by V. Vaughn
I snort. “Really? Because the way you’re acting right now, I don’t think you are able to help yourself.”
He glares at me, and I see the cold, calculating brother I’ve come to know. He sets down the pants, and the crease is razor sharp from his precision. Tristan says, “Make no mistake. Mating with Annie hasn’t changed anything.”
“If you say so. But love wouldn’t be such a bad thing, you know.” I slide into loose jeans that hang low on my waist. “For either of us.”
Tristan comes toward me and grips my arms. “Izzy, you are loved. By me.” He pulls me against his chest. “And I’m loved by you. That’s enough.”
I used to believe that it was. But since we got here, he’s been pulling away. I’m watching my brother struggle with wanting the one thing all werebear want–a true mate. Even though he knows it can’t be. My heart aches in sympathy that the love Tristan and I crave is the very thing he must sacrifice.
I step back before tears begin to burn in my eyes. Tristan has been strong for me all my life, and it’s time I returned the favor. “It’s not enough, and you know it.”
He grabs my hand and grips it tight. “It needs to be.”
I shake my head. “You do your part, and I’ll do mine.” I force a wink at him. “Because doing Luke Robichaux isn’t half bad.”
Annie calls up to us from the kitchen to announce lunch. The silly grin of love returns to Tristan’s face. The familiar sense of dread is heavy in my gut when I remember the day we discovered he and Annie were true mates. I knew then it changed everything, no matter how insistent Tristan was that it wouldn’t.
I watch my brother leave with a lightness in his step I didn’t know he possessed. I want to grab him and tell him to protect his heart. And I wonder how he’s going to manage when the love of his life discovers what we’ve done. Funny how a deal with the devil seems like a wise choice when faced with the threat of extinction. But it’s not so funny when the promises you make present you with a fresh new hell. I drag my hair up in a high ponytail, and the elastic snaps as I attach it. I gaze into the mirror at my high cheekbones and strong jaw. Izzy, find your strength, girl. Because Tristan’s days of protecting me are over. Now it’s my turn, because the future of the clan depends on me.
Chapter 15
Annie
The knife clinks against glass as I scoop out mustard for a sandwich. The scent of Tristan floats toward me, and a smile creeps on my face. Two large hands slap down on the counter as large arms trap me. I glance at the sleeves of his shirt that are rolled up on his muscular forearms. I recall how it was only a few days ago that the naked version of my mate did this, and I lean back to wiggle my butt in his groin.
His voice rumbles in my ear. “I thought you had to work.”
“I did. But I discovered they didn’t need me.” The girls who work for me in the retail shop are quite capable, and I couldn’t focus, so I decided to come back to my distraction.
Tristan moves hair from my neck and places a kiss on it below my earlobe. “I do.” He nips at me, and the scrape of his teeth makes my spine tingle. I want his bite with an intensity that almost consumes me.
I lean my head back and offer my neck up to him. He suckles my nape as his hands cover my breasts. “What if I bent you over the counter and took you right here? Would you scream for me?”
I whisper, “Yes.” He presses his palms hard against my torso as he drags his hands down. One stops at my hip, and the other cups my mound. Denim is a thick barrier between our flesh, and I whimper. I don’t know what’s holding me back, because it’s normal for new mates to spend weeks screwing any free chance they get. But most try not to do it in front of their families while they eat lunch. I grind my butt against his groin, and his erection tempts me to throw all social graces to the wind. I stop myself before I have to live with a long-running family joke about a meat counter.
I turn to face Tristan. “Laundry room. Now.” I grab his hand and tug him along behind me as I lead the way to the small area that doubles as a bathroom. When we enter, Tristan shuts the door behind him. The lock snicks shut, and he grins. I have a long counter for folding clothes, and it’s just the right height for his previous idea.
He reaches for my hips and turns me around so that he’s behind me. Nudging me forward, he presses against my bottom as he reaches for my waistband. “How close are you, love?”
