Rebel Bears MC: (A Bear Shifter Romance Collection)

by Celeste Raye

  “Why don’t we go to my father with something better than that? You have to offer up something, because your daughter is worth so much to you, right?”

  Alexis’s dad picked up on it quickly, even though he wanted to know why Jake was helping. He didn’t have an answer for him, but his eyes lingered on Alexis one too many times. His father knew then, and Jake let the two of them talk before they left. He had no idea what they said to each other, but Alexis’s dad, Deja, seemed to know exactly what Jake was getting out of it.

  He grabbed Jake’s arm hard as they were walking out. The old man had a better grip than he anticipated. It was easy to see the intent in his eyes.

  “Promise me you’ll watch out for her. She’s all I have left.”

  Jake agreed, but he wasn’t sure of the sincerity of the old man. Deja reminded him of his father. They both said things they really didn’t mean. Their eyes gave them away.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “You sure are quiet. I don't think you have ever been this quiet before. What's on your mind?”

  “I guess just meeting your dad was a bit surreal.”

  “Do you really think that your father is going to go for the deal? I mean, didn't he want something out of it?”

  “Leaving it open like that would just make it seem like my father has more power than he does. It puts the ball in his court and rubs his ego. It will also give us the time that we need. It’s a win, win, as far as I can see.”

  “That sounds a little too good to be true. Is that why you're so quiet? I think that you're more nervous about going back to your place than I am.”

  “I can assure you that I am nervous about it. I have gotten a sense of what people feel about the situation, and I can't say that I'm so happy about it. My father has his ways and he is the leader.”

  Now Alexis was worried, and she asked him if she was going to be safe.

  “I think so. I told you that I won't let anything happen to you, but I just wish that your father would have made my job easier. I know that he is your father, but I don't quite trust him, not like I do you.”

  Alexis didn't say much one way or another. She did not think her father was being entirely truthful. There was just something in his tone, and before she left, he said that maybe she should get to know Jake a little better. It had taken her a moment to realize that he was talking about marriage. Of course, he was talking about marriage—that was all that he was ever worried about. He was even in the midst of it all, trying to marry her off.

  “It would be a good marriage, daughter. Think about the rest of us, Alexis. Don't be selfish.”

  His words were still ringing in her ears, and she could hardly look at Jake because of it. She was quite attracted to Jake. She actually came to like him and wonder what it would be like to be with him in that way, but then her dad went and said that, ruining her daydream.

  She didn't want to be ordered to be with Jake. She wanted to be with him because it was her choice. Now Alexis was unsure what to do next.

  Then he grinned at her in that boyish way, and Alexis decided that maybe it wouldn't be so bad. It wouldn't be like she was being told what to do after all. It was something that Alexis was already very interested in. But marriage? That was a bit much. She was still trying to figure out her options, and now one that she hadn't even considered was flopped in her lap.

  “We will just have to see how it turns out, Alexis. My promise still stands, even if it might be more difficult than I first imagined.”

  Alexis had wished that there would have been more to offer. Maybe she wouldn't even be going back with Jake at all. The funny thing about that was, she wasn't even sure if she thought of leaving as a good thing or a bad thing. All she knew was she didn't want to be away from Jake. Something was happening, no matter who was pushing it.

  They got back to Jake’s place and Alexis was still trying to figure out how it would work out. She trusted Jake, but there was a lot that they were up against. She wanted to know if they were going to be speaking to his father right off.

  “No, we actually need to get dressed for dinner. Talk like that will be after dinner with drinks.”

  “So, we’re just going to go to dinner like nothing is going on?”

  He chuckled and nodded his head. Alexis was incredulous. They wanted her dead. How was she going to be able to sit there with them knowing that they could make that decision at any time and it would be one man against many? It didn’t matter how strong Jake was or how much she trusted him. The numbers didn’t lie, and neither did the knot in her gut.

  “Well, that’s not the worst part of it.”

  She sighed. “How can it get worse?”

  “Well, let’s just say that I am there to meet several women, for a full moon ceremony, if you can believe it.”

  Alexis was shocked. She didn’t know what to say. If she were just a captive woman, with no real feelings for her captor, then Alexis wouldn’t have cared. But damn it if she didn’t. She wanted to know what was going on and why he was getting married.

  “I thought you said that you weren’t going to do everything that your father wants you to do? You weren’t going to let him decide.”

  “Yes, but I also know that I have to get married. It is expected of me.”

  “So, you don’t get to at least pick who you want to marry?”

  He shrugged. “Why would it matter? It’s not like I have anyone that I could choose anyway.”

  Alexis opened her mouth to say something but then shut it quickly. It hurt her, and it wasn’t supposed to. Was it her father’s words that made her think about it? It was silly. They were so different, and she hadn’t even thought about it until the long run back to Jake’s. Why was she so upset that he didn’t immediately think of her, the captive, the enemy? Of course, he wouldn’t think of her. What was she thinking?

  “You're right. I don't know what I was thinking.”

