by Mina Carter
He kicked the remains of the door aside and stepped through into the corridor. The place was trashed, glass and broken furniture everywhere. Behind him, he heard Lilly and her enforcers roar as they engaged the rogue bears.
Elisa Watson appeared in the kitchen doorway. Her hair was mussed, she was covered in blood and holding her arm close to her chest, but she was alive. From the look in her eyes, whichever bear had been unlucky enough to get caught in the kitchen with her hadn’t been as fortunate.
“Upstairs,” she said, starting toward him. “Kacie has Poppy. They’re upstairs.”
Dean didn’t argue, catching Kacie’s familiar scent in the corridor. Another, muskier scent covered his little mate’s and his lips curled back from his teeth. Male. Bear. Near his mate… Still growling, he raced up the stairs, Elisa hot on his heels. They rounded the top of the stairs together, but Dean took point.
The corridor was short and narrow. At the end there was a bear blocking the door to one of the bedrooms. The door was smashed and broken, and from the look of it, he was trying to clamber over a chest of drawers that had been used to hold it shut. Every time he tried, though, there was a female yell and he roared, slipping back. As he did, Dean caught a glimpse of Kacie, something metallic in her hand. Relief hit him hard and fast. He’d feared the worst, imaging her broken body split open like the Russell girl’s had been. All the way back he’d tortured himself, terrified he’d never see her smile again. Never hear her laugh. Never get to tell her that he loved her.
The realization blazed through him like a wildfire.
He loved her. He loved Kacie Leroy. Not just because she was his fated mate and belonged to him, but because of who she was. He loved her for her, not for what she was to him.
The door to their left opened, another of the rogues emerging. A growl behind him told him that Elisa was on the case and within a heartbeat, the woman had changed and charged down the rogue bear, lashing out viciously.
Hell hath no fury like a mamma bear, he thought, hearing the squeals of pain from Elisa’s victim. And ain’t that the frigging truth.
Dean carried on, all emotion leeching from him as he focused on the bear in front of him. It was the biggest he’d ever seen, even bigger than the one he’d taken down at the Black place, but that didn’t matter. He broke into a run, using the powerful muscles in his thighs to propel him forward and then up into the air as he let the change rip through him.
This asshole had threatened his mate, which meant it was a dead bear walking. And right now, Dean was not just an Itan… he was the mother-fucking grim reaper.
And he was about to send a soul to hell.
Chapter 8
“Will you just fuck off already?” Kacie hissed, as the bear at the door snarled at her.
Werebears were tenacious, she’d give them that. So far it had tipped through the top part of the door like it was little more than matchwood, rather than the solid wood she could see it was. But, somehow, some of the broken wood seemed to have slipped down between the ruins of the door and the chest, jamming it solidly and stopping the door from opening further.
Someone, somewhere loved her. Perhaps she’d been nice to fluffy kittens or someone in a previous life. She didn’t know. Didn’t care. She’d pray to any deity in the vicinity if they just kept that door jammed with the bear on the other side of it.
The bear snarled and shoved again. But the harder it pushed, the tighter the door jammed. So it tried a different tack. Hauling itself up, it tried to scramble over the top of the chest. It didn’t work, the gap too small, but it wasn’t giving up.
Each time it fell back, it snarled and pushed forward again. Its claws gouged deep gashes into the top of the chest as it scrabbled for purchase. The sight of the large bear trying to fit itself through the small gap made Kacie chuckle. It reminded her of her last shopping trip to the city, when her favorite clothing line had “re-evaluated” their sizing policy and everything ended up at least two sizes smaller. And with the generous booty she had? She’d needed lube and a shoe-horn to get into her regular size.
At least, the sight of a size four bear trying to squeeze into a size two gap should have been amusing. Should. If said bear wasn’t taking swipes at her with razor sharp claws every chance it got. It roared at her and she grimaced at its breath.
“Seriously, dude, ever considered a breath mint?” She took a step back when a claw almost kissed the front of her shirt. “And would a bit of flossing be too much to ask? Dental hygiene is very important, you know.”
