9781631054747HerstoBearHoffa

by Tamara Hoffa

  Bookshelves lined the left of the fireplace and they were overflowing, Jenna smiled. Another thing they had in common, a love of reading. She wandered over to see what books he liked. There was an eclectic mix, everything from dystopian and sci-fi, to murder mysteries and oh my goodness, she saw a few paranormal and erotic romance novels, who would have guessed. Strong arms wrapped around her from behind. “What ya doing?”

  “Checking out your books.”

  “See anything you like?”

  “Yeah, actually. I see a few authors I like to read there. I’m a reader too. Glad we have that in common.”

  “See I told you, the goddess knows.”

  “Yes, you did.” Jenna laughed.

  Bern dropped the towel he had been drying with on the chair and Jenna swatted his butt. “Hey,” he exclaimed over his shoulder as he walked to the closet and grabbed some jeans, pulling them on commando as usual.

  Jenna began to redress in her clothes from the day, while Bern pulled on a polo. As she sat on the bed and slipped on her shoes she asked. “So, I won’t change until the full moon right?”

  “That’s right.”

  “Will I feel any different between now and then? Because I feel a little weird right now. Like…I can smell you.”

  Bern laughed. “Yes, that is normal. Your senses will be enhanced a bit, not as much as after the change, but more than you’re used to. What do I smell like?” he asked, coming up and taking her in his arms.

  Jenna snuggled close. “Yummy,” she said.

  Bern kissed her nose. “I like yummy,” he said.

  “So do I.” Jenna stood on tiptoe and kissed him tenderly on the mouth.

  Bern’s stomach growled. “Hold that thought. We need to eat.”

  “Well, one of us surely does.” Jenna laughed.

  Bern kept one arm around her shoulders and led her though the house, but not to the front door as they had come in. “I thought we’d drive tonight.” They exited into a huge garage. Well the question of whether or not Bern had a car had certainly been answered. There were five cars and three motorcycles in the garage. Jenna was no car expert, in fact she wouldn’t know a Maserati from a Mustang, but knew expensive, and there were definitely some expensive cars in this garage.

  Everything from a top of the line SUV to a low slung two-seater sports car, wow. Wonder what he was going to pick for their outing tonight? He walked up to the little sports car and opened the passenger door. Jenna slipped into the leather interior and sighed as Bern walked around to the driver’s side. It still had that new car smell and the dash gleamed with gadgets and dials.

  Bern pressed a button and the garage door behind them opened, he pushed another button on the dash and the car started, no key, man she was way out of her league. “Off we go.”

  Bern hit the button to close the garage door after they pulled out and they headed downtown to the pizza parlor. There was only one in town, but it was really good, family owned and operated. Of course, Bern knew the owners and they were treated like royalty when they walked in.

  “Sippe Leiter, how good to see you tonight,” Maria said.

  “Good to see you too, Maria, and how are Gina and Mario?”

  “They are good, sir. Thank you so much for asking. I have a table right over here for you and the lovely lady,” Maria said leading them to a table away from most of the others in the restaurant.

  As they sat Bern turned to Jenna. “Have you met Jenna yet, Maria?”

  “No, Sippe.”

  “Jenna Raynes, my mate. This is Maria Forticola, owner of Roma’s Pizza.”

  Maria looked shocked for a moment, she was one of the clan members who hadn’t made it to the impromptu meeting the other night. Then she bowed. “So pleased to meet you, Miss Jenna, Sippe, I am so happy for you.” She leaned forward and kissed both his cheeks.

  “Thank you, Maria. I am a very lucky man.”

  “Wine! I must bring you some wine to celebrate. I wish I had some champagne, but wine will do. I be right back.” Maria scurried away.

  Jenna laughed and Bern reached across the table to grasp her hands. “She is so sweet.”

  “Yes, she is,” Bern replied.

  “I can’t believe she kissed your cheeks like that. Just like an Italian grandma!”

  “That’s what she is, not mine of course, but of the clan. Maria is over five hundred years old and thinks of herself as grandma to everyone in the clan. She is a good sow.”

