Into the Night

By: Breanna Holbrooks

Chapter One:

She hated this part of everything, her parents were moving her from her home in New York to the Country. They were moving her from her friends, her father had left her mother when she was seven and she hadn't heard a word from him since the divorce was final and her mother had re-married three years later, she didn't mind her step-father, but he was strange, odd too, guess not much of a difference huh? Her step dad's name was Mic, M-I-C, strange, she knows, but he tried his best to treat her like his daughter, she had to give him that. Her name was Kole, K-O-L-E, she didn't mind that her father wanted a son instead of a daughter, but when she found out that he had left because of such, she couldn't find it in her heart to answer any of his letters when she was thirteen.

At an even four foot ten, she was short for the age of seventeen, she wore clothes to hide her body, mostly skirts or loose pants, and shirts that were flowing and comfortable for her to wear, she wore either flip-flops or tennis shoes. Her eyes were a dark green and her hair was a dark auburn with highlights of blonde, she had her ears pierced four times and a pair of glasses that were as dark a green as her eyes. She was plump and larger in places that she wished she could hide and succeeded in doing such in binding her chest before going into public, but it was hard, so she stopped when she entered high school. Mic was a bar owner and he had just lost his to a fire started by a former friend and now they were moving to a town in Idaho, she'd heard of the town when she heard Mic and her mom talking about it last month, they were moving to Boise.

Mic had gone a few days before so he could set up their home as best he could before their arrival. Their new home was on a road called King Street near Wallace. Her mother did the best to talk to her, but she wouldn't listen.

"Kole, please, talk to me sweetie. Did I tell you that there's a forest you can walk through after your homework?" Her mother asked as she turned down a street towards their new home.

"Several times mom, yes." Kole said as she slid into her seat.

"Honey, please don't hate me. Leaving New York was the best after Mic's bar was burned. There's a large house, very huge, I think it's like a hotel of some sort, it sits right at the egde of a lovely forest, maybe you can draw it, Mic showed me a picture of it and it looks as if time has stood still, it's a Victorian style, just beautiful." Her mother explained trying to change the subject.

"I don't draw anymore mom." Kole said as if her mother had known she hadn't been drawing for years.

"Since when?" Her mother asked as they drove down towards Wallace.

"Since dad left." Kole mumbled.

Her mother sighed as she recalled the day Kole's father left, he had always wanted a son, but after Kole was born her mother fell ill and when she was carrying again, she lost the child in the third month. Shortly after, her husband had left and she met Mic a few months after the divorce was final. But her husband had told Kole the night he left that it wasn't her fault he was leaving, but she just didn't want to listen.

As they drove the silence filled the air and they drove past a vacant building that was sold, great, Mic's going to rebuild Biker's, Kole thought to herself as they drove towards King Street. Biker's was the name of Mic's bar before it was burned, Kole's mother worked as a preschool teacher and her step-father owned a bar, while she was homeschooled and went to a small building every two weeks to get her work. Her mother often worked as a substitute teacher, but Mic worked late and normally came home around two, three in the morning, but he would try to be home sooner or hire someone to come and cover the bar and work late until he came in at noon or one in the afternoon.

They came up to the house and Mic was standing out in front talking to a tall slender woman with dark brown hair that had bits of grey in it and she was with an extremely tall man that had grey on the side of his head. The man completely towered over Mic and he looked like a bouncer she had seen in New York in front of the clubs, or at least he could pass for one. Kole and her mother stepped out and Mic called over to them to come and meet the man and woman.

"Chevelle, Kole, this is Garvan and Sofia Black, they own the old Victorian house on the edge of the forest a few miles from here." Mic said indicating the two people before them.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both." My mother said extending her hand, "I'm Chevelle and this is my daughter, Kole."

"Pleasure is all ours." Garvan said with a smile, strange enough he had sort of a southern accent, mixed with a Irish accent.

"Yes, it is a pleasure." Sofia said with a slight Latin accent, than she added, "How old is your daughter?"

"Kole is seventeen." Her mother said as Kole tried to stay as far back as she could without seeming rude.

"We have four sons that are around your age, but we have several sons, our older ones are twenty-two." Garven said as he turned around the same time a man that met his shoulder walked up and pushed his black hair back out of his face.

Kole's jaw went slack as this man joined their group, he was near as tall as Garvan and his eyes were a light blue and they popped with his dark hair, he seemed to be at least a foot taller than her and he was lean, his jeans had holes in both knees, his shirt was a light blue and he had a white wife beater under it, the shirt he wore over it was unbuttoned and the sleeves were rolled up to the bend of his elbows and his biceps were large, his hair pulled back into a quarter ponytail. Kole bit her lip as she admired the man infront of her and when he spoke, it was deep and almost commanding, Kole bit her lip harder to keep from saying something stupid, Kole, you bite any harder you'll bust your lip and make a total fool of yourself and that's the last thing you want at this point, she told herself as Garvan began to speek.

"Speak of the devil, this is one of my older sons, Orsin." He said clapping his son on the back.

Kole came out of her transe and looked up at Garvan, "That's Latin, right?" She asked looking up at him.

"Your a smart girl." Sofia said with a smile, "It is, yes."

"She knows the orgin of most names, but she has never really learned how to remember the meanings." Chevelle said with a smile.

"My family's Latin, it was my father's name." Sofia explained as her son crossed his arms.

Kole smiled, but when she noticed the Orsin hadn't taken his eyes off her since he joined them, she blushed and returned to putting teeth marks in her bottom lip.

"Like my parents said, I'm Orsin." He said extending his hand out to Mic than to Chevelle. He had a thick Latin accent, as if he had been raised around the language, most likely had and it was almost as if she wished he'd say her name.

When Orsin went to give his hand to Kole he saw her step back and he took his hand back and smiled at her noting the color in her cheeks

Orsin looked at the clock on the wall and cursed, he was supposed to meet his parents at the new neighbor's house an hour ago, he was in so much trouble. He tossed a set of keys to his brother and ran out the door, for a bear he could move fast, though normally bears moved slowly as if they were dangerous. As he was running he caught the scent of something in the air that made him stop, it was the scent of roses, pine, and apple blossoms. It was so decadent that it was all he could do not to change forms and follow the scent, but he needed to stay in this form untill he got home, he had been in his base form for hours earlier so he wouldn't need to tap into his magic to keep a grip on this form. As he neared his destination the scent got stronger and it was as if he were about to get drunk off that scent alone, he walked up and stood by his father, but when he turned his head he saw the most beautiful sight he'd ever seen. Her hair was tied back into a messy braid with strands of her hair hanging to the side of her face and the braid itself resting over her shoulder, her green top set off her dark green eyes and dark auburn hair so nicely and the skirt she wore was long and grey, the only thing he could see were toes peeking out of the hem. Her curves were full and he had never seen someone like her who was so shy, it was all he could do not to walk over to her and taste those full lips that she was turning red from her biting them.

