Bear in Mind

by Kate Rudolph

  “And this isn’t one of those things where we’re like married or whatever in bear terms?” This supernatural shit was complicated. Despite the lust, Sandra wanted to cover her bases.

  “I wouldn’t trick you into something like that.” Derek reached down and entwined his fingers with hers, dragging her hand back up so that he could kiss it. He laid his lips on each of her knuckles before giving the back of her hand a final kiss. “I like you a lot,” he confessed, “I don’t want you to run away.”

  “I’m not running.” Even though she hadn’t known him for long, the thought of fleeing was laughable. She trusted Derek to keep her safe, she knew he wouldn’t hurt her.

  Sandra reached forward until her fingers met the warm skin of his chest. He sucked in a breath and held completely still. From his reaction, Sandra would have thought she was touching something a lot more sensitive than his pecs.

  In good time, she promised herself.

  She might have joked earlier, but Derek wasn’t marble. He was hard muscle and soft skin, warm and tempting under her fingers. But Derek wasn’t content to be a passive partner. His own palm found her breast through the thin cotton of her t-shirt and he ran his palm over her nipple.

  Sandra choked back a moan. God, this shouldn’t have felt this good this quick. But she wasn’t questioning it. She wanted him, desperately, and she knew he wanted her. She didn’t think there was any better feeling in the world.

  His kiss was a surprise. She didn’t see him, so caught up in her study of his chest and the feel of his hands on her that she paid no attention until his lips were in front of her and then pressing to her own. In an instant, she was consumed, devoured by the passion between them.

  He tasted sweet and rich and masculine. She was getting drunk on the feel of him. Derek tugged at her shirt, pulling back from her just long enough to jerk it over her head. He pulled back, putting a few inches of space between them and Sandra frowned. They weren’t done, not even close.

  But when she saw the look on his face, her heart heaved in her chest. Worship. She’d heard of men worshiping their partners before, but the term had never made sense to her. Until now. Derek looked at her as if she were the only water in the desert, the only oxygen in space, like he would die if he couldn’t devour her. And, Lord help her, she wanted to be devoured.

  “I’ve been dreaming of you like this,” he said in almost a whisper. “I’ve wanted you in my bed.”

  Sandra wanted to be there, even with all the craziness, she wouldn’t give this up.

  Derek leaned forward slowly, giving her time to pull away, but she wasn’t going anywhere. He took the tip of her breast into his mouth, cupping the other one in his hand. Sandra’s head tipped back as he caressed her nipple with his tongue. He took his time, paying special attention to her moans and cries of pleasure.

  But he wasn’t satisfied, he’d never be satisfied with her breasts alone. Sandra was a puddle of pleasure, and when he moved, she tried to drag him back. Derek rolled his eyes up at her and grinned. If she’d been standing, her knees would have gone weak. His green eyes sparkled with an inner playfulness, even as they were dark with lust.

  Lust for her. This beautiful man wanted her.

  He kissed his way down over her naked stomach, his hands roving lightly over the curves of her waist. That skin was particularly sensitive and she shivered. But Derek’s destination was not her waist, and when he set his lips upon her sex, she was in heaven.

  He took his time, and she was beginning to learn that he was a man with a well of patience deeper than the sea. But he was just as tumultuous, just as capable of drowning her, only the waves he gave her were of pleasure.

  She clutched at the sheets, her legs jerking and tightening around him. Her entire being was focused on those few inches between her legs, honing and narrowing until she exploded with release, chest heaving, sweat beading her brow.

  Sandra gasped for air, her heart ready to explode in her chest. Derek barely gave her time to recover, climbing back up her body and nestling his thick length between her thighs. His eyes pierced hers, the green practically shining like emeralds in the dim room. His face was all harsh angles and intensity. He looked away from her for just a moment, grabbing a condom from the side table and putting it on.

  She was afraid she’d say something stupid, something she couldn’t take back. Instead, she wrapped an arm around his neck and kissed him as he entered her. The feeling was electric. They were connected as closely as two people could be. And when he moved, she knew she was close to coming again.

