Wild Bear (2 page)

H
armony let
out a sigh of relief, mingled with disappointment, when they got down to the main dining room and saw that Shane and Jesse were waiting for them, but Maverick was not.

“I heard that,” Bonnie muttered. “Don’t worry. We’re here for you. We’re not going to let him do anything you don’t want him to.”

Harmony nodded tightly. But that wasn’t what she was worried about. Her friends could never understand, though. If they knew what she was really afraid of, that she could fall head over heels for the man, they would laugh.

Tough, sassy Harmony falling all mushy over some unshaven mountain dude? Impossible.

But it wasn’t.

Her hands were sweating as she came forward to shake hands with Shane and Jesse. Shane looked a lot like Maverick. They had the same tall, broad build, with the same dark hair and brows and coloring and rugged, handsome features. Except where Shane had stunning green eyes the color of emeralds, Maverick had dark eyes that shone like black diamonds. Or coal.

“Good to see you, Harmony,” Jesse said, shaking her hand.

Harmony gave Bonnie an appreciative look. Jesse had that movie star cowboy look, with a tall, lean build and smoother features. But he had an edge to him, something suppressed under the surface that made her think he was the perfect partner for her friend Bonnie.

Though she suspected only Bonnie and Jesse would ever know just how much.

When they were done getting reacquainted, they all sat at their favorite table, one with a big window next to it where the early afternoon sunlight streamed in over the hardwood floors.

Jesse pulled down the curtains, blocking the light somewhat so they could see better to talk, just as Fanny came out of the kitchen with steaming bread bowls full of soup.

Fanny was a fun, curvy lady with lots of laugh lines and gray spread liberally through her black hair. She hugged the girls and chatted with them as she set out the food. They tried to get her to stay, but she said she had stuff to do before getting dinner ready and would make sure and join them another day.

It was clear Bonnie and Ruby were already feeling at home here, and once again, jealousy niggled at Harmony.

Where had she ever really felt at home? Nowhere, since her mom had passed from breast cancer.

She played with her soup, still a little off from the twisty drive up the canyon, as the others laughed and chattered. She felt like the odd one out, and she didn’t know if it was more or less comfortable because Maverick wasn’t here.

Just then, the cabin door burst open with a bam and cool mountain wind blew in, just as a tall, intimidating figured stepped in, looking even hairier and wilder than ever before.

And yup, he still made her pulse pound as much as ever.

He jerked a finger at her, angry, dark eyes blazing. “How come no one told me she was here?” he asked, looking around the room as he strode in. He was wearing dark denim jeans, worn at the knees, and a long flannel shirt, sleeves rolled up at his wide forearms. It pulled tight over his powerful chest, and a little bit of hair peeked out at the collar.

He took several thundering footsteps forward, seemingly incapable of not making an entrance, and stopped right behind her, glowering.

Shane sighed and looked up at his brother with a weary expression. “You heard the truck coming up. I’m sure.”

Maverick nodded once. “I was getting ready.”

Jesse raised an eyebrow. “And this is the best you could do?”

Maverick scowled, but Harmony could see the flash of offense that shadowed his expression before he hardened back up. “Shut up,” he said to Jesse, sitting on the bench across from her and glaring at her with dark eyes.

Then, slowly, surely, his lips curved into a smirk. She could tell he’d have a gorgeous mouth if that beard could ever be trimmed away.

His facial hair was much longer than when she’d first seen it, and she had a feeling it’d be more than ticklish to kiss him. Then again, what was she doing thinking about kissing him already?

His grin quirked deeper, and the next thing she knew, his rough hand was behind her neck and he’d jerked her forward over her bread bowl for an intense kiss.

She squeaked in shock, arms flailing, before Jesse stood calmly next to his brother, pulled him back by the collar, and planted a punch on his face that sent Maverick spinning.

Harmony gasped and stood to see what was happening as Jesse grabbed Mav by the shirtfront and pulled him up, still grinning from the kiss, to yell at him, exasperated,

“What did I say? I told you I don’t want you threatening my mate’s friends. Dammit, Mav, this isn’t the way to win over a lady.”

