A Beary Christmas

by Ariel Marie

  “Don’t mind us.” Kenia laughed. “We stepped out here for some fresh air and some girl talk.”

  Kendra was frozen in place, unsure of what to do. She swallowed hard when he finally turned his dark eyes to Kenia. She was an unmated bear, and figured she’d be that way forever. That was why she had thrown herself into her studies and furthering her education. Her love of books was the driving force behind her going into library sciences. She considered herself a bonafide nerd, and was excited that she was able to have a job doing what she loved.

  “It’s rude of me to just stand here and stare, but I was just caught in the beautiful sounds of your laughter,” he said, coming onto the balcony. He reached Kenia first with his outstretched hand. She giggled as she took it. “Rocco Brink.”

  “Yes, I know. Kenia Goff,” she said, smiling.

  Jealousy filled Kendra’s chest as she watched her friend flirt with the future alpha.

  Her bear had sat back for most of her life, but now it rumbled in her chest in the most unladylike fashion, as a growl escaped from her lips.

  Kenia and Rocco’s heads snapped toward her. She felt her cheeks grow warm in embarrassment. She had never growled at someone before, much less her best friend.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, shaking her head. She didn’t know what was wrong with her bear. What was it about this mocha chocolate sex God that had her bear standing at attention?

  “Nothing to be sorry about.” He chuckled as he offered her his hand. She glanced down at his massive hand and knew that it would be rude not to take it.

  “Kendra Sexton,” she murmured, slipping her hand into his. Her bear clawed at her chest, demanding to get out so she could get to Rocco. Kendra had to beat it down in her panic. Her breaths came fast, and she didn’t know how to control her bear. What if she finally shifted in front of hundreds of people? She wouldn’t know the first thing about controlling her animal—

  “Hey, you’re the new librarian, right?” he asked, his grip tightening on her hand. She noticed that he hadn’t let her hand go yet.

  She jerked her head in a quick nod. “Yes, I am. You’re the alpha’s son. I must apologize for not coming and introducing myself—”

  “Don’t worry about it. I’m sure you’re just now settling in. It should be me apologizing, for us not coming to greet you on your arrival to Norwich,” he said.

  Her hand was still clasped in his, and she realized that her heart rate was slowly decreasing. He was calming her bear down. As the future alpha, she would assume he would have to be powerful, but this display in his strength left her in awe.

  “Well, it was like coming home,” she admitted. She glanced over at Kenia, and knew that her friend was not missing anything between the two of them. She had a silly grin plastered on her face as she took in the conversation. “I went to undergrad school here and fell in love with the town. Kenia was the one that told me of Mrs. Lane wanting to retire, and that the library would be looking for her replacement. It just seemed natural for me to come back.”

  “Well, I’m glad that Kenia talked you into settling here. Bear shifters are always welcome to make a home here.”

  “Thank you.” She smiled shyly at him as she pulled her hand back. They couldn’t just stand there shaking each other’s hands, but she instantly missed the feel of his calloused hand against hers. It would only be natural that a bear’s hands would be calloused. Most bear shifters held hard manual jobs due to their size and strength, and she could tell he was no different.

  “I love this song,” Kenia exclaimed, jumping in place. She rushed over to the door and began dancing in place. “I’ll be back!” she announced, and disappeared through the doors.

  Kendra would kill her best friend.

  Kenia Goff had signed her death warrant and she knew it. The wink she threw before she rushed through the door was proof that she was leaving Kendra with Rocco on purpose.

  She turned back to Rocco and swallowed hard. He stepped closer to her and she breathed in his scent, becoming more aroused by just his sheer presence and smell.

  She tilted her head back as he stopped in front of her and held out his hand.

  “Dance with me.”

  4

  The smooth voice of Michael Bublé singing his popular song, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” filled the air. He waited to see if she would take him up on his offer. A shiver passed through his body as her small hand slipped into his. He was anxious to feel her curvy frame pressed up against his.

