“As long as you’re with me,” he whispered, “there’s nothing else I’d rather be.”
Chapter 10
The day Joy’s babies were ready to come into the world, her eyes snapped open and she sat up straight. “It’s time.”
Zak carried her out of bed and into her father’s truck, which Greg drove. She had to be in the woods in order for the babies to be safe and Zak wanted the crew nearby to help. They were about to pull out into the road when Joy’s father ran out and stopped them.
“Wait! I’m coming with you.” He ran to the truck bed and jumped in with Joy. “You weren’t going to do this without me, were you?”
“Of course not.” Her words came out in little huffs as she kept breathing in a rhythm like she’d learned from the other girls in the gang. “Hold my hand, will you?” Steve took his daughter’s hand as they sped off towards the woods outside of town. It was early so the light was soft and traffic was minimal. It seemed like only minutes by the time they reached the spot Zak had picked out a few months earlier. They parked and several people eased Joy out of the back.
She had to walk with them to the base of the old oak and the walk was incredibly uncomfortable. She had to stop for contractions every few seconds and let out a horrible scream as the pain tore through her. Zak, Greg and a couple of the biker girls rubbed her back and encouraged her to go on, go into the woods.
Little by little, the group fell back until Zak was the only one left walking with her. They entered the clearing together, just like they had that first night, and he helped her lie down with her head pointed east.
“I want you to look up into the sky and focus on the colors there,” he said, pulling off his shirt. “All of my ancestors, all the shifters in my family, are there watching over us right now.” He wiggled out of his pants and then his underwear. He sprawled out on the grass with one hand on Joy’s belly and covered his face. She watched the sky as Zak’s form changed and he became an enormous brown bear lying on the ground.
He’d explained to her a few days before that changelings need to see both forms when they come into the world; the human female and the animal male. This way, no matter state they were born in, they had a parent to go to. He warned her that she may have two baby bears, which would be very intense and painful, but also a much faster birth. Now that the moment was at hand, she felt certain the two creatures inside her had claws and giant teeth.
The pain was so intense that her vision blurred and then left her entirely. Her bones softened and separated and she felt her hips spread across the ground. Bear Zak reached over with his hand and hooked a claw into her dress to rip it off. She’d worn it specifically to give birth in, but it felt good to have her skin on the grass.
Just as she started to catch her breath again, the pain inside her doubled down and took her over. She twisted and screamed, opening her legs in hopes that whatever was inside her would find its way out. Bear Zak stood and paced around in front of her. He came up and nuzzled her but she grabbed his ear and screamed with another contraction. He stayed away from her hands after that.
“Zak, the babies are coming!” She sat up halfway and pulled her knees in towards her chest. She bared down and felt the horrible sensation of her body ripping open, only to look down and see no baby below her. Daddy bear kept pacing, more agitated now that they were so close.
She went in for another round of pushing. She told herself to be strong. She thought back to several weeks before when she’d come home to find Aris sitting with a gun pointed at her dad. The crew hadn’t backed down that day; they’d bombarded the place from all sides, taking out Aris and protecting her and her dad. She had to be strong; this was her family now and weakness was not their style.
“Hrrrrreeemmmmmgaaahhh!” This time she felt a form slid through her. She looked down. It was a bear cub. Zak ran over and began to lick its fur. It was so beautiful to see him caring for a baby, but she couldn’t enjoy it; the second baby was right behind the first.
Another big push brought out number two. This one came out screaming in a little human voice. Shaking, Joy reached down to pick up her child and saw immediately that it was a girl. The sight of her little daughter made her heart jump up to her throat.
She’d had no idea she could love someone so profoundly. The level of her devotion to her bear cub and daughter shocked her. She would kill for them if she had to; nothing bad would ever happen to these children, not as long as she or their father was alive.
Zak picked up their bear cub by the skin on its neck and brought it over to her. The little baby curled up next to her on the grass. Zak touched his big, wet nose to her forehead and she reached up to feel his face.
“Our little bear is a boy?” He moved his head no. “A girl?” A big nod this time. “Oh, Zak! We’ve had two beautiful girls. Oh my goodness. As soon as you’re back to human we’re going to name them, okay?” Another touch to the forehead let her know that he was happy with whatever she wanted.
She kissed her little human daughter and smiled down at her bear baby. This was her family. Zak went up to a high point on a boulder and let out a loud bellow to announce that his children had been born. A little ways off they heard the human cheers of the crew. Zak looked back at her and then ambled off into the woods. He would stay out there the rest of the day and return the next morning so that he could be in his original form again. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
A while later, Petunia came and joined her with a bottle of baby formula for her bear baby. She showed Joy how to nurse the little cub.
“Now, she’ll be hungry most of the time. And she may keep this form for a long time. Some changeling babies don’t learn how to shift until they’re one year old and that first change can be traumatizing. You’re little pink baby on the other hand could just wake up in bear form one morning. Shifters will keep you on your toes. But,” she added, tickling the little bear as she pulled on the bottle, “we’ll help with all of that. We’ll show you how to help them sleep outside and in, what foods are good for them, all that.”
“Thank you so much.” Joy fell back onto the ground, completely spent. “I don’t know what I would do without all of you. I could never raise these little hellians all alone.”
“And I wouldn’t want you to.” Petunia watched the human baby on Joy’s stomach let out a big, squeaky yawn. “She’s so beautiful. You know what you’re going to name her?”
“I’m waiting until Zak’s back. I’m sure he has some ideas.” She kissed her little daughter and shifted her over to one side so she could nurse. The baby went right for her nipple. Her little lips latched onto Joy and began sucking all the milk it could out of her breast.
“Oh, wow.” Joy’s eyes popped open at the feel of her milk flowing out of her so fast. “She’s starving.”
Petunia nodded. “Yeah, they’ll both be big eaters, I’m sorry to say. You’ll want to get them on formula. Otherwise, you’ll have to breastfeed constantly.”
Without looking Joy could feel the little bear teeth extending from her daughter’s human mouth. Maybe she would transition overnight. The clamp of her bite got to be too much and Petunia helped her transition the little one to her bottle before she tore Joy’s nipple off.
Joy held human baby and Petunia took the little bear baby. The poor thing was so sleepy all it could manage to do was curl up on her stomach. Her silky fur was deep brown and reflected the bright sunlight beautifully. Joy hoped Zak would hurry back. She didn’t want him to miss any of this.
After a day and a night in the woods, Joy was led back out with Petunia’s help. The crew came up to help carry the babies and sang an old song as they led her and her family back into the world.
And with the rising sun
We shall walk this world as one
Like my father and my mother
We will live beside each other
With strength and pride…
Joy showed her children to her father who held his human granddaughter proudly. “Oh, you’ve got a little pistol on your hands, here. And as to this other one,” he looked down at the bear baby who was chewing on his pant leg, “well, I just hope she’s smart.”
Steve had gotten the whole story after the crew had saved him. Joy was passed out during the conversation, but Zak told her he’d taken the news of their true state very well.
“I remember your father,” he’d said, pointing at Zak. “He was always wild, always making it impossible for me to teach my kids. One day he ran out of school and a few minutes later this big grizzly bear was seen walking across the school baseball field. Everyone else was shocked but I knew. I knew it was Chet, my class clown, playing the ultimate prank.”
Zak had pressed him with a million more questions about what his father had been like in school, but Steve refused to continue. “It doesn’t matter, boy. You’re the father now. I just hope you know what you’ve gotten yourself into.”
By the next evening, Zak had wandered back, naked and sweaty. They had his clothes waiting for him at the camp and everyone jeered at him and teased as he pulled them on in front of everyone.
“There’s the daddy! And there’s his favorite toy. Put that thing away!”
Laughing, he got himself dressed and went into his tent where his family was settling down for the night. He snuggled up to Joy and gave her a kiss, then took his human baby in his arms. Their little bear baby walked up to him with her tiny tail wagging behind her. She pulled herself up on his knee to better see her sister.
“Well,” Zak said, cradling one baby and petting the other, “what are we naming these two troublemakers?”
