Angel: Rochon Bears (24 page)

“This is crazy,” she said, shaking her head.

“It is. But it’s real, and it’s true. It doesn’t change who we are to each other. I still love you more than anything in the universe, Becks. You are my one true mate. The moment our eyes met in that parking lot, you rocked my world. I’m yours, body and souls. I will never love anyone as much as I love you. I will never want anyone but you. You’re my perfect.”

Damn, that was a good one. Becca knew there was something about his parents and brother’s relationships that was more. Now she knew. They didn’t just want to be together; they had to be together. They were two halves of a whole that couldn’t survive without the other.

She had almost gotten past the worry of their age difference. Now he was saying that he knew all along that it wouldn’t be a big deal if they were together, in the shifter sense.

Smacking his upper arm, she said, “You jerk!”

“Huh? What did I do?”

“You knew I was worried about me being older than you. You knew that it wouldn’t matter since we would be together so long. I was stressed about nothing.”

“Will we?” he asked, kneeling in the dirt now. Still naked, of course.

“Will we what?”

“Be together so long it won’t matter?”

“Angel, I said I love you. Just because you adore honey and wear a shirt with no pants doesn’t mean that is going to change.

“Really? Winnie the Pooh references?”

“Hey, if the tiny shirt fits,” she said with a smile.

“I love you, Rebecca. Will you be my mate?”

“Such an odd proposal,” she murmured.

“Becks—”

“The whole biting thing is beyond weird, for the record. But if it means you and me together forever? You can bite me wherever you want. I also think I might have to schedule some cuddle time with your bear. He’s got to be better than an alpaca.”

Angel let out a loud rumbling growl that he didn’t have to hide now. “Mine,” he said, just before sealing his mouth over hers. He had his mate, and now he had his future.

N
o matter
how much she tried to convince Angel that she was onboard with the bonding thing, she couldn’t get him to bite her.

“Give it a day, baby. Just think about it; sleep on it.”

“Oh, we aren’t having sex tonight? I get a full eight hours?”

“Well, no. I’m going to fuck your brains out, but I won’t bite you,” he said honestly.

“Such a gentlemen. I’m not going to change my mind, you know. I’m saying yes tonight; I’ll say yes tomorrow. I’ll keep saying yes until you make me yours.”

Becca understood that part now so much better. That bite meant she would be wearing his mark for the rest of her life. She wished she could mark him too, so others would see he was taken.

“You are mine, just like I’m yours. To shifters, there is nothing more permanent than a bonded pair. But if you want to get married, I’d be honored to be your husband too.”

“Another weird proposal,” she said to him, shaking her head.

“I’ve never done this before, and I’ll never do it again, so this is the best I’ve got,” he said chagrined.

“Damn straight, you won’t be doing it again.”

Angel took her home and fucked her senseless as promised. Becca even tried to tempt him with her exposed neck and shoulder. She had a hunch that would be the prime spot for a bite, vampires and all.

That earned her the most delicious spanking. Never had she done that, and now that she knew, was going to make sure she earned those hot swats more often.

“Don’t tempt me, Becks. I’m trying to do the right thing.”

“This is the right thing,” she urged.

Angel held strong, and they fell asleep together, wrapped in exhaustion and love.

The next morning, Becca woke to the smell of food cooking. She glanced at the clock and saw she had seriously slept in. Not what she would normally do even on the weekend.

She was still expected at the shelter, so she needed to get moving if she was going to make it on time.

“Angel?”

The door to her bedroom kicked open, and Angel appeared carrying a tray.

“You cooked?” she asked pushing her hair out of her face and tucking the sheet around her breasts.

“Technically. I cooked bacon, scrambled eggs, and put bread in the toaster. Outside of that and spaghetti, I’m a menace in the kitchen. I did bring coffee, though.”

“Oh, bless you. I need to be to the shelter in a few hours.”

“Okay, kitties and then what?”

“That’s pretty much my Saturdays. Sometimes I go grocery shopping or see a movie. Nothing too exciting,” she admitted.

“Well, we could use a few things from the store. Then let’s catch a movie,” he suggested.

