Waking the Bear (Shifter Wars) (14 page)

The alcohol’s warmth snaked through her veins, and she closed her eyes as he swayed and moved against her.

I think you know what I want. It’s what you want, too. Don’t deny it.

She heard the words in his voice, but he hadn’t said anything.

Yes, I can project my thoughts into your mind at will. Only what I want you to hear.

Her tipsy mind played tricks on her. She lifted her head and looked at him. The room spun, and she realized she’d had way too much to drink. She knew better than to down drinks quickly and now she needed to extricate herself from this mess.

You look like you could use some fun.

Now she knew something was going on. Something crazy. She tried to push away from him but he held her more tightly.

“Oh, no you don’t.”

“Let me go.” She raised her voice. “Now.” He held her so close, she had no doubt he heard her over the music. If he didn’t let go, she’d have to employ some of the tactics she’d learned at the gym. Personal safety moves she’d hoped she’d never need.

He pulled his hands from her pockets and grabbed her arm. “You don’t want me to let you go. You want this.” He put his other hand behind her neck and forced her face toward his, then kissed her. His lips, bitter-tasting and firm, were unyielding.

She fought, pressing her lips together and trying to shove him away, but he held her in place. No one noticed what was going on or tried to stop him.

Anger bloomed in her and she drew on it for strength. He had no right to kiss her or try to force her to do anything. Even though her head spun, she knew he was way over all the lines.

She stomped on Evers’s foot and when he tried to back away, she kneed him in the groin. Hard. He yelped in pain and went down on his knees.

Amy was ready to kick him in the face if he came at her again, but suddenly, Evers flew free of her, landing on the dance floor with a
thump
. Griff loomed over him, his hands curled into fists and his face contorted in a ferocious scowl.

Chapter Fourteen

Evers.

Rage
.
Can’t shift. People
.

He stood over Evers, shaking, wanting to beat the shit out of him and drag him outside, but he had to keep his cool, no matter how angry he was.

One, two, three
... He breathed out tension.

The asshole was all mountain lion—he’d known as soon as he touched him. He’d slashed Griff’s face at the creek. The other lions that were at the picnic? Marco and Mason, the only solid black mountain lions in the pride—heirs to Maximillian. Probably looking for Evers or helping him scout.

Now Evers had forced Amy to kiss him.

Griff’s pulse raced. He no longer cared to explain anything to Evers. He didn’t care if the lion knew the truth about the rainy day his parents died or what he’d done to try and save his father. He had just put his hands on Griff’s mate. Things had gotten even more personal than they were.

“What the fuck?” Evers jumped to his feet.
You know who I am.

“Yes.” He clasped and unclasped his hands, his fingers begging to be around the fucker’s neck.

“So you do remember me.”
You will remember my name until you die.
He growled.
Sen Pal, but you know that, too. You knew in the woods. Guess I didn’t hit you hard enough to knock sense into you. I would’ve killed you then but you didn’t follow me into the woods when I ran.

“Leave Amy alone. Never come near her again. You do not force a woman to kiss you or dance with you or even breathe near you, you lowlife asshole.”
I will kill you the next time I see you. Or I might kill you tonight, anyway.

Griff clenched his teeth and used every bit of willpower he had not to snap Evers’s neck in front of everyone.

Amy stood, wide-eyed, and hand over her mouth. She backed away as the dance floor cleared. The music continued to play, but no one danced. Instead, they formed a lopsided circle so they could watch the men fight.

Mine
.

Half drunk or merely excited, the humans had the look of hunters in their eyes. They appeared to hope for a death match. Sometimes they were so primitive. Griff shook his head. He couldn’t fight Evers here.

He had to protect his den, and his job as park ranger. Even if all he wanted to do was kill the sleazy little bastard, he couldn’t.

“She’s not yours.” Evers put his fists up. “She wanted to dance with me. Have a drink. We weren’t doing anything she didn’t want to do. Ask her if you don’t believe me.”

“You will leave her alone!” Griff roared and lunged toward Evers, tackling him to the ground.
Fuck.
So much for self-control around humans. Yeah, Elijah was going to be mad, but he held a lot of control over the rangers and if he decided this was the end of Griff’s job, then so be it.

