SpringFever Shifters in Love

by Lia Davis, Milly Taiden, Kerry Adrienne, Vella Day, Andie Devaux

  Trey’s chest tightened at his mother’s acceptance of his mate. It was no easy task to win over Madison Black, but Nichole had done it in a few moments.

  “Mom!” Tiffany rushed to them, her eyes round. “Jack is gone. I turned my head for a second, and he’s gone!”

  Their mother let out a sigh and released Nichole’s arm. “Come, Nichole. I’ll show you how to hunt down a mischievous bear cub.”

  Chapter Seven

  Nichole followed Madison and Tiffany toward the center of town where they took a right at what looked like a school. All the while, Tiffany wrung her hands and shook her head.

  “His parents will never trust me with him again. I’m going to make a terrible mother.”

  “I wouldn’t judge your parenting skills by Jack. He’s an escape artist,” Trey said as he trailed behind them.

  Madison smiled. “Your brother is right, dear. Don’t worry, we’ll find the little monster.”

  Hiding her smile, Nichole dipped her head. Her mother used to call the neighbor kids little monsters when they got into trouble. The memory made her nose tingle. She pushed the unwanted feelings away and took a deep breath. She would not feel sorrow for a woman who had turned her away at age seventeen.

  Trey’s warm hand cupped her nape as he tucked her into his side. “What is it?”

  She shook her head but couldn’t form the words to tell him it was nothing. Luckily, the women stopped at the edge of the forest.

  Madison held up a hand and spoke to Tiffany. “What do you smell?”

  Tiffany sniffed the air. Out of curiosity, so did Nichole. To her surprise, she smelled the faint scent of honey. When she closed her eyes and focused her second sight out, she heard a child’s laugh and the trickling of water.

  Flinging her eyes open, she met Trey’s stare. “Is there water nearby?”

  “Yes.”

  Without thinking, she took off in the direction of where she hoped Jack was. Her heart pounded with worry for the young boy. It didn’t take her long to reach a small stream. However, what stood in the middle of it was not a little boy. Instead, a small black bear cub splashed through the water.

  Trey stopped beside her and started laughing before he marched into the water and picked the cub up by the scruff of his neck. “Cousin Tif was very worried about you.”

  He thumped the cub on the nose, making the little guy sneeze.

  Tiffany walked over and took the bear from her brother. “You are so bad.” She met Nichole’s gaze and smiled. “How did you know?”

  “I’m not sure. I focused on finding him and heard water. I was so scared he’d drown. I totally forgot how well bears can swim.”

  Madison stroked her fingers through Jack’s fur. “It is possible that you have a witch or two in your bloodline. Or that you are one of the sensitive humans.”

  Nichole considered it. She’d have to research her family tree to see if Madison were right.

  “Come on, we have a tour to finish.” Trey took her hand and tugged her back to the den.

  Madison called out, “Don’t be late for dinner.”

  “We won’t,” Trey answered.

  Nichole smiled from ear to ear. The love between him and his mother reached out to her, surrounding her in warm energy. “I like your mom.”

  “She likes you. And she has great judgment in people.” He wrapped an arm around her and kissed her temple.

  She could get used to all the attention he gave her. But how long would it last?

  ***

  Trey scented trouble before she rounded the corner in front of the nursery. Tall and pretty, April had always had her eye on him, but his bear would have nothing to do with her. She stalked toward them, her glare never leaving Nichole.

  “Hello, April.”

  “Hi. Who’s the human?”

  Trey growled, but Nichole tightened her grip on his hand before offering her other hand to April. “Name’s Nichole.”

  April didn’t shake her hand. Instead, she glanced to Trey and smirked. “I enjoyed our time together the other night.”

  When she reached for him, he gripped her wrist and snarled. “I helped my brothers move furniture into your apartment. That’s it.” He shoved her back. Jealous bitch. “Nichole is my fated mate. You will show her respect.”

