by Ruby Shae
She’d started to wake when they entered the familiar streets of the town, but Collin insisted on carrying her into the cottage. Sam didn’t object and seemed to come alive in his brother’s arms. She kissed him on the cheek and nuzzled his neck on the way into the small building.
Collin stopped by the couch to let her down, but she resisted.
“Take me to the bedroom, instead,” she pleaded, and pulled on his earlobe with her teeth.
“Soon. We have to talk first,” Collin said, and set her down.
“No! I mean, there’s plenty of time to talk after, right?” she grabbed Collins hand and pulled, but the man didn’t budge.
“Cade?” she directed her attention toward him and the look on her face melted his heart. He might be rough around the edges, but the sight of his mate begging for their love, tore at his strong exterior. She should never have to beg, not like this.
“Hang on, love. We have to talk. Let’s all sit down, okay?” he said, and she reluctantly agreed.
“Sam,” Collin started, “Cade and I have something important to tell you. It might seem confusing at first, but please try and keep an open mind, okay?”
She nodded. “Okay.”
“We’re bear shifters,” he blurted.
So much for choosing the right words.
Cade glanced at his brother and raised his eyebrow in question. That was the man’s grand plan? Collin shrugged and waved him off. Sam studied them both with a look of disbelief on her face.
Suddenly, she stood up and they both did the same.
“Look—”
“There’s more,” Collin said, cutting her off. “Please sit back down.”
“No, I don’t think I will. If there’s more, go ahead and spill it before I leave.”
“Please, Sam. Don’t leave. Hear me out, okay?”
“You have five minutes,” she said.
“Okay. As I said, Cade and I are bear shifters. We can turn into grizzly bears, and the change comes whenever we summon it. We don’t have to wait for a full moon or anything like what you read in books. The magic that allows us to shift also grants us immortality. Next year will mark our two hundred and fifty-first birthdays. We can get injured, and feel the pain from our wounds, but we can’t die,” Collin took a breath and continued with the hardest part. “We’ve always shared women, but we’ve never found anyone we’ve wanted to join us in immortality. We’ve never found the one. Until you.”
“Me,” she said in deadpan voice and Cade knew she didn’t believe them.
“Yes, you. We love you, Sam, and we want to be with you always.”
“Even if I believed your story, I’m not immortal. I’ll eventually die.”
“No, you won’t. The mate mark will not give you the ability to shift, but it will grant you immortality. You’ll always be with us.”
“The mate mark?”
“It’s done during sex. We have to bite you during orgasm without protection. It’s the only way to trigger the process,” Cade explained. He didn’t see the harm in speaking since their confession already looked like a train wreck.
“So, let me get this straight. You’re bear shifters. You can shift into bears and you want me to allow you both to bite me during unprotected sex so I can gain immortality and live with you forever?”
“Yes,” they both said in unison.
She smirked and shook her head, tears filling her eyes.
“I knew you were too good to be true. Why tell me this elaborate story? Why lead me on?” she looked back and forth between the two of them. “Why not just dump me and allow me some dignity before you go back to your club whores? I know,” she held out her hands as if to stop them from moving toward her, “you don’t want me pining over you, right? You don’t want me running up to you in the mall, begging for sex, when you’re out with one of your women? Well, you got your wish. You’re both assholes and I never want to see you again.”
“Sam—” Collin said.
“Don’t leave—” Cade started.
She stormed passed them and opened the door, but turned back to face them one last time.
“You know the worst part? I knew you were leaving soon, but chose to be with you anyway. I knew how much I’d hurt when you left—knew I’d probably be alone for the rest of my life—but I thought it was worth it because I thought you cared about me, too. At least a little bit. Thank you for making it easy for me to get over you.”
She slammed the door, making her words final, and left them alone staring after her.
“What the fuck just happened?” Cade roared.
“Hell if I know. That didn’t go according to plan.”
“You think? Fuck this. I’m going for a run,” Cade said and walked out the door.
“Cade, wait—”
He heard Collin call after him, but he didn’t care. He had to run before he chased down Sam and took all of her choices away. She was their mate and her rejection cut deeper than any knife or gunshot wound, both of which he’d experienced several times.
The magic allowed him to stay clothed during the shift, so he took off running in human form without worrying about his attire.
He ran down the row of cottages, passed the property line for the bed and breakfast, and kept running until he crossed the border into the National Park. When he was deep into the park, and he sensed no other humans, he shifted in mid-stride. In his bear form he ran faster, deep into the dense trees, until he could no longer see the lights from the town.
An hour later, he ran out of steam. Exhausted, he spread out over a large boulder and listened to the sounds of the park.
It didn’t take long for him to sense Collin approaching, and within minutes his brother lumbered toward him in bear form and sat down next to the boulder on the forest floor.
He ran to fight his anger and pain, but Collin was always cool and collected. He’d probably already started hatching out a plan to convince Sam they were telling the truth. The easiest way would involve shifting in front of her, but would she give them the chance?
