by Zoe Chant
“So tell me…” Sidney demanded, “did you have to take off your clothes to share body heat to survive in the wilderness?”
“Sidney!” Eve was blushing at her friend’s teasing tone.
As a small-town librarian, Sidney had a vested interest in both romance and adventure novels as well as all the romance and adventure gossip Linden Creek yielded—which usually wasn’t much.
“Oh my God, you did!” Sidney whooped. “Tell me more! As your friend, I have a right to know! Wait, wait… how about you tell me this evening? I’ll make cocktails, you bring a few cupcakes?”
“Umm.” Eve looked from Chris’ desk towards the door.
He was still busy interrogating the jaguars—her dad’s old buddies, she corrected herself, wondering if her dad had known that they were shifters.
“I… can’t, Sidney. Sorry. Chris promised to show me his house—”
“Oh my God,” Sidney said again. “You really—wow! I demand you come visit me at work tomorrow! I am your friend, I deserve all the details!”
Eve found herself laughing helplessly. How strange how much had changed in such a short time! She’d always felt guilty that she had to keep her past hidden from Sidney. She would have more than one confession to make tomorrow. But from the sound of it, Sidney would probably happily forgive her if she was the first to get all the gossip on her and Chris.
“Tomorrow!” Eve promised. “I’ll bring cupcakes for your lunch break, how does that sound?”
“You’d better not forget!” Sidney threatened.
Then Eve could hear a child start wailing in the background.
“Oh no, they’re fighting over the comics again—I have to go. Promise you will visit tomorrow? I’m really so glad you are OK,” Sidney said, her voice suddenly soft.
Eve swallowed and nodded.
“Promise, Sid. And thank you.”
Eve found herself smiling at the phone even after the call had ended. It felt good to realize that she could finally have what she’d always dreamed of—real friendship. No more secrets.
Well. She’d have to keep the were-bear thing a secret. On the other hand, it wasn’t as if anyone would believe her anyway…
When the door opened at last, it was Chris returning with two cups of coffee. Eve sipped at the scalding, bitter liquid gratefully without complaint. Maybe it was objectively horrid coffee—but she’d just had to do without for two days.
“Well, our two jaguars are safely locked away,” Chris said with a sigh. “And I’ve called someone I know about the shifter that is still on the run.”
Eve frowned. “Another cop.”
“Not… quite.” Chris grimaced. “It’s a shifter, so I can’t really in good conscience send a colleague after it without telling him that his suspect might turn into a large cat and try to rip out his throat.”
“Are there special shifter cops? Like you?” Eve suddenly wondered just how big this shifter world was. “Are there shifter schools where they teach you how to magically turn into a jaguar or bear?”
“Are you asking me if I'm an animagus, like from Harry Potter?” Chris demanded, eyes gleaming as he teased her. “Sorry, I never got my Hogwarts letter. No magic except for the bear thing. And no shifting schools that I know of.”
Eve bit back a surprised laugh when it seemed that he had her read her thoughts once more. “No wizards or schools, just were-bears. Understood.”
“We aren’t that well organized, I fear. It’s all a little more… primal than that. But there is someone I know. Another bear. He hates company—both shifters and humans,” Chris clarified at Eve's questioning look.
“But he’s a good hunter,” Chris went on. “And he’s strong. So sometimes, when there is trouble with one of our folk gone feral, he can be called upon to deal with the problem.”
Chris was still hesitating, and Eve wondered if there was more to it. Would the other bear be dangerous? She didn’t like the thought of inviting danger to Linden Creek. But then, they already had a criminal jaguar shifter on the loose…
“It’s my brother,” Chris admitted at last. “Steven. I told you I don’t really know what he does, which is true—but I know that sometimes, he takes jobs like these.”
“You don’t seem too happy about it,” she said slowly.
“It’s just…” Chris sighed deeply, but then he straightened and gave her a small smile. “I haven’t seen him for so many years. I always wondered what it would be like to have a real family. But it doesn’t matter now.”
“Because you have me now,” Eve said with determination.
Chris nodded, his eyes filling with warmth as he looked at her. “Because we have each other now. And we’ll deal with Steven when the time comes. In any case, a brother who won’t even say hello to me will be better to have around than a jaguar shifter.”
Chris leaned down to kiss her, and when he drew back, Eve gave him a worried look.
He looked a lot better—as soon as they got back, he’d changed into one of his crisp, white uniform shirts and stuffed the ragged reindeer sweater into the trash. Eve couldn’t really fault him for that. He looked hot in his uniform, and now, for the first time, she could let her eyes linger and show him her appreciation.
Maybe, once they got home, he’d let her undress him, so that she could open button after button of his shirt… Maybe she’d even let him keep his hat on…
The thought produced a little giggle, and then she had to apologize for where her thoughts had strayed. Chris’ eyes immediately turned dark with desire at the idea, and for a moment he almost seemed inclined to just sweep all letters and folders from his desk and lift her onto it. Then his laptop made a “new mail” beep, and he sighed, although the look he gave Eve made her shiver with its promise.
She watched as his brow furrowed when he read his mail. For a moment, he stared at the screen, then quickly shot off an answer, and when he looked at her again, some of the weariness had vanished.
