“Her place is with me if she wants it.”
“Yeah? And what am I supposed to do with that? Can you even imagine Clinton or Jason thinking ‘Aw, Matt found a mate. That looks fun. I think I’ll go find one?’ What about Easton? Do you want to unleash Easton on Saratoga looking for a woman to bring back to the trailer park because you have someone to fuck, and he wants that, too? Our crew would singlehandedly traumatize all the women within a hundred mile radius. It’s not just fun and games, Matt. Not when we have bears like him to manage.”
“Creed, stop. Willa’s here for a week on vacation. I don’t even know if she’ll stay for me. You could be freaking out over nothing.”
Creed’s voice went hard as steel and deadly low. “Or it could be the worst thing to ever happen to our crew.”
“Yeah, well what do you want me to do? I’ve been searching for a mate for years, and she’s finally found me. I’m finally feeling in control of my future, and one of my best friends is giving me shit over it. You could’ve said ‘Congrats man, I know you’ve been through hell, and you deserve some peace.’ You could’ve! Instead, you’re up my ass about how I’ve ruined everyone’s life by finding someone who can settle me. I love her, Creed. I fucking love her. Let that sink in. I actually have enough feeling left in me after all the shit I went through to love something.”
Creed slammed his hand against the steering wheel and let out a string of cuss words Matt had never heard put together before.
Let his alpha curse his name. It didn’t change the way Matt felt about Willa.
Creed turned onto a switchback and accelerated on the straightaway. They’d be at the landing soon, and his alpha had stopped talking completely. Instead, he seemed lost in thought as he rubbed his two day stubble absently. “What am I supposed to do here, Matt?” It was the first time Creed had sounded uncertain since he’d claimed his alpha rank over the Gray Backs.
Matt sighed miserably. He didn’t want to stress out his friend, his alpha. “Can we see how the boys are around Willa? Let her hang out this week and see if they can treat her right? See if they can control their bears around her? If they can’t, I’ll leave. I’ll move wherever she is and try to make it work.”
“No, Matt,” Creed said in a hoarse voice. “You’re a Gray Back. I don’t want you to go.”
“Then let’s hope the boys are okay with her because I can’t live where she isn’t allowed.”
Creed scratched his head and muttered one last curse. “Okay. We’ll see how the boys are with her.” He pulled to a stop near the landing and leveled him with a look. “I sure hope your mate is strong enough to handle them.”
His alpha got out of the truck and slammed the door behind him. Pain stabbed through Matt just thinking about leaving his life here. Leaving his people.
He too hoped with everything in him that Willa was strong enough to handle the Gray Backs.
Chapter Nine
When Willa’s phone chirped, she pulled it from her purse and stared down at the screen. She’d just received a text message from Griz. Ha. When had Matt put his number in her phone?
I’m sorry if you saw Jason’s dick this morning.
She laughed too loud and the woman next to her at the Hobo Hot Pool jumped. With a glare, she glided farther away through the steaming water.
“Sorry,” Willa murmured.
She had actually seen Jason’s swinging dick this morning when she’d packed up the Tacoma to head into town for the day. He’d stood splay-legged on his porch, hands on his hips and neck arched back like he was enjoying the sunlight on his bare skin. “Lovely day,” he’d said in a conversational tone.
Willa’s eyes had just about bugged out of her head, and she’d nearly choked on the last piece of bacon she’d been chewing on. “What are you doing?” she’d asked, trying to look everywhere but between his legs.
“It’s a morning ritual.”
“All right then. Well, you and your…ritual…have a nice day,” she’d said before she drove off.
Do all werebears have giant dicks? she typed out, then hit send.
Do you have a problem with nudity? Modesty doesn’t exist with the Gray Backs. Will that make you uncomfortable? Or is it something you think you can handle?
Willa slipped back into the natural hot spring pool and leaned on the edge, staring at her phone. Matt’s question seemed uncharacteristically serious.
Is this a test? she typed out.
Kind of. Creed said you could hang out at Grayland on a trial basis.
So he lifted the rules? I can stay nights with you while I’m here?