Chapter 4
Dean
My bear pushed me to close the distance between Lily and me as she swayed, lips parted and eyes half closed. But as much as I ached to kiss her right now, I needed her to understand what she meant to me. I thought I could slowly court her like a human, but I knew now how wrong I was. If I kissed her, it would break me to watch her walk away after. I was a shifter, not a human man, and shifters did nothing halfway with their mates. We were all in.
I laced our fingers together, craving her touch, and drew her to my side. “Come on. I’ll show you my place.”
Her eyes blinked wide open, her cheeks flushing a delicate pink as she blew out a sharp breath and straightened her shoulders. We fell into step with each other, though I had to shorten my strides a lot to match hers. Nerves rose as I opened my front door, wondering what she would think of my home, when just that morning I was hit with all it was missing.
“It needs decorating.” I cleared my suddenly dry throat. “That’s not really my thing.”
“It’s a lovely space.” She trailed her hand along the smooth wood of the dining table. “You obviously take good care of it.”
“What’s your home like?” I didn’t miss the way her body tensed at my question, her fingers twitching in mine. “I don’t mean to pry.”
“It’s a reasonable question.” She sighed. “I’m currently staying with a friend. I was in the dorms until school finished and didn’t really have anywhere else to go.”
“The friend who was going to pick you up?”
She nodded. “Maddie. She’s actually the sister of a girl I shared a dorm room with my first year. We hit it off way better than my roommate and I did. She insisted I move in with her while I find a teaching job.”
“I’m sorry about the job in Dryston not working out. Where else are you interviewing?” I held my breath, hoping she named somewhere close by.
“That was my last interview. There’s only one I haven’t heard back from, and it did not go well.” She blew out a quick breath. “The interview was online, because the school is in a different state, and I had a ton of technical difficulties. Which wouldn’t have been so bad, except I let it throw me off.”
Guilt rose when relief flooded me that her out-of-state interview went poorly. But I didn’t want her leaving the area. “What are you going to do now?”
“Maddie said I can stay with her and go on the substitute teacher list, but I hate to keep imposing on her. I’ll probably end up widening my search even more.”
“You’re sure there’s nothing else nearby?”
“Unless something changes between now and fall.” She plopped down on a stool at the island. “It’s too bad, because I was hoping to stay close to Maddie. She’s family.”
“What about your parents?” I crossed over to the fridge and grabbed a couple of sodas, offering her one.
“They split when I was young, and my father started a new family without me. My mom and stepfather kicked me out as soon as I turned eighteen, and I’ve only seen her a few times since.” She took a sip of her drink. Her words were matter of fact, as if it was no big deal.
“I can’t even imagine that. Bear shifter parents dote on their kids. Even though I live in a different sleuth than them now, I still see them regularly.” I laid my hand on hers. “It must have been difficult.”
She shrugged. “I learned young to be independent. I got my first job before it was even legal, knowing I’d be on my own for college.”
“You had no support? As a bear shifter, I had not only my parents behind me, but my entire community. We look out for each other.”
“It’s not a big deal. I can take care of myself. I prefer it that way. It’s actually been difficult for me to accept Maddie’s help,” she admitted. “She refuses to take any rent from me. I feel like I should be able to manage without her.”
“Everyone needs help sometimes. I’m glad you’ve had Maddie in your corner.” I wanted to tell her she’d never have to get by on her own again. That I’d be there for her, always. And as my mate, she’d also have the support of my bear community. But I wasn’t sure how to go about it. She probably knew nothing about fated mates.
“I can’t believe I’m telling you all of this.” She tilted her head and observed me, pursing her lips. “You’re very easy to talk to.”
“About that.” I took a deep breath, preparing to tell her everything. “There’s actually a very good reason. We-”
A knock, followed by the door opening, had us both looking over. My mom entered, with my dad right behind her.
“Hello, sweetie. Oh. You have company.” Her brows rose as she took in the sight of Lily beside me. An impish grin rose and her eyes sparkled. “Female company. How lovely.”
“Perhaps we should come back later.” My dad tugged on her arm, but she swatted him away.
“Nonsense. They’re just sitting having a drink. Surely we can join them.” Mom pulled out a stool and sat on Lily’s other side. “Hello, dear. I’m Ellen, Dean’s mother.”
“Hi. I’m Lily. Your son rescued me when my car broke down.”
For a moment, Mom looked disappointed. Then she stole a glance at me, her sharp eyes missing nothing. I gave her a small smile and leaned a little closer to Lily. Mom’s disappointment turned quickly to delight. “Well, the fates have a way of putting people where they need to be. Tell me about yourself, Lily.”
Mom drew Lily out, and when she found out she was a teacher, shared stories of homeschooling my sister and me. Soon, the two were laughing and joking. Lily kept shooting me little glances, and I let my hand rest on the back of her stool. Dad grabbed a beer from the fridge and leaned against the counter, letting Mom do all the talking.
