“I met Barry right after college,” she told them. “He was good looking and charming. He said we were mates. I was young and I never really understood how I would recognize my mate, so I guess I just thought that if Barry said we were mates, then we must be. So we started seeing each other. Before long, he was pressuring me to marry him. I was young and I wasn't ready, but he kept trying to push the issue.”
“Wait,” Dana said. “He was pushing you to marry him? The human way?” Her head was tilted as she looked at Tara, her expression confused.
Tara shrugged. “Yeah. Now you mention it, that was pretty weird. I mean, he never pushed for us to mate properly, he never tried to bite me. He was all about the human ceremony.”
Dana frowned. “He's a shifter though, right?”
Sara snorted. “Yeah, wereslug.”
Tara shot her an amused glance. “Not a wereslug, although I do see the resemblance. Barry is a fox shifter.”
“It does seem odd that he'd be so insistent about a human wedding but not about the mating bite,” Fiona mused.
“It does now,” Tara agreed, “but at the time, I was young and I just accepted it all. Apart from the getting married bit. I kept refusing and it drove him nuts. We ended up living together for a while but I still wouldn't marry him.” She paused, gathering her courage. “Then he became a lot less charming.”
“What happened, sweetie?” Dana asked softly.
Tara shrugged. “I'm not even sure where to start. It was a lot of things. The constant put-downs, always undermining my confidence. He turned my friends against me, keeping me isolated, making sure that he was all I had. He became controlling, always telling me what to do, what to wear, what to eat, and which people I could talk to. It went on for years.” She paused and looked down at the table, trying to summon the strength to continue. “After a while, he started getting violent.”
“He what?” Sara's voice trembled with fury. “Why did I not know this?”
Tara sighed. “Because I didn't want you to know. I didn't want anyone to know. He'd been chipping away at my self-esteem for so long, that I honestly thought it was my fault and I was embarrassed at the mess I was in.”
“That's why we didn't hear from you much?” her sister asked.
“Yes,” Tara answered. She blinked away the tears in her eyes. “I'm sorry. It was never about you.”
“So what happened?” Dana asked gently. “I mean, obviously something made you leave him?”
Tara nodded. “First, I discovered that he was cheating with several other women. Then he confiscated my birth control pills, saying I'd marry him if he got me pregnant. I know it’s not like the old days where being an unmarried mother is frowned on. Still, I believed we were mates and if we had a child together… I don’t know. Maybe I would have married him.” She shuddered. “Things were really bad by then. The thought of a child being caught up in it freaked me out. Also, by then, the thought of me being stuck with him for the rest of my life? It horrified me. I knew then that I had to get away.”
“You should have called me,” Sara said sadly.
“I know,” Tara said. “I was still so ashamed of what had happened. One day, I packed up a few things while Barry was at work, then I walked out the house and got on the first bus I came across. After wandering for a few days, I decided to come here, to Bearbank. I got a job at the cafe, found myself a house, and I started my life over. That was five years ago, and until now, everything was fine.”
“And now slug boy has shown up here,” Sara finished. “What does he want?”
Tara looked back down at the table. “He said he's moved here, permanently, and wants to get reacquainted.” She couldn't suppress the shudder at the thought of him anywhere near her.
Sara growled. “Not happening. That slimy asshole is not getting anywhere near my sister. I'm pretty sure that hot bear dude will be happy to help with that too.”
“I haven't met Barry yet and I already hate him,” Dana added. “Also, I’m totally on board with stomping him into tiny little pieces.” As a moose shifter, that would be some serious stomping.
“As the token human around here, I'm not as good at stomping,” Fiona said wryly, “but I'll totally kick his ass.”
Tara smiled. It was good to have friends, especially loyal friends with violent tendencies. Already, the panic was draining from her. She'd told her story and it had lost some of the power it had over her. Her friends were here, willing to help, and more than capable of taking on Barry. She wouldn’t be such easy prey this time.