  With a gentle tug of Nichole’s hand, he turned away from the female and headed back to his home. “Please stay away from her.”

  “What is her problem?”

  “She’s jealous. One by one, my brothers have turned her down. I’m her next chase.” He stopped and faced her. “April is manipulative. She likes to start trouble, and I wouldn’t put it past her to tell you lies.”

  Nichole glanced at the female briefly, then into his eyes. “I’ve never understood people like that.”

  He shrugged. “Me neither. April wasn’t born into the Pack. She moved here from the Rocky Mountains about ten years ago. Everything was great; she adjusted well to my father’s law. Then we started having issues with a few of the surrounding Packs.”

  “What type of trouble?” Nichole’s tone was curious and held a hint of concern.

  His pride swelled.

  “There is a shifter war going on, mainly between the big cats and wolves. My father, with the help of our Pack Elder, has worked hard to keep us out of it. Yet we are not without our own enemies.” He paused and considered dropping the subject. April always found a way to get under his skin, but Nichole had a right to know.

  “April invited one of our enemies into the den without the Alpha’s permission. Normally, the punishment for her actions would have been to ship her back to her Pack. But April swore she didn’t know that the male was our enemy, and Anthony talked Father into leniency.” Trey snorted. He hadn’t liked April the moment they’d met. There was just something…not right about her.

  Nichole stared at him, her eyes narrowing slightly. “What else did she do?”

  His mate was too intuitive at times, but Trey like that about her. “April and my mother were taking a group of young bears on their first hunt a few months ago. A one of the boys wandered off, and my mother left the group to search for him. Instead of calling her back when the boy showed up, April decided to take them back to the den.”

  He fisted his hands at the memory before continuing. “Mom got caught in a hunter’s trap. The only reason we found her was through the mating link between my parents. Dad felt her pain and instantly went to find her.”

  Nichole frowned and her cheeks colored as if she were angry. “That was irresponsible of April.”

  “Yeah, but she swore she thought my mother was right behind her. Anthony put her on watch, warning her that the next incident would get her a ticket straight back to the Rockies.” Stopping at his front door, he caressed her cheek. “Stay away from her. Don’t listen to anything she tells you. Please.”

  Nichole leaned into his touch. “I can sense lies. Don’t worry about me going near her. She’s not the type of person I like to hang out with anyway.”

  His lips tugged into a smile. “Good. I think she’s crazy.”

  The corners of her lips twitched, but he didn’t press her to speak her mind. He’d made a promise to allow her to make her own decision. Damn, it was going to be hard to let her go think it over for a day.

  Chapter Eight

  Nichole wiped her clammy hands on her jeans and tried like hell to stop them from trembling. She was nervous. “What is your dad like?”

  Trey slipped his phone into his pocket and met her gaze. With a slow sensual smile, he stepped closer to her and took her hands in his. “You have nothing to worry about.”

  Narrowing her gaze on him, she watched how his irises darkened slightly, although she didn’t sense a lie from him. “That’s not answering my question.”

  “He’s intense on his best days but will never do anything to upset his mate.”

  She released a breath she didn’t realize she’d
been holding. “Thank you for being honest.”

  A chuckle rumbled from his chest and he linked their fingers together and tugged her to the door. “He also hates to be kept waiting, so we need to go. Now.”

  Her heart rate kicked up a few more beats per second. He stopped, faced her, and pressed his lips to hers. Heat spread within her like wildfire. He drew back and cradled her face. “He will love you. The Alpha of any Pack knows a true mating and will not stand in the way of fate.”

  True mating. She wished she were as sure as he was. Nodding, she smiled. “Okay. I’m calm. A little.”

  He smiled as he shook his head and tugged her down the dirt path toward the small village-like town in the middle of the forest.

  His parents’ house wasn’t much bigger than Trey’s. Nichole wasn’t sure what she had expected. Maybe a large, elegant home? This was cozy. Red brick covered the exterior with white trim and shutters. A wraparound porch gave the home a comforting feel.

