by Walters, Abi
I wanted to scream at him. I wanted to bleed him. If I would have known that people in the Valley had looked at the flyers before I collected them I never would have called Parker. I didn’t want Deacon involved. I didn’t want clan politics clashing with my personal life.
“Before you run to the Alpha, remember that you have been in my shoes. Acacia is human. She can’t protect herself like we can. I don’t even know if there is something… or someone that she needs protected from in the first place. She’s mine. Mine to love, mine to protect.”
“And put yourself in my shoes, man. What if she is a threat? Callie and I are trying to have a baby. I can’t put my family in danger. Callie or the family that exists beyond the walls of my home. You need to tell Deacon about her or I will. I’m sorry, but he has to know.”
“Do you think right now is the best time for me to approach him? Honestly. His plate is full dealing with everything.”
“Your mate has a connection to the clan that may or may not extend beyond her relationship with you. I don’t know what she knows or if she knows anything at all, but Vex, you can’t keep him in the dark about this. We can fight about this later. Challenge me and we can bleed it out. But look at it through my eyes first. I’m going to check this thing out and see what’s wrong, and then I have to get home to take Callie to a doctor’s appointment. One of the kids at the shelter got her sick.”
“I appreciate it,” I muttered. I kicked the gravel as I walked around the front of the RV and searched for Acacia. She was on the phone a few yards away. Her eyes found me, and a few seconds later I heard her issue a goodbye to whoever was on the other end of the phone.
“I called Aiden to let him know about my RV troubles. I think he was relieved. Glad I’m safe and everything is okay, obviously, but relieved that I won’t be couch surfing.”
“Doubt it. He seems like a good brother. You told him about your uh, supernatural encounter?”
She snorted, “No. Just told him I broke down. I have enough money saved to make it to DC on a bus, but I like it here. I told him I’d probably be staying even if Big Betty hadn’t pussed out on the side of the road.”
I needed to tell her about Parker’s warning. I needed to tell her more about the clan and shifters and come clean with all the little pieces of information I’d been withholding. Everything was spiraling out of control, and I was losing my grip on the ropes that tethered me to the ground.
“Anyway,” She continued with a slight smile. “He asked if the guy that was keeping me in Montana was cute. I told him cute was an understatement and that the guy was like something out of calendar of half-naked firemen mixed with a Game of Thrones character.”
“I’m not sure if I should be flattered or insulted.”
“Definitely flattered.” Her face twitched with apprehension as she looked over to her RV. “Are you in trouble?”
“Maybe,” I answered honestly… which only made her panicked look grow. “We have to talk later. I need to tell you more about me. About my clan. But Parker is threatening to tell my Alpha about you if I don’t do it first. I don’t know what to do.”
“Why is he threatening to tell him about me? Isn’t it okay to be with a human? I mean, not that we’re together or anything, but I thought you said –”
“We’re together,” I confirmed, finding her eyes so she could see the truth that was on the surface. “You remember the whole ordeal with the cameras?”
She paled. “He thinks I am behind that? No! I wouldn’t do that.”
“One of his workers was talking about a tattooed woman with blue hair asking about werebears.” Acacia winced, but she remained silent and let me talk. “Don’t stress about it, okay? I’ll take care of it. I’ll take care of you.”
“Hey!” Parker called out. He started walking towards us. “Do you want the good news or the bad news first?”
“Good news,” Acacia said quickly. She stepped away from me and cross her arms nervously. “Always start with the good news.”
“There isn’t any serious damage to the RV. It’s fixable. Bad news: there is a bunch of little things that might add up to a big price tag. I’m also going to have to order parts, and they will take a week or so to get here. You only have one slashed tire, and that will run at about three hundred bucks. I’d recommend replacing both front tires so they drive even, though. You’ve been in contact with the police?”
Acacia nodded. “The Sheriff visited me at the hospital.”
“The inside was definitely a deliberate cut. Whoever messed with your engine bay has no real knowledge of cars… just sort of looks haphazard. Fuel regulator will need changed. Your alternator is messed up. And your inverter was destroyed. I can get those parts for under eight hundred. I can discount the labor a little for you to save on the cost.”
“Bill me whatever,” I said. “Go ahead and order all new tires, too.”
“I can pay for it myself, Vex,” Acacia protested.