People scattered, backing away from the two men. Amy was somewhere, but he didn’t see her. He saw red.

His bear reared up and fought for control with his human, trying to come out, but Griff held on. He wanted to slash Evers into symmetrical ribbons of flesh and leave him flayed open on the floor as a warning to anyone who would touch his mate. He couldn’t do that. Not if he wanted to have a chance at keeping his job. He also had a duty to keep the shifter secrets.

His bear paced through the mantras.

No secrets to keep.

No bears of Deep Creek.

No Cave of Whispers.

He wrestled Evers, trying to pin him to the floor, but the lion was stronger than his scrawny body appeared. Griff opened his mouth and let out a snarl of frustration. If only they were in the woods, he’d rip his throat out.

Evers squirmed out from under Griff and pulled free. The men stood, facing each other, both panting. Griff breathed his bear into retreat.
Not yet. The chance will come. Not here.

Patience.

“Things are going to change.”
Patient or not.
Evers wiped his arm across his busted lip and then spit on the floor. “There’s nothing you can do.”
We’re coming. Not just for your girl.

“Bring it.” Griff motioned the crowd back. “I’m ready. Step one foot closer and I’ll arrest you.” Oh, what he wouldn’t give to shift now and really take care of Evers.

Not now. Soon. Max isn’t going to wait much longer for his revenge. You bears don’t stand a chance.
Evers dashed out the door with Griff trailing behind him. Griff ran as fast as he could, but the slender man was faster and Griff fell behind bit by bit.

He followed until Evers shed his clothing, slipped into his mountain lion form mid-run, and bounded down the street and out of sight. If he hadn’t been worried about Amy, Griff would’ve shifted into his bear and followed the lion to really beat his ass.

Then kill him.

He needed to find Amy. She was probably even more confused than before. First, he needed to let the bears know that Evers was in town.

He pulled out his phone to call Elijah. The Sen Pal was in Oakwood. Not just in the forest—actually in the town. At least, Evers was, and that was enough to worry about. The black mountain lions he’d seen at the picnic, Marco and Mason, were the pride leader’s sons. Were they part of a plan, or was Evers on his own?

Things were getting serious.

He’d just finished a quick chat with Elijah when Amy walked out of the bar. Though her hair was a bit rumpled, she looked okay. Maybe a bit shell-shocked, but physically okay.

“I went to wash my face then realized you probably needed more tending than I did.” She stood close. “Are you okay? Who was that man, Evers? I got the feeling he knows you.”

“I’m okay.” He put his hand on her shoulder and she didn’t push it away. “Are you? Did he hurt you?”

“No, I’m okay.” She shook her head and her hair swayed like a curtain. “Plus, I got the chance to practice my self-defense moves, and I’m happy to say I didn’t hesitate when I needed them.”

Evers could have forced her to leave with him. He could’ve put something in her drink. It was scary dealing with people with no integrity. Thank goodness Amy had a brain in that beautiful head.

“You did great. Evers is not a good guy. I’m sorry you ran into him.”

“You fought pretty well yourself. I guess they teach you how to do that in ranger school.”

“Something like that.” Griff ran his hand over her hair, smoothing the sides. “I’m sorry this is how the evening turned out. He’s a really bad man. Someone who’s wanted revenge against me for a very long time. He’ll do anything to get to me, including hurting the people I care about.”

Amy’s nodded and pushed her hair behind her ears. “Yeah, he tried to force me to kiss him—”

Griff pulled her close, holding her head against his chest. “Don’t think about him. I’m going to take care of him and make sure he doesn’t get another chance.”

“I’m mad at myself.” Amy tensed in his arms. “I shouldn’t have accepted a drink. I know better.”

“You know that doesn’t mean you gave him any kind of permission to assault you.” Griff held her at arms’ length. “Buying you a drink didn’t give him any right to kiss you or touch you in any way. You weren’t obligated to him because he bought it.”

“Oh, I know that. I’ve had similar things happen before, in Atlanta. That’s why I took the self-defense class with some ladies from the office. There are men like this everywhere. Usually I handle them fine. Tonight, quite honestly, I’m thankful you were around to help me out.”

