by Ruby Shae
She woke several minutes later to someone knocking on the door.
“Miss Ryan” the bellboy called. “I have your bags.”
Tegan rushed the door, opened it, and allowed the bellboy to bring in her two suitcases.
“Mr. Locke wanted to know if you also needed the boxes?” he asked.
“No, the suitcases will be fine,” she said. “Thank you.”
The man carried the bags to the bedroom, and then started to leave.
“On, hang on,” she called to him. “Let me get my purse.”
“That's not necessary,” the bellboy said, handing her a room service menu. “Mr. Locke asked me to remind you that everything is on the house, and that you must eat something after such a long trip. Here’s a menu. Just press the button with the plate and fork on the phone when you’re ready to order.”
“Thank you, she said.
“My pleasure,” he smiled. “Enjoy your stay.”
The bellboy left the room, pulling the door closed behind him, and out of habit, Tegan rushed after him and turned the deadbolt for extra security.
She would eat, but later.
The only thing she wanted to do now was soak in the two-person swimming pool the Locke’s called a bathtub.
***
Ethan stared at the main house from his front porch, and willed Tristian to appear. It had been nearly an hour since their altercation, and he was still waiting for the alpha to cool down, give in, and tell him where Tegan was.
If he had to guess, he would say she was at the cabin, but he didn't want to guess. He didn't want to waste any more time, but until Tristian forgave him, he didn’t have a choice.
Unfortunately, the man was stubborn, and though Ethan knew forgiveness would come, he also knew he could be waiting for a long time.
The screen door to to Graham’s house slammed closed, and Ethan looked up to see the other man walking toward him with his fingers wrapped around two long necks. When Graham reached the porch, he took the stairs two-at-a-time, and handed him a beer.
“Thanks,” Ethan said, accepting the ice cold brew.
He placed the bottle against his cheek, and allowed the cool glass to soothe his aching flesh.
“How are you feeling?” Graham asked.
“Okay. I'm healing, of course, but I think he cracked a rib.”
They could heal from most things, but it still took time, and broken bones needed time to heal.
Graham nodded and took a swig of his beer. Ethan did the same, and they sat in silence for several minutes. As much as Ethan wanted to force Graham to reveal Tegan's location, he didn't say a word. They’d all heard Tristian's warning, but despite that, he knew Graham wouldn't want to break to Tegan's trust.
He glanced at the main house again, but there was no sign of Tristian.
“Is she really your mate?” Graham asked.
“Yes,” Ethan nodded, still staring at the main house. “She's my mate.”
“Why didn't you tell her?” Graham asked.
“Because I'm an idiot,” Ethan sighed, looking at the other bear. “When she turned eighteen, suddenly everything clicked, but she didn't seem to feel the same. I knew she was already struggling with not being able to shift, and she was so young, that I didn't want to put any more pressure on her. I knew if I told her my feelings, she would feel obligated to mate me, and I didn't want to force her into something she didn't really want.”
“In an effort to end what I felt for her, I took my friendship, and tried to stay away as much as possible. It was stupid plan. We all know those feelings don’t just go away, and all I did was hurt her.”
“When she came home from her date the other night, and I saw that mark on her face and her ripped purse…I lost it. I'm sure she told you what happened, but I’m ashamed to say I said things no mate should ever say. That's when I decided I couldn’t do it anymore. I knew I had to tell her, and then deal with the consequences later. Of course, Tristian figured it out somehow, maybe because she asked to leave on the same day, I don’t know, but he sent me away before I could tell her.”
They drank their beer in silence, and he wasn't sure if Graham would say anything else, but then the man put down his empty beer bottle and pulled his phone out of his pocket.
“She loves you, too, you know,” Graham said, as he searched for the app he wanted.
“What?” Ethan asked. “She does?”
“She's going to kill me for telling you this,” Graham nodded, “but she does love you.”
“She told you that?” Ethan clarified.
“She didn’t want to,” Graham said, making eye contact, “but after we saw you in the sub shop yesterday, I figured it out and she confirmed it. Apparently she's always been in love with you, and she just didn't want anyone to know.”
“Shit,” Ethan growled. “Did she leave because of me?”
“You're not the only reason,” Graham said, “but you’re the main reason.”
“Fuck,” Ethan swore. “Graham, I know Tristian told you not to say anything, and I know I don’t deserve it, but please tell me where she is.”
“I’m more worried about Tegan’s wrath, than Tristian’s,” Graham laughed. “I think she knew I'd cave and tell you, because she made me take the GPS tracker off her phone.”
“But she doesn't know about the one on the car,” Ethan said.
“No,” Graham admitted. “She doesn't know about that one.”
“Where she Graham?”
“She was going to the cabin,” he said, “but a little over halfway there, she changed course and went south to Maple Bear Falls. She arrived at the Locke Hotel about ten minutes ago.”
“The Locke Hotel?” Ethan questioned. “Did she tell you she was stopping there?”
“No,” Graham said. “She wanted to get to the cabin tonight before dark so she could air out the place, and she would've been arriving there now if she hadn't made the detour. Even if she left Maple Bear Falls right now, it’s still a four-hour drive to the cabin. She’d never make it before dark.”
