Christian took a step forward and made as if to touch her arm, but she moved away from him.
“But you do have a choice, Harper. Isn’t that right, Rocco?” She snapped her head around to Rocco again and was startled to see guilt flash in his eyes.
“Rocco? What is he saying?” Rocco let off a growl.
“He’s referring to an old shifter law that says that matings can be annulled after three months, if either party is unhappy,” he said, spitting the words out through his teeth. Harper was quiet, counting on her fingers. It was 89 days since she’d had the mating ceremony.
“And how come you two know this and I don’t?”
“I would’ve told you if you seemed unhappy,” Rocco said.
“Harper, come back home,” Christian interrupted. “You’ve tried living in Broken Hill for 90 days. The clan will be very grateful to you for trying, and for making closer links with the Broken Hill Bears. Now come back to where you belong. Live your future with me, and don’t go walking back into the past. Nothing good will come of it.”
Harper looked from one to the other. Nothing good will come of it, she repeated to herself. That sounded eerily like a prophecy. Which was a coincidence, as the original prophecy had been playing on her mind a lot.
“I need a moment. Alone with Rocco,” she said, and she took Rocco’s arm and pulled him into the cabin with her.
“How do you know that the prophecy is no longer valid?” she demanded.
“Huh?”
“I mean, what makes you think that once the danger with my mom passed, it’s okay for us to be together? Maybe the prophecy lasts for all time and we can never be together?”
“It’s obvious, Harper.”
“Is it? I thought you said the Oracle doesn’t speak in regular sentences. Did she categorically say we couldn’t be together until the danger had passed?” Rocco rubbed the back of his head, his eyes full of guilt.
“I guess not.” He said. Harper let off a snarl of exasperation. Then she marched through the cabin and grabbed her car keys from the bowl in the hallway.
“Where is this Oracle?” she demanded.
“Harper, you can’t –”
“Can’t what?”
“I mean, I think you need to make an appointment or something.”
“I guess I’ll find out,” she snapped. “Now tell me which mountain she lives on.” Reluctantly, Rocco took her phone from her and dropped a pin on the spot.
“Right here. You just go all the way up the winding path and she’s at the top. Don’t get freaked out when you see her though.” Harper snatched it back and stormed outside.
“I’m going to speak to the Oracle. You two better not kill each other while I’m gone. Rocco, I want you to stay at home, and maybe you can find a place for Christian to stay till I get back. After all I’ve been through, do you think you can do that for me?” Both men looked like they wanted to protest, but instead, they nodded obediently.
Harper got into her car and drove off in the direction of the Oracle’s mountain. Her thoughts were all over the place. She hadn’t thought about Christian for a while, not since she and Rocco had officially got back together. But she had missed him before that, and she was full of guilt at having to break up with him.
“Let’s see what the Oracle has to say,” she muttered grimly as she parked the car, locked the door and began the hike up the mountain. A hundred yards in, she paused to shift, knowing she’d be around three times as fast in her bear form. Carrying her clothes in her mouth, she covered the distance in around 20 minutes, and only stopped to shift back when she picked up a faint scent of incense and burnt herbs.
She climbed the remainder of the narrow, steep track on all fours, and at last, the mouth of a cave came into view, although it was so small that it looked more like a crack in the rocks. A moment later, a head appeared in the crack, small, wizened, and covered in pure white hair.
“Hello there, ma’am. I mean, Oracle,” Harper called uncertainly.
“Yes?” came a creaky voice in reply.
“I was hoping that you could tell me my future.” The figure came out into the light, and Harper was startled to see that her eyes were milky white, and her cheeks so sunken that she could make out the shape of her skull beneath her skin.
“The Oracle does not predict the future, child!” the old woman boomed. “She only transmits the words of the fates.”
“Oh, yes. That’s what I meant,” Harper babbled, and then she launched into her story. The Oracle was silent for so long that Harper thought she’d fallen asleep, but then she began to speak.
“Yes, I remember that young man. His prophecy caused him a lot of pain. But the fates are bringing me a message now.” She fell silent again, and her eyes rolled right back in her head. Harper suppressed a sound of surprise, and stood firm, clenching and unclenching her fists.
“Be with whoever your heart desires. Your lives will be long and happy,” she said at last. Harper’s mouth fell open.
“So, it’s okay? I can be with Rocco if I want?”
“Young lady, I do not interpret the words of the fates. I have made my pronouncement. That is all.”
“Okay. I understand. Thank you,” Harper said, and, because the Oracle was looking at her very pointedly, she rummaged in her pockets and gave her some money.
“Good luck, child,” the old woman muttered and returned to her cave.
Half way down the mountain, Harper paused and let off a roar of triumph. The danger has gone. I can be with Rocco if I want. Or I can be with Christian. She said we’d be happy – whoever ‘we’ is. And as the reality of the Oracle’s words sunk in, she realized that she hadn’t been truly happy that much in her life. The last few weeks with Rocco had been beautiful, idyllic. But before that, she’d mostly been driven by forces outside of her control. That’s going to change very soon, she told herself firmly. But which man should I be with? I love Rocco, but I loved Christian too. And what if he’s right when he says that I should move forward and not return to something from my past?
