by Alicia White
“You’re doing great…keep going.” Chloe bit her lip, understanding that pull.
“The morning of the full moon, they both came to me and sat me down. Stan is much better with words than Jacob is, so he did most of the talking while Jake held me in his lap. He told me that he wanted to prepare me, that they loved me and wanted me to stay with them forever. In order for that to happen, I needed to be a part of this special, sacred ceremony. He told me that the whole clan would be going into the forest, that I’d get a ten-minute head start, and then both of them would come and find me. It was weird because—”
“You dreamt about it before it happened.” Chloe broke in, finishing her sentence. She told Brandon her dream, and he didn’t say anything.
“You had a dream along those same lines I take it?”
“Yeah.” She leaned back in her chair, trying to process the information. I guess that answered her main question. She could have them both. “Thanks for telling me. I appreciate the heads-up.”
“The next full moon is in a couple weeks. Let them both come to you. They deserve the right to ask you properly.” Erin smiled reassuringly. “Stan’s coming to get us. Let’s head to the dining room.” She grabbed her arms, and they walked toward the dining room as Stan walked around the corner. He smiled broadly when he spotted Erin, and his eyes sparkled. They looked so in love. Chloe dropped her arm and let Stan move closer to Erin. He pulled her tight against his side as they walked to the dinner table.
* * * *
The dinner was a lively affair. Adam and Brandon sat next to her, and she felt surrounded by their heat and warmth. The dining room was huge. The long oak table stretched almost the entire length of the room. There were many people she didn’t recognize, but she waited for the introductions. When would they talk to her about the ceremony? What did it mean? Was it like Erin said, an old ritual of marriage? In being a part of the ceremony, would she be married to Adam and Brandon? Did she even want to stay here in Alaska?
The front door opened, and a man walked into the room. She recognized him from the front gate. It was the park ranger. She laughed a little, thinking about how she could’ve possibly confused him for a park ranger when he was wearing all black and had weapons secured to different parts of his body.
“What are you doing here, Ryan? Is there something we need to discuss in my office?” Adam started to stand, but their new guest just shook his head, so he sat back down in the chair.
“I’m here formally…to petition.” Everyone in the room looked shocked, and Chloe knew that this must be serious. It had to do with the ceremony. They weren’t expecting any single men to step forward. Talking to both Brandon and Erin today had helped her put the pieces of the puzzle together.
“What! No!” Brandon jumped up and growled at the newcomer, but Ryan stood firm. He didn’t flinch or move.
“Brandon…sit down. Any unmated males are allowed to petition, you know that.” Adam stayed calm, but Chloe could tell his muscles were flexing and assumed that maybe he wasn’t okay after all.
Ryan moved to an empty chair near her. “Chloe, it’s good to see you again.”
“It’s good to see you, too, Mr. Park Ranger.” She smiled, enjoying his big bellow of a laugh. She looked over and saw that both Adam and Brandon weren’t pleased. They both scowled at her.
Dinner continued, and Chloe listened to different conversations happening around her, she decided it was best to focus on her food. Her plate was full with ribs, baked beans, coleslaw, and large steak fries. Everything looked and smelled delicious. She leaned down and inhaled the aromas, moaning deep. When a few conversations stopped, she looked up. “What?”
“God, woman…do you have to make those sounds? It’s almost indecent,” Brandon said in her ear, and gave it a slight nip with his teeth.
“The food looks wonderful. Can I have a knife?” She looked over at Adam.
“A knife…for what?” He looked down at her plate.
“The ribs.” She looked at him, waiting for him to give her a knife.
“What? No…those ribs are perfect. Just pick up the bone and shake it. The meat is so tender it will fall off. If you need a knife…I’ll be your slave for a week.” He looked insulted, as if he was completely offended by her asking for a knife.
“A week…huh? That sounds promising. You’ll do absolutely everything I tell you to do?” She smirked, waiting for him to backpedal and change his mind. She did have quite a vivid imagination.
“Yup…a whole week. You can boss me around. But, if I win, you have to be my slave for a day.”