My chest is heaving with short breaths as he pulls roughly, and my zipper rips open. “Very.” Denim abrades my skin as he yanks my jeans down to mid-thigh. A cool draft travels between my legs, and I let my pants fall to my ankles and step out, but it does nothing to tamp down the fire of my lust. Tristan pushes my shoulder so I’ll bend over. My breasts flatten on the cool laminate counter top, and I splay my arms out as the clash of a belt buckle sounds behind me while he undoes his pants.
He grips my hips hard and thrusts into me quickly. He hisses, “Dripping-wet ready.” A growl escapes from him, and he slams into me with force. I brace my hands against the wall and pump my hips into him. I want him to be deeper and say, “Fill me. Make me feel it.”
My mate’s fingers dig into my flesh, and I’m sure he’ll leave bruises. Our coupling is fast, and the moment my channel flexes with my release, Tristan’s low rumbling in his throat tells me he isn’t far behind. When he finishes, his trembling body slumps over me, and he squeezes me tight enough to hurt. He relaxes a bit, and teeth prick at my earlobe when he whispers, “It’s time.”
I nod, and the fabric of my blouse rips as he strips it from my shoulder to plunge his bear fangs into my flesh. The sensation is like an orgasm on steroids, and I shatter completely as I cry out his name.
He growls, “Mine,” as he thrusts into me again.
My pleasure has barely retreated before the wave comes back another time. Once it crests, I fall with it and say, “Yes. I’m yours.”
Tristan groans as he explodes in me, and his words reach all the way to my heart when he says, “And I’m yours.”
My legs are like jelly as I use the counter for support under my mate’s heavy weight. He laps at my blood and heals my wound. The area is sensitive, and each stroke of his tongue sends tiny aftershocks through me as he finishes. Hair is stuck to my neck, and he plucks it off my sweat-slicked skin to kiss me lightly. He repeats his earlier words as if he’s making sure we both heard. “I’m yours, Annie.” A sigh comes from him, and his voice is low enough only my bear ears can detect it. “Forever.”
My mate. My true mate scoops me up and lifts me to sit on the counter. He stands between my legs and palms the back of my head as he gazes into my eyes. “I love you, Annie. No matter what happens, I will always love and protect you.”
I’m lost in the icy-blue depth of his eyes. They trap me in his love, and I say, “I love you too, Tristan.”
He kisses me gently, and we hold on to each other as if we don’t dare let go. I realize we have both found a savior. The De Rozier alpha now has a new place for his kingdom, and I get the family I’ve always craved.
Once we’ve recovered and I change into a new shirt, we emerge to go back to the kitchen. Carly and Isabelle are at the table. Carly has a smirk when she asks, “Hungry?”
Tristan hugs my shoulders with an arm as if he’s protecting me. “I think we satisfied our hunger. Now what’s for lunch?”
Isabelle’s eyes are hard as she stares at Tristan, and I wonder why she’s angry. Her chair almost topples over when she stands abruptly, and she moves to leave the kitchen. But Tristan grabs her arm. “Izzy! We need to talk.”
She yanks it away and spits out, “Nothing’s changed. Wrong, brother dear. Everything just did.”
Part II
Isabelle - My brother found his true mate and I’ve been replaced, so it’s time to replace him. Luke Robichaux is the perfect distraction, and love isn’t the only goal we share in common.
Tori - I finally met the man in my dreams, but Keith seems to think he’s too old for me. I’ll just have to
show him he’s wrong.
Chapter 16
Isabelle
I start to run before the shift happens. Fabric shreds as I explode out of my clothing, and the sound is satisfying. Hell, I didn’t even take off my shoes. I’m sure the carnage I create will appall Annie’s sensibilities. But I don’t care, because she’s not my favorite person right now. My legs surge with energy as my large feet pound in a frantic cadence. The memories of Tristan and Annie calling out each other’s names in the throes of passion echo in my head, and my blood boils over.
When I get to the trees, I smash my shoulder into a pine. Wood splinters, but the tree doesn’t fall, so I stop. I’m beyond furious right now. A loud crack sounds as I smash the tree again, and it crashes into a few more. Plowing through the woods, I swing my front legs out to either side as if I’m blazing a trail. Branches fall like rain. Birds take flight. A startled deer races across my path. I snarl at it. That’s right, Bambi, be afraid. Be very afraid. Everyone and everything better get out of my way.
