Chapter 9
Damien watched Raven sleeping as the morning sunlight filtered through the curtains in his bedroom. The night before had been beyond magical. Who was so lucky to find their fated mate and make love to her as if there were no tomorrow?
He ran his hands through his hair as he gazed at her before silently sliding out of the bed to let her sleep. He pulled on his boxer briefs and jeans before slipping into a pair of flip-flops and making his way downstairs to the kitchen. Before he got down to business this morning, he intended to make a full breakfast for his ladylove, fill her stomach, and then make good on his promise to help her.
He’d had an itch in his brain that had told him all along that Raven had had something to do with the hacking into his databases. He hadn’t had any solid evidence to prove it. She was that good. But there had been just too many coincidences to ignore.
Being a bear shifter, he was used to paying attention to his intuition. Shifters had a kind of sixth sense that usually only showed up in relation to their fated mates. Because Raven was his fated mate, he’d had an inkling that her appearance on Fate Mountain at exactly the same time as the hacking was probably related.
He was overjoyed that she had come clean with him before they’d made love. It meant the world to him that she respected their relationship enough to put herself at risk like that. If he’d been a major douche, maybe he would have arrested her on the spot. But her reason for hacking the database had been pure. The woman only wanted to know what had happened to her mother, and Damien intended to help her find out.
The fact that the previous police chief had not dug into the case more thoroughly angered him, but he was going to get to the bottom of it now. But first, he was going to make her a cheesy omelet with bacon, sourdough toast with local homemade strawberry jam from the general store, and sliced melons. As he was finishing up his morning feast, Raven came into the kitchen in her clothes from the night before, her hair slightly disheveled and her eyes only half open.
She groaned and moved toward the coffee pot, which was now full and steaming hot. He handed her a coffee cup from the dishwasher without asking, and she poured herself a cup, fixing it with cream and sugar. She slid onto a bench across the counter from him and took a sip of coffee, watching him cook.
“You really do cook,” she said in a groggy voice.
“Bears like to eat,” he said in a cheery voice.
“I can barely boil water,” she said.
“I’m sure that you can cook something,” he said.
“Then you would be wrong. I may be a whiz at redirecting IP addresses and hacking into computer databases, but cooking is not my forte.”
“You can’t be good at everything. But I’ll tell you one thing that you are the best at,” he said, raising his eyebrow at her.
“What? Kicking your ass at every video game on the planet?” she said, her sleepiness finally thawing from her sense of humor.
“No. Definitely not. But you are the hottest, sexiest little lover in the entire world,” he said, slipping the omelet onto a plate.
She giggled and took another sip of coffee as he passed her plate across the counter. He poured her a glass of orange juice and set it beside her plate before grabbing his own food and joining her at the counter.
“You weren’t so bad yourself,” she said as she took a bite of her omelet and groaned.
“God, you are a good cook,” she said. “I’m gonna have to keep you.”
“You don’t have a choice on that,” he said, leaning into her and wrapping his arm around her waist. “I’m never going to let you go.”
“Promise,” she said breathlessly.
“Promise.”
“Damien,” she breathed, leaning in to kiss his cheek.
“Now, we’re going to figure out what happened to your mother. Now that we’re working together, we can make quick work of it.”
“Maybe. But I don’t know. I’ve been trying to find out what happened to her for years, and this is as far as I’ve gotten.”
“Yes, but you are criminal, and I’m a cop, so you know I have an advantage in that department,” he said.
“Ha, ha, ha. I’m not really a criminal. Fate Mountain was the first police department I’ve ever broken into, believe it or not,” she said.
“I’ll take your word for it.”
She smiled at him as she took another sip of coffee, and they sat together and ate their breakfast. When they were done, they took showers in different bathrooms and met again in the living room. He found her with her hair tied back, standing in the kitchen, drinking another cup of coffee.
“Now let’s go up to my office and see what we can find out,” he said.
She followed him upstairs, and they sat together in front of his desk, staring at the bank of computer screens in front of them.
Damien woke up his computer and entered his password, giving Raven a sly look as he hit the enter key.
“You can trust me,” she said sarcastically.
“Uh-huh, yeah, right,” he said with a laugh.
He entered his search engine and began an inquiry in his system where he was able to access the Fate Mountain Police Department databases and other police databases from around the country.
“Kelly Green said that Marvin Updike was the last person to see your mother,” Damien said.
“Yes. I can’t believe she knew all along.”
Damien did a search for the man’s name and came back with a shocking revelation.
“It looks like Marvin Updike was involved in a criminal investigation into his business during that same time. He was going to be indicted, but the charges were all dropped soon after,” he said, stroking his chin.
“Do you think my mother was somehow involved?”
“It’s quite possible. I’ve come to the conclusion that most coincidences are not very coincidental.”
“Can you find out more?” she asked.
“There wasn’t enough evidence to bring the case to trial. Which is odd because usually that’s the kind of thing that a judge would decide,” he said.
