by Amelia Jade
The internal struggle had been evident on her face during the drive back. He had seen her begin to speak several times, but never getting the right words out. He could feel her bear's presence, trying to encourage her to admit that she cared for him, but something powerful was blocking her ability to see how well they fit and worked together.
She was a pacifist; that much he knew. But there seemed to be something more in her reluctance to support the men of Bear Bluffs. The meeting had devolved into a series of speeches designed to keep themselves pumped up, but as she just leaned against the wall, refusing to speak her support, he could see the enthusiasm waning.
They wanted the approval of the woman who had most recently been attacked. The wolves had been spotted three times. Twice in an attempt to attack her, and once to try and kill someone who looked a lot like her. Everyone could tell that the two were somehow related, there was just too much evidence that agreed with the theory.
A thought came to him that might explain why she was reluctant to agree. Everyone knew she was a bear shifter; that was a secret she could not have kept even if they hadn't heard or seen it happen. A bear shifter instinctively knows another bear shifter. It was just part of their nature.
So Alyssa, knowing they possessed that knowledge, likely thought they were going to expect her to come fight, to possibly even lead the charge. She didn't like to fight, and tried to avoid it if she could possibly do so. That could be affecting her willingness to support the idea.
"No one's expecting you to come with us," he said in a low voice, leaning over so that she was only a few feet away from him.
"Yes they are. Everyone wants me to practically lead the charge. Don't try to tell me otherwise. I can sense it and I'm not that dumb."
Tanner wisely shut his mouth, the argument dying on his tongue.
"Well I'll tell them you aren't feeling well. They'll understand that. Then you can go and just stay at the house. It'll be safe there and no one will bother you."
"They won't go fight without me, and I can't go do that, I just can't. Besides—" she began, before shutting her mouth abruptly.
"Besides what? What is it you aren't telling me?" he asked angrily, calling her out on it for the first time.
She looked at him with pain-filled eyes, shaking her head in denial, mouthing the words "I'm sorry." He just shook his head, pounding a fist into the table in frustration at her continued silence.
"You know, I don't know what secret you're hiding, but it can't be that bad. You've just hyped it up to be something terrible, and now you're caught in the trap. If you tell me, then I can help you."
But he got nothing more from her.
"All right, let's do this!" he shouted suddenly, standing up as the attention focused on him."Alyssa isn't feeling well after her journey this morning, so she's going to go to my house. Jet, can I bum a ride?"
She stared daggers at him, hating him for putting the words in her mouth, making them think she was weak, but it had to be done. He was defending his town, his friends, and family. If she wasn't willing to speak up, he would.
The roar of approval was all he needed, and he marched toward the door as the others followed him. He could picture in his mind exactly where he had stopped to grab Alyssa. It was closer to Bear Bluffs than where he had seen the wolves the first time. Their temporary den must be nearby. He hoped to find it without too much trouble.
All told he counted fifteen bear shifters who were taking part. In Jet's truck he ended up sitting in front of Kieran, the local grocer, Jacob, a builder and general contractor, and Gerard, the owner of Bluffs Burgers, the best and fanciest restaurant in town.
The five men fit snugly into Jet's truck, despite it being a crew cab. They were, after all, large bear shifters, each of them well over six feet in height. He thanked his stars he was in the front seat, not crammed in the back.
"Here, this is the spot," he said to Jet, who slowed down before pulling onto the shoulder. It was easily visible as the same spot, thanks to the giant black rubber marks on the asphalt from his truck's tires marking it for all to see. The men all piled out and moved down the steep slope, heading toward the forest.
Tanner shifted, followed by the others who fell into a broad line as they pushed under the leafy canopy. The scent was strong and he followed it easily, moving in a direction that took them ever so slightly away from Bear Bluffs, but directly back into the brush. The way was tough, the ground wet and uneven. Several times they slipped or stumbled off balance, until a large hill loomed up in front of them. He could see the entrance to a cave directly where the scent was taking him. Pausing, he inhaled deeply before roaring loudly, challenging any and all of the wolves to come out and fight.
The noise died swiftly in the forest, leaving only a ringing silence interrupted every so often by the low growls of other bears. Inside the cave, they heard nothing at first. Then, finally, a sound emerged. It was the low, wheezing laughter of someone in a lot of pain. The hollow, dead noise sounded several more times, before subsiding into quiet.
Cautiously, Tanner approached the opening to look inside. It seemed unlikely that the wolves were there. They would have to have kept very quiet indeed to not be heard. Unlike bears, who rarely made noise unless they had to, wolf shifters generally could not stay quiet. It was one reason why the two breeds rarely settled near each other.
Nothing leapt out to attack him, and the only sound was the low laughter of whoever was inside. The cave was lit with a fire, and against the back wall of the single open space was a lone figure, leaning against the stone with one hand holding his side tightly.
"Well, well. You finally decided to come in, did you? Don't worry big bad bear, nobody's home to hurt you. Just poor, dying David." The room reeked of death, and he could smell the festering from thirty feet away. The man was dead soon no matter what he did. Confident that the others would keep him safe, Tanner shifted back to his human form.
