Chapter Nine

It would be a lie for Isaiah to not admit to himself he was scared out of his fucking mind. He sat propped against the headboard in his bed, stroking Heather’s long, thick hair. She’d been asleep for over an hour. It was growing dark outside.

As soon as she’d fallen asleep, her body had shifted into human form without her knowledge. Self-preservation. She’d been naked when she shifted, and she was still naked.

He had at least put on a pair of boxers, and he couldn’t take his eyes off her delectable body. She was still running too warm. Her skin was feverish to the touch, so he didn’t want to cover her up. Curled on her side, her back was pressed into his thigh.

Every few minutes he blinked to make sure his mind wasn’t playing tricks on him.

She was still there.

The Arcadians had made numerous attempts to communicate with him. He’d given them just enough information to keep them from busting the door down and then blocked them.

They were sharp. The entire council had abilities he would never comprehend in his lifetime. They could communicate over a much wider range, and they knew things instinctively. They had known the moment Heather finally succumbed to the transformation.

They wanted her. They were pacing. He could sense their unease even though he was blocking them. They were nervous.

Isaiah put them off by insisting she was exhausted and needed sleep. It would be cruel to force her to get in their SUV and leave the only person she knew in the area.

He’d argued every point he could think of. There was no cell service at his house, so she wouldn’t be calling anyone. His home phone had been temporarily disconnected the moment the Arcadians arrived to ensure that wasn’t a possibility either.

Since their main concern was her telling other humans about the existence of bear shifters, that fear had been put to rest for now by cutting her off from the world.

Yeah, he was scared. To death. He couldn’t lose her. He wouldn’t. The Arcadians could go to hell. But how was he going to accomplish this?

She was a free agent now. She could choose to join his pack or another pack or no pack at all. She could walk away and become independent. The problem with those options was that the Arcadians would never allow any of them.

That left one choice—binding her to him. And even then, he couldn’t be sure it would be sufficient. Under any other circumstances, the Arcadian Council would never separate mates without due cause, but this was not your average everyday situation. There was no recent precedent for handling a transformed human.

Isaiah was living on borrowed time. He needed her to wake up. He needed her to let him bind them.

The trouble was, he would never force her to do such a thing. It would leave her resentful for the rest of their lives. She had to make that choice all on her own.

He took a deep breath.

She stirred, rolling onto her back. Her breasts were amazing, and he had to glance away and focus on her face to keep his cock from getting any stiffer than it already was. Full amazing tits with pink nipples that had been erect every time he’d seen them. He would spend hours worshipping her chest. At least he hoped he had that opportunity.

On a moan, she blinked awake. One second, she was confused with her brow furrowed. The next second, her eyes shot wide and she bolted to a sitting position. Her heart rate increased so quickly he worried she would faint. He could feel her pulse at every point of contact, and at the moment, her hip was against his thigh.

She spun to face him. “Oh God.” She glanced down and then dragged a sheet up her chest. “Shit.” She squirmed to break the contact. “I had a dream.”

He waited for her memory to flood back.

“No. Shit.” She lifted her gaze. “It wasn’t a dream was it?”

He shook his head. “No, baby. Sorry.” He was sorry. Sorry she had been put in this position against her will. Sorry for whatever she would endure as a result. Sorry their lives together as mates were starting out on such a rocky precipice.

He was not sorry he met her, and he would thank whatever God was listening for the rest of his life, too.

She set the back of her hand on her forehead. “I’m still hot.”

“Yeah. I can’t predict how long that will last, but you’re not as hot as earlier. Your mind should be clearer.”

“Not sure I want my mind clearer,” she muttered.

He reached for her slowly and eased his arm around her shoulders, drawing her closer to his side.

She went willingly, crawling closer until she pressed her body along his torso. The sheet came with her, trapped between their bodies.

He breathed easier the moment she was in his arms.

“What happens now?”

“That’s a good question. You have a few choices.”

“Me?” She lifted her face and set her chin on his chest. “Doesn’t seem like I’ve made any choices today. They’ve all been made for me.”

“Well, not anymore. There are options.”

“What are those?” Her soft body stiffened against him, her hand landing on his chest.

“Here’s the thing, the Arcadians are still out front. They’re restless.”

