The Omega's Mate:
Page 14
The bear stilled before howling and looking in her direction. Steeling herself, Carly pushed through the bush she was unhappily trying to hide behind, and limped out.
Shivering from the cold and a little self-conscious due to her nudity, Carly raised her hands in surrender. “Ethan, why don’t you shift so we can talk?”
The large bear huffed and slouched toward her, his cold, black eyes bore straight through her.
“Please Ethan, I’m sorry. I was scared.”
He bared his fangs at her and stood on his hind legs, hulking over her.
Carly tried to search his emotions, but they were even more mixed up than before. She was about to give in, to slump to the ground and let whatever was going to happen, happen, but that’s when she felt it. She felt her mate; she felt his anger, worry, determination and above all love. He was here! He was coming for her!
Renewed hope shot through her as her wolf yipped. She just needed to hang on, just for a few more minutes.
The bear reached a clawed paw out to her.
“What about Cain?” Carly cried.
The bear stopped and cocked his head on one side.
Carly gulped and licked her lips. “I doubt Cain would be very happy if you hurt his mate. He loves me, and I’m his true mate. If… if anything happened to me, he’d fall apart. He’d probably never fight again.”
The bear growled but didn’t move; he appeared to be listening, and pondering what she was saying. Carly could feel Cain’s emotions strengthening, as well as numerous other pack members. They were getting closer.
“Why don’t we go back to the cabin and talk?”
Carly sent him some soothing tendrils. Sadly they didn’t have the desired effect. The bear felt what she was doing and roared. He swiped a paw; Carly fell back to the ground, narrowly missing his slicing claws.
The bear snarled mightily, towering over her. A wave of terror swept through her, she squeezed her eyes shut and tried to shield her face with her arms.
The pain never came; she felt a whoosh of air and a feeling of relief overcame her. She peeked her eyes open to see her massive bear mate looming over the brown bear, cowering on the ground. The Kodiak bear roared heartily, half in triumph, half in rage.
Her wolf pack mates prowled round the two huge bears, edging their way in front of Carly. She started laughing and crying in relief.
Her mate saw her, and his eyes flickered to her, his stance softening slightly. Carly dragged herself to her aching feet; she started limping to him, gently repelling her Alpha and Beta as they tried to stop her.
The brown bear shifted back to human, and he was curled on the ground in a fetal position. The Kodiak stood over him threateningly.
He stilled as his mate’s hand stroked his thick, dark fur. He turned to find her tiny human form looking up at him. She looked tired and bedraggled; her hair was messy, her body covered with cuts and bruises, but she had never looked more beautiful to him.
“Cain…” Her big, round eyes looked at him beseechingly. “Change for me, please.”
He growled softly, eyes flitting back and forth between his mate and Ethan. He was torn between shifting and holding his mate in his arms, providing the comfort she dearly needed. But he desperately wanted to punish the male who had taken her from him, who had hurt her…
The Kodiak snarled and reached a paw toward Ethan. Carly darted in front on him and snuggled into his furry chest.
“Please Cain, please change for me.”
He felt a swell of affection from her and groaned as his muscles shrank, fur receded, and he changed to his human form.
Carly craned her neck to look at his fierce, brown eyes; she beamed at him. Cain folded her into a loving bear hug.
He rested his head on hers. “I’m never letting you go, beautiful.”
“Same here.”
They clung to each other as the wolves shifted and tried to coax Ethan up off the ground. Cain tightened his grip as his hands roamed down her body, cupping her ass.
Not that she wasn’t enjoying it, but… Carly wiggled in his grip, whispering furiously. “What are you doing? The Alpha’s right over there!”
“Exactly!” he grumbled, throatily. “You’re naked! Only I’m allowed to see you naked!”
“Oh Cain!”
She chuckled, of all the things to focus on! She considered saying something, but really what was the point? She doubted he would change. And honestly, she prayed he never did, he was perfect just the way he was.
Chapter Nineteen
1st February
The fight was over. The polar bear danced around the ring, playing to the crowd as he was named the winner. Cain’s bear grumbled at the other male’s antics, but otherwise remained quiet.
