by Marla Monroe
“Why don’t you fix her something to drink and settle in the living room while I get everyone together?” Warren left her with Eason in the kitchen.
“We’ve got lemonade, iced tea, beer, and milk,” Eason told her. “What can I fix you, wild pup?”
Wren nearly choked on that. “Wild pup? Where did that come from?”
Eason chuckled. “You’re a wild dog and my baby girl so wild pup fits you.”
Wren just shook her head. Eason’s logic escaped her. When he lifted a brow and an empty glass, she realized she hadn’t answered him yet.
“I’ll just have water, thanks.”
Eason nodded and filled one glass with water and the other with lemonade. Holding the water out to her, he took the lemonade and ushered her into the large den where several couches and chairs filled the room. Not long after she’d settled on the couch with Eason on one side of her, more bears wandered into the room, giving them curious looks but not attempting to approach them. She couldn’t help but wonder why. Didn’t they approve of her? Maybe they didn’t like African Wild Dogs and having two of their bear brothers mated to one was more than they could handle.
Wren’s thoughts flew around in her head like they always did when she was nervous. She wished Serenity would show up. Even though she wasn’t the least bit like her name suggested, Wren liked being around her. It made her feel a little more normal. They both had a tendency to be a little loud and a lot obnoxious, at least according to some. Personally, she thought she was just honest and open with her thoughts. Like she said. No filter.
“Hey, Eason. Aren’t you going to introduce us to the pretty female? She sure is cute and cuddly,” one of the nice-looking males who swaggered in said.
He had an almost reddish color to his hair with hazel eyes that held streaks of gold in them. He had a mischievous smile that quickly turned into an infectious grin. When he started to step closer, holding out his hand, a deep growl vibrated next to her as Eason tugged her closer. He slapped at the other man’s hand, causing the bear to burst out laughing but step back.
“Damn, Seth! I told you not to tease the bears!” Creed, the bears’ Ursus, strode into the room with Serenity and Shayne on his heels. Though he had a scowl firmly planted on his face, Wren could see a hint of a grin peeking through.
“Bears?” she asked, realizing she hadn’t heard wrong. “I don’t understand.”
Warren walked over and sat next to her so that she was cocooned between the two massive males. Together they radiated power and heat. She had a difficult time keeping her mind on what she’d just asked with their testosterone-oozing bodies touching her as they were.
“Better go ahead and tell her before one of the others blurts it out for you,” Warren said with a tight smile.
Eason took both of her hands in his and urged her to turn in his direction. Once she was fully facing him as much as she could and still sit on the couch, Eason drew in a deep breath and surprised her yet again.
“I’m a hybrid bear, Wren. I’m half brown bear and half grizzly.” He seemed to search her face for something.
Wren shrugged, not sure what it was they thought she’d say. There were other hybrids out there. In fact, most shifters had some form of hybrid in their family units now. The days of keeping bloodlines pure were long gone. It just wasn’t possible with so few of them left in the world.
“Okay,” she said drawing the word out, giving it a questioning sound. “That’s not really so unusual. Or it’s not in my world. Most wild dogs breed with wolves. There just aren’t a lot of us around. Do bears think differently about hybrids? There’s nothing wrong with being a hybrid, Eason.” She turned and stared hard at each of the bears filling the room. “You better not treat him differently. There’s nothing wrong with it. I’ll make your life miserable if you’re giving him shit about that.”
“Easy, Wren,” Eason said, pulling her back against him when she had started to stand up. “They don’t treat me differently or bad. You’re not getting what I’m trying to tell you, wild pup.”
“Wild pup?” Warren asked staring at the other bear. “Where did that come from?”
Eason sighed. “She’s our baby and she’s wild. Even you can see how wild she is.”
Warren burst out laughing. “Boy you nailed it on the head, brother. I like it.”
“If you’re finished calling me names, guys. Someone needs to fill me in on whatever the big bad secret is since it’s not that you’re a hybrid. We’re wasting time,” she snarled.
