He shook his head. “See, you are a brave bunny.” Then he added, “Have you told your parents?”
She shook her head. “No. We didn’t exactly leave on the best of terms, and I’m not exactly sure me telling my mom I’m getting married after knowing you for only two days is going to go down well.”
“But they have to be at the wedding. Your dad should be the one to give you away. Shouldn’t he?”
“Tony could do it,” she offered.
“Are you sure? This is a once in a lifetime event, Zoe. We’re mates, we marry once.”
“You think my mom would want to come to a town full of bear shifters?”
“We could marry in your hometown.”
“Merry Woods? I’m not sure my mom would like an invasion of shifters there, either.”
“We don’t have to decide now, but I do think you need to give it some thought, talk to Tony. I want us to be happy, and I’ll do whatever it takes for that to happen.”
“You and me on a beach?” she ventured.
“OK, my mom would never forgive me.”
“It was worth a try,” Zoe said.
“OK, coffee is ready.” He took down coffee mugs and set them on a tray. As he worked, he tried to stop his excitement from getting out of control. He was going to get married!
Damn, he needed to buy a ring!
Chapter Fourteen – Zoe
“You’re sure you’re OK about me leaving town with Caleb?” Zoe asked Tony as they walked along the street. They’d been to a movie, chosen by Tony, which had made her jump out of her skin. Her rabbit was hiding in her burrow somewhere, afraid to come out.
“Sure. Viola wants me to help some more in her garden, she’s teaching me how to grow vegetables.”
Zoe erupted into laughter. “How does she feel about letting a rabbit into her vegetable patch?”
“Funny. You are so very funny,” Tony said, but he was laughing too. “Do you ever think how different we would be if we had parents like Viola and Stanley?”
Zoe hooked her arm through his. “I used to. I used to lie awake and dream we had the kind of mom who would come and watch us at concerts, who would come and watch us at sports.”
“You never did any of those things,” Tony reminded her.
“I know, but if I did…” She sighed. “I worry I’m going to turn out like her.”
“You? Never.” He stopped, turning to look at her. “Zoe, look what you did for me. What you’re still doing for me. I know it took you out of your comfort zone, but you did it, you didn’t just make a nest in a burrow and hide away. You saved me by bringing me here.”
She laughed. “You know, I think you saved me. If you hadn’t got into trouble, I was in danger of being a lonely bunny in a burrow.”
“Whoop! Whoop! If it isn’t Tony. And who’s this, your girlfriend?” a voice called from across the street.
“Oh shit,” Tony muttered.
“Who is this?” Zoe asked.
“He’s no one.”
Whoever this no one was, he was big, his shoulders broad, and his manner aggressive. If she had to guess, Zoe would say he was definitely a bear shifter, although he was nothing like Caleb or any of the other guys working for Dylan. Another shout made her turn around, to see him coming across the street, with two other youths flanking him. “I thought I’d run you out of town.”
“What does he mean?” Zoe asked.
“Nothing,” Tony answered. “Come on, let’s go.”
“That’s it, run away,” the guy teased, and then his voice hardened. “And keep running. I told you this is my town.”
Tony stalked away, and Zoe followed, catching him up. “Is this the guy who gave you the black eye?”
“Yep.” Tony was hunched over, receding into himself, as if everything he had accomplished over the last few days was swept away.
Zoe turned again to get a good look at them for when she reported this to the sheriff. The three teens were following them, giggling and whispering to each other, getting closer, but she couldn’t make out their features well enough to be able to describe them.
Then they pounced. Two of them grabbed Zoe, while the third, the one with the big mouth, squared up to Tony, pushing him away when he tried to help Zoe, who was trying to pull away from her captors.
“What the hell do you think you are doing?” Zoe yelled.
“I decided that someone needed another lesson in staying out of my town.”
“It’s not your town,” Tony said, his fists clenched at his sides.
“Tony, just walk away, he’s not worth it.” She saw Tony’s eyes flick to hers. “Go on, they won’t hurt me.”
