I hadn’t shown another soul my bear since I was a kid, and even then, it was usually just my mom.
Sterling came towards me, his eyes taking me in. He threw his head back, and I instantly recognized his loud roar as a happy one as it echoed through the cave. He rubbed his nose against my head and I felt a warmth blossom in my chest that had everything to do with being home.
I rubbed against him, too, freer than I could ever remember feeling. I watched as he moved towards the cave entrance and beckoned for me. I shook my head, not wanting to show him how much of a human I still was while in my bear state.
He stepped out in the rain, anyway, stood on his hind legs, and tilted his head back before dropping to all four feet. He looked at me over his shoulder, let out playful growl and then took off running.
My bear reacted instantly. Forgetting the usual hang-ups, I dropped to my feet and chased after him. Sliding and falling in the mud, I had no chance of catching him as he bound into the creek and then turned to face me.
I wanted to laugh, but the sound came out as a choppy growl that he seemed to understand. I turned and ran from him, never before wanting to play like I did now.
Sterling caught me in no time, his big body running into my side and pushing me to the muddy ground. He shifted back to his human form and ran his hands through my fur, petting my side. “You’re beautiful.”
I shifted back and grinned up at him from where I was lying naked in mud. “We’re filthy.”
He leaned down and captured my mouth. “You haven’t seen nothing yet. Want to get dirtier?”
I did, I really did.
11
Sterling
The sun was coming up over the hills when I dropped her off at the end of her street. I hated not being able to drive her straight to her house and walk her to the door, but she was adamant that Kyle not see us. I didn’t know how she planned on keeping us a secret. I fully intended to claim her. Unless Kyle left town never to be seen again, he would find out about our mating sooner rather than later.
She looked over at me and bit her lip as a slow smile tilted her full mouth. Her eyes sparkled and her skin glowed under splatters of dried mud. “Don’t be mad.”
I shook my head. “I’m not mad. I’m just already resigned to the fact that this sneaking around isn’t going to work. I’m going to claim you, Ophelia. I won’t hide that.”
“Don’t say that.” Her cheeks flushed and the scent of her arousal filled the truck.
I turned the truck off and took her in, wearing my mud-stained T-shirt and nothing else. We hadn’t been able to find her big underwear. No loss there. “Say what? That I’m going to claim you? But I am. I’m going to sink my teeth into you right before you explode all over my—”
“Sterling!” Her shout was supposed to be a warning, but it lost its weight when rolled out of her mouth in more of a breathy moan.
I caught the back of her neck and pulled her closer to me. “We’ll talk to Kyle together. Explain. Make him understand.”
She pressed her hands against my bare chest and groaned. “I can’t. You know I can’t, Sterling. I’ll figure something out. This just has to be our secret for now.”
I let her slide away from me and shrugged. “It’s a bad idea.”
She opened the door and slipped out, tugging the shirt down to cover her ass. “It’s the best one I’ve got right now.”
“What happens when this has gone on for six months or a year? I’m just supposed to stay hidden in the shadows?”
Her eyes went wide. “Six months or a year? I can’t imagine this mate thing will last that long, right? I mean, I’m sure you’ll be bored with me sooner than that. In the meantime, we’ll figure it out. I’ll see you later. I hope you like the article.”
I watched, dumbfounded, as she pushed the door shut and then ran down the road towards her house, holding the shirt down as she did. Won’t last that long? Was she serious? My chest felt like it was being squeezed in a vice. She still didn’t get the mating thing. It hurt like hell that she assumed what we had was temporary, but I didn’t know how I was supposed to show her otherwise while she was so dead-set on keeping us a secret.
She had some ridiculous plan to sneak around for covert rendezvous and clandestine trysts and that didn’t give us a hell of a lot of time for anything but hot and heavy hook-ups. I knew that with what little time I would get with her, I’d have a hard time using it to talk. I craved her too much. Fuck. I suppose it was progress in a weird way. It was at least better than the cold shoulder I’d been getting from her, but dammit, it wasn’t enough. Tasting her had shattered any hope I’d ever had of living without her. The damage was done. She was mine.
