CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Tony stepped out of his house and glanced down the street. He had gone straight home to shower and change after having breakfast at Brad's house. To everyone's amusement, Terri had challenged him to a hot dog and pancake eating contest. Both of them had shoveled food onto their plates and into their mouths, loading up on protein and carbs after that bout of shifting and intensive training, and trying to best each other.
He had to admit Terri was a lot of fun. She loved to play and joke around, and she took teasing and pranks in her stride. She wasn't afraid to eat like a bear, and her face was thoroughly smeared with peanut butter, honey and ketchup by the time she finished.
Tony glanced towards Cole's house which was situated on an incline at the end of his street. Terri was there right now, resting and regaining her strength. It was a business day and they had quite a few landscaping projects on their hands. They had deadlines to meet, and it had to be all hands on deck. Cole, Dalton and Brad had already rushed off after breakfast, and Abby had insisted Terri go home with her. Tony had agreed to the plan. He had to rush to the work site as well, and Terri needed to have someone with her to watch over her.
Tony jogged down the street. Nightfire Landscaping had won the lucrative contract to do the landscaping work for the local park. The park was just two streets away, and he could already hear and scent his clan members. There was the sound of shovels and out-of-tune singing, together with some laughter. The guys always joked while they worked. Unfortunately, some of them liked to sing as well, despite being hopelessly tone deaf.
A sharp scent on the breeze brought Tony to a screeching halt. He froze and took another whiff.
His claws stabbed out as he spun round and charged back towards Cole's house.
He would recognize the scent of that polar bear anywhere. The scent of that bastard had been all over Terri when he first brought her back to Moonstone Creek. And now Silas was here, closing in on Terri while she slept.
Tony saw him, strolling up the slope towards Cole's house. He sauntered right up to the gate and even had the audacity to raise his hand to the buzzer. He was acting like he had every right to be here.
Tony caught his wrist and wrenched his arm back.
Silas winced and yanked his hand away. “It's you again.” Silas rolled his eyes as he straightened his shirt. “Just mind your own business, brown bear. I've come to claim the bear I've Turned.”
“Stay. Away. From. Her.”
Silas smirked. “She belongs to me. I Turned her. I tracked her down and I'm going to claim her.”
“She didn't ask to be Turned. You tried to Turn her against her will.” Tony's claws gleamed as he advanced towards Silas. “Do you know what she went through? She was scared and in pain. I will kill you for hurting her!”
Silas backed away with a shrug. “I had to do it. I had to Turn her, to breed her.”
“What the fuck!”
“Female polar bears are scarce. Our bloodline must remain pure. I need to mate with a polar bear shifter.”
Tony's face twisted in disgust. “So since you can't find a born shifter, you decided to Turn her into a polar bear shifter.” Tony's voice was dangerously low, but Silas didn't seem to hear the menace in his voice.
“Yeah. I've been looking for so long. Not all humans can be Turned. Terri was a good candidate. She's strong and robust, and fertile. I can breed her immediately.”
“You will never touch her again, Silas.” Tony's bear was rising, rearing up for the kill.
Loud footsteps stomped down the driveway towards them. “How nice of you to come looking for me, Silas.”
Tony swung round at Terri's strident voice. She was marching down the driveway towards the gate, her gray eyes stormy with hate and fury.
“Out of my way, Tony. I will kill this piece of shit myself,” she snarled, rolling up her sleeves as she stepped up to Silas. “And for your information, you didn't Turn me, Silas. He did.” She jerked her thumb at Tony. “I am a brown bear, not a polar bear.”
“You...
“Yeah. Don't believe me?” Terri smiled slowly. “I'd show you my bear. But then I'll have to kill you.”
Silas was snarling at her. “You are mine, Terri. How dare you...”
“How dare I Turn into a brown bear?” Terri jabbed a finger into Silas's chest. “I didn't want to Turn into any bear, Silas. You bit me, tried to Turn me, and failed. Tony had to complete my Turning to save my life. I would have died if not for him!”
