by V. Vaughn
Lance shakes his head, and I think he realizes he needs to calm down. I brush by him to take over the lead, and when we get to Jurgen, who is still in human form, we shift back. We’ll be stealthier as people to get to our places. Caitlyn and Linda are with him, and I notice the look of awe on Linda’s face at the sight of a half-dozen bear turning into naked men. She doesn’t even flinch when Lance nuzzles Caitlyn before he shifts.
When the rest of the team has arrived, Jurgen whispers the plan. I’m impressed with Linda’s lack of fear as she listens. I can relate. She’s been hardened by life and doesn’t have the same moral compass a woman like Kelsey does. I think she’s the kind to seek revenge for her closure, and I suspect it’s the reason she’s still alive.
Once Jurgen has given us our orders, we split off to take our spots for the ambush. I take in the scene before me as I wait for the signal to attack. Val and Kelsey are in human form, and Val is held by one man while another holds a gun to his head. I hear Buck tell Kelsey to take off her clothes and can smell the girl’s fear. I recall how she cowered in the ring when we were sparring. I’m surprised she hasn’t crumpled into a ball and wonder if maybe I underestimated her.
Linda and Caitlyn were instructed to stay hidden, but before all the warriors are in place, it’s clear Linda has a plan of her own. I curse under my breath when she runs into the clearing toward Buck, and I shift before I get the go-ahead since all hell is about to break loose.
Jurgen gives the signal to attack, and I run toward a man. I smack him on the back with my paw to slam him to the ground. When I glance up again, I see Buck sink to his knees as he clutches at his neck. Blood spurts out, and while I press my squirming victim harder into the dirt, I smile, not only because Linda just killed the man who took so much from her, but because she also killed the leader of the Eradicators. It’s a shame she’s only human, because she’d make a good warrior. I turn away to deal with the elimination of the rest of the men.
Ice-cold beer chills my throat as it goes down, and a cue ball cracks when René hits it. After he came home from Maine last night, we met at Jean Luc’s and discussed the day’s events. Tally is back, and for the moment, Cassandra is not an immediate threat. Because the leader of the Eradicators was killed, the hunters will need time to regroup before they stage another attack, and my mate and I are taking the opportunity to have a little fun.
René is bent over his shot, and I flash back to the night we met. I was trying to make the best of my new life in Canada after having all that was good stripped away from me yet another time. The last thing I expected was to find my true mate, but when I smelled René, my world changed in an instant. I speak in my head to him. “The last time you bent over like that, the evening ended--”
“With you doing the same.”
We both laugh as he turns to me. He licks his lips as he grabs my hips and yanks my body against his. He drops his voice lower and speaks softly. “Want to finish the game?”
My body is humming with desire for my mate, and all I want right now is to be with him. I shake my head. “Think we can make it home?”
“Maybe.” René grabs my hand and tugs me behind him as he moves quickly. When we get in his truck, he grabs the back of my head to pull me in for a kiss, and we nearly devour each other with passion I doubt will ever die.
When we pull apart, I touch my swollen lips. René and I are fierce warriors with strong bears, and our physical relationship reflects our feral nature. We satisfy a primal need in each other I never expected to fill.
“Home,” says René as the engine of his truck roars to life.
“Home.” I reach for his hand, and he grips my fingers tightly as I say, “I’m so thankful I found you. I love you, René.”
He says, “I love you too, Nadia. You were worth the wait.”
I lean back, and the leather seat is cool against me as I think about how I suffered a good portion of my life and was convinced I was destined for misery. But now I’ve got the true-mate love that has made me complete. I squeeze his hand. “So were you, my love. So were you.”
Chapter 31
Tally
Marcel had to return to Safe Harbor early the next morning after we broke my bond with Victor, and I had to stay at Bella’s to go over what went wrong and brainstorm future plans to keep werebear safe. Now that I’m home, I can finally get time alone with Marcel. My tarot cards are slippery in my hands as I shuffle them in an attempt to distract myself as I wait for him to arrive.
