“See. Y’all changed your way of thinking. But me, I’m loyal. I’m sticking to the single ladies’ club.”
As if on cue, the three of them stood up and started shaking their hips and singing Beyoncé. Off key.
“All the single ladies, all the single ladies… Now put your hands up. Oh, oh, oh…”
I laughed and refilled my wine glass. We were hanging out at Carter’s house eating cupcakes and drinking wine.
When the song was over, Sonnie plopped down next to me, out of breath. “It’s your business. And, if he’s that awful, maybe it’s for the best. It’s not like it’s never been done before, either. We all know someone who had a mate leave them and they’re fine and kicking still.”
I made a face. “Who?”
Sonnie’s eyes went wide and she scrunched up her face. “Stupid baby brain. Forget I said that. The lack of sleep is getting to me.”
Carter folded her arms over her chest. “Who is it, Sonnie? Spill.”
I shoved a big bite of chocolate cupcake into my mouth. The conversation was getting to me. I needed the endorphins.
“No one. I can’t tell you. She’d murder me.”
Denny gasped. “You’re not serious! Muddy?”
I spit out my cupcake and coughed as a few crumbs lodged in my throat.
Sonnie shook her head and then cursed. “I did not say that! Dammit. She’s going to kill me.”
I wiped up the cake from my mouth and stared at three of my four closest friends in the world. “How did I not know that?”
“Let’s talk about something else! What does this rejected mate of yours look like?” Sonnie winced and bit her lip. “Please.”
I shook my head as the shock settled in. I thought I knew everything about Muddy. She’d never mentioned anything about a mate. My heart ached for her as I started to see some of her choices and actions differently. Had she been suffering without me realizing it?”
We were all quiet, lost in our thoughts for a few minutes. It seemed that Sonnie was the only one of us who knew about it.
Sonnie finally had enough of the silence. “Please, Charlie. Tell us what he looks like. Or tell us about the party again. Anything. I am freaking out about letting Muddy’s secret slip. I feel like a terrible friend and I just want us to pretend for a while that I didn’t just screw up royally.”
I could see that she was panicking, so I tried to help out. Stuttering out my words, still in a stupor, I just started talking. “I—I don’t feel sad about not being with my mate. Things changed. I used to think I’d be happy to have one, to have a big family, but now I’m okay with being alone.”
Carter sighed and put her arm around me. “You’re never going to be alone.”
I leaned my head on her shoulder. “You guys are all I really need, anyway.”
Denny pushed another cupcake towards me. “You deserve a second one tonight.”
I nodded. “Sure. Why not?”
8
Axel
We were all sitting around the kitchen of the house we were staying at. I was feeling pretty antsy. One of the brothers stood at the stove frying up eggs and bacon and most of the chicks were still passed out wherever they’d fallen asleep. It should’ve been a relaxing morning, just hanging out with my brothers. Instead, I felt like my bear was trying to claw his way out of my chest.
The guys were all laughing and having a good time. The booze was already flowing and someone was passing a joint around. What normally would’ve felt like a good time was instead feeling restricting.
The subject of their conversation burrowed through my thoughts and I grimaced.
“Sure, you can spend your time fucking these other kinds every which way ‘til Sunday, but who the fuck would actually want to end up mated to some chick who isn’t a bear?”
“I don’t want to end up mated to anyone, but the idea of having to spend forever with some lesser breed shifter… fuck, no.”
“Bears are the only way to go. No one else is going to know what to do with us. You think some tiger or wolf bitch is going to satisfy one of us?”
“Fuck no. They’re too busy licking their own asses.” They all roared at the lame-ass joke.
“What the fuck kind of kids would those be, anyway? I mean, I’ve seen mixed breed mates, but I never looked at their kids. Can you imagine a little bastard with the body of a badger and the head of a coyote?”
The guys are erupted in wild, knee-slapping laughter as they carried on about cross-breed kids. When they started laughing about bear bodies with wolf heads, I shifted uncomfortably in my chair. Something about the conversation felt wrong.
