Chapter 3

“Changing your shirt again?”

Ryan snarled at Julian DuCharme, the Spirit Bear who’d mated Cyn. The man was smirking, his dark eyes sparkling with mischief. His long hair was tied back in a braid that Cyn would undoubtedly undo the moment she got her hands on it.

“It’s like watching a sixteen-year-old girl get ready for a first date.” Alex, bald and big and sweet as honey unless you pissed him off, grabbed a dark blue button-down shirt. “Here. It goes with your eyes.” The asshole batted his lashes at Ryan and sighed. “You want me to do your hair?”

Julian began to laugh. “I get to do his nails.”

“Fuck you both very much.” Ryan slipped the shirt on, checking himself out in the mirror. He wanted to look perfect for Glory. She deserved to have a mate she could be proud to be seen with, and he was going to do whatever it took to give her that. Even…

He shuddered.

Go clothing shopping.

Ugh.

“Okay, pretty boy. Let’s make you gorgeous.” Julian grabbed a brush, laughing harder when Ryan swatted him. “Oh, come on. We can put barrettes in and everything.”

Ryan thought about gutting them both, but at least his hands had stopped shaking. The two of them had stopped by, taken one look at his pale face and wide eyes and shoved him back into his apartment. They’d proceeded to try and get him to relax, but until he had Glory mated and marked, not much was going to accomplish that.

She’d scared the shit out of him earlier that day. Her panic attack, and the reason behind it, had left him with very little choice. He had to make sure she understood exactly what she was to him, and fast. Seeing her in pain, unable to breathe, unable to even think, had shaken him to the core.

He’d already called Eric, Bunny’s brother and Ryan’s cousin, and sent him back to deal with the work in Oregon. Ryan couldn’t leave Glory, and

Glory couldn’t leave Cynful, so Ryan was staying in Halle. Eric was just as qualified as he was to handle the money aspect of the business, and since he would wind up inheriting Bunsun Exteriors along with Bunny, Ryan had no issue with Eric taking over the books.

But somehow, Ryan didn’t think Eric would remain in Oregon for long. All the Bunsun-Williamses had fallen in love with the small Pennsylvania town. Ryan was positive they’d all wind up here in the end, taking Bunsun Exteriors’ corporate offices from the West Coast and moving it to the East.

Ryan had no issue with that. The closer he was to Glory, the better. “Seriously, though. You look good, you’ve got a great plan and Glory

panics at the thought of you leaving. I think you’re doing better than you thought you were.” Bunny grabbed the picnic basket Ryan was planning to use for today’s date and placed the wine he’d picked out and two plastic glasses inside. “If she cares enough about you to have a panic attack, then she might be closer to allowing you to mark her than we thought.”

Dear God, Ryan hoped so. The mate dreams were exhausting him.

Julian handed Ryan his jacket. “Remember. Glory’s a lot more delicate than she seems.”

This time it was Ryan who laughed. “She’s survived losing her family, her twin’s disappearance, being shot at and almost killed. She’s stronger than you think, Julian.” Ryan slipped the jacket on and grabbed the basket. “Just because she’s prone to panic attacks doesn’t mean she’s weak. My mate is a survivor.” And no one could be prouder of their mate than Ryan was. Glory was amazing.

“I’m just saying, be careful with her. I don’t want to have to explain to Cyn how my friend broke hers.”

Ryan snorted as the three men left the apartment. Ryan still had to pick up the food and Glory. Checking his watch, he saw he still had plenty of time. “I’m not going to break her.” He grinned evilly. “Well, not in a bad way.”

Bunny shook his head. “Just do us a favor and make sure your mate is happy.”

“Because if your mate is happy, our mates are happy.” Julian climbed into his car. “And one more bit of advice. Clean your apartment before you bring her back here.”

Ryan frowned. “What’s wrong with my apartment?”

Bunny and Julian glanced at each other and shuddered. “Just do it.”

“It’s not that bad.” Both men stared at him.

“Really. My place in Oregon was way worse.”

Julian cocked an eyebrow at him. “Did any of the intriguing new life forms you were breeding start to speak to you? And how did they feel about your leaving them alone?”

