by Ruby Shae
With a plan in place, she started to turn around, but stopped when she heard the sound of a snapping twig. Suddenly, she realized how quiet the forest was, and fear raced down her spine. She slowly turned back, and saw Clint leaning against a tree less than ten feet away.
“Well, well, well,” he said, pulling a toothpick out of his mouth, and throwing it on the forest floor. “Today must be my lucky day.”
“Not now, Clint,” she said, “I’m really not in the mood.”
His answering laugh was maniacal.
“Do you really think I care, babe?” he asked, flashing a feral smile. “Remember how I said you would regret blowing me off one day? Well, today is the day.”
“What are you going to do, force me to like you?”
She had a feeling he had worse things on his mind, but she refused to say the words and give him any ideas.
“No,” he laughed again. “Something much, much worse.”
One second Clint stood before her, and the next he was replaced by a giant, full-grown grizzly bear. His roar filled the forest, and though she knew not to run from bears, he was no ordinary bear.
Audrey turned on her heal and ran.
She knew she didn’t stand a chance against the bear, but she wasn’t about to stick around and be his next meal, or whatever other sick things Clint had planned. The thought that he should have caught up to her by now skittered through her mind, and she knew he was just toying with her.
When he was ready to catch her, he would.
Branches and twigs on the forest floor whipped at her legs, and she lost her balance on several slippery rocks, but she kept moving without looking back. When she heard the grunts of the bear running behind her, she let out a scream as she broke through the tree-line behind the house.
Tad raced toward her and grabbed her biceps.
“What happened?” he barked.
“Clint! Bear!” she said, trying to catch her breath. “He’s after me.”
“Don’t be afraid, but I need you to listen to me very carefully,” Tad said. “Go into the shop and call Declan. Tell him I need Enforcers on the North Ridge, and then stay inside and wait for me. Do you understand?”
When she didn’t answer right away, he placed both hands on her cheeks and forced her to look at him.
“Audrey, sweetheart, do you understand me?”
She nodded, and he released her.
“Good, now go!”
Tad shifted into an even larger bear than the one chasing her, and then he ran off in the direction she’d just come from.
Tad is a bear, too!
What the hell? Was everyone in this town a bear?
She didn’t have time to think about what that meant right now. Even if he was a bear, Tad was protecting her against Clint, and he’d asked for her help. She ran inside the shop, and pressed the button on the office phone that would speed-dial Declan.
“So soon?” Declan said when he answered. “I really didn’t think I would hear from you for a couple more days.”
“Declan?” she said. “It’s Audrey.”
“Audrey?” he asked, his teasing gone. “Sorry about that. Is everything okay?”
“Clint turned into a bear. He was chasing me, and then Tad turned into a bear and went after him. He told me to tell you he needs Enforcers on the North Ridge.”
“Hold on, but don’t hang up, okay?”
Tears welled up in her eyes, and she nodded because she didn’t trust herself to speak.
“Audrey, honey, I need you to say something. Don’t hang up, okay?”
“Okay,” she said, her voice wobbly.
She could hear Declan talking, but his voice sounded far away, and she couldn’t make out the words.
“Okay, I’m back. Audrey, are you there?”
“Yes, I’m here,” she said as tears slipped down her face.
“Are you injured? Do you need medical attention?”
“N…no,” she forced out. “I just have some scrapes. Nothing serious.”
“Good. I’m on my way. I’ll be there in five minutes, so just sit tight and wait for me, okay?”
“Okay,” she agreed, wiping her eyes.
Just sit tight! Duh! Where the hell would she go?
Bears were popping up everywhere, and she didn’t know the good ones from the bad, although it stood to reason that good men were also good bears, and vice versa. At least she hoped that was the case because she’d already worked out that Declan was a bear, too, and she hadn’t been the least bit afraid of Tad.
She hadn’t cried because she was afraid.
She’d cried because she’d fallen in love with a bear, and he didn’t love her back.
***
Tad tightened another bolt too tight, and ruined yet another part.
Damn bolt! Damn Plastic! Damn stupid kiss! Fuck!
Why did he have to kiss her? Why did she have to kiss him back?
It had been three hours since the kiss, and so far, he’d broken something on every car he’d touched. At this rate, he wouldn’t have any parts left in his storeroom for the rest of the week, and he and Declan would have to make another run to his supplier a few towns over.
Damn Declan!
If he hadn’t taken his brother’s advice and let Audrey see his scars, then he wouldn’t have gone to bed hard and aching for her, and he wouldn’t have mistakenly kissed her when he woke to find her nearly in his arms.
A band tightened around his heart as he remembered waking up to her beautiful face. She was gorgeous, but there was more to her than beauty, and she made him feel things that he hadn’t felt in a long time. He’d had something like it with Cindy, but with Audrey, it was…more.
She was the one woman in the world made especially for him, and upon finding her in his room, he’d desperately wanted to claim her. When she’d pulled away, her rejection reminded him of why he didn’t want—or need—a mate, and anger and resentment took root.
He’d let it fester for twenty minutes while he’d gotten ready for work, and when he saw her in the shop, it intensified.
