by Vivian Wood
She’d never been truly happy since stepping foot on that campus, but of course it wasn’t the education that was to blame. It was simply that there was no unlearning things learned, no unseeing the Internet or cell phones or soft serve ice cream. Before she’d started college, she could count the number of times she’d eaten in a restaurant on one hand.
But even at West Illinois Community College, a true hodgepodge of mis-matched souls, Faith hadn’t fit in. She learned the delight of a fast-food hamburger at lunch, but then she went home to take her place in the kitchen with all the other women, kneading and baking bread for the whole clan. While her sisters and cousins laughed and joked together, Faith felt out of place, her head full of what felt like very big ideas.
When she’d applied for and got a job at the local preschool, working a handful of hours a week, she’d been pushed further out of sync with her family. Her brother Jared monitored her every movement, even going so far as to peruse every book she checked out of the library. He dropped her off and picked her up from work each day, without fail. Her father and brother were smothering her, oh so slowly, and they seemed to enjoy Faith’s wilting smiles and stooped shoulders.
Faith rolled over onto her side, careful to be quiet. She pictured the way Jared had reacted when he’d found her sitting with Gavin the day before. When her brother told their father, the next two hours became a non-stop, hate-filled diatribe about how worthless, weak, and immoral the Beran clan members were. Her father had some very strong feelings about Josiah Beran and his sons, and it seemed that none of them were positive.
A new burst of listless energy filled Faith, and she couldn’t stand it for another second. Sitting up, she slipped her feet out of her sleeping bag. She wore a long cotton night dress and thin cotton leggings, the standard pajamas that her father insisted on for all the unmated women in their family. Moving as silently as she could, she stood up and grabbed the rubber-soled house slippers and lightweight jacket that lay at the foot of her bed.
Faith held her breath as she snuck out of the cabin, her heart frozen with fear. Sneaking around after dark was no new activity for her; she often crept out the window of her second-story bedroom to sit on the roof and watch the stars. Slipping past her sleeping sisters and out of the house was a whole new level of disobedience, though. If she were caught, there would be hell to pay.
Once outside, she put on her slippers and went into the woods, cutting a broad arc through the trees that kept her far away from the cabins where the rest of her family slumbered. The moon was high and full as she emerged onto the main path that led to the rest of the camp site.
Faith paused at the place where several paths stood in the moonlight. From the right she could hear music and voices, signs of revelry happening at the main pavilion. Straight ahead were paths that led to individual clans’ cabins. For a fleeting, crazy moment Faith wondered which might lead to Gavin, the most interesting occurrence in her life of late.
Shaking her head, she chose to turn directly left and head for the lake. The path went down and around in a wide circle, stopping at each of the many docks that dotted the lake shore. The first few docks she passed were in use, inhabited by happy couples, drinking and chatting and having fun.
Swallowing down her envy, Faith continued past several more empty docks until she found one that she felt was sufficiently far away from prying eyes. She walked down to the end of the dock, leaving her slippers behind, and sat down. After rolling her leggings up to her knees, she dangled her feet off the dock, letting her toes skim the chilly water.
Faith leaned back, letting her hair cascade down behind her. Closing her eyes, she smiled at the idea of moon-bathing. She hummed to herself under her breath, enjoying the stolen moment of freedom. Right here, in this moment, she didn’t have to pretend anything or please anyone.
A rustle startled her from her thoughts. She turned her head, pulling her feet up. Two black bears, an enormous male and a smaller female, thundered down the path. She watched them pass the dock, glad for their complete disinterest in her doings.
Before she could return to her moon bathing, though, she saw another figure. Tall, dark-haired, and broad-chested, he wore a tight black t-shirt and black running shorts. He slowed as he saw her, the movement almost comical as he checked her out. For a heart-stopping moment, Faith almost took him for Gavin. But he was a bit older, and now that he moved closer she could see that he had a light beard.
