Sometimes you need a grand gesture to
prove

your love, and sometimes a bear hug
will do.

Harris Bender had a crush on vampire
leader

Rohan, so when the alpha male requests
him to

paint a mural, he can only say yes.
However, after

a passionate encounter, Harris
discovered Rohan

is his mate. Is the carefree artist ready to

settle

down with one man even if he’s
extremely hot?

Rohan had been looking for his blood
bonded

for centuries. One taste of the bear
shifter’s blood

and he knows he’s found the one.
However,

outside forces threaten to tear the couple
apart. It

will take more than a flash of fang to put
them in

their place.

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without

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prison and a

fine of $250,000.

Please purchase only authorized
electronic editions,

and do not participate in or encourage
the electronic

piracy of copyrighted materials. Your
support of the

author’s rights is appreciated.

This book is a work of fiction. Names,
characters,

places, and incidents either are products
of the author’s

imagination or are used fictitiously. Any
resemblance

to actual events or locales or persons,
living or dead, is

entirely coincidental.

To Bite A Bear

ISBN: 978-1-77111-598-8

Cover art by Angela Waters

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in whole or in

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To Bite A Bear

Banded Brothers Book Four

Amber Kell

Dedication

For my fans who tell me they want
shifters other than

wolves. This series is for you.

Prologue

ohan walked with his friend through the

R small art gallery. Large numbers of
people

had turned out for the First Thursday Art

Walk to

see local artists displaying their wares.
Paintings,

sculptures and art covered the walls and
perched

on pedestals throughout the building.
Some of the

art Rohan didn’t understand, no matter
how many

years were under his belt. A few artists
stretched

the definition of art so far, it no longer
resembled

anything Rohan wanted to put in his
house.

Rohan preferred the purity of the
classics. He

didn’t get abstract art; he preferred good
lines, a

delicate touch and a defined subject
matter. The

rest, he considered junk. Some might
think him a

snob, but at five hundred years old,
Rohan had

long stopped caring what others thought.

“Look at that one,” Vick said. Rohan had

already known he didn’t share his
friend’s artistic

taste, but tonight, it was confirmed. The
vampire

liked anything with bright colors and
oohed and

ahhed his way through six galleries.
Some of the

Amber Kell

pieces Vick excitedly pointed out were

beyond

horrible.

However, in this one case, Vick was
right at

least about the artist.

Rohan froze mid-step. It took
concentrated

effort to continue his walk. The painting,
a

brilliant display of bold colors and fine
lines, took

up most of the wall. The striking art

piece called to

Rohan almost as much as the man
standing beside

it. Big shoulders, strong hands and an
animalistic

power rolled off the dark-haired artist,
who

waved his hands expressively as he
talked to his

golden-haired companion. If it wouldn’t
have

caused a scene, Rohan would’ve
grabbed the

gorgeous shifter and dragged him home.

However, with this being an art show,
the artist

might complain. The sign above the
painting read

Harris Bender.

Rohan’s gums tingled with anticipation.
He

fought back the urge to march across the
room

and plunge his fangs into the delicious
shifter’s

jugular.

“The artist is yummy,” Vick purred. “I
bet he

tastes delicious.”

Irritation flickered through Rohan. He
didn’t

want anyone else coveting the man who
would be

his.

“Yes, he is indeed,” Rohan agreed,
struggling to

keep his temper. “I think the coven might

need

To Bite a Bear

some artwork done. Maybe the entire
coven

mansion.”

“I can’t say I blame you.”

Rohan and Vick continued to examine
the artist,

neither of them moving from their spot
despite

impeding the flow of traffic. “I’m
guessing bear

shifter,” Vick said.

“I concur.” Rohan turned and headed
toward

the exit.

“Aren’t you going to talk to him?” Vick
asked.

“No. Not now. I’ll talk to him one day
soon, but

it won’t be with all these people
around.” Rohan

left the gallery, knowing he’d be getting
to know

the gorgeous bear shifter very well in the
near

future. From the aura around him, Rohan
had just

met his blood bonded. No way would he
make his

first contact surrounded by distractions.
He’d call

the gallery tomorrow. They’d know how
to get

hold of Harris. Soon to be Rohan’s

Harris.

Amber Kell

Chapter One

arris Bender watched as the vampire
leader,

H Rohan, lit the caskets on fire.
Vampires

didn’t bury their dead, they freed their
souls by

burning their bodies in a tradition as old
as time.

The flames cast shadows on Rohan’s
face, giving

his handsome face harsh angles beneath
sharp

cheekbones. To Harris, Rohan appeared
beautiful

at any angle. His fingers itched for a
pencil to

sketch out the scene.

The heavy weight of silence coated the

proceedings as if surrounded by an
invisible

shield. No one fidgeted or rustled. No
birds sang

in the distance. Even the bugs held their
chirps

and buzzes until Rohan finished his
eulogy for the

vampires who had passed. Rohan’s
sorrow

pierced Harris’ heart, as if he had
personally

experienced their loss when, in fact,
he’d barely

met them.

Poisoned blood from human donors had
killed

three vampires, compliments of the
sorcerers.

To Bite a Bear

Eaton had saved the rest of them by
warning the

vampires of the problem but not soon
enough to

save this trio. Unfortunately, the
sorcerers had

gone underground where no one could
find them,

so the vampires weren’t able to
retaliate.

Harris didn’t have to be there. He didn’t
belong

to the coven and wasn’t a vampire.
However, he

couldn’t let Rohan mourn alone. The few
weeks

he’d worked for the master vampire had
forged an

odd friendship between the two men. A

relationship Harris planned to take to the
next

level soon. Rohan called Harris his
beloved but

hadn’t made any further moves despite
the

longing looks and possessive behavior.
After

Rohan had a chance to mourn his friends,
Harris

would show the vampire he didn’t have
to be

alone.

Rohan had come to Harris’ aid when
Eaton had

been kidnapped, and although Rohan
didn’t end

up having to do anything, having the
vampire

leader there had given Harris the
emotional

support he needed. Harris wanted to
return the

favor.

When the vampire turned around, he

immediately searched the crowd. Harris
saw the

vampire relax when Rohan caught sight
of him.

After whispering something to the
people milling

to his right, Rohan walked over to join
Harris.

Without ceremony, Rohan wrapped a
proprietary

Amber Kell

arm around Harris and scooted him to
one side,

putting Rohan’s body between Harris
and the

other vampires. Rohan didn’t like other
people too

close to Harris. For some reason, ever
since Harris

started working for him, Rohan had
watched over

him like a dog with his bone.

“You doing all right?” Harris
whispered. He

fought against the urge to hug Rohan
closer. The

vampire leader probably wouldn’t
appreciate

coddling in front of his people. The way
they

stood now, Rohan could’ve been
offering support

to Harris. Harris knew Rohan was
absorbing some

of his calm. The vampire had said
before that

Harris zen-like peace soothed Rohan

deep inside.

Apparently, the closer the proximity, the
better the

calming took.

Ignoring everyone else, Harris scooted
closer to

offer his presence if not his clumsy
words of

sympathy. He’d always been more of a
person of

action, not verbal expression.

Rohan had taken his vampires’ deaths

hard

since he hadn’t been able to prevent the
poisoning.

Sorcerers and vampires were mortal
enemies, but

from what Harris had heard, they’d been
in a

semi-truce for years. Until sorcerers had
poisoned

the humans the vampires used for food,
they had

no idea the sorcerers were going to
attack.

Rohan didn’t speak, but he slid a hand
down

from Harris’ shoulder as he stepped
away and

To Bite a Bear

tangled their fingers together instead.
“Thanks for

being here,” he murmured in Harris’ ear,
a soft,

intimate sound. His breath brushed
across the soft

hairs of Harris’ ear lobe. Harris fought
back both a

shiver and the urge to turn his head for a
kiss.

Before Harris could give in to any of his
urges

and after a quick squeeze of Harris’
fingers, Rohan

released him and stepped away. Harris

immediately missed the vampire’s
presence. His

inner animal yearned for contact with
Rohan as if

Harris couldn’t be complete without
being close.

“You’re welcome. I’d do a lot more for
you…”

Harris confessed. He turned bright red.
When

would he learn not to say everything in
his head?

With his friends, his tendency to blurt
things out

was mildly embarrassing. With Rohan, it
reached

a more humiliating level. He might as

well strip

naked and throw himself at Rohan’s feet.

Rohan turned to give Harris his full
attention.

He cupped Harris’ cheek with one
elegant hand.

“I’d love to hear about what you might
be willing

to do. Later,” Rohan said.

Rubbing his cheek against the vampire
leader’s

palm, Harris lost track of his thoughts.

There was

little he wasn’t willing to do to have
Rohan touch

Harris as if he cared. His inner beast
fought to

come out and play.

“Easy, beloved,” Rohan said. “Keep the
calm I

love so much.”

Amber Kell

Love?

Harris wondered how Rohan could toss
such

words around. Beloved. Love. Did the
vampire

not understand the power of words? That
a foolish

bear’s heart might patter a bit faster
when

presented with even casually tossed
affection.

Harris took long, slow breaths to pull
his bear

back under his control. Years of
meditation had

kept Harris mellow in the face of true

emergencies. Aden had sent him to a
monk years

before to gain the skills needed to find
his inner

calm and keep his bear subdued unless
needed.

Unfortunately, whenever Rohan touched
someone

else, Harris had to wrestle back his
inner beast. No

one should touch Rohan or speak to him

unnecessarily or look in his direction.
Yeah, maybe I

do have a bit of an obsession going.

He worried over his reaction to Rohan.
When

shifters became possessive, it usually
meant they’d

found their mate. Harris didn’t know if
he was

ready for that level of commitment. He
liked

Rohan, but vampires were different than
shifters.

Really different.

“Come on, let’s get you to bed. You’ve
had a

long day. This is the part of the
ceremony where

people go to mourn alone,” Rohan said.
He took

Harris’ arm and led him back into the
house, then

up the stairs.

To Bite a Bear

Harris dug in his heels at the top. What
is going

on?

“Did I move in here?” Harris asked,
confused.

He’d come to support Rohan during the
funeral,

but he’d had every intention of returning
home

afterward. He had already spent his day

sketching

out his concept on the wall by the foyer.
Harris

didn’t need to live there.

“I like you close by,” Rohan said, his
words

final, as if he’d closed the subject.
Nothing showed

on the vampire’s face. No teasing smile.
No

forbidding scowl. He acted as if Harris
was the

one acting strange.

Harris tried to object. He opened his
mouth to

complain, to voice a negative response.
He

couldn’t. Every atom in his body
responded to

Rohan. Harris tamely let the vampire
lead him

down the hall to an empty bedroom. A
large bed

filled most of the space along with a
wardrobe, a

side table and little else. Harris spotted
two more

doors in the room. “Where do those go?”

Rohan pointed to the left. “Bathroom.”
He

pointed to the right. “My room.”

“Your room?” Harris tried to hide his
surprise.

He’d initially hoped Rohan might be
taking him to

the vampire’s bedroom. The fact Rohan
gave him

a choice raised his estimation in Harris’
eyes no

matter how stupid his supposition.

“Something wrong?” Rohan asked.

Amber Kell

“Um, no. Nothing wrong.” Harris tried
to

shove his desires to the darkest corner of
his mind.

Rohan didn’t need him drooling over
him while

he was still wrapped in sorrow over the
death of

his coven mates.

Rohan cupped Harris’ face between his
palms.

“You would tell me if you had a
problem, right?

The only reason I want you to stay is
because it’s

late and you’re tired. If you want to
sleep in your

own bed tomorrow, you can.”

“What if I want to stay in your bed?”
Damn, his

runaway mouth had taken over again. Of
course,

there were always the benefits of healing
sex.

Rohan frowned. “I don’t think you’re
ready to

be in my bed, Harris. As much as I’d
like you

there, I don’t want you to feel
pressured.”

A tingle of yearning sizzled between

them.

Need pulled at Harris like a physical
force. “You

want me. I know you do.”

Rohan dipped his head, placing his lips
next to

Harris’ ear. He spoke in his whiskey-
smooth

voice, “I want you so much, I would
give up blood

to have you.”

Harris jerked back. “I thought you

couldn’t

have sex without biting.”

“For you, I would.” Rohan’s sincerity
couldn’t

be faked.

To Bite a Bear

Harris licked his lips. “Kiss me.” If
nothing else,

he’d get at least one kiss before being
sent to bed

like a child.

Rohan didn’t bother to ask Harris if he
was

certain before he wrapped his fingers
around

Harris’ head and held him still. Pressing
his lips

against Harris’ mouth, he sucked and
licked until

he gained entrance.

Harris moaned and relaxed against
Rohan,

letting the vampire’s superior strength
take his

weight.

Rohan slid his tongue across Harris’ in a
duel

for dominance Harris had no intention of
winning.

In a test of strength between them, they
were

probably evenly matched, but Harris
preferred to

be a lover over a fighter. Molding his
body to

Rohan’s, he let the vampire take control.

He’d fantasized about Rohan touching
him.

Since their first meeting, Harris had
dreamed of

being wrapped in Rohan’s hard
embrace. The

vampire didn’t have an ounce of fat on
his large

frame; whether from his diet of blood or
an

excellent workout regimen, Harris didn’t
know.

Either way, he appreciated the man’s
physique

and planned to explore it closer and with
a great

deal of attention.

Unable to resist, Harris slipped his
fingers

beneath Rohan’s shirt and caressed the
strip of

bare skin he’d uncovered. Rohan’s skin,
slightly

Amber Kell

cooler than Harris’, had a smoother,
silkier quality

than other lover’s Harris had had in the
past.

Harris hummed in contentment.

Rohan jerked back, breaking their
connection.

“Don’t think of other people while
you’re

touching me.”

“How do you know what I’m thinking?

Can

you read my mind?” Harris stepped back
and

away from Rohan’s tempting skin. His
fingers

itched as if protesting the separation. He
needed

to solve the puzzle that was the vampire
leader

before they jumped in the sack.

