by Woods, Jade
She waited, her heart drumming in her ears. She expected him to enter the kitchen in search of food, but when he didn’t appear she glanced into the living room to find that he was still standing in the center. Could bears hibernate on their feet?
Sighing with frustration, she marched right up to him, but he seemed oblivious to her presence. A single drop of water dripped off his hair and she leaned in, curious. This close she could see that his body was riddled with faded scars, and she wondered if that scuffle with the other bear was an everyday thing for him.
Garrett’s eyes suddenly flipped open, and Dahlia took a step backward out of reflex. Her foot tangled on something, and she went flying. She pinched her eyes close in preparation for the pain she knew was coming—
When her bones didn’t jostle, and her skull didn’t crack, she opened her eyes to find Garrett hovering over her, his strong arms holding her a few feet from the floor. She dug her fingers into his skin, needing the support. “I thought you were hibernating again.”
“Just concentrating. If a strong enough bond exists between the clan, a psychic connection can be forged. I was feeling for any stress that might indicate my clan being attacked.” As he spoke his eyes dropped, and if Dahlia didn’t know any better, he was staring at her lips.
Having a hard time breathing, she said, “The food is ready.”
The man’s eyes flared for an instant as if he liked the way her mouth moved as she spoke. He didn’t release her, nor steady her on her feet, but his grip tightened. His nostrils moved as if he were scenting something delectable.
“Um? Salmon? Honey? Everything a bear likes? If you let me up, I’ll go get it for you—”
“You would care for me,” he murmured, his tone dropping, and it stroked her ears like silk.
She opened her mouth to refute, but her words were cut off as he pressed his lips to her own. She gasped into his mouth, his lips warm and smooth as they slid against her in a whisper thin kiss. The heat of his body soaked deep to her bones, and her lower body clenched—damn, but she was going to need a few hours with her vibrator after this. Garrett let out a deep growl that slowly filled the room. Instead of startling her, it revved her even more, her breasts responding to the sensation of all that hard muscle against them.
“You’re trembling,” he said against her mouth, his breath brushing across her chin.
She wanted to tell him he was moving way to fast, but he steadied her on her feet and stepped away. She watched in disbelief as he made for the bathroom, and forced the door into the jamb. Okay… now she felt like crap. If she didn’t know any better, he had regretted kissing her.
****
Garrett leaned over the bathroom sink, and thrust his fingers through his hair. What am I doing? Linking his mind with that of the clan’s had temporarily slowed his judgement. When he had returned to reality, a beautiful face welcomed him. Dahlia. She had the greenest eyes he’d ever seen, like the color of moss covering the forest floor. And all that curly hair like ribbons of sunshine… Then she had to go and care for him—didn’t she know the surest way to a bear’s heart was through his insatiable stomach? Christ, he knew he was in trouble. He had distanced himself from females, but that didn’t mean he didn’t desire them.
That must be it! He was just horny, and seeking out the closest thing with tits. The animal inside rumbled grumpily as if it didn’t agree with that conclusion.
Growling, he ran a hand down his washboard abs, further passed his navel, and to the way too snug crotch of his pants. Yeah… just horny, he told himself. And the easiest way to take care of that…
Garrett shoved the denim down so that it pooled around his knees, and gripped his cock, the tool hard and aching for relief. He thumbed the glans, spreading the moisture around. He knew it wouldn’t take long, not with images of Dahlia invading his mind.
He stroked himself slow, from base to tip, wishing it was her hand inching him closer to orgasm. He tried to picture the way her pale skin clashed with the flushed flesh of his dick and how her small, perfect fingers would look wrapped around his girth. The fantasy kicked him into over drive, his balls tightening. Maybe she would tease him a little… draw the orgasm up, and keep it there until she decided he should come.
