“Sure. I’ll be right back.”
Gerri watched as Bailey hurried off to the store to grab her a bottle of painkillers that she’d never use.
“I can’t believe she fell for that. Surely she has to know wolves don’t get headaches, and even if we did, human drugs would do nothing for us,” Daisy laughed. “And the grabbing your head part, massaging it. Priceless.”
“I know, right? It was the first thing that came to me. I don’t know what I would have done if she would have questioned my excuse.”
Daisy sipped her coffee. A concerned look replaced the smiling, giggling look she sported only moments ago. “Do you think she’ll be okay? I mean. He’s the right one for her, right? There are some shady people left over from the old pack leader. We’ve been keeping an eye on them, but you never know.”
“She’ll be perfectly fine.” Gerri reached over and clasped Daisy’s hand. “Have a little faith in this old woman. Besides, it looks like things turned out just fine for you.”
Chapter Three
“Hey. Watch where you’re going, you clumsy oaf!” Bailey shouted at the stranger who’d not only knocked her on her ass, but right into a damn mud puddle, ruining her brand new skirt.
“I’m so… so sorry, miss. Here, let me help you up.”
The stranger towered over her, making her feel tiny compared to him. Not once in her life did she ever feel small or tiny. Not ever. Until that very moment. Bailey had always known she was a big girl, with plenty of curves to go around. Hell, she was a bear shifter. It wasn’t like bears ran in petite sizes or anything.
But the dude that ran her ass over—he was freaking enormous. Easily six and a half foot tall, legs the size of freaking tree trunks, and thick muscles like she’d never seen on another human. His arms… by God, his arms.
Holy Christ.
She felt the sudden need to lick her lips.
She reached for his hand, allowing him to help her get upright. A tingling sensation raced through Bailey’s hand the instant their skin touched. Her body filled with feelings that had long been dormant. She quickly pulled back and stumbled, landing on her ass once again.
“Sorry. I… I, uh”
“Sorry, it’s my fault. I thought I had a better grip.” The male reached for her once again.
This time, Bailey took his hand and held on tight, desperately wanting to get out of the cold puddle she’d landed in again.
“I don’t know what happened. I meant to go around you, but you moved at the same time and—”
“And I ended up on my ass. And in a mud puddle,” Bailey finished his sentence for him, trying like hell to wipe away the dirt that caked her skirt and legs, but it was no use. She was thoroughly soaked.
“I’m very sorry. Let me help you get cleaned up,” the male stammered. His face beet red, clearly embarrassed by his clumsiness.
“It’s okay. I, uhh—” Bailey’s mind went blank as the man peeled his shirt off and started patting her backside down in a desperate attempt to get the dirt and muck off of her.
“I’d ask if you lived close enough to run home and change, but I would’ve noticed a woman like you long before now.”
“What do you mean? A woman like me?” She stared up at him, wondering what he meant by that last comment. A clumsy dork who was probably drooling at him like some mindless idiot.
“Here, let me do it.” Bailey snatched his shirt from his hands and began cleaning herself up. She needed to break whatever spell she seemed to be under. “No, I’m not from around here. Just visiting for the weekend.”
“I didn’t mean anything bad by what I said. I simply meant that a woman with your good looks… well, I would’ve seen you before today, and I definitely would’ve remembered seeing you.”
“Awe. How sweet,” Bailey thought. She’d heard a lot of one-liners over the years that she had known not to put any stock in. It wasn’t just his words that made her believe he’d meant what he said. It was the body language he displayed after the comment.
Shyly looking away, check.
Slight blush, check.
Fidgeting like an uncertain school boy, check.
It left her feeling quite perplexed. She’d been hit on plenty of times and had her fair share of relationships, but none of the human men she’d ever dated had caught the attention of her bear.
“I’m Gavin, by the way. Gavin Neely. Are you sure I can’t do something to help? I feel terrible.”