Rohan only allowed Harris to retreat a
few

steps before he grabbed Harris’ wrist.
“Don’t go

anywhere, beloved. I can only read
shadows of

your mind, things you project and only
when

we’re touching. It’s the way vampires
beguile

their prey. We hear what our prey wants,
and we

make them think they are getting it. I
heard you

comparing me to others. I don’t want

anyone but

me in your mind while we make love,”
Rohan

explained.

The wistful gleam in Rohan’s eyes
melted the

last tiny bit of resistance Harris had over
making

love with a vampire. He didn’t know
where this

might lead, but he planned to enjoy the
sex while

Rohan still wanted him.

Harris tilted his head as he examined his

potential lover. “Why do you call me
beloved? We

To Bite a Bear

barely know each other.” He might be
willing to

have sex with the delicious vamp, but he
wouldn’t

be calling it love anytime soon.
Obsession maybe,

definitely lust but not love. Not yet.

“I call you beloved because I know you
belong

to me. For a vampire calling someone
their

beloved marks them to other vampires.
No one is

going to touch you or try to beguile you
to their

side if they know you belong to me,”
Rohan said.

“Do I?” Harris asked. “Do I belong to
you? I

don’t remember signing up for that.”

Bossy, possessive vampire.

Harris hoped he hid his grin as Rohan
laid

down the law—as if Harris would want
anyone

else touching him. Although he’d had
lovers in the

past, none of them had ever made Harris
crave

them to the level Rohan did by just
walking in the

room.

“Make no mistake, Harris, while you’re
here,

you belong to me. I won’t have another
vamp

touching you. If you can’t follow those
rules,

you’re better off back at home.” Rohan’s
eyes

glowed with the fervor of his statement.

“I didn’t know there were rules when I
signed

up to paint a mural,” Harris objected.

“You can paint a mural for anyone but
don’t go

into anyone else’s bed. You were mine
the first

time I saw you at that gallery. You just
didn’t

know it yet,” Rohan said.

Amber Kell

“Which gallery?” Harris had recently
showed

his work at several galleries in the area
and hadn’t

seen Rohan there once.

“The Thornton-Brown Gallery. I saw
you there

at First Thursday a month ago. You were
talking

to Eaton. I thought you were the most
beautiful

thing I’ve ever seen.”

Harris laughed uncomfortably at
Rohan’s

words. “I’m not beautiful. Eaton is
beautiful. I’m

not ugly, but I’m not as pretty as the
others

either.”

Harris didn’t have a confidence issue,
but he

lived with three completely stunning
men. He

knew where he sat on the beautiful-man
chart.

“There are different kinds of beauty, my

stunning bear,” Rohan scolded. “To me,
you are

like the finest blood wine. A person to
be savored

and appreciated over time.”

A blush burned Harris’ cheeks. Aden
and

Carey would roll their eyes at his
susceptibility,

but Rohan was like Harris’ personal
gravitational

field and Harris a hapless moon
revolving around

him. He knew Rohan had centuries to
perfect his

smooth lines, and Harris shouldn’t take
them

seriously, but the vampire’s delivery
rang with

sincerity and twisted Harris in heart-
shaped knots.

Harris didn’t object when Rohan pulled
him

back into the vampire’s arms. He sighed
at the

rightness of Rohan wrapped around him.

“I like

To Bite a Bear

you, too, Rohan. I don’t know where this
might

lead, but I like you.” He’d also like to
explore the

vampire’s body in close detail, like he
planned to

sculpt Rohan and needed to map out his
skin.

“Good. I was hoping you’d say that,”

Rohan

murmured. He dipped down and
breathed in

Harris’ scent. “You smell delicious.” A
groan

rumbled through the vampire.

Harris froze.

“Like food?” He couldn’t help the
tremor that

worked its way through his body. Had
his naivety

led to him being a vampire munchie?

Carey

would never forgive him.

“No, babe. You smell like mine. Even
the

humans we feed on, we don’t treat like
food. They

are valuable members of our family. My
coven

isn’t the type to snack and go. Many of
our human

feeders have been with us for years,
which made

their poisoning cut that much deeper.

Harris had learned that the poisoned
humans

were returned to their families for
burial. Once

dead, the vampires lost all rights to their
human

partner. Since vampires were still
considered the

figment of authors’ fertile imaginations,
they

weren’t granted partner rights even if
they’d been

with the human for a number of years.

“Too much talking.” Harris grabbed
Rohan’s

shirt and yanked him closer. This time,
he took the

more dominant role, knowing it would
trigger

Amber Kell

Rohan’s hunter instincts. He nipped
Rohan’s

bottom lip and tugged at it with his teeth.

Rohan growled; the feral sound had the
hair

rising on Harris’ body.

“You don’t need to feel like mine, you
need to

know it deep in your bones.” Rohan
pushed

Harris over onto the mattress. Harris
hadn’t even

noticed they’d been moving in that
direction until

he landed on the soft surface, bouncing
slightly.

“Oh dear, what are you going to do with
me

now?” Harris asked. He couldn’t stop
the

ridiculous smile he knew spread across
his face.

Belong to Rohan? Definitely. At least for
the night.

The vampire stood above him and
unbuttoned

his shirt. Before Harris’ avid attention,
Rohan

kicked off his dress shoes and stripped

down the

rest of the way to his black briefs.

“Nice.” Harris was mildly surprised
Rohan

didn’t go commando, but he wasn’t
going to

complain. The sexy vampire could’ve
made long

white boxers and tube socks look good.

“Now, let’s see what you’ve been hiding
from

me,” Rohan said, his voice rough like a

cat’s purr.

Harris laughed. “I wasn’t hiding. I was
keeping

my sense of mystique.”

“Well, you don’t need it anymore. Now,
I want

to unwrap my present.” Rohan stripped
off

Harris’ loafers and tossed them aside.
“As much

To Bite a Bear

as I appreciate you dressing up for the
funeral, I

think I prefer my scruffy artist.”

“Scruffy?” Harris pretended to take
offense.

“I’m not scruffy, I’m artistic.”

Rohan smiled, the first time that evening
Harris

had seen that expression cross his face.
“Well, I

prefer you in your artistic mode. Though,
you do

clean up nice.”

Before Harris could think up a proper
retort,

Rohan unzipped his slacks and pulled
them down

quickly, followed by his socks.

Harris’ cock bobbed up to greet him.

“I see someone doesn’t like underwear,”
Rohan

said, his eyes dark with lust.

“Too confining,” Harris admitted. He
didn’t

like to be bound. “If I could I’d do all of
my art

naked…”

“That I’d love to see,” Rohan said.

“Mmm, if you pose naked for me, I’ll
draw

naked for you,” Harris promised.

“I’ll take you up on that.”

Before Harris could come up with a
witty

comeback, Rohan sucked the tip of his
cock, and

all thought out of his head. “Oh, fuck.”

“Not yet but soon, my beloved,” Rohan

promised. “I want you ready.”

“Then, make me ready.” Harris ripped
off his

shirt and tossed it off the bed. “Back or
hands and

knees?”

Amber Kell

“Oh, on your back. I want to see your

face. I

need you to know who’s fucking you,”
Rohan

insisted.

“I don’t need to see you to know who’s

screwing me. I’m not that much of a
slut,” Harris

argued.

“Shush, you’re just looking for a fight
now,”

Rohan said. He kissed Harris hard,
determined to

leave an impression. Rohan reached
down for his

pants on the floor and pulled a tube out
of the

pocket.

“I guess we know who’s the slut,”
Harris

teased. “I don’t carry lube around.”

Rohan grinned and tossed the tube to
Harris. “I

didn’t know when you’d give in. I’ve
been

carrying this in my pocket for two
weeks. We

might not need condoms, but we
definitely need

lube. Get yourself ready; I want to
watch.”

He knew it shouldn’t make him so hard,
but

Rohan’s commanding voice tripped all
his sexual

wires. Barely taking his gaze off of
Rohan, Harris

flipped the top of the lube open and wet

his

fingers. His eyes widened when he saw
the size of

Rohan’s erection. Damn, maybe he
should’ve

investigated sex with vampires before.

“Only sex with me, beloved,” Rohan
scolded.

“You are my only, and I will have the
same. Don’t

make me kill some hapless man for
daring to

touch what is mine.”

To Bite a Bear

“No. I wouldn’t want you to have to do
that.”

Harris pushed one finger into his hole,
relishing

the burn. Before Rohan’s hot gaze, he
continued to

add fingers and lube until he was
confident the

well-hung vampire could enter him

without

causing injury.

“Now, get me ready,” Rohan stepped
close

enough for Harris to wrap a lube-coated
hand

around his shaft. “Make sure you use
plenty. I

don’t want to hurt you.”

The consideration from a man many
thought of

as cold and vicious warmed Harris’

heart. He

knew Carey had reservations over
Harris’

obsession with Rohan, but he also knew
his

friends wouldn’t interfere as long as he
was

happy.

He rubbed lube across Rohan’s cock,
making

sure to coat it thoroughly until the
vampire

moaned and pushed into Harris’ fist.
“Keep that

up and it will be the shortest fuck in
history,”

Rohan groaned.

Harris released him.

“Grab your knees,” Rohan ordered, his
rough

voice adding to Harris’ excitement.

Lust raging through him, Harris quickly

complied. A moan poured from him as
Rohan

pushed inside.

“You are so fucking tight,” Rohan
growled.

“When’s the last time you had sex?”

Amber Kell

Harris opened his mouth.

“Never mind. Don’t tell me. I’d have to
snap

the fucker’s neck. No one should have
this ass but

me.” Rohan proceeded to show Harris
the

wonderful reasons he was right.

Inside, Harris’ bear let out a low growl
of

approval. The beast liked the man, this
vampire

who fucked like a king and smelled like
home.

Harris had the sinking suspicion that
he’d found

his mate, and for a man who didn’t like

boundaries, this was the harshest one of
all.

Rohan leaned forward and kissed Harris
while

he plunged deep inside. His fangs
scraped Harris’

mouth and sliced through his bottom lip.
The

slight sting caught Harris by surprise.

“Sorry, beloved,” Rohan said. “I didn’t
mean to

cut you.”

“Taste me.” The thought of Rohan taking

nourishment from Harris had him on the
verge of

coming apart.

Rohan didn’t wait for a second
invitation; he

clamped his mouth against Harris’ and
sucked at

the wound. Heat surged through Harris,
and he

came with a whimper. The only thing
that saved

his dignity was Rohan came soon after.

The vampire lifted his mouth and licked
his

lips. A new possessiveness glowed in
his eyes.

“Oh yes, beloved, you are most
definitely mine.”

To Bite a Bear

Chapter Two

arris examined his sketch with a careful
eye.

H Snatching up his eraser, he glared at
the too

thick line. No, that won’t work. A
heavy-handed

aardvark could do a better job. He
growled in

frustration. Ever since he spent a night in
Rohan’s

bed, he’d had difficulty focusing. The
vampire

filled his thoughts day and night. Two
days had

passed since their lovemaking, and

Harris had

successfully avoided the vampire ever
since.

His concentration was shot, and his
usual calm

took a vacation out of town. Growling,
he

scrubbed at the line with the rubber
square.

“It is fine. Let it be,” a silky-smooth
voice came

from behind him.

Manfully, Harris fought back the shiver
from

Rohan’s tone. No matter what the
vampire said,

Harris’ cock always interpreted Rohan’s
words as

an attempted seduction, even when the
sexy vamp

wasn’t trying.

Amber Kell

Harris turned and raised an eyebrow at

Rohan.

“Did you become an artist overnight?”

Rohan grinned, flashing his fangs.
“Don’t be

touchy, beloved, erase your little mark if
you

must.”

Harris flashed fangs of his own, causing
Rohan

to laugh. “I don’t think you want to get
into an

incisor contest with a bear,” he taunted.

“Now, I’ve been put in my place,
haven’t I? Are

you at a point where you can stop?”
Rohan asked.

“Why?” Harris didn’t know what to do
about

the vampire. His inner animal whispered
that

Rohan was his mate, but Harris wasn’t
ready for

anything permanent. As much as he
loved the fact

his friends found their other halves, he

had years

before he was ready to settle down.
Still, he

couldn’t resist Rohan standing so close.
His scent

alone had Harris hard and leaking.

Hot vampires with come-fuck-me eyes
easily

distracted Harris. At this rate, he’d be a
gray-

muzzled bear before he finished his
initial sketch

for the mural.

“I’d like to take you out to dinner,”
Rohan said.

Harris tilted his head as he examined the

vampire. “I thought you didn’t eat real
food.”

“I can eat it. I just don’t usually bother,”
Rohan

replied. “Copper River Salmon just
came in.”

To Bite a Bear

“And what will you be eating?” Harris
tried a

more forthright approach. What does a
vampire

consume beside blood?

“Don’t worry. It’s a vampire restaurant;
they

feed all kinds,” Rohan reassured Harris.
“You

won’t be required to feed me.”

Harris didn’t know if he considered that
a good

or bad thing. Although the initial idea of
being a

vampire’s meal didn’t appeal to him, the
image in

his head of Rohan biting him had starred
in more

than one jerk-off fantasy. Rohan had
Harris all

wrapped up in nerves and need, putting
into

jeopardy his reputation as a laid-back
bear shifter.

So far, Rohan hadn’t bitten Harris, and

he still

didn’t know if that was a good thing or
not.

“What do you say?” Rohan’s dark eyes

twinkled as if daring Harris to come
play.

Sighing, Harris gave in. He couldn’t
resist

Rohan when growly and commanding.
How

could he resist him in a playful mood?
“I’d love

to.”

Good thing vampires were immortal. It
might

be a few centuries before Harris
finished their

damn mural.

“Don’t worry so much, beloved. You
will finish

when you finish. There is no rush,”
Rohan said.

“I’ll come get you in two hours.”

His mind still on the vampire, Harris

went back

to his work. Whenever life became too

Amber Kell

complicated, he could always depend on
his art to

take him away from his troubles. Except
now,

even with the distraction of a huge mural
to finish,

thoughts of Rohan swept through his
mind.

