“It all started about a week ago when my stepfather informed me that he had arranged my marriage to the leader of a hyena clan. Now, I knew this shifter was not my fated mate. I didn’t understand why a shifter would want to marry a woman who wasn’t his fated mate. But none of that stopped the hyena or my stepfather. He told me to pack a bag and get ready to go. So, I packed up my things and my little dog Fifi. We got in a helicopter and flew to Fate Mountain. There was supposed to be a handoff between my stepfather and the hyena pack. He was giving me up in exchange for a shipment of crystal. But when my stepfather inspected the shipment, he found that there was less in the container than he had expected. There was a shootout and I ran away.
“I walked all day, carrying my dog, and finally found a cabin in the woods. I was greeted by Cyrus, and it didn’t take long for us to realize we were fated mates. But then we were attacked by my stepfather’s men.”
“And a wolf shifter named Pierce Evert.”
“They chased us out of the cabin, and we took to the forest. I convinced Cyrus to change me so I could help him fight them. I took down my stepdad and Cyrus took down the rest. But then he was wounded.”
“Daisy pulled the bullets out and we hurried back to the ranch as soon as I was healed enough to walk.”
“We’ll bring them in,” Rollo said, closing up his note pad.
Chapter 13
After they told Rollo everything, the Bear Patrol took to the woods to find the bad guys. Daisy and Cyrus were left at the Timber Bear Ranch to wait for news. Leland had offered to give the couple a suite at the Fate Mountain Lounge.
In the upstairs spare bedroom, Daisy slipped into the dress that Sylvia had lent her. She walked into the hallway and found Cyrus standing there, dressed in Leland’s clothes. He was wearing blue jeans and a flannel shirt. He’d trimmed his beard and had cut his hair to shoulder length. Daisy’s eyes widened in surprise at his cleaned-up look.
“You look good enough to eat,” she said with a feral grin.
He closed the space between them and gathered her in his arms, growling into the crook of her neck.
“Promise,” he said.
“Why don’t I get you two to the lodge?” Leland said with a grin as he climbed to the top of the stairs.
“I couldn’t agree more,” Cyrus said, taking Daisy’s hand.
Daisy grabbed Fifi’s carrier. She and Cyrus followed Leland down the stairs and outside to his cherry red crew cab. Cyrus sat in the front with Leland and Daisy sat in the big backseat with Fifi. She listened to the brothers chat as they drove into town. Seeing Cyrus with his brother allowed her to witness a whole other side of him. Cyrus was a good man and a good brother.
She didn’t know what the future held for them. All she knew was that she loved her mate and was delighted that they were together.
Leland had arranged a full package that included food and lodging. The female attendant whose name tag said ‘Kelly Green’ gave them the keycard and directions to their room. Leland had reserved them the bridal suite for their stay and Daisy couldn’t be happier. She felt like a bride in so many ways, even though they had never said their vows. Not in so many words, anyway.
Having been claimed and changed by her mate, Daisy was more connected and bonded to him than a thousand weddings could provide. She walked hand-in-hand with Cyrus through the hallways of Fate Mountain Lodge, up the elevator and into their penthouse suite.
The room they entered was a well-appointed living room/dining room area with a big screen TV, fluffy comfortable couches and a rectangular dining table that was just beyond the compact kitchen. After letting Fifi out of her carrier, Daisy passed the dining table and noted the menu for room service. She then walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge.
Inside, she found drinks and snacks. She grabbed two ginger ale bottles and handed one to Cyrus. She glanced into the bedroom to see it was furnished with a king-sized bed covered in a fluffy comforter. The entire hotel room was done in a classic rustic style that went perfectly with the surroundings. She walked out onto the balcony beyond the French doors in the living room and looked out at the view of Lake Fate. The silver water twinkled in the full moonlight. She turned to Cyrus who had walked outside beside her, the tingle of ginger ale still in her mouth from her last sip. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him, kissing her lips fiercely in the cool evening air.
“Have I told you how much I love you today?” he said with a growl.
