by Elle Thorne
Hard not to be closest to the one you share a body with.
Which didn’t explain why she couldn’t bond with Piria. Not truly bond.
Eden sighed and tore her eyes away from the husky, muscular, sexy man playing with his much younger sisters, Trista and Tessa.
She hoped her assignment to help Tessa and Trista deal with their elementals and their shifter animals and how to keep them from killing each other didn’t last long because it was wreaking havoc on her emotions and her elemental.
At the same time, she hoped it lasted a very long time.
The smell of roasting marshmallows drifted her way. She grabbed one of the sticks from a pile and joined Camden in front of the fire.
Camden looked from Tyler to Sean, then back to Tyler. “Uncanny how much they look alike, isn’t it?”
Eden nodded. “I suppose.” Her mind was wandering. “How did you know Tyler was the one for you? I mean…” She shrugged.
“I just did. The moment I laid eyes on him.” A smile played on Cam’s lips. “I just did. And so did my panther. She may have known before I did. Or at least before I would admit it to myself.”
“What about your elemental?”
“Avala and I have an interesting relationship.”
Eden frowned. “What’s that mean?”
Camden’s smile grew mysterious, as if sharing a secret. Or maybe a secret conversation, Eden thought. Perhaps she and Avala were talking inside Camden’s head. Eden felt a tiny surge of envy—she wished she and Piria could have the kind of conversations that would make her smile.
“It means that our relationship has changed. We didn’t used to be very close. We’ve come a lot closer since… lately.”
Eden wondered if she was going to say since Tyler entered their lives. Too bad that wasn’t possible with Piria. The fire elemental wanted nothing to do with bears or bear shifters.
“So, you’re going to stay.” Eden turned the stick, roasting the other side of the marshmallow. “I mean, here. With Tyler.”
“Forever.” Camden took Eden by the shoulders. “This doesn’t change my relationship with you.”
Eden nodded, but wasn’t sure if she agreed.
Chapter Two
It had been a few days since the barbecue, and Camden and Tyler were officially a couple.
Eden grimaced.
And he was a bear! This fact did not set well with Piria, Eden’s elemental spirit. Fire elemental, thank you very much.
Tyler’s twin Sean had his own place adjacent to Tyler’s. Their homes were really more like duplex cabins with a connecting door and a common foyer. Pretty much like a hotel room. Well, except for the common foyer. Camden had told Eden it was a custom-made home because the twins—Tyler and Sean–were never apart. They never wanted to be.
“Kind of like us,” Camden had said.
This elicited a scowl from Eden. Because now, Camden had taken Tyler, a bear shifter, for a mate.
A bear shifter!
Knowing how Piria felt about bears, for goodness sake, couldn’t Camden have fallen in love with any other kind of shifter?
Eden sighed.
So, Camden and Tyler were a couple now that they’d done the deed. The deed being a couplebond that marked them as each other’s mates. For life—forever. As if a shifter would accept any less than life from their mate.
“Eden!”
“What?” Eden pulled herself back to the present.
She and Camden were in Tyler’s kitchen, and Camden wanted to talk business with her.
Business being what brought the two of them to Bear Canyon Valley and its majestic mountain range and the care and management of two little girls who housed elementals and were bear shifters—again with the bears! Each of the little cuties hosted a different elemental type. Trista had a wind elemental while Tessa’s was an earth type.
Camden and Eden hadn’t had a moment to themselves, because well, let’s see, of all the excitement that had happened the last week, a birth—Laken Araya had a strapping healthy baby boy.
The infant was another bear shifter, this time polar bear though, taking from his daddy Ky Romanoff and his great uncle Mikhail Romanoff. There’d been excitement from the misunderstanding between Marie and Camden, which brought the Shifter Council all the way from New York City to take custody of Tessa and Trista away from their guardians, Tyler and Sean.
Then the council had given custody to Camden, which really pissed Tyler off. Luckily, Sean had been out of town, or Eden could only imagine the ruckus that would have been caused.
After which, Griz had kidnapped the girls and taken them into hiding.
Eden’s head was still spinning although Camden had filled her in on the stuff she hadn’t known while Eden was watching the twin girls for the council, before Griz had carted them off.
So, in the end, Camden had agreed to be the legal guardian for the girls. They’d kept the council in the dark about the girls’ true identity. The little ones had taken Mae Forester’s last name to keep them safe from their maternal relatives and enemies.
Seems the little twins came with built-in enemies in the form of a coven of European witches, who had a beef with the twins’ mother. Of course, the mother was dead, as was the father, and now…
Well, the mother’s family wanted the girls, and the mother’s family’s enemies—the witches—wanted the girls dead.
Eden heaved a sigh. Being an elemental was complicated. Of course, she knew that, and had known it since she was very young and learned of the falling out her big sister Circe had with Mae.
Eden wasn’t as familiar with their older cousin Mae since she lived so far from Eden and Camden, but she rather liked the attractive brunette. And Eden had a feeling a lot of things “got fixed” around Bear Canyon Valley because of Mae and her intervention.
Too bad she couldn’t intervene with Eden’s problem.
