Grayslake: More than Mated: Unbearable Love (Kindle Worlds Novella)

T
o my husband
, Jim. I am less without you.

L
ily pressed
her ear to the door of her father’s private den. She hated this room. It was where all good things came to an end—at least in her mind. She cursed herself for being part human. It was the part she loved the most, the part she got from her mother, but it was also the part that let her down.

She didn’t have ears that could hear through solid wooden doors, eyes that could see for blocks at night, or a temper that would flare in an instant. No, she didn’t inherit those traits from her father.

Lily tapped into her bear and flattened her cheek to the door jamb. It was the one place she could hear what was going on. Years ago, her father had ripped the door off in a rage, but when it was repaired, the tiniest of gaps still remained—a gap big enough to give her a glimpse into her father’s secrets.

His voice vibrated through the wood like an angry god, “Tomorrow, Dane. I’m tired of waiting for you to initiate.”

Lily choked on the knot in her throat. She was out of time. Adrenaline surged. Her heart raced. Fight or flight kicked in, and she prickled with the need to shift. It didn’t happen often, only when imminent danger threatened. She forced the emotions down and focused on the conversation behind the door.

“I’ll take her as mine, but she’s going to fight it.”

“Lily does as she’s told. She’s pliable and weak, like her mother.”

She hated when her father publicly shamed her beloved mother. “Let the dead rest,” she whispered to herself. She froze and prayed they hadn’t heard her.

“I don’t love your daughter. I can’t stand to look at her.”

“You don’t have to love her or look at her, you just have to marry her and mate her. Plant your damn seed.”

“I’ll never love her, and I’ll only mate her so my son will someday sit at the helm of the clan.”

“You’ll mate her because I told you to, and you better pray she has a son. Her mother failed in that pursuit. Just goes to show you that love can’t conquer all.”

Lily felt the sharp pricks of her fur break through her skin. Tired of her father assuming she had no value as a woman, she wanted to release the growl that crawled up her throat, but she didn’t. What was the use? Nothing would change. He was a hard, stubborn man—always had been, and always would be. There were no warm fuzzies when it came to Donovan Becket, and she often wondered about the attraction between her parents. Was theirs a fated union or a marriage of convenience? He did say that love couldn’t conquer all, so he must have loved her mother some.

“Tomorrow, Dane. She’s yours.”

The chairs screeched and she heard shuffling as the men moved. With not a second to spare, Lily bolted up the stairs to her room. In order to save herself, she had to leave tonight.

After tossing what she could into her suitcase, she sat in front of her computer and pulled up a map. Her fingers skimmed over the western states until an incoming message flashed across her screen—an update from the Wereweb.

It’s open season in Grayslake, Georgia. Come on down and find your fated.

She located the tiny town on the map and pressed her finger to the screen. That was it. This was providence. Grayslake was where she needed to be, if only to disappear in the midst of a crowd of lonely women.

Her father’s words echoed in her head.
She’s pliable and weak
. He was wrong. Lily would put up a fight. She wouldn’t win, and she knew, within days, she’d be married to Dane and carrying his cub, but until that happened, she would fight. She would live.

She clicked on her blog, “Lily Loves,” and wrote a final post before she ran.

Don’t settle for less than love.

E
li tiptoed across the floor
, skirting past the naked woman asleep on his couch. An old, loose plank creaked under his weight. His heart stilled, and he froze. He took another step, a third, a fourth, creeping at a glacial pace across the cabin.

Cat burglar movements were difficult for a man his size. At over six feet tall and weighing two hundred plus pounds, Eli Silver rarely went unnoticed.

Dressed in his tattered jeans, he took in the naked girl in front of him. Spittle oozed like Karo syrup from her mouth and pooled on the cushion beneath her. Who the hell was this girl?

A veil of brown hair covered her face. Something familiar pricked at his brain, but it wasn’t enough to make things clear. Something about her was wrong. She wasn’t his type.

Too easy.

Too skinny.

Too damn desperate for a mate.

That final thought rocked him. Her words filtered through his aching head, “this is fate, lover.”

Oh shit.
It was coming back to him. Rebecca? Sarah? He held his head and pressed his mind for a name. She was trouble, that much he knew.

Thunder clapped inside his head and bolts of pain flashed behind his eyelids.

Too much mead.

Too many memories.

Too much everything.

His skin crawled with the need to shift and disappear into the forest, but after Kari’s death, he’d promised himself to never run again. Nope, he’d face this head-on, except this morning, he’d be using the head on his shoulders. All he needed was for it to stop pounding long enough to let him think.

Off to his right, her phone and driver’s license were discarded next to her clothes. A trail of her possessions littered the floor and led straight to the couch. On shaky legs, Eli bent over and picked up the ID. Julia Bentley? What the hell? No fucking way. This woman had a reputation of being a nut-crusher. As an Itan’s daughter, she was spoiled. Despite her position in her clan, no one would claim her. Not even her father could find her a mate. Yet, here she lay, stripped bare on his couch. He reached for the blanket on the floor and covered her.

