“What?” she whispered, tugging against his hold. Everett didn’t let go. Couldn’t.
He turned to face her, bracing himself against the counter as he tugged her between his outstretched legs. Damn it. She felt so right, cozied against his body, but not like this. Her bright blue eyes blazed as she angled her rigid body away from him.
“C’mon babe, don’t get shy now. You’ve been wanting this for years. Hell, you moved to fucking Birchville for this.” Cold laughter clawed its way out. He was amazed he could speak through the disgust coating his throat as he watched the inferno in Mari’s eyes. “How do you want it?” He leered and pulled her roughly closer to him.
Mari jerked out of his hold, her body vibrating as her eyes flashed at him. “What the hell is wrong with you, Everett?” She wrapped her arms around herself as she trembled, stepping back.
He hated himself for inflicting her pain. “What’s wrong with me? What’s wrong with you, babe? One second you’re groping me, and the next you’re backing away?”
“Stop it. This isn’t you. This isn’t us.” Tears pooled in her eyes, but he couldn’t stop. This was for her. Mari deserved to find a man who could truly give her everything.
“What us? You mean how you fling yourself at me at every opportunity, and I let you down easy?” He choked out a cruel laugh. “I’m taking you up on what you’re offering, babe. Hell, if it’s any good, I may be up for a repeat.”
He reached for her as she ran out the door, into the night. When the door slammed behind her, Everett’s control broke. He relished the stab of pain accompanying each punch to his bedroom door. He pounded the frame until the cracked wood splintered and sliced his abused fists.
What did it matter? He crumpled to the floor in a heap. He had just driven the best part of his life away. Overwhelmed by his self-disgust, he almost missed the strange scent. Pricking his ears, he sat up and scented. Wolf.
His eyes turned ursine as he rushed out the door. No one, and nothing, would hurt Mari.
Not even him.
~~ * * * ~~
Mari ran to her car, too distraught to notice she didn’t have her keys. She slammed her palm against the hood and screamed. Jesus, she couldn’t even get away from the jerk! She glared at the doorway, refusing to head back. She had no idea what had come over Everett in there, but that was not a scene she was willing to walk back in to. He’d tossed her dream in her face, said she only moved here for sex.
The café was one frigging expensive bang if that were the case. She couldn’t believe she’d spent years pining for him when he had no interest in her past a lay. She was mortified, but that was shifting to anger. Something hard crunched under her bare feet and the scent of burned cookies wafted to her nose. Tears fell down her cheeks as she wandered up a trail.
Walking alone in the forest at night was not her most brilliant idea, but she assumed the worst of the critters would stay away from the house. Pine needles stung her feet as she trekked up the trail, but anger spurred her on. She needed a walk to burn off some of her anger. She remembered the bear that had stopped her car on the drive in, and she gritted her teeth.
Babe. After his fantastic reasoning for calling her Honey this afternoon, he’d called her babe— Her thoughts were cut off by a jolt of pain. She yelped as she hunkered down to extract the pine cone from her foot and sighed. She couldn’t walk around in the woods in only his tee. She would have to go back.
A lone howl pierced the night. Shit! Three howls echoed that. They sounded close.
Mari turned back, toward Everett’s house. No matter how embarrassed, hurt, and angry, it was not worth being attacked by wild animals. The howls came again, closer.
Do you stay calm when being hunted by wolves or run like hell? She had no idea. What in the hell was she, a frigging city girl, thinking moving to Birchville? She looked over her shoulder. It was silent now, but that didn’t seem to be a good thing. Eyes glowed from the trees. Staying calm be damned—she screamed and bolted for the house. A wolf blocked the path. Jesus, this was how she was going to die. She whimpered.
“What did I say about your whimpering, Honey?” Everett prowled through the trees and stopped beside her, glaring like it was somehow her fault he was a jackass and she wound up being stalked by wolves.
