by Anya Nowlan
As they lay in bed, sweaty, spent and still wrapped around each other, Karen could finally think about what had just happened.
Was it the best sex she had ever had? Yes.
Was the man she just fell into bed with an MMA fighting adrenaline junkie who didn’t even live in the same state as her?
Also true.
But she couldn’t quite get herself to feel the amount of concern she thought was appropriate for the situation at hand.
“I can practically hear the gears turning in your head,” Evan said, pulling her out of her rumination. “Having second thoughts?”
“Weirdly, no,” Karen replied, thinking out loud.
“Ouch,” Evan laughed.
“No, no, that’s not what I meant,” Karen rushed.
“It’s okay, I’m not worried. I don’t think anyone would put that much effort into faking it,” Evan said with an impish smile.
Karen mock-punched him in the arm. She couldn't even make him wince – big surprise.
“Arrogant much? Anyways, I better get back to Bluejay’s before I doze off.”
“Well now you’ve really hurt my feelings. Didn’t peg you for the “hit it and quit it” type,” Evan teased, playing with her hair.
“It’s just that all my stuff is there and you really don’t want to wake up next to someone who doesn’t have a toothbrush handy,” Karen said, admiring the way Evan’s muscles flexed and rippled when he moved.
“Then we’ll just bring your stuff here.”
“What are you saying?” Karen asked, propping herself up on one elbow.
“I’m saying I want to spend every second I can with you, and I also don’t want Joe to have to deal with guests complaining about the incessant sex-noises coming from your room,” Evan winked.
“Yeah, that would be awkward,” Karen said, snuggling into his shoulder and grinning.
Wyoming was turning out to be pretty damn fun.
Nine
Evan
Evan snuck out of bed at around ten, determined to cook the woman still asleep in his bed some breakfast. Luckily, he had recently stocked his fridge.
Foresight?
He whipped up some scrambled eggs and left strips of bacon sizzling on the pan and coffee brewing while he brushed his teeth.
His phone buzzed in his jacket pocket in the hallway. It was Ethan sending him a text about a meeting later that day. When he got back to the kitchen, Karen was standing in the doorway, rubbing her eyes and wearing his t-shirt. Her curls were in a wild tangle and there were specks of mascara under her eyes.
She was completely adorable.
“Something smelled good,” she mumbled through a yawn.
“You smell good,” he murmured, planting a kiss on her neck.
Evan sat her down at the small kitchen table and poured her a glass of orange juice.
“Thanks,” Karen smiled. “Hey, I thought you couldn’t cook,” she added, slightly accusatory.
“I’m no chef, but it’s not like I’ll starve on my own,” Evan said, scooping some eggs and bacon onto a plate and placing them in front of Karen. She inhaled everything within minutes.
“S’good,” she got out between bites and Evan let out a low laugh.
“Guess you really worked up an appetite last night,” he said, getting himself a plate of food and sitting down opposite her.
“Sure did,” Karen smiled. “You got like some mouthwash or something? I’d like to kiss you soon but I’m feeling real gross,” she said before gulping down the last of her OJ.
“Feel free to rummage around in my bathroom. Then we can go to Joe’s and get your stuff,” Evan smiled, excited by the thought of Karen spending her nights in his bed.
“So you were serious about that,” Karen mused, more a statement than a question.
“I was. I don’t want to waste any more time being away from you,” he said, feeling the bear inside him stir in agreement.
“Let’s go for it, then,” Karen nodded.
It was another beautiful day and Evan and Karen decided to walk to Joe’s. She didn’t have that much stuff anyway, and Evan could carry her suitcase easily. They took the scenic route through the little park in the town center.
Since it was a Monday, not many people were out and about. A figure stood at the far side of the park, oddly still and facing them. The build seemed like that of a man, but the face was obscured by a dark hood drawn low over his face.
“Who hides in a black hoodie on a day like this,” Evan mused aloud.
His predatory instincts stirred, telling him he was being watched. Karen shifted her gaze to align with his.
“I guess it is a little weird… Hmm, there’s something a little familiar…” she said, squinting in the sunlight.
The figure turned around and started walking hastily away from them.
“Never mind,” Karen finished. “I think I’m imagining things,” she concluded with a nervous laugh.
They arrived at Bluejay’s and made their way to the back office to see Joe. He was sitting at his table, only the top of his head peeking out from behind the mountains of files.
“Hey, Joe, how’s it going?” Evan asked.
“How does it look like it’s going,” Joe sighed. “I just don’t even know where to begin.”
“Well, you could start by separating your accounting records from your bank records. See, your deposit slips are mixed in with your income statements,” Karen suggested, pointing at some papers flying around Joe’s desk.
The man looked at her as if she’d just flown down from heaven.
“You know about this stuff?” he said, eyes sparkling.
“Sure, with enough nine to fives, you’re bound to pick things up,” Karen smiled.
“But that’s not actually what we’re here about,” Evan interjected. “Karen’s here to pack up her stuff, she’s going to be staying with me from now on,” he said, pride in his voice.
“Great, great,” Joe waived him off. “But I’ve just had the best idea.”
