Chapter Twenty-Four
Tim’s wounds burned, and his joints had all locked up, but the moment Hailey relaxed in his arms, all that disappeared. The only thing that really hurt after that was his heart, and that was from sheer relief. Hailey wasn’t disgusted or scared of his bear.
Of course, she’s not scared, his bear snorted. Did you see her fight?
Yes, he had. And, wow. Who knew a nice girl like Hailey was capable of blows like that?
But, damn. She had been scared, and he had been too. The fight could have gone either way at any time.
His eyes fell to the pearl dangling from her necklace. It was an oblong, lumpy thing, not round and shiny like the couple of pearls he’d seen. But, hell. That had to be one of the legendary pearls of desire. He could feel its energy throbbing through the air.
“You okay?” Connor asked, stepping up to them.
Tim didn’t look up. He just nodded over Hailey’s shoulder. His eyes cracked open just enough to see the golden glow of Hailey’s hair before shutting again.
Really okay? Connor muttered into his mind.
Tim hid a snort. Well, he was alive, and more importantly, Hailey was unhurt. But, damn. If he hadn’t been holding her so tightly, his hands would be shaking, and he’d be a mess. Lamar had been inches from ripping out Hailey’s throat, and everything had gone into slow motion for him. His feet had felt mired in mud, and the bear he’d fought seemed twice his weight when it came to shaking the bastard off to get to Hailey. Then there was how afraid he’d been — make that, how sure he’d been — that Hailey would reject him. And when she hadn’t…
He tilted his head and inhaled her honeysuckle scent. Was she really hugging him back, or was all that a fantasy?
She patted his back and snuggled closer, making his weary soul soar.
Yeah, he told Connor. All okay.
Jenna came up next, and Tim could practically hear her unspoken cry of Oh my God. Are you okay? But she must have sensed that they needed each other more than anyone else, so she stepped back and surveyed the scene.
Tim didn’t pay much attention to things after that, although when Dell, Hunter, and Chase came back, signaling to Connor with grim nods, Tim relaxed the last little bit. All Lamar’s men had been eliminated. The threat was truly gone. But they couldn’t stay out on the beach much longer — even a sheltered, off-limits stretch of beach like this. Sooner or later, a kitesurfer would sail by, and—
“We got this,” Connor murmured, clearly thinking along the same lines. “You two can hit the road.”
Neither one of them budged until Jenna crouched and gently touched Tim’s back. “Come on. How about I drive you guys home?”
Hailey nodded before Tim did, and his heart swelled at how she’d perked up at the mention of home. Did that mean…?
“Home.” Hailey nodded, pulling back far enough to cup his cheek. Her face was streaked with tears and her skin pale, but her eyes shone.
“Home?” he whispered. Was he a fool to hope she was picturing his place?
She nodded firmly and managed a thin smile. “That nice little place with a view of the sea…” But then her face fell again. “Your wounds…”
“We heal fast,” he murmured.
Hailey didn’t seem horrified by that either, and he pulled her into a tight hug, ready to pass out with relief. Eventually, Hailey helped him to his feet and kept an arm around him all the way back to the pickup. The vehicle was just as battered as he was, though it did have a beach towel in the back he could cover his naked body with. Hunter caught up and tossed Jenna the keys to the Land Rover, a much more comfortable ride. Hailey helped Tim into the back seat, and the second they hit the road, he drifted off into an uneasy sleep.
Back at Koakea, he couldn’t manage more than a stiff, painful shower before falling into bed. He and Hailey spent the rest of the day and night in a strangely emotionless state, huddled like a couple of shell-shocked survivors of a shipwreck. But he woke the next morning more comfortable and cozy than ever before, probably because Hailey woke first and was touching him. Kissing him with light little touches meant to soothe and heal. He looked at her for a while before daring to speak.
“Hailey, I—”
She touched his lips and shook her head. “Coffee. I definitely need coffee first.”
It was half joke, half procrastination, which was fine with him.
“Let me guess,” she said as she poured two mugs a few minutes later. “Honey for you?”
He nodded wordlessly. What a fool he’d been not to have told her earlier. A fool who’d nearly paid the ultimate price.
The coffee — Hailey’s best yet — chased away the bitter aftertaste of those thoughts, and they sat on the patio while he explained. Really explained, from the very beginning to the very end. It helped that the morning was a pleasant one, with sunshine, swaying palms, and calm, glittering seas. Connor was down at the beach with Joey, flying a kite, and other than the distant sound of a lawn mower, everything was still.