Becca gave him squinty eyes as she tried to figure out his game. He told her that he wanted her to sleep on her decision to become bonded to him. She had, and she hadn’t changed her mind. He didn’t even bring it up. Oddly, her confidence in how he felt about her was so secure that she wasn’t worried he didn’t want to complete their mating; there was just something else going on.

“Okay, I should eat then shower,” she said, taking a sip of the sweet, creamy coffee.

Leaning over to kiss her forehead, he said, “I’ll jump in the shower while you eat, so we aren’t bumping into each other.”

That was an awful thought. Becca continued eating her breakfast, her gaze on the bathroom door.

When the shower turned off, she moved the tray onto her nightstand. Before she could get up, the door opened, and Angel stood there. His eyes were on her as she froze, not sure why he’d be standing naked in the doorway.

“Hey—uh—can I help you?”

He didn’t answer her, he just growled and strode towards her. Becca saw the bright yellow flash in his eyes, and it clicked in her brain. It was his bear that she had seen that day. The strange, bright light circling his irises was his animal showing her that he was there.

Now those bright eyes were on her, and Angel came toward her with a purpose.

Becca figured out quickly what that purpose was when he ripped off the blankets until she was laying there naked.

Becca could see the hunger in his eyes. She wasn’t sure if this was the moment or not. “Umm, Angel, I have to go soon,” she reminded him.

“I know, my mate just needs to come before we go,” he said, his voice low and dark.

Angel crawled into the bed and settled between her spread legs.

“All mine,” he said, before making sure that Becca came screaming his name.

T
he rest
of the day was a jumble of laughter and spending time together. When they weren’t laughing, Angel was busy trying to drive her mad. There were constant touches, kisses, and caresses that had her achy and anticipating his next contact.

After the shelter, he had spent twenty minutes making out with her in the car. It was like necking as a teenager but so much better. She begged him to fuck her in the car, but he refused. Told her they had to wait.

When she whined, Angel pulled up her shirt and tugged down her bra, sealing his mouth over her taut nipple.

If she begged for it, he’d nip at that delicate skin, and she’d mewl and rock her hips. Becca tried to ease her own need by sliding her hand between her legs, but Angel grabbed her hand away.

“Not now, baby.”

“Why?” she cried. Becca felt her desire wound like a rubberband ready to snap.

“Because I said so,” he said.

She was confused, but she couldn’t say that this game wasn’t super fun to play.

Angel kept up his torment throughout the day. The grocery store was a bit of a challenge for him. Still, he figured out how to stand close enough to her to rub his hard cock against her ass. It took all of her self-control to not shove back on that hardness; it was instinctual.

They argued about what movie to see. He was firmly set on an action movie called
Blood Force
. Becca wanted to see the new Jane Austen movie. They ended up with Adam Sandler. Compromise was a bitch.

By the time they had gotten to the movie theater, Becca was having trouble forming rational thought. She was so focused on the wet, heavy ache between her legs that she wasn’t even sure what movie they were watching.

When the lights went down, Becca could feel the energy rippling off of her man. It was strength, purpose, and sex. Incredibly heady to her senses that were already misfiring with desire.

“Don’t touch yourself,” he ordered.

“Angel, please,” she hissed.

“No,” he said firmly.

Just that word made her almost come. What was going on with her? His denying her orgasm, which was something he’d never done before, had her unsteady.

Becca sat through the movie not focusing on the screen. She kept trying to flex her pussy muscles to get some relief. She knew if she shifted at all to try and give her clit some contact with the seam of her jeans, he would know. He might punish her, which would totally make it worth it.

Instead, she sat flexing her hands open and closed, her gaze looking at Angel, who was watching the movie. He wasn’t totally unaffected; she could see the bulge in his pants, even in the low light.

“I can smell you, Becks. You’re hot and wet for me,” he said quietly.

Shit, that made sense. He talked about her smell frequently. It was his bear that gave him that ability. It didn’t bother her to know that he could tell she was drenching her panties for him. It was his fault, so he clearly wanted this scenario.

Why she wasn’t sure yet.

