My Lover's Mate

Noel Hastings loved the feel of the breeze on her cheeks whenever she walked through the woods, enjoying the unbeaten paths of Bull Creek as they explored their surroundings. The wind tugged at her skirt, caressing other parts of her body she left exposed to the elements, like her legs and the upper roundness of her breasts as they pushed out of her low-cut top. She relished in the crunch of the fallen leaves under her feet as she walked, the snap of tiny branches along the trail. Birds flittered from tree to tree, following them on their journey as squirrels chittered away, playing a game of tag among the oaks and pines that stood like sentinels guarding the quiet sanctuary. Noel even spotted a small otter scurrying across the dirt road and back into the brush that covered the landscape.

Noel loved Tuesdays, the one day a week Wes Stapleton made sure he avoided Everglades, turning it over to Brianna Hughes to run for the day so he and Noel could have a day to themselves. Noel reached over and stroked the reddish-brown fur of the giant bear who walked beside her, grabbing a fistful and shaking it a little. Wes loved the day as well, she knew, because he could shift and allow his animal to roam, a sight that at first scared the hell out of Noel.

You doing all right? Wes asked, using the mindspeech of shifters. You seem pensive.

She smiled at how perceptive the shaggy-haired man could be, even in bear form. “I am,” she replied. “I was just thinking about how far I’ve come since I moved to Bull Creek, from being scared to death and ignorant of shifters to dating the biggest teddy bear of them all.” She giggled as she gave his fur another shake. “I have to admit, it’s not what I envisioned when I moved here.”

And what exactly did you envision? The bear beside her stopped and turned over a fallen log, scratching at it with his front paw until the branch broke and bugs skittered in all directions. He then reached down and took a giant lick at the small insects, swallowing them in one gulp before continuing.

Noel thought about his question a moment before answering. Most of the people who filled Bull Creek had secrets, including herself. The founders of the community had created it as a sanctuary for the supernatural and humans alike who needed an escape from something in their life for whatever reason. She never told Wes why she had moved there, and he never asked, respecting the code of the community even after they fell in love with each other. Wes had even told her about how his bear had scented her as his mate. That in itself became a complication she tried to avoid for now.

Still, after three months of dating, she owed him something, even if she wasn’t ready to reveal her past to him. “I needed answers,” she said with a shrug. “Someone confronted me with shifters back home, and at first, it scared the hell out of me. I felt betrayed, as well, by the revelation as someone extremely close to me kept it a secret for years, and I just needed to get away from home.” They walked a few more feet in silence as she mulled over her next words. “To be honest, I never really intended on staying. I just wanted to know what the paranormal world really involved, and then I planned on heading home.” She stroked his fur, reaching up and scratching behind his ear. “Of course, I didn’t intend to meet the cuddliest of bears, either.”

She could sense him grinning through their connection. Well, cuddling is a special skill of mine.

She laughed. “That it is. That it is.”

Her cell phone rang from the small pack she carried, which contained Wes’ clothes, and Noel sighed at the interruption to their day. When she pulled her phone out and noticed who called, she sighed even heavier.

She heard Wes’ chuckle in her mind. From your expression, I can tell who’s calling. Tell your mom, “Hello.” He then found another branch rotting on the ground and entertained himself with the insects scurrying around underneath.

“I’m not telling my mother anything, thanks.” She slid the green button to the side to answer it, taking a deep breath as she did. “Mom, what a surprise. I thought you worked during the day.”

“I’m surprised you remember anything since you’ve been gone so long. Where are you, Noel?” Her mother snapped. “This secrecy is getting ridiculous. You can’t stay away forever. People are waiting here for you. You just ran off, and now you refuse to tell anyone where you are.”

They had the same conversation each time her mother called. “You know why I’m not telling anyone where I am, Mother. I don’t need people showing up here. I’m fine, and that should be enough to make everyone happy for now.”

“I’m not everyone, Noel. I’m your mother, and I deserve to know where my daughter is.”

Noel rolled her eyes, knowing full well not to trust her mother to keep her location a secret. “Soon, Mom, but not today.”

“And just why not today?” She felt the icy reception from her mother through the phone. “What is so secret you can’t even tell your mother where you are?”

Noel glanced down at the bear still lapping up insects and enjoying the sun on his fur. Telling her mother her whereabouts would only open a door Noel wasn’t ready to open just yet. She knew she’d have to deal with her reason for running away sooner or later, but later was definitely the better option. She scratched Wes’ fur some more, not ready to surrender the peace she discovered in his arms. “Just not today, Mother. You will have to trust me. Now, I have to go. I’ll call again soon.” She didn’t wait to hear her mother’s protests; she simply ended the call, slipping her phone back into her pack. “Well, that was fun. Don’t those bugs taste weird?”

