by Celeste Raye
“What in the world is a human doing here?”
The high level to the voice told her that it was a female, but it was one that wasn't happy to see her. Of course, they could tell right off the bat that she was human and there was nothing she could do about it.
She turned around and saw a tall redheaded woman walking up to her. There was a look of disdain on her pretty face, and Claire should've moved. She knew what the woman was and what she was capable of, but at the moment, Claire couldn’t give a damn. She just wanted to sit and to be left alone. It had been a long day, and from the looks of it, it was just going to be a long night as well.
“This human just wants a soda and to be left alone.”
“Oh, how cute; it talks. I am going to tell Jake that you're here. He will surely have something to say about it.”
Claire was surprised how quickly the news of the brothers returning was getting around. She didn't like the way the woman was looking at her and asked her why it mattered what she is doing there.
“Because one of them brought you here and I want to know which one.”
“Donovan.”
The redhead got about as red in the face as her hair was and started to stomp off. Apparently, that's not what she wanted to hear, and there was a hint of jealousy. That just made Claire wonder why that was. Who was that woman?
“Donovan brought you here? Are you fricking kidding me?”
Claire shrugged because she had no idea what was going on. It wasn't hard to imagine the problem, though. This was one of Donovan's old lovers, and she was obviously not happy to be replaced by a human.
The idea of it made Claire smile, and the redhead stomped off in the direction of the bloody room. Claire was finally left alone to have her soda, and she sighed to herself.
What a hell of a day. She thought she heard a bit of a commotion in the direction that the woman went, but she didn't worry about it. It was all done now. Donovan was safe, and that's all she cared about. If he chose someone else, it would hurt Claire, but she knew that she would be able to get over it. Eventually. As long as he was safe.
Honestly, Claire was too tired to fight. Whatever would be, would be.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“You've been pretty quiet since we got here.”
“I've learned a lot since we got here. That redhead ever find you?”
“Darla?”
Claire shrugged because she didn't know the woman's name. It was the redhead. How many redheads did he know that would come in and start screaming at her? She suddenly wondered how many came before her. It wasn't something that Claire would have ever cared about before. He had said flippantly that he had lived over a century, so of course, he had lovers. Probably more than she ever wanted to know about.
“Whatever her name was. She was not happy to see that you had brought me here.”
He shrugged. “I wouldn't worry about her.”
“Why is that? She's rather pretty.”
“Darla is also very, very vain and kind of cruel. I will admit that I saw her as attractive once or twice when I was partying, but it never turned into more than that. We are two very different people. She isn't someone that I’m looking for.”
“Then what were you looking for?”
She said the words so quietly, afraid that they wouldn't even come out all the way. The sound was just barely balancing.
“I wasn't really looking for anything, Claire. I was looking for redemption, I suppose. I felt bad for what had happened and what I had allowed to happen on my watch. There were a lot of emotions going through me, but none of them were centered on finding someone like you. It hadn't even registered as a possibility. I didn't even know that I was missing you until you were there in front of me.”
Claire looked down, and she felt happiness go over her. It was everything that she wanted to hear and more, but now she was questioning everything. How could it work between them? How could it when he was a shifter and she was a human and everybody that he knew thought she was lesser?
“Maybe you should be with someone like Darla, though. It would be better for you.”
“Why would you say that?”
“Because your people are never going to accept me.”
“Have they been mean to you?”
Claire shook her head. “No, not like that. It's just I can feel their stares and they’re waiting for me to go. I am ruining your reunion, and I think it would be best if I leave.”
He looked shocked and Claire wanted him desperately to make her stay. All he had to do was ask, tell her that he couldn't live without her or something of that nature. Anything, really; she just needed an excuse. Instead, he agreed, and Claire could literally feel her heart breaking.
“Fine, Claire, if that's what you want. I told you that I would always do what you wanted.”
She should have been happy, but she felt empty and mad. She was carrying his child, after all: his shifter child. Claire smacked him hard on his chest.
“Are you serious? You would just let me go?”
He chuckled and pulled her close. “Never, Claire.”
“But what about…”
“Shhh, there is always going to be something to worry about, but not today. I’m home, you’re with me, and our child is safe. I couldn’t ask for more. In time, they will accept you or we will leave. Nothing has changed, Claire. I choose you.”
Bear’s Forbidden Witch
Rebel Bears MC
Book III
Chapter One
“I can’t believe that we’re already talking about this.”
Donovan shrugged and told his brother that it was the way of things. “The more allies we have, the more we have to watch our backs. Sometimes, they can be just as bad as an enemy.”
Jake shrugged and tried to pull his head together. Charlie could see that his two brothers were a bit overwhelmed with reports coming out of betrayal from new allies. It had only been a few months since they’d come to an agreement with the Bennigans, but now they were going to have to go visit them. Charlie had agreed to go, but he was asked to stay back and keep an eye on things instead. He was sore about the request, always feeling like he was left to do the work that was less important.