  They moved together in harmony, their lips locked in concert with their bodies. It was a magical joining, intense and yet sweet. Sandra could barely think, and she never wanted it to end.

  When Derek started to move faster, increasing his pace, she clutched him tighter, sucking in a breath. The pleasure was too much, too soon. She was going to come, and she wasn’t ready for it to end. But when she did, her inner muscles squeezing around him, it didn’t stop. Derek kept moving, bringing her over the edge again and then another time, before he found his pleasure at last.

  He laid down beside her, pulling her in close. Sandra laid her hand over his arms, heart swelling. Was it possible to fall in love this quickly? She could feel his thoughts wrapped around her, echoes of satisfaction, contentment, and something she couldn’t quite place. In this moment, she’d never wished for her powers to work on him more.

  She was happy, but she was too scared to speak her feelings. She didn’t know if she could handle rejection right after what they’d just shared. Because love was far scarier than any enemy outside.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Whoever had coined the term bliss must have felt something like what Derek was feeling right now. Sandra felt damn perfect in his arms, and he’d be content to stay in bed with her for the rest of the month. Possibly the year, if they took snack breaks. But when he let her go to take off the condom, she rolled right over and sat up, looking around for her top. It would be a crime to cover up breasts as beautiful as hers. She couldn’t read his mind because she pulled the shirt right on without an ounce of mercy. At least it was his shirt. It pulled tightly over her breasts and hung low over her naked hips. When she pulled on the sweats that he’d loaned her, he almost wept.

  Never mind that, he’d just need to ensure she was in his bed again. He’d move heaven and earth to make it happen.

  She shivered and looked over at him, “Are you planning on...” she trailed off, searching for the correct word before continuing, “Conquering the world soon?”

  Derek lay down against the bed, only inches away from where she had just stood up, “Why?”

  She tapped her temple with two fingers, “You feel very determined.”

  He grinned and reached for her hand, she didn’t resist, but she didn’t grin back. “I don’t need to conquer the world.” Only you. Thank God she couldn’t read him, he’d be composing sonnets at any moment. He hadn’t been in love in the longest time, and it had never felt like this before. He wanted to fly off the roof.

  But Sandra remained serious. “I can’t joke, Derek. Ruth could be here any moment and we just waste—” she cut herself off. “If you got hurt because I put my own desire above my duty, I won’t forgive myself.” Tears gathered in her amber eyes, but they didn’t fall. He knew that Sandra wouldn’t allow herself the weakness, not while she was in battle mode.

  And if they were in battle mode, they couldn’t stay in his room all day, no matter how much he wanted to. He sprang up from the bed and turned to her. “We need some food and a plan. How does that sound?”

  She took a deep breath and nodded. “Give me ten minutes to clean myself up.”

  Derek left her to it, scooping up his own sweats on his way out and putting them on. She didn’t know it, but his scent was embedded in her flesh, just as she was skin deep in him. They’d remain that way as long as they were lovers. If they turned out to be mates, that bond would sink even deeper, connectin
g them on a spiritual level.

  It wouldn’t be like what Sandra could do now; they would not be able to read each other’s thoughts. But they’d have an innate knowledge of where the other was, what they felt, and if they were in danger. When he’d been a child and first learned about the bond, Derek had thought it sounded like a huge invasion of his privacy. But now he wanted to know every second that Sandra was safe, that she was happy. And he wanted her to want that from him as well.

  In his kitchen, he pulled out a pan and food to warm up. It was late afternoon, too late for lunch and too early for dinner, but they’d both slept half the day away.

  He heard the door from the cave open and close and he wondered if Sandra had gone out there for some reason. But a moment later a different, familiar scent snuck into his kitchen. “What’s for dinner?” asked Morse, taking a seat at the counter.

  Morse’s presence threw Derek into a bit of a panic and his inner bear wanted to roar in frustration. That same bear had been slumbering contentedly until a moment ago. “What are you doing here?!” he snapped.