Mav shoved his brother off and stood, brushing off his butt, which Harmony couldn’t help but notice was perfectly shaped.

“It’s not?” he snapped, looking in her direction and sticking out a finger before folding his arms and standing with one hip cocked. “Ask her if she liked it,” he said smugly.

Harmony felt irritation well up in her. Not because he’d done something she didn’t like, but because she
had
liked it.

What was wrong with her? Liking this asshole who couldn’t be bothered to get a haircut and only knew how to pop up and surprise kiss her and then say awful things about it.

She stood abruptly, pinning him with a fiery glare. “No, I didn’t like it. Not the way you think.”

His expression fell slightly, but obstinacy took the place where any guilt might have been. “No. You liked it. I can smell it.”

Her eyes went wide with horror and embarrassment. Jesse looked like he was about to clock his brother again, but Harmony decided to take care of this one herself. She strode around the table, looked up at Mav, who looked anything but intimidated, cocked back her fist, and punched him straight in the face.

He staggered back in shock, putting a hand up to his cheek as his dark eyes widened. When they were open like that, with the sun streaming in, they were a beautiful chocolate brown.

But someone had to tell his huge lug what was and wasn’t appropriate, and apparently
she
had to do it for him to understand.

His eyes blazed, and for a moment, she thought he was going to get angry with her. But then his lips spread into a smile.

“Just what I’d expect from an alpha female,” he said, wiping his lips as he righted himself and stood straight. “A challenge. Of course. I like it. Sure, I’ll fight for you,” he said in a husky voice that sent little thrills down her spine.

Dammit, what was wrong with her?

“I’m not asking you to fight for me,” she said, exasperated.

He gave her a long, slow wink that she could barely make out underneath his long hair falling over his forehead and around his face. “Uh-huh.”

She was left speechless by that, so he simply strode off to the kitchen to get his own meal from Fanny.

She sat back on her bench and began to wolf down her soup, ignoring her friends’ concerned and curious expressions. She just needed to finish and get out of here, go out with the girls, and have some fun before she totally lost her head over this person.

When Mav came back, Shane grabbed him and made him sit on his side on the other side of the table from Harmony, which he did while sulking.

She couldn’t help feeling a bit relieved. Maybe, with the help of the others, she could resist Mav without much effort after all.

But then she looked up and caught him staring at her, a knowing, cocky look in his dark eyes as his lips spread into a sultry grin that made her press her legs together reflexively.

Oh, damn. She was doomed.

T
he female was avoiding him
. Maverick was sure of it.

He’d spent the evening keeping an eye on her. First, she and the girls had headed over to the lodge pool and hot tub and sat in the Jacuzzi, chatting about girly things.

Then they’d taken champagne and a picnic basket with fresh fruit and walked along a nearby trail to get to a pasture that was beautiful in the moonlight and a great place to catch up.

He never did understand how humans liked to get in big groups and just talk for ages. Maybe talking with one person, for short periods of time to get used to it, wouldn’t be so bad. Inviting even, maybe.

But this? They’d been talking for hours. Hours and hours. Weren’t they getting tired?

He was getting a little tired of stalking her in his bear form, but he was great at staying out of sight.

It wasn’t that he minded being a bear. He loved that. It was that his bones were itching, every part of him literally aching, to make an attempt to claim his mate.

Every second he saw her made it clearer. She was the one. The one the moon had chosen, as his mother would have said. His father and mother hadn’t been fated mates. That had made it easier for his mother to leave without taking another look.

Maverick had always known he could take or leave mating, unless it was with a moon mate.

And Harmony was his.

But he was still a bit confused by her reaction earlier that day. She’d liked the kiss. He could feel it. Her scent had heightened, her pulse quickened, her lips were about to open fully for him before his brother so rudely pulled him off and punched him.

Not that his brother’s punches ever really fazed him.

Harmony’s punch, however, had taken him aback a second. Because he really didn’t want to make her mad—just the opposite. And then he’d thought maybe she was just an alpha female, used to being wanted, and liked putting up a fight so it was tougher to win her. He was okay with that.