Joy snuggled into her sleeping bag and considered the two babies in front of her. “I was thinking Clementine for our little human,” she said, “and maybe Jasmine for her bear sister. What do you think?”
He looked down at his baby girl. “Clementine. Is that your name? Is it?” As he spoke, she reached up a tiny, shell-pink hand and he caught it and gave it a kiss. Her tiny fingers wrapped around his giant one and squeezed mightily.
“Okay, I think she likes it.”
He turned to the baby bear. “Jasmine. You like that name? You have to have it for the rest of your life.” She sniffed his face and jumped up and down on her front paws. He put a hand over her muzzle and let her gnaw on him for a moment. “Okay. Oh, ow!” He took his hand away and baby Jasmine was quick to put an innocent expression on her face. “Careful baby girl.”
“She’s her father’s daughter.” Joy put a hand on Zak’s leg. “So, you like their names?”
“I love them. I knew you would give our daughters the perfect names.” He leaned down to kiss her and she managed to raise herself up slightly to receive it.
“You look exhausted, babe. Let me get us a babysitter so you can sleep.”
He stepped out of the tent, Jasmine right behind him, and Joy tried to protest but even yelling out for him to wait a moment was far more than she could manage. Every single one of her muscles was exhausted and refused to move.
That night, she and Zak slept with their limbs entangled in a sleeping bag. Their babies slept with Petunia and Greg under the stars. In his sleep, Zak reached out for Joy’s face, turning her towards him. She looked at him while he slept; her wild, strange lover and now the father of her children. She couldn’t imagine a more perfect being existing anywhere in the world. That night, Joy slept soundly and deeply knowing that she was loved and not wanting for anything other than the life she had.
Summary: Joy wanted to believe her difficulties were behind her, but the day she saw her old high school boyfriend Zak pull up on a motorcycle she knew they had just begun. Back together after decades apart, the two pick up right where they left off as teenagers, but something is off about Zak. His motorcycle gang seems a little different, too, but she can’t be sure what exactly it is that sets them apart. Her father doesn’t know who she is half the time but, even when he isn’t sure if he’s talking to his daughter or his nurse, he always knows Zak is trouble. The rest of the town seems to agree with him and everyone she meets assures her she’s made the wrong choice. Joy tries to resist, but she’s drawn to his beautiful face and wild lifestyle over and over again.
After a beautiful romance with Zak, Joy’s ex-husband Aris closes in to let Zak know that he doesn’t like seeing his wife in the arms of another man. The two have a stand-off that ends with Aris in the hospital and Zak vanishing. Joy sees a bear running off into the woods and her ex beaten and bloody. Sure that Zak has fallen victim to a bear attack as well, she falls into a deep depression and pines for the man she loves.
Just as Zak returns, Joy’s body begins to change and she’s worried she may be pregnant with Zak’s baby. It’s time for him to tell her his secrets so that she can finally know; what is it that makes Zak so different?
Biker Bear’s Baby
“Dixie! Can we get another round down here, doll?” Harlan Simmons called out from the table where he sat with his fellow bikers.
“Sure. On the way,” she called back, turning to grab a tray and start pouring their drinks. It was a typical Saturday night in As the Crow Flies, a dive bar she had just started working in for the summer. The Crow, as the locals called it, was usually full of bikers and truckers that called her pet names and touched her inappropriately. It wasn’t exactly her dream job, but it would net her some extra cash over the summer before she returned to college in the fall.
“Thanks, cutie,” Harlan told her as she balanced her tray on the table and passed out the drinks.
Her large breasts brushed the arm of one of the bikers sitting by Harlan and he smiled at her, but said nothing. She was used to it. Different men reacted differently to her due to her size. She wasn’t slender, athletic, like many of the girls that worked here. Unlike their more stickish figures, she had curves that flowed wickedly in a true hourglass fashion. She was more Anna Nicole Smith than Kate Moss, not everyone’s cup of tea. She could never be sure if the smiles like his were interest or a nonverbal declination. It didn’t really matter much either way to her.
In her high school years, she had been sensitive about her size, but college had opened up a new world to her. College guys seemed to take much more interest in her than high school boys ever had. Of course, she had quickly learned that many of them were more interested in a physical relationship than anything more meaningful. It had led to a general disinterest in dating after a couple of years. Now, entering her junior year, she was fairly impervious to the advances of the opposite sex. Her disdain was only accented by Harlan’s usual slap on her backside as she walked away.
“Harlan, cool it,” she heard one of the guys tell him. It was the same one she had inadvertently brushed against as she had served their drinks.
“What? You can’t just ignore an ass like that, man,” Harlan replied with a laugh.
“If she had wanted your hands on her ass, she would have asked you to put them there. Did she see her flirting with you? No. She is just doing her job and has to put up with jerks like you touching her. Keep your hands to yourself when you are out with me,” the other man growled at him.
“Alright, man. Fine,” Harlan said sullenly.
“Glad we got that straight,” the other man replied, taking a drink of his beer.
Dixie pretended she hadn’t overheard, continuing her walk toward the bar as if nothing had happened. The next several rounds of beer served during her shift went by without further manhandling, at least not from that table. She was vaguely aware of the reputation of the men that sat there, members of a local motorcycle gang known as the Thunder Bears. She assumed it was a nod to the loud sound of their Harleys and the overabundance of bears in this neck of the woods.
“Dixie?” a man said from behind her, disrupting her thoughts as she cleaned the bar back in preparation to leave for the night. She turned around to find herself looking at the man who had called Harlan out for touching her inappropriately.
“What can I get for you? Another beer?” she asked.
“No. I’m good. I just need to take care of our tab and we’re going to get going,” he replied.
“Okay. Let me get that for you,” she replied, taking in his deep brown eyes and dark lashes for what was probably a few seconds too long.
It had been hard to see him well in the dimly lit corner where he and his guys had been sitting, but standing here by the bar shed new light on him. He was tall and muscular, easily six four. She guessed he was in his late twenties, no more than seven or eight years older than her. His jet black hair hung in loose curls to his shoulders. A chiseled jawline set off high cheekbones and full lips. He was insanely attractive and rugged looking.
“Thanks,” he replied, pulling some cash from his pocket and waiting for her to bring him a total. She could see his friends already filing out of the bar behind him.
“Here you go,” she said, laying the check down in front of him and waiting while he shelled out several hundreds to cover their bar tab.
“That should do it,” he told her with a smile.
“I’ll get your change,” she replied, noting the large amount of overage.
“No. The rest is yours,” he replied.
“I appreciate it, but that is too much,” she replied, unsure of accepting an almost eighty dollar tip from the likes of him.
“Consider it an apology for Harlan’s poor behavior, not just for tonight, but for whatever other nights he has been a jackass,” he told her.
“That is not necessary. I’m used to it,” she replied.
“You shouldn’t be. Just because you work in a bar doesn’t make you the property of a bunch of miscreants. If you have any trouble from anyone here, you just let me know. The name is Luke Roberts,” he said.
Dixie knew the name. He wasn’t just a member of the Thunder Bears, he was the leader, and well known in the community as the best mechanic for miles. She had heard of him, but they had never met before now. If his reputation was true, he was a real badass. He might be pretty, but definitely someone she should steer clear of if even half of what she heard was true.
“I really appreciate it, but still, it is too much. Let me get you some change,” she repeated.
“How about you keep it and give me your number instead,” he replied.
“I rather give you your change,” she replied with a polite smile, feeling uncomfortable with the way his eyes drew her in and made her want to do unmentionable things with him.
“Playing hard to get. Okay. Just know that I don’t give up that easily,” he replied, walking out of the bar.
“Wait. Your change . . . .” she called after him, but he only laughed and tossed up a hand in a backwards wave as he disappeared out the door. She heard the roar of motorcycles cranking up as she made change and tucked it in her tip stash. Finishing her work cleaning up the bar, she cashed out and left work, digging in her purse for her keys.
“I knew you would come out eventually,” a voice said as she stepped out the front door and began walking toward her car. She jumped, startled, as she found herself looking up at Luke Roberts towering over her. Looking around, she saw that the parking lot was empty except for the two of them. Her heart beat wildly in her chest as she stood facing him in the near darkness outside the bar.
