Bear Next Door (Midlife Shifters Book 1)

by J. L. Wilder

  “Yeah, I am,” Evelyn said. “And that sounds good.”

  “Thanks for inviting me,” Pauline said. “I can’t wait.”

  They ended the call, Evelyn feeling overwhelmed at the sincerity in her friend’s voice. Pauline really wanted to do this with her. It was difficult to believe. She had never had a friend, a real friend, in her adult life.

  Except for Brady, of course.

  Brady, with whom everything was currently so painfully complicated.

  Brady, to whom she had been rude and unforgiving.

  She remembered the feeling of his hands on her body when he had first come through the window. How his touch had almost made her forget all the things she had wanted to tell him, all the worries that had plagued her.

  If only she had done what he had wanted. If only she had allowed herself to give in to the urges of her body, to make love before trying to talk about her worries. Would the conversation have gone differently? Would they both have been more relaxed?

  There was only one thing she could do, and that was to get him back over there as quickly as possible and try again.

  She glanced at the time on her phone. It had been forty-nine minutes since he had left. Not quite an hour, but close enough, maybe. Maybe she would be able to catch him at home.

  She picked up the phone to dial, but before she could, there was a knock at the door.

  Her heart soared. Brady! He had come back!

  She didn’t ask herself why he had come to the front door instead of up the fire escape as usual. She didn’t care. She just ran to the door and threw it open, ready to launch herself into his arms.

  But her breath froze in her throat when she saw who was standing there.

  “Hi, Evelyn,” Marty said, showing his teeth. “Found you.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  BRADY

  I can’t believe she said those things.

  Brady was too worked up from his fight with Evelyn to head directly home. He had decided to take the long way, and now he was jogging, picking up speed as he approached the lakeshore. It felt good to convert his anger into energy, to do something with the things he was feeling.

  I can’t believe she thinks she’s not important to me. That the baby isn’t important to me.

  Why couldn’t she understand the way he was feeling? Why didn’t she realize how important it was to him to care for the den, to make sure they had the best possible leadership? Did she really see him the way she saw Steve—as someone desperate to grab power, no matter what the cost?

  He couldn’t believe that. That couldn’t be what she saw in him.

  He slowed to a walk, staring out at the lake. Being near the water had always calmed him, always made him feel more relaxed.

  But that fight with Evelyn had been something else.

  I can’t believe she told me to leave her apartment.

  The hours they spent apart were so painful. So difficult. How could she want to throw away the little time they actually had together?

  He walked down to the beach and sat on the narrow strip of sand, looking out at the dark water. Thinking about what she had said.

  She was tormented by their separation too. Really, that had been the crux of her argument, hadn’t it? She had wanted to find a way they could be together. And she had been right to think that, if they somehow managed to leave Chicago behind, there would be nothing to keep them apart.

  He buried his head in his hands. She’s right. It was awful that the two of them had to go through this, and especially at this time in their lives. It was awful that he couldn’t be with her while she was pregnant, that he couldn’t watch the baby grow. A couple of hours every evening weren’t enough.

  And it was terrible that they couldn’t claim one another publicly. He was so proud of the fact that she was his. He was so proud that she was going to have his child. The fact that they had to keep that a secret was devastating.

  A part of him wanted to run back to her apartment and tell her that he had been wrong, that of course they could leave. Nothing was more important than their being together.

  Except that there was something just as important.

  The den.

  His family. His baby’s family.

  He couldn’t lose that. Not now.

  And there was only one way that he was going to be able to keep his den and give Evelyn the family she deserved. There was only one way forward.

  He got to his feet and brushed the sand off his pants, filled with new resolve.

  He had avoided fighting with Steve for a long time. He had convinced himself that it was better to keep quiet, to keep himself off of Steve’s radar. But he couldn’t let himself go on believing that any longer.

  Every day Steve remained in power was another day he and Evelyn were kept apart, and he was the only one who had a chance of doing anything about it.

  He set off at a jog back toward the den territory, pulling out his phone as he ran. After a moment’s thought, he dialed Will’s number.

  “Brady?” Will asked upon answering. “Where are you? I thought you were going out with your parents tonight.”

  “I need to speak with the entire den,” Brady said. “I’m on my way home. Let everyone know that we need a meeting. I’ll meet up with you all at the alpha house.”

  Steve wouldn’t want to respond to a summons from Brady, but he wouldn’t be able to resist. He would be too curious about what this was all about.

  Brady was counting on that.

  He picked up his pace, even though he knew it might not be a good idea to expend energy. He might need to have something in the tank when he faced Steve. But he couldn’t resist. He had made the decision to confront his alpha, and now he wanted nothing more than to go through with it. To be done with Steve at last.

  Finally, he reached Beech Street. He could hear the noise coming from the alpha house all the way from the end of the block.

  He paused for a moment, catching his breath.

  He was about to lay it all on the line. Whatever happened here, it would decide his future and the future of his child.

  I’ve waited long enough.

  But I could lose everything tonight.

  He stared up at the house that should have been his, thinking about the life he should have had. The life he had lost through his own mistakes, his own carelessness.