"Where are the others?" Tanner wasn't wasting any time, a feeling of dread descending over him. He and his friends were very exposed here, and the pack of shifters they had expected to find was nowhere to be found. He was glad that Alyssa wasn't here to see this, thanking himself that he had seen her safely off. Something bad was about to happen, and he didn't want his mate to be part of it.
"I should ask you the same thing. Do you know where your woman is?" The wolf shifter practically spat the words, as if even uttering them was disgusting to him.
"She's safe, far away from you. Why do you care?"
"You don't know?" The surprise was genuine.
"No," he replied, beginning to get suspicious. This man knew something about Alyssa, something that he did not.
"You don't know." It was a statement this time, not a question. "Well, isn't that rich," the wolf shifter paused, overcome by a coughing fit."Let me tell you all about the bitch."
Tanner snarled and advanced on the man, who held up his free hand to stop him, another round of laughter filling the cave.
"Kill me, and you'll never know."
Growling his anger, Tanner paced back and forth as the man began to speak again.
"The traitor is why I'm here. She abandoned our cause, spreading falsehoods everywhere she went, trying to turn the faithful against us."
"That doesn't sound like Alyssa at all," Tanner raged, his knuckles turning white from clenching his fists, the urge to pummel the man rising. He wouldn't, because that wasn't in his nature, but the desire too was strong.
"Do not mention that name in here!" the wolf shifter shouted, suddenly snarling and vicious once more.
Tanner immediately dropped to a crouch, the link to his bear tingling, ready to change in an instant if a threat materialized. When it didn't, he relaxed, waiting for the other man to continue. He heard a shuffling at the entrance, figuring it to be another bear. In a moment's time Andy stepped up next to him. The two stood side by side, waiting for the rest of the story to spill.
"The traitor's crime canno
t be forgiven. For all that she has done to hurt the Brotherhood, she must pay for her sins. That is why we were sent. Together my brothers and I will bring her in to stand trial and face true justice. We will not fail in our mission."
Another maniacal laugh ripped from his throat.
"In fact, with you standing here in front of me, it would appear that we have already won."
"How do you figure?" Andy spoke for the first time, his voice tinged with anger. Neither of them liked being strung along.
The dying man looked at both of them, his gaze shifting between the two of them, his eyebrows raised high. The look was one that Tanner would turn on someone when they were oblivious to a very clear answer. Not liking the fact that it was directed at him, he growled and stepped forward.
"I am here alone, you fools. My wounds from our last fight were too great, even for the healing powers of our race. I was left behind to die, a fate I accept. But the question you should be asking yourself," he paused, overcome by another coughing fit. He hacked and wheezed, his eyes tormented with the pain each movement brought. It took him several long minutes to recover, and by this point Tanner could see the blood seeping through his fingers that he held pressed to his side. The man was likely minutes, hours at best, from death.
"The question you have not yet asked is perhaps the best one of all. Tell me, Tanner Bryant, do you know where your woman is?"
Tanner's blood turned to ice. The man knew his name. If he knew his name, they could have found out where he lived. If they know where he lived, they would know...
"Alyssa," he whispered, turning and running for the exit at full speed.
He burst from the cave in his bear form, the others scattering to let him through before turning to follow him. Andy was hot on his trail, no more than a few paces behind, having fully understood the implications of the last sentence as well.
Side by side the two of them raced for the trucks, their long legs powering them around, over, or through any obstacle that stood in their way. His sole focus was on Alyssa. The house was half an hour away at normal speeds. If they gunned it, they might be able to get it down to twenty-minutes.
He just had to hope that it would be enough.
Hopping into the car, he let Andy take the wheel. He knew his truck better and was hands down a better driver than Tanner. He had been a movie stuntman in a prior life, before moving out to the country. One of his main skills had been driving cars. He handled the truck like it was an extension of his body, whipping it around to face the direction they had come and taking off. Behind them the others loaded up the two remaining trucks and gave chase.
Taking out his phone, Tanner's shaking hands tried to call her. It took him two attempts to hit the right buttons before it started ringing.
She didn't answer.
Chapter Twelve
Alyssa
"Damn," she cursed, shutting the fridge door with more gusto than necessary.
The resulting clap echoed through the empty house, the bare hardwood floors letting the noise live on long after the moment. She popped one of the grapes from her hand into her mouth, enjoying the slight crunch of freshness before the tasty juice flooded her tastebuds.
The big house was lively when there were people around, but with just her, it lost some of its comfort. She could imagine what it would be like to have a get-together in such a place. The chatter of people from all corners would fill the space with noise, bringing everyone closer together. Or perhaps the sounds of her chasing several cubs around, trying to get them to behave when they didn't want to.
What the fuck?! I'm not ready for children!
Wasn't she? The thought had come without warning, her brain supplying images to her imagination without much control. Maybe Alyssa was ready for them, even if she wasn't willing to admit it to herself. For just a moment, she allowed herself to give in, to picture life with Tanner and a small brood of young ones.
