by Elena Aitken
By the time Kristine discovered they had a whole other family, she herself was already a widow. Nat’s father had died when she was young from a sudden and devastating heart attack. With no one left after her mother passed, Kristine packed up her three young children and knocked on Gordon Jackson’s door. To find out he had a bastard daughter that he’d never known about was a shock to be sure, and it took Gordon many years to warm up to the idea of Kristine. Fortunately for the children, he’d warmed up to them almost at once. And with the discovery of their new cousins, Nat, Ryker, and Liam had immediately fallen in love with Jackson Valley.
“He doesn’t have long,” Kristine said now. “He’s…he’s…well…I’m glad you’re all here. It will mean a lot to him that you all came.”
“Well,” Ryker said. “Not all of us. But Natalia really did what she could.”
“The others are in with him now.” It had felt important that Axel and Luke go in first with the tablet they’d set up so Kira could videoconference into the conversation. Given the complexity of that particular relationship, they needed a little time with him alone. Something Ryker had completely agreed with.
“We’ll join them right away,” he said.
Kristine nodded. “And Liam?”
The siblings glanced at each other and finally Nat shrugged. She wished it could be different. Despite recent happenings, she loved Liam and she knew he loved their grandfather just as much as she did. He wasn’t a bad guy; he was just a little misguided lately. She sighed and shook her head. “I don’t know where Liam is.”
“I’m right here.” As if he’d been standing there and listening, waiting for the right moment, Liam appeared around the corner of the porch. His hands were shoved into the pockets of his jacket and he looked as though he hadn’t slept or showered in days.
But he was there.
They left their mother in the kitchen, and Natalia led the way down the hallway to their grandfather’s bedroom. The door was ajar, so she stepped aside and let Ryker go in first. Liam moved to follow, but she grabbed his arms and stopped him before he could slip inside.
“Hey,” she said. “I’m glad you’re here, Liam. Really. I think it’s—”
“I’m not here for you.” His eyes narrowed, but despite his coldness, Nat could see the emotion he was trying to hold back. “I’m here for him.” He shook off her arm and started to move inside. “And for the good of the clan,” he added before disappearing inside.
Dammit.
There was going to be a time and a place to have that conversation with Liam, and their grandfather’s deathbed was not the place, and it was definitely not the time. With a deep breath, Nat followed her brothers into the room.
Her grandfather both looked better than she’d seen him and at the same time weaker. The disease had taken hold and she didn’t have to look hard to see that he had very little time left, but the slight sparkle in his eyes—it was also easy to see where that had come from. She looked to Axel and Luke, who held the iPad that their grandfather stared intently at.
He looked up when she walked in and when his eyes met hers, he didn’t need to say anything to know how grateful he was that she’d made the little reunion happen. Nat pressed her lips together and nodded.
“So…” She looked to Axel, unsure of the question she should ask. Had they been able to put the nastiness of the last few years behind them? Had they been able to move forward and to make peace with a dying man?
Axel nodded. “It’s okay,” he said. “And look.”
Luke turned the tablet so Nat could see Kira propped up in her bed. Tears streamed down her face, but she looked happy and, even more surprising, Kade sat on the edge of the bed next to her.
“He came.” Natalia brought a hand to her mouth and then laughed a little. “I mean, you came.” She spoke to Kade through the screen.
“Of course.” He nodded, but didn’t smile. “I needed to be here for Kira.” He took his role as her twin brother very seriously, but Natalia knew it had been the right decision. After they’d been separated for a time, the twins liked to stay close, especially if there was going to be anything difficult or emotional to deal with. Despite the fact that they’d both found their fated mates, the bond between the two of them hadn’t lessened. It was a unique kind of closeness.
“We’re all here.” Natalia walked closer and gestured for her brothers to follow. Ryker joined her, but Liam still held back. “Grandfather, I know this hasn’t been easy, but I hope that it’s been an opportunity for you to find some peace.”
