Authors: V. Vaughn

Called by the Bear 7-9 (5 page)

BOOK: Called by the Bear 7-9

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Chapter 9

C
arly

I
’ve never looked forward
to Thanksgiving Day, because it was practically a non-holiday for my dad and me. But this year I’m excited. Metal hangers scrape over the bar in my closet while I look for an outfit to wear. Back to my pre-baby body, I get to dress in something that makes me feel pretty again.

I come across the dress I borrowed from Sierra the night I met Brady. It feels like a lifetime ago that I discovered my true mate, even though it’s been less than a year. I smile with the memory of kissing him under the stars while in the cupola on top of this house. I’m going to have to drag him up there later tonight and do it again.

Donna’s voice carries up the stairs as she squeals over the babies. I envision her handing off food to Annie and scrambling to get out of her coat before scooping up a child to hold. She wasn’t joking when she told me being a grandmother was one of her greatest wishes, because she would spend every day with them if she could.

I finally decide on a burgundy crushed-velvet dress that is soft in my hands as I pull it over my head. I’m eager to see Sierra and her triplets. I’m sure she’s exhausted only four days after having a C-section, but we couldn’t miss spending part of this day together, and she insisted on coming. I told her we would go to her if she wanted, but Sierra looked at their first excursion as an adventure. As if my thoughts called them, Sierra and Ashton’s new SUV rumbles up the drive, and I scurry to finish getting ready.

My feet tap quickly on the stairs as I jog down to get to their car to offer help. When I open the door I chuckle to myself, watching Ashton approach with a huge floral diaper bag over his shoulder and two car seats in his arms. “That’s a good look for you, daddy.”

He grins back, “It sure is.”

I walk to a waiting Sierra and take the third baby’s carrier from the car for her. Her cheeks are surprisingly rosy as she shuffles along, and I ask, “How are you feeling?”

“Unbelievably happy. Like I’m going to explode with rainbows, puppies, and unicorns.”

There’s no hint of sarcasm, and I link my arm in hers. “How about you eat too much Le Roux cooking instead? I’m told Brady’s stuffing is legendary, and I’m going to go snitch some. Want a bite?”

“Of course. My God, I had no idea how hungry breastfeeding three kids would make me. I’m ravenous.” She steps gingerly up the stairs to our house.

I offer support with my arm, and she leans heavily on me. “Does it hurt?” I ask.

“A little, but it’s not something I can’t handle.” She stops in the doorway to gather herself. “It smells delicious in here.”

Annie rushes over to us. “Oh, goodness, let me have that baby. This one’s Jackson, right?”

Sierra raises her eyebrows at me as she steps inside for me to shut the door. “Yes. How did you know?”

I nudge my friend. “She’s the baby whisperer.”

Annie shoots me a smile and coos to the little boy. “You are the sweetest thing. Come meet your new friends. I have a feeling you’re going to be the trouble maker, putting frogs in your mother’s tub like Brady did.”

I grab Sierra’s arms with my sudden joy. “Our children are going to grow up together. We’re going to do play dates and tacky birthday parties and sit on hard bleachers to watch soccer games. How awesome is that?”

Sierra hugs me. “It’s amazingly awesome.”

I lead her past the array of babies Donna and Annie are tending to and into the kitchen with Brady and Ashton. Bottles clink as the men connect their beer bottles. Brady leans over and kisses Sierra on the cheek before taking her jacket. “So good to see you. Ash and I were just toasting your family.”

“Thanks. Now where’s that stuffing I heard about? I’m starving.”

“Uh-uh. You don’t get to taste it until dinner.”

I roll my eyes and say, “Don’t you guys have football to watch?”

“And children to care for?” says Sierra.

Ashton hits Brady on the shoulder and starts walking to the living room. “We just got our orders. C’mon.”

My friend thuds down on a chair at the kitchen table. A cheese and fruit plate is on it, and she grabs some cheddar and puts it on a cracker as she sighs. “I’d kill for a margarita right now.”