  That was a bad move, he could tell from the stiffening of Morse’s shoulders. Derek counted the ways this scene could play out.

  1: Morse let it go and took off, leaving Derek alone to enjoy his time with Sandra and deal with the Ruth problem.

  2: Morse roared at him before leaving, leaving their friendship in a mess that Derek would need to untangle.

  3: Morse took it personally and challenged Derek, destroying the kitchen, leaving both of them injured, leaving Sandra would be vulnerable, and tossing everything into shambles.

  It was the danger of relationships between bears. No hierarchy meant that when things got heated, they went from zero to one hundred with one misspoken word. He and Morse had never gotten into it, but Derek was raw right now, his emotions skating close to the surface.

  Derek growled.

  Morse gripped the edge of the counter and his honey brown eyes darkened into a color bordering on black. He took a deep breath and Derek could see him attempting to loosen his muscles one by one. “What the hell, man?”

  “I could say the same thing,” Sandra’s voice was a whip against him. She entered the kitchen and placed herself between them, her back to Derek.

  That sign of trust, that she knew he wouldn’t hurt her, was enough to cut the tension. Derek sucked in a breath and ran his hand lightly over her back before turning back to his cooking. “That’s my friend Morse.”

  She nodded at Morse before turning to face him. “Do you normally get all he-man on your friends like that?”

  He looked over Sandra’s shoulder and grinned at Morse, “She’s psychic.”

  “Sandra, actually.” Sandra turned so she could see both of them, standing against the island in the kitchen between himself and the other werebear. “And I’m pretty sure I could smell the testosterone leaking out of both of you. No need for mind reading.”

  Derek shrugged, “It’s a bear thing.”

  Morse made a choking sound at how casually Derek dropped that. “He means because we’re so burly, you know, like bears.”

  Sandra laughed, her eyes sparkling. Her dark hair was even darker, wet from the shower, but she’d put on her own clothes. Though they showed off her every curve, he missed seeing her in his sweats and t-shirt. He wanted to mark her as his own. “I’m pretty sure Derek didn’t mean it like that, unless he’s a very good actor.” Derek’s face broke out into a silly, childish grin as he realized exactly what kind of bear Sandra implied they were talking about.

  Morse looked between the two of them, grinning. “You’re far too pretty for him.”

  Derek wanted to put an arm around Sandra, wanted to pull her close. But this was where the man split from the bear. His bear wanted to mark Sandra, to keep her, to let the entire world know she was his. As a man, though, he knew that they hadn’t spoken about where they stood. Derek detested the uncertainty. So he tried to keep it light. “I’ve barely beaten my chest at all today.”

  Sandra pulled out a stool and sat down. Derek watched her out of the corner of his eye, only looking away long enough to plate their food. Grudgingly, he grabbed another plate from the cabinet and made some for Morse as well. But he didn’t give him nearly enough sauce. Revenge between friends was always petty.

  “So what’s your story, Morse?” Sandra was detached, friendly, but when she looked at Morse it was almost like there was something missing.

  She was assessing him. Derek realized it in a flash. “You can trust him,” he told her. “He’ll help.”

  Morse took his own seat and Derek joined the two of them, left to stand as there were only two benches. “Help with what?”

  Sandra didn’t respond. Her face went blank and then slack, her eyelids drooping down. She made a fist with one hand and her knuckles turned white. Derek’s heart skittered. Was Ruth doing this? Had she found them? But when Morse dropped his fork and put a hand to his temple, Derek realized what was going on. He’d had the same headache the first day that they met. She’d been trying to read his mind then.

  It was another thirty seconds before life flowed back into her and she straightened up. She reached over and grabbed Derek’s hand, giving it a squeeze. “I guess it’s a bear thing.”

  “What’s a bear thing?” Morse no-last-name, or possibly no-first-name asked her. Looking at him, Sandra felt a little disloyal. He was prettier than Derek. But where Derek was rugged and defined, Morse was almost cherubic. His black hair formed a halo around his head and she knew his eyes could promise sin, though they weren’t making that promise to her. He knew that she was with Derek.

