The Bear's Reluctant Wolf

by Jenika Snow

  “I like that you want to challenge me, and I really fucking like that you think you’ll have me submitting.” The sound of Melissa clearing her throat snapped her out of this stare-down they seemed to be in. Candace took a step back when he moved another inch forward. “The only one submitting will be you, little wolf.” He grinned, all straight, white teeth, and purely predatory. The scar on his cheek was stretched from the force of his smile, and made him seem almost sinister, but in a totally dark and attractive way. “Trace.”

  She blinked, dragging herself out of the mesmerized daze she was in. “What?” Candace cleared her throat because her voice hadn’t sounded at all strong.

  “My name. Don’t you want to know the name of the male—your mate—that is going to claim the fuck out of you?”

  “Holy shit.” Melissa’s low voice was low and filled with shock. Candace straightened her spine and glared at him.

  “Apparently I don’t have a choice.” She meant for it to come out as a snarky comment, because it was clear this male was just too … male for her. She was really getting sick of that damn grin he wore.

  “You always have a choice.” He lowered his gaze to her mouth, and she forced herself not to lick her lips. She sure as hell didn’t need to draw any more attention to them. “My name is Trace Dakota.” He cocked his head to the side and lifted his chin toward the bar. “You were just shaking that sweet ass in my bar.” Of course her mate would be the cockiest damn male on the planet. “I like that you look like you want to kick me in the balls right now.” He chuckled deeply. “Didn’t know I’d get a mate that had such a temper.” He winked, and dammit, it turned it her on. “Turns me the fuck on. I like the fact you want to give me such a challenge, makes my cock so fucking hard.”

  Heat raced up her neck and covered her face. “God, what in the hell is wrong with you? Do you talk so crudely to random women like this all the time?” He chuckled again, but for some reason she didn’t think he was laughing because he found what she said amusing.

  “Baby, you ain’t a random female. You’re my female.” A beat of silence passed between them, because shit, she had nothing to say to that.

  Melissa again cleared her throat from behind her, and Candace took several steps back, needing to put some distance between them because he was just too much for her. The uncomfortable sensation that came from Melissa was strong, and Candace also caught a hint of uncertainty. Melissa’s normally “take charge and grab life by the nuts” attitude faltered in front of Trace.

  “Uh.” Candace looked at Melissa and was stunned that for once in her friend’s life she was speechless.

  “I think I’d just like to go home,” Candace said, but didn’t miss how Melissa glanced at Trace with just her eyes. She looked at Trace again and saw that all amusement on his face was gone. In its place was that deep rooted desire to see her bared, and that didn’t sit well with her. She just wanted to go back to her perfectly placed home, with her spotless carpets, and her neatly folded clothes, and of course her fresh flowers she kept on her coffee table. Everything was right where it needed to be, but having this shifter right in front of her was fucking it all up because he was demanding things she wasn’t ready to give him. Mate or not, they had just met.

  She reached out blindly and took Melissa’s hand. When she looked at her friend it was to see her mouth opening and closing, and her eyes were wide. The look reminded Candace of a fish out of water, gasping for air because she didn’t know what the hell was going on either. Candace didn’t bother looking at Trace again and instead started moving past him and toward the car. Right before she was in the clear he gripped her free arm in a loose, but unyielding, hold, bringing her to a halt.

  “What?” Her voice was a lot stronger than she thought it would be, especially with his hand on her, his skin touching hers, as if branding her.

  “Don’t run, Candace.” He bared his teeth, and for a moment she was looking right at his polar bear. His pupils dilated to the point there was no longer the striking green, but only black, dark and commanding, and dangerous. “But if you decide to break your promise, know that I’ll come after you, and I won’t stop until I have you right where I want you.”

  “Right where you want me?” The hitch in her voice obviously didn’t go unnoticed by him, not when he let his grin spread slowly across his face.

  “Yeah, baby. You beneath me, my cock buried deep inside of you, your nails curled into my skin, and my name falling from your lips.”

  She was so wet. God, she was so wet. And by the way he looked at her, so possessively, like he fully intended to deliver on that promise, told Candace that she was playing with fire, and most likely would get burned.

  She opened her mouth, but before she could respond Melissa was tugging her along.

  “Come on, Candace. It is really time for us to go.” Once she was in Melissa’s car she looked over at where Trace was still standing. What kind of name was Trace anyway?

  One that is linked to a big ass male that makes you feel all kinds of warm goodness.

  He hadn’t moved, and just continued to stare at her until she couldn’t see him in the side view mirror any longer.

  The silence stretched between them, but she knew Melissa could only last so long before she said anything about what in the hell had just happened. “Holy shit. What was that?” Melissa asked in a high pitched voice.

  Candace rested her head on the seat and closed her eyes. “My mate, and he seems to be a pretty big asshole.”

