Mated to a Bear (Legends of Black Salmon Falls Book 3)

by Lauren Lively

  Offering me something? My mind was spinning with the possibilities – and none of them seemed particularly good. Was that some sort of code for a surprise attack? Was this a trick? I didn't have much of a choice, but I needed to make sure our terms were finalized and that Paige was released. But his offer made me a bit uneasy.

  I returned to the castle to find that he was no longer alone. Paige was with him. As soon as I saw her, I rushed over to her, only to be stopped by one of Kapoc's guard.

  “Don't do this, Baz,” Paige begged me, tears streaming down her face. “You don't have to die for me.”

  “Such a sweet thing,” Kapoc said, lifting her chin with a finger. “I can see why you like her. Well, almost. She's still an alien to us and has some very strange things about her.”

  Paige tried to bite my brother's finger, but he was too quick. He laughed. “I love how feisty she is though. She's so very fun to play with.”

  “Leave her alone,” I warned. “In order for me to surrender in public and submit to you, she needs to be unharmed, remember?”

  “Oh, I remember alright,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Aren't you even going to ask me what my offer to you is? Not the least bit curious?”

  “Curious? Of course. Worried it's some sort of deception? Even more so. I know you, brother.”

  “Listen to how he speaks of me? You'd think I was evil or something,” he said, pretending to pout. “Just to show you how magnanimous I can be, all I wanted to offer was a chance to spend one last night with your human-friend, Baz. One night to say goodbye before I send her home for good. And here you are, assuming I'm going to do something nasty.”

  I was stunned into silence.

  “Did you hear me, Baz?” he repeated. “Would you like one more night with your precious lady friend?”

  There was no question about it. “Yes, of course,” I said, my voice coming out strained. “But why would you do that?”

  Kapoc shrugged. “Call me sentimental? Make the most of your time together, Baz. Because you aren't very likely to get another chance.”

  There was something more to this; there had to be. Some hidden string or loophole. He was trying to do something nice, but not simply to be nice – Kapoc didn't do that. It was probably to make himself look good. My brother was always one to worry about his image, and this was a case where showing me out with Paige, letting my followers know that he showed me kindness, was a way to hopefully win their favor. It was all just public relations.

  Whatever it was though, didn't matter to me. It meant that I would get one more night with Paige. One more night with her before she went home, and I was killed. It was worth it.

  Honestly, I didn't care why he was doing it. I was just thankful I had the chance. I couldn't ask for a better sendoff. One final goodbye with her. As painful as it might be, I looked forward to spending my last few hours alive with the woman I loved.

  Chapter Seven

  Paige was released, and as soon as she was free, she was in my arms. Tears stained her cheek as she cried. All I could do was hold her and tell her over and over again how sorry I was.

  “If only you had never met me...”

  “Hush,” she said. “I'm glad I met you.”

  “Even with all this?” I asked her, motioning to the world around her. “Being kidnapped, taken to another planet, held hostage – all of that is still worth it to you?”

  “Of course,” she said, staring deep into my eyes. “It's all worth it, Baz. Because of you. Because I got to spend time with you.”

  I wasn't one to cry, not usually, but I felt a lump in my throat. This woman was truly something special. And there I was, spending my last night alive with her. I needed to do what Kapoc suggested and make the most of it.

  “Come on,” I said, taking her hand. “Let me show you around. After all, it's not likely you'll get to visit this place again any time soon.”

  She smiled as if she wanted to be happy, but there was a dark shadow of sadness beneath the surface. All I wanted was for her to forget what was to come and do nothing more than truly enjoy our time together. I wanted to die remembering her smiling and laughing, and I was going to do everything I could to bring her happiness in our last few hours together.

  “Where are we going?” she asked.

  “To my favorite place in this world,” I said softly.

