Willow opened to him, consuming his mouth, yearning for more. He slipped a condom over his swollen cock. Corey was doing everything he could to keep her safe. That just made her love him more. She pulled him toward her, his hardness pressing against her opening. She yielded to him.
The sensation of his body filling her sent her mind into orbit. She moaned and ran her fingers through his hair, kissing his cheeks and mouth and neck, over and over again.
He withdrew and thrust again, showing her the raw power in his hips, in his body, in his mind. She ran her hands up and down his back, wanting to pull him closer. She wanted him so close there was no space between them. She wanted to be so mixed up in his brilliance that she didn’t know who was who anymore.
“I love you, Corey,” she breathed.
“I love you, my sweet mate,” he said as he rained kisses down on her face and mouth.
The dam of desire burst inside her. She came with the force of a supernova, exploding under Corey’s hot, sexy body. He held her close and angled his mouth against her neck. She groaned as the tips of his teeth pressed against her jugular.
“Yes,” she breathed.
His teeth broke the surface and sank into her flesh. She gasped, her words cut off. Her eyes snapped open wide as she stared at the ceiling above.
She saw their future. Their children. Their joy in the life they would share. It was so glorious.
The pain and pleasure built inside her, making her peak again. Corey growled against her neck and released deep inside her. Their bodies throbbed in unison as their connection solidified into an unbreakable bond. As his teeth retracted, Willow was filled with a whole new level of emotion.
She could feel Corey’s heart and mind. She knew his thoughts, knew his intentions and beliefs. She could feel his love for her radiating like sunshine from his heart into hers. He pulled her to his chest as he laid on the bed. She rested against him, listening to his heart beating. Their hearts beat in rhythm. The sensation was so vitalizing that it made Willow weep tears of joy.
Corey kissed her head, knowing that she was happy rather than sad.
“My beloved,” he said, kissing away her tears.
“Corey,” she whispered, holding his face in her hands. “This is better than I could have ever imagined.”
The next morning, they went over to Willow’s room at the lodge and got ready for the day. She could feel Corey as close as her heartbeat.
They went through the process of showering and dressing in wordless synchronicity. When they kissed at the door on the way down to breakfast, he took her in his arms and whispered in her ear.
“This is really real.”
He kissed her cheek, and they walked downstairs. They ate breakfast on the patio under an umbrella. The lake was crystal blue and shimmering in the morning sunlight. They sat close to each other, chatting over melons, croissants, and coffee.
She leaned her head on his shoulder, looking out at the view. His warm scent filled her lungs, and she knew she was home. This was exactly what she needed to finish her book.
After breakfast, Willow and Corey walked down to the beach near the lodge. They took off their shoes and walked along the sandy shore, holding hands. Willow twirled away, throwing out her arms. She was alive and overflowing with passion and joy.
The beauty of the day, the glimmer of light on the water, the feeling of warm summer sand between her toes, the look of love in Corey’s eyes. It all added up into something beyond bliss.
He caught up with her and held her close, pressing his lips to hers in a passionate kiss. She knew this was the beginning of forever.
Chapter 15
Corey waited nervously on the doorstep of Ski Bear’s house. Zach and Maisie had lived there for months now, and he knew they’d done it up nice. Zach wasn’t as lackadaisical as the crew sometimes joked that he could be. He’d saved up his money and bought a home for him and his mate. And they were expecting a cub now.
Corey couldn’t help but remember the night in his cabin when he’d told everyone off. Now he had Willow by his side, looking as sweet and hot as Fate Mountain secret sauce. He put his arm around her waist and the door opened.
Zach stood smiling broadly in the doorway, his blue eyes twinkling with good humor. Corey offered up the bowl of potato salad he and Willow had made.
The crew had been so great, coming to the rescue when he needed them. Even though he’d been a jerk about them bringing Willow to Fate Mountain. He regretted it now.
Shane had been right all along. He had to get over the past so that he could have a future. He still hadn’t told Willow exactly how much money he had or what he wanted to do with it. Or if he wanted to do anything with it at all.
Zach took the potato salad with a pleasant thank you and invited them inside. Corey and Willow followed Zach into the big front room of his home. Corey had been living in a one-bedroom cabin for three years. This place was a perfect home compared to his tiny place.
“I can’t get over how great this place is. You did a good job on it,” Corey said.
“You have a lovely home,” Willow said to Maisie, who’d come up to weave her arm around Zach’s waist.
“Bienvenu. Welcome,” Maisie said. “The party’s in the back.”
They all went through the sliding glass doors onto the back patio. It was covered for rain and weather and great for shade. Drew and Angus were playing catch out on the big expanse of green grass. Juliet and Quinn had their new babies on blankets on the grass. Quinn’s baby Max was already crawling like a champ. Juliet’s daughter Sunshine was sitting up and giggling as she rattled a toy.
Corey held Willow close, seeing his friends looking so happy. Zach’s mate Maisie was already showing her baby bump under her chic summer dress. It made him think about his own life and family.
