by Taylor Rylan
“Thanks for breakfast, Edison. You too, Wallace. Would you mind leaving us? There’s something my mate needs to understand.”
“Gage, don’t forget what I said yesterday.”
“Most of yesterday is a blur, but I remember. And I promise I’ll be patient. But Linus and I need to have a talk.”
“Enjoy your talk, you two. And we’ll see you later for lunch, perhaps,” Wallace said as he walked out of the room. Edison followed with a smile on his face and closed the door behind him. I turned and looked at Gage who was wincing as he reached for his tray.
“Here, let me help you,” I said as I carefully sat my tray down and rushed to the other side of the bed to help Gage. “You should be careful. You’re still healing. Would it be better if you shifted?”
“It wouldn’t hurt. I’ll shift later after I get home. Thanks,” Gage said as I handed him his tray of food. It looked and smelled wonderful. I realized I was actually hungry when my stomach growled, which caused Gage to growl low in his throat.
“When did you eat last?”
“Yesterday at lunch. I ate a little. I wasn’t hungry last night, and when I brought you your dinner, I dropped yours. I’ll eat. I know all about you bears and your thing with feeding others.”
“Mates. It’s a thing about feeding mates. We need to know that our mates are taken care of and protected. You will eat, understand? I realize there was a good reason for you not wanting to eat yesterday. I’ve been there, Linus, although I wasn’t nearly as young as you when my parents were killed.”
Gage’s tone sent shivers down my spine, and I sat back down and pulled my tray back onto my lap in hopes of being able to eat. How was I supposed to eat when Gage was so close?
“How did they die?”
“Car crash. I wasn’t quite fifty yet.”
“And how old are you now?” I asked nervously. Suddenly, the eggs weren’t all that appealing. I knew I was a lot younger than Gage.
“I’m ninety-eight. So eighty years older than you, my young mate,” Gage said while smiling at me.
I really could stare at him all day. His blue eyes weren’t overly bright, more like an icy blue color. And his sandy blond hair looked so soft. Did that mean he was a blond bear?
“Can I ask you something?”
“You can ask me anything. You’re my mate and I’ll never have any secrets from you. But promise me you’ll eat?”
I looked down at my plate and started spooning eggs and toast into my mouth, but then realized my mistake. I couldn’t talk while eating, so I had to wait until I swallowed first. “Okay, so your hair is sandy blond. Does that mean your bear is blond? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you shifted.”
“No, my grizzly is just a brown grizzly like War’s. Over the winter months, my hair will darken considerably. I spend a lot of time out in the sun so it gets bleached.”
“Oh. That makes sense.” I ate more food so I could make Gage happy and he’d continue talking. It worked because I got a feeling of happiness from him as he watched me chew and swallow. Before I knew it, my plate was empty as was my mate’s. I got up and after stacking everything together, I was able to sit the tray on one of the night stands.
“Come here, sweetheart.” My gaze flew to Gage’s, and I simply couldn’t deny him. I didn’t fear my mate, but he was so much larger than me that I was certainly a little hesitant. “Linus, you’re my mate. I will never hurt you. Ever. Even if you choose to not claim me, I’d still never be able to hurt you. That’s how it works. And I’ll never do anything you don’t want. I simply want to hold you while we talk. But you’re welcome to sit on the other side of the bed if you want, that’s fine.”
I crawled into Gage’s lap again, careful to not hurt his still-healing chest. I ran a finger down it gently and had to know. “Does it still hurt?”
“Not like it did yesterday. And it’ll hurt even less tomorrow.”
“What happened?”
“I got ganged up on by two polar bears. They were both bigger than me. I lost.”
“I could have lost you, too. And then I would have truly been alone for the rest of my life.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. What’s to say that the fates wouldn’t have given you another mate? No one really knows exactly how those things work. But I’m thankful they were able to save me. I wouldn’t have wanted to not find you.”
“Gage, do you want a mate?”
My larger mate wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled my body in towards his and rested his forehead against mine.
