Bear Meets Girl (Grizzly Cove Book 13) Read online

  “Absolutely. Marilee comes first. She’s a good one.”

  “You’ve met her?” King asked. He hadn’t gotten a lot of information on the woman he was protecting, only that Ace needed his help and he was near enough to give it. King was finishing up with the goons and would be ready to go in less than a minute.

  “Yeah. She was working in a bake shop in that town up in Canada where I found Sabrina,” Ace explained. “Sabrina had gone in there, and I followed. Marilee was protective in a cute sort of way. She’s not ferocious at all. My bear thought she was cute like a puppy, though I’ve never seen her wolf form. She was good to Sabrina and stood by her when the others in town either gave her a hard time or just outright ignored her. Marilee has to have some backbone to go against her entire Pack like that, but she’s not overt about it. She was worried that maybe the Pack leader had sent someone after her. What’s your take on the guys who jumped you?”

  “They’re not shifters,” King said immediately. “Unless that Pack Alpha is some kind of weirdo and hires human muscle to do his dirty work, I’d say we’re looking at some other reason for this pursuit. Might be Altor Custodis being way too obvious in their surveillance, or even Venifucus tailing her with the intent to capture. No way of knowing for sure right now, and I don’t have the time to stop and ask these guys questions. Not if we want to get the lady to safety.”

  “I’ll call the Lords and see if there’s anyone in the area they can call on for help in figuring this out. They have a lot more resources than the rest of us,” Ace offered.

  “You’ll have to tell me how you ended up working for them when I see you,” King told his brother as he got into the goons’ vehicle and put it in gear. “I’m going to pull up behind the lady and introduce myself before we get started. I’ll call you in thirty to forty-five minutes. Keep your phone close.”

  “Will do. Thanks for helping out,” Ace said, though there was really no need for thanks among the brothers.

  They ended the call as King pulled up just shy of Marilee’s SUV. He got out, leaving the vehicle running and went over to the driver’s side door, peering in at a truly lovely woman. His breath caught. Ace hadn’t mentioned what a knock-out she was.

  He walked right up to her window, trying to look friendly, and stopped. She met his gaze through the glass, and her eyes widened. She fumbled a bit but finally managed to roll down the window, and then, her scent hit him.

  Delicate. Feminine. Laced with fear, which he didn’t like, but was understandable under the circumstances. Delicious.

  Mine! His inner bear seemed to stand up inside his soul and roar in pleasure.

  Sweet Mother of All. Had he just found his mate? Just like that?

  No. Freaking. Way.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Marilee was definitely apprehensive when King—Ace’s brother, she had to keep reminding herself—walked up to her window. She looked at him in shock, at first. He looked similar to Ace. They had the same nose and chiseled cheekbones. But there was something very different about his eyes. They were kinder. More open, somehow. Not as chocolate brown, but more hazelnut in color.

  Oh, it was still very clear that this man was closely related to her friend Sabrina’s new mate, but King was…more. Marilee had liked what she’d seen of Ace, but King was in a whole different league, just at first glance.

  Startled by her own thoughts, she fumbled for the window, finally succeeding in lowering it. She was about to say something when his scent hit her nose.

  Earthy. Furry. Clean and masculine. He’d been fighting, just moments ago, and riding for who knew how long before that. He smelled of the open road and leather. He smelled like freedom…and somehow…

  He smelled like he could be…hers.

  Impossible.

  Marilee shook her head slightly. “Hi,” she said, rather lamely, she thought. She tried, again. “I’m Marilee.” Still lame, but better. “Thanks for helping me.”

  Why wasn’t he saying anything? She began to feel a bit conspicuous and tried really hard not to fidget under his scrutiny. Those yummy hazelnut eyes roamed over her face, as if studying her, and she wanted to turn away but was caught in his gaze.

  “You’re King, right?” Her question seemed to startle him, and he blinked a few times.

  “Sorry. Yes, I’m King.”

