by Bianca D'Arc
“You designed this yourself?” she asked, not quite believing it. This house should be on the cover of a design magazine.
“Every beam and every brick,” Brody said, and she heard the hint of pride in his voice. He should be proud. What she could see of it was amazing.
“Wow.” She moved farther into the giant living room, which fronted the house, probably to take advantage of the awesome view.
“So you like it?” He seemed unsure.
“Like it?” She turned to meet his gaze. “Brody, this place is like nothing I could have imagined. It’s ingenious. I love it.”
Hearing her sincere approval of his efforts did something to Brody. It was like a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders, and a smile started inside his heart, working its way outward. She liked the den he had built for his mate.
Oh, he hadn’t been consciously aware of it, at the time, but Brody had always had a little ray of hope, somewhere in the back of his mind, that he might find a mate to settle with after he put down roots in Grizzly Cove. He’d designed the house on a much larger scale than he’d need just for himself. He’d also put in every modern convenience a woman—or a growing family—could need. And safety had never been far from his mind. The entire back half of the house could be sealed off like a fortress if attack came from the open front half, and there was even a secret tunnel escape route if they got trapped in the underground section.
He’d tried to think of everything. He had put a lot of effort into both the design and the construction. This was his home, and he would hate to have to leave it, but he would, if his mate didn’t approve.
Whoa. There was that word again. Mate.
Why was it that he kept thinking about a permanent arrangement when it came to Nell? She was human, which would make life difficult, but she was also so…incredibly perfect. Maybe the shifter mate he’d always envisioned in his life wasn’t meant to be. Maybe he was meant to have a human mate. Oddly, the notion didn’t bother him as much as he thought it would. Not when the human woman in question was Nell.
For her, he’d do just about anything. She was delicate, so he’d have to temper his more animalistic tendencies, but his bear was starting to think of her in mate terms too, so it wanted to protect her. If the bear decided she was it, then the human half of his nature wouldn’t argue. His human side had been attracted to her from the very beginning. It was the bear that had reserved judgment.
And now, the bear was puffing out Brody’s chest, proud that the small woman liked the den he had built.
“Come on back to the kitchen. We’ll just get the grill started, and I’ll put the steaks on,” he said, focusing on the task at hand.
He’d invited her over for dinner. He would make sure he actually served the food before he lost complete control and pounced on her. It was the least he could do.
The kitchen was in the front part of the house that stuck out from the hillside. It was off to the left side and had a door that led to an outdoor deck that was secluded by pine trees and the surrounding forest. There was a wooden table and chairs out there Brody had carved from tree trunks and stained to match the environment. He’d spent many evenings out on this deck, from which he could see the front of his property through the screen of branches but remain hidden from view.
“It’s like a hidden grotto out here,” Nell observed as he led her outside.
He’d left her shopping bag on the kitchen island before heading out to light the grill. If he didn’t get the fire going, it would be a long wait for those steaks he’d promised her.
“I eat out here most of the time,” Brody admitted, rolling back the wooden cover he’d made to camouflage the giant grill that was his pride and joy.
“Wow,” Nell said, peering at the propane-powered colossus that filled the back of the deck. “That’s some grill.”
Brody beamed. “One of my little indulgences,” he admitted. “Bears like meat, and my human side likes it cooked to perfection. This grill is the compromise, so I went all out to get the best one I could afford when I built this place. I cook out here almost every night.”
“What about when it rains?” This part of the country received a lot of rain, but he’d come up with a way around that too.
“Behold,” he said, like a showman, as he pressed a button and the canopy he had painstakingly designed deployed to cover the deck.
“That is so cool,” Nell whispered as she looked up to admire the dark green canopy he had rigged so that any rain would slide off to either side, away from the house. It kept the deck and grill area dry while not cutting them off from the night air or the view. She turned back to look at him. “You’ve really thought of everything. I’m impressed.”
Brody couldn’t resist. He leaned down to steal a kiss.
The taste of her mouth was like ambrosia to a starving man. Honey and light. Sweetness and life.
Brody lifted her in his arms and seated her on the wooden table, moving between her thighs. The feel of her soft body flowing around him made him tremble. How much better would it be when they were skin to skin and he could sink inside her tight warmth, learning the feel of her body taking him…accepting him?
He wanted that with every fiber of his being. He wanted to belong to her and have her belong to him. The human side was totally on board with that concept, but the bear was still reserving judgment, though he was starting to see the merits of having a soft human woman share his den. She would bring laughter and wonder…and cubs.
Even if she could never run with him in the woods and hunt by his side in bear form, he would have cubs to teach and play with. Young to raise and love. His mate would love them, and he would love her. They would make a family. The bear approved of that idea wholeheartedly.
“Brody.” His name was a whispered plea on her lips, driving his passions higher.
He lowered his lips to her throat, nipping a little, enjoying her flutters and the squeak when he pushed a bit too hard. He drew back, meeting her gaze.
“I’m sorry. We should eat first.” He stepped away, though it was one of the hardest things he had ever had to do.
“First?”
