Bear Arms (Alpha Werebear Shapeshifter Romance) (Mating Call Dating Agency Book 4)

by Lynn Red

  “Is it a bad smell?” Lexie turned back toward her bear and hugged him a little tighter. “I mean, anything like, underlying evil going on?”

  “Nah, Morales is happy. Look at the two of them going at it! He’s got a side-swipe I’m kinda jealous of. Come to think of it, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen him this amused.”

  The two sat, watching through the glass for a moment, and then a breeze came through, ruffling Lexie’s hair, which reminded her of the box in her hand as she lifted her arm and hit herself in the side of the head with it. “I know we need to take this to her, but look how she’s smiling and laughing. I mean, I don’t really know Eve, but the few encounters we’ve had, I’ve never seen her act like that at all.”

  “I sorta want to leave them alone,” Blake said a moment later. “Feels almost criminal to break up a pair having that much fun. Especially knowing what all Morales has been through to get to this point. They’re just... playing. It isn’t even romantic, really. Just looks like a couple of old friends having a good time.”

  Just then, a peal of laughter broke through. Eve jumped up on the table, which in Blake’s mind was tantamount to sacrilege, but given the circumstances he couldn’t feel anything but joy for the two of them in there obviously enjoying themselves so much. “What’s in that box?” he asked, remembering that he had no idea.

  “No clue,” Lexie said. “God they’re having fun, aren’t they? Oh no, they started again. But what the hell, that was a serious kiss they just had. I’m thinking if we don’t go in there, it might be Eve having to pay the PDA ticket.”

  Blake snorted a laugh. “Well, but if she needs whatever’s in the box, it seems like a bad idea to just split.”

  She looked down at the cube, and rattled it. Nothing really moved. The only sound it emitted was a kind of soft rasping. “Fabric? Clothes?” she asked. Blake shrugged. “Maybe she’s planning an outdoor adventure for the evening?”

  Lexie shrugged. “Looks to me like they’re doing fine in there without us. But... yeah maybe it’s... oh weird,” she paused when her phone buzzed viciously in her pocket. “Oh, it’s from Eve,” she said. “Somehow.”

  “This is all turning out to be a completely different sort of ambush than I thought it’d be,” Blake said. “I’m no conspiracy junkie, but things are lining up very strangely here. Double date that turns into a partial double date, empty parking lot, those two eating each other’s faces on the air hockey table,” he trailed off, grinning again at Eve and Morales as they mauled each other between points. “I can’t be the only one thinking this, can I? And I guess I should reconsider my position about them not acting romantic.”

  Lexie shook her head and held Blake’s hand tighter. “The text says that if we’re fine on our own, we can just mosey on. It actually says that, it says mosey. I didn’t know anyone said mosey.”

  “I didn’t think anyone played air hockey with that weird grip,” he said. “She’s kind of side arming the thing. I almost feel like I’d be doing the entire noble sport of air hockey a disservice by not giving her a lesson at some point.”

  Lexie chuffed a laugh. “Also, she said the box is for us anyway.”

  “Er,” Blake snorted, “it is? I mean, is she some kind of psychic?”

  “I think she just plans everything out so intricately that it seems that way. I mean, she is an owl, and owls are kinda like that. At least the ones I know.”

  “And what are bears like?” Blake said. There was a twist of a grin in his voice, but he didn’t look away from the pair inside. “That grip is really bothering me.”

  “Well, they’re kind of big, kind of Brawny-guy, although usually not too fond of flannel.”

  “It chafes after a while,” Blake said. “God that’s irritating me.”

  Lexie grabbed his other hand and turned him to face her. “And they’re about as loyal as anything here, or anywhere else. What do you know about rabbits?”

  Blake squinted slightly. “Well,” he began and then left off.

  “Come on, out with it.”

  “It’s just, I’m not sure this is the right time, and I’m not sure that I’m not completely insane,” Blake said. For once, he didn’t follow his statement with an air hockey critique.

  “You’re talking to a girl who made an entire life out of being a crazypants on the internet,” Lexie said. “I doubt you’re any more whacked out than I am.” Absently she began fiddling with the very ample tape job that fastened the box. “And even if you are, hell, that’s what love is, right?”