Harris hummed as he successfully
finished off a

flower. He wondered how Denton was
doing with

the landscape business. Harris was
supposed to

help the crocodile shifter, but Denton
had told him

to stick with his mural. Apparently,
Marty had

loaned Denton some of his hawks to
keep them

occupied. Without being on the road all

the time,

the hawks were restless. Marty worked
them hard

to keep them out of trouble.

The hawks’ help had proved a boon for
Denton

and Harris’ landscape business, since it
freed

Harris to focus on his art. He still did
design work

for Denton when needed, but most of his
current

energy went toward the vampire mural.

“Still here, I see,” a cold voice
interrupted

Harris’ musing.

He turned his head to find one of
Rohan’s

vampires watching him with cool green
eyes.

“Hello, Vick.”

For some reason, Vick disliked Harris.
The

vamp had made it a point to wander by

whenever

Rohan wasn’t around to bother Harris.
He never

did anything overt, but it was enough of
a

distraction that Harris knew the vampire
held an

intense dislike for him, and he didn’t
know why.

To Bite a Bear

He’d started out friendly enough, but the

closer

Rohan grew to Harris, the less friendly
Vick

became. Harris suspected Vick might
have a crush

on the head vamp.

“I hope this is going to improve. We
wouldn’t

want some piece of amateurish crap
decorating

our house,” Vick sneered and flipped
back his

blond hair.

“Feel free to share your opinion with
Rohan,”

Harris said. He wouldn’t be bullied. He
stood by

his art. Not everyone liked what he did,
but Harris

had a solid understanding of his artistic

viewpoint, and anyone who didn’t like it
could go

fuck themselves.

Vick faltered for a moment but

rebounded fast.

“I don’t want to bother him with
domestic issues.

Besides, he’s too infatuated with you to

understand your art is crap.”

Harris didn’t remember moving, but
after the

flush of anger passed, he found Vick
dangling

from his claws and loud roars pouring
from him.

He slammed the vampire against the

wall

repeatedly until a familiar deep voice
broke

through his rage.

“Harris, beloved, put Vick down.”

Harris snarled. He didn’t want to set
down the

vampire. He shook the smaller man a
few more

times until he turned a delightful red.

“Now, Harris!” Rohan commanded.

Amber Kell

The disapproval in the vampire’s tone
had

Harris tossing Vick across the room. The
vampire

had gotten him into trouble. Bad
vampire!

Harris snarled his displeasure as two
other

vampires rushed forward to drag the bad
vampire

out of the room.

Rohan stepped forward.

Harris snorted his displeasure.

“Now, don’t be that way. You would’ve
felt

horrible after you killed him,” Rohan
said.

Harris sincerely doubted it. That
vampire

needed a good killing. He couldn’t
remember

why, but he was certain of it. The bear

snorted his

disapproval of Rohan’s assessment.

“Shift back, beloved,” Rohan said.

The handsome vampire didn’t attack or
order.

He merely waited on Harris. With his
anger gone,

Harris allowed the change to overtake
him.

Gasping, he reached out to grab the wall
but,

instead, found warm flesh.

Rohan wrapped his arms around Harris.
“What

happened?”

“I’m not sure. It’s been a long time since
I lost

control like that.” He thought back to
before the

change. “Vick came here to say rude
things, like

usual—”

“What do you mean like usual,” Rohan

interrupted.

To Bite a Bear

Harris shrugged. “He always comes in
here and

pokes fun at my work or says something
snide.

Usually, I ignore him, but for some
reason, it

really bugged me today.”

The vampire hadn’t let up since Harris
started

work. He didn’t know what Vick’s

problem, was

but hopefully, smacking him against the
wall a

few times knocked some sense into him.

“I will talk to him. He won’t come near
you

again,” Rohan promised.

Guilt struck Harris. “I don’t usually
attack

people.” He didn’t want Rohan to think
he was an

out-of-control shifter. Generally, he had

excellent

control. A combination of a snarky
vampire and

sexual tension had led to his temper
snapping like

a dry twig in the summertime.

Rohan cupped Harris’ face and forced
him to

face the vampire. “You have the right to
not be

bullied in my house. Defending yourself
is not a

crime.”

The kiss froze Harris with shock. He
hadn’t

expected Rohan to go from nothing to an
intense

lip lock. Harris rubbed against the
vampire. His

clothes had ripped during the change and
dangled

like rags across his skin. The sensation
of rough

fabric against naked flesh made the
entire

situation far more erotic than a mere
kiss. Harris

leaned into the embrace, more than
willing to

follow wherever Rohan wished to lead.

Amber Kell

When Rohan broke away, Harris
growled his

displeasure.

“Don’t be that way, beloved. I plan to
take you

out to dinner first, then we’ll see where
it leads.

Go to your room and get dressed,”
Rohan

instructed.

Harris kissed Rohan’s cheek, making
sure to

slide their faces together and rub off
some of his

scent on the vampire. “Are you sure you
want to

eat? I can think of something else to do
with our

time.” All his silent vows to stay away
from the

vampire’s bed vanished when the chance
to be

with Rohan appeared again. Maybe he
should

move to a new country. He doubted there
was

another way he’d be able to resist
Rohan.

His cock, ready and eager for action,
rose

happily between them.

Rohan wrapped his cool fist around
Harris’

erection. “As much as I want to take you
up on

your offer…” He tightened his hold.

Harris gasped. Rohan’s grip didn’t have
quite

enough pressure to bring him off but
enough to

keep him interested. His hips convulsed
on their

own. “I want to feed you first, so later, I
can take

your blood.”

Harris nodded, not really listening to the

vampire’s words. “Take me,” he
groaned.

“Oh, I will, my beloved, but only after I
have

you fed. I don’t want you passing out
because I’ve

To Bite a Bear

taken too much blood from you,”
Rohan’s

wonderful touch disappeared.

Harris growled. It was either snarl or
cry. “You

didn’t have to stop. You could’ve gotten
me off

then bought me dinner.” He was flexible
like that.

“No. I want you to anticipate how it will
be

when I have you back in my bed.” Rohan
scraped

one fang across Harris’ neck.

Shivers racked his body.

“First, I will feed you, then you will
feed me.

After that, I will fuck you until you’ve
forgotten

anyone who’s come before me and
refuse to

acknowledge anyone who wants to come
after.

You will be mine, beloved. Everyone
will know

not to touch you—ever.” Satisfaction
poured off

the vampire in waves as if he were
already

anticipating that magical moment.

When Rohan released him, Harris
stepped

back. His mind fought with equal urges
to wrap

himself around Rohan and flee. Harris
knew he

had to put some distance between them
before he

agreed to whatever Rohan wanted no
matter his

views on the subject. “I’ll go to get
dressed.”

Unable to face the vampire any more,
Harris

fled to his room. Over the past few days,
he’d

collected enough of his wardrobe to fill
the closet

of the room adjacent to Rohan’s. The
vampire

allowed Harris his temporary
independence, but

Harris knew his time was limited.

Amber Kell

The vampire pushed all of Harris’
buttons,

handsome, kind and really supportive of
Harris’

art. Rohan would make the perfect mate.

However, Harris wasn’t ready for
perfection. He

planned on keeping his flawed life a
little bit

longer. Maybe he should take a few days

off to go

to the cabin. Rohan had said the mural
didn’t need

to be done right away.

Harris’ greatest fear was that he’d
finally

commit to Rohan only to have the
vampire toss

him aside when he was done with him.
Vampires

didn’t mate and keep their other half for
the rest of

their lives. Sorrow tried to grab onto
Harris like a

bear trap, but he shook it off. He didn’t
tend to

dwell on things he couldn’t change. He’d
enjoy

Rohan while he could. If things worked
out, he’d

stick around until the vampire tired of
him. Harris

might be a dreamy artist, but he wasn’t a
fool. He

wouldn’t beg for the crumbs of Rohan’s

affection.

As soon as the vampire began to tire of
Harris,

he’d head back home. Harris might be

heartbroken in the end, but he was a
person who

enjoyed what he had while he had it.

Smiling, Harris dug through his clothing
and

found a relatively nice pair of slacks and
a button-

up shirt. He wasn’t a dress-up kind of

guy, so he

hoped Rohan didn’t plan to take him any
place

fancy.

To Bite a Bear

The restaurant smelled divine. Rohan
had taken

Harris to a steak and seafood restaurant

overlooking the water. Harris had heard
of this

place before but had never eaten there.
A discreet

sign posted Copper River salmon had
just arrived.

Harris loved salmon. His inner bear
gave a

happy growl.

“I see I chose well,” Rohan commented.

Harris nodded. “Yes.” He could smell
the chef

cooking the fish in the back. Delicious.

Rohan slid his fingers through Harris’,

clasping

hands as he led him to the server
podium. “The

coven recently hired a new chef here.
Let’s see if

he lives up to your standards.”

“Good evening, Master Rohan.
Welcome,” the

maître de said smoothly.

It figured that a vampire-run restaurant
would

know the vampire leader by sight.

“Thank you. Table for two,” Rohan
ordered.

“Oh yes, of course, sir.” The maître de
waved a

hand and beckoned a server forward.

The waitress wore a black sheath dress
and

high heels.

Harris bet her feet killed her at the end
of the

day.

“This way please,” she turned and led

them

between rows of white cloth-covered
tables.

Harris released Rohan’s hand to walk
behind

him, enjoying the view. The water was
nice, too.

Amber Kell

“Here you go, gentlemen,” the waitress
waved

them toward a beautiful spot

overlooking the

sound.

“Thank you,” Rohan said. He brushed
the

waitress aside to seat Harris himself.
The

vampire’s possessive touch calmed
Harris’ bear.

His inner animal relished Rohan’s
attention. If he

were a cat shifter, he’d be purring.
Foolish bear.

Rohan sat himself across from Harris, a
pleased

smile crossing his face as if everything
was now

right in his world.

“I’ve heard they have the best salmon in
town,”

Rohan declared.

Harris laughed. “You can stop selling,
I’m

already here.”

“Sorry. It’s been a while since I took

someone

out to dinner,” Rohan said.

Harris suspected that Rohan’s dates
were

usually dinner. A waiter appeared by
their table.

Dressed in black pants. a white shirt and
tie, he

matched the restaurant for elegance.
“Hello,

gentlemen. I’m John. I’ll be your server
tonight.

Can I get you something to drink?” The
waiter’s

gaze slid across Harris with an
appreciative

glance, but he carefully turned his
attention to

Rohan when the vampire growled.

“I’ll take a glass of AB positive, and my

companion here will try…”

To Bite a Bear

“Water, I’ll have some water,” Harris

interrupted.

“He’ll have water,” Rohan finished.

“Excellent.” John nodded and left.

“Afraid I’ll take advantage of you?”
Rohan

asked.

“No. I want to remember if you take
advantage.

I’m not much of a drinker.” Harris had
never been

able to handle his alcohol. Even with his
larger

body mass, something about liquor
affected his

brain poorly.

“I’ll remember that.”

“So, how long has this been vampire
owned?”

It made sense for the vampires to buy
their own

restaurant. Not many places offered
choice of

blood off the menu, even in Seattle
where the

population had a more liberal slant.

Rohan nodded. “Two years. A few of
our

members run it. The wait staff are human
but

most of the managers are vamps.”

“Huh.” Glancing around, Harris could
tell the

restaurant did pretty well. Most of the
tables were

full, and the wait staff rushed about. “Is
that how

you knew about the salmon?”

It didn’t occur to him that, until now, that

Rohan probably didn’t usually track
food trends.

“Yes, beloved, that’s how I knew about
the

salmon.” Rohan propped his chin on his
hand.

“You fascinate me.”

Amber Kell

“Why? I imagine you’ve met a lot of
people

over the years. I can’t be very different.”
Harris

needed reassurance that he wasn’t
simply one

more person to warm Rohan’s bed.
Strange, he

wasn’t usually so needy, especially after
his pep

talk about taking things as they came.

Rohan shook his head. “You are more
special

than you know. You are my blood bond.
I’ve

waited for you all these years, and now,
you are

mine.”

The waiter returned with their drinks
and

interrupted them. “Are you ready to
order?”

Harris’ mouth dropped open. He still
couldn’t

find any words when he turned to face
the waiter.

“He’ll have the salmon special. I’ll be
fine with

just the drink,” Rohan replied.

“Very good, sir. Would you like rice or
potatoes

with that?” John stood attentively
waiting for

Harris’ response.

“Um, potatoes, please.” Harris clung to
that

answer as if it were the last solid truth in
the

universe. How am I supposed to
respond to Rohan’s

statement? His idea of not being tied
down and

taking things as they came faded under
Rohan’s

insistence that he was the only one for
him.

Harris’ mind was still spinning when the
waiter

gave an approving nod and walked off to

put in

his order. Shaking his head, he tried to
find out

more information. Maybe they were
talking about

To Bite a Bear

different levels of commitment. Harris
had never

heard of vampires sticking with one
person

before.

“Is that like a mate?” Harris hated to
admit how

little he knew about vampires.

“Sort of. As I understand it, for a mate,
you

crave each other but can be apart. Is that
right?”

Rohan asked.

“Yes. It’s uncomfortable to be away
from your

mate, but as long as your mate is alive
and well,

then you are fine,” Harris said.

Rohan took a sip of his glass of blood
before he

responded. “A blood bond means once
we mate, I

will never be parted from you. You’ll be
the entire

source of my blood. I won’t be able to
drink from

anyone else ever again.”

Fear struck Harris. “I thought vampires
didn’t

have permanent mates.” Everything he’d
heard

and read about vamps stated they didn’t
do

forever bonds.

“It’s rare,” Rohan agreed. “Most
vampires

never find the one meant to be theirs.
I’ve never

even met a vampire who has. Blood
bonds are the

objects of fiction in a vampire world,
but I found

mine. I found you.” Triumph sparkled in
the

vampire’s gaze.

Harris gulped his water, hoping his
panic

didn’t show.

