“When did Damien die?”
“You know Damien?”
“I’ve seen him at the Bear Claw Pub on occasion. He was a strong but wise werewolf. Any werewolf that managed to make a pact with the clan is cunning, indeed.”
“He was a kind man, too. One who will be sadly missed.”
When Nala stared at the floor, Damon lifted her chin. “How well did you know him?”
“He never bedded me, if that’s what you mean. He used to tell me that my destiny wouldn’t be realized until I met an outsider.”
“Perhaps I’m your destiny.”
Nala batted Damon’s hand away. “Oh, really? Well, I guess I’ll have to wait to see if you come back someday. We live in very uncertain times. I can’t help but think that if Elaina doesn’t find out the truth of her past—and soon—that the clan might just enact their revenge on us all. Elaina truly believed that they were searching for her.”
“We were told that they were. If I can, I’ll make sure that you and the den remain safe. Instead of hunting down Elaina, perhaps I should stay here to help defend the den. I’d hate for the clan to take you unawares while Liam is away.”
“We can handle our own protection,” a loud male voice said from the doorway.
“Jessup,” Nala greeted him. “The werebear was just leaving.”
“Why is he here at all? You know the rules of the den,” he hissed. When Jessup raised a hand to strike Nala, Damon shifted in the blink of an eye, and pinned the frightened werewolf beneath him.
Nala bit a fist. “Please stop!”
“Shift ... attack, you stupid bitch!” Jessup bellowed.
Nala’s eyes narrowed and she shifted and flung her body into Damon just enough so that Jessup was free. Jessup shifted, and as he leapt toward Damon’s bear form, Nala bit him deep in the neck, tossing him aside. Jessup was cornered as Nala went for his throat, but he skidded away just before she was able to sink her fangs into him.
Jessup raced up the corridor of the den and into the room with the pups, taking one in his jaws as a threat. Nala stood there with all fours planted firmly on the ground, growling and snapping her jaws. Before she was able to do much more, another pup bit Jessup’s tail and held on for dear life as the pup was swung in the air. As he slipped, Damon caught him mid-air. His mighty bear mouth setting the pup down and out of harm’s way.
Damon didn’t back down; he advanced and kept doing it until the pup was released.
Adara raced into the room and screamed, “Stop, all of you. There’re more werebears outside, four of them.”
Damon wanted to rip Jessup into shreds but was forced to leave. He had no idea why the other werebears were here, but Damon strongly suspected it had to do with Elaina. They must have tracked her all the way here. He shifted and went back to his room and retrieved his clothing, and after donning it, he was led outside by Nala and Adara.
“Stay inside the den no matter what, you hear? You got it?” Damon said to the two females.
Nala clung to Damon’s arm, and said, “But what if they kill you?”
“They won’t kill me, I assure you. I might be able to reason with them since Elaina isn’t here. I’m sure that’s why they’re here.”
Damon didn’t waste any time and left the safety of the den, approaching the bears. They circled him, but Damon felt relieved, recognizing his brother amongst them. Cullen shifted to human form and the brothers rounded one another.
“Why are you here?” Damon asked, his facial features tight, eyes flashing.
“Why did you run off like that?”
“I didn’t. I just had to look for Elaina. She might have run into trouble after the way you treated her,” Damon said.
“Oh, come now. You know I’m not ready to call any female my mate, even a comely one at that.”
Cullen winked at his brother and the gesture was lost on the other werebears. “Still, I can’t believe you treated her that way. I’ve enjoyed her as you have, but we should have left her at the human village where she would be safe now.” He went on and informed Damon who Atar was.
Gerirr and Hectar shifted to human form and Atar choked out, “And you think I’d not search a human lodge for the female we seek. She’s more important than you know. Once her true identity is revealed, you’ll see that it makes sense that we find her, and soon.”
“Why? Why do you search for her?” Damon asked.
“It’s not the time. Is Elaina here?” Atar asked.