But when she spoke, it was the best sound in the world to him, it was almost like honey. He couldn't take his eyes off her, but when she looked over at him he flashed a devilish grin in her direction and her blush turned brighter as she bit her lip harder, he was burning for her and there was something so sexy about her and he could tell she thought he was rather hot.

Kole stopped biting her lip and stepped back as Garvan sent his son back and Sofia smiled and followed her son. Kole had never been so nervous in her life, but he was so much taller than her, but he was so hot and his blue eyed gaze had siered her and had burned a hole in her heart. She hoped that she would see him again and hopefully soon.

Orsin walked into the house and leaned against the wall with his hand over his heart as it slowed back to its normal pace. One of the patrons of his home came down the stairs and looked at him as if he were confused with the look on his face.

"What's wrong cub?" He asked in a deep voice.

"I've...I'm fine." He said standing to his full hight at six foot three.

"I'm serious, you look like Jim after he found the girl he was des..tined, to. You found your mate didn't you?" He yelled as one of Orsin's older brothers walked by.

"Orsin found his mate? No way." His seventeen year old brother said walking over.

At an even five foot eleven, he almost stood even with his older brother. His hair was a shade darker and his eyes were near black, he was as toned as well, he wore loose jeans and a black t shirt.

"Shut the hell up Victor, and as for you Jay, it's non of your damned panther business if I have or not, she didn't even show signs that she's my mate, I doubt she is my mate." Orsin said trying to believe his own words, but what if he had, could and would she accept him and his world?

Before his other brothers got wind of what was being said he left and went upstairs to tend to the cubs, but he wasn't the kind of bear who would tend to cubs that weren't his own. His home housed many different animals, lions, tigers, Lynxs, panthers, wolves, cougars, bobcats, a multitude of other bear species, jaguar, cheetahs and a single leopard. Most of the animals in his mother's home were here either resting with their clans or hiding from enimies wanting them dead. When he reached the top of the stairs he still had a long hall to walk down before he reached the nursery. His mother's home was large enough, it had over thrity rooms and multiple bathrooms, the animals with mates shared rooms and if the unmated ones wished to bring a partner to their room that wasn't their mate, you would face the wrath of his mother or father, it was frowned upon to bring a human inside this hallowed house, but if you could sneak the female out before the others woke, than you could have a bit of fun.

Orsin entered the room and found one of his brothers holding his cub, besides his four younger brothers, he had yet to find his mate. His brother was even in hieght with him, his name was Jason, he wore his dark brown hair high and tight, he sat in the rocking chair holding the cub as she shifted from human to bear and back again. Orsin couldn't help but laugh at his niece, she was still learning to change, Jason had never thought about having cubs of his own until he met his mate a few years ago when she came to their home looking for shelter from the cold winter. She worked in a beauty salon in town and she was a master at what she did, a bearswan she was almost as lethal as his mother. Jason was a great father, the little cub he held nestled in his arms was his first daughter, he had four sons, but now he held a beautiful daughter that they had named Zoe. Jason senced his brother's presence and looked up smiling.

"Hey Orsin, something bothering you?" Jason whispered as his daughter slept.

"Na, I just met the new people that moved into that house a few miles away." Orsin said sitting in a vacant rocking chair. There were at least three or four rocking chairs in the room that was a nice light blue. This room had once been three separate rooms, but now held many cubs and pups that were children of the patrons.

"I know, mater told me that you were supposed to go and meet them today because she wanted you to meet the owner of the new bar in town." Jason said with the same Latin accent as his brother using the Latin term for mother.

"What was the point of that anyway?" Orsin asked raising his voice slightly and waking his sleeping niece.

"Orsin." His brother growled between clentched teeth as she began to wake, "Que meum bearswan." He said rocking her back and forth.

"Sorry." Orsin said going back to a whisper.

"Listen, maybe mater thinks that the human is your mate because of the visions she's been having lately." Jason explained as his daughter fell back asleep in the form of a human infant.

"Na, can't be, I can't be mated to a human, it's not possible." Orsin said keeping his voice low.

"I don't know, Iason said the same thing and he's been mated to a human for ten years and they have near six cubs, she even accepted the fact that he's a lion, maybe she'll accept the fact that you're a bear." Jason said putting his daughter back into her crib and leading Orsin out the door.

"Where's Titus and Maggie?" Orsin asked as they walked down the hall.

"They left a few months ago and they're still living in Greenville, South Carolina." Jason said remembering the Lion that had once lived under their roof.

"Why?" Orsin asked as they went down the stairs.

"He likes the south for some reason and he wrote last week saying hi and telling us how his new home is and all." Jason said as they came across one of their younger brothers, Damian.

They didn't talk as they went outside to greet a few of the lions coming home from their run through the forest out back. Orsin had a lot to think about, maybe he was destined to be mated to a human, but he wasn't sure if his mother was right or wrong, he wasn't sure. But he was going to try and get close enough to Kole to see if the mark would show itself in due time.

Chapter Two:

Kole was finishing up her room when her mom walked in and while she was hanging up a poster her mother led Orsin in and Kole was unaware of what her mother had done until her music was turned up on a song by Skillet, the song was Monster. She jumped and looked to see the back side of an extremely hot guy putting up her hammock over the matress on the floor. He was dancing along to the song as he helped her to set her room in order; Kole couldn't take her eyes off the toned rear that was moving in time to the music, he had taken his over shirt off and she could see his muscles flexing under his wife beater. She near blushed when he turned around and caught her staring at his ass, he just laughed and threw the pillows and blanket up on the hammock as she returned to hanging posters and pictures.

