“MMMMM!” Esme exclaimed.
“So, what gives with the drop-in and coffee?” Maylee asked between giving Esme another bite and taking a sip of her coffee.
Alanna shot Wyatt a look that Ellis read as plainly as if she stood on the table and said it outright. Whatever else came out of her mouth could be true, too, but the primary motivation was the check on their little household. He didn’t know who was the bigger concern, him or Maylee. Maybe it was a split decision.
“Atticus admitted over breakfast that he has a girlfriend,” Alanna teased. “So we want to give him a trial by fire into the ways of parenthood. You know, scare him into never dating again. Standard operating procedure.”
“Of course,” Maylee said blandly. “Makes sense.”
Atticus rolled his eyes. “I’ve helped with Sienna.”
Alanna laughed as Wyatt wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “Oh, my sweet, sweet boy. You have zero idea what torture awaits when you have a cub.”
“Is that how you thought of me? Torture?”
“And it still continues to this very day.”
Atticus glared at his mother and shrugged out of his father’s grasp. “It’s not like we’re doing anything,” he grumbled. “We just like to hang out and listen to music.”
Wyatt grunted. “Damn right. We’ll be having ‘the talk’ before you change your mind about feminine wiles. They’re tricky, those ladies.”
He grinned into both Alanna and Maylee’s narrowed eyes.
“So long story short,” Alanna redirected back to Maylee, “we wanted to see if you wanted a babysitter today.”
Ellis waited for her to issue a denial. She’d allowed Noelle to babysit in the back of Dark Horse, then at her and Jensen’s home. But those times were limited to when she had a shift. Otherwise, she stayed within hearing range of the little cub.
After everything she’d told him the night before, he didn’t blame her in the slightest.
Indecision crossed Maylee’s face before she nodded. “Okay,” she said, then repeated more firmly, “Okay. What time should we pick her up?”
We? We.
Two letters buzzed through his brain and made his wolf rumble with pleasure. The beast liked seeing her integrate into the pack and show trust with the others.
He also liked the idea of getting her alone.
“Let’s plan for four? We can even do an early dinner before Wyatt has his shift tonight. And we’ll call if there’s any trouble.”
Just like that, the whirlwind that blew into his den blew right back out. Atticus was given a turn with feeding Esme while Maylee put together her diaper bag with far too many supplies in Ellis’s opinion, and not nearly enough in Maylee’s.
When the door finally closed behind them, Ellis rolled his shoulders and stared. The quiet was overwhelming after the sudden interruption.
And Maylee’s heart beat too loud.
His wolf rolled through him, brushing fur against his brain and shoving too many sendings at him to comprehend. Too many focused on the woman locked inside with him—or maybe he was locked in with her. Every last one of them left a lasting impression.
Mate.
He wasn’t worthy of her. He’d been too bad for too long, and trying to figure out his new role outside of a motorcycle club turned him inside out. He didn’t know where he belonged or how to stay there after so many years on the road.
But she made him want to plant some roots just like Jensen and Wyatt had done for their mates and pups.
Ellis slid a look to the woman. “Grab a jacket.”
She turned to him, eyebrows drawn down. “Are you kicking me out?”
“I told you last night, I will keep you both safe. You stay as long as you like,” he answered quietly. Heat blossomed on her cheeks and he forced himself to look away before crossing the living room and pressing his lips to hers again. “I’m feeling cooped up and need the open road. Will you please come with me?”
He expected more of a fight. Instead, she cocked her head for a second. “Okay.”
Chapter 12
Ellis obeyed traffic laws for as long as they were inside Redwater proper. Outside, on the lonely stretches of road that ran between the small town and Yellowstone, he pushed the engine to its limits.
Maylee didn’t squeal or complain or do anything but cling to him harder as the land streaked by in a blur.
Ellis’s wolf howled at her warmth pressed against his back. Heat slid along his veins and wrapped around his bones. His heartbeat paired up with the steady drum pounding against his gut. Together, the organ seemed to declare right along with his inner beast. They were in this together.
He slowed again further into the park. He wanted to share the place with Maylee. Not that it was private by any means. Coming or going, the road belonged to anyone with a set of wheels, but the access near Redwater wasn’t as popular as the main entrances.
For him? The views weren’t to be missed, even late in the year. The wind crisped the air, even more with the bike slicing through as the roar of the engine bounced off the terrain. The colors were turning, taking the green grasses to yellows and oranges right along with some leaves while other proud trees stood firm against the changing season with a wicked refusal to let their green fade away.
But even that didn’t compare to the spot he’d begun to consider his.
He turned off the main road and puttered down a small dirt track. When that ran out, he cut the engine and helped Maylee to her feet.
“There’s a viewpoint not far from here,” he said.
His hand landed on the small of her back to direct her forward. Warmth spread through his palm and washed languidly up his arm. His wolf stretched inside him at the heat Maylee brought to life.
She didn’t move away. Ellis matched his pace to her shorter steps and they hiked side-by-side the rest of the way.
He knew they were close by the change in the wind and the scents that blew his way. They were cleaner than the forest around them. Bigger and bolder.
