Caging Her Bear Lovers [Werebears of Shatland, Texas 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 4

  “No.” Her beautiful brown eyes clouded over as the memory came back. “That’s how I know what he really was. What he is. I hit the bear, then after I turned my car around to check, I saw a man instead.”

  “You’re kidding me.”

  She was pleased that he was so interested. Her round face, the face of a sweet girl next door, lit up. She was a bit plump according to society’s skin-and-bones standard, but she was the perfect curvy body as far as he was concerned. Werebears were attracted to their future mate no matter what she looked like, but he didn’t need anyone else to tell him that she was sexy as hell. It wasn’t only her luscious body that made his cock ache to possess her. It was her laugh, her smile, and even more, her obvious intelligence. The fact that she was brave enough to try and capture a bear was an added bonus.

  “It happened about three months ago. And close to the rental house we’re staying at now. That’s why I rented it. Because it was close to where it happened.”

  Liam glanced at Connor, who had grown stiff. It wasn’t their first silent communication. As soon as Connor had touched her, his eyes had gone wide and he’d nodded. As was often the case, his brother didn’t have to say anything. Liam could tell from his expression, going from surprise to delight, that it was true.

  Brynn Caraway was their intended mate.

  “And what did the man look like?”

  She twisted in her chair toward Connor. “You know what? He looked a lot like you two.” A wondrous expression overtook her face. “I don’t suppose you have a brother that’s a shifter, do you?”

  She made the question sound lighthearted, like a joke, but he knew better. He wasn’t about to tell her about Finn. “Tell us about him. What color hair did he have? Was he short or tall? Long hair?”

  She leaned closer and placed her hand on his arm. At once, the sizzle of recognition burned into him. He hadn’t needed any confirmation that she was their mate, but there it was. His inner bear awoke with a start, growled, then clawed at his insides, demanding to be let out.

  Give me my mate.

  Instead, as much as he hated to do it, he took her hand off him. The hurt in her eyes cut him to the core. But how was he supposed to think straight with the connection, the invisible bond that tied all mates together, roaring through him?

  By nature, he didn’t get emotional. At least not like Connor, but she was different. With one touch, she grabbed his heart and held it in her hand.

  “Like I said. He looked a lot like you guys. You never did say. Do you have a brother?”

  He dodged the question again. She’d find out soon enough, but for now, he was the one who needed answers. Finn hadn’t said a damn thing about meeting her.

  “And what did he do? After he changed out of his bear body and into human form?” Connor had taken her attention from him. Liam dragged in a breath, thankful that Connor had seen his need for time to let it all sink in.

  “He talked to me.”

  “He did? What’d he say?”

  Liam’s mouth was dry. The clan of werebears didn’t like anyone shifting in the daytime, and especially not in front of a human. But to talk to her on top of being seen? That was risking too much. Unless, of course, Finn had sensed that she was their mate. But that couldn’t have been the case. He would’ve told them. Hiding the fact that he’d let a human see him was one thing, certainly something his brother would do. But hiding the fact that he’d met their mate? He’d never have done that.

  “He argued with me and tried to tell me that I’d hit him and not a bear. But I knew better. Or at least, I thought so at the moment.”

  Connor groaned, then shook his head. “Go on. Did he say anything else?”

  Once again, Liam was glad to have his brother take over the questioning. He was more analytical and able to control his emotions, but having his mate so close had thrown him off. Still, he had to be careful, ready to take over if Connor started having difficulty handling his feelings for her. While Finn was the impulsive jokester, Connor felt things faster, harder than his brothers did. And yet, here he was, handling it like Liam would’ve done.

  “He said he’d call a tow truck and he did. Later. At least I assume he did, since one showed up an hour after he said he’d get one.” She tossed her head, making her shoulder-length locks dance. “Oh, yeah. And he told me ‘to slow the hell down’.”

  That was their brother Finn to the T. But if it had been Finn that she’d hit, why hadn’t he told them? Hadn’t he recognized her as their future mate? To think that she’d been near their home three months earlier drove him crazy. Three months wasn’t a long time, but after waiting years for his mate, every minute lost was a damn shame.

