The Bear's Reluctant Wolf (15 page)

What
time do you get off?

Trace:
Whatever time I’m with you

Oh
my God
. She laughed out loud. It was
hilarious that a grown male in his forties could say something so juvenile.
Before she could respond her phone vibrated with another text.

Trace:
I know U R laughing at my childish ass :-)
I’ll be at your place at 10, and pack a bag for the night, baby

Seeing his little smiley face had her grinning,
and reading that he wanted her to pack an overnight bag had her heart racing.
They had been intimate plenty of times in the last week, so many times that she
was a bit sore, in fact, but the idea of sleeping next to him in his bed
thrilled her, and she felt like a teenage girl all over again.

Can’t
wait

She had no intentions of waiting until
Trace came to her. Instead she would make a surprise visit to Dakota Dark’s,
maybe minus panties, and show Trace that she could control a few things as
well, most importantly him.

****

Trace filed away the last liquor
requisition form and leaned back in his chair. The leather creaked from his
weight. He had been hard constantly since finding Candace, and to say he was
uncomfortable was an understatement. The sound of the rock music coming through
the closed door was not nearly as muted as he would have liked. It was already
half past nine, and he had been ready to go get his mate since he fucking got
to work, even if he had just seen her this morning. He had three messages from
Mandy, the waitress that worked during the day, saying that Karla had tried
calling him. He hadn’t returned her calls, had nothing to say to her, and
needed her to get the fuck out of Sweet Water. There weren’t any doubts that
she was trying to weasel her way back into Liam’s life, and her persistence in
trying to contact him told him she was most likely trying to do the same to
him.

“Get the fuck out of my way,
Maverick.” Trace sat up and tensed when he heard the bitch that had ruined his
life five years ago, and was clearly still trying to do it. His office door
slammed open and banged against the wall. Karla stood in the doorway, her face
a mask of irritation. Maverick loomed behind her, his arms crossed over his
chest.

“Sorry, Trace, she—” He looked at
Karla and shook his head. Maverick knew everything about what happened with her
and Trace. Hell, he had been the one to show up at the right moment all those
years ago.

“It’s all right, Maverick.”

The lion gave Karla one more
withering look before nodding and turning to leave. Karla huffed out and
stalked into the office, and slammed the door shut behind her.

“What do you want, Karla?” He
rubbed his eyes, not wanting anything to do with her, but wanting to get this
over with because he knew her well enough to know she wouldn’t stop. She had
stayed away this long, and she just needed to get the fuck out. “I asked you
what the fuck you want.” He glared at her.

“You won’t answer my calls.”

“Yeah, I know. An intelligent
person would have taken that as a hint that I didn’t want to talk to them.”

She glared at him and narrowed
her eyes. “Yeah, I took the hint, but I think you owe me at least a few minutes
of your time. I am the mother of your son.”

He slammed his hand down on the
table. “I don’t owe you one fucking thing, Karla. Yeah, you are the mother of
my son, but you did a shitty job at that.”

“Listen, I didn’t come here to
argue. I just wanted to talk. You and Liam keep avoiding me like the plague.”

“I wonder why that is.” He didn’t
phrase it like a question. For a human she had some pretty big balls coming up
to him spouting off what he owed her, and getting in his mate’s face. But Karla
was a crazy bitch. “Liam is a grown fucking male, and he knows what a worthless
mother you are. I don’t blame him for wanting nothing to do with you.”

“So what, are you saying my own
son doesn’t want to see me?”

Un-fucking-believable.
“I’m only going to say this once, and then you’re going to get the fuck out of
my life, leave my mate alone, and not contact Liam again.” Her face started to
turn red, and she bared her teeth.
The crazy bitch
.
“You’re a shitty mother, were a shitty
fucking wife, and a piece of shit human.” Maybe he wouldn’t have been so harsh
if she hadn’t done all the fucked up things she had.

“You’re still the same pompous
asshole, Trace. If you would have been a decent mate to me—”

He slammed his fist into the
table again and felt the wood crack and give way, cutting off her from
finishing that sentence. “No.” He shook his head slowly. ”Don’t even fucking go
there. You and I are not mates. I should have left your ass way before you got
pregnant, but I was young and stupid and hard up for easy pussy. Then you got
pregnant with my kid, and I was stupid enough to think you might change being a
bitch. I was really fucking wrong, and will forever regret what you put Liam
through. I thought I loved you, thought we could make things work, but I was
just as dumb as you.” She took a step toward him, and he didn’t miss the hope
in her eyes. “You are nothing but a betraying bitch, and I was stupid enough
that I didn’t do anything about it before you slept with Dale. That was fucked
up, Karla. You were fucked up. I regret a lot of shit in my life, you being my wife
is one of them, but what I regret more is that I wasn’t a better father to Liam
and didn’t kick your sorry ass to the curb long ago.” Her eyes widened, and
then that shock morphed into anger.

“
You fucking
asshole.” She moved closer until she stood right beside him. She stabbed her
finger in his chest, but he refused to move. “I left Sweet Water because I
thought it was best to get away after all the shit that happened. I found
Jacko
, and the two of us have been having fun, but then he
just up and left me in this shitty little town.” She smoothed her hand over his
heart, and he made himself hold his ground and not flinch away from disgust. “I
know you’re angry, but it has been so long, Trace. I also know you did care
about me at one time, or you wouldn’t have stayed with me for so long.” She was
so fucking wrong, but his rage made it impossible for him to say anything. “I
want
you,
want to try to knit our family back
together.” He took a step back and shook his head.

“You are fucking crazy if you
think I want anything to do with you. I found my mate, and every other female
is nothing to me. Do you hear me, Karla?” Her mouth parted, and she narrowed
her eyes.

