Page 7 of Marked By The Filthy-Mouthed Grizzly

CHAPTER SIX

Erica

I hope I look okay. I didn’t bring too many clothes. I really didn’t think I’d have a hot date on this trip, so I didn’t bring anything sexy. But this seems okay. I think.

I’m wearing my lucky, hip-hugging blue jeans and I bought a cute black top in a little shop in town. I wish I didn’t have to wear this big bulky bandage over my tattoo. I can’t wait to show it off. Magnus did a phenomenal job and I love it.

Something hits me while I’m doing my makeup.

Doesn’t he have a mate?

Shifters have mates. They don’t go on dates with random women. So why is Magnus interested in me?

My neck starts tingling and I touch the spot, wondering if it could be…?

No. That’s ridiculous.

But it would make sense. The way he was looking at me with all that desire and need. The intense feeling of possession in the air. The way we were so on edge, like we were both a second away from tearing each other’s clothes off. Could that mean what I think it could mean?

“You look beautiful,” my aunt Jenny says as she pops her head into the bathroom. “New top?”

I smile shyly as I brush some blush over my cheeks. “Yeah. I picked it up in town at the cute little shop by the post office. Thought I’d try to dress like someone who’s not completely falling apart inside.”

Jenny half-smiles, half-frowns as she leans against the doorframe, her arms crossed and her head tilted. “You don’t have to be okay all at once, Erica,” she says softly. “It’s okay to be… in-between. You’ve been through a lot.”

I nod as I grab a tissue to keep the tears from smudging my mascara.

She steps closer and gently plays with my hair. “I want you to have fun tonight. You deserve some light in your life.”

I smile as I nod. “Thanks, Aunt Jenny. I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you too,” she says, hugging me from behind. “I know your home is in Louisville, but your roots are here. You should come by more often. I’d love to see you more and you’re welcome to stay with me anytime you’d like.”

I sink into the hug, feeling like this might be where I’m meant to live.

Louisville has never felt… right. And now that my brothers are gone, I’m seeing this town in a new light.

I don’t know… The mountains and natural beauty…

It feels like it’s calling to me. I’m getting this indescribable feeling that this is my true home.

“You’ll text me if you need anything?” she asks.

I nod, feeling lucky to have an aunt like Jenny. She’s only fifteen years older than me, so she’s always felt like more of a cool big sister than an aunt.

She steps closer, studying my face critically before grabbing the eyeliner out of my hand. “Okay, step aside. We’re going to take this from sweet girl next door to ‘I might ruin your life.’”

I laugh as she leans in, steadying my chin with a firm grip. “This is the secret sauce,” she says, applying a subtle smudge of smoky liner on the corners of my eyes. “This is the kind of look that gets you pinned against a wall in the best possible way.”

“I could use some of that,” I say, eyes wide as I try not to blink.

“Trust me,” she says with a mischievous grin. “It drives men absolutely feral.”

I roll my eyes playfully but feel a thrill as I glance at the mirror. She's right—it does look hot.

Jenny hands me a tube of lipstick. “This too. Subtle. No gloss. You want it to smudge just a little to get him wondering what your lips would look like after a hot make-out session.”

My cheeks warm, but I take it from her with a smirk. “You’re kind of terrifying.”

“And you’re kind of a knockout,” she says, stepping back with her hands on her hips like she’s proud of her work. “Now go knock him dead.”

Just then, headlights flutter through the bathroom window. My pulse jumps.

“That him?” she whispers, peeking outside.

“Yeah,” I breathe.

She whistles low. “Damn. That man is trouble in flannel.”

I grab my purse, heart pounding like crazy. “Wish me luck.”

Jenny grins. “You don’t need luck, sweetheart. You’ve got the eyes.”

I’m laughing as I head to the door to greet him. I’ve been thinking about this moment all afternoon, but I’m still not prepared to see Magnus filling the doorway with his massive frame. He looks completely edible in a flannel shirt rolled up at the sleeves and dark jeans that fit way too well.

I can tell he tried to style his hair to the side, but it’s thick and unruly and popping up in a few places, refusing to be tamed. I love it. I just want to run my hands through it as I straddle his big body.

And he trimmed his beard. He’s sexy all cleaned up.

But it’s those eyes… God, they’re so green. So bright. So full of possessive fire as he stares at me like we might not make it to the restaurant. That heated gaze is running up and down my body, giving me tingles all over. “You look… breathtaking .”

“Thank you,” I say shyly. “Should we go?”

