Love at First Roar (BBW Paranormal Shapeshifter Werebear Romance) (Grayslake Book 4) (18 page)

She wanted that, deep in her very soul she wanted Isaac to be theirs.

Maybe soon. Maybe after she knew there wasn’t an ax hanging over her head.

Was it a coincidence that Vanessa’s claws were tipped with Carvrix?

She didn’t think so. Not even a little bit.

She wouldn’t put spying outside of Alpha Asshole’s list of happy-fun-times. Her only question was why Vanessa waited so long to attack. Which was something she’d bring to Isaac’s attention. Just as soon as she was done with this kiss.

Kira’s stomach grumbled, reminding her that she still hadn’t eaten since Isaac had yet to feed her. Apparently he heard the sound as well because the sensuous kiss ended before it really began. It took everything in her to hold back the whimper that jumped to her lips when his mouth left hers.

“We can do more of this after I feed you.” He whispered the word against her lips and she leaned into him, pushing higher on her toes in an attempt to recapture what he’d stolen.

Instead of humoring her, he chuckled and eased back. But not before dropping one last, hard kiss on her. She moaned then, taking in more of his scent and flavors.

He snared her hand, drawing her into the house, and she took a moment to admire the way his jeans barely clung to his hips and the wonderful way they cupped his ass. She wondered if he’d let her nibble. Just a little. Or at least rub him all over. Twice.

Because if she got her teeth rubbing on his skin… It’d be done. He’d be hers and there was no getting out of it.

When he glanced at her over his shoulder and a rush of need smacked her in the face, she didn’t think he’d mind too much. Or at all.

He drew her inside, shuffling into the kitchen and then settled her in a chair. She watched him move around her kitchen, opening and closing cupboards while also peeking in the fridge.

She coughed, snagging his attention. “I’m pretty sure it was all destroyed during, you know. It’s probably gone.”

“Huh.” Her stomach grumbled again and she scented his frustration. “I wanted to cook for you.”

Kira grinned. “With my own food?”

He harrumphed. “Yeah, but it would have been a great meal.”

“Uh-huh. With my food.”

“You’re awfully protective of your food now. Earlier you practically dragged me over here, demanding I submit to your overwhelming desires and—”

Laughing—
laughing
—she closed the distance between them and attacked, cutting off his laughs with a kiss. A carefree kiss that brewed a new heat, one of happiness and fun and everything she’d never had in her life. But right there, that second, she had it all.

Isaac eased her away with one last warm press of their lips and then stepped out of reach. “Nope. Food.”

“Spoilsport.” She pretended to be angry, tossing him a frown, but it was ruined when a giggle escaped.

A giggle!

“Yup.” He didn’t deny it. “Now, restaurant, drive-thru, or delivery?”

Kira froze, options rolling through her mind. She wouldn’t mind going out with him, being seen on Isaac’s arm and politely telling everyone he was hers. And yet…

“I’m not sure about going to a restaurant…”

They were dark, making her already iffy eyesight even worse, and she already had a hard enough time being tidy when eating. She’d learned how to handle things over the years, but she still had trouble now and again.

For Kira, soup was the devil. Its cousin was spaghetti.

“How about delivery then?” He stroked her back, soothing her even though she hadn’t said a word. Then again, she noticed the small trembles attacking her and she realized words weren’t necessary. “Telli’s makes a great pizza or we can have Chinese delivered from the little place down the street. Carly’s doesn’t typically deliver, but if you’re craving a burger, they’ll come by too.”

She quirked a brow. “Healer’s privileges?”

“Uh…” His unease filled his voice and scent. “Well…”

“Or ex-girlfriend privileges?” She couldn’t imagine Isaac never dating a woman. That didn’t mean her mole liked the idea. Her teeth ached with the need to sink them into his shoulder and claim the man before anyone else darkened her doorstep.

She’d cut the next female who showed up and then she really would gnaw on the man.

“You see…” He drew one arm away and rubbed the back of his neck, his worry increasing.

Kira pressed her forehead to his chest, breathing in his scent and pushing past the emotions clouding the air. She dug down to the very base of his essence and let it sink into her.

“Here’s the deal.” She poked him. “You don’t talk about exes and I won’t ask. I won’t talk about exes and
you
won’t ask. Agreed?”