The man turned and put his fingers to his lips, giving a long, ear-piercing whistle. Seconds later two nearly identical men came crashing through the trees. Faith’s jaw dropped when she realized that one was, in fact, actually Gavin. He also wore running clothes, although his t-shirt and tight spandex pants were dark gray. An unladylike snort of laughter escaped Faith’s lips, and she clapped her hand over her mouth.
Gavin motioned to what could only be his brothers, saying something to them in a low voice. They stared at her for a few seconds before turning and jogging off into the woods. Faith’s stomach flip-flopped when she realized that he wasn’t going to follow them.
“Hey, you,” Gavin said as he approached, giving her a lopsided smile. He seemed uncertain, and Faith couldn’t blame him. She’d been forced to play submissive and fearful both times they’d met, and he probably thought she was disinterested or even disdainful.
“Hey back at you,” she said, tilting her head. She felt herself flush, and cursed inwardly. Everything she knew about flirting she’d learned from watching girls at her college. She felt clunky and silly, but… she really did want to flirt with Gavin.
“I’m surprised to see you out here so late,” he said. Faith could tell that he left of the most surprising part, that she was alone.
“I snuck out,” she admitted. “Hopefully you won’t tell on me.”
Gavin’s brows raised, his beautiful aquamarine eyes lighting with humor.
“Is that so? Hmm. I wonder if that means I might come sit next to you without getting my ass kicked by your brother,” he said, flashing her another grin.
Faith pretended to consider him, her eyes taking in the six-and-a-half-plus feet of him, every inch more perfectly shaped than the next. He was muscular without being beefy, naturally tanned, and altogether drop-dead, darkly handsome. And those eyes… it was clear that Gavin was intelligent, kind, and funny.
“I guess you can sit next to me,” Faith said at last, scooting over on the edge of the dock. Her heart thrummed in her chest, her mouth grew dry. What in the hell was she even doing talking to Gavin, much less ogling his body? She felt half ashamed, half a hopeless wallflower.
Gavin chuckled and sat down next to her, folding up his long legs in a graceful movement.
“So you snuck out. I wouldn’t have guessed you’d do something like that,” he said, giving her a long look.
“I’m not always so well-behaved,” she said, her lips twitching upward into a smile. “Not when my family’s not around, anyway.”
“Ah, so that’s the trick. I guess this is a pretty lucky moment, then. Maybe I have the stars to thank,” Gavin said, looking up at the bright night sky.
“They are more beautiful than usual tonight, aren’t they?” Faith sighed.
Gavin murmured his agreement, and for a long while they both just watched the stars. A thousand tiny thoughts swirled through Faith’s mind at break-neck pace, impulses and fears and shivering bits of excitement.
“Do you like living with your family?” Gavin asked after a minute.
Faith opened her mouth, then stopped the automatic, defensive words in their tracks. She considered his question, then shook her head as she looked over at him.
“No, not really. It’s… lonely,” she said.
“With all those people around?”
“Especially then,” she rejoined. “I’m not the person my family thinks I am. Or maybe just the person they want me to be.”
Gavin didn’t respond immediately, seeming to digest her words. His next statement
took her a little by surprise.
“If you could do anything, anything you can’t do now, what would it be?” he asked.
Faith looked at him for a beat, then glanced out across the lake as she mulled over his question.
“Can I have two things instead of just one?” she wondered.
Gavin chuckled and nodded.
“Of course.”
“Well, I’d write a children’s book, with my own illustrations,” she said.
“Would it be about a pony who ate everything he saw?” Gavin asked, looking amused.
“Definitely,” Faith said without hesitation. “It’s a great story, if I do say so myself.”
“And the second thing?”
Faith was silent for several moments before she replied.
“I’d talk to my mother,” she said.
“Your mother… she isn’t…” Gavin seemed unsure how to phrase his thought.
“Dead? No, I don’t think so. My father always says she’s ‘gone’, but I think she’s out in the world somewhere, living a new life,” Faith said. She flushed, biting her lip. “I’m not sure why I told you that. It’s probably more than you need to know.”
