by Zoe Chant
“So what I take from the fact that you've arranged all this is that you thought I was some penniless hiker?” Kayden said as he slipped into the suit. “A hiker camping out in the forest, who stumbled into your backyard by accident and who'd agree to whatever you asked because he was afraid of the police.”
Yes, this suit fit perfectly. Experimentally, Kayden moved his arms, twisting and turning a little. By now it was instinct—a life as one of the clan's enforcers had made him immediately check a suit for how it would restrict his movements in combat. And this one would do.
“Mm,” Sidney said as she watched him show off. “Please tell me you'll do that at the wedding... Oh, sorry. What did you say?”
She flushed again, and Kayden laughed softly and leaned forward to kiss her.
“Anything you want,” he promised. “But what I was trying to say is: You didn't pick up a random naked, homeless guy in your garden. You don't have to rent me a suit, Sidney, although that's really sweet of you to offer. Money's really not the problem here. But when I came to check out the town, I thought it would be best not to attract too much attention. And no one cares much about backpackers wandering around.”
“At least not around here,” Sidney agreed. “We're really popular in summer with the tourists. If you haven't looked at the lakes yet, you should do that. My cousin Cleo inherited several cabins there. If your clients like privacy, one of the lakes might suit them. It's a bit of a drive into town, but on the other hand, it's very quiet, and the forest and the lakes are beautiful.”
“I've seen one of the lakes,” Kayden said, then broke off when the shop assistant returned. “Now choose a tie. It has to go with your dress, after all!”
She grinned at him. “No red!”
After a few minutes of deliberation, he was all set with a tie made of a light, blue-gray silk.
He gave his mirror image another critical look, then nodded. “I think this will do. What do you think?”
Sidney swallowed. “I have to admit,” she murmured, sounding a little dazed, “when you walked into my living room like that, I made the decision based on—well, on how you looked without a suit on. But I think I have just proved that I have excellent taste.”
“Truly excellent.” Kayden leaned down to kiss her again, curving his hand around her waist in appreciation. “So. Now that I'm all dressed up, is there anything else you had planned?”
Sidney bit her lip. “Well, there's... How are your dancing skills? Sorry, I know most men hate dancing, and dance lessons even more. But if you wouldn't mind, we could...”
Kayden allowed himself a wicked grin. “Oh, so you think I need dancing lessons? Afraid I'll embarrass you on the dance floor in front of your sister and your cousins and your aunts and probably two dozen other judgmental relatives I haven't yet met?”
“My dad is very nice,” Sidney said apologetically. “I'm sure he'll like you.”
Kayden took a quick look around. When he saw that the shop assistant was busy in another part of the store, he slowly drew his hand upwards from Sidney’s waist, his fingers trailing across her skin beneath her shirt.
“How about,” he murmured, leaning forward so that his breath ghosted across her throat, “we return to your place and we practice, and you can judge my skills yourself? And if I am lacking in any way, I promise I will be open to any suggestions...”
“Oh,” Sidney breathed, her eyes wide and dark, her cheeks flushing with heat. “Oh good. That sounds... that sounds good. Let's do that.”
She bit her lip, her face still red and her hair a little tousled when the salesperson suddenly returned. Kayden grinned at Sidney, then quickly went to change while she fled from the changing rooms to hide behind another rack of shirts.
Chapter Five: Sidney
“Duck!” Sidney hissed and grabbed Kayden’s arm. She pulled him against her—and just in time.
A moment later, her sister Karen exited the hairdresser on the other side of the road. Sidney and Kayden were half-crouching behind a car now. Even so, Sidney felt her heart drop to her stomach when Karen’s eyes came to rest on the shop they had just left. For a moment, Karen lingered, looking up and down the street as if she were searching for them.
Had Karen spotted them earlier? Had she trailed them all the way? Sidney wouldn’t put it past her sister. Not for any malicious reason, but Karen had always been too curious for her own good. And too used to being the successful sister, the one in the spotlight. The fact that half the town was talking about Sidney’s mystery date had to be really galling for her.