“I thought they were waiting for me to shift. Why are they still here?”

“Because they’re worried you’ll tell someone.”

She sighed. “I can understand that. How could I avoid telling anyone? At least my parents.”

“Simple. You can’t tell them. Never.”

She pushed off his chest to sit straighter. “They’re my parents, Isaiah.” Her lower lip trembled. “Are you suggesting I cut them off? Never see them again?”

“Not even close, baby. Never. I’m just saying you can’t tell them you’ve been transformed and can shift into a grizzly bear now. You’ll have complete control over when and where to shift. When you’re with them, you have to remain in human form.”

She worried her lower lip, her eyes filled with sadness. A tear escaped. “The world I knew just imploded.”

“Yeah. But think of it as exploding. It’s just that there’s more out there than you thought.”

“Are there others?”

“Shifters? Yes.”

“You mentioned wolves earlier.”

He smiled. “You were listening.”

“I got bits and pieces. Not everything. I was overwhelmed.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll teach you everything you need to know in time.” He lifted his hand to her head and picked up a lock of her hair to toy with it at her shoulder. It was truly amazing, gorgeous hair. So soft.

“You’re assuming I’m going to stay with you. Do you think I’m going to drop everything and move in with you?”

He took a deep breath. “Ideally.”

She shook her head. “No way, Isaiah. I came here for a job. I start in two weeks. I’m not going to move in with you. I need space and time to think. We just met this morning.”

“Normally, I would support that completely. I didn’t get out of bed this morning expecting to claim a mate today, baby. But you don’t have many options. No one’s going to let you return to your regularly scheduled life. It’s too risky. Dangerous even for you.”

“Dangerous how? It would seem I could fend off nearly any predator now.” She forced a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

He sighed. “No. You can’t. You can’t expose yourself ever. For any reason. And you need time to learn our ways. The rules we live by. Plus, there’s another problem. You’re a gorgeous sexy woman with no pack and no mate. A rogue bear or even a member of another pack could claim you for his own if you were out wandering around alone in the world.”

“They would just grab me? Are you not civilized?”

He inhaled slowly this time. It was so complicated. “We are. The percentage of bear shifters who have good hearts is higher than the human population. But there are some who are not. And they will scent you from a mile away, baby. Literally.”

“Like that bear did this morning.” She sounded defeated.

“Yes.”

“You said I had choices.” Her voice rose. “I don’t hear you presenting many options. It sounds like I either go with the Arcadians and take my chances with them or move in with you. Those aren’t really good choices.”

“Actually, I seriously doubt simply moving in with me would appease the Arcadian Council. You would need to bind to me.”

“You mentioned this binding earlier. What does it mean exactly?”

“It means we would be mated for life. I don’t take it lightly. My people usually date the normal way, make informed decisions. When a couple is sure they’re willing to make a permanent commitment, they bind to each other for life. It can’t be broken.”

“What if they want a divorce later?”

He chuckled. “We don’t really divorce. And to be honest, bound shifters don’t experience buyer’s remorse. It’s not in our nature. The binding itself alters our pheromones, drawing us closer than before. After the binding, it’s unheard of for a couple to even want to part ways. It’s powerful.”

“Is it a ceremony?”

He shook his head. “No. I mentioned earlier, it’s all about the bite.”

“Right. The bite. How is that again?”

“When a couple makes a permanent commitment, one or both of them breaks the other’s skin with their teeth and releases a serum through their saliva. It’s a conscious decision. Other bites can and do occur among shifters from time to time, but not with the release of the binding hormones. Siblings bite playfully. Bears might bite in a fight. Jack also could have bitten you this morning instead of clawing you.”

“And I still would have transformed.”

“Yes. The difference is you would have become a member of his family, or pack as we call it, automatically. Since it was only a scratch, you were left without a family. You could choose to join a pack and become connected with them over time by immersing yourself in their world. But the only way to bind yourself with another bear is through an intentional bite.”

“And you want to do that to me,” she stated. It wasn’t a question. She understood.

“More than anything in the world.” He swallowed. “But never against your will.”

“Why?” She blinked, uncertain. “I get that you like me. We have chemistry. Maybe we’ll get along. But we can’t know that for certain after a few hours.”

