by C. D. Gorri
“Damn fucking straight, bro. You’re a kick ass Black Bear, but I got you beat weight-wise.”
“I can still kick your fucking ass.”
“Maybe. But why would you stay around here trying when you got something better waiting at home?”
“Fuck you. She’s not mine.”
“No? Then you won’t mind if I-”
Nate didn’t even get to finish the sentence before Daniel’s Bear had him pinned to the forest floor. Saliva dripped from his bared fangs as he almost went crazy on his brother’s ass.
“Easy bro, I was just fucking with you. Come on, get off me.”
“Don’t. Joke. About. Her. Ever.”
“Okay, okay. Damn you really need to lighten up.”
“Grrr.”
“Okay, but she said she was gonna go out for a bit. She wanted to take a walk-”
“What?”
Before Nate could finish the sentence, Daniel was running full speed for the Den. What was she thinking? Going for a walk? It was well past midnight! The woman didn’t even know her way around out here for fuck’s sake.
Fear gripped his heart. Worry made him run faster than he ever had. Because of her. She’s ours. The need to protect sent his Bear into overdrive. Shit, the animal was dangerously near to being out of control by the time he slowed his gait down.
Daniel had almost reached the Den when he caught her scent on the breeze. Honeysuckle and a hint of tea tree oil from the salve he’d used on her face earlier. His Bear grumbled, glad to have scented his mate. Touching her skin had been a type of heaven, he was sure of it.
He had to fight with everything inside of him at the time to not lean in and capture her swollen lip with his. He’d so desperately wanted to kiss the woman. Fuck. Thinking about it was bound to drive him crazy with lust.
Even his Bear wanted him to find her and get it on. Yep. It was a certainty. Daniel was going out of his mind. Fucking Bear was acting crazy. He attacked Nate for just making a comment about talking to her for fuck’s sake.
He was acting like a fucking savage. But that was exactly how he was starting to feel about her. Savage and untamed. Fuck. Her scent was getting stronger and he picked up his pace.
His footsteps were purposely loud as he stalked her through the path. Lacey was still wearing his purple sweatshirt, but she also had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders and too large boots on her feet. Shit. I forgot to get her shoes.
Her pale skin glowed in the moonlight and the bruises did nothing to take away from her innate beauty. She truly was a work of art. Stunning. Almost mind-numbingly beautiful. More so than any other creature he’d ever seen. Still, she was so much more than her face.
He watched in stunned silence as she tilted her head back. Her hair cascaded down to her hips in a curtain of gold that he was dying to bury his face in. She smiled, wide-eyed like a child as snowflakes started falling from the sky. Girlish giggles escaped her lips as she twirled in a dance that was both silly and intoxicating to behold.
She looked happy for a moment. Innocent and young. Not the tired woman who’d been pushed around by that fucking soon-to-be-dead asshole. Magnificent. Mine. His bear’s thoughts pushed into his own and he chuffed loudly, wanting her to see him.
Startled by the sound, Lacey turned her head. Shock and fear crossed her face for one brief moment at seeing his large animal. It tainted her sweet scent, making it turn sour for the barest of seconds. He paused. Shit. Naturally she’d be scared of him. He moved to back away but stopped when she stepped towards him.
“Daniel?” Her soft question reached his sensitive ears like a caress to his skin. Lacey smiled then. The brilliance of it nearly blinding him as he stood stock still and watched his brave little normal cross the path to stand directly in front of him. She is my mate. He finally admitted it to himself.
“You’re beautiful,” she murmured and raised her delicate hand to his snout. Unafraid she moved closer to the almost-thousand-pound Bear. Daniel didn’t move a muscle, waiting as she brought her fingers up and touched his head, then his cheek.
He grumbled in pleasure and that noise seemed to embolden her to run her hands further along his neck and shoulders. She ruffled his fur, seeming to savor the thickness of it. He was a proud Bear. Happy his mate seemed to take pleasure in touching him in this form. Yes.
“Such a big, strong Bear. So beautiful,” she murmured smiling and brushing his fur with her fingertips.
