by Kimber White
I don’t know how late it got. Past midnight maybe. A thick blanket of clouds rolled in and covered the moon. The room grew so dark I almost couldn’t tell whether my eyes were open or closed. Then, my heart jumped in my chest and something thumped against the wall near the window.
I sat up and drew my knees close. Two shining blue orbs hovered just above the window ledge. Eyes in the darkness. Watching. Before I could even react, they sank below my line of sight. Then, the whole cabin shook as the door burst open.
“Alec?” My heart beat a thundering rhythm.
He struck a match, washing the room in flickering orange. He lit a candle by the window ledge and came close. Sweat glistened from his temples. His black hair stuck to his forehead and his chest heaved from the force of his shift. Then, he squared his shoulders and straightened his back as his eyes scanned the room and traveled over me. He saw the chains and fire lit behind his eyes.
I became aware of his nakedness. Fresh from his shift, he hadn’t had time to dress. He was marbled perfection from the hard angles of his jaw to the slope of his shoulder and curve of his well-muscled ass. And he was huge. Everywhere. I rested my chin on my knees and blinked hard, adjusting to the low light. Alec moved quickly, grabbing a towel from the bathroom to cover himself.
“What the hell is going on here?” he said, his voice filled with an emotion I couldn’t place. Concern, yes. But his body seemed to tremble with contained fury.
“If he finds you here, he’s going to kill you.” My own voice sounded so far away. But it was true. Kane was just looking for an excuse to drive Alec off at best. If Alec gave him a reason, he’d try far worse.
Alec took a tentative step toward the bed. He drew his brows together, etching his face in hard lines as he reached out and took my hand, running his thumb along the cold metal cuff. I felt that same spark as his skin made contact with mine, like an electrical charge. It made Alec’s eyes flash and a muscle jump in his neck. He sank slowly to the edge of the bed and sat beside me. I don’t know why I let him get so close. A new, strange wolf with power coming off him in waves. But, as his skin warmed mine, it felt natural. Like I’d known him my whole life. And with Kane so far away, my mark didn’t flare a warning. For now, at this moment, I felt like I could sense Alec for the first time.
“Tell me,” he said. He kept his eyes locked with mine and his body still except for a tiny pulse beating a furious pace in his temple.
“It’s not safe for you here. And it’s not safe for me if they find you here.”
Alec looked toward the window. He closed his eyes and sniffed the air. A slow smile lifted the corners of his mouth. “We’re safe for now. I kicked up two monster bucks near the edge of Kane’s territory. About eight miles to the north. They’ve caught up with them and they’re going in for the kill. They’re pure wolf now and will stay that way for a while.”
A tremor passed through Alec. I felt it as a low vibration across the bed. He was a strong wolf indeed to be able to keep his wolf at bay when his lust for the hunt simmered below the surface.
“Tell me what Kane’s done. That’s why I’m here. We’ve had concerns about some of his behavior in the last few months. I need to know how bad it is.”
I barked out a bitter laugh. It would have been so easy to just unload on Alec. But I didn’t know him. He was another wolf shifter, after all. The last time I’d trusted one blindly . . . well. No matter how natural it felt to be near him, I’d been down this road before.
I think he sensed my thoughts. He ran a thumb over the metal cuff then let go of my hand. I shivered from the absence of his touch.
“Who’s we?” I asked.
Alec smiled. He looked toward the window again and jutted his chin, deciding how best to answer me. “How much do you know about the Wild Lake packs?”
I blew out a breath. How much should I tell him? My head told me to stay quiet. I had no reason to trust him. Except my heart told me something very different. I felt drawn to Alec by some powerful thread. It scared me. And yet, he’d risked himself the other night to draw the pack away from me. And here he was again, putting himself at great risk just to talk to me.
“I grew up in and around Wild Lake, but further north near the great ridge,” I finally answered. “But I’m not a shifter. So, I suppose I know what most people know who live outside of all of this.” It told him nothing and everything. Alec’s eyes were soft and kind as he took my hand in his again.