He reached out for her hand. It was smaller and frailer than Natalia ever could have imagined. The big, strong, completely indestructible man she’d always known was failing before her eyes and it somehow seemed completely impossible that it could happen.
“I need to—” His words were lost in a bone-rattling cough.
Ryker handed her a glass of water that Natalia lifted to his lips.
“You don’t need to say anything, Grandpa. It’s—”
“I may be dying, young lady,” he said with renewed strength, “but you don’t get to tell me what I do or do not need to do.”
From across the bed, she could hear Axel chuckle under his breath. She raised her eyebrows and gave him a look, but he only shrugged. “Okay.” She gave in. “Go ahead.”
Gordon nodded once, cleared his throat, and with an effort that they could all painfully see, started to speak. “I was wrong,” he said. “I made decisions that I’m not totally proud of.” He moved his gaze to the tablet and looked at Kira. “I never should have tried to tell you who to love.” He looked to Axel and Luke. “And I never should have put you boys in an impossible situation.”
“It’s—”
“It’s not,” he interrupted Axel. “It’s not anything but horrible. You kids, you were like my own children. The four of you especially. You had no parents.” Before any of them could speak up, he added quickly, “That was my fault too.” Gordon closed his eyes shut and they remained closed for so long that Nat almost reached out to see whether he’d fallen asleep. But before she could, he opened them again. “I’ve made so many mistakes. I hope you can forgive me.”
“We do.” Axel spoke for them all. “I’m not going to stand here and tell you that it’s all okay, because you’re right, it’s not. It never was and it never will be. But it’s in the past. And there’s one thing that the last few years have taught me.” He looked around the room. “Taught all of us, I think. And that’s that family is the most important thing. It’s where our story begins, and where it will end. Together. We are a family and always will be. Despite the mistakes we’ve made.”
Luke nodded. “We’ve all made mistakes, Grandfather.”
Behind her, Natalia heard Liam make a noise, but she didn’t bother to turn and look.
“I need to know something.” It was Ryker who spoke. “And I need to hear it right from you.”
Gordon’s head turned slowly. Every movement obviously pained him. But it was important to see the conversation through to the end.
“You’ve apologized for some of your actions. But all of those actions were based on one thing,” Ryker said. “So I need to know one thing. Do you accept all of us?” Before Gordon could answer, Ryker added, “And our choice of mates?”
The room was so quiet, Nat could hear the rattle in her grandfather’s chest as he took each breath. Finally, he nodded. “I do.”
“I don’t believe that.” Liam spoke up. He finally stepped up and joined the rest of them at Gordon’s bedside. “I don’t believe it for a minute.” His voice was tight and controlled. “It wasn’t that long ago that you sent Ryker to stop Axel’s wedding to a half breed.” Across the bed, Nat noticed Axel’s hands clench into fists. “And Kade’s mate.” He waved toward the tablet Luke held. “You tried to have her killed.”
“I did not—”
“You know that’s exactly what would have happened if her family had gotten hold of her. The family you called.�
�� Nobody could deny that. “And Kira, pregnant with wolf babies. Ryker mated to a human. And Luke and Natalia…they mated outside of their breed, too. Come on, Grandfather. There is no way you’re okay with any of this.” He waved his arms to encompass the room and every single one of Gordon’s grandchildren who’d chosen unacceptable mates. Except for him.
“That’s enough.” Nat tried to put her hand on Liam’s arm but he shook her off and spun on her.
“Don’t think you can tell me what to do just because a dying old man said you were to be clan leader.” He sneered. “He’s clearly lost his mind as well.”
“Liam! That’s enough.” Axel and Ryker had both moved around the bed to flank Liam.
Gordon held up a hand. “I was wrong, Liam. About everything. And sometimes the real strength is in admitting when you made a mistake. My mistake was terrible. It ruined some lives and could have ruined more. It was awful. And I was wrong. I made a mistake and nothing is more important than my family. I only wish it hadn’t taken me so long to realize it.”
