by Lynn Hagen
Renee moved to the stove and put the tea kettle on. She glanced at Clayton. “Go now. This isn’t for your ears.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He chuckled, patted Legend on the shoulder, and left the kitchen. Legend wasn’t sure where to start. He wanted her opinion, but he hardly knew her. Besides, he wasn’t the type to pour his heart out. He was a typical guy who held a lot of shit in. But if he was going to save his relationship with Gabe, he needed some advice on how to get his ass out of the doghouse.
Renee poured them both of cup of hot tea before she brought her work to the table. She sat there dicing carrots, humming to herself as Legend watched her.
He wasn’t sure if he should speak or continue to let her hum.
She finally set the knife aside and brushed her hands over her apron. “My mate died a few years back and I still miss him to this day.”
Legend couldn’t imagine losing anyone he loved. The pain would be unbearable. But he knew that Renee was seeing Jack Cross, and that she must have found the strength to move on.
“But our relationship wasn’t always easy. At one point, we even considered separating.”
Legend shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “But mates are forever.”
She nodded. “They’re supposed to be. But that doesn’t mean we should take that for granted. Just because fate handpicks two people to be together, doesn’t mean they’ll always get along. It had gotten to the point where he went to work early and came home late. I went to bed early to avoid seeing him.”
Should she be telling him this? Legend wanted to ask her what her point was, but he remained silent.
“The intimacy in our relationship was gone. We were two strangers living together. We stopped talking, stop sharing the events our day and even our secrets. Yes, couples do have them. Harland was grown and on his own and it was just the two of us. We didn’t have to worry about staying together for the sake of our son. There was nothing stopping us from moving on and starting over.”
Legend leaned in, placing his arm on the table as he listened. “So what happened?”
She smiled wistfully and Legend could tell she was reminiscing. Unshed tears glistened in her eyes as she recalled past events that must be near and dear to her heart. “Sip your tea, sweetheart.”
Legend picked his cup up and took a sip, barely tasting it. He wanted to know how they’d repaired their relationship. “I messed up pretty badly with Gabe and I don’t know how to fix things. I didn’t tell him I was a bear or that he could get pregnant.”
“Life is comprised of hundreds and thousands of small things that must be silently and unceremoniously maintained over long periods of time. You can’t just mate Gabe and expect to live happily ever after. Your relationship has to be cultivated in order to grow into something beautiful. My mate and I had forgotten that lesson and all the small things it took to make a partnership work. Once we remembered that, our garden no longer held weeds. Flowers began to blossom.”
Legend scratched his head and Renee smiled. “My point is, you messed up. We all do. That’s part of life. Start with something small and work your way up from there. Show Gabe the kind of man you are and how much you care for him. Plant those seeds and watch them grow.”
“So I take it that you two didn’t separate?” Legend asked.
She shook her head. “We started slow—breakfast in bed, snuggling as we watched a movie. One night he even took me out to the garden where he had set up a romantic dinner for two under the stars. We danced in each other’s arms until… You get the picture.”
Her blush told Legend how their night ended.
“You’re saying that if I do the little things, Gabe will see how sorry I am?”
She chuckled. “Telling him you’re sorry wouldn’t hurt either.”
He stood and kissed her on the cheek. “You’re a gem, Renee.”
Chapter Ten
The following morning, Gabe woke to find a breakfast tray on the stand next to his bed. That afternoon, there was a movie case sitting on the bed with a note attached. When Gabe opened it, the note stated for Gabe to meet Legend in the living room at seven sharp.
Gabe tossed the note aside. He had no intention of meeting Legend anywhere. The man had lied to him. No, he’d held back the truth. That was much worse. If Gabe forgave him now, Legend would think that he could screw up, make a few nice gestures, and everything would be okay.
It wasn’t okay. If they were going to be together, raise a family, Gabe needed to know that he could trust the man. He didn’t even bother to see what movie was lying on the bed as he left the room. Why bother? He wasn’t going to watch it.
Gabe found Sam in the kitchen and took a seat at the table.
