Love at First Roar (BBW Paranormal Shapeshifter Werebear Romance) (Grayslake Book 4) (7 page)

“Kira?”

She recognized his worried voice, but the fear had her captive.

“Kira?”

It wouldn’t let her speak, wouldn’t let her do anything but remain motionless.

Firm hands grabbed her shoulders, gently shaking her. “Kira?”

The click and thump of vehicle doors opening and closing preceded the rapid argument of two people approaching. A man and woman sniping at each other over speed and driving and missing the turn at Main Street and…

“Kira?” Isaac’s voice was a deep, annoyed growl.

The couple entered her line of sight, the woman short and a little rounded like herself while the man was large, larger than Isaac. A deep breath revealed these two scented like the man at her side. Not the earthy musk that intrigued her mole, but familiar just the same.

“Kira?” he snapped, giving her another rough shake.

Kira blinked her eyes, fluttering her lashes as the panic receded and embarrassment took its place. “I’m sorry. I—”

“Isaac Jericho Abrams.” The woman’s lyrical voice held a snap of anger mixed with annoyance and he stiffened before releasing Kira with a rough sigh.

“Lemme say I’m sorry in advance.” Another sigh accompanied the withdrawal of his hands for a moment before he laid one arm across her shoulders. “Mom. Dad.”

His parents.
Of course
she’d meet his parents at the tail end of a panic attack. Then again, why should she care? They were friends, new friends, but still friends and nothing more.

“We have been calling you all morning—” His mother halted in her tracks, cutting off her words. “Oh, hello, dear. Isaac, introduce me to your friend.”

His rumbling growl vibrated her, but the sound didn’t hit the air. “You’ve been calling me?”

“Yes, yes.”

Kira imagined the woman flapping her arm, a bright bracelet or cuff swinging through the air clued Kira in to her actions.

“Later. Who’s your friend? Oh, never mind.” Isaac’s mother approached, that cuffed arm stretched wide, and she realized the other swung wide as well. A hug. The woman opened her arms for a— Suddenly she was tugged from his hold and embraced, wrapped in the woman’s softness and warmth. The scents of sweetness and pure happiness sank into her, and a soothing calm immediately followed. “Hello, dear, I’m Margaret. You can call me Meg or Mom. Whichever you like.”

“Mom. Really?” Isaac huffed. “Dad?”

The other visitor, obviously Isaac’s father, merely grunted. What kind of answer was that?

“Oh, hush,” Meg admonished as she released Kira and held her at arm’s length. “Aren’t you just gorgeous? That hair, those eyes. Oh, Isaac, isn’t she beautiful? George, isn’t she?”

Another grunt from his father, obviously George.

“Yes, Mom, she is. She’s also hungry. So if you could let her go and tell me why you called…”

“Oh,” Meg’s pure joy rushed Kira, bowling her over. “This is wonderful. I was calling because we’re having a barbeque and your brothers want you to come. So you will and you’ll bring your friend. What’s your name, dear?”

Kira cleared her throat. “Kira Kolanowski. My friends call me KK and the mean—”

A quick tug had her back in Isaac’s grip, the hand on her shoulder holding tight. “This is Kira, she just moved in, uh…”

“Two weeks ago.” She filled in his silence.

“Two weeks?” She sensed his scrutiny and turned her gaze to his down-turned face. “We only met a week ago. How did I not notice you?”

Kira shrugged. “I dunno. You’re oblivious to the world at large?”

“I’m a Healer. I can’t be that oblivious,” he grumbled, and she smiled.

“Apparently you can,” she countered.

“Oh,” the rapid clap of hands had them both refocusing on Meg. “Look at your two bickering like an old married couple. Do you see that, George? Just like us.”

“Uh, Mrs. Abrams, we’re not—”

“Oh, honey.” Another wave of her hand. “I know how you kids are today. It’s fine.” A firm, cool hand snared Kira’s and tugged. “Come along now, the party is about to start and we don’t want to be too late.”

Isaac snatched her once again, and she felt as if she were the rope in a game of tug-o-war. “Kira isn’t going, Mom. I’ll be along soon, but I’m not inflicting the family on her. No matter what you think, we’re not—”

“Of course you are. You just don’t want to tell anyone yet. I understand. I’m a very hip mother. Aren’t I, George?”

George grunted. Kira wondered if he could speak.