“No. She’s left with the alpha to parts unknown.”
“Why do I have the feeling that you’re trying to protect her? You can’t convince me that you have no idea where she is right now.”
“How could I? I trailed her the same as you have and she’s not here. We’re not sure for certain what direction they even might have gone.”
Gerirr and Hectar sniffed the air. “She’s gone west. Perhaps they have stopped at the Bear Claw Pub since that’s also west of here. She can’t have gotten far.”
Damon remained stoic. “Why would she go to the one place that you’d look first?”
“Why would I even think that’s where she’d go at all?” Hectar asked. “I wouldn’t be surprised if she searches for her once-protector, Samson.”
“She’d never go anywhere near him,” Cullen said. “He locked her up. She’s told me many times that she’d never go back there. They must have gone somewhere else.”
“There’s nowhere else for her to go. I’m with Hectar. We’ll search at the Bear Paw Pub next,” Gerirr said.
Nala walked forward. “You may rest here, but you cannot go into the den.”
Gerirr and Hectar leered at Nala, ogling her womanly charms, which made Damon want to rip their throats out. “We can go anywhere we choose and you won’t stop us.” With a nod, Gerirr and Hectar led the way into the den. Cullen and Damon lagged behind, but Atar motioned them forward.
They were led into the main room where many of the werewolves mingled and relaxed. Clothing was brought to them as Damon was quite sure it was unsettling for the female werewolves to be amongst naked werebears, especially Nala who didn’t seem to appreciate the attention Gerirr and Hectar were giving her, or so it seemed from the drawn look on her face.
“Woman, get us some beverages,” Gerirr bellowed to Nala.
Nala cowered away. “Right away.” She smiled at Damon before she left and he knew she was up to something, which had him worried for the other werewolves and the pups as they were in such close proximity to where they were most likely hidden.
Ten minutes later, Nala returned with a tray of drinks, handing each one to the werebears. She never even reacted when Gerirr slapped her playfully on her buttocks.
Damon was quite sure she was up to something and he hoped that whatever Nala was up to it would involve impairing the werebears’ ability to think clearly so that they might escape and find Elaina before the clan did.
“What is this?” Atar asked Nala.
“It’s blueberry wine. We make a batch every fall and save it for special guests.” She lifted a glass. “To the clan. May they always stay far to the north and allow us to live in peace.”
“We have for many years,” Gerirr said. “If you were a little more friendly, I’d be happy to share my bed with you.”
Nala pressed a hand against her breast. “Oh, but that is forbidden, don’t you remember? You cannot mate with another type of shifter or a human.”
“I was talking about rutting with you, not keeping you around like I would a mate. Werewolves don’t make good mates.”
“So true, and neither would I consider allowing you to mount me,” Nala said playfully.
Adara held her glass against her chin. “Yes, that is unless she drinks too much blueberry wine. It brings the beast out in her.”
Gerirr smiled like a cat who’s about ready to get the chance to lick some cream. “I’d like that. I don’t mind a few nips and scratches.”
Atar downed his wine, asking for more. �
�That’s about enough Gerirr. You’ll uphold the laws of the clan and that also means you’ll live your life to the letter.”
“But you said—”
“I said nothing. Drink!”
Cullen and Damon watched in silence as the clan continued to drink until they slumped to the floor of the cave.
Chapter Eleven
Elaina and Liam awoke as the sun rose, its rays entering the cave where they slept. Elaina rubbed her neck to remove the kinks and dressed with her back turned to Liam. At this point, she didn’t know what to say to him. Would he shun her now? Deny that they had connected on a level only true mates could? Or was it too soon to hope that he felt the same way she had ... that she had never felt more complete in her life. Silence might be better than blurting out how she really felt about Liam. This time it wasn’t about the fever; it went much deeper than that.
When Elaina turned, Liam stared at her for a moment. A smile then appeared, a sweet smile that held more promise than she had hoped for.