“Fine.” Ryan sighed. “I’ll run the vacuum before I bring her back.”

Bunny shivered. “You might want to consider a flamethrower. I hear you can get one on eBay.”

“Or Craigslist.” “Even better.”

“Ha. Ha.” Ryan climbed into the car, placing the empty picnic basket on the passenger side floor. He was going to do this up right, damn it. “I have to go pick up the food before I get Glory.”

“Good luck.” Bunny patted the hood of his car. “And remember what we said.”

“Be good to Glory and fumigate my apartment.”

Bunny and Julian both laughed as they said good-bye. Ryan made his way to the restaurant and picked up the food before heading over to the apartment Glory had once shared with Cyn and Tabby. Now that the girls were living with their mates in their homes, Glory was all alone. That was something Ryan hoped to fix, and soon. He was more than willing to do what Bunny had done and buy a home in the area, but first he had to mark his mate.

He pulled up in front of Glory’s home on time and wiped his sweaty palms against his jeans. The guys were right. He was acting like a sixteen- year-old on his first date, but damn it. He’d waited so long for her to say yes to going out with him that he felt nervous as hell. What if the date was a flop? What if she decided he wasn’t worth it?

He took a deep breath and got out of the car. There was only one way to find out, and that wasn’t sitting in the car and hyperventilating.

Ryan knocked on Glory’s door and waited. He knew the area around her apartment intimately, having stood guard over her both when Tabby was in danger and when the girls were being targeted by a madman. He scanned the area now, automatically looking for threats to his mate. Finding none, he turned back to her door just in time to see her open it.

His mouth watered at the sight of his mate. God, she looked edible. Jeans that were painted on, a wispy nothing of a top, and high-heeled boots combined with that cascade of blue hair, and he was ready to say fuck the picnic and, well, just fuck her. “You look incredible.”

She grinned. “So do you.” She waved him in. “Let me grab my coat and we can get out of here.”

He was all for that. “I think you’re going to like what I’ve got planned.” And if things worked out the way he hoped, he’d love the aftermath.

“We’ll see.”

He didn’t let her skepticism get to him. He understood now why she constantly pushed him away. He’d have to prove over and over that he wasn’t going anywhere, but his mate was worth it. He’d show her however many times she needed that she’d never be alone again. “You ready?”

“Ready.” She slid her arm through his and grabbed her purse. “Ryan?” “Yeah?”

For just a moment, she looked terribly sad. “I’m sorry.” “For what?”

She locked her door before answering. “Do you know why none of my relationships have ever worked in the past?”

“Because you always leave before they do.” She glanced at him, obviously startled, as he led her to his car. “It’s not rocket science, SG.”

She blew her curls out of her eyes as she settled in the passenger seat. “You’re such a smart ass.”

He laughed as he settled into the driver’s seat. “Better a smart ass than a dumb ass.”

She glanced at him sideways. “But first you have to be smart, or you’re just an ass.”

“Oh, ouch.” He put his hand to his chest. “You wound me.”

Laughing reluctantly, Glory put on her seat belt. “Do I smell Chinese food?”

“Yup.”

“But I thought…” She trailed off, biting her lip.

“What?” Oh, God. Don’t tell me I screwed up on the first date.

“Nothing.” But she turned to look out the passenger side window rather than at him.

“I wanted us to be alone, so I arranged a surprise. Was I wrong?” She looked back at him, her gaze speculative. “No, maybe not.”

Thank fuck. Because he’d have to ditch the food in the nearest trash can if she’d said yes, and he really liked Kung Pao chicken. “Then let’s get this party started.”

The mysterious smile that crossed her face scared the shit out of him, but it was too late now. He just hoped things went the way he’d planned, because he didn’t think he could survive it if his idea set him back to square one with her.

There was only one real place in town worthy of a first date: Noah’s, the best restaurant in town. So that was what she dressed for, expecting spaghetti carbonara and good wine, despite the fact that he’d said the date would be casual.

So of course, that wasn’t where Ryan had planned to take her, because Ryan rarely did what she expected. She should have known.