  “It's no big deal. I knew this day was going to come eventually. I just thought I would have more time. He has been pushing me to find a mate for a while now. I have been pushing back. Now he is going to make the final push, and I'm going to have to do what I am being told to do. I don't like the idea of it any better than I think you will when your time comes.”

  Alexis pressed her lips together. Her father had already made his demands, but now there would be no way for that to happen.

  “Yeah, I guess it will.”

  “We have a little bit of time before we need to go. I will find you something to wear for tonight.”

  Alexis immediately shook her head that she didn't want to go. It didn't sound like a good night at all, especially if she was supposed to sit there and watch Jake flirt with three women, one of them becoming his bride. How was she to manage a night like that?

  “I think I'm okay. Why don't you go ahead and go without me? I'm just going to finish up that book that I was talking about. I have a feeling that I’m not going to be here much longer.”

  They got up to the room and she immediately said that she was going to take a shower. Alexis was furious, not really at Jake per se, but more at herself. She had let her mind make up a fantasy that had been so real, she'd almost believed it. Of course, they weren't going to end up together. Why would they?

  Chapter Fifteen

  Something had changed in Alexis. He guessed it was whatever her father had told her on the way out. She had gotten a stricken look on her face, and now she didn't want to look him in the eye. Jake knew that something was wrong, very wrong, but she retreated to the bathroom so quickly, he had no time to get a straight answer out of her.

  He got dressed, making sure to have everything just so. It wasn’t like he was trying to look good for his prospective wives. Jake wanted to look good for Alexis. That’s all that was on his mind. He wanted to catch her attention.

  After almost thirty minutes, she emerged from the bathroom, and he almost swallowed his tongue. The dress he’d found for her was perfect: black, short, and tigh
t in all the right places. He knew that she was stunning, but now, she was ethereal in her perfection, and he wasn’t able to look away.

  “You’re staring. Is that a good thing? I don’t really have anything with me, so I am far more natural than I would like to be.”

  “It is definitely a good thing. You look beautiful. I hope you know that. Most women can’t rock the natural look, but you pull it off easily.”

  Alexis glanced down, unable to look at him, yet she usually wasn't so shy. Something had definitely changed in her. Jake just found himself even more attracted to her than before.

  “Are you sure that you're all right, Alexis? You been acting a little differently ever since we got back from seeing your dad.”

  “Well, I don't know how you expect me to act after seeing him. I got a full count of who died, and I’m not even going to get to go to the funeral. I had to come back here. I don't know, it's just a lot to take in, you know.”

  Jake agreed that it was. He tried to put himself in her position, and it was impossible. He never wanted to think of himself in such a position. Then he would have to conclude that he was helpless.

  “Well, if there is anything, I can do to make you feel better, just let me know.”

  “The funeral is tomorrow morning. Do you think that maybe we could go? Not like being around the people, but in the background somewhere? I just want to pay my respects, you know.”

  She was looking at him with hope in her eyes that seared his soul. Jake felt like it was all his fault, all of it. It wasn't like he had asked to be attacked, but everyone had been killed. It was the way that the Rebel Bears took care of things, but it didn't necessarily mean that he had to. Jake was regretting it more and more as time went on.

  “I will do my best to get you there on time. I'm sure that we can finagle it some way. People won't be happy, but they don't have to know about it.”

  “And by people, you mean your father?”

  “And my brother Donovan. My other brothers aren't too bad, but Donovan is very close to my dad and he will rat me out in a heartbeat. He also is second in line for the throne, so if he could discredit me in any way, he will. He wants to become leader so that he can continue to run the motorcycle gang like it's been run for so long. I think it's time for a change, but they do not, so we’ve just got to make sure they don't know about it.”

  Alexis agreed. She still looked nervous, and when he asked her if there was anything else wrong, she blurted out that she wasn't comfortable going tonight.

  “We are going to be at dinner with a bunch of people that want me dead, Jake. Not to mention, you're going to be dating three other girls. This is going to be super weird.”

  Jake agreed with the sentiment. He told Alexis that it was going to be weird for him too. This wasn't something that he chose, but something that was thrust upon him. It was one more, in a very long line of obligations that Jake seemed to pick up along the way. All of this was so he could become leader one day. Now, just like many times before, Jake had to wonder if it was all worth it or not. Most times, like then, it didn't feel like it.

  “So, what am I even supposed to do over there? I mean, do you want me to just sit quietly or something?”

  He shook his head and told her that it wasn't like that at all. “I want you to just be yourself, Alexis. Maybe not as vocal as you are with me, but a toned-down version of yourself will be just fine.”

  Alexis scoffed, and Jake hoped that he hadn't made her mad. He seemed to have an affinity for doing that, and that was definitely not his intention. He was still a little slack-faced looking at her. She was beautiful. Her hair was glistening like flames and the dress did her body justice. He couldn't take his eyes off of her, even if he wanted to.

  He took her hand in his and squeezed it a little bit. “It's going to be fine, Alexis. As long as you stay by my side, nothing is going to happen.”

