“You’ll be fine. None of this is your fault.”
She shrugged. It might not be, but that wouldn’t matter. If the other landlords blacklisted her she’d be forced to move.
Damn it. She really loved this neighborhood.
“I want to meet your parents.”
She should’ve expected that request, but for some reason it still startled her. “My father is dead. He died when I was sixteen, of a heart attack.”
His arms tightened around her briefly, hugging her close. “I’m sorry to hear that, sweetheart. It must have been rough for you and your mom.”
She relaxed back into him, letting him take her weight. There was no sympathy in his voice, just calm acceptance. She would’ve brushed off any hint of pity. It was over and done with a long time ago. “It was harder on my mom than on me. She couldn’t function without my father. Bills didn’t get paid, groceries didn’t get bought. Trash started to pile up because she couldn’t bring herself to clean. I learned how to cook so we didn’t starve to death. I also learned to use the Internet to pay our bills.”
“I always knew you were strong.” He pressed a soft kiss to the side of her neck, right above her mating mark. “That strength will get you through what’s going on now.”
She stroked his cheek. “I still want to play Jenga with their bones.”
He grinned against her neck. “I love vicious women.”
“Vicious?” She laughed bitterly. “My best friend is in the hospital after being fucking shot, I have no idea how I’m going to pay my rent and I’m going to turn fuzzy any day now. And the fuzzy thing is the good part of my week. You’re lucky I’m not rocking back and forth, sucking my thumb and mumbling like a crazy person.”
“You’re doing better than most would. Glory probably would have died if you hadn’t healed her. You should be proud of yourself.” He shook her shoulder, emphasizing his point. “It takes most Bears months to learn how to do that. You did it a day after being marked.”
“But I couldn’t heal her the way you can.”
He sighed gently, his warm breath tickling her mating mark. “That’s because you’re not a Spirit Bear.”
He turned her so that she was staring at him and not the shop. He hadn’t told her yet that she wouldn’t be a Spirit Bear. “Then what am I?”
He bit his lip. “Don’t you like surprises?”
Her brows rose. Why didn’t he want to tell her what she’d become? “Jules.”
“I told you we’re different.”
“Julian. What did you turn me into?” His reluctance to answer was beginning to scare her. What the hell had he done?
“Me? You’re the one who decided to walk the thorny path.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
He looked over her shoulder, his eyes widening. “Is that Ryan over there?”
She whipped around to see what he was looking at, to see if it really was Ryan. He let her go so abruptly, she almost fell to the car’s floor. He put the car in gear, and peeled away as if the hounds of hell where after them. “I’m in the car with you, numbnuts.”
He had the grace to look sheepish. “It works in the movies.”
“You forgot the whole shove her out of the car first part.” She poked him in the arm. Hard. “What am I going to turn into, Julian?”
“So, where does your mother live?”
“Julian DuCharme, you answer me right this instant or no sex for you!”
“Kodiak.”
She gaped like a fish. “Um… Say what now?”
He shrugged. “What can I say? Apparently Bear thinks you need to be really, really big. Look on the bright side, he didn’t turn you into a Polar.”
“Jules!”
“Although, come to think of it, Kodiaks are comparable in size to polar bears. They’ve even interbred. Or am I thinking of Grizzlies again?”
She opened her mouth, but nothing came out except a squeak. She was going to be a motherfucking Kodiak?
He darted a sidelong glance at her but quickly turned his attention back to the road. It was enough for her to notice that he was trying to hold back his grin. “I’m betting you’ll be able to kick Eric’s ass.”
“I’ll be able to kick yours too.”
“Female Kodiaks might actually be larger than female polar bears. I’ll have to double check, I’m not sure.”
Well, shit. Wow. She was going to be huge. “So when Tabby tells me I have a fat ass—”
“I refuse to answer on the grounds that I may be eviscerated.”
She growled again, not at all amused when he laughed so hard he had to pull over.