Tim told Hailey everything — maybe too much, but he wasn’t going to keep anything from her ever again. He started way back from his first time shifting as a gangly teen and continued through the tight line he’d had to walk in the military, keeping his shifter side hidden away. He told her about his deadbeat dad, his bear shifter mom, and his brothers.
“So Chase is a wolf, and Connor is a dragon—”
Hailey had just about spat out a mouthful of coffee when he got to that part, but she composed herself with a gulp and wiped her lips.
“Dragon, huh?” she said slowly, staring at the two figures flying a kite in the distance. “Wait — even Joey?”
He nodded. “Well, he won’t shift until he’s a teenager, but yeah. He’s a dragon like his mom, Cynthia.”
He decided not to expand on that — especially the fact that Cynthia would flip out if she knew the kite was Connor’s way of teaching Joey the basics of flying. Cynthia was highly overprotective of her son, having lost her mate in a dragon duel nobody knew much about. But those details, Hailey really didn’t need to hear about right now.
He looked over. Hailey was staring out at the sea, as she did for the next long minute before speaking.
“I need to see. Please.”
His heart rate tripled. “Uh — you sure you’re ready for that?”
Her expression remained blank until realization dawned. “Not a dragon. God, no. I’m definitely not ready for that. I meant you. The bear. Please.”
He took a deep breath before standing before her. His bear trembled inside, eager and terrified at the same time.
You think she’ll like me? his bear asked, suddenly fretting.
Tim had no clue, but it took all his concentration to get his shaking hands to remove his shirt and pants. There was no use shredding another set of clothes, and he really didn’t want to heighten the brutish effect of his shift. His body still ached, but with shifter healing setting in, he had no excuse to wait, and he didn’t want to. Slowly, he kneeled a good six feet from Hailey and kept his eyes down while he shifted.
A slow shift could be agony, but Tim was so self-conscious, he barely noticed. His skin burned, the last of his wounds ached, and the usual tingle went through his body. But that was nothing compared to the anxious signals rattling his nerves. When he finished shifting, he clawed the hard-packed dirt of the patio area nervously.
Cut that out, he snapped at his bear.
The beast went perfectly still while he retracted his claws as far as he could.
Hailey didn’t move. Not at first. Then she held out her hands wordlessly. He took one cautious step, then another, careful to keep his fangs out of sight.
Her hands closed around his muzzle in timid starts and stops, but eventually, she started stroking him all over. The bolder her moves became, the more he closed his eyes and hummed from sheer pleasure.
When Hailey chuckled, he looked up, startled.
“For a tough grizzly, you’re pretty soft. Especially right here.” She tickled his ears.
Told you she’d like me, his bear chuffed.
“And your tail…” She laughed outright. “You actually have a tail. It’s kind of cute.”
Soft? Cute? He expected his bear to growl, but the beast just cooed.
He cracked into a smile, then hid it before she could see his teeth. Then he shifted back into human form.
Already? his bear grumbled.
He nodded firmly. Better to quit while he was ahead.
“Good shifters and bad shifters, huh?” Hailey murmured, staring off into the distance while he dressed.
“Just like good and bad people,” he said carefully.
Hailey frowned, and he thought of Jonathan, Lamar, and the others. But then someone cleared his throat, and they both looked up. It was Dell, though the usual swagger was gone from his step, and his normally boisterous voice was a whisper.
“Hey. Special delivery. Okay with you?”
He held up a paper bag, and Tim caught the scent of something sweet. A peace offering of some kind. He nearly growled Dell away, because it was all his fault for scaring Hailey the previous morning and setting off the events that led to the shifter fight. But Dell was Dell — as much of a brother to Tim as Connor or Chase, and it was hard to remain furious with him for long. Tim settled for grouchy and looked at Hailey first.
She had tensed, and Tim guessed why. Even with Dell in human form, the lion in him was impossible to overlook. The golden beard, the deep, yellow-brown eyes, the I could pounce at any moment demeanor. But a minute later, Hailey nodded, if a little nervously.
“Okay with me. Okay with you?” She looked at Tim.
He nodded slowly and kept his eyes firmly on Dell as the lion shifter approached.
“I just wanted to say sorry. For scaring you, I mean,” Dell murmured, looking shier than Tim had ever seen him. “Really sorry.”
“What do you have there?” Hailey asked, clearly trying to break the ice.
A shadow of a smile played over Dell’s face. “Chocolate croissants. Tessa sent them over. They’re perfect with coffee, you know.”
