Gray Back Alpha Bear (10 page)

Gia gasped and turned in the hotel’s full-length mirror. “What is that?” she murmured, squinting. She mashed her belly against the reflective glass to get a better look. “Creed!”

“Yeah?” he said around his toothbrush, sticking his head out of the bathroom.

“What is this? Is that a stretchmark?”

With a frown, he muttered, “Hang on,” then rinsed in the sink as she poked the little red stripe of betrayal. Her body got a C-minus in baby growing. Twenty-five pounds gained and a stretchmark at five months? She let off a human snarl.

“You put a giant baby in me,” she groused as Creed knelt by her belly to study the tiny rip near her hip bone.

He laughed, but tried to cover it up unsuccessfully with a cough. After he’d cleared his throat and tried to stifle the grin on his face, he announced, “It looks like a stretchmark.”

“Aw, for fuck’s sake,” she said, turning in the mirror again. “I’ll never be able to wear a bathing suit again.”

“Because of a stretchmark? It’s cute!”

Gia guffawed and let the hem of her coral-colored dress slip over her stomach to cover the little monstrosity. “This one stretch mark might be cute to you, but I’m only halfway through this pregnancy. I’ll have billions at this rate.”

“Be serious. Billions?”

She crossed her arms and pouted. “Perhaps trillions.”

“Baby,” Creed said sympathetically, pulling her into his arms. He splayed his legs to be eye-level with her. “Even if you had trillions of stretchmarks…I’d still hit it.”

Gia swatted his arm. “I thought you were going to say something romantic.”

“That is romantic.”

“I’d still hit it? You’d hit anything with a slimy hole.”

“Gia, stop it.”

He was laughing harder now, and a grin cracked her face. She hated the little stretchmark with the intensity of a thousand suns, but she did love that it had evicted the faraway look in her mate’s face and replaced it with a genuine grin.

Creed fondled her boob and dragged her waist against him. Against her ear, he murmured, “I only like your slimy hole.”

She giggled and kissed him, insecurities all but forgotten because her man didn’t give two fudge pops whether his baby marked her up or not.

His hands gripped the hem of her dress and slid it slowly up her thighs as he leaned forward and kissed her.

A knock pounded against the door. “Our taxi is here. We’re leaving!” Willa called through the barrier.

Gia sighed and hugged Creed close as she stared at the fancy gold and cream wall paper of the bedroom.

He nibbled her ear and lifted her off her feet, then carried her gently toward the door. Air whooshed in as he opened it. “You guys want to meet up for dinner before our flight back?” Creed asked Matt and Willa. “Or do you want to meet at the airport?”

“I think we’ll probably spend the whole day with my dad,” Willa said as she leaned against Matt’s side. “I imagine finding out your only kid has been Turned into a werebear will require some extra reassurance that said kid won’t actually go primal and eat people.”

“Good luck,” Gia said, hugging Willa up tight and kissing her on the cheek. She knew exactly where her parents stood on the whole shifter issue, but Willa’s dad had been dealt a blow with his mother and wife passing away within a short time of each other. And now his only daughter had lost her humanity? She felt bad for Mr. Madden and hoped Willa could somehow make him feel comfortable with it before they all had to fly back to Wyoming tonight.

“You, too,” Willa said, squeezing her shoulders. “You’re going to need it a whole lot more than me.”

“Maybe it won’t be so bad,” she teased.

“Ha! Your parents have been snooty butt-faces since the first time I met them. At least they’re consistent. Have fun meeting your future in-laws, Creedy.”

“Dooon’t,” Creed drawled out. “Don’t call me Creedy.”

“I werebear swear I won’t ever do it again,” Willa said with a wave as she sauntered down the hallway with Matt toward the elevators. Her spiky red ponytail bobbed with every confident step. “Bye, Gia. Bye, Creedy!”

Matt’s chuckle echoed down the hallway. “Good one, Nerd.”

Hands hooked on his hips, Creed watched Willa and Matt disappear around a corner with narrowed eyes and a resigned sigh.