While she was jumping to reach a corner to put a piece of tape on she suddenly felt someone lift her into the air and when she looked down she saw Orsin holding her on his right shoulder and he was smiling. Kole put the piece of tape on the poster and he handed her another one and helped her to put the rest up on the wall. It had been the first time someone had ever lifted her without complaining that she was heavy. She smiled the whole time Orsin had her on his shoulder, she didn't even mind that his hand was close to her thigh, wait, what? She looked down and saw his left hand resting on her upper thigh as he held her on his shoulder holding one more poster.

"Um, could you move your hand?" She asked nervous as her voice started to sound shaky.

He took his left hand off her thigh and placed his around her ankles to keep a hold on her so she wouldn't fall. His hands were strong and his shoulder may have not been the best seat, but she could get used to sitting on his shoulder if he did this often.

When she had the final poster up she had Orsin put her down and when he did she could feel his hands holding her tight around her waist and when she was on the ground his hands were still around her hips and her hands had yet to come off his large muscular hands. Kole could tell that when he removed his hands from her hips that he wasn't doing it because he wanted to and for the strangest reason, she could have sworn she heard him growling when he did. She had taken her shoes off and she nearly fell when she tried walking, Kole had fallen back into Orsin when she had gotten out of his grip. Laughing Orsin helped her back onto her feet and this time, she was the one who didn't want to let go, he had this masculine scent to him that invaded her head as she leaned against him.

Kole just wanted to stay in his arms forever, but when her mother called she nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Yeah mom?" Kole called as she tried to get free of Orsin's grip, and again he growled as he let go, but this time, it wasn't as loud as it was before. Maybe she was hearing things.

"Come on, we need to go enroll you into the homeschool in town." Her mother called back.

"Ok, coming." Kole said as she left her room with Orsin in tow.

As they walked down the hall she could hear Orsin walking behind her, he was a big man, but he was heavy on the floor boards of the house, nothing but lean muscle. Kole could still feel his hands on her hips and his arms wrapped around her, when they reached the living room, they met her mother, Mic must of gone down to get the bar ready for its opening next week. Kole said bye to Orsin and walked out the door with her mother and Orsin ran back to his home.

While her mother was enrolling her into the program, she felt something on her right arm, almost a burning. Kole looked down at her arm and saw the strangest thing, there was writing forming on her right arm, it was a type of caligraphy, De ursus, which meant Of the bear in Latin. How strange she thought as she looked at the writting on her arm, the S was on her wrist while the D was near the crook of her arm. It was strange, but when the burning stopped it was easy enough to hide the words from her mother. Though her arm was sore now, but she could still hide the words under the sleeve of her shirt or jacket. Maybe she was just seeing things, but than again, no, she pushed the thought aside and waited for her mother to return.

When she did, Kole hid the writing on her arm and they walked out of the building and drove over to Mic's bar to see if they could help any, though Kole would rather chew off her own foot than go and help her step father...whose motorcycle was sitting out front? Her thoughts trailed off as she caught sight of a guy that looked like Orsin, but also didn't. When her mom stopped the car she got out and walked inside only to see Mr. Black and what she supposed were his sons were there helping to set up the bar. They walked in and Kole was ambushed by a man that was twice her size, than again most men were twice her size if not more, she screamed until she saw who it was, it had been Mic's brother Jake, she had warmed up to Jake because he was her babysitter when she was younger. When he put her down, she saw that he was covered in paint. She called him Jake, she didn't like calling him uncle, it was just strange to her.

"Kole, wanna give me a hand with the painting?" Jake asked holding an extra pair of cover-alls.

"Sure, seems like fun." Kole said pulling it on over her skirt and following him.

Kole followed Jake and she started painting the bottom of the wall while her uncle was painting the other side of the room. While she was painting her Uncle Jake was pulled away and she was left to paint the rest of the room; as she was painting the radio was turned up and Kole just thought that her uncle was back. She continued to paint and when she tried to get the top she couldn't reach, and she hated using ladders because, well, she just didn't like them. But before she could call for her uncle she went up into the air.

"Who is that?" She squealed painting the top of someone's head with green paint.

"Guess I was due for a different color." Orsin said pushing his hair back holding Kole on his right shoulder again.

"Oh, Orsin, I'm so sorry." Kole said covering her mouth.

"That's alright, I can always do this." He said and with a green hand he grabbed her braid and put a green hand print in it.

Kole squealed as he put her down, it was good natured and instead of sitting on his shoulder like she wanted to, she instead went to the other side and started painting while Orsin did where she couldn't reach. While they were painting Kole thought to lighten the room by throwing a paint covered sponge at Orsin to see if she could get him in the back. Dipping the sponge in the dark green paint and before throwing it made sure he was focused on the wall; Kole put the brush down and threw the sponge at him. Before he could turn and see what she had done she pucked up her brush and went back to work. Then she heard the sound she had been waiting for, the shocked sound of Orsin when the sponge hit his back, biting her lip was all she could do to keep from laughing.

"Kole?" Orsin asked picking the sponge and his brush up off the floor.

"Yes...Orsin." She said trying not to laugh.

"Ever wonder what would happen if you ever threw a sponge at a guy twice your size, and said sponge was covered in paint?" He asked walking over to her.

Kole turned and saw the lethal look on Orsin's face and thought he was mad, swollowing her fear, she screamed and ran out the room with Orsin chasing her.

Orsin tried his best to fake a lethal look when all he wanted to do was play, he was still a cub in some ways and he wanted to play with a new toy. As he chased Kole he could smell her unique scent, but for some reason there was just the scent of apple blossoms, it was far better than the day before. When he caught her about the waist he held her close and inhaled the scent of her, it was so decadent. The sound of her laugh was the best thing in the world, but before he could ask her anything else he heard his father call him and he put Kole back on the ground and he growled low in his throat as he did so. He could sence her fear and he cursed and walked out of the bar and kept to the shadows and ran home in bear form, Orsin was a big black bear and on his back legs he stood over seven feet tall.

Kole watched as Orsin left and ran her hand over the writing on her arm and she thought she had done something wrong. Kole went over to her mom and they left; as they walked out Kole's arm began to heat up again, she ground her teeth at the pain and tried to hide the pain. As they drove home Kole closed her eyes while she was looking out the window and as her eyes were closed she saw the strangest thing, she dreamt of Orsin turing into this huge black bear. Her eyes came open as her mother was driving by the huge victorian style house and she had her mother stop.

