Page 20 of Hunny and the Bear (Bearly Yours #1)

Twenty

T ank prowled the border of bear territory impatiently, the moon providing ample light. He wasn’t the only bear out on patrol tonight; Colter was at the other end of the perimeter, and Dante was lurking somewhere nearby, hunting for a trace of the wolf shifter they were still attempting to hunt down.

It had only been a few hours since Tank had left Hunny, sated and sleeping in his bed, and already he was eager to get back to her. Not just so they could have sex—which they’d be doing again very soon—but also because he wanted to hold her in his arms while she slept. He wanted to feel her breath tickle his chest as he held her to him, wanted to let her adorable little snores lull him to sleep, just like they had all week.

Only this time, she was his.

Then, after they’d rested, he’d wake her up just like he’d promised; with his tongue buried in her juicy cunt. He nearly groaned at the thought, remembering the taste he’d had of her earlier tonight before he’d left for patrol. Honey, vanilla, and the sweet essence of woman. She tasted perfect .

He licked his snout, the memory an aphrodisiac he never wanted to forget. Having so much of her tonight and then being forced to leave her side shortly after fucking sucked.

Tank huffed under his breath, his paws padding heavily on the ground as he completed another circuit around his section of the woods. The wait to be back at his little rabbit’s side was agonizing, but even as he thought about it, his gut clenched, his breath shallowing in anticipation. At least, after another few hours of working, he’d come home and find her tangled up in his sheets, naked and sleeping in his bed.

The image was enough to have his blood heating and his body coiling with sensual tension, begging to be released. Who knew he could crave so much of someone so quickly? That all it would take was a single night of pleasure to turn his entire world upside down.

Although, that wasn’t quite right, was it? His world had tilted on its axis just over a week ago, in these very woods, when he’d first found Hunny.

There was a brief stirring in Tank’s mind before he heard Murphy ask, How’s patrol going?

Nothing to report.

Good. Good. And … how are things? Mom said you and Hunny were having problems in the clinic earlier .

Tank smirked coldly, though it was more of a grimace while he was in his bear form. Never been better, brother. Why? Were you hoping to ask Hunny out? he asked, a threatening note in his tone that was impossible to miss.

Murphy snorted, and immediately Tank relaxed. Not a chance in hell. I know she’s yours, Tank. And besides, I like my women quiet and meek. Hunny is far too talkative .

You have no idea , Tank told him with a smirk. Even as he said it, warmth filled his heart. Not in a million years would he have assumed he’d be smitten with a female so loud and sassy. But sure enough, he was in deep with his yapper, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. Turning to walk the perimeter anew, he added, How inclined would you be for Hunny to become a permanent addition to the clan?

There was a moment of silence through their bond before Murphy asked, Things progressing that quickly between you?

Not quickly enough , Tank muttered. Hopefully soon. Until then, I want your assurance that she’s welcome here indefinitely .

Tank could practically feel Murphy rolling his eyes. Like my assurance would matter to you at this point. If I told you no, Mom would beat me over the head with a rolling pin. That being said, if it feels right to you, then I don’t see an issue, little brother . Tank only felt a brief stirring of happiness before Murphy added far more somberly, Jason contacted me this evening. Wants to set up a meeting .

What? Tank’s claws curled into the dirt as a red haze of rage filled his vision. What could that fucker possibly want?

There was only one thing that came to mind, and it was the beautiful rabbit currently spreading her scent all over Tank’s bed, right where she belonged. If that wolf thought for one damned second that he had any claim to Hunny or her kits—

Apparently, Jason’s mate has gone missing, Murphy interrupted, a heavy note of suspicion in his voice. She was last seen near our border a few days back. He didn’t say it outright, but he suspects we’ve taken her prisoner .

A few days ago, that wolf shifter invaded our territory. Tank’s head tilted to the side as he scoped out the woods around him, remaining alert despite the conversation unfolding in his head. But it wasn’t her. The scent was unfamiliar to me .

