“Hey sweetheart.” He smiled, but the look of concern in his eyes told her that he knew what was up. “What’s going on?”
Becca blinked, realizing that she’d lifted her head to look up at him without even realizing it, then groaning inwardly, hoping that she hadn’t smudged her mascara or anything. Oh well, too late to back out now.
“I’m nervous,” she admitted, wrapping her arms around her torso and hugging herself. Looking down at the lacy white top and jeans she wore, she wondered if she was dressed down too much, or if she needed to wear something a bit more formal for this first ‘meeting’. “I don’t know how they’re going to react to me. They might all take one look and pounce on me like I’m a freshly killed deer or something.”
Jericho chuckled, then reached down and pulled her to her feet. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’ve already ordered them to treat you with the utmost respect. They wouldn’t dare lay a hand on you while you’re under my protection.” He kissed her deeply, banding his arms around her tightly, and the knot of tension in her belly loosened a little. “You know I would never let anything bad happen to you, right?”
“I know.” She leaned her head against his shoulder, wanting so badly to be able to just melt into the safety of his arms and trust in his strength. But the thing was, she knew better than to just blindly close her eyes and believe she could be safe around his clan. Just because you were ordered to treat someone with respect didn’t mean that you actually respected them, and while she was reasonably certain that no one would try to hurt her while she was with Jericho, that didn’t mean one of them wouldn’t try to turn on her when she was away from him.
I guess I’d better stick close to him for the rest of the weekend, she thought glumly, already hating the idea. If she was going to stick around here, then she was going to have to earn the respect of Jericho’s clan, something that terrified her down to the bones in her toes.
That’s the whole point of this first meeting though, isn’t it? Becca thought. To introduce myself and try to get the lay of the land. If they all decide to hate me on sight, then I’ll head straight back to the airport. No harm, no foul.
But of course, part of her really did want them to like her, because a big part of her wanted to stay. So she knew the rejection would wound her deeply.
“I guess we’d better get going,” she said with a sigh, stepping out of Jericho’s arms so they could leave the room. “Let’s get this over with.”
Jericho took her hand in his and squeezed it with a smile. “Don’t worry. It’ll be just fine. I promise.”
* * *
As Jericho led Becca down the stairs to the den, where his clan waited, he privately admitted to himself that he was a little nervous about this meeting, too. Though he was the clan leader, his rule was not necessarily a dictatorship; the strength of the clan depended upon the individual members working in harmony with both each other and himself. An unhappy clan was a fractured clan, and it was his responsibility to ensure his people were content so that they remained whole.
If the clan decided they could not accept Becca as their chieftain’s mate, Jericho would have to choose between her and his clan because he would not be able to maintain his rule for long before being ousted by someone else. And though he’d not exactly been thrilled at taking on the role at the time of his father’s death, it was his now and he was loathe to part from it.
It was hard to give up a certain way of life when it was all you knew.
He felt Becca stiffen beside him as they approached the bottom of the stairwell and the voices got louder, and he squeezed her hand in reassurance again. There was no way he could show her how nervous he was when she herself looked as though she were about to bolt; if he did there was no way she was going to face his clan. So he simply did his best to flow strength and comfort through his touch into her, and was rewarded when she straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin.
She was a true warrior, though she didn’t know it yet.
He pulled her into the den, where the members of the Moon Bay Clan waited for him, snacking on the hors d’oeuvres he’d hastily had delivered from the nearest catering shop. He’d had Emerson round them all up and tell them he wanted them at the house for a quick meeting, because there was someone special he wanted them to meet.
Only Emerson himself, who was standing off to the side looking hopeful and anxious at the same time, knew that he was about to introduce his future mate.
“Hello everyone,” he greeted, and then gently drew Becca forward so that she was directly in their line of vision. “I’m sorry to pull you all out of bed on a Saturday morning on such short notice, but I wanted to let you know that we have a special guest with us. Her name is Becca Donaldson, and during her stay this weekend she is under my protection, and therefore under your protection. Is that understood?”
Utter silence greeted him for a few moments as the clan studied her collectively, and Jericho held his breath, worried that Becca would break under the pressure. But she stood firm, meeting their stares with a steady gaze of her own, showing strength without posturing or assuming a threatening stance. Pride swelled beneath his breast – she seemed to known instinctively what to do without any coaching.
Finally, someone from the back – Alex, he noted, one of the more aggressive members of the clan – spoke up. “She smells like a half-breed.”
Murmurs rippled through the crowd then, but before Jericho could answer, Becca stepped forward. “Yes, I am a half-breed,” she told them. “Raised by a human mother for my entire life. The truth is, I know very little about my bear because my father was not present in my life.” She lifted her chin. “Your chieftain was kind enough to invite me here, and I’m grateful to be reconnected with my heritage, and to maybe learn from you all. I understand if you are uncomfortable having me here, and if that’s the case I will leave you be.”
Some of the bears shifted uneasily, and others looked away, as though ashamed. A few of them continued to glare stubbornly at her, but Jericho noticed that more of them were looking at her with admiration, and hope began to rise in his chest.
“I don’t intend to cause any harm.”
