by B. N. Kasner
“If you don’t want your very pregnant wife to hear that little story, then I suggest letting us finish moving out in a timely and polite manner.” Gene’s mouth hung open, only snapping shut when Lani came around the corner.
“Everything okay?” Her gray eyes seemed to know more than she was letting on as they scanned over each of them.
“Yeah, these two were just grabbin’ the last box and headin’ out.” Grace kissed her brother on the cheek, a sickly-sweet smile on her face. Well, fuck, his mate’s badass level had just risen to a whole new level.
◆◆◆
Grace’s head laid on Carter’s lap as he played with her hair. Watching a movie with her mate was a relaxing way to end their hectic day. They’d moved the rest of her things into Carter’s house. It hadn’t been much, and they really hadn’t needed the help of their friends to move a couple boxes. She assumed the group just wanted a reason to get together.
With Ella and Mason having the twins, Corey and alpha duties they didn’t get out much. Lani looked ready to pop any day even though she still had almost two months left to go. The Wilson brothers were trying to gain everyone’s respect. News of them kidnapping their sister had spread like wildfire when it came out. All the people who hadn’t given them a hard time when they moved, now were.
Hopefully, it wouldn’t last too much longer, because Grace knew they were both good guys. They’d just been under the influence of an evil dictator. “What’re you thinking about, pretty girl?” Carter’s hands moved down, massaging her neck. She was one lucky gal. She’d never tell the other women, but Grace knew she had the best mate out of them all.
She could’ve been biased because Grace loved him so much, but oh well. Her mind wouldn’t be changing any time soon. “How many people showed up to help us move three boxes.”
“Really, though. We could’ve been in and out of there in thirty minutes after talking with your dad. How did they hear about you moving in any way?” Grace rolled over so she could look at him while they were talking.
“I talked with Lani and she told everyone else, I’m sure.” She laughed when Carter rolled his eyes. He didn’t roll them very often. It took a lot to get him to the point where he would. “Remember not to tell her anything unless you want everyone finding out.” He yawned, stretching his arms up above his head.
Grace tracked his movement like she was a bird shifter instead of a bear. Any body part on her mate got her wet. It would’ve been unfair, only she now knew she turned him on just as much and just as easily. “Shit, let’s head to bed.” Without waiting for a response, Carter lifted her into his arms and started towards their bedroom.
He didn’t even turn off the T.V. or lights. “What about the lights?” She giggled, unable to help herself. Where everyone else treated her like one of the guys, Carter made her feel like a woman.
“I’ll come back for them after I get you settled.” His lips nibbled on the sensitive skin of her neck. “If I’d been in my right mind, I would’ve bitten you here. Although anytime you go to shake someone’s hand they’ll see my mark, so it all worked out in the end.”
“You’re a cavebear. You know that right?” Her voice came out breathy as she tipped her head back, giving him more skin to lavish with attention.
“Only with you, Grace Elaine. Only ever with you.” The wet kisses stopped as the mood shifted. Grace could easily see the honesty in his lime green eyes. His animal had started coming forward more often. He sat on the bed with her still wrapped up in his arms.
“You weren’t like this with Becky?” Grace would never forget Carter’s true mate’s name. It was ingrained in her because Grace wondered if they were anything alike. She tried not to compare herself to his former mate. Grace wanted to know more, but hadn’t come up with a way to ask Carter without it seeming weird.
This gave her the perfect opportunity. “No, you’ve been the first and only woman to make me act like a cavebear.” He smirked at her choice of words. “You have more first’s then you probably realize with me.”
“What was she like? Are we alike in any way?” The questions rushed out of her mouth before she lost her confidence. Carter’s eyes got a faraway look in them as they faded back into their usual chestnut brown color.
“Submissive, soft-spoken, sweet.” He picked up one of her red strands of hair, twirling it around his finger. “Brown hair, hazel eyes which were more brown than green.” Carter’s hand skimmed over her curves, stopping to grip her thigh. “Tall and lean.”
