Chapter Six
Entering the cabin to find Trey and Ivy in a cozy exchange exploded the rage within Turi. He had no right to be jealous, since he was the one who’d stepped out, but it didn’t change what was pouring through him like burning lava. Jealousy of his own brother seemed irrational, when they were supposed to share her, but that changed nothing. Hadn’t he just vowed he’d run as far and as fast from a mating where he was expected to share? Now here he was being drawn to her.
Trey narrowed his eyes. “You’re the one who left instead of facing what destiny has dropped on our doorstep.”
“Hold on.” She laid her free hand over Trey’s, running her fingers along his knuckles. “Trey, could you give me a few minutes? I heard your side, now I need to hear his.”
Trey glanced between Turi and Ivy before finally nodding. “I’ll be outside, holler when you want me.” He rose from the fire and went outside without another word.
She adjusted on the sofa, turning toward him. “Trey explained you think he’s too relaxed, but even with that I don’t understand this anger you seem to have.”
Turi growled. “For years I’ve picked up the slack when it came to the sleuth, but I’m not going to do it when it comes to mating. I don’t want my mate to look at me and see hatred for what my brother has done. Before you deny it, we’re identical. It would be impossible for you not to look at me and be reminded of the ways he let you down.”
“Identical in looks, maybe, but your personalities are so different.”
“Looks are enough to remind you.” He had spent years proving himself to the sleuth, even to his own family.
She shook her head. “But I don’t see it that way.”
“In time you will.” He stood his ground, because he knew just what Trey was capable of.
“Fine.” She tossed the blanket off her shoulders and stood. “What are you going to do about it then? Obviously you don’t want this mating, so why don’t you find a cure for this? Surely things have changed since the days of your grandparents.”
Damn, she was feisty. He placed his elbows on the back of the leather chair and leaned forward, watching her. Was she trying to call his bluff? Did she truly want him to find something that would fix their situation? It would give her a chance to live a normal life, with one person—maybe a human.
“Maybe there is.” He nodded. If she was about to call him on not wanting to share her with Trey, she had another thing coming. “Taber and Thorben just took Mom’s word for it. Is that what you want? Do you want me to find something so you can live a normal life…with a human?”
“Obviously, what I want doesn’t play into this. You already have your mind made up. So why are you still here?”
He stepped around the chair and stalked toward her. “I’m here because of you. Damn it, you have to feel it. This draw to you is overpowering, just being out on the porch was too far from you. You’re human but you should feel the connection.”
“Oh, I feel it for both of you.” She cupped his cheek. “Which leaves us with two options. Either you two have to find a cure before this need burns me alive from the inside, or work out your problems. I won’t be a ping-pong ball between you two. A mating is hard enough, let alone having two mates who can barely stand each other.”
Unable to stop his bear from wanting to feel her, he slipped his arm around her waist. “To think only this morning Trey and I had the conversation about mating. He knew we’d be next and wanted to fix the problems between us. Neither of us figured you’d drop into our laps tonight.”
“Next?”
“Dad and his brothers were all mated in order of their birth, and so far it’s been like that for us. First the first set of twins Taber and Thorben, then Tad, and now us. Poor Theodore is the last one.”
The back door opened, sending a cold gust of wind through the cabin. “Where’s Trey?”
“Mom—”
“Don’t ‘Mom’ me, boy.” His mother glared at him. “I came to see how things were going. Where’s your brother?”
“He’s on the porch, I’ll get him.” He pulled his arm from around Ivy’s waist. “Ivy, this is our mother, Ava, don’t let her growl scare you. She only ever sinks those claws into Dad.”
“You’re not too old for me to claw you up,” she hollered as he went to get Trey.
He pulled open the door, quickly spotting Trey pacing the porch like a caged animal. “Come back inside, Mom’s here,” he told him before strolling back to where the women waited.
“Did my boys explain what happened down at the party?” Ava sank down onto one of the leather chairs.
