Gray Back Ghost Bear (8 page)

Jason couldn’t take his eyes off Georgia. She drove this way and that on her ATV, standing straight up, arms locked on the handlebars as she scanned the forest floor in front of her.

He hadn’t meant to stalk her, only to meet up with her, but when he’d followed her scent from the ranger tower out here, he hadn’t been able to stop observing her. He didn’t know this Georgia. Not yet.

She revved the motor and pulled her four-wheeler around a clump of brush. She was wearing a brown, button-down shirt that clung to that hourglass figure he found so damned sexy. Her thick cargo pants clung to her ass just right, and her hair was in a ponytail, whipping behind her when she gunned the accelerator. Her puff jacket was open and a long hunting knife hung down from her belt on one side, a handgun on the other. Both of which she wore and maneuvered around as if the weapons were an extension of herself.

Georgia was a badass.

His dick thumped against the seam of his jeans as he moved forward to show himself. Her eyes met his the second he moved. Surprise faded to relief, then to happiness as her face brightened with that gorgeous smile he breathed for.

Her cheeks were rosy from the cold, and her breath, like his, steamed out in front of her on every exhale as she drove toward him. God, she was beautiful.

“What are you looking for?”

Her smile slipped. “Bodies.”

“What?”

“We have a poacher problem I’m trying to work out. They keep moving inward, closer to Boarlander territory, and it has me nervous. I need to stop them before they get bold enough, and close enough, to take a bear, if you catch my drift. I’ve already warned Harrison and his crew, and they’re on the lookout, but I’ve dealt with this crap before, and these people aren’t acting like regular poachers. They aren’t the get in, take their animals illegally, and get out type. I’ve found three old campsites. That’s ballsy, setting up tents and staying overnight.”

“Maybe they don’t know it’s private land.”

“How could they not? They have to pass through gates with no trespassing signs on them.”

“Hmm,” Jason said. Uneasiness slipped over his shoulders thinking about his mate going head-to-head with these assholes, but this was her job. And like she’d said, she’d dealt with poachers before. Still, his instincts were blaring to tuck her up against him where she would be safe and protected. But he’d learned from Gia and Willa, if they’re mate became overbearing like that, those Gray Back women would put the hurt on them. He suspected Georgia was no different and just as strong.

“You know what gets me?” she asked, scanning the woods with a troubled furrow to her delicate eyebrows. “They aren’t keeping their kills. Hunters are respectful about taking meat, but these guys? They’re just shooting for sport.” She swung her bright gaze back to Jason. “I’ve never seen poachers leave their game behind like this. Bad shots and not even trying to track down the animals.”

“You want me to sniff around? See if I can’t find something you missed?”

“You mean as a bear?”

“Yeah.”

“Nope. I don’t want your animal anywhere near here. Plus, I’m terrified of bears, remember? Now hop on up here and take me back to the ranger tower, sexy dick.” Georgia slapped her hand over her mouth as her eyes went wide. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I just said that.”

Jason laughed and pulled her hand away from her mouth. “Said what? Dick?”

“I don’t cuss.”

“Ranger, I think it’s sexy when you let naughty words slip. Call me sexy dick whenever you want.”

Her cheeks blazed bright red, making her freckles disappear completely. Damn she was cute. He leaned forward and kissed her, nipping her lip right before he pulled away. He climbed in front of her on the ATV and pulled her arms around his waist. It felt as if she’d been made to fit right against him like this. He revved the engine, then hit the gas. Georgia laughed breathlessly as he sped through the piney woods toward the treehouse.

Over the sound of the whipping wind, Georgia asked, “How was Tessa today?”

Relentless, haunting, heartbreaking. When the ghost wasn’t spewing hate at him, her sobbing rattled around in his mind, making it hard to focus on working the processor up on the landing. With Clinton gone, he’d taken over the big machine to strip the lumber into neat, limbless logs with perfectly cut ends. The entire shift had been a miserable affair as he operated heavy machinery in the midst of Tessa’s efforts to ruin his confidence. Georgia didn’t have to know how much Tessa had been battering him, though. She would only worry and put her job on hold to come up to the landing if she thought she could protect him. That’s how Georgia was. Selfless.