“You don’t belong here,” Alex muttered, but he shrank away when Jericho glared at him. Even so, it didn’t look like anyone else wanted to share Alex’s sentiment, at least not openly – no one else even looked at him.
One of the she-bears – a tall redhead named Jessie – stepped forward to address Becca directly. “Can you shift?”
Becca blinked. “Excuse me?”
Jessie’s eyes narrowed, and she folded her arms. “I’m asking if you’ve actually got an animal side you want to connect with. I figure those of us who hold more resentment toward half-breeds will be able to accept you more if you can at least walk amongst us like a bear.”
Becca frowned, but she nodded. “I can shift.”
“Good. Then show us.”
Jericho reached out and wrapped his arm around Becca’s waist, letting her know that she wasn’t alone. “You don’t have to do this,” he whispered to her, but she stood straight and fierce, unshaken in her desire to connect with the clan.
“I want to,” she replied with a smile.
Fear and excitement pounded through Jericho’s veins as he watched Becca take a deep breath, then straighten her spin and tilt her head toward the ceiling. It took a few moments, but eventually her skin began to ripple, her form changing as fangs and fur and claws and muscle took shape where there was none before. A long, low, inhuman groan echoed from her lips as her body stretched, elongating and widening, and Jericho’s breath caught as she finally took her true form.
“Oh my,” Emerson’s shocked voice echoed in Jericho’s head. “She’s a Kamchatka.”
There was no doubt of that as Becca rose up on her hind legs to tower over them all. She was over nine feet tall, the rounded ears perched atop her head brushing the ceiling. She opened her mouth in a yawn, displaying huge fangs, then shook herself, her
violet-tinted brown fur – a trademark of the Kamchatka – rippling in the morning sunlight streaming through the windows.
“Wow,” Jessie said when she’d found her voice again. “You’re beautiful!”
Becca chuffed, as if annoyed, then lowered herself onto all fours and began the laborious process of shifting back to human form. Jericho noted with concern that her face was pale after she’d shifted back, but he stopped himself from reaching out and drawing her against him for support – she needed to stand on her own in front of the clan.
“Alright,” Becca said, lifting her chin once again. “Does anyone else have any questions? Or can we get on with it? I’m starving.”
Chapter Sixteen
“You were incredible back there, sweetheart. I’m so proud of you.”
Becca smiled as Jericho pulled her in for another kiss. The clan was long gone, having stayed for at least an hour to catch up with their chief and to get the chance to talk to her – which of course meant more questions. Overall, most of the bears seemed to like her, and she could forgive their questions since she suspected their questioning behavior was born out of their protectiveness for their clan leader.
Jericho might not know it, but his people felt just as responsible for him as he felt for them.
“It really wasn’t so bad as I thought it was going to be, aside from having to shift in front of a crowd.” Her stomach growled loudly, and she frowned. “And now I’m really hungry.”
He laughed and drew her in close for another hug. “Come on then, and let’s go get some food. After that, I’ll show you around Chicago.
They took Jericho’s bike this time, zipping down to a local deli at the Navy Pier. They strolled along the boardwalk as they munched on turkey sandwiches, and Becca lifted her face to the sun kissed breeze, enjoying the salty wind on her cheeks, and the scent of the ocean.
“It’s so strange, walking along the boardwalk and holding hands with you here,” Jericho mused as his eyes drifted along the horizon.
“Oh?” Becca raised an eyebrow, and then looked down at their joined hands. They seemed perfectly normal to her. “What’s so strange about it?”
Laughing a little, he brought their joined hands up to his face and kissed her knuckles, one by one. “There’s nothing strange about you,” he said, nuzzling her skin before he dropped their hands back down to his side. “It’s just that I’ve really never done this with anyone before.”
“You can’t tell me that you’ve never brought a girl on a date here before.”
Jericho shrugged. “I guess I have, maybe once or twice, but it was never like this.” He sighed a little. “ I’ve spent plenty of nights walking along the pier by myself, watching other couples hold hands, smile and kiss, but I never thought I’d do it with anyone that I truly cared about.”
For some reason that knowledge made Becca feel both flattered and sentimental, so she pulled him to a stop near one of the docks. “Well we’ve held hands and smiled,” she said, reaching up to cup his face. “Now let’s get to the part where we kiss.”
She kissed him long and slow, savoring the way his mouth seemed to fit perfectly against hers, the way his arms came around her waist to pull her close as if they were always meant to be there. She loved the way he held her, the way his strength seemed to flow into her as his grip molded to the curves of her body, gentle yet powerful all at once.
And when she pulled back, she grinned at the hungry look in his eyes. “That was some kiss,” he said, then narrowed his eyes playfully. “You’re lucky that we aren’t alone right now, or I’d have ravished you already.”
Becca giggled. “We’ll save that part for later, shall we?”
They shared sticks of cotton candy and rode the giant Ferris wheel like they were teenagers, groping each other and making out when the wheel took them high enough that they couldn’t be seen. Then Jericho took her on one of the tour cruises that traveled along the Chicago River, where the guide pointed out different architectural landmarks from the boat and explained their history. She soaked it all up, marveling at the change of pace of being a tourist for once, rather than a tour guide.