  As she said the word—love—Blake’s fist tightened around hers, like he was holding on to an anchor. He didn’t say anything further, but she goaded him with a look, and a tug on his hand.

  “Well,” he said again, obviously considering his words carefully. “The only thing I know about rabbit-shifters is that they’re very neat, they’re usually pretty short, and...” He sighed heavily. “I’m really about to say this, aren’t I?”

  “Say what? I know we’ve only known each other for about three...four and a half hours at this point, but for some reason I feel like I trust you.”

  “I think I trust you, too,” Blake said. “And that’s not normal for me. To add to what you said about bears, it usually takes us a long, long time to warm up to other people. But you? I think from the second you answered the phone and told me how awesome you were, I was convinced.”

  He was silent for another few seconds. “The other thing I know about rabbits is that I think I fell in love with one exactly three hours and forty-eight minutes ago, and I can’t tell if I went insane from being alone in the desert for so long, but I really, really don’t think I am.”

  Lexie’s eyes went just about as big around as a 1950s UFO.

  “And,” he continued, “right now I’m feeling like I probably should keep my cards a little closer to my chest because I—”

  Lexie hopped up, as only a rabbit can, and threw her arms around Blake’s neck and wrapped her legs around his waist. Latched onto him like that, she was able to plant the kiss on him she’d wanted to plant since they’d gotten out of the car. His head went backward slightly from the impact, but he grabbed her just as hard, and returned the kiss fiercely, hungrily, with the sort of desperation that usually only comes from two lovers falling into each other’s arms after a long absence.

  “Can I say something crazy?” Lexie asked.

  “Crazier than what I just laid out?”

  “With you, I think I’ve known you a lot longer than a few hours. I feel like we’ve known each other forever and have just been looking for each other’s phone numbers after we parted ways after middle school or something.” She took a deep breath. “I know that’s hard to understand, but—”

  “No it’s not,” Blake interrupted her, and followed it with another kiss that pushed her head back this time.

  The two held on for dear life for a few seconds, until they both needed to breathe.

  “It makes perfect sense,” Blake said. “I always thought this stuff was a bunch of bullshit. The whole waiting for the one thing, all that? It never made sense to me. Until now.”

  There were tears rolling down Lexie’s cheeks that she didn’t feel coming. And when Blake turned, with her still latched onto him like a lovesick barnacle, she saw one running down his. She kissed it away and couldn’t do anything but smile. “You know?” she finally asked, “I think the two of us have both been waiting a long time for someone that thought all that stuff was bullshit until it finally happened.”

  When Lexie finally dropped her deathgrip, she remembered the box that fell on the ground like a forgotten coffee cup tumbling out of an overfull cabinet.

  Blake looked back to the Fun Pit, and just shook his head. Morales had Eve on top of the air hockey table, actually tickling her. “He’s tickling her,” Blake said. “They’re gonna have to adjust the jets on that table afterwards. Or maybe just buy a new one at the rate those two are going. I wonder what that’s like?”

&nb
sp; From out of nowhere, another vehicle pulled down the long road leading from the edge of civilization to Ralph’s Fun Pit. “A bike?” Blake said, forgetting for the moment his emotional reverie. “I hope no one’s expecting to come out here and have a quick round of mini-golf.”

  He froze stock-still. “Wait,” he said slowly. “Wait a second.”

  Lexie tugged his arm. “What is it? You smell something else?”

  Blake nodded, barely visible in the darkness, but the glint of moonlight off the back of his head was visible. “Lion,” he said. “There’s a lion on that motorcycle and he’s alone. Why do I think there’s about to be trouble?”

  “Uh,” Lexie edged up against Blake’s side. “If your boy is in there with her, why is a lion coming around?”

  Blake shook his head. “I heard something about a guy named Rake. Lion named Rake, I guess. Supposedly some tall, dark, and golden lion from Eve’s past. You heard any of this?”

  “Shit,” Lexie breathed. “Yeah, I mean, everyone in town has. They had a real... well, a real past, let’s put it that way.”