“Not at all,” Gavin disagreed. “It’s honest. I like honesty.”
“I wonder what you must think of us, my family,” Faith said, looking up to meet his gaze dead-on. For the first time in a long time, she really wanted to know how someone else perceived her clan.
“I think it seems pretty restrictive,” he said. “Your brother seems pretty overbearing.”
“Only because you haven’t met my father. He’s much worse.”
Gavin nodded, but didn’t seem overly judgmental.
“Why don’t you leave?” he asked.
“Where would I go?” Faith asked, giving a humorless laugh. “St. Louis is the farthest I’ve ever been from home, and I’ve ever been alone in my life. I don’t own anything, and the only thing I’m qualified to do is teach toddlers. I wouldn’t last a month on my own.”
“What’s the worst thing that happens? You try, maybe you fail. At least you tried,” Gavin said, his brow hunching.
“They wouldn’t take me back. If I ever left, it would be for good. I’d never see my sisters or nieces and nephews again,” Faith told him flatly. “When I said alone, I meant it.”
Gavin started to say something, then seemed to think better of it.
“Well, at least you’re not alone right now,” he offered.
Faith glanced at him, her humor returning.
“No, I guess I’m not.”
The moment felt inevitable, unstoppable. Before she knew it, Faith was leaning closer to Gavin even as he slid closer to her. His hand brushed her waist, making her shiver as he reached up and pushed back the thick curtain of her blonde hair.
The instant that her eyes closed, his lips brushed hers. His mouth was soft yet warm, his scent earthy and male, and she could feel heat radiating from his skin. Faith leaned further, letting her shoulder and side lean into his hip, his waist, his firmly muscled chest.
Gavin’s lips worked ever-so-gently against her own, parting them with a soft flick of his tongue. She wanted to moan, or sigh, or scream, but the tip of her tongue touched his and suddenly she was burning up with hunger. Every inch of her skin was heated, anguished, wanting—
“Faith, what the HECK?” came her sister Lacey’s voice.
Faith yanked herself upright, blinking in dismay as she turned to see her sister storming down the path toward the dock.
“Uh oh,” was all Faith got out. In a flash, she saw Debra following behind, Jared in tow. Her father and several more of her brothers appeared next. For a fleeting moment, she thought she saw both of Gavin’s brothers, too, but only one of them stepped out of the woods, hot on her father’s heels.
“Odin’s breath,” Faith mumbled. “Maybe we should just jump in the lake and swim for it.”
Gavin arched a brow at her, then rose to his feet and offered her his hand. Helping her up, he put his hand on the small of her back and steered her down the dock to meet the forming puddle of her family, seeming unaware of the way his touch made her shiver.
“What do you think you’re doing out here with my daughter?” Faith’s father thundered as he bore down on them.
“Talking?” Gavin said, keeping his cool.
“Faith, get over here,” Aros bellowed. Jared came to stand next to him, mirroring his fury perfectly. When Faith didn’t move, rooted to her spot, Jared reached out and grabbed her by the wrist and yanked her close.
“I knew it, you slut,” Jared growled. “I knew you couldn’t be trusted. Out here having some, some tryst—”
Jared blustered, releasing Faith’s wrist only to grip her just where her shoulder met her neck, his favorite method of restraint. His fingers dug into her flesh, the pain a sharp burst that nearly took her to her knees.
“Don’t you dare—” She heard Gavin say. Faith tried to shake her head, to tell him not to get in the middle of it, but her tongue wouldn’t comply.
“Get back, you,” her father grated, reaching out and pushing Gavin back a few feet. “You’ll not touch my daughter again.”
The darkness that filled Gavin’s expression startled Faith, made her cringe.
“Get your hands off my brother, old man,” came another voice. Gavin’s brother stepped up behind Faith’s father, looking murderous. Where Gavin looked outraged, his brother looked… almost eager, somehow.
“You Berans,” her father spat. “Always putting your noses where they don’t belong. This is a family matter. Jared, bring her.”
