Brave Bear

by K L King

  Deacon entered her with one deep thrust, causing her to cry out. She was wet, but he was large. He froze and searched her eyes for signs of pain. “Did I hurt you?”

  “I’m OK. More,” she said softly as she pulled his mouth to hers. Deacon started to move slowly, gritting his teeth as he struggled to control his pace. His body was urging him to thrust faster.

  “Please,” his sweet mate begged. He quickly thanked God for the luscious, giving woman beneath him and surged deeper inside her, over and over in a steady rhythm as she moaned and clasped him still tighter to her. He increased his pace, pistoning over and over, both arms under her shoulders, keeping her firmly in place. Deacon heard the pounding of his pulse in his head. His molten blood roared through his body. Iris was mumbling incoherently and clutching at him.

  With one arm, Deacon reached under her as they moved together, rubbing along his cock right where he penetrated her. He coated his first and second digits in the juices than ran from her core. He lifted her ass enough to pull her smooth cheeks apart. As soon as he touched her bottom, Iris emitted a breathy gasp and dragged his mouth to hers in a passionate kiss. Believing this to be a sign that she was receptive to what he had planned, Deacon moved his fingers into position at her tight anus and applied just a bit of pressure. Iris screamed, “Yes!” He then eased one finger inside her tight channel, causing her to buck up and off the bed, whimpering incoherent words as she sucked on his tongue. He was so close, so, close.

  Iris started to pant faster, emitting a keening sound at the same time that Deacon’s vision started to narrow. Everything in the room except him and his true mate disappeared into blackness. Deacon released a husky groan that ended in a feral growl as Iris moaned and her core quivered and then pulsed.

  He held her close as their breathing slowed. After a minute, Deacon lifted his head up from where he had nestled into her shoulder and just gazed at his mate.

  Iris’s cheeks were flushed and her lips were swollen. She blinked, as if she was trying to keep her eyes open. Deacon gently pulled out of her and rolled onto his side, right behind her, tucking her into his chest. He pulled her sweat-slicked hair back behind her as she sighed. He covered them loosely with a sheet, wrapped his arms around her, and collapsed in exhaustion.

  Chapter 27

  Iris awoke warm and sated the next morning, one arm slung over Deacon’s tanned chest as he lay on his back, spread-eagle over the bed. She lazily stretched and took a moment to gaze at her love. He seemed so much younger as he slept. For one, he wasn’t scowling or frowning; he actually had a little grin on his face. She hoped he was as happy as he looked; she sure was. She stoked one of his whiskered cheeks gently. Deacon’s eyes opened immediately, and a smile spread readily across his face.

  “Good morning,” Iris said, kissing him softly on one cheek.

  “Good morning, mate,” Deacon replied, stroking her back and pulling her closer. “That was the best night’s sleep I’ve had in a long time.”

  “So, did I exhaust the mighty wolf?” Iris teased.

  He chuckled. “No, I think I was just so content to be skin to skin with my gorgeous mate all night.”

  “It is a wonderful sensation.” She closed her eyes and snuggled in to his chest, pulling the sheet over her exposed shoulders.

  “Iris?” Deacon asked in a more serious tone.

  “Mmm?” she mumbled, her face buried close to his neck.

  “I don’t want us to be apart, even for one night. Will you please move in here and stay with me?”

  Iris rose up onto one elbow and returned his gaze. “Are you sure? Remember, we haven’t known each other very long. I don’t want you to regret it later.”

  “I won’t regret it. You’re my one and only, my true mate. There will never be anyone else.”

  Tears sprang to Iris’s eyes. He reached over and wiped them with his thumb. “Then, yes, I want to be with you every night.” She beamed at him as tears continued to fill her eyes.

  After about an hour of cuddling and a steamy two-person shower, Iris phoned Tessa to discuss her desire to cohabitate with her mate. Tessa was indeed OK with Iris moving in with Deacon. Prior to the call, Iris mentioned that she wanted to take some time to finish updating the cottage for Tessa. Deacon, while initially reluctant, finally agreed. To avoid spending nights apart, they planned on dividing their time between both places. When Deacon worked an overnight shift, Iris and Riley would stay at her cottage since she would be safer being closer to Tessa than alone at his otherwise empty house. When he was able to have the night off, they would bunk at his place.