Julian sighed in relief as he escorted a much calmer Cyn back into the hospital. The shock of finding out she was a Kodiak had left her practically speechless. Well, for Cyn anyway. She’d mumbled to herself the entire way to the hospital, unaware he could hear every single word.
He really hoped she wasn’t serious about the rotating pineapple attachment. That might sting.
He spotted Gabe before Cyn did. Julian hoped he had something that would ease his mate’s mind, but from the look on Gabe’s face he doubted it.
“Cyn. Julian. I need to speak with you alone.” Gabe gestured for them to follow him right back out the double doors of the hospital.
“I’ll go to check on Glory.” Cyn looked back over her shoulder, but allowed Julian to tug her along in Gabe’s wake.
“Tabby and Alex are here. They’ll let you know if there’s any change in her condition.” Unless Julian was wrong, she was going to want to hear first-hand what Gabe had to say.
Gabe led them over to his squad car and leaned back against the hood. He crossed his arms over his chest and sighed wearily. “The bomb squad took care of the pipe bomb. They managed to safely explode it, and we’re looking into whether or not we can get fingerprints or DNA off of it. Once we have it, we’ll send it off to the Senate investigators to see if they can make a match to any rogue shifters. But I should warn you, there was no smell of Cheetah on the pipe bomb.”
“What did you smell?”
“Wolf.” His frown was confused. “It was almost buried beneath the scent of deer, though.”
Julian swore under his breath. “You think whoever hired Gary and his goons have sent others to finish what they started.”
Gabe shrugged. “I spoke to the Senate representative in charge of their case. He hasn’t been able to get much more out of them. Since Gary spilled the beans that they weren’t the ones who attacked Chloe they’ve kept their mouths shut. I’ve told Max that there might be a rogue Wolf in the area, as well as a rogue Cheetah, and I called Rick Lowell as well.”
“Rick Lowell? As in the Poconos Pack Alpha?” Cyn darted a look back toward the hospital. “Someone had better tell Tabby that both of her Alphas will be in town soon.”
Dr. Max Cannon, the Halle Puma Alpha, had granted Tabby, Cyn and Glory his protection when Gary had threatened them, and accepted Tabby as part of his Pride, despite the fact that she was a Wolf. Not long after, Rick Lowell and his Luna, Belle, had arrived from the Poconos and also included Tabby in their Pack. Max had even been willing to change both Glory and Cyn into Pumas right up until he heard they had Bear mates. Then he couldn’t leave Living Art fast enough.
Max had good reason to run. While a black Bear like Julian would walk away from a fight with a Puma, a brown Bear like Alex or Ryan would maul even someone as strong as Max. If anyone other than Ryan changed Glory, the fallout had the potential to be disastrous. Not even the Senate would be able to ignore a direct attack on an Alpha by a Bear. Despite the unique circumstances, Ryan would be declared rogue and Gabe would be forced to hunt him down.
“We were thinking of asking his Marshall to assist Adrian and me in hunting the Wolf down.” Gabe shook his head, his expression confused. “There’s more going on here than I can guess at.”
“In other words, your Hunter senses are tingling?” If so, Julian would have to make it a priority
to find Ryan before Gabe did. He was the only one who would be able to talk Ryan down. If he could get close enough, he could calm Ryan. Once he understood that he’d been granted access to Glory’s room and that she was on the road to recovery his Bear would back off. Ryan would once more be in control of his instincts.
Cyn tapped her foot, her hands on her hips. “We need to find Ryan.”
“I’m being pulled in multiple directions. And I’m not entirely certain that Ryan isn’t one of them.” Gabe tipped his hat to Cyn and shook Julian’s hand. “I’ll give you both a call when I have something. In the meantime, now that you’re mated—congratulations, by the way—I highly suggest the two of you live together. With Glory in the hospital Cyn is alone in the apartment, and that just makes my butt itch.”
“I’ll make sure she’s not alone.” Even if it meant he had to give up his job with Jamie’s practice. He’d rather force her to move back with him to Canada than risk her life.