They had to try. What other choice did they have?
The fight for their mate wasn’t over yet.
***
Sam raced out into the darkness as the tears streamed down her face. She didn’t mind being out in the dark, she was used to walking home from the theater alone this time of night, but the temperature had dropped significantly. Her fleece lined sweatshirt was a flimsy barrier against the winter wind. If she were working, she would have dressed warmer, but she hadn’t planned on leaving the cottage until the next day.
At least it had stopped raining. Unfortunately, the cold had moved in too fast and turned anything wet to ice. The residents hadn’t been expecting a rapid freeze, so the sidewalks weren’t treated and she’d already encountered several slippery patches on the otherwise normal looking concrete.
She turned the corner onto Main Street and her foot slipped out from under her. In a moment of panic, she reached out her hand and braced for impact. Pain shot through her hand and down her arm when she hit the sidewalk. A cry of pain escaped and more tears sprang into her eyes and overflowed down her cheeks.
She pulled her arm close to her waist and scooted back against the wall of the corner building. She could barely wiggle her fingers and her limp hand ached. A bruise formed around her wrist, and she didn’t need a medical degree to confirm she’d broken it.
Her house sat on the end of the street, but fear and pain kept her from racing home. She didn’t want to fall again, but she couldn’t sit there all night. The early risers would be around in three or four hours, but she’d be frozen by then. She pulled her knees up, wrapped her good arm around them and tried to block the wind as she thought about what to do.
A few minutes later, a pair of headlights shone on her and she waved her good hand to get the driver’s attention. She let out a sigh of relief when the sheriff flipped on his red flashing light and got out of the driver’s seat.
“Sam, what ha
ppened? Are you okay?” Gage asked as he approached.
“Careful, there’s a lot of ice. I slipped and I think I broke my wrist. Can you give me a ride home?”
“Home?” he crouched down next to her and carefully examined her throbbing limb. “You need to see a doctor. I’ll take you to the clinic.”
He helped her up and walked her to the car.
The clinic was a small, three bedroom home made into a doctor’s office. Dr. Whitmore lived next door and his wife acted as his secretary and nurse. The couple had the skills and equipment to handle most medical emergencies in their office, which made them an asset to the town.
Gage woke the doctor and helped her into the building.
Dr. Whitmore pushed Gage into the waiting room, and he and his wife efficiently worked to confirm the break and cast her wrist.
“I’ll call your father, and Cade and Collin,” Gage said on his way out.
“No, don’t—” Sam started when Mrs. Whitmore closed the door.
Please don’t call them.
She silently begged the words over and over as the doctor set her wrist. When he finished, she realized it didn’t matter. Their relationship was over and they got exactly what they wanted. She’d never see them again.
Two hours later, the doctor finished the cast and left her alone in the room. She had to wait thirty minutes for the plaster to set before she could go home, but visitors were allowed.
Kate popped her head in the doorway.
“Hey, can I come in?”
“Kate! What are you doing here?” Sam asked.
“Gage called me. He thought you might want a friend nearby.”
“Oh, I’m sorry you had to get up in the middle of the night, but I’m glad you’re here.”
“How are you feeling?”
“Okay. Good. Silly…,”
“Don’t beat yourself up about it. It could have happened to anyone. I’m just glad Gage found you when he did,” Kate said. “I called your father and told him we’d bring you home when Dr. Whitmore released you. I’ve called the guys twice, but they didn’t answer so I left a message at the front desk. Sara wrote a note and tied it to their doorknob, but they might not get it until morning. Gage can go over and wake them if you want,” Kate said.
They’re probably doing the woman from the mall.
Her eyes welled up with tears at the thought of her men touching another woman.
“Hey, what’s the matter?” Kate asked.
“Nothing. Everything. I’m in a lot of pain and the guys and I are no longer…friends,” she blurted. “They’ve probably already left town.”
“That’s not possible,” Kate said. “What happened?”
“Hey,” Gage said, standing in the open door frame. “Did you want me to go and check on the guys?”
She shook her head, “No, we’re not friends anymore.”
“Something happened,” Kate said, looking pointedly at her husband.
Gage walked inside the room and closed the door.
“Did Cade and Collin do something to make you think you’re no longer friends, because I was under the impression they were in love with you,” Gage asked.
“Excuse me, but I fail to see how this is any of your business,” she replied.
“Gage doesn’t mean to be rude,” Kate said, “it’s just that he shares a special connection with the guys and we thought the three of you were going to be together. Did something happen?”
“No, they just… Don’t want to be with me anymore.”
“What makes you think that?” Gage asked.
“They tried to make me believe they’re something unreal so I would end the relationship.”
“Something like a bear shifter?” Kate asked.
She glanced between the couple and realized they knew. But how could they?
“Yes,” she answered tentatively.
“They weren’t lying,” Kate said.
“And they weren’t trying to end the relationship,” Gage added, “They were trying to secure it. Obviously they did a poor job of it, but they were telling you the truth.”
