He grins like he knows I was going to say that.
And that’s when it clicks.
That feeling of recognition I had for him… His presence… It’s the same presence I’ve felt whenever I’ve touched myself in a sexual way. It’s almost as if it’s always been him there with me as I pleasured myself.
Geez, what do they put in this beer? Narcotics?
I glance at the timer and there are still three and a half minutes left.
“Have you ever kissed a guy before?” he asks.
I shake my head as I feel my cheeks start to flush. “Weird, right? A twenty-two year old who’s never kissed a boy.”
“I’m thirty and I’ve never kissed a girl.”
My mouth drops. “Seriously?!”
He nods.
That’s… I can’t even believe that.
He’s so gorgeous that he could kiss any woman he wanted to. All he has to do is ask.
“Why not?” I blurt out. “Are you gay?”
He laughs. “I’m not gay.”
“Then why?”
“I’m supposed to ask the questions.”
I hit pause on the timer. “Why haven’t you kissed a girl?”
He leans back and licks his lips as his eyes bore into me. “I’ve been waiting for my mate.”
“Your mate… You’re a shifter?”
He nods.
“Whoa,” I whisper as my eyes drop to his massive chest. “What kind of animal?”
“Kodiak bear.”
“I’ve never met a shifter before.” My hand reaches out to touch his chest, but I snap it back when I come to my senses. “Do you have a mate?”
He nods as the sexiest grin imaginable appears on his face. “I do now.”
Damn it. Lucky bitch.
“You’re my mate, Mary. It’s you.”
I’m nodding my head, but it’s not sinking in.
“Wait. What? I’m the lucky bitch?”
Suddenly, Jacob is at his side, grabbing his arm and pulling him up.
“What?” Cameron roars as he rips his arm away from his brother. “I’m busy with my mate.”
His mate… I’m that mate. No way…
“I need to talk to you,” Jacob hisses through clenched teeth.
Cameron gets in his face. “I’m not leaving her side.”
“For fuck’s sake, Cameron, she’s going to stay right there. I just need a second.”
Cameron looks at me and then turns away with a huff. “I’ll be right back,” he grumbles as he leaves with his brother.
I’m sitting there, staring at the wall in shock.
A mate.
I have a mate?
It’s like someone coming up to you out of the blue and telling you that they arranged a new husband for you, only this new husband is a bear shifter/soul mate and your marriage is going to last forever.
Don’t I get a say in this? Doesn’t my voice matter?
My eyes roam back to him and I can’t help but smile as I watch him standing there, arguing with his brother.
If fate had to pick someone for me to be with, I’m glad it’s him.
He’s the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen.
And I like the way he looks at me. I’ve never had a man look at me with such intensity before.
Maybe I’ll give it a chance before I run out of here and escape back to New York.
What’s the worst that can happen?
It might even be fun…
Chapter Four
Cameron
My bear is snarling inside of me like a rabid beast as Jacob pulls me to the side. The furious Kodiak wants me to knock Jacob out and go back to my girl. He’s trying to claw and hack his way out, but I flex my body, keeping him back. For now.
He’s a different kind of animal now. Much stronger and more determined than I’ve ever seen him. He’s already so possessive and is looking at her like she’s our territory to protect.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I roar as I yank my arm away and get in Jacob’s face. My hands are squeezed into fists by my side ready to unload.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he snarls back.
We’ve always been the two hotheads of the group and when we go at it, well, let’s just say it’d be a wise thing to get as far away as possible.
“You’re pulling me away from my girl,” I say, trying to keep my low rumbling voice steady. I’m seething as I narrow my eyes on him. “You’re going to get your head ripped off if you’re not careful. I won’t be able to hold my bear back for much longer.”
I already feel my grasp on him slipping. He lets out a nasty roar inside me before charging forward again.
“Shit,” I grit through clenched teeth as I feel my chest start to swell. I squeeze my eyes shut and grunt as I force him back down. It’s like trying to put the lid on a volcano that’s ready to blow.
“Breathe,” Jacob says as he starts to look around in a panic. “We’re in a packed bar here. Take it easy.”
I’m breathing heavily as my bear slinks back down. He starts pacing around, but I can feel he’s not happy.
The bartender is watching us closely. I can smell the man’s polar bear and he seems alert and ready to go.
I look at my brother as my chest heaves up and down. “What do you want?”
“I just need to warn you. Watch what you say to that girl.”
“That girl,” I say slowly, feeling the rage coming back. “Is my mate. She can know anything about me that she wants.”
“It’s not just you,” he says with a sigh. “Come on, Cameron. We don’t even know her.”
“You don’t know her,” I say, poking my finger into his chest. “I do. I’ve been dreaming about her for decades.”
“This is not some fantasy anymore. This is real life and real life has consequences. Deadly consequences. You know damn well that we had no jurisdiction to go after Burton. You want that on the front page of The New York Times?”
“What am I supposed to do, Jacob? She’s my mate. My girl. You getting this? There are no secrets between us.”