  She followed Trey to the front door and entered when he opened the door. Madison was the first to greet them, drawing Nichole into a tight hug.

  “Dinner is almost ready.” Madison glanced at Trey, a hint of concern in her gaze. “Donovan is in the living room with your brothers and father.”

  Trey frowned briefly before kissing Nichole on the cheek. When he moved toward the other room, Nichole gripped his hand. “What is it?”

  “Alpha business.”

  Madison looped an arm with Nichole. “Come help me get the table set.”

  Glancing at the older woman, who didn’t look a day over forty, Nichole gave a short nod and allowed Trey’s mom to lead her into the kitchen.

  Tiffany stood at a small island in the middle of the room with a pink apron on and flour dusting her cheeks and forehead. “Hi, Nichole.”

  “Hi. What are you making?”

  “Truffles.”

  So that wasn’t flour, but powdered sugar. Nichole held in a smile. “I love truffles.”

  “I know. Connie told me.”

  “What else did my witchy BFF tell you?”

  A grin formed on Tiffany’s face. “Lots of stuff.”

  “Tiffany, behave,” Madison said as she handed a stack of plates to Nichole. “We’re doing buffet style.”

  Nichole glanced to the table in the dining room through the archway on the other side of the kitchen. A few items had already been placed. With a nod, she took the plates and carried them to the table. A moment later, Trey wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her neck.

  “Don wants to meet you.”

  “What?” she turned in his arms and froze at the large, bearded man standing behind Trey.

  “I’m Donovan. Trey says you’re an accountant.”

  “Um, I’ve done some bookkeeping.” She glanced to Trey.

  Donovan nodded. “Good enough. Can you start on Monday?”

  She opened her mouth, then closed it. Glee filled her chest. “Sure.”

  “Good. I’ll see you at The Claw, Monday at 10:00 AM.” Then the large bear moved to Madison and kissed her cheek before leaving the house.

  What the hell just happened? She got a job, that’s what. And would soon have her own money.

  “I see my son is trying to keep you to himself.” The low rumble of Trey’s father’s voice flowed over her like warm silk.

  “Hello, Mr. Black.”

  One dark brow lifted a moment before a deep chuckle left his lips. “Please, call me Elijah. Then, when you make your decision, call me Dad.”

  Her chest tightened while a smile lifted her lips. “I will.”

  Trey nudged her with his shoulder, then whispered, “He’s a big teddy bear.”

  She giggled but moved aside when Madison and Tiffany set out the rest of the food.

  “Let’s eat,” Tiffany said with a smile. “Nichole can learn all about Trey growing up.”

  Laughing at Trey’s scowl, Nichole played along. “That sounds fun.”

  ***

  “You weren’t joking when you said you were always in trouble.”

  Trey let out a low, playful growl that made his mate giggle. “My family will someday pay for embarrassing me.”

  Nichole hugged him tightly as they walked down the path to the stream. “Family is good like that. At least you have them.”

  Her voice cracked at the last statement. Coming to a stop, he turned her to face him and cradled her head. “Have you tried to reach out to your parents?”

  She sighed. “Yes, about twice a year. Each time it’s the same. My mother refuses to talk to me, and my dad isn’t any better. He sides with her. It doesn’t matter anymore. I have Connie.”

  Fury at how her parents had cast her out threatened to surface. He squashed it down and offered a gentle smile. “You also have my family. It’s probably for the best anyway.”

  “What do you mean?”

  He held her hand and began walking again. “When we form the bond, you’ll stop aging and take my lifespan. You’d have to cut yourself out of your family’s lives anyway because I don’t think they’d accept you being mated to a bear.”

  “You’re right. They wouldn’t.” Her mouth dipped slightly, then lifted just as quickly. “But I’m okay with it. I’ve been on my own for a very long time.”

  He leaned in and kissed her nose. “I can’t imagine what it would be like to not have my parents’ support. I’m sorry you don’t.”