“Hush,” Sidney whispered, grinning at Kayden.
He rolled his eyes when he spotted Karen.
“How did she find us?” he whispered.
“Instinct?” Sidney shrugged. “Some weird sort of sixth sense for always find the juiciest gossip? She hates secrets—at least when she’s not in on them.”
“You know,” Kayden murmured against her hair, “I’m sure your sister is a nice person when you get to know her, but there’s that dancing exam I have to pass, and I’d rather not embarrass myself in front of her...”
“Oh?” Sidney teased back, keeping a watchful eye on her sister. “And here I thought you were ready to blow me away with your skills.”
Kayden chuckled. “What if I tell you that I’m skilled in a lot of ways?”
His voice was deliciously throaty, and Sidney felt her heart speed up again at the way his stubble scratched against her cheek.
“I’d ask you for a demonstration,” she replied, her cheeks heating. “After that dancing demonstration.”
“Mm,” Kayden purred in agreement. “We can arrange that. As long as your sister stops trailing us...”
“This is definitely a demonstration that should happen without an audience.”
A soft gasp escaped Sidney when Kayden pressed a kiss to the soft skin behind her ear.
Wow! She hadn’t known that her skin could be so sensitive. Her knees were already wobbly. If he kept this up, there was no way she’d be able to escape her sister.
“Careful now,” she whispered as she watched Karen crossed the street
There was a small flower shop at the corner. She could see Karen stop and critically eye an arrangement of roses.
“Oh no!” Sidney sighed with despair. “How will we get out of here? She’s between us and the car!”
“She’ll have to leave eventually,” Kayden murmured. “Unless she really spotted us earlier. Do you think she’s just hanging around in the hope that she’ll catch another glimpse of you and your mystery date?”
Despite herself, Sidney suddenly had to giggle. “You really like that title, don’t you?”
Kayden grinned. “It’s the most fun I’ve had in ages. And it’s flattering, too. And in the end they’re all so curious because they love you. No, don’t protest,” he said and held up a hand. “It’s true. Really. They’ve all seen you grow up. They’ve known you all your life. In a way, everyone here is family. They’re your clan. And they care about you.”
Sidney tilted her head curiously at him. “And you like that? It’s not too much? Small town life can be overwhelming...”
“I love it,” Kayden said simply. “You can’t known how much. This is like everything that was good about my past—without everything that was bad about it. There was a lot that was bad; I’ll tell you one day, if you want to know. So one day I decided I had to leave that life behind. It was a painful decision. I never told anyone, but I was so afraid.”
“Afraid? You?” Sidney asked quietly, disbelief in her voice.
Kayden nodded and swallowed. “Afraid I’d never find that feeling again. Of belonging. Of having my clan—my family. Of having a home.”
At the pain in his voice, Sidney threw caution to the wind and reached out for him.
“That’s the good thing about places like this,” she said fiercely. “People care. They might sometimes care too much—but they care. No one has to be alone here. If you want a home,
this is the right place to make one.”
A moment later, she let go of him again, embarrassment creeping up on her. Had she said too much? Would he think her clingy, just like her ex Timothy? She hadn’t meant it to sound like she wanted him to make a home with her—not that she didn’t want that.
Warmth filled her at the thought, and she blushed again, embarrassed by how quickly those dreams seemed to have taken over. Not that they were bad dreams—but wasn’t it way too early to talk about such things out loud?
After Timothy’s cruel remarks, she’d sworn to herself to be more cautious in the future. To not let it show how badly she wanted that, too: a home of her own, with a man who cherished and respected her. Not to make the town’s gossips shut up, but simply to come home to someone who’d smile when he saw her. Someone who wanted the same things she did, instead of just using her until something better came along.
