by V. Vaughn
A low noise comes from the man who will be my mate for life as he guides himself between my legs. He slides into me slowly as he gazes into my eyes. His firm bottom is hard in my grip, and I pull him to me. “Val.” I sigh.
He slides out slowly and then thrusts quickly back into me as he growls out, “This is where I belong.” He does, because I feel as if my world has clicked into place, and I’m exactly where I’ve spent my life longing to be.
“Yes.” I dig my nails into his back as he begins to pump at a frantic pace. Val reaches places that make me want to keep him there forever. My pleasure rises, and I teeter on the edge of falling as I wait for my mate to join me. He pants out, “Kelsey, baby.”
I let go, and fall with the trust Val will catch me. He lets out a roar, and I gasp when I see the bear fangs he reveals. I should be afraid, but instead my climax resurges, and the slightest scrape of his teeth on my shoulder makes me shatter. I have a strange longing for him to bite me, and something deep inside my soul growls as if asking for it.
Val slumps over me, and our bodies heave together as the pace of our racing heartbeats slows. I wrap my legs tighter around his waist and whisper, “Don’t leave.” He fits perfectly, and I don’t want to lose what I need to be whole.
He says, “Never, Kelsey. Now I’m with you forever.” I snuggle into his warmth and breathe in our combined scent. The aroma is intoxicating in the way that I want to wrap myself up in a blanket of it so I can inhale the smell with every breath. My eyelids flutter before reality hits me, and I catch myself before I doze off. Val rolls us to our sides, and I let him slip out of me as I say, “I should go upstairs to my mother.”
Val drags a finger down my neck and settles in the hollow. “I think she might know where you are. Remember I told you the walls here were thin?”
I slap my hand over my face and squeeze my eyes shut. “Crap. Talk about awkward.”
Val chuckles. “Get used to it. Werebear are not modest. Just wait until you witness shifting.”
I think about how he bared his teeth earlier and ask, “When do I get to see that?”
“Whenever you want.”
“Did you want to bite me earlier?”
“Yes,” he says. “It’s a natural reaction for my bear to want to claim you.”
“Oh.” I think about what that means. I still don’t know much about the process to change, but I think I’ll ask about it another time. “I really should go.” I climb out of the bed, and he reaches out to pull me back. I thud on the mattress. “Val!” I giggle as he nuzzles my neck.
He gazes at me with an intensity that makes me giddy, and I marvel at the teal striations in his blue eyes as he says, “I love you, Kelsey.”
A silly grin covers my face. I came to Safe Harbor with a plan to convince Jean Luc I should stay forever, working for the company of my dreams. I never expected my passion for boats would be engulfed by my love for a true mate. I came here for a reason, and now I know what it was. My heart pulses with my emotions, and I say, “I love you too, Val.”
32
Izzy
Fabric samples cover the kitchen table, and Grace has paint swatches of what must be one hundred colors on a ring. They flutter as she flips through them. A year ago the thought I’d be decorating a nursery was the furthest thing from my mind. The fact I’m actually enjoying myself would have been further.
Grace says, “You know, having both sexes means you’ll only have to decorate once.”
“Once?”
She grins at me. “I hope you know I expect another round of children out of you two.”
I chuckle because Jean Luc said the exact same thing. The truth is I want lots of children too. “There seems to be a conspiracy.”
Grace smiles at me, and the happiness I see warms my heart. She’s waited for years to see her son settle down, and now that her prima duties have been passed on to me, she doesn’t have much to occupy her time. She says, “I think your idea of yellow is a good one. What do you think about morning sun for the walls?” She holds up a sample in a pale-yellow shade.
“It looks lovely.” Fabric is soft in my fingers as I grab cheerful print swatches and pull out the bright one with a variety of polka dots. “Do you think this one works?”
My mother-in-law nods. “It’s perfect.” Her pencil scratches on paper as she makes notes. She asks, “Have you given any more thought to a nanny?”