“Katie will be so annoyed that she missed this,” Dana pointed out. “She's been angling to eat someone for a while.”
“Who is Katie?” Sara asked, head tilted. “I ask because it sounds like I will like her a lot.”
Fiona shrugged. “Friend of ours. She's a lion shifter and gets annoyed when people threaten her friends.” She looked at Dana. “She's still annoyed that she didn't get to eat your stalker.”
“Yeah, so is Ethan,” Dana said. “He whines about it all the time. I had to promise that the next time I have a psycho stalker after me, he's all Ethan's. Carnivores are weird.”
“Didn't you also promise any psycho stalkers to Katie?” Fiona asked, amused.
Dana shrugged. “Yeah. I'm hoping it doesn't come up and neither of them have to know.”
“Okay,” Sara said. “We can help with your Barry problem, and I figure that if you stop hiding from your mate, that'll all work out too.”
“I'm not hiding,” Tara denied.
“You're sitting in your kitchen with the blinds closed,” Sara pointed out. “You do realize that it's only a matter of time before hot bear dude finds out where you live, right? So, hiding in here won't help. You need to get out there. Are you a woman or a mouse?”
Tara looked at her. “Both,” she said, drily.
“Oh, yeah,” Sara smiled sheepishly. “However, not is not the time to be the mouse. You have a mate. Go forth and conquer!”
Was she ready to face hot bear dude, erm… Alex? One thing was for sure. Her sister was right. Sooner or later either Alex or Barry would find her and she'd rather not be cornered in her house. Time to get back out there. After she'd had that cheesecake.
Chapter 4
Paperwork slid under his office door. Fabulous. Now nobody was brave enough to enter his office. Admittedly, Alex had been just a tiny bit grumpy lately, ever since his mate had disappeared on him. His mother was threatening to track her down and drag her back. She probably meant that literally. Alex was no expert, but he suspected that that would be a bad way to start their lives together. He had continued to drop by the cafe to look for her but so far he'd been unsuccessful. He'd make one more attempt, and then he'd have to try something more drastic.
Alex bent down to retrieve the paperwork. A cursory knock sounded at the door and then it opened, smacking him right on the head and knocking him backward onto his butt.
He tilted back his head and roared. Outside, he heard the sound of staff fleeing. Holding his head, he glared at the person who'd nearly given him a concussion. Ethan.
“Sorry, boss,” Ethan said with a shrug, not sounding in the least sorry. “I just came to let you know that another two office staff have quit, and another cop has put in for a transfer.”
Alex simply glared at him.
“Also,” Ethan added, “Dana says that Tara's ex is in town and apparently he's a nasty piece of work. She's hiding more from him than from you.”
His bear settled immediately, wanting to hear more about the threat to their mate. If this man was upsetting Tara, then he'd be dealt with. Messily, most likely. He stood and walked around his desk, rubbing at his head.
“Who is he?” he demanded.
Ethan closed the door and sprawled in a seat on the other side of the desk. “All I know is that his name is Barry, he's an abusive asshole who previously claimed to be her mate, and...”
“My mate,
” Alex growled. It was very important that everyone knew that. Especially the asshole.
“Obviously,” Ethan agreed, waving away the interruption. “But it appears that he spent quite a while trying to persuade Tara that she was his mate. He didn't treat her well, so she left him and has been hiding here for the last few years. Until he turned up here around the same time you met her. Dana thinks that Tara is still afraid of him.”
He couldn't stop the growl that came from his throat.
“I know,” Ethan said, nodding. “We're all keeping an eye on her. Nobody will let her ex near her. She has her sister staying with her right now too, so she should be safe.”
“I need to talk to her,” Alex said, looking Ethan in the eye. His bear was riding him hard, demanding that they ensure their mate's safety.
Ethan tossed a scrap of paper across the desk. “That's her address. Her sister said to tell you that you should visit tonight, she'll let you in. Oh, and she also said to bring cheesecake.”
