Kelly Lord
SAM
âHelen is gonna shit herself! I mean, literally! Make sure you break the news within running distance from a crapper.â
I jerked my head toward my best buddy Luke, sitting in the passenger seat of my Jeep.
âHey, pal, watch how you talk about my mate or youâre gonna end up in a crapper. ~Headfirst.~â
Luke laughed. âOkay, lover bear. I didnât mean anything by it. I just think youâre doing right by her, thatâs all.â He gave my arm a light punch. âShe really brings out the best in you.â
I smirked, watching the winding dirt road ahead of us. Helen did bring out the best in me. And she deserved the best.
My little mama bear was gonna light up like the sun when she saw my graduation present for her and the baby.
Iâd been keeping it secret for the past month, and itâd been hard as hell. Helen was sharper than a razorâgetting anything past her was next to impossible.
Luckily sheâd had finals to prepare for, then graduation. The distractions had given me and Luke enough time to get some work done.
âAlright, you,â I said when I pulled up to Lukeâs parentsâ house. âGit!â
âThatâs the treatment I get?â Luke asked, climbing out of the Jeep and closing the door. âAfter all my free labor?â
âI wouldnât exactly call it âfree,ââ I said with a smirk. âI already told you, Iâve got your tab at the Buckhorn for the next year.â
âWhat if I quit drinking?â he said through the open window.
I rolled my eyes. âWe both know thereâs no danger of that.â
Luke laughed, and I waved goodbye as I turned back down the road. The late afternoon sun made the forest look pretty enough for a postcard. Living in such a beautiful, peaceful little place made me feel lucky as hell.
I was so glad Helen had decided to settle down with me here. Living out in the sticks wasnât easy for her, but I knew one day sheâd come to love Bear Creek as much as I did.
As Dadâs cabin came closer, I sensed her presence through our mating bond.
My baby was back in town!
Well, both my babies.
I put the pedal to the metal and zoomed home.
I couldnât wait to see my favorite college graduate.
HELEN
My nose was squished to the window like a lovesick puppy as we pulled into Jackâs long driveway. Sam and I had only been apart since early this morning, but my heart was already hungry for him.
And thatâs not the only part of meâŠ
As we parked the car in the garage, Jack and Sam, or Hunk & Son, as I sometimes called them privately, came out of the house to meet us.
I was all butterflies as I jumped out of the truck and into Samâs waiting arms.
âHappy graduation, baby!â He picked me up and spun me in a circle.
âThanks,â I said, giggling as he set me down. He kissed my belly through my graduation robe.
âYou and the baby must be starving after your big day. Dad and I want to take you to Rowenâs to celebrate.â
âAm I!â I said, not mentioning the fact that Mom and I had gorged ourselves on extra-large McFlurries right before we left Boulder.
I loved how considerate Sam was about our baby. Sometimes he was a little too considerate, but Iâd rather have my guy over-involved than out of the picture.
My mom had raised me all alone for so long, and Iâd seen how difficult it was for her. I was lucky to have a Papa Bear around.
Sam put his big arm around me, steering me in the direction of our parents.
âDad, are you ready toââ He stopped when he caught sight of them. âAw, Jesus. Dad!â
Jack had my mom pushed up against the jet skis in the back of the garage, sucking face like he was half vacuum cleaner. His big, burly hands reached for her breasts, and Mom moaned softlyâ
âGUYS!â I shouted. Jack and Mom turned to us, red-faced and breathless, their sex trance broken.
Christ al-fucking-mighty.
I wished I could've said this was out of the ordinary, but that simply wasnât the caseâJack and Mom were just as horny as Sam and me.
I didnât like being a buzzkill, but seeing our middle-aged parents going at it like Bugs and Lola Bunny every time we turned around was really fucking with our heads.
âSorry about that,â Jack said, clearing his throat. âSo, umâdinner?â
***
âIâll have the blue-cheese burger, medium rare, with as many fries as you can fit on the plate,â Sam told our waitress at Rowenâs.
The skanky server Iâd met my first time here had run off with a wolf shifter, and sheâd been replaced with a kindly chain-smoking grandma who was much less predatory.
Mmmmm, Samâs order sounds great, I thought. Even though my pregnancy had barely begun, I was hungrier than ever lately. And for me, that was saying something.
The waitress scribbled Samâs order in her notebook and turned to me.
