by Delta James
“It seems to me Allie does a lot of fussing about things of little importance.”
“She worries about melanoma.”
“Bears aren’t inclined to melanoma.”
“While she knows that intellectually, it’s hard for her. When I’m with her, I look and feel completely human...”
“Really? Most guys I know don’t stay hard for hours unless they have great control and supportive medication.”
Josh laughed. “That may be the one part of my being a bear-shifter she does like. The ability to stay harder for longer is something we make frequent use of.”
“And yet, it’s mating season and you aren’t rutting with your mate.”
“I don’t see you making it with anyone either, big brother.”
“That’s because there aren’t any female shifters here on Shuyak or even on the north end of Kodiak. I didn’t get leave this year during the season.”
“I wondered why you were available when I called. I thought you had seniority and could get away when you needed to.”
“Bill Childers is getting married, so I let him take the time. My plan is to head over to the mainland after you leave and find some receptive girls,” said Alex.
“Human or shifter?”
“Doesn’t really matter, one pussy is pretty much the same as another.”
Josh rolled his eyes. “And therein could be the reason you don’t have a mate. Seriously, Alex, don’t you want to find a mate?”
“I do, but there are few women—human or shifter—who want to live up here in a cabin on the outskirts of nowhere. I don’t think I could settle for the half-life you lead.”
“I’m happy, Alex.”
Alex clapped his brother on the back. “I know you are. But to not be able to shift on a regular basis... to be human ninety percent of the time just isn’t for me. I need this,” he said indicating the wilderness expanse. “I’d like a woman who’d be happy at the cabin, but happier up in mom and dad’s den.”
“Would she have to be Kodiak shifter?”
“Bear shifter of some kind would be preferable so I could rut. But I’m not opposed to her being human and turning her. I never understood why you didn’t just turn Allie?”
“We talked about it, but it just wasn’t something she wanted or could accept.”
“So that means you’re the only one in your family who can shift. You could be the last of our line.”
“Oh no, you don’t get to lay that on me. I know several bear shifters, Kodiak and Grizzly, that would gladly take up with you. If you’re so concerned about our line, pick one and get on with it.”
“Not for me. Dad always said only take a mate if the thought of living without her made it feel like someone had grabbed your guts and squeezed. And for all the shit I give you, I know Allie makes you happy.”
Josh chuckled. “You just think I ought to make her behave.”
Alex nodded. “I think there is something very appealing about having a woman over your knee when she’s disobeyed you and then taking her from behind so that she’s fully aware of who’s in charge.”
“Jesus, you’re such a Neanderthal. How the hell do you know so much about it, anyway?”
“There are a lot of girls, shifter and human, that get turned on by a spanking and plenty of clubs where men with certain proclivities can find them.”
“Are you talking about hookers?” Josh asked in a whisper.
Now, it was Alex’s turn to laugh. “Why are you whispering? Who the hell do you think is going to hear you? But, no on the hookers. Just some nice places where relatively normal girls go to find a bit of dominance and release the control they normally have to have in their day-to-day lives.”
“Well, Allie doesn’t like to be spanked.”
“If you’re doing it to discipline her, she’s not supposed to.”
“We’ll see what happens when you find a mate. All your esoteric theories and fantasies are going to go right out the window.”
Alex shook his head. “I know it works for you and Allie, but there’s no way I won’t be the one in charge. In all my past relationships, I have been.”
“The key word in that sentence being past,” Josh teased. “What do you say we shift and race down the mountain to the stream.”
“Sounds good,” Alex said, reaching down to take off his boots then realizing Josh had already stripped, grabbed his clothing, shifted, and begun racing away from him.
“And he calls me an asshole,” he grumbled, quickly getting undressed and getting his things in a bundle. He spied one of Josh’s socks and started to pick it up. Nope, he can bloody well wear his boots with only one sock.
