by Lola Gabriel
“Maybe. Well, then I guess the dream ends here for both of us.” Noah nodded, his face serious. Raina laughed and nudged him. “Oh, come on. It could be worse. I reckon as consolation prizes go, I’m not that bad.”
“Shit, sorry, Raina. I didn’t mean to make you feel like you’re some sort of consolation prize.”
Raina laughed, a musical sound that Noah couldn’t resist. and he felt himself laughing with her.
“Seriously, Noah, you’re either going to have to get used to my sense of humor, or you’re going to spend a lot of time apologizing.”
They finished their drinks and had one more, the conversation becoming more lighthearted again. When they finished their drinks, they stood up to leave.
“I’ll walk you home,” Noah said to Raina.
“Ah, such a gentleman,” Raina joked. Noah shook his head and laughed. “See, that’s better,” she said.
They left the bar and began walking towards Raina’s place.
“You live near me?” Noah asked. “I’m in an apartment on Fuller Place.”
“I’m a couple of blocks over, on Brewer Street,” Raina said, and they began to walk in a comfortable silence.
As arranged matings go, Noah thought to himself, this could indeed have been a lot worse. Raina was funny, easy to talk to, pretty. Yeah, it definitely could have been a lot worse.
He was pulled from his thoughts when he heard a gasp in front of him. He looked up, and his eyes met a familiar hazel pair. His heart skipped a beat when he realized he was looking into the face of his past.
Chessa was standing before him, her gaze locked on his. She had barely changed. Her eyes held the same sparkle. Her lips looked every bit as kissable as they always had been. Even just looking at them, Noah could almost taste their sweetness. Her body had filled out a little, giving her hips a sensuous curve that made Noah’s cock twitch and his inner beast growl inside of him. Her brown hair had red streaks now, and it was longer than he remembered it to be, but there was no mistaking her.
“Chessa?” Noah said. “What… what are you doing here?”
His words broke the spell, and Chessa pulled her gaze from his. She turned and ran from Noah.
“That’s her? Chessa?” Raina asked, her voice jolting Noah from his stupor.
“I… Yeah.”
“Go after her!”
“I can’t.”
“Yeah, you can!” Rain grabbed Noah’s wrist and turned him to face her. Her eyes were shining with excitement. “Don’t you get it? Fate is bringing you two back together. Somehow, Chessa has been brought back to you because fate knows you belong together, and it’s now or never.”
“Y-you really think so?” Noah stammered, hardly daring to let himself hope Raina could be right.
“I know so!” Raina grinned. “Now go get your girl! If anyone asks, I’ll say you spent the night at my place, keep them off the scent.”
“You would do that for me?” Noah asked.
Raina shrugged. “Sure.”
“Will you be okay getting home?”
“Noah.” She laughed. “I’m a two-hundred-and-fifty-year-old bear. I think I’ll be just fine.”
On a whim, Noah pulled Raina into a quick embrace.
“Thank you!” he shouted back to her as he ran after Chessa, his heart racing once more.
4
Chessa had been back in town for almost a week. Her mom was home from the hospital, and Chessa was pleased that Lexi hadn’t just been trying to make her feel better when she had said her mom would make a full recovery. Her doctors had confirmed it, and Ally had been discharged with some medication and a booklet containing dietary advice. After that, Chessa was pretty much on her own with it.
The hardest part of caring for her mom, Chessa had found, was trying to get her to relax and take it easy. Ally had always been an active person, always on the go, and bedrest didn’t sit well with her. Chessa had begged and pleaded with her to heed the doctor’s advice, and reluctantly, she had given in, although Chessa knew it was more to appease her than anything else. Still, a win was a win, and Chessa would take any win she could get if it meant her mom got better quicker.