  Now that she was there, he’d do his best to make up for it. One way or another. Yet as much as he wanted to stay with her, to follow her to the rental home, his anger for Finn grew strong enough that he couldn’t stand it any longer. If he didn’t get away from her for now, he’d tell her everything before he had a chance to confront Finn. He stood up, spinning the chair back around.

  “I hope you get what you want, Brynn.” As long as what she wanted was them.

  “You’re leaving?” Her mouth parted just enough for him to imagine sliding his tongue inside. Her disappointment sent a sharp pain into his gut that was both awful and good.

  “We won’t interrupt your meal any longer. But I’m sure we’ll see each other again.” He wanted to take her hand and he yearned to caress her face, but if he did, he’d have no choice but to either sit down and talk more, or more likely yet, to pull her into his arms.

  “Oh. Okay. I hope so.”

  Connor’s glare was on him as he stood then shoved his chair to the table. “Yeah, we will. You can count on it.”

  Liam jerked his head toward the door, then stalked out of the restaurant. His gaze scanned the street. Finn had to be somewhere close.

  “Why’d we leave? You know she’s our mate, right?”

  “Yeah, I felt the connection, too.” Where the hell was their younger brother?

  “Then what gives?”

  “Finn was the bear she hit.”

  “Yeah. I got that.”

  “I don’t know about you, Connor, but I want to know why the fuck he didn’t tell us about her?”

  “You’re right and I want to know why, too. But get a grip. You almost lost it in front of her.” Connor shot him a lopsided grin. “Although it’s kind of fun seeing you about to lose your cool for once.”

  “Let’s go and find Finn.” With that said, Liam did a quick right turn and rushed around the side of the building. He almost ran into Finn, then sidestepped at the last moment.

  “Hey, bro-bears, what’s up?”

  Finn landed with his butt on the ground a second later, working his aching jaw back and forth. “Damn it, Liam. Hold up and let me explain.”

  Liam clenched his fist to keep from knocking his brother down again when he finally got back on his feet. “You got run over by a car. And then you let the woman inside see you change. You saw her.”

  Finn hesitated long enough for Liam to know he thought about lying. Fortunately for him, he resisted the urge to do so.

  “Yeah, I did.” He held up his hands in a defensive mode. “Are you talking about today or three months ago?”

  If Connor hadn’t held him back, he would’ve struck out again. It took everything he had not to let his angry beast take over and shift.

  “Calm down, Liam. It won’t do us any good if he’s out like a light. Let him talk.”

  Finn backed away but knew he was cornered. “Fine. Yes. She ran into me while I was in my bear body.”

  “Damn it, Finn.” Connor was now as furious as he was. “You know the rules about our changing during the daytime. And near the highway, no less.”

  “She wasn’t on a main road, but out by one of Carr’s rental homes. I didn’t see her until I ran out in front of her car. She barreled into me and I went sailing over the car. By the time she’d managed a U-tur
n, I’d already shifted back. I didn’t think, okay? It was a reflex action. How was I to know she’d want to see what she hit? Besides, I had to make sure she was all right, didn’t I?”

  “That’s bullshit. You must’ve damaged her car and known she’d check.” Finn had a tendency to stretch the truth at times, but not even mentioning getting hit went beyond his usual dodges.

  “Fine. She saw me. I shouldn’t have shifted, but it’s all water under the bridge now. No one was the wiser and the rest of the clan never got wind of it. I was black and blue for a while, but she was okay. Hell, I even called a tow truck for her. So why are you giving all this shit?”

  “She’s in Earline’s right now.”

  Finn backed up again. Not a good sign. Hell, hadn’t he said he’d seen her today?

  “Yeah. I know. I was halfway inside when I saw you two sitting with her and the other woman. I recognized her from before and decided not to risk her remembering me.”

  “At least you did something right.” Liam slicked a hand over his head. He loved Finn, but sometimes his impulsive brother made it difficult not to want to skin him alive.

