Page 67 of Kidnapping Their Third

“Good bears,” Kimble told her, then frowned. “Pike’s parents are good bears.”

Was Kimble implying someone wasn’t a good bear, perhaps the sister? Before Cora could question him, Pike took Kimble’s hand in his and pulled them up the gravel path to the front door.

He let go long enough to open the door then shouted, “We’re here!” Then he pulled them inside and kicked the door shut with his heel. Unlike her father’s place where all the furniture was on its last leg, sometimes literally, this living room had nice matching furniture but wasn’t stuffy or pretentious. Unlike a few houses she’d been in, nothing felt “too nice” to sit on. It was the perfect combination of decorative and comfortable.

“David!” a deep feminine voice called out, then a woman who had to be Pike’s mom appeared through an open door.

She was tall, at least six feet, with a solid build and shoulder length brown hair liberally streaked with gray. Her size would’ve been intimidating if not for the wide, welcoming smile on her face. She and Pike had the same kind eyes and open expressions that made you want to trust them immediately.

“Hi Mom! Cora, this is my mom, Christina, but everyone calls her Tina. And—”

Before Pike could finish his sentence, Tina rushed forward and swept Cora up in a bear hug. “I’m so happy to meet you!”

“Mom!” Pike shouted and pulled Cora away from her. “Cora’s human, you can’t just grab her like that!”

Tina clasped her hands together and took a big step back. “Oh dear, I’m so terribly sorry! Are you upset? I have a wonderful collection of honey in the pantry. And I’m fixing salmon for dinner with a lovely herb sauce.”

“You mean I’m fixing salmon for dinner with an herb sauce,” an immensely tall man said, stepping up behind Tina. He smiled at Cora and extended a hand over Tina’s shoulder. “I’m Mark, but you can call me dad. We’re so pleased you’re here.”

“Yes, you should call me mom,” Tina said with an eager nod. She unclasped her hands to reach behind her and touch Mark.

Cora stepped close enough to give Mark a quick handshake before retreating to press herself against Pike. “It’s nice to meet both of you.”

“You’re so tiny and cute,” Tina murmured with a happy little smile. “The three of you will make the most adorable babies!”

“Mooom,” Pike moaned. “What did I tell you on the phone?”

“It was a long list; do you want me to repeat it all?” she teased.

“Among the top two were no touching and no baby talk,” Pike growled. It was obvious he was fighting a smile at his mom’s antics. He looked down at her with a shrug. “I’m sorry, my parents are, um…”

Cora supplied the only word that fit. “Enthusiastic.”

“The traffic getting here was a bitch. Do you guys have any cold beer? And I need a shot of something to go with it!”

They all turned to the door in time to see a woman dressed in cut off jean shorts, sandals, and a cropped tank top slam into the small house. Compared to the rest of the beefy Pike family, Lucy was strangely thin and lacked muscle.

As Cora watched, she dumped several bags on the floor, then ran her hand through her damp hair. Her top was damp too, and it looked like she’d been sweating. Maybe her car was like Pike’s and the AC didn’t work, but it was still strange because it was a cool evening.

Tina made an aggravated sound. “Lucy, what have I said about dropping your things wherever you feel like it?”

“Not to do it,” Lucy drawled as she stepped forward, leaving the bags where they were. She wasn’t as tall as Pike, but she was taller than her mother with her father's bright blue eyes, and her mother’s generous mouth. But that’s where the similarities ended. This woman had a hardness that put Cora on edge.

“Lucy!” Pike gushed and grabbed the woman in a hug before presenting her to Cora. “This is my twin. Lucy, this is my mate.”

Lucy tried to smile, but it was tinged with disgust. “A human?”

Either Pike didn’t hear the tone or chose to ignore it because he never lost his smile. “The most perfect human!”

Lucy gave her a smile that wasn’t friendly and held out her hand. “Hello, Cora. Welcome to the family.”

Cora slid her hand in Lucy’s, then worked on not showing pain when the woman clamped down with far more force than necessary. This wasn’t the first time Cora had played this game, and she had a trick of her own. Bringing up her other hand to cover Lucy’s, she smiled widely and showed off her teeth.

“Nice to meet you,” she said, using all the strength in her free hand to pinch a nerve in the back of Lucy’s hand. With a little gasp of outrage, Lucy let go and tucked her injured hand against her chest.

“What the hell? That hurt!”

Cora pretended to frown in confusion. “Did I grip you too tight? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. Sometimes I don’t know my own strength.”

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