It grunted, getting a hold on the chest with its claws and managing to inch forward through the gap. Triumph filled its black-on-black eyes.
Oh no, we’re not having that. Dancing forward, she lashed out with the fake sword and smacked it soundly across the nose. It howled in pain and recoiled, sliding back through the gap to land on its ass with a thump.
“Ha! How’d you like them apples, furface?” she taunted through the gap as she waved the swords in threat. “And there’s more where that came from.”
Enraged, the bear tried again, backing up along the corridor to hurl itself at the gap, as though momentum would manage what brute strength hadn’t. Kacie held her breath, sending up a quick prayer that it wouldn’t.
Each time the bear surged forward, she smacked it again. Hard blows right on its nose. It kept coming, its expression becoming more and more enraged, and she knew it was only a matter of time. Sooner or later, her luck was going to run out. Either the chest was going to give from the bear’s claws chewing it up, or some other bear was going to come crashing through the window behind her. She cast a glance over her shoulder… shit, how well could bears climb?
A thin wail from under the bed made her head snap around, and she cooed soothingly in response. “Shhh, darling. It’s going to be okay. You just go to sleep. It’ll be fine.”
Yeah, right, because god knows how many hundreds of pounds of bear wasn’t trying to bust through the door to eat their faces off. Other than that, they were fine.
She smacked the bear again, barely managing to avoid its claws this time, but before it could gather itself for a new attack there was a roar behind it. Another bear appeared, leaping onto the back of the first and laying into it with claws and teeth.
She gasped, scrambling backward at the sheer viciousness of the attack. She hadn’t seen a bear attack before, but she’d heard horror stories of hikers getting mauled. Like everyone in the local area, she’d read all the advice of protecting the softer parts of the body, like the stomach, while playing dead until the bear lost interest.
Obviously the first bear hadn’t because he sure as hell wasn’t playing dead. Instead, the two rolled over and around each other like some freakishly big ball of fur. Every so often a clawed paw would appear and slam into the other, or a snarling snout would rise above the fur, mouth open wide to take a bite. Within seconds, the white of both claws and teeth were stained red with blood.
Kacie held her breath, edging forward to watch the fight through the ruins of the door. It ranged down the corridor and back but it was obvious the first bear was seriously outmatched. The smaller one backed it up in the corner near the bathroom, claws flashing as they stabbed time after time into the other bear’s ribcage.
It reared on its back legs, roaring in pain and fury as it tried to use its bulk to bring down its opponent. It didn’t work. The smaller bear launched itself forward and up, teeth latching around the bigger bear’s throat as it used its back claws to rip deeply, scrabbling at the unprotected stomach like a cat would disembowel its pray.
The big bear slumped, the light going out of its eyes as it slid down the wall to land in a furry heap. Kacie breathed a sigh of relief, staggering backward to sit heavily on the bed.
“Hey, help me with this.”
Her head snapped up at Elisa’s voice to find the other woman in the doorway, trying to shift the heavy chest. She was covered in blood with a vicious claw mark across her cheek. She looked like
she’d been in a down and dirty fight.
“Holy shit. Are you okay?”
Elisa just grinned, something not human sparkling in the back of her eyes. “Yeah. I’m good. You should see the other guy.”
Kacie had no choice but to smile back. She’d had no idea the quiet mother could be so vicious. But then, she’d had no idea that half the town were bears either.
“Was that… you out there?” she asked. “Remind me not to piss you off, okay?”
“Me? No, that was Dean,” Elisa chuckled as the two women moved into place around the chest. It was a solid bit of furniture but its days of holding clothes were well and truly over. The top was a shredded mess of claw marks and broken wood, the frame twisted and half the drawers warped and broken, spilling their contents onto the floor.
Between them they managed to heave it out of the way, Elisa providing most of the grunt. As soon as it was clear of the door, she surged through the gap and into the room. Pausing just inside the door, she lifted her head and sniffed the air. It was such an animalistic movement that it took Kacie aback for a moment as she realized just how good the werebears were at concealing themselves. Now they didn’t have to around her, she could see the differences in behavior.