Amber Kell

Rohan sighed. “Now, I’ve made you

uncomfortable. I’m sorry, beloved. What
about

you? Do you think we’re mates? I can’t
imagine

you are everything for me and I’m not
your mate.

You can’t be bonded to another. I won’t
stand for

it.”

Harris’ heart pounded in his chest,
pulsing in

time to the blood vessel throbbing in his
forehead.

How had a simple meal turned into a
lifetime

commitment? However, he couldn’t lie.

“You haven’t had more than a drop of
my

blood. How can you tell that I’m the one
for you?”

Harris grasped at the straw clinging to
that one

truth.

Rohan smiled. “I can tell. You smell like
mine.”

Harris didn’t know what to say. He’d
hoped

the vampire would notice him. He’d
gotten his

wish.

“Tell me. I know you can identify your
mate

after sex,” Rohan said. The vampire
wasn’t going

to let it go. Harris could tell.

Thankfully, the waiter arrived. “Here’s
your

salmon.” John set down the plate before
Harris.

“Can I get you anything else?”

Desperate to focus his attention on
anything

other than the vampire across from him,
Harris

stared at his meal. “Um, no, this looks
good.”

He shoved a bite into his mouth. If he
was

eating, he couldn’t say something stupid.

To Bite a Bear

Rohan took Harris’ left hand and
sandwiched it

between his own. “Don’t panic,
beloved.

Everything will work out. I know we are
meant to

be together.”

“You think so?” Harris desperately
needed to

talk to Carey or Denton; hell, he’d even
take

Eaton’s advice at this moment. A
friendly voice

would go a long way to settling his
nerves.

“When we get back home, you can call
your

friends,” Rohan assured him as if
reading his

mind. They were touching. For all
Harris knew,

Rohan did just read his thoughts.

Harris blushed. “Thank you. I will.”

“I hope you will look to me in the future
to

provide guidance.” Rohan released his
grip on

Harris’ hand and took a drink out of his
glass.

“What’s it like?” Harris asked curiously.

“What?”

“Drinking blood out of a cup versus a
person. Is

it different? Disgusting?” Harris needed
to know

all the little things that made Rohan tick.
He

couldn’t help it. Whether he chose to
acknowledge

it or not, Rohan was his mate.

Rohan shrugged. “It’s not my favorite. I
prefer

the feel of warm flesh against my lips
and the

pulse of a heart beneath my tongue. But,
when

nothing else is available, it will do.”

“You ordered AB blood. Is that your
favorite?”

Harris asked.

Amber Kell

Rohan shrugged. “I generally like it
better in a

glass than the others. Most blood tastes
better

from the source.”

Harris swallowed back his nervousness.

Despite its quality, he could’ve been
eating ash for

as much as he tasted the food.

“You worry too much, beloved. There is
no

rush. We can take things one day at a
time,”

Rohan reassured Harris.

“But, if I am your blood bond, then we
will

have to stay together.” Harris’ hand
shook. He set

down his fork.

“I’m confused,” Rohan frowned. “I

thought all

you shifters hoped to find your other
half, and yet,

here I am and you are almost frightened I
might

be the one.”

Harris picked up his fork and toyed with
his

food. “I know. It’s silly, but the idea of a
mate and

the reality of one are very different. I
like the idea

of someone meant to be mine someday. I
guess

I’m not ready, and to find out you’ll be
completely

dependent on me for sustenance is
unnerving.”

Rohan smiled. “How about I won’t bite
you

until you’re certain I’m your mate.”

Harris took another bite of salmon
before

admitting the truth. “I appreciate you
trying to

break me in gently, but I’m almost
positive we’re

mates.”

To Bite a Bear

“Then, eat your salmon, my sweet bear,
and

we’ll head home afterward. I want to
taste you

completely as I make you mine again.”

“Okay,” Harris choked out. He finished
his

meal while listening to Rohan’s light
banter. The

vampire was going out of his way to
make sure

Harris wasn’t uncomfortable. At least
Rohan

planned to take his blood virginity
gently.

Amber Kell

Chapter Three

ohan tried to be patient while Harris

finished

R his meal. He concentrated on making
his

mate more comfortable with their
relationship. He

didn’t want his bonded to be worried
about their

connection. Being the mate of a vampire
was

different than with another shifter.
Shifters

became obsessive over their bonded but
not to the

level of vampires. Rohan almost felt
sorry for his

adorable bear shifter.

He’d make sure Harris never lacked for

anything and was able to focus on his art
while

Rohan ran the coven. He saw no reason
for Harris

to change his ways. Surely, they could
find all

kinds of projects to keep the creative
man

occupied. He had a feeling if Harris
wasn’t busy,

trouble would follow.

Now, with the sorcerers still on the
loose and

potentially after anyone Rohan might
care for,

Harris had a big target on his broad
chest. Rohan

would have to talk to Carey and make
sure the

To Bite a Bear

hawks were watching Harris whenever
he went

out of vampire territory.

“Hey,” Harris nudged his foot. “What
are you

thinking about?”

“Your safety,” Rohan confessed.

Harris tilted his head. “I’m fine. I can
take care

of myself, you know.”

Rohan remembered how confidently the
bear

shifter had handled the big gun when
they went to

rescue Eaton and nodded. “That’s true.
However,

sorcerers are tricky and might bewitch
you

somehow.

“Nope.”

Rohan frowned. “What do you mean
nope?”

“Aden had us inoculated. I can’t be
charmed.”

Harris shrugged as if of course he’d had
the anti-

charm shot.

“I’ve heard they pulled that shot.”

“Not until after we got it. Aden made
sure we

were inoculated. He was, too. None of
us can be

charmed.” Harris’ engaging grin had
Rohan

smiling back.

“I can’t tell you how happy that makes
me.”

Not only would Harris be safe from
sorcerer

enchantment, but also from unscrupulous

vampires trying to bespell him. Some
vampires

could control minds, Rohan included.
The more he

heard about this Aden, the more he
wanted to

meet him.

Amber Kell

Harris took another bite of salmon. The
waiter

had brought an extra-large portion as if
he knew

the bear shifter needed more food than
most.

“How is your mural coming along?”
Rohan

asked. He’d given the artist the job to

keep him

close, but he couldn’t deny Harris had a
brilliant

talent. His vampires were always going
on about

the beauty of Harris’ work.

“All right. I’m still working out all the
details.”

Harris shrugged off any interest over
talking

about himself. “Mind if I ask you
something?”

Rohan wondered if he’d regret his
answer. “No,

of course not.”

“How old are you?” A blush burst
across

Harris’ cheeks like a flower blooming
beneath the

sun.

“It’s not considered polite to ask a man
his

age,” Rohan scolded. “Let’s just say I’ve
been

around the block a couple hundred
times.”

Harris laughed. “So you’re much older
than

me.”

“Yes. Is that a problem?” Rohan had
never

thought about the age gap between them.
After

all, both shifters and vampires had long
lives.

“No,” Harris denied. “I was just
curious.”

“You are a rather curious fellow, aren’t
you?”

After spending years with vampires who
had seen

and experienced everything, Harris’
interest in his

surroundings was a refreshing change.

To Bite a Bear

Harris grinned. “I am. I’m very curious
about

your bedroom right now.”

The waiter coughed as he approached
the table.

“Is there anything else I can get you?
Dessert?”

“Have you ever had sex with a
vampire?”

Harris asked innocently.

“Yes, sir.”

Harris propped is chin on his palm.
“And how

was it?”

The waiter grinned. “It was good.”

“Did you go back for seconds?” Harris
asked.

“Leave the poor man alone,” Rohan
scolded.

“No, that’s all right, I don’t mind
answering.

Vampires tend to have several lovers. I
was just a

one-night stand; we weren’t emotionally
attached

or anything.” The waiter waved between
them.

“Not like you two.”

Rohan nodded his approval.

“Except, of course, you get a vampire all
to

yourself.”

Harris laughed delighted.

“Our special tonight is honey ice cream
with a

honeycomb crisp,” the waiter offered, a
knowing

smile cured his lips.

Harris’ eyes glowed as he turned a
brilliant grin

on Rohan. “You planned this!”

“Yes, I did. Would you like ice cream?”

“I would.” Harris nodded vigorously.

Amber Kell

Rohan had known it would be
worthwhile to

twist the chef’s arm. He’d insisted the
man come

up with a dessert worthy of a bear. If
Harris didn’t

love it, the restaurant would need a new
pastry

chef.

John went off to put in their order.

A short time later, a man in a white chef

uniform stomped toward their table.
“You the

bear shifter?” he asked Harris.

“Yes, is that my dessert?” Harris
clapped his

hands together with joy.

A long sigh left the chef as his bad
temper

dissolved before Harris’ obvious
happiness.

“Harris, beloved, this is Chef Tibor
Park; he’s in

charge of the kitchens here.”

“Nice to meet you. The food is amazing
here!”

Tibor’s usual scowl faded to a faint
smile that

Rohan had never seen the chef give
anyone.

“Well, I hope you enjoy your ice
cream.” Tibor

set the bowl down before Harris and
waited with

arms crossed.

Rohan narrowed his eyes at the chef. If
Tibor

said one rude thing to Harris, he would
snap his

neck.

“Oh damn, this is good,” Harris’ ecstatic
noises

had Rohan’s cock hardening. No one
should get

that much joy out of ice cream. Rohan
watched

with increasing lust as Harris licked and
sucked

on his spoon in an obscene show of
enjoyment.

To Bite a Bear

“I’ve got more in the back,” Tibor
mentioned,

licking his lips.

“Have the driver collect it before I go,”
Rohan

said, dismissing the chef with a wave of
his hand.

He’d have a small freezer placed near
Harris’

work area and give him daily ice cream
breaks if it

got him more of those sounds. Tibor
didn’t need

to be there to hear them.

“Will do. It was nice meeting you,
Harris,”

Tibor said the words with a taunting
look at

Rohan. “Looks like you have your hands
full.”

“I hope so,” Rohan said.

* * * *

The flight of stairs had never stretched
so long

before. Rohan rushed Harris upstairs,
his fangs

dropping again in anticipation. He hadn’t
ever

yearned to taste someone this badly
before. That

brief drop he’d tasted the night before
had been

only a prelude to the delicious taste of
his blood

bonded. He couldn’t wait for more.

Slamming open his bedroom door, he
almost

shoved Harris inside in his rush to get
the shifter

into his bed. If he were anyone else,
Rohan’s push

would’ve landed him across the room.
However,

Harris was solid. Nothing shook Harris
mentally

or physically. The man made solid rocks
appear

jittery and unstable compared to him.
Rohan liked

Amber Kell

that about Harris. He enjoyed Harris’
calm. Harris

would be a great counterpart to Rohan’s
more

volatile personality.

Harris paused a few steps from the bed.

“Did you change your mind?” Rohan
asked

cautiously. As much as he enjoyed the
thought of

biting Harris, he wouldn’t push if the
shifter

changed his mind.

“No, but that is a damn big bed,” Harris
said

admiringly.

Rohan laughed. “I’m now even happier I
got

such a large one.”

He’d originally bought it because of his
own

size. At six feet three, a lot of beds
weren’t

comfortable. He ordered one from a

local

craftsman who did amazing woodwork.
Until

now, he hadn’t realized how many bears
were

carved into the piece.

“Amazing workmanship,” Harris
admired. “I’d

love to have a bed like this.”

Rohan growled. As if he’d let Harris
sleep

alone. “You can use mine and make sure

you like

its comfort level.” He resisted the urge
to tell

Harris he couldn’t sleep with anyone,
anywhere

except with him. Possessiveness fit him
strangely

like a too-tight suit.

Harris turned around. “Where do you
want

me?”

To Bite a Bear

“Why don’t you lie on the bed?” He held
back

the demand that Harris strip first. It
wasn’t his

place to make that suggestion.
Proceeding with

caution was his path of the night.
Although they’d

already made love once before, biting
someone

during sex added an entirely new
dimension to

lovemaking.

“Do you want me to take off my shirt?
Where

do you like to bite?” Harris asked. The
eagerness

in the bear shifter’s voice had Rohan
harden more

in anticipation.

His mind ran amuck with all the places
he’d

like to suck blood from the bear shifter.
Some

places he just wanted to suck.

“Yeah, shirt off would be good. I don’t
want to

drip any blood on it.”

Some vampires weren’t tidy and spilled
blood

after they drank. Rohan hadn’t done that
in years.

However, he still wanted to see Harris
without a

shirt again. Without a trace of shyness,
Harris

stripped off his top, exposing hard
muscles and a

thick, lightly furred chest. Vampires
didn’t have

hair on their bodies except for their
head.

Yum.

Rohan stripped off his own shirt and
tossed it

on the floor. Harris’ admiring gaze
didn’t help his

cock go down. He could practically feel
the

shifter’s eyes tracking across his body.

“You don’t mind the hair?” Harris
asked.

Amber Kell

For the first time, he sensed unease from
Harris,

as if with the added pressure of a blood
bond the

shifter had become unsure of himself.

“Oh no. I like the fact you are a bit of a
bear in

both forms.” Rohan grinned.

Harris laughed. “Have a bear fetish, do
you?”

“Absolutely.” He had never had one
before, but

damn, if he hadn’t changed his mind.
Vampires

were all about new experiences.
“Thanks for

feeding me.”

Harris didn’t say anything, but he laid
down

and put his arms to his sides, as if unsure
what to

do with them. “It’s not a favor. If you are
my

bonded, it’s my pleasure and my
responsibility. I

don’t like the thought of you drinking
from

someone else.”

“Just relax, love. I won’t hurt you.”

“I know,” Harris replied. “I trust you.”

Rohan scanned Harris with his psychic

energy.

One of his unique skills as leader was
his ability to

sense emotions. Harris smelled of lust,
and waves

of affection poured off the bear shifter,
wrapping

Rohan in a blanket of warm emotion.

Walking over to the bed, Rohan
hesitated for a

moment. Harris wouldn’t be like the
others he’d

fed from before. He’d never brought
anyone else

to this bed or had this level of anxiety
over a

donor. Something told him his life
wouldn’t be the

same once he took Harris’ blood.

