Reawakening Their Bears: Hidden Realms: A Hot Paranormal Fantasy (Weres and Witches of Silver Lake Book 12)

by Vella Day

  Laundry and shopping she’d do on her days off. When she and Kalan had their time off together, she would spend all of it with him. No more running to the store while he was home.

  With that decided, Elana pulled out a recipe for one of Kalan’s favorite dinners. It would require a quick trip to the store, but that was okay. Tonight would be the start of their new relationship.

  Elana smiled. Speaking of wanting to be with her wonderful children, Elana hurried home to drop off the presents. She then drove over to the Murdoch’s to pick up her adorable kids. Tomorrow, she’d go to work, but for the rest of the day, she wanted to enjoy Aiden and Ian.

  *

  Elana was a bit nervous. Tonight would be big for them—or so she hoped. After she picked up the kids and stopped at the grocery store, she put Ian down for his nap, set Aiden up with his toys to play, and then cleaned the house. Kalan had mentioned several times how much he loved the smell of cleansers, from wood polish to bleach. He’d be in heaven. Elana had worked hard to make the place shine.

  When she was done, she took a quick shower and changed into something sexy. Aiden had been wanting to play outside, and knowing it would tire him out, she’d agreed.

  “Just stay in the yard, okay?”

  He nodded, tossed on his jacket, and ran outside without zipping it up. She was surprised he didn’t insist on shifting, but he did seem to have fun kicking around the soccer ball.

  While Elana was waiting for Kalan to get home, she sat in her favorite high-backed chair with her feet up facing the sliding glass doors, watching her rambunctious son run back and forth in the backyard.

  Forty-five minutes later, Aiden came back inside and actually looked quite tired. To her further delight, he said he just wanted to sit on the couch and watch television, giving Elana time to start the meal for Kalan.

  From the store, she had purchased a Dutch apple pie and ice cream—Kalan’s favorite—along with fresh salmon. A while ago, Felicia had given her a recipe for a dill sauce that Kalan loved. It would be perfect with the baked fish. Add in parsley potatoes and sourdough rolls, and her mate would be quite impressed. She even baked some homemade chocolate chip cookies for him—another one of his favorites—for an after-dinner snack. Aiden would love some too.

  For a beverage, she’d purchased a six-pack of beer. It wasn’t her choice of drink, but it was Kalan’s. Wanting to have some alone time with him, Elana fed the kids early and then let them play in their room.

  After an hour of being quiet, Aiden came out of his room carrying his favorite stuffed dinosaur. “Can I wait up for Daddy?”

  She could never say no to that face. “Sure.”

  When Kalan would be home exactly, she couldn’t say. She could have telepathed and asked him, but she was afraid he’d know something was up. She swore Kalan knew her heart rate every minute of every day. In the end, she believed he’d come home when he could.

  Except for baking the salmon and heating the rolls, the meal was good to go. The table was even set. Elana stepped back to admire her clean house and festive table. Yes, tonight would be good. All she needed was Kalan.

  *

  Sure, there had been rumors that the chief was planning to retire, but no one thought it would be this soon. The meeting with the chief had forced Kalan to make a very hard decision, one he hoped Elana would be happy with. While he should head straight home and tell her the news, he wanted to make a few stops. Tonight would be the first of many where they would celebrate being with one another. Things hadn’t been the best of late. Why? He’d been putting work above his family, but no longer, unless a life was hanging in the balance.

  Kalan shook his head at all of the times he had run off blindly every time the station called. He definitely should have taken into consideration Elana’s feelings. Missing out on Anna’s birthday when it had clearly been important to Elana had been a huge mistake, too. Kalan could see that now.

  He’d told himself that figuring out who had murdered that pawnshop owner had been of utmost importance, but the truth of the matter was that others could have gone in his place. Ignoring some obligations to find Sean might have been the one time where he had to put work first. Even though the man wasn’t a shifter, the Clan vowed to protect all Wendayans.

  Bottom line was that Kalan needed to learn to balance things better. Hopefully, he would from now on.