  “Bern! That’s not nice.”

  Bern looked shocked. “What do mean that’s not nice?”

  “To call her a sow!”

  Bern laughed a rich full sound that had everyone in the restaurant turning to look at them. Jenna wanted to crawl under her seat and hide. “A sow is a female bear, Jenna. It is not an insult.”

  “Oh,” Jenna said felling sheepish. “My bad. I knew that. Just testing you.”

  Bern laughed again.

  Maria returned with a bottle of red wine, two glasses and their menus. As she poured the wine Bern said. “I don’t think we need menus, unless you want to look Jenna?”

  “No, if you know what you want that’s fine.”

  “We’ll take two deep dish pies with everything,” Bern said.

  Maria nodded and slipped away.

  “Two?” Jenna asked.

  “I’m hungry,” Bern replied.

  “I guess.” Jenna laughed.

  Bern rubbed his thumb over the skin on her hands and Jenna heard a voice in her head say “mine” she jumped.

  “What is it?” Bern asked.

  “Um, you’re gonna think I’m crazy, but I just heard a voice in my head.”

  “You did?”

  “Yeah.”

  “What did it say?”

  “Mine.”

  “Hmm, that’s your bear. You’re a very advanced girl. It’s unusual to have your bear talking to you already. Maybe you have a shifter in your family tree somewhere and you have latent shifter genes so the conversion is happening faster than normal.”

  “You mean my bear is really like a different person inside me? I thought it was just a part of me. I know you talked about your bear wanting me and stuff, but I didn’t get that it was a different person than you.”

  “It’s hard to explain, we are the same person, but different too. We share everything, have the same thoughts and dreams, but he can talk to me, help me, share his strength with me.”

  “Wow, that’s gonna take some getting used to.”

  “It will be an adjustment, but you will learn to love it. It is very comforting to have your bear with you. I couldn’t imagine not having mine with me.”

  “I guess,” Jenna mumbled, not at all sure she was ready for this change in her life. As soon as she was alone she was calling Alice, she needed some best friend advice and reassurance.

  Maria came back to the table with the two steaming pizzas and all thoughts of impending changes left Jenna’s mind. Garlic and tomato sauce, onion, bell pepper, spicy sausage and pepperoni took center stage.

  Maria placed the pies in the center of the table and set small plates in front of Jenna and Bern.

  “Bon appetite,” she said as she backed away.

  Bern served them each a piece and Jenna folded the slice to lift it to her mouth, dripping with cheese and piping hot. Oh my God, what could be better? She closed her eyes in bliss as she bit into the delicious feast. The spices rolled around on her tongue, blending together in a symphony of epicurean delight.

  She was savoring her single bite, chewing slowly and enjoying the flavor and texture. When she opened her eyes, Bern had devoured three pieces already. “Did you even taste it?” she asked.

  “Of, course I did. I told you I was hungry.”

  Jenna laughed. “Yes, you did.”

  “Besides, if I slowed down to watch you eat, I would have come in my pants like a horny teenager. Good God woman, are you eating that pizza or making love to it?”

  Jenna shrugged her shoulders.
“I like pizza.”

  Bern growled. “Next time we’re eating it at home, and I’ll be licking it off your body,” he said with a leer.

  Jenna could feel herself blush, damn all she did was blush since she met this man. She looked down at the table. He reached across the table and lifted her chin. “Don’t hide from me, little one. I love you, and there is nothing to be embarrassed about.”

  Seriously? All the times they’d made love together and he picks the middle of a pizza parlor to tell her he loves her for the first time? Did he really mean it? Maybe it was a good thing he was saying it when they weren’t in the throes of passion. Maybe that meant he really did mean it. Should she say it back? Did she love him? Yeah, she did. She would never have agreed to the mating if she didn’t, but somehow she just didn’t feel right about telling him here and now.

