by Sammie Joyce
I wondered why I bothered with the useless pep talks at all. They didn’t help in the least.
My phone buzzed relentlessly in my bag and I grabbed it, answering without having the good sense to check the display first.
“Oh hey,” Kea said and I cringed when I recognized her voice. She’d called twice more since I’d brushed her off with that text yesterday, but I hadn’t bothered to respond. It hadn’t occurred to me that she would call. I mean, really, who calls these days?
“Hey,” I replied slowly, conjuring an excuse as to why I couldn’t talk but before I could say anything else, Kea spoke again.
“Listen, I realize I may have scared you off a little when we met with all the information I gave you. I just wanted to let you know that I didn’t mean to. I’m not trying to pressure you but you know, two heads are better than one.”
I could hear the hope in her tone and I was filled with shame.
She wants the same answers as I do. Why don’t you just tell her what you know now? It’s clear that you and Davis don’t have a chance.
More guilt rocked me at the thought. Just because Davis rejected me didn’t give me the right to betray his secrets. How petty of me to even consider it!
“I’m not scared,” I told her. “I just don’t know anything. And I’m grounded so it’s not easy for me to talk on the phone.”
There was a slight paused and I could tell she was weighing whether or not to believe me.
“Honestly, Kea,” I continued, feeling emboldened by the silence. “I’m not even sure I saw what I did. I’m beginning to think that the whole thing got blown out of proportion.”
I heard her inhale sharply.
“Really.” It wasn’t a question but an accusation. Yeah, I was a terrible liar.
“Yep,” I concluded. “And listen, it’s my birthday today so I have to go.”
“Oh. Happy birthday,” Kea said dully. “I won’t keep you.”
She hung up first, leaving me feeling even more conflicted than before, but I decided not to pursue it. Instead, I wandered into my bedroom, pulling my bag along with me to dig out my laptop. Since I was grounded, I knew I may as well get to my homework.
A short time later, I head Dad come home and while he didn’t exactly call out to me, the smell of my birthday cake wafted into my nostrils. I felt my shoulders sag. Maybe it wouldn’t be the worst birthday in the world after all.
I didn’t want to push my luck but I wondered if this might mean the end of my punishment.
What difference will that make? I thought sourly. It’s not like I have a full social calendar.
I wasn’t even sure if I wanted to hang out with Maddy and the others after everything that happened, and I hadn’t really had occasion to meet new friends either, not that I’d been actively looking.
The doorbell rang and my relaxing shoulders immediately tense again.
Oh my God! Kea came here again!
Instantly, I was on my feet, hurrying toward the bedroom door, but as I neared it, I knew it wasn’t Kea who had come calling. Moving like I was underwater, I parted the door, hearing the snatch of voices from the front of the house.
“…from school?” my father asked.
When the response came, a headiness overwhelmed me and I felt my knees buckle slightly. Like a gust of wind propelling me, I flew forward through the house to show myself in the front hall.
“No, Sir. I met her in town,” Davis replied, his deep voice sending shivers through me. My eyes fell on him, dressed up in a dark red button-down which seemed to make his ebony hair and eyes pop against his bronze skin. Easily, our gazes locked and I quivered all over, wondering if I was dreaming.
“Oh,” Dad said, when he realized I was standing there. “Lowell, your friend Davis has come to take you out for your birthday.”
For a moment, I couldn’t find my voice. I wasn’t sure I’d know what to say if I could, but when I looked at the bouquet of wildflowers in Davis’ strong hands, a slew of memories washed through me. I remembered being the one those hands, how tenderly he’d examined my foot, how those hands became deadly paws to fight off the threat to us.
“I was just explaining to him that you’re grounded,” Dad continued and the spell was broken. I gaped at my father who raised an eyebrow, almost as if he was daring me to give him attitude. Instantly, I dropped my eyes.
“I am,” I agreed, my words barely a mumble. “But thank you for thinking of me.”