“You believe them?” Sam asked.
“I’m one of them,” Gage said.
Without warning, he shifted into a bear before her eyes. Kate grabbed her uninjured hand and held on tight.
“Don’t be afraid. It’s Gage and he won’t hurt you. Would you like to touch him to make sure he’s real?”
“No, I believe you,” Sam laughed nervously. Kate’s assurance was the only reason she hadn’t screamed. Gage was even bigger in his bear form and the small room seemed to shrink when he’d turned furry.
Gage shifted back into his human form, fully clothed as if he hadn’t been a full grown grizzly bear a few seconds before.
“They were telling the truth?” Sam whispered the thought out loud. “But…,”
“It’s hard to believe until you see it with your own eyes, but yes, they were telling the truth,” Kate said.
“Do you have a mate mark? Is that part true?”
“Yes, but it’s only visible to other bears. It has to be given during unprotected intercourse to work, but the mark grants us immortality and allows other bears to scent that I’m mated, and who I belong to.”
“I called them liars and said I never wanted to see them again,” she admitted quietly.
“Don’t worry,” Gage said. “I doubt they’ll give up that easily.”
She wasn’t so sure, but she didn’t voice her opinion. Before she could ask any more questions, Dr. Whitmore returned. After a few brief instructions, he sent her home.
Gage and Kate dropped her off at home as the sun started its rise over the mountain.
***
“How are you feeling, darlin’?” her dad asked as he handed her a cup of warm milk.
Her dad had been up since Gage called and told him about her fall. The man had been prepared to meet her at the clinic, but after several words of caution from the sheriff, and a confirmation about her well-being from the doctor, he decided to heed the warnings and stay off the icy sidewalk.
“Okay, dad. Thanks for waiting up,” she said.
“I would have come down, but that sheriff can be persuasive,” he said.
“Yes, he can,” she agreed and thought about what happened in the patient’s room she’d been waiting in.
“Dad, can I ask you a question?”
“Sure. What’s on your mind?”
“Did it ever bother you that mom was overweight?”
“No, never. When I looked at your mom, I only saw sexy curves and endless sexual possibilities. I’m not trying to be crude, but I loved the way her body fit against mine. As if she was put on this earth just for me. Why do you ask?”
“I was just wondering.”
“It this about them boys?”
“Kind of,” she admitted.
“You love them,” he stated.
“You know?”
“Darlin’, from the moment them boys arrived in town, the three of you have been stuck like glue. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see what’s going on.”
“You’re not…,” she trailed off.
“Mad? Disgusted? Upset? Hell no! I’ve never seen you so happy and they seem to like making you smile. I know in my gut that they will protect you and care for you with everything they have. The only thing I question is when the grandkids are going to start arriving.”
Tears filled her eyes and her dad sat down next to her and put his arm around her shoulder.
“What’s wrong?”
“I think I might have ruined things,” she sobbed. “They trusted me with a secret, but I thought they were trying to drive me away so they could move on to an old flame of theirs we saw in the mall. I said some horrible things, dad, and I’m not sure they’ll forgive me.”
“Why would you think they wanted some mall woman when they were with you?”
“Because she was thin and beautiful, and could walk in heels. I’m nothing l
ike her.”
“So? Your ex was a lying, cheating jerk. Does that mean you only date lying, cheating jerks?”
“Of course not.”
“Well?”
“You’re right. I know you are, but it’s so hard. They are gorgeous and sexy and everyone in the mall—including the men—stared at them the whole time we were there.”
“So what? They were there with you.”
“That’s true.”
“Best thing to do when you make a mistake, is make it right. Apologize. I have a feeling they’ll forgive you. There’s no denying those boys are in love.”
The loud banging on the door made her jump and her dad laughed.
“Looks like you’ll get your chance sooner than later,” he said and got up off the couch. “I’ll send them in and go back upstairs. I could use another hour or two.”
“Thanks dad.”
“You’re welcome, darlin’,” he said.
He kissed her on the forehead and walked into the foyer to let in her men.
Chapter Six
Collin’s heart tightened when he saw Sam sitting on the couch with her arm in a cast. Her tear stained face couldn’t hide the black circles under her eyes and he hated that he and Cade were the cause of her distress.
Logically he knew they couldn’t have stopped her from running, but everything inside screamed that he was the source of her pain. A glance at Cade confirmed he felt the same. She was their mate, their responsibility, and they’d let her down.
They’d stayed in the woods another hour after he met Cade at the boulder. The time in their bear forms had done them good and they returned with clear heads, ready to rest and confront their mate later that afternoon.
When they saw they note on the door handle, they didn’t have to read it to know something terrible lurked inside. They’d run off, become unreachable, and their mate had needed them.
They’d failed her.
A short time later, Gage renewed their hope. He gave them the facts about Sam’s injury, and told how he’d shifted in front of her and she’d kept her cool. They couldn’t rest until they saw her condition with their own eyes, and hopefully convinced her to accept their love.
