Animal Rescue Bear

by Raines, Harmony

  “No way.” Jax stood up and was by her side in an instant, his arms surrounding her as he hugged her. “I’m so happy for you, Ronni. You deserve it.”

  Ronni hugged her brother, breathing in the scent of engine oil and leather. “Thanks, Jax. I hope you don’t have to wait too long for your mate.”

  “I’m not as deserving as you,” Jax said as he straightened up.

  “Yes, you are. We all deserve happiness.” Ronni searched his face. “You should never forget that.” Jax shrugged her words off and went back to his seat.

  “I told Ronni she should ask you for tips on the best place for a first date,” Tansy said as she placed a plate down in front of each of her children.

  “You could ask me,” Cal said.

  Teagan shook her head and chuckled. “She’s best asking Jax. Your idea of a date is watching TV together.”

  Cal frowned and fell silent for a moment. “Wow, you’re right. We should go on a date.” His face brightened. “We could go on a double date with you and Lucas.”

  “No!” everyone in the crowded kitchen chorused, which made Joshua jump and then burst out laughing.

  “Why not?” Cal asked.

  “They want to get to know each other. If you tag along, Lucas will think we’re vetting him to see if he’s suitable for Ronni.” Fleur rolled her eyes at her brother. “And we already know he is because they are true mates.”

  “Are you seeing him after dinner?” Jax asked. “I could let you know a couple of romantic places you could go to be alone.”

  “She’s not seeing him until tomorrow morning when she does a home check.” Tansy sat down and checked that everything was perfect for her family before they began eating.

  “Wait, you are home checking your mate?” Cal asked in horror.

  Ronni giggled. “No, Cal. Lucas is adopting a dog from the shelter and I have to home check him just like I would anyone else.”

  “Why aren’t you meeting him tonight?” her dad asked.

  “I’d already made plans to have dinner with you guys.” She looked around the table at her family. “I suppose I just wanted some time to get used to things.”

  “Before they change forever,” Teagan offered Ronni a sympathetic smile. “Don’t be afraid, Ronni.”

  “I’m not.” Her brow creased. “At least I don’t think I am.” But when she looked inside herself she knew she was holding onto the person she was, reluctant to become something new.

  “We’re all afraid of change,” her dad said quietly. “But not all change is bad. Just stay true to yourself, Ronni, and you’ll do just fine.”

  But what if she lost sight of who she truly was?

  I won’t let you, her bear told her.

  The talk then shifted, and the family listened as Cal and Teagan recounted Joshua’s latest exploits while they all enjoyed Tansy’s cooking.

  As she laughed at Joshua’s toddler babbling, she had a sudden thought. The next time they were all seated around the table there might be an extra person present. Lucas was part of their family now.

  I think we need to go on that first date, her bear reminded her.

  She was probably right. And as the meal came to an end and the dishes were washed and put away, Ronni made an excuse to leave. Only for once she was not heading back to the animal center to look after a hurt or injured animal.

  Instead, she was going to pay a surprise visit to her mate.

  Chapter Eight – Lucas

  Lucas ate dinner with his family. They had spent the day doing chores around the center, laughing, joking, teasing. The news that Lucas had finally met his mate cast a holiday spirit over them all. Except Lucas.

  He itched to go and find Ronni. He wanted to look at her, talk to her, pinch her if necessary to make sure she was real.

  She’s very real, his bear told him.

  I know. There was something else, though, something that worried at his mind like a puppy with a chew toy.

  Lucas smiled, thoughts of puppies leading him to thoughts of Jessie. She would love it here, so much open space, so many kids to take under her wing.

  And there it was. Ronni was coming over tomorrow for a home check, to evaluate him. If she didn’t have to visit, would he ever see her again?

  Yes, they had shared kisses and he’d held her in his arms. But the mating bond wasn’t driving her crazy. She wasn’t here with him. Instead, she’d made it clear her family was more important.

