by T. S. Ryder
What had she done to make him think that she would be okay with being proposed to? Rex grabbed her hand and tried to shove the ring onto it. She ripped away from him, a hiss eliciting through her teeth.
“We are not mates.”
“But we are. I told you we are.”
“Take a hint already! The answer is and will always be no. Stop trying to use me to get to Tyrell.”
“I’m not trying to get Tyrell. I’m trying to get you.”
Cynthia shook her head, hard. This obsession had to stop.
Rex stared at her for a long moment, then scrambled back to his feet. He dropped the ring as he did so, glaring at her. “Why not? We’re mates, I’ve told you that we’re mates and I love you. Why won’t you believe me?”
“Your feelings do not negate mine, Rex. I don’t love you. What you are feeling isn’t love, either. You’re obsessed and it’s creepy. It doesn’t make any sense.”
“It does because we’re mates!”
Tyrell never acted like this. When he had locked her up, his thoughts had been with Tamara, to prevent her from hearing the curses and screams that she had been spewing.
Rex’s lip curled back into a furious sneer. “Is this because of Tyrell?”
“No. This,” she gestured at the two of them, “is because I have told you no and you’ve ignored that. But if you must know… I love him.” A small smile crossed her lips as she said it out loud. At once, she knew exactly why she had been having such a hard time leaving, why she felt like she was being torn in two. She wasn’t afraid of Tyrell. She was afraid of her own feelings because admitting that she loved him meant giving up part of herself. But he was worth that risk, in the end… “I love Tyrell Jarvis. He’s why I came back.”
Rex stared at her, jaw hanging loose. “But… but I love you.”
“I don’t love you. I’m sorry, but that’s how it is.”
Rex stood utterly still for a long moment before he roared. Fangs grew in his mouth and fur sprouted over his body. His hands clenched, but she thought she saw claws on the ends of them. She backed away from him, her heart jumping to her throat. Rex didn’t seem to notice or care that he was frightening her; he turned and drove his fist through the wall, roaring again and again.
“I should have known,” he seethed. “I should have known that pathetic excuse of a bear would steal the only chance I’ll ever have at having a mate!”
He whirled again. His eyes were black as coal. “He’s not your mate, Cynthia! He doesn’t love you. That bastard is incapable of love. I love you. I will take care of you, cherish you. I won’t leave you in the cold, I would never treat you the way he does. Just let me show you, I’ll make you see—”
He reached for her, but she shrunk away from him, her heart hammering. Her muscles were coiled, ready to run if he came at her. In his state, what would he do to her? To her relief, he froze. The anger drained from his face, the bear leaving his body until it was just him looking at her again. His eyes were wide, but he also looked confused.
“You’re afraid,” he muttered. “Why are you afraid?”
“Maybe because you’re drunk and destroying things?” Her voice shook with fear and she tried to cover it with anger. “Maybe because you’ve already proven that you refuse to listen to me when I say no.”
“I would never hurt you!” The fangs flashed with his roar. Cynthia didn’t pause to talk or try to reason with him. She merely ran.
He called after her, but she didn’t turn back as she dashed into the street. Rex’s bike was parked at the front of the house and the keys were still in the ignition. Not even bothering to put on the helmet, she jumped on it and took off. It was only when she was halfway to Tyrell’s farm that she realized that that was where she was going.
She eased off the speed, her heart slamming into her chest. She was barefoot, didn’t have a radio, and was wearing pajamas. Rex waited for her back at the house, and who knew how Tyrell would react to her… Should she just go to Ruby’s house instead? She’d understand… wouldn’t she?
But Cynthia didn’t want to see Ruby. She wanted to see Tyrell. To have him hold her in his arms and tell her that everything was going to be okay.
The rest of the drive to the farm was slow. By the time she arrived, she was shivering. She went up the steps and knocked loudly. She knew he was still up because the lights were on.
When the door opened, a thousand emotions came rushing back to her. Tyrell’s jaw dropped when he saw her standing there. She didn’t know what he must be thinking, seeing her like this. She didn’t ask.
“I haven’t forgiven you yet,” she told him firmly. “I know you panicked and I’m working on it, but I’m not there yet.”