  And, just like Derek, she couldn’t get a solid read on him. All she had was a rebound headache and a faint craving for Coca-Cola.

  “I can't read your mind.” Sandra said it matter-of-factly, but she winced internally with every word. It felt foolish to reveal her secrets so boldly, but she trusted Derek, and Derek said this man was trustworthy. She’d test that.

  “That wasn't one of your weird jokes?” Morse wasn’t looking at her, and the puzzled look on his face directed at Derek was almost enough to make her laugh.

  Derek looked affronted. “My jokes are sophisticated, not weird.”

  “I don't know, you're kind of weird.” Sandra liked their teasing, it reminded her of the friends that she’d had in the Sector.

  “I am betrayed!” Derek threw his napkin on top of his plate and looked at her, his eyes brimming with crocodile tears.

  It was a bit of a stretch, but she leaned over across the counter and kissed his cheek. She wanted to be playful with him. But anything more than a cheek kiss would need to wait until later.

  “So what is it I'm helping with?” And Morse put them back on track.

  Derek stepped behind her and casually draped his arms around her. It gave Sandra strength and she spit out what she needed to say. “I don't know that you can help. I have no clue what to do. I can call her location in, but it could be days before anyone gets here. And we don't know where she is.”

  “Back up a bit, please?” Morse looked lost.

  Sandra didn’t want to dive into this again. She tried to sum it all up in the quickest way she could. “I worked with the military. An old scary associate is in town to wreak havoc.” Quick, to the point, covered the important stuff. Maybe she should have just given Derek that explanation rather than arguing with him.

  “And she has lightening powers.” Derek added.

  Sandra turned half around, still encircled by his arms. “You know we don't reveal that crap to just anyone.” It was a good thing she wasn’t a member of the Justice League. These guys would both know exactly who Superman’s secret identity was in a matter of minutes.

  Derek shrugged, unrepentant. “It seemed relevant.”

  But it wasn’t Ruth’s power that caught Morse’s attention. He hold up a hand, his thick dark eyebrows scrunching together in thought. “Is she a short Latina chick with hell in her eyes?”
/>   “Um, yes. I think.” That wouldn’t be how Sandra described her, but it bore a resemblance.

  Morse nodded once, definitively. “I know where she is.”

  “How?” She shouldn’t have sounded so suspicious. In her days in the Sector she’d often been given information she shouldn’t have had. But all she knew about Morse was that Derek trusted him. That wasn’t enough.

  But Derek was quick to back his friend up. “Morse's parents own the only non-chain hotel within fifty miles. Exactly the type of place someone trying to stay off the grid would stay at.”

  “This'll break my mom's heart. I think she's wants me to ask her out.” Morse gave his best ‘aw, shucks’ look as he said it.

  “You're sure she's staying there?” Sandra agreed that Ruth would want to avoid a chain. She wouldn’t risk any kind of integrated system if her face or any of her identities were marked as suspicious.

  “She checked in two days ago. Paid cash for a week.” Morse added.

  That lined up with Canary’s call, but it didn’t match up with the weird voices that Sandra had been dealing with since she’d gotten here. But even if Ruth had checked in two days ago, that didn’t mean she’d only just arrived in town. There were abandoned houses, buildings, cars, hell, Ruth could probably sleep in a hole for a few days and not be any worse for wear. But something seemed sloppy about the hotel and Sandra couldn’t put her finger on it. It made her question whether the woman really was Ruth.

  “What's the matter?” asked Derek, rubbing her shoulders.

  “I can't call the Sector down on some random person if that isn't her.” The Sector tried not to leave witnesses. It didn’t mean they would kill every innocent person who came into contact with them, but it didn’t mean that civilians were safe. “And if it is her, well, how do I know that she's not...” Sandra knew Ruth, or at least she thought she had.

  “Not what?” Derek prompted.

  Sandra finished her thought. “Right.”