“What did I say about calling me Honey, Grumpy Bear?” she snarked before she could think better of it. “Besides, you made it pretty damn clear what you think about me back there. I guess it’s only fair you wind up a wolf’s dinner too.” She forced out a sound more whimper than laugh as four wolves came into view. Forgetting her pride, she shrunk into Everett’s side.
He sighed and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to press a kiss to her forehead. “Fuck, Honey. I’m sorry. You have to know I didn’t mean those things—I was trying to push you away.” The wolves crept closer and he released her. “I’m sorry for this too, but I can’t let you be hurt. Hell, I can’t stand to be the one hurting you.”
Mari tried to speak, but before she could, a huge black bear stood where Everett had been. Her breath caught in her throat. It was the bear she’d seen on the road. Everett was the frigging bear.
He placed himself between her and the closest wolf. It lunged and with one powerful swipe, he batted it into a tree. While he was distracted, two jumped on his back, their teeth sinking into his flesh. Mari cowered against a tree as Everett brushed her away. He roared as he bucked one off, catching it midair and snapping its neck with his powerful jaws. He was vicious, fighting for her safety, and she had never seen anything more beautiful, or more terrifying.
The final wolf stalked her. Mari snatched up a branch and wielded it like a club. The wolf pounced and snatched it from her hands. She screamed. Ignoring the wolf shredding his back, Everett leaped between her and her assailant. His roar sent the final two wolves scurrying into the woods.
His panicked eyes roamed over her, assessing her for damage. He collapsed and was once again her Everett.
~~ * * * ~~
Everett lay face down in the dirt. Naked. He could have moved—he hadn’t lost that much blood—but he couldn’t face Mari yet. She would be afraid. He was shocked she hadn’t run. His rules, his cruel lies tonight—all of it was for nothing, now. She knew he was a shifter, and now she would betray him.
Soft footsteps crunched through the pine needles. Warm hands stroked his back. She reached a particularly painful gash and withdrew her hand with a choked sob. “Everett. Get up. C’mon. We have to get you to the house so we can call an ambulance.” She nudged his shoulder. He groaned, unable to be silent any longer.
Half laughing, half crying, she kissed his shoulder. “There’s my grumbly bear.”
My grumbly bear. After every way tonight had gone wrong, she was kissing him and calling him hers. He pushed himself to his feet. “I save your damn life and you’re still demanding, Honey.”
Her twinkling laugh made the effort worth it.
Everett stumbled over his first step and crashed back to the ground with a grunt. He raised his eyes to Mari who stood just out of reach with her hand outstretched to him, her lips clamped together. “Everett, we really need to get you to a hospital. Do you—”
He cut her off with an admonishing growl. Struggling to rise to his feet again, he brushed off her helping hand. “No hospitals. No ambulances. No humans.” On the final word he accepted her help. They stumbled home in silence.
Everett insisted Mari tend to her scratched hands before his mauled back. He barked directions and pointed to various first-aid supplies.
She then patched him up as he instructed. Her silence coated his heart in ice-cold fear. It wasn’t her way to not speak her mind. Her hisses and sighs at his injuries were proof of her disapproval of his decision not to see a professional, but he couldn’t see a human doctor. His physiology was too different from a human’s. A doctor would note his abnormal recovery speed. After the last bandage was adhered, she let out a long sigh. “Damn it, Everett. Why di
dn’t you tell me?”
He twisted on the sofa to see her face. She crouched beside where he lay, hurt still a shadow in her eyes. He wanted to be the one to chase the shadow away, but how, when he put it there? Instead, he fell back onto his old fears and grumbled, “Is this the part where you sell me out then, Honey?”
She crossed her arms as her eyes narrowed. “That’s what you think of me? You believe I would sell you out—sell my best friend out, just for being a little—” His snort cut her off and she rolled her eyes. “Fine, a lot different. I thought you knew me. I thought a lot of things before tonight, Everett.”
He steeled himself. This was where he paid for his crimes and she walked away forever.
“Now I know more.”