“Hey,” Kayden said softly and raised a hand to her cheek. “This probably sounds weird—but this already feels like home to me. With your crazy relatives and snoopy neighbors and everything.”
Sidney felt her heart beating faster at his touch. She couldn’t find words for it, but whenever their eyes met, a shiver ran through her. Where did this strange connection come from?
So he was hot—but she’d seen hot men before. And this was more than mere lust. She wanted him to touch her, but more than that, she wanted him to hold her and never let go of her. She wanted him to look at her with his strange, bewitching eyes. It was like some sort of wild animal was staring at her, something powerful and frightening—but something that she could tame with one touch of her hand.
It was intoxicating. And it was far too distracting.
“Damn!” she exclaimed softly when she saw her sister come out of the flower shop with a potted rosebush. “We missed our chance to escape!”
“Hurry!” This time it was Kayden who grabbed hold of her hand.
Sidney found herself pulled towards the next car, where they managed to duck just in time. She bit back a giggle again. It felt rather silly—but on the other hand, the one thing she really didn’t need right now was a two hour chat with her sister. And a bit of harmless fun felt like the perfect revenge for Karen’s stinging remarks at the bakery.
“Where does that alley lead?” Kayden asked softly, gesturing at the small opening between two houses.
The path between the buildings was narrow and dark, too small for any cars, but even so Sidney’s eyes widened in recognition.
“Perfect!” she exclaimed. “You’re a hero! We can leave that way and then double back and get to the car from the other direction. Karen won’t notice a thing!”
The next time Karen turned her head, they sprinted towards the beckoning alley. Once they’d made it safely into the shadowy opening, they leaned against the wall for a moment, giddy with triumph.
“We’ll have to cut through a garden, but it’s fine,” Sidney said breathlessly. “It belongs to my old high school teacher. She’s retired now, but Mom and I help pick her apples in the summer. She won’t mind! She bakes a rather fine apple pie actually—we always have a charity drive in the library in autumn, and—anyway,” she cut herself off, blushing. “We should go before Karen comes looking.”
Chapter Six: Kayden
The garden was beautiful. It was almost a small orchard, hidden away at the center of this little town. The surrounding buildings blocked the noise from the streets. There were three apple trees with large, gnarled branches, one cherry tree and an old, majestic walnut tree heavy with unripe, green nuts the size of golf balls.
Sidney paused for a moment in the shade of the tree, taking a deep breath.
“I know Karen is happy in the city—but I never wanted to move away from here.” She looked up towards the blue sky, her eyes gleaming. “I just—how can you leave this behind?”
When she turned towards him, Kayden found himself once more captivated. Her gray eyes were shining, bright like silver. That ages old call to claim his mate throbbed through him with sudden intensity.
This was her home—and why shouldn’t it be his as well? He was a bear, the ruler of the forest. If he wanted to claim this territory as his own, who could stop him? He would lead his own clan the way Iron Fang never could—he would be just and generous. He’d make certain that they’d all find happiness here. No more violence. No more cruelty.
But could Sidney love him if she knew that he’d been one of Iron Fang’s enforcers? Surely she’d understand that he had run because he didn’t want to be that sort of person?
She’ll never know, as long as we get rid of Blood Claw now, his bear growled silently.
“It’s beautiful here,” Kayden said, watching the way the sun gleamed on her hair with awe.
He liked the secludedness of the spot. He knew he couldn’t settle in the town itself. Still, he suddenly ached for a place like this to call his own. A house, a garden, meadows and trees that were his.
It was sometimes difficult to satisfy the urge of his bear to claim a territory of his own—but now at last, his bear’s desires and his own were in perfect accord. A house close to the town, but secluded enough that he could shift without anyone observing. Quiet meadows and the beckoning forest, with his clan settling nearby so that they could be there for each other in case of danger and bring up their own families in peace.
His bear wanted to warn intruders away. His human side wanted a spot where he could build a home and love his mate and watch his cubs play among grass and bushes.