He glanced at her naked toes and opened his mouth, but she didn’t let him ask.
“I love you.”
Tyrell’s head jerked up and his eyes widened even further. “What?”
“I love you,” she repeated. “Tyrell Jarvis… I love you. And it scares me to death.”
“Same.” Tyrell laughed. “I mean… I love you. And it’s terrifying.”
Cynthia nodded. The nerves from the night all collapsed on her and suddenly she couldn't hold herself back. She ran to him, threw her arms around his neck, and started to sob. Tyrell held her close, making soothing, if bewildered, noises. He didn’t ask her what was wrong, just let her cry it out.
Chapter Sixteen – Tyrell
Cynthia told him what had happened with Rex around midnight. Tyrell was furious. His bear roared and he was halfway to the door before Cynthia’s arms had latched around his chest and held him in place. The desire to destroy Rex warred with his desire to comfort and protect Cynthia. In the end, her whispered pleas for him to stay with her won.
They slept wrapped in each other’s arms on the couch. Neither of them was willing to risk the bed until they had figured out what was happening between them now.
In the morning, Tamara was ecstatic to see Cynthia, and Cynthia held her on her lap while Tyrell phoned Ricky, to give him a brief update on what had gone down. Ricky told him to meet him in town.
Tyrell was happy to hear that he sounded almost smug, not at all angry as he had expected. After Cynthia told him about the talk she and Ricky had had, he understood why. Still, he was very happy not to have to face his alpha’s wrath over this. So, he packed up a lunch for Tamara and drove her to Ruby’s place before he and Cynthia headed into town.
“What do you think he’ll want?” Cynthia asked, twisting her hands around the seat belt. Rex’s bike was in the bed of the truck. “I mean, you did say that Ricky told you to say away from me...”
“He told me to stay away from you. Didn’t say anything about you staying away from me.” He shot her a grin. “Don’t worry about it. Everything is going to be fine. Ricky knows what’s up. If the other alphas are there, the only one who might have a problem is Noel, but after you state your piece, I can assure you that Rex is going to be punished.”
Cynthia nodded. He couldn’t read her expression, but he could tell she was still upset. He reached for her hand.
“It’s going to be okay. Rex isn’t coming near you again.”
“I just… he’s so sure of himself,” she mumbled. “And I don’t think he’s going to back down. He hasn’t done anything yet but—”
“Hasn’t done anything?” Tyrell parked outside of Kurtis’ house. “Cynthia, he assaulted you. You can’t tell me you weren’t afraid that he might do more than just kiss you. I saw it in your eyes.”
She looked away. “I guess… He was confused why I was scared of him, though. I don’t know that he even knew what he was doing.”
“It’s no excuse.”
He got out of the truck and went to her side to open the door. As he did so, the door to Kurtis’ house opened and out stumbled Rex, followed by the four alphas. Clothes disheveled, hair a mess, everything about him screaming that he had passed out on the couch. When he saw Tyrell, his gaze narrowed. When he saw Cynthia
, he let out a bellow and charged.
“Get your hands off her!” Rex screamed, stumbling on the sidewalk. Tyrell sidestepped a swing Rex sent at his face.
He grabbed Rex’s arm and swung him around, away from Cynthia. Rex snarled and seized him around the waist, driving his fist at him as he did so. Tyrell jumped back so that the blow only grazed him, but Rex used that to kick one of his legs out from under him.
They crashed into the pavement, both yelping as they hit the ground. Rex rolled, pinning Tyrell, and threw a fist at his face. Tyrell jerked his head around as Rex punched the pavement. He threw the other bear off. He leaped to his feet, ready to snatch Rex around the neck, but before he could he heard an angry bellow.
The next thing he knew, he had been tackled into the bushes around Kurtis’ yard. A huge, muscular body pinned him in place. Cynthia shouted something while Rex hissed and screamed.
Noel jerked Tyrell to his feet and yanked him around. His fist balled but before he could strike, Ricky caught his wrist and yanked him back. The two alphas glared at each other for a moment before Noel, seeing that Tyrell wasn’t fighting back, dropped his fist. Tyrell quickly went to Cynthia’s side to comfort her. She molded herself again him, shivering as she glared at Rex.