“How about juice?” The cabinet clicks open, and I choose a glass.

“That’ll do, thanks.” She gazes out the window while orange liquid splashes in the cup. “Annie’s gardens look beautiful even under snow. That woman is so talented.”

“I know. I’m grateful she’s in my life.” Brady’s stuffing is on the counter waiting to be reheated when it’s closer to dinnertime. The tinfoil crinkles when I peel back a corner.

“I wish she could have a family with Ian. They’re so adorable together.”

“Me too.” Annie is part of the generation of Le Roux women who are infertile, and I sigh thinking about how sad it is she won’t know the joy of motherhood. I wish she’d at least let herself be happy in love. “I keep hoping that she’d ask him to move in. But I think she tortures herself with the thought of Ian’s true mate coming along to steal him away.”

I hand Sierra an overloaded spoonful of the breaded filling and put my bite in my mouth. Savory flavor pleases my taste buds. “Oh, this is good, isn’t it?”

Sierra just moans before she swallows. “Look at us. We both have amazing lives and want to spread the love. We’re pathetic new moms.”

I smile at my best friend. “I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

She winks at me and waves her spoon to indicate she wants another bite. “Me either.”

Annie walks into the kitchen and hugs Sierra’s shoulders. “I love you guys so much for wanting me to be happy.” She sits across from her and reaches toward the plate of appetizers. “But I’ve watched what happens when a true mate comes along to shatter a relationship. It’s not pretty, and I don’t think I could survive it.”

Sierra nods, and I guess she’s thinking about how she moved on from Keith so quickly when she met her true mate, Ashton. “It sucks you only get one true mate. Are you sure?”

My sister-in-law shrugs. “Before you two came along I thought I was sure about everything bear clan. But when Brady changed Carly and we found out a half could become a werebear, I learned nothing is absolute. Just because we haven’t seen it happen doesn’t mean it couldn’t.”

I join the girls at the table and take a grape as Sierra reaches for Annie’s hand. “I’m going to wish on every shooting star for you to find another one.”

I swallow the sour fruit in my mouth to speak. “Now that we have an alliance with the Robichaux we’re bound to mingle more. Maybe one is out there for you, and it’s only been because of the isolation of the clans that you’ve never met him.”

Sierra says, “Yes! I’m going to hold on to the hope for you, Annie.”

Annie smiles at us, but her lips don’t quite turn up enough for it to be real. She stands and opens the oven. The delicious aromas of sage, thyme, and turkey make my stomach growl as she says, “I’ve got a meal to finish, and we’ll be eating in about a half hour. Go get your babies squared away so you can enjoy it.”

Thirty minutes later we’re all seated at the dining room table while Brady makes a show of cutting the turkey. I shake my head at his theatrics as the zing of a knife sharpener sounds. Dishes clash as bowls full of food are passed around.

Ashton says, “It’s a bird, not a lion, cut it already.”

“One must always be prepared for the task. I’m not a half-ready kind of guy.”

I glance at Donna, who’s smiling at their interaction. I suspect she loves having a full table for the holiday this year. I smile at her when she catches my eye and speaks to me.
“Thank you for making him so happy.”

“Thank you for raising a wonderful man.”

Ashton raises his wine glass, and berry-colored liquid sloshes around as he says, “To the Le Roux clan for continuing on.” He gazes at Sierra across the table. “And to my beautiful wife. May our lives always be full of joy.”

Sierra lifts her glass to take a sip and then says, “To my best friend Carly, for taking me on a crazy road trip to our destiny. And to my amazing husband, for loving and protecting me no matter what.”

Annie and Donna both say something that involves the babies. Rich merlot flavor flows over my tongue when I drink again. “My toast is for Annie and Donna.” They’re sitting next to each other, and I tilt my glass toward them. “To the women who keep this family running and full of love. I’m grateful to have you in my life.” The three of us touch our goblets first, and the ring of fine crystal seems to sing like the family connection we have.

