Of course she had taken a blood oath in the middle of the woods in a circle of fire. She would have done anything for him. Anything.
But she’d never do it again. Her life now was simple. She baked.
She stood to refill her empty glass. If Liam dared to show up again tomorrow she’d tell him where he could shove his clan promises. She was done with it. No man would have her heart again. That part of her life was over.
6
Liam
“So, how did it go?”
Liam glared at his friend, who was waiting for him on the front porch when he returned.
“That well? All right.”
“Shut up, Snowden.” He stormed past him, pulled a beer from the fridge, and twisted off the top. The screen door slammed as he returned to the porch.
“I could have told you she was going to reject you.”
“We have some things to work through.” He sat on the porch, watching the rain pelt the lake.
“Did you tell her the timetable?”
Liam shot his friend a look that could kill. “We didn’t get that far.”
Snowden flipped the top off another beer and watched as it flew near the top step of the porch.
“Sounds like you have your work cut out for you.”
Liam glowered. “This isn’t a joke. She is Noah’s mate.”
“Was.” The sandy-haired shifter turned toward Liam. “She was.”
“I wish there was a way to undo the blood oath. She’s never going to go along with this. She doesn’t want to be in the clan anymore. I can’t say that I blame her. Look at what she’s gone through.”
“Yeah, no one should have to lose a mate.” Snowden slapped Liam on the back. “Or a best friend.”
Liam drank in silence as the rain beat down around them.
He never expected Sophia to jump in his arms and proclaim her devotion to him. He didn’t expect her to say yes, or be happy about anything he had to tell her. But it didn’t mean he didn’t want it.
Somewhere in the recesses of his heart he had hoped. Hoped for a chance. He took a swig of beer. There was no way she’d give him one.
He knew, the day Noah died, that this day would eventually happen. And to try to pretend it wasn’t always in the back of his mind would be a lie. The moment Noah was gone, the bond to Sophia was broken and she became part of the clan’s property.
Liam shook his head. She wouldn’t want to be thought of as property. Sophia was a strong, independent woman. She had started her own business. She ran it on her own and made it successful. She had rebuilt her life on her own. She had proven to everyone she didn’t need anyone else.
But it didn’t really matter what she thought of the title. Her blood oath was concrete. And there was nothing any of them could do about it.
7
Sophia
The alarm on her phone started to chirp and Sophia reached over to silence it. She pulled back the sheets and let her feet touch the floor. For a moment, she had forgotten about yesterday. She stretched her arms to her sides and shook off the last bits of sleep.
As she padded off to the bathroom, it all came back. Liam. It hadn’t been a dream. He was going to come back today. She reached for her toothbrush and squeezed mint paste across the bristles.
There was something about the silence of early mornings that she loved. She got dressed and made her way downstairs to the bakery. The rest of Bear Lake was still sleeping. She turned on the ovens and the coffee pot.
Today’s orders included a breakfast delivery for the library. They were having a staff meeting. There was also a birthday cake that needed to be made in addition to the usual morning pastries.
Sophia washed her hands, slipped the apron over her head, and began to bring her kitchen to life. The coffee brewed and the baker’s ovens warmed the kitchen.
This was her serenity. Her peace. As long as she was in this kitchen baking, it didn’t matter what happened on the other side of the doors. The sky could fall and she wouldn’t care. There was a rhythm and a comfort here she couldn’t find anywhere else.
She boxed up the muffins and croissants and walked out of the back door. There was an early chill in the air. Sophia drove to the library and delivered the order to a hungry group of book lovers. They thanked her, and she made sure to pick up her check on the way out.
She decided to stop by the bank to deposit the check before returning to The Sweet Tooth. As she drove through the town’s streets, she was reminded of all the things she loved about it. Bear Lake was home. With no family of her own, it was a place that had welcomed her. They accepted her. They supported her.
She pulled up to the kitchen door. Her heart froze in her chest. Liam was standing by the back door.
She slammed the car door behind her. “What are you doing here?”
“I said I’d be back. Thought we could talk some more.” His voice was softer than it had been yesterday.
He was wearing a blue plaid shirt rolled up to his forearms. His hair was slightly damp, as if he had just showered. The closer she moved toward him, the stronger she could smell his cologne. It made her head spin, like too many glasses of wine.
“We don’t have anything to talk about. I said everything I have to say.” She scowled at him.
She didn’t expect him to follow her inside to her warm refuge, but he was on her heels.
“Soph, you can’t pretend this isn’t happening.”
She whipped around, almost toppling a bag of flour to the floor. “It’s not happening.” She closed her eyes. “I don’t want to talk. I don’t want to see you. I don’t want any of this. The last thing I want is to be your mate. I’m no one’s mate. Not anymore.”
His eyes set in a line of determination. “It’s not up to you.”
“The hell it isn’t. I’m not a bear. I don’t have to abide by any of the damn rules.” She walked out of the kitchen and into the shop. It was still dark.