“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but if Julian and I get married wouldn’t he automatically become a citizen? He’s worried about missing work, since he’s here on a work visa. If he’s with me around the clock, that jeopardizes his visa, doesn’t it?” Cyn bit her lip, her expression a combination of concern and determination.
Gabe’s brows rose in surprise. “I’m not sure.”
Julian shook his head. “Marriage to a US citizen would allow me to apply for a green card on our third anniversary. I can then apply to become a citizen, but it’s still no guarantee. And while I have every intention of doing just that, I’ll have to double check with Jamie and make sure that what’s going on right now counts toward my vacation time. That way, my visa should be safe.”
“The other option is I go to work with you. I should be safe enough in Jamie’s office, right?” She scowled, but the expression was far too adorable to be intimidating. “It’s not like I can open the shop.”
“And I’m betting Alex will keep Tabby close, so she should be safe.” Having Cyn around while he worked wouldn’t exactly be a hardship. “If Jamie okays it, we’ll go for it.”
“In that case, I’ll leave you to check on Glory. I’ve already spoken to her, but unfortunately she didn’t see anything.” Gabe walked off with a wave, but stopped before he reached the patrol car. “Do me a favor, Julian. Talk to Tim. Find out if certain steps need to be taken.” He drove off, leaving Julian behind to explain to Cyn exactly what steps might need to be taken meant.
He wondered if, given the choice, which option Tim would choose.
Chapter Fifteen
“I’m exhausted.” Cyn flopped down on the sofa with a groan.
Julian flopped down next to her and pulled her close. “Me too.” His dark hair caressed her as he leaned over and kissed the top of her head. “Any idea what we’re going to do?”
“About?” She began stroking the length of his hair that had fallen across her chest. It always amazed her how soft it was.
“Ryan and Glory.”
She smiled. “Steal their clothes, lock them in a room together and let nature take its course.”
“Huh. I should have tried that with you.”
She smacked him in the stomach. Like that would have worked with her. It would have only pissed her off.
“That is why I don’t think it will work with Ryan and Glory.” He nibbled on her ear. “You keep caressing your breasts with my hair and I’m going to get ideas.”
She blushed as she realized he was right. She had been stroking her breasts with his hair. “Good ideas or bad ones?”
Julian smiled against her neck as he licked the mating mark. “Definitely bad.”
Cyn shivered and brushed his hair over her nipple.
“I think that would work better if we take your clothes off.” Before she could suggest they move to the bedroom, he was tugging off her T-shirt. “Bra too.”
She moaned as his hair brushed against the tops of her breasts. Shit. She couldn’t believe they were going to do this. She’d never had any kind of weird fetish before, so what was up with the feel of his hair?
Her bra hit the floor, and her nipples were exposed to the air. God, she ached, and he’d barely touched her.
Julian kissed her, tasting her mouth in slow, sensual strokes. All the while he was undoing her jeans, sliding them down her thighs, exposing her hot-pink panties. “Take them off the rest of the way.”
She pushed off her jeans and panties, eager for what he had planned. He had that wicked gleam in his eye, the one that promised they were both about to have some fun.
She could use some damn fun.
Julian straddled her thighs, careful to keep his weight off of her. He put his hands on top of the sofa, effectively caging her. “Now. About my hair.” He shook his head and the ends of his hair tickled across her nipples. She arched her back, unable to stop herself from reaching for the pleasurable sensation. “Like that, hmm?”
“Oh God.” She covered her face with her hands. “I’m a perv.”
He laughed and pulled her hands down. “Nope. You’ve just given me another reason to never cut my hair.”
She glared at him. “You’d better not.” She loved his hair. She whimpered as he stroked the long, silky strands across her breast. Maybe a little too much.
“Don’t worry, Cyn. Everyone has a thing.”
She stared down at his crotch. “I hope not.”
He chuckled and leaned forward, nibbling the side of her neck. “Not that thing.” He arched his hips, brushing his hardened thing against her. “Something that turns them on. Yours is my hair.”