âAnd what about you, little lady?â she croaked, practically blowing smoke rings.
âThe blue cheese burger sounds delicious,â I said. âIâll have the same. Medium rare.â
âOne hot second, Helen,â Sam said, putting his hand on mine. âWhat about baby bear?â
âWhat do you mean?â
âRare meat? Blue cheese? Babe, have you been reading the books?â
âUgh, come on, Sam! I just graduated. I already canât drink!â
Sam responded with a stern look. We both knew he was right.
âFine,â I sighed. âRegular cheeseburger, well-done.â I shot Sam a cheeky look. âAnd heâll have the same thing.â
Sam smirked. âFair enough.â
The waitress took Mom and Jackâs orders and went back to the kitchen. As she left, I noticed a few customersâ eyes aimed in my direction.
What? Never seen a preggo bear-lady before? Mind your own beeswax!
âSpeaking of baby bear,â Mom said. âWhat with all the excitement lately, weâve barely had time to talk about your plans.â
Jack bristled slightly at Ellieâs words. âWell, obviously she and Sam are gonna stay right here in Bear Creek. Samâs buildingââ
His lips shut abruptly, and I turned to see Sam fixing him with a death stare.
Huh? Building what?
âBuilding a life for you,â Jack finished, his eyes on Sam. âAnd I donât see why the girl has to up and do much of anything until the babyâs here. You just put in four years of hard work. Itâs time to enjoy the good life. And we got it real good here.â
Jack had a point. Sam and I were comfy in Bear Creek, despite the fact that we were at least a hundred miles from the nearest Starbucks.
The Larsens had plenty of money from the furniture business, the honey farm, and their secret bear gold, and it wasnât like I really had to work.
But I hadnât gone to college to be a werebearâs housewife. I had goals. Dreams.
More than anything in the world, I wanted to be an artist, and the award Iâd gotten was proof that I had talent. I wasnât going to squander it.
âActually, Jack,â I explained, âI really want to start my art career. I was thinking Iâd start trying to sell my paintings. Maybe become an artistâs assistant. My school has a big alumni network in Denver, andââ
âDenver?â Jack started. âHelen, thereâs a world-famous artist right here in Hawcroft! And ~I~ know him personally. Iâm sure heâd love some help at his studio.â
What now?
âWorld-famous?â I repeated, dubious.
âYou betcha,â Jack said proudly. âJust let me know and Iâll set up a meeting.â
âSure, sounds great!â
An artist here in Hawcroft? Holy Monet!
Starting my art career in Bear Creek was like having my cake and eating it too.
That is, if Sam LETS me eat it.
âNow that thatâs settled,â Jack continued. âHowâs the shifting going? Any progress?â
My stomach dropped.
âShifting during finals, Jack?â Mom interrupted. âHelen was too busy studying to turn into a bear.â
âI donât know! Iâm just curious, thatâs all,â Jack shrugged. âWe havenât had too many folks up here with Helenâs umâŠsituation. Born human and turning shifter. Itâs like seeing a shooting star up close and personal.â
âWell,â I said carefully. âNo updates really. It only happened the one time.â
âStrange,â Jack said. âAnd you still donât know what triggered it?â
I shook my head, tense.
I did know what triggered it. But it wasnât something I wanted to share at a family dinner in the middle of Hawcroft.
Explaining to them how Chris had managed to follow us home like a demented zombie would mean explaining what had happened to him. What Iâd done.
My family was giving me strange enough looks knowing Iâd shifted. I hated the thought of how theyâd see me if they knew the truth.
Even though my memories of that night were blurry, I knew what Iâd done. What Iâd become...
And now I was afraid of shifting, just in case I canât control myselfâin case I hurt someone else.
So I hadnât tried it since.
Sam and Jack had told me that young shifters often transformed spontaneously. They just had to be triggered by a powerful emotion. Something they learned to control with age and experience.
That night at the cabin, squaring off with Chris, my emotions had gotten the better of me.
I didnât want it to happen again.
I turned to Sam for some support, but of course, he didnât know why Iâd shifted either. I knew I needed to tell him, but the opportunity just hadnât presented itself.
Sam just looked at me, half-there. I didnât know what was going on in that bear-brain of his, but it didnât look like he was going to bail me out of this conversation anytime soon.