  He should have been named alpha of the den years ago. He shouldn’t be fighting for the role he’d been born to now.

  But he had blown it. He had chosen to lose himself in drinking and raucous partying, in fun instead of responsibility.

  Now his den needed someone to step up, to take real leadership. His mate needed him to step up. And he would do it or he would die trying.

  That thought sent a shiver down his spine.

  He couldn’t allow himself to die. Even the den wasn’t worth that. His baby had to have a father.

  No, he would have to win this battle. There was simply no other choice.

  Squaring his shoulders, he ascended the steps to the porch and went inside.

  The rest of the den was already there. They were waiting for him in the living room, standing against the walls or sitting on the floor or the furniture. Everyone stared as Brady walked into the room. For several long moments, no one spoke.

  Finally, Steve broke the silence. “So,” he said.

  “So,” Brady echoed.

  “You know you’re not allowed to call den meetings,” Steve said. “Only the alpha has the authority to do that. The true alpha.”

  Brady nodded. “I see you all decided to come anyway,” he said. “I thank you for that.”

  “No one came as a favor to you,” Steve sneered. “Everyone’s here because I told them to come. Because I wanted to hear what kind of idiocy you were going to come out with. Something has made you believe that you possess a lot more power than you actually do.”

  Brady looked around the room. He caught Danny’s gaze, and Will’s. Even Travis looked intri
gued. Brady got the feeling that none of them really agreed with what Steve was saying. They might have technically come on his orders, but they had really come because they wanted to hear what Brady had to say.

  “Whatever brought you here,” he said, choosing to avoid the argument, “I appreciate that everyone came. I hoped you would.”

  “Well, what’s this all about?” Steve asked. “What do you want? It’s late at night. You may be on your own, but most of us have families we want to be with in the evenings.”

  Brick chuckled meanly.

  Brady turned to him. “What are you laughing at, Brick?” he asked. “You don’t have a family. Have you ever even had a girlfriend?”

  The smirk dropped from Brick’s face. He turned to Steve.

  Steve shook his head. “You shouldn’t speak that way to your betters, Brady,” he said.

  “My betters?” Brady asked. “What makes Brick any better than me, may I ask?”

  “Brick is my second-in-command,” Steve said. “And I’m your alpha.”

  Brady folded his arms across his chest. “Brick is your second?” he asked. “I thought Edgar was your second.”

  Steve frowned. “Are you questioning me?” he asked.

  “Yeah,” Brady said. “I’m questioning you. Who’s your second-in-command, Steve? Is it Brick, or is it Edgar?” He turned to Edgar. “Do you know?”

  “Shut up,” Edgar said, but he sounded uncertain.

  Brady lifted his hands, showing his palms. “I’m just saying,” he said. “If you don’t know who the real second is—if he’s lying to you about that, or if he hasn’t been forthcoming—how do you know you can trust him? And if you can’t trust him to be honest with you about your standing in the den hierarchy, it surprises me that you would do battle on his behalf.”

  “Where are you going with this, Brady?” Steve asked.

  “I’ll tell you where I’m going,” Brady said. “I’m the rightful alpha of this den. I have been since the day I was born. It’s my right to be alpha. It’s my duty and my destiny.”

  “It was your duty,” Steve said. “But we all know what happened, don’t we? You were negligent. You made self-indulgent choices, again and again. You drove a motorcycle drunk, ruining the bike and almost killing yourself in the process. And now—what? You want me to step aside for you? Let you take the position that was given to me when you failed?”

  “Your leadership was always a temporary thing, Steve,” Brady said quietly. “The den sent me to rehab so that I could recover. So that I could become strong and worthy again. I’ve done that now.”

  Steve snorted. “Recovery is a joke,” he said. “It’s as much a joke as you are. You talk as if there was something wrong with you that wasn’t your own fault, Brady.”

  “Fault is irrelevant,” Brady said. “Whether you want to blame me or not is irrelevant. What matters is the fact that I take responsibility for who I was and for what I did in the past, and that I move forward with better and stronger choices.”

  “Bullshit,” Steve said. “You really think anyone here is going to look past the person you showed us all you really were?”

  Brady could feel Danny’s eyes on him. He could sense a shift behind him as Will moved away from the wall he had been leaning on.

  “Yes,” he said. “I think there are many people here who are willing to recognize me as their true alpha.”

  “You’re wrong,” Steve spat.

  “Maybe,” Brady said. “Should we ask them? Should we put it to a vote?”

  “You know that isn’t the way things are decided in this den,” Steve said. “A vote? What are you, a common human? That isn’t the way shifters determine leadership.”

  “No,” Brady agreed. “Shifters determine leadership by bloodlines. By birthright. But you’ve already thrown that out the window, haven’t you?”

  “I told you once what would need to happen in order for you to take command of this den away from me,” Steve growled. “You would have to defeat me in combat. You’d have to prove conclusively in front of the entire den that you’re stronger than I am. If you can’t demonstrate your strength, you might as well not even have it. And nobody wants to submit to a weak alpha.”