“Don’t get up there much myself. Wild Ridge is bear country. Why is Kane keeping you in here like this? What’s so dangerous about you?” His voice dropped to barely a whisper.
I bit my lip and stared at the wall. I wanted so desperately to trust Alec. But, Kane had destroyed my ability to trust my own instincts. Especially where wolves were concerned.
Alec was bold. He took his other hand and slid it around the nape of my neck then pressed his forehead to mine. It was such an intimate gesture. One I should have shied from. But, it felt so natural to let him touch me like that. My body cried out for it. I don’t think he meant anything by it. Then, his fingers brushed my skin and he found the small, crescent-shaped scar just below my hairline. His body went rigid and he reared back like he’d been shot. He dropped my hand and moved away from me.
He was on his feet, pacing. His hands curled into fists and he punched the wall hard enough to shake the whole cabin. He tore his hand through his hair and turned to me. “You’re. Not. His.” His voice came out as a low threat, barely more than a growl.
I tried to be stoic. Cautious. Alec was a stranger, after all. But that simple statement, those three little words. The weight of them settled around me, binding me more than the chains. Then they broke something inside of me and set me free. I got to put voice to the feeling inside my heart, the one I’d not been able to say out loud before.
“No,” I said. “I am not his.”
Alec ran a hand across his jaw, still pacing as he tried to process what I said. “My God. He can’t . . . you aren’t . . . you’re.” He stopped and towered over me, his muscles frozen. “Did he force himself on you?”
A shudder passed through me. I shook my head. “He didn’t rape me if that’s what you’re asking.” And he hadn’t. But it was the only thing he hadn’t done. My mind took me back to that night. We’d sat on a fallen log near the lake. A full moon blazed above us, just like tonight before the clouds rolled in. He’d been sweet and kind. The Kane I thought he was. He pulled me close and tilted my head, ready to kiss me like the dozens of times he had before. But then, his fingers grew rough, caging my head between his hands. It happened so fast I hadn’t realized what he meant to do. He bit me, sending equal pain and pleasure through my whole body. He had awakened something in me, a powerful desire rising to the surface. But, as my nerve endings flared hot, something went wrong. It was just like Alec said. It was as if my body recognized the foreign invasion before my brain did. Kane’s mark wasn’t meant for me, and even as the connection knit between us, revulsion replaced desire. In those precious few seconds, Kane’s bite revealed him for what he truly was. My enemy. Except by then it was far too late.
Alec’s shoulders dropped with relief for just an instant. But, a new rage seemed to settle over him, and he clenched his jaw. “But you didn’t consent to the marking, did you?”
I shook my head. “No. I tried to stop him, but he was so much stronger. He bit me before I even knew what was happening. Now, I can’t get him out of my head. He’s everywhere. That’s why it’s not safe for either of us if you stay here.”
“Well, fuck that,” Alec said. He reached forward and took my hands in his. Though his movements were strong, he touched me gently. As though he meant to be careful now that he knew what Kane had done. I couldn’t know. Not really. But every instinct in my body told me Alec was different. Still, I’d been so wrong before. “I can bust these open. We’ll have to hurry, but I can get you out of here.”
My heart raced and I tried to do what I alw
ays did. I steadied my breath and tried to slow my pulse.
“He’s too far away,” Alec said, understanding my concern. “We have time. Not a lot. But enough, I think.”
My eyes snapped open and I reached up, molding my hand to his jaw. Alec grabbed one of the chains between his hands and started to pull. God, he was strong enough to tear through steel like it was nothing more than thin thread. He could do it. He could set me free. The urge to run, to flee, to steal into the night with Alec coursed through my veins like the hit off a drug. It seemed so easy, so right.
“Hold still, we can worry about the cuffs later.” Alec grimaced and started to pull.
Fire shot through me at the promise of freedom. I could taste it. At the last second, I lifted a gentle hand and put it over Alec’s.
“Stop,” I said, though my voice sounded choked and small. Alec didn’t hear me at first.
