Bearly Cooking (Pacific Northwest Werebears #1) (4 page)

His mate, lying in the dirt, hurt and barely conscious, this was his mate. His body knew it, his mind knew it and more importantly, his bear knew it. His bear was chuffing to get out and rub his fur on her, to lick her skin and mark her with his scent. Luckily, Cage had enough control over his animal to make sure he stayed back no matter how much growling he put up.

She was beautiful, more beautiful that he could have ever wished for. Her hair was the color of mahogany, with bright blue eyes that were blinking up at him under dark sooty lashes. When he checked for injuries, he felt what he liked, she was all flesh and curves.

He wanted to scream to the heavens that he’d finally found his mate! He’d waited years, decades actually, to find her. And she was human. Something he hadn’t even considered until now. He just assumed he’d find a bear mate. But lucky for him the fates always knew best.

The last time he’d dated was twenty years ago. Shifters aged slower, so he knew he had time before he was too old to start a family. And dating was always depressing, hoping for that spark that would mean he’d found The One. No matter how many times his father told him he would know without a doubt the moment it happened, he’d kept searching like it would be a quiet whisper he could miss.

His father was right, it was a thunderbolt from the heavens. Not a whisper, never something so calm and reserved. His body felt like it was engulfed in flames, his cock hardened the moment he saw the blue of her eyes. He wanted to claim her, right then. Of course he was much more in control with his rational mind than with his horny bear, thank goodness.

The initial shock was fading and now he was mad. His mate had gotten hurt and he wasn’t there to protect her. Yes he didn’t know she was his mate, but that didn’t seem to factor right now.

“Don’t move, honey, help is on the way. What else hurts besides your head?” he asked, trying to keep himself calm and his anger at bay all while reassuring her. He ran his hand over the back of her head and his hand came away sticky, it had started to bleed. He didn’t want to alarm her so he kept her focused other things.

“My…my chest hurts,” she whispered. She was still staring up at him, it was like his gaze was sucking her in. She felt a magnetic pull to him. It was physical, like she needed to curl into him and he would keep her safe. She’d just met him and she was lying hurt, but she knew somehow that he would protect her.

The hulking form leaning over blocking the sun and him calling her honey, was just a bonus in her mind.

“Your heart?” he asked his deep voice laced with panic.

“No, it hit me,” she managed, taking in a sharp painful breath.

“The pipe?” he asked turning to look behind him.

“The end, I think, it hurts to breathe.”

“Take slow shallow breaths, honey. Help is coming, I don’t want you to move.”

“Are you Mr. Rochon?” she wheezed.

“I’m Cage to you darlin’ and you must be my Sophie,” he said giving her a sweet smile.

Sophie didn’t know how to respond to the ‘my Sophie’ statement right now so she ignored it.

“What the fuck happened?” she heard coming from farther away. She saw Wyatt running towards them.

He skidded to a halt when Cage’s head whipped towards his brother and he growled, “Mine,” in a low voice that Sophie could feel in her bones.

Wyatt turned a little ashen, looking down at Sophie then back to his big brother. “No shit?” he whispered.

“Mine,” Cage repeated.

“Mom is going to freak, man,” Wyatt said, then his worried look shot back to Sophie on the ground. “You okay sugar?”

“Don’t call her sugar if you want to keep all your limbs, baby brother,” Cage warned. To Sophie’s eyes he seemed to get even bigger, his body leaning closer to her in an act of protection. Like a dog guarding a juicy bone.

“Sorry man, no disrespect. You know I’d never do that. Take a deep breath, you’re barely holding on, man,” he warned.

Cage took stock and noticed his nails were elongated and his back felt broader. His bear was too close to the surface in his need to protect his Mate.

Taking a deep breath, he pushed his bear back down. His fingernails shortened and he gave a grateful look to his brother.

“Find out what happened, I don’t want to leave Sophie,” Cage ordered to Wyatt.

“I’m on it man. Hey can I tell mom?” he asked stepping out of his brother’s reach just in case.

“Wyatt…” Cage warned.

His brother laughed and turned to speak with the drivers who were still arguing at each other. Cage had been walking towards them to break them up when he saw a glimpse of curly brown hair blowing in the wind. Before he could see who it was he’d heard the pipe burst. The thick hydraulic hose exploded out towards Sophie. Cage took off at a run, but he was too late. He saw Sophie fly through the air and land hard on her back.

