by Elena Aitken
Right in front of her. She was close to the edge. Dangerously close.
But the danger behind her was more than real. She could feel the beast was close. Way too close.
There was no other choice. She swallowed hard, swung her head around and roared as loud as she could before she lunged toward Gordon. It was practically a suicide mission given that the old grizzly was so much bigger than her. But he was old, and Gabriella was quick. And pissed off. She bared her teeth and dug into the bear’s flank, biting down as hard as she could. Gordon squealed, a terrible noise that turned into a menacing growl, but Gabriella only had seconds to register it before a solid blow hit her on the side of the head. She flew through the air and landed hard in the snow.
She was cold. So cold. And her head hurt. Darkness crept around the edges of her vision and she fought hard to stay conscious. If she closed her eyes…she couldn’t….she couldn’t let that happen. A shadow fell over her. Carlos. Snarling. His teeth bared.
He couldn’t. He wouldn’t.
Gabriella tried to lift her head but it was too heavy and pain shot across her temple.
Carlos snarled again, and took another step so he was almost on top of her. In her peripheral vision, a grizzly appeared.
All you need is a clan alpha as witness.
She growled, but even to her own ears, it sounded more like a whimper and she hated herself for it. She hated that it would end like this. After all her strength, he would take what he wanted and there wasn’t a damn thing she’d be able to do about it. A tear slipped from her eye and froze in her fur.
She blinked hard in an effort to clear her vision, but it was no use. The last thing Gabriella heard as she slipped into unconsciousness was the loud, angry roar of the one meant to be her mate.
Kade.
It only took him a moment to remember exactly what it felt like to experience his bear. One moment of uncertainty. One moment of hesitation. And then it was gone and Kade was running. His muscles protested initially at the stretching and pulling, but soon enough his body warmed up and any hesitation he’d felt was gone as he pushed himself through the woods in the direction of the ridge.
He pushed himself to his limit. If it had been under any other circumstance, he would have warmed up into the shift. He would have taken some time to walk around and get comfortable with his animal again. But he was definitely not under any normal circumstances. Nothing was normal. Everything was wrong.
Ella.
Ella.
He focused on his mate. It didn’t take long until his body was adjusted to his animal again and his heightened senses homed in on her. She was at the Ridge. She wasn’t alone. And she was in trouble.
Kade ran harder, faster. His breath came in pants. His body screamed in protest to the exertion, but it didn’t matter. He wouldn’t slow down for anything. Not until he knew his mate was safe.
Why would she be out in a storm?
She was from Peru, for God’s sake.
Argentina, he corrected himself.
It didn’t matter. It didn’t. Wherever she was from, whatever her name really was. None of that really mattered because the only thing that mattered in that moment was making sure she was okay. She’d lied. That much was true. But she would have a reason for lying to him. A reason he hadn’t wanted to hear because he selfishly thought he needed to take care of himself first. And it was selfish, because if he was going to have a mate—and he was going to have a mate—she had to come first. No matter what. And that’s exactly what he was going to do. He was going to put her first. There’d be time to hear everything she had to say, and it wouldn’t matter either.
Whatever her reasons were for running from her clan and lying to him…they didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered was that they would be together.
The snow was coming harder and the wind had picked up since he’d started out on his hike. The cold bit through his fur, but he hardly felt it.
Ella would feel it.
Even with her fur coat, she wasn’t made for a Montana winter. A bespectacled bear had no business running around in a blizzard.
Assuming she was in her bear form.
He couldn’t tell. He was so out of touch with his instincts, and his senses, although now firing, were still out of practice. He couldn’t be sure. He could only be sure that it was her he ran toward.
A roar echoed through the trees, pulling him out of his thoughts and stopping him mid-stride.
Ella?
No.
A second later, another roar.
That was Ella.
They were close. And she was in trouble.
Kade pounded through the deepening snow and broke through the tree line just in time to see one of the biggest grizzlies he’d ever seen reach out and swipe at his mate with his paw. She went flying like a rag doll, landing in the snow with a thud. Kade growled low in his throat, but neither the grizzly nor the other, smaller bear seemed to have heard him. He took a minute to catch his breath and assess the situation. The smaller bear looked to be a bespectacled bear as well. Maybe someone she knew from back home? But the grizzly…
He didn’t have time to think about it too hard as the smaller bear stalked over to his mate. Even from a distance, Kade could see he’d bared his teeth.
His heart beat so hard and fast, Kade couldn’t even see straight. His gaze locked on Ella lying helplessly in the snowbank as the other bear approached.
There was no way in hell he’d let anyone hurt his mate.
With a roar that was probably heard all through the ridge, Kade crossed the space and lunged through the air, connecting hard with the smaller bear.
Whoever he was, he was so much smaller that he wasn’t much of a match for Kade. Kade easily dominated him, pinning him beneath him with his paws. The other bear growled and bared his teeth. If it was any other opponent, Kade would have let him up, let him go. But this bear tried to hurt his mate. He swiped at him, leaving a trail of claw marks that welled up red against the snow. Kade growled one more time to make his point. If he thought the cuts were bad, he’d happily make sure his point was taken. Subdued for the moment, Kade swung his heavy head around to find the next threat.