Grrr, his Bear rumbled happily as she stroked him. Daniel was truly a goner. A feeling of pure bliss rolled through him at the fact that his mate was freely accepting him in this shape. She was willingly touching him, marking him with her scent, whether she knew it or not. How he longed to carry that scent with him always. Mine.
Unable to hold back any longer, Daniel trembled as the familiar hum of magic settled over him. Changing fur for skin in the blink of an eye, he reached out with his human arms and caught Lacey before she could stumble. Mine, his Bear growled.
“Oh,” she gasped. A reddish blush tinging her cheeks as she looked at him. All of him.
Like most Shifters, Daniel was naked when he switched back to his human form. The fact that she was staring at him like a thirsty man stared at water was very pleasing, indeed. He knew his body was good to look at. Well-muscled and fit, he was attractive to most normals. Not that he cared about any of them. Just her. Only her.
“Lacey,” he growled her name, pulling her closer until she was flush against him.
He bent his head, unable to resist the need to get closer to her. Nuzzling her cold nose with his, he listened to the sound of her heartbeat. It raced inside of her chest as he pulled her into his embrace. So, this wasn’t one-sided? The scent of her arousal reached his nostrils and he hardened in response. She wants me too. That was good to know.
“Daniel,” she whispered his name like it was a secret. One that she’d said before, only now he was there to hear it.
Mine.
His Bear rumbled in pleasure as her hands came to rest on his shoulders. He reached out slowly, using one of his large hands to cup her cheek. He tilted her face, waiting for her emerald eyes to meet his before he closed the distance between them.
The second her lips touched his it was like the entire universe stopped. The snow, the stars, the forest around them, everything disappeared. Their kiss was the only thing that existed. The only thing that mattered.
Her lips ghosted over his at first, soft and feathery light. A whisper of a touch. But it wasn’t enough. Could never be enough with her. Daniel increased the pressure, sliding his mouth over hers, coaxing her with soft, lazy strokes until she opened for him, like a flower blossoming under the sunlight.
She tasted sweet and fiery like the warm honey and cinnamon scones he preferred. Delicious, he thought as his tongue slipped inside the hot, wet cavern of her mouth. He drank from her lips like she was a life-giving fountain. Maybe she was at that. His Bear surged inside of him as he felt his heart race. Mine.
Sparks passed between them, a special kind of magical exchange that he’d never felt before. He swallowed her gasp, loving the feel of her mouth as she pressed her lips and tongue fearlessly to his.
Surprise caused him to falter, but she didn’t stop. She was aggressive, taking her pleasure and giving him more than he could have imagined. He loved the bite of her nails on his shoulders, the feel of her teeth as she nibbled his lower lip. Fuck. He didn’t think it was possible, but his cock grew even harder. Slowly, he told himself, unwilling to break the magic that was unfolding between them by rushing things.
Her soft breasts flattened against his chest as he tightened his hold on her. Both arms now wrapped around her slight frame. She was tall, which was good, but he stood roughly six-inches taller still. Amazing. She fit perfectly in his arms, her hold on him tight. She was stronger than he’d thought. More toned than he’d realized. He groaned as he deepened the kiss. Hungry to discover more about her.
Desire flared between
them as the pace of their kiss increased. She moaned and he drew back, worried he’d hurt her. But all worries vanished as she chased his lips with her own. Passionate. Tempting.
His hands roamed over her body possessively. Raking over her shoulders and back, combing through her soft hair, all the way down to her tight, luscious ass. Damn. She was sexy as hell. And she was his. Mine. He hauled her up in his arms, and she yelped. That brought his head up when nothing else would’ve. Fuck.
What the fuck was he doing? Mauling her outside like a damned animal. You are an animal. He breathed heavily as he slowly allowed her to slide back down his body. Daniel kissed her lips once more, her cheeks, her eyelids, anything he could reach as he ran his hands soothingly over her body. A body he was desperate to see and taste. Fuck.
“Lacey,” he growled her name, unable to keep his Bear from his voice.
“Wow,” she whispered, leaning her forehead against his chin.
“I, I’m sorry,” he began, not sure how she was going to react to what had just happened. She was a normal after all. He had to proceed slowly.
