Bound to the Bear (Denali Den Book 3)

by Rebecca Thomas

  Her chest rose and fell, as did his. Golden eyes stared back at him, the yellow of bear-lust overtaking her usual green.

  He scratched at the beard stubble on his jaw before shoving his hands in the front pockets of his jeans. His eyes remained locked with hers as he searched for words. He couldn’t look away. She had to be his. His bear wanted to roar with the intense need to have her.

  Tess broke the invisible force between them by looking downward. “I think we’ll be convincing enough.”

  Stefan crossed his arms and swung around, putting his back to her. No reason for her to see his hard-on. Then again, she’d already felt it, so what was the difference? “Yeah, I don’t think we will have a problem on that front. Should we get back in the truck?” He turned to face her again. “We’re only about a half an hour out.”

  The next thirty minutes of driving was excruciating. His mind raced in twenty different circles. He should have never kissed her. They could have been convincing as a couple without a kiss. He’d let his bear rule his rational thought. He couldn’t be a good detective if he didn’t keep his bear in check. His job was to protect her, not make her his.

  Can’t you have both?

  He wouldn’t allow his bear to make decisions. He’d learned to harness his primal urges and he was proud of himself for that. He’d melded into human society in a way his brothers never had. After Misha’s death, he’d been so lonely, he had to do something different and forge another path for himself.

  He changed his major from Business to Criminal Justice. He wanted to make a difference in the world. He couldn’t save Misha, but he could save someone else. This time, he would save Tess. Those wolves wouldn’t get near her. They would have to come through him first. His bear roared agreement.

  “This place is amazing!” Tess said as they pulled into Denali Crossings. “I didn’t think there would be this many cabins. There must be twenty or twenty-five. Plus, all the teenagers. Impressive.”

  “My brothers are pretty amazing. They had a vision and made it happen.”

  “I didn’t imagine it being so big. You must have a lot of staffing needs.” She pointed to the administrative building. “That must be where people check-in?”

  “A wilderness therapy camp for teens is big business.”

  “But I never would have thought that,” Tess said.

  “People send their kids here from all over the world. I wonder sometimes if they all have issues or if their parents just want to get rid of them for a few weeks.” They drove past the dining hall, girls’ cabins, and boys’ cabins to the private cabins of the staff.

  “You have a point,” Tess agreed. “Are they all werebear teens?”

  “No, there are plenty of humans too. My brothers believed in making a world that’s similar to the real world, only in a controlled environment with acres of pristine wilderness available for them, if they want to be bears.”

  Stefan drove past the activity center. “We’ll go to Stryker’s cabin for dinner.”

  “What’s that building for? Oh my god, look at the huge brick smokestack.”

  “That’s for indoor activities, like board games, music, and crafts.”

  “What kinds of crafts?”

  “I’m not really sure. You’d have to ask Stryker and Silas.”

  “There’s a lake here!” Tess exclaimed. “And look at that—a sand volleyball court…and canoes.”

  “You’re an Alaskan bear,” Stefan said dryly. “You act like you’ve never been in the woods before or seen a lake.”

  She rolled down her window and sniffed the air. “I just don’t take the time. I work, and I don’t pay attention to my bear.”

  “You sound like me.” Stefan parked his truck and pulled the key from the ignition. “Except the part about being all excited about seeing a lake.”

  “Maybe we should make the time…you know, shift into our bear forms and have a little fun.” Tess stepped outside and took a deep breath of air.

  Stefan was determined to stay focused. His eyes drifted to her backside and he admonished himself. He couldn’t get the feeling of that kiss to leave his head, or leave other various regions of his body.

  He had an important job to do. He couldn’t be distracted. Focus.

  He slammed his truck’s door shut. This wasn’t a vacation. He was here to protect Tess, but the memory of holding her in his arms burned into his soul. Willing the feeling away, he lifted one shoulder. “Maybe.”

  “Maybe what?” His oldest brother, Silas, snuck up behind him and wrapped him in a hug. “It’s about time you showed up.” He released him and patted him on the shoulder two times. “Let me guess, your boss forced you to take a vacation.”

