What a Bear Wants (8 page)

“And it should’ve worked.”

Maddox shrugged. “I’ve experienced worse.”

“Where? In the psychiatric wing at the hospital?” Ransom kicked his bag underneath the giant bed in his room.

“What you’ve failed to discover, my safe-playing sibling, is that
crazy
sex is the
best
sex.”

Stopping, he looked at the man who shared his blood, blinking. “I take it you didn’t learn from discovering that your last girlfriend was a klepto.”

Maddox rolled his eyes. “You take a few household items from a few homes without the homeowners knowing about it and all of a sudden people are calling you a klepto.”

“Yes,” Ransom said slowly. “Because that’s
exactly
what a klepto is.”

 “I grow bored with this line of conversation!” His brother threw up his hands. “I want a beer and a woman!”

“We’ve been here two hours. Why can’t you just relax and enjoy the scenery?”

Maddox shook his head and walked toward the cabin door. “I’ll relax better with a soft ass in my lap and big tits as my scenery, thank you.”

“They have meetings once a week for that type of thing!” Ransom called after him.

“I know! That’s where I met the klepto!”

The fucker
did
have a gift when it came to making people laugh… Ransom included, but his amusement wouldn’t distract him for long. Eventually he’d want to seek out a sexy she-wolf with an adorable snarl and the ability to make his dick hard with nothing more than a look. He knew it probably wouldn’t end well when he did.

Chapter 7

          She was avoiding him. Ransom hadn’t seen Fallon in two days and that annoyed him more than it really should have but he really couldn’t help it. The thought of her purposely hiding from him grated on his delicate honey-loving sensibilities. He’d never had a female outright ignore him before. Usually they went out of their way to make sure he crossed path with them...which generally lead to them receiving a restraining order but that wasn’t the point. The point was, he was unhappy and an unhappy Ransom made for an unhappy world dammit!

          “I see we’re still making innocent bystanders sob.”

          Ransom looked up from his seat by the Olympic-sized outdoor pool towards where his brother relaxed in a lounge chair. “I asked for this spot nicely...the first time.”

          Maddox sighed. “First law enforcement—”

          “All I wanted was some more honey packets.”

          “—now a group of male tigers. Really, big brother? When will the sporadic fits of boar-rage end?”

         
As soon as I get near Fallon again.
Instead of answering with that, Ransom said, “When people start moving the first time I ask.”

          “We’re on vacation. Were you not the one who told me to relax and enjoy the scenery?”

          Quirking a brow in his sibling’s direction, he waved a hand at Maddox’s face and asked, “How many stitches did you get?”

          The younger grizzly grimaced, the left side of his face pulling tight due to what looked distinctly like claw marks. “Not that many...about twenty-five.”

          “Told you to stay away from her.” Ransom sang, knowing instinctively that his sibling’s tragic maiming was at Cree’s

          “I would. I probably should. And yet...I can’t.”

          “Because you’re a masochist.”

          “No...well...sort of.” Maddox shrugged. “But mainly because Cree is a challenge and I like challenges.” Ransom knew that to be true. While he liked his bedmates simple and sane, his brother seemed to have a distinct draw to the unstable.

          “Clearly the insanity gene skipped me and passed down to you.”

          “Oh like your female is any better!”

          “She’s not
my
anything.”     

          “And yet, here you sit, like a lost cub in need of a tit.”

          “That was such a brilliant analogy.” Ransom retorted dryly.

          “Brilliant and
true.
If you want her go find her.”

          “She’s avoiding me.” He gritted out.

          Maddox snorted. “I think you’ve lost your cock. The Ransom
I
know wouldn’t be sitting here moaning about a woman avoiding him. The Ransom
I
know would be seeking her out before making her come to terms with how much she
wants
to be fucked within an inch of her life. The Ransom
I
know—”

          “Sounds a lot like a serial killer with stalker tendencies.” He cut in. “I won’t chase her.”

