Page 29 of Bear Creek Thanksgiving (Holiday Mates #3)

Back home, Gruff conducted a quick tour of the house, explaining all the changes and improvements he’d made. While everyone complimented him on preserving the look and feel of the old place, they appreciated the modernized touches as well. Joan was particularly impressed and said so.

“My father was raised in a home similar to this one, though it was torn down years ago. Places like this should be preserved, in my opinion, because newer homes are rather boring. I like what you’ve done here, Gruff.”

Dustin squeezed his hand and Gruff rumbled with pride. They trundled up to the second floor next and Dustin explained why only one of the bedrooms had furniture.

“Gruff finished redoing the second floor not too long ago, and he created this bedroom for me after we started dating. I love it up here—and wait until you see the new bathroom.”

The ladies oohed and aahed at the attractive space, especially the extra-large tub. Tara poked Matt in the ribs and waved a hand at her surroundings.

“ Our bathroom needs updating. We could have a lot of fun in a tub like that!”

Matt shook his head and groaned while everybody else chuckled.

If Dustin’s instincts were correct, Tara would eventually get what she wanted, and Matt knew it.

On the way downstairs, Gruff gave him an estimate of the cost and wished him luck with the project.

With only the living room sofa to sit on, Dustin and Gruff brought out extra chairs from the dining room.

When they’d all settled, Gruff headed toward his bedroom, leaving Dustin to warn them about what was coming.

“Would you like to meet Gruff’s bear?”

No one seemed to know what to say until Nicole spoke up.

“Do you mean in here? Now?”

Dustin nodded.

“Uh huh. He wants you to see his other half, and I guarantee you’ll be impressed.

You might want to hang onto the kids, in case they get spooked.

Gruff still has control and understands everything we say to him.

His bear will want to scent and lick you, so if he gets pushy, tap him on the nose. Is everyone ready?”

His nephews had no clue, but the others all nodded yes. Dustin called out.

“Come on in, Gruff!”

A nearly four-hundred pound black bear appeared in the short hallway, heading towards them.

There were a couple of gasps mixed with nervous laughter, though Gruff was no doubt doing his best to keep the beast calm.

He sat on his haunches and Dustin dropped to his knees to stroke his head and chest while explaining a few things to the family.

“He’s just starting to put on winter weight, so he’ll be even bigger than this by December. Gruff has access to food all year round, so he doesn’t need the extra padding, but his ursine instincts push him to beef up anyway. I think he’s amazing .”

The three-year-old twins, Gavin and Luke, were wiggling to get down and touch the enormous plush toy on the living room floor.

Curious but unafraid, they joined Uncle Dustin to pet the soft, furry bear.

Gruff scented both of them, getting in wet licks when they weren’t looking, and the twins squealed with laughter.

His rumbly purr started up and the boys tried to figure out where the sound and vibration were coming from.

One by one, the adults came over to scratch his ears, muttering compliments and feeling rather silly talking to a creature who couldn’t respond in kind.

The children were more trusting and fearless—including one-year-old Elijah who did more smacking than petting.

Gruff didn’t mind at all, lifting his head to lick the little stinker’s face.

After a few more minutes, Gruff slowly sat up and then stood to return to the bedroom.

Joan asked about the shifting process itself and Dustin shared his own observations.

“They need to take their clothes off first, and then it happens fast. The fur pops out all over while everything else changes. Gruff told me it doesn’t hurt and he can shift whenever he wants. The first time I saw his bear, he was swimming in the pond!”

Gruff walked back in, kissed the top of Dustin’s head, and seated him on his lap.

Kevin got up from the couch to fetch the birthday gifts they’d brought inside earlier.

It was toss-up as to who was more curious about the gaily wrapped packages, though Gruff’s eager rumblings gave him away.

The first one, a fancy new eReader, came from Nicole and Blake.

“Thank you! My old one is a piece of junk and I haven’t had time to find something better. This will get a lot of use.”

Next, he received a boom box and a Spotify subscription from Tara and Matt. Tara couldn’t resist oversharing with Gruff.

“He likes to dance in the kitchen, so if you ever want to see your man’s moves, turn on some music.”

Dustin wasn’t embarrassed at all.

“Well, of course! How anyone can cook without shaking their booty is beyond me.”

Gruff growled at the sexy mental picture and tucked it away for later while the family laughed. Dustin grabbed another gift—this time a small envelope from his parents. Inside was a generous gift card for a nearby furniture store. Joan explained.

“Gruff told me you needed a desk, and they seemed to have a wide selection. There should be enough there for a comfortable chair, too.”

Dustin thought there was enough there to buy TWO desks.

“Wow. This is more than I need, but I appreciate it. I’d love to have a place here at home where I can get things done. Thanks Mom and Dad.”

Dustin could tell by the crooked wrapping that the final gift was from Gruff. Inside he found recipe management software. He turned to give Gruff a sweet kiss.

“How did you know I needed this?”

Gruff squirmed a little but answered his mate’s question.

“I thought it might help you keep everything straight, and then when the cookbook idea took off, I called Aiden Romero to see what he might recommend. He said this one has everything you’ll need, and to call him if you have questions.”

Dustin hugged him.

“I’ve looked at several but couldn’t decide. You’re so smart! Thank you, love.”

Conversation resumed, with Kevin and Joan sharing vignettes from their Caribbean cruise.

Tara and Nicole then took turns bringing Dustin up to speed with their home and work lives, including his nephew’s antics.

