by Riley, Alexa
“Hang on, X.” I put my hand over the mouthpiece while I look at Winnie, torn between leaving her here alone and needing to go find the rogue shifter.
As if reading my mind, she comes over and puts her hand on my face. “I’ll bolt the doors and stay inside. The twins are on their way to do prep work for the morning. They should be here any minute. I’ll be fine. You go take care of our pack.”
Hearing her say ‘our pack’ makes my heart clench. It’s like she’s realizing that she’s going to be leading our people, too. And she’s trying to be a good mate and do what’s best for everyone.
I nod silently, okaying this plan, not really having a better option at the moment. Dominic is with Ruby, who is about to pop out three cubs any second, and the rest of the pack are with their families.
Putting the phone back to my mouth, I hold Winnie to me, needing her strength right now. “I’m on my way.” I hang up the phone and kiss the top of Winnie’s head. “Stay inside, and be safe. You understand?”
“Yes, Alpha.” They sarcastic way she says it makes me smile, and I lean down, kissing her lips before going to the back door.
I give her one last quick kiss as I stand at the back entrance of the bakery and wait for Winnie to shut the door and listen for the locks to click into place. Once they’re secure, I turn, heading for Xavier and Gwen’s place.
13
Winnie
I glance up at the clock and see that it’s almost three o’clock in the afternoon. Stone has been gone longer than I thought he would be. I thought I had it bad before when I only had a crush on him. Now that I actually have him, my need has grown ten-fold. I’m not sure anything can calm it. I’ve gotten most of the prep work done for tomorrow and a lot covered for the rest of the week as well. I’m still pissed that Trish and Tamara didn’t show up, but not shocked.
I called both their cells, and it was clear at two and a half rings they cleared me. My bear growls at the reminder, making me smile. It’s been so long since I felt her, and in the past twenty-four hours she’s made herself known. She also seems to have a little attitude and is super possessive of Stone. I bet with a little help from him I’ll be able to shift.
When I hear the front door to the bakery open, I make my way back out to the front to see Trish and Tamara standing there, arms full of bags, clearly having been out shopping all day. Both act like they aren’t hours late. I already know what their plan was. They were hoping that I’d have everything done by now. And I do. I couldn’t risk them not showing up at all, so I had no choice. Their plan worked, and it pisses me off.
They are grown adults now. Before, you could toss it up to being spoiled little brats. They’ve always been like this, but it got worse when their dad died two years ago. I get that hurts, but at least they had a dad at one point. I had nothing, and they made sure I never felt like a part of their family. I won’t do the same to them. They’re a part of this pack, and I won’t for one second treat them like outsiders or like they are beneath me. I don’t ever want someone to feel like they don’t belong. I know what that feels like. I can’t and won’t act like them, but I can give them a dose of reality.
I’m glad I can do it when no one else is around to see it. If Stone ever finds out how miserable I really was growing up with the Stockton family, it will eat him alive. I’ve learned that we both lived in our own little hell, and I don’t want to make his any worse. And even after everything, I wouldn’t trade my past as long as at the end of the road I still got Stone. Knowing I’ll have him for the rest of my life makes everything worth it.
“What the hell?” I yell, and it comes out as a growl. It makes their heads pop up and look my way, shock clear on their perfectly made-up faces. They’re both so pretty, I don’t get why they feel they need to act this way. You would think they were attention deprived.
“You two were supposed to be here three hours ago. I opened the damn shop. You two can at least close it. I get that you were both out, probably barhopping all night, but you still have responsibilities. I should be at home with my mate.”
I don’t add that my mate is busy, but still. I’m sick of this, and these two need to grow up. I don’t care if they want to spend their nights fucking the tourists, they need to cover their shit and not leave it for other people to clean up.
“You can’t talk to us like that. Don’t think just because—”
I’m in front of Tamara before she can finish her sentence. I can feel my bear pushing to break out. Her fur runs along the inside of my skin, making my eyes start to shift. Both Trish and Tamara gasp. Neither have ever seen any signs of my bear before.
“You need to stop messing around. I don’t want to drag the alpha into this, but you need to start doing your share around here. This is a pack. We all help each other. Gwen and Ruby need us right now. They’re about to bring new life into this pack, something that hasn’t happened in a while, and we’re going to help with that in any way we can.”
I take another step closer, getting all in their personal space.
“I don’t know what your problem is. I never understood what’s made you such bitches, but it’s done. I won’t put up with it, and I better not find out you’re doing it to other people. Get your shit together and worked out. Have some respect for yourselves and for this pack. We are a family, and it’s time you two bitches started acting like it.”
I just stare at them, my breathing heavy. The silence stretches before one of them speaks.
“You can’t’ just—” Tamara tries again. I notice how quiet Trish is being. I’m guessing our run-in yesterday has made her not so vocal.
“I just did,” I snap, cutting her off. This time she averts her eyes and steps back, Trish following suit. I’m a little surprised they aren’t being more aggressive, but I’ve never really stood up to them before. I always tried not to cause problems to try to fit in best as possible. All that got me was the doormat treatment.