They spent their days sitting on Ally’s bed, watching old movies, playing cards, or reading. Chessa cooked and cleaned and generally tried to keep herself busy while her mom napped or when she was ready to go to bed for the night. It scared Chessa to see her so tired all the time, but she kept reminding herself that the doctor had told her this was normal, and that it would pass after a couple of weeks. He had said it was the body’s natural healing mechanism.
Tonight, Ally had taken her pills and had been ready for sleep by eight. Chessa had gone downstairs and tried to read, but she couldn’t concentrate, and instead, she had switched on the TV. That was no better. Chessa couldn’t focus on anything, and the longer she sat in the armchair, the more restless she became. When she could stand it no more, she crept upstairs and checked on her mom. Her quiet snores told Chessa she was out for the count.
She left her a scrawled note in case she woke up, telling her to call her if she needed anything, and then she slipped her feet into her sneakers and pulled on her jacket before quietly sneaking out of the house. She just needed to clear her head, and she figured a nice walk in the cool air would help her much more than sitting in the stuffy house.
She walked slowly, a casual stroll with no real destination in mind. She recognized most of the buildings she passed. Very little had changed since she had left the town, though there were a few new shops and bars dotted around.
The streets were quiet, and Chessa found her thoughts drifting to her future and what she was going to do once her mother was well again. She was no further forward with making a decision about her career, and she knew why, even if she hated to admit it to herself. Coming back here had reawakened something in her; something that fit her. She felt like she had come home, and she was starting to seriously consider sticking around.
She had been walking for around twenty minutes when she realized that the building on her left was her old high school. She hadn’t been paying any attention to where her feet were taking her, and they had immediately traced out an old, familiar route. She paused and looked at the building, a smile playing over her lips as she remembered the good times she’d had in the school, the memories she had made with her friends and with…
Chessa left the thought unfinished, pulling her jacket tightly around herself and crossing her arms, trying to keep the memories out. She hurried away from the high school, taking a little more notice of her surroundings now.
She turned a corner and she let out a gasp when she saw two people heading towards her. She froze, a deer caught in headlights. The figures were unmistakable, even in the dark broken up only by the fluorescent orange streetlights, the moon hidden behind thick clouds.
Noah. And the mystery blonde from her dream.
Noah had barely changed. He had always been toned, and Chessa could see his tight abs and hard pecs through his t-shirt. Her body responded to Noah the way it always had. She felt her center getting wet, her clit tingling. Her eyes made their way up to Noah’s face. His brown eyes held hers, his gaze sending shivers through her body and holding her in place, just like they always had.
Her feelings remained the same, Noah remained the same, but everything else had changed. There was no mistaking the girl from her dream. It hadn’t been a sign Chessa was coming home to face her past. It had been real—literal. Noah was dating the blonde girl. Maybe he was already married to her.
“Chessa?” Noah said questioningly, like he wasn’t quite sure she was real. “What… what are you doing here?”
His words broke Chessa out of the spell she’d been in, and she turned and ran from him in the direction she had come from, with no real destination in mind. She just had to get away from him. She couldn’t bear to stand there, making polite conversation with him, being introduced to the blonde stranger and having to make small talk with her.
Chessa knew her reaction was irrational. It had been nine years. Of course Noah had moved on. It wasn’t his fault that she hadn’t. She was aware, on a rational level, that seeing Noah with the blonde girl shouldn’t bother her, but it bothered her all the same.
She stopped running, her breath coming in fast pants that sent white plumes up in front of her face. She kept walking briskly, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill down her face.
Why didn’t I just go to bed? Why did I have to come out here?
She heard footsteps coming up behind her, and she heard Noah shouting her name. She debated running again, but it would be pointless. Noah was a bear. If he wanted to catch up to her, it wouldn’t be hard for him, no matter how fast she ran.
His footsteps were getting closer, yet Chessa still kept walking. Even if she couldn’t outrun him, she could ignore him. She wasn’t ready to face her past after all, it seemed.
Before she had a chance to steel herself, Noah was beside her. He fell into step with her.
