The Bear Claw Tales- Complete Series

by C. D. Gorri

  You’re a slut for the guy. Admit it already! She closed her eyes and counted to ten before calling for Colby to set up an IV with some fluids and vitamins. Not much more she could do for him. His Shifter healing abilities would kick in soon, for now it was just rest and fluids.

  “Alright boys, he’s going to have to stay here a few hours. Why don’t you all go back and explain to Marcus what happened today,” at the mention of their Clan Alpha the four Polar Bears looked every way but at her.

  “Look, miss, um, I mean Doctor, we weren’t trying to give him a concussion. We just didn’t realize he meant that as a future lesson. We really don’t want to do anything to jeopardize our joining you all officially,” grumbled Bowie.

  “Marcus isn’t that kind of Alpha. He will understand, but he will also be missing his brother. So, I think you four have some explaining to do,” she raised one eyebrow and nodded to the door.

  “Right,” said Bowie, rubbing the back of his neck and looking like he’d rather be doing anything else than confront their Clan leader.

  “I’m sorry, Bowie,” said Locke.

  “Apologize to him, idiot, not me,” he growled back.

  “Enough, my patient needs rest. You four out,” Luisa commanded and pointed to the door. They look like four schoolboys who got caught skipping class, she thought and shook her head. Truth was they were hardly more than a year younger than her, but they seemed so much younger.

  “She’s bossy for such a little thing,” grumbled one of the triplets from outside the door and Luisa rolled her eyes.

  “Shut up! She can hear you!”

  “What? All I did was call her a little thing. She is little, except for those breasts-”

  “I said shut up about her breasts!”

  “Alright, can I mention her ass then?”

  A thud followed the question and she had to wonder which one had smacked the speaker. Good thing too or she might’ve followed them into the hall and smacked him herself.

  Shifters in general had highly developed libidos and Bears were no exception. Not even Polar Bears. Dogs, all of them! She turned back to Nate and frowned already forgetting about the randy Shifters she’d just kicked out of her exam room.

  All of her attention focused on the one man she’d been trying to avoid for a year now. Not much use now is there? We’re mated and yet not. She frowned.

  Nate looked so innocent in his sleep. She couldn’t see those mossy green eyes of his. Pity. She loved those eyes. They’d light up like green lightning whenever he looked at her. She felt that electrical spark all the way to her toes every single time she caught him watching her.

  His hair had grown long. The thick, dark locks met his shoulders in a gentle wave that most women would pay hundreds for but came naturally to him. Relaxed in his unconscious state, she was able to study his strong jaw and straight nose, those full lips that had brought her so much pleasure. There was no denying it. Nate Cordoza was handsome as the devil and sexy as hell too.

  Luisa sighed and pulled the sheet up over him. He was nude except for his gray cotton boxer briefs. Even in his flaccid state the material stretched over his bulging sex. He was more than incredible in that department. Something she’d never forget that was for sure. Thick and long, slightly curved at that perfect angle to reach that special spot inside of her that only he’d been able to touch, bringing her to orgasm faster than any other man or toy had ever been capable of.

  His thickly muscled chest, arms, and legs were bare. The smooth, tanned skin revealed for her perusal. A medical necessity, she told herself as she was beginning to feel like a voyeur. But it was the truth, she had to remove his clothing to evaluate his condition.

  She scolded herself not to look at him lustfully while he was unconscious. She even repeated the mantra several times. Firmly. Thank goodness he had no other bruises on his person. Just the one rather large bump and scrape on the side of his head.

  That Polar Bear Shifter, Locke, had whacked him right on the temple. Dangerous for normals and Shifters alike. She knew Nate had been taking on more Clan duties and was working under his brother, Daniel, as an Enforcer these days. Still, Luisa was shocked to find he was actually concussed. Locke must have really surprised him with that tire iron. SMH.

  “You’re going to be just fine. I’ll be back soon,” she whispered into his ear. Before she knew it, she was bending down to brush a kiss across the straight line of is mouth.

  Her heart squeezed painfully as she stepped away. She had other patients to attend to. No matter how much she wanted to stay by his side, she’d perform her duties as expected. Luisa was a doctor first.