  “I still don’t see what’s the big deal.”

  “She said you talked to her. Didn’t you notice anything?” Liam struggled to push down his anger. To keep from hitting Finn again, he crossed his arms and tilted his head.

  “Like what? That she’s pretty? That she drives like a mad woman?”

  “No. Like she’s our mate,” shouted Connor.

  Liam grabbed his arm. “Say it louder, man, so she can hear you all the way inside.”

  To some degree, he’d regained his calm, but he still couldn’t stand it. His brother had met their mate three months earlier and not known it. “Then you didn’t get close enough to sense it?”

  Finn’s jaw dropped. “Fuckin’ A. Naw, I didn’t get that close. She was kind of skittish, seeing how I was butt naked. So she’s really our mate? Are you sure?”

  “We both felt it.” Connor’s tone was full of emotion at the thrill of having found their mate. “No doubt about it. The connection’s real.”

  “Shit. And I missed it.” Finn’s usual ego came rushing in. “So she came back to find me, right? She tried, but she couldn’t stay away?”

  That was his youngest brother. Full of confidence. In that respect, he admired Finn. That and his lighthearted way of looking at life. Connor was similar to Finn but more likely to think with his heart. As for him? He was the serious one, always maintaining his role as the older brother in charge.

  “Maybe I should go inside and give the girl a break?”

  Liam snagged Finn by the collar and thrust him back against the wall. “You’re not going anywhere near her.”

  “Why the hell not?”

  Calm. Remain calm.

  Sometimes that was a difficult thing to do around Finn. “She came here to find the man who can change into a bear.”

  “Shit. So she figured that out, huh?”

  Was he serious? Or was he still dodging? “Yeah. She did. And she’s set a trap for the shifter. For you.”

  “A trap? What for? I’m more than ready to reveal myself to her. After all, if she’s our mate like you say she is, she’s going to find out anyway. Might as well be now.”

  Again, he shoved his brother back against the wall. Finn’s inner bear didn’t take a liking to it. Bits of amber flared in his eyes and the tips of his fangs showed, but Liam was ready to take him on if he had to.

  “Until we can figure out the best approach to this, you stay away from her.”

  “Stay away from our mate? What the hell for? I don’t get it. Why not tell her?”

  “You can’t just spring it on her like that.” Connor had finally decided to join in. “You know how it is. We have to ease into it. Sure, she already knows shifters exist, but not that three of them want her as their mate. Hell, you know as well as I do that some women freak out and run off. We can’t risk that.”

  They’d talked about it a hundred times among themselves as well as with werebears who had already found their mates. “Females are always better able to accept the bear sides of our kind after they’ve gotten to know the men they are first. It’s easier if the woman falls in love with the men first before they’re faced with the reality of what the men are on the inside. On top of that, she’s brought her sister along. If we tell her about us, she’s going to tell her sister. That’s one too many people finding out. The clan will have our fur if we tell her too soon and she shouts it to the world.”

  “Connor’s right, Finn. For once, use your head and listen to us.”

  Finn knew when he was bested as he slumped against the wall. “Okay, okay. Fine. We’ll give her more time.”

  Liam slapped him playfully on the cheek, inflicting just enough pain to let him know he was only partially joking. “Now there’s the McGarrett intelligence I knew was buried somewhere inside that thick skull. Come on. Let’s get back to the ranch. We’ve got cattle to feed and horses to groom.”

  “And her to talk to.”

  Liam pushed Finn ahead of him. “Yeah, that, too.”

  * * * *

  Brynn pulled Lizzy along with her into Maizy’s Boutique. The store was small but instead of packing the place with as much inventory as she could, Taryn had done the smart thing by limiting her stock and showcasing the items so that everything was easy to find.

  “Hey, you came back. Great.” Taryn stopped folding a stack of pastel cotton shirts and slid her hands into the pockets of her butterfly-adorned dress.

  “Uh-huh. We thought we’d look around before heading out to the rental house.” That was part of it. But Brynn was on a fact-finding mission as well.

