It was beyond reason that Cullen had taken Elaina from the lodge only to offer her up to the clan who searched for her as Shauna had informed them. Damon had a bitter taste in his mouth now. He had never felt as angry with Cullen as he was now, but that wasn’t the reason he didn’t go back. He didn’t because Elaina’s safety was more important to him. He had to assure himself that Elaina had, in fact, arrived at the werewolves’ den safely. He’d even offer them his help, if need be. Protecting Elaina was paramount.
Damon shifted into bear form, losing his clothing that would protect his human form from nakedness. It was an obstacle, but not one he concerned himself with. He’d simply stay in bear form until he found Elaina, and that was that.
* * *
Damon had spent all of the previous day in his search, and after a restless night spent sleeping under the stars, he was again searching for Elaina, hoping that today he’d have better luck.
He dodged between trees and bushes, leaves and branches snapping against his back like an angry lover. That’s one of the great things about being a werebear: freedom. There was nothing like racing through the Alaska wilderness in bear form.
He slowed his pace when he heard the sound of voices. Thinking it might be Elaina, he raced forward, bursting through the bushes near a pond with a waterfall that cascaded from high above. Damon could scarcely breathe at the sight of the most beautiful woman he had ever seen before, standing naked in the pool, poised to move. Her large, olive eyes widened and her body shifted into the shape of a wolf, her silky fur blowing in the wind.
Damon raised himself up to his full bear height and instead of the wolf attacking, it slunk backward momentarily before lunging forward. Its fangs latched onto Damon’s leg and he shook the wolf off, watching as it tumbled back to the edge of the pool.
With a shake of his mighty bear head, he shifted, so overcome with laughter that he couldn’t stop himself, while the wolf charged him. Damon swung out his arms and caught the wolf, both of them sailing to the ground.
The wolf yelped and Damon felt bad almost instantly. As the wolf shifted back to human form, Damon quickly apologized, but received a blow against his forehead.
Damon winced and said, “You didn’t have to do that. I told you I was sorry if I hurt you.”
“Humph. No werebear is capable of hurting me, not even a clansman,” the female spat.
“A werebear I might be, but I’m not part of the clan; not directly, anyway. I’m as wary of them as you.”
The woman squirmed beneath Damon and he tried his best not to allow his manhood to swell, but he was incapable of stopping it. From the way the woman’s eyes widened, he knew she felt it, too.
She panted. “Please get off me, werebear. I can’t breathe.”
“Only if you promise not to strike me again, or shift. We can hardly get better acquainted if you do that.”
“I don’t want to get acquainted with you. Werebears reek of musk and dung.”
Damon shifted his weight, straddling the woman. “Oh, do I, now.” He ran his hands into her hair and lifted it to his nose taking a whiff. “You smell like roses. How is that possible?”
Her breast heaved and Damon cupped one, enjoying the feel of this woman. He moved his lips closer to hers and when she sighed, he smiled instead of taking her lips with his. He removed his weight from the woman and stood, facing a group of very curious female werewolves, all of whom were in human form.
Chapter Seven
Liam pulled Elaina from the back door of the Bear Claw Pub in a hurry.
Elaina elbowed Liam. “Stop.”
“Not until we’re out of here. Did you have to press Marla like that?”
“How can I really trust her? She has barred werewolves from the pub and she has werebears guarding it. For all we know, they’re part of the clan, too.”
Liam and Elaina crossed the road, disappearing into the forest on the other side.
“Why does it concern you so much if Samson and Marla have been together?”
Elaina faced Liam. “Well, for one, how important are the clan’s rules if they’re being broken?”
“They’re not being broken. My grandfather hasn’t been part of the pack for a long time.”
“Humph. That’s an excuse. Samson has bedded Marla. Cullen has bedded Marla. Have you?”
Liam sighed. “No, of course not. And why are you so concerned about Cullen and Marla being together. Are you sure he wasn’t your mate?”