Evan groaned. This was never good.
“Instead of paying for the room, why doesn’t Karen just help me a bit with this madness here,” Joe winked.
Before Evan could protest, Karen had already chirped, “Sure!” and plopped herself down on the chair next to Joe.
“This was supposed to be a vacation,” Evan reminded her.
“I’m plenty rested and I can’t stand just sitting around with my hands in my lap,” Karen said. “Plus he really needs my help,” she added, whispering.
I can think of a few other places you could keep your hands, he thought, leaving it to himself.
“Alright then, I have some pack matters I need to take care of, anyways. Call me when you’re done here and we can pack up your stuff.”
Karen let out a half-hearted, “mhm”, already engrossed in the documents in front of her.
Evan went back to his apartment and jumped in his truck. He took the back roads only their family knew about, weaving through the thick forest on the outskirts of town. In about fifteen minutes, the foliage began to thin and the road started to widen, making way to a weathered driveway.
The former Grimpaw family home was a sprawling red brick complex, reminiscent of times past, when servants and chefs still lived on the premises and ballrooms hosted everyone who was anyone.
Now the house was empty, hollow echoes roaming through the once lively halls. Both the exterior and interior had been left unattended, causing it to be in different states of disrepair. There were no more servants and certainly no more fancy parties, not for a very long time.
Since members of the Grimpaw clan lived in cottages in the wilderness surrounding the town, free to roam the forest in their bear form whenever they pleased, they had no use for the large, lavish house. Evan was an exception when it came to his living arrangements. He felt somewhat disconnected from the clan, which prompted him to abandon his cabin and move into town.
Evan was greeted at the
door by Jameson, a tall, sinewy man with clear blue eyes. Ethan valued his opinion greatly and so did Evan. Jameson patted him on the back.
“Good to see you. Ethan is waiting for us upstairs,” he said.
They made their way up the once grand stairway to a corner room on the second floor. It looked like it used to be a study. Bookcases lined the walls, the wood damp and starting to rot. Ethan was inspecting the floor, checking the structural integrity.
Noticing Evan, Ethan got to his feet and pulled his brother into a quick hug before holding him by the shoulders and examining his face.
“Is that a smile I see, Evan Grimpaw?” he said with mock incredulity. “Anything to do with a mysterious redhead Everett’s been telling us about?”
“Everett should learn to think before he speaks,” Evan remarked.
“I’ll leave you to teach him that, brother. Ain’t got the patience,” Ethan said, leaning against an old desk in the middle of the room. Evan crossed his arms, Jameson mirroring the gesture by his side.
“Why are we meeting here, anyway? This place is a mess.” Evan asked, sniffing the air. “And it smells bad,” he added.
“This property has been in our family for generations and we haven’t really done anything with it. I just thought it would be a great place for clan get-togethers.”
Ethan waived a hand around the room.
“Plus, fixing this place up would be quite a challenge,” he grinned.
Evan looked around, noting water damage, exposed beams and rotten floorboards.
“It sure would,” he remarked, cocking a brow.
“Okay, let’s get to why I called this meeting,” Ethan said, getting down to business.
“Isn’t much of a meeting with just the three of us,” Evan retorted.
“Yeah, rest of the higher ranks are all out calming things down in Arizona and I didn’t think anyone else needed to know.”
“Needed to know what?” Evan asked right as Jameson spoke up.
“You know we aren’t exactly on the best of terms with the Clearpond wolf pack,” he started.
“Yeah, kicking their asses probably didn’t help,” Evan snorted. Jameson grinned, probably remembering the battle with the wolves.
“Exactly, and I thought they would be licking their wounds, trying to recuperate. But it seems they’re up to something,” Ethan said, picking up where Jameson had left off.
Wolves and bears had never had the easiest of relationships. One would think that shifters might stick together, but that wasn’t the case. Most shifters were very territorial, and the Grimpaws had been steadily edging out the wolves in Sweetwater, buying up more land. Suffice to say, the mutts were not happy about that. They had even taken a shot at Jennifer, Ethan’s wife, when she first moved to Sweetwater and bought property there.
That was something they had grown to regret – never mess with a bear’s mate.
“Let me guess,” Evan said, fists clenching. “Jamie Clearpond is right in the middle of it.”
Some people just don’t learn.
“That’s what I’ve heard,” Jameson shrugged.
“Just thought you’d want a heads up,” Ethan interjected.
“Thanks. Is that all? I should be getting back into town,” Evan huffed, shifting impatiently. He had only been away from Karen for a few hours tops, but it felt like forever.
“All for now. I’ll keep you updated. We’re thinking about having a little barbeque at my place on Friday. The little ones would sure like to see their uncle. And you’re welcome to bring a date,” Ethan said, smirking like he knew too much.
Can’t keep anything to myself in this damn town.
“Real subtle,” Evan grinned. “I’ll let you know,” he added before making his way back towards the stairs.
“It was good seeing you,” Ethan called out after him.
Evan didn’t respond.
Ten
Karen
After a couple of hours, Joe shooed Karen out of his office.