I’d just have to figure out a way to show her what she meant to me while trying to keep to her cloak-and-dagger ruse.
I went home and slept for a couple of hours before heading to Hutch’s garage to check on my car. I pulled into the lot and sighed when I saw Hutch standing in front of my trailer with Thorn. My trailer was parked in front of the bay door, at a weird angle that made it hard to move and impossible to get the car off. Hell.
I parked in front of the trailer as best I could and groaned, getting ready for a ribbing from Hutch.
“Were you fucking drunk when you parked this piece of shit last night? High? Mentally incapable of seeing that you’d blocked every single one of my bays? How the fuck am I supposed to work like this?”
Thorn grinned. “More like horny. You nearly ran me and Allie off the road last night. I saw you with a hot little number in the passenger seat.”
Hutch’s eyes rolled to the back of his head. “Tell me you didn’t.”
“Didn’t what? Was she married? Shit, I’m out of the loop. Who was it?”
“Kyle’s little sister.”
“Kyle Barns?” Thorn roared out a laugh. “Like that asshole doesn’t hate us enough as it is.”
“You can’t keep your dick in check, can you, little brother? Why her? She already did a number on you. Why’d you go back again?”
“Shit! That’s right! She punched you in the dick, didn’t she?”
I growled. “Could you two shut the fuck up for two seconds. You’re pecking like a couple of old hens. Jesus.”
Hutch gestured towards his shop. “Think I have an excuse to peck, bro.”
“Christ, it’s rubbing off on me. I’m listening to Allie and Georgia and Veronica and everyone else they bring over peck constantly.” Thorn hid his face in his hands in mock shame.
I stared at Thorn. “You done?”
He crossed his arms over his chest and nodded. “Yep. Just realizing how much I sound like a little bitch.”
Hutch lifted a shoulder. “Yeah, you do. You alright?”
Thorn groaned. “Why do girls talk so dang much? And the things they say that I don’t want to hear. Shit, I’ve been forced to overhear shit that I never needed to know. Like, ever. By the way, sorry ‘bout your dick, Hutch.”
I just stood there, listening as they pretended to commiserate with one another about the negative aspects of having a mate. For once, I didn’t feel like my heart was being ripped out of my chest. I just grinned along with them.
Hutch finally noticed and looked over at me. “Why are you doing that?”
“What?”
“That thing with your face. It’s almost a smile, if it wasn’t so American Psycho.”
I reached up and touched my face. “Bullshit. It’s just a smile.”
Thorn winced. “No, it’s creepy, dude. What’s going on with you? I feel like you’ve snapped or something.”
“You guys suck. Worst buddies in the world. I’m going to have to go find Sam and Wyatt, my real friends.”
Hutch wrapped his arm around my neck and rubbed my head with his knuckles. “Now who’s being a little bitch.”
I broke away and shoved him. “I’m gonna hurt you.”
Thorn saved him, “What are the chances that Wyatt’s mom still has breakfast on the table?�
��
“Pretty good. Last one there sits in the broken chair.” I took off at a run, yanking at my clothes as I went. It’d be faster as a bear. I looked back and saw them right behind me, shoving each other over as they tore their own clothes off. “Oh, by the way, Kyle’s sister, Ophelia, is my mate.”
12
Ophelia
I was going to kill Sterling. Even though the sex was the best thing in the world, he had to pay. He had the biggest mouth in all of Texas, and that was saying something.
My day had started out great. I walked around all morning in the hazy glow of post-coitus after playing in the rain all night with my sexy mate. It didn’t get much better. I didn’t run into Kyle in the house, so I was able to sneak in without a problem and without lying to him about where I’d been. I wrote a glowing article and turned it in to Karen, who was thrilled with it and with the picture I’d snapped of Sterling. I found a few extra dollars in my pocket and bought an avocado to eat with my lunch. Life was sunshine and roses.