Garrett bit down on his tongue as the climax exploded out of his cock, refusing to make himself known. It seemed to go on forever, the released nearly knocking him off his feet. Leaning against the sink for support, he smiled dumbly as he watched his semen dripped down the cabinet—
Something crashed, and he jerked in response. His dick still in his hand, he blinked at the opening, the destroyed door lying on the floor. Dahlia sat on the couch, her body twisted around, and her expression caught in shock. Her lips parted, and her eyes dropped down, her cheeks flushing beautifully.
Following her attention, he gasped at his own dick in his palm. The son of a bitch was still hard. It was because of her, had to be. And his animal rejoiced. His hesitance blew away, and his focus shifted. He released his cock and straightened his spine, his erection jutting out of his hips. Dahlia’s mouth parted further, and she didn’t look away as he flaunted himself for her consideration. A moment later, a blast of pure female need hit him, and he closed his eyes as he inhaled her luscious scent. It overshadowed the aroma of salmon originating from the kitchen, and he knew she would taste better than honey.
So what if he took her? It didn’t mean he was going to fall in love.
Following her lead, he grinned, and made his way toward her so she could get a better look at his assets. Her reaction told him she approved of what she saw, but he was a slave to the instinct now. His mind lost in a haze of lust, he had forgotten about the jeans around his legs, and he went face planting onto the carpet, right in front of her. He heard her gasp. Embarrassed and angry with himself, he shred the jeans with his claws and tossed them away where they lay in tatters.
You fucking idiot, he berated himself as he got to his feet, and raced for the nearest exit. Yeah, like she would want to mate with him after that little show of grace? Outside, he located a quiet corner next to a large bush and slid down. Hiding his face in his palm, he didn’t think he could ever look at her again. It was his damned bear pride, and it had been more wounded by his tumble than being beaten in combat. If it weren’t for the fact that he would spread his scent, he’d take off.
A long while passed, the chill night air penetrating him. He prayed the clan made it to him soon. He was worried for them, but they would provide a good distraction from Dahlia.
The back door creaked and Garrett stilled, hoping she wouldn’t see him. After a long second, her voice flittered to him. “It’s chilly out here.”
“It doesn’t bother me,” he lied.
She made a little sound that let him know she wasn’t buying his bullshit. “You know… I kind of got that beat. I mean, never eat Mexican on a first date, right?”
He snapped his attention her. Her form was a welcomed sight, and that little flush of embarrassment creeping up her neck was adorable. He wasn’t sure how she did it, but he managed to relax and not feel so stupid about his trip up. Still, he regarded her cautiously.
When he didn’t move, she came to sit next to him and her scent, mingled with arousal invaded his senses. He got the impression she wanted to ask something, but her gaze was off in the distance, her teeth nibbling on her thumb nail.
“You don’t have a wife? Or mate?” she asked on a big breath.
“No,” Garrett said simply, hoping she wouldn’t press the point.
“And you are stronger with this… mating-bond? So, why not? Just haven’t met the right girl?”
He pulled in a good dose of air, the scent of plant life soaking into him along with the varying odors of human life. Could he talk to her about this? Other than Bruin, he’d never confided in his bears why he had refused to take a mate, though he was sure they had a suspicion. “I watched my father suffer after my mother died.”
“I’m sorry,” she
whispered.
Garrett slid his gaze over to her, her face lovely in the pale evening light. When she realized he was watching her, she offered him a meek smile. He found himself longing to confide in her, and that need confused him—they didn’t know each other at all. Was he that desperate for companionship? Or was it just her beauty?
“Hey,” Dahlia said, pulling his attention. “Your food is getting cold. I’d hate to see all that money go to waste, so why don’t you come back inside with me, and I’ll feed you.”
The idea that she had taken time to put thought into what might please him was the deciding factor. A slave to his instinct, he got to his feet, and held out a hand. She accepted, and he pulled her up effortlessly, their eyes locking for a moment. He stepped away, not wanting to make her uncomfortable, and made for the house.
He told himself she was just a good person with a heart as big as a bear, and her intentions were benign. Of course, convincing his instinct of that was a lot harder.