“Are you coming in here to give me something nice to look at or are you hungry?” Sam asked as he dropped some chicken into the deep fryer. “Dinner isn’t ready yet, but I’m sure I can find you a snack.”
“Thanks, but I’m not hungry.” Gabe folded his arms on the table and then rested his chin on them. He gazed at the large bay window above the sink and wondered what he was going to do about his situation.
Sam placed a bowl beside Gabe. There was sliced fruit inside and Gabe’s mouth watered. Maybe he was a bit hungry.
“Still mad at Legend?” Sam asked.
“Disappointed,” Gabe admitted. “I really thought—” He shook his head. “Never mind.”
He didn’t know Sam that well and didn’t feel like confessing his feelings. Again, Gabe wasn’t the type to expose himself in such a way. He was a guy, after all.
“So kick his ass and get it out of your system,” Sam said. “The greatest stress reliever, aside from sex, is connecting your knee with someone’s balls.”
“Or choking them unconscious,” Shott said as he entered the kitchen. “What are we talking about anyway?”
“Gabe being angry with Legend,” Sam said.
A smirk appeared on Shott’s face. “You want me to teach you the move?”
Gabe shook his head. Shott was large and intimidating with dark and foreboding features. The man was handsome as hell, but there was a lethality to him that warned Gabe away from the man. “I don’t want to kill him.”
“You won’t,” Shott assured him. “Legend will just take a nice long nap.”
“Don’t listen to him,” Sam said. “Shott’s human and has no idea what it’s like to have to reveal who you are to someone who has no knowledge of your existence.”
“Look at it like this,” Shott said as he took a seat across the table from Gabe. “What if the world was comprised of bear shifters and being human was a well-kept secret? Would you have been so quick to reveal yourself to legend?”
Gabe chewed on an apple and thought about what the man was saying. He swallowed and said, “Maybe not right away, but I had every right to know about the possibility of becoming pregnant.”
Shott shrugged. “You got me there.”
“Not to be nosy,” Sam said as he turned and wiped his hand on his apron. “But it only took a few days for you two to get here. I’m guessing the passion happened right away?”
Gabe refused to answer the man. He tossed the strawberry into his mouth, chewed, gazing at his bowl.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” Sam said. “Not that I’m defending what Legend did, but what was he supposed to say? If he would’ve confessed all of that to you your first night together, what would you have done?”
“I would’ve had a choice,” Gabe argued.
“You and Legend are mates,” Sam retorted. “Sooner or later you would’ve become pregnant. It’s inevitable. Like some writing in the cosmic stars or some shit.”
“You’re mad because you didn’t have a say in it,” Shott said. “So have a say in it.”
“It’s a little too late for that,” Gabe replied. “I’m already knocked up.”
“And having the man’s child is so bad?” Shott asked.
Gabe narrowed his eyes. “Why don’t you try carrying a baby for
nine months and then see how you feel?”
“Three,” Shott corrected Gabe. “You’re carrying a shifter’s cub. Your gestational period is only three months.”
Gabe gaped at the man. “You’re shitting me.”
“Welcome to the wonderful world of shifters,” Shott said as he stood. “But don’t look at me, I’m only human. I learned all the stuff from the bear shifters around me.” Shott placed his hands on the table and leaned forward. “But T-Rex and I were kept in the dark for years. We had no clue that we were working with bear shifters, men we counted on to have our backs. So I know what it’s like to be pissed. But you have to ask yourself if your relationship with Legend is worth throwing away because he was too scared to tell you the truth.”
That didn’t mean that Gabe had to forgive Legend right away. Let the man squirm. Maybe he’ll think twice before withholding the truth from Gabe again.
* * * *
Gabe hadn’t shown up for the movie last night. By the time Legend came back upstairs, his mate was fast asleep. When he woke this morning, Gabe was already out of bed and gone.
Something had to give. Legend couldn’t take the rift between them any longer. He walked into the bedroom and slammed the door behind him. Gabe turned and glared at him.