“What do you want?” she asked, fiddling with the keys in her hand so that several of them protruded from between her fingers in case she needed to defend herself with what she had at hand.
“You aren’t going to have to stab me with your car keys,” he laughed.
“That’s what all the stalkers say,” she said, trying to make light of it, despite her continued nervousness.
“Listen, we’re going for a ride down Bayou Bluffs tomorrow. How would you like to ride with me?” he asked.
“Me? On a motorcycle? I don’t think so,” she replied.
“Come on. I’m not going to let anything happen to you,” he said.
“I appreciate the offer, but I really just don’t know you that well,” she replied.
“Isn’t that the whole idea behind going out somewhere with someone? Getting to know them?” he asked.
“I hardly think I’m going to be able to get to know you roaring down some winding highway on the back of your bike,” she replied.
“Well, you’ve got me there. It is a bit difficult to carry on a conversation. I tell you what. How about I meet you at Mabel’s Diner for a nice breakfast for starters. We can talk a bit, get to know one another and then, if you feel comfortable with it, you can ride with me down to the bluffs. The boys are going to be grilling up some food and tossing back a few beers, maybe kick up a bonfire later. You’ll have fun,” he said.
“Okay. I will agree to breakfast and we’ll see how that goes first,” she replied.
“Good enough. You drive a hard bargain, Dixie Andrews,” he replied.
“I don’t recall giving you my last name,” she quizzically said.
“You didn’t have to,” he replied with a wink before slipping a black half helmet on his head. “I’ll see you in the morning, say about seven?”
“I’ll see you at seven,” she replied.
“You bet that sweet ass of yours you will,” he replied.
Dixie watched as he cranked his bike and roared out of the parking lot. He was a striking figure, even more foreboding in the near darkness of the parking lot where the little lighting that existed cast his shadow across her shorter frame. She wasn’t sure why she had agreed to go to breakfast with him. He and his sort were the last thing she needed in her life. She was the only girl in her family to make it to college rather than getting knocked up by some local nobody and she wasn’t about to give it up for a small town mentality now.
Heading home, she still found herself thinking about him. His good looks and chiseled physique were hard to resist. It wasn’t like she was a virgin, though she would be the first to admit her experience with men was limited. She was a smart girl who knew how to take care of herself. Why couldn’t she have a little fun with a local while she was home for the summer? No sooner had the thought crossed her mind than so did the answer. He was bad news and somehow, she knew that it would end with more chaos than fun.
“Good morning, gorgeous,” he said as she entered the diner the next morning.
“Good morning,” she replied in a much cooler tone. “I’m sorry, but I just came by to tell you I couldn’t have breakfast with you. I would have called, but I didn’t have your number.”
“So, you drove all the way across town from your mama’s house on Eldorado Parrish Lane to tell me you won’t eat with me?” he said with a half grin.
“Pretty much. I didn’t want to be rude and just not show up,” she replied, not really surprised that a man with his contacts knew where she lived.
“I believe they have a phone here at the diner,” he told her, an eyebrow raised in her direction.
Dixie blushed a crimson red color. It seemed that the fact that she could have called the diner and had a message given to him rather than coming down here didn’t escape him at all. He might just be some sort of biker gang leader, but he was a smart one. She tried to think of a reason she chose to come down here instead of calling and finally stammered out an explanation.
“I had to come into town to pick up something for my mother, so I thought I would just stop by,” she told him.
“Your mother is in Mississippi with her sister. I believe she is attending an old friend’s funeral,” he said.
“What? How do you know that?” she replied, looking at him with large eyes. Now, she was a bit surprised and a little frightened.
“I know everything. Just like I know you are here because you want to eat breakfast with me. You are just scared that you might actually like someone like me,” he replied.
“That is ridiculous,” she replied, trying unsuccessfully to will her feet to turn and walk out of here to prove her point.
“Then why are you still here? Just have a seat and eat breakfast with me, Dixie. I won’t bite you . . . right now,” he said with a smile. His teeth were nearly perfect, not at all what you would expect from some big biker thug. Then again, when you really looked at him, he didn’t look much the part other than the jacket and riding boots. Put Luke Roberts in a suit and he could pass for any professional you could name.
Dixie didn’t bother to argue. Instead, she sat down at his table and looked at him. The waitress came over and took her order before returning behind the counter to bark orders at a cook that looked like he had been out all night and rather be anywhere else but here cooking on a flat top diner grill. Luke never took his eyes off of her as she waited for her orange juice to arrive. She shifted in her seat a little, beginning to feel uncomfortable. The arrival of her drink was a welcome distraction.
“So, Dixie Andrews, tell me what it is you are studying in college,” he asked.
“Mechanical Design,” she replied.
“Wow, very impressive. You are just the sort of girl I need to know,” he replied.
“How’s that?” she asked, momentarily turning to thank the waitress as she brought their food. The way the young lady looked at Luke didn’t go unnoticed by her, but he seemed completely oblivious. No doubt he was used to women looking at him appreciatively. Dixie found herself wondering how many of them he had taken home with him.
“Well, I own a mechanical shop here locally and I have a few idea that I’ve been toying with but some issues with working out the designs. It might be something you could help me out with, if you were so inclined,” he said.
“Why would I do that?” she asked.
“Because you find me interesting and want to spend more time with me in close quarters,” he responded bluntly.
“Very sure of yourself, aren’t you?” she said a bit sarcastically.
“Usually, I am. You are a little hard on a man’s ego, though,” he replied.
“I don’t mean to be,” she told him. “It isn’t about you. You seem like a pretty decent guy, really. I’m just not interested in getting into a relationship when I’m going to be returning to school in a couple of months.”
“I guess I will just have to settle for a couple of months of mind blowing sex, then,” he told her, his eyes locked on hers. The intensity of them was almost too much. Not only did she find herself unable to look away, she felt herself becoming highly aroused merely by his presence.
“How about we just stick with breakfast for now?” she replied, having a hard time breathing evenly while speaking.
“That will be fine, at least until breakfast has ended,” he replied.
Their conversation settled into the innovations he was trying to work out in his garage and her studies. Somehow, their two different worlds seemed to find a lot of common ground in that they knew the same people and places. They laughed about some of the local drama and recalled their childhoods growing up here in the bayou. By the time breakfast was over, Dixie found that she was drawn to him in a way that she couldn’t deny.
“So, how about a ride down to Bayou Bluffs?” he asked as he took care of the check, still barely registering the rather attractive waitress that was ogling him.
“You talked me into it,” she replied. “Just let me step out to my car a moment.”
“Perfect. I’ll meet you out there in just a few minutes,” he told her. “I need to hit the head and make a couple of quick phone calls before we take off.”
Dixie nodded and made her way to the car. Dropping her sandals in the trunk, she slipped on the socks and boots she kept there for hiking at the state park nearby before dropping her entire purse into the empty backpack that also resided there. She grabbed an elastic band from the front of the car and twisted her long hair into a low ponytail and dabbed on some lip balm to combat the wind that would hit her on the back of the bike.
“You’re pretty prepared for a girl who had no intention of riding with me today,” Luke said with a smirk as he approached the back of her car.
“Don’t flatter yourself Luke Roberts. I always have this stuff for when I decide to stop by the park and go for a hike,” she told him.
“A likely story,” he teased. “The sooner you admit you want me, the sooner we can get to that whole unbridled passion I mentioned earlier.”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, shall we?” she replied, blowing him off as she closed the trunk of her car. While she might have appeared calm and collected, her heart beat wildly and her nerves tingled along every extremity.
“Get on,” he replied, straddling his bike and waiting for her to get on behind him. The way he said it was extremely suggestive, but she pretended she didn’t notice. Instead, putting on the helmet he held out toward her and waiting while he fastened the straps for her. Once she was helmeted up, she climbed on the bike behind him and sat with her hands resting on her legs.
“Alright. I’m ready,” she said.
“I know you don’t think you can ride like that,” he laughed, reaching back for her hands and wrapped them around his waist. “Hold on tight. I wouldn’t want you falling off.”
