“What’s in the oven?”
Ava flashed him a wide smile and grabbed his arm, tugging him toward the small rickety kitchen table that’d come with the place.
“Pie. I got some apples from the Jenkins store yesterday and a recipe. First time, so hopefully it comes out edible.” She plopped down in a chair and Owen sat in the one opposite her. “I was hoping to talk to you about—”
He shook his head, cutting her off. “They won’t allow it. They won’t ever look past my mark. Not like you.” He hadn’t told her Col had already threatened his life more than once.
“I was hoping this would be a peaceful-conversation-pie, but you turned it into a shut-up-I’m-a-horrible-person-pie. Which you’re not. You are amazing and brave and honorable. We just have to show them they are wrong.”
He shifted uncomfortably in his chair and frowned. “You can’t make a dragon do anything.” Especially one who keeps reminding me that he’s going to kill me. The hair stood on the back of Owen’s neck and his bear growled enough to make Ava raise an eyebrow.
Still didn’t slow her roll though. She wasn’t going to give him pie without a talk.
He just wanted some damn pie.
“This is a new world. The old rules don’t apply.”
“Dragon. Ava.” He sighed. “Fire-breathing-royal-entitled-unforgiving-dragon.”
Pfshht. His sister brushed it off like he’d been talking about a squirrel. “Anyone’s mind can be changed. We just have to figure out how.”
“Or it could just be a fresh start for you with them, Ava.” His voice came out softer than normal. Quiet. Resigned. Col would never look past his mark. And the wolves would never forgive him for killing that female.
As much as it would tear his heart in half, Ava needed to leave him. She was flourishing in this new world. Her blue eyes were bright, and her long light brown hair was swept to the side into a braid. She’d tried to braid his yesterday and he’d said no, but she was happy. Or at least seemed happier. The trauma of being forced to leave Reylea without the rest of their family. Each day he saw more of the sister he remembered from…before.
Before the Exodus.
Before he lost his tribe and family to the cheating usurper.
Before everything had changed.
“I’m not leaving you.” Her voice came out like a whip lash, hard as the icicles hanging from the eves of the roof, reminding him of his mother when she got pissed.
It made him smile. No one ever dared tell his mother what to do…not even his father. He missed them all so much.
“You need to just stop trying to push me away. You may think you need to be alone. Some warped idea of self-punishment, but you’re wrong. You know some of the others suspected that he cheated. Not for a while. Not until it was too late to do anything about it. But some in the Tribe believed you were wrongly cast out, Owen. Our father was one of them.”
“What’s done cannot be undone.” He stood from the table, pushing down the emotion welling up and threatening to drown out everything else thundering in his heart. His father had believed in him. Ava had never shared that before.
Knowing his father wasn’t disappointed or shamed.
It was everything.
It put back a piece of his heart that had been stripped out years ago.
But it couldn’t rewrite history. And Col would never see beyond the brand on his neck.
“Don’t you see. Things can be different.” Ava’s voice was so filled with hope. Hope that Owen knew wouldn’t do a damn bit of good to change Col’s mind. He would never be part of the Tribe. This was the argument they’d been having for nearly a month. Ever since she’d found out the others were building cabins together across the river. Building a Tribe. Building a future.
He couldn’t blame her for wanting it. Hell, he wanted it too. The foundation of Reylean culture was family, pack, pride, tribe. It was everything.
But a true fresh start was out of his reach. Everyone near him was in danger. That was just how it was. How would continue to be.
Ava tipped her chin. Her blue eyes flashed with the steely determination he’d admired in her since she was a baby. “If you would have a little more positive attitude it would help.”
“Col just told me again to stay away from Tara. Pain of death, Ava. Nothing’s going to change.”
“I won’t quit.”
Owen sighed and shook his head. “I know you won’t. That’s what I love about you, but it’s also what worries me, sister.”
