The BEAR Gene: A Gripping Paranormal Romance (WereGenes Book 2)

by Amira Rain

  “So… despite him not finishing things, do you feel like Reed is finally ready to give a relationship with you a chance?”

  I told her the God’s honest truth, which was that I had no idea. “I do feel like we’ve had some kind of a breakthrough, though… so, in spite of everything that happened yesterday morning with the Bloodborn, I’m not sorry at all that I did what I did. In fact, I’d do it all over again, and I want to, especially if it’ll bring me even closer to Reed. Now I just have to convince him to let me use my knife-throwing skills against the Bloodborn bears again, and I do think I’m going to need his blessing next time, because something makes me think he’s going to have me locked in the house somehow otherwise.”

  “Well, getting more practice so that you can increase your stamina might help you plead your case.”

  I told her I definitely agreed. “I’m going to start my practicing this afternoon, in fact, and I’m going to head into things full-out. I’m going to practice throwing knives into a target for at least an hour or two, or as long as I can go without getting a strong wave of morning sickness.”

  Actually not experiencing any morning sickness or dizziness at all that afternoon, I ended up practicing for three hours straight out in the vast, wooded backyard, hitting my corkboard target more often than not.

  That night, I waited up for Reed to return from a council meeting, eager to hear how he and his advisors and lieutenants had decided to handle Gerard and the remaining Bloodborn bears, and also eager to tell him that I had decided to use my knife skills to help, no matter what he said. Now that I was really getting a handle on my skill, not helping wasn’t even an option. I was, of course, also eager to help because I thought it would continue to bring Reed and me even closer together. Going back to how things had been before the battle of the previous day, when we’d barely been speaking, and when just the sight of each other across the dinner table had seemed like torture, wasn’t a place I could stand going back to ever again.

  Of course, I figured, if Reed and I had another argument about me wanting to help take out the Bloodborn bears with my power, we probably wouldn’t be making it into bed that evening even if he didn’t see a need for us to avoid intimacy. I wondered if I should wait to tell him that I was determined to use my power against the Bloodborn bears until after a possible trip to bed together.

  Unfortunately, Reed didn’t even come home that night, though. At least not before I fell asleep around midnight. He had told me before that council meetings often went on into the wee hours of the morning, so I wasn’t sure why I’d thought this one would be any different, especially considering how much there was to discuss about the Bloodborns at this particular meeting. I supposed I’d just been hoping.

  Like I had the night before, I had a few incredibly blissful-yet-frustrating dreams about the two of us together, with our hands exploring and our naked bodies merging as one. For whatever reason, sheer desperation probably, my subconscious seemed insistent on not giving me even a few hours’ rest without thoughts of Reed.

  The next morning, unbelievably, he was already gone when I woke up, although a quick peek around his room told me that he had been home to sleep sometime the night before. His shower floor and towel were still wet, and his bed was unmade, not that I even knew if he usually made it every morning.

  That evening, when I returned to the house from having dinner at Polly’s with her and Marie, I finally saw Reed face-to-face and in the flesh again. And the sight was well worth the wait. Just home from running patrols around the outskirts of the town with his men, his thick, dark hair was tousled to the point of being a bit messy, and he was still dressed in his usual daily uniform of boots, battered jeans, and t-shirt, which all combined to make up a casual and rugged look that I found irresistible.

  He’d already eaten dinner, too, having joined some of his men for burgers in town, so we decided to share a dessert of strawberries and pound cake together in the kitchen. Sitting across from me up to the island, he told me that although he’d discussed things with the council for hours the night before, he still wasn’t yet sure what he was going to decide as his course of action with Gerard and the remaining Bloodborn bears.

  “I guess I need to gather some information first, to find out what Gerard’s plans are. So, I’ve sent a spy team of sorts to Blackbrook, where they’re going to do some surveillance and see and hear what they can. Hopefully, they’ll learn what Gerard’s plans are now that all his plans have seemed to fall apart after his defeat yesterday. I’m guessing he’s in a state of shock and feeling a bit desperate, especially since he lost so many fighters during the battle, which might cause him to do something reckless… although, of course, I have no idea exactly what. But at any rate, a desperate, reckless move on his part, maybe something like another attack on the village while many of his men are still recovering from injuries, might work to our advantage.”

  “How so?”

  Knitting his brows, Reed set his empty whiskey glass on the island. “Well… there might be a way that we can be more ready for them next time. We can be more prepared. We might even be able to set a trap of some sort.”

  Satisfied by his answer, even though it had been pretty vague, I just nodded, then finished the last sip of my wine.

  When I set the glass back on the table, I had a thought and looked up to meet Reed’s eyes. “So… while we’re talking about weighty matters….” Hesitating, I tried to think of a tactful way to ask what I wanted to ask. “Can I move into your bedroom so we can have sex again?” seemed like kind of a crass way to phrase the question.

  However, Reed’s pale blue eyes, glinting gold in the light from two white taper candles that I’d lit and placed on the island, told me that I didn’t need to continue further. He somehow knew exactly what I was getting at.

  With a slight smile playing around the corners of his full lips, he reached across the short length of granite between us and took my hand. “How about you and I go out for a moonlit stroll?”

