Illicit Passions

by Crystal Jordan

  He was also the wolf clan Alpha.

  The realization still made him break into a cold sweat. He hadn’t expected to have the title for several decades. He’d always assumed his dad would die in harness, eschewing retirement to remain in power. But the world had turned ass over end in the last five weeks, and nothing was as it used to be. Nor would it ever go back. Welcome to the new normal.

  The new normal in which Tori had left him. The blistering voicemail he’d received the night of the press conference allowed little doubt as to why. He hadn’t believed that she could free herself, hadn’t listened to her and had fucked every werekind over because of it. His actions were unforgiveable. She was done with him.

  End of story.

  All of his calls had been unreturned. She refused to speak to him. Which was why, after three long weeks of trying to sort out the aftermath of the big reveal, he was driving the battered Impala up a backwoods mountain highway in Colorado. Bastian took a deep breath and did what he could to quell the trepidation and anger that surged in his gut.

  The only way he’d known where to find her was that she’d called his secretary to arrange for her car to be transported to her parents’ house. She wasn’t speaking to him, but she cared about getting her fucking car back. He’d had his assistant tell Tori that the wolf clan would have someone drive the vehicle over. That someone was Bastian. Tori just didn’t know that yet.

  A part of him still couldn’t believe she didn’t understand his actions, didn’t understand how desperately he’d needed her to be safe. Didn’t see that he’d do anything for her.

  The explosion that press conference had started was still sending shockwaves through the human and shifter worlds, but he could only deal with one catastrophe at a time.

  “Honeybird Drive,” he murmured, braking for the turn off Highway 82. He’d left Aspen behind miles ago and had entered bum-fuck nowhere territory about an hour before. This road was unpaved, littered with large rocks, pitted with potholes, and made his teeth clack together with each jolt of the wheels.

  According to the map, he had about five miles left until he was face to face with his mate for the first time in three long, excruciating weeks. He swallowed hard and accelerated up the road. For all he knew, Tori had been hoping the Wolf Council would kill him, which would certainly end her inconvenient mating problem.

  Though he’d fully expected to have the Wolf Council turn their backs on him—on his entire family—they hadn’t. He’d prepared his mother and younger brothers to flee wolf territory, just in case the Council handed down a death edict. At the very least, he’d expected banishment. If it was death, Bastian was determined that it was only his father and he who would pay the price for their actions. At the time, he’d been grateful that Tori wasn’t there.

  Fortunately, Michael had already convinced just enough members of the Wolf Council that werekind exposure was inevitable that the vote had gone the Lykaios family’s way. Mostly. The Council had demanded Michael’s retirement as Alpha and condemned his actions, banishing him from clan land for the remainder of his life. If he didn’t obey this edict, the sentence was turned to one of death. Bastian had scrambled to call in personal and family favors, so now Michael and Miranda were settling down in dolphin territory in Florida.

  The Council had held only Michael and Hector responsible for the information leaks that led to shifters being outed. Hector was also permanently banished from wolf lands, though that was far less drastic than what happened to Michael. Frankly, Bastian had never known the Council to be so lenient. To their minds, Bastian had made the best of a bad situation, but he wasn’t at the root of the problem so he wasn’t punished. They had confirmed his right to ascend to clan Alpha.

  Even several weeks later, he still couldn’t believe it. The reality was so jarringly different from what he’d expected. He shook his head, blowing out a breath. His family was safe for the moment, but the crisis had only just begun for shifters.

  And Bastian wanted his mate at his side, if he had to be the one dealing with humans’ reaction to werekind while his father got to kick back on a beach in Miami. Not an entirely fair assessment, but Bastian wasn’t inclined to be reasonable about his father right now.

  Then he reached the final turn. “Chimera Lane. Go straight for two miles, destination on the right.”

  Unlike the road off the highway, this one was wide and smooth. Both were on Haida property. Bastian chuckled. Someone didn’t want visitors. It seemed like just the kind of thing Tori would do to discourage anyone from finding her home—annoy the shit out of them until they went away.