I recall how Marcel used to come to me for a tarot reading once a week. He claimed he was searching for his true mate, but the reality is he came to see me. And I knew his true mate could never be predicted by cards but played along so I could see him.
I smile and stand up when his footsteps sound on the walkway. He knocks, and I tug on my door to let him in. It sticks when I do, and Marcel grins as he places his hand on the offending section of wood. He sanded down the top part of the door for me not too long ago and suggested I needed a man in my life. “You know, you could use a man to fix that for you.”
“I’ve got a guy I’m sure will take care of it.”
He steps inside and pushes the door shut behind him. “You sure do.”
I gaze up at the man who is a foot and a half taller than me. I step back to lean against my kitchen counter, and the edge is hard on my back. We’re mismatched in height and species, but our hearts couldn’t be more perfect for each other. My pulse quickens. “Does this guy need a reading?”
He shakes his head slowly as he steps closer to me. I straighten when he comes within inches. My skin tingles in reaction to the warmth radiating from him, and my blood hums with the anticipation of his touch. Marcel closes his eyes and inhales deeply and slowly through his nose. He lets out a little moan before he trains his electric gaze on me. I see his bear flashing in his eyes, but it’s not a dangerous look. At least not my-life-is-in-peril dangerous. It’s a look that mirrors my desire.
This is crazy. I glance down as if I can avoid temptation. Humans and werebear don’t get together for life, and I think Jean Luc is only placating me by allowing it for now. We’ll just be another rumor for the gossip mill. Forever for us is impossible, and--
“Tally.” Marcel tips my chin up with his finger. “Stop the negative thoughts.”
“But-- Oh!” He grabs my hips and lifts me up to sit on the counter. “Oh.” His hands push gently on my knees, and I spread my legs to let him move between them. His werebear internal temperature is heat I want to wrap around me. I place my hands on his huge arms, and my eyes nearly roll back in my head as I revel in the pleasure of his brute strength beneath my palms.
He chuckles. “You’re drunk on us.”
I nod. “I do have a thing for arms.”
“Yeah?” Marcel lowers his forehead to mine, and I smell minty breath, telling me he brushed his teeth before he came over.
I slide my hands up his biceps and over to his chest. He responds by flexing, and I smile up at his grin. “I like pecs too.”
He lifts his head away and takes my hands to lower them to his taut stomach. “How about abs?”
My voice is breathy when I answer. “Very nice.”
“Anything else you want to touch?”
Now I can’t speak, so I nod instead.
Marcel takes my face in his hands, and I feel like a tiny treasure in his huge palms. “All in good time, Tally.” His lips brush against mine before he pulls back again. “We have the rest of our lives, and I’m not going to rush a thing.”
I’m trembling with need, and his thick locks are smooth in my fingers as I place my hand on the back of his head to tug him down for more. “Try to stop me, and I’ll take you down.”
He chuckles as I kiss him, but his laughter is quickly squelched by his own desire. We drink each other in, and I don’t think either of us believes we’ll get enough. He pulls my body against his, and I wrap my legs around his waist to feel his hard length between my thighs.
&n
bsp; When Marcel breaks away, his chest is heaving, and he lets out a low growl that reverberates through my body, making my senses vibrate with the powerful energy of our connection. He says, “I planned on taking this slow. I think--”
I reach up and place my fingers on his lips. “If you think I’m going to let you leave before I have you, then you might feel the retaliation of my magic.”
Marcel’s eyes twinkle with mischief as he steps away from me. “My naughty little witch. What am I going to do with you?”
I waggle my eyebrows before I hop off the counter. “Follow me and find out.”
I glance over my shoulder as I walk out of the kitchen and catch him checking out my butt. I may be short, and I may not have the muscular build of a werebear female, but the look in Marcel’s eyes tells me my curves turn him on, and my confidence blossoms. When I get to my bedroom, I turn to him and grab the hem of my shirt to remove it. I lift it up slowly, and when it lands on the floor with a soft whoosh, he lets out a low noise of appreciation.
