by Unknown
Sonya took a deep breath and looked up at him. There was steely resolve in her eyes now. “Caleb, I appreciate your hospitality and everything you’ve done so far… but I need to leave. Last night was a mistake that I can’t afford to make again. It’s time I find a place of my own.” There was the barest hint of fear in her scent, but it didn’t show in her voice or body language.
“Why?” Caleb was starting to get frustrated; he didn’t understand why she was being so difficult. “Sonya, it’s clear to me that you believe yourself to be in some kind of danger. You need to be with a clan, or at least some kind of group that can offer you protection. If you don’t want to stay with me, then at least stay at the firehouse. It’s manned by were-bears 24/7, and most of them aren’t creepy lugs like this guy here.” He jabbed his thumb in Rick’s direction.
Rick rolled his eyes. “Cay’s the biggest creep out of all of us.” He grabbed a pancake from the platter and took a big bite out of it. “Makes good food though.”
Their attempt at humor didn’t work. If anything, Sonya seemed even more agitated. “Look guys, I know you just want to help, but trust me… it needs to be this way. You have to let me go.” She pushed her plate away, only half-eaten, and Caleb saw how anxious she really was about this; a were-bear her age and health would normally have finished the entire thing plus asked for seconds.
“Oh, alright.” Caleb pushed a hand through his hair, struggling with the urge to yank out a handful. “At least let me give you a ride, though.” He held up a hand as she began to protest. “At this rate, you’re going to be late if you don’t let me.’
“Okay.”
Chapter Eight
Sonya fought to keep her chin up and her body from trembling as she stood outside Shakey’s Convenience Store, listening to the roar of Caleb’s truck as it drove away. She was truly on her own now, out in the open without any protection save her own teeth and claws.
Stop sniveling like a wimp. You’re a were-bear, not some weak human woman.
Firming her shoulders, she tightened her grip on her bag and walked into the store.
“Sonya!” Stan, her boss, hurried over from behind the counter. “Oh thank God you’re okay.” She squeaked in surprise as he enveloped her in a big hug, lifting her feet off the ground. “I heard all about your house fire this morning and was terrified that you were hurt or worse. I’ve been calling you all morning.” He put her down then held her at arms-length to inspect her. “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine, Stan.” Sonya smiled warmly, relief making her heart lighter. So Stan wasn’t planning on firing her after all. “I’m sorry I didn’t get your calls; my phone was lost in the fire. You didn’t need to worry about whether or not I was coming in though. I would have gotten here no matter what.”
“Oh, please.” Stan waved his hand in the air. “I wasn’t worrying about whether or not your shift would be covered, I was worrying about your life! Are you sure you should be here today? Don’t you have insurance adjusters and police officers you should be dealing with?”
Sonya shook her head. “Please, Stan, just let me run the register this afternoon. I need to feel normal. I can worry about all that other stuff tomorrow.” If the fire department or the cops needed to talk to her, they knew where to find her.
“Oh alright.” He eyed her for a moment. “I’m guessing you lost all your uniforms in the fire?”
Sonya nodded, hefting the plastic shopping bags in her right hand. “This is all I own now.”
“Go grab a spare one in the back then, and get to work.”
Sonya finished ringing up another customer, then leaned her elbow on the counter and watched the woman walk out the door. She’d been the fifth customer all afternoon; business had been slow today. Sonya had cleaned the front entrance until it sparkled, then cleaned it again, but no matter how many menial tasks she forced herself to do, she still couldn’t make herself stop thinking about the fire and her situation with Damien.
The more she thought about it, the more it sounded like the easiest thing to do would be to just go to Damien now. That way she’d be able to use the little money she had in the bank to pay Caleb back, and she wouldn’t be using it all on room and board at a seedy motel. Not to mention that Damien would likely welcome her with open arms; he would gloat over the fact that she had to come crawling to him for support and protection before their mating ceremony.
Oh, how I wish I could just tear his throat out, she thought, viciously wringing the rag clutched in her hands.