Corey hadn’t been smart like Zach. He hadn’t prepared for his mate by buying a house. Shane lived in the only two-bedroom cabin at the lodge. Corey’s place was too small for a family. They couldn’t have a baby in his little space.
Corey watched Zach walk back over to the barbecue. He had to respect his crew mate. Zach had great instincts. It was something Corey lacked sometimes, especially when it came to finding his mate. He’d screwed up a lot, and he wanted to make up for it. He wanted to be able to relive it all again and do it better the second time around.
But he couldn’t do that. He could only look to the future. What would he do? He had to think about it.
Willow went to sit down on the grass with the moms and babies. Shane was lying beside Lily as she sat near Juliet, watching her son Theo run around after Angus and Drew and their ball game. Theo jumped in the air and caught a low ball. He ran off with it toward the edge of the forest. Levi cut Theo off, still holding his bottle of Fate Mountain Lager.
Drew sat beside Lily. Poppy and Maisie and her mom Kelly sat at a long table that was set for a barbecue with the whole clan.
“The meat is done,” Zach called out over the yard. Everyone started to gather around the buffet tables, dishing up the food they’d all put together for the day. It was a great assortment of treats.
He and Willow dished up their food and sat together across from Lily and Shane. Guilt still churned in his gut for what he’d said about Lily. It wasn’t any of his business, but Corey felt bad for Lily. She reminded him of his mom. Now that she and Shane were together, she seemed as happy as could be.
Lily was a bear shifter now, and Corey knew it helped with a lot of her and Shane’s communication problems. He wondered if he should ask Willow if she wanted to be changed. Maybe that was what he could give her. Lily and Maisie seemed to like being bears. But humanity was something in itself. He didn’t want to take that away from her.
He’d have to keep thinking about the perfect thing to give her. He knew they couldn’t stay in the cabin forever.
He could marry her. That was a given. But that wasn’t all he wanted to do. He wanted to make a fundamental change in how he was living
his life. He wanted to contribute something to the community. Like the community had for him when he was young.
He wanted to help shifters and humans alike. Willow squeezed his thigh under the table. He smiled and winked at her. She giggled and squeezed again before moving her hand up to hold his hand. She leaned into him and kissed his cheek.
“This is great,” she said. “I feel right at home here.”
“With the crew’s mates and cubs, we make a clan. Now you are a part of it too.”
“I can feel that. It’s like it’s glowing inside me, making me warm and relaxed.”
“Living with the Rescue Bears has been amazing,” Maisie said, rubbing her rounding tummy. “The clan has really helped me find my way as a new business owner. I’ve got a great staff now. It couldn’t be better.”
“So you’re a romance novelist,” Poppy said, leaning over the table. “Angus told me. I love romance novels.”
“Romance novels?” Lily said, perking up.
“What have you written?” Quinn asked.
“Wasn’t it Sandra Collins?” Juliet said.
“No,” Poppy said. “She’s my all-time favorite author.
“I’ve decided not to write for Sandra Collins anymore,” Willow said. “I’m done with my publisher. I’m just a ghostwriter now, but I’m going out on my own. Somehow. I’ll make it work.”
“Your books are amazing,” Poppy said. “You’ll be just fine.”
“I hope so. Currently, I have no car.”
Corey gulped. He’d been so busy drinking in Willow’s beauty over the last few days, he’d neglected taking care of her needs. He knew she’d been on the phone with her insurance company. But Willow needed more than that. Hearing her talk about her publishing company and her car made him realize he hadn’t been paying enough attention to those things.
He had means to snap his fingers and make all her problems go away. Yet he hadn’t done anything. He didn’t know the right way to do it. He didn’t want to overwhelm her. He didn’t want his billions to become a thing between them.
Right now, she had no idea of the extent of his wealth. He knew he needed to come clean sooner or later. He just didn’t know how. He’d hoped to do it with a grand gesture like buying a million acres of land to preserve, starting a massive tech company or charitable foundation.
But what Willow really needed was much simpler than that. He was always looking so far into the big picture that he missed the small things. But how to take care of these small things for Willow also presented a problem. He couldn’t just impose himself on her life.
Corey had to admit to himself that even with the mate bond between them, part of him still felt unworthy of Willow’s love. Hurting her was the biggest mistake of his life.
He had to navigate these emotional waters without a life vest. Corey just wasn’t good at feelings. His instinct was to go to his computer and use his tech to buy his way into Willow’s heart. He’d buy out her contract, build her a publishing company, buy her a car, buy her a house, and give her any other million things she could possibly want.
But how would she take that? She looked up at him as he was lost in these confused thoughts. Their mate bond pulsed between them, and she squeezed his hand.
She slid her arm around his shoulders and kissed his cheek. Corey felt a rush of gratitude and stood to speak.
“I just want to thank Zach for putting on such a kick ass barbecue,” Corey said, lifting his beer.
He had so much gratitude to his crew for bringing Willow to him so that he could take care of her forever and love her until he died.
“Thanks man,” Zach said, lifting his own bottle of beer.
Corey swigged his Fate Mountain Lager and sat back down. A warm wash of happiness flowed over him.
