Klesa squeezed Elaina’s hand. “Not to worry. I understand, and sometimes we women allow our minds to work overtime. The mating fever sent you into the wilderness all alone. It’s only natural that you’d want to mate with the first werebear that gave you a place to stay.”
“Or werebears.”
“Don’t blame yourself for that. The fever has you in its grip, and Cullen and Damon have told you ever since you came to the village that you’re to be shared. All you did was allow them to share you. No harm in that.”
“You’re the best, Klesa. I’d be lost without you. I have to find a way to reason with Cullen. I just don’t want to go back to the village. I’m afraid of the clan and what they might do to me if they find me. My protector, Samson, seemed convinced that the clan might be searching for me, but wouldn’t really tell me why.”
“Perhaps you need to find your protector and find out.”
Elaina shuddered. “I’d hate to do that. He kept me locked up before, and I can’t bear for that to happen again. What I’d really like to do is find Liam. They made me leave the den before, though, so I doubt he’d allow me to stay if I seek shelter there.”
Klesa nodded and tilted her head slightly. “Yes, but that was before. You’re no longer an innocent child, but a woman.”
“How would that matter?”
“We women have a way to get a man to do what we want. The trick is making him think it was all his idea. Shifters are an arrogant lot and a werewolf even more so, but when one loves you and claims you as his mate, he’ll do anything to protect you.”
Elaina felt so torn. “I’m just not sure if he loves me or not.”
Klesa moved a strand of her hair back. “What did it feel like when you kissed him?”
Elaina sighed. “Well, my heart beat hard against my chest and I felt dizzy, but before we were able to do much more, Samson interrupted us.”
“Do you love him?”
“I-I don’t know. I mean I’ve known him most of my life and I’ve loved him as a friend, but he probably has a mate by now.”
Klesa winked. “It doesn’t matter. If he’s meant to be yours, none of that will matter. I have a feeling that your werewolf will not be able to refuse you anything if you ask the right way.”
“I just wish that were true. I’m just not sure I can convince him to mate with me as it’s forbidden.”
“Forbidden? Who makes up these rules, the clan? Why do you have to live by the rules made by some clan that lives in the north, far from here?”
“It seems that the werewolves also live by those rules, or have rules of their own pertaining to different shifters mating.”
“Hogwash is what I say. Follow your heart and you can’t go wrong.”
“What about you and Ethan?”
Klesa tapped her fingernails on the table. “He’s kind to me and the boys, and I’ll allow him to mate with me in time, but not until I’m sure he’s the man for me. I won’t settle like I had to back in the village. Don’t get me wrong; I have feelings for Cullen and Damon. We share children together, but I knew it wouldn’t be wise to put my heart into it. I have put all of my heart and soul into raising my boys.”
“I can see that, and they couldn’t have a better mother if they tried. I hope things work out for you here.”
“Me, too. If not I’ll find a man who doesn’t mind raising my boys.”
“One who isn’t freaked out that they’re shifters.”
“He’ll have to be trustworthy, too. We’ll see. I haven’t given up on Ethan just yet. I like mating with shifters. They take a woman like no human can. Once they take you in the throes of passion, you’ll never go back.”
Todd interrupted their conversation, which was just fine as it had run its course with Elaina. She had much to think about. She would continue to tell Cullen that she wished to remain here. Perhaps he would relent and listen to reason. There’s no reason that he should allow the clan to attack the village and risk them killing them all. There had to be a better way. It might be time for them to live amongst the humans. There were plenty of ways that they could earn a living such as hunting or lumbering. This was Alaska, and it was quite possible to live off the land, but closer to civilization, and far from the reaches of the clan.
That’s when Elaina thought about Liam again. How would she then find him again if she stayed here, if they did? No. It was too foolhardy to believe that Liam cared for her at all. By now he most likely was an alpha with a duty to find a mate among his own kind, but Elaina vowed that she’d find a way back to him somehow, if only to say goodbye.