“I have no problem going there. I can take Fred. You two have wives now and should stay at home.”
Jake looked to Donovan, and they both disagreed. They were in wedded bliss supposedly, but the domestic life left them itching for some adventure. Charlie wanted some as well, but it didn’t look like it was in the cards for him, no matter how badly he wanted it to be.
“Come on, Charlie. I know that you’re dying to get away from Mona, but this is going to be good for you. It is time that you step up into the role that you carry. You’re not just my brother; you will one day lead right along with me. I don’t believe that there should be only one leader. I think we should all do it, and then if something ever happens to me, it will smoothly go to the next in line.”
Charlie was shocked by that. Jake was always thinking ahead, but it was a little morbid to hear him talk about his own demise. He didn’t want to be a leader, ever. He wanted to get away. His other brothers had done so, and it had done them a world of good. Charlie wanted the same thing for himself. He couldn’t help it. It was hard to see Jake and Donovan so happy when his own love life was so abysmal. Sticking around and courting Mona was not going to get him to happiness any faster.
Charlie accepted that he wouldn’t be able to go, but he still stayed and listened. He needed to know what was going on with his father’s loyal friends that were still in the gang. They were going to have to be rooted out, but some were elders, and they would have to be caught red-handed in their treachery. That was one of the jobs put on Charlie’s shoulders. He would have much rather dealt with Bennigans.
“Do you think you can handle that, Charlie?”
Jake was asking in earnest, and Charlie agreed, even though he had spaced out about halfway through his brother’s lo
ng speech. He had a lot of orders to take care of now.
“Yes, but how long are you going to be gone? You act like you’re going to be gone for a long time.”
“I don’t know how long we’re going to be gone, Charlie. Donovan and I will get back as soon as we can, but it might take some time for us to deal with the Bennigans. I want to think that we can work something out, but maybe not.”
“Then what? Do we fight them?”
Jake shook his head. “Not if we don’t have to. If it is going to be a problem for us to work together, then it is best if we just leave each other alone. Maybe father was actually right about them.”
Donovan looked away, and Charlie noticed that he still didn’t like to hear about Dean. No one did. Their dad was gone, killed by his son’s hand. It was a sore subject, to say the least.
“I wouldn’t go that far, but we don’t have to get along with all of them, brother. It looks like the Altrues are going to be good for business.”
Jake agreed, but he was still worried about what would happen next. He asked about their youngest brother, Fred, but no one had seen him. Charlie told him about Fred’s new girlfriend, and there were a few minutes that the troubles were forgotten; it was far more important to make fun of their young brother. He was in love and they’d all been there. Well, all except Charlie.
He’d never felt anything like his brothers described. He pretty much thought that they were just saying the things they said. He didn’t know why, but Charlie had never been close to a girl. They all told him that it was because he was still young, but that wasn’t the case. Charlie wasn’t sure what it was, but he was ready for something.
Now, he was going to be stuck back at home, where nothing ever happened.
The trio talked out a few more plans that were going to take place in the next couple of weeks, and then Charlie went about his business. He saw Mona coming towards him down a long hallway, and he slid outside, shifting into his bear form and literally running away. He didn’t have time for her and all of her questions and her push to commit. He didn’t love her. He should, but Charlie didn’t, and that was all that he needed to know. To tell her, though, that was another subject altogether.
When he got to the woods, he was able to think clearly. Nothing that was going on around him was anything that could be changed. Charlie had a hundred years of frustration to get out and running helped in some small way. Not enough, but some.
His mind was full of lost opportunities, but it wasn’t enough to drive him crazy. At least he could sleep when his head hit the pillow, though his dreams would still play out all of the scenarios of what could have been and what could go wrong.
Charlie knew that when he woke up in the morning, his oldest brothers would be gone and he would have to figure out how to keep everything running smoothly. It was a lot, and Charlie wanted to make Jake proud, prove that his faith in him wasn’t a mistake.
With new thoughts racing through his head, he ran until it felt like his lungs were going to burst and his legs were aching. Charlie slowed down and looked around him. He didn’t recognize anything. He’d been going long and hard.
The walk back was slower, but he knew that he had to get back. And soon. He had a lot of responsibilities waiting for him, and the weight of it made every step a little bit harder.
Charlie got back to the Rebel Bear’s clubhouse by morning, but he was surprised to see his brothers were still there. Jake made a noise of relief when he saw him, like he didn’t know if he would come back.
“Thank goodness you’re here, Charlie. I thought that you might have run off to get the Bennigans under wraps.”
“No, I said I would be here, no matter how much I would like to go. I just went for a run. What’s up?”
Jake shrugged and told him that he was waiting for him. “I would feel better knowing that Fred was here with you and that you’re safe. We’ll be back soon, Charlie. I wouldn’t leave the gang to anyone else but you. I am also letting you use my bike. How does that sound?”
