Cohen

by Emilia Hartley

  “You make it sound like you want me to work with you.”

  “No, I want you to love me. We’re family, right? I want to get to know you.”

  “You almost killed my mate,” Cohen growled. The cheap phone groaned beneath his hands, threatening to snap.

  “The witch is your mate? You best be careful with one like that at your side. They’re shifty and self-serving creatures who never fully love. I was doing you a favor, then.”

  Cohen wanted to hang up. He wanted to put the kitchen table through the wall. He wanted to hunt down this man who claimed to be his brother and make sure he never hurt anyone ever again.

  “Alright, alright,” Logan said. “How about we meet tomorrow. I’ll stop by the old house and we can get to know one another. How does that sound?”

  He hated the thought of Logan setting foot anywhere near the house, but he knew it was the only chance he was going to get. It was the only way to get the elusive bear shifter to talk.

  “Tomorrow, then.” He hung up.

  Cohen slapped the phone down onto the table. He gripped the edge of it, moments away from swinging it through the door when Ashe touched his arm. The warmth of her touch flooded him, and he found his breath again. His mind cleared, the rage stepping back.

  This was new. Not quite a new feeling, but the intensity of it. He had so much more to protect. So much more to live for and it hit him hard. He offered his mate a weak smile.

  Logan walked down the driveway, hands in his pockets. He surveyed the old house with bright eyes, as if memories passed over his vision that no one else could see. What did Logan think about when he approached the Vancourt house? Cohen thought of Ashe, of the antics his brothers pulled inside the house.

  Did Logan have any fun or cherished memories, or had they all been filled with darkness? More likely, they’d been tainted over time, darkening like the patina of silver until he could barely see what had originally laid underneath.

  Cohen threw the front door open and marched toward the forgotten brother. He reached inside himself, trying to dredge up memories of this man. It seemed so ludicrous to think there had always been a fourth Vancourt brother. This man had always existed, yet no one had thought to tell them, to warn them.

  “You know,” Logan said, his voice almost too low to hear. “I held you when you were nothing more than a baby. I knew, in that moment, that father was trying to replace me. I wanted to crush your tiny little skull in my hands.”

  Cohen faltered. The venom that his voice ended with shook through Cohen soul. It was dark and regretful, as if he had wondered for years what would have happened if he had done exactly that.

  Logan’s gaze dropped to Cohen and he offered a wide smile. “I’m glad I didn’t. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

  Behind Logan was Killian. What had once been the monster that destroyed the Bart Pack was now just a peon. Cohen knew Logan would be far more dangerous than the jaguar shifter.

  “I’m glad you didn’t kill me, too,” Cohen said with a weak laugh.

  Behind him, the Pack that had been laying in wait filtered out of the house. They filled the lawn, much like they had been for the past few days, already anticipating the fight that would take place. Logan had come to take back what he thought was his.

  They stood around Cohen and made him feel stronger. He worried he wouldn’t be able to do what needed to be done. He worried he would never fill the shoes he’d stepped into, but the least he could do was try. He was strong enough to do that.

  “Kneel,” Logan began, his voice taking on an edge. “Kneel and I won’t have to crush your skull today either.”

  “Is that so?”

  “There will be absolutely no skull crushing today,” Ashe declared. She stood beside Cohen, her chin set at a defiant angle.

  “Oh, I was wondering what happened to you. I’d thought, for sure, the bird shot would have killed you.” Logan’s smile was sharp and bitter.

  “Your morons said it the best. The only sure way to kill a witch is with fire.”

  One she’d narrowly escaped. Cohen fought the urge to place himself between his mate and his brother, a situation he’d never thought to find himself in. He wanted to tell her to retreat, but she was part of their secret plan. They’d stayed up through most of the night, practicing and doing research for this extra advantage.

  “And no one will be kneeling today,” Cohen added.

  “Your pack doesn’t even have an Alpha?” The shifter asked with eyes wide with gleeful excitement. There was a gleam, one that they’d all seen on Killian’s face before. “It looks like I’ve found the Pack a new resting ground!”

