Ski Bear

  “Sounds great. We’ll be there.”

  “Is everything all right?” she asked.

  “The baby was born. Want to go meet her?”

  “I’d love to.”

  They finished getting ready and stopped off on Main Street to buy gifts for Juliet and the baby. Maisie picked a pink and black striped onesie and a fancy pacifier. Zach picked out a bunch of balloons. They were for every occasions from over the hill birthdays to congratulations for graduating high school. He also got a bouquet of flowers for Juliet.

  When they arrived, it seemed like more of a party than a hospital room. They pushed through the crew to see Juliet holding her baby in the bed with Levi right here beside her.

  Zach handed her the balloons and flowers with a big grin on his face.

  “These are great.” Juliet laughed.

  “I brought you this,” Maisie said.

  “You’re Maisie, right?” Juliet asked, opening the gift. “You opened the bakery on Main Street. I loved the macaroons. Thank you so much.”

  “Thank you,” Maisie said.

  “You’re Zach’s mate?” Juliet asked.

  “Yes. It’s now official,” Maisie said, sliding her shirt away from her neck to show the mark.

  Everyone in the room gasped, stopped cooing at the baby, and stared at Maisie’s neck.

  “Congratulations to you,” Angus said, slapping Zach hard on the back.

  “What are you going to name the cub?” Zach asked, changing the subject.

  “We’ve settled on Sunshine,” Levi said.

  “Seriously?” Drew asked.

  “I knew that was the perfect name!” Zach said.

  “Sunshine Blackthorn just has a nice ring to it,” Juliet said, rocking her baby girl in her arms.

  The child was so adorable and pink that it made Zach’s heart swell thinking that he and Maisie could have one of their own after last night.

  As they left the hospital, he could feel Maisie’s awe inside his chest. She was as affected by the cub as he had been. Their mutual connection was allowing them to feed off of each other’s emotions. He loved the way that worked between them, bringing them to new heights of feeling they’d never experienced before.

  When they got out to the truck, he turned the key in the ignition and looked over at Maisie.

  “I really want to show you the house now,” he said.

  He had a surprise for her that he’d been waiting to give her since before they’d met. It had been hidden in his glove compartment for months, waiting for this day.

  “I’d love to see the house,” she said.

  They drove back down the street and turned off into the neighborhood where his house was. They parked in front and he opened her door of the car. He slid his hand into the glove compartment and grabbed his secret surprise.

  When they made it inside, Maisie’s jaw dropped. The living room was full of light and the kitchen was a baker’s dream. She gushed over each amenity and the high-end finishes.

  All Zach could do was smile at her reaction. He’d known from the moment he’d seen the place that this was it. This was their house where they would raise their family and grow together. The forest beyond the backyard was park land that would never be developed. Their family could play together as bears there. It would be perfect.

  Zach and Maisie walked upstairs to the master bedroom and Maisie pushed open the French doors out onto the balcony. She looked out at the snowy yard and the view of the forest beyond.

  “This place is so beautiful,” she said, her breath puffing out before her in the cold air.

  “I knew it was perfect as soon as I saw it. This is our place, Maisie. Our home.”

  “Are you asking me to move in with you?” she teased.

  “That’s not all I’m asking.”

  Zach reached into his pocket and sank down on one knee. He pulled the tiny box out in front of him and opened it up. Maisie stared down at the contents, pressing her hands over her mouth. She made an excited squeal.

  “Maisie Green, will you be my wife?”

  “Yes. A thousand times yes,” she said as he pushed the ring onto her finger.

  It fit just right and looked perfect. Fate certainly did play a role in the lives and loves of shifters on Fate Mountain. She pulled him up off his knees and threw her arms around his neck.

  “I’ve been waiting for you a long time, Maisie Green. This is better than I ever expected.”

  “Zach,” she swooned, looking at her ring as she extended her arm.

  “I want this for the rest of my time here on Earth. I want us to share pleasure that fills us both with bliss and happiness every day of our lives together.”

