“Are you saying you were supposed to mate him like Jose and Theodore on Shifter World?” The families agreed to mate the children before the little ones were born. “Because if so, fuck that. I’m yours and you’re mine...done.”
My bear puffed up at that. I did too. His fierce possessiveness had me wanting to kiss him breathless.
“That arranged mate shit is entirely fictitious.” At least locally. I still heard of some parts of the world where it was still the norm. Glad I lived here. I’d have missed out on the amazing gift fate left for me. “This alpha, the one who wanted me to mate his son, he challenged me.” I closed my eyes. “A Full Moon Challenge.”
“A challenge—like turn all teethy and fight it out?” His voice trembled slightly. If he thought just fighting was bad, he was going to really freak out when he heard the rest. Band-aid it. “Like that only more—it’s to the death, but before you panic more than I see you already are—know that I will win. And Soren and I are looking into figuring out a way to change the terms. It’s a stupid old law.” And one we weren’t going to manage to get out of from the looks of things, but if there was a way, we were going to find it.
Fuck Barrett for being a piece of shit.
Both Gabe’s hands went to his mouth, his eyes registering horror along with the love for me that always nestled there. “And that was when I called.” His shoulders slumped, and he leaned against me, his heart beating rapidly, his eyes filling with tears.
“Yes. And listen, omega mine; I will fix this. You have nothing to worry about. Give all of it to me. I will take care of it. And in return, I need you to take care of that amazing baby growing inside you.”
His hands fell to his middle and he looked down at them and then up at me. After wiping away tears with the back of his hands, he said, “You really are happy about this, not just trying to make me feel better. You want to be a dad.”
“With you, I want everything.”
“When I meet the den, will I meet this asshat?” He righted himself, his face filled with new resolve.
“I imagine so.”
“Good. I have a few things to say to him and he’s not going to like any of them. Nobody threatens my mate. Nobody.”
I stood up and scooped him into my arms. “You seem to have your energy back.” He looked up at me, eyes wide. “I can think of so many better uses for that energy than worrying about this.” While I constantly hungered for Gabe, and right now I needed to be inside him more than ever, sex would get both our minds off the bombshell I’d dropped.
“Such as?” He rubbed his cheek against my chest. “I mean, I’m a bit tired still, but also hard. Maybe if we took care of the hard I would have an easier time sleeping?” He batted his lashes. Damn he was sexy.
“You are so wise, my sexy professor. The question is…” I nuzzled his throat.
“What’s the question?”
“Do I get to make you come in my mouth or when I fill you with my knot?” He sucked in a breath. “Well, professor? Which is the correct answer?”
“C, all of the above.”
All of the above it was.
And as he dozed off, basking in the afterglow of our lovemaking, my mind wandered to the challenge ahead. There was no way out of it. That much I had already discerned. What I was still working on was the best way to deal with Barrett on the night of the full moon. The den would be on my side. True mates were undeniably a priority over some weird sense of what a mate should look like.
But there was the problem of Barry. He would watch his father die and that did things to a man. I saw it in Soren. His uncle had no choice—not really. But that didn’t change the heartache Soren felt at the loss of his mother or the events that followed. Barry was going to be stuck with a decision, one no one should have to face, and I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the guy.
Please don’t let that empathy lead me to do something stupid.
And then it struck me! I sat up bathed in a cold sweat. If I lost the fight, it wasn’t just Gabe who would be Barrett’s target but also our unborn child.
Twenty-Three
Gabe
We lay in one another’s arms not talking. And though we were lost in our own thoughts, being anchored to one another gave me security. I cursed that other fucking bear. How dare he ruin my happiness at becoming a parent. It was my right as an omega, and Brad’s as an alpha, that we came together and celebrated as a couple. We should be contemplating the future and discussing the endless possibilities of how our lives would turn out.
But all of that was ruined by some asshat objecting to him mating with me because I was human. Not good enough for a bear. Inferior in strength and without the ability to shift from one species to another. A frail human.
