by Sway Jones
“Thank you for believing me,” he whispered into her ear. His hot breath made her shiver with need from her head to her toes. “You won’t regret it.”
“I know,” she replied honestly, feeling it deep in her bones that he would never intentionally hurt her for believing in him. She could rest in his presence. “I know.”
Chapter 7
“So what happened?” Waverly asked excitedly as she sat down in Delilah’s chair at the beauty salon in town. Thankfully she was the only customer in there and all the other beauticians were at lunch. “Tell me, tell me!”
Delilah laughed at her friend’s barely contained enthusiasm. “Ok,” she said as she pulled the cape on around Waverly’s body and starting to cut her hair. “He was a gentleman the entire night. He was so polite. I didn’t realize how much I had been missing someone holding the door open for me or pulling out my chair. He held my hand until our food came. We talked about everything and anything! It was a great night. One of the best first dates I’ve ever had.”
“Did he kiss you?”
“Waverly!”
“Well did he?”
“Yes,” Delilah answered shyly. “He made me swoon. Actually swoon. He had to help me into my car because my legs weren’t working all too well.”
Waverly laughed at her friend’s obvious delight in having a man who could make her swoon and take care of her too.
“Are you going to see him again?” Waverly asked.
“Of course!”
Waverly laughed and clapped her hands underneath the cape surrounding her. “When?!”
“As soon as he and his brothers work out a schedule for all of them to get the work on the farm done.”
“Ryan was talking about hiring a couple of guys for the winter season. Usually they take care of everything themselves and hire people on for the spring and summer.”
“I guess it can be too much if two brothers are out of commission,” Delilah said smiling.
“Soon maybe all of them!” Waverly announced. “Jai is getting serious with this mountain lion shifter. That’s why they have to schedule around everyone’s needs. Jonathan still hasn’t found anyone – yet. But they don’t want to dump him with all the late hours.”
“I can’t wait to see him again,” Delilah confessed. “I mean I know I saw him last night and he kissed me when he dropped me off back at my car but I just want more!”
“That’s wonderful Delilah. Hank’s a great guy. He’s always been the responsible one. He takes care of his little brothers like they are his own children. He is a worrier. That is until last night.”
“What happened last night?”
“I saw him at the midnight feeding and he was smiling like the Goddess herself had paid him a visit. You were the goddess! I have never seen him so happy Delilah. He told me he had a great time at dinner. He said he had never laughed so much with a woman before. He told me you were his mate! Is it true?! Are you his mate?”
“He says his bear says I am,” Delilah hedged. “But I don’t know. Things are happening so fast. I just don’t know.”
“I know what you mean. Things with Ryan were fast too. But you know what, sometimes you got to ride what life sends you no matter how swift the water seem to be. Hank is worth going along with on the most difficult rapids. He’s solid. Not to mention cute as hell!”
“Hey, that’s my man you’re talking about!”
Delilah raised her hands to her mouth, not believing she had just said that.
Waverly laughed at her friend’s surprised face.
“See your heart knows already,” Waverly commented knowingly. “Go along for the ride sweetheart.”
“I wish I could but something else happened on our date that makes me think twice about continuing along with Hank.”
“What?” Waverly asked concerned. “Did he do something?”
“No like I said he was a gentleman. No it was this wolf shifter that kind of marred our perfect night.”
Delilah told Waverly what had happened with Jeremy.
“It never occurred to me to question whether or not I could have Ryan’s cubs,” Waverly said at the end of Delilah’s recitation. “Do you think Jeremy has a point?”
“I don’t know. I mean both arguments seem sound. The cubs or babies are human until puberty. So it’s not like you’re going to give birth to a baby bear. But how does it happen that our DNA and their DNA can – come together and create something so incredible? I mean how did shifters get started anyway?”
“I don’t know. I don’t think anyone knows for sure. They’ve always been here only in hiding until a few years ago.”
“Well I don’t know what to think. I am going to trust Hank when he says there isn’t any incompatibility between humans and shifters. But then I’m getting ahead of myself. We only started dating yesterday. Why am I thinking about having his children?”
“Because he is. Shifters move fast once they’ve scented on you, smelled that you are their mate. You all talk about pheromones and such?”
“Yes the night I fed the calves.”
“Yeah he’s got it bad then. Just like you do. Right? You have it bad don’t you?”
“Yes! I can’t stop thinking about him. I want to call him only to hear him breathing or text him to let him know that I am thinking about him. But I don’t want to seem clingy.”
“Honey cling! He’ll love knowing you are thinking about him. And if he is anything like Ryan, he’s already texted and called you this morning hasn’t he?”
“Oh I don’t know. I keep my phone in my purse until it’s time for my break.”
“Oh my god! Check it. I bet he’s worried sick about you.”
“What?”
“Ryan likes to know what I am doing all the time. He gets real antsy if I don’t text him all the time or answer his texts.”
Delilah put down her scissors and pulled out her purse from beneath the counter. Pulling out her phone she saw that she had several text messages and one missed phone call. When she called them up they were all from Hank.
