“He just needed some focus,” Caleb added, feeling uncomfortable. It was as if they thought someone had waved a magic wand and Tony was perfect. They seemed to be missing all the hard work and time Zoe had put in.
“Is he usually out this late?” Sara asked, looking at her watch.
“Mom, it’s 9:00 p.m., and he’s seventeen.”
“But you do know where he is, with this bear shifter?” Sara asked, spinning her ring faster. If Caleb was a betting man, he would wager she was struggling to keep it together.
“No, Mom, I don’t. They said they were going to get smoothies,” Zoe said, her voice shifting toward tense again.
“Listen, I know where they probably are; there aren’t that many places you can buy a smoothie at this time of night. Why don’t I go and fetch him?” Caleb asked.
“No, it’s OK, Caleb. I don’t want to pull him away from his new friends,” Zoe said, her smile offering him her thanks.
“If they are friends. You’re sure they weren’t just luring him away from you? We shouldn’t have let him come here, not when there are bears so close,” Sara said, her voice dropping as if trying to stop Caleb from hearing.
“Sara, you need to calm down,” Marty interjected. “Please. Tony is OK, he’s with friends.”
“I just want to know he’s safe. He’s so…” Sara’s hands moved, pressing together. “So weak. No match for a bear. He might get eaten.”
Zoe went to her mom and knelt next to her, taking her hand and holding it tightly. The emotion on his mate’s face wrenched at his heart. “Mom, he’s not weak. He’s not trouble. He’s strong, and he’s happy. Please don’t mess this up for him.”
“Mess it up?” Sara asked, her face falling as her eyes focused completely on Zoe. “Is that what I’ve done? To you both?”
A sad silence fell over the room, leaving him feeling helpless and so damn out of place. This was a family moment; one he didn’t belong in. Some truths were hard to bear, and even harder to hear when a stranger was looking in.
“No, Mom.” Zoe touched her mom’s cheek. “You did the best you could for us.”
With those words, he realized why he loved this incredible woman kneeling on the floor in front of him. Caleb cleared his throat, and asked again, “Do you want me to go and find Tony?”
“No.” Sara looked at Zoe, not tearing her eyes off her daughter. “I think we should leave him to enjoy his evening. After all, he’ll be coming home to Merry Wood soon.”
“He’ll be going home to Merry Wood?” Zoe asked, stunned by Sara’s words.
“You won’t want him here with you when you are married,” Sara said.
Before Zoe had a chance to answer, they all became aware of Tony standing in the doorway. He’d let himself in, and by the look on his face, he’d only heard the last part of the conversation. Then, without a word, he spun around and took off into the night.
Chapter Sixteen – Zoe
“Tony, wait.” She left the house, running after her brother. “Let me explain.”
She grasped the front door in her hand and swung it open, hesitating for a split second to look where her brother had gone. Seeing him running down the street, she set off after him. Running was not her greatest talent and when he ducked down an alleyway she knew the only way to catch him was if she shifted.
Taking the risk of being seen, or eaten by a bear, she let her rabbit spring out of her and raced after Tony. Catching him was easy when she was on four paws, and she dodged between his legs, careful not to trip him up. Once out in front of him, she shifted back into her human form. He skidded to a halt, nearly knocking her over.
“What the hell!” he said breathlessly.
“Back at you.” She grabbed his jacket as he went to run off. “I thought we’d got past running away.”
He shrugged, pulling away from her grip. “That was when I thought you were on my side.”
“And why do you think I’m not on your side?” she asked.
“Because you called Mom and Dad to come take me home,” he accused.
“What?” she asked, puzzled. “Is that what you think?”
“I heard what Mom said. You and Caleb want me out of your lives.” His face was set.
“That is not true, I promise you. I didn’t even know they were coming. It was as much as a surprise to me as it was to you.” She put her hand on his arm and added, “You know I wouldn’t do that to you.”
“Really?” he asked, his tone still accusing. “Because it all makes sense, you and Caleb, wanting to live on your own. Where does that leave me? I’ll tell you, back with Mom and Dad.”