  He gently pulled her to him. He could sense the shyness in her and knew that he would have to take it slow, but his bear was demanding that they claim her now. The longer he stayed in her presence, the more he knew that she was his mate. But there was something about her that he couldn’t put his finger on. She actually seemed surprised when she let out her growl. Bears were known to be territorial, even grumpy sometimes, and could be downright fierce. She shouldn’t have been shocked by a growl. It was a common thing amongst shifters.

  He held back a growl of his own at the feel of her plump breasts crushed against him as their bodies swayed to the music. He grew frustrated at the fact that he could not see her whole face. Her eyes alone kept him captive as he stared down at her, but he wanted to see what her mask was hiding.

  “The mask. Can I remove it?” he asked, his fingers itching to remove it.

  “Yours? Sure, you can take it off,” she answered with a small smile.

  “No, yours,” he chuckled, his finger reaching up to gently caress her cheek. He thought it was extremely sexy if a woman could make him laugh. He believed that there was more to a woman than her good looks. A woman with a beautiful smile, brains, and a sense a humor were what he had hoped for in a mate.

  “Oh, I guess it’s all right,” she laughed.

  Their bodies paused as he reached up and gently grabbed the bottom of the mask. Raising it up and away from her face, his breath caught in his throat. Revealing her face was like opening up the biggest wrapped present left under the Christmas tree.

  “Beautiful,” he murmured as her flawless bronze skin was revealed. His eyes swept her face, memorizing every facet, right down to the mole beneath her nose.

  “I bet you say that to all the women you unmask,” she murmured. He shook his head. There was no other woman that he desired to see. Only her. He loved her shy quality. He was very outgoing and knew that the Gods above knew what they were doing when they paired him with a shy little bear. “I think it’s only fair that since I’m all exposed now, that the favor be returned.”

  “But, of course,” he murmured. She stood up on the tips of her toes so that she could reach him. He bent down just far enough to help her. Her smaller fingers slid beneath his dark mask and pulled it away from his face. He took it from her and pulled it over his head. Her eyes searched his face, and for the first time, he started to doubt himself.

  He was used to women falling all over him since he was to be the future clan alpha. He could literally have his pick of any female bear in the party right now. But it was this bear’s affection that he craved.

  “Wow,” she breathed.

  “Is that a good wow or a bad wow?” he asked, his eyebrow shooting up.

  He didn’t realize he had been holding his breath as he waited for her reply. She cocked her head to the side as she studied him, then slowly walked around him, as if to assess him. He could instantly feel his bear stand at attention. If it was loose right now, he was sure it would be standing on its hind legs to show how strong he was, and that he would be a good fit for her. He could protect her and cherish her. His eyes connected with hers as she stopped in front of him.

  “Well?” he asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

  “You’re all right.” She shrugged her shoulders.

  His mouth dropped open in surprise, but the twinkle in her eye let him know she was playing. At least, he hoped she was playing.

  “Just all right?” he scoffed, just as she broke out
into hysterical giggles. He scratched the top of his head as she laughed at him.

  “I’m sorry. You should have seen your face.” She gasped and wiped her eyes. Her infectious laugh caused a smile to cross his face. She was a jokester. He could handle that.

  “I see you got jokes,” he chuckled and stepped closer to her. His bear was very interested. It demanded that they claim her. He was sure beyond a reasonable doubt that this little shifter was to be his.

  He could hear the quick intake of air as he stepped closer to her. Her smile slowly faded as she cocked her head back to look him in the eye. She shivered, and he realized that they were still outdoors, on the balcony.

  The moon was high in the sky, casting the perfect light on her. He shook off his jacket and placed it around her shoulders.

  “Thank you. I hadn’t planned to stay out here for this long,” she murmured as he rubbed her shoulders.