When she didn’t move, he thought the worst. She looked tiny to him, but most people did. Now that he knew she was awake he took in the rounded hips and curved belly. She had full pillowy breasts that he wanted to bury his face in. That would come later, he promised his bear.

“Can I sit up, please?” Sophie whispered up to Cage. He’d been staring at her at it was making her hot, as in a not appropriate time or place kind of hot.

“Not until the ambulance gets here. There is a rescue station about twenty miles from here, and they can get here pretty quickly. I’m worried you have a concussion and you could have broken ribs. Here you can use this to stop the bleeding,” he said letting go of her face and stripping off his work shirt. He bundled it up and gently lifted her head, sliding it up to cushion, being careful to avoid the knot forming in the back.

“Blood?” she asked confused until she focused in on the man in front of her.

Sophie was looking at the broad muscled chest straining against the white cotton T-shirt. She didn’t even realize when her hand came up and ran over one hard pec. A low grumble shuddered through Cages frame. She jerked her hand back, ashamed at letting herself do that. Maybe it was the head injury. Yeah that’s it, she could blame a head injury for fondling her boss.

“Don’t stop, do it again,” Cage said quietly, his eyes half closed but still watching her.

His tone had her wanting to do anything he asked. She moved her trembling hand back to his chest, splaying her fingers wide and rubbing back and forth. The funny vibration went through Cage again and Sophie found she liked affecting him that way. Plus she got to touch an amazing chest. She wanted to see it bare, but that might breach some kind of employer, employee etiquette she figured. Not like the rubbing was in any way wrong or inappropriate, she thought.

Looking back to his eyes from his chest, Sophie saw that he was watching her. His eyes never leaving her face. “We have a lot to talk about my Sophie. When you get better, okay?” He sounded so clear and sure that Sophie immediately agreed and tried to nod her head. The movement cause a shock of pain to rip through her head. She whimpered and closed her eyes against the agony.

Soft warm lips grazed her temple and she heard, “Shhh…my Sophie, I’ve got you. Just close your eyes and breathe shallow. We’ll get you feeling better in no time.” A soft kiss against her cheek felt like heaven. It made her feel better somehow. Some of her fear faded and the pain rushed away from where his lips touched her. She moaned a little at the relief and another kiss was placed on her forehead, then down to her other cheek. A scratchy bearded cheek rubbed against hers.

She sighed, it felt good. It felt right somehow. She was thinking she was a terrible employee and deserved to get sacked for laying around on the job and snuggling the boss. But she heard a matching sigh for her sigh. He could hardly fire her for inappropriate behavior when he was acting just as poorly as she was.

He smelled so good too. Like trees, and earth and for some reason honey. It was the perfect combination and Sophie felt herself get sleepy.

Cage notice she was relaxing a bit too much and didn’t want her unconscious again. “Honey, you can’t fall asleep. You need to stay away and talk to me. Tell me about breakfast, what were you going to cook today? More pancakes? I had yours yesterday and they were the best I had ever eaten. I swear, hands down best pancakes in Washington. Just don’t tell my mom,” he teased.

Sophie opened her eyes again and watched Cage smile down at her. If it was possible he was more handsome smiling.

“Porridge and eggs,” she whispered to him.

“Porridge, huh? You know around here we call that oatmeal. You say porridge and people think of Goldilocks and the three little bears,” he said with a laugh.

“I like porridge. I like bears. I like blondes,” she said fighting the warm grey fog trying to steal her consciousness.

“You like bears huh? Ever met one?” he asked, brushing her hair back from her face.

“No…” she muttered, “I dream about them.”

“You dreamt about a bear? When Sophie?” he asked with a hint of urgency.

“Last night, naked bears…” she said before she let the grey fog take her away. She faintly heard far away a panicked “Sophie!” but the darkness was where it didn’t hurt.

Pacing the hallway at the hospital, Cage was more than a grumpy bear, he was an angry bear. The doctors wouldn’t let him follow her into the emergency triage area. They told him once she was in a room he could visit her. Since he wasn’t family they couldn’t give him any medical information.

Luckily his cousin worked as one of the nurses and had been slipping info that she was able to grab as they worked on Sophie. She had a pretty severe concussion from hitting the ground. She had two cracked ribs close to her sternum which was why it hurt to breathe. They said the bruising and cracks would just have to heal on their own.

The concussion seemed straight forward, but they wanted to keep her overnight for observation.