“Exes?” Isaac’s rumble shook her, the sound vibrating the air.

She snorted. “Really?” She propped her chin on his chest. “Like you haven’t boinked half of Grayslake?”

His turn to snort. “Hardly.”

“A third then. The point is, there were lovers,” —he snarled— “before we found each other. There’s no growling allowed.”

He paused a moment, head tilted to the side. “Is killing on the table?”

Kira sighed. “Only if they show up and give me a hard time. No hunting them down.”

“You steal all the fun.”

“It’s my purpose in life.” She rolled her eyes.

Of course her stomach complained of the lack of food, which put Isaac back on the food path. “Pick a place.”

She sure as hell wasn’t picking burgers. Fuck that noise. “If you don’t mind watching me get a little pasta sauce kinda everywhere, then Telli’s.”

Isaac dropped a kiss to her lips and she pushed into the kiss only to have him pull away just when it was getting good.

“Telli’s it is.” He nudged her, encouraging her to turn around, and she went along with it. The moment her back was turned, he patted her ass. “Go have a seat. You need to heal.”

“I’m fine, Isaac. You’re injured too.”

“I didn’t break my finger a few hours ago.”

“And mine isn’t damaged any longer,” she countered.

“Who’s the Healer here?”

“But—”

“Go.”

Kira froze and slowly turned on her heel, spinning until she faced Isaac once again. “You’re sounding suspiciously like a parent speaking to a child. Which I know isn’t the case because I’m a grown woman.”

“Who is healing?”

“Who has healed from worse in her twenty-nine-ish years? Who also knows her own body,” she countered.

“Yes, but I’m here now and I’m going to take care of you and your body.” He sounded so patient. So caring and considerate.

If only she hadn’t heard the same story from a half dozen other males through her life. “And I can take care of myself.”

“Kira, you’re…” He ran a hand through his hair. “I just wanna…”

She paused and pressed a hand to her stomach, fighting back nerves and urging her mole to calm. He could just be trying to help. He could simply be concerned. He might not be trying to wrap her in bubble wrap.

“One question and I need you to be honest.” At his nod, she continued. “Do you want to take care of me because you want to claim me? Or because I’m nearly blind?”

She wished she could see his expression, but she’d rely on her nose and ears.

“Well, it’s a bit of both. You see…”

“I think it’s time you—”

Isaac rushed her, pressing a finger to her lips. “Don’t get your back up and fluff your feathers. Just wait a second, okay?”

She glared. It wasn’t like she could do much else.

“So, yeah, you have difficulty seeing and I wanna protect you. The bear is livid that you got hurt over something like a stepstool.”

She wasn’t all that happy about it either.

“The animal wants to feed you, but it also wants to keep you safe. If he had his way, you wouldn’t ever leave the house and I’d feed you every bite by hand to make sure you get what you need.”

Oh,
hell
no.

“Quit bristling. I said that’s what he wants to do, dammit.” He removed his finger and tugged her forward, into his arms. She wasn’t going to speak just yet. He seemed like he might be on the road to redemption. “But
I
know that’d be a mistake. We’re walking a fine line right now and I wanna try and balance my urge to protect my mate with the urge to protect someone who has difficulty seeing in a seeing world.”

He cupped her cheeks and his sincerity wrapped around her like a soothing blanket, extinguishing some of her anger. “I need to care for you. No matter what, I want to do everything I can to protect you. I can try to not be an ass about it, but it’ll never completely go away.” He paused a moment before speaking again. “Lemme feed you, lemme fuss over you, and then lemme tuck you into bed,” he murmured and her heart melted, just a little bit.

A lot. It melted a lot. He pricked her pride and annoyed her, but he did it in such a sweet way.

“Fine,” she grumbled. “But when you tuck me in, will I be alone?”

Isaac left Kira with a soft kiss and a smile. He planned on returning to her home as soon as he managed a shower and a change of clothes. Tugging on his own stuff after his injuries was fine, but he needed to be clean. If he got wet and naked at Kira’s then she’d end up wet and naked and he was pretty sure they weren’t ready for that step.

The bear disagreed.

He ignored the animal. They needed to be thankful she hadn’t kicked them out and even more thankful that they’d be sleeping beside her.

