by M. L. Briers
He was a class A idiot. He should have spoken to her about everything before he’d rolled over on her in bed and things had gotten out of hand.
He was the architect of his own doom…
He’d wanted to tease her. He’d wanted to push the boundaries a little to see if she’d respond, and boy did she.
Now his bear was antsy. The beast had wanted to mark her, claim her as theirs and warn everyone else off …
How the hell could he do that when she didn’t know what marking, claiming, and bonding were?
She would have thought that he was a crazy bear and that he’d bitten her. She might even have freaked out that she was going to be changed into a bear shifter …
But he’d certainly made progress. He’d had her in his arms, in his bed, and he’d be damned if he was going to let her go now or ever.
He just needed to sit her down and explain everything to her.
Jack had one arm full of cut wood for the fire and was reaching for more from the store when he scented the vampire in the air … His bear didn’t like that scent, not now, not now that she was there.
“Easier said than done, my friend,” Kiel offered from far enough away to be sure that if his bear burst out at the scent of him so close to his mate that he could evade the beast.
“You should not be here,” Jack bit down on the urge to shift, to allow his beast its way.
Hell, he didn’t want to rip Kiel’s head off, he kind of liked the guy.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
~
“Concerned for my welfare, how touching,” Kiel grinned, and luckily for the both of them there wasn’t a hint of fang showing.
“Stop reading my damn mind and get out of here before the fur flies, literally,” Jack growled back – the beast was deep within his voice.
“Thought I’d let you know that Elmore Crane has been sniffing around.”
“Noted. Thanks.” Jack held onto his bear.
“You need to mark her at the very least,” Kiel offered and Jack frowned.
“Just like that?” Jack felt his temper rising within him. That was just a by-product of his bear being close to the surface.
“If need be,” Kiel offered back.
Jack turned to stare at him. Dressed from head to toe in black, including the ankle length overcoat – he looked like the textbook image of a vampire – or an undertaker.
“It doesn’t work like that…”
“Says you, but don’t let your honour put your mate in danger…”
“That’s not…” Jack bit down on the urge to shift, on the urge to tell Kiel to go find a stake and throw himself at it.
“It’s the Crane’s – I don’t trust those two as far as I can throw them, and I’ve got a great right arm,” Kiel offered back. His tone was dry, but his eyes held a warning, and Jack understood.
“So, what? I’m just supposed to mark her – just like that?”
“I can scent her on you,” Kiel offered on a shrug.
“Don’t go there…” Jack shook his head.
He didn’t have many rules that he lived by, but he had a code where females were concerned, and this particular female was his mate.
“Nice sentiment, totally useless in the real world,” Kiel offered back and Jack almost tossed the log in his hand at the vampire’s head, and he had a great right arm too.
“Stop reading my mind and get outta here. I’ll tell her everything and leave it up to her…”
“Oh, no, no, that’s not going to cut it, my friend,” Kiel shook a finger at him. “Woo her, and make it fast.”
“I am wooing her!” Jack bit back, annoyance buried deep in his voice.
“Sex is not wooing…”
“Ah, damn it,” Jack bit out. Then he did toss the log at the vampire.
In true vampire form – one moment Kiel was standing there – and the next the wood hit the snow and the vampire was a good three feet away from where it fell.
“Nice try, sucker,” Kiel chuckled and Jack growled.
“Stop annoying me unless you want to say hi to the bear,” Jack growled.
“Not so much. But you need to mark her so that if you … say, accidentally kill one of the Crane brothers for getting too close, you at least have an excuse for it.” Kiel offered back.
“I think the rest of the community will probably throw me a parade,” Jack offered back, reaching for another log and adding it to the pile that he was holding.
“Hell, I would. I think their existence on the mountain makes it feel … untidy … like it needs cleaning out,” Kiel offered back and Jack cocked an eyebrow at him.
“I’ll woo her,” Jack growled back.
“I have faith in you,” Kiel offered back. He set a foot in the snow to move off and then stopped, “but if you don’t, I’ll be the one to kill you.”
“Wouldn’t have it any other way,” Jack assured him and Kiel’s smirk disturbed him a little. The man looked as if he relished the idea.
“Now that thought … I’m not going to comment on,” Kiel assured him.
“Get out of here before I lose my bear and scare the crap out of my mate,” Jack grumbled.
“I’m going…” The vampire stood stock still, and a second later Jack caught the scent on the wind too …
Wolf!
~
~
~
Lorelai had her knees braced on the passenger seat of Jack’s truck, one hand against the driver’s seat, and her backside in the air as she searched the gap between the front seats for her mobile phone…
Muttering to herself, she forced her fingers down the tight gap between the console and the driver’s seat, and said a little prayer that she’d find it there all snug and safe…
“View’s looking good today!” Elmore Crane gave a wholehearted growl to rumble along with his words.
It amused him when the human jumped. It amused him even more when she bounced her head off the interior roof.
