Delta Bear (Rogue Bear Series 2) (3 page)

H
e stared
at her over the candlelight. The flames bouncing off the green in her eyes. When in the hell did this happen? This morning he was alone. A Delta determined to get back to the mission. An alpha leaving his clan in his cousin’s hands. Now he was staring at his mate, feeling compelled to leave everything behind and start a life with her.

This wasn’t the plan. This had never been his plan.

“I have another secret.” He leaned across the table.

“What’s that?” He could see the questions in her eyes.

“I know the best place in Washington to watch falling stars.”

Her shoulders relaxed. “I thought you were going to tell me something completely different. You like to surprise me don’t you?”

“I do.” He grinned. “Want to see it?”

She nodded. “Very much.”

Jax paid for dinner, and ushered her out of the restaurant. He wanted to be alone with her in the place he felt most at home. The car ride to the cabin was quiet. He had let the dial land on an oldies station and left it there.

He parked in front of the house and walked around to the passenger side to help Haley from the car, but she was already halfway out of her seat.

“Let me grab some drinks. Wait right here.”

He left her by the car while he ran in the cabin. There was a quilt on the bed he grabbed, along with a few beers from the fridge. It wasn’t much for romance, but he hadn’t thought through what would happen when he was with Haley. How he would react to her, and how badly he wanted her to feel safe with him.

He met her at the car, his arms loaded with star-watching supplies.

“I think I’ve got everything. Ready?”

She looked at what he was carrying. “Don’t we need a flashlight?”

“Nah. I have excellent night vision.”

“Let me guess…part of your training?”

She followed closely as he led her down a path and along the trail until they ended up on the edge of a ravine.

He spread the quilt on the ground and handed her a beer.

“Promise it will be the best night show you’ve seen.”

Haley touched the beer to her lips. “This is probably the only spot in the entire forest where you can look up and see sky.”

“It is.” He sat next to her. All he wanted to do was pull her body under his, but he was trying to use restraint. Trying to act like a man and not give into his bear all at once.

“Where are we?” she asked.

He looked around, knowing every tree, every bush surrounding them. He had spent his childhood exploring this forest, but not in a way that would make sense to Haley.

“It’s part of my family’s land.” He took a swig of beer. “We own everything on this side of the creek and another family’s land starts on the other side.”

“Did you play here as a child?”

“Yeah, I did. I had a lot of cousins growing up. We took over the woods.”

Haley smiled. “I bet that was fun. I didn’t really grow up with much family.”

“Where is your family, doc?”

“Mainly New England. My parents are there. But I don’t have any siblings. I guess you could say I didn’t spend my childhood outside. I was more of a bookworm.”

“You?” He chuckled.

She shoved his arm. “Don’t make fun of me.”

“Oh I’m not.” He couldn’t take his eyes off her. There was something about the way moonlight lit her hair that made him want to run his fingers through it.

“Do you know any of the constellations?” she asked, breaking his gaze.

“Sure.” He wedged himself behind her and pulled her against his chest. He smiled when she nestled into him. He knew she would fit perfectly. “If you look right there, you’ll see the big dipper.”

She nodded. “I see it.”

“But that forms part of the Great Bear. That’s my favorite.” He inhaled her scent. Sweet shampoo and perfume. “But if you look right over there you can see the North Star, and that will help you see the Little Bear.”

“The Little Bear?”

His hand wrapped around her waist and pulled her against him tighter. “Yes, Little Bear.”

Suddenly, it was all he could think about. Making her his bear. Claiming her in every way possible. He felt the rumble in his chest as his bear started to take over. She was too intoxicating. Too soft. Too beautiful.

“I think I like that Little Bear one too. It’s strong with the North Star, but you have to look hard to see all of her,” she whispered.

Jax swallowed hard. His cock jerked to life and his hands wanted to roam over her flesh. He could barely hear the words she was saying. His body was humming from the nearness of her. There was no way to put his bear back in check.

She turned her head slightly, her eyes locking on him, and that’s when he knew he couldn’t hold his bear back for another second.

His hands tangled in her hair as he tugged her lips to his. Her mouth was sweet with the taste of beer as he moved his lips against hers. She moaned as his tongue slipped inside. She spun in his arms until she was pressed against his body. All of her soft curves leaning into him. He sucked hard against the corners of her mouth, nipping at her full lips.

Her breathing was rapid and he could hear her heart beating against her chest. He eyed her throat before his lips blazed a trail against her skin. He didn’t have control of his hands or his mouth anymore. The instinct to make her his fired through him.

His mate was in his arms and there was only thing he wanted to do.