To Bite a Bear

“Are you waiting for an invitation?”
Harris

teased. “Because I’m inviting.”

Rohan couldn’t resist the sparkle in his
bear

shifter’s eyes. Keeping his gaze locked
on Harris’,

he climbed on the bed and crawled
across Harris’

body until he straddled Harris’ waist.

“Oh, you are so warm!” The heat
pouring off

Harris had Rohan giving up his teasing
to curl up

on Harris’ chest, pressing his cheek
against all that

warmth.

Harris laughed. “You remind me of
Denton on

his heat rock.”

“Denton? Oh, your crocodile friend,”
Rohan

remembered. “I have to admit, I do feel
a bit like a

lizard sunning. Vampires naturally run a
bit cooler

than other species. I don’t remember you
being

this warm the other night.”

“I’m warmer right after I eat,” Harris
explained.

When Harris stroked Rohan’s head, he
almost

wished he were a cat shifter so he could
purr.

Harris cherished Rohan as if he were
truly

something precious instead of a means to
an end.

Rohan could easily let the world fade
away as he

lay cradled in Harris’ arms.

“I thought you were going to eat,”
Harris’ voice

rumbled beneath Rohan’s ear.

“In a minute,” Rohan’s eyes drooped
down.

He’d feed in a little bit, after he’d
absorbed more

of Harris’ affection. The emotions
drifting from

Amber Kell

Harris unknotted the tension he hadn’t
realized

had built up over the past few weeks. If
he could

keep Harris beneath him for days, he’d
be

perfectly happy.

A knock at the door brought forth his ire.

Furious, he marched over to the door
and

ripped it open. “Someone had better be
dying,” he

growled.

“A cop is here. He wants to talk to the
leader.”

Madeleine’s eyes were wide and
panicked.

“I’ll be right there.” Rohan slammed the
door.

He turned back to find Harris sliding his
shirt

back on. “What are you doing?”

“I’m getting dressed. I’m not going to
see the

police with my shirt off,” Harris
explained as if

annoyed he had to point out the obvious.

“You aren’t going to see them at all. The
cops

are nothing but troublemakers waiting to
pin

things on my coven. They come every
month or so

to try and get me to confess to
something,” Rohan

argued. He wouldn’t let them get their
hands on

his sweet bear.

“Here’s your shirt,” Harris said, calmly

handing over the garment.

Rohan put it on. “You aren’t talking to
the

police.”

“Of course not; I’m going for moral
support,”

Harris replied.

To Bite a Bear

Rohan dressed quickly and tried to
ignore

Harris walking beside him when he left
the room.

He’d have to watch out for the shifter.

“Officer Eales, how are you today?”
Rohan

asked with pretend congeniality. The
policeman

stood in his foyer, his hard eyes
examining his

surroundings as if certain Rohan was
carrying on

some nefarious plot that needed to be
uncovered.

He’d lost count of the number of times
someone

falsely accused him of something just to
send him

to jail.

The cop narrowed his eyes at Rohan. “I
don’t

suppose you’d like to confess and save
me from

having to waste both of our time,” Eales
sneered.

“Is there a problem, Jeff?” Harris’ deep
voice

interrupted the cop’s rant.

The dramatic change in the policeman
took

Rohan by surprise. The scowl vanished
and the

disdain was a distant memory; instead, a
warm

smile and a jolt of pure happiness
poured from the

policeman. “Harris, my man, what are
you doing

here?”

Harris stepped forward and shook
Eales’ hand

like old friends. “I’m painting a mural
for the

vampires. Want to see?”

The cop began to nod but caught himself.

“Sorry, man, maybe another time. I’m
here on

official business. I have a complaint that
Rohan

here attacked a tourist tonight between

the hours

Amber Kell

of eight and ten.” He scowled at Rohan.
“I’m

supposed to take him in for questioning.”

“It wasn’t him,” Harris said, stepping in
front

of the vampire.

Eales stared at Harris. “And how would
you

know?”

“Because we were at dinner earlier with
plenty

of witnesses to corroborate our story. I
had salmon

and honey ice cream.” Harris narrowed
his eyes as

if daring the cop to argue with his
statement.

Rohan stayed silent and waited to see
what

Eales would do.

Eales closed his notebook. “Okay, if you
vouch

for him, I’ll list it as a mistaken identity.
I’d advise

you to keep track of your vampire friend.

Someone is gunning for him.”

“Thanks, Jeff.”

The cop gave Harris another handshake
and a

slap on the back, flashed a glare at
Rohan, then

left.

“That’s it? He’s not going to ask any
more

questions,” Madeleine stared at Harris
in shock.

Harris shrugged. “Jeff owes me a favor
or two. I

saved his fool brother from a real bear
attack a few

years ago.”

“Oh. Good thing we were together
tonight,”

Rohan said. “Things could’ve gone a lot
worse.”

“You might want to put some feelers out
to find

out who accused you. That’s pretty
specific. Most

To Bite a Bear

humans don’t know one vampire from
another,”

Harris said.

“True, that’s a good point.” Rohan’s
stomach

growled. “Come on; now that you saved

me from

potential jail, you can feed me and finish
being my

personal hero.”

He didn’t want Harris to know he
suspected

the sorcerers. They might have gone
underground

for now, but like cockroaches, they
would scuttle

out of the darkness soon.

Harris smiled. “I’d love to be your

hero.”

Of course he would. Harris beamed joy
like a

child on Christmas morning. Rohan
couldn’t wait

to have that big body beneath him again.

Madeleine caught his arm as he walked
past.

He hissed at her.

She dropped her hold. “Sorry, sire, I
needed

direction. Do you want me to ask around

like your

bear said?”

“The bear has a name. He is called
Harris. Use

it when referring to him,” Rohan
snapped.

Confusion filled Madeleine’s eyes. “But
you

always said the name of our donors
don’t matter.”

“Harris isn’t a donor. He’s my blood
mate,”

Rohan snapped and immediately froze.

He hadn’t meant to announce it so soon
to the

coven, but now that it was out, he knew

Madeleine would spread the word.

Amber Kell

His inner voice didn’t have any answers
except

the truth. Harris belonged to Rohan.

Madeleine’s eyes went wide.

“Congratulations,

sir.”

“Thank you. Now, if you’ll excuse me,
I’ve got

an appointment with a man about a bed.”

He found Harris sitting nervously at the
end of

his bed, as if uncertain whether to stay
or run. The

shifter’s emotions ping-ponged all over
the place.

Excitement. Lust. Affection. All collided

together

to swirl into a mass of scents that
slammed into

Rohan’s head. He shook his head to
clear it.

Forcing his mind to a new clarity, he
examined the

situation. Drinking from his mate while
excited

could lead to a bad experience.

Pulling off his shirt, Rohan tossed it on a
chair

and climbed onto the bed. With care, he
helped

Harris out of his clothing, then he
stripped down,

all the while whispering words of
encouragement.

“Ah, my sweet bear. Thank you for the
save

tonight. I didn’t relish being thrown into
a cold,

hard cell.”

Harris smiled at Rohan’s words. “You
have a

beautiful voice.”

The fact Harris couldn’t be enchanted
added to

Rohan’s pleasure. It wasn’t beguilement
making

Harris willing to donate his blood but
the mate

pull. The ease with which Harris offered
himself

to Rohan calmed the tension in his chest.
He’d

To Bite a Bear

never had anyone give themselves so
freely

before. Harris simply tilted his neck and
gave up

everything purely because he knew
Rohan needed

to feed.

“My mate needs, so I provide,” Harris
said as if

understanding Rohan’s confusion.

“If only everything in life was so

simple,”

Rohan said. At least this power between
them, this

connection didn’t have to be overly
complicated.

Rohan knew Harris had reservations
about being

a permanent mate to a vampire, but
Rohan didn’t

think it was anything they couldn’t
overcome.

Rohan rolled them until he lay splayed
across

Harris’ chest. The shifter’s heat poured
across him

in a soothing warmth he could wallow in
for days.

“I think I’m going to make you my new
bed,”

Rohan said dreamily.

Harris laughed. “I thought I was your
meal.”

“I like to eat in bed,” Rohan replied.

Harris stroked Rohan’s head. “Bite me,”
he

demanded. “You need to eat.”

Rohan nodded. He did need to eat, but

strangely, the comfort he received from
cuddling

with Harris took over his usually
overpowering

impulse to feed. Maybe it was the mate
bond, but

Rohan knew he didn’t need to hunt down
this

prey. Harris wasn’t a feral human or a
partier

looking for a cheap thrill. No, Harris
was like a

bear in his den ready to snuggle for a
long winter

Amber Kell

nap. Whatever Rohan needed, he was
confident

his mate would provide.

“I’m enjoying the moment,” Rohan said.
He

lifted his head to place kisses on Harris’

neck.

“You aren’t eating,” Harris pointed out.

“I’ve never met anyone so eager to be
bitten,”

Rohan complained.

Harris gave up. “Fine, don’t bite me
then.”

Rohan bit deep. Rich, lush and
delicious, Harris

blood poured across Rohan’s tongue like
paradise.

The small drop he’d had the previous

evening

hadn’t done Harris justice. Tonight,
curled up

with his mate, Rohan would swear he
could taste

Harris’ affection for him in his blood.

It took him a moment to realize Harris
was

starting to fade. He reluctantly pulled out
his

fangs and lapped the hole closed.

“Harris, beloved, are you all right?”

Harris blinked his eyes open. “Yeah,
why

wouldn’t I be?” He cleared his throat a
few times

since his voice sounded rough and
scratchy.

“Here’s some water,” Rohan snatched
up the

glass someone had provided for them.
He handed

it over to his mate.

“Thanks.” Harris took a few drinks,
never

taking his eyes off his Rohan. He handed
it back

empty.

Rohan took it without comment and put it
back

on the table.

To Bite a Bear

“What’s up?” Harris asked.

“I almost drained you,” Rohan said. “I

understand if you might want to leave me

after

that.” Remorse hit him with sharp fangs.
He

could’ve seriously injured Harris. He
knew better.

He should’ve shown more restraint.

Harris smiled. “I don’t know what you
did or

didn’t do, but I feel fine.”

“Good.” Relief made him weak. Good
thing he

was already lying down. He rested his

head on

Harris’ shoulder. Once they rested, he’d
pleasure

Harris until he never wanted to leave
Rohan’s bed

again. Rohan stroked Harris’ head. “Go
to sleep,

love. Thanks for feeding me.”

“You are always welcome,” Harris
replied.

Amber Kell

Chapter Four

e found him wandering outside.” Two of

“W Rohan’s vampire guards led in an

unannounced visitor. Rohan found
himself under

examination by a handsome human man
in his

early forties who resembled Harris’
friend Carey

too much for it to be a coincidence.

He froze at the chill in the human’s
expression.

Rohan had met ancient vampires who
couldn’t

project the amount of coldness the human
before

him did with his icy blue eyes.

Vampires surrounding him didn’t appear
to

intimidate the human. Rohan didn’t sense
even a

smidgen of unease. A pool of calm
emitted from

the man similar to Harris’ zen-like
peace, as if he

had no concerns about being able to
handle the

situation. From what he’d heard, Rohan
knew this

could only be one person.

“You must be Aden Gale, Carey’s
father,”

Rohan said. He knew he had to proceed
with

caution, even though the human was the

To Bite a Bear

trespasser. Harris considered Aden a
father figure,

and he respected the human’s opinion.
Rohan’s

usual approach of tossing out anyone
who

annoyed him wouldn’t work in this case.

“And you’re Rohan,” Aden replied.
“Could we

talk privately for a moment?”

Rohan nodded. “Please, leave us,” he
told the

guards.

“Your highness,” protested Madeleine.
“How

do you know we can trust him?”

Rohan raised an eyebrow at her. “You
think I

can’t handle one human?”

“No, sire, sorry. Let me know if you
need

anything,” Madeleine said.

“I will. Go see if Harris needs a snack.”
His

artist often became famished while
working on his

mural.

“Yes, sire,” Madeleine bowed and
vanished out

the door with the other guards.

“You should let Harris prepare stuff
himself.

He enjoys cooking. It helps his creative
process,”

Aden offered his advice.

“Thank you for the tip,” Rohan said,

reluctantly

appreciative. He certainly needed all the
help he

could get in making a positive
environment for his

bear shifter. He’d never had to create a
home for

someone before, and he doubted he was
up to the

challenge. “What can I do for you?”

Amber Kell

“You can make sure I don’t have to kill
you and

upset Harris,” Aden said as if he were
answering a

question about the weather.

Rohan tensed. Apparently, the stories
he’d

heard about Aden weren’t exaggerated.
“You

walked in here to threaten me?” He let
his voice

turn deep and reveal his annoyance.

“I did ask you to dismiss your people
first so

you wouldn’t feel compelled to
embarrass

yourself by trying to kill me,” Aden
offered as if

he had genuinely done Rohan a favor.

Laughter bubbled up in Rohan’s chest.
“What

would you know about killing a
vampire?”

“Quite a bit actually,” Aden replied with

frightening calm. “I’ve had to take a few
out in my

time. I admit I’m getting a little slower
with age

and it might take me more than the ten
minutes it

used to, but I still know how to shoot an
iron

arrow true.”

Rohan froze. It was a well-guarded
secret that

iron killed vampires faster than any
other metals.

The knowledge in the hands of a hard-
core fighter

didn’t ease Rohan’s anxiety at all. “How
did you

learn that?”

Aden’s feral grin didn’t reassure Rohan.
“Let’s

just say I’ve had to deal with a few in
my time.

Harris really likes you. Don’t break his
heart, or

you won’t be alive to regret it.”

To Bite a Bear

Before he could respond to the threat,
Aden

turned around and headed for the door.
As he

approached it, the door swung open and
Harris

wandered through.

“Rohan, do you mind if I paint around
the

mantel, too?” Harris asked, his attention

on the

paper he was sketching on.

“Harris, you can do whatever you’d
like,”

Rohan said, a smile curving his mouth.
Whenever

he saw his blood bonded, the bear
shifter lifted his

spirits.

