by Ruby Shae
When Aiden found out about her past, or, more importantly, her reasons for coming to Blackbeary Creek, any affection he felt for her would be gone. She needed to enjoy their moments together for what they were—friendship—and prepare for the day when she had enough money to find a place of her own.
Scarlett and Tristian were amazing for allowing her to stay with them, but she couldn’t live in their home forever, and she didn’t want to. Honestly, she’d wanted to take Aiden up on his offer to live with him on that first night, but she didn’t want to make things awkward between them, and living in his home would have made it nearly impossible for her to hide her feelings, especially with Aiden’s keen ability to read people.
Besides, one day soon, he would find someone, and Liddy didn’t want to stick around to see him fall in love. The thought of leaving made her sad, and she hugged her stuffed bear tighter.
When she finally did leave, Aiden wasn’t the only one she’d miss. True to his words, his family had accepted her as one of their own, and she hated the thought of losing them, too. Even if she kept her job at the club, she knew her relationships with his friends would change when Aiden let her go. Their family was too close to let in outsiders, and ultimately, she’d be alone again.
She still didn’t totally understand why they included her in the first place, even with Aiden’s insistence, but she appreciated their friendships more than anything. When the time came for her to move on, the kindness she’d received from Aiden and his family would join with the memories of her father and fill her dark days.
Ugh!
She pushed the covers aside, and got out of bed.
That line of thinking would only make her depressed, and she didn’t want to spend the day obsessing over something she couldn’t change. Aiden had given her a wonderful opportunity when he’d helped her out and invited her to be a part of his family, and she wasn’t going to waste the time she did have left.
Today was an off day for them, and everyone was meeting at Zach’s for breakfast. If she knew Graham, which she thought she did, the man would bring more than a dozen cinnamon rolls from Delilah’s, and Liddy couldn’t wait to watch the guys fight over the last one.
If anyone else were to go up against Aiden, they’d take one look at him and forfeit, but his look of death didn’t faze his friends. Like Liddy, they were used to his hard, overly solemn features, and they never backed down or hid their laughter.
They accepted him as he was, and Liddy did, too.
Seeing five grown men fight over a cinnamon roll was enough to make her giddy. She got ready in record time, and then quietly descended the stairs with the intent on waiting for everyone in the kitchen.
The sight of Aiden sleeping on the couch stopped her dead in her tracks.
***
“Aiden?”
Aiden woke to the sound of Liddy’s hushed question.
Shit!
He’d meant to beat her awake like he had every other morning, but the previous night had been extremely hard for both him and his bear, and staying downstairs on his alpha’s couch had been pure torture.
Aiden had no idea why last night was worse than any of the others—he hadn’t done anything different—but he wanted his mate, and staying away from her was getting harder every day. He knew giving her space was the right thing to do, but after two weeks, he was tired of waiting. He had no idea how Ethan had lived through six years of this hell, but Aiden didn’t want to live through it another day.
He needed to tell Liddy the truth before he did something stupid like burst through her bedroom door, kiss her, and declare his love. He’d almost done two of those things her first night on clan land, and the urge to tell her every night since had only grown.
After spending almost every day with her, he’d managed the nights by running in his bear form to the point of exhaustion, standing too long in a warm shower, and then collapsing on Tristian’s couch.
The plan had been going well until last night, when he’d made the mistake of wondering what it would feel like to have Liddy writhing under him as he sank into her warmth. Not that he hadn’t wondered before, hell, most of the time he was consumed with how it would feel to touch his mate freely, but he tried not to think about it while sleeping in Tristian’s house.
Last night, the temptation had been too great, and that’s what had kept him up all night.
He sat up, and when he saw her his dick went hard.
“Morning, baby.”
The sight of his sexy mate pushed all logical thought out of his head, and the endearment slipped out before he could stop it. Luckily, Liddy ignored it. If she questioned him now, he’d tell her everything, and he knew he’d sound crazy without at least one cup of coffee first.
She was dressed in a new t-shirt and new jeans, and the denim hugged all of her curves like a second skin, proving she’d gained back some weight she’d lost while living in her car. He no longer sensed her hunger or fatigue, and the black circles surrounding her eyes had nearly disappeared. His bear wanted to roar with pride, and Aiden was ecstatic he was taking care of all of his mate’s needs.
Except for one.
God, he wanted her.
His need was physical, but it was more than just sex. Liddy was the only person outside of his clan that understood, and didn’t question, his serious nature. She accepted him just the way he was, and that made him want her more.
“Did you sleep here last night?” she asked.
“Yeah, I did.”
He wouldn’t lie, but he didn’t want to elaborate, and he hoped she would let it go.
“Why?”
Fuck me!
“Coffee and breakfast first,” he said, standing. “Do you want to go to Delilah’s?”
“I can’t,” she said shyly. “Breakfast is at Zach’s today.”
“You’re having breakfast at Zach’s?” he growled, taking a step toward her.
His cousin was dead meat.
Even though he would never hurt her, the fact that Liddy didn’t back away filled him with great satisfaction. Despite her past, or because of it, she never backed down from anyone, and her courage was one of the many things he loved about her.