It wasn’t like I hadn’t agreed with them at one time, but since I’d found out my mate was a wolf, something changed. I still didn’t want a mate. And I sure as hell didn’t want a wolf mate, but, listening to the shit they were saying disgusted me. The same way I had felt when those other women touched me. Something was seriously wrong with me.
“That blonde wolf bitch yesterday was smoking, though.”
Fontaine turned a wary eye on me as the brother speaking continued on. I sat completely still and forced myself to look under control. I wasn’t going to flip out.
“I swear I’ve seen her somewhere before. On TV, or in a magazine or something.” He shrugged. “I don’t know. Either way, that’s one mutt I wouldn’t mind putting a collar and a leash on for a while.”
“End of the day, she’s still a mutt, though.”
“I didn’t say I’d let her on the furniture, did I? But, she could curl up on the floor at me feet.”
They all laughed and carried on, but I was one dumbass comment from pounding my fist in someone’s face and knocking some teeth out of his head. In fact, if I sat around listening to their bullshit for another second, one of them might get hurt.
Banger had pulled out another bag and was rolling a couple blunts to pass around. Normal breakfast snack for the brothers in the Raging Bears, but not me. Not today. I felt like losing the last bit of control I was holding on to would have disastrous consequences, so I turned it down and stood up.
“I’m going for a run. See y’all later.”
Fontaine nodded. “You okay, brother?”
I forced a half-smile. “Yeah. I just don’t want to be surrounded by swingin’ peckers all day. Figured I’d head out and see what kind of trouble I can stir up.”
I heard them resume their conversation as I casually strolled out of the kitchen like I didn’t have a huge bug up my ass. Once outside, I took a few deep breaths and tried to regain control. I sat on my bike for a while.
I needed to ride. As was the case with most bikers, cruising the open road was the only thing that cleared my head and chased away the demons. It made every problem diminish in size, at least for a little while.
Instead of hitting the highway, though, I headed into town. I knew I was asking for more trouble than I needed. I couldn’t help myself.
Parking near the same B&B from the day before, I got off the bike and took a deep inhale. Immediately, like a punch to the gut, her scent filled my lungs and sent heated shivers shooting through my body. My boots took off down the street.
I got plenty of odd looks as I went, a dude my size wearing a leather cut with biker patches always did. I didn’t care. Let ‘em stare. All I cared about was the hot, sassy she-wolf from the day before. Charlie.
Her smell intensified as I took long strides down Main Street until I felt like I was bathing in her unique, delicious milk and honey aroma. My bear was freaking out and I was sporting a boner to rival all boners.
I glanced up at a store called CMSD and spotted her inside, through the window. At the back of the store, holding up a little bra to her ample tits, she was talking to another chick. Like some creepy, possessed asshole, I pushed open the door and set off a tinkling bell over the doorway.
Charlie glanced up and a frown marred her pretty face. The woman next to her seemed to shrink away at the sight of me, and dropped what sh
e was holding.
I crossed my arms over my chest and raised my eyebrows. “You sell panties?”
“Fiona, wait a second. Don’t leave.” Charlie tried to call to her customer who was scurrying towards the exit, but if you asked me, the woman looked pretty intent on leaving. After the bell tinkled again, signaling that we were alone, she scowled at me. “What do you want?”
Too fucking much. Seeing her in her tight jeans, and a low cut top, my cock was nearly busting out of my zipper. Pathetic as it was, I couldn’t seem to control myself near her.
To top it all off, I was tongue-tied. What should I say to her? What could I say to explain why I was standing in an underwear store?
“So, uh, what does CMSD stand for, anyway?”
“If you must know, CMSD is an acronym for Charlie Monroe Specialty Designs.”
“Char—as in you? You’re Charlie Monroe? The one in CMSD?”
