What a Bear Needs (The Wild Side) (4 page)

She lowered her muzzle.

Cree shifted from one foot to the other, her gaze on everything but Fallon. “This is ridiculous. I’m not giving you permission to start tearing out throats on my behalf…
again
.”

Och! Of course she’d bring that up! One incident where Fallon had to demonstrate why her pack mates were not to be fucked with, and no one let her forget it!

Snarling a little, Fallon got to her paws and began walking in another direction.

“Where are you going?!” Cree called out.

She didn’t stop.

“Don’t you want your clothes back?!”

Nope. Not stopping.

“These jeans are too big for me! My ass isn’t as big as yours!”

That
made her stop. Fallon angled back towards her friend.

As if to demonstrate, Cree put her hands in the pockets of Fallon’s jeans and tugged about while wiggling. “Maybe if I had the ten extra pounds you have right about—oh I’m kidding. You know I’m kidding! Fallon, don’t you dare!
If I try to run in these I
will
fall.”

That’s exactly what Fallon was hoping for when she charged her.

Laughing, Cree spun around towards lodge grounds and took off. “Goddammit Fal!”

Yeah, there would be no giving this up.
Ever.

***

“Must you do your dejected shoulder hunching on
my
front porch?”

Maddox looked up at his older brother as Ransom settled down on the step above him. Being that both were rather wide, sitting next to each other would result in damages to Fallon’s customized layout of the pair’s cabin. The last time this happened, she’d put Ransom out and he’d decided that Maddox would be the one to accommodate his homeless state. It had
not
ended well and both still had the scars to prove it.

“What better place to go than the home where dejection sprouts like little daisies in the spring? Where claims such as ‘
Just give me ten more minutes, I promise you’ll enjoy it next time’
regularly echo through the hallways?” Maddox asked.

Ransom snorted, took a sip from his coffee mug and replied, “Shut up before I smash this across your head.”

Maddox tucked in his lips and leaned backwards, taking in the mountain side scenery.

“Why
are
you doing your dejected shoulder hunching on my porch to begin with?”

He could’ve told his brother it was because he was pretty sure that he was in love and the recipient of said affection wouldn’t even let him hold her hand. He could’ve told him that the look in Cree’s eyes this morning had alarmed him on a deeper level, had made his bear anxious. He could’ve told him that all the emotions he’d experienced since meeting her were about to start spilling over the brim of his threshold any day now. He could’ve said
all
of this but instead Maddox gravitated towards his guard, his iron gate and the one thing that shielded his emotions—his humor.

He sighed and replied, “I proposed to Fallon again but apparently putting the ring around my di—ow, can’t breathe…can’t breathe…” He slapped at his brother’s hand until it released his throat.

Calmly, Ransom brought his mug up and sipped from it again. “You were saying?”

He rubbed his neck. “Er…it’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood?”

“It most certainly is…except for the fact that Fallon just ran past, chasing Cree.”

Maddox looked up and sure enough, Cree was holding onto the sides of her jeans—wasn’t she wearing something different this morning?—as she sprinted past several ambling pack mates with Fallon right on her heels…nipping at them.

“Do we ask or ignore?” he queried.

Ransom casually leaned back onto his elbows. “We ignore until someone starts to bleed.”

“Is that really a healthy viewpoint?”

“With these two?
Yes.”

They watched the pair shoot around buildings and employees. At one point Makya Redwolf—one of Fallon’s betas—opened his front door, stepped out, stared and then went back inside without a word. Minutes later he returned and in his hand, he held a spray bottle.

“So this is about to get incredibly interesting,” Ransom stated.

“Indeed it is.”

The brothers watched as the male wolf slowly walked down his porch, waited until the females got close enough and then began to fire off sprays from the bottle until he got their attention.

“What did I say about early morning violence?” Makya demanded.

“But—” Cree started.

He raised a hand and she stopped. Makya then turned his gaze to Fallon who actually looked contrite. Without another word he pointed towards the very porch Ransom and Maddox sat on. Fallon’s shoulders hunched before she got to her feet and trotted towards them.

