Bearly Mated (BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance) Read online

  “I’d rather eat you.”

  “I’m not on the menu.”

  He caught her around the waist when she turned from him. “You’re on the menu from now on. Remember that.” He smacked her ass, and she blushed. So damn beautiful and mine!

  “Patrick.”

  He nibbled her throat. “I suppose if you’re too sore, I’ll let you rest.”

  “I’m never too sore for your tongue.” She clapped a hand over her lips, and he chuckled.

  “Good to know. Okay, pancakes, but I’ll cook this time. Lizzie?”

  “Hm?”

  “Tomorrow, we have to go back.”

  An expression of panic appeared in her eyes. “But I’m not… I mean… Patrick, what if…”

  “You’re my mate, and I’m yours. Don’t be afraid to face them. They will acknowledge you.”

  “Not if I’m not a shifter.”

  “You are.”

  She spread her arms, glaring at him. “Where? When? I haven’t sprouted a single hair that isn’t the barbed wire that has to be shaved from my legs and arm pits normally.”

  He smirked, amused. “Your beast is inside.”

  “Says you. I haven’t felt anything.”

  “She’s taking her time, but she’s there.”

  Lizzie sank to a kitchen chair and brought her feet up to another one. She hugged her knees, the fear and worry never shifting from her beautiful features. “How can I believe what you say, Patrick? You want to think I’m becoming like you, but there’s no evidence. I’m faulty.”

  “Don’t say that again,” he growled.

  She started.

  He pulled her up and sat down to draw her onto his lap. “You believe me because I am your mate and your alpha. I’m not just saying it. I chose you, and I’m not wrong.”

  For some reason, his words didn’t pacify her, but she did quiet down and later became resigned to their return to town. Patrick worried about her mental state but vowed do keep at her until she understood what she meant to him. He wouldn’t give her up. Not now, not ever.

  Chapter Eight

  They were back in town, and Lizzie felt like she wanted to dump her head between her legs and hyperventilate. Patrick had left her at his house alone and gone off to do who knew what with his time. He had informed her that she was free to do whatever she liked. All Lizzie knew was working in her father’s bookstore and attending classes online. Occasionally, she had taken a class at the community college. Sure she should have finished school years ago, but life—and expenses—had gotten in the way. Her mother developing cancer was one of them. The lingering illness had racked up the bills, and she had put her schooling on hold. After her mother passed, her dad had encouraged her to follow her dreams.

  Lizzie sighed. She’d taken off from school when Patrick asked her to be his mate. Another delay. Did he mean it when he said she should do what she liked? The agreement to be with him meant she abided by the pack’s rules. Unlike humans who were only governed to a certain extent, in the shifter world, the alpha’s word was absolute law. Patrick had said he didn’t interfere with his people’s lives unless it impacted everyone else, but what about hers?

  The bell rang, and her cell buzzed at the same time. She frowned and picked it up as she walked from the kitchen to the hall. Emmy’s name appeared on her screen, and she grinned. At least her best friend was here.

  “Answer the door,” Emmy’s text read.

  Lizzie laughed. Rather than write back, she opened the door. “You didn’t give me a chance.”

  “I wanted to make sure you weren’t lazing in bed like the spoiled little housewife you’ve become.”

  Lizzie rolled her eyes and stepped aside to let her friend pass into the house. “How am I already the spoiled housewife? We just got back, and while I’m enjoying the luxury of Patrick’s house compared to Daddy’s, I don’t know how long it will last.”

  Emmy paused mid-step and swung to face her. Concern wrinkled the skin between her eyebrows. “What do you mean you’re not sure how long it will last?”

  Lizzie hesitated. She shut the door and led her friend into the living room. After making them both a drink and bringing out a plate of devil’s food cake slices, she flopped on the sofa and drew her feet under her. “Eat up, Emmy, so I don’t wolf down that entire cake. I made it yesterday when we got back, and I’ve already eaten a fourth of it.”

  Emmy seemed to battle with a decision to have some. Her sweet friend sported extra curves just as she did, but Emmy had always been confident about herself and her size. That didn’t stop her from trying to improve her health.