Still, he couldn’t help the feeling of betrayal pumping through his veins.
Why was she having breakfast with Zach? And why didn’t he know about it?
“Yeah,” she hesitated. “Would you rather I not go?”
“I don’t own you,” he growled. “You’re free to do whatever you want.”
She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it when Tristian and Scarlett started down the stairs.
“Good morning Liddy,” Scarlett said. “Good morning Aiden.”
“Morning, Liddy,” Tristian nodded. “Aiden. Are you guys ready to go?”
Shit!
Liddy wasn’t the only one having breakfast at Zach’s. The whole clan was going, and he’d been an ass to his mate for no reason. The look of disappointment on her face nearly sent him to his knees, and he never wanted to see that look again.
“Yeah, we’re ready,” Aiden sighed.
Tristian looked back and forth between the two of them, and raised an eyebrow toward Aiden, but he didn’t say a word about their standoff.
Thank god.
He knew groveling was in his future, but he preferred not to do it with an audience.
“Okay, then let’s go,” Tristian said.
The man led his mate out of the room, and Liddy turned to follow the couple.
“Liddy.”
He called her name, but she didn’t look back, and he didn’t blame her. He waited until he heard the door close behind his mate, and then he took a deep breath and followed several feet behind the trio.
***
“You’re grumpier than usual,” Zach said. “What’s your deal?”
Aiden had spent the better part of the morning brooding on the sidelines while Liddy basically ignored him. The fact that he hadn’t apologized yet didn’t
help matters, and when he noticed her doing certain things to try and distance herself from the group, he knew his fuck up was more than just saying a few angry words.
She thought he was going to let her go.
“I fucked up,” Aiden growled.
“I told you to tell her as soon as possible,” Zach laughed.
“I’m not talking about that, but I’ll admit you were right. I’ve been so caught up in trying to take things slow and not scare her, that I’m slowly going insane. She got up before me this morning—caught me off guard—and I got jealous and yelled at her because I forgot we were all coming over here.”
“And let me guess,” Zach prodded. “You didn’t apologize, yet, right?”
“Fuck you,” Aiden growled.
Zach rolled his eyes.
“Cousin, you’re an idiot,” Zach said. “Go to her, sweep her off her feet, apologize, and declare your love.”
“I will later,” he said. “She’s having fun right now.”
“That’s bullshit,” Zach growled. “You know it, and I know it.”
He did know it, but fear kept his feet from moving. Liddy hid her emotions well, and though he thought she cared for him, he wasn’t absolutely sure. If she rejected him, everything would be final, and he wasn’t sure he was ready for that outcome.
“You owe me,” Zach sighed. “You know how much I hate being the bad guy.”
His cousin’s words registered a second too late.
“Liddy,” Zach yelled over the din.
“Zach, no!”
She turned and looked at both men with a puzzled look on her face.
“Look at this grumpy bear! Don’t you sometimes wish you stole from someone a little more…pleasant?”
Everyone stopped what they were doing, and a look of horror crossed Liddy’s face. She glanced around the room as if to verify all eyes were on her, and then she looked back at Zach.
“I…”
Tears filled her eyes, and then she ran.
Aiden raced after her, and tried to stop her, but when he saw she was headed for the creek and not her car, he let her go. The small head start wouldn’t deter his bear, and Zach’s face needed a visit from his fist.
He stormed back into the house, walked up to Zach, and punched him in the face. His cousin stumbled backward, and would have fallen but he crashed into a wall instead.
“What. The. Fuck. Zach?”
Everyone gathered around to watch the spectacle, but no one intervened.
“You needed help, and I helped you,” Zach said.
He rubbed his cheek, but the smile that split his face told Aiden he didn’t hit him hard enough.
“You could have ruined everything,” Aiden roared.
“So what the fuck are you still doing here, talking to me?” Zach scolded. “Go find your mate.”
“You’re an asshole,” Aiden said. “After I find Liddy, and make things right, I’m going to kick your ass.”
“I beg to differ,” Zach said. “I think you’ll thank me for forcing you to do something you should have done two weeks ago, but if you want to try, then I’m game.”
They’d fought before, too many times to count, and they were equally matched in size, skill and strength. In reality, they’d probably call a truce and both walk away bloody before either kicked the other’s ass, but right now Aiden wanted to pound his cousin.
“She ran toward the creek,” Aiden told Tristian and the other men. “I’m going to shift, find her, and then tell her everything. Hopefully, she’ll come back with me.”
“Good luck, man,” Tristian said.
Everyone else called out words of encouragement as Aiden left the room. He walked out of Zach’s home, passed the other four houses, and entered the forest exactly where he’d seen Liddy run.
Once hidden inside a dense crop of trees, he stripped off his clothes, left them folded neatly at the base of a tall tree, and called his bear. The shift was smooth, painless, and a few seconds later he stood on all four paws.
In his bear form, Liddy’s scent was strong and easy to track, but it would be harder when the rain came. Dark, menacing clouds had been looming overhead all morning, and he knew rain was imminent.