  When he finally reached the top of the rise and a sprawling house came into view, he braked to a stop and took in his surroundings. Drawing a deep breath, he smelled Tori for the first time in twenty-one long, frustrating, terrifying days. Something within him loosened at that proof that she lived. But then wariness made his muscles tighten. Yes, he smelled Tori, but the overwhelming scent was the musky odor of bears. This was no passing scent. He was walking into a bear’s den.

  A bear’s den that was Tori’s family home. He frowned. He knew her mother was a swan and still living, but had she remarried a bear after Tori’s father died? Tori hadn’t mentioned it, but that didn’t rule out the possibility. There was little documented about the Haida family—at least not much his assistant could dig up. He’d gotten the feeling Ajax knew more than she said, but since the bird queen was royally pissed about the press conference, Bastian hadn’t pushed her for information on Tori.

  There was only one way to find out about the Haidas. He eased his foot off the brake, coasted the car up to the front of the house and parked next to a classic Chevy pickup. Apparently, his mate came by her love of old vehicles honestly. Climbing out of the driver’s seat, Bastian took another deep breath. Three—no, four—bears nearby, and the sharper tang of excitement told him they’d sensed his presence. Not good, but he stood his ground and let them make the first move.

  They filed out onto the wraparound porch, eyes narrowed, fists clenched. Anger radiated off them, and that anger was directed at Bastian.

  Outstanding. Just how he’d been hoping the day would go.

  He nodded calmly. “I’m looking for Tori.”

  “She doesn’t want to see you,” a female voice declared. The voice was honeyed with a Southern drawl, and the woman who pushed open the screen door and lined up beside the bears gave Bastian a very clear picture of what Tori would look like in thirty years. This had to be her mother. “I believe her wishes were made very clear to you.”

  He waved a hand at the Impala. “I came to deliver her car, as promised.”

  The woman smirked. “Clever, just saying it would be a member of the clan dropping it off. This task seems a bit menial for the Alpha.”

  There was no good answer to that one, so he shrugged and got back to his main mission. “I’d like to speak to her before I go. I drove a long way for the opportunity.”

  The oldest bear male growled, “You can get the hell off my property, and I might allow you the opportunity not to get your arms broken before you go.”

  Backing down now wouldn’t get Bastian what he wanted and would put him on weak footing for any future visits here. He crossed his arms. “You can try.”

  Anticipation gleamed in the gazes of the younger males—Tori’s brothers—and they stepped forward as a unit.

  “Stop,” Mrs. Haida called out, and her sons paused, tensing. She sighed. “Come into the house, Alpha.”

  “It’s just Bastian, ma’am.” He mounted the steps, keeping a wary eye on the bears, and followed the petite woman inside.

  “I imagine you still look for your father when you hear the title, but you better get used to it quick,” she said unflinchingly.

  They walked through a comfortable living room, down a hallway, and ended up in a large, bright kitchen. The scent of Tori was stronger here, as if she’d spent a lot of time in this room, and painful longing wrenched through him. B
ut she wasn’t in the house. Her scent was too far away for that. If Bastian knew anything about her, she was out tinkering on some car or other.

  “Sit down.” Mrs. Haida waved him into a chair and the bears came in behind him, a looming presence that made his wolf’s hackles rise.

  He settled into the seat and waited. The woman had a reason for inviting him in rather than letting her sons pound him into hamburger.

  She stared at him for a long moment. “She’s having nightmares.”

  Pain clutched at his chest. He’d worried all these weeks if she was well, if she was suffering any ill effects from her captivity. He’d seen a copy of her medical report from the werebirds’ doctor, a list of her injuries and treatment, but that didn’t say anything about her state of mind. His hands fisted on his thighs and he swallowed hard.

  Tori’s father dragged out a chair and sat, glowering at Bastian. “You shouldn’t tell him that, Rhea.”

  “Let me say my piece, Vin.” She met her mate’s gaze and the bear grunted, jerking his chin to indicate she continue.