  “Oh, hell, why not!” Emmy nabbed a big slice and broke off a chunk to stuff into her mouth. “Mm, you’re such a great baker, Lizzie. Patrick should love you for the food alone.”

  “You’re saying that’s all I have to offer him?”

  “Oh, dear, what’s wrong?” Emmy laid her plate down and switched seats to drop next to Lizzie. She wrapped an arm about Lizzie’s shoulders. “Tell Mama.”

  Lizzie chuckled and nudged Emmy away. “You’re being silly, Emmy, but this is serious. I’m not a shifter.”

  “That’s impossible.”

  Lizzie spread her hands. “Maybe for everyone else in the world who’s bitten by one, but I’m me. I even still have the wound on my shoulder to prove it. On top of that, nobody came to visit yesterday. Nobody! Well, except Daniel, but he doesn’t count. Patrick was pissed, and the next thing I knew the house was full with people who didn’t want to be here. They were all looking at me as if I don’t belong, and they’re right. I don’t belong. I didn’t turn. By now, I should have. On my wedding night, I should have begun to feel it.”

  “Not even a hint?” Emmy asked.

  “Nothing.”

  “Oh boy.”

  Lizzie nodded. They both sat in silence for a few minutes, Lizzie trying not to break down—again. After the “welcome home party,” she had told Patrick she wanted to visit with her dad. He offered to go, but she turned him down saying next time. Instead, she had driven out to a spot where she knew no one would be around and cried her eyes out. Nothing she could see would fix this mess that her life had become.

  “So he’s thinking about annulment?” Emmy said.

  “We haven’t gotten married yet according to human laws. That’s supposed to be next week.”

  “I know but I mean on their side.”

  “It doesn’t exist because this doesn’t exist.”

  Emmy stood up and paced. “Okay, let’s think about this logically.”

  “Logically? I can’t think about it at all without feeling depressed and wanting to stuff my face with all that cake.”

  “Lizzie!”

  “I’m just telling you the truth, Emmy.”

  “I’ve never known you to be so negative.”

  “Then you haven’t known me.”

  They grinned at each other, and Emmy shook her head.

  “So, he hasn’t said anything about sending you back home. That means he likes you, or he wants to save face.”

  Lizzie groaned. She leaned toward the second reason.

  “Is the sex good?”

  Her face flamed.

  “By that expression, I assume it is.” Emmy sat beside her again. “Is it everything people say? I mean having sex with the shifters?”

  “What do they say?”

  Emmy waved her arms in a dramatic gesture. “That it’s mind-blowing and so satisfying, that it’s a hundred times better than your best human lover. It’s like a drug you can’t get enough of. It’s—”

  “Okay, I get it.” Lizzie burst out laughing and then drew in a breath. She chewed on her bottom lip, thinking. Since they were kids, she and Emmy shared everything, and Lizzie had kept the secret about her true feelings for Patrick. Admitting to what Patrick made her feel physically came so close to what he made her feel emotionally because it all seemed to be tied together. “He’s good.”

  “That’s all you’re going to
say? He’s good?”

  “He’s great.”

  “Lizette Dawson!”

  Lizzie surged to her feet and strode to the window. She twitched the curtains aside to gain a view of the front drive. Beyond it trees extended in every direction. The night before, Patrick had said he was going for a walk, and she could have sworn she saw him shift just as he entered the trees. The darkness and his fast movements made her unsure. Her lessons in the shifter life had taught her shifters needed to let their animals out regularly to feel sane. The wild called, and they never neglected to answer. The fact that Patrick hadn’t wanted or been able to take her along weighed on her mind. Not that she felt they should be glued to each other, but they were sort of newlyweds, and she couldn’t share what was most sacred to him.

  “He’s perfect in bed and out of it.”

  “Yum! Do you mean like doing it on the kitchen table?”

  “Emmy!”

  She glanced over her shoulder to find her friend’s eyes bright with amusement. “If I had one of them, I’d have to test him out on every available surface.”

  “Ew, remind me not to come to your house if you do mate with a shifter.” Lizzie didn’t want to imagine Emmy having sex all over her house, but she was on her way to doing just that with Patrick.

  “You pretend to be a prude, Lizzie, but I know better.”