Maybe I should go on vacation more often.
Afterward they caught an action flick at the theater at the Pier, and then Jericho whisked her downtown to 360 Chicago, a huge high-rise building that also acted as an observatory, giving them an unparalleled view of not just Chicago, but the four neighboring states surrounding Illinois.
“They say we can see up to fifty-five miles all the way around,” Jericho told her as they stood near the glass, hand in hand as they gazed out at the setting sun disappearing beneath the Chicago coastline.
“It makes me remember just how big this country really is,” Becca mused, still in awe of the view. “It makes France look like a tiny little place.”
By the time they returned to Jericho’s home, night had fallen and the stars were twinkling gaily overhead. “I’m exhausted,” Becca said with a yawn as she dismounted from the bike.
“Oh yeah,” Jericho mused as he helped her into the house. “I forgot that you’re still on France’s clock. Jet lag really sucks.” He winced. “Guess we’d better turn in early.”
But though Becca tried to curl up with Jericho and fall asleep, it wasn’t long before something began poking insistently against her ass – something very hard, and very familiar.
“Knock it off,” she muttered, swatting at his cock playfully as he rubbed it against her ass. “I’m trying to sleep here.”
“Sorry…you just turn me on so damn much.” He stilled, and Becca started to settle down again. But a few moments later she felt him move again, his cock sliding between her ass cheeks this time to graze the folds of her pussy. Instantly she grew hot and achy, arching back against him so that he slid more firmly against her.
“You like that?” he whispered in her ear, reaching around to cup one of her breasts.
“I should be asleep right now,” she moaned as he tweaked her nipple.
“Mmm, I know but I just can’t help myself.” He slid inside her in one sleek, fast motion, and she cried out in pleasure. “You’re just so damn sexy.”
He rocked against her from behind, pushing himself in and out of her as he murmured words of love and desire into her ear, and Becca forgot all about sleep. There was only the sensation of him filling her deep, spreading the pleasure through her body until it radiated from her core to the tips of her toes. The orgasm rocked her until she screamed his name, and then he brought her to another, his hand questing down between her legs to stroke her clit in time to his thrusts.
“Please, yes, please, more,” she begged, and then he pushed her over the edge one last time, and he followed her, groaning her name into the darkness. And when they were warm and sated and curled into each other’s arms, they dropped off into a dark, dreamless sleep.
* * *
Jericho lay awake in the dark, hours after Becca had dropped off to sleep, staring at the ceiling as the thoughts that woke him chased each other around in his head. He was very pleased with the way things had gone, but his mind kept going back to when Becca had shifted and revealed herself to be a Kamchatka brown bear.
Just because she’s a Kamchatka doesn’t mean she’s related to Ravena’s clan, a voice reminded him. There was more than one Kamchatka clan, and it was entirely possible her father had come from another clan, or more likely that he’d belonged to no clan at all, which was why he’d carelessly gotten her mother pregnant. Clan members didn’t usually go after human women.
The fact that she was half-Kamchatka, of course, took his mind right back to the problem of Ravena’s clan. Sergei would not be happy that he was taking another mate that wasn’t his daughter, and they might especially be furious if they found out that she was a half-breed. He wondered if the fact that Becca was Kamchatka would appease them any, since that meant she was of their kin, even if not of their clan.
Yeah, like that’s going to happen, he thought to himsel
f bitterly. Even if Sergei lets it go, Ravena will still be furious and will likely cause them a world of trouble.
Although quite honestly, that shouldn’t matter to him. What did he care anyway, since she wasn’t going to be Sergei’s successor? She could be as angry as she wanted; that wouldn’t change the fact that he didn’t love her and he never would.
Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and forced himself to empty his mind of thoughts so he could fall back asleep. Just as he was drifting off, the doorbell rang, the insistent buzz echoing through the halls. Scowling, he sat up, wondering who the hell would be bothering him at this hour of the night.
“Mmph?” Becca asked, and then rolled over so that she wasn’t talking into the pillow. “What’s going on?”
“Shhh.” Jericho gently stroked her back. “You stay right here while I go see who it is. It’s probably nothing.” But he knew that couldn’t be true, not at this hour of the night, and worry began to niggle at his mind as he shrugged on a robe and headed down the stairs. Had something happened to one of his people?
As he hurried down the stairs and drew closer to the door, he scented the visitor, and all worry flew straight out of his head to be replaced by extreme annoyance. “Ravena,” he said as he flung the door wide. “What are you doing here at this time of night?”
Sure enough, there she stood at his doorstep, dressed in a black trench coat and heels, her flaxen curls floating becomingly around her face. “I came to check on you, of course,” she purred, stepping closer to him, and he had to back up before she touched him, unwittingly giving her entry to the house. “After you bailed on me the other night, and I never heard from you about rescheduling, I assumed something awful had happened to you.” She closed the door behind her with a kick of her heel.
“Yes, well as you can see I’m doing just fine,” Jericho told her, trying to keep the annoyance out of his tone and expression – he wasn’t quite ready to deal with Ravena just yet. “I’ve just been really busy.”
Billion Dollar Bear Page 11
