A BEARy Happily Ever After (Bear Clan, 6)

by Jenika Snow

  A BEARy Happily Ever After

  Bear Clan, 6

  Jenika Snow

  Contents

  Synopsis

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Created with Vellum

  Damon

  An alpha, bear-shifting virgin who was saving himself for his mate.

  That’s what I was. And I was fine with that, because saving myself for the one female who was meant to be mine was the only thing I ever wanted.

  A lone bear without a mate was a depressing thing. And even though I knew she was out there—the other half to my soul—I was beginning to think there was no happily ever after for me.

  Until I saw another male lusting after her. There was no way I could control myself. She was mine, and if that meant kicking the ass of the man who wanted her… then so be it.

  Rue would be mine.

  Rue

  It started with a swim in the lake, and then suddenly there was a possessive bear shifter tackling my friend to the ground for touching my hair. It ended with me being pressed up against a tree, staring into the dark eyes of a feral man who claimed I was his mate… that he wouldn’t stop until I was his, until I was marked as his.

  And as much as I knew being mated to Damon meant my life would be forever changed, knowing he would never let me go, would scare off any male who even looked in my direction, all I wanted was to be with him.

  All I wanted was to wear his mark.

  Chapter One

  Damon

  I had to get out of there, away from my brothers and their mates, away from the feeling of being an outcast. It was as if I’d never find what I was missing and forever live my life on the outside looking in.

  It was this constant hollowness inside me, this hole that would never be filled until I found her.

  My mate.

  She was out there somewhere, but for all I knew, she could’ve been on a different continent.

  I felt distant, detached. I was getting older, my life continuing to move forward even though I felt like I was being pushed back, further and further, until I’d never catch up.

  I continued through the woods on the trail my brothers and I had made years ago. We didn’t need hiking paths, not when our bears trampled through everything. The only thing they were mindful of was being free. But we’d thought of the future, of our mates and children, of family walks and picnics.

  And all my brothers had that now.

  All of them, but not me.

  I lifted my hand and rubbed my palm over the center of my chest, right over my heart, right where the hole was, where there was this painful reminder. All I wanted was to find my mate, to feel my happiness. All I needed was that realization that I wasn’t actually alone in life.

  I shoved my hands in my pockets, staying in my human form even though my bear wanted out, wanted to run free and get rid of some of this aggression and frustration.

  I liked leisurely walking as a human, taking in the sights and smells, feeling the sun warm my skin. It was the little things I appreciated, that I didn’t take for granted.

  I was at the edge of our property, the lake not too far from where I was right now. The path had since ended, my boots crunching along the rocky, uneven forest terrain.

  It was another ten-minute walk before I found myself getting closer to the lake. I inhaled deeply, smelling the scent of the fish in the water, the birds up in the trees.

  I heard the sound of a masculine voice, of splashing. I didn’t know why I followed that noise, stopped, and looked at where I saw the man wading in the water. He was facing off to the side, an area where the trees obscured my view, laughing and splashing water in that direction. I moved to the side so I could get a better look at who he was speaking to, not sure why I gave a fuck.

  I should’ve kept walking, minded my own business. But the first thing I saw was the fall of long dark hair. My heart lurched in my chest when she turned around and started swimming toward the shore, laughing as the man continued to splash her.

  The sound of her voice was the sweetest thing I’d ever heard.

  And when she climbed out of the lake, the water dripping down her lean yet curvy body, I felt my cock instantly harden. It pressed against the fly of my jeans, demanding to get out. My canines lengthened, my nails turning into claws. My grizzly pushed forward, my skin stretching, my muscles thickening.

  My mate.

  Mine.

  She was there, just down on the bank, close enough I could smell the scent of lemons and gardenia surrounding her. Everything happened in slow motion, time standing still as everything fell into place.

  The man crawled out of the lake, his focus trained on her. I inhaled deeply, the wind coming upwind and letting me take in every scent. A low growl left me. I smelled desire from him. For her.

  But from her… from her, I only scented distance. Good, she didn’t want him. If she had, then that would’ve caused complications. Hell, him wanting her already caused problems.

  And then as I watched him reach out, trying to push a strand of hair off her shoulder, every territorial and possessive instinct in my body rose up. I was jealous, fierce in that moment. No other male would touch her. No other male would even think about having her.

  She was mine.

  And that’s all I thought about as I charged forward, about to make my claim known.

  Chapter Two

  Rue

  I took a step back so Ronnie didn’t touch my hair again. I knew he had a thing for me, and for as many hints as I’d given him over the years that I just wasn’t interested, that I only saw him as a family friend, he was either blind, thickheaded, or didn’t care, because he persisted.