She felt his body rise against her, awakening all her newfound desire in one quick jolt.
“Have I told you how much I want you?” she said, pushing back against him.
“I’m going to run my lady a bath with hot running water and fancy soaps.”
“That sounds so good,” she said with a giggle, nipping at his bottom lip.
He growled into her ear and escorted her into the bathroom where he started the bath as they kicked out of their shoes.
“Tomorrow I’m going to take you shopping. Jessie has my credit cards and is bringing them in the morning.”
“I still haven’t met your brother Jessie,” she said.
“He’s been helping me sell my wares online. And he keeps updates on my investment accounts that I’ve made over the years. I have a substantial bank account.”
“You do?”
“It pays not to have any expenses. And I’m also one quarter owner of Timber Bear Ranch.”
That made Daisy think about their future. But she stopped herself; she didn’t want to think about it now. She’d much rather think about the warm water that had filled the huge jetted bathtub.
She began to pull off her clothes as Cyrus gazed up at her. She gathered her long wavy blonde hair over her shoulder and tested the water with her big toe. It was a little hot but just perfect. She dipped her foot in further, followed by her whole leg, and then the other. She slowly sat and rested her back against the sloping side of the tub and let out a long, satisfied sigh.
“This feels so good.”
“It looks good too, from where I’m sitting,” Cyrus said, watching her body under the waterline.
Daisy ducked in the water, wetting her hair. She giggled and wiggled her finger at Cyrus, motioning for her him to join her. He tore out of his shirt and pants and plunged into the water. She giggled again as the water splashed in her face. Cyrus prowled across the tub to gather her in his arms. He sat with her partially on his lap, kissing the back of her neck and ear.
“Let me wash your hair,” he said.
He squirted sweet smelling shampoo in his hand and massaged the shampoo over her scalp and down the length of her tresses. It felt so good to have his hands on her like this. She felt his manhood, hard between the crease of her ass. She groaned and bit her lip as Cyrus began to rinse the shampoo from her hair. When the soap had rinsed clean, she leaned back and rested her head against his chest, reaching up to claim his mouth with her own. He kissed her deeply and grasped her breast, still slippery with soap. He ran her nipple through his fingers, pinching lightly as his other hand ran over her hip in between her thighs. Daisy groaned, wanting more, wanting everything.
He rubbed against her, pulling her back over his length. He rested his cock between her legs and arched his hips to rub up and down over her most sensitive parts. He grasped at her other breast, exciting her budded nipple. She groaned into his mouth and ran her fingers through his hair. She pushed against his hardness, wanting him inside.
“I’m going to wash your body,” he growled.
He squirted a few drops of body wash in his hands and began to rub it all over her body. The slick, slippery sensation of his flesh on her skin made her dizzy with desire. He passed his soapy hand over his cock and stroked several times. She felt it throb between her thighs as Cyrus slid his soapy hand over her pussy. He pulled back, pressing his head of his cock against her opening.
She groaned into his kiss, biting at his lip. Cyrus grasped her hips and pushed her down over his manho
od. He split her open with a burst of flaming pleasure. Daisy moaned and broke their kiss as the fire of orgasm burned through her. Cyrus grasped both of her breasts at the same time and Daisy rested her head against his shoulder as he slowly moved in and out of her in exquisitely long thrusts.
Daisy couldn’t stand it anymore. She needed to kiss him; she needed to look into his eyes. She needed to control this raging inferno inside her. She slid away from Cyrus and turned around, resting her hands on his shoulders as she slid down over him again. Her knees on either side of his hips.
“My little bear is on fire,” he growled, thrusting up into her.
She threw her head back as she rode him, her breasts bouncing as he caught them in his mouth. He held her hips in his hands, pumping upward into each of her wild bucks. He pushed her deep and hard, over the edge of reason. Pleasure tugged between, pulling like a taut cord that vibrated with intense sound. She threw her head back and groaned as Cyrus pumped into her three times, in forceful succession. Her pussy throbbed around his cock, pulling his seed deeper into her core.