Alex shifted and began chasing after his brother. It occurred to him that it was only fair as it seemed Josh had been chasing after him most of their lives. He cleared the meadow and started following Josh’s trail, weaving between the trees and through the underbrush. The smell of water drifted up to him and he feared Josh had managed to beat him to the stream, something he knew his younger twin would lord over him for the rest of his visit.
Hearing a shot ring out, Alex made a split decision to remain in his shifted form to cover the distance more quickly. He bounded into a small clearing by the fast-moving creek and saw Josh crumpled on the ground and a man—a hunter—nudging him with a high-powered rifle. His acute hearing allowed him to hear Josh moan and he saw the man take aim.
Alex charged, leaping his brother’s prone body and cutting the man’s scream off with one mighty swipe of his paw with its deadly claws. Blood spurted from the man’s severed artery, its scent telling him it wasn’t human. Its warm gush covered the man’s face, chest, and arms. He turned back to his brother, and shifted back to his human form. He leaned down and Josh growled.
“Easy, bro. It’s me. Let me see how bad you’re hurt. Don’t shift until I see how bad it is. You’re stronger in this form,” he said rolling his brother to his side.
Josh groaned and pointed to a spot behind Alex. Alex knew the man who’d injured Josh was dead; he’d practically decapitated him. Then he heard the sharp inhalation of breath and stood, spinning around to challenge the new threat.
Before him stood a tall, curvaceous, mahogany-haired beauty in boots, leggings, and a flannel shirt. He couldn’t believe she was standing in front of him. His mate had come to Shuyak.
“Oh my God,” she breathed.
The look on her face indicated she’d seen him shift. He found it curious that while there was fear, there was also curiosity. He didn’t blame her; seeing a bear become a man had to be a bit disconcerting.
Before she could turn and run, Alex closed the distance between them and managed to grab the long, curly ponytail that fell past her shoulder blades. Jerking her back into his body, he made short work of ripping the bottom of her shirt, gagging her and binding her hands behind her back. He dragged her over to the dead body and stripped it of its belt, quickly securing her feet and legs and then placing her where he could keep an eye on her while he examined Josh, who was once again human.
Alex probed the wound. The bullet was a large caliber and deep. Josh was losing blood... fast. He needed a hospital and he needed one now.
“Hang in there, Josh,” Alex said.
Ripping the shirt off the dead man, Alex again detected a faint whiff of something not quite human. He tore the shirt in half, wadding up the bottom and pressing it into the wound and binding it with the top half of the shirt, using the sleeve to apply pressure. Josh was drifting in and out of consciousness and groaned, as Alex added a stick to the knot in the sleeves and twisted.
Alex smelled the campfire. “Yours?” he said to the frightened woman, who nodded. “Anyone else there?” She shook her head. “Good girl. You keep doing what you’re told, and you might just live to tell the tale.”
Alex stood and walked over to her. He towered over her, looking down and sniffing the air, eyeing her speculatively. He ran toward the smell of the campfire, stopping just out of sight
to ensure she hadn’t lied.
This was going to complicate things; how much had she seen? Sensing no other humans, Alex ransacked the camp, taking what supplies he needed to help Josh and make a travois. He then disguised the resulting mess so it would appear a wild animal had done it. The girl wasn’t unprepared, her rucksack included an impressive bowie knife, a stiletto, and a good rifle. He ran back to the stream.
The girl didn’t lack heart, she had managed to get herself close to the rifle, but not close enough. Alex swatted her backside. Her muffled yelp told him her thin leggings had done little to protect her.
“Don’t do that again,” he growled.
He crafted the makeshift drag sled for his brother and got Josh as comfortable as he could. Rolling the man’s body in a blanket, he placed it next to Josh. Hauling the girl to her feet, he removed the belt from her legs. She tried to knee him in the groin and missed. He wasn’t as lucky at evading her stomping his instep. He quickly grabbed her by the waist and bent her around his hip before his hand connected sharply with her rump several times and she responded with a similar stifled yowl.
“Try it again and I’ll use this belt across your ass. Got it?”
She nodded.
