by Cecilia Lane
“What? Why?”
“Because Trent hates humans, and he’s the one standing guard right now.”
Liv turned her head slowly. “Why does he need to stand guard?”
“You’ll see soon enough.”
As soon as the truck shut off, another man stepped out of the dark opening. He didn’t raise a hand in greeting or change his stony expression. When Liv pushed out of her door, his nostrils flared. “You brought a human on my land?”
Ethan shrugged. “She needs to see this.”
“On my land,” the man repeated in a growl. “Fucking humans don’t understand shit, and you brought one on my land.”
“It’s her right.”
Trent spat on the ground and pointed at her. “Not my fault if her guts get spilled on the ground.”
Liv opened her mouth and snapped it back closed with a glare from Ethan. Irritation pooled in her middle at both men, but Trent in particular. Abrasive was the kindest word she could think of to describe him.
“She won’t do anything stupid,” Ethan promised.
Trent’s rebuttal sounded in the back of his throat, but he canted his head to the side and stomped into the darkness.
Liv glanced at Ethan. He grimaced and dipped his chin, but followed. She was left with staying out in the sun and in safety or stepping into the darkness to find some answers.
A roar sounded from inside the cave.
Liv chose darkness.
Her eyes adjusted to the low light. The cave wasn’t large. The roof wasn’t much taller than Ethan or Trent’s heads. Two of her with arms stretched wide could hold hands and touch the walls. She didn’t know much about caves, but she was certain the place wasn’t naturally made.
One of the men in front of her bent to fiddle with something at his feet. A lantern sparked to life as he straightened and Liv gasped.
Ethan and Trent nearly blocked the view, but their shoulders couldn’t mute the growls echoing around the small chamber.
Liv pushed between them. A giant, black bear paced behind thick, silver bars. Every couple of steps, he swiped at the bars or tried to bite them. Bright green eyes jumped from face to face and she knew who was locked inside.
“You put him in a cage?” She rounded on Ethan and Trent. “Why?”
“You’d rather have him roaming and fighting anything that moves?” Trent snapped.
“This is how it ends when we lose control of our beasts,” Ethan said in a gentler voice.
Liv shook her head, her blood running cold. She knew what he meant. Sloan had implied it as well. Hell, even Alex predicted his future was a short one.
Sometimes the demons won.
“No,” Liv denied fiercely. She wouldn’t lose him again. “That’s not happening. He’s not too far gone. I refuse to let you put him down like a rabid animal.”
“Ain’t no cure when they start foaming at the mouth,” Trent muttered. He rolled his eyes to Ethan. “Thought you said she was smart.”
Her shock at seeing Alex caged boiled into a rage. He’d been turned against his will and harassed over the years. He’d lost friends and family and uprooted his entire life. When a glimmer of hope and happiness came along, that bastard that hurt him came back to burn it all to the ground again.
And the people he called his clan wanted to kill him.
Not on her life.
Liv marched the few steps between them and shoved a finger under Trent’s nose. “Fuck you. That’s a person in there.”
Trent wrapped his fingers around her wrist and squeezed tight. The bear roared and banged against the bars of the cage. “There’s nothing in there. Look for yourself,” he growled, eyes flashing pure amber. He twisted her around and shoved her closer to the cage. “The human side of him was just another meal for his animal. Putting him down would be a damn mercy.”
Liv steadied herself. The bear dropped back to all fours. His roar died down to a constant growl. He paced the few steps back and forth he could manage, never taking his bright green eyes off her.
They looked even wilder than when she last saw him.
“I can’t believe that,” she said without turning. Fuck Trent. She wouldn’t let him see the tears welling in her eyes. “He’s in there somewhere. I won’t let you kill him.”
“Listen, little girl—”
“Trent,” Ethan snapped. “A day more costs us nothing.”