He jerked into a seated position. This woman was determined, but to do what? She held his life in her hands, and not just because she knew his secret. Life without Marigold Mims was a bleak prospect, indeed.
“What do you know?” he rasped.
Her dazzling smile made the entire evening worth it. “I know you only call me Mari when you’re avoiding things. And you never call me babe—” Her nose squinched up at the moniker, “—unless you’re trying to run me off. You call me Honey. I like it.” Everett moved as if to touch her, but she shied away. “I also know you don’t trust me.”
Before he could defend himself, she continued. “I don’t know why, but I’m going to assume it has something to do with the whole you’re-a-damn-bear thing. I won’t betray you, Everett, but I am done hoping for something with someone who would rather hurt me than trust me. I’ll figure out where I’m staying tomorrow. For tonight, do you want the bed or the couch?”
Everett’s heart crumbled like one of Mari’s burned cookies. This was goodbye, and he had no one to blame but himself. “You take the bed, Honey. I’m not as hurt as I look, and I heal fast.” She nodded and walked into his room, shutting the door as much as she could with the broken frame.
~~ * * * ~~
Snores trickled into the room as Mari tossed and turned. So much had happened tonight. It would affect two relationships in her life, but she could only focus on one. Everett had made it clear that his earlier dip into asshole territory was a lie, calculated to push her away from him. Because he couldn’t trust her.
Another snore. She flipped over again to block the noise. It didn’t help. She was surrounded by Everett. His once-welcome scent scraped her heart like sandpaper. There was no escaping her conflicting emotions tonight.
If she were home, she would work her frustrations out by herself to her favorite fantasy—Everett, wearing nothing but a flimsy apron, walking into the kitchen in their cabin while she cooked. Her thighs clenched as imaginary-Everett let out a low growl. Her hand slipped into the band of her panties. He swatted her bum as he kissed her neck, nibbling his way up. She worked her fingers around her pleasure point, moisture coating her fingers. Fisting her hair, he pushed her toward the counter— A growl broke the fantasy.
Mari turned to find Everett standing in the broken doorway, illuminated by moonlight. She couldn’t see his face, but his words radiated pain. “What are you doing to me, Honey?”
She should feel guilty for tormenting the man. Instead, she found herself entertaining an interesting proposition. “One night,” she whispered. There was a loud crack, and part of the door frame thudded on the ground. She held her breath, certain of his rejection.
Everett prowled toward her. Her pulse quickened with each step. A foot away from the bed, he paused. “One night won’t be enough, but damn it, Honey, I’m not strong enough to stay away.” Then, he pounced.
His warmth enveloped her as his huge body settled on top of hers. His beard brushed against the base of her throat, tickling her as he inhaled her scent, making her shiver. He nipped her, drawing a surprised squeal.
Mari pulled him closer, desperate to taste his skin. Her nails dug into his strong back when he resisted placing his weight on her. She wanted to be pinned by him, to know how delicious his large form could be. His bandages came loose in her grip, and she jerked her hands away. Everett growled. “I like your touch more than I mind the pain.”
His lips touched hers, and all concern for his wounds evaporated. His beard chafed her cheeks while his lips coaxed hers into a slow dance. His taste exploded on her tongue: a hint of cinnamon and Everett. He kept the kiss so painfully slow that Mari growled and nipped at his lip to hurry him along.
“Honey, I just want to taste you,” he moaned.
The words caressed her skin, leaving goosebumps in their wake. She wanted a night to remember. A night of what might have been. She planted her palm on his chest, her fingers kneading his chiseled flesh. She shoved and he obliged her unspoken demand, rolling to his back, exposing his naked body for her perusal. The moonlight clung to the contours of his muscled form. Mari gasped and dragged her nails through the hair that coated his chest. She couldn’t help but imagine what it would feel like to run her fingers through his fur. When she grazed his nipple with her nails, Everett hissed and jerked her closer. Mari’s lips tickled his ear as she whispered, “Then taste me,” and claimed his mouth.