“No.” Zoe needed Tony to see it differently. To see that she would always be there for him. “We will always have room for my bunny-tailed brother. Do you really think after all these years I’d give up on you when you are happy and settled?”
“This is different. Caleb’s your mate. Your feelings for him are stronger than for anyone else, I know that.”
“But those feelings are not to the exclusion of you. We’ve grown up together. Grown up taking care of each other. That’s always there. You are a part of my life. And in Bear Bluff, we’ve got a chance of a good life. You made friends today, you stuck up for yourself.”
He blushed, the red tinge in his cheeks only just visible in the dim light of the alley. “Alice is the coolest person I’ve ever met.”
“And you think I’d make you give that up?” Zoe asked.
“No.” He shook his head. “I got scared.” He lifted his fist and banged the wall in front of him. “Why do I always get scared? Why the hell did we have to be born small and furry? I want claws, and teeth, and the courage to do whatever I want to do, without having to fight for it.”
“Tony, you have that courage. I saw it today, and once it’s there, and I believe it’s always been there, you will never lose it.”
“And what about a mate?” he asked. “What if my mate is a bear? How will she feel having a rabbit as her mate? I’m like the most pathetic shifter in the world.”
“If she’s anything like Caleb… Or Alice, I’m guessing it won’t matter. Because they’ll see you for the man you are. And that man is going to be whoever you make him.” She wrapped her arms around her brother. “And I know he’s going to be awesome.”
“You would say that, you’re my sister,” he said, burying his face in her shoulder.
“A sister who loves you and knows exactly what you are going through. And needs you there by her side.” She pulled back from him. “Because, deep down, you are the one who understands me the most.”
“Do Mom and Dad know about Caleb?” Tony asked, his voice shaky.
“Yes, I told them everything,” she admitted, the enormity of her actions settling on her shoulders.
“Oh boy,” Tony said. “And Mom didn’t freak?”
“She seemed to take it pretty well. I think she’s on new meds. She seems a little calmer.” Zoe thought back over what had happened. It was going to be OK, she was sure of it. “I had to tell them, I’m not going to hide Caleb away.” She looped her arm through Tony’s and guided him back home.
Which gave her an idea. While her parents were here, she was going to set a date for the wedding. She felt sick, but deep inside her, the small voice of her rabbit piped up and said, who dares, wins.
Did she dare? With all the preparations that would have to be made, it would be a huge step out of her comfort zone, which had been getting smaller and smaller before her arrival in Bear Bluff. Caleb said he wanted to get married soon, so why not? There was nothing to stop them, and their whole lives together lay ahead of them.
She looked up as they approached the house, to find Caleb waiting anxiously on the doorstep. “You ran him down. I’m impressed,” Caleb said, punching Tony lightly on the shoulder. “Don’t run from your sister again.”
“I won’t.” Tony then added, “I’ll go and say hello, while you two talk.”
“Talk about what?” Caleb asked, as
Tony walked into the house alone.
“I want to set a date. For the wedding. I know you said soon…”
“And I meant it. I’d marry you tomorrow if we could make it work.”
“I think that might be a little too quick. How about we find out the earliest date and that’s the one we’ll go for.”
“Rushing me down the aisle, I like it,” Caleb said.
“I still like the idea of a nice beach with a blue sea and warm white sand,” she offered.
“Not happening.” He pulled her into his arms. “Although right now, the idea of running away to a lonely mountain is very appealing.” He raised his eyes and looked into the distance.
“I can’t abandon my parents, not when they’ve come all this way.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “But maybe we have a couple more minutes to spare.”
“Maybe we do,” he said, lowering his lips to hers. The kiss was long, and lingering and turned her insides to liquid fire.
“Will you stay tonight?” she asked.
“You mean you didn’t bring me here under false pretenses?” he asked, his hand moving down from the small of her back, to caress her bottom.