There was a pause, but Liv still didn’t look behind her. She put her entire focus on Alex, if she could even call him that. As much as she didn’t want to hear the words, Trent was right. There was no intelligence in the eyes that watched her. The growls and huffed breaths were that of an animal trying to figure out how to get to his prey. She wasn’t Liv to him; she was just another meal.
“Fine,” Trent said finally. “Not my problem when he chews her to bits. I’m not the one putting him down.”
Hard footsteps stomped away, then softer ones approached her. “What happened?” she asked.
“We found him roaming about fifty miles from here. Probably still hunting for the one that attacked you. He wouldn’t listen to an alpha order to shift back, so we drugged him and brought him here. He wasn’t even conscious again when the bear took back over and shifted him while he slept. He refuses to shift and attacks anyone that gets near.”
“There’s nothing you can do?”
“I’ve tried everything in my power. He’s grown unsteady over the years. Fighting more, both in fur and skin. He’s gotten close to refusing orders, but always backed down. You coming into town made him a little better. This time is different. He feels…” Ethan grimaced and rubbed a hand over his heart, “broken.”
Liv squeezed her eyes shut. A tear rolled down her cheek. She pressed her lips together and held back the wave of anguish that threatened to shake her shoulders with sobs.
“I don’t want him to die,” Ethan said softly. “I also don’t want him to be a danger to anyone else.”
“Then let me try.”
“You have the day.” He reached for a shoulder and turned her. “If anyone can reach him, it’ll be his mate.”
Mate? Hah. Not likely, with the man she wanted locked away inside some mad beast. If he even existed.
No. She couldn’t let that belief creep up on her. She had to hold out hope that they were handed a second chance for a reason. Improbable, unlikely, unscientific, she didn’t care. Hope for a fate that didn’t involve mourning Alex was all she had left.
Liv turned back to the cage and nodded. After a moment, Ethan followed Trent out of the cave and left her alone with the bear.
“Okay,” Liv breathed. “Okay. We can fix this. Can’t we?”
The bear raised a lip and snarled.
“You know, there are easier ways to dump a girl than going beast mode and losing your humanity.” Liv took a seat on the cold stone. She traced the subtle bumps and cracks of the cave floor. They grounded her in the moment. “In fact, I’m not letting you off the hook this time. You got away without answers years ago. If you want me gone, you’ve got to use your words and tell me.”
The bear rushed the bars and slammed into them. Liv jumped and eyed where they were sunk into the ground and ceiling. All the connections appeared solid, as did the bars themselves.
Liv drew in a big breath and spoke over the growls.
“Remember that time when we went to the Fourth of July party at Hank’s Fun-n-Buns? There was a costume contest and everything. You went as Sexy Uncle Sam. Red and white striped hot pants that I swore were so tight you’d be showing off your bits by the second hour. We spent an entire afternoon trying to find the perfect blue blazer to go with it, only for some drunk freshman to run into you with a plate of wings.”
Liv huffed a laugh at the memory of dull orange sauce drying on the cloth. There’d been no saving the jacket or the costume. Alex had quickly gone from Sexy Uncle Sam to a shirtless guy in hot pants. A fair number of women eyed him up, but she’d been the one to peel him out of those d
amn shorts at the end of the night.
“That was right after we moved in together. Do you remember that old hag that tried to block us from using the freight elevator? She insisted she’d been waiting since dawn and we had to let her go first. Then it turned out she had her delivery date wrong and screamed at whatever poor soul picked up the phone at the furniture store. I thought the property manager was going to call the cops on her.”
The bear sat back. His growl stopped and she plowed on with renewed determination. She didn’t care if it was simply the sound of a soothing voice instead of the harsh voices of Trent and Ethan. Something had his attention.
She jumped from memory to memory. Good ones and bad ones. She even resolved old arguments and taunted him with her one-sided victories. There was simply nothing like gaining the agreement of a bear over how to load the dishwasher or stack the cookie sheets and pans.
Eventually, though, her rush of memories sputtered to a stop. She didn’t know which ones helped, if they did at all. The bear watched her and paced in turn, never seeming to understand her words.