  “Anything I should know? As in, is my friend in danger?”

  “I can’t say,” Lexie said as she bit down on her lip. “But he doesn’t seem like he noticed us, at least.”

  Blake stared long and hard at the new member of their limited party. He stepped off the motorcycle, kicked down the stand and swung his leg off effortlessly. That was when he noticed how tall, exactly, the newcomer was. Lanky wasn’t the right word to describe Rake.

  He was tall, and slender, yes, but lined with muscle. Every movement the lion made was packed with purpose, and obvious power.

  “Is he gonna attack them? Can you smell, you know, intent?”

  Blake snorted a laugh. “Smell it? No, but after five years in a warzone, I’ve got a pretty good read on people. That guy is dangerous, but I don’t think he’s the sort to hurt anyone for no reason. And besides, if what I heard about him and Eve was true, he’s been wanting to get her back for almost twenty years. That’s a hell of a long time to wait. Not that I don’t understand,” he added almost inaudibly.

  “What was that?” Lexie asked.

  “Nothing. I don’t know what this guy’s planning, but if I get the slightest hint that he’s about to pull anything, I just want you to know I’m not gonna let Morales get hurt.”

  Lexie swallowed hard, nodding that she understood. “He’s fast,” she said without much inflection of any sort, but the hollow drone in her voice spoke volumes. “Don’t get hurt.”

  “I won’t,” Blake said. His voice was soft, but strong. For the first time, Lexie noticed exactly how dangerous Blake sounded. If there was anything this lion-suitor was going to try, it wasn’t getting anywhere, she thought. Then again, Blake seemed almost worried, almost tense, at the thought of having to have some kind of encounter.

  At the same time, she had a morbid sort of curiosity about seeing this bad ass soldier bear throw down, but at the same time, violence wasn’t her idea of a good date experience.

  Well, not this kind of violence anyway.

  Rake approached the door, and the two flirting friends inside were still oblivious to his presence. He grasped the handle, seemed to pull at it once, and then when he found it to be locked tight, he tightened up and yanked the damn deadbolt out with one smooth, completely cool, completely nonplussed movement.

  Morales, whose huge back was to the door, froze at the sound of metal ripping. Eve peered around the arm that braced the big bear against the table. Lexie saw her eyes widen, and she mouthed something to Morales. The bear’s trapezius muscles flexed up almost to his ears, and when he turned to face the approaching beast, Morales flared his nostrils, and balled his fists.

  “Wait,” Eve mouthed. “Talk first.”

  Lexie’s focus heightened, as it always did when she sensed some kind of impending danger. Rabbits, after all, tend to the flight part of the fight or flight continuum, and for damn good reason. “Please?” Eve added to her earlier plea. “Why are you... why are you here, Rake?”

  For a moment, the lion in the black leather jacket and 501s only breathed. His shoulders rose and fell with each lungful he took. Lexie squeezed Blake’s hand hard in hers. “I’m scared,” she said. He didn’t respond with words, but gripped her hand back.

  “I’m,” Rake took a breath through his nose, letting it out through his mouth. He was very obviously trying to keep himself calm, which garnered at least a little bit of respect from Lexie, who sort of expected him to just jump in and start going nuts. “I’m here for her.”

  “So am I,” Morales said, turning around and standing taller, and somehow wider, between Eve and the newcomer. “Who the hell are you?”

  “Ask her,” Rake said. His voice had gone slightly softer, but the way he spoke had the effect of making the ragged edges of his personality all the clearer. “She knows.”

  “Eve?” Morales asked, not turning around.

  “He’s... well we have a past,” Eve said. “I didn’t expect him to reappear quite like this, but, I also didn’t not expect it, if you know what I mean.”

  Morales didn’t respond, he only stepped closer to Rake.

  The two were almost of an equal height, but what Morales lacked in verticality, he made up for with width. Lexie watched the two of them stare at each other, and couldn’t help but bite her lip harder and grip Blake’s hand. “I really don’t want either of them to kill the other,” she said weakly.

  “Not happening,” Blake said. “Trust me.”

