Forvever Bear (Return to Bear Creek Book 4)

by Harmony Raines

  Closing his eyes, he listened to the tell-tale sounds she made. The way she gasped when he thrust harder, the small whimpers she made when he rocked deep inside her. Slowly, he took her to the edge of her second orgasm, and this time when she went over, he followed, both of them together in a sea of bliss.

  Teagan clung to him as if he were a rock, solid and unyielding, when all around her the world shifted. Cal placed his hand under the small of her back and then moved it lower, to cup her to him, to plunge deeper into her, to ride out this climax with her until she was utterly spent.

  And when they were, they lay together, in each other’s arms, content when the world crowded in on them again. Their bond was made stronger, their bodies connected in the same way as their souls. This was what forever felt like.

  ***

  Cal woke and took a moment to get his bearings. What room was this? How could he forget, it was her room. At least, her temporary room. His next quest was going to be to persuade Teagan to come live with him when Carter came home. Would she take a lot of persuading?

  Maybe that would depend on whether she’d enjoyed their night together.

  “Morning,” Cal said, kissing her lips as her eyes fluttered open. He could get used to waking up with Teagan in his arms every morning.

  “Good morning,” his mate answered. She reached out and stroked his cheek, running his fingers across his stubble. Cal took her hand and kissed her fingers; he would gladly turn her onto her back and kiss every square inch of her skin. But her stomach rumbled, making her giggle. “I have worked up an appetite.”

  “Breakfast?” he asked. “I can go make us something, while you shower.”

  “No, I don’t expect you to make me breakfast.” She sat up, holding the sheet to her body. “I’ll shower quickly and we can make something together.”

  He lay back on the pillow, his hand behind his head. Teagan looked at the bathroom door, and at the sheet, as he watched. “You don’t need the sheet. I think I licked every part of your body, you don’t need to hide.”

  She ducked her head around to glance at him. “That was last night. This morning…”

  “Is awkward?”

  “A little.” She drew her knees up and rested her chin on the apex. “I’ve never woken up with anyone in my bed.”

  “Get used to it.” Cal stroked her back, and then propped himself up on his elbow, and kissed her spine, working his way up to her neck, his hand wrapping around her, cupping her breast in his palm. Her nipple hardened and he rubbed his thumb over the taut bud.

  She groaned, and then said, “I have work to do.”

  “Can’t it wait?” he asked.

  “I have to help clean the brewery. I want it ready for when Carter comes home. Then I have a couple of articles to write for the paper.” She gasped as he tweaked her nipple. “You are making it extremely hard to keep my priorities straight.”

  “Well, you see…” His hand slipped down over her soft flesh to the place where her legs met and her desire pooled. Then he moved lower, and slid a finger inside her. “Once you have a mate, they are supposed to be your priority over everything else.”

  “Really?” she gasped as he worked another finger inside her.

  “Really. Which is why there was a thing invented called the quickie.”

  She burst out laughing, until he brushed his thumb across her clit, while his fingers worked deep inside her, stretching her, grazing her inner walls, until she was wet, and ready for him. “I hope it’s not too quick.”

  Taking her words as a yes, he pulled her to him, so that she lay her right side, facing him. Lifting her left knee, he hooked her leg over his thigh, and guided himself into her. He thrust hard and deep, and she groaned against his mouth as he captured it with his lips. She kissed him back, her tongue probing his mouth, and he let her in, sucking her tongue, his hand covering her breast.

  Cal used every part of his body to bring her to a climax. His hips moved back and forth, hard thrusts filling her, with a slow withdrawal, his cock gliding against her inner walls. Breaking their kiss, he lowered his head and sucked her nipple into his mouth, hard. Around and around, his tongue circled the taut bud, and she clung to him, kissing his neck, nipping the flesh with her teeth, her hand flat against his nipple.