Hailey laughed — really laughed, giving Tim hope everything might all work out after all — and beckoned Dell closer. “You guys are definitely corrupting me.”
Dell flashed a smile and motioned toward Tim. “Nah. You deserve it. You know, for putting up with this dumb lug.”
Hailey shook her head. “That dumb lug happened to have saved my life. And he’s really sweet.”
Tim glowed.
“Sweet?” Dell snorted. “Here, quick. Take these and let me go. I can’t stand to see this.”
“See what?” Tim protested as Hailey accepted the bag.
Dell motioned between them. “You. Her. The goo-goo eyes. God, you’re worse than Connor and Jenna when they—” He cut himself off there and stepped back. “Anyway, I’m out of here. Enjoy the croissants.” Then he stopped and looked at Hailey, all serious again. “And sorry. Again. Truly.”
“All good,” Hailey said.
Tim raised an eyebrow when Dell left. “All good?”
She smiled. “Well, mostly. I think.” Then she leaned closer. “What did he mean about Connor and Jenna? When they what?”
Tim’s mouth went dry. How was he ever going to explain about mating and mating bites?
“When they, uh…got together. Fell in love,” he said. The words came out all awkward and choppy.
Hailey smiled faintly. “Goo-goo eyes, huh?”
Tim felt his cheeks heat. Okay, so maybe he did fall into a daze around Hailey. But that was hardly his fault.
“Maybe occasionally.”
“Occasionally?” she teased.
He waved a hand. “It’s kind of a shifter thing.”
Hailey waited for him to explain.
At first, he couldn’t form a single word, but then it all rushed out — everything about mating. How only the luckiest shifters found their destined mates. How instinct led them together, and how they bonded for eternity with a mating bite.
The plantation seemed quieter than ever when he finished, and he worried that Hailey might suddenly run.
Finally, she spoke, still looking stunned. “You want that with me?”
At first, his heart sank, because really, why would anyone want such a brutal-sounding thing? But then it dawned on him that maybe she meant something else.
“You want forever — with me?” she whispered.
“Of course I do. From the minute I met you, my bear wanted you.” Then he winced, because that came out all wrong. “I mean, I knew you were the one. My destined mate. The one I’m meant for. Forever.”
Her cheeks turned pink, making her freckles stand out the way he loved. “Mate, huh?”
He nodded slowly, breathlessly.
She fingered the pearl around her neck. “My great-grandparents were like that, I think. My grandparents too.” Then she sighed. “My mom and dad — not so much.”
“Most humans don’t know about mates. They don’t feel it as intensely as shifters do. But when a shifter finds his mate — when a bear finds his mate…” He trailed off there, because how exactly did he put all that into words?
Luckily, he didn’t need to, because Hailey filled in the rest. “He’ll do anything for her. Even a perfect stranger whose life is a mess. He’ll shelter and protect her, and he’ll forgive all her stupidities.” Tears welled up in her eyes, and before he knew it, he was on his knees, hugging her.
“No stupidities. No mess. And his mate does the same for him. She shelters him…” Just having her there made his house feel like a home. “Protects him…” He pictured her on the beach with the stick and an expression so determined, it could have knocked him back a few steps. “Forgives him all his stupidities.”
He held her tightly with his eyes closed and his heart wide open, or so it felt. Gushing with all kinds of feelings that didn’t seem half as scary as before. Then he dried her tears and kissed her. Light kisses full of hope, light, and wonder. Because, wow. That was his mate in his arms, and even the truth hadn’t made her run. On the contrary, Hailey was hanging on like she never wanted to let go.
“Tim! Tim!”
A child’s voice made them break apart and hurriedly brush away the last tears.
“Did you see my kite?” Joey called as he skipped past, flush with happiness. “Did you see me fly it?”
“Looks like you’re getting really good with those, uh…” Tim searched for the right word, but between being a little dazed and not being a dragon, he stalled out for a second. “Updrafts.”
Thermals, Connor grumbled as he shepherded Joey toward the main house. He didn’t pause, and he barely turned his head, giving Tim and Hailey their space.
Tim held Hailey’s hand and watched his brother go. When Connor had first met Jenna, it had been hard for Tim to understand why his brother had taken so many stupid risks for a woman he barely knew. But now, Tim knew. Boy, did he know.
Thanks, man, he called softly after his brother. I owe you.
Call us even, Connor replied in a casual tone.
Tim smiled. That was just like their army days. In their downtime, the guys picked on each other and complained about the tiniest, most insignificant things. But when it came to saving each other’s asses with death-defying feats, they simply shrugged and carried on like it went without saying.