“Careful there now, you wouldn’t want to damage yourself,” Elmore sneered.
Lorelai turned on her knees and was trying to back out of the truck, fighting the heavy door with one booted foot as she went, when the sound of a much deeper, heartier growl rumbled through the air…
She wedged her hand against the back of the seat and didn’t move a muscle as she twisted her head and her eyes scanned the area … There was Jack looking meaner than the Devil collecting souls.
Lorelai’s breath caught in her throat as her eyes took him in.
Everything about Jack’s stance said trouble. His shoulders were back, his arms were away from his sides and his large hands were fisted … and those beautiful, soulful eyes of his were jet black, but not with desire this time – with rage…
“Get off my land,” Jack’s voice held the wrath inside of him, and Lorelai’s whole body reacted to it.
She knew a man’s anger. She knew what came from that kind of wrath, and the sound worried her almost as much as his stance.
Not me, it’s not me … calm down …
He’s not angry with me … not yet …
She berated herself for even thinking it – equating Jack with him. Jack wasn’t him.
But he could be…
“Jack,” Kiel warned, taking in the shifter’s mate – hearing her…
“I just came by to make sure there were no hard feelings between us over last night, and found …” Elmore nodded towards Lorelai and Jack felt his bear clawing at the surface to be free – let out of his cage…
“Jack,” Kiel tried again.
Angry … he’s angry … again … my fault?
He got angry yesterday in the bar … my fault.
He’s angry now … my fault…
“Get off my land,” Jack’s top lip curled. He took a step towards the shifter.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
~
Kiel was in front of Elmore before Jack took another step.
“Leave – now. Need I say more?” Kiel
demanded the answer to that question, and Elmore’s eyes darted from the vampire to Jack and back again.
“Am I missing something?” Elmore narrowed his eyes on the vampire.
“A head in about thirty seconds – give or take,” Kiel answered, and the wolf shifter flinched…
Then he held his hands up in surrender at his chest and took a step back. There was a smirk on his lips and his eyes were fixed on the threat that the vampire presented.
“I’m leaving,” Elmore said, backing away so that he could keep an eye on the man.
“Don’t come back,” Jack growled.
It felt like forever to Lorelai as she watched the wolf shifter go – waited for someone to say something as her heart hammered against her ribs.
Then Jack was suddenly coming towards her and she had the desperate urge to climb over into the back seat, and yet her body couldn’t move – it was welded to the spot ... as she watched him stalk ever closer.
“Easy, Jack,” Kiel cautioned, but Jack wasn’t listening.
His bear was on the prowl within him. His protection gene was rampantly propelling him on towards her.
Jack reached out and yanked the truck’s door wide open. He filled up the doorway and reached in towards her …
Then he froze in place. It wasn’t the scent of her fear that halted him … it was the look in her eyes … mistrust – fear – and for him.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” Jack tried to make his voice as gentle as he could, but there was still a deep growl in his tone as his bear scratched at the surface…
The bear scented her fear. The beast within understood…
It sung a sorrowful tune within Jack’s mind at her reaction to it. Then the bear pulled back into its cage, settling, remorseful that he’s scared her.
“I’m fine …” she nodded a little too fast. “It’s fine…”
“I would never hurt you. My bear only wanted to protect you from the wolf…” Jack offered and her nodding was slower this time, but her eyes were still a little wary of him.
“Ok.”
Kiel backed away, making sure that he was a good distance from the mates. The last thing that he wanted to do was to set the bear off again when it caught his scent.
Jack held his hand out for her and for one long moment she stared down at it, a small frown crossing her brow, and then it was gone. She reached out and placed her palm in his.
Jack wanted to snap his fingers closed around her hand for fear that she might pull it back again, but he knew he couldn’t. He forced himself to go slowly and not give her any reason to be afraid of him.
It’s fine … he’s fine … it’s not me … it’s not.
Jack helped her from the truck, when what he wanted to do was wrap her within the safety of his arms and carry her back into the house, but she really wasn’t in that place and he didn’t dare.
When her boots hit the snow; he used his other hand against her hip to steady her. Lorelai took a long moment to steady herself before she could look up at him, but when she did; she noted the way that his eyes had changed – they were soulful again.
“You sure you’re alright?” Jack growled and she nodded, just the once this time.
“I was looking for my phone. He came out of nowhere…” she informed him and he wanted to growl, boy did he, but he held onto it.
“I thought I was the only one around here who did that,” Kiel offered quickly, trying to break the tension between the mates, give them both focus on something other than what had happened.
It worked. Lorelai’s eyes snapped towards him and she took him in…
“You’re a…” she didn’t finish that sentence.
“Yes,” Kiel offered back.
Lorelai’s eyes went from the vampire to her mate.
“And this doesn’t worry you?” Lorelai frowned.
“Kiel’s a friend, sort of. He doesn’t …” Jack frowned – what could he say that wouldn’t send her mind into another panic?