As the prima of the Ouellette clan I have certain duties that take up my time, and while Grace will be on hand to help, triplets are going to be a handful for one woman on her own. I ask, “Am I being too overprotective thinking I want to get a polar bear from Maine to come?” The low rumble of Jean Luc’s car coming up the drive sounds in the distance.
“Goodness, no.” Grace’s pencil taps as she sets it down on her notepad. “I was thinking the same thing.” Her brow knits for a second, and she says, “Our clan has been relatively safe from hunters for decades, and I fear we’re not as prepared for the danger as we should be. I don’t think we can be too safe.”
“Good. Now let’s hope Jean Luc feels the same way. I’m afraid he won’t take kindly to me going to my brother for help.”
Grace’s chair scrapes across the floor as she gets up and moves toward the stove. “He doesn’t seem to have a problem with Nadia being your bodyguard.” A pan clatters on the stove as she begins to prepare dinner.
Jean Luc’s car door slams, and I stare at Grace in surprise. I didn’t realize Tristan sending Nadia to protect me was as transparent to everyone else as it was to me. My husband’s voice carries to me before he enters the room. “Are my two favorite women conspiring to bring more polar bear into my life?”
I walk over to him and greet him with a kiss. “I’m being a helicopter mom, my love. Grace and I were talking about getting one of the De Roziers to come be a nanny. I’d feel much safer that way.”
Butter sizzles as Grace says, “I agree with her, and I’d be more comfortable with one around when Isabelle is gone too.”
Jean Luc tugs on the refrigerator door as he says, “I know better than to argue with two polar bear women. Handle it any way you wish, Izzy.”
Grace is half polar bear, and she winks at me behind Jean Luc’s back. She says, “You realize adding more De Rozier werebear to our clan makes the next generation stronger, my son.”
Jean Luc rolls his eyes at me as he says, “Yes, Mother.”
I chuckle at the way my strong alpha husband allows his mother a moment to preach. But the real reason I want a polar bear nanny makes the acid in my stomach burn. While the curse placed on the women in my bloodline was supposed to have been broken when I found my true mate and completed the bond, trusting witches who practice black magic is never wise. I fear my daughter may have a temper to match the one I used to have, and the strength of a polar bear might be needed.
My face must show my concern, because Jean Luc comes to me and takes my arms as he gazes into my eyes. “Ma chère, what is it?”
I wrap my arms around him, and the thick cords of muscle in his back are firm under my hands. My true mate is my rock, and there’s nothing I can tell him that would make him love me any less. I say, “I’m afraid for our daughter. What if my bipolar disorder is passed on?”
“Then we will deal with it. We’ve got Tally.” He lifts my chin with his finger and then rubs his calloused thumb over my lower lip. “And we’ve got each other.” He leans in and kisses me. His love flows into me through our true mate connection, and it soothes my fears as I realize my powerful alpha will find a way for us to get through any storm.
When we break apart the aroma of garlic makes my stomach growl. Grace is making shrimp scampi for dinner, and as Jean Luc leaves us to change out of his work clothes, I wander over to the kitchen island. Tomatoes and a cutting board are out, and I ask, “Should I dice for you?”
A drawer’s contents rattle as Grace opens it and takes out another knife. “You can help.”
I think about t
he tumultuous relationship I had with my mother. Her love was sporadic and conditional. With Grace, I never worry where I stand. She accepted me into her heart without question. I say, “I feel like the luckiest woman in the world to be your daughter-in-law.”
The tap of Grace’s knife stops and she reaches over to place her hand on mine. “I’m lucky too. You complete Jean Luc, and it’s as if you’ve been a part of this family for years.”
Tears fill my eyes at her kind words. The cotton of my sleeve scratches against my face as I swipe them away. I sniff. “Sorry, it’s the hormones from pregnancy, because Isabelle De Rozier doesn’t cry.”
Grace says, “No, she didn’t. But Isabelle Ouellette does.” I glance at her in question, and she adds, “Because she’s let herself be loved and knows that feeling emotions is part of living a happy life.”