Dixie did as she was told, feeling a little more unsettled between being wrapped so closely around him and on this death machine of his. The loud roar of the chrome pipes was a little frightening, to say the least. How in the world had she let herself get talked into this insanity? Her heart pounded loudly as Luke pulled away from the curb and began making his way down the side street that led away from the restaurant. She held on to him for dear life as they turned onto the main highway and picked up speed.
Her fear slowly faded into contentment as she watched the passing trees and lakes scattered on either side of the highway. The wind blowing across her body felt oddly liberating. She could see why people enjoyed riding so much, something that she had never understood before. A moment later, she became aware of Luke’s hand on hers. He had taken it off the handle long enough to squeeze her on as if to silently ask if she was okay. She returned the favor in order to let him know that she was doing fine. The truth was that she felt much more than okay. She had to admit that this day was turning out far better than she had anticipated. She found the feeling of Luke’s boy pressed against hers exhilarating.
Before she knew it they had been riding for hours and she was starving, her breakfast long worn off. Luke must have been feeling the same way as he pulled into a combination diner and gas station a few minutes later. Parking at the pumps, he motioned for her to step off. He stepped off behind her, putting the kickstand out and removing his helmet. She watched as his rough hands tussled his thick hair before smiling down at her.
“Surviving so far?” he asked.
“Yes, so far,” she replied. She wasn’t ready to commit to telling him she was actually enjoying the ride.
“There is a little place down by the river I want to eat dinner, but I thought we could grab a little snack here to hold us over. I just need to fill up the tank while we are stopped. If you want to grab us a table in the diner, I’ll take care of the bike and be right behind you,” he said, pulling the nozzle out of the pump.
“You aren’t planning on dumping me in the middle of nowhere, are you?” she joked.
“Depends on how the snack goes,” he said with a wink. Dixie laughed and headed into the diner to find them a table. By the time Luke joined her, she had ordered them a sampler plate and a couple of waters.
“I didn’t know what you like, so I just ordered one of the mixed appetizers,” she told him.
“Sounds perfect. Should be enough to take the edge off while we finish the trip,” he said.
They sat enjoying their food over a conversation about Luke’s innovations he was working on in his shop. Before Dixie knew it, she was agreeing to come to the shop on her day off the following week so that she could look at what he was doing and see what she could do to help him work out some of the kinks. It was hard to believe how quickly she was warming up the him, but she didn’t seem to be able to stop herself. He had a certain animalistic charm to him that spoke to her basic instincts in all the right ways.
“Alright, we best get back on the road,” he told her once they had finished.
“Alright,” she replied. The two of them headed back out to where he had moved the bike after his fill up and climbed back on. This time, she didn’t hesitate to wrap her arms tightly around him before he took off down the highway toward their destination.
“Here we are,” Luke told her hours later as he pulled into the parking lot of what looked a bit like a dive to her. The rustic posts that surrounded an outer deck looked like they had been harvested off some old, rotten ship. Everything looked dank and dusty from out here. He helped her from the bike and hung their helmets on the side.
“Aren’t you worried that someone will take those?” she asked. It didn’t seem like a particularly good spot to leave anything.
“Not if they know what is good for them,” he laughed. Dixie could only imagine what Luke Roberts would do to someone that had the audacity to steal from him. They walked into the dockside place, named unimaginatively, “The Wharf”. She was surprised to find that it was much cleaner and more modern inside, though still a fairly simple home-style type restaurant. The server greeted Luke by name, looking appreciatively over the muscles that rippled beneath his leather riding jacket before casting a look of disdain in Dixie’s direction.
“Your usual table?” she asked him.
“If it is available,” he replied. Moments later, they were settled into a couple of beers and a large basket of fried oysters. It wasn’t exactly haute cuisine, but it was apparent that it was a delicacy at this locale and Luke was the resident food critic.
“How is everything, Luke?” an elderly man asked as he approached the table.
“My compliments to the chef,” Luke replied with a nod. The old man tipped his head toward him and moved on to another table. Luke turned his attention back toward her. “That’s Arnie Compton, his family has owned this place for as long as I can remember.
“It’s very cozy,” she replied, finding that she actually meant it. This place actually did have a sort of comforting feel to it. You could come in here and just relax. She could get used to it. They finished their meal over chatter about how he came to own a mechanic shop and how she came to pursue mechanical design. They had covered a lot of territory as far as sharing their stories during the course of the day and the sparks between them glowed the deep red of desire that was common between those that found a passion for one another so quickly.
“Let’s get out of here,” he offered, leaving cash on the table and slipping free of the booth in which they sat. She nodded and stood up, once again marveling at his size compared to her own. Though she was not a thin girl, Luke towered over her and was broad and muscular. He even made her feel petite. A tingle ran through her as she started in the direction of the bike, thinking about being curled up against him again as they rode again.
“What are you doing?” she asked, suddenly aware that he was walking past the bike.
“I thought we were going for a stroll along the river?” he said with a slow smile. The restaurant was set up on a cliff overlooking the water. No way could they get down to it from up here.
“Is there a lift or something?” she asked, confused.
“A lift? To the river? This isn’t snow skiing, babe,” he replied. Whether she was thrilled about being referred to by such a sweet term of endearment or just liked the way his mouth moved when he said the words was unclear, but she was quite certain she would follow him down the steepest slope in that moment. Of course, she had no idea that climbing down a rock face was exactly what they would be doing and in the dark, to boot.
“Are we going to be able to get back up this thing?” she said, looking back up the steep incline after they had dropped onto the small bank area below.
“I don’t know. I guess if we can’t, we’ll just have to sleep together on the river bank,” he replied with his sly smile. He was looking up at the rock facing as if he, too, were concerned, but she suspected that he had done this many times over.
“I guess so,” she replied, refusing to let him get anything over on her. He reached for her hand and led her down the bank, dimly lit with the lights that spilled over from the nearby restaurant parking and the houses built along the cliffs overhead.
“Did you ever imagine that you’d be spending your evening with a backwards biker when you met me last night at work?” he asked.
“Not in a million years,” she replied, not bothering to correct his self-assessment.
They walked quietly for a while, just holding hands and enjoying the night air along the water. A large fish jumped nearby, causing Dixie to startle a bit and stop in her tracks. Luke laughed and pulled her toward him. “It’s just a fish, babe.”
His own words were cut off by his mouth on hers, dancing a slow tango to a tune unique to the two of them as they clung to each other beneath the stars. The rest of the world faded away while she was in his arms. She was quite content with the thought that it might never return. As long as she was lost in him like this, there was nothing else she needed. Everything about him felt so right. If there was such a thing as love at first sight, then this was it.
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered against her ear as he pulled away from the kiss and held her closely to his chest. She cooed against him, allowing herself to just enjoy the moment while it lasted. They stood there for what seemed like only moments, though it was probably much longer. This all felt so right and yet, she was scared out of her mind. Finally mustering the gumption to break away, she pulled back and looked up at him.
“I need to go home now,” she said, willing her voice not to falter.
“Are you sure?” he asked, brushing some loose hairs caught by the wind away from her face.
“Yes, I’m sure,” she replied.
“I guess all good things have to come to an end,” he said quietly, leading her around a corner where she found a long wooden ramp that led back up to the restaurant.
“You knew this was here and you made me climb down those rocks?” she blurted out as they made their way up the sloped wooden dock.
“I’m sorry. The view from the rocks was better,” he told her.
“How could you tell? We were looking down, not up toward the sky,” she replied.
“You were looking down. I was looking up at you climbing down the rocks,” he replied with a cocky grin.
“You are awful!” she replied, laughing as they topped the path and made their way back to the bike.
“I know. What can I say?” he laughed, helping her into her helmet and onto the bike. The cool night air felt even more amazing than the warm summer day had on their way up. Dixie couldn’t imagine feeling more content than she did in the time it took to arrive there. Pulling into a strange driveway, however, shattered every bit of peace she had claimed on the ride home.
“What are we doing here?” she asked, thinking it must be his house and wondering how he could be so presumptuous as to assume she’d just come home with him.