Before Kacie could open her mouth to tell Elisa where her daughter was, the bear woman rounded the bed and dropped to her knees.
“Hey, Poppet,” she murmured, lifting the valance to look underneath. “What’cha doing under there? Are you playing hide and seek without Mommy? No fair, you know how much Mommy loves hide and seek!”
Kacie watched, feeling like an interloper as Elisa cradled her baby daughter in her arms protectively. Her heart ached at the sight, and a deep longing welled up from within her.
She wanted that. Not Elisa’s baby…but one of her own. She wanted to be a mother.
She wanted to be mother to Dean’s children. Bears or not, she didn’t care.
A soft shuffle on the carpet behind her made her turn, and she froze as a bear padded softly into the room. It was the one who had attacked the bear who had been trying to kill her. That was the only reason she didn’t run when all her survival instincts were screaming at her to flee, to get as far away from the predator in front of her as she could.
She didn’t move though. Instead, she forced herself to remain still as the bear approached. It stopped barely a handbreadth in front of her.
It. Was. Huge.
Not as big as the monster who’d tried to kill her, but that had to have been some sort of freakish mutant. This was certainly the biggest she’d ever been this close to. She stopped for a moment to think when she’d ever been this close to a bear. Maybe the humungous teddy at the air-rifle stands when the circus came to town… but that was it.
His fur was dark, almost black speckled with a dark brown, and he had a thick ruff of fur around his neck. His nose was black, with a deep gash across it that made her wince. His mouth was closed, concealing the sharp teeth she knew were within, and his expression was relaxed and nonthreatening. It didn’t matter. Somewhere along the way her fear had disappeared.
Her gaze reached the bear’s eyes and she gasped. Right there, in the dark orbs, she saw him. Saw Dean. It didn’t matter that his eyes were bear dark rather than the hazel she was familiar with. She knew. She recognized him.
It was Dean.
It was the man she loved.
“You know, you didn’t need to go and get a scar to try and impress me—”
Her voice broke and she collapsed to her knees, wrapping her arms tightly around his furry neck. “Oh god, Dean, I was so scared,” she whispered, burying her face in his fur. It was both as coarse as she’d expected but somehow softer all at the same time. How that worked, she didn’t know. Didn’t care. All she knew was that it felt right.
She held on, even when the fur receded and the big shoulders changed shape.
“Shhh, I’m here now,” he whispered, holding her close. “I’ll never let anyone hurt you. Never again. I’m so sorry, sweetheart. I thought you’d be safe here.”
“No, no. It’s not that.” She pulled back to look at him, not caring that her cheeks were wet. “I was scared that he’d kill me and I’d never get chance to tell you how I feel. Which is daft since we only just… you know. And with this whole ‘humans can’t know about us or they die’ thing you have going.” Once the words started, she couldn’t stop them. They spilled out of her like water from a broken bucket.
He reached up, putting a finger over her lips to shut her up. His expression was wary as he watched her. “How do you feel, Kacie?”
This was it, crunch time. Taking a deep breath, she looked him in the eye.
“I love you.”
There, it was out in the open. She tensed, waiting for him to say something. Perhaps she’d gotten it all wrong? Perhaps he was just looking for a fling before moving on? He was some kind of bear royalty, wasn’t he? Perhaps they didn’t like bear kings marrying plain old humans…
“Thank fuck,” he breathed, dropping his head back and closing his eyes as a look of sheer relief crossed his face. When he looked back at her, his eyes blazed with emotion. “I’ll never let anyone hurt you. Ever. I promise.”
“What about this rule about I have to marry a bear?” She lifted her chin to look him in the eye. “You going to find me a furry groom as well?”
The tiniest smile lifted the corner of his lips and his voice was rough when he replied. “Yeah. Me.”
“Dean Sterling. Was that a proposal?”
Her fingers ghosted over his shoulders. His bare shoulders. Her little start and aborted look downward before she forced herself to keep looking at him made him grin broadly.
