Now she giggled. “I think I like this information.”
“Yeah, figures you would.”
“If you didn’t want me to know, why did you tell me?”
He kissed her nose. “I’ll never keep anything from you. We’ll be equals in all things, except perhaps the bedroom.” He winked.
“Bossy sex fiend.”
“Don’t you forget it. And if you didn’t get off on it, I wouldn’t do it.”
He had her on that. She definitely got off on his brand of sex.
“Let’s get some breakfast and see how our guardians are doing this morning.”
She lifted to sitting. “Did they stay out there all night?”
“I’m positive, though they probably took turns sleeping.”
“It’s cold at night.” She shivered. She’d spent the previous night outside alone under a Mylar blanket. She should know.
“Not to them. They’re bears, babe. This is nothing.”
“Right.” She scooted off the bed and reached for one of Isaiah’s T-shirts. Then had a different idea. “Mind if I take a shower first?”
“Of course. Go right ahead. As long as you don’t mind if I watch.”
“Be my guest.”
“We’ll never make it to the kitchen,” he muttered under his breath.
She was sharper this morning, however. Nothing got by her. She realized she didn’t need his verbal communication any more than she needed the four men outside to speak directly to her. “I’ll turn the water on,” she communicated as she entered the bathroom.
“Excellent.”
She spun around to see his face, filled with pride and awe. “Why couldn’t I communicate with you last night?” she said out loud.
“I guess your body wasn’t done transitioning. And don’t get me wrong. You’re only able to communicate with me because we’re in close proximity, same as the council members outside. Distance weakens the ability incrementally, unless the person is your mate or a close family member.”
She leaned into the shower and turned on the water. “In other words, I need to stay close to you for the time being.”
“If you want to hear my thoughts yes.” He reached past her to test the water with his hand, and then he stepped inside, taking her with him.
“I thought you were going to watch.”
“I am, from super close.”
»»•««
Isaiah had just set heaping plates of omelets and hash browns on the table when a knock sounded at the door. He sighed and pointed at the food. “Start eating. I’ll talk to him.”
“Who? Him who?” she asked as she took her spot. She hadn’t felt the presence of another being. It unnerved her. On the other hand, until the person was standing at the door, neither had Isaiah. Why?
“Lawrence. The council member you communicated with earlier.” He set a hand on the doorknob. “He blocked me until he was at the door. He’s powerful. Be right back.”
Isaiah opened the door but then disappeared through it so fast she didn’t get a chance to see the other man’s face. She did notice he was as tall as Isaiah, if not taller. Were all the bear shifters so damn huge?
The omelet smelled amazing, and she was once again starving, so she picked up her fork and dove into it.
Isaiah returned in less than a minute and took a seat next to her. “He wants to meet with you.”
“I know. He told me that himself.”
“Yeah. Well, he’s smart enough to know he has to go through me to get to you. Especially after the way you spoke to him earlier.” Isaiah smirked as he picked up his fork. “He was feeling you out, trying to determine how strong a personality you were and what you might be willing to do behind my back.”
“Which is nothing. He gets that right?”
Isaiah leaned across the table and kissed her lips. “Yeah. He’s clear.” He tore into the food, moaning around the first bite. “Breakfast is my favorite meal.”
Heather had to agree, especially if she was going to frequently benefit from his culinary skills. She finished everything on her plate before him, considering the head start. And then she leaned back and sipped the cup of coffee he’d made with the perfect amount of cream and sugar.
“You didn’t finish telling me what you told Lawrence.”
“That I’d talk to you, and we’d think about it.”
“You’re stalling.”
“Bet your ass.” He set his fork down and sipped his own coffee. Black.
“You’re waiting on me.”
He shrugged. “I’m not going to rush you if that’s what you’re asking.”
“But your entire species is waiting on me.”
“Don’t look at it that way. They can go screw themselves. No one’s asking them to wait outside as if you were about to deliver the savior.”
She shuddered. “Speaking of which…”
He eyed her speculatively, grinning. “This ought to be good. Can’t wait to hear what crept into your mind to follow a reference to the birth of Christianity.” He snapped his fingers. “Oh, right. Religion. You want to discuss religion? Let me guess, you’re Christian, and you want to know how I feel about it?”
She tipped her head, running her thumb along the rim of her coffee mug. “That hadn’t occurred to me at all, but now that you mention it…”
“We don’t consider ourselves members of any modern religion as you know it. Though some shifters have picked up on one faith or another, most of us believe in something a bit more broad, like Mother Nature and a higher presence.”
“That sounds lovely.”
“I’ll tell you more about it one day.” He leaned forward. “If that wasn’t your aim, what were you going to ask?”
“You mentioned the virgin birth, and it reminded me we haven’t used condoms.”
He grabbed her hand over the coffee mug. “Ah. Right. We don’t have the same issues as humans. We don’t carry diseases, and we can’t get pregnant as easily. When you’re ovulating, I’ll know immediately. I’ll scent it on you. Bears make a decision together whether or not to tempt fate during that season.”
