Bearly Begun (BBW/Bearshifter Romance) (Bachelor Bears of Yakima Ridge Book 1) (11 page)

He was too damned old for such carryings on. He needed to be married up with his mate lying snug in bed beside him every night.

* * *

Len’s bedroom door opened and Cord peeped in. Lenny had tossed his soaking blanket aside, but he pulled it up to his waist. Great, now he had woken the boys—probably shouting in his dreams.

“Yes?” Len whispered hoarsely. His voice sounded hard and mean even to him.

“I had a bad dream,” Cord said fearfully. He opened the door wider and came into the room. He looked as bad as Lenny felt. His blonde hair was matted on one side and damp. His pajamas were limp and he stank worse than Len.
Great.
Now he was going to have to explain about wet dreams to a kid on the cusp of manhood.

Lenny reached for his jeans and pulled them on carefully trying not to jostle his poor exploited package any more than he had too. “Let’s go get us some milk, son,” he said.

“Do you want to tell me about it?” he asked Cord when they were both seated at the kitchen table with glasses of milk and the package of crackers and the jar of peanut butter. The only light came from the street lights outside.

Cord nodded. “I keep having the same one,” he said hesitantly. He stopped and put an entire peanut butter cracker in his mouth.

Len decided to save the etiquette lecture for another time. “Go on,” he encouraged.

Cord swallowed and took a gulp of milk. “I keep dreaming I’m turning into a bear,” he blurted.

Len nodded.
So Joe had been right all along.
“Hmm. Is that scary?”

Cord nodded vigorously and gulped more milk. Lenny filled up Cord’s glass again and thought desperately.

“What happens in your dreams?” Len asked at last.

“I turn into a bear. And then I fight people.” Cord’s voice rose in anguish. “I bite them and then they die.”

Whoa, buddy.
Now that didn’t sound like adolescent bear dreams. At least not Lenny’s. Probably different if you didn’t grow up knowing you were a bear and longing for your first shift.

“You can’t kill people in a dream,” Len reassured the boy.

Cord put his left arm on the table and pulled up the sleeve of his pajama shirt. From elbow to fingertip it had become a hairy, pale gold forearm and paw with long greyish white claws. He looked at Len in fear. “Do you see it too?”

“I do. Looks like you’re having your first shift in your sleep.” Len noticed absently that this development had acted like a bucket of cold water on his tender crotch.

“What do you mean? First shift?” Cord’s eyes were big. He waved his bear arm. “This is nuts.”

“Not if you’re a bearshifter,” Len assured him.”

“What’s a bearshifter? Am I turning into a freak?” Cord’s voice rose to a squeak.

“Not a freak, a bear.” Len paused. “A bearshifter is a man who can take bear form when he wants to.”

“Like I’m developing superpowers?” Cord’s blue eyes lit up.

“Sort of. You’re coming into your second form. You’ll be getting some bear power for sure. Strength. Good sense of smell. Stuff like that. Super powers? Not so much. Up to you how you use your bear. First step is learning to control it. A shifter needs self-control.”

“Huh.”

“That’s for the future, son. Right this minute, your trouble seems to be that you didn’t return to human form, or not completely. I want you to calm down. Take a deep breath and relax.” Len’s calm bass rumble seemed to relax the agitated youngster.

“Now think about using your left arm to pick up a cracker. Don’t try it, just think about it.” Len kept his voice level.

Cord locked his eyes on his furry appendage and thought.

“Imagine that you want to reach across your plate to that package of crackers. You are going to hold them with your human hand and you need your other hand to be human too. You are going to reach in past the paper and take out just one cracker.” Len’s instructions were clear and calm.

“Ow!” Cord jumped up and shook his left arm hard. “That hurts.” He danced around in circles howling. But when he looked down at his left arm and hand they were once again human.

“How did that happen?” he demanded.

“Same way you turned into a bear,” Lenny said. “It’s not really any different than learning to walk or speak. Some of it just seems to happen, and some of it you control.”

“How come you know about this weirdness,” Cord asked shrilly, looking at his hands in disbelief.

Len shrugged. “How do you think I know?”

Cord’s eyes rounded. He shook his head. “Nah,” he said. “Show me.”

“Now isn’t the right time, son,” said Lenny easily. “You need to settle down and get some sleep. You have school in the morning.” He smiled reassuringly. “How long have you been having these bear dreams?” he asked.