  Cohen stepped forward. There was no way he was going to let an actual monster take control of his family. Even if this monster was family. “There are enough Alphas here that you should be worried.”

  The shifter looked back to Cohen with mocking disbelief in his eyes. “What? A pregnant woman and the leader of a two-man pack? That’s nothing. Pocket change, really. And, who likes pocket change?”

  All his life, Cohen thought he was the monster. He thought the headstrong and nigh uncontrollable bear beneath his skin was a creature to be feared, but the arrival of this new pack told him the truth. They were the true monsters. They hurt people for laughs, stealing lives and territory as they swept through. The bear inside Cohen was not happy. It would put their horror joy ride to an end, one way or another.

  It was the spirit of a true Alpha. It would be obeyed. It would protect.

  Unlike this creature, one who shared their blood yet no sense of trust and love. Archer and Gage stood behind Cohen, their support and allegiance bolstering him. Beside him was his mate, a witch and shifter of great power. Technically, they had a plethora of power compared to Logan. Yet, why was there still a nervous energy running along his skin?

  He watched Logan with wary eyes. The shifter paced back and forth with a wry smile, as if he knew something no one else did. Cohen watched him and waited for whatever he had hidden in his back pocket. He clutched Ashe’s hand, hoping she wasn’t his weapon, his Trojan Horse.

  No, he had to trust her. The bear trusted her. Cohen would, too, because he’d learned to trust the beast. Their issues had been born from a deep mistrust, one that had sliced them apart. Cohen had thought one thing, while his bear had thought another. Each day, each moment back in Stonefall, had pushed them back toward one another until they began to work in unison.

  Besides, Cohen had a trick up his sleeve, too. Logan didn’t know it, but they’d called the Packs together.

  “I see you brought your peanut gallery,” Logan commented. His eyes travelled over the people standing behind Cohen.

  Cohen growled when Logan’s eyes roved over Ashe. His brother laughed at his response, as if he was nothing more than a chihuahua in his eyes.

  “Did you think their mere presence would help you? They aren’t your Pack, brother. They don’t even understand us.” Logan sneered at Ashe. “Your Pack will demand you bend to their will. Your witch will betray you when she’s finished with you.”

  Cohen snarled. This was his family. His woman. He stepped forward, power flowing through his muscles. He felt Ashe move behind him. She raised her hands and he could feel her power blossom through the air. A look of fear slipped across Logan’s face before he shut it down.

  That was good. It meant their plan was on the right track. Ashe had figured out Logan’s greatest fear and they planned on using it against him. It felt wrong, knowing this man was their brother. There was no denying it. He had the same reddish-brown hair, the same beard flecked through with strands of blonde and red, but he’d already proven himself to be a broken creature.

  Of all people, Cohen knew what happened to broken creature. He’d been rescued by his family and his mate, but he doubted Logan could be rescued. He would try, borrowing Archer’s compassion and Gage’s optimism, but if it went wrong, he was prepared for the worst.

  Ashe’s power mingled with the power of an
Alpha, slithering through his muscles and settling into his body. Doing this would negate their power over one another. It bound them together to create a new kind of magic, one they shared.

  All that meant was that they’d have to use actual bindings in the bedroom.

  If this went well.

  “Oh, brother!” Logan’s brows shot toward the sky. He paused, and a pleasant surprise washed over him. “You are a clever little cub. Very, very clever. Too bad it’s not enough.”

  They circled one another, a dance already begun. Logan smiled, a sharp expression that darkened his eyes. “I challenge you, Cohen Vancourt. I will rip you apart and take over what is rightly mine!”

  Logan threw his head back and a roar escaped him. The sound shook through the Pack standing in the yard. It shook through the earth and the sky, a power like nothing they’d ever seen before. The bear burst out of Logan. It snarled, massive paws and sharp teeth. Shadows wrapped around him like a power, a force all on its own.

  Cohen looked up at the great beast. Was this what Sampson had lived with, this kind of monstrous beast? Had he passed it on to his oldest son and feared what he saw? This creature could have been a strong leader, but ousting him the way he had done had poisoned his mind.

