Her Christmas Bear (2 page)

Alice stood up. “She seems okay besides the bump on her head.”

Marcus felt his heart lighten at the announcement.

“But, Marcus is right. We need to get her out of here. Hypothermia is still a threat. Marcus you lift her out of the car.” Everyone knew it would drive his bear into a frenzy if one of the other men touched her right now. The paramedics and Dirk stood by the gurney waiting.

“Right.” He bent by the driver’s side door. “Ready, baby?”

She smiled at him again. “You’re my naked man.”

“Sure am. Now let’s get you someplace warmer.”

He slipped his hands beneath her body and pulled her from the car. In minutes, she was tucked into the gurney, thermal blankets covering her from head to toe. With two bear shifters and a wolf carrying her, she was up the side of the mountain in no time. Alice came up the rear carrying the coat and purse she’d retrieved from the car.

“You riding with them to the hospital?” Dirk watched as they loaded the gurney into the ambulance, Marcus hovering anxiously. Hope’s eyes were closed and she wasn’t talking any more. It looked as if she had lost consciousness.

“What do you think?” Marcus growled in answer.

Dirk gave him a look of sympathy before ruining it with a wicked smile. “I think I wouldn’t want to be on the hospital staff right now.”

No one argued when Marcus climbed into the back of the ambulance with Hope and Alice. His bear circled inside and the journey down the mountain seemed to take forever.

“Keep it together man. You’re not going to do her any good if you fall apart,” Alice reprimanded him. “She’s got a mild concussion and maybe a slight case of hyperthermia. She’ll be fine.”

“She damn well better be.” His snarl didn’t frighten the woman. No doubt she’d had to deal with some angry shifters in her time. He pulled on the shoes and socks that Dirk had thrown into the ambulance.

The ambulance pulled up to the hospital and Marcus was out the back, trying to lift the metal gurney out by himself. The wolf ordered him away and he moved out of the way—only because he knew his interference was delaying getting Hope inside and the care she needed.

They made him wait outside as they transferred her from the gurney to a hospital bed. His bear paced and grumbled right along with the man as they waited. When the paramedics stepped out, he immediately tried to go inside her room. The doctor moved to stop him. The man was a human who didn’t know better than to mess with a bear—especially one whose mate was lying right behind him, injured.

“Step out of the way,” Marcus ordered.

“Now look here. If you’re not a family member I can’t allow you to go in there until she regains consciousness.”

Marcus pushed the man backward just by jamming his finger into the man’s chest. “I’m her fucking mate and you better get in there and see why the hell she’s still unconscious.” Marcus gave another little shove and they were both inside the room.

The doctor finally smarted up and turned away from Marcus to concentrate on his patient. “She has a mild concussion and a laceration. I’ve ordered a scan to make sure there’s no other damage. Once we get her warmed up, she’ll be fine.”

“That’s what the paramedics said.” Marcus could detect no lie or disquiet coming from the doctor, and the man had been concerned about Hope’s safety. Marcus allowed himself to relax. Somewhat. He pulled up a chair and sat down. When the doctor continued to stand there, he gave a little growl. The man jumped and walked quickly out of the room.

Good, Marcus thought. Now he could take care of his mate. Not knowing what else he could do, he made sure she had enough blankets. If the bed had been bigger, he would have climbed in with her. It was barely bigger than the gurney they had carried her in on and looked just as uncomfortable. She needed to be transferred into a private room. The door opened before he could storm out and demand they take her to one.

“What are you doing scaring the hospital staff?” Jagger Houston, bear shifter and town sheriff walked inside.

“Just making sure they move their asses.” Marcus and Jagger had come to an agreement long ago to co-exist peacefully in the same area. While Marcus was a bigger bear and older, Jagger’s bear was slightly more dominant. He had certainly been snarlier and more disagreeable until he’d mated. It was remarkable the change that had come over the other man.

“So this is your mate?”

“Yes.”

