by Anna Lowe
She shot him a wry smile. “It turns out I’m not bad at home repair, you know.”
He slid a little closer, because the tease in her voice gave his bear all kinds of bad ideas.
“Oh, yes?” he teased back, sliding his hands around her waist.
She wound her arms around his neck and leaned to within a half inch of his lips. When she spoke, her voice was a sultry purr. “Mmm. Really good, when I’m motivated. And also good at a few other things.”
He slid his hands lower to cup her perfect ass. “What kinds of things?”
Hailey nestled closer, winding a leg around his, and nosed her way to his ear. “Private things. Can’t show you out where the neighbors might see.”
His bear started calculating the distance to the front door and, more importantly, the bed.
“Better get you inside, then,” he said in a low, husky voice.
She ran her fingers along the waistline of his jeans. Inside the waistline, making him forget the soreness he’d started the morning with.
“That would be good,” she whispered. “Really good.”
His bear just about groaned in need, and he nearly kissed her there and then. But once he got started with that, he’d never stop, so he really needed to get her inside. Pronto. Backing her up with a dozen fluttery kisses, he pushed open the door with his foot. Hailey’s hands were wrapped in his hair by then, her body mashed against his, and the second he got her inside and backed against the wall, he covered her mouth with a crushing kiss. A kiss that made it damn clear she was his, even if he couldn’t deliver the mating bite yet.
Yet, his bear chuckled, not rebelling for a change.
Hailey broke off the kiss long enough to flash her hungriest, naughtiest grin. “You know what you just said? ‘Better get you inside’…?”
He nodded, waiting.
She laughed and slid her hands to his groin. “My sentiment exactly. Better get you inside me, I mean.” Then she tilted her head at him. “Wait a minute. Is this a bear thing?”
“Is what a bear thing?”
“This,” she said, fanning the air between them. “This insatiable need. This cat-in-heat feeling that I’m going to die if I can’t have you.”
He chuckled, but it came out a low, hungry rumble that made Hailey’s eyes spark even more. “Yep. I think it is.”
“You think?”
“Never had a mate before.” He shrugged, kissing her neck. Touching her sides, imagining the heat of her naked flesh against his.
“Me neither,” she whispered, wrapping her leg around his. Her hands slid under his shirt, exploring. “You think we’ll figure out what to do?”
He nipped her ear and slid a hand higher until it cupped the soft flesh of her breast. “I know we will, my mate. I know we will.”
And that was the last thing he said for a good, long while, because it was one of those times when actions spoke louder than words. Much louder, in fact. Within minutes, they were wrapped around each other on the bed, groaning and panting. Howling, almost, because the contact felt so good.
“Yes,” Hailey moaned when he thrust into her the first time.
Yes, he grunted with every one of his next hot, hard slides.
“Tim…” When she cried out a minute later, her voice shook with need.
Moments later, they both came, and he nearly roared. Hailey dug her nails into his back, crying out, and his mind just about blanked out.
Mate, his bear mumbled again and again, savoring her scent.
“Mate,” he whispered, holding her tight.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Hailey sighed and snuggled closer to Tim. It was hours later, and her body hummed with satisfaction that dulled the layer of soreness and exhaustion deeper down. She let her fingers play over his bare chest, marveling at the fact that a bear lay hidden under all that smooth skin.
A bear, not a beast. She understood the difference now. It didn’t matter what shape Tim took; he was still him. And those claws and fangs were more comforting than scary now that she knew they would only ever be bared in her defense.
She lifted her hand, flexing her fingers slowly. Tim had explained more about shifters in the lazy hours that had drifted by — and about mates. Apparently, mating would give her the ability to shift into bear form. That was pretty hard to imagine — not so much scary or repelling as plain old impossible to conceive. The mating part, on the other hand — the part about destiny and forever — she loved.
In some ways, the actual biting part sounded a little barbaric. And yet the idea made her tingle with anticipation and need.
“You okay?” Tim murmured from over her shoulder.