"Mom, can you stop here, I kinda want to walk through the forest and get a feel for it, I'll walk home." Kole said to her mother.

"Ok honey, be careful and watch out for wild animals." Her mother said as she got out.

Kole nodded and walked down a dirt path that was lined with paws that looked like bear paws, Kole had a love of bears ever since she was a little girl, her mother had gotten her a stuffed bear for her fifth birthday and it had been the best thing. It was a black bear with gold eyes, she kept it on her shelf next to her bed. Her thoughts trailed as she walked the path and before she knew it, Kole had gotten off the path. Looking around she tried to find her way back, but in the silence she could hear what sounded like a bear. Fear struck her as she caught sight of a big black bear, she didn't know what to do, all she could do was stand there, but the strangest thing she noticed was that the bear looked as if to be snarling at an unseen figure.

As Orsin was walking home through the forest he smelled fear with the scent of...apple blossoms? His eyes wide he looked to the left of him and saw a frightened Kole standing in the middle of the trees, damn, he thought as he turned in her direction and he tried to think of a way to reduce her fear, but while he was looking at her, he could sence her fear increasing as he neared her. He neared her and she had fallen back and when he noticed that she was trying to shield herself from him and he saw that she was destined to be his. He saw the words De ursus had been burned into her arm, Orsin was in a state of shock and before he could stop himself he changed back to his human form and acted as if he had just arrived and scared the bear away.

"Orsin." Kole said in relief.

"What are you doing on the ground, angelum meum?" Orsin asked lending Kole his hand.

"I was walking, and I guess, I wondered off the path and got lost, than, there was this big black bear. I thought he was going to attack, I was so afraid, I thought that my life was going to end here and so many things went through my head, and I...I...I feel dizy." Kole said falling into Orsin's arms.

Orsin stood there with Kole in his arms, he hated using his abilities on humans and he really didn't want to use them on her, he picked her up in his arms and carried her back towards the path he had taken a million times. As he carried her back his gaze kept going to the words on her arm, he couldn't believe that she was his mate, granted it wasn't impossible that his people would be mated to a human, but it was rare. He had ignored the burning on his wrist and gone about his business, it was different for the males, they didn't get writing on their arms, they had barb wire burned onto their wrists when they found their mate, but he didn't think twice when he felt the burning. Looking at his he saw that the barbed wire had already formed and was running up his arm and would soon end below his elbow by the end of the week.

He walked into her home and Chevelle let him carry Kole to her room, after he placed her in her hammock he had permission to stay with her till she woke. Orsin placed her in the hammock and walked around her room and took a look around and saw a little stuffed bear sitting on her dresser, the eyes were golden and the fur was as black as his. Maybe she will accenpt me, if she loves bears, maybe she'll love me. Orsin thought as he put his hands in his pockets.

"Somno angelum meum, loquar tibi omnia simul." Orsin whispered in latin as he sat down in a chair across from her.

He needed to stay awake, he still hadn't learned to stay in human form while he slept and he doubted that Kole would like waking up to find a big black bear sleeping on her floor. That would no doubt frighten her. He soon left after kissing Kole's forehead and when he was a safe distence from her home he changed form and ran through the shadows of the trees to his home where his brother Jason was sitting on the front step with his mate, Vera, at five foot six, she was a mother of five children, or cubs. Her hair was a dark brown and her eyes were a light green and she had a twinkle in her eyes that Jason loved. Every time he saw the two together or with their cubs they always had smiles on their faces. Maybe that would be him and Kole in a few years once they had their first cub.

"Hey cub, I guess that human is your mate." Vera said with a smile.

"Yeah, she has the words on her arm and the wire has already begun to form on mine." Orsin said walking up the steps.

"C'mon Orsin, don't be so down, I could call Iason and he could come and talk to you about what it's like to be mated to a human, or even Luke, his mate accepted the fact that he's a Panther and they have several cubs." Jason added as his mate got up and went to the nursery.

"Come with me Orsin, I wish to show you something. I will return shortly Jason, this cub needs to see something." Vera said as she led Orsin inside and up to where her cub was starting to wake.

Orsin followed the Kodiak bear up the stairs and when he entered the room she had picked up Zoe and than a wolf pup whose parents were out of town. Orsin looked at the small pup as Vera brought it to him.

"His name is Julian, his mother is human while his father is what we are. Julian's father lived here for two decades after he thought that his true mate had been murdered, but while he was here, there was a young woman in town that knew nothing of our kind. She was a kindergarden teacher who wanted nothing but a man that loved her, as for his father, he became the bouncer of a very popular club." Vera said handing Orsin the pup as she sat down holding her child as she changed to an infant in a pink dress.

"How does a kindergarden teacher and a bouncer meet?" Orsin asked holding the pup in his lap.

Vera started singing to her child, a little lullaby that he heard from his mother as a cub.

"If you wouldn't interrupt." Vera snarled softly, "They met after he had finished his duty that morning, she was running late and he had just gotten off his shift and thought to go for a run. She had been walking and than she heard someone calling out to her, when she turned she saw a few thugs and when she screamed Micky heard her and came to her rescue. She was so grateful that she did all she could to pay him back for saving her, they started dating after he saw that his mark had started forming, soon he started to trust her and thought to tell her that he was a timber wolf. After a while of thinking and some calming, she couldn't think of another day without that wolf by her side.

"Kole will love you and accept you the way you want her to and soon you will have a few cubs of your own." Vera said.

Orsin let Vera's words sink in as he looked at the pup in his lap and the mark on his arm. Maybe Vera was right, what if Kole did accept him and his world and be with him? But what if she didn't? He would stay with Kole til he knew that she could and would accept him.

Chapter Three:

Seven months had gone by and Kole had gotten used to having Orsin around, it was as if she couldn't be without him. He was there when she was done with her school work, he was there if she were sick, heck he was even there when she was bored. Though when she brought him to her Aunt's wedding a few months ago and she was introduced to a man named Titus, though he was built like a God, she had eyes only for Orsin.

Kole had gone on more than a thousand walks with Orsin through the forest near his home and could walk the thing blind-folded. Today she and Orsin were on the trail and he was walking on the fallen down trees when he asked a question a question that he'd been dying to ask.

"Why do you always wear skirts?" Orsin asked jumping off the tree.

Ok, maybe not dying to ask, but he wanted to know.