“Linus, I’ve been hoping for a mate for a long time. I’d all but given up though. Then War found his, and that seemed to start a domino effect. Mates started appearing and I did my best to remain hopeful. But, let’s face it, I’m not the greatest catch. I mess up so many things on a regular basis. I know what the others in the den say and think about me, and no matter how much I try, it doesn’t help. So if you don’t want to have a screw up for a mate, I’d understand. Maybe the fates will take pity on you—”
I cut Gage off by placing my lips on his. I’d never been kissed before and didn’t know what I was doing, but I was tired of listening to my mate talk down about himself. There’d be no more of that. Luckily for me, Gage knew how to kiss. Well, I think he did. His warm lips pressed harder to mine, and my entire body tingled and my hole felt slick for the first time in my life. That was new. How long until I went into heat? I was trying to remember, but my brain didn’t want to function with Gage’s lips on mine and his hands on my ass.
Gage — 3
I needed to remember that my mate was very young, and I had to have patience with him. I had to take things slow. I couldn’t rush this, and I needed to be sure he knew exactly what he was doing and what he wanted. Remembering that, I pulled back from the kiss and took a deep breath. I smelled Linus’s arousal and it was intoxicating. I needed to figure out a way to get us out of the bedroom before I did something I’d regret because he wasn’t ready yet.
“Why don’t we see if we can find something to do? Would you like to meet my bear? I should shift anyway to help finish healing.”
“Oh! Can I? You guys are always so fascinating. I’m just a little fox, but you bears are huge! He won’t eat me though, right?”
I laughed until it pulled at my chest, and I abruptly stopped and winced which caused my mate to gasp.
“I’m fine. I just need to remember that I’m not quite well yet. No, he won’t eat you in either form. If you’d like to shift, I’m sure it would be alright now. We can check with War first though. I may be quite scatter-brained, but I’d never let anything happen to you, mate. Ever.” I ran my fingers through Linus’s soft, blonde hair while looking into his blue eyes. I was in trouble. There was no way I’d be able to ever tell him no. I patted his thigh gently, and he took the hint and climbed off of my lap.
“Do you need help?”
“Thanks, but no. I got up earlier, and that was before eating. The food really helped.” I realized what I’d said just as soon as the words left my mouth, and I pulled Linus to me and hugged him. He really was a tiny thing compared to me. “Linus, look at me.” I raised his face to mine and saw the tears in his eyes. That was probably going to be a common sight for the next several days or weeks even.
“I dropped your dinner last night. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. I most likely wasn’t going to eat much of it anyway. I think there were other reasons as to why you were sent to bring me my dinner.” I leaned down and gently kissed his forehead before pulling away. “Come on. Let’s take our trays down, and then we’ll see about shifting.”
“Alright.” Linus rushed to grab the trays, and that’s not what I meant for him to do, but I let it go for now. He had a lot of uncertainty right now, and I knew he was worried about so many things.
“When was the last time you shifted?”
“Actually, just a couple days ago. We’re so small that we can shift in the house, so we’ve never really been limit
ed in that. I know that a lot of the den hasn’t had the chance to shift regularly because of everything going on with Troy’s old Alpha. I feel bad that they were forced to not shift.”
“It’s nothing that you did so don’t feel bad.”
“Are you sure? He was here after us. How did I not do it?”
“He was a deranged and sick man. He wasn’t after you specifically, just any male omega. As well as those of us that have them as mates. He needed to be stopped and he was. Or, I sure hope he was. That’s another thing I need to find out.”
“I think so. I should know, shouldn’t I? I was so self-absorbed in my own grief that I didn’t stop to think about anyone else’s.”
I opened the door for my mate, and he quickly passed through with the trays. “Here, let me have those,” I said, reaching for them.
“No, I have them. I think most of the den should be in the kitchen area eating still. Or maybe they’re talking now?”
I followed behind my mate at a much slower pace. I couldn’t help but admit that it was a nice view. I heard voices coming from the direction Linus was going and figured he was right in his assumption. Most of the den members were in War’s kitchen having a discussion, if not breakfast.
