“As am I.” He led Jeanie and Ryan into a conference room. They had just sat down when Marcus, Paul and another lady, who was introduced as Eugenie, entered the room.
“This had better be good,” Paul snapped sullenly. “I’m missing my breakfast for this.”
“It will be worth it, Paul,” Ryan said.
Ten minutes later the rest of the human council filed into the room. Jeff Headley did the talking. He laid out Jeanie’s plan and she only had to interrupt him to correct him once or twice. But in the end even Paul was smiling.
“So you accept the terms?” Jeff Headley asked.
Marcus, Paul and Eugenie put their heads together for a moment and then smiled. They nodded. The paperwork was ready and they had all just finished signing and initialing when the door burst open.
Calvin strode into the room, looking angry. He turned his cold gaze on Jeanie. “What is going on here?”
“Council business young man,” Jeff Headley said smartly. “It doesn’t concern you.”
“I believe it does. If this has anything to do with Sun Valley.”
The door opened again and two men entered, one white, one grey. The atmosphere in the room became icy as a morgue. Wolves and Bears glared at each other.
Jeff Headley however smiled. “Welcome gentlemen, seems you’re too late.” He held up the document. “Seems these nice folks whom we all have known our whole lives, will be keeping their land after all.”
“But we had a deal,” Mr. Snow said. His voice was like an ice flow.
“Did we?” Jeff Headley asked. “I cannot seem to recall anything in writing.”
“We had a deal and you know it, Mr. Headley, and our lawyers will take you to the cleaners for this,” Calvin spat, waving his thick black finger under Jeff’s nose. Jeff removed it and smiled even more broadly.
“Well they can try, but since you were so insistent that there be no paper trail…” he spread his hands in supplication. “There is no proof, is there?”
“I demand justice,” Mr. Petersen said. His voice was quiet, calm but Jeanie could see something raging within him. “One of their number, a woman named Jess Lincoln, killed my son in cold blood. I demand justice for this outrage!”
Jeff turned to Marcus. “Is this true Marcus?”
Marcus nodded. “Yeah, she shot the sonofabitch,” he said. “But not before he attacked her. He followed her from New York and destroyed property, threatened her life and the life of a bear, Wyatt Wade. We were within our rights to handle this in the Clan.”
Jeff nodded sagely. “Well there you have it.” He said. “Clan law is clan law and you can all sort it out on your own land.” He sighed looking at the paperwork with a lot more affection than Jeanie thought a man should feel for pieces for dead tree. “I believe we’re done here.” He stood up as did the rest of the human council and they left the room.
Mr. Petersen and Mr. Snow watched them go.
The bear council put their heads together again.
“What’s going on?” Jeanie asked.
Ryan held his finger to his lips.
Then a moment later Eugenie, her hair in long braids turned to the wolves.
“You’ve called for justice as is your right,” she said. “So we will settle this the old way. The Pack will offer a warrior to face the Clan’s chosen warrior. It will take place at sunset today. We will give you directions.”
Petersen nodded, then he turned and left.
Jeanie watched with her mouth open and suddenly felt that she was out on a limb dangling over a hole in the world.
The bears called a clan meeting. It was held in the market field, where they usually had Christmas carols, farmers’ markets and other social gatherings. Jeanie was allowed to attend so that she could explain her plan to everyone and they could all thank her for saving them.
She really didn’t think she deserved all of that. After all it was a silly little idea that had turned into gold. And that was it really. Gold. The latest mineral survey that Snow had had done on the area showed a promising vein of precious metal. It was estimated to be enough to pay for Sun Valley six times over. All it took was a deal declaring that the Sun Valley residents would run the mine and the profits would be split fifty-fifty to pay for the land and then some. No messy relocations that the council would have to pay for, no law suits, everything could be done peacefully by people who had been raised together.
But now there was this business of clan justice for the death of Petersen’s son, Conrad. And that was where it had all gone to hell according to Jeanie.
Eugenie stood up and addressed the Bears. They were all sitting in a massive many ringed circle. She stood in the center and addressed them all.
“A wolf has called for clan justice. He has called for the old way,” she said. “He said that one of ours killed his son in cold blood. We know what happened and it was self-defense, but this wolf won’t stop until he gets blood. He is the one who tried to steal our land, take our homes from us. He has called for justice, but its vengeance he craves. And we know that revenge will only grow and fester in his heart.”
“Can we speak to him? Make him see sense?” a woman asked. She was sitting two rings out with a man and two children. They reminded Jeanie of the bears she had met in the woods on her first day out in Sun Valley and she wondered if it was their family portrait she’d taken.
