Bear with Me (Bear Mountain Patrol Series Book 1) (14 page)

She gasped in surprise and clapped her hands at the mini-oasis he’d created. “I love the slide and the lanes for laps. This is incredible,” she said moving away from him and walking around the dome-shaped building. “Showers and lockers, do you have parties here or something?” she yelled going into the bathroom.

He wasn’t interested in discussing his exploits before she came into his life and remained silent. She walked out the bathroom holding a bikini top. “Yours?”

He laughed as she threw it in the trash. “Not my style.” He stripped and jumped into the pool while she checked out the sauna and the whirlpool.

“I really like this, especially the hot tub.” She stopped, looked at his clothes on the deck then watched him swim to the opposite side.

He wondered if she would join him.

“Is the water nice?” she asked pulling off her red and white sundress.

“Yeah but you can make it better,” he said then laughed when she rolled her eyes.

“And the winner of cheesy one-liners goes to… Tag Brewer.”

Laughing, he swam to take her in his arms as she entered the water. They swam around the pool together, laughing and talking about lightweight things, nothing that would break their easy-going flow.

Tag stiffened and placed Camilla behind him. Grizzle growled at the interruption.

“What?” Camilla asked then giggled as Tyra walked inside.

“We’ve been calling… oh shit.” Tyra spun around and covered her eyes. “Is the house open? We can just go inside and I’ll get Ryan settled while you guys um… either get dressed or keep doing whatever you were doing.”

“There are three bedrooms in the house,” Tag said. “We have the first one on the right. Place Ryan in the last one on the left. The two bedrooms share a bath, I hope that’s alright with you.”

Tyra waved but didn’t look at them. “It’s fine and thanks for having me, I’ll… um just go now. See you later… I mean talk to you later, Camilla.” She walked out murmuring, “They oughta leave a warning sign on or something.”

Camilla pushed away from him and swam to the edge. He grabbed her leg, stopping her. “Where are you going?” He didn’t mean to sound gruff but he wasn’t ready to leave.

“Ryan’s here.” She looked at him as though that should explain her actions.

Tag shrugged and tried to pull her closer. She kicked and broke free.

“You invited him here to recover, plus Tyra’s here. They don’t know their way around the house, we should tell them where things are so they can find what they need.” She waited for him to follow and when he didn’t, she stepped out the pool. Water slid down her body and his throat went dry.

“I saw some towels in here somewhere,” she murmured heading toward the bathroom as he left the pool.

“Found them.” A few moments later she strode back to where he stood and handed him one.

“Thanks,” he said, peeved that she would stop their fun time for Ryan and Tyra. She walked ahead and ran to the house while he moved slower to calm his rising anger.

When he entered the living room, Ryan’s scent had changed. Jackson was right to be concerned, Ryan had been infected and would probably attempt to change at some point.

“
Move away from mate
!” Grizzle tried to move Tag in the direction of Camilla. Tag widened his stance and crossed his arms to keep from dragging his woman away from fussing over her cousin. Although Ryan had been targeted because of him, it didn’t stop Grizzle from grunting his displeasure at Ryan’s proximity to Camilla.

“Tag, can I talk to you for a minute?” Tyra asked.

Tag looked down at Tyra, she met his gaze and didn’t turn. He nodded, spun and walked out the front door.

She followed.

“Is there a problem with us being here?”

“What?” he pulled his gaze from the front door and looked at her. “What are you talking about?”

“If you’d seen the look on your face just now… you seem angry at Ryan.” She paused. “Or … Camilla. Look if you and Camilla are going through something that’s cool. Just be honest about Ryan staying or not. He really needs to rest and heal, so if not here, we can leave and go to our place.”

Tag wanted to kick his own ass or, better yet, Grizzle’s ass. He was better than this or he had been before this mating crap. “I’m sorry, what we have is new and I don’t want to mess up although I probably have already.” He stopped inhaled then spoke. “You guys are welcome to stay here as long as necessary. Do I need to apologize to Ryan as well?”

Tyra smiled and headed to the door. “No, I doubt he noticed.”

“
Move mate from friend Ryan
,” Grizzle demanded urging him to go inside.

“
Not now, she’s angry.”

“Angry?”

“Yes. You need to give her some room to breathe, to be with her family. Ryan is our friend, remember?”
Tag doubted Grizzle would care one iota about friendship at this point.

