Mary and the Bear

Chapter Four

Mary Elizabeth was ready to scream. The walls were closing in on her. She needed to get out of this apartment. This sitting around with nothing to do was driving her crazy. As she looked around frantically for something—anything—to do, her eyes fell on the leftover brownies. The sooner she got them out of the house, the better. As bored as she was, she'd eat the whole pan and with her the saying was true—"Once on the lips, forever on the hips."

It was almost four. Anne should be getting off soon. Maybe Anne would take them home with her. She put on her shoes, grabbed the keys and the brownies, and walked quickly out the door before she changed her mind. These things couldn't stay in the house another moment. She had to catch Anne before she left.

As soon as she walked into the diner, she could see that she needn't have rushed. From the looks of things, Anne was going nowhere. Cyndi must have called in again. She took a seat at the counter until she could get Anne's attention. On her way to the window with an order, she stopped to speak with Mary Elizabeth. “What can I get you, Hon?"

"Nothing for me. I came down to snag you before you left. I wanted to give you these brownies to take home, but you don't appear to be leaving. What happened? Cyndi call in again?"

"Yes, selfish bitch. Oh, I'm sorry, Hon. Pardon my French. It's just that it makes me so mad. She knows Saturdays are our busiest nights. That's why she called. I can't believe the laziness of that heifer. She knows I won't leave Hugh by himself."

"Doesn't he have help in the kitchen?"

"He does, but it takes the two of them to keep up. Listen, I got to go, hon. Orders are coming up. I appreciate the thought, but I'm allergic to chocolate. Maybe one of the customers will take them.” With that she hurried off, greeting a customer that walked in the door even as she set a plate in front of another.

Well, I was looking for something to do. This is as good as anything else. Mary Elizabeth grabbed an apron and went to work. She manned the ten seats at the counter, leaving the tables to Anne. It wasn't much but even the little that she did would help. The jukebox in the corner was blaring out a country tune, making it difficult to hear. The place was packed and the conversations loud, as people got in an early meal before continuing on with the rest of their Saturday night plans.

It got busy and stayed busy until well after nine. Mary Elizabeth had no idea this many people lived in the area. Just when she thought things were slowing down, the after movie crowd came in wanting dessert and coffee. In all her running around, she hadn't seen a movie theatre in Refuge. She didn't know until this moment that there was one.

They chased the last customer out of the door at eleven. Hugh locked the doors, turned the sign to closed, and turned off the outside lights. To the ladies, he said, “Thanks for all your help. You go on home. The guys and I will get this place cleaned up."

Not needing to be told twice, Anne grabbed her purse, said goodbye and left. Hugh locked the door behind her and then turned to Mary Elizabeth, who was still wiping down the counter.

"Leave the counter alone. We'll get it. You've done enough for one night. You keep helping out like this and I'm going to have to add you to the payroll."

"I'm almost done. I'll go home in a minute. As far as payment goes, you can deduct it from my rent.” She winked at him and laughed, showing she was only kidding with him.

Hugh gave it serious consideration. “Deal. I'll deduct a day's wages from your next month's rent. Give me the receipts for the paint and supplies you purchased and I'll deduct those as well."

"I was joking.” Her eyes rounded in shock, a look of sheer disbelief crossed her face. The rag hung limply from her hand.

"I'm not. For what you did, you deserve to be paid. Since I can't legally pay you without adding you to the payroll, this is the next best thing. I'll knock sixty-five dollars off of the rent for your work tonight and another thirty-five for all the painting you did. Give me the receipts and I'll knock off even more."

"That's too much. You can't do this,” she complained.

"Who says? I pay my waitresses six dollars an hour plus tips. You worked seven hours tonight. You can't tell me you paid less than thirty-five for the paint, and that doesn't included labor. You increased the value of my property, therefore, you deserve compensation."

She was steadily shaking her head while he spoke. Stubborn little thing.

"I was bored and you needed help. It's a win-win situation for us both.” She threw the rag back into the sanitizing water. “It's not like I was doing anything else. The apartment I fixed up for me. I'm the one living there and I enjoyed being able to decorate any way that I wanted. That's all the compensation I need.” She grabbed her stuff and the envelope with her tips and turned to go out the front door.

"Go out the back. It's closer to your apartment.” He guided her to the other exit. “I'm knocking a hundred off of your rent. I don't see what the big deal is. It's the least I can do."

"I don't want your discount. I made over fifty in tips tonight. That's more than enough money if that was my goal, but it wasn't. I pitched in to help out my friend. If I were after money, I would have asked for payment that first night."