  Lucas looked across to the house he grew up in. He’d come outside to look at the stars and think. He needed space to get his head around the events of the day. Nana and George had gone home, so too had Sage and Patrick. The house was filled with the nighttime routine of his brother’s family.

  Lightheaded, Lucas leaned back against an old beech tree that had stood here for hundreds of years and generations of his family had grown up under its watchful gaze. A sense of not belonging hit him square in the eyes.

  Everything was changing. Everything had changed. But he still felt the same. He needed the connection with his mate. He needed to strengthen it, to prove to her he was the man she needed in her life.

  Lucas pushed off from the tree and shifted into his bear. With short legs pumping and his claws digging into the dirt, he propelled himself forward. Tonight, he would find her. Tonight, he would tell Ronni what she meant to him. Tonight, he would let go of who he was and change to be the man she needed. If that meant giving up his life here and taking a well-paid job to help support the work she did with the animals at the shelter, then that’s what he’d do.

  Lucas stalled, his bear’s paws skimmed across the dirt as he came to a halt, his short snout raised as he inhaled deeply. She was close. Unless he was mistaken, his mate was close.

  Taking a step forward he followed his nose, following the musky scent that would lead him to his mate.

  There she was. The moon outlined the silhouette of her bear as she stood on the trail a couple of hundred feet from the house. She opened her mouth and huffed, her front feet padding the ground as she beckoned to him like a siren from the deep ocean. Lucas was transfixed.

  She was here. Their decision to find each other tonight and not put off their next meeting until tomorrow was heartfelt and mutual.

  Lucas ran across the parking area in front of the house and followed the road a short way until he ducked under a bush and pushed his way onto the trail that led into the mountains. That led to his mate.

  His heart hammered in his chest. His lungs worked like bellows as he drew in large breaths and exhaled in a puff of vapor.

  She stood still, watching him, a dark outline against the clear moonlit night. She waited.

  Lucas slowed as he approached, scared she might turn tail and run. Or worse, that she might evaporate, gone on the mountain breeze, a figment of his imagination that he’d conjured up out of his intense need to be with her.

  But when he reached her, she was still there. Very real.

  Ronni’s bear lowered her head and sniffed him, burying her nose into his thick fur. He did the same, inhaling her scent, wanting to commit it to memory forever.

  She pulled away and weaved back and forth before she turned around and walked along the trail, heading toward the mountains. Lucas hesitated for a moment, not because he didn’t want to follow but because he wanted to watch the way she moved, the sway of her hips, the way the cold breeze ruffled her thick fur.

  Snap out of it, Lucas told his bear.

  Ronni’s bear swung her large head and looked over her shoulder. His bear stumbled forward and trotted after her like an obedient dog. He’d follow her anywhere she wanted him to.

  And that’s what he did as she climbed higher, sure-footed over the rocky terrain as she led him along trails, through wooded valleys until they reached a steep cliff face that rose up into the darkness.

  In an instant, she’d shifted back to her human form. “Can you climb?”

  “Sure,” Lucas replied as he shifted into his human form. “I’v
e scaled all these cliffs with my brother and sister.”

  She flashed him a smile as the moon shone down on her face. “Me, too. It surprises me we never met.”

  “It’s a big mountain.” Lucas grinned. “You already know that.”

  “I do.” She turned her attention back to the cliff face and searched for a handhold. “Don’t worry, we aren’t going all the way to the top. There’s a cave around twenty feet up. It’s…private.”

  “Private is good.” He searched for his own handhold and then began the steep climb up the side of the cliff. He hadn’t climbed like this for years. When he worked with children at the activity center, he had to be responsible and set a good example. Safety gear, which included helmets and harnesses, was always used.

  But here he was with no safety gear, and the element of danger increased the flow of adrenaline around his body. Or maybe it was the nearness of his mate who matched his pace as she climbed by his side.

  “Nearly there.” The strain of the climb showed on her face. Maybe he wasn’t the only one who had played it safe recently.

