But then there was that awkward blood oath conversation. She lathered shampoo in her hair. It was a natural part of bear commitment. She knew that. She hadn’t expected it so soon. It needed to be enough that she had given him her body.
She rinsed her hair and added conditioner to the ends. Her neck was tender where he had bitten her. He had taken the opposite side from Noah. Maybe it was instinct. Maybe it was his personal preference, but she was glad. Her bond with Liam was separate and unique.
She didn’t want to compare them to each other. It wasn’t fair to them or to her.
She turned off the water and searched for a towel. She had let Liam keep her in bed too long this morning. She had cakes that needed to be baked.
She poked her head in the bedroom door. He was pulling jeans on over his long legs.
“I’ve got to get the ovens turned on downstairs. Meet me for coffee?”
“Wouldn’t miss it.” He smiled, and she felt the tug on her heart. God, he was sexy. And hers.
“Okay, see you soon.”
She skipped down the stairs, flipping on the lights and humming to herself.
“Shit.” She looked at the kitchen. They had raced up the stairs in such a hurry she had forgotten what a disaster the place was.
Her eyes raked over the counter where Liam had licked icing from her body. She blushed, biting on her lower lip. Was there anything hotter than that? She wouldn’t be upset if he traipsed down the stairs and tried it again, but she had work to do. Starting with sanitizing the entire counter. She giggled.
She had just pulled an apron on over her head when she thought she saw someone standing outside the kitchen door. She looked out of the small window.
“Can I help you?” She pulled open the door.
But there wasn’t just one person standing in the private parking lot. There were at least fifteen. And she knew without knowing their names that they were all bears.
“It’s done, then?” A man stepped forward.
“Excuse me?” She searched the crowd for someone she recognized.
“Look at her neck.” A girl pointed, smiling. “Thank God.”
They all smiled and patted each other on the back. Sophia’s hand covered her neck. She didn’t realize how prominent the bite was. They were all staring at her.
And then she heard the steps behind her. Liam stepped in front of the door.
“What are you doing here?” His voice was angry. He stared down the group.
“We had to know if you would come through for us.”
Liam made a protective gesture, shielding Sophia from the onlookers. “You all should leave.”
“But you claimed her? Is the ceremony tonight? It has to be.”
Liam tried to push Sophia inside the kitchen, but she wouldn’t budge. “Liam? What are they talking about?”
“Just go inside. It’s clan business. I’ll take care of it and I’ll be in.”
“We saw her neck.”
Sophia felt the humiliation and the panic gripping her. These bears knew. They knew what she and Liam had done last night. It was something so personal, yet here in the parking lot, it was as if the whole world had seen him bite her.
“They know?” She pulled on Liam’s arm to force an answer from him.
“Just go inside, Soph.”
“We need a time for the blood oath. All the elders will be there.” The bears wouldn’t stop talking.
She tightened her fists into a ball. “No they won’t.” She gritted her teeth at the crowd. “There will not be a blood oath tonight.” She stormed into the kitchen, leaving Liam and his clan to face the fallout her words had just caused.
20
Liam
They were all looking for answers. But there was only one person he needed to give an explanation to. He had to get inside to Sophia.
“I told you to go,” he roared at the clan members. “Your damn meddling may have cost us the ceremony.”
He saw the confused and disappointed looks on their faces, but he didn’t give a damn. They might have ruined everything.
One by one, they left. Liam turned to face the kitchen door. This wasn’t going to go well. He walked in. Sophia was clattering pans and bowls.
“Soph, stop so we can talk.”
“No. No talking. I never should have talked. Never.” She turned up the radio so she couldn’t hear him and threw a handful of spoons in a soapy bin.
“You always do this. You put space between us when things are tough. Don’t.” He reached around her and dialed the volume down. “They’re just nosey bears. Don’t let them ruin last night, or this morning.”
She threw her hands in the air. “I can’t say anything because if I say something it’s not going to be nice. It’s going to be fucking nasty. And I don’t want to waste my energy on you that way.”
“It’s not what you think.” His hands landed on her shoulders.
“Not what I think?” She spun around with a soapy knife in her hand. “Sorry.” She tossed it in the sink behind her. “Were they outside my window all night? Just waiting for you to take me to bed? Were they out here cheering for you? Is that how you lead the clan now?”
Her eyes were fiery. Her neck was pulsing with anger.
“I should have told you about the eclipse.”
“Eclipse? What eclipse?”
This was what he wanted to avoid. He hoped she would never know. He wanted everything to happen between them on her timetable—not by the pressures of the moon.
“There’s an eclipse tonight. It’s the last night to create our blood oath or...”
“Or what, Liam? What didn’t you tell me?”
“Maybe I should start at the beginning.” He walked over to the coffee pot and poured two cups. He handed one to her.
He saw the tension ease from her shoulders as she took a sip.
“Here’s the entire story.” It was going to hurt to relive this with her. She was his mate now, and her pain was his pain. Her agony was his agony. They had created a bond last night that couldn’t be undone by meddling bears, or even a fight. She belonged to him completely.
