Bear Again (Second Chance Shifters 3) (7 page)

Her body began to hum and fill with utter relaxation. They were bonded in every way. She looked into Liam’s eyes.

He smiled at her. “You okay?” He looked worryingly at her neck. He bent to kiss her where he had punctured her with his fangs.

She nodded. “Pure misery.” She smiled.

He curled his arms under her back. “Thank you,” he whispered.

They drifted off to sleep, connected and bonded.

W
hen he awoke
the next morning, he felt different. There was more to him now. He wasn’t alone in this world anymore. He had Sophia. Forever. That was what she had said.

He smiled at her while she slept. The eclipse was tonight. He still had to tell her about the ceremony, but after they had given each other their bodies, it was only a formality.

Her eyes fluttered open.

“Good morning.” He brushed the hair from her face.

“Good morning.” She smiled, nuzzling against his chest.

It felt good to hold her in his arms. To know that she was finally his. There were no more ghosts between them. No more walls.

He ran his fingers over the soft curves of her hips. He felt his cock jerk to life. He smiled, knowing she felt it too.

“You know I have to start baking downstairs,” she warned.

He nodded. “I do, but this is our first morning together.”

“I think I have something you’ll like this morning,” she teased.

She began to roll away from him, landing on her stomach. He licked his lips as he watched her tilt her hips upward. Holy hell, this woman was going to kill him.

She pushed up on her palms, her heavy breasts draping over the pillows. She tilted her head toward him.

His bear growled low and deep. Sophia giggled, then quickly whimpered as he nudged himself between her legs.

“You’re so big,” she whispered. Her hips rocked back. He reached between her legs.

“And you’re so wet,” he groaned. He couldn’t hold back anymore. He pushed inside her as her head jerked back. “Fuck,” he growled, feeling her stretch around his wide cock.

She was everything he wanted in a mate. He thrust in and out of her. She was meant for him. He could feel it as he slid inside her. She was so tight, but every part of her screamed out for him to take more. He twisted her nipples between his fingers, knowing it would make her come quickly.

She bucked hard at him and he grinned, pumping harder, burying himself in her.

“Oh, Liam,” she whimpered. “Fuck me, baby. Please, fuck me.”

He growled at the sound of his name on her lips. She spoke the words he had dreamed of hearing. He gripped her hips, slamming his cock into her tight cavern. She was his. The white light of pleasure ripped through him as he pumped into her, giving her his essence. He wanted more than he did last night.

Last night was about sealing their bond. Taking his mate. Now he wanted cubs. He wanted to fill her with life.

“Oh fuck, Soph.” He throbbed inside her, exhausted and satisfied.

He lowered her hips to the bed, their sweaty bodies fused with heat.

“I lied,” she whispered.

His chest tightened. What was she talking about?

“This makes me happy, Liam.”

He felt relief sweep through him. “That’s all I want for you.”

She pulled his hand under her chest. “I should have known it would be like this with you.”

He kissed along her shoulder. “I tried to tell you.”

“You did. I needed time.” She sounded quiet.

He rolled off of her back, and pulled her against his chest. He loved how she fit against him.

“Speaking of time. I need to talk to you about something.”

“What is it?”

“Our blood oath ceremony.”

She pressed on her chest, creating space between them. “Blood oath?”

He nodded. “Yes. How does tonight sound?”

“We just… I just… I’m not ready for that.” She looked bewildered, and he wanted to fix it. Change things. Turn back the clock so there was more time.

“It’s only a formality. We’re already bonded.” He looked at her neck where he had bitten her last night. There would be a mark for a while.

“It’s too much. I’m not ready.” She sat forward, dragging the sheet to her chest.

“We can keep it small. You, me, and only one or two elders. That’s all we need.”

She shook her head. “Not tonight.”

He felt the frustration in his chest. It was only a formality, but in order for the laws of the clan to be satisfied, the she-alpha had to swear her blood oath to her new mate. She was the symbol of the clan’s fertility and motherhood. If she didn’t swear the oath before the eclipse, the lineage lines stopped. There would be no more bear shifter cubs for the clan.

