Gathering Darkness: A Paranormal Romance Collection

by Anna Zaires

  He chuckled.

  “Are you hungry?”

  “I could eat.”

  Aspen rolled out of bed turning on the light and temporarily blinding them both, “That’s good because your mom has made enough food to last us a week.” She rummaged in the fridge, “You craving anything in particular?”

  “Yeah,” he said, slowly getting out of bed.

  “What’s that?” she asked, reaching for a container of stew.

  “You,” he said, grabbing her hips and bumping her behind with his pelvis.

  Aspen jumped nearly dropping the container in her hand before she burst out laughing. “That’s great, but you’ve already had me. Now you need something that will actually fill your belly and help you heal.”

  “What are you talking about? I feel better already,” he grinned. “Apparently, all I needed was a little TLC.”

  She shook her head, “How about this then… no food… no sex.”

  His eyebrows rose, “That doesn’t seem right.”

  “Doctor’s orders.”

  “Technically, you’re not my doctor.”

  “Fine,” she said, putting the container on the table and crossing her arms. “Mate’s orders.”

  He sighed in defeat, “Fine.”

  She took a bowl out from the cabinet and filled it with stew before popping it in the microwave. Within seconds, the smell of beef, gravy and veggies filled the small cabin.

  Torben closed his eyes and inhaled, “That smells delicious.”

  “Your mom said it was one of your favorites.”

  He grabbed a glass and filled it with water before sitting at the table, “Did she make any bread to go with it?”

  Aspen grinned, “Yup, and I have to tell you… I’ve never had anything so delicious.”

  “Right out of the oven?” he asked, taking a sip from his glass.

  “Oh, yeah.” She placed the steaming bowl in front of him before grabbing some bread. “Now eat.”

  Aspen watched him as he shoveled spoonfuls of stew in his mouth, “How are you feeling?”

  “I’m ok. Still kind of sore, tired,” he said, around a mouth full of food.

  She rose, “I’m gonna call Misha and have him come over and take a look at you.”

  “No,” he growled.

  “Why?” she asked surprised. “Misha’s gonna wanna know that you’re up and about.”

  He stared at her across his bowl, “We’ve just bonded. So, in human terms… this is our wedding night, and I am not about to have our first night together ruined by letting the entire den know that I’m awake.”

  Aspen pressed her lips together in a grim line, “You were unconscious for three days, Torben. I think both Misha and your family would love to know that you’re up and about again.”

  He looked at the clock on the microwave, “A few more hours won’t hurt anything, Aspen. I just wanna lie down with you in my arms. Is that too much to ask for?”

  She deflated instantly, “No, I guess not, but promise me you’ll take it easy until Misha clears you.”

  He winked at her, “Sure, I’ll simply lie back on the bed and let you ride me.”

  She rolled her eyes and couldn’t help but laugh, “I never said I’d have sex with you again.”

  “No?”

  “No,” she replied with a shake of her head.

  Torben pushed the empty bowl aside and rose from his chair. In a flash of movement, he ensnared Aspen’s waist in his hands and sat her on the table, sliding into her body at the same time.

  Aspen released a sound that was a cross between a moan and a gasp. “What are you doing?” she breathed.

  “Making love to my wife,” he replied, kissing her.

  As he began thrusting, she pushed her hips up to meet him, “What happened to me being in charge?”

  He ripped the shirt off her that she’d worn to bed and tossed it on the ground. Her breasts were full; her nipples poised for his taking. Leaning over, he flicked his tongue over one, “You took too long.”

  They made love on the table till they were both shaking from their releases. Temporarily sated, Torben carried Aspen back to the bed and lay down with her on top of him.

  Aspen snuggled into the warmth of his body, “Are you always gonna be this demanding in bed?”

  “Yes,” he replied, stroking her back.

  “Good,” she replied, before falling asleep.