“Yes ma’am.” Ivy nodded.
“No ‘ma’am’ here. Either Mom or Ava, you’re family now.” She glared at the boys. “Unless these idiot sons of mine are planning to do something stupid.”
“I don’t know…”
“No Mom, nothing stupid.” Turi glanced at Trey. “I don’t know how we’re going to do this, but somehow we’ll have to make it work.”
“I’m glad I don’t have to remind you of the consequences for not claiming your mate. The pain wouldn’t just happen to the two of you, but also to Ivy. She’s human, so it would be harder for her to handle. She would feel like it’s burning her alive and in the end it would essentially do that. It’s not something I want to see any of you endure.”
“Yes Mom, we know the consequences,” Turi and Trey said together.
Ava glanced at Ivy. “Then I guess all that’s left to discuss is how Ivy came to know about shifters. It’s not common for a human to know about us, and less common for one to have a shifter sibling.”
“Mom, I don’t think this is the time.” Turi shook his head. “She’s been through a lot today. Let her get some rest, and we can discuss that tomorrow.”
“Very well, I should get back to the party anyway.” Ava stood, ran her hand down the front of her dress, shaking away invisible wrinkles, and looked at Ivy. “We’re having a family brunch tomorrow with his brothers and their mates. I’d appreciate it if you could be there. It’s rare the whole family is together, and most of them will be leaving soon. I’d like to have us all together while I can.”
Ivy nodded. “We’ll be there.”
Ava smiled. “Thank you. See you in the morning.” She left, leaving them with the question of Ivy’s past still hanging in the air.
“You’re right, I am tired but first I think you need to know.” She dragged her hand through her hair before leaning back against the sofa.
“Only if you want,” Trey told her as he sat next to her.
Turi smirked. “For once I agree with him. Our past is just that. In the past. It brought us here, but it doesn’t play into the future.”
“Actually, I think it might.”
Turi looked to Trey, confusion knitting his brow, before nodding to Ivy. “Go ahead.” He wanted to hear whatever she thought was important, but he knew it wouldn’t change the mating that had already started between them.
Chapter Seven
Unable to sit still, Ivy paced the cozy living area, staying near the fire and its warmth while keeping a little distance between her and the brothers. She was about to bare a secret of her past that only two people in her life knew—Chad and Mason. There was a reason it had been kept a secret for all these years. Now she had to tell her mates and possibly their family. What if it got out? Even if it were leaked to just one person…he’d find her.
With no other choice, she took a deep breath and swallowed her fears. Her mates had a right to know what they were getting themselves into, even if they didn’t have a choice to run.
“Ivy, whatever it is, you can tell us.” Trey reached out to her but she slipped away just before he could lay his hand on her.
“I’m sorry…” Even without the mating finalized, the pain of turning from him gnawed at her stomach. “If you touch me now, I’ll never get it out.”
“Tell us, so we can help you,” Turi urged. He wrung his hands, clearly une
asy and wanting to help.
“There’s no easy way to say this, so I’ll just put it out there. On the way here Ty told me a little about your…well, I thought clan at the time since he forgot to mention you’re bears.” She ran her hands through her hair, pulling the blonde strands into a messy ponytail and used one of the elastic holders from her wrist. “He told me your sleuth has been assisting with the rogue tiger issues, first with Pierce, and now with Randolph.”
Turi straightened in his seat; she clearly had his attention. “Yes. We were on the mission with Ty when Pierce was killed.”
“Then you’re aware Randolph has taken over where Pierce has left off?” The twins exchanged a glance and then nodded. “He’s my uncle.”
“He’s what?” Turi nearly shouted, popping out of the chair like a demented jack-in-the-box.
Tears filled her eyes, threatening to spill over, and Turi’s agitation wasn’t helping. She moved away from the fireplace, going anywhere she could so she didn’t have to look at the hurt in Turi’s eyes. It was as if she had betrayed them because of her heritage. She had been brought into it, she didn’t choose it.