“Something's wrong,” Ethan said, standing. “We’ve vacationed there a few times, but I don't think she would go there alone unless she needed help.”
“I agree,” Graham said, standing, too. “I have a bad feeling about this.”
“I’m going.”
Ethan stepped inside the house, grabbed his wallet and keys from the table near the door, and met Graham back out on the porch. As they walked to Ethan’s SUV, he fired off instructions.
“Try to call her,” Ethan said. “Find out if she’ll tell you anything, but be cool, and don't tell her I'm coming. Keep it short and sweet, and then let me know what, if anything, you find out. Next go see Tristian, and fill him in, but don’t let him call her or any of the Locke brothers. If she thinks we’re checking up on her, she’ll run, and if she runs, and she is in danger, then we’re screwed. I can’t protect her if I can’t find her.”
“Got it,” Graham said. “I’ll call you in a few minutes.”
Ethan pulled open the door to his vehicle, slid one leg in, and turned back to Graham.
“Thank you, Graham,” Ethan said, honestly. “You did the right thing.”
“I know,” Graham said, “but if you break her heart, or you’re lying for any reason, then I’ll be waiting in front of the big house when you get back, and I won't go easy on you like Tristian did.”
Ethan wanted to laugh at the comment about Tristian going easy on him, even though it was true. His ribs and face still stung, and if his alpha had come at him fully, he’d probably still be in an immobile heap on the driveway.
Graham might look bookish and nerdy, but they’d sparred before, and Ethan knew the man’s strength. The other bear wasn’t as strong as their alpha, but it would be a fair, well-matched fight.
One he didn’t ever want to have.
He knew how much Graham cared for Tegan, and he respected the man's warning.
“You’re a good friend to her
, Graham,” Ethan said. “You always have been, and I appreciate that more than you know. I promise you’ll never have a reason to fight me.”
“Good,” Graham said. “Now get out of here, and go get your mate.”
Graham turned without another word, pressed a button on his phone, and started walking back toward his house.
Ethan slid the rest of the way into the SUV, turned the key, and sped down the paved driveway. Right before turning onto the main road, he glanced in his review mirror, and saw a pissed off Tristian standing on the porch of the main house.
Hopefully, the man would listen to Graham before pounding on him.
Chapter Five
“Room service.”
Tegan jumped at the loud knock on the door, thankful no one could see her cell-phone flying through the air. Though she had ordered the food minutes before, the loud banging on the door seemed inconsistent with the atmosphere of the hotel, and fear raced down her spine.
It didn't help that she wasn't fully awake from her nap.
Earlier, after the bellboy had dropped off her bags, she’d filled the huge tub with warm water and bubbles, and then soaked her tired muscles until her skin wrinkled and the water was ice cold. The soothing bath was followed by a warm shower, and she’d leisurely washed her skin and hair with the expensive luxury soap and shampoo provided by the hotel.
When she was mostly dry, she’d grabbed the thick, cozy robe hanging on the back of the door, certain it wouldn’t fit, but desperate to feel the soft, plush material against her skin.
Usually, one-size-fits-all robes didn't come close to covering up her extra curvy body, but the Locke’s didn’t do anything one-size-fits-all. The garment wrapped around her curves with room to spare, and she’d stared into the bathroom mirror for several minutes, truly amazed.
Although she’d already asked the Locke’s for so much, she needed the robe in her life on a permanent basis. If she had to live the rest of her life alone, she wanted this robe to do it in.
The fact that she’d basically settled for a robe instead of a man—any man, although she only wanted Ethan—made her realize how exhausted she was, and she left the bathroom, curled up on the couch, and instantly fell asleep.
An hour and a half later, she woke to the sound of her stomach growling, and the bellboy’s previous reminder from Jasper floated across her mind. She picked up the room service menu, looked it over, and then called in her order.
As she waited, she pulled her cell-phone out of her bag, and then cursed when the black screen wouldn’t turn on. She found the charger, plugged it into the nearest outlet, and then stared at the screen impatiently as she waited for it to come to life so she could input her password.
The loud knocking brought her out of her trance, and sent the phone flying.
Tegan shook her head, and silently cursed as she raced toward the door. The fear that had plagued her for most of the day had been neutralized before she’d even made it to the hotel, and she had no reason to be so jumpy.
You’re fine. You’re safe.
She silently chanted the words in an effort to calm her nerves, unbolted the lock on the door, and swung open the wooden barrier as her stomach growled again.
The room service attendant kept his head down, and nearly ran over her toes as he barreled into the room with the cart. Tegan jumped out of the way, accidentally letting the door go, and the attendant kicked it closed behind him.
Shit!
He definitely wasn’t a Locke employee.
She made a break for the door, but the man caught her arm in his rough, calloused hand, and showed his face for the first time. She hadn’t needed to see it though; she’d recognized the scar across his knuckles as soon as he touched her.
It was her horrible date from two nights ago.