“Oh, you’re quick, Einstein. Regular Brainiac. Yes, these are my creations. I design and sell lingerie. You didn’t answer me. What do you want?”
I looked around. Holy shit. I thought it was cool that she worked in an underwear store, but learning she actually designs the shit and owns a shop to sell it in? I was impressed as fuck.
“I just came to see what my mate does for a living. I’m impressed.”
She shook her head. “Don’t use that word. Don’t you dare use that word!”
“What? Impressed?”
“Mate! We are not mates. I don’t give a damn what fate thought it was doing. It was out to lunch with this pairing. You can just turn around and crawl back into whatever hole you crawled out of.”
I fingered a frilly, lacy thing hanging next to me wondering what it would look like on Charlie. “I’m not saying I’m all eager to have a mate, either, but I’m thinking that there might be something to explore here.”
Her face looked incredulous. Her eyebrows furrowed intensely and her lips puckered as she squinted at me. “Oh, no, Dora. There is nothing to explore here. Nothing. Take your little… compass and get the hell out of here.”
I laughed. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’m not looking to get hitched or anything.”
“Like I would even consider…”
“But fucking, on the other hand…I’m just saying we could at least explore this sexual attraction. Have a little fun.”
Her face turned beet red and I wondered for a second if she was going to throw something at me. “Are you fucking serious?”
I grinned. I couldn’t help it. I knew it wasn’t going well, but there was so much energy bouncing back and forth between us that all I could think about was bending her over the counter and shoving her so full of cock that they could hear her screaming my name three counties over. “Pretty serious.”
“There is no part of me that would ever be interested in any part of you.”
I tipped my head back and inhaled deeply. Her arousal scented the air with more of her sweet, sweet honey fragrance. I could see her nipples bead against her shirt. She had to be crazy to think that I would buy that. “Did you forget that I’m a shifter?”
9
Charlie
I glared across the room at the fucknugget who showed up at my shop. “Just get out. You’re going to run all of my customers off.”
He stepped even farther into the shop. “You’re not answering my question.”
I didn’t even remember what he’d asked. My wolf was distracting me. She recognized him as hers and was eager to mate with him. Claim him. “What are you even doing here? Did you come to buy lingerie for your women?”
He ran his hand over the silk of a bra next to him. As he traced his index finger over the cup of the delicate piece, his eyes burned into mine and I could almost feel the stroke of his finger over my own nipple. I shuddered.
“I don’t have women.”
I hung up the teddy I was holding and planted myself securely behind the front counter. Away from him. “If you’re not here to shop, you should leave. I’ve got nothing for you.”
His eyes raked over my body and then met mine again as he took a step towards me. “I don’t know about that.”
My heartbeat increased until I could hear it like thunder in my ears. My body overrode my will, and the sexy raspiness of his voice affected me until my own words emerged in a high-pitched squeak. “Well, I do.”
One step closer and the fucknugget had a twinkle in his eye. “You’re dripping wet for me, aren’t you, sweetheart.”
I squeezed my legs tighter together and narrowed my eyes at him. “I don’t appreciate being talked to like that. Maybe it’s for Fiona. She’s a good-looking woman, and you don’t know the first thing about me. Unless you want to lose a limb, I suggest you knock it off and get the hell out.”
“Your nipples are hard. Your pulse is throbbing in your throat. And, your pussy is soaked. I can see it, I can hear it, and I can smell it, too. Your heart’s racing. Your breath is coming quicker. And you aren’t wet for Fiona, baby. You’re wet for me.”
I was pissed. Beyond pissed. I was livid at his arrogant egotism, at his ability to read my body, and at my own arousal. I was completely losing control. I felt my body start to shift and flashed my teeth at him. “I suggest you stop talking.”
“Sounds good. Stop talking. Start fucking.”
I had the distinct feeling that he was trolling me, but I was helpless to stop the reaction I was having. Without concern for the clothing racks around us, I shifted and lunged across the counter at him. My heavy front paws hit him square in the chest and he fell backwards with me on top of him. Snarling inches from his face, I showed him that I was in charge.