Good morning beautiful! read the first one. It’s early but I wanted to be your first text of the day.
The next one said, I just fed the calves and was thinking about you. I miss having you here with me.
The last one read, Hey gorgeous, sitting down to lunch and hoping to catch you on the phone. Give me a call if you get a chance.
Her one missed call was from him. Only ten minutes ago.
“Oh my god!” Delilah exclaimed. “I’ve never had a man text me this much.”
“What did I tell you? You need to call him. Let him know you got his messages.”
“How about I text him? I really don’t want to get involved in a long conversation since I’ve only gotten halfway through your hair cut.”
“I can wait,” Waverly said impishly.
Delilah rolled her eyes at her best friend and decided a text to Hank was in order.
“What do I say?” she asked Waverly. “I mean I don’t want to be sound all clingy.”
“Please cling! He’ll love it.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Tell him you were thinking about him all morning. Especially how good a kisser he is.”
“What?! I can’t say that!”
“Why not? It’s true right?”
“Well yeah but that’s too – intimate.”
“Isn’t that what you want, intimate?”
“Yes but … I don’t know. You don’t think he’ll think I’m a sex-starved trollop?”
“I hope he does so maybe he’ll do something about that.”
“Waverly!”
Her friend laughed at her stunned face. “Well isn’t that what you want too,” Waverly began. “S. E. X!”
“Well yeah.”
“Then tell him!”
“Ok. Maybe not like that but ok.”
“I’ve been thinking about you, especially about our kiss last night. I could kiss you all day long. Send!”
“Oh God what have I done,” Delilah exclaimed. “Can I take back the text?”
“Nope!” Waverly said with a wide smile on her face enjoying her friend’s venture into the unknown.
“What if he doesn’t want to kiss me ‘all day long?’ ”
“Why wouldn’t he?”
The phone vibrated with an incoming message. Delilah pulled it up.
“I wouldn’t mind kissing you all day long, but maybe we could sprinkle in some others things to do in between all that kissing,” Delilah read out loud.
“Ask him!” Waverly nearly shouted.
“What kind of things?” she texted back to him.
Before she could put her phone down to her side, it vibrated again.
“I’m glad you asked,” she read out loud. “I would love to taste your pus – pussy,” Delilah whispered the last word. “Oh my god!”
Waverly chuckled at her friend’s reaction. “What else?” she goaded her.
“Suck at your nipples making them hard and sensitive,” she continued in a hushed tone. “Once I’ve explored every inch of you I would want to sink my big cock into your softness, balls deep, and fuck you until you can barely walk anymore.”
“Yes,” was Delilah’s reply.
“Tonight?” he wrote back.
“Please” she replied.
“May I come over to your place or do you want to come over to my place?”
“I don’t have to work tomorrow so I can come over to your place since you do have to work.”
“Ok. Seven?”
“Yes.”
“I like that word in your ‘mouth.’ Among other things I can imagine.”
Smiley face winking.
“Me too. See you tonight,” she wrote.
“Definitely.”
“Oh my god!” Waverly could barely contain her delight. “You are getting laid tonight honey!”
“Now let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Delilah tried to slow things down again. “There is a lot of time between now and then. You don’t know what could happen.”
“Why are you fighting this?” Waverly asked confused. “Don’t you want this?”
“I do, I just don’t want to raise my hopes only to have them dashed.”
“Well Hank’s not the kind of guy who does that with anyone,” Waverly reassured. “He’s a man of his word.”
“I guess.”
“No I know. And now you know. Hey give him a chance. He might surprise you.”
“I know I should. But I don’t want to get hurt.”
“I know Delilah,” Waverly said soothingly. “Hank won’t do that. Things out of his control might try and waylay you but not him. He wants you. He loves you. You’re his now as far as he’s concerned and he will move heaven and earth to take care of you. Ryan is the same way. They are brothers so they can have that in common.”
“Yes I guess you’re right. I do owe him the benefit of the doubt. He’s never done anything to hurt me. Why should I go in expecting him to? That isn’t fair to him, to judge him by how others have treated me.”
“Exactly. Now tell me what you plan on wearing tonight!”
The bell above the front door jingled. Delilah turned to see who had come in, while Waverly turned to face the mirror again. She sensed immediately her friend’s unease with whoever just entered the beauty salon. She turned to see who it was.
“Jeremy,” Delilah said breathlessly.
“Hello ladies,” Jeremy said suavely. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”
“You are,” Waverly said pugnaciously. “Delilah’s busy. Perhaps you should come back at another time. I’m sure there will be openings tomorrow you can take advantage of.”
“Oh I’m not here to get a cut,” he continued on smoothly. “I wanted to talk to Delilah and now that I see that you are here, I can speak with both of you.”
“Well we are busy,” Waverly said rudely, not giving in to this shifter’s charm. She knew better.
“I only need one minute of your time. Please.”
“Waverly,” Delilah interrupted before her friend could tell him no. “He only needs a minute and he did ask politely. Let’s not be rude.”