And, Tim supposed, it did. Just like his love for Hailey. Sometimes, words weren’t the best way to express things. So he hugged her for a good, long time, assuring himself it wasn’t all a dream.
“So what happens now?” Hailey asked, holding both his hands. “I mean, for anyone lucky enough to find their mate?”
Tim’s chest rose and fell in a deep breath. There was so much he wanted to say and do. Where to start?
How about with a bite? his bear chipped in.
Much as he’d love to mark Hailey permanently as his — and better yet, let her mark him — he knew she’d need some time to be ready for that.
“We take it slow,” he said. “One step at a time. As fast or as slow as you want.”
“And after that?” she asked, holding his hand tight.
He took a deep breath. “If you’re happy, then we make it permanent.” He smiled, trying to lighten the moment. “I could get down on a knee and propose, if you want.”
She swatted his shoulder, laughing. “God — please no. None of that.”
He grinned wide. “Okay, well — we’ll figure it out when the time comes. And in the meantime…”
Hailey arched one eyebrow, waiting.
He waved a hand over the sloping roof. “I happen to have a fixer-upper if you’re looking for a project.”
She beamed, letting her gaze wander. “Funny. I just happen to have some time to do exactly that.” Then she frowned. “After I deal with my mother and my agent, that is.”
He squeezed her hands. “This fixer-upper isn’t going anywhere.”
Really, he felt like more of a fixer-upper than the house, but as long as he could stick with Hailey, everything would be all right.
She shot him a wry smile. “It turns out I’m not bad at home repair, you know.”
He slid a little closer, because the tease in her voice gave his bear all kinds of bad ideas.
“Oh, yes?” he teased back, sliding his hands around her waist.
She wound her arms around his neck and leaned to within a half inch of his lips. When she spoke, her voice was a sultry purr. “Mmm. Really good, when I’m motivated. And also good at a few other things.”
He slid his hands lower to cup her perfect ass. “What kinds of things?”
Hailey nestled closer, winding a leg around his, and nosed her way to his ear. “Private things. Can’t show you out where the neighbors might see.”
His bear started calculating the distance to the front door and, more importantly, the bed.
“Better get you inside, then,” he said in a low, husky voice.
She ran her fingers along the waistline of his jeans. Inside the waistline, making him forget the soreness he’d started the morning with.
“That would be good,” she whispered. “Really good.”
His bear just about groaned in need, and he nearly kissed her there and then. But once he got started with that, he’d never stop, so he really needed to get her inside. Pronto. Backing her up with a dozen fluttery kisses, he pushed open the door with his foot. Hailey’s hands were wrapped in his hair by then, her body mashed against his, and the second he got her inside and backed against the wall, he covered her mouth with a crushing kiss. A kiss that made it damn clear she was his, even if he couldn’t deliver the mating bite yet.
Yet, his bear chuckled, not rebelling for a change.
Hailey broke off the kiss long enough to flash her hungriest, naughtiest grin. “You know what you just said? ‘Better get you inside’…?”
He nodded, waiting.
She laughed and slid her hands to his groin. “My sentiment exactly. Better get you inside me, I mean.” Then she tilted her head at him. “Wait a minute. Is this a bear thing?”
“Is what a bear thing?”
“This,” she said, fanning the air between them. “This insatiable need. This cat-in-heat feeling that I’m going to die if I can’t have you.”
He chuckled, but it came out a low, hungry rumble that made Hailey’s eyes spark even more. “Yep. I think it is.”
“You think?”
“Never had a mate before.” He shrugged, kissing her neck. Touching her sides, imagining the heat of her naked flesh against his.
“Me neither,” she whispered, wrapping her leg around his. Her hands slid under his shirt, exploring. “You think we’ll figure out what to do?”
He nipped her ear and slid a hand higher until it cupped the soft flesh of her breast. “I know we will, my mate. I know we will.”
And that was the last thing he said for a good, long while, because it was one of those times when actions spoke louder than words. Much louder, in fact. Within minutes, they were wrapped around each other on the bed, groaning and panting. Howling, almost, because the contact felt so good.
“Yes,” Hailey moaned when he thrust into her the first time.
Yes, he grunted with every one of his next hot, hard slides.
“Tim…” When she cried out a minute later, her voice shook with need.
Moments later, they both came, and he nearly roared. Hailey dug her nails into his back, crying out, and his mind just about blanked out.
Mate, his bear mumbled again and again, savoring her scent.
“Mate,” he whispered, holding her tight.