by Ashlee Sinn
“What?” Zane and I asked together, then tossed nasty glares at each other.
She passed her gaze over both of us. “I have nothing holding me back. I don’t own a business. I’m not a mother. And I’ve been working on this plan with Major for a while now. I’m ready to show them.”
“I’m in,” I said.
“Me too,” Zane shouted.
Major smiled at me and Julia. “Is the site ready?”
“Yes,” Julia answered. “We just have to publish it.”
Major sat down and rested his chin on his hands. “Okay. When the new rep gets here, she’ll let us know what the timing is and how we move forward. In the meantime, Julia, can you help me with organizing the press conference?”
She nodded a second before Brandt stood. “Julia, Derrick, Zane…thank you for being so brave. For representing our clan with pride and for allowing my brothers and I a little more time to navigate the responses of our investors before stepping out into the open.”
“Of course,” I said.
“This is going to be a whole new world for us in a few days,” Major added with a crooked grin. If I hadn’t known better, I would have thought he looked almost relieved.
“I’m going to increase security at my clubs and suggest you do the same at the fish plants,” Scarlett said to Brandt.
“And the ISC will be assisting with media relations and security during the reveal,” Major said.
“Where will this happen?” Julia asked.
“On the beach near the port,” Major said. “And all three reveals will happen simultaneously, so ours will be at seven in the morning so that Japan’s can occur in Tokyo at midnight.”
“Isn’t that late?” Brennan asked.
“Not for that city,” Major said.
I looked around the room at the faces of my friends and fellow shifters. We only had two more days to be “normal” humans. After the reveal and all of the media management that would be going on for months, who knew if we’d ever have a peace like this again. Glancing at Julia, I noticed how her legs bounced up and down and how she kept twisting her fingers in her lap. Her nerves brought out a protective instinct in me so strong that I almost let my bear loose. Instead, I reached out and squeezed her hands. My heart swelled when she wove her fingers between mine and grinned again.
“Thanks,” she whispered.
I may have messed up this morning, but I wouldn’t let that stop me from being with my mate. My mate. It amazed me how those words brought so much comfort now, where just a few hours ago, they’d freaked me out to no end.
Julia was my mate, and I promised myself I would do everything I could to make her happy and to protect her from whatever lay ahead.
It was the night before the big reveal and I was super nervous. Not because of tomorrow, but because Derrick was on his way over. We hadn’t talked much the past two days, although we did send regular texts to each other. They kept getting more flirtatious until I finally agreed to have dinner with him tonight.
He’d told me to dress up so I’d put on my favorite little black dress and heels that I couldn’t wear with most men. Although they made me six feet tall, I could get away with that with Derrick. His tall, muscular, and sexy man body would still tower over me and make me feel like a woman.
We hadn’t talked about what happened after the wedding. I still didn’t know why he’d left me so suddenly the next morning, but his behavior since had been nothing but apologetic. Perhaps it had been cold feet. While I knew that I’d always wanted him as a mate, he might not have been so sure.
When he knocked on the door, my heart stuttered. Tomorrow would change our lives but tonight was just for us. Standing on the dirt pathway below the steps, Derrick lifted a bouquet of white roses when I opened the door.
“For you,” he said with a smile that stretched across his handsome face and stubbled chin. Always a gentleman.
“Thank you,” I said, grabbing them and inviting him inside while I put them in water. “You didn’t have to do that.”
Derrick dwarfed the low ceilings in my living room, but his eyes took in every single detail. “This is nice,” he mused.
“It’s old, but it works.”
“You grew up here?” he asked, peeking his head down the hall before stepping into the kitchen.
“Yep.”
“Is that weird?”
I looked at him, confused by his question. “Is what weird?”
“Living here as an adult.”
I finished arranging the roses and set them in the middle of the kitchen table before finding an answer. With a shrug, I said, “No, I don’t think so. It’s kind of nice since I know this place so well. But it can also be a little bit sad sometimes too.”