“Come on. I’ll take you home.” Griff held out his hand to Amy. “You’re welcome. I hope I didn’t overstep my bounds by...getting upset with him.”

She shook her head
no
. Her hair lay around her shoulders in a tangle. “So what does he want revenge for? What could make him so angry that he’d act like that?”

Griff rubbed his face. He should tell her the truth. At least most of it, leaving out the shifter stuff, of course. “It’s a long story, but the short version is, he blames me for his parents dying in a car accident when we were teens.”

A lone vehicle moved down the road and Griff stared at the driver, making sure it wasn’t Evers. It wasn’t. Just the old guy that owned the clock shop.

“Why?” Amy’s eyes were full of questions. “How could you be at fault for a car accident? Were you driving?”

“No, I was too young to drive. He blames me because I came upon the wreck in the forest after it happened. I was there when his father died. His mother was already dead. Looked like they’d taken a curve too fast or something and ran off the road into a tree.”

She put her hand on his shoulder and a permeating warmth bloomed at her touch and into his skin. “It’s not your fault they died. You know that.”

“I do know. He thinks I’m to blame. I couldn’t save them. I tried. He’s out for blood.” Griff stopped at looked into her eyes. He couldn’t let her out of his sight again. “Come on, let me drive you home.”

Amy took a step back. “I can drive.”

“You can barely stand. You must be quite a lightweight with alcohol. You need to let me drive you home.”

“I’d be okay.”

“I can give you a ticket.”

She scowled at him. “Yeah, I guess you could.”

“There’s no shame in having a designated driver. Plus, I can check and make sure Evers didn’t go to the cabin.”

Amy smiled, but her bottom lip quivered. “I
was
dealing with him. Sort of. I had the situation under control.”

“Did you now?” Griff moved closer.
Protect her. Ease her mind.
Her scent, sweet as honey, rolled over him stronger than all the bar smells. How could he explain that it was his duty to protect her, without scaring her off?

Without saying he was her mate?

It was a duty he very much enjoyed. Things had changed. The Sen Pal were here, and they knew about Amy. Griff had to change his plan. She was no longer safe in her anonymity, and he needed to tell her everything. There was a chance Evers didn’t know she was Griff’s mate, but it wasn’t going to take him long to figure it out.

“Yes, I did. I would have kneed him in the face, the next second. I’d already gotten a few licks in.”

“That would take care of him,” Griff said. “Sorry I took over your fight. I couldn’t bear to see him touching you.”

“His kind is nothing I haven’t seen a million times in Atlanta.” She smiled, but still trembled. “I’ve always handled it on my own. Even the creepy kissers.”

Griff’s heart clenched. He didn’t want to think about other men with Amy. She was his. His mate. And Evers knew about her, too. The cat was out of the bag, and the lion knew it.

“Let’s go. I’m driving.” He winked. He didn’t want her to think he was being controlling, but no way was she driving in her current state. In his current state. He needed to be near her.

Amy’s eyes sparkled from the reflections of the streetlamps. “Fine. You win. Drive me home. But only if you’ll come in for a cup of coffee when we get there. I barely got to see you tonight, and you promised me an evening together.”

Griff swallowed hard. She’d asked him in for coffee. Everyone knew that was a metaphor for...something. She clearly wanted to see more of him tonight. “I can do that.” His bear danced.

“Before or after you give me a ticket?” She fake punched him in the chest.

“Depends.”

She leaned into him. “What will you do if I resist arrest?” The berry scent of her shampoo wafted up and he wrapped his arms around her.

“Try me,” he growled.

“I love a challenge.” She pushed against him. “Do you have handcuffs?”

His erection grew and he whispered in her ear. “Darling, I don’t need handcuffs to hold you down.”

She blinked, her pupils dilated. “Oh yeah?”

“You’ll feel so good you’ll hold still and beg for a longer sentence.” He kissed her, pulling at her bottom lip with his teeth.

She panted. “Let’s go.”

His bear rose up on hind legs and pawed at the air.
Mine.
“Ready for house arrest?”