Harris glanced up and caught sight of the

maniac. “Aden!”

The joy in Harris’ voice had Rohan
grinding his

teeth. Harris shouldn’t be that happy to
see

anyone but him. He barely resisted the
urge to

snatch Harris out of Aden’s arms as the
two men

embraced.

“What are you doing here?” Harris
asked after

pounding Aden’s back enthusiastically.
Rohan

reluctantly gave the human points for not
falling

over from Harris’ exuberance.

“I’ve come to threaten your lover,” Aden
said

casually.

“Oh!” Harris looked from one man to the
other

with interest. “How did that go?”

Aden nodded. “Pretty well, I think. I
didn’t

completely scare him away.”

Amber Kell

“Well, that’s good.” Harris glanced at
Rohan

through his lashes as if checking his
status. “No

injuries?”

Aden patted Harris on the back. “Not
yet. Call

me if you need anything.”

“Always,” Harris said.

With one last manly hug, Aden left.

Harris let out a long sigh. “Well, you
wanted to

meet Aden,” he offered cheerfully.

“That is true.” Rohan tried to remember
why he

thought that was important. He’d
definitely have

the human investigated. Find out if Aden
truly

had killed a vampire before. Somehow,
he

doubted Aden ever lied about his
conquests. The

man had an air of frightening efficiency.
He

refocused his attention on Harris. “Did
you come

to find me for some reason?”

Harris shuffled his feet for a bit and
looked

down at his shoes. “I was hoping you
might be

available to go to the theater with me
tomorrow

night.”

“I didn’t know you enjoyed plays,”
Rohan said,

pleased at Harris’ initiative. So far, he’d
been the

one to make all the moves. To have
Harris ask him

out gave him hope for their future. Not
that he

planned on letting the shifter leave him
in this

lifetime, but it was nice to think they’d at
least get

along.

To Bite a Bear

“There’s a new play opening tomorrow.
I did

some volunteer work on the set design
for the

theater, and they sent me a nice set of
tickets as a

thank you,” Harris rushed his words
together as

he spoke, conveying his nerves over the

invitation.

“I’d love to go with you,” Rohan
replied.

The bear shifter’s smile couldn’t get any

brighter if he tried.

* * * *

Harris smiled as he examined the
theater. The

Chinese theme spread from the foo lions
in the

lobby to the dragons and phoenixes
decorating the

ceiling and walls. An enormous imperial
five-toed

dragon emerged from the ceiling above,
carrying a

light in its mouth that represented the
pearl of

wisdom. Harris loved both this theater
and

musicals.

“You didn’t tell me it was a musical,”
Rohan

growled.

Harris patted Rohan on the leg. “Hush,
you’ll

enjoy it.”

The groan he received made him smile
more. It

was sexier that Rohan might not enjoy
the play

but was willing to sit through it anyway
to make

Harris happy.

As soon as the lights went down, Rohan
set his

hand on Harris’ thigh and left it there
throughout

Amber Kell

the first act. Harris didn’t argue since
Rohan’s

fingers didn’t wander. Harris enjoyed
the simple

evening of going out to dinner and a play
with his

man.

Could he call a vampire his boyfriend?

Or did

he need to use the more formal blood
bonded

designation? Maybe partner would work
for

human friends who didn’t know about
vampires.

He waited until the intermission when
they

were standing back in the upper-story
lobby to

broach the subject. “So, how do I
introduce you to

people? Are you my boyfriend? My
partner?”

Rohan narrowed his eyes at Harris. “I
don’t

care what you call me as long as you
call me yours

and everyone understands we’re
together.”

He held out his arm for Harris to take
and

escorted him into the foyer to get a drink.
“How

about a soda?”

“No. But I’ll take a cookie.”

Harris happily waited beside Rohan as
he

ordered Harris’ dessert.

“Vampire, you must die!” a man
screamed

from the crowd. Before Harris could
react, a thin,

dark-haired man lunged at Rohan with a
knife.

Rohan ducked, but the edge of the knife
caught his

arm. Furious at the sight of his mate
injured,

Harris swiped at the attacker, throwing
him off

the balcony with the force of his hit.

Rohan laughed. “My hero!”

To Bite a Bear

Harris caught sight of blood dripping
down

Rohan’s arm. He quickly grabbed some
napkins

and pressed them to the wound. “Are
you all

right?”

“Just a little nick, I’m going to go rinse
off. I’ll

be right back. Wait here and behave.”
Rohan

kissed Harris’ cheek.

“I don’t make any promises,” Harris
grumbled.

He didn’t know what was wrong with
that kid

who attacked Rohan, but he’d put an end
to him if

he came after Rohan again. The last
worries as to

whether Rohan would be a good mate or
not

vanished. Harris wouldn’t feel this
protective of

just anyone. Rohan was the one. The
other half of

his soul.

He watched Rohan touch one of the
stone foo

lions as he walked down the hall leaving
a slight

trace of blood in his wake. Harris hoped
the

cleaners noticed that and wiped it down.
For a

moment, he thought the statue moved, but
maybe

the stress of the night was getting to him.

“Are you okay, Harris?” A man dressed
in a

suit with a name badge approached
Harris. He

recognized him as Duncan, the theater
general

manager. “I heard you were attacked by
that guy

with a knife. He’s being held by
security, and we

called the police. Were you hurt?”

“No, I’m fine. My friend was the one
attacked,

and he only has a scratch.” Harris
peeked over

Amber Kell

Duncan’s shoulder to see if Rohan was
returning

yet.

“I’m sure the police will want to speak
to you

when they arrive,” Duncan said
knowingly.

Harris nodded. “Let us know when they
get

here.” He looked nervously around at all
the

people staring. He didn’t like being the
focus of

the employees’ attention. He just wanted
to leave.

He didn’t like Rohan being apart from
him.

“Excuse me; I’m going to check on my
friend.”

“Oh, of course. Let us know if there is
anything

else we can get for you.”

Harris made some non-committal sound
before

rushing after his vampire.

Rohan was emerging from the bathroom
when

he approached. “Hello, beloved.”

“Are you okay?” Harris asked.

Rohan nodded. “I’m almost all healed.”
He

held up his arm to show Harris the slight
scratch

now barely a visible line.

The lights dimmed, letting them know it
was

time to return for the second half of the
play.

“How about we go home,” Harris said.

Immediately, he tried to bite back his
words, but

they were already there like the giant
elephant in

the room. He now considered Rohan’s
mansion

his home. When had that happened?

Rohan slid his uninjured hand around
Harris’

and tugged him toward the stairs. “Let’s
go,

To Bite a Bear

beloved. I’ll need to make some calls
and see if can

learn more about this attack.”

Harris reviewed the encounter in his
mind. “I

don’t think it was random. The guy’s
eyes weren’t

right, and he knew you were a vampire.

I’m

thinking a sorcerer put him up to it,”
Guilt

churned Harris’ stomach for tossing the
guy. For

all he knew, the human had been
enchanted with

no control over his actions.

“Hey, don’t beat yourself up about it.
You

didn’t know. You were protecting your
mate,”

Rohan soothed.

As they reached the bottom floor, they
spotted

Rohan’s attacker. He stood in handcuffs,

apparently none the worse for wear
except for a

bruise on one cheek from where Harris
had hit

him.

“I’m sorry, man,” the brown-haired man
said.

“I don’t know what happened. I don’t

even own a

knife.”

“Uh huh,” the arresting officer flicked a
gaze

over Rohan and Harris. “I’m taking him
to the

downtown station. Come by and fill out
a report

tonight. You have enough witnesses to

corroborate your story.”

“I’m really sorry,” Rohan’s attacker
shouted as

they hauled him out of the lobby.

“I think you’re right. I think he was
used,”

Rohan said.

Amber Kell

Harris scanned the crowd. The
theatergoers

were beginning to thin now that the
excitement

had faded and the lights were flickering
for them

to return to their seats. One minor attack
with no

injuries wouldn’t stop them from their
play,

especially when the attacker had been
captured.

The incident would merely give them
something

to whisper about over late-night coffee.

“I’ll have one of my vamps go spring
him. I’ll

send Madeleine; she can wipe the
arresting

officers’ minds so they don’t remember
the arrest.

We can then interrogate him for
answers.”

“No.” Harris shook his head. “What if
the point

is to bring him in the middle of the
vampire

enclave? I’ll ask Carey to pick him up.
You can

still send vamps to do the mind wipe,
but my

friends can interrogate him and let us

know what

they learn.”

“You trust them to find out the truth?”
Rohan

opened the outer door to let Harris
through.

“Yes.” Harris stepped outside then
scanned the

area around them, searching the night for
any

hidden dangers. “Carey will find out
what the

attacker knows if he knows anything.”

Harris sniffed. The whiff of something
unusual,

something that didn’t belong, reached
him.

“Something wrong?” Rohan asked.

“I thought I smelled ash.”

To Bite a Bear

“Could be a wood-burning stove or
someone’s

hibachi,” Rohan said. “I called for our
driver while

I was cleaning up. He should be here
soon.”

“Good.” A quick scan of the buildings
around

them didn’t reveal any balconies where
a barbecue

could be placed. Instead, a sea of office
buildings

met his gaze.

“I don’t see anything,” Rohan replied,
but

Harris noticed the vampire continued to
examine

the surrounding area as they waited for
their

driver.

“Something’s coming.” Harris didn’t
bother to

mention what. He didn’t know, but it
tickled at

the edge of his mind as if trying to gain
entrance.

“Crap, I think it’s a sorcerer.”

Rohan’s frowned. “How do you know?”

“I can smell him,” Harris said. “I think
he’s

trying to spell me.”

The tingling sensation of someone trying
to

access his brain went from light to more
heavy-

handed, still a useless endeavor but
more

uncomfortable.

“He can’t be that far away if he’s trying

control you, but I don’t see anything,”
Rohan said.

“I thought they’d gone away?” Harris
had

hoped they were gone for now.

“No.” Rohan shook his head. “It would
take

more than burning down their home to
make

them leave. They hate vampires. They
want our

Amber Kell

territory, and I’m sure now that their
hideout has

been discovered, they will want our land
more

than ever.”

“I don’t know why you guys can’t get
along. If

you overlook their evil mind-wiping
tendencies

and soul-sucking control, sorcerers

aren’t that

bad,” Harris teased.

“We’ve been fighting for hundreds of
years.

Just because there are more humans here
now

doesn’t mean we’ll give up our fighting
ways,”

Rohan explained.

“I know, but there is enough room for

everyone. Why does there have to be a
fight? Why

are sorcerers so determined to wipe
everyone

out?”

To Bite a Bear

Chapter Five

ohan raised his right eyebrow at Harris.

R “Aren’t you one of the people who
almost

eliminated a werewolf pack?” He’d
heard some

wild stories about the four men who
lived in the

Queen Anne mansion even before he’d
met

Harris. He’d wondered how many of
them were

true until he’d been part of a party to
rescue Eaton

from the sorcerers. The four men didn’t
take any

prisoners. If Eaton hadn’t walked out on
his own,

they would’ve razed the building to the

ground

and possibly salted the earth afterward
for good

measure.

Harris’ bashful smile spiked Rohan’s
desire.

The bear shifter was a tempting
combination of

sweet shyness and bravery. However,
Rohan had

learned over the past few weeks that
Harris’

boldness faded when it came to personal
matters.

He comfortably shouldered a large
weapon and

handled a brush with ease; however,
having him

Amber Kell

share his emotions ended up in stumbling
words

and wistful smiles.

If Rohan couldn’t smell the need pouring

off of

Harris whenever Rohan was near, he’d
swear the

bear shifter didn’t need him as badly as
Rohan

craved Harris. Mindful of the possibility
of being

watched, Rohan slipped his hand around
the back

of Harris’ neck, relishing the feel of
warm flesh

beneath his fingers. Harris shuddered
from the

touch.

The limo stopped in front of them. Not
waiting

for the driver, Rohan opened the door
and all but

shoved Harris inside. He didn’t want his
mate to

be a large target for any attack. He didn’t
know

what the sorcerers were up to, but an
encounter

with them had never resulted in anything
positive.

Harris didn’t speak as they headed back
to

Rohan’s house. “You’ll be safe in my
house,”

Rohan reassured him.

“I’d be safe at my house, too,” Harris

countered.

“No!” Rohan didn’t trust anyone else to
watch

over Harris. “I need you by me. I won’t
be certain

you’re safe unless I can see you.” He

didn’t try to

hide the panic piercing his chest.

Harris touched Rohan’s knee. “Hey, I’m
fine.

You were the one under attack.”

“I was, but if they know how I feel…”

Harris frowned. “How do you feel?”

To Bite a Bear

Rohan cupped Harris’ face. “If you were

injured, I’d never forgive myself.” He
held back

the words he yearned to say. Harris
wasn’t ready

to hear about Rohan’s dedication. The
rest of the

coven was going to have to get used to
having a

bear in their midst, because Rohan
planned to be

around for a long time. They were
doubly bound

by vampire and shifter bonds, they

couldn’t be

parted.

“I’m a bit tougher than you seem to think.
I’ve

trained with Aden. Unless it’s a Special
Forces

soldier trying to take me out, I’m pretty
safe. I’m

not exactly a fluffy kitten, you know.”

Rohan realized he needed to do damage

control. “It isn’t that I don’t think you
can protect

yourself. It’s just that I worry. You are
precious to

me.”

Harris lunged. His hard mouth pressed
against

Rohan in a soul-searing kiss. For the
first time in

centuries, Rohan let another person take
the lead.

Harris wasn’t like the others; he had
nothing to

gain. The shifter only wanted Rohan.
The vampire

could feel the need pouring off his mate
in waves

of hunger like a feral beast. Harris
licked, nipped

and held Rohan still while he feasted on
Rohan’s

mouth.

“I need you,” Harris moaned.

Not close to what Rohan was hoping for,
but

maybe, one day Harris would change
need to love.

Amber Kell

Rohan relaxed beneath Harris. “How do
you want

me?”