“Too fast,” she breathed. “Too much.” Her head reeled back as he palmed and squeezed her breast over the fabric of her tank top.

“It is,” he growled, dragging her mouth back to his. She kissed him with the same kind of fever he had.

He groaned when her legs wrapped around his waist. He was growing harder by the second, straining against the stiff denim. She rocked her hips against him.

He kissed her throat and her shoulders, making a line for her breasts.

“This is crazy,” she whispered. But her hands were in the air, as he peeled the tank top over her head.

“Very crazy.” His eyes landed on her breasts. He shoved the fabric down so her nipples were exposed. God, she was perfect.

His mouth landed on the perked nub and drew it into his mouth sharply.

“Oh, God,” she grabbed the back of his head, jutting her breasts forward.

He bit and sucked, toying roughly with her pink flesh. He flicked the clasp on her bra and pulled it from her arms. He held her lower back and stared at how exquisite she was in the moonlight under the stars.

“You’re beautiful, doc,” he whispered before his mouth landed on her other breast.

Her hands locked behind his head and she began to rock against him, each time rubbing harder against his growing erection. He could feel the heat between her legs and he groaned, knowing he had to feel all of it before he lost his mind.

He wanted to know what it would be like to claim his mate, burying himself deep inside her while she screamed his name. He felt drunk just thinking about it.

As Jax’s hands reached for her zipper, his ears perked. He heard a roar in the distance, followed by another. There was another bear in the area. His eyes flashed to hers. He froze, Haley’s skin searing against his fingertips, but the roars were getting louder. He couldn’t count how many bears were making the sounds. He shoved the tank top in her hands.

“You better get dressed. We need to get inside,” he urged.

“What’s wrong?” She pulled the shirt on, grabbing her bra off the ground.

He could see the hurt look on her face, but there would be plenty of time to change it to one of pure pleasure. Right now, he needed to get his mate somewhere safe.

“I think it would be better if we take this inside.” He pulled her to her feet and led her down the path. “You know, wild animals.” He tried to joke as they walked, but his ears were at attention trying to pick up any sound he could.

He heard the low roar again, followed by a higher pitch howl.

Haley stopped. “Holy shit. Are there wolves out here?”

He shook his head. “Just keep moving. We’ll be fine. I promise. I can keep you safe. I will no matter what.”

He scanned the tree line, but there was nothing. They were in the middle of nowhere. There were no other houses for miles. Who was out there?

They stepped on the porch and Jax felt a sense of relief. He’d be able to protect Haley better from here. He ushered her in the door.

He looked over his shoulder one more time at the woods. He growled. Maybe tonight wasn’t the night he would take his mate.

T
here was
that time after prom when her date told her he had to get home before curfew. Then there was that time in college when her study partner said he had only slept with her to get an A. But neither of those experiences felt like this.

Jax’s mouth and hands had been all over her and then suddenly they weren’t. She wanted more. She needed it.

She sat on the couch, the quilt he had given her wrapped around her shoulders, but he was standing at the window. The lights were off, and the blinds were drawn. What in the hell was going on?

She started to think he did have some post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. Paranoia would certainly be one of them. It was possible she was so attracted to him, she couldn’t think clearly. Everything between her legs told her to say yes. Clearly she couldn’t think rationally about this man anymore.

She didn’t know how long they had been back at the cabin. What she did know was he hadn’t touched her since the animal noises interrupted their make out session.

She was stuck. He had driven her here. There was no cab service in this part of the woods. She sighed and leaned into the cushions. Whatever Jax thought was in the woods was more interesting than what she thought they were about to do.

She had felt it. The heat in his hands. The air was thick between them. Her core was aching for it. She had felt how hard he had been. Why else would he have taken her out to count falling stars? Was she so out of practice dating that she didn’t know if a man wanted to sleep with her or not?

She stared at his silhouette. His wide shoulders shadowed in the dark. The moonlight, highlighting his sharp cheekbones. But eventually, her eyes grew tired and she couldn’t sit up anymore. She nuzzled into the sofa and fell asleep.

H
aley opened her eyes
. She sat upright. She wasn’t on the couch. The quilt was gone. Jax wasn’t pacing in front of the window. She looked at the pillow next to her and reached for the note.

She crumpled it and climbed out of bed. She didn’t know how he had delivered her home without her waking up. She didn’t remember a single second of him putting her in the car or carrying her to her room. But here she was, wearing the same exact clothes she had chosen for their date.

Her bag was in the chair by the door. She remembered what he had said about being a part of Delta Force. It gave her chills to think he could have planted her at home without her having any idea. Jax must have been good at what he did. She rubbed her arms. Too good.