The bells on the door jangled and she looked up, hoping it was a slew of customers. Her face paled as she realized it was the same two Blackwater bears who’d come to deliver the letter yesterday.
“Can I help you?” She straightened her back, keeping her voice even as she confronted the two men. She was a Riverwalker, and Riverwalkers didn’t back down from anyone.
One of the bears grabbed a Twinkie from one of the black metal racks. He ripped off the plastic wrap and tossed it to the newly cleaned floor. She growled at him, and he responded by taking another Twinkie and shoving it into his back pocket.
“We heard your house burned down yesterday,” the other one said, ignoring his partner, who was shoving an entire yellow cake into his mouth. “Damien wants to offer his sincere condolences.”
A chill ran down Sonya’s spine. So he already knew. She gave the two bears a frosty look. “Tell him I appreciate the sentiment and that I will see him in a few days. Now leave.” She turned away, pretending to organize the cigarette display case on the wall behind the counter.
A fist grabbed her ponytail and yanked her back. Pain exploded through her skull as the back of her head slammed against the face of the counter. “No one turns their back on the Blackwater clan,” Twinkie bear snarled at her, the side of his mouth flecked with white cream. “Nobody.”
Sonya spat in Twinkie bear’s face. He roared and slapped her, knocking her head sideways so her opposite cheek slapped against the counter.
“What the hell is going on here?” Stan yelled. Sonya lifted her head to see him rush out from the back office, a rifle in hand. “I told you two bastards never to come back in here—“
“Stan, no!” Sonya yelled, but it was too late. The other bear was across the room before Stan had a chance to aim the barrel. He knocked Stan backwards with a swipe of the arm, sending him crashing into a wall. Metal shelving rained down to the ground, spilling snacks everywhere. Stan slumped to the ground, his head lolling to the side—he was out cold.
“You bitch-whore,” Twinkie bear hissed, yanking her head back down to the counter. He leaned in, burying his head against the crook of her shoulder to take a deep whiff. “Did you think we wouldn’t be keeping tabs on you? We saw that fuckhead Caleb drop you off this morning. I can smell him on your skin. How long have you been fucking him?”
Sonya dropped all her weight to the ground, forcing Twinkie bear to release her. All of her previous thoughts about giving herself up to Damien flew straight out of her head; there was no way she was going anywhere with these fucktards. She sprang up again to face him, her fist flying as she landed a good punch right to his nose. Twinkie bear staggered back with a roar, but before she could spring across the counter to get another shot, the other bear grabbed her from behind, pulling her tight against his chest.
“Let me go!” Sonya lashed out, slamming her heels against his shins, but he pressed the inside of his forearm against her trachea, cutting off her airflow.
“Damien doesn’t trust you on your own anymore,” he murmured into Sonya’s ear as she choked and sputtered in his arms. “He’s ordered us to bring you in as intact as possible, where you’ll be kept under strict supervision until it’s time for you to mate.” He eased up on his chokehold slightly. “I suggest you come quietly. You know the price of resistance.”
The door flew open then and Caleb charged through it, Rick and a female were-bear close behind him. Before Sonya could blink, Caleb had hauled Twinkie bear up a
nd held a knife to his throat. “Let her go, Wilson,” he growled, “or Tom’s a dead bear.”
Wilson, as Sonya now knew him, tightened his grip on her as he let out a growl of his own. “You would kill one of your own?” he demanded. “A Blackwater clan member?”
Rick laughed bitterly as he stepped forward. “Don’t play that card with us. You damn well know Damien doesn’t consider us one of his, so why should we consider you as one of ours? We don’t owe any loyalty to you. Now let the were-bear go, and get the fuck out of here before we slaughter you all.”
Wilson released Sonya then walked around the counter, his steps slow and methodical. “Damien will hear about this,” he warned, stopping in front of Caleb. “There will be war.”
Caleb released Tom and stepped back, shoving the bleeding bear into Wilson’s arms. “I welcome it. Now take your trash and go.”
