Bear In Mind (A Billionaire Shifter Romance) (Atonement Book 1) Read online

  With Keri though, he wanted to do no wrong. Something about her demanded his absolute attention, his interest spiked with each further word she spoke. Even now, as she was in a cab driving somewhere across the city, he wanted to ensure she arrived safe, that nobody else even looked at her sideways.

  The biggest challenge was telling her how he felt. A feeling of guilt came over him then, as he remembered just why he had been in that coffee shop in the first place. No, telling her the truth about him would be the hard part. Knowing it was likely she would never talk to him again if he told her that, Derek went to bed, though he did nothing but toss and turn. The thought of disappointing Keri, of hurting her, kept him up all night, as he worried about how to explain everything.

  Keri

  The next morning, Keri wandered back to the coffee shop where she had first met Derek the night before. Her lips still tingled with the warmth of his kiss, her nostrils filled with the outdoors, a scent that seemed so much a part of him that she couldn't get over it.

  "Lizzie, it was so wonderful," she gushed over morning coffee with her friend.

  "So, come on, give me the juicy details!"

  "We went to this fancy bar I'd never even heard of. I'm pretty sure this guy is rich Liz, like, not well to do, but mega rich. He wouldn't let me pay, but I managed to get a quick glance at the bill, and it was close to five thousand dollars..."

  "Holy shit!" Lizzie exclaimed, then covered her mouth in surprise as she realized how loud she had yelled. Other customers were looking over at them, wondering what was going on. She hunched forward towards Keri to keep her voice down.

  "Keri that's insane, how much did you guys eat?"

  "We shared a bottle of wine and an appetizer. The craziest part is, he didn't even blink at throwing that much away as if he did it all the time and it was chump change to him."

  Keri looked down into her drink somberly as she said it, obviously not excited by the idea at all.

  "So if he's rich, attractive, and interested in you, why do you seem so down?" Lizzie had a thoroughly confused look on her face as she tried to puzzle out the problem.

  "Why is he interested in me?" Keri said miserably, a look of plaintive distress clearly evident on her face as she tried to puzzle it out.

  "Don't get me wrong Liz, I'm not stupid, I know I'm not ugly. But let's be serious here for a moment. A man like that, with his money, he could have just about anybody he wanted. So why does he need help finding a date?"

  Lizzie looked thoughtful for a moment, putting serious thought into her friends problem.

  "Well, have you ever thought that perhaps because he's so rich, he has trouble finding dates who aren't out for anything but his money?"

  Keri looked up sharply at that, never having considered the possibility that someone with so much money would have any sort of problems.

  "So, maybe he likes me, because I'm interested in who he is, not what he has?"

  "That's exactly what I'm suggesting. I mean, why else would he be there?"

  Keri nodded, taking another sip of her coffee, wrapping both hands around the mug for warmth. She thought this new approach over, trying to find flaws in it, but not coming up with any.

  "So, are you going to see him again?" Lizzie had a sly look on her face, obviously wanting to know if she was planning to sleep with Derek anytime soon. Her friend was always of the opinion that people should be having sex left right and center, with anybody they deemed attractive enough.

  Keri enjoyed sex, but to her it had to be with someone she had an emotional attachment to. Physical attraction was just not a big enough draw for her to feel satisfied afterward. There had to be trust there for her to get naked in front of somebody, and without it she would never feel completely comfortable.

  She wondered thoughtfully if she could be like that with Derek. The soft touch of his hands on her came rushing back all at once, accompanied by the memory of feeling safe within his arms the night before. There was something about him that was just so solid, so secure in everything he did. She knew she would never have to fear with him around.

  "Liz I'm scared, I think I'm falling for this guy already, and I've barely met him! All I can think about is spending more time with him, learning everything I can about him. This is nuts, I only went on one date with him."

  "You know I'm a big believer in love at first sight Keri," her friend replied, not being any help right now, for everything she said was pushing her further down a path of no return. She wasn't sure what she would do if she gave herself to Derek, only to have her heart broken again.

