by Desiree Holt
The bear surged forward, unable to stand by and watch as she turned away from them. “Don’t move.” He barely growled the words out before the bones in his jaw began to shift with an audible pop of sinew and bone. The remains of his shirt fluttered to the ground, and he had to shred the side seams of his jeans open as his claws split the ends of his fingers.
“Oh my God.”
Too far gone to be able to respond to Harriet’s shocked exclamation, Tobias dropped to his knees, writhing and arching as his body defied all known laws of nature and reshaped itself from man to animal. It always hurt, but shifting was a part of him, and he embraced the pain as part-and-parcel of the gift.
He shook his head to settle his fur into place then sat on his rump, trying his best to look harmless—easier said than done when you were three hundred pounds of scary looking fur and claws. Like most shifters, his animal form was larger than the natural equivalent, and he topped eight feet when he stood on his back legs.
Tobias lowered his chin on his front paws and fixed his eyes Harriet. She stood halfway down the steps, as though she’d started to run toward him before the shock froze her in place. At least she hadn’t run screaming for the shotgun cabinet. Keeping as low to the ground as possible, he inched forward. She dropped to the step beneath her, sitting down with a bump hard enough to bruise. He paused, not sure whether to move closer or back away. Frustration at being unable to communicate effectively gnawed at him. Another shifter would be able to read and interpret his body language, but without words, he couldn’t do anything other than watch and wait to see what she did.
Harriet raised a tentative hand toward him and Tobias checked himself hard. Rushing forward now would blow their chances. Slowly, slowly, he edged closer, until his snout rested on the lowest step between her splayed feet. Lighter than a breeze, her fingers brushed through the thick fur on top of his head, and Tobias released a sigh of relief.
“How is this possible?” He raised his head at her bewildered question and she shied away. Damn it. Tobias shuffled backward, retreating to the very edge of the faint circle cast by the porch light. The bear yielded, allowing Tobias to summon his human shape. Sweat coated his limbs and a dull ache throbbed throughout his body, a hangover from shifting back so quickly.
He halved the distance between them, needing to read the truth in her eyes. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. No. I don’t know.” She shook her head with a laugh. “I’d say this is a dream, but my wildest imagination isn’t capable of conjuring something like this.” Her eyes scanned his naked body, and his cock lengthened in response. Her gaze skipped away, then returned again. “I’m not sure what to say.”
Tobias drew a deep breath. “I’m still me, Harriet. I’m the same man who’s worked side-by-side with you these past weeks. Still the man who wakes with a smile on his face at the thought of seeing you, the one who lies in bed at night aching for you.”
He risked a step closer to her. “You’re right about a commitment issue, but it isn’t what you think. Shifters mate for life, Harriet. My bear is certain you are our mate, and I know I’ve never felt like this before. Everything inside me is screaming at me to claim you.”
She stared up at him, eyes wide as saucers. “You say ‘my bear’ as though it is the most natural thing in the world.”
He shrugged. “It is to me.”
“I suppose it is. And if we mate—” she hesitated over the word. “If we mate,” she repeated in a stronger tone, “you would consider us married?”
He shook his head. “Marriage is a breakable bond. Mating isn’t. My bear won’t ever let me leave you, Harriet. We will be bound together until one of us passes. If you die, I’d likely pine and follow you soon after.” Even with their extended life span, a shifter couldn’t survive the loss of a true mate. Joining with Harriet would reduce his life expectancy to whatever time was left to her. One thing was certain. He’d rather lose those extra years than be without her, though.
“I see.”
Not exactly a positive response. The bear growled inside him, tired with the hesitation of his human half. He wanted to close the distance between them, sweep Harriet up and cart her to bed until she surrendered her body and her heart to them forever. He couldn’t do it though. She needed to make the choice with a clear mind. “It’s a lot to take on, I know. I’ll leave you to think about it. Whatever you choose, I’ll respect.” Even if it kills me.