“Okay, beat my ass. Yell, throw things at me, do something other than ignore me.” Legend had always been a man in control. That was until he met Gabe Summerville. He didn’t like feeling shunned by his very own mate. It was driving Legend insane.
Gabe shrugged as he headed toward the bathroom. “I’m sorry, but I don’t throw tantrums.”
“Goddamn it, Gabe. Don’t walk away from me. We need to settle this.”
“Settle this.” Gabe flipped Legend off.
Growling, Legend closed the distance and picked Gabe up, carrying him to the bed where he deposited his mate. “Look, I know I fucked up. But we can’t continue to go on like this.”
Gabe scrambled to his feet and shot the finger at Legend. “My life is permanently changed because of your withholding. I’m sorry if it is taking a while for me to get over the fact that you knocked me up without my knowledge.”
“Calm down,” Legend said.
“You flipped the bitch switch in me. So sit down and buckle up for the ride.” Gabe sat down in the chair on the other side of the room, tilting his head back, staring at the ceiling. “All I wanted was a say in this.”
Legend squatted in front of his mate into Gabe’s hands in his. “If I could go back in time and warn you of what could happen, I would. I would do things the right way. But it’s done and all I’m asking is that you forgive me and we move on from here. I’m sorry, Gabe. I should have told you.”
Gabe swallowed as he lowered his head and gazed at Legend. The man’s pale-blue eyes shimmered with unshed tears. “Please don’t ever hide anything from me again. I don’t care how scared you are to tell me. I don’t care how bad the news is.”
“I promise,” Legend said. “Will you please consider making Bear County your home, making my home yours?”
That worried Legend the most. Gabe was furious with him and had the capability to go home to his father, taking Legend’s child with him. Legend wasn’t willing to lose his mate or cub. He wasn’t sure what he would do if Gabe walked away from him.
Before Gabe could give him an answer, Legend skimmed his hands over Gabe’s thighs. “God, you’re beautiful.” Legend’s voice was whiskey rough, dark and hungry. Shudders of pleasure were tearing through him as he felt Gabe’s muscles ease, relax, and welcome Legend’s touch.
“Legend. What are you doing to me?”
Instead of answering Gabe, Legend stood and disrobed. The heavy width of his cock rose proud and flush along his stomach. Gabe stood as well, removed his clothing, and then palmed his own cock, giving the heated flesh a few slow strokes.
“Oh yeah,” Legend breathed out roughly, his eyes narrowing on Gabe now. “Is that how you like it, sweetness? Slow and easy?”
A teasing smile curled Gabe’s lips. With his thumb and forefinger, he swiped at the bulbous head, his breath catching as his eyes stayed locked on Legend.
“Shall I do that for you?” Legend whispered. “Perhaps while you show me other things you might like?”
Legend moved Gabe until his mate was sitting in the chair once again. He lowered himself to his knees and then gazed up into the man’s pale-blue eyes. “Show me, Gabe,” he growled. “Show me what you want, baby.”
Gabe stared at him, their eyes locking, as his mate stroked himself a little more before saying, “Suck me.”
“So beautiful,” Legend breathed out roughly. “Don’t stop playing with yourself.” He lowered his head and lapped at the pre-cum flowing from the head of Gabe’s cock. Pleasure was racing through him, excitement sizzling through his nerve endings as Legend licked over Gabe’s fingers. The pleasure was incredible. It was exquisite, the pleasure whipping through Legend’s system and sending his nerve endings rioting for more.
Legend swallowed inches of Gabe’s cock, his tongue stroking, dipping into the slick slit before returning to play at Gabe’s fingers. Gabe’s hips writhed beneath Legend’s touch. His mate’s head turned, Gabe’s lips parting, his tongue licking along his lower lip as he watched what Legend was doing.
Gabe’s fist pumped faster and a hard groan tore from Legend’s chest. He lifted his head, his tongue touching the head of Gabe’s cock, licking over it, tasting it.
Excitement was racing through Legend’s bloodstream, pounding in his heart. He couldn’t survive this. He was going to die from the intensity of the sensations, from the need to be buried deep inside Gabe’s ass.