Terri was breathing hard, her gray eyes turning feral. Her pain and rage was pulling her bear to the surface. Her bear had scented its enemy and was baying for blood.
She stepped back and cracked her knuckles. “I will show you my bear, Silas.” Her voice lowered to a growl. “My fangs will be the last thing you see and feel.”
Abby ran out of the house, shaking her head and calling out to Terri. Tony reached out and grabbed Abby's elbow to stop her from going near Terri and Silas. Abby's eyes rounded and she let out a horrified cry as Terri and Silas started circling each other with murder in their eyes. Deadly claws sprouted from their fingertips as they prepared to tear into each other.
“Stop them,” Abby pleaded. “He'll kill her!”
Tony shook his head and spoke quietly, keeping his eyes on Terri all the time, “No. She needs to do this, or her bear won't rest. Her bear is angry and resentful. If she doesn't end this herself, the rage and resentment will fester in her beast, a beast which has been forcibly Turned. She will become bloodthirsty and brutal, and the risk of her turning rogue will be very high.”
“But...”
“She is a shifter now. Shifters never run from a fight. She has to establish her power, her dominance. If word of her weakness gets round, she'll be targeted by other predatory shifters. I won't let her come to any harm. I'm watching her. Every step of the way,” Tony assured his Alpha's mate.
Abby gave a shaky nod and clung to him. Her hands were icy as she fretted, worried and feared for her friend.
Tony watched Terri shift into her bear form confidently. Silas growled in anger and frustration and let his bear out. His polar bear was larger and bulkier than Terri's brown bear, but Tony knew that Terri could hold her own against Silas.
His girl had fight. She was smart and fast, and she would use Silas's size against him. He had shown her how to use her smaller, feminine size to advantage and she had been an excellent student.
Terri circled the polar bear, wiggling her rump a little to show off every blade of dark brown fur on her body. She chuffed out a mocking laugh when Silas roared and charged at her.
She danced nimbly out of the way and managed to rake her claws down his side. A splash of red appeared on Silas's white fur, and Terri rammed into his injured side to try to topple him. Silas twisted round and bit Terri on the leg. She roared in pain, and managed to wrench her leg out of his jaws.
Limping away, she licked her wound and glanced at Tony. Tony gave her a quick, encouraging nod, and flicked his eyes back to Silas. Terri crouched and rolled away as Silas snapped his teeth inches from her neck.
She ducked and dodged, escaping with minor injuries while waiting for the opportunity to deliver the killing blow. Clever girl. Tony smiled grimly. If she attacked him ceaselessly, she would just be wasting precious energy. Silas was bigger and stronger than her. She would be risking serious injury if she clashed head-on with him.
Watch and wait.
There would be an opening, a chance. One chance to kill.
Silas huffed and panted, blood coursing down his face. Terri had stabbed a claw right between his eyes and gouged out a piece of his face. The girl was fast, and sharp. She struck where it hurt most, scoring maximum damage with minimal movement.
Silas reared up and Terri skidded in and swept his legs out from under him. As Silas tumbled with a roar, Tony clenched his teeth and hissed, “Now.”
Terri charged at the fallen polar bear, h
er jaws yawning wide open. Her teeth and fangs closed around Silas's throat.
Silas clawed at her but it was too late. Her jaws clamped down and she didn't hesitate. With a violent jerk, Terri ripped out his throat and stumbled back.
Tony ran to her and supported her just before she fell to the ground. She shifted back to human form in his arms, and managed to bare her bloodstained teeth at him.
“I swore I would kill him myself,” she wheezed.
“And you did.”
“Yeah. But...yuck!” She spat the blood from her mouth. “Bad taste, real bad taste.”
Cole, Dalton and Brad came running up with a few of the guys wielding pitchforks and shovels. They stared at the dead polar bear on the ground and at the bloodied but grinning Terri.
“What...?”
“Did she do that?”
“Terri, you okay?”
“He's dead. I'm not. So yeah, I'm okay,” Terri deadpanned.
“Gosh, she's a natural. She fights better than you, Jason. You fight like a ninny.”