“We should probably head out now.”
Elaina sauntered forward. She stopped within breathing distance of Liam. “Yes, we must.”
Liam took ahold of Elaina’s shoulders and she leaned in until her brow was against his lips. He gently kissed her on her forehead and it was all Elaina could do not to wrestle Liam’s clothes off as the raging emotions inside her about took over. She yearned for his touch, his kisses, and his love.
Liam pulled away and they walked side by side out of the cave. It was a bit cool this morning and Elaina shivered. She had to keep her mind focused now. Mist covered the ground, and as they walked, their feet were invisible beneath it.
“Are you nervous?” Liam asked.
“Yes, I really hope that Samson is forthright with me. I can’t help but think that I’ve lived a life full of secrets. I can’t call them lies because I really haven’t ever questioned Samson like I should have. I’ve been having flashbacks, too.”
“You mean from when you were a child?”
“Yes, and that’s not all. That day when I came back to the den, I could understand every word the wolves were saying.”
“You mean when we were howling the warnings?”
“Yes. I don’t understand how it’s possible. I’ve never understood it so perfectly until now. Who am I really, Liam?”
“I don’t know, but possibly you learned it from when Samson raised you?”
Elaina shook her head. “No, it wasn’t until only recently. This has me really concerned. I won’t take no for an answer from Samson. He knows more than he says. I feel it.”
“I believe he does, too. But there has to be a very good reason that he has concealed it all of these years.”
Elaina fell silent as they entered an area closer to the mountains where the Mountain Hemlocks grew, towering way above their heads. She breathed in the piney fragrance and a déjà vu feeling came over her. Yes, they’re close now. She was coming home, and she hoped that this wasn’t a mistake but a new beginning. She recalled all too well what it felt like to grow up in the cabin near the mountains and how well Samson had always protected her. Would he welcome her back, or would he be angry that she had left the way she had?
“What are you thinking, Elaina?”
“What, me? What makes you think that I’m thinking anything?”
“Because it looks like you just lost your best friend.”
“I kinda have. I mean, how can we simply go back to being just friends after what happened yesterday?”
Liam sighed. “How true you are, but let’s not think about that right now. We need to deal with Samson. We have no idea what our next move will be unless he gives us some kind of information.”
“If he doesn’t chain me up, you mean.”
“I made a promise and I intend to keep it. You’re not alone here, Elaina. I’ll stay with you to see this through to the end.”
* * *
After a few hours of walking toward the mountains in silence, they stopped abruptly as branches swayed back and a tall, thin but strong man surfaced from between trees. The man wore jeans and a plaid shirt, and a determined look on his face. Samson stared at Elaina for a few moments before centering his gaze on Liam with a raised brow. He smoothed back his all-gray hair with a hand, and asked, “Why, Elaina?” When she didn’t answer, he narrowed his eyes at Liam. “You should know better than to bring her back here. Have you not listened to anything I told you, Liam?”
* * *
“Is there a reason why you are helping us?” Cullen asked Nala.
“I like Elaina and she’s now with our alpha, Liam. I know Damon is concerned about Elaina’s whereabouts. What of you?”
“The clan forced me to find Elaina. They’ve threatened to kill my son if I don’t lead them to her.”
Adara exchanged a look with Nala. “We can’t lose our alpha,” Adara said. “Elaina seems important to the both of you, and since the clan is searching for her, you should both leave to find her and Liam before they do.”
Cullen nodded. “What of you? If the clan awakes and finds us gone, they may harm you all.”
“Unless we detain them for you,” Nala said.
“You can’t simply chain up a werebear. They’ll easily be able to break their chains when they shift and you’ll all be killed in retaliation,” Cullen insisted.
“Don’t worry, we can handle it,” Nala assured them.
“If we’re gone, they might find our sons and murder them like they have threatened. They already killed Shauna.”
Damon’s eyes grew wide and glassy. “What? Why would they do such a thing when she gave them information about Elaina?”