But the longer we lay together, the more I sensed Brad was drifting away and there was a restlessness in him. Not that he was jiggling his leg or tapping his fingers. But inner turmoil. I guess us being mated had me picking up on things I might have missed in someone else. A change in his breathing pattern, a tightness around his mouth. His fingers gripping mine a little too tightly.
“What are we going to do?” I asked as I got up on one elbow.
He glanced sideways and cocked a brow. “We?” That one word held so much meaning. “There will be no we in this, Gabe. This is between me and Barrett.” He released the pressure on my fingers and I flexed them, thankful to have the blood flowing once more.
It was my turn to furrow my brow. “No. That’s not how this goes. We’re mates and we have to stick together.”
“Surely I don’t have to point out that this guy is an alpha and a bear. My den. My kind. And he thinks of himself as my equal.”
“It sounds terrifying, but you have a secret weapon.”
“I do?” He peeked under the blanket. Nothing to see here except a gorgeous omega.”
“That’s my point. Me.”
“Gabe, much as I love that you want to be part of this, I can’t let you. It’s too dangerous.” He kissed my forehead and I got the impression the discussion was at an end.
Full moon, he said. We don’t have much time. I may be a feeble human, but Barrett didn’t have a human mate. One who’d worked with the most complicated men and women. Okay, they were fictional, but if I could suss out their intentions, desires, and fears, I could come up with a solution to this. That Barrett may have brawn, but I had bite.
Brad checked his watch and interrupted my thoughts. “It’s time.”
“For?” I shot up.” I thought you said it was at the full moon.
“To meet everyone. The den. They’re looking forward to it.”
My eyes drifted outside. The sun had disappeared and a faint hint of twilight remained in the sky as darkness closed in. I pictured caves outside of town, dark, forbidding, and terrifying with a small fire in the middle, kicking up shadows that flickered against the walls. I gulped. This was what I wanted, but in truth, I was hoping to slow down the process. “I have a confession.”
I charged ahead not wanting to swerve away from the truth. “I’m afraid of the dark.”
He flicked on a lamp. “Better?”
“No,” I shook my head so hard I became dizzy. “Where… where do you meet the den?”
“On the edge of town. It’ll take about twenty minutes. You’ll like it.”
That was doubtful. I gripped his hand and dug my nails into his palm.
“Barrett won’t challenge me tonight, Gabe. Rules are sacred.”
“Oh, God, pregnancy brain is affecting me already,” I squeaked. I’d momentarily forgotten he’d be there. I added Barrett to my list of concerns. “But your bear place thingy…”
“Willow Den.”
“Mmmm.” Fancy name for a cave. “Is it… what is it… is it out in the open? I don’t have the right shoes.” I peeked outside. “And the weather report said there was a chance of rain.”
“What?”
Oh God! “I’m scared I won’t fit in.” That was an understatement.
“It’s okay to be nervous, but I’ve talked so much about you, they want to meet you in person.”
“Fine. Should we take anything? A gift?” I asked.
“No need. There’ll be food.”
“Right. Like porridge,” I mumbled under my breath.
“I heard that.”
Shoot!
“I may not be familiar with much of English Literature, but I know a Goldilocks reference when I hear one.”
“Sorry. Were they friends of yours? The three bears?”
“Gabe!”
“Sorry, again. I’m a tad nervous.” My mind was contemplating a million different scenarios as I changed my clothes and we got in Brad’s car. My right knee banged against the door until I grabbed it. My chest tightened and my breathing became shallow. I thought I was going to be sick.
As we left the bright lights and headed to the countryside, the fear which had sat beside me on the trip smothered me.
“You carsick?” Brad took his eyes off the road.
I mouthed “No” as he turned off the main road and headed toward a sprawling, brightly lit, one-story building. It was surrounded by weeping willow trees and manicured lawns at the front. Paper lanterns swung in the trees and there were at least fifty cars in the parking lot.