"They're comfortable, I find them easier to wear around than a pair of pants." Kole said putting her hands in her skirt pockets.

Orsin could think of a few ways to put a good skirt to use. As they walked they came to a tree and Kole felt like showing off a bit, so she ran ahead and grabbed the closest branch she could and started climbing up.

"Two years of gymnastics!" She exclaimed climbing higher.

Orsin laughed and started up after her.

"Whole life of climbing to escape my brothers." Orsin said as he lept up to the third branch making sure Kole didn't see him.

As he was climbing up as any skilled bear might, he looked down at Kole and smiled a devilish grin. Kole laughed and pulled herself up after him. They were near the top when they stopped and looked down on the world, Kole hadn't climbed a tree in years and just climbing it with Orsin was all the better. Kole wasn't sure what was happening, but she was starting to fall for Orsin, and she was falling hard, the sound of his voice was so hypnotic that she could listen to him talk all day. She had been leaning against the trunk when she noticed that Orsin had been staring at her the whole time she was looking out over the forest floor.

"Angelum meum, could I ask you something?" Orsin asked standing on the branch.

"What is it, Orsin?" Kole asked leaning her back against the tree with her hands behind her.

"What's your view on bears?" Orsin asked nervous.

"Bears?" Kole asked confused, "I love them, I mean, I know people like smoky, but I prefer the wild ones, but I think my favorite ones are black bears, but just normal bears in general are so untamed, I guess I like the thought of a big black bear." She smiled.

Orsin couldn't have been more relieved, but he still had one more thing that he needed to know, but he thought better of asking her that question for fear she could call him crazy. He turned on the wide branch and walked over to her. He could sence that she was nervous, but he was trying to make her as comfortable as possible.

Kole watched as Orsin walked over and pinned her against the tree trunk; Orsin braced himself over her and when he bent down he looked into her eyes with his forearm over her head. The scent of apple blossoms and roses invaded his head, but he could also sence that Kole was nervous and him standing over her the way he was only made it worse.

"Don't be nervous my angelum, I'm not going to hurt you." Orsin said in a soft tone.

"You've been calling me that for months, what does it mean?" Kole asked even though she could already guess what it meant, but she couldn't think.

"It's Latin for angel." Orsin said dipping his head and capturing her lips with his.

It took Kole all but a few seconds to return his kiss and the scent of him invaded her head, she didn't know if it was the tree or him, but the scent of pine and a natural masculinity was surrounding her. All she knew was that it was divine; Orsin put his rough calloused hand against her cheek and Kole's legs almost turned to jell-o, this man was used to hard labor and whatever he did for a living, that was what had calloused his hands and turned them rough. What had surprised her was when he lifted her up and pined her against the tree, she was a foot off the branch and she couldn't believe this was happening. Kole wrapped her arms around his neck as he deepened the kiss, Orsin was silently cursing the skirt she was wearing, he wanted Kole to wrap her legs around his waist so he could hold her up better, but that was just a crazy bear's dream.

His dream came true as she hesitantly held her knees on his hips and pushed herself up. Orsin put his hands on her knees and pulled her closer to him; Kole was so out of her element, she had never done anything like this in her life, never once had she surrendered her weight to a guy older than her or any guy in general. But there was something about Orsin that made her comfortable enough to trust him, she might even love him.

When he left her lips they were swollen and red from him and when he was about to show her how much of an animal was hiding inside him, someone was calling him. Cursing in Latin he called back.

"What is it?" He called down to where one of his brothers were standing.

"Mater wants you home to tend to the roof and chop some wood Orsin!" His brother, Albern.

"Does she need me now, I'm kinda in the middle of something." Orsin said still holding Kole in the air.

"She needs you to tend to it, now, what are you doing up there anyway?" Albern asked crossing his arms.

"It's none of your business, tell her that I'll be there when I get down." Orsin said trying not to growl at his little brother.

Kole bit her already swollen lips as Orsin put her down, when she was about to start climbing down Orsin put her on his back and started jumping from branch to branch on the way down. Kole held on tight as one of Orsin's hands rested on her thigh, she didn't protest, mostly because she didn't want to fall and she had spent the last hour in his grasp, so what was a few more minutes.

As they hit the ground Orsin growled low in his throat at his brother; to Kole's surprise they were almost identical, but this one had hair that had been cut short, but not too short. Kole remembered the way back to her home and before she left Orsin he gave her a final kiss before she left his side. Just what she needed, to stagger back home and hopefully her lips were back to normal and not as red as they were.

When Kole was out of sight and ear shot he growled at his brother for interrupting him. They walked the whole way back to the house and when they got there he slugged his brother in the arm and grabbed the ax. It was Orsin's job to spilt the wood out back and also to do a few house hold fixtures if it was needed. He spent far too many days like this chopping wood and when ever he stopped he would think of Kole, though he thought of her when ever he looked at his arm and the barbed wire that had finally finished forming. It was late when he finished the work his mother assigned him. He walked inside and heard something upstairs. Running he came to the nursary and the sound had come from a cougar cub in it's crib, Orsin couldn't ignore the small cub, so, he walked over and picked it up and craddled it close. The cub soon fell back asleep and he left the silent room.

He didn't know why, but there was something about a cougar's cry that sounded like a woman screaming, he hated the sound but strangely enough, cougars were caring when it came to their cubs.

Kole was putting her hair into a braid after her shower and when she looked at the writing on her right arm and thought about the words. She bit her lip and called out to her mother who was sitting in the living room reading.

"Kole, what's wrong?" Her mother asked as she walked into the room.

"Mom, do you have Mrs. Black's number?" Kole asked hiding her arm hoping her mother didn't notice the writing that looked more like a tattoo now.

"Yes, why?" Her mother asked about to leave.

"I was just hoping I could do a report on her home for my writing class and maybe find out about her home and Latin harritage for History." Kole said in both truth and lie.

"I think she's still up, I'll give her a call." Her mother said and left Kole alone to dress.

Chevelle called Sofia and waited for her to pick up.

"Hello?" Vera answered the phone in the kitchen as Jason came in with their sons in tow.

"Hello, I was wondering if I could speak with Sofia." Chevelle said as she heard a crash on the other end.

"Who is this?" Vera asked picking up her son and holding him.

"Chevelle Akner." She said.

"One moment." Vera said as she called Sofia.