Liv sighed and drew her legs to her chest. “I don’t know what I’m doing,” she admitted. “I was so lost after you left. Hurt and angry, yeah, but lost. Even when everyone told me it was time to move on, I found excuses. I needed to work on myself or I was too busy with applying for lab positions. I hated whenever someone tried to set me up because I knew they’d never compare to you.”
Too many first, last dates. Pushy kissers. Pushy friends. Frustration over where she stood and where she wanted to be. She’d filled those years with work and overtime because that was easier to accept than a silent apartment.
All because she missed Alex.
“My mom would love for me to go home and find a boring husband to settle down with. So you’d better quit it with this bullshit and change back because that’s not the life I want.” Liv laid her cheek on her knees. “I want you, Alex.”
He’d scared her. Shocked her. Hell, even hurt her. She could deal with all that if it got her what she wanted: a wild man who made her laugh and love life.
She hated everything he’d gone through and wished things could have been different. If they’d happened just a few years later, maybe he wouldn’t have needed to run. Maybe they’d have moved to Bearden and started their lives instead of taking the shitty long way around.
But wishes weren’t reality, and she had a broken bear sitting in front of her.
Fuck the bastard that hurt him. She wouldn’t let him win. Alex was hers. She’d stick by his side. He deserved the loyalty.
“You’re better with me. That’s what Ethan said. That’s what I believe.” She edged closer to the cage and looked right into the bright green eyes. Nothing more than animal sparked in them, but she kept going. She had the day. She’d use every damn minute. “You hurt me, Alex, but you have to believe you’re nothing like the monster that turned you. What you did was an accident. What he did was a fucked up crime. You’re better than him. Believe that down to your bones. You’re flawed, imperfect, and complicated. But you are good. You are mine.”
Something flickered in his eyes.
“Mine, Alex,” she whispered. She held her breath, heart fluttering with hope.
The bear shook his head and pawed at his nose.
Then there was a loud snap followed by a roar.
The bear’s shape shimmered and popped. Fur melted back and Liv gasped. Tears sprang to her eyes as the beast slowly ceded to the man.
“Alex!”
Seconds passed into a minute, then another. Alex panted and stared at the ceiling, then he rolled her face toward her.
“Where’s the key?” he asked in a rough rasp.
Liv laughed and scrubbed at her cheeks. “I don’t know.”
“What kind of person agrees to babysit someone in a cave and doesn’t get the key?” Alex grinned through his grumble. “Come here. Even if you can’t let me out, I can still touch you.”
Liv crawled forward until she could reach through the bars. Alex reached, too, though how he didn’t pinch his big arms was beyond her.
Then he wrapped her close and Liv didn’t even care they were smooshed together with silver bars between them.
She had him and she wouldn’t give him up again.
Chapter 22
The sound of the shower running brought Alex out of sleep. He threw a hand wide, already knowing he’d find the bed cold and empty. Unless someone had broken into his home, Liv was the one using up all the hot water. Just like she’d done most mornings since she shoved him back from the edge.
A growl vibrated in his chest, pleased once again. She’d done the impossible.
He hadn’t been able to let her go after that. And thankfully, she’d put up with his shit. Moving her into his home was one demand. Seeing her constantly guarded was another. His maker was still on the loose and still terrorized his dreams, but little by little, Alex breathed easier knowing Liv fell asleep in his den and stole his hot water the next morning.
They’d slipped so easily into old habits and made new ones as one week turned into two. Dinners and breakfasts and stolen moments knotted them closer and closer together.
There was just one looming crack in their happiness. One fucking prick that kept him awake at nights and made his vision swim with red. One asshole kept the days from utter perfection.
Alex rumbled a growl and rolled out of bed. Fuck those thoughts. Perfection waited on the other side of the cracked bathroom door.
He slipped inside and shut the door with a click to give Liv warning of his arrival.