“Chessa, please. Just talk to me,” he pleaded. “It’s been so long. I just want to talk to you, to see how you’ve been.”
Chessa wished he would just take the hint and go away and leave her alone. Didn’t the fact that she wasn’t responding to him, wasn’t even slowing down, tell him anything?
“Chessa, please,” Noah said again.
He had every right to have moved on from her after nine years. And Chessa would have to face him eventually. It might as well be now. As much as the thoughts filled her head, she couldn’t quite bring herself to speak. She didn’t know what to say, and she was afraid that Noah would hear the heartbreak in her voice if she found the words to say to him.
Noah reached out and caught her wrist.
“Please,” he repeated. His voice was quiet, and Chessa could hear the hurt in it. He had moved on, that much was clear, but she was being cold and cruel, something that had never sat well with her. She allowed Noah to pull her to a stop. She turned to him with no idea what to say.
Chessa didn’t have to think for long. She didn’t have to think at all. As she turned to face Noah, he dropped her wrist and pulled her into his arms. Before she knew what was happening, she felt his warm lips on hers. She should push him away, but his mouth still fit hers like they were meant to be together. He still tasted of sugar and spices. His arms wrapped around her still felt like home. She felt her lips responding to Noah’s kiss. Her arms wrapped around him of their own accord.
Sparks flew through Chessa’s body, lighting her up and making her pussy clench. She pressed herself against Noah, feeling his chest muscles against her breasts, his cock hard against her stomach.
His hands moved up and down Chessa’s back, spreading warmth where they touched and making her skin tingle. His tongue moved into her mouth, wrapping around her tongue, claiming her mouth as his. She gave herself to him willingly, wanting to be claimed by him, wanting to be his once more. Chessa moved her hands up beneath Noah’s t-shirt, feeling his tight muscles, his soft skin. He moaned into her mouth as her fingers lightly moved over him.
Suddenly, Chessa saw a flash of the blonde girl. What the hell was she doing?
She jumped away from Noah, pulling her hands back to her sides. He looked at her, his expression hurt. Chessa felt a spark of anger. He was the one cheating on his girlfriend, and he had the nerve to look hurt because she had stopped it?
“That shouldn’t have happened,” she stated.
“Why not?” Noah demanded. He held her gaze with his. She could see the brown of his eyes darkening, the lust for her awakening the beast in him.
“Because you have a girlfriend, Noah! And it’s wrong!”
“What? I don’t— Oh,” Noah replied.
“Yeah. Oh.”
“She’s not my girlfriend, Chess,” he said. “Not really. None of this is what it looks like. Let me explain.”
Chessa shook her head, although hearing him say her name sent shivers through her body. Seeing his eyes darkening just looking at her made her want to forget her morals and just have him claim her.
“You don’t have to explain yourself to me, Noah. It’s been nine years.”
“And one hundred and seventy-three days.”
“You kept a count of the days?” Chessa asked, incredulous.
“Nah, but it sounded good, didn’t it?” Noah grinned.
Chessa saw the playful light in his eyes, the way the skin around his eyes crinkled when he laughed. She felt some of the tension leave her body, and she gave a soft laugh.
“Seriously, Chessa. It’s been a long time. Too long. And I know I don’t have to explain myself to you. But I want to.”
“What’s the point, Noah?”
“Because there might be a way.”
“Don’t.”
“If you can look me in the eye and tell me that what we had is not still there, that our kiss didn’t make you feel anything, then I’ll walk away right now. But if you can’t do that, then please give me a chance to explain.”
Chessa looked him in the eye, ready to tell him she hadn’t felt a thing. She opened her mouth, but the words wouldn’t come out. Instead, she just sighed and shook her head a little.
“See? You felt it, too. I know you did,” Noah said. He took Chessa’s hand, and she let him, enjoying the sparks that flew through her palm and up her arm at his touch. She allowed him to lead her back towards town. They walked for a few minutes until they came to a wooden bench. Noah sat down, and Chessa sat down beside him. He turned to her, a serious look on his face.