  A few days later, Iris and Deacon were both back at work. Iris had finished cleaning the shop kitchen after another busy day and was planning some new pie flavors when her cell rang.

  “Hey there, are you about ready to get picked up?” Deacon asked.

  “Yep, just about done. I’ve just been planning some new recipes, but I can do that at home.”

  “Great. I’ll be there in ten minutes. Are you still OK for tonight?” he asked.

  Tonight, Heath had asked them to come to his parents’ house for dinner along with some of the other high-ranking pack members. He wanted to introduce Iris to the pack, and this was the best way to start. Aside from Deacon’s family and Sadie and her husband, Iris hadn’t met many from the pack. She knew a couple of pack members like Finn and Cal because they worked with Deacon at the police station, but she hadn’t met them under the best circumstances. She cringed just thinking about being hauled in to the station like a criminal. She was pretty tense, but Deacon reassured her that everyone would like her. Iris, though, had a feeling that not everyone in the wolf pack would be happy that one of their own had mated a half-human half-bear that had still never shifted.

  “Yes, I’m ready.” In reality she was pretty jumpy, but she wanted to at least act brave for Deacon. “By the way, should we take Riley with us?”

  There was silence on the line for a few seconds. “Good question. I think it’s still probably safest for him to keep a low profile since we still don’t know what’s going on with him. I’m sure he won’t mind a quiet night at home. Be there soon.”

  Iris packed her recipe book into her purse and turned to go back into the front of the store to tell Tessa she was leaving. “Eep!” Tessa was standing right in front of her.

  “You, Deacon, and I need to have a talk sometime soon,” Tessa said calmly.

  “Is something wrong?” Iris frowned.

  “Not yet. I just want to talk some things over with you guys. I’m going to need your help in the future with something, not for a while yet, though.” She seemed uneasy, like something was worrying her.

  “How about dinner at our house this weekend?” Iris asked.

  “I think that would work.” She straightened her back, and the uncertainty disappeared from her face. “Thanks and see you tomorrow. Have fun tonight with the wolfies,” she cackled as she strode back out front.

  Iris strolled outside via the back door to wait for Deacon. It was a beautiful autumn afternoon—sunny, blue skies and a gentle breeze. Grey Lake was awash in brilliant fall colors. Tourists were flocking to the area each weekend for the gorgeous foliage. The extra people in town meant more business for the bakery. Tessa was even thinking of staying open on Sundays, leaving just Monday off, at least until the winter season began. Iris was fine with whatever Tessa wanted. She would miss her lazy Sunday mornings in bed with Deacon, but she appreciated everything Tessa had done for her and wanted to support her as her business grew.

  A few minutes after Iris sat down on the bench behind the bakery, Deacon’s truck pulled up. He had worked the third shift last night and had tonight off. He parked, and before she could stand up, he had jumped out of the driver’s seat and walked toward her. He wrapped her in a tight hug and kissed her softly on her lips. She attempted to deepen the kiss, but he nipped her bottom lip and pulled back. “If we don’t get in the truck right now, I’m liable to do something indecent. Luc
kily, there’s plenty of time before dinner tonight.” He gazed at her with hooded eyes.

  He held her hand as he walked her to the passenger door, which he then opened for her. “I can get in myself. It’s no big deal,” Iris said.

  “I know you can do it, but I want to do it. Let me spoil you. I haven’t had anyone to spoil in a long time.” He smiled brightly.

  He turned to close the door after she had climbed into the truck. “Wait, come here,” Iris said.

  When he leaned toward her in her seat, she grabbed the sides of his head with both hands and gave him a deep kiss. “You can spoil me if I can kiss you.”

  Deacon chuckled. “Yes, ma’am, sounds like a perfect arrangement.” He swiftly walked around to the other side of the car, climbed into the driver’s seat, and they headed to his, soon to be their, forever home.

  As they drove the short distance, Iris thought about her bear and wondered if she would ever shift. She and Riley seem to have the opposite problem. She couldn’t shift into her bear form, and he seemed to be stuck as his wolf.