  He kissed her full on the lips, savoring the taste of her breath and the feeling of her curves under his hands.

  “I want to shift now. I don’t want to wait.”

  “So do I,” he agreed.

  Zach always liked doing things sooner rather than later. His whirlwind relationship with Maisie was just the tip of the iceberg for this polar bear.

  18

  Maisie led Zach down to the back porch of their house. Their soon-to-be house. Part of her felt so naughty to be doing this. She’d been so focused on work and success for so long that she’d forgotten how to have fun. She’d forgotten her own wild side.

  Now Maisie could feel it coming on full force. She heard the bear inside her, crying out to be born. The bear’s vital power spiraled up from deep inside her, filling her every cell with its strength. Her vision already felt sharper, more focused.

  When she stepped outside, the scent of the forest called her inner beast. Zach stood beside her, looking deliciously cute and ready for whatever she had in mind. She peeled out of her coat, smiling up into his twinkling eyes as it hit the snow. He raised his eyebrows and began to take off his clothes too.

  Soon they were naked, standing in the snow barefoot. Maisie shivered at the cold, but not as much as she would have expected.

  “Well, we’re standing here naked in the snow in a house that isn’t even officially yours yet. How do I do this shifting thing?” she said, giggling as she hugged herself from the cold.

  “Listen to your inner bear. Let her know it’s time to come out. If she’s ready, you will change.”

  “I can hear her, but I don’t know how to talk to her.”

  “Talk to her in your mind. Or say it aloud. Feel it. Let it happen.”

  Maisie took a deep breath, beginning to feel a little ridiculous. She could feel her inner bear but she didn’t know how to let it out. She focused on the sound of her bear’s growling and clawing. It wanted to be born, she could feel that inside her.

  It was as if the animal and she were becoming one. It was a deeper part of herself, a more primal, more basic part. She’d had glimpses of it before. It had always been there, but as the seed of a thought. Now that idea had grown into something physical, something real.

  Maisie heard the bear growling. She was innocent like a cub but full grown and full of animal strength. As she focused on the feeling of her bear, she saw Zach change beside her out of the corner of her eye.

  She snapped her eyes wide and gasped at the sight of it. She’d seen videos on YouTube, but nothing had prepared her for seeing it happen in front of her. It would happen to her soon. A coil of panic sprang inside her and she backed away.

  “Holy shit,” she said, feeling colder by the second.

  But she could feel Zach inside her. Their connection linked their hearts and minds in a constant flow. His encouraging energy helped her calm down. The bear inside her was too close to be ignored. She had to let it out soon. There was no going back now.

  She stepped forward, nodding her head to Zach.

  “Okay. Here goes nothing. Bear girl. Come out now!” she said with a giggle.

  Her laugh turned to a roar as the beast unfolded from within. She exploded with the full force of a tidal wave. Her paws crashed down on the ground as she roared with primal vigor.
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  Zach roared in approval, turning to nip her gently on the ear. She rubbed his face as she started by him, beginning to trot toward the open forest.

  They galloped down the length of the property and into the vast tracks of park land beyond. The snow felt good under her paws as the wilderness embraced her in its web of scents and sounds. She dove into her senses headlong.

  Maisie was along for the ride inside the beast of her polar bear. The animal ran alongside her animal mate. But they were all there, running through their link. The humans and the animals communed with the forest in a primal bond with nature and life.

  In the weeks that followed, life became busy with planning and preparation for everything that was to come. When the house sale finalized, she and Zach picked out furniture and moved in.

  Before she knew it, it was their wedding day.

  Maisie stood in the entrance alcove to the atrium at Fate Mountain Lodge.

  She’d had a dress flown in from France, and it had arrived just in time for the wedding. Peeking around the corner, she could see Zach standing at the altar with the minister. Zach had asked the Rescue Bears to all be his groomsmen, but Levi had agreed to give her away since her dad had died.