          “But the best prey is the kind that you’ve had to work for, that you’ve had to run down and make your own.” Grinning, Maddox added, “We both know this isn’t about business anymore. You want that she-wolf.”

          “It doesn’t matter what I want. It’s obvious she doesn’t want me too or you and I wouldn’t be having this conversation.” He
did
want Fallon; wanted her more than he’d ever wanted another woman. But something about his desire bothered him. He wasn’t used to having such an immediate and strong response simply to a female’s scent. This was entirely too new to him and for a bear who was used to change, welcomed it, Ransom didn’t like this particular bout of lust at all. It left him aching the night before. No matter how far off she was he could still smell her, could still hear the husky tone of her voice, imagine those wide brown eyes staring up at him as he pounded into her over and over again.

          “What’s more satisfying to you, Ransom?” His brother questioned, interrupting his line of thought, “the doe that simply lies there and wait, or the one that you have to put effort into catching? Fallon wants you. Anyone with common sense and a healthy sex drive can see that from a mile off. She just doesn’t know how to deal with it because she’s used to being Queen Wilder, ruler of all we survey.” Maddox stood and began walking away. “Make her want to let go of that control, that tightly reined logic, just once and I think you’ll be surprised at the results.”

          Ransom sat in that chair for just a few minutes longer, tuning out the sounds of pups and cubs running about. When he finally got up, he chose to ignore that the group of male tigers hissed viciously at him as he passed by. Felines could be so goddamn sensitive.

***

          “You can’t avoid him forever, Fal.”

          “Yes I can!” Fallon bellowed, walking faster and faster, trying to get the female behind her to leave her alone. She’d been on her way to the lake when Cree tracked her down and started harassing her.

          “You’re being ridiculous!”

          “And you’re sticking your maw where it doesn’t belong.”

          Cree grabbed her forearm and pulled her to a stop. “At some point you’re going to have to face not only him but the fact that your wolf obviously wants something that it’s not getting. Full-human logic doesn’t apply in our world, Fallon. The beast wants what the beast wants.”

          Her eyes narrowed on the other woman. “What my beast wants and what it
needs
are two different things.” She pulled away from Cree. “It may want a hard bear-involved fuck but what it
needs
is to stay focused.”

          “On what?” Cree waved her hands around. “What do
you
have going on that’s so goddamn important that you can’t use your vagina for any amount of time? This place practically runs itself.”

          Fallon’s lips twisted.

          “I’m waiting.”

          “I don’t have to explain myself to you!” She tried walking away but the psychotic little bitch just jumped on her back and wrestled her down.

          “You never have to explain anything to me. You’re completely right about that but I’m telling you, as your friend, you need to have sex; preferably with a male that doesn’t run screaming after you’re done, afraid that you’re going to black widow him.”

          “Oh that’s a nice sentiment!”

          Cree sat back, making herself more comfortable by resting on Fallon’s legs. What the fuck was this shit?! “It may not be what you want to hear but it’s true. When’s the last time you had sex with something that
wasn’t
manufactured in an assembly line?”

          “
That
is none of your business.”

          “Wow,” Cree breathed. “That long huh?”

          “Get off me!” Fallon tried slapping at her friend’s face but ended up pinned. “Goddammit Cree!”

          “Aren’t you afraid that if you don’t use it, it’ll fall off? Like an extra finger that the circulation has been cut off from?”

          “What is wrong with you?”

          “A lot of things but we aren’t talking about me right now. We’re talking about your lack of cock and how unhealthy it is. Unless, of course, you’ve decided that you have
other
preferences.” Cree’s brows rose suggestively.

          Fallon gasped. “
No!”

         
The she-wolf innocently held up her hands. “This is a no judgment zone. I’d love you either way. Just as long as your chosen girl understood that she didn’t have to be threatened by my role in your life, we’d be fine.”

          “You’re insane.” Fallon stated flatly.