“Good morning you two! Gage, should you be up yet?” War said as we entered the kitchen. It had a large table near the back wall that was full of windows. I loved his house, and it always made me think mine was lacking without warm touches. However, I never did anything to change it. I’d always hoped that one day I’d have a mate, and they’d like to make the house what they wanted. My parents had left me a beautiful home on the lake, but I’d done so little to it when they died.
“I’m feeling much better, Alpha. Thanks. I figured if I shifted that’d be that last little bit that I needed.”
“Yes, that might just do the trick. How are you two getting along? I see you didn’t claim each other yet.”
“No, Alpha. I don’t know when that’ll happen. That’s up to Linus, and when he’s ready, we will. I know it probably won’t be for some time now. It’s okay though; he’s worth the wait.” I looked at my mate who had turned bright red. He was so young, and I had to keep reminding myself of that.
“Alpha, would it be alright if I went with Gage while he shifted? I’d like to meet his bear, and he promised he’d never let anything happen to me.”
“Linus, you don’t need my permission to spend time with your mate. Edison has assured me that every one of Hank’s followers have been dealt with. Honey Creek is as safe as it ever was. If you two would like to spend the day exploring the woods, I’m all for it. I can’t wait to take Arik out for a run later. He’s still not feeling the greatest, but he said he’d love to shift and go out for a bit.”
“Thanks, Alpha. I want to go with him,” Linus said as he looked up at me. I smiled at him, and it made my bear happy that our mate wanted to spend time with us.
“Linus, we will need to figure out what to do about your housing situation, and soon. Next week is the beginning of November, and I’m not yet sure when your parents’ rent is due, but I assume the beginning of the month. They chose to rent in town, so I have no influence over anyone dealing with it.”
“I know, Alpha. I have to get a job fast. I’m about to be homeless and—”
“Stop. You’ll never be homeless. I have plenty of room, and I’m sure our Alpha would be more than willing to take you in. I’ve already told you, Linus, you’ll never be alone again. You’re not a bear, but you are a member of our den and we don’t turn our backs on each other,” I told my mate.
“Thank you, Gage.” Linus wouldn’t look at me, so I looked back to my Alpha who had a puzzled look on his face.
“Did I misspeak, Alpha? I apologize. I never know what to say in situations, it seems.”
“No. You didn’t misspeak at all. I was just wondering…you know what? Never mind. Your mate is correct, Linus. You should know that you will always be welcome here. But I will say this, Gage can be completely trusted. If you want to stay with your mate, I know he’d never do anything you didn’t want. You shouldn’t fear him in any way.”
“Thank you, Alpha. I appreciate that,” I said to him. I knew he often wondered what the hell I was doing. I did too most of the time. But for now, I was focused on Linus and what he needed. I had a mate to take care of, and he was most important.
“Thanks, Alpha. I would like to spend some of the day with Gage. We need to talk and everything. I know there’s a lot to deal with regarding my parents. I’ll be back later to figure out what needs to be done first.”
“Don’t worry about it, Linus. Troy and I are handling most of it for you. There will be some choices you’ll have to make, but for the most part, we can handle it.”
“I’ll take care of everything, Alpha. Linus is my mate, and therefore, my responsibility. Even if he chooses not to accept me, I’ll still make arrangements for him.”
“We’re going now, Alpha. It’s time to shift, and this big lug and I need to have another talk about the fact that, yes, I’m mating with him,” Linus said as he grabbed my hand and yanked. I only moved simply because I wanted to follow my little mate. My bear wanted to be near him, and if he was going to get to sniff our mate, he was more than ready to get to it.
War could be heard chuckling, as could a few others at the table as we passed by. I just smiled and let my mate drag me out of the kitchen and out into the back yard. It was much cooler than the sunny skies led me to believe it was. Then again, it was almost November, in Montana. It was supposed to be cold.
