by Anya Nowlan
I hate this, Callie thought, whipping around and heading back towards the woods. She couldn’t look at that thin pillar of smoke any longer. If she did, her heart might break before she could convince her brain that she needed to see him.
CHAPTER THREE
The pigskin spun easily between his hands as he rolled it across his fingers and threw it from one hand to the other. Jonah’s eyes were downcast as he listened to the animated arguments around him. The Warren twins were locked in disagreement as usual, their equally as big bodies getting more and more puffed up with aggravation. The Barrister boys were mostly reserved, letting Damian do most of the talking as he outlined a plan on how to push back the Bitterroots fast and hard. They were sitting high on the bleachers, overlooking the football field. Despite the small size of Bear’s Grove, it had one of the best high school football teams in the state. The national reps constantly hung out at the games, trying to figure out what made the teams so good year after year. Little did they know that it only took a bunch of werebears to make losing almost impossible.
Jonah smirked to himself as Arrow, one of the Warren brothers, suggested just calling the Bitterroots out and having a fair fight between Alphas. An honorable idea, but one that Ryder would never stick to. Not with his current mindset, anyway. Jonah could feel the expectant eyes of his old crew sitting on him, waiting for him to say something. He’d called the meeting, after all. Jonah was surrounded by ten of the strongest, most fearsome werebears the younger generation of the Arder clan had to offer, and instead of strategizing his mind kept wandering off to Callie. He could imagine her naked, sprawled out on their rickety bed back in Texas, her gorgeous curls spread around her head like a halo, and her luscious breasts and full curves calling to him. Jonah squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head, not noticing that he was squeezing the football so hard that his knuckles were turning white.
Snap out of it, Jonah, he told himself. But it was damn hard. Alice had casually dropped that Callie had been talking about him back at the Bitterroot camp, and in a moment of desperate longing, he’d told her to ask her to meet him that evening. Now, he was completely screwed. There was no focusing if there was even the faintest hope of seeing his chosen one in a few hours.
“Jonah?” Damian asked, poking him in the arm. Jonah nodded and exhaled. He looked to each one of them, their faces eager to do whatever he said. While Jackson held sway over all of them, Jonah definitely had the loyalty of the young men who had been his close friends and confidants all through his childhood. All three of the Arder brothers were born leaders, and people flocked to them. It didn’t hurt that many of the young men around him had done a tour in the army and knew what it meant to take orders.
“Yeah. I hear you. I talked to Jackson and I agree that we need to keep this as non-violent as we can,” Jonah said, raising his hand to hush the moans of disagreement that rose immediately. “But, I don’t think it’s going to stay this way for long. You’ve all seen or heard what Ryder’s been doing with his people. Not just the way they destroyed the trucks, but they’ve gone and trashed a few businesses that wouldn’t work with them, and so far they’ve been just short of becoming outright violent. Unless your last name happens to be Arder, of course.” A few grunts of agreement told him he was heading the right way with his thoughts. Though Julian had not been a ‘true’ werebear for very long, what with his former avoidance of shifting, a fight with him or any other Arder meant a serious slap in the face to the whole clan.
“So, I’m saying we need to be ready to fight. Most of you have done okay, but there are a lot of bears in the clan who haven’t had to use their claws or jaws for much more than roaring and scratching their asses. We need to get back into shape. We need to be ready. Jackson said the same. So, I’m going to be calling together some training sessions for the clan. We’ll do it in groups, but we’ll help everyone get back their self-assurance in using their size and strength for their protection. When the time comes. And we hope it won’t,” he said, tossing a stern glance around himself. His friends were young and could be expected to blow things out of proportion faster and harder than the older, more experienced bears. Jonah would have to make sure that his friends knew where he stood on the whole situation and then also make sure that they knew to follow him.
“Anyone got any other suggestions?” Jonah asked, going back to tossing the ball from hand to hand. Sitting there on the bleachers was oddly nostalgic and he was overcome with a sense of calm that had evaded him for a long time. There was nothing like looking across the football field and seeing the wild expanse of the mountains and the green and orange forests, beckoning for him to run and be free once more.
I can’t wait to share this with Calliope, he thought. A twinge of pain went through his chest. If she’ll have me.
“I still think we need to hit them before they hit us,” Arrow grumbled, his brother nodding as well. The bears that had gathered were all big, squarely built men, first or second generation werebears – any further down the line and they couldn’t shift anymore. But it also meant that their tempers ran high and even though they were grown men in the eyes of society, Jonah knew well that a werebear matured slowly, and the jagged edges of a ferocious bear took a while to whittle down to society-acceptable norms.
“And do what, Arrow? Kill Ryder? Troy, Alice, Callie, James, Trina, Mary, Blake, Caden… I could go on.” He paused for a moment, his hands balling into fists. It still seemed hard to imagine that Ryder would take the path of the greatest pain when dealing with his former friends, but it seemed to be the harsh reality that was presented to them. Jonah had wondered several times what could have happened to make Ryder turn so violently against all his former beliefs, but he knew that Jackie was the only other person besides Ryder himself, who could tell him what had happened between them. And as much as he loved his twin, he knew that he couldn’t get anything out of her that she didn’t want to share.