“And I told you I’m taking care of it,” I countered. I offered a hand to Parker. I didn’t want to be within twenty feet of him, let alone shake his hand, but he was doing me a solid and we were family. “Thanks again, man. I hope Callie feels better.”
“Me too. She hogs the bed when she’s sick. Anyway, I won’t be able to send someone to haul the RV back to the shop until tomorrow. Will you be here, Acacia, or do you want me to take the keys now?”
“I’ll be here. Thank you, though.”
After a rushed and tense goodbye we were left alone. I didn’t want Acacia to stay in her broken down RV on the side of the road with blood staining the carpet inside. It was so hot in there it was almost suffocating, and she’d be without electricity. I couldn’t promise her that she’d be allowed at my place, though, and it seemed tacky and rude to offer to put her up in the motel just outside of town.
“Are you going to go talk to your Alpha?”
“It can wait,” I said quickly. Deacon didn’t scare me, but I was afraid of losing Acacia. I felt like I was heading for a death sentence. “Are you hungry? Do you want to go to town? You don’t have to stay here tonight, Acacia. There’s a motel –”
“We just ate, and I don’t want to go to a motel. I’m fine.” She gave a reassuring nod. “It’ll be fine. I’ll open my vents and keep cleaning. If I get bored I’ll hitchhike because that always works out in the movies.”
I stretched out my hand and wiggled my open fingers. “Give me your phone. I’ll put my number in.” She handed me her beat up looking smartphone. Her wallpaper was the actor from The X-Files, and when I raised my eyebrows at her she shrugged. I typed my information in and called myself so I’d have her number. “There. Don’t hitchhike. I’d be really upset if you got murdered.”
“That’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me. Keep showering me with your sweet words. I insist.”
“Stitches have never looked sexier,” I teased, stepping closer to her. I closed my fingers around her wrist and tugged her against me. Lowering my already deep baritone, my voice sounded husky as I continued my playful flirtation. “And when you talk nerdy to me? Shit. It almost makes me believe that Ewoks are cute teddy bears and not the vicious carnivores they actually are.”
Her laughter was the stuff forever was made of. She swatted at my arm as an uncontrollable bout of giggles worked their way through her system. “You’re a dork, and again for the record, Ewoks are teddy bears. I thought you of all people would understand that.”
I liked hearing my own laugh. It had been a while since I’d heard it. “Uh-huh because the bear inside me is definitely cute and cuddly.”
“Can I see it? Him?”
That sobered me up. Acacia noticed the change in my demeanor because her face fell, too. “No. Someday. I should go. I don’t like the idea of you staying here by yourself, so promise me if you need anything you’ll call me. I don’t know what’s going to happen with my Alpha.”
“Why does this feel like you’re leaving and never co
ming back?”
“It’s not,” I sighed and looked up at the sky. “I’m sorry. I’m just anxious and nervous. I don’t know how to do this. You just… you’re special to me, Acacia. I don’t want our time together to end.”
“I don’t either. Kiss for the road, Romeo?”
When I kissed her this time it wasn’t rushed or in the heat of the moment. It was slow and savoring. I wanted to remember how soft her lips were and how her body fit so well against mine. I wanted to imprint my scent on her and have her fruity cocktail embed itself in the fiber of my clothing. It wasn’t goodbye, but I had lost too much in my life and I was terrified she was next. Our tongues danced gracefully as we prolonged the inevitable.
I wasn’t sure how my life went from a boring sub-plot in a no genre film to an action flick, a horror movie, and a romance within the span of just over a week. As I drove towards the reserve I felt the same acidic bubble in my chest that I did when Hakeem left for Canada. I miss him. He was my partner in crime. My best friend. My brother. And he was gone. Not permanently, but I couldn’t even call him for advice or to make sure he was okay.
Sam and Justin waved me through at the check post, and I passed a burst of volunteers led by Dean as I drove up the winding path that led to the center of the reserve. I noticed Deacon’s car in the clearing inching forward slowly and then stopping abruptly. I approached cautiously. Elizabeth sat behind the wheel with a panicked look on her face. I couldn’t see Deacon, but he probably looked cool and collected. I whipped my Tahoe into park in front of their lodge and climbed out, waving them down.
The truck moved at a glacial pace as it approached me. The passenger side window rolled down and Deacon peered out. “Everything okay, Vex?”
