by Bianca D’Arc
“Plus, he already told me he wants to live by the ocean but doesn’t want to go back to our old place,” Matilda put in. “Neither do I. We were betrayed by someone or something there. It’s not safe for shifters.”
Sam nodded gravely. “I already have someone working on discovering how you were outed,” he told them. “I can easily have your stuff packed up and moved wherever you like.”
“Family?” she asked.
“Allies of the Clan,” Sam responded. “I’ve asked Collin Hastings to put one of his private eyes on the case, and he’s assigned someone known to the Clan as a high-level operative. The investigation has only just started in earnest, but I have high hopes that we’ll be able to plug that leak in the not-too-distant future.”
“That’s good,” Matilda replied thoughtfully. “Thank you.”
“There’s always a place for you at Clan Home,” Sam said quietly. “I understand your need for solitude, but don’t take it to extremes, okay?” He smiled at her. “I expect you three to visit regularly.” Then, Sam turned to John. “And I hope you’ll accept a few visitors from my Clan to Grizzly Cove on a more regular basis. You may have Moira, and now Matilda and Eamon living here, but they’re still my family, and I won’t chase them out of the Pride just because the ladies decided to mate outside the Clan.”
John nodded and smiled. “You and your people are welcome anytime. We’re allies.”
“The ties binding our Clans are becoming thicker all the time,” Kinkaid said with a rueful grin. “We’re almost family now.”
John nodded. “There are worse things that could happen, I suppose. If Grizzly Cove is to survive—if we all are to survive—we need strong alliances.”
“I won’t argue with a man reputed to be one of the world’s best strategists,” Sam replied.
It was easy to see the two Alphas respected each other. It was a good basis for an ongoing alliance and a solid friendship. Things were looking up.
The afternoon had come and gone by the time the big meeting broke up, and Georgio checked in with Seamus by phone to make plans to meet up. Matilda admitted to being hungry again, so they agreed to rendezvous at the town’s bakery for sandwiches and dessert.
Eamon was enthusiastic about the town—and especially the teenaged mermaids he’d met at the building that had a secret lower level that allowed the mer to enter the water without being seen. Moira had told him that he could use the locker rooms and ramps into the water as well. She had already cleared it with the leadership of the mer pod. In fact, Moira and Eamon had shifted and gone for a quick swim around the cove that afternoon, so he could see what the waters were like.
The mer girls had followed them, racing at times and playing with the seals. Moira enjoyed play as much as her younger cousin, and Eamon was excited about the number of mer in the cove. He kept talking about the hiding places, kelp beds and the currents. None of the land dwellers could really appreciate what Eamon was going on about, but Moira indulged him.
That was one drawback of where they’d lived before. They hadn’t had any other water shifters around for Eamon to talk to. If they moved here, Moira was here, and all those mer were bound to be helpful to a young selkie learning the ropes in the ocean.
“It sounds like you wouldn’t mind living here,” Georgio said to Eamon after they’d eaten their fill of giant sandwiches served on artisanal bread.
They’d already told the Alphas and received their blessing, so it was time to let everyone else know. Time to find out what Eamon thought of all this. Matilda wanted to hold her breath, but she also wanted to be the one to tell her brother the news.
“I like it here,” Eamon said simply. “I wouldn’t mind staying, if your people would let us.”
“Oh, you’re very welcome here,” Georgio said. “But we agreed Matilda should be the one to tell you the news.”
“What news?” Eamon asked, looking Matilda in the eye.
“Sweetie, I’ve found my mate.” Eamon’s eyes widened and then went to Georgio and back.
“The bear?” he asked, clearly surprised.
“One and the same,” Georgio answered, laughing and clearly not taking offense. “I always wanted a little brother.”
Eamon did a double take, and his already-wide eyes widened even more. “Seriously?”
Matilda covered her brother’s hand with hers. “Yes, seriously. I love Georgio, and I want to spend the rest of my life with him. We just told Sam, and he approved.”
“And I told my Alpha, and he welcomed you both into the Clan,” Georgio added.
“Do we have to give up the Kinkaid Clan?” Eamon asked, still making her guess as to his true feelings on this whole topic.
“No. Sam was clear. We’ll always be Kinkaid. We’re family, and you know how he feels about that. We’ll be like Moira. Part of Kinkaid but also part of something else. In our case, the extended bear Clan that lives in Grizzly Cove,” she explained.
“Seamus and I are part of that, too,” Moira put in. “But Seamus wants to take me to Australia to meet his people, and hopefully, they’ll accept me, as well, so I might wind up with three affiliations.”
“I didn’t know that was even possible,” Eamon said, looking at Moira as if he was really impressed.
“But what do you think of all this?” Matilda wanted to scream. She still didn’t know if he was happy or mad, or just shocked and appalled.
“I think…” Eamon ticked off the points he made on his fingers. “First, I like it here, and I’d like to live here. Second, I’m happy for you, sis. I like that you’ll have someone of your own to look out for you and care for you the way you deserve. But, third, I have to admit, I’m a little afraid of bears.”