I smile as a tear rolls down my cheek, and this time I don’t wipe it away. Jean Luc approaches us, and when I turn to him with a smile he says, “You are so beautiful when your heart is showing.” He wraps his arms around my waist from behind and places his hands on my stomach as he whispers words of endearment to our babies, and while I don’t understand them all, I know he’s telling them how much they’re loved. Danger lurks in the corners of our world, but it’s the joy of my family I will focus on. Now that I have happiness in my life, I’m never going to let it go.
33
Nadia
When my alarm goes off it rings for a while before it breaks through my fog. While werebear can drink a lot, we have our limits, and a low-grade headache throbs in my skull as I climb out of bed. The sun is shining through the windows and makes the yellow walls of my bedroom glow. Even though I feel like crap, I smile. It’s nothing food and my werebear healing powers won’t take care of by the time I get to the gym. Isabelle will be here in an hour to get me, and I’m looking forward to it. Especially since unlike my past job modeling, I get to eat a calorie-laden breakfast first.
The speed at which I move to the kitchen for food would make me wonder about an eating disorder if I didn’t understand my hunger. Werebear bodies are not designed to be thin, and after starving for so long, my natural instincts are to fatten up. I am happy to give in. Eggs crack as I break them into a bowl, and I glance over at the empty wine bottles on the counter. I flash to last night with Abby. The two of us have hung out the past two evenings, and when she comes over she brings wine. I probably shouldn’t have indulged again, but I haven’t laughed as much as I do with her in a long time, and it feels great. Having a friend is what makes my time here bearable.
I think about leaving behind my job as Arctic Ice’s spokesmodel. I was living like a queen in Manhattan, with people who catered to my needs. As a celebrity I felt wanted, and it helped me heal from the heartbreak of losing my husband to a true mate. I had friends in the industry, and Darin, my driver, was like a brother to me. I managed to find my way back to a healthy self-esteem. I fork in a mouthful of scrambled eggs straight from the pan and sigh when the protein hits my belly. Now it’s time to fortify my body. I’m a warrior to the core, and I’m getting back to fighting shape.
When Isabelle comes to give me a ride I find Xavier and the clan medicine woman, Tally, in the car too. Xavier jokes with me as the witch stares out the window. She appears sad and doesn’t speak much on our trip. When we get to the gym, Xavier invites me to work out with him and a few of his friends. This place is good for my ego, because as a polar bear I’m stronger than everyone else. Although, I’m not as quick on my feet as some of the Ouellette, and I’m determined to remedy that with some serious training.
Metal weights clang and the strong musk of male werebear fills the room as I sit on a bench. Xavier is about to spot me when I notice Marcel approaching us. He looks sad, and it makes me think of Tally earlier. Xavier greets him and asks, “You okay?”
Marcel nods and walks past us. I ask, “What’s going on?”
“He and Tally have a forbidden-love thing happening, and it turns out it’s more forbidden than they thought.”
“That sucks.” I lie down, and the vinyl under me is hard as I grasp a weight bar to bench press. “Been there.”
“Yeah?”
I grunt as I lower the bar to my chest. “Married a guy who wasn’t my true mate.” I push the weights up to extend my arms. “And then she showed up.”
Xavier glances down at me. “Wow.”
When I finish my set Marcel comes over and asks, “Can I jump in?”
I answer, “Sure.” I think about how all I wanted to do when Sven divorced me was sit around and throw a pity party, but it’s not very productive, so I say, “Hey, you two promised me a night out. What are you guys doing later?”
Xavier winks at me. “Looks like we’re taking you to Reggie’s for a beer and to show you how to play pool.”
“Pool?” I snort. “I believe I’ll be the one schooling you two.”
Xavier says, “Big words. Mighty big words.”
“We polar bear don’t do anything”--I glance down at his lap--“small.”
Marcel snorts and hits Xavier in the stomach as he laughs. He says to me, “Damn. Tonight should be fun.” He says to Xavier, “Hey, we should get a group of us.”
The two guys round up some other friends over the course of our workout. When it’s time to go at the end of the day Marcel offers me a ride since Izzy left earlier. We ride home with the windows open, and wind whips loose strands of my hair into my face. I tug on a strand as I say, “You really don’t have to pick me up. I can’t imagine Abby won’t want to come tonight.”