  Stefan grinned. He shouldn’t let so much time pass without seeing his family. He looked into Silas’ brown eyes. The same brown that matched his own. “You guessed right.”

  “You need to come out here more often. We miss you.” He wrapped his arm around Stefan. “Stryker, his wife, and my Blue are out on the back deck.”

  “I need to introduce you to Tess.” Stefan rounded the front of his truck to where Tess stood on the other side. He took her hand in his, then turned back to his brother. “Silas, this is Tess, my girlfriend.”

  6

  Stefan’s big warm hand felt incredibly right coiled around hers. The solidness of him calmed her. There was no reason to feel nervous, but she did. Tess wanted to make a good impression on his family. Bears could be particular about who they let into their dens and their lives.

  They followed Silas to the cabin’s back deck. Silas was big with dark brown hair and brown eyes, just like Stefan. It was easy to see they were brothers. His easy confident gait reminded her of the way Stefan moved.

  As they walked, Stefan continued to hold her hand. They climbed the stairs where Stefan’s other brother stood by the barbeque grill, another she-bear chatted with a human woman. Silas immediately went to stand beside the blue-haired human woman and held his hand at the small of her back.

  The other werebear, who Tess assumed was Stryker, wrapped Stefan in an embrace. “Mom is going to be pissed that she missed you.” Stryker stepped back. “They were here last week, but they’ve gone to Sterling to fish for salmon.”

  “She’s always mad at me anyway.” Stefan put his arm around Tess. “This is Tess—my girlfriend. My brother, Stryker, and I assume his new wife, who I haven’t met yet.”

  “Nice to meet you.” Stryker’s wife extended her hand. “I’m Ava. We had a…let’s say, unconventional wedding. Don’t feel bad that we haven’t met. I barely even knew Stryker before I said I do.”

  They laughed and shook hands.

  “This is Blue,” Silas said. “My True Mate. We’re to be married soon. We’re just waiting for the campers to clear out of here and winter to set in. Then we’ll make the time for a proper ceremony.”

  The woman with blue hair stepped forward and smiled. “Call me Lexi. Only Silas calls me Blue. Our ceremony will be simple, nothing fancy. We’ve both been working is all.”

  They all shook hands. Tess felt the warmth between the siblings and even with the human woman too, which was very unusual among bear dens.

  “I’ll put the mooseburgers on as soon as the grill is up to temp. I’m sure you’re both hungry.” Stryker lit the barbeque grill. “I’m letting Silas have a break from kitchen duties today.”

  “Yep,” Ava said. “You all sit down and relax. My husband and I have got this.”

  Lexi sat down beside Tess on the picnic-style oak table in the middle of the deck. “She wouldn’t let me bring anything.”

  “You worked with teenagers all day. You deserve to put your feet up and relax.” Ava set out a tray of cheese, crackers, and a variety of cold cuts, then looked at Stefan. “You’ve had a long journey, driving all the way from Anchorage. Eat up.”

  “Don’t mind if I do.” Stefan piled several crackers, cheese, and salami on a plate.

  “We have beer, wine, soda…what would you l
ike to drink?” Ava asked everyone.

  “I’ll take a beer,” Stefan said.

  “Same here,” Silas chimed in.

  “I’ll help you.” Lexi stood up from the table.

  “Isn’t my wife the best?” Stryker scraped the grill’s grate with a wire brush. “Sure glad Silas found her for me.”

  Everyone laughed except Tess. She had expected this topic to be forbidden or at least something to avoid, but instead, they were joking about it.

  “Only the cutest Vane brother for me.” Ava winked at Stryker before going inside.

  Obviously, there were no hard feelings between the brothers. Tess was curious to hear the full story of their marriage.

  Ava and Lexi returned from the kitchen carrying drinks for everyone. They made trips back and forth, set side dishes on the table and chatted the entire time. Stefan stood by the barbeque grill with his brothers.

  Stryker put the mooseburgers on the grill. She couldn’t believe the amount of food surrounding her. Everything smelled so good.