“Well, I am on my knees. Which I believe is fairly traditional for a proposal.”
“Yes,” she hissed. “But you’re not supposed to be naked!”
He shrugged and pulled her closer until they were pressed together chest to thigh. “So, how about it, Kacie? You’re my fated mate, my one and only… I love you, have for years. Will you make me the happiest bear alive and be my wife?”
There was only one answer she could possibly give.
“Oh hell yes!”
“I had no idea this was even up here. It’s so cute!”
Dean smiled as Kacie went into raptures over the little cabin. High up in forest-covered hills above the town, it was well off the beaten track and isolated. Perfect for a newly mated couple. Correction, he added mentally as he leaned a hip against the counter, watching his little human fated explore… it was perfect for a couple about to be mated. Tonight. If he could last that long.
He stayed where he was, arms folded over his chest, just watching for a moment. He still couldn’t believe she was here. He’d known for years she was his fated mate, but she was human… and a mating between an Itan and a human? Elitist pricks like Anderson would have kittens. With a mental growl at himself, he put the thought from his mind. He’d let worrying about what other people thought keep him from the love of his life for too long. That was all over.
Sunlight streamed through the windows, catching her in its rays as she flitted around, straightening cushions and touching the small ornaments on the mantelpiece. The photos of him as a child seemed to fascinate her. This had been his family’s cabin since he’d been a kid, so there were a lot of them around. He’d never bothered to clear them out when his parents had passed. It hadn’t seemed right.
“You were handsome, even back then.”
Her soft comment made him smile. “Yeah? I’m surprised you remember.”
She put the picture down and turned. The look in her eyes, sultry and dark, made him suck a hard breath in, and that wasn’t the only thing that was hard. His cock leapt to attention, ready for action in a heartbeat.
“Well, you know… a gal has to watch her guy.”
He’d been going to wait until tonight, really he had. He’d promised himself that he’d do this right. A candlelit meal, rose petals on the bed—he’d
even bought the damn rose petals, they were in his truck—but the instant she looked at him like that, all bets were off.
“You weren’t the only one watching,” he whispered, leaning down to feather his lips over hers. She murmured, a soft sound of pleasure, and moved into his embrace. Wrapping his arms around her, he used his hand at the back of her neck to tilt her lips up to the perfect angle for his kiss.
Keeping it light was out of the question. As soon as her lips parted beneath his, all the years of control, of staying away from her broke, and he surged forward, sliding his tongue deep to taste her.
A low growl rumbled in his chest as he walked her backward toward the single bedroom. She went easily, her trust humbling, but it was her kiss that almost brought him to his knees. Hot, open-mouthed and passionate, she held nothing back. Her small hands tugged at his shirt, pulling it up with impatience.
“I think we’ve waited long enough then, don’t you?” She broke away with a pant, watching as he peeled the shirt off over his head to drop it unheeded on the floor. Lifting her hand, she beckoned him as she backed up with a sexy look on her face. His growl slipped free this time and he stalked her, need and desire surging through his body. The world reduced down to just the cabin and the two of them. Down to the next step he took, with all the speed his werebear physiology was capable of, and swept her back up into his arms. She squealed in delight and clung to his shoulders as he carried her through the door, kicking it shut behind them.
“You’re mine, Kacie, you always have been. You just didn’t know it,” he rumbled softly. “And tonight I’m going to prove it to you.”
Oh hell yes. Finally.
Kacie melted at the look in Dean’s eyes as he set her down carefully by the side of the bed. The clear hazel was muddied with need, longing and a deep, dark heat that made her shiver. He didn’t speak. Didn’t need to. The tension that rose between them said all that needed to be said. She lifted on her tiptoes to kiss him, reveling in the differences in their sizes. He’d always been well-built, his body the subject of much subtle, and some not too subtle, ogling from the women in the town. But now she got to feel those muscles up close and personal. Got to run her hands over his broad chest, exploring the solid width of his shoulders before running her hands lower across a stomach with abs as hard as cobblestones.