Chapter Seven
Garrett’s chest pumped with hard breath and his skin was clammy. He had sat up all last night waiting for his clan. When dawn broke, he forced himself to relax, less they felt his stress. By afternoon he tried calling Bruin’s number with no response. With the sun sinking toward the west, he was starting to panic.
His palm tightened around Dahlia’s phone. He was tempted to race to the brewery—what if Lazaran was holding them hostage?
“Still no answer?” Dahlia asked as she joined him on the porch.
“No.” He tried his second-in-command’s number again, but it went straight to voice mail.
She came closer, her freshly showered scent wafting around him, loosening him just a bit. “Did you try that mind meld thing?”
“I’m compromised right now. I can’t focus,” he said, feeling useless. He needed to do something, anything.
“There’s no one you can call for help?”
“Not really. It’s why we live in clans… for protection. A lone shifter wouldn’t survive very long.” He scratched at the beard on his jaw, debating whether to seek them out or wait. Her presence soothed him, so he closed his eyes and focused on that link, but he was still too riled up, his fingers slipping through the strands that connected them. “Fuck! I can’t take this. I can’t lose them, too.”
Her hand fell on his shoulder, and he sucked in a breath. Her skin was too soft and warm, the perfect combination to steady his volatile mood.
“At the risk of… Maybe I can help you to relax?” she said, her voice dimming with each word. When he looked at her and cocked a brow, she shrugged. “My mother is a massage therapist and taught me well. You will be surprised what a pair of magic hands can do.”
Oh, I don’t doubt that, he thought. He knew he shouldn’t let her touch him as it invoked strange emotions in him, but he was desperate to make contact with his clan. Reluctantly, he nodded. Her expression let him know she hadn’t expected him to agree, but she rose to her full height and he followed.
When they’re in the kitchen, she pressed a hand to his chest. “Give me five minutes to get everything ready.”
He watched as she disappeared around the corner, his eyes dropping to her ass. This is such a bad idea. His body didn’t care about that though, a tingle spreading across his skin. He imagined what her hands would feel like all over him, squeezing and caressing...
Dahlia called to him from another room and he moved to seek her out, following the fresh scent trail she had left. He was sure he’d be able to find her anywhere, that intoxicating feminine perfume stamped into his brain. He found the door open, and took the stairs down to the basement where he was surprised to find a family room complete with a pool table. His attention quickly centered on Dahlia as she stood next to a massage table, her sleeves rolled up to her elbows.
Her eyes dropped down for a moment as if she were considering asking him to strip out of the too tight jogging shorts she had provided him. “Hop on.”
Garrett got his body moving, and laid down on the table, doing his best to relax. He closed his eyes, and used his heightened senses to focus on every little thing she did. Her heartbeat rose just a little, and the gentle flutter of her breath did wonders to calm him—it was her very presence that seemed to relax, and rev him up at the same time. The click of a bottle reached his years followed by the squish of thick liquid. Not a moment later, her warm and oiled hands were on his back. He nearly hissed at the contact. True to her word, she had a magic touch.
She spread the lubrication all over his back then began working each muscle with thorough attention. She wasn’t easy with him, explaining that it had to hurt a little. Her concern and care of him soaked deep into his body, and cradled his heart tenderly. He knew she would make the perfect mate for a lucky male.
His body loosened wonderfully, and he zoned out where all he could feel were therapeutic touches. She whispered something, but he was delirious from sensation so he simply nodded—he just didn’t want her to stop. This is what I’ve been missing. All those brief encounters with women for physical pleasure couldn’t compare with this.
Her palm glided up his spine to rest on his shoulder. “Did you fall asleep on me?”
He shook his head, too comfortable to work his vocal chords. He wanted to demand more, wanted to lie, and tell her he was sore in other places, but something fluttered to his ears… something not in her house. He shot up, and blinked at her sleepily.
“What?” she asked.
