by Ruby Shae
“How do you guys…more specifically, you, Tegan and Scarlett…how do you guys handle it when Zach makes fun of you all the time?”
“What do you mean?” Liddy answered. “Zach doesn’t make fun of any of us. He teases us sometimes, but it’s the kind of teasing all families do. It’s not malicious. He might be the most outgoing and friendly one of our group, but I’ve never seen him be purposefully hurtful. In fact, the one and only time I saw what I originally construed as mean, he was helping Aiden and I find our way.”
He never made fun of any of them? Ever?
“Thank you,” Rory nodded.
The woman’s seemingly honest words added to her rising doubts.
Outside, Zach walked past their spot at the window, and headed for the door. He was coming back, and though he looked completely normal and friendly, she recognized his quiet determination.
“He’s a good man,” Liddy added quickly. “He would never intentionally hurt you, Rory, not even in jest.”
“I appreciate your help,” Rory said, truthfully.
She did, too.
She suspected the other woman understood her past more acutely than most, and she respected the other woman’s genuine, encouraging words.
Zach returned, and both women looked at him expectantly.
“I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary, but that doesn’t mean you weren’t being followed,” Zach said. “We’re going to walk Liddy to my car, and then I’ll take you home.”
“Zach, I—”
He raised his brow, and she immediately stopped protesting. She’d come to him for help, and she’d accept his assessment of the situation. Besides, she was still shaken, and really did want him to escort her home.
They gathered their belongings, left the shop, and walked toward the free parking lot. Liddy made small talk to fill the silence between them, but Rory barely paid attention to anything but Zach’s hand on her elbow.
Her skin burned from his touch, and brought back memories of their one and only night together. She desperately wanted him to touch her all over.
When they reached Zach’s SUV, he opened the door for Liddy, and gave her the keys. They waited until she drove away, and then he silently led her to her car.
“Keys,” he said, when they reached the passenger door.
She handed them over without question, and he ushered her into the passenger seat, closed the door, and raced around to the driver’s side of the vehicle. He drove her home without a word, and the silence was killing her.
She’d been the one to end their budding relationship, and though she’d been in agony over the past week, the pain was even more acute in his presence. She wanted to say something, do something, but the words wouldn’t come.
Zach parked her car in the proper space, walked around to her side of the vehicle, and offered her his hand. She took it, craving his touch more than ever, and suddenly realized it was the same hand he’d blistered nearly a week ago. Those wounds should have taken longer to heal.
“Your hand is completely healed,” she said, stating the obvious.
“Yeah,” he replied curtly. “I told you I heal fast.”
They walked to her door in silence, and when she turned to invite him in, he spoke first.
“I’ll hang around out here for a while, and then I’ll head home. Do you still have my number?”
“Yes,” she said, tentatively.
He was giving her the brush off, and it was her own damn fault.
“Good. If you need anything, use it, and I’ll—and me or one of the guys—will be here.”
Or one of the guys.
It was too late for them.
“Thank you for helping me,” she said. “I’m sorry I ruined your night.”
“You didn’t,” he replied evenly. “I will always protect you, Rory, no matter what. There is no need to thank me.”
She didn’t understand the fierce statement, especially after he’d been so quiet and emotionless a few minutes before, but for the first time in…forever…the use of her name, instead of the ardent way he’d previously called her Princess, cut her to the core.
“Get inside now,” he added. “I’ll see you around.”
His commanding words were a blatant dismissal, and though she thought about arguing with him, she knew her efforts would be fruitless.
She stepped inside the apartment, and closed the door behind her.
***
I am an idiot!
Rory stared at the alarm clock set to go off in minutes, and sighed heavily.
After she’d closed the door on Zach the night before, she couldn’t get him out of her head. She’d stayed awake all night, tossing and turning, and all thoughts revolved around the same basic truth.
She was stupid.
Zach wasn’t her ex.
In fact, even though he was friendly, easygoing and well-liked in the community, he was nothing like the man who had verbally abused her for months until she’d finally found the strength to escape the toxic relationship.
If she were being honest with herself, the man she used to date had been friendly and outgoing, to a point, but he’d also been mean and spiteful from the very beginning. Her friends had immediately seen through his fake, manipulating exterior, but unfortunately, it had taken her a little longer.
Zach wasn’t mean, or spiteful, or anything else on the long list of negative attributes she associated with her ex. Her ex was an ass, plain and simple, but Zach had never been anything but loving toward her.
Love.
Just thinking about the word scared her half to death, but yet, she knew it was the only word that could describe what she’d seen in his eyes every second from the moment they’d first met. Even the look on his face when he’d first asked her out had been one she didn’t understand until now.
Love at first sight.
He’d loved her from that moment, and every moment after, even as she’d fought their connection over and over. Last night had been a perfect example, and yet, he’d still protected her, still treated her with respect, and still loved her.
It was the only explanation.
Was she really willing to throw away something amazing because she was afraid of getting hurt again?