"Thanks for reminding me. I'll knock another fifty off. Next month, you only pay me half of the rent due.” He opened the door for her.

"Aaargh! Are you big and stupid? You're getting the full three hundred next month. The rent is ridiculously low as it is. How do you keep this diner running, giving away money like you do?"

At her words, he spun her around and slammed the door shut before she could walk out. Hugh crowded her until she was backed against the door, bent down and planted his hands on either side of her, boxing her in. He lowered him face until they were eye-to-eye. “I'm not stupid, and quit being so stubborn. If I want to reduce your rent, that's my prerogative."

"No."

"You're taking the markdown. I won't accept payment from you until you do.” His bear stirred in response to his rising anger.

"No."

"Do you realize how childish you're being? How stupid this argument is? Quit fighting me and accept the price cut.” It was all he could do not to yell.

"I won't and you can't make me.” Then she stuck out her tongue at him.

Hugh let out a snarl of frustration just as her scent hit his nose. Already on edge, he didn't have the control necessary to resist the urge to kiss her into submission. Angling his head, he pressed his mouth to hers. His kiss was dominant and forceful, an expression of the frustration he was feeling. Her taste went to his head like wine, intoxicating him with her flavor.

He growled deep in his chest as he deepened the kiss, thrusting his tongue into her mouth, wanting and needing more. He pressed forward and tried to ground his erection against her. She was too short. He lifted her by her hips until he fit perfectly in the notch between her thighs. There he pressed against her, rubbing his cock against her mound. He wanted inside and he wanted in now.

Hugh gathered the material of her sweatpants in his fists and began pulling them off of her body until he'd bared her hips. To take them the rest of the way off, he would have to move back, something he wasn't about to do. He stroked his fingers against the crotch of her panties, zeroing in on her opening. Her panties were damp, but he wanted them wet. He slid his fingers under the edge of her panties and worked her folds open. He would stroke her pussy until her cream filled his hand. Once she was wet enough, he'd rip the panties off her body and take her. He had two fingers poised at her entrance, ready to thrust inside when she whimpered. It shocked him back to his senses. What the hell was he doing?

He snatched his hand out of her pants and dropped her on her feet, pulling her pants up at the same time. Then he jumped back out of reach. She fell against the door, panting, a dazed look on her face. The beast in him scented her arousal and roared, Take her! Take her now! Before he lost control again, he pulled her away from the door, opened it, and hurriedly pushed her outside. “I'm sorry. Lost my head. Promise it won't happen again. Hurry upstairs. We'll talk about the rent later.” Then he slammed the door in her face.

Once she was safely on the other side, he bolted the door, breathed a sigh of relief and leaned back against it. Whew, that was close! A few more minutes and he'd have taken her, and then there would be hell to pay. Alex would have killed him. He was supposed to be protecting her, not raping her. And he hadn't given any thought to the men working in the diner. They could have come back at any time. What was happening to his control?

On the other side of the door, Mary Elizabeth stood looking around blankly. What happened? She remembered being angry and arguing with Hugh, something she rarely did with anyone. Then he'd kissed her. Actually, it was more than a kiss. It was a claiming, like something out of a romance novel.

Before her mind could wrap around the fact that this was taciturn Hugh kissing her, he'd literally shoved her out of the door and slammed it in her face. He'd said something at the time. She caught an apology but not much else. His words ran together, not making any sense. She leaned against the door with her lips tingling and her body throbbing. Why had he stopped? Things were just getting interesting.

Climbing the stairs on legs that shook, she told herself to be grateful that he'd come to his senses when he had. Hugh was a complication she didn't need in her life right now. It didn't matter how intense the attraction was between them, or how much she enjoyed arguing with him. The man was her landlord. Nothing good could come of it. Yes, it was a good thing he'd stopped when he did. Now if she could only convince her body.

The rest of the week passed quickly. Mary Elizabeth avoided Hugh, only going into the diner in the mornings when she knew he wouldn't be there. She smiled as she remembered her conversation with Anne that next morning.

"I gave those brownies to the customers and they were a big hit. You should make more and sell them in the diner. It'd be a nice little side income for you. The guys are already asking for them. Good thing I didn't tell them who made them or they'd be knocking on your door, day and night, begging you to make extra."

"I like baking, but it's just a hobby of mine; something I do to relax. I'm not interested in turning it into a business venture."

"You should really think about it. If the rest of the stuff you make is good as those brownies must have been, you could make a killing."

Mary Elizabeth just laughed it off and there was nothing Anne could say to convince her otherwise.

