Savage Bear's Fated Mate: Misty Vale Shifters 2 Read online

  His bear was standing at full attention… His urge to claim her was strong, but his heart battled to stop him. Now, he just had to find out why.

  Chapter 3

  Stella looked at Smith as he drove them toward Misty Vale. This certainly had been a night quite like no other. She couldn’t believe her journey back to town had been thrown so many complications, but she had to admit, she was kind of glad this one had happened.

  She didn’t know what to make of Smith yet… He was aloof and seemed to find her both amusing and curious. She saw the way his eyes widened slightly when she spoke, the way he seemed to be sizing her up as if he wasn’t sure what to make of her either. But she knew he was hot as hell, and for that reason, she wasn’t going to rule him out just yet.

  As they approached the town, and she saw the sign come into view, a ton of memories began to flood her mind. She saw the town’s crest welcoming them, and it made her sigh. The dueling dragon and bear, fighting over a crown… How could I ever have forgotten it? It seemed to be printed everywhere at one point when she had been growing up. It was on her high school sweater, on some of the old stores that had run along Main Street, and now, as she was returning, it had been the first thing to jog her back into what it had felt like to be a resident all those years ago. The familiarity was in some ways reassuring, but at the same time she hoped that perhaps other things would be different.

  She had been so lonely as a teen, shying away from any social interaction outside of school hours. She had longed to get away from here, from the heartache she seemed to associate with this place, but now, as she was coming back as an adult, with a ton of life experience, she was relieved to know she didn’t feel as overwhelmed with emotion as she had feared. In fact, dare she admit, she was a little excited?

  She saw the lights shining brightly down from the Grand Lodge high up on the mountain, and as they pulled onto Main Street, she smiled as she recognized a couple of the old places from her youth, but also because she saw that this place had most certainly moved on for the better.

  “So,” Smith said as he cast his glance over to her. “Where are you heading?”

  She looked at the time and knew there was no way her aunt would still be at work, but part of her wanted to see the store all the same. She had heard so much about it; she had poured over email pictures and it had been part of the reason she had agreed to come home. It looked so magical and fun; a place Stella could imagine bringing her back to life.

  “Well,” she said. “I guess I better get to my aunt’s place.”

  “If you need anything, we can stop somewhere here on Main Street,” Smith asked.

  She smiled. It was like he had read her mind.

  “Are you sure?” she asked, hopeful. “I would only be a moment.”

  “Of course,” he laughed. “Hell, we’ve come this far.”

  Stella chuckled. She liked this guy, and she was already feeling far too comfortable in his company.

  She nodded and smiled, and so, he pulled to the side of the road and parked. She could see the lights shining out of Treasured Sweets up ahead, and all the baby pinks and blue bursting out in color from the window display, mixed in with some of the fall accents that her aunt had already told her they would be changing up this week to a full-on Fall and Halloween display, ready for the season.

  “I’ll be right back,” she said as she unclipped her seatbelt and opened the car door.

  She walked quickly to the front of the store and felt a rush of happiness to finally be seeing it in person. Apart from the window display, it was rather dark inside, but she could still see plenty of the shelves and the old sweet jars that were lined up around the outside of the room. It looked idyllic, like a traditional candy store that she used to visit on vacation as a child, and she clapped her hands together with excitement as she felt a rush of pride. Her aunt had created something truly special for Misty Vale, and Stella felt honored to be a part of it, even if it was in just a small way.

  She turned back toward the street, having to tear herself away from it before she practically beat down the door with excitement, and jogged back to the truck to see Smith waiting.

  She felt a flutter in her belly as she climbed back inside and looked up to him and his bemused expression.

  “So, do you just really like candy stores or what?” he asked with amusement.

  Stella laughed and shook her head.

  “You seem intent on teasing me,” she said.

  He shrugged his broad shoulders as if she had been asking for it, and it made her laugh even more.

  “It’s my aunt’s place,” she said as explanation. “I haven’t been back to town since it opened and I’m excited to see it. I’m going to be working there and helping her out.”

  She saw his head tilt to the side, and he looked at her with even more interest. She felt as if the moment she had laid eyes on this guy, it was almost as if they had known each other. But she knew she had never laid eyes on him before… It was deeper than that. As if their souls were speaking to each other, making connections their eyes and mouths at that moment could not.

  “You’re Camille’s niece?” he asked.

  She didn’t know why she was surprised to learn that he had heard of her. But she had to remind herself, this was not a big city that was full of strangers. It was Misty Vale, and clearly, Smith and her aunt had crossed paths, at some point. Especially, with her running one of the stores on Main Street.

  “Yes,” she smiled. “How do you know her?”

  Smith started the engine and smiled, but there was something behind it, as if he were now a little concerned.

  “Well, mainly, because of her running the store, and you know… Small town life.” He laughed.

  “Yeah, I guess,” Stella said.

  “But also, my family and I are the ones who organize the Oktoberfest… and Camille has been providing refreshments and running a couple of stalls since it began.”

  “Oh really?” Stella asked with intrigue, the penny beginning to drop for what this might mean going forward.