  She looked back at him and hoped the love she felt was conveyed in her eyes. She wasn’t ready to voice it yet. It was too new, too fragile and she was scared. She really needed to get her shit together and put her big girl panties on. She wouldn’t hurt Bern for anything, but she needed time. All of this was just happening so fast.

  A brief flash of disappointment seemed to cross Bern’s features, but it was gone so quickly she couldn’t be sure she’d even seen it. Then he leaned across the table and lightly brushed her lips with a kiss.

  She caressed his bearded cheek, God she loved his facial hair, he leaned into her hand.

  “Let’s finish eating and head for home,” he said.

  They finished their meal quickly. Chatting about the town, Bern’s responsibilities to the clan and the students in Jenna’s class. She told him some funny stories about the happenings in kindergarten and he told her about the inner circle of the clan, Martin, Guiles and Hans.

  Maria said her goodbyes, gifting Jenna with a kiss to both cheeks this time as well as Bern and they sped off in the little sports car toward Jenna’s house.

  Jenna wasn’t quite sure what to do when they reached her house. She’d never been in a relationship before, what was the protocol? They’d already had sex, twice today, should she invite him in to stay the night? She stifled a yawn as they pulled into the driveway.

  Bern made the decision for her. He walked her to the door and asked for her keys, checked the house as he’d done on the previous occasion and came back to the front door. Handing her the keys he embraced her tenderly and kissed her like she was the most cherished thing on earth.

  “Good night, little one. Sleep well and dream of me,” he said and then he kissed her forehead and vaulted down the porch steps, waving goodbye as he sped away in the little sports car. Jenna touched her lips as she stood on the porch and watched him drive away. “Mine,” the voice in her head said again. “Yes, ours,” Jenna said out loud, with a smile and turned to go inside the house.

  Jenna went to the bedroom and changed into her most comfortable sleep shirt and big fuzzy slippers. She went to the kitchen and made herself a cup of instant cocoa, with marshmallows, of course, and then she pulled the cordless phone from the wall and curled up in the corner of the sofa to dial Alice.

  Her friend picked up on the second ring, as per usual no salutation for the Chicago girl, she just jumped right in. “Okay, so what’s the update? Are you boinking like bunnies?”

  “God, I needed to hear your voice.”

  “Why? What’s the matter?” Alice was all business now.

  “Nothing is the matter.” Jenna sighed. “Everything is wonderful. It’s just all happening so fast.”

  “Ooh, wonderful? I like wonderful. Dish. What’s wonderful? Did you do the down and dirty?”

  “You are such a slut. Yes, we had sex.”

  “And it was wonderful?”

  “I fucking fainted!”

  “You’re shitting me? The first time?”

  “No… When he marked me.”

  “Holy crap on a cracker. You’re marked already? That means you’re mated, right? Like forever and always?”

  “Yep, forever and always,” Jenna squeaked.

  “You’re freaking out.”

  “Yeah, kinda.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing, everything. I don’t know. I’m just scared. I’ve never even had a boyfriend and it’s all happening so fast. He told me he loves me tonight.”

  “Well, that’s good isn’t it? Wait, you didn’t say it back did you?”

  “No,” Jenna said miserably.

  “But, you do don’t you? Love him I mean.”

  “Yes, of course I do.”

  “So why didn’t you tell him?”

  “I don’t know,” Jenna whined. “Because I’m a stupid idiot.”

  “Hey! Only I’m allowed to call you a stupid idiot, you quit that.”

  “I need you.”

  “I figured.”

  “You did?”

  “Yeah, I knew you’d be calling. I already put in for vacation. I’ll be there on Saturday morning.”

  Jenna jumped off the couch and screamed. “You are the bestest best friend ever!”

  “You better not let Beverly hear you say that.”

  “Oh my God, Bev, I haven’t even called her.”

  “I called and let her know what’s going on. She’s tied up at some big convention, but she said she’d be there for the wedding.”

  “Wedding? Oh my God, I hadn’t even thought about a wedding.”

  “Well, I know a mating is forever and all, but I assume your parents are going to want the traditional white wedding and all.”