Ellis broke through the last of the tree line first, then spun around to fix Maylee’s reaction in his memory.
She came to a stop, then slowly approached the ledge where he stood. A hand rose to shield her eyes. Under the shade, he watched her scan the horizon.
“Wow,” she whispered.
The edge of the world fell away from them, alternating in gradual slopes and sharp drops. Below, the road twisted in the valleys between hills and patches of trees. Larger peaks rose up around them, but this little stretch offered a sense of peace in a bigger tapestry.
With all the shit facing them, he hoped the trip would offer her the same.
Ellis rolled his shoulders. His wolf brushed fur against his mind, the stroke soothing and aggravating all at once. The beast wanted to turn his face into the wind and run on four paws.
Surprisingly, the urge circled back to where they stood. He didn’t have the restless need to take off and never look back. He wanted to make a stand with the woman next to him.
Scars for scars. She told him what made her tick. He had to own up to his past, too.
“I don’t like liars, feel me?”
Maylee dropped her arm and turned to face him. Shoulders straight, eyes on him, she faced whatever he had to say. “And I lied. I understand.”
“No, it’s—” Ellis looked out over the scenery. Jagged hills and outcroppings offered places for shifters to run and hide. Not him. Not anymore. The past wasn’t happy staying behind him. It had gunned forward down the long stretch of road that made up his life and hung out in his side mirror, threatening to overtake him.
“I had a girlfriend a long, long time ago who I thought would eventually be my mate. She cheated on me with my brother, so I know all about how family and pack dynamics can leave lasting scars. I’ve locked myself down pretty hard since then because I didn’t like who I was when I blew up at them. I grew up with everyone giving me the side-eye anytime I acted just a little bit angry. Then to
prove them all right, that I was just a big, mindless, force of destruction killed me.” He spread his hands wide. “But you... you don’t make me feel that way.”
“So you’re righteous in your anger when you look at me?” Her mouth pressed into a thin line and all the sweetness in her scent turned cold and hard.
Ellis passed a hand down his face. He didn’t know how to put into words what he wanted to say. “No. I’m saying you don’t flinch when you look at me. You don’t flinch when you see anything that needs work. If something needs doing, you push up your sleeves and get to it.”
She was perfect. Strong. She’d given him access to her most precious secrets.
He had to keep her and Esme safe. Allowing Dustin or any of his fuckwad clan take them back was beyond the pale.
Maybe things came more naturally to Jensen and Wyatt. Maybe not. Esme wasn’t his like Sienna and Atticus were bound by blood to their fathers, but she was no less deserving of the life her mother wanted to give her. And mother was exactly what Maylee was to the girl.
If he wanted any part of that, he had to cast off the old hurts and pains.
“What are you saying?” she asked.
“I’m saying,” Ellis swept an arm across the landscape, “this is yours. For as long as you want to stay in Redwater, this is your place, just as much as mine.”
The unspoken I’m yours hung between them. As strong as she was, she’d also been through too much. He had to stick by her side and let her see he wasn’t like the others who’d hurt her and ripped her family apart. He had to convince her that he wasn’t a liar.
Maylee turned back to the scenery. The small twitch of her lips upward gave him hope. She didn’t run. Didn’t fight him or try to push him away.
His wolf howled in victory. He could pin his hopes on a small smile and a stretch of quiet, just as long as she didn’t talk herself out of letting him close.
Ellis squinted at her. Fuck, with the sun behind her and rays dancing in her hair, she looked like an angel. “How long has it been since you last shifted?”
She blinked at him, confusion swirling in her scent. “Does it matter?”
“I bet since before you took on the care and raising of Esme. Am I warm?”
“Burning hot,” she muttered, red flushing her cheeks.
He shoved out of his jacket and reached a hand over his shoulder to draw off his shirt. “Come on,” he said from between the fabric. He shook back his hair as soon as he was free. “Let’s shift. It’ll do you some good.”
Her eyes swept over his chest. More red brushed over her cheeks. Her lips parted under the darting tip of her tongue.
Fuck yeah, pride straightened his spine and puffed out his chest. She could work him over with those baby blues every second of the day.
She slowly shook her head. “We should get back on the road.”
“We’re not supposed to meet Alanna and Wyatt until this afternoon.” His hands went to his belt. “I’m going for a run. You can sit up here or you can join me. Your choice.”
Maylee scrunched up her face in irritation, but her scent prickled with excitement. “Okay, fine. But only because you’re my ride and I’m not sitting up here alone while you run around the woods.”
Ellis chuckled. “If that’s all it takes to get you to agree to things, I’ll strand you more often.”
“Shut up and strip down, wolf,” she griped, her words at odds with the amusement tinging her scent.
Ellis twisted around to give her some privacy. When he heard the rustling of clothes being shed, he kicked out of his boots and dropped his jeans.
His wolf jumped forward in a burst of cracks and pops. He dropped to the ground as muscles and bones rearranged his shape. Claws pricked out of his darkened fingertips and fangs pierced his gums.
Darkness descended as one shape shifted into the other.
Out on the other side, the wolf gave a great shake of his body to settle his fur and spun around.
A large bear stood in front of him. Honey-blonde fur covered her body, darker than her regular hair and just as pretty in the sunlight.