Brady makes the final toast. “I know you all think I’m going to talk about the mighty Le Roux clan and our future, but I think something else needs to be said.” He lifts his glass. “May our lives continue to be full of pleasant surprises, and may we have the wisdom to accept what we’re given with grace and compassion.”

I think about the many events that have happened in the past year and how my new life was all brought about by a dream. The skin on my wrist is smooth as I rub over my tattoo. Pleasant surprises. That is what this year has been about. I clink my glass with Brady and take a sip as I vow to lead the clan with poise and love. Because nobody knows better than I do how life can change in a matter of minutes.

After we gorge ourselves on Thanksgiving dinner Sierra leaves with Ashton to go home and meet his parents for pie. Brady and I have the same commitment with Marion and Richard. The aroma of coffee is in the air as Donna and Annie help me dress the children for the cold temperature. I expect they’ll have a nice mother-daughter chat over dessert while we’re gone.

Brady lifts two babies up in his arms, and I grin at the paisley diaper bag he has over his shoulder. “You and Ashton are rocking the dad look.”

He flashes me a smile. “Get used to it. Mating season is only a few months away, and I expect to make this fashion statement for a few more years.”

I chuckle and think maybe another set of triplets next year might not be so bad. And then I imagine trying to put six tiny children to bed at night. I raise my eyebrows at him. “We’ll talk.”

As we walk toward the car I notice a storm is on its way. The sky is overcast, and moisture hangs in the air. “Are we supposed to get snow tonight?”

“Uh-huh. A nor’easter’s coming. We could get up to two feet.”

“Nice.” This California girl hasn’t experienced her first blizzard, and I’m a little excited. Brady has opened the car door for me and gone to the other side. I reach in with Audrey’s baby seat. It snaps into the base with a loud click. I gaze across the car at Brady. “Could today be any more perfect? I can’t believe a year ago I was eating nachos at a bar full of people without families. And now look at me.”

Brady leans across the children, and I move to meet him in a kiss. When he pulls away he tucks a loose strand of my hair behind my ear. “This is the first of many. I love you, Carly.”

“I love you, Brady Le Roux.”

Chapter 10

T
aylor

A
fter a few days of rest
, I’m feeling antsy with restless energy. I’ve managed to catch up on the laundry, and the dryer door slams when I shut it. I wander into the kitchen for something else to do. Once the doctor told me I had toxins in my system that were causing my symptoms, I was relieved to find I’m not going insane. A handy white pill twice a day is flushing out the poison so that my chronic headache is gone, my body no longer aches, and I’m eating normally again.

The shouts and squeak of sneakers rise above the drone of the announcer on the television. Keith must be watching the Celtics basketball game. Bright light shines when I open the refrigerator to get the strawberries I cut earlier and the whipped cream. My husband has been such a kind caregiver that I think he needs a proper thank you.

I glance down at my shirt and sweatpants. This won’t do. I set the fruit down on the counter to return to the laundry room and change into a sexy bra and thong instead. The air is cool and goosebumps form on my skin, but they won’t last long considering my plan.

On my way to the living room I grab dessert. The whipped cream can is cool in my hand, and the scent of fresh strawberries tantalizes my taste buds. Keith is engrossed in the game and doesn’t notice me until I stand in front of him and bend over, letting my breasts practically fall out of my sexy-but-impractical bra to set the bowl of fruit on the coffee table. “Dessert?”

A smile turns up the corners of his mouth as he lifts the remote to click off the TV.

I pop off the top to the can and shake it. “I don’t want to interrupt your game.”

The remote thumps onto the couch where Keith tosses it. “They were losing anyway.”

Keith lets out a low growl as I climb onto the small table between us and sit cross-legged, showing pretty much everything I’ve got except what’s covered by a thin strip of material. I take the bowl and place it in my lap. Cream whooshes out of the container as I squirt some on my cleavage. “Hmmm, that’s too bad.”