Cain slowly climbed to his feet, his bruised and bloody body straining with the effort. He held out his fist to the polar bear, who reluctantly fist-bumped him.
Cain staggered out of the cage; Hans and Don tried to support him but Cain batted them away. The cheering men and women ignored him as he pushed his way to the locker room; he was invisible to them.
He found his mate already waiting for him, pacing anxiously and wringing her tiny hands. His bear sighed contentedly; she was truly beautiful.
After Carly’s ordeal, Cain had wanted to cancel the fight, but Carly insisted she was fine, and told him he should stand by his promise to fight.
Ethan had been arrested, now awaiting psychiatric evaluation. Cain wanted to tear the young bear’s throat out, but Carly had demurred. She said Ethan was probably sick, and didn’t know what he was doing. Cain couldn’t forgive him so easily, but Carly was glad that Ethan was getting help. Cain harrumphed but was ultimately just thankful his mate had not been permanently hurt.
Carly was on cloud nine at the moment. Her shop was due to have its grand opening in a couple of days, and she was particularly thrilled by Rosalee’s mural, which thankfully had been salvaged from when the shop was trashed. It was a wolf and a bear howling to the moon; Cain loved it too.
Carly paled when she saw him, her wolf whining piteously for their mate. “Oh lord! Come and sit down quickly.”
Cain did as he was told, sinking onto a bench as his mate clucked over his wounds. She got a wet towel and started washing the blood away. The bear groaned at her soft touch, forgetting his aches and pains.
Carly frowned. “Why did you do that? You could have won.”
He could have if he wanted. Carly forced herself to watch the entire fight, and it hadn’t been easy. There was a moment in the third and final round when Cain was winning. Both bears were weary, and battered, but Cain was going to win. She could sense it. But then Cain just gave up, and let the other bear win.
Cain took one of her hands and kissed her fingers. “If I had, people would have wanted me to fight again. My fans would have hounded me, and I don’t want that. I just want a quiet life with you.”
“What happened with Ethan…”
Cain held back a snarl. “It’s not about that… well not entirely. Winning isn’t important anymore, because I’ve already won the only thing that’s important, you.”
Carly arched an eyebrow.
“Not that I think you’re an object or anything,” he said quickly. “What I meant is, I used to love having fans who adored me, but I don’t give a fuck about that anymore. I already have the love of the only person in the world that matters, so I don’t care if everyone else thinks I’m a loser. Plus I had Hans put a large bet on me going down in the third round.”
“Cain!”
Cain shrugged. “What? I have to provide for my lady, don’t I? Who knows how long it will be before I find someone willing to hire me.”
Carly stood between his legs, her hands on either side of his head. “I already told you that I can support us.”
He started to grumble as his bear growled; she tutted at him. “Don’t give me any of that garbage about it being a man’s job to provide for his weak, helpless female.”
&nbs
p; Cain pouted; something she found adorable on a huge, seven foot bear. “I wasn’t going to say that.”
“Umm hmm, besides you already have a job.”
Cain creased his brow. “I do?”
“Yep, you’re my bodyguard.”
Cain threw back his head and laughed. “I wouldn’t say that was a job, more like a… like a…”
“Labor of love?” she offered, eyes twinkling.
“Got that right, beautiful.”
He drew her in for bone-melting kiss, her wolf moaning contentedly. She snaked her arms round his neck, tightly clinging to him as his strong, protective arms wrapped round her body.
She reflected that after all her dreams and fantasies, her mate and her happily ever after weren’t anything like she expected. They were even better.
Mate. Mine.
The end
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List of novellas currently available:
Grey Wolf Pack Romance Novellas:
A Mate for the Beta – Book 1
The Alpha’s Mate – Book 2
The Librarian and the Wolf – Book 3
Running from the Vampire into the Arms of the Wolf – Book 4
Wolves for the Bears – Book 5
The Witch, the Wolf and the Snowstorm – Book 6
Patient Mates - Book 7
The Omega’s Mate – Book 8
Supernatural Bounty Hunter Romance Novellas:
Foxy On the Run – Book One