The grizzly.
But the grizzly wasn’t a threat. He stood silently. Watching.
And Kade could see why.
His dark fur was shaggy and dulled with age. It was hard to tell with the snow whipping around, but Kade was pretty sure if he could look closer, he’d see the gray fur flecked throughout. Of that he had no doubt. It had been a long time since he’d seen his grandfather in his bear. But there was no question that it was Gordon who stood and watched.
The only question was…why. Why was his grandfather attacking his mate? Surely he couldn’t be so filled with hate that he’d want to hurt someone he didn’t even know.
But he’d have to wait to ask his questions. Kade’s ears pricked to attention at the sound of a snowmobile approaching from the distance. Luke. He’d be there soon.
The large grizzly heard the noise, too. He shook his head slowly, turned and headed back into the trees.
A second later, Kade was hit from behind. The bespectacled bear had found his second wind. Either that or he had a death wish. Being so much bigger than the other bear, Kade barely moved from the impact. He turned quickly and with his massive paw, swiped at the smaller bear, leaving another trail of bloody tracks on his fur. For good measure, Kade swiped again, and lunged toward the bear. Kade held his throat between his heavy jaws. All he had to do was close and he’d end it.
And there was a large part of him that wanted nothing more than to do just that. This bear dared to attack Ella. He didn’t deserve to live.
The sound of Ella whimpering behind him jarred him from his task. With a growl, he shoved the bear away. And just to keep him from getting up until Kade was ready for him to do so, he landed one more blow against the bear’s head before he turned his attention to his mate.
Ella whimpered again
and a second later, shifted back to her human form.
She still wasn’t conscious, and without shelter, she’d freeze to death.
Kade was shaky and running off what little adrenaline he had left, but he wasn’t sure he could stay in his bear much longer. It had been so long since he’d shifted, and his run through the woods had taken so much out of him. But as long as Ella was in danger, there was no way he’d succumb to the exhaustion. As gently as he could, he moved himself around her, and used his paws to lift her so she was resting on his fur, before he folded his body over top of her to shelter her from the blowing snow.
She was so cold.
Come on, Ella. Hang in there.
I love you.
Chapter Fourteen
She was cold.
So cold.
And her head. It throbbed unbearably.
With her eyes still closed, she moved a hand up to touch her forehead.
A hand. Bare skin.
She wasn’t in her bear anymore. She should be freezing to death. Was she…did Carlos…
Her eyes snapped open and she tried to sit up, but was met with instant pain and laid back on the pillow. She was in a bed. There were blankets.
She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to move through each part of her body with her mind, searching for extra pains, bite marks—anything. Any evidence that Carlos had mated with her while she’d been unconscious.
“Ella.”
She opened her eyes once more at the sound of Kade’s voice. Tears sprang to her eyes and ran unchecked down her cheeks at the sight of him. She tried to lift her head again.
“No,” he said. In a moment, he was at her side. “Lay down. You took quite a blow to the head.” His touch on her forehead was gentle and warm on her skin. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m…did…what…” She couldn’t formulate a thought. Not a coherent one, anyway. She wanted to ask him whether Carlos had mated her, whether she was compromised in any way. But she couldn’t find the words to ask what she needed to. Not with Kade. If it was true…if he had…she couldn’t stand the thought and what it would mean.
“Hey.” Kade’s fingers gently wiped her tears, but they kept coming. Now that she’d started, she couldn’t seem to stop. “It’s okay,” he said. “You’re safe now.”
“Am I?” She choked back a sob. “Am I really?”
Kade sat on the bed, the mattress sinking with his weight, and pulled her into his arms. “Yes.” He looked in her eyes. “You’re safe now. We got your attacker and Luke has him in the shed for now until we can figure out what’s going on.”
“Kade, I can—”
“Shh. Not now, babe. Rest. And when you’re ready, I know you’ll fill in all the blanks. But first you need to rest.”
“No. I need to tell you.”
“Whatever you need to tell me can wait.” He smiled and kissed her forehead. His gentleness was in such a contrast to his overwhelming size, but never had Gabriella felt safer and more loved than in that moment. And she believed him; whatever she needed to tell him, it could wait and she knew in her heart that he wouldn’t walk away from her again. Whatever restlessness there had been in him earlier was gone.
“Okay,” she finally agreed. “But we need to talk later.”
He kissed her forehead again. “Absolutely. Because I want to know everything about my mate.”
Mate. The word sent a shiver of pleasure through her because for the first time, she knew he meant it and everything that would come with it. She could feel it.
“Are you done with her?” The door opened and Chloe came in, carrying a tray. “I want my turn,” she said. “Before I have to go down to town.” She set the tray on the table next to the bed and leaned down to give Gabriella a gentle hug. “Are you okay? That was all…it was just crazy.”
“It was,” she agreed. “I’m glad you’re here, Chloe. I need to tell you something. I just wish Harper was here, too.”
“She can be.” Kade went out into the main room and returned a few moments later with an iPad. “Let’s pull her up on FaceTime.” It only took a few clicks of a button and Harper’s face filled the screen.