  “Yeah.” Smith laughed as he made his way out of Main Street and in the direction of Camille’s house. “So, I guess that means we’re going to be working together and seeing a lot more of each other…”

  Stella tried not to smile too wide.

  “I guess so,” she said as she looked out the window, away from him, and bit her lip.

  Misty Vale… she thought. What wild plans are you going to throw at me next?

  When Smith pulled his truck onto Camille’s street, Stella breathed out deeply as more memories came flooding back to her. Her aunt had not moved, and her house stood proudly at the end of a small cul-de-sac, one that had been improved a lot over the years. All the houses had been well-maintained and the paint was all fresh, making them look as if they could have just been built recently, but still retaining their more historic charm. Camille’s was looking out at them, with lights lit in the windows and a cozy vibe seeping out from beyond.

  “Well,” Stella said as she looked to Smith. “I have to say, thank you so much. I don’t know what I would have done without you tonight.”

  “It’s no problem,” he smiled, his eyes open and his expression warm.

  She still felt the pull toward him, as if she could easily reach out and take hold of his hand, but she stopped herself and smiled meekly.

  “I’ll get my things put into the truck and head out at first light to tow your car back to town,” he said. “My family has a garage just off Main Street. Your aunt will know the one. I’ll take it there and get them to have a look at it for you.”

  “Thank you,” she said, genuinely humbled by how kind he was being to her. “Are you sure? You’ve already gone to so much trouble.”

  “Of course, I’m sure,” he half-laughed. “I have a feeling that meeting you, tonight, may have saved me from making a terrible mistake.”

  She watched the way he looked out the window, as if he were suddenly deep in thought. She had no idea what he meant, but she was glad that she had helped all the same.

  “Well, thank you again, Smith.” She smiled as she reached for the door handle, her body yearning to stay close to him.

  Smith opened his too, snapping himself out of his moment of deep concentration, and headed around to the back of the truck to help with some of her bags.

  As she walked toward the house, she couldn’t help but look over her shoulder, her mind racing and her heart thumping. He was so hot, had been so kind to her, and now that she knew she had a reason to see him again, it made her all the more excited.

  “Good night, Stella,” he called to her, and she turned to face him fully from the steps of her aunt’s porch, and she smiled and waved.

  She could see the glint in his eye and could tell that he was feeling it too. It was powerful and had the potential to knock her off her feet. She took a deep breath before she turned and tried to compose herself. She was going to have to get a grip. She couldn’t be feeling like that about a guy when she had just rolled into town. Plus, she had an innate fear of getting too close to people and had the habit of pushing them away. None of this made sense and she was going to have to try and get a hold of herself.

  She heard his engine start, and she made a point of not looking back again; instead, she reached up and knocked loudly on her aunt’s door. She had barely rapped her knuckles on the wood when it came flying open and her Aunt Camille was rushing at her, throwing her arms around her and pulling her in tightly for a hug.

  “Oh, Stella,” she said with sheer joy and delight. “You’re home.”

  She held her aunt tightly and felt genuinely pleased to be there. It had been so very long since she had set foot in this house, and yet, when she opened her eyes and looked past her aunt and inside, it was as if she had never been away. It was all so familiar and all so welcoming that it actually felt good to be there.

  Her aunt helped take her bags and ushered her inside. From out on the street, she heard Smith’s truck disappearing into the distance, and she couldn’t help but think of him again too, wishing she’d had more time with him but also knowing she would soon see him again. So much had happened in the past few hours that her head was in a total spin, but she had made it back to Misty Vale, and she had made it back to her aunt’s.

  “Come on through.” Camille beamed as she took hold of Stella’s hand and led her into the back of the house where her cozy kitchen was waiting, smelling delicious and of freshly baked cookies.

  “You’re so late,” Camille said as she pulled out a chair and ushered Stella to sit down. “But even so, I couldn’t resist making your favorite.”

  Stella clapped her hands together, like a giddy, excited child and grinned up at her aunt.

  “This is like stepping back in time,” she laughed. “But I love it.”

  “I’m so glad you’re here,” her aunt smiled. “But where the devil have you been? I was expecting you no later than nine and it’s almost eleven o’clock.”

  “Oh, have I got a story for you…” Stella said with wide eyes. “I take it you didn’t notice I’m not in my car?”

  Camille shook her head and grimaced.

  “I got stuck on the mountain; it just conked out on me. But luckily, a very handsome and kind man came to my rescue. He gave me a lift back here and is going to head back out in the morning and tow the car back to a garage for me. I don’t know what I would have done without him; he totally saved my ass.”

  Stella laughed, and she saw her aunt’s eyes shine with warmth too.

  “I’m so glad you’re all right,” Camille said, holding her hand up to her chest. “I’ve been stuck on the mountain before too, and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone, especially at night.”

  “My phone didn’t have any signal, so I have no idea what I would have done if he hadn’t come by. He was like my knight in shining armor.” When Stella said the words, she didn’t realize how dreamy she had made them sound, as if she had already fallen head over heels. It wasn’t until she looked back to her aunt and saw the suspicious look on her face.