“Tessa was fine.”

“Good. When is Easton getting home? I picked him up a present.”

“Any time now. What did you get him?”

She squeaked and ducked a low-hanging branch with him. “You’ll see.”

Jason pulled the ATV into the shed that kept it safe from Mother Nature. It was warmer under the metal awning with the wind blocked. Jason turned around in the seat. Facing her, he gripped her jacket and pulled her in close. “I came here to ask you on a second date.”

“Mr. Trager,” she said, placing her hand on her chest and looking scandalized. “You mean I wasn’t just a one night stand?”

“Never. Are you free tonight?”

Georgia frowned at the woods outside the shed door. “If it was Friday, I’d say no because I have some poacher hunting to do this weekend, but since it’s only Thursday, I’ll accept.” Her blue-gold eyes danced when she gifted him with a happy glance. “Where are you taking me?”

“Into Saratoga, but I have to tell you something. It won’t just be us. Creed wants us to go to Sammy’s Bar together and get a night off from all the crap going on with Clinton and Tessa. Some of the Ashe Crew are awesome on the microphone—good old country boy crooners, and they have a special show tonight. Usually they play on the weekends, but Tagan, their alpha, has invited us out tonight. I know it might not be your scene, but I kind of want everyone to see you on my arm.”

“You gonna show me off?” she asked, quirking her eyebrow.

“Hell yeah, I am. A couple of weeks ago I was basically sleepwalking through my life, and now I feel…I don’t know…alive again. Let’s go out drinking and listen to some live music and pretend we’re a normal couple for the night. Like we don’t have a ghost tailing us.”

Georgia bit her lip, then admitted, “I think this is the first party I’ve ever been invited to.”

“Bullshit, that can’t be true.”

“It is!” She lifted both his hands and intertwined her fingers with his. “I’ve been in the woods for years with one or two co-workers at most, and all of them have been grizzly, old, grumpy, mountain men. There haven’t been a lot of opportunities to go buck wild.”

Jason kissed the knuckles of her gloves and offered her a wicked grin. “Well, I’m glad I’m your first then. Now say something dirty. I want to watch your lips around a filthy word.”

“Hard pass.”

“I’ll reward you.”

Georgia glared and sighed, but he could see her conviction faltering. “You look fuckin’ sexy.”

“Oh, damn woman, say that in my ear.”

That beautiful blush was back in her cheeks as she leaned forward. When she pulled his earlobe between her lips and sucked, he groaned and rolled his hips against hers. Fuck, he could probably cream his pants just dry humping her.

“You look fuckin’ sexy,” she murmured.

Jason angled his chin and pressed his lips against hers, then thrust his tongue in her mouth. She let off that sexy little moan she had last night when he’d done something she liked. His mate was a noisy little creature, letting him know what buttons she liked pushed best.

He popped the button of her pants open as she draped her legs over his thighs.

“Jason, we’re out in the open,” she whispered between kisses.

“No one’s around,” he said, unzipping her. “I can hear if anyone comes near. Which is usually really annoying, hearing everything, but right now, I’m glad to be a shifter.” He dipped his voice low and took on a deep bayou Cajun accent. “We gon’ have some fun in the woods now.”

Georgia’s laugh was cut short when he slid his hand into her open pants. She was so wet already, he could slide into her easy if that’s what he was after. This one was just for Georgia though, because as good as sex in the woods sounded right now, she was human, and it was cold, and he wouldn’t risk getting her sick just so he could get off.

He slid his finger into her, and she clenched around him as she gripped the back of his neck and whispered his name. “Oh, Jason.”

“Fuck yes, tell me what you like.”

He pushed into her slowly, then added another finger. Palming her, he buried his fingers deep inside of her, and she bucked forward against the heel of his hand.

“That, I like that.”

He growled. His bear was desperate to have his throbbing dick inside her instead of his finger. The next needy sound she made dumped him over the edge. He pushed into her faster as he unzipped his jeans and pulled a quick stroke of himself. God, he was hard. He’d had a chronic boner since he’d met Georgia and, fuck it all, she was here with him, letting him touch her, allowing him to bring her to climax. He was the luckiest SOB on the planet. He jerked off in rhythm to her bucking hips, imagining himself buried inside of her, ramming her over and over as he kissed her lips.

