by Morgan Rae
The light broke through the trees, illuminating his dark fur and the pale bark of the old willow. The bear grunted and then began to scratch at the wood with his long claws. Holly crouched down when she realized he was pawing at a notch in the wood. She tugged on it and it popped out, clean, as though it had been carved out before.
Then Holly saw it.
“Oh,” was all she could say.
Chapter 70
Sea foam hissed and gurgled on the sharp rocks below. The wind whistled here without any trees to catch it, blowing the salty ocean smell in Jacob’s face. Never a big fan of the coast—he preferred his water in small, gurgling ponds. Especially not like this, climbing down a steep, jagged cliff face where one misstep could mean his life. The stairs were carved into the cliff, almost invisible to the naked eye unless you knew what you were looking for. Despite his hurry, Jacob was forced to take his time. The heel of his boot slipped and he clung to the polished cliff face, toe snagging on the next step. Fucking cougars.
He inched down until the stairs dissolved into smooth stone. He glanced down and saw a landing a couple feet below, and churning water a little ways under that. An easy leap for a cat, a hard pill to swallow for everything else. His bear wanted to cling to the wall and yowl until someone came and got him.
Here goes nothing. He slung his weight over and launched himself off the steps. He landed on his feet on solid ground. He skid slightly, slipping an inch backwards, and he could feel his heel hang off the lip of the cave.
Jacob exhaled audibly. Just don’t look down. He looked up instead and what he saw wasn’t much better; it made his stomach turn.
It was Brent. His brother. Chained like a dog on a leash. He was slumped against the back wall, shirt askew, and he glanced up when Jacob hit the floor. The chain around his neck rattled when Brent’s eyes met his own.
“She took my hat,” Brent said morosely.
“Let’s get you outta here,” Jacob said. He stepped towards Brent and grabbed a handful of the chain, testing its strength.
“It’s steel,” Brent said. “You’re not gonna break it. Not with your bare hands, anyway. Bear hands, maybe—”
“Shut up,” Jacob said. “What the hell did you do to her?”
“It’s so I don’t transform,” Brent said irritably. “I try to turn into a bear, I’ll choke to death before I get it off. She’s a bitch, but she’s a smart bitch, I’ll give her that. Don’t suppose you brought any keys with you.”
Jacob dropped the chains and growled in frustration. He put his palm on the cave wall, stopped, and tried to think.
“I couldn’t find it,” Brent said. “The talisman. Look, Jacob…you gotta get out of here, boss. She’s set you up for a trap.”
“I’m not leaving you,” Jacob said sternly. He meant it.
“How touching.” Her voice echoed through the shallow cave and Jacob and Brent whipped around just in time to see Miranda drop down into the cave. Landed on her feet—of course.
“This little game of yours is over, Miranda,” Jacob said firmly. “Give me the key.”
“Demanding, aren’t we?” Miranda said. “Especially for a thief. I caught this one ransacking my jewelry. You know anything about that, Alpha?”
“You know exactly what he was looking for,” Jacob said from between gritted teeth.
“Right. The talisman.” Miranda let out a sigh and cocked her head, not unlike an animal. “Listen…I’ve hidden it someplace you’ll never find it. You’ll just have to accept the fact that, one day, you’ll turn into an animal and you won’t turn back. And when that day happens, I’ll have you eating treats out of my hand.”
Not so long ago, Jacob would have had her up against the wall for saying something like that, seething with rage, his hands around her throat. Now? Well, the impulse was still there, but he curled his hands into fists and dug his nails into them. Felt better about that. Only when he’d peeled the rage back from his voice did he say, “That’s not important now. What’s important is getting my family back together. Let Brent go and you can have whatever you want.”
“Whatever I want?” There it was—that Cheshire cat smile. “I would like your head on a platter and the ruin of the Red Moon Ranch. Do we have a deal?”
Nothing from Jacob. Her smile fell in response and a coldness settled into her features.
“Fine, then. We’ll do this the hard way.”