“Thanks, but I’ve got it. My friends are waiting for me at the coffee shop. I should really get back to them.” Bailey handed Gavin’s shirt back, wanting nothing more than to hightail it out of there.
It wasn’t like her to be so skittish, but the man roused her bear, and while she loved her bear, she didn’t want to deal with her at the moment. It was growing harder by the moment to keep her beast in line. If she could trust her animal not to force the issue, it would be one thing, but she couldn’t trust herself not to shift right there on the sidewalk.
Her bear hadn’t been this excited about anything in ages. The animal wanted full control of her body and mind. Bailey fought tooth and nail against her animal. There was no way she was giving her beast control.
She needed to take a deep cleansing breath. Away from the man’s delectable scent. It was driving her mad, making her want to do things the usually quiet and reserved Bailey never did.
“Can I at least ask your name?” Gavin called out to her.
Bailey turned, seeking one last glimpse of the hottie who’d bulldozed her. “Bailey.”
Gavin smiled. “Bailey. I like that.”
She returned Gavin’s smile and headed back to the coffee shop with Gerri’s Advil, with the feeling that her life was about to change, and not for the better.
***
“Bailey,” Gavin repeated her name again, loving the way it rolled off his tongue. He’d been at home, a few miles away, when he first caught wind of her scent. The mouthwatering scent surrounded his very soul, calling out to him like none other. It pulled at him, tugged at him, summoned him to seek out the source.
When the aroma first washed over him, he’d been trying to make a dent in his wood pile, chopping logs and stacking them up for the coming winter. He’d had no idea what it was or where it was coming from, but he knew he had to find out what it was. The scent enveloped him, drugged him. Before he knew it, he was running through the woods desperate to find it. His pile of logs and favorite ax long forgotten.
Gavin’s heart leapt for joy when he spotted her casually walking out of the convenience store, studying what appeared to be a bottle of human painkillers. Why she needed it, he had no idea. It wasn’t something that any shifter would ever consider buying, let alone using.
His body moved on its own. Toward the woman. He tried to stop himself from seeking her out, but it was useless. He was on autopilot. His bear on the verge of breaking free. Gavin fought harder than he’d ever had to keep his beast locked up tight.
He could not, would not shift.
No matter what.
The wolves had no idea he’d been hiding out among them for the past few months. They knew he was a newcomer and different from them, but that was all they knew. And he intended to keep it that way.
If they found out about his true nature… well, let’s just say he’d have to haul ass out of town unless he wanted to take on the whole damn pack. The wolves at Twisted Tail had made it known to his kind on more than one occasion bears were not welcome on their land. Granted they were under new leadership, but he still didn’t want to risk everything.
“Easy boy,” Gavin begged his bear to calm down. The animal inside of him pushed back.
“She is our mate!” the bear shouted in his mind. Images of them claiming the woman as their mate filled Gavin’s mind.
“You think I don’t know that?” Gavin shouted back. He knew damn well the woman was their mate, but he couldn’t lose his shit in the middle of town. If he did, the consequences would be dire for
everyone involved.
Gavin ran his fingers over the ancient amulet hanging around his neck. What he wanted to know most of all was how she got away with not concealing her scent, like he did, while she walked freely around town.
The overwhelming need to protect the woman, whom the Fates decided was his mate, coursed through him, nearly knocking him to his knees. His bear wanted nothing more than to shift to their strongest form, knowing it was the best way to protect what was his. Gavin beat him back again. The test of wills wearing on his last nerve.
Each step he took brought him closer to the woman. Closer to the one who was meant for him and him alone.
He looked her over once again. Committing every single detail about her to memory. How the wind swept wisps of her chestnut hair across her face. The small splattering of freckles covering her nose and cheeks that perfectly accentuated her chocolate eyes.
And then there were her curves, her luscious beautiful curves, which Gavin couldn’t wait to wrap his hands around. Hundreds of naughty images flashed through his mind. His cock hardened at the thought of claiming her.
