Bearly Apart (Big Paw Security Book 5)

by Becca Fanning

  More pressing, however, were the large group of people assembled in the village center. I didn’t need to see their eyes to know that they were all Shifters: I could sense it. A hundred men, women and children all gathered together, looking at our truck.

  “Well, at least we know where everyone is,” Helmut said.

  This didn’t seem to improve his mood.

  “What’s going on?” I said.

  “Good question. Let’s go find out,” Sven said, opening his door and stepping out.

  We followed. As soon as I stepped out I was assaulted by the pungent smell of unease. It was a complicated smell coming from these Shifters. Not panic and not quite personal fear. It was more like a dread, like some storm was over the horizon and headed their way.

  Their body language matched their moods. I saw hunched shoulders. I saw people standing, not quite facing their leaders. Little things that normal humans overlooked in polite society: these things took on incredible meaning in Shifter Packs.

  Helmut stepped forward to embrace a man. I saw a family resemblance: a cousin perhaps.

  “It’s good to see you,” the man said. He was a bit older, but still handsome. His black hair was touched by thin streaks of gray.

  “And you, Uncle. It was a long few months away from home,” Helmut said, his eyes scanning the others around them. “We expected you at the train station.”

  “Aye, we would have been there. But there’s trouble,” he said. His golden eyes landed on me, “Is this your Grace?”

  “This is our Grace,” Sven said, emphasizing the word loudly.

  Helmut’s Uncle nodded, then sighed.

  “What’s the trouble?” Helmut said.

  “It’s Klaus and Kraven,” his Uncle said. “They’ve challenged you.”

  I saw a single vein throb in Helmut’s neck. “Openly?” he asked.

  “Yes, openly!” A man’s voice shouted from the other side of the group.

  The group of Shifters parted, and two men stood at the other end. They were both tall and blonde. Brothers. The older one had been the one who spoke. He held one eye nearly shut as he spoke. “We heard about your failure to find a…” His words died when he saw me.

  The younger brother looked nervously to his older sibling. “You said they failed!” he said quietly.

  “Shut up, you moron!” a high pitched voice said. Behind them, an old woman stood. Her white hair still grasped at a ghost of blondness. Her eyes found mine, burning with hatred.

  My hair went on end, my hackles rising. This woman meant me mortal harm. No words were exchanged, but her look spoke murder as surely as any words could. “Who is that?”

  “My name is Helga, you shmetleren whore,” she said casually.

  I didn’t know what that word meant, but the context was clear enough. I lurched forward, my body reacting to the threat. A huge hand landed on my chest. I looked over to see Sven.

  He shook his head gravely.

  “Is this your wish, Klaus? You challenge us for leadership of the Pack?” Helmut said, addressing the older brother.

  “We’re sick of your failures. Some desperate trick has brought you to bring back a shmetleren. We thought you’d have the sense to come back empty handed. Failed but pure of spirit,” Klaus said, looking over at me with disdain. “Instead you bring her. Fearing shame, you bring her weakness to our Pack.”

  “You can speak of weakness, but those are just words,” Sven said. He tore off his shirt, his black tribal tattoos moving over his body as he rolled his neck and shoulders. “I tire of words.”

  The younger brother, Kraven, bared his teeth and stepped towards Sven. I could tell he had a violent demeanor, an ease to his movement. He stopped short at a growl from Klaus.

  “The challenge has been made,” Helmut said calmly. “We accept your challenge. Sven will defend the honor of the Pack. We will meet you in the grove under the moon tonight.” Through gritted teeth he added, “Go in peace.”

  “You are a meddling tramp!” Helga yelled at me.

  “Enough!” Helmut’s uncle said. “You’ve got your wish, Helga. May the ancestors have mercy on you.”

  “You’ll be the one begging for mercy before this is done, Ezekel,” she said, turning to stomp away. Her sons followed her.

  “This was not the welcoming party we’d hoped for,” Helmut said.

  I shrugged, trying to play it off. In truth I was riding the knife edge between fight and flight. I didn’t understand the Shifter society, but I could understand the stakes easily enough. Adrenaline was pumping through my veins and I was ready for anything.

  “You did well,” Sven said, picking up his shirt. “Helga’s been cursed by jealousy her whole life. She thought this was her chance. She thought we’d show up without a Grace.”

  “She didn’t count on you,” Helmut said to me. “Yes, you did well.”

