by Mia Taylor
“I—I don’t know what you’re talking about!” she cried, darting backward. “Vaughan, you’re scaring me.”
“Oh? Isn’t that what you were hoping for? To watch the freak shift and scare you? Why don’t you whip out your camera? Maybe you’ll get a good video of it.”
He felt his mouth elongating, the fire in his veins bringing out the bear inside him.
“Isn’t this what you wanted?” he hissed, saliva dripping from his fangs. Vivian gasped and choked, her hand flying to her mouth.
“Y-y-you’re… y-you’re the bear-man!” she breathed, her eyes filled with terror. She turned and sprinted toward her car, yanking on the door and falling inside as he bound toward her.
She gaped at him in shock and consternation and suddenly Vaughan realized that she had not known.
He fell back on his haunches and watched as Vivian managed to start the car with shaking hands, her face ghastly pale.
Then, for the second time in a week, she left him standing alone. And it was his fault—again.
Chapter Twelve
Realizations
Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit!
The two words played over and over in her head but she could think of nothing else to say as she raced down I-80, trying to put as much distance between her and Mt. Rogers as she possibly could.
Her mind was a whirlwind and she couldn’t slow down the thoughts, no matter how many cars she whizzed by, her foot laying heavily on the gas.
Her phone was ringing almost constantly but Vivian was in no frame of mind to answer it. How could she? She wasn’t even sure she could speak.
I fell for a man who is half-bear. He’s real and he’s Vaughan. How… how?
Mentally, she could not catalogue all that was happening. Was Vaughan one of Daniel Wexley’s long-lost sons? The age was certainly right and the fact that Ambrosia Inc was in such close proximity suddenly made a lot more sense.
The conversation she’d had with Vernon Davies weighed in the front of her brain while she thought of the beast she had almost struck on the first night she’d landed in Blacksburg.
Her foot hit the brake and she lurched forward as traffic slowed to a near stand-still.
He thinks I sold him out!
The realization slapped her in the face and she gasped aloud. That was why he had reacted the way he had. Somehow he had learned about the article and thought that she had been spying on him.
Consternation and a sick feeling filled her as she thought of his words.
“Do you screw all your sources?”
“Oh no…” she choked. “Oh, no, no, no.”
The article had been shared over four thousand times the last time she’d checked and it was too late to pull it from the airways, even if she wanted to. She wondered if Vaughan had even seen it or if he’d been too enraged to bother.
I have to tell him that it’s not true.
But she knew she could never go back to him, not when he had been ready to rip her apart.
Her mind played back all the interviews, the people who swore he was in pain, a lone soul, wandering about looking for a way to end his suffering.
And you only added to it. Christ, how could I have not seen it?
It was an inane question. How the hell was she to know that bear-men existed?
But they do exist and there might be more of them. Vaughan might not be as alone as he thinks.
Traffic began to move and her heart raced with excitement. For her safety, she knew she couldn’t return to him but that didn’t mean she couldn’t reach out to him.
He works online. He must have an email. I’ll just have to do what I do best and investigate.
The phone was ringing again and this time, Vivian answered it.
“What?” she snapped irritably. “I’m driving.”
“Vivian Bentley?”
She tensed.
“Who is this?”
“My name is Daniel Wexley.”
Her blood ran cold and she waited for him to continue.
“I read your article, Miss Bentley. You’re a very talented writer. I have a few newspapers in my conglomerate which could use a staff writer like you.”
She snorted.
“Is that right?” she replied shortly. “How fascinating. What do you want, Mr. Wexley?”
“And you’re direct. Also a good trait to have.”
“Mr. Wexley, as I mentioned, I’m driving. Save the boot-licking for someone who appreciates it. What do you want?”
“I was curious to know why you visited my offices in Blacksburg, claiming to have information on the whereabouts of my children.”
“I was just looking for an interview, Mr. Wexley. Lying is only a crime when you do it under oath.”
“Where is he, Vivian?”
Her breath caught in her throat.
“I have no idea where your sons are, Mr. Wexley.”
“I think you know where one of them is.”
There was no guess in his tone. He knew she knew something.
“You’re wrong. You know what else is wrong?”
“What’s that?”
“Testing on your children to the point that their mother has to kidnap them to keep them safe. If you think for a second that I’m going to tell you where you can find one of the boys you abused, you’re sorely mistaken.”
She didn’t give him a chance to respond, dropping the call and turning off her cell phone before he could track her.
Vivian knew she was playing with fire and that Daniel Wexley was not a man who was apt to let it go, even after searching for thirty years.
There was a reason he did what he did to those boys, whatever the hell it was.
Vivian was still shaking when the Saab pulled up to her parents’ house in Richmond and she stumbled toward the front door.
“Are you drunk?” Theo demanded, throwing open the door. Vivian pulled her back up and stared him in the face.
“Do I look drunk?” she snapped but as she said it, she realized how good a shot of whiskey might be to calm her nerves.