Sweet Lord above how he wanted her. Gavin knew nothing about the woman other than the fact that she was his intended, and that was all he really needed to know. One look, one smell was all it took for him to fall head over heels.
His mind reeled with the possibilities of a life that involved his mate. He’d long ago given up any hope of finding her—his one true mate.
Most males of his species set off on their own to search for their mate shortly after they reached twenty or so in human years. Remaining alone until they found their intended.
Not Gavin. Sure, he’d spent years searching for the woman who was meant for him, but eventually gave up when he’d never caught so much as the faintest scent of her. After years of being on his own, surrounded by nothing more than his own thoughts and the great outdoors, he’d had enough.
Isolation was not his friend.
Unlike other bears, he was more of a social creature. He’d searched far and wide for a pack of wolves who might allow him to hang out nearby, and he’d been run out of several areas by wolves who feared having a grizzly bear in their midst. Wolves, unlike bears, were pack creatures who thrived in a communal environment. Gavin needed that. He needed to be around others.
He liked the chaos and calamity packs lived in. Sure, they had an Alpha to take control and enforce the laws, but still managed to coexist in large groups, even when disputes sprang up.
Bears could live in small groups if food was plentiful and they had an inkling to do so. The problem was Gavin had yet to find a group of bears that felt comfortable enough with his presence to allow him to stay for any extended period of time. He needed more than a life of solitude. More than being left to his own thoughts.
Maybe he just didn’t know how to be a bear.
“Watch out, idiot,” his bear shouted in his mind, dragging him from his thoughts.
Gavin snapped out of the stupor just before he plowed head-on into an elderly woman. He stepped to the left and then quickly to the right to dodge the frail old woman, only to end up mowing down the beauty who’d made his heart pound like no other.
Before Gavin could catch her, she hit the ground. Mud from the previous day’s rain splashed up all around her. His heart sank.
“Way to make a first impression,” his bear grumbled in his mind.
Gavin felt like a complete idiot. Literally running into his mate and knocking her down was not quite what he had in mind as far as introductions go. His face beet red, he stammered to apologize and help her off of the ground.
As he watched her walk away after their fateful meeting, something in his chest burned at the thought of his mate walking away from him. He wanted to follow her to see who she was meeting.
Gavin sucked in a deep breath, knowing he couldn’t follow her, even if it’s what his bear demanded he do. He would keep an eye on her from afar and watch for another opportunity to speak to her.
Chapter Four
“Bailey, dear, what happened?” Gerri asked.
A blush covered Bailey’s face. She knew how bad she looked after falling not once but twice into a mud puddle. “I… I, uhh, guess you could say I had a few problems walking.”
Daisy sprung from her seat. “Oh, my God. You didn’t get attacked or anything, did you?”
“Oh no. Nothing like that. I guess I really wasn’t watching where I was going and neither was the guy who ran into me. It was an accident, really. Anyway, I’m sure I look worse than I really am.”
Bailey’s thoughts were spinning in her head at roughly a million miles per hour. There was something about Gavin that she felt she was missing. Something obvious, but for the life of her, she just couldn’t seem to put her finger on what it was.
“Gavin,” her bear repeated the name. “I like it.”
“Why do you have so much interest in this guy?” Bailey asked her bear.
Her bear snorted. “I’m not telling. You’ll ruin it.”
“Bailey, sweetie. Are you okay?” Daisy waved her hands up and down in front of Bailey’s face.
“Oh, yeah. Of course. Sorry. I guess my mind went blank there for a minute. What were you saying?”
“That we should get you back to the house and out of those wet clothes! You are absolutely soaked. Are you sure you’re okay?” Daisy asked, clearly exasperated by Bailey’s appearance.
“Yeah, that would be great. Sorry if I ruined your outing.” Bailey handed Gerri the Advil she’d almost forgotten about. “I hope this helps with that headache.”