  After a stop at the grocery store, he dashed home. Elana’s car was in the driveway. Not that he didn’t expect it to be, but there was always the chance something at the shop might have come up or one of the kids was running a fever again, forcing her to go to the Emergency Room.

  Surprisingly, only a few of the living room lights were on. Usually, the place was fully lit. It was only a little after seven, but it was dark this time of year. Maybe she was in the living room watching some romance movie. After all these years together, Elana knew better than to wait for him for dinner. The kids would be cranky if she had delayed the meal on his behalf.

  As soon as he stepped inside though, he sensed several things were different. For one, the smell of wax permeated the air. Not that the house wasn’t always clean, but the floors looked particularly pristine. Aiden was the one on the sofa—not Elana—quietly watching television. It was past his bedtime, but Kalan was pleased he’d stayed up. Besides hugging and kissing his mate, nothing relaxed him more than holding his sweet children.

  When Elana walked out of the kitchen wearing a rather skimpy dress, his libido shot skyward. “Wow. You look hot. What’s the occasion?”

  “Can’t I just look nice for you for a change?”

  Careful what you say, his bear warned.

  “Absolutely.” He waved the bottle and bag. “Let me set these down, so I can greet you properly.” Once he put down the bottle of Champagne and his gift, he hugged her.

  Aiden’s little feet skittered across the floor. “Daddy, you’re home!”

  Once more, Kalan’s heart almost broke. Truth was though that by the time he usually came home, Aiden was asleep. He picked up his son and gave him the best bear hug. “How’s my little wolf doing today?”

  “Wolf? I’m a bear.” Aiden puffed out his chest and growled.

  “Really? I must have forgotten.” He and his dad loved teasing Aiden. “Maybe this weekend, we can go outside, and then you can show me.”

  Aiden giggled. “Okay. Can we play with the ball too?”

  His son would definitely be a soccer player. “I’d love that.”

  Elana stepped closer, and it was all Kalan could do not to kiss her thoroughly in front of Aiden. If he started though, he might not be able to stop.

  She tapped Aiden’s nose. “It’s time for bed, young man. I let you stay up this one time.”

  “I’ll tuck him in,” Kalan said. It was one of his favorite things to do.

  “I’ll finish preparing dinner.”

  “You haven’t eaten?” Only then did he notice the beautifully decorated table, complete with candles. Did she have something to celebrate too?

  “No. I was waiting for you, but don’t worry. I fed the kids.” She leaned over and kissed Aiden. “Night, my little bear cub.”

  “Night, Mommy.”

  This was what Kalan wanted every night—not sitting in a dark car for hours waiting for some asshole to arrive home so he could question him. Kalan walked his son into his room. Ian was asleep, so Kalan quietly put Aiden down.

  “Can you read me a story?”

  “Absolutely, just a short one tonight though, buddy. Daddy needs to talk to Mommy about important stuff.”

  “’K,” he said, as he got comfy in his bed.

  Kalan snuggled up beside his son and read him his bedtime story. When it was finished, he leaned over and kissed him in the same spot where Elana had. Kalan then tiptoed out of the room.

  Wanting to have a romantic dinner, he slipped into the master bedroom, stowed his weapon, and changed his clothes. Kalan decided to dress simply tonight. He went with clean jeans, no
briefs since he was feeling lucky, and Elana’s favorite shirt of his—a blue long sleeve Henley. Shoes were definitely not needed.

  When he smelled the dinner from down the hall, Kalan hurried. Candles were lit on the table, and the lights were dimmed in the kitchen. “This is a nice surprise,” he said.

  She turned to face him. “I made a few changes in my life today, and I wanted to share them with you.”

  Whoa. They were totally on the same page. “So did I. You go first.”

  She pulled open the refrigerator and pulled out two beers. “Want one?”

  Elana wasn’t really a big beer drinker. “Sure, but I actually bought Champagne, but we can have that later.” Being shifters, their metabolism could handle almost anything.

  She handed him the bottle, and then pulled a Pilsner glass from the cabinet.

