“Drake?” She paused to turn around. “May I ask you a question?”
“Yes,” he chuckled. Tessa was full of questions. Why was she being so shy now?
“Will…will you sleep in the bed with me?” she blushed. “I mean, you don’t have to if you don’t want to. I…I just like having you close.”
“You do, huh?” he drawled. God damn, could he actually sleep next to her without wanting to mount his mate? Probably not.
“I’d like it if you did,” she confirmed.
“Get your shower,” he told her. “I’ll be in here waiting for you when you come out.”
“Thank you.”
Drake turned down the bed and fluffed the pillows. He removed his jeans and donned a pair of basketball shorts while she showered. His bear growled in his mind, demanding he follow Tessa into the bathroom to bathe her, but he pushed at his beast, commanding it to stand down.
There would be time for them to be together if she accepted him. He would never force her to do anything she didn’t want to do, and even if that meant he was alone forever, he’d let her go.
Maybe?
Maybe not…
The thought of Tessa leaving sent his fangs through his gums. Drake took a deep breath and calmed his other side, hoping he wouldn’t be half-shifted by the time she emerged from the bathroom.
Damn, his beast was persistent, demanding he mark her so no other males would come near her. He couldn’t bite her tonight. That would have to wait until their mating night. He could, however, hold her while she slept, ensuring his scent would be on her while she worked for most of the day tomorrow.
The water shut off and Tessa opened the door after several minutes. The light from the bathroom sent a halo around her body as she paused in the doorway. His cock hardened as she stood there, wearing a tank top and some tiny, cotton shorts. The matching outfit was covered in bright pink flowers on a black background, and he inhaled when her natural scent of honeysuckle reached his nose.
“Ready for bed?” he asked, turning on his side.
“Yes,” she yawned again, climbing in the bed. Drake watched as she nestled into the pillows he’d put on the side of the bed closest to the bathroom. Tessa let out a soft sigh when she found the spot she needed to be comfortable.
He turned off the light on the nightstand and pulled the covers over his shoulder, closing his eyes and letting sleep take him as soon as he heard her breathing even out. His mate was safe and sound in his home, and he could finally rest.
Chapter 9
Gaia smiled widely when Tessa entered the diner. Today was going to be another short day for her. It was five-thirty in the morning, and Drake had dropped her off at the door with a promise to be back fifteen minutes before noon to pick her up.
“What are you so happy about?” Tessa asked her boss as she made her way toward the breakroom where her apron hung on a peg behind the door.
“So, how did it go with Drake Morgan?” Gaia asked with a raised brow. Tessa was glad the diner was closed, because she wanted to ask questions about the Morgan family.
“Everything was fine,” Tessa hedged. Gaia’s emerald green eyes sparkled for a moment before she righted her features.
“He and his brothers are good men, Tessa,” Gaia stated with a hearty nod. “Treat them kindly. They’ve been through a lot.”
“Are you like them?” Tessa asked, tying the strings of her apron together at her back. “Like the Morgans?”
“Ah, no,” Gaia shook her head, “I am not.”
“So, you know?” Tessa pressed. Gaia was keeping something from her, and she wanted to know what it was. Her boss looked away for several seconds before righting her features to look into Tessa’s eyes.
“We do not speak of that around here,” Gaia scolded. “Tony is here, and we need to get the food prepped.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Tessa was about to say something about Tony not being in the building when she heard the cook’s loud truck pull into the lot. Whatever Gaia knew, she didn’t want it talked about in her diner.
The diner opened at six, and the early morning patrons came in to get their coffee and breakfast. Usually, it was the older generation. Retired men would come in and meet up once or twice a week for a meal. That morning, three large men with bright blue eyes entered when the doors opened. Gaia met them at the door, and they all headed to the same table in the back corner where Drake and Rex had sat the day before.
“Who are those men?” Tessa asked Gaia as she rounded up cups and a carafe full of fresh coffee.
“Those are the Shaw pride’s Guardians,” Gaia whispered. “It seems they owed Drake a favor, and he called it in.”
“A favor?” she frowned. “To watch over me?”
“That’s my understanding.” Gaia shrugged and balanced the tray on her palm. “Can you brew another pot of coffee?”
Tessa busied herself with making coffee and taking orders at the bar by the register. As soon as she served the men there, she made her way around to a new couple who had just sat down by the door.
Tessa wondered what Drake had done for them in the past that warranted sending three huge men into the diner to sit half the day and watch over her. Drake wanted to be at the diner, but with it being time to work in the fields, she wanted him to put his business first, regardless of how he spoke of the way shifters took care of their mates in all things.
The diner slowed down enough for Tessa to take another pot of coffee over to the men’s table. As she approached, she noticed they were not only large, but extremely handsome. The one who sat on the left side of the table was the largest of the bunch, with curly, brown hair and a sneer on his face that could rival Drake’s. The other two were not much smaller than the first. The one across from the largest man was blond, and his blue eyes stood out against his tanned skin. The other one was younger and dressed as if he was going to a play a round of golf. He wore slacks and a short-sleeved polo that tested the limits of the seams with his ginormous muscles.
