9781631054747HerstoBearHoffa (13 page)

“I get
that, that’s why I’m starting now. My momma always said ‘start the
way
you intend to continue.’”

“Your
mom sounds like a smart lady.”

“She is
,
I can’t wait for you to meet her.”

“I’m
looking forward to it. When are you going to tell them about us?”

“I was
going to tell them today. Maybe we can call them tonight, when things calm
down?”

“That
sounds like a plan.”

“God,
I’m so nervous. What if your clan doesn’t like me?”

“I’ve
already told you, they will love you. Besides, you’ve already won over the
toughest members, Martin, Guiles, Hans and Julia.”

“Julia
is tough?”

“Are
you kidding? She is terrible! No one has ever been good enough for me up until
now, yet she sings your praises like you are Mother Teresa.”

“I
wouldn’t go that far.”

“You
haven’t heard her when you’re not around.”

Jenna
came out of the bathroom, running her fingers through her hair.
“Really?
That’s so nice. I like her a lot too. Sarah is the
cutest thing! And little Jimmy is adorable too, I can’t wait to meet all your
nieces and nephews.”

Bern
stepped close and pulled her into his arms. “I can’t wait to start making a few
babies of our own.” Jenna rubbed her face on his still naked chest and looked
up into his eyes.
“Really?”

“Yeah,
really.”

They
kissed sweetly and then she pulled back. “Where’s my purse?”

Bern
sighed. “Hans should be here with it in a minute.”

“You
better get dressed,” she worried.

“Hans
has seen me naked before.”

Jenna tsked
at him, and he turned to the closet to pull on some slacks and a shirt, just as
a knock sounded at the door.

“Thank
you, Hans,” Jenna said taking the bag from his hands. “We’ll be down in a
minute.”

“Yes,
ma’am,” Hans said with a nod. She lifted an eyebrow at him. “I mean Jenna.”

She
nodded. “Okay, see you soon.” She closed the door and crossed to the bathroom
mirror, leaving the door
open,
she dumped the contents
of her purse on the vanity and rummaged for her foundation.

Jenna
quickly applied foundation, blush, powder, eye shadow, mascara and lipstick,
while she heard Bern grumbling in the bedroom about females and taking forever
to get ready.

She
shoved everything back in her purse and stepped back into the bedroom with the
clutch under her arm, swinging her hair around her shoulders.
“Ready to go.”

Bern
stood up from the bed and came over to kiss her.
“Worth the
wait too.
I guess.”

“Don’t
muss my lipstick.”

“Oh,
that will not work,” he said, taking his finger and rubbing the lipstick from
her lips, he kissed her soundly. “You can wear lip gloss, because I will kiss
you anytime I want, little one.”

“Bossy
bear,” she muttered and she dug a lip gloss from her bag and swiped her lips.

“Mmm,
strawberry,” Bern hummed.
“Better yet.”

“You’re
terrible!”

“And
you love it.”

She
smacked his arm. “It’s a good thing I love you or I would have to put you in
your place.”

He
kissed her nose.
“Yep, good thing.”
He took her arm
and led her from the room. “Let’s wait in my office. Sebastian should be here
soon.”

Jenna looked
at her watch, it was 1:53, and yeah Sebastian would be here soon. When they
reached the bottom of the stairs they could hear a car pulling into the
driveway, so they bypassed the office and headed to the front door.

Jenna
and Bern stood side by side outside the open front door waiting for Sebastian
and his entourage to exit his SUV.

The
driver exited first, surveying the area from behind his dark mirrored glasses
before he moved around to the passenger side and opened the door for
Sebastian’s second, Anton. Anton carefully scented the air, walked a full
circle around the vehicle and then returned to open the back seat door of the
SUV. Victor and two other men Jenna didn’t recognize left the vehicle, forming
a tunnel into which Sebastian exited.

He stepped
forward, surrounded by his men and they walked forward as a group toward the
front porch. Once they reached the steps, Bastian waved a hand to halt the
men’s progress and walked forward with his hand extended to Bern. The two men
shook and then Bastian leaned in to kiss Jenna’s cheek.

“It’s
so good to see you again, my friends.”

“You as
well, my friend,” Bern said, clapping him on the shoulder. “Let’s go to my
office.”

“Come
along, men,” he called over his shoulder.

It was
a good thing Bern had a spacious office because seven very large shifters and
one not so small soon to be shifted lady took up a lot of room. The men
scattered around the office and settled on couches and chairs, Bern distributed
drinks and then took the place of power behind the huge oak desk with Jenna
perched on his lap.

How a
mood could be somber and joyous at the same time, Jenna didn’t quite
understand, but that was the feeling in the room. The men were happy, yet you
could tell the event was a momentous occasion.

Sebastian
was the first to
speak,
he leaned forward in his
chair. “Bern, gentlemen, I am pleased and honored to be here today. I hope this
is but the first of many gatherings between our circles.”

Bern
tightened his grip on Jenna. “Bastian, you do me a great honor by bonding with
me today. I am aware of your power. I feel it in my bones. I believe our union
will be beneficial to all concerned, and I pray to God and Goddess that all
shifters remain safe from harm.”

All the
members of the group voiced words of agreement, from “Amens.” To “I’ll second
that.”

Bern
tapped Jenna on the hip and she stood, he walked around the desk until he was
standing in front of Sebastian. “We will conduct the ritual in the circle at
sunset, before my clan tonight, and then again tomorrow in front of your pack.
Is this acceptable to you, Alpha Von Drake?”

Sebastian
stood, and the two men were eye to eye. They clasped arms, hand to wrist, in a
warrior’s handshake. “It is acceptable,
Sippe
Helms,” he responded with a nod of his head, and with that the formality was
ended. Bastian’s face broke into a broad grin and he slapped Bern on the
shoulder.

