No Ifs, Ands, or Bears About It

by Celia Kyle

  “Based on what Griss did to Parker,” Van snared her attention. “As well as some of his ranting in the cruiser on the way to jail, we think it’s best to dig into his past a little more. No one in the clan has been particularly comfortable with the way the Holmes’ passed and he only came into the area when Parker’s parents died, so we don’t know much about him.”

  “You didn’t google the man while you had him locked up? Isn’t that what investigators do? Investigate?”

  Van’s mouth tightened, but his tone remained calm. “He was arrested drunk and disorderly, not murder. The clans generally handle their own justice. So, if he caused any shit, it won’t be in police records. We have to contact his previous Itans. Which takes time, and I need Ty’s permission to reach out to others. To some, asking questions can be seen as a sign of weakness and we don’t need someone else coming in and trying to take Grayslake from Ty. An Abrams has led the Grayslake clan for over five hundred years.”

  Mia rolled her eyes. “Seriously? No questions? That’s dumb. It’s weak of you not to ask questions. There’s no telling who you’re inviting into your home if you don’t at least check a guy’s license at the door.”

  “Mia.” Ty’s growling of her name had her freezing.

  She did a slow pan, gradually shifting her attention from Van and back to the man holding her. “Yes?”

  “You’ll get used to the way bears do things.”

  It wasn’t a question or suggestion. Nope, it was an outright command.

  Oh, heck no.

  Just because he was sexy didn’t mean he could order her around. She opened her mouth to tell him that when a low, frightened cry rent the air.

  Something inside Mia responded, a part of her pushing and fighting to run to the source of that sound. She instinctively knew it was a cub. No, not just a cub, but her cub. Maybe not by birth, but he’d been hers from the moment she’d laid eyes on him.

  Before she could move from Ty’s lap, Parker burst into the room. The boy’s gaze landed on her, and she noted the trembles that wracked his body and the rivulets of tears sliding down his cheeks. In an instant, he was at her side, in the next breath he was on her lap, clinging to her like his life depended on her touch.

  “You left.”

  “Oh, love.” Mia stroked his unruly mop of hair. “I’m here, I’m here.” She rubbed his back, ignoring the sting the action brought forward. The lingering ache was manageable now, and nothing would keep her from soothing the boy. “You’re okay. I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Ever?” Parker sniffled.

  “Never, love.” She couldn’t deny the driving need inside her to keep the little one safe.

  This time the rumbling she felt had a distinctly pleased yet cocky tone. She narrowed her eyes and turned her attention from Parker to Ty. Oh yes, very cocky indeed.

  And then she realized what she’d promised. There was no way Griss would ever get his hands on Parker again. So, the boy would probably end up with Ty, and then Mia had vowed never to leave Parker which meant…

  Crap on a cracker.

  Chapter Five

  Ty stood in the shadows while Mia sat with Parker on the full-size bed and read him a story. The cub was clad in one of Ty’s old T-shirts, the neck gaping enough to expose the purple hues of his lingering bruises, but he didn’t seem to notice them. The boy had heard the words “nap time” and no amount of cajoling on Ty’s part had worked. Then Mia took control. She’d marched into Ty’s bedroom, stolen one of his shirts and hadn’t even muttered a “thank you” before stomping off once again. She grumbled about Itans and comfort and cocky. “Danged cocky” if he remembered correctly. She’d then swapped out the cub’s tank top with Ty’s T-shirt and told the cub that it was okay to sleep, his Itan would protect him.

  Seeing Parker snuggled in Mia’s lap, all smiles and giggles when she purposefully read something wrong… Her smile, her pure joy from spending time with the cub, was a sight to behold. That’d been worth a little disrespect. No one entered his domain without permission or an invitation. Well, except Mia, it seemed.

  Damn, she’d make a perfect mama bear some day. Ty’s beast rumbled in agreement, the lumbering oaf padding forward and nudging against his mental bonds. He internally shook his head, banishing the idea of Mia pregnant with little werebears. Ty had to father the clan’s next round of cubs, groom one of his children to take the reins. Any children from Mia wouldn’t be shifters. At least that was the assumption. Maybe. There would definitely be some research done in that area.