  Crinkling her nose up, she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’m seriously okay with it. I learned a long time ago not to depend on them. I love who I’ve become.”

  “Even if it’s a sexy, curvy girl on the mend from a broken heart?”

  A laugh burst from her lips. “Yes. I was being a whiny drama queen.”

  Hope flooded his senses. “So you’ve made your choice?”

  “Not so fast.” She placed a finger to his lips, and he wanted to suck the digit into his mouth. “I get twenty-four hours to think about things without your charm making it impossible to think. Remember.”

  “That’s not me, it’s the bear.”

  Her smile widened and she rolled her eyes. “Sure, blame it on the bear.”

  “True story.”

  “Uh huh.” She sucked in her bottom lip and averted her gaze. Her scent spike slightly indicating that she was nervous about something.

  Studying her closer, he touched her chin with a finger, then gently turned her head toward him. “What is it?”

  “I…um…Can I see him?”

  His bear clawed at him in a hell yes, eager to meet her, to have her fingers in his fur. “Of course. Stay here.”

  After taking several steps away from her, he removed his shirt and jeans. Her apparent arousal as she stared at his naked form made him groan. Nudity was a natural part of life for shifters, but in front of one’s mate… Well, it was hard to focus. Closing his eyes, he pushed away the urge to take her right there and called his bear.

  The shift was always quick. Especially for those descended from the Alpha bloodline. His bear surfaced, taking over his mind and body. A flash of grey and silver entered his mind right before his view of the world altered to that of the bear’s.

  Nichole stood frozen a few feet away, her hand over her mouth. “Wow. You are beautiful. And huge.”

  Trey laughed. Although to Nichole it most likely sounded like a growl. When he didn’t smell fear on her, he eased closer. God he wished he could talk to her in this form. No, that talent was reserved for family only.

  “Can you understand me?” she asked, then laughed. “Sorry. Of course, you can.”

  Amused, he continued forward until he was inches from her. Relief flooded him when she reached out and threaded her fingers through the fur on the top of his head. He nudged her hand and moved closer.

  Damn if he didn’t want to rub against her like a damned cat.

  Unable to stand it any longer, he shifted back to human and hugged her ag
ainst him. “I want to be selfish and not share you with the bear right now. My hunger for you is too strong.”

  Her cool hands rested on his chest. “I know. It’s hard to think.”

  “It’s the mating dance—very confusing and amazing all in one.”

  She drew her brows together and made small circles with her finger under his collarbone. “Your twenty-four hours is up.”

  He let out a sigh. “I was hoping to distract you into staying another night. But a deal is a deal. Unless…”

  The moonlight kissed her face as she lifted her gaze back to his. “I’d love to stay another night, then another. Yet, I’m confused, overwhelmed, happy… I need to think.”

  “I know. It’s going to be rough not seeing you for the next twenty-four hours, but I promised.” He stepped away and took her hand. “Come on, I’ll get dressed and take you home. Unless I can persuade you to stay and watch my brothers and I jam tonight.”

  Her eyes widened. “I think I might be persuaded.”

  He snaked an arm around her, drawing her closer. “Then stay one more night. I promise to wake you before the sun rises to take you home.”

  When she hesitated, he raised a brow. Concern rushed through him, cooling his blood. “What is it?”

  “You are too good to be true.”

  His heart swelled with joy. “My mate deserves only the best.”

  Her laugh was light. She opened her mouth, then closed it. Their gazes locked for a few moments and he wondered what she was thinking. Her scent didn’t betray anything other than tiredness and confusion.

  “I know I told you once your twenty-four hours starts, if I didn’t hear from you I’d leave you alone. I can’t do that unless I hear you tell me to.”

  “Fair enough.” She wrapped her arms around him. “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “Showing me I’m beautiful and giving me an amazing day.”

  There are more of those days to come. He didn’t say the words out loud. No, he didn’t want to scare her off, or point out that she’d already made up her mind. Only she could convince herself of that.