Bear With Me (11 page)

“He’s
adorable,” said Hannah. Her own son had been and still was adorable.

“Bear,
you promise me you’ll help Sam?” she asked.

“I’m
going to treat him like he’s my own flesh and blood.”

Chapter Fourteen

Was
his relationship with Hannah over before it had even kicked into high gear? He
hoped not. She was what he’d been looking for, what he’d been waiting for in a
woman.

He’d
promised her a lot. That he was going to mend her son. He couldn’t let her down
or any chance they had of reviving their relationship would be gone forever.

Bear
knew he had one huge hurdle to get over and that was a bear named Liam.

He
pulled up outside his workshop and saw the cars parked outside. Danny’s
obsession had been motorbike’s that had eventually cost him his life. Liam’s
was cars and he was a damn fine mechanic who could get anything working again.
Bear walked inside hearing the music playing and saw Liam wiping his greasy
hands on a cloth hanging from the waistband of his jeans. He glanced over at
Bear. The black eye he’d gotten when they’d had their fight was still evident.
A shifter could heal that on his own, but clearly Liam had chosen not to and
obviously opted to wear it like the martyr he often was.

“You
come to hit me again?” he asked.

Bear
just barely heard him over the din of the music.

“You
mind turning that down so we can talk?” asked Bear.

“What?
Couldn’t hear you,” Liam said, putting his hand behind his ear.

This
was going to be tough, but for Sam’s sake he had to stick with it.

Bear
walked over to the CD player and switched it off.

“Did
I say you could do that?” asked Liam.

“Give
it a rest. For once in your sorry life take that chip off your shoulder.”

Bear
literally bit his tongue, remembering that a person caught more flies with
honey than with vinegar. As a bear he should damn well know that better than
anyone else.

Liam
glared at him. Bear expected a stinging comeback, but there wasn’t one.

“So
what brings you here today? You have a car that needs fixing or have you come
to apologize for the other night?”

“Neither
of the above,” said Bear, pulling out a slip of paper from the back pocket of
his pants. He unfolded it and walked closer to Liam. He handed it to him.

Liam
took it and by the way his nostrils flared and the glint of a tear forming in
his right eye, Bear knew Liam had guessed who the photo was of, and seen the
boy’s resemblance to Danny. Bear had snapped a photo of Sam while Hannah hadn’t
been looking. He told her nothing about coming here to see Liam just in case it
all went south.

Liam
cleared his throat. He’d been close to his brother. Loved him so much and Bear
knew he’d only really gone astray and turned nasty since Danny’s accident that
had taken his life.

“So
he really is Danny’s son?” Liam finally asked.

“That’s
why Hannah thought you were the guy who fathered him.”

“Suppose
she’s looking for money or something now that she’s tracked down Danny’s kin.”

Bear
shook his head. “She’s not that sort of
woman,
and she
doesn’t even know I’ve come here or shared this photo with you.”

“Ah,
you want to collect money on her behalf,” he said, leaning against the car.

“Nope, no money, just your time and some
of your blood.”

“Some of my blood?”

Bear
nodded. “The doctors think Sam is autistic, but I had my doubts. He can
communicate through telepathy, read our minds, and we read his.”

“But
that’s almost a lost art since we arrived here,” said Liam.

“I
know, but he’s somehow inherited it from Danny. I think his problem is due to
his mix of human and shifter blood. His brain and body are confused. He told me
his body tingles and he can’t communicate verbally because of it.”

“He
needs to shift,” said Liam.

Bear
nodded. “I have this theory that if he gets some extra shifter blood he’ll be
able to do it and it’s going to help him.”

“You
want my blood.”

“You’re
his closest living relative.”

Liam
looked at the photo. “I am, but he’s also half human and I don’t help them.” He
took a step forward. “If you’re that worried about this kid, then why don’t you
give him some of your blood?”

Bear
had thought about it and if need be he’d donate, but it could be risky. It
wouldn’t be for a shifter, but for someone with human DNA, well, it could
actually do more harm and send Sam into full breakdown. It might even kill him.

“Do
you really think this is what Danny would want you to do? Turn your back on his
son?”

“He
didn’t like humans either.”

“Maybe
not, but he fucked one eight years ago and got her pregnant.”

“Fucking
and liking isn’t the same thing…not that I’ve ever dipped my cock into the
human pussy pool.”

Liam
pushed Sam’s photo into his stomach until Bear was forced to take it back.