  The beach was always where I felt most at home when I was there. Large and expansive, it felt like the sea went on forever. When I was forced to stay put on this planet, I could stand there and look out over the water, imagining distant places. I'd swim to the bottom of the sea, hiding away from the world and dreaming about what it would be like to swim in other oceans on other worlds.

  I never did get to experience that fully. Not while on Earth. And what a shame, too, as I was so close – and yet I was so far away from ever getting to do that now.

  “It's so different from back on Earth,” she said. Her voice was full of awe as she stared at the red water crashing into the shore. At first, when we approached the water, she looked scared to let it touch her. “Why is it red? Is it blood?”

  “No, it's a mineral,” I said. “Completely safe, I promise.”

  I dipped my feet into the water. When she didn't follow suit, I started stripping down.

  “What are you doing?” she laughed, looking around.

  “What? Public nudity isn't a big deal here. Besides, it's a private beach. No one else is around. It's just you and I, Paige.”

  It was my own private beach, the one place I could always be alone.

  Paige turned a bright shade of red, almost the color of the water I was stripping down in. But she watched me, nonetheless, and I loved the look on her face as I removed my clothing. To have a woman look at me like that, as if I was a work of art, was something I'd never get used to. The blushing stopped, and I reached out my hand for her to come to me.

  “You sure it's safe? For a human, I mean?” She bit her lip, staring down at the water with a look of wonderment on her face.

  I was pretty sure the minerals in our water would be safe, but to make sure, I checked in with Anjol.

  “Yes, the water is safe for humans. In fact, the minerals that turn our waters red are the same ones that keep them clean - cleaner than any ocean or sea on her planet.”

  “Thank you, Anjol.”

  I repeated it to Paige, who looked less frightened by the prospect. I walked toward her, hand outstretched, but she made me come completely to her. As I approached, she didn't take my hand. However, she embraced me, wrapping her arms around me, and pulling me close. I heard the muffled sobs coming from her as she buried her face into my shoulder.

  Not wanting to focus on the negative, I started kissing her gently, pushing her hair out of the way to kiss her cheek, her ear, then her neck. Paige stopped crying as our lips met. A soft sigh escaped her throat as we kissed deeply, standing on my beloved beach.

  I was going to make the most of our time together. I wanted her to be happy and to enjoy our last night together. I kept kissing her, moving lower down the neck and dotting her collarbones with soft kisses. Her head was thrown back, and her eyes were closed. I worked the buttons of her shirt, slipping it down to expose her bra.

  But Paige reached around and, with one hand, removed it. It fell to the ground along with her shirt. Her breasts were so beautiful – larger than the ones women have on my planet. I cupped one in my hands, kissing the nipple, and sucking on it. Paige let out a soft groan as her knees almost gave out from under her. That's when I knew we should move to another position.

  Gently, I eased her body to the ground until we were laying in the sand, me on top of her. In the midst of the changing of positions, she'd slipped her pants down to her ankles, giving me a full view of her beautiful body. I soaked it in like any gorgeous work of art.

  I just stared at her, taking her in. I never wanted this moment to end. If this had to be the last thing I ever saw in this life, it was one amazing way to
go. I could stare at this view all day.

  “What is it?” she asked, insecurity creeping into her voice.

  “You're just so beautiful, Paige,” I said, feeling the tears well up in my eyes. I knew what I wanted to say to her, and since this was our last night together, I had to just do it. “And I love you.”

  She made a sound of surprise, as her eyes grew wide. I almost feared I'd made a mistake. Maybe that was the wrong thing to say to her? Not that I'd take it back; she needed to know how I felt about her.

  Paige closed the distance between our bodies, kissing as she grabbed my head, pulling me close to her. Her legs opened, inviting me to make love to her, and how could I resist?

  Together, on the beach, we made love as if it was the last time. Mostly because, well, it was the last time. I held her close, kissed her everywhere my mouth could reach, and showed her I loved her with every movement of my body. She writhed and shuddered underneath me, her body filled with pleasure – exactly the way I wanted her to feel. I wanted to make her feel good.