Hell no!
She might have only known him a little over a week, but she already knew him better than she’d ever known her ex.
Zach was goofy and friendly, but he was also responsible, loving, and fiercely loyal. She’d seen that in the way he was with his family, and in all the ways he’d been with her from the very beginning.
Oh god!
She wasn’t looking forward to seeing his family again.
She’d labeled him a liar inside her head, flipped out, and caused a scene in front of the people he loved and trusted the most. There was no coming back from that, and yet, she still had to try.
Zach was a man worth fighting for, and though he deserved more than her feeble apology, she had to start somewhere.
After a quick call to her boss, she threw off the covers, and set her plan in motion.
She refused to let Zach go without a fight.
Chapter Six
“You have to do something,” Aiden said.
“And what would you have me do?” Zach snapped. “She doesn’t want me, and nothing will ever change that.”
“You don’t know that. Liddy said she was asking about how you treated her and the other women. She’s obviously been hurt before, maybe even by someone fun and flirty like you.”
“Don’t you think I fucking know that?” Zach growled. “I know she’s been hurt, I know she doesn’t trust me, or anyone for that matter, but I can’t change her mind if she won’t even give me a chance. You heard about the way she ran out of here. She thought I faked an injury for attention, I could see it all over her face, and then she suddenly ran out of here like she’d just found a dead body or something. She just doesn’t like me. Period.”
“Then why did she go to you
last night? She trusted you enough to keep her safe, and that’s not something you do if you don’t like someone. Hell, she might have invited you in if you would have given her the chance. Liddy thinks she would have.”
“You and I both know that people do desperate things when they’re afraid,” Zach said. “She would have been full of remorse the morning after.”
“Or,” Aiden countered, “she would have come to her senses, and agreed to be your mate.”
“Right,” Zach said, standing.
As much as he wanted one of Aiden’s scenarios to be true, he knew they never would be. Rory had sought him out because of fear, nothing more, and he would never take advantage of that.
“I don’t have time for this shit,” he said, shaking his head to clear it. “I only came over for a beer, not a lecture on my love life.”
“Since when do you drink beer at ten o’clock in the morning?” Aiden asked, standing, too. “I’m only trying to help you, cousin. Liddy and I both think you’re making a huge mistake.”
“Fuck you,” Zach called over his shoulder, “and fuck Liddy, too.”
He descended the stairs quickly, knowing it wouldn’t be long before Aiden caught up to him, and that was exactly what he wanted. He craved a fight, needed it, and he’d purposefully said the words he knew would make his cousin retaliate the fastest.
If Rory could see him now, she’d probably be happy he’d lived up to the low standards she’d set for him, although, in fairness, he hadn’t really hurt Aiden. The words he’d spoken, while rude, would do nothing more than piss Aiden off.
Zach stopped dead in his tracks when he spotted a familiar, small, blue sedan enter the clearing, and park in front of his home. Seconds later, Rory got out and stood across from him at the other end of the opening between the two houses.
Rory!
He stood there, dumbfounded, mesmerized by her arrival, and unable to move.
His mate had come back to him.
She raised her hand tentatively, as if waving hello, and he smiled and imitated the gesture. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he recognized the heavy, powerful pounding of Aiden running in his bear form, but he didn’t react in time.
Rory screamed his name, and the sound echoed around the clearing when Aiden’s big, bear-sized head came barreling into his side. The animal slowed its momentum at the last minute, but the two still propelled sideways, behind Zach’s house, and landed in a tangled heap.
The force of the blow hurt like hell, and knocked the wind out of him for a second, but he didn’t care. Aside from a few bruises, he’d recover quickly, and his mate had come back to him.
Of course, she’d just seen him get tackled by a bear, so things could still go either way.
“Get off of him!”
The fragments of a broken pinecone rained down on his chest, and a second splattering followed close behind. Aiden’s grunt filled him with mirth, but when the bear turned his head and received a pinecone to the face, Zach lost it. His laughter filled the clearing, and Aiden growled above him, but the bear didn’t move except to sit on his hind legs.
“I said to leave him alone!”
More pinecones rained down on him, and he sat up and held out his hand.
“Zach, get away from him!”
Other voices of laughter filled the clearing, but Rory’s distress sobered him.
“Rory, stop throwing pinecones at Aiden,” Zach said, standing. “He’s not hurting me.”
Her arm stopped mid-throw, and she stared at him as if trying to decipher a secret code. He briefly wondered if she would figure it out before he explained everything, more so because he’d just given an animal his cousin’s name, but he had to act quickly.
Sometime between their scuffle and Rory’s shouts of distress, his entire clan had gathered near Aiden’s porch, and their smiles and laughter filled the air around them. This event would never be forgotten, and he wanted Rory to share in the humor of her actions each time the story was retold, not recoil in embarrassment.
“Okay, everyone shoo,” Zach ordered, gesturing with his hands. “I need to talk to my mate.”