Derrick stepped forward and immediately pulled me into a hug. “You are so amazing,” he whispered into my ear.
“Why?” I laughed, flattered but not understanding where that was coming from.
He pulled away just far enough to look at my eyes. “You’re so strong and independent. When I was your age, I wasn’t even close to what you’ve accomplished given your circumstances.”
My circumstances…meaning my father.
“Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right?”
Derrick grinned and leaned forward. My bear rumbled just below the surface wanting his lips to touch mine. Those soft, yet firm lips that knew exactly where to touch the other night—
“Julia!”
The shout from outside startled me enough that I actually jumped. Derrick growled and whipped his head in the direction of my front door.
The knock rattled the metal frame. “Julia! Are you in there?”
With a sigh, I gently nudged Derrick out of the way so I could attend to Zane. I opened the door, noticing how close Derrick stood behind me. Looking down at my friend’s face, I raised my brows. “You knew I was in here, Zane.”
His blue eyes focused on Derrick, and the smell of bear filled my tiny trailer in an instant. I shook my head and pushed Zane out of the way as I stepped down the stair and held up my hand toward Derrick. “You. Stay,” I told him before turning back to Zane. “And you…what do you want?”
Zane’s gaze couldn’t stop flipping back and forth between me and Derrick until I grabbed his cheeks and made him focus on me. Zane lowered his voice and whispered, “I wanted to make sure you were okay with him.”
Derrick’s chest rumbled loud enough for the neighbors to hear and Zane tensed beneath my touch. “I’m fine,” I said through gritted teeth. There was no way these two were going to brawl the night before the reveal. And certainly not because of me.
“Are you sure?” Zane asked. Then his eyes trailed down my body where he must have noticed my attire. “Are you going out with him?”
Derrick cracked his knuckles, but to his credit, he stayed put. “Yes, I am,” I said, dropping my hands from Zane’s face.
“Why?”
“Because I want to,” I said with crossed arms.
“After what he did?”
I’d realized the mistake I’d made almost immediately. I never should have confided in Zane about Derrick’s behavior after the wedding. But I’d been upset and Zane was like a brother to me. Plus, I had no one else.
“I won’t ever hurt her again,” Derrick said. His voice had softened even though the scent of a dominant bear was putting mine on edge.
“You better not,” Zane snapped. “She’s been through enough and deserves to be happy.”
Tears filled my eyes with the way Zane was defending me. I knew he felt like he was responsible for me sometimes, but I hadn’t quite realized just how close we’d become as friends. It felt good having someone on my side, so I reached out and gave Zane a quick hug. “Thank you,” I whispered into his ear. “And I’ll be fine.”
Zane pulled me closer so that Derrick wouldn’t hear. “I know you think he’s your mate, Julia. But sometimes the bear is wrong.”
Not quite understanding what
he meant, I watched as he gave Derrick one final glare and then stomped off down the short road to his house. Sometimes the bear is wrong? I’d never heard that before. And as I felt Derrick walk up to my side, I knew that my bear wasn’t wrong about this one. She’d always known her mate.
“Are you ready?” he asked, hand brushing against my lower back and confirming my inner commentary.
“Let’s go,” I said.
Derrick drove us to the west side of town which often catered to the summer tourists. But the small, eclectic restaurant was a place I’d never been before. With only ten tables and minimal lighting, the ambiance would have been enough. But Derrick had reserved a little alcove just for us, as far away from the other patrons as possible, making the romantic dinner even more delicious.
As I set down my fork after cleaning my plate of salmon, crab legs, and roasted potatoes, the smile grew on my face. “I seriously think that was the best dinner I’ve ever eaten as a human.”
Derrick smiled and took a drink of his wine. “As a human?”
I shrugged. “My bear likes raw salmon.”
“Isn’t that a stereotype?” he teased.