  Chapter Four

  Candace had thought Trace would have followed her home, or at the very least come to her house the next day, demanding that she submit to him, but it had been three days already, and she hadn’t heard or seen from him. She wasn’t naive enough to think he had just given up on this whole mating thing, not when he had all but pounded on his chest like He-Man, and all but beat her over the head with his club and dragged her back to his cave. At first Melissa hadn’t delved too much into all of that when she drove her home from the bar, or the days following the incident, but then again for the first time since Candace had known her, Melissa had been too shocked to have a witty, smart assed comment. Maybe it was because the Hulk of a man was her mate, or maybe Melissa had never been that close to restrained violence before? Candace sure as hell hadn’t, but it had been like she was in some kind of survival mode as she tried to talk Trace down from killing that human. Of course Melissa being quiet hadn’t lasted long, because eventually she had come over, demanding to know what in the hell had gone on between her and Trace. Honestly, Candace had no idea, and told Melissa exactly that.

  After taking a long sip of her tea and setting it back on the table, she stared at her computer screen. She had to complete three analytic reports, look at two merger contacts, and send them back before five. Apparently the company she worked for thought she had more than twenty-four hours in a day. For the next three hours she worked, but she couldn’t help but think about Trace, and that was frustrating as hell. Over the last three days she had tried to make sense of what was happening. Yes, he was her mate, and that was not something that could be helped, or taken lightly. Candace also knew that when a male found his other half he was persistent, lacking logical and common sense, and went all caveman on everything and everyone.

  She didn’t need to be tied to a mate because “fate” had deemed it so, and sure as hell didn’t need the fact that a male would have this uncontrollable instinct to be with her at all times. Trace had known her for a total of ten minutes and had gone all possessive and territorial on her ass, had uncontrollable anger around other males, and growled that no one else was to touch her. Well, to hell with all that shit. She had seen it happen with Ary and Charlie. It certainly wasn’t something Candace wanted in her well rounded life, and not with a man that looked like the rough bikers in his bar, and spoke so crudely it was like a second nature. The male had absolutely no freaking filter. But she also couldn’t help but think about what it would be like to
have a male that looked at her like he had never looked at another female in his life. That was how she felt when Trace stared at her, like he hadn’t been able to take his eyes off of her.

  A shiver worked through her, and she became wet. God, was this how it was going to be now that he had made his presence known? She had thought about all that rawness he exuded, and she felt like a writhing mess. Shifting on her chair she lifted her eyes and stared out her living room window. It was noon, and time for a break since she had a kink in her neck, a sore ass, and was now aroused. Standing and lifting her arms above her head, she stretched, and then picked at her oversized shirt. That was one of the perks of being able to work from home, and also one of the downsides. One, she could lounge in her pajamas all day, but the downside was … she could lounge in her pajamas all day. She had also gained weight since she accepted this position. Not a ton of weight, but enough that she noticed the way her ass shook when she walked, or the fact her belly was more rounded than it used to be, and even the fact that her breasts had gotten larger.

  A sigh escaped her when she smoothed her hand down her shirt, felt the squishy flesh, and realized she should probably start working out to tone that shit up. She headed in the kitchen, really wanting something fattening, but grabbed an apple instead. The sound of a motorcycle coming closer to her house had her moving to the kitchen window and glancing out of it. The light caught the gleam of metal, and the closer the bike came, and the louder the engine roared, the more her heart pounded in her chest. She already knew who it was even before he pulled the huge Harley into her driveway and cut the engine.

  For several seconds all Candace could do was stare at Trace. She couldn’t help but really check him out. His boots couldn’t be called anything but shit kickers, and slowly she moved her eyes over him. He had black leather pants molding around his huge, muscular thighs. His shirt was black and formed perfectly to his huge chest, which didn’t hide his ripped abdomen or his bulging biceps. Dark sunglasses and a skull cap helmet topped everything off. Overall he looked like some kind of avenging angel coming to do some serious freaking damage. He climbed off the bike, his huge body unfurling and actually causing a sigh of female appreciation to leave her.

  God, he looks so damn good. For several seconds all she could do was watch as he looked at her house, one that seemed so tiny compared to him. He took his helmet and then sunglasses off, and she didn’t think he realized how much swagger he actually had. As if Trace sensed her staring at him he cut his icy green glare toward the kitchen window. A little squeak of surprise left her when he smirked, and showed that, yup, he still had that all male arrogance that made her wet and pissed at the same time.

  Trace started walking up to her front door, and Candace stumbled back. She looked around her kitchen, feeling like she was a chicken with her head cut off. He was here, at her house, and he was intent, that much was clear by his expression. Her pulse was fast and strong, and a rush of adrenalin moved through her veins like a freight train. He was at her front door and knocking before she even had time to think on how she was going to handle this. Candace wasn’t surprised he had found out where she lived. With just her name and them living in a small town, it wouldn’t have been that difficult, especially for a determined mate, but this male was not one to be denied, and isn’t that what she ultimately had done? He had made it perfectly clear he couldn’t stop until she was his. Had she really been dumb enough to think he might just … forget about her?

  He knocked on the door again, this time with a bit more force. Candace swore she could feel his impatience to see her through that knock. A glance down at herself showed her in a ratty t-shirt that went mid-thigh, no bra, and her granny panties that were less than flattering. Her hair was in a messy bun atop her head, and her black framed reading glasses always made her appear geeky. Did she really want him to see her like this? Maybe he’d think twice about wanting to have anything to do with her when she didn’t have Melissa doll her up for a night out?