  Stay, her Bear commanded. No, she told the animal firmly. She couldn’t no matter how much her heart was breaking. It would send the wrong message. I already told him I couldn’t do this.

  Stepping out into the hallway, Luisa leaned her back against the wall, eyes closed. She’d learned a lot about anatomy and physiology during her years of schooling, but what did she know about matters of the heart?

  Only that hearts could be broken. Like Mom’s. Maybe it was unfair of her to make the comparison between her father and Nate, but she couldn’t help it. Since she was a young cub, she knew she wanted to be a doctor. To heal sick people, Shifters and normals alike. People with little money and chronic illness. Like her mother.

  The possibility of finding a mate had never entered her young mind. Until now. She wiped at the tears that flooded her eyes. Memories of what transpired a week ago came flooding into her brain making her heart squeeze painfully. She gasped and put her hand over her chest.

  Oh Nate.

  Chapter 2

  Cozumel, Mexico was a magical place.

  At least, that had been Luisa’s first impression. She was still a little shaken by her earlier interaction with a certain sexy half-Grizzly half-Black Bear Shifter. Just being near him sent her girly parts all a flutter. Still, she’d managed to leave the beach without him being any wiser to her real feelings.

  Mine, the she-Bear inside of her voiced loudly. In fact, the sow made her opinion of the male known every single time Luisa thought of him. Grrr.

  Nate Cordoza was new to the Clan and to the town of Barvale. It was recently uncovered that he was in fact the half-brother of her Alpha and his other brothers. Like the rest of the Devlin’s, he was breathtakingly gorgeous, charming, and generally perfect.

  But not for me. She told herself firmly for the umpteenth time. Oh yes, he is. Mate, insisted her Bear. She growled to herself as she donned the short pink silk wrap-around dress that Krissy had chosen for her as maid of honor.

  Never a girly girl she’d scoffed at the pink confection but looking at herself now in the mirror she recognized her sister had chosen wisely with the help of Lacey. Daniel’s former model wife was a wonder with clothes.

  She was talking about starting her own line of children’s fashion now that she’d had hers and Daniel’s first cub. Luisa thought it was a marvelous idea. She had all that creativity, might as well do something with it.

  Luisa on the other hand did not have a creative bone in her body. She was all science. Always had been. That was another reason she and Nate were totally wrong for each other. He was an artist for Pete’s sake! She shook her head and put the tall man out of her mind concentrating on getting her hair to behave in the humid weather.

  Her sister’s upcoming nuptials were taking place in a midnight ceremony on the cool white sand under the pale moonlight. It was twenty minutes till they started, and Luisa was trembling with nerves. Of course, she was thrilled with her sister’s choice and relieved that after a lifetime of duty and responsibility, her older sister was finally going to let her hair down.

  “Almost ready?” Leya Devlin, the mate of their Alpha, Marcus, asked from the doorway to the suite where the wedding party was getting dressed.

  “Be right there,” Luisa said and frowned as she looked at the retreating woman. Heavily pregnant with her first cub, Luisa had almost insist
ed Leya stay home for the wedding, but the spunky normal wouldn’t hear of it.

  Luisa shrugged. It was her choice of course, but at least a doctor was nearby should she need it. That reminded her of yet another reason why she was fighting her attraction to Nate. She’d spent years of her life studying and preparing for the day she would finally be a doctor. And here it was!

  She owed it to her sister and her mother to put her career before any personal happiness. From her experience, Shifters were notoriously chauvinistic. Always wanting their mates barefoot and pregnant. No thanks. Sure, she wanted a mate and cubs someday, but not yet.

  Luisa had worked too hard to be told what to do by some overbearing man. Or worse, left, by some no good, double dealing Bear! She wouldn’t let that happen to her. No way. She was going to help her Clan the best way she knew how, by using her skills as a doctor in their new Barvale Urgent Care Clinic. Being mated was simply not in the cards for her.