2
The store was quiet. Still. The buzz from the freezers and refrigerators on the back wall hummed. The overhead fluorescent lights buzzed their mindless white noise. Everything was stocked and ready. And no one was here because it was a beautiful bright spring morning outside and they were either at work or out hiking in the Denali National Park that ran along the town of Mystery’s western border.
An overnight snow had blanketed the landscape with an inch or two of white powder. Which didn’t slow anyone local down. It would melt in a few days, anyway, and then another storm would blow through with more.
She’d been gone a while, but this was home and she’d forgotten how much she loved this little sleepy town. Who was she kidding, Tara Jenkins was bored out of her mind. She tapped her fingers absently on the counter, changing the rhythm every so often.
After the vandalism at the store in February, she’d been on edge constantly. But nothing had happened. The store had been quiet since. Just like it was this morning. No one had come through to buy so much as a bottle of aspirin in the last two hours since she’d unlocked the doors and restocked every single dry good shelf.
What she would give for actual conversation—almost anything. She really did love Mystery, but sometimes she wished there were a few thousand more people around. Okay, maybe just a few more that weren’t reclusive mushers and hunters and miners. Younger people. People who wanted to talk. There were a few younger people, but not any that she hadn’t gone to high school with. Certainly, no guys she hadn’t already deliberated over the pros and cons of dating.
Except one.
This was why she’d left Mystery to go to college. She’d followed a guy—which had turned out horribly. But now she was back, guy forgotten. Her dad was sick, and her mom needed the time off from the store to take care of him. Chemo treatment after treatment. Appointment after appointment. The doctors were hopeful, but that was all they’d ever say. The prognosis is hopeful.
Her mom was the bravest person she knew, because sitting in a hospital day after day was torture. All the sick and depressed people. All the tension and worry. She couldn’t take it. Not for long periods of time. It ate at her as if she could feel all the pain of everyone in the entire hospital.
So she was here. Tending the store. Helping her parents the best way she could.
Katherine had called last night. She needed help at the community center tonight. So at least Tara would get to see everyone at the MCC (Mystery Community Center) and hang out with her best friend. Katherine had gone to college in Fairfield, graduated and come back to Mystery where she now ran the community center.
Tara had studied business, fully intending to work for her parents in the store until they retired. Then take over. Mystery had always been home. Sure she’d had fun in Seattle. In college…after giving up on the loser guy she’d followed. But she’d missed the slowness and peacefulness and community and being around people she’d grown up with her entire life. But now that she was back, she was beginning to wonder if staying was really the right choice.
Was her future really here in this town?
The bell above the glass entrance doors rang and Tara turned. Her breath caught in her throat for just a second and her ovaries may or may not have twitched with interest. She was a single female after all.
The man walking inside was dressed in jeans and heavy black work boots. A tight black t-shirt stretched across abs that her Gramma—God rest her horny soul—would’ve called wa
shboard perfection. Then the broad chest. The wide shoulders wrapped in a heavy tan coat that was pretty standard in the area. But the hair…damn. The guy had long black hair flowing past his shoulders in sexy waves. His eyes were bright blue. Blue like the sky on a clear summer day. No beard. Not even a hint of a scruff.
Personally, she preferred a little hair on a man. Beards were really nice too. Katherine said the grizzlier they looked the more Tara drooled. It wasn’t a lie. It was also why Tara had an enormous crush on a newcomer to town. Her mom had pointed him out a few months ago right after Tara had gotten back to town. His name was Owen. Even the mere thought of that big brawny bearded lumberjack made her body shiver with anticipation and warm from the very core.
This stranger walking toward her counter was beautiful in every sense of the word. Beautiful, but distant. He wasn’t from around here, for sure. She knew everyone…or at least she used to. She had been gone over four years. Her mother had made her stay until after the December graduation. Then she’d quickly subleased her condo. Sold her car. And sold most of her stuff. It was way too expensive to ship crap up to Alaska…well, up to Mystery anyway.
“Morning.” She smiled, expecting a greeting in return.