  “All right,” Brady said, doing his best to keep his voice level in spite of the fact that his heart was pounding. “Then I challenge you, Steve, to a fight for command of this den.”

  “After what happened to you last time?” Steve said. “You want to take me on again?”

  “Yes,” Brady said. “I’m devoted to my den. They deserve a good leader. A leader who will act in their best interest. A leader who is more interested in the common good of everyone in the den than in preserving his own power.”

  Steve sneered. “Fine,” he said. “A fight it is. But this time, when you lose, you don’t get to slink home with your tail between your legs, mop yourself up, and come back like nothing happened. This time when I defeat you, you’ll be expelled from the den for good. You can never come back.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  EVELYN

  Marty stepped into the apartment and pushed the door closed behind him. Evelyn heard the soft click of the deadbolt being slid into place.

  Her heart hammered. She was locked in with him. And things had been so heated the last time they’d seen each other. What if he had come with the intent of finishing the fight he’d never really gotten to start? What if he meant her harm?

  The baby. I can’t let him hurt the baby.

  He stepped away from the door, still grinning dangerously.

  Her phone was in the bedroom. If she could somehow get to it, she could lock herself in the bathroom and call Brady. It was a slim chance, but it was all she had.

  If only I hadn’t sent him away!

  She had to distract Marty in the meantime. She had to keep him talking, keep him from lashing out at her for as long as she could.

  “Marty,” she said, doing her best to keep the tremor out of her voice. “What are you doing here?”

  “What am I doing here?” he asked. “What are you doing here? That’s what I want to know. You’re my wife, aren’t you? My wife. You belong with me.”

  “How did you find me?” she asked.

  He sneered. “Did you really think you were clever, running back to Chicago? Back to the den of bears you came from? Please. Of course this was where you were going to go. I’m not an idiot, Evelyn. It was the very first place I looked.”

  She edged toward the kitchen, moving as slowly as possible. If she could just get to the hallway that would lead to her bedroom, to where her phone was...

  “The hard part was finding where you lived,” Marty said. “I expected you to go back to your parents. And when I arrived in town and saw that you weren’t with them, I thought for a moment that I had underestimated you. That maybe you actually were smart enough to go somewhere totally new.” He grinned. “That’s what anyone with half a brain would have done, you know. They would have found an entirely new town. Did you really think you could hide from me in the same place I found you the first time?”

  “I didn’t think I needed to hide from you, Marty,” she breathed. “You were my husband, not my enemy.”

  “I was your husband?” he growled. “I don’t remember signing any divorce papers. I believe I’m still your husband.”

  “Marty—”

  “Do you disagree?”

  “It’s over,” she said. “Our marriage. It’s over. I already told you. I can’t go back with you.”

  “It doesn’t work that way,” Marty snapped. “Marriage is forever. It’s a contract. You don’t get to just leave because you’ve had enough.”

  “I don’t get to?” she repeated. “Really, Marty? You’d, what, try to drag me back against my will, knowing that I don’t want to be with you? Is that why you came to Chicago?”

  “Yes,” he said. “I came to Chicago to talk some sense into you. To bring you back home, where you belong.”

  “I told
you,” she said. “I’m not going with you. Give it up.”

  He ignored her. “When I realized you weren’t with your parents,” he said, “I checked around with the rest of your den. I would have thought they would throw me out. Run me out of town. But maybe they agree that you should come back with me. Maybe they don’t want you here any more than I do. Because a couple of women mentioned that you’d been around for a few weeks before disappearing again.”

  She shuddered. She couldn’t imagine that any members of the den had sold her out to Marty on purpose. Either they had thought they were doing her a favor or they simply hadn’t realized that he was her ex-husband. She thought the latter was probably more likely. No member of the den would knowingly help a wolf.

  “Nobody knew where you had gone,” Marty went on. “But someone said you were working at a certain restaurant. And when I checked there, a guy named Frank said you lived on this street.”

  She felt cold. “Frank told you?”

  “He’s not too bright, is he?” Marty asked. “I told him I was your ex, that I’d just gotten back into town. Well, he ate it right up. He said it would be so good for you to connect with someone from your past right now. He said he worried about you, being all alone the way you are.” He snorted. “Humans.”

  “Frank doesn’t need to worry,” Evelyn said. “I’m fine. I like being on my own.”

  “Yeah,” Marty said, licking his lips. “Well, he said something else, too. Or rather, he asked me something else.”

  Dread filled her. She wanted to know, and yet she didn’t.

  But Marty was staring at the pile of baby gifts from the shower, still sitting in the middle of her living room.

  “So it’s true, what he said,” he said quietly. “You are pregnant.”

  “Marty, it isn’t what you think.”

  “He asked me if I was the father of your baby,” Marty said. “This nineteen-year-old boy in a smock asked me if I was the father of your baby. How do you think it feels to find out that you’re going to be a father that way?”

  “No, Marty, you don’t understand.”

  “This is why you left me,” he said. “Because you wanted to keep my baby from me. What makes you think you have the right, Evelyn? It was bad enough that you ran away from our marriage. But the fact that you dared to kidnap my baby away from me...I don’t know how you sleep at night. How could you have done such a thing?”