“Now,
lead me to this famous bar-b-que I’ve heard so much about!” he said.

“I’ve
got a whole pig in the pit roasting away,” Bern said. “
It’s
gonna be good eats tonight.”

“Oh,
man. That sounds great,” said Viktor. “I love roast pig.”

“Let’s
head out to the patio,
beer’s
in the coolers,” said
Martin. “The clan members will be arriving soon and we can start making
introductions. We’re expecting about two hundred to show up tonight, because
the
Sippe
is introducing his mate.
This is going to be one hell of a clan meeting.”

Martin
hadn’t been exaggerating. People kept
arriving,
one
after the other and every one brought some kind of dish to the pot luck
gathering. Jenna had never seen so much food in her life. So far there were six
banquet tables covered with casserole dishes, salad bowls, cheese trays and
every kind of dessert you could think of. Jenna was thinking of stealing a
peanut butter pie and hiding out in the kitchen, no one would miss one little
pie, right?

Jenna
had always been a nervous eater and meeting all these people and being the
center of attention was definitely making her nervous. Arms reached around from
behind her and gave her a hug from behind. Jenna jumped a foot.

“I’m
sorry, darlin’, I didn’t mean to scare you,” Julia said.

“It’s
okay,
I’m just kind of jumpy. I’m glad to see a familiar
face.” She turned to Julia with a smile. “Are the kids here?”

“No,
James’ mother is
babysitting,
children aren’t really
welcome at clan meetings. Those that aren’t coming take turns watching the kids
for the ones that are coming.”

“Oh.”
Jenna could feel her face fall, she was hoping for some little ones to keep her
distracted. She looked over the crowd behind Julia. “Where is James?”

Julia
shrugged. “He’s around here somewhere. He probably found Bern and his cronies
and is shooting the bull. So, are you excited about the introduction ceremony?”

Jenna
squirmed.
“Um, yeah sure.”

Julia
arched an eyebrow at her. “That has the crackle of Confederate money. What’s
the matter?”

“I hate
being the center of attention. I’m afraid I’ll embarrass Bern. I’m not
beautiful or sophisticated, or…” She shrugged.

Julia
hugged her, and then held her by the shoulders and looked into her eyes.
“Jenna, you have to understand something about shifters. Humans place a lot of
emphasis on outward things—physical appearance, status, sophistication. For
shifters, it’s all about what’s inside—strength, power, heart, soul. Something
in your soul touched Bern’s. That’s all the clan will care about. Plus I’ve
seen your heart. I see how you are with the children, Sarah adores you. I can
already tell you and I will be the best of friends. Just relax, Jenna, you are
already one of us.”

The
sincerity in her eyes was hard to ignore and Jenna felt some of the tension in
her shoulders loosen. “Thank you. I think we’ll be good friends too.” She
leaned in and kissed Julia’s cheek.

“Now,
did you see that dessert table? I think we should steal a pie and sneak off to
the kitchen,” Julia said.

Jenna
laughed. “That’s what I was thinking when you walked up!”

“Peanut
butter!” they said together and laughed like loons. Bern walked up and laid his
hands on Jenna’s shoulders. “What’s so funny?” Both women laughed harder and
almost fell over in their mirth.

Bern
looked between Jenna and his sister and shook his head. James had joined them
and looked at his brother-in-law. “Do you have any idea what’s going on,
James?”

“Not a
clue, but I’ve learned not to ask,” James answered.

Julia
wrapped her arms around her husband and kissed his cheek. “Good answer,
husband.” Julia finally managed to control her laughter enough to speak.

Jenna
threw an arm around Bern’s waist and leaned against him. “Julia was just trying
to make me less nervous,” she said.

“Well,
it looks like she succeeded,” Bern said.

“Yes,
she did,” Jenna responded with a smile. “She is an angel.”

“Oh my
God, stand back, James, lightning is gonna strike.”

Julia
punched him in the arm. “I am so unappreciated! It’s a good thing I have a new
sister, because my brother is a brat.”

“Your
sisters would say the same thing.” Bern chuckled.

Julia
blew a raspberry at him.

“So
mature, Jules,” Bern said with a wink at Jenna.

“Stop
being mean to my sister.” She nudged him with an elbow.

“You’re
taking her side?” Bern asked.

“Of
course!
We
girls have to stick together,” Jenna replied.

“Great,”
James muttered.
“As if we weren’t already outnumbered
enough.”

“We’ll
just have to have lots of sons, so we can even out the group,” Bern said with a
nod.

Jenna
could feel the blush crawl across her face to the roots of her hair. She looked
at him in shock.

“Just
for that, I think I’ll only have girls!”

“You
know it’s the man’s sperm that determines the sex of the child?” Bern intoned
sagely.

“And
you know I can close my legs and say this station is closed for business,
right?” Jenna snipped.

Julia
grabbed James’ arm and said. “I think we better be going now, you started a
shit storm, and I don’t want to be here for the fall out.”

The two
bears skulked away while Jenna glared at Bern.

Bern
advanced slowly toward Jenna and put his hands on her
shoulders,
she shrugged them off and turned her back. He wrapped his arms around her from
behind and started kissing her neck. She tried to stay mad, but damn, that felt
so good, involuntarily her head tipped to the side to give him better access.

“Are we
seriously fighting about whether we will have boys or girls as children?”

Jenna
felt another blush, this one from embarrassment instead of anger. She turned in
his arms. “I’m
sorry,
I can’t believe I flew off the
handle like that. I’m just so nervous, I over-reacted.”

“I’m
sorry too. I shouldn’t be teasing you when I know you’re all keyed up.” He
kissed her tenderly on the lips, brushing his tongue across the seam, seeking
entrance. She opened for him and their tongues mated, reaffirming their bond
with passion and caring.