“We went to school with a lot of them. Blake and Caden were even on the football team. Mary still sends me Christmas cards. Any drop of werebear blood spilled is a drop too many.” Jonah could hear Jackson’s voice ringing in his ears, but he couldn’t deny that his brother was saying all the right things. “I’m not going to hurt my friends unless they try to hurt me. This is Ryder’s war, and I doubt most of them would be in it if they weren’t commanded to.” The thought was uncomfortable at best. If Jackson were to fly off the handle like that, would he and Julian be able to talk him down? Jonah wasn’t so sure. The leader of a clan had both prestige and power, and unless you wanted to lose your family, you were expected to do as told. Jonah couldn’t help but feel for the bears who found themselves in just such a situation now with Ryder.
“The Arders and the Bitterroots shared the lands for years. Bitterroots had their grounds after losing the bulk of the lands to us way before our time, and we never had problems coexisting or being close. It was only after Ryder went off on his crusade to claim the Bitterroot Mountains as a whole and then got subsequently kicked out that we had any problems. Jackson offered them the same deal as before, but Ryder wouldn’t have any of it. What I’m trying to say is that I know we could all get along just fine, and, like Jackson, I won’t give up hope for it before I have to. Which doesn’t mean we can’t be prepared.”
Murmurs of agreement sounded from around him, the men falling into discussion amongst themselves again. Jonah stared out across the football field, looking at the pinkish glow of the slowly setting sun. The last thing he wanted to do was get into any more battles. He’d seen enough blood, destruction and horror to last him a lifetime, but there were times when his fate was not his to choose, and he was bear enough to recognize those moments. Jonah’s hands balled into fists, his gut bubbling with worry. The last time that he had given himself to the gods of war, they had almost consumed him, and only Callie had had the power to bring him back. He would have to hope that this time, he would be as lucky. The wounds he had got from watching his brothers die an
d innocent civilians get hurt still hung on him like a scarlet letter, and never did he feel it more clearly than during times of strife. At least he was going to see Callie soon. He didn’t know whether to be excited or terrified or perhaps a bit of both.
Jackson had been mostly receptive to the news, just as Julian had suspected, but it hadn’t come easily. There had been some growling and yelling, before Jonah and Julian could talk Jackson down – something that Jonah couldn’t blame his brother and clan leader for. Hell, he would have reacted the same if their positions had been flipped. But, of course, things were never black and white, and the mark of a good leader was the capability of seeing the shades of gray between the black and white, and making up his own mind based on it. Jonah was just thankful that Jackson was as levelheaded as he was (and that Tess had been there to remind him how fast and hard they had fallen in love just a few months ago).
Still, Jonah had been careful about sharing the news about his relationship with Callie with his friends. Some of them knew from before, but he wouldn’t volunteer the information quite as easily now. There were plenty of tensions already in the air without him adding to it. He sighed under his breath as the sky kept getting redder and redder. It was time to go.
I hope this ends well, Jonah thought to himself, instinctively running a finger over his dog tags. Whenever he was heading into a battle zone that threatened to be less than forthcoming, he’d squeezed his tags and hoped he wouldn’t need them. Jonah knew full well that the wrath of a good woman could burn just as painfully as any enemy bullet, so the comparison seemed apt.
***
His heart pounded in his chest, adrenaline coursing through his veins. The sun was low, and he could count the seconds as the night ticked closer, threatening to envelope the mountainside in darkness.
I hope she’s coming, he thought to himself, his jaw squared. Just the thought of her leaving him there alone made him bristle a bit at the edges. He knew that things weren’t quite right between them, but he had to hope that she hadn’t made up her mind about them quite yet. His bear had been restless since he got home, his senses wanting to lead him straight into Callie’s arms, and, as a less than welcome side dish, into the midst of the Bitterroot clan. Their bond had grown so strong that he could sense her from miles away, and he was sure that things weren’t quite okay with her, just like they weren’t with him. A bear depended on his mate, and after finding her, he would never be whole without her. Jonah felt agitated and aggravated, having to physically stop himself from pacing back and forth nervously. The sliver of hope that she was still his, if not in body then at least in soul, helped keep him sane. He didn’t want to imagine what it would take for him to get over Calliope.
Jonah watched the steam rise from his breath as the darkness steadily descended, until a feeling in his gut made him whip around towards the forest. When he saw a bear with dark fur walk out into the clearing, he automatically ran towards her. As soon as she had shifted, Jonah pulled her into his arms and held her tight. He breathed in her scent and relaxed as her hands clutched around his sides just as desperately as he was holding on to her. A small rumble of a growl sounded in his throat, one of greeting not of threat. Jonah beamed warmly as Calliope nuzzles her face into his neck. She felt soft, yielding and yet so strong beneath his hands – all the qualities he loved dearly about her. Callie had an amazing way of fitting all the nooks and crannies that were left unfilled in Jonah’s heart, finding just the right way to mold together with him and to create a whole where before there were two halves.