“No Elmarie, if this one has a heart, it’s made of cold stone,” Eugenie said sadly. “So I have to ask all able bodied young men, all clan warriors to step forward and place their names in the hat.”
She held up a floppy black felt hat.
It was a sad and solemn pageant watching the men scribble their names on strips of paper and place them into the hat. Jeanie felt fear rise in her throat as Ryan wrote his name and then placed it in the hat.
“I have to,” he said.
“Sure,” Jeanie answered, knowing she had no right to be sullen and moody with him but she felt it anyway. She stood on the outskirts of the circle with the other non-bears watching, Wyatt, Kyle, Tyler and Jesse all put their names in the hat too.
Eugenie waited for the last name and then shook the hat.
Marcus stuck his hand into it and drew out a piece of paper.
“Our warrior is…Ryan Hunt. And his second is…Wyatt Wade.”
A round of applause went up as Ryan and Wyatt stood and shook hands.
Jess burst into tears. “You should just let him have me!” she cried out. “I killed Conrad! I’m the one…” Jamie wrapped her arms around Jess and led her away.
Jeanie was amazed to see not one look of judgement on any of the bear clan’s faces. All she saw was compassion and kindness. No one there would ever think of sending Jess off to her death for this. They supported her, a human, wholeheartedly and it made Jeanie want to cry too.
When the meeting dispersed Ryan and Wyatt were led away.
Jeanie was left with nothing to do and nowhere to go. She tried to follow Ryan but Eugenie stopped her. “They have to prepare.” She said.
“So I can’t talk to him?” Jeanie asked.
Eugenie shook her head. “Look, this is a lot of traditional stuff and you and Ryan aren’t married so…” she left it hanging. Then she placed a consolatory hand on Jeanie’s arm. “He’s a good fighter. Don’t worry.”
“Right,” Jeanie said feeling morose.
With nothing to do and nowhere to go Jeanie sat in her car. She passed the time by seeing how many species’ full Latin names she could remember out of her head. It was just her luck to find a man she could love just before he fought a dual to save someone else’s fiancée. Typical!
Hours passed and Jeanie must have dozed off. Reciting Latin names always put her to sleep anyway, better than counting sheep. Her eyes popped open when she heard a crunching sound next to her car. A big black SUV had just pulled up next to hers.
The doors opened and Calvin, tall and dark stepped out. He was followed by Mr. Snow and then last Mr. Petersen.
Two other men stepped out and they all made their way onto the field.
A crowd was gathering. Jeanie decided to sit on her SUV’s roof. If she dented it she was sure a big strong bear could knock it back out for her. It was the only way she was going to see anything. Valerie appeared in the crowd with Kyle and she waved to them. They joined her on her roof.
“So what happens now is basically a fight,” Kyle said. “They can fight as men or as animals. Up to them. If for some reason Ryan can’t fight, then Wyatt will step in.”
“Bet he wishes it was him fighting for Jess,” Valerie said.
“What happens if Ryan loses?” Jeanie asked feeling her fear building.
Kyle swallowed hard, “Well then Petersen can decide what happens to Jess. He’ll probably kill her. Then it’s all done. Wyatt loses the love of his life and there’s nothing he can do about it.”
“Your laws are strange and barbaric,” Jeanie said hotly.
Kyle shrugged. “I’m going to go help out in Ryan’s corner.” He jumped down off the roof leaving Valerie and Jeanie alone.
Valerie took her hand and patted it. “It will be fine, I’m sure.”
Jeanie wasn’t sure. He was going to fight and possibly die and she wasn’t even allowed to say goodbye. It just wasn’t fair.
Things were happening in the center of the crowd. There were a lot of bears milling around all broad shouldered and tall, but also a lot of wolves, lithe and quick. They must be from the local pack. Jeanie could feel the tension between both sides.
When the fight began she was surprised. There was no fanfare, no smack talk like in WWE. Ryan and Calvin entered the open space and simply went for each other. They were both dressed in loose fitting track pants, their chests bare. Of course Calvin was Petersen’s champion, he was big and muscled and violent.
Jeanie could barely think. The crowd were jeering, screaming and roaring for their champions. The sound seemed to bore into her and each time Calvin hit Ryan her heart thumped in fear. She gritted her teeth and began to chew the corners of her thumb nails. He was going to die.
There wasn’t going to be a happy ending for her. No falling in love and getting married. She was going to be the spinster scientist environmentalist forever. Valerie was talking to her but she couldn’t hear. All she could see was Calvin hurting the man she loved more than anything. Ryan was fighting well, but Calvin seemed to ooze a horrible evil power that seemed to be overshadowing Ryan’s light. They drew blood. Red flecks on black and white skin. And the fight carried on and on. Ryan’s left eye swelled up, his lips split and he was favoring his right leg. Calvin stood strong, but he was bleeding from a gash on his arm, and another by his right eye. They flew at each other again and this time Ryan threw Calvin to the ground, twisting his left arm at a horrible angle. Calvin twisted out of it and got Ryan in a head lock. Jeanie looked away, scrunching her eyes shut.