“What else can you find out about this Marvin Updike guy?” she asked.
“I’m not going to be able to find any specifics about the case because those files are locked, even to me,” he said.
“Oh, come now,” she said. “You can’t get into them?”
“I probably could, but it would be illegal,” he said. “But I do have another idea.”
“The random-probability generator,” she said, her eyes growing wide with delight.
“Exactly. I’m going to input all of the information that we have and all of the relationships that we know about. Then we will see what the drive comes back with. It can parse data far faster than a human being, and it will be able to find connections between your mother’s disappearance, Marvin Updike, and his criminal investigation.”
“How exactly does that work?” she asked.
“I thought you were a computer genius,” he mocked her.
“Corey Bright’s drive is above my pay grade,” she said, her tone a little defensive.
“To be honest, it’s above mine too. But I do have access to it, so let’s see what we can find out.”
Chapter 10
Damien left the random-probability generator running while he packed a picnic lunch for them in the kitchen. Raven watched him as he put food into the picnic basket.
“Don’t you think it’s a little cold for a picnic?” she asked.
“Absolutely not,” he said. “This is the best time of year for a picnic.”
“But it’s freezing outside,” she protested.
“I know of a place that we can go to where it will be warm and cozy inside,” he said, raising his eyebrows at her suggestively.
She giggled and covered her lips with her fingertips. The whole morning with Damien had almost been like a dream. It was too good to be true. Having made love to him the night before and now with him helping her sol
ve her mother’s disappearance, she couldn’t ask for anything better.
He put the last of the food into the picnic basket, and they walked out to the living room, where they put on their coats and then started out to the car. He helped her into the SUV and put the basket in the backseat.
On the drive up the mountain, they sang and laughed along with the radio. Raven marveled at the view out her window, as they slowly ascended Fate Mountain. A blanket of snow had covered the land in the last few days, but the sky was clear and blue this afternoon. Sunlight glinted off the snowy slopes that descended below them.
Sitting in the car with Damien, singing songs and laughing together, it felt as if she were living someone else’s life. A life she never would have imagined could ever be her reality. But now it was. This was definitely real. Damien was definitely real, and Raven was blissfully happy to be with him today and forever.
They turned off onto a side road off the highway and continued on for about a mile, their tires crunching over the fresh snow. Damien pulled up in front of a log cabin with a brick chimney and a quaint little front porch. It was so adorable that Raven couldn’t help but gush at its cuteness. They got out of the car with the picnic basket and went inside.
“Whose cabin is this?” she asked.
“It’s mine,” he said. “I use it for camping and hunting.”
“Do you use a gun, or do you hunt in bear form?” she asked with a giggle as he unlocked the front door.
“Both.”
They walked inside, and Raven took in the small space. It was a one-bedroom log cabin with open log beam walls, a comfortable couch facing the fireplace, and a small TV in the corner. Off to the side of the main room, there was a small kitchen with a full-size refrigerator and a small stove.
She walked to the back of the room and looked out the window at the view. What she saw made her gasp. The mountain valley swept out below the cabin, giving her a view of the entire expanse. She’d never seen anything so magnificent.
Raven stood in the window, gazing down at the beautiful rolling hills covered in evergreens touched with snow. Damien put a kettle on the stove and started to heat it up. He then went to the living room and built a fire in the fireplace that was quickly crackling and burning, radiating heat throughout the room. When the teakettle whistled, he poured them both a cup of tea, and they sat together next to the window in the kitchen with the picnic basket between them.
“I hope the soup is still hot,” he said.
He set the containers out in front of them and unwrapped the sandwiches from their coverings. Raven took a bite of her chicken noodle soup, and the warmth sank down into her belly, making her thaw out from the cold outside. The fireplace radiated heat throughout the small space, and it felt comfortable and cozy in no time.
“Is this how you romance all the girls?” she asked.
“I’ve never brought a woman here before.”
“Really? You don’t bring a lot of dates up to your hunting cabin?”
“The truth is, I haven’t had a lot of dates,” he said in a reluctant tone.
Raven’s heart went out to him. She hadn’t had a lot of dates either. In fact, she’d almost never had a date. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been on one.
“If it makes you feel any better, my last date was with an avatar named Tech Bear Paladin,” she said.
“When you put it that way,” he said, reaching across the table.
He took her hand in his, the warmth of his flesh heating her chilled fingers. It felt so good to be with him, she didn’t want anything to change. She didn’t want anything to get between them.
“The truth is that I brought you here because I wanted to ask you something,” he started. “Something very important.”
“What is it?” she asked, growing nervous.
He reached into his pocket with one hand and squeezed her hand with the other. Looking into her eyes, he revealed to her what he had pulled from his jacket. It was a little black velvet box. Raven gasped, putting her hand over her mouth.
“Raven Lucas,” he said, “will you be my wife?”
“Damien. You don’t know what you’re asking,” she said. “You don’t even know me.”