“
Ryan friend
.” Grizzle paused. Tag thought the matter settled.

“
Ryan friend but Camilla mate. Make mate happy. Get mate
.”

Tag released a long breath and strode away from the house to control Grizzle. The beast wanted to shift and protect Camilla.

“
Stop this, we cannot shift in front of humans, Ryan –”

“Ryan bear now.”

Tag gritted his teeth and tried again. “
Tyra is human, no shifting in front of humans
.”

Grizzle whined. “
Want mate.”

“Patience, mate stays with us, she’s not leaving.”

“Mate stay.”

“Yes.”
Tag released a breath as Grizzle receded.

When he returned inside Ryan looked at him concerned and he tried to reassure his friend that everything was good even though Camilla sat with Tyra instead of him. At least she hadn’t sat with her cousin.

Two hours after they arrived, Tyra and Ryan went to bed. Camilla passed him on the way to the kitchen and didn’t speak. She had no idea of the amount of energy he had used to keep from lifting Ryan and tossing him through the window. And that was his fault. He hadn’t talked to her about mates, his dual nature or anything remotely close.

Instead, he focused on showing her the man he was and could be in hopes she would chose to stay with him after she learned his secret. Right now he wasn’t sure that had been the best idea.

Tag followed her into the kitchen and watched as she pulled out his favorite cereal. She held up two bowls and a knot loosened in his chest as he nodded and sat down. When she placed the carton of milk and spoons on the table, he wanted her more than before.

“Thank you,” he said after fixing his bowl and taking the first spoonful.

“What was that all about?” she asked glaring at him.

So they were going to talk it out now. He sighed. “I wanted to be alone with you.”

She leaned closer. “But you invited him here.”

“Yeah, before we became a couple. I didn’t know we would click so fast.” He stuffed a large spoonful of crunchy flakes into his mouth.

“I get that but my cousin got hurt because of me, don’t forget that,” she said.

Tag started to correct her and realized he couldn’t, not yet, so he remained silent.

Camilla covered his hand with hers. “Tomorrow we’ll spend a lot of time in the pool house, okay, baby?”

Tag stared at her for a moment, something was different. Then it hit him, she hadn’t worn her glasses or contacts all day. Was that a part of their mating? God please let better eyesight be a benefit he could use to sway her to stay with him.

She’d been so excited over discovering the pool house and then Ryan’s visit, she hadn’t noticed. Ryan and Tyra probably assumed she wore her contacts, but he could tell she didn’t have them on. Should he mention it now or wait until he knew for sure? So many things he didn’t know.

He wanted to explain why he couldn’t stomach another day like today but the words refused to flow. Keeping secrets from his mate left a nasty taste in his mouth. He needed help. He cleared his throat.

“Tomorrow I wanted to take you to meet my friends, Gold and Cyndy.”

Chapter 19

Stunned, Camilla couldn’t slide out the opened car door. Tag eventually closed it and returned to the driver’s seat. They had been parked in Gold’s driveway for over 10 minutes while she tried, and failed, to process everything he shared. The sound of her heart beat filled her ears. She tried to swallow and couldn’t around the knot in her throat.

Was he a Yogi and the Hulk without the green skin? No, that didn’t make any sense. King Kong in bear form? No, more like the Twilight character but I didn’t watch that movie.

“Look, I know this is a lot to take in Camilla but if you just… think outside the box for a minute, you’ll see how all of this works,” Tag said.

Excuse me, did he just say think outside the box?
She blinked twice, itching to pinch her arm but refrained.
The supposed father of my future children tells me he’s got a bear inside and it has nothing to do with homosexual exploits but is a real animal and I need to think outside the box? How the hell do I do that?
She placed her fingertips against her forehead and closed her eyes.
This morning started with great sex, a big breakfast, hanging out with my cousin and my girl. More sex in the pool house, a visit to see his friends and wham! He tells me this stuff on the way here that sounds like it’s straight out of a sci-fi movie.

“Please listen to me,” Tag begged. “It’s not a bad thing.”

Her head whipped up and she stared at him. The man was on drugs. That’s what this was. “You’re high.” She looked around then back at him. “What drugs have you been taking?”

Tag leaned against the head rest. “No drugs, baby. I’m just … I’m trying to share something with you that I’ve never shared with anyone before. But I see this is a big problem, no worries.” He released a long stream of air and started his car.

