Cole turned and looked his cousin in the eye. “If I told you what I was planning to do, you would feel responsible for the plan. If I failed, you would have blamed yourself. Dalton, should anything happen to me, you are the new Alpha. And you'll have to take care of those two.” He jerked his chin at Tony and Brad. “You won't be able to be a good Alpha if you have a ton of guilt sitting on your shoulders.” Cole gripped Dalton's shoulder. “As Beta, your job is to command your men and carry out your Alpha's order. You did that.”
Dalton nodded and blew out a rough breath. “If you weren't my cousin and my Alpha, I'd have punched you.”
Cole slapped his back. “You can punch me some other time. Now get the clan home. I have to go home to my mate.”
“What?”
“What did he just say?” Tony scrambled up and yelled.
“Mate, he said mate.”
There were loud gasps as his clan crowded round excitedly.
“Cole has found his mate?”
“Really?”
Over his shoulder, Cole saw Brad staring at him with unblinking, hopeful eyes. He nodded and mouthed a 'yes' to his brother. Immediately a wide, impish grin split Brad's face. His baby brother was so happy for him.
“Is it that human lady we saw at his house earlier?”
“Did you see his mark on her?”
“I wasn't look for a mark. I was a-roarin' and a-revvin', getting ready to kick some Blood Shadow butt!”
“You're an idiot, you know that?”
“When are we going to meet Mrs Alpha?”
“Hey, how did you meet her, Alpha?”
As he loped off, Cole shouted over his shoulder, “Through that dating site we signed up for!”
A volley of questions were fired at him, followed by loud guffaws.
But Cole didn't stop to answer them. He had to get home to Abby.
His clan members gleefully hollered after him. “Dating site? We want to sign up too. Sign us all up, Alpha! The whole lot of us! Maybe we can get a group discount!”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Abby held her phone away from her ear and grimaced.
“You did what?” Terri's voice screeched over the phone.
Four pairs of dark, brown eyes looked up at her. Cole, his younger brother Brad, and his cousins Dalton and Tony were all crowded round the kitchen counter, huddled over a laptop. Cole had made them come round to his house so he could make them log in and spruce up their profiles on that dating site. And he wanted to make sure they read every single message they received.
“Abby's message was right at the bottom,” he'd told them. “I missed it completely. I don't want you to make the same mistake. You have to go through every message. You've got to hunker down, put in the effort, find your mate.”
“Yes, Alpha.” Dalton and Tony had rolled their eyes and groaned when they opened their inbox and saw the deluge of messages.
“We'll never finish this by dinner time,” they'd grumbled.
Tony had narrowed his eyes at Cole as he jerked his thumb at Abby. “You didn't have to hunker down and put in the effort. Your mate came looking for you, you lucky sod.”
Abby wasn't intimidated by Tony's loud voice and scowling demeanor. The big, grumpy werebear had been the first one to tell her gruffly, “Welcome to the family, sister.”
Abby gingerly put the phone back against her ear. “I took a bus to Moonstone Creek, and I met him,” Abby repeated to her best friend.
“You should have called me. I'd have gone with you! Do you...”
“You were away,” Abby cut in quickly. “I'm here, and I'm fine, aren't I? Don't worry, Terri. Cole is a great guy. I've met his clan, his family. In fact, they're standing behind me in the kitchen right now.”
“You said Cole is a bear shifter,” Terri said slowly.
“Yes. He's the Alpha of the Nightfire clan.”
“You've had sex with him?”
“Terri!”
“Has he marked you?”
“What...”
“Abby,” her friend said seriously. “I've dated plenty of shifters. I know that shifters love sex. Heck, who doesn't? But they only mark their mates. And once you're marked, that's it. You're mated, bonded, bound—for life! There's no escape, Abby.”
“I don't want to escape. I love him, Terri!”
There was a collective intake of breath behind her. Abby glanced over her shoulder and saw Dalton, Tony and Brad staring at her with a mixture of surprise, delight and approval on their faces. They grinned and clapped Cole on the back.
Abby turned away quickly so they wouldn't see her blushing. Cupping her hand over the phone, she whispered, “He's my mate, Terri. I never thought I'd find Mr Right, but I did. I found him. And yes, I'm marked and mated, and I've never been happier.”
There was a pause, and Abby could picture her friend frowning and shaking her head. She heard the clicking of keyboard keys and she heard Terri muttering to herself as she typed something furiously.
“Terri, what are you doing?” she hissed.
“I'm getting ordained.”
“What?”
