Bad Bear_A Shifters in Love Fun & Flirty Romance

by V. Vaughn

  I smile before I recall something else I heard. “What about when you bite a mate? How does that work?”

  “Ah. Bonding is pretty serious stuff. When mates bite each other during sex, it makes orgasms more intense. And a rush of love flows through you too.”

  “Wow. I can see why you’d want to do that. Good to know.” It is good information, because unless Lance and I have a soul-mate bond it can never happen for us. But I’m not ready to rule out the possibility of us being soul mates yet. Especially because ever since we met, I can’t get him off my mind. And I suppose that’s part of what’s scaring me too. Being Lance’s soul mate would sure put a wrench in my whole return-to-Florida plan. I shake my head at myself, because if I’m lucky enough to find that bond, I won’t care.

  “What’s going on in that pretty head of yours, Dawn?”

  Since there’s only one way to find out if Lance is more than a usual love interest, I reach for his mug and say, “I was wondering when we’re going to get back to the cuddling-under-the-covers lesson.” I put our drinks on the nightstand and slide my hand over his chest. “I believe you were teaching me about the part where a sexy growl makes my knees weak.”

  “Yeah?”

  Lance kisses me, but he seems to have lost his passion, and I pull back. “Now it’s my turn to ask what’s wrong.”

  “I don’t want you to be afraid of me, Dawn. I need you to be absolutely sure you can trust me to keep you safe. Because I trust you, and if you think about it, I’ve got more to worry about in that department.”

  “What do you mean?” I ask.

  “Did you know there was once a medicine man who wiped out a whole bear clan because the alpha tried to kill him?”

  “No.” I shake my head as I recall hearing from my mother that werebear can be weird about magic. She told me they are afraid of us. I didn’t believe it, but now I think I’m seeing it.

  Lance relays the story to me, and I realize that if I really wanted to, I probably could wipe out a clan. But I don’t possess that kind of evil, and most of us dedicated to healing arts would never be. Although knowing the fondness my people have for stories to teach a lesson, I wouldn’t be surprised to find out this was a legend created as a warning to werebear to treat us right.

  Lance says, “There’s also the matter of Tokala.”

  I sigh, because my uncle, the previous medicine man for the Veilleux clan, was definitely evil. “I’m nothing like him.”

  “I know that, Dawn. My point is that the werebear in this clan have a healthy respect for what you can do. You aren’t as helpless as you seem to think you are. In reality, we’re the ones who should be afraid of you.”

  I recall an incident with my friend Bella, who had an argument with her powerful warrior boyfriend. She used her magic to throw the huge guy against a truck so hard she crushed his door. Since werebear heal at the speed of light, it was like bruising a human, but the drama sure made an impact on him, and I let out a chortle.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “I was just remembering something one of my friends did with her magic to a guy that made her angry. You’re right. I’m not powerless.”

  Lance drags his finger down my chest and between my breasts. “You certainly aren’t.” I take his hand and move it over my breast, and he asks, “We’re good?”

  “Mm-hmm,” I say before I lie back and tug Lance along with me. “I believe I interrupted something I shouldn’t have earlier.”

  Lance grins at me before he works his way down my body with light kisses and ends up between my legs. I moan as he laps at me, and when I begin to shudder with my oncoming orgasm, he thrusts his fingers into me to bring me closer to the edge. His growl rumbles just before I fall into the ecstasy of sweet release.

  I tremble as I come down, and Lance rises up over me.

  I let out a sigh and reach for his cock. “Your growl is incredibly sexy,” I say as I stroke him. “Let’s see if I can make you do it again.”

  I slide the tip of his erection between my folds, and he lets out a guttural sound before he pushes into me. I spread my legs farther to accommodate him and let out a noise of my own. My insides wrap around him, drawing him in, and I lose track of everything else except the sound of Lance panting like the beat of my pounding heart, the scent of his musk, which is like a favorite cologne, and the way our bodies seem to move as if they know each other.

  It hits me that maybe we do on a spiritual level, and I open up my mind to let the essence of his bear in too. “Oh!” I cry out as the power of his bear shows itself to me, and suddenly, I understand my fear, but I don’t ponder it as my orgasm comes as well.