  He hauled himself up onto a wide ledge that was hidden from the ground. “I remember this place.” He brought his knees up under his body and pushed himself to his feet. “We used to come up here and look down at the world below. And the sky above.”

  He turned around, searching the heavens for two stars that were close together. It took a couple of moments before his eyes sought them out. A lump formed in his throat as he stared at them. As if sensing his anguish, Ronni pressed herself close to his side, the heat of her body chasing away the ghosts of the past.

  “There.” He pointed at the two stars.

  “What do they mean?” Ronni asked gently.

  “We used to come here. Me, Marcus and Sage. We used to come here and wonder if those two stars in the sky were our parents looking down on us.” He gave a short, humorless laugh. “Stupid, really.”

  “But you were children trying to make sense of your loss.” She put her arm around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder. “I don’t think it’s stupid at all.”

  He rested his head on hers. “I’m glad you brought me here.”

  “I’m glad you came.” She turned to face him, her feet planted firmly on the ground as she twisted her hands around his neck and stood on tiptoes to kiss him.

  “I’m glad you came, too,” he murmured against her lips before he kissed her. She sighed, her body pressed against his as they stood in the moonlight on the edge of a cliff overlooking the world below. This was a perfect moment. There had been a few of them in his life, but this was one he would never forget.

  “I’m sorry I pushed you away,” Ronni admitted as their kiss ended.

  “I understand.” Lucas lowered his head, cupped her face in his hand and tilted her chin up. “This is all new. For both of us. I thought I was ready since I’d seen the rest of my family find their mates. But there was this part of me that…I don’t know… A part of me that was scared.” He rolled his eyes. “Not what you need to hear.”

  “No, it is just what I needed to hear.” Ronni shrugged. “I’d be lying if I didn’t have the same reservations.” She ran her hand down over his chest, her fingers leaving a trail of fire in their wake. “We’re both torn because we have commitments elsewhere.”

  “Which means we understand each other.” His thumb stroked her cheek and she leaned into his touch.

  “I guess that’s why we’re meant for each other.” Her fingers tightened into a fist and she grasped hold of his shirt and pulled him away from the edge of the cliff.

  Lucas recalled the cave system that led deep inside the mountain. He and his siblings had explored every inch of them when they were younger. But that was a lifetime ago.

  Trying not to stumble over rocks on the ground as they headed deeper into the cave, their fingers entwined, and they stayed close together, their bodies touching, not because they might lose each other, but because now that they’d found each other they never wanted to be apart. Not even one inch.

  “Here,” Ronni spoke into the darkness.

  Lucas looked down at the ground, but the black was absolute, he couldn’t see a thing. Not even the pale rays of the moon could reach this far. Ronni let go of his hand and crouched down, her hands spread out as if she were searching for something. “Can I help?”

  “Found it.” There was the sound of a match being lit and then a small flame flickered in her hand before she dropped it onto a small amount of kindling.

  “You came up here earlier.” Lucas hunkered down and helped with the fire, feeding it small amounts of wood until the flamed flickered across the walls of the cave.

  “I did.” Ronni patted a blanket that was spread across the floor of the cave. “I like a few home comforts.”

  Lucas pulled her toward him and they collapsed down onto the blanket while the flames warmed the air. Not that either of them needed the added warmth of the fire. The heat between them was hotter than a thousand suns.

  Well, maybe not quite that hot, his bear replied.

  Speak for yourself, Lucas said as he kissed his mate.

  Tentative at first, their lips met, and their tongues entwined as their kiss deepened. Ronni adjusted her position and leaned on one elbow, leaving her other hand free to undo the buttons of his shirt. In response, Lucas slipped his hand under her sweater and cupped her breast, his thumb teasing her nipple.

  She gasped as he tweaked the taut bud between his finger and thumb. Damn it, he needed to have her naked beneath him.