  Lizzie readjusted her glasses and narrowed her eyes. “This isn’t pretense.”

  Emmy rolled her eyes and reached for her cake. An odd feeling came over Lizzie that she couldn’t identify, and she turned back to the window. A cute little lime green car drew up, and Lizzie’s fingers spasmed on the curtains. She watched as slender, tanned legs appeared around the driver side door, and Annie stood in fuck-me high heels. She paused a moment to straighten the miniskirt she wore, and Lizzie wondered how she wasn’t chilly with the drop in temperature over the last few days. Summer was disappearing, and they were moving into fall. The blond bombshell didn’t appear to be affected.

  “Oh no, why is she here?” Lizzie muttered.

  “Who?”

  “Annie.”

  The saucer clinked against the table as Emmy set it down. “Don’t worry. She’s probably here to vent more jealousy. Maybe you should tell her you can’t talk now because Patrick’s on the way home to fuck you.”

  “Honestly, Emmy.”

  “It’s possible.”

  Lizzie didn’t want to deal with Annie, but she refused to hide away from the woman. After all, what could Annie do? Sure, Lizzie had her doubts about how long she and Patrick would be together, but she could also say with certainty Annie hated them together. No matter what happened, Annie wouldn’t have Patrick. The female shifter knew that, and her jealousy fairly pulsated from her being.

  Chapter Nine

  Lizzie set a beer in front of Annie, and the woman offered an insincere smile and murmur of thanks before she sipped it. Blood red nails on the ends of long, slender fingers splayed over the dark brown bottle. Annie wasn’t exactly dainty in her movements, but she was highly feminine. No, Lizzie thought, annoyed. Highly sexual.

  “I don’t think Nana would approve of this kind of afternoon tea party, “ Emmy joked. Lizzie appreciated her attempt to lighten the tension knotting Lizzie’s back.

  Annie sat forward, her full attention on Lizzie. “I didn’t come here for tea and crumpets. I’m here to talk to you about Patrick.”

  “You lost,” Emmy interrupted. “Just accept it and move on.

  Annie’s mouth tightened. “I haven’t lost anything I’ve gone after.”

  Emmy laughed and folded her arms over her chest. “Oh, now you’re pretending you never wanted Patrick so it doesn’t look like Lizzie here snatched him out from under you.”

  Annie’s hand clenched the bottle she held tighter. Lizzie frowned at her, and she realized what she was doing. Lizzie knew from experience their strength went beyond a human’s. She didn’t relish having glass flying everywhere because Annie was angry.

  “I’m not here about me,” Annie ground out.

  Lizzie figured her patience was nearing its limit. “Then why are you here? The formal ‘welcome’ for your people was yesterday, and you were here smiling like everyone else.”

  “I did it for Patrick.”

  “Like everyone else,” Lizzie repeated. “You’ve done your part. Patrick’s not angry anymore.” She couldn’t help herself. “I saw to that this morning, so there’s really no need for you.”

  All the blood drained from Annie’s face at Lizzie’s words, and behind her back, Emmy clasped her hands together and waved them in a cheer.

  “It’s tacky to brag about your sex life,” Annie quipped.

  Lizzie shrugged.

  A slow grin spread over Annie’s face. “Those of us who are used to giving and receiving pleasure don’t have to crow about it the first time we get it.”

  Lizzie’s bubble of self-satisfaction popped. Annie had won the round, and she searched for some witty reply that would put the woman in her place. Nothing came to mind, and the way Emmy clenched her fists, Lizzie assumed she couldn’t think of a good reply either.

  “Now that we got that out of the way,” Annie crowed, hatefully, “as I said, I want to talk about Patrick.”

  “Why bother, Annie?” Emmy demanded.

  Annie scowled. “Forget about me!”

  Both Lizzie and Emmy started.

  “If you love him, and I believe you do, then think about him.”

  Lizzie stilled. She dared to glance over to Emmy, but her friend was busy studying Annie with suspicion. Lizzie sighed. The very fact that Lizzie clung to a man who everyone felt was out of her league, and she agreed with them was a clear sign of how she felt. What woman wouldn’t fall for the alpha? Even Annie had never denied her desire to be his mate.