“Stop! I can’t do it. Not like this.”
Still holding the chain in his powerful grip, Alec froze.
“He isn’t just keeping me here with these.” I lifted my wrists and made the chains jangle. “He has my brother. If I try to leave, Kane’s threatened to kill him.”
Alec dropped the chains and his eyes flared wide with exasperation. “Olivia, they’re going to come back at some point. I can’t fight off the whole pack by myself.”
“I know. But I can’t leave until I know where Jaxson is. Kane’s got him chained up somewhere just like me. He showed me a picture. Jaxson’s hurt. Badly. If I don’t do what Kane says, never mind the mark, he’s going to kill him.”
I hesitated. Telling Alec about my brother was a risk. A big one. But for the third time, he’d tried to help me. I decided to trust him that much.
“Kane’s done something to him. He’s made it so he can’t shift.”
Alec reared back. “Your brother’s a wolf?”
I shook my head. “No. He’s a werebear.”
Alec finally dropped the chain and slid backward on the bed. “Jaxson? Olivia, who are you?”
And here was my last truth. Could I afford to trust him all the way? I closed my eyes and took a leap of faith. “My father is Caleb Lord.”
Alec stood and started pacing again. The towel around his waist dropped a bit and my eyes were drawn to the curve of his hip. Heat flared inside me and I drew my legs up, resting my knees on my chin. He turned and covered his mouth with his hand.
“Lord of the bears?”
I let out a sigh. “You know that’s not how it works with bear shifters, right? It’s just my last name.”
He nodded. “Yeah. Yeah. I know. You’re Caleb’s daughter? Jax Lord is your brother. Fuck.” Alec carved both hands through his hair and rested them on top of his head. He looked toward the ceiling and blew out a breath as he tried to work out the impact of my revelation. He slammed his palm against the footboard and sat down again hard enough to bounce me off the mattress.
“He thinks he can control Caleb if he’s got you and now your brother.”
I nodded.
“Do you know what for?”
I shrugged. “He doesn’t talk about pack business around me. He’s very careful about that. But, Kane sure as hell didn’t like it when you showed up.”
“I’ll bet. I told you, the other Wild Lake packs have been concerned about him for some time.”
“You saw what he did with Cole. I think he would have killed him if you hadn’t shown up when you did. And it was just because Cole got between Kane and me for half a second.”
“Shit,” Alec muttered. “We suspected he’d gone this way. You understand, none of this is how we do things. This isn’t the Wild Lake way. We don’t force markings on women. Especially ones who aren’t fated mates. Our Alphas don’t treat pack members like that. There’s a name for it, you know.”
“Tyrannus Alpha. Yes. I’ve heard.”
“It’s like a drug addiction. The more power Kane takes, the more he’s going to want. If he goes unchecked, he’s going to force this pack into their wolves 24/7. Most weres can’t survive that. I just don’t get it. He’s got to know we can’t let this stand.”
“Well, you tell me. I know how bears operate. Not wolves. Bears do their own thing. There’s no complicated pack law like you have. They don’t go to war with each other if they can help it. A hell of a lot more live and let live unless you’re foolish enough to piss one of ‘em off. Kane hasn’t let me see or talk to my father in the six months since he brought me out here and did this to me.” I waved my hand toward the back of my neck. “All I know is that he seems to hate you and the other packs of Wild Lake.”
Alec paced again. “I can’t believe he’d do it.”
“Do what?” I flapped my hands and the chains rattled. Alec winced as though the sound of it caused him physical pain.
Alec ran a hand over his face and sighed. “Start World War III.”
Chapter Seven
“How much influence does Caleb have over the other bear shifters in Michigan or parts of Wild Lake?” Alec asked.
I bit my lip. Again, Alec was asking for information that just six months ago, I would have guarded with my life.
He sank down on the bed next to me and put a hand on my arm. That skin-to-skin contact made it hard for me to think. “Olivia, I know you have no reason to trust me. But you have to at least be able to see that Kane is our mutual enemy now. Whatever he’s planning can’t be for the benefit of the Wild Lake packs. And it’s certainly not for the benefit of the Wild Ridge bears or your own family. If we work together, maybe we can figure something out.”