  Before Lizzie could say anything, Keri's phone started ringing, buzzing loudly on the table in front of them.

  "It's Derek." Keri's voice was tinged with nervousness, all of which was reflected in the way her stomach had suddenly twisted into knots. She desperately wanted to talk to him, to hear his soothing voice echo through her ears again. The phone slipped through her fingers as she clumsily picked it up, all her coordination lost as she tried quickly to answer it before it stopped ringing.

  "Hello, Derek?"

  "Hi Keri, it's so nice to hear your voice again." Her cheeks blushed a little at the compliment, her friend smothering a giggle at the obvious enjoyment on her face.

  "I was calling today, because I was wondering if you would like to go for a walk in the park?" It was such a simple request, something so small and trivial, yet it was exactly the type of outing Keri wanted to have with him.

  "I would love to, but I thought you said you had something planned today? Where did you have in mind?" She caught herself from babbling any more, and let him speak.

  "This is the event. As for the where, that's actually a surprise. Are you ready now?" The abruptness of his question caught her off guard. She put her hand over the phone and ran it past Lizzie first, to make sure she wasn't being rude leaving now. Lizzie rolled her eyes, telling her to shut up and agree already.

  "I'm just out where we met yesterday with my friend. Just tell me where to go."

  "Come outside, your ride is waiting." The phone went dead at that. Lizzie must have caught her strange look.

  "What happened?"

  "He said 'my ride is waiting' and hung up on me..." She looked out the window to see what he meant. Her jaw dropped at the sight before her.

  There, pulling up to the curb in front of the shop was an extremely expensive looking sports car, the top down in the warm summer air, with Derek at the helm. He waved jovially over at the two of them, a cheek splitting grin on his face, the midday breeze ruffling his hair.

  Keri drained the last of her coffee and got up to give Lizzie a quick hug.

  "Get out of here, you two look like a pair of teenagers, I can't stand it. Get going!"

  Laughing and feeling better than she had in a long time, Keri practically skipped outside. Derek had exited the car and come around to open the door for her. She gave him a little curtsey and slipped into the sleek ride.

  "Derek, I know you have money, and I really don't want it to seem like that's why I'm seeing you again, but I have to admit, this car is hot!." She leaned over and gave him a quick hug. He snuck in a kiss on her cheek, which made her blush furiously, trying to hide it beneath her sunglasses.

  "I know, but you make me feel like I'm eighteen again Keri, and besides, this puppy hasn't been out of the garage in weeks. I rarely get out to drive it, but I figured, a beautiful lady needs a beautiful ride, and there was just no other car that could keep up with you any better than this."

  He was flattering her and she knew it, but that didn't mean the compliment wasn't welcome either. Keri looked over at him as he wove in and out of traffic, headed towards the city's outskirts. He wasn't cocky or arrogant about anything, simply practical and almost down to earth it seemed.

  They hit the highway and went past the exit that took them towards the big park on that side of town. Keri frowned, wondering where they were going.

  "I thought you said you wanted to go to the park Derek
? That was the exit back there." She had to practically yell to be heard over the air rushing past them now, but it didn't bother her, she was having a wonderful time already.

  "That wasn't the park I had in mind, actually."

  A mysterious smile on his face, Derek guided them off the highway a short time later, at the exit marked 'Municipal Airport'. When Keri tried to get more details out of him, he simply winked and told her it was going to be fun.

  They eventually pulled up at a small airstrip. There was only one plane on the runway, a small, executive style jet. Keri had already figured out that Derek had something crazy in store for them, but this was getting a little ridiculous. She tried to say so, but he simply told her that it was okay, he wanted to do it.

  Derek invited her to climb into the cockpit, assuring her that the journey would be a short one. As they prepared for takeoff, he gave her some tasks, ensuring that she felt helpful and involved in the process. It was a small gesture, but it showed her that he wanted to be able to trust her, and not do everything himself. Being a generally independent person, Keri found herself having a great deal of fun with it.