Chapter Fifteen

Amy flipped on the coffeepot and the familiar gurgling and hissing filled the cabin, followed by the aroma of fresh drip coffee. What a night. The run-in with that creep, Evers, had set her on edge. Good thing Griff had arrived when he did. It wasn’t that she couldn’t take care of herself. She could. But it was nice to have someone else on her side for once. Someone big and strong.

Then, she’d gotten tipsy—something she tried not to do at strange bars. And she’d come on to Griff pretty hot and heavy and asked him back to the cabin and promptly fallen asleep in his Jeep on the drive back.

She glanced at Griff. He hadn’t seemed to mind. He bent over the fireplace in the living room, building a small fire. She shivered at the sight. Spring in the mountains had proven cooler than she’d expected. Building a fire was new territory for her. Her apartment in Atlanta had a gas fireplace. Flick a switch and
boom
, insta-fire.

She’d trade the insta-fire for Griff, any day.

Though the spring days in the mountains hinted at warmth, the nights were chilly. Add in fog and the eternal dampness that seemed to permeate everything in the evenings and early mornings, and the cold rivaled that of early winter.

A warm fire in the fireplace and a cup of coffee? The perfect solution. Add in Griff? It really couldn’t be any better.

He took a rolled newspaper and lit the kindling. Little twigs snapped and popped as the flames engulfed them and spread to larger twigs. Soon, the cabin would be more than warm enough.

“How do you take your coffee?” She took advantage of Griff’s back being to her and raked her gaze over his ass. Twice. His fine, fine ass. Nicely rounded but not too big. Perfect in blue jeans. Her face flushed. Normally, she wasn’t so brazen, but tonight she was setting records. He was right in front of her and no one was watching.

Nothing wrong with looking.

His obliviousness to his own attractiveness multiplied his appeal. Add in her mediocre sex life up to now, and she didn’t stand a chance of visual celibacy. Then add the strikeout at the picnic, and she was ready for another shot.

Why even pretend? After that kiss, she was up for anything, and she’d told him as much. Her fear of being unwanted and damaged had been erased by a few weeks in his company and some beer.

“Black with a touch of honey.” He turned and smiled. “If you don’t have honey, I’ll take a half teaspoon of sugar.”

“No honey, but I’ve got some sugar.” She pulled the canister from the cabinet.

“That’ll do nicely.”

She peeked at Griff while he continued to stoke the now roaring fire. The heat fanned across the small space in waves. The cabin was already getting toasty.

“That should burn for a while,” Griff said. “I’m going to go wash my hands. Be right back.”

She nodded and he headed for the bathroom. Her hands shook as she stirred his coffee. First, the kiss at the picnic had confused her because in all their phone conversations since the picnic, Griff hadn’t mentioned it. Then, the bar incident had shaken her more than she’d let on, so him wanting to take her home had been a welcome gesture. Inviting him in for coffee felt like the natural next step, and he’d offered to make a fire—how could she resist? He might think she was inviting him in for something else, which was true, but she wasn’t sure she wanted
him
to think that.

Oh yes, she did.

I wanted him to come in. I want to be with him. Even if it’s for one night. I do want him.

The realization sat like a boulder in her stomach. After Darren, she had been one hundred percent sure she didn’t want a man in her life, yet here she was with a crush on Griff. Or maybe it was more. That made for a terribly inconvenient situation since she’d be leaving soon.

No-strings sex sounded like a great compromise. But it wasn’t all she wanted, and admitting that to herself felt weird and right at the same time. It was like looking at the truth and feeling dumb for not seeing it sooner.

She sighed.

Why did she feel so comfortable with Griff anyway? She’d only known him a few weeks. Sometimes it took that long for her to find out a guy’s name, much less invite him to her home for a late-night coffee and chat. She was playing with fire and she knew it, but something kept pushing her to be around him. That something was his fine ass. She smiled. Yeah, she wanted him.

Even if he was a little overprotective. His amount of overprotectiveness was adorable.

“Pink towels?” Griff snorted and joined her at the kitchen counter. “I’d have pegged you for a yellow-towel girl.”