  Something to think about another day.

  Parker’s head drooped, slumping sideways until the boy snuffled against Mia’s chest. It was wrong that he was jealous of a cub. Really wrong.

  His heart clenched when she leaned down and rubbed her cheek on the top of Parker’s head. She pressed her nose to his hair and took a deep breath, her breasts straining against her top. Now it was wrong that he got turned on while she tended to a cub. Really wrong. But right or wrong, it didn’t change the way the scene touched him and made him yearn for things he couldn’t have.

  Mia shifted her weight, obviously preparing to leave, and Ty stepped forward. His movement drew her attention, and she gasped, eyes wide in surprise and then she narrowed them in annoyance. Yeah, she had a right to be annoyed and not only because he hadn’t announced his presence. He was sure she’d lay into him as soon as Parker was down for the afternoon.

  “I’ve got him,” he whispered as he approached. He slid his arms around the boy, and he had to suppress the shudder that threatened to overtake him when his arm brushed her. His beast released that annoying, happy chuff at the contact.

  Ty carefully leaned over Mia and eased Parker from her lap to lay the boy in the center of the bed. Their bodies touched, her heat sinking into him while her scent surrounded him in a sweet, seductive cloud. The bear roared, shouting its approval of Mia, choosing her as their own.

  Shit.

  The moment Parker rested on the soft surface, he eased back until he stood beside the bed, but didn’t step away. No, he remained close to Mia, refusing to give an inch. Even when she pushed him with her delicate, slim hand, he didn’t budge.

  “Ty…” She nudged again and instead of doing as she asked, he snared her hand and brought it to his lips.

  Gaze locked on her, he turned his head and pressed a soft, delicate kiss to the center of her palm. The man wanted her, and the bear craved her. It was about time he realized he’d lost the match.

  “Hi.” He lowered her hand and twined their fingers together, using the gentle hold to help her rise from the bed.

  He tugged until they were aligned, her lush curves pressed tightly against his lean body. Her breasts pushed against his chest, the hardened nub of her nipples poking him through the barrier of their shirts. He let his free hand trail down her back and along her spine until he stopped at the top curve of her ass.

  “Ty…” Mia’s breathing came in shallow pants.

  He used his new hold to increase the pressure between their bodies. He wanted her to see, to feel, what she did to him. He wanted her to crave him the way he craved her. Her wide hips would cradle him, welcome him like no other woman before.

  “Yes?” Ty grinned. Desire clouded her eyes and—he took a deep breath—the musky scent of her arousal filled the air.

  She shook her head, but the need didn’t leave her gaze. “I… I’m pretty sure I’m mad at you.”

  Yeah, he could imagine. He’d sent one of his brothers to her home to gather a few sets of clothing for her. To say she hadn’t taken it well was an understatement. Thankfully, Parker had been in the room, and he’d only had to suffer her piercing glare. He was sure there was a shouting match on the horizon. He hoped they’d have worked their way to having sex by then since fights were always followed by makeup sex.

  “I know. You probably are.” He took a step back and forced her to follow him, never losing the connection of their bodies. Every pace, each additional seco
nd pressed against one another, increased his arousal. His cock throbbed and pulsed, shoving at his zipper, begging to be released. He wanted to sink deep into Mia and never leave. She’d welcome him with her wet, velvet heat and he’d glory in her acceptance. He just had to get her there. And considering she was really pissed, it’d take a while. Ty continued their journey to the door, not letting her pull away for even an instant.

  “I am. Really.” She nodded, her lower lip pushing out the tiniest bit.

  Aw, hell.

  That was too tempting. He took a giant step back and hauled her from the room, spinning them so her back pressed against the wall, out of sight of little boy eyes. Ty leaned against her, practically fusing their bodies together, and barely a hairsbreadth separated their lips. She had every reason to be angry. He simply wanted her passionate for a little while.

  “I know you are, Itana.” The title rolled off his tongue as if it were meant to be. She was the other half of him, the woman to lead at his side. He brushed his mouth across hers, a gentle touch that teased them both. “I know.”