âIâm gonna use the restroom,â I said, getting up from the table. I squeezed Samâs shoulder, snapping him out of his daze. âBack in a sec, boo.â
I headed to the restroom, fielding more eyes from fellow diners.
It was almost like they knew something about me I didnât want to admit.
Jesus, what is WRONG with people?
SAM
My gaze drifted around the restaurant. Everyone was giving us looks, and I didnât like it.
Helen hadnât left Jackâs cabin much while her girlfriends had been staying with us. Neither of us had, really. Iâd kept her pretty busy, umâŠmaking sure she stayed pregnant.
But being out with her at Rowenâs, I could tell my affection for Helen wasnât shared by my fellow shifters. Our table was getting more stink eyes than a rotten potato.
Trouble had followed her since weâd met, and the rest of Forest Lake knew it. Helen, Emma, Brittany, and I had told the Bear Council about what had happened with Chris and Sean.
Tove, The Great Elderâor the Great Ass Pain, as I called himâhad made it pretty clear that he thought contact with outsiders was the root of the problem.
But the truth was, Bear Creek had always had contact with the outside world. Helen hadnât tracked mud into our houseâthere was plenty there to begin with.
Unfortunately, more folks sided with Tove than me. Not only was Helen an outsider, sheâd also turned shifter from carrying my child, which was rare as hell in our community.
We associated with humans from time to time, but we didnât normallyâŠerâŠbreed with them. There were stories about it happening before, but they never had happy endings.
Ellieâs arrival had already stirred up trouble, but standing up for Jack in Ursa Hall had earned the communityâs respect.
Helen, on the other hand, was becoming an outcast, and it didnât help that she still had big city clothes and big city dreams.
I wouldnât have had my baby any other way, of courseâŠ
But life sure was getting difficult.
âHey,â Dad said in a low voice after Helen had left the table. âWe need to talk.â
âWhatâs up?â
Dad and Ellie shared a look.
âYou need to speak to Helen about her art career,â Ellie said. âWeâre supportive and all, but the fact is, Tove has a vendetta against outsiders. We donât think itâs a good idea for her to be looking for jobs outside of Bear Creek.â
I nodded slowly. âI get that. But Iâm not sure how well she will.â
âBear Creekâs got a lot to offer,â Dad said. âIâm sure you can make her see that.â
âIâll do my best,â I said with a sigh.
I knew what was at stake if Helen didnât fit in here. We were bringing a new cub into a community who might not welcome it.
But unfortunately, Iâd picked a smart one, and I couldnât sell Helen something she didnât want to buy.
HELEN
We all went straight up to bed when we came home from dinner. After my long day, all I wanted was a good nightâs rest.
Well, that was almost all I wanted.
As soon as Sam shut his bedroom doorâour bedroom doorâbehind us, I clawed at his shirt.
âGet this thing off,â I demanded. âI want your bear cock. Now.â
Sam chuckled. âOkay, okayâŠâ
He stripped off his tight flannel and undershirt, putting his marvelous torso on full display. His muscles had muscles, for Godâs sake.
âYour turn,â he said, slipping out of his pants. My breath caught as I saw the rise in his boxers. His length never ceased to amaze me.
I shimmied out of my dress and flung myself on the bed. Sam pounced on me, tearing off my bra and snuggling into my breasts.
I stroked his hair as his mouth closed around a nipple. He alternated between them, licking and sucking, making me wet way before I felt his hand prodding my mound.
âOh, Sammmmm,â I purred as his hand slipped beneath my panties.
âHelennn,â he moaned into my breasts.
Suddenly, the whole room shook. The lamp trembled on the nightstand. The ceiling fan rocked back and forth above our heads.
I only wish it was an earthquakeâŠ
âJACK! JACK! JACK! JACK!â I heard my mom cry out through the wall.
âELLIEEEEEEE!!!â Jackâs voice bellowed.
GROOOOOOOSS!
I shut my eyes, whimpering as I rolled away from Sam on the bed. I felt him stroke my hair. Jack and Mom were still going strong.
âHey, babe, you still wannaââ
âNOOO!â I shouted with a subconscious shiver.
It wasnât the first time weâd heard our parents having sex, and until we got our own place, it most certainly wouldnât be the last.
My new life may have startedâŠ
But I still had to solve some old problems. And maybe part of why I hadnât told Sam what happened that night had to do with our lack of privacy.
Sam and I needed space.
And we needed it bad.