He didn’t.
He did continue toward the counter, his gaze now glued to her like she was the prey and he was the predator. Maybe a little bit of an exaggeration, but the hair standing straight up on the back of her neck rarely lied. Handling rowdy over-interested drunks at the local watering hole was a piece of cake—but this guy was sober and focused. Her heart rate increased. She clutched the edge of the counter a little harder.
Bad vibe. Really bad.
Her dad called it her spider sense. And it was tingling loud right now. This guy was angry, from the tightness around his eyes all the way down to the face half-smile curving his lips into something that belonged on an evil Joker’s face.
“Can I help you find anything?” She licked her lips and coughed, trying to get the nervous frog out of her throat.
“I’m Raish,” he said, coming to a halt right in front of the counter. He didn’t come closer. Didn’t crawl over the top or try to come around the side.
“Tara,” she answered, trying to play through the nerves. He wasn’t threatening her. At least not yet. Maybe she was jumping to conclusions. Probably not. “Nice to meet you. Are you new in town? I know most of the locals.”
He fidgeted with the dish of individually wrapped caramels on the counter, then looked back up at her. His blue eyes were so intense it was like she could feel him touching her…but he wasn’t. She could see both his hands and neither one was in the proximity of her body.
“I’m not from here, no. Just visiting. Business with an old acquaintance. What’s a pretty female like you doing all alone in here?”
Tension snapped through her body like a taut rubber band. First off, what the hell did he mean by female? Who talked like that? Tara’s shoulders straightened. She tried to make herself taller, but even a medieval stretching machine wouldn’t have been able to make her even close to this guy’s height. And second, why was he pointing out that she was alone?
“It’s just early. This place will be hopping soon.” It was a blatant lie. Nobody was coming that she knew of, but she couldn’t just stand there and say nothing.
He tipped his head to the side and stared at her. “Hopping?”
“Busy,” she said in a hurry.
He smiled…sorta. He made his face look friendly, but it was his eyes that showed the truth as well as if he’d held up a neon sign screaming I want to hurt you. His eyes were dark and filled with a power that made every bone in Tara’s body scream with worry.
“I’ve seen you from a distance and thought you looked like her. They said I should take a closer look, but I didn’t care until I realized he cares about you.”
Looked like who? They? Who cared? She was so confused. And why did she get the feeling the other woman he was talking about was dead?
He lifted a hand toward her face like he was going to touch her.
Tara took an instinctual step back. “I’m s-so sorry for your loss,” she said, struggling to find words through the raging thrum of her pulse in her ears.
“Forgive me.” He dropped his hand back to his side and stepped away. The sudden repentance caught her off guard. He sounded genuine. Looked sincerely remorseful. Maybe she’d over-reacted.
Maybe.
Probably not.
“Her hair was the same color. Fiery. Like the flames from a setting sun. She had speckled skin like you too. It’s truly uncanny. Even her eyes were the same shade of greens and golds. I’ve frightened you. That’s not what I meant to do.”
Tara swallowed and took a slow steadying breath. “You caught me off guard, but it’s fine. I’m really sorry about your…”
“Shuarra,” he whispered.
“Shooo-ar-ruh?” Tara mouthed the word. She’d never heard before.
“It is a word similar for what you call wife or mate.” His voice was still soft enough that Tara had to strain to hear him.
“How did she die? I’m sorry. I shouldn’t pry.” She tacked the apology onto the end, instantly regretting the question.
He shook his head. “She was murdered.”
Tara’s heart froze in her chest. Holy shit. “I—I’m so sorry. I hope they caught the person.”
“I will.”
The two words were spoken with such finality. Such assurance. Like it was just a fact. Not something that still had to happen. Will, not had or did. Whatever this guy was planning. She didn’t want to hear about it or be anywhere nearby. In fact, she probably should mention this dude to the sheriff as soon as she left the store today. Just so they could be on the lookout.
