Protected by the Bear

by Vanessa Devereaux

  She unzipped his fly, and he guessed he was in for one of her treats again.

  “I enjoy it.”

  “You enjoyed it?” she asked, dipping her hand inside his boxers and finding his cock. She tickled his balls. He loved it when she did that. Not enough women concentrated their attention to those.

  “Bear shifters might come across as all alpha and tough, but we help with babies and we go shopping with our mates.”

  “Maybe I should start a dating agency offering women a chance to find their ideal shifter.”

  Ash would have laughed about that last comment, but he was too busy concentrating on the hand job she was giving him. He held the edge of the sink, letting his fingers dig into the veneer as Chloe brought him closer and closer to heaven. Ash closed his eyes as she ran her finger under the head of his dick. He licked his lips, visualizing her pussy in all its pink grandeur, and then—wow—sparks and fireworks as he exploded.

  His heart beat in his head, blood pulsed around his body. He was about to spin around, tear her panties off, and take her on the kitchen floor when his cell phone rang.

  “Shit,” he said. He could ignore it, but as a doctor, he knew that was a no-no.

  “Let me take care of this, and while I do, take your panties off.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  He pressed the button on his phone while watching Chloe take off her jeans and underwear. She stepped close to him and he fingered her curls as she licked his chest.

  “Hi. Dr. McWilliams.”

  “Hi, Ash, it’s Bear. Emily Burgress is in the early stages of labor, so we need to do the C-Section right away and I need both you and Charlotte to assist me.”

  He was excited for Emily and Trent, but why did those triplets want to head out into the world right now? “Okay, I’m with Chloe, but I’m on my way.” He ended the call and turned to Chloe. “I have to go and assist Bear with a C-section for Emily, but I’ll be back as soon as I can and we’ll pick this up where we left off.”

  ****

  He’d never observed or assisted with a C-section before. Never seen triplets come into the world. Emily was prepped and ready by the time he had put his scrubs on and washed up. Trent was sitting beside Emily holding her hand.

  “Hi you two, how’s it going?” he asked them.

  “I’m scared,” said Emily.

  “Nothing to be scared about,” said Charlotte. “You’re in great hands with Bear.”

  Bear chose that moment to walk in. “Hi Emily, the spinal block kicked in yet?”

  She nodded. “Sure has.”

  “This is a pretty straightforward procedure, but it will take just a little longer because I have three babies to get out. And it’s perfectly normal to feel me tugging at you.”

  Bear nodded to both him and Charlotte. Watching his cousin, who he’d looked up to for so long, was going to be quite the experience.

  With skill only he had, Bear took the scalpel and made his first cut. He guessed Emily was probably really scared at this point, so he decided to talk as Bear went to work. “I fed Sophie for the first time this afternoon and she spit up all over my shirt.” Okay, probably not the best topic, especially when this couple would be dealing with three babies throwing milk at them. “She’s so cute. I think she recognizes me now,” he continued.

  “I think Ash has turned into a family man,” said Charlotte.

  “Amazing what two women can do,” said Bear.

  “So is your wedding the next one we get invited to?” asked Trent.

  “Not sure about that just yet. We’re in the I-love-being-with-you-all-the-time phase right now.”

  “Oh, I remember that,” said Bear. “Okay, I’m about to bring out baby number one.”

  Ash stood in awe as Bear carefully lifted out the baby and handed it to Mia, who was waiting with a towel.

  “You have a son,” said Bear.

  “I’m so happy. I thought maybe it would be three girls and I’d be outnumbered and outvoted in my own house,” said Trent.

  “As if women would ever do that,” said Charlotte, winking at Mia.

  “He looks fine and healthy, so let’s get the second one out,” said Bear.

  Ash waited with another towel as Bear lifted the next baby out. “Another boy,” he said.

  “Hey, I might be outvoted in my own house,” said Emily.

  “He looks fine,” said Ash.

  “And, Trent, you want to be ready to cut the cords as I bring out the last baby?” asked Bear.

