Bear-ly Valentine's

by M. L. Briers

  “Get in,” Jack growled out through the open window of the passenger door.

  Lorelai’s heart took to boxing her ribs once more.

  “I’m good, thanks for your help,” she said, dragging her gaze back to the long road ahead of her with a heavy heart, aching feet, and a sinking feeling inside.

  “It wasn’t a request,” Jack growled. “Get in or I’ll put you in.”

  Lorelai stopped dead in her tracks. She didn’t look at him, but she knew that the pickup had stopped right alongside her.

  “My mother told me never to accept a lift from a stranger,” she bit out, her voice dripping with sarcasm and maybe a little bit of fear.

  “My mother told me to always look out for a woman in distress,” Jack growled back.

  He got it. Her choice of words made it pretty damn clear that she didn’t trust him, and with good reason … he was a shifter, and humans didn’t really trust his kind.

  Then there was the whole size of him thing. He guessed if she wasn’t a shifter groupie then it could be daunting.

  He was built like a brick outhouse. Tall and muscled with arms like Popeye. She should be scared.

  Plus, he was told that he had a vibe, and not a good one. It had probably been honed over the years he’d spent fighting. It was always better to intimidate your opponent in any way that you could.

  And then there was his bear … the beast could be volatile, unpredictable at times, especially when he hadn’t been fighting or screwing, and he hadn’t done either of those things in what felt like forever for his animal.

  “I’m not in distress,” Lorelai lied, and he caught the breathy catch in her voice.

  “Get in anyway,” Jack growled. His beast had caught it too.

  “Look,” she raised a tired hand in protest but got no further. The man was out of his door and was coming around the truck towards her.

  Lorelai started to back up. She’d been right, the man was a damn mountain, and the closer that he got … the bigger that he got.

  Holy hell, how can fight that?

  The man’s as big as a house…

  Balls, kick him in the damn balls … he’s got ‘em…

  Sure, kick him in the balls and go … where?

  These guys recover way faster than humans…

  Still, it’s a plan…

  Damn stupid one…

  “I said get in,” Jack growled out.

  “I’m not deaf. I just have a healthy sense of self preservation.”

  She was still backing up. Backing up too far for his liking.

  CHAPTER THREE

  ~

  “You think I’m going to hurt you?” Jack hated the thought that she saw him as some kind of a monster.

  Maybe in truth he might have seen himself the same way at times, and yet now … now he wanted to be anything but that in her eyes. His bear stopped scratching and paid attention to the woman…

  “I think I don’t want to take the chance,” Lorelai felt the back of her boot hit something hard and she stumbled back a little.

  The weight of the backpack gave her momentum and pitched her sideways, it wasn’t something that she could recover from and she knew it. That hard ground was rushing up to meet her…

  Then … there he was, right in front of her, all around her. Big strong arms yanking her upright just before her pride hit the ground.

  Everything in those moments felt like a shock to her system.

  Life was put on pause as her heart hammered in her ears and her senses took front and centre. Everything seemed to rush her all at once, and yet slow down to a snail’s pace.

  Jack felt it too. He’d noted the way that her body had jolted as she tripped over the rock.

  He’d seen the backwards tip of her body and his instincts sent him towards her. Then she was pitching and he’d reached out, almost didn’t catch her on a rush of panic inside him, and he’d drawn in a hard breath through his nose…

  His bear was already paying attention – there was something about her, a vulnerability … the sense of trouble in the air that she could get herself into … maybe already had, and now it pushed forward at the scent of her.

  Jack had collected into his arms. Now he held on tightly as he closed his eyes and savoured her scent … savoured the realisation of what that scent did to him.

  Mine…

  His beast had staked its claim.

  It wanted her. Needed her in a rush of excitement that sent every muscle within his body hard – locked.

  That annoyance within him that had been fuelled by the woman being alone on the mountain grew into anger. His determination to keep her safe and from harm’s way was bolstered by the fact that he recognised her as his one true mate.

  It was not only his right … it was his duty to protect her.

  The deep growl that rumbled through his chest got caught in his throat … she’d heard it … he knew that she had when she lifted her hands to his chest and pushed.

  Human …

  She’s human and I have to stop growling … at least for now.

  Later, when she gets to know the sound, gets comfortable with hearing it, and she can understand the difference … then we can growl old friend. He warned his beast.

  With regret; he made sure that she was stable on her feet before he took a very small step back from her.

  His damn arms missed her already.

  He felt overwhelmed by her.

  He had no idea how that was even remotely possible. He’d taken her scent and known her inside his embrace for all of a few seconds – and yet it felt as if he’d known her for a lifetime.

  He’d known of her. Every shifter had a mate … but finding them was a whole other matter.

  Here she was. She’d just walked into his bar like it was any other day of the week.

  Into his bar. Into his life … and she wasn’t leaving. He had to make certain of that.

  He needed to dig deep. Connect with her in ways that he hadn’t connected with anyone in a very long time.