“That girl likes to drink a lot,” says Marcel. “You’ll be better off with me.”
He has a point, and I say, “Thanks. I appreciate it.”
When we pull into my parking lot a girl is climbing the stairs to the third-story apartment. She has red hair and a body that makes me think of the human Xavier tried to pick up at the sandwich place we stopped at the day I arrived here. I ask, “Do you know that girl?”
Marcel squints. “No, but she looks like that hunter chick Cat.”
My door clicks open at the same time Marcel’s does. “That’s what I thought.”
“Let’s check her out,” he says. “She could be Jean Luc’s new intern.”
Our feet thud on the stairs as we climb, and I tell him about what Abby told me about the girl being human and dating a werebear.
Marcel says, “Whoa. Talk about making sure you’ve got a good cover.”
We’ve reached the door, and Marcel raps lightly on it. The female we saw in the restaurant answers. Marcel grins, “Well, well. It’s Cat with a C.”
She frowns at him. “You have the wrong apartment. My name’s Kelsey.”
“Sure it is, darling,” Marcel grabs her arm and says, “Let’s go have a chat with Jean Luc and see what he thinks about his newest intern hanging out with hunters.” He pulls her onto the stoop.
Her eyes are wide, and I scent the surge of adrenaline in her body as she asks, “What are you talking about?” She tries to pull away, but Marcel tightens his grip, and she grimaces.
The older woman I saw earlier comes to the door. “Get your hands off my daughter.” Her eyes flash with anger, and I reach out and take her by the arm to tug her down the stairs with us. Her bones feel like toothpicks to me, and I imagine I could snap her in two with minimal effort. Although I give her points for bravery, because living in the middle of werebear as a fragile human hunter takes balls.
I say, “Looks like we might have two for the price of one.”
Kelsey whimpers as she glances over her shoulder at us. “Mom.”
The older woman doesn’t struggle and says, “Hold on a minute. Please explain what you’re doing.”
Marcel says, “We’re keeping our clan safe.”
She says, “I think you may have us confused with someone else. Kelsey’s an intern here, and I’m only visiting.” I marvel at her calm demeanor and think maybe I’m underestimating her. I glance around
to make sure the women don’t have backup.
The stench of fear oozes out of the younger girl as she starts to struggle and screams, “Val! Val! Help!”
Wood splinters as a man bursts out of the second-story apartment door and lunges at Marcel. The guy’s partially shifted, and he roars as he moves. I sigh, because he’s no match for a trained warrior. Marcel is partially shifted now too and places a large paw on Val’s chest to hold him back. He’s got the girl trapped by his body pressed against the corner of the railing. Her only escape would be to jump two stories. Marcel growls out, “Don’t even think about it, Val.”
Val doesn’t appear to listen, because he strikes out, and Marcel’s head snaps back in an effort to avoid him. But Val’s claws managed to scratch him, and blood gushes from Marcel’s cheek. It drips off his chin before he heals. It was a stupid move, but I understand all too well what happens when a werebear feels as if his mate is threatened. While I don’t know if it’s the same when a human is involved, I make the assumption it is. This could get ugly, so I roar loudly enough that the whole staircase shudders. When I’ve captured Val’s attention I speak in a calm voice. “In case you can’t tell, I’m a polar bear, and you’ll never come out of a fight alive.”
Val’s chest heaves as he struggles to control his shift. Marcel speaks in a soothing voice to Val as he says, “We aren’t going to hurt anyone. We’re taking the women to Jean Luc because we suspect they’re hunters.”
Val says, “They’re not. Kelsey’s my true mate.”
I squint my eyes at him, because I’m sure he believes it. I flash back to the hunters who were chasing me. They were clever enough to plant a tracking device in my dress, and I won’t make the mistake of assuming anything again. I say, “That doesn’t mean she can’t be a hunter too.”
“Don’t you think I’d know?” asks Val.
I shake my head. “Not up to you to decide, cowboy.” My foot thuds as I begin to descend the stairs toward them.