“No, please,” her green eyes met his and he saw pain in them. Fuck. What did he do wrong?
“Did I hurt you?” He gently lifted her face and she pulled back, still with that wounded look in her eyes.
“No, of course not. But you don’t need to pity me either.”
What? Daniel had no fucking idea what had just happened. One second, he was exploring every centimeter of his mate’s sexy mouth. Thinking he’d gone too far, he slowed down his assault, not wanting to overwhelm her delicate sensibilities. So, how the fuck did he get from being one second away from plowing into her on the snow-covered ground, to here? Fuck.
“Pity? What the hell are you talking about?”
“Forget it,” Lacey moved around him. Taking her warmth, her scent, her taste, everything, with her.
Fuck. By the time he moved, she was already heading back to the house. Daniel wasn’t a stupid Bear, but right then he felt like it. Naked, confused, and still hard as hell, he called her name.
“Lacey!” He ran after her, finally finding his feet. He caught up just as she stood at the back door to the Den.
Her long blonde hair blew in the wind, as she moved to turn around, but just then the back door opened. Ignatius Devlin, Daniel’s father, stood there with his bushy gray eyebrows raised as he stared at his naked son and their red-faced guest.
“Danny? Ms. Alain? Everything alright here?”
“Um, yes, Mr. Devlin, everything is fine. Good night,” Lacey didn’t meet either man’s eyes before she scurried into the house.
Fuck. Daniel stared at her, willing her to look at him, but she didn’t. He’d fucked up somehow and he had no idea how to fix it. Head down, he felt the wall of misunderstandings and insecurities rising between them.
Shit. Daniel was stuck. He couldn’t just run after her and kiss the doubt from her eyes the way he wanted to. Not in front of his dad.
“Fuck,” Daniel growled.
“Uh, son, you may want to put on some clothes before you catch frostbite out there. Then why don’t you step inside the living room for a little chat with the old man.”
Ignatius Devlin was technically an old man. Older than he looked at any rate. Shifters aged differently than normal. They had longer lifespans too. As a perk, if they mated a normal, their lifespans increased too.
Still, Daniel had never thought of his father as the typical “old man” type the way normals did. The guy was built like a fucking brick house at six-foot four-inches tall. He was still robust and muscular despite his thick gray hair and short-cropped beard. Daniel shrugged into the sweats he’d left in the mudroom before Shifting.
He followed the familiar smell of his father’s pipe and the tumbler of whiskey he knew would be sitting by the man’s chair. The Den was usually well-stocked with Marcus’ favorite blend of artisan whiskey, Clover Bite, but on the rare occasion their sire visited them since retiring almost ten months ago, they hadn’t had the need to fill his supply of Mason Lane’s only gold label bottle.
Love Bite was in high demand and short supply. The smooth, supple flavor and rich texture of the coveted whiskey made it a favorite amongst supernaturals the world over.
Mason Lane had gifted a case to the Alpha of the Barvale Clan, Daniel’s father at the time, in thanks for supplying Bear Claw Bakery goods to his son’s entire school one year during the holiday season. A gift that was most welcome in the Den, though his dad had taken to hiding the last remaining bottles. Daniel snickered.
It was a tradition they still held. Delivering individually wrapped cookies to all the students at local elementary schools from Thanksgiving through New Year’s. His soon-to-be sister-in-law, Krissy, took care of all the arrangements.
Usually, he’d forego the offered beverage, but he nodded his assent and was grateful for the liquid as it burned its way down his throat. Fuck. He’d kissed Lacey. Tasted her sweet lips and held her in his arms. And then she’d run away from him. He realized he’d fucked up in some way. She thought he pitied her, though he had no idea how she’d arrived at that conclusion.
“So,” his father began.
“So,” Daniel echoed.
“You want to tell me why you were trying to dive down the throat of that very vulnerable, very human girl you’re supposed to be protecting?”
Shit. This was not the conversation he wanted to have right now.
“Look Dad. Oh fuck, look, it’s complicated.”
