Free Hagen, Lynn - Tater's Bear [Brac Pack 22] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) by Lynn Hagen Page B

deep in Tater’s ass. “Good, mate.”
    Tater felt panic rising up at that word. What the hell had he done? He was one-hundred percent lock, stock, and barrel committed.
    Shit!

Chapter Seven

    Pa chuckled as the little ones ran around the backyard. It felt good to have whelps running around again. He watched Matthew and Maddox chase Melonee around, trying their best to catch her, little Nevada tumbling a few times as he tried to keep up. He hiked Skyler over his shoulder as he patted her back, being rewarded with a loud burp from such a little package.
    “Are you sure you don’t want me to get her?” Murdock asked for the hundredth time, hovering close.
    Pa rolled his eyes. “It’s not like I raised any of my own. I could have sworn I had seven sons.”
    “Yeah, exactly. None of them were girls,” Murdock said as he leaned closer, his hands outstretched as if Pa would drop her. He wanted to kick the man. Pa couldn’t blame the wolf for being overprotective. Skyler was cute as a button, but her dad was irritating as hell.
    “Leave him alone,” Heaven chastised Murdock as he joined them. “I think he knows what he’s doing by now.”
    Murdock glared at Heaven, his hands moving a bit closer. Pa chuckled as he finally relented and handed the babe over. Geez, he’d never seen a parent so damned nervous before.
    Pa watched in utter disbelief as Olsen burst from the house in his bear form and then headed straight for the woods.
    Yeah, this was going to be a peachy-keen sorta night.

    * * * *

    “Where are we going?” D asked as he ran alongside Tater. “You’re walking too fast.”
    “I thought vampires were quick,” Tater mumbled as he tried to walk his fear away.
    He’d lain there in Olsen’s arms, enjoying the feeling of being held, until his obsessive commitment phobia kicked in. He wanted to kick his own ass for up and leaving the bear.
    The fucked-up thing was, Tater craved the love and connection he felt with Olsen. He just was terrified of screwing it up, of Olsen depending on him. He was sure to make the wrong decision and then Olsen would hate him.
    Hell, he couldn’t even commit to fixing his motorcycle. For years it lay in pieces and parts on the barn floor. Once, just once, he had put the entire thing together, took it for a ride, and then torn it apart again. He’d attempted to put it together hundreds of times, cleaned the parts a thousand times, but never managed to reassemble it completely after that first time.
    “Don’t stereotype me. Just because I’m a vampire doesn’t mean I’m fast. Do I look tall to you? I’m not the typical creature you’ve seen on the big screen.”
    Tater chuckled. “I wasn’t trying to say you were. Sorry.” They continued on the back road leading to Tater’s father’s house. He wanted his damn truck. Tater didn’t care if he had to push it off of his father’s property. It was his, and he had every right to go get it.
    Tater jumped when he saw shadows emerging from the woods. He quickly shoved D behind him as he braced himself for a fight.
    “Ah, you really do love me.” D giggled.
    “Shut up,” Tater growled as at least half a dozen figures walked out. His heart rate increased, and then he let out a loud exhale when he noticed it was Cecil leading the way.
    “What the hell? Don’t you use conventional methods of travel, like a car?”
    Cecil waved him off as he turned to the group behind him. “Why should I when I have the elf express?”
    “The what?” Tater cocked his head as a very tall and elegant-looking man stepped forward. He had a feeling that looks were deceiving where this man was concerned.
    “Carter.” Cecil chucked a thumb over his shoulder. “He’s an elf. He can shimmer us anywhere we want to go. Although he can’t take an entire tour bus full of people. Six is a good number.”
    Tater shook his head. Since getting involved with the Lakelands, everything around him made no sense.
    “Are you ready?” Cecil