I nodded. Hot tears sprang to my eyes and I raised a hand to wipe them away. “My father’s no bear king. You know that’s not how bears live. And he was so angry when he found out I was spending time with Kane. A wolf. He’s warned me my whole life to stay away from wolves. He thought my dating Kane was a betrayal. He was right. I just didn’t understand what kind. But, the Michigan bears are loyal to my father. They listen to him. Seek his counsel.”
Alec nodded. “So, if your father swore some kind of oath to Kane, would it bind the rest of the bears?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe. But not blindly. What kind of oath are you talking about?”
Alec squeezed his eyes shut and let out a breath. “I’m just thinking out loud. I still can’t believe Kane would go this far. But, if he hates the Wild Lake packs as much as you think—and he’s done some other things lately that seem to point to that—if he’s turned Tyrannous, he might be trying for some kind of coup. He knows the rest of the Wild Lake Alphas would never willingly submit to him.”
My head buzzed. The air left my lungs, and fear like acid burned through me. I think I understood. “You think he might force my father to help him take down the other packs?”
Alec gave me a grim nod. “It fits. God help us, it fits. I think he’s making a play to take over all of our lands.”
A pack war. A full-on pack war. And if Alec was right, Kane meant to drag the bears in to fight it for him.
“He won’t. He can’t. My father would never go along with that.”
Alec reached for me. He ran a thumb along the curve of my brow and tilted my head toward him. “He probably would if he thinks it’s the only way to keep you safe. If it were my child. Or someone I . . . loved.”
I shuddered beneath his touch. “We have to stop him. I have to do more than just get away from him and save my brother. If you’re right, it won’t just be wolves suffering. My father. His friends. They’d win in the end. You have to know that there are a hell of a lot more bear shifters in Michigan than there are wolves. If they all fought for Kane, he might just win. But not without a lot of casualties on both sides.”
Alec’s eyes went cold for an instant then flashed with that sapphire light again. He leaned toward me. It could have been my shock and horror realizing how far Kane might go. It might have been how badly I needed a friend or someone to trust. It might have just been Alec’s kind and gentle touc
h when I’d spent so long away from anyone I loved. But, as I moved and closed the distance between us, I knew it was none of those things.
I wanted Alec. Badly.
Before either of us could think, I brought my hands up and slid them around his shoulders. He responded instantly, drawing me to him with his strong, solid arms around my waist. I reached up as he brought his lips toward mine and kissed him.
I was struck by lightning. Fire and ice. Desire and longing. Lust and lightning. His lips against mine were strong, urgent, perfect as he pulled me down on the bed until he hovered over me. Breathless. Weightless. Heat sparked in my core and spread to all points of my body. It settled between my legs, making me quiver and grow wet for him. I ached. His towel dropped and I felt the solid, hard outline of his cock against my thigh, and I opened them for him. Too much. Too fast. And all of it right.
“God,” he whispered against my ear as he finally came up for air. He trailed hot kisses along my throat and I arched my back. “Olivia.” He said my name over and over. I slid my hands along his shoulders, tracing the hard outlines of his back. I wanted desperately to guide him into my slick wetness and make him mine.
This was beyond lust. Beyond reason. My heart beat a thundering rhythm and a single thought filled my head to match it.
Mine. Mine. Mine.
But, it wasn’t just my heartbeat. It was Alec’s too. For so long, Kane had filled my senses. His mark made my pulse quicken along with his when he was close enough. But now, he was so far away everything I felt inside me was Alec.
I gasped. The power of the pull scared me as much as it felt right. Alec sensed the change and drew up on his elbows. His lips were swollen from my kisses and his wolf eyes flared bright. But, he gathered his towel around his hips and slowly moved away, letting me catch my breath. He wanted me as badly as I wanted him, but he was the one able to control his lust this time.