“Isabelle!” Tristan’s trying to communicate with me telepathically, and I thought I’d blocked him out. But because he’s the alpha of my clan, he can get through anyway. He’s also the main reason I’m so enraged. Fucking true mates; it ruins everything.
My lips curl up as I growl. He better not alpha order me. He said Annie being his true mate wouldn’t be a problem. He said he could handle it. He said he wasn’t going to seal the true mate bond by biting Annie. Fucking liar! I scream across the telepathic airwaves.
I’m panting, and the damage I’ve done to my body has caught up with me as I limp in a slow walk. I glance down to discover red streaks of blood staining my fur. My legs are tired, and I slow down some more. I slap at a tree, but it barely moves as my anger lessens and my muscles weaken with exhaustion.
My brother bit Annie, his true mate, and now they’re bonded for life. They’ll want to live and breathe each other. While that’s good for the first stage of our plan, he’s never going to be able to betray her for the second part. The part where we take over the Le Roux kingdom for our own.
I turn and thud to the ground to inspect my injuries. Glancing at the wreckage I created, I notice more than blood splatters on the snow. I’m gushing it.
I gaze at my front paws to find they’re shredded. Further inspection makes me notice a large gash in my belly where the blood is coagulating. I’ll live. A stick is stuck in my back leg, and I yank it out. Bloody hell! It hurts like a mother, but my pun makes me chuckle. I am a bloody mess. My body shakes as my laughter becomes uncontrollable. I’m so screwed now that Tristan has abandoned me. Tears begin to flow freely from my eyes.
Pain radiates through my injuries as I flop onto my back and stare up at the sky. It’s overcast again, and I wonder why we came here. All it does is snow, and I long for the crystal blue skies and blinding sun of the Arctic. My brother has found the love of his life, and no matter what he says, I’ve lost him. To a freaking wimpy black bear. Our mother will be furious when she finds out. Not that she can do anything about it now that Tristan is our alpha, but technically she’s still the prima.
I snort with force, and snot sprays over me as I imagine my mother’s reaction to losing prima status to Annie. I laugh again, because the evil bitch is finally going to be powerless. It’s about time.
“Izzy. I can smell you. I’m on my way.”
My brother, the savior. He’s always been there to pick up the pieces from our abusive parents. And myself. The steady cadence of his feet tells me he’s not far away. I lie and wait.
Polar bears are regular bears to the tenth power. Our bodies are bigger, our sense of smell is so great we can detect a seal more than twenty miles away, and we can communicate for almost a thousand miles instead of fifty or so. We also heal faster than other bear, and by the time Tristan is hovering over me, blocking out the sky, my paws are almost normal.
“Izzy, you scared me.”
I swipe my claws across his face, and he stumbles back as I sit up. Blood drips down his snout as he asks, “Feel better?”
“Not really. But I am over the urge to kill you.”
“It’s not what you think.”
I huff. “Is that like some male DNA thing to pull out those words whenever you want someone to brush aside the facts?”
“No. But—”
“I heard you. Everyone heard you. You bit Annie and sealed your bond. What am I supposed to think?”
“That I’d never leave you. And that I know what I’m doing.”
“You’re lying to yourself if you believe that. I knew the day would come when I’d lose you to a mate.” The scratches I gave him have healed, and I know most of my cuts have, too, so I stand. I pick up some snow and rub at the blood stains on my fur. But what I need is the river.
“Izzy, it won’t be like that. Annie and I want you to live with us.”
“I need to swim. Go back and be with Annie.”
He places a paw on my shoulder, and I shrug it off. I trudge through the snow toward the river.
Tristan follows behind me, but I take a little satisfaction in his guilt.
When we get to the water, I dive in and let the coolness soothe my achy body. Tristan sits on the bank to watch. I duck under and swim along the bottom. I’m used to depths so vast that blackness is usually underneath me, and my heart aches as I miss my homeland. It hits me that now I’ve got nothing. The one true thing in my life no longer belongs to me; Tristan belongs to Annie.
