Catching Her Bear

by Vella Day

The case was closed, so Kalan saw no reason not to tell him something. “These two men claim they ordered a rare type of stone from your folks, called red sardonyx. Instead of selling it to them at the agreed price, they had Elana hold it while they tried to haggle for a higher fee.”

  Brian shook his head. “Assholes. I should be glad they sent me away. If I’d been raised by them, I’d be more fucked up than I already am.”

  Don’t comment.

  Kalan was thankful Elana hadn’t been emotionally damaged like Brian had been, and his admiration for her grew. “Here’s the thing that’s been bugging me. How did these men know you might have had the sardonyx they’d purchased?”

  “How do I know? I wouldn’t recognize the stuff if I saw it, and it’s not like my parents gave it to me for safekeeping. Fuck, they wouldn’t have given me their trash.”

  This wasn’t getting him anywhere. “I’m thinking you might have met these men, possibly on that first night at your parents. You said they had company.” Kalan pulled up the photo of Hank Melton from his phone and held it out. “Was he one of the men who came to your parents’ house?”

  “Yeah, that was him. He came with two others.”

  Bingo! There had been three. “Can you describe the other two?”

  He glanced to the side. “Not really. I was so frustrated and angry, I didn’t really pay attention.”

  “Did you shake hands with one of them?”

  Brian’s lip curled. “I guess. Why?”

  He wasn’t about to explain how that man might have transformed into a Brian look-alike, hoping to point a finger at him as the murderer. “Just wondering. Can you tell me anything about that man?”

  Brian stared as his feet and rubbed his fingertips together as if that would retrieve the memory. “He was big and he limped. That’s all, other than it didn’t look like he’d shaved in a while.”

  He’d be damned. Deanna Landon had gotten it right.

  Chapter Eighteen

  ‡

  Elana shifted her weight from side to side. “Brian really said he’d be here?”

  Kalan rubbed her shoulder. “When I asked Brian if he was willing to meet you, he said yes. Be patient. He’s not late yet.”

  She bet Kalan had to twist his arm to come. Elana’s pits were already damp and she had those stupid butterflies beating inside her. For twenty-seven years, she believed she’d been an only child, and now she was going to come face to face with a man who was her brother.

  Kalan stiffened when the front door opened and a man about five-foot nine walked in. With his hands in his pockets, his gaze bounced around, but Elana had no doubt this was Brian. Not only did they have the same blue eyes that were prevalent in the Stanley family, he had the same shaped face as her dad and their mom’s long nose.

  “Brian?” she said holding out her hand. “I’m Elana.”

  When he didn’t remove his hands from his pockets, she lowered her arm and bit back the disappointment. What had she been thinking? Did she really think he’d throw himself into her arms?

  Maybe.

  Instead, he just stared at her for a moment and then his shoulders seemed to relax. “I thought you’d look more like Mom. I’m glad you don’t.”

  His comment could have been worse. Her mother had been a very pretty woman though. Growing up, Elana had always wanted to look like her—at least she had until her teen years. “Want to sit down? I have a booth in back.”

  His gaze shot to Kalan. “He sitting with us?”

  Kalan held up a hand. “No. This is between you two.”

  The moment Kalan moved away from them, Elana’s heart beat faster. A ton of questions bombarded her as she led Brian to her booth in the back of the bar. Anna had been able to mind the store, giving Elana her one shot to connect with Brian before he left town.

  Elana slid in and Brian sat across from her. Not knowing what to do with her hands, she placed them on her lap. “Do you want to ask me any questions?”

  “Not sure what good it will do now, but yeah. Your cop friend said you had no idea I even existed. Is that true?”

  The pain radiating from his voice tore up her insides. “Not that I recall. I’m thinking it was so painful for them to have put you in the mental hospital that they kept quiet about it.” She wasn’t ready to address the possibility they sent away their first-born child because they were self-centered narcissists. To this day, she questioned why they had her if they knew they weren’t going to be spending much time at home. After learning what they had done with Brian, her confusion had increased.