“Just a day, you’re not gonna ask for a week?”
“Oh, sweetheart…you couldn’t handle a week.” All the males at the table started laughing, but at least Erin and their mother, Natalya, had the decency to look as irritated as she was. It felt good that someone was on her side.
“Fine. I hope you’re ready, mister, because I’m quite demanding.” Chloe prayed that the ribs wouldn’t be that good, she begged the meat to stay on the bone, and she reached down to pick it up. Everyone watched her closely, the silence in the room becoming almost too much to bare. She took a deep breath, grabbed the bone, and flicked her wrist quickly. The meat slid off immediately, and cheers went up around the table.
“Tomorrow morning…you’re mine, princess. I hope you’re ready because I’m quite demanding as well.” Adam grinned and arched his brow. He looked a bit menacing, and she shivered, thinking of what might happen tomorrow.
The rest of the meal went by quickly, and she devoured her food, taking huge bites. It felt like she hadn’t eaten in forever. Conversations resumed and she enjoyed being surrounded by Adam and Brandon’s family and friends. She soon finished eating and leaned back in her chair to relax a bit.
“Chloe, I was hoping that you might take a walk with me around the cabin.” Ryan stood and motioned for her to join him. She turned to look at Adam. He didn’t smile. He just nodded his head. That was all the permission she needed, and she got up from the table.
“Let me get my coat. I’ll meet you on the porch.” She went to her bedroom and put on a few extra layers. She knew it was going to be cold outside. The invitation surprised her, but she did want to get outside and walk around for a bit. Maybe she could talk to Ryan and see what his intentions were.
Chapter 7
Chloe stepped out the front door, and the cold air hit her hard. She took a few breaths, trying to calm down a bit from the shock of the air. Ryan stood against the porch railing, watching her closely. He came over, held his arms out to her and smiled reassuringly. She took it, leaning against his broad shoulder, trying to hide from the breeze.
“We won’t stay out long. I just thought it would be nice if we talked alone.” He was such a huge man, but his voice was tender and his mannerisms perfect. She wanted some answers, so taking this walk was going to help her understand more, she hoped.
“Ryan, I appreciate you wanting to petition to be a part of the ceremony, but it’s not necessary. I really only know a little bit, but let me get straight to it. Do you think I’m your mate?” They walked away from the house, toward the border of the property where the gravel driveway turned into large pine trees.
“I know you think you know about the ceremony, but trust me, you don’t. You don’t know about our clan, I’d bet anything on that. The ceremony isn’t just a bonding, a mating, or even a marriage. It’s a competition, and a fight. We aren’t just human, Chloe. I think you deserve all the facts before you make a decision.” He took a deep breath and turned to face her. They stood less than a foot apart. He looked into her eyes, and Chloe felt like everything she had heard wasn’t completely the truth. Her heart pounded hard in her chest, and she remembered Conner talking about secrets. There was more, and luckily, Ryan was willing to tell her.
“I know you have questions, and I’ll answer them all. However, first, I need to tell you that I’m not positive one way or the other that you’re my mate. You smell familiar
to me, and that’s why I’m here tonight. My older brothers were here earlier. They weren’t convinced that you could be ours, so they decided not to petition. I won’t either…if you don’t want me to.” He stopped for a minute, looking conflicted, so Chloe laid her glove-clad hand on his forearm.
“You’re right. I have tons of questions, and I’m gonna ask them all, especially the smell thing. That’s weird. Maybe I smell familiar, but I’m not yours.” She shook her head. “I have a sister, though, could she be the one? Is it possible for two people who are related to smell familiar?”
“I don’t know. We can talk more about her later, I’m here to tell you everything since I doubt either Adam or Brandon will be forthcoming. The smelling thing is weird for humans, Chloe, not for animals. As I told you, we aren’t completely human.” He started unzipping his jacket, and peeling back the layers of his clothes.
“What are you doing…put your clothes back on, Ryan. It’s freakin’ freezing out here,” she demanded, picking up his discarded clothing.