  “It’s the least I can do since I’m the reason you’re still out here,” he admitted. Without his jacket, he didn’t even feel the chill in the air. They were having a weird winter. The sun had been out and melted almost everything that Mother Nature had blasted them with yesterday.

  “Well, it was nice to meet you, Rocco Brink,” she said softly, causing a slight panic to fill his chest. He wasn’t ready for her to leave him quite yet. He needed to find out more about her.

  He pulled her closer, unable to keep his hands off her. “Can I see you again sometime?” he asked.

  “Well, I’m sure I must call on the alpha to introduce myself.”

  “Let’s do it now,” he urged, guiding her toward the door.

  “Now?” she squeaked. “But I’m sure they’re busy with this party. I can make an appointment for another day.”

  “Nonsense.” He shook his head. If this was the only way that he could spend a little more time with her, then he would drag her to his parents to do so.

  “Well, if you insist,” she muttered as he entwined their fingers. He guided her back into the ballroom to search the room, and saw the top of his father’s head.

  “I see my father over there.” He pulled her to his side and pointed toward his father’s location. He pushed through the throng of people. “Father.”

  “Ah, Rocco, there you are,” Ander greeted him. His mother was with him, and her curious eyes immediately went to Kendra. “Who is your friend?”

  “Father, Mother. May I introduce you to Kendra Sexton.” He pulled the shy little bear forward.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Kendra announced as her hand shot out. His father laughed as he took her smaller one in his.

  “The new librarian. Welcome to Norwich,” his father greeted her in his loud, boisterous voice. “This is my wife, Free Brink.”

  “Hello, Mrs. Brink.” Kendra greeted his mother with a handshake as well.

  “Sexton, huh?” Free tilted her head to the side. “Are you from around here, dear? I used to know a couple by the last name of Sexton.”

  “No, ma’am. I grew up in Adler. It’s about four hours north of here.” Kendra smiled at his mother. His mother’s eyes flew to his father’s, but Rocco only had eyes for Kendra.

  “Oh, well. It must be a common name,” Free said. “I will have to stop by the library sometime soon before Mrs. Lane retires. I hear she’s moving to California to be with her family.”

  “That’s right. Her family is in San Jose. She can’t wait to meet her new grandbaby,” Kendra noted with a nod of her head. “Well, it was so nice to meet you, but I must go find my friend.”

  Rocco moved in front of her and blocked her exit.

  “Can I see you again?” he asked, not caring who could hear or see them.

  “See me again? I’m sure we’ll run into each other around town.” Her eyes grew round as she stared up at him. He grabbed her free hand and brought the back of it to his lips.

  “No, just you and me. A date?” he murmured against her skin.

  “A date?” her voice ended on a squeak. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “Say yes,” he urged, gripping her smaller hand in both of his, not caring that they were causing a bit of a scene. A small crowd of onlookers gathered around them. “I’m not going to let your hand go until you give me what I want,” he warned.

  She looked around and took notice of their audience. Her eyes made their way back to him, and he waited for her answer. A slight crinkle appeared at the edge of her eyes as she stared up at him.

  “Okay!” She laughed. “Yes, I’ll go out with you.”

  A wide grin spread across his face. Little did Kendra Sexton know what was in store for her. She would be his.

  5

  Kendra disconnected the call and stared down at her cell phone. A date on Christmas? Had Rocco lost his mind? Christmas was just going to be a day of relaxation for her. Her adopted parents had chosen to go on a vacation this year for Christmas as a gift to themselves. She was an only child, so she didn’t have any siblings to share the holiday with. She was okay with being on her own for the holiday.

  But a first date?

  This would definitely be different. She tried to talk Rocco out of it, citing that he probably should be spending it with his family, but he didn’t want to hear it. She glanced at the clock on the wall and realized that he would be picking her up in an hour.

  She cursed. She would need to hurry and get dressed to look halfway presentable. She rushed into her room and stood before her open closet. She swiped the screen on her phone and hit Kenia’s number.