“No. I told you both Cullen and Damon shared me. It was only the mating fever that drove it.”
“Are you certain? It sounds like it meant more than that. Cullen must have been your first, or your favorite, the way it sounded when you asked that question of Marla.”
Elaina refused to acknowledge that she harbored any feelings for Cullen. “No, he crossed the line with me. He kidnapped me from the human lodge and brought me back to the village, only with plans to turn me into the clan to save his village.”
“Did he tell you that?”
“No, but he knew for certain that the clan was searching for me. If he was really concerned about my well-being, he would have left me at the lodge.”
“I’m sorry you felt betrayed by him; werewolves are not like that.”
“Cullen and Samson have both laid down with a human. Have you, Liam?”
“That’s not a question you should be asking of me.”
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t have to answer it, is why.”
“So the rules of the clan mean nothing, really?”
“I never said I had or hadn’t. We really should get moving.”
“Fine, but just admit that the rules the clan has laid down don’t work for every shifter, and they are not being followed to the letter.”
Liam brushed past her and she had to race to catch up to him. “Stop, Liam.”
“No. I’m sorry if it makes you angry that I won’t mate with you, but it’s very important to me that I protect you and not endanger you unnecessarily.”
Elaina didn’t know what to say, but said, “I’m sorry, Liam. I shouldn’t have pressed you like that. It’s none of my business who you have rutted with, and it’s none of yours who I have been with in that way. The only thing that is important to me is finding out the truth about who I really am.”
* * *
Many hours later, Elaina was tired of walking. She had followed Liam the better part of the day, only stopping for a bathroom break, and to munch on deer jerky that he had brought with them. She was nowhere nearer to Liam than she had been after she had kissed him that day. It felt like there was a distance between them now, one she had created with her prying questions.
Liam stopped and led the way into a cave where he started a fire. He hunkered down and warmed himself and patted the spot next to him. “Warm up. We’ll be spending the night here. With any luck, we’ll make it to the cabin tomorrow.”
“Is it safe to have a fire?”
“I’ll put it out before too long. This is one of the abandoned caves I used to retreat to when Grandfather was mad at me.”
Elaina rubbed her hands together near the fire. Although it was warmer in Alaska now, night was a different story. “What brought you to live with Samson in the first place?”
“Well, he thought it was a good idea to have a playmate for you, but he also didn’t want me raised in the wolf den. He’s the only family I have left.”
“You’ve never talked about your parents before. What happened to them?”
Liam rubbed his hands against his thighs, his eyes somber. “When I was very young, a group of mountain lions attacked the wolf den, and they were killed trying to protect me.”
“Oh, how awful.”
“Damien was willing to raise me as his own, but Grandfather wanted me with him. He worried that I’d meet the same fate as my parents.”
“I can’t say that I’d blame him, and I would be lost without you, Liam. You made all those years bearable. If only Samson had tol
d me more when I was younger, then perhaps I might have understood why he treated me like he did.”
“I hardly think so. Children don’t understand things that complex. There has to be a reason he hasn’t told you the particulars, and when we find him, he’ll be able to explain things better.”
“If he will. I wonder sometimes,” Elaina mused.
“We’ll just have to convince him.”
“If he still refuses to tell me, I’ll search out the clan all by myself.”
Liam took ahold of Elaina’s arms. “Don’t you dare say that. I won’t allow you to.”
“Allow me to? While I appreciate your help, I’m certainly no mate of yours.”
Liam released Elaina and took off his shirt, revealing his chiseled body. Elaina couldn’t stop herself from admiring all of that flesh laid bare for her wandering eyes, and how they wandered. “You should get undressed, too. It’s safer to sleep in shifted form, and much warmer, too.” He extinguished the fire and shucked his pants. As he turned, Elaina was as equally naked, but when Liam moved nearer to her, she shifted into bear form and made herself comfortable. Liam shifted also, and they nestled together on the floor of the damp cave.