  Kalan would drink from the bottle, but she liked having her drink in a glass. Kalan rushed to her side of the table and pulled out her chair. “My beautiful mate.”

  She giggled. “Thank you. I feel as if this is a first date.”

  “Maybe it is.” He sat across from her and held up his beer. “To us.”

  Elana tapped her glass against his bottle. “To us.”

  When she smiled, looking so relaxed, he fell in love with her all over again. “Tell me about your day.”

  “I’ve cut down on a few hours at the shop so I can clean the house in the morning. No more whining about what I can control.”

  “That’s great.” She seemed very pleased with herself, and that pleased him.

  “If that works out, I plan to ask if Megan wants to work an extra shift so I can be home with the kids for a few more hours each week. The shop has been doing well lately, so I hope it won’t affect our finances too much. I know having time to enjoy the kids on the weekend will be wonderful.”

  Kalan hadn’t seen her so happy in a long time. “I think that is a fantastic idea. I am proud of you for taking that step. I know it was a big one for you.”

  Elana reached across the table and clasped his hand. “Thank you. Not only did I want to be with the kids so I could enjoy everything they experience at their young ages, I wanted to be more relaxed when you came home at night.”

  She had been rather stressed as of late. “I’m all for that. In fact, you can quit altogether if you want, because I want you to be happy.”

  She chuckled. “I know you do, but we need my income. Besides, I love working. Being around the flowers and the excited customers gives me a lot of satisfaction.” She tilted her head to the side and blew out a breath.

  That was remarkable. “I love the compromise. It will be better for everyone.”

  “I’m hoping.” She pushed back her chair. “Dinner’s ready. Let me serve it up, and then you can tell me about your day.”

  “Deal.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  ‡

  The first bite of salmon was divine as was the second and third one. In fact, the rest of the meal was outstanding. “You have outdone yourself,” Kalan said. He doubted he’d tasted anything better, even at his parents’ house.

  Elana smiled. “I wanted to make your favorite meal.”

  Kalan reached across the table and squeezed her hand again. “I appreciate it, more than you can imagine.”

  They both continued eating, mostly in silence. The food was that good.

  Elana set down her fork and dabbed her lips with her napkin. “Okay, spill. The champagne has to signify something.”

  He nodded as he finished chewing. “It does. To my surprise, Phil Smythe announced he was retiring.”

  “Is he ill?” Elana asked, quite concerned. It was one of the many things he loved about her. His mate always put others first.

  “No, though I did ask him the same question. Phil just came to the realization that life is too short to be so focused on work. He’s been chief for a long time and felt it was time to step down.”

  She picked up her beer and polished it off. “Are you happy about this change? Getting used to a new boss will be hard.”

  She understood the dynamics at work well. “Normally, I wouldn’t be okay with it. I mean, the new guy could be a real stickler, and you know how much leeway Phil gives us guys in homicide.”

  “I do, but you said normally you wouldn’t be happy. Do you know who will replace him?”

  Kalan leaned back. “Yes. I will.”

  He could sense the onslaught of excitement mixed with unease rolling off her. “I don’t understand. You love being in the field. Wouldn’t this cause you to do more paperwork?”

  “Yes, but it would also come with set hours as well as a big increase in salary. I thought it would give you the chance to cut back on your hours.”

  “Aw, you are so sweet, but don’t do this on my account.”

  He did love his mate. “I’m not. I’m doing it for me—or rather for us. If I’m chief, I can be home by five every night. Unless I choose to be on call, I won’t have to go into the field. I know Dalton is thrilled. It makes explaining some situations a lot easier.”

  Elana pushed back her chair, strode over to the champagne, and carried the bottle back to the table. “If you are happy, then I am happy. I know Aiden will be over-the-moon excited. Let me get some glasses. This calls for a big celebration.”

  Kalan was thrilled his decision pleased his mate. When she handed him the bottle, he popped the cork, careful not to aim it at her. He then poured them a drink and held up his glass. “To more family time.”