“How do you know?” the ringleader said, his tone icily cold. “No one else is around to see.”
He was right; there was no one else on the street. But if she yelled really loudly, surely someone in one of the houses would hear and call the police.
“I need to do this.” Tony’s voice cut through her thoughts. “I can do it.”
She watched her little brother as he decided to be brave and stand up for what he was, and who he was. No longer willing to be intimidated by a bully.
Zoe shook her head. “You don’t have to.”
“I do,” he repeated.
“Then let’s do it.” As the two young men circled each other, Zoe hoped the training Caleb had given Tony was enough to stop him from getting seriously hurt.
Tony moved with a fluid grace she’d never seen in him before. He never lunged forward to attack, but instead took the advantage whenever his opponent lunged at him, or tried to land a blow on him. Then Tony grasped the upper hand, seeing his chance and taking it.
When the teen threw a wild punch at Tony, he grabbed his hand and pulled him forward, overbalancing him so he landed on his back on the ground, winded. Tony moved to strike him, but stopped short. “Yield.”
“What the fuck? This isn’t some show.”
“Then get up and fight.” Tony released the guy, who scrambled to his feet, looking wary. Then something caught his eye, another group of people, young people, were heading their way. A sense of dread filled Zoe; this was not going to end well. Tony couldn’t beat them all.
She pulled at the two guys holding her, struggling to get free. Catching them by surprise, she freed one hand and punched the other guy in the face, making his nose bleed. She was free. “Come on, Tony. Let’s go.” She tried to grab him, but he wasn’t moving.
“I’m not running,” he said.
“We are outnumbered.”
Tony turned and looked behind them, and he blushed, his face coloring in embarrassment. Zoe followed his gaze; it was fixed squarely on a pretty girl, who walked with the same self-confident swagger of the guy who had attacked them.
“What are you doing, Ace?” she asked, rushing over.
“I’m seeing this piece of shit off.”
“What?” She came right up to Ace and pushed him back. “You are such a prick.”
Zoe wasn’t sure about the colorful language, but she found herself instantly liking this young woman. Deciding to let things play out, she stood in silence and watched.
“Are you OK?” she asked Tony.
“Yes,” he said, his voice nervous. Wow, he liked her, really liked her.
“My brother has always been a bully.” She smiled at Tony. “But you had him on the ground. Not many people can say they’ve done that. Maybe because he’s such a meathead. All brawn and no brain.”
“Shut the fuck up, Alice,” Ace said.
“Or what? You going to hit a girl?” She took a step forward, and Ace stepped back. “No, because you know this girl can take you.”
“Shut up!” he said loudly.
“Then say sorry.” She dropped her voice so that only the small group of people around her heard. “This is not the way to behave. You are on your last warning with Declan. Don’t mess up, or your ass will be in juvie.”
Ace looked up at her, and then across to Tony. “
No.”
“Why? Why are you picking on him?” Alice asked.
“Because he was talking to you, I saw the way he looked at you…”
“Don’t tell me you’re jealous of me talking to someone else. Listen, you will always be my brother, so get over it.” She shoved Ace toward Tony. “Let’s make up and go get smoothies.”
Zoe had to hide a smile. Quietly, she hoped this young woman was her brother’s mate, but she sure wasn’t looking forward to having Ace in the family if that was how things turned out.
“Sorry,” Ace said.
“That’s OK,” Tony muttered, his words empty of any sentiment of good will, but it was a start.
Zoe smiled at Tony, who walked toward her, leaving Alice tearing another strip off Ace. “That was brave of you.”
“Fighting?” Tony asked.
“No, making friends with Ace. You could have taken him.”
“I could have, couldn’t I?” he asked, his face lighting up. “Caleb taught me I should only ever defend myself.”
“He’s right.”
“It doesn’t make me a coward?” he asked.
“No, why would you think that?”
“Because when Mom found me in the garden one day, pretending to be… you know.”
“A lion.”
