Cohen

by Emilia Hartley

  He scanned the crowd, searching for the one face he wanted to see. Ashe wasn’t there. He twisted, looking behind him to see if she was there, backing his claim, but there were only his brothers and their mates.

  Cohen’s heart sank. He was doing this for her. Part of him wanted her to see, but he recognized hubris for what it was.

  “I told you, big guy.” Killian cracked his knuckles. The cocky smile he wore was too much, as if he had an ace up his sleeve that Cohen didn’t know about. “I need a Pack to protect myself. I need this far more than you do.”

  Cohen shook his head. “Having a Pack isn’t about having a weapon. It’s about family.”

  Killian’s laugh was a bark. Then, Cohen saw a flash of movement behind Killian. His heart slammed into the ground, the world around him swaying. Ashe stood behind Killian, shame written across her face.

  His lips parted, wanting to ask why. He needed to know why she would betray him. He loved her and to see her standing behind Killian tore him in half. The bear roared with jealousy. It tore its way out of Cohen. His body ripped apart, the bear bursting into the world. It was going to tear Killian apart one limb at a time. It was going to make him hurt.

  He raced toward Killian. The shifter smiled and side-stepped Cohen’s lumbering form. He spun in the mud and swiped for the man. Killian ducked under the strike, quicker in his human form that Cohen was in his bear form.

  The bear roared. The world around them shook. Killian wobbled in the mud and Cohen pounced.

  “Ashe!” Killian screamed.

  Hearing her name in his mouth infuriated the bear. He brought his fisted paw down onto the shifter’s jaw. The crack resounded through the circle. People around them gasped as Killian staggered away. Killian staggered and spun toward Ashe. Cohen couldn’t stand him looking at her. Killian destroyed everything he got close to and Cohen would not let him anywhere near Ashe.

  She belonged to him. She was his equal like no one else in the world was. Cohen’s claws raked across Killian’s back. His spine arched, and he let out a long hiss. His jaw was slowly knitting back together, and he ground out Ashe’s name.

  Cohen roared, drowning out the sound. What did the shifter think he was doing? All he’d managed to do was irritate the bear.

  “They’re coming,” Killian spat out, his words mangled as his jaw healed.

  Cohen didn’t have the sense to pause anymore. He had nothing, no reins to grasp, no thoughts to gather. A second set of claws crashed and raked over Killian’s back. He hissed, the sound morphing into a growl. His head snapped around and his snarl started to shift.

  Killian’s body shifted, faster than it should have, from human to jaguar. The feline form was quick, faster than Cohen’s lumbering bear. While Cohen had strength, the agility angered him. He swiped and swiped, each time his claws only caught air. Each time, the cat snarled at Ashe.

  Her face was drained of color, eyes wide with fear. Cohen didn’t know what was between them, what Killian might have said to threaten her. He wanted to turn Killian into a smear on the grass for looking at her, but she seemed to gather herself. Her brows rose, and she flung her hands forward.

  Her power spilled out and grasped him. Confusion struck the bear. He whimpered, a sound he’d never made before. Had she just betrayed them? Was she working for Killian? He’d seen her standing behind him, fear clear on her face, but he only saw his own anger. What had he missed?

  Ashe could have been working with Killian the whole time. But, if she had, would she have called them back to Stonefall? Cohen was confused, trying to put the pieces together, when his bear grabbed his attention. The bear turned him toward Killian. The feline shifter was also caught in the throes of Ashe’s magic, eyes wide with confusion and fear.

  The bear’s heart tempered. While Cohen was not sure what was happening, the bear trusted Ashe. She would never betray them, no matter what stood in her way. He asked Cohen to trust her too.

  Ashe stormed toward Killian, her silver wrap dress flaring about her like the wings of a snowy owl. The bear watched with some smug expression. Cohen wanted to question what his beast knew that he didn’t, but he tried to focus on what was happening.

  “You can’t do that!” a voice cried from the crowd.