  The plane trip wasn't overly long, and after less than half an hour, Derek announced they were nearly there. Looking out through the window, Keri gasped in amazed delight. They were flying over a beautiful landscape of rolling hills covered in rich, verdant greenery. It was one of the most incredible moments of her life, and one she instantly knew would stay with her forever.

  "Derek..." her voice trailed off, at a loss for words on how to express her awe. This was unlike anything anyone had ever done for her before. Her heart was aflutter, beating harder than ever at the prospect of enjoying an afternoon here, with this gorgeous man who obviously cared deeply about her. It was hard to believe they had only met the night before, it felt like much, much longer.

  They landed at a small runway and proceeded to take a jeep deep into the untamed wilderness. When they came upon a clearing he slowed to a halt. They disembarked, and from the back of the jeep Derek pulled a huge basket and a blanket.

  "Are we having a picnic?" She could scarcely believe herself.

  "We are Keri, and I hope you enjoy it." He seemed nervous almost, as if he didn't know how she would react to this. It was cute to see such a powerful man could be humbled by his desire to ensure her happiness. He never hesitated in his actions, indicating confidence in himself and his decisions, but it was there nonetheless. The combination of the two was intoxicating, and she knew that she would have a hard time turning him aside today if he tried to kiss her.

  Later, after a delicious lunch of premade sandwiches and fresh fruits, they reclined in the afternoon sun, her head on his lap as they watched the clouds go by, pointing out various shapes to each other. It was so cinema-esque that she had to stifle her laughter at one point. She realized she had failed when Derek asked her what was so funny.

  "It's just that this, right now, is so perfect, but also so cheesy. I hope you realize that." She made sure to put humor and appreciation into her voice as well, so that he wouldn't mistake it for sarcasm or distaste.

  "What, you mean the fact that this scene belongs in a movie, not real life?"

  "That's exactly what I meant, but don't let that stop you from taking me here again." She giggled as he pretended to ponder the suggestion. The smile of pleasure that crossed his face when she did made her heart melt. She desperately wanted to reach out and pull his face down to hers, but there was still a part of her that urged her to take it slow, no matter how strongly she was feeling about him.

  "I could lay here forever." She said it out loud, to no one in particular. As if understanding the moment, Derek didn't say anything, simply running his hand through her hair. She sighed with pleasure, reaching up to put her hand atop his, eyes closing in comfort and happiness.

  Derek

  A while later, the sun setting in the background, Derek sat up suddenly. Startled by the movement, he noticed that Keri scrambled to find her balance.

  "Keri, we need to leave. Now." The voice that came out of his mouth was dangerously dark and filled with command power. Keri started gathering things before she stopped to ask him why.

  "I'll explain later, once we're moving. Leave the blanket, let's go!" He grabbed Keri's arm and firmly pulled her towards the car. He tried not to be rough with her, hoping his tone of voice and insistent tugging would tell her something serious was going on.

  "Shit." His senses alerted him to the fact that their escape route was blocked. He hoped she would forgive him for cursing. He had tried extremely hard not to be too uncouth around her, to be a proper gentleman during the courtship.

  "Derek, what is going on? Can you tell me, please? I'm starting to get nervous over here." She was trying valiantly to prevent any fear from seeping into her voice, but he could sense it anyways, even without his non-human abilities.

  "Trouble. I hadn't meant to stay this long."

  "Let's get to the jeep then."

  "We can't. They're between us and it."

  "Who is?" The fear in her voice was bordering closer to panicking, and he realized he needed to explain a few things to her, to prevent anything worse from happening. This hadn't been how he had planned to tell her, to come clean on who, and what, he truly was.

  "Werewolves."

  "Werewolves? Those aren't real Derek." She looked at him now like he was crazy, taking a step away.