He had turned away but looked back at her to gauge her reaction. Her tone had been flirty. The look on her face was…daring. She was smiling, and one eyebrow was raised in question.
“Uh…” He cleared his throat. “I mean…”
Nell hopped off the table and walked slowly over to him, placing her right hand over his racing heart. She was still smiling, and he wasn’t entirely sure he knew what to make of her expression. She looked…confident, as if she knew something he didn’t. Hell, she probably did. Women were mysterious creatures, and Nell was a prime example of her species.
“It’s okay, Sheriff, I know what you mean.” She tapped her fingers over his heart playfully, and his breathing hitched. “As it happens, I think we’re thinking along the same lines.” She stepped back when he would have given in to his instincts and reached for her. “I’d like my steak medium well,” she said brightly, and it was some time before he could make his brain work again, and figure out that she had just placed her dinner order, as it were.
So much for thinking along the same lines, he thought sadly. But he had promised her dinner, and it looked like she was hungry, so he would feed her. And bask in her presence.
He liked having her in his home. She added a liveliness to the place that didn’t normally exist.
“I’ll just go get the steaks,” he said, heading back into the kitchen after lighting the grill.
She followed on his heels, going straight for her shopping bag. The bag was full of plastic food boxes, which she unpacked neatly, and he realized as they worked in the kitchen together that she’d brought way more than just a fresh salad.
“What is all that?” he asked, unable to contain his curiosity.
“Just a few other things you can put on that massive grill to go with the steaks. It all came from our garden.”
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��Seriously?” His jaw practically dropped when she opened and unwrapped savory green and red peppers, sweet potatoes, zucchini, and what looked like a small gourd or squash of some kind. “That can all go on the grill?”
She smiled up at him. “Give me a little corner of that rack, and I’ll show you what can be done with roasted veggies.” The largest plastic bowl did, indeed, contain the promised salad. She’d also brought a bottle of homemade dressing. “I hope you like raspberry vinaigrette.”
“Bears love berries,” he answered, his stomach rumbling a bit in anticipation. Usually the bear inside him was placated by meat, but it craved sweet things too, which is why he often stopped in at the bakery for a slice of pie or a honey bun. “In fact, there’s a wild patch a short way up the hill. I go there sometimes, when the berries are ripe,” he found himself admitting.
He had never told anyone about his private berry patch and felt a little foolish for doing so. Rolling around in a berry patch in his fur was one of his sweetest memories of childhood. His mother would take him out in the forest behind their home and forage with him. Those were some of the best days he could remember as a child.
“You know, you could probably cultivate more berries up here.” She looked around as they stepped back onto the deck. “Berries love this volcanic soil and climate. I bet I could get blueberries, blackberries, even raspberries to grow here.”
He liked the sound of that. More than the berries, he liked the idea that she would even consider nurturing the land around his home and making things grow. She had a giving nature and both his human and bear side liked it. A lot.
They worked side by side at the grill for a while. She grilled her vegetables, teaching him a thing or two, while he took care of the steaks. Before long, they had full plates and, not long after that, full bellies. They’d eaten her salad, then followed that with the steaks and veggies. All in all, it was one of the most memorable meals Brody ever had in this house.
“How long have you lived here?” Nell asked as they lingered over the dessert she had also brought in her shopping bag of tricks.
“Not too long, really. About two and a half years,” Brody admitted. “The town sort of sprang up overnight once Big John told us his plans. We all pitched in, and we got some help with the legal side from the shifter leaders. We call them the Lords. They have connections in every state and in the federal government.”
“Bears in the government?” she asked with a teasing smile.
“Actually, they’re werewolves, but it’s the same concept.”
“Werewolves?” she repeated the word incredulously. “Like in the old movies?”
“Not really. They turn into wolves, just like I turn into a bear. Technically, you could call me a werebear, or weregrizzly, but I like just plain ol’ shifter better.” He thought about the old movie creatures and tried to give her a more complete answer. “There is a battle form though, which is probably where those old movies got their start. It’s the halfway point between human and wolf—or human and bear—that is a bit of both, and it’s pretty effective for fighting, if you can hold it. Only the strongest of us can hold the shift in the middle for any length of time. As youngsters, we practice it, and it helps us figure out the hierarchy of strength and dominance.”
“The whole concept is kind of fascinating,” she said, making him glad he had tried to explain things for her. “And I’ll admit, it’s a little scary too.”
He didn’t like that.
“You don’t ever have to be afraid of me, Nell. I would never hurt you, no matter what form I’m in. Even if my instincts are sharper as the bear, I’m still me. I still think and feel and know what I’m doing.”
She paused, and he held his breath, but then, she met his eyes. “I’m not too worried about you, per se, Brody. It’s the others. I don’t know all of them, and I worry for my sisters. What if they say or do the wrong thing? A regular guy who wasn’t very nice might get abusive, but what would happen if a guy who had the strength of a bear got angry?”
