Bear-ly Valentine's

by M. L. Briers

  He still needed to woo her.

  ~

  ~

  ~

  “You sure can eat a lot,” Lorelai was stuffed.

  He’d made a hearty cooked breakfast, and for lunch he’d put the biggest steak that she’d even seen on a plate with a whole lot of fries, and she hadn’t been able to even eat half of it.

  “I’m … big.” He shrugged.

  “I noticed that,” she chuckled as she sat back against the chair and pushed her plate away from her.

  “You’ve hardly eaten,” he frowned down at her plate.

  “I’m …” she paused for effect. “A lot smaller.”

  “You don’t want that?” he motioned towards her plate and she pushed it further towards him.

  “Not in this lifetime. I think I’ve already gained weight,” she snorted.

  “Curvy is good,” he grinned, a sparkle of amusement lighting his eyes.

  “So, you don’t like my body?” She teased on a frown and he froze in place on a frown.

  “That’s not what I …”

  “Because you didn’t seem to be complaining this morning,” she gave a small shrug.

  “No, that’s…”

  “I thought we fitted together pretty well…”

  “We did!” He nodded fast, swallowing down hard. “We do.”

  “But you like curvy …” she offered – then she leaned forward in her chair and over the table top a little, towards him. “How curvy?”

  “What? I don’t …” he was shaking his head faster and his eyes were practically rolling around in his head. “You’re fine like…”

  “Only fine?” She pulled back.

  “Better than fine…”

  “Sure? Because I can eat a lot of chocolate and ice cream…”

  “I noticed,” he offered back and when she frowned he balked. “The ice cream, last night, two bowls.”

  “You were counting?”

  “No,” he shook his head again.

  “Oh.” She gave a small shrug, and he sat there on edge – unsure of what to do next. “Aren’t you going to eat the rest of that?”

  “I … I’m not sure,” he frowned, wondering what had just happened. She motioned for him to eat.

  “Wouldn’t want it to get cold.” She offered and he absently nodded. She waited for him to slice off a chunk of steak… “So … mates.”

  He’d raised the steak to his lips and now he was holding in place. His eyes were on hers and he narrowed them.

  Wow, she can really shift subjects fast!

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  ~

  “You wanna do this now?” Jack frowned back at her – unsure.

  “You want to reschedule? I think I have an opening in half an hour by the sink.” She couldn’t stop the smile from playing at the corners of her lips, and Jack noticed it, boy did he notice.

  The last few minutes clicked into place for him and he gave a small inwardly sigh of relief. She’d been winding him up, and it had worked.

  “What do you want to know?”

  “Everything. Start at the beginning and don’t leave anything out.”

  “No pressure there then.” He frowned, but this was his chance to explain it to her. This was his chance to really start to woo her … and this was the chance that might lead to her running out the door.

  ~

  ~

  ~

  “So marking is good and biting is bad?” Lorelai felt like she had a handle on it, but she wasn’t entirely sure.

  “Yes,” Jack nodded. They’d taken their discussion over to the sofa after he’d lost all interest in the food that she’d left on her plate with all of the talk of mating and bonding … “Unless you wanted to be a bear shifter … and then…”

  “No!” She shook her head fast.

  “Got it,” he teased back and she felt a slow release of the muscles that had clenched tightly inside of her.

  “I thought it was just werewolves that bit and changed people.” So much for the whole industry that had been built around that myth in the past.

  Jack just smiled. His eyes said it all.

  “You’ve read shifter books, haven’t you?” He chuckled.

  “I may have glanced …” she stopped when he raised his eyebrows, then she sighed, “fine. So I read a few … hundred books…”

  “You know we’re much sexier in real life,” he teased her again and his grin was contagious.

  “Not all of you,” she snorted.

  “Oh, that’s harsh … no wait … that’s beyond harsh,” his grin widened, and if possible, it got a whole lot sexier.

  “Don’t shoot the messenger,” she shrugged, and squealed, when one moment she was sitting with a seat between them and the next she found herself on his lap…

  The man was not only strong – he was fast.

  “You don’t find me one little bit attractive?” He asked.

  That deep, gravelly tone of his was back with a vengeance, and she could feel why as she sat on his lap … the prod of his hard length against the back of her upper thighs was more than enough proof of what he was thinking…

  “I never said that,” she chuckled.

  “So you do find me attractive?” He frowned then, a teasing frown that had his eyebrows impersonating little caterpillars dancing over those soulful eyes.

  “Ego boost…” she snorted another chuckle.

  “Can’t bring yourself to admit it?”

  Lorelai liked him like this, playful, teasing, and so damn sexy that her womb was doing a happy dance inside of her.

  He’d been so angry earlier that she’d wondered, worried if that was the real him sneaking out, but it wasn’t – it was a part of him, maybe his bear, maybe just that protection thing that he’d told her about…

  This was him – teasing, playful, and as sexy as all hell.

  Just sitting on his lap, something as stupid and mundane as that … and she felt … loved.

  “Wouldn’t want you to be stuck in this one room when your head got too large to fit through the doorway,” she shot back and he twisted his head on his neck and narrowed his eyes on her – but that damn sexy smile was still on his lips… “What?”