The ride back to Daisy’s was slow. Thankful for the heated leather seats, Bailey kept to her own thoughts as Gerri and Daisy chatted quietly in the front of the SUV. She still couldn’t figure out what her bear had meant by ‘you’ll ruin it’. The statement made no sense whatsoever to her. Then again, most of her bear’s thoughts didn’t make much sense, so it shouldn’t surprise her.
Bailey flexed her hand, remembering the jolt of awareness that flashed through her when Gavin touched her. She’d never felt anything like it before. And good Goddess above, help her now. The image of him shirtless—sweet Jesus! She was never going to be able to forget those rippling muscles and biceps.
“So tell me about the man who ran into you. Maybe it’s someone I know,” Daisy said, looking back at Bailey through the rearview mirror.
“He said his name was umm… Gavin.” Bailey glanced out of the window, hoping Daisy didn’t pick up on her interest in the man.
“The name doesn’t ring a bell. What did he look like?”
“He was huge. Easily six and a half foot, with dirty blond hair. Big guy. And huge freaking arms.”
“You know what they say about guys with huge arms, don’t you?” Gerri asked.
“No. What’s that?” Bailey laughed.
“The bigger the arms, the better he can hold you down and fuck you until you scream!”
“Gerri!” Bailey and Daisy shouted in unison, surprised by her answer.
“Or so says a friend,” Gerri laughed.
“Yeah, well, I wouldn’t know anything about that.” Gerri’s vulgar answer may have shocked Bailey, but if she were honest with herself that was the first thing she’d imagined when she thought about Gavin’s arms.
***
Gavin paced back and forth in his small cabin, trying to figure out the best way to approach Bailey without setting off a firestorm he had no desire to deal with.
“The Alpha is here,” his bear announced in his head.
“Fuck. Just what we need right now.”
Sure enough, a few seconds later a knock sounded at the door. Gavin quickly opened the door. “Calder, come on in. What can I do for you?”
“We’ve got a pretty big problem and I’m hoping you can help the pack out.” Calder stepped inside, eyeing up the small space.
“This should be interesting,” Gavin said to his bear, wondering what in the world Calder could possibly want w
ith him.
“We have a few bears that have been causing problems down by the lake. I know I’m the new Alpha of the pack and all, but I have a pretty clear concept of where our borders end and where theirs start. Plus, I’d like to think that I’m smart enough to know when someone’s trying to pull a fast one on me, like these guys are trying to do. Anyway, they say it’s their land, that they have the right to hunt it as they see fit. Which I wouldn’t mind sharing with them, but they’re fucking with some of our women and I’m not putting up with that shit.”
The information surprised Gavin. He hadn’t scented any bears around the area at all. Anyway, why would Calder bring this up to him? Out of habit, his hand flew to the amulet around his neck.
Calder didn’t miss Gavin’s inadvertent movement.
“That’s pretty surprising news. I’m not sure what you think I can do to help, though.” Gavin watched as Calder’s eyes flashed from their normal bright amber to the deepest black he’d ever seen.
“Let’s cut the shit, shall we?”
Calder’s voice sounded different, even with Gavin’s advanced hearing abilities. It was almost like someone else spoke through the Alpha’s mouth.
“What do you m—mean?” Gavin stuttered.
“I know what you are. I know who you are. I just don’t know why you chose to settle at Twisted Tail.”
“I, uh—”
Calder’s eyes flashed back to normal. “It’s okay. You don’t have to explain anything right now. I know you’re not with those other bears, and I know you’re not here to cause any shit with the pack. We would have run you off long ago if that was the case.”
“Fair enough.” Gavin sighed, knowing he was well and truly busted by the Alpha. “So much for anonymity,” he thought to himself.
“So what can I do to help the pack with these bears?”
“See if you can talk to them, bear to bear. Who knows? Maybe they will listen to one of their kind. Besides, I’ve seen these guys in human form and they’re nowhere near as big as you. If nothing else, maybe they’ll be intimidated by your size.”
Bearly Twisted Page 2
