had been the same since I’d met her. I had never been so happy.
“Could you stop making goo-goo eyes at my sister? It’s grossing me out.” Gray waved his cheeseburger at me. “And, by the way, next time you have someone work on your place, hide your stash of sex toys. I’m not sure if I want to kick your ass or bleach my eyeballs.”
I shrugged. “You want me to comment?”
“Fuck no.”
Laughing, I nodded. “Didn’t think so.”
Looking around the table, I felt a deep belonging. Now that my secret was no longer one, I knew for sure that the men around me were my brothers. Even Gray.
Family.
We’d been banished from our homeland, but we were exiled together. At this point, it was hard to even consider it to be punishment since none of us would consider being anywhere but here in Sunkissed Key.
I stood up. “Why am I sitting here, looking at you assholes? I’m taking my mate home.”
Serge stood up, too. “My sentiments, exactly.”
Gray grumbled. “I hope I’m not this pathetic when I find a mate. If I find a mate.”
Maxim slapped Gray on the back, hard. “Oh, you’re getting a mate, brother. If Parker and her dating service have anything to do with it, you’re finding a mate sooner than you think.”
I laughed at the look of horror on his face. “Chin up, brother-in-law. The sooner you find a mate, the sooner you can stop snooping through our sex toys and have a stash of your own.”
I turned and walked out laughing as Gray’s eyes widened and he practically choked on his cheeseburger. Life was good.
The End.
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BEARS OF BURDEN
In the southwestern town of Burden, Texas, good ol’ bears Hawthorne, Wyatt, Hutch, Sterling, and Sam, and Matt are livin’ easy. Beer flows freely, and pretty women are abundant. The last thing the shifters of Burden are thinking about is finding a mate or settling down. But, fate has its own plan…
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Rancher Bears Complete Box Set
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On Port Ursa in Kodiak Island Alaska, the Sterling brothers are kind of a big deal.
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Byron: Heartbreaker Bear- A sexy heartbreaker with eyes for just one woman.
Xavier: Bad Bear - She’s a good girl. He’s a bad bear.
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Byron: Heartbreaker Bear
Xavier: Bad Bear
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Royal Bear Page 11