“I'm getting myself ordained over the internet,” Terri announced and Abby could hear the smile in her voice. “It's Saturday morning now. Hmm, it says here that I'll receive my certificate in a few hours. Great! I'll print out my certificate and catch the evening bus out to Moonstone Creek. You may be mated, my friend, but you'll be getting married too. I'll be officiating at your wedding. This evening. You have...exactly eight hours to prepare for your wedding. Wear something nice. See you at six!”
Abby spluttered but Terri had already hung up.
Slowly, she turned around and gasped as she met the wall of Cole's broad chest. She blinked up at him and opened and closed her mouth wordlessly. “I...I'm getting...” she managed at last.
“Married,” Cole finished for her. “I know. I heard.”
She blew out a shaky breath. “Terri has...”
“The right idea,” Cole answered with a smile. “She is right. We should get married, properly, the human way. It's only right. My mate is human. And I'm honored to have your friend officiate at our wedding.”
Cole turned around, but Dalton had already whipped out his phone. “I'm on it,” Dalton grinned. “The clan will get everything ready by six.”
Abby gulped. “I...have nothing to wear.”
“Don't worry about it,” Brad said. “I know the guys are going to mobilize their mates, sisters, mothers, aunts, grandmothers, all their females to help. Everyone loves a wedding. The females will get you ready.”
“I'm pretty handy with a makeup brush myself,” Tony deadpanned.
Abby cocked a brow at him. “In that case, I'll put you in charge of my makeup.”
Tony paled. “I...”
“She called your bluff,” Brad chortled. “She's a smart one.”
“Make yourself useful, boys.” A harried-looking Dalton snapped at Brad and Tony. “Go call up some bridal shops and drive Abby down to try on the gowns. Call up some caterers as well. There's a lot to do. Go, go, go!”
“Yes, Beta!” Tony and Brad snapped to attention.
“I'll drive her,” Cole offered.
“No!” His brother and cousins shouted together.
“It's bad luck for the groom to see the bride in her wedding dress before the ceremony!”
“Human tradition.”
“You've got to do it right,” Tony said severely.
Cole put up his hands. “Okay, okay. You guys take care of her.”
“Of course we will!” they answered huffily as if Cole had just insulted them.
Abby laughed. Excitement and happiness bubbled up in her. Everything was happening so fast, but everything was as it should be.
She had no time to feel overwhelmed, anxious or nervous. The doorbell started ringing, and members of the clan began arriving with sprightly grandmothers and great-grandmothers in
tow, all eager to see the bride and help get the young woman ready for her big day.
***
Cole stood under the arc that was adorned with dainty white flowers and tugged at the sleeve of his tuxedo. His large garden had been transformed into a paradise of flowers and ribbons. The she-bears had done a fantastic job, descending on his house in droves and getting everything ready in a matter of hours.
An elite force of grandmother bears had been assigned the all-important, covert mission of preparing and dressing the bride. They had hidden Abby away, and no one would tell him where she was.
Not even her best friend Terri.
He had managed to get Terri's contact number from Abby before she disappeared with the females, and he had driven out to the city to chauffeur her to Moonstone Creek. He had already gotten his tuxedo ready, and he wanted to thank Abby's friend for all she was doing for them.
He had to admit he liked Terri, even though she was relentless and ruthless in her interrogation. He had patiently answered all her questions during the two-hour drive. From her probing, incisive questions, Cole could tell that Terri genuinely cared for Abby. And anyone who loved his Abby was family as far as he was concerned.
Terri had been escorted to Abby's secret hideout by a trio of giggling she-bears. But when Cole attempted to follow them, their giggling stopped and their claws came out. He might be their Alpha, but they weren't letting him get past them to the bride.
Cole looked out at the crowd of happy, smiling faces. His entire clan was gathered here in his garden. They had all worked tirelessly the whole day, and no one would divulge the location of his bride or the design of her wedding dress. He suspected that the females had hidden her in Brad's house, but he knew better than to probe.
Everyone turned towards the porch as the door opened and Abby stepped out with Dalton.
The sight of his bride took his breath away.
Abby was beautiful, resplendent in an off-shoulder white down. Her sheer veil and train were decorated with delicate pink hearts and glittering crystals which caught the light of the setting sun.
There were gasps and sniffles as Dalton escorted her down the row of smiling werebears. Cole stared at her, marveling at how lucky he was.
He was getting married, to the most beautiful, perfect woman in the world.
Dalton handed his bride over to him with a wink. Abby smiled at him shyly, and when he reached out to touch her veil, Terri cleared her throat and glared at him.