“Right there,” Harris slid to the floor of
the

limo, then deftly unzipped Rohan’s
pants. “I’m

going to suck you down, and when we
get back to

your place, you can fuck me into the

mattress.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Rohan hardened
even

more after hearing about the details.

“It does, doesn’t it?” Harris said
agreeably. He

slid down Rohan’s underwear, exposing
his cock.

Wrapping a big hand around Rohan’s
erection,

Harris lapped at the tip. “You taste
delicious.”

“I’m glad you think so.” He’d never seen

anyone that invested in sucking him
before.

“Like honey,” Harris flashed Rohan a
teasing

smile through his dark lashes.

“No biting,” Rohan warned. “That’s my
thing.”

“Not even a nibble?”

“No.” Rohan tried to keep his voice firm
while

Harris did obscene things with his

mouth. For a

sweet-natured man, he knew his way
around a

man’s cock. Rohan firmly pushed away
how

Harris became experienced. If he met a
single one

of Harris’ ex-lover’s, he’d snap their
neck. No one

should know the joy of Harris’ touch
except him.

Rohan slid his fingers through Harris’
hair,

touching the soft strands with forced
gentleness.

He really wanted to grab Harris’ head
and fuck his

mouth, but he couldn’t treat his mate as
harshly as

To Bite a Bear

he might have treated a one-night stand
in the

past. Harris would be his forever. His
mate

needed a softer touch.

Harris swallowed Rohan’s cock, making

Rohan’s eyes roll back into his head
with pleasure.

“Oh, beloved, you are so good at that,”
he

whispered. Unable to resist Harris’
mouth, Rohan

gave himself up to his lover’s touch.
Harris

swallowed Rohan’s cum with little
difficulty, then

sat back on his heels with a wide smile.

“Like honey.”

Rohan laughed. “Come back up here.”

Harris zipped and tidied Rohan back up
before

joining him on the seat.

Rohan opened his arms for Harris to
snuggle

closer. If anyone accused Rohan of being
a

cuddler, he’d deny it to their last breath,
which

would quickly follow their statement.

“Kiss me,” Rohan demanded.

“Bossy!” Harris scolded.

“Yes, I am,” Rohan agreed.

An explosion rocked the limo. “What
was

that?” Harris jerked his head around to
look out

the limo window.

“Sorcerers,” Rohan peered out the
window.

“Fuckers.”

Harris pulled out his phone and started
dialed

frantically.

“What are you doing?” Rohan asked.

Amber Kell

“Getting help.” Someone picked up the
phone,

but Rohan didn’t know who until Harris
called

him by name. “Carey, help! Sorcerers
are attacking

our limo. We’re downtown by the
courthouse.”

He must’ve received a positive
response,

because he disconnected the line and
peered out

the window again.

“This car is bomb proof,” Rohan said.
He

couldn’t hide his irritation over having
Harris

depend on someone else.

“But, is it sorcerer proof?” Harris
asked. “Some

of them can shoot some pretty bad stuff.”

“How do you know?” Rohan asked.
“When we

went to the sorcerer’s last time, they
didn’t put up

too much of a fight.”

“I did some research after that
encounter,”

Harris admitted. He ran his fingers

through his

hair, ruffling the parts Rohan had
smoothed over.

For a brief second, Rohan saw the beast
beneath

the surface.

“What did you learn?”

“That they must be up to something
bigger,

since they let us go so easily. They
probably have

plans we know nothing about. After

trying to

poison you and succeeding with some of
your

people, they’ve gone underground to
plan and

plot. I don’t trust them. They are
inherently evil.

Their leader froze his own son,” Harris
reminded

him.

To Bite a Bear

“Whatever happened to Gallen?” The
last he’d

seen of the young man was at Carey’s
house.

“I put him in the garden,” Harris
admitted.

“What do you mean you put him in the
garden?”

His visions of a crystal coffin displayed
among the

roses drifted in his mind. An idea not
dismissed

by Harris’ next words.

“Well, he’s like Snow White without the

dwarves. He can’t wake up until he’s
kissed by his

prince. I wanted to do this huge glass
coffin thing,

but Aden thought it would attract the
cops, so I

made him a metal filigree one. You can’t
even

really see him unless you know he’s
there.” Harris

said, warming to his topic.

“Doesn’t he get rained on?” Rohan
asked

reluctantly fascinated.

Harris shook his head. Aden knew a
witch who

owed him a favor. The witch put a spell
on it, so

Gallen doesn’t get drenched. It was the
only way

Carey would agree to the garden thing.

“Surely, there’s a way to free him.”
Amusement

curled Rohan’s mouth. He doubted he’d
ever be

bored with Harris by his side.

“Carey’s been calling around to see if
anyone

knows how to break the curse, but so far,
they’ve

all said we need to find Gallen’s mate.
That’s the

only way to break the spell. According
to the last

wizard, Gallen’s mate will feel the pull
toward

him. It’s a matter of waiting,” Harris
explained.

Amber Kell

Another explosion rocked the limo.

Harris tensed.

“We’ll be fine,” Rohan said. He stroked
Harris’

arm. “The driver knows what he’s
doing. We’ll get

home safely.” Even as he said the
words, he

vowed to wipe out every sorcerer he
came across

for causing that moment of fear in
Harris’ eyes.

A loud piercing screech and the scrape
of claws

across the top of the limo alerted Rohan
to a new

presence.

“Eaton’s here,” Harris said.

The explosions ended. Rohan didn’t like
being

the one to cower in the vehicle while
others fought

his battles. However, Rohan didn’t dare
open the

door and expose Harris to a potential
enemy.

“I should go help him,” Harris declared.

“No!” Rohan shouted. No way would he
let his

bear put himself in danger, not while
Rohan still

could protect him.

“Why not?” The confusion in Harris’
eyes

settled Rohan’s conviction.

“Because you might be able to hide the
fact that

a huge eagle has entered downtown but a
bear

could get tranqued.”

“True, but if they come after you, all bets
are

off.” A flash of fang revealed Harris’
bear had

risen to the surface.

To Bite a Bear

“Easy, love. Let’s get home in one piece
before

we worry about anything else. We’ll be
safe here,”

Rohan assured him.

“Are you certain about that?” While they
were

talking, the divider between driver and
the

passengers slid down. Vick grinned at
them

through the opening in the reflected
mirror. Not

an expression Rohan saw often on his
lips.

“What are you doing here?” Vick never
drove

the limo. Rohan didn’t even know if
Vick had a

proper license.

“I came to make sure the sorcerers
didn’t miss,”

Vick replied. “They have a tendency to
fail in their

attacks.”

“You’re working for the sorcerers?”
Rohan

couldn’t hide his surprise. Vick had been
a

valuable member of the coven for six
years.

“Why?”

“Because they promised me I could lead
once

you were gone,” Vick said, his eyes
wild.

“You could lead now if you weren’t
such a

gullible idiot,” Rohan said. “You think
they’re

going to leave anyone alive to be in
charge of

anything? They’ll kill all of us, and you
first, since

they’ll know they can’t trust you.”

Vick snorted. “They said you would try
and get

me to turn on them, but once I kill your
pet, you’ll

be docile.”

Amber Kell

“You kill my blood bonded and I’ll rip
out your

throat,” Rohan said, putting as much
conviction in

his voice as he could. He couldn’t lose
Harris. If

anything happened to the bear shifter,

he’d never

forgive himself.

Another explosion went off, and Vick
pulled

the limo over to the side. “That’s my
signal.”

Rohan peered through the tinted glass.
He

could see people milling about outside,
but he

didn’t know enough of the hawks to
figure out

which side the people were on.

“It doesn’t matter who wins here. I’ve
got what

I need.” Vick pointed a gun at Harris. “I
know you

wouldn’t want to endanger your pretty
bear.”

“Aww, you think I’m pretty?” Harris
batted his

eyes at the vampire.

“I think you are the reason we are failing
as a

species. Too much interspecies
mingling,” Vick

said in a disgusted voice.

“You do know that as a gay man, I
wasn’t going

to reproduce anyway, right?” Rohan
asked, dryly.

“Don’t be a smart ass, Rohan. You
could’ve

been the best ruler ever, but instead, you
dull our

fangs and restrict our hunting. We could
run this

city, but you have us hiding in the
shadows, afraid

of humans hunting us. I say, let them
come, we’ll

use them for food.” Vick giggled.

“Which sorcerer is yours?” Harris asked

unexpectedly.

To Bite a Bear

“What?” Vick asked.

“You’re obviously under a sorcerer’s

control.

Which one?” Harris persisted.

Rohan peeked outside. “Vampires can’t
be

controlled by sorcerers, Harris.” There,
that was

definitely Eaton punching out a sorcerer.

“He doesn’t control me,” Vick said. “He
loves

me.”

Rohan’s head snapped back around.
“You fell

in love with a sorcerer?”

Harris and Rohan exchanged knowing
glances.

A sorcerer could influence a vampire if
the

vampire was stupid enough to drink his
blood.

“I’m not in love,” Vick sneered. “We are

partners. I don’t touch men.”

“Are you the one who poisoned the
humans?”

That was one thing Rohan hadn’t been

able to

figure out. How the humans had become

poisoned. He foolishly hadn’t believed a
member

of his coven could’ve done such a thing.

“You are a bit slow, aren’t you? Didn’t
think

any of your people could turn on you?”

Rohan owed Madeleine an apology.
Privately,

he’d thought she might be the source of
the

problem.

“I guess I hoped the people I’ve cared
for over

the past few centuries had some loyalty,”
Rohan

admitted. The betrayal hurt more than he
thought

possible.

Amber Kell

“You know how it goes. It’s all about
what

you’ve done for us lately,” Vick mocked.

Without warning, he fired his pistol.
Harris

jerked back. A blossom of blood spread
across his

chest.

“No!” Rohan screamed. Horror took
over his

good sense as Harris blinked up at him
with pain-

filled eyes.

Another weapon fired. The sound had

him

snapping around in time to see a hole
appear in

Vick’s head before the vampire tumbled
over onto

the seat. The limo door swept open and
Aden

appeared in the opening.

“Harris has been shot!” Rohan shouted.
He

couldn’t think. Panic overwhelmed his
mind like

white noise. With shaking hands he tried
to stop

the flow of blood pouring from his mate.
For the

first time, he didn’t want the life-giving
liquid, not

if it meant the death of his beloved.

“Keep it together, boy!” Aden snapped.
With

quick, efficient movements, Aden
stripped off

Harris shirt and turned him to examine
the

wound. A hole pierced Harris’ back. “It
went

through. We need to get him back to the

mansion.”

“M-my house is closer,” Rohan stuttered
out.

“We don’t know who in your coven to
trust.

This guy might not have been the only
one.” Aden

To Bite a Bear

pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket.
“Keep

pressure on his wound.”

Before he could respond by more than
taking

control of the cloth, Aden stepped back
and

slammed the door behind him.

“I can do this. Stick with me, beloved. I
need

you by my side.” Words of love and
adoration

tumbled from Rohan’s lips. He couldn’t
stop

spilling every thought and secret to
Harris.

Throughout the drive, Harris said little
and his

labored breathing frightened Rohan.
“Please,

beloved, don’t leave me.”

If Harris were a human, Rohan could’ve
saved

him with a bite and converted him to a
vampire.

Shifters didn’t work like that. Once a
shifter,

always a shifter. Rohan could bite
Harris until the

end of his days and he’d never become a
vamp.

“I-I’m not going anywhere,” Harris
whispered.

Heavy lids covered his usually vibrant
eyes, and

he lost consciousness.

Rohan chilled as he imagined the
emptiness of

his years without Harris.

There was at least one thing he could do
to save

his mate. Being a vampire master came
with a few

extra abilities. Focusing on his lover,
Rohan

poured energy across their psychic link
until

Harris’ forehead relaxed from some of
the tension.

“Stay with me, and together, we’ll hunt
down the

fuckers who did this to you,” Rohan
vowed.

Amber Kell

Chapter Six

arris floated on a sea of peace. A fluffy
cloud

H surrounded him on all sides as he
drifted

peacefully, his mind empty and calm.

Come back to me, beloved.

A man’s insistent voice interrupted his
serenity.

Harris frowned. He recognized that tone.

Demanding. Determined. Shaking it off,
Harris

returned to his nothingness. Maybe his
friends

were right, he did overcomplicate
things. This was

where he belonged.

Don’t you even think about leaving me!

Damn, the intruder of his dreams was

quite

insistent. Why does he keep interrupting
my quiet?

Wake the fuck up, boy!

Aden.

Harris jolted awake, gasping. He
blinked

rapidly to bring the room into focus. He
was back

at the mansion on Queen Anne. It took
him a

moment to realize Aden and Rohan stood

over his

bed, glaring at him.

To Bite a Bear

“About time you woke; you were just
being

lazy,” Aden scolded, but Harris could
see the

relief in Aden’s hard features. Years of
exposure to

the stern man had made reading Aden
come

down to an art form.

“Sorry,” he replied.

Aden nodded to show Harris was
forgiven. “I’ll

leave you here with your mate. You’ve
worried

him enough.”

Harris smiled as Aden turned and left
the room

without another word.

“He really loves you,” Rohan said as if
trying to

explain Aden’s cold behavior.

Harris laughed. “I know.” He examined

Rohan’s expression and saw stress
around his eyes

and the scent of worry pouring off of
him. “What

happened?” He unconsciously rubbed a
sore spot

on his chest.

“Vick shot you,” Rohan explained.

“Oh right.” He didn’t know how to
soothe the

pain in Rohan’s voice. Harris didn’t
think they

had a greeting card for their situation.
“But I’m

fine now, right?”

Rohan nodded. “Yeah, your fine.”

Tears filled the vampire’s eyes. Harris
scooted

over on the bed. “Come here.”

Without argument, Rohan crawled up on
the

bed beside him. “I thought I’d lost you. I

should’ve snapped the bastard’s neck. I
was so

Amber Kell

shocked that I had no clue this entire
time. I guess

I’m not as smart as I thought.”