  He knew it. His bear knew it. Yet, that thought actually scared the hell out of him almost as much as the thought of losing her.

  He needed to woo her.

  He just didn’t know how the hell you went about wooing a human mate.

  “Thanks for the save,” she frowned and then cleared her throat. Her eyes were cast downwards and to the side, and he wanted them on him. “I’ve got it from here.”

  “What are the odds you don’t fall into a ditch?” He heard the deep bass of his beast within his voice and forced his tone to something a little more natural for humans. “Just saying,” he teased as he tried to lighten the awkwardness of her moment.

  “Probably not good,” she muttered, admitting to herself that she wasn’t the best when it came to staying on her own two feet.

  Okay, how do I get him to go away now?

  He makes me …?

  I don’t know.

  What is this I’m feeling?

  Is it nerves, stupidity, hunger?

  Am I hungry? There sure feels like some sort of ache, or hole, or … something inside of me.

  I feel empty and full at the same time.

  Running on empty … that had to be it.

  I get even more clumsy when I haven’t eaten.

  It’s not him … well, okay, it kind of is him … the man’s a shifter with a growl and attitude to match, but still …

  I’d say I’m just hungry … and nervous … and stupid … yeah, I’ll go with stupid …

  I’m comfortable with stupid.

  Stupid is my default setting.

  “I guess I sounded a little … psycho killer before,” he shrugged those broad shoulders and watched her eyes just flick to him for the briefest of moments. “Get in the car…” he berated himself and then gave a low, deep chuckle. “I’m not really used to talking to females.”

  He lied. He talked to females as much as he talked to anyone else … at times he might even say four or five words
in a sentence. That would be a bonus day.

  “Oh, you … prefer males?”

  Lorelai seemed to brighten with those words, and for one long moment he couldn’t understand why … then it dawned on him and a rush of heat soared through him…

  “What … like … prefer – prefer?” He scowled at the thought.

  He didn’t care what anyone else did, but he didn’t feel an attraction towards men … His bear grumbled…

  “Yes, you’re …?” She stopped when he shook his head real fast.

  “No, no, no … and … noooo,” he offered.

  “Oh,” she looked away again, and he could have kicked himself.

  Damn it, why couldn’t I have been gay?

  Wait … that’s … not helpful.

  But it would make her feel better …

  “Okay, look … yeah,” he heard the lie come out of his mouth, but as her eyes travelled back to his – he only half cared in the truth.

  But how could he start to woo her on a damn lie?

  CHAPTER FOUR

  ~

  “Really?” Lorelai narrowed her eyes on him a little … he sighed inwardly.

  It’s … a … lie …

  She’s … your … mate …

  “Yeah, no, I’m not gay,” he shrugged, feeling twice as stupid as when she’d thought that he was gay the first time.

  “Then …?” She raised her eyebrows at him, questioning his sanity, and he had to give her that one. But the one thing that he did notice was that she hadn’t looked away again.

  “I’m trying real hard not to scare you here. Not having you think that I’m the big, bad … bear,” he scowled at his own words.

  Hardly the way that the saying goes, but there was a small tweak at the corners of her lips, and just a glint of amusement within her eyes…

  Now that he liked.

  He didn’t mind feeling like a first rate idiot if it brought a smile to her face … even a micro smile.

  “Well, you don’t scare me,” she offered back. “At least, not in the sense of your inner bear … but it doesn’t mean I’m going to jump in a car with you either.”

  “What about if I drove real slowly and we could … like … wedge your door open … somehow?” He was open to suggestions, because there was no damn way in hell that he was leaving her on the side of the road or anywhere else for that matter.

  “I …” she blinked twice as his words sunk in and the vision of what that would look like appeared in her mind.

  “Yeah, Okay … I see your point,” he frowned as the image hit his mind too.

  “Glad I made one,” she frowned.

  “Okay,” he nodded thoughtfully. “No … I got it. I’ll park the truck and we can walk together. I’ll carry your bag and…”

  “Wait. Stop. That’s …” she was shaking her head this time and he didn’t like that – it felt like a no, a finality, another route blocked to him.

  “Or …”

  “No. Look, I appreciate what you’re trying to do,” she frowned and rolled her eyes in her head for a second. “At least, what I think you’re trying to do …”

  “Keep you safe,” he offered back.

  “I’m a big girl,” she said.

  “Not really,” he shook his head and eyed her from head to toe.

  “In the age sense,” she frowned back and he shrugged. “I think I can take care of myself.”

  Jack twisted his head on his neck and looked at her as if she was out of her mind. Then he took one step back towards her, closing that little distance between them and leaned in over her.

  “Really?” He gave a little growl, just a small one, and she took another step back and thanked whatever God was on her side in that moment that she hadn’t stumbled over anything.

  “Okay, well not … like … that,” she ground out.