  “You do think I’m the sexiest guy you’ve ever seen…” his grin turned into a smirk.

  “How’d you deduce that one, Sherlock?”

  “Because you said you didn’t want to tell me just how damn sexy I am so my head didn’t swell, ergo, I’m the sexiest thing since sliced bread.” He gave a small, satisfied shrug of those broad shoulders.

  “Pah!” She wasn’t about to cave. “And I don’t like bread.”

  “But you like me,” his eyes hard darkened, but they also shone with the light of amusement.

  He looked like the cat that got the cream and she wasn’t about to feed him more.

  His question was leading. Lorelai’s head was still swimming with everything that he’d told her about being a mate – about fate, destiny, and forever.

  It seemed crazy to her that she wasn’t running for the hills. It seemed absurd that the thought of forever didn’t terrify her.

  It’s in his eyes…

  Am I crazy?

  Is this crazy?

  It doesn’t feel crazy.

  It doesn’t feel like a holiday romance.

  It doesn’t feel like it’s all going to just be pulled out from beneath me…

  It feels real.

  It feels right … it feels like forever.

  But I only just met him.

  The sex was great … amazing … better than amazing, but he’s a shifter and I’m … me.

  He has a vampire friend … that’s crazy…

  He lives on a mountain with wolf shifters, and a vampire, and who the hell knows what else is out there…

  That’s insanely crazy.

  And he’s Mr Growly … and I kind of like that … but he’s got a bear inside him …

  What if his bear doesn’t like me?

  Wha
t if it takes one sniff and …?

  What if it eats me?

  Am I not just jumping out of the frying pan here?

  I didn’t look before I leapt, now here I am, miles from home, no car, no stuff … just me.

  And him. Me and him, and here, and now.

  Is that absolutely the most insane thing a person could ever do?

  “I like you.” Lorelai couldn’t help herself.

  She liked him – liked him a lot. He knew it too.

  Jack’s large hand cupped her cheek and his lips came down on hers.

  Now that she liked a hell of a lot.

  CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

  ~

  “You know you can’t run from him.”

  Lorelai almost twisted herself in two as she whipped her upper body around in the direction of those dulcet tones and her boots stayed planted in the snow. She’d heard that voice before and she didn’t much like being outside of the cabin alone with him now.

  “Who?” Lorelai said, looking guilty, too guilty for Kiel’s liking.

  “You tell me,” he offered back.

  The vampire was trying to look one part intimidating, in the hopes that her mind would wander where he wanted it to go, and two parts benign so that she didn’t freak out and scream the mountain down – which would bring out the freaking bear – literally.

  Does he know?

  How could he know?

  He reads minds, did he read mine?

  Is Tom here – did he find me on the mountain…?

  “Tom?” Kiel looked pleased and she looked confused…

  “You did that mind thingy…?” she lifted her hand to her temple and scowled back at him.

  “It’s just so much easier than having to drag the information one seeks out of people’s mouths. Why talk when you can listen?” he offered back.

  “Did nobody ever teach you that eavesdropping on people’s private thoughts is wrong?” She couldn’t believe that she was saying that, and she gave a small shake of her head. “Look who I’m asking.” She tossed up a hand towards him and he smiled.

  “Yes, I’m an evil, evil vampire – now let’s get back to Tom…” Kiel waited out the silence between them.

  He kind of liked this woman already. He didn’t like the fact that she was actually singing five green bottles within her mind now – but he liked that she was smart enough to think to do that just to thwart him.

  Lorelai let her gaze wander around her as she concentrated on singing that childhood song. She’d started at one hundred so she had a ways to go before rational thought crept into her mind.

  When she returned her gaze to the vampire. He’d crossed his arms and had tipped his head to one side and those dark eyes of his were narrowed on her, but there was some amusement there.

  “Here’s a little clue to how this goes. I’ve got an eternity to wait you out. Can you say the same?” He asked, and that niggled at her.

  Lorelai sighed on a frown of annoyance. All she’d wanted was to find her damn phone, and now, for the second time, she’d run into trouble.

  “Are you Jack’s friend?”

  “Some would say,” he offered back as if he didn’t want to wholeheartedly commit to that.

  “So, then you’d be my friend by default?” she asked.

  “Not necessarily,” he smirked.

  “Stop getting inside of my head.” She hissed back.

  “Stop hiding things,” he said.

  Lorelai tossed up a hand in frustration. She felt as if she was in a schoolyard bickering match between two five year olds.

  “I’m not hiding anything…” she lied.

  “Oh look, you’re nose actually grew,” he said it so convincingly that she actually reached up a hand to touch her nose, before she snorted her contempt for him, and turned back towards Jack’s truck.

  “Butthole,” she muttered to the sound of his musical chuckles.

  “So this Tom…?” He started after her as she pouted with her feet by planting them harder and deeper into the snow than was needed as her arms pumped the air.

  “Get a life…” she ground out.

  “Strange thing to say to a vampire,” he chuckled more.