“Finally, I can touch you,” he says.
I recall how we stripped for each other when Marcel was still a portal and too dangerous for me to be near. I drag my finger down my chest and between my breasts. “What are you waiting for?”
Marcel reaches out and hooks his fingers in the waistband of my yoga pants. He drops to his knees and tugs them down my hips to leave me standing in my underwear, and goose bumps form on my skin. He takes his magic hands and presses them against my legs to slide them up the edges of my body as he gazes up at me as if I’m a goddess to worship. “Take your bra off for me.”
The weight of my breasts is heavy when I reveal them. Marcel is still on his knees, and he splays his hand on my back as places his mouth over my nipple. His tongue laps at me as he suckles and sends waves of pleasure through my veins. He makes sure to give both my breasts equal attention before he stops to guide me toward the bed, where I sit and move backward to stretch out my legs and watch him undress for me.
I take in the amazing male body he presents. Scars from years of fighting as a bear are faint lines on his skin, and I plan to trace every one as I commit them to memory like a road map of his life. I notice the newest ones that are still red and know they’ll be the most precious to me, because I’ll always be reminded of how he risked everything to save me from a man we shouldn’t have been able to conquer. “I’ll never stop wanting to look at you, Marcel.”
“You’ll never have to.” He crawls over me and leans down to kiss me. I reach up and grip his thick cock to stroke it. He moans and slides his hand between my legs to explore me too. I’m ready to explode, and I whimper as he touches me.
I lift my hips up and guide him toward my entrance. “Please don’t make me wait any longer, Marcel.”
He enters me slowly, but it’s not necessary. We fit together perfectly, and Marcel lets out a big sigh when he’s seated deep. “My god, Tally, I could stay here forever.” I need more and am thankful I don’t have to beg when he begins to move. I move my hands down to hold his firm bottom, and we rock together in a dance we both seem to know. Our cries push me higher as my orgasm rushes to the surface, and I call out when it breaks free.
Marcel doesn’t stop pumping, and my sensitive folds quiver with the overload of pleasure, making my return to reality a slow ride, and I am overwhelmed by the feeling of completion when it washes over me. When he tenses and lets out his primal call, I hold him tight, and his hot essence fills me before he relaxes in my arms. “Oh, Tally.” He rolls to the side without leaving me and strokes his finger down my sweat-slicked neck to the hollow between my collarbones. “Do you feel it? I know it’s not supposed to be, but I believe you’re my true mate.”
I want to believe it too, but I know better. Witches don’t get true mates, but I’m sure about one thing. Marcel is my true love, and for me that’s good enough. “I do feel it. And I can’t say we’re true mates, but you are without a doubt the love of my life.”
“True mate, love of my life, and woman I can’t stand to be without, I love you. And I’ll spend every day showing you how much.”
“I love you too, Marcel.” I open to his kiss, and while we may not get a lifetime, I’ll take every day that he’s with me to have and to hold forever.
Epilogue
Nadia
I glance down at my ice-blue dress as I sit in a white folding chair set out on an expansive manicured lawn. I’m at a monumental event for the Ouellette clan and possibly most werebear clans worldwide, because a medicine woman who is completely human is marrying a werebear warrior. The color of my gown reminds me of one I was wearing a little over two years ago. As the Arctic Ice vodka spokesmodel, I thought I’d had a nearly perfect life. I loved my fame and fortune, even at the expense of hiding what I was. But my slipup at a photo shoot brought my world crashing down around me.
I had to run for my life while the Eradicators chased me with the intention of killing me. I don’t shiver at the memory, though, because it led me to seek refuge in Safe Harbor, where I was supposed to be. My stomach jerks with the kick of a tiny foot, and I place my hands on the warm silk of my maternity dress, which swells over my belly. My triplets are busy little boys, and I reach for René’s hand so he can feel them too.
“Ah, my warriors are strong, aren’t they?”
I place my hand on my husband’s cheek and feel the smoothness of his freshly shaven face. “They’ll have to be, because I’m sure one is destined to take over for you when he’s old enough.”