“Would you like to visit our jaguar friends again?” he asked. “I just got some very good news, and I want to see their reaction.”
Eve’s eyes widened. Good news?
“Is that allowed?” she demanded when she followed Chris to the cell where the two shifters were held.
“Nope!” he said with a grin. “But this is shifter business, so…”
Eve gave him a quick look. “No laws about shifters, right?”
“Exactly!” he replied. “I take my job very seriously, Eve… But I want to protect people. And until one day we get a shifter judge, I sometimes have to improvise.”
Eve took a deep breath, straightening her shoulders before she faced the two men that now glared at her from behind bars. She recognized both of them now. It had been a long time, but the faces were familiar.
Chris leaned against the bars with a smile. “I’ve got bad news for you.”
“Yeah? We’ve got bad news for you, buddy,” one of them hissed. “Hunter is still free, and he won’t give up until we’ve got the jewels. So if you want to keep your little mate there safe, you’d better let us out. If you give us what we want, we’ll leave you alone and won’t ever return. How’s that for a deal?”
“Sorry, but I don’t like your deal.” Chris tilted his head. “Have you ever heard the name Wes Alsbach?”
Eve nearly gasped when she heard the familiar name. The shifters were clearly familiar with it as well, for they now took a step towards where Chris watched them.
“He’s the one we robbed, idiot,” a shifter said with a sneer.” Sure we know his name. Are you gonna tell us now where the jewels are?”
Chris laughed softly. “I fear that’s where you are wrong. You didn’t rob him—he robbed you. It seems you were hunting the wrong man all along. Alsbach set you up. He made you believe Eve’s father had run with the jewels, when in truth her father had nothing to do with it. So Alsbach got the insurance money for the jewels, and kept the jewels himself.”
“And my Dad was senten
ced for a crime he didn't commit,” Eve said.
“Exactly,” Chris said triumphantly. “I called someone I know as soon as we got back. Well, seems like Feds had their suspicions about Alsbach back when the jewels vanished, but could never prove anything. And of course they stopped looking as soon as your father was convicted. But now that we have proof that your dad was innocent, I convinced them to look into that case again. And I just got a mail that said that there is something shady going on with Alsbach's finances. Seems that a large sum of money appeared in his accounts, shortly after the case was closed.”
Chris laughed at the furious look the shifters were giving him. “From the looks of it, I bet it's about the sum you'd receive if you sold those jewels.”
With a grin, Chris moved back a step just in time before one of the shifters threw himself at the bars in anger.
“What do you mean he tricked us?” the man shouted in rage. “Alsbach himself did it?”
“And had the money, all these years.” Chris wrapped his arm around Eve’s waist and pressed a kiss to her hair.
She drew a deep breath. This meant it was truly, finally over. The real villain had been found, and with him, her dad's innocence would be proven.
“The case is getting reopened,” Chris stated, his voice calm as he stared at the shifters. “If I were you, I'd think good and hard about that deal. A plea bargain would save you a few years. Otherwise, you lot get more time for attacking me and my mate.”
One of the jaguar shifters snarled in rage, but Eve gave him an unimpressed smile, and then slipped her hand into Chris’. The case would be solved. She still couldn't believe it. Ten years, and finally she would be free from any fears that her past might come back to haunt her. She took a deep breath and released it.
“They go to jail—and we go home,” she said at last. Because that’s what she had finally found. A real home, and a man who believed in her.
***
Jim was pleased enough by all the activity that had descended onto the tiny town of Linden Creek to take over for the evening despite his retirement, so that Chris could get his well-deserved rest. Not that Chris intended to get much rest this night. The case was solved, after all. The villains were behind bars. His mate was safe—but his mate had never seen his home. A home he had always dreamed he would get to share. Now, with all the danger behind them, it was time to go home together.
Eve cried out when he swept her up in his arms and then kicked her feet, helplessly laughing when he carried her across the threshold. OK, maybe he was getting ahead of himself here, but the bear was grumbling approvingly in the back of his mind, and Eve was smiling up at him.
“Here it is!” he said proudly. “What do you think?”
The house was surrounded by fields and meadows, and behind the house, Chris could quickly vanish into the wood when he felt the need to let his bear roam.
“Of course, there’s still a lot of work that needs to be done,” he added when he set her down.
“I like what you’ve done with it.” Eve wandered curiously over to the fireplace and touched the stones he’d painted white himself.
“I tried to restore as much as I could,” he said. “I like the charm of the old layout.”
In front of the fireplace there was his old couch—brown leather, good quality and comfortable, although it had seen obvious use. On the walls were photos he had taken himself: gnarled trees, ravines, the view from a hill-top. No family pictures—but hopefully, they would soon change that.
“The kitchen is next,” Chris added. “I’ve got the contractors coming next week for a first look at it.” He took Eve’s hand and pulled her into the kitchen, where they both laughed at the chaos.
“I’m pretty much just using the toaster oven right now,” Chris admitted ruefully. “I don’t like how the last owner changed the kitchen. But see, I was thinking, in the original layout they had the stove top there—”
“And then you could have the island here.” Eve walked into the middle of the room and turned. “If you get rid of those ugly cupboards, you’d have a lot of space here.”