Her father spun, ready to leave. Jared turned, taking Faith with him, and that’s when she saw that a crowd had gathered at the end of the dock. Gavin’s father was elbowing his way through the group, the other brother at his side. At the edge of the trees, Faith spotted Gavin’s mother and aunt. Her humiliation was now complete and absolute.
“Wait,” Gavin shouted as Jared pulled Faith toward the crowd. “We’re going to be mated! She’s under my protection!”
Everyone stilled. Faith could feel the hot, furious gazes of her father and brother trained on her.
“Is this true?” her father asked, teeth clenched.
Faith opened her mouth, but Jared gave her a hard shake.
“You’d better say it’s not,” he hissed. “If you bring shame to our family, I will make you suffer. You can’t run from me.”
That statement, more than anything, catalyzed Faith to action.
“It’s true,” she cried. “Gavin asked me to be his mate. I said yes.”
Jared roared as he forced her to her feet, madness glinting in his eyes.
“You’re going to wish you were never born,” he promised. His skin rippled, his bear ready to emerge. Then Gavin and his brother stepped between them. Gavin knelt, pulling Faith close. His brother gave Jared a cocky grin as he reached out and gave Jared a forceful push, knocking him clear off the dock and into the lake with a great splash.
“Fucking asshole,” she heard Gavin’s brother mutter.
“Gavin,” she said, clinging to him. She peered up at him, her fingers digging into his forearms as she desperately tried to… thank him? Warn him?
“Shhh, it’s okay,” he said. In the next instant, Gavin wrapped her in his arms, protecting her and giving her suddenly-chilled body a much-needed blossom of warmth.
“Alright, break it up!”
Faith saw that Josiah Beran was trying to disperse the crowd.
“She’s going to our camp site for the night,” Gavin’s father informed the crowd.
“Like hell!” Faith’s father protested.
“In one of the womens’ cabins,” Josiah clarified. “With guards outside, in case anyone tries any funny business. After that little show, she’s not going back with you.”
Several people in the crowd nodded, seeming satisfied with the conclusion.
“I agree,” said another silver-haired Alpha, crossing h
is arms and directing a glare at Faith’s father. Behind them, Jared was clawing his way back onto the dock, dripping and sputtering.
Gavin rose and pulled Faith to her feet. When she wobbled, tears stinging her eyes, he simply scooped her up and carried her through the crowd. Shame burning her through and through, Faith turned and burrowed her face into his chest as she held in the sob that was desperately trying to escape her chest.
Gavin carried her all the way to one of his family’s cabins, straight inside and to one of the beds. Faith sucked in a deep breath, smelling him everywhere as he deposited her on the sleeping bag.
“Wait, this is your bed!” she said, wincing at how girlish she sounded. She thought him handsome, of course, and they were fake-engaged now, but…
“My mother is going to come stay with you. I’ll be outside with my brothers, keeping watch,” Gavin said.
Faith went from shy to deflated in a second, flat.
“Oh,” she said, her voice small.
“I don’t want to cause any more scandal, that’s all. Half the clans in the country are watching us right now,” Gavin said, reaching out and brushing a strand of hair from Faith’s eyes. “If I stayed in here with you, it would look… It would take away some of your choices.”
“Okay,” she sighed, feeling ridiculous.
“Knock knock,” Genny Beran said, coming into the room.
“Hey, Ma,” Gavin said. A look passed between mother and son, something tender that Faith didn’t quite understand.
“Alright, get along with you,” Genny said, shooing Gavin out. “I’m sure Faith is quite tired, aren’t you dear?”
Faith gave her a thankful smile, nodding. To her surprise, she actually was more tired than she’d realized. Gavin gave her a quick wave.
“See you in the morning, ladies,” he said as he disappeared.
Faith let out a long gust of breath, rubbing her face with her hands.
“Faith…” Genny said, her expression compassionate. “It’s going to be okay.”
Faith actually laughed, a garbled sound.
“Is it? It doesn’t feel that way,” she said. “Gavin and I aren’t really—”