  “Oh really?” Camille asked knowingly, with a raised brow. “And who might this knight in shining armor have been?”

  “…Smith,” Stella said with a grin and after a long pause. “I didn’t catch his surname. He knows you, though.”

  Camille’s eyes widened slightly, and she sat back in her chair.

  “Smith Savage?” she asked, her expression changing from one of intrigue to one of concern.

  “I don’t know…” Stella said warily. “I just know his family runs the Oktoberfest and they own a car garage in town.”

  Camille nodded her head slowly, as if something was clicking into place.

  “Oh yes, that’s Smith Savage all right,” she said with a half-laugh. “A nice man… but not one you should be mixing with.”

  Stella furrowed her brow.

  “What do you mean?” she asked, her heart beginning to sink.

  “Smith…” Camille said ominously. “Well, Stella… He’s a bear.”

  And just like that, Stella’s heart truly sank to the pit of her stomach. All the memories and politics of Misty Vale rapidly began hitting her hard all over again.

  Welcome home, Stella, she thought. Welcome home.

  Chapter 4

  With Stella’s car firmly attached to the tow rope and bar at the back of his truck, Smith was already heading back to town with it before the Town Hall clock had even struck 7am.

  He had barely slept all night, tossing and turning, constantly churning over the events of the past day, but also the run up to Oktoberfest. It had been a stressful few months, and it had culminated in him wanting to leave town without even telling the rest of his pack. They had driven him mad over the course of the past year, and he felt the tension in town rising between the bear and dragon shifters. It was surely only a matter of time before something kicked off, and Smith had not wanted to be there to witness it.

  But then, last night had happened. He had thrown a bag into the back of his truck, jumped behind the wheel, and headed off into the night. What sort of cruel twist of fate was it that Stella had been there, broken down in the midst of the fog and the dark, blocking my path and in need of saving?

  He had felt something instantly with her, and he knew something important was happening, but he was also wary. Even if every instinct in his entire being was telling him to claim her, he had to hold back.

  She wasn’t just any girl.

  This was Stella, the niece of Camille. A cousin of the infamous Striker and Dash Livingstone, two of the most powerful dragons in Misty Vale. He knew that they had family that weren’t shifters themselves, and he sensed something different in Stella the moment they met. And now, he knew why. Even though she wasn’t a shifter, she had been touched by dragon magic… And he wondered which one of her parents had been closely associated with the dragon clan, or indeed had been born into them.

  He knew Camille well, and she was the same as Stella, touched by dragon magic but not possessing it herself. She had regularly spoken of her niece who lived away, so for Stella to return to town and come bursting straight into Smith’s life, it all seemed so crazy.

  But Smith had plenty of reasons to not get involved with anyone involved with the dragon clan. The age-old bear – dragon war was only just the tip of the iceberg. Smith had never trusted the dragons, and when his last girlfriend had run off with one, leaving him with a broken heart a few years ago, he had sworn that he would never mix with them again.

  But… Stella…

  Stunning Stella, innocent and vulnerable, out on the mountain. Someone whose soul had spoken to him in so many ways, just by one look. She had stirred something inside of him that he had never felt before… And yet, now, he learned she had come from a dragon family, even if she wasn’t a dragon shifter herself or had dragon's blood flowing through her veins.

  He sighed as he turned down Main Street and tapped his fingers on the top of the wheel.

  He felt conflicted and in a right mess.

  He hadn’t been looking for this, and yet, he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her since the moment he had met her. She had haunted him all night, and he had laid awake, staring up at the ceiling, remembering how his skin had felt on fire when their eyes had met. How his bear had growled deep inside of him, wanting to break free.

  Stella.

  How could someone so innocent and pure be affiliated with the dragons? Why would fate do this to me?

  It had caught him completely off guard.

  But he was glad for it, all the same. Now, he hadn’t left town on a whim, he had been brought back by her, and no one in his pack had to know that he had thought about leaving. He knew, deep down, that he couldn’t run from responsibility; it had just been a mad moment. So, he had Stella to thank for that. She had brought him back to where he truly belonged.

  He pulled behind Main Street and into the parking lot of the garage, before stopping and turning the key. He could see that his brother-in-arms, Brandon, was already inside, working on another vehicle, and had, no doubt, been there since the crack of dawn. He waited for Brandon to look up from underneath the hood and then he waved before getting out of the truck.

  “Morning, Brandon,” he called. “How’s it going?”

  “Well, this is early for you,” Brandon laughed, rubbing his hands on an old rag. “What’s going on?”

  He approached slowly and craned his neck to see around the back of the truck to Stella’s car waiting there, attached by the rope.

  “I helped a girl out on the mountain last night,” Smith said. “She had broken down, said it just crashed out on her. I saw smoke coming from the hood and took a quick look, but it looked as if it’s going to need some serious repairs.”

  “Lucky for her, you were going by,” Brandon said. “Well, if you detach it, we can push it into the shop, and I’ll take a look when I get a chance.”