by Elena Aitken
Nolan shook his head and turned away. “That’s ridiculous.”
“Is it?”
“Of course it is. It’s physiology, Nash. Boy meets girl. Boy has sex with girl. Girl has pup. It’s science.”
“But what if it’s not?” Nash stared at his brother. “What if it’s more than that? What if that’s the entire problem?”
“It’s not.”
Nolan refused to see what was so clear to Nash. It was about being fated. Everything was about being fated.
It was about Kira.
It would always be about Kira.
Chapter Thirteen
The last thing Kira needed to deal with was this stupid problem of dead fish on the riverbank. But at the same time, it was a good distraction and she definitely needed a distraction because when Nash returned…well, she didn’t want to think about what she would have to say when Nash returned. She was no closer to a decision either way because there couldn’t possibly be a decision. There was no way she could choose.
But she couldn’t think about that right now. Someone was sabotaging the campground and she was going to find out who it was. She steered the ATV past the campers, to where she knew the fish would be. Next to site 25. She’d been keeping the site free from campers just in case, but when she got there, there were no signs of rotting fish. But there was sign of Conner.
What was he doing here?
Conner was supposed to be with Sasha, checking the vacant campsites. Kira scanned the trees and spotted Sasha’s dark curls just past a stand of pines. Sasha? Something was definitely not right.
Kira pulled up alongside Conner’s ATV and cut the engine. They hadn’t seen her yet, so she stayed on her ATV and watched for a minute. Conner had a shovel over his shoulder, and when Sasha got closer, Kira could make out a bucket in her hand. Whatever they were doing, Kira couldn’t imagine any scenario that had to do with campsite maintenance. Her instincts fired as she left her ATV and walked toward them.
“Conner? Sasha?”
The man froze at the sound of her voice. Sasha turned and smiled. “Hey, Kira. What are you doing here? I thought you were in the office for the day? You don’t need to be out here—we have this under control.”
Kira tilted her head and assessed her friend, who was acting much stranger than usual. “What are you guys doing?”
It was then that Conner turned around. His mouth was pressed into a thin line, his eyes narrowed into their usual glare. She didn’t care what Sasha said about the man; he was weird and grouchy. There was just something that wasn’t right about him and she’d be happy when she didn’t have to deal with him anymore.
“We’re doing site maintenance, boss.” He sneered. “Just like you told us to.”
Sasha stepped forward. She glanced at Conner and her smile faded before she perked up again. “Kira, I know we said we were going to do the campsite grooming, but we got done early and we thought we should—”
“Stop.” Conner held up a hand to silence her. “Can you take the bucket back to the—”
“Conner,” Sasha interrupted. “I really think we should tell her—”
“Shut up. We’re not telling her anything,” he snarled at Sasha.
Kira’s bear roared to the surface. It took all her self-control to keep her bear under wraps.
“What do you need to tell me?” She already knew the answer to the question. She’d had her suspicions early on that Conner was behind the mysterious dead fish, and in the last few minutes, everything else had fallen into place.
“Kira, it’s not what it seems.” Sasha stepped forward, but Conner quickly blocked her with his arm. She shot him a dirty look, but Kira didn’t take her eyes off the man. She didn’t trust him—she never had—and now her instincts were firing out of control.
“Oh, I’m sure everything is exactly how it looks.” Conner took a few steps to Kira and while her initial instincts were to step up to him and confront him, she knew that would only bring out her bear. She couldn’t risk losing control and she definitely couldn’t risk shifting. Not in front of them. She had to hold it together. Kira held her ground.
“It looks to me like you’re trying to hide something, Conner.” She tried to keep her voice low and neutral. “And you don’t need to do that. There’s a chance for honesty here. Nobody needs to get in trouble.”
“See, Conner?” Sasha ran to his side. If Kira hadn’t been so focused on how Conner was going to react, she might have commented on how it was that her friend knew anything about the dead fish, or what exactly it was that she did know. As it was, Kira stayed focused on Conner because whatever it was, her instincts told her it wasn’t going to be good.
Her instincts were dead-on. Without taking his eyes off Kira, Conner’s hand shot out. “I told you to shut up.” His punch connected and Sasha crumbled to the ground.
Kira glanced down. Her friend was unconscious but she couldn’t go to her. Not with Conner looming. Kira’s attention went back to the man, who had started to approach. His eyes were narrowed, his mouth set in a tight grimace.
“Conner.” She held her hands up in what she hoped he’d feel was a non-threatening move. “I’m not sure what’s happening here, but it doesn’t have to get violent. No one needs to get hurt.”
He continued walking.
“Are you listening to me? Conner? You’re just picking up some fish you found, right? That’s all that’s going on here.”
Confusion lined his face and it took him a moment or two to figure out that she was giving him an out. Or trying to, anyway. As soon as it registered, a grin crawled across his face and he laughed.
“You might be a bitch.” He spat the words. “But you’re not a stupid bitch.”
So, he wasn’t going to take the out.
“What are you doing, Conner? It doesn’t have to be a big thing.”