“Hey.” Trey stepped in front of her, cutting off her escape path, and reached his hand out to her, his fingers gliding along her arm, caressing her tentatively. “It’s okay.”
“Okay? How can it ever be okay?” She nodded back at Turi. “Look at how he took the news. If anyone finds out, they’ll look at me the same way. Like I had something to do with Randolph’s actions, or that I have the same views he did. I’ve been raised in the Arizona clan my whole life, I’d never do what he’s done, or even think about it.”
“I didn’t think you would.” His voice was low and soothing. “Now come here and explain how he’s your uncle.” Trey slid his arm around her waist, pulling him against his body. “Turi’s not going to say anything.” He shot a glance at his brother, giving him a shut-the-hell-up look.
“Randolph and my mother were siblings. Their parents were a mixed couple, a tiger and a human. According to my mother, my grandmother always despised the fact she had to spend her life with a shifter, and passed her hatred on to her son…Randolph. It’s strange because even though he was a shifter, she didn’t show him half as much hatred as she showed her husband. Maybe she knew that she’d breed a monster with her hate, one who would fight against shifters as a whole. He was her only chance to bring down the group she despised so much.” She kept her gaze on Trey, taking strength from him, while ignoring Turi. “My mother was the second born and human. Neither of her parents paid much attention to her. To her father, she was a lesser being, and her mother was so devoted to pass on her hatred to Randolph she didn’t care about my mother.”
“Go on, angel,” Trey provoked when she paused.
“My mother had a rough pregnancy, and she wasn’t expected to live through my birth. Chad’s mother, Kathy, was her best friend…when my mother passed away, Kathy took me in and raised me as her own daughter. I knew my aunt as my mother and Chad as my brother until I was in my early teens. That’s when she explained everything me. After she died, only Chad and Mason knew. We kept the secret in order to keep me hidden from Randolph. To keep my heritage hidden from everyone, even him. I don’t believe he knows. When Kathy took me in and told Mason my heritage, they decided to make sure it remained a secret.”
“Does he know you’re alive?” Turi asked.
“I don’t know…” She pressed her head against Trey’s chest. “It’s possible, I guess. All I know is that we kept it secret because if he knew I existed, he’d kill me.”
“Damn right he would. He wants to see all tiger shifters dead,” Turi growled.
“Because of the hatred my grandmother hand-fed him morning, noon, and night, like it was candy,” she clarified, her voice breaking.
“My angel.” Trey waited until she looked up at him. “Your heritage doesn’t matter.”
“Like hell it doesn’t matter.” Turi exploded, jumping to his feet and beginning to pace. “She’s a direct link to Randolph. He’ll come after her if he finds out who she is.”
“My dear brother…” Trey looked over her head and watched Turi. “You always handle the curve balls that life throws at you, but you’re not handling this one very well.”
“It’s one thing after another.” Turi shook his head. “You’re right. I’m not handling this well and it’s not your fault, Ivy, it’s mine. I’m sorry. I know the damage Randolph has done, and to think he could be after you—my mate—is terrifying. It’s one thing to have to go up against him when it’s to protect someone else but when it’s about protecting my own, it’s entirely different.”
“What if he knew? Maybe that’s the reason he attacked the clan…” Her legs gave out under her, if it wasn’t for Trey’s hand on her waist she’d have collapsed into a heap on the floor.
“What is it, angel?” Trey tightened his grip on her waist, keeping her standing.
“When I was hiding…someone was there. I overheard him on the phone with Randolph. The clan’s been eliminated. We’ll be ready to move on the next clan in a few days.” She repeated the words as they played through her mind again. “It was an assassination, not just for Mason but for my whole clan. They’re dead…”
“You don’t know that. Chad and the other guards could have gotten Mason to safety,” Turi reasoned.