“Season? Are you saying I won’t ovulate monthly anymore?” She sat up straighter. First enormous bonus to switching species.
He shook his head on a chuckle. “No, you won’t ovulate monthly anymore. Several times a year, but not twelve.”
“Damn. That’s nice.”
“I wouldn’t know.”
“But it’s super convenient that you don’t use condoms.”
He shrugged. “Again, never bought them myself.”
“Seriously? Never. You never needed them?”
He shrugged. “Some guys use them when they have a relationship with a human. It’s easier than explaining why they don’t need them, which is forbidden of course.”
“But you never have?”
He reached across the table, cupped the back of her head, and hauled her face close to his. “The first time I had sex with a human was yesterday.”
She gulped. Damn.
“And I’ve never slept with an ovulating bear shifter. Too risky.”
Her gaze widened. “Every few minutes I’m reminded that I’ve slipped into a different dimension.”
He frowned. “I hate for you to feel like that. Although shifters have a different background and unique abilities, I want you to realize that in many ways we’re exactly like humans. We’re often integrated in regular society. We have regular jobs and lead mostly normal lives.”
“Except you can talk to each other from a distance without cell phones, you don’t carry regular diseases, you have unimaginable sexual stamina, oh and let’s not forget your ability to shift into a huge animal.” Her voice rose as she finished. Her stress level was through the roof.
Isaiah squeezed her neck. “Babe, one day at a time. I’m right by your side. We’ll figure out the details together.”
She nodded. At least if she had to get scratched by a rogue bear shifter in the woods, someone ha
d shown up to sweep her off her feet and do his best by her. She shuddered to think what might have happened if Isaiah hadn’t arrived when he did and she’d been kidnapped by Jack Tarben.
Would he have bitten her and turned her into not only a bear but his mate?
On the other hand, perhaps if Isaiah and Wyatt hadn’t shown up when they did, none of this would have happened. Perhaps Jack only attacked her out of spite toward the Arthur family for stepping on his family’s land.
On the flip side, if Jack had been estranged from his family at the time he scratched her, maybe his intentions had nothing to do with geographical boundaries and everything to do with mental instability.
“I can hear your thoughts, baby,” Isaiah whispered, leaning closer until their faces were inches apart. “We can’t do anything about the past, and we may never know what would’ve happened if circumstances had been different. We have no choice but to focus on the future.”
At least he was coming around to a new way of thinking. Hopefully he was done blaming himself for Jack’s actions.
She nodded, inhaling deeply of his scent at such close proximity that she had to clench her thighs together again. If they hadn’t gotten dressed after their shower in order to eat like civilized people this morning, there was every chance she would swipe the dishes off the table and insist he fuck her again right there.
Chapter Thirteen
Isaiah grinned. He looked like he was about to act on her mental suggestion when suddenly the front door busted open. Cold air rushed across the room, and Isaiah released her neck to spin around. The door swung inward awkwardly on its hinges.
Heather screamed, scrambling out of her kitchen chair and backing up against the far wall. What the hell? When would her life be back to some semblance of normal?
Isaiah jumped to his feet, putting himself between her and the door. “What the fuck?”
“We need to get her out of here, Isaiah. We’re out of time. We need to leave. Now.”
She recognized the voice as the one in her head from earlier. Lawrence. Fear crawled up her spine, gripping her around the chest.
“Like hell. We had an agreement. She’s not hurting a soul. You were supposed to let her acclimate. I’m not letting you take her.”
“There’s no time to argue about this anymore, Isaiah. The time for that is past. Dozens of our kind are on the way here. They’ll be here in minutes. They’ll surround the house, and they won’t be as patient and kind as we have been. Let her go with us. Now.”
Isaiah backed up, reaching behind with one open palm.
She grabbed it and flattened herself against his back. She saw nothing, hidden nearly entirely from view.
“She’s not prepared to shift on demand and run long distances, Lawrence. She’s only shifted once so far. She has no experience.”
“We’ll take the SUV.”
A heartbeat of silence. “I swear to God if you’re lying to me…”
“I have no reason to lie. Now, let her go. For both your sakes. I’ll have her get in touch with you when we’re at a safe distance.”
“Like hell you will. No fucking way am I letting you take her without me. Are you high?”
Thank God. Heather’s adrenaline was pumping hard. At least he didn’t intend to send her away alone. She could feel the presence of others in the house now, and she eased to one side to peer around Isaiah. Four men. All in their sixties. All standing with their feet planted hard. Hiking boots. Cold-weather jackets. Jeans.
“You need to stay here,” Lawrence said to Isaiah. “Make a statement. Make it believable. Keep those who would wish her harm from following us.”
Isaiah chuckled sardonically. “You have lost your fucking minds.”
Lawrence gritted his teeth. “Isaiah, I’m warning you. If you want her to stay alive, you need to let us take her. Catch up later. I don’t care what you do, but she’s dead if she stays here. And if you don’t remain behind to talk these people down, they’ll continue to hunt her until they catch up. We’re outnumbered.