  She called out my name, and I knew she was climaxing, her legs wrapped around my body, pulling me deeper inside of her. I was on the brink myself, and before I could stop myself, I came with her, our bodies dancing along the beach, moving to their own rhythm as the pleasure overtook us.

  As I stared down into my love's eyes, I could see she was growing tearful once more. I stroked her cheek and wiped the tears away, repeating what I'd said earlier.

  “I love you, Paige. More than I've ever loved anyone before.”

  I didn't expect a response. I didn't fault her if she didn't feel the same way about me. After all I'd put her through, I was surprised she didn't hate me.

  She kissed me again before pulling away, staring deep into my eyes.

  “I love you too, Baz. I really do.”

  Chapter Eight

  Waking up beside Paige was delightful, and for the briefest of moments, I forgot that we were going to be saying goodbye later. I watched as she slept beside me, naked and curled up against me. She looked so peaceful that I hated waking her up, especially considering what we were about to do.

  But if we didn't show back up at the castle, Kapoc would send his assassins to find us. Depending on how that went, it could turn ugly and ruin the special night I'd had with her.

  I kissed her awake, causing her to wake up smiling as I tickled her softly. “Wake up, beautiful,” I said.

  Her eyes opened, staring into mine, and I was overcome by the sensation of just how much I loved this woman.

  She looked around, almost as if she forgot where she was. As soon as the realization hit her, however, her smile disappeared. My heart sunk as the tears filled her eyes.

  “We must go,” I said, nudging her chin up so she was looking at me. “But I promise you, you will be safe. No matter what, you're going to be okay.”

  “It's not me that I'm worried about, Baz,” she said. “I meant it when I said I loved you.”

  My heart did a flip within my chest. I loved hearing those words coming from her mouth. “And I love you.”

  “I can't let them kill you, Baz.”

  Sighing, I pulled her head to me, letting it rest on my bare chest. We had no choice. There was no way the two of us could live happily ever after. My brother would kill me one way or another. And if I killed him, his people would hurt her. There was no winning this battle, and the only way I could guarantee her safety was to let Kapoc have what he wanted.

  But in that moment, we needed to go. “I'm going to try to prevent that, Paige.”

  It was a lie. I had no plan. But if it would keep her from fighting this, I'd tell a little white lie or two.

  “Really?” she said, looking hopeful for a moment.

  “Yes, my love,” I pushed a strand of her hair from her face so I could look at her completely. “I want to live just as much as you want me to. I want to spend my life with you on Earth. But unless we get you on that ship and safely to Earth, there is nothing I can do.”

  It sounded all well and good. That way, she'd do what I said without fighting me. If she thought her staying would hinder me, I could get her to safety faster. In the end, that's what needed to be done. She may never forgive me for lying to her, but at least she'd be safe.

  She nodded. “Okay.”

  We got up and dressed without a word. I was literally dressing for my execution, but I couldn't let Paige know that. She only had the clothes she came in with, so I gave her one of my shirts. It hung loose and long on her tiny body, but then again, it hadn't been made for a woman. She smiled as she hugged it close to her body.

  “It smells like you.”

  At least this way she'd have something of mine to bring her comfort after I was gone.

  ****

  I walked Paige over to the ship that would take her home. Holding her hand in mine, I felt her shaking wildly. She was absolutely terrified, and there was nothing I could do to ease her fears. As we approached the bridge of the ship, a guard stopped us.

  “No further for you, Bazarok. Say your goodbyes here. The human will have to board alone.”

  As soon as he spoke, Paige broke down in tears, pulling me to her. I held her close, my own eyes feeling moist as the woman I loved sobbed into my shoulder, gripping me tight as if she would never let me go.

  “Shhh, Paige. It's going to be alright, sweetheart. It's going to be alright,” I said, my voice soothing. “They're just going to take you home where you'll be safe. I promise.”

