Worry filled Emma’s eyes.
Oh, he understood the aching dread of never hearing the cub after today. Ryder squeezed her hand. When his loved ones had been safely cuddling in one bed earlier, he’d felt as if the Lord of the Hunt had granted him his heart’s desire. But, the closer they came to the tavern, the more his emotions shredded.
He could lose Minette—because of a vindictive, lazy, greedy female.
Stay calm. Don’t give up. But wasn’t this depressingly familiar…right to the glares from Genevieve, a male, and a covey of females who entered the tavern.
The trip across the parking lot was made in silence.
The tavern door had a large CLOSED sign, and two males stood outside to ensure no humans entered. Since the Wild Hunt occasionally closed for special events of the human’s social clubs, no one thought twice when Calum closed it for the quite imaginary Celtic Mystics Club. Calum told curious humans the group was private and exclusive, something like the medieval Templars. Thus odd shifter happenings—like Zeb and Shay kneeling before the Cosantir on Main Street—could be explained away as initiation rites.
While the guards and Ben exchanged greetings, Ryder looked around. Despite the short notice, the room was filled. Daonain from around the territory lined the walls and sat at tables and on bar stools. Calum stood behind the bar. Alec, Zeb, Vicki, and Angie sat at one end.
Near the pool tables, shifters from the two construction crews along with their relatives had commandeered tables.
The wolf pack occupied a cluster of tables with Bree and Shay at the center. Genevieve and her covey of buddies had joined them.
“There she is. There’s my baby!” Genevieve jumped to her feet.
Sudden silence shrouded the room.
Minette buried her face in Ryder’s neck.
He tightened his arm around her. “Easy, kitten. I have you.”
Emma drew closer. “We’re here, sweetie. It’ll be all right.”
With her thumb in her mouth, Minette grabbed Emma’s shirt, keeping her close.
“The Cosantir’s at the bar.” Ben nodded toward Calum.
“Aye. Let’s get this over with,” Ryder said grimly.
“Ryder.” Bonnie approached from the side. “Brady and Van have our cubs in the kitchen. Calum asked my males to guard your cub with our own.”
Let his kitten go somewhere else? He noticed Genevieve approaching, undoubtedly planning on an earsplitting confrontation. Minette didn’t need to hear her mother yelling. The kitchen would be a safer place; no one would get past Bonnie’s big mates.
“Thank you, Bonnie.” He kissed Minette’s cheek. “I’ll come and get you when the adult talk is over. If you’ve been good, we’ll have a root beer.”
The cub hesitated, but nodded. Silent again.
“Come, young catlet.” After taking her gently from Ryder, Bonnie carried her away. “Tyler wanted popcorn. Do you want to help us make some?”
“I hate letting her out of my sight, but this is better,” Ben said, voicing Ryder’s thoughts as Genevieve arrived with the male beside her.
“Minette is my child, you abusive thief,” she yelled. “The Cosantir and the shifters in this territory won’t let you keep my cub. No male should steal a child—especially someone who likes to hit females and cubs.”
“I’ve never hit a female or cub in my life.” His voice came out strong, but he already knew no one would believe him.
“Oh, right.” The female named Candice rose from the wolves’ tables. “I saw Genevieve’s bruises. All over her body.”
Another female chimed in, “By the Mother, look at her face and arms.”
Obligingly, Genevieve tilted her face to let the lamps highlight the purple bruising on her jaw and cheekbone. To show off the rest of the damage, she’d worn a low-cut, sleeveless shirt.
Even knowing what a shrew she was, the marks on her body made him sick. That was…just wrong. “I don’t know who hurt you, Genevieve, but you know it wasn’t me.”
“No one else would want to hurt her,” Candice yelled. “You hit her.”
Yeah, this was going just as it had before.
“He wouldn’t.” Tullia, the wolf whose house they’d remodeled rose from the wolf pack’s tables. He couldn’t believe the elderly recluse had left her home. “I’ve seen Ryder with the cub. He’s an excellent sire.”
“Yeah, the cub adores her daddy.” To Ryder’s surprise, the yell came from the construction crew. More shouts from them followed…
“He’s a great father. He’d sure as hell never hurt the pup.”