  "Actually Keri, shifters are very much real, and the different types very much dislike each other. The five, " he paused there, sniffing the air, "no, six wolves between us and the jeep like to pretend that this is their territory." He said it with as much derision in his voice as he could muster, to try and keep her calm.

  "Whose territory is it?" Her tone of voice was very cautious and unsure, so Derek decided he should just put it out there.

  "Mine." He snarled, the audacity of the forms in the dark trespassing on his land igniting the fiery temper that usually slept calmly within him.

  "Yours? Are you a- a werewolf, too?" She practically spat the word out, still not believing anything.

  The growl that came from the direction of the jeep stopped any more words from coming though. In the deepening dark, six sets of glowing eyes appeared, moving steadily closer.

  "Oh my god."

  "I can protect us Keri..."

  "But?" She may be scared witless, the snarls growing louder as the wolves closed in, but she hadn't lost her smarts. Despite what was going on around them, he found that incredibly arousing. His bear was going crazy within him now, wanting to simultaneously drive off the stubborn wolves while mating with Keri. A thin smile played across his face as he took a half second to appreciate the humor of that image.

  Derek took a deep breath, then let it out. "But it would mean showing you something I've shown very, very few people before. If I do, I'm not sure you'll ever trust me again, or even want to be around me. I hope you know how much I don't want that to happen."

  Keri

  A look of sadness came over his face, and Keri tried to open her mouth to respond. Before she could though, Derek had turned away from her, dropping the remnants of the picnic on the ground as he faced the wolves. They were only thirty or so feet distant now, steadily closing. They were snarling, snapping at the pair of them, trying to scare them off.

  A deeper, foreboding growl echoed through the clearing, sending a rumble down her spine. It took a moment for her to realize that it had come from Derek. As she watched, half in horror, half in fascination, he leaned forward, his arms elongating to reach the ground.

  The wolves had slowed their approach at the growl, and as he began to change, they stopped entirely. At first Derek's skin appeared to be darkening in color, but it quickly resolved into fur sprouting from everywhere. He let out another growl, this one louder than before, his head twisting and shaking slightly like animals do when they challenge one another. His frame was expanding in size, doubling, then doubling again.

  In
seconds, there was nothing left of Derek, only a massive grizzly bear where he had been. It pawed at the ground, massive claws leaving deep rents in the hard packed earth. It was a wordless challenge to the wolves, indicating that he was not backing down. The largest wolf moved forward slightly, teeth bared as it responded to him.

  Then Derek roared.

  It was a physical wall of sound, slamming into Keri and driving her to the ground it was so loud and powerful. She went down to one knee, hands bracing herself on either side for balance. Somehow she managed to look up, where she saw the wolves cowering beneath his full blown battle cry. To emphasize his power, Derek reared up on his hind legs and let loose another blast that, if anything, was louder than the first.

  It was an awe-inspiring display of power. No normal bear on earth could challenge that, and only the fact that the wolves were abnormally large and powerful themselves allowed them to not flee in terror. Still, they were the first to give, backing up several steps.

  The ground shook as Derek dropped onto his front paws, taking a step towards the intruders upon his territory. She hoped he wouldn't do anything stupid or try to show off. The odds were still against him at six wolves to one bear.

  When Derek charged, she blinked in surprise at his speed. One moment he was standing still, the next he was flying towards them. A moment later a wolf was flying through the air as he swatted casually with one paw. Another latched onto his back, eliciting a howl of pain. In one fluid motion though, he rolled on top of it, crushing it beneath his weight.

  A whimper of pain escaped the wolf before being cut off. While on his back he kicked out with both hind legs, sending a third wolf tumbling across the clearing until it slammed up against a tree. The wolf tried to stand up, but fell over, barely moving.

  In the span of thirty seconds Derek had eliminated half the enemy. Then a fourth darted in towards him, but he was even faster, raking his claws along its flank before it could do more than nip at his hind leg.