Mark Of The B*E*A*S*T*

by Rebecca Goings

  "Absolutely,” Rogan said just as fiercely. “Bastard doesn't get to treat his mate like a piece of trash."

  "Oh, don't you boys go getting any ideas,” Lanie said

  from the couch. “We get him first."

  Robyn giggled, amazed that she could. The ache in her heart eased.

  Wade gave her a look, arching his brow. “You think we're kidding?"

  "Not at all,” she said with a grin. “In fact, you do your worst. That man needs his ass kicked."

  Rogan raised his hands to the ceiling. “Can I get an amen?"

  "Amen!” everyone said in unison.

  They all devolved into chuckles, and for the first time in the past few hours, Robyn felt good again.

  "So how was your trip?” Robyn asked Noah.

  "Ugh,” he said, glancing at Rogan and Wade. “Long. We're all so dead tired. Want to go to bed."

  All three of them cast glances at their mates. And just like that, Robyn's sour mood returned.

  "Sorry,” he murmured, hanging his head. “Shouldn't have said that."

  "No,” she said, placing her hand on his chest. “You've been apart for a long time. It's time for you all to be reunited. I think I might just let the wind ruffle my feathers for awhile. Shifting always clears my head."

  "Don't go too far,” Keira said. She moved into the kitchen to be closer to Wade. “Don't want you to get lost."

  "I won't,” she promised.

  "Want something to eat before you go?” Wade asked, gesturing to the fridge.

  "No, I'll be all right."

  With a wave, she walked out the front door and breathed deep the mountain air. It was gorgeous here. The cabin sat a little ways from the main road, totally secluded in the surrounding trees. The warmer weather had melted the winter snow, but it was still breathtaking.

  Walking into the trees, she found a spot down a short hill that the cabin couldn't see. Taking off her clothes, she folded them and placed them on a log before shifting and finally taking to the air.

  The exhiliration of flying overcame her, and she squawked with delight. Her thoughts of Mac didn't plague her as she glanced at the beauty of the world all around her. She noted where the cabin was and flapped her wings, climbing higher into the sky.

  Green trees stretched as far as the eye could see. Jutting mountain peaks stood stark against the blue sky, making her catch her breath in her throat. The Rockies were breathtaking, reminding her of Mt. Hood in Oregon.

  Robyn flew in circles and danced on the wind. A few real birds played with her in the sky and she was content. Within the snowy owl, Robyn found the solace she desperately craved.

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  THIRTY FOUR

  Daylight came too soon. Mac awoke amidst a flurry of white balls of fluff, and realized he was sleeping on the bed and pillow he'd destroyed a few hours earlier.

  "Damn,” he muttered to himself. Every inch of him ached. Looking around, he saw the state of the destroyed room. The table was on its side and the curtains had been ripped down. The abstract painting hung askew on the wall and the phone had been torn from the wall.

  He'd had one hell of a temper tantrum.

  It actually surprised him that security hadn't been called last night, considering the amount of noise he must have created.

  Mac pushed off the bed and wiped the fluffies off him, deciding to take a shower to get the rest. As he drew the water, his mind was numb. He didn't hear anything and it soothed him. But it also made thinking on Robyn almost too much to take.

  He refused to look at the countertop behind him.

  What was she doing right now? Was she all right?

  Of course she was all right, he told himself. She was with the guys.

  Stepping into the spray, he let the water beat him in the face. It burned, but it felt good.

  God, he missed her. He missed her skin, her eyes, her hair, her touch...

  "Shit,” he whispered.

  Bathing as fast as he could, Mac toweled dry and walked back into the room, dressing in the clothing Robyn had bought him. The t-shirt was white, and simply said, “I lost my heart in Reno". He grunted at the irony, but pulled it

  on.

  The jeans fit him perfectly, as did the silly flip-flops she'd gotten him. All he could think of was the pair he'd gotten her back in Florida, the ones with flamingos.

  The bear suddenly growled under the surface, getting his attention.

  Damn. His reprieve was short-lived.