  When she pinched his hard nipple, he jerked forward into her, impaling her completely. Teagan wrapped her leg tighter around him, urging him deeper and harder. He obliged: she was, after all his mate, and what she desired was his duty to give.

  Their climax came quick and hard. Two bodies joined as one. He filled her with his seed, jerking into her as he cried out her name. He’d had sexual partners before, but nothing he had experienced came close to what he shared with Teagan in that moment.

  “I like quickies,” she whispered in his ear, kissing his neck, her hands stroking his skin.

  “I am a new convert,” Cal agreed, his hand on her bottom, sliding up her back, loving the feel of her skin beneath his fingertips.

  “I really have to get up.” She breathed deeply in contentment.

  Cal moved away from her. “One of us has to be strong, and since I don’t want you to blame me for being late, I am going to let you go.”

  “A gentleman.” Teagan slipped out of bed and headed to the bathroom, naked, her earlier shyness gone.

  Damn, he loved this woman.

  Kicking off the sheets once he heard the shower running, he got out of bed, retrieved his scattered clothes and dressed quickly. He was going to make her breakfast.

  First he checked the fridge and found orange juice, and some eggs. Quickly heating some oil, he grabbed whatever else he could find and made omelets, and toast, setting the table so that when she entered the kitchen, it was all ready.

  “Thank you.” She kissed his cheek.

  “I thought it would make up for the time we spent making love.” Cal sat down with her.

  “You are so thoughtful.”

  “My sisters might not agree.”

  “I love your family,” Teagan admitted. “I love that you are how I always imagined a proper family to be.”

  “In what way?”

  “You know, this is us, warts and all.”

  “We have a lot of warts.”

  “You also have a lot of all. You love each other, and it shows.”

  “We’ll have that, one day, when we have kids. You might not look on it in quite the same way.”

  Teagan’s face sobered. She placed her fork on her plate. “We never used protection.”

  Cal looked up at her. “I’m sorry. I never thought… Not so thoughtful after all.”

  “I just don’t want to be tied to the house and a baby. That sounds terrible.”

  “No, it doesn’t. You are young, and you want a career.” He squeezed her hand. “Whatever happens, I promise you we will work it out. I also promise I will go and buy some condoms today.” And he would, even if it meant he would miss the intense sensations of his naked cock inside her.

  Chapter Eleven – Teagan

  She ate her omelet, clearing her plate of every last morsel. “You can cook. I like that in a man.”

  “I lived on my own for a few years when I left Bear Creek. I learned how to fend for myself.” He picked her plate up and walked to the sink. “Although, to be fair to my mom, she did teach us all to cook, and do all the chores around the house as we grew up.”

  “Really? I like the sound of your mom the more I hear about her.”

  He chuckled. “Do you want to know why she taught us all? Especially me and my brothers?”

  “Why?” Teagan asked, sipping her coffee. She sure could get used to having a man around.

  “Because my dad was brought up by a mom who did everything for him and his dad. My mom was not carrying on that tradition. She soon molded him into shape. But she swore no mate of her sons would have to go through the same… training regime.”

  “Training regime? That sounds severe.”

  “And my dad loved
every moment of it, because it meant he was making his mate happy.”

  “No wonder they look so blissfully in love, after all the years they have been together.” Teagan stood up and grabbed the dish towel, slipping her empty cup into the sink. “There is a dishwasher, you know.”

  “I know.” Cal rinsed the plates and passed them to her. “But I feel as if I am imposing here.”

  “Which brings us to the question—What happens when Carter comes home?” Teagan turned away from Cal, hiding her face as she put the plates away. She had no idea what she wanted. Until she met Cal she had her life planned out, at least in the short term. But now, she was torn; the more time she spent with Cal, the stronger the bond grew, and the louder her biological clock ticked. At least she presumed it was her biological clock. Whatever it was, it was making her crave motherhood. And yet she wanted more. Was she selfish to want it all?