  His rumbly voice washed over her senses like warm velvet. Mm. He was delicious.

  Down, girl, she chastised herself. He’s not for you. He’s Ace’s brother. He’s being nice because he’s a good guy and his brother asked for his help.

  It all ran through her mind at lightning speed, but she still couldn’t help the immediate and intense attraction she felt towards King. Yummy King.

  He was talking, so she scolded herself to pay attention to his words, not just the low rumble of his sexy voice. It was hard. Damn. He was a potent specimen of manhood. If he ever went bear near her, she just might faint.

  “I’ll follow you,” he was saying as she tried really hard to focus. “Do you have your phone?”

  She pointed toward the dash where she had her phone in a little holder she’d picked up at the minimart. Worked like a charm to keep her phone visible and within easy reach while she was driving.

  “What’s your number?” King asked.

  She recited it for him, and he input it into his phone, which he’d retrieved from somewhere. His black pants had a lot of pockets. Like military pants. They also looked well-worn, as if he wore them a lot. He might be out of the military, now, but it looked like old habits died hard.

  When he’d saved her number, he called it, and her phone rang. Then, he hung up.

  “There. Now, you have my number, and I have yours. Ace briefed me on what lies ahead on this road. There’s a good place to ditch that other vehicle just off the road a ways on the second exit. We’ll make for that spot, and if it looks as good as it sounds, we can leave their vehicle there and hitch their trailer to your car. You’ve towed things before, right?”

  She nodded. “I helped someone move not too long ago. I can drive with a trailer, if that’s what you want to know.”

  He nodded. “That’s perfect.” She basked in his approval. Damn. She had it bad for this mysterious bear. “Now, if you have any questions, or if you feel nervous and want to talk, just call me, okay?”

  She nodded. He must think she was a wimp, but she couldn’t really argue with his assumptions. She was a wimp compared to most wolves. She’d always been different than the rest, and that had formed her personality. Her uncertainty about her place in the world had lowered her position in the Pack, time and time again. Her lack of dominance had led her to become the Pack’s doormat.

  But that wasn’t how she wanted to live the rest of her life. She’d left Tobias’s Pack behind, for good reason. She wasn’t going to be a doormat any longer. It was just hard to change her way of thinking after so many years. She’d get there, though. With friends like Sabrina and Ace, she’d find her way. She just couldn’t do it overnight.

  King got behind the wheel of the unfamiliar vehicle and started driving. Marilee had pulled back onto the highway, and he followed right behind. They drove sedately, just under the speed limit. Ace was probably wondering why King hadn’t called him back, yet. He was pretty sure his older brother was waiting, phone in hand, for an update, but King couldn’t really talk to him—to anyone—just yet. His mind was whirling with possibilities, and his inner bear was riled up, wanting to be closer to the woman again. His mate.

  Ridiculous. It couldn’t be that easy, could it? After all the years, and all the miles, to find his true mate so…accidentally…seemed strange, indeed.

  But maybe that was just how it was always meant to be. Maybe all the miles and all the searching had led him to this place, this time, this woman. Maybe the Mother of All had been watching over him all along, directing his path right here, right now.

  He knew for sure, if Ace hadn’t found his mate, King might never have crossed paths w
ith Marilee. The connection between the two women had allowed the introduction from one brother to another. Kismet. Fate. Destiny. It took circuitous pathways, at times, to get where it ultimately led. This was, he had no doubt, one of those times.

  Ace was going to have a canary. And when Jack found out, he’d be happy but would also realize he was the only one of the trio who hadn’t yet found his future. King felt a moment’s pity for his youngest brother, but then he realized, his own future wasn’t quite set in stone, just yet. He still had to convince a very shy werewolf that she was meant to be his.

  She was a shifter, at least, so maybe that wouldn’t be such a difficult task. He didn’t know everything about werewolves, though he had recently spent some time among them, but he did have a friend, now, that he could ask. That decision made, King felt a little better about what lay ahead. If he ran into trouble with his little wolf, he could call his friend, the Alpha of the White Oaks Pack, for advice.