“No. No false pretenses.” She pressed her body to his. “This isn’t exactly how I pictured our evening together, but you know what?”
“What?” he asked, his breath warm on her neck, sending tremors through her body.
“I glad this has happened. I wasn’t sure how I was going to tell my parents about you. Now it’s all out in the open.”
“True,” he said. Glancing at the front door, he added, “Do you think we should mention how late it is? That maybe they should be getting to a hotel or something.” His face changed to one of horror. “They aren’t staying here with you, are they?”
She giggled. “Would that make you control your roving hands?” she asked.
“It might.” He looked serious.
“They are staying in Bear Creek. And I think you are right, it must be time for them to leave.” She kissed him again, pressing her body close to his, not wanting to let this moment of happiness go. “So we can have some alone time.”
“There is one problem,” he said.
“And what’s that?” she asked, as they reluctantly parted.
“I have to go back to the city tomorrow.”
“You’re running out on me?” she accused.
“Not exactly. The real estate agent I contacted thinks he has a buyer for my house.”
“I didn’t know it was on the market yet!”
“It isn’t, but he mentioned it to a couple of people looking to buy in the area, and he’s got someone interested. They did a drive-by and liked the look of the property and the area.”
“I can’t come with you,” she said apologetically.
“I know.” He sighed. “But I won’t be long. I’ll leave tomorrow, speak to the agent, and then pack up my life and drive back here. I think I can get it all done in three days. By then, if I have sold the property, it means I can make a formal offer to Dylan, and by the time we get married, we might have our own home.”
“Wow,” she said, resting her forehead on his chest. “It’s all moving so fast.”
“I thought that’s what you wanted.”
“I do.” She stepped away from him and took hold of his hand. “We’d better make tonight count then, if I have to live without you for three days.”
“That sounds good to me,” he said, pulling her back to him. Her back rested against his chest; he tilted her head up so it rested on his shoulder, and then he kissed her, while his hands caressed her breasts.
She wanted to run into the house and kick her parents out, then drag him up to her bedroom and make love to him. The press of his cock against the small of her back told her he felt the same.
“You are a bad influence on me, Caleb.” She pressed herself back onto him, and teased him with her body.
“Oh, I aim to be. Very bad.”
Her bunny hopped around joyfully. They couldn’t wait.
Chapter Seventeen – Caleb
“I can’t believe how lucky I am,” Caleb said. They were in her bedroom, and she was naked on the bed, her blonde hair fanning out over the pillow, her thighs eased apart just enough to tease him. His clothes were gone in seconds, he didn’t care if they were ripped, he could buy more. Nothing mattered in this moment apart from his need to be inside his woman.
Climbing on the bed next to her, he hovered over her body, kissing her soft skin, breathing in the scent of her, storing it all in his memory so that in the few days he was forced to spend away from her, a part of her would still be with him.
Kissing her, moving along her body, his lips touched the tips of her nipples, making them harden. He knew all about hard. His cock was uncomfortably erect; he needed to be inside her. Now.
Moving to lie between her thighs, he pressed the head of his cock against her outer lips, and then thrust forward into her warm, wet depths. She groaned, arching her back to offer herself to him. He took what she offered, every last piece. Her lips, her breasts, her hands, her sex, all belonged to him, in the same way he belonged to her.
Caleb pulled back out of her, and then thrust forward hard, filling her to the hilt. Zoe lifted her knees, tilting her pelvis up, so that when he pulled back again, his body grazed her clit. She groaned, the sound spurring him on. In and out, the tension between them increasing until it was unbearable. Then their worlds shattered and he came, his seed spurting deep inside her.
Zoe’s inner muscles tightened around his cock, milking him of his seed. Her nails dug into his back, while she whimpered in his ear, spurring him on to jerk into her harder, willing his seed to put a child in her womb, his bear longing for them to have a cub, or a kit of their own. He didn’t care what kind of shifter they produced; his need to procreate ran deeper than that.
