Shaking my head, I tried to step closer to him, being careful not to land on any of his piles. “She’s restless.”
He nodded in understanding. “Yeah, mine too.”
“So what are you doing?” I bent forward and picked up a memo. At quick glance I saw that it had something to do with one of the Callaghan’s fish processing plants.
Brandt waved his hands around the piles of paper. “I just don’t believe the Tik’a pack would attack us. The Kenaitze people are not ruthless like that. I’m trying to find something that will help me figure out what’s really going on.”
I sat cross-legged on the floor and looked at my mate. His eyes were bloodshot, his stubble even darker than this morning, and his skin seemed paler than usual. I’d never seen him this stressed before and both me and my bear wanted to protect him from feeling this way. “Can I help?”
He smiled at me and my heart pounded. “Sure. Although I don’t even know what to tell you to look for.”
Scanning the papers, I scrambled my brain to think about ways we could organize our search. “Maybe we should start with contracts? The clan works a lot with the Tik’a pack, right? Maybe there’s some small print on one of them that could be causing an issue?”
Brandt reached behind him and grabbed a stack of papers as thick as a dictionary. “Already sorted.”
With an encouraging smile I said, “Okay then, let’s start there.”
We divided the pile in half and read through the various contracts for the next hour. In silence we searched for something—anything that would help. On the very last contract I read through, one for an agreement to land boundaries, I thought maybe I’d found something.
“Brandt, look at this.” I lifted the paper and read the bottom few lines again. “The Tik’a pack of the Kenaitze people is hereby given permission to access the ceremonial grounds at Rainbow Meadow for their rituals, provided twenty-four hour notice is given.” I looked up at him. “Have you ever seen the pack in the middle of our territory before?”
Grabbing the paper from my hands, Brandt read it again and shook his head. “No. In fact my father and my grandfather forbid it.”
“When was that signed?”
He scanned the pages. “In 1901.” Grinding his jaw together, he looked up at the ceiling in thought. “This is definitely an issue, especially if our last two alphas weren’t honoring the contract. But I still don’t think that’s the reason two of ours were murdered. I mean, why would they not take any kind of action until now?”
“I agree. But maybe we should still look into this some more.”
Brandt leaned back and fell on top of the papers. He sighed and rubbed his face. “I’m so exhausted.”
As the next potential alpha, that was something Brandt would never have admitted in front of anyone else. It just showed how much trust he had in me. Even after the way I’d hurt him, he’d welcomed me back into his heart.
“Are you worried about the challenge?” I whispered, wanting to snuggle up next to him but waiting for him to offer. I still needed to be sure he had forgiven me enough.
“I don’t know.” An honest answer, and again one he would never admit in front of another clan member. “Joshua is strong, but he is not a leader.”
“Then you need to make sure you beat him,” I said.
Brandt chuckled, “Yeah.”
“What’s so funny?”
He turned his head to smile at me. “Captain Obvious.”
I tossed a paper at him, but it only floated through the air a few inches. “I was trying to be supportive.”
With a laugh, he lifted his arm in invitation. “I know.”
Crawling over to his side, I laid down beside him and wrapped my arm across his broad chest. He smelled like bear and pine, the scent I loved so much. The warmth from his body heated my soul and everything inside of me felt at peace again.
“Are there any plans for Dixon’s funeral yet.”
Brandt’s chest tightened under my arm but then he blew out a breath. “Derrick’s going to work his magic again tomorrow with the records and Brennan will have to sway the sheriff’s office.”
“Do you think they’ll get suspicious?” After all, this was two deaths in our “family” in less than a week.
“Probably, but I trust Brennan to handle it.”
“He’s not happy I’m here, is he?”
Brandt rubbed his fingers up and down my arm. “He’s cautious. He’s protective of me and I can understand his hesitation.” He shifted his position and squeezed me a little tighter. “He’s the one who saw the worst of me after you left.”
Guilt clawed at my insides. I’d hurt this whole family. “I’m sorry,” I apologized again.
Kissing the top of my head, Brant whispered, “You’re home now.”
My bear nestled up against him, wanting to confirm his words in her own way. “I’m not going anywhere,” I said. And this time, I really meant it.
“I know.”
We lay in silence for a few minutes before I spoke again. “You are going to be an excellent alpha.”
Pushing me to the side, Brandt sat up and rubbed his face. “I don’t know if I want to be alpha.”
His admission startled me, a truth so far from what I’d expected him to say, I didn’t know how to respond. So I said nothing.
“My whole life I watched my father struggle with his role. It drained him of everything. He put so much effort into protecting our clan that sometimes he had very little left to give to his family at the end of the day.” Brandt pushed up to standing and started pacing the room. “I don’t know how I can be everything to everybody, especially with the tension already pulling our clan apart.”
“You’ll find a way to make it happen,” I said softly.
But he shook his head. “I can’t be leader, businessman…father all equally.”
He’d glanced my way with the word father, and I was surprised by how much I wanted him to be a father to our unborn children right now. I hadn’t put too much thought into that kind of future for us before, but now it felt like the best plan ever. Keeping those ideas locked down inside for now, I stood and grabbed Brandt’s hand. “Let’s go for a walk.”