* * *
Sonya and Caleb drove in complete silence for several minutes. She stared out the windshield, keeping her eyes on the double yellow lines on the center of the road, trying not to think too much about what had just happened and failing miserably.
She’d crumpled to the floor in a heap once the two Blackwater bears were gone, all her adrenaline leaving her in a rush, replaced by an exhaustion so profound that her limbs had turned to water. Caleb had rushed over to her, kneeling down and running his hands over her body to inspect her for injuries. There had been anger in his eyes as his fingers found the lump on the back of her head, and he’d been utterly livid as he’d eyed the bruises on her cheeks.
Rick and Ayla – the were-bear firefighter – had immediately gone to check on Stan. Worried that he’d had a concussion, they’d loaded him up into Ayla’s car and were driving him to the hospital now. Sonya had wanted to go with them, but Caleb had adamantly refused, telling her that she was going straight to safety.
It’s probably for the best, Sonya thought, suppressing a sigh. She was a walking target at this point.
“Where are we going?” she finally asked, noticing that Caleb wasn’t taking the route that led back to his house.
Caleb glanced sideways. “I’m taking you someplace Damien won’t be able to find you.”
Sonya raised an eyebrow. “A safe house? How far away is it?”
“About an hour away, in the mountains.” Caleb returned his eyes to the road again. “I’ll have two of my bears with you at all times.”
Chapter Nine
Sonya’s fists tightened in her lap as a vision of herself trapped under guard in a log cabin flashed through her mind. She could clearly see herself pacing the wooden floors, going out of her mind with boredom, while two of Caleb’s bears stood guard outside.
“Turn around,” Sonya said through gritted teeth.
“What?”
“I said turn around!” She slammed her hands against the dash. Large cracks spider webbed out from beneath her palms, but she didn’t care. “You’re not locking me up in a fucking safe house!”
Caleb turned the wheel sharply, driving them off the road and onto the shoulder. He slammed on the breaks and Sonya jolted forward, the seatbelt cutting sharply into her collarbone. If she’d been human, that would’ve bruised. “And why,” he asked, voice deadly calm, “don’t you want to go to the safe house?”
“Because I’m tired of hiding from my fate like a sniveling coward,” she said, bitterness rising up from her throat to coat her tongue with its foul, acrid taste. “I should just turn myself in to Damien and end all this.”
“Are you out of your fucking mind?” Caleb looked at her as though she’d grown a second head. “Do you have any idea what Damien Blackthorn does to people he hates? He’ll tear you apart.”
Sonya laughed harshly. “I wish Damien hated me. It would make my life so much easier. Unfortunately, the bastard actually seems to like me, and I can’t get him to leave me alone.”
“What do you mean?” Caleb’s scowl deepened.
“He’s staked a mating claim on me and intends to fulfill it by the end of this week.” Sonya yanked open the door and hopped out. “Maybe if I walk fast enough, I’ll actually make it there on time.” She slammed the door and stalked off through the tall grass, heading for the trees. She knew if she cut through the patch of forest ahead she’d get there quicker.
“Wait!” Caleb’s footfalls sounded behind her, gravel spraying out from beneath his boots. He grabbed her by the arm. “You’re going to mate with Caleb?”
“Yes.”
“Why?” Caleb was thunderstruck. “Sonya, you don’t have to—you can’t,” he said firmly, dragging her back. “I won’t let you.”
“He’s going to kill my parents!” Sonya screamed. A flock of birds erupted from the trees behind her at the sound, rushing away in a flurry of wings. She yanked her wrist out of his grip. “If I don’t do this, he’ll kill them.” Tears started streaming down her cheeks, hot and salty. “I don’t have a choice.”
Caleb stared at her for a long moment, his expression stone cold. Sonya braced herself, sure he was going to yell at her. But the next thing she knew, he’d gathered her up in his arms, one hand around her middle, the other in her hair. She buried her face in the crook of his neck, soaking up his warmth and scent as she started to shake uncontrollably.
“Shhh.” He rubbed her back gently. “It’s okay.”