Finally, Mom sat back and nodded to Dad. “We should go now. We have plans for dinner. But it was lovely to meet you, Lily. I hope we see you again soon. Walk us out, Dean?”
As soon as we stepped outside, Mom turned to me and pounced. “Is she your mate?”
“Yes, but she doesn’t know yet.”
Mom threw her arms around me. “Oh, my baby boy found his mate. It’s wonderful. She’s wonderful.”
“As long as I can convince her to stay.” I frowned. “She’s talking about having to move away for work.”
“That shouldn’t be hard. It’s not like she needs to work. Between you and the community, she’ll be fine.”
“I don’t think she’ll go for that. She’s very independent. And she wants to teach. She-” I paused as a thought occurred to me. “Mom, how about setting up a school for the younger kids? Instead of everyone homeschooling. Lily can teach them.”
Mom’s expression lit with excitement. “The elders have actually considered expanding the school. It’s just been a challenge to find the right teacher. I’ll talk to them. I’m sure they’d be glad to help your mate.”
“You should discuss it with Lily first,” Dad said. “Make sure she’s okay with it.”
“Oh, don’t be silly, honey.” Mom nodded at me. “It’s the perfect solution. Now go get your mate.”
Lily
While Dean was outside with his parents, I decided to see what I could make us for supper. He had done so much to help me, and I needed to return the favor. Even if it was just cooking his own food. When he returned, I was gathering the ingredients to make a pasta dish. “I hope you don’t mind that I went through your cupboards and fridge. I thought I would cook dinner.”
“Make yourself at home.” He joined me at the counter. “What can I do?”
“Nothing.” I stood behind him, pushing against his back, guiding him to the stools on the opposite side of the island. I wasn’t strong enough to move him, but he allowed me to direct where I wanted him to go. “You’ve done more than enough for me. It’s my turn to do something.”
“It’s been my pleasure to help you. And I’ll keep helping as long as you’ll let me.” His voice was deep and quiet, his words sincere. They weren’t just social graces. But it was still difficult to accept. I should be able to take care of myself. I needed to take care of myself. And right now, the only way I could do that was by giving him something in return.
I busied myself with chopping up vegetables and browning the meat while I heated water for the pasta. Cooking was something I enjoyed. Since Maddie wouldn’t let me pay rent, I insisted on feeding her as often as our schedules lined up.
Dean and I chatted as I worked, lighter topics than we had discussed earlier. It surprised me how, despite our different backgrounds, we clicked so well. We didn’t listen to the same music, or read the same books, but we were able to talk about why we liked what we did, and he had me laughing as he showed me how he danced to his favorite classic rock songs. He was not graceful, but he was very enthusiastic.
He insisted on setting the table for dinner and helped me carry the food over. He surveyed the spread, frowning. “There should be wine. I don’t have any, but one of the other guys might. Want me to grab some?”
“Beer is fine.” I grabbed a couple of bottles from the fridge and handed him one. “I’m not a big wine drinker. It wasn’t a staple at the college parties I attended.”
We dished up the food, and Dean took a bite before groaning. “This is so good.”
“It’s nothing special.”
“It’s very special. You made it for me.” He placed his hand over mine and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I really appreciate it.”
My cheeks heated. Butterflies danced in my stomach as his heavy gaze held mine. Our plates were next to each other at the table, and I leaned toward him as he ducked his head closer to me. He gave me time to pull away, but I wanted his lips on mine and his arms wrapped around me, so I closed the distance between us and brushed my mouth against his, resting my hands on his chest, which vibrated beneath my palms as he let out a low rumbling purr.
It amazed me how a simple brush of lips caused the reaction in me it did. It wasn’t just a physical ache, though that was there, urging me to move closer. But also a flare of emotions, a warmth inside telling me this man touched something in my heart. Something that before now no one had ever even approached. A flash of fear struck me. I was leaving myself vulnerable to him, but at that moment, I didn’t care. I wanted more.
He quickly took control of the kiss, his large hand cupping my face gently before his fingers delved into my hair. I was near breathless when his lips slipped from mine to my chin, then down my throat as he guided my head back to give him access. He nipped at the skin lightly, following the little bites with soothing licks. I whimpered, arching toward him, wanting more. I dug my fingers into the muscles of his chest and wriggled closer to him, almost off my seat and on his lap.
He growled, and part of my brain told me I should be afraid. This man was half bear, after all. But my instincts were driving me nearer to him, not away. And god, did I want to listen to my instincts right now. I slid my hands up his chest to his face, the stubble of his five o’clock shadow rough against my palms. I urged him to come back to my lips, and he granted my wish. But he slowed his caresses, eventually pulling away, only to return with a series of soft kisses before stopping entirely and pulling even further away with a groan.
“We need to talk.”