  Clarissa looked reassured. I could see her visibly relax, her shoulders releasing a certain tension. She was shaken, but she put on a brave face. That was such an important trait for a Grace.

  Most everyone else dispersed, small groups chattering back and forth. I felt bad for them: they deserved solid leadership, someone they could follow without second thought. I’d slipped up more than once, but I’d be damned if the Pack fell into Helga’s hands.

  I tried to get my own emotions under control. Sven was still on edge, ready to have the Challenge right here and now. But that was just his nature. He sensed a threat and wanted to end it. I didn’t deserve such a good man. “Let’s get ready for the feast.”

  “Feast?” Clarissa said. “We’re going to have a feast? Now?”

  “Of course,” Sven said. “Tradition says the whole village will have a feast in your honor tonight.”

  “But what about the challenge?” she asked.

  “That will be afterwards. No point dying on an empty stomach,” Sven said, grinning.

  Clarissa looked horrified. “What? You could die?”

  I shot Sven an angry look.

  His grin vanished. “No worries, Clarissa,” he said, leaning down to kiss her forehead. “It’s just an expression.” His eyes met mine.

  Clarissa relaxed. She wiped at her eyes and straightened her shirt. “A feast sounds lovely,” she said.

  “It tastes even lovelier!” Sven said, smiling. He bent down and scooped up his luggage and Clarissa’s. “This way,” he said.

  “I’ll be right behind you,” I said. I watched Sven and Clarissa head off toward our longhouse, the massive cabin that dominated the far end of the village.

  I walked over to where my Uncle leaned against a tree.

  “What a shit sandwich,” he said, sharpening a stick with a small pocket knife. “Didn’t help you bringing a human-born.” He shot me a look.

  I met his gaze. “She’s our Grace. It isn’t like it’s the first time we’ve had a human-born in a leadership position.”

  “None of us were alive the last time it happened,” he said, his knife sending another sliver of wood flying. “That family is dangerous. Helga is the real threat, but her sons are stupid enough to do whatever she asks.”

  “You don’t need to tell me,” I said.

  “And she still blames you for Luka,” he said, scratching his chin.

  “Luka had to be put down,” I said, my voice unwavering. I’d never had anything against her husband, but regular violence turned some Shifters into berserk madmen. Luka had faithfully served my father, but all the violence and killing had turned him feral. Rabid. “I had no choice.”

  “I know, boy,” he said, nodding. “Doesn’t mean much to her, though. She’s been waiting to pull this for years. She’ll go to great lengths to see her sons in power.”

  “Her husband serves her more in death than he ever did in life. Remember how much she hated him?” I sighed. “I have a favor to ask.”

  He stopped carving the stick and looked at me. “You think Sven could lose?”

  “I have every faith in my Seneschal
. I just can’t anticipate what Helga will do,” I said. “If things don’t go well, get Clarissa out of there. I’ll hold them off as long as I can.”

  “It will be done.” My uncle looked off into the woods, his eyes heavy with sadness. “These are dark times.”

  The sun was setting outside, casting an orangish glow throughout the wood cabin longhouse. The tall evergreens cast shadows through the floor to ceiling windows. Every surface was dark wood, including the forty foot table that ran down the length of the cabin. Behind the table a huge fireplace sat, small embers adding a nice warmth to the room.

  I sat at the center of the long table, waiting. Sven and Helmut had given me a crash course in how the evening would proceed, and what was expected of me. A part of me wanted to be overwhelmed, to surrender to the panic that threatened to overcome me. Everything was so new and so strange!

  “Are you ready?” Helmut called from the entrance.

  “Look at her. She’s more calm than we are!” Sven replied, flashing me a wide grin.

  “I’m ready. Just…just let me know if I make a mistake,” I said, wiping my hands in my lap. They were clammy. Sweaty. Not the best way to make a first impression.

  “Don’t fear a life of mistakes,” Helmut said from across the room. “Fear a life where you didn’t try.” Then he opened the large double doors.

  I could see a mob of people waiting outside. In a long line, running back through the village, they waited to be received. To honor me, their Grace. I fixed my eyes on the plate in front of me, admiring it’s grooves and scrollwork.

  I still didn’t understand why I was chosen. The words from Helga earlier gnawed at me. Did Helmut and Sven choose me out of desperation? To avoid the shame of failing their mission?

  “Clarissa?” Sven called from the door.

  I looked up and gasped. A man and his wife knelt in front of the table in front of me. How long had they been there? Fuck!