  “Crap, you’re right. How do I bring that up to Bern? It’s not like I can just ask him to marry me.”

  “Leave that up to ole Alice, here. If he doesn’t bring it up while I’m there I’ll subtly bring it into the conversation.”

  “Subtly? You haven’t been subtle about anything in your life.”

  “Well, there’s a first time for everything.” Alice laughed.

  “Hey, bring a fancy dress with you. Bern and I have been invited to dinner with the alpha of the neighboring wolf clan on Saturday. It’s a big friggin’ deal.”

  “Are you sure it’s okay for you to just bring someone with you?”

  “I don’t think it will be a problem, Bern is bringing several guards with us, you can be one of the guard’s dates or something.”

  “Okay, if you’re sure.”

  “I’m sure. I can’t wait for you to get here. I’m so excited. God, I miss you girl. I wish I could hug you through the phone.”

  “It’s only a few days until Saturday, and then I’ll hug the stuffing out of you. Can you hold out until then?”

  “I’ll have to, won’t I?”

  “Yes, you will. I gotta go. Love you, girl!”

  “Love you too, see you Saturday.”

  Jenna danced around in a circle before she hung up the phone. Alice was coming!

  Chapter Eight

  Bern was knocking at her door at seven o’clock the next morning. Jenna couldn’t wait to tell him her news, she threw open the door and jumped into his arms. She hooked her legs around his waist and he supported her butt with his arms.

  “Well good morning. Someone’s in a good mood today.”

  “Guess what?”

  “What?”

  “I called Alice last night and she’s coming to visit! She’ll be here Saturday.”

  “Wonderful.”

  “Is it okay if she comes to Von Drake’s with us, because I kind of already told her it was,” she said all in one breath.

  Bern laughed, “Yes, it should be fine, I’ll send Bastian a note to inform him your friend will be in town and joining us.”

  “He won’t be mad will he?” Jenna asked.

  “No, it will actually be a nice ice breaker. Help lessen the tension.”

  “Oh good, I can’t wait for you to meet Alice.” Jenna gave him a big squeeze and dropped her legs. Bern let her slowly slide down the front of his body. Somebody was very happy to see her too.
/>   Hans stepped up to the front gate and cleared his throat.

  Bern stepped back. “Good morning, Hans. Would you like to walk with us today?”

  “Ja, Sippe.”

  “Do you mind, Jenna? Hans was on a reconnaissance mission last night and I need his report.”

  “No, that’s fine. If you need to work, I’m more than capable of walking to school alone.”

  Bern gave her a stern look. “No, you are not. You are to go nowhere alone. Do you understand me?”

  Jenna clicked her heels together and saluted. “Yes, sir.”

  Bern slapped her butt. “Impertinent cub, I may have to punish you later,” he teased with a waggle of his eyebrows.

  Bern linked their hands and Hans fell into step beside them as they struck out for the school.

  “So, what did you discover, my friend?” Bern asked.

  “Nothing decisive, I’m afraid, Sippe. As Boyd said, five men are camped about ten miles outside town. They have fishing equipment with them and there were fresh fish at the camp, but I also saw several rifles and tranquilizer guns.

  It’s possible they are just cautious and prepared in case they run into an animal in the wild. I listened around the camp, but they weren’t talking about anything but fishing. Sorry.”

  “Nothing to be sorry about. That’s what reconnaissance is about. Learning what we can. Let’s add the camp to our nightly patrols. Keep an eye on it, make sure these men aren’t up to no good.”

  “Ja, Sippe.”

  “What’s going on?” Jenna asked.

  “Nothing to worry about. Just making sure that some campers are just campers and not agents from HUNTS.”

  Jenna shivered. “God, I hate even hearing about that group. They’re worse than the KKK. The news has reported some terrible things they’ve done. I don’t understand why the government hasn’t shut them down.”

  “There’s always been hate groups against people who are different. The government can’t shut them down unless they catch them in the act, and even then they can only arrest the people that are involved at the time.”

  “I don’t understand it, why do they hate shifters?”