Page 51 of Hers to Call
Charles’ eyebrows lowered, his shoulder hunched over, the hair on his neck visibly bristling. Jealous rage wafted off the other bear a moment before Charles tamped it down. Simon narrowed his eyes, further curious as to why the male was adamant about being on his clan’s land. Was it his property, or access to Simon’s bears the two were seeking? Miranda had claimed to need a safe space, but their desperation told a different story.
“We don’t allow outsiders into our gathering.”
“That’s not welcoming at all,” came Charles’s rumbling answer. “I would think you’d want to invite a fellow bear to commune with the clan.”
Yeah, it was access to his bears. Were the two of them recruiting? Recruiting for a war long done? There were shifters from certain sectors that hadn’t wanted to negotiate at all with the humans, and saw the treaty between the two as nothing more than a stalling tactic. Was Miranda still caught up in it? He thought about the young cubs in his clan. The call to revolution would be tempting to some, but he kept his bears happy enough that hopefully, he wouldn’t have to worry about them. But to be safe, he’d keep Charles from mingling with his bears.
Simon let his bear come to the surface a little. His shoulders expanded in size, fur sliding out of his skin. “This is an all-inclusive ranch. There are bears aplenty on the property if you need to commune, but this gathering is for clan only. Had you come onto my land correctly, and not skulking, you’d have been apprised of that fact.” His bear rumbled his chest and power flooded his body, mingling with the anger already there. A dangerous combination.
He stepped closer to Charles and Miranda. “You’ve now been on my land for more than a week without filing the proper permissions. That ends today. I’ll have someone escort you from the property. You have twenty-four hours to leave my county. If I find you here again, I’ll assume that means you want to challenge my clan and we’ll set it up.” Simon inclined his head to his beta and knew that Gavin would get it done.
He texted Nate as he left, apprising him of the situation. If it came down to it, he’d have to go through the sheriff’s office to kick Miranda and her mate out of town. He walked past his house to get to the picnic area and smiled as his mate came out of the front door of his house. Calita looked up, seeming to sense him. She gave him an awkward smile. He thought back to their earlier disagreement, was she still mad? He held out his hand as he got closer.
“Walk with me?”
She grabbed his hand and they walked in silence, trekking through the forest. The dense trees provided shade, dampening some of the day’s heat.
“What’s on your mind, Cali?”
She sighed. “I just...this is awkward.”
He raised an eyebrow, “our walking?”
She shook her head, biting her lip. She struggled with the words; they flitted across her mind as she turned to look at him.
He lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles. “Tell me, darling.”
“The women were talking, you know, about mates.” She turned her head away from him.
He stopped walking and used her chin to bring her back around to face him. “What is it?”
Her shoulders slumped. “They said bears are into dominance and submission games.”
“Yes?” He prodded.
“Well, am I holding you back? You know, with how we are in bed.”
He was confused by what was worrying her. “Do you imagine I have complaints about our sex life?”
“I just…” she growled. “I know you said I could control everything, but I don’t want to deprive you of something your bear needs.”
He’d been worried that the women would say something that would upset her, but he’d never imagined sex coming up. “What did I tell you when we started?”
She looked up at him, her eyes luminous with unshed tears. Why was she working herself up over it? He didn’t understand.
“I told you I was direct, yes?”
She nodded.
“Have I lied to you about anything, sweetheart? I would tell you if there was a problem.”
She let out a relieved breath. “You’re right. I’m sorry, I just got a little insecure.”
He leaned his forehead against hers. “Don’t apologize for your feelings. I want you to come to me when you have a concern.”
She nodded. He kissed her, cradling her face in his hands. She gripped his wrists and opened her mouth. Their tongues tangled and she melded their bodies together.
“Now, let’s talk about how you’re depriving me.”