“They must have gathered from several provinces and converged to get here all at once. I can’t get a handle on how many there might be in the mob. But they’re angry. Furious. And dangerous. The vibe I’m feeling is ominous, Isaiah.”
Isaiah gripped her hand tighter.
She couldn’t breathe. But she did believe this man. God help her if she was wrong. But she believed him. “I’ll go.” She rounded Isaiah’s body and stood at her full height. “I’ll go,” she repeated louder. She yanked on her hand, but Isaiah didn’t release her.
She set her free hand on his chest. It was pounding. “We don’t have a choice, hon. If they’re right, you’ll never forgive yourself. These are your leaders. You need to trust them.”
He lowered his gaze to hers. His face was hard. Severe. Anxious. And filled with a love she never expected to feel from a man in her life.
If there was enough time, she would force him to claim her as his, right that second. Bind them for eternity. But there wasn’t time. He’d have to catch up and do it later. For now, she needed to trust these men and go with them.
She watched a piece of his heart shatter in his eyes as he released her hand. He wrapped an arm around her body, hauled her to his chest, and kissed her soundly. “Be fucking careful, baby. Please. I’ll be there as soon as I can put these idiots off.”
She nodded, wiggled out of his embrace, and rushed toward the open door. Two of the men ran with her. One of them jerked open the back door of an SUV and lifted her into it without a word. He slammed the door and climbed into the front seat.
The SUV sped away before she could grab her seatbelt. She turned around to look out the back window. The two men who’d been in the house were no longer in sight. In their space stood two giant grizzly bears. They were staying behind with Isaiah. That was a good sign.
For several minutes, neither man in the front seat spoke. They ignored her entirely while Lawrence drove and the passenger next to him twisted around to watch out every window. He grunted several times, but rarely said a word.
It took Heather a minute to realize he was communicating with Lawrence telepathically. And blocking her.
She said nothing, holding on to the door with one hand and gripping the seat next to her with the other. The SUV was moving fast. Too fast for the windy mountain roads. She assumed that the approaching mob was in bear form, but realized no one had specifically said that.
Finally, after about fifteen minutes, they emerged onto a highway and headed north. Lawrence slowed the SUV to a more reasonable pace, and his hands lost a little of their white-knuckled death grip on the steering wheel.
Heather exhaled slowly, closing her eyes and tipping her face toward her lap. She needed to focus and pay attention to her surroundings at all times. When she reached out with her mind, she couldn’t feel Isaiah, or anyone else for that matter, including the two men in the car with her.
The stranger in the passenger seat cleared his throat.
She lifted her face to find him twisted around to stare at her. “I’m Charles. We’ll have you someplace safer as fast as we can. Thank you for your trust.”
She nodded. No way was she going to fully let her guard down.
“I know you’re leery. Understandable. I can’t blame you. But I want you to know we mean you no harm. We’re just protecting our species. You understand.”
She nodded again.
“And I need to ask you a favor. It would help if you attempted to shut your mind down. Don’t reach out to anyone. Don’t try to make contact with a soul, including us.”
She lifted a brow, her fingers gripping the door tighter.
He shook his head. “Don’t misread me. I’m asking this of you for your protection. When you try to contact others, it leaves you open and vulnerable. We don’t want anyone to find us while we attempt to dispel the crowd and convince them their fears are unfounded.”
She pursed her lips, uncertain if she should trust this
man. Or anyone, for that matter.
He sighed. “Again, I understand your mistrust. I would feel the same in your shoes, but here are the facts. You’re a lone bear with no pack. That means you can’t communicate with anyone at a distance, not even Isaiah. The only shifters you could reach out to would have to be in close vicinity, and willing.” He narrowed his gaze.
“And you’re blocking me,” she added.
“We’re with the Arcadian Council. We block everyone. We have the power to do so. No being is permitted to see inside our psyche without permission.”
It made sense. “I see.”
“So every time you make an attempt, anyone in the area can feel it. It makes you vulnerable.”
It also keeps me from being potentially kidnapped by two strangers.
He chuckled, having read her thoughts. “Fair point. You’ll have to take our word for it, or we’ll be at risk every step of the way.”
“I’ll concede that point, for now. But in return I would appreciate if you’d give me updates on what’s happening. I’m at a distinct disadvantage.”
“Agreed.”
»»•««
Isaiah had never been more nervous in his life. The mate he should have already bound himself to was not only gone, but without the binding, he couldn’t contact her.
On top of everything else he needed to deal with, he now had dozens of bear shifters headed his way with probable thoughts of murder on their minds.
He stood on the front porch in human form, arms crossed, feet spread in a wide stance. The two members of the Arcadian Council who had stayed behind were Henry and George. They stood on the ground at the foot of his porch steps, each with a stance that matched his own. After a few minutes of scenting the area in bear form, the two of them had shifted to human.
It had shocked him when they didn’t get into the SUV with Heather but soothed him at the same time. If two were willing to stay behind and face this tense situation at his side, there was hope he had not been played.
“Three minutes out,” Henry stated. His abilities were more developed than Isaiah’s would ever be.
Grizzly Mountain (Arcadian Bears Book 1) Page 14
