Bearly a Chance: A Second Chances Romance

by Hart, Alana

  "Ben, I can't ask you to live in the forest."

  He nodded, eyes wide and hopeful at her words.

  "And I can't take your house from you."

  He nodded again, and inched closer to her. She could smell the faint scent of after shave, clean and brisk.

  "But I can share it with you, and with Faith."

  The big grin that dawned on his face was brighter than the moon above. Hell, she was certain it would be brighter than the sun in daylight. Still, there was the little matter of fate to deal with.

  Fate, and magic.

  "I'm just not sure how to reconcile the past with the future, or our needs with the path that this new magic is insisting I walk."

  Ben grinned, and his hands slipped up to clasp her shoulders. His blue eyes bored into hers, and she was certain that maybe he had a reasonable answer.

  "What you do Aria, is say damn the consequences, and the gods, and the magic. And finish what we started three years ago."

  His eyes flashed silver, and stayed silver as the last word ended on a growl.

  "Well, when you put it that way, how can I refuse?" Aria leaned in and kissed him. She'd intended the kiss to be a simple seal of approval, a hint of good to come. In the short time they'd stood here, watching the moon rise, and discussing the possibility of a future together, her mind kept rebelling at imagining any other future than this place, and this man.

  She'd chosen him once before-before magic and gods and bears-and nothing she'd seen so far had invalidated that choice. Be damned if she was going to let fate or fallen gods invalidate or redirect the choice she'd already made once before.

  But his response to her gentle peck on the lips sent her whole world spinning. She was drowning and burning up at once, and her world narrowed to this one moment in time.

  His lips were gentle and soft at first. But as the kiss went on, his hands slipped down and around her hips, than stroked up her back. He pulled her close, and his tongue stroked her lips, begging for entrance. She could feel him, hard and solid against her stomach. Damn, she'd missed this. Missed him.

  She tangled her fists in his wavy hair, pulling him closer, and returned his kiss stroke for stroke. Heat rose in her core, demanding more, more kisses, more touching, more of him. Hell, she was ready to take him here and now under the bright moon and twinkling stars. She whimpered when he pulled back from their kiss with a shudder. His silver eyes echoed the moon light, and damn near glowed as he looked at her, as though he was trying to see her very thoughts.

  She returned his gaze, strong and sure. He was hers, always had been and based on tonight, always would be whether she accepted it or not. Still, his eyes were uncertain, almost troubled?

  "Are you sure? This-us-," he gestured between them, "is what you want?"

  "I've wanted us since the night you walked out. I never stopped wanting us-" She leaned into him, shivering at the feel of his hard body pressed against hers. "I was just scared-scared you'd say no, or worse, leave again."

  "I'm not going anywhere Aria. Not ever. I'll be your damn shadow, always underfoot even if you don't see me." He growled, then ran his hands down her sides, and slammed his mouth into hers.

  She shivered when his warm hands wandered under her shirt and caressed bare skin. Fire and ice trailed behind his touch, and she could feel the magic gramps had gifted her rising to meet his touch. Damn. She pulled back and gasped for breath, and control, and tamped down the fiery magic inside her. No fucking way she was letting that loose on him without warning.

  "Ben, the magic-" She struggled to explain, to give him an out. His silver eyes met hers, and he grinned.

  "Don't worry. It's part of you, it won't hurt me." Ben growled low. She shivered when he lowered his mouth to that sensitive spot just on the side of her neck. He nipped, lightly, but his teeth were unexpectedly sharp. Damn, that felt good. Shivers echoed from her stomach up to her breasts, and she moaned. Hell, he could do that all he wanted at this rate.

  Aria closed her eyes, and trailed gentle kisses across Ben's chest. She wished his shirt wasn't in the way of her kisses. She wanted to make him feel the same way his hot kisses affected her. She wanted him to tremble in her arms, beg for more. But he kept just enough control, despite the way his nibbles were driving her wild. His clever touches, a stroke along the curve of a breast here, a gentle cupping and pressure on her mound down there, and she was putty in his hands.