After the movie, Angel had to practically drag her out of the movie theater. Walking was causing shocks between her legs, her pussy so swollen with need. She was afraid to even talk, worried anything she said would come out in a moan.

They drove home in silence. Angel opened her car door and walked her to the front door. He opened it and let her walk through first. Becca stopped just inside the door and looked around, confused on what she should do next.

“Go into the bedroom and get undressed. I want to walk in to see you kneeling on the bed, ass high in the air.”

His voice was right at her ear, and she jumped as he spoke.

“Now, Becks,” he growled.

Becca nodded and walked to the bedroom. She was finally going to get some, and she wasn’t going to lollygag.

She quickly undressed and resisted the urge to look behind her to see if Angel was watching her. Becca crawled onto the bed as he ordered and waited.

It was just a few moments, and she heard movement behind her. The bed dipped, and Angel was inside her before she could register his movements.

“Angel,” she moaned, her head tilting back in ecstasy.

“Is this what my mate has been wanting? My hard cock buried deep in that aching pussy?”

“Yes,” she said on a gasp as he pulled out and slammed back into her.

Becca decided that there wasn’t anything he could do to her right in that moment that she wouldn’t be totally on board with.

That was the point of her day of foreplay.

Angel set a brutal pace that had Becca clawing at the pillows. Her attempt to hold herself steady against the impact of Angel’s cock drilling into her was impossible. It was hard and fantastic.

Becca knew she was going to come; the only reason she hadn’t already was that she forcefully pushed it back because she didn’t want Angel to stop.

Angel thrust deep into her and brought his mouth to her ear. “Say it,” he demanded.

Not sure what he was asking for she didn’t say anything.

“Say yes; tell me you’ll be my mate forever. Have my babies and let me love you until the end of time.”

That was easy. Becca was ready and happy to say, “Yes.”

She could almost feel Angel’s smile against her ear. The next thing he said was, “Three.”

Becca wasn’t prepared for the explosion that emanated from her clit and pussy and crashed over her. It was so intense she almost missed Angel’s teeth sinking into the slope of her neck where it met her shoulder. That extra pain and pull of him taking in her blood was better than any play he had done up to now.

Angel reminded his bear that he had to be gentle, well to an extent. The second her blood touched his tongue, he came hard, shooting jets of his hot cum into her. Her blood tasted like nothing he’d ever tasted before or would ever again. It was the very essence of her, and now it was part of him. His DNA floated into her bloodstream making him part of her now, changing her to be able to carry their young.

It was the most profound moment of his life, and Angel would replay it every day until he died.

Every second he burned to memory. Her taste, her heartbeat that pounded in his head, the sweet clench of her pussy gripping his cock. All of it heaven.

“I love you, Becks. You are so very much
mine
.”

Becca smiled as she looked over her shoulder. “I love you too, and you’ll always be mine.”

This was the life she was meant to have, and she was going to live it from now on with her man by her side.

E
ighteen months
later

“
I
don’t know
if I can do this.”

Angel stood off the side of the stage of the Paramount Theater in Seattle. The theater was built in the nineteen twenties and could house over twenty-eight hundred people. Tonight, the historic space was buzzing with noise.

“Of course, you can. Look how much you have already accomplished. I am so proud of you. This last year and a half has been challenging, but you did it,” Becca said. She brought her hands up to his face that now sported a short, trimmed beard. In just the last year and a half, he’d grown. His parents joked that his bear was finally letting him become a man.

Angel had asked her to marry him, and they did in a quaint chapel in the woods that his family had made their own now that it wasn’t a regular church anymore.

Becca had worn her mother’s wedding dress and her grandmother’s veil. Not wanting a big production, she enlisted the help of Alicia and some of Angel’s family to make the wedding low key and homemade.

She wanted every decoration to have meaning and represent something to both of them. The centerpieces were framed copies of the songs that Angel had written for Becca since they met. The flowers were in recycled vases and cut from Becca’s own yard.

Becca had surprised him by walking down the aisle to the song he had written for her that first time that was all about love and desire. She couldn’t take her eyes off of him as her father led her down the aisle. Even her stoic mother showed emotion.