  “Help yourself. I have a changing room in the back and if you need anything, just let me know.” Taryn’s gaze met hers. “Although I’m guessing you’re not really in the shopping mode, are you?”

  Was the girl a mind reader? Or just very astute? Either way, she figured she was the type of girl who’d appreciate her getting right into it.

  “Okay, I confess. I, uh, we just met a couple of men at Earline’s and thought maybe you could give us a head’s up about them.”

  Taryn’s face lit up. “Ooh, that sounds interesting. So who’d you meet?”

  “Their names are Liam and Connor McGarrett.” Lizzy picked up a blouse, gave it a quick look, then folded it and put it back on the stack. “Personally, I didn’t think much of them. Not that they’re bad guys or anything. And they were definitely hot.” She wiggled her fingers, making her small engagement ring sparkle. “But I’m engaged. We’re here because Brynn’s crushing on them.”

  “Lizzy!” Yet she couldn’t deny it. At least not outright. “I’m just curious is all.”

  “Wow. Liam and Connor. Now there’s a pair for you. Pretty terrific guys, by the way. Connor’s a real sweetheart. I know he’s a big man and all, but he’s also a big teddy bear. Loving, cuddly, with a heart as big as Texas but a body like a brick wall. He’s an open book. What you see is what you get. As for Liam? He’s kind of an unofficial leader around town since we don’t have a sheriff or anything. He’s as honest as the day is long, strong-minded, but fair. Kind of keeps things to himself, but there’s usually a reason for it.”

  “So, they’re okay? And—” She held back the word available.

  “Available?” Taryn gave her a knowing smile. “They are. For the right woman.”

  “You sound like you’d like to be that woman.”

  Brynn winced at Lizzy’s bluntness, but sometimes her sister said what she wanted to say.

  “I’d be a lucky woman if I could be, but I’m not for them.”

  Not for them? Did they do arranged marriages in Shatland? Sometimes small towns did things in ways that mainstream America would find strange.

  “Okay, well, I was just wondering.”

  Again came the knowing smile. “Uh-huh. If you want to know anything more, you just stop on by. Hey, what about—” She snagg
ed her ringing cell phone out of her pocket. “Sorry. I need to take this in my office. Y’all take your time and look around. Holler if you need anything.”

  She and Lizzy spent the next few minutes half-heartedly shopping, but her mind was more on the McGarrett brothers.

  “Come on, sis, let’s get back to the ranch.”

  “Okay.” She followed Lizzy out of the store, stopping once to gaze around the town. It was a nice place even with its quirks, but wasn’t that part of its charm? She wouldn’t mind living in a small town like Shatland.

  * * * *

  Finn had listened to his brothers. But listening and agreeing were two different things. He didn’t agree that they should wait to tell her. Hell, she’d seen him shift and hadn’t gone off the deep end, right? Why would she do that now? After debating it for over an hour, he’d finally managed to sneak off.

  They were the ones to talk about staying away from her. They’d gotten to feel the connection with her, but he hadn’t. He eased around the edge of the barn then watched, transfixed as two women moved around inside the rental home. If luck were with him, the women wouldn’t go strolling out into the pasture and find the clothes he’d left bunched underneath a bush.

  He peeked inside the barn and had to hold back his laugh. The cage door was propped open, ready to spring shut once a bear passed through its opening and tripped the thin wire. Once the wire was tripped, the door would slam shut. He had to admit, however, that the bait she’d set in the pasture and leading up to the barn door had made his mouth drool. If he hadn’t wanted to stay in his human form as long as possible, he would’ve eaten every bit of it.

  My brothers are going to kill me for sure.

  But being the rambunctious sort that found getting into trouble fun, he couldn’t resist. What would it be like to be caged by their future mate?

  There she is.

  She was just as beautiful as he remembered. If only he’d gotten closer that day three months earlier, they’d already be mated. If he’d realized then that she was their mate, he would’ve pulled her out of the car and carried her back to the ranch. There wouldn’t be any of this fucking business about hiding their inner bears from her. She’d already seen his.