A few minutes later Sofia walked to a phone in the living room and answered it.

"Hey Chevelle, what can I do for you?" Sofia asked as she sat down on a victorian style couch.

"Kole was wondering if she could talk to you about your Latin harritage for her history class and maybe do a report on your home for a writing class she's taking." Chevelle said as Kole walked out wearing a pair of sweat pants and an old blue T-shirt with a single black bear on the bottom of it with a small moon over the bear.

"She can come by tonight if she wishes, since it is near the winter break she can come by and I will talk with her." Sofia said knowing that Kole had nothing to write about, but she knew the reason.

"Ok, I guess I could drive her over." Chevelle said as Kole walked over.

"Non, I will send one of my sons to escort her." Sofia said as she caught one of her seventeen year old sons, Ansgar.

"Ok, she'll be waiting." When Chevelle hung up there was a knock at the door.

Kole answered and standing there was a lethal looking man with long dark hair and his eyes were almost as dark as night. Kole was almost afraid to ask if he was escorting her.

"I'm Ansgar Black, my mother sent me to escort you to our humble home." He said without emotion.

Kole almost thought twice about wanting to go over to speak with Orsin's mother. When she told her mother she'd see her in the morning she followed Ansgar out the door and down the long road. There was something almost frightening about him, but he was near lethal.

"The orgin of my name is Celtic if you're wondering." He said with a snear.

"Oh? That's different, I mean, Orsin's name is Latin and yours is Celtic." Kole said as if she were afraid of offending him.

The rest of the walk was silent and when they reached the house she didn't see any color but from what she could tell inside was full of life. When they walked in, her guess was confirmed, it was a mad house, she'd never been so nervous, every person in this place was tall and slender and here she was short and plump, ok, she was having second thoughts. She was about to leave when Sofia came from the crowd in the dining room and she had a smile on her face, the smells and sounds almost reminded her of a family reunion.

"They're patrons of the house, Kole, don't worry, most of them don't bite." Sofia laughed as a Lynx walked by them and sneared at the bear and human.

Sofia returned the snear with a growl, does everyone in this place growl? Kole asked herself backing away from the dirty blond haired man.

"He won't hurt you Kole, he knows better than to bite people." She said as if she had seen him bite someone before.

Kole wasn't so sure about that, but she still didn't understand why Sofia had laughed at what she said about most of them not biting. Sofia led Kole to the other room where it was completely quiet except for the muphled talk in the other room.

"Kole, you and I both know that you are not here to talk about my harritage, why are you here puer?" Sofia asked sitting on the antique couch as Kole sat next to her.

She sighed and looked at Sofia taking the bandage off her arm and showing her the writing. Sofia's face went eerily pale when she saw the words.

"Of the bear." Sofia said holding Kole's arm in her hand.

"Yes ma'am, it appeared on my arm the second I got here and I don't want to show my mother, I noticed you had the same words written on your arm, but it's in Irish if I'm correct." Kole said holding as she took her arm back.

Sofia showed Kole the wordsAn marc on her right arm the same way Kole's were written. Sofia smiled at the words on her arm.

"My husband's native tongue is Irish, but he was raised in the south with Irish ways. I'm a Latin that grew up with her routes, Orsin was practically raised with my father." Sofia explained putting her arm down with a smile on her lips.

"Mrs. Black, I don't understand what the meaning of De ursus is, I mean, I know what it means, but I just don't understand why it was burned into my arm." Kole said pulling her legs up to her chest, her feet were bare and when Sofia saw Kole holding her knees close, she felt the child's struggle.

"My puer, don't worry about this, I worried about the words when I met Garvan, it is hard to understand at first, but it is nothing to worry about." Sofia said as she heard heavy foot steps coming down the steps.

Kole sat there trying to grip her words, but how could she not worry about the words? She still didn't understand why they were written on her arm and she didn't know why she had acted the way she did with Orsin in that tree, but when she saw him standing in the foyer he looked almost shocked to see her there because they normally allowed the pups and cubs to run around. Luckily they hadn't set them loose yet, he walked over to her with a devilish grin that made her shiver.

Chapter Four:

Orsin was standing behind the couch and he was about to give Kole a kiss on the forehead when his mother cleared her throat.

"Hello mater." He said with a smile.

"Did you see Kole's new mark?" She asked as Vera walked in.

"Vera?" Kole asked standing up as she saw the woman.

"Kole?" Vera said as Kole came up and hugged her.

Orsin looked at his mother confused because he wasn't sure how Kole knew Vera or how Vera knew Kole. Vera and Kole started talking as if they were two teenage sisters that hadn't seen each other in years. When they stopped talking Kole and Vera explained how they knew each other.

"Vera used to babysit me when I was younger and she was my hair stylist." Kole started.

"Kole used to stay at my home when she was a cub, I loved her like a sister, Sofia, I talked about her to you so often. Last I saw this cub, she was only eight." Vera said pulling Kole into another bear hug.

"It's been years since someone has called me a cub." Kole said laughing.

"She liked bears so I thought that it was appropriate enough." Vera said before Sofia could say anything.

Orsin exchanged looks with his mother and before he took Kole away to explain a wolf pup came running down the stairs with one of the teenage sitters chasing it. Kole watched and was confused and when Orsin told her that everyone, except her, were shape-shifters. He shifted into a bear as did his whole family, including Vera, Kole fainted at that, but it was more from shock than anything.

Chapter Five:

Kole woke up to the sound of a deep masculine voice, soon, she realized that it was her father, strange enough to find out that the guy she's been crushing on was a bear and now her father was here.

"Dad, what...what are you doing here?" Kole asked holding the ice pack that had been placed on her head.

"Kole, please don't move." Her father demanded pushing her back against the bed as he sat down on the edge.

"Dad, why are you here?" Kole asked with a snear.

"Sofia called me." He said turning to her.

"What?" Kole asked, she'd never been so confused.

"Kole, I lied to you and your mother about why I left," He started, he sighed and continued, "sweet heart, the night your mother saw me I was with a client, a shape-shifter like the ones you've seen tonight. She thought I was cheating on her because I kissed the woman on the cheek, she wanted answers that I couldn't give her and she assumed that I was cheating and wanted a divorce. I didn't want to lose your mother, but I couldn't answer the questions she had, my whole family works with shape-shifters, Sofia gave me a call on your third birthday and said that she had been having visions of my child being mated to one of her sons, she knew which son and she knew your name before I even had a chance to tell her. I was sworn to secrecy and there are people out there that are hired to kill those who are threatening to expose them.