Nat’s eyes filled with tears at her grandfather’s confession. And it wasn’t just her. She didn’t have to look around the room to see that his heartfelt words had affected everyone else the same way.
Liam snorted.
Almost everyone.
“You’re wrong now, Grandpa. You may have made mistakes before, but you’re making the biggest one right now. I should be leader of this clan and everyone in this room knows it.”
“I think you should leave.” Ryker grabbed his brother’s arm.
Before Liam could shake him off, Axel grabbed the other one. “Now,” he added.
They pulled him back, toward the door. But before they could get him outside, Liam growled and managed to shake them both off. “Get off me! I don’t need a fucking escort. I’m leaving.” He turned back to face the room one more time and his eyes locked with Nat’s.
His eyes flared with anger, but Nat could see more than that. He was hurting. A lot.
“Liam, I—”
“No.” He cut her off. “I’m done here.” He spun and stalked out of the room, slamming the door after him.
“I’ll go talk to him.” Luke moved to hand her the tablet, but Natalia shook her head.
“It should be me. I’ll go. He’ll listen to me.”
She bent to press a soft kiss to her grandfather’s cheek. He’d already closed his eyes, but Nat didn’t miss the tears that slipped from the corners and it broke her heart. For all the mistakes this man may have made, she knew they’d all come from a place of love.
She stood and straightened her sweater before turning to leave.
She’d fix it. She’d fix all of it. For her family.
They were all she had left.
Chapter Sixteen
His bear needed release. But there was no time.
Even with the private jet Phillip had standing by, flying across the country took time, and not even Cyrus, with all his money and power, could make it go any faster.
Finally, after what felt like three complete days had passed, they landed and were in a car headed to Grizzly Ridge.
From the moment they touched down in Montana, Cyrus’s senses started to go haywire. Where he’d been clouded and unable to properly formulate a thought while he was so far away from Natalia, it was almost as if the opposite had started happening now that he was closer.
“You need to settle down.” Phillip glanced over from the driver’s side. “Your energy is—”
“What?” Cyrus growled. “My energy is what?”
Phillip shook his head and looked back out the windshield. “Seriously. Settle down. You’ll see her soon and I can’t imagine storming in there all bear is going to win her over. Not after the way you’ve been behaving.”
Cyrus glared at him, but his friend was right. He needed to calm down. The problem was, he couldn’t.
He couldn’t shake the feeling, but something was wrong. He thought it would get easier to control his bear when he got back to her, but it was only getting harder.
“Can you drive faster?”
Phillip sighed, but Cyrus noticed the car accelerated. He shifted back in his seat and stared out the window. Phillip was probably right; he needed to calm down so he wasn’t too over the top again. After all, his overbearing bear was exactly what got him in this situation in the first place.
But as much as he tried, Cyrus couldn’t get his bear under control, and when they pulled into the yard of Grizzly Ridge, Phillip barely had time to stop the car before Cyrus was out the door and running up the steps to the Den.
He burst through the door and stopped short. In the short time he’d been gone, the entire place had been converted into what looked like a scene from a Christmas movie. The smell of clove and cinnamon hit him and knocked him off kilter for a moment.
“Cyrus?” Zoe jumped up from the couch. “What are you…does Natalia know you’re here?”
He shook his head, and crossed the room. “Where is she?” He glanced toward the stairs and her room. “I need to—”
“She’s not here.”
“Where is she?” He spun around so quickly, Zoe took a step backward. She held up her hands and fixed him with a glare. Instantly, he felt bad. He really needed to get himself under control.
“Sorry,” he muttered and asked again, “Where is she?”
“Are you okay, Cyrus? You don’t look—”
“I’m not trying to be rude, Zoe,” he interrupted her. “But I’m actually not okay. Something is wrong,” he admitted to her. “I can feel it. I need to know where she is.” She opened her mouth, but shut it again. “Zoe, please. I know she might be upset with me and she has every right to be—she does. And I promise you, I’ll let her be as angry as she wants to be. But first, I need to know where she is and that she’s okay.”
