The voice sent a chill through her. Slowly, Amelia turned around. There were three men standing there, their gazes trained on Jenna. They didn’t look like they were from around here. All three wore outfits that screamed big city— shiny leather shoes, sports jackets or polo shirts, and dark sunglasses.
One of them took off his glasses and shot Jenna a glare. “Well? Is this your kid? Grab her and let’s go.”
“No!” Amelia picked up Cassie and hugged her close, her hand on her head to keep her from turning. Cassie let out a cry. “Shh … it’s okay sweetie, I’m here.”
“That’s what I’m trying to do, Tony!” Jenna protested, stamping her feet. “But this bitch won’t give her to me.”
“You’ll get her over my dead body!” Amelia gritted her teeth.
Tony laughed. “Well, if that’s what it takes,” he turned to the two men behind him. Both guys opened their jackets and drew out their guns, pointing them at Amelia and Cassie.
“No!” Jenna cried.
Amelia turned around to shield Cassie. “It’s broad daylight! Are you really going to shoot me?” Despite her bravado, her heart was banging against her ribcage like a hammer.
“Fine,” Tony spat. “Take them both then!”
Before Amelia could run, she felt the press of a metal barrel on her back. “After I shoot you, I’ll shoot the kid,” a voice whispered in her ear. “Now, come with us.”
Her knees and her arms felt weak. She couldn’t let them hurt Cassie. Dammit. She felt the tears of despair building in her throat. If she had her bear, she could tear these guys to shreds. She would even survive a couple of bullets. But no, Cassie’s safety was more important. A fierce, protective instinct rose up in her. “Fine,” she said. “But if you hurt her, I swear to God—”
“You’ll what, girly?” The barrel pushed harder into her spine. “Now, go.”
Amelia kept her grip on Cassie tight as she followed the three men and Jenna to the parking lot of the strip mall. She kept soothing Cassie, running a hand up and down her back as they walked. When they got to a dark-colored van, the door slid open.
“Get in.”
Amelia scooted inside, keeping Cassie on her lap. The girl was sobbing softly now, and Amelia could feel her tears as it soaked her blouse. I won’t let anything happen to you, she vowed.
There was another man sitting there wearing dirty sweats, who moved to make room. Tony sat in the seat across her, Jenna beside him, and then the man with the gun beside Amelia.
“I don’t know what the hell is going on,” Amelia began. “But you can’t get away with kidnapping us!”
“If you’d mind your own business, you wouldn’t even be here,” Tony shot back. “We just want the kid because that’s the only way this broad,” he jabbed Jenna with his elbow, “and her boyfriend,” he pointed his chin at the man beside Amelia, “would tell us where they stashed my cash.”
“Cash?” Amelia said. “I have money. If we stop by the ATM, you can have all of it. Just let Cassie go.”
Tony laughed. “Really now? You got six-and-a-half G’s in your bank account we can take out now?”
Jesus. Over half a million? What kind of convenience store did Jenna and her boyfriend rob?
“This is your fault,” the man beside Amelia said to Jenna. “I told you we don’t need her.” He sneered at Cassie. “We should have taken the cash and ran.”
“Allowing you to convince me to leave her was the biggest mistake I ever made,” Jenna screamed. “And the second biggest was getting together with your stupid ass, Doug!”
“How was I supposed to know that last store we hit was a front for the freakin’ mob.” Doug looked meaningfully at Tony.
“Maybe the bags of cash you stole in the secret storage room in the back should’ve tipped ya off?” Tony said dryly.
“We shoulda hightailed it to the border,” Doug sulked. “But no, you wanted your kid. And then you saw her,” he sneered at Amelia, “all over your stupid ex and you lost it. Why did you have to trash her car?”
“Because she’s a whore who deserved it.” Jenna shot daggers at Amelia with her eyes.
“We shoulda just grabbed the brat, like we planned,” Doug said. “Then they wouldn’t have caught up with us.”
“We would have anyway. Do you think I would let some two-bit criminals like you just run away?” Tony turned to Amelia and Cassie. “But, now that we’ve got your kid, tell us where you hid the cash.”
“You promise not to hurt her?” Jenna asked.
Tony smiled like a shark, with all his white teeth showing. “Of course.”