  Stefan’s laughter enveloped Tess like a fluffy down comforter. Warm fuzzies meandered inside her belly. She hadn’t been around Stefan for long, but she was completely mesmerized by him. She wanted to feel his lips on her and his arms draped around her again.

  She paid attention to the way he stood, the way he talked, the way love radiated from him to his brothers and maybe she was a little bit jealous. She’d never had a real family.

  Tess missed Janelle in that brief moment. Stefan must have sensed her staring at him because he turned. Their gazes held, the connection between them palpable. Miniature beads of sweat erupted along her hairline—a sure sign that her bear wanted to have a say in her decisions. Her usual response to her bear was to shove her away, but this time Tess had other thoughts. If she was supposed to be Stefan’s girlfriend, then why not play the part?

  Yes, she liked this idea.

  Tess slid up alongside Stefan and wrapped her arms around his waist. Her insides melted by tiny degrees at the physical contact and she could have sworn she heard him grunt. He smiled down at her. She was rewarded by getting a close-up view of his left dimple.

  “The burgers are close to being done,” Stryker said.

  “I think we have everything.” Ava inspected the red and white gingham tablecloth covered table. Plates, flatware, drinks, and side dishes covered every inch of the space.

  “This is a feast for kings!” Lexi exclaimed.

  “No, actually, for bears,” Silas said dryly.

  Ava shook her head. “I can’t believe I forgot a green salad.”

  “We’ve got plenty of food, babe,” Stryker said.

  “But I had this recipe for a salad with broccoli and pasta. It was going to be so good. But I don’t have time to boil pasta before the burgers are done.”

  “I have a broccoli salad I could make,” Tess interjected. “If you have green onions, bacon, and mayonnaise, I could make it in about ten minutes.”

  “I do!” Ava exclaimed.

  “Are you sure we need it?” Lexi asked. “I mean, really, I think we’ll be okay. Most people would survive a week on all this food. We’ve got baked beans, a potato dish, macaroni, and fruit salad, not to mention the mooseburgers.”

  “Ah, but we are bears and you apparently haven’t been to a Vane-style barbeque before,” Stefan teased and said very deliberately, “Yes, would you make the salad, sweetheart? Sounds great.”

  Why did Tess have the feeling he was only responding that way to force her to unhinge herself from his side? She noted the golden flecks in his eyes. Her physical touch had an effect on him and this completely thrilled her.

  “I’d be happy to, sweetheart,” she returned in kind.

  “Chances are, if there’s bacon in it, it’s good,” Silas added. “And you know, I’m always up for trying new recipes. I need to add something new to the dining hall’s menu.”

  Tess followed Ava inside the quaint little cabin. The kitchen and dining area were small, as was the living room. The deck made a more comfortable place to gather.

  “Tell me what I can do to help,” Ava said.

  “If you could start frying twelve slices of bacon, that would be excellent.”

  “I’m on it.” Ava grabbed two large heads of broccoli and green onions from the crisper and set them on the kitchen island. “What else do you need?”

  “Mayonnaise, sugar, and apple cider vinegar.”

  “It sounds delicious.” Ava opened the package of bacon and put slices in a frying pan. “The cutting board is in the drawer to your left. Knives are in the butcher’s block to your right.”

  “Great. Thank you.” Tess went to work rinsing the broccoli and green onions in the sink.

  “No, thank you, for offering,” Ava replied.

  “It’s my pleasure. I’m glad to contribute.” Tess chopped the broccoli into bite sized pieces.

  “Stefan sure is a cutie. It’s kind of sad that I’m just now meeting my brother-in-law after I’ve been married for two months already.”

  “It’s my understanding you two got married fairly quickly.”

  Ava laughed. “Yeah, within a couple hours of meeting.”

  The smell of frying bacon wafted through the kitchen.

  “That’s amazing,” Tess said. “Shocking actually.”

  “Well, when you know, you know. I fought it at first, but…let’s just say the Vane men are very charming.”