  Everyone except Cohen and Killian turned to look at Grover. Fury lined his still bruised face; the beating Killian had put him through not yet willing to go away. His fists clenched at his sides as he stormed forward. Archer and Gage held out their arms, stopping him in his tracks. Even their faces were covered in hesitant confusion. While they knew what she was doing was completely against traditional rules, they waited to hear her out.

  “Grover,” she snapped. “Shove it up your ass before I do it for you. Don’t think I won’t.”

  The bear looked on with pride as she mastered the power deep inside her. While the Pack did not understand it, it was just as much a part of the woman he loved as the bear was a part of him.

  Her eyes flicked back to the frozen Killian. “You said they were coming. Who are you talking about?”

  “What does this have to do with anything?” Grover paced behind the wall of Archer and Gage’s arms.

  The bear could see, while Grover had questionable means, his heart was in the right place, too. Grover wanted power to protect his family. He thought he had it, thought he could grasp it, but his place was right where he was. The bear would have nodded.

  Cohen regarded his beast with surprise. It was measuring those around them as if they were an Alpha weighing the worth of their Pack, and it was doing it with surprising accuracy. The fury it bore moments ago was gone and in it’s place was a calculating eye. Who was this beast and what had it done with the monster he’d lived with?

  “Grover!” Ashe snapped once more. She dropped her hold on Cohen and turned her magic toward the mouthy black bear shifter.

  His eyes widened with shock when he realized he could no longer open his mouth.

  She turned to Cohen, calmer than he’d ever seen her before. “Command him back into a form that can speak. He said someone was coming and we need to know before we’re caught with our asses in our hands.”

  The bear nodded and turned on Killian. Wordlessly, he brought a paw down on the cat’s frozen shoulder. It grimaced and twisted, the form pulling back into that of a human. Moments passed before a naked Killian crouched before them, breathing hard. He looked up at Ashe with burning eyes.

  “Do you want your Pack to know what kind of a person you really are? Betrayer? Murderer?”

  An uproar passed through the crowd around them. Cohen spun and roared at them. Their cries quieted into a hush of whispers. Eyes still clung to Ashe, flicking to Cohen in fear. The bear knew they were not painting the most trustworthy picture, but they were being strong. Strength forged safety. Trust would just have to come after.

  He hoped.

  ***

  Ashe’s heart thundered inside her chest. She’d made a decision and was trying her damnedest to stick to it. Breaking up a challenge was a risky decision, one that would likely turn her Pack against her, but her thoughts needed to stay on the problem at hand, not the one ahead.

  Killian’s words had struck her. There’s been a kind of desperation in them that she’d never heard in his voice before. She snuck a look at Joanna, standing back from the fighting with a hand over her stomach. Her friend shook her head, answering the unspoken question.

  Killian had never mentioned any of this to her before.

  She crouched before the feline shifter, a massive bear at her back and a fluttering creature hiding beneath her own skin. “Tell me what you mean when you said they’re coming.”

  “Murderer,” Killian spat. “You poisoned Sampson Vancourt.”

  She sighed. She should have known he would turn to these kinds of tricks. Earlier, the thought had terrified her. It took her a long while to realize she cared more about the safety of her Pack than her own safety. They came first and if they were to turn on her… well, i
t wasn’t like she couldn’t defend herself.

  Her mother had been a weak witch. Ashe was far more than that woman had ever been. She just had to believe in herself.

  “What is Killian talking about?” Archer asked, voice wary.

  Cohen spun around and snarled at his brother. She reached up and laid a hand on his fur to settle the beast. Attacking family wouldn’t prove her innocence.

  If she challenged his accusations, the true killer could run. She ignored Killian’s words and turned back to what she needed to know. Behind her, she could hear the grunts and groans of another shift. She looked up, surprised that the bear would give Cohen his form back in a moment like this. His shadowed eyes pinned Killian as he spoke.

  “He mentioned running from someone bigger and scarier than him yesterday. He wants a Pack of his own, so he can feel safe.”