H
e pulled
into the driveway of his cousin’s house. Brandon was sitting on the front porch.

“Hey, cuz.”

Jax snarled. “What was that stunt last night?”

“Stunt? Don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You know exactly what I’m talking about. I told you I didn’t want to get involved in clan business. Then I hear a bear fight. Or several.”

“Oh, you heard that?”

“Don’t be a dick. You know I heard it.”

“Don’t know if I should get into the details with you.”

Jax huffed. “Tell me.” He sat in the chair next to his cousin.

“All right. All right. Since you’ve been gone, we’ve been having a problem with the neighboring clans.”

“What are you talking about? We haven’t had any problems with them. The land disputes were settled a generation ago. We’ve lived side by side in peace.”

Brandon shook his head. “Not anymore. Since you left the balance has been altered. They claim we don’t have a true alpha and they want us to join them.”

Jax jumped from his seat, his chest puffed forward. “They can’t do that. I put you in charge. You are acting alpha. There is balance.”

Brandon sighed. “They don’t seem to care. That’s the fight you heard. They are fighting over which clan is going to absorb this one.”

“What? That’s fucking insane. This clan is not going to be absorbed. There is an alpha. They can’t touch the clan as long as there is an alpha.”

Brandon’s eyes lit. “So are you saying you’ll stay? You could end this entire thing. You’ll tell them you’re back?”

Jax hung his head. “I didn’t say that.”

“What is going on with you? This is your duty. This is your family. You haven’t even taken a mate. What the hell, Jax?”

Before he knew what he was doing he grabbed Brandon by the throat and slammed him against the wall. His eyes blazed.

“Don’t question me.”

Brandon gasped for air. “You’re willing to fight over there, but you won’t fight here?”

“I said to shut your damn mouth.”

“I’ve done all I could while you were gone, but I’m not the fucking alpha,” he hissed. “You are. And you need to take a mate and put an end to this war.”

“I’m not finished over there. I have to go back.”

Brandon pushed at his chest until finally Jax let go.

“I don’t know how you can talk about duty and honor and serve your country while there is a war going on in your own backyard. If you don’t do something more bears are going to die. They are dying because of your sorry ass.”

Brandon rubbed his throat where Jax had held him.

“You don’t know what it means to do what I do,” Jax snarled.

“No, I don’t.” Brandon glared at him. “But I do know what it means to be a part of this clan. If you don’t do something there might not be anything to come home to. There will be no reason to fight. We’ll all be gone.”

Jax closed his eyes. “I’m sorry, Brandon.”

“Don’t be sorry. Be the alpha. That’s all I ask.”

Jax shook his head. “You’re asking too much.”

“Delta Force will carry on with or without you. I promise you that. This clan won’t exist, though. It needs you.”

Jax stared at his cousin. He couldn’t sort through everything fast enough. The words fell from his lips. “I found my mate.”

“What? When?”

He scratched the back of his head. “Yesterday.”

Brandon laughed. “It’s the hot doctor isn’t it?”

“Yep.”

“Hell. Had to be. You’ve only been in town for two seconds. Did you tell her?”

“No, I didn’t tell her. What am I supposed to say? Nice to meet you. I’m in Special Forces and I’m a bear and you’re going to spend the rest of your life with me.” He glared at his cousin.

“Ok, not an easy conversation.”

“No. And now you’re telling me I have to be alpha again, which means I have to pull her into it. I just met her.”

“I think the timing is fucking perfect.” Brandon grinned.

“No.” Jax shook his head. “My mission isn’t finished. I have a commitment to my Delta team. I’m going back to Razastan. I’m not leaving her with cubs on the way.”

“I don’t think you have a choice, Jax. It’s the only way to stop the war. Prove the alpha is home. Show the clans the next generation is on the way. Leave your alpha mate to govern while you’re gone if you have to, but you better claim her fast. Things are out of control.”

Jax ran his hands over his head. His hair was starting to grow over the close haircut he had.

“I can’t. The clan can handle this without me.”

“You’ve been gone too long, cuz. I don’t know if you’re more man than bear now.”

Jax had wondered the same thing. He felt the pull in different directions cutting through his soul.

“I keep the country safe. The least everyone back here could do is not kill each other off.”

“Maybe that’s true.” Brandon sighed. “Give me a call tomorrow after you hear the fight tonight, then let me know if you’ve changed your mind.”

“What? They’ll fight again?”

“Every night, cuz. Every fucking night.”

Jax marched to his truck without saying goodbye to Brandon. He didn’t want to hear anything else about the clan wars or what his duty was as alpha. He had to drive. Drive and think.