“Oh my goodness, Ella! I can’t believe I’m not there. Are you okay? I heard what happened. Well…most of it. Are you okay?”
Gabriella smiled. “I am. Well, I will be now. How are you doing?”
“Don’t worry about me.” Harper waved her concern away. “This little guy is just letting me know that he’ll be exactly like his father one day.” She laughed and it spread to the small group crowded around Gabriella’s bed as well.
A second later, the view widened and Axel appeared next to his mate. The sight of him sparked something in Gabriella.
A trail of fear crept down her spine and she hadn’t realized she’d started shaking until Kade grabbed her hands in his. “Gabriella, what’s wrong?”
“It’s…Axel…no.” She shook her head. “Not Axel. But…your grandfather.” She looked up at Kade. The expression told her that he already knew. “I forgot until right now,” she continued. “But he was there. It had to have been him. He has the same coloring as Axel. The same eyes.”
“It was him,” Kade confirmed.
“Is he…was he…” She wasn’t sure how to finish the question.
“After I got there, he wasn’t a threat. He left and I let him go because you were my primary concern. I needed to keep you warm until help arrived.”
“And Luke got there as soon as he could,” Chloe added.
Gabriella’s mind spun. There was so much she didn’t know about what had happened after she lost consciousness. She didn’t know where to begin or how to put the pieces together.
Kade must have seen the confusion in her eyes. “I was walking in the woods.” He spoke only to her. “I needed to…I needed to figure things out with myself.” He didn’t need to explain that part; Gabriella understood completely. “And then I felt you,” he continued. “I felt you were in trouble. I had just enough time to radio Luke before I shifted and went after you.”
“Wait.” The impact of what he’d just said reverberated through her. He’d shifted. He’d connected with his bear. “You—”
He cut her off with a slight nod. “Getting to you as quickly as I could was just what I needed. It was instinct.”
“To protect your mate,” Chloe said softly.
“I got there just in time.” He closed his eyes, as if it was painful to recount, which it very likely was, but Gabriella needed to hear it. She needed to know. “I took care of him, your attacker, but it wasn’t my grandfather. He was just…standing there. And then he left.”
“I’m going to take care of him,” Axel said from the screen. “Just as soon as you get here, Chloe. I’m going to find him and I’ll get answers.”
She believed him. The Jackson brothers cared about her. They all did.
“He was with Carlos,” she said. “Why would he be with Carlos?”
“Carlos?”
Gabriella nodded at Chloe’s question. “My ex.” Her eyes never left Kade’s. “That’s what I was trying to tell you. I’m sorry. Given the circumstances, it can’t wait.”
“Okay. If you’re feeling up to it, I’m ready to listen to whatever you need to tell me. And Ella?” She blinked hard, determined to hold back tears until she had finished saying what needed to be said. “Whatever you say, it won’t change how I feel about you. It won’t change how much I love you, now and forever. You need to know that.”
“Even though I lied?” She bit down hard on her lip and looked to Chloe and the others on the screen. “I lied to you all. I’m sorry. But I was running. For my life.”
Everyone was silent while she spoke, filling them in on Carlos and the abuse she’d experienced at his hand and would no doubt continue to if she hadn’t run. “It’s not like here,” she said when she had finished telling them the details. “I know every clan has their situations, but…”
“They’re not abusive.” Chloe g
rabbed her hand and squeezed. “Ella, what you went through…to run away like that…” Tears streaked down the other woman’s cheeks. “You’re so incredibly strong.”
“You are, Ella.” Harper blew her nose loudly. “I wish I was there to give you a hug right now.”
“Gracias, mi amigas.” The words seemed so ineffective. “Thank you.” But there was nothing else to say. Kade hadn’t said anything since she’d finished her story, ending with how she’d arrived at the Ridge. He sat silently at her side, her other hand in his; his thumb stroked small circles on the surface. “Kade?”
“I should have killed him when I had the chance.” The words were barely a whisper, but Gabriella heard them crystal-clear and she knew right away it wasn’t the answer. “I had him right there,” Kade continued. “Right beneath me, the weak coward. I should have—”
“No.” Gabriella put her hand on his arm. “No, Kade. He can’t—” She stopped because there was still one thing she needed to be sure of. “He didn’t…I mean, you got there in time, right?” She swallowed hard. The words were too hard to get out. “He didn’t mate me…”
Kade stiffened, his whole body rigid and tense. “If he had, he would be dead right now.”
The sense of relief that washed through her was almost enough to break her. She’d tried so hard to hold herself together, but the relief was almost too much.
“Okay.” Chloe jumped up from the bed. “I think that’s my cue to leave. And time to shut you two off.” She held the iPad up. “I’ll be right there so you can leave, Axel.”
“I can stay on my own, you know,” Harper protested. “You guys take care of what you need—”
Chloe’s cell phone rang, interrupting the debate.
“It’s Luke.” She answered and was silent as she listened for a moment before she said, “Okay. I’ll tell him.”
When she ended the call, she looked right at Kade. “That was Luke. Your grandfather just showed up. He wants to talk to all three of you.”