“I’m trying to show you the truth, a truth that you deserve but haven’t had the opportunity to know. I’m sorry to do this to you, but I’m sick of women coming here and freaking out at the ceremony. It can be too confusing. You deserve to know. You’ve been through too much with Conner. He was my best friend. Listen…Chloe…He told me to do this. So I have to…Okay?” She stared at him in shock. Poor Ryan, he had lost his mind. What would Conner have possibly asked him to do?
Almost in slow motion, Ryan stood before her completely naked, and she stared at him. Right before her eyes, he changed, he morphed into something else altogether. He became a huge polar bear. He didn’t growl, he didn’t move toward her, he just stared at her. In a daze, Chloe took slow steps backward, wanting to run, but her legs felt heavy. She wanted to scream, but fear paralyzed her. What the heck had just happened? One minute Ryan was standing in front of her and the next a huge polar bear was in his place.
Her heart beat rapidly as puffs of air left her mouth. She kept backing up until her back collided with a tree. At least, she hoped like hell that it was a tree. A heartbeat later, Ryan was once again standing in the same spot she had left him.
“What the fuck is wrong with you!” Adam ran out of the house, Brandon on his heels, both of them yelling at Ryan.
Everything was moving slowly, and Chloe felt dizzy. Ryan was telling the truth. They weren’t completely human, and Conner had never confided in her because he thought she was too weak to handle the truth. Her whole relationship with Conner came crashing back to her, and she remembered him taking long hunting trips, hiding things from her, and keeping her away from his family and Alaska. Maybe it wasn’t that she was weak. Maybe he didn’t want her to know for some other reason.
The loud roars and growls around her, finally pulled her from her funk, and she stood there staring at three large polar bears fighting. One stood out in the group, and immediately she realized that it was Adam. He was the Alpha. He was the biggest and baddest of them all. At least that’s what she assumed that meant. They were circling each other, and she knew that Ryan would definitely get hurt. Two against one, not good odds.
The other guests from dinner were all standing on the patio, none looked ready to step in and stop Adam and Brandon. She decided to do something. If Ryan got hurt because of his honesty, then she would forever blame herself. In addition, there was always the possibility that he belonged to Katie, or she should say that Katie belonged to him.
She stood straight, pushing off the tree, and before walking toward the giant bears, she whistled, trying to get their attention. The last thing she wanted was to be mauled, literally mauled by an actual bear. “Hey! Damn it…Adam…Brandon. Stop it!” She walked toward them, knowing she was making a huge mistake but refusing to stop. She wanted to protect Ryan. It looked like both Adam and Brandon weren’t going to back down anytime soon.
“Adam! Brandon! Please…stop!” She walked straight into the fray, moving to block Ryan. The only reason she recognized him was that the other two were focused on him and of course, Adam was huge. He stood out. She put her back to Ryan, which seemed to enrage them. They moved in, surrounding her, trying to block Ryan. They worked together, pushing her back, blocking her, corralling her back toward the house. She was irritated. They weren’t changing back, and she felt a bit panicked having two huge, almost seven-hundred-pound polar bears pushing her with their snouts.
“Chloe…don’t panic, they’re just trying to move you toward us. It’s for your safety. They saw Ryan change, and it freaked them out. It was their job to tell you, not his. Come toward the house.” Erin was yelling at her, trying to help the situation. She was trying to calm her down, and Chloe could understand why. It wasn’t every day that someone learned a huge secret like this, that your husband and his family were shifters, and polar bear shifters no less. She’d read Twilight, loved paranormal romance, and now she was going to have a real-life romance novel life. It was slightly silly.
She walked toward the house, not resisting them. She went straight through the front door, slamming it behind her, and didn’t stop until she was in her room. She was pacing, panting, and sweat dripped down the back of her neck. She didn’t know what to think, didn’t even know where to begin. How many secrets did Conner keep from her?
A knock sounded at the door. “Chloe, can we please talk? Chloe, open the door, baby.” Adam’s voice whispered through the door.
“No. I don’t want to talk to either of you. I need to be alone. Please…just go away.” She lay against the bed, stomach down, putting her face in her hands.