“Don’t panic. I just need to grab something and I’ll be right back. It’ll give you a chance to stretch your legs,” he replied.
“Actually, do you mind if I use your bathroom for a moment?” she asked as he helped her out of her helmet again. She knew she should probably just stay outside, but she really did have to go and the restaurant would be closed by the time they got back there.
“Of course you can. It’s right down there on the right,” he told her, pointing down a hallway on one side of the house. He turned and walked into another room on the other side, leaving her to find her way.
It was apparent to her that whatever this chemistry was between them was only going to get stronger the moment they stepped inside. There was a good chance that she might not be able to say no to this man and sleeping with someone on the first date was something she had never done. A small voice inside her head responded to her thoughts, asking if she really minded so much if she lost control with him. Making her way back to the living room, she waited for him to return. He did a few minutes later with a small leather case in one hand.
“Ready to go?” he asked. Dixie looked at him, how gorgeous he was standing in his dimly lit living room. His dark hair and eyes were calling to her in a way she could explain.
Then, it was if the flood gates opened and every bit of what she was feeling, all the longing, the hunger, the passion . . . it all spilled forth and she refused to try to hold it back. She moved in closer to him and began nibbling at his neck softly. He feigned being non-responsive but quickly gave it up as her hands began to roam across his leather clad arms and her kisses grew more urgent. Sliding onto his lap, she kissed him hungrily, aching to have him inside of her. Something that sounded oddly like a growl escaped his lips.
“What are you doing?” he whispered. “What makes you think I’m this kind of guy?”
“If you aren’t, I think I am getting to you,” she whispered in his ear.
“Nope. I’m a rock,” he replied.
“Perhaps you are as hard as a rock,” she replied provocatively, sliding her hand across the rapidly rising bulge in his jeans.
“You are a very bad girl,” he told her.
“Guilty as charged,” she responded playfully, massaging him through the course denim that covered his zipper.
“Well, I guess we are just going to have to cart you off for your crimes of passion then,” he told her, suddenly pulling her upward with his strong arms and tossing her over his shoulder. He walked to the bedroom with her, as she giggled loudly.
“Now, let’s just see who is in charge here,” he told her, pinning her down across the bed and kissing her. His body hovered over her own, taking his time with her. Their passion got the best of them as they tugged at each other’s clothes, eager to feel skin against skin. It had been an eventful day and tomorrow looked even brighter as they lost themselves in each other’s arms.
Dixie’s body arched gently forward as Luke expertly found his way to her clit with a talented tongue. He knew exactly what to do to bring her to a series of orgasms like she had not experienced for quite some time. She moaned loudly as he licked and tickled her most private places, leaving her squirming and moaning beneath him in complete ecstasy. His abilities far exceeded even what she could have imagined. He was like an animal with a treat as he lapped furiously at her dripping pussy, eagerly teasing her until she was squirting wildly into his hungry mouth.
Having satisfied her needs for the moment, he began to slowly drag his magnificent lips across her bare skin, traveling her body with feather light butterflies of lust. By the time he had completed his circuit and made his way back up to her lips, she was ready for more and he certainly didn’t disappoint. Their moans were almost simultaneous as he entered her, pushing his erection deep inside of her, stretching her until she felt full. Full of him. Full of lust. Full of contentment. It was beautiful being with him and she hoped it would never end.
They made love slowly as the moon rose outside, shining through the window of the otherwise dimly lit room. There was no doubt that she had made the right choice as he traveled endless highways along the curves of her body, taking his time with every nuance of her flesh. Her hips rose to meet his again and again, a perfectly time waltz between two new lovers. This could very well be her destiny if she allowed it. It was too soon to think in those terms, she knew, but she had never experienced chemistry like this with anyone. Her moans filled the room as he brought her to yet another intense orgasm and then followed her into bliss with his own.
Afterwards, they lay there in the darkness, just listening to one another breathe. Dixie was sure that this was just about as close to heaven as a girl could ever hope to be. She reached for him, laying her head on his shoulder as she fell asleep in his arms. Whatever tomorrow might bring, it would be nothing she could not handle with this man by her side. Once again, the world outside of him faded away and she was content to just let it all wash away.
She awoke the next morning to find herself alone in the bed. It was just before twilight and, for a moment, she wasn’t sure where she was. Her body felt stiff all over, like she had been ravaged by a wild beast. A smile crossed her lips as she remembered the way he had awoken her after their first encounter with a repeat performance that had made the first one look tame. He had fucked her with such force that it had felt like he might tear her apart and she had loved every moment of it. His skin felt like he was on fire as he sank into her again and again, scratching her skin with his nails and biting her back as he plunged deep inside of her.
“You’re awake,” he said from the doorway.
“I am,” she replied, looking at him sheepishly. She pulled the sheet up over her body and smiled at him, noting the scratch across her breast as she did so.
“Don’t cover up. I love looking at you,” he replied.
Dixie smiled, letting the sheet drop. Her nipples stood erect in the cool air conditioned bedroom as she tried not to be self-conscious while he studied her intently.
“I’ve got to get to the shop. Do you want to stay here or should I take you back to your car?” he said suddenly.
“I have to go to work later, so my car would be good,” she replied, getting out of bed and beginning to get dressed. He stood watching her with a smile. Finally walking over and kissing her in a way that just made her want to get back into bed.
“I’ll be in later for a drink. Maybe we can find a quiet place to make your break a little more exciting,” he told her.
“You’re an animal,” she said.
“Oh, you have no idea,” he told her, slapping her playfully on the backside as she bent to retrieve her boots from the floor by the bed. She slipped them on and then followed him out to the bike. Fifteen minutes later, they were pulling into the restaurant where she had left her car. He kissed her, squeezing one of her breasts lightly as he leaned in.
“Get out of here before we get arrested for public indecency and lewd behavior out here in the parking lot,” she replied.
“It would be completely worth it. I’ll see you tonight,” he told her, getting back on his bike.
She watched him drive off before slipping behind the wheel of her car and heading home to shower and change for work. All she could think about beneath the steam of the shower is how he had felt. Her fingers drifted lightly over the scratches he had left behind and she wondered how he had managed them. His nails had seemed pretty clean cut when they were eating dinner and she had noted them, but she had numerous scratches nonetheless. Shrugging it off, she finished dressing and left for work. The bar wouldn’t open until two, but they had inventory this morning before the usual clean up and restocking they did before opening.
Weeks went by during which she and Luke spent every possible moment together. There was no doubt that she was head over heels for him, though there seemed to be a bit of problem with some of his club members, namely Harlan Simmons. Dixie wasn’t sure if she had rubbed him the wrong way due to how Luke had shut him down about his behavior toward her or if it was a personal issue between him and Luke, but they always seemed to be butting heads.
“What is she doing here?” Harlan asked one day when Dixie appeared at the garage while several of the members were hanging out there and discussing club business.
“Dixie is always welcome here,” Luke replied coolly.
“I don’t recall issuing her a patch,” Harlan replied. “This is a members only gathering.”
“I’m sorry, Luke. I didn’t realize I was interrupting anything. I will come back later when you aren’t busy,” Dixie told him, not wanting to cause trouble between him.
“Don’t be ridiculous. Harlan is just being an asshole. Just wait for me in my office. We’re almost done here anyway,” Luke told her, never taking his eyes off of Harlan.
Dixie nodded and walked to the front of the garage. She could hear him and Harlan exchanging angry words, but couldn’t make our exactly what they were saying. It was bad enough that she had to come here to have the conversation with him that she had planned. No doubt it wasn’t going to be received well if he was already in a bad mood. She sat nervously waiting on him.
“What’s wrong?” he said immediately when he came in a short time later.
“How do you know something is wrong?” she asked, surprised he could pick up on it so quickly.
“I have a good sense for these things. I can smell fear and you are covered in it,” he said.
“I’m pregnant,” she blurted out.
His physical reaction was much the same as if she had slapped him. She sat waiting for him to say something. She had known for a week, but had been trying to accept it herself before coming to him. Instead, she had made excuses not to see him while she sorted it out in her head. This had not been a part of her plan and she knew it changed everything with her life, with school, and with him.
