Page 9 of Beary Mated Christmas

Chapter Seven

Denali

“This cabin could use a hot tub,” Abel grumbled hours later when we were back inside and making dinner.

“Or a sauna,” I agreed. “The shower isn’t bad, though.”

“Small,” he said, reaching for a knife to cut cabbage for a stir fry. “But the water is hot enough.”

“Maybe next time we can get a place with…” Next time? My bear was clawing at me to claim the wolf, and I had almost forgotten myself. Abel never implied he wanted to get together again. He’d left so fast last time we shifted together, and I thought made it plenty clear that he wasn’t interested in anything more than friendship. Or maybe not even that. He’d made no effort to stay in touch, certainly. And he didn’t comment on my gaffe.

Not that I had. I sliced carrots fiercely. We had both brought plenty of fresh meat and vegetables and combining our items gave us a lot of choices. “The whole onion, do you think?”

“It’s really big, isn’t it?” He grinned. “Another gift. A gardening dad.”

“They gave you onions?” I shook my head. “I always thought teachers got mugs and maybe pens for gifts.”

“Oh, we do. And candy and homemade cookies and a bizarre assortment of stationery items that haven’t been used in decades. But we have some more interesting families in our district. Farmers and potters, painters…”

“So your mugs are handmade.”

“Sometimes.” He drizzled some oil in the cast-iron skillet. It wasn’t traditional for stir fry, but it should work fine. “Anyway, use as much of the onion as you like.”

Abel made rice, and I added the various ingredients to the sizzling oil, tossing to coat them and then keeping them moving with a very nontraditional wooden spoon. But cabins didn’t come with gourmet kitchen tools, generally, and this was doing the job. We’d been in the woods long enough to build up an appetite, and usually I’d have gone for just a big hunk of meat like a steak, but Abel suggested slicing it thin and making the stir fry, so that’s what we were having.

It was nice cooking with him. And it had been nice shifting with him, sleeping with him, making toast…all the ordinary things of a day. We’d always been inseparable as boys and young men, and in my mind, we’d have stepped seamlessly from friends to mates.

If only.

“Denali? Let’s add sesame oil. I brought it with me.”

I snapped back into attention. “Sounds good.” I took the jar from him and sprinkled some over the sizzling vegetables and steak. “Smells even better.” He’d also added fresh garlic and ginger as well as other spices he’d brought along in tiny containers.

“Mmm.” Abel bent over the pan and waved the scent toward him. “You’re doing a great job.”

“I’m hungry.” And he was so close to me…

“Me too. I don’t get out with my wolf enough back home, and it’s usually only for a little while. He had a great time today.” He opened a cabinet and got out plates. “Did you notice where glasses are?”

I had, so I left my sizzling food long enough to show him. Which put me close to him again and really got my bear going. He demanded I claim the wolf, his mate. Our mate. But unless Abel showed some interest, I was hardly going to flip him over the table, pull his pants down, and do all the other things that preceded marking.

The thought of those things had heat rushing to my cheeks and blood rushing to my cock. It hardened even more, pressing against my zipper.

“Denali, are you all right? You’re all flushed.”

“Um, yes. It’s a little warm in here.” I untied the apron I wore around my waist and laid it over one of the chairs. “Would you mind terribly if I stepped outside for a breath of fresh air?”

“No, of course not.” Abel took the wooden spoon from my hand. “I’d go too, but someone has to watch dinner and make sure the house doesn’t burn down.”

“Thanks.” I moved past him at high speed, barely making it out the door before my bear burst out, ruining a set of clothes. This hadn’t happened since I was a teenager until now, but he’d been too distressed for me to stop him. And the shift was anything but smooth. Painful, abrupt, and I could feel every bone rearranging, muscles stretching, and claws, fangs, and fur sprouting.

Generally awful, but that matched the bear’s mood as we charged around the yard while I tried to keep him from actually running away into the woods.

We have to mate him. Mark him. Now.

No, we don’t. He doesn’t want us,I cautioned.So we can’t just take him.

His wolf wants us.