“You’re too nice,” Waverly commented sitting back in her chair her face a stone. “Go ahead, you have one minute.”
“Well ladies, I only wanted to congratulate you and your shifters on your wedding and planned wedding,” he started out innocently enough. “I know that being in the relationships you two have started will be difficult and if you need any help with some aspect of being married to a shifter, please feel free to ask me and I will help as best I can.”
“Sure,” Waverly drawled. “You who thinks shifters and humans shouldn’t marry, you’re going to help us in our marriages.”
“I married a human,” he said, his face going sad for a quick moment before he realized where he was at and put back the smile that was there before. “I know the intimate details of trying to mesh shifter and human lives together. I only offer my advice from real world experience. Since you both have decided to be in relationships with shifters, it doesn’t matter what I think about shifters marrying humans. You’ve done it and there is only the future to look forward to.”
“That’s very – nice of you,” Delilah responded before Waverly could. “I appreciate the kindness.”
“Your welcome. Here is my card. Please call me anytime of the day or night should something come up.”
“What could come up in the middle of the night?” Waverly asked suspiciously.
“Nothing hopefully but if something should I am available. Unfortunately with my wife dead and no pups to keep me occupied, my family is this community of shifters. I only want what is best for them. And now by extension, you two.”
“Thank you,” Delilah said kindly taking the man’s business card.
“Thank you for your time ladies.” With a half bow, Jeremy turned and left without another word.
“Can you believe him?” Waverly asked affronted by the man’s mere appearance at the shop.
“He’s only a lonely shifter looking for a place to belong,” Delilah explained, getting back to cutting Waverly’s hair. “He needs friends.”
“And you’re going to be one to him?”
“Don’t look so shocked! I can be a friend to him if I want. He’s got a point. He was married to a human. He probably knows what kind of problems can arise in a mixed marriage.”
“Well all I’m going to say is beware a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
“Oh Waverly,” Delilah sighed. “Let’s give him the benefit of a doubt.”
“He doesn’t deserve one. Not after the way he treated you last night.”
“He has obviously had a change of heart since then.”
“Yeah overnight,” Waverly said sarcastically. “Overnight he thought to himself it was ok for humans and shifters to be married after being vehemently against it only a few hours beforehand. Sounds plausible.”
“Waverly you are more cynical than me.”
“No. Just more pissed that he questioned my relationship with Ryan.”
“Why does it matter what he thinks?”
“It doesn’t. It makes me wonder if maybe Ryan wouldn’t be better off without me in his life,” Waverly finally confessed quietly.
“You know that isn’t true!” Delilah exclaimed, turning the chair around until she was facing her. “Waverly Garrison, you love a man who just happens to be a bear shifter. Who cares? You two are so happy. Right? Or am I wrong about that?”
“No you’re right. I am happy. I’ve never been happier in my life. I only want to make sure Ryan is just as happy.”
“Then call him and ask.”
“I will!”
Ryan picked up on the second ring.
“Hey sweetness,” he drawled sexily.
“Hey yourself,” Waverly said her body already responding to his deep throaty growl. Even the man’s voice got her hot. “I love yo
u.”
“I love you too,” Ryan returned without hesitation. “Just saying.”
“Yeah, just saying.”
“I could listen to you tell me that all day long.”
Waverly chuckled suddenly feeling much better about their relationship. “Me too. I’ll see you pretty soon.”
“Not soon enough.”
“I’ll get through the grocery shopping quickly.”
“Please. I need a kiss fix.”
Waverly giggled. “As soon as I get home I’ll come for you.”
“Yes!”
“Ok good bye.”
“Good bye. Oh and Waverly …”
“Yes?”
“I love you.”
“I love you too,” she said in a hushed voice trying not to cry. He really did love her. They had known each other for less than a month and he was totally in love with her. How had she gotten so lucky?
“Bear shifter,” Waverly said as an answer to her own unspoken question. “That’s how I got so lucky. I found a bear shifter that loves me.”
“Huh?” Delilah asked finishing up Waverly’s cut.
“Nothing. I’m the luckiest woman in the world.”
“You are!”
“So are you!”
“Maybe. I don’t know. We’ll see.”
“Ok, ok. I won’t push it anymore. But you’ll see. You’re going to be feeling like the luckiest woman in the world soon enough.”
Chapter 8
“Damn it!” Jonathan cursed. “That’s the third one today.” He and his older brother Hank rode around the dead cow lying in the back pasture. “What the hell? Those look like wolf markings.”
“They are,” Hank agreed grimly. “That bastard Jeremy.”
“Jeremy? You think it’s him?”
“Not him personally no. But his clan. He put them up to it. Son of a bitch!”
“Call Ryan and Jai out? Let’s move the herd to the closer pastures.”
“Yeah. I’ll deal with Jeremy when we’re through.”
It took them all day to move the herd but eventually they got them all to safer ground, closer to the homestead. That night they would put the dogs out and see if any of them alerted to something sneaking around in the middle of the night.