Elaina went in search of Damon and the boys outside and brought them back to the table, but Cullen was nowhere to be seen. All through dinner, Elaina tried to remain calm. There was something about Cullen’s absence that rattled her. She tried her best to enjoy herself, but her gut twisted inside as if she were sensing something bad was about to happen.
She spooned in a cheesy soup with chunks of potatoes in near ecstasy. If this is what it was like to live among the humans, Elaina was loving it. The next course was chunks of meat in gravy with mashed potatoes, and served with baby carrots. Klesa explained that is was roast beef, and Elaina gobbled it down with the biscuits that were served to accompany it. She also slurped down a red liquid in a pedestal glass that she was told was wine. Before long, she felt lightheaded and giddy, laughing at the boys’ antics at the table as they learned how to shoot carrots at one another with their spoons.
Damon helped Elaina back toward their room, but instead took her down a long hallway that led outside. Once the fresh air hit her, Elaina turned to ask Damon why he brought her outside, but he noticeably frowned, apologizing. “Please forgive me, Elaina.”
Elaina next felt the air leave her lungs in a whoosh as Cullen appeared and threw her over his shoulder, dodging deep in the forest. She tried to shift, but he held her so tightly that she could scarcely breathe. As she was knocked against his shoulder repeatedly, she slumped forward and passed out.
Chapter Ten
Elaina woke up in Cullen’s hut with Hannah, the old one, applying a cold cloth to her forehead. “Silly girl. You finally awaken.” She waved a hand in front of her face. “And you stink from that human brew you ingested back at the lodge.”
“I wanted to stay at the lodge with Klesa and the boys.” Elaina tried to sit up, but her stomach churned inside, so she relaxed back.
“You can’t do that. You belong here in the village with us. With any luck, you’ll soon be with child since you’ve been mating with Cullen and Damon when your fever was raging.”
Elaina touched her forehead. It felt very cool and it wasn’t just because of the cloth that had been applied. The fever had passed, and with it the dull ache between her legs was gone. She was burning up inside, more angry than she had been before at Cullen. How dare he cart her back here when he knew she wanted to stay at the lodge?
“Where is Cullen?”
“By the stream bathing, I believe. Rest for a while until you feel stronger.”
“I feel strong now.” This time Elaina buried her fists in the pelts and slowly stood up, ignoring the dizziness. Eyeing a pitcher of water, Elaina made her way toward it and slugged it down, wiping the water that had dripped down her chin with the back of her hand. “That’s better.”
Elaina stomped her way to the stream where Cullen was frolicking with a dark-haired woman, but when she turned, Elaina saw that it was Shauna, Damon’s favorite. Instead of being angry, it solidified the fact that Cullen would never be hers alone, that she’d always have to share him.
Shauna strode from the water, shaking the drops from her naked body, and with her head held high, she made way for the village.
“Oh, so Shauna’s back. It wasn’t long ago you sentenced her to death.”
Cullen splashed water over his muscular body. “That was before the problems with the clan. We need her now. She’s an experienced fighter; not like you, Elaina.”
“I ca
n hold my own, if need be.” Elaina’s fang grew in her mouth. “Why did you bring me back here when I told you I wanted to stay at the lodge?”
“Because I’m not ready to let you go just yet.”
Elaina’s eyes felt about ready to pop out of her head. “Oh? So it’s all up to you then? I refuse to stay and help you fight a war with the clan that I’m not involved in.”
He laughed. “That’s not true and you know it. The clan very much wants you. You don’t think that your escape in the wilderness as a cub was an accident, do you? You were allowed to live when the clan killed your parents.” He made his way from the stream, his erection obvious. “Not to worry, though, as I plan to protect you from them. I won’t allow Atar to use you as his breeding whore.”
Tears blurred Elaina’s eyes, as she choked out, “But how did they find me?”
“They knew you would be taken in by Samson. They were waiting until you came into your mating fever. When they tried to take you, your little werewolf friend got in the way, but they marked you so that they’d be able to find you again.”