  “What happens is up to you. I want you to live with me, or I’ll move in with you, even if that means living in a cave on the mountain.” He wiped his hands dry on a towel, and put his arms around her waist, pulling her to him. “All that matters is that we are happy.”

  Teagan nodded. “That’s all I want. Although right now I don’t know what shape or size that happiness comes in.”

  “You aren’t supposed to know. We aren’t supposed to know. That’s what makes this so much fun. The important part is taken care of, we know we are meant to be together. But the rest of it… We don’t know.”

  “I can live with that.” Teagan wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed his lips. “I have to go.”

  “Then go. I have a later start. I have to be at the station for my shift by eleven.”

  “Lucky you.” She smiled mischievously. “If you don’t have anything to do until then, you could help me clean the beer vats in the brewery.”

  “The beer vats. Work before work?” he mused.

  “You would be with me.” Teagan batted her eyelashes at him.

  “How can I resist?” Cal asked.

  “Thank you.” She kissed him again and pulled away from him. “I’ll go brush my teeth and get my stuff together, and then we can walk over.”

  “OK, I’ll finish up here.” He leaned against the counter and watched her leave the kitchen. She liked the way he watched her, his eyes caressing her curves. Heck, she liked everything about him. There was not one thing about Cal she had found to not like.

  Climbing the stairs, she mentally went over everything she had to do today. There was a lot. The torrential rain of a couple of days ago had put her behind on the chores around the house. Teagan was determined to get it all together for when Caroline and Carter returned. She wanted them to know they had been right to put their trust in her. Despite her age, Teagan was sensible and down to earth; nothing fazed her.

  Until her phone rang. “Hello, Fiona,” Teagan greeted the dragon shifter, a nervous edge to her voice. It was early in the morning for a phone call from Fiona. Although they talked often on the phone and met up regularly, those meetings took place after work, not before it. Fiona was busy at work most days, and prided herself at never leaving until all her work was done.

  “Hello, Teagan. I won’t beat around the bush. I’m sure you know why I’m calling.”

  “My mom,” Teagan answered.

  “Yes. I pulled your file from the archives, and took a look.” Fiona paused, giving Teagan the impression Fiona wasn’t happy with any of this.

  “And?

  “And after a little detective work I have your mom’s new address.”

  “Her new address.” Teagan’s heart beat rapidly. “Have you spoken to her?”

  “No. Not yet. I am going to go over there later.” Fiona paused again. “Do you want to come with me?”

  “I thought you wanted to ask her first?”

  “I do. I will. But if she says yes, I thought you being there might save both of you some anguish. There is nothing worse than fearing the future.”

  “Spoken like a woman who knows,” Teagan said.

  “There have been times in my life when I have feared the future, and there have been times in my life where I have feared the past.” Fiona sighed audibly down the phone. “But this is not about me. This is about you and what you want to do. This is where you choose which path your story goes down, Teagan.”

  “My story.” Teagan sat on the bed, her chin on her hands as she leaned forward and looked at her feet. “Up until two days ago, I thought I knew. But now… Fiona, I want to know what happened with my mom so I don’t let history repeat itself.”

  “That is not going to happen,” Fiona said. “You have a mate. You both know what that means, Cal is never going to walk out on you when you are pregnant.”

  “What if I walk out on him?” Teagan asked.

  “Never going to happen,” Fiona assured her.

  “What if it’s in my blood?” Teagan had never considered her genetic makeup before, but was it responsible for her not wanting children? Had her father thought more of his career than of her mom and his unborn child?

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” Fiona said hotly. “You are not that kind of person. Your father was not a shifter; he didn’t feel the same pull as your mother did. And circumstances happened. We don’t even know if he even knew about you.”

  Teagan’s heart stopped beating for one solid second. “You think he doesn’t know I exist?”

  “That is one possibility. I never spoke to your mom. I only got your case after you were taken into foster care. All I know is your mom liked to drink. And you were not safe with her.”