“How far along are you?” he asked.
“It’s yours if that is what you are trying to figure out,” she snarled back, upset that he might even think otherwise.
“No, Dixie. I know it is mine. How far along?” he asked again.
“No more than a few weeks,” she replied. “I took two tests and both were positive. I have an appointment with the doctor in the morning to confirm.”
“No. I’ll make you an appointment elsewhere. You can’t see a regular doctor,” he replied.
“What? Of course I can see a regular doctor. Wait, are you telling me you want me to take care of it? You don’t want anyone to know that you made me end the pregnancy?” she suddenly shrieked.
“I am not telling you that. I am telling you that you need a very special doctor and that I need for you to go to who I tell you to see,” he said firmly.
“You aren’t making any sense. Why?” she asked.
“Dixie, listen to me. I can’t explain to you right now, but I will tonight. Just know that I love you and that I want this baby. I want our baby. Do you?” he asked.
“Of course I do,” she told him, knowing that she meant it now that she was saying the words out loud. It didn’t matter how it changed things for her to be pregnant. She wanted this baby more than anything.
“Then, we need to sit down and talk about some things. Let me get a couple of things finished up here at the garage and then I’ll come get you. We’ll go to the house where we can be alone and talk,” he said.
“You are scaring me,” Dixie told him.
“I know I am, but it will be okay. I promise,” he told her.
“Okay. Just call me when you are on your way over,” she told him.
“Dixie?” he called after her as she started to leave.
“Yes?” she said, stopping to look back at him.
“I love you. I love you and I love our baby,” he said
“I love you, too,” she replied before leaving the garage.
Harlan stood just outside the garage opening, looking her up and down in his usual lewd way. There was a smirk on his face that made her just want to walk over and slap him, but she knew that would only cause more trouble between him and Luke. The last thing she needed to do was stir crap between them. Instead, she walked quietly to her car, avoiding any further eye contact with him. She saw him go into the garage after she left and wondered what he was up to.
“I’m on my way to get you,” Luke told her on the phone less than an hour later. “I need you to pack some things and plan on staying at my house for a while.”
“What? Why? I’ll be fine here at home,” she replied.
“No, you won’t. Just please do as I ask and I’ll be there in about fifteen minutes,” he told her, hanging up before she could protest further.
“Luke, what is going on?” she asked when he came to the door.
“Let’s get your things in the car. I need you to follow me to my house, Dixie. Don’t stop for anyone or anything,” he told her.
“What is going on, Luke?” she asked again, more frightened than ever.
“I need you to trust me,” he said. “Can you just trust me until I get you home?”
“Okay, Luke,” she replied quietly. They packed her things into her car and she followed him to his house, parking around back as he instructed her to do. Things were getting really weird and she wasn’t sure that she still felt so good about her condition under these circumstances. What had happened that was making him act this way.
“Come outside with me,” he told her once they had her things inside. “I need to show you something.”
Dixie followed him out, noting how bright it was despite the lack of lighting around his house. Luke lived on a side road with no other houses. It was completely secluded, so there was no lighting from other houses either. Instead, the large full moon overhead cast shadows across the yard. She looked up at it and then back down at Luke.
“I’m going to show you something. I could tell you, but you wouldn’t believe me or understand, so I am just going to show you. Don’t be frightened. I have complete control over it,” he said.
“What are you talking about, Luke?” she said, but before she even finished saying the words, she saw something happening.
It was if he was getting taller and his muscles seemed to expand, ripping open his clothes until they were merely threads. His skin was rapidly covering with dark brown fur and his face was contorting, forming a snout. Large jagged teeth flashed in the moonlight as he let out a loud growl and fell down onto all fours. Dixie stood there in disbelief. Her heart hammered against her chest and she took a step back. She watched as the huge bear took a step toward her and then everything went black.
“Dixie? Dixie? Are you okay?” she heard Luke’s voice saying to her. She came too lying in his bed. It must have been a dreamed. She struggled to recount the time leading up to this moment. There didn’t seem to be any missing pieces where she might have gone from being in the backyard to being in bed, asleep and having weird dreams about the man she loved shifting into some sort of bear. Still, that had to be the answer. Things like that didn’t happen. They didn’t exist.
“I dreamed you were a bear,” she replied with a smile.
“It wasn’t a dream, Dixie. It was real. You passed out and I carried you in here to lay down,” he said.
“No. That is impossible,” she replied.
“It isn’t impossible. I was born this way, as my father was before me and my grandfather before that. Our child will be one, as well. There will be anomalies on your ultrasound. That is why I need for you to go to a specific doctor,” he replied.
Dixie’s eyes grew wide. Her hands shot down to her stomach, clutching it as if she expected whatever she was carrying to claw its way out right this moment. She was suddenly more frightened than she was a short time ago watching Luke turn into some sort of were bear. Knowing she had one inside of her was well more than a bit more than she had bargained for in this whole thing.
“It’s okay. You won’t be hurt by the baby, Dixie. He will develop like a normal child and he will appear to be a normal child. Not even he will know any different until he begins to shift in his teens. I will have prepared him for that well before it happens to him. He’ll need to know how to cope, how to conceal it and how to control it. The only thing that will need to be addressed is any doctor’s visits. He can’t go to normal doctors and he can’t go to normal hospitals,” he told her.
“What if something more than a scrape happens to him?” she said.
“Most anything that happens to him will heal rapidly on its own. Anything beyond that will be taken care of by the club physician,” he said.
“The bike club? All were bears?” she said, suddenly understanding a lot more about the close bond between most of them and the animosity from the second in command toward Luke.
“Yes, all of them. There are many of us here and we’ve coexisted peacefully for centuries,” he said.
“Centuries?” she repeated. “How old are you?”
“I am not immortal, Dixie. I will live for several centuries, but I was born here just like you were and am very young compared to some of the others,” he said. “It is the reason I am having issues with Harlan. He is much older and feels he should be the leader.”
“Why isn’t he?” she asked.
“Because it was decided long ago who would be leader. Each generation, a new boy is born to the leader of the pack and that boy replaces his father when the time comes. I replaced my father and our son will replace me one day,” he said.
“That is why Harlan is angry? Doesn’t he know that he can’t ever be leader and it is useless to cause problems because of it,” she said.
“Listen closely to me, Dixie. I have to keep you here, out of sight. Harlan is dangerous. I know he has intentions of trying to take me down so that he can take over as leader. If I am out of the way, it falls to a vote and that is usually who is considered to be the strongest of the pack. The one that took down the previous leader is the most likely successor,” he said.
“You mean he would try to kill you? Oh my God, Luke. What about me? Why do I have to hide?” she asked, still not completely grasping the situation.
“Because if Harlan kills me, our child becomes next in line. An elder would be appointed by the council to hold his place and teach him what he needs to know until such time as he can step into my shoes. Do you understand what I am saying?” he said.
“Harlan would have to kill all of us,” she replied.
“I’m sorry, Dixie. I had no intention of this happening anytime soon. I have some other ways of dealing with Harlan that I was working on, but things have escalated and I’m afraid that if he finds out about the baby, it will set him off completely. I can’t risk him harming you,” he replied.
Dixie sat crying on the bed. This was too much, way too much. How had she gotten herself into this mess? She had tried so hard to do better than her sisters and had only landed in more of a bad situation than any of them could have ever gotten themselves into. Luke held her close, trying to sooth her, but she couldn’t seem to get a grip on herself. A knock on the door disrupted them.
“I’ll be right back,” Luke told her, stepping out of the bedroom and closing the door.
She heard the front door swing open and angry voices coming from the living room. It was Harlan, but she couldn’t make out what he was saying. Creeping out of the bed, she put her ear against the door so that she could hear better.
“How long did you think you could hide that you knocked up your little college girl?” she heard Harlan saying.
“Who told you a tale like that, Harlan?” Luke asked.
“I could smell the hormonal stink on her when she left the garage earlier. Seems I’ve acquired a few skills you haven’t. Only more reason for me to be leader,” Harlan said.