“You’ve been gone for days, taking our car, not answering our calls—”
“Can you just make a list, Daddy? I have something I need to do.”
She pushed past him and hurried toward the library, already tasting the liquor on her tongue.
She found Justin inside, using the computer.
“Oh! The prodigal daughter returns. I read your article.”
Vivian gaped at him in shock.
“What?”
He nodded approvingly and rose from his chair, gesturing for her to sit.
“It’s got over ten thousand shares. Not bad for a conspiracy theory piece. I’m proud of you, sis.”
Inexplicably, tears filled her eyes and she looked up at Justin hopefully.
“Oh, Jus, I’ve screwed everything up so badly!” she moaned. “That guy…”
She began to sob, burying her face in her hands as her body spasmed.
“Let me get you a drink. Something tells me this story took you places which you’d rather forget.”
She sniffled and stared at him as he poured her a stiff scotch into a crystal glass.
“What the hell is this?” their father boomed, stalking into the library. “Don’t let her drink! She’s got a problem!”
“Oh my God…” Vivian muttered. It was all too much. She feared she was going to have a breakdown.
No. You will keep it together until you know that Vaughan is safe and he knows the truth. Then you can have yourself committed, which is probably what you should have done all along. What were you thinking coming back here? It could only mean my descent into madness.
She reminded herself that if she had not come back to Richmond, she would have never met Vaughan.
And he’s my mate.
She didn’t know where that thought had come from but she didn’t have time to entertain its origin as her father was still barking at her.
“Give me that drink!�
�� Theo growled but to Vivian’s surprise, Justin reached out to block his father.
“No. She’s earned it. She’s written an article that’s gone viral and she’s at her wit’s end. I had no idea that you were an alcoholic, sis.”
“Yeah, me neither,” she muttered.
“What article?” Theo demanded, eyeing his son skeptically but Vivian could see that he was listening to him.
Oh sure, when Justin speaks, everyone listens.
But there was no bitterness in her thought. Her entire life, she had thought her brother was her enemy but he was proving to be her only ally in the family.
Maybe none of them are my enemy. Vaughan has never had anywhere to go to the point that he retreated into the mountains to hide. At least when I was at my end, I had some place to go.
“I’ll email it to you, Dad, but you need to give Viv a few minutes, okay?”
Begrudgingly, Theo eyed his children and grunted. When he left, Vivian looked at Justin gratefully.
“Thanks,” she muttered, taking a long swig of the burning liquid. It warmed her throat instantly and she felt herself calming.
“Why don’t you tell me what happened?” he offered but Vivian shook her head.
“It took more out of me than I ever thought possible,” she confessed. “And I think I ruined a man’s faith in anything good.”
“I find that hard to believe, Viv. You’re the one who always restores people’s faith.”
Again, Vivian was taken aback by his kind words.
This past week has made me re-evaluate everything I thought I knew about life… and love.
“Whatever it is,” Justin told her, “you’ll figure it out. You always do. You’re a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for, Viv.”
That’s what Vaughan said to me. What are these guys seeing in me that I don’t see in myself?
It was impossible to say for sure but whatever it was, Vivian knew that she was going to live up to it.
“Do you want me to leave you alone?” Justin asked after a few minutes of silence but she shook her head and looked up at him, her tears finally drying.
“No,” she told him slowly. “I need your help.”
“If it involves hunting bear-men, I’m not sure I’m your man.”
A half-smirk formed on Vivian’s lips.
“You’d be surprised,” she replied. “You have PIs at your firm?”
“Yeah… but if you’re looking for something illegal—”
“I’m looking for an email address. I can tell you the man’s first name and his location but that’s about it. Do you think you can help me?”
Justin snorted and waved his hand.
“Are you kidding? Have you been living under a rock? You don’t need a PI for that. I’ll have one for you in an hour.”
She eyed him dubiously.
“Really?” she choked and he nodded, gesturing for her to move which she did instantly.
“There are apps for everything these days, big sis. You just gotta know where to look.”
Vivian admitted she had no idea where to start looking for something like that. Research was one thing—tech quite another.
I really have not given my brother a fair shake. I really ought to be ashamed of myself.
“Thanks, Justin!”
“No problem, but you have to do me a favor,” he told her seriously, turning to look at her with eyes identical to her own. “It’s big.”
“Anything!” she swore. “Name it.”
“Next time we make plans for dinner, don’t disappear for a bunch of days. It gives me a complex.”
She burst into laughter for the first time in days and nodded vigorously.
“I promise,” she replied. “I’ll never stiff you again.”
“By the way,” Justin added, “my house will be finished soon and there are lots of extra bedrooms. You’re welcome to come and stay with us. I’ve already spoken to Rochelle about it.”
Her heart filled with an overwhelming gratitude and fresh tears sprang into her eyes.
I am such an ass. I will never take my brother for granted again. My parents still need to give me a sign that they aren’t Satan, but Justin? He’s good in my books.
