Forbidden Bear (Bear Creek Biker Bears #1)(4)
Moving away from him hurt, as though she was tearing herself in half. Her breathing became laboured and her heartbeat quickened. This was going to be a lot harder than she thought. Joel made it easier for her; he took her hand and led her to the spot where she had thrown down her helmet.
He picked it up and lifted it to place on her head, kissing her lips before he did. “Tomorrow. Out by the four ways. I’ll meet you there and we’ll go somewhere private.”
Behind them, there was the sound of voices. “Joel!”
“Hey, Joel, you OK?”
He looked at her and smiled, although now she could only see him faintly. The night was closing in around him as she backed away.
“Run,” he said, “I’ll call them this way. You get on your bike and go. But remember, the four ways, at ten, or I’m coming into town.”
She nodded, and then walked away, each step getting harder, as she placed one foot down in front of the other, moving away from her fate.
“Here,” he called, and she heard voices joining his as she made her way back onto the road and then to her bike.
Trembling hands struggled to put the key in the ignition, but on the third attempt, she managed it; the engine came to life and she throttled forward down the road and away from her mate. Only when she hit the road back into Wolf Valley did she let herself think, and it was then that she realised she was crying, tears of loss running down her face.
What the hell was she supposed to do? Her life had been complicated enough before. Now it threatened to become unbearable. Her life was in Wolf Valley and her heart and soul were in Bear Creek. Inside, her wolf let out a mournful howl. At least now they were of one mind. They both wanted their mate.
Chapter Four – Joel
“What happened to you? Ethan asked.
Joel was glad they couldn’t see his face, he hated lying to his friends; they were like family to him. “I followed one of them into the woods. Must have doubled back on me.”
“You’re losing your touch, Joel.”
“Looks that way doesn’t it?” he joked, wondering if his voice sounded natural, because he felt terrible. A dull ache inside of him, filled with an emptiness that could only be filled by Mia. His bear roared, the sound one of loneliness and longing.
She will be ours, he told him, but there was no appeasing his bear. It wanted their mate and it wanted her now.
“We stopped the deal anyway, although their contact disappeared. Here is the merchandise.” They had walked back through the trees towards where they had parked their bikes. Ion switched his headlamp on and opened the bag. “Phones.”
Joel sighed with relief; they had thought the wolves were selling drugs. It was good to know his mate wasn’t involved in something like that. “Seems to have been innocent enough.”
“Except it was on our territory. Normally, I wouldn’t mind, but things are going bad over in Wolf Valley, so I think any deterrent has to be worth it. We need to make it clear that they are not welcome in Bear Creek.”
“True,” Joel conceded. Mia had said herself that Wolf Valley was not a good place to live. As they mounted their bikes and started their engines, he hoped she had got home safely and that he hadn’t caused trouble for her. These phones would have been worth a lot of money, and without them, she might lose her grip on her gang.
Tomorrow he would meet her and get as much information out of her as he could. After he had made love to her. Of course. Claiming his mate was most definitely his first priority. He could picture her now, her hair spread across his pillow, her arms welcoming him.
“Hey, Joel, you gone off in a dream again?” Ethan called.
“Sorry. Just tired. Let’s get back, I have some paperwork that needs doing.”
Ethan laughed. “After that fight my adrenaline is pumping. I might have to find myself a woman to help release some of my pent-up tension.”
“Go for it.” Joel intended an early night, not that he would be able to sleep for thinking about Mia. However, the days, or nights, spent with another woman were gone now. He would never cheat on her. He only hoped she held the same values.
Closing his helmet, he revved his engine and rode off behind the others. He loved his bear brothers, the men he lived and worked with. They might be bikers but they always kept everything above board, especially since their leader, Will, had inherited a multi-million-dollar business.
As the miles disappeared behind him, putting more and more distance between him and Mia, all he could think was: Why a wolf? Out of all the beautiful bears in Bear Creek, why did he have to be stuck with a wolf?
Yet, as the memory of her scent came to him, and the touch of her lips could almost be felt once more, he came to the conclusion that he was the luckiest bear alive. A wolf who was strong, confident, and no doubt able to hold her corner in any fight.
But he didn’t want to fight. He wanted to lay her down in his bed and make love to her. Tomorrow, he soothed his bear. Tomorrow she would be theirs.
Chapter Five – Mia
Mia couldn’t face going straight back to their hangout; the others would just have to wait for her. It wasn’t going to be pretty, she knew that; after all, they had lost the deal. However, that was not the reason for her reluctance to return. No, it was more than that. It was because she wasn’t the same person anymore.