“What happened?” Kurtis demanded.
“He—” Rex started.
“Rex attacked us,” Cynthia interrupted. “Ricky told us to meet you guys here, so we came here. Rex came out of the house and immediately attacked. And last night he… he… practically attacked me.”
Tyrell put his arms protectively around her, knowing her shivers weren’t just because of the violence she had just seen. He wished he could rip off Rex’s head. Rex, for his part, had the decency to look ashamed as he bowed his head. But then he looked back up, anger stirring in his eyes, and staggered to his feet. His bloodshot eyes narrowed on Tyrell.
“This man has stolen my mate,” he declared.
“And who told you I was your mate?” Cynthia shouted at him. “I’m not your mate!”
Rex made a whining noise. Tyrell started forward, but a glare from the alphas stopped him.
“We’ve forgotten what mates are,” Rex said, glaring at all of them. “But I know. Cynthia is my mate. James Smith told me that when a bear knows its mate, then a bear needs to claim her.”
Tyrell stared at him in disgust. “You’re taking advice from the guy who attacked Cynthia?”
“He’s right about the mates!”
Bobby stepped between them. “Rex, she doesn’t want you.”
“That’s because he poisoned her against me. I will not stand for it…” Rex’s bloodshot eyes narrowed. “I demand a fight. A proelio mortem!”
Tyrell tensed. The proelio mortem had been weeded out as a means for claiming mates long ago when all the women of the island took a stand against it and started to declare proelio mortem battles against the men who tried to win them that way. It was still used on occasion, most notably when a young alpha had to defend himself against challengers. It used to be a fight to the death, but these days was more a fight to the surrender…
Looking at the hatred on Rex’s face, though, Tyrell wasn’t sure that it wouldn’t end in death.
“A prollo what?” Cynthia looked around at the grim faces, her eyes wide. “What is going on here?”
“You have no right,” Tyrell snarled at his challenger. “She doesn’t want you. Or do you simply not care? Do you think that she will love you if you rape her?”
Rex’s eyes widened. “I would never!”
“That’s not how it looked last night,” Tyrell snarled. He wanted so badly to attack the other bear. To destroy the threat before it became even worse. His bear beat at his chest, telling him to protect his mate. It was only Cynthia clinging to him that stopped him. “She ran away from you last night because you frightened her so badly. You have no right to lay claim to her, as though what she wants is irrelevant. Do you hear me, Rex? You are never going to get your filthy hands on her again!”
Rex ripped himself away from the alphas. He looked at Cynthia with an uncertain gaze, then turned to Noel. “You see? You see how he’s poisoned her? I came to her last night to propose. Here, I’ve got the ring...” He patted his pockets but didn’t find anything. “I would never rape anybody. Never. And you!” He pointed at Tyrell. “You’re nothing but a coward. Instead of accepting my challenge you try to deflect it, to cast my character into the mud.”
Anger ripped through Tyrell’s body. He snarled and shifted his stance, ready to defend Cynthia right then and there. “Then I accept,” he shouted. “I accept. And once I’ve beaten your sorry ass, you will leave Cynthia alone once and for all.”
“Will someone please tell me what the hell is going on here?” Cynthia screamed.
Tyrell flinched. He had forgotten that she had even asked. He turned to her, opening his mouth to explain, but before he could, Rex started talking.
“It’s a fight to prove which one of us actually loves you,” he said, sounding much calmer now. “Trial by physical combat. And since he’s accepted, he can’t back out unless he wants to be barred from ever seeing you again.”
“Are you kidding me?” Cynthia hissed, fire lighting in her eyes.
Rex still gazed at Noel, who looked disgusted. “Since the challenge was accepted, the female in question needs to be removed from the challenged. She can’t be allowed to stay with him.”