“Sweetheart! We came as soon as we heard!” a trilling voice called down the hallway. Cage turned and saw his mother, scurrying down the hallway towards him wearing a summer dress and matching white shoes and purse, like she was on her way to a tea party instead of the county hospital. Behind her was his father, looking harassed and indulgent towards his clearly in charge wife.

Connie and Edward Rochon had been married for over sixty years. The humans they knew thought they were closer to their fortieth year together. They were lucky to have found each other young and the fates matched them for eternity. They were still as in love and crazy for each other as the day they met.

“What are you guys doing here?”Cage demanded after giving his mom a brief hug.

“Wyatt called and said there was an accident at the camp and we needed to come to the hospital straight away. We assumed you were hurt, but you look fine to me. Was this just your brother playing some kind of joke? I had pies I was baking,” his mother asked in a huff.

“I’m fine mom, Wyatt was just being dramatic,” he explained, turning to pace the hallway.

“Well who was hurt son?” his dad asked.

“Our new cook, she was hit by a hydraulic hose. She has some cracked ribs and a concussion, but the doctors say she will be fine. They haven’t let me see her yet, I keep asking,” he said, running an agitated hand through his hair.

“She?” his mother queried.

“Yes, Sophie, she passed out in my arms. Why aren’t they telling me I can see her? It’s been hours,” he growled continuing his pacing.

“Sweetheart, why are you so agitated? Your bear is right at the surface, your eyes are almost yellow. You have to calm down,” his mother whispered. Her concern clear as well as her curiosity.

Looking from his mom to his dad and back to his mom he let out a sigh. Reigning in his bear he looked at them and said, “She’s mine”

His mother gasped, clutching her hand to her chest, “Are you sure sweetie?”

“Of course he’s sure, our son wouldn’t make that statement unless he knew he’d found his mate. Right son?”

“You were right dad, there is no doubt, she’s my mate. And it’s killing me to not be with her. I hadn’t even met her yet. I was too busy to welcome her yesterday. If I had she wouldn’t have been out walking alone this morning. She wouldn’t have gotten hurt,” he angrily said, flexing his fists and trying to calm his animal.

“Son, you know that you can’t control everything. You found her now, that’s what’s important. How did she get hit with a hose? How did it even break? Aren’t those checked regularly?”

“Yes, I have Conner looking into it now. I have a good guess, but I want to have him look it over anyway.”

“Sabotage?” his mother whispered, leaning closer to him.

“Don’t know yet, but I will find out who is responsible, mom, trust me.”

A doctor was walking down the hallway towards them, Cage turned and crossed his arms over his chest. His animal wanted to lash out at the person keeping him from Sophie, but his human side knew to play nice if he wanted to see her.

“Are you with Sophie Carlton?” the doctor asked.

“Yes, we’re family, I’m her fiancé,” Cage answered.

He heard his mother sigh behind him and his dad snort.

“She’s in a room now, we’ve given her some medication and are keeping her under observation until tomorrow. She’ll need quiet and dark until her concussion heals. No loud sounds and keeping her calm is best. There was a fair size hematoma on the back of her head. Is there anyone that will be taking care of her when she is released?” The doctor asked.

“We’ll make sure she’s taken care of,” his father responded behind him.

The doctor nodded and turned down the hall, the Rochon troop followed behind. Stopping at a door, the doctor gestured that they could go in.

The lights were low inside the room, the blinds drawn against the daylight. Lying in the hospital bed with a bandage wrapped around her head she looked so small to him. Her eyes were closed, an IV dripping liquid into her arm.

Cage took a step into the room, then another, his animal screaming to get closer to her.

“Oh, Cage, she’s sooo pretty,” his moms voice came from behind him.

“She’s beautiful,” he responded not looking away from his mate.

A soft moan came from the bed, Sophie’s forehead wrinkled in a grimace. Cage rushed to her side, “Shhh, honey, it’s okay,” he crooned to her, brushing the wrinkles from her forehead.

Sophie heard the deep timber of Cage’s voice and relaxed. Her head felt like there was an elephant sitting on it. It hurt to open her eyes and the shallow breaths she was taking made her dizzy.

“Cage?” she whispered.

“I’m here, darlin’, don’t worry. The doctor says you are going to be just fine. Just relax and let the medicine work,” he said cupping her cheek.

“Don’t go,” she pleaded, pushing her face into his palm. She breathed in his woodsy scent and relaxed.

“I’m not leaving your side honey, trust me. My mom and dad are here too, I’ll introduce you to them when you are feeling better, okay?”

“Hmm…okay,” she mumbled, letting herself slip into the dark quiet again