When she could bear to look again, Ryan and Calvin were circling each other. Round and round they went. They would jab each other in the face with their fists while trying to block the other’s blows. It was so stupid! Jeanie cursed testosterone and its idiocy. Fighting to prove a point was no way to go about it. There were better ways.
Ryan was down. Jeanie stood on the roof of the SUV her heart in her throat. Wyatt was on the ground yelling something to Ryan while Calvin pummeled him with his fists. Jeanie’s eyes filled with tears. She blinked them away as with a great push, Ryan threw Calvin off him, pounced on him and slammed his head into the dirt with such force that Jeanie was sure he should be dead. But he was a Werewolf. Could they die from that?
And then it was all over. Jeanie sagged to her knees on the car and stared. Ryan had won. It was all over and he was still breathing.
“Told you it would all be fine,” Valerie said. Smiling.
And then a cry went up and all hell broke loose.
Jeanie would never know how she and Valerie landed on the grass, but suddenly there they were. Feet ran passed them and not all of them were human. There were snarls and yelps, roars and screams from all sides. Jeanie tried to stand up but she was knocked over, pushed face first into the dirt. She heard Valerie calling over the din but by the time she looked around, Valerie was gone.
With numb legs and hands that tingled like she’d got pins and needles in them, Jeanie hauled herself up and looked around. People were fighting everywhere. Blood splattered and clumps of fur and flesh dotted the ground. She was petrified.
Running, ducking between the combatants, her only thought was to get to Ryan. She had to get to him. But where was he in this mess of bodies? Jeanie struck out and pushed her way through. Suddenly she felt pain down her back as something sharp dug into her flesh and dragged her to the ground. She turned and saw a wolf standing over her snarling and she realized it had clawed her back.
Jeanie kicked out and caught the wolf on the muzzle just as a bear swiped a huge paw at the beast and sent it flying. Crying from fear and panic, Jeanie crawled to her feet and stumbled through the battlefield. She stepped over bloody bodies; some whimpering and some horribly silent. Ryan, Ryan, Ryan. She repeated his name in her head like a mantra, over and over and over.
And suddenly a white wolf appeared in front of her. It snarled, displaying sharp white teeth. “Mr. Snow,” Jeanie whispered.
The wolf inclined his head and then leapt for her.
Jeanie screamed and fell under the weight of the beast. She closed her eyes waiting for the teeth, but they never came. In a flash the weight lifted, was spun off her and a big black bear, its fur matted with blood charged after the wolf.
Jeanie scrambled to her feet. She turned and found herself now face to face with Calvin. He was awake. He had a gash across his chest and a murderous look on his face.
“Don’t hurt me!” Jeanie screamed at him panicking.
He laughed at her and hit her. The blow sent Jeanie onto the grass again, sprawling as a ringing sound filled her ears. “I’ve been dying to do that since I met you,” he snarled. “And now I’ll just kill you, so you cause no more trouble.”
He glared at her and grabbed her by the throat lifting her off the ground. Jeanie was choking. Her lungs were on fire and she could feel the world slipping away. As she dropped into darkness she thought of Ryan’s kiss.
Snow had settled on everything. It wasn’t deep, just a powdering that made the air taste of tin and everything look like a gingerbread Christmas scene.
Jeanie snuggled in Ryan’s arms, cozy in one of his pajama tops. They were in his cabin, lying in front of the fire, cozy and warm. She ran a finger over the scar on his chest where Calvin had sliced him with a claw.
“Are you still upset that Petersen and Snow survived?” Ryan asked his gaze still on the book he was reading.
Jeanie was amazed at how well he knew her. “A little. I mean they caused such a lot of trouble and there’s nothing anyone can do about it. Why does Clan law say it’s all over when it shouldn’t be?”
“Because if you keep hitting back, eventually everyone will die. Revenge is for the stupid. Now let it go. You don’t have to fight them now, Jess and Wyatt are safe and we have Sun Valley. And it’s all thanks to you.” He put the book down and kissed her hand. “Anyway, I’m way too relaxed to think about something that happened a month ago.”
“Fine. So what do you want to do?”
Ryan grinned at her. “Come give me a kiss little girl, or I’ll feed you to the big bad wolf.”
Knox (BBW Bear Shifter Moonshiner Romance) (120 Proof Honey) Page 25