  But he had been in my life forever, and I didn’t want to lose that by being a cold bitch and shutting him out. He was a good friend, had been there for me through hard and good times. He was a shoulder to cry on, an ear that listened to everything I had to say. He just needed to find someone who could complete him.

  But that someone wasn’t me.

  “We should go into town and get dinner or a drink,” Ronnie said as he grabbed one of the towels we’d brought with us and started drying off his hair.

  I grabbed the other one and did the same. Our family had gotten together for the weekend to camp not too far from the lake. And after my mother insisted we go for a dip in the water while they cooked dinner, Ronnie all but pulling me along, here we were, soaking wet and knowing that this probably meant more to him than it ever would to me.

  “Listen, Ronnie,” I said, about to tell him again that there would be nothing between us, hopefully for the last time, that I just saw us as friends. Because I knew if I agreed to go out to dinner and drinks tonight, it would be more than what it really was. I had tried to nip this in the bud more times than I could count, but it seemed like it wasn’t getting through to him. It seemed like me telling him what a good friend he was, how I saw him as my brother, fell on deaf ears.

  But before I could start speaking again, I heard something coming closer, this thumping and pounding that seemed to vibrate the very ground I stood on. Was it a stampede of wild animals? It sure as hell sounded that way.

  I turned my head to my left to where the noise was coming from and at first didn’t see anything. I glanced at Ronnie and saw he was looking in the same direction I had been, hearing t
he same thing.

  “What is that?” I turned back and faced the sound, and after only a second, I saw a man barreling toward us. I knitted my brows in confusion… and a little bit of surprise and fear.

  The expression on this stranger’s face was fierce, focused right on Ronnie. He looked angry, enraged. He was big, lean with muscles stacked under his golden skin. It was as if everything happened in slow motion as I stared at him, took in his fierceness. Short dark hair, square cut jaw. His lips were full, his nose straight. His dark eyebrows were knitted low, and his equally dark eyes were hard set…

  On Ronnie.

  “What the fuck?” Ronnie murmured, but I couldn’t take my focus off the man coming at us. “Who is that?”

  I shook my head, although I felt like that was a lie.

  I know him. But I don’t. What’s going on?

  Those words played through my mind over and over again. I didn’t know who this man was, had never seen him before, but I felt his anger, his… possessiveness.

  The latter toward me.

  “What’s going on?” I whispered, not even sure anyone but myself had heard. And as the man kept coming toward us… toward Ronnie, all I could do was stand there, watch him as he slammed into Ronnie with so much force he was propelled backward.

  I cried out involuntarily and covered my mouth with my hand, feeling my eyes widen. Ronnie grunted out in pain as he slammed hard against the ground. The man who’d been coming at us like a wild animal was now on top on Ronnie, his fist slamming into his gut, the side of his face. Everywhere.

  I snapped to attention, ran over to them, and grabbed the stranger’s bulky, muscular arm. It was like concrete under my touch, turning me on, heating me from the inside out.

  And that had everything in me stilling. That one touch. I felt something in him change as well, as he froze, stopped beating on Ronnie, and slowly turned his head to look at me. Our gazes locked, his dark eyes penetrating mine, the world coming into focus, everything seeming… like it finally fit.

  I stumbled back, my hand feeling on fire. I looked down at it, expecting to see flames. It wasn’t painful, but the feeling consumed me, starting to make its way up my arm and covering every single cell.

  It felt so right. He felt so right.

  “What the hell is going on?” I whispered again, unsure what to say, what to feel.

  I felt him watching me and slowly lifted my head and looked at this stranger… this man I felt like I knew better than I knew myself.

  He climbed off Ronnie and turned to face me. I could hear my friend groaning, but I couldn’t focus on anything or anyone besides the man in front of me, the man coming close to me. I couldn’t move, could only tilt my head back and stare at him. He was so much bigger than me, so much more… masculine than any person I’d ever met in my life.

  He was so male.

  That was the only word I could think of to describe him.

  He started moving toward me, and I was rooted in place, unable to move. The air sawed in and out of my lungs, so forceful I felt like I might pass out. Finally, I moved backward a step, then another and another until a tree stopped my retreat.

  I sucked in a breath as I tipped my head back all the way to look at him.

  “What’s your name, my female?”

  My female?

  “Rue,” I found myself saying. “Rue Franklin.” God, I’d just told him my name, that personal information falling from my lips like melted butter from a dish.

  “Rue.” He said it deeply, his focus on my mouth.

  I felt a chill race up my spine at the way he said it, at the way it sounded coming from his mouth. The way his pupils dilated, the fact that his body seemed to get bigger, his muscles more masculine, powerful, had every feminine part of me heating… softening.

  “Mine.”

  And at that lone word that was a deep growl from his mouth, I knew this was the beginning of the end.

  And I’d never anticipated anything more.