“You aren’t fit to be leader. You have too many anger issues and a nasty streak. Have you forgotten what you did to those guys down at the river house last year? You almost got us all hunted down and killed for that. The council was furious,” Luke told him.
Dixie had some vague memory of an incident at the river while she was away last fall. It was chalked up to wild animals but no one was sure what kind or why they had attacked the men while they slept. Hunters had spent weeks in the woods looking for anything rabid or large, bringing in hundreds of large game trophies as a part of their excused killing of normally protected animals.
“They had it coming, man. They ripped me off in that card game,” Harlan spat back at him.
“I don’t think that should have been a death sentence.” Then, “Don’t do that, Harlan. I’m warning you,” Dixie heard Luke say.
She heard the low growl, the same one she had heard earlier when Luke had changed. It grew louder and was joined by a second. Panic set in as she realized they were changing. Harlan was challenging him, here and now. This was really happening. Right now, in the middle of his living room. The sound of things breaking and large bodies colliding shook the house. Dixie began looking around for something, anything to protect herself and their baby if she had to.
The terrifying noises coming from the living room sent her scurrying to the closet. She cowered there listening to the fight that was happening in the next room. She had never been near two wild animals fighting, much less something like this. Her heart felt like it was going to leap out of her chest and tears fell down her face as it seemed to go on endlessly. Finally, there was the horrible sound of an animal in pain. Everything stopped for a moment except for that sound.
Dixie reached for the wall beside her to steady herself and prepare to run if needed. Her hands landed squarely on something hard. She felt quietly along it to discover it was in fact a double barrel shotgun, something she was very familiar with thanks to her father teaching her at least a little about guns when she was younger. Before she could check to see if it was loaded, she heard the sound of the bedroom door being ripped open and crashing noises of what sounded like the bed being broken. Cocking the gun, she waited, terrified.
The door shook as it was ripped off its hinges. Dixie couldn’t see anything as the dark shadow of the were bear blocked out the light behind it. Without thinking, she pulled the trigger on the shotgun, hoping it hit somewhere that would do enough damage for her to escape. The sound was deafening in the small closet as the gun went off and the bear fell backwards toward the broken remains of the bed. He attempted to get up, but she cocked the shotgun again, unloading another round squarely in its chest. It fell still and she watched as it slowly reshaped into the figure of a man . . . Harlan.
She gagged at the sight of him, falling forward from the closet and holding on to the wall for balance. Fear immobilized her for quite some time before she could bring herself to make it to the living room. There, she found Luke, lying on the floor. He was naked, covered with blood, bruises and scratches. Tears fell down her face as she knelt over him, crying. Holding him close to her, she could feel him still breathing.
“Hold on, Luke. Don’t leave me,” she cried, reaching into her pocket for her cell phone.
Dixie called the bar and asked them to get anyone that was there from his gang to the phone. She wasn’t sure if they could even comprehend what she was saying due to her near hysteria, but a short time later, bikes arrived in droves. An older man she recognized as a frequent visitor instructed someone to calm her while he tended to Luke. She found herself escorted to the back porch and given a glass of water while one of the other club wives let her lean on her shoulder.
A few days later, Dixie stood looking at the mess that had once been Luke Robert’s house. There was very little in the living room, kitchen or bedroom that hadn’t been shattered or crushed from the fight between the two alpha bears. In the bedroom was a stain where the body of Harlan Simmons had once lay. There was now a missing person’s report for him, but the club assured her he would never be found. She placed her hand on her stomach and smiled at the child the doctor had confirmed she was carrying and walked out of the house with the bags she had brought over days ago.
“You ready?” Luke asked as she stepped out.
“I’m ready,” she replied.
Luke nodded at a few of the club members and tossed Dixie’s bags in her car before kissing her softly on the cheek. She followed him down the road, glancing into her rear view mirror just in time to see the house go up in flames and bikes coming into view behind her. Twenty minutes later, she pressed the button on a garage door opener and watched Luke’s bike disappear inside the opening before pulling in beside him.
“Welcome to your new home,” Luke told her.
“It’s beautiful,” she replied, looking around the refurbished plantation home set far back off the road where no one would bother them.
“I’m glad you like it. I had planned on a much less dramatic transition from the old house to this one, but things didn’t work out quite like I planned them. There is just one thing lacking,” he told her.
“What is that?” she said.
“The other half of my plans when I bought this house for us,” he said.
Dixie watched as he fished something from his pocket and took her hand, slipping an antique black diamond onto her finger. She looked at it in surprise and then back at him.
“That ring has been passed down from generation to generation in my family. Now, it is yours and someday, our son will give it to the woman he loves. Will you marry me, Dixie?” he asked.
“Yes! Yes, I will!” she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him and kissing him passionately. Luke picked her up and carried her upstairs to their new bedroom. She was amazed at how quickly his body had healed from the fight with Harlan, a fight which she later learned he was ill equipped to fight after having changed so recently before it. At the end of the day, it seemed they had saved one another and could now spend their lives in peace, as could their unborn son. That was all that mattered.
*****
THE END
Brother’s Bear
"I work in the morning."
How Anna had both loved and loathed those words at the same time. When Gabriel Kempton had called her back, she'd been floored. After the lackluster reception of her final academic exhibition had stolen her chance at graduate school, she knew the only way into higher education was through completing an apprenticeship to garner real world experience. No opportunity had been beneath her, and Anna had launched her resume off to dozens of apprenticeship positions. That Gabriel Kempton of all people had been the only one to call her back had to be proof that she was meant to succeed. Working beneath his direction would not only look good on her future applications, but it would draw the eyes of the art world in her direction. Even if Gabriel was unsatisfied with her work, the fact that they would be associated would work in her favor.
But he worked in the mornings.
Anna couldn't remember the last time she'd willingly gotten out of bed before noon. Given the choice, she preferred to sleep through the afternoon. Mornings had never been her friend, and anyone who knew her had always planned around that fact accordingly. Anna Nightingale, her mother had sung to her in her teenage years, little lark, despises the light, favors the dark. But now the nightingale stood before the private art studios of Southview University, cup of bitterly black coffee in hand, while the sun rose on the horizon.
"This is your future, Anna," she whispered to herself, the words catching in the thick yarn of her maroon infinity scarf. She slipped her car keys into the small purse slung from her shoulder. "Just a year of early mornings, and then you'll be set for life. Suck it up."
Studio C3 was already lit up on the inside. In the early hour of the day little traffic passed, and the street lights had begun to fade to orange. It seemed like everyone else on the planet slept except for the man she knew lurked beyond the studio walls. And herself, of course. She hesitated before the door, wondering if she should knock or not. Better to be overly polite, she thought, than to be rude. Anna rapped upon the door.
"Come in," a voice called from inside. Although she could tell there was great volume behind it, the words barely bled through the door and she'd almost missed them. Had the morning not been so quiet, Anna was sure she never would have heard the invitation. Without wasting any more time, Anna entered the studio.
Had she to guess, Anna would have said that Gabriel Kempton had already been at work for hours. The largest block of marble she'd ever seen sat in the center of the studio upon a raised platform, its corners and sides already carved off. The pitched pieces lay haphazardly on the floor around the platform. Apart from a few messy tables pressed against the wall and two folding metal chairs tucked into them, the room was empty.
"I need you to start tidying the pieces that have fallen," Gabriel's voice instructed. He was behind the block of marble, out of her field of view. The end of the sentence was punctuated with the bright clang of a mallet striking down upon metal. A new piece of marble knocked loose and toppled to the ground. "Stack them all on one of the tables. We might be able to recycle the scrap for small projects."
No hellos, no good mornings. Had she not been so exhausted, Anna might have bristled at his lack of respect. A hasty sip of coffee silenced any sass. She set the cup down on one of the tables and made her way towards the marble.
"And when you're done that, then you can start to sweep." Gabriel stepped out from behind the marble, and Anna stopped in her tracks. Gabriel Kempton was the talk of the art world and the pride of Southview's Master of Fine Arts program, but every article she'd read about him and his accomplishments had only shown his face, focusing more upon his creations. While his facial features had been handsome, Anna had always assumed he'd look like a scrawny artist in person. The body she'd pictured and the man who stood before her were not one in the same.