“I’m so scared, Caleb,” she cried, holding onto him like a lifeline. “I don’t want them to die. I wish I could just be left alone!”
“I know, baby.” He pulled back and framed her face in his hands, tilting her head up toward him. “I know.” He kissed the tear tracks on her cheeks, then kissed her lips. Something inside her relaxed at the sensation of his salty lips against her own, and the anxiety slowly began to uncoil in her belly. “I’ll help you figure this out, I promise. But you have to get back in the car with me.”
“Okay.” She took his hands into her own, looking down at them. So much larger than mine, she thought, rubbing the pads of her thumbs against the calluses on his palms. “Okay.”
* * *
“Wow.” Sonya sat forward in her seat as the safe house came into view. “This is nicer than I thought it would be.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Caleb gave her a crooked grin, secretly relieved that she was finally starting to warm up a bit. They’d both been silent during the car ride, the tension in the car thicker than a slice of cold bread pudding. Caleb’s head was buzzing with questions, but he knew better than to ask Sonya about it now while her eyes were darting every which way along the road, looking out for trouble. He’d wait until she was relatively safe and comfortable before he finally got to the bottom of all this.
They pulled up the short gravel drive in front of the log cabin, a two-story house with a porch by the front door and a balcony just beneath the gable roof. Two figures rose from the porch chairs as Caleb killed the engine, and he laid a hand on Sonya’s shoulder to soothe her.
“James and David,” he explained, scenting her anxiety. “They’re mine.”
“Alright.” Sonya’s eyes swept around the clearing and Caleb sighed, wishing he could take away her paranoia and yet knowing it was completely justified.
Caleb exited the car then came around and helped Sonya down. “Hey boss.” David trotted down the porch steps toward them, James in tow. “We got here just a few minutes ahead of you. Swept the place for any intruders or lurkers and it came up clean.”
“Great.”
“Nice to finally meet the lady.” James tipped the brim of his black Stetson to Sonya, who smiled. He was, as usual when not on the job, dressed like a cowboy in a black button-down shirt, wide brown belt with ornate silver buckle, jeans, and cowboy boots the same color as his hat.
“Sonya, this is James Farnsworth and David McCaffey,” Caleb introduced them. “Two of my best firefighters. I’ve known and worked with them for a long time.” He put an arm around David’s shoulder. “This crazy bastard and I just went into a house together yesterd
ay.”
“Crazy?” David laughed. “Only because I actually followed you in there. We went in to rescue a lost dog.”
Caleb scoffed. “It was totally worth the look on Mrs. Smith’s and little Ashley’s faces when I brought him back out.”
“I remember that fire!” Sonya’s eyes were wide. “I walked right by it on my way home from work yesterday.”
“No kidding?” James shook his head. “It really is a small world, especially in this town.”
Sonya looked as though she’d barely heard him; her eyes were glued to Caleb. “That must mean that you’d only just finished up with that fire before you had to head over to mine,” she said quietly, her eyes turning down.
“It’s part of the job.” Caleb placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, trying to ease the burden of guilt he knew she felt there. “And I was happy to do it.”
They all retreated to the safety of the house and did another sweep to make sure no Blackwater clan members – or anyone else – was lurking about. They rarely used the house, but Caleb had found a squatter in here once, and he didn’t want to wake up in the morning to find himself sharing a bed with a homeless vagrant.
“All clear, boss,” James shouted from the kitchen as Caleb and Sonya headed back down the stairs.
“Place is cleaner than my granny’s kitchen counters,” David added. He was leaning against the kitchen counter, eyeing the fridge longingly. “There’s no one here.”
“Hungry much?” James teased, but his own stomach rumbled before David could retort. They all laughed.
“Might be a good idea for one of you boys to go out and grab some food and supplies,” Caleb suggested.
“I’ll go,” David said, fishing a set of keys out of the pocket of his leather jacket. “You can reach me on my cell if you need anything, boss.”
“Can you go hang out on the porch and keep a look out?” Caleb asked James as David headed for the door. “I want eyes outside at all times.”