“Chloe…I’m not going away. You either open this door or I’m breaking it down. We need to talk. I’m giving you to the count of three. I’m serious, Chloe. One…” Chloe sat up on the bed. Would he really break down the door? “Two.” He sounded serious, and she felt a little worried, especially since she was so turned on by his caveman actions. “Three.” The door bashed in, and Adam stood tall in the doorway, his jaw firm. He squinted. Chloe moved back, realizing that maybe wanting to see him angry was a bad idea.
“Don’t back away from me.” She halted immediately, not moving an inch. “I’m on edge right now. The predator is too close to the surface. I let you go out with Ryan for a walk only because he petitioned to be a part of the ceremony. He’s allowed to request some alone time with you. It’s clan rules, I couldn’t stop him, but I wanted to. He had no right to shift in front of you. It wasn’t his place to say anything. That was our job.” He walked over to the bed and sat down, watching her closely.
“He just wanted me to know everything. I knew there were more secrets. Conner told me that he kept things from me. I guess he thought he was protecting me. I asked him to bring me here, I begged him to let me meet his family. All I heard was that it wasn’t the right time, that I wasn’t ready. I have no idea why. I keep asking myself that…why?” Chloe pushed her back against the wall, and slid down to the floor, drawing her knees up to her chest.
Adam turned, facing her, he didn’t move off the bed, letting her enjoy the space between them. “We will never know the answer to that. I’m sorry. Believe me when I say that I told him repeatedly to bring you here. I did want to tell you but to be honest I was scared. It was my love and concern for you that prevented me. I didn’t want you to reject us.” He looked at her with sad eyes, and Chloe felt her heart tighten in her chest. “You’re handling this better than I thought you would. Talk to me, Chloe. Tell me what you’re thinking.” He pleaded with her, and she knew that this was probably way out of character for him. He didn’t seem like the type of man to ask. He only ever demanded.
“I don’t know what to say. I’m not freaked out. There had been enough talk about mates and about the upcoming ceremony that I should’ve guessed. I love reading paranormal romance, so maybe that’s why I’m not all freaked out right now. I just keep thinking about Conner and all the things he hid from me, probably scared that I wouldn’t accept him. I
wish I could go back, make him tell me. Beg him to believe in me, in us. But…it’s too late.” She put her face down and cried, cried for Conner and the situation she was forced to endure.
Adam pulled her into his lap and rocked her, not saying a word, just letting her sob and yell. She felt lost and alone once more. Not being able to change the past was such a huge disappointment. She had lived that way for so long, thinking of all the “would’ve, could’ve, should’ve” scenarios. She hated living in the past, but that’s the only way she could hold on to Conner. She needed to let him go. She needed to say good-bye and let him rest in peace.
She didn’t know how long she sat there in Adam’s lap. Long enough that the house had gone silent and that Brandon was now sitting behind her, rubbing her back. She relaxed in his arms. She’d been on a huge emotional roller coaster for so long. She didn’t know how to get off. She was done with the tears, done with the bitter taste in her mouth, the cramps in her stomach. It was all too much to bear.
She felt weak as Adam stood up. He carried her into the large bathroom, never letting her go, and he somehow managed to strip her completely with Brandon’s help. She let them, not moving, not helping them. When she felt the hot water touch her skin, she moaned, moving closer to Adam, laying her head on his shoulder. She tightened her grip around his neck and hid her face in the crevice between his neck and shoulder.
“Sweetheart…are you feeling better? Come on, love. Put your head up so that Brandon and I know that you’re okay. We want to see those beautiful brown eyes.” Adam rubbed his hands up and down her back, relaxing her, coaxing her to move. She bit his neck, not hard, just a little teasing bite, and licked his salty skin. Adam squeezed her, going tense for a minute, then relaxed deeper into the water.
“She must be feeling better, Brandon. She just sunk her little teeth into my neck.” He laughed, his chest shaking, and Chloe found herself smiling once more. “Okay…time to sit up. We want to get you nice and soapy.” She sat up and pulled away a bit, giving them full access to her body.