Hell. She should have worn sneakers.

“The park?” Glory shivered, glad she’d chosen to dress in her good black jeans and not the teeny skirt she’d originally intended. It was cold out, the sky that bright, pale blue that you only saw at the tail end of winter.

Ryan glanced down at her, amused. “You want to run into my family?”

Glory winced. The Bunsun-Williams clan was loud, boisterous and very much a part of Ryan’s life. She’d watched Tabby and Cyn struggle with the overwhelming family. None of the girls were used to having that kind of loving dynamic in their lives, and the adjustment was an ongoing process that sometimes left them exhausted. The Bunsun-Williamses had “accidentally” intruded on more than one of Julian and Cyn’s dates in the past. So perhaps having a picnic wasn’t such a bad idea after all. “Good point.”

“Just so you know, I can’t cook.” Ryan grinned. “I can’t boil water without setting something on fire, so unless you can cook we’ll be eating a hell of a lot of takeout.”

Glory took the hand he offered when her heeled boots sunk into the grass. Spring was definitely coming if the ground had started to thaw enough for that. “You think so, huh?” He was assuming an awful lot if he thought she was going to cook for him.

He chuckled. “Ask Bunny about the time I tried to barbecue. He still screams like a little girl when I mention pork chops.”

She helped him set up the blanket on the ground. “I thought barbecue was bred into the bone with guys, like football and setting farts on fire.”

He stared at her for a moment. “Farts on fire?”

She shrugged. She’d seen more than one butt burn when her brother was younger.

“Yeah. Not this guy.” He settled her on the blanket, taking a seat next to her. “I wasn’t kidding when I said I set water on fire.” He opened the basket and pulled out a bottle of wine. “My cousins played hockey with the leftovers.”

She sputtered a laugh and began helping him unpack their dinner. The smell of Chinese food filled the air. She opened one of the boxes as he took the other. “Mm, General Tso’s chicken. How’d you know that’s my favorite?”

“A certain little Wolf told me.” He handed her some chopsticks, using his own pair to dig out what smelled like Kung Pao chicken. “Dig in.”

She did, moaning as the spicy-sweet flavor exploded on her tongue. “’S good.”

He poured two glasses of wine, handing her one. “I want something from you.” He laughed when she glared at him. “That too, but, no. I want you to ask me anything.”

She blinked, confused. “Anything?”

He nodded, licking sauce off the end of his chopstick. “We’ve danced around each other quite a bit, but…” He sighed. “We haven’t tried to get to know each other, not the way mates should.”

Glory grimaced. Most of that was her fault. He’d been trying so hard to get close to her, even leaving her those presents, but she couldn’t help the way she reacted to Ryan. The man scared the piss out of her. No one she’d ever met had ever held the power to hurt her quite so badly, but Ryan Williams could without even trying. Already she couldn’t imagine him not bopping into the shop, smiling and chasing her around her piercing station.

What would she do if he left?

“No. Don’t feel bad.” He put his hand on hers, his blue eyes going brown for an instant as his Bear peeked out at her. “Don’t feel bad. I should have known why you kept pushing me away.”

“Oh really? Like I go around telling people I have abandonment issues.” Glory rolled her eyes.

He used his chopsticks to pick up a bit of General Tso’s and held it to her lips. “I still should have known.”

“I hate to tell you this, but you aren’t Super Bear.” She laughed. “Hell, even Super Bear didn’t know, okay?”

“Then I want to know. Tell me everything.”

Glory sighed. “Wonderful first date topic. You really know how to show a girl a good time.”

He froze, his expression stricken before it closed off. “You’re right. We should keep things light—”

She covered his lips with her finger. “Damn it. Don’t look like that.” She pouted at him. “How long have we known each other?”

“Close to a year.”

From the wary way he answered she was willing to bet he knew down to the day, but didn’t want to seem like a stalker. Which he totally was. “You said you wanted me to ask you anything, but the truth is you want the same.” He nodded, still wary. “Then do it. Ask. I’ll tell you if you go too far.”

“You mean it?”

“Have I ever said something I didn’t mean?”

