by V. Vaughn
I actually jog when I first enter the woods to get closer to where I just saw the bear, and once I get there I stop to track where he might have gone. Since he was in a hurry, it's pretty easy. The bear crashed through the woods, leaving a wide wake. He was also running along a well-used section of the forest, and there is actually a path beaten into the ground. It reinforces the information that the Le Roux house is guarded regularly.
And it makes it easy to know where to go. I spy the Le Roux house as I run, and once I pass it, I find a path that is even more heavily travelled. So much so I don't want to move along it for fear I'll be discovered sooner than I'd like, so I slip into the woods to travel parallel to the path under cover. I haven’t gone far before I hear the rush of a river, and I bet that this is a common spot for the family to come when they exercise their bears.
I'm almost at the river when a high-pitched wail fills the air and makes me stop cold. It takes me a moment to determine it's not an animal, but a person, and when another voice joins in, a chill races down my spine. I hold my breath as I listen closely, and the sound reminds me of a Native American ritual. It makes me insanely curious what is going on, and I move as stealthily as I can toward the cries. The rush of the water is loud now, and I suspect it's because of a waterfall. It's good cover for any noise I might make, and I'm able to travel quickly.
When I'm close to where the wailers are, I slow down and move from tree to tree to avoid being detected. Through branches, I glimpse red that could be clothing, and I search for a good tree to climb. Ideally, I can get high enough to have a good vantage point for viewing while still being camouflaged by greenery and remaining undetected. But before I find what I'm looking for, I hear a loud crack, like lighting, and then the ground shakes as the noise of the waterfall intensifies as if a dam just broke. Fear that a flash flood is coming my way makes me scramble up the pine tree in front of me. I stop when I get high enough to view the scene below, and luckily I think I'm not easy to see. People are at the base of the waterfall, and the loud rush I heard before has subsided. The brush on either side of the river looks like there was a recent rain. I shake my head because it doesn't make sense. It's like there was just a momentary flash flood, because the river surge is already gone. As I rack my brain trying to determine how that could be, I see two women with long hair, one of them gray, and four naked men covered in mud. At least now the mystery of the wails is cleared up for me because I suspect the women are the clan witches. All six are crouched over someone on the ground. He's moaning in pain, but the people are blocking my view of what's wrong with him.
A large bear crashes through the woods not far from my tree, but he doesn't notice me in his hurry. He stops at the scene and appears to assess the situation for a few seconds before he takes off to move farther down the river.
"Do it!" screams a man, and I think it’s the one lying injured on the ground. One guy grabs his foot while the other holds him under his shoulders. The injured man lets out a groan that sounds as if he's trying to suppress a scream.
"Nice and clean. It will heal perfectly," says the woman with gray hair, and she begins to chant in a series of sounds I don't think are words. It occurs to me they could have been setting bones. The younger woman kneels at the guy's head, and the naked men move away allowing me to see clearly now.
The moment I view the guy's face, blood rushes from my head, and I open my mouth but stop myself from gasping out loud. Max.
Three
Max
They say there's a fine line between love and hate, and right now I understand what that means. I know she didn't mean to, but Audrey Le Roux almost killed me, and the pain I'm in right now makes want to strangle her. I look down at my legs to see not one, but two compound fractures. My femurs are both projecting through my thighs and I fight the wave of nausea from my pain. I'm light-headed from the amount of arterial blood that pumped out of me before Nick and Evan got me out the water where it could seal off with my quick werebear healing abilities. My body is already trying to repair my bones too, and if my legs aren't set soon, they'll have to be broken again.
"Audrey," I croak out. She’s not hovering over me, and fear grips my heart as I wonder if she managed to get out of the river before the water crashed down.
I grab at the closest person, who happens to be an old witch. Her arm is boney in my hand and if I squeeze hard enough it might snap. “Where’s Audrey?”
She glares at me, and suddenly my fingers are weak. "She'll be fine," she says. Her expression softens and she tsks as if she’s my mother looking at a scraped knee while she surveys my body with her gaze. "Those legs need to be set."