Instead of narrow and lanky, Gabriel was cut and svelte. The grey t-shirt he wore stretched across his chest and filled out in the shoulders and arms, and although his muscles were not excessive, there was no question that they were visible. Toned arms, a firm chest, and a body that tapered into his hips, Gabriel looked more like a swimmer than a sculptor. Momentarily Anna wondered if she had nodded off to sleep and was imagining the whole thing. There was no way someone could look as handsome as he did while toiling away in a studio for fourteen hours a day.
The prolonged pause attracted Gabriel's attention, and he looked towards her for the first time. Anna glanced up into his dark eyes and noticed how they stared. Low self-confidence reared inside of her, allowing an uneasy feeling to bloom in the pit of her stomach. Most of the time she ignored the stares, but Gabriel was the only one in the room and he made no effort to hide that he was looking at her. Anna knew that she was curvy, too curvy to be considered conventionally beautiful by men like Gabriel, but she'd always considered herself pretty. Between a great wardrobe and the care she invested to keep her light auburn hair shimmering and styled, Anna had never let her size stop her. Yet here she was, arrested by Gabriel's gaze.
"Anna Nightingale?" Gabriel asked after a long silence. His eyes swept her down and then up, absorbing her every detail. The critical eyes of an artist ripped her apart, and Anna felt both exposed and breathless. There was something silently dominating about Gabriel's presence that let her on edge, uncomfortable and yet intrigued.
"That's me," Anna replied, voice smaller than she would have liked.
"It's nice to meet you," Gabriel said after a pause. His eyes lingered on her for a moment longer, and then he turned back to his work. "I look forward to working with you this year."
"Yeah," Anna whispered, the word little more than a squeak, "me too."
When his eyes darted away from her and back to the marble, the spell was broken. Pressure lifted from Anna's lungs, and she realized that she'd been holding her breath. She inhaled deeply and shook her head, freeing herself further from his spell, then set to work collecting the fallen pieces of stone.
By the end of the day, all Anna had done was collect discarded marble and sweep. Typically she would have complained, but watching Gabriel work was well worth the menial labor. Every time he struck at the block his biceps tensed and she could see how corded and strong they were. The sweat that lined his brow glistened, and the scent of pine and masculine undertones had leeched slowly through the room. Anna didn't consider herself boy crazy, but something about Gabriel grabbed her attention in a way no other guy had.
From time to time he'd engaged her in conversation. They'd spoken about her plans for school and the kind of media she liked to work with. Gabriel had told her a little bit about the marble sculpture exhibit he was preparing for, and invited her to sculpt some of her own statues from the leftover marble. By the end of the day, blissfully over by noon, Anna exited into the brisk fall air entirely smitten. Gabriel was like the marble he sculpted: smooth, classic, and flawless. Thoughts of him clouded her mind, and it wasn't until a hand clamped down upon her wrist that she realized someone had been trying to get her attention.
Gabriel Kempton stood at her side, his calloused hand holding her in place.
"Anna," he said, catching her eyes with his own. Up close Anna could see how dark they truly were, his stunning irises a shade of brown she'd never seen in eyes before. Their eyes locked, and once more she found herself breathless. Even after six hours working together, Gabriel still held her prisoner.
"I'm sorry, my head was uh, somewhere else." She couldn't part from his eyes, and it looked like Gabriel was having difficulty doing the same. He, however, spoke as though he was unaffected.
"Elsewhere is right. You forgot your phone," he said, extending her cellphone towards her with his free hand. The other still gripped her wrist, unwilling to let go. Anna blinked, eyelids remaining closed for a prolonged moment. Gabriel was as close to a celebrity as she'd ever met, and here he was holding onto her and returning her forgotten belongings.
"Thanks."
The hand at her wrist dropped as she accepted the device. Anna looked towards the pavement, moderately embarrassed. That time she hadn't tried to hide her stare; Gabriel had to know she was interested.
"I saw you didn't have my number in your contact list," Gabriel continued casually. "So I put it in for you. And according to your calendar, you’re free tomorrow night after your haircut. Now you're not."
The meaning of what he said didn't register. Anna lifted her gaze and stared at him blankly, feeling her hands began to tremble.
"What?"
"I put the details in, so make sure you're not late. Seven at Cosgrove Cafe. I'll be waiting."
Those dark eyes bored into her a final time before he offered her a playful smirk and turned away, sequestering himself back into Studio C3. When the doors had closed Anna blinked hard, took a stabilizing breath, then looked down at the phone in her hand. How had he gotten past the lock screen? He must have been watching her throughout the day as she texted, and then...
Her fingers flew over the screen and the phone unlocked. There, amongst her upcoming events, was a four hour chunk of time at Cosgrove Cafe. The address had been entered as event information, as had another telling detail. Recorded under the event's notes was another message.
"Date with Gabriel — wear something nice, but not too fancy."
Anna almost dropped the phone. How a man like Gabriel could be interested in someone like her she wasn't sure, but that didn't matter. What did matter was that they were going out tomorrow, and she had no idea what she was going to wear.
A burst of energy coursed through her, and Anna grabbed at the plush scarf that hung from her neck to choke the cry of glee it brought. It was as though she were in high school again, and the cool, popular boy had just winked at her from across the cafeteria. Well, not quite. Gabriel was much more handsome and talented than any boy in her high school had ever been, and he didn't call her chubs at every chance he got.
Every inch of her body energized and alive, Anna ran for her rusted out Camry and sank into the driver seat. Once behind closed doors she let her head fall back against the rest and laughed, wild and free. Feeling wanted was a luxury she wasn't often afforded, and God, did Gabriel make her feel wanted.
A new internship, a new shot at the future, and now a new shot at love. Everything was falling into place all at once, and Anna felt like these were the first happenings in a series of events that would leave her forever changed.
Chapter Two
Piles of clean clothes littered her bedroom floor, and shoes were scattered here and there in clusters. The battle had been waged, and she'd won. From the mess she'd found an outfit she thought was nice, but not too formal. A simple teal dress was her prize. It cinched beneath the waist to draw attention to the best of her curves, its shoulder straps wide enough that they didn't look out of place on her bigger shoulders. What Anna liked the best about the dress was the neckline; it plunged into a V just low enough to draw attention to the plump curve of her breasts without being too overt. The skirt fell just above the knee, flirty and yet simple. Anna knew it made her look amazing.
Paired with a set of black flats she was good to go. Now the outfit hung pristine from the back of her closet door while the rest of her sizeable wardrobe lay in disarray across the room, and it would stay there until the weekend. Getting up early had already taken its toll on her, and Anna had little energy to devote to cleaning.
The second day of her internship would have been the same as the first had Gabriel not already made his interest clear. Anna was told to tidy up and sweep, and from time to time Gabriel asked her to fetch a different kind of chisel, but now Anna also watched for how he looked at her. From time to time she caught his dark eyes drinking her in when he thought she wasn't looking, and each time her cheeks flushed red in delight. Of course, he caught her looking at him as well. Each time he shot her a devious grin that disarmed her entirely, and the work day both seemed to crawl and fly by when knowing that later that evening they'd be seeing each other as more than professionals.
"Don't forget," Gabriel bade her at the end of the day, "Cosgrove Cafe, seven. Don't be late. I don't want you to miss it."
"It?" Anna asked. They were packing up for the day, Gabriel rinsing his hands and arms in the studio's sink.
"You'll see tonight if you're not late," he promised, but said no more. "It was good working with you again today."
"And you." This time she was prepared. Anna smiled at him even as her heart fluttered and then made her exit. There were only about five hours left after her haircut until she'd have to head out, and she intended to make the most of them.
A long, thorough shower. Anna scrubbed herself pink and shaved carefully, not willing to miss a single hair. Once the blank canvas was prepared, she dried and styled her freshly cut hair and agonized over her makeup. A modestly colored lip and a touch of drama to the eye was her signature, and by the time Anna was done she knew she looked amazing. Chubby or not, she was worth looking at.