“I need to get my brother some help or he’ll die. He dies and you can join your friend.”
He looped the belt around her neck like a slip lead, picked up the handles of the litter and headed for his cabin. It was remote and he could secure the girl while he got help for Josh and figured out what the hell to do with her.
The going was slow and rough but checking Josh’s wound confirmed that he had slowed the blood loss to a trickle and that Josh was mostly comatose. The girl fought him at first, but two sharp yanks and another hard swat and she settled down and fell in beside him.
Once at his cabin he opened the root cellar, created a pallet with blankets for her and locked her inside. He bound her feet, but not her legs. Satisfied that she wouldn’t be able to escape, he went into his cabin and radioed for an emergency evac. Once the chopper was on its way, he called Allie.
“Hey, Alex. You two having fun?”
“We were. Josh has been hurt.”
“Hurt? How bad?”
“I have a med evac headed in. We’ll take him to the hospital in Kodiak.”
“What happened?” she asked.
Alex smiled. For all the crap he gave his brother, Allie had been a good choice. Her tone indicated she feared for her husband, but she wasn’t devolving into tears.
“Hunting accident. He’s been shot.”
“Alex? Will he live?”
“I think so. I won’t lie to you. It’s bad, but I’ve staunched the bleeding and the hospital will know it’s a gunshot wound and will be ready.”
“I’ll get someone to take care of the kids and join you there,” she said, her voice trembling.
“Hang in there, Allie. I’ll have someone meet you at the airport. They’ll bring you to us.”
“Take care of him, Alex. I love him so much.”
“I know, Allie. He loves you too. I can hear the chopper. I gotta go.”
He disconnected, picked up the poles to the travois, with its heavy burden, and made his way to the meadow with all haste, where the helicopter would have to land. By the time he got there, the medics were waiting with a gurney. They secured Josh and the dead man inside the chopper’s fuselage—Josh on one side and the dead man on the other. One of the two-man team stayed to monitor his brother and Alex took the seat up in the cockpit next to the pilot. They were swiftly airborne and headed for help.
“King?” said the pilot, using the nickname those who knew Alex often used. “You’ve got blood all over you.”
“It’s not mine.” He turned to the man in the back. “How is he?”
“He’s been shot, so not good, but all things considered, I think you probably saved his life. What happened to the dead guy?”
“Looks like a bear attacked him. Maybe that’s how Josh got shot. I really didn’t see anything. Can one of you guys get someone to pick up his wife at the airport? Her name is Allie,” said Alex.
“Consider it done.”
The medic on board called into the hospital to update them as to Josh’s condition and to report they had a dead body. The chopper landed on the helipad, handing his brother off to the trauma team and the body to the morgue attendant.
One of the nurses touched his arm. “Hey, King. Let’s get you downstairs and checked out.”
Kodiak and Shuyak Islands both had small populations. Those in the Forestry Service and the Emergency Room were well acquainted.
“I’m fine. Brooke. I want to stay close to Josh.”
“Well, you have blood everywhere. Why don’t we get you cleaned up and then I’ll take you to the OR waiting room?”
Alex didn’t like being manipulated, but Allie seeing him covered in his brother’s blood wouldn’t do her any good. He needed to make sure Josh and Allie were both going to be fine. Then he needed to get back to his cabin to deal with his mate. He allowed Brooke to get him examined and cleaned up. She took him to the OR waiting room to wait to hear that Josh would live. He refused to consider any other alternative.
He wasn’t sure how long he’d been slumped down in the chair, using his phone to research shifters on the dark web. The not-quite human scent he’d picked up from Henry Koto most likely indicated he’d been a shifter. But the question was, what kind? Knowing that might indicate whether or not a threat to those under his protection—Josh and Flynn for example—still existed. It wasn’t as easy as finding information on Wikipedia, but if you knew where to look, it could be found.
He heard Allie call his name. He got to his feet and wrapped her in his embrace when the beautiful blonde threw herself into his arms.
“Do you know anything?”