  She scowled. There were so many other ways of going about getting a Pack, not to mention he didn’t need to be the Alpha to find safety. It was no wonder someone was hunting him.

  Ashe stood. Feathers brushed the inside of her skin and made chills race down her spine. She shuddered before collecting herself. “So, we finish this challenge and tell whoever comes for him that it’s already over. That should appease them.”

  On the ground, Killian shook his head. He coughed, and she heard the snap of his jaw as it righted itself back into place. “It’s not going to be that easy. You think I’m running from what you might call the good guys, but what I’m running from is far scarier than me.”

  “Quite the melodramatic,” Cohen said.

  Killian looked up at him, still crouched over himself, and smiled. “I’m already a dead man. Aren’t I? Why should I listen to you?”

  Before Cohen could move, Ashe squatted in front of him. She let the force inside her rise and fill her eyes. Molten silver moved in, surrounded by the shadows Cohen patented. “Because you can die quickly, with us, or you can die at the hands of those you keep running from.”

  She watched Killian’s face drain of color. His skin turned dusty and his eyes dropped to the ground. She didn’t know how far her power extended. Could she force a response out of him? Could she make him speak the truth?

  “Just freaking tell us,” Cohen said, power flooding his voice.

  It shook through the circle. Ashe’s stomach rolled and the people around them staggered back.

  “A gang back home is looking for me,” Killian spat, breathless. He looked up at Cohen annoyed, even though he could not stop himself. “I accidentally killed the Alpha’s daughter. When I realized who she was, I took off. I didn’t even think about it. I just ran.”

  It sounded like he had it coming, Ashe thought. The pack hunting Killian had every right to call for retribution. Her heart broke for them.

  “But, I was weak and scared, so I stole a stash of money to get me across the border into Mexico. It was… a sizable chunk of money. People don’t get that kind of cash by doing nice things. These people… these shifters know how to kill someone and make it hurt. They get paid to do it.

  “And, if you kill me, they’ll accuse you of stealing their revenge. They’ll hunt you until there isn’t a soul left on your territory.”

  “Let me guess,” Cohen began. “You used to be a part of their pack. It’s a whole pack of Killians?”

  He shook his head. “I was part of their pack, but they’re so much worse than me. I don’t want to die by their hands. Not if I can help it.”

  She needed to remind herself that Killian was still the enemy while he shrunk in on himself. It was pathetic and sad. He’d been terrorizing their lives for years now, destroying everything they held dear, and in the face of his own fears he’d succumbed. A pang of cold sliced through her. If these shifters struck fear in him, they had something to worry about.

  “How do you know they’re coming?” Cohen asked, using the power in his voice to compel the man to obey. It struck Killian as if Cohen was part of the Pack, as if the fight had been won.

  “They’ve been sending me messages. Phone calls, letters, whatever they can to make sure I’m afraid.”

  “You should have run,” Cohen told him. Ashe agreed. “Archer gave you the chance to keep moving and you didn’t take it. That’s your fault.”

  She glanced back at Cohen. He nodded. The conversation was over.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Alright,” Gage said, beer bottle swinging from between his fingertips. “We have an asshole tied up in the back yard and a pack of more assholes coming for us.”

  During the fight, Ashe and Cohen had forced Killian into telling the truth.

  “Sounds about right,” Joanna groaned, letting her head fall into her hands. Archer moved to stand behind her, rubbing her back and turning his body into a shield against the world.

  Cohen knew something was up between them, but he couldn’t quite place it. They were hiding a secret, one that had changed their dynamic. Cohen wanted to figure it out, but there were other matters at hand. Besides, who was he to throw stones for keeping secrets. He’d run away from them.

  Ashe stood by the back door, her arms crossed over her chest. Even if she looked like she was casually leaning against the wall, he could tell she was ready to run. She watched the room with wary eyes. He moved to stand near her and she offered him a weak smile.