Not in this form, but I wouldn’t want a bowlful at the bar. We’ll stick to pretzel sticks and peanuts there. He kicked the log one more time, then gave a snort through his nose before turning and continuing to walk the trail they had found. Noel kept her hand on his fur and walked beside him.

Bull Creek rested between St. Cloud to the west and Melbourne to the east. Woods swallowed most of the area with cabins for the residents and Crabgrass Creek to the south. Dirt roads meandered in twists and turns, and the residents made up one giant family of shifters, vampires, and humans, each running from something, whether pain or prejudice. People found tranquility in Bull Creek, and the alpha of the place, Dimitri Everest, made sure that everyone followed the rules. Noel quickly learned that the residents of the small community didn’t have a normal pack mentality where each animal group formed a separate pack. The supernatural community, and even the humans, formed one giant diversified pack with Dimitri as the alpha. The feeling of family that permeated the town made Noel fall in love with the place when she first discovered it, thanks to the dark web, and then shortly thereafter, she fell in love with Wes, even though she knew she had no right, since someone else waited for her back home.

So what do you want to do with the rest of our day? Wes sent to her.

She giggled. “Well, if you stay like this, there isn’t much we can do except make you give me a ride home.”

The bear beside her stopped, and she could feel the transformation start, his fur slipping back into his body, bones popping as he raised himself to his back paws, limbs shifting from the thick legs of a bear to the powerful arms and legs of her lover. Shaggy brown hair covered his head, and his eyes slid into a deep grayish color that twinkled whenever he looked at her. Of course, the best part of the transformation for Noel happened to be that he was always naked. She grinned as she raked him with her eyes. His arms weren’t the only thick appendage on his body.

Reaching out, Wes grabbed her by the waist and pulled her to him, pressing her body tightly against his, her large breasts shoving upward into his face through her shirt as her skirt flared up behind her. “You can ride me like this as well,” Wes said just before he leaned down and kissed her ferociously, running his hands down her back to cup her ass.

Noel slid her arms around his neck, surrendering to his kiss, the wind pulling at her blond hair. Their tongues danced, simulating what she wished they could do with their bodies.

Wes broke the kiss first, pulling away with a deep breath. “Noel, I don’t know how long I can hold my bear off. You know he scented you as his mate, and the longer we wait and keep this heat burning between us, the harder it will be for me to control him.”

She placed a hand on his cheek, gazing deeply into his gray eyes. “I know. Truly, I do, but Wes, I can’t yet. Not yet. And I can’t tell you why. I’m sorry.” She was truly sorry, but that didn’t make it any easier.

“From the moment you walked into Everglades, my bear has wanted to mark you, claim you as his. I’m not sure how much longer he’ll wait to make it real.” Wes’ expression was so sincere, so earnest that it pulled at her heart, but she couldn’t give in to him yet, no matter how badly she wanted his mark.

She leaned down and gave him a soft kiss. “I love you, Wes. Just give me time. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Then why wait?” he asked. “Don’t you want this? Us?”

“You know I do, but it’s not that simple.” There were things Wes didn’t know, things she hadn’t been able to bring herself to tell him, even though she knew she needed to confess her shortcomings, her reason for being in Bull Creek.

“Does it have to do with why you won’t even tell your mother where you are?” he asked, his expression soft, concerned.

She smiled as she nodded. He was always more perceptive than she gave him credit. “When I found Bull Creek, I needed to figure out some things.” She shrugged. “I never intended to find someone like you, so patient, calm, understanding. I want you. I love you. But there’s still stuff back home I need to take care of before I’m free to move on with my life.”

“So, let’s go take care of it,” he said, and by his tone, she knew he’d throw her in his truck and drive off right then. She hadn’t been around shifters long, but she knew the strength of their mating call.

She put a hand on his chest. “Soon, my sweet teddy bear. I promise. Just let me bask in us a little while longer.” She was avoiding the inevitable, she knew, but she just didn’t have the guts to deal with that inevitability yet. Not now, because then, she’d have to face the fact that Wes wasn’t the only man she loved, and she just didn’t know how to handle that yet.

Wes walked her backward until he had her pinned against a tree, the bark digging into her back. She felt his hand slip under her skirt, his fingers sliding into her panties, stroking her wet folds. “Okay, little elf, but don’t wait too long. I need you.” He leaned in, nibbling her neck and then running over the mark with his tongue. “I want this to be mine always.” And then he shoved his fingers into her sweet honey, driving them in deep, his thumb pressing against her sensitive pearl. “And I want it soon.”