  Chapter Three

  Damon

  “Rue.” I said her name over and over again, the way it sounded turning me on like a motherfucker. “I’m Damon.” I wanted her to say my name… scream it out as she came.

  A chill raced up my spine, covering my entire body. I wanted to touch her, to see how soft she was, how she felt fully pressed against me.

  I looked down at her lips, watched as she licked them, felt my focus becoming unclear as my animal rose up, and I wanted to fuck her right here against the tree. Words spilled from my mouth, whispered low, unintelligible, because I was so fucking lost in this moment.

  I’d found her. Finally. She was mine.

  I cupped her cheek and smoothed my finger over her flesh. She felt good. Right. Perfect.

  “Mate,” I said deeply, not stopping myself, not giving either of us any time.

  I couldn’t stop myself, not when her mouth looked so tempting, so fucking flawless.

  Before I knew what was happening or even processed the situation to give her time, I placed my lips right on hers. She gasped against my mouth, and I groaned at her sweet, addictive flavor.

  I felt her tense, but only a second passed by before she melted against me. And when I stroked the seam of her mouth with my tongue, all I wanted was for her to surrender to me the way I was for her.

  My heart started to jackknife behind my ribs. My bear paced, growled to get out.

  She braced her hands on my biceps, her nails digging into my skin. I thought she was going to pull me closer, open wider so I could delve my tongue into her mouth, but instead she gently pushed me back. I had to use a lot of fucking control to pull away, to break that kiss.

  And against everything inside me that said to keep her close, I stepped back. I smelled her hesitation, her confusion… that sliver of fear.

  But I fucking smelled her pleasure above all else.

  I didn’t want my mate feeling any of those other things.

  She looked over my shoulder at the fucker lying on the ground. I heard him groan and start to stand. But I kept my focus on her.

  Always on her.

  I watched as she lifted her hand and touched her lips, her gaze unfocused as if she was thinking about it.

  “This is insane,” she whispered so softly only a shifter with heightened hearing could make the words out. “I have to go,” she said, louder this time, and looked at me with wide eyes.

  I let her walk past me to the asshole, but before she was out of reach, I grabbed her wrist gently. Sparks of electricity slammed into my body. I heard her gasp and knew she felt it too. We stared into each other’s eyes.

  “You can run, but I’ll always find you.” And then I let go of her and watched her and the prick leave. But the entire time, Rue kept glancing back at me, the scent of her lingering arousal filling my head and making me drunk.

  Later that night

  I paced my living room, continuing to stare at my front door, not wanting anything more than to go back to her.

  My mate.

  My female.

  It had taken every single ounce of control, of strength in my body, to leave her. But I’d smelled her hesitation. It had been small, minute in the grand scheme of things.

  But it had been there and it instantly had me backing off. Making her feel anything but happiness and pleasure was a no-fucking-go for me.

  I should’ve controlled myself and not beaten the shit out of that little asshole who touched her. It was clear they were friends. But she was my mate.

  Mine.

  And knowing she was afraid of me, that a fraction of her was uncertain and nervous, made me retreat, giving her space. But I knew her, her name, her scent. There wouldn’t be any place on this planet she could run to, could hide from me.

  I’d always find her. Always.

  I heard someone approaching, their footsteps taking the porch steps two at a time. An involuntary growl left me. I inhaled deeply and scented it was my brother, Oli. I also smelled food.

&nbs
p; I was at the front door and pulling it open before he could knock. He stood there staring at me, one eyebrow cocked as he held a covered dish. I knew his mate, India, had made it—a fresh pan of homemade lasagna by the smell of it. I swore my brothers’ mates felt sorry for me, always cooking meals, so many that my freezer was filled with Tupperware.

  Oli didn’t say anything as he held the dish out to me. I made a gruff sound as I took it and stepped back, letting him inside. “Tell India I said thank you. Again. She goes to too much trouble for me.” My voice was a low, rough tone, scratchy, because my animal was right there at the surface.

  I could feel Oli watching me, and as soon as I glanced up and saw his nostrils flare as he inhaled, I knew he was very aware I was mated. I might not have claimed her yet, but that mating happened, that connection. The scent of it was clear to any shifter.

  He narrowed his eyes and a slow grin spread across his face. “About fucking time, brother.”

  I shut the door and didn’t say anything, taking the dish into the kitchen and setting it on the stove. Although the last thing I wanted to do was eat, because—truth be told—I wanted to go to my mate, to make her see she was mine, that I wouldn’t back down, I turned on the oven and popped the dish inside. I looked over my shoulder, still seeing Oli smirk.

  “Do I keep the aluminum foil on?” You’d think I’d know the answer to such a mundane question, but I was trying to focus on other things, to not talk about this with my brother.

  Until I claimed my mate, I didn’t want to talk about it with anybody.