  It really wasn’t the time or the place to make out like she could kick his big, mountain man backside all the way down the road … she’d heard that these guys liked a challenge, and she didn’t want to set him off.

  “You’re in shifter country,” he offered. While he didn’t want to scare her against him … he wasn’t exactly her problem, the Crane brothers would be top of that list.

  “So, you’re saying I’m in danger?”

  “I’m saying those boys back there can get a little rowdy, and they might not be the only ones.”

  “And yet, here you are, expecting me to trust you?” She shrugged as best she could with her backpack weighing her down. “You see my problem, big guy?”

  “Trust me, I’m…”

  “Ah!” She held up her hand and silenced him. “Trust you?”

  “Okay, believe me?” He offered back and she shrugged again. “I’m not a danger to you.”

  “Says you,” she shot back.

  “Says …” he tossed around a frustrated hand and frowned hard. “Yeah, me, but …”

  “Look, I’m a little wired, a lot tired, and as hungry as a bea-r … maybe not the right analogy,” she winced and looked away, but the deep sound of his chuckle made her snap her eyes back to him.

  He has one hell of a sexy grin when he decides to unleash it on a poor unsuspecting female.

  Bet he gets more honey with that than he knows what to do with…

  Lorelai felt a little pang of annoyance at that thought.

  Yeah, bet he’s got those shifter groupie girls falling all over him like snow on a winter’s night.

  Scuz bunnies…

  “You’re hungry?” He growled on the inside.

  Jack’s bear scratched and clawed just a little more. Their mate needed feeding and he was supposed to be the provider … the hunter gatherer.

  That feeling was buried deep within his DNA. It was something that he couldn’t avoid, just like that protection gene, and he didn’t like to think of her needing and not providing that for her.

  “I’m … sure, but the point is…”

  “Okay, get in the truck,” he stepped to one side and motioned for her to go ahead of him.

  “Are we back to that … again?” She tossed up a hand and shook her head.

  “Look,” he frowned. “What’s your name?” He winced, realising that out of everything else that she had going on … it hadn’t seemed important, and yet someone’s name was one of the most important things.

  “I’m not telling you my name,” she frowned.

  “I’m Jack,” he piped up on something of a sigh. She was determined to make life harder. “It’s just a name. hell, make one up if you think I’m going to steal your identity or…”

  “Lorelai,” she shrugged again. The man was like a dog with a bone when he got started, and she decided to pick her battles.

  “That’s a damn pretty name,” he said as if taken by surprise. “Well, Lorelai …”

  He rolled her name over his tongue, and she was one hundred percent surprised at just how good he could make it sound. She’d heard her name a gazillion times, and yet, she thought that was the first time that she’d ever really heard it…

  Is this guy like … for real?

  He threatens to fight bad guys for me…

  He pulls over and offers me a lift…

  He looks like sex on a stick when he smiles…

  And the way that he says my name sound like a damn orgasm to my senses…

  Oh, and he gets that muppet barman to get me a coffee … always a bonus, coffee…

  “Here’s the thing,” he started again, after his chain of thought had been broken by the look on her face.

  She seemed lost somewhere else, and while he’d much rather that she was there with him in that moment … from the way that her cheeks had gone all pink; he wondered if her moment was more to his advantage…

  “What thing?” She still looked a little absent.

  “I was getting to it.”

  Jack smiled again and she straightened a little, even under the weight of her backpack. Her eyes narrowed on him for a second and then she gave him
a curious look of expectation.

  No pressure … He told himself.

  Valentine’s Day is what …? Two days away? I should just throw my arms wide and announce … surprise, I’m your mate … Happy Valentine’s…

  Yeah … no, not going to work!

  “You’re hungry … me too. You’re tired … me too … so …” he was stuck in the moment when she narrowed her eyes again and twisted her head on her neck a little, as if she was really damn well concentrating … hanging on his every last word…

  Nope … no damn pressure…

  “Don’t make me follow you across the mountain on foot,” he spread his hands and implored her.

  She snatched her head back on her neck and eyed him… Jack frowned, wondering what the hell he’d said wrong that time.

  “Like … stalking follow?” She said and he grunted in annoyance.

  “Like … protecting follow,” he shot back in disbelief.

  “Okay, Mr Touchy,” she snorted herself, “which is exactly what I want to avoid!” she muttered and heard the deep, low rumble of thunder that seemed to roll from him.

  “I’m not like that,” he barely held his growl within his chest.

  “Again … says you,” she snapped back. “Now, you may not be lying, but I have no proof of it either way.”

  She had a point – he’d give her that. Without telling her he was her mate and explaining the hell out of what that meant to a human female … he was kind of stuck for choices.

  “Okay,” Jack bit out.

  He had a choice to make and this was the moment to do it. This was probably going to be the defining moment as to whether this wooing was going to go well or not…

  He moved fast …

  One moment she was standing there eyeballing him and trying to decide if this guy was on the up and up, and the next; she was hanging down his back …

  CHAPTER FIVE

  ~