  “I sure do.” Trent stood beside Ash as Bear removed the last baby from Emily.

  “A girl,” said Charlotte.

  “Thank goodness,” said Emily.

  Ash saw Trent tearing up as Bear held the cords for him to cut.

  “Welcome to the world,” said Mia as she, Ash, and Charlotte carried the babies over to get cleaned up and checked out.

  “They all look healthy and all three have the shifter marks on their backs,” said Ash.

  “I can’t believe we have three children. Just the other day, I was a bear hanging around Emily’s trailer in the woods and now we’re one big family.” He burst into tears. A while back, Ash would have called him weak and almost sickening to behold, but he suddenly knew how he felt and understood the pride that was dwelling inside Trent.

  ****

  “Are they adorable?” asked Chloe when Ash got back to her place that night.

  “You’ll see them soon. Emily said she and Trent will still babysit while we attend the wedding.”

  “I guess I have to buy something to take them.”

  “Well, actually, rumor is as she was on bedrest, the group didn’t get to throw her baby shower and since you’re a new member and a new mom, they’d like throw a shower for you at the same time.”

  “Me? But they don’t even know me.”

  “That’s the way it works.”

  Wow, she had stumbled upon some wonderful people.

  “I guess I won’t say no to a shower and I do need some baby things for Sophie.”

  “And being in the group comes with a price, too.”

  She knew it was too good to be true.

  “They’ve given you your first assignment, which is to put together a schedule for everyone who’s going to be helping Trent and Emily get through the first three months with the babies. Just until they get the hang of things. Chores like grocery shopping and shoveling snow. In fact, I have a list of people here. I thought it would be a great opportunity for you to call them, get to know them, and see what they’re willing to do and when.”

  She’d always been on the shy side about calling strangers, but she guessed these people had taken her and Sophie in with open arms—the least she could do was organize helpers for Trent and Emily.

  Ash set the paper in front of her before kissing her on the head. “I haven’t forgotten what I promised before I left for the hospital.”

  “Aren’t you tired?”

  “A bear never gets tired of having fun with their mate.”

  Their mate. Is that what she was, and was that a good thing?

  “Why don’t you go put on your red dress and those sexy black shoes and give me a preview of what you’ll look like when we head to the wedding?”

  She’d been eager to put it and the shoes on again, so she didn’t argue.

  Chloe swept her hair up and secured it with a pin. She wrapped the dress around her, secured it with the belt, and then slipped her feet into the pumps.

  She knew that Ash was probably tired, probably should have gone straight home to sleep, but he’d come here to keep his promise. He’d worn his scrubs home and, by the time she got into the living room, he’d already taken the top off. His chest was so muscular and sexy, she just wanted to run his hands all over it.

  He wolf-whistled at her.

  “Oops, hope I didn’t wake Sophie because I want you all to myself for just a bit,” he said.

  She walked over to him. The bulge in his scrubs pants was very ob
vious. A condom sat on the arm of the couch.

  “Let me take a closer look,” said Ash, pulling her in to him. He nestled his face into her belly while rubbing his hands over her butt. He had a way of making her feel special that even her parents had never been able to do. They were wonderful parents, the most supportive people in the world about telling her she could do anything, be anything she dreamed about, but Ash made her feel complete.

  He tugged on the belt of the dress, allowing its sides to part. She’d purposely not worn anything underneath it.

  “Wow, are you intending to go to the wedding like this?”

  “I think it would be a little on the cold side.”

  “I’d warm you up,” he said, kissing her belly. He ran her fingers through his hair before kicking off her shoes.

  Ash raised his hips and removed his scrubs and boxers.

  “I’m not going to make you wait any longer.” He tore open the condom and sheathed himself. “What do you think about riding a bear?”

  She liked the sound of it. He held her hands as she straddled him, easing herself down onto his cock inch by glorious inch until the tip of his dick slithered against the back of her pussy walls. Ash held her arms as she lifted her butt up and then squeezed her thighs as she rode him. He massaged her breasts, making them tingle and causing a warm sensation all the way from her head to her toes.