  “Merry Christmas!” Her friend’s jolly voice came onto the line.

  “It sure is!” Kendra exclaimed, jumping in place. Excitement was starting to fill her chest as the realization of her previous call just dawned on her. She was going on a date. An actual date, with a man that seemed to be truly interested in her.

  “What’s got you all in the spirit? Did one of the ghosts of Christmas come and visit you?” Kenia joked.

  “Very funny. Well, I’ll have you know, I will be going out today,” Kendra announced, as she began to shift through her clothes. “Rocco is taking me on a date.”

  “What?” Kenia exclaimed. Kendra laughed as her friend squealed and celebrated on the phone. She imagined her dancing in place.

  “The only problem is, he wouldn’t tell me where. He just told me to dress warm and comfortable. What the hell does that mean?”

  “Hmm…maybe he’s taking you outside somewhere. You know bears love to be outside if you didn’t already know,” Kenia said sarcastically. Kendra rolled her eyes at her friend’s remark.

  “Ha-ha, very funny. Just because my bear doesn’t want to come out, doesn’t make me less of a bear shifter,” Kendra retorted.

  “I didn’t mean anything by it. You know I love you, but I bet he’s taking you outside. With this crazy weather, there’s barely any snow, even though it dropped a ton of it the other day.”

  “I know.” Kendra sighed as she picked out her outfit. “Jeans and a nice sweater it is then.” She glanced down at the bottom of her closet and picked out a pair of warm boots that she would wear and tossed them to the foot of her bed.

  “Wear the jeans you just bought the last time we went shopping. Those show off your ass perfectly!”

  “Kenia!” Kendra laughed as she looked down to see those same jeans were in her hands.

  “What? You have curves that any woman would kill for. Flaunt them, Boo. And besides, someone has to try to get you mated off!”

  Kendra placed the folded jeans on her bed as she wiped the tears of laughter from her face.

  “Thanks, babe. Now let me jump in the shower so that his bear isn’t turned off by my pungent smell.”

  “Call me the minute you get home. I want details. All details. Even the smutty ones.”

  “There won’t be any smutty ones on the first date,” Kendra snorted. It had been a very long time since she had been intimate with a man. She’d only ever had one sexual partner, and that night was surely
nothing to write home about.

  “Have you not looked at that tall, muscular, mocha sex God that will be taking you out? For the love of God, there better be some type of action today. Every woman with a pulse in this town has been throwing themselves at Rocco Brink without success. His eyes are on you, girlie, and as sweet as you are, that bear will be demanding some honey.”

  Kendra’s bear perked up at the mention of honey, but she knew it was the sound of Rocco’s name that really gained her attention. There was something about him that caused her bear to act in a way that she was unfamiliar with. If she had been able to shift, her and her bear would be closer, then Kendra would have a better understanding.

  The memory of his smoldering dark eyes locked on her as they danced on the balcony at the party caused her heart to skip a beat. She blew out a deep breath. Who the hell was she kidding? If he asked for a taste of her honey, she’d throw the whole damn honey pot at him.

  “Where are we?” Kendra asked as she looked around the beautiful snow-covered landscape. They had parked in a side parking lot on the edge of a wooded area. Rocco’s hand tightened slightly on hers as he led her down a wooded trail.

  “This is my family’s property. We have a small cabin out here that we use when we just want to be one with nature.”

  He must have felt her stiffen slightly, because concern filled his eyes. “Is that okay with you?”

  “Sure.” She nodded her head, even though she knew it was anything but okay. One with nature. He would probably want to shift and go out in the woods in his bear form. That was what normal bear shifters did. Their date would probably be cut very short once he realized that she was a bear shifter who couldn’t shift. Silence filled the air as she followed behind him on the narrowed trail.

  “Here we are,” he announced as they came to a clearing in the woods. A pretty log cabin came into view, with smoke escaping from the chimney. It was picturesque in nature.