"You are mated to one of the cubs of an important woman and to whom is entirly respecting in the shifting world. This home is not only for shifters who are trying to find their way, but also ones who have lost their mates, or they just need a home to stay. These kinds of homes are what were called bunk houses long ago, but this is a haven for these people and they rely on people like my family to make sure no one threatens their lives or their existence. You'll be held to the same thing when and if you accept Orsin as your mate." Her father explained.

Kole's head began to spin as he explained, she felt as if she was going to...going to...Her father made sure she didn't hit her head, he called for Orsin and instead Vera walked in and said the Orsin was tending to a matter downstairs. While Vera tended to Kole, her father walked downstairs to find Orsin keeping a bobcat from tearing the throat out of one of the newer patrons, a Jaguar cub had ventured into his path and was acting like the big cat. Orsin was starting to hate when people crossed the bobcat's path, he had a temper that he didn't control. Kole's father stepped in and pulled the bobcat away as he started to snarl at the cub. Garven walked in and held a hose up to the two cats and warned them that if they didn't go their own ways, they were going to get sprayed and rue the day they were born. The bobcat went upstairs and the cub went outside and sat on the porch.

"Thanks Garven." Kole's father said removing his jacket and hanging it up.

"How's Kole doing, Damian?" Garven asked him as he sat on the steps leading upstairs.

"Fine, she fainted again after I explained a lot to her. I remember when I proposed to her mother, she fainted at least three times in two hours. She was so unpredictable, that's one of the reasons why I loved her so much." Damian said as he let a single tear fall.

He truely did love Kole's mother, he still did, but he was sworn to an oath to keep this world from those who weren't meant to hear about it. Now his daughter was part of this world and he would do his best to make sure to keep her close to him, his ex sister-in-law was mated to one according to Sofia, but he wasn't going to go off something she said, not that he doesn't trust her, he just doesn't like the thought of his ex sister-in-law being mated to a shifter. Now he knew that his baby girl was mated to a bear, granted he knew that a bear was extremely protective over their mates and cubs, but he still feared for her safety like he always had since the day she was born. Kole had been his pride and joy.

Kole woke up in a room and her head was aching and when she looked around the room she near screamed because she saw a bear cub sitting on her chest. Vera came in and picked up the cub, and cuddled it to her chest.

"Sorry about that, my son doesn't understand the meaning of no entry." Vera said holding the cub.

"Your son?" Kole asked looking at the small ball of fur.

"Kole, I'm a shape-shifter, a bear shape-shifter, as is my mate and my children. I have three sons and a daughter, all to whom are just like me and their father. I know I can't speak because I was never human, but I can speak for any woman who has been mated to our kind. Orsin loves you, not just because the mark on your arm, but because he loves who you are and how you make him feel. I can see the way he looks at you and the way you make him feel, I know it's frightening at first, but if you listen to your heart you will know that deep down you love Orsin the same way he loves you." Vera said with a smile holding her son.

"Vera, you've been like a sister to me and I've always taken your advice, but I don't know about all this, I mean, a few months ago I was just trying to hide this from my mother because I didn't understand it. Now...now I'm the mate to a bear and let me tell ya, I've never been happier, if he'll have me, I'll gladly accept him as my mate." Kole smiled as her door opened to reveal a pleased Orsin.

Vera excused herself and took her cub with her as Orsin walked over to the bed where Kole still lay. It was only than that Kole realized she was still in her tattered old t-shirt and the sweat pants, when Orsin cupped her face in his hands he didn't seem to care what she was wearing, just the mear fact that she would accept him as hers. Though long ago he had accepted her as his. His kiss was forceful this time, but for the strangest reason, Kole didn't mind, after all, she wasn't going to change the bear that had worked his way into her heart.

Orsin crawled into the bed still kissing her with such passion that Kole was thankful she was lying in a bed or else she would have to use Orsin for support. Before she knew what was happening she screamed as her arm began to heat up again, Orsin claimed her lips again trying to distract her from the pain.

"What the hell is going on up there?" Damian asked as he jumped up from the kitchen table at the sound of his daughter's scream.

"By the sound of it, my guess would be that Kole and Orsin are finishing the ritual. Remember that my darling?" Garven asked Sofia as he took her hand in his.

"Yes, the pain was more than I could handle, but thankfully you were there and helped me to get through it. It was over two thousand years ago, but I still remember the night I accepted you as mine." Sofia smiled as another scream came from unstairs followed by Kole cursing at Orsin to make the pain stop.

"Now, just change the english to Latin and it's like we're two thousand years in the past." Garven laughed.

They all laughed as Vera came down with Jason by her side, no doubt everyone in the house knew what was going on in the room that had a sign on it, but no one dared to disturb or even think about seeing if the human was okay. All the females knew how painful it was to go through the final moments and it was the males job to make sure that they didn't focus on the pain surging through their bodies as the words on their arms changed and began to look like a real tattoo and not just a burn. Everyone in the house did their best to ignore the screaming from upstairs, but it was hard for Kole's father to ignore the pain that was coming from his daughter. It took three bears, a wolf, a tiger, and a panther to keep him from running upstairs to help his daughter. For a man like Damian, he was extremely strong and he had the animal instinct to mend his daughter's pain, but he knew that it was part of everything and the pain ended once the male took control.

Damian had been forced to go to the different places to where a human mate or animal mate were involved so he could keep the parents back from going to their daughters. He never thought that he would have to sit through his own daughter's moments of pain, he didn't stand by and listen when Chevelle was giving birth and he didn't like just listening to Kole screaming in pain.

After three hours of blood curdling screams it was silent, Damian rose to his feet and looked up the stairs and waited for someone to come down or at least a sound that said his daughter was safe and that she wasn't in any pain. The house was silent as they all waited for that same sound that Damian was waiting for, there would be a sound from the male, they were all waiting for Orsin to growl as a sign that it was done and that he and Kole were now mates for life. Moments passed and they heard nothing, Damian feared that the pain had been too much, but when that one sound came he near fell. Orsin made that one sound everyone was waiting for, it was something that brought relief to everyone in the house, when it was silent again everyone cheered.

