RANCHER BEAR’S BABY(29)

She held him out to me, despite the big guy’s growl. “Would you like to hold him? He’s on my short list currently. Little Connor doesn’t like sleeping at night.”

I wrapped my arms around him and peered down into his tiny face. He looked just like the big idiot next to us and reached up to tug on my hair. I rocked him back and forth, feeling tears well up in my eyes. “Oh, god. He’s so cute.”

“I know you’re the one staying with Matt. His smell is all over you. I’m just curious as to how the fuck you found him. He’s been locked up in that cabin for almost half a year.”

Little Connor started to cry at his Dad’s tone and I reluctantly handed him back to Elizabeth. “That’s none of your business.”

He stepped closer to me. “It is my business. He might’ve decided to trust you, but that doesn’t mean I have to. You just dropped right out of nowhere. Our family isn’t going to suddenly roll over and welcome you with open arms just because you spread your legs for Matt.”

I wanted to slap the hell out of him and had to actually rationalize it all out play by play a few times before deciding that it wouldn’t go well. Just as I was about to chew him out, Elizabeth beat me to it.

“Seriously, Alex? I dropped right out of nowhere and you didn’t think twice about it. Leave Leila alone.” She winked at me. “I knew you didn’t look like a Maggie. Your real name got around.”

He shook his head. “That’s different. Matt is going through some shit. It would be easy for someone to take advantage of him, by, say, claiming they were his mate. The guy’s in a vulnerable positon is all I’m saying. Easily fooled.”

I pulled down my collar and showed them the scars that were still fading from Steven’s bites. “Turns out that you can’t actually claim someone who isn’t your real mate. It doesn’t take. Matt and I are mates and I don’t want or expect anything from you or your family.”

Elizabeth sucked in a rough breath and then punched Alex with her free hand. “Leave her alone. Right now. And we are going to welcome her with open arms. We’re having a birthday party for Matt’s little sister tonight. Please, come.”

Alex kept his eyes on my neck and then sighed. “Fine. Come. Bring my big brother if you can get him to come.”

“I’ll pick you up. If you want to come, that is.”

A chance to meet new people and see where Matt came from? I couldn’t say no. “Sure. What time?”

Alex pouted while we made arrangements and then stalked off before we were finished. Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “Men. I would ask you if Matt is this moody, but I already know he is.”

I smiled and shrugged. “He is moody, but he’s a good guy at heart. Maybe he can play nice with everyone tonight.”

She frowned. “I seriously doubt he’ll want to come. He hasn’t been to a family function in a while. After everything that went down with the ranch, he just kept to himself.”

I didn’t pry because I wanted Matt to be the one to explain everything to me. “We’ll see what we can do then, right?”

I hurried through the rest of my grocery shopping and then stopped at a department store, while still in that neighboring town. I quickly found makeup and a few different dresses to wear, as well as new shoes. I didn’t want to look embarrassingly plain the first time I met all of my mate’s family.

I also wasn’t going to let Alex skew my view. Surely, the rest of them were nicer. I hoped.





CHAPTER 14: Matt




I hadn’t wanted to let Leila go shopping. At all, much less by herself. But, I could tell it was something she needed to do. We’d have to have the unpleasant conversation about her piece of shit ex later, so I’d know better what she needed from me. I wanted make my mate happy. My bear agreed with me, though he’d been pissed that I let her go alone.

I’d paced the cabin until I was dizzy from the incessant circles I’d been making. I thought about everything that could go wrong. Landing was full of bears and they’d all smell me on her, they’d know she was taken, but still. I’d made enemies by being an asshole. Would anyone take their anger towards me out on her?

When I heard my truck coming up the mountain, I practically ran to the door. I needed to see her to calm my bear down.

By the time she parked, I was there beside the truck, opening the door and pulling her into my arms. I held her head and took her mouth in a fierce kiss. My bear instantly relaxed, while my cock stiffened. She was my female.

I stroked my tongue over her lips and growled when she opened her mouth to me. She tasted like a little piece of heaven and I took her for all she was worth.