  They’d been driving for about ten minutes when King started to see the landmarks Ace had told him about. Their exit was coming up, so King called Marilee. She answered on the second ring.

  “You’re doing great, Marilee,” he said, hoping to calm the fear he’d heard in her quivery hello. “I just wanted to let you know that we’ll be taking the next exit.”

  “Thank goodness,” she said, and he could hear the relief in her voice. “I need to get out of the car and walk for a minute or two. Will I be able to do that?”

  King would rather have had her stay inside the vehicle, but the poor woman had been through a lot. If she wanted to take a walk, he’d make sure she was able to stretch her legs.

  “I think so,” he told her in a gentle voice. “Maybe you can help me a little with hitching up the trailer? Have you done that before?”

  “Oh, sure. I helped a Packmate move a little while ago, and she made me do all the work. I learned how to hitch and unhitch the trailer. No problem,” she told him.

  King’s inner grizzly got a little huffy at the idea that Marilee’s Packmate had taken advantage of her sweet nature. If he’d been around, nobody would have dared treat her that way. They wouldn’t in the future, that was for sure. She was under his protection, now, and nobody was going to take her for granted, ever again.

  “I can promise you that I won’t make you do all the work,” he said, needing to put that out there to settle his inner bear. “I’d just like a little help, is all. You could spot for me while I maneuver the SUV into position, okay?”

  She chuckled softly, and he felt himself stiffen all over. He liked the sound of her pleasure, and he’d make it his life’s goal to hear such sounds from her as often as possible, whenever she’d let him.

  “I can do more than that,” she insisted, but he could hear the pleased smile in her tone. “But I appreciate your thoughtfulness.”

  “Don’t mind me,” he said, keeping the conversation light, though he meant everything he said. “I’m just built a bit on the protective side.”

  “Actually, you have no idea how nice that is, right now. I’ve been feeling a bit…um…vulnerable…out here on the road, all alone. I can’t thank you enough for riding to my rescue.”

  “It’s my pleasure, believe me. I was headed this way anyway, and I’m glad I was near enough to lend you a hand,” he told her, but then, caution made him add a warning. “We’re not completely out of the woods yet, though. We have a ways to go before my job is done.”

  “Your job?” she asked.

  “Getting you to the cove safely. That’s what Ace asked me to do, and that’s what I fully intend to accomplish. All right with you?” he asked, keeping his tone light.

  “Absolutely. I just didn’t realize you were going to escort me all the way,” she replied.

  “It’s more traveling together than escorting. I was headed to Grizzly Cove anyway. I wanted to meet my new sister-in-law. That’s why I was on this road, heading in that direction. I’ve been in Iowa the past few weeks, but was headed west when I got the call from Ace,” he explained as he watched for the road sign that would signal their exit.

  “That was lucky for me,” she said, her voice holding genuine relief.

  Poor baby. She really had been scared. He wished he could kiss it better, but he’d have to earn her trust—and the right to touch her as he wanted—before he could do that.

  “All right, see that sign up ahead? That’s our exit. Pull off to the side of the exit ramp right before you get to the bottom and let me go first, okay?” He kept the phone connection open while they maneuvered off the highway, and he swapped place with her to take the lead.

  Ace’s directions had been spot-on, and King found the small clearing off the side of the deserted road where they could switch the trailer to Marilee’s SUV. She pulled in next to him and got out of her car while he unhitched the trailer from the back of the bad guys’ vehicle. Then, he moved their vehicle into the woods a short distance so it couldn’t be easily seen from the road.

  He did a quick search of the interior. He found a few papers he stuffed into his jacket pocket for later consideration and a stash of very nice new weapons that he took along, in their original cases. He stowed those on the trailer, under the tarp next to his bike, making sure they were absolutely secure.