Wren ignored the snicker that was followed by a loud slap of flesh on flesh from somewhere in the room. She needed answers now so that they could get on with finding out if they could help her brother and her pack or not. Besides, she couldn’t imagine anything that could be such a dark secret that she’d run yelling from the house.
“I’m not just a hybrid grizzly and black bear, Wren. I actually have two distinct bears inside of me. They’re fighting all the time and make it difficult for me to control myself and my changes. They both want to be the dominant in the relationship and sometimes it feels like they’re going to tear me apart inside. It can make me dangerous to anyone around me if I’m angry,” he said, hanging his head at the last.
Wren sat there without breathing or saying anything. She was shocked to say the least. She’d heard of that happening, but always before, the shifter had been put down not long after it was discovered. They were considered a wild card and a risk to everyone around them, even the shifter race as a whole. If they couldn’t control their shift, they might shift among humans and hurt or kill them. The idea that the soft cuddly male sitting next to her going wild and eating some innocent human almost turned her stomach. Almost.
Once again her mouth opened before she could think about what was going to come out.
“Have you killed anyone?”
Chapter Eight
All the air escaped from Eason’s lungs at that question. It hadn’t occurred to him that she might think he’d actually lost control to the point of causing real harm. But to ask if he’d killed anyone? That really hurt. His chest tightened at that lack of trust in his mate. Yes, she didn’t know him, but he’d expected that his mate would always believe in him. If she didn’t now, what was to say that she would after they’d secured the mating bond?
“No. I’ve never killed anyone, Wren.” He stood up and walked out of the room, heading to the basement and his room.
On the way out, he heard Warren tell her that Eason hadn’t even hurt anyone seriously enough to need help. Mostly he just lost control of his change now and then. Warren’s voice held censure in it and despite his disappointment and pain at the knowledge that Wren wasn’t sure about him, she was still his chosen mate and the need to go comfort her and pound his bondmate poured over him. Eason ignored it and hurried to his room so he could let out the shifter in him and roar without anyone hearing. It was one of the many reasons all of the rooms were soundproofed. Shifter sex got loud.
The moment he’d closed the door and locked it, Eason let go of control and welcomed his bears to the surface. By dropping all of his control, the change hurt, and he reveled in the pain, needing it to drown out the gut-wrenching disappointment that his mate might never truly trust him. It didn’t matter that he’d often worried about taking a mate with his unpredictable nature. Eason had always believed that Warren wouldn’t allow him to harm her. He still believed that, but now that he’d met his mate, touched her, kissed her, he knew that he couldn’t hurt her no matter what she did or said. Something about the mating bond that had already begun to form after their kiss calmed him to the point that he knew that wouldn’t happen. His bears were satisfied to have her in their lives and would band together to protect her and care for her. She sealed them together, was the glue that allowed them to exist side by side without constantly warring to be dominant over the other one.
I can’t mate with her. She is the key to my sanity, but I won’t mate with someone who will always wor
ry that I might lose control around her or her family.
His bears, though still quiet, ached for her presence. He knew without a doubt that once they realized that they might never form the mating bond, he’d need to leave and return to his old sleuth where he couldn’t hurt anyone.
First, he would make sure the threat to her and her brother was dealt with. He couldn’t leave knowing that something serious was in the works. Despite the betrayal he felt, she was still his chosen mate and he would protect her and those she valued.
A knock on the door pulled him from the solitude he’d pulled around him once he’d released his hold on his bears. He lumbered over to the door and used his paw to release the big latch made especially so they could unlock the door if in their shift. Expecting to see Warren or maybe his Zashchita, Shayne. Instead, his Ursa stood just outside the doorway with a worried expression pulling her mouth down.
“Oh, Eason. Snap out of this. You can’t hide away from the world. You’re a good male and your mate knows that. Give her a chance. Her world is teetering on disaster right now.”