By then it was mid-afternoon and time for the Mowry clan to head home.

The couple saw Dustin’s sisters off with laughter, hugs, and complimentary bags of apples—waving goodbye as they headed down the long driveway.

Dustin’s parents were the last to leave, lingering for a private word with their son and his…

mate . It would take some time to integrate the word into their thinking, but any addition to the family required a few adjustments.

While they’d never anticipated a shifter among them, Gruff was a sweet, considerate, industrious man who practically worshipped their son.

What kind of parent wouldn’t welcome someone like that for their youngest child—even if he could turn into a black bear?

At the car, Kevin embraced Dustin like he always did, and then pulled back for a word.

“Looks like moving to Bear Creek was a good idea. Finding your place in the world, and the right one to share it with, are blessings some people never experience. I’m happy for you, and a very proud papa.”

Kevin then turned toward Gruff, automatically reaching out to hug him but then pulled back—uncertain the man would welcome the gesture. Gruff gave him a growly smile and opened his arms.

“It’s okay. I like hugs.”

While Kevin squeezed and slapped his back, Gruff sampled the man’s scent and considered himself fortunate to have gained a mate and his kind family.

Kevin ended the embrace and stepped back so Joan could say goodbye.

She, too, hugged both men fiercely while fighting to keep the tears at bay, and added kisses to boot.

“You two make the loveliest couple. Call or text often so we can stay in touch, and yes, that includes you, Gruff. I know the holidays are extra busy, but we’d love to see you in Harrisburg at Christmastime if you can make it. And, Dustin—happy birthday tomorrow!”

They waved goodbye and watched until the car was out of sight.

On the way back inside, they scooped up Baxter and then took a few minutes to straighten up the house.

It was too early to start supper, so Dustin brought Gruff and his laptop into the dining room and looked up the furniture store.

They viewed quite a few desks before Dustin found one with an old-fashioned roll top which covered the work surface.

“What do you think of this one? I could tuck it into an empty corner of the living room and roll the top down to hide my mess. It would look right at home with the wood floors and trim, and keep Baxter from walking all over my stuff when we aren’t watching.”

Gruff raised an eyebrow and laughed at the word picture.

“Good idea, Mate. Now all you need is a matching chair that’s comfortable.”

It took a few more minutes to find one meeting their criteria, though it would require a cushion for the seat and a flat rug to protect the floor from the wheels.

Dustin added a classy-looking two-drawer file cabinet and home delivery to the order, and still had a hefty balance left over for something else later.

He hit send and waited for the confirmation which promised delivery by Wednesday.

“Done! Let’s get something to eat. We’re going to be using a lot of calories later.”

Intrigued, Gruff wondered exactly what his mate had in mind.

############

The sole chair in the corner of Dustin’s bedroom was about to be tested for durability.

With Dustin spending so much time on Gruff’s lap, it had given him ideas—the naked and prepped for action kind.

Fresh from the shower, they’d gotten warmed up on the bed with kisses until Dustin asked Gruff to open him up with slick fingers.

Once he was suitably prepared, Dustin tossed a thick, folded towel on the chair and instructed Gruff to sit down.

He was taking a chance with a face to face encounter, but with him in charge instead of Gruff, he hoped to bypass the ursine instinct to claim.

“I’m going to ride you in that chair until you fill me with jizz. Hold your cock steady while I get on board.”

Dustin had little room to balance, but Gruff kept him steady as he lowered himself down.

He paused after the first couple of inches, breathing through the pain until the ring of muscle relaxed.

While Dustin worked in the remainder of Gruff’s massive dick, he implemented the rest of his plan to blow the man’s mind.

Nimble fingers went after both nips—teasing, plucking, and rolling while Dustin attacked Gruff’s mouth with bruising kisses and nibbles.

Overwhelmed with sensation, Gruff moaned, growled and shook as his sweet mate simultaneously punched every one of his buttons.

His bear was confused at first, wondering how to handle this odd turn of events.

As his human half succumbed to a wave of endorphins, the overloaded ursine mellowed out and went along for the ride.

Dustin was relentless, never pausing in his quest to make Gruff fall apart.

The orgasm grew steadily, higher and higher until Dustin captured Gruff’s tongue and began to suck.

That was all it took, and deep rumbling grunts accompanied every shot of seed, filling his mate’s passage with an enormous load.

Dustin regrouped for the afterglow, threading fingers through Gruff’s hair while he kissed and licked the man’s stubbled throat.

Without touching himself, he’d cum all over Gruff’s stomach and chest, adding his unique fragrance to their sweat-covered skin.

Leg muscles aching, Dustin let them drop while he clung to his wrung-out mate as they caught their breath.

Gruff’s soft purr now vibrated between them, a soothing conclusion to their energetic coupling.

Shortly after, Gruff stood and carried his weary mate to the bed, wiped them both clean, and lay down to snuggle. A minute passed before Dustin turned over to face him, delivering gentle kisses before he spoke.

“Feel good, babe?”

Gruff gathered him closer, unsure how to express himself.

“I can’t… you were… my bear still doesn’t know what that was.”

Dustin chuckled.

“Left you speechless, did I? Good—exactly what I wanted. I’m gonna be sore tomorrow, but you were worth it. You’re mine! ”

Gruff hadn’t realized how much it would mean to hear Dustin say it, and his bear happily agreed.

“Yes, yours. Always.”