Her lavender and honey scent drove him wild and before she could say a thing, he had tilted her face up a bit and kissed her on the mouth. His tongue dipped into her mouth and his body sparked to life immediately. Jonah reacted on pure instinct, thoughts and worries driven from his mind and replaced with the pure, honest need he felt for the woman he loved, for his better half. Their lips mashed together, both of them drinking hungrily from the other. The desire to hold and to feel was shared, and Jonah didn’t need to ask for permission. He knew what she wanted, what she needed, and so did his bear. The kiss made him come alive, every nerve standing on end and the pleasure center of his brain yelling at him to never stop, to never pull back from her. But, when the first drought was taken care of, his senses slowly returned to him, and he could think again, instead of only feeling. Though, he would have preferred not to.
Callie pulled away first, her hands pushing against Jonah’s hard and wide chest. His hazel eyes filled with worry, and he could see them reflected in her dark brown orbs. He’d always been mesmerized by her eyes, and the distance had just made them more beautiful to him.
“Jonah…” she whispered, and her voice soothed his ears, if not for the note of uncertainty that he caught.
“Callie, I’m so glad to see that you’re okay,” Jonah said softly, as if there was someone listening in on them. Even though there was no one around for miles, he felt the urge to make the moment smaller, encapsulate it just for them, so that no one could steal it from them. Callie pressed away from him, and Jonah resisted for a moment before letting go of her with more than a little reluctance. Not having her in his arms immediately felt wrong to him.
“I’m glad to see you too, Jonah,” Callie said sheepishly, brushing her curly locks from her face. Jonah’s cock shifted at the sight of that little motion of her hand, her fingers trailing over her rosy cheeks. It’d been far too long since he’d been with her and given the chance to worship her lush curves and her inviting tightness. He shook his head slightly, trying to clear the memories as quickly as he could. There was no time to be distracted, even though he would have liked nothing better than to carry her into his cabin and make love to her until neither one of them could stand anymore.
“You have to know I didn’t want to leave things as we did. I understand your need to be with your clan as I’m sure you do mine, but I still don’t think it has to mean that things are over between us. We can make it work. We have to make it work,” he said, stressing each syllable. She looked up at him, and Jonah’s breath caught in his chest. No enemy combatant or threat to life and limbs had struck him as hard as she could and waiting for her to say something seemed worse than those few seconds before heading out for another mission. His life seemed to rest on her palms, and though few men could match his strength and speed, it just took one woman to bring him to his knees.
“But Ryder… And Jackson…”
“Jackson understands. He doesn’t like the situation we’re in, but he understands,” Jonah said, certain in his words. If he knew one thing about his brother then it was that Jackson Arder never backed down from a promise. And Jonah had tried to live by the same motto for most of his days. He’d promised Callie once that he would never leave her when she needed him, and he was ready to fight hard to prove it.
“But Ryder won’t,” Callie whispered. She was so close, and Jonah couldn’t resist the urge to embrace her. The obvious pain in her eyes was too much to take without offering some comfort. Callie squeezed herself against him, and her fingers gripped his jacket as she buried her head in his chest. Sparks erupted wherever she touched him, and it felt divine.
“Well, then he won’t have to know. We’ll keep it secret. Plenty of the bears are our friends and would be willing to help. Until things settle down and I can ask Ryder for your hand in marriage. Or you leave the clan and join mine.” The look she gave him struck him, but after the initial shock he understood. She looked almost wounded, and he couldn’t blame her. If she had suggested that Jonah leave the Arder’s in a similar fashion – not through marriage but of free will – he too would have looked at her the same. The clan’s needs came first. Marriage was a different matter, but one didn’t just up and leave your kin.
“Okay, I take that back,” he said, grinning sheepishly.
“Which part, the marriage or the part where I abandon my people?” she asked, a hint of sarcasm creeping into her tone. Her sass had always got his motor running an
d this was no exception. Jonah was glad she was already in his arms because otherwise he would have to race to her and grab her.
“The part you dislike, honey.” Jonah grinned wider as Callie snorted, and he laid a quick kiss on her lips. The ice was breaking between them, and that was the best thing he could have hoped for.
“It isn’t that easy, though. Ryder knows we’re together. He wants me to spy on you and your brothers. And I don’t think all of your clan or my clan will be quite as accepting as Jackson is.” Callie exhaled deeply, and a coldness gathered in Jonah’s stomach. She was right, of course. Not everyone would look kindly on their relationship during these trying times, but he was more worried about the reactions from the Bitterroots than anything his clan could muster up. After all, his clan was the one trying to settle things bloodlessly, and he’d never known them to be particularly malicious, unless driven to it. Ryder was doing an excellent job at it, of course.
“I think we’re both strong enough to deal with some difficulties. As long as we do it together, I think we’ll be fine,” Jonah said, squeezing her a little. Callie sighed, dipping her head lower. Jonah frowned, inching her face up to meet his again. “Right?” he asked. He would have rather not been asking that question, but he knew her too well to leave any unanswered questions lingering between them. A bear learned from his mistakes, especially the painful ones.
“Right,” she agreed softly. She smiled, and he kissed her gently, reveling in the feeling of her soft curves against his hard body. He had the right mind to throw her on the grass right then and there, but he managed to catch himself just in time.