“I refuse to answer that on the grounds that I may be incinerated.” He popped a bite of General Tso’s in her mouth when she opened it to reply. “All right. Back and forth?”

She tilted her head. “You mean, I ask you something, then you ask me?” “One for one, with the caveat that we can say no with no hard feelings.” She thought about that for a moment, but she couldn’t see a downside.

“That’s fair.”

He held out his hand. “It’s a deal, then.” She smiled and took his hand, ready to shake, but instead he tugged her forward and planted a soft kiss on her mouth. “Go ahead, sweetheart. Ask me something.”

She licked her lips, the spice from his dinner mingling with the sweetness of hers. “Um.” Her brain had completely blanked out at the touch of his lips.

He gave her that smug, knowing smile that made her want to beat him with a sledgehammer…or ride him like a pony. She hadn’t decided yet. “What’s wrong? Bear got your tongue?”

The sledgehammer was winning. “What’s it like having to call Alex boss? You know—” she leaned in closer and ran her finger down his arm,

“—having to do every little thing he tells you to.”

“Do I want to know what’s going through your head, or should I just assume it’s dirty and try not to picture it?” He shuddered when she wagged her brows. “Ugh. Really?” He grimaced. “I’d rather…” His gaze went dreamy. “Oh. Cyn is your boss. Can I picture—”

She hit him. Hard.

“All righty then.” Ryan rubbed his chest absently, ignoring Glory as she shook the pain out of her hand. His chest was a lot harder than she’d thought. “First off, I don’t call Bunny boss. I call his dad boss, remember? Bunny doesn’t own the business. Besides, odds are good it will be Eric who becomes the owner of Bunsun Exteriors. Bunny wants to run the East Coast operations, but our home base is still in Oregon.” He picked up her sore hand and kissed it.

“But didn’t Alex say they might be moving it here?”

Ryan nodded. “Yeah, but I don’t know if the whole business will, or just the family.”

“I can’t see one going without the other.” She took another bite of food. “True. Maybe they will move out here, but either way Alex and I will be

staying here, where you and Cyn are.” He smiled. “My turn. Tell me about your family.”

“I have two sisters and a brother. Hope disappeared when I was sixteen.

Temperance is my older brother—”

“Temperance? Poor bastard. Who names their son that?”

“My asshole dad, who wanted us all named after virtues. Faith is my younger sister. She should be about Heather’s age.”

“Speaking of which, Heather is working out, right? She’s been really happy coming into the shop.”

Glory grinned. “That kid is going to own her own shop someday. She’s really good, Ryan, and she’s scary-smart. I’m glad Cyn offered her a job.” “Me too, no matter what Eric says. I’ve never seen her so happy before,

and she’s coming out of her shell a little more every day.” He kissed her hand again. “Thank you for that.”

She blushed. “I haven’t done anything.”

“You’ve done more than you know.” He picked up his carton and began eating again. “Your turn.”

She bit her lip and asked the one thing that she’d always wondered about. “Why me?”

“Besides the fact that your scent fills my head, your voice sends shivers down my spine and your smile makes the sun shine?”

“I…guess.” Oh, he was good.

Ryan kissed her again. “I like you, more than you know. You’re funny, brave, smart and beautiful and you’re not afraid to fight for your loved ones. You’re not perfect—” for a second she almost felt insulted, “—but I like your quirks just as much as your strengths.”

“Fine.” She bit her lip, unbearably touched. “You get a second date.” Ryan just smiled and fed her another bite of food.

“Oh, I’ve been meaning to thank you.”

“For what?” Ryan was watching her, his blue eyes blending with the brown of his Bear.

“The presents.”

Ryan’s stillness frightened her, but his question terrified her. “What presents?”

Glory took a deep breath. “Shit. You didn’t leave me champagne and roses this morning, did you?”

“No.” And his blue eyes were now completely brown, fangs peeking out from under his lip. “I didn’t.”

“Then who did?” Because now she was creeped the hell out. Someone had been watching her closely enough to figure out what her favorite things were without her knowing about it.

Worse, her shifter boyfriend, who was constantly around her apartment, hadn’t noticed.