“Are you going to be okay? You’re not going to get cold, are you? Should we get you your coat? Maybe some shoes?” I asked, looking at my mate. He was in his jeans and sweater he’d been wearing last night when he’d brought me dinner.
“No, I’ll be fine. But you need to shift so I can say hi to your bear, and then I’ll shift and we can go exploring. Sound good?”
“Yes,” I croaked. I was going to get to meet his fox. I’d certainly hoped to for sure. I was happy he wasn’t intimidated by my bear. I didn’t want my mate to be out in the cold any longer than necessary, so I dropped the borrowed sweats and tossed them on a chair on the deck and quickly stepped down the stairs. When I turned to look at my mate, he was staring at a certain part of my anatomy that certainly wanted to get to know him on a much more intimate level. “Linus, up here,” I said, pointing at my face.
“What? Oh, sorry. I mean, will it fit? It’s not even hard and…”
“Yes, Linus. It’ll fit. That’s what your slick is for. But don’t worry, we’re not doing anything like that for a while yet.”
“What? Why? I mean, I know I saw you naked earlier, even felt it when I was on your lap, and I’m not scared or anything. I’ve just never…you know.”
“Yes, mate, I know. I haven’t either. We’ll learn together. When the time is right, that is. But for now, there’s no rush.”
“What? You’ve never?” Linus asked.
“No. I haven’t. I’m not exactly a catch. We’ll talk about this later, okay?”
“Yes, we will. You’ll stop that ‘I’m not a catch’ stuff. You’re perfect. Now shift. I’m getting cold and I want to meet your bear.”
I nodded at my little fireball and called my bear who was only too happy to come and say hello.
“Whoa! He’s huge! You sure you’re not going to try to eat my fox?”
I huffed and simply laid down on the ground so my mate would know I meant him no harm. I needed him to feel completely safe around me, and if he thought I’d eat him, well, then that wasn’t feeling safe.
“Can I touch you?”
I couldn’t communicate with my mate through the mate bond because we hadn’t claimed each other yet, but I did understand him and nodded at him. He giggled and then I found myself with my mate suddenly climbing all over me. He rubbed his entire body on me, and his fingers found my ears and he gave them a little scratch. I wasn’t a dog, and he needed to rea
lize that. I huffed and started to stand up but quickly laid back down when Linus squeaked.
“Alright. Got it. You don’t like your ears messed with. Let me get down, and I’ll shift and we can go.”
Linus slid off my back and undressed so quickly he was naked before I could blink. He was the most beautiful man I’d ever seen, and I wanted desperately to shift and tell him so, but it would have to wait. If I shifted, I’d find a way to get us to my place, and then I’d fight what the fates had intended because now wasn’t the time to claim my mate. He’d just lost his parents. I was going to have to be careful with my little mate. He was entirely too tempting.
“Okay, big guy, don’t eat my fox, alright?” Linus said again, just before he was gone. When I looked down, the most adorable little white fluff-ball was there. If I wasn’t already in love with my mate before, I certainly was now.
Linus — 4
Gage was huge. As a man, he was a lot larger than me. His bear was frickin’ enormous! Then I had to go and shift, and try to not pee everywhere, because I was just so damn nervous. I knew that technically Gage wouldn’t hurt me because he was my mate. But he was massive! And that was so intimidating.
I just lay there on the ground curled up in the tightest ball I could. I jumped when a heavy breath blew on me, and I found myself nose-to-nose with Gage’s much larger one. He grunted before turning and walking a few steps. When he stopped and looked back at me over his shoulder, I jumped up and quickly took off to chase him. I ran under him, and he huffed at me, and then I ran circles around him. When Gage playfully swatted at me, but missed me by several feet, I felt so much more at ease around him.
We set off out in the woods, and I made sure to always stay very close to my much-larger mate. I had to basically run in order to keep up with him, but I didn’t want to show weakness and let him know I was quickly tiring. I was never so thankful as when he stopped at a creek and got a long drink. I quickly drank my fill and then curled up into a tight ball, unable to go on any further. I was so tired and just needed a little nap.