Chris slowly stepped to her side and pressed a kiss to her nape. Eve closed her eyes and sighed happily.
“Enough countertop space that the star of the Linden Creek Bakery can experiment with new recipes?” he asked softly.
Eve made a soft sound of agreement. “I’ve always wanted to write down all the old recipes the Herberts still remember.”
“The Linden Creek Bakery Book,” Chris said.
Eve turned in his arms, her eyes full of excitement.
“Exactly! There’s so much they still remember from Mr. Herbert’s grandma that I don’t want to get lost. I know they want to retire soon, and I know they want to sell to me. I was always terrified that somehow, my real name would come out, and my past. But now… Now I can write and publish that book, like I have always wanted, and Grandma Herbert’s recipes will live on.”
I have done that, Chris thought, his heart full.
Despite the odds, they had found and saved each other. He’d set Eve free from her past, and she had freed him from his loneliness, and from the memory of a family that had never cared for him. And now… Now he would come home in the evening to a real home, one he shared with his mate. Or spend his lunch break in the bakery, with his mate and a cupcake. He could hardly believe how lucky he was.
“In that case,” he murmured, taking hold of Eve again and lifting her easily so that she laughed, “in that case I demand that you let me taste-test all your recipes.”
“Maybe I will add a bear pie,” Eve teased.
He grinned and pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose.
She looked ridiculously happy, her cheeks flushed and her eyes gleaming with laughter. Chris promised himself that he’d always keep her this happy, to prove himself worthy of this gorgeous mate fate had sent him.
“What’s in a bear pie?” he asked.
“A lot of honey,” she said.
Her hands drew him down to her, and then they kissed again, her mouth opening hot and sweet for him.
“Wild forest honey, the sort that is all dark and rich and makes you think of fir trees,” she whispered against his skin after a moment. “A bit of cinnamon and cardamom, maybe. Caramel, and chocolate…”
Chris set her down on the countertop, and once he had his hands free, settled them on her generous hips, exploring her curves with a touch that despite his best intentions had already grown hungry once more. He couldn’t help it; Eve kept driving him wild with desire. His erection pressed insistently against his pants, and he knew that Eve could feel how hard he was for her. One of her hands teased at his belt until he groaned and kissed her again.
He’d always hated the kitchen this house had come with. Someone had ripped out all the old furniture and had installed the sort of cheap, modern cupboards that had probably looked flashy for a year, but now were a soulless, battered gray, as though he’d stepped into a five-year-old movie set. But Chris knew what he wanted. He wanted comfortable furniture. He wanted a kitchen where they could linger for hours on a Sunday morning. He wanted a place with a soul.
And he wanted a sturdy table made of massive, dark wood, so that he could make love to Eve in the kitchen.
“I believe it is time to show you my bedroom,” he murmured. His voice was dark with hunger, and he could feel Eve shiver with need at his words. “It has a beautiful view. And a bear-sized bed.”
Eve leaned forward to kiss him again, her hand pressing teasingly against the aching bulge in his pants until he groaned and nipped at her bottom lip.
“Lead the way,” she breathed, eyes hazy with want.
Chris had to swallow and forcefully rip himself away from the vision of her luscious curves.
Chris was proud of the changes he’d done so far to restore some of the old house’s charms. It was the original staircase they now stumbled upwards, clutching at each other and giggling like teenagers. He had freed the stairs from
beneath two layers of ugly carpeting with the contractors’ help, and the wood gleamed in a gorgeous, dark brown patterned with red-gold ripples after a day of sanding, polishing and oiling it. He wanted to tell Eve about all the rooms he had no plans for yet, because the bear in him had made him buy a house fit for a large family, even though Chris had all but given up hope of finding his mate.
And now there was so much they could share, and so much they could plan. They would turn this old house into a home that was their home. They’d fill it with comfort and laughter and love—and in time, a family.
***
When they made it into Chris’ bedroom at last, out of breath and laughing, Chris gave her another of those hungry looks that melted her insides until she wanted to squirm with how badly she needed to feel him. Instead, she backed away when Chris reached for her, only to spread herself out on the bed in what she hoped was a seductive pose.
“So,” she said and gave him a teasing look. “You were telling me about shifter healing, and how I don’t have to worry that those wounds will affect your stamina?”
Chris’ eyes were dark with desire as they lingered on her. When he finally spoke, his voice was throaty. “Half-way healed already. But I’ll gladly prove how well I’ve recovered…”
Wide-eyed, Eve watched as Chris began to strip for her. He began by simply shrugging out of his jacket and shoes, but as soon as he noticed her eyes on him and the way her face had flushed, he slowed down.
It wasn’t a real strip-tease—not that Eve had ever seen one, but she thought that would have made her giggle. Artfulness didn’t really suit Chris. Instead, he simply took his time, opening button after button so that she had time to appreciate every inch of revealed skin and imagine her own hands performing that task on the many, many nights that now stretched before them.
Forever, she thought and squirmed a little on the bed, resisting the urge to touch herself when Chris’ shirt at last dropped to the floor.