Jagger nodded his head. “I’ll be back this afternoon to get a statement from both of you.” There was no doubt in the other bear’s mind that Marcus would still be here when he returned. He gave Marcus another nod and left the room.

Marcus’s bear took in a deep breath, Hope’s head had stopped bleeding and the animal didn’t sense anything else wrong with her. He rose to his feet before bending down to kiss the top of her head, her hair like silk beneath his lips. “I’ll be back, baby. I’m going to see about getting you a room.”

              CONSCIOUSNESS RETURNED TO Hope slowly. Something told her she didn’t want to move. That the warmth she felt surrounding her would disappear if she opened her eyes. Had she made it to Patsy’s house? Was she in the guest room? If so, she’d have to tell her friend she’d used way too much cleaner. It smelled like a hospital.

Suddenly, memories came flooding back. The drive up the snow covered road, the sickening feeling as she felt her car start to slide. The horrifying fear that had consumed her as her car had headed down the side of the mountain. She’d thought for a moment that she was going to die. And everything she’d never done before had flashed before her. To say she had some regrets…

Then her memories became so bizarre she knew they must have been a result of her injuries. A bear lumbering down the mountain looking fierce and angry, her door ripped from the car. A naked man kneeling in the snow. And then she was reaching out to touch the fucking biggest cock she had ever seen.

Her eyes popped wide open. That had been no dream. She had seen a naked man. And a bear. A bear who had turned into a naked man.

She sat up in bed, moaning as pain shot through her head.

“Easy there, sweetheart.”

A deep voice came from the side of her bed and she let out a surprised yelp, scooting backwards. She suddenly realized she was in a hospital bed and the voice was that of her rescuer.

The naked man with the big cock.

“Holy hell,” she murmured. Out of habit when in the presence of a man, she sucked in her gut, trying to minimize her curves. She had a lot of curves. Realizing she was wearing only a thin hospital gown, she pulled one of the blankets that had been keeping her warm to her chin. “Who are you?”

“Marcus. Marcus Abrams.”

“That tells me your name, not who you are.”

Before he could answer, the door to her room flew open. “What is going on in here?”

The man gave the nurse a smile. “Nothing, Martha Jane, just getting to know my mate.”

“Your mate!” Hope squealed at the same time the nurse spoke.

“Don’t give me that big, sexy grin, Marcus. I heard her scream. Are you alright, honey?” She moved to the bed and started fussing over her patient.

“I’m fine. Just a little confused.” The nurse raised the head of her bed and straightened her covers.

“That would be the concussion you suffered.”

“What?” Her hand rose automatically to her head. “Crap,” she murmured when she found the bump and raw skin near her temple, just under her hairline.

“Now it’s not that bad. You just need a little rest.” The woman patted her on the shoulder. “I’ll be back to check on you later.”

“Wait, you can’t leave me in here with him. I don’t know him.”

“You will soon enough.” The nursed turned back and winked at her. “He’s your mate.”

Hope was flabbergasted. Her mate? Her attention turned to the man sitting so calmly at the side of her bed. “What the fuck is going on?” she demanded. If he didn’t explain, he was going to see the business end of the metal bedpan sitting on the table by her bed. Hopefully, it had been placed there in case she needed to throw up and not if she had to pee. Wasn’t any damn way she was relieving herself in that thing.

“What she said.” He pointed to the door the nurse had just walked through. “I’m your mate.”

At his sinfully sexy smile, Hope wanted to curl up in the bed and pull the blanket over her head.

A head that was beginning to throb.

As if he sensed the onset of her pain, he jumped from the chair and flew to the door, yelling for the nurse to come back.

“What in tarnation are you yammering about now, Marcus?” The nurse stuck her head back inside the room.

“She’s in pain. Give her something.”

The expression of concern on his face surprised the hell out of Hope. She immediately felt the need to soothe him, instead of the other way around. “Hey, it’s not that bad.”

The nurse smiled and backed out of the room. “I’ll just get you some aspirin.”