For Cree, Makya pointed the other way and she pouted. She didn’t object as she walked in the direction he’d gestured to.

The male wolf stood in that same spot for a bit, arms akimbo. Once he was convinced that there would be no more shenanigans, he exhaled and disappeared into his cabin; spray bottle included.

“I kind of wish it would’ve been Anoki,” Ransom said as Fallon got closer.

“God,” Maddox breathed. “The utter amount of pain he would’ve experienced from even
attempting
that.”

“It would’ve done our hearts well, little brother.”

“So very well. The only reason
he
gets away with it is because they respect him. Anoki however…”

Fallon reached them and sat back, panting.

“You!” Ransom pointed to his mate and then the front door. “Inside. Shower. We’re going to look at rings, possible planners and venues today.”

Her ears flattened and she growled, backing away.

“Fallon. Wilder.” Maddox’s brother didn’t bother to raise his voice but the command there even slapped across
him.

The she-wolf flinched and then with resignation, took a leap over both bears and pushed into the front door. 

“And would you please
wear something that doesn’t have blood stains on it? A dress and stilettos girl you shall never be. I accept this—find it sexy even—but I need decency, woman!” Ransom called behind her.

In response she slammed the door and Maddox would swear he heard pounding on it from the other side.

Ransom sighed.

“Yup…a
really
beautiful day in the neighborhood,” Maddox murmured, receiving no objections.

Three

“If you all would just follow me to the left, you’ll find the bike station open and fully ready for use. We have an array of sizes, as we understand that some may need something a bit…sturdier
than others,” Cree gave a pointed look to a polar and listened to the laughter that followed. With the most charming smile she could muster, she gestured to the rows of bike racks. “By all means, get whatever you feel suits you.”

Her bike was already a few feet away; tires and brakes checked to make sure everything was in working order. Cree’s activity sheet this week consisted of kayaking, mountain biking and rock climbing for the lodge. Being that athleticism
and
durability were needed for all three, none of the males had chosen to take them. Anoki, Makya and Cade—Fallon’s trusty assistant—were a bit too bulky and didn’t have the ability Cree had to tap into more than one source of energy so she did what they couldn’t. With all honesty, she enjoyed it. The burnout that would follow later would be enough to get her to sleep tonight. She knew from experience that the best way to quiet the beasts was to exhaust them or at least exhaust as many of them as she could.

Standing back, Cree watched the adults choose what they were most comfortable with but her eyes landed on one individual in particular; one that was
not
supposed to be there! She growled a bit and weaved through the throng of mountain bikers until she reached the tall, wide, muscular back in her vantage point.

As if sensing her before she could start bellowing, he stiffened and turned around, blinking wickedly long lashes down at her in the most innocent of stares. “Uh…”

“What are you doing, Maddox?”

His mouth twisted. “What am I doing?”

“Yes,” Cree hissed. “What are you doing?”

He folded his arms across a chest—that was all too visible through the soft gray tank he was wearing—and shrugged casually. “Riding the bike trail.”

“Riding the bike trail?”

“Yes,” Maddox answered. “Riding the bike trail.”

“Why?”

“Why what?”

Her eye twitched. “Why are you riding the bike trail?”

“Why am I riding the bike trail?”

Oh for fuck’s sake! “Maddox…
”

His face finally melted into a lazy grin, a dimple in his scruffy cheek breaking free. “You stopped the pattern, beautiful. I wanted to see how long we could keep up the circle of words.”

She exhaled. “Maddox, go away.”

The grizzly shook his head, wavy strands of silver tipped hair swaying slightly. “Nah.”

“Nah?”

Leaning down until they were almost nose to nose, he stared her in the eye and said, “Nah.”

She was going to hurt him. She was going to hurt him
bad
.

“It’s a beautiful day, I’ve nothing better to do,” he continued, giving another nonchalant roll of his shoulders. “And I’d like to spend my time participating in something other than fantasizing about whether or not I can make you howl in a little position I like to call the lotus flower bomb special.”

Cree swallowed. “You—”

“Ms. Chayton?”