Elaina slumped to her knees now. “How do you know all of this?”
“Shauna told me. She had met up with the clan’s inspectors when they left and told them about the female newcomer. They allowed her to go about her business for the information.”
“That means nothing to me. Just because I’m a newcomer doesn’t mean I’m the same one they have been searching for.”
“Ah, yes, but they smelled you easily enough in my hut. They have been tracking you ever since Samson took you from the cabin to the Bear Claw Pub. I imagine they were tracking you when you left there, too, but I found you first.”
Cullen took Elaina’s face between his hands. “I told you not to worry. As long as you stay here and mate with me, I’ll continue to protect you from the clan.” He attempted to pull Elaina’s frock off, but she whirled away seeking the safety of the village. It was too dangerous to stay so close to Cullen now when all she thought about was ripping his throat out now. How dare he assume she’d couple with him now, especially since he was in cahoots with Shauna. For all she knew, Cullen would simply hand her over to the clan to save his village. It sure didn’t seem plausible that the clan would simply leave if they were indeed searching for her. She was quite sure that Shauna gave her up to them, and at any moment, they might show up, dragging her back to their encampment.
Elaina had no choice now. She had to leave this village at first light before it was too late. She would make her escape and find the werewolves and Liam. He had to take her in; she wouldn’t take no for an answer. She had to resolve the questions that rattled her brain, the biggest one of them being whether or not Liam was her true mate.
Betrayed
Clan of the Werebear
Madison Johns
Copyright © 2014 Madison Johns
Betrayed, Clan of the Werebear Madison Johns
Cover by Tina Adams http://www.tina-adams.com
Edited by Cindy Tahse http://www.smashingedits.com
Acknowledgement
I’d like to thank the Wolf Pack group on Facebook who have been kind enough to answer my questions from a reader’s standpoint. I’d also like to thank all of the ARC readers. You’ve helped me develop this serial to a higher level.
Note from the Author
Let me first say thanks to all of the readers, new or old, who have given this serial a chance. I have been trying to break out of my mold and really feel like I did it with this serial. When I created this storyline, I think I did it right. If you stayed with me throughout all of my cliffhanger endings of the first two installments, I thank you for still hanging in there, and this book will answer all of your questions. It’s much more action-packed and fast-paced. While it still has its adult content and situations warning, it’s not enough to overtake this story. Elaina, Cullen, Damon, and Liam are very dear to my heart, and if you wanted to shake one or all of them to the core, believe me, I did, too!
Chapter One
Cullen and Damon faced off in the center of the village. “How could you be so stupid, Damon,” Cullen shrieked. “You knew that Elaina would run the first chance she got.”
“Don’t put this all on me, brother,” Damon said. “She’s been sleeping in your hut all along. How could you have let her slip through your fingers so easily?”
Cullen’s face was hard and tight as he fired back with, “I thought she was with you.”
Shauna sauntered toward the enraged brothers. “She couldn’t have gotten far. You must hurry and bring her back before—”
“Before what?” Damon demanded. “What aren’t you telling me, Cullen?”
“I made a choice that will save the village and rid us of the clan once and for all.”
Damon shook his head, as the sight of Cullen was too much for him. “You sold out Elaina to the clan?”
“I didn’t have a choice. There’s no way we’d be able to fight off the clan by ourselves.”
“Elaina has mated with both of us. She very well may be carrying our cub. How could you do this without bringing me into it?”
“You’d never have agreed.”
“Hell no, I wouldn’t have. She’s a part of our village now.” Damon glared at the old ones who stood there as stone-faced as ever, Hannah the leader amongst them. He didn’t have to wonder what they thought. He knew they weren’t going to rally any support for Elaina, a werebear, who was known to sympathize with the werewolves, raised by her protector, Samson, a werewolf that hasn’t lived with the pack in years, but a werewolf all the same.