  He left the room, fully intending to slip quietly out of the casino. He had no idea where he was headed, he just needed to leave. He couldn't stay in a room that had been sacked. Aside from that, he needed to get rid of his thoughts. The more he thought on Robyn, the more he needed her with him.

  "I'm a damn asshole,” he whispered to himself in the empty elevator.

  The Kodiak seemed to growl its approval.

  "Shut up,” he said.

  Amazingly, it did. Thank goodness no one witnessed Mac talking to himself. The mental image made him chuckle. He was still chuckling when he stepped off the elevator onto the main floor of the casino.

  Finding the main doors, he walked out into the parking lot, trying to remember where he'd parked the Hummer. His stomach growled something fierce, but he had to ignore it. He didn't have any money. He'd need to remedy that.

  Aside from stealing some, he had no idea how to go about it.

  Damn. Another reason he needed Robyn. She'd had Wade's credit card when she left.

  He found the Hummer easily enough amidst the sea of mid-sized sedans. But the moment he opened the driver's side door, his heart stopped. There on the floor, by the brake pedal, was a wad of twenties. What the hell?

  Picking up the cash, he sniffed it and his heart skipped a beat.

  Robyn.

  She'd left it for him, knowing he wouldn't have a thing if she took off. Her thoughtfulness touched him and made his eyes burn behind his lids. Clutching the bills, he climbed into the truck and laid his head on the steering wheel.

  Christ, he couldn't do this. He couldn't live without

  her.

  Thinking on her face, the bear roared to life and he clutched the wheel even harder. Mac remembered her scent in his nostrils and her voice in his ear, telling him to control it. He was slipping. He needed her touch, he needed a distraction.

  Oh, God.

  With whimpering breaths, he panted hard, giving every ounce of his concentration to control the Kodiak. Something came back to him from last night. He hadn't felt the bear when he'd become the jag.

  Swallowing hard, Mac barely began his shift into the cat. Instantly, the bear backed down, his growls subsiding. It couldn't be that easy.

  Could it?

  He released his shift and once again his skin was smooth. The bear was gone.

  He grinned, then chuckled. His chuckles turned into loud guffaws ringing in the cabin of the Hummer. He'd found a way. He'd damn well found a way to control that bastard!

  He had no idea how the jag controlled the Kodiak. Maybe because he'd been imprinted first? All Mac knew was that an enormous weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

  Tears formed in his eyes, but these were tears of joy and relief.

  Kissing the wad of bills, he whispered, “I'm comin’ baby. I'm coming home."

  Firing up the Hummer, he took off in a peal of glory. He had no idea how he was going to win Robyn back, but he knew she loved him. It wouldn't be too hard.

  How long a drive was it from Reno to Denver? Punching the city into the Hummer's GPS navigation, he figured it would take him about twenty hours with a straight shot.

  Better get going. He wasn't going to get any damn sleep. He was far too giddy. He'd have to remember where Lanie's family cabin was. He knew the highway it was on, so he figured he could find it easily enough.

  Stopping long enough to buy some food and gas, Mac was on his way, a wide grin on his face.

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s]

  THIRTY FIVE

  The next morning, Robyn awoke feeling much more refreshed. Thankfully, all she'd dreamt about was flying as an owl. She'd still been cold, but her shivers went away sometime in the night, and she'd drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

  After returning to the cabin yesterday, she'd smelled the heavy scent of mating in the air, and knew the guys had been with their mates. It had stung her, but she was determined not to let it get her down. Her friends had no reason to deny themselves just because she'd been tossed aside. She was happy for them.

  But seeing them exchanging glances over the dinner table and cuddling on the couch after they'd eaten had been a bit hard to take. She'd retired early and was grateful she had, as now, she stretched and felt the familiar aches flying always brought.

  She'd fly again today, maybe going a little further, seeing what lay beyond the babbling brook she'd found.

  The shower was hot and she emerged in a cloud of steam, hastily getting dressed. When she wandered out, she smiled at the women who were already making breakfast in the kitchen.

  "Feeling better?” Keira asked.

  "A little, yeah. Think I might go flying again today. Keeps my head clear."