“What's this place?” Was this where we got out and walked toward the forested hills in the distance?
“Den headquarters.”
“This is where we’re meeting your fellow bears?”
“Yes. What did you expect? A cave where we sit around a fire warming our hands?” A roar came from his belly and then he glanced at me. My expression must have choked the laughter out of him.
“Pfft. Don’t be silly.” I shrugged, but he saw right through me.
“You did!” He gave me a self-satisfied smirk. “I’m going to tease you about this for a long time to come.”
“Fine,” I harrumphed. His saying, “a long time to come,” reassured me this challenge thingie would end with him winning. Though I couldn’t quite comprehend a fight to the death. I’d read about it in fiction but never thought it’d be adjacent to me in real life.
A crowd had gathered near the main entrance to the building. Men and women, old and young, omegas and alphas, kids playing at their feet, everyone trying to get a glimpse of… me. My stomach churned, but the expressions were welcoming, not distant or disapproving.
“Okay, everyone, let us get inside,“ Brad told them. “You’ll all get a chance to say hello.”
Soren welcomed me to Willow Den but all I could think of was his skinny naked ass. I was kissed and hugged, had my hand shaken, and was introduced to so many people I lost count. I hardly touched the plate of food someone gave me. The atmosphere was warm and inviting and they treated me like family. I got on especially well with a female alpha named Sarah, and we exchanged numbers.
It was so different from what I had imagined. Until it wasn’t. The chatter died away, and instead of small groups scattered round the room, people backed against the walls. Brad stiffened and rested a hand on my arm as he stood and got in front of me.
An alpha, older than Brad but not as tall, entered the room and his eyes went straight to me. Another man, one that looked like a younger version of the alpha, was at his side. They must have picked up my scent. My spidey senses were on high alert. This man and his sidekick were trouble.
The older man’s thinning hair gave him an air of vulnerability, but it was his hands that told a story. Scars crisscrossed the thin skin and showed he’d challenged a lot of den members over the years.
He spat on the floor and sneered at Soren while the younger man beside him, his eyes darting left and right, took a tiny step back. “You allow this filth to besmirch our den. You’re as bad as that scum who mated with this vermin.”
There was a hum of disagreement as Soren stepped forward. “Barrett, you and your son’s dispute is with Brad, not Gabe. You’ve made your challenge and chosen the date.”
Soren’s confirmation that this was Barrett had me sizing up the older alpha. His physical strength seemed no match for Brad’s, but as history told us, the stronger opponent didn’t always win.
Barrett scoffed and pointed at the den members. “I warrant there are many who agree with me but are too chickenshit to speak out.”
I jumped up and the plate of goodies on my lap tumbled to the floor, smashing the plate. No one moved. “Forgive me, everyone, if I’m speaking out of turn. I don’t mean to disrespect your rules.” I’d learnt a long time ago, people would forgive a faux pas if you were considerate about their traditions and beliefs. “But it seems to me that chickenshit could be applied to you. Barrett.” I spat out his name.
Brad was at my side, pushing me back, begging me to be quiet as Barrett gave a forced laugh. “Enlighten me, human. Are you going to take his place?”
“I have done something you cannot.” I rested a hand on my belly. “I have a half-human, half-shifter inside me.”
His stiff posture registered shock and awe. “A half-cast. Not worthy of our den. He took a step toward me, and Brad roared. A primeval bellow that came from a place I’d never understand.
Barrett reacted accordingly with a grotesque howl and they circled one another. And while they were in human form, their actions were not. Their clawed hands, the yowling and moaning were all bear.
From the corner of my eye, I noted the rest of the den huddling in small groups or edging their way to the door.
“Go and have fun with your plaything, Brad. Let the adults enjoy the rest of the evening,” Barrett taunted.
Ignore him, please, Brad.