“Shut up! Don’t you say anything, you bitch!” Doug screamed.
“Go to hell, Doug!” Jenna tried to claw at Doug but Tony pulled her back. “You—”
Something bumped into the van, making it veer off the road. The driver was able to take control of the van, but the passengers inside shoved and jostled against each other. The engine roared and the van sped up.
“What the fuck is going on?” Tony asked.
“Someone’s after us,” the driver shouted back.
“Cops?”
“No! Some guy in a truck. But don’t worry, boss, I’ll lose him.”
“You better!” Tony turned back to Jenna. “Now, where is the cash?”
Jenna’s lower lip trembled. “It’s—”
“You whore!” Doug screamed.
It all happened in a blur. One minute, Doug was screaming his head off, then the guy next to Amelia pulled his gun. The van swerved again, and somehow, Doug reached over and grabbed the guy’s gun.
“This is your fault,” he shouted and pointed the gun at Cassie’s head.
Jenna screamed, and then something hit the van, sending everyone flying off their seats. Amelia held onto Cassie, trying to shield her from whatever was coming. Please. She didn’t know to whom she was pleading to. Please keep her safe.
Heat spread through her body, and at first, she thought she’d been stabbed or shot. But there wasn’t any pain. Only something warm. And familiar.
Amelia let out an inhuman roar. As she stretched her arms to grab the gun in Doug’s hand, her limbs became longer, the pops of bone breaking and stretching echoing in the small space. Dark blonde fur sprouted out of her skin and she felt her teeth growing.
“What the fuck!” Tony shouted. “She’s one of them!”
Amelia’s body had grown so big, she pushed everyone out of the way. The van suddenly stopped, and by the time she was fully transformed into her monster grizzly, her giant block head had torn through the roof of the van. She crouched down, her arms wrapped around Cassie, who had clung to her fur tightly.
Stay with me, she said from inside her bear. I’ll keep you safe, little cub.
“Get me the fuck outta here!” Tony cried.
The van door swung open and everyone, except Doug, flew out. Doug was trapped between the door and Amelia. He was screaming his head off, and Amelia’s bear was so annoyed it slapped a massive paw over the man’s head. It must have been too forceful as he was knocked out cold.
The grizzly roared, and Cassie tightened her grip. That’s it, Amelia thought. Don’t let go, Cassie. You’re safe with me.
There was more shouting outside, and the grizzly forced its way out of the wrecked van, the metal screeching loudly as its claws tore through it like tissue paper. It kept one arm around Cassie, keeping her covered as it lumbered out.
“Shoot it! Shoot it!”
The grizzly turned its head. Two of the men who had escaped the van were now pointing their guns at the bear.
No!
The bear roared in anger, but it kept Cassie shielded. Inside her bear, Amelia braced for the pain of the bullets, but when the shots rang out, they missed completely.
A large, white blur whizzed by, charging at the two men. Amelia cried out and her bear growled.
Mine!
Mason’s polar bear knocked the two men aside, his black claws slashing at them. The grizzly
wanted to join in, to kill the men who tried to hurt Cassie, but Amelia reined her in. Keep Cassie safe, she reminded it. Let our mate get revenge.
There were screams and gurgles, then suddenly, silence. The polar bear trudged backwards, its pure white fur painted with red streaks. It locked eyes with the grizzly, and suddenly, Amelia found herself staring at Mason, inside his polar bear, looking back at her.
“What the fuck is going on?” Tony screamed. He and Jenna were on the ground, their eyes wide with fear and bodies frozen in shock. When the sounds of police sirens rang through the air, Tony scrambled to get up. “I’m getting the hell out of here.”
The grizzly growled, and the polar bear charged forward, getting up on its hind legs. Tony suddenly stopped and dropped to the ground. “All right! All right!” He held up his hands, and then sank down to the ground.
The two bears flanked Tony and Jenna, preventing them from escaping. Cassie clung to the grizzly the whole time, her face buried in its soft fur. The cops arrived minutes later, their sirens blaring as they stopped by the side of the road.
“Jesus, what is going on?” Officer Benton said as he surveyed the scene. He looked at the two bears. “Mr. Grimes? Miss Walker?” He looked back and called one of the other officers. “Jones! Grab the blankets in the cruiser and help out those two.”