She didn’t have to turn around to know Liam was right behind her. She could feel him towering over her back. He was easily six-five.
“I have a lot of work to do today,” she announced. “I have customers and orders to fill. This is my business. This is what is real to me.” She spun on her heels and almost knocked into his wall of a chest.
She couldn’t ignore how he reacted to her. His eyes landed on her lips.
“Why don’t I stay and help you?” he offered.
Sophia inched away from the closeness. “No. I don’t need help.”
Liam ignored her and brushed past her, grabbing the first chair and placing its legs on the floor. He moved around the café, setting the chairs upright.
Sophia watched, angry and irritated that he was invading her space. She marched back to the kitchen and pulled down her fondant recipe. The cake needed to be delivered by five this afternoon. She didn’t have time to argue.
Liam appeared in the doorway. “Mind if I get a cup of coffee?”
She shrugged. “Mugs are over there.”
She tried to ignore him as he poured a cup. “Would you like one?”
She rolled her eyes. “Sure.”
It was obvious what he was doing—finding little things to keep him in the shop. But it wasn’t going to change things. Their conversation was over.
Liam placed the hot cup on the edge of the table while she rolled out the fondant.
“What are you working on?” he asked.
“It’s a birthday cake for Marcie Hill’s daughter.” She focused on making sure the icing was even.
He took a sip of coffee. “How old?”
“Hmm?” Sophia looked up. He was eyeing her. Every part of her. It made her skin prickle.
“For the birthday.” He nodded at the icing.
“Oh.” She brushed her hands against her apron. “Six. It’s a mermaid theme.”
Liam nodded as if he was acquainted with six-year-old birthday parties.
Sophia placed the roller on the table and looked at him. The air w
as thick between them. Thick from the tension that she didn’t want to address.
“I don’t want to do this every morning, Liam.”
“Do what?” He grinned playfully, waggling his eyebrows. That was the Liam she remembered—the one who made women pant from just one smirk. He never took anything seriously. He never had.
“This. You here in my bakery, drinking coffee like there isn’t an elephant in the room. I want you to go and leave me alone.”
“You know I can’t do that,” he whispered.
“Even if it’s what I want? Even if I don’t want you?” It sounded strange to say. Just thinking about wanting another man or bear was a foreign thought. It was absurd.
There hadn’t been anyone in her life since Noah. How could there be? And now Liam was here to tell her she was supposed to do all of that again. Open her life to another person. Open her heart to pain and torment. No. She didn’t want it. She was resigned to be the town baker. The town spinster who delivered cakes to all the people who could have families and loved ones. The spinster who spent birthdays alone and Christmases making gingerbread houses for other people. The spinster that would never look at another man. That was who she was now. Liam wasn’t going to change her mind.
“I know it’s a lot to take in. And I know you didn’t ask for this.” His palms pressed into the table. “But I will take care of you, Sophia. I will protect you and…”
“Stop.” She raised her hand. She couldn’t listen to his words. They sounded too similar to promises that had been made years ago.
“Let me finish.” His voice deepened to almost a rumble.
“Why? So you can tell me how you’ll be my perfect mate? I don’t want a mate. I’m single. I like being single.”
He shook his head. “You’re not even giving me a chance.”
“No, and I’m not going to. I’d like you to leave.”
Liam stepped back, leaving handprints in the flour on the counter. “You have a lot of work today. I’ll be back tonight after the shop is closed.” He turned for the door.
“I won’t be here,” she called after him. “Or any other time you try to show up. Stay away from me, Liam.”
“I’ll give you some more time.” He closed the door behind him.
“Damn it,” she muttered.
She knew this was how it would be until she heard him out. He would show up in the morning or at night. He’d be at the shop or at her apartment. Sophia felt a quick smile pop up on her face and immediately scorned herself for letting it form.
Nothing good would come from seeing Liam again. Nothing.
8
Liam
This was going to be a lot harder than he thought. She didn’t even want him to speak. Maybe he was going about it the wrong way. Instead of trying to tell her what had to happen, he needed to show her it was something she wanted and needed. Sophia had been away from the clan too long. She had forgotten how strong the bond could be.
It was his job to remind her. He scratched his head, trying to think of a time a woman had turned him down. It had never happened before.
The problem was she would never go on a date with him. She’d never agree to meet him anywhere. He drove back to the house. He had an idea, but he was going to need Snowden’s help to pull it off.
* * *
The lake house had been in Liam’s family for over a hundred years. It was passed down from one son to another. As the oldest brother, he inherited it when he turned twenty-five.
He loved it here. It was full of family memories. Summers swimming. Winters playing ice hockey. It was where his life with Sophia would start if she would give him a chance.
His ears perked when he heard the car tires crunch over the gravel. He took another glance around the room. There were candles and roses. The music wasn’t too loud. The fire crackling in the fireplace gave the open room a magical glow.
He couldn’t orchestrate a more perfect setting for his mate. He chuckled to himself, confident she’d fall right into his arms—right where she belonged.