My husband’s eyes glimmer with lust, and I grab a piece of strawberry from the bowl to slide it through the cream. “Berry?”

Big hands grab my hips as Keith pulls me to the edge of the table, and he gets on his knees. He bites the berry in my hand and moves to my chest to lick the cream. I purr like a cat when his mouth moves to my breast to suckle my nipple, and he removes my bra.

He stops and grabs the whipped cream. “Lie down.”

I pick up the strawberry bowl and put it on the floor before I lie flat on the coffee table. The smooth varnished wood is hard under my back, but the sensation is quickly replaced with the chill of sweet cream that Keith sprays in a line going down from my neck to the top of my panties. He gazes down at me and shakes his head as he tosses the can onto the couch. “I can’t eat all of this by myself.” A twinkle in his eye makes me giggle, and he pulls off his shirt.

I prop myself up on my elbows to watch as the zipper of his jeans grinds when he lowers it. “Oh, goodie, you’re going to share.”

Bones thud on the coffee table when Keith climbs over me in his naked glory. He smears the white foam between us as he presses against me with his chest and I giggle. “You’re crazy.”

“About you.”

“This is kind of—” Keith kisses me, and I squirm under the slippery feeling.

When he breaks to yank my panties down he says, “Let’s move to the couch. This table is hard.”

I stand and grab his cock. “Um hmm, so’s this.” I lick his chest, and sweet dairy coats my tongue. Shoving him onto the couch, I kneel between his thighs and take him in my mouth.

He moans and bucks his hips up. “Your idea of dessert is perfect.”

I suck and bob over him until he pushes my head away. “God, I want to sink deep inside of you.”

Keith pulls at my hips to taste me, but I straddle his lap and rub my sensitive folds against his dick. “That’s where I want you too.” My mate loves it when I take control, and I lower myself onto his large appendage that fills me completely. I try to move slowly, but the need for friction is great, and I pump hard.

My husband’s fingers pinch my nipples, sending a mix of pleasure and pain to my core as I ride him and let myself go. Keith is naturally a sweet, gentle lover, but he’s learning to act on my need for things to be rough. “Pull my hair.”

My head snaps back when he yanks, and my mate sinks his teeth into my shoulder. I’m close to orgasm anyway, and the rush of ecstasy that comes from his bite pushes me over the edge. He groans as his release spurts inside of me. My pleasure is slow to fade when Keith rubs my clit as I cry out.

Coated in dairy and our juices, I begin to lift myself off Keith so he can go wash off.

His grip is strong on my hips as he tugs me back. “No.” He shakes his head slowly and gyrates under me. “You take me places I didn’t know I wanted to go. Be messy with me for a little longer.”

I rake my sticky fingers through his hair. “You rebel.”

“You make me want to break the rules.”

I tug his head back with a growl and let my bear come to the surface as I lower my mouth to his chest. “I didn’t know there were any.” I plunge my fangs into sinewy muscle and relish his scream of passion.

I
’m standing
in the bathroom looking at my nude body in the mirror. My belly is distended because I’m very pregnant. I rub my taut skin as I notice Keith step behind me. He’s grinning when he says, “Just a few more days and their screaming will make us wish those babies were still inside you.”

His strong hands massage my shoulders, and I close my eyes to revel in the relaxing pleasure. A laugh startles me, and I open my eyes to the familiar sound of the old Native American man that has been haunting me. He’s replaced Keith behind me, but because he’s shorter I step aside to see his reflection in the mirror. Bony fingers reach toward me as if he’s going to grip a doorknob. The man pulls his hand back toward his body, and an odd sensation of something being sucked out of me makes me glance down at my stomach. It’s shrinking in size-oh God! He’s stealing my-

The old voice pierces my head like a knife. “Drink the tea, and they’ll remain yours.”