Eason chuffed then gave a huge bear sigh before reversing the process of his shift, relieved that the two bears relented without a fight this time. As soon as he’d made the change, he grabbed the pair of shorts he always left in easy reach for such occasions and quickly pulled them on before turning around.
“My Ursa. She will never fully trust me. I can’t handle that from my mate. I don’t blame her. She has a right to worry considering my nature. But what about when she is pregnant with our cubs? Will she sleep with me and trust me not to lose control? What about the first time I start to discipline them while they are learning their way in the shifter world? Will she refuse to allow it, demand that Warren is the only one to do that?” Eason shook his head. “That would crush me.”
“She’s a good female. She isn’t going to restrict you once she gets to know you. She will realize that the mating will prevent that regardless of what is going on. Give her a chance, Eason. If you deserve a chance, so does she.”
Eason drew in a deep breath and stared over Serenity’s shoulder to where Warren strode down the short hall toward them. His bondmate’s emotions were so shut down that nothing showed on the other bear’s face. No doubt he didn’t want their Ursa to see how disappointed he was with Eason. He couldn’t blame him for how he felt. He was disappointed in himself as well. He should have been stronger and not needed to leave so he could unleash the bears.
“My Ursa, I’ll talk to him now. Your mates are anxious for you to return to them,” Warren told her.
Serenity huffed out a breath and twitched her nose that was so like her lynx form that Eason couldn’t help but smile. He remembered when they’d found out about her secret luxury and fixation on stuffed and toy mice. Even now they were all over the ruling triad’s bedroom.
“Thank you for seeing about me, Ursa.” He bowed his head to her.
“Stop it, guys. I’ve told you more than once I don’t want to hear that title unless there’s some kind of ceremony or something. I’m just Serenity. We’re family.” She propped her hands on her hips and cocked her head with a frown.
“It’s a little hard to get out of that habit and honestly, you are anything but serene,” Warren teased her. “I don’t think a day has gone by that you haven’t either pissed off one of your mates or caused some sort of episode in the den.”
Serenity grinned, kissing him on the cheek. “Thanks, Warren. If I didn’t stir things up, you guys would be dull and lifeless around here.”
Eason relaxed a little at her smile. When she turned and gave him the same quick peck on the cheek, his heart warmed. She was a true Ursa, seeing to her sleuth’s emotional needs while her mates took care of the rest.
“All right, I’m leaving so you two can chat. No fighting and don’t destroy the furniture. Bear-sized beds and such have to be special ordered, guys.” She winked at them then skipped away as much as a pregnant female could.
At mid-October, Serenity was three months into her pregnancy with Creed and Shayne’s twin males. She only had another four to four and a half months left since most shifter gestations were between seven and eight months in length. The den was expecting their first cubs in February. It would be a joyous occasion that gave their sleuth a true standing as one. They would be a breeding sleuth then.
Warren stepped inside Eason’s bedroom and closed the door. He didn’t lock it which told him that his bondmate wanted an escape route just in case things got dangerous. How much more pain and betrayal could he take?
“You don’t need to say anything, Warren. I’m going to stick around long enough to be sure whatever is going on with Wren and her family is resolved. Then I’ll return to our old sleuth where I can’t harm anyone. Wren will settle down with you fine,” he said.
Warren just stared at him for a heartbeat or two then his face dissolved into disbelief and finally anger. The anger surprised Eason.
“What. The. Fuck?” Warren asked then roared. “You’re not going anywhere!”
Eason stepped back when his bondmate stepped closer to get into his face. The other male was livid with rage. It was something he’d never seen in the shifter before.
“I can’t stay here, brother. Our mate doesn’t trust me. She’ll never fully trust me. Seeing the question in her eyes every time I get mad about something or someone does something wrong will slowly kill me. I can’t live on eggshells. I truly will go mad.”