He bent to gather his boots and the shredded remains of his clothing. Making himself take the first couple of steps toward the bunkhouse required superhuman effort, and the bear resisted him with all his might. Tobias forced one foot in front of the other. He’d never lost control in the nearly eighty years he’d walked the earth, and he’d be damned if he would do so now.
“Stay with me.”
The bear’s roar of triumph drowned out the wild thump of his pulse in his ears. Leaving his boots and clothing scattered in his wake, Tobias sprinted across the yard and snatched Harriet off her feet. He thundered up the steps, through the house and into her bedroom, tumbling them both across the patchwork quilt. Harriet’s bright, breathless laughter echoed around the room, as he fumbled with the delicate pearl buttons on her pajamas.
Laughter gave way to a soft moan as his mouth found the soft undulation of her breast; surged to a cry of exultation when he parted her flesh and buried himself to the hilt in the blissful depths of her body. Surrendered finally to tears as they came together in a wash of heat and whispered promises of love.
Tobias held her close, uncaring of the sweat sticking their bodies together. His bear had staked his claim and nothing would persuade the animal to release his new mate any time soon. She muttered about needing a shower, but he distracted her from the idea with sweet kisses until she surrendered with a sigh and welcomed him deep within her body once more.
The combination of their scents twined through his senses, headier than the finest wine. She was theirs now and always, would carry his marker for all shifters to know. He lifted her left hand and placed his lips against her ring finger. She would wear a more conventional symbol to warn off human males too, just as soon as he could get her in front of a minister.
Chapter 10
The scents of frying bacon and coffee dragged Harriet into consciousness. Coarse hair prickled her thighs from the thick leg thrust between them, and the fingers stroking idly over her breast moved with more purpose as she stirred. Tobias traced his lips across her shoulder, his soft kisses providing the perfect counterpoint to the insistent squeeze around her nipple. A shudder of desire rippled through her.
“Good morning.” His husky, sleep-roughened voice triggered another shiver as he pressed her more firmly into the mattress. He raised his knee between her legs, spreading her open as his hand strayed from her breast, over her belly and down to play in the wetness already gathering at her entrance.
“Good morning, your—oh!” she lost her train of thought when he slid a finger deep inside, sending a throb through her tender flesh.
“Too sore, sweetheart?” He would have withdrawn his hand, had she not clamped her fingers around his wrist and held him in place. Already the ache was easing, replaced by a slow burn. One night in his arms and he’d trained her body to respond instantly to his touch.
“Don’t stop.” Releasing his wrist, she tangled their fingers together, showing him the exact pressure she needed against her clit.
The rough stubble on his jaw tickled her cheek as he pressed their heads together. She turned to meet his eye, found his focus not on her face, but fixed on the motion of their joined hands working between her thighs. “That’s so fucking hot, sweetheart,” he muttered.
A cupboard in the kitchen banged. “Oh, God,” she squeaked, putting two-and-two together. If Tobias was still in bed with her, that left only one person in the kitchen. “Stop it,” she hissed, trying to shrug out from beneath his weight. Her less-than-convincing struggles ceased when he thrust his hips forward, slidin
g his cock through the slick wetness of her pussy. “Okay, but make it quick,” she conceded.
“Wow, darlin’, you sure know how to make a man feel special.” Tobias chuckled. He unhooked their hands and grabbed her waist, lifting her easily until he had her on her knees in front of him. “Better get your face in that pillow, Harriet, ‘cos I’m gonna make you scream.” He’d barely uttered the warning before he was balls deep and pulling back for another thrust. She grabbed her pillow and stuffed it against her mouth, groping with the other hand for the carved wooden headboard as he surged forward. He held her still in a bruising grip, and she surrendered to his control, riding the endless waves of short, hard thrusts as he powered into her again and again, until he delivered on his promise.
They’d just stepped out of the shower when a thump sounded outside the bedroom door. “I fetched you some clothes, Tobias,” Clyde called through the wood. “I don’t know what happened in the yard last night, don’t wanna know, to be honest, but the last thing I need is your naked ass putting me off my breakfast. Hurry up now, you two, eggs are getting cold.”