The day started to get a little rocky when I returned home after work and Kyle asked me to go with him to watch a football game that the local guys held behind the bar. I figured that we wouldn’t do much talking while he watched football. It would be safe enough.
Halfway through the game, though, I’d looked up to see Allie, Georgia, and Veronica staring at me. Georgia crooked her finger motioning for me to join them and my heart began to race. I knew them from book club and around town, but they’d never beckoned me over like they were doing then. I felt like I was being called into the principal’s office.
For some reason, I just knew they knew about me and Sterling. Panic made me shake my head and turn back towards the game. That’s the precise moment when things started to go sideways.
Kyle looked over at me and then past me. “Your friends are waving at you, Philly.”
I pretended not to hear him and pointed at the game. “Did you see that?”
He raised his eyebrows. “What’s up? You’re acting strange.”
Georgia’s voice came from right beside me. “Hey! Didn’t you see us? We girls have some chatting to do.”
I turned to face her, giving my back to Kyle. I made a face and shook my head. “We have the thing tonight. I’ll find you guys there. Right now, I’m enjoying some time with my brother. Alone.”
She made a confused face. “How can you sit here and pretend like you haven’t been keeping a huge secret? Come on!”
Kyle perked up. “Secret? What secret?”
Georgia laughed. “Well, I’m sure you already know—”
I stood up and grabbed her. “Gotta go, Kyle. I’ll be back shortly.”
“What’s your deal? You’re acting weird.” Georgia let me pull her to the very far edge of the grassy area, farthest from my brother. Allie and Veronica slowly made their way over.
“How do you know?” I hissed.
Allie grinned. “About you and Sterling? Congrats, by the way. He might be a little on the wild side, but he’s hot.”
I could hear Thorn’s growl from across the bleacher seats and Allie just laughed.
I made a slashing motion across my neck. “Kyle doesn’t know! You’re not supposed to know either! Who told you?”
They all turned to look at their mates, who were looking sheepish, next to Sterling who was glaring daggers at them.
I threw up my hands and groaned. “I’m going to kill him. This is a disaster.”
Sterling’s head snapped to mine. He frowned and growled under his breath, but I still heard it.
I growled right back at him and shook my head. “Secret. What doesn’t he get about that word?”
Georgia cleared her throat. “Why is it a secret?”
Veronica wagged her finger. “Yeah, and why did you keep it a secret from us? We tell you everything.”
Allie nodded. “We really do. Too much. Just last week, Veronica told you that thing about Hutch’s dick.”
Veronica shrugged and giggled.
“It’s a secret because my brother can’t find out. He hates Sterling.”
“Kyle hates everyone.”
“Yeah, except for himself.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “That’s my brother you’re talking about.”
Georgia grinned. “And we respect that he’s your brother. It’s the truth, though. Kyle hates everyone. You can’t let the fact that he hates Sterling keep you from being together with your mate.”
“I’m with him. I was with him all last night.”
They all laughed and then leaned in closer. Veronica made a ‘go on’ motion with her hands. “Well. How was it?”
I looked back at Sterling and felt my face heat up as he winked at me and leaned back in his chair, looking cocky and sure of himself. I bit my lip and stifled a laugh. “It was okay.”
He sat straight up as his buddies started laughing. Growling, he stood up and started towards me.
I squeaked. “Gotta go, girls. Please, don’t mention it to anyone else. I don’t want it to get back to Kyle.”
They rolled their eyes in unison and shook their heads. Georgia caught my hand. “Come by tonight. We can talk over drinks.”
Behind a stomping Sterling, Wyatt threw up his hands.
Georgia laughed. “Apparently, we hang out and talk too much for our men’s liking.”
Allie mimicked Thorn. “I don’t need to hear this shit, Allie. It’s making me crazy. I think about ya’ll’s shit way too much. Please, Allie. Go to Wyatt’s.”
Wyatt smacked Thorn who tried to act like he had no idea what Allie was talking about. Sterling was closing in on me.