Relief poured over him. He knew where to find her. Nodding at Ethan, he dismissed him, and started making plans. He'd win her over if it was the last thing he did. Considering his mother's attitude, if he failed, it probably would be the last thing he did.
***
Tara munched at her cheese sandwich. Probably not the most nutritious dinner in the world, but hiding inside her house had left her kitchen somewhat bare. As it was, she was currently eating the last of the bread. Eventually she'd be forced to venture out food shopping. Sure, she'd happily make do with her cheese, tins of baked beans, and dry cereal, but there was one thing she would not do without. She was totally out of cheesecake and she didn't even have all the ingredients to make some. It was official. She would have to leave the house. Maybe tomorrow.
“Do we not have anything edible in this house?” her sister demanded, rifling through cupboards, slamming them closed with a little more force than necessary.
“Cheese, cereal, beans,” Tara said.
Sara looked at her. “Even I can't make an actual meal out of those.”
“Cheesy beans?” Tara suggested. “Or cheesy cereal? Cereal and beans? You never know until you try.”
“I know,” her sister said wryly. She sat at the table and ate handfuls of dry cereal from the box. “We need to go shopping.”
Tara opened her mouth. Maybe she could start shopping online and having it delivered.
“We need to go shopping,” Sara repeated. “As in both of us. You need to get out of the house, and you have to stop psyching yourself out of it. I'll come with you. It'll be fine.”
Tara sighed. She really did need the fresh air. “Fine. But if Barry shows up, I'm leaving.”
“If the wereslug shows up, I'm having myself a free snack,” she said, snapping her teeth shut.
“No, you're not,” Tara said firmly. “You know better than to eat Barry. You could get sick. I can't imagine he'd be all that nutritious. Or taste good.”
Sara shrugged. “That's what breath mints are for.”
Sometimes, Tara was not entirely sure whether Sara was being serious. It should probably worry her. She chose to let it go.
“Besides,” Sara added. “Can't be any worse than cheesy cereal.”
Probably true.
The doorbell rang and Sara bounced up out of her chair “I'll get it,” she called. “And then I'm off for a run.”
“Have fun,” she called. Wait... Since when did Sara go for runs?
She heard murmured voices and the sound of the front door closing.
“Who was it?” she called.
“Me,” a deep voice answered her. A large figure took up the kitchen doorway. Her sandwich dropped back onto her plate with a little thud. Her mate stood there, his blue eyes looking directly into hers. Yeah, he was even hotter than she remembered. Her mouse squeaked at her inside her head.
“Hot bear dude,” she said, her voice disturbingly breathy. Then she immediately slapped her hand over her mouth. Dammit. She hadn't meant to say that. What was his name again?
A grin stretched over his handsome face. “Well, I usually go by 'Alex', but I think I like 'hot bear dude'. Especially when you say it.”
Wait, what was that delicious scent? Not the aroma of hunky male bear, the other tantalising scent. She sniffed the air.
He held up a box. “I brought cheesecake,” he said. Yeah, that was it.
“God, you're perfect,” she breathed. “Gimme.” She held out a hand and wiggled her fingers.
Instead, he placed the box further along the table and took a chair next to her. She narrowed her eyes at him and slid her hand along the table towards the box. His hand covered hers as he smiled at her. His touch was warm, gentle… and standing between her and cheesecake. Grr.
“I thought we could have dinner first and then the cheesecake,” he suggested. His thumb rubbed her hand.
“I've had dinner,” she said, eyes never leaving the box. “So I'm ready for cheesecake now.”
He looked down at her half-eaten cheese sandwich, his eyebrow raised. “Yeah, that doesn't really count as dinner. I thought we could go out, get proper food, maybe talk a little.”
“Out?” she squeaked. “Why?”
“Unless you want me to cook something here?” he suggested, his voice warm and making her insides all gooey.
“Can you make something from cheese, baked beans, and cereal?” she asked hopefully. “Or I can just finish my sandwich and eat some cheesecake.”