Warren sighed and stuffed his hands into the pocket of his jeans. “Look. I understand how you feel, believe it or not, but you just gave up and walked out on our mate. How could you do that? Now she feels unwanted by you and we both know that’s not the truth.”
“What am I supposed to do? She’ll never truly trust me, Warren. The first thing out of her mouth when she found out about me was, ‘Have you killed anyone?’ not ‘wow’ or ‘what does it feel like?’ I’ve had other shifters say that to me, but my mate asked if I’ve killed anyone.” Eason paced away from his friend. He needed space and Warren seemed hell-bent on not giving it to him since he followed him.
“She’s probably only heard of hybrid shifters being put down who held two separate animals inside of them. That’s what usually happens, but you showed so much restraint when you first changed that our Ursus then wanted you to have a chance. Think about it, Eason. As far as we know, there are no living hybrid shifters out there. You’ve already defied the odds. Don’t give in now!” Warren shook him by the shoulders then released him and stepped back.
“See! You don’t even completely trust me,” Eason said.
He could feel the bears waking inside of him. They knew their bondmate and believed they could wrestle with him and not end up chastised or in trouble. Eason fought to keep them down. He didn’t want to get into a fight with Warren. That would only make things worse.
“I do trust you, totally. I just know that I invaded your space in aggression and even my bear would take exception to that. I’m sorry. I’m just so pissed off and hurt for you. It’s hard to feel that way toward our mate.”
“Don’t be angry with her. She doesn’t deserve that. I don’t blame her. I’m a freak and the one thing shifters value about their nature more than anything else is their control. Since I’m lacking that, I’m not worthy to mate. Deal with it, Warren. I have.”
* * * *
What had she done? Wren’s horror at having blurted that out poured over her, leaving a bitter taste in her mouth and a burning ball of fire in her gut. How could she have hurt Eason like that? He’d kept her safe from Alex even though she hadn’t needed the help. Instead of attacking the other shifter as should have happened with his being a hybrid, he’d held her safely in his arms. Yes, he’d changed, but he hadn’t harmed anyone. Having shifted to his bear, he was more able to protect her should it have been required.
“Oh my God. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean anything by that.” Wren struggled not to cry. She didn’t do tears around a
nyone but her brother and rarely did with him. “I’ve hurt him, and I didn’t mean to.”
When she started to get up and follow him, Warren laid his hand on her thigh. “No. Don’t. Let him settle down and I’ll go talk to him.”
“He won’t hurt me. I know he won’t. I need to apologize for being so rude, for making him feel less than he is. God, I’m so stupid.” Wren pulled at her hair in an attempt to stop the heart-wrenching agony her callous words had caused.
“No, Wren. He would never hurt you,” Serenity said with sadness coloring her words. “But you need to give him time to realize you aren’t scared of him. He’s going to think you’re afraid of him for a while. You’ll have to show him that you aren’t.”
“Why can’t I keep my mouth shut? I’m always saying things I shouldn’t.” Wren rubbed her hands up and down her thighs.
When she looked up, Serenity was gone. Shayne stared toward the hall where Eason had gone. A twinge of worry hit her at the thought of the female carrying twins going to talk to Eason. She stomped that thought away. He wouldn’t hurt anyone he cared about. Wren was sure of that deep down, but years of conditioning that hybrids were dangerous and had to be destroyed was hard to forget overnight. She’d never met one before and had no idea what they were normally like.
“Everything will be okay, Wren. Eason’s hurt and already has doubts about himself. Give him some time to calm down and you can talk to him. We know you didn’t mean any harm. We shouldn’t have forced the issue like that or done it with everyone in the room. I’m sorry,” Warren told her.
“I’m going to check on them. Serenity is so tenderhearted that I worry she’ll get too emotional with the babies and all.” Shayne stood up, but Warren stopped him.
“I’ll go. I need to be the one to support him and talk to him.” Wren watched as Shayne slowly returned to his seat and Warren stood up. “I’ll be back in a few minutes, Wren.”