“She yelled at me, telling me I was a small little creature with no backbone who would never amount to anything. That I should learn my place and stop roaring, because all I’d ever do was squeak.”
“Is that why you got into trouble? In college?”
“Maybe.” He turned to look behind them and Zoe saw the longing in his eyes. He wanted to be friends with other kids his own age, and that was good. Really good. “It’s all right for you, you never wanted to fit in. You never needed it.”
“That’s not true.”
“That’s how it seemed, so when I went to college I decided to try. I was fed up of being small and insignificant. I wanted to be that lion. I didn’t want to be a small rabbit.”
Tears pricked her eyes. Mom hadn’t just told him to be quiet, she’d told him to stop dreaming, that he was small, insignificant, and if he had any sense he would forget all about shifting, because it was abnormal. When Tony was old enough to shift, it had taken Zoe a long time to coax the bunny out of her brother. As far as Zoe knew, he had never shifted when their mom was around.
“Hey, Tony, isn’t it?” Alice called, running up behind them. “Want to go get smoothies? It’s a bit lame, but it’s about as good as it gets in Bear Bluff. Ace’s treat for being such a jerk.”
“How do you know my name?” he asked.
“I asked around. My mom knows Dylan.”
“I’m spending the evening with my sister,” Tony said, but his body language said he would follow Alice to the end of the world.
“No, you’re not.” Zoe pushed him forward and then walked off. “Just don’t let Caleb down in the morning.”
“I won’t,” he promised and then walked away from her with his new friend, leaving Zoe wondering if they were mates. She couldn’t be sure, but she hoped so, for Tony’s sake. However, that truth wouldn’t be known until they turned eighteen; they were on the cusp of a new life. And if they weren’t mates, that didn’t mean they couldn’t be friends, which was exactly what Tony needed right now.
A lump swelled in her throat. Tony had been afraid of who he was, or who he wasn’t, for such a long time. Their mom had made him feel as if he were a freak, something to be ashamed of. Yet in that one small gesture, Alice had accomplished something Zoe never could: she had made Tony feel accepted.
Just as Caleb made Zoe feel accepted.
Chapter Fifteen – Caleb
“Where are you?” he asked.
“I’m at home alone.” Her words excited him.
“Is this an invitation?” he asked.
“It is.”
“I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
“I’ll be waiting.” She hung up, leaving him like a dog with his tongue hanging out. He hadn’t misinterpreted her invitation—had he?
Only one way to find out. “I’ll be back later,” he called to his mom as he raced out of the front door. His bear longed to spring free and run to her; instead, he pulled his keys from his pocket and unlocked the car door. The car was moving down the drive and onto the road before he had his seat belt on, and he had to consciously make himself slow down. He needed to get there in one piece, not end up in a ditch on the way.
The ten-minute drive felt like an hour, but eventually he arrived outside her small house, feeling nervous, as though this was a first date.
Wishing he’d showered and changed, he stood outside her front door, allowing his breathing to calm down before he knocked.
Then he waited, listening for the sound of her footsteps coming toward the door. What was she doing? he thought as he waited. Then he heard her, and he took a step back, realizing it wasn’t polite to listen at doors.
Shaking his head at himself, and feeling like a teenager, all fingers and thumbs, not knowing what to say, he plastered a smile on his face as she opened the door, with an apologetic expression on her face, which immediately dampened his rising spirits. Well, rising something…
Adjusting his clothes, he let the smile fade, thinking he’d probably looked like some maniacal monster. A deep breath in, and a slow breath out, made him feel like his normal self.
“Hi.” She held the door in her hand, as if blocking his way. “I tried to call you.”
“What’s wrong?” he asked, looking past her.
“Nothing is wrong… Not exactly.” She looked nervous, and dropped her voice further. “My mom and dad are here.”
“Oh.” His mouth hung open, and like an imbecile he found himself standing and staring at her. “Do you want me to go?” he asked.
Zoe shuffled nervously, her fingers picking at a loose chip of paint. “Do you want to go?”