  Cool air tickled her neck when he stopped trailing kisses there. She opened her eyes at the startling change, only to be dazzled by the glow surrounding them. What the hell, am I doing that? She experimented, trailed one hand slowly through his hair, and felt her eyes fly wide and her heart trip ever faster in her chest when her touch left dancing sparks of light behind. Shit, how does that not hurt him?

  "Ben, can you see-" she waved her other hand in front of his nose for emphasis. His wide silver eyes, and slack jaw told her either he saw the magic, or he was stunned speechless by her good looks. Considering their history, her money was on the magic. She reached out, tucked a finger beneath his chin and gently closed his mouth. "I'll take that as a yes, hmm." She couldn't help leaning in to steal another kiss. A soft, reassuring kiss.

  When she pulled back, he cleared his throat, then spoke. "You're glowing."

  She giggled and nodded, torn between outright panic and giddy delight that this was actually happening.

  "I think we should move this inside," Ben scooped her up in his arms as he talked. "Hate to draw unwanted attention if your magic decides to amp up its effects a bit."

  "If it does, we might need blindfolds or something."

  Ben's answering chuckle settled her nerves a bit. She rested her head on his shoulder, and trailed her free hand across his broad chest. Damn, he was strong, carrying her with the same ease she'd seen him carry Faith.

  She was startled when he carried her through the cabin, into the bigger bedroom. She swayed on her feet when he set her down, and watched as he rummaged in the closet. The wood floor looked damn hard, and felt pretty solid under the soles of her shoes.

  She grinned when she saw the rolled up mat and the sleeping bags he pulled out of the closet.

  "Planned ahead for this did you?" His easy nod and soft smile eased her nerves. She stepped forward, helping him set up their makeshift bed. Every accidental touch, each hot glance sent spirals of need coursing through her.

  When everything was arranged to her satisfaction, Aria plopped down on the middle of the mat. Then she reached for him with one hand, and patted the open spot beside her with the other.

  He settled easily beside her and leaned in for a kiss. Before she could do more than lean in to his kiss, she felt his hands tickle her sides. Then cool air caressed her stomach as he eased her shirt off over her head.

  She moaned into his kiss and wrapped her arms around his shoulders pulling him down to the mat with her. Damn it had been too long since she'd felt this. Way too long.

  He levered his body over hers, and the delicious weight of him pressing her back into the mat had her begging for more. More kisses, more soft electric touches, more of him.

  She reached between them, and ran her hands up under his shirt, caressing his chest. She paused to trail little circles around his erect nipples. His answering moan sent little flickers of desire and need spreading through her. Every touch of his hand, every kiss, every caress of his tongue on a nipple sent those flickers rising higher, until she was burning like wildfire, out of control with need.

  "Please, I need you, now." Aria sobbed. She fumbled with the buttons on his pants pushed them down past his hips and gasped at the solid, smooth heat of him when she wrapped her hand around his dick. Damn, he was hard, and smooth as silk. She was more than ready for this, for him.

  He levered himself up a bit, and the loss of his weight on her set her to whimpering. But the moment was worth it, when he eased over her, and her bare breasts met the hard planes of his chest. Oh, yes. She needed him. Now.

&n
bsp; Desperate, she reached between them, and aligned him gently with her entrance. She could feel him press just a bit into her, then withdraw. He repeated the motion, slow and easy, penetrating just a hair further with each push, until she was mindless with the need to have him fill her completely.

  She reached around, and caressed his delicious butt. Then her hands clamped tight and she pulled him toward her, into her, urging him on. She needed more, deeper, harder. And he obliged her every whim with a gentle smirk and a soft 'Yes'm.'

  His silver gaze never wavered from hers, even though she could feel the magic flaring brighter with every stroke they made. Her hips rose to meet him, steady and fast. And the fire that roared through her body slowly gathered itself into a single, overwhelming point of heat at her core.