“Basically, the opposite of me in every way.” Grace swallowed hard, she wasn’t going to fucking cry. She’d wanted to know, now she had to live with those answers. Whether Grace liked them or not. Absolutely a not, but there’s nothing I can do about it. Changing who she was, wasn’t on Grace’s list of things to do.
“Yeah.” Yeah? That’s all she got? She started to pull away from him. It must’ve knocked him out of his memories because Carter plastered her body up against his. Grace buried her face in his shirt, telling herself once again, she wasn’t going to cry. “That’s a good thing, Grace Elaine.”
“How?” A tear ran down her cheek before she angrily swiped it away. “She was your true mate. The person who was tailor made to fit your personality. Not a woman like me.”
He started to rock them back and forth, rubbing her back in slow circles. “I’m not the same person now as I was back then. Would she have made an excellent mate? Probably, but she wouldn’t have been able to handle the person I’ve become. The only woman who can do that is you.
“When I picture my future, it isn’t with some docile mate who doesn’t put me in my place. It’s with a sarcastic, badass, redhead who has curves for miles. You’re the only woman I see, Grace Elaine. Nothing will ever change that.” Carter tilted her head up, wiping her tears away with his thumbs. He smiled sweetly at her, then leaned down and kissed her.
The kiss felt different, and she knew why. He loved her. Somehow, someway, she’d gotten everything she’d ever wanted. It felt surreal, even as Carter laid Grace down, finally giving her the soft, gentle touches during their lovemaking. The lights and T.V. stayed on throughout the night.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Please.” She begged, this time using her puppy dog eyes on Gene. Grace, Ella, Annie and Lani were all gathered in the waiting area of Redwater Construction with most of their mates. Carter was still at home, fast asleep. One month wasn’t an anniversary most shifters celebrated. But her and Carter deserved a day off for some alone time. “Pretty, pretty please.”
“We’ll both take a shift. Neither of us can draw or design for shit though.” Alex threw his arm around Isaiah. The brothers never failed to make people smile with their sarcastic wit and sense of humor.
“Speak for yourself, big brother.” Isaiah shook Alex’s arm off him. “I can too draw.” He pouted, grabbing a piece of paper and pen.
While he doodled, Gene spoke up. “Why don’t we just close for two days?” The others were so far removed from the business side of things. They rarely came into the office now that the company was so popular.
“This is our busy season, not to mention we just got a new project. I can’t cancel all those meetings. The money will carry all of us through winter without having to even touch a savings account.”
Mason whistled, drawing Ella closer to him while shooting a look to Gene. “We need that money. Twins, Corey, the house. Things are really starting to add up. There’s no way we can close for two days.”
“Look, this place runs on two people most of the time anyway. How hard could it be?” Isaiah’s tongue peeked out of his mouth while his hand swirled around the paper he was drawing on.
“You haven’t ever been in here when they’re open have you?” Annie asked, hopping up on the counter beside Nathan.
“No.” Isaiah’s eyes lifted from his drawing to dart around the room. “Why are ya’ll lookin’ at me like that?”
“Because how those two manage it sometime
s, is crazy.” Ella tilted her head to the side. Maybe all wolf shifters had the doggy feature ingrained in them. “And yet, they always make it work and with smiles on their faces. It should’ve been the first clue to their relationship, really. I don’t know why I didn’t realize it before.”
“Maybe because you were kidnapped, then took over as the alpha female, and don’t forget having twins and taking Corey in. You’ve been busy.” Ella looked worn down too, but Grace left the last part unsaid. She didn’t need to point it out. Everybody could tell the alpha pair had their paws full. But they still looked happy and in love.
“Oh, yeah. That did all happen, huh?” The woman was a damn saint. She had to be. There wasn’t another way Ella could’ve come out of everything without having a tainted outlook on things. Ella looked up at Mason, “At least I got him and my family out of it. Not too bad in my opinion.”