“Go ahead.”
“When you performed the blood oath with Noah, you made a vow to the bears in our clan to always be the clan’s she-alpha.” He put his hand up to keep her from protesting. “Hear me out.” She closed her mouth. “When Noah died, your bond with him was released, but not your promise to the clan. Bear law states that you have two years to mourn the loss of your alpha, but by the first eclipse after the two year mark is over, you have to have taken another mate.” He watched her eyes to see if she was following his explanation.
He continued, “The eclipse could have fallen at any time, but it was our luck it was only a month after the mourning period ended.”
She crossed her arms. “And why is it so imperative that I take another bear mate? I don’t understand.”
“You represent the life of the clan, Sophia. The fertility. The promise of another generation.” Her eyes widened. “If the she-alpha doesn’t have another mate and is not formally bonded, then the clan will stop producing shifters. There will be no more cubs.”
She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.
“That’s why this blood oath is so important to everyone. The future of the clan depends on it.”
Her eyes shot to his. “This whole thing. Flirting with me. Bringing me flowers. Showing up for coffee. Claiming me? It was all for the clan?”
“No. No. I told you how I feel about you. How I’ve always felt about you. The timetable sucks—I know it does, but…”
“But nothing. You never would have walked in here if it wasn’t for the eclipse.”
“That’s not true. I had to respect the mourning period.”
There were tears in her eyes. He moved to wipe them, but she swatted at his hand. “You fucking tricked me. You claimed me. I let you bite me,” she seethed. The tears streamed over her cheeks. “And all so there could be more of yo
u? More little bears? Didn’t you think I had a right to know? Didn’t I get a say in it?”
He ran his hands through his hair. He had fucked up. “I should have said something, but you needed more time. I was trying to give you time.”
“Until now.” Her eyes startled him. “You expect me to swear a blood oath to you in front of the elders and then give you my body again?”
“It’s only a formality. You know that. We’re already bonded, Soph.”
Her eyes narrowed to thin slits. “I know what we are.”
“Will you do it, then?” He didn’t want to ask. More than anything, he was afraid of her answer. But he was desperate to glue everything back together.
She blotted her cheeks with her palms. “I can’t think straight. I can’t think about anything with you here.”
“Do you want me to go? I can come back. We can talk more.”
The sun was starting to come up, and he knew she had a busy day ahead of her. God, he wanted to do something. He wanted to help. He wanted to erase his idiotic decision to keep the truth from her.
“Just get out.”
“Soph, this isn’t as big a deal as…” He stopped. He was only making it worse. “Okay. I’ll go, but I’ll be back later.”
He scooped up his keys and walked to the back door.
21
Sophia
It didn’t matter what had just happened. She had birthday cakes to make and an anniversary sheet cake to design. There were no muffins or croissants, and her cookie supply was low.
She pulled her hair on top of her head. For now, Liam Grayson didn’t exist. Bears didn’t live in Bear Lake. She wasn’t the she-alpha. And she hadn’t been claimed by God’s gift to women upstairs only an hour ago.
She tied the apron behind her back and began to work. She had a few quick recipes that would satisfy even her most demanding customers.
Two hours later, Sophia opened the front door to a line that had formed to the next store.
“Good morning.” She smiled at the regular customers. This was good. Busy was good.
Until Noah’s mother walked in.
“Janet?” Sophia walked around from the counter. She hadn’t seen her almost mother-in-law in months. “What are you doing here?”
“Hi, sweetheart.” The woman folded her into a giant hug. “Thought you could use a friendly face today.”
“Today?” Sophia looked around, but the other patrons were eating pastries and drinking coffee. They didn’t seem to notice the conversation.
“Yes.” Janet smiled. “Your blood oath is tonight, isn’t it?”
Sophia felt a sharp stab under her ribs. “You know about that?”
“Of course.”
Sophia took her soft hand in hers and led her to the kitchen, keeping an eye on the customers through the window.
“I had no idea. Really, I didn’t.”
Janet’s eyes softened. “You didn’t think Noah’s father and I expected you to be a nun the rest of your life, did you? You’re the she-alpha. Our family needs you.”
Sophia felt the tears stinging the corners of her eyes. “Liam wasn’t honest about it. About us.”
“Apparently, Noah wasn’t either. You should have known the extent of the pledge you made to him and the clan.”
“I don’t think I can go through with the ceremony. I’m sorry, Janet.”
The older woman patted the sides of her silver bun. She was a stunning woman. Noah had had her eyes. “You can go through with it.”
“It’s too soon. All of it has been too soon.”
“I thought that’s what you would say. Have you thought about Caroline?”
“What does Caroline have to do with this?” She hadn’t seen Noah’s sister in six months. It was easier to keep her distance from everyone.
“She and Daniel are together. She wants to start a family.”
“Oh.” Sophia realized what that meant. They wanted their own brood of bear shifters. “And if I don’t give my oath, no cubs?”