Beautifully dangerous. Please just shop for your crap and get the hell out of the store. Mostly she just wanted him to quit looking at her like she was his long-lost murdered wife back from the grave.
The door chimed and in walked a large familiar blond man and a brunette woman, both dressed in jeans and flannel. So cutely matched it almost made her smile. She’d met them several times before. Kann and his wife Penny. They had a strange foreign-sounding last name. She couldn’t remember it right now with her brain flying along at a gazillion miles an hour, trying to figure out how to either get away or get creepy-beautiful-dangerous-guy to leave the store.
“Morning Penny,” she chirped, hoping it was loud enough to pull the other woman’s attention.
“Tara.” The brunette pivoted like it’d been her intention all along, but Tara saw the flash of understanding in the other woman’s eyes and the slight shift in Penny’s body language. She also saw the way Penny grabbed Kann’s arm and pulled him along with her toward the checkout counter. The easy-going friendly woman had flipped some sort of switch. Her behavior was predatory, colder, and calculated. Just like the man next to her—Kann.
The stranger in front of Tara rumbled his displeasure under his breath—something unintelligible. The tightness in her chest receded the closer the couple got to the counter.
The bell rang again. Saved twice over. Thank you, Jesus. Tara glanced up and her heart leaped in her chest. This time her ovaries did more than quiver with interest, this time it was the beginning of a nuclear explosion. He’d never come inside before.
Never.
Her mother had seen him in the store, but he’d never come inside when Tara was on shift.
“Welcome to Jenkins Hardware and Grocery.” Tara gave Owen her friendliest smile, looking over Penny’s shoulder. Please just look this way. He did. He met her gaze for just a moment, then glanced at Kann and Penny and then at the man in front of the counter. Mister-tall-dark-and-sexy-mountain-man didn’t approach. Instead he planted himself right next to the dry goods aisle and crossed his arms. His face darkened. His eyes flashed—gold?
Has to be the light. People’s eyes don’t change color. They certainly don’t glow.
“You should leave,” Kann’
s voice sounded more like a growl than speech. Tara tore her focus away from Owen’s extra-broad shoulders, and the way his beard was scruffy and just a little unkempt. Also his long wavy brown hair that trailed past his shoulders. Damn. What was it with the men and the long hair these days?
All three of the men in the store wore their hair past their shoulders and pulled it off amazingly well, including the beautiful creepy dude still standing in front of her counter.
Kann pushed Penny behind him and mirrored the other large man’s body language. Leaning forward just a little. Shoulders curved forward. Intimidating. Threatening.
Damn. Kann was a lot bigger than she remembered from their last meeting. Maybe she just hadn’t been paying close attention.
“I was here first.” The creepy guy—Raish—glared at Kann and didn’t move. Tara could tell he was stealing glances at Owen, who had moved closer when she wasn’t looking. He wasn’t behind them anymore. He had moved in an arc to flank Raish.
The bell on the door rang crazily and in walked two more enormous mountain men with long hair and shoulders that would make any linebacker jealous. One had red hair, a little darker than hers and again below the shoulders. The man beside him shared Kann’s coloring. Blue eyes. Blond hair. It was like being surrounded by the most beautiful testosterone in the entire world. Seriously, these guys could’ve stepped right off the History Channel’s Vikings show. Even so, Owen was the only one that really did it for her. Every time she stole a glance at him, her heart skipped a beat. Or several. Or a dozen. Fine. She’d lost count.
“We thought you might—” The blond man behind Kann started to speak and then laid his gaze on the Raish where he stood in front of the counter. His face sobered. The smile that’d just been there vanished. She could’ve sworn the new guy’s eyes did the same flickery-gold-thing that Owen’s had done.
“Ma’am,” the red-headed man called out. “I was hoping you could help me. I can’t seem to remember where you keep the animal crackers.”
Bearly Hanging On: Soulmate Shifters in Mystery, Alaska Book 3 Page 2