Georgio laughed the loudest at the young man’s admission, but all of them joined in. Even Eamon, which was good, because it meant he wasn’t taking Georgio’s reaction badly.
“Son, I’m a teddy bear. And you’re family, now. I couldn’t hurt a hair on your head if I tried. Bears protect their own, and you’re under my protection now. For life,” Georgio said, speaking the words like a vow.
Eamon sobered, and a hopeful look came into his eyes. “I’ve always wanted a big brother,” he offered, making Georgio reach out and ruffle Eamon’s hair.
“You got it, kid,” Georgio replied. “Brothers for life.”
Eamon went home with Seamus and Moira after dinner because they had a guest room all ready for him. Eamon would come over to Georgio’s the following day to see his new home, and they would start setting up a room for him. That gave Georgio and Matilda one more night alone in his house before work started to bring Eamon home, to his own room.
It was still early when they got back to his place, so Georgio indulged Matilda with helping her clear one of the spare rooms in which he’d kept odds and ends of equipment and boxes of stuff he’d collected over the years. He’d have to put it elsewhere because they really did need the space for Eamon. They started making plans for painting and a bit of light carpentry, as well as what furniture they’d need for the boy.
Matilda was clearly excited by the prospect of decorating the spare room for her little brother. Truth be told, Georgio was feeling the same way. His house had been big and empty for far too long. Having a mate and her brother in his life was a welcome change. He supposed there would be some adjustment, but he was more than ready to accommodate change if it meant he got to keep Matilda happy.
“We’ll have to get Eamon’s input, but I’m thinking a nice seafoam blue for the walls. He likes blue, and it would remind him of the water,” Matilda enthused.
“Remind me to take you by Gus’s gallery tomorrow. His mate does the most amazing murals. If Eamon wants an underwater scene on his wall, she might be able to help us out,” Georgio told her.
Matilda leaned back against Georgio’s chest, and his arms came around her. “I can’t believe this is really happening,” she whispered. “I’m so happy at this moment, it doesn’t seem real.”
“Oh, it’s real, all right.” Georgio turned her in his arms and leaned down to capture her lips with his in a kiss that went on and on.
He started them moving, very slowly, step by inching step, toward his room. He could carry her, but it was hell on his leg. Better to sort of guide her there in a near-dance motion while holding her in his arms and kissing them both senseless. Yeah…so much better.
They arrived in his dark room, and he didn’t bother putting on the lights. Instead, he navigated them both over to the bedside, and then, he quickly stripped them both, freeing them of the bonds of clothing. She was just so lovely his breath caught a few times, and he nearly got distracted from his goal, but he managed to stay on track and get them both naked and on the bed. He had something he wanted to show her before the lovemaking started in earnest. Something he hadn’t had time or sense to show her yesterday.
He lay her on her back and released her, laying on his back beside her but keeping his gaze on her face. She looked at first bereft and then confused.
“Why did you stop?” she asked, her voice breathless with the passion that sparked so easily between them.
“Skylight open,” Georgio said in answer, using the voice recognition system he’d installed in key parts of his home to make his life easier.
A second later, the motor secreted above, inside the ceiling, began to whir. The wide panel retracted, allowing the starlight to spill down onto the bed through a giant skylight he’d had custom built to his specifications.
“Sweet Mother,” Matilda breathed, clearly impressed. Georgio grinned with satisfaction.
“I thought you’d like that,” he told her in a low voice, fitting with the dark room and late hour. “I put in the sky window when I designed the place. After so long in a dark hole with no view of the natural world all around, I vowed I would never be kept in a box, again—even by my own design. I’m sharing this with you, honey, so you know how serious I am when I say that neither one of us will ever be imprisoned, again. I swear it.” He tugged her hand over his heart. “I will never let bad things happen to you while you are in my care.”
Matilda could feel the power of his vow in the fierce beat of his heart.
“Same goes for me, Georgio. I will fight to protect you as you do for me. We have each other, now. Forever,” she whispered back, taking his hand in hers and carrying it to her lips. “We are free, and we will remain free, to live and love, any way we choose.”
“You’ve made all my dreams come true, Matilda,” he admitted. “This is the future I always dreamed of, even when I was at my lowest of lows.”
“It’s the future I want. Wholeheartedly and without reservation,” she told him. “You and me. Side by side. Under the stars. Always and forever.”
She turned to him, then, straddling his hips and taking him inside with no delay. She’d waited long enough to find him. She wasn’t going to waste a moment more. She was wet and ready for him, and she could tell by his gasp that she’d taken him by surprise. Good. Mates should always be able to surprise each other in the best possible ways.
She rode him, taking what she needed and giving him all she had in return. His strong body beneath her, his hands on her hips, guiding but not demanding. He was everything she needed in a mate and had never known she was looking for. A man strong enough to let her take the lead when she needed to, but who could and would protect her and cherish her. He was every inch her equal in dominance, which was saying something, yet his power had been tempered by his past.