As soon as the officer offered her the blanket, Amelia tucked her bear deep inside her, her body shrinking down to its normal size in no time. Her normal human arms wrapped around Cassie before the girl slipped down, and they both sank to the ground. A rough blanket dropped over her.
“I’m here, Cassie,” she soothed. “It’s me. I’m here.”
Cassie looked up at her, her cheeks stained with tears. “I know, ’Melia. That’s why I wasn’t scared. You and your bear protected me.”
She held Cassie tight. “I—”
“Cassie! Amelia!”
She looked up. Mason had turned back to his human form too, and he shrugged off the offer of a blanket from the officer. Instead, he ran to them then scooped them both up into his arms. “Oh, God, I thought I’d lost you.” He rubbed his forehead against Cassie’s, then looked straight at Amelia. “I was going to surprise you and show up at Chang Kee’s. I was pulling in when I saw them take you.” His teeth gnashed together. “I called the police and went after you.”
Cassie scrambled into Mason’s arms. “I was scared, Daddy. But ’Melia kept me safe.”
“Oh, Mason.” She hugged him back, his fresh mountain air scent like a soothing balm to her soul.
“Your bear … you have your bear back.”
“I know.” She didn’t know how but … seeing Cassie in danger had brought her bear out. It wasn’t gone; just hiding. It had been so hurt from the broken bond that it went into hibernation, deep inside her. But now, it was back, and Amelia felt whole for the first time in years. She took a deep breath, then glanced behind Mason. The police were hauling Tony, Jenna, and Doug away in handcuffs. “Mason, it was Jenna. She—”
“Shh.” He put a finger on her lips. “We can talk about that later. There are more important things.”
“Like what?”
Mason shifted Cassie to one arm, then used his free hand to pull her to him. “Like this.” He leaned down and planted his mouth on hers. “I love you, Amelia.”
“Mason, I love you too.” She spoke the words freely, without hesitation. As they stood there, arms around each other, a familiar feeling wrapped around her. It was soothing and calm, like a gentle wave, but wrapped around them like a vortex. There was a roaring in her ears and when she looked up at Mason, the look on his face told her he felt it too.
“The bond.” His voice broke. “I can feel it. It’s back.”
“Yes.” She choked, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I never thought I would feel this way again. I love you, Mason.”
“Daddy, what’s happening?” Cassie asked, then turned to Amelia. “You love my daddy, ’Melia?”
Amelia smiled. “I do, Cassie. Your daddy is my mate.”
Her mouth formed into a small o. “And you’ll be with him forever? Like the dragon and the bear in your story?”
Mason shot her a confused look, but she just winked at him. “Yes, sweetie. I’ll be with you both forever, if you’ll have me.”
Cassie wrapped her arms around her neck. “Thank you for being my daddy’s mate. Now he won’t be alone anymore. And yes, I want you to be with us.”
Amelia’s heart was filled with so much love, she thought it would burst out of her chest. She’d always thought that love was a finite thing, that having more people in your life meant that the love would always be divided until it grew smaller and smaller. But, she knew the truth now: love grew, the more you shared it. And, looking at Mason and Cassie, she knew there would be an abundance of love in her life from now on.
Epilogue
As was their custom, the Lennox-Walker clan gathered together for a barbecue on the last weekend of the summer. Once again, Hank and Riva Lennox, and James and Laura Walker, interrupted their retirement trip to come home. Of course, it wasn’t a big bother to the two couples, especially for James and Laura, who had wanted to meet Mason and Cassie anyway. They planned to be in Blackstone for a week, and then be on their way once again, returning finally once Penny gave birth.
“And they—”
“Lived happily ever after!” Cassie finished.
James Walker grinned at her. “You know it!” He was sitting with Cassie and Grayson on the dock that stretched out over Blackstone Lake.
Instead of having the barbecue at the castle, the two families decided to have it at the lake. Hank and James had just finished building their lakeside cabins right before they left on their trip but didn’t get the chance to bring everyone there together.
“Is Pawpaw telling you the story of Silas and Anastasia again?” Amelia asked as she approached the trio.