  She tapped hers to his. “I still can’t believe it’s true. I’m thrilled, but I’m also worried you’ll get bored or be frustrated.”

  “I considered that. I didn’t accept the offer lightly, but we both know that something had to change. By me being out at night all hours, canceling dates, and coming home after Aiden and Ian are asleep, the important things in my life were slipping away. I don’t want to miss seeing Ian walk for the first time like I did when Aiden took his first steps.”

  “I can’t tell you how happy that makes me.”

  He smiled. “Me too.”

  This time it was Kalan who pushed away his chair, picked up the small bag on the counter, and then walked over to her side. “I have another small present for you.”

  “Is that so?”

  Kalan handed it to her. Elana opened it up and sucked in a breath. “Bath salts?”

  “Yes, to be used immediately.” He sensed some confusion. “I want you to take a long soak in the tub while I clean up the dishes.”

  She laughed. “But I have dessert.”

  “You are going to be my dessert.”

  Elana stood, wrapped her arms around his neck, and gave him a scorching kiss. “Maybe you can get creative with some Dutch apple pie and ice cream along with your dessert.” She gave him a saucy wink.

  “Oh baby, you know I can be very creative, but how about we hold off until tomorrow night. I can’t wait to taste all of you.” He leaned over, and as he captured her mouth again, his cock turned fully rigid.

  Elana giggled. “I look forward to it.”

  She lowered her arms and rushed away. Kalan sighed. This was like falling in love all over again.

  *

  Elana ran the washcloth over her breasts as she watched the steam rise from the tub. The bath salts soothed not only her body but her soul. She still couldn’t believe that Kalan had more or less given up being a detective in order to run the whole department. She just hoped he would feel fulfilled. As much as Kalan had respected Phil Smythe, the human had hindered some investigations because Kalan, Dalton, and the other shifters had to keep things from him.

  Kalan stepped into the bathroom. “Enjoying your soak?”

  Elana jerked out of her reverie. “You cleaned up the kitchen already?”

  He laughed and sat on the edge of the tub. “It’s been a half hour.”

  “Impossible. I just got in here.”

  Kalan smiled down on her. “You needed this.”

&nbs
p; She had lost track of time. “I did.” She reached out a rather soapy arm and clasped his wrist. “Thank you. This was the best present.”

  “I can think of something else that I’m hoping is even better.”

  Elana didn’t have to think very hard what that would be. “Perhaps I should rinse.” She stood, grabbed the shower wand off the wall and turned on the water. “Want to do the honors?”

  Kalan’s eyes glistened amber. “Totally, but let me get naked first. I have a feeling this might be a rather wet experience.”

  “Just so you know, we are not having sex in the tub.” They’d tried it before, and it hadn’t turned out well.

  He tugged off his jeans and stepped out of them. Sweet! No briefs. Her mate had thought ahead. Once he kicked them aside, he lifted off his shirt. Like always, his body melted her with desire. He might be a bear shifter, but there wasn’t an excess ounce of fat on his body. She, on the other hand, could probably hibernate for half the year and awake chunky. Thankfully, Kalan appreciated her ample curves.

  He slipped the hand-held showerhead from her fingers and sprayed it over her chest. To her surprise, he stepped into the tub to do it.

  She wagged a finger at him. “No ideas.”

  “Just getting a better angle to fully rinse you, my dear.”

  Elana lifted her arms and slowly rotated, thoroughly enjoying not only the attention but the powerful spray massaging her body. After he rinsed her back, he dragged the flow down her legs. Naturally, she widened them as much as the tub allowed. As she’d hope, Kalan swiped the spray between her legs, but when the water hit her clit, she jumped.

  “I’m clean enough,” she announced a second before turning off the water. Elana giggled as she remembered the last time they’d attempted that. Their fun in the tub was abruptly interrupted when she had hit her climax and lost her footing, ending with them tangled up in each other’s arms while the water sprayed all over the bathroom.

  Kalan laughed as he climbed out of the bathtub. “I know exactly what you are thinking. I agree, let’s avoid a replay of that.”