I didn’t ask how Davis knew it was my birthday or how he knew where I lived. I wasn’t going to pose those questions in front of my father, after all.
“Can I at least give these to her, Sir?” Davis asked politely and I watched him thrust the flowers forward toward my dad.
Oh, he’s good, I couldn’t help but think. He was appealing to my dad, not me. I had to wonder if he didn’t have a father similar to mine.
“You may,” Dad agreed, stepping back to permit me to take them. I stepped toward him, a smile wavering on my face as tears of frustration filled my eyes. There he was, standing in front of me again, and I was forbidden to do anything about it.
“Thank you,” I whispered, accepting the bouquet. Our fingers grazed as I accepted them and I felt a full shock course through my body.
“Where did you have plans to go?” Dad asked suddenly. Cautiously, I gave him a sidelong look, realizing that my father was considering letting me go after all. Hope swelled in my chest.
“I can tell you, Sir, but it was meant to be a surprise for Lowell.” He gave Dad a charming, white smile, which seemed to work as well on my father as it did me.
“Please,” I heard myself say. “Please, Dad, can I go? I’ll be home by midnight and I’ll have my phone on.”
I stared at him imploringly and to my utter shock, I saw him relenting. The Colonel nodded slowly, his eyes still searching Davis’ face for signs of guile or darkness but whatever he saw seemed to jive in his protective heart.
“Midnight,” he conceded, turning to leave us in the foyer. I could hear the timer in the kitchen going off. “Not a second later.”
I wanted to squeal with delight but I managed to stifle the girlish expression. I held up a finger to Davis and raced after my dad into the kitchen. Laying the wildflowers on the counter, I turned to him and grinned warmly.
“Thanks, Dad,” I murmured as he pulled the freshly baked cake out of the oven. “Does this mean we’re good again?”
He sighed.
“I’m not sure, Lowell, but it’s your birthday and I don’t want there to be bad blood today.”
I nodded, accepting that as an answer. We could deal with whatever else we needed to tomorrow.
“Will you save me a piece?” I teased, knowing that he’d baked the cake for me. He laughed and turned to face me, oven mitts still on his hands.
“Only if you’re home by midnight,” he reiterated.
“I will,” I promised. I slipped onto my tiptoes to give him a kiss on his cheek before hurrying back to meet with Davis. Grabbing my coat and running shoes from the closet, we stepped outside, where I whirled to gape at him in disbelief. A fresh blanket of early fall snow had fallen since I’d returned home from school, capping everything in a dusty white. It continued to swirl magically through the trees, causing his shining tresses to glint like diamonds.
“I can’t believe you’re here,” I gasped. “I-I’m really happy to see you.”
His smile was genuine and he bobbed his head.
“The feeling is mutual,” he replied lightly, nodding toward an unfamiliar sedan parked on the driveway. “Shall we?”
Linking my arm into his, I happily followed alongside him.
“Sure,” I agreed. “Where to?”
“I already told you, it’s a surprise,” he replied, holding the passenger door open for me before securing himself in the driver’s seat. I cast him a look out of the corner of my eye, excitement fluttering through my belly. If possible, he was more attractive now than he’d been t
he last time I’d seen him.
“I can’t wait,” I told him, and I meant it. I couldn’t wait for our next adventure together.
17
Davis
I’d “borrowed” Hud’s car.
He didn’t know it yet, but he’d figure it out when he found my note if he woke up. He was working nights at the canning factory and usually slept through the day until his shift. That night, he wasn’t working and I had taken it upon myself to use his beloved BMW.
Almost none of us owned vehicles. There was little point when most of us could get where we needed to go without harming the environment with fossil fuels. Hud was one of the exceptions, simply because he couldn’t very well shift every time he needed to get to work. It would bring on too many questions. He only used it for that purpose and any other time, the BMW sat, unattended, with the keys in the ignition, parked around back of his tiny cottage.