“By the God, he almost panicked the day she fell down and cried.”
“Helped kill a hellhound to save his cub, for fuck’s sake.”
Face flaming at being opposed, Candice put her hands on her hips and faced the crew’s table. “Ryder is worse than any hellhound.”
“Like you know him at all? You ever even spoken to him?” Kenner, the drywall finisher, crossed his arms over his beefy chest and lifted his chin at Shay. “Control your mouthy wolf, alpha. That’s our cat.”
Our cat. The construction crew had claimed him. The sensation filling Ryder was…indescribable.
Rather than take offense, Shay glanced at his mate. “Sorry, a leannán. I think this one is yours.”
Bree scowled at him. Then she stood, leaned her hands on the table, and stared at Candice. A menacing growl rolled through the room.
Candice turned pale and sat abruptly. When Bree continued to growl, she went all the way down to her knees. With a satisfied nod, Bree resumed her seat.
“This isn’t right.” The young male standing next to Genevieve planted his feet. “Cubs don’t go to sires if a mother is around. Ever.”
As others in the room nodded, Ryder tensed. He couldn’t let Genevieve win. Minette wouldn’t survive the neglect, let alone the abuse.
As if he felt Ryder’s despair, Ben squeezed his shoulder. His voice boomed through the room as it often did on a construction site. “Most females take care of their cubs, but Genevieve doesn’t. She’s a damaged female who’d rather fuck than care for her baby.” He lifted his chin at Genevieve. “You’re damned good at manipulating males, but the Cosantir and the shifters in this territory are smarter than you think.”
Ryder pulled in a breath. Don’t give up before the fight is over, cat. His inhalation brought him Emma’s angry scent. She stood so close her arm brushed his.
“How could you say such a thing to me?” Genevieve burst into tears and pointed to Ryder. “He—he’s such a terrible person that he was driven out of Farway. Everyone there knows how vicious he is, so out of control. He can’t be trus—”
“Actually, female, the town was delighted he rescued his cub.” Owen’s deep voice filled the room as he entered the tavern.
“What?” Genevieve puffed up.
Using a loud voice, Owen said to Ryder. “Everyone in Farway knows you dumped this female before leaving. After you, she took up with a wolf pair, but they kicked her out of their house for fucking every tail in town.”
The crudeness triggered gasps from the older females in the room. Ryder almost joined them.
The corner of Owen’s mouth tilted up. “The wolves wanted to keep Minette, but the shrew wouldn’t let them, since the wolf pack provides money to unmated females with cubs. Yeah, so when Ryder took Minette, the Farway alpha cut off her funds.”
Ryder exchanged a look with Ben. No wonder she was fighting to reclaim a cub she didn’t love.
“You liar,” Genevieve screamed.
As she went into another yelling fit, Ryder turned to Owen. “You went to Farway?”
Owen nudged him with his shoulder—a cat’s equivalent of a slap on the shoulder. “Thought I might get answers you couldn’t.”
Ryder felt a strange tightness in his chest and managed a low, “Thanks.”
Owen shrugged. “I owed Ben—and hey, even cats can have friends.”
“Don’t listen to that male. Ryder is
violent. Look what he did to me yesterday.” Genevieve pulled down her shirt to show an ugly red welt along her shoulder blade.
EMMA’S ANGER GREW and grew at the lies coming out of the female’s mouth.
“Yesterday? But…when?” The male who’d hidden in Genevieve’s cabin last night blinked in confusion. “The only time you weren’t with me was yesterday afternoon when I went to the barbecue. That guy”—he motioned to Ryder—“he was at the barbecue the whole time.”
Emma leaned closer to Ryder, holding her breath in hope.
“He wasn’t,” Genevieve stated.
“Yeah, he was,” the male said, looking confused. “He was with the bard the entire time.” The male’s gaze took in the lifemating bands on Emma and Ryder’s wrists. “His lifemate.”
“Lifemate? He lifemated that”—Genevieve’s voice rose to a piercing screech—“that huge thing calling itself female? He wouldn’t have anything to do with her.” Her lips curled back off her teeth. “He’s mine.” She lunged at Emma.
