Wed to the Bear (Denali Den Book 2)
Page 6
“What do you mean?” Lexi asked curiously. Her expression softened. Her extra tough exterior changed to one of a concerned friend.
“You’re one of the camp counselors here, aren’t you?” Ava asked.
“Yes, why?”
“I can tell.” Ava pulled out a bar stool on the opposite side from Lexi and sat down. “You have a counselor voice. A soothing tone. I bet you do really well with the campers here.”
“Thank you very much. That’s nice of you to say. Especially after I’ve ruined things for you—”
“You didn’t ruin things.” Ava held up her hand. “I thought I wanted a business type of marriage, but if that’s really what I wanted, I would have stuck to the arrangement my family made for me. They had set up a marriage betrothal agreement between myself and another werebear in my den.”
Lexi’s eyes widened. “They do that? Arrange marriages?”
“In some dens, yes. It’s called an allocated marriage and it’s all about the purity of the werebear lines.”
“Yeah, I’m going to ruin that for the Vanes too. I’ll be the first human to marry into the family.” She shrugged. “But the way I figure it, there always has to be a first, right? A first man on the moon, a first woman to vote. I may as well be the first human to marry a Vane.” Lexi leaned over the oak bar. “I think Stryker is great. He’s considering me for a permanent year-round position at Denali Crossings. I’d be the first human to have that job—if he decides to take me.”
Ava smiled. “I think Stryker is great too. I really do. We just have a few things we need to work out.”
Lexi took two gulps of her tea. “He said he’d consider me before Silas and I got together. Now if he promotes me, he’ll probably be judged for nepotism, but you know, it’s a family business. They can do what they want.”
Ava had to like Lexi, and talking things out, even a little bit, had helped her. If she truly wanted a business-only marriage then she would have stayed in Wyoming. She came to Alaska to find something more.
Stryker was that something more.
11
Stryker couldn’t get Ava’s words out of his head—maybe I made a mistake. The words cut him worse than any physical blow to his body. No matter how many ways he looked at it, he couldn’t believe it. Deep down inside, to the core of his bear, he knew Ava was his True Mate.
Only, why didn’t she believe it too?
Deep in his own thoughts, he didn’t hear Silas come up behind him. “How are things with your new wife?”
Stryker turned around. If he couldn’t be honest with his brother, who could he be honest with? “Not so great.”
“What? You two are newlyweds. From what I hear, being a newlywed is the best.”
Stryker paced to his desk and opened some documents on his computer. “Yeah, well, Ava was completely on board with our marriage at first, but now with her brother and ex-fiancé showing up—I think that weakened her resolve.”
“From what little I know of Ava…” Silas rubbed his chin. “That doesn’t sound like her.”
“Yeah, well, trust me, it’s true.” Stryker opened an Excel spreadsheet showing camper and counselor assignments.
“What are you going to do about it?” Silas leaned over Stryker’s desk.
“Can I trust you to take over my administrative duties while I’m gone? Scarlett will help you.”
“Of course. What are you planning?” Silas asked.
“Here’s the assignments with the next group of campers.” He pointed to the rows on his screen. “Like I said, Scarlett can help.”
“Yeah. I got that part. Scarlett can help. I’m sure we can cover your duties however long it’s needed. But there is something about your tone. I’ve heard that determination before. What are you going to do about Ava?”
“We’re going to the twenty-mile cabin.” Stryker let go of the computer’s mouse and locked gazes with his brother. “If things don’t go as planned, then I’m going to kidnap her.”
A slow smile crept over Silas’ bearded face. He nodded. “I like it.”
Stryker approached his cabin with confidence. He needed to appear fearless and positive, even if he didn’t completely feel that way. He pushed the door open. “Ava?”
He glanced around his cabin and didn’t see her, but he smelled her, so he knew she was nearby.
She stood with both hands gripping the railing of his loft. “I’m right here.”
“What are you doing?” He gazed upward.
“I was just reading.” She shrugged, then tipped her head to the side. “Are you going to ask what I’m reading?”
Somehow, he sensed this was a game and he was required to ask the question. “Well…okay, what are you reading?”
“Twilight.” She smiled.
He raised a brow. “Are you a Twilight fan?”
Ava turned her body, placed her foot in the first rung of the ladder and climbed down. “Not really, but I find it interesting that you are.”
“I was interested in reading about how they portrayed the werewolves.” He gave a grin at his own half-lie. He actually thought the series was very entertaining.
She approached him. “As I was reading, I realized how much the story reminded me of how I’m like Bella.”
He contemplated how Ava might be like Bella, but he wasn’t seeing it. “You’re going to have to explain.”
Ava placed both her hands on his chest and stared into his eyes. “She had a choice to make between Edward and Jacob.”
His heart thudded. The idea of Ava making a choice and not choosing him made him feel sick to his stomach. He swallowed hard. “And what is your choice?”
“While Bella’s life would have been easier if she had chosen Jacob…she followed her heart. She chose Edward.” She licked her lips. “I was afraid. I think my den is different than yours. In my den, bears aren’t always loyal to one another. Sometimes mates sleep with each other, but they sleep with other bear’s mates too. I thought I could be like that, but I can’t. That’s the real reason I ran from my commitment. I know you’re different. I know you’ll be true and steadfast to me. I know you’re my Edward. My choice is you, Stryker.”