  Cohen gritted his teeth and wondered if he could do this. His bear rose, flooding with power. The bear was confident. It wanted to sink its teeth into the beast before him. This thing would not hurt their family. But, Cohen faltered.

  Logan took that moment to strike. His paw smashed into Cohen’s jaw. His feet left the ground. He flew across the yard. Archer cried out and Cohen hit his brother’s body. They both grunted, their feet sliding back in the mud.

  “What are you doing?” Archer hissed.

  What was he doing? He was an Alpha. He led what had once been three Packs. He was the strongest of them all and their power made him even stronger. Cohen shoved himself to his feet and let the bear inside rip its way out. It slammed into reality with a roar in its mouth, charging toward Logan.

  It slammed into Logan’s middle. The both of them slid across the ground. Logan snarled and reached for him. He lifted Cohen from the ground and tossed him aside. The bear rolled across the ground. Behind Logan, he saw his mate’s face.

  This was for her.

  Cohen shot up and brought his paw back. Logan rushed him, sharp teeth aiming for Cohen’s neck. The beast truly wished to kill him, all words of solidarity forgotten. Cohen brought his paw down. It missed Logan’s face, but blocked the bite meant for his jugular. Pain jolted through his arm. He didn’t hiss or whimper. There was no room for pain.

  Cohen used Logan’s grip on his arm to shove him back. His arm slipped out of the off-kilter bear’s mouth. Blood sprayed across the lawn, anointing it with this fight. With a battle between brothers, one who’d thought he was lost and the other who’d thought he’d found the light.

  Both of them wrong.

  Cohen tugged at Ashe’s power. It poured into his hands. He swung his paw again. Logan was gloating, growling at the Pack that surrounded them. He tried to instill fear in them, but Cohen caught him off guard. His paw hit the top of Logan’s head. The beast fumbled forward, and his jaw hit the mud.

  Angry eyes turned on him, but quickly turned to panic when he realized he couldn’t move. Ashe’s power slipped through Cohen and into Logan. It bound him, if only for a moment. Cohen used that moment to pounce on the bear. He bit the back of his neck, squeezing and shaking his head.

  He hated this. He hated what he had to do, but he did it because he had to. Killing wasn’t something Cohen loved. Killing someone who could have been loved hurt even more. The bear knew it had to be done and Cohen let him push forward to do it. He stayed present, telling himself he couldn’t look away.

  Just as his paws grasped either side of Logan’s neck, the beast beneath him bucked. Cohen flew back. He slammed into the mud, no brother to catch him this time. The moment had been wasted. Logan could move again. The beast spun and snarled. It rose onto its hind legs, blood from the wound on the back of its neck dripping through its fur.

  Cohen felt a growl rumbling through his chest as he, too, stood on his hind legs and rose to his full height. He’d thought his beast would be smaller, but as he rose, he found he towered over Logan’s massive beast. Logan took in the full height of Cohen and saw a flicker of appreciation pass through the rage that he shrouded himself with.

  Cohen slapped his chest and the group around him cheered. Their power filtered into him with a strength he never could have imagined. It gave the bear extraordinary pride. This was what they had always been meant to do.

  Logan ran recklessly toward him. Cohen used the slippery mud beneath him to slide away. The bear staggered past him and fell.

  “Kick his ass!” Kaylee shouted from the sidelines.

  He was trying to. Really.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Ashe shifted from foot to foot. She was stuck on the sidelines. Her power had been drained, taken by Cohen. He fumbled with it. She watched him strike, felt a tug in her core and knew he was using her magic. It pinned Logan, but not for long.

  Logan threw Cohen off and spun on him. She hissed, sucking in a breath. This needed to end quickly. She only had so much magic to give Cohen. Without it, their upper hand would be lost. Her gaze flicked to Killian, licking his lips and casting lewd looks in her direction.

  She knew what he was trying to do, and unfortunately, it was working. It shook her. She could feel his grip on her again as he dragged her away, as he bound her wrists and hoisted her over a fire. Flames licked her ankles. They climbed up her legs and tickled her thighs.