  CHAPTER 16

  Misha arrived a little after nine. After knocking on the door for a good five minutes, he decided just to let himself in. He had no idea where Aspen was and whether or not Torben was alright.

  Stepping into the small cabin, his nose was immediately assaulted with the scents of sweat and sex. Looking to the bed, he grinned when he found it empty, and that’s when he noticed the sound of the shower running.

  Moving over to the kitchen, Misha made a fresh pot of coffee, and while he waited for it to finish, he rummaged through the cabinets till he found the coffee cake he knew Gemma had made and sat it on the table.

  He was leaning against the kitchen sink sipping his coffee when Torben and Aspen emerged from the bathroom, “I see you’re feeling better.”

  Aspen yelped in surprise. Torben grinned, “You could say that.”

  He looked past Torben to Aspen and grinned, “Looks like congratulations are also in order.”

  Aspen reached for the spot on her shoulder as her face turned bright red. “I tried to get him to let me call you last night, but he said no.”

  “It’s alright,” Misha winked. “If I had to choose between seeing Torben’s ugly mug or bedding my mate, I’d take bedding my mate any day.”

  Torben scratched his nose with his middle finger making Misha laugh. “You make any coffee for us, or did you decide to make just enough for yourself?”

  Misha stepped out of the way of the coffee pot showing that it was full. “I’ll have you know that I have an excellent bedside manner.”

  Torben made both he and Aspen a cup before sitting down and pulling Aspen into his lap.

  “So, how are you feeling this morning?” Misha asked seriously.

  “I feel ok. A little sore but other than that… fine.”

  “Mind if I take a look at your chest?”

  “Not at all.”

  “Aspen, would you mind?”

  She shook her head, “Not at all. I’ll get breakfast going while you do that.”

  Misha removed the bandages and inspected what was left of the wound in Torben’s chest. The skin was pink and new, and in another day or two, the wound would be completely gone. “It looks really good.”

  Torben rotated his shoulder, “Little stiff though.”

  “I’m gonna give you a list of stretches I want you to do to loosen up the muscles. I want you to do them until the stiffness and soreness are gone.”

  “Got it.”

  “You should probably call your mother. She’s been a wreck these last few days.”

  “Told him that too!” Aspen remarked.

  “You should listen to your mate, Torben. She’s obviously the smarter of the two of you,” Misha teased.

  “That might be true,” he agreed, sipping his coffee. “And don’t worry, I planned on calling her this morning after breakfast.”

  Misha nodded, “I’ll inform Caelan that you’re up as well. He’s been worried.”

  “How sweet,” Torben grinned.

  Misha smirked and shook his head.

  “Any word on when they plan on going back to the compound for Berend again?” Aspen asked, setting two plates of food on the table.

  Misha shrugged, “I don’t know. When I call him about Torben I can ask him to give you a call.”

  Torben nodded, “Thanks, man.”

  “You know how you can best thank me?” he asked, taking the chair across from Torben.

  “I’m afraid to ask.”

  “Let me take home some of your mom’s cooking,” he said, taking a huge bite out of the coffee cake.
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  “Doesn’t your mother cook for you?” Aspen asked, setting more food out on the table.

  He washed the cake down with a sip of coffee, “My mom was killed during hunting season a few years back.”

  Aspen gasped, “I’m so sorry, Misha.”

  “It’s alright. It was a long time ago.”

  “I’ll make you up a big to-go bag before you leave,” Aspen replied, taking a seat on Torben’s lap again.

  “So you’re officially bonded,” Misha remarked. “How does that feel?”

  “Great!” Torben grinned.

  “Different,” Aspen admitted. “I mean a good different, but still different. I still feel like myself, but at the same time, I can’t seem to stay away from him,” she said, as she slid her hand up into Torben’s hair.

  “You’ll always have the need to be near your mate,” Misha explained. “Over time, it’ll just become second nature to you.”

  “Are you mated?”

  Misha snickered, “No. I like variety.”