Scenting the air, Eli took in a deep breath. Honey and sweat filled his nostrils. He knuckled his eyes, hoping when he opened them again, she’d be gone. Nope, still there with the outline of her bony ass facing the ceiling. He definitely needed to lay off the mead. Normally, imbibing wasn’t his thing, but yesterday was the anniversary of Kari’s death. She was the first woman who made him think he had value and the last woman he believed. Would she have chosen differently if she knew he would become more than a poor beekeeper? Would she have chosen him if she knew he’d be rich?

Another glance at his couch and his inner bear growled. He’d fucked up big time. Julia was the daughter of the Itan from a Colorado clan, and she was out hunting—for a mate. She said something about it being open season in Grayslake. He threaded his fingers through his hair and pulled, hoping the action would yank some common sense back into his brain.

“Come back to the couch, lover.” She rolled onto her side, letting the blanket fall from her body and patted the damp cushion beside her.

“No can do. I’ve got shit that needs attention, and you need to be on your way. Don’t you have a mate to locate?”

She licked her lips like she could taste him in the air. “I found him.” Big brown eyes scored him with possession.

His hackles rose and the prickles of emerging hair made his hands itch. His tongue ran the length of his teeth, gliding over his growing canines. With effort, he pressed his bear to back down. Now wasn’t the time to show his discontent. He should have been growling last night before he brought this woman home.

Julia Bentley was not his forever. She was one night, and that was last night. He couldn’t remember anything. Was it self-preservation that took his memory? Maybe that was good. No matter what, her time was done. “Nope, move on darlin’. I’m not the matin’ kind.”

Fated mates were for fools like Brody, Keen, and Van. Even his Itan had pledged eternal love to Mia. It was fine for them, but since Kari’s death, Eli was like the bees he raised. He traveled from flower to flower, pollinating as many blossoms as he could. A man couldn’t do that if he became a single-blossom bee.

Julia walked her skinny frame to her clothes without shame, and pulled them on with the urgency of a sloth. “You’re definitely the mating kind, Eli. You’re all male and pure passion.” She approached him with an exaggerated sway to her hips—hips that were barely visible. Totally not his type. “I’ll change your mind.” On her tiptoes, she pressed a kiss to his scruffy cheek. “I love a challenge.”

“You’re getting the wrong idea. I’m not throwing down a challenge, I’m letting you know that when it comes to mating, I’m a one-night delight, not your fated and forever.”

She ran her hands over his chest and walked into his kitchen like she owned the place. “Do you have coffee?” She picked up the empty carafe and shoved it toward him.

His bear was ready to pounce. This was his den and she was an intruder. Five more minutes and they’d be in a hug, but it wouldn’t be the bear-hug people cherish. He was ready to wrap his claws around her neck. Hanging on by a hair—a very short hair—he reined in his agitation. “ Out of coffee. Can I give you a ride somewhere?” With his hand on her back, he ushered her to the front door and outside toward his truck.

She huffed in resignation. The sound was so sweet, Eli almost smiled, but he didn’t because he didn’t want to encourage her.

“I’m staying at the bed and breakfast with every other single female that lives in America.”

Eli stopped so fast, the rubber soles of his shoes screeched. “What do you mean?” He opened her door, helped her inside the cab of his truck, and waited for her response. Something told him what came next would be important.

“It was all over the Wereweb.” She gave him an are-you-stupid look.

Eli shook his head to clean out the fog that remained. “What’s all over the web?”

“There was a post from the bachelors in Grayslake saying that the men were looking for mates.”

He staggered back like he’d caught the buckshot of a hunter. “What the hell?” Deep in his gut, he’d known the Wereweb was going to be a bad idea. Keen thought it would be helpful to connect with other clans, so he created the social site. It was Facebook for shifters. A lot of good things came from it, but Eli knew this wasn’t going to be one of them. “Who posted it?”

“It was anonymous.” She pulled at her shirt, making sure what little cleavage she sported would be seen. “The post talked about Grayslake’s fated and mated reputation. How your Itan recently found his fated mate. And there was something about his brothers.”

Eli grumbled before he shut the door. Now it made sense. The Left Bank Bar was full last night. It was generally busy, but there were a lot of strangers there, too. Now that he thought about it, there were a lot of women.

He climbed into the big, silver truck and turned the key. The beast purred to life. It still smelled of new leather and accomplishment—his reward for years of hard work. BE’s Brews had taken off and people couldn’t get enough of the honey mead he and Brody made. Eli was wealthy, which was the only reason an Itan’s daughter would take notice. The fact that he drank too much of his own elixir was the only reason she was in the truck. He was on his way to needing a twelve-step program.

One more look at Julia and he amended his thought. Fuck the twelve-step program, he was going with a two-step plan. No more drinking. No more women. At least until this
open season
was resolved.