When I get out and shake, Tristan approaches me and nuzzles my neck. I glance over at the magnificent bear he is. In human form, he’s got pale blond hair and icy blue eyes, just like me. But right now his fur has a faint orange cast that comes from his obsession with sweet potatoes. Nobody has told him. I used to think it worked for his cover story, but now his cover’s blown. Annie will see who he really is, because it can’t be helped. I say, “You’re eating too much carotene, and your fur is orange. They laugh at you for it.”
He glances down and lets out an annoyed growl as I lead the way home.
Chapter 17
Tori
The pawprint tattoo on the fleshy part of me that covers my hip is throbbing, and I squirm in my chair to alleviate the pressure of my jeans on it. My mind has been flooded with the images of the hot guy I dream about. Which wouldn’t be a bad thing if I weren’t supposed to be focused on a calculus lecture.
I force myself to hear the professor’s words and follow along with his calculations projected on a big screen for all the students to see. It’s no use. The image of my dream guy’s perfectly formed pecs and the dusting of hair on them flashes before me, blocking out numbers, letters, and lines.
When I shift again in my seat, my roommate Lucy pokes me with her pen. I glance at her, and she shoots an angry look back. She’s depending on me to get her through this class, but that’s not going to go so well for us if I’m on the verge of failing, too. I pull out my phone and break Professor Gum’s no-texting rule, which he announced less than ten minutes ago to send one to Lucy. Don’t worry, I can do this in my sleep.
“Miss Text-a-lot!”
I look up in horror as people in the class turn to figure out who he’s looking at. The professor glares at me. “Out.”
“But—”
“No excuses. Go.”
Shame burns my ears, and I grab my things to leave. When Lucy catches my eye I think she might cry. I mouth. “Sorry.” But the truth is I’m not. Because this means I can go find the guy that’s causing my distraction.
On our way to class, we walked by a dorm renovation, and my tattoo was pulsing like mad as if it’s some kind of hot-guy detector. And when I glanced over at the men working, the one who got out of a Jeep looked suspiciously like the guy I dream about. Leaving the lecture early means I might be able to find him again.
My footsteps echo in the stairway as I jog down and shove the metal door open to leave the building. It slams shut behind me as cold wind whips my hair aro
und my face. I didn’t take the time to put my coat on before I got outside, and I should do it now. But I’m afraid I might miss the man in my dreams, so I continue to run instead.
My backpack’s contents rattle as it bounces on my back, and I head toward the dorm. When I get around the corner, I see the Jeep. He’s still here. I slow to a walk, and icy air burns in my lungs, making me wonder why I’m so compelled that I’ve become frantic. Sweat is damp on my skin, and the wind sends a chill through me. When I reach the car, I stop to remove my pack and retrieve my jacket.
There is an image on the door of the vehicle, and I memorize the pine-tree logo that reads Bear Mountain Tree Farm. My zipper hums as I tug it up to my chin, and I bend down to pick up my pack again. When I stand, I notice a man coming my way. He’s huge, with broad shoulders and narrow hips. The temperature is cold with the wind chill today, but apparently he’s warm enough to keep his flannel-lined jean jacket open.
As he gets closer, there’s no doubt he’s the man in my dreams. He frowns as he approaches me, and I realize I’m staring at him with my mouth open as if I’m mesmerized. I kind of am, because the things this guy does in my imagination are pretty amazing. I recover my wits and say, “Hi.”
“Is there something I can help you with?”
He has no idea who I am. I guess the dreams are a one-way thing. “This is going to sound really weird, but I think I know you.”
The guy shakes his head as his brow remains furrowed. “I don’t think so.”
My body hums in his proximity, and I step closer. I take a deep breath to inhale the scent of pine mixed with his faint musk, and I almost moan at the pleasure it brings. I step even closer so that I’m in his personal bubble. He crosses his arms as if they’re a barrier, and I gaze up at him to say, “I’m Tori.”