Kira tried, “Mrs. Abrams—”

“Meg or Mom.”

She was gonna get the words out. “We’re not anything but friends. We just—”

“With benefits?” The woman sounded so disappointed. “That’s fine, dear. I really do know how you kids are. Friends with benefits today, mated tomorrow. I’m a very cool mother. You didn’t answer me before. Aren’t I a cool mother, George?”

George grunted again.

“See, he agrees.”

Kira’s head spun, and there she was in Isaac’s arms once again.

“Mom. We’re friends. There are no benefits and Kira is not coming.”

Kira thought getting to sniff his hotness was a benefit but kept her mouth shut.

“Oh.” One single syllable and she was smacked with the woman’s disappointment. She imagined Meg’s expression echoed the feeling as well and Isaac’s annoyed sigh soon reached her.

“Mom.”

“No, no, it’s fine.” His mother was a subdued husk of her former self. Did Kira hear a sniffle? Yes. She heard a sniffle.

Immediately regret and sympathy filled her. She’d seemed so excited only moments ago. Kira reached up and patted Isaac’s hand where he gripped her shoulder, drawing his attention.

When he looked to her, she spoke, “If you won’t leave me…”

Parties were hard in general. Add in the fact she wouldn’t know anyone or the area, it’d be doubly difficult.

“You sure?”

Kira nodded, and he huffed, “Fine, Mom, we’ll come.”

More excited clapping. “Perfect, let’s get you two in the SUV and—”

“Kira and I will take my car.”

“Oh.” The disappointment was back, and this time Kira refused to give in. “Well, at least you’re coming and I’ll get to show Kira off to Nancy Brown. She thinks her son’s mate is everything and sliced bread. Just wait until she sees yours. Ha!” Meg patted Kira’s arm a couple of times. “We’ll see you two soon, dear.”

Then his parents were gone, bustling back to their vehicle, and suddenly they were alone once again.

Quiet reigned, and Isaac broke the silence. “Dear God. I’ll straighten her out about the mate thing. She’s… her. And I won’t leave your side and I’ll make sure they all know to give you space.”

Kira shook her head. “No, it’s fine. They’ll figure it out soon enough and bringing it to everyone’s attention makes it…”

Weird
.

“Okay then, let’s shower and then we can go. On the way, I’ll apologize for my mother—a lot—and tell you about my family.”

Oh. Goodie.

Oh. Goodie.

When his mom said “family,” she really meant the whole clan.

A mole amongst lions, er, bears.

Isaac popped his car into park, smiling when he caught Kira’s wide grin and the halo of windswept hair captured by the breeze. He had a classic 70s Chevy Chevelle SS convertible that purred almost as often as it roared down the road. The ride got even better with the top down and wind whipping through his strands.

It seemed Kira felt the same.

“Hold tight, lemme get Ebenezer hooked up, and then I’ll help you out.”

“I know how to get out of a car, Isaac.”

He flushed, face heating, and was thankful she couldn’t see him. “And I know you know. Humor me.”

She gave him a long-suffering sigh but stayed put as he rounded the car and hauled a squirming, barking dog from his back seat. The animal remained in place while he assisted Kira. The pup settled the moment she held his leash, plopping his furry ass on the driveway, seeming to wait for her orders.

At least Ebenezer occasionally behaved.

“Okay,” she huffed and held out a hand for him. “Let’s do this.”

He was there without hesitation, elbow crooked and waiting for her touch.

Traversing the driveway seemed easy, the party truly happening behind the house, which left the front mostly abandoned. They did pass a few other bears, and he got head tips with low “hellos” from the men while the women pretended he didn’t exist. Kira was a passing attraction though, feminine whispers following in their wake. The words that did reach him were filled with pity… for her.

When they entered the house, he tugged her into the vacant living room. “Kira… People are gonna…”

Bright blue eyes met his, her orbs exposed. At least for now. He’d brought along her glasses in case she became uncomfortable, but he hoped she’d keep them off. He couldn’t help staring at her, at her beauty.

On second thought, that meant others would be staring too. Maybe she should put them back on.

“They’re going to gossip,” she finished for him. “About me. About you. About you and me being together.” She shrugged. “I don’t care. Who are they to judge? Perfect? Obviously not if they think it’s okay to spew that kind of talk.” So, she eased closer, and he fought the urge to wrap his arms around her and lower his head to capture her mouth. “I don’t care. I mean, I care because words can hurt. But if you don’t mind leading me around, being seen with me, or if you’re not bothered by their assumptions, then,” another shrug, “they don’t matter. You still need to straighten out your mother, though.”