“Now?” he asked, looking around the room at the mess of papers.
“Yes. This can wait for a little while. You need to get out of here and clear your mind.”
He let me pull him into the hallway, walking behind me in a daze of lost thoughts and unnecessary pressure. His bear was very close to the surface, trying to protect him from the anxiety churning inside. I knew that feeling all too well and knew that if he didn’t acknowledge that part of him, he’d pay the price for it later by making a reckless decision.
As we made it to the first floor and the large set of sliding glass doors leading out the back, he paused. “Where are we going?” His tone had lightened a little and I almost thought he might be teasing me.
“Um…” I realized I didn’t actually have a plan. “Let’s go—”
Brandt chuckled and took the lead when we stepped outside. “Come on, I have a place in mind.”
His excitement ignited the heat in me again. I loved seeing this side of him—the one he kept hidden from so many others.
He stopped when we reached the edge of the woods and looked up at the sky. “We should change so we can get there faster.” Stripping off his shirt and sweatpants, he was naked in two seconds flat.
I smiled at the mischievous look on his face. “What do you have planned for us Brandt Callaghan?”
He jerked his chin toward the mountains. “You’ll see.” And with that, he jumped into the air, shifted into his bear and took off.
Giggling all the way, I repeated his behavior and ran into the night as my grizzly hummed with anticipation.
My bear needed this. He hated when I let the human world weigh on us and always asked me to free him when things got too stressful. It had been a constant power struggle between us since I was a toddler.
/> We ran as fast as we could, knowing that Emma could keep up. She was fast. And strong. Stronger than she ever gave herself credit for. Even her decision to leave had shown her strength. A female grizzly on her own didn’t usually survive very long. I’d hated that she left, but she’d found a way to do something I’d only dreamed of and that proved just how tough she was. We both loved her for that.
Crashing over the branches and dodging tree limbs, I ducked and slid until finally hearing the rushing water. While Emma and I had claimed the waterfalls as our escape location, this was a place I’d very rarely come to. During the day, there would be locals here. But sometimes, in the middle of the night, we had the spot to ourselves.
Emma skidded into me when I stopped. I grunted a laugh as she shook her large head, trying to get her bearings again. With a single thought, I shrunk back into my human form, acutely aware of how much easier my transitions were now that I was almost alpha. Emma watched me for several moments, her yellow bear eyes studying me and every single part of my body. I felt my cock hardened under her gaze.
“You coming?” I asked, voice low and gravelly.
She huffed and I swear I could see a smile form on her bear snout. Dropping to the ground she roared as her body shifted back to human. Had that hurt her? Was she fighting her bear? I wanted to protect her, yet each shifter had their own way of handling the change. Emma and I had decided long ago not to judge or worry about each other’s process.
Emma stood, her naked body glistening in the moonlight, curves lasting for miles and exciting me even more. Her auburn hair hung over her back, matted with knots and leaves from the ground. A little bit of dirt covered her cheek and I reached up to brush it away. She melted under my touch and I almost took her right then and there.
She cleared her throat. “I haven’t been here in years.” While her gaze stayed locked with mine, I could see her listening to the sound of the water nearby.
“Neither have I.”
“Really?” she asked in genuine surprise.
I shrugged. “No time.”
Her eyes softened, her lips parting in a slight frown. I could sense her guilt and knew she felt like some of my issues had been caused by her departure. It was partially true, but most of the craziness in my life had been caused by clan obligations and not just from the aftermath of her leaving.
Weaving my fingers through hers, I forced a smile. “Come on. We should have the spring to ourselves.”
The warmth of her skin on mine excited my bear. His mate had returned and he wanted nothing more than to protect her and mate with her. I’d felt him come alive again the moment we saw her at the funeral. As though a part of him had been sitting dormant since Emma had left, the full, powerful grizzly was back and ready to tackle anything that was thrown at him.
If only I had that much confidence in my human life.
“I forgot how beautiful this place was,” Emma breathed when we reached the rocky ledge overlooking the only hot spring in this part of the Kenai Peninsula. Most people didn’t know about it at all, which left the site relatively pristine and untouched.
Steam wafted off the water’s surface in an eerie fog. In the moonlight, it looked like something our ancestors would have seen—same landscape untouched by time. Emma didn’t wait for me and instead jumped down over the boulders to get to the pool first. I laughed at her eagerness and secretly thanked her for getting me out of the house.
She splashed into the water’s edge, her naked body glowing with excitement. I had to shift my gait just to account for my growing erection. I wondered if Emma realized just how much she could impact me without trying at all. Floating on her back, she kicked her feet and then disappeared under the water. I wanted to watch her all night long. I’d loved Emma as long as I could remember. When we were teenagers, I told her as much. She had reciprocated and I’d believed our lives would be spent by each other’s sides until we no longer breathed.
“Get that sad look off your face and get down here,” Emma said with a teasing warning.
I swallowed the gnawing thoughts of Emma and climbed down into the pool. She let me soak my body for just a few minutes before I found her hovering over my face.