“Yeah, I get that son. Especially when you still haven’t gotten over Melinda and what she did to you. I don’t want you taking out past hurts on this woman, she’s fragile, the last thing she needs is for you to play with her emotions. She’s not Melinda-”
“I know she’s not Melinda! And who the hell are you to try and talk to me about relationships? In case you haven’t noticed, your other son is here now. I know all about your views on mating, and if you ask me, Nate is some damn strong proof of your fucking morals, so don’t preach to me-”
“Daniel, as your Dad I can forgive your anger, but as your Alpha-” His father’s silver eyes glowed with his Bear, but Daniel didn’t care.
How dare this man try and tell him how to take care of his mate! Dear old Dad was the one who broke his mother’s heart with their loveless marriage and his affairs. Daniel was nothing like him. He made a mistake with Melinda out of desperation and loneliness. It was different with Lacey, this time his Bear was completely on board.
“You’re not the Alpha, Dad. Marcus is. Now if you will excuse me, I’m gonna go hit the gym and try to forget we ever had this little talk.”
Neither one of the two Bears noticed the woman listening in the hallway with wide eyes and her hand over her mouth. She shuffled quietly back into the bedroom and shut the door.
Chapter 5
The next morning Lacey woke early. She felt much better. Patting her eye and lip as she strolled into the bathroom, she wondered if the salve Daniel had used on her contained more magic potion-y stuff than he’d thought.
When she finally caught herself in the mirror she stopped, staring at herself in awe. Her black eye had lightened considerably to a pale yellowish color. Almost fully healed. The long scratches Tim had left on her face were way, way smaller. Some almost completely faded away.
“Huh,” she thought as she looked herself over. Not her top form, for sure, but better. Much better. She smiled.
Last night Daniel had kissed her, and it was more than she could have ever imagined. At almost thirty years old, Lacey was hardly a virgin, but damn if she hadn’t felt like one when she was in his arms. Her entire body had lit up like a Christmas tree.
She sighed as she showered and dressed, mulling over the whole scene. Had she overreacted? Maybe. But she wasn’t sure whether or not he was simply reacting. She was used to being sought after.
The men in her past had sometimes treated her as nothing more than a prize to be won. But the truth was, D
aniel didn’t seem overly affected by her fame. A billionaire, if the tabloids were to be believed, in his own right, he was probably used to rubbing elbows with high society. Beautiful women probably pursued him like Black Friday shoppers at Walmart! The image made her giggle.
Not that women would be after him for his money alone. You just had to look at him to know it was much more than that. He had a certain charisma. An animal magnetism that made him irresistible. But why would he want her? The question was vexing to say the least.
Braiding her long, damp hair took about ten minutes. After she was finished, she pulled on another one of Daniel’s sweatshirts. This one was a dark green with the Bear Claw Bakery logo on the front. It was as big as the one from yesterday and fell to her knees.
Not that she cared about the color or the size of the shirt. Nope, she chose it because it smelled like him the most. She smiled and sniffed the shirt. His scent was imbedded in the fabric.
After their kiss last night, and the weirdness after, she sort-of needed the comfort. Foolish girl. Oh well, she could rationalize her idiotic behavior later. It wasn’t every day a gorgeous mountain-sized Bear Shifter kissed the heck out of her.
But what a kiss! Holy hell. One second, she was standing with her hands on an enormous Black Bear with thick, golden fur on his head and neck, and the next, she was wrapped around a huge, gloriously naked man. Daniel. She’d known it was him from the start. Somehow, she’d recognized him in his Bear form.
As if some deep, dark secret part of her soul had immediately known him. She wasn’t the least bit afraid of him like that. That same secret part of her, assured Lacey that he would never hurt her. And he hadn’t. Not until he pulled away from her.
Ugh. Why were men so confusing? Sure, he’d told her he wasn’t interested in her before, but ever since the Tim incident, he’d been acting sort of protective. Possessive even. He’d given up his time, his room, and had driven all the way to the city to get her. He would not hear of her going to a hotel.
Maybe she was a fool to think he returned her interest, but that kiss was special to her. It had warmed her on the inside like no other kiss she’d ever experienced. Not that there had been that many to compare it to. Despite what the tabloids claimed, she was a model, not a prostitute.