He took a deep breath and reached for the door when he heard her knock. He pulled it open.
Sophia’s eyes said everything before her mouth opened.
“You? What?”
He reached for the cake in her arms. “Let me help you with that. Butter cream frosting—my favorite.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You ordered a cake to get me out here?”
He took it to the counter and placed it near the cutting board. He turned, but Sophia hadn’t crossed over the threshold yet.
“You can come in, you know. I won’t bite.”
She huffed, “Not true.”
“I won’t. Come in.”
“This won’t work, Liam. You brought me out here under false pretenses. Who called in the order for you? I didn’t recognize the voice, or I never would have driven out here. The guy said he had really screwed up and forgotten his wife’s birthday.” She stood with her hands on her hips.
“It was the only thing I could think of that might work.” He handed her a glass of wine, but she refused to take it. “Here.” He shoved it forward until her fingers wrapped around the glass. She needed something to take the edge off.
He watched as she took in the scene. Her cheeks turned a beautiful deep crimson. She knew his intention—he wanted her to know. He didn’t want there to be a single doubt that she was going to be his mate. Tonight, if he was lucky.
“Sit,” he ordered, pointing to the seat closest to the fire.
Sophia did as he asked, huffing as she wiggled onto the couch.
“Who do I need to talk to to get this to stop?” she asked.
He cocked an eyebrow high on his forehead. “Excuse me?”
“This.” She waved a hand in front of her. “I see the candles and the roses and the wine.” She took a large gulp. “I know what you’re trying to do.”
“You do?” He sat next to her, turning his eyes to study the lines of her neck.
“Yes.”
“If what you’ve told me is true, then this shouldn’t matter anyway, right? You said there’s no possible way I can change your mind,” he challenged.
He noticed how her next sip of wine was larger than the last. Her heart was beating faster. He could hear its strength.
“Don’t try to shift the focus. This is all part of your big seduction. You think you can romance me into your bed. Well, you can’t. You’re forgetting I know you.”
He moved back on the couch. “I’m afraid I’m not following, Soph.”
She exhaled through her teeth. “You were Noah’s best friend. Don’t you think I knew about you? You went through women like beer. You don’t exactly have the reputation for being a one-woman kind of guy. If I even remotely thought I’d be with another bear, it wouldn’t be with the biggest player in the clan.”
Her words were dangerous, sharp, and edged with painful daggers. He clenched his fist next to his side.
“And the last two years? What do you know about me?” he asked.
She swallowed. “Nothing. You know I stayed away from all of you. It hurt too much to see anyone in the clan.”
Liam suddenly forgot his own hurt and wanted to shield her from all the pain she had been through. Of course it would be hard to face what he was asking her. She wasn’t a she-bear. And hell, he had no idea how much Noah had told her about she-alpha duties.
He shook his head. “I’m not the same person you knew then.”
Sophia laughed. “I don’t believe that. You gave up women?”
Why was she making this so damn hard?
He took her hands, ignoring the way she shook when he held them. “Yes.”
“W-why would you do that?” She searched his eyes for an answer. “You could have any woman in the next five counties if you wanted.”
“I don’t want any of those woman.”
“Why not?” she scoffed.
“Because of you, Soph.”
She shook her head. “I don�
��t understand.”
This was finally his chance to tell her. To explain the feelings buried under his skin. The way he had hidden his own pain for years. The way he had to listen to his best friend talk about her with a smile on his face. How his heart had cried out for her when she pledged her life to another bear.
“It’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. Forget those other women. Forget the me you think you know. I want you. I want you as my mate.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“I’ve known, Soph. You were meant to be mine.”
“When did you know?” Her eyes glistened in the firelight.
This was the part he didn’t want her to know, but there was no point in hiding the truth. It was their truth now.
“When Noah died. The day of his accident. It was the same day I became alpha.”
She blinked back tears and he instinctively traced one teardrop with the pad of his thumb. He felt his bear stir within. Her skin was soft, and he could smell how sweet she was. Like warm vanilla and cinnamon.
“Did you ever wonder why I was with a new woman every night?”
She shook her head. “No. It wasn’t my place to say anything.”
He didn’t want to move his hand. He kept brushing the side of her cheek, lightly stroking the trail from the tear.
“I couldn’t have you, Soph.”
“What?” She pulled her shoulders back, breaking their contact. “What are you saying?”
“You know exactly what I’m saying.” His chest tightened.
The first time he laid eyes on Sophia Withers, he had fallen in love with her. But so had his best friend. Noah was the alpha, and Liam had his reasons for not challenging him.
So, he tried to forget her. Tried to forget that his best friend was going to spend his life with the woman Liam loved. None of the women he fucked made the memory easier. He would wake up the next morning with someone new in his bed—half the time he didn’t know her name. The only thing he knew was that she wasn’t Sophia.
Bear Again (Second Chance Shifters 3) Page 2