Abby giggled at her friend, who was dressed primly in a high-collared white blouse and a skirt which reached to her ankles. From the look on Abby's face, Cole suspected that this wasn't Terri's usual style of dressing.
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today...” Terri began solemnly, officiating her very first wedding with aplomb.
When Abby answered, “I do,” Cole's heart almost burst with pride and joy. She had declared her love and commitment to him before all these wonderful witnesses gathered in his home.
“You may kiss the bride.” Terri kept her stern, stiff demeanor right through that sizzling, passionate kiss. Then she whooped and clapped. “You're married!” She jumped down from the elevated platform and hugged Abby. “Oh my God, you're married! Congratulations! Gosh, you're such a beautiful bride!”
“Thank you, Terri, thank you!” Abby hugged her friend and jumped up and down with her.
Cole shook hands with Terri, and laughed as his clan members crowded round to congratulate him and tease him.
A long buffet table had been set up at the side of his garden. Everyone began to make their way to the table and load up their plates. His bears milled about, eating, talking and laughing.
Abby had her arm linked with Terri's and was chatting non-stop with all his clan members. She looked so lovely, happy and relaxed, completely comfortable and confident among his werebears.
Cole went up to his bride and kissed her hair. She turned and nuzzled his neck lovingly.
“I'll drive you back to your apartment to clear out your things. I'll pay your landlord an extra month's rent and we'll terminate your lease immediately. You're staying in Moonstone Creek, with me,” Cole said firmly.
“You can give me a lift back to the city at the same time,” Terri cut in. “Beats taking the bus.”
“But of course...” Cole smiled at her.
“I'll drive her.”
They turned to see Tony standing on the porch, leaning against a pillar. He spoke to the group in general, but his eyes were fixed on Terri.
Cole turned to Terri and asked, “You okay with that?”
Terri shrugged. “Is he a good driver?”
Tony pushed off the pillar and came right up to Terri. “The best,” he growled.
“We'll see about that,” Terri smirked.
As Terri and Tony traded taunts and dares, Cole pulled his bride away for a minute. He had been apart from her the whole day, and he wanted to be alone with her for a while.
“I missed you,” he said, enfolding her in his arms.
“I missed you too,” she whispered with a sigh. “But they said you shouldn't see me before the ceremony.”
Cole chuckled. “They sure did a good job guarding you.”
“They did. They were great. Look at me. My dress, my makeup, my hair...they transformed me into a beautiful bride!”
Cole held her firmly by the shoulders. “You are beautiful, Abby.”
She blushed as he kissed her.
“I love you, Abby. When I said 'I do', I meant it. I take my wedding vows very seriously. I will forever love and cherish you, hold you and protect you, want you and hunger for you,” he said, his voice low and deep as he pulled her closer.
Abby gasped as she felt the hard, throbbing evidence of his want and hunger. Cole growled and swept her up in his arms. When she squealed, he heard laughter and applause behind him. Cole turned to see his clan gathered round and craning their necks to watch their Alpha carry his bride over the threshold and into his house.
Cole leaned in and kissed his bride long and hard. His bears cheered and whistled, egging him on. Without a backward glance, he carried Abby into the house and up the stairs to his bedroom.
“Cole!” Abby squeaked. “Everyone...”
“They'll continue to party without us,” he assured her. “But I would like to start my party now.” He growled and grabbed her, tumbling her onto the bed.
“I want my wife,” Cole said, covering her mouth with his.
Abby melted beneath him, her body undulating as he deepened his kiss. Her hands slid down his back to his hips. She pressed him hard against her and moaned, “And I want my husband.”
As Cole tugged the zipper at the side of her wedding dress down, Abby sighed happily, contentedly and stretched her arms over her head.
Cole laced his fingers through his mate's, and they kissed again, their hearts and bodies joined in a slow, sweet, loving dance.
~ End ~
About the Author
Natalie Kristen is a writer who enjoys mixing the sweet with the spicy, the light with the dark, the possibilities with the unimaginable. She enjoys exploring paranormal and dystopian worlds, deep desires and inspiring romances. She is hopelessly addicted to coffee, chocolate, reading and writing. She loves to hear from readers so please feel free to follow her on Twitter and Facebook, or visit her blog for the latest news and updates.
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/NatalieKristenBooks
Blog:
nataliekristen.blogspot.com
Twitter:
@NatKristenBooks
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A Bride For The Bear (Bear Brides #1) Page 7