Her shoulders tensed and she faced the small group of bikers who were all staring at her expectantly. Tucking in her lips, she took a step back from Maddox.

“If you irritate me,” she warned through clenched teeth. “I
will
push you down the side of a mountain and watch you die a tragic yet amusing death.”

“I can’t be any more irritating than those biking shorts,” he retorted. “Which, by the way, your ass looks incredible
in. It’s a lot like watching two halves of a peach fight one another for dominance under fabric. Quite entertaining and if I may admit, it makes me just a little hungry.”

With a snarl, Cree turned on her heel and marched away from him, pretending as though the small growl he released didn’t
feel like an actual caress. Unfortunately, she was lying to herself. It very well did. And that was the problem with Maddox wasn’t it? He didn’t, by any means, help to suppres
s
her abilities. He simply made them much more acute and this was the reason she had to stay away from him; far, far away. Not an easy feat when he was at the end of the line of mountain bikers, the smell of lemongrass slapping Cree in the face
repeatedly.

Goddammit!

You could end all of this easily enough…

The purred thought sent the front wheel of her cycle wobbling. No. No. No! She wouldn’t be ending anything!

So…you
like
the attention?

Cree bit her bottom lip and cast a quick glance backwards. Sure enough, Bamse had his eyes focused solely on her. With a sharp intake of breath, she picked up the speed on her bike, driving herself and everyone behind her just that much harder, as if she could outrun the emotion welling in her chest. She was pathetic.
All this time resisting him and she couldn’t handle one little bike ride?

Yes you can. Simply make the overgrown bastard wish he’d found somewhere else to lumber about. Tire him out and then escape!

Her mouth curved just at the edges, a mischievous grin forming. That’s
exactly
what she’d do…

***

She had to know resistance was futile; ridiculous even. The fact that she was so determined to put Maddox in a locked box was adorable.
Cree truly didn’t understand did she? He was a
grizzly;
one of the mightiest mammals walking the earth. The sheer determination his species carried, while hunting prey, couldn’t be diminished. She could snap, snarl, and threaten his life as much as she wanted but clearly she wasn’t grasping that he was going nowhere.
Maddox would not be moved. He wanted her, he would have her and she’d realize that she’d wasted too much time in the last year denying what was so obvious—they fit.

Cree with her clear derision for all who breathed her air and Maddox with his charm, impeccable taste and superior genetics. Who could refuse what was obviously set up by the fates? Apparently his pretty little shifter, who kept glancing back at him through every mile they’d done on the trail.

She was attempting to exhaust him. Wasn’t that cute? Obviously she didn’t know about his athletic history of track, football and rafting. Maddox had the endurance of a toddler on a maple syrup and gummy worm diet. It would be a while before he crashed. And yet, there she was, pushing and pushing.

Smiling, Maddox sped past other bikers, hearing their grumbles as he reached Cree. He kept time with her paddling, leering at the way her thighs tensed with every push of her legs. She smelled
wonderful…
but different. His brows drew downwards. Her scent had been ever changing over the last few weeks. From soft notes of lavender and rain to sharp robust punches of Japanese cherry blossoms and sea salt. It wasn’t produced from a bottle but wafted off of her skin just the same. Strange. He may have been imagining it but Cree’s lithe form also seemed to be going through a few changes. Her shoulders were a bit stronger as were her thighs. Her height hadn’t altered but her muscle mass had. Her hair remained the same thick waves of jet black but he could spot strands of color beginning to weave in and out.

When she looked over and caught his gaze, her eyes weren’t topaz but a discernable gold. She blinked and it was gone as though never there. He briefly questioned if he’d ever even seen it at all.

“As wonderful as the view of you from behind is,” he said, his mouth in a crooked grin. “Don’t you think you’re being a bit extreme?”

Her lips parted as though she wanted to respond but she shook her head and faced forward, attempting to outride him. Completely up for the challenge, Maddox kept up with her every move. She twisted and he followed. She dipped and he swayed along. She jumped a small jutting rock and while laughing, he copied her.