I release a breath, trying to calm myself a little. I don’t want this to be about lashing out. I want this to be about healing. They might not want the healing, but I do. I don’t want us to always be fighting with each other. I want this to end. I won’t put my energy into fighting.
“Both of you will be here tomorrow. I won’t be here, nor will I be the day after that. I’m taking a few days off with my mate, and I’m sure the alpha won’t like it if I get dragged in here after I tell him how graciously you two offered to work the days and told me not to worry about a thing.”
They both look at each other, then grab their bags.
“I don’t want this to be a thing. When I see you guys again, the slate is clean. It doesn’t mean you get a pass, but it does mean I don’t want the alpha to know what utter bitches you’ve been to me. You should use the opportunity to try a fresh start yourselves. You both need to find something. I don’t know what it is, but you’re clearly not happy.”
They don’t say anything, but I can see a little sadness in their eyes as they turn to leave.
“I’m here if you need anything.”
I watch them both leave, locking the front door behind them. I stand there, feeling like the weight that was sitting on my chest has been lifted. That felt good.
With a smile, I go to the kitchen and do a final wipe down of the counters and pull out the trash bags. I take one last look around to make sure I’ve gotten everything taken care of. When Stone gets back, I want to be able to just go. I’ve been making a mental list of all the things I want to do to him when we get home. I once read a dirty book were the girl got tied up. I wonder if Stone would do that to me, or could I do that to him. I bite my lip at all the possibilities and imagine the face Stone might make when I tell him these ideas.
I push open the back door and drag the bags with me over to the dumpster, throwing them in before returning to the back door.
As I pull on the handle, a giant hand lands against the door, stopping me from yanking it open.
A familiar smell fills
my lungs and wraps around me as my heartbeat picks up.
Slowly, I turn around and look all the way up, past a broad chest and up to big brown eyes.
“Koda.” The word leaves my lips, and I feel my legs give way, my knees buckling.
Koda catches me, pulling me into his big arms.
“It’s time to come home, little bear.”
14
Stone
Xavier and I have been in the woods for hours. It’s like the rogue shifter knew we were after it and kept slipping away. It must have a damn good reason for being in Gray Ridge, and that has me on even higher alert.
It’s like the shifter is leading us around and trying to confuse us. It must be an excellent tracker, because X and I are the best within our pack and the surrounding ones, too. As we reach Xavier and Gwen's house, we come up to the back porch and shift.
I pull on my clothes I left behind, needing to talk to X before I head back to the bakery to pick up Winnie. It’s been a couple of hours since I left her, but I’m sure everything is okay. The last scent we caught was miles from here, in the direction of the protected lands.
Once we’re dressed, I look at X and try to think through what’s happening. “I don’t get it. The scent was so strong here, and then it was gone. Then we find it just beyond the protected lands. I can’t figure out what it’s doing.”
“The pattern is wrong,” X says as he walks up on the porch. Gwen walks out at the same time, and he hugs her close. It makes me long for my mate, and I know I need to get to her soon.
“What do you mean by pattern?” Gwen asks, looking at the two of us.
“When hunting an animal, you find they usually stick to a certain path or pattern. They dodge one way and then another to where it’s somewhat predictable, and the predator can move around them until they make the kill,” Xavier explains as he looks at me.
I feel a chill go down my spine, and something clicks. “Xavier, what if we’re looking at this the wrong way? What if we aren’t the ones hunting? What if the rogue shifter is the one doing the hunting? What if we are the prey?”
“Why would it come to my home? No one is a threat to me.”
I look at X and shake my head. “Maybe they didn’t intend to challenge you. Maybe this was all a plan to lure us away.”
“Away from what?” Gwen and X ask in unison.
“Winnie.” No sooner does the word come out of my mouth than I’m running towards the bakery and shifting as I go.
That’s what this has been about the whole time. The scent around Winnie’s house, the reason for tracking all the way out to beyond the protected lands. The shifter was trying to pull us away from town and away from her. X is the best tracker besides me, and one way to get us together would be to threaten X’s mate.
I had always thought that something horrific had to have happened to Winnie for her to block out all her memories for years. Something traumatic must have happened in order for her to not be able to remember anything, and I’ve wondered about where she came from. What kind of pack would lose a female bear and not look for her?
My heart nearly bursts out of my chest with the need to get to her. My lungs burn, and my muscles ache, but I push harder with each stride, my wolf in complete control. We’re hunting to protect the life of our mate, and nothing is as fierce as that.
I feel a whine start to rise in my throat, but I hold it back, focusing on getting to Winnie. I can’t think about what might happen to her. Deep down inside of me, I had thought this day would come. One day, someone would come for her and threaten to take her from me. Or worse, try to harm her.
But she’s mated now, and even a rogue shifter would know not to mess with a mated female. My scent is all over her, and my bite mark is visible. This rogue shifter is smart, so they should have already smelled me on her if they were near her house a few days ago.
I’m nearly to the bakery when I catch the scent. I’m close to getting to Winnie, but so is person trying to take her from me. The question is, who will get to her first.
Nearing the trees that line the back of the bakery, I break through, leaping into the air and landing on my paws just in time to see Winnie faint in the arms of a male.