Miranda reached behind her and plucked the knot on her dress apart in one tug. Her dress fell, revealing her naked form. For a second, she looked human, almost vulnerable in the fading sunlight, but then her bones cracked and she doubled over onto all fours, fur sprouting from her skin.
“I can’t shift,” Brent murmured, panicked, next to Jacob. “We’re stuck in a cave with a fucking cougar and I can’t shift.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Jacob saw Brent struggle even harder against the steel collar around his neck, as though he could bend it by sheer willpower. Jacob’s breath echoed wetly in his ears as he watched the transformation unfurl in front of him. He thought about Holly. Sweet, beautiful Holly. About their baby. He secretly hoped it was a girl, though he couldn’t say why, except that maybe he was too afraid of passing down the title of Alpha to a boy, and he hadn’t realized the thought had been lingering in the back of his head until now. It brought an edge of a smile to his lips.
Family. That was all it’d ever been about for him. Protecting his family.
Holly. The baby. Brent. His clan.
Cayden’s words echoed in his ears. She’s not going to stop until she has what she wants. You.
So long as Jacob kept this up with her, this cat-and-mouse game, each pushing and pulling and vying for control, he knew his clan would suffer the consequences. Which meant Holly would have to constantly look over her shoulder, eyes open for a pair of cougar claws. Which meant their child would never truly be safe. Which meant they would live their lives constantly in danger, living on pins and needles, anxiously waiting for whatever the cougar-shifter thought up next.
It wasn’t rage that seeped through his veins now. It wasn’t hot, burning vengeance. His heart beat heavy in his chest, filled with the love for his family. It wasn’t instinct, or impulse; Jacob made a choice.
I’m sorry you’ve gotta witness this, Brent, he thought to himself. He knew his younger brother would blame himself for what came next. But it was too late for that. Too late to be sensitive. With cold, calculated movements, Jacob unbuttoned his shirt swiftly and peeled it off his shoulders, working off his clothes.
He heard the rattling chain go quiet when Brent stopped struggling. “Jacob, what’re you doing?” When no response came, Brent added, firmly. “Don’t do this.”
“I have to,” Jacob said. His tone left no room for argument.
“You shift now…you ain’t coming back from this.”
“Holly’s working on a cure. She’ll come through.” He trusted that she would—he had to.
“Boss.” Brent’s voice was barely a whisper, a pained echo.
Finally, Jacob glanced over at Brent. There was torment in the other man’s eyes. Jacob gave Brent’s shoulder a squeeze and said, “If I don’t get out of this alive or human, you’re Alpha in charge. Take care of the clan. Protect my kid. Tell Holly I love her.”
Brent gaped at his brother. Jacob released Brent’s shoulder and then stepped away. Miranda was full cougar now, walking a circle around the two men. He felt it come over him, like a wave of energy, surging power through his veins. No longer an uncontrolled, violent explosion; instead, it felt more like dominos tripping over one another, one after the other. A release.
Alright, Beast, Jacob thought. Let’s see what kind of fight you’ve got left in you.
Gold flashed in Jacob’s eyes and he fell onto his hands and knees with a groan. When he lifted his head, he wore a black bear’s shaggy face, and he roared.
Chapter 71
Holly’s Buggy bounced down the highway, headlights jerking in the
haze of the sunset. In her pocket, she could feel the cold metal of the talisman she’d found in the hollowed-out knot in the weeping willow tree. The necklace was ragged, the rope around it frayed, but the six-pointed star shone clearly, opaque gemstone shimmering in the middle.
She gasped as she felt a sudden pain shoot through her, burning the side of her neck, and her fingers tightened on the steering wheel. Holly glanced briefly in the rearview mirror and saw the mark on her neck. Her mark. It was flaring up. Which meant one thing: Jacob was in trouble. Holly shifted gears and the Buggy zipped forward at full speed, winding down the empty highway.
Dear God, please. Let me not be too late.