She looked back at him, catching the feral look in his eye. She smiled, her lust quenched for now. She slid away and collapsed against his chest. He gathered her in his arms and kissed the top of her head.
“Oh, my love,” he whispered. “You are so beautiful.”
“I need you so much, Cyrus.”
They held each other in the warm bath until water began to cool. They climbed out and wrapped themselves in the fuzzy, white bathrobes provided by the lodge. Daisy dried her long hair with a big fluffy towel and Cyrus made a call to room service. They sat on the couch in the living room and turned on the TV.
It was amazing how comforting such a seemingly simple act of sitting together on the couch and watching television could be. But doing this with Cyrus, after everything they had been through, was like coming home for Daisy. There was no end to all the adventures she hoped to go on with Cyrus one day. But this little time of rest together felt like she’d found their place in the world together.
Cyrus answered the door when room service arrived, and he carted the tray into the room. They sat in their bathrobes, feasting on gourmet food, and watched an action movie on TV. Cyrus opened a bottle of champagne. Later, Daisy found herself resting her head on a pillow in Cyrus’s lap as he stroked her hair and ate popcorn he’d made in the microwave. This little hint of normalcy lulled her into sleep as she breathed out a satisfied sigh.
She didn’t know what tomorrow would bring, but for now, she was home.
Chapter 14
Cyrus awoke to the sound of the phone ringing. He lifted the phone from the receiver and held it to his ear.
“Hello?” he said groggily.
“This is Commander Rollo Morris. We were able to apprehend several of the men on your property. Two of them were wounded and still unconscious.”
Daisy sat up in bed beside him and Fifi started to roll around in the blankets.
“What to do you want us to do?” Cyrus asked.
“We need you to come down to the station and identify the suspects.”
“We’ll be down there as soon as possible,” Cyrus said.
Cyrus hung up the phone and looked at Daisy who was still in her bathrobe. He had carried her to the bed night before and placed under the covers. It had been so sweet to see her sleeping on his lap. It reminded him that he had slept on her lap just the night before when she had heroically removed the bullets from his chest.
“Did they find my stepdad?” she asked.
“They found two men who had been wounded and were unconscious. They want us to identify the suspects.”
“I’ll get ready to go.”
Daisy went to the bathroom to retrieve the clothes she’d borrowed from Sylvia. Cyrus was lacing up his shoes when she came back out. She slipped into the shoes that Sylvia had lent her and bit her bottom lip.
“Don’t worry, my love,” he said. “I’ll be beside you the whole time.”
“I just don’t want my stepfather to see me.”
“I won’t let him hurt you again,” Cyrus vowed.
She nodded and he gathered her in his arms, kissing the top of her head.
“Everything will be all right, baby. Jessie is going to be here in a few minutes. We’ll meet him downstairs.”
She let out a long sigh and then nodded her head against his chest. Daisy made sure Fifi had everything she needed while they were gone. They left the suite and went downstairs to meet Jessie in the lobby.
“Cyrus,” Jessie said, standing from the sitting area. He grabbed his older brother in a rough embrace. “Looking good, man. And this is your mate? Cyrus, you old dog. I can’t believe you got such a cute little mate for your own.”
“This is my brother Jessie,” Cyrus said, almost embarrassed.
Daisy reached out to shake Jessie’s hand and gave him a cute smile in appreciation for the somewhat embarrassing comment.
“I’m lucky to have him,” she said.
“He’s lucky to have you from what I understand,” Jessie said. “You saved his life on the mountain. Good on you, sister.”
“Thank you,” Daisy said with a laugh. “It was nothing.”
“So, you two need a ride into town?” Jessie asked.
“We’re stopping at the police station. And then we’re going shopping.”
“You can take the truck if you want and drop me off in town. I can take my bike back to the ranch.”
“Sounds good,” Cyrus said. “Let’s go.”
They dropped Jessie off in the parking lot of the grocery store and continued on to the police station. Cyrus held Daisy’s hand outside the front door of the station. He kissed her knuckles and looked deeply into her eyes, making sure that she was ready for this.