My problem. A problem she didn’t even understand that was brought about by Piria.
Eden sighed.
“Are you going to stick with me or just keep drifting off like that?”
“I’m sorry.” Eden took a sip of the cooling coffee on the wood and tile table before her. “Where were we?”
“I was talking about having Marie send my stuff out here. I’m going to be staying in Tyler’s room.” Camden blushed.
Of course, you are.
That blast of pink on Camden’s olive skin brought a smile to Eden’s lips. She couldn’t remember ever having seen her twin sister so happy.
They both housed elementals, Eden’s was fire, Camden’s was ice, and that was precisely the reason they were brought to Bear Canyon Valley: to help the young twin girls with managing their shifters and their elementals.
Too often in the case of shifter-elemental hybrids, the shifter ended up a casualty. It was the nature of this particular hybrid situation. Elementals didn’t trust or want to share control with shifters. So, in a tug of war of power, the shifter would end up dead. Consequently, the human would die, as well, because they couldn’t survive the firepower of these two supernatural beings.
Unfortunately, despite the time Camden and Eden had been here, they’d yet to crack through to the elementals within the twins. Between the young girls’ suspicious nature based on their history—losing both parents—and the drama of the Shifter Council and a baby’s birth, Camden and Eden hadn’t had a chance to work with either of the little girls’ elementals. Or their shifters.
Bear shifters.
Eden shuddered while at the same time, Piria’s emotions made a bead of sweat form on Eden’s temple.
“If you don’t pay attention to me…” Camden raised a perfectly arched brow.
Eden raised her hands in surrender. “Sorry. Truly. I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m having such a hard time concentrating.” She glanced toward the window.
The day was glorious. They really should go exploring.
Camden’s lip lifted in a tiny smile. “Could it have something
to do with that hunky bear shifter?”
Eden snapped her head back to her sister. “Hush!”
Too late. The bottom of the kitchen curtain burst into flames.
“Jesus, Eden.” Camden leapt to her feet and turned the sink water on, aiming the vegetable sprayer at the fire and put it out quickly.
“What?” Eden shrugged and frowned simultaneously. “You know better.”
Piria, her elemental and her fear of bears. Fear would be putting it mildly, really. Aversion was getting closer to accuracy.
And yet, Eden didn’t want to admit it out loud out of concern that Piria would react again, but there was something about Sean O’Reardon. Something that made her heart beat a little faster and a little bit unpredictably. And definitely something that got her panther’s attention.
Eden’s panther was clearly interested in Sean’s bear, and she made no bones and held no secrets about that fact. It was clear that Sean was receptive.
The problem, though? Piria. She’d kill Sean and his bear if she thought for a second Eden was seriously interested.
“Can we get back on topic?” Eden grimaced at her twin sister.
“Yes. Now that everyone’s gone…” The pink color was back in her cheeks. “I’m going to be staying in Tyler’s room.”
“Yeah, you mentioned that.”
“What about you?”
“What about me?” Eden held her breath.
Camden studied her without saying a word. Eden’s eyes pleaded with Camden not to set Piria off again.
Please don’t mention Sean. Please, please don’t.
Camden nodded. “We were thinking you could stay in Tyler’s guestroom.”
Eden breathed out a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”
A wave of heat passed over Eden’s body. A few tiny beads of sweat gathered on her forehead.
Piria was issuing a warning without saying a word.
In Eden’s mind, her panther snarled and roared at the elemental’s manipulative ways.
Eden knew how the panther felt. She knew very well. She’d have enjoyed getting to know Sean as well. But without Piria—this simply wasn’t going to happen. No, sir, no how. They were a package deal, and Piria wasn’t on board.
She paused. “The far one, in the left corner?”
Camden nodded. “Sure. I’m sure that’s fine.” But her eyes held a measure of sadness for Eden.
Camden hugged her.
“We need to get to work with Trista and Tessa,” Eden told Camden. “Before a backlog builds at the Order of Elementals headquarters.”
Camden’s smile was on the patronizing side. “Circe and Marco can handle it.” She wrapped her arms around her body, goose bumps peppered her forearms. “You just want to get this done so you can leave.”
“I think it will be more peaceful that way. What if I burned the house down? Accidentally, I mean.”
Camden stepped closer, leaned down, and hugged Eden. “We’ve gone through so much. We will handle this, too.”
Tears sprang to Eden’s eyes. She bit her lip to keep them from shedding. It had become too much for her. It wasn’t just the whole thing with Sean. It was the way Piria’s fears sometimes paralyzed Eden’s ability to do things. It was the fact that Piria wouldn’t tell her why she felt this way toward bears. Piria would barely talk to her at all. Never had been very communicative.
Eden dropped her head into her hands. Circe never seemed to have this problem with her elemental. And even Camden, who hadn’t been that close to her elemental didn’t seem to have this issue. It was as if Piria had erected a wall between herself and Eden and there was nothing Eden could do to breach the barrier.
“Trust me?” Camden took Eden’s face in her hands and locked gazes with her. “Trust me?”
Eden gave her a short nod, but she wasn’t sure this was in the realm of things Camden could handle.