Only one word came to his mind as he watched her reacquaint herself with four legs.
Beautiful.
* * *
The bear stretched forward and worked her long claws into the dirt beneath her paws. An earthy aroma puffed into the air and tickled her nose. Pleased rumbles vibrated in her chest.
She’d been locked into two legs for too long. Four and fur were better. They were stronger. No one would take their cub while they had claws and fangs to defend.
The other half of her stepped forward. The bear was tempted to shove the other aside and run long and fast until her limbs grew tired. Except... the cub needed them both.
Grudgingly, the bear made room for the other. Thoughts and needs flowed back and forth, mixing them together until they were once again two halves of the same whole.
After a long blink, the wolf stepped forward. She dragged down his woodsy scent as he slowly circled her. When his back was turned, she clipped a leg out from under him.
He spun around almost faster than she could track and nipped her ear, then took off into the trees.
Maylee rushed after him. He was faster, springing in one direction, then another. Anytime he got too far ahead, he either waited for her or dashed back around to try nipping at her again. It became a game to see how close he could get before she swiped a paw at him or snapped her own jaws at his sides.
She’d never felt so wild and free. Even back when the other piece of her heart still breathed, they’d always watched what they did around others bigger and stronger than themselves.
Ellis didn’t require her to make herself small. He wanted her to be herself.
The forest grew quiet. Maylee stopped in her rushing from one spot to another and slowly turned around.
The dappled grey wolf sat back on his haunches, tongue hanging from the side of his mouth. His wolfish grin grew as his gold eyes met hers.
She was caught in his stare as his shape began to shimmer. Wolf turned to man, until Ellis lifted his head.
His eyes still glowed.
“Gorgeous, powerful bear,” he groaned. “Didn’t expect anything less from such a strong woman.”
He pushed to his feet. His thick, powerful thighs flexed as slow steps carried him across the distance between them, stealing the air from her lungs one step at a time.
Magnetic. Hypnotizing. His eyes kept her locked in place.
“Those fuckers don’t stand a chance of putting you back in a cage. You’re not meant for that life. You need to be free.”
His words stroked over her, the same as his hands. Rough. Ragged. Desperate for the connection. She leaned into his touch as he continued.
“Shift for me, beautiful. I want to see all of you.”
Alarms clanged in the far corners of her mind, but the bear simply sank down in utter cooperation. Ellis wasn’t a threat. He wasn’t the danger that threatened to hurt her and the cub. He could be trusted to help.
He was their—
Maylee shook off the thought before the bear could finish. Ellis wasn’t Dustin, that much was clear. She even trusted him. She liked that he’d shown her a piece of himself.
Admitting to anything else, though, even to herself, felt like tempting fate.
He slid his fingers into her fur. Warmth whipped down her spine as she leaned harder into him. “Shift,” he urged again.
The bear stepped back at the same time Maylee stepped forward.
The scent of the surrounding wilderness clung to his skin. Fur, too, from his shift. The dark spices of his soap and cologne. Every last bit mingled into a heady aroma that curled past her defenses and lured her out into the open.
Shaggy black hair hung forward in his eyes until he shoved the mess back. Tattoos coiled around his arms and over his chest, giving him the extra layer of badass that seemed required for his pack.
He knelt before her, palms coming to re
st on her hips. Maylee fluttered her hands before settling them on his shoulders.
Oh, what in the damn hell was she doing?
As if he read her thoughts, he craned his neck to consume her with golden eyes. “Let me take care of you,” he said in a low, gravelly voice that stroked down her spine as well as his hand.
Her throat closed as desire whipped through her. Even her breath felt frozen in her lungs.
Until Ellis bent his head and planted a kiss on her hip bone.
“Tell me that’s what you want,” he rumbled.
Her breath blasted out of her as he kissed her other hip. His eyes rolled upward and he mouthed over her stomach to trace his tongue around her belly button.
“Well?”
“Yes,” Maylee gasped.
He wasted no time in kissing a path of fire down her navel and between her legs. A growl rolled out of him and vibrated through her with the first lick of his tongue up her slit. Her knees nearly gave out from under her, but Ellis’s strong grip held her upright.
Too long. Longer even since she’d taken over Esme’s care. She hadn’t trusted the males in the clan, and Helena stole all her concern. Ellis was the first to touch her in a very long time.
Another growl worked out of his throat and vibrated against her clit. Maylee caught her lower lip between her teeth and cupped her breasts. She rolled the tight peaks of her nipples between her fingers, turning the fire in her center up another notch.
No time for the past. The present held her undivided attention.
Ellis rolled his eyes open to watch her as he slid two fingers into her wet heat.
She gave herself over to him as he lapped at her intimately. Out in the woods amplified the primal nature with which he consumed her. Every growl, every bite seemed a little more wild than if they’d been closed in by four walls.
The open air factored in, too. Sharp eyes from behind tree trunks or a well-placed set of binoculars might pick them up.
Maylee threw her head back and moaned. Let them watch. Let them see a man take care of a woman.
His woman.
Bourbon and Bears: Book Three: Shifters and Sins Page 8
