Bear Your Fate: McMahon Clan 4 (Fated Mates Book 7)

by Rochelle Paige

  It wasn’t the right time to contemplate what my mixed up feelings meant, though. Not with the way Carrick was glaring at Damien, with his fists clenched so hard at his sides that his knuckles were white. If I didn’t intercede, and soon, a fight was bound to break out between the two of them. I moved to Carrick’s side and wrapped my hand around one of his fists, tugging gently until his fingers opened and I was able to slide my palm against his. When I felt some of the tension ebb from his body, I turned my attention to Damien.

  “If you’re going to keep pressing his buttons, then I’m not going to be able to help the council.”

  His head dipped low in acknowledgement, but not before I caught the flash of approval in his eyes. The dragon shifter knew too much, often more than the rest of us. I couldn’t help but wonder—and hope—if whatever he knew about Carrick and me was connected to the tingling I often felt in my wrist when we were together.

  “It’ll be hard to resist since I’m not used to being able to get a reaction out of him, but I’ll do my best.”

  “Thank you.” I glanced at Carrick out of the corner of my eye and mumbled, “You’d better behave, too.”

  He adopted an innocent expression, but the things he made me feel were downright sinful. “That was me behaving.”

  “Sure you were,” I sighed, sending a quick prayer up to the Goddess for patience when dealing with alpha males. It was harder than handling children at times.

  “Now that we’ve got that settled, how about you explain why the shifter council needs my help?” I asked Damien.

  “Although things have gone well for shifters during the year in which Selene has been serving on the council, there’s still resistance. Her absence to care for the babies might open the door for a power play to remove witches from the council completely.”

  “Shit,” Carrick muttered.

  “Shit sums it up pretty damn well.”

  “But we’ve made such great strides in building the relationship between the shifter and witch communities in the last year,” I pointed out. “Do you think it would work? They’d really fill Selene’s seat with a shifter? Permanently?”

  “There’s no way to know for sure, but once the opportunity is there, those who are opposed to the ties between our communities will do their best to take full advantage of the circumstances.”

  “He’s right,” Carrick agreed with Damien. “Selene’s given birth to twins. It will be a while before she’ll be able to travel for council business; long enough that we’re going to need a temporary replacement. If it’s not a witch—”

  “Then it’ll be a shifter,” I finished for him. “One who might not be willing to give the seat back to Selene when she’s ready to return to the position.”

  “Which is exactly why having you step into the role is the perfect solution,” Damien agreed.

  When the Council of Four had asked for my help as an emissary to other witch covens, I hadn’t thought twice about saying yes. Not only was it the right thing to do, but it had given me distance from Carrick when I’d needed it. What Damien was asking of me was no less right, but it meant I’d be working closely with Carrick since he also served on the council.

  “But my coven,” I protested weakly.

  Damien gave me a look that said he knew exactly what I was trying to do, and he wasn’t going to let me get away with it. “Has been doing fine under Tempest’s leadership while you’ve been gone.”

  I couldn’t disagree because he was absolutely correct. She’d done so well as the high priestess in my absence that the last time I’d been back home; I’d found myself torn about what to do when the Council of Four no longer needed me. Returning after so long and relegating Tempest to a lesser role as my second didn’t seem fair, but we couldn’t both serve as high priestess. There could only be one in a coven.

  “As Selene’s mother, you’re the only person who can do it,” Carrick announced. I wasn’t sure how my being her mom made any difference, but I didn’t get the chance to ask before he took advantage of the situation and made a suggestion of his own. “And I think you should stay in Bear Creek while you’re serving on the council. It would allow you to be here for Selene and the babies, and we could travel together when there’s council business. Like Selene and I have been doing.”

  If only it were that simple. If only I didn’t know how every inch of his body looked and tasted. If only I wasn’t filled with the urge to do it all over again. And again and again, since it was an experience that bore repeating. Often.