  “Bullshit. Those fuckers didn’t give a shit about me.” He tapped his chest. “Their own son.”

  Sadly, that might have been true, but Elana pressed her lips together not wanting to make things worse. “When you were with them, did they go on trips and leave you with a different nanny each time?”

  He stilled, as if that might be a trick question. “Yes, all the time. My therapist said that was why I acted up. Sure, I had a chemical imbalance in my brain, which is why I have to take pills for being bipolar, but if I’d had loving parents, I wouldn’t have been so fucked up.”

  Her chest hurt for him. She didn’t know how to respond, so she reached out to take his hand, but he pulled away, which was as painful as a knife slicing through her heart. “I’m sorry.”

  “How did you survive?”

  In other words, why hadn’t she been sent away? “I met a girl in school who had a wonderfully supportive family. They helped me during the tough times. I’ve always considered them to be my true parents.”

  Brian leaned back in his seat, his face visibly relaxing. “You were lucky.”

  “I know.”

  Brian glanced over at Kalan who was speaking with Finn, Rye’s brother. “Is he your man?”

  Her man? Brian was probably asking if they were dating. “Yes. After our parents died, the department assigned him to be my bodyguard, and our feelings grew from there.”

  “Is he treating you okay?”

  Whoa. She never expected him to utter those possessive words—words that made her heart flutter. Her parents never asked if a guy she dated treated her well. “Yes. He treats me like a princess.”

  Elana wanted a drink, but so far none of the servers had come over to take their order. She suspected that Kalan told them to leave the two of them alone.

  “What are your plans now?” she asked.

  Kalan had told her Brian planned to go back to Ohio, but she hoped he’d want to visit again.

  “I’ll be returning home tomorrow. I have a job there.”

  How sad that she knew so little about him. “What do you do for a living?”

  “I work at a lumberyard.”

  “Sounds nice.” Assuming one loved the outdoors. Hopefully, he worked inside in the winter.

  They spent the next half hour talking about some of his childhood memories, most of which weren’t good. He did have one friend, Danny Reverlo, who made life bearable for a while, but he’d moved away when Brian was six.

  Her brother slapped his palms on the table indicating their time together was over. “I’m happy for you,” he said, sliding out of his seat. “You survived.”

  That she had. “Do you think you’ll be back?”

  “To Silver Lake? There’s nothing here for me.”

  His words hurt, but she totally understood why he’d think that since he’d only known her but a few minutes. “You have me.”

  “Sure.” That one word sounded hollow.

  Before Elana could stand and hug him goodbye, he turned and strode out of the bar. Tears burned her eyes, but she refused to cry. Meeting her brother had been a wonderful gift, and she needed to appreciate it for what it was. Would she have liked an emotional reunion with a promise they’d keep in touch? Sure. But Brian was too damaged.

  As soon as her brother left, Kalan strode over, helped her up, and then hugged her. “I think you made a difference.”

  He couldn’t know it, but his comme
nt soothed the ache. Elana held on for dear life, hugging him back. Not wanting to make a scene, she looked up at him. “I hope so.”

  “You hungry?”

  “Starving.” It was close to six and she’d skipped lunch.

  “If you don’t mind, I’d rather not eat here as it’s a bit noisy. How about we go to the Lake Steakhouse?”

  That was the most expensive restaurant in town. Normally, she would have suggested something cheaper, but her nerves were on edge, and a good meal with a quiet atmosphere would do wonders to calm her down. “I’d love that.”

  They hopped in his Jeep and headed south on Rivers Edge. A quick jog onto Oak took them to High Point Street where they parked. As they walked down the sidewalk to the restaurant, she reflected on today. To say it had been a rollercoaster of emotions would have been an understatement. Having Kalan stop by around noon had started her day off well—really well. The passionate kiss alone would have made a great diary entry.

