by K L King
“You like that, don’t you?” he panted. “Do you want more?”
“Yes!” she begged him.
He pushed a second digit inside as he continued to pump his cock into her. Her tight vaginal walls squeezed him like a vice. She let out a long, deep moan as he grunted, “Can’t hold out. Gonna cum.”
As soon as her channel started to pulse, he released his seed deep inside her as he held her tightly against his pelvis. Deacon dragged Iris’s head down to his and held her firmly to his chest. He leaned his forehead against hers as they panted. “I knew it. We really need a shower.” He let out a brief chuckle as she clung to him while their aftershocks lessened.
After taking a quick, much less intense, shower, they dressed for dinner. It was supposed to be a casual gathering, but Iris still wanted to make a good impression. She had made two pies last night to bring with them—spiced cinnamon apple and strawberry rhubarb. Iris decided on a burnt orange eyelet midi dress with tan, heeled boots, while Deacon looked handsome in jeans, a dark blue Henley, and dress shoes.
They drove quickly to the Jensen’s home and strode up to Annie and Ted’s front door right on time. Annie answered the door within seconds of them knocking. “It’s so nice to see you two. I’ve missed you guys.”
“Mom, how can you miss us? We were just here.” Deacon said.
“I know, but I still can miss you.” Annie laughed. She turned to give Deacon a hug and then embraced Iris. “Now, Iris, you have to remember that just because you’re a baker, you don’t always have to come bearing desserts.”
Iris flushed at the compliment. “I know, but I like making them.”
“Well, thank you for taking the time,” Annie said.
“You’re welcome,” Iris said as Annie released her from the hug, taking the pies from Iris.
“Deacon, why don’t you introduce Iris to our guests while I take these to the dessert table?” Annie suggested.
“Will do, boss,” Deacon said. He took Iris’s hand and walked her through the house and out to the kitchen where the pack members had all congregated. Aside from Ted, Annie, and Heath, there were six couples that Iris had never seen before. Three older couples close to Ted and Annie’s ages and three couples that appeared to be in their late thirties or forties were there. May was stuck working a shift at the station and had to take a raincheck. As soon as Iris and Deacon walked into the room, the conversation ceased and everyone turned to stare at them.
“Son, Iris, nice to see you both,” Ted said warmly. He patted Deacon on the shoulder and enveloped Iris in a warm embrace. “Heath was just telling our friends here about how you defended yourself against two cougar shifters.”
Iris’s cheeks burned at the attention, and she dropped her gaze toward the kitchen floor. “It happened so quickly. I just reacted. I got lucky.”
Deacon wrapped one arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer. “Don’t be modest. You did great. I’m still pissed that no one came to your aid sooner.” He frowned.
Heath turned to Iris. “I was just saying I was impressed with how you handled yourself. A ticked-off cougar is no joke, and you faced two of them. I was just telling everyone how glad I am you’re on our side. Once you’re able to shift, you’ll be amazing”
Iris smiled weakly and fidgeted a bit.
Deacon frowned at Heath. “She’s already amazing. She doesn’t need to shift to prove anything.”
Iris glanced up at Deacon. She could see and feel his agitation. It was flowing off him in waves. She cuddled into him and rubbed his chest soothingly. He stared at her with a dazed expression that slowly morphed into a calm countenance.
He leaned down close to her ear and whispered, “Thank you.” He then kissed her right at the sensitive spot where her neck and shoulder met and gave her a tiny nip.
Heath and Ted spent the rest of the evening introducing her to the other members of the pack. She discussed her prior life growing up in Providence with a cold, distant family. She told them how she never knew she was a shifter until she moved to Grey Lake. She talked about how she grew up baking and how she loved working with Tessa. No one mentioned Riley, and she didn’t bring him up either. Overall, the evening was successful. At the start of the night, Iris had felt like some of the older couples eyed her a little warily. But by the end of the night, everyone had seemed to warm up to her.
Iris was helping Annie clean up the dishes in the kitchen after most of the guests had left. “I think this was a positive introduction,” Annie said.
“I feel like it improved as the night went on. Some of the more senior pack members seemed a little uneasy at first,” Iris said.
“A few of the pack, mainly some of my contemporaries, are especially distrustful of outsiders. The fact that you’re not a wolf makes them a little more nervous. It was the same when Ted and I first became mates. They’re good people, though. They’ll come around. They loved your pies, that’s for sure. There’s nothing left of them.”
“That’s my sweet mate. Winning people over one pie at a time,” Deacon said as he sidled up behind Iris and kissed her right cheek. “By the way, May texted me a little bit ago. She has a friend who happens to be a black bear that she says would be happy to meet you and answer all of your bear-related questions.”
“That’s a great idea,” Heath said as he strolled into the kitchen with his father. “It’s good to learn about your strengths and weaknesses.”
Deacon turned and moved in front of Iris. “She wants to learn about her ancestors, find out if she has any shifter relatives here in Grey Lake. She’s not learning so she can be a fighter. Lay off it.”
Heath growled. “Calm down. I understand. I just think it’s important she learn about being a bear. Maybe it’ll help her with her first shift. That’s all.”