  The Rescue Bears walked down the aisle, arm-in-arm with their mates who were serving as bridesmaids, everyone dressed in their best outfits. Levi held out an arm for her to hold.

  “You and Zach make a perfect pair, you know,” Levi said.

  Maisie smiled up at Levi, knowing that he got it. That special connection between her and Zach was everything. Fated mates were better together.

  The wedding march started, and they walked down the aisle. Zach watched her, wearing his blue frilly tux. She giggled behind her flowers when she approached him. She loved that Zach took chances. He lived with the most joie de vivre of anyone she’d ever met, and she loved that more than anything.

  He took her hand, and she stepped onto the altar with Zach and the minister. Lily, Shane’s mate, took her bouquet, and she and Zach held hands as they gazed into each other’s eyes. She could barely hear the minister speak as he conducted the ceremony. All she could focus on was the feeling of love flowing back and forth between her and her beloved ski bear.

  When he pronounced them husband and wife, Zach swooped in and kissed her passionately, dipping her backwards in front of everyone. When he popped her back up again, she was laughing and smiling as everyone cheered. Life with Zach would never be dull.

  Zach and Maisie walked hand-in-hand to the main dining room for the reception. They had a delicious meal served, and Drew stood up to give his speech.

  “The day I met my mate and the mother of my cub, Zach was stripping at a bachelorette party hosted by Levi’s mate Juliet. Let’s just say, you aren’t the only Rescue Bear mate who’s seen Zach in his G-string.”

  “Zach. I didn’t know you were an exotic dancer.” Maisie giggled.

  She loved that about Zach. He was full of surprises. The rest of the guys gave speeches, telling stories of Zach’s escapades. Maisie had to laugh at each tale. They seemed epic and legendary. She was lucky to have him.

  He leaned toward her and took her hand, kissing her on the cheek as if he knew her thoughts.

  “When are you going to get yourself a mate?” Zach asked Corey.

  The computer programmer looked up from his phone and glared at Zach.

  “You know I’m not interested in finding a mate,” Corey said. “Just because you and Maisie only had a minor amount of drama doesn’t mean that’s the norm. Look at the rest of these couples. Each and every one has a story that would scare a bear away from mating forever. And those aren’t the only ones I’ve heard.”

  “But once you find a way to make it work, it’s better than anything,” Maisie said.

  “The drama is guaranteed. The happily ever after, not so much.”

  “We’re all happy,” Levi said, looking up from Juliet’s baby bundle.

  “You all found happiness with mates you found on Mate.com. That doesn’t mean all fated mates are happy. That doesn’t mean I have to use my app like all of you.”

  Drew whispered something in Angus’s ear and Angus started to chuckle in a husky, low voice.

  “What?” Corey said.

  Maisie could tell he was getting irritated. These guys were up to something.

  “Angus just told me he got a shipment of black cherry wood today,” Drew said.

  “Yeah right,” Corey said. “Mark my words. I will never mate. That’s final.”

  “Okay, Corey. We believe you,” Shane said, winking at Lily.

  Corey shook his head and rolled his eyes with a grunt.

  “You are all unbelievable. Why don’t you focus on some other shifter? You can’t swing a stick without finding a guy on Fate Mountain who’s waiting for his mate to show up on Mate.com.”

  “You’ve done the community a great service,” Levi said.

  “Thank you,” Corey said, standing up. “I need more cake.”

  The rest of the bears chuckled behind his back, and Levi told them to leave him alone. Geek Bear was a little different than the other men. Less hot-blooded and more cerebral. Maisie felt bad for him and wondered what had happened to him that made him want to swear off mating forever.

  Her mom stood up and clinked her spoon to her champagne glass.

  “I have something I want to say,” Kelly Green said.

  Everyone lifted their glasses. The Rescue Bears loved Kelly; she’d been working for Levi at the lodge since day one.

  No one would have expected her daughter to end up with one of the crew.