The front door opened and a tall, handsome Latino man stepped out. A red-haired woman followed and stood on the porch next to him. Holding hands, they walked to the car.

“Are those your friends?” She asked as the normal-looking pair split up as they reached the vehicle. Tag rolled the windows down and fist-bumped Gold who stood looking in through the driver’s side window.

“Camilla, this is my friend, Gold and his wife Cyndy. They invited us to talk and to help answer questions. Honestly, this mate thing is new to me and I don’t know enough to answer some of the things you asked. So if you’re interested in getting to know more, they can help.”

“Hi Camilla,” Gold said waving.

Camilla returned his greeting but focused on the tall redhead standing next to the passenger side door.  She leaned down to speak to Camilla through the window.

“Hi Camilla, I know you’re confused, believe me I was too at first. It’s a bumpy ride but totally worth it in the end. I’ve been where you are and can answer most questions if you like,” Cyndy said radiating warmth and sincerity.

Camilla liked her immediately but wasn’t sure this was real. “Is it true? Tag can turn into a bear? Like Yogi?”

Cyndy laughed. “Maybe not like Yogi or Smokey but yeah, he does and so does my husband. Would you like to talk inside?” She looked up and down the street before returning her gaze.

Swallowing hard, Camilla nodded. It was just a conversation, right? Nothing to worry about, piece of cake. Easy peasy. She continued her mantra until they reached the porch, turning, she reached for Tag’s hand. He took hers and they walked inside together.

“Please have a seat, I have bottled water and sweet tea if you’d like something to drink,” Cyndy offered.

“I can’t, my stomach’s tied up in knots. I…” Camilla shook her head unable to speak through the dread swamping her. She didn’t see a bright side or happy ending for this conversation. Either her lover was crazy with weird hallucinations and knowing Tag that didn’t seem plausible. Or he had some type of disease that turned him into animals and she didn’t do animals. The idea made her sick.

“Relax, it’s not like you think, plus there are some side benefits,” Tag whispered.

Gold smiled as he took a bottle of water and headed into the kitchen. Cyndy clapped her hand and grinned wide as she sat in front of them. “Let me tell you about how I met Gold.”

For the next hour, Cyndy and Gold, who remained close to the kitchen, shared how Cyndy boldly walked up to him in the mall, while he was on a date and asked him his name. The black bear he was with didn’t appreciate the little human interrupting their stroll and Gold stepped in to prevent a public brawl because Cyndy refused to leave. Worse, he didn’t want her to leave but didn’t know why.

“Did he scare you when you first saw him as a… a bear?” Camilla lowered her voice on the last word, embarrassed to say it out loud.

“Yeah, that was monumental.” Cyndy laughed and stared at Gold. “He thought I would leave him, kinda like what Tag’s thinking right now. But when Grizzle laid his head in my lap and I looked into his eyes, I fell in love with him all over again. Both parts of him.” She paused and met Camilla’s gaze. “That’s what it takes for the mating to solidify into an unbreakable bond, we accept both sides of the man. When that happens, you take a part of him and he takes a part of you. Neither are complete without the other.”

“How does he take a part of me?” Camilla asked squeezing Tag’s hand.

Cyndy leaned back and pursed her lips. “The way it was explained to me is this, when humans mate with bears, it’s different than when two bears mate. The bond between the human and bear is unbreakable, neither will find fulfillment with others. If one passes away, the other does as well if there are no children. If there are children, the remaining spouse remains but I heard they don’t really live.”

Camilla’s eyes widened. “If Tag dies, I die?”

Cyndy nodded slowly.

“Unless there are children,” Tag said.

Camilla thought about everything Cyndy said. “So he can’t cheat on me? Ever? Not even when I’m older and gain weight?” Thinking of all the men she knew who acted as if cheating were the ultimate sport, she looked at Tag.

Cyndy chuckled. “Neither of you can cheat but remember I said you take on a part of him and he takes a part of you?”

“Yes,” Camilla said.

“Well, your aging will slow down to match his, you’ll heal fast like he does, and your sense of smell will go through the roof. It’ll drive you crazy at first. I never smelled grass or dirt until I mated with Gold, at least not in the same way. It’s impressive,” Cyndy said.

“My eyes? Is that what you meant this morning?” She looked at Tag.

“Yeah, it’s already started, you don’t need your glasses anymore, do you?”