“Who do you think you are?” Cynthia lunged forward, and Tyrell had to catch her this time. Not that he wouldn’t love to see her beat up Rex, but she could hurt herself trying to hurt him. “The ‘female’? I’ll beat your sorry ass myself, you can’t go around claiming that you’d never do anything to hurt me and then try to violently force me into the little shoebox you’ve made with my name on it. You know what rape is? Taking away someone’s choice! And right now you are refusing to ignore my wishes and doing everything you can to strip me of my choices!”
“No. I’m proving that we’re meant to be.” Rex’s eyes were wide, and despite his protest, he looked uncertain.
“According to who? James Smith, who might have tried to kill me if Tyrell hadn’t interfered?”
Rex flinched. Tyrell wrapped his arms protectively around her again.
“She is right...” Bobby frowned at Rex. “I don’t like where this is going. No man has a right to dictate a woman’s life like this.”
“It’s tradition,” Noel insisted, expression furious. He glared at Rex, but Tyrell knew he’d support the challenge. Noel was the most traditional of the four alphas. “The challenge was accepted. According to the rules, Cynthia can’t be with either of them until the time of the battle. And we’ve got quite an audience to this as well,” he said, looking at the crowd of bystanders that had gathered. “If we refuse to accept tradition in this case...”
“You Fjord hoppers and your worship of tradition,” Bobby said in a disgusted tone. He shook his head. “Your man here is acting without honor and without concern for what the lady of his affections actually wants. Is that the kind of island you want to raise our son on, Noel? One where men feel free to force their wills onto women?”
Tyrell glowered at Rex again, who looked uncertain. Good. Maybe if he had enough of a kick in the pants, he’d respect Cynthia's wishes and leave them alone. One thing was certain, though… all the compassion Tyrell had felt towards him, his desire for Tamara to have her uncle in his life, it all ended. A man like Rex didn’t deserve to have that chance.
“I say we let them fight,” Kurtis drawled, sounding bored. “I mean, let’s face it. Tyrell will beat the crap out of that scrawny dude anyway.”
“Diana will have our hides,” Bobby warned. “And what if Rex wins? We’re going to force Cynthia to go with him knowing she doesn’t want to?”
Rex growled and spat. The alphas turned on him but that didn’t even stop him. Fur sprouted from his pores and he waved his fists at the lot of them. “You are our alphas! It is your responsibility,
your duty to keep tradition alive on our island. Smith is right about one thing. The world is changing too fast. If we don’t hold onto our pasts, then we will lose ourselves!”
Ricky and Kurtis exchanged a look and Tyrell’s heart sunk. He already knew what they would say. Their relationship was about as far outside of tradition as could be. If they were going to continue to be accepted after they came out as bisexual and mates to each other as well as Diana, then they needed to show support for other traditions.
Tyrell’s arms tightened around Cynthia’s waist. She looked up at him in confusion and he managed to give her a small smile. Whatever happened, he already knew what he was going to do. He would fight for her. And if necessary, die for her.
“I agree with Kurtis,” Ricky said, sounding subdued. “Tyrell is my second. He must honor the fight.”
Bobby looked at the two of them, his own expression torn.
Noel spoke. “Rex, you are one of my best hunters. If you truly wish to fight, then I will join my fellow alphas in allowing it. But know this; even if you win, we will not compel Cynthia Jones to be with you. We will not allow you to impose your will on her. And if you assault her in any manner—and it’s not you who gets to decide what counts as assault, it’s her—then you will be punished for your crimes. Furthermore, given your actions from the past two days, you are stripped of all position and banned from the hunting crew from this day on.”
The gathered crowd gasped. Several people muttered to each other in shock. Tyrell’s arms tightened around Cynthia again. Her arms slid around his waist and she clung to him. Rex stared at his alpha with shocked eyes, but his gaze hardened quickly.
“Then I suppose my mate is all I have left to fight for. I will fight for her.”
Noel nodded. He looked around at all of the spectators and made an impatient gesture with his hands. “Get out of here. All of you.”
The crowd dispersed, some people only doing so reluctantly. Noel grabbed Rex’s arm and dragged him away, hissing furiously under his breath. Kurtis and Bobby went after them, leaving Cynthia and Tyrell to face Ricky. The alpha looked exhausted and ran a hand over his chin, which was in desperate need of a shave.