As she reached the bottom of the mountain and approached the car, there was a very familiar, tall figure leaning against it, arms crossed and hair ruffled by the breeze.
“Rocco! What are you doing here?” she exclaimed, running the last part of the track. “I told you guys to wait for me at home!” He pulled his aviators off, and his sexy green eyes sparkled with mischief.
“I’ve never really been one to follow the rules, Harper. And I’m not about to lose you without a fight,” he said, his voice deep with passion. Despite herself, she grinned back at him. His casual approach to rules was one of the things she’d always loved about him, as much as it infuriated her sometimes. “What did the Oracle say?” Harper bit her lip, unsure whether to be open with him.
“She said it was my choice,” she said at last. Rocco let out a shout and lifted her right off the ground.
“That’s great! That means that the danger has passed, right?”
“I guess so.” She wriggled out of his grasp.
“So we can be together!” She stared at him and bit her lip.
“Harper?”
“This whole time you’ve known about the 90-day annulment law, but you said nothing,” she said flatly.
“I would have told you about it if things were going badly between us. I swear.” She arched an eyebrow.
“Really?”
“Of course. This whole time, knowing that you hate me has been eating me up inside. I would never have forced you to stay with me if things hadn’t improved. But I also knew that if you were aware of this law, then you wouldn’t have put effort into making things work.” Harper let off a snarl.
“And how do you know that, Rocco Silvester? Don’t you think I would have continued to put the future of my clan ahead of my own needs? Just like I always have?” Guilt flashed in his eyes and he took a step back.
“You’re right. I should’ve told you.”
“Damn right
you should have.”
“I’m sorry. Please believe I did it for the right reasons, even if it turned out to be the wrong decision.” She softened a little, knowing he was being honest.
“I know it will make things difficult for the clan if our mating gets annulled,” she said.
“Harper – please know that you’re free to choose which one of us you want to spend your life with. If you choose him, I won’t try to talk you out of it. But I can’t bear the thought of losing you twice. I love you so much. And if you choose to be with me, I’ll do everything within my power to make you the happiest bear in the world.” His voice cracked as he finished speaking, and moved Harper to pity. More than anything, she wanted to put her arms around him and take his pain away. But her heart was so divided.
“Where’s Christian?” she said instead.
“At our place. I told him he could hang out in the living room.”
“What? Why?”
“I want to win you fair and square, Harper. No cheating. No deceit. I want you to pick whoever will make you most happy. This is about you now. Forget the clans, and make your own choice.”
“You really mean this, don’t you?”
“I do.”
“I need to go away for a few days. I’ll go back to the house, pack some things and leave.” Rocco nodded.
“Of course you do.”
Harper let herself into her car and, without a backward glance at Rocco, drove away, leaving his heart in tatters.
16
Rocco waited until Harper was out of sight, and then he followed her on his bike, unwilling to leave her alone in the cabin with Christian. Then the two men sat on opposite ends of the porch, watching as she put her overnight bag in the car and drove off.
“I’m not going to Pine Bluff. I’m going to go stay with a friend for a few days. And if either of you come looking for me, there’ll be all hell to pay!” was her parting comment.
Of course they fought when she was gone. Whatever their intentions, their possessive impulses were too strong to contain. Christian threw the first punch, but Rocco was quick to follow him, and they had an almighty scrap, that had several clan members running over to see what was happening.
Christian was powerfully built and was also a wrestler, but Rocco had the edge on him all the way through. He was faster, more agile, better at predicting his opponent’s moves. It was a vicious, bloodthirsty fight, and Christian kept trying to shift, but Rocco held him back, knowing that in their bear forms, they’d likely fight to the death. I miss this, he thought, as he pinned Christian down one final time and held him in a lock until he admitted defeat.
“The great Rocco Silvester,” Christian snarled, getting to his feet and wiping blood out of his eyes. “Your Broken Hill genes are, as always, unmatched. But you’re not having her. I know Harper. She’ll know that I’m the better man.”
“You don’t know the half of it,” Rocco spat, glaring at him. Christian had no idea that he’d fought with only half his strength, or of the pain he’d been through after losing Harper.
Christian said he had no intention of returning to Pine Bluff until he’d heard from Harper, and Rocco grudgingly said he could stay in the forest just outside Broken Hill territory – he’d tell the clan not to kill him if they found him there – and they parted ways.
Early the next day, Rocco knocked on Xander’s door.
“I’m ready to fight again,” he said simply. Xander gave a shout of pleasure and clapped him on the back.
“I’m proud of you, bro,” he said.
For the next two days, Rocco trained non-stop. He’d learned so much from Harper since they’d been mated, and in the last few days, he’d had an important realization: if she chose him, it would make him the happiest bear in the world. But if she didn’t, it wasn’t an excuse to fall apart. Harper was the strongest person he knew. She’d endured so much heartbreak, but she still went on, being the generous person she was, looking after other people. He was going to do the same, and whatever decision Harper made, he wanted her to be proud of him. He was no longer an idiotic bad-boy teen. He was a grown shifter, and a Broken Hill Bear, and he was going to show everyone that he was an undefeatable fighter.