  The older man met Bastian’s gaze, and he got the shock of his life. Tori’s eyes were the exact same shape and color as this bear’s. Impossible, unless he was her biological father. A bear had fathered a swan. What the fuck? He felt his jaw sag, and he stared, which wasn’t the brightest move to make with a surly species of shifter.

  One of the brothers snorted with derision. “Tori didn’t tell him about us. He just noticed the eyes.”

  Meeting each gaze, he saw that all of three brothers had the same eyes. “She told me about you as people. She didn’t mention species.” He looked to the tallest one. “Orien.” The shortest one—which was relative because they were all huge. “Krispin.” The middle one, who’d been the snorter. “Miles.”

  Their glares told him he’d pegged them correctly. He sat back in his chair. “So, Tori’s half bear. That explains a lot.”

  Miles looked like he fought a grin over that observation, but it was quickly masked.

  Rhea brought Bastian’s attention back to her. “Regardless of what my daughter shifts into, she was kidnapped on your watch, Bastian. My baby was kidnapped and cut up with a scalpel. Why should I trust you with her safety? Why should I let you talk to her?”

  “You shouldn’t,” he replied. “If it were my daughter, I’d…”

  He sighed and shook his head. How the hell did he convince them when he’d kick any man’s ass who’d dared put his daughter in harm’s way? Maybe not intentionally, but by bringing her to Tennessee, he’d made her a target. His father’s actions had made it so, and Bastian hadn’t been able to stop it.

  “I didn’t protect her.” He met each Haidas’ eyes in turn. “I won’t give you any excuses for that. I’m her mate and it’s my duty to keep her safe. I’ll do better in the future.” He let a breath ease out. “Whether she wants to admit it now or not, she loves me. And I love her. We’re mates. It’s as simple as that.”

  Krispin slouched against a cabinet. “She’s in more danger than ever, what with you letting the cat-shifter out of the bag.”

  “I know.”

  “She’s on the internet too,” Miles added.

  Bastian winced. “I saw.”

  The police had combed through the crime scene and one of the lab techs who’d examined the video footage taken of the thwarted vivisection had decided to get rich quick by selling it to the media. He’d been fired, but it didn’t matter for Tori. The video of a swan shifting, chasing around, pecking at and generally kicking the asses of two evil scientists had gone viral and become the stuff of late-night comedic spoof. Tori had to be thrilled about her new cyberstardom.

  “We’ve had reporters trying to call her.” Krispin’s lips twitched. “Some of the stupid ones decided to come visit without an invitation. We’ve had to be creative in order to get rid of them.”

  If her brothers were even half as wicked as Tori, Bastian almost felt sorry for those reporters. Almost.

  “I’ll keep her safe, if she’ll give me the chance.” Not that she’d needed his protection, in the end. She’d gotten free, just as she’d said she would. But that video had shown just how close she’d come to death. If Hastings hadn’t hesitated with the anesthesia, Tori would never have woken. Sweat slicked Bastian’s palms at the very thought, and he rubbed his hands against his jeans. If he had his way, she would never be in that kind of position ever again.

  “Orien, take him out to the garage.” Tori’s mother tilted her head, bird-like, in a move that reminded Bastian so strongly of his mate that his chest hurt. God he’d missed her.

  “What?” Miles piped up, his heavy brows draw together. “We don’t even get to kick his ass for exposing shifters?”

  Bastian rubbed the back of his neck. “You wouldn’t be the first to try this month.”

  “Who else did?” The bear’s eyes twinkled with unholy glee.

  “A few members of the werebird Messenger Corps, a couple of mountain lions and one of the black bear-shifters from Kentucky.” Luckily, they had just been ass-kicking attempts rather than assassination attempts. His father hadn’t been as fortunate. They’d had to keep tight security on his parents to make sure they weren’t harmed. There’d been death threats and two thwarted assassinations. He was worried because he loved his parents, but there was still a gut-churning anger at what his father and Hector had brought down on everyone. Bastian hadn’t asked, but he imagined the Leonidases were dealing with similar issues with Hector. There was a lot of resentment in the shifter community right now. It was doubtful that would fade any time soon.