  When they got downstairs, Alexis was the one that was looking around, trying to figure out what was going on. There were so many people. She had never imagined that there would be so many or that they would be dressed in the way that they were. They were cleaned up for sure, no leather jackets in sight. Alexis looked to the man next to her, and she truly saw him then. He was standing much taller than the rest of them, and he had a commandeering presence that was impossible to deny. Everyone looked at him when they walked into the room, which meant they looked at her as well.

  She pulled closer to him and was thankful when he squeezed her closer. It was an assuring touch that told her everything was going to be okay. Alexis never thought she would be at a dinner with all the Rebel Bears around her.

  Alexis noticed quite quickly that not many people were happy to see her. She tried to avoid all the dirty looks, but they were coming from every direction. Alexis wished more than anything, that she could just melt into the carpet.

  “I really don't think that they want me here.”

  He shrugged.

  “I couldn’t care less what they want or what they think, Alexis. You shouldn't worry about it either.”

  Again, she scoffed; he really didn't understand things, did he?

  “I wish I could be as confident as you are, Jake.”

  “It's not confidence. I pretty much just fake it till I make it. That's about the gist of it.”

  Alexis pressed her lips together. That was not the answer she was looking for.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Dean watched his oldest come into the room, and pretty much like everybody else, he was paying more attention to the woman at his side. He had not even considered that he would bring her. Dean had told Jake very clearly what was going on. He knew that he was there to pick between three women. So why the hell did he drag the redhead out? And why was she dressed like that?

  They were getting a lot of attention, and it wasn't just because she was an enemy, but because she was beautiful. Dean himself could see it, even if he didn't want to admit it. Admitting it just made it more complicated, and he wanted Jake to make the right decision. He needed him to, because he was starting to seriously question his son’s loyalty.

  Dean had figured that at some point, Jake would find a woman, and he would naturally settle down. That was the way that it usually went.

  This time, it was going badly. He was going to keep an eye on them both, but he was already trying to figure out how he would fix it.

  He watched the introduction, and even though the three other women he was meeting were just as beautiful as the one he had brought, Jake did not give them much attention. All of his conversation and charm were turned towards the redheaded enemy. He still couldn't believe that Jake had the audacity to bring her along.

  Dean didn’t know what her deal was, but he wanted her gone. She’d fallen from the sky, and Alexis was distracting his son at a time when Jake should have been focused on the power transfer.

  Donovan must have noticed how intently he was watching her, and he said something about how pretty she was. Dean scowled.

  “I have never known you to be so intrigued by a woman before. Has she done the same thing for you that she did for your son?”

  Dean looked over at Donovan sharply and pressed his lips together hard. “You really should not talk of things you don't understand. Do you not see what is happening here?”

  Donovan kind of shook his head.

  “I guess I don't, Dad. All I see is one of our enemies sitting at the table. What else is there to see?”

  Dean shook his head. “Look at your brother. Have you ever seen him look like that before?”

  “I can't say that I have.”

  “So, why do you think that is?”

  “Because he wastes his time with stupid girls?”

  Dean waved Donovan off like he was an idiot. He wasn't taking it seriously, and Dean needed him to. It was his legacy and his motorcycle gang that were in the crosshairs. That was pretty serious to him.

  He stood up and proposed a toast. He went on for a few minutes abou
t the great victory over Alexis’ clan. He didn't say it because he wanted to pat himself on the back, though he never turned that down. He said it so that Alexis would know where she stood. She seemed to have forgotten, and it wasn't long before her face fell and he smiled to himself. That's all he needed.

  Dean hadn’t considered, though, how Jake was going to take it. When he finally caught Jake's attention, he could see nothing but hate in his eyes. What he had said and done was not going to be so easily overlooked.

  When the dinner was over, Dean was no closer to having his son married off. When he tried to stop Jake to talk to him about it, his son just waved him off and told him that he would see him in a little while.

  “Jake, this is serious. You shouldn’t just be walking off. We need to discuss this. The whole dinner was for you to pick a bride; don’t forget that.”

  Alexis looked stricken, and his son was becoming more intent with his look.

  “I hear you, Father. I will see you in a little while. I want to make sure that Alexis is secure before we have this talk. It is nothing for her to hear.”

  Dean was beside himself. Jake was acting so out of character. Did this woman have that much hold over him?

  “Fine, but hurry. My patience is waning when it comes to you and that woman.”

  Dean looked directly at Alexis with plenty of hostility. He noticed Jake move in front of her, and for Dean, that was the final straw. He couldn’t allow this to go on. Jake needed to wise up.

  “Was that all really necessary, Father? It was petty, all of it. The speech and the comments you made as we were leaving. Why would you say those things?”

  Dean was incredulous. “Are you really worried about what your leader said about your captive? I will say whatever the hell I damn well please to say, and you should remember that. Your insolence was noted and won’t be tolerated. You shouldn’t have brought her here, and you know it. All of this could have been avoided with a pulled-out throat or a bullet to the head. This needs to stop. What do you have to offer me for her?”