“Go spend time with Evan, you’ve done enough already,” he beamed.
Karen made her way up to her room, humming all the way there.
God, what a cliché I have become, she thought. I might as well take up skipping.
She didn’t want to bother Evan while he was dealing with family matters – she had already taken up so much of his time. After she was done packing, she decided to go to the local grocery store that she had walked past a couple of times to get some supplies and cook Evan dinner.
She cut through the park, breathing in the sweet spring air, carrying promises of summer. After a while, an odd sensation made its way up her neck. She felt as if she were being watched. Karen perked up, straining her ears. Soft footfalls sounded behind her, growing faster as she sped up.
Karen scanned the park for locals, but only spotted a lady with a stroller exiting the far east side. Panic started to rise in her throat, even though logically, she had little reason to be afraid.
Just another person enjoying a stroll in the park, she told herself, unconvincingly.
Her instincts were telling her to run. She picked up her pace even more, and the steps behind her broke into a sprint. A cold hand reached out and grabbed her by the arm, dragging her into a more secluded thicket. She stumbled against one of the trees, the bark leaving scratches on her bare elbows. A tall man with a lean figure stood facing her, blocking her way. He pulled down his black hood.
Kyle! This is bad, Karen thought, quickly assessing her situation.
There hadn’t been any bystanders, and now they were not visible from the beaten paths of the park. Not only had Kyle not stopped stalking her, he had followed her hundreds of miles to Wyoming, waited until she was alone and dragged her out of sight. Karen decided pleading with this psycho was beneath her and opted for a show of strength.
“Get the hell away from me, Kyle. This is your last chance. I’m all out of good will,” she snarled.
Kyle didn’t even seem to hear what she was saying, going on a tangent of his own.
“Not only did you run away from me, you’re out canoodling with some meathead?! This is not you, I know you, you’re coming back home with me and that’s it!”
Panicky laughter bubbled up inside Karen.
“Are you serious right now? Kyle, you need help. We are over, I’m not going anywhere with you! Now get out of my way before I start screaming!”
Kyle leapt at her, a frenzied look on his face, grabbing her by the throat and pushing her against the tree behind her. Karen’s head filled with ringing as her skull was knocked against the sycamore.
Kyle’s grip around her larynx tightened. He kept rambling on, but Karen’s head felt like cotton and she was unable to distinguish any words. She clawed at his hands, but they were unrelenting. In a last ditch effort, Karen smashed the heel of her boot into Kyle’s foot.
The man yelped and his clasp around Karen’s neck loosened just enough for her to draw breath. She pushed herself off the tree, barreling all her bodyweight towards Kyle. She wasn’t able to knock him down, but he was disoriented for a second, giving Karen an opportunity to slip past him.
She ran, faster than she had ever run before. She didn’t stop or look back until she made it out of the park, back into the street where people were strolling by, unaware of what she had just escaped. She looked back towards the park but saw no sign of Kyle.
She kept running until she made it back to Bluejay’s, up the stairs and into her room. She locked the door behind her and fell to the ground, sobbing.
Karen lost track of how long she lay there, but after a while, someone started jangling the handle. She froze.
“Hey, it’s me. You were supposed to call when you were done helping Joe. Are you still packing?” Evan said from the other side of the door and Karen ran to open it, falling into his arms.
“Whoa, what’s…” Evan started, before Karen’s blubbering drowned him out.
Evan sat her down on the edge of the bed with
out ever letting go of her. Squeezing her tight, he whispered soothingly in her ear until she calmed down enough to stop weeping. Then he knelt down beside her, taking stock.
He ran his fingers down her arms, noting the bloody scratches. As he picked pieces of bark out of her hair, Karen could tell he felt the bump on the back of her head.
“I am trying very hard to remain calm, but you need to tell me what happened,” he finally said through gritted teeth, barely contained steel in his voice. Karen took a deep breath.
“Remember that ex I was telling you about? Well, he seems to have followed me here…” Karen stopped, fearing she would start crying again.
“He put his hands on you?” Evan asked, standing up.
Karen nodded, wiping tears from her cheeks. A roar ripped through the room – probably through the entire building. Karen looked up to see Evan’s hazel eyes turn black, his fists shaking and rippling, long brown nails erupting from his fingers.
“What’s his name? What does he look like?” he growled.
“Stop,” Karen pleaded, standing up and scooting to his side.
She took his clawed hands in hers, unafraid.
“You are better than him,” she choked.
The snarl left Evan’s lips, his eyes slowly turning hazel again and his hands back to normal.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “Please start at the beginning. Tell me everything.”
She did.
From meeting Kyle to the break-up, to the calls and texts, to showing up at her apartment and now at Sweetwater. Evan was visibly seething but remained in control.
“We are going to the sheriff’s department and you are making a statement. You have given this piece of shit too many chances to get it together,” he finally said.
Karen looked back on all that had transpired between her and Kyle and had to agree. She had seen herself as the bad guy for too long. Yes, she had broken up with him, but that was her right. However painful that had been for Kyle, it didn’t give him the right to up-end her life and make her feel unsafe.