  “Umm…” I said, standing. “By the light of the moon, I see you. My gaze will never waiver. By the howls in the dark, I hear you. My ears will always listen.” I swallowed, growing more confident. “By the softly blowing wind, I smell you. I will never leave your side.”

  “We are honored to have you, Grace,” the couple intoned, then stood. Their faces were composed and polite. But not warm. Their uneasiness was evident as they took their seats at the far end of the table.

  Another family walked up to the table to kneel. This repeated itself dozens of times. Each face was the same: polite and cold. How you would react to a tourist. To an interloper.

  I was in such a whirlwind of emotions I didn’t realize it when Klaus, Kraven and Helga knelt before me. I could smell their disdain. Helmut and Sven stood to either side of me, their closeness giving me strength. I looked up at Helmut.

  His gorgeous eyes were hard, impenetrable. He nodded slightly.

  “By the light of the moon, I see you. My gaze will never waiver,” I said, making my voice carry over the whole room. “By the howls in the dark, I hear you. My ears will always listen.”

  Klaus shook his head slightly. It was a tiny flicker, something that would normally go unnoticed in human company. But this wasn’t normal human company.

  Sven’s fingertips tapped against the tabletop. I looked over and could see his hand grow darker, a patch of fur sprouting up just on that part. His fingernails became dark, long. His eyes were impartial and cool, but he was on the verge of exploding across the table.

  I reached over and intertwined my fingers with his. I felt him relax, massive tension released instantly. He rolled his shoulders and gave my hand a reaffirming squeeze.

  I directed my attention back at the three in front of me. “By the softly blowing wind, I smell you. I will never leave your side.”

  The two men muttered their responses. Helga made no pretense to. She smiled at me, but her eyes still burned with rage as she led her two boys to their spots at the table.

  I watched Helga and her two sons take their seats. I was impressed by how Clarissa kept cool despite their disrespectful actions. No matter their challenge to our leadership, the feast was the feast. None could be turned away, not even your mortal enemy.

  With everyone else seated, Clarissa, Sven and I took our seats at the center of the table.

  I watched Clarissa clean her fingernails. They were spotless, but she fidgeted anyway.

  “What’s wrong?” I said.

  “Nothing,” she said without looking at me.

  Women. Why was everything such a struggle? I caught Sven’s eyes over her head and he just gave a tiny shrug.

  “You did very well,” I said.

  “Would you tell me if I didn’t?” she said flatly.

  I swallowed. “I don’t know. Probably not. You’re going through a lot right now, and you’re handling it very well.”

  “I’m hungry. I haven’t eaten all day,” she said, making it clear she didn’t want to continue this conversation right now.

  The village cook, Jorgen, began bringing dishes out to the table. Roasts of every kind of meat, everything from honey glazed ham to tandoor spiced chicken. Baskets of warm fresh bread piped hot steam lazily, filling the room with a mouth watering yeasty smell.

  I looked down the table and saw Helga making small talk with other village members. Every few moments she’d glance over at us with curiosity.

  Clarissa reached out for a casserole dish of green beans. My hand shot out and grabbed her wrist.

  “Let me try that first, my Grace,” I said. I scooped a small helping of the green beans into my mouth. I let it sit on my tongue, absorbing the flavors and smells.

  Helga had always been a swamp crone, the kind of mystic who knew the special healing properties of herbs. Knowledge about poisons went hand in hand with that. I didn’t want to take any chances.

  I didn’t taste anything strange. I didn’t smell the subtle aromas of fungus or the astringency of hemlock. I scooped some onto Clarissa’s plate, ignoring the look she gave me.

  After we finished the feast, everyone stood and walked outside into the village square.

  “What’s going to happen now?” Clarissa said. “Is it time for the Challenge?”

  “Not yet,” Sven said, popping the end of a baguette into his mouth. “First, we have your first run with the Pack.”

  “I’m scared,” she said, her eyes tearing up.

  “Good, you should be scared,” I said. “It would be foolish not to be. The hardest thing is to let go, but that’s what you will have to do.”

  “But I’m already in the Pack!” she pleaded. “We did the whole ceremony!”

  “We are a people of two worlds. You’re right. We did the ceremony for the human side. But that still leaves the ceremony for the wolf side,” I said, my hand stroking her cheek softly. “You need to be strong.”

  “What if I don’t want to do it? What if I don’t want all…” She waved her hands around the vast hall. “All this?”