Sophia scooted out of bed and padded off to the shower. “I have to get ready for work.” She closed the door behind her.

Fuck.

S
he let
the water rush over her sore limbs. Liam had rocked her body into total ecstasy. And this morning had been everything she loved. She loved how it felt, having him hard and solid behind her. His big hands stroking her body while he rode her the way he wanted. She loved it—nothing turned her on more.

But then there was that awkward blood oath conversation. She lathered shampoo in her hair. It was a natural part of bear commitment. She knew that. She hadn’t expected it so soon. It needed to be enough that she had given him her body.

She rinsed her hair and added conditioner to the ends. Her neck was tender where he had bitten her. He had taken the opposite side from Noah. Maybe it was instinct. Maybe it was his personal preference, but she was glad. Her bond with Liam was separate and unique.

She didn’t want to compare them to each other. It wasn’t fair to them or to her.

She turned off the water and searched for a towel. She had let Liam keep her in bed too long this morning. She had cakes that needed to be baked.

She poked her head in the bedroom door. He was pulling jeans on over his long legs.

“I’ve got to get the ovens turned on downstairs. Meet me for coffee?”

“Wouldn’t miss it.” He smiled, and she felt the tug on her heart. God, he was sexy. And hers.

“Okay, see you soon.”

She skipped down the stairs, flipping on the lights and humming to herself.

“Shit.” She looked at the kitchen. They had raced up the stairs in such a hurry she had forgotten what a disaster the place was.

Her eyes raked over the counter where Liam had licked icing from her body. She blushed, biting on her lower lip. Was there anything hotter than that? She wouldn’t be upset if he traipsed down the stairs and tried it again, but she had work to do. Starting with sanitizing the entire counter. She giggled.

She had just pulled an apron on over her head when she thought she saw someone standing outside the kitchen door. She looked out of the small window.

“Can I help you?” She pulled open the door.

But there wasn’t just one person standing in the private parking lot. There were at least fifteen. And she knew without knowing their names that they were all bears.

“It’s done, then?” A man stepped forward.

“Excuse me?” She searched the crowd for someone she recognized.

“Look at her neck.” A girl pointed, smiling. “Thank God.”

They all smiled and patted each other on the back. Sophia’s hand covered her neck. She didn’t realize how prominent the bite was. They were all staring at her.

And then she heard the steps behind her. Liam stepped in front of the door.

“What are you doing here?” His voice was angry. He stared down the group.

“We had to know if you would come through for us.”

Liam made a protective gesture, shielding Sophia from the onlookers. “You all should leave.”

“But you claimed her? Is the ceremony tonight? It has to be.”

Liam tried to push Sophia inside the kitchen, but she wouldn’t budge. “Liam? What are they talking about?”

“Just go inside. It’s clan business. I’ll take care of it and I’ll be in.”

“We saw her neck.”

Sophia felt the humiliation and the panic gripping her. These bears knew. They knew what she and Liam had done last night. It was something so personal, yet here in the parking lot, it was as if the whole world had seen him bite her.

“They know?” She pulled on Liam’s arm to force an answer from him.

“Just go inside, Soph.”

“We need a time for the blood oath. All the elders will be there.” The bears wouldn’t stop talking.

She tightened her fists into a ball. “No they won’t.” She gritted her teeth at the crowd. “There will not be a blood oath tonight.” She stormed into the kitchen, leaving Liam and his clan to face the fallout her words had just caused.

T
hey were
all looking for answers. But there was only one person he needed to give an explanation to. He had to get inside to Sophia.

“I told you to go,” he roared at the clan members. “Your damn meddling may have cost us the ceremony.”

He saw the confused and disappointed looks on their faces, but he didn’t give a damn. They might have ruined everything.

One by one, they left. Liam turned to face the kitchen door. This wasn’t going to go well. He walked in. Sophia was clattering pans and bowls.

“Soph, stop so we can talk.”

“No. No talking. I never should have talked. Never.” She turned up the radio so she couldn’t hear him and threw a handful of spoons in a soapy bin.