  With barely contained need, he tore at her clothes, pulling her sweater over her head before unclasping her bra. His large hand cupped her soft flesh, and he lowered his head to suck her nipple into his mouth.

  Ronni slipped her hand down between their bodies and stroked his hard length. Lucas groaned, his hand sliding up her thigh, fumbling with the buttons of her pants before finally opening them with a surge of triumph.

  Yeah, you’ve really proved yourself to our mate, his bear teased before Lucas shut him out and concentrated on claiming his mate.

  Ronni wriggled her hips, the orange glow of the flames dancing across her plump thighs as he pulled her pants down. She lay naked before him and he took a moment to drink in the sight of her before he leaned forward and kissed the tips of her nipples. Ronni watched him, her hand snaking around his neck before she pulled him closer, their lips mashing together as she wrapped her legs around him.

  Lucas guided himself into her, the need to join with her almost too great.

  He entered her, pausing to gather his control before thrusting deep into her, filling her. Skin against skin, they moved as one. Electricity sparked between them as he took her there in the semi-dark cave like two lovers from ancient times.

  He took comfort that long ago a dry, warm cave would be a great gift to his mate. A den where he would plant his seed in his mate while the fire flickered beside them. A home where they would raise their children and teach them the ways of the land, and the secrets of the mountain.

  Lucas stroked her skin, kissing her flesh as his hips moved in a rhythm that built until he could contain himself no longer. He came, his seed spurting deep inside her, perhaps making a child.

  They had taken no precautions.

  She wants a child, his bear said, invading his thoughts.

  She wants a child. Ronni had come here earlier, she’d planned this, brought the kindling for the fire and a blanket to make love on. If she wanted to take precautions she would have brought condoms, too. Unless she used some other form of contraception.

  As her body tensed around him and her inner walls gripped him tight, milking him of his seed, Lucas decided now was not the time for that conversation. Instead, it was a time to celebrate their mating all over again.

  The night was young, and they were free, for a few hours at least. This was a time for them to celebrate their bond before real life crowded in once more.

  Chapter Nine – Ronni


  “Are you heading over to Lucas’s house?” Sian asked the following morning as she breezed into the office and set her purse down on the desk.

  Ronni lifted her head from the paperwork she’d been staring at for the past five minutes. “What?” She glanced at her watch. “Yes.”

  “Something you want to tell me?” Sian asked expectantly.

  Ronni put a surprised expression on her face. “Like what?”

  “Oh, come on, I don’t have to be a shifter to know when I’m looking at the face of a cat who got the canary.” Sian put her hands on her hips. “Of course, it’s none of my business.”

  Ronni sighed. “Your kids don’t stand a chance if they have a secret they want to keep.”

  “I know.” Sian arched an eyebrow.

  “I went over to Chance Heights last night. There, are you happy? You know all my secrets now.” Ronni watched Sian’s expression falter. “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m sorry I pried into your private life. I’ve had lots of practice with trying to get the truth out of people.” She turned around and went back to her desk.

  “Hey, I was only joking.” Ronni got up from her chair and went around to the side of her desk and perched on the corner, all thoughts of paperwork forgotten. “It must have been rough.”

  “My marriage breaking up?” Sian nodded. “My nearly-ex is a lying, cheating bastard.” Sian covered her mouth as if the word had just slipped out while she wasn’t looking.

  “Was a lying cheating bastard,” Ronni said firmly. “He is your past and you have a future without him.”

  “I do. Once the divorce is finalized. He’s not making it easy, even though it’s what he wanted.” Sian went to make a fresh pot of coffee.

  “Maybe he changed his mind?” Ronni asked.

  “I hope not.” Sian smiled mischievously as she changed the subject. “So you went to his house? Does that mean he passed the home check?”

  Ronni giggled. “We didn’t exactly go into his house.”

  “Oh?” Sian leaned forward and rested her elbow on the desk. “So where did you go?”

  “A cave in the mountains.” Ronni burst out laughing as Sian made a face. “It was very romantic.”