“Maybe, but it’s true. If you don’t know where I am, check down by the shore.”
“Good to know,” he said with a wicked grin. Raising his glass, he stretched out his arm in an offered toast. “To the last day of anonymity.”
The worry in his face ruined the handsome jawline. “It will be okay,” I said after I clinked my glass to his.
“Do you really think so?”
“I do,” I said, taking a sip. “People aren’t what they used to be. They’re more tolerable of differences and more curious about the unknown. I mean I think it will be a little rough for a while, but something else will come along that’s louder and shinier, and their interest will move on.” When Derrick just stared at me, I shook my head. “What?”
“Do you even understand how much I want to take you back to my place right now?”
“Huh?” Words simply wouldn’t form as the aroma of his bear filled the space around us. His hand found my knee under the table and the feeling of skin on skin ignited a fire of need in me that I hadn’t felt before.
“I will never forgive myself for wasting so much time with you.”
“What do you mean?”
“I knew you had a crush on me. The brothers teased me about it all of the time. But I wouldn’t listen. I refused to listen. Even if, now that I can look back, even if my bear was trying to tell me otherwise.”
I swallowed the emotions welling up in my throat. “What are you saying, Derrick?”
“I’m saying that I want you to be mine. And I wish we hadn’t wasted so much time getting to this place, but now that we’re here…I don’t ever want us to be away from each other. These last few days have been torturous for me. My bear wants you. I want you.” Derrick lifted his hands and reached across the table for my own. When I placed them inside of his, he smiled. “You’re my mate, and I love you.”
I would have thought hearing those words come out of Derrick’s mouth would have been the greatest thing in the world. Better than the sex and better than running free through the forest. But for some reason, my heart squeezed in a panic, and I suddenly found myself unable to respond. Derrick sensed the change and tensed beneath me.
“What’s wrong.”
I couldn’t stop the tears. “Nothing’s wrong. It’s just so…so amazing to hear you say that. And now I don’t even know what…” What what? To say? To do? What the hell was wrong with me?
Jumping to my feet, I almost knocked the chair over as I ran to the bathroom. A single room with a single sink and a single toilet all glared at me, wondering why I was acting like an idiot. My heart thumped against my ribs, the tears now streaming down my cheeks. And as I looked in the mirror and noticed how a broken piece of my father stared back at me, I understood. Happiness was something I always wanted but never thought I could attain. Not pure happiness anyway. Sure, I could work my ass off with the idea that being good at something would make me happy, and it had, but there was a whole other part of my life that had never been happy. My family was gone. I had no true siblings. Friends were at a minimal. And I never thought I’d actually find my mate.
But now I had, and I’d just run away from him in fear.
“Julia?” Derrick knocked quietly on the door. “Can I come in?”
I didn’t hesitate this time. Unlocking the door, I pushed against the wall so that he could squeeze in. And before he could even say anything, I jumped into his arms and pressed my lips against his.
The kiss started off sweet but quickly turned into a raging need. In seconds, his tongue danced across mine, letting me taste him once again. The bear roared under my skin and his animal responded in kind. When he tried to speak, I hushed him by keeping his mouth busy.
Hands roamed up and down my body, finding their way under the dress. He squeezed and sucked and pinched every part of me that he could touch. And while we were in a public restroom, I didn’t even care if anyone could hear us. Derrick had declared me his mate, and I fully intended on giving him my bear right here, right now.
Slipping my panties off, I wrapped one leg around his hip. With a quick twist of my hands, I had his pants unzipped and his erection rubbing against me in just a few seconds. Derrick groaned when I wrapped my hand around his length, rubbing it against my wet sex. But I still didn’t let him speak and instead guided him inside with one quick push.
We both gasped for air, being careful to be quiet but having a hard time holding it all in. Derrick pushed me back against the small vanity, lifting me up and slamming into me again and again. I dug my nails into his back while I whispered into his ear. “I love you, too.”