He winced at the reminder of his mom’s massive, leaping thoughts that had them going from little more than acquaintances to friends with benefits and a planned mating.

But the rest… Not giving a damn about his clan’s thoughts…

If he couldn’t kiss her, he could at least touch her a tiny bit. He lowered his head, but instead of a kiss, he pressed his forehead to hers and allowed himself the luxury of taking in her scent. “You’re amazing, you know that?” She was. So beyond amazing that he didn’t have the words.

“Isaac?” The click clack of his mother’s high heels on the tile reached him and he forced himself to pull away from Kira. “I know I saw that monstrosity of a car,” Mom mumbled. “Isaac Jericho?”

Kira chuckled.

She knew he glared at her even if she couldn’t quite make out his expression.

And his mother entered the room.

“There you are. C’mon, your father is about to ruin the cow with all his fiddling. You need to stop him before he destroys lunch all together.”

Kira wrapped her arms around one of his, cuddling close. Her hold wasn’t the gentle grip she adopted when they walked into the house, but one much more intimate.

He liked intimate. He wanted intimate. He craved intima—

“Isaac?” Mom snapped.

“Sure, we’re coming. But why
I
have to handle Dad and barbequing is beyond me.”

“You’re a Healer, dear. If you can fix something, I’m sure you can take it apart again. It was breathing at one point, right?” His mother patted his shoulder as he passed, and he refused to address what she’d said.

It just… She… He didn’t even know what…

“Now, I’ll take Kira and introduce—”

“No.”

“No,” Isaac’s snap overrode Kira’s firm denial.

Mom sniffed. “Fine then, destroy a mother’s deepest wish to introduce her son’s future mate to the clan.” With that, she spun on her very high heels and click clacked the way she’d come.

“I’m sorry.” Isaac was pretty sure he’d be doing the same thing over and over again today. “She’s…”

“Don’t be. She’s wonderful, but overwhelming. Today’s gonna be hard enough. I’d prefer to stay with you.”

“Then that’s what will happen.” Isaac went into action and one of those wide, joyful smiles graced his lips once again. He really needed to get his mother under control.

The bear told him to leave his mother alone. It liked the idea of mating Kira.

When he urged her to walk with him, she didn’t release her firm hold on his arm, clutching him in an intimate grasp. He enjoyed it way too much and his cock twitched, reaffirming his pleasure at the touch.

Kira might not be able to see very well, but she could sure as hell smell and he needed to put a cap on his arousal. Now.

All too soon they emerged onto the back porch, the low rumble of the crowd filling the air. His bear both bristled and huffed in approval—enjoying that they were surrounded by other bears, yet hating that they were surrounded by other bears. Kira was theirs, even if she was unmated. So while the clan could protect her if needed, someone could also try to steal her.

The thoughts had his heart stuttering, faltering in its regular beat.

Unmated. And he was possessive and aggressive and…

And he wasn’t thinking about mates and Kira. At all. He was leaving—
leaving
—soon.

The bear’s snort said he was delusional.

Instead of fighting, he murmured the number of steps to Kira, outlining any uneven areas and glaring at anyone who didn’t move aside fast enough.

Interested glances passed over her and he met each one with a glower. Men needed to stop checking her out. He knew she was curved and lush in all the right places, but they didn’t have to drool over her.

Whispers followed in their wake, some about him. Okay, they were mostly about him. And he fought to ignore each one as he prayed Kira would do the same.

One particular, vicious whisper reached them. “
She has to be blind to be with him.
”

When she paused in the middle of their travels, he realized she wasn’t going to let it go. Dammit. She was a little clumsy, a little absent minded, but those traits paled against her backbone of steel.

With unerring precision, she released him and spun to face the source of the words.

“Kira, wait.” He reached for her again, hating that she was exposed to this acidic side of the clan, but he didn’t want her fighting his battles. As cocky as he tried to act, there was no hiding the truth of his damaged features.

Of course, she didn’t wait. No, she shrugged off his touch and padded toward the bitchy bear. Ebenezer stayed at her side, his nose touching her palm, seeming to communicate any difficulties in her path. She strode forward, strong and tall without hesitation.