“Feeling better yet?” she asked, kissing my forehead and letting her breasts hang so close to my chest.
“Maybe,” I teased.
She grabbed my thigh and slowly started rubbing her fingers up and down my leg. “How about now?”
I closed my eyes. “That’s a little better.”
Her lips pressed lightly against my own and I tried to snag them between my teeth. But she was too quick and giggled as she pulled away. “Oh no. I’m in charge tonight.”
My erection hardened even more. My bear didn’t like to be dominated but my human side certainly loved to let go every once in a while. Only Emma was allowed to have that kind of power over me. Over us. The bear settled slightly as I promised him this was acceptable.
Emma pushed me backward against a boulder that acted as a chair under the water. My back rubbed against the granite and I growled low in my chest with the pleasure of her dominance. She stepped away from me and I instinctively reached out for her.
But with a shaking head she smiled. “Not yet,” she breathed. Dipping her body under the water, she emerged with her hair out of her face and water dripping off her ample breasts. When she opened her eyes, they had a hint of her bear inside—yellowing around the edges of the light blue. Her bear was also right at the surface, giving her more power than she probably realized. Low rumbles reverberated from her chest and once again my cock hardened.
Emma sauntered back over to me, dragging her hands behind her in the water and arching her back slightly. She looked like a siren. A beautiful, powerful siren that put me under her spell in seconds. Without saying a word, she climbed on top of me so that her breasts were in my face. Grabbing the back of my head, she pulled me against her, my mouth covering her nipple and clamping down. I flicked my tongue back and forth over her hardened nub, sinking my hands into her ass cheeks and holding her tight.
Emma moaned under my touch, my arousal wanting to be inside. But she stayed high on her knees, preventing me from finding her sex but allowing me to explore other parts of her. With a forceful move, Emma yanked my head back and leaned forward to kiss me. She pushed her tongue in my mouth and I reciprocated in kind. Rubbing my hands along her hips, I found myself moaning in the pleasure of having her take control.
With a smile, Emma pulled back and then slowly lowered herself until the head of my dick pushed against her folds. Even under the water I could feel her wetness inside. She bit her lip and I almost lost it. “Are you feeling better?” she asked.
“Perhaps,” I said.
Her mouth turned up into a grin, her eyes dancing with anticipation. “Good.”
I thought she was going to lower herself even more, but instead, she stood. Legs straddled on either side of me, she balanced on the rock. My nose brushed down her stomach as she stood, finishing right between her legs when she stopped. Her small patch of hair tickled my nose, the smell of her sex so enticing I wanted to bury myself in it right now. But Emma was in charge and, even if it killed me, I would let her dictate the pace.
She lifted her right leg to rest on the small boulder behind me. I glanced up at her and she smiled—a wicked smile that spoke a thousand messages about what she was expecting me to do. And then she dug her fingers into my hair and pressed my face into her sex.
Growling my content, I didn’t waste any time. My nose brushed against her clit while I used my tongue to lick her folds—her wet folds that smelled of arousal and ripped the bear from my chest. She called out into the evening air each time my tongue reached further and further inside. With fingers grinding into my head, I felt her left leg weaken with the pleasure of an impending orgasm. Her center rocked back and forth in time with the rhythm of my tongue. I cupped her ass, letting one finger slide between her legs so I could tease her clit. Her moans increased
and my mouth was covered in her wetness.
Pushing my face even deeper between her legs, Emma cried out the moment her orgasm rocked through her. Her hole pulsed around my tongue, her sex throbbing with aftershocks. I continued to tease her with my mouth, sucking on her clit and inducing more waves of pleasure from deep inside. My balls ached for release, my cock hard enough to break the rock I sat on. Squeezing her tight, I could only wish she would fuck me until the sun came up.
As her body relaxed a little bit, Emma pulled my head away from her core. She looked down at me and smiled, the sweat glittering on her forehead. But she didn’t say anything. Instead she lowered her leg and then her body directly on top of my erection. She was so wet, it didn’t matter that we were in the water—her folds slipped right over the tip of my head until I was resting deep inside. Emma’s breasts rubbed up against my chest as she wrapped her hands around the back of my head and kissed me. Our mouths danced around each other while she moved her hips back and forth and up and down over my cock.
Lifting her ass, I encouraged her to move faster. She complied, and in no time at all I felt my orgasm rushing to the surface. I hardened more, Emma biting my shoulder when she felt the same inside. Her teeth sank into my skin, drawing blood and pulling the orgasm from deep within my core. With one final pulse against my arousal, I released into her. I couldn’t control the roar that escaped my lips, claiming my mate and loving her for giving me this kind of pleasure.
Emma called out into the air again, her folds tightening around mine as she climaxed for the second time. We shook together, pulsing with each other until the final wave subsided. Emma sank lower onto me. Resting her forehead against mine, she cupped my face and focused on my eyes.
“Better now?”
I chuckled. I could help it. “Much.”
Kissing me gently she smiled into my lips. “I love you so much.”
Obeying the Bear: BBW Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance (The Callaghan Clan Book 1) Page 6