So much that he’d said things he didn’t mean.
He didn’t want to eat dinner alone, and he definitely didn’t want her to move out. Instead, he wanted to pick her up the way he’d done in Declan’s bar, carry her up to his room, and finish what they’d started earlier.
Except she didn’t want him.
Fuck!
Tad grabbed a clean rag, and walked out of the bay. He hated flaking out on work, especially when people were depending on him, but he couldn’t do any more today. Audrey was a constant distraction in his mind, and he needed time to mourn over her rejection.
Somehow, when he hadn’t been paying attention, he’d fallen hard for his mate. The funny thing was, he could have sworn she’d fallen for him, too. Not because of the night they’d met, but because of the little things they’d shared over the past two weeks, and the way she’d been so responsive toward his scars.
Based on all that, her reaction to his kiss didn’t add up.
He took a deep breath and replayed the morning in his mind.
She’d allowed him to pull her close, and followed his lead stroke for stroke. In fact, she’d encouraged him to go deeper, and didn’t pull away until he’d tried to pull her on top of him. Then he’d acted like an ass by pretending not to be fully awake.
Fucking idiot!
He’d gone to bed wanting her, ready to accept her into his heart, but he’d never voiced his feelings, so how the hell would she know he’d changed his mind? The look on her face after their kiss hadn’t been rejection, it was heartache. She’d willingly kissed him, and he’d pushed her away when she’d reminded him of her name.
Oh, hell no!
He needed to man up and be the man—and bear—she deserved.
Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream filled the air, and Audrey burst out of the tree-line behind the house. As she came barreling down the hill, a familiar something inside him shattered,
and any lingering doubts or reluctance to claim his mate vanished.
The past was gone, dead and buried, and he was looking toward the future.
Their future.
He raced toward Audrey, and grabbed her biceps.
“What happened?” he barked.
“Clint! Bear!” she said, trying to catch her breath. “He’s after me.”
“Don’t be afraid, but I need you to listen to me very carefully,” Tad said. “Go into the shop and call Declan. Tell him I need Enforcers on the North Ridge, and then stay inside and wait for me. Do you understand?”
When she didn’t answer right away, he placed both hands on her cheeks and forced her to look at him.
“Audrey, sweetheart, do you understand me?”
She nodded, and he released her.
“Good, now go!”
He shifted into his bear, and raced toward the tree-line.
Tad picked up Clint’s foul scent easily, and he ran in the direction of the felon. Humans weren’t supposed to know about the existence of shifters unless they were mated to one of them, but Clint didn’t know Audrey was his mate. That meant he’d shown himself for the purpose of forcing a mating, or forcing her demise. Both were illegal and punishable by death.
Tad followed Clint’s scent to a secluded cave about a mile from the house, but when he approached the opening, the other bear attacked him from above. Luckily, Tad had been expecting the trick, and dodged the first swipe of Clint’s claws.
They wrestled on the forest floor, and Tad managed to dodge all of Clint’s swings except one. Luckily, the attack had been weak, and he’d barely broken the skin. Tad, on the other hand, struck hard and fast, seeking vengeance for his mate. By the time the Enforcers arrived, Clint had passed out from the assault.
Once his rival was in the custody of the Enforcers, he ran back home.
Back to his mate.
***
Tad shifted outside his shop, and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Declan’s truck. It meant Audrey had followed his directions, and hopefully his brother had been able to keep her calm while they waited for him to return.
He glanced down at his shirt and realized it was covered in blood. It was his enemies’ blood, but he didn’t want to worry his mate, so he pulled the garment over his head and dropped it in the garbage can. She’d already seen him shirtless, and he knew he had nothing to hide.
He walked into the open bay, and saw both Audrey and Declan standing at the counter talking. She looked relaxed, but as soon as she saw him, she ran over and jumped on him, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. He slid his hands under her ass, and he nuzzled her neck.
“Are you okay?” she asked. “I was so worried.”
“I’m fine,” he said, “but we don’t have a lot of time, and we need to talk.”
He carried her to the counter, and nodded at Declan.
“I’ll wait outside.”
“What’s going on? Declan wouldn’t tell me anything.”
“I love you,” he blurted. “I know you probably have about a zillion questions, but we’re short on time, so I have to talk now and you have to listen. I love you. I’ve loved you almost from day one, but I was resisting it because of these scars.”
She opened her mouth to say something, but he put his finger up to her lips.
“My ex used a flesh-eating poison called Carvrix, or Carve for short, and left me for dead. Luckily, she didn’t cut near deep enough, but after that, I swore off women. Until you. Not every shifter has one, but you’re my fated mate, Audrey. That means that you’re the one woman in the world made especially for me.
“I’ve been fighting my feelings for you since that night in the bar, and I knew it was you in my bed this morning. I didn’t get angry because of the kiss, I got angry because it stopped. I went to bed last night with every intention of talking to you today, but things haven’t been going exactly as planned.”
Her giggle made him smile, and he continued.
“The problem we now face is the fate of your life. Our Itan, the clan leader, is on his way, and we need a plan. Humans can’t know about shifters unless they’re married to one, so you need to either mate with me, or another bear, within twenty-four hours.”