“You ready?” Gia asked.

“Yeah.” Creed buttoned his starched white shirt, then gestured for Gia to pass through the doorway first.

She’d worn her hair long and flowing today to compliment the dress, but Mom would probably still find something wrong with her appearance. As she walked toward the elevator with Creed, she realized how much she hadn’t missed her parent’s cruel words over the past week. At some point in her life, she’d grown used to the biting, snide remarks and the insults that took place of the compliments Gia always dreamed of getting from them. But over the last week, she’d felt better about herself without her parents and the bombshells in her life, constantly placing her beneath them. No one in the Gray Backs made her feel less than.

Perhaps because they were broken themselves, or perhaps they just didn’t care where she came from or what inadequacies she toted like baggage. Or maybe it was because she was mate of the alpha. She didn’t know. All she knew was she felt better about herself when she was at the trailer park than she did right now, marching toward their rental car to meet her unsupportive parents for a meal.

Creed helped her into the passenger’s seat, then pulled them out of the parking garage and turned onto the main road that would lead to her small hometown of Minden.

A muscle twitched in Creed’s jaw where he clenched it, but other than that, he looked perfectly calm. He made a striking profile. White, oxford shirt stark against his suntanned skin. His gray dress pants clung to his powerful legs, and his eyes were dark as night and focused on the road ahead. Or perhaps the task ahead of them. She appreciated him so much for what he was doing—trying to salvage her relationship with her family—but it wouldn’t work. Did she regret this trip, though? No. Never in a million years, because this trip had taught her how truly selfless Creed was. He’d dropped everything, the first week of logging season, to try and make things right for her. He’d left his half-crazed maniac crew of brawlers in charge of work when hitting timber numbers was his way of trying to earn Damon Daye’s respect. He hadn’t cared one bit that he was traveling with her away from everything that needed to get taken care of and right in the middle of the bomb Damon had dropped on him about his parentage. All Creed cared about—his only focus—was making sure she was taken care of and happy.

She rested her palm on his knuckles, and he responded instantly, drawing her hand to his lips and letting them linger there.

“Creed?”

“Yeah, baby?”

“I’m glad you brought me here because I think my parents should meet you. You’re it for me, and they should see the man their daughter chose. But I’m really, really ready to go back home.”

He shot her a beaming white grin and huffed a laugh. “You missing the trailer park already?”

She nodded and nestled back into the seat cushion better. She watched the familiar streets and shops passing, and such a strange sensation washed over her. She knew where everything was. Every corner of this town held a memory for her. Milkshakes in high school with Brittney and Kara there, and she’d made out with Bryant Thompson in the dressing room of that store over there. She’d watched holiday parades here, had come to Willa’s band concerts when they played downtown, and cheered at the football games at the old stadium on Friday nights, but this place didn’t feel the same anymore. She’d changed over the past week.

Gia knew this town, but it didn’t really know her anymore.

She turned up the music to a country station and hummed along off-key. Creed shot her the occasional glance, but she understood. He was worried about her, as she was about him when he dealt with family stuff.

He pulled onto the long winding road that led to the country club on the outskirts of town. It was still nice enough weather to play golf, so the greens around the club were teaming with players. Creed parked and told her, “Wait right there.” Then he jogged around the back, opened her door, and helped her out. Sweet bear. Always taking care of her. He was a natural caregiver, which she hadn’t expected when she’d first seen him at Sammy’s Bar all those months ago. He’d been dark and broody. Quiet, with those bottomless dark eyes that she’d mistaken for cold. They hadn’t been. He’d just been observing everything around him as an alpha had to—assessing risk, managing his crew’s behavior in a public setting.

Her nerves kicked up on the walk inside, and she wrung her hands as she psyched herself up to see her parents again.

The last time she’d talked to them face-to-face, her father had looked her right in the eyes and said, “Because of the poor decisions you have made, we no longer want anything to do with your life moving forward.” He’d been so formal, so callous with those words, and it had been the most painful sentence she’d ever heard in her life. She’d lived and breathed to please them, and she hadn’t managed it. Not ever.