“Raina, the girl you saw me with,” he began. “She’s not my girlfriend as such. Tonight is the first time I’ve met her. My father is done waiting for me to choose a mate, so he arranged for me to marry her. She’s a bear.”
“So you’ll be able to have children with her,” Chessa said.
“Yes. But that’s not the point. The point is that I’m not into Raina. I… I’ve never been into anyone since the day you broke my heart.”
“I’m sorry, Noah. I never wanted to hurt you. But it was for the best. You must see that.” Noah shrugged, and Chessa went on. “Raina might not be your girlfriend, but it sounds kind of like she might be your fiancé. What would she think if she knew what had just happened?”
Noah gave a soft laugh that surprised her. “She’s a bit of a romantic. She’d be so happy she was right.”
His answer left Chessa confused. “What do you mean?”
“She doesn’t want this marriage any more than I do, Chess,” he answered. “She believes in soul mates and true love. I told her about you tonight, and how I’ve never stopped loving you. When we ran into you, you know what she said?”
Chessa shook her head, trying to make sense of everything Noah was telling her.
“She said fate was intervening,” he continued. “That it brought you back because it knew time was running out. She said we had to find a way, and that I had to come after you.”
Chessa felt slightly better about kissing Noah now that she knew Raina had been the one to send him after her. It sounded like Raina was looking for a way out of the promised mating with him, too. While it made her feel better to know she hadn’t kissed someone else’s boyfriend, it didn’t change a thing between her and Noah.
“That’s a nice thought, but I came back because my mom had a heart attack, and she needs someone to care for her,” Chessa said.
“What? Oh, no, I’m so sorry, Chess. I had no idea.”
“It’s fine,” she replied. “She’ll be fine. She just has to rest. But getting her to slow down a bit is damned hard work.”
“Oh, I can imagine. Ally was never one for being looked after. She was always the one looking after everyone else.”
“Tell me about it. I went for a shower yesterday, and when I got out, she was making lunch. She’s not even supposed to be out of bed.”
Noah laughed and shook his head.
“Anyway, I should get back. I neede
d to get out and get some fresh air, but I shouldn’t really leave her alone like this for too long,” Chessa said. She stood up. “It was good to see you again, Noah.”
She started to walk away, feeling the emptiness inside of herself that she had fought for years to ignore. She heard Noah coming up behind her.
“I’ll walk with you,” he said. It would be pointless to argue with him.
“So, you and Raina. You complete the mating ceremony, have a baby, and then what? You walk away from each other?”
“No,” Noah answered. “Bears mate for life, Chess. We’ll spend eternity together.”
Chessa felt her stomach turn over at the thought of it, but she told herself again it didn’t matter. She and Noah couldn’t be together. He might as well be with Raina as alone. But knowing that once they completed the ceremony, it was forever made it feel so final.
“But neither of you want that?” Chessa asked.
“Exactly,” Noah confirmed. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, from what I’ve seen of her tonight, she’s a nice girl. But there’s no chemistry between us. And Raina has held out from being mated for over two centuries because she was waiting for true love. It’s kind of sad that she’ll lose her chance of it. Then again, I found my true love, and I’m still no better off than her, really. Maybe it’s even worse for me, because I know what I’m missing out on.”
“Noah, stop,” Chessa said.
“I know, I know, it can’t happen and all that jazz. It doesn’t change how I feel about you, though.”
“It doesn’t change how I feel, either,” Chessa admitted.
“You still feel it?”
“Of course I still feel it,” she said sadly. “I didn’t walk away from you because I didn’t love you, Noah. I walked away from you because I loved you enough to let you go and be happy.”
Noah gave a bitter sounding laugh. “And look how that turned out.”
Chessa ignored the comment, afraid of what she might say, afraid she might tell him it had been a mistake. They walked the rest of the way in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. They reached the gate of her mom’s house.