  Staying in Bear Creek meant more time spent around Carrick, testing my willpower. Stepping into Selene’s spot on the shifter council meant the same. My wrist tingled again, and I wanted to scream in frustration when a mark didn’t appear there. Being with Carrick day in and day out, knowing he wasn’t destined to be my consort, would be torture.

  But as I’d taught my daughter and all the witches who had trained beneath me—the things which mattered most never came easily. And protecting my daughter’s position on the council was more than important. It was vital. Since the still developing bonds between the witch and shifter communities hung in the balance, there was only one answer I could give. “Yes, I’ll take Selene’s place on the council until she’s ready to return.”

  “Excellent.” Damien gave me an approving nod before he turned on his heel and walked away.

  I barely resisted the urge to take a couple of steps backwards when Carrick moved closer. “Does your decision mean that you’ll stay in Bear Creek?”

  “Yes,” I muttered. It was the logical choice since it would allow me to help Selene with the babies and Carrick would be available to help me acclimate to my new role on the council.

  He closed the small gap between us and lowered his voice. “At my house?”

  “Oh my Goddess...no,” I gasped, earning me an amused chuckle that had my back straightening in indignation. “Not that I couldn’t handle sharing your space, mind you.”

  “Then prove it and stay with me,” he rasped.

  Looking into his dark eyes, so full of heat, I knew which bed he hoped I’d sleep in if I said yes. “I’ll be of more help if I stay with Selene and Camden. They’ll have their hands full with the babies.”

  “Maybe for the first couple of weeks,” he conceded. “But once they get the hang of things, it’ll be good for them to have their space so they can settle into their new roles as parents.”

  “When—and if—the time comes that it would do more harm than good for me to stay with my daughter, I’ll find somewhere else to stay.”

  “Like my house,” he prodded.

  “Or a place of my own, you insufferable bear.” He stroked a finger down my arm, making me shiver. “Stop.”

  “Just checking to make sure you haven’t grown any feathers.”

  “Feathers?” I echoed.

  He squawked like a chicken, driving his opinion home. There wasn’t anything I could say to change his mind—not when we both knew he was right—so I stomped away in frustration.

  Chapter Five

  Carrick

  Part of me wanted to hunt Damien down and force him to tell me the whole story behind his request. It’d be one hell of a fight, but it would be worth it. And it wasn’t even because I didn’t believe the explanation he’d given. But I damn well knew he’d held something back. Just like he and Seth, the head of the council, had done back when Camden had mated with Selene. I respected both men, but my trust only went so far when it came to my family’s wellbeing—and Audra’s.

  Regardless of my concerns about whatever it was that Damien was hiding, I wasn’t about to reject the opportunity he’d given me. Stalking after Audra, I kept my eyes on her tight ass for as long as I could until it would be obvious to everyone in Selene’s hospital room that I was panting after her mom. Once I’d maneuvered her back into my bed and figured out what the hell was happening between the two of us, I’d be ready for them to know. But not a moment earlier, or else I’d run the risk of scar
ing her off again.

  “Cool it with the scary face, grandpa,” Alasdair chided. “Or else you’ll frighten my niece and nephew.”

  “My grandbabies never need to be afraid of me,” I growled at my oldest son.

  “It wasn’t even his scary face. The three of us have seen that one often enough that I’d recognize it in my sleep,” Braden chimed in. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen that look from him before. What the f—” he trailed off when Tahlia slapped him upside the head.

  “Language,” she hissed, jerking her chin at the babies as they slept in the bassinettes that must have been rolled from the nursery to Selene’s room while Audra and I talked to Damien.

  Braden flashed his mate an apologetic smile before he turned his attention back to me. “Why do I have the feeling that whatever put that odd look on your face was something bad?”