Aiden walked by his side until they stood a few feet from Rory, and then he continued to his home where Liddy was waiting with a towel. He instantly shifted back into his human form, and wrapped the towel around his waist.
Rory’s eyes grew wide, but to her credit, she didn’t run.
Aiden’s perpetual stern, serious expression was enough to strike fear in the minds of many, but apparently, seeing the magic that surrounded him kept Rory immobile, and she didn’t even attempt to move.
“You threw pinecones at me,” Aiden stated without a smile.
Rory nodded in agreement.
“Impressive,” he nodded, his face still indifferent. “I look forward to our friendship.”
He held the door open for Liddy, and the two disappeared inside their home.
“It’s good to see you again, Rory,” Tristian added.
“Welcome back,” said Ethan.
“That was awesome,” Graham said.
Everyone laughed, and they turned as a group and slowly wandered back to their homes or wherever they were before.
Zach faced Rory, determined to convince her to stay.
“You’re a bear?” she asked quietly. “You can change into an animal?”
He nodded.
“What did you mean when you said I was your mate?”
“You’re the one person in this world created just for me, and even if you decide you don’t want me, I will never love another. You’re mine, Princess, and you own my heart and soul.”
“How do you know?” she asked. “How can you be sure? We’ve only known each other a few days, and I rejected you.”
“I just know,” he said. “I can’t explain it, but it’s not something you can make a mistake on. Both sides, the human and the animal, know you’re it for us, with or without your rejection.”
“Will I change into a bear, too?”
“No, Princess. It doesn’t work that way. If you stay, I’ll mark you so everyone knows you’re mine, but you’ll always remain a full human.”
“Your family…”
“Tegan and the guys are shifters,” he offered. “Liddy and Scarlett are not.”
“They don’t hate me?”
“Hate you?” he asked, taking a step closer. “Why would they hate you?”
“Because, I made a scene the last time I was here, and…and I threw pinecones at Aiden.”
“No,” he laughed, shaking his head. “I’m warning you now, the pinecone thing will never be forgotten. Hell, I’m going to be the one to bring it up like fifty percent of the time, because that was gold, but what happened at the barbeque is forgotten. Stuff happens,” he shrugged. “They’re not going to hold it against you. You’re my mate, Rory. You complete me, and make my heart happy. That’s all that matters to them.”
She launched herself at him, threw her arms around his neck, and hugged him fiercely. He stumbled back, but easily righted himself and tightened his arms around her waist.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I want to be with you. I was so scared of getting hurt again, that I pushed you away for no reason. I love you, too, Zach. I don’t know why, or how, but I know that I love you, too.”
“Will you stay with me, Princess?” He needed to hear the words. “Will you be my mate and stay with me forever?”
She leaned back to see his face, but he didn’t let her go.
“Forever is a long time,” she cautioned. “What if you get sick of me?”
“That will never happen,” he explained. “The strength of the mating bond never fades. My love for you will only deepen as the years go by.”
“That sounds amazing,” she whispered.
“It is amazing,” he agreed. “I promise I’ll make you happy, Princess.”
“I know you will,” she said, smiling. “Mark me, Zach. Make me your mate, and let’s spend the rest of our lives t
ogether.”
“Your Highness,” he nodded once, setting her feet on the ground. “Making you mine will be my greatest honor.”
He bent down, wrapped his arms around her thighs, and lifted her over his shoulder.
***
Rory squealed, and grabbed onto Zach’s shirt for support.
The thin fabric was useless, and when it rose up his back, she saw the bruises he’d earned from his run-in with Aiden.
“Zach,” she cried. “Put me down. There are bruises all over your back.”
“I’ll heal,” he said, moving toward the house.
His strides were long and full of purpose, and she knew exactly where he was taking her. He entered the backdoor with the finesse of a small tornado, and ripped the screen off the hinges.
“Hey,” she playfully scolded. “Don’t destroy my house.”
She knew he wouldn’t get angry, but the hand that came down on her ass surprised her. Especially when her pussy flooded, and liquid heat soaked her panties.
“Shush,” he growled, inhaling deep. “I’ll fix the screen, and make any other changes you want, after I fuck you and make you mine.”
He carried her to the master bedroom, and threw her down in the middle of the bed.
“Unless you want to lose those clothes,” he said, “I suggest you strip. I can’t go slow this time, Princess. I’ve been away from you for too long.”
“I don’t want you to go slow,” she said, kneeling to face him.
She ripped her top over her head, and her pussy tingled at the deep gasp that filled the room. The black lace bra and matching panties had been worth the hefty price tag she’d paid to get the lingerie delivered on the same day.
She unfastened her pants and pushed them down her thighs, revealing the matching panties. Zach growled low in his chest, and the sound spurred her confidence. She laid on her back, raised her hips, and then removed the material completely.
He took off his shirt, and she cringed at the full extent of his injuries. Dark purple blotches marked his side, and extended around to his back.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” she worried.
He looked down at the bruised skin, and nodded.