“I could make something from that,” he said with a shrug. “Not something that actually tasted good, of course. I was thinking that maybe we could go to Mario's. Did you know that they have the best cheesecake ever? We could have a nice meal, and then you could eat their cheesecake and keep this one for later.”
Dammit. Five minutes and he already knew her weakness. He was trying to lure her with cheesecake! It was totally working. She’d walk into the fires of hell for a slice of cheesecake heaven.
“I'll just get changed,” she said, standing up.
His hand squeezed hers gently before letting go.
“I know about your ex,” he said quietly. “I won't let him near you, I promise. You're safe with me.”
She nodded and ran upstairs to freshen up and change clothes. Which clothes were appropriate for dinner in a nice restaurant with the gorgeous mate you'd just met while trying to avoid your ex? She played it safe with a simple black dress and a silver necklace. Her stomach tied itself in knots with nerves. She reminded herself that she wasn't going out there alone. No doubt Alex was more than capable of protecting her. He was huge and also a bear. She'd be fine. Besides, she wanted to do this. He intrigued her with all those muscles and that gorgeous face. Plus, he'd promised her cheesecake. Sneaky bear.
Taking a deep breath, she walked down the stairs to find him waiting at the bottom, his eyes following every move. As she reached the last steps, he took her hand and smiled at her.
“You look beautiful,” he said. Sweet talking bear.
They walked outside and he opened her car door and held it for her. She could totally get used to this treatment. He got into the driver's seat and drove off.
“So, the woman who opened the door was your sister?” he asked.
“Yeah, Sara,” she said, scanning the streets for any sign of her ex.
There was silence. Then, “Sara? And Tara?”
She sighed. “Yeah, I know. Sara is my twin. My parents thought it was cute to have rhyming names. Then they stuck with that theme when our youngest sister, Kara, was born.”
“So, Tara, Sara, and Kara,” Alex said. “That's a bit... well, evil.”
She decided to stay quiet about cousins Lara, Mara, and Nara. “So, you don't have siblings with matching names?”
“No,” he said with a smile. “I have a brother, Josh, and a sister, Holly. No rhyming.”
Before long, they were walking into the restaurant. She continued to look aro
und, nervous about being out in public. Alex's hand brushed her back, guiding her to their table and reminding her that he was there. She should be safe.
They ordered dinner and chatted as they waited. Alex was surprisingly easy to talk to. He was funny, intelligent, and genuinely interested in her. She found herself gradually relaxing and by the time dessert arrived, she was having a great time. Maybe this whole mate thing would work out okay.
“Thanks for this,” she said, looking across the table at him. “I did need to get out.”
“You have friends here, Tara,” he said gently. “Not just me, but several good friends who will make sure your ex doesn't bother you. You just have to trust them to help.”
It was true. For the first time, she considered that she wouldn't have to hide or to run again. She wasn't the same frightened woman as before. She wasn't alone anymore, and it was time she stopped running.
“So...” she began. “About the whole mates thing?”
“Yeah?” he asked, reaching across and taking her hand.
“Can we take it slow?” she asked, watching him carefully. “I mean, can we just hang out and get to know each other first? It's just with everything going on, my nerves are shot.”
“Not a problem,” he said. “I'm not going anywhere. My bear can wait for a little while.”
“Do you always bring cheesecake?” she asked hopefully.
“If that's what it takes.” His smile was wide. Then it suddenly faded, his expression becoming one of sheer panic. He was looking at something over her shoulder.
“Uh oh,” Alex said, his fingers tightening a little on hers, his face pale.
“What?” she asked, looking around worriedly. “Is it Barry? Is he here?” Had he found her? Was he going to create a scene?
“Worse,” Alex said with a sigh. “It's my mother.”
Chapter 5
“So, finally I get to meet the mate,” his mother said, standing by their table. How could such a short woman manage to loom so threateningly?
“Hey, Ma,” Alex said. When did it get so hot in here? He pulled at his shirt collar. Damn thing was trying to throttle him. Where did all the air go?
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