  He licked the seam of her lips and swallowed her gasp. He delved into her mouth and moaned, her delicate sweet flavors sliding over his tongue. He tasted, groaning when she returned the caress. Then Mia eased away, and he let her. He wanted their passion to be just that: theirs.

  “You shouldn’t have sent your brother for my clothes.” The words were rushed, and then she was back, mouth against mouth and her tongue entering him. He let her take the lead, reveling in her dominance.

  This time, it was him who pulled away. He rested his forehead on hers, fighting to catch his breath. “If I had let you leave, you would have dragged Parker out of here the minute I turned my back.”

  Another passionate meeting of mouths. Shit, his dick had never been so hard, so insistent and demanding. He rocked his hips, growling at the bolts of pleasure the simple action sent through him. When Mia wrapped her arms around his shoulders and clung to him, her short fingernails digging into his flesh, he growled anew.

  “He touched my panties.” She spoke with a breathy gasp.

  Unlike the incident in the kitchen, this time his bear’s annoyance was at the mere idea his brother touched her underthings. “Mine.”

  It was guttural, instinctual, and the truth rang in his soul. He rained gentle kisses along her jaw, tongue tasting every inch of her skin, and he scraped a single fang along the column of her neck. He didn’t miss her shiver or the catch in her breath. He definitely didn’t miss the way her pulse leapt against his tongue. “Mine.”

  “Ty,” the word held a warning, but he didn’t give a damn.

  He gripped her hips and rocked against her, enjoying the way she cradled his body while cursing the fabric keeping them apart. He wanted her, wanted to sink into her and roar with the pleasure of possessing and finding his Itana.

  “Mine.” Her smell, her strength, her fearlessness… “All mine.”

  When she returned his caress, flexing her hips and rubbing herself along the ridge of his cock, he shifted their position. He eased away, smiling internally at her low whimper, and he returned to slip a leg between her thighs. Mia shuddered, and those tiny nails dug even deeper.

  Hands on her hips, he instigated a rhythm that drove them both mad. Her moist heat was snug against his thigh as she straddled him, and he encouraged her to ride him. He rocked and pressed against her, momentarily ignoring the insistent throb of his cock. He couldn’t wait until the day she would be astride his hips instead of just his leg. But the whimpers and moans made up for the lack of connection. She trembled in his arms, whining when he took his lips away and sighing when he came back for another kiss. Between the meetings of their lips, she still tried to convince him of her anger.

  “I mean it.”

  “Uh-huh.” He sucked on the juncture of her neck and shoulder.

  “You can’t seduce me out of my mad.” When she wiggled her hips he figured he could.

  “I know.” He encouraged a particularly hard and slow roll of her body.

  She whimpered. “Ty…” Her muscles twitched and jerked, their pace stuttering. “I really…”

  “Let go.” He raised his head from her shoulder, smiling inwardly when he noted the hickey he’d placed there. He couldn’t claim her, not until he knew what the hell he was doing—she was almost fully human after all—but he could mark her in that little way. His gaze clashed with hers, those gorgeous eyes boring into him as if she saw his soul. “Let go. I’ll catch you, Itana.”

  Mia initiated the next kiss, plastering her lips against his while she went limp, allowing him to direct her movements. He swallowed her sounds of pleasure, his bear reveling in their ability to arouse her. Her nipples were hard, distended nubs firm against his chest, while the scent of her abundant cream filled his nose. Damn, he wondered how she’d taste, all salty-sweet musk and woman. He salivated at the prospect of dining on her moist heat.

  She mumbled words against his lips. Things like “close”, “gonna”, “need”…

  Yes, that’s what he wanted. The bear was pissed at him for angering her, and he urged Ty to make amends. When she recovered from her orgasm and remembered why she was angry, he’d do it all over again.

  He couldn’t wait.

  “Itan…” The voice was distant, familiar, and his beast snarled at the interruption. “Itan.” This time the snarl built into an audible growl. “Itan.”

  Ty wrenched his lips from Mia’s and swung his gaze to the intruder, a roar bursting from his chest. His brother, Van, didn’t budge or blink an eye.