  Marlie shook her head. “I envy you,” she said. “Being able to soar over the landscape? There must be nothing like it."

  "There isn't,” she replied. “It's wonderful. If there's

  anything I'm thankful to B*E*A*S*T* for, it's for making me a bird."

  She poured herself some coffee. The men emerged from their rooms not too much later, and it wasn't long before everyone was eating eggs and bacon.

  Robyn wasn't too hungry. All she could think about was flying, and her excitement mounted.

  Noah took a deep breath. “Thinking of leaving so soon?” he asked, grinning.

  She nodded. “I can't wait. I don't think. I just fly."

  "Sounds divine."

  Once she'd put her plate in the sink, she walked toward the back door, which opened to the woodpile behind the cabin. Going out the back rather than the front gave her a straight shot to the log where she'd undressed and shifted the day before. “I don't know when I'll be back."

  "Take your time,” Rogan said, flipping through a Better Homes & Gardens magazine. “We'll still be here. Learning how to decorate with stripes."

  Robyn chuckled and walked out. She jogged to her spot and undressed as quickly as she could. In no time, she'd taken wing high into the sky.

  After the long, harrowing drive, Mac's giddy mood had waned. As luck would have it, he found the turn off to Lanie's cabin even though he'd never been there. He'd met up with Noah, Rogan, and Wade, wandering this very highway after the first B*E*A*S*T* compound had been liberated, and remembered Noah and Lanie talking about leaving her father's cabin not too long before. Besides, with the windows down, he could smell the faint scent of his friends down one particular turn off. He'd know the fragrance of his own mate anywhere.

  Twice more on the drive, he'd been confronted by the Kodiak, and twice more, he'd been able to cut him off at the pass by summoning the jaguar. Mac knew now, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that he could control the bear. The episode in Reno hadn't been a fluke.

  Thank God.

  If he had to live the rest of his life without Robyn, he'd definitely go mad.

  It was Robyn he'd thought of during his second mind-wipe, Robyn who'd saved him from losing himself in the transformation pod. She'd been there to soothe him after he'd batted at Lucian's chopper like a toy, and helped him to cope with the reality of what he was.

  He'd spent too damn long loving that woman. There was no way in hell he'd lose her now.

  He was an idiot to let her go in the first place, he knew that. But he wasn't above groveling. He'd do whatever it took to get back into Robyn's good graces, and if he couldn't, then he wouldn't take no for an answer.

  Before he'd even stepped out of the truck, the front door of the cabin opened and Noah appeared, followed closely by Wade and Rogan. Mac climbed out and slammed the Hummer's door, taking a few steps toward the porch.

  "Didn't take long,” Noah said, calmly sipping something out of a steaming mug.

  "Where is she?” Mac asked. He was not in the mood to play games. He'd just driven all day and all night. Now, here it was day again. He was ready to drop, but knowing Robyn was inside gave him his ninth wind.

  Sharp footsteps sounded on the porch and Lanie Carpenter strode out the door, pushing the men out of her way. Marlie and Keira were close on her tail and every single woman looked like she could spit fire.

  "You, Mr. Bishop, are not going in there,” Lanie declared.

  "That's what you think."

  "Oh, I'm serious. You broke Robyn's heart. You have no idea what she went through because of you!"

  "If it's close to what I went through, I've got a damn good idea. Get out of my way."

  "No."

  "If you don't move, I'll move you."

  Noah growled on the porch. “I wouldn't."

  Mac narrowed his eyes and started walking. Lanie's hands on his chest did nothing as she trotted backward.

  "Little help here!” she cried over her shoulder.

  The men moved in and restrained him, Rogan and Wade taking each arm, while Noah still sipped his goddamn coffee.

  Mac knew he could twist out of their grip if he summoned the bear, but doing so would jeapardize their lives. He might be an idiot but he wasn't stupid. They knew it too, and seemed to be taunting him.

  "What's the matter, Mac?” Rogan asked. “Kodiak got your tongue?"