“No…” She buried her head in Trey’s chest. “He’d have come back to find me.”
“Only after he got Mason to safety.” Turi’s footsteps echoed on the hardwood floor, nearing her. “He’d have done his duty and got Mason somewhere safe. As the Captain of the Guards, he’d have to do what was needed, especially if the other Elder guards didn’t survive.”
“I want to believe you, but it’s unlikely.”
“It’s hard to kill our kind, so until we know for certain, just try to think positive.” Trey smoothed his hand over her back. “Ty’s got a team out there looking for them, we should know something soon.”
Not soon enough…
Chapter Eight
Music and laughter drifted through the air from the party that was still in full swing when Turi wandered out to the deck with a bottle of beer in hand. The wrap-around deck had been one of his favorite features of the home; it was one of the special touches none of the other cabins had. Since his place sat on a slight incline, the deck allowed him to take advantage of all the views.
The views…
He cursed and took a long swig from his beer. For the first time, he didn’t see the magnificence of the area, the beautiful water or the snowcapped mountains. All he could see was how dangerous their world had become. His life was about the missions, taking down rogues, saving the innocent, eliminating abusive Alphas, helping to heal those who needed it. That wasn’t the life he wanted a mate to be surrounded with, let alone children. Never knowing if he’d make it back alive—what kind of life was that for a family?
Ty and his clan had backed the Kodiak Bears when they needed it the most, and now, not only did the Brown brothers feel it was their duty to help him, but it was also something they wanted. The idea of living in a world where shifters were safe, no longer terrified of what might happen if their secret became known, was heavenly. It was the reason each of the brothers were ready at a moment’s notice whenever Ty called. They were fighting for a better world for future generations.
At least that was what he had thought up until now. In that moment, he wondered if living in secret was such a bad thing. He had grown up happy and healthy on the island, never longing to mix with humans on the mainland. Being on the island had given him a childhood he knew many didn’t have. He’d been safe and there were no hunters trying to eliminate them. Bear shifters were different from others; normally they were able to shift by their first birthday whereas tiger shifters had to pass through a transition phase normally in their early teens. At that age they didn’t understand the risks, and they needed a safe place to be raised in case of an accidental
shift.
While watching his family celebrate, he leaned forward on the wooden banister and wondered if all the fighting was worth it. Was all the blood, death, and risk really worth it in the end? What would happen when they came out to the world? Would there be more threats? Instead of just having to worry about Randolph and the rogues, would there be hunters trying to win a shifter skin for their trophy room?
Behind him, the screen door creaked and the thump of boots neared. Even knowing Trey was standing behind him, Turi couldn’t pull his gaze away from the party. He didn’t know what to say to his brother. The anger that flowed through him over finding their mate now wasn’t Trey’s fault, it was destiny.
“She’s finally resting.” Trey came to stand next to Turi, keeping his back to the party. “I’m sorry.”
“This isn’t your fault.” Turi ran his hand through his hair. “This is supposed to be a time of celebration. If finding your mate is supposed to be joyful then why do I feel so anxious?”
“You’ve always been the worrier of the family.” Trey took a swig of his beer before looking at Turi. “Mating will help eliminate some of the unease.”
“It’s not just about mating. Do you ever wonder if what we’re doing is really worth it? Maybe we’re doing more harm than good. All the blood and death…what kind of life is that for her?”
“It’s the only life if we want to make this a better world for our children.”
“Why? So hunters can start collecting our skin, instead of actual bears? Or maybe so our mates and children have to live in fear that we won’t come back from the latest goddamn mission?” He slammed his beer bottle down onto the banister sending liquid sloshing around inside. “Look at them down there celebrating, but we’re not celebrating mating…we’re actually celebrating that we’re still alive. That the only one who was killed by this stupid war was Travis and that was due to his own betrayal.”
“What happened to you? You’ve always believed in the cause.”
Bearing Secrets Page 4