“I’m going to come,” she rasped out, breath coming in quick pants.

Well they would match then because the pulsing pressure in his groin was too much now. The snarl in his throat ripped through him louder as she tossed her head back and cried out. Her body squeezed his fingers hard, her climax encouraging his own.

He gritted his teeth and buried his face against her neck. In a rush, Georgia pulled her arms from around his neck and lifted her shirt, then pressed her stomach against his dick just as he blew his load. Heat flooded him as he sprayed her torso, marking her completely with his scent. With their bodies pressed together against his shaft, he jerked erratically in the slickness he’d created until he was sated and emptied completely.

Jason’s limbs felt heavy as he leaned forward and hugged her. They were a mess now, but he didn’t care. All he cared about was soaking up the satisfaction of being with Georgia—his mate.

He kissed her lips, her cheeks, her nose. He trailed his lips down her neck and held her close because she should feel adored after what she’d shared with him.

“Jason?”

The nervousness in her voice made him ease back so he could see her eyes. “What is it?”

“I think I love you.”

Those words slammed around his insides, changing him from the core out. A fierce protectiveness washed over him as he sat straighter in the seat. His Georgia. He would never let anything bad happen to her. He’d give anything to keep her happy, to keep that smile on her face, because she’d given him this gift.

She accepted the broken pieces of him and the ghost that trailed after him wherever he went. His strong, caring mate saw past all his flaws and found the parts of him he’d thought he’d lost.

She’d just saved him with those words.

He swallowed his emotions down and cupped her soft cheek. “I love you, too.”

She shouldn’t be, but Georgia was nervous as all get-out. Sure, she’d met all the Gray Backs and was comfortable with them, but she hadn’t gone out with a group in…well…ever.

“Knock, knock,” Willa sang as she did hopscotch hops right into the bedroom of ten-ten where Georgia was getting dressed.

“Uh, come in?” Clearly, trailer etiquette wasn’t Willa’s strong suit.

“Damn, girl, you have some jugs!” Willa jumped on the bed, twisting in the air like a tiny acrobat, and landed spread out like a starfish. “I’m jealous.”

“Ha!” Georgia said, her self-consciousness melting away. “Don’t be. They are a pain in the backside.” And front side.

“Bet Jason likes them, though, am I right?” Willa held up her hand for a high five.

Shaking her head, Georgia tried to hide her grin and slapped Willa’s palm. “What am I supposed to wear tonight? Half of my clothes are ranger gear, and the other half are T-shirts and sneakers.”

“The last one. I’m wearing this.”

My Worms are Better than Yours
, her black T-shirt read. And her feet dangling off the end of the bed were encased in an old pair of rainbow-colored Converse. Today she was wearing her spikey, crimson dyed hair in ponytails on the top of her head.

Georgia picked out a solid green cotton T and pulled it over her jeans. She liked Willa. There was no pressure to be anything more than what she already was around Matt’s mate. She and Gia had also gone out of their way to make her feel included. She didn’t know much about where they came from, but Georgia would bet her compass they’d been on the outside looking in before. From her experience, that kind of sensitivity was often learned, not inherent.

“If I tell you something, you swear not to laugh?”

Willa rolled over and grinned. “No.”

Georgia snorted and sat on the end of the bed. “I bit Jason.”

Willa’s chestnut brown eyes went round as saucers. “You did? Explain.”

“I know I’m human and can’t give a claiming mark, but I hated that Tessa’s mark was on him, so I bit him there. Hard.”

“When you were boinking?”

Heat blasted through Georgia’s cheeks like magma, and she closed her eyes to keep her bravery. “Yes.” The admission came out a tiny squeak.

“Ahahaha,” Willa crowed, rolling over and clutching her belly as she kicked her legs up in the air. “That’s awesome. Dude! You’re a Gray Back! Bitey, blood-thirsty little C-teamer. I should’ve known you were going to be one of us when you pulled a gun on Jason that first night.”