On Tuesday, Mary Elizabeth shopped for an outfit for Friday's party. Since she was shopping, she purchased a lot of new outfits in colors and styles that flattered her full-figure. She thought about what Kiesha said and realized that this was the perfect time to create her new look. She also had her hair cut and styled. It now fell in a silky waterfall to her shoulders in a style that suited her heart-shaped face. The perfect outfit in hand, she was ready for Friday.

On Wednesday, she walked to the store to see how things were progressing and met Shannon. They immediately clicked. She had no doubt that they were going to be great friends.

Finally, Friday arrived and it was time to prepare for the party. She dressed carefully, paying particular attention to her makeup. Finished, she took one final look in the mirror. Completely satisfied with her appearance, she picked up her things and headed for the door. Kiesha hadn't asked her to bring anything but her mother taught her to bring a gift for the host, especially if this was your first visiting their home.

Her hand was on the doorknob when the phone rang. She groaned. Not Kiesha again. She'd swear that woman was more nervous about tonight than she was. “Yes, ma'am?"

"Miss me, darling? I've missed you."

Damn, I mean darn! I have got to get caller I.D. “How are you, Charles?” She forced herself to be polite.

"You didn't answer my question. Do you miss me? Aren't you lonely, ready to come back home?"

"Charles, I spoke to you yesterday, and the day before that. In fact, you call every day, and I tell you the same thing. This is my home now. We've discussed this before and I'll tell you the same thing I told mother when she asked. I like it here.” She tried not to sigh with impatience.

"She doesn't understand this foolishness any more than I do. Your mother and I spoke today and I explained to her about us. She understands and has given her approval."

"You did what? What is wrong with you? Why did you do that? You know how mother is. Please, get this through your head. There is no us, and hasn't been for a long, long time. You were married, remember? You got married and I moved on. We're friends, Charles. That's it. That's all it will ever be. Now, you go back and tell her the truth!"

"Darling, I'm so sorry I upset you by telling your mother about us before you were ready for her to know. You're right. I should have waited, but your parents need to know that your sister tricked me. That conniving bitch, she hid her true personality from all of us."

"That ‘conniving bitch’ was my twin, and for seven years you were happily married to her."

"She made a fool of me. You would never have done that. You loved me."

"That's right, Charles. Loved, as in past tense. Look, I know you're hurting and your ego is bruised. I'm sorry, but this is the way it is. You made your choice a long time ago and I'm content with it. You're my brother-in-law. We're family, and that's all we'll ever be. Now, I have to go. You caught me on my way out the door. Goodbye, Charles.” She placed the receiver back in its cradle and stood there for a moment, just staring at it, her mind elsewhere. It immediately started ringing again, but she ignored it. She knew grief did strange things to people, but Charles had some serious issues he needed to deal with. Not your problem, she told herself and walked out the door.

Kiesha lived up the mountain in an area known as Raven's Peak. She drove slowly and followed the directions carefully. The road was dark and heavily forested. A half an hour later, she was in front of Kiesha's house, looking for a place to park her truck. The front yard was huge and packed with the vehicles. She climbed out of the truck, tugged her skirt back into place, reached inside and grabbed her things before approaching the house.

When the door opened, she exclaimed, “Wow, what a great house. Looks like it belongs in one of those designer home magazines labeled as the perfect mountain retreat.” She handed Kiesha the homemade chocolate cake she'd brought as a gift.

"I know,” she laughed, “Isn't it great. Alex had it built. It's a toss-up as to which I love more, the house or the man?"

"Hey! I heard that. There's no doubt about it woman. It's me you love, then the house.” He spoke confidently as he extended his hand to Mary Elizabeth in welcome. “There's something I've been dying to know. Does everyone call you Mary Elizabeth? No one's ever given you a nickname or tried to shorten your name, maybe to just one of them?"

"And ruin a fine southern tradition?” She sounded properly horrified. Seeing the uncomfortable look on his face, she burst out laughing. Kiesha joined in. “Sorry Alex. I couldn't resist. Actually, people have tried, but nothing seemed to stick. My mother was a stickler for propriety. She corrected anyone that tried to shorten my name, until people quit trying. I'm used to it now."

"Come on, let's put this cake in the kitchen and then I'll introduce you to our guests. By the way, you look great. Love your hair,” Kiesha told her.