“That he will, since he’ll have the fierce polar bear of his mother along with my good looks.”
I chuckle at him as the music for the wedding-party procession begins.
The alpha’s three children are first. Two redheaded boys in tot-sized suits carry pillows that have the wedding rings on them as they follow behind their sister. The little girl is the spitting image of Izzy with her nearly white hair blowing in the ocean breeze. She tosses flower petals along the aisle, and adults smile at how adorable the children are. Before they get to the altar, it appears the flower girl runs out of petals, and when she notices, she stops to stamp her foot. The basket bounces off the ground as she throws it in what I think might be the beginning of a temper tantrum. Grace Ouellette rushes out to corral the girl, and the child’s wailing makes the guests laugh as her grandmother carries her away.
Attention is turned to Izzy walking down the aisle with Xavier. She catches my eye and smiles. The two of us have developed a close friendship. We both spent most of our lives fighting to survive and understand the feral nature that rules who we were. But now we’ve both changed. The Ouellette alpha saved Izzy and tempered her strong warrior spirit with love the way René saved me. She has become a loving mother and kind Prima who many in the clan look to for guidance.
The two of us have worked together to assimilate Rachel, Kelsey, and Caitlyn into werebear life. And now we are welcoming the true mate of Abby, the head of sales at Ouellette Yachts, and his brothers, who recently discovered they are part werebear. Jean Luc is behind our desire to continue to strengthen our clan with diversity.
I notice Kelsey sitting on the other side of the aisle from me and smile as she holds her stomach too. She’s pregnant with twins. Her sister, Caitlyn, is next to her with her true mate, Lance, and beyond them are Rachel and Henri. It warms my heart that the family has reunited and has been blessed with so much love.
The music changes, and I turn to see Tally on Jean Luc’s arm. Her tiny frame is in a tight dress that emphasizes her lush figure, and Marcel gasps when he sees her. Her expression is one of surprise, quickly followed by the look of one who has suddenly tuned out everyone around her as she only sees her true mate waiting for her at the altar.
As they walk down the aisle, women sniff, and I recall how we almost lost Tally a few years ago. Since that time, things have been peaceful. When Linda killed Buck, the Eradicators fell apart. We got reports of infighting, and without his strong leadership skills,
I believe the relationship with Cassandra and her coven suffered as well. The threat of hunters still exists, and we’re diligent about staying alert. But for now at least, our clan breathes easy.
Linda has stayed on with us, and when Jean Luc discovered she knew how to sew, he had her begin working with Val to learn the skills necessary to work on sails. Next month, she’ll take a job down south in the states to take over the sail department for a human-based company. She’s sitting with two clan women who befriended her. Linda’s rough edges appear to have been smoothed out, as her eyes shine with happiness and her posture displays confidence.
Tally’s reached the altar, and now I tear up as Marcel takes her hands and the preacher begins the ceremony. While I’m crying with joy for Tally and Marcel, it’s more. I’m part of a clan that lives up to the name of its town. We are a safe harbor for those who need the strength and leadership of a man like Jean Luc, and I’m proud to call myself a Ouellette.
I reach for René’s hand, and he holds me tight. With the love of my true mate and the welcoming arms of my new clan, I’m no longer a woman on the run, living day to day, hoping to survive. Like so many others here today, I found happiness.
The guests clap as Tally and Marcel seal their bond with a kiss, and René turns to me. He notices the moisture shining in my eyes and rubs his thumb over a stray tear on my cheek. “Tears of joy?”
I nod. “I stopped running the day I found you.” I glance down at my pregnant belly. “And you’ve given me more than I ever thought I’d have.”
“I waited a long time for you, Nadia. But destiny knows best, and she gave us what we needed.” He kisses me lightly on the lips. “I love you.”
My heart swells with emotions that nearly overflow as I say, “I love you, René.” While we kiss, the guests around us stand to cheer on Tally and Marcel as they retreat down the aisle. But I hold on to my true mate a moment longer, and I know neither of us will ever let go.