“I won’t lie. We’re stronger and more dangerous than the average human man. For one thing, we can sprout claws and sharp teeth, and we don’t shy away from using them. But we’re also somewhat better at curbing our baser instincts. Shifters have been living in secret among humans for centuries. Millennia, even. And for the most part, we’ve been able to fly under the radar. We couldn’t have done that if we had poor impulse control.” He wanted her to be sure about him and about the other bears in town. He didn’t want her to be afraid. “And even before you moved in, Big John read everyone the riot act about how you and your sisters were to be treated. Bear society might not be as hierarchical as say, the wolves, but the Alpha’s word is still a law. Until that silly koala rolled into town yesterday, you and your sisters were not to be told—or shown—the truth about us.”
“But how could we have lived here for any length of time without the truth coming out?” Nell wanted to know.
Brody sighed. “John had you vetted carefully. He seemed to think that, if you did find out, you weren’t the kind of people who would go running to the tabloids. But the whole thing was supposed to be a test run, to see if we could let more humans into the neighborhood and live among them without anybody being the wiser.”
Nell sat back in her chair, thinking. “Well, until yesterday, it was working. I had no idea.”
“Yeah, I know.” He had to smile. “It was killing me, you know? I wanted to be able to talk to you. To ask you out. But I didn’t want to start anything unless you knew the full story about me. Yesterday sort of untied my hands, and in a way, I should be thankful to that damn troublesome Aussie.”
Nell looked kind of…angelic, in that moment. The lighting on the deck was dim and yellow, to keep down the bugs. They were sitting on the same side of the table, closest to the grill. It didn’t take much to lean forward in his chair and kiss her.
She didn’t resist. In fact, she leaned closer to meet him. And then, the fire truly started. He lifted her out of the chair and positioned her on the clear end of the large wooden table, taking his place between her thighs as he had before.
He kissed her deeply, enjoying the taste of her, the feel of her soft curves against him. He liked the way her hands moved over his body, almost petting, clenching when he did something she liked, the little rounded, human nails digging into his skin through the fabric of his shirt.
And then, her fingers were undoing the buttons of that shirt, and his breath caught. She seemed so eager. Was she ready for what he had in mind? Did she want him like he wanted her? Would she let him go all the way? Was she ready for the consequences?
What if she really was his mate?
Chapter Eight
The thought stilled him. Brody lifted his lips from hers and moved back a tiny bit so he could meet her eyes.
“I want you to know…” He paused to catch his breath. “There’s a very real possibility that if we do this, I’ll want to keep you.”
The way her eyes lit up made his heart clench.
“What if I want to keep you too?” Nell countered after a moment’s pause.
“Honey, if you’re my mate, you won’t be able to get rid of me.” He needed to make her understand. “And that’s the truth. Mating is for life among shifters. So if you’re not sure about this…”
Goddess, he was going to kill himself later for being so noble. But if she really wasn’t sure and wanted out… He had no choice. He had to let her go if she asked. His honor demanded no less.
“How will you know if I’m your mate?” she asked, her fingers running up and down his arms in a playful way that made him want to growl.
“Once we make love, my inner bear will either want to claim you or be indifferent. If the bear is indifferent, there’s not much the human side can do about it.” He had to be brutally honest with her. She deserved the truth.
“So it’s all or nothing?” He didn’t like the way her eyes shifted to the side. That she wouldn’t meet his
gaze told him something.
“It would never be nothing. Not between us.” He stroked a strand of her hair back to tuck behind her ear. “I admire you. I think you’re amazing in almost every way, Nell. I just want to be honest with you. I value the truth, and you deserve it. I wanted you to know that if, and when, the bear gets a taste of you and decides he likes it, there’s no turning back. If the bear recognizes you as his mate, it’s for life, so I wanted you to be forewarned.”
“How likely is it?” she whispered shyly.
Brody stifled a growl at her unconsciously sexy tone. “I think it’s very likely.”
“So mates means…what? Is that like, you’d want to marry me?” She sounded so hopefully unsure it was kind of a turn on.
“Mating is more than marriage. It’s forever. It means everything a human marriage does and more. Like building a family together, if that’s what fate has in store.”
“Children?” She seemed happily surprised. “Would they be like you? Little bears?”
“Probably,” he admitted. “Either way, they’d be loved.” He sensed her approval of his words. “The thing is, mating is not something you can end with a legal document. When I say it’s forever, I mean forever. I could never let you go, Nell.” He cupped her cheek in his palm. “You would be mine, and I would be yours. For the rest of our lives.”
“So…um…how does the bear know?” she asked, moving closer to him, almost breathing her words against his lips. “I mean, you’ll be human when we…um…”
He thought he knew what she was driving at, so he helped the conversation along. “I will only make love to you in my human form, since you are human. Frankly, doing it as a bear has its limitations, so I won’t miss it. Though it might be fun to play chase with you occasionally. The bear likes to hunt.”
Her eyes widened, but he didn’t let her talk anymore. The important things had been said, and she hadn’t run from him. No, she had stuck by him through the awkward revelations. She had seemed more intrigued and hopeful than fearful. There was nothing more to say. Now was the time for action.