As hers would be, once she settled down and recovered from the ordeal that was still a little too fresh in her mind. Seeing how well he’d adjusted gave her not only hope, but confidence that she would break through to the other side and triumph over the adversity life had thrown in her path. And, while she healed, Georgio would be there for her, comforting, understanding, being strong when she was weak and helping her through all obstacles.
She came with a cry, tears running down her face at the perfection of the moment. But it wasn’t over.
Georgio rolled them over on the huge bed and began anew. She received him while watching his beloved face framed by the stars above. This was freedom. This was perfection. This was love.
He’d given her the stars because he knew how desperately she’d wanted to see them when she couldn’t. She came, again, and this time, he went with her, right up to those twinkling stars and beyond, into a pleasurable oblivion only they two could reach…together.
Epilogue
At the Alpha bear’s home, John and his mate, Urse, were sharing a meal with the powerful king of all lions.
“You know, our Clans share a lot of common bonds for such different groups,” Sam observed as he took a sip of the excellent wine John and Urse had served with the meal.
Fresh steaks seared to perfection over open flame, red wine from the famous Maxwell Vineyards, and salad, mostly eaten by John’s mate. It was an excellent meal with very good company. Sam was impressed, all over again, with the setup one of the world’s leading strategists had devised for his retirement from the military way of life.
Urse was intriguing, too. Sam had never met a strega witch before. It was clear from the magical works she had done to make the town safe that Urse wielded incredible power, but she was a kind soul who clearly was deeply in love with her mate. As it should be.
“I don’t see a problem,” John said in answer to Sam’s observation, clearly thinking through his words before he spoke. “Unless you do.”
“No, no problem on my end. I’m just happy to see two of my family so happy. Three, if you count Eamon. In a few years, I can see him mating with one of those pretty mer girls, if he’s lucky.” Sam had to chuckle at the idea.
Eamon was a good kid, and Sam had always been fond of him but had gotten to know the teen better since he’d come to live at Clan Home while his sister was missing.
“I can’t say I ever expected a mer pod to show up—or the leviathan, for that matter—when I was dreaming up this place, but even with the challenges, I think it’s turned out well, so far. Quite a few of my men have found mates, which makes us all stronger and solidifies the town. We went from a group of lonely bachelors to a more complete community.”
“You know, I’m a bit envious of what you’ve created here,” Sam admitted. “I’ve just barely managed to keep my widely scattered Clan functioning, but finding mates and living happily ever after seems to be eluding most of my people. With the ongoing unrest in Africa and how busy my top people have had to be just to keep things ticking over, they’re on the go all the time. Unsettled. I think that’s a hard way to find a mate.”
John nodded. “It is. We were constantly on the go, as you put it, when we were in the service. None of us started to find mates until we settled in one place. This place.” He paused a moment. “I can’t be a hundred percent certain of the cause and effect, but there has to be a correlation.”
“I think you’re right,” Sam said, reflecting on the other Alpha’s words. “That’s why I started building Clan Home, but so far, it hasn’t had the same effect.”
“It takes time,” John advised. “And faith. Trust in the Mother of All. If your mate is out there—if mates for your people are out there—She will make it happen.”
“I’m not known for my patience,” Sam admitted, laughing at himself.
“When the time is right, good things—mates—will come. Always when you least expect them,” John assured him. “In the meantime, you and your people are welcome here anytime.”
“I truly appreciate the offer. And maybe you and your mate, or some of your guys, could visit Clan Home sometime and give us some pointers,” Sam returned the kindness.
The Alphas shook on it, and somewhere, far off in a distant realm that looked down on this one, the Goddess smiled.
*
Thanks for reading Grizzly Cove #15 Lion in Waiting. If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review. A complete list of all of my books, separated by ser
ies, follows. You can also check out my website at WWW.BIANCADARC.COM. Or you can sign up for my new release list to be alerted when new books are released.
About the Author
Bianca D’Arc has run a laboratory, climbed the corporate ladder in the shark-infested streets of lower Manhattan, studied and taught martial arts, and earned the right to put a whole bunch of letters after her name, but she’s always enjoyed writing more than any of her other pursuits. She grew up and still lives on Long Island, where she keeps busy with an extensive garden, several aquariums full of very demanding fish, and writing her favorite genres of paranormal, fantasy and sci-fi romance.
Bianca loves to hear from readers and can be reached through Twitter (@BiancaDArc), Facebook (BiancaDArcAuthor) or through the various links on her website.
Other Books by Bianca D’Arc
Paranormal Romance
Brotherhood of Blood
One & Only
Rare Vintage
Phantom Desires
Sweeter Than Wine
Forever Valentine
Wolf Hills*
Wolf Quest
Tales of the Were
Lords of the Were
Inferno
Tales of the Were ~ The Others
Rocky
Slade
Tales of the Were ~ Redstone Clan
The Purrfect Stranger
Grif
Red
Magnus
Bobcat
Matt
Tales of the Were ~ String of Fate
Cat’s Cradle
King’s Throne
Jacob’s Ladder
Her Warriors
Tales of the Were ~ Grizzly Cove
All About the Bear
Mating Dance
Night Shift