  I stifled my chuckle since it would raise too many questions. It wasn’t as though I could explain how humorous I found it that my sons didn’t recognize the desire I’d tried to wipe from my expression because then they’d want to know who had inspired the feeling in me. Instead, I allowed myself a slight smirk as I watched Tahlia stroke Braden’s back, providing comfort with the same hand she’d just used to knock some sense into him. I’d always liked the lioness shifter who’d served the council, but I absolutely loved her as my middle son’s mate.

  “Probably because Damien was involved. It didn’t escape my notice that he seems to have disappeared as he tends to do at times,” Tahlia murmured.

  “Oh for the Goddess’s sake,” Audra sighed, glaring at me before she offered my family a reassuring smile. “Nothing horrible happened.” She moved to Selene’s side and wrapped her hand around her daughter’s. “Damien asked me to take your spot on the council until you’re ready to come back.”

  The witch I’d come to love as my own daughter searched her mother’s face. “And your answer was?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  The “of course” was said in unison as something passed unspoken between mother and daughter. The bond between the two witches was impossible to miss, even though they had been apart for so many months. Looking at them together, nobody could doubt their connection—or the unconditional love they felt for each other. Considering how horribly I’d picked with the mothers of my children, it only made Audra more attractive to me. It was only one of the many reasons why she was an incredible woman.

  “I’ll be staying in town for the foreseeable future, as well,” Audra added.

  Selene gave a satisfied nod. “As you should. My darling babies need their grandmamma near.”

  “Very near since I plan to stay with you and Camden, at least until you’ve recovered and gotten a handle on nighttime feedings with not one, but two babies.”

  Camden rose to his feet on the other side of the bed, and I recognized the stubborn look on his face. Leaning against the wall, I settled in to enjoy the conversation since it seemed it was heading in a direction that would serve me well. “I’ll be there to provide all the assistance my mate needs to care for our children.”

  Selene rolled her eyes at him and pressed the button to lift the back of her hospital bed. She waited to speak until she in a sitting position. “What my consort meant to say was thank you for the kind offer, but we’ll be okay on our own.”

  “But—”

  Selene didn’t let Audra continue. “Of course we’ll ask for help if we need it, but what you and Camden seem to be forgetting is that I’m not the usual new mom. I have enough power now to ensure my recovery time is as short as it needs to be.”

  “You need to be careful not to use too much too soon,” Audra chided.

  “I get it, Mom. I really do. I understand your need to protect me regardless of the fact that I’m not just your little girl anymore, I’m a mom, too. There will never be a day that I won’t want to do the same for them.” Selene’s gaze slid to the two babies sleeping peacefully in their bassinettes, and her pretty green eyes—so like her mother’s—filled with love. “But you’ve taught me well. Both as my mom and high priestess. Trust me to know my limits and to be the kind of mother for them that you were for me.”

  “You’re going to make it impossible for me to argue, aren’t you?” Audra sighed.

  Since nobody’s attention was on me, I let my lips tilt up in a satisfied smirk at the first sign of her impending capitulation to the living arrangement which made the most sense—the one that ended up with her in my home. It turned into a full-fledged grin when my daughter-in-law maneuvered Audra right where I wanted her to be.

  “Besides which, we don’t have a guest room for you anymore. It’s the nursery now. And I’m not going to have my mom sleep on the couch in our living room when there’s a comfortable bed she can use at Carrick’s house. You don’t mind if my mom stays at your place, do you?”

  I schooled my face into an innocent expression as all eyes turned my way. “Of course not, sweetheart. She’s welcome to stay as long as she wants.”

  If I had my way, it’d be for a hell of a long time, too. Like forever.

  “See? Problem solved.”

  “And a new one created,” Audra mumbled underneath her breath.

  Selene tilted her head as peered up at her mom. “Pardon?”

  “I said that I should’ve seen that one,” Audra lied. Alasdair started to correct her, and I jabbed him in the side to keep his mouth shut. Our shifter hearing meant everyone but Selene knew exactly what Audra had said the first time around, but my oldest son was the only one who seemed interested in calling her out for the evasion.