“Shhh,” Georgia said, trying not to laugh. “I’m embarrassed about it. It was in the moment, but afterward he called me his mate, and it’s kind of a big deal because bears terrify me, and now I’m mated to one. Kind of. I can’t really be a Gray Back, though. He said he won’t ever Turn me.”

“So? Gia’s as much a Gray Back as me, and she’s entirely human. Hell, Peanut Butter Spike is a Gray Back, and he’s a dog. You’re GB now, Georgia. Claim that shit. We’re awesome.”

“Are y’all ready?” Jason asked, sticking his head in her bedroom.

Did nobody knock in this trailer park before barging in?

“Nerd!” Matt called from outside. “Come on, woman, we’re burnin’ daylight.”

“Geez, Griz, take your pants off! I’m coming,” Willa called, flopping off the side of the bed.

“That’s not how the saying goes, Wil,” Jason said, shaking his head. “It’s keep your pants on, not take them off.”

Willa gripped Jason’s shoulders with a beaming grin and shook him. Then she made chomping sounds around his neck and called, “Congratulations!” over her shoulder as she left.

“So, we’re telling people now?” Jason asked Georgia.

“Is that okay?”

Jason strode to her and lifted her in his arms. Spinning slowly, he murmured, “It’s more than okay. Guess what?”

“What?”

“I hear your Jeep.”

“Easton’s back?”

A short nod was all he got out before she scrambled out of his arms. Oh, she knew what Easton had tried to do for Jason, and that made him a friend in her book. Anyone who cared for the man she loved like that was A-Okay by her. And Jason had told her Tessa was weaker now, half disappeared after Easton had burned her bones.

She grabbed the paper bag from the suitcase she’d brought here from the ranger tower and headed for the door.

Dang, her Jeep was a sight for sore eyes. Easton must’ve washed it somewhere along the way because the mud splatters were gone, leaving only the matted-with-age green paint job. She’d bought it for the memories of riding around in the Wrangler her very first boss had let her drive. She didn’t have many material possessions and didn’t want them, but her ride was special.

Easton wasn’t smiling or meeting anyone’s gaze as she made her way through the other Gray Backs who were gathering on the white gravel road by the communal fire pit.

And when he turned off the engine and got out, he immediately said, “I’m sorry for taking your car. I filled it up with gas and was really careful.”

She waved her hand, batting away his apology right before she hugged him up tight.

Behind her, Willa gasped, but she didn’t care if she was being a crazy person right now. Easton was good, and she was glad he was back. Maybe they could figure out this Tessa problem together now and give Jason back his life, once and for all.

Easton froze under her, hunched over and barely breathing. When she pulled away, she wiped her watering eyes and handed him the brown paper bag with the present she’d found at a metal shop in town.

Easton searched her face with his wild green eyes, then dipped his gaze to the crackling present in her hands.

“What is this?”

“A thank you.”

Easton looked over her shoulder at the others and shrugged slowly. “For what?”

“For helping Jason.”

He took the bag and pulled out the small branding iron inside. It had a capital E with a circle around it.

“It’s so you can put your signature on the tree houses you build. You can heat it in a fire and it’ll burn the E into the wood. It took me a little while, but I figured out it was you who built the ranger tower I’ve been living in. You’re very good.”

“I’m not good,” he said softly with a shake of his head.

“You are.”

His startled eyes lifted from the iron he held reverently in his hands. Slowly, as if he didn’t want to startle her, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and hugged her. A soft, “Awww,” sounded from behind her, and a moment later, Willa threw her arms around them. Easton rested his head against Willa’s and smiled, and Gia, sniffling and emotional, hugged them from the other side.

Georgia already felt at home in this place, but this right here shifted something deep inside of her. She’d found Jason and felt like the luckiest woman in the world, but here, in this old trailer park in the middle of nowhere, she’d somehow found more.

She’d found friends.

****

Jason leaned back on the bar top and watched Georgia with Willa and Gia. Gia had one hand protectively over the slope of her belly as she excitedly ran through the songs on the old jukebox in the corner. Georgia and Willa bantered back and forth about which one to choose next. Damn it was good to see his woman smiling and having fun with his crew.