  Mia sobbed in his arms, draping herself over him with the heartbreaking sound accompanied by a body-enveloping shudder. Those noises quickly turned into a gasp and a tumble of arms and legs as she fought to be free of him. “Oh, my God. Lemme go.”

  Her obvious embarrassment angered him even more. Damn it, the world was conspiring against him.

  “Do you people knock?” Mia clambered away and hid behind him.

  “You’re in the hallway,” Van drawled and Ty felt the rush of heat that encased Mia.

  Yup, his brother was going to die—he reached down and adjusted his throbbing cock—painfully. “What do you want, Van?”

  He didn’t give a damn if his voice was filled with his raging bear. They’d been so close to offering Mia completion, and now she stood stiff at his back.

  “Griss’s hearing is in half an hour. I need to know what you want to do about it.” The man didn’t seem the slightest bit repentant at the interruption. Yes, taking care of Griss was important, but so was his Itana.

  Ty ran a hand over his head, fingers sliding through his long hair. “Have you found out anything about his history?”

  Van frowned and sighed. “Yeah, but you aren’t gonna like it. I was going to let you finish with your human first—”

  Amazingly, Mia stiffened further and leaned around him. Her next words were filled with rage. “Human? Finish? How long were you watching, furboy? And I’ll have you know I’m one-quarter bear, thankyouverymuch.”

  His brother’s lips tightened, and Van glared at Mia. Ty noted the tremors slithering through his brother, the slight darkening of his skin that preceded the sprouting of fur.

  “Enough,” he snapped and Van’s shift halted in its tracks. The bear was a good brother—a better enforcer—but he had a bit of a speciest streak when it came to bears mating with humans. Ty calling Mia his Itana went way beyond mating and it had obviously hit Van’s “humans suck” button.

  “Van, we’ll meet in my office. Have Richard keep an eye on Griss for now.”

  Van quirked a brow. “You know Richard is Sarah’s husband, and she’s more than a little pissed at you right now.”

  Ty was getting tired of having his orders questioned. This time, he didn’t hold back the bellowing anger that built inside him. It blossomed in his gut, pushed through his chest and vibrated the air surrounding them as it left his mouth. The pictures on the wall rattled and a few cra
shed to the ground. Hair sprouted from his pores, sliding free with a slight sting, while his nails blackened with the emergence of his beast’s claws.

  Immediately Van dropped to his knees, chest rising and falling in such a rapid pace that he knew his brother would hyperventilate in no time. He tilted his head to the side, baring his neck fully in submission. “Itan.”

  Soft gentle hands stroked his back then slithered around his waist and pet his T-shirt clad chest and abdomen. Again her whispered words drew him from the edge even though the bear didn’t want to recede. Van was an enforcer first, brother second, and he needed to be reminded of that fact. Actions should always be for the good of the clan, not of the man. Though part of him admitted that taking Mia as his Itana may be seen as something that could weaken them all.

  If that was the case, he’d leave and—

  “Easy, big guy. Easy.” She nuzzled his back and the man and bear sighed as one. The beast was content with her touch, her movements hinting at growing affection. “I’ve got you.”

  Yes, she did. She just didn’t know it yet.

  Chapter Six

  On shaky legs, Mia stumbled down the hallway and toward the guestroom she’d claimed. When she’d chosen the space, Ty had grumbled and growled at her wanting a place to herself, claiming she’d be more than welcome in his room. But by then he’d already pissed her off with the whole “my youngest brother is going to dig through your clothes and bring back the most embarrassing bits of lace possible” thing.

  Of course, those hadn’t been his words to her, but that’s what happened. She ended up with a suitcase of dresses that clung to her curves along with the tiniest panties and bras she owned. At least he hadn’t hauled the bright red “fuck me” pumps out of her closet. Her best friend had given them to her for her birthday, telling her it was the perfectly discreet advertisement for a man. Mia didn’t think six inches was very discreet.

  Still trembling from her almost orgasm, she sunk onto the plush bed, flopping onto her back the moment her butt hit the mattress. Her nipples ached and pussy throbbed and dang… she really wanted to come. Like, bad. Just a few seconds more and she would have been one happy chick.