  She frowned as she took in her reflection. Her hair was curling around her face, the soft dress caressing her curves. The sound of Krissy’s exuberant laughter came floating in from the other room and Luisa smiled. Her sister truly deserved this chance to be happy, and she was ecstatic for her.

  We could be happy too with our mate, her Bear spoke up, but Luisa shushed the beast. This was about Krissy, not her. Luisa was going to celebrate Krissy’s happiness with her. She would finally pay her sister back for everything she’d ever sacrificed for the younger woman.

  She was already working on it, putting money in an account till she had every last cent she owed Krissy for her tuition, not to mention the years she’d taken care of their mother and worked to put Luisa through medical school. Now, she could make it up to her older sister and she would by not being selfish and worrying about Nate on Krissy’s big day.

  Luisa walked with the rest of the wedding party to the small sectioned off area where the ceremony was going to take place. A small bonfire, a tradition in their Clan, was lit far enough away from the waves to ensure its survival. There were a couple dozen Clan members and friends attending the event. A nice turnout for a destination wedding, Luisa thought.

  The musicians began playing and the soft sounds of their guitars washed over the crowd like a gentle wave. Luisa sighed. It was perfect. Pink and white blossoms decorated the gazebo. The moon was bright and full. The sky was clear of clouds. Stars twinkled and the waves seemed to accentuate the rhythm of the band.

  Luisa was aware of everything. Mostly she was aware of him, but she studiously ignored the big green-eyed man standing with his brothers as she preceded the bride, along with the other bridesmaids, down the center aisle. She took her position and gasped with joy as she watched her tall, curvy sister walk down the aisle on the arm of their Alpha.

  Marcus was grinning as he handed a stunning Krissy, decked out in a form-fitting lace mermaid dress that clung to her shapely body, over to her mate. He winked in the direction of his own wife, who was part of the wedding party. Leya’s belly was round with their cub. She still looked beautiful in her pale pink dress, especially when she smiled at Marcus. The affection between the two was palpable.

  Luisa had to look away for a second. She smiled at the two bridesmaids with tears in her eyes. Leya and Lacey Devlin, were two of the luckiest mated women she knew. Both of them practically glowed with the proof of their husband’s love and devotion. Lacey held baby Mia and cooed at the infant while the ceremony began.

  Luisa gritted her teeth. No cubs for a while yet, she told her Bear after the animal let out a bellow of longing. She felt his eyes on her and turned to see Nate staring in her direction.

  His intense gaze seemed to start a fire right in the center of her soul. She felt her panties moisten and nipples harden under his scrutiny. Almost twenty-feet of space and a dozen people separated them, but it was like they were the only two people there.

  Luisa’s pulse raced and her breathing increased, but no one seemed to notice. The rest of the crowd was watching Taylor and Krissy say their vows to one another. But not Luisa. No, ungrateful sister that she was, she was on the verge of a panic attack just imagining all the decadent things she wanted to do to Nate. Grrr.

  Heat pooled low in her belly and her pulse raced. Images of all that tanned skin under her hands and mouth flashed through her mind, filling her with need. Physical urges can be controlled, she chided herself. Nate grinned and she scowled, furious at his cocky arrogance. As if he knew what she’d been thinking!

  She turned her head back to the couple. Telling herself to ignore the commanding presence of Nate. It didn’t matter that he looked tempting as hell in his ivory linen slacks and pale teal shirt that set off his golden tanned skin.

  His hair was by far one of her favorite things about him. The way he wore the thick, longish locks tousled and hanging down to his shoulders had just the right amount of artist meets careless rocker that made her want to moan. The dark waves almost covered his eyes from her. But she didn’t need to see them in order to feel them.

  Those eyes were burning holes through her body. She felt them riveted to her face, her neck, her breasts, and belly. She knew he was watching her still. It had been that way ever since she’d literally run into him when they were celebrating their Alpha’s engagement to his mate. The little normal had turned out to be quite a fierce Alpha mate and Luisa admired her greatly.

  She’d recognized Nate then as hers, but she’d been denying it. Denying him. Luisa’s Bear sniffed and pawed at the ground in her mind’s eye. She wanted her Mate. The animal hungered for him.