  “Yes, I love him,” Lizzie said and raised her chin. She didn’t hear a gasp of surprise from Emmy. “I should care about him since he’s my hus— since we’ll be married soon.”

  “You’ll never get it.”

  “I don’t need your condescension, Annie.” Lizzie raised her voice and stiffened her spine. “If you have something to say, out with it.”

  “He’s going to be overthrown.”

  Lizzie’s mouth fell open. “What?”

  “You heard me. Patrick is going to be ousted as alpha.”

  Lizzie jumped to her feet. “That’s not possible.”

  “It is possible. Anyone can challenge for his position.”

  “Then it’s okay.” Lizzie sighed in relief and sat down again. She affected calm by sipping at her drink. “He’ll just win the fight. I remember the rules. The strongest wins and holds the title of alpha.”

  “Do you think it will be as smooth as that?”

  Emmy cut in. “What do you mean?”

  Annie stood up and strode a few paces away then faced them. “You’re right. Patrick is strong. I know that as well as anyone.”

  Lizzie gritted her teeth. She hated the reminder that the two of them were a long-term item until Patrick decided he needed a mate, and the human law changed to allow shifters and humans to mate.

  “He will probably win the fight, but you have to remember we have always had to bow to what the humans allow. We are more powerful, but you far outnumber us. It’s in our best interest to work alongside you. That doesn’t mean we want your kind leading us. No one will allow Patrick to remain the alpha mated to a human.”

  Her blunt statement took Lizzie’s breath away. The implications that Annie outlined sounded like mutiny. Lizzie didn’t want to get clarification. She wanted to believe she’d heard wrong, but she was propelled to ask for Patrick’s sake. “You’re saying if someone challenges him and he wins, someone else will challenge him again until he loses?”

  “No.”

  Lizzie almost wept with relief.

  “I’m saying, if Patrick wins against one opponent, he’ll find himself in a battle with several, and they won’t stop until they ki
ll him.”

  Lizzie cried out, and tears filled her eyes. “I thought you loved him too!”

  Annie sneered, but Lizzie caught the pain in her gaze before it disappeared. “What I feel for Patrick doesn’t matter. Just like you said, he’ll never choose me. Not if he wants to keep our people growing. In his mind, you’re his mate, and he won’t abandon you.”

  “Then what do you expect me to do? I can’t force Patrick to see me differently. If it was up to me, I would change now, for him. I’d do whatever it took to make him happy.”

  Lizzie regretted the admission. She imagined to Annie it made her look weak, but she didn’t care. They laid their cards on the table during this conversation. Annie had to know she wasn’t the only one who loved him, and Lizzie had hidden the fact long enough.

  Annie scoffed. “Make him happy?”

  Emmy stood up, but Lizzie hurried to stop her before she could confront Annie. Lizzie looked the woman in the eyes. “Are you saying I can’t satisfy him? I promise you, I already have.”

  Annie reddened. To Lizzie’s satisfaction, she silenced the woman if only for a few moments. Unfortunately, Annie recovered. “We’re not talking about his happiness, Lizzie.”

  “Aren’t we?”

  “No.” She moved closer to Lizzie, but Lizzie didn’t think she was ready to attack. Lizzie had no idea what made her sure about this impression. “We’re discussing Patrick’s life.”

  “Why should I believe you? Over the years, all I’ve seen is Patrick’s people love him, and he loves them. He’s stubborn and arrogant, but his life has been devoted to shifters. It’s his lobbying that has gotten many of the unfair laws changed and his relations with other packs that have gained him power. I'm not stupid or ignorant of what has been happening in the world.”

  “You only know the surface and what we allow you to know.”

  “She’s bluffing, Lizzie. Don’t listen to her.”

  Emmy grasped her friend’s hand. Annie wouldn’t attack Lizzie, but that didn’t mean Emmy might not push her too far. Shifter on human assaults was pretty nonexistent, but it wouldn’t start in the alpha’s household.

  “I agree,” Lizzie said. “There’s no reason to trust what you’re saying, Annie. Of course, I’ve noticed people have snubbed us. That’s just snubs though, and Patrick says they’ll come around.”