“You are my mate. You are the elf rogue I’ve known for seven years, Raven. Believe me, I know you. And I’m surer of this than anything I’ve ever been sure of. I want you to be my wife. Please say yes.”
“Yes,” she gasped as he opened the little box, revealing a big fat diamond ring inside.
Raven had never desired a big fat diamond ring, but the moment she saw it, she knew she wanted it. He lifted it out of the box and slid it on her finger. It fit perfectly, and tears began to stream down her face. She stood from her chair and went to him, falling into his lap and wrapping her arms around his neck. She kissed him hard on the mouth, and he squeezed her to him.
“I’m going to claim you now, Raven,” he growled.
All she could do was shake her head yes as he lifted her from the chair and carried her through the living room and into the tiny bedroom at the back of the cabin. There was a slight chill still in the air in the back room, but he drew back the patchwork quilt and tucked her underneath. They lay together in the warmth, kissing gently as their passions grew.
How could this be happening? This man who had been her friend for so long in the virtual world was here, and he was real, and he wanted her to be his wife. Raven had never conceived of such a thing.
Now that it was in front of her, the fear that she might lose it gripped her heart. She wanted only to stay in that moment. Damien kissed her and pulled her out of her clothes.
Soon they were naked and bare, kissing under the warm blankets. He pulled her on top of him, holding her hips in his hands as she kissed him from above. He slid her back, her body slick and ready. Damien pushed the head of his cock against her wet opening and slid inside.
She gasped and threw her head back, her long black braids cascading down her back. She groaned as he filled her. Raven sat up on Damien’s lap, running her hands over his muscled chest. She gazed down at him as his blue eyes looked up at her through his dark-framed glasses. He was so handsome and so unbelievably cute.
She leaned down and kissed him hard as he drew back his hips and thrust into her again. She groaned into his kiss as he ran his hands up her hips and over her back. Their mouths danced, their hearts beat in time, their bodies moved as one and merged with each other.
With a growl, he turned her onto her back and thrust harder. His sharp teeth grazed over the sensitive skin at the base of her neck. She could feel her heart beating hard. Damien licked the pulse point and smelled the scent of her flesh behind her ear.
“I need to make you mine,” he said.
“Yes. I want that. I want you to claim me. I want you to make me like you, Damien.”
“I can change you,” he said with a mixture of fear and desire in his voice.
“Yes. I want you to change me. Please, Damien. Make me yours. I need to know who I am,” she whimpered.
He didn’t need any more encouragement. He thrust into her, moving in the rolling waves as his teeth descended and pressed hard and sharply against her skin.
He growled, and she came, her pussy clenching over his rock-hard cock. His teeth bit through her neck as she screamed out. The clamping of his jaw cut off her voice, and all of a sudden, Raven was launched into the stratosphere. Her body throbbed and clenched as a cascade of fireworks exploded behind her eyelids.
She felt things that she’d never imagined. As he held her neck hard between his jaws, she felt the essence of Damien open up to her and mingle with her own being, deep in her belly, heart, and soul. They were becoming one, and at the same time, something new was being born inside her.
She could feel it awakening, soft and new and unformed. Damien wrapped her in his arms and held her close as his hips pumped and he released himself deep inside her core.
They held each other tightly, their bod
ies still throbbing, his teeth still deep inside her neck. Ever so slowly, he pulled away. His teeth slid from her neck, and his cock slid from her core. He licked the wound until it was miraculously healed and then rolled over to lie beside her. They held each other in the dim light of the cabin bedroom, their hearts pounding and their breath heavy. Raven was not quite sure what had just happened, but she knew that nothing would ever be the same.
“I can feel you so close to me now,” she whispered.
“And I you, my love,” he whispered into her hair.
Raven rolled over and hugged him tightly, smelling the scent of his body and feeling his big, masculine essence beside her. She felt so very close to him now, it was as if they had been part of each other all along, but only now could they really see it for what it was.
That immature little spark inside her, that seed that Damien had planted in the depths of her psyche, it was beginning to grow and flower.
It was her bear.
She could hear its soft growling as it emerged from the depths of her subconscious. Soon, it would be ready to emerge, and Raven would not only be bonded to a bear, but she would be one as well.
Chapter 11
“Come on,” Damien said, reaching down to Raven as she lay in the bed.
She took his hand, the emotions still roiling around inside her. There were new depths of her self-awareness coming to the forefront. Corners of her mind that she had never even seen before. The infant of a bear inside her continued to grow moment by moment. Little growls and grunts could be heard at the back of her mind, deep inside her.
She took Damien’s hand and slid from under the blankets. Usually, it would have been cold, but now it didn’t seem quite as chilly in the cabin. Could it be her new shifter senses alleviating the cold?
“I’m going to take you outside,” he said. “And you can see what you’re really made of.”
“I don’t know if I’m ready,” she said.
“My elf rogue is always ready,” he teased, leading her out of the bedroom and through the living room of the cabin.