  "Damn, I'm coming Ben." She shouted, then leaned in and nipped him just below his collarbone. He roared, an inhuman sound, then returned her bite, with interest. Sharp canines sank into the tender flesh just above her collar bone. The sensation of heat and pain that flowed out from his bite, and the vibrations his growl sent after it sealed the deal. Heat and moisture exploded from her core, and the magic flared one final time, in a bright curtain of love and need and trust, faith and hope. When the light faded, and spots stopped dancing in front of her eyes, she sighed. Ben's head rested easily in the crook of her neck, and he pulsed a final time inside her, filling her with his essence.

  She ran her hand through his hair, then tugged gently. He groaned, then rose up just enough to meet her gaze. His eyes were bright, crystalline blue. All visible hints of his bear were gone. But a gentle rumble vibrated his chest, and eased her tension. She felt her eyes fly wide when she spotted the mark she'd left. A lacy gold rune glowed to her sight, just beneath his collarbone, before fading to a dark silver. She reached up to trace the mark, fingers trembling. She'd never wanted more than marriage, and babies. But still, this moment, this claiming felt more than right.

  His lopsided grin set her at ease. And the trembling hand that traced the marks his teeth had torn in her shoulder let her know he was facing the same demons she was.

  “You alright?" She whispered. She had to know. Was this really what he wanted?

  He nodded, sharp and serious. "Oh yes. I'm the best I've ever been."

  "Oh, really?" She couldn't help asking the question, despite the layers of meaning it contained.

  "Yes. You're mine," his voice deepened to a growl and silver flickered in his gaze, before fading. "And I'm most definitely yours."

  "So it's official then?" She giggled as his eyebrows dipped, then rose. The soft smile on his lips belied the mischief in his eyes.

  He shrugged, then answered. "Maybe? Should we try again, just to be certain?"

  Aria nodded and reached for him. A small part of her mind sighed in relief when her magic stayed put, inside her, instead of lighting up the room like fireworks. The rest of her was eager for more of Ben. She was damn certain she'd never get enough of moments like this.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  The night felt endless, a single, life changing moment that belonged solely to them. Exhaustion had finally claimed her, and she snuggled up to Ben, head resting gently on his chest. The rhythmic thud of his heart, and the soft arm draped around her felt more like home than anyplace else she'd been the past three years. Sleep finally claimed her.

  Morning dawned bright, and the sun streaming through the bedroom window woke Aria earlier than she was accustomed to. She groaned and stretched, only to find empty space beside her on their make-shift bed. She sat up with a groan and peered around the room. She couldn't see Ben, but she heard him fumbling with something in the kitchen. As she rose and wrapped herself in one of the sleeping bags, her eyes finally caught the change in the log walls. The smooth texture was gone, vanished like it had never been. In its place, curls of engraved wards decorated every inch of the log wall. Did I do that? She whistled, fighting a combination of shock and swelling pride.

  Her whistle brought Ben to the door. She could feel his gaze watching her, sense his need to touch her, lay claim to her again. But she ignored him, despite his sexy shirtless stance. This change in her magic felt important. As if she just looked long enough, she'd understand how the wards had assembled themselves. For surely that was what had to have happened? She didn't feel tired, like she'd expect to after a training session with Grampa's ghost. Oh, her body was tired, and slightly achy. But it was a delicious ache. And her mind was picking up speed as it geared up to face the day. That was a sharp contrast to the fuzzy-brained thoughts she normally had after 'working' magic. His soft chuckle diverted her attention from tracking the maze of curls across the wall.

  "Fascinating, aren't they?" His words pulled her eyes and her mind to him. The soft smile he flashed her way sent a small flash of need, of want racing through her.

  "I did all this?" She'd seen it, but a small, overwhelmed part of her still didn't believe it.

  His answering nod, and the devilish twinkle in his eyes sent shivers down her spine. His words only heightened the speed of those shivers. "I suspect I helped. Watched those carvings grow with every orgasm you had until they literally covered everything," his voice was low and husky. But he stood straight and proud.