They lay together in each other’s arms as the night passed by, neither of them sleeping until the early hours of the morning. The three days he would be away seemed like an eternity, but he knew it would pass quickly, and then he would be back here for good, with the woman he loved.
***
He clung to that idea when the real estate agent was going around his house taking pictures, and measurements for the brochure. So many questions needed answering, when all Caleb wanted to do was pack his possessions away and get back to Bear Bluff.
“Thank you, Mr. Shaw,” Mr. Banner, the Realtor said, tapping his iPad. “I’ll send this straight to my office, and they can get it made up and a proof sent to you.” He looked at his watch. “Although that might not be necessary, our three o’clock appointment is due any moment. They were so very keen on the house; I think they may snap it up.” He clicked his fingers to emphasize the point.
“That would be great,” Caleb said, looking around the hallway of the home he had meticulously renovated. Not that it had been in a bad condition when he moved in. But it had needed updating, and once he started, it became his focus in life: that and the long hours he spent working.
However, he was ready to move away from the house that meant so much to him, the place he had poured his heart into.
Touching the smooth wooden oak doors he had painstakingly stripped and sanded before rehanging, he smiled, knowing his heart belonged elsewhere. The house that belonged to Dylan would receive just as much care and love as this one, if not more, because it would provide his family with a home. The plot was big enough that they could extend as their family grew.
“Mr. Shaw,” the Realtor snapped.
“Yes, Mr. Banner.” Caleb brought his focus back to the pale-faced man, who must spend all his days in an office, or other people’s houses.
“I need you to sign this contract, so I can act on your behalf.” Mr. Banner passed him a sheaf of papers and a pen.
“Sure.” Caleb glanced over the contract, checking he wasn’t signing his life, or his house, away. “There. Do you need me for anything else?”
“No. Un
less you want to be here for the viewing,” Mr. Banner said.
“No.” Caleb grabbed his jacket. “I have to go and buy a ring.”
“Engagement?”
“Yes.”
“Good luck, and I hope to have good news for you, Mr. Shaw.”
“I hope so too. If you need me, call me. I have my cell on me.” With that, Caleb escaped out into the city in a bid to find the perfect ring for Zoe.
However, he soon found the streets he used to enjoy roaming were not the same anymore. He longed for the fresh mountain air and open skies of Bear Bluff. As he went from jewelers to jewelers, trying to decide on a ring, he pondered why he had ever liked it here in the noise and bustle.
Because we were looking for our mate, his bear offered.
Is that it? Is that why we liked it here? Caleb asked his inner beast.
Yes, there was more chance of finding her with so many people around.
And yet we found her back home in Bear Bluff, Caleb said.
We did. And I long to get back there, his bear answered.
Me too. He stopped at a small jeweler’s, and gazed at the display. That one.
Pushing the door open, he went in, and bought the ring he would put on his fiancée’s finger. It wasn’t a flashy ring, and he could have spent more money, but he knew this was perfect: a diamond, flanked by two sapphires, set in white gold.
As he thanked the assistant and made to leave the store, his phone rang. It was Mr. Banner, the house was sold: everything was falling into place. As soon as he ended the call with the Realtor, he dialed Zoe’s number to tell her the good news.
Chapter Eighteen – Zoe
“How are you?” Caleb’s voice asked down the phone, and she longed to reach in, grab hold of him, and bring him back to Bear Bluff.
“I’m good, in a weird family kind of a way,” she said. “This is the longest we’ve spent any time together, the four of us. And it’s kind of going OK.”
“That’s good. Right?” he asked.
“Of course. It’s just weird.” There was no other way to describe it. They were all getting on so well. Her dad and Tony had gone suit shopping for the wedding, while Zoe and her mom had headed to Bear Brides to look at wedding dresses, and the new selection of mother-of-the-bride outfits they had recently taken delivery of. “My mom and I actually enjoyed each other’s company,” she whispered down the phone.
Who Bears Wins: BBW Bear Shifter Paranormal Romance (Return To Bear Bluff Book 4) Page 8