“Good luck with your quest, but I hate to break the news, there’s no open season in Grayslake.” He chuckled at such a ridiculous notion. As soon as he dropped Julia at the bed and breakfast, he’d pay a visit to Van. If there was going to be an influx of women, many who were ready to bed and wed, the arrival of men was imminent, and that meant trouble.

“I’m not giving up on you.” She pulled a mirror from her purse and applied blood-red lipstick. “Last night could have been amazing.”

He never would have imagined he’d be in this situation. It was as if Grayslake were being punk’ed and he was its first victim. “Could have been?” Her cut sliced through his ego. “Julia, did I give you any indication that I’d be interested in something beyond a night?” He prayed he’d kept his dick in his pants, but he wasn’t sure.

“No, you were pretty clear with your one-and-done statement, but we never got there. You hit the couch and fell asleep.”

Relief washed over him. Eli had dodged a bullet.

“Don’t look so pleased with yourself. They have a pill for that, you know.”

Her jab at his manhood didn’t faze him. Nothing could take away the joy of not having slept with this woman.

Twenty minutes later, he pulled into the crowded parking lot of the bed and breakfast and slid his truck into the only remaining spot. Milling about were at least a dozen women. They hovered together and rubbernecked to watch. He could feel their eyes on him, and smell their curiosity. Too bad he didn’t hibernate. He would have been happy to tuck up and disappear until they left.

He put the truck in park and ran around to open Julia’s door. He’d been called a jerk a time or two, but he wasn’t a complete asshole. He had manners, and he’d use them.

“Julia, thanks for a really sweet night. Good luck in your quest.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek. It was less than she expected, and more than he wanted to give.

“Thanks, Eli, I
will
see you around.”

On the porch, the women rustled about. All eyes were glued to him and Julia. All but one set. At the end, standing alone, was a woman who seemed as disinterested as the others were intrigued. She looked up, and after a moment, she looked away, but something told him she noticed everything in that brief glance.

Back in the truck, he looked into the rearview mirror and watched the crowd of women disappear into the house while the lone stranger remained on the porch and stared. The sun glinted off her eyes, and Eli would have bet his fortune they were green.

* * *

“
W
hat brings you in
?” Van sat at his desk and shuffled a few papers. Through the glass window separating Van and Ty’s offices, Eli watched Mia pace in front of Ty’s desk.

“Trouble in paradise?”

“Those two?” Van shook his head. “You’re kidding, right?” He shoved a stack of blank forms into the right hand corner. “They’re connected at the hip, and the heart. I’d even go as far as saying they share a brain, but it would seem that today, they have different thoughts.”

Mia raised her hands and her voice. Her next words could have been heard in the next county. “You’re going to let them stay. Everyone deserves a chance to find true love.”

“Holy shit.” Eli said. He plopped into the chair across from Van.

“Language.” Mia turned and pinned Eli with a look of disappointment. The woman had sensitive hearing.

He reached into his pocket. “What’s the going rate now?” Mia didn’t allow foul language. She’d filled up several swear jars from clan contributors over the last few months.

“Now that they have Parker and Sophia to educate, I think a ten will do.” Van chuckled, and pulled a half-full jar from his desk drawer.

“You have your own jar?” Eli unscrewed the cap and pressed a ten inside.

“It saves time this way.” He shrugged with indifference. “Between Lauren and Mia, I don’t know why I work. My earnings go right into the jar. I wanted to say those exact words, and you beat me to it, thanks for saving me ten bucks.”

“Glad I could help.” Eli pulled one of the papers from the corner of Van’s desk. “Right of visitation exemption” was written across the top. “What the he…”

Van lifted his brows. “You mean heck, right?”

“In order to save myself a ten, I’ll go with that. So, you know about the influx of women in town?”

Van twisted his computer screen to face Eli.

It’s open season in Grayslake, Georgia. Come on down and find your fated.

Eli let out a long, slow whistle.

Ty emerged from his office with Mia on his heels. He pulled his hands through his hair and exhaled. “Glad you’re here, Eli. I need your help.”

“Mornin’, Eli.” Mia looked from him to the half-full jar.

“I’m paid up.”

She nodded, then kissed her husband goodbye and walked out with a smile of victory spread across her face.

Van kicked back in his chair and lifted his boots to the desktop. “This should be good.”

“You’re unofficially deputized.” His voice was filled with his Itan authority. As the clan leader, he had a right to request anything, and Eli was honor-bound to abide by his dictate.

“I’m a beekeeper, not an enforcer.” That was Van’s job, and as the Itan’s brother, he was afforded the respect of the clan. Eli was a honey-maker, and there was nothing special about that.

If his laugh was any indication, Van was enjoying Eli’s discomfort.

“You’re perfect for the job.” Ty knocked Van’s boots off the desk and sat on the corner. “Still hell-bent on staying single?”