  “Maisie, I thought having you come home was the greatest gift you could have given me. But now that you’ve found Zach, I feel like our family is complete. I love you both.”

  “Ah, Mom,” Maisie said, putting her hand to her heart.

  Kelly walked around to kiss Maisie and hug Zach. After the speeches and dinner, they opened presents that were all perfect for their new home.

  The wedding and reception were perfect, but Maisie couldn’t wait for their honeymoon. She couldn’t wait to show Zach the City of Lights.

  19

  From the time they touched down in Paris, Zach knew this place was going to be a blast. He’d been through Europe when he toured with the X-Games, but he’d never been to Paris.

  Zach rented a sports car and drove them to their hotel in the heart of the city. The old world charm rose around him in the ancient city that was still so full of life. He gave his keys to the valet at the hotel and he and Maisie walked together into the lobby.

  Everything glittered with cool Parisian class. Zach pulled off his sunglasses as they walked through the lobby and checked into the hotel.

  The porter brought their bags to their rooms, and Zach couldn’t help but notice the look on Maisie’s face as she walked into the luxurious suite.

  She’d worn a two-piece traveling suit in a deep purple hue that set off her red hair and deep red mouth. He puckered his lips at her, taking in her beauty.

  They’d come to Paris to see the sights and drink in the culture, but Zach just wanted to look at her. She threw her arms around him, hugging him close. He kissed her, ready to show her what he had in mind for the honeymoon.

  His tongue dipped into her mouth as he rubbed her against him. She moaned into his mouth, pulling away.

  “What do you want to do first?” she asked, opening the door to the balcony that overlooked the courtyard below.

  “I have some ideas,” he said, hugging her around the waist.

  The spring flowers were blooming below them, and he took in their scent as it mixed with the enchanting smell of Maisie’s neck. The noon sun shone down from above, but they’d been in a plane for eighteen hours.

  “We should go out for lunch. I know the best place, right near here.”

  “I want to sleep. With you,” he breathed into her neck.

  She turned around and pushed him backward through the balcony door. He gr
abbed her around the waist and pulled her curvy hips against him. Maisie ran her hands over his hard chest and sucked her lip into her mouth.

  “We can eat later,” she said as he lifted her off the floor, sliding her skirt up over her thighs.

  He laid her on the bed and slid his hands up her hips, exposing her panties.

  “You don’t need these,” he said, pulling them off.

  “Definitely not,” she breathed.

  He whetted his appetite on her little ginger pussy, dipping his tongue inside her to taste her sweet nectar over and over again. She groaned when she exploded on his tongue, her body throbbing against him.

  He turned her over on her stomach, smacking her gorgeous round ass. He unzipped his pants and slid inside her, not wanting to stop. Zach wanted this moment, pushing inside his wife’s wet core.

  She groaned for him, still clenching from her orgasm. She quivered when he sank inside her, coming again with a deep sigh.

  They made love all afternoon and fell asleep together, naked and tangled in the sheets. When they woke, it was dark outside. Zach stretched, his stomach grumbling. He kissed her forehead and she blinked open her eyes.

  “You want to go get something to eat?” he asked her.

  “Definitely.”

  Maisie and Zach got cleaned and ready to go out for their first night on the town in Paris. Zach could tell Maisie was excited as she put on her lipstick and earrings.

  “We can eat at Pierrot and go dancing at Le Tango.”

  “All I need is you, baby,” he said, kissing her exposed shoulder.

  She’d worn an off-the-shoulder black dress, and he’d worn a trendy black suit he’d bought for the trip. He had to admit he had pretty good taste as he looked at himself in the mirror.

  “You look so good, I could eat you,” Maisie said, running her manicured hands down the lapels of his jacket.

  “I’ll eat you first,” he growled, letting his polar bear show through his eyes.

  “Hmm,” she said, biting her lip.

  “I need some Paris food now. More polar bear later,” she said, giggling as she slapped his ass and made her way to the door in her red high heels.