“Eat people,” Kiel offered and Jack growled inwardly and groaned outwardly.
“But you do drink them,” Lorelai offered back and Jack snapped to attention. He wasn’t sure if she was being sarcastic or not…
“Only with their permission and I’m never too greedy,” Kiel offered back in the spirit that he thought it was intended.
“I like garlic,” Lorelai offered with a small shrug and Jack couldn’t help but find the amusement in that one.
“Me too,” Kiel offered back with a wicked grin.
Lorelai frowned as she pulled her head back on her neck and floundered for a long moment.
“I thought you were a …”
“Vampire, yes,” Kiel offered and watched her tip her head to one side and narrow her eyes on him for a long moment as if she couldn’t quite get her mind around that one. “Urban myth – garlic is a tasty seasoning.”
Lorelai spluttered laughter and Jack felt his whole body start to ease down – relax a little. For a vampire, Kiel wasn’t too bad at breaking the ice.
“Don’t suppose you’re allergic to citrus?” She offered back and the vampire openly chuckled.
“Sorry, but I do have a no mate’s policy, so you’re safe from my nefarious ways,” he took another step back just in case that image triggered a response in Jack.
The man didn’t make a move…
“Mate…” Lorelai looked from the vampire to Jack.
“Told you,” Jack offered back.
“You did,” she took a long breath in and held it before blowing it back out again.
“Well, I’m leaving, and you two are…” Kiel waved a hand in the air. “Perfect together.”
“I…” Lorelai chuckled again…
How awkward do things get around here? She shook her head…
“Oh, way more awkward than that,” Kiel said, his eyes alive with humour as she stared back at him open mouthed.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
~
“Your mate’s catching flies,” he waved a hand at Jack and then, almost on a whisper, “mark her as yours.”
Lorelai blinked and missed his departure. So she blinked again and her eyes scanned the area.
“Where’d he …?” She frowned hard as she turned to look behind her, but nobody was around but Jack. “Did he just read my…?”
“Yes,” Jack nodded. “Let’s get inside.”
“My … umm … oh, phone!” She exclaimed, turning back towards the truck and running straight into his chest.
“I’ll come back out and look for it,” he growled a little.
He wanted her safely back inside. A visit from one vampire and one wolf shifter was more than enough for him for one day.
“Did you just growl at me?” There was a small laugh of disbelief that caught in the back of her throat as she stared up at him.
“It just … I’m a bear shifter, we growl – sometimes … most times, and for different reasons.”
“Did I step on your toe?”
“No,” Jack started, hoping this wasn’t going to become a thing.
“Did I ping a nipple?”
“A…? No,” he shook his head. “Look, can we just go inside?”
“I like it out here.” She chose that moment to dig her heels in.
“In the … cold?” he frowned and her eyes darted in her head before she nodded.
“Yes,” she took a little step backwards and folded her arms across her chest like a child pushing at its boundaries.
“In the snow?”
“I like snow.”
Jack went to answer, but instead he took a long breath in and nodded as he thought about the best way to handle the change in her behaviour. She was back to stubborn and distrustful again…
“How much?” He asked.
“How much what?”
“How much do you like snow? Do you wanna play snowballs?”
“What..? No,” she shook her head.
“Build a snowman?” His eyes said he was back t
o teasing her again and she bit down on a smile that wanted to take her lips.
“No.”
“Igloo? I’m sure we can construct an igloo in the field behind the cabin…” he shrugged a shoulder.
“I think my igloo days are behind me, thanks.”
“I scared you,” Jack held him arms out to the side and shrugged.
“Talk about an abrupt change of subject,” she frowned harder.
“I scared you with the growling at Crane and now you don’t want to go back into the cabin with me.” He knew it and she knew it, but she didn’t want to admit it.
“That’s not …” she worried her bottom lip and he felt the urge to help her out, but he held in place – waiting… “Ok, a little. You scared me a little bit, but I …” she stopped and took in a breath. “I don’t think you’re going to hurt me … intentionally.”
“Intentionally?” he picked up on that very last word. His beast hung its head in shame. “But … unintentionally I’m going to rip your head off?”
“Well … I hope not, no.” She tossed up her hands.
“I’m never going to hurt you, Lorelai.” He said, feeling an ache inside of him that she didn’t already know that – with what they’d shared earlier – how could she not know that?
“You … get really mad,” she shrugged.
“I get really protective – of you,” he offered back, gently, as gently as he could.
Lorelai took a long moment to consider his words.
His heart was pounding against his ribs and he watched her carefully for any sign that she was going to bolt, or demand to be taken to the next town … that ache within him was growing.
“Well … okay then,” she frowned, her eyes darting around again, and then she turned on her booted heels and stalked back towards the cabin.
Jack let out a breath. A puff of steam filling the air around him. His heart was slowing to a normal beat again, and the sight of her walking towards his cabin made that ache hurt a little less.