Gia felt like she was floating, and she had to anchor herself in the moment. She was really back here after hardly any time had passed at all, and she sure as hell hoped she was strong enough for this. Not just for her, but for Creed who deserved a mate who was as capable as him.

She smiled politely at the hostess. “We’re here to meet the Cromwells.”

“Sure, they’re already here, and the table is ready for you.” The petite blonde seemed to talk to Gia, but her eyes stayed on Creed. She hesitated, clutching the menus to her chest. “I know who you are. You’re the Gray Back shifter everyone in town is talking about, aren’t you?” The girl had lowered her voice.

Creed nodded once as he rubbed Gia’s lower back. “I am.”

“We don’t have any registered shifters around here, so I’m kind of nervous, but can I have your autograph?”

Creed’s dark brows arched high in surprise, but he recovered quickly enough. “Of course.”

“Really? Oh, my gosh, okay. Let me find a pen. I didn’t think you were going to say yes. Oh, here’s one.” She handed him a ballpoint and a scrap of paper. “My name is Laura. Like my nametag. L-A-U-R-A.”

Gia grinned at how cute Laura was, all nervous around Creed. She used to be like that too, a shifter groupie who got fidgety just thinking about talking to a real live bear shifter. She didn’t have to wonder where the gossip about Creed had started. Brittney and Kara could get the whole town buzzing in a morning. No doubt they’d told everyone who Gia’s baby daddy was the second after she’d told them she was pregnant.

As the scratching of Creed’s pen sounded, Laura turned to Gia and said, “Oh, and congratulations on your baby. It’s all anyone talks about in Minden anymore. One of our very own is having a real bear shifter cub. You must be really excited.”

“We are,” Gia said, feeling the nerves lift and the curdling in her stomach lessen. Even if her parents didn’t support them, others did.

Creed handed her the autograph and posed for a picture with Laura, taken selfie-style. Laura talked giddily about how her friends were going to freak out when she told them she met the alpha of the Gray Backs, and Gia was tickled at how sincere the hostess was in her excitement.

It made Gia even prouder to be on Creed’s arm.

But there was nothing like Mom’s puckered face and narrow-eyed glare to bring her back down to reality. Perfect highlighted blond bob hair sprayed into place with her impeccable make-up and glossy lips. Too bad she looked like she was sucking on a lemon. With her ten percent body-fat and yoga instructor physique, she stood tall and statuesque in a formal greeting beside Dad.

“Hi, Mom,” Gia said, reaching forward to hug her shoulders.

Mom stepped back and shook her head slightly, then looked around, as if she didn’t want anyone to see how close Gia had come to touching her.

Sadness washed through her. The baby hadn’t done that. Mom had just never liked touching her. Dad at least pretended he was going in for a hug, but shook her hand instead. God, they were ridiculous.

“Mom, Dad, this is my…” She straightened her spine and lifted her chin primly. “This is my Creed.”

“It’s nice to meet you, sir,” Creed said in that sexy baritone that curled her toes in her heels. “Ma’am.” He offered Mom a handshake, but she refused, choosing instead to rub her hand on the back of her neck and look uncomfortable. Why the hell had they decided to do this in public if they were going to be so weird about everything?

“Please, sit,” Dad said, gesturing to the four-top in front of them with sparkling wine glasses and etched silver cutlery around fine china plates.

She imagined what the Gray Backs would do to this table and snorted.

“What?” Creed asked low as he pulled her chair out for her.

“Can you imagine Beaston eating at a place like this?”

“Like a bull in a fuckin’ china shop,” he muttered too low for Mom and Dad to hear.

Gia laughed a lot louder than she’d intended, so naturally Mom offered her best stop-having-fun glare.

This wasn’t funny at all, but for some reason, Gia was hiding a smile. Creed settled his hand on her leg under the table, and she clutched onto it like a lifeline.