Page 14 of Delivered to My Beasts
All I knew was when I took a step forward toward these three giant bears, in my two-legged form, I felt no fear. They loomed over me on their hind legs before dropping to all fours and standing very still while I moved closer, looking from one to the other, unsure whether it was all right to touch them. Then the one nearest me, Crew, nudged me with his nose, bringing my hand to rest on his snout.
“Aren’t you beautiful,” I murmured. “Is it all right if I stroke you?”
He tipped his head back, my palm gliding higher on his head. A low rumble made me jump then giggle.
“Okay, scare the girl,” I chided, “but you won’t get any petting that way.”
He held very still, very quiet, while I explored his coat, learning that the long outer hairs were wiry and stiff, but when I delved deeper, my fingertips found the soft, silky undercoat. After a few minutes, I began to feel uncomfortable with giving him all of my attention and turned to his friends to scratch Jax’s nose and Duke’s back. Any human who saw us would have been alarmed, seeing a petite woman in the midst of these three, but there were no humans nearby, so far as I knew.
And Mateo and his betas? If they showed up right now to find me here, what would they do? They were not particularly large wolves. And these bears were huge, with giant fangs and claws. They would protect what was theirs. If I were theirs, if they were my mates in reality and not just people to run to, I might finally have peace.
Was that what a fated mate was? Or maybe part of it?
Finally, the bears moved away from me, and I understood what they wanted. “My turn.” I’d ogled them enough; I had no right to be shy, but as I unbuttoned my shirt, they all turned away. Giving me privacy to undress.
Very unlike the males in my pack.
But I’d kept them waiting long enough, so I hurried to take my clothes off and shift. It was a rare thing lately that I’d been allowed to let my wolf out, and it felt exhilarating when my form changed, the tickle of hairs sprouting, the sting of fangs emerging, everything. We tipped our head back and howled in joy.
The bears faced me again, then, their amber eyes flicking over my wolf with what I hoped was approval before they turned toward the woods upslope from their home. Duke led out, and the other two waited until I followed before falling in behind me. They were so much larger than me that I expected them to be faster, but as we picked up speed, I had no trouble keeping up. This high, the deciduous trees had already started losing their leaves, and the crunch under our paws warned small animals that hunters were coming. I didn’t care. It wasn’t about that tonight. We’d eaten plenty at dinner, and our run was just for the pleasure of it. For allowing our animals to spend time together and get acquainted.
For being free and doing exactly what we wanted to do in the moment. Not under the thumb of an alpha who wanted to control us. They were alphas, all of them, but they didn’t need tobe bossy. As I raced uphill with them, I remembered how they treated one another. Their chore chart that showed everyone did their fair share.
I wanted my name on that chart.
We ran until we tired then lay side by side on a cliff edge looking over the miles of forest below. The house was not visible from here, but it was down there somewhere under all the leaves and needles and branches.
Their home.
Would it be mine?
Chapter Eleven
Crew
Everything changed after we ran together. I was sure Imogen suggested a run because of no more reason than we were shifters and that was what we did to blow off steam, but there was more. Our bears and her wolf had bonded during that run, as fated mates usually did. My bear had wanted to bite her while we were in animal form.
Not to mention, I’d seen her kissing Jax in his workshop.
Her scent of desire filled the shop, and I’d barely been able to breathe, it was so overpowering. If it was up to my bear, we would’ve mated her right there, together, in the shed.
Animal.
Having her here and knowing there was someone after her made everything different. I stayed up most of the night working so that my day would be free to set up some new cameras. I’d bought them when we moved in, but the other guys thought I was going overboard. Instead of returning the extras, I decided to keep them in the basement in case another one went out or needed replacing.
Good thing I thought ahead.
That fucker Mateo wouldn’t get past my cameras without being detected.
But I needed to make sure all the areas were covered. Imogen should feel safe here, and I’d do anything to make sure she did.
My mate might’ve come here for protection, but she would stay because we were her mates. I knew it before but after last night, there was no question.
“Crew?” I heard her call out from a distance. Despite our protections, she spent time in front of our window, scanning theforest a good deal. Watching for any movement. This morning, she’d gasped as a tree moved near the house but it was only a squirrel leaping from limb to limb.
“I’m here,” I called back. I noticed Duke got up this morning, again, and made sure our mate had a proper breakfast. It earned him a kiss on the cheek.
“What are you up to?” she asked, making her way over the roots and nearly tripping. I caught her last second. “Thanks!”