“Not much. They sent word out that it’s taking longer than they’d thought, but that’s all I know.”
They settled back on the couch and waited until the doctor came out. “Mrs. Kingston? I’m Dr. Sanders. I just left them closing up your husband.”
“Is he going to be all right?”
“We won’t know for sure for 24 hours, but I am cautiously optimistic. I can tell you one thing, if it weren’t for your brother-in-law, your husband would be dead.” He offered his hand to Alex. “Good job, King. You saved his life. I was a bit startled when I looked down and basically saw you laying there. I’d forgotten you had a twin.”
“Well, he’s always been forgettable,” he quipped trying to make Allie smile.
He succeeded and she shook her head.
“And he always says that you’re too awful to forget.” She looked at the doctor. “Twins.”
He chuckled. “As I said, I’m fairly sure he’ll make a full recovery. As soon as we get into a room, someone will come and get you.”
Allie shook the surgeon’s hand. “Thank you and your staff for all you’re doing.”
They watched the surgeon head back to the operating suite and Alex guided her back to the couch. A state trooper approached them.
“King? May I speak with you a moment?”
Giving Allie a reassuring hug, he said, “I’ll just be over there. Will you be all right?”
Smiling, she squeezed his hand. “Do what you have to do. I’ll be fine as soon as I see Josh and know he’s going to be all right.”
Alex joined the state trooper a discreet distance away.
“Barry, isn’t it?” he asked.
“I’m surprised you remember me. Can you tell me what happened? The coroner says the guy was attacked by a huge bear, almost tore the guy’s head off. We’ve ID’d him as some rich development guy out of Seattle. Name is,” he checked his notepad, “Henry Koto. Know him?”
“Doesn’t sound familiar,” said Alex. “What was he doing on Shuyak?”
“According to his brother, some guy named David, he was supposed to be on Kodiak Island photographing a bear. He’d hired a guide... a girl. D
id you see anyone else?”
“No one, but then I wasn’t looking.”
“Did they have a permit that you know of for Shuyak?”
“Again, not that I know of. We don’t give out permits during the Kodiak’s breeding season because both sexes get pretty aggressive.”
“Curious. Your office said the same thing. When I checked with the girl’s brother, he indicated that she was an experienced guide and wouldn’t mix up the two islands. Apparently, she’s been here several times.”
“Do you know who flew them in? Maybe the pilot knows something.”
“Apparently, it was the Koto’s personal pilot. He’s flying back up with the brothers. But you didn’t see any sign of the woman?”
“I was a little preoccupied with saving my brother’s life. I almost didn’t bring in the body, but then decided his relatives would want to know. I did use his shirt to stop Josh from bleeding to death.”
“Understandable. We know where to find you.”
“I’ll be here until I know Josh is all right. Then, I’ll head back to Shuyak and start a search for the missing girl and either stay to head it up or come back to be with Josh’s wife, Allie. Either way, you know how to get in touch with me.”
“We do. I hope your brother makes it.”
“Thanks, Barry. I appreciate it.” Shaking the trooper’s hand, he turned back to Allie.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
He nodded. “Everything will be fine.”
A nurse appeared, “Mrs. Kingston? Your husband is in recovery, you and King can see him now.”
Alex felt some of the tension begin to dissipate when he saw his brother ensconced in a hospital bed, awake—a weak smile playing around his lips.
Chapter Five
Flynn strained to listen, trying to ensure he had left. She’d barely heard the whirring of the rotors on the helicopter as it came in. Surely, he would have gone with his brother.
She had to get out! What the hell had happened? There had been a gunshot, a cut-off scream, and blood... so much blood. And had she actually seen an enormous Kodiak bear morph from beast to man? And that man. It was the man from the Irish pub; the man who had spanked and fucked her; the man whose memory still had a powerful effect on her. For Christ’s sake, the man had tied her up, gagged her and led her by a belt looped around her neck... and instead of fear, all she felt was aroused. It was annoying.