He in turn sang a new song for her during the reception that had everyone wiping away a tear. It was about faith in love and faith in each other. Their first dance was one of those that had others wanting to look away because of the intensity of their love. But no one did, because it was a chance to see that happiness didn’t have a certain type, a certain size, or age. Everyone could have what they had, and it was beautiful to see.

Not long after the wedding and the honeymoon cruise to Alaska, they moved to Seattle. Becca didn’t worry about moving knowing that she’d be able to get a job with her resume. They found a small apartment downtown that was essentially a studio and settled in. It was close quarters, but they were almost always attached when they were together, so who needed a big place?

She was able to hang with Rainier and Finley and see how strong the connection was between the three men. Anyone could see it was more than just cousins; it was true friendship. Becca also finally got the real story about the necklace of a bear that Angel wore. She’d asked him about it a few times and not surprisingly got a different story each time.

Finley was more than happy to tell her the tale and that they were best buds necklaces that he had made. Becca couldn’t even laugh because Fin told the story with such earnestness that it would have been cruel to mock his sincerity.

They set up regular dinners so the three could rekindle their connection. Weekend trips into the mountains so their bears could run was also a regular occurrence.

Angel started pounding the pavement to find someone that would give him a chance. It took a while, but he found a local producer that was looking for studio musicians to work on recording for singers and commercials. Angel happily took any job he could.

Becca had found a job at a local construction company. With her experience navigating county codes, she was indispensable and soon found a wonderful work family to settle into. She’d also not suffered a migraine since Angel and she had bonded. No more scorching pain or missed days. It was such a blessing and relief. Becca decided if that’s what shifter DNA did, they should market it as a cure-all.

After a few months paying his dues in the studio, Angel’s boss convinced him to take some of his own songs to an open mic night. Angel had so much fun doing it, he’d sign up for different clubs each week. Playing for Becca was one thing, or in a dark booth, but in front of an audience was something that had his normal confidence faltering.

With Becca standing by him every night, he got better. He even started having a small following of groupies that Becca thought was hysterical.

One fateful night, Angel was approached by a record label that wanted to make him a star. Being hesitant and not wanting to get into something he didn’t understand, he called his Alpha. Cage made some calls, and the next thing Angel knew, a cougar shifter from a pack in Las Vegas flew to Seattle and was acting as his lawyer.

Apparently, it was good to know people.

Angel eventually did sign the contract, and
Whiskey Bend
was born. A drummer and base player followed, and they found a keyboard player to finish up the band. Quickly under Angel’s guidance, they found their sound.

Now he was about to open his first show with his own band.

“I could never have done this without you, Becks. I would never have attempted this. You gave me the courage to have all of my dreams.” Angel leaned his head against his mate’s and breathed in her sweet coconut scent that now had a tinge of shifter.

“And now I have all of my dreams too,” she said, running her hand over the tiny bump under her shirt. Angel had told her that she was pregnant before she could even take a test. He said he could smell it on her. He’d been just as happy as he had said he would that night at his parents’. When Becca had wondered why it took so long to get pregnant, Angel had explained that the fates knew when the best time was. Becca figured his family had generations of experience to fall back on to trust that deeply. She was still working on that trust that the universe was looking out for her. Her world was so full and happy it was getting easier to believe.

Now with their own little family growing in her stomach, Becca could feel the universe around her. The fates were watching and guiding, because now was the best time for her to get pregnant. She was going to quit her job and follow Angel on his first tour.

They hadn’t told the family yet. Becca wanted to wait until after this first show. She wanted Angel to have his moment in the spotlight before all attention turned to their little bundle of joy.

“On to our next adventure, huh?” he said with a chuckle. He placed a kiss on her forehead and felt the sense of peace wash over him every time he touched her. She was his rock, and every day he found another reason to love her.

“You and me, and soon this little one. The world is ours. I love you, Angel.”

“And I love you, Becks, with every breath I have.”

Angel sealed that vow with a kiss before breaking it off as the curtain went up to a cheering crowd.

“Rock the house, baby,” Becca said, blowing him a kiss.

Becca hoped the world was ready for Angel Rochon because he was going to be a sensation.