“I don’t know. Since before Dad got out of jail. Do you think I’m really going to be a bear when I grow up?”

“Whenever you need to be. Most of the time, it won’t help. You ready to tell Hunter and Joe about your bear, son?”

“Do I have to?”

“Up to you. But Hunter is probably dealing with this all on his lonesome. Might be fitting for you to give him a brotherly heads up.”

“Huh. You really think Hunter is a bearshifter too.” Cord’s eyes were round.

“I’d guess so,” Len said placidly.

“Is Mr. Joey a bear too?” Cord asked wonderingly.

“Runs in families, son.”

The kitchen light flipped on. “What’s going on?” demanded Hunter in an aggressive voice. He looked suspiciously at Cord and Lenny.

“Your brother was having trouble sleeping. We’re having a snack. Get yourself a glass and a plate.” Len returned good humoredly.

Joe’s sleep rumpled form stalked into the kitchen. He was wearing just his jeans and he looked big and impossibly hairy. But his voice was mild. “What’s all the rumpus about?”

Cord’s face went white. He shot Len a pleading look.

“Bad dreams. Cord and I thought milk and crackers would help.” Lenny waved a hand at the table. “Want to join us?”

CHAPTER
THIRTEEN

Blow was pissed. That fucking asshole that Pacman wanted him to take out had pretty near busted his knee to hell. It was swollen up the size of a cantaloupe and he had a fucking limp.

He hoped the bastard had a set of broke ribs from where the pipe got him. Should of used a fucking gun. If he’d of shot the asshole, wouldn’t have done no kicking or nothing then. Next time.

Pacman thought them boys of his was going to be useful sooner rather than later. They was big enough, and if they learned to handle themselves, they could be worthwhile having around. Made sense if you wanted backup to look to your own family. Pacman’s plan to bring his boys into the business was a good one. What business did that asshole have collaring Pacman’s boys and keeping them from their own dad?

Pacman thought that the problem was that bitch who had custody of his sons. She was fucking the asshole that was certain. Probably best to do them both. Maybe even see if it could look like the asshole did her and then turned his gun on himself.

Once those two nosy parkers were taken care of, the twins would get back into line. He would personally see to it. By the time Pacman had parole, they could be defending their own holes, running errands for bagmen, and they’d still be underage.

The doorbell rang and Blow hobbled to the hall where the screen showed one of his regulars. He unlatched the door handed over a small packet from his pocket and took the customer’s twenty in silence. Then he lurched back into the living room to prop his leg up. Fucking asshole was gonna pay for all the pain he was in.

* * *

The boys were asleep. Joe and Len were giving their kitchen a lick and a promise before they too turned in.

“So you want to explain how you got dirty taking Erin home last night?” Joe enquired softly.

“Hunter told you about that?”

“He did. Seemed to think it meant Miss Erin had tussled some with you,” Joe said warningly.

“I hope you set him straight,” Len said. He looked straight at Joey to be certain his own twin wouldn’t think he would use violence on his mate.

“I did my best. “ Joe said raising his eyebrows. “You want to tell me what did happen?”

Len rinsed the sink. “I think Pacey’s pal, Blow, waited for me outside Erin’s place with a length of lead pipe.”

“You sure?” Joe said.

“Yeah, pipe’s too heavy to be galvanized steel,” Len informed him drily.

“Did you ID him, Len?” Joe asked patiently.

“Well, I smelled the guy with the pipe. So if he comes around again, I’ll know. But I got nothing I could go to the cops with.” Len shrugged.

“You think he’ll try again?” Joe demanded.

“I sure hope so,” Len said. “I owe him.”

“Well now, I had young Cord take me around the corner to Blow’s crib.” Joe said.

“Huh.”

“Big three story house, nice wide porch. Three, four broken chairs and an old settee for watching the neighbors,” Joe went on.

“Sounds right welcoming.”

“Guess I didn’t mention the bullet holes in the siding? Or the video cameras covering the doors?” Joe said.

“Must have slipped your mind.” Len hung his cloth neatly over the towel rack. “Think he’s dealing out of there?”

Joey nodded. “I do indeed. Which means Pacey got caught with that shit the cops claimed to find on him quite legitimately. Wasn’t a setup, brother.”

“You tell Cord not to go over there again?” Len asked.

“I believe I impressed upon him the folly of getting anywhere near that particular house. So far I have not had the opportunity to have a similar discussion with Hunter.” Joe stopped and looked hard at his twin. “But Lenny, thing is Blow might go after Miss Erin.”