Chapter Eight
Damon had never been so intrigued in his life, nor had he ever been attacked by a werewolf the likes of the black-haired beauty who stared him down with an arrogant tilt of her delicate jaw.
“Are you okay, Nala?” one of the women asked.
Nala took a deep breath and said, “Of course, Adara. I was defending our territory from this werebear,” she hissed.
Adara’s brow raised. “Oh, it looked to me like he had the drop on you.”
Damon raised his hands in a mock defensive mode. “Not so. This beauty attacked me and I’m lucky to be alive. I had no idea werewolves were so skilled in battle.”
“Are you part of the clan?” Nala asked.
“I suppose by default, yes, but my brother Cullen and I live not far away in a village, far from the reach of the clan. That is, until recently.”
Damon’s fist covered his manhood since he was unable to control his arousal since tangling with the she-wolf, and being in the company of more females did nothing short of making him even harder.
“It must be painful to be hard like that,” Adara said with a laugh as she stared at Damon’s nakedness. “Come to the den where we can find some clothing for you at least, and you can tell us why you’re really here.”
“That’s not a good idea,” Nala began. “If the alpha comes back and sees that we brought a werebear into the den, he’ll be quite angry.”
“Nonsense. Liam will be gone for days, and I’m sure this man will be gone by then,” Adara insisted.
Damon felt out of sorts following the females into the den where he might find a violent end, but he really needed to know if Elaina was here. It wasn’t lost on him that the one called Adara stared at him with hunger mirrored in her eyes, but Damon only had eyes for Nala. Even though she narrowed her eyes at him, Damon was fully aware that she was nearly in season. From her scent that drifted into his nostrils, Damon knew she wasn’t totally unaffected by his rough play with her. He wished the other females hadn’t come along when they had. He’d have to find a way to converse privately with Nala.
As they strode through trees that grew close to the sheer wall of rock, an opening appeared. It was well-concealed for sure, and if he wasn’t shown his way here, he doubted that he’d ever have found the wolf den by himself. At least this way, he might be able to see the inside of the den without a fight on his hands. Or so he hoped, since he was unsure of the werewolves’ motives.
Damon had to lower his head as they entered the den, and was told to stop. He waited with Nala until the others returned with clothing for them, a frock for her and pants and a shirt for him. When he donned the pants, they didn’t fit and were way too short for him since he was obviously much taller than the werewolves.
Nala eyed up his appearance. “Oh, my. Can you at least button up the pants?”
Damon worked the buttons and nodded. “I was hoping that we could speak privately. I’d rather not divulge too much information.”
“Don’t be silly,” Adara said. “We might be of more help to you if we know who you really are and why you’re really here.”
“So you have no plans to murder me in my sleep?”
“Haven’t decided yet if you’ll be allowed to stay the night in the den,” Nala said.
“That’s a decision only the alpha can make, and he’s currently unavailable,” Adara added as she led the group into an open room with boulders and rocks for chairs and makeshift tables.
Damon sat down next to Nala with Adara taking the other side. The other females left when Adara motioned them toward the entranceway.
“Okay, werebear, do you have a name?” Adara asked.
“As I said before, I live with my brother, Cullen. We had a disagreement that resulted in another werebear leaving our village, a female.”
“Disagreement about what?” Nala asked in a suspicious tone of voice.
That’s the last thing, and he wasn’t willing to share with them. “It matters not. She’s gone and I know she planned to find the werewolves’ den and her childhood friend, Liam.”
Adara’s eyes narrowed. “What’s her name?”
“Elaina. I fear for her life since the clan has been searching for her.”
“Why?” Nala asked. “Is she a werebear of some importance?”
“We don’t know the why, just that they are, in fact, searching for her.”
“That’s mighty strange,” Adara said. “The clan hasn’t even been in the area in many years. We’ve lived in peace here since I was a child.”