“Now, Barrett! Now! You have insulted my mate, my family, and this den. We do this now. No waiting for the full moon.”
I leaped in front of Brad, but he swatted me away. “What does that mean? You’re challenging him tonight?”
“To the death,” gasped the older man’s son, cowering behind Barrett, his body trembling.
Twenty-Four
Brad
Please let Soren’s idea be correct.
As Barrett taunted me, I took in Gabe’s pleading look, but Soren tilted his head, and while I hated that it had to be right here and right now, I issued my own challenge. He’d taken me aside earlier while Gabe was busy talking with Sarah and told me my best option was to challenge early. And this would take Gabe out of the equation completely. My challenge here and now would override Barrett’s original one and save my mate.
Sure, Gabe would feel my loss if it came to that...the mourning would be intense, but he had a child to live for...our child, and he and the baby would have a chance at a good life.
This was before Barrett and his son arrived. Tonight wasn’t what I had in mind when Soren and I had discussed my challenge, done on my own terms, the way I planned it.
I hated the thought that I might lose on the full moon, but it was very real. Barrett wasn’t stronger than me, but things happened. Could I best him? Absolutely. But if we did this on that night in the hills with the moon above us, could I guarantee I wouldn’t bash my head on a rock and cause my death? No. This was best all around.
Of course I had planned to wait until the party was over and Gabe was home safe, but Barrett had a way of getting under my skin.
And Barry—calling for it to be to the death. Or was he? He emitted fear as if he were rattling off a script while using his father as a shield. He disliked me, but did his jealousy of Gabe or his distress at not mating with me give him a lust for blood? And even if, as I suspected, he went along with whatever his father told him and he wished for that to end, a bond to one’s father is strong even if he is a vile piece of filth.
“This is not a Full Moon Challenge, and you do not get to call the terms, omega,” Soren’s voice boomed through the area as he responded to Barry’s demand for Barrett and I to fight to the death. As I had issued this challenge, it was my choice as to the outcome. If I won, I could choose to spare his life. If I lost, the ch
oice would be Barrett’s. And I guessed what his decision would be.
“I already called a Full Moon Challenge and it can not be altered,” Barrett spit again. Gods, he was a repulsive man.
“You may choose to continue with that challenge at the end of this one if you so choose.” Soren stood between us. “That is up to you. But nothing in the new or old laws preclude a challenge from being called before an already established one is set. You really should’ve listened in history class. When are Full Moon Challenges made? Think about that.”
I stepped to the side needing to see Barrett’s face. Was he thrown off—off kilter? That would only serve me well. I needed the threat to my mate gone and for the entire den to be a witness unto it. I had one chance to do this right, and if I failed...I pushed all thoughts of that away. Failure wasn’t an option. Too much was at stake.
Barrett was more bear than human, his eyes already shifted. He was barely in control, and good. Let him fuck up and lose it all.
Barry on the other hand stood behind him quivering. Was he worried for his father or for his future if Barrett failed? Whatever the case, he was a hot mess and none of the den was comforting him. They all saw this challenge as it was—someone trying to rip us apart, and they already loved and adored Gabe.
It had been magical watching the way they all took to Gabe. Being polite was expected. But their open affection for him? It was everything and more.
“There won’t need to be another challenge. I will end this traitor tonight. He took a position that belonged to the den and gave it to a human—not even a worthy human. Look at his tiny body. He’d be crushed by a young shifter, and you expect him to be strong enough to stand by your side.” What the hell was he talking about a position that belonged to the den?
“Fate sent him to me which means he is my other half. There is no arguing that. Fate doesn’t make mistakes. Ever.”
Soren turned to me and gave me the look, the one that said I was getting close to overstepping my boundaries. More often than not it was my inability to turn off friend Brad and turn on Beta Brad when we were around others. This time it was something different. I just wished I understood his message.
Matched To His Bear: An M/M Mpreg Shifter Dating App Romance (The Dates of Our Lives Book 2) Page 10