  She wanted to be claimed on some primal level. She craved his dominance and the exertion that would come from being taken by such a strong Shifter male like him. Nate, the she-Bear growled his name.

  Traitor, she thought at the beast. Luisa had spent far too long studying and working to earn her degree to give it all up now. Just because she was horny! No way. She had a battery-operated friend in her suitcase for just this reason!

  Her whole life and career were in front of her. She had so much left to accomplish. Why had the universe chosen now to send her a mate? And a fated mate at that! It had to be some sort of cruel joke. Some irony she couldn’t comprehend despite her fancy degrees.

  Miserable now, she shied away from thinking about him as she tossed flower petals and blew bubbles at the happy couple. Cheers erupted and she joined the throng.

  Suddenly it hit her that Krissy had a husband now. Taylor would come first with her. Not me, not anymore, she thought and was startled by her own selfish meanderings. You have a mate too, her Bear reminded her, but she ignored her animal. Putting on a happy face for her sister, she joined the crowd even though she felt more alone now than ever before.

  A tear fell from her eye as she suddenly thought of her mom. Patricia Sposa had suffered plenty during her too short life on this earth. Luisa and Krissy had watched their poor mother suffer for years at the hands of a husband who didn’t truly love her.

  Her father, or sperm donor as she thought of him, had used his normal wife to fit into society. After their marriage and the birth of both his daughters, Gianni Sposa had taken off like a shot, leaving his fragile wife with two small cubs to raise.

  Another tear fell for the mother who had sacrificed so much for her two girls. She’d finally succumbed to the ovarian cancer that had plagued her nearly her entire adult life just six months earlier. Gratefully, Luisa had been home for it all. A doctor now, she was able to ease her mother’s passing and take some of the burden from Krissy’s shoulders.

  Her death was the reason Krissy and Taylor had waited so long to say their vows. So much pain and grief and yet her mom always had warm words and smiles for her two daughters. I miss you, Mom, she thought sadly.

  “Hey, I did it,” Krissy laughed and walked into Luisa’s embrace, gasping when the younger woman squeezed her hard.

  “What’s up, Lu?”

  “I’m so happy for you Krissy,” she said and kissed her sister’s
cheek.

  “Me too. I can’t stop thinking about Mom,” Krissy’s watery smile triggered her own tearful response and the two women embraced again tightly.

  “She’d be so proud of you,” she murmured, and Luisa nodded.

  “You too, Krissy. Mom loved Taylor,” she wiped her eyes and laughed as the man himself came walking over.

  “Hey now, no crying on our big day,” he squeezed his wife’s hand and pulled her into his arms.

  “I got you, Dimples,” he whispered and kissed Krissy’s full lips.

  Again, Luisa found herself looking away from a couple so much in love it hurt to see it. She’d just watched Krissy stand before the man she’d loved nearly all her life with a radiant smile gracing her face as she promised to be his for always.

  Taylor had returned the sentiment, proclaiming his love and dedication to her in front of the most important members of the Barvale Clan. It had been both beautiful and deeply moving.

  Luisa couldn’t be prouder or happier for either one of them. Her foolish eyes roamed back to the man who was standing just behind his half-brothers as they toasted Taylor and Krissy with some special label tequila, they’d purchased for the occasion on account of it being Krissy’s favorite drink.

  Nate Cordoza was a mystery to her. A Devlin and yet not a Devlin. What did she really know about him? Besides him being a super hottie who’d gotten her pink bits tingling from just looking at her. For Pete’s sake.

  Okay. Yes, she sensed he was honorable and trustworthy. But he was something else, completely different and out of her element. An artist for one thing, where she was a scientist. Mate, her Bear insisted.

  “Drink up!” Krissy handed out shots and slices of lime while Luisa simply allowed herself to be dragged along with the crowd. The music was riotous, the light of the bonfire low as the throng celebrated the wedding.

  Okay, maybe he is our Mate, she agreed after another shot of the strong, clear liquor. Krissy had insisted she keep up and drink with her and, everyone knew the bride got what she wanted on her wedding day. It was a universal law, Luisa was sure.