  Then Izzy had stopped by. Not only had they discussed questions Elana had about this whole shifter-mating thing, her friend had offered to handle the details of her parents’ funeral. That alone lightened her burden. After a lengthy discussion, they both decided to have a small service with just her and the Bertas.

  For the rest of the afternoon, her shop had been swamped with customers, which kept her mind off of her problems and brought in the much-needed sales. However, what she really needed was some down time to absorb everything that had happened.

  Kalan opened the heavy wooden door to the restaurant, and the rich scent of beef and something sweet made her mouth water. The lights were low and most of the dark wooden booths sat vacant. Each table was covered with a white linen cloth, on top of which was a lit candle. It was very romantic. A large ethanol fireplace took up the middle of the room with booths surrounding it. To the left was the bar where she, Missy, and Teagan used to come for happy hour every week or two. Several glassed-in private rooms resided along the back wall, and on the east side was the open grill.

  As the hostess ushered them to a booth across from the fireplace, Kalan placed a hand on her back, reminding her once more how lucky she was to have him walk into her life. He then waited until she was seated before slipping in across from her.

  “What was it like to meet your brother?”

  “I don’t think it has sunk in yet. I mean, I’ve always wanted a brother or a sister, but Brian is still a stranger.”

  Kalan unraveled the silverware from the napkin and placed it on his lap. “Family isn’t always the one who has given birth to you.”

  “I couldn’t agree more.” Izzy, Missy, and Mr. and Mrs. Berta were her true family.

  “I know this might be too soon, but have you given any thought to what you’re going to do with the house?”

  Another weight dropped onto her shoulders. “I plan to sell it, as I never want to live there ever again.” She visibly shook.

  “Smart. I’m sure there are too many bad memories associated with that place.”

  “Definitely.” Their server stopped by, and Kalan ordered a beer while she asked for a Merlot. Elana didn’t want to discuss problems associated with the home. It was too depressing. “So tell me. Do you eat a lot of fish?” He was a bear after all. It shouldn’t really matter, but the more she understood about the bear culture, the better she’d feel.

  It took a few seconds for him to understand why she was asking before he cracked up laughing. “Because of my other persona?” He whispered the last word.

  “Yes. It’s a reasonable question.”

  “For your information, I like fish, chicken, beef, and everything else just like any normal man.”

  Sometimes, Kalan seemed more bear than man to her. “Besides that cute transformative trick you do, are you able to do anything similar to what Izzy can?” Izzy had trained her to use code words to describe the Wendayan talents. Elana would have to be just as careful in public if she had to discuss anything related to werebears.

  “I’m afraid not. Izzy transferred some of her talents to Rye, which means he can do some really cool things the rest of us can’t.”

  If Kalan ever decided to mate with her, he’d get nothing in return, which wasn’t really fair to him. Perhaps that was why he hadn’t bitten her.

  Don’t dwell on that. I need to be thankful he’s with me now.

  Once their drinks arrived, Kalan held up his glass. “May your life be smooth sailing from here on out.”

  “Wouldn’t that be nice.” She sipped her wine then set it down. “I don’t think I told you that the men working on my apartment said they’d be finished in a few days.”

  “That’s great.” His voice sounded cheerful, but his eyes had darkened.

  In the short time she’d come to know him, it seemed that his eyes changed color depending on his mood. Super excited, and they were amber; angry, and his eyes turned a forest green. Right now they bordered on the dark side.

  If he didn’t want her to move back to her apartment, he should say something. Stupid man.

  Their server came for their dinner order. She ordered a steak, and Kalan picked out the salmon. She swore he did it just to mess with her mind. Elana was bursting with so many more questions about what it was like to be a shifter, how old he was when he first shifted, and did it hurt when he changed shape—but a restaurant wasn’t the place to discuss those kinds of things. Besides, Kalan seemed a little distracted, so she sipped her wine and waited for their meal to arrive.