“I left those at home. I’m in my pink phase now.” She handed him his coffee mug and took her own. “Pink is so...spring—don’t you think? You know, florals and sunrises.”

“Uh-huh.”

“No, seriously. I change colors with the season. Summer is when I break out the yellow towels. Fall, orange. White for winter, of course.”

He tried to stifle a smile, but the crinkles at the corners of his eyes showed his amusement.

“You look tired.”

“Long day.”

The warmth of the coffee soaked through the mug and into her hands. She watched him sip his coffee—his firm jawline moving fluidly as he swallowed. Griff was so rough and tumble on the outside, but such a sweetie underneath.

She gulped at the hot coffee then winced.

Too hot
.

He set his mug down. “That’s excellent coffee. Thank you.” A faint shadow of scruff climbed up his neck and onto his cheeks, a far cry from the beard he’d had when they first met. An improvement, for sure. It must’ve taken him all winter to grow that beard. No matter, she was glad he’d shaved it.

“You’re welcome. It’s too hot for me to drink right now.”

“I like it hot.”

She watched the flames pop and wriggle in the fireplace. The cabin would be warm all night from the fire. Long after Griff left. A pang ached in her as she realized she didn’t want him to leave.

Maybe he’d stay. If she could get up enough nerve to ask.

Griff pushed up his sleeves. “I’m happy you rented my cabin.” He turned toward her, his hazel eyes dilating as he looked at her. “Really happy. If you hadn’t, we wouldn’t have met. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m really glad I met you, Amy Francis.” His voice had trailed to barely above a whisper.

She forced herself not to look away, even though the intensity of his look scared her a little. It wasn’t the look of a one-night stand. How she knew that, she wasn’t sure, but she knew.

Her heart pulsed in her throat. She sensed, somewhere, somehow, that her coffee cup was taken from her hands and set down on the counter. His eyes never left her own gaze, but came closer. Griff’s large hands cupped her face and he stroked her cheeks with his fingertips. So soft. She closed her eyes right as her breath caught.

Yes.

Her lips barely parted as his mouth touched hers. Shivers raced through her, and she pressed her mouth against his again.

Warm
. Gentle.

“I’m so glad it was you,” he whispered against her cheek. “So glad you’re mine...my tenant.” He ran his tongue across the seam of her lips. Once, then again.

Tingles slid up her back and she shuddered as he pulled her closer
.

Another kiss.
Yes.

She leaned forward, and he settled her tight against him, his hands holding her hips to him. His tongue slid into her mouth, warm and wet and insistent. Her thoughts swirled with each stroke of his tongue.

Bliss.

Peace.

Happiness.

He must’ve felt it, too, because he leaned into the kiss and sought out every bit of her mouth with his tongue. She tried to keep up with his thrusts but it felt like his tongue was everywhere. He bit her lower lip gently, pulling it, then letting it go. Then he came in for another kiss, and this time he skipped her mouth and kissed her cheek, her chin, the soft spot beneath her ear.

She floated, eyes closed. More, she wanted more. Did she say it aloud? Was she still standing? Griff’s hand moved to the small of her back, keeping her on her feet as he kissed her again, more deeply this time.

His tongue slowed, moving against hers in a languid rhythm. He moved her toward the couch and her feet felt like she was sliding through the air. She tugged him to her.

She pulled away, wiping her mouth with her sleeve. “I’m sorry,” she stammered. “You know I have to move soon...” She ducked her head. Maybe it was best to come right out and ask him. That was so awkward. “I’m not sure what you expect, Griff.”

His green eyes almost glowed in the firelight. “It’s okay, Amy. I don’t expect anything.”

“But the kisses—”

“Are wonderful. Can’t we relax and see what happens? I’m not going to hurt you.”

“It’s not that.” She squinted, trying to read him. “I don’t want to hurt
you
. The kisses are great, fantastic even. More than that...”

“You feel it, too, don’t you?” His voice had lowered a full register, and the words vibrated through the air. He brushed her hair behind her shoulder. “You do. I can tell. You feel it.”

“What?” Her heart pounded. “What are you talking about?” She was afraid to hear the answer, but somehow she knew he was right. They were meant to be together. Even if she fought it, it was there. She was completely kidding herself that she was only looking for one night with Griff.

