Sugar & Spice
Page 6
She reached out for him, her fingernails leaving marks on his muscular chest. He didn't mind. If anything, it seemed to encourage him to move faster, plunge into her deeper.
Above her, his face; the face she dreamed of when she went to sleep at night. The one who could set her alight just with his presence. She'd never felt so strongly for anyone, yet it was almost impossible to remember the time before him.
He was her everything, as she was his.
She closed her eyes for the final push, the final sprint towards their mutual goal.
Their minds felt even more connected now than before, if that was even possible.
He loved her more than himself; she could feel it in her heart.
As did she.
Her release was sudden and explosive, taking her breath away.
When he shuddered to a halt buried deep inside her and filled her with his seed, she felt a lone tear escape from the corner of her eye. She'd never considered that there could be anything better than the love they already shared. But now she knew that wasn't true.
In a few months, fingers crossed, there would be a third party to their relationship. A child. Half his, half hers.
She couldn't wait.
On Christmas morning, Derek and Clarice got up early. So much to do, so little time. Although Clarice had insisted that she wanted to handle it all herself, Derek still followed her into the kitchen just in case.
He watched her go through the routine they had carefully planned out earlier; stuffing the turkey, putting it in the oven, starting the side dishes. She was relatively new to cooking, but she looked confident and in control. Most of all, she looked happy.
Within half an hour, their guests appeared one by one. Lily came in first and poured herself that all-important first cup of coffee. She joined Derek around the table in the center of the spacious kitchen. Kyle came in just minutes later.
Although Derek wasn't one to get involved in other people's private affairs, he couldn't help but notice how different they were with each other this morning. Clarice hadn't gotten around to telling him the whole story about how they knew each other, but Derek could tell they were even more familiar now.
He could only speculate about whether she knew about Kyle's true nature – and therefore, everyone else’s.
That's between the two of them, Clarice's thought entered his mind.
He had to agree. There was no way either of them should get involved. Kyle always seemed like a sensible guy. He'd handle it if he hadn't already.
Isn't it weird that nobody here has paired up with someone of their own species? Clarice thought.
It was weird indeed, perhaps a sign that the old rules no longer worked in today's world. Derek didn't know how many bears were left in Scotland, but humans and even wolves greatly outnumbered them, that much he was certain of. And apparently they weren't so different after all, considering Clarice's current condition.
If they could breed, were there any limits to what they could do together? Perhaps in time, they'd see the other couples follow in their footsteps and have kids of their own.
These were the things Derek thought about while Clarice whizzed around the kitchen, cleaning, chopping and prepping things just as planned.
As soon as the rest of them came in, he took care of everyone's breakfast and got them out of her hair and into the living room. While everyone ate in silence, Derek was tempted to share the happy news with his brother against his own advice. He resisted, though.
What if something went wrong? It would only be more painful if everyone already knew about it. No, they should stick to the plan and wait at least until after they had the chance to consult a physician.
So they chatted about this and that, exchanged some gifts and even went out for a bit, giving Clarice some space to set everything up for lunch just the way she wanted. She'd evicted everyone, including Derek. Only Lily was allowed to stay back to offer a helping hand.
Most of the shifters took the opportunity to stretch their legs with a quick run through the woods. It had snowed overnight, leaving the surrounding countryside covered in a blanket of white. They wouldn't have been able to risk it elsewhere, but since the island was only sparsely populated, they didn't worry about leaving paw prints in the snow.
By the time they all got back, the room had been transformed. A perfectly set table awaited them, featuring the finest china and antique cutlery that had been in Derek and Aidan's family for generations.
Lily came in carrying a huge tray of roasted potatoes, followed by Clarice, who carried the turkey. The feast was ready and it was perfect.
Derek kept stealing glances across the table after everyone had seated themselves. Clarice looked happy, accomplished. Despite initial hiccups, everything had fallen into place. After so many years, McMillan Farm was hosting a Christmas meal.
They'd previously decided not to exchange gifts - shopping on the island was difficult at the best of times, and especially in winters when treacherous weather could strike at any time. But yesterday's news was the best surprise gift Derek could have ever asked for.
Every time he looked at her, he could feel the additional presence of their child. He'd been taken with her beauty from the first moment he'd seen her, two months ago, when she’d visited the farm as a tourist. But now, after everything, she took his breath away even more.
We're going to be parents, Derek thought.
Clarice looked at her plate and blushed. I know. It's crazy.
I know I said to keep it under wraps, but I just want to shout it from the rooftop.
Me, too.
Aidan had stood up to carve the turkey, but Derek gestured at him to sit back down. Clarice got up and joined Derek by his side.
"Just a moment, we'll get to eat soon enough." Derek took Clarice's hand and squeezed it gently. This was their moment, to hell with caution. "But first, an announcement..."
The End
About the Author
Dear Reader,
Thanks for reading Sugar & Spice: A Scottish Werebear Xmas, which is book 3.5 in the Scottish Werebears Series. Although this is my debut series, I'm not new to writing in general. In fact, my mom still tells me to this day about how I would make up stories, and attempt to record them in my clumsy, shaky handwriting from the moment I learned to read and write. From there I went on to write fan fiction and other stuff meant for my own eyes only.
I've always enjoyed stories of the paranormal. Vampires, shape shifters, witches and magic, all featured in the books I loved the most, even when I was still growing up. But it wasn't until much later that I got into romance. One of the first writers (a self published author just like me!) I came across was Tina Folsom, via her Scanguards Vampire series. I was hooked. From there I went on to read more paranormal romance until I found a new favorite kind of hero: bear shifters, like the kind written by Milly Taiden, Zoe Chant, and T.S. Joyce. What I love about bears is how they can be all strong and independent, a bit reclusive, and almost grumpy, but they always end up having a heart of gold (plus they tend to know their food, and we all know that a man who can cook is doubly sexy). All that (except for the shifting into a powerful bear) almost exactly describes the sort of man I ended up falling for and marrying in real life, so it's no surprise that this is what I started my publishing career with.
As thing stand right now, I plan to release all my work on Amazon Kindle and make it free of charge as part of the Kindle Unlimited programme, though this may change in future. All my books will also be available as paperbacks, as well as in audio.
To find out more, check:
LoreleiMoone.com
Sign up to my mailing list and be among the first to find out about new releases and sales,
or get in touch via Facebook or email at info@loreleimoone.com
x Lorelei
My Books
Scottish Werebear: An Unexpected Affair
Scottish Werebear: A Dangerous Business
Scottish Werebear: A
Forbidden Love