“Atar said it was because she had betrayed her own. I tried to stop them, I swear. I can’t help but be concerned about what they may do when they find Elaina. If they find Liam with her it might mean his death, too. They’ve been fighting rogue werewolves in the north.”
Damon shook his head. “I shouldn’t have left. Shauna didn’t deserve to die.”
“Oh, no? Not even after she stabbed you Damon?”
“That was jealousy. She didn’t mean to do that. She was just jealous that we were paying Elaina so much attention.”
Adara smiled. “Oh, so have either of you bedded down with Elaina?”
Cullen and Damon exchanged a look. “It’s not important now. When Elaina fled, I knew she wanted to find about her past. I’m sure they’re searching for her protector as we shall,” Cullen told them. “I’m concerned about your pack when we leave. Where are the males of the pack?”
“Most of them have gone hunting,” Nala said. “The one left behind is no help at all.”
“It’s Jessup,” Damon informed Cullen. “He’s the same one who kidnapped and abused Klesa before she came to our village.”
Cullen’s hands balled up into fist. “Where is he now?”
“He ran off, the coward,” Nala said. “Right before you came, I was about ready to finish him off myself.”
“Why would most of the males be off hunting, leaving behind a bunch of defenseless females?” Cullen asked.
Nala and Adara’s hands went to their hips and in unison said, “We’re not defenseless, we’re werewolves.”
Damon nodded. “I can attest to Nala’s abilities. She certainly was about to kill Jessup for sure, but werebears are quite powerful. How were you planning to contain them?”
“We’ll have to do an evacuation,” Nala began, “The problem is that we need someplace to hole up until this is all over. We have a booby trap that you could help us release, which will keep the clan locked in here. They’ll probably be able to dig their way out in time, but it will give you a jump start to find Elaina and Liam.”
“Promise me you’ll keep Liam safe,” Adara implored them. “We’ll be lost if we lose another alpha so soon since Damien died from old age.”
“Is he your mate?” Cullen asked.
“Yes.”
“No,” Nala said. “But she’s
right. We can’t afford to lose him. Liam is a kind and fair alpha, but we’ll have to gather the pups up before we’ll be able to leave.”
“You could take refuge in our village,” Cullen suggested. “Only our old ones are there now. They’re a bit crabby, but they’ll do as I say and allow you to stay there.”
Nala and Adara rounded up the children, carrying two large bags with them outside. Cullen and Damon followed Nala up the rock wall to the top of the den. She showed them a ridge where a log was inserted into a hole. “You’ll have to shift to move the log, but it will send rocks and boulders to fall and cover the entrance of the den.”
Cullen yanked off his clothing and shifted, he bumped his large body against the log numerous times before rocks flew down with a large rumble and scattering of dust, while Damon set the rocks into motion covering the escape route. They shifted back to human form and, once clothed again, they descended back to the ground, leading the werebears and children toward their village.
“Where are we going?” asked one rather robust boy.
Cullen put a finger to his lips. “We’re taking you to our village, but you must all be very quiet. I’d hate for a mountain lion to decide that you’d make a good meal.”
The children fell silent and marched up the trail that led back to the village.
* * *
Hannah ran to meet Cullen as he led the group into the center of the village. “What have we here? Tell me they’re not werewolves.”
“They are, and they’ll be taking refuge here until I say otherwise. I’ll have no talk of your distrust of werewolves. Damon and I are the leaders of this village, and as such, will tolerate no insolence from you.” Cullen put a hand on Hannah’s shoulder. “I respect you very much, Hannah, and I know how you feel, but they have helped Damon and me escape the clutches of the clan.”
“We’re heading back out to find Elaina before the clan finds her,” Damon added.
“And our alpha, Liam,” Adara added. “Right?”
“Yes, they both will be in grave danger if found,” Cullen said. “In two moons, if we don’t return you are to leave this village and hide in the caves to the east. Is that understood?”
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