As the sound of opening car doors and familiar heartbeats reached his ears, he offered her a goofy grin, and took her hand in his. She protested as he rushed her up the stairs and out the front door. His bare feet slid across the ground as he came to a stop, the sight of several big males exiting the car the second most beautiful thing he’d ever seen, right after Dahlia.
Releasing her wrist, he rushed toward the car, and Bruin crashed into him. They slapped each other on the back hard, and Garrett inhaled the thick pine scent of his beta. “I’ve been trying to reach you all day. Did you run into trouble?”
The male stepped back and sighed, his chocolate eyes half-mast from exhaustion and his shaggy brown hair was a tangled mess around his face. “Yeah. Lazaran’s clan was circling the area, so we had to wait. Turned off the phone so it didn’t betray our location. The twins boosted this SUV, and we high-tailed it out of there, and didn’t look back. We put as many miles as possible between us to try and confuse our trail—along with the chemicals, I’m certain it worked.”
A set of bodies slammed into Garrett, and he pulled Marcus and Jake close to him, their smaller frames fitting against his perfectly.
“I’d welcome you,” Vance said from the backseat of the explorer, his expression blank. “But I’d have to crawl, and seeing as I only have one pair of jeans to my name now, I’d rather not ruin them.”
Garrett chuckled at the silent demand from his omega and the polar twins, Jet and Leto, retrieved the wheel chair from the back, and set it up. They helped the disabled bear into it then came to greet Garrett, their snow white skin contrasting against his own.
“We left in a rush,” Jet said, his crystalline eyes absorbing the luminance of the sun. “Stopped at a department store for supplies, but they didn’t have anything that fit.”
“Nope,” Leto chimed in. “Too tight.”
“Speak for yourselves,” Marcus said, pulling Jake close to him, and gestured to their matching getup. “We make discount look good.”
“That’s because you have no ass,” Jet poked, his lips quirking up in an instigative smirk.
“Not now,” Garrett cut in, his voice booming. He knew his bears needed to blow off a little stress, but it wasn’t the time and place to take jabs at one another.
Everyone gathered around him, their eyes connecting with his in search of guidance, but Garrett didn’t have any reassuring words to offer. One of the polar twins frowned, and peeked around Garrett.
“Who’s that?” the bears asked in unis
on.
****
Dahlia swallowed hard as the gaze of several predators turned toward her, their eyes glowing with interest. She had a hard time believing all those mountain-sized men had fit into the explorer, their frames as large and broad as Garrett—except for the two smaller guys with their arms around each other’s waists. Swallowing hard, she took a step back as they shifted in her direction. It was strange, but Garrett didn’t frighten her, not like this. Despite being on her property, she felt as if she were invading their territory.
Garrett set into action, his steps brisk as he came to stand next to her. Relief flooded her system, his closeness wrapping around her like a thick shield. “This is Dahlia, our host. She has opened our home to us.”
In unison, their attention slid over to Garrett, and their nostrils flared. Dahlia was surprised when Garrett started to fidget uncomfortably. Were they communicating telepathically, or something? After a long, tense moment they looked back to her, their expressions brightening.
The biggest of the group, besides Garrett, stepped forward and held his hand out, his deep brown eyes pulling up in the corners. “I am called Bruin.”
Dahlia glanced at Garrett, who nodded, and she accepted the man’s hand, his grip incredibly strong. His smile grew wider as he greeted her, his touch lingering. Garrett was suddenly in the way, his big body pushing Bruin away. The other man chuckled darkly.
“It’s about time,” he said.
Glancing at her, Garrett said to Bruin, “It’s not like that.” Then he held a palm against her back, and urged her to the front. “This is my clan, Dahlia. My family. The male in the chair is Vance. The two Kmart models are Marcus and Jake. And the twins are Jet and Leto.”
“Hello,” she said pensively. Their singular attention on her made her uncomfortable, and she wasn’t sure why. It was as if they’d never seen a woman before… or maybe a woman with Garrett?
“It’s hot,” one of the white-haired twins complained.
