“That was amazing,” he said, pulling her close and kissing her neck with soft butterfly kisses. “I hope it didn’t hurt too much.”
“No. Not at all. Not as much as I thought it would.”
“Good,” he said dreamily. “This is the most relaxed I’ve been in weeks. I’m so glad you walked back into my life, Drew.”
“I’m happy too, Eirik. Very happy.” She rested her head on his chest and listened to the steady beat of her heart. Before she knew it, she was dozing off with the warm mountain breeze caressing her skin and Eirik’s arm wrapped protectively around her shoulders.
***
When she woke, it was early evening. Opening her eyes, she was shocked to find they had slept so long out here on the mountain, naked. She grabbed her clothes and began to dress, wondering if she should wake Eirik. Then a strange feeling came over her, as if something was pulling her back to his side. She buttoned her shirt up, casting a glance at his still-sleeping form.
Then it hit her. The wind went out of her lungs and her heart beat so rapidly, she thought she was going to have a seizure. How could this be? She grabbed her skirt, dragged it over her hips, zipping it up before putting her shoes on, hopping away from him as she did so.
But the pull of him. A desire so deep that it threatened to tear her soul from her body as she tried to move away from him.
Eirik stirred in his sleep, could he feel it too? Panic swept over her. He was too good for her. Maybe if she left now, if she completely avoided him for the rest of her life, then he would never know. Because she didn’t want this. Yes, she did.
With a strangled sob, she changed into her bear, who immediately wanted to turn around and go and lick his face with her big bear tongue. Her bear wanted to run free with her soul mate. Yet Drew managed to exert her dominance over the animal side of her and, one slow step at a time, she made her way down the mountain.
Once out of sight, the invisible pull started to ease. She could do this. All she needed to do was go home and never leave the house. Impossible, she knew, but maybe if she called in sick, if she avoided him for a few days, it would pass over. Who was she kidding?
It didn’t matter; she convinced herself she could hide from this. A woman who had never hidden from the hardships life threw at her was determined to hide from the thing that should bring her the ultimate happiness. She ran blindly away from Eirik, barely stopping to change in the grove of trees before running the rest of the way into town.
Only when her feet hit the pavement did she stop and try to walk normally. She put a calm expression on her face and made her way home, not wanting anyone to stop her and ask her why she looked upset. A few minutes later she let out a sigh of relief—she was home. There was her front door, and she had to stop herself from running to it and flinging it open. She wanted to hide this from her dad too; she wanted to keep the whole thing her secret alone.
“Hi, Drew, how was your evening?” her dad asked.
“Great. I just wanted to run upstairs and change.”
“Marjorie McCormac is here. We thought Eirik would walk you home. She left a message on his phone. We thought we would all have dinner together.”
Drew stopped at the foot of the stairs. Keeping her face averted, she said, “I don’t think he got the message.”
“Did he go home? I can call him there,” Marjorie said, coming out of the sitting room to stand by Drew’s dad.
“I’m not sure,” she answered, desperately wanting to get away.
“Didn’t he walk you home, Drew?” Marjorie asked.
“No.”
“Drew, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing, Dad, just give me a couple of minutes and I’ll get changed and come back down.” She took two more steps.
“Drew. Look at me.”
“Dad, please don’t fuss.”
“Did Eirik hurt you?” Marjorie asked, her voice full of concern.
After everything her dad and Marjorie had been through, she couldn’t allow either of them to believe that. So she took a deep breath, put a smile on her face and went back down to them. “No. Of course he didn’t. I just left him to come home, that’s all.”
Her dad came up to her, she couldn’t meet his eyes. He would know. She told herself not to be so stupid, that she was making them more suspicious, so she put on a bright smile and looked at him. “I’m fine. It’s been a long day and I wanted to change into something more comfortable.”
“Oh my,” breathed Marjorie.
“Drew?”
“What?” But she knew she had been rumbled. How did they know?
“Is it Eirik?” her dad asked gently.
She nodded, tears pricking her eyes. “It just happened. How can it just happen like that? We’ve known each other most of our lives and there was nothing there before.”
“It just does,” said her dad. “Hits you like a freight train, doesn’t it?”
She nodded. “I’m so sorry,” she said to Marjorie.
Marjorie came towards her. “Sorry about what, Drew?”
“That it’s me. I mean Eirik is so important in Bear Bluff.”
“Drew, honey, that makes no difference at all. The fates have decided you are meant to be together. There’s a reason for that. There always is.”
“You’re sure they aren’t being cruel to him again?” she asked miserably.
“Enough of that, Drew,” her dad said firmly. “I, for one, think he is a very fortunate young man to have my beautiful daughter as his mate.”
“And I am thrilled to be welcoming you to our family. It’s been a long time since I saw my son so happy. These last couple of days he’s seemed like his old self. And that is down to you, Drew.”
She blew her pent-up breath out through her lips, trying to calm herself down. “I think I might have overreacted.”
“I think you might have, Drew. Where is this mate of yours?”
“I left him on the mountain.”
Marjorie and her dad looked at each other; she could imagine what they were both thinking: “Young people these days!”