That made Charlie smile for the first time in a while. He’d always admired his brother’s bike, which Jake had built himself. It wasn’t like it couldn’t have been bought, but there were tiny little improvements that made it badass. Now he was going to be able to drive it around, and Charlie was already rethinking his view on staying behind. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad after all.
He also felt a little bit of pride, that his brother would not only trust him with his badass bike but also with the gang. The Rebel Bears had a lot of members, and there was always something going on. Charlie was going to have his hands full, and it was good to know that his brother believed in him. Charlie was glad, for once, that he got left behind. He was going to hold down the fort for him.
Chapter Two
Evelyn was tired, and she went to the tree closest to her and relaxed. She was tired because she wasn’t used to walking so much. The old woman didn’t drive, though, and her niece had been gone for almost two weeks. Her supplies were out, and her driver was gone.
None of that bothered the aging witch. She knew that she would procure what she needed, but the disappearance of Celeste wasn’t something she was very sure of. Her niece should have been back by now. It wasn’t like her to take off, even though Evelyn knew that she wanted nothing to do with her world. She would have at least tried to call her to tell her she was okay.
So, that left Evelyn to go find her, but she was reminded of how frail her body was. She was too old to make the long trek. She needed someone to go for her, and Evelyn remembered that a few bear shifters owed her a favor. They were close and getting to them seemed easier than getting to Celeste at the moment, not knowing where she was exactly.
Evelyn changed her direction and sent a little magic ahead of her to help her out. It made each step a little easier, but she was still exhausted, and she wasn’t even close to being there. At two miles out, she decided to rest and see if she could get them to find her. It would be easier, after all.
She found her crystal, the one that was stuffed in a hidden pocket of her dress. It was long, and the shawl covered up most of her, but now Evelyn had to brave the cool air that chilled her to her bones. It wasn’t long before she was shaking, but it was from magic, not cold. The wind had picked up, tossing her white hair around her face. The air was warm, and she was able to relax. Evelyn wondered why she ever did anything without magic. Obviously, that was her first mistake.
The witch chanted the family name. She needed Donovan to come to her, or anyone that was close. If it wasn’t Donovan, surely, they could bring her to him, and then she would get her favor returned. Evelyn needed to use it, even though she’d wanted to hold onto it for something more significant. Evelyn had a bad feeling about Celeste being gone, and she knew that something terrible had happened. If not, Celeste was going to get a talking-to, making her waste such a valuable favor.
She did the chants several more times before she had to stop and rest some more. She was cursing her own body and its limits when she saw a shifter bear pushing through the grass. He looked confused when he saw her sitting there on the forest floor. Evelyn suggested to him, that he turn into his human form so that they could talk.
“Witch? What are you doing here, and why have you summoned me?”
Evelyn smiled up at him, but she didn’t move from her seat on the ground. There was no need to. She had found one of the four brothers, and she asked him how his mind was.
“Did you get your memory back?”
Charlie looked like he was disgruntled by the question and wanted to know how she knew about it. As much as Evelyn liked the surprise and the expression on his face, she also knew that it was time to get her work done. She needed to figure out what was going on and how quickly the man would do her bidding.
“Who the hell are you? Are you the one that did that to us? My brother will…”
“Your brother owes me, and I want payment. You would all be still living like common humans if it weren
’t for me. It’s time for payback.”
“I don’t know what you are talking about, but I know that none of my brothers would have dealt with a witch. We stay away from your kind for a reason.”
Evelyn wasn’t ready to take no for an answer, and she was getting perturbed with the one that was saying bad things about witches. No one liked to admit that they dealt with them, the bringers of magic, but they all were a part of it. They all went to witches when they needed the impossible done, yet still had no respect for them.
“Are you saying that you won’t take me to your brother so that he can keep his word?”
“I would take you to him lady if I knew where he was. He went away on business, and shouldn’t be back for a few weeks.”
“Then, I want to talk to whoever is in charge.”
He smiled and told her that he was the one that she was to talk to. Evelyn didn’t like to hear that. He wasn’t taking her seriously, and before she could say more, he was dismissing her and telling her that he had to go. She was tempted to zap him on his way out, but she knew that it wouldn’t help. She was going to have to think of something to get the man’s attention. Anything would do, as long as it got her niece home safe and sound.
Charlie was going back to the compound. He’d been in the middle of a conversation with Mona when compelled. He wasn’t happy about being compelled by a witch. No one in his family thought too highly of them, and Charlie couldn’t imagine one of his brothers working with the likes of the one he’d met.
The witch had been old and decrepit, her skin hanging off of her bones in the most unpleasant way. He shivered from the memory of it. He had heard her warning as he was jetting off, but it hadn’t been enough to make him pause that much. Charlie was sure the witch was lying.