“But there are secrets between us and the rest of the world, particularly the US Military. You getting this? She’s a journalist for fuck’s sake. How did she even find us anyway? How does she even know about Burton?”
I take a deep breath and look back at Mary. My heart melts as I watch her try to pick a fruit fly out of her beer. Her glasses are resting on her scrunched up nose, looking adorable as she tries to pluck it out with her finger and thumb.
Maybe I was too quick to give out all of our secrets. This doesn’t just affect me after all. I have my brothers and cousin to think about too.
“What did you tell her?” Jacob asks in a low tone.
I sigh. “Everything.”
“Everything?! What the fuck, Cameron?! We came here to start fresh. To have normal lives for once. Maybe even to start families… She’s going to drag up all our old shit!”
My bear starts to get riled up again. I can feel his pacing start to increase as he lets out a low growl. He doesn’t like anyone talking badly about our girl or anyone getting agitated around her. If I’m not careful, I’m going to have a two thousand pound pissed off Kodiak bear causing a rampage in here.
I don’t want that to happen. How will Mary react to seeing that? Mate or not, she’d probably hightail it back to New York to get away from me.
On top of that, it’s the only bar in town and I’d rather not be banned for life.
I take a deep breath, trying to calm everyone down—my bear, my brother, myself…
“She’s not going to do any of that,” I tell him. “She’s my mate. She’s not going to throw us under the bus.”
“You don’t know that. You just met her.”
I’d like to disagree with him, but he’s right. I don’t know her at all. Just because my soul recognizes her as my other half, it doesn’t mean she’s going to have my best interests at heart. It doesn�
�t mean she’s going to put me over her career. It doesn’t mean anything.
All I can do is hope for the best now and pray that she’s as trustworthy as I think she is.
“You guys are making a scene,” Easton says as he comes over. “Take it outside or settle the fuck down. We’re already in hot water for getting into a brawl with those firecunts.”
“I’ll go outside,” I say as my bear lets out a feral snarl. “You guys stay in here.” I turn back to Jacob with a warning look. “And don’t interrupt us again.”
“Everything okay?” Mary asks when I charge back to the table.
“Fine,” I grunt. “It’s a beautiful night. Let’s go on the patio.”
I grab the beers and head out before she can answer. She grabs her purse and follows me as my brothers slink back to their table.
Heading outside was a good idea. I could use the fresh air.
It’s a spectacular night and the patio is quiet with only a few people talking softly. I grab us a table in the corner under the strung up golden Christmas lights that are the color of fireflies. The music is quieter out here and I’ll be able to hear every word that my beautiful mate says.
We get comfortable at our table and my bear starts to chill out now that our mate is safely in front of us once again.
That fluttering in my chest is back now that I’m gazing into my girl’s beautiful green eyes. She’s so gorgeous. Every time I look at her, I’m stunned by her beauty. She’s literally breathtaking.
“They seemed upset,” she says as she wraps her hands around her mug and looks at me. “Is it because of the questions I was asking?”
“They just want to put all of that behind them. We came here to move on and start over with hard work, mates, families, peace, and quiet. You know? Put the violence behind us. Enjoy our lives for once.”
She drops her eyes to her beer, looking contemplative as she takes my words in.
“I’d like to ask you to drop the article you’re writing,” I say, feeling my heart start to sink. What if she says no? What if my mate and I can’t see eye to eye? What would that mean for us?
I shudder, not even wanting to think about that.
“That’s a pretty big ask,” she says, biting her bottom lip. “I don’t even know you.”
“We’re mates.”
“Says the strange guy I just met in the bar. How do I know you’re not some conman? What if you’re playing me? How do I even know you’re a shifter? Is your name even Cameron? What if you slipped something into my drink and I’m hallucinating all of this? Huh? What if I wake up tied to a radiator in a basement? Huh? Huh?!?”
“Whoa, that’s a lot of questions.”
She’s starting to panic as her eyes dart around the patio. “I’ve never met a shifter in my life and the first one I meet says I’m his mate? I don’t think so! Are you even a shifter?”
I flex my arm and she swallows hard as she watches my bicep with wide eyes. “Do I look like a shifter?”
“I’ll admit you’re… very gorgeous. And big. And your muscles are making my heart beat like a hummingbird’s wings, but what if it’s all…”
She keeps rambling on as a low rumbling gets my attention. Two motorcycles turn into the bar’s parking lot as my Kodiak bear perks up in alert.
I get a bad feeling while I follow the two men with my eyes as they park.
No…
My stomach drops when I see the gang’s name written on the back of their leather cuts.
Lone Wolf Mercenaries.
It’s been a while since I’ve seen that name. It hasn’t been long enough.
The rank smell of wet dog hits my nose and my bear lets out a low warning growl. He creeps close to the surface and this time, I don’t hold him back. I keep him close and ready.
“And do I even want a mate?” Mary is rambling on, her voice racing. “I’m a career woman. At least, I think I am. I want kids someday, but do I want them now? I guess I would if I could but—”
“Mary,” I snap to get her attention. “It’s time to be quiet and listen to me.”