There was a fight scheduled with the Black Paw Ridge clan in a couple of days’ time. Xander was fighting, of course, but there had been nervous whispers around the territory because they only had one fighter from the ruling family, while the Black Paws had three or four. That’s not going to happen, Rocco told himself. He wasn’t going to leave Xander and Braxton and Ryker to take down the enemy by themselves. He was going to bear up and fight their strongest fighter himself.
“Are you sure, Rocco?” Xander asked. “It’s likely to be Trajan, or someone like him, and he’s got a good eight years on you. I don’t want to see you crushed. You’ve only just started fighting in the adult arena.”
“I’m ready,” he replied. “It’s time I stepped up to the plate and made you all proud of me.”
The Broken Hill Bears were fighting in what they called their home arena – which was two hours away from their territory – and it was packed to the rafters, with a whole bunch of humans waiting outside, hoping to squeeze in somehow. A fight between the Broken Hill Bears and Black Paw Ridge Bears was the most popular of all shifter matches, and the fans went crazy for them.
As Rocco got changed and warmed up for the fight, he felt no nerves at all at the prospect of fighting an older, more experienced bear. Whenever a flicker of uncertainty entered his mind, he thought about Harper and he was calm again. He hadn’t heard from her all week, which had almost killed him, but he knew he had to be patient. He wished so badly that she was there to see him fight as an adult, but he knew that her presence would be with him. If he won, he’d owe it to her, and if he lost, he’d know that he’d given it his best shot, and that’s all that mattered.
At last his theme tune started to play and the yells and whoops that accompanied him as he strutted through the tunnel leading to the ring encouraged him. He’d been away from fighting for a long time, and the fans had missed him. He bounced around the ring, bellowing the obligatory boasts and threats while he waited for his opponent to be announced. As a familiar song began to play, his bear gave a long, threatening growl, and a moment later, Trajan appeared in the tunnel. As the huge, ugly shifter leapt over the ropes and hurled himself into the ring, Rocco forced himself to stand firm and think of Harper. She’d taught him that mental strength is everything. And he told himself that he might be younger, less bulky and less experienced than Trajan, but he could beat him with the power of his mind.
As the crowd’s excitement reached fever pitch, the starting bell rang.
The first round was hard. Rocco felt like he was fighting a brick wall. None of his punches seemed to do any damage, while a vicious left hook from Trajan had left his head ringing.
“You need to rely on your speed, your agility. Make him fight you on your own terms,” Xander said, pressing a cold sponge on the back of his neck as he sat down in his corner.
As the bell for the next round went, he darted forward and attacked Trajan with an uppercut that jerked his head back. The audience cheered, while the older bear let off a snarl of barely contained rage. After that, things became brutal.
“You’re doing well. Hang in there,” Xander said at the end of each round, but Rocco saw concern in his eyes, and knew he was blaming himself for letting his kid brother fight such a vicious opponent. By the end of the ninth round, Rocco was suffering. He was bleeding from a cut above his eyebrow, his nose was a mess and his vision was blurred. He staggered over to his corner and sat heavily on his stool, resting his head in his hands, ashamed that his resolution was failing him. And then he heard a sound that electrified every nerve in his body.
“You can do it, Rocco. You’re my hero,” a strong, sexy voice said from behind him. He spun around.
“Harper!” he exclaimed, and then his throat constricted with the weight of the que
stion he wanted to ask her, and he couldn’t say anything else. She looked more beautiful than ever, her skin glowing and her eyes sparkling.
“I wasn’t going to miss your biggest ever fight, Rocco,” she said. “And, in case you were wondering – it’s a yes!” He let off a gasp, and his heart thudded in excitement. He opened his mouth to reply, and just then, the bell rang. “Go get ’em, mate!” Harper yelled. Trajan roared, and he leapt to his feet just in time to fend off a fierce jab.
She’s mine. She’s really mine! he thought and his bear purred. After that, he gave it all he got, his crushing in the previous rounds forgotten. At last, he could see that Trajan was tiring, becoming slower on his feet, worn out by Rocco’s fast footwork. Toward the end of the round, Rocco caught him a right hook that made him stumble, and, before he had time to recover, he body slammed him, pinning him to the ground in a chokehold. The huge bear struggled and struggled, but he couldn’t regain his footing. The count started, and by ten, Trajan hadn’t managed to get up. He growled and snarled, and his claws burst out and scraped at Rocco’s arms, but he was beaten. The referee announced Rocco as the winner, and the audience screamed loud enough to deafen everyone within a five-mile radius.
Just then, Harper hurtled onto the stage, and threw herself at him.
“You beat him, Rocco! You really did it! I’m so proud of you!” she yelled, her face a picture of joy and pride. He held her up high, as if she was a trophy, both of them laughing, and then he led her out of the ring quickly, desperate to speak to her alone.
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Bear Cuffs: Bear Shifter Romance (Broken Hill Bears Book 3) Page 11