I turn to face the man and find he’s holding three tiny babies in his hands. I open my mouth to scream-

I bolt up in bed and realize I’m in the dark bedroom I share with Keith. Sweat slicks my skin, and I try to push the sheets off me, but I’m tangled in the linens. Quietly, so I don’t wake my husband, I disengage myself from the damp cotton. My mate is snoring softly, and I slip out of bed.

The wood floor below my feet is a welcome coolness as I pad my way down the hall toward the stairs. I’m too upset to try to sleep and need some time to process what just happened. I had hoped my odd visions of the old man would stop now that I haven’t drunk the fertility tea in a couple of days. Right now I’m not so sure I was poisoned. It had to be something else, because the dream I just had was as real as the original call to come here last spring.

The yellow glow of a nightlight illuminates the kitchen, and I put the teakettle on the stove to boil. I recall the visions I had that brought me to Maine. If I hadn’t followed my gut I wouldn’t have met the love of my life.

The cabinet clicks open, and I rummage through my tea collection searching for chamomile. But that’s not what I want. I need the fertility blend, because if I don’t drink that tea I’m not going to get pregnant. I know this like I knew I needed to move here.

Where the hell is it?
Keith threw it in the garbage over a week ago, but because of the holiday it must still be there. It’s in the container we keep in the garage. I walk over to the mudroom off the kitchen and pull open the door that leads to our cars. The concrete is cold under my bare feet, but I don’t take the time to put on shoes.

When I open the bin the unmistakable stench of rotting fish remains accosts me, but I’m not deterred, and I yank out the top bag to get to the one below. The plastic is slippery in my hands as I carefully untie the bag. Junk mail is coated in coffee grounds that are coarse against my fingers as I sort through waste. Below slimy lettuce I retrieve the tin full of tea. Relief washes over me as I retie the bag and toss the other one back on top.

I’m startled by Keith opening the door. “What are you doing out here?” His hair is standing up on end, and his voice is sexy with sleepiness.

Shit.
“Nothing, babe. I was just searching for an earring I lost.” I tuck the tin into the back of my pajama pants. “I didn’t find it. I was just coming in.”

Keith’s brow is furrowed. “It couldn’t wait until morning?”

“I couldn’t sleep. I know it’s silly, but I just had to come check.” I don’t want to walk by him so I stop before the door. The laundry room is just off to the left once we’re inside, and I need to hide my tin. “My hands are gross, and I think I got stuff on my pants. I’m going to wash up and change.”

“Sure.” The kettle screams in the kitchen, and Keith moves toward it. Once he removes it he asks, “Want me to sit up with you?”

I call out from the laundry room. “No. No, I’m fine. Go back to bed. I’ll be up soon.”

His voice carries over the rush of water in the utility sink. “Okay. Love you.”

“Love you, too.” Once I’m sure he’s climbing the stairs I slip the tea container out of my pants and rinse it off.

After I change my pants I return to the kitchen, and utensils rattle when I pull open a drawer to find the mesh steeping ball. The lid pops off the tea tin, and I scoop some up. I drop the tea into my mug with a clatter, and I’m interrupted by Keith. “Earring?”

I glance over at the kitchen table and wonder how I didn’t notice him there. Anger surges in me. I should explain this to him. “I—”

The old man speaks in my mind.
“He won’t understand. You know what you must do.”
I shake my head as if I can make him go away.

Keith is walking toward me. “Hey.” His voice is soft. “What’s going on?”

Fear makes my pulse quicken when I realize he’s going to stop me from drinking the tea. My muscles tense as his hands land lightly on my shoulders, and I snap. I apply a power slap that knocks Keith out cold.

His body thumps onto the ground, and I step back. I blink in confusion, but an undeniable purpose overcomes my thoughts. “Well that makes things easier.”

Steam rises from my mug as I pour hot water into it. The steeping ball clinks against my cup as I swirl it, and I glance down at my unconscious husband. “We’re going to have triplets and be so happy, babe. You’ll see.”