When the woman left, the big man didn’t sit back down. He started pacing at the end of her bed as if the thought of her being in pain was really distressing to him.

“Tell me what happened. I remember my car sliding and then things get a little blurry.” She settled back against her bed, trying to distract him. And her. When he’d stood up she had a flash of memory that involved his bare ass and his magnificent front. Oh boy, did the man have a magnificent front. Or maybe he didn’t. Maybe it was just a figment of her over-active, accident-induced imagination. She’d sure like to find out though.

“I was out for a run and heard you crash.” He stopped pacing and came to sit down beside her bed. “Now tell me what you were doing on that snow-covered road in Riverton, Colorado.”

“I was trying to find my friend’s house.”

Marcus’s bear immediately grew aggressive. The only homes on that road were his and Dirk’s.

“And obviously I took a wrong turn. My friend definitely does not live on the side of a mountain.”

Marcus relaxed as she continued. She hadn’t been going to see Dirk. But, she had made a wrong turn. A wrong turn that had led her straight to him. Marcus was a firm believer in fate. Good and bad. This time, it looked as if fate had decided to reward him—with his mate.
Right on,
his bear agreed. “Who’s your friend? Should we call her?”

“She wasn’t expecting me until tomorrow, so she won’t be worried. But I’m assuming my car is trashed. I’ll have to call her in the morning.”

“I’ll take you.”

She straightened in her bed, the blanket falling from her chest. With her hair in disarray and wearing a faded hospital gown, she did not look her best, but to Marcus she was still the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. His gaze fell to her unfettered breasts beneath the thin cotton material. Would they be tipped by velvety pink nipples that tasted as sweet as candy, or brown ones that drew up tight and tart like berries? As he watched, he saw them grow hard, pushing against the fabric.

Raising his gaze, he saw her lips had parted and her breath was rapid. He leaned forward, intent on getting a taste of those red, rosy lips. Before he could, she pushed her hands against his chest. “Now what’s all this about us being mates?”

Marcus wasn’t at all surprised by her blunt question, just not ready for it—because he didn’t think she was ready for the answer. He leaned back. “What do you know about shifters?”

She shrugged, making the top of the gown fall off her shoulder to reveal her creamy skin. Control, he admonished himself and his bear. Control.

“I know a little. My friend is married to a wolf shifter.”

Good, Marcus thought, he wouldn’t be starting from scratch explaining what was happening. “The lucky shifters are given a mate. That one person that completes them. Excites them.”

“Lucky shifters? That doesn’t sound fair. I thought all shifters had a mate.”

“They do, but sometimes it takes a really long time to find her. Or him.”

“How long?”

“Decades.”

He saw her swallow as if his answer made her uncomfortable. “I’ve waited what felt like centuries for mine.” He paused until her eyes met his. “For you.”

“No, you didn’t. I can’t be your mate.”

“Why not?”

“Because.”

“Hope.” His voice held a low growl.

“I can’t be your mate because…” Her hand fluttered in the air as if tracing his body. “You look like that. And I look like this.” She swept her hand over herself.

He was out of the chair in a second, his arms braced on either side of her hospital bed. “Do you know what my bear wants to do to you?”

“Eat me?” She realized her poor choice of words when his eyes darkened with what could only be lust. Her face turned red.

“Oh yeah, baby. He most definitely wants to eat you. Eat you out.” He licked his lips as if he could already taste her pussy. “He wants to mate you, fuck you, and claim you. He wants to make you ours.” He nuzzled his face in the side of her neck, whispering, “He wants to sink his fangs into your skin right here, claiming you as I thrust my cock inside that sweet pussy I can scent even now getting wet with want. Need. So much need.”

At her gasp, he gave a devilish laugh. “I know you want me. And you need to know how much I want you.” He took the hand closest to him and placed it on the bulge beneath his jeans. “Feel that. That’s me wanting you. You.” He rubbed her hand up and down the hard length of his cock, making himself moan before he let her go.