Noel gasped as she shoved down onto his fingers. “Oh, god, so do I. I promise, so do I.” Yet, she had no idea how to make it all happen.

Wes pulled her panties to the side as he lifted her into the air a little, his cock at her entrance. “I love you,” he said, and then he was deep in her pussy, thrusting hard as she clawed his back, crying out. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw another bear, this one with coal-black fur, watching them.

Wes sat behind the bar stacking clean highball glasses on top of each other as Toby Keith blared from the jukebox in a thin, metallic whine. Wes sighed. He really needed to get that contraption fixed one of these days. Heaven help him if Toby Keith ever heard how the jukebox made him sound. Wes knew he needed to get a lot of things fixed one day. Unfortunately, one day was too far away and funds were always too low. Everglades had a faithful clientele, being a shifter bar and all, but it wasn’t busting at the seams with patrons. Enough people came to keep the doors open, but never enough to fix the place up. Still, Everglades couldn’t be that much of a dump if the people kept coming in to booze it up. Unless, of course, the booze is just that good, Wes chuckled to himself.

Some may consider Everglades to be a dive bar, but to Wes the place meant everything. His life began when he found this structure for the first time. When he first entered Everglades, it was love at first sight. Like Paden in the movie Silverado, Wes was never happier than when he was in a saloon. As soon as he passed through the front door, the clink of ice in a highball glass and the scuff of barstools greeted him as they scooted across the wooden floor. The aroma of stale beer, smoke, and sweat from too many bodies pressed together filled the air. The place overflowed with regulars, some huddled together in intimate whispers, while others filled the room with their stories and laughter. The owner back then, a white-haired old codger named Skip Wilson, took a shine to Wes right away and offered Bull Creek’s newest resident a job that very same day. Wes busted his ass so much at the bar that when Skip passed away, he left Everglades to Wes in his will free and clear. It was the greatest thing anyone had ever done for him.

Wes’ life continued to improve when Noel walked through the front door of Everglades. Of course, the curvaceous blond was a lot better looking—and sturdier—than the wooden structure that appeared fabricated out of discarded planks from some broken-down construction site. Scratched wooden chairs and tables, most of which wobbled when touched too hard filled the bar. Weak mirrors and flashing beer logos covered the walls while that broken-down jukebox kept most people entertained and even dancing. The best feature of Everglades were the servers, all hot looking women in skimpy skirts with ample bosoms that loved to flirt for those extra tips. Noel was one of those serving girls, but she was all his, no matter how much she flirted with others. Of course, Wes had to admit, her flirting stoked his fires and made for some hot meetings in his office.

Still, Wes wished he could at least invest some kind of money into the place and perk it up a bit. Even a few new songs in the jukebox would be something.

“You doing all right?” Brianna Hughes asked as she brought a stack of bar towels up and stuffed them under the wooden bar. “You seem kind of pensive.”

The door opened, and a dark-haired man, wearing a suit and tie, entered alone. Wes glanced over at the man as he walked up to the end of the bar and sat down, loosening his tie as he did. One of the other bartenders took his order—a Glenfiddich, neat—and Wes returned his attention to Brianna, sighing, his heavy shoulders rising and falling with the action. “Just feeling the pinch of pennies every time someone plays a song from that box over there. I think the artists would pay us not to play their songs if they ever heard how bad they sounded.”

Brianna just chuckled. “Well, no one has complained yet, and they keep getting out there to dance, so I’d say that’s a good thing.”

Wes shrugged. “I’m sure the ones who don’t like it just don’t come back. All the true repeat customers are from Bull Creek and Holopaw. Those who want more… substance, go to either St. Cloud or Kissimmee.”

Brianna straightened up and then leaned on the bar, her hands clasped in front of her. “Are you feeling melancholy? What’s with the doom and gloom attitude. It’s so not like you, especially since Noel showed up. What gives?”

Wes gave her a weak smile, knowing she was right. He felt sorry for himself, and he shouldn’t. Everglades was a great bar with great patrons. He should be content, and for the most part, he was. He just wanted to spruce up the place some.

“Have you ever thought about selling the place?” the man at the end of the bar asked, lowering his glass from his lips. He kept his gaze on the mirror behind the bar as he set the glass on the wooden top, staring at Wes in the glass. He shrugged. “Another owner could do what you want with the place and give you enough money to settle down and relax or take up another venture.”

Wes chuckled a little as he shook his head. “And who would want to buy Everglades? There aren’t a lot of potential new customers out here, in case you haven’t noticed. We’re in the middle of nowhere.”

The man nodded, turning his glass on the bar in slow circles with his fingertips. “Perhaps, but with the right vision, the bar could attract another type of clientele, perhaps one not so… primitive.”

