What a Bear Wants (10 page)

          “Strange behavior for her considering she doesn’t leave that lodge much.” Mason commented.

          “Unh-hunh.”

          “So I was thinking...”

          At Mason’s silence, Brody turned back to face his sibling, stopping at the sight of Aaron and at least four other males in the room. He’d been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn’t even scented them. Mason slowly rose from his seat, a grin in place that sent a shudder of revulsion up Brody’s spine. The desperation to have it all was in his brother’s eyes and it disgusted him.

          “I was thinking,” Mason continued. “That we could use that to our advantage.”

          When they all began to step close to him, Brody’s eyes went from one to the other as he finally understood how desperate his brother was. And then he knew his time had run out. There would be no escaping the lion’s mouth unharmed.

***

          “You look like shit.”

          Fallon had never hissed at a person a day in her life, she usually left that to the felines but Cree
deserved
that goddamn hiss and she was sticking by it!

          “Shut. Up.”

          “Hey, hey, hey don’t get snappy with me because you didn’t get a chance to exercise your kegel muscles last night.” Cree said smirking from across the breakfast table. None of them really ever cooked so they gathered in the dining hall to catch breakfast, lunch and dinner when they were too lazy to hunt something down.

          Eye twitching, she reached for a fork but it was snatched out of her hand.

          “No, no, no! There will be no stabbing your pack mates at the breakfast table. You want to hurt her, then you take her out back and maim her per wolf protocol.” Anoki commented, taking a seat next to Cree.

          Fallon growled and he reared back. Taking a bite of the apple in his hand, he leaned towards Cree and loudly whispered, “Guess we know how much of a medicine sex
really
is.”

          “Yeah,” Cree whispered back. “And I’m hoping whatever it is Ransom did, he fixes it quickly before—”

          “—Her vagina suddenly sprouts fangs and devours us all whole due to its barren loneliness?” Anoki completed. “Me too.”

          “Is
that
what I heard howling last night?” Makya questioned strolling in and catching Fallon around the waist before she could launch herself over the table and start tearing faces off; Cade following closely behind.

          He pushed her back into her chair. “Now, now, sweetness, let’s get some caffeine in your system so you’ll be less inclined to kill.”

          “The only
c word
this one needs a dose of none of us can provide.” Anoki finished his apple and leered at her. “Well actually we can but then—”

“—Someone would be missing their dick?” Cade grabbed a mug from Makya and sat it down in front of Fallon before taking a seat. “Would anyone like to fill me in on why our reigning lord and master is cranky on such a beautiful day?”

Three pairs of eyes turned her way but only one of them held true understanding—
Cree’s.
When you know a person, you know a person. And if there was anyone who knew Fallon, it was Cree so simply widening her eyes got the message across loud and clear.

Cree smacked Cade in the back of the head.

          He stared at her, genuinely confused. “What’d I say?”

          “Don’t ask personal questions!”

          “Oh you hit
me
but the person who said she has a
were
-vagina
doesn’t
get hit? How is
that
okay?”

          “It’s okay because I say it’s okay.”

          “Because
that
makes sense.” Cade muttered.

          “What was that?”

          “Nothing.”

          Anoki loudly sighed. “I don’t understand why the two of you don’t just fuck and put us all out of our misery.”

          Two barks had him sitting back, hands up defensively. “Not the face!”

          “Wow,” Fallon said in awe. “You’re so brave.”

          He frowned, pushing his hair back. “I can’t help it if my first concern is always my beauty. I don’t want it marred because certain people seem adverse to the idea of a little pokey.”

          Cree burst out laughing. “
Pokey?
That’s what we’re calling it now?”

          Anoki grinned. “‘Happy nakie fun time’ takes too long to get out.”

“And on that note...” Fallon stood. “I’m going to find something to do that doesn’t involve imagining any of you naked.” The more she sat around and thought about Ransom naked, the more she wanted to chew through something until her anxiety calmed. How long had she been up last night, her hands trying to imitate what his own had managed to do with no more than a simple touch? God, she really
was
pathetic. He was playing games with her and she’d fallen right into them. That pissed her off more than anything. And yet, no matter how many times she tried to block out the memory of his lips on her own, she failed.

Waggling his brows, Cade looked up from the paper. “Are we restricted by the same rules because—”

          “Jesus man!” Anoki interrupted. “I know I’m gorgeous but do you have to announce to everyone that you want to imagine me naked?” His voice dropped to a whisper. “It might make the women feel inadequate.”

          Fallon raised a brow his direction then dropped her gaze to his lap. “It can’t be anywhere near as inadequate as you are.”

He gasped in outrage as she left the kitchen, shouting after her, “Vicious lies! My cock is the third arm of justice! And don’t you ever forget it!”

          The laughter that followed that statement didn’t seem to do anything but make him angrier.

***

          “
You
!”

          Ransom swung around at the shout. Tracking Fallon’s scent into the woods, he was caught off guard by Anoki—who looked good and outraged—coming towards him. “You’re fucking up our lives!”

          Frowning, he stared at Anoki. “What?”

          The other man got closer, breathing like he’d run all the way here. “Give me a minute.” He said bending over at the waist. “I had to take off as soon as Fallon left breakfast. I didn’t want her to know I was coming to find you.”

          “Shouldn’t you be in better shape?”

          Anoki gave him the finger. “I
am
in shape. I had to run around the back way...to avoid her.” He inhaled, hands on his hips then pointed at Ransom again. “
You!”

         
“Why do you keep doing that?”

          “You’re fucking up our lives!”

          “Are we really going here again?”

          “I want to like you Ransom, I really do. I don’t think you’re half as much of a dick as Fallon keeps saying—”

          “Wow...thanks, I think.”