“I’m going to let you rest now, but I’ll be back.” He placed a light, tender kiss on her forehead and straightened up grunting as he did, thanks to the tight fit of his pants.

After he’d left, Hope stared at the closed door, her breath erratic and her mind in turmoil. Had that gorgeous hunk of man actually said she was his mate? This was so not what she had expected when she’d agreed to spend the holiday with her friend. Feeling tired and cold again, she laid down in the bed and closed her eyes, pulling the cover around her. She’d call Patsy as soon as she woke up again to come and get her. But right now, she wanted to savor the feel of the big bear shifter’s lips on her neck.
And don’t forget the feel of his cock beneath your hand
, her inner dirty bad girl smirked.
As if she could.

Letting sleep overtake her, she did just that. Imagined the feel of his cock… everywhere.

“Good morning, sunshine.” Hope was awakened by the sound of a woman’s voice. A cheerful voice. She tried not to grimace. She was never a morning person and the events of the last twenty-four hours were sure to get anyone brave enough to speak to her a grumpy bear greeting. Her eyes popped open. Bear. Marcus.
Mates.

It hadn’t been a dream. The medicinal smell was still there and this cheerful stranger was trying to take her blood pressure while she was asleep. “What time is it?”

The nurse smiled down at her. “It’s still early. Sorry to wake you.”

Hope rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she looked around the room, expecting to see Marcus in the chair by her bed. Every time she’d woken up last night, he’d been there, getting her a drink or covering her with another blanket. She was on the mend this morning. Her headache was gone and she no longer felt that deep cold she had yesterday. The doctor had told her she’d suffered a mild concussion and hyperthermia.

She’d been lucky.

“Can I get released today?” She’d need to call Patsy to come pick her up. Despite Marcus’s offer, she couldn’t ask the bear. In fact, she planned to stay as far away from the bear as she could.

No, she needed to call her friend and go home. No, not home, but to Patsy’s where she’d be staying through the holidays. Touching the still swollen bump on her head, she thought what a wonderful start she’d already gotten to what was turning into the holiday season from hell. All she’d wanted was some company this Christmas.

Hope’s parents had divorced when she was young and she’d spent her childhood shuffled from one parent to the other. Parents who really didn’t want the chubby girl-child in their lives. Usually her Christmas celebration consisted of a pizza with everything eaten in front of a tabletop fiber optic tree while watching an action adventure movie. No silly, slap-happy rom-coms for her.

This year she’d wanted to experience an old-fashioned Christmas. What better place to do that then in snowy Colorado? She’d finally accepted Patsy’s offer to visit her and her new husband. She’d have a white Christmas for sure and some holiday fun with her best friend. At least that’s what she’d told herself. So far nothing had gone as planned. She needed some Christmas magic and fast. She’d wrecked her car, suffered a grade two concussion. And she certainly hadn’t imagined a bear shifter claiming her as his mate.

Thinking of Marcus and how easy it would be to fall into his arms…

No, she admonished herself. That was not an option. She’d always stood on her own two feet and she would again. After the holidays.

“Miss, Miss, are you alright?”

The voice of the nurse pulled her back from her thoughts. From the sudden image of her wrapped in the arms of Marcus in front of a roaring fire, a huge Christmas tree taking up half of the room.

“Yes, I’m fine. Just anxious to get out of here. Could you tell the doctor, please?”

A knock sounded on the door. “Maybe that’s him now.”

It was. A thin little man who she barely remembered taking care of her last night in the emergency room.

“Good morning. Miss Martin, isn’t it? How are you feeling?” He didn’t give her a chance to answer before he was in front of her, shining a light in her eyes and pressing against the wound on her head. She drew back. The man had zero bedside manner, and for some reason she didn’t want him to touch her. The doctor finished his exam quickly. “So can I go home?”

“I don’t know about that.” He looked at her over the rim of his wire glasses. “I understand you aren’t from this area?”

“That’s right. I’m just visiting.”

“You have a concussion and it will take you a day or two to fully recover. Traveling of any kind could be detrimental to your health.”