Fearless Bond (Bears of Beauville #1)

Chapter 15

15

CALVIN

Being pregnant was great. I decided I wanted one kid after another so I could be in this state of utter happiness nine months out of every year.

The heat had stopped, but I had no recovery symptoms at all. I wasn’t even sore. In fact, I still felt low-key horny. Every time I remembered how Barclay’s cock had speared me through and through and how his cum had surged into my womb, I got all hot and bothered again. Actually, just putting my hand on my lower belly could get me aroused. New life was already growing in me. Why was that so hot? And Barclay’s cum remained inside me. Most of it would seep out little by little, blended with my slick… but it was still in there now, making my stomach look bloated. I loved that.

I adored cuddling up to Barclay, knowing his cum was in me. I felt claimed and protected.

And so, when I received a concerned message from Laure, it didn’t faze me one bit.

Laurel: Barclay Black is a damned shifter, Cal. Call me immediately.

Not wanting Barclay to overhear if Laure got rude, I took my jacket and went out onto the porch. Barclay had cleared the snow from it so I could stand there in my sneakers without getting wet. I called Laure back.

“Calvin! You must move. My people did the background check on Barclay Black. He’s a bear shifter.”

“I know. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to freak you out.”

“Well, now I’m freaking out. He could be dangerous. I’m sending my guys…”

“That’s prejudice. Besides, I’m not going anywhere without him. I’m pregnant.”

“What?”

“Barclay is indeed a bear shifter, and I’m his fated mate. I went into heat the second night I was here, and we had breeding sex together. I’m 99 percent sure I’m pregnant. And he’s not dangerous at all. Not to me, anyway. He’s been taking care of me and protecting me.”

I waited for my friend to process the information.

“You got yourself knocked up by a bear,” Laure finally said.

“I’m staying with Barclay. We’ll live together here.”

“You just met him!” Laure yelled.

“You know it’s like that with shifters. The bond is instant.”

“Oh my fucking God. You escape one controlling alphahole and let another impregnate you mere days later. What the fuck, Calvin?”

“Don’t call him an alphahole,” I protested. “He’s a good man.”

“How can you know that? You’ve been with him for a few days, most of which you’ve spent bouncing on his dick.”

I snickered. That was true.

“It’s not funny!”

“I know you worry. But it’s okay, I promise. I like Barclay. I’m falling in love with him.”

“I’m coming to get you.”

“No, Laure. You can’t. I want to be with him.”

“I need to check that beast out for myself. If I find a single red flag, I’m kidnapping you.”

“Laure!”

“Besides, your father is looking for you all over the mountains.”

Shit .

“Your Barclay had better have some backup because Damian is with him, and they’re determined to drag you back to the city.”

My stomach turned. “Do they know about me staying in Beauville?”

“Maybe. If not, it’s just a question of time before they find out.”

Suddenly, I got painfully reminded of my anxiety issues. I was about to fall apart.

“I’m coming, Calvin. I’ll be there tomorrow.”

“But Barclay…”

Laure had already hung up.

Breathe .

Crushing pressure constricted my chest. I stumbled, grabbing the railing on the porch. The trees blurred. Blood thundered in my ears.

I hated these attacks. Hated them. Oh God, what if it could hurt the baby?

“Barclay!”

My voice broke. His name came out as a mere whine.

I fell to my knees. I couldn’t inhale. I’d pass out.

Before Barclay found me, I’d pass out and drown in my own vomit. The baby needed me to keep it together, dammit! I was so weak. Such a failure. How could I be a father?

The next second, the door flew open, and I was scooped up in a warm embrace.

“Calvin, sweetheart. I’m here, it’s okay. I’m here.”

Finally, air. Suffused with Barclay’s scent. I breathed against his shirt, clutching the fabric in my fists.

He sat on the porch swing and rocked us, cradling me in his lap like a child. The panic stopped immediately, and as I inhaled and exhaled, counting my breaths, the physical symptoms disappeared after a mere minute.

I lifted my head.

“It’s like magic.”

Barclay cupped my cheek. “What, my love?”

“Your scent. I can’t panic when you’re with me.”

“Let’s go back inside before you get cold.”

He kissed the top of my head and carried me into the living room. I loved it when he carried me.

“Can you tell me what happened to make you so scared?” he asked when we were cuddled up on the sofa.