In a swift move, Everett flipped her over, regaining control. With a growl, he ground his erection against her lacy thong. His work-roughened hand traced up her leg and shoved the lace aside without pause. One calloused finger stroked her folds, making her tremble. He sucked his fingers, moaning, “I’m coated in your honey.”
Shivering in anticipation, she begged, “Please, Everett.” He pressed his finger inside, stroking her, filling her.
“You taste so sweet. I need just a little bit more.” His tongue replaced his finger, and Mari almost bucked off the bed. He licked and nipped at her cunt like a man starved. Pleasure built in her, bringing her hips off the bed as she worked herself against his face. She pulled his hair to press his face more fully against her. The friction of his beard on her sensitive skin brought her to the brink. She begged for something, anything, to ease the sweet ache. She jerked his mouth to hers and wrapped her leg around his hips.
One rock, and he was sheathed inside her. They clung to one other, panting and coated in sweat. Everett thrust into her, harder and rougher with each stroke. Mari reached the brink in moments.
She came, Everett’s shouts mixing with her own.
~~ * * * ~~
Everett woke more well-rested than he remembered ever being. He reached for Mari but felt nothing but covers. Her fading scent told him she was gone.
There was no one to blame for his heartbreak but himself. He wasn’t sure he could fully offer his trust to anyone. A lifetime of mistrusting humans had conditioned him well. Despite his feelings, he couldn’t guarantee he wouldn’t act on his fear. Last night, Mari hadn’t run. She hadn’t called the police. She hadn’t even called an ambulance. Fuck, the woman had earned whatever trust he could give, but would it be enough?
~~ * * * ~~
Mari forced a laugh as she danced around the café, covered in paint. Her café renovation was going well. The new furniture had arrived, and the old had been donated. Her new storefront sign was on order and would be ready by next month, and she had just finished painting the dining room a fantastic gray to brighten and update the space. The B&B had a room open, so she had a place to sleep this week. Next week she would move into her new home. Really, she had so much to be thankful for. Her dreams were becoming a reality.
Unfortunately, she couldn’t go five minutes without replaying bits of her night with Everett in her head. The cruel things he’d said, him saving her life, their amazing lovemaking—it was all part of an ongoing loop in her head.
She had hoped to ask Everett to make her a large chalkboard sign for the menu behind the counter, but now she would need to order one. She sighed, her smile faltering. She still smelled like him. His scent would fade, as would his imprint on her heart.
A knock on the door surprised her—must be a tourist who didn’t realize the café was closed. She paused
her music and walked to the door, still singing the tune as she opened it.
Everett.
He stood on the sidewalk with a large chalkboard sign, perfect for behind the counter. For once, Mari was struck silent.
“Bailey mentioned you could use this.” His voice was growly as usual, but hesitant as he gestured over his shoulder to his pickup. A beautiful new storefront sign sat gleaming in the truck bed. “And I thought you could use a sign. If you don’t like them, you don’t have to use them, I just needed ...” He let out a sigh and bit his lip. “This shit is just an excuse. I needed to see you, Honey. Needed to say I’m sorry for the terrible things I said, for not telling you I’m a shifter, for not trusting you—all of it. I know I don’t deserve a second chance, but I’m here to ask for one anyways.”
Dumbstruck, Mari continued staring at him. Everett had spoken more in the last two minutes than he had in most of their relationship. He had made these things. For her. He must have worked all day, since he hadn’t known anything about her café before yesterday.
Marigold’s peeked out from the back of his truck, in a gorgeous old-fashioned script that would perfectly match the other signs on Main Street. These things were beautiful, but they weren’t his apology. Everett, who would rather use grunts and gifts to communicate, had come to her with words.
Mari leaped into his arms. He didn’t have any trouble catching her; he was a bear, after all. “Yes, you silly, grumpy bear.” She laughed as she kissed him.
~*The End*~
This one’s for the girls.
~ TMS
~~ * * * ~~
Moonlight, Monsters & Magic Page 6