          “—
But,”
Anoki continued. “Your girlfriend is ready to rip our faces off just for her own amusement. I blame you for that!”

          And
this
was why Ransom spent his days avoiding people. Because his brother—who was probably off chasing Cree around—was way better at dealing with the crazies. Ransom had decided it was better to stay away from Anoki the moment they met and he distinctly heard the wolf murmur, “Jesus Christ...I really hope Fallon has vaginal reconstruction in mind because
clearly...”
He had no idea what that meant and he had no desire to find out.

          Folding his arms across his chest, he faced Anoki completely. “She’s more than just my girlfriend.”

          The other male quirked a brow. “Oh really?” His tone had taken on a lyrical quality. “And where is this magical distinction that illustrates such great love?”

         
Eyes narrowing, Ransom said, “Maybe if I drag your slightly dead but still twitching body back to her
that’ll
be enough of an illustration.”

          Anoki waved a hand. “Her happiness would be only temporary after she realized she would miss me.”

          “What do you want, Anoki?”

          “For you to fuck her already.”

          “And
this
conversation is over...” He started to walk away.

          “If you don’t take what’s yours, someone else will.” The wolf softly stated, bringing Ransom’s steps to a halt. “It’s written all over your faces anytime you’re near one another. Fallon is trying to rationalize something that simply can’t be explained. You know your mate when you meet them. It’s just that simple.”

          “And you think I’m not aware of this?”

          “No, I think that instead of putting the fire out you’re fanning the flames. I know my Alpha. Until you show her that you want more than her territory, she’s going to keep running.”

          Turning back slowly, Ransom questioned, “And how exactly am I supposed to do that when she won’t stop hiding from me?”

Anoki cupped a hand to his ear, leaning in. “I’m...I’m sorry. Was that the sound of you crying? Because I distinctly heard you crying.”

“You’re an asshole.”

“That’s my role among my kind! I accept it and own it!” Anoki slapped himself on the chest. “And you need to accept Fallon’s role! The one where she needs to have control. I’ve
never
seen her like this with a male before. She’s handing you the keys. Open the fucking door already and put us all out of our misery!”

He shook his head. “It’s not that easy with her.”

“Oh it’s easy enough. She wants you. You want her. I want you both to have sex so I can possibly watch without your knowledge.”

Ransom’s brows winged. “Wait...what?”

          Anoki blinked. “Huh?”

          “What’d you just say?”

          “I didn’t say anything.”

“Yes, you
did.
You just admitted to wanting to watch us have sex, which really disturbs me.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Anoki denied. “This is way off subject.”

“No, it’s
on
subject because your voyeuristic activities are kind of creeptastic.”

“Would you focus dammit?!”

Ransom resisted the urge to roar.

“Do you
want
Fallon to find someone else? Do you want to walk away and leave her vulnerable and in need; the very things predators—
especially
males—look for? Do you really think that no other chest beating alpha is going to come around sniffing? Offering her the very thing you keep dangling in front of her then snatching away?”

He felt the growl before it actually left his mouth.

“Yeah, big man,” Anoki taunted. “Think about having some other wolf determined to mark what’s
yours
then not only that but get her
pregnant—
which by the way,
will
involve sex. Just being honest here, I know very few male wolves who don’t know what to do with a female who looks and smells like Fallon.”

Ransom’s lip curled. “I’ll—”

“You’ll
what?”
Anoki backed away. “You’ll kill him? Maim him? String his insides up like holiday decorations? Do you honestly think that’s fair considering?”

“I don’t give a fuck about fair! She’s mine!” The grizzly in him wanted to start hurting things...now...
right now.

“Then why not show her and everyone else that?” Anoki left then; no antics, no strange behavior—just his advice ringing in Ransom’s ears.

And without a second thought, he took off, intent on finding his mate.

Chapter 10

         
Fallon had been taught a few essential things as a pup—canines were ornery on bad days and goofy on good ones, felines were constantly disgusted with everything around them, and that if you ever,
ever
heard the roar of a grizzly you were to run. No questions asked, no looking back, you just run. So when the distinct sound of one incredibly pissed off bear came echoing through the woods, chasing the birds from the trees and smaller prey back into their hiding places, Fallon ran. She didn’t stop to question it, she didn’t look back, she
ran.

         
Her hiking boots pushed into the dirt, snapping twigs and crushing leaves as she propelled her body to move faster than what was natural. Low hanging branches smacked her in the face as she cleared fallen trees and logs, her chest burning with the exertion it took to keep going. It didn’t matter how far she got, she could feel him following, could hear her pulse hammering in her ears as he got closer.

          The snarl he emitted lifted the hairs on the back of her neck. And when that familiar scent teased her nostrils...she made a mistake. She looked back. Fallon’s eyes widened as her foot slipped on a small boulder and then she was going
down.

          Her mouth opened, letting out a surprised yip as her body twisted. She cringed, her gaze shuttering as she prepared herself to hit the ground but something fast and strong caught her about the waist and jerked her back up. Breath leaving in harsh pants, she lifted her lids just to find herself staring into the same fathomless brown eyes as the night before.

          Ransom stared back at her, fangs out, hard exhales vibrating through his chest as he breathed.

          “Ransom?”

          He shook his head once and she closed her mouth. With a deep inhale, the grizzly seemed to pull himself back in until he gradually calmed but she could still feel his claws at her sides, still see his fangs.

          “You were hiding from me again.” His voice was gravelly, like he was fighting the shift. “Don’t do that...don’t hide from me.”

          “I wasn’t—”

          “Don’t.” He cut in. “Just...
don’t.”