  “Yeah, I’m starting to see that. Only I’m not sure that Stefan sees me as anything other than someone to watch after and protect.” Tess caught herself. “I mean, I guess what I’m trying to say is, I’m not sure he sees a future with me, the way I do.” Distracted by cooking, Tess said what she’d unwittingly been feeling ever since she’d met Stefan. The constant pull to be touching him. Her bear wanting to claw her way out. The need to have him. These were all signs of something more permanent, not merely a week-long assignment.

  “You sound like Stryker. Well, not exactly, but I’m reading in between the lines.” Ava flipped the pieces of bacon over. “He says he knew the minute he saw me that I was his True Mate. While I felt instant attraction to him, I had no intention being a True Mate to anyone.”

  Tess finished chopping and mixed the mayonnaise, sugar, and vinegar. “I have a feeling Stefan might be the same way. Actually, he was already in love once, so maybe that was it for him.”

  “I think this bacon is done.” Ava took the sizzling slices of bacon out of the pan. “For what it’s worth, I think Stefan will come around. Granted, I don’t know him, but I know werebears and the way he looks at you—let’s just say—put aside your doubts. He’s hot for you.”

  Tess stopped stirring the dressing. “You’re kidding me. Why am I not seeing this?”

  “The burgers are about done,” Stryker called from outside the sliding screen door.

  “We’re almost done too,” Ava called back.

  “Probably because he only looks at you with lust in his eyes when he knows you aren’t looking.” Ava put her hands on her hips. “All done with the bacon.”

  Tess put the bacon on the cutting board and cut the slices into bite-sized pieces. What little she knew of Stefan, she knew he took his job very seriously—so if she needed to play up the job of being his girlfriend, she’d do it. “Okay. Let’s mix this all together and we’re done.” Tess surveyed the mixture. “Actually, do you have any sunflower seeds or slivered almonds?”

  “I think we do.” Ava reached into the top shelf of a cupboard and pulled out a jar of sunflower seeds.

  “Perfect.” Tess sprinkled a couple of handfuls of sunflower seeds into the broccoli mixture and her masterpiece was complete.

  “It looks delicious.” Ava put her arm around Tess’s waist. “Remember, maybe Stefan doesn’t see what you see, but I’m guessing you could be very convincing about pointing out all the things he’s missing in his life. Like you. He needs to not let you get away.” Ava stopped before opening the screen doo
r and whispered in Tess’s ear. “As the saying goes, have him chase you...until you catch him.”

  7

  Stefan bit into his mooseburger and thought he’d gone to heaven. He hadn’t had mooseburgers since the last time he was at Denali Crossings, which was last summer. He had to be better about getting together with his family.

  Losing Misha, he had been driven to protect others and concentrated on his job. He focused on finishing school, and then being a detective. Coming home had been painful since his brothers had known Misha and knew what he was going through. Their pity made him rage—he didn’t deserve pity. Enough time had passed now, he needed to realign his priorities.

  Tess sat beside him on the picnic table. Her thigh kept rubbing against his. He wanted to give his burger his complete and full attention, but with Tess so close, it was impossible. Her scent permeated the air around him—making it hard for him to breathe.

  What the hell was wrong with him? He felt agitated and edgy. Scratching his arms did little to alleviate his restlessness; drinking more beer didn’t help either. So he tapped his foot instead.

  “Oh, my god,” said the human, Lexi. “This broccoli is to die for.” She scooped up another bite and stuffed it in her mouth.

  Silas gave his mate a sideways glance, then shot a look at Tess. “She has sensitive taste buds and gets a little dramatic when it comes to food, but she’s right. Your broccoli salad is excellent. I’ll have to get the recipe from you. I have a hard time getting the teens to eat greens.”

  “I’d be happy to,” Tess replied.

  “So.” Ava propped her elbows on the table. “Tell us how you two met.”

  Tess leaned into Stefan, took ahold of his elbow, and looked lovingly into his eyes. “Oh, let me, sweetheart, you know how I love to tell the story.”

  Stefan patted her hand that she’d coiled around his arm. “All right, sweetheart, go ahead.”

  “Stefan likes to drag the story out, but essentially what happened is he came to the bar where I’m a stripper. He paid a bundle for a private lap dance and the rest is history.”