“What do you think Cassie is telling her?”

Rain wanted to follow the women inside, but the alpha waves coming off his brother kept him outside. Cash wasn’t pushy, but it was easy to pick up on what he wanted. Their dad was the best, but he was sometimes a little too indulgent. Cash was the one that kept them in line and laid down the law when they were out of line.

“Probably everything you haven’t. You’ve been keeping secrets, young man.” Cash had been standing in the same position with his arms folded over his chest since the girls left. It was like he was a sentry guarding the gates.

“No more than usual. I mean, I didn’t dump everything on her, but she knows most of it,” Rain hedged.

“You know she’s inside with the cubs and they are probably shifting like crazy. They get excited meeting new people.”

“I figured that it was better for her to see a baby bear before a grown one,” Rain admitted.

“She hasn’t met your bear?”

“Oh, right, and when did you show Cassie? First date? I live in a dorm room. Where exactly was I going to shift? I think the middle of the UW quad might be a little showy and reveal our secret to the world.”

“You’re being dramatic.”

“No, I’m being realistic. Besides, why do you think I brought her here? She’s had a tough life, just her and her mom. I want her to see what family is really like. I know that she loves me, she’s just afraid to say it. Maybe if she’s surrounded by love for a couple days, she won’t see it as such a bad thing.”

“Take my advice. Take her out tomorrow and show her your bear. Chicks dig the bears. And make all the promises you know you’ll keep.”

“Chicks dig the bears?”

“Totally. It’s the fur and the big paws. They think they’re cute instead of deadly. Besides, your bear probably would do a better job of explaining things than you will.”

“How? By grunting and licking?”

“You have a lot to learn about women, smart guy.”

Rain shook his head and elbowed his big brother before they walked into the house to find their women.

* * *

The evening was quiet. The cubs went to bed… a few times. Cassie and Quinn sat on the big sofa that faced the wall of windows overlooking the river. They were whispering to each other about the family. It wasn’t like Rain or Cash couldn’t hear them, and Cassie knew that. She was only doing it to make Quinn feel like she could talk.

The guys stayed in the kitchen talking shop. Cash caught Rain up on the family business. Cash had been helping out on the logging side for a while, but now he was back at the mill. There were enough hands to do the work, so those with young families could take the time they needed to be with their cubs.

Rain knew that he could step into the businesses as a lawyer and live his life right in the middle of his family. He had to show Quinn that this wasn’t a bad place to be and that she could still have the career she wanted. His family was good at making people feel welcome. He had to hope that the overload of attention and affection didn’t scare her off. It was a gamble he had to take.

“Hey, stop talking about us over there,” Rain whispered and watched the girl’s heads turn towards them.

“Mind your beeswax, butthead,” Cassie called out in a quiet voice, not wanting to wake the twins.

“What are you gonna do about it? Pummel me with those little baby fists of yours?”

“No, I’ll have my mate do it for me. He’ll gladly kick his brother’s ass if I asked.”

Rain looked to Cash and his brother shrugged. “She’s not wrong.”

“Nice, I see how it is. At least Quinn will defend me, won’t you?”

Quinn looked between him and Cassie. “I’ll defend you against Cash, he looks ticklish, but Cassie? No way, she’s a scratcher, I can tell.”

“Hellz yeah I am. Fight dirty or go home, bitches.”

“She’s like a poet, isn’t she?” Cash commented, amused and clearly in love with his mate.

“Oh yeah, a literary word wizard. I think it’s time for Quinn and me to hit the hay. I’m dead tired from driving and I want to show her around town tomorrow.”

“Sorry it’s just a futon,” Cassie apologized. “The kids need their own rooms because, believe it or not, sometimes they can’t stand each other.”

“No problem, I’m sure it will be great. I’m not overly picky about where I sleep. My roommate has made it challenging for the last few years. At least Rain doesn’t snore.”