Oh, yes. She was more than okay.
She turned in his arms, coming face-to-face, and sucked a quick gulp of air. Just the thought of Tim being hers forever took her breath away.
“I’m great. Just having a hard time imagining something better than this.”
Tim scrubbed his chin over her shoulder in that marking move she’d already come to love. “Well, everyone who’s mated says the bite is amazing. Like the best sex of your life times ten.”
She fanned herself a little. The sex she’d just had superseded all her previous experiences by a factor of ten. And a mating bite was supposed to make it even better?
“You sure that’s not just a bunch of locker room talk from the other guys?”
Tim had laughed. “Are you kidding? The women are worse than the men. Just ask Jenna sometime.”
“Maybe I will,” she teased. Then she rolled to her back and sighed. “I think I’d feel guilty asking for more.”
“No guilt,” he whispered, kissing her forehead. “And no rush.”
Hailey hugged him. Her whole life in recent years had been one big rush. She’d rushed from place to place, through every strictly regimented meal, and over contracts she’d never really had a chance to read. All of that was a rush toward “success” defined by someone else. But being with Tim was exactly the opposite. Peaceful. Serene. Sure.
She looked into his eyes, celebrating the fact that he was hers all over again.
Love. Look what it makes us do, a voice chuckled in the recesses of her mind.
Tim kissed her softly, and she closed her eyes, more than happy to spend another blissful hour making love with him. But Tim murmured and pulled away, checking the watch he’d left at the bedside.
“How much time do we have?” she asked.
He sighed. “Not enough.”
Hailey bit her lip. She and Tim had to attend a meeting at the plantation house — a meeting with everyone who lived at Koakea and several of the neighbors from Koa Point. She’d met them already, but that was before she knew they were shifters — and before she’d spent a heated night in Tim’s arms.
She fretted about that all the way over once she and Tim had showered and changed. “Won’t everyone know we spent the whole morning having sex?”
He laughed and kissed her hand. “Believe me, they’ll understand. Mostly, they’ll be glad to see us alive — and to see us together. Finding your destined mate is a big deal for us. You’ll see.”
Still, it took everything Hailey had not to hang half a step behind as they approached the group gathered on the plantation house porch. She wasn’t the least bit ashamed of being with Tim — but intimidated by the others? Hell yes.
But there was no teasing, no knowing looks. Only smiles and genuine joy from all around. The guys smacked Tim’s back hard enough to make him wince, and the women hugged her like so many excited bridesmaids. Little Joey hopped up and down, though that had more to do with excitement over the shifter fight.
“How many were there? Were they big? Any dragons?”
Cynthia stuck her hands on her hips. “Joey, I’ve told you. Fighting is bad.”
But the little guy’s eyes remained wide, his face flush with excitement. “Did you really fight them all by yourself?”
Tim put an arm around Hailey’s shoulders. “Nope. Not by
myself.” Then he shot an exaggerated look of annoyance around. “Of course, we might have had some help if my brothers had gotten their asses into gear faster.”
Cynthia covered Joey’s ears at asses, but the others just laughed.
“And let you miss your chance to play hero?” Dell grinned. “No way.”
Connor nudged Dell, going serious again. He put a hand on Joey’s shoulder, instantly calming the boy down. “We don’t play, not when it comes to our territory and our lives. No heroes either, just brothers.” He grinned and looked at the women. “And sisters. And we’ll do anything to protect our own. Of course, we’d rather prevent trouble.” Connor gave Cynthia a firm nod. “But if trouble comes to us — you know we’ll drop everything on the spot and come running.”
Hailey took a deep breath as Tim and Connor locked eyes, making all kinds of silent vows to each other. The others all went serious too, and an undercurrent of raw power filled the air. A grim, we’ll fight to the death determination that befit a corps of elite soldiers. Which was exactly what Tim and his brothers had been — but Hailey sensed that extending to Cynthia, Jenna, and Joey, too. It was as if they were all members of the same unit — or the fiercest fighting family alive.
