Woodcutter Werebear (Saw Bears Book 2) (13 page)
Read Woodcutter Werebear (Saw Bears Book 2) Online
Authors: T. S. Joyce
Tags: #Fiction, #Fantasy, #Romance, #Erotic Romance Fiction, #Werebear, #Shifter
“I have something for you,” Skyler said.
Kellen pulled his sweater over his taut abs and frowned. “You got me a present?”
His dark hair was all mussed from dressing, and she laughed at how adorable he looked, all hopeful and disheveled and undeniably delicious.
He’d ripped all the boards off the windows over time, siting the need to see her body and watch her sleep in the mornings. She’d moved out of 1010 a couple of months ago and into his trailer, which had only seemed to soothe his bear even more.
“Remember when you gave me my songbird necklace, and I told you mated pairs in my culture exchange gifts in a ceremony to make it official?”
“Yeah?”
“Well, I realized I hadn’t given you anything in return. I know we’re officially mated according to crew law, but I wanted it to be official in every way.”
Kellen picked her up and spun as he fell backward, landing on the mattress with her giggling on top of his chest.
“Give me,” he murmured.
She handed him the tiny box wrapped in homemade paper Brooke had taught her to make. “It’s not much, but it’s the most important thing I own, and I want you to have it.”
His face grew serious as he plucked the box from her fingertips. He opened it slowly, as if savoring the moment, then pulled the bauble from the crinkling tissue paper inside.
It was the metal bottle top from the soda he’d given her the first day he’d met her. She had pocketed it and kept it all this time as a reminder of the day her life changed forever for the better. She’d drilled two holes and attached it to an adjustable leather strap.
“I didn’t know you kept this,” he said, his eyes riveted on the trinket.
“I’ve been carrying it my pocket for months. It was my good luck charm.”
He inhaled deeply and asked, “Will you put it on me?”
She straddled his hips and opened the leather adjuster wider, then slipped it over his hand and tightened it against his wrist. Dark metal top and dark leather, and it looked very manly, just like her mate.
He cupped the back of her head and brought her down for a kiss. He took his time, softening his lips against hers as he sipped at her, tasting her. His tongue brushed hers, but he seemed content to remain connected in this sweet embrace. She wondered if he even knew he owned her heart and soul.
“Are you ready?” he whispered as he eased back.
Nervous flutters filled her belly again. Was she ready to fly? Half a year on the ground had seemed like an eternity. “Hell yeah, I’m ready.”
“That’s my girl,” he said in that sexy, deep, rumbling voice of his.
She undressed in a rush and gave him a nervous grin before she let her animal have her skin. Her falcon burst from her, and she settled onto the floor by the bed. She stretched her wings, now completely regrown with long, elegant feathers, and took a couple of practice flaps. The air under her whooshed away, toppling a pair of her shoes that sat against the wall.
“Come on, Beautiful. It’s time for you to fly.” Kellen offered his arm, and she gripped it with her talons, then spread her wings to balance herself as he lifted her.
She could see everything in this body. The grain in the wooden door as Kellen opened it. And each individual, dried piece of late November grass as he walked her toward the gathering near the bonfire.
The boys were throwing her a First Flight party, but really, they used any excuse to drink beer and barbecue, no matter that it was thirty degrees outside and smelled like snow. They were currently drinking Dixie cup shots of boxed wine with Brooke and laughing at something Denison said. Brighton was strumming his guitar and was the first to see them approach. He kicked his twin brother and Denison turned.
“Aw, yeah, here she comes,” Denison called. “You still owe me twenty bucks,” he said, glaring at Haydan.
“You didn’t get her to Turn!” Hayden argued. “That Crestfall prick did. Technically, he’d get the pot. If he were still alive.”
“We had a side bet,” Denison said. “Whoever guessed her got the secondary pot.”
“You didn’t guess her,” Bruiser gritted out.
Denison’s mouth dropped open as if he was appalled. “I didn’t guess her? Are you serious right now? I guessed werebumblebee. I was the closest. I win. Pay up, suckas.”
“Good grief,” Kellen muttered.
Tagan took a swig of his beer and waved his hand. “Hold on. How the hell do you think a bumblebee is anything like a freaking dagger-clawed, dive-bombing, badass bird of prey falcon?”
Denison arched his eyebrows like the answer should’ve been obvious. “Bees fly.”
The boys erupted into more argument, and Brooke shook her head and took another swig from her Dixie cup. If Skyler could’ve laughed in this form, she would’ve. God, she loved being a part of this crazy crew.
“You can do this,” Kellen murmured as he crouched down. With a jerk of his arm, she was airborne, stretching long unused muscles as she used the breeze to lift her.
A few more powerful thrusts, and she was high above them, circling her people. They’d all gone quiet as they watched her. Except for Denison. Denison whistled a catcall. Tagan put his arm around his mate, and he and Brooke grinned up at her. Haydan and Brighton lifted their beers in a silent toast, and Kellen…her Kellen. His eyes followed her like she was the most beautiful thing he’d seen. He rubbed the bracelet on his wrist. Her declaration that he was hers for always.
She widened the loop and pumped her wings for higher altitude. Bursting through the clouds, she spun and dove, then pulled up again. Here, she finally felt like herself again. Not her old self that was weak and out of options. She felt like the self she’d always wanted to be.
As she coasted high above the piney mountains, past the clearing where she’d called Roger and told him they were through, and along the mountainside that was home to the Ashe crew’s job site, she thought of all she’d found here. When she turned back to get a bird’s eye view of Asheford Drive and the trailer park she considered home, she was filled with consuming joy.
The Ashe crew was sitting around the fire, talking, but her mate was still standing just where he’d been, eyes to the sky, waiting for her as he always would.
Kellen had been worth all of the personal growth she’d needed to go through in order to find herself. She’d put in the work and evicted her demons because he deserved the best of her.
She’d risen from the ashes of her past to give herself a shot at happiness with the man she loved.
Today, she didn’t feel like a falcon.
She felt like a phoenix.
I have two giant thank yous to toss into the universe here. The first is to my editor, Corinne DeMaagd, who goes above and beyond to make these books as clean as possible, and is dedicated to hitting tough deadlines so I can get these out quickly. And the second…y’all already know…it’s you, readers. I heart you big. All of your messages, emails, reviews, and general kindness/badassery are inspiring.
You are amazing.
I write because of you.
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Bear Valley Shifters
The Witness and the Bear (
Book 1
)
Devoted to the Bear (
Book 2
)
Return to the Bear (
Book 3
)
Betray the Bear (
Book 4
)
Redeem the Bear (
Book 5
)
Bear Valley Valentine (
Valentine’s Day Novella
)