She leaned her head to the side to give him better access. She wanted to wear a different mark there, one everyone would understand. “What’s your thing?”
Julian bit down gently and sucked. Cyn wove her hands in his hair and cupped the back of his head, holding him to her. She wanted his mark good and dark. She bucked her hips, the sensation of him sucking up a mark on her going straight to her clit.
“Still want to know my thing?”
She nodded. If he reacted like that, she’d give him anything he wanted.
“Wait here.” He hopped off of her and raced out of the room. Was he going for whipped cream? Chocolate? Maybe…no, he was running up the stairs. What was up there? Dildos? Did he have a box of vibrating fun he wanted to play with?
He came back down with his hands behind his back, completely naked. His dick bobbed as he walked, rock hard and mouthwatering. “Want to see?”
“Yeah.” Now she was curious. She sat up straight, eyeing him with some misgiving. He looked guilty as hell.
He held out a red bit of fabric. “Put it on for me?”
She stood and took the fabric from him. It wasn’t until she held it that she realized what it was. “I’m going to need more kanji, aren’t I?”
“That depends on where you want to stick it.”
She stifled a laugh and slid the red satin Sailor Mars skirt up her thighs. When it was at her knees, he held up his hand. “Wait!” She paused, wondering what the hell he was up to.
When he moved behind her she knew. And I thought I was the perv.
“Okay. Go.”
She teased him, sliding the skirt up slowly, giving him the show he so obviously wanted. She even made sure to wiggle her ass as the skirt slid up those final few inches, causing it to sway enticingly.
He moved in close behind her, lifting his hair and sliding it over her shoulders until it cascaded over her breasts. “Hold still, sweetheart.”
Cyn did as he asked, wondering what he was going to do next. She didn’t have to wait long. He slid his hands under the skirt and palmed her ass. He began nibbling on her neck again. “You like this?”
It had potential. “You going to do anything besides feel me up?”
“I was thinking of fucking you. If you don’t mind, that is.”
“Oh. No. That’s okay.” He was suddenly stroking her pussy, his fingers playing with the curls. “Fucking�
��s good.”
I have got to stop sounding like a squeaky toy when he touches me there.
He licked another spot on her neck. “Walk forward.”
Forward was the stairway. Were they going upstairs? She was so ready to be fucked into the mattress.
Cyn took a tentative step forward and Julian moved in sync with her, the two of them awkward in all the right ways.
Suddenly she was pushed forward, her hands landing on one of the steps. “Have I mentioned how much I love your ass?”
She squirmed as he stroked the round globes. “You’re not going there.” Not now, anyway. If they ever did that, she was going to be well prepared, well lubed, and well and truly drunk. He wasn’t about to go where no man had gone before without making sure both her inside and her outside were greased.
He laughed. “That’s not the hole I’m looking for.”
She glared at him over her shoulder. “So what are you looking for?”
He grinned that evil, Grinchy grin, and got on his knees behind her. Within seconds his tongue was in her pussy and she was nearly on her knees herself. She went up on her toes as he found a really good spot to suck. “Oh God. Jules.” Her hands clenched in the carpet. The pleasure was overwhelming. She folded her arms on the step and rested her head on them, watching her red skirt sway gently as her mate ate her out.
She began to push back against him. She needed something larger than his tongue in her. “Fuck me, Jules.”
He gave her one last swipe before he stood. “Sure you don’t want to come first?”
She growled, low and inhuman. If her mate didn’t get his dick in her in the next two seconds she was going to jump his ass and do it herself.
Julian grasped her hips in a firm grip and pulled her back. He slid into her with a moan, his hips slapping against her ass at the force. He leaned over her and placed his hands on either side of her head, his hair a curtain around them, locking them in their own little world.
“Tug on my hair. Play with it. Do whatever you want,” he whispered in her ear. She shivered as he gave her shoulder a gentle bite, not strong enough to break the skin. He ground his hips against her, driving his cock even deeper. “I wanted to do this the minute I saw this skirt.”
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