Her wide eyes dart over to mine, but thankfully, her mouth stops moving.
“Go back into the bar and sit with my brothers.”
“What? Why?”
“Those two bikers in the parking lot are here for you.”
She looks over her shoulder at them and then turns back, shaking her head. “Impossible. I’ve never seen them before in my life.”
I haven’t seen those two before either, but I know who they’re here for. I keep my eye on them as they turn off their Harleys and stand up. The big one has long hair and a spider tattoo on his neck. The smaller one looks even deadlier with a bald head and three parallel scars running along it, probably courtesy of some long dead shifter.
“Listen closely,” I whisper to her. “The Lone Wolf Mercenaries were Dylan Burton’s mercenary group and they’re here for you. Word must have gotten back to them that you’ve been snooping around asking about them.”
It’s starting to sink in. I can tell because the color drains from her face and she looks like she’s going to be sick.
“Those scary men are here for me?”
“Not men,” I tell her. “Wolf shifters.”
“Oh my God!” she says as her hands start to shake. “I’m going to die. I can’t fight! I couldn’t even carry three beers without spilling them. Oh crap! I can’t run in these boots!! Why did I have to buy them so freaking small? The ones in my size weren’t on sale and I couldn’t—”
“Mary!” I hiss, snapping her out of it. “Go inside and sit with my brothers. I’ll take care of those guys. That’s what mates are for, understand me? I’m protecting you now. This is what I was born to do.”
“I’ll go get your brothers and ask them to help you,” she says as she grabs her purse.
“No,” I say in a low firm voice. I grit my teeth as I watch the pair start to walk over. “They’re mine. Nobody messes with my mate. I’m not sharing this.”
I watch her as she hurries inside and my nerves turn to excitement as I stand up and chug the rest of my beer.
This is going to be fun.
I’ve been waiting for this my whole life…
A chance to protect my mate.
An opportunity to fight for my girl.
Those two dead men are about to find out what happens when someone tries to come between a Kodiak bear shifter and his mate.
A girl gasps as I leap over the railing of the balcony and land with a thud on the concrete.
I hate these Lone Wolf cocksuckers. There always seems to be a never-ending stream of them. It doesn’t seem to matter how many necks we break, there’s always a lot more to take their place.
We thought that after we massacred half of them and snuffed out their leader Burton, it would be over, but these furry cockroaches never seem to go away.
I can hear them talking about her. The one with the scarred head has a picture of her.
When I hear the name Mary on their lips, I’m ready to kill.
“Hey,” I snarl as I storm over with my hands squeezed into fists.
The two of them look over and then step back when they see the fury in my eyes. It’s on now.
They should have sent more than two. They should have sent a whole army.
It still wouldn’t have been enough.
I’d fight to the death and then some to protect my mate.
“Who the fuck are you?” the long-haired one asks in a menacing tone.
My bear is livid as he tries to violently claw his way out, but I hold him back easily. I’m pissed too.
And these guys are all mine.
“You looking for Mary McCray?” I ask as I approach them.
They glance at each other nervously.
“You know her?”
I let out a low growl. “She’s my mate.”
“Oh fuck,” the big one whispers under his breath.
“Oh fuck is right.”
I
lunge forward and start to make them pay.
Having the time of my life as I do it.
Chapter Five
Mary
I’ve always been very inquisitive by nature and I’ve never been the type to back down.
It’s what drew me into being a journalist.
It’s also the reason why I’ve gotten into a ton of trouble over the years.
My mom always liked to tell me that curiosity killed the cat. I would tell her right back that boredom broke the dog.
“That’s not even a saying,” she’d say.
“It is now,” I’d tell her.
My nature didn’t change when I broke my arm at age six while I checked to see if there really was a leprechaun who lived on the roof like my cousin told me (spoiler alert: there wasn’t), it didn’t change when I was twelve and wanted to find out what the grunting coming from my parent’s room was (spoiler alert: it was horrifying. Do not recommend), and it didn’t change when I was eighteen and wanted to find out what Two Girls and One Cup was all about (spoiler alert: definitely do not recommend!).
So, my nature is certainly not going to change now that I have a gorgeous bear shifter mate with a flawless body about to fight two wolf shifter mercenaries who are here to kill me.
Does he really expect me to sit quietly inside while all that goes down? He picked the wrong mate if he truly thinks that’s going to happen.
I slip back outside and watch with my heart hammering in my chest.
“Oh fuck is right,” Cameron hisses in a growly voice before lunging at the two bikers.
They try to leap out of the way, but Cameron’s meaty fist slams into the big one’s chin. His legs wobble as the wiry one with the dreadful scars on his bald head leap onto Cameron.
He wraps his arm around Cameron’s neck, trying to choke him out, but my protector is much stronger. He pries his arm off and uppercuts him, dropping him to the ground.
It’s all happening so fast. The bikers keep getting up but every time they do, Cameron lands a hard punch that drops them again. He grabs the big one by the long hair and throws him into a truck with a crunch. He falls down and I gasp when I see the huge metal dent in the door and the broken window.
Alpha Possessed Page 3
