Page 49 of Bad Blood Bear

But he always let the moment slip by, and despite what she’d said to him in the hallway, she was scared to push it further.

Flynn also rescinded Rule Six, refusing to let Lissa try to Change until they could figure out what kind of magic Brother Damien had put into her. Flynn had put a call in to someone he knew—the man who’d given him his blue alpha magic—but he was on tour in Europe with his wife, country singer Ashley Silver, and he wouldn’t be back until after Thanksgiving.

Everything in her life seemed to be on hold.

She was just starting to go stir-crazy, when on the fifth day Tank came bounding into the tiny house while she was running a load of wash with her few clothes in it.

“Get your city duds ready, little lady,” he said, in a pitiful rendition of a cowboy twang. “Flynn says we can go shopping today.”

Lissa’s eyes went wide. “Really?” As much as she loved her itty bitty house, she wasn’t used to being tied to the same tiny circle of land. Even in the cult, there was the big house, plus fields and barns and gardens and apiaries. It wasn’t quite so…claustrophobic.

“Yep.” Tank grinned at her, his smile melting her heart as usual. He had on a nice pair of jeans—not his construction clothes—and a gray knit shirt that clung to his chest in a way that made her want to run her hands over it. “We’re going to get you some clothes, and boots, and a winter jacket, and…”

“Whoa,” Lissa said. “Not too much.”

“Just what you need,” Tank said. “I have the list here.” He tapped the pocket of his shirt, where Lissa could see a corner of yellow paper sticking out. She eyed it suspiciously. That pocket looked really thick, like there was more than one page of paper folded up in there.

She’d have to keep an eye on him. She didn’t want to be too beholden to anyone. It always came back to bite you in the end.

Tank was feeling way too good at the thought of spending the afternoon shopping with Lissa, buying her everything she needed and lots more she didn’t. Even Flynn’s last-minute admonitions barely dampened his spirits.

“If any growling starts, come home. Red glowy eyes, ditto. Raging desires to attack some kid flipping burgers and take over his grill, come home. And take these.”

He handed each of them a small hinged box. Tank knew what it was, but Lissa opened hers to look. Inside were two needle-sharp darts.

“Tranquilizer darts,” Flynn said. “One is enough to take either one of you down, but better to have spares.” He looked from one of them to the other. “No fucking around,” he said. “If something starts to go sideways, just jam the dart into whoever is losing it and pretend they passed out.”

“And then what?” Lissa asked, looking like she didn’t know whether to be amused or appalled. “Tank can carry me to the truck, if he has to, but I’m just going to be stuck with a passed-out Incredible Hulk Man in the middle of a mall, with people trying to take him to the hospital.”

“Fucking hell, don’t let them do that,” Flynn said. “Tell them you belong to some religion that doesn’t believe in science, and medical treatment is forbidden.”

“I’ll tell them he’s the Bear God Incarnate, and cannot be touched by hands other than those of his worshipers,” she said wickedly. “Like me.”

Tank grinned, and Flynn facepalmed. “I don’t know why I’m letting you do this,” he said. “Worst. Alpha. Ever.”

He was doing it because Tank had begged him to. He’d spent days sticking close to Lissa, spending time with her, until all he could think about was stripping her naked and pleasuring her body until she was a quivering mass of multiple orgasms, and then plunging his cock into her until she came again.

He needed to take her on a date. Buy her things. Someplace where making love to her until she clawed his back and screamed his name wasn’t an option.

Because he didn’t know if his bear could handle that. And he didn’t want to hurt her again by seeming to promise her things he couldn’t give her.

The mall was the perfect choice—especially when he saw her face. She looked around at the glittering scene, all bright lights and colorful window displays and metallic sheen signs, and her eyes sparkled like a kid on her first trip to the candy store.

His bear hummed in pleasure. Protect. Provide. Basic instincts, along with “procreate,” which he didn’t want to think about right now, because the very scent of her made him so horny he felt like he had a constant boner.

Shopping. List. Right.

They went from store to store, both of them giddy with freedom. Tank bought her jeans and tops and sweaters and pajamas and shoes and boots and a whole crapload of stuff from the Bath and Body store. Every time she protested, he claimed Flynn had okayed the list, and was going to ream Tank out if she didn’t have everything she needed.

Which was only a little true, because Tank was way exceeding the budget, kicking in his own money because every time they added another bag to the huge assortment he carried, his bear felt a little lighter and happier.

She balked at the electronics store, saying she didn’t need a cell phone because she didn’t know anyone to call but the crew, and she could do that by shouting from the porch of her tiny house.

“Flynn’s orders,” Tank said smugly, and it was even true. She flat-out refused the laptop computer, even though he could tell by her eyes how much she wanted it.

“You have to have it,” he said. “You know we all have to get jobs and contribute to the crew finances, and you need to brush up your web production and marketing skills. I’ll talk to Flynn about signing you up for online classes.”

“Really?” she said, stroking the sleek computer. “I guess if it’s to get a job…”