“I don’t believe you.” Camden stroked Eden’s dark hair. “What if I told you I’d bring in the heavy artillery for this if I needed to.”
Eden looked at her quizzically. “What?”
“Nothing.” Camden planted a kiss on Eden’s forehead. “I’ll help you move your stuff into the guest bedroom. “Will that work?”
Chapter Three
If he hadn’t known better, Sean would have sniffed his pits. Why the hell did Eden feel she couldn’t stay in the same house as him?
It’s not like I don’t shower regularly. He scowled.
Sean wasn’t used to women avoiding him. Or treating him like he was a leper.
But Eden. She was something else. He could have sworn he saw interest in her eyes, maybe even an invitation. But her actions were something else altogether. She made it a point to avoid him. Hell, she’d even declined the opportunity to take a nice guestroom in his place, opting for one in Tyler’s and taking the one farthest from Sean’s door, a rinky-dink one that he’d hardly call more than a broom closet.
She sure as hell wasn’t good for his self-esteem.
In Sean’s mind, his bear roared.
Yeah, yeah, I know.
It was no secret Sean’s bear was interested in Eden’s panther. No secret to Sean, and no secret to Tyler, who’d picked up on Sean’s attraction to Eden the first time he’d seen her in Grant’s backyard at the get-together.
“Cute, isn’t she?” Tyler had elbowed Sean.
“It’s a good thing you think so, since you’ve taken her identical twin as your mate.”
Tyler had laughed. “Identical, true. But it’s easy to tell them apart.”
“True.” Sean hadn’t been able to take his eyes off her.
She’d glanced up at him. They’d locked gazes.
He’d felt a sensation in his gut. And in his brain. He and his bear were instantly attracted.
Then he’d felt another sensation. A flame licked at his fingers.
Sean glanced down. “What the hell?” He dropped the paper plate he’d been holding. Ribs, brisket, beans, fell to the ground.
The plate was on fire.
Tyler was muffling a laugh. “Looks like you just met her elemental.”
“Really? Fire?”
Tyler nodded.
“And she can’t control it?” Jesus. She was supposed to help Trista and Tessa control their elementals and she couldn’t control her own?
“Seems she has a thing about bears…” Tyler’d said.
Sean raised a brow. “Not a good thing, I guess.”
“Nope.”
* * *
Days passed.
Now, not much had changed. He’d tried to talk to her. She seemed hellbent on steering clear of him. If he were at the dinner table, she’d find a way to grab a bite in her room with some excuse or another. If he wasn’t there, she’d stay. And when he deliberately waited until she’d sat and started eating to join them, she’d wrap it up and go away quickly.
Camden’s eyes always carried an apology for her sister’s actions. Tyler’s eyes carried pity.
Well, Sean had damned near had enough. No, he’d had more than enough.
He caught sight of Eden headed toward the woods, a little basket in hand. Her hips swung temptingly, her legs encased in a pair of jeans that were perfectly form-fitting and showed her assets off in a way that got his attention. Got his attention a little too well.
He pushed his bear and his lust aside and watched her, back held straight, head high, a basket in her right hand.
Now, what’s she going to do with that basket? Was it a picnic lunch?
He waited until she’d made it just passed the tree line, where she was almost out of sight, before he slid out the back door, closing it softly behind him. He knew he had to be quiet. Her hearing was probably as good as his, if not better. They were shifters, after all, and shifters had super-enhanced senses.
Sean picked up her scent immediately. He homed in on it because he knew it better than he knew his own. Or maybe it would be more accurate to say his bear knew it better than he knew his own.
Of course, it didn’t hurt that one of Sean’s fortes was tracking by scent. It’s what made him good and what kept their security business operating in the black many days. He was in the top two percent of scent-trackers, or so Griz had told him, back in the day, when Sean had worked closely in association with Griz.
He couldn’t keep an eye on her, but he could stay on her tail by following the trace of her scent. Thirty minutes later, he paused and leaned against a tree.
What the hell is she doing?
Was she going in circles? He frowned and studied the ground and the trees around him. Why would she be going in—
“Why are you following me?”
He looked up.
Sitting on a low tree branch, her basket next to her, Eden frowned at him.
“I—well, I—”
“Is this the part where you say you weren’t following me?” Reddish gold flames flickered in the depths of her dark eyes.
“You knew.”
She nodded.
“That’s why the circles.”
Another nod.
“What are you doing in the woods?”
“Walking, clearing my head. Why are you following me?”
“What do you have to clear your head from?”
Chapter Four
“What business of yours is it?” Eden looked down at the man on the ground. She didn’t have to explain herself to him.
A few days’ growth of stubble enhanced his good looks, damn him. A face that probably made women drop their panties, lips perfectly kissable, and a set of lashes that should be illegal, framed dark eyes—a perfect setting for his dark skin.
She fought to keep her gaze from traveling from his face down to that muscular neck that topped a chest, which filled out his shirt, muscles bulging. He was leaning against the tree, one leg angled over the other, arms crossed over those pecs.
Eden looked away quickly. She looked away before Piria could notice she was having a reaction to Sean. She gulped down a lump of nervousness.