  With my heartbeat suddenly racing, I couldn’t help but smile.

  *

  The day had been unusually warm for May, so even though the sun had gone down an hour or so before, the evening wasn’t yet very chilly at all. It was actually almost balmy for this time of year, with the temperature still in the high sixties or low seventies. A light breeze carried the scents of warm earth, growing green leaves, and blooming flowers from a community garden to the east.

  Beneath a clear midnight blue sky studded with thousands of stars, Reed held my hand, leading me across the vast backyard to the edge of the property, and to the walking trail that wound through the forestland to the west of the house, the one I’d walked down the first day I’d arrived in Somerset, when I’d had the misfortune of coming across the Bloodborn bear.

  With moonlight making his lightly tanned skin silvery, Reed glanced over at me.

  “So, I take it you must not be too mad at me about the argument we had, since you had dessert and drinks with me, and now you’re letting me hold your hand.”

  Just the feel of his skin on mine was making it difficult for me to remember what our argument of the night before had even been about. However, making it difficult for me to remember wasn’t the same thing as making me forget entirely.

  Still determined to tell him in no uncertain terms that I was going to use my knife-throwing skill to help against Gerard and the Bloodborn bears, but just maybe not tell him right then, I looked over at Reed.

  “I’m not still mad about our little tiff.” I paused, realizing that wasn't entirely true. “Well... I guess if I’m being a hundred percent honest, I’m maybe still just a little bit mad.”

  He gave my hand a gentle squeeze. “I really can’t blame you, and I want to tell you again that I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have assumed things about your motivations for wanting to do certain things. I especially shouldn’t have made assumptions about how some death wish may have played a part in your motivations. That was wrong o
f me, and I admit that I’ve definitely made some mistakes since you’ve come here to Somerset. All I can promise is that in the future, I’ll do less assuming, and more listening to you telling me what your reasoning is. And as far as what I said about you not being the easiest woman in the world to deal with...”

  We’d reached the edge of the forest, and Reed brought us to a stop, taking my other hand as well. His beautiful, heavy-lidded eyes danced with moonlight, which also glinted off his nearly-black hair.

  “Samantha, although I’ve tried my best to fight it, I really like you. And by that, I mean that I really, really... really like you. This, despite the fact that you can be slightly maddening at times, and despite the fact that I’m still a little mad at you for running out of the house yesterday morning when I told you not to. But no matter what, I shouldn’t have said that you’re not the easiest woman to deal with as if that’s an entirely bad thing. The truth is that you’re not the easiest woman to deal with in a way I think I could get very used to in the long run. And in spite of the fact that something tells me we might have a few more arguments before all this business with the Bloodborn is resolved one way or another, I hope you feel the same way. I hope you think I’m the kind of man you could get very used to in the long term, for better or worse.”

  With the feel of his hands holding mine sending some little current of electricity racing through my entire body, I did think he was that kind of man. I’d actually been thinking that for weeks, maybe even since I’d experienced “the quake.”

  “I do think that, Reed. I think that not only could I get very used to you in the long term, I think that I could be incredibly happy with you. You and our baby, that is.”

  Caressing the backs of my hands with his thumbs, he smiled, making his perfect white teeth glint in the moonlight. “You’ve just made me very happy to hear you say that. And now, to answer what I think you were going to ask me in the kitchen... I’m guessing that you were going to ask me if I’ve decided to open my heart to you, despite what happened to Sean. And my answer to that is that I guess I see it like this: I’m not averse to trying anymore. And since the alternative would be us waiting to reunite in a physical way for an indefinite length of time, something I’m really not sure we’re capable of...”

  “Yeah, I’m definitely not capable of that.”

  Flashing me his pearly whites again, Reed smiled. “I don't think I am, either.”

  With that settled, we set out on our moonlit walk down the forest trail, still holding hands. At first, we walked quietly, just listening to the sounds of wind rustling through the leaves of the tall trees, and the occasional hoot of an owl. The atmosphere was a little bit spooky, which was precisely the kind of atmosphere I liked in the woods at night. This was made even better by me knowing that no matter how long we walked or how deep into the forest we went, I wouldn't become too spooked, because of Reed being with me. I felt completely safe and secure with him and protected by him, which allowed me to enjoy the dark woods without even a touch of fear or anxiety.

  After a few minutes, we began talking about hiking and camping memories from our childhoods, and then we began discussing other more general memories from our childhoods. And, somewhat to my surprise, I discovered that I felt like I could tell Reed anything, which was surprising because I’d never been able to fully open up to a man before. I’d never been quite sure why, but I’d always felt some instinctual need to guard my memories, emotions, and heart. Now I felt just the opposite. I felt a need for Reed to understand me as a woman and a person, and know me, and for me to understand and know him.

  As we continued on through the forest with our footfalls nearly silent on the dirt trail, I ended up telling him all about how devastated I’d been when my dad had died. I’d cried for days, I told Reed, nearly nonstop, with a distinct pain in my chest, as if my heart were literally breaking in two. To make things worse, my crying had made my mom cry even more, which I’d then felt responsible for.