Evan looks at me and I see a flicker of compassion in the warrior's eyes. But I don't need some pansy-ass feeling sorry for me, and my alpha voice roars out, "Do it!"
Agony roars back at me when Evan yanks on my leg and presses his hand on my femur to shove it back into place. I let out a groan, but the guy is smart enough to ignore me and do the other leg without hesitating. When the clan witches start to do their chanting thing, I'm tempted to tell them to shut up. But I know they're doing the best they can to help and that my renewed anger at Audrey is directed at them, so I keep my mouth shut.
A cold sweat has covered my nude body, and I shiver as I close my eyes, wishing I could use my magic to ease my pain. But right now my body needs everything I've got to heal. While the two witches ought to be able to relieve me, they can't. They used up most of their power helping Audrey keep the water suspended long enough to get me to safety.
"Max," says the younger witch as she moves hair out of my eyes. "You're going to be okay."
No shit. It takes a hell of a lot more trauma than I’ve experienced to kill an alpha. Although, I was pretty screwed for a while there, and it's possible Audrey did save my life. When she took me over the falls, I had no idea how far a drop it was going to be. And I certainly didn't know where to shoot for to land in the deepest part of the water. I must have landed on a large rock in a shallow section, and both my legs snapped. The water beat on me with such force that even in my bear form I couldn't seem to escape it. Moving my animal body with just my front legs felt impossible when my claws couldn't get a grip on the algae-covered rock, so I shifted to human form with the hope I'd be better able to move with my hands. But I was out of oxygen and must have blacked out, because the next thing I knew two warriors were carrying me to shore over the muddy riverbed, and Audrey was sizzling with magic as she held the water over our heads.
Recalling it now, I have to admit what she did was impressive. Lifting all that water. I had no idea Audrey had so much power. Hell, I didn't know she had any until I got here, because she sure did a good job of hiding it from me in California. And I suppose I should be grateful for what she did to save me. Except for the fact she was the one who made my accident happen. What a cocky little— I shake my head at myself because she was a cocky alpha showing me she wasn't about to let me rule her. Something I'd have done if I'd just found out my true mate had two true mates to choose from. Werebear are not only naturally jealous, but her alpha pride has to be hurt that I even have to choose.
"Max," the young witch says. "I've got a little juice now, and I should be able to help you feel better." She places her hands on my temples, and a warm trickle of energy passes through me. It's not much, but it does offer some relief. I know what she's doing is going to cost her. Depleting your magic completely and then trying to use the power that comes to restore you is like running out of gas and then having to walk twenty-five miles for more. She'll probably be laid up for a day or so feeling like she's got the flu. I smile at my savior. "Thanks. You're an angel, and I know what this means for you."
She grins at me. "I'm Elise, and someday I'll let you return the favor. I sense you've got some powerful magic too."
"Deal."
The older witch snorts, but there's a twinkle in her eye that tells me she's teasing. "She's a fool. I'm the one who'll have to take care of her."
It makes me soften my feelings for the older witch whose arm I almost broke, and I offer her a weak smile. Thoughts of Audrey come to me again. Even though I'm still pissed as hell, I’m also worried and wonder where she is and why she's not checking up on me. Surely she's out of the river by now. I'm sure she knows I'm angry, but that shouldn't keep her away. I look at Nick and Evan. "Where's Audrey? She’s okay, right?" I ask.
They glance at each other, and I see a smile flicker on Evan's face before he says, "Talking to her father."
Anger makes my skin prickle, because as her mate, I’m the one who should be reprimanding her. Perhaps a spanking—my bear growls a little with desire when an image of her shapely ass comes to mind. I shake it off to let my rage have it’s due. Killing another clan's alpha heir, even accidentally, is asking for war, and Audrey needs to make amends for that. Since the warriors think it's funny, I suspect they've had a long decade or so of protecting her from stupid decisions. We alpha heirs like to test boundaries every chance we get. I ask, "Does she do stuff like this often?"