Alex drew open the curtain and let his eyes feast on the delicious sight in front of him. He knew every dip and swell of Liv’s gorgeous body. He’d mapped the inches with his fingers and tongue. He didn’t think he’d ever get enough.
And with a heaping dish of luck he didn’t deserve, maybe he wouldn’t have to.
Blood rushed straight to his cock and he couldn’t stop a quick pump as he stepped in and closed the curtain behind him.
“You got up early,” he murmured into the crooked of her neck. Her skin against his calmed the itching between his shoulders. Selfish, maybe, but he leaned on her when his bear couldn’t shake loose of thoughts of his maker. She kept him steady.
Liv wiped the water from her eyes and turned into him. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close. “It’s this new thing I’m trying.”
“Hm?” Tangy, sweet scent filled his nose. Responsive, sensitive woman. Ready for him within seconds. His hands skimmed up her sides and cupped her breasts. He sought the hard peaks of her nipples, rolling them between his fingers.
Liv arched into his touch and her teeth caught her lower lip with her soft sigh. “It’s called not being late.”
Alex leaned over her. His lips ghosted against hers “Where’s the fun in that?”
“Oh,” she laughed in a throaty chuckle. She wrapped a hand around his cock and worked him with firm, hard strokes. “There’s still plenty of fun.”
Liv wiggled out of his grasp and slid down to her knees. She pumped his shaft again, then drew her tongue from his balls to his tip and swirled around his head.
Water splashed all around him. Alex shoved his hair back to clear the strands from his eyes. He didn’t want to miss a single thing.
“Tease,” he admonished.
Liv rolled her eyes upward. The stormy grey color simmered with need. The look alone almost had him close to release.
She sucked him deep, cheeks hollowing, and forced another groan from him. Her tongue curled around him, stroking as she slid up and down. Her mouth worked magic.
Those lusty eyes watched him as she slid a hand down her body and touched herself. Small moans mixed with his and the scent of her arousal exploded in the air.
“Fuck,” he groaned.
Alex lost the battle for control and fisted his hand into Liv’s hair. Her tongue flattened, and he thrust between her lips.
Waves o
f heat billowed around him. Water and steam from the shower. An inferno of lust ignited by the woman on her knees. He was cloaked in a fire that licked down his spine and drew his balls tight.
“Liv,” he groaned. Or growled. Was it even her name he pushed between his lips? Or some plea to the heavens for strength and release?
He needed to be inside her. Needed to feel her come around him before he let himself go.
He tugged her away from him and urged her to her feet. Alex slid his hands around to her ass and she jumped, trusting him to catch her. His heart threatened to pound its way out of his chest.
“Alex.”
Liv nipped at his neck and crashed him back to the very sweet, very sexy reality of a woman with her legs wrapped around his waist and spread open for him. Liquid heat coated him as he rocked his hips against her and drew a throaty groan from her.
He thrust inside, cock pressing deep. Her body clamped down and squeezed him tight. So tight. So fucking, amazingly tight.
Heaven existed right between her legs.
Silky muscles fluttered around him. He eased back with slow deliberation. Tease, he’d called her, but the choked noises in her throat flung the accusation back in his face.
Alex grinned against her lips. He breathed her in, consumed every sound that spilled from her chest. She gasped when he filled her to the brim and moaned when he pulled back. Hard and slow, rough and gentle.
“More,” she moaned.
A growl rattled in his throat. Sendings punched at him and made his gums ache.
Bite. Mark. Claim.
He wanted everything she had to offer. Her body. Her mind. Her everlasting love. All of it was his for the taking.
“Mine,” he growled.
He thrust harder. Faster. Her body molded to the rhythm he set. He dragged gasps and moans from her and met them with grunts and growls of his own.
“And you’re mine.” Grey eyes watched him, shining as bright as any shifter’s. There wasn’t an animal under her skin—he’d made sure of that, even if he’d hurt her in the process. No, something greater watched him. Something huge and important and too big for words at that precise moment.