Mary Elizabeth looked around as Kiesha led the way to the kitchen. The living room was dominated by a massive fireplace on one side and a staircase leading to an upper level on the other. The ceiling in the living room was vaulted, directing one's attention to the skylights in the roof. Someone wrapped Christmas lights around the stair rail, giving the room a festive glow. The house was packed. There were people everywhere, on the stairs and the landing above, as well as scattered throughout the living room.

Kiesha deposited the cake in the kitchen before backtracking back to the living room where the majority of the people were gathered, and led her over to one of the couches near the fireplace. Once there, she introduced her to Carol Johnson, an extremely pregnant African-American woman who looked as though she would pop any day now.

Mary Elizabeth's eyes traveled from Carol's swollen belly to her face. “I don't mean to be rude, but should you be here? You look like you're going to blow any second now."

"That's exactly what I said and why I was against her coming, but what do I know? I'm just her husband and the father of her unborn child,” said the very attractive, bald male sitting by her side. Kiesha introduced him as Mark, Carol's husband and Refuge's only pharmacist. “Welcome to Refuge and to the Raven pack."

"Thank you,” she said as she reached out to shake the hand he extended toward her.

Rolling her eyes, Carol shifted in her seat. “Please! Don't get him started. I'm a nurse. I know what I can and can't handle. I'm sitting, aren't I? Besides, I'm the pack's beta and this is an official gathering. It's mandatory that I be here."

Alex walked up in time to hear the last comment. “I don't want to add fuel to the fire, but you know that's not true. The health and welfare of an individual comes before any social gathering. I would have understood if you didn't come. And having said my bit, I am once more backing out of this discussion."

Carol stuck her tongue out at him. “Coward. Be that way. Really, I'm fine,” she said to Mary Elizabeth. “Alex is my doctor. If anything happens, he's right here."

Kiesha and Alex took Mary Elizabeth around, introducing her to the rest of the pack and the neighbors. Though primarily a pack function, close friends of Alex were also in attendance so that Alex could show off his new mate. Those that Kiesha knew, she introduced. Alex performed the rest of the introductions.

Finally, she saw a familiar face. “This one I've already met. Hi, Shannon. I'm so glad I'm not the only newbie here. I feel like I'm wearing a sign that reads, ‘Fresh Meat, come and get it!’”

Shannon laughed. “I know what you mean. It's been a long time since I've been sniffed and sized up the way I've been tonight."

"Is this normal? I know Kiesha told me what to expect, but even with her warning, I didn't expect this."

Alex answered before the women could. “You're very observant. Most people wouldn't notice. The males are sniffing to see if you're mated. Some are testing for compatibility and some just like the way you smell. By the way, you do smell nice."

Both Kiesha and Shannon had explained about shifters highly advance sense of smell. Because of it, Mary Elizabeth did without the scented body lotion and perfume she usually wore and only used the scented body wash, which gave just a hint of fragrance. She hoped it would be much easier on the sensitive noses present.

She stood conversing with the three of them until some of the bolder men of the pack approached the alphas to ask the ladies to dance. Giving each other a ‘what the heck’ look, Mary Elizabeth and Shannon agreed and joined the people line-dancing on the makeshift dance floor.

This was so much fun. She wasn't a great dancer, but here it didn't matter. Fast songs. Slow songs. She danced them all, mostly due to the steady stream of partners who refused to let her sit down. Quickly heating, she took off the long-sleeved, red shrug she'd been wearing, revealing the black, leather and lace corset she wore beneath. The corset proudly lifted and displayed her generous breast while emphasizing her tiny waist. The skirt lovingly cupped her generous behind, displaying her figure to its best advantage. She wasn't a small woman, but she was an extremely curvy one. Curves she'd hid in the past were proudly displayed tonight. She couldn't help but notice that they were noted and appreciated by the men present. High on the attention and desire in the gazes of the men around her, she threw herself whole-heartedly into the party, enjoying being the center of attention for once.

Hugh arrived late. He'd waited until things slowed down at the diner before coming. Then he went home, showered and changed into a pair of fitted, black jeans and a close fitted black pullover that displayed his powerful body to advantage. When he walked through the door, he was instantly the center of female attention, not that he noticed. He slapped Alex on the back and bent down to give Kiesha a hug, congratulating them on the coming of their cub.

As he walked around, greetings were called out to him, since he knew everyone present. He spotted Mary Elizabeth on the dance floor, surrounded by wolves and she looked hot! She'd done something to her hair, something that made him want to run his hands through its silky length. His gaze slid down her body, taking in the outfit she wore and felt his pants get tight. He reached down and adjusted his cock to a more comfortable position.

