“Greetings,” the tall handsome guy said while bowing slightly. “I am Minco, Alpha security. I have been assigned to keep you safe while you stay with the Misabe Mukwa at our Clan Settlement. And this is Alo, our guide through the forest.”
Althea bowed her head gently and shifted her eyes back up to Minco’s as she rose. “Shall we shift?”
The guide turned and began walking into the forest. Confused, Althea looked to Minco for understanding. “Alo has given up his long life as a Bear, staying in his human form to preserve the path of the guide. He is no longer able to shift. We will walk as our humans. If you need assistance…”
Althea’s chin immediately came up, and she shook her head indignantly. “No thank you. I am capable of walking the journey on my own.”
Minco nodded, stepping to the side, falling in line only after Althea had gone ahead of him. The hike was long and arduous and there were moments of silence that she wondered if she was ever going to make it to the Settlement. The air was cool but stagnant and the only sounds around her were the crunching of leaves beneath their feet, and the caws of birds in the trees. As the light began to shade, evening approaching, Alo stepped through what looked like a wall of vines, disappearing.
Althea stopped, staring at it, never having seen a hidden Settlement before. Minco walked up next to her and smiled. “It’s alright. You’re permitted to enter. Just walk right into the vines and they will give way to the Settlement. It’s our magic protection and it’s stood for centuries, keeping our Settlement safe.”
She eyed Minco for a moment but figured since she was the High Alpha, and a guest of the tribe, there was no way he would try to trick her. Or she hoped not. Putting her thumbs into the straps of her book bag, she walked forward, closing her eyes as she approached the vines. She stepped forward and opened them again, hearing the sounds of singing, chanting, and voices all around. Her mouth fell slightly open as she stared out at the Settlement. In her mind she had imagined nothing more than huts, dirt walkways, and the like. To her surprise, the Settlement wasn’t that different from an actual town tucked into the confines of the deep and uninhabited forest.
Minco walked up next to her and smiled. “It’s not like your big cities but we like it here.”
“It’s beautiful,” Althea replied.
Minco nodded. “We don’t have everything, electricity is scarce being so far out and hidden, but we don’t mind. We’ve survived on less, and one day this will seem archaic to us. Come. I will take you to your cabin. Dustu Long Claw has had a very long and difficult trip himself, and has asked that he meet with you tomorrow.”
Althea nodded and walked beside Minco, following his lead since she had no idea where she was going. As they walked, the people bowed to her, and in all directions was a mixture of Shifters as their humans and their Bears. She could feel a wave of excitement bursting in her chest, her inner Bear feeling the connection with its own kind. They headed through the main portion of the Settlement, Althea taking notice of the homes lined along the way, each with its own personality, each with its own individual totem by the front door.
“What do the totems represent?” she asked.
Minco glanced over. “Life. Each one begins when a Shifter is born, or joins our Settlement. They learn how to carve them and with every great step in their lives, such as mating, children, illness, spiritual achievements, they create another layer.”
“Oh,” Althea replied, feeling almost cheated out of her own.
Minco stopped and nodded toward the small thatched roof home to their right. “This is yours. Not just the cottage, but your totem was brought forward and placed for protection in front. We have kept your totem from the moment your mother, the Matriarch, birthed you. The Alpha has carved it himself, sitting in until the day you choose to carve it yourself. But he will tell you all about it tomorrow.”
Althea’s eyes went wide as she passed it, seeing the intricate detail meticulously added, starting from her birth at the bottom. Minco opened the door to her cottage and stepped to the side. “There should be everything you need already set up inside. If you need anything, or are hungry, thirsty, or cold, please let me know and I will send a caretaker to retrieve what you need.”
“Are you leaving?” Althea asked.
Minco shook his head, looking strong and valiant as he thrust his chin out and put his hand on the dagger at his side. “I will stand watch here, outside of your door.”
Althea smiled and stepped inside, glancing back for just a moment as he shut the door behind her. She took in a deep breath, trying to push away the fluttering in her chest. As she turned to the inner workings of her cottage, her breath was taken away. It was beautiful. There were relics carefully placed throughout, all of the furniture was hand carved, and there were Clan etchings all along the wood beams crossed over the ceiling. It was bohemian with tapestries draped from one side to the other, and a bed made of one very large pillow on the floor draped in blankets and smaller pillows. It looked so comfortable.
A small giggle of excitement escaped her throat as Althea opened her bag and pulled out a change of clothes. She could see the shadow of Minco beneath the door and she found herself more and more curious. As they walked through the Settlement, the Shifters not only paid her homage, but him as well. She didn’t know how the security structure worked, but she could tell the people of the village thought highly of him.
After changing, Althea laid down on the bed, looking up at the ceiling. She hadn’t felt that comfortable in a place…well, ever. She was surrounded by Grizzlies, and there was a natural comfort to that. They were her blood, her ancestry, and there was a safety to it that began to fill the cold empty hole that had been left when her mother died. The Misabe Mukwa had called her home.