  He couldn’t stop himself. There was no more hiding it. He moved closer, his fingers gently tugging at her chin. In moments, he claimed her mouth. Her arms unwound automatically. She grasped the front of his shirt as his tongue explored her mouth. When he pulled back, she was breathless.

  “About damn time,” Joanna grunted. “I know Cohen has a few years on you, but I have been waiting for this to happen since before you assholes left.”

  Both Ashe and Cohen turned to stare at Joanna with wide eyes. Ashe still gripped the front of his shirt, as if he, too, belonged to her. Then, Ashe’s surprise fell away and her brows dropped into a hard line.

  “It won’t matter if they decide to burn me.”

  “For what?” Gage scoffed.

  “For doing exactly what they burned my mother for!”

  Gage shrugged. Archer surprised them by mimicking the gesture.

  “Do you really think we’ll let them do that to you?” Joanna challenged. The Alpha in her had risen to the top today. Her words were laced with determination.

  “Well…” Ashe fumbled for words.

  “Besides,” Gage said, stopping his words with a swig of beer. “We all know you wouldn’t kill the old man.”

  “You know that,” Ashe began. “But, does my Pack? They’ve been waiting my entire life for me to screw up. This is their chance. I intervened in a formal challenge and showed my true colors.”

  Cohen’s lip curled. He spun on her, taking her face in his hands. “Your true colors are brave and powerful. Don’t ever think they are anything but that.”

  She covered his hands with her own, tears welling in her eyes.

  “Gross, get a room!” Gage said before Kaylee entered and smacked him aside the head, saying something about not insulting their Alpha.

  Cohen ignored them, even as a smile slipped over his lips. They were his. The bear knew that and loved them for it. It would protect them, protect Ashe with it’s last dying breath. Cohen was starting to realize what Ashe had said was true.

  His strength lay in those around him. In his Pack.

  “I will fight my way to the top of the asshole ladder just to keep you safe,” he whispered, letting his forehead touch hers.

  “Right where you belong,” she whispered back.

  “Do I have to say it again,” Gage asked his mate, his voice hushed. She growled in response.

  “We will deal with our own Packs later,” Joanna said. “Right now, let’s focus on the threat coming toward us.”

  “Agreed,” they all said in unison.

  Cohen released Ashe, reluctantly letting her move about the kitchen. He wanted to wrap her in his arms and make sure s
he was safe against any threat that might come their way. He had to remind himself that she was strong, too. He didn’t have to hide her away from the world like a fragile being.

  While the family sat down at the cheap Formica table as if it were a war council, Ashe went about making food. Korean barbeque tacos with siracha coleslaw would sate their beasts and kept their minds sharp. After she finished serving, Cohen grabbed her and pulled her into his lap. He couldn’t bear being too far from her now that he knew.

  Mate, the bear growled. It explained why her presence had always calmed him, why he’d craved her even then. He was glad they discovered this now, not while she was still a young teen. He only wished she hadn’t been unprotected while he was gone. Guilt weighed heavy on him, but the bear knew it’d made her stronger. It’d turned her into the enchantress they loved. He gripped her waist and held her tight.

  ***

  Her life was quickly turning sideways, but Cohen held her steady. He kept her from falling down. Her Pack thought she’d killed their Alpha, and there was a pack of crazy shifters on their way to them. She didn’t know what she could do to make the world right again.

  She leaned her head back and tried to take deep steadying breaths. It’d taken everything she had to do what she had earlier. The desire to bend to Killian’s threats had been almost overwhelming, fear of her own Pack running deep. But, she’d fought it and won, if only for the moment. That small victory had given them the time they needed to prepare.

  In the kitchen of Vancourt house, they formed a patrol schedule. They would walk the borders of the territory at all times, running back at the first sign of the incoming shifters to warn the rest. They wouldn’t be caught off guard.

  If anything, they would try to reason with them first. They would give Killian back to the shifters. If that didn’t work, then Joanna promised her pack would help. They weren’t alone in the war that was coming.