She wore leather the way he liked it, figure hugging, short and black. Man, he loved leather on a woman. The way the leather cupped her body should be outlawed. It was clear from the smile on her face that she was having a great time.

His gaze switched to the cub she was dancing with and he took a step forward before he could catch himself. He could smell the wolf's lust from here. Reigning himself in, he reminded himself of the bigger picture. He had a plan for his life that included a mate and little baby bear cubs. Mary Elizabeth was not part of that plan. No deviating from the plan, he warned himself.

While he was giving himself a stern talking to, another wolf came up close behind Mary Elizabeth and placed his hands on her hips, rubbing his body against hers in a semblance of sex. His move pushed her closer to the man she was dancing with, sandwiching her between the two of them. The men were so close to her he doubted he could squeeze a sheet of paper between them. When the man in front slid his hands up the side of her body to rest just below her breast, Hugh lost it. A growl broke loose as he stalked toward the dancing trio. Screw the plan!

Alex was in the kitchen refilling the ice buckets when Shannon approached him. “Alex, you got a minute?"

"Sure, Shannon. What do you need?"

"I want to make an appointment to see you."

"As alpha or as your physician?"

"As my physician."

Concerned, he put the ice bucket down and crossed over to where she stood leaning against the center island. “Is there a problem? You seemed to be healing just fine. Are you in pain?” About three weeks ago, some wolves from her former pack attacked Shannon. One of them was her brother, Rory McFelan, the Sparrowhawk's pack alpha. He tried forcing her to mate and breed to keep their race from dying out. He'd picked two of the strongest males in his pack, hoping one of them would prove strong enough to subdue her. Regrettably for the men involved, neither were.

It was a dominance fight, pure and simple, and as such had been fought in wolf form. Shannon defeated both men in combat before taking on her brother. Wounded and tired, he easily defeated her before leaving her wounded and alone out by the ridge overlooking the river. Shannon was found and brought to him for medical treatment by their resident vampire, Nikolai Taranosky. She'd sustained a lot of damage and was too weak to shift back to human form, so Nikolai carried her to them after placing her under compulsion to keep her from attacking him. While she had perfect recall of the fights, she had no memory of the rescue, which, in his opinion, was a good thing. Nikolai had shown a little too much interest in Shannon for his comfort. She'd healed amazingly fast, even for a shifter. Carol was concerned that the healing was too rapid, but Alex hadn't thought anything of it. Maybe he should have checked into it like Carol requested.

"No, I'm not hurting anywhere. I mean, my stitches are all healed and everything's working just fine. It's just that, well, this is going to sound really strange. I think something is going on with me, inside my body. I don't hurt or anything. I just feel off. I can't put my finger on it or pinpoint anything in particular. I just know that something is wrong."

Alex tried not to show how concerned he was. “I don't think it's strange. You know your body better than anyone else. If you think something is wrong, we definitely need to check it out. Call the office on Monday and tell the receptionist I said to fit you in as soon as possible. I'll examine you, possibly run some tests and see if we can determine what's going on inside."

When Shannon's face fell and her shoulders slumped in disappointment, he became suspicious. “What aren't you telling me?"

After a quick look around, she lowered her voice and leaned close. “I can't sleep at night. I've only been getting about three to four hours of sleep a day. I'm restless, moody and irritable. My body is so sensitive that sometimes I can't stand anything against it. If I didn't know better, I'd swear I was going into heat, but that's crazy. I've already had my season this year."

Alex felt his pulse racing. “Forget Monday. You come into the office tomorrow morning. The practice doesn't open until noon. You be there at nine."

While Alex was waiting for Shannon's agreement, Mark rushed into the kitchen, interrupting them. “Alex, we have a situation. Carol's water broke. Kiesha just took her into the guest room to lie down. The fool woman's been in labor all day and just now decided to tell me."

Sharing a sympathetic look with Shannon, he placed his hand on Mark's shoulder in a calming gesture. “I'll be right there. Let me go and get my bag."

"Carol's already got it. The woman's in nurse mode. She's already got the room set up for delivery. Would you mind telling her to lie down like a normal woman? The only reason she went into the room is because I threatened to carry her. She wanted to avoid making a scene."

Laughing because he knew his beta, Alex refused to make any promises. “I'll see what I can do. Shannon, tomorrow morning at nine. Don't be late."

"I'll be there. Go see about Carol.” She could tell Mark was about at the end of his rope. She watched them walk off. She hoped Alex could discover what was wrong with her. The stress of not knowing was getting to her. The last thing any of them needed was a stressed out wolf, especially when that wolf was an alpha like herself.