“Geez,” Justin muttered. “Stop doing that. You’re giving me another complex. But should I take that as a yes?”
Vivian shook her head.
“No,” she replied, swallowing the lump in her throat. “But thank you.”
“No?” Justin was rightfully surprised. “It’s really no problem, honestly. I know you don’t know Rochelle very well but she’s good people, Viv. I think you and she will get along.”
He paused, weighing his next words carefully and then darting his eyes toward the door as if he worried someone might be eavesdropping.
“And let’s be honest, Vivian, I really don’t want to see you on Dateline or be defending you against a murder one conviction. Even I might have a hard time getting you off on justifiable homicide.”
Vivian laughed again.
“Nah. I’d need you as a witness on my case.”
They grinned at each other but Vivian shook her head again and patted her brother on the shoulder.
“I’m sorry I never realized how funny you are,” she told him sincerely. “I will make up for lost time, I promise. Anyway, you don’t need to worry. I’m not going to kill Mom and Dad because I’m not staying here.”
His eyebrows rose even higher.
“No?”
“No. I’m going back to Blacksburg.”
“Wow. You really are obsessed with Kodiak, huh?”
Vivian smiled softly, knowing her brother had no idea how much truth was in his words.
“Yeah. I really am.”
Chapter Thirteen
First Impressions Again
So there were no pitchforks coming for him after all, at least not as a result of the article Vivian had written. Vaughan sort of wished they were.
Something should come for me and put me out of my misery. How many more years can I go on like this?
Even the dogs had shied away from him in the hours after Vivian had left, permitting the anguish of what he’d done to consume him entirely.
It had taken him no time to locate the article she’d written and as he then knew, it made no mention of him whatsoever. It was a compilation of interviews, first-hand accounts by witnesses and a vague but disturbing reference to the FBI and a company called Ambrosia Inc who seemed to have more knowledge about the elusive creature than they were letting on.
But nowhere, not subtly or overtly, was there any indication that she had suspected he was the bear-man of lore.
And she would have never known if I hadn’t bared my ugly soul.
Over and over, the look of horror on Vivian’s face flashed in his mind and he was overwrought with guilt.
She thought I was going to kill her. And who knows? Maybe I would have.
He didn’t believe it, not for a second, for even when he was in the deepest throes of his rage, he had never thought to raise a paw to her. All he had wanted was to show her how deeply she’d hurt him.
I guess I got that point across.
He read and re-read the article until the words blended together and his eye were gritty.
She came here for a story and found me. They were mutually exclusive points. She never came looking. Fate dropped her in my lap.
Again and again, he tried to reason with himself, to tell himself that they were doomed from the start. He’d always known that he could not keep her close, not when he hid the bear inside, one which he sometimes could not control.
This happened for the best. Maybe it could have gone a little bit better but…
In the back of his mind, Vaughan realized that Vivian could still turn him in and tell the world who he was but something told him that Vivian felt as badly about the entire scenario as he did.
Well, maybe that’s not true. I never thought she was going to kill me. I wish I could
say the same for her.
Night began to fall and Vaughan put his head back against the couch, letting his eyes close.
It’s time to move on, whether or not I’m being hunted. The story is out there and it will bring a bunch of idiots around for photo ops. My sanctuary is about to be disrupted anyway and it will only be a matter of time before someone finds me.
His computer dinged and Vaughan opened his eyes curiously. It was an email notification.
He leaned forward, touching his keyboard mouse and he peered at the sender in disbelief.
It was from Vivian.
His hand paused over the email.
Do I really want to read this? What if it’s full of venom and threats?
But he knew he wouldn’t be able to resist, even if it was the last thing he ever read from her.
Dearest Vaughan, it began. I’m assuming that’s how your name is spelled but that is just one more mystery you are going to have to solve for me. How do I even start this email? Hi, my name is Vivian Bentley. I’m twenty-seven years old and before I met you, I was floundering through life. It sounds dumb, considering how little time we spent together, but I feel connected to you in a way that I’ve never felt to anyone.
I always wanted to be a journalist. I tried to break into the business but I didn’t get far. Instead, I found myself lost and alone, stranded on a mountain road. That’s where you found me and saved me.
I want you to know that if I had any inkling that you were the bear-man, I would never have published that article. If I had any idea that you were pushing me away because you were scared I would learn your secret, I would have never left you. I know why you reacted the way you did earlier today and I forgive you, but only if you forgive me for not telling you the whole truth about why I was on the mountain that night.
I don’t know where you came from, Vaughan, but I think I do. I desperately want to see you again, to give what we have a shot, but not if you feel like you can’t trust me. I can promise you that there is no story big enough that is worth sacrificing the feeling of peace you gave me.
If you feel like you might want to see me again, please respond to this email and let’s try again. I can think of nothing more I want than to hunker down in a candlelit cabin at your side, listening to your heartbeat.”