“I do not!” Jason huffed. “But...I agree, she's a hell of a fighter!”
Cole and Dalton knelt to examine Silas's body, which had shifted back to human. “A Sunwalker bear,” Cole said, standing up. “I recognize the brand on his arm. The Sunwalker clan has long been disbanded. Their numbers have been dwindling. They wanted to keep their bloodline pure. Instead, their narrow-mindedness has caused their clan to diminish and wither. Their members have all gone their own way, and I suspect quite a few of them have gone rogue. Like this one.”
Dalton came up to Terri and put a hand on her shoulder. “It's over, Terri. Your bear has exacted its revenge. Don't let the anger and bitterness fester in your beast. If you turn rogue—” Dalton paused for a beat. “Tony will have to destroy you.”
Terri cut her eyes to Tony and made a face. “You gave me my bear. You can take it away.”
“Something like that.” Tony shrugged, trying to keep his tone light. But it was no laughing matter. He Turned her. He was responsible for her. Dalton was right. He would have to hunt her down and destroy her if she turned rogue. It would destroy him as well, but he would still do it.
Cole turned back to the crew and barked an order, “All right, boys. Let's get back to the job!”
“Job!” Terri gasped. “Oh my job! Oh my God! I have been missing work for...days! I need to call the office, now! Now!”
Everyone stared at her as she spun in a circle and clutched her head. “Phone! I need a phone. Where's the goddamned phone?”
Abby pointed to the house. “We have a phone...”
Without waiting for her friend to finish, Terri ran towards the house, screeching and tearing at her hair. “My boss will kill me! Why didn't anyone remind me? This is a disaster!” she wailed. “What am I going to say? What am I going to do?”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
After a word with Cole and Dalton, Tony followed Terri into the house. The rest of the clan removed Silas's body with minimum fuss and mess, and promptly went back to work.
Terri was sitting on the floor of the living room, staring at the phone in her hand. She was in a large t-shirt that had been hurriedly and haphazardly dragged over her head. Abby was crouched beside her, with her arm around her shoulder. The two women looked up at Tony as he approached.
“I...I've been fired,” Terri said numbly. “Fired. I tried to explain to them. I told them I'd been attacked by a werebear, and I had to be Turned in a hurry or I'll die. But did they care? Noooooooo! They wouldn't even listen! I didn't turn up for work, so I've been replaced! Fired! I don't have a job now. How am I going to afford my apartment?” She dropped her head into her hands.
Tony went to her and held her hands. “Terri, hey, look at me. Baby, will you look at me?”
“No,” she sulked. “I'm jobless and homeless!”
Tony sighed and tilted her face up with both hands. Abby gave him a quick smile and excused herself. She disappeared into the kitchen to give them some privacy.
“Terri, you don't need your apartment. You already have a home. You'll be moving in with me,” he said firmly.
“Why?” She was still pouting.
“Because...you're my mate, and I love you,” he blurted out.
Her eyes rounded. “Oh, Tony, you don't have to...”
“I mean every word, Terri. You are my mate. And I'm not letting you get away from me and run back to the city.”
Terri swallowed. “I still don't have a job...”
“You do now. Nightfire Landscaping needs a secretary to take care of all our paperwork. We've been handling it ourselves, but it's a mess. Since Abby came, she's been trying to organize all those overflowing messy files. But it's an uphill task. You have your work cut out for you.”
“Y-you...you're hiring me?” she spluttered.
“Yep. I'm one of the owners of the business. I have the authority to hire any help we need.”
Terri tapped her chin, pretending to consider his offer, but he could see the corners of her mouth curving. “Fine,” she said at last. “I'll have to negotiate my remuneration though.”
Tony nodded. “Fair enough. Name your price.”
“You won't be able to afford me.” She wagged a finger at him. “Oh no, I demand to be paid in...services.”
“What kind of services?” Tony growled, coming closer to her.
“Services of the sexual kind. And since you're the one who hired me, you should be the one to pay me.”
“Of course.”
“And I demand advance payment.”