  Now that she knew she was part black bear, she was more alert to the subtle changes she had been going through since moving to the quaint New Hampshire town. She was definitely more relaxed in Grey Lake compared to the city. While she still had moments of anxiety, the full-blown panic attacks had pretty much ceased. Iris noticed she was indeed quite protective of Riley, as well as Deacon, much to the latter’s amusement. Whenever she could sense tension in a room, she had to fight the urge to get in front of them in a defensive manner. She knew it was ridiculous since she couldn’t physically defend anyone, especially a shifter, if she couldn’t take her bear form, but there was an almost primal need within her to shield them both from real or imagined harm. She was also a little curious to see what she would look like as a bear.

  “Do you know much about bear shifters?” Iris asked Deacon a few minutes later as they drove.

  “A little bit. What exactly are you wondering about?” he answered.

  “I know almost nothing about them. The only thing I really even know about real non-shifter bears is that they hibernate in the winter. Do bears and bear-shifters live in packs like wolves? Where do they tend to live? How many kids do they usually have? What do they like to eat in the wild? Will I automatically get along with other bears? Is there any way to find my shifter relatives?”

  “Whoa, slow down. That’s a lot of questions. I can answer some of those questions, and I will. I think it would also be best to go talk with some bear shifters as well.”

  “Do you know a lot of them?”

  He frowned. “I’m not really close with any nowadays. I went to school with some, but we kind of drifted away into our own things. May talks to everyone in town. She might have some ideas of who to talk to.”

  “Which questions can you answer?” she asked.

  “Let’s wait ’til we get home. We can jump in the tub and can talk as we relax.” He smiled.

  They were greeted by an excited Riley upon arriving home. He seemed to be full of energy.

  “Did someone sleep the morning away?” Iris asked the wolf.

  Riley pushed his head into her hand as she rubbed the fur between his ears. “I will take that as a yes. Do we have time to take him out for a walk?”

  “Sure do. Let’s get changed first while he eats, and then we can let him stretch his legs.” Deacon unwrapped a piece of uncooked steak and placed it on the floor on a dish along with some water for the wolf shifter. They quickly changed into gym clothes and returned to grab Riley for their walk in the woods behind their home.

  As soon as they were within the forest, they unclipped Riley from his leash. “Sorry, buddy. I know it must suck to be tied up like a dog,” he said apologetically to the wolf. He turned to Iris. “It’s so odd… I can tell he’s a shifter, I can sense it, but something’s just not quite right. I’m not sure how much of what we say he understands. He seems more wolf than man. I hate treating him like a pet, but Tessa seems to think it’s best until we figure out what’s going on with him.”

  Riley rolled to his back, showing them his belly. Deacon stared at him. “See, that’s so bizarre. He’s behaving more like a domesticated animal than a shifter or even a wild animal. I wonder what happened to him.”

  “Like I said before, when I lived in the city, there was never any indication that he was anything except a highly intelligent dog. I just hope if he is aware he’s a shifter, he knows we’re trying to help figure out what happened to him and that we’ll protect him,” Iris said, rubbing his stomach.

  Deacon let out a quiet growl.

  “What’s wrong?” Iris gasped.

  “You know that whenever you rub him anywhere other than his head or back, it gets me jealous. I know he’s your friend, but my wolf can’t help it.” He grit his teeth.

  “Oh, you big baby. Jealous of another wolf. And he’s your friend, too,” Iris teased, giving Deacon a hug.

  Riley gave Deacon his neck in submission and then, when Deacon nodded, he got up and started trotting along ahead of the couple.

  “So, we know for sure you’re a black bear—” Deacon said as they followed Riley on the trail.

  “That’s what you guys keep telling me,” Iris interrupted with a smirk.

  “From scent, we can tell you are. Black bears that are found in nature—non-shifters I mean—are much smaller than grizzlies and polar bears. They are faster than them both, though, and are better climbers. They’re usually good swimmers, too.”

  “I wouldn’t know. I can swim in a pool, but I’ve only done laps for exercise. I never really swam for fun. Never really climbed anything either,” Iris said.