There was no time to waste.
The bear ran.
Chapter Seven
Liddy hugged her knees, and tried to stay as close to the tree trunk as possible. Big, fat raindrops had started to fall, and they were heavy enough to break through the leaves, and hit the forest floor.
Running into the forest had been a stupid idea.
At the time, her only thought had been to get away from Aiden and his friends, but she could have done that by running to Tristian’s, or getting into her car and driving away. Instead, she’d run into the forest surrounding the creek on the outer edge of the property, and now she wasn’t even sure she could find her way back.
Plus…bears.
Aiden had told her the history of the town’s name, and apparently black bear sightings were pretty common. The forest was safe, but that didn’t mean she didn’t need to exercise caution. Somehow, running off without paying attention to her surroundings didn’t seem to qualify.
God, she was stupid.
She should have just answered Zach’s question, but Aiden had been acting weird since she’d woken him up, and the fact that he hadn’t seemed to want her to go to Zach’s had hurt more than she wanted to admit.
I guess I’m going to have to move out sooner than later.
Moving wasn’t a shock, she’d come to that conclusion before she’d gotten out of bed earlier, but the timeframe was sooner than she’d expected, and Aiden’s sudden indifference made her heart ache.
I guess our friendship is over.
Tears filled her eyes, and this time she let them fall.
The dark clouds blocked out what little light would have filtered through the trees, and the shadows from the trees made odd shapes on the forest floor. Fallen leaves, branches and dirt morphed into one continuous black blob that seemed impossible to penetrate.
The raindrops fell faster, landing in the darkness, and mimicking the lonely abyss she’d been fighting since her father died. There was no way out, especially now that Aiden had decided to let her go, and the pain of it all was too great. She buried her head in her arms, closed her eyes, and quietly wept.
A few minutes later, the sound of a twig breaking reminded her of the dangers lurking in the forest, and she looked up and came face to face with a bear.
Liddy immediately stiffened, but relaxed when she looked into his eyes. They were dark and hard, like Aiden’s, and she realized he was the same bear who had guarded her all night in the campground. He leaned forward, and she stayed perfectly still as he nuzzled her bicep.
His warm fur felt soft against her cold skin, and a rush of heat raced down her spine and settled in her core. Her pussy tingled and contracted, and goosebumps covered her exposed flesh. The reaction scared her to death until she realized she wasn’t reacting to the animal, she was reacting to what he represented.
When she looked in his eyes, she saw Aiden, and nothing more.
“You remind me of my Aiden,” she whispered, feeling the need to justify her response to his touch. “Well, he’s not mine, but…I’m sure you understand, or you would, if you could talk.”
His response was to lean forward and lick her arm.
His tongue touched the same spot he’d nuzzled before, and her reaction intensified, dampening her panties.
What the hell?!
“Stop that,” she squeaked, batting the air in front of his face. “You don’t want to eat me, bear. I might look tasty, but you’d be disappointed.”
She smiled as she repeated the words her ex had used after their first and only night together. The reason she’d decided to use them to fend off a bear attack was laughable, but they were the best she could come up with, especially after her odd reaction to the bear’s touch.
He wouldn’t care what she tasted
like between her legs as he tore her limb from limb.
In that moment, the wind picked up, and the raindrops fell faster. Liddy had seen enough storms to know the sky was about to open up and dump buckets of rain on them, so when the bear pushed on her thigh, and then took a few steps back like he wanted her to follow him, she did.
He moved fast, but not too fast that she couldn’t keep up, and within minutes they arrived at the opening to a cave. If she’d been walking alone, she would have missed the hideaway, and she doubted many people even knew it existed.
Great! He led me to his secret lair!
Now no one would hear her scream when he attacked.
Except…she didn’t really believe he wanted to cause her any harm.
Liddy ducked under the low, rocky overhang, and smiled when she found a battery-operated lantern hanging on a nail only visible from the inside. She pushed the button, and soft light filled the small, cozy space.
Outside, sheets of rain started to batter the landscape, and she smiled at the bear.
“Thank you.”
He nodded once, and a second later, the bear was gone and Aiden stood in his place, completely naked.
A myriad of emotions washed over her, including fear and shock, but desire beat them all as she ogled his smooth, taut skin, his heavily muscled form, and his thick, hard cock. Liquid heat soaked her panties, and she pressed her thighs together in an effort to stop the desperate spasms emanating from her pussy.
“You’re welcome,” he said, forcing her gaze upward.
Busted!
Her cheeks heated, but anger replaced her lust.
Fucking asshole!
She’d momentarily forgotten that all men sucked.
Damn it!
She turned her head to look out of the cave, and a second later Aiden’s hand wrapped around the spot where his bear had licked her bicep. His hold was firm, but yielding, and she could feel the heat from his body seeping into her skin.
“Don’t even think about it,” he said. “I meant you’re welcome for helping you find the cave, and nothing more. Although, I am glad that you like what you see. I’m going to put on a pair of pants, and then we need to talk.”