Zoe nodded. “She’s fine.” Her eyes moved past Cyrus to the door. He didn’t need to turn around to know that Phillip had joined them. “She went with the others to Jackson Valley.”
“To her grandfather’s?”
Zoe nodded. “They all went. Well, except Kade and Kira. He doesn’t have much time and…well, I’m sure everything is fine, Cyrus. They were just going to say good-bye and…”
He didn’t hear the rest of what she had to say, because from the moment Zoe had told him where Nat was, his senses had tuned in. The previous cloudy, scattered and general feeling that something wasn’t right calmed and it became crystal-clear.
He turned and looked at Phillip, who still stood by the front door. “She’s in trouble.” He walked toward the door. Behind him, Zoe called out and tried to get him to stop, but there was no stopping him. “We have to go.” He pushed past his friend. “Now! My mate is in trouble.”
“Liam!” Nat ran out to the porch in time to see Liam jump down the steps and round the corner of the building. “Wait,” she called out. “We need to talk.”
But he didn’t stop, or even slow down, so Natalia ran after him. She’d run out so quickly she didn’t have time to grab her jacket, and the frosty chill of the winter wind bit at her skin through her sweater.
“Liam!” she yelled when she saw him again. He stood close to the tree line, the snow halfway up to his knees. “Just wait.”
“For what?” He glared at her and as she got closer, Nat could see the anger in his eyes. “So you can tell me again that Grandfather asked you to be the clan leader? So you can rub it in my face a little more?”
“What?” Nat shook her head. “No. Why would you say that? I’m not trying to—”
“Shut up!”
She took a step backward at the force of his words.
“It should be me,” he spat at her. “It always should have been me.” He shook his head. “The rest of you, you don’t care. You don’t care about anything but yourselves.”
“That’s not true.”
“Isn’t it?”
She shook her head. “No. It’s not. I care about a lot of things.”
“Not this family, Nat. Not this clan.” He stamped his foot and widened his stance. With his arms crossed over his massive chest, he looked stronger and bigger than he ever had before. But Nat wasn’t scared. He was her big brother. And he was hurt and angry; that’s why he was lashing out. It was just a reaction. “You left as soon as you got a chance,” he continued. “Traveling all over the world when you could work from anywhere.”
“That’s why I travel, Liam. Because I’m lucky. I can work anywhere.”
“Except here.”
“That’s not why I do it.” But as she said the words, she wondered how much of it was true. Did she travel all over the world to work instead of staying at home because she really wanted to see and experience different things, or was it because she wanted to get away? If she was honest, it might have been a bit of both. But that was before.
Before her grandfather got sick.
Before Cyrus.
Cyrus.
For the first time in hours, she let herself focus on her mate, just for a second, and there he was. She could sense him again. Was he back? Was he— “Liam!” In the split second that she’d let her thoughts drift away, he’d turned and disappeared into the woods. Without hesitating, she went after him. It didn’t take long for her to catch up with him. “That’s not why I left,” she said to his back. “I don’t know why I left, but I just needed to go see something before I—”
“Before you took a mate?” He spun around and was right in her face. “A Kodiak mate?” He didn’t even bother to hide the disgust. “First Ryker, and now you. Neither of you can further the Jackson line. The grizzly line. How on earth do you think you can lead this clan when you can’t even uphold the laws of the clan yourself?”
“It’s an outdated law.”
“It’s not. And we all know it.”
“Grandfather said himself—”
“He’s old and dying. It doesn’t matter what he says—he knows it, too.” Liam jabbed a finger at her. “You’re mated to a Kodiak and you don’t even want to be here. You’re the last person who should be leading this clan. And it’ll be a cold day in hell before I stand by and let it happen.”