But it did, and they both knew it. If Conner didn’t take the out she was giving him, it would definitely be a big deal. A very big deal. She’d have to report it. If he had been doing what she suspected him of—planting the fish, trapping and killing them for the purpose—it might even be considered criminal. It couldn’t be ignored.
He sneered. “Like I said, you’re not a dumb bitch. You took my job. The manager position was supposed to be mine.”
Of course it was because of the job. She should have seen it earlier. Conner had been an asshole when they were equals, but he was downright insufferable this season. Of course it was because she’d gotten the job he’d wanted.
“It wasn’t—”
“It was!” He dropped the bucket he’d been holding and his right hand disappeared behind his back. “And you just wouldn’t go away.” He whipped a handgun from the band of his jeans and waved it at her. Kira’s heart jumped and her bear clawed to be free. But she still couldn’t shift. She had to stay calm. He was still talking. More like ranting, maybe. “I gotta give you that. You just wouldn’t give up. And you got the mess cleaned up so fast I couldn’t even get the guests to complain enough to get you fired. And just when I was ready to kick up my efforts, she…” He pointed the gun at Sasha. “Convinced me not to. And I was stupid enough to fall for it for a little bit.” He shook his head. “But when the charms of a woman wear off, the problem is still there. But now you’re leaving.”
“Word travels fast.”
The gun swung around and pointed at her. “And I was going to make sure you never came back. That’s what today was all about. But once again, you had to go and stick your nose in it and now everything is all fucked up.”
There weren’t a lot of options left, and Kira didn’t want to know what Conner was capable of if he was backed into a corner. “You don’t have to get in trouble for this.” She tried to reason with him one more time. “I can just turn around and walk away. No one has to know.” Her voice shook a little and she hoped like hell Conner hadn’t noticed. But with a gun in his hand, she could no longer pretend that everything would be okay. Her heart raced, her breath
caught in her throat, and more than anything, she wanted her bear to put an end to the situation. In her human form, she was scared, and she hated it.
Especially when he pointed the gun directly at her and said, “You know as well as I do, there isn’t another way out.”
Nash couldn’t get out of there fast enough. Away from his brother, his backward views and everything that wasn’t…Kira. Talking to Nolan, it had become clearer than ever that being fated was everything. It was his entire future. He belonged with Kira, and she with him, and yes, she may have let him walk away but it wasn’t as simple as that for her. It wasn’t because she didn’t feel exactly the same way. Because there was no doubt in his mind that she did.
She always had.
Without Kira in his future, they didn’t have one. Nash tried to explain that to Nolan. That was the reason there’d been no pups. There was no love. In his attempt to save the pack from extinction, he’d steered them the wrong way.
Not that he’d see it. He wouldn’t. And he might never see it. But that didn’t mean that Nash had to go down with him. When it became clear that Nolan wasn’t going to listen to him, he made his apologies, because he truly was sorry to make the choice to say good-bye to his brother and to see the pain and the sense of desperation when Nolan finally realized Nash’s choice. But sorry or not, he couldn’t stay. Not when every bone in his body ached to be back with Kira.
Now, he raced down the highway, the need to see her increasing in urgency with every mile. At first he thought it was just because he was so anxious to see her and convince her that no matter what happened, they’d get through it together. But as the miles went by, something changed. It was different.
There was something in the air.
And then he could feel it.
Kira.
She was in trouble. Something was very wrong. He’d never been able to sense her that way before. Usually it was only when they were in animal form. Then their connection was complete. Or if one of them was shifted, there was a sense of the other. But that was different. Very different. He pressed harder on his gas pedal, urging the old truck to go faster.
Nash was familiar with the route, and fortunately, he’d chosen the less traveled highways, and traffic was light. He made good time and it wasn’t long before he turned in to the campground and parked behind the office. The ATVs were gone, and the sign was in the window. It was quiet. Way too quiet. Nash ran to the cabin. It too was empty but his instincts were going crazy.
There was only one thing he could do. He dashed into the woods behind the cabin, pulling his shirt off as he went. It was risky to shift so close to people. But he didn’t have another choice. Kira was in trouble and there was only one way to help her.
The second he was under cover, he closed his eyes, and let the power rip through him. His wolf was strong and—especially when his mate was concerned—fierce. The moment his paws hit the ground, he stuck his muzzle in the air and inhaled.
Kira.
Without hesitation, he took off, running through the trees and following her scent.
It would be chaos if a wolf was spotted this close to the campground, but he couldn’t think of that right now. His thoughts were completely occupied by the overwhelming sense of fear emanating from his mate. She was scared and that was unacceptable.
Nash reached the river, and his ears pricked to the sound of Kira’s voice.
“You don’t have to do this, Conner.”
Conner?
Nash bared his teeth and snarled as he stalked through the trees, until the weaselly asshole came into view. Conner’s back was turned to him, but he could see Sasha in a crumpled heap next to him. But it was the look on Kira’s face that made Nash’s blood run cold. She was scared.
“You have no idea what I have to do.” Conner’s arms waved in the air, and that’s when he saw it. The gun.
What the hell was Conner doing with a gun?