  Teagan let out a long sigh. “What would I do without you, Fiona?”

  “I have no idea.” There was no sarcasm in her voice, and she was probably right.

  “What time?” Teagan asked.

  “I have appointments this morning. Shall we say about two?”

  “Sure, that sounds good, I can get all my jobs done if I’m quick. Where does she live?”

  “Over at Cougar Ridge.”

  “That close?” Teagan asked, surprised. Cougar Ridge was a town situated high up in the mountains, about fifteen miles away.

  “She moved there, got a job, liked the people. It sounds as if she might have tried to make some changes to her life.” Fiona paused. “I wasn’t going to tell you this, because I did not want to get your hopes up. But there is a note on your file saying that she tried to make contact.”

  “What? Why wasn’t I told?” Teagan asked.

  “It was after you left care. They never traced you, and they never passed the message on.”

  “Couldn’t she have found me, if she wanted to?” Teagan asked.

  “Maybe, but you have to remember, you are good at these things, as am I. But your mom might not be computer literate. Not everyone knows how to track people through social media. Not everyone knows the tricks.”

  “I suppose you are right.”

  “I am. Now, I’ll pick you up at two. Don’t worry if I’m late.”

  “OK, I’ll be at the office.” Teagan ended the call and grabbed her purse.

  Going back downstairs, she entered the kitchen to find Cal leaning on the counter in the same place she had left him. Everything was clean, all the plates and utensils put away and the surfaces wiped down. “I thought you had run out on me.”

  “No.” She shook her head, and then ran a shaky hand through her still wet hair. “Fiona called.”

  “What’s wrong?” Cal asked.

  “She’s found my mom.” Teagan wiped a tear away, her hand still shaking. Cal went to her, pulling her into his arms.

  “Bad news?”

  “No. Good news. I hope.” She blew the air out through her lips, then took another breath and did the same, slowly steadying her nerves. “We are going over there this afternoon. Fiona is going to ask her if she wants to see me. What if she doesn’t? Or what if she does, and she doesn’t like me?”

  “Hey, don’t be too hard on yourself. None of this is on
you. It’s on the two people who made you, the two people who had sex and made a baby and then let her go.” Cal’s voice was fierce, protective of his mate. “If she doesn’t like you, then that is her problem. Because I can tell you, my family love you. They told me they couldn’t have asked for a better mate for me. And I agree, one hundred percent.”

  “You are biased.”

  “And your mom should be biased too. In fact she should be the one who is scared you might not like her.”

  “She might be, if she knew I was coming.” Teagan hoped Fiona had this right. “And she still might say no.”

  “And if she does, you walk away and we get on with our lives. Sometimes the past belongs squarely in the past.” His voice was heated, as if he was speaking from experience.

  “Perhaps I should be like Fern and live with what I have, in gratitude.” There she was again, wanting it all.

  “No.” He put his hands on her shoulders. “This means a lot to you. Go for it. And know that whatever happens, you will survive.”

  “I will. I have you, and I have Fiona and Fern.”

  “You will survive because of what is in here.” He placed his hand over her heart. “You are strong, Teagan. Don’t ever forget that.”

  She promised herself she would not let herself forget. No matter what happened.

  Chapter Twelve – Cal

  They cleaned the brewery from top to bottom. At least that was how it seemed. Apparently, brewing beer was ninety percent cleaning, and ten percent brewing. Or some such ridiculous figure.

  “Takes some of the enjoyment out of the beer, doesn’t it?” Theo asked. Theo, Fern, and Walt had come to help. Although if Theo had his way, Walt would have spent the whole time supervising. Walt had had a heart scare a few months back, and Theo fussed around him a lot. Fern was on tea duty, since her baby bump made getting into awkward places difficult, and there were a lot of awkward places.

  “It does. But since I tasted your beer, I am treating it as worshipping at the fountain of Bear Creek Honey Beer.”