Beaufort Creek Shifters (10 book series)
Daddy’s Innocent Mate Chapter 7

Elias

That woman was going to drive me up a damn wall.

She stomped off like a bratty child just because of a joke I'd made. If she was that sensitive to my presence, I didn't see how we would ever work out. I didn't understand what Troy was thinking, or what Blake could have possibly been thinking either. Being with Francine had so far done nothing but give me an ache in my balls and my head.

Yet part of me was worried about her. She clearly didn't have many friends, and her job consisted of a ton of labor that she barely rested from. I could tell by the bags under her eyes that she stayed up late during the weekend planning the activities for her classroom. That evidence was obvious in the way Archie spoke so highly of her.

In just a few days, she had turned around about Archie. She'd given him a chance. Couldn't I do the same for her and her delicate sensibilities?

Although I probably wouldn't say it like that to her.

I wandered down the hallway to the main bedroom and tried the handle. It was locked. Considering what had just happened in the kitchen and what she'd said to me, I would have been surprised if it had been unlocked. A woman like Francine would always protect her body first, feelings second. She probably did it on instinct.

A curious hum rumbled my throat as I looked at my son's bedroom door. The television was blaring some sitcom canned laughter-he wouldn't hear anything we were about to talk about, thank the gods. I didn't want to put him through the crap that had happened with Geraldine.

Turning back to my bedroom door with a raised fist felt like the right thing to do, no matter how much my brain was telling me to turn back. What else could I do? Building a life with Francine certainly wouldn't be much of a walk in the park if we kept up with this arguing crap.

We had to put a pin in it before it destroyed us individually.

I knocked twice. "Fran? You alright?"

"Go away!"

I sighed. "Listen, I'm sorry about what I said. It was a joke. But it was..."

"In poor taste?"

Well, at least her voice sounded closer to the door. "Yeah, it was bad."

"I appreciate your apology." "Thanks."

There was a second of silence and then the lock clicked out of place. Two seconds later, I was standing in the bedroom where Francine was seated on the edge of the bed with her legs and arms crossed. Double jeopardy anxiety-I could relate.

"I know this is different for us both, but..." I sighed, shoving my hands into my pockets. "Well, you don't have to make it harder than it needs to be." "Me? Make it harder?" Her eyes dropped south.

Was that what I thought it was?

For a moment, I could have sworn that the stuck-up woman who taught a mixed-age classroom was actually checking me out. There was no way she could have gotten away with it either. Not with me being as perceptive as I was. The smile that slowly spread over my lips inspired her to blush. Ah, so it was exactly how I thought. I had to guess the woman was hiding some secret kinks. Weren't we all doing that at this point?

It was useless to pretend that the tension between us hadn't made me irritated in other ways. Most of the time, I could take out my urges in different ways-like adrenaline-chasing or f*****g. Seeing as I was fresh out of adrenaline activities, I'd have to go with the latter.

While that didn't mean Francine was thinking the same thing, I had to wonder how much of her checking me out had to do with her own desires. Even if it was just curiosity, I was willing to bet that she was just dying to get her hands on me. The way she looked when she'd seen me with my shirt off-

"Just what are you smirking about over there?" She interrupted my thoughts as sharply as a knife through butter. "Seriously, you're freaking me out."

"I'm just thinking."

She tilted her chin north-there was that snooty schoolteacher look she secretly wore when no one else was looking. "About what?"

"About how your lips would taste."

Now, there were a million things I could have actually said to her. I could have come up with a snappy quip, or I could have just bitten her quickly like a viper. But the bear inside me wasn't going to let anything else appear except the truth. Regardless of how much it made me want to crawl into a cave.

Her gaze dropped again. This time, it fell to the carpet separating us. An alluring bashfulness radiated from her scarlet cheeks, inviting me to cross the room without sparing another second. With the door closed and no prying eyes to interrupt me, I swept my arm around her waist and smashed my lips into hers.

Romance had nothing to do with it. I swore to myself repeatedly that it was pure curiosity, sheer drive. A man could only go so long without screwing before he started making mistakes. At least with Francine, I knew I wouldn't have to worry about her sneaking out in the middle of the night and getting seen by my kid. She would still be here in the morning.

Knowing that made me deepen the kiss. It pushed me into her, settled my hips between her legs so I could lean her back into the mattress. The frame creaked for a second and then went totally quiet, leaving only the sound of us collectively breathing. In and out, dive and retreat-our pattern rose from a silent agreement that this was a test to see who would break first and how.