I had never considered taking my friend’s vehicle before now, but this was a special occasion. It was my mate’s birthday and I wanted it to be perfect—even if I had to deal with the fallout from this.
I’m already dealing with the fall out from everything else, I mused. What’s one more thing?
I shoved Hud and the compound out of my head, refocussing on Lowell’s pleased expression. She was as happy to see me as I was to see her. I could read it all over her face.
“Not even one little hint?” she teased as I guided the car through the winding back roads. “Inquiring minds want to know.”
“Inquiring minds need to be patient,” I replied slyly. “We’ll be there soon.”
She kept looking at me and I could read the million questions running through her head, but to her credit, she didn’t ask any of them. I wasn’t sure I’d have had the same resolve if I’d been in her shoes. After all, I’d been so cold with her the last time we’d seen one another, and now…
I stopped the car in the evening light, seemingly in the middle of nowhere.
“W-what is this?” Lowell asked, sounding uncertain. “Where are we?”
“You’ll see,” I replied, jumping out to open her door again. She accepted my proffered hand and I led her into the trees where I’d left the snowmobile.
“Ever ridden on one of these?” I asked.
“Actually,” Lowell laughed, sounding surprised. “I haven’t!”
“Why do you sound so shocked?”
“I was beginning to feel like I’d done everything, but I can honestly say, I’ve never been on one of these. Is there enough snow for it?”
I chuckled.
“There’s enough snow,” I assured her, climbing onto the vehicle and tapping the back for her to sit behind me. After we slipped our helmets on, I felt Lowell’s arms slide around my waist, her form sitting snug against mine and we were off. Lowell whooped with pleasure as we weaved through the brush, dodging trees and gliding over the freshly fallen snow with ease. This wasn’t the best terrain for snow mobiling under normal circumstances, but I knew these woods better than they knew themselves. I knew that we were in no danger of crashing into a tree or falling over a ravine.
Eventually, I guided the ski-do into a small clearing and I heard Lowell gasp as I slowed the vehicle to stop beside the waterfall in front of us.
With painstaking detail, I had laid out dozens of candles to flicker and glow along the rocks surrounding it, but when I had done it, there had still been light. Now, in the dark, the illumination was magical, glimmering across the lightly rushing water into the shallow pool below.
I helped her off the ski-do and removed her helmet and mine. Her eyes trailed over the scene and I could feel her heart beating rapidly beneath her coat. She shivered slightly and I instinctively pulled her closer, warming her against my body.
“W-why are you doing this?” she asked, the confusion in her voice palpable. “I mean, what made you change your mind?”
I met her gaze evenly, feeling a muscle twitch in my jaw as I considered her question carefully.
“You’re my mate,” I told her simply in the end. “We’re meant to be together.”
A look of wonderment replaced the perplexity.
“H-how do you know?” she mumbled. “I-how can you be sure?”
I smiled, shaking my head at the boldness and sense of the question. I’d asked myself the same numerous times.
“Because I can’t get you out of my head, Lowell,” I said gently. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you, imagining your scent, you face, your touch. I’ve prowled through the mountainside, yearning for you, and there’s no point in denying it.”
No matter what the consequences, a voice in my head mocked me. I shushed it, determined not to have this moment foiled by the attraction I felt for her. Never had I ever been so consumed by another and I knew I wasn’t apt to feel it again.
“I want you to be my eternal mate,” I told her, the words slipping freely from my lips without hesitation. “If you’ll have me.”
I stared at her, waiting for her response and when it came, I was ready for it. Her mouth crushed to mine, parting slightly to release the sigh she’d been holding. Instantly, I tightened my arms around her, drawing the soft curves of her body to mine.
Her lids closed slightly, head falling back to allow her to breath mingle with mine.
“Yes,” she whispered. “Yes, I’ll be your mate.”
18
Lowell
In a swift, easy movement, as easily as he had lifted me on the night I was injured, Davis pulled me into his arms, laying me gently beside the pool of water beside the fall.