"Sounds like everyone is relieved that you're still breathing." Orsin said with a smile.

"Go to hell." Kole said in a joking tone as she looked at her red arm, it stung and she wondered how long it would take for the burning to stop.

"My mother will tend to your arm when we leave here." Orsin said as Kole sat up under him.

"I love you Orsin." Kole said pulling him close and kissing him.

"I love you too Kole." He said as a knock sounded at the door.

"Orsin, you'll have centuries with your mate, let her rest and allow Sofia to heal her before you go farther." Jay said from the other side.

"Centuries?" Kole asked as Orsin helped her from the bed.

"You share my life force, Kole, you will live with me for centuries to come." Orsin explained as they walked out into the hall.

Kole smiled, but when she near fell Orsin already had her in his arms. Laughing, Orsin carried Kole down the stairs and when they reached to foyer Sofia, Vera, and a few other females were there to help her into the dining room to wrap her arm. Kole felt overwelmed as the different animals surrounded her, while Sofia was in the kitchen getting the things she needed, all the females talked about their marks, all different languages.

"Kole, honey, I've been with my wolf for three centuries now and we have at least four pups, he wanted some time for just the two of us before we brought pups into our lives. He's a Polish wolf, but he's the best." A wolf said as she showed Kole the words writen in Polish on her arm.

As the stories wirrled around her Sofia tended to her arm and when the door opened the women became silent as the men kept talking.

"Betty, it's good to see you again dear." Sofia said addressing the woman that walked in.

Kole turned and saw the woman, she was holding her extended stomach and smiling.

"It's good to see you too Sofia, I'm sorry I wasn't here sooner, Luke wanted to make sure that the cubs were set with the sitter before we left." The woman smiled.

"It's alright, I should've called and you could've brought the cubs along." Sofia said finishing Kole's arm.

Betty walked over and extended her right arm out to Kole, when she did Kole saw the words Da Pantera written on her arm.

"I'm Betty, and welcome to our world Kole, the words on my arm are Galican. Luke often tells me about your new family." Betty said with a smile.

Kole didn't speak, she couldn't, for some reason she couldn't find the words she wanted to say. Everyone expected her to speak, but when she didn't, worry went around, the only one that wasn't worried was Betty.

"Don't worry, for humans it takes a little longer to come to terms with our new lives. She'll be talking by morning, it's mostly from all the screaming, it's hell on the throat." Sofia said as she remembered the first night she met Betty and the night that she was made Luke's mate.

Kole listened as they talked about their mates and some of them talked about their cubs and pups that were either left home with sitters that knew what they were and knew how to tend their young. For some reason, Kole couldn't wait to have babies of her own, no, not babies, cubs. She laughed at the thought of birthing cubs and raising them other than humans.

Chapter Six:

Three years later.

Kole was in her wedding dress talking with a few of the females she met four years ago. They were talking about how they had been over the years, but when Kole's aunt came up, they all noticed that she was hiding her left arm under the sleeve of her coat.

"Aunt Maggie!" Kole exclaimed calling her aunt over.

"Kole!" Her aunt called and left the man she had arrived with.

Her aunt walked over holding her head high as she always had, Kole met her aunt half way.

"I expect cubs from you two soon miss. Kole, but I guess I can't say anything because I plan on having a few cubs of my own in a month or two, granted my lion doesn't mind having fun all the time." Her aunt said with a wink.

"Aunt Maggie." Kole laughed as the band switched gears.

"Alright everyone, grab that loved one and lets shake those tails." Jay said into the microphone.

Kole laughed at him as Orsin made his way over to her to dance with her. As the music started Kole was lost in Orsin's eyes, she couldn't of been happier; while they danced she lost herself in Orsin's gaze, she could of sworn she could see the rest of her life through his eyes. Something she never thought she would be able to see since her father left, but her and her father had made a mends and were getting along fine. Since she finally knew why he left, she wasn't as mad at him anymore, though she was glad that he was back in her life again and she hoped that he wouldn't leave again, at least not forever.

''Meum angelus." Orsin said with a smile.

Kole smiled at his words as they danced the night away, she couldn't have been happier, oh, how she loved this bear.

Epologue

One year later.

Kole was signing papers for a delivery of fresh lillies that had arrived for her shop. Orsin worked for her step father during the day and he was in her arms at night, Kole was expecting her first cub in three months and she couldn't be happier. While she was setting up the flowers someone walked into her shop, it was Jason, Vera, and Zoe, Kole smiled as they walked in and Zoe got a rose from one of the vases like she always did. Kole often watched Zoe in her shop, which she lived above. Orsin had built her shop himself with help from Garven and his brothers. Her shop was big enough for her flowers below while upstairs was big enough for her and Orsin along with at least thirty cubs.

"How's it goin' Kole?" Jason asked picking Zoe up.

"Fine, though I feel as if I'm bout to pop." Kole said holding her stomach.

"That's normal." Vera said as Kole brought out a dozen roses that they had ordered the day before.

Kole laughed and handed them the roses, when they left her cub kicked for the tenth time that day. But this time it was a little more painful than it had been, Kole fell to her knees holding her stomach. A scream escaped her lip, before she knew it she was in even greater pain than she ever thought she could be in. Reaching for the phone she called Sofia, knowing she'd be home. When Sofia picked up Kole screamed into the phone.

"Sofia, it hurts!" Kole screamed into the phone as pain spread to every part of her body.

"Kole?" Sofia asked worried.

"It hurts!" Kole cried a second before the line went dead.

Sofia dropped the phone and ran out the door after calling Orsin.

"What's wrong mater?" Orsin asked cleaning a glass.

"Kole's in trouble!" She said before she dashed out the door.

Orsin dropped the glass he was holding and hopped over the counter and ran as fast as he could towards Kole's flower shop. When he got there Vera and his mother were there tending to Kole, she was screaming louder than she had the night he had claimed her, he saw tears streaming down her cheeks and he didn't know what to do. She reached for him and he held her hand tight. His mother informed him that the baby was coming early, just as he had, Orisin held Kole's hand and helped her through the pain.

After three hours of screaming out in pain, Kole delivered a healthy baby boy, Orsin stood in their room holding their new son. He had been born in the form of a bear; they had carried Kole upstairs just moments after their son was born and as she lay tired from the early birth of her child. Now their family was finally whole and it would continue to grow.