“That’s not entirely true. The clan has taken most of the males from our village. They have done inspections every year to assure there is no breeding between humans and werebears.”
“Or other shifters,” Nala said. “We werewolves have similar rules against mating with other shifters.”
Damon ran a hand through his hair. “We all know the rules, but the clan cannot dictate their views to everyone. My brother and I have mated with a human and produced offspring that we have hidden so that they can’t be found. It’s important that our line does not die off.” He stared in Nala’s eyes. “If I meet another shifter I desire, I’ll mate with her regardless of what kind, and to hell with what the clan says.”
Nala swallowed hard. “You’re a brave werebear, and possibly a little crazy if you think the clan won’t find out and put you to death.”
* * *
Cullen’s lips pulled down into a snarl. “Was that really necessary, Atar?”
“I did you a favor. I’ve had females like Shauna around before and they’re nothing but trouble. Now we can get down to business.”
The old ones clung to one another and Cullen felt powerless to stop the clan if they intended to kill them, too. “What business?”
Atar strode over to Cullen and slapped him on the back. “Finding the missing female. Hopefully, she hasn’t gotten far.”
“Good luck to you, then, as I have not a clue where she’s gone. I was very surprised that she managed to slip away when I was unaware.”
“I find that hard to believe, Cullen. I can’t image you bedding down with a female stricken with the fever and be nonchalant about her being gone the next day. What if she’s with child now? I can’t imagine you wanting to lose another cub.”
“Cub?”
“I know you have a cub; Shauna revealed all to us.”
“And you believe the word of a scorned female?”
Atar grinned. “Yes. Betrayed females are like that, but since she’s no longer alive, we can hardly interrogate her further.”
“Perhaps you should have thought about that before you had her killed.”
“I don’t need her to tell me anything. She told us all we need to know.”
Gerirr and Hectar edged forward in bear form, teeth b
ared, jaws snapping. Cullen was poised to shift to defend himself if need be, but was stopped when Atar said, “I’ll overlook your transgression of mating with a human and producing offspring if you come along and help us find Elaina.”
Cullen’s jaw ached, trying with all his might not to shift, but his fangs grew in his mouth. “Why is this my problem?”
“You’ve broken the laws of the clan and I’m giving you an easy out. Help us find the female I seek and I won’t have Gerirr and Hectar hunt down your offspring and murder him in his bed.”
“You wouldn’t dare! I have royal blood in my veins, and as such, my son is to be protected.”
“So my grandfather has said, but that’s before you and your brother violated the rules of the clan. I believe your brother also has a son. It would be a shame to murder them, but I will unless you help us find Elaina.”
Cullen’s fury was very near to boiling over. “What of the village? They are innocent.”
Atar stared at the old ones and shook his head. “I’m not in the habit of killing old women, but they’ll have to make do without you. I’m sure whereever Elaina is, your brother isn’t far behind. That is, if they’re not together, which I highly suspect that they might be.”
Cullen was allowed to converse with the old ones as he prepared to leave. “There should be more than enough fish in the stream to keep you fed until I return.”
“When you return? You know as well as I do that if you leave with the clan, you won’t be coming back. They’ll use you to find Elaina and murder you once you become no longer useful.”
“You don’t know that for sure, but not to worry. I’m no fool, and I might be the only one that will be able to save Elaina. If they find her, there is no telling what will happen. I just wish I knew why they really wanted her.”
Hannah gave Cullen a hug. “Perhaps we should hide out until you return. There’s a cave not far away that would be a safe place for us to hide until this is over.”
“With your aching body?”
Hannah rubbed her shoulder. “It was but a suggestion.”
“I’m almost sure that the clan means you no harm. Elaina killed a mountain lion when we journeyed to the human lodge, and a cave would not be enough protection. Stay here. Perhaps Damon will come back looking for me.”
Clan of the Werebear, The Complete Series Page 17