He
wasn’t giving up. There was a nice, humane side to Liam and he was going to get
through to it. He’d help Sam if he had to drag the dickhead, as Christopher had
called him, to the hospital, drug him, and drain his blood.

“I’m
going to let you think about it,” said Bear.

“I’ve
thought about it, and it’s still no.”

“Like
I said, I’m going to let you think this over. You can call me any time to set
up the appointment to give some blood. And if you want to see who you’d be
helping, I’m teaching Sam and his mother to swim at the pool at Downward Facing
Wolf tomorrow at two.”

Bear
was about to leave but instead walked over to the notice board where Liam had
photos of vintage cars. He found a push pin and stuck Sam’s photo up next to the
photo of a Rolls Royce.

“That’s
not going to change my mind,” said Liam.

“I
know, but I’m sure Danny would like to know that you had at least one photo of
his son…your nephew.”

****

Hannah
knew she had to take a lesson from Sam and his bravery. He looked so confident
making his way down into the deeper end of the pool with Bear holding onto him.
Hannah stood, the water barely up to her waist, but she was scared she’d slip,
make a fool of her herself, and worst still, drown. They headed back toward her.
Sam had a huge grin on his face.

“Momma,
Sam’s swimming.”

“I
can see that.”

“Sam,
you want to sit on the side there because it’s your mom’s turn for her lesson.”

Bear
helped Sam up out of the pool and he sat in one of the plastic chairs with a
towel wrapped around his shoulders.

“Okay,
Hannah, I’ll support you underneath so just lie on your stomach.”

Her
son had done it with no fear, no protest, so she had to as well.

Hannah
pushed out, water going up her nose and making her cough.

“You
okay?” asked Bear, pulling her into his body. He was hot and wet, that big
strong chest of his pushing against her breasts.

“I’ve
missed making love to you,” he whispered.

In
all honesty, she’d missed him too, having his arms around her, kissing her,
touching her, doing things to her only he could.

“Any
chance
you can forgive me enough, see past my fatal
flaw about being a part-time bear, and let me make love to you again?”

She
looked into his eyes. Common sense told her not to be swayed by the physical
side of a relationship, but her heart told her Bear was the real deal.

“I
guess so.”

He
leaned over and kissed her, almost knocking her off her feet.

“Okay,
swimming lesson,” he said. She pushed out and he held her hands and pulled her
along through the water.

“Do
bears like water?”

“We
love it.
Love going in to the streams for salmon.”

“So
you could catch some for free for the restaurant?”

“Sure.
Would that mean I’d find my way back into your good books?”

“We’ll
see.”

One step at a time.
One day at a
time. His hand brushed her breast and nipple, and she couldn’t wait for him to
make love to her again.

He
flipped her over, taking her by surprise, and that’s when she caught sight of
Liam standing by the door, leaning against the jamb observing her and Bear. He
then looked intently at Sam who was now spinning around and around with the
towel spread out like he had wings.

“Is
he here to cause more trouble?” asked Hannah.

Bear
glanced over, obviously catching sight of who she was referring to.

“No, just the opposite in fact.”

Chapter Fifteen

Liam
hadn’t stuck around.
Hadn’t even said anything at the pool.
He was a strange character and always hard to figure out, but the fact that
he’d visited the pool had to be a positive sign.

“What
are you thinking?”

Hannah
touched the very end of his nose. He hadn’t been paying attention to her and
that was wrong, especially since they were both naked and on top of her bed
with Hannah straddling him.

“I’m
thinking just how good it was to be back like this.
Our
bodies and souls connecting.”

Okay
that was a lie, but now he
was
thinking
that very thing.

He
slipped his hand down his body, easing it under her crotch and began massaging
her clit with his index and middle finger.

“
Ummm
, I like that.” She leaned over and kissed him.

“I
thought you might. Such a receptive clit,” he said.

She
bucked her hips a little, causing more friction between his fingers and her
body. She slid back and forth, groaning louder on each move until she finally
went still, her whole body shaking, her thighs trembling as Bear slipped his
fingers into her pussy and spread them before tickling its walls.

“Those
are magic fingers,” she said, moving her hips again.

“Really?”

He
tickled her some more, making her rock her body side to side until she came not
once but twice.

Bear
reached over to the bedside table, took a condom, and handed it to her.

Hannah
ripped it open, pulled out the rubber, and like an expert sheathed him.

“You
ready to ride this bear again?” he asked her.

“Should
it be ride this Bear with a capital B?” She lifted her butt, him offering his
cock so she could impale herself onto it.