“Hey.” Harris wouldn’t let anyone insult
his

mate, even Rohan. “There’s nothing
wrong with

trusting the people who are supposed to

have

your back.”

Rohan laughed, a sad, forlorn sound.

“Supposed to is the operative phrase.
What if he

wasn’t the only one? What if more of my
coven is

involved? I never thought Vick would
turn on me.

We were together in the coven for six
years and

friends for a lot longer.”

The pain in Rohan’s voice tore Harris
apart.

“Hey, you have me. Together, we will
figure this

thing out. If we have to, we’ll have Aden
strap

them all to lie detector tests and force
them to

answer.”

Rohan laughed; this time, real
amusement filled

the sound. “I never thought a human
could be so

intimidating.”

“When I was young, I used to imagine he
was

part robot like in those Terminator
movies.”

“The last one where the guy looks
human?”

Rohan asked.

Harris nodded. “Yeah.”

“I could see that,” Rohan agreed. “I
haven’t

been a very good mate.”

Rohan’s voice, low and confiding as if
he was

sharing a painful secret, tore away the
last of

To Bite a Bear

Harris’ dream. “You are an excellent
mate. It’s not

your fault you didn’t know Vick was a
traitor.”

He could smell the guilt and shame
pouring off

of Rohan. “Hey.” He cuddled his
vampire close

and stroked his hair. It amused him a bit
to play

the part of caretaker. Rohan generally
wasn’t the

type to want to be coddled. Harris knew
he was

one of the privileged few who would
ever see the

vampire so vulnerable. “It’ll be all
right.”

“It will.” Rohan said, his words gaining

some of

their former confidence. “Rumors have
spread

over your death. I’m sorry to say,
beloved, but you

didn’t survive the bullet.”

“That is sad,” Harris agreed. “I’ll miss
me.”

Rohan laughed. “I am going to return to
my

coven today and test them to figure out
who also

might be responsible. I doubt Vick acted
alone. He

wasn’t exactly a mastermind, and even
with clear

direction from a sorcerer, he wouldn’t
have been

able to pull it off.”

“I see you’ve given this a lot of thought,”
Harris

said. His heart sped up as he imagined
Rohan

confronting his people.

“Relax, I’ll be fine,” Rohan said. “I can
hear

your heart racing, and I know you are
worrying. If

I run into any trouble, I’ll call you.”

“But, what if they kill you? How are you
going

to call me then? I doubt they’ll have cell
phones in

hell!” Harris snapped.

Amber Kell

Rohan smiled. “So certain I’m going to
dance

with the devil, my love?”

“Don’t toy with me, Rohan, I don’t like
this at

all,” Harris warned.

“Will it make you feel better to know
your

scary Aden is wiretapping me and
waiting outside

the coven house to intercede if
necessary,” Rohan

said.

“Yes. Is he going to do that?” Relief
swept

through Harris. Aden wouldn’t let Rohan
be

injured. Not that he didn’t think his
powerful

vampire couldn’t handle himself, but he
would

feel better if Rohan had backup.”

“He mentioned it as a possibility,”
Rohan said.

“Take him up on it. I’ll worry a lot less
if I know

Aden is there.”

“You trust him that much?”

Harris knew Rohan didn’t understand
Harris’

unwavering devotion to Aden. “When I
was

younger, I’d been captured by a hunter.
He’d

killed my parents, and for his own sick

amusement, he locked me in a cage and

kept me

in his backyard. Carey ran across me
when he was

vacationing with his father. When Carey
realized I

was a shifter, he went and fetched Aden.
Aden

killed my captor in front of me so I
would never

have to look behind my shoulder for the
rest of

my life. Then, he took me home and
raised me.

To Bite a Bear

There’s nothing Aden Gale could ever
do that

would shake my faith in him,” Harris
vowed.

“I had no idea,” Rohan said. “I must
remember

to thank your Aden for killing the man
who caged

you.”

“No need,” Harris said. “I said my

thanks years

ago. Aden knows I’m grateful.”

Rohan nodded. “I begin to see why you
have so

much faith in your friends.”

Harris smiled. “I want to come with you
to the

coven. How they react to seeing me
alive might be

even more telling. I’ll be able to scent
who is

deceptive.”

“You didn’t with Vick,” Rohan pointed
out.

“I did, but I figured I just hated him
because

he’d been in your bed,” Harris
confessed.

“He’s never been in my bed.”

“I know that now. He’d implied it
before.”

“Why didn’t you just come ask me?”

“Because, I didn’t want to come off as a
needy

idiot who couldn’t cope with his older
lover

having sex before him. I was trying to be

sophisticated,” Harris grinned.

Rohan kissed Harris on the cheek. “Next
time,

just ask.

Harris nodded. “Will do.”

He’d been foolish by trying to be
worldlier. His

mate didn’t care if Harris had a bit of
innocence

Amber Kell

around him; anyone would be more
naïve than a

centuries-old vampire.

“Let’s get you some food, beloved. After
you’ve

eaten, we’ll go see who in my coven
needs to be

burned to meet their gods.”

Harris nodded. They were done messing

around. Whoever thought it was a good
idea to

mess with the coven leader had just
made their

last mistake.

Rohan entered the coven mansion,
Harris at his

back. He knew Aden was listening in
through the

small microphone mounted on Rohan’s
shirt in

place of one of his buttons. He felt like a
secret

agent. Unfortunately, he probably
resembled one

of those bumbling, clueless spies they
had in

comedies instead of James Bond.

Harris squeezed his shoulder, laying his
nerves

to rest with one touch. He’d been lucky
to find his

bear shifter. When he thought he’d lost
Harris, his

grief had almost been unbearable. Rohan
knew if

Harris had died, he would’ve happily
gone too.

Now, he figured someone else in his
coven had

figured out the same thing. Get rid of the

companion and the vampire would
follow.

The first person he saw through the
doors was

Madeleine. She barely paused in her
walk across

the foyer. “There you are.” Her gaze
flashed to his

To Bite a Bear

office and back. He would’ve missed the
action if

he hadn’t been looking for it.

“Oh, Maddie,” Rohan said softly. “How
could

you?”

Madeleine didn’t even pretend to not

understand. “Because he would make me
his wife.

To you, I’ll always only be a soldier.”

She pulled out a pistol.

“It doesn’t have to be this way,” Rohan

objected. “You can still get out of it.”

His lieutenant’s twisted smile told him
she had

no intention of doing any such thing.
“You always

were blind, Rohan. I just never knew
you were

stupid, too.”

She disengaged the safety, pointed it at
Rohan,

then fell to the ground—a bullet through
her

forehead.

“Nice shot, love,” Rohan said.

“I thought so.”

He’d been shocked when Aden had
suggested

they arm Harris, but now, he was glad
they did.

No one would suspect Harris of hiding a

weapon.

The sweet artist had a more ruthless side
Rohan

was just now beginning to appreciate.
The man

who comfortably handled a firearm to
rescue his

friend turned out to be an expert in most
weapons.

“Who do you think is hiding in your
office?”

Harris asked.

Amber Kell

“I don’t know, but I don’t like the fact
that the

only person we ran across so far is
Maddie.” This

time of day, the mansion was usually
filled with

people. Humans, vampires, visitors ran
in and out

of the mansion to take care of things for
most of

the day. To see no one around worried
Rohan.

“The hawks are circling outside. We can
call

them in if we need to,” Harris reminded
him.

Rohan took a deep breath. He didn’t
know

what he was up against, but he knew
standing

outside the doors wasn’t going to find
him the

answer he needed. Had he been fooling

himself

this entire time? Did his people not truly
respect

him and only followed him until
someone better

came along? This newfound insecurity
grated at

his nerves. I’m a good leader, dammit!

Harris squeezed his shoulder. “Let’s go,
mate.”

The glow from Harris’ support was only

surpassed by the mate designation. He

doubted

Harris even realized what he said, but it
still

caused a happy warmth to flow from
Rohan’s

chest.

With a nod to his lover, he pushed the
den door

and swept it open.

A sorcerer sat in Rohan’s chair behind
the large

wooden desk. Two more henchmen sat

opposite

him, obviously bodyguards.

To Bite a Bear

The sorcerer glanced up, and Rohan
recognized

him. Theos, the leader of the sorcerer’s,
gave him a

smug, slimy smile.

“Oh, you survived, that’s too bad,”
Theos said

in a tsk-tsking tone as if Rohan had
disappointed

him by his lack of dying.

“I hate disappointing you, but I plan on
taking

back my coven,” Rohan said as he tried
to figure

out a plan. “Where are they, by the
way?”

“Who?” Theos asked. Rohan wasn’t the
least bit

fooled by his fake innocence.

“My coven. Where are they?”

“I wouldn’t worry so much about your
coven as

I would yourself,” Theo countered. He
flipped a

paper over on the desk. “I have a
document here I

need you to sign, so I supposed it is
good that

you’ve survived. It amazes me that none
of your

foolish coven members realized the
building and

land revert to the state in case of your
death.

Putting your people out in the street,
shame on

you.”

Theos shook his head sadly as if he were
truly

concerned with the plight of the
displaced.

“It’s to discourage people from trying to

assassinate the coven leader,” Rohan
explained.

“Finding that effective, are you?” Theos

mocked.

“Not particularly. The way I see it, there
are

two of us and three of you. I like those
odds,”

Amber Kell

Rohan said. Secretly, he hoped Theos
didn’t have

a dozen more henchmen nearby at his
beck and

call.

“Kill me and you’ll never find out where
I hid

your coven,” Theos warned.

“Who said I wanted them back; they’ve
only

caused me trouble,” Rohan bluffed.

Theos grinned. “Nice try, but it took us
so long

to infiltrate your coven because most of
your

people are ridiculously loyal. Now, if

you sign this

paper giving us all rights to your land
and

property, I’ll let your people go.”

“And if I don’t?”

“I’ll make your bear kill himself,” Theos
said

confidently.

Rohan thought over the possibilities of
where a

handful of sorcerers could take a
vampire coven

and came up with a limited number of
options. He

had no doubt they were down in the
basement. He

flashed a look at Harris, who nodded.
He hoped

they were both on the same page. It took
a few

months of bonding before a vampire
couple could

read each other’s’ minds; until then, they
were at

the mercy of guessing.

“Go ahead,” Rohan said.

“I warned you,” Theos said. Rohan felt
the

prickle of magic rush across him on its
way to

Harris.

To Bite a Bear

Harris pulled out his pistol and pointed
it to his

head.

“One last chance,” Theos said.

Has the inoculation worn off? Maybe
Harris

hadn’t really been given the shot. Doubts
crowded

through Rohan’s head, but he did the one
thing

Harris always claimed he could, he
trusted Harris’

friends.

“Go ahead,” he dared.

Theos narrowed his eyes. Harris shot

both of

the henchmen before turning his gun
toward the

head sorcerer. Rohan had taken his gaze
off the

sorcerer when Harris began shooting.
He gasped

when he turned back. Theos was gone.

“He’ll be back,” Aden said. He human
slid

through an open window as he spoke.
“Sorcerers

are like cockroaches. The only time
they’re truly

dead is when you have to scrape them
off the

bottom of your shoe.”

Rohan wondered if the human had had a
bad

experience with sorcerers in his past,
but he didn’t

feel like he knew Aden well enough to
ask.

“Thanks for your help.”

Aden nodded at Rohan with a bit of old-
world

charm. “Always happy to help family.
Your

vampires are in the basement. I suspect
that most

if not all of them are innocent.”

“Thanks.” Rohan watched the human
until

Aden had gone through the doors and
completely

Amber Kell

vanished from sight. His father had
always taught

him to not to take his eyes off the biggest
predator

in the room.

“What do you say, love? Shall we go
and rescue

your people?” Harris asked.

“They’re our people,” Rohan said. “And
yes,

let’s go rescue them.”

Rohan took the arm Harris held out to
him and

headed down the stairs where they did,
indeed,

find all the vampires and humans alike.
Rohan

couldn’t stop smiling. It had been a good
day in

the end.

To Bite a Bear

Epilogue

den approached the filigreed casket.
Gallen

A lay there still as death. He didn’t
know why

he felt compelled to visit the sorcerer’s
casket, but

he couldn’t help himself. A compulsion
hit him

every time he came to visit Carey.

He couldn’t pass by the garden without

checking on the sorcerer lying there. He
almost

felt sorry for the kid. After his stay in a
sorcerer’s

dungeon, Aden harbored a deep hatred
of the

species, but this sorcerer wasn’t like the
others.

The kid was as much a victim as much
as any of

their prisoners before, his life on hold
while the

enchantment stayed in place.

“Hang tight, kid, I’ll see if I can find
your

mate,” Aden whispered. For some
reason, he

didn’t like the idea of anyone kissing
Gallen. Not

that he was homophobic or anything.
Hell, he was

bisexual himself but generally abstained
from sex

of any kind. Sex led to relationships,
which took

Amber Kell

away from his focus of watching over
his boys and

taking special projects for the
government.

He thought Gallen might become another
kid

under his protection, but he didn’t feel
paternal

toward this one. Instead, he wondered if
Gallen’s

lips were as soft as they looked and if he
was

breathing properly.

Aden sighed. He had another trip out of
town

in the morning, his last one for a while.
“I’m

getting too old.”

He knew soon he’d have to retire. He
might still

be faster than most of the men his age but
that

didn’t make him quicker than everyone
else. Time

for Aden Gale to be put out to pasture
before

someone buried him under one.

“See you later, kid,” Aden said.
Impulsively, he

reached through the metalwork to stroke
Gallen’s

cheek. “Fuck, I’m definitely too old for
this.”

He turned and walked away, determined
to

erase the image burning in his mind of a
young

man, the age of his own son, and the odd,
almost

overwhelming, need to kiss him.

About the Author

Amber Kell lives in Seattle, WA with
her husband,

two sons, three cats and one extremely
stupid dog.

She loves to hear from her fans at

amberkellwrites@gmail.com

Document Outline

Dedication
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Epilogue
About the Author

Document Outline

Dedication
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Epilogue
About the Author

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