  “Strange to be talking to a vampire,” she offered back over her shoulder as she reached the truck and yanked open the passenger door.

  “Are you looking for this?” he held up what she knew to be her phone, and her lower jaw dropped open as she tried to snatch it from his hand. It was gone before she got anywhere near it and she fisted nothing more than air.

  “Give that back.” She scowled at him.

  “Who’s Tom?” He asked again, teasingly holding the phone between his thumb and forefinger.

  Lorelai had the urge to try to snatch it again, but the guy was fast … too fast for her, and she didn’t like to play the fool too often.

  “Ninety nine bottles of beer on the wall, ninety nine bottles of beer…” she sneered back.

  “I’d love to say that I can wait you out but your voice is akin to an alley cat caught in a mangle whilst playing the bagpipes.” He groaned.

  “Give,” she held out her hand for the phone, and he considered it.

  “Ninety nine bottles of…”

  He tossed the phone towards her and she caught it on a victory chuckle.

  “Why look so pleased?” he frowned. He never liked to be on the losing end of anything.

  “Now I know your weak spot,” she did look pleased with herself. Kiel grunted in response. “You turned it on?” her eyes went wide and he felt the rush of panic that came from her like a tsunami.

  She looked like a scared rabbit that had been cornered by a hunter.

  “That’s…” he started, but she turned on her heels and started back towards the cabin.

  “I have to leave…” she muttered to herself.

  I can’t stay now…

  I wish I could…

  I wish I could stay with Jack, even just a little longer…

  That forever love thing sounded so damn good, but this…

  This…

  I can’t…

  “Hold on!” Kiel’s hand locked around her upper arm and he yanked her back around to face him…

  “Let go,” she bit out…

  Just then the cabin door was yanked open and Jack rushed out – growling a warning at the vampire, and looking as if he wanted to rip someone’s head off.

  “Take your damn hands off my mate…” He growled, running full steam right at them.

  CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

  ~

  “Letting go!” Kiel snatched his hands up towards his chest in mock surrender, but he knew it wasn’t going to end there.

  Jack had an engine full of steam and he was moving fast. Kiel thought fast and decided to take one for the team. Better that than the man’s bear got all rowdy and broke free.

  The next moment he was on the ground with Jack’s iron fist coming down into his face like a jackhammer, over and over again…

  “You could scent her fear!” Jack bit out, still delivering blows.

  “It wasn’t him!” Lorelai shouted, not daring to get too close for fear of catching a flying fist…

  “It wasn’t me!” Kiel was still managing to grin, but he’d had more than enough of being a punching bag, and he threw Jack off – far enough to give himself time to get to his feet, but not too far that he wasn’t close enough to his mate to protect her from the perceived threat.

  “You people are nuts!” Lorelai shouted to the pair of them as she fisted her hands at her sides and offered her best death glare to the both of them.

  “It still wasn’t me,” Kiel offered on a smirk, before wiping the blood from his lips against the back of his hand. The wound had already healed.

  Jack pulled himself to his feet. His chin was down near his chest and his eyes were black and locked on the vampire.

  Those big fists of his were clenched at his sides and his broad shoulders were pulled back as his chest rose and fell in pan
ted breaths. He was locked and loaded for round two as a hard growl rumbled through the air all around the three of them.

  “It wasn’t him!” Lorelai bit out as she breathed hard and fast, trying to steady her heart, and fight the urge to knock their heads together.

  “It …?” Jack turned to look at her as her words finally sank in through the blind rage that had gripped him at the scent of her fear.

  “In Jack’s defence…” Kiel started, but Lorelai’s head snapped around on her neck and she glared at the vampire. “Or not.” He offered.

  “I can still scent your fear in the air, Lorelai. He had his hands…”

  “Hand, just the one.” Kiel put in, and it was Jack’s turn to snap a glare at the man. “I’ll be going now.” He started away from the mates. “Ask her about Tom.” He said as his parting shot.

  Jack snapped his eyes right back to his mate and saw her deflate from the angry stance that she’d taken.

  “Lorelai?” Jack watched as she bit down on annoyance and fisted the phone in her hand.

  “He turned it on,” she said, as if Jack was supposed to know what that meant.

  Then she deflated even more, turning towards the cabin for a long moment as her eyes took it in…

  I could have been happy here…

  I could have been happy with Jack…

  “Talk to me,” Jack tried his best to knock the bear from his voice, but it was too soon, and the bear didn’t want to stand down completely. Just like Jack it sensed an aura of doom…

  Something had shifted between them and it wasn’t on his side. They’d been getting closer, so damn close that he could practically taste the bonding on his tongue … but right then as he looked at her … she felt a thousand miles away.

  When she brought her eyes back to Jack he felt her gaze like a fist to his gut. His insides twisted…

  “I have to leave, Jack…” she’d already started backing away from him – it felt more like an emotional rift rather than just a physical one.

  “Lorelai,” he took a step towards her and she stopped on a small shake of her head.

  She looked sad. He didn’t like that.

  Her eyes were glazing over a little, like she’d spent too long in the wind – like she had tears in them … He hated that.