  Once I’d gotten past my initial heartache about what had happened to my dad, I only very rarely brought him up to anyone again, not even close friends. The subject had just seemed too painful, although in recent years, with the passage of time, things had gotten somewhat better. I at least didn’t feel like my heart was breaking whenever I mentioned my dad to someone.

  Reed listened to me share all this, giving my hand a few gentle, comforting squeezes along the way. And by the time we paused when the trail came to a fork, I felt so close to him and so supported by him, that I developed an urge to come right out and tell him that I was insistent on using my knife skills to fight Gerard and the Bloodborn bears, even though I’d specifically planned to not tell Reed this while on our walk. Despite this, for some reason, I just felt like at present, with the two of us out in the peaceful, spooky, moonlit woods, sharing things and talking, he might be more receptive to hearing me out and agreeing with me, ultimately giving me his blessing.

  So, standing at the fork in the trail, when he asked if I'd like to continue going, or rest for a minute, or head back to the house, I said I’d like to rest for just a minute so I could tell him something very serious. Even in the dim moonlight, I could see him furrow his dark brows.

  “Well, what do you have to tell me? I want you to know that you can tell me anything.”

  Heartened by his words, I took a deep breath, taking his other hand to hold both of them. “The thing is this: I’ve been practicing my knife-throwing skills, and I’m going to continue. Yesterday, I practiced for several hours, and then today, the same, working on keeping my mental focus where it needs to be in order to not lose my strength after fighting for a little while. By the end of the three hours today... Reed, I’m absolutely positive that I can use my skill again to help everyone in any and all future fights.”

  “But you don’t need to prove yourself to anyone anymore, including me. The word in town is that people already think of you as a hero. I think of you as a hero, in fact. So, you don’t need to try to fix anything between us, or prove-”

  “That's not even it anymore, though, at least not all of it. Now I just want to help for the sake of helping, because I have a skill that can help, and it seems like it would be a total waste not to use it. Now I just want Gerard and all his men dead. First off, as you yourself told me, they’ve murdered innocent men, women, and children, and I want to be a part of making sure that they can't do the same to people in this village that I care about. Second, the Bloodborn bears are preventing me from really starting a happy new life here, with you, as a couple. I think you and I both know that no matter how we each feel, we can’t really move forward and live in peace until all the Bloodborn are dealt with.”

  “That might be at least partly true… and that's why my men and I are going to deal with them. Just as soon as we gather intelligence and formulate a plan-”

  “A plan that I will be a part of, right?”

  “No… wrong. You absolutely will not be. And we’re not having this argument again. I’ve already told you that I can’t, and won’t, let you take part in any future fight with the Bloodborn bears, and there’s no way I’m going to change my mind about that. My decision is final.”

  With my blood beginning to boil, I pulled my hands free from his and folded my arms across my chest. “Well, here’s another decision you need to make. You need to decide whether you're going to accept me as a woman who’s not the easiest to deal with, or whether you’re going to try to change me into someone else. Because think about it for a second… that’s exactly what you’re trying to do, you know. You’re trying to change me into the kind of woman who’s content to just sit back while the men take care of everything and do all the fighting, and that’s just not me. You’re also trying to change me into the type of woman who doesn’t use the special talent she’s been given, and that, too, is just not me. So, you need to decide whether or not you’re going to encourage me to be who I am, flaws and all, or whether you’re going to force me to be a weak
imitation of myself, just sitting on my hands, protected only by you, every minute of every single day. Which doesn’t seem like something I'll be able to live with in the long-term future, by the way.”

  With that, I’d said all I had to say, and I turned and began stomping off back up the trail. “I'm going home now. Please don’t follow me. I’m sure you can shift into bear form easily enough and find a different way home through the woods.”

  “Samantha, please wait a minute.”

  Hugging my arms to my ribs so hard I was nearly hurting them, I didn’t even turn around. “I’m serious. Please don’t follow me. Just head home a different way.”

  Knowing that Reed probably wasn’t going to immediately do that, I broke into a jog, trying to make my point that I really didn’t want to be followed. After a minute or so of not hearing any noises indicating that he was tailing me, I slowed to a walk, not wanting to trip over any rocks, sticks, or fallen branches in the dark. It was around this time when the woods became a little too spooky. The darkened spaces between the trees became just a little too dark. The sound of my incredibly quiet footfalls now sounded nearly thunderous in the still woods.

  However, I knew I’d made my choice, and I had to live with it and just plow on through back to the house. I wasn’t going to call out for Reed, and I wasn’t going to try to call him on the phone, either, not that I even had mine with me, I realized.

  A minute or two later, I just about jumped a mile when an owl hooted, then, almost immediately, I jumped again, gasping, when I saw some large, inky-black form moving through the trees just to my left. Right away, this space of inky blackness disappeared, becoming Reed’s familiar human form. Exhaling in a rush, I realized that the darkness I’d seen, darker even than the dark spaces between the trees, had just been him in his bear form.

  “How dare you follow me and scare me half to death like that?”

  He stepped out of the dense trees and joined me on the trail. “I'm sorry. I just figured I’d stick close by in case you got scared.”