I waved. “See you there. Remember! It’s a secret!”
I turned and sprinted past a cluster of guys waiting to get onto the field. Into the woods I went, hoping to find somewhere private. Seeing Sterling all angry and moody had me eager to get him alone. Knowing he was chasing me made me hot and I swallowed down the knowledge that keeping it a secret was only going to work for so long. We were both too revved up, clearly.
I raced through the woods as fast as my gracefulness allowed and found a little grouping of trees that lent itself to privacy. I swept my shirt over my head as soon as I was hidden and yanked my shorts down, the smile on my face cemented there, despite my frustration at the man who rounded the little tree corner and found me.
He stumbled and his eyebrows shot up. “What are you doing?”
I grabbed his shirt and pulled him to me. “Keeping a secret. Take your pants off, big guy.”
His growl was low and promising as he grabbed my hips and picked me up. “You invest in skirts and I’ll get baggier pants.”
I moaned as his mouth immediately went to my neck. “Skirts with no panties. Got it.”
13
Sterling
I adjusted myself under the table, trying to hide the constant state of erection I was in. It’d been a couple of hours since I watched Ophelia run off while still slipping into her shirt, but I couldn’t get the image out of my head. She’d looked back at me with so much promise in her silver eyes that I couldn’t help but dream of the next time I got her alone.
Which…I didn’t know when that would be. My mood quickly threatened to go sour as I thought about the arrangement. No part of me was interested in running around like a teenager hiding from his parents. We were mates. Kyle was going to have to get the fuck over it.
I drained a shot of whiskey and groaned. Mood officially turned, I shook my head and grabbed Hutch’s shot before he could take it.
He hit me in the arm and grumbled. “Fucking get your own.”
I glared at him. “I don’t want to hear any complaints from all of you lucky sons of bitches. None of your mates are making you sneak around like a little kid.”
“Like a little pussy is more like it.” Thorn grinned. “She’s crazy if she thinks she can’t keep it hidden from her brother.”
I growled. “One. Don’t call me a pussy. Two. Don’t call my m
ate crazy. But, yeah, she’s fucking crazy.”
“Why don’t you just tell Kyle? She’ll get over it.” Sam shrugged. “She’s got to, right?”
The rest of us just stared at him and then laughed. Even in my shitty mood, I couldn’t help but laugh at him. “Brother, you’ve got no clue.”
“And you do?”
“Fuck you, Sam,” I nodded towards the door. “You want to get your ass handed to you tonight?”
He grinned and shrugged. “Why not? I’ve got time and nothing to do. I was planning on meeting up with Haley, the Sanders’ girl, tonight, but haven’t seen her around yet.”
I grabbed his shot and threw it back, too. “Alright, let’s go.”
Thorn looked around and grinned. “Why the hell not. Come on. I’ll grab a couple of bottles.”
We all headed outside, ready to act like idiots. Heading into the woods behind the bar, I groaned as I caught a light whiff of Ophelia still hanging around.
Wyatt slapped my back. “It never gets any easier, man. Might as well take all your frustration out on Sam. He’s asking for it.”
Sam nodded. “I am literally asking for it. I’m bored. All of you old farts are settling down on me. I don’t have anything to do these days.”
I just grinned and stripped before shifting. He had no idea how much bottled-up shit I had going on. Not being able to joke away my feelings and act like a complete asshole had left me with a lot of emotional build-up. Thank god for good friends to beat the shit out of.
Everyone stripped and shifted, all ready to brawl. It was nothing serious, just shifters getting out some pent-up energy. Sam was like a brother to me. I’d never actually want to hurt him. Brawling was natural and normal for bears, though.
Sam ran at me and grunted when I easily met his force head on and we both toppled sideways. Rolling around on the ground, we fought until we were too tired to do anything else. The others played and fought around us, sometimes running over to growl and nip at us. It was something the five of us had done since we were little and it was nothing that we wanted our women watching. It was male bonding.
Bears of Burden Complete Series Box Set Page 34