Chapter 72
The bear and cougar clashed, locked together in a vicious fight. He had heft on his side, hard, solid strength, but she moved fluidly, like water, dodging his blows, hissing, and leaping over him to swipe her long claws down his back. She dug in through his fur, hitting skin between his shoulders and ripping, which made his Beast snarl in pain. He twisted around and got on his haunches to throw her back against the wall. She yowled and swiped at him, claws gleaming. They struggled there for a moment before she wiggled out of his grasp and leapt over him. Almost made it, too, except his jaws snapped in the air and caught her tail. She yowled in a loud, animal cry as he dragged her across the cave floor. He tasted fur, felt her teeth on the back of his neck, and finally had to let go.
When she pounced off, they circled each other, panting. Jacob could see Brent, pressed as flat up against the wall as possible, watching. The cougar was bleeding, red blood staining her pristine fur. But so was he; he could feel it hot on his skin, and his back leg felt damaged, so he limped on it.
Her eyes locked on his, irises singed with gold fire. They were both winding down and they knew it. The muscles in his legs burned and he grunted as he panted, straining for new breath to relieve the ache in his lungs. Soon, one of them was going to drop their guard or fall to exhaustion, and when they did, the other would go in for the kill. Jacob shook off, his fur rippling behind him, and braced himself. Someone was going to fall, and it wasn’t going to be him.
She drew back her lips to bare her teeth and hissed loudly, her tail whipping around behind her.
Then he saw it. Easy to miss but, only for a second, her gaze shifted to Brent huddled in the corner before snapping back to Jacob. Of course. The cougar could fight, but her real strength was psychological warfare, and she’d just landed sights on the one thing that might make Jacob lose his steely control.
They moved at the same time—she made a quick dash to Brent, helplessly stuck in his human form, while Jacob barked a warning and lunged. Brent yelped and scrambled back as far as his chain would let him until it was taut against the cave wall. The cougar swiped a paw at him, claws extended, but Jacob slammed into her before she could get to Brent. In the collision, his mouth closed over soft cougar throat. She howled, hissed, and clawed at him, struggling to get away, but he only clamped on tighter until she began to choke. Now I’ve got you. He trapped the large cat in his strong jaws and shook her, hard, before releasing her again.
She skittered across the stone floors, body tumbling, rolling. It’d been a long time since Jacob had been in his bear form, and he hadn’t realized his own strength. He hadn’t anticipated that he’d throw her so hard and far that her back legs would lose ground over the lip of the cave.
The cougar let out a yowl. Her black claws screeched against the rock floor, chipping small lines into the stone. They snagged before she went all the way over and she twisted on the edge, mewling, ears flat back on her head in panic as she tried to claw her way back up.
A rush of pity swept through Jacob. An all-too-human instinct to help someone in trouble. Her golden eyes faded to brown as they locked on his pleadingly.
His bear, however, lifted his head, immune to her manipulations. He smelled the ocean below, salty and inviting. He licked his snout.
The cougar hissed, gold eyes flashing venomously one last time before she lost traction. Her paws slipped and she vanished from the cliff face entirely. The bear heard a descending yowl, and then nothing. Silence, except for the crashing waves below.
Chapter 73
Holly got out of the Buggy—driver’s door left open in her rush—and was already halfway to the estate when she heard the yowl. Her head snapped to where it originated, but she saw nothing, only the edge of the cliff upon which the estate overlooked the ocean. She tightened her fingers around the talisman, keeping it close. Holly stepped closer to the edge of the cliff and caught the sound of voices on the wind.
“Jacob said to wait.” That voice was familiar, and Holly followed it until she found Trish and Cayden. Cayden was halfway over the edge of the cliff, climbing down, and the sight sent a shock through Holly, terrified that he would fall. He lowered another inch and, when she realized he was descending a staircase, her nerves calmed, but only slightly. Trish was grabbing his shoulders as though she meant to pull him back up.
“That was Mother,” he snapped at her. “I have to make sure she’s okay.”
In the middle of the bickering, Holly cleared her throat and decided to make her presence known. “Trish,” she said simply.