“Not if he wants to live.” Leonard Benoit’s mighty frame got bigger and broader and his pleasant face became the visage of an infuriated warrior bear.

“May not know he’s hunting bear, bro.” Joe said.

* * *

“You want me to move into your house?” Erin asked in astonishment.

Len turned redder.
What must his mate think of such a plan?
“I have a bad feeling about Blow. He tried to take me out on Saturday night. Yesterday afternoon he showed up outside the school yard. Fortunately, the boys were expecting me and Tracker so they just jumped into my truck and missed him altogether.

“I figure Joe and me can bunk together, and you can have my room.” Len said because he wanted Erin to know he wasn’t asking her to shack up under the eyes of her kid brothers.” Just until Blow is convinced he’s not getting anywhere.”

“He was waiting for Hunter and Cord?” Erin asked worriedly.

“In that white van of his. Bold as brass. So he knows those lads normally walk home from school. I’d guess he’s offered them rides before,” Len said baldly.

“Did you ask them? They know that they’re not supposed to accept rides from strangers.” Erin’s hazel eyes were tense and anxious.

“Blow is unfortunately no stranger to those two,” Len reminded her. “Pacey introduced them to his pal.”

“What makes you think he might come after me?” Erin asked.

“He knows enough that he was waiting outside your place for me on Saturday night. I got to thinking about him waiting for you to get back from work at four in the morning. Man who would try to get boys to do his dirty work, wouldn’t much mind hurting a woman.

“If he’d hit me upside the head, Erin, like he tried to do, he’d have split me open like a watermelon.” Len put his hands on her arms and drew her against his bulk.

“I get the shakes thinking about him waiting for you. So it’s either I have to camp outside your building, or you have to sleep here.” Len tightened his arms around his treasure.

“When you put it like that, how can I refuse?” Erin laid her head on his chest. “I’ll have to go home and pack a bag.”

“I’ll come with you.”

* * *

Hunter met Len and Erin at the top of the stairs. He was wearing his most suspicious look. He had been scowling since they had brought Erin’s bag into the house before she went to work and put it in Len’s room.

“I thought you said you were going to bed,” he said accusingly to Len.

“Got up when Erin texted she was on Parkhurst. You go on back to bed, Hunter. Goodnight, Erin.” Len kissed her cheek.

Hunter watched balefully until Len went back into Joe’s room and Erin brushed her teeth and went into Len’s room. He had begun his stay in the house pretty certain that he and Cord were being groomed by a pair of bumfuckers. He had locked the door of the bedroom he shared with Cord from the first night.

But neither Len nor Joe seemed interested in boys. They had strong views on behavior and soap and water, but they didn’t seem to want to do much more than make sure he and Cord made their beds and put their dirty clothes in the wash. They never ‘accidentally’ opened the bathroom door, or any of the other ploys Hunter had heard kids talking about.

Gradually he had begun to suspect that Len was really after Erin. Hunter wasn’t sure how he felt about that. Erin didn’t date. At least he didn’t think she did. She never had a boyfriend. He didn’t know if she would sleep with a guy like Len. But he was pretty sure it wouldn’t be right if she did. Unless Len married her.

Cord thought Len wanted to do just that. That his honorable intentions meant just that. But Lenny hadn’t agreed with him when he said it. And if Erin married Len what would he and Cord do? Dad was in prison. If Erin moved to French Town, or whatever that hillbilly village Len was from was called, where would they live?

Sure Len seemed to like them sometimes. But in Hunter’s experience guys didn’t get married and expect to have brothers as part of the deal. Particularly not boys who had stolen their stuff. And that probably went double or triple for a boy who could turn into a bear.

Cord thought that they would go live with Len and Erin. Hunter thought that was castles in the f***ing sky. Erin wouldn’t leave them behind, would she? And if Len left her behind, it was going to break her heart. He didn’t know what he should do in order to keep them apart. But he would think of something.

* * *

Erin found it hard to fall asleep in Len’s room. It was the damnedest thing him insisting on her moving into his house, but not as a prelude to them sleeping together. She hoped this was some sort of small town thing, rather than a sign that he wasn’t really courting her as Maddie and Hannah believed. Because her fantasies of forever after seemed to be coming true. But Len had said nothing about loving her. On the other hand, she hadn’t spoken either.