“Good morning.” She smiled as she approached. “I understand that Drake asked you to be here?”
“Yes,” the blond one said. “My name is Winter, and this is Noah and Savage.”
Savage was the largest one, and his name fit him. The three men nodded in her direction but didn’t reach out to shake her hand. She was about to offer hers when she remembered Drake talking about pain from another male’s touch, and that was something she didn’t want to experience.
“I’m sorry you were called away from whatever you were doing to come sit here for half of the day,” Tessa apologized.
“Drake needed us,” Savage began, swirling his finger around the air in front of him. “We honor our favors, and if Drake needs help, we know it’s important.”
“Thank you,” she replied.
The men tucked into their food while she busied herself with cleaning off two tables by the door. It was quiet in the diner, and she was glad to have a bit of a reprieve. Without Drake around, she felt a little uneasy every time the door opened, but knowing the panthers were there made it a little easier.
“God damn, Drake,” Rex barked as he jumped off the plow. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“Nothing,” Drake grumped.
“You really need to officially mate Tessa,” Gunner complained as he threw his lunchbox in the back of the truck. “You are a fucking asshole without her.”
They’d been in the field for the entire morning, and Drake was about to leave to get Tessa when something set him off about the way Rex was running the plow. He’d yelled at him over the two-way radio, causing his middle brother to stop work and give him an ass chewing face to face.
“It’s too soon,” Drake snapped. “I really don’t need you to tell me when I should approach the subject with her.”
“You haven’t told her?” Rex roared, his brother’s eyes flashing a golden glow. “Really, Drake?”
“I’ve told her that we mate, but I haven’t quite gotten to th
e details yet,” he mumbled, taking off his old trucker hat and slapping it against the top of his thigh to knock off the dust.
“You need to take care of that tonight, brother,” Rex barked. “Don’t come to this field tomorrow and yell at me again, because I won’t put up with your shit.”
Drake felt his beast rumble behind his skin. He had to force it back where it belonged. Rex wasn’t his enemy. “I’m going to get Tessa.”
“See you at home,” Rex said through gritted teeth. Their little tiff wasn’t going to break them. Drake couldn’t remember how many times they’d tussled in the backyard after an argument. They fought their battles like the animals they were, and Drake had a few scars on his human skin to show for it.
Drake left the fields and headed north to town. As he passed the field Gunner had planted the day before, he looked over and took note that everything looked as it should. They had a few more weeks of work before they would be done. He planned on making sure Tessa was protected during that time. He didn’t know if he could ask the panthers to watch her for that long, but if he had to, he would stay with her and trust his brothers to get the fields ready.
His main concern was Tessa. The human female had weaved a web around his heart. Her ex-husband was in town, and no one knew where he was. He had some connections over the state line in Memphis, Tennessee, but those were a last resort if he was unable to defend his home. Rex and Gunner were well equipped to take care of the male as soon as he was found.
And he would be found.
He saw Tessa through the window of the diner. She was laughing and talking to a customer as she refilled their drink. Drake didn’t move for a few minutes, just watched her as she worked. The female inside the diner was his. His nature had proved it to him the moment he’d touched her when she stumbled and fell at his feet. It was as if the goddess herself knew what he wanted…what he needed.
A customer coming out the door broke his train of thought, and Drake turned off his truck to go inside to get Tessa. The moment he entered, Savage, Winter, and Noah stood up to shake his hand.
“I appreciate you being here,” he stated.
“Everything went well,” Savage told him. “We are offering the pride’s services in finding this asshole so you can put him down.”
“You are going to put him down, right?” Winter pressed.
“As soon as I can find this son of a bitch,” Drake paused to check for anyone within hearing range and continued when he found none, “I will deal out the punishment of our kind.”
“I hope it is as brutal as our own,” Savage sneered.
“I guarantee it,” Drake promised.
“We will send over three other Guardians tomorrow,” Savage offered.
“I can’t ask that of you,” Drake said as he waved his hand.
“Why?” Winter chuckled. “Because we only asked you to come hang at The Deuce twice?”
“Yeah,” Drake replied, looking up at the males. They were worthy of their titles as Guardians of the Shaw pride. These men were the best of their kind, and not only for their strength, but for their compassion toward others. “I cannot ask this of you.”
“Well, you don’t have to ask,” Noah said. “We are offering our services with no need for repayment.”
“That’s very kind of you,” Drake sighed. “I appreciate it, but I think I will be keeping Tessa at home until this is over.”
All three males chuckled and looked over his shoulder. Savage was the first to shake his head, sobering when he jutted his chin out toward Tessa as she was coming out of the backroom of the diner. “That female of yours doesn’t like to sit still. I can advise you after having found my mate, they are strong-willed, and I wouldn’t put it past that one to disagree with you holding her hostage.”
“Why am I being held hostage?” Tessa asked as she approached, overhearing Savage’s statement.
“I think it would be best if you stay home for the next few days,” Drake stated, wrapping an arm around her waist as she frowned. “It’s safer that way.”
“I have to work, Drake,” she said through clenched teeth. “We’ve discussed this.”