That only got him moving faster and harder, and in no time at all, we both let out a silent scream of pleasure when we came together in that tiny bathroom. As the last pulse of his warmth filled me, Derrick let out a breath. “Holy shit,” he whispered.
“I’m sorry,” I said, rubbing my hands through his sweaty hair.
“Don’t be.” He nuzzled his chin along my shoulder blade. “You don’t need to explain anything.”
“Thank you,” I breathed, kissing his cheek and pulling his hips against mine even more.
We sat like that, panting and connected, for what felt like hours. But in reality, it must have only been a few minutes. When Derrick finally pulled out and dampened a paper towel to help with the mess, I only wanted him to be closer.
Sensing my need, Derrick took care of me in every way. He cleaned me up, pulled on my panties, and helped straighten out my hair to make sure I was presentable again. With a final kiss on my forehead, he looked at me and sighed. “You want to stay with me tonight?”
“I want to stay with you always,” I said. And I really meant it. My bear would never want to be away from him again.
So as Derrick paid the bill and escorted me out of the restaurant, I found myself believing that true happiness had finally found me.
Julia and I sat in my Jeep in silence. It was early morning—the sun up but the temperature not quite there yet. In the gravel parking lot of the local fisherman’s bar, we watched as the crowd grew larger down on the beach.
“There are so many people here,” Julia whispered.
I grabbed her hand and wove my fingers around hers. Today would change everything. And after our night together I wasn’t so sure anymore that I wanted to put all of that on the line. What would happen between us? “It is a big day,” I finally said.
News vans filled the lot, their cameramen busily setting up for the press conference. I hadn’t seen anyone else yet, but that was probably because Julia and I were early. Since neither of us got much sleep, it seemed like a better option to face this morning on our own time.
“Oh, there’s Zane,” Julia said. She jumped out of the front seat and called him over.
He moved slowly, like he wasn’t sure if he was in the right spot.
I understood perfectly what must be going through his mind. Was this a good idea? How would the local humans react? Would we ever be able to live a normal life again?
Julia gave him a quick hug and pointed toward me. Wondering what they were saying to each other, I turned off the car and joined them. Being sure to wrap my arm tightly around Julia’s waist, I gave Zane a friendly, yet stern, warning look. He completely ignored me.
“Does anyone else feel like they’re going to hurl?” he asked, shaking his arms like he was preparing for a boxing match.
“Absolutely,” Julia said. “My stomach’s in knots.”
“You guys ready?” Major had walked over to us, totally unnoticed, which said a lot about how distracted we were. Next to him, a tall, beautiful, and exotic looking woman studied us. Her features hinted at a Japanese heritage, but her dark brown eyes with a golden yellow ring around the outside said she was something very different.
“No,” Zane answered Major, enthralled with the woman and staring a little too hard.
“Well, the day has arrived.” Major waved his hand to someone behind us, beckoning him our way. “Anyone seen Seth?” To everyone else, Major would have appeared calm. But after working with him these last few months, I could hear the anxiety in the tremble of his voice.
“I’m here,” the wolf shifter said from the other side of me. When did he get there?
“Okay good. Now,” Major grabbed a pile of fabric from the young man that he’d waved over. “you each need to take one of these robes. We’ll be wearing these so it’s easier to shift.”
I felt the cotton weighing me down. “How will this all work?” I asked.
“You will line up behind me and once I give you the signal, you will shift.” The woman’s voice snaked through the air in a way that gave me the chills.
We all stared at the strange ISC representative, unable to process the simplicity at first.
“Everyone,” Major said with a smirk, “This is Danika. She’s from the ISC.”
“What are you?” Zane asked her.
With her long, lean body, porcelain skin, and strange eyes, I’d been wondering the same. She was as tall as Julia but carried herself in a way that made me think she came from another time. Her black trench coat covered up whatever she was wearing underneath, and her impeccable makeup screamed high class.