Huffing in annoyance, Emma smacked her alongside the head—hard.
Genevieve staggered backward, flapping her arms like a startled goose. With a loud wail, she landed on her ass.
Oh, Goddess, what did I do? Trying to feel remorse, Emma found only satisfaction in her heart.
Ben’s roar of laughter was almost drowned out by the cheers of his construction crew and an amazing number of clapping and laughing shifters.
Ryder slung an arm over her shoulders. “My female, you have no idea how much I enjoyed seeing you take her on.”
“I hadn’t anticipated you doing a smackdown.” The sheriff sauntered past Emma, patted her arm in a disconcerting approval, and went down on his haunches next to Genevieve. “Not many shifters are stupid enough to take on a bear.”
“She-she hit me!” Genevieve started crying again.
“Mmmhmm. Seems someone else did, too.” Alec turned the female’s face to the light and scrutinized her bruises. “You wear rings, Ryder?” he asked in an easy voice.
“What?” Ryder frowned. “No. They get caught on shit—good way for a carpenter to lose a finger. I don’t even own any.”
“Figured.” Alec pointed to two purple marks in the center of each bruise, which resembled the dark center of a flower. “I’ve seen injuries like this before. We’ve got a human in town who gets off on punching his girlfriends. He wears two oversized rings to increase the damage.”
“A human hit her?” Angie’s voice added to the comments from the rest of the room…
“Seriously?”
“She got beat up by a human?”
“Why’d she say Ryder did it?”
Outraged noises filled the room.
“Not a bad punch, bear.” From nowhere, Vicki appeared next to Emma. Sneaky cat. “It lacked style, but was surprisingly effective.”
Well. Emma blinked. The Cosantir’s mate wasn’t critical of Emma’s lack of control, only her…technique?
“Um. Thank you.” She leaned down and whispered a confession. “It felt good, too.”
Vicki actually laughed. “You have the makings of a Marine.”
“Herne forfend. Do not encourage her, Vixen,” Alec muttered, joining them. “I better take control of this before it deteriorates further.”
Emma frowned. Wasn’t running a meeting the Cosantir’s job? But Calum still stood behind the bar, hands resting on the top, simply watching.
Vicki leaned in. “Calum is letting Alec run with this so everything will get brought into the open. Once the Cosantir invokes the God, there’s not much talking. Judgment is swift.”
Judgment. The word sent a chill through Emma. She sent up her own invocation to the Mother of All. Please, don’t take Minette from us.
Two females helped Genevieve to her feet. It appeared as if her covey had decreased. Emma spotted her other two followers kneeling beside Candice at Bree’s feet. Shoulders were hunched, heads bowed. Any movement netted a growl from a pack member.
“Genevieve, come here, please.” Alec said, voice level.
Gaze averted from Emma, Genevieve walked over.
“Shifters.” Alec’s raised voice quieted the room. “By Daonain tradition, a cub is placed with her mother, especially since litters often have more than one father. We must remember, however, that tradition is not law.”
The noise rose.
He waited until he could be heard again. “This female here has been proven to be untruthful and she has lied about another shifter.” His nose wrinkled. “Does she wear human perfume to conceal the scent of her lies?”
Whispers ran around the room.
“I know all the mothers here would understand.” Genevieve clasped her hands over her breasts, and tears brimmed in her eyes. “He’ll steal my baby from me. Please don’t let him take my cub.”
The female was dodging the whole issue of her lies. And the mothers in the room looked concerned. Emma wanted to hit her again.
“We should ask which of these two parents is most capable of caring for the cub,” Alec said calmly.
The room grew silent again.
“When did Minette leave your care, Genevieve?” Alec asked.
She named the date and straightened her shoulders. “I’ve been searching for her ever since.” Her face crumpled. “I’m so sorry for creating a scene. I-I just want my baby. I want her safe from him.”
When frowns appeared, Emma felt Ryder stiffen. Shifters protected females and cubs. Tears were appallingly effective.
“Ryder and Minette arrived in Cold Creek a week after that date. Am I right?” Alec asked Ben.
“Right,” Ben said.