Yet the more I kissed her, the more I realized that I was the one laying moves. She leaned into me and coaxed me to hold her at every turn, redirecting my hands to her shoulders and hips instead of letting them wander. Urgency propelled me to nip her neck, yet her shuddering breaths slowed my exploration.

I drifted back. She wasn't ready yet. Resistance lingered behind her fluttering eyelids and parted lips. Despite the way we connected, I could sense she wasn't going to give much more than this.

"Sorry." I stood up and put space between us, noticing the way her anxiety dropped as I respected her space. "Want to go for a run?"

She blinked once out of shock, and then she leaned on her elbows with a calm grin. The anxiety was almost gone now. "I'd like that very much, Elias."

Getting my dick wet would help better than anything, but I wasn't about to be that guy. Running would be the next best thing. Maybe a little quality time would put us on the right track together. I had no idea what was going on with Francine, and I also didn't want to tarnish her opinion of me.

If she hated my guts because of how I ran my house, I was okay with that. I just didn't want her hating me for being a disrespectful jerk.

Francine accompanied me to the living room where I texted Isaiah. Less than fifteen minutes later, he appeared at the front door wearing a mischievous grin while holding up a suspicious amount of sugary snacks. Archie came barreling out of his room a moment later to tackle his uncle.

On the porch, I found myself hesitating with my clothes. Sure, the woman had seen me shirtless, but she hadn't exactly peeped the rest of my body. None of us were shy about it. As Bravecrests, we understood the importance of preserving clothes, so they didn't rip during a shift. Just about everybody and their mama had seen my package.

But for some reason, having Francine witness my strip-down put me on edge. Certain insecurities I'd never thought myself capable of feeling were beginning to surface. Less about size and more about satisfaction, if I had to guess.

Whatever, I snapped at myself. Just shift and get it over with.

Why would it ever bother me that she would see everything? It stuck out in my mind as I pounced from the porch to the ground, fluidly shifting into the almond-brown bear with white spots that had grown bigger over the years. While standing on my hind legs, I sensed Francine beside me and turned to observe the petite bobcat with soil-brown fur and black spots that sat gracefully at my side. What kind of adorable nonsense is this?

She blinked up at me with her round eyes and purred. Her voice came clearly through my mind, I'm not adorable. Don't call me that.

I shook my head. Sorry, I guess you can hear my thoughts.

Hive mind, she reasoned. We're connected by our packs, I assume.

While that was logical enough for me, I wasn't so sure. Because this sort of connection hadn't exactly happened with my ex.

But I wouldn't mention Geraldine just yet. That was something to ease into over the next few weeks.

You wanted to run, she pointed out while stretching. So let's run, furry boy.

Without another word, she raced ahead, leaving me in the dirt of the yard. A growl and a snort escaped me as I hopped forward, landing on my massive paws in the cool soil. I paused to scan the trees, listening intently for her tiny paws hitting the ground, but barely able to perceive her sounds from the rest of the forest.

Damn, she was good.

The scent of peaches carried on the breeze. I sniffed the air a few times and broke into a sprint, crashing like a tank through the brush and mowing down the branches in my way. Francine slowed to a trot when I caught up to her, leading me into a dimly lit clearing that felt cooler than the rest of the forest.

She paused to sit, licking her paw delicately as she spoke to me through our mind connection. I like to come here to think.

I chortled internally. Do you do a lot of thinking?

Yes, I do, she replied. I like to make sure I'm doing the right thing.

I bowed my head and pretended to sniff the dirt. Yeah, well...Geraldine would do that too.

Who's Geraldine?

There was no avoiding that question, and I knew stalling wouldn't help either. We were alone out here. No one was listening to us.

I sighed and flopped onto my stomach. Archie's mother. She died during the raid.

Sadness emanated from Francine. I'm sorry to hear that, Elias. Were you still together at the time?

No, I replied.

I'm so sorry, Elias. Warmth accompanied her statement. She truly meant it.

We all lost someone, I said, trying to brush off the hurt. I'm sure you did too.

That doesn't mean it hurts any less, she reasoned gently.

It was a sentiment that soothed part of my aching heart. I rolled to my back and let my arm flop out, watching intently as she stepped carefully toward me and curled into my side. The night sky became a blanket over us. I felt her tiny heart fluttering against my side, and then the steady vibration of her purring accompanied it.

I don't know what I'm doing, Elias, she admitted, with this mate thing.

My nose sought her fur. She smelled even more like peaches now. Same.

Can we just keep trying?

While the breeze picked up and tickled my fur, I kept my nose buried in her, feeling the sureness in my heart as I replied, I'd like nothing more.