My growl echoes through the woods, and it makes the male turn around to face me as he holds my Winnie in his arms.
“It’s not what you think—” the stranger starts to say, but I cut him off with another growl, prowling slowly to the side.
I’m stalking him and looking for the best point of attack. He’s a very large shifter, close to seven feet. He’s probably as big as Xavier in height and muscle. He’s got brown wavy hair and dark-brown eyes that seem so familiar.
Finally, being this close to him, I breathe deeply and take in all of his scent. He’s a bear. The thought makes me snarl because he must be here to take my Winnie from me.
“She’s mine—” he says, but stops short when I feel X and Gwen approach behind me in wolf form. The three of us step closer to him, teeth bared and heads slightly lowered, ready for an attack.
I’m trying to concentrate and hold my wolf, knowing that he’s got my mate in his arms, and I can’t let anything happen to her.
Suddenly, Winnie stirs in his arms, and I still. I don’t want her frightened, and I need to wait for an opening to attack the male holding her. I’ll fight to the death to keep him from taking her.
Her eyes slowly blink open, and she looks up at the male holding her. “Koda,” she whispers, and it makes my heart tighten. Who is this male to her?
I growl low in my chest, and Winnie looks at me. It’s then her eyes glow golden. “Stone. Back away. Don’t attack.”
I shake my head. There’s no way I’m not going to kill this bear for daring to touch my mate.
In the blink of an eye, and before I can react, Winnie is out of his arm and shifting right in front of me. Her ability to change into her bear so fast is shocking, and no one moves.
She’s so beautiful, with her chocolate fur and glowing golden eyes. I go to take a step forward, and she lets out a roar that makes my ears ring.
Winnie moves between me and the male behind her, as if protecting him. I shake my head again, and she plants her paws firmly into the ground. She’s prepared to defend him, and it makes my heart ache. I’m her mate. I don’t know what’s happening.
I want to plead with her, but I won’t shift to human form. I can’t be vulnerable in case he shifts.
Suddenly, the male puts his hands up and walks closer to Winnie. “Please. Just listen to me. I’m her brother, Koda. I don’t mean anyone any harm. I was just trying to get Winnie alone so I could talk to her.”
I look between Koda and Winnie in her beautiful bear form, and suddenly, pain is rolling through me. Will she leave me now that her family has come for her? Maybe mating isn’t the same for bears. It was so hard for her to come to terms with being mated to me, and it hasn’t been that long. Will she leave me so easily and rip my heart in two?
15
Winnie
Stone runs his hands over my body, working the soap all over me before washing it away. He hasn’t said much since we got home. I thought we’d sit down and talk with everyone, but no. We’re in the shower while everyone waits for us downstairs.
After Koda spoke, I shifted back. I was scared I wouldn’t know how to do it again, but Stone was there, so I knew I could do it, and I just did it. Once I was back in human form, Stone hurried me back into the bakery and got my clothes from the upstairs apartment. Then he told everyone to come back to our house to sit down and talk. Other than that, he hasn’t really said much. Every time I’ve tried to talk since we’ve been alone, he’s just kissed me. The hard, sad look on his face has put a giant knot in my stomach.
He doesn’t seem too happy that my brother is here. It’s starting to freak me out a little. Shouldn’t he be happy for me? That I finally found out where I came from? All the memories came back in a flash. It was so weird to feel like I knew my brother, but I didn�
��t. It had been years, but he still looked the same.
I can see why Stone was worried when he saw me with Koda. He’s a freaking giant, but I remember everything about him, and he’s just a big teddy bear. Unless provoked. I can’t even begin to think about how life has been for him without me. It’s always just been him and me.
Stone’s hands work over my breasts, then up to my neck where he starts to rub. Leaning down, he kisses my mating mark, then just stares at it.
I reach up and cup his face, running my fingers into his beard, which is a little longer than normal. “Are you okay?”
“I just love you so damn much. I can’t live without you. You know that, right? If you leave me, I’ll be nothing. I can’t go back to living how I was. I need your sweetness. It balances me. Makes me feel whole. I just—”
“Stone,” I say, hearing my voice break at the one word. I can’t get anything else out or the floodgates might break.
“I know it’s fucked up, but I can’t let you leave. I won’t let you leave. I thought for a second I could be a better man and let you pick. It’s selfish, but I don’t care. You’re mine. Mine.”
He says the last word with such force and possessiveness, I feel a delicious chill run down my spine. I would never leave him, but he keeps talking without giving me a chance to tell him. And to be honest, I don’t want to stop him.
“I can’t leave the pack. They need us,” he says, going on as he tries to make his point. Like I’d ever leave him. My heart warms that he said ‘us.’ That the pack needs us. “You’re already making me a better alpha.” His hands come around my neck, his thumbs stroking my jaw. “I need you. They need you.”
“I’d never leave you,” I finally say. I love hearing him talk about how much he needs me after all these years thinking he wanted nothing to do with me. But I don’t want him to think that I’d ever leave him. We’ve waited so long to be together. Nothing will ever keep us apart again.