“You could’ve left him behind.” Isaiah pointed over to Alex, who slapped him across the back of the head. “Asshole.” He grumbled, but there wasn’t any heat behind it. “Look, like the kiss ass over there said, we’ll take the first two shifts today. You four figure out the rest.”
“What the hell, why not them?” Gene growled, motioning at Mason and Ella, who’d taken a seat in one of the waiting room chairs. Both of them had their eyes closed.
“Look at ‘em. They’re already fast asleep, and they’ve been having a tough time. Mikey hasn’t been sleeping, Corey’s nightmares are acting up. They need some time off, not more responsibilities piled on their plate.” Alex paused, shaking his head. “They’ll do it if we ask, but we shouldn’t.”
“Gene, you know you’re my best friend. But, I agree with my brother on this. Ella and Mason are sittin’ this one out.” Isaiah lifted his drawing, showing everyone his masterpiece. It was a cartoon dick labeled with Alex’s name in bubble letters along the top.
Their laughter woke up the sleeping couple, but when they saw Alex’s red face and Isaiah’s playful smirk, they too laughed their asses off. “So,” Mason paused to yawn, “What shift do we have?”
“You don’t. Your in-laws have today covered. Tomorrow morning Annie and I will cover the office until lunch. Our lovely mates will take over until we close.” Lani looked up at her mate, a smile spreading across her face. “Right, big guy?”
“Yep.” He agreed without even an ounce of hesitation. “Be careful. I know you two can take care of yourselves, but Noah is out there somewhere. Just be vigilant and stay together.” Gene kissed her on the cheek, giving her a bear hug.
Lifting her off her feet, Grace giggled like she was a little girl again, “If he mistreats you, tell me and he’ll disappear.” She nodded her head even though Grace knew Carter would never treat her badly. It felt nice to have her brother on her side again. Looking around the room, her heart felt full of love. These friends were more like family.
They’d laugh together and joke around, but when the time came, they’d also go to war for each other. If that wasn’t family, then Grace didn’t want to know what was.
“Sleepy bear, it’s time to wake up.” Grace kissed her mate on the cheek, coaxing him with her lips to get up.
“No. The alarm clock hasn’t gone off yet.” She barely held her laugh in, Grace had already turned the alarm off when she’d left earlier. His arm stretched, pulling all the blankets in her spot to him. Carter’s hand patted the bed, looking for her.
He shot up out of bed, his lime green eyes wild and frantic. Well shit, she hadn’t meant for that to happen. Laying her hands on Carter’s shoulders, she kneaded the knots out of them. “Goddess, you fucking scared me, Grace Elaine. Let me know next time you’re leaving, at least while Noah is roaming around.”
“Alright.” It was an easy concession to make. Noah was a dangerous bear shifter and getting caught alone with him wasn’t something Grace really wanted to happen. “Quick, get dressed. I have the day planned for us.”
“Oh, really? I didn’t get my morning fill of you. Who said we’re going anywhere, anytime soon?” The look of lust on his face almost had her caving in. But, she’d spent all week planning this little trip, then keeping it a secret from him.
“Not this morning. Get a move on sexy, we’ve got a fun day planned ahead of us.” She made sure to sway her hips a little more than usual when walking out of their bedroom. The picnic basket, cooler, towels, blankets, anything they could possibly need was all ready to go. Hopefully, Carter would like her idea for a getaway.
“Ready.” He pulled a shirt over his body, covering the abs Grace had been ogling. “What’s all this?”
Slapping his hand away from the food, she giggled, “Load up the truck, you’ll see soon enough.” Neither of them packed any clothes, but Grace didn’t plan on them wearing any for the majority of the day. Or night.
◆◆◆
Carter knew where they were going when Grace turned the truck onto the gravel road. Sure enough, the lake came into view when they rounded the bend. The lake sat halfway on Redwater territory and half on no man’s land. No man’s land was unclaimed territory that technically anyone could settle on. Nobody ever had tried because Redwater and the name Callahan were a big fucking deal in shifter circles.