“I need to talk to you.”
He looked over at Elizabeth. “Let’s take a little break. You’re doing great, angel, but I think your knuckles need a break.”
She grumbled something that I couldn’t make out, but a smile cracked Deacon’s steely exterior. A few seconds later the loud rumble of the truck’s idle stopped and my Alpha stepped down from the lifted Ford. Any other day we would meet in the designated hall, but it was flooded with slow cookers and straggling volunteers so he started walking for his house and motioned for me to follow.
“Do we need to bury a body or owe anyone a large lump of money?” He asked as we climbed the stairs.
“Nothing like that.” Maybe better, maybe worse. It was impossible to judge when it came to Deacon. Elizabeth had softened him, but at the same time he was almost even more protective of the clan now that he had a mate. I tried to make myself comfortable in the stiff sitting room in the front of the lodge. “I don’t know where to start.”
“The beginning. Why are you here?”
“Because Parker said he’d tell you if I didn’t.”
The last bit of Deacon’s friendliness was gone and he was in full Alpha mode. “Explain.”
I bounced my legs like a nervous teenager about to meet his prom date’s father. After a few seconds I let out an exasperated sigh and lodged directly into my story. I did my best to portray Acacia in a positive light. There was no way I could leave out the flyers. I hated lying to my Alpha, but I needed to protect my mate. So instead of telling him she approached me and asked if I was a werebear I told him I saw her with the flyers, recognized that she was my mate, and approached her.
I knew she wouldn’t appreciate me telling her story – about her encounter as a child, her passion for animals, her stay at Waseca. I told him that she came to the Valley because she saw a story about how he changed along the side of the road. I told him about the attack on her RV the night before. I admitted to breaking clan rules. And I confessed my love a dozen times. He remained silent through the entire speech. I wasn’t sure if it was a positive or negative sign, but it kept me steamrolling like a blabbering mess.
“I love her. I know it was wrong of me to bring her on clan property. I know it was wrong to tell her about us, but she already knew. I never mentioned any names. I was just giving her the basics. And I know that she seems like a suspect for the cameras, but I swear to you that she isn’t. I have been with her every night. She doesn’t want to expose shifters. She doesn’t want to hurt us. She just wants the truth. She wants to feel like she isn’t crazy. I’m owning up to the mistakes I made, Deacon. You know this clan is my family, but she’s my world now. I don’t know if I can sit idly by and let her be crucified because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I can’t.”
He was quiet for so long that it made me uncomfortable. I could feel his anger and the Alpha vibes being thrown at me, but I kept my head high. I knew I couldn’t take him in a fight. I was strong, and my bear was an agile fighter. I had years of extra training and was the leader of the clan enforcer team. But Deacon’s bear was massive, and fighting him also meant I’d be fighting the Beta. They were a pair. They would destroy me, but if he wanted to hurt Acacia fighting them would be my only option. My bear recognized a potential fight and was riled up, swelling and pressing against my skin.
“You put the entire clan at risk, Vex.” Deacon uncurled his arms slowly and pinned his nearly black eyes on me. “You’re right. If you would have come to me at the beginning I would have banned you from seeing her until her name was clear. You know I have nothing against humans, but I absolutely hate the people who plaster lies in newspapers and exploit our history and the history of other supernatural creatures for their gain with these fake ass TV shows. Maybe your mate didn’t intend to tell our secrets. Human mates are trusted with the history and secrets of the clan. But I have never dealt with a human who wasn’t born into or invited into the world come to my clan with knowledge of us. How do I know she won’t take a picture of one of us and post it online? We can try to pass it off as a doctored image, but these things spread, Vex. The next thing you know she has a contract with some bogus station and there are helicopters above the reserve.
“I know she has an alibi and the scent at the scenes was male but I’m still suspicious. I have a mate. I know how this must feel. I was willing to die for Elizabeth after a day of knowing her. I know that I wouldn’t put up with these kinds of accusations, but you have to understand that what you did could endanger us all. That’s the most upsetting part of this. If I didn’t need the manpower I would suspend you from the team.
“You’ll bleed tonight and twice tomorrow for your actions against the clan. I’m not sending you to exile, and I’m not taking this to the council. I told you, we are doing this in house. You have my permission to take your mate to your home. I think that is more than generous. Tomorrow you and your mate