  Aspen took a bite of her food, “Did you know that in nature, most bears are promiscuous and don’t settle down with just one mate? They may have a favorite, but they tend to have relations with multiple partners.”

  “We’re not that kind of bear,” Torben growled.

  “Well, at least not after we’ve mated,” Misha winked.

  Aspen laughed.

  “You know, Torben, now that you’re mated, you might wanna consider expanding your cabin to something that includes a separate living room because I’d hate to come over and find you two having sex. Seeing your naked ass moving up and down would give me nightmares for days.”

  Torben flipped Misha off and grinned.

  Aspen looked at Torben, “Can we do that, Torben? Can we make the cabin bigger?”

  He kissed her, “We can do whatever you want. If you like, I can set up a time to meet with my dad so that he can design a house for us.”

  Her eyes lit up, “I would absolutely love that.”

  “Once the house is done, we can go into the city and pack up your apartment.”

  She frowned, “I actually forgot about that. I should also call my job or something to let them know why I left so suddenly and never came back.”

  “You’re more than welcome to use my cell. The only computer I have is at my office in the den, but you’re more than welcome to that as well.”

  “You can also use mine,” Misha offered. “Assuming, of course, that you’ve decided to take on the role of being my PA.”

  Aspen laughed, “I’m not a physician’s assistant. I’m a vet tech.”

  “Same difference,” Misha shrugged. “We’re bears, remember?”

  She shook her head, “I wonder if I’ll ever get used to the idea.”

  “Eventually,” Torben stated. “All good things will come in time.”

  Aspen smiled, “Then I guess I will take the job.”

  Misha grinned, “Great! Do you have any idea how hard it is to run a one man clinic?”

  She laughed, “I can only guess.”

  After breakfast, Torben cleaned the kitchen while Aspen packed up several containers of food for Misha. Misha was on the phone with Caelan updating him on Torben’s recovery. After hanging up the phone, Misha said, “Caelan’s gonna stop by later.”

  Torben nodded, “Sounds good.”

  Aspen handed Misha a bag of containers, “Here you go. This should last you a few days.”

  “Thanks,” Misha said, taking the bag. “Well, I need to get going. I have a busy schedule today.”

  “When do you need me to start?” Aspen asked.

  “Whenever you’re ready… but… the sooner the better.”

  Aspen nodded, “Ok. Let me just wrap up a few things and I should be good to go in a day or two.”

  “Perfect,” he said, kissing her on the cheek. “You’re an angel.”

  After Misha left, Torben pulled Aspen into his arms and kissed her. “Love you.”

  “Love you too.”

  “Are you ready?” he asked.

  “For what?”

  “It’s time to call my parents.”

  “You make it sound so ominous,” she laughed.

  “It is. Just wait till mom starts hounding us for grandkids.”

  CHAPTER 17

  Caelan sat on the log across from Torben and Aspen sipping his coffee as the small bonfire raged between them.

  “So…” Aspen said, “When can we go back and make another attempt to rescue Berend?”

  Caelan took another sip of his coffee. There was no easy way to say it so he decided just to come right out with it. “We went back yesterday.”

  “And?” Torben asked, eyes narrowed as if he knew Caelan was about to drop a bombshell on them.

  He shook his head, “The place was empty, man.”

  Aspen gasped, “No!”

  Caelan shook his head, “They must have vacated the day after you were shot because the place was a ghost town.”

  “Oh, no,” Aspen replied, dropping her head into her hands. “It’s all my fault.”

  Torben wrapped his arm around her and hugged her, “No, sweetheart, it’s not. You can’t blame yourself for the actions of crazy humans.” He turned his attention back to Caelan, “They left no trace as to where they might have gone?”

  Caelan shook his head, “I wish they had because then we’d be the ones hunting them.”

  Torben nodded, “I appreciate you trying.”

  “Listen, man, I know this is rough, but at least we know he’s alive now. Just hold on to that until we find him.”