“Or what?” she asked.
“Or be killed.”
Tad turned to see Ty Abrams, the town sheriff, and leader of the bear clan, standing a few feet away with Declan by his side. He briefly wondered why his brother hadn’t warned him about the Itan’s arrival, but he quickly pushed the thought aside. He had more important things to worry about.
He turned back to Audrey, and placed his hands on her waist.
“Don’t be afraid” he whispered.
She nodded, and he lifted her off the counter, letting her slide down his body until her feet touched the floor.
“Itan,” Tad said. “This is Audrey Harris.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Audrey,” Ty said. “I wish it was under better circumstances. I heard Tad explaining your options, but I’ll repeat them so there’s no misunderstanding. You can stay here and mate with Tad, or, if you want to meet other bears, you can come with me to the clan compound. You’ll have twenty-four hours to choose a willing mate, but if no choice is made, then you’ll be eliminated.”
“I understand,” she said, speaking directly to Ty. “If he honestly wants to marry me, I’d like to stay with Tad.”
“Hell yes!”
Tad’s holler filled the room, and Declan and Ty laughed.
“I love you, too,” she declared, quietly.
He picked her up and threw her over his shoulder, and then tossed his keys to Declan.
“Close up for me, Dec.”
“No problem, bro,” Declan laughed. “Have fun.”
“Oh my god… Tad, put me down.”
She’d tried to sound firm, but her giggles revealed otherwise.
“Not a chance, sweetheart,” he laughed.
“Thank you, Itan,” he said, nodding once out of respect.
“You’re welcome, Tad,” Ty said. “It’s good to see you smiling again.”
“It feels good, too.”
And it honestly did.
Chapter Six
Audrey laughed as Tad practically ran to the house, and took the stairs two at a time. Dangling upside down like a sack of potatoes wasn’t her ideal way of travel, but Tad’s enthusiasm was contagious, and she couldn’t stop laughing.
“You have a nice ass,” she said, rubbing her palms over his round, perfect globes.
“So do you,” he said, smacking her bottom. “Careful, sweetheart. You keep touching me like that and we won’t make it to the bedroom.”
“Hmmm…” she teased. “That might be fun for next time.”
Seconds later, he burst through the door to the master bedroom, and carried her into the attached bathroom. She’d seen the duel vanity when she’d peeked in earlier, but what she hadn’t seen was a large, roomy shower with two shower heads, and a Jacuzzi style sunken tub.
Consistent with the rest of the house, blue tile accented the room and gave it a comfortable spa-like feeling. Not that it needed it. Any room with a sunken tub big enough for more than one person was automatically her favorite room in the house.
“It’s beautiful in here.”
“I’m glad you think so,” he said. “I want to take a shower and wash off all the dirt and…stuff from my fight with Clint. The fact that I’ve touched you as much as I have already is driving me crazy.”
“Why don’t we shower together?”
“If we do that, our first time will be up against that shower wall. I can’t see you naked and not touch you.”
Yes! Please!
He’d just suggested her ultimate fantasy, but she knew he wasn’t serious.
“Okay, I’ll just wait on the bed.”
She moved to step around him, but he grabbed her arm, and stopped her retreat.
“Do you want the shower?�
�� he asked. “Because I have no problem with that.”
She nodded, and he turned her back toward him.
“We can do whatever you want, sweetheart,” he said. “I just didn’t want you to think I couldn’t control my animal side, or something. If I had my way, I would have taken you on the counter in the shop.”
She smiled, and suddenly realized she’d never be able to hide anything from him.
“Okay, we’re doing that next,” he said. “Or if not next, very soon. I’m fine with christening the whole damn shop, the house and some parts of the forest, too.”
“Do you think it will work?” she asked, afraid to voice her fears. She knew he could lift her, but could he hold her up long enough for sex?
“Do I think sex will work?” he asked, obviously confused.
“No,” she said, clearing her throat. “Sex against the wall.”
“Oh,” he smiled. “Of course, why wouldn’t it?”
“Well, I’m not small, and I’ve never met any man who could manage my weight for something like that.”
“I think you’ve been hanging around the wrong men,” he growled.
“That might be true.”
“Get undressed, sweetheart,” he said, unbuttoning his jeans.
Audrey watched him shed his pants like a deer caught in a headlight. Like the rest of him, his legs were heavily corded with muscle, and she found everything about him sexy…including his feet. His thick, hard cock bobbed against his abs, and she couldn’t wait to be filled by him.
He turned on the water, and she studied his hard ass, until he disappeared behind the partition separating the shower from the tub.
She grabbed the hem of her shirt, and then hesitated as her ex’s hateful words about her body floated through her mind. He’d told a town full of people she was disgusting. What if Tad felt the same way? Would he send her to the clan compound to find another bear to mate with? What if no one wanted her? Would she be put to death because she was too ugly?
Tad stepped out of the spray, and walked across the tile floor to stand in front of her. He was dripping wet from head to toe, and big drops of water merged to form puddles on the floor.