Janet nodded. “Exactly.”
“Why can’t there be another she-alpha? I’m not even a bear shifter. This is complete madness. I’m not Venus or even close to it.”
“Tell me something, Sophia. Did you love my son?”
“You know I did.”
“Then when you took the oath for him, was it with pure intentions?”
Sophia nodded. “It was.”
“And what about Liam? Do you love him?”
Sophia closed her eyes and pictured him. His dark hair. His beautiful eyes. The way he could make her laugh even when she was trying her hardest to be annoyed.
“I do. So much it scares me.”
“Then don’t let what happened with Noah keep you from honoring the oath you’ve already made. He wanted you to make that oath. Caroline needs you to do this. I need you to do this so I can have little grandcubs to spoil. Don’t rob yourself of the chance to be loved by a bear who would give his life for you. Liam has always loved you.”
Sophia’s eyes flashed to hers. “You knew?”
“Of course. You couldn’t walk in a room without him losing his mind over you. He’s loved you a long time. Maybe he didn’t go about this the best way, but I’ve known Liam his entire life. If I had to choose someone for you, it would be him.” She squeezed Sophia’s shoulder.
“This is all so public. I don’t feel like anything is ours.”
“We don’t know anything more about you two than we do about any couple. What do married couples do on their wedding night?” She smiled. “I think you’re just coming out of the dark again, sweetheart.”
“You’re not upset with me that I’m with Liam?”
“No. I could never fault you for following your heart. I will fault you for keeping me from my grandcubs, though.” She winked at her.
“And I suppose I would have Caroline’s wrath, too?”
Janet shrugged. “She wanted to come talk to you herself, but I suggested I speak with you first.”
“I think there’s something I need to do before I can decide.”
“And what is that?”
“I need to talk to Noah.”
* * *
She hadn’t been here since the funeral. She always avoided the cemetery. It seemed strange that a man so strong and powerful could die. He wasn’t supposed to die like that. Sophia knelt in front of the stone, her fingers dropping to trace the letters of his name.
“I’m here, Noah,” she whispered, tugging her coat closer to her chest.
She didn’t know what she expected. It wasn’t as if he was going to whisper through the wind. She was talking to a stone.
“I know I haven’t been here.” She sat on the ground, crossing her legs. “I didn’t want to face this. I know that sounds weak, right? I didn’t want to come here. I still don’t want to be here.” She could feel the anger rising.
“You weren’t supposed to die. You weren’t supposed to leave me.”
She expected tears, but there weren’t any. “So you probably know about Liam. And the clan. He swears you would be okay with this.” She sighed. “And your mom came to see me at the shop today.”
She twiddled a blade of a grass between her fingers. “And now it comes down to this. Do I do the oath tonight? If I don’t, I ruin the clan. Liam will never forgive me. Your sister and your mother will never forgive me. But if I do it, am I just giving in? Is he really the right mate for me? He tricked me. He used me, Noah. He’s your best friend.” She glared at the stone as if it would respond.
It was absurd blaming Noah for all of this, but as she sat and spoke the words, she realized that was exactly what had happened. She was angry at him for leaving. Angry that he was the reason she was at this crossroads. Angry that she was totally and completely in love with another bear.
She could feel it in every breath she took. With every thought. With every ounce of her being. He was in her soul. He had gotten under her skin and made his way to the inside of the fortre
ss she had built around her heart. She didn’t want to live without Liam. She closed her eyes, letting the tears fall to the ground around her.
22
Liam
He looked up at the sky. The moon was full, and the clouds kept drifting over the white glow. He knelt to the soft earth to arrange the rocks one more time. The circle was the right size. He knew that, but he needed something to keep his hands busy.
He had left three voicemails and sent texts. Sophia hadn’t responded to a single one. The later it got, the more he realized she wasn’t going to go through with the blood oath tonight.
If only he had had more time. He knocked two of the rocks together. He could have told her, but that wouldn’t have worked either. The hole in her heart was deep. The wall she had built around it was higher.
He stood back to make sure all the components for the ceremony were in place. There was nothing else to do but wait. He stared at the moon again, knowing the eclipse was less than an hour away.
His ears twitched when he heard the sound of snapping twigs. He turned, his breath caught in the back of his throat.
“Soph?”
She met his eyes. “Hi.”
“You made it. You’re really here.” He stepped outside the circle of rocks to greet her.
She nodded. “I just needed some time to think.”
His chest was about to burst with the emotion rushing in. She was here.
“I wish I could have given you more.” He glanced upward. “We don’t have much now. I’m sorry.”
She looked around the clearing in the woods. “Where are the elders?”
“It turns out they don’t have to be here for the ceremony. You were right about something—this is between you and me.” He took her hands in his palms. “This is our oath to each other, beyond our mating, beyond our commitment to the clan, it entwines our lives together on this earth.”
Bear Again (Second Chance Shifters 3) Page 7