“OK, I’m just… I don’t know,” Deacon said, shaking his head. His wolf growled and was followed shortly after by a low rumble that came from where Iris was standing. Deacon froze.
“Can I talk with you alone for a minute?” Heath said, putting his hand on Deacon’s shoulder.
Iris slowly had moved to stand in front of Deacon.
“It’s OK. I’ll be right back,” he said and kissed her gently on her lips.
Heath sat down at the patio table and motioned for Deacon to do the same while Annie gently nudged Iris toward the living room.
Deacon watched his mother and Iris settle down inside on the couch and then sat across from his alpha at the table. He sighed.
Heath leaned forward and placed his elbows on the table. “OK, what’s the problem? Every time I mention Iris and shifting, you get pissed.”
“I’m just worried about her. I don’t know. Maybe it’s a mate thing. Whenever I think about her being in danger, I get crazy. My wolf, too. Maybe she isn’t supposed to shift. I don’t know. I can’t seem to help being crazy protective,” Deacon said, fidgeting in his chair.
“Iris is your mate so she’s family now. I will protect her. My pack—our pack—will protect her. And I don’t know if you, or even she, noticed back there, but she growled. Her bear is in there somewhere. She might not end up needing much protecting. It actually looked like she wanted to protect you. You owe it to her to help her learn about who she is. She’ll never be whole until she understands about her shifter side.”
“I hear you, I do. It’s just hard, you know. Sorry for being an ass.” Deacon stood, moved to where Heath sat, and held his hand out to Heath. Heath ignored his hand, stood up, and enveloped Deacon in a hug.
“It’s OK. I get it. I’m sure if I’m ever lucky enough to find a mate, I’ll act a little crazy too,” Heath said.
“I can’t wait for that day. Hopefully, it will be soon. And by the way, I did hear her growl, and it was beautiful,” Deacon said with a grin.
Chapter 29
Iris heard May’s car pull up to the cottage. There was a brief knock before May burst through the front door. “Ready?”
“Just about. You sure Piper is
OK with this?”
“Of course. Why wouldn’t she be?”
Iris shrugged. “I don’t know. I just get nervous meeting new people.”
May walked over and wrapped one arm around Iris in a half-hug. “It’ll be fine. Piper’s very nice. She’s kind of shy, but very sweet when you get to know her, kind of like you. She’ll love meeting another bear.”
At Deacon’s request, May had planned the meeting between Iris and her friend, Piper. The young woman was a black bear shifter who had moved to Grey Lake with her family when she was a toddler. She was about May’s age, so a little younger than Iris.
Iris and May drove the thirty minutes up to Piper’s home close to the mountain that would be opening within the next month and a half for skiing, sledding, and snowboarding. She lived in a secluded cabin with her older sister, Cora, and their father. The women took shifts taking care of their father, who had been sick for some time. May had said that Piper was a librarian at the town’s small library while Cora was a nurse at Grey Lake Hospital.
“How did you meet Piper?” Iris asked as they got out of May’s car.
“I went to school with her. We were on the high school ski team together, too. She was super smart in school and was always helping people who had trouble with learning, kind of like an unofficial tutor. It makes sense that she became a librarian. She always had a book with her. Her sister’s OK. She was about four years older than us so we didn’t really hang with her too much during school. She was always kind to us, though.”
They knocked and waited. “Well, their cabin is so beautiful,” Iris said just as the door was opened by a tall woman with long dark brown hair that had been tied back in a French braid.
“Thanks. We love it, too,” the woman said with a big smile. “You must be Iris. I’m Piper. Nice to finally meet the new black bear in town.” She hugged Iris in a warm embrace. She then hugged May, dwarfing the petite blond. “Come on in, I made us some snacks. Dad’s sleeping so we can sit on the back deck. Hopefully, he’ll wake up in a little bit. I told him you were coming, and he got real excited. It’s not too often we have new black bear shifters coming to Grey Lake.”
Iris explored the cozy one-story log cabin with her mouth open. It seemed so warm and inviting, like being wrapped in a cocoon of warmth. She turned to Piper with a big smile and tears in her eyes.
“Are you OK?” May asked.
“Yes.” She wiped her eyes. “It’s only that this place just feels so safe and homey. I’ve never felt anything like this except with Deacon at his—I mean, our home.”
Piper put her hand on Iris’s arm. “I think it’s soothing to your bear. Most dens are like this, small and cozy with window blinds and dim lights.” Piper smiled. “Come on, let’s go sit on the back deck and get comfy. Do you ladies want iced tea or wine?”
“Wine, please,” Iris said following Piper.
“Tea for me. I’m driving,” May said trailing a little behind the two women.
“Great. Have a seat, and I’ll be right back,” Piper said.
Iris and May sat on the open deck that faced the forest. The padded patio chairs were soft and the view was gorgeous. Iris released a contented sigh. “I wish Deacon could see this place. It’s amazing.”
Piper came out with a tray holding a platter of bread and cheeses, dishes, glasses, and bottles of rosé and white wine, along with some iced tea for May. “You can bring him over. Maybe he could bring a friend for me, too,” Piper said, turning to May. “How about your other brother, the police chief? Is he still single?” she asked, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.
