Mandy's Story (16 page)

The bear’s head and eyes turned back to
her. “You think you could?”

“
I know I could. I won’t
play fair. That’s gained me nothing in this life. I wanted Honey,
so I took him. I know I have a lot to learn about your clan… my
clan, but I also have a lot to give. So do you have an interest in
telling me why you constantly act like you have a thorn in your
paw? I’m a good listener.”

“
Why do you
care?”

“
Because you are Honey’s
family. I want to fit in. There was always something missing in the
wolf clan, and, though I love them, I belong here.”

“
You’ll never fit in
here,” he said with a rumbling growl.

“
I could if I had
help.”

He changed the subject with a low,
not-so-nice snarl. “You really want to know why I dislike
you?”

“
Yes, but I think it goes
deeper than that. I’m going to untie you and then make us something
to eat. We can finish this discussion at your table.”

Tyboll shook his head, but Mandy could
see the very tip of his lips curve up. She removed a sharp knife
from her bag and systematically cut his bonds. She walked from the
room, leaving the gun behind, and began searching the cupboards for
food.

A few minutes later, Tyboll walked in
carrying the gun and handed it to her. “You might need this. My
temper explodes now and then.”

“
I’m out of tranquilizers,
so it does me little good, but I will bonk you in the nose if you
get out of hand.”

Tyboll looked at the gun and then back
at Mandy. He grinned and then his grin turned into laughter until
he couldn’t stop. Finally, he sat down at his table and wiped his
eyes. “I refuse to like you.”

“
That’s okay.” She cut up
some vegetables and began heating a pan. “I don’t plan on stopping
until you love me as you should love the mate to your nephew. Now,
tell me why you are such a grouch.”

He looked away. “You won’t want me
anywhere near you if I tell you the truth.”

“
I told you the truth. It
wasn’t always pretty and I’m far from perfect.”

He didn’t look at Mandy. “I refused to
let my mate have a child and she was too afraid to come back after
she got pregnant. A few years later, she sent Patreous here and
I’ve never heard from her again.”

“
She left you?” Mandy
couldn’t believe what she heard.

“
Without a backward
glance.”

She stopped her food preparations and
walked over to Tyboll. She gently placed her hand under his chin
and turned it so he stared at her. She ignored his look of complete
shock. “Then she was not your true mate. I could stay away from
Honey like I could leave a leg behind. Honey is my other half. He
frustrates me. I want to hit him over the head at least once an
hour, but he’s part of me. That bear was… not… your… mate.” She
removed her hand and walked back into the kitchen. “Did you ever
search for her?” Mandy said when she turned back his
way.

“
No.”

“
Is that why you treat
Patreous as you do?”

Tyboll’s fist hit the table. “He is my
son and you will not comment on my treatment of him.”

“
Okay… I’m shaking in my
boots over here. Improve your manners so we can finish this
discussion.” She gave him her fiercest she-wolf look.

“
You are an exasperating
female,” he growled and shot her a disgruntled sneer.

“
Patreous needs you and I
have no doubt you love him. You could have given him to another
family to adopt, but you kept him.”

“
He reminds me of
her.”

“
So you punish him for
what she did?”

The chair Tyboll sat in crashed to the
ground as he jumped up, but he didn’t go toward Mandy, he paced the
room while grumbling and snarling. When he calmed, he walked a few
feet from Mandy. “I don’t punish him. I want him to be stronger
than I and never go through the torment I’ve been
through.”

Mandy gave him a sympathetic look.
“But, you can’t stop that. My adoptive father loves me. He was
strict but fair, though I always knew he loved my brother more than
he loved me. Do you love her more than you love
Patreous?”

Tyboll sighed then walked over and
picked up the chair and sat back at the table. “I thought the hole
in my heart from losing her would never heal, but it did. Patreous
fills that space. His mother was spoiled horribly and she never
helped the women or learned her place. Patreous is like her. His
imagination takes his mind off the things he should be doing or
learning.”

Mandy’s voice softened. “He could have
died today.”

“
Yes, I know.” Sadness
coated his words.

“
Regardless of who his
human father is, Patreous can be the best of your mate and the very
best of you. He disobeyed you so he could see to my safety. I’m
sure that wasn’t easy for him, so that makes him doubly brave. I
still don’t believe that she-bear was your true mate, but she gave
you a son and maybe you need to forgive her and celebrate what you
have.”

Tyboll stared at her for a long moment.
“Maybe you’re right.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Honey returned to his cabin two hours
after he left. Dmitri and The Kodiak were on the same page as Honey
when it came to their part in the coming beastkind war. The cats
could bring it on; they did not want to fuck with the bear clan.
One of theirs shot a juvenile and the bears were now a bigger part
of the war. Honey’s hunger beat out his exhaustion as he opened the
door and fervently hoped Mandy had cooked dinner.

Silence.

He walked into the bedroom and noticed
the closet door standing open. He looked inside and immediately
noticed the missing tranquilizer gun. “Where the hell are you?” He
sent the message through their mate bond.

“
Shh, stop yelling in my
head. Dinner is prepared and we’re eating with Tyboll. Take your
claw out of your ass, calm down, and come join us.”

Panic thrummed through Honey. “I’ll
redden your ass until you can’t sit for a week.”

“
Promises, promises. Now
hurry up, because Tyboll is eating like he’s never had a
home-cooked meal. If he eats everything before you arrive, it’ll be
your fault.”

Honey closed the connection and raced
out the door. He could just imagine Tyboll tied to the chair and
Mandy hand feeding him. He had no doubt she shot the crazy bear
with a dart. He really would be killing his uncle because it was
the only way he could guarantee Mandy’s safety.