Apparently shoving my femurs into my legs isn't enough of a bro bond for them because they both give me blank expressions. Their loyalty to their clan is admirable, and I'd expect the same from my warriors. Nick asks, "Can you stand?" He gives me the once over as if I'm weak. "Or should I carry you?"
He knows how to work an alpha, and I don't even think about how much it’s going to hurt until I begin to get up. "I've got it." I don’t even get to my knees before I crumble to the ground in agony.
"Nick!" Elise cries out. "You and Evan will carry him so he doesn't undo what I just did." She looks at me with fire in her eyes. "And if you refuse, I'll spell you with boils in your ass crack. Got it?"
I nod instead of laughing at the little spitfire of a witch. I have no doubt she would. I should be more grateful, so I agree, but it definitely hurts my pride way more than my legs when the Nick lifts me up over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. As I grit my teeth through the pain, I begin to worry about Audrey. I'm sure she can handle her father, but our true-mate bond makes me want to protect her just the same.
Nick isn't walking with much care, and when he hops up over a log the jolt of his landing makes me inhale sharply. I'm suddenly accosted with a scent that makes my bear tingle with desire—true-mate desire—and it’s not for Audrey. Josie? I lift my head and sniff again. Her scent is faint now, but I definitely smell it, and that doesn't make any sense. There's no way the human girl could be anywhere near here. First of all, she has no reason to be and secondly, the Le Roux warriors would never allow it. It must be my bear wanting the connection of a true mate, and I guess he doesn't care which one.
The trek through the woods back to the Le Roux house seems to take forever. I get that Nick has no reason to worry about my comfort, and I suppose I should be happy he moved me as quickly as he could. But it's a relief when I'm finally deposited in my bed to heal.
A girl is waiting in my room for me, and as soon as Nick leaves me, she says, "I'm Kelly, Audrey's younger sister." She looks down at me with the same vivid blue eyes Audrey has, and I notice she's holding a large bowl with a washcloth. "Would you like to be cleaned up?"
I glance down at my muddy, blood-caked body. "I probably should, huh?"
"I'll be gentle," she says as she walks to the bathroom. "I promise."
When she returns to my side, she sets the bowl down on the night stand and water drips as she wrings out the washcloth. She starts with my face. "I heard you grew up in British Columbia. It sounds like such a beautiful place."
Kelly strokes my skin softly as she cleans me, and the warmth of the washcloth is soothing on my cheek. "It is," I say. “You should visit sometime. If I have my way, you'll have relatives there soon."
She lifts my arm and wipes my bicep as she frowns. "It must be so weird to have two true mates. Like, we spend so much of our lives waiting for the right one to come along and then wham, you somehow got two in a couple days."
I chuckle at her frankness. "It is unsettling. But it's very important I chose the right one. I barely know Josie, and I'd be happy to keep it that way."
"But your bear wouldn't." She moves on to my forearm.
"No." I think about the way my bear doesn't care which true mate is near. He wants her no matter how much my logic is saying it needs to be just Audrey. "Unfortunately, I have to spend time with both women and wait for a sign to tell me who my true mate is supposed to be."
"What happens when you do choose one? I mean, to the other true mate?"
I witnessed one of our female clan members deal with two true mates and recall what a struggle it was for the guy who didn't win. He ended up leaving our clan to take up with another one to get away from the woman he couldn't have. I answer honestly. "It'll probably suck for her. But once I bond with one, I won't be attracted to the other."
"Oh," Kelly frowns making me think she's worried I won't pick her sister.
"Please understand, I want Audrey to be the right one."
"Well of course." She lets out a noise of disgust. "Josie is—" Kelly's eyes widen. "I mean she sounds horrible."
I think Kelly just admitted something she shouldn't have, and I recall how I detected Josie's scent earlier. It could have been my mind playing tricks or… "Was she here?" Kelly bites her lip and dunks the washcloth into her bowl without looking at me. "Kelly? Do you know her?"