Chapter Nineteen - Eirik
He’d woken up to see her disappearing down the side of the mountain, taking a part of him with her. For a long moment, he had lain there, feeling odd, in a peculiar way that he couldn’t put his finger on. Then the realisation began to dawn on him. She was running from him because she was his mate and she had made it quite clear she didn’t want a mate, ever.
Grabbing his clothes, he dressed, and then packed up the uneaten food and stowed it in the basket. Then he did something he never usually did; he walked back down the mountain in his human form. He wanted to give himself some time to get his head in the right place, something he would be unable to do in his bear form. The animal side of him would have had him hurtling down the side of the mountain full tilt to go and claim his mate. It would not end well if he forced himself upon her when she was so undecided.
His mate.
Those two words rattled around and around his brain but wouldn’t sink in. He had waited so long. And, just like Drew, had been undecided if it was what he really wanted. But he couldn’t think of a finer woman to be his mate. If only she would accept him. And all his flaws.
The light began to drain from the sky; down he went on his way to the rest of his life. Would it be with Drew, or would she sentence him to a life alone?
A vibrating in his pocket told him he had a message, he must have come into range for his phone. Taking it out, he read the message. His mom was at Drew’s house, he was being invited there to dinner.
There was no way he could go. It would put Drew in an impossible position, especially if his mom found out. She would be ecstatic, she had been hoping Eirik would find his mate and settle down so she could have some grandchildren to keep her busy. New life, new beginnings, she had said.
Another message. He looked at it; his heart beat faster and hope surged in his chest. Hiding the basket behind a clump of trees—he could come back for it later—he changed
into his bear and took off to claim his mate.
Chapter Twenty - Drew
Her dad had gone back to Marjorie’s house, and now she was waiting here alone for Eirik, hoping he would not be disappointed in his fate. She shifted nervously, refusing to stand, looking out of the window for him to arrive. The more time went on, the more she wondered if he was going to come to her. When she looked at her watch, she realised only ten minutes had gone by.
To keep busy she went to the kitchen and filled the kettle, waiting for it to boil, and then realised she hadn’t actually switched it on. While she was waiting for it to boil, she heard a faint knock at the door. It was him; he was here at last. Damn, she felt sick.
Trying not to engage her brain in all the things that might go wrong, all the ways he might turn her down, she went and answered it.
“Hi,” she said, half hiding behind the door. “I’m really sorry I ran out on you like that.”
“It’s OK. I understand. It’s a bit of a shock.” He hesitated. “If you want some time for it to sink in...”
She shook her head. “No. Not unless you do...” Why was this so awkward?
He closed the gap between them and pulled her into his arms. It appeared her words were enough to answer his question, and he was not going to repeat it. For now it was better if their bodies spoke instead, of their deep desire to be entwined.
“Bedroom?” With that word, he picked her up and carried her upstairs. She wanted to protest, tell him she was too heavy, but he carried her effortlessly. Going to her room when she pointed at the door, he pushed it open and they went inside.
A tinge of embarrassment covered her when she took in her girly room. It still looked like a teenager's in many ways, but she had always found it cosy and comforting. She didn’t think the décor even registered in Eirik’s mind as he placed her on the bed.
Standing, he striped his clothes off, to once more reveal his well-toned body to her. This time she took in the thickness of his cock as he stood proud and erect in front of her. There was no denying how much he wanted her. And she wanted him, heart and soul, and of course, body.
Not wanting to wait any longer than she had to, to consummate their bond, she unbuttoned her shirt and took it off, then her skirt, sitting on the bed in her bra and panties. Eirik came to her, kneeling beside her, the bed dipping under his weight. Carefully he traced the line of her bra, leaning forward to kiss the swell of her breast, while his hands worked at the clasp.
When he freed her breasts, his hands cupped them, his thumbs working over her nipples, which were already taut. Kissing each one on the tip, he made heat spread through her body until her arousal was a raging fire that only he could quench.
Leaving her breasts, he moved his hands down her body, his fingers hooking around the elastic of her panties and pulling them down over her thighs. Obediently she lifted her feet up one at a time. Then he discarded them on the floor, his hands pressing against her knees. She dropped them open for him, allowing his gaze to sweep over her wet sex. Her cheeks coloured in embarrassment, but she didn’t stop him when he began to kiss her. Starting at her knees, he worked his way along her thighs until he reached his prize.
Her breath, no more than a sigh, left her as he kissed her clit. So very lightly, before he ran his tongue along the length of her sex. He groaned with pure pleasure as he tasted her juices for the first time. Her arousal increased. Eirik made her feel so attractive, so feminine, so desirable, and so very lucky. And when his tongue darted into her sex, there was no place she would rather be. Her man, her mate, was between her thighs, plundering her heated depths with his tongue to bring her to the brink of an orgasm that shattered her world.
When his mouth covered her clit, sucking her, while his tongue teased her at the same time, she fell over the edge into the abyss. Her hands went to his hair, fisting it almost cruelly as she lost control, her hips rising off the bed to meet his wonderful, expert mouth. She cried out, her voice high and needy, filling her room. And he never let up until she was completely drained.