  Lance holds me tight as I shatter into pieces from my intense release, and while I know his passionate cries aren’t any louder than normal, his bear spirit roars in my mind to send me a message. It overwhelms me, and tears come to my eyes along with the truth.

  We barely recover before Lance becomes concerned. “Dawn? Baby, did I hurt you?”

  I shake my head because my emotions are too much for me to speak, and hot moisture burns on my cheeks before I swipe it away.

  “Talk to me,” he pleads.

  “I’m fine,” I manage to get out. I take a deep breath, and I push on the mattress to sit up. “Give me a minute.” I climb out of bed and walk over to the window to process what just happened.

  I place my forehead on the window, and the glass is icy on my skin as I replay the message. My spirit guide shows me how to heal and see things with compassion no matter how difficult it may be. She’s been so strong all my life that I never imagined she would cower to anything. Until just now.

  But she didn’t cower in fear. She laid herself at the bear spirit’s feet like a sacrifice. And the bear lifted her up into his arms to embrace her like the most precious of gifts. He threw his head back to roar to the gods in thanks. That was when I knew for sure. Lance is my soul mate.

  Chapter 8

  I shiver and wrap my arms around myself as I stare out at the snow-covered valley before me as I replay his spirit holding mine in my mind.

  Lance says softly, “Hey,” and he comes behind me to envelop me in his warmth like a blanket. “You’re scaring me a little.”

  I glance over my shoulder and smile up at him. “I’m sorry.” Part of me wants to tell Lance what I know, but I’m not sure if he’s ready for the raw truth. Werebear and witches together for life are not something clans have allowed until recently. And while a couple months ago, the alpha of the Veilleux clan agreed that she’d allow it, that doesn’t mean Lance is on board with the idea. And I’m not sure if I am either.

  “What just happened?” he asks.

  I decide to go with stroking Lance’s ego. “The best sex of my life. I’m sorry, but my emotions were too much, and I needed a moment to deal with them.”

  He lets out a big sigh. “Oh thank god. Because something—” He shakes his head.

  “What?”

  “It’s probably too weird to tell you. Never mind.”

  “You’re talking to a witch,” I say. “We’ve got the market cornered on weird. What were you going to say?”

  “My bear got really possessive, and I wasn’t sure if he connected with you somehow and made you afraid. He’s kind of screaming at me right now to chain you up and never let you leave.”

  The smile that covers my faces is so big my cheeks might crack. But I check my reaction at the door until I can figure out what I want. Only a couple days ago, I was desperate to return to Florida, and with my mother coming in less than two weeks, I might get the chance. I wiggle my bottom against his groin. “So it was good for you too.”

  When his cock begins to harden against my butt, I laugh and turn around. “I’m all for round two, but can we eat first? Being outside in the cold makes me hungry.”

  “Of course.” Lance kisses me quickly and walks over toward the bed. He grabs the shirt he was wearing earlier and tosses it to me. “Put that on and keep my bear happy, would you
?”

  I smile as I slide it over my head, and I inhale the faint odor of Lance trapped in the fibers. I may not have an animal side, but my heart loves this. “Your bear is kind of pushy.”

  “He can be.” Lance winks at me, and a drawer scrapes open as he tugs it. “Especially when he sees something he wants.”

  He pulls on a pair of faded jeans as I grab my wool socks to keep my feet warm on the cool wood floor. We make our way to the kitchen. When we get there, Lance tilts his head at me and then smiles. He grabs me by my hips and lifts me up on the counter to sit.

  “Hey,” I say. “Why do I suddenly feel like a knickknack on a shelf?”

  A cabinet clicks open, and Lance grabs a bowl. He hands it to me. “Don’t worry. I’ll put you to work. I just wanted to make sure I didn’t run you over as I cook. I get into a zone sometimes.”

  “Ah. You’re a creative cook,” I say as Lance opens up the fridge. “Makes sense considering you’re an artist.”

