Bellann Summer

For those of you who missed ManLove Summerlove, and have read Cameron and Keaton, and Silver and Mikey, here is book 2.5 of the Operation True One series. I hope you like it.

Cameron Kodiak sank his fingers into Keaton Johnston’s silky brown hair and stared deep into his mate’s striking ice blue eyes. During the birth of their son, one of Keaton’s less colorful threats included a request for marriage. Humans seemed to find repeating ancient words and exchanging rings important. For Cam, the bite mark on Keaton’s shoulder was enough for him, but if Keaton wanted a human legal binding, then that was what would happen.

“I don’t think we’re supposed to see each other before the wedding,” Keaton whispered, his face glowing with happiness.

Cameron brushed his lips over Keaton’s needing the taste. “You did not sleep in our bed last night. So far, I do not like these traditions of yours.”

“You made your views known when you climbed through the motel window and spent the rest of the night making love to me.” Keaton cupped Cam’s cheek. “The point of being separated is so that you miss me, and when I walk down the aisle, you realize how much you want, need, and love me.”

“I already know those things.” Cam backed Keaton up against the wall and pressed his much larger body against his mate’s. “What we have is so much more.”

Covering Keaton’s lips with his, Cam dipped his tongue in for another taste. On the palm of Cam’s hand, the mark of a purple crescent moon outlining one edge of a bright orange sun, burned. 

How things had changed. Cam had tried to kill Keaton when he had first seen the crescent moon birthmark – the mark of the Jackal - on Keaton’s thigh. Kodiak grizzly bear shifters were taught from an early age that death came to the shifter who intimately touched a human born with the mark and destruction came to the family of the shifter.

Cam had not only touched, but mated, and conceived a child with Keaton. The moment Cam had bit into Keaton’s shoulder during their initial mating, Keaton’s birthmark transformed to include the sun, and the same image appeared on Cam’s hand.

The door to the dressing room opened and Cam’s cousin Owen stuck his head into the room. “You two better break it up and get out into the church. Some of the Kodiak family is eyeing the Johnston family with hunger in their eyes.”

Cam growled, hating that he had to separate his lips from Keaton’s.

“Silver said he would make sure that no Kodiak overstepped any boundaries with Keaton’s family,” Cam said, referring to the alpha of the Kodiak family. No one would dare take on Silver, except for his mate Mikey. Most of the time, the tiny man led the massive shifter on a merry race.”

“Well, Mikey decided to play a game of hide and seek with Silver, and now Silver is searching for him,” Owen explained.

“What did Silver do to send Mikey running?” Keaton asked.

“I’m thinking it might have been when he announced that a new child was calling to him,” Owen admitted.

"Shit, Mikey just had their baby a couple of weeks ago." Keaton tried to step back out of Cam's arms. Yeah, that wasn't happening, and Cam pulled him closer. Keaton's hands cupped Cam's face. "I need to find Mikey. I can only imagine the panic he must be feeling."

“Or anger?” Cam asked, knowing Keaton’s cousin’s temper.

Keaton smiled. “That too.”

“We will let Silver and Mikey work out their differences,” Cam announced. He liked Keaton where he was, in his arms.

“Um, Keaton,” Owen interrupted. “I haven’t seen Charlie around. Is he coming to the wedding?

A spark of interest flashed in Owen’s eyes, replacing the usual dull sadness. Years ago, Owen had tried mating a human woman who wasn’t his soulmate. The child they managed to conceive died after a premature birth, as so many children of lukewarm matings seemed to over the last decade. Owen never recovered from the loss of his child or his mate leaving him after the tragedy.

“He should be here somewhere,” Keaton answered. “Along with Dante and Mikey, he’s one of my witnesses.”

“Oh.” Owen stepped back out of the doorway. “Well, I was just wondering. I’ll go see if I can calm things down out there while you two get ready for the ceremony.”

Screams erupted from the Church’s sanctuary.

Owen stuck his head back in the doorway. “Hurry.”

* * * *

Keaton Johnston, soon to be Keaton Johnston Kodiak snuggled closer in his mate’s embrace and rested against his wide, muscled chest. Cam leaned over and shut the door in Owen's face. If the Owen hadn't been shifter quick, he would have lost his nose.

Cam rubbed his cheek over Keaton’s hair, marking him with his bear’s scent. Thinking of the hours of delight Cam gave him when he spread his scent over Keaton’s entire body created tingles of desire that traveled straight to his groin.

Keaton took in a slow easy breath, trying to tamp down his arousal. Cam would think nothing of fucking him against the wall while close to one hundred wedding guests waited down the hall. His true one, the one the old scroll in his grandfather’s attic urged him to search for, bent his will to no one, except the alpha, Silver.

Firm lips covered his, and Cam’s tongue pressed in, searching, exploring, and conquering. The submissive in Keaton gloried in Cam’s dominance. How surprising it had been, that his temperament had gelled so easily with the unbending, possessive bear shifter.

Hands cupped Keaton’s ass. A shiver raced over his skin. Thumps and angry voices from the other side of the door, faded.  Warmth pooled in his lower belly.

Keaton’s eyes popped open. Cam let him break the kiss, and he found himself staring up into sparkling brown eyes. 

Cam’s deep voice and warm happiness washed over Keaton’s frozen in shock being. “A new little one is calling for us, my one.”

“Orion isn’t even a year old,” Keaton pointed out, now knowing how his cousin Mikey must be feeling. Maybe he could slip away and hide.

Keaton had learned a valuable lesson during Orion's birth. Being honored that you are able to give your mate the gift of children and actually giving birth, were two different things. Mikey had said it best, giving birth sucked.

Cam splayed his fingers over Keaton’s belly. Warmth swirled and heated under Cam’s palm. Images and remembered pain of giving birth to Orion slipped away, and Keaton’s arms ached to hold another newborn. The sun-moon birthmark on his thigh flared hot.

“Today our second child will be conceived, my one,” Cam stated and cupped Keaton’s cheek with his other hand. “Before you came into my life, I thought I was content. I lived each day the way I chose to. Now I see the emptiness I existed in. Let’s go out before our families and add another seal to our union, for I refuse to go back to living without the one who is the other half of my soul.”

“Oh, Cam.” Tears of happiness clouded Keaton’s eyes. Never had the big man expressed such sentiment. Keaton’s heart burst with joy. “I love you, my true one.”

“I love you, my one,” Cam answered.

The two gazed into each other’s eyes, the connection between them burning bright. After a long moment, Cam blinked and a rare smile graced his lips. Loosening his arms, he turned and guided Keaton toward the door.

“Let’s get married, my one.”