She knew how much he needed to be inside her, and urged him to cover her with his body and enter her swollen sex. Eirik didn’t hesitate, and this time plunged deep into her, his cock sliding into her completely in one swift stroke. Her sex gripped him, trying to yield to him and accommodate him. But the invasion was so sudden, she held him viselike instead, her inner muscles spasming around him. He fought for control, the strain evident on his face. She was so tight around him that the sensations flooded his body, as they did hers.
Their lovemaking on the mountain had been incredible, but this was more, the bond between them strengthening their emotions. Drew placed her hand on his butt and urged him to thrust deeper. He did, driving into her until, all at once, he cried out and came, his seed spurting deep inside her. Drew followed, her orgasm strong and powerful as her body took his essence into her womb.
His face showed his elation at claiming her; she was his and always would be. All thoughts that he might be ashamed of her melted away. They were meant to be together, the fates had decided, and now they would live with that deep bond for the rest of their lives.
He lay inside her after he had come, neither of them wanting to be apart from the other. While he stroked her skin, she kissed his neck, the silence between them stretching on while they tried to gather their thoughts.
“I hope you can learn to accept me as your mate,” he said at last. “I know it’s not what you wanted.”
“I thought I didn’t. But now I see it’s right. My dad told me I should embrace it with both hands and enjoy every minute we have together. And I intend to, Eirik.”
“So do I, Drew. Starting right now.” He moved inside her again, his arousal growing. Slowly he moved, taking his time. And now they had all the time they needed: their future was clear, their future was each other. Drew would face her fears for the future, as Eirik had faced his fears of the past. Together they were strong; together they could conquer anything.
The End
Doctor Bear
Doctor Ben Hansom, has the mild affliction of being Hansom by name and handsome by nature. All he wants is to settle down with his mate, if only he could find her. However, his ridiculous good looks and his wonderful bedside manner make him a magnet for every single woman in Bear Bluff. But he doesn’t want a quick affair, he wants the real thing. He’s almost given up hope.
Until nurse Beth walks into his life. But she has been burned before, from a heartbreaking relationship with a doctor from her past. Bear Bluff is her chance to start again, and she has no intention of repeating her previous mistake. Can our handsome doctor convince Beth his feelings for her are true? That all he wants is to settle down and start a family of his own.
Chapter One - Ben
Ben Hansom rushed towards the maternity unit of Bear Bluff Hospital. He had been called in specially because Freyja McCormac was about to give birth to her baby. Usually a midwife would handle everything if it were a normal birth. However, this wasn’t normal. Freyja was next in line to be leader of the Bear Bluff Clan; so when her baby arrived, it would be second in line and one day take over from its mother.
He never felt nervous, because he was very good at his job. As one of the doctors in Bear Creek and a bear shifter himself, he was often called upon to treat his fellow townsfolk with a furry secret. Everyone liked him: he was friendly, kind and, oh, how could he forget, the most handsome thing on two legs.
“Hi, Dr. Ben,” the receptionist called as he made his way in.
“Hi, Greta. How are you today?”
“Great,” she said, coming around her desk and getting very close to the good doctor.
“Is there anything I can do for you?” He always asked and then usually regretted it.
“Well,” she simpered. “I do have a lump on my knee. Do you think you could have a look at it?” Then Greta lifted the hem of her skirt to show Dr. Ben her impossibly long legs.
He looked, knowing there would b
e no lump, but he only explored the area with his eyes; to touch would be to send her into a frenzy of palpations. Ben knew exactly the reaction he got from women and he tried to avoid it wherever possible. For no other reason than it embarrassed him—or perhaps it was because it embarrassed the women who fell at his feet, they just didn’t see it.
“I can’t see anything wrong with your knee, Greta,” Ben said, wincing when he realised he had said the wrong thing.
“I am so pleased to hear that,” Greta said, dropping her hem but moving closer. “I always thought my legs were my best feature.”
“They … they ar … are.” He was just making this worse. His problem was that he couldn’t simply be rude. This meant his admirers thought he was encouraging them. He wasn’t. He really, truly wasn’t. Sighing, he decided that the best thing to do was to extricate himself from Greta and run to the delivery suite. “If you are still concerned, why don’t you make an appointment with your doctor? I have to get to Freyja.”
With that, he ran down the hallway, sounds of Greta swooning invading his ears. He needed to find his mate, because then all of this would end. All he wanted to do was settle down and raise a family, but being cursed with good looks meant he was a magnet for every single woman in Bear Bluff, a thing that had stopped being fun years ago.
He slowed to a more professional pace, walking quickly, smiling, but not in the way that would encourage anyone else to ask him to look at their body parts. He needed to see Freyja. In through the maternity unit doors; he had to stop to hold them open for a couple with a newborn baby. Or should he say cub, because they were a bonded couple. He was safe here, at least; they only had eyes for each other. The doctor’s eyes were drawn to the small bundle in the proud father’s arms: now, that was what Ben wished for. A family.
“Congratulations, beautiful baby, you’re very lucky.”
“Thanks, Ben. I hear Freyja is in labour.”
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