The two stared at Holly, shocked, as though she were some sort of ghost. She discreetly put her hand behind her back, trying to hide the talisman from Cayden.
“Holly,” Trish said, stumped. “What’re you doing here?”
“Who’s down there?” Holly asked, ignoring the question.
“Jacob,” Cayden said. “Brent. And my mother.”
A recipe for disaster if there ever was one. Holly would have to play her cards right if she wanted to keep this situation under control. She moved over to where Trish stood and held out her hand for Cayden. “Let me take care of it,” she told him.
“Why should I trust you?” he hissed. His eyes were flashing now, his animal barely caged.
“Because you’re smarter than this,” Holly told him. “Think. Whatever is going on down there, you don’t want to walk into the middle of it. I’ll handle this.”
Cayden looked at her and, reluctantly, his expression softened. Finally, he climbed back up the cliff and launched himself up, hitting the dirt with ease.
“Watch your step,” he grumbled and Trish squeezed him arm encouragingly.
“The key,” Trish whispered.
Cayden reluctantly reached into his pocket and held out a key for Holly. “Take this. It’s for Brent.” He must have noticed Holly’s deeply confused expression because he added, “You’ll see when you get there.”
“Thank you,” Holly said. Then, she unraveled the necklace and looped it over her neck so it wouldn’t fall midclimb.
Trish and Cayden stared wide-eyed at the talisman. Neither of them said a thing, not even as Holly kicked off her shoes and slung her leg over, making the trek down the cliff face. She felt the sharp ocean wind blow up underneath her dress, chilling her straight through her bones. Holly tried to shake it off and clung closer to the stone. Keep going…Jacob needs you.
Slowly, carefully, she climbed down until the stairs came to a stop. Holly glanced down to find the landing was just barely out of reach. Her eyes made the mistake of falling down, far down, to the crash of the ocean below. She pressed flat against the wall, her cheek on cold stone, and gasped heavily until she felt the wave of vertigo pass. Finally, she chanced one more glance at the ledge, drew courage from deep in her bones, and flung herself at it.
Holly’s knees hit hard stone and she splayed her palms out to catch her fall, protecting her belly. She winced, palms and knees sore, and brushed herself off, rising to her feet.
The cave was dim and it took a second for her eyes to adjust. She heard animal noises—bear—and then saw the glint of…what was that? Metal chain? Holly moves closer and found Brent perched up against the wall, collared and chained to the wall like a dog. When his eyes caught hers, both hope and fear shimmered there.
“Ho
lly,” he said, voice hollowed with surprise.
“Brent.” Then it clicked—the key. She reached into her pocket and tugged it out and then rushed over to him. “Come here…Cayden gave me this.”
Brent twisted his head back to give her access to the lock there. The contraption was half-rusted, but she twisted the key in and it snapped off his neck with a click. Brent rubbed the sides of his throat, red imprints left there.
“Are you okay?” Holly asked.
“It ain’t over yet,” Brent replied gruffly. When Holly turned, she saw Jacob. Or the bear-that-once-was-Jacob. The Beast paced angrily back and forth in the cave that suddenly seemed too small to contain him. He huffed and he shook his thick neck, as though he were trying to physically shake the Beast off of him. But to no avail. It was stuck, and he was stuck, like this. Animal. He dug his claws into the lip of the cave and even Holly cowered back when he let out an agonized, bellowing roar.
Brent caught her before she stumbled back.
“Where’s Miranda?” Holly whispered even though she got the feeling she didn’t want to know the answer.
“Ocean took her,” Brent said and then he murmured, “We’ve gotta get outta here.”
“No,” Holly said firmly. “I’m not leaving him.”
She reached for the necklace around her neck and drew the six-pointed star forward, out from under her dress. The opaque gem in the middle caught on a sliver of light and seemed to glow in the darkness of the cave.
“I’ll be damned,” Brent said. “You found it.”
“We protect each other,” Holly said, clutching the star.
“But if you’ve got it,” Brent said, “how come he ain’t human right now?”