In a way, it was scary, because she’d experienced the dangers of the shifter world firsthand. At the same time, it was comforting to know she didn’t have to face those threats alone.
“Anyway, all’s well that ends well,” Dell announced. “I’m starving. And you two must be absolutely famished after all that…fighting and all.” He winked.
Hailey cleared her throat and gave Dell a Watch it, buster look before Tim did something like bare his teeth. She might be the new kid on the block — and yes, she really was starving after a morning of nearly nonstop sex — but a guy like Dell would keep right on joking if she didn’t show him the limits early on.
“I could use a bite,” she quipped with a wink at Tim.
His eyes went wide, and she might have blushed a little. She’d surprised herself with the innuendo, but the longer she spent with Tim and his family, the more comfortable she grew with the idea of shifters, destined mates, and even mating bites.
Dell’s tiny nod of approval told her she’d passed the test. Jenna grinned and gave her a thumbs-up — plus a naughty wink that promised she’d share all kinds of raunchy details when they got the chance. Connor shot Tim a sly look, and Chase — well, the poor guy backed away, shy as ever.
Chase grew up in the wild, Tim had told her earlier. All wolf, so he’s still a bit…well, awkward around people.
Hailey could have snorted at the time, because awkward didn’t fit the tall, muscled soldier in the least. But he did spend more time looking at the floor than into people’s eyes, and his restless pacing never ceased.
Maybe someday he’ll find his mate, Tim had murmured absently.
Hailey looked around. Connor and Jenna both radiated the kind of bone-deep satisfaction she felt. Hunter and Dawn, too. Cynthia looked a little pinched, but every time she turned to Joey, she beamed. Dell, on the other hand, was all easygoing bachelor, and Chase definitely had loner in his blood. But even Tim had admitted to never understanding about mates until he’d met her, so maybe someday…
Cynthia motioned to the table, and in no time, everyone was sitting, talking, and devouring the food laid out like a feast. It was like attending the Thanksgiving dinner of a big, welcoming family, and Hailey sat back, observing their gestures and words. She’d grown up an only child, and watching the others revealed so much about each person. Some were funny, others more serious, and everyone interacted with one another in a slightly different way.
“Told you shifters aren’t much different from people,” Tim whispered between bites.
She considered for a moment before answering. Not so different, yet different in little ways. They were certainly more intense than most people she knew, but she supposed that might apply to any group of tight-knit soldier types. Everyone held their emotions in check, yet the mutual love and devotion were perfectly clear. In short, a community of the very best kind.
Cynthia must have noticed Hailey fingering her pearl, because her intense, dark eyes dropped to Hailey’s neck several times over the course of the meal. Cynthia had a whole string of pearls — big, perfect, round ones, all with a hint of blue. She toyed with them absently, staring off into the distance. When everyone had eaten their fill, Cynthia glanced at Connor. He nodded, and Cynthia tapped the table. The small talk died away, and the mood grew serious.
“So,” Cynthia started with gravity. “An enemy defeated. But one mystery remains.” Her eyes fell to Hailey’s pearl, and she waited.
Hailey wasn’t entirely sure what to do, but when Tim nudged her, she took off her necklace and held it out for everyone to see.
“You mean this?”
Cynthia nodded. “A pearl. But not just any pearl, from what I understand. What do you know about it?”
Hailey shook her head. “Not much. My grandfather gave it to me. It belonged to my great-grandmother…”
“And you felt it during the fight?” Cynthia asked.
Hailey nodded, but it was Dell who spoke first. “Hell, I could feel its power from twenty feet away. Just like we all felt Jenna’s that day of the sea dragon fight.”
Sea dragon? Hailey’s eyes went wide. That story, she hadn’t heard yet.
Everyone looked at her expectantly, so she did her best to explain. “My grandfather told me it was special, but I never thought he meant…” She struggled for a word. Magical sounded too unbelievable, but unique didn’t begin to describe it.
“Powerful?” Tim filled in.