  “Do you think you will? Find him, I mean?” Aspen asked.

  Caelan shrugged, “I can’t say for sure, but I know we won’t give up trying.”

  “Any plans to go back to the compound?” Torben asked.

  He nodded, “Yeah. Misha wants to see what he can decipher from the medical stuff that was left behind.”

  “I should go with you.”

  Caelan shook his head, “Not necessary. There’s nothing there that you need to see. The only reason we’re going back is so Misha can try to figure out why Berend was taken in the first place. It’s pretty much a clean-up job. We go in, get what Misha needs and get out.”

  Torben stood, ending the discussion, “I’ll break the news to my parents in the morning.”

  Caelan nodded, “Alright. If we find anything when we go back, you’ll be the first to know.”

  “Thanks,” Torben replied, shaking Caelan’s hand.

  “Oh! Before I forget,” he said, grinning. “Congrats on the mating.”

  “How did you…” Aspen began.

  He chuckled, “Mated pairs have a certain scent about them. It’s like a new scent created from your combined scents.”

  “Oh,” Aspen blushed.

  Torben hugged her to his side, “It’s nothing to be embarrassed about, Aspen. It’s something we bears take great pride in.” He kissed her head, “It’s love.”

  “I’ll leave you to explain some of the finer points about being mated while I head back to the den to remind my own mate. Winter is coming you know.” Caelan added with a wink.

  “The hell with winter,” Torben laughed, lifting Aspen into his arms stomping his way back into their house.

  The last thing they heard was Caelan’s laughter as they closed the door behind them.

  CHAPTER 18

  Three Months later…

  Aspen sat at a table next to Torben in his father’s office as they went over the final plans for their new home. It was to be built in the same clearing their cabin sat in.

  “So, here’s what we’ve done,” Harlan stated, pointing out specific features on the house. “There will be a total of four bedrooms, with each room having its own bathroom, plus a powder room downstairs off the living room. The kitchen will be a chef’s dream with an attached dining room. I’ve also added a decently sized front deck along with an oversized back deck, which will look out over the creek.”<
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  “What about the garage?” she asked.

  “That’ll be a little ways down from the house,” Torben reminded her.

  She shook her head, “No, I want it attached.”

  “But we talked about this, sweetheart. Building a garage right next to the house means we’d have to cut down more trees.”

  She leaned into Torben’s arm and batted her eye lashes at him, “But, honey, it’ll be so much more convenient when the baby comes.”

  “Baby?” Harlan asked, grinning.

  “I’m going to be a father?” Torben whispered hoarsely.

  Aspen nodded, “Yep. He or she should be here in about six months or so.”

  Harlan picked up the plans and moved back to his computer, “I think attaching the garage is a fantastic idea.”

  Torben stared at his wife in stunned silence, “When did you find out?”

  “A couple of days ago. Misha thought I was looking a little flushed and did a physical to make sure I was alright. You can imagine how surprised I was especially considering that my birth control only ran out a month ago. But Misha explained that normal human contraceptives don’t really work with our metabolism.”

  Torben cupped her face and kissed her, “I love you so much.”

  She laughed, “You’d better because now you’re really stuck with me.”

  “I would never consider myself stuck.”

  “Kids,” Harlan called. “I just got off the phone with your mother and she’s insisted that you come over for dinner tonight. Something about needing to discuss raising a bear cub and shopping for the nursery.”

  Torben and Aspen both laughed.

  As they made their way back to their little cabin in the woods, they talked about the future, and despite the happy news, Aspen couldn’t help but note the twinge of sadness that clouded Torben’s eyes. “Are you alright?”

  He nodded, “Yeah, I just wish my brother could have been here to celebrate with us.”

  Aspen squeezed his hand reassuringly, “We’ll find him, Torben. None of us will give up till we do.”

  Torben hugged her to his chest, “I know we will. I just hope he’s ok.”

  Aspen smiled up at him, “Do you remember what you told me our first day together?”