  “Stop,” he said.

  She guessed what he was going to do next. They held one another as he moved his cock inside her. She groaned by his ear, squeezing him as she came once, twice, three times, and each time better than the last. Without being asked, she began moving again, knowing that he needed some pleasure too.

  He had his eyes closed now as he placed his hands on her thighs and, together, they pushed one another’s bodies, Chloe coming again and again until finally Ash exploded inside her. His eyes turned brown and he cried out.

  “I’ve never asked how you decided to be a surrogate mother,” he asked her, still buried deep within her channel.

  She stroked his face, feeling the stubble against her fingertips.

  “I wanted to go to school, but my parents didn’t have the funds. I didn’t want to take out loans and be in debt for the rest of my life, so I saw an ad on campus for young women to become surrogates.”

  “What did your parents say?”

  “I never told them because I didn’t want them to feel guilty that they couldn’t pay for my education. I had a physical and the doctor said there was a couple who’d wanted a baby and they thought I’d be a good match. The wife had three miscarriages and they found out she had some problem with her uterus that was making it impossible for her to carry a baby to term.”

  “Yeah, that happens a lot.”

  “I thought I’d be helping them out and, at the same time, funding my education. The first IVF didn’t take, but the second one did. Everything was going great, but then when they gave me Amniocentesis, they discovered there was a good chance the baby would be born with Down syndrome.” Chloe rested her head on his shoulder. “How could anyone not want their own baby?” She lifted herself off of Ash and curled up next to him.

  “I don’t know. I guess everyone wants perfection, and that’s not always what happens in life.”

  “Can we talk about something else? I get angry and sad when I think about that couple and the doctor and, well, everyone.”

  “Sure we can. So what have you been up to while I’ve not been around?”

  “I’ve been invited to the Smiths for dinner…oh, you can come along, too.”

  Ash raised his eyebrows and she laughed. “They are one of the oldest cougar shifter families to survive the crash. Nice old couple who lost all but one of their children,” he said.

  “Mrs. Petters has invited me to join her book club.”

  Yeah, those wolf shifters loved their books.

  “Maisey’s parents are sending me tickets so we can go see them perform with the orchestra in Missoula.”

  And they loved their music, too.

  “The Twinings said they know about a support group for parents with Down syndrome children, so I thought maybe I’d go there.”

  “You want me to come with you?”

  “You’d do that?”

  “Sure. We’re a team now.”

  ****

  “You think Sophie will be okay without me for this long?”

  “She will be in good hands,” said Ash, pulling into Trent and Emily’s place.

  Ash held the car door open while Chloe got Sophie in her carrier. Ash picked up the diaper bag and they headed to the door. Trent must have seen them pull up because he’d already opened the door for them.

  “Welcome to Chateau Babies,” he said.

  Emily headed out from the kitchen. “Welcome, Sophie,” she said, rubbing her leg.

  “I can’t wait to see your three babies,” said Chloe.

  “Come through and I’ll give you a peek. They’re sleeping, which is the most wonderful thing that can happen to a mother of triplets.”

  “Got any names picked out yet?” asked Ash.

  “Yes, Michael, Anthony, and Grace,” said Trent.

  Chloe followed Emily into the nursery and looked in on the three babies. They were so cute, dark hair with cubby red cheeks. Half human and half bear made a great combination.

  She had Sophie, but one day, if she could have a baby that was actually part of her to round things out, well, that would be everything she’d need.

  “I’m guessing it’s lots of work,” said Chloe.

  “Yeah, but everyone’s been so nice, dropping off meals and going shopping. I hear that you arranged everything.”

  “I got to know lots of the group and have been invited to more places than I’ve probably got time to go to.”

  “Hey, you ready to leave, wedding’s in twenty minutes?” said Ash, putting his head around the door.

  “You don’t want to be late,” said Emily, taking Sophie from her.