I told him she wasn’t here, but he’s insistent I meet with him.

In bear territory?

Yes.

Absolutely fucking not , Tank snapped. I don’t want that piece of shit anywhere near Hunny . But indecision warred within him. He didn’t want his brother venturing into Jason’s territory either. Not alone or with a dozen bears. He didn’t trust the wolves, not for a single second.

We’ve agreed to meet in town. A neutral location.

Tank almost sighed in relief.

Where?

There’s a place called ‘Nessa’s Teahouse.’ It’s a human establishment, but apparently the owner is new to the area; likely won’t have heard any rumors about our neck of the woods .

Tank grunted. While shifters, or supernaturals in general, hadn’t revealed themselves to the human population, the advancement of the internet, technology, and social media had made it increasingly more difficult to remain hidden. Using social media also made it easier for rumors to spread from town to town, city to city, which had pros and cons.

Sometimes, the rumors kept people away. But there was a real reason humans never visited bear territory, and that was because the shifters that lived there scared them off. In doing so, they’d set themselves up for all kinds of dangerous tales, some of which were closer to the truth than were comfortable.

Do you think that’s wise? Tank asked. Jason shouldn’t be around humans. The fucker ripped apart the last human, some hiker, that wandered into his territory.

That wasn’t the only thing Jason was known to do with humans, either. Although Tank’s clan had never seen it, rumors spread among the supernaturals, too. Apparently, the wolf pack made money by kidnapping humans and selling them to other supernaturals. Sometimes they even sold submissive shifters and loners, though it was difficult to prove illicit dealings when his pack members were just as twisted as he was.

Given that Hunny was both submissive and a lone shifter, she’d gotten lucky with Jason’s rejection. That evil piece of shit had never deserved her.

He hated that fate had ever led her to her true mate. Although, even as he thought it, he realized the truth; without her meeting Jason, she might have never met Tank. And then where would he be? Alone, in a quiet cabin, lacking a warmth he’d come to recently relish.

It was a sobering thought.

I’d prefer meeting him publicly than allowing him to set foot inside our territory. Hunny doesn’t need the stench of his scent anywhere near her. When we’re in town, though, I’ll make sure he keeps away from the humans , Murphy assured him. He’d be a fool to harm them under my protection .

Tank paused, eyes narrowing in confusion. You hate humans, and yet you’re going to place some of them under your protection?

I plan to place all the townspeople under my protection, not just some. It’s the least I can do for bringing a predator into their domain , Murphy replied.

Tank didn’t disagree with his older brother, though taking responsibility for an entire town meant that if any of them were affected negatively by a supernatural being, Murphy would be honor-bound to defend them, even if the humans didn’t realize it. It also meant that if a human harmed a supernatural, he’d have to answer for their crimes.

When is the meeting?

Two days from now. I’ll have to contact the teahouse in the morning and speak with the owner to book the venue for an hour or two .

I can text you the number when I get home. Owner’s name is Nessa.

I figured that was her name but why the hell do you have the number? Murphy asked in surprise. You hate tea.

Got the business card when Hunny met Nessa the other day. They’ve been talking on the phone daily. She’s a yapper, too. They’ve got some kind of girl date tomorrow.

Tank hadn’t actually been looking forward to Hunny spending more time around humans, but she enjoyed chatting with Nessa. So he’d kept his mouth shut, not wanting to lay his prejudices of humans at Hunny’s feet. Looked like it was a good thing he hadn’t.

Plus, it now gave him an excuse to explore the teahouse while the females hung out and look for any exits or unusual red flags before this meeting with the Moon Rose pack. Hunny could enjoy her ‘girls date’ with Nessa, and Tank could give them space while remaining close enough for protection.