“You always do this. You put space between us when things are tough. Don’t.” He reached around her and dialed the volume down. “They’re just nosey bears. Don’t let them ruin last night, or this morning.”

She threw her hands in the air. “I can’t say anything because if I say something it’s not going to be nice. It’s going to be fucking nasty. And I don’t want to waste my energy on you that way.”

“It’s not what you think.” His hands landed on her shoulders.

“Not what I think?” She spun around with a soapy knife in her hand. “Sorry.” She tossed it in the sink behind her. “Were they outside my window all night? Just waiting for you to take me to bed? Were they out here cheering for you? Is that how you lead the clan now?”

Her eyes were fiery. Her neck was pulsing with anger.

“I should have told you about the eclipse.”

“Eclipse? What eclipse?”

This was what he wanted to avoid. He hoped she would never know. He wanted everything to happen between them on her timetable—not by the pressures of the moon.

“There’s an eclipse tonight. It’s the last night to create our blood oath or...”

“Or what, Liam? What didn’t you tell me?”

“Maybe I should start at the beginning.” He walked over to the coffee pot and poured two cups. He handed one to her.

He saw the tension ease from her shoulders as she took a sip.

“Here’s the entire story.” It was going to hurt to relive this with her. She was his mate now, and her pain was his pain. Her agony was his agony. They had created a bond last night that couldn’t be undone by meddling bears, or even a fight. She belonged to him completely.

“Go ahead.”

“When you performed the blood oath with Noah, you made a vow to the bears in our clan to always be the clan’s she-alpha.” He put his hand up to keep her from protesting. “Hear me out.” She closed her mouth. “When Noah died, your bond with him was released, but not your promise to the clan. Bear law states that you have two years to mourn the loss of your alpha, but by the first eclipse after the two year mark is over, you have to have taken another mate.” He watched her eyes to see if she was following his explanation.

He continued, “The eclipse could have fallen at any time, but it was our luck it was only a month after the mourning period ended.”

She crossed her arms. “And why is it so imperative that I take another bear mate? I don’t understand.”

“You represent the life of the clan, Sophia. The fertility. The promise of another generation.” Her eyes widened. “If the she-alpha doesn’t have another mate and is not formally bonded, then the clan will stop producing shifters. There will be no more cubs.”

She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

“That’s why this blood oath is so important to everyone. The future of the clan depends on it.”

Her eyes shot to his. “This whole thing. Flirting with me. Bringing me flowers. Showing up for coffee. Claiming me? It was all for the clan?”

“No. No. I told you how I feel about you. How I’ve always felt about you. The timetable sucks—I know it does, but…”

“But nothing. You never would have walked in here if it wasn’t for the eclipse.”

“That’s not true. I had to respect the mourning period.”

There were tears in her eyes. He moved to wipe them, but she swatted at his hand. “You fucking tricked me. You claimed me. I let you bite me,” she seethed. The tears streamed over her cheeks. “And all so there could be more of you? More little bears? Didn’t you think I had a right to know? Didn’t I get a say in it?”

He ran his hands through his hair. He had fucked up. “I should have said something, but you needed more time. I was trying to give you time.”

“Until now.” Her eyes startled him. “You expect me to swear a blood oath to you in front of the elders and then give you my body again?”

“It’s only a formality. You know that. We’re already bonded, Soph.”

Her eyes narrowed to thin slits. “I know what we are.”

“Will you do it, then?” He didn’t want to ask. More than anything, he was afraid of her answer. But he was desperate to glue everything back together.

She blotted her cheeks with her palms. “I can’t think straight. I can’t think about anything with you here.”

“Do you want me to go? I can come back. We can talk more.”

The sun was starting to come up, and he knew she had a busy day ahead of her. God, he wanted to do something. He wanted to help. He wanted to erase his idiotic decision to keep the truth from her.

“Just get out.”

“Soph, this isn’t as big a deal as…” He stopped. He was only making it worse. “Okay. I’ll go, but I’ll be back later.”

He scooped up his keys and walked to the back door.