  “I’d like you to move in with me,” Kalan said out of the blue.

  “Excuse me?”

  “I know the danger is mostly over, but I’d feel better if you stayed with me. You’re too alone above your shop.”

  As she studied the color of his eyes, his lips twitched on one side. What did that mean? His motive for asking remained a mystery. Was it merely his protective instinct that made him ask, or did he really want to give the two of them a chance to learn about each other and fall in love?

  “Why?”

  “It’s obvious isn’t it?”

  Because I’m your mate? “Not to me.”

  He leaned forward, planted his elbows on the table, and then glanced around, probably to make sure no one was listening. “I can’t think straight when I’m away from you. You dominant my every thought.”

  It took a moment to unravel the double negative. “Because you’re worried about me?”

  “Yes, I’m worried about you, but it’s more than that. You are like my compass, helping me focus on what’s important.”

  He dragged a hand down his head, probably to smooth the wisps of hair that had escaped the band. Failing to tame his beautiful locks, he ripped off the tie and his hair fell about his shoulders. She could watch him do that move a hundred times a day and not grow tired of it.

  “What exactly is important to you?” She didn’t want to sound dense, but she needed to hear the words.

  “You are. I want to be with you. It’s not just about the sex either,” he whispered. “It’s how I feel when I’m with you. I’m more alive than I’ve ever been before.”

  That worked for her. “Then I say yes!”

  Chapter Nineteen

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  After their huge meal at the Lake Steakhouse, Kalan insisted they stop at the grocery store for some brownie mix. The whole idea of baking something together really appealed to her, but it would mean Elana would have to do something later about cutting back on all those extra calories.

  With a bag full of ingredients in hand, he opened his front door and motioned she go in first.

  “Your dad told me you didn’t know how to cook.”

  His eyes widened. “Are you kidding me? Didn’t I make the best hot dogs on this side of the lake?”

  She laughed. “You did. Perhaps you should cook something for him and show him.”

  He tapped her nose then set the bag on the counter. “I just might.”

  “What can I do to help?”

 
“First, I need to read the instructions on the box.” He removed it from the bag and as he read the ingredients out loud, she organized them on the counter then turned on the stove.

  Together, they located the bowl and mixer. It didn’t take long to make the batter and then grease the dish. Before she had the chance to put the bake pan in the heated oven, Kalan stuck his finger in the batter and licked it. “Yum.”

  As long as he had a taste, she wanted one too. She scooped up two fingers full of the mix, but before she even opened her mouth, Kalan leaned over and sucked it off her fingers. Instant heat soared through her at that action, flooding her system with hormones.

  “That’s not fair. That was my taste.”

  He grinned. “I’ll give you your taste.”

  He stepped back, unzipped his trousers, and then stepped out of them. Elana was speechless at the huge bulge in his briefs. The man seemed to be in a perpetual state of arousal. Izzy’s words came back to her about the effect a mate had on her man. Holy shit. To think they weren’t even mated yet. Heaven help her if he ever bit her.

  Hooking his fingers in his briefs, he kept his gaze on her face as he eased them down—inch by excruciatingly slow inch.

  “Need help?” She licked her lips, hoping he’d get the hint.

  “In a moment. The animal in me wants you too fucking much right now.”

  She planted her hands on her hips. “I want the man in you to want me.”

  “Oh, baby, he wants you more.”

  Kalan knew how to sweet-talk her. Once he’d discarded his briefs, he reached over to the brownie mix and swiped a large glob then slathered it on his cock.

  “That’s what I’m talking about,” she said.

  “Fair’s fair. Since I stole your lick, how about tasting this?”

  Uh-oh. His eyes turned a golden hue and his eyeteeth poked out of his mouth, but she had to trust his bear wouldn’t escape.

  As if she were bobbing for apples, Elana clasped her hands behind her back and leaned over. The scent of chocolate had her salivating. Not wanting the batter to drip, she began her adventure at the base of his cock and licked upward.