I’m dreading speaking to the human already , Murphy answered, and for a second, Tank felt a sharp stab of sympathy for his older brother. Out of anyone Tank knew, Murphy had the most reason to despise humans. Tank didn’t think he could ever offer protection to humans if he’d suffered the same way Murphy had because of their kind.

And yet, here Murphy was, doing just that. Not just to protect the clan from Jason, but for Hunny’s sake, too. To make sure she felt safe in her own home. He was a strong, honorable Alpha. Tank had always known it, but this only cemented his belief, making him more proud of his brother than he’d ever been before.

Well, just don’t be yourself and I’m sure it’ll go well enough, Murph, Tank joked over the sudden lump in his throat.

Fuck you .

Tank snorted right as Murphy cut off their connection, leaving him alone to wander the perimeter one final time.

Soon enough, his shift was over, and he practically ran back to his cabin, uncaring of the noise he made as he approached his home. Hunny slept like a log anyway, so she’d be passed out despite the commotion. And if a predator was nearby? They’d think twice about approaching when they heard Tank.

Although there shouldn’t be any predators nearby—Jasper had sworn to monitor things closely in Tank’s absence. He was still unsettled after the dead rabbit incident, and he didn’t want to leave Hunny alone and defenseless while he was out.

Shifting back to his human form, Tank pushed up the stairs and onto the porch, stepping over the big grizzly at the top step, blocking him from the front door. Jasper, the dipshit, was lounging on his side and sleeping heavily, just like he’d been the last time he’d guarded Hunny.

It should have been irritating as hell to find the guard asleep on duty, but Jasper was the fastest and the most observant of them all, believe it or not. Even sleeping, he’d smell an enemy before they got close. It was too bad those same skills weren’t as honed when family was near.

Tank moved around his brother until the grizzly was between him and the porch stairs. Then he placed his foot in the middle of Jasper’s back, a devilish smirk on his face as he shoved hard.

The grizzly startled awake right as he rolled down the first step, an awkward grunt sounding through the night. His front paws flew forward and his back legs caught onto the railing, causing him to come to an abrupt stop, dangling face-first down the steps. His head slammed into the dirt, paws flailing wildly as he floundered for purchase.

It was a hell of a sight to see.

“Bet you won’t sleep on the job again. Now, get the hell out of here, fucker,” Tank said with a small laugh. Shaking his head, he stepped into his cabin, locking the door. The slight sound of Hunny’s snores reached him, and with his lips turning up into a small smile, he headed up the stairs.

There was no nightstand lamp switched on tonight, not that he needed one to see. The moonlight was bright enough as it shone through the window and it was easy enough to spot his Hunny curled up in bed, blankets snuggly wrapped around her as she slept with his pillow once again clutched to her chest.

His own chest tightened at the sight, and all he wanted was to sink into bed with her. Gritting his teeth, he quietly stomped into the bathroom, taking a quick shower to clean the smell of dirt and sweat from his body. As soon as he had dried off with a towel, he moved back into the bedroom, still naked, excitement clawing at his gut as he lifted the covers.

Hunny’s soft, bare skin greeted him; the delicate slope of her back and the gentle curve of her ass were the perfect things to see at the end of the day. It felt like years since he’d seen her last, not hours, and damn, he’d missed her.

Slipping under the blankets, Tank wrapped his little rabbit up in his arms, adjusting himself just right until he had her cradled to him; her ass snug against his groin and the front of his thighs pressed against the back of hers. With an arm around her waist, he dropped his mouth to her shoulder, breathing her in. He kissed her softly, ignoring the way her scent and body teased his cock to life.

As much as he’d love to pin her beneath him and take his fill of her sweetness, holding her like this brought him just as much pleasure. It wasn’t just the act of sex with Hunny that called to him; it was the way she relaxed into him in her sleep, the trust she had in him to keep her safe and secure, even at her most vulnerable.

And as she shoved his pillow away from her front, rolled over, and pressed her face into his chest, murmuring his name softly before she began snoring again, he knew he loved these moments most of all.