Except… he was grinning. I was snarling my most threatening I’ll-rip- your-throat-out-like-it’s-bread dough snarl, and he was grinning.
He ran his fingers through the thick fur at the sides of my face and scratched like I was his pet Pekinese. “Feisty little thing, aren’t you?”
Feeling as if I’d gotten into a standoff with a psycho lunatic, I snapped at his fingers and backed off. He jumped to his feet with the ease of a man much smaller than himself and fur broke out on his hands. He shrugged out of his cut and tossed it over a rack of nighties.
Backing away, I growled as he kicked his boots off and kept moving steadily towards me. I didn’t know what came next, but I had a feeling I wasn’t going to like it. As he was unzipping his jeans, I turned and sprinted towards the back door. I could sense him right behind me, so I didn’t stop. I threw myself at the door and then ran for all I was worth to the woods out back and in the direction of my house.
The woods behind my shop were thick and I knew them like the back of my hand. I wasn’t scared of my mate, but the game he’d started had to end at some point. It was the ending that scared me. I didn’t know what was coming. I couldn’t stop running, though. Adrenaline surged through my blood and something about being chased by him made me feel wild.
I stretched my legs and pushed myself harder, dodging trees and branches that I knew well. I could hear branches snap behind me. My mate was not as keen on dodging them. He was barreling right through them. He was fast. Really fast for such a massive grizzly. He was not only keeping up with me, he was closing the gap.
Despite running full out, I felt his breath on my tail. Seconds later, his teeth nipped my ass. I turned around and snapped back at him, sending us both rolling into a tree. I barely felt the impact as we landed in a heap, with me on top. I bit his chest and growled before his massive paw brushed me off. His teeth grazed my ass again and I charged back at him.
I bit his arm hard and grunted when his teeth sank into my shoulder. He wasn’t biting hard, but his jaws were so large. It pissed me off. I didn’t want to be smaller and weaker than him.
I slapped at him with my paw and then tried to skirt around him. His reach was intense, though. He easily knocked my legs out from under me and pounced on me.
Hovering over me, he made a chuffing sound and licked my face.
I wasn’t used to being in a submissive position. I didn’t like losing. Wanting to punish him, I turned my head, sunk my teeth into his arm and bit down harder than I had before. As hard as I could.
I felt incredible satisfaction when he roared out in pain, until his massive teeth sank into my shoulder and my world went black for a few seconds. Red hot pain seared my arm and I let out a pathetic yelp.
My wolf retreated. She’d never done that before. Submission and retreat was new. Even though I’d bitten him first, we hadn’t expected him to return it. Usually, our tactics were more than enough to leave opponents cowering in fear. Neither one of us was used to relinquishing dominance.
While my wolf acted like a scolded puppy, scooting away from the massive grizzly, I was embarrassingly turned on. It was fair to say that I was just as upset, but my agitation was from playing a dangerous game with a man I said I didn’t want anything to do with. A game I’d lost.
He shifted back and knelt in front of me, his eyes full of concern. “Fuck. I’m sorry. I was just playing… I didn’t mean to…Let me see it.”
I turned from him and limped away, wanting to put space between us.
“I didn’t mean to hurt you. Are you okay?”
My wolf wanted to hide, so she shifted back without my permission, leaving me kneeling on the ground, doing everything I could to stay hidden from him. “Stay away from me.”
Ignoring me completely, he came closer and his fingertips gently grazed my arm. “Let me look at your shoulder. I did some damage.”
“I’m a shifter. I’ll heal.”
“Fuck!” He ran his hands through his hair. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, baby.”
“You said that.”
He came even closer. “Why’d you bite me like that?”
At the mention, I looked at his arm and saw that there was a bloody bite mark on it. My chest tightened and I suddenly felt like crying. Everything was too much. I would never let myself cry in front of him, though.
Bear Outlaw Page 4