Naked could come later. Like, tomorrow. Tomorrow was a good day for naked.

Shaking his head, he slid his key into the lock and a quick turn gave him entrance to his house. He stepped into the entryway, flicking on the light as he toed off his shoes and then froze.

He let his gaze slowly pan over the living and dining rooms. Noting one particular theme that pervaded his place.

There were no boxes. None. Not a single one in sight.

Not only were they gone, all of his belongings were back in place. The knick-knacks—ones his mother
insisted
he have—lined the shelves. Parker’s drawings he’d framed graced his walls once again. His furniture was arranged exactly as it was before he began the ordeal of packing.

It was as if he’d never pressed tape to a single box.

What the fucking fuck?

He took a step into the living room and a small slip of paper on the coffee table caught his eye. He padded over and snared the note.

You’re welcome.

Love,

Mia

You’re welcome?

She was welcome?

What the…

He took a deep breath and pushed back his irritation. He knew his family didn’t want him to leave, but she undid everything he’d accomplished. Everything.

Without hesitation, he stomped toward the kitchen and snatched the phone from its cradle. Seven button presses later and the damned thing was ringing. With each trilling sound, his anger and frustration grew. How dare she come into
his
house…

“’Lo?”

Isaac launched at Ty the moment he answered. “Your mate,” he snapped.

Ty just sighed. “What’d she do and is it just an annoyance or did she break a clan law?”

“She…” Annoyed the hell out of him, but she hadn’t
actually
broken a law. He’d asked her to go to his home which meant she, as well as Lauren and Trista, were left to their own devices. And none of them wanted Isaac to leave. “She unpacked my house, Ty. Everything.”

He heard rather than saw his brother’s shrug. “And? The family doesn’t want you leaving the clan. You know that.”

“I didn’t expect her to tear my place apart.”

“You know she didn’t do that.”

Isaac narrowed his eyes even though his brother couldn’t see the glare. “And how do you know?”

“Hypothetically?”

He groaned. “God, you suck.”

Hypothetically was a game they’d played with their parents.

Who brought a dead rabbit into this house?

Hypothetically, it may or may not have been…

“You’ve got Kira now, Isaac. Did you just assume she’d pick up her new life and follow you around?”

Yes, he had. “Mia still shouldn’t have—”

“She wanted me to tell you that your porn collection is outdated and lame. You should get a subscription to—”

“Seriously? The woman who doesn’t allow cursing is commenting on
my
porn collection? Really, Ty?”

Ty snorted. “You’d be surprised. Beneath that sweet exterior—”

“These are thoughts I don’t need. Tell your mate to leave my crap alone and the decision to move, or not, is up to Kira and me.” Dammit.

“She’s it for you though, right?” His brother grew serious. “I mean…
it
.”

Isaac thought of her smile, the radiant joy that lived inside her when he wasn’t being an ass and she wasn’t being attacked. Hell, even when she was healing, she still smiled wide and got her dander up at the drop of a hat.

“Yeah, yeah she is.”

Silence stretched between them, but it wasn’t uncomfortable.

“I’m sorry, you know. For being such a dick.”

“I know.” He nodded and fought the tightness in his throat. This wasn’t a tossed aside apology. He sensed the truth and conviction in Ty’s words.

“I gotta talk to Van and Keen. Fuck, we fucked over Keen.
I
fucked over Keen.”

Isaac hadn’t been around then, still with Mia’s dad taking care of Cutler, but he’d only had to hear the story once. He wished he’d been there for his youngest brother. Maybe he could have talked some sense into Ty and Van. Maybe he could have…

Ty sighed. “How drunk do you gotta be to talk about the fight?”

The fight. It’d felt like World War Five Hundred at the time. Wolf after bear after wolf after bear… all struggling for breath and dying before his eyes. No one really knew how hard he’d fought for them. Every single male that walked away was because of him. Wolves, bears, he didn’t give a damn when he patched them up.

“A fuck-ton drunker than I am now.” Drunker than he could ever be.

“How’d I become a self-absorbed asshole?”

Isaac chuckled. “Practice.”

“Dick.”

“Bigger than yours. Don’t be jealous.”

“Don’t make me kick your ass.”