Tony held her chin and tipped her face up to him. “No advance, young lady,” he said, brushing his lips against hers. “You start work right away.”
“Mmm,” she murmured against his mouth.
“Cole's study is just behind you. That's where we keep most of our paperwork. You can start this very afternoon.”
Terri smiled. “And my payment?”
“You'll be paid promptly tonight.” Tony kissed down her jaw and neck. “Don't work too late. I'm taking you out to dinner.”
“Oh, a date?”
“Yes. I've been wanting to ask you out.”
Terri quirked a lopsided smile at him. “Dating your mate? That's romantic. But—why haven't you marked me? You had the chance, you know, when you Turned me and we...” She touched the base of her neck tentatively.
“Trust me, I wanted to. I wanted to claim you and mark you that night. But I'd just Turned you. It wouldn't be fair to you. I didn't want to mark you against your will, Terri.”
She raised her hand to cup the side of his face. “It wouldn't have been against my will.”
Tony's brows shot up.
She sighed softly and went on, “You are my mate, and I love you, Tony. I fell in love with you at first growl. I want you to mark me. And...” She leaned in to whisper in his ear. “I'm going to mark you as well, Tony-boy. You are mine.”
Tony nipped her ear and she squealed. “Bad, bad bear!”
He swept her into his arms and kissed her hard. “Get to work now,” he drawled, pinching her butt playfully. “I've got to get back to the site, but I'll pick you up at six.”
“For our first date,” she quipped.
“Yes.”
“Will we be having sex on our first date?”
Tony groaned. The little minx was tempting him beyond reason. He had to get back to work, but her seductive purr and the feel of her squirming, soft body against his was making him so hard. He was going to have trouble walking.
“Are you going to mark me tonight?” she continued, pressing herself against his erection.
Tony stared at her and let out a growl. “That isn't even a question.”
She giggled as Abby appeared from the kitchen with a huge grin. From the look on her face, Tony knew that Abby had overheard everything.
“Tony, Terri, this is...the best thing ever! I'm so happy for you!” Abby
put her arms around them and hugged them both tightly. “And for me!” she squealed, doing a happy dance with Terri. “You'll be staying in Moonstone Creek now, so I don't have to miss you like crazy! Yay and double yay! Yay to infinity and beyond!”
The two best friends started laughing and talking at once. They were already planning what to do together, where to go, what to see, where to shop, who to meet. Moonstone Creek was just a small but busy shifter town, but the girls made it sound like it was the most exciting place on earth.
Well, now that they were here, it probably was.
Tony smiled and left his mate and his cousin-in-law to it. It was clear that the two women were closer than sisters, and they were now clan and family.
Tony made a mental note to thank his Alpha. He owed Cole, big time. He had thought his cousin was out of his Alpha mind when he made them all sign up for that stupid dating site. But it was through the dating site that Abby and Cole found each other. And through Abby, Tony had met her best friend, Terri.
Terri, his beautiful, wonderful mate.
At the door, Tony turned to see Abby leading Terri towards Cole's spacious study and showing her the bookcases of bulging files. Terri rubbed her hands, relishing the challenge. Tony chuckled. He suspected that his Alpha and Beta would be getting a lecture from their new spitfire secretary about the importance of proper filing and office administration.
The phone on Cole's study table sounded and Terri was on it in a heartbeat. Her tone was utterly professional as she snatched up the phone with one hand, and grabbed a pen and notepad with the other. “You've reached Nightfire Landscaping, the best landscaping company in Moonstone Creek. How may I help you?” Terri said smoothly. She nodded and scribbled furiously on the notepaper. “Of course we can do that. We'll send someone out to measure your area and give you a quote. Can I have your name and contact number please?”
Tony grinned as Terri put down the phone and came running out to him. “Wait up, Tony! Here you go. The name, contact and address of a new customer. Get one of your guys to go out to this address and see what Mr Lim wants done. Mr Lim mentioned he would like to include a cubby house for his kid in his backyard.”
A Date For The Bear: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (Bear Brides Book 2) Page 6