He moved toward her, and wrapped his arm around her waist, holding her tightly against his body. “I don’t ever want to leave your side. But that doesn’t mean I’d force my company on you or your family.”
“I’d like you to force your company on them,” Zoe said, sounding calm and confident.
“You’re sure? I thought you said your mom would freak if she found out you were mated to a bear shifter?” Caleb asked.
“I did. She still might, but it seems she’s on some new meds or something.” She grabbed his arm and pulled him inside, shutting the door behind him as if to block his escape. “If there’s ever going to be a good time to tell her, this is probably it.”
Zoe might look worried, but she also looked determined, and he was going to support her in whatever way he could. If that meant standing by her side while her mom freaked out, then so be it.
“Mom, Dad, this is Caleb,” Zoe said, entering the small living room, with Caleb right behind her.
“Hi,” Caleb said, waving his hand at the two people sitting drinking coffee in Zoe’s sitting room. He didn’t know what he had expected, but they looked so normal. Which was pretty stupid, because why wouldn’t they looked normal? Just because Zoe’s mom had a nervous condition didn’t mean she was going to look like some freak with uncombed hair and lipstick smeared down her face.
“Hello, Caleb. I’m Marty, and this is Sara.” Zoe’s dad got up and offered Caleb his hand, which Caleb took, remembering to temper his grip so they didn’t scream bear and run for their lives. He smiled; this might be harder than he thought. Suddenly, he was the one who didn’t feel normal. Maybe it was because he dwarfed everyone in the room.
“Hi, Marty.” Caleb released Marty’s hand. “Hello, Sara.”
“Hi, Caleb. Zoe’s been telling us all about you,” Sara said.
“She has?” he questioned, looking at Zoe.
“Yes, about how you’ve been helping Tony,” Zoe encouraged.
“He’s a good kid, young man, I should say.” Caleb looked around. “Where is he?” He hoped for Zoe�
�s sake that Tony hadn’t run off at the sight of his parents arriving in what was his sanctuary.
“He went for smoothies with a new friend, Alice.” Zoe watched her mom’s face, and Caleb couldn’t help but turn to look too. He got the immediate sensation he was stuck in the middle of a minefield with no idea where bombs might explode.
“I’m so pleased he’s making friends,” Marty said. “And a girl, too.”
“Yes, she’s a bear shifter, I believe. Just like Caleb, who’s my mate.” The tension in the room spiked, and both Sara and Marty turned to stare at Caleb.
“I think we guessed that,” Sara said quietly.
He heard Zoe let out a breath, and the tension shifted. “We are going to get married…”
“Soon,” Caleb interjected.
“Will you give me away, Dad?” she asked.
“Of course,” Marty said, springing to life. “Congratulations, both of you. Sara?”
“Yes. Congratulations. I’ll have to think of something to wear.” Sara twisted the wedding ring on her finger.
“I’ll help you,” Zoe offered, and he could see how desperate his mate was to build a stronger relationship with her mom.
“You will?” Sara asked, sounding surprised. “You are always so wrapped up in what’s going on with Tony. I didn’t know if you’d have time.”
Zoe’s expression shifted, but she let the comment go and said, “He’s doing so well here. I think he can spare me to help you.”
“I’m so pleased he’s settled down. He needed to grow up, didn’t he?” Sara asked.
“He loves it here,” Zoe answered, looking across to Caleb, who smiled at her with some sympathy. “He works hard, doesn’t he, Caleb?”
“Yes, he does, picks everything up so quickly. I only have to show him once and he’s got it.” Caleb wanted to shout at Sara, to tell her Tony was a normal teenager. He was someone they should be proud of, since from what Caleb had seen, Tony’s work ethic was much stronger than most young men his age.
“We can’t thank you enough for straightening him out. We never thought it would happen, we expected to come here and find him in trouble,” Marty said.
Who Bears Wins: BBW Bear Shifter Paranormal Romance (Return To Bear Bluff Book 4) Page 7