Wes narrowed his eyes as the man’s words set the hairs on the back of his neck on end. “I’m sorry, but who are you again?”

The man smiled, but it didn’t reach his dark hazel eyes. “I’m someone who can ease your burden while bringing back a certain normalcy to the area. As I hear it, there have been several issues lately that scared some of the more human of the locals.” He turned in his seat, his fingertips still on the edge of his glass as he faced Wes. “The area around Bull Creek is growing, civilization is encroaching on your wooded playground, and it’s time for your kind to find another home. I’m willing to help you do just that by buying your bar and giving you the capital to move. It’s why I’m here.”

“Are you here to buy my bar or just to be a prejudiced ass? I’m not sure who you’ve been talking to, but people tend to like it here in Bull Creek. And for the record, I’m not interested in the first, and we’ve had enough of the second around here to last us for a while.” Wes stood, but didn’t approach the man. He gripped the edge of the bar with white knuckles as he stared at the stranger. “So, once again, I ask; who are you?”

“Who I am is not important,” the man said, unruffled. “Who I represent, however, is. My organization, the Order of Wardens, are overseers, protecting the human race from… well, from yours. I understand the Paranormal Council of Draven Falls sent Dimitri Everest here to act as some sort of alpha of Bull Creek, but you see, we feel any paranormal creature is simply not good enough to safeguard the human population. If they were, then the humans wouldn’t have reached out to us, now would they? You’re beasts, and we would rather be done with you, and if we can’t have that, then it is our goal to drive you deeper and deeper into the wild.” He shrugged. “I am here to offer you the means to make a better start of it someplace else. However, mark my words, whether or not you take my offer, you will leave here.”

“Well, you’re a real peach, aren’t you?” Brianna said, crossing her arms over her chest as she glared at the man.

Wes narrowed his eyes. “Some already tried to drive us off. Funny it was actually shifters trying to drive off the human population and the rest of us put a stop to it. As you can see, we’re still here. The coyotes couldn’t drive us out then, and neither will you now.”

The man turned back to his drink, lifted it to his lips, and downed the last remnants with one swallow. He set the glass back on the bar, straightened his jacket, and then turned to face Wes, his gaze cold and cunning. “I assure you, we are not a pack of mangy coyotes. The Order of Wardens will not fail. If I were you, I’d take my offer while it’s available. Otherwise, you’ll lose this place and have nothing to show for it. That would be a shame, since I believe you have a girlfriend you wish to provide for, right? A human, too. Obviously, one with no sense of decency, but still, if I were you, I would want to support her while you can.” He pulled his wallet out of his pocket and tossed a twenty on the bar along with a business card. “I’ll give you a few days to think it over. Reach out when you’ve made the right decision, but don’t wait too long. The Order of Wardens has already decided. They’ll only allow so much of a delay to their plans.” He pointed to the twenty-dollar bill. “And keep the change; you’re going to need it.” The man then turned and walked out of Everglades, his posture ramrod straight, almost as if he had a giant stick up his ass.

“Well, he was a charming fellow,” Brianna said. “Who the hell is the Order of Wardens he kept mentioning?”

Wes sighed, knowing full well who the group was. He picked up the business card the dark-haired man left behind and stared at the name. Jeremiah Prescott. “They’re a group from Draven Falls according to Dimitri. Apparently, they’re just as prejudiced as Bane was, except they have the power behind them to make our lives truly miserable.” He would need to get in touch with Dimitri and warn him of the man’s presence in Bull Creek.

Wes walked around the bar, pulling out a highball glass once he got there, and poured himself a whiskey. He downed it in one gulp. Setting the glass back on the bar, he glanced over at the door and shook his head. Bull Creek does not need to go through more of the same crap we’ve already survived. The key being they had survived, and Wes knew they would do it again if necessary.

Brianna walked over to where Wes stood, taking the bottle from his hand and pouring herself a drink. “Why do people always have to destroy what’s not exactly like them?” She downed the fiery liquid, running her tongue over her lips when she finished.

“Because it’s easier to destroy something than to embrace the uncomfortable feeling that sometimes comes with diversity.”

“Well, if he tries any of that crap around here, he’ll have a fight on his hands,” Brianna said, taking both glasses and dropping them in the sink behind the bar. “Dimitri won’t put up with that shit.”

Wes just nodded his head. Draven Falls had sent Dimitri out here so he could oversee Bull Creek and keep the place protected. Now it seems, another faction of Draven Falls wants to see that destroyed. “You’d think they’d be happy just to have it out of their city,” Wes muttered to himself. “Not be hellbent on seeing it exterminated worldwide.” He would never understand how some people could hold so much hatred.