Her heart lightened. This morning had been epic when she realized she hadn’t worn her glasses or contacts yesterday. Tag smiled and said it was because they were a couple. At that time they both laughed and she wanted to wake Tyra and Ryan to tell them but Tag wanted to leave early to visit his friends.

“No. I see everything perfect. Does this mean my retina is healed? I don’t have to worry about going blind?” For years she lived in fear of blindness because of her disease, it couldn’t be done and over.

Tag smiled

“I’d have a doctor check, because most of this kicks in after the bonding, so I’m not sure if this is permanent or not,” Cyndy said.

Camilla sobered at the idea of losing her vision again and changed directions. “Do you change into a bear too?” she asked Cyndy.

“I could I suppose,” Cyndy said looking at Gold who smiled at her. “But I don’t have a reason. Not like Gold does. My bear is passive and young, it doesn’t require the same things a dual-natured or natural bear does.”

“Young, passive? What does your bear require?” she asked Tag.

“Grizzles or grizzlies are the heavy hitters in our line, well, with our arctic cousins, we are trained to fight from cubs. My bear is aggressive and is always ready to fly into action, military academy, remember?”

She nodded.

“Gold and I work out together from time to time to release steam.”

Camilla looked at Gold and couldn’t picture him as a bear or fighting Tag. He looked like a desk jockey who avoided trouble at all costs. But then again, so did Clark Kent. She sighed. “
I’ve got to stop thinking of cartoon and fictional characters to deal with this, Tag is real and so is his Yogi… bear
.” She smiled at the analogy, glad he couldn’t read her mind. Or could he?

“Do mates have special gifts?” she asked Cyndy, curious and afraid at the same time.

“Some do, others don’t. For instance, I can feel Gold’s emotions, no matter where he is and he feels mine. But only a couple of our friends have that ability.” She shrugged. “You won’t know what the two of you can do together until after you bond and even then it takes a while to kick in.”

“Is mating and bonding the same thing?” Camilla asked, since she wasn’t sure.

“You’re mates. But you have to bond for that to solidify.” Cyndy glanced at Tag. “Bonding is a part of the mating process. Makes sense?”

Camilla nodded slowly and looked at Tag. “What do you want?”

“You.”

“Two days ago you said you didn’t want a relationship, what happened to that thing you need to do?” She crossed her leg and waited for his response.

“Two days ago I was an idiot.”

She laughed at his unexpected response.

“But I still need to handle what happened. There are some things I can share with you, later.”

The serious glint in his eye caused concern but she’d wait until they were in the car. She cleared her throat and clasped her hands together tight.

Leaning forward he brushed his lips across hers.

The air in her chest stalled then released on a quick swoosh. Tag was too damn potent, she needed some time to think about this. Cyndy looked normal and happy. Gold looked like a Fortune 500 CEO, they had kids and lived in an expensive housing area.

Camilla glanced at Tag, read the hope shining in his gaze and stood. “Thanks Cyndy, Gold. I really appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions, you’ve been a big help.” She accepted Cyndy’s loose embrace.

“You are welcome. I’ll give you my number, call me if you have any questions or just need to vent. There are 12 of us in the state and we get together regularly; we have a private Facebook group where we talk. I’ll give you that information and you can meet everyone else.”

Facebook group?
High-tech indeed.
“Thanks, I appreciate that. These are humans married to um… bear shifters.”

Cyndy smiled. “Yes. Tag and my Gold are the only Grizzles in the state.”

“Grizzle?” Camilla frowned and looked at Tag.

“Grizzly, the others are black bears, just different,” he said.

Camilla tried to read his blank expression and vowed to study the different breeds of bears. “Oh, okay.” She waved to Gold. “Thanks for your hospitality but why did you stand in the kitchen the whole time?”

“Tag will explain it to you, as my wife said, call if you have more questions. The group of ladies she referred to have become close like sisters and they’ll help with anything you need.”

Camilla smiled as Tag took her hand. They said final goodbyes and walked out to the car. “Why did he stay in the kitchen?” she asked.

“I might’ve attacked him for being too close to you.”

She spun around and searched his gaze. “What?” she asked in a breathy voice.

“A side effect of not bonding, it’s extremely difficult to know you are around other men, doesn’t matter who they are.” He stressed the last.

Camilla straightened. “Is that what happened with Ryan yesterday?”

“Yeah.”

She leaned close. “Get the hell over that.” She turned and stormed off toward the car.