  He knew his eyes flashed and the bear roared, desperately wanting out. Tossing his head back, he screamed, scaring a few birds in the process. Noah moved in, shielding the women just in case he turned. But Mac had been battling this bear for days. Just as before, he called the jag forth and it tamed his rage, until he could look into Noah's eyes without wanting to tear out his throat.

  He was still panting, his anger getting the better of him, but he grinned at Noah's look of surprise. He still tried to pull out of their grasp, but Wade and Rogan held him tight.

  "I see you've been practicing,” Noah said.

  "That's why I came to get my mate. I can control the bear with the jaguar. She's not in danger anymore."

  Marlie walked up, her arms crossed over her chest. “I beg to differ. You walked all over her, Mac. Robyn told Lanie's father she'd changed her name back to Groves. She was so torn up she looked like shit. I say we make you look like shit."

  Her words shocked him. Marlie had never spoken to him with such malice before. Then his eyes went wide as what she said sank in. Robyn changed her name? She was more than just angry. She really had left him. Shock and disbelief filled his heart.

  "Not a bad idea,” Rogan pondered, cocking his head. “We could beat you bloody until the cows come home, but it's really not our place. Robyn's the one who should knock some sense into you."

  Was it his imagination, or did he smell disappointment in the air? Christ, he not only pissed off his mate, but his friends as well.

  "Aw hell, I say we do it anyway!"

  Wade chuckled at Rogan's words.

  "You want the first swing?” Noah asked, his eyes glittering.

  "You know I do,” Wolfe said. He was grinning from ear to ear.

  "Uh uh,” Lanie said, rolling up her sleeves. “I get it."

  Noah stepped out of her way. “As you wish, my dear."

  Mac's brows shot up as Lanie stood in front of him and said, “You want to make amends with Robyn, you've gotta do one thing for me."

  "And what's that?” he asked. He couldn't keep the sarcasm from his voice no matter how hard he tried.

  Lanie cocked her arm and punched him, right in the gut. Mac doubled over, surprised at the power she had in that little frame.

  "Promise you'll never break her heart again."

  "You heard the woman,” Rogan said when he didn't answer right away. But he was trying to catch h
is breath.

  "I promise.” Mac knew his eyes were flashing. The bear was actually laughing in the back of his head. Did bears even do that? He had no idea, but he found the thought amusing. He couldn't hold back his laugh.

  "He thinks this is funny. Here, tiger, it's my turn."

  Noah set his coffee on a step and Rogan handed him the arm he was holding. Rogan didn't bother with a speech. The wolf merely threw a mean right hook, catching Mac on the left of his jaw.

  Mac saw stars, but the more he thought on that damn bear, the more it laughed at him. He grinned as he spat blood.

  "Good one, Rogan. Right in the kisser,” Mac said.

  "I think he's enjoying this.” Wade's voice held a twinge of light-heartedness.

  "I think you're right,” Noah replied.

  Keira stomped on Mac's foot and he howled...with laughter.

  "What?” she asked, glancing at Wade. “I don't have the heart to punch him."

  Marlie stepped up and gave him a slap across his right cheek, to match the bruise Rogan gave him on the other.

  Wade and Noah were more subtle with their punishment. Noah twisted Mac's arm behind him and Wade followed suit until he cried out at the pressure.

  "If we let you go,” Noah whispered in his ear, “you

  gotta promise us you're not here to hurt Robyn. She's got a hole in her heart, Mac, and you put it there."

  "I know."

  "She doesn't think you want her anymore."

  Pain shot through him, and it had nothing to do with what his friends just doled out.

  "It's why she changed her name back. She said she didn't know if she was your mate anymore. If she isn't sleeping, then she's been flying. She doesn't think when she's—"

  "The owl,” Mac finished for him.

  God, it was worse than he thought.

  "You got it. Any thought, any reminder of you and she retreats within herself. I think...you killed her spirit."

  "No, no, no...” Mac shook his head, refusing to hear what his rejection did to her. It was too much. He had to make it right. He had to.

  "Christ, I didn't know, I didn't...mean to..."

  "Mackenzie,” Noah said, using his full name for the first time. “Is Robyn your mate?"