Red's Bear (Erotic Shifter Fairy Tales) (21 page)

He knew his Nana was right. Rena’s mother was back in
town and rumors were going on and on about the three ladies, Rena, Genma and
Lillian spending time together and getting along. Den residents were saying
that Lillian was a completely different person than she had been before she
left town. Cord wondered how much Lillian’s change of heart had to do with the
large bear of a sheriff courting her. He wanted to do the same thing with Rena,
but his grandmother had said he needed to let her come to him, be patient. So
he waited.

“How can I help you ladies?” Standing in the center of
his living room, with his thumbs hooked in his pockets, he stared at them
looking all too comfortable on his couch.

“Genma and I were out and about today and thought we’d
come over for lunch,” Octavia said.

“Lunch?” The word fell out of his mouth as he frowned
at them. This was not what he’d expected they were here for. “How’s Rena?”

“Oh, there is plenty of time to discuss things later…
what are we having?”

Pressing his tongue hard to the roof of his mouth and
gritting his teeth, he stifled the growl his bear was trying to let out. They
were in one accord when it came to wanting information on their mate, if they
couldn’t see her. He exhaled. He knew that these two ladies wouldn’t give away
any secret until they were ready. There was no need for him to do anything but
play along.

“How does seared tuna and grilled honey-glazed peaches
sound?” He asked.

“Oh, I love tuna with a nice garden salad.” His
grandmother said.

“With the perfect glass of sweet iced tea will just
bring out the flavor of those peaches,” Genma volunteered.

Glancing at each other as if he wasn’t even the one
that was preparing it, they filled out the rest of his menu. Folding his arms,
he stood silently until they decided they needed something from him.

His grandmother looked to him first. “That just sounds
delicious. Can’t wait to eat.”

Guess that means get to it, he surmised. “Coming right
up. Give me a few minutes.” Chuckling, he headed in the direction of his
kitchen.

After he’d taken a few steps he heard Genma say, “Tea,
Cord, some warm tea while we wait for lunch would be wonderful.”

“Do you still have some of Genma’s muffins, a plate of
that would hit the spot and tide us over until lunch is ready,” his nana added.

He paused and smiled over his shoulder, ever the
obedient grandson. “I’ll have them both right out for you two.”

They rose, simultaneously, as if joined at the hips.

“Oh, bring them to the kitchen table, we can chat and nibble
while lunch is being prepared,” his grandmother instructed. 

“That’s an excellent idea, Octavia,” Genma cheered as
they beat a trail past him into his kitchen first.

Great Spirit help me, this is going
to be a long afternoon.

Forty-minutes later, they were all seated at the table
with steaming plates of tuna and peaches, a fresh seasonal salad and chilled
glasses of honey-sweetened iced tea. It had only taken him a few minutes to
realize earlier that when the two grandmothers had stated they all would chat
while he cooked, what they meant was the two of them would pretend his cabin
was some sort of café where they would talk about everything under the sun, but
Rena. The one conversation he’d been hoping for.

“Can I get anything else for you ladies?” Cord glanced
at his grandmother first, then Genma.

“No, we are fine. So ready to eat.” Nana smiled at him.

“I’m famished. Can’t wait to dig in,” Genma said.

Cord nodded sharply, then picked up his fork.

“Oh, here you are, Cord,” Genma pulled a small envelope
out of her purse and slid it across the table to him. “Rena told me to give you
this.” Her dark gaze was innocent, as if she and his grandmother didn’t know he
would have wanted them at his door with this held out to him instead of having
him go through so much ‘singing and dancing’.

Frustrated, the low growl slipped out before he could
catch it.

“Oh, is that your stomach. You must be hungry, too.”
Genma started eating.

“You must try the peaches, Genma. They are sweet and
tender,” Octavia encouraged, seemingly oblivious to the male Were at the table.

Ignoring them, he raised the letter to his nose. He
allowed his bear’s sense to cipher through all the unimportant scents on it,
like Genma’s woodsy herbal notes and the smell of mint that most likely came
from peppermints in her purse. Finally, he located and pulled forth the one he
was looking for, honeyed asters: floral, sweet and intoxicating. That was his
Rena.

My mate.
His bear roared in satisfaction.  

Smelling the small trace of her scent wasn’t as good as
having her before him, by any stretch, but it was all he had at the moment.
He’d gratefully take it. Two days without her was too long.

He lowered it then slipped the small card out from
inside. It read:

CORD,

I HOPE TO SEE YOU AT THE DANCE THIS EVENING.

~YOURS RENA

Cord started to rise from his seat, he was ready to go
to her now. The warm hand on his left arm was his grandmother’s stilling him
from his departure. His mind and his bear on one thing, getting to Rena, he’d
practically forgotten the two partners in crime were even there.

Stunned, he stared down at her strong, elegant fingers
that held his arm. “No need to rush off in haste. There’s plenty of time for
you to finish your lunch.”

“The tuna is flakey and divine, you must try some. A hungry
bear is an impatient bear.” Genma winked at him.

Cord knew they were both right. The dance wouldn’t even
begin for a couple hours. There was no need for him to go racing into town and
scare all the cubs as he paced up and down the street waiting for her. Relaxing
in his seat, he began eating, since the two grandmothers weren’t planning to
let him leave the table until he’d finished.

Feeling his own hunger, he picked up his fork again and
dug in.

“Cord, I don’t think I’ve had a chance to thank you for
everything you did at my house...” her voice drifting away, Genma paused.