  Marilee was nearby, walking in little circles, sort of like a wolf slowly chasing its tail. She looked nervous, and her head swiveled from side to side as she watched their surroundings as if afraid of pursuit. Her head was tilted up slightly, nose to the wind, probably searching for anything that smelled off. She was one cautious little wolf, and he liked that.

  Sure, the fact that she had reason to worry annoyed the crap out of him, but the fact that she was handling this tricky situation so well made him feel proud. She was cautious, wary, and yet, she kept her wits about her. Good little wolf.

  He couldn’t wait to see her wolf form. He’d bet she was just as lovely in her fur as she was in her skin. He couldn’t wait to see her skin, either, but he knew that privilege would have to be earned. They needed to get to know each other better first, and the Mother of All had blessed him with the perfect opportunity. He was about to embark on a road trip with her. They were still several hours away from their destination, and they’d have all that time in her small SUV, to get better acquainted. Just the thought of it was enough to make him giddy with excitement.

  King never got giddy. Not since he was about three years old and his older brother tried to achieve liftoff by tying about thirty helium filled balloons to King’s wrists. It hadn’t worked, but the attempt had been a lot of fun. Something the brothers still talked about and laughed over. That had been before Jack was born, when it was just Ace and King. There were a lot more stories about things they had done to Jack. Poor kid had become the focus of all their boyhood pranks once he’d gotten old enough.

  He’d been a sturdy little bear, even as a baby. Now, of the three of them, he was the biggest, oddly enough, and he never let them forget it. He’d long since gotten payback for all the hi-jinks they’d pulled on him when they were all kids. It had never been anything malicious. Just good fun. And, yeah, maybe slightly dangerous. But they were bears. They were resilient. And kind of bouncy. At least when they were little.

  King shook his head. Having found a woman he believed to be his mate had made him nostalgic. He’d better focus on the task at hand. They still had bad guys out there looking for them, he’d bet. They had to get back on the road and start making time for Grizzly Cove.

  “Do you mind if I back her up to the trailer?” King asked, walking closer to Marilee as she paced, scanning the woods and the road and everything she could see and smell.

  She was nervous. Both of the people who were following her possibly finding them, again, and of the man she was expected to travel with for the next few hours. He was downright yummy. He’d been awesome when she’d watched him take on those six assailants, but just doing regular physical work like unhitching the trailer had made her m
outh water. He was devastatingly handsome, and his scent made her inner bitch want to howl with desire.

  Down, girl.

  Marilee held out the keys as King moved closer. He took them from her, his warm brown eyes meeting her gaze. Damn. He was almost pretty he was so good looking. Marilee didn’t remember Ace being quite that handsome. The brothers shared similar features, but where Ace was rugged, King seemed, somehow, more polished. His cheekbones were cut, not chiseled. His brown hair had streaks of the finest gold throughout, where Ace’s was just brown, as Marilee recalled. She hadn’t really been looking, though. Ace hadn’t stirred her inner wolf like King did.

  “Want to spot for me?” King asked as he took the keys from her hand. His lopsided smile would’ve had her agreeing to anything. Good thing he was just asking for a little help backing up the SUV.

  She nodded and moved toward the back of her vehicle, where she could watch the angle of approach and give him pointers. She’d done this before, although she’d usually been the one behind the wheel. They’d had to make several trips with the trailer when she’d helped that Packmate move, and more often than not, Marilee had been the one doing all the driving. And all the heavy lifting, come to think of it. Boy. She’d really let people walk all over her, but that was going to stop. She wasn’t going to be anybody’s doormat anymore. No way.

  King hopped into her car and started her up. Marilee had a moment’s panic when she realized she had just given her keys to a relative stranger. He could easily drive away, right this minute, with all her worldly possessions—Sabrina’s, too. But he didn’t.

  For once, she had put her trust in the right person. King backed the SUV up to the trailer hitch perfectly, the first time. He hadn’t really needed her to spot for him, but it was nice of him to try to include her and give her something to do. He could probably tell from her pacing that her nerves were shot. Marilee wanted nothing more than to shift and run.