Harriet covered her face in her hands, losing the towel wrapped around her body in the process. “Tell me that didn’t just happen.”
Tobias dropped the clothing he’d retrieved from the hallway and wrapped his hands around her, tugging her tight against him. “That didn’t just happen.” His big hands engulfed her butt, and he gave it a cheeky squeeze. “Can’t see what Clyde’s complaining about, I could definitely go for some naked ass with my breakfast.”
She peeked through her now splayed fingers and sighed at the shit-eating grin on his face. “I might have thought twice about this mating thing if I’d known you had such a terrible sense of humor.”
Holding her weight easily with one arm around her waist, he used his free hand to tug hers away from her face. “Too late, sweetheart. You’re stuck with me.” He planted a hot kiss on her lips, leaving her panting for breath and very happy to be stuck.
Breakfast proved marginally less embarrassing than she expected. Tobias and Clyde were deep in conversation when she slipped into her seat and surveyed the delicious plate laden with bacon, eggs, and a side of hash-browns. “Coffee?” Tobias paused to ask and she smiled in thanks, raising her hands to accept the cup he extended toward her. He skimmed the back of his finger across her cheek before sliding easily back into the discussion over the day’s schedule.
Clyde drained his cup and pushed his empty plate forward. “So, you two are together now?”
Harriet jerked her head up to find two sets of eyes fixed upon on her. Heat rose in her cheeks at the possessive smile playing on Tobias’ lips. Smug bastard. The pleasant ache between her thighs reminded her he had every right to be. She stuck her tongue out, shocking a rumble of laughter from him, then turned her attention to Clyde. “Yes, we are.”
“Good. That’s good.” The old man nodded. “Well, this day isn’t getting any longer, time to get to work.”
Tobias insisted on helping her tidy the kitchen despite her protestations. It would take him half an hour to reach the current grazing and check the livestock, whereas, her own list of chores would keep her close to the house, but he ignored her protestations. He loaded the dishwasher and set the greasy pans soaking with a stubborn quietness, showing her what living with this man would be like. A partnership. Someone who didn’t just want to share her bed, but all the other minutiae of life as well. The weight of loneliness she’d carried since her father’s passing eased from her shoulders.
They strolled toward the barn together, so he could saddle his horse and she could start on her self-appointed tasks. Stables didn’t muck themselves out. Her father had always taken his turn at the dirtiest jobs, and she followed his example. Starlight had recovered from her illness with no lasting side-effects, but they’d been extra vigilant in checking the hay they used for both food and bedding. Tobias had sifted through the entire batch the tainted feed had come from, but there was no other trace of the alyssum or any other contaminants.
She followed him out to the yard, stretching on tiptoes to reach his kiss when he leaned forward in the saddle. “Don’t let Clyde do too much today, okay?” she asked.
“I won’t.” He adjusted the stirrup beneath his foot, then glanced at her from under the brim of his hat. “We’re going to have to talk to him about seeing the Doctor.”
She pressed her forehead against his knee and sighed. “I know.” Sadness threatened to swamp her, and she pushed it away with an effort at forced cheeriness. “He took the news about us a lot better than I expected.”
Tobias grinned. “Between you and me, I think Clyde was ready to do a little matchmaking if we’d danced around each other much longer.” His expression darkened. “Someone else isn’t going to take the news so kindly.”
Shane. She’d forgotten all about his bad behavior until then. She could already picture the upcoming conversation between them. He would apologize, and she would let him talk her around. It was how things between them worked. “He’ll be fine, he’s my friend, and he only wants the best for me.”
Tobias snorted. “He wants to be more than your friend, Harriet.” He straightened up and guided his mount around with a gentle tug on the reins. He cast a glance over his shoulder at her. “I don’t want to be a possessive asshole, but if he upsets you again, then I won’t be able to keep quiet. The bear won’t let me. My conscience won’t let me.”