He liked fighting.

He’d fought for her once before, though he hadn’t liked that much at all. That man had been attempting to rape his mate, and it had taken all of Maverick’s strength not to tear him apart in bear form. To somehow manage to shift to a human so he could take apart her attacker in a way that didn’t scare her.

He still didn’t know how he’d done it.

Just thinking about the incident, her helpless screams, made him want to go back and beat the man all over again. But he was in jail. Well, worse than jail. He’d been handed over to the ruling council for cat shifters.

Mav shook his head. Served him right for trying to hurt Harmony.

Mav might not be the best at human things, but he knew one thing for sure. As long as he was around, no one would ever harm his mate.

He stifled the growl rising from his chest at the thought of it, because he didn’t want the women to hear him.

“He’s such a caveman!” his mate said, her voice rising melodically in a way that seemed slightly drunk. “I don’t get why he’s that way.”

“I’ve never asked Shane,” Ruby, the blond, said. “I can ask him.”

“Or I could ask Jesse. I’m not sure he would tell me, though. He doesn’t like talking about Maverick. Says he’s hard to understand.”

Maverick wrinkled his brow. He wasn’t hard to understand. He was the simplest person around, as far as bear thinking went. They were the complicated ones. The ones who played human games and told human lies.

He’d never understand that.

Hmph
.

“I don’t know,” Harmony said, her voice soft and dreamy. She had a nice voice. “I think he’s pretty simple. Maybe too simple.”

“I don’t,” Ruby said. “I think there are all kinds of things going on in that crazy brain and you’re never going to figure it out. And I don’t see why you want to.”

Maverick frowned. Okay, he could see why Ruby was still carrying a grudge. He’d sort of tricked her into coming out here and then gotten in a bar fight, leaving Shane to come to the rescue. But still…

“Yeah, Harmony. You can do better.”

His scowl deepened. But then, Bonnie had a reason to bear a grudge too. He’d tricked her into riding out in the rain alone and needing Jesse to come out and rescue her.

Still, thanks to him, they’d both found their moon mates. So what did it matter?

They should learn to forgive.
Yup.
He nodded to himself in calm assurance.

“Still, if he just cut his hair, he might be really hot,” Harmony said, leaning back on her curvy arms. His mouth watered as his eyes lingered on her shape. Generous and rounded. Perfect for carrying young.

And making love.

His muzzle screwed up in concern. Making love? He’d never put it like that before. It was sex. Mating. Because the moon said so. Nothing else mattered.

He rested on his paws and continued to eavesdrop. What had she been saying about his hair?

“You can’t get him to cut it,” Ruby said. “I’ve already tried.”

“Damn, if he can’t even be bothered to get a haircut, maybe he doesn’t want me after all,” Harmony muttered before letting out a cute hiccup that made him just want to run over, scoop her up, and run back to his cabin.

“I don’t know why you care,” Bonnie said. “I know he’s a McAllister, but he’s seriously not right in the head.”

Before Maverick could even take offense, Harmony’s voice rang out, sharp and clear in the night.

“He’s fine in the head,” she said. “He’s just different, and I thought the two of you would be a little more accepting of it.” She sounded disappointed.

There was a short silence, then a hiccup from Bonnie as she moved forward and put an arm around her friend. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I’m still mad that he ditched me in a field. And more than anything, I just don’t want to see you get hurt again.”

Maverick’s ears perked at that. Hurt again? Who the fuck had dared to hurt her the first time? Someone had better tell him the name and address, right fucking now.

“It’s okay,” Harmony said, sounding teary as she hugged her friend melodramatically. “I don’t blame you.”

Ruby joined in, giggling as they all hugged in the center of the blanket.

Maverick raised an eyebrow at the scene as the girls lapsed into cackling.

They were all flat-out drunk. Perhaps he should go back to the ranch and inform his brothers that their mates were rolling around in the field, being ridiculous.

But then his expression softened as it settled on Harmony. She’d defended him. Stood up for him. Maybe even cared about him.