  And well he should be if this was an example of what they'd be able to accomplish together. She remembered the all-consuming glow of the magic, and the even more consuming feel of him as they finally chose each other, but she didn't remember the fine details, or the patterns she was seeing before her.

  "Are you hungry?"

  Aria nodded in answer to his question. She didn't resist when he tangled his fingers with hers and pulled her in close. His soft kiss was different from the heated ones from last night. This kiss was gentle, supportive-a reminder that they belonged together. Her stomach growled, interrupting their kiss before she could give in to the temptation to pick up where they'd left off last night.

  "Well, we can scrounge around-" Ben gestured to the empty kitchen, "or make the drive into town. Unless scrounging includes fishing or hunting, I'm guessing the drive is our best bet."

  Aria untangled her fingers from his grasp and wandered through the kitchen, peeking into empty cupboards and an empty fridge. She turned toward him, confused. "I thought you had plans for a meal last night?"

  His sly nod set her heart to tripping. What had he kept from her last night?

  "Did. Planned to take you back to Wild North. And give you this." He pulled the wayward velvet box out of his pocket once more. She'd forgotten about it in the heat of the moment last night.

  Eyes wide, she reached out automatically when he held the open box out to her. The sunlight drew rainbow sparks from the small diamond centered in a gold heart. Her hands trembled. This felt different from the commitment they'd mad last night. She couldn't put her finger on why, but it felt more real than the healing wounds on her shoulder, more vivid than the bright rune just beneath his collar bone.

  "Please say yes? Make us official for the whole world to see?" The soft longing in his voice tugged at her heart.

  Aria took a deep, shuddering breath, then nodded and whispered yes. She rushed into his embrace, shivering with the pure potential she could see in their life together. She shook, and fought back tears as she watched him slip the beautiful ring over her finger.

  "Just don't expect a big wedding," she whispered in his ear. She couldn't resist a soft nip, and delighted in his instant response to her teasing.

  "I'd be delighted with a justice of the peace wedding."

  "Or we could elope? Run away, just you, me and Faith? Make ourselves an official family, and present it as a done deal?" Aria got chills at the thought of bucking tradition. It felt a bit like challenging fate.

  “Aria, this mark-" Ben caressed her shoulder gently, then continued, "and this one are more permanent than any ceremony or piece of paper." His deft fingers tapped his chest softly, just below the mark she'd given him in return. "Hell, they're even more permanent tha
n this." His fingers played with the ring, twisting it around on her finger.

  "True. The important stuff is already handled." He dipped his head, and stole another breath taking kiss from her. "We can figure out the details later."

  Aria nodded, stomach rumbling loudly once more. "Food takes precedence, so let’s go."

  She turned to follow him out to the truck, only to run smack into his back when he stopped cold in the doorway. She could feel his whole body vibrate with the low growl his bear gave off. Her shoulder pulsed in time with the bear's angry sounds. Huh, that's new. Could be handy to sense his bear too.

  Aria stood on tiptoe, trying to see over, or around Ben, figure out what had his beast so upset. Then a familiar voice solved part of the mystery.

  "Glad to see you've found your path, son. It's not the one I'd have chosen for you, but still. You're quite literally out of the woods now-"

  "No thanks to you and your meddling Arcos." Bens voice was gravely and harsh.

  The older shifter continued as though Ben hadn't spoken. "Unlike my other sons and daughters. You've succeeded. That's going to draw the others here, eventually."

  "Others?" Bens voice rose, and she could feel the magic that drove him to shift rising and tracking across the skin beneath her palm.

  "Hold on to him, Ben. Ole man's just looking to make you mad, set you and your bear back progress wise." Aria whispered encouragement in her mate's ear. She wanted more than anything to fight this battle, but Ben blocked the whole door with his body, and his stiff posture, and slanted gaze back toward her drove home the point that this fight was his to win. She nodded once, and pressed harder against him, trying to will some of her magic, their shared strength into him. She didn't feel any different, but he definitely stood a bit taller and stronger.