  “I have diapers in the bag and also two bottles of milk I’ve pumped, so that should be enough. Oh, and her teddy bear. She’s starting to pay some attention to it.”

  “She’s going to be fine. You go along and have fun and tell me all about it.”

  ****

  Sam wasn’t related to Ash, but he was his cousin’s stepson, which made him sort of family. He, like Bear, was filled with pride when he saw how grown up Sam looked in his dark blue suit that matched Liam’s. Bear and Hannah were busy taking photos of the two of them together when he and Chloe arrived.

  Liam and Lucy had opted to get married in one of the ballrooms at the Lodge, where it seemed all shifters were getting hitched these days—a trend started by Lilly and Christopher. Dane’s wife Melanie used to be the manager there and now everyone in the group seemed to pick it as their venue.

  Ash held Chloe’s hand as they sat down in the middle row. One thing shifters loved was a chance to get together and celebrate. He saw Charlotte and Aiden heading in, followed by Lilly and Christopher. A slap on the back made him turn around and see Nick and Ava.

  “Guess you already know I’m going to be a father next year.”

  “I know, but it’s about time, you old wolf you.”

  “Nick, have you met Chloe? Nick co-owns Downward Facing Wolf with Maisey.”

  “I’ve heard lots about you,” said Nick, shaking her hand.

  “Same here,” said Chloe.

  The music began to play and Nick and Sam stood at the front, watching the back of the room as a little girl headed down the aisle followed by Lucy on her brother’s arm. Poor guy still had a slight limp from where he’d been shot.

  Lucy looked beautiful, but not half as pretty as the woman sitting beside him. He squeezed Chloe’s hand. Lucy arrived at the front of the room and shook Sam’s hand before kissing Liam.

  “We are gathered here tonight to join two souls who are clearly very much in love….”

  Ash wasn’t usually the sentimental type,
but he felt a lump forming in his throat.

  He glanced at Chloe. Just what had this woman done to this bear?

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chloe hadn’t enjoyed herself this much since…

  She hadn’t enjoyed herself this much ever. The food was wonderful and she was meeting new people every minute. She and Ash had been placed at a table with Dane and Melanie, Maisey’s parents, Mia from the hospital and her husband Jack, and Brady and his date, who Ash had told her was a shifter from out of town.

  “I’m glad to see Liam finally happy,” said Mia. “I know he took his brother’s death really hard.”

  “Danny and my brother used to hang out. Rode their bikes together all the time,” said Brady. “He was a great young man. Such a tragic end. I remember we used to go along to the park and, if we wanted it all to ourselves, we used to shift into our bear forms and people would run away screaming.”

  “I did that once when I was young,” said John.

  “You never told me,” said Mia.

  “I have to keep some secrets. Well, one time I did it and someone called animal control. I ended up getting darted and a damn radio collar was put on me.”

  Everyone burst out laughing.

  “What happened to the collar?” asked Melanie.

  “It’s probably still in Flathead Lake.”

  Ash squeezed Chloe’s knee. “You enjoying yourself?”

  “You wouldn’t believe how much I am.”

  “Could I have everyone’s attention,” said Bear, standing up at the front of the room. “My stepson Sam, as you know, is Liam’s best man and, as per tradition, he’d now like to give his speech.” Bear lifted Sam up onto a chair and handed him a microphone.

  “Uncle Liam is a cool guy. He lets me help him fix cars and sometimes we go riding in them. He’s my uncle because his brother Danny was my dad, but he died. Apart from my mom and Bear, he’s all the family I have. But now I’ll have Lucy as my aunt. She’s very nice and pretty. I was going to say not as pretty as my mom, but Ash told me I shouldn’t as it’s Lucy’s big day.”

  Everyone turned to look at Ash.

  “Shit,” said Ash as Chloe squeezed his leg. “Didn’t know the little guy would remember that.”

  Dane patted him on the back. “It’s cute, don’t worry, and look, Lucy’s laughing.”