May giggled and rolled her eyes. “Heath? Oh, man.”
“I don’t really know him, but he’s definitely hot,” Piper said.
“Yuck, I don’t want to hear this,” May said, making a face of disgust.
“He may be nice looking, but he’s also very serious and authoritative,” Iris said with a frown.
“Boring and bossy, she means,” May piped up.
“Well, maybe he needs someone less bossy to balance him out. But we’re not here to talk about the hot police chief. We’re here to talk about being a bear, right?”
May chuckled. Iris nodded and then filled Piper in about her past in Providence.
“Did you live in the actual city itself? Were you near any forests or trees?” Piper asked.
“It was in a suburb of the city, but there weren’t a lot of trees. We had a lot of flowers and a garden maze. I spent as much time outside as I could, but it was hard. My father didn’t exactly like me ‘wasting my time playing outside,’” she said, using air quotes.
“Living like that could be nice if you were human, but I’m betting your bear wasn’t too happy being cooped up. Bears and bear shifters love to be outside in the forest. We love trees and flowers and rivers and lakes. Bear shifters generally don’t do well in cities or around lots of people. They can get super anxious and even have panic attacks around big groups of people,” Piper said.
Iris gasped and sat up straighter. “That makes a lot of sense, kind of fits me to a T. Can I ask a weird kind of question?”
Piper laughed. “Absolutely, that’s what I was planning on.”
Iris said, “Great. Thanks. So, um, how old were you when you first shifted?”
“I was about thirteen or fourteen. It hurt like hell that first time, but it got better the more I shifted.”
“How often do you have to shift?” May asked.
“I probably shift every one to two weeks in the woods behind my house. I don’t have to, but I like to. I feel stronger and freer as a bear. It’s fun. I’ve gone as long as three months without shifting before because I was busy with school, but I was super stressed and anxious by the time I finally let my bear out. I learned I don’t want to go through that again,” Piper said.
“I still haven’t shifted,” Iris said glumly.
“I know. May told me. I’m not sure why. It doesn’t make much sense. I can sense your bear within you. Maybe it’s because of how you were raised? I’m sorry. I wish I could help you more,” Piper said.
“How was it growing up as a bear shifter?” Iris asked.
“It was normal, I guess. It’s all I ever knew. I grew up with my parents and my older sister. We were pretty close; we still are. I was born in Vermont, but we moved to Grey Lake when I was three because my dad decided he wanted to be a ski instructor. We grew up skiing and snowboarding at Grey Lake Mountain.”
“May told me your dad is sick. How is he doing?” Iris asked.
“He has some kind of autoimmune disease. It’s like when humans have multiple sclerosis. It’s been hard on him, watching his body kind of slip out of his control. His vision comes and goes. Some days he can walk, and other times he needs to use the wheelchair. It’s really weird since all shifters grow up thinking we can’t get sick.”
“That must be terrible. Is he on any medication?” May exclaimed.
“No. Shifters metabolize drugs much faster than humans, so we’re not sure what to do for him. My sister’s been trying to get information from the shifter doctors at the hospital, but they’re stumped. Shifters usually just go to the doctor to have broken bones set and have wounds stitched up and trauma-type things, not diseases. They’ve been asking other shifter physicians around the country for help, so hopefully someone will know what to do. It’s hard because he’s taken care of us for so long. It’s hard for him to be seen as weak. It’s demoralizing for him.”
“Can he still shift?” Iris asked.
Piper nodded. “He’s still a little weak in his bear form, but much less affected. It’s just hard for him to shift. He can only manage it once a month right now. It takes too much out of him.” Piper shifted in her chair, looking uncomfortable, and changed the subject. “How do you like working with Tessa?”
“I like it a lot. She’s always in a good mood. She seems to know everyone in town. She’s been very good to me. I feel like I got really lucky getting this job and this
whole new life. So much has changed so quickly,” Iris said, shaking her head in disbelief.
“Have you ever seen her use her magic?” Piper asked.
“Not really. Well, she did show me a little bit of her glamouring ability. It’s almost like she can paralyze someone by staring into their eyes. It was quick, though. What other kinds of powers does she have?”
“That’s the thing. No one really knows. Well, that’s not entirely true. I just think the people who do know won’t say for some reason. Everyone knows she’s the oldest shifter in Grey Lake. She does age, I think, just much slower than the rest of us. She has looked pretty much the same since I moved here as a little kid. Some of the older shifters in town have seen her use powers, but they won’t speak of it. I was just curious.” Piper smiled. “I guess it comes from reading too many books on shifters.”
“I told Iris how much you love to read. You must be in heaven working in the library. The perfect job for a voracious reader,” May said.
“I don’t get to read as much as I would like to, but I do love working there. What about you, May?” Piper asked. “I never figured you’d be a police officer.”
“Why not? What did you think she’d be?” Iris asked. She had never thought of May as anything other than a gung-ho policewoman.
“She used to paint so beautifully. The pictures made you feel like you were a part of them, as if you were transported into the world within the frame,” Piper answered dreamily. “Everyone in school thought she would go off to art school after graduation. I was really surprised.”