Chapter Three
Althea took advantage of the quiet time within her cottage. Since her mother had passed away, it felt like she was constantly surrounded by people. She barely had any time to herself. When she did, her time was filled with planning, work, and her own raging thoughts. But there, in the middle of the Herobrand Forest, surrounded by the Grizzly Shifters, Althea felt at home. She laid on the incredibly comfortable bed, staring up but not really looking at anything. She took in the sounds echoed around her. She could hear the Bears milling around outside, she could hear the crackling of fires, and she could hear the melodic tunes echoing out all around her. It seemed that music was a regular thing in the Settlement.
Thinking about everything that the Alpha had told her, Althea let her head fall to the side, staring over at the wavering shadow coming from the other side of the door. Minco hadn’t moved, just like he said, and was diligently standing watch in his human form. The realization that Althea wasn’t there on vacation, her anxiousness to fix the problems that the Grizzly Shifters were facing began to rise.
With a huff, feeling her moment of calm was short-lived, Althea pulled herself from the bed and walked over to the door. Carefully she opened it, not wanting to scare Minco, but as she did, she found him standing, facing her, on the other side. “Is everything all right?”
Althea nodded, glancing back into the cottage. “It’s wonderful. Thank you. I did have a question though.”
Minco stared at her, no real expression on his face besides attentiveness. “Of course.”
She leaned against the doorframe, and stuck one hand in the pocket of her black knit pants. “Are you aware of all of the issues that are going on in the Settlement?”
Minco’s lips pursed for a moment, his eyes shifting up toward the sky. “I am. Though I haven’t been part of the actual discussion on them, I’m around for all of it. Normally, I’m the protector of the Clan Alpha, but seeing as you’re the High Alpha, I was charged with your safety while you’re here with us. On a normal basis, I go everywhere the Clan Alpha goes. I see and hear about the problems on a regular basis.”
Althea bit the inside of her lip, trying to decide whether to begin tackling the issues, or wait until morning wh
en she spoke with the Grizzly leader. Knowing she wasn’t going to get a lot of sleep that night, she decided to go for it. “Would you perhaps mind speaking to me about these issues? I know that your Clan Alpha is very busy, so I want to have a good footing when I walk into the meeting tomorrow. I don’t want to waste his time having him repeat what he’s already told me. I’d like to go in there with some ideas.”
Minco glanced right and then left, his forehead wrinkled slightly. He seemed apprehensive, but at the same time, eager to please Althea. “Alright, I will do the best that I can. Though I hear everything, I’m not always privy to the underlying issues, the ones that are necessarily spoken about out loud.”
Althea grinned. “That’s alright. It’ll be a huge help just hearing about the main ones.”
Minco cleared his throat, glancing behind Althea into the cottage. “Where would you like to speak? I can have them bring chairs and we can sit outside, or I can come inside if you’d like.”
Althea tapped her fingers to her lips, and slowly, a grin moved across her face. “There wouldn’t by any chance be a good place to get a beer while we talk would there?”
Minco’s eyes almost quivered, looking at Althea as if he had suddenly realized something. It was such a stark break from his unemotional facial expression, that Althea noticed immediately. As soon as she did though, he shook it away. It was curious, but Althea didn’t ask any questions. She wasn’t sure what he realized, but she had a really good feeling that it had something to do with her. She figured if it was important though, he would have told her, so she let it go.
“Actually, there is,” he replied. “We have a pub near the other end of the village. Some of our Clan members took it upon themselves to learn how to brew and it grew from there. We make all of our own libations here, and they’re quite good in my opinion.”
Althea grabbed her wallet from the table next to the door and closed it behind her as she stepped outside. “That sounds perfect. Shall we?”
Minco nodded, an air of excitement fluttering around him and Althea too. She walked beside him as he led her through the village, closer to the Clan Alpha’s residence. On the right-hand side was a building, much like her cottage, but larger and definitely louder. Minco led Althea into the building, through the crowd of people up to the bar. He waited for her to take a seat and then sat beside her. Glancing around, she noticed multiple members of the Clan staring at her with wide eyes. They knew not to approach; if Minco was with her, he was there to protect her.
“Well, I didn’t think I would be receiving a visit from the High Alpha herself this evening,” a friendly voice rang out from behind the bar. “Had I known, I would’ve worn my a good apron. We thank you for coming either way. Ignore these knuckleheads staring at you, they don’t see a lot of excitement in the Settlement these days.”
Althea chuckled. “It’s alright. I don’t want them to be afraid of talking to me.”
Althea quickly noticed that the bartender was friendlier and more jovial than any bartender she had met before. His personality was incredibly charming and he had a sarcastic sense of humor. Of course, the sparkle in his eye and his perfect smile made it easy for Althea to feel comfortable. It was almost strange to her, actually. Her entire life she had been taught to be wary of people she didn’t know, but with him, she immediately released the anxiety that had been churning inside of her.
“What can I get for you this evening?” He asked. “Minco, do you want your usual?”
Minco shook his head. “I’ll just have a Coke. I’m technically on duty.”
The bartender nodded and glanced over at Althea with a grin. “And how about you? With the kind of schedule I imagine you keep, you could probably use a stiff drink.”