  I kept repeating this over and over again, holding her close. Kapoc's voice caused her to jump and look up, her face red from crying.

  “My, my, what a sight to see. I never would have thought my brother, the great Bazarok, would be crying so publicly,” he sneered. “Much less over a human and not one of his own people.”

  “Leave us, Kapoc,” I said, not bothering to look at him.

  “Sorry to ruin the moment. I'm just surprised, that's all. Can't say I've ever witnessed you shed a tear, Baz. You know our family isn't too fond of the sentimental crap.”

  “Until you've been in love, Kapoc, you couldn't possibly understand.”

  “God willing I don't, brother. For it's a sad, sad sight to behold,” Kapoc said. “Amusing for me, though.”

  I didn't let his words get to me. Instead, I focused on Paige, making her look at me as I spoke carefully. “You need to get on that ship, Paige. Don't do anything to fight it. It's the only way we can make this work. You need to get back to Earth–”

  “And then what, Baz? Are you going back on your word?”

  I clenched my teeth as Kapoc taunted me.

  “No, Kapoc, I'm not.”

  “You better not, because Paige is only a few galaxies away, and my people are ruthless, as you well know.”

  Paige looked terrified, as if everything we'd talked about earlier came crashing back down, leaving her lower than before. I mouthed to her, “Don't worry about me.”

  She looked back at Kapoc, then at me, as if she was trying to determine who was telling the truth. “I'll be okay, Paige. You just need to leave.”

  “Time's up, Baz. Guards, grab the human and take her away. We don't have all night.”

  “NO!” Paige screamed, fighting as the guards approached.

  “Go with them, Paige. Don't fight them. Just go so they don't force you.”

  Kapoc's guards grabbed me, restraining my hands as I yelled at Paige to obey. They could hurt her if she fought too much. And I was scared they would.

  “Just go with them, Paige.”

  One of the guards placed a bag over my head, keeping me from seeing Paige as she boarded the ship. I'd never see my love again. The last memories I had of her were her screaming my name.

  “I love you, Paige,” I called out, unsure if she could hear me or not. “I love you more than you'll ever know.”

  Chapter Nine

  “Update, please.”

  “Baz, this is the 5th update in the last 6 minutes, not mu
ch has–”

  “Anjol, please. Just give me an update already.”

  “Fine. The ship is approaching the Earth's atmosphere. Should be landing within the next few minutes, as long as they find a suitable location.”

  “They will. I know they will. Thank you, Anjol.”

  Minutes. I was mere minutes away from getting confirmation that Paige would be safe and back on Earth. As much as the idea relieved me, I also knew that it meant my time was coming to an end. I'd started to make peace with my own death. Paige would get to live out her life, and that was all that mattered to me.

  I heard footsteps, and I knew it was Kapoc coming for me. He was coming to confirm that she had landed and to take me away. There was an event planned with many notable people from our community, all of them unprepared for what was about to happen, surely.

  A public execution – one where I willingly surrendered to my brother and conceded he was king – meant that no one would question my brother's rule.

  Of course, I'd mentioned the conditions of our agreement that no harm would come to Paige, just as a reminder that civil war was always on the horizon if he ever went back on our promise. It never hurt to keep some insurance. Not that Paige was much use to him once I was gone, but one could never be too careful when dealing with my brother.

  Anjol updated me before Kapoc got to my cell.

  “Her ship safely landed in the woods near her parents' home in Big Sur, California, Baz. She has left the ship and is on her way back to the house. She's fine, her vitals appear good, and the ship has already departed earth, and is heading back here.”

  That's good. That's what I needed to hear.

  “I assume you have your update, but in case not–”

  “I know she's safe, Kapoc,” I said, standing up. “And I'm ready to keep my promise to you.”

  He looked pleased, his grin stretching from ear to ear. “The celebration has already started, so if you'll follow me...”

  I did as I was told. My hands were restrained for now, but he'd remove the restraints before entering the public square. More proof that I came willingly.