Harriet folded her arms across her middle, annoyed at the idea of being caught between two of the most important men in her life. “I’m sure you’re wrong, Tobias. Shane has been my best friend since we were children, he messes up sometimes, but his heart is in the right place. You’ll understand once you get to know him.”
He tipped the brim of his hat further down, shading his blue eyes. “Proximity and convenience are poor foundations upon which to build a friendship.”
Her cheeks burned. How dare he judge what was between her and Shane? “You could say the same about our relationship,” she snapped.
“Touché, sweetheart.” Using his heels, he urged his mare forward, leaving her to glare open-mouthed at his departing back.
“Asshole,” she yelled. He raised his hand to his lips and blew her a kiss in acknowledgment, but kept on riding.
Two hours later and the stables were spotless. She, on the other hand, was hot and smelly, but a good deal calmer. Tobias would be back from his rounds soon and they could talk things out. She wiped her sweaty palms on the one clean spot on her jeans and checked that the floor bolt holding the barn door open was secure. The day was building up to be a warm one, and Starlight would appreciate the breeze. The mare was full of beans and would definitely be happy to get back on rotation tomorrow.
Prepping dinner was next on her list. She lifted her arm, and sniffed in disgust. After a cool shower and a change of clothes. A dark truck bumped into the yard as she crossed toward the house. Heaving a sigh, Harriet waited beside the porch steps for Shane. “You didn’t have to come over; a call would have sufficed.”
Shane closed the distance between them, hands tucked deep in his pockets. “After the way that man dragged you away last night, I needed to see for myself you were okay. I wouldn’t be much of a friend if I didn’t.”
Harriet rolled her eyes. “Too much whisky has clouded your memory. That man didn’t drag me away, he gave me a ride because my designated driver decided to get drunk and make a fool of himself.”
Shane reached out and tugged the collar of her shirt aside. Her neck bore the marks of her night with Tobias—she’d noted the stubble rash and a huge suck mark in the mirror that morning. “Looks like he gave you more than a ride.” He closed his fist over the material, twisting it until his knuckles dug into the bottom of her chin. “How could you open your legs for him, you little slut?”
She tried to wrench free, horrified by his words and the ugly twisted look on his face. He held firm, pulling her closer until they were nose-to-nose. “I wai
ted for you, Harry. Waited patiently for you to see what you had right in front of you all this time.” Something sharp jabbed into her hip and she froze.
Tilting her eyes down, she gasped at the sight of the shiny knife pressed against her side. “What are you doing, Shane?”
“Doing? Doing?” His voice rose to a shriek, and she closed her eyes when a fleck of spittle hit her cheek. “I’ll show you what I’m fucking doing.” He twisted them around, shifting the hand holding the knife from her side to the small of her back. With his other hand gripping her plait at the base of her neck, he frog-marched her toward his truck. He shoved her forward, bending her over the hood. The bull bars protecting the front grille dug painfully into her stomach and she cried out.
“Shut up! This is your fault, Harry. I thought once your father died you’d finally see what a hopeless dump this damn town is and be ready to move on, but no. I had to sit and wipe your tears and listen to your stupid plans to keep this place running.” His breath came in gasps, hot and angry against her neck, and she tried not to shudder.
What had happened to the sunny, funny boy she’d grown up with? She sifted frantically through her memories and cold realization dawned; he’d been different for a long time, angrier and quick to snap at her. Loyalty had blinded her to it. “Shane, please,” she whispered.
The knife jabbed in her back, and she bit her lip to hold back a sob of pain. “It didn’t matter what I did, you wouldn’t give up. I got rid of all your hired help, planted that stolen money, spread stories about sickness in your herd, and still you clung on. I thought you’d at least be grateful when I healed Starlight, but that bastard went and ruined it all.”
Her head spun. All the bad luck she’d experienced had been down to him? The one person she’d trusted above everyone else? “How could you, Shane? How could you betray me like this?”