He didn’t take a single step up to the
cabin’s porch, just leapt to the door and threw it open. Mandy and
Tyboll turned their heads and then his uncle returned to
eating.

“
I’m glad you could join
us. You won’t get seconds, but I told Tyboll I’d never cook again
if he didn’t leave you something to eat. He agrees that you’re
grouchy when you have an empty stomach. Go wash your hands and then
hurry back.”

Honey stared for a minute, shook his
head, and then did as his mate ordered. When he returned, he looked
at the seat across from Tyboll. He thought it would be better that
he sat between his mate and the temper-prone bear, but Mandy just
pointed to the far chair, so he sat.

“
I was just explaining to
Tyboll that he can bring Patreous to dinner tomorrow night. The
child needs a carefree sleepover tonight with The Kodiak and
deserves a little spoiling from Sonora before he comes
home.”

Honey looked back and forth between the
two. Tyboll continued eating and just lifted his eyebrow at Honey’s
look. Honey expelled a long breath. “She got to you, too, didn’t
she?”

A loud grunt was Tyboll’s answer, but
Honey understood.

“
I fear, uncle, that I
need the entire clan to guard her and save her from herself. I’m
overpowered, out maneuvered, and frankly scared to death most of
the time.” His gaze locked on the tranquilizer gun and then
returned to Tyboll. “Are you with me or against me?”

“
You think you’re so
funny, mate, but of course he’s with you.” Mandy laughed, taking no
offense.

Honey continued to look at Tyboll until
the other bear stopped eating long enough to make a short
statement.

“
She removed the thorn
from my paw and I think you need to have proper respect for your
mate or you and I will have words.” He resumed eating.

Shaking his head, Honey filled his
plate and joined them.

***

“
I cooked, so the two of
you are doing the dishes.”

They didn’t complain, just stood, and
followed orders. Mandy took Honey’s hand when they left the cabin
and she carried the gun in her other one. After they walked inside
their cabin, Honey grabbed the hammer and began pounding nails into
the front door. “I ordered another one and we need to go pick it up
tomorrow. I’ll buy the metal bars, too, and have them set up by the
end of the day. Should we reinforce the windows?” He looked over
his shoulder at Mandy.

Her laugh rang out. “We should just
grow accustomed to the interruptions.”

“
Never. You have until the
count of three to get naked and wait for me in bed.
One.”

She turned and ran, her laughter
trailing behind. After tickling, lovemaking, and sighs of pleasure,
she stood on her head with Honey beside her. Finally, he righted
himself and pulled her down. She burrowed into his side and closed
her eyes.

Sunlight shone brightly into the room
and Mandy held her breath for a few minutes. She pulled back the
covers and inhaled. Nothing. No change, no pregnancy, no baby.
Honey lay beside her breathing evenly. She couldn’t stop the tears,
but thought she managed to muffle her sobs.

Warm fingers pulled the hair from her
face. “Shh, what are these for?” He wiped the trail of wetness from
her cheeks.

She spoke between sobs, “We’re never
going to have a baby. I’m no longer ovulating and it’ll be another
month before we can even try again.” She ignored his snort and
continued. “It should have worked already. From what I read on the
internet, we have everything in our favor. You don’t wear tighty
whities because you never wear anything under your pants, so your
squiggly wigglies can’t possibly suffocate, and I stand on my head
to allow them free access.” She caught her breath then continued,
“Maybe bears and wolves can’t mate and Zenya’s pregnancy is a
fluke.”

Honey pulled her closer. “You worry too
much, and there’s no way I’m waiting a month to try. Me touching
you...” He said as he trailed his fingers across her nipple. “Has
nothing to do with creating a child.” He went up on his elbow and
used his mouth on the other peak before looking into her eyes. “We
have hundreds of years to get it right. Your sister and brother no
longer want my head on a platter.”

“
What about your father?”
She sniffed.

“
I’ll take care of my
father, but first I plan on taking care of you.”

Now, she giggled. “And how do you plan
to do that, Mr. Bear?”

He suddenly flipped her over onto her
stomach. He took both of her hands and lifted them above her head,
securing them in one of his. He kissed her neck and then her back
before sliding between her thighs and lifting her so she came up on
her forearms. Then he released her hands, positioned his erection
between her thighs, and slid his fingers along her skin until her
breasts filled his hands. His thrust his hips forward.

She couldn’t help her moan of ecstasy
or pressing her hips back toward the heat of his groin so each
movement he made was met with one of her own.

When every nerve ending in her body
sent a zing directly between her legs, she felt his teeth sink into
her shoulder and she cried out, her body shook and her arms barely
held her up. He lifted her back against him and gave one last
thrust.

He whispered into her ear, “This is not
about a child. It’s about you and me. It will always be the same.
You are mine.” His hot breath covered her neck and then his teeth
clamped down again as they both fell apart.

“
You’re mine, too, Honey,”
she said after her breathing steadied.

“
Yes, I’m yours.” He
released her and somehow managed to disengage, roll her over, and
then bury himself deeply again.

He didn’t take his eyes from hers as
her groin quivered then tightened when his strokes grew faster. She
cried out louder this time and Honey’s shout followed. He kissed
her sweetly after they both found release. When he finally ended
the kiss, he rolled and locked her against his side. She closed her
eyes tightly and hoped for a miracle.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

They took a long shower then dressed.
Mandy told him she had promised to take Patreous home this morning
and that she wanted to do it alone so she had time to talk to the
bear cub. Honey growled a little, but knew if he didn’t allow her
to have her way, disaster would likely be the outcome.

He drove into town and picked up the
new door and other hardware supplies he needed. Stopping at the
post office, he discovered another package addressed to Mandy. He
had to smile because it was anyone’s guess what lay
inside.