Relieved, he blew out a breath. “Good, because I didn’t want to have to kidnap you.”
“Kidnap me?” She pushed on his chest. “What are you talking about? You can’t kidnap your own wife.”
“My wife. You don’t know how good that sounds coming from your lips.” He leaned in to kiss her.
She let him get within inches of their mouths touching before she playfully shoved him, then crossed her arms. “Explain the kidnapping thing.”
Stryker bent over and hoisted Ava over his shoulder.
She screamed. “What are you doing?”
“I’m kidnapping you.” He headed for his cabin’s front door.
“What if I don’t want to be taken? I’ll scream if you don’t put me down,” she said between giggles.
“Okay, fine.” He spun around and strode toward his bedroom, then laid her on his bed.
“Now what are you doing?” Ava’s eyes turned golden.
He pressed his hands into the mattress on either side of Ava’s shoulders. “I’m going to find some rope and tie you up.”
“Really?” Her eyes widened. “Then what?”
He grinned. “Then I’m taking you to the twenty-mile cabin where you can’t escape. I’ll ravish you and adore you all the days of my life.”
“Promise?”
“I do. I promise. I love you, Ava.” Stryker kept his face above hers.
This moment almost didn’t feel real, only it felt more real than the day they had said their marriage vows. Ava had finally opened up to him about her fears. In a backwards kind of way based on characters in a fiction novel, but it didn’t matter to him.
Bears were always stubborn and that stubbornness always existed because of fear. He was grateful to finally know why she had kept her emotional distance.
She was really h
is now. In every way. Every way except one. “Now, can I finally kiss you?”
Her chest rose up and down. “I feel so nervous. Like it’s the first time.”
“It is the first time. The first time of many. The first time to kiss your husband.”
“Yes. The first time…and it will be with my whole heart.”
Stryker leaned down, letting his elbows sink into the mattress. Then he kissed his wife for the first time—the first of many.
Epilogue
Ava stood naked under the ice-cold waterfall, but her body still felt hot. During the past week, Stryker had ravished her and tied her up, along with several other memorable adventures, just like he’d promised.
She couldn’t be happier.
Stryker galloped out of the forest in his bear form. He stopped along the edge of the river and shifted. “You look beautiful.”
She stepped from beneath the spray of water and into his waiting arms.
“Are you pregnant with our twins yet?” he asked.
Ava shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
“Well, I can’t wait to see you pregnant with our cubs.”
“Cubs? Plural?”
“Yep.”
“Why are you so sure I’ll have twins?” she asked.
“It’s just a feeling I have. Just like when I saw you for the first time—I knew you were my True Mate.” He licked water off her neck and shoulders. “Besides, twins run in your family.”
“Yes, they do. You haven’t told me very much about your family.” Her body quivered as his mouth trailed down to her breasts.
He hoisted her into his arms. Ecstasy mixed with glee shot through her belly. She’d never believed she could feel such a sense of contentment. She had resigned her life to the wishes of her family, but somehow, she’d managed to reach out and take the life she wanted—even if it was in a very unorthodox way.
Stryker carried her to their cabin. “It’s Silas, then me, and then there is my younger-by-a-year brother, Stefan.”
“What’s Stefan like?”
“He’s a workaholic detective who works for the state of Alaska in the undercover werebear unit.”
“A detective? That sounds dangerous.”
“I believe my bride likes dangerous things.” Stryker pushed open the door of their cabin. “This is what we’re going to do. I’ll be the bad guy who holds you for ransom, only eventually, after I do several wicked things to your body, you fall in love with your captor.”
Stryker set her on their bed. She gazed into his golden eyes. She’d found everything she’d ever wanted in her husband and in Alaska and in a new family. “That sounds exciting. I like it. Am I supposed to try to get away?”
He reached under the bed and pulled out some ropes.
A shiver raced through her.
“Oh yeah.” He nodded with a sensual gleam in his eye. “Most definitely, you should try to escape.”
“Okay, but before we start...” She snuggled against his warm hard body. “I want you to know in case I haven’t said it, you are my True Mate. I’m yours forever. I love you.”
Her husband kissed the top of her head.
Marrying Stryker Vane was the smartest thing she’d ever done.
Dear Reader
Thank you so much for reading Wed to the Bear!
I love writing about people (and bears) falling love in my home state of Alaska. I also have a soft spot for historical romance. If you’d like to share your thoughts about my books, reviews are always appreciated.
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Happy Reading!
Rebecca
About the Author
Rebecca Thomas enjoys a love-hate relationship with Alaska. She lives there with her husband and sons. When she isn’t reading, writing, or playing board games, she can be found taking long walks in the woods dreaming up her next story.
A reluctant reader as a child, she didn’t become interested in books until her teen years when she discovered historical romance. Now she loves all sub-genres of romance and can’t decide which one is her favorite.
@Rebecca_Thomas3
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Right Kind of Mistake: Book Two
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