  “Your intuition does tend to fail you when it comes to your own fate,” Selene laughed.

  Audra’s green gaze, a hint of sadness that had my bear pushing against my skin flashing in them, slid to mine as she replied. “That it does, my dear. That it does.”

  I stepped forward, moving until I was close enough to Audra that my arm brushed against hers. “I think it’s time for us to clear out and give the new parents some time alone with the babies.”

  Alasdair and Braden, along with their mates, took the hint and said their goodbyes quickly since they had their own children to get back home. Audra seemed in the mood to linger, and I practically had to drag her from the room.

  “Don’t worry, Mom. The babies aren’t going to disappear into thin air. Now that you’ll be living in Bear Creek, you’ll have plenty of time to spoil them,” Selene called out to us right before we shut the door to give them their privacy.

  Audra walked beside me, her back ramrod straight and her lush lips pressed into a hard line. Now that our family wasn’t surrounding us, she wasn’t bothering to hide her displeasure at the situation she’d found herself in.

  “You heard your daughter. Don’t worry so much,” I murmured softly.

  “Don’t worry?” she hissed as she shoved at the glass doors and stormed out of the hospital.

  She turned to glare at me, and I was once again struck by her beauty. Her pale cheeks were tinged pink, her green eyes were flashing, and her plump tits heaved. My cock stirred at the picture she presented in her anger, but it quickly cooled when a splash of cold water from the fountain in front of the hospital struck me in the face. I’d managed to provoke a reaction out of my witch, but it wasn’t quite the one I’d been hoping for.

  Chapter Six

  Audra

  When Carrick’s eyes flared with approval instead of irritation, I wanted to kick myself for giving in to my temper. I should have known that the stubborn bear shifter would be impressed with my show of power and not the least bit intimidated. It only made him more appealing—something I didn’t need to notice when I was going to be staying in his home for the foreseeable future. I was so flustered that I marched half-way towards the parking lot before I remembered that I’d taken a cab to the hospital from the airport.

  “Problem?” Carrick rumbled from behind me.

  I twirled around and bit back a frustrated shriek at his sm
irk. Instead of drenching him in water like I wanted to do, I forced myself to ask for his help. “I don’t have a car yet. Can you take me to a rental place to grab one?”

  “I could.” His dark eyes filled with masculine satisfaction, and I knew I wasn’t going to like the rest of his answer. “But I’m not going to since you won’t need to rent a car while you’re here.”

  “It isn’t enough that you won the battle over where I’m staying; you want me to be reliant on you for my transportation too?”

  He didn’t answer until after he’d tugged me towards his truck and we’d pulled out of the parking lot. “I’d like for you to be reliant on me for a fuck of a lot more than shelter and transportation, but that’s not why I said you didn’t need to rent a car.”

  I wasn’t willing to touch the first part of his statement with a ten-foot pole. Not when we were headed to his home. Alone. And especially not while my heart raced at the implication heavy in his words. So I focused on the latter half of his comment instead. “Then why did you say it?”

  The grin he flashed me made him seem younger. Playful even. “Because this baby”—he patted the dashboard—“isn’t the only vehicle I own, so you can borrow one of mine.”

  “One of yours?” I echoed, my head cocking to the side as I studied him. I was confused since I’d only ever seen him drive his truck in all the time I’d spent in Bear Creek back when we’d all first met a year ago as well as when I’d visited again over the holidays. “I’m assuming that means you have more than two, or else you would’ve just said I could borrow your other car?”

  His smile grew wider. “Quite a few more than two.”

  “How did I never know you were a car aficionado?”

  His gaze switched back to the road, but I still caught the gleam of his bear in his eyes. “Because we had a lot of shit going down when you first got here, and then once it was all over I was a fuck of a lot more interested in showing you my bedroom than the contents of the barn out back where I keep most of my collection.”