“I knew it for certain before I ever saw you this morning, to be honest. Irrational as that may be even to me. It just is. And we would never know if we might not have gotten along because after the binding we just will. That’s how it works. The attraction you’ve felt for me all day would increase a hundred times and hang around for a long time before diminishing.”

She flinched, drawing back. She reached with her free hand—the one not holding the sheet—and pried his fingers off her hair. “Give me some space.”

He nodded, though it killed him. He set both hands in his lap and threaded his fingers.

He could smell her arousal though. It permeated the room. One point in his court. It was undeniable.

“I can’t just marry you or whatever after knowing you a few hours and one really good fuck.”

He smiled. His dick jumped to attention at the way she said fuck. “It was more than just a good fuck, and you know it.”

“Okay,” she shrugged, “a monumental fuck. But still a fuck. And just the one.”

“We could do it again now and make it two if it would help,” he half teased, lifting one eyebrow.

She giggled, the sound seeping into his pores and making him hotter for her. It was going to be a long night. A flush crossed her cheeks. “I’m not this kind of girl. I don’t sleep with men I just met. Ever.”

“Good to know.” God, he wanted to hold her.

She lowered her gaze, fidgeting with her fingers in her lap. The sheet was now tucked under her arms. She shook her head after a few moments. “I can’t do it, Isaiah.” She lifted her gaze. “It’s totally irrational. Not to mention I’m not sure I believe you. A bite? That binds me to you for life? It’s preposterous.”

He leaned forward, taking her chin lightly in between his thumb and pointer. “I’m doing everything I can to buy us more time in here. But the Arcadians won’t wait forever. Eventually they’re going to demand to see you. Eventually I’ll be helpless to protect you. I’m just one guy holed up in a cabin in the woods with a woman they see as a threat.”

“How would the binding make me any less of a threat?”

“It doesn’t in theory. Not really. But taking a man’s mate away from him is unheard of without a crime being committed. Those men out there know this. They’re restless because of it. They’d like nothing better than for you to turn me down and go with them.”

She didn’t blink. Fear snuck into her features. The unknown. It was the same unknown for him. He had no clue in the world what the Arcadians might do with her. Hold her for a while until they were certain she wouldn’t rat out their species? Lock her up forever to ensure that was the case? Would they go so far as to make it look like she’d gone missing or died for the sake of the human public?

Would they take her life?

Isaiah shuddered at that last thought. It remained always in the corner of his mind.

“You think they’ll dispose of me.”

“I don’t know.” It was the truth.

Another tear. It killed him to see her in such pain. Turmoil. But she had to understand how serious this situation was. Lying to her or sugarcoating it wouldn’t do either of them any good.

“I’m not prepared to make such a permanent commitment to any other being, Isaiah, let alone someone I just found out is a member of another species I didn’t know existed.”

“You’re a member of this species now too, baby.” He controlled his voice and his emotions. What he wanted to do was haul her into his lap and wrap her in a cocoon. It was a constant thought running through his mind. He’d do anything to touch more of her. All of her. Every inch of her skin. He wanted to be inside her. Own her. Make her look into his eyes and know she was his. Safe. Protected. Loved. For as long as they lived.

“You said your people could speak telepathically. You said I would hear voices in my head. Why don’t I?” she challenged.

He shrugged. “Partially because you’re a lone bear without a family or a mate. At a certain proximity you’ll eventually become aware of any bear, even a stranger, but it might take time. I don’t know why you can’t hear me yet. Like I said, this entire thing is unprecedented.”

She inched closer to him again and then leaned her forehead against his chest.

He pushed his hand up into her hair again.

“I love when you do that,” she whispered.

“Do what, baby?” He leaned down and kissed the top of her head.

“Get a grip on my hair. Pull it. Hold on to it. Tug my head back. All of it. I like it.” She shivered after the admission. Progress.

He responded by gripping her head tighter, tugging her hair.

She moaned, the sound going straight to his cock.

“It’s irrational, but I want you to make love to me again.” She sucked in a breath and then spoke louder, still directing her words toward his lap. “I want you to fuck me I mean. Make me forget. Make it all go away.”