And that scared the hell out of her.

“The attraction between us. The need to be close to each other. Not merely a desire, but a
need
. Maybe for a night, but probably for longer.” He pushed her against the counter and kissed her again before she could respond. This time, the insistence in his kiss was fierce, demanding. He devoured her mouth and pressed his body against hers.

She leaned in, savoring the electricity of the moment. She did feel an attraction to Griff. She wanted him. All of him, and not just a kiss.

Not once, but over and over until she couldn’t stand his touch, if that could ever happen. She wasn’t really being fair to him if she was hopping on him on the rebound. She needed some time to think and unfortunately, her time at the cabin was limited.

“Enough,” she panted. She slid away from him. “I can’t do this right now. We need to talk. I want to make sure this is the right thing for us before we go further. Let’s take our coffee to the living room.”

Griff laughed. “We can talk all you want, darlin’. I’m in no rush to go home. When you’re ready, there’s more where that kiss came from.”

* * *

“Do you have to leave? I don’t have anyone renting after you. Not yet.” Griff stoked the fire, leaning into the heat and savoring it. Finally, he’d come to terms with how things would play out. War or no war, Amy was his and he would have her and protect her. Evers knew about her, Elijah knew, and soon the whole shifter community would know. He’d have to eventually reveal the truth, but for now, he’d protect her best by not telling her anything.

Why risk scaring her away?

“I-I don’t know.” Amy squirmed on the couch. “I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

“I’m not pressuring.” He flashed her a smile. “But I’ll keep the cabin available until you know.”

“There’s more to it than that.” She twisted a strand of her hair and tucked her feet under her. “I need a job. A focus. But thanks for the offer.”

He was going to have to be gentle and make sure he didn’t frighten her away or let his bear scare her. He’d listened to the stories she’d told him about her ex, and tried not to flip out. She’d had some rough times but now he was there for her.

The first kiss had wiped away any doubt that she was his mate, sending shots of pleasure straight to his heart and sealing out any doubt, but he couldn’t completely get a fix on her feelings. She was his and he wasn’t going to let her go, even though she kept worrying about time limits. Maybe she worried about her ex still. She wasn’t as forthcoming as he’d like but he would keep trying to get her to open up.

Right now, he needed to possess her—all of her.

Mine
.

“I understand.” He dropped a larger log on the fire. It should burn a while.

Amy’s face and neck were flushed with desire and her hair was a mess from their embrace. With the golden glow of the firelight splashed across her, she’d never looked so beautiful.

She’d stopped the kissing for now, but they’d made a connection and she felt it just like he did. That was a start.

He poked at the logs, watching the flames lick the wood. He still needed to work out the details of how to protect her from the lions. Maybe he could take her to Elijah’s to wait out the upcoming war.

He almost laughed. She’d never agree, even if she knew he was a bear, and he had no idea how to tell her without scaring the shit out of her.

How to lose a girlfriend in one sentence
: I am a shapeshifting giant bear.

That would pretty much do it.

“I can’t believe how fast the two-month lease is going...” Amy picked at her jeans, her flats long discarded. “I need some
me
time. As you can see, that isn’t working out so well. No offense.”

Griff nodded and slid onto the couch beside her. He understood. Having a mate was going to be a different experience for a confirmed bachelor, yet it was something that felt as natural a transition as shifting did.

Until it happened, he didn’t understand it. Now he did. He thought about Amy night and day and couldn’t stand being apart from her. She was smart, sexy and independent. He loved all of it and couldn’t quit thinking about her. He sipped the cold dregs of his coffee.

“I understand
me
time,” he said. “I’ve had a lot of it, living alone up here in the forest as a park ranger. I’m by myself a lot. Probably too much
me
time.”

Amy picked up her mug from the coffee table and sipped the coffee. “Do you like being alone?”

“I used to, yes.” He set his coffee cup onto the side table. “Lately, I’ve been thinking about how lonely I’ve really become. Soul-deep loneliness. I started to realize it when you came into my life, and I don’t think that is a coincidence. A man can’t live alone forever.”