          “I’d simply want your mate to be comfortable. I mean, with us being so close and all I could understand how many could misinterpret the nature of our relationship. Not to mention, we’d make an awfully good couple. You with your brooding sexiness—”

“Oh for fuck’s sake.”

“—and me with my gorgeous smile and awesome tits. We’re rather cute together.” 

          “This conversation is
so
over.”

          “See?” Cree said gleefully. “Brooding sexiness.”

          Fallon’s lips finally curved. “I hate you.”

          Her friend simply grinned. “I know, baby, I know.”

          “No wonder you keep threatening my extremely desirable masculinity,” A deep voice said from just over Fallon’s head. “You prefer the bun more than you do the hotdog.”

          As Cree stiffened and a low growl rumbled from her chest, Fallon looked up to see Maddox standing beside her shoulders. “This isn’t what it looks like.”

          He smirked. “I know that line in at least six different languages, sweetheart.”

          She held Cree still. Apparently her friend had an intense dislike for the bear. Days ago she’d been fine with him around and now, well now it looked as if she wanted to rip his face off and use it as a mask for Halloween this year. “I’m sure you do but what you’re currently witnessing is—”

          “A lover’s quarrel?”

          “
No.”
Fallon answered adamantly. “Sometimes we—”

          “Wrestle each other to the ground like playful pups...before it turns into dirty, sexy fun time?”

          Exasperated now, she dropped her head back and closed her eyes, all while keeping Cree from getting up and giving Maddox what would definitely be a few more claw marks on that pretty face. “What do you want, Maddox?”

          “To be invited to the next secret tryst?” He offered.

          Cree barked and Fallon said, “I
will
let her go.”

          He rolled his eyes. “My brother is pouting because you won’t talk to him.”

          “And this is my problem because...?”

          “You want to fuck each other. Stop fighting it and let nature take its course.”

          “And this conversation is officially over.” Fallon replied.

          “Fallon—”

          She did what she’d already promised and finally let Cree go, climbing to her feet and watching without an ounce of remorse as the crazed female charged Maddox and knocked him to the ground.

          Fallon didn’t even cringe as she walked away and heard him scream out, “
My hair! My beautiful hair! Ow you insane she-bitch!”

Chapter 8

          There was a bear on her porch. Not a teddy bear with a top hat and dead eyes...but an actual bear...sitting there. Fifteen hundred pounds of grizzly ass was calmly resting against the strong wood of her front steps and Fallon didn’t know whether to turn and run away or attempt to find Gladys. She did neither; she just stood there, staring.

          When that started to bore her, she calmly folded her arms across her chest and asked, “Is there something you’re trying to communicate to me by doing this?” Clearly it always had to be the extreme with Ransom and it was obvious that the big bastard noticed she’d been going out of her way to stay away from him over the last few days. Fallon figured she’d be able to keep the routine up since his week at Wilder Lodge was almost up and their supposed meeting wouldn’t be until Friday. She’d been disappearing early in the morning and coming back as late as possible; making sure to stay out of sight and out of mind.

          It was almost three a.m. The rest of the Lodge silent as every predator returned to their respective cabins; any hunting or mating that had taken place wrapped up and put away for another night. Fallon had spent the day taking a drive through the mountainside, trying to resist the pull to come back and seek out the giant-sized mammal currently gazing at her silently; fathomless brown eyes glinting in the lone walkway lights in front of her cabin. It wasn’t hard to figure out how he’d found it. All he’d had to do was follow her scent far enough away from the main area of the Lodge and here he was.

         
Goddammit.

         
“It’s late and I’m getting crankier by the minute, Ransom, what do you want?” She shoved her hands in her back pockets, more so to keep him from noticing the way they trembled. God, what the fuck was
wrong
with her? A few minutes in his presence and she turned into some pup who hadn’t reached her first heat yet. The fact that he could have that effect, that he could make her crazy without really trying, disturbed everything inside of Fallon’s A-type personality.
Control.
She had to get some control.