“Did you see any signs of abuse?” Alec asked.
Ben tried to recall his first sight of the cub. “She was several pounds lighter than now and—”
“He’s Ryder’s littermate. Of course he’s going to lie for his brother!” Genevieve shouted. She turned to the people in the bar. “Please, just tell him to give me my baby.”
Alec frowned. “Cahirs in the North Cascades Territory don’t lie. But let’s call an impartial witness. Is the healer here?”
Donal moved forward. “Aye, Alec.”
“Did you see Minette when she first arrived?”
“I did. She was very underweight. She also had healing bruises on her face and hands and back. I’d say most of them were far older than a week. She was also unable to speak and terrified of her shadow.”
“Her condition improved while she was living with her sire?”
“No question about it.” Donal’s silver eyes iced when he looked at Genevieve. “If you feel this one needs to be starved a bit to show her what hunger feels like, I’d be delighted to do so.”
The mood of the crowd swung back. The healer was respected—and everyone knew tactfulness wasn’t part of his personality.
“She’s my little baby, and I didn’t have any money for food. You can’t blame me for being broke.” Genevieve turned to Alec, her beautiful face appealing. “I need to stay with her. You wouldn’t keep her from her mother, would you?”
Emma heard Ryder’s growl before Ben stated, “You’re not getting anywhere near her.”
“You don’t have anything to say about it,” Genevieve said. She turned to Alec, laid her hand on his chest, and rubbed her breasts on his arm. “The Cosantir makes those decisions.”
Alec chuckled and stepped away. “Wasting your time, wolf. Wrong prey.”
“Genevieve is right, however. I believe all the facts have been aired.” The interruption came in a deep, clipped voice as Calum moved out from behind the bar. His dark face was as remote as Emma had ever seen it.
Scowling, Genevieve turned her venom on the intruder. “What’s it to you, you—” Her voice strangled in her throat when she met Calum’s gaze. A blind person could see the power crackling off him, and she must have just realized Alec wasn’t the guardian of the territory.
Emma had a feeling the female wouldn’t attempt the breas
t-rubbing technique with this obviously pissed off Cosantir.
“Donal stated the child was underfed while in your care.” Calum’s gaze ran over Genevieve. “It seems you didn’t stint your own portions or attire.” He turned to Shay. “Does the wolf pack fund single mothers?”
Shay smiled slightly. “The pack provides cub-sitting so mothers can work. In addition, Angie gives free meals to cubs and mothers for dishwasher services at the diner.”
Genevieve’s mask slipped for a second to show her fury. Then she said smoothly, “Oh, but my home is in Deschutes Territory. I can give little Minette a far better life there where we both have friends.”
“And where you can receive money for possessing a cub.” The Cosantir turned to Ben. “You were seen talking with Amanda Golden—the realtor. Are you putting your house on the market? Did you and Ryder plan to leave everything, take the cub, and run?”
Gasps sounded around the room along with loud protests from the construction crew.
Emma noted the past tense. Because there would be no running now, would there?
Ben’s lips compressed at the incriminating question. But a cahir didn’t lie to the avatar of his god. “Aye.”
Calum’s glance landed on her. “Emma? You’re respected here as our bard. As a teacher. Did you intend to go with them?”
“Yes.” She showed her wrist and smiled at the lifemating bands. “I go with my mates—and our cub.”
“Felicitations, bard.” Alec’s pleased grin earned a reproving look from his brother.
“Well, honestly.” Genevieve crossed her arms over her chest, pushing her breasts up. “I don’t see what the big deal is. They were afraid and planning to steal my child.”
Joe Thorson put a foot up on a chair. “I see the point you’re making, Cosantir. Ryder, his brother, and lifemate want the cub enough to give up the life they’ve made here.”
“Leaving isn’t the only sacrifice they were willing to make,” Zeb said in his harsh voice. He gave Genevieve a dark look. “That so-called mother fled into her cabin, leaving her child outside with a hellhound.”
Genevieve glared at Zeb.
The uproar in the tavern increased. For all he looked like he’d terrify demons, Zeb was held in awe and respected by the community.
Eventide of the Bear Page 35