To her shock and dismay, the thought filled her with happiness and a sense of completion, of being where she should. Of belonging. It was something that she had longed for, but never expected to find. It hurt knowing she could never give in to such a fantasy, because the reality of her past would catch up with her. Then Tanner, her kids, and her entire community would be in danger. They would never stop chasing her, no matter what happened. Even if Tanner and the others drove them off, or even killed them all, the elders would simply train or hire another group to do the same thing.
The only escape she knew was to keep running, to stay two steps ahead of her pursuers. Only by staying alone and doing what was necessary could she keep Tanner safe and allow him to find someone who could provide the sort of life he was looking for.
Following that train of thought, she began to think of ways to escape, to leave Bear Bluffs behind. Her eyes focused on the table in front of her, where the keys to his truck lay. An idea began to form in her head, something that should work better than the last time she had tried. Stealing from Tanner rubbed her the wrong way, but knowing that he would get it back helped comfort her. All she was doing was borrowing the truck to take her to King City, where she could get her own vehicle.
Confident in her plan, she grabbed the keys, grabbed an apple and some more grapes and headed for the door.
She hadn't even fully stepped through the doorway when something struck her as being incredibly wrong. Standing on the front porch, she looked around, trying to identify what was setting her warning bells off. There was nothing in sight. She couldn't hear anything going on. It all seemed fine, yet every instinct in her body was screaming at her that she was in danger.
Then it hit her. The silence. There were no birds chirping or other sounds of animals nearby. There had almost always been some sort of background noise from various animals. Each evening that she had been staying here, she would come out to listen to it, to relax and enjoy the night. But now, now she heard nothing. The forest only fell silent like that for one reason.
A predator was nearby.
In her purse, her phone began to buzz with the telltale vibrations of an incoming call. She wanted to reach for it, but a distraction seemed like a very bad idea at the moment. Somewhere, just out of sight, something bad waited for her.
The truck was parked in the driveway, a million miles away at this point. If whatever was out there was in the forest off to the right, she would still be fine. The garage jutted forward from the house on her left side, however, blocking her view of what lay that way. Any number of things could by lying in ambush, waiting for her to make her move. Gut instinct said that the forest was empty.
She contemplated going back inside. Tanner didn't keep guns, but she could at least arm herself with some knives from the kitchen, anything to help defend herself better. Before she could make up her mind, a man walked around the corner of the garage, flanked by two large werewolves. His hair was white as snow, and he held himself in an erect posture that just seemed to ooze confidence.
Here was the Leader, the alpha of the pack, showing his face to her for the first time. Padding silently behind him, the rest of the Hunters streamed around the corner, arraying themselves in a semi-circle between her and the truck, sixteen of them including the one in human form. She was well over-matched. She could likely take four or maybe even five in a heads-up fight if she shifted, but this, this was too many. Alyssa would have to surrender.
"You should surrender now, my wayward child." His voice dripped with contempt despite his serious nature. He didn't want her to surrender, but those who commanded him did. This man would accept her death as easily as he did that the sun rose every morning. The outcome did not matter to him, as long as she was stopped.
"Just leave me alone," she replied, her voice sounding more timid than she intended.
"I cannot do that. I have been tasked with bringing you back into the fold. You have much to answer for."
"None of that is true. I've told nobody about you and your corrupt society. Nobody knows how truly messed-up
you are. All I've done is try to leave you behind, to start a new life free from your abuse."
"Come now child. That is no way to speak of your home. We loved you and raised you, and what did we get in return? You abandoned us. You abandoned your mate."
"My mate?" She tried not to feel sick at the reminder. "The man was more than twice my age, I was barely a woman, and you forced me to practically become his slave!"
"Nonsense. That is the way of life among us, child. It is only proper that a man who has worked so hard be able to come home to an untouched, faithful mate. Don't you see? He would have treated you well, kept a roof over your head, fed you, and loved you loyally."
"Only because I was the youngest of his wives and still a virgin," she spat, her temper rising.
Zachary, the man she had been forced to marry when she turned fourteen, was no saint. He had three other wives, all under the age of twenty-five, while he was in his forties at least. The first night after their marriage, he had come to her viciously, saying he was going to take what was his.
That was the night Alyssa ran away.
The town of Rillanon where she had grown up was made up exclusively of shifters, and they kept themselves walled off from the rest of society. Men ruled with an iron fist, and women were nothing more than cooks and sexual playthings to them, until it became time for them to become breeders. Then they were expected to be pregnant and do everything else their husbands demanded.
No one was allowed to leave. If you were born in Rillanon, you stayed there until you died. The town grew all their own food and made all their own tools. By ensuring that everyone was a shifter, it helped keep their secret safe. Normal humans tended to give purely shifter communities a wide berth. No tourism was allowed, and only the men were able to go to other towns to get anything that could not be found or made.
"Must we argue, child? That is the way it is, the way it was, and the way it shall be. Now, come with us, we need to be off."