Soon
they felt like one, her riding him, Bear pulling on her nipples as she closed
her eyes and made strange little noises that made him want to laugh.

“Do
the wiggly cock thing for me?”

“Wiggly
cock things, that’s a new term for it,” said Bear.

She
leaned forward, placing her hands on his shoulders as he let his cock vibrate
inside her.

“That’s
so good, because I feel it all the way from my toes to my butt.”

They
kissed before she dragged her teeth over his lips.

“I’m
about to come big time, but I have to be quiet because Sam will hear me.”

“How
about I do this?”

Bear
covered her mouth with his, drowning out the groan that escaped from her lips
seconds later.

Now
it was his turn.

****

Hannah
offered
Bear
her butt. That’s what he seemed to like
the most and she wanted to make everything up to him. He was a good guy. He
slapped it before parting her cheeks and tickling her anus. She wiggled it some
more until finally he pushed his cock deep into her pussy, pushing her flat
onto the mattress. Lying on top of her but still keeping most of his weight off
her, he drove in deeper with each thrust.

Strange
that now she knew he was different. That Sam’s father had been different, but
it didn’t make any difference. What was inside a person mattered the
most.
He nipped at her earlobe, making her drool as he did
his wiggly cock thingy before making her scream.

“Momma”
Sam banged on the door.

“Honey,
I’ll be with you in a…”

She
cried out again.

“Momma.”

“It’s
okay. Momma got her finger caught in the drawer.”

“I
better hurry this along,” whispered Bear.

He
pulled out and flopped onto his back. Hannah put on her dressing gown and went
to the door just as Bear’s phone rang. She hoped he didn’t have to leave to
deliver yet another baby.

****

Bear
knocked on the door and then went inside, finding Emily and Trent waiting for him.

“Sorry
I’m late, but my last appointment ran over,” said Bear. “Okay, you all ready to
see the baby for the first time?”

“I’m
both nervous and excited,” said Emily.

“How
you are you feeling after that rough beginning?” asked Bear, pulling out the
ultrasound machine.

“Better
than I did, but I still feel queasy most mornings and I get dizzy too.”

 
Trent stood by her side as Bear pulled up her
examination robe and smeared her belly with gel.

“Wow,
that’s cold,” said Emily.

“Sorry,”
said Bear. “Okay, let’s take a first look.”

He
placed the wand on her belly. He’d suspected something different about this
pregnancy when she’d come into the hospital that day with severe vomiting. He’d
seen it many times before, however he wasn’t expecting to see this.

“You
guys will not believe this,” said Bear, turning the screen around for them to
see the image he’d just witnessed.

“Is
it good or bad?” asked Trent.

“Depends
on if you feel you’ll need a bigger house or not,” said Bear.

“Oh no.
Is that what I
think?” asked Emily, pointing.

“Holy
shit, there are three babies…we’re having triplets?” asked Trent.

“You
sure are. I thought maybe it was twins, but I wasn’t expecting to see three.
You want to know their sex?”

Trent
looked at Emily who shook her head. “I guess we’ll wait for the big day. Honey,
we are going to need a bigger place.
A huge backyard.
 
Three cribs, three car seats, three
strollers…three of everything.”

“Actually
you can buy one stroller for three babies these days,” said Bear.

“I’m
going to need to start working double shifts,” said Trent.

“Let’s
plan on your coming to see me more often than average and that’s schedule a
C-section.”

“Geez,
I never thought about that,” said Emily. “Does it hurt?”

Bear
shook his head. “You won’t know a thing, and you can ask Charlotte about it if
you have any questions.”

“This
is all so much to take in,” said Trent.

Bear
stood, wiped Emily’s belly, and put the equipment away. “I’ll let you get
dressed. Before you leave make an appointment to see me again next week, but in
the meantime call if you have any questions or concerns.”

He
walked outside and down the hall to his office.

“There’s
a man in there waiting to see you,” said Mia.

Bear
opened the door to see Liam sitting looking at one of the photos on his desk.

“What
can I do for you?” asked Bear.

“My
blood, you still need it?”

“Yes.”

“Okay
then, let’s get this over and done with.”

Bear
smiled. “You know what would be a great thing?
If you donated
directly to your nephew.”

Bear
was pushing his luck with a guy like Liam, but he thought it would be good for
both him and Sam to get to know one another.

“I
guess I have to meet him sometime, so when you want to do this?” asked Liam.

“How about tomorrow around three?”

Liam
nodded. “And don’t go spreading this around, but I hate needles. In fact, they
scare the shit out of me.”