  “This isn’t your place,” Rake hissed. There was a scar running down the side of his face that was turned toward where Lexie and Blake watched. It was long, jagged, and seemed like it would have taken out an eye if it were an inch to the right. “I got no fight with you, bear,” he finished. “But if you want one, I’ll give it to you.”

  Morales narrowed his vision. Lexie had heard plenty of times, in plenty of movies, about thousand-yard stares, but she’d never actually seen one in person until just then. Morales’s eyes relaxed just slightly, and for a moment he seemed to be channeling Clint Eastwood in Fistful of Dollars. All he needed was the short little cigar and a big hat and he’d be right at home.

  “No,” Morales finally said. “I got no fight with you either, but I will know what the hell is going on.”

  Lexie felt her breathing get shallower. Her chest was like an empty husk, and no matter how she tried, she couldn’t calm her nerves enough to breathe normally.

  The two began to circle. Rake had his hands shoved into his pockets, and reminded Lexie a little of the super monster badass in every single kung fu movie she’d ever seen. He was the type that didn’t need to be all inflated and loud for you to just know he could kill you.

  At the same time, Morales was the Arnold Schwarzenegger bad ass. With just a look, just a glance, he commanded all the attention in a room, and with all the muscles and strength he had, even without knowing anything about him, you knew he could more than take care of himself.

  “It’s the bad ass ass lick,” Blake said with the deadpan Lexie had grown somewhat accustomed to.

  Without thinking about it, she snorted hard, and then laughed. “What?” she asked.

  “That’s what they’re doing. Like dogs licking each other’s asses, but this is what bad motherfuckers do when they are feeling each other out. If either of them was crazy enough to try anything, I think they already would’ve.”

  “What about a... I don’t know, a chain or something?” Lexie was watching intently, convinced that at any moment something was going to erupt.

  “Badasses don’t need chains, unless they’re about to have a dance-off,” Blake said with a slight smile. “I think they both realize that neither is significantly more bad ass than the other. That says something about how smart they both are.”

  “Eve?” Rake called out, without taking his eyes from Morales. “You know why I’m here.”

  “I,” the owl made a sort of gawpin
g noise. “I guess I do, but I didn’t think you’d just come.”

  “You want me to go?” Morales asked. “I’m not leaving until I’m convinced this prick isn’t going to hurt you, but I won’t stick around any longer than that.”

  “No,” Eve said. “No, we were on a date, we were having fun. He’s not going to do anything crazy. Right, Rake?”

  She was speaking with that slightly distracted voice that Lexie recognized in herself. There were two voices in Eve’s head right then, and they were fighting for control. On the one hand, Lexie thought, the big bear she’d been flirting with was a good guy, and Eve knew it. On the other? Who the hell wouldn’t like a blast from the past going out of his way and courting bodily harm to prove how much he wanted a girl back?

  “I don’t know who you are,” Rake said, “and I don’t much care. You stay between me and her though, and I might have to reconsider my position on not fighting you.”

  At that, Morales let out a sardonic laugh. “You crazy son of a bitch,” he said. “You got no idea what I—”

  “I’m sure you’d give me a hell of a beating,” Rake said, “but I’d win eventually. I got nothin’ to lose, and that makes a man,” he paused, sucking air between his teeth, “a little wilder,” he said. “A little bit, you know, more fierce.”

  Morales considered this, and the two continued to circle. “You might not have anything to lose,” he said, “but I’ve got someone to protect. Someone I care about. I assume you must care about her too, so I know you don’t want to hurt her.”

  “You’re smarter than you look,” Rake said with a half-grin. “Can we talk, Eve?”

  “Just give the word,” Morales said. “I’ll do whatever you want, Eve.”

  Lexie looked over at Blake, who was shaking his head back and forth, very slowly. She noticed that the ready-to-fight tension had relaxed from his shoulders, and he wasn’t gripping her hand quite so tightly anymore.

  “I want you to stay, because I’m not gonna just go along with all this,” Eve answered. “Rake, yes we’ll talk, but not now. You need to know that I’m not just gonna—”