Raising his gaze to meet her, he saw the warmth and
true meaning in her dark eyes. In a way, he knew that even though Genma and his
grandmother had orchestrated the entire event with him and Rena, his
grandmother’s best friend saw him as a strong, protective…worthy male. That,
made him feel honored. She appreciated him looking out for her property, more
importantly claiming her granddaughter. As Weres, everything came down to that
one responsibility—claiming. Everything else came from that instinct. And he’d
see it through. 

“You’re welcome.”

“Oh, that yard did turn out lovely,” his grandmother
chimed in, as if she wasn’t aware of the deeper, emotional, silent conversation
at the table.

Turning to her, Genma chattered on, high-spirited.
“Didn’t it. The soil of my garden is tilled and ripe for planting. Lillian has
been helping me get everything organized. Next week we will start getting the
seeds in the ground.”

“Oh, that Lillian always did have one hell of a green
paw.” Octavia picked up her sweating glass of tea and drank.

“Yes, yes, she does. I do believe my vegetables will
have an added sweetness to them when they sprout.”

He ate, and tried to keep his patience as the two
grands carried on the conversation around the table. His body may be present
with them, but his mind, heart, soul and bear were all focused on Rena. His
mate.

Mine. Claim her.

That’s exactly what he planned to do tonight.

Chapter
Twelve

Leaning up against the Grand Grizzly Arcade in the
center of town, Cord scanned the crowd as he’d been doing the last two hours
since he’d arrived at the dance. The main street that ran through town was
packed. All Weres in the county were present and moving to the music along the
street. This was the first year the planning committee had decided to throw a
dance before the Bear Run and it was a success. Outside of the fathers dancing
with their daughters or the mothers trying not to have their toes stepped on by
awkward young males, it was a lusty, flirting frenzy. Unmated mature Weres
sniffing around each other like someone was hiding a honey pot. The females
were beguiling in their sultry moves and the males were practically drooling
from their mouths.

However, none of that mattered to Cord. The only thing
he waited on was Rena to arrive. The dance was almost over and his heart had
been racing with apprehension that maybe she had changed her mind and decided
she didn’t want this life, or him. That’s the part that gnawed deeply at his
stomach. It dug into his gut and made him second guess every action he’d taken
with her since he’d kissed her on the dock years ago. This was still all new to
her, a lot to ask her to accept about herself and them.

It was the reason his grandmother had instructed him to
keep away from her. ‘Give Rena some time, Cord. Let her sort this out for
herself and come to you. This can’t be forced.’

Even though he understood that in his head, his heart
was a different matter. And his bear was an entirely different beast. All his
bear wanted to do was share with Rena the third and final mark. It was the one
that would bind them together. The single mark that would not allow her to
leave him, or him her, without it killing the other. A painful death.

She arrived. He knew it the moment she strutted down
Paw Tracks Street. His bear had gone on full alert. Cord became aware of the
tingling sensation running along his spine causing heat to spiral through his
core.

He tracked her progress toward him with his gaze. She was
dressed in a passion red tank top that matched the color of the ripe strawberry
mark on her hip. A mark he recalled vividly. The air outside was crisp, with a
breeze chilled from the overcast sky, but because of their bear trait they
maintained high internal temperatures. Rena’s sleeveless body-hugging top
wasn’t any different than the kind of apparel others were dancing around in.
The jeans she wore fit her curves and long legs like they had been custom-made
around her. Her captivating ebony locks hung in loose waves around her
shoulders. He recalled burying his hands in her hair as she took him deep in
her mouth, loving the length of his cock, that same part of him that was even
now hard and pressing against his jeans.   

His bear urged him to go to her, toss her over his
shoulder and walk away from the dance with her to the first available spot they
found where he could strip her, lay her down and take care of the final mark.
Cord agreed wholeheartedly with his bear. The thought of where it was customary
to place the mark made his body tremble with need. He could almost taste that
area of her skin.

Shoving away from the wall, he met her in the center of
the street, gyrating bodies and laughter all around them. But everyone else was
blocked out from his mind.

“Hello, Cord.” Her voice was low and husky.

“Hi, Red.” He enjoyed calling her by that nickname. It
brought to mind her birthmark and made his heart race.  He gazed into her eyes,
noticing that they were still hazel, but instead of the dark brown flecks they
were now red—proof of her mixed genes. No onyx eyes for his mate.

“I like the new coloring.”

“My grandmother has surmised it is a trait brought out
by my birthmark…a bear paw.”

Smiling at her, he confessed, “I know.” He had enjoyed
tracing the details with his tongue.

“I like the new haircut. I’ll miss the longer length
though.”

He rubbed his shorter locks. “I figured it was time I
started looking a little more clean-cut like the mayor is supposed to.”

She nodded. “You’ll do great.”

He didn’t want to discuss his coming position. He had
better things on his mind to do with his time. Grabbing her hand, he said,
“Come with—”

“Will you dance with me, Cord?” As alluring as warm
honey as she linked her fingers through his.

The simple touch was so slow and sensual it caused his
heart to pound hard and his cock to leap. His bear whined from the sublime
pleasure. He couldn’t deny how much power she had over him and his bear, and
they both loved it.

“Yes.” Taking the single step, he closed the gap
between them as he slipped his arm around her waist. The feel of her body
pressed against his caused a humming of deep satisfaction in his soul. This was
what he had wanted over the past two days, just to hold her and know she was
all right. Female Weres were strong and capable in their own right. However, it
was his job to still shelter and protect her. Reasons that Were-males in Den
always worked with the builders to have their own cabins and lands built when
they had reached maturity and female Were stayed at home under their father’s
protection until they were mated. A mama bear could rip out a grown male Were’s
throat in protection of her cubs or mate, but everyone in Den knew the
established roles and lived by them happily.