  He hands me a carton of eggs. “Crack six of these, please.” He grabs vegetables and cheese from the refrigerator and sets them out along with a cutting board. Then he pours a splash of milk in with my eggs and hands me a whisk.

  A knife zings as Lance removes it from the block, and I whip my eggs as I watch him dice a tomato. I imagine us doing this with me as a pregnant woman. With children watching cartoons. And then when our kids don’t want to hang out with us anymore. I realize it’s more than a beautiful fantasy I’m dreaming up in my head. It’s what I want. In my heart, I know there’s no way I’m going back to Florida. Not if Lance will have me as his mate.

  Once our omelets are done, we go sit at his kitchen table. He waits for me to take a bite and then smiles when I moan in pleasure.

  “You like it,” he says.

  I nod as I chew and then wash my mouthful down with a sip of orange juice. “It’s wonderful.”

  Lance slices at his eggs with his fork, but instead of eating, he pushes food around on his plate while I devour my meal.

  I ask, “Why aren’t you eating?”

  He blows out a breath of air. “So, my bear knows more than I let on. Correction. I know more.” His fork clatters on his plate when he sets it down, and he reaches his hand across the table to me. “I love you, Dawn.” He pulls his hand away before I can react. “Aw jeez. I’m being an idiot. I know this is way too fast for a human, and I—”

  “Lance.” I place my hand on his arm. “I love you too.”

  He blinks in surprise. “You do?”

  “I do. I wasn’t completely truthful either. What happened earlier during sex made something crystal clear. I know we’re soul mates now.”

  He breathes out a sigh of relief. “Oh thank god. Because it’s one thing to try to get you to like winter so you’ll stick around and I have time to convince you to be my mate. But this has been harder than I thought.”

  “Hold on,” I say. “How long have you known you wanted me to be your mate?”

  He smiles. “Since the first time I touched you. I felt something I’d never felt before, and I knew.”

  A rush of heat comes to my cheeks when I remember he witnessed my spectacular fall on the ice before he helped me up. And then I recall how he said werebear are a little afraid of their medicine people. I ask, “So you don’t care that I’m a scary witch?”

  He takes my hand and threads his fingers through mine. “Nope. Are you sure you’re okay with me being a scary bear?”

  I think about how his bear spirit held my deer spirit gently and thanked the universe for the gift. My heart swells until it nearly bursts with my feelings for Lance. My mate. “More than okay,” I say. I gaze at him, and suddenly, the idea of never leaving his side is very attractive. I want every inch of this man, and my insides flutter as desire for him heats them up. I glance at Lance’s omelet and let go of his hand as I sit back. “You’d better eat that, because you’re going to need your energy.”

  He chuckles and picks up his fork. “You don’t have to tell me twice.”

  Chapter 9

  I’ve heard the stories of how true-mate love works. It’s basically a fast-forward through the awkward does-he-or-doesn’t-he phase of a relationship, but you still need to learn about each other. So jumping from barely knowing a person to spending every night at his place might be a bit much. Or so I tell myself every morning as I drive back to my house, but by the end of the day, I can’t wait to be back in Lance’s arms, and my logical side shuts up.

  I grab my favorite jeans out of the dryer and toss them in my overnight bag. The zipper of my tote hums as I tug it, and I make a mental list of what I need at the grocery store for dinner. It’s Friday night, and to kick off our weekend, I’m making the Crab Shack’s famous crab cake recipe for Lance since he promised to stop by the fish market on his way home from work.

  My phone rings as I’m walking out the door, and I manage to get the lock turned just in time to pick up a call from my mother. We spoke a few days ago, and she said she had finished training her replacement and would call again when she had the details of her arrival.

  “Hey, Mom.”

  “Dawn. Can you hear me okay? I’ve got you on speaker phone.”

  The faint blare of a car horn makes me think she’s driving. “I can hear you just fine. Did you get your flight sorted out?” I ask as I open my car door to get inside.

  “Flight? Goodness no. I’m driving to see you.”

  “Really?” I plop down in my seat. “That’s like a twenty-hour trip.”