He offers his big arm and I take it as we head to his truck. My heart is pounding with nerves, excitement, anticipation, and maybe even… fate.

He opens my door and never takes his eyes off me as I climb in.

I’m filled with first date jitters as I watch him walk around the hood of the truck to the driver’s side.

I haven’t been on many dates. None, really, now that I think about it.

I went on one, but the guy was only using me to make his ex jealous.

He brought me to the restaurant where she worked and she was our waitress. Yeah.

And there was the guy who stood me up and the guy who brought me to a Pokémon card convention and then ditched me—I think he just needed me to drive him—and the guy who turned up twenty years older than his profile pic. I just snuck out of the coffee shop without him seeing me on that one.

Yeah. Louisville hasn’t exactly been a bastion of love for me. I haven’t even been kissed, let alone anything else. Maybe I’m meant for one of these Montana boys instead. This one is definitely getting my pulse racing.

“Where are you taking me?” I ask when he gets in the truck.

“There’s not much fancy around here,” he says while he backs out of the driveway. “But we have a fun place called The Rusty Note. They have live music, fun drinks, and great food. Does that sound okay?”

“It sounds amazing,” I say, excited for a fun night out for once. “I walked by it this afternoon. It looked fun.”

I catch those sexy green eyes stealing a glimpse of my legs and then I hear a low growl rumbling through the truck.

I don’t mind. I’m stealing glances too. At those big hands gripping the steering wheel, at his muscular thighs filling out those jeans, and that beautiful face.

It’s gorgeous from all angles. I keep noticing something different each time like the faint freckle near his temple, or the way his jaw flexes when he shifts gears, or the little scar on his neck that makes me want to lean over and kiss it.

But first I have to know…

“So, you’re a bear shifter, right?”

He nods.

“And don’t bear shifters have… mates?”

He goes still and my stomach drops.

My mind starts racing as we sit in silence. Shit. This is happening again .

“You’re using me to make her jealous, right?”

He whips his head around, eyes full of horror. “ What? ”

“Does she work at the The Rusty Note?” I ask, shaking my head. Of course. Why would this man be interested in me? “Is she going to be our waitress?”

He squeezes his eyes shut and shakes his head like he’s trying to catch up to my crazy train. “Hold on. What? Waitress? What?”

“Please stop,” I say, grabbing the door handle. “Let me out here.”

“ Whoa ,” he says when I try to open the door. His big hand pins me to the seat as he pulls over onto the side of the road. The car behind us honks aggressively as he swerves past us and speeds off.

“Erica, what are you talking about?”

I can feel my cheeks burning. My heart is pounding. These smoky eyes aren’t working. “I refuse to be a pawn in your sick twisted mate game.”

He cringes as he puts his hands on his head. “I’m so lost.”

I stare him dead in the eyes. “Are you using me to make your mate jealous?”

“No,” he says, exasperation in his face. “Erica. You’re my mate.”

I snap my head back, shocked. “What?”

He takes a deep breath. “You’re my mate,” he says in a soft, calm voice. “We’re meant to be together. Can’t you feel it?”

“A little, but…”

“But what?”

I don’t want to say this part. It’s too embarrassing. “I thought that was because you’re super hot.”

He laughs, but it’s not a condescending laugh. It’s a laugh of relief and joy. He just shakes his head slowly as he stares into my smoky eyes that maybe are working a little. “You’re so fucking perfect.”

The inside of the truck heats up with the intense eye contact. My body stirs. Heat billows between my legs. My heart pounds slow and hard, like it’s finally where it needs to be.

I gasp as he slowly leans in, erasing the distance between us. My lips part, my whole body tensing as his mouth touches mine. I moan as he kisses me, soft and tender.

He cradles my jaw with one hand, the other sliding around my waist as he deepens the kiss—slow and full of heat like he’s been starving for it.

It hits me that this is probably his first kiss too. For a rookie, he’s pretty damn good.

His tongue brushes mine, a teasing taste that sends shivers racing down my spine. I melt into him, my fingers clutching his shirt, wanting more, needing to get closer.

My pussy aches as I taste him. My nipples harden. My neck tingles.

I savor every second of the delicious kiss, focusing all my attention on it, on him—his hot tongue, his strong hands, his soft lips, his deep sexy moans. Everything else fades away.

When he finally pulls back, we’re both breathing heavy, our foreheads resting together. “Starting to understand now?” he whispers as he gazes into my eyes.

I touch the tingling spot on my neck as I look at the man who just changed my life. “Kind of. But it’s still hard to fathom. We’re mates? For real?”