He pulled her closer, wrapping his other arm around her shoulders. “It won’t go away. You might forget for a while, but it won’t go away. If you want to have sex, you’ll never hear me complain. Ever. But afterward, the intensity will only be stronger. You won’t be able to flush it out of your system if that’s what you’re hoping.”

She lifted her gaze. “It’s more like instinct. It’s the only thing I know for sure. My brain is at war over everything you’re telling me, but my body craves contact with yours.” She squirmed. “I’ve never been this horny. Even though we’ve had sex twice today, I can’t get enough.” She stiffened. “Okay, I’ve had sex twice. You’ve had sex once.”

For a moment, Isaiah couldn’t breathe. He could smell her arousal, but he was surprised she didn’t have the strength to put him off and avoid acting on it. Was there truly some sort of connection between them that was already forming?

Her face flushed with embarrassment. She pushed away from him, dragging the sheet with her. “Jesus, I sound like a hussy.” She closed her eyes and turned away from him.

Before she could crawl off the bed, he reached for her waist, hauled her back in his direction, and flattened her onto her back next to him. He tossed one leg over her torso and cupped her face. “You’re not a hussy. Stop it. I promise you what you’re feeling is perfectly normal.” Isn’t it?

He felt the strong pull himself, perhaps even stronger, but he forced himself to keep his dick in check to avoid pissing her off. As much as it pained him to admit it, he didn’t think right that moment was a good time to take her up on her offer. Or request. Demand. Ugh.

He leaned closer and kissed her forehead, allowing himself to inhale deeply of her scent. Yeah, she was even more aroused now that he’d tugged her into his embrace. That didn’t help his position at all.

Keeping himself from mauling her was his only goal, that and moaning out loud or adjusting his cock.

She blinked up at him, licking her lips. Her chest rose and fell with every breath. The sheet had slipped to expose the upper swell of her gorgeous tits. Another inch or two and he’d have her nipples in his line of sight.

She opened her mouth to speak, but he stopped her by settling his thumb over her lips. “Shh, baby. You make it very difficult to be chivalrous.” He set his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. He needed help.

“Mom…”

“Isaiah? Honey? I’m here. You have me so worried. You’ve been blocking me all day.”

“I know. I needed to be alone with my thoughts. I didn’t want outside influence.”

“I get that. She shifted, didn’t she? I can feel it. I can feel her.”

“Yeah.”

“And the Arcadians are still hovering?”

“Yes. I don’t know what to do.”

“You have to follow your heart, son. And your instincts.”

“My gut says to bind her to me right this second and challenge the council.”

“I’m sure your gut is making itself known, but what does your mate say?”

He chuckled into his mother’s head, holding Heather closer. “She’s skeptical. Reluctant. And I won’t force her.”

“I’ve raised you right.” He could hear the smile in her voice. “I know you’ll do what’s best for both of you.”

“I’m scared, Mom. What if the Arcadians insist on taking her from me? What if they insist on taking her even if I do claim her as my own?”

“Then you go with them and don’t let her out of your sight. They’re reasonable people, Isaiah. I have to believe that. I force myself to assume they won’t act rashly.”

“I hope you’re right. Mom?”

“Yes?”

“When did you know?”

She understood him without a lengthy explanation. “Immediately.”

“Seriously? You knew Dad was your mate when you met him?”

“I did. And so did he. It isn’t always that way. Falling in love doesn’t follow a strict set of rules. It just is. And I could tell your heart was leaning toward her the moment you stepped into the house this morning.”

“Thanks, Mom.” He blew out a breath and cut off communication again.

“Isaiah?” Heather’s voice came from far away, and he realized he’d been concentrating on his mother for at least a minute.

“I’m here, baby.”

“You get this glaze over your eyes when you’re communicating with someone else.” She gave a strained chuckle. “Should I be jealous?”

He grinned and lifted his head to put a few inches of space between them. “Only if you’re worried about my mom.”

She scrunched up her face. “So you’re saying that while I’m lying here begging you to have sex with me, you’re talking to your mom?”

He smiled broader and shrugged. “Yeah, I guess that’s what I’m saying. I needed a little moral support.”

Her smile grew larger too. “I think I like that.”