Hell, Mason’s family had been around for almost as long as Ella’s. And they were a Goddess-blessed race. Descendants of the very first shifters to roam the earth. Nobody in their right mind would try to claim the land now. Not with all the varied species they had living in Redwater.
He’d always loved the lake with the surrounding woods. Particularly in the winter when the lake froze over. If he had the chance, this would be the place him and Grace made a future together. Too bad the land belonged to the town. Which meant if he wanted it to build on, he’d have to petition the town and let them vote on it.
“Well, what do you think?” Grace bit her plump bottom lip, bouncing her eyes between him and the water.
“I think the water might be a little cold. But don’t you worry pretty girl, I’ll keep ya warm.” He let his voice drop to the tone Carter knew made her wet. Even after only a month together, they’d learned all of each other’s buttons.
“I’m counting on it.” Just when Carter leaned in to taste her plump lips, she popped the door open, sprinting for the woods. “But you’ll have to catch me first!” She shouted, already stripping out of her clothes. Before she reached the woods, her beautiful reddish-brown bear burst out from her.
Her fur caught the sunlight, making Grace’s fur look redder than usual. He was momentarily stunned by her beauty. Peeling his clothes from his body, Carter hurried to catch up. Carter didn’t want her getting too far away from him. Shifting was a pain in the ass for him and it hurt like a bitch.
Carter grunted through the pain, coming down on four paws covered in black fur. One thing he had over the others was his appearance. He might’ve been smaller, but the black fur, lime green eyes and scar made him look scarier. The scar ran over his right eye. When he and Mason were fifteen, they’d thought they could get honey away from a wild bear.
Obviously, they’d either overestimated their abilities or underestimated the bears. Either way, he’d come away with a scar. Mason with a broken arm, their moms had been fucking pissed. Good times. Sniffing the air, he caught Grace’s scent easily. It was ingrained in his soul.
Being out here with her felt like a dream. A dream which wasn’t going to end anytime soon, because this was his life now. He never had to wake up and be without her. Carter didn’t feel like waking up was a challenge anymore. It felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
He growled loudly, letting his mate know, Carter was coming for her. She didn’t make it easy for him. Halfway through following her trail, it led off into three different directions. Clever mate. Carter agreed with his bear.
They’d been getting along more since he’d bitten Grace. Letting his bear come forward when they were together had become a regular thing. Her scent blew on the spring breeze, convincing him
to take the path closest to the lake. There she stood, lapping at the water. She’d tired herself out trying to outmaneuver him.
Too bad he wasn’t about to let her catch her breath. Bears liked the chase. Add in the fact Carter wanted to be challenged, and his mate had created a whirlpool of desire within him. If she dared to run away from him again, he’d pounce. It didn’t matter he was a bear, instead of a big cat shifter.
Her head snapped up when Carter growled low in his throat. Those golden eyes of hers reflected the lust running through him. They were two of a kind. Both had no problem coming out to a public lake and fucking where anyone could catch them. Before he could get closer to her, she tried to run.
Carter caught her quickly, pinning her down underneath him. Grace’s fur receded, leaving her pale, smooth skin beneath him. Pushing his shift, he snarled, “Oh, pretty girl. You shouldn’t have run.” He wanted to slip his cock into her wet, waiting heat, but stopped at the last moment.
Grace whimpered, thrusting her magnificent ass back at him. “Shh, mate. I’ll take care of you, I just want to ask you something first.” Turning over, Grace stretched out underneath him. Her eyes were so full of love he thought his own heart would burst with the emotion.
At first, Carter thought the feeling radiated from their bond. But as the love grew, he realized he was in love with her. The gorgeous, badass redhead who only had a soft side for him. The sky started to turn pink as the sun set. This would be the perfect time to ask her. No way in hell, he’d ever find a more romantic moment than this. “Grace-”
“Wait. There’s something I need to tell you.” Her voice sounded so serious, Carter worried his entire world was about to come crashing down around him. She took a deep breath, then changed his life forever. “I think we should get married.” Grace nodded her head like she was proud of herself.