“Yeah! He tells it the best, just like you said, ’Melia,” Cassie replied.
“I haven’t heard it yet,” Grayson added. “So, Cassie said I had to listen to it.”
“What did you think?” James asked.
“Well,” Grayson began thoughtfully, “I like that part where Silas dives in to rescue the dragon girl, but”—he made a face—“did it have to be a kissing story?”
James chuckled. “Ben pretty much said the same thing when he was your age.” He ruffled the boy’s hair. “But I have other stories too, you know. How ’bout I tell you the story of how Lucas Lennox and Eustace Walker outsmarted a whole pack of wolves?”
“Oh boy!” Grayson raised his fist. “What happened?”
“Maybe you guys can continue later,” Amelia said. “Lunch is ready.”
“Aww!” Both kids whined.
James hopped to his feet and offered the two toddlers a hand each. “C’mon, you munchkins. Stories later. Food now; I’m hungry.” The two kids reluctantly stood up and grabbed onto him. He turned to Amelia. “Let’s go.”
The Lennox and Walker cabins stood side by side, with a privacy hedge in between, but they had a common backyard area. Picnic tables had been set up where the two properties met. The grill was set up on the Walker side, and Ben and Matthew were watching over the food. Hank, Riva, Laura, Penny, Sybil, and Tim were sitting on some patio chairs, chatting and drinking beers. Luke, Georgina, Christina, Catherine, Jason, Petros, and Kate were out swimming in the lake.
Amelia spotted Mason by himself, talking into his phone. She walked over to him, and as soon as Mason locked eyes with her, a grin spread over his face.
“… All right, Gordon, I’ll make sure I get those parts in by Monday.” Mason nodded. “Yup. You have a good weekend too.” He put the phone away and turned to Amelia.
A warm, familiar feeling settled over her, and when he slipped his arm around her to pull her close, her bear rumbled happily. She still couldn’t believe it was back. It was like seeing an old friend again after a long time.
“Everything oka
y, mate?” Mason teased and she blushed. She let it slip one time that she loved it when he called her that and now he wouldn’t stop.
“Yeah. You?”
“Yeah, all good. Just wanted to make sure I got everything right.” Mason had only started working for J.D. two weeks ago, and already the clients were rolling in. In fact, he was booked for custom jobs for the next six months. He didn’t even have to sell his Harley to pay for his legal bills anymore, as J.D. gave him a generous percentage of every build he did and brought him in as a partner.
She looked to Ben and Matthew, who waved them over. “Food will be ready in two minutes.”
He kissed her temple. “Okay, let’s go.”
They walked over to the buffet table which was laden with all kinds of food. Soon, everyone had their plates piled high. Cassie cheered when Amelia finished four burgers and a whole rack of ribs, plus a helping of all the sides. Even Grayson was impressed.
When they were all done eating, everyone headed to the lake to go swimming. Amelia and Mason were happy to just sit on the dock, watching as Cassie held onto the polar bear swimming across the lake as she screamed, “Go, Uncle Tim, go!”
“Mason, Amelia,” Laura called as she approached them. She was holding a wrapped box in her hand.
“Hey, Mom,” Amelia said. “Aren’t you going for a swim?”
“In a minute,” she said. “But now that I have you guys alone, I wanted to give you this.”
“You didn’t have to,” Mason said. “You’ve given us a lot of gifts.” Indeed, when Laura and James first arrived, they came with a mountain of gifts, most of them for Cassie.
“This one is just for the two of you.” Laura had a sparkle in her eye as she handed them the box. “Here. Open it.”
Mason took the box and gingerly opened the intricate wrapping. He took out a small bowl and cupped it in his hands.
“It’s beautiful,” Amelia said, looking at the delicate pottery. It was a blue earthenware bowl with gold streaks all over the surface.
“What is it?” Mason asked.
“This bowl was made using a Japanese technique called kinstugi or ‘golden repair’,” Laura began. “See the veins? That’s where the bowl was broken but was put back together using gold.” She gave them a bright smile. “They say that the pieces repaired using this technique come out even more beautiful, because of the scars they bear. I thought you’d like it.”
The Blackstone She-Bear: Blackstone Mountain Book 7 Page 14