  “Orien, don’t make me repeat myself,” Rhea warned.

  The tallest brother groused, “Why me?”

  “Because I said so.”

  He huffed. “That’s not fair.”

  “Life’s not fair, honey.” Her voice held just a tinge of pity. “I thought I taught you better.”

  He grunted in response to that. Jerking his head at Bastian, he walked out the back door.

  Pausing before he followed, Bastian addressed the older woman. “Thank you.”

  She smirked. “I sincerely doubt you’re going to survive this, so thanking me is a bit premature. But you’re invited to dinner if my daughter doesn’t kill you first.”

  “I appreciate the invitation.” He lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “I hope I can take you up on it.”

  “Smart boy.” She nodded approval.

  Orien reappeared in the doorway, glaring through the screen. “You coming, wolf breath?”

  “Right behind you.” He pushed open the mesh door and stepped out onto the porch. Without another word, the bear-shifter led him across the driveway toward a large metal structure.

  Trepidation hit Bastian again, growing with each step that drew him closer to Tori’s scent. A tinge of engine grease mixed with her smell. He could hear the bone-jarring blare of rock music along with the whine of power tools. Of course, she was working on her cars. He almost smiled. Almost, but the stakes were too high for him to be amused for long.

  Her brother tapped a console inside the door, and the music shut off. “You have a guest, Tori.”

  “Tell him to go away,” came a growl from under the vehicle. Her booted feet and jean-clad legs were all Bastian could see.

  He glanced at the bear-shifter. “Give us a minute, would you?”

  After a moment’s hesitation, the man nodded and turned to leave. “Mom said he could stay for dinner, Tori, so take it up with her if you have a problem.”

  “Traitor,” she muttered loudly as the sound of her brother’s footsteps faded.

  She didn’t give any indication that she was going to come out from under the car, which pissed him off more than a little. Instead of snapping at her, he glanced around the garage and frowned when he saw his name written on a sketchpad sitting on the workbench. Fine, if she was going to be rude, so was he. He flipped open the notebook.

  Each page was a detailed drawing of every possible
angle of a car. His car. The one he’d asked her to design for him. Similar but even better than the sketches she’d left at his house. It was in the “nouveau classique” style she favored, with sleek aerodynamic lines and reminiscent of an old Chevy. The car was dark blue with a pinstripe on the outside, while the interior was gray with white accents. Just right for his tastes—she’d nailed it.

  Well, that answered one question that he had. He’d wondered if she’d even thought about him in the time she’d been gone, or if she’d put him out of her life so completely she’d refused to look back. He traced the line of the fender on one drawing, feeling the tiny spark of hope that had brought him this far flare a little brighter inside him.

  “Did you have something to say or did you just want to hang out in my garage?” The toe of one boot bounced in a rhythm that could only mean annoyance.

  Did he have something to say? Where to start? “Nice sketches.”

  The boot froze mid-bounce and he watched the muscles in her legs tense. He couldn’t help the grin that formed on his face. Her hand came out to grasp the frame of the car, and she hauled herself out from under it.

  “What do you want, Bastian?”

  “You. Obviously. Why else would I be here?” He set down the notebook and settled his hip against the workbench, drinking in the sight of her. Even with a smear of grease on her cheek, she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

  She shot to her feet, her eyes wide and wounded. “I don’t want you here.”

  “Why?”

  “Why?” Her mouth worked for a moment. “Why?”

  “Yes, why?”

  “Oh my God,” she snapped, spun on her heel and stomped over to a sink to scrub her hands and arms. “I mean, the fact that you even have to ask. Why? What the fuck, seriously? Did you not get my message? I thought I was pretty damned clear.”

  “I got it. You were clear, but there’s something you didn’t consider.”

  He received a glare for that response. “What’s that?”