“This is all a big misunderstanding, Conner.” Kira was trying to stay calm and be reasonable, but it was clear that Conner wasn’t having any of it. “It’s just a few dead fish. It’s not a big deal. It doesn’t have to—”
“Shut up!” Conner wiped his brow with the back of his hand. “You know as well as I do that it’s not that simple.”
“It doesn’t have to be hard,” Kira tried to reason. “I won’t say anything and you can—”
“What? I can do what? Go back to work tomorrow morning?” He threw his head up and the sound that came out was a manic cackle that made Nash’s blood run cold. The man had totally lost it. As quickly as the laugh started, it died. He returned his focus on Kira. “It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. You were supposed to get overwhelmed with the problems of running a campground and the head office was supposed to replace you. I was supposed to have the job. You ruined it all. It’s all your fault.” Slowly and with exacting focus, Conner raised the gun and pointed it directly at Kira’s head.
Nash didn’t think. He only reacted. A growl ripped from his throat and he lunged out of the trees and toward Conner, who only had a fraction of a second to see the giant wolf coming at him before Nash’s jaw closed down on the man’s arm. A scream tore through the air as Nash landed with a thud on the man. He pinned him with his paws and stared down at his scared little face. The fear in Conner’s eyes only fueled Nash’s anger. He snarled and Conner squirmed helplessly beneath him.
“No!” He vaguely felt Kira’s touch through his fur, but his focus remained on the man under him. “Don’t.” Kira’s arms wrapped around him, through his fur, and he could see Conner’s eyes grow wide with confusion.
Kira whispered in his ear, close enough so Conner wouldn’t be able to hear. “Nash, please. Don’t hurt him.”
What? Of course he was going to hurt him. He’d threatened his mate. The man should die.
The man would die.
“No, Nash. Please.” Something in her voice pierced his angry haze. Nash turned his heavy head to her, desperate to connect with her. It was the distraction Conner needed. He jerked his arm back and wiggled out from under Nash. In the flailing, Kira fell back and away. Nash growled and lunged after the man who turned, aimed the gun and—the sound was deafening. Hot-white pain ripped through him. Somewhere beside him, he heard Kira scream.
Nash’s eyes clouded with pain but he couldn’t let Conner win and leave his mate unprotected. With a final burst of energy, Nash growled and leapt forward, knocking Conner to the ground again. His head bounced off the ground, knocking him unconscious, but still Nash pinned the man down with one solid paw on his back while Kira ran to fetch the gun Conner dropped. The last thing he remembered before he blacked out was his sexy, strong mate looking down at him with love in her eyes. Whatever else happened, he’d know she was his. Forever.
Chapter Fourteen
Kira hadn’t moved from Nash’s bedside. He’d been out for over an hour, which was merciful because dealing with a gunshot wound was never easy. Shifters healed quickly, but just like humans, the bigger the injury, the longer the recovery process. And he’d been hurt badly.
Thankfully, Kade and Ella had arrived on the scene shortly after Nash lost consciousness. They’d been taking a back route on the way to the geysers, through the forest in their bear forms, when Conner had attacked. Apparently Kira sent out strong signals when she was distressed. In this case, it had worked out well, because there was no way she would have been able to take care of the situation on her own.
Together they’d loaded Nash—who’d already shifted back into his human form—onto an ATV and raced him back to the cabin, where Kira extracted the bullet. She didn’t have a lot of experience with injuries like Nash’s, but growing up with three brothers and a culture where you couldn’t just go to the local doctor for treatment, she wasn’t a complete stranger to blood and major injuries. She did her best and prayed for no infection so his shifter blood could deal with the healing.
She had his hand in hers, her head heavy from exhaustion w
hen she heard the creak of the bedroom door behind her.
“Kira? Can I come in?”
She nodded in response to her brother’s question. She would have liked to avoid him and everything else beyond the walls of the room where she sat, but she couldn’t ignore everything that had gone down and she was incredibly thankful Kade had been there to help her out.
“How is he?” Kade pulled up a chair next to her and sat.
She shrugged. “He hasn’t opened his eyes yet.” A tear slipped down her cheek. It was the first one she’d let herself cry.
Kade put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed. “He’ll be okay.”
She nodded, but didn’t look at her brother. She needed to change the subject if she had any chance at holding herself together. “Is everything…did you…what happened?”
“Don’t worry. It’s all good. We took care of it.”
Kira wiped her eyes and looked at her brother, who had a shit-eating grin on his face. “What does that mean?”
“It means that Conner won’t bother you anymore.” His grin grew wider. “Your friend Sasha woke up and she was pissed.” He chuckled a little. “Apparently she knew all kinds of things about our buddy Conner. Like, not only was he responsible for the rotten fish and trying to get you fired, but it wasn’t his first time doing something like this.”
“What?”
“Yup. Turns out he has a long history of petty grievances, but this situation got a little out of hand. Of course he tried to pull out, but he was in too deep. According to Sasha, he’s not the most stable tree in the forest either.”
Kira tried not to laugh at her brother’s assessment. “What does that mean?”
“Bit of a history of mental illness as well.” Kade shook his head. “I don’t know what your friend saw in him, but the info was certainly helpful. And there’s nothing like a pissed-off woman to give you all the details,” he said.