  “More like twenty-five, but I’m not—for the love of Pete!” she screams, and I bet the loud horn I hear is hers. She mutters, “Goddamn city drivers.” She lets out a sigh before returning to her previous cheerful state. “I love a good road trip. Snacks, music, cute truckers.”

  I laugh at her. “Great, you’re going to find a new love in a big rig and hit the road for the next chapter of your life.”

  “Don’t knock it. Think of all the diner pie I could try.”

  I grin as I picture my mother creating a chart and keeping track of the best diners for pie across the country. “You have a point. Maybe a food blog is in your future.”

  She laughs. “Actually, I’m taking a page out of your book instead. I’ve decided I want a future that uses my magic.”

  “That’s awesome, Mom.” I’m getting chilled, still sitting my car in my driveway, and I start the engine so I can turn on the heat. “I think you’re going to love getting back into it. I’m having a blast.” Although that has increased tenfold considering my current love life.

  “So anyway, I’m calling because I’m going to get to you sometime close to midnight.”

  “Wait. What? Tonight?” I glance at my overnight bag sitting on the passenger seat.

  “Yup. I’m in New York right now, and I’m too keyed up on coffee to stop. So I figure I’ll just keep going until I get to you.”

  “Um.” It’s wrong that my first thought is disappointment over the fact I won’t be sleeping at Lance’s tonight, and I force out a happy voice. “Great! Can’t wait to see you.”

  “I can’t wait to get there, honey. I—mother of all that’s magical!” she yells. “I gotta go.”

  “Bye, Mom,” I say, but she doesn’t hear me because she hangs up before I get the words out. I let out a sigh. I am glad I get to see my mom soon, but it puts a wrench in my dinner plans with Lance. I can still cook for him, but the dessert part is going to have to wait since I should make sure to get back in time to clean and get the guest room ready for my mom. I call Lance to give him the news.

  “Hey, baby,” he says when he picks up. “I was just thinking about you.”

  A grin covers my face as my heart swells with emotions. “Yeah?”

  “Yeah. So I’m at the fish market, and I’m wondering how hungry you are, because I’ve got mussels, oysters, the crab, of course, and I’m eyeing a nice tuna steak.”

  I laugh as I think about his appetite. “I have no doubt you can eat it
all, and I’ll try to make a good dent in it too. But I’m calling because my plans have changed slightly. My mom is arriving around midnight.”

  “That’s cool. Would it be easier if I came to you? I’ll make sure to clear out before she arrives.”

  “No. You have all the right things to cook with. I’ll still come to you. It just means I won’t be staying overnight.”

  “Okay.” His next words are muffled, and I think he’s talking to the fish guy when he says, “Two pounds should do.” His voice gets clear again. “You must be excited to see her. I’m looking forward to meeting this woman I’ve heard so much about.”

  “She’s going to love you,” I say as I click on my seat belt. “I’ll be there soon. I’m on my way to the grocery store and then to you.”

  “Sounds good,” he says before we hang up, and I shift into reverse to back out of my driveway.

  As I make my way to the market, I think about my mother. It shouldn’t surprise me that she decided to drive and called me to announce her arrival six hours before she’ll get here. She’s a take-charge kind of person who expects everyone around her to fall in line. She doesn’t spend time outlining her plan. She acts. It worked well for her at the restaurant since she managed us all, but behind her back, my dad and I call her Hurricane Eliza.

  I realize now that her steamroller approach is how I ended up in Maine. Looking back on it, I can see that the reason I came was more about what she wanted than what was right for me. Although I did get a soul mate out of the deal, so I’m not complaining. But I do wonder what she’s going to think about my new love life and what she may try to push on me as a result.

  As I pull into the grocery store parking lot, I notice a man walking toward his car. He’s got gray hair to his shoulders, and he’s wearing a baseball cap. He reminds me of my father, and sadness washes over me. I think about how lonely my dad must be without his hurricane of a wife. While he teased her for being busy all the time, it’s also what he loved about her. She got him out of the house and trying new things, and I’m afraid he’s going to hunker down in their home with his easy chair and way too much TV. I can’t help but feel I should be with him during all of this, even if I know he’d rather I live my life and not worry about him.