  Across the way, Cohen sought out her eyes. Concern overtook him. Logan used that moment to strike. Cohen crashed into the ground, his feet falling out from beneath him. This was her fault. She was useless. She was powerless.

  Why was she the mate of an Alpha? Cohen had the power and compassion to lead their people, but she was a weak and sniveling thing. The simple thought of fire sent her into a panic.

  A pair of wide, silver eyes rose. They looked down at her, if that was at all possible when the eyes were an imaginary representation of a magical force inside her. But, they did. The owl looked down at her. It reminded her she was strong. Far stronger than anyone else she’d ever met. She was stronger, even, than her mother.

  Ashe sucked in a breath and spread her feet apart. She opened herself to Cohen and fed him more power. It reached deep, unfolding for what felt like forever. She’d barely tapped this well. Cohen took it, spinning inside of him like a loom.

  Until it snapped.

  The power ran out and Ashe gasped for air. She had no idea how much he had or if it even stayed within him. All of a sudden, Cohen was on his own. She had to trust that he had enough power. If not, she trusted that he could do this on his own. She slapped a smile over her face and stuck her fist in the air to cheer him on.

  She had to believe they could win, could undercut this war before it even happened. Logan would not lead them to safety. She had to believe she’d given him every ounce of strength she had. Together, they were strong.

  Nothing would bring them down.

  Not as long as they fought.

  The owl wriggled its way to the surface, ready to break free if it should look like Cohen needed help. Yet, as her beast watched, it gained a smug sense of confidence. It told her Cohen would win.

  They would all stand victorious.

  They would be safe.

  ***

  Something happened. Something changed. Yet, when Cohen looked to Ashe, he only saw her cheering him on with a ferocity that warmed him. He forced himself to his feet. Raising his head, he narrowed his eyes on Logan. The bear would not let him win, blood or not.

  The was his Pack. This was his family.

  The night before, they’d called the Packs together and asked them to accept him as their Alpha. Gage and Kaylee had already done so, loyally standing behind Cohen, but the Vancourt Pack was leaderl
ess. Cohen and Ashe’s request went against everything tradition had taught them. An Alpha was declared by might, not by request. Yet, the Pack had been ready to throw tradition out the window and pledged themselves to him without question.

  It had taken his breath away, to see their ready allegiance. His bear had roared with victory, a song that promised everything would be alright in the end. Even Joanna and her Pack had dropped to their knees and bared their necks before him, the small family expanding the Vancourt Pack.

  Cohen’s bear roared and dropped to the ground. Claws gripped the wet ground and a sense of victory rolled over him. He shook his shoulders. Logan cocked his head to the side, unsure and confused. Blood still ran in rivulets down his neck. Cohen licked his teeth and knew that first blood belonged to him.

  Strength was not in one’s body. It didn’t lie in the power of one’s muscles or the speed of one’s swipe. It was in one’s will. It was the fight to move forward, the fight to rise. And, Cohen would never give in. He’d spent enough time thinking his life was over, that he’d reached an insurmountable wall, but he’d learned there is always more.

  There was always more to fight for, more to love and cherish and protect. Cohen would not give up this fight. He would win this fight.

  Logan dropped to his feet and snarled; it was another challenge.

  You want a fight, Cohen thought. I’ll give you a fight.

  Ashe’s power burned through him. It was a dark and winding snake that slithered through his body as if it were its true home. He felt it surge skirt his frame as he launched himself forward. The massive bear body collided with Logan. They tumbled, claws flying and fur spraying.

  Cohen’s teeth searched for purchase. They bit into fur as he scrambled to find skin, to make the bite sink home and end this. The slithering magic arched and stretched like a cat. It lashed out of its own accord and struck Logan, a vicious strike.

  Logan’s eyes flew wide and his body stilled. If his teeth would not break the protective layer of Logan’s fur, Cohen had to try something different. He gripped his brother’s head and tried to send him an apologetic look.