But this was Gabe’s night. Whatever his mate wanted, Legend would deliver.
“I need you,” Gabe whispered as he arched his back and scooted closer to Legend’s body. “Please.”
“You don’t ever have to beg,” Legend said. “I’m yours. I’ll always be yours.” He stood and moved across the room to grab the lube from the nightstand drawer. Legend returned to Gabe and lubed his fingers. He drove two fingers deep into Gabe’s ass before swallowing Gabe’s cock down his throat.
Gabe’s expression twisted into lines of tormented pleasure as he squirmed in the chair. Legend scissored his fingers, stretching Gabe, driving the man to the edge of sanity. When he could no longer take it, Legend lubed his cock and then pulled Gabe closer until the man’s ass was hanging off the chair.
“Spread your legs for me,” Legend commanded. “Show me that you want me.”
Hooking his hands under his knees, Gabe spread himself wide. Legend moved until he was lined up perfectly and then drove his cock deep inside Gabe’s body.
“Legend,” Gabe moaned, his hips shifting and ass clenching.
“Fucking good,” Legend groaned. “Fuck me, sweetness. Stop teasing the hell out of me.”
Ecstasy began to pound inside Legend when Gabe began to move. Legend scooped the man up, twisted, and then took a seat, his mate straddling him.
“That’s it, baby,” Legend groaned, his fingers bunching on Gabe’s ass, pulling the rounded flesh apart as his mate rode him. Gabe’s eyes flared open as his fingers gripped Legend’s shoulders. Heavy-eyed and intense, Legend watched Gabe with increasing hunger. Gabe took Legend’s cock deeper as his mate’s head lolled to the side, exposing his creamy-white shoulder.
Legend couldn’t resist. His canines elongated and then he struck, sinking his teeth deep. Gabe cried out as he fell forward, panting. Legend grabbed Gabe’s hips and took over, plowing deep inside the man’s body.
“Legend.” His name was a plea, a cry of such incredible pleasure that Legend thrust faster, giving his mate what he was begging for. Gabe shattered around him, his cock exploding between them. The man’s voice echoed in the bedroom as Legend slid his canines free and roared his release.
Breathing heavily, Gabe collapsed against him, shudders racing through the man’s body as aftershocks of pleasure continued to pulse through
Legend.
“I’ll stay,” Gabe said between hard pants. “I’ll stay with you.”
Legend caressed his hand through Gabe’s short blond strands. “Do you forgive me?”
Gabe pressed a kiss right over Legend’s heart. “Yes. But don’t ever hide anything from me again.”
Legend didn’t intend to. He never wanted to know what it was like to lose his mate. “I promise.”
Chapter Eleven
The following evening, Gabe stood on the back porch and stared at the white-capped mountains. How could he not love this place? It was picturesque and a good place to raise a family. The sky was lit with brilliant colors as the sun slowly sank in the sky.
When his father called to say all was clear, Gabe would tell him that he was staying in Bear County. This was his home now and Legend was his life.
Although Gabe felt sorry for Stripper. The man had finally agreed to wear boxers in the house and was walking as if his rash had only gotten worse. The poor guy. The rash had to be psychological in origin, because from what Legend had told him, Stripper was fine with clothing when they were on missions, though the guy complained the whole time.
Legend walked outside, dressed in a pair of khaki shorts and a tank top. He was barefoot and smiling. “Nice night.”
Gabe nodded. “It’s beautiful out here.”
“I’m glad you’ve decided to stay.” He leaned his hands on the railing and gazed over the sweeping landscape. Gabe gazed out as well. It truly was a place of promise for him. Growing up in the city, Gabe loved when his parents had taken him to their summer cabin in Montana every year for their vacation. He could remember the streams and the fishing. He also remembered the campfires. It had been a special time for him, and he wanted his child to have memories he or she would cherish, as well.
“I’m still getting used to being here,” Legend admitted. “I’ve never stayed in one place for very long.”