“I bet his bear does. Any-who, there are fresh towels in the bathroom, and more in the hall closet. There are spare toothbrushes and what-not under the sink. Just keep the hanky-panky quiet because if you wake up the cubs, you get to put them back to sleep. House rules,” she warned.

“Got it,” Quinn said. She could imagine what it would be like putting two crazy kids back to sleep in the middle of the night.

Cassie gave a sharp whistle to Cash and her mate started chuckling. “Sprite, I’m not a dog.”

“Yeah, but you come when I call, so what does that make you then?”

“A devoted mate,” he said, leaning down and gathering her up in his arms. She looked even smaller compared to him when he was carrying her.

“Night all!” Cash called out, walking down the hallway.

“Are you ready for bed or do you want to stay up?” Rain asked.

“I’m actually pretty tired. I could pass out just about anywhere.”

“Then bed it is,” he said, helping her off the couch. They walked down the hallway to the first door they came to. “This is Cash’s office, it’s where I sleep when I’m here. The futon isn’t that bad.”

“I’ve slept on some pretty horrible beds and couches in my life. I’m sure it’s great.”

The room contained a large desk and chair with a futon along one wall that had already been laid flat and was already made up with sheets, blankets, and pillows. Rain had grabbed their bags earlier and left them in the room.

“The bathroom is across the hall, you go first.” Rain said.

Quinn appreciated that. She grabbed her toiletries and went to the door across from the office. She could use a few minutes of reflection and a good tooth scrubbing wasn’t a bad idea either. She had taken Cassie’s advice to heart. She started by not reacting every time the twins shifted. Which they did often and for no apparent reason.

After the first few times, it did become a little easier to accept, yet no less amazing and beautiful to witness. Seeing the transition from human to bear and back again was like watching magic, which she had to believe it was. How else do you explain something so miraculous?

It made her want to see how Rain looked in his bear form. She couldn’t imagine how big he must be or how scary he must look. Did he shimmer and sparkle like the cubs? Was his bear nice like him? The twins’ bears were very much like their human counterparts. Mischievous and funny, with a child’s mentality.

An adult bear was another kettle of fish entirely. Adult bears could kill you and make you lunch. Or were they vegetarians? She wasn’t totally sure on that point. While she washed her face and brushed her teeth, she decided to keep up with the ‘no big deal’ plan until something made her totally freak out.

Knowing she couldn’t hide forever, she left the bathroom and found Rain sitting in the desk chair. “I’ll be right back,” he said, excusing himself from the room.

Quinn changed out of her clothes into a tank top and pair of shorts that had seen better days. Maybe she should invest in some lingerie for Rain. Not that she ever thought of spending money on underwear you couldn’t wear daily. That had always seemed frivolous and wasteful. But now she could imagine how Rain’s eyes would light up when he saw her in something sexy.

Getting into bed, she positioned herself against the wall and waited. Rain was back in just a few minutes. He slid in next to her and pulled her into his arms.

“I’d love to hear how you feel about everything, but I want to give you some time to absorb. How about after breakfast we take a walk and if you have any questions we can talk about it then. Sound good?”

Quinn so needed that. She did have questions and she was sure she’d think of more before tomorrow. Not having to discuss the realities just yet might actually let her get some sleep. “That sounds good. I’d be up for a walk in the woods tomorrow. I need a fallen log, preferably moss covered, maybe a few ferns sprinkled around and some quiet before we chat.”

“I can get you all those things,” he promised. “I love you, Quinn Sutton. If you ever need me to tell you that, or just want me to say it more often, just tell me. I’m happy to say it as often as you need to believe it.”

“Rain, I don’t think not believing you is a problem. It’s…” She wasn’t sure how to say what she was feeling.

“Tomorrow,” he said, kissing her on the forehead.

Quinn tucked herself into the crook of his arm and fell asleep. Rain woke her up in the middle of the night and they managed to make love without waking any babies.