“I’m fine. Let’s do this,” she assured him, and they went inside.
“We are here to see Commander Morris,” Cyrus told the officer at the front of the station.
“Take a seat. The commander will see you in a moment.”
Cyrus and Daisy found a place to sit. A few moments later, Rollo emerged from the back offices and waved for them to follow him. They walked through the cubicles in the Fate Mountain Police Department and Rollo opened the door of his office. Daisy and Cyrus walked inside and took chairs on the opposite side of Rollo’s desk. Rollo sat down and folded his hands on his desk.
“Did you find my stepfather?” Daisy asked. “He was tied to a tree with strips of his suit.”
“We did find a man matching that description.”
“Good,” Daisy said, looking down at her lap.
“You want us to identify them?” Cyrus said.
“Yes,” Rollo said, lifting up a computer tablet. He flicked across the screen and then turned it to Daisy and Cyrus. “Do you recognize these men?”
The tablet showed a split screen of two men with their hands cuffed to a table and two separate holding cells.
“That’s my stepfather,” Daisy said.
“But I don’t know who the other man is. Is that Pierce Evert?” Daisy asked.
“No. You must not have got him.”
“The other man must be one of my stepdad’s henchmen. In fact, wait, I do recognize him. He’s worked for my stepfather for about a year.”
“And these are the men who attacked you on the mountain?”
“They are,” Cyrus said.
“They’ll be charged and sent to the county jail to wait for sentencing.”
“Is there going to be a trial?” Daisy asked.
“Most likely. Trespassing, kidnapping, assault with a deadly weapon. These are serious charges. This case may bring up more than you bargained for with your stepdad’s criminal endeavors.”
“I hope it does. He betrayed me and he hurt my mother. I think she died of a broken heart. They said it was a heart attack, but I know better.”
“Are we free to go now?” Cyrus asked.
“You are.”
Daisy and Cyru
s left the police station hand-in-hand. His mind was racing a million miles a minute as he thought of Pierce still being out there. Right now though, Daisy needed some decent clothing to wear. Bringing her stepfather to justice would be hard on her. But this had to come to a conclusion. The man had to be punished for what he had done, not only to Daisy, but to the people of this community. Dealing in crystal with the hyenas only proved what a bad person he was, in Cyrus’s opinion.
They made it into town and went into the local clothing store. There were dresses and shoes and bags and clothing for men as well. Daisy trotted into the women’s section with a squeal, deliriously happy to find something to wear. He loved the sight of her shopping. How she went from rack to rack, feeling the fabric and holding the dresses up in front of her. She shook the hangers to watch the fabric move. He delighted in the twinkle in her eye and the smile on her lips. He didn’t think he had ever seen anything so beautiful.
She picked multiple outfits and shoes, handbag and hair accessories. Cyrus had done his own shopping and the salesgirl rang them up. When they got outside, Daisy suggested they go buy makeup at the drugstore. Cyrus thought that was a great idea. Watching her face light up at the clothing had been fun, now he would get to see her enjoy herself even more.
It was hard to believe that a set in his ways grumpy old mountain grizzly would enjoy watching a young girl shop for clothes and makeup as much as he did, but it warmed his heart to see her happy. He would take her muddy and naked with her hair in tangles, barefoot on the mountain, any day. But the sight of her prettied up in the way she enjoyed was a sight to behold, and he wanted to give her everything her heart desired.
They went to the drugstore and she filled up a basket with makeup and nail polish and squealed at the colors and choices she found. He loved how enthusiastic and happy she was at such simple things. When they’d first met, he never would have imagined that he would get her like he did now. But even the act of shopping for makeup and the strange concoction of their personalities together gave him a new appreciation for fate and how it worked on people. When they were done with their shopping, Cyrus drove them back to the lodge and they went back to their rooms. Daisy unpacked her haul and began to happily go through her new things, talking to Fifi in the bedroom, while Cyrus ordered them a late lunch.