“She’s an outsider,” Hannah said as she stirred a pot close by. “She was never going to stay here for long. Cullen dragged her back to the village kicking and screaming as it is.”
“So is that why you insisted she not stay at the human lodge, just so you could betray her when we got back?”
“You’ve grown soft, brother. Would you have us all perish in a war with the clan that we can’t win?”
“If you had held your temper with the inspectors, Cullen, then we wouldn’t be in this situation.”
“You forget, brother, that they had planned to take you with them.”
“Only after you riled them. If you had planned to betray Elaina the whole time, then why didn’t you give up Elaina that day?”
Cullen massaged his chin with Shauna close beside him. “I wasn’t ready to just yet. I rather enjoyed mating with her, but after her refusal to leave the lodge, I knew her days at the village were numbered. When we arrived back at the village, Shauna told me how the clan was searching for a young female werebear.”
Damon grabbed Shauna by the shoulders. “You told them about Elaina, didn’t you?”
“Y-Yes. If I hadn’t, they would have taken me back with them. I don’t see why you’re trying to protect the newcomer. As you can see, she ran off the first chance she had.”
Damon shoved her away. “Who can blame her after the way Cullen dragged her back here?”
“Don’t sound so innocent, Damon. You lured her outside.”
“I thought you just wanted her to stay with us in the village, not give her up to the clan. You know if they get her in their clutches, her life of freedom is over. I’ve heard of how the clansman, Atar, abuses his breeders. He keeps them locked in chains. Elaina is spirited and he’d beat her into submission. Do you want that on your conscience?”
“She’ll learn how to abide by Atar’s rules, and in time, perhaps she’ll find a means of escape.”
“Well, since Elaina’s now gone, good luck with fending off the clan. I won’t stand here and lift a finger to help you locate Elaina.” Damon strode off toward his hut.
“Get back here, brother,” Cullen shouted.
* * *
Shauna rubbed Cullen’s arm. “Not to worry. We’ll find her. The newcomer couldn’t have gone far. She’s too inexperienced, didn’t you say?”
“If she has shifted, she might have gotten further than we
think.”
Shauna flopped her hair over her shoulders. “If only you knew where she might go. Back to the lodge?”
“No. She wouldn’t go there. She knows that would be the first place that we’d look. She’s either headed back to her protector, Samson, or—”
“She’s gone to ask the werewolves for refuge,” Hannah said as she brought Cullen a bowl of brew. “I’m sure of it.”
Cullen warmed his hands on the bowl and took a sip. His blood was about boiling now. He knew she was headed for the werewolf den and her childhood friend, Liam, that she had spoken about, but it might not go so well for her there as the werewolves had already not allowed her to stay for any length of time.
The thought of Elaina with this Liam enraged Cullen. He had had no choice other than to sell her out to them. He had to save them all from certain death at the hands of the clan. He couldn’t think or worry about what would happen to Elaina when she was with the clan; he had to look after his family and the longevity of their royal line. Klesa and the boys, Peter and Ivan, could come back when the danger had passed, even. Yes, it was the only way.
Shauna took Cullen’s empty bowl and returned it to the old ones who would clean it. She then led him back to his hut. Once they were inside, Shauna took off her clothing, and rubbed the front of Cullen’s pants until he hardened.
Cullen closed his eyes as Shauna took his member out of his pants and worked her mouth on it. All he could do now was accept the fact that Elaina was gone to him forever and that he’d never be able to thrust in her tightness again. When Cullen pushed Shauna on the bed, he took her roughly, but instead of being bothered by it, Shauna clung to him and grunted as she bucked hard against him until they both reached their plateau.
Afterward, Cullen was not a bit gentle when he blurted, “Get out.” He then softened his tone somewhat. “We need to search for Elaina now. I’m counting on you to convince Damon to join us. If we enter werewolf territory, I’ll need both you and Damon with me. With any luck, we’ll find her before she ever reaches them.”
Clan of the Werebear, The Complete Series Page 14