“I talked to Laure. My father and Damian are coming for me.”

He clenched his jaw. “Let them find us. I’ll sort it out with them for good.”

“They could be dangerous, Barclay.”

He smirked, but his eyebrows remained scrunched up together. He looked sinister when he did that. “More dangerous than me?”

“In a different way. They have money and connections.”

“We’re mates, Calvin. As a shifter’s fated, you’re protected by law. They can’t lay a pinkie on you unless they want to spend the night in jail.”

I wanted to believe it. That my father wouldn’t want to hurt his own grandchild. That once Damian found out that I was mated to a bear shifter, he’d leave me be.

Except I knew them both too well. Damian Hart had never given up easily. And my father would never change a course of action unless he thought it was his own genius idea.

“We’ll have to confront them sooner or later,” Barclay said. He stroked my hair with tender fingers, searching my face with his kind eyes. “We need to tell your father that you’re with me.”

“It seems so easy now when I’m in your lap. I’m not scared when I’m with you. But as soon as you go a few yards away from me, I lose it. I’m weak.”

Barclay glared. “You’re most definitely not. What you did, breaking up with Damian and walking away, was brave as hell. And how you fought to stay alive in the freezing forest… You’re much stronger than you think, my sweetheart. But I’ll be here to protect you when you feel weak and afraid. Always.”

I laid my head on Barclay’s round shoulder. “I don’t want to see them at all. I want them to disappear.”

“Once we’ve dealt with them, it’ll be just you and me.”

Forever .

I would live here with Barclay for the rest of my life.

The forest behind the glass wall was completely white, with snow sticking to the tree trunks on one side. The birches were covered in sparkly fluff all the way to the thinnest top branches. I tried to imagine it green in the spring or dark with rain in the fall. Maybe I was still hazy and hungover after my breakdown, but it seemed like the most beautiful place in the entire world. I’d never even seen the actual town, but in my head, Beauville was a quaint and cozy cluster of log cabins, with just one local grocer, a pub, and one church tower sticking above the low roofs. Everybody knew everybody, and they were nice to each other because the mountains taught them they needed to help each other to survive… I needed to see the town for myself, but I had already decided I would love it.

“How does it look in the summer?” I asked.

Barclay hummed, combing his fingers through my hair. “Lovely. The forest is full of blueberries. I’ll make you a pie when they’re ripe. And there’s nothing quite like a meadow in bloom. We’ll hike above the tree line, and I’ll show you Beauville from above. We’ll pick mushrooms and go fishing.”

I smiled. The picture he painted seemed like a dream. I saw myself walking over a blooming meadow, holding Barclay’s hand. I carried a basket full of berries, and of course, my stomach was round with Barclay’s baby. The sun shone from a clear blue sky, and the mountain peaks rose around us in quiet glory.

A scary thought smacked me in the face. If I were to live here, I’d need to find a job.

“Barclay, is there a daycare in Beauville?”

“Sure. It’s tiny but growing.”

“Do you know the manager?”

“Phil runs it. I wouldn’t call him a manager exactly. He’s more like everybody’s uncle. His alpha is our sheriff. What? Are you already worrying about where our little one will go? He’s not even peanut-sized yet. I think we’ve got time before we entrust anyone with him.”

“I didn’t mean that. But do you think they’ll be hiring anytime soon? I could do an internship there and… I don’t know. I only have nine months, right? But…”

My heartrate picked up a little. What if Barclay wanted me to stay at home? He stared at me with concern. God . With me being pregnant and mated through some of that inexplicable shifter magic, he had power over me. First Father, then Damian… now Barclay.

The power Barclay wielded was much greater. He held my life in his hands.

“Will you let me work?” I blurted. My cheeks heated.

Barclay’s smile looked sad. “You never have to ask if I will let you do something, Calvin. You can do whatever makes you happy, and I’ll support you with everything I have because I love you.” He petted my cheek, his eyes warm and kind. “But one step at a time, okay?”

Could I be so lucky? Could I be safe and protected but have more freedom than ever?

“Okay. One step at a time.” I’d get rid of Father and Damian, then I’d have a baby, and then… I grinned. “I’m pregnant.”

Chuckling, Barclay hugged me to him. “You most definitely are.”

“I like it.”

“Good.”

We looked at each other, both of us smiling. We’d be a family. In comparison, everything else felt insignificant.