“Then you work for me this week, and I’ll pay you twice what you are making here,” he stated. He would pay her three or four times what she made if it kept her out of town and away from her apartment and her ex-husband.
Tessa quieted, her expressive blue eyes tracing his face. The other males made their excuses to leave, and she righted her features long enough to tell them goodbye. As the panthers left the diner, she finally closed her eyes. With a heavy sigh, she said, “If you want me to stay home, we need to talk to Gaia. I can’t just leave her here alone.”
“I’ll talk to Gaia,” he promised, seeing the owner across the room. It only took a nod from her to give him his answer. Gaia wanted Tessa safe, too. “It is done. Let’s go.”
“Wait? What’s done?” Tessa asked, confused. “Drake? What’s going on?”
“I’ll explain at home,” he grunted. “We need to go.”
“Fine,” she huffed, but accepted his hand as they left the diner. He would take her home, feed her lunch, and like his brothers suggested, tell her everything.
It was time to officially mate Tessa Ward.
Chapter 10
Drake entered his home and immediately went to work preparing his mate something to eat. Tessa sat down at the kitchen table and turned in her seat so she could watch him. He kept an eye on her through his periphery and groaned under his breath when she removed the elastic band from her hair, letting it fall free around her face. She ran her fingers through it and pulled it over to one side. Her long, blonde locks curled ever so slightly, and he wanted to tangle his fingers in them to hold her tight so he could capture her lips again.
“Tell me what you like on your sandwich,” he mumbled around his sharp fangs. The need to bite her and mark her was overwhelming. His beast was demanding he forgo food and mount her, but he forced it down and waited for her reply.
“Mustard, lettuce, and tomato is fine,” she answered, patiently waiting for Drake to sit down with her. He could see the questions in her eyes and was surprised she was waiting before unleashing them.
“Go ahead and eat,” he ordered, setting the plate in front of her before returning to the counter to make his own. He slapped his together quickly and sat down at the head of the table. Tessa was on his right, exactly where he wanted her.
“What’s going on?” she asked. “I feel like there’s something you need to tell me.”
“Rex and Gunner searched the town last night,” he admitted. “They couldn’t find him, nor has anyone seen him.”
“I know it was him, Drake,” she growled, impressing him at how his sweet mate turned aggressive when speaking about the enemy.
“I don’t doubt you, Tessa,” Drake assured her, reaching over to touch her hand. His bear pushed at his human skin when the connection of its mate was felt. “Finish eating and we will go for a walk.”
“Okay,” she said, accepting his offer.
It took them only a few more minutes to clean up, and Tessa excused herself to the bathroom. When she returned, she’d already changed out of her jeans and work shirt, donning a pair of black track pants and a white cotton shirt. She wore a pair of tennis shoes, and Drake smiled as he led her out to the porch.
“You’re not shifting?” she asked.
“No, we are going to talk about my world as we take our walk,” he replied, and took he hand as he continued down the stairs leading off the back porch.
“What else do you need to tell me?”
The shade of the trees in the woods behind his home sent a cool chill through the air. Tessa shivered and Drake pulled her closer, offering his body for warmth. When she relaxed, he stopped and took her face with his right hand, never letting go of his connection.
The kiss was soft, passionate, and full of need. He wanted her to know she was going to be his. When her hands fisted in his shirt, he deep
ened the kiss. Her tongue was soft as velvet, and his chest rumbled, telling her he wanted her. He didn’t know if she could sense his need like a female bear could, but he found his answer when Tessa pressed her body closer to his.
“Drake…” she whispered, then accepted another heated kiss. His body hardened, priming itself for the mating that needed to be done.
“Tell me you’ll be my mate,” he urged. “My beast wants to mark you as my own.”
“Mark me?” she questioned when he released her lips.
“I need to tell you what will happen if you say yes,” he groaned. “Let’s walk.”
She hesitated. “Why are we going into the woods, Drake?”
“Because, you are more at peace here,” he replied. “I’ve noticed how much you like it, and I want you to be at ease when I tell you about how my kind mates.”
“Oh,” she blushed. “Well, you can tell me. I need to know, but I think I already know.”
“Have you been on the human’s internet again?” he teased. She was quite inquisitive.
“There was an article,” she admitted. “It said there were bite scars on some of the female’s necks.”
“This is true,” he growled. “The scientists got more information than we previously thought.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, resting a hand over his heart. “I’m so sorry for the way humans have treated the shifters. I hate them for capturing you as if you were the worst kind of animals.”
“Where have you been all my life?” he asked, capturing her lips again.
“Tell me what I need to do, Drake,” she pressed as soon as he released her to take a breath. If Drake had his way, he’d never stop kissing Tessa. “What do I need to do to become your mate?”
“We bite our mates, and the bite will scar over to show other males not to come near, or even touch, a mated female.” Drake held nothing back. Tessa had to know everything. Yes, there was a risk she would run from him and tell the humans everything, but he was willing to take that risk and hope she accepted him.
Mating Season (Morgan Clan Bears, Book 1) Page 9