****

She’d
said no, no, and no, when he’d broken the news to her that Liam would be
donating his blood directly into Sam. She’d gone crazy, but what he’d said made
perfect sense and so she’d brought along Sam and placed him in Bear’s hands,
hoping she was doing the right thing.

Liam
had been cool to her when he’d arrived. She doubted they would ever be friends,
but if he was just half decent to her son that was fine with her.

“This
is your uncle,” said Bear.

“Hi, Sam.
You look a lot
like your dad, my brother.”

“Father,”
said Sam. He looked over at Hannah.

“
It’s
okay, Sam, your uncle Liam’s going to give you
something and it will make you feel better.”

“No,
Momma. Sam scared.”

“I
am too,” said Liam, but we’re going to lie down here and I’ll tell you stories
about your dad. And don’t tell anyone, but I’m scared too.”

“You
want to come hold his hand?” Bear asked Hannah.

“Sure.”

Hannah
grabbed Sam’s hand as Bear put the tourniquet around his bicep.

“Momma.”

“Honey,
Bear won’t hurt you I promise.”

She
saw Bear slip in the needle while Sam was looking the other way.

Next
he went over to Liam and did the same thing.

“Ouch,
that hurt like hell,” he said.

“Your
nephew’s didn’t complain,” said Bear.

Hannah
watched as Bear set up the equipment and soon blood was pumping out of Liam and
going into Sam.

Bear
knew what he was doing, right?

“Cold
in my arm,” said Sam.

“It’ll
feel a little strange for a while,” said Bear.

“Hey,
Sam, you like cars?” asked Liam.

“Yes.”

“Maybe
your mom can bring you down to the garage that I own and you can work on one
with me,” said Liam.

“Yeah,”
said Sam.

“What
were you going to tell him about his dad?” asked Bear.

“Oh,
that’s right. He was really good at math at school. He won the spelling contest
when he was ten. He was good at sports and…”

Suddenly
Liam broke down.

“No
crying,” said Sam.

A
tear slid down Hannah’s face. She’d only known his brother for a couple of
hours, but Liam had brought him back to life in a few short sentences. For
seven years she’d wondered what had happened to him, never guessing his life
had ended when a drunk driver had driven on the wrong side of the road, pushing
him off his motorbike and down into a ravine where he’d lay dead for three days
before a hiker found him. He’d been a sweet guy and no one deserved to end
their life like that.

“
It’s
okay, Liam, just get it all out,” said Bear. “Sometimes
that’s all you need to do is to let go.”

****

Bear
took Sam’s vital signs. He’d transfused Liam’s blood into him three days ago
and so far so good. They’d been no change in Sam’s behavior, but if Bear’s
instincts were right, he knew the final stage would be helping Sam shift. After
that, he was guessing, and hoping, a new boy would emerge. He didn’t want to
deceive Hannah in any way. He wanted to tell her what he planned to do and what
it would mean for Sam.

“You mean you’ll
turn him into a bear?”

“He’ll do that
himself.” Bear had told her.

“What if he
can’t turn back?”

“That’s what I’m
going to be there for and I’m having Aiden and Christopher on hand too. And
even Liam said he’d be there. For us it’s very important to have a blood
relative present when you make your first shift. It’s sort of a coming of age.
We’re going to help him become the bear that’s inside him. He’ll run with us
and he’ll feel how good it is.”

“But he’s my
baby.”

“I know, but if
this works he’ll be better. He’ll be normal and won’t be bullied anymore.”

“And you don’t
think being half a bear shouts come bully me?”

“You know what I
mean.”

She’d
nodded but told him she couldn’t be there when it happened. However, now that
they were all ready, he glanced over and saw her standing by the edge of the
trees. It was going to be rough, the first shift always was, and he hoped she
wouldn’t stop them when she heard her son cry out as all shifters did the first
time they made their transformation.

Bear
looked over and saw that Liam had kept his word. He was heading their way.

He
patted Sam on the head. “This is a big day for you. And your dad’s somewhere
watching and would be proud of you,” said Liam.

“You
understand what’s going to happen?” asked Bear kneeling in front of him.

Sam
nodded his head. Bear had taken Sam’s clothes and placed a towel around him. He
only hoped no one was around to see four naked guys with a kid in the middle of
the woods. Back on their planet such a site would be an everyday occurrence.

“You’re
going to free the bear that’s inside you,” said Aiden.

Aiden
said he wanted to see the transformation so he knew what to expect when Bridget
had to make her first shift.