Tegan opened her mouth to scream, but before any sound could escape, his fist connected with her face. The whole left side of her face stung, but she brought her knee up and slammed it into something hard.
Fuck!
He was wearing a cup.
Her knee throbbed, but that didn’t stop her from kicking at his knees and punching him in the gut. Unfortunately, he still held her arm firmly in his grasp, and though she made him lose his balance a few times, it wasn’t enough to bring him down.
“I’m ready for you this time, you fat bitch,” he laughed, taunting her. “The sooner you stop fighting the inevitable, the sooner we can get this over with.”
“I’ll never stop fighting you,” she said, punching him in the gut again.
“Enough,” he yelled, grabbing her free arm.
He expanded one hand around both of her wrists, and pulled her toward him.
“I didn’t want to do this the hard way, but you leave me no choice,” he spat in her face. “You will learn your place, and give me exactly what I want, or you will hurt.”
His free fist crashed down on her already bruised cheek, and then he let go of her wrists and pushed her further into the room. Her face felt like it was on fire, her vision blurred, and she reached out her hands, desperate to catch her balance.
One minute she was falling fast, and the next she was motionless as another sharp pain seared through her skull. A loud, earth-shattering bear roar filled her ears, and then everything went black.
***
Tegan opened her eyes and waited for them to adjust in the dark hotel room. The clock on the nightstand read five minutes after three, and she figured it must be three in the morning because not even a thread of light filtered through the narrow seam between the window and the room-darkening drapes.
A blanket of warmth seemed to surround her, and she smiled, loving the comfortable, cozy feeling. She closed her eyes, nestled deeper into the blankets, and then froze when her ass came in contact with something solid.
Suddenly, everything came flooding back, and she realized the warmth surrounding her wasn’t a blanket, it was a man. More specifically, the creepy date from two nights ago who had followed her to Maple Bear Falls, and forced his way into her hotel room.
She needed to get out of here.
Now!
Tegan jumped up from the bed, fighting the arms trying to hold her in place, and started for the door. She nearly fell down from the migraine threatening to split open her skull, but she kept moving.
“Tegan! Tegan, stop!”
A voice called her name, the sound echoing around the room, but she didn’t dare stop. She needed to find help. A pair of steel bands wrapped around her arms, lifted her off the floor, and stopped her escape, but she swung her legs wildly and kept fighting until a familiar voice whispered in her ear.
“Tee, stop!” he said. “It’s me…Ethan.”
“Ethan?” she questioned, even though she didn’t need to. Now that he held her in his arms, she didn’t have to see his face to know it was him. His smooth, sexy voice fought through the migraine, and she immediately relaxed.
“Yes, baby, it’s me. I’m going to set you down now, okay?”
“Okay.”
He set her down and turned her to face him. The faint purple mark on his cheek surprised her, he rarely let the other guy get in such a good shot, but it did nothing to mar his good looks.
“How do you feel?”
“My head hurts,” she said, honestly. “What happened? Why are you here?”
“Let’s get you back in bed, and then we can talk,” he said.
“Okay.”
Tegan took one step toward the bed, and then squealed when Ethan scooped her up in his arms. She instinctually wrapped her arms around his neck, but still shrieked in protest.
“Ethan! Put me down! What are you doing?”
“Shhh…I’m taking care of you,” he said, handling her weight as if she weighed next to nothing at all.
“I realize that,” she said, “but why? And why are you naked?”
Oh, damn, the feel of his skin under her hands made her want to lay her head down on his shoulder and never let him go. Thou
gh he was nearly all muscle, she somehow knew she would fit against him perfectly.
What the hell…
She felt like shit, and she probably looked like it, too, but for some reason, Ethan was taking care of her and carrying her around. She might as well take advantage of the situation, because she might not ever get another chance to touch him.
She placed her head on his shoulder, and closed her eyes, suddenly content. It was as if his arms were exactly where she was always supposed to be.
“Because it’s my job, and I’m not naked. Not yet.”
She frowned as he set her on the edge of the bed, and her face flamed when he grunted softly. So much for thinking he could lift her big body easily.
Of course it was his job to take care of her, he was her brother’s second-in-command, but what did he mean about not being naked yet? She shook her head, obviously delirious, and waited for him to adjust the pillows. Once they were piled to his satisfaction, he carefully laid her back against the softness.
“Sorry,” she whispered, smoothing out the blanket on her lap. “I should have warned you. I weigh a lot more than I look.”
“You’re kidding, right?” he asked, his voice stern. “You think I had trouble lifting you? Tegan, look at me.”
Though she wanted to hide under the blankets, she met his angry glare.
“I don’t know how much you weigh, and I don’t care,” he said. “You’re perfect, just the way you are, and you felt perfect in my arms. I have a cracked rib, maybe two, and that’s the only reason you heard any distress from me.”
She looked at his torso, and noticed the bruised area for the first time. She also noticed he was right about not being naked. He’d removed his t-shirt, but his legs were still encased in well-worn jeans.
“Oh my god! I can’t believe that guy was able to get you with two good shots.”
“That maniac didn’t get me at all,” Ethan said. “I got these back home.”