  Fat chance. But as she rushed to her room, grabbed a pair of stretch shorts and pulled them on, she knew that there was nothing she could do but face this head on and be honest about how she felt. But the thought of telling this alpha polar bear that she didn’t want a mate, especially an overbearing one that was too keen on controlling everything, didn’t really settle well with her. He would fight her tooth and nail, but she had a backbone, and had no intentions of being anyone’s doormat. Before he started pounding on the door and causing a scene in her neighborhood, she moved closer to it, pushed her glasses up her nose, and opened the door.

  ****

  Even if he hadn’t gotten Candace’s address and therefore knew this was her house, the scent of peaches that filled his nose as soon as he pulled into her driveway would have told him as much. And then he had felt her fucking watching him, and it had been so strong that he had forced himself to hold in his growl and not pop a boner right then and there. For three fucking days he had stayed away, forcing himself to give her a brief amount of time to fully realize what he was to her, what he intended to do with her, and that he wouldn’t let her go. So for the last seventy-two hours he had held her address in his hand, read it over and over again as it was scribbled on the small slip of paper, and memorized the fuck out of it. Trace had never been known to give anyone space, and he sure as hell wasn’t known for his reputation in waiting for something or someone to come to him. Not when he wanted them as badly as he wanted Candace.

  But this was different, so very different that he knew if he pushed Candace too hard she would never be able to trust him or give herself over to him. The need to care for her, protect her, and please her above all else rode him hard the moment he had first seen her, but he was an asshole by nature, a very dominant male, and taking a step back to look at it from her point of view was a lot harder than he ever thought.

  So here he was, standing in front of her door, and wanting nothing more than to bust the damn thing down and scent her out. But after the third round of knocking she finally opened it, and the fucker between his legs shot up, hard and aching in a matter of seconds. Neither spoke, but there didn’t need to be any words said, because the electricity and pull that had been between them three days ago was right back, stronger than ever. It was like that very short time apart made him want her more, crave her more.

  Starting at her feet, because if he were being honest he had a thing for delicate little toes, he took note that hers were fucking perfect. Her toenails were painted a light pink, and her feet femininely arched. He continued to let his gaze travel up her calves, and stopped at her nice thick thighs. Fuck. She sure as hell wasn’t skinny, but all curves, and all he could think about was those plump thighs wrapped around his waist. He could see the dark outline of her shorts beneath her ratty, but deliciously adorable white tee, and the fuckers were damn short, making it appear as if she wore nothing at all. He growled, scented her arousal peak from the sound, and smirked.

  Yeah, his little wolf wanted him, but was fighting him every step of the way. Continuing to let himself enjoy the view, he was surprised she hadn’t either kneed him in the dick or slammed the door on his face for his blatant observation of her body. He stopped when he got to her breasts, and his cock grew harder at the sight of her nipples protruding through the material. The little minx wasn’t even wearing a bra. He needed to tear his gaze away from all that plump goodness because he was two seconds away from tackling her to the floor, ripping that too big and fucking hideous shirt from her body, pulling her shorts down, and screwing the shit out of her.

  Her hair was a mop of messy reddish blonde waves atop her head, and she was wearing the cutest pair of black framed glasses. All in all she was a knock-out, and all his.

  “What are you doing here?” He didn’t miss the hitch in her voice, or the way she gripped the edge of the door and curled her fingers into the wood. She was nervous and horny, and it caused a tingling sensation in his nose and a tightening in his balls.

&nbs
p; “You know what I’m doing here.” Trace leaned against the frame and crossed his arms across his chest. “I see I’ve caught you at a good time.” He trailed his eyes up and down her body once more. The urge to adjust his shaft was strong, but he figured he was getting under her skin enough. The polar bear in him wanted to set her on edge, wanted her to feel completely off balance and bared for him. Trace didn’t want her thinking too hard, because when people thought too hard they didn’t go with their instincts, and that was what she needed to rely on. He sure as hell went with his gut on everything, and that was how he had found out his bitch of an ex-wife was fucking around on him. Yeah, he had a nasty temper when people screwed him over, beat the shit out of people that fucked with him, but he was extremely protective and loyal of what was his, and as he looked at Candace, he knew there wouldn’t be anything else that he would protect more fiercely than he did her.

  “How did you get my address?” Despite her question, he could tell by the tone of her voice that she wasn’t surprised to see him standing at her door. Clearly she was looking for a filler, something to distract from the situation and make her seem more upset than he knew she really was. He didn’t bother answering, just grinned, pushed off the frame, and took a step inside. She stiffened as he went to move past her, but the need to touch her was too strong for him to ignore. Trace stopped right beside her, turned so he was facing her, and lowered his face to her neck. Christ, she was all curves and soft, rounded flesh. He gripped her waist and inhaled deeply. He closed his eyes and let a low, harsh sound leave him, one of satisfaction and of ownership. She may not know it, but she was his completely. He moved away when he sensed her unease grow, and as much as he wanted to stand right beside her, feel her heat, take her scent into his lungs, and press himself against her fully, he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable. He would push her, but only as much as she was willing to give.