And no danger to keep us on our toes all day. No threat just waiting for us to step outside of our house...
What would he do if Blood Claw just left, only to return in a year or two to take his vengeance?
Maybe it would be better to take him out now. Damn. That’s not why I came here. I don’t want to start this new life with murder...
It’s not murder if he invades our home! his bear roared, fury rising up in that feral side of him instantly.
Kayden stiffened, his heightened senses suddenly picking up on the fact that the wind had changed. It had come from the west before—now it was blowing from the north. And with it came a hint of a scent he recognized...
Bear!
Kayden inhaled, all of his senses screaming at him to shift and attack.
Blood Claw found us, his bear growled. Let’s find him! Let’s end this once and for all!
“Is everything OK?” Sidney gave him a questioning look, resting her hand on his arm.
With difficulty, Kayden forced the angry bear inside him down.
Down, he hissed silently. The scent is faint. Wait. Wait!
“Where does the garden lead?” he asked, looking around once more with new urgency.
Where before he had admired the hidden orchard for its beauty, here in the heart of the small town, he now scanned it with the eyes of a warrior. He took note of exit points, branches and a forgotten ladder that could be used against him in a fight, and a small shed behind which someone could hide.
“Don’t tell me you saw Karen?” Sidney winced at the thought. “If she catches us here, she’ll probably drag us to go see Mom, and I really really—”
“Want to get to those dance lessons I was promised?” Kayden gave her a brief smile, still trying to hide his sudden suspicion. “I think I heard a car—but never mind. I’m sure it was nothing. Still, we should leave.”
“Eager for those lessons?” Sidney’s smile was wide, her eyes teasing.
Even in his agitation, Kayden couldn’t help but notice the way her breasts rose and fell with every breath she took. Her lips were flushed. As he watched, she bit them again.
Even with the sense of danger that had taken hold of him, desire spiked once more, a red haze throbbing through him until Sidney gave him a wicked grin. Her eyes briefly lowered to where he could feel his erection pressing against his jeans.
“Oh, now I know why you’re suddenly so eager to get back,” she breathed, her eyes laughing at
him.
Flushed and with the wind tugging at her hair, she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
Sidney reached out for his hand. “Let’s get you home for those lessons you promised me, before anyone sees us here and wonders just what we were up to.”
“One day I’m going to make love to you in the sunshine,” he said hoarsely. “With blossoms all around us and the sun on your skin. But it will be our garden. Our orchard.”
Her eyes widened. A flush heated her cheeks, and she had to swallow. “Come on then...”
She tugged on his hand, and Kayden allowed himself to be led away.
In spite of the arousal, there was still the sense of alarm. The scent was faint. He didn’t think they were in any immediate danger. But there was danger around, somewhere in this town. There was a bear nearby—a shifter, Kayden was sure of it.
Was it Blood Claw? He couldn’t say. The scent was too faint for that. It was just the briefest whiff of fur and claws.
Perhaps, if he shifted now, he could track it down...
No. Sidney knew nothing of shifters. Most importantly, she had no part in the war between him and his old clan. He couldn’t drag her into it.
One way or another, this thing between him and Blood Claw would need to be settled—but not now. Not here.
When they excited the garden on the other side, they found themselves on a small road. Kayden kept scanning their surroundings. This was a residential street. The houses looked old, but well cared for, and it was quiet even though they were so close to the town’s center.
“Sidney! Sidney, is that you?” a voice called out from somewhere behind them.
Kayden froze, but when he turned, he found himself facing a gray-haired woman and an inquisitive dachshund that let out a high bark of greeting.
“Were you coming to visit us?” the woman asked, patting Sidney’s arm in greeting. “We only went out for five minutes—you know how he gets when he doesn’t get his daily walk to the corner!”
“You mean his daily walk to the treats he gets from the owner of that corner store?” Sidney returned with a delighted laugh, then bent down to stroke the small dog in greeting. “Hey there!”