The rhythmic sound of the water splashing around us only enhanced the already heady feeling of drunkenness I was feeling as my jacket fell off my shoulders.
Davis’ mouth was hot and sweet, exactly how I’d imagined it all those nights when I’d been unable to sleep. I was swept up in the joy of finally having claimed him—or had he claimed me?
None of that mattered now. The fact that we were together was all that was important, not the road we’d taken to get here. His lips trailed along the curve of my chin, flowing lower to sample my neck. A flurry of goosebumps erupted over my skin, the heat of his touch a startling contrast to the chill of the air around us.
The snow had finally stopped, raising the temperature a few degrees, but I felt nothing but warmth, even as my blouse was stripped away to expose my breasts freely against the night. I’d forgotten I’d gotten a little too comfortable after school, but in that moment, it was to our benefit, the restriction of clothing not slowing our building momentum.
A small moan fell from my lips when he nuzzled my breasts, his hands cupping against my jeans to mould me into him.
His shirt had also come off and I relished the feel of his flesh against mine, wondering what it would feel like to know him this way in his bear form. The notion only heightened my excitement and as he slid off my pants, I knew I was ready to cross lines I’d never crossed with anyone before.
My thighs quivered when he paused between them, his dark eyes locking with mine as if he was seeking approval to proceed. I raised myself up onto my elbows, biting on my lower lip as I nodded, resisting the urge to buck my already heated center against him, but he didn’t need to be told again. He slid my panties aside with long fingers, brushing against my most sensitive parts and I released a cry even before his tongue found its way inside me.
Slowly at first, he delved into me, his laps even and methodical as if he was trying to find every crevice of my core. With each lick, he drove me closer to where he wanted me and my fingers reached out, twining with his thick head of hair for grip.
When his movements sped up, I knew any resistance would be futile and with a scream that startled the birds from the trees, I released against him, spasm after spasm flowing from my body until I had nothing left. Only then did he raise his head to crawl up my body, his lips brushing against mine.
“You are so beautiful, Lowell,” he rasped and for a moment, in my u
tter pleasure, I felt like I was floating above us, watching a scene in a movie. The words only enhanced the feelings of adulation I had for him as he slid off me, removing his pants now so that we were both, finally, naked together.
I could have stared at his frame for hours, the work of art he was with his defines muscles and rippling abs. Perhaps it knowing what hid beneath that bronze, strong exterior that excited me even more but when he slipped into the pool below me, I sat up, looking at him in surprise. Surely he couldn’t be done, not when his body had just told me he hadn’t even gotten started.
He extended his arms from the water, hands encircling my waist and before I could brace myself for the cold, he pulled me in at his side. I gasped at the sudden shock but instantly, his hardness found its way between my legs, silencing any reservations I might have had.
He grazed against me, teasing at my swollen parts with his and when our eyes met again, I nodded eagerly, wrapping my legs around his waist.
Seamlessly, we fell together, our two bodies becoming one, as if they’d always been connected. In unison, we moaned, our limbs entwined as we tried to get closer. Spray of the falls misted around us, mingling with the sweat that had formed on my brow but I was so caught up in the feeling of his manhood, I barely noticed anything but the euphoria I was feeling. Nothing had ever felt so good, so right, and I knew it had everything to do with Davis. It just couldn’t have been like this with anyone else. I knew that intuitively.
We felt in a deep, plunging harmony, the waves rocking us in motion and I knew I was going to find myself at another climax soon.
“Are you ready?” Davis grunted, his breaths escaping unevenly in my ear.
“Yes,” I breathed, knowing exactly what he meant. Together, we met our height, a flow of heat exuding from each of our bodies at the same time and I whimpered slightly as my nails dug into his back. I held fast to him, afraid he might slip away but the way he returned my embrace told me he wasn’t going anywhere.
We had finally found one another and neither one of us was going to give that up again.