  “In general, shifter animals are bigger than their natural counterparts so I imagine your bear will be bigger than a non-shifter black bear. At least that’s how it works with wolf shifters.”

  “Are there any other black bears in Grey Lake?” Iris asked.

  “Sure are. There’s also grizzlies. Beau from the hardware store, remember him? He and his family are grizzlies.”

  “Do grizzly bears get along with black bears?”

  “In nature, I don’t know. Shifters get along just as if they were one-hundred percent human. Some grizzlies get along with some black bears and some don’t. It just depends on their personalities. The black bears I have met have been pretty nice. The grizzlies have been, too.”

  “What about polar bears? Have you met any?”

  “I have met some. Every winter a few polar bears come to do some skiing, and some even are ski instructors during the winter. They usually go back to Alaska during the rest of the year, though. The ones I have met have been OK. They love to eat and have a good time. They never caused any trouble. No fighting, unless they were defending someone. I wish the cougars were more like the bears.” He sighed.

  “I wish I knew what their problem was with me.” Iris shivered as she knelt down to pick up a rock near the water.

  “You really don’t need to worry about the cougars. I won’t let them hurt you. I promise.” Deacon grabbed her in a tight hug from behind.

  “I’m not worried about me. I’m worried about you. You have a dangerous job.”

  “And I’m very good at it,” he said, squeezing her snugly and kissing the side of her neck.

  “I know you are. I still can worry.” She reached her arms up and wrapped them around his neck. She pressed her curved body tightly against his. She wanted him now, here. She could feel that he wanted the same. “Do we have time?”

  “Not if we want to take a nice, hot bath together.” He spoke right into her ear. She could feel his warm breath against her.

  “OK. Let’s hurry and get back then.” She pulled his hand as he laughed and followed. Riley made a noise that sounded similar to a human snorting and followed them home.

  Chapter 28

  Iris put out a large, fresh bowl of water for Riley and then started the water for the bath. She began to peel off her sweaty clothes whe
n Deacon’s cell phone rang. He ambled into the living room to answer it. She stared into the mirror as the water heated up. Still the same Iris. She didn’t look any different, but she felt different. She was stronger and more centered. Her parents and brother would never recognize her. No problems there since she had no intention of going back to visit for a long, long time.

  She stepped into the larger than standard-size custom bathtub, leaned back, closed her eyes, and let the side jets blast her with bubbles. This was the best bathtub she had ever been in. “Aeeiii!” She jumped in surprise a few minutes later when she felt soft lips on her neck.

  “Who did you think it would be?” Deacon chuckled as he stepped in and sat behind her.

  “I knew it was you. I’m just jumpy. I must be more nervous about tonight than I thought.” She giggled as he lifted her onto his lap and poured a large amount of woodsy smelling shower gel into his hands.

  Iris tried to turn around, but Deacon stopped her. “No, no. You just relax and let me take care of you,” he said into her right ear as he began to rub her chest with soapy hands. She could feel his warm breath on her neck. He placed little kisses along her jaw, nipping her with his teeth. Liquid heat pooled in her core as he continued to arouse her.

  She squirmed and pushed back against him as he lathered her up, playing with her nipples as he squeezed her breasts. When he pulled and pinched the two peaks, she started to pant. “No fair. I want to play, too.” She slipped out of his arms and turned around to face him, wrapping her legs around his waist. She threw her arms around his neck and pulled his head down to her mouth. She ground onto his firm, velvety cock and kissed him deeply.

  Deacon groaned and let his head fall back. “If you keep this up, we’re going to miss dinner with the pack.”

  “I don’t care. We have time…or we can be late.” She thrust her tongue into his mouth, seeking his, and leaned into him, tightening her legs around him. Deacon lifted her higher onto his lap and sucked one of her nipples into his mouth. Iris let out a loud moan as she writhed on top of him. He lifted her by her ass and with one move, he pushed his hard, thick cock up inside her. Iris panted and wailed as he thrust in and out in a punishing rhythm. He knew just how to make her crazy. He spread her ass cheeks apart and inserted one slippery digit inside, making her scream in ecstasy.