She tilted her head. “Sort of. But more like…like heat. Energy.” She bit her lip. How to describe that feeling of being powered by a thousand-volt battery?
“Have you ever felt it do that before?” Cynthia asked.
She nodded slowly. “It’s warmed up lots of times but never like at the fight. I’ve only ever felt it when I was alone.” She gulped, trying to overcome the feeling that this was too personal to share. These people were her friends, and she could trust them. “When I was lonely…I could feel it then.”
It had to sound crazy, but everyone hung on to her every word, dead serious.
“My grandfather used to make up all these stories about it — at least, that’s what I thought at the time. He said the pearl held a reservoir of love. A whole river of it that it might someday unleash, and if I was really lucky…”
She looked at Tim then swallowed as emotions welled up inside her again. The first time she’d met Tim, the necklace had felt warm. Had that been the pearl, telling her she could trust him? And all those times around Jonathan — the pearl had seemed to cut into her, keeping her on edge. Warning her?
She stared as it warmed in her hand.
A river of love, she remembered her grandfather saying. And someday, that river will find you too.
Sunlight glinted off the pearl, and she swore she heard a faint chuckle in the depths of her mind.
Found you.
She looked at it more closely. Her mother had always said it was too lumpy to be valuable, but obviously, she was wrong.
“What?” Tim tilted his head at her bitter laugh.
“My mother said it was worthless.”
Jenna snorted. “Worthless, my ass.”
Cynthia winced and covered her string of pearls the way she’d covered Joey’s ears.
Hailey sighed. “That might explain why my mother never had the love story my grandparents did.” She looked at Tim, awestruck all over again. The love story you and I have, she nearly said.
His eyes glowed, and the corners of his mouth curled into a tiny smile.
“There they go again,” Dell sighed. “Don’t look, Joey.”
Joey frowned. “You’re not going to kiss, are you? Yuck.”
Tim grinned. “Sorry, buddy. I’ll try to control myself, but every once in a while…”
Dell rol
led his eyes, looking to Joey. “You said it, man. Yuck.”
Cynthia ignored all of them. “Where did your grandfather get that pearl?”
Hailey furrowed her brow. “My great-grandmother came from Hawaii. She met my great-grandfather when he was stationed at Pearl Harbor in World War II. It was a present from her family…”
She trailed off and stared at the sparkling sea.
“During the fight, I saw things. Places. People.” She shook her head and started again. “It was like the pearl was remembering things, and I could see them too. Things from a long time ago — centuries ago, I think.”
Cynthia leaned closer. “What exactly did you see?”
She waved at the craggy peaks of West Maui, rising behind them. “Mountains. Waterfalls. Pounding surf.” Hailey blinked and looked around. “Just like here, or maybe Oahu. Wherever it was, it was a different era. I saw a woman and a man, both of them dressed like in olden times. Before Captain Cook came along. Grass skirts, that kind of thing.”
“That’s it,” Jenna said, nearly bouncing in her chair. “Nanalani!”
Na-na-who? Hailey wanted to say.
Cynthia nodded slowly and whispered, “A pearl of desire…”
Then she shook her head and hurried into the house. A minute later, she came back with a thick, leather-bound book. The moment Cynthia opened the volume, the dry, dusty scent of time floated through the air. It looked as old as an ancient bible, and judging by the way Cynthia handled the volume, it wasn’t far off in terms of significance.
“Here,” Cynthia said, turning the book around.
Jenna leaned in. “Wow. It looks just like that one.”
Hailey stood to look, following Jenna’s outstretched finger. The bottom of the page was filled with an illustration of a tropical island with a waterfall, craggy mountains, and a golden strip of sand. A woman stood waist-deep in the ocean, not looking the least bit worried about the shark fin circling her. Instead, she focused on the pale spheres cupped in the seashells she held.
Hailey gasped. “Are those pearls?”
Cynthia nodded, and Joey crawled into her lap to look. “I can count them. Look. One, two, three, four, five. Five, Mommy.”