“That
girl at the diner?
You have to
be kidding me. I am the mother of your child, Trace, and if I remember
correctly knew exactly what you liked, and how you liked it.” She threw herself
at him, slammed her lips on his, and thrust her tongue into her mouth. He was
so shocked by her sudden movement that it took him a second to react. He took
hold of her arms, and just as he was pushing her away the office door opened.
The scent of peaches filled his nose, and he ripped his face away from Karla’s
to see Candace stare at him with wide eyes. Karla snorted. “Good, at least the
bitch now knows where she stands in your life.” He tossed Karla away, wiped his
mouth on the sleeve of his shirt, and made a move to go to his mate, but she
held up her hand and shook her head, stopping him. “You can never replace me—”

“Shut the fuck up, Karla.” Trace
pierced his ex with a glare that had her stepping back. His bear rose up, and
he knew his eyes had gone all black from the way hers widened. “I fucking told
you I wanted nothing to do with your sorry ass. Now get the fuck out of my bar,
and out of my goddamn town.” The scent of her anger and fear mixed as one, and
although he wouldn’t physically hurt her, he wouldn’t hide the way she had
white hot rage flowing through him every time she was in the same vicinity. The
scent of wolf filled his nose, and he turned and watched as Candace barely
reined in her animal from emerging. “I’d say you better fucking go seeing as my
mate seems a bit territorial right now.” All anger aside, he couldn’t help but
feel pride and affection that his little wolf had gotten all possessive over
him. He might be an alpha bear, always taking control and not putting up with
shit, but seeing Candace this way, scenting her affection for him and her need to
stake her claim, had his chest puffing out.

Karla’s deceit was evident, and
he wasn’t such a fucking idiot as not to see that the male had left her and she
had no one else and nowhere else to go. Hell, he had smelled the stink of her
despair and self-pity as soon as he saw her. Using her “love” for Liam was a
low blow, and far from how she genuinely felt. “Get the fuck out. This is the
last time I will say it.” He let his bear rise up, and the realization that she
wouldn’t be getting anything out of him was clear on her face. Candace had
since moved inside, and Karla followed the wall and slipped out of the office.

Trace and Candace stood there,
neither speaking nor moving, but the tension and energy high. “I thought I’d
come and surprise you.” She moved to the door and softly shut it. “But then the
only one that was surprised was me.” She stalked forward, and for the first
time in his life he felt like the prey. His mate was furious, that much was
clear. Her wolf was right there at the surface, and it turned him the fuck on.
“I was pissed to see her all over you.” She stopped a few feet before him, and
the scent of peaches and her annoyance mixed together and slammed into his
nose. He grew hard, despite the fact he shouldn’t.

“I know, but I promise she means
nothing to me.” She eyed him, and slowly nodded.

“I know, I can smell your disgust
for her, but that doesn’t piss me off any less.” She moved a foot closer, and
he stared down at where her breasts rose right above her shirt. “I was seconds
away from snapping at her.” He couldn’t help but smile. His mate was a feisty
little thing, even if she did come off as shy.

“I know. But I promise she was no
threat to you. I like your possessiveness though, makes a male feel wanted.” He
felt like a pussy for saying it, but hell, it was the fucking truth.

“How would you feel if you caught
me and another male in that compromising position?” A deep, low growl left him,
and before he knew what he was doing he had his hand wrapped loosely around her
throat and had her turned around and pressed against the wall. He moved closer
so that his nose was pressed to her throat, closed his eyes, and breathed in
deep.

“I’d fucking kill them, rip his
arms and legs off, and watch as he bled out, all for
thinking
he could touch you.” He didn’t miss the shiver that worked
through her. Taking hold of the collar of her shirt, he wrenched it to the side
and bared his mark. Leaning in and licking what was his, he murmured what a
good girl she was, what a beautiful mate, and how much he cared for her. He
pulled back and stared down at her. “You’re mine, and no one will take you away
from me.”

“What if someone tries to take
you
away from
me
?” She sounded so earnest, but her eyes still held fire behind
them. Trace slowly shook his head.

“I’ll tell you this until I don’t
have any breath left.” Cupping the side of her throat, he brushed his thumb
back and forth along her cheekbone. “I am lost for you. There is no one that
can compare to you. My heart beats only for
you
,
and the air I draw in my lungs is only for my mate. Do you understand? Every
fucking thing I do is for
you
.” He
had a son that he was proud of, despite all of the shit he pulled, but he was a
good kid, and one that didn’t deserve all the bullshit he had witnessed.
Looking down at his mate he knew this was it for him. This female before him
was what life was about, and he would spend the rest of his proving to her that
he wouldn’t fuck it up, and that he was worthy of being her mate.

Epilogue

One
year later

“Trace, would you back the hell up.
You’re all in my face.” Candace glared at her husband and grew even more
irritated that he grinned at her. At least he did take a step back and let her
have some breathing room. They had gotten married six months ago, and although
they had only been together for half a year before they figured they might as
well go through with it. Candace didn’t regret one minute.

“Baby, you can’t fault your mate for
being excited.” She sighed, because he was right. Lately she had been so moody
and seemingly on pins and needles, but after trying to conceive since their
honeymoon, Candace was starting to get worried that she might be broken. Yeah,
she went into heat, which normally was almost like instant pregnancy if a male
just looked at a female the wrong way, but after numerous failed attempts, and
going to the doctor only to find out that being in heat doesn’t always mean a
positive pregnancy, she knew there had to be something wrong with her. So, this
was their sixth month really trying, even if Trace liked to say the times in
between were for practice, and Candace was nervous as hell.

“You’re right, and I’m sorry. I am just
worried that I’m going to see those two evil little words ‘NOT PREGNANT’ flash
across the stick.” Trace came up behind her and wrapped his big arms around her
waist.