Creed leaned against the bar in between him and Easton and gave a two fingered wave to the bartender. He ordered a round of six shots—one for every Gray Back except Gia.

Surprised by the drink selection of his usually controlled alpha, Jason asked, “What are we celebrating tonight, boss?”

“What aren’t we celebrating?” Creed turned and clapped Easton on the back beside him, then threw his arm over Jason’s shoulders on his other side. “The crew is together, we survived another week on the landing, your ghost is—”

“Staring at me from that window over there,” Jason said.

“Getting weaker,” Creed continued as if he hadn’t interrupted. “Easton’s out for the first time with us, and the Gray Back women are happy and safe. And yesterday, Gia and I found out we’re having a little girl.”

“What?” Matt said, sloshing his beer as he twisted on his bar stool and looked around Easton’s far side. “A girl?”

Creed’s dark eyes danced as a grin split his face. “Yeah, boys. The Gray Backs are gonna be raising a little girl.”

“I’ll be damned,” Jason muttered happily as he stared at the swell of Gia’s stomach. He clapped Creed on the back. “You done good, alpha.”

Harrison and a few of his Boarlanders streamed through the door. Clinton followed them in, causing the smile to fall from Creed’s face.

“Yeah,” the dark-headed alpha said as his mouth ticked. “I’ve done real good.”

“That shit ain’t your fault,” Easton growled low. “Clinton left because he’s too weak to be a Gray Back. He’s chicken shit about a mate, but that don’t have nothin’ to do with you.” Easton’s gaze arched to Willa, Gia, and Georgia. “He doesn’t deserve to protect a woman anyhow. D-team.”

Jason laughed louder than he’d meant to, and Easton shot him a startled look. “That was funny,” Jason explained.

Easton offered him a baffled smile and took the shot of whiskey Creed was handing him. Matt let off a shrill whistle for the girls, which got him playfully flipped off by Willa. Matt’s wicked smile said he liked when his mate got sassy. While the girls made their way through the crowd, Creed laid down the rules.

“Tonight is for fun. No Changing, no fighting, no getting your cages rattled by banter from the other crews.”

“We would never,” Matt joked.

“Bullshit,” Creed muttered, handing Jason a shot. “I’m serious. No bleeding tonight.”

Jason pulled Georgia between his legs and kissed the back of her neck as they lifted their tiny glasses high into the middle. The shots clinked against each other as Willa said, “Cheers to the best damned group of monsters a weirdo could ask for. C-team!”

“C-team,” they said in unison, then tossed back their drinks.

On the stage, Denison and Brighton Beck of the Ashe Crew were tuning their guitars. Denison was sitting in a chair under the spotlight, a pitcher of beer sitting beside him on a stool. He pulled the microphone down to his lips and said, “Rumor has it a little human took her teeth to one of my good friends in the Gray Back Crew.”

Georgia went rigid between Jason’s legs. He massaged her shoulders and lifted his hand, then pointed at his mate. “Right here.”

Georgia looked back at him with wide, shocked eyes. She’d done her make-up nice and looked smokin’ hot in her tight jeans and curve-fitting shirt. Pride swelled inside of him as the other crews lifted their drinks and whistled, catcalled, and howled.

“A new mate in a crew is a beautiful thing. Welcome to the madness, Georgia. Good luck keeping that lucky bastard in line. This song’s for you.”

The noise level was deafening in Sammy’s bar now, and Georgia covered her rosy cheeks with her hands, as if that would help cool the heat there. Laughing, she buried her face against Jason’s chest as the first notes of the song rang out above the cheers and jeers of the bar. Denison was wearing a big old shit-eating grin that matched his twin brother, Brighton’s, as he sang the first words of the song, loud and clear in his deep timbre.

“Brute,” Georgia accused, easing back to look at Jason. “You could’ve warned me.”

“Mmm,” Jason murmured, pressing his lips against her forehead. “Where’s the fun in that? And besides, you were the one who said we were telling people. Now curse like the delinquent Gray Back you are.”

Georgia nuzzled against his face and wrapped her arms around his neck. Easing back, she crinkled up her nose and whispered, “As far as second dates go, this one is pretty fuckin’ awesome.”