She lets out a sigh. "I'm only telling you this because I want you to make up your mind quickly. Josie stopped by earlier. She ran the plates on Audrey's car to find you."
I recall the woman who slammed me up against a wall in the breakfast place. She's certainly assertive, and smart too if she managed to think quickly enough to memorize the plate numbers on Audrey's car before I tore out of there. She's not going to go away easily, and I agree that I should meet with her soon in hopes I can make up my mind quickly. "Where is she now?"
Kelly shrugs. "We sent her away. But Reese got her number. Do you want me to get it?"
I shake my head as I imagine how long a human wandering around Le Roux land will last before discovery. If I scented her in the woods, the others must have too. She's probably already in custody, and my heart flips against my will with the hope I'll see her soon. "I have a feeling it'll work itself out. Thanks for telling me." I let out a heavy sigh as Kelly massages my hand while cleaning it.
"You must be exhausted," Kelly says. "Do you want me to stop so you can sleep?"
"No." My heart is aching for my true mate. And instead of wondering which one, I say, "What I really want is to see Audrey."
Kelly smiles. "You do?"
I nod as my eyelids droop with sleepiness. "Can you get her for me when you're done?"
"Yes. Go ahead and sleep and I'll make sure Audrey is here when you wake up."
"Thanks." I picture Audrey's face and recall her touch as I let out a small sigh, and then I let sleep take over.
Four
Josie
My heart stops for a moment, and I'm afraid it'll never beat again as I stare at Max lying on the ground covered in mud and blood. Every nerve ending in me is firing with the need to rush to him and make sure he's okay. It has to be our true-mate bond, and once again I've underestimated the power of it, because it's actually painful not to go to him. But I'm not supposed to be here, and the warriors wouldn't stand for it. I don't want to find out what they'd do. I sit as still as I can considering I’m wedged into pine tree branches that are painfully digging into my limbs as I watch the scene below.
I listen with curiosity as Max asks about Audrey, who I know is the Le Roux alpha’s daughter. When one of the warriors sarcastically says she's talking to her father, I get the impression she's being reamed out, and that maybe she was who caused Max's accident. I have a strong urge to hurt the woman, and it strikes me as odd when I recognize the emotion I'm feeling is jealousy. It's probably because she's going to be able to keep tabs on Max while I can't even get the guy to call me.
&
nbsp; I grimace when one of the nude warriors hoists Max up and over his shoulder to carry him. It was only a couple minutes ago both of Max's broken legs were set, which I would assume were compound fractures based on the way the two warriors stretched him out. I know werebear heal quickly, but he's got to be in excruciating pain, and the way the warrior just hopped over a log makes me think he doesn't like Max much.
It also makes it clear Max doesn't have much status in the clan either, because warriors are ruled by a pecking order of respect. If he's a relative, he's not a close one. Who is Max to the Le Roux? I watch as they clear out and notice the warrior who isn't carrying Max stops for a moment to inhale deeply. Oh god, did he scent me? I hold my breath, but he shakes his head after a few seconds and continues on. It makes me anxious about getting out of here, and when everyone has cleared out, I begin to climb slowly down the tree toward the ground. I glance around before jumping down the last part and don't notice anyone, and when my feet thud with my landing I bend my knees as much as I can to minimize the impact and sound.
"Josie."
I whip around to the voice I hear as my hand goes to the back of my shorts where I tucked my knife. I find the warrior I met in the Le Roux's driveway. My body tenses for a fight even though there's no way I want to start one with this muscle-bound beast before me. He'd have more warriors here in a flash, and I don't intend to die today. I leave my knife where it is and manage to turn on my airhead-girl persona, hoping I can escape another way. "Oh my god," I gush. "Am I glad to see you!" I glance around with what I hope looks like fear. "Did you see the bears?"
The guy squints his eyes at me, but he doesn't cross his arms, and I think he's afraid I'm dangerous. He's smarter than I thought. "Bear," he scoffs.