Althea was giggling without even realizing it. The bartender’s personality was almost intoxicating. He was just like all the other men that she had seen since she had reached the Settlement, tall, broad shouldered, and a very welcoming smile. He was yet another very handsome man, and Althea was starting to wonder if there were any Grizzly men who were bad looking. In fact, as she watched the bartender pour one of the local handmade ales, she couldn’t help but notice that he reminded her a lot of Minco. Looking back and forth between the two of them, they had very similar features. She wondered if it was just a coincidence, or if there was more to the idea of being a Grizzly Shifter.
As if Minco could read her mind, he turned toward Althea and put his hand out toward the bartender. “This is our bartender, confidant, advice giver, and my brother, Biligaana.”
Althea’s eyes went wide and she reached out her hand to shake his. “I’m afraid if I try to pronounce that, I may mangle it. I don’t want to offend you.”
He laughed and shook his head. “There’s no way that you could offend me. Besides, nobody calls me that but him. Everyone calls me Billy.”
Althea let out a breath of relief. “Oh good. That’s a lot easier to pronounce. Billy, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Althea.”
Billy set two beers down, one in front of Althea and the other in front of his brother. It seemed that Billy knew Minco better than Minco knew himself considering he only resisted for a moment before taking a swig of the beer. Althea chuckled as she tasted hers, finding it both bitter and smooth at the same time. It was probably one of the best beers she had ever had, which was pretty extraordinary since they made it themselves in the Settlement. As traditional as the Clan was, Althea was a bit surprised that they actually had a pub. At the same time though, she imagined that all of the wonder that she was seeing in the village would quickly wear off when you were stuck in that one area of the forest. They probably needed the distraction.
“What brings you guys out here tonight?” Billy asked.
Minco wiped the beer from his upper lip and cleared his throat, turning back toward Althea. “We’re here to discuss the issues that the Settlement is currently having. Our High Alpha wishes to go into the meeting with Long Claw tomorrow fully educated on the issues at hand.”
Billy flickered his brow and pursed his lips. “You’re going to need more than one beer for that.”
Minco agreed, shaking his head. They began to talk about everything, from the food supply to the harsh winters. He was able to really give Althea an in-depth look from someone’s perspective other than the Alpha. It was always good to hear from the source, not that the Grizzly Alpha was unreliable, but Althea knew that things could be different from the perspective of those it was hitting hardest.
During the entire conversation, Billy would chime in from time to time giving his advice. Though he came off as jovial and joking, the input he had was both sound and strong. He was very good at reading between the lines. He was also very good at giving a third perspective on things, the perspective of those that helped the ones that needed it the most. He was easy to talk to, and his kind demeanor mixed with his good looks and charm, made it hard not to get lost in his words.
Althea knew that bartenders were usually the ones to give advice and listen, especially to drunk unhappy people sitting at the bar. But this guy, Billy, he had a special talent for it. The words just flowed from him and they made sense, more sense than anything she could have come up with. After a while, Minco had brought him completely into the conversation, obviously knowing his brother was very good at that kind of thing. Althea didn’t mind at all. She felt as if she could trust him, which was a big deal for Althea considering she rarely trusted anyone those days. It was a dangerous time for her and her sisters, and she knew she had to be careful.
“And that’s basically the meat and potatoes of it,” Billy said after explaining the lack of resources they were receiving from the other Shifter Earth Sigil’s. “We’ve been practically forgotten over here, even though we’re one of the strongest Shifter breeds there is. But when there’s an issue, we definitely get noticed.”
Althea nodded her head. “Thanks for that explanation. I can definitely see how this is an issue, all of it. But just as the Shifters
have done for generations, we’ll bond together and pull things back to where they need to be. I’m sure of it.”
Minco and Billy looked at each other and then over at Althea, giving her identical warm smiles. A chill ran up her spine and her cheeks grew warm. There was something so right about the both of them, but almost dangerous at the same time.
Chapter Four
Althea turned over in her bed, pulling the blanket up over her shoulders. She stared over at the door, the light from outside creeping across the wooden slabs, Minco’s shadow in the center of it. He was outside, standing watch as he was supposed to, making sure that she was safe, no matter what. And the crazy thing was, after years of training in dangerous situations, always sleeping lightly, and never trusting anyone but herself, tonight she actually felt safe.
Her thoughts were running wild, going over the course of the evening. Not so much the issues of the Settlement, but the complexity of both Minco and Billy. They were incredibly interesting Shifters. They were brothers, and while they were very different, they were also very similar at the same time. There was something there between them, between the three of them actually, that Althea just couldn’t put her finger on.
Just thinking about it frustrated her, as she was used to figuring out just about anything that was going on in her life. But this was different. There was some sort of connection between the three of them, but Althea didn’t have much experience with men at all and she couldn’t tell whether it was a universal Grizzly connection, or just her extreme attraction to the both of them. That was something she definitely couldn’t hide from herself. From the moment she laid eyes on both Minco and Billy her temperature rose and her heart started beating faster. She melted into their words and actions, and already felt as if she could trust them and rely on them. It was the strangest thing to her.
Her Earth Mates Page 2