“And to Corey and Willow, congratulations!” Levi said, standing and holding up his own bottle.
“We never thought we’d see the day,” Juliet said, sitting beside Levi with their baby girl Sunshine in her arms.
“We knew it would happen,” Shane said, gazing at Lily before he looked up at the group.
Lily giggled and pinched Shane’s cheek. “We’re happy for you, Corey.”
“I just wanted to apologize, for everyone, for what we did,” Angus said, tilting his bottle to Willow and Corey.
“There’s no need to apologize,” Willow said.
“I should be thanking you. If it hadn’t been for the crew, I’d never have found my beautiful mate. You did me a huge favor. Something I can never repay.”
Willow squeezed Corey’s hand. He saw a tear in the corner of her eye. She wiped it away, and he leaned in to kiss her softly on the cheek.
“You have all made me feel so welcome and at home,” Willow said. “I know my life on Fate Mountain is going to be amazing.”
“You definitely won’t lack for inspiration for your stories,” Poppy said. “There are new love matches every day from Mate.com. Shifters and their lady loves are hooking up every day.
“Even a few female shifters have gotten in on the action. It’s a new day for the shifter community. For all of us and for you, Willow. I know everyone would love to read your books if you wrote about shifters.”
“What I want more than anything is to connect with my fans and create great characters.”
“I can help you publish them. If it happens on a computer, I know how to do it,” Corey said.
“Really? You could do that?” Willow asked.
“That and much more. I want to spend the rest of my life taking care of anything you need.”
“Corey,” she said, leaning in to kiss him again.
As the party wound down, Corey and Willow said their goodbyes to the crew and their mates. It had been a fantastic day and Corey had finally been able to get some things off his chest.
It felt great to be back on good terms with his friends after how he’d acted about them bringing Willow to Fate Mountain. Now that he and Willow were together, he’d needed them to know that he was grateful. Especially after they’d all come to the rescue when Willow was lost.
As he drove home in his compact truck, he felt that his life was about to become much bigger and better than he’d ever imagined.
They walked inside and sat down in their sitting area together. Corey opened a few bottles of Fate Mountain Lager and they both drank a few sips before setting their bottles down on the coffee table.
“Willow,” he started. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something.”
“What is it?”
“You know how I invented Mate.com?”
“Yeah.”
“And you know how I said I didn’t want you to like me for my money?”
“How could I forget?”
“The thing is, I need you to know what I’m working with here. I need there to not be any secrets between us. And, I need your help.”
“Corey, you know I don’t care about money. All I want is to be able to write my books and live in peace.”
“That’s why I love you so much, Willow,” he said, leaning in to claim her lips in a sweet kiss.
“How much are we talking here?” she asked.
He cleared his throat. “Seven billion,” he croaked.
“Seven…billion. Holy shit, Corey. That’s not even real world money. That’s like fantasy money.”
“I realize that.”
“How did you get all that?”
“My work. Good investments. It just sort of happened over time. It’s embarrassing.”
“You’re embarrassed of seven billion dollars?” she asked in a voice that was between a gasp and a giggle.
“Well, the rest of the guys are pretty middle class. Levi’s got a few bucks in the bank, but his family was always wealthy. The guys are used to it. No one knows I’m worth so much.”
“You share everything with your crew but not that?”
“I don’t want them to treat me differently. I’m already the geek bear of the crew, I don’t want to be
the rich asshole of the group too.”
“They’d never think that of you, Corey. The clan loves you. The Rescue Bears love you like a brother.”
“I know that. I just never wanted it to get between us.”
“I’m glad you told me. Did you need my help telling your crew?”
“No, that’s not what I need help with. I need help figuring out how to spend it.”
“I am partial to diamonds. I wonder what seven billion dollars of diamonds looks like,” Willow teased.
“When I was a cub, the shifter community rallied around my mom and helped her get on her feet after my dad left. Then I got a scholarship to college from the Great Shifter Council. I’d like to give back to the community.”
“What are you going to do?” she asked.
“That’s what I need you to help me figure out.”
Chapter 16
One year later
Willow held Corey’s hand as they walked up the front walk of their new building. The Bright Institute for Shifters would soon be ready to open its arms to shifters who needed assistance, training, and education.
The five-hundred-thousand-foot building would house living facilities and educational spaces for the shifters who lived there.
The mission of the institute was to help shifters succeed. After thousands of years of secrecy, followed by two decades of persecution and war, shifters needed a hand making their way up in the world.
Many of the men who’d come back from the war had hit the ground running. But many others hadn’t had such a good time of it. Even with the benefits shifters received after the war, many shifters were too wounded by their pasts to move on. Many were unready to navigate the world that awaited them at home.
Corey and Willow had talked for long hours about how best to serve the world after he’d finally revealed how much money he had. After her shock of learning the number, they’d come to the decision to start the institute.
Corey had found the best instructors in the nation to come work at the institute. They had everything from machine shops to computer engineering labs. And the students could then move on to work for the institute in service of the community and the world to earn their education and board.
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