Called by the Bear 1-3 (7 page)
Read Called by the Bear 1-3 Online
Authors: V. Vaughn
S
ierra
A
nnie brought
us to a cozy bed and breakfast, and for the first time in days, we each get our own room. I'm looking forward to sleeping alone and leaving my stuff everywhere. The quaint accommodations are decorated in an old-fashioned Victorian style with throw pillows, an overstuffed chair, and a fluffy duvet that has me longing to climb under it.
After dropping us off to freshen up, Annie is headed to the store to close and then back to pick us up for dinner. I give myself a quick freshen-up and walk over to Carly's room. I'm worried about her and think she's feeling insecure. That comment about not surfing because she's too fat made me sad.
My knuckles rap on her door. "Hey, it's me."
She opens up and says, "Stunning as always, my friend."
Carly has put her hair up in a clip that lets soft strands fall around her face, framing her gorgeous eyes and full lips. "You look pretty hot yourself. Nervous?" I perch myself on her bed.
"So much so I might throw up." I watch as she applies lipstick in a soft pink shade. "Sierra, what if Brady finds I'm not what he expected? And I've moved all the way across the country for something that isn't?" Carly plops down in the chair and sighs. "I don't think I can go."
The silver flecks of light I’ve grown accustomed to seeing aren’t in her eyes. I cluck my tongue at her. "You don't have an idea how amazing you are, do you?" I stand with my hands on my hips for an ego-boosting speech. "Girlfriend, your blue eyes lure them in, and when they get there, your body has sexy curves that make them never want to stop touching you. But you know what the best part is?" I think about my loving friend. "You have a heart of gold, and when you let someone in, they get a loyal, courageous person that treasures the gift they are. Any guy would be damn lucky to have you."
Carly smiles at me, and I think I got through when she says, "I'm lucky to have you too. Thanks." She takes the hand I hold out to her and stands up. "Annie will be here any minute. Let's do this."
I nod. "On it."
We make our way to the sitting area to wait for her. I spy the red Hummer through the window. "She's already here." Which is good, because Carly's still smiling from my pep talk.
After driving a short distance from the bed and breakfast, we pull into a long paved driveway that winds up a small hill. Near the top an incredibly tall wrought-iron gate opens when Annie pushes a button on her visor. It's dark out, but as we go by the gate I think I can make out a design of bears and trees on it.
Carly asks, "Is that a custom gate?"
Annie answers, "Yes, for Bear Mountain Tree Company."
I wonder how much something like that costs to have made. We approach a very large log-cabin-style house--no, it’s a fortress. I have my answer. It costs too much if you have to ask. I say, "What a gorgeous home." This is the kind of house that keeps a family safe.
Annie grins in the rearview mirror at me. "Thank you. We've been blessed with a rich heritage and parents that made sure we knew how to run a good business."
We pull into a garage and park next to a large black pickup truck. It's muddy but appears to be a recent model. I guess it's Brady's, and it fits my image of what kind of men we're about to meet.
While neat, the space is full of stuff. Multiple pairs of snowshoes are hung on the wall, downhill skis are next to them, and mountain bikes hang from hooks in the ceiling. This is an active family. It occurs to me we don't know their last name.
We climb out of the Hummer, and our heels tap on the concrete as Carly and I follow Annie into the house. The front door closes behind us with a deep thump that blocks off all noise from outside. This place is solid as a rock, and it makes me wonder if there’s a sheet of metal hiding in the wood.
The aroma of thyme and sage roasting wafts toward us, and I assume we're having baked chicken. We’ve stepped onto tile, but it quickly turns to hardwood as we enter a great room that's more than two stories tall. Open beams frame their way up to a peak, and windows are set up high to let in light. A chandelier hangs down, and an oversized fireplace roars at the end of the room. I marvel at the huge logs that fit with the super-sized atmosphere.
Off to our left is the kitchen, separated by a deep green granite island. I turn toward the dark cherry cabinets that glow in soft light. Beyond them is a table set lit with candles. Heavy footsteps sound behind me, and we all turn toward the staircase off to the right of the great room.
Holy shit.
The largest man I've ever seen is coming our way. He's close to seven feet with shoulders that must span the length of my arm. They taper down to a fit-looking waist and thighs the size of tree trunks. He's focused on Carly, and when her gaze manages to get to his face, he grins with bright white teeth.
"Ladies. So nice to have you here." He may have addressed all of us, but it's clear he's only seeing Carly. A flush rises to her cheeks when she puts her hand out and says, "Carly Cutler."
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Buy or borrow all nine installments in bundles or on their own:
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on’t miss
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July 16
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Coming in August
C
arly Le Roux
. Rolls right off the tongue, doesn’t it? The moment Brady Le Roux touched me any doubt he was my destiny vanished. Even after discovering he’s more than just a man. And that wasn’t the only shock he had for me. But each new revelation exhilarates the warrior in me -- I’m here to stay. I think I may have been born for this…
M
y name is Brady
, and as the alpha of the Le Roux Clan I need a strong mate. Carly Cutler may have had my heart the first time I saw her in my dreams, but now she’s captured my soul. Taking the challenges I present to her and surprising me with a few of her own, she’s worthy of being a clan leader. We’ve only begun the journey of what is meant to be…
C
arly
H
ands that dwarf
mine wrap around my fingers, and warmth spreads through me. Any doubt I had about leaving my successful tattoo-artist career in California to drive to Maine is wiped from my mind. The man I’ve been dreaming about for weeks is even more compelling in real life.
It was only a week ago I gave myself the paw-print tattoo based on visions in the dreams that brought me here. While the pull to come was strong, my belief I’m here for a reason is now solid. The man’s voice seems to travel through my body and caress me along the way as he says, "Brady Le Roux."
The desire to press into his chest and breathe him in is strong, but I refrain and ask, "French?"
He nods. "Yes, French Canadian, actually." Brady’s eyes are a deep mossy green, and firelight dances in them. The tattoo on my wrist is pulsing with desire as the memory of what Brady has done to me in my visions flows through my veins. He still hasn't let go of my hand and is only distracted when his sister, Annie, clears her throat.
He steps back and reluctantly drops my hand. Sierra steps forward with hers out. "Sierra Steele." My best friend’s name always makes me think of a movie star, and she usually captures the attention of any guy we meet. But not this time. Brady gives her a quick glance without shaking her hand and returns his attention to me.
His arm is the size of my thigh, and he takes my arm to walk us over to the island in the Le Roux kitchen. I’m not sure if the others follow. I'm so taken with Brady that all I can process is the flexing of the muscles beneath the flannel of his sleeve. He pulls a tall bar chair out for me and tucks me in when I sit. The counter is set higher than traditional ones, and I set my hands on the cold granite to pull myself back to reality. That's when I realize the whole kitchen is designed for taller people. Nice.
Poor Sierra has to fend for herself. She sits beside me and whispers in my ear, "Oh my God." I just grin because words fail me.
Annie walks toward a stainless steel refrigerator and asks, "Can I get anyone some wine? Or a soft drink?"
Brady says, "I have champagne for the occasion. Carly?"
In a normal situation I'd be embarrassed that he isn't addressing Sierra too, but this isn't a normal situation. "That sounds lovely, thank you."
Sierra says softly, "Yeah, me too." She chuckles under her breath and whispers to me, "Told you he’d be into you."
Annie smirks as she hands Brady a bottle.
She heard what Sierra said?
Annie leans over toward Sierra. "Keith will be here soon." She pats her hand and adds, "And then I'll be the only one that's ignored."
Brady smiles at his sister. "You remember how this feels."
"I do, brother dear." Her smile fades. "Enjoy it."
He catches her chin in his hand. "It'll happen again, I'm sure of it."
Annie turns away, and I suspect there are tears in her eyes.
When we all have a drink in our hand, Brady raises his in a toast. "To mates."
Mates?
Everything about my attraction clicks into place. Glass clinks as we all connect them. Brady's eyes never leave mine, and I say, "So the mate thing is real." My cheeks heat up because I’m recalling the carnal events of my dreams.
His voice becomes lower, and the sound makes me want to jump on him and ravage his body. "Very."
Sierra asks, "What's with the paw print sign, though? Is it that hard to find a mate?" She glances at Annie and then back to Brady. "I mean, it sounds like you can have more than one."
Bubbles dance on my tongue as Annie answers, "You can, but some are more right than others."
Brady says, "Sending out the sign was highly unusual, but our family is in trouble." He sets his drink down, and the glass barely makes a noise as it hits the granite. "The Le Roux family had a long-standing agreement with an Indian tribe. We helped keep them safe in exchange for many things they could do to help us survive. But a massacre happened, leaving very few of the tribe to continue. One of the survivors was a medicine woman, and she cursed us."
Annie says, "She said that our ancestors would never see great-grandchildren. Which they believed meant they wouldn't live long enough. They were willing to deal with that and never gave it much thought." She fiddles with the foil on the champagne bottle.
Brady continues, "Our generation are the grandchildren, and we’ve come to find out the women in our family are barren." My core twinges as I think about making babies, and I tell my mind to shut up.
I ask, "And the men are not?"
Annie nods. "Right, but to continue our family bloodline, we need certain types of women. Women with the right DNA."
Sierra shakes her head. "Wait up. You brought us here to breed?"
The mouthful of champagne I just swallowed goes down the wrong way, and I choke. Crap on a cracker.
I knew there had to be a catch.
Brady thumps my back, and all eyes are on me as I force a smile. “I’m okay.” Heat from Brady’s palm relaxes me as his slaps turn to lazy rubbing that is no longer about my safety. As I gaze over at the most beautiful man I've ever seen, my body screams, “Breed? Hell yes!”
Brady's eyes close, and he shakes his head slowly. “I meant what I said about making sure you stay because you want to. Nobody's getting pregnant without a marriage first and full permission on both sides."
Sierra grabs her glass and gets up to pace. "I don't like it."
I'm thinking the same thing, even though I can't deny the strong attraction I feel for Brady. Annie walks over and stands in front of Sierra. "We’re serious. This is completely up to you. Just have dinner with us and meet Keith. If you want to go back tomorrow, we won't stop you." Sierra sighs, and Annie grips her arms gently. "If you need time to figure out what you want, take it. There's no rush."
I turn to Brady. His cheekbones are prominent in his face, and his jaw is strong. He looks at me for a moment before speaking. "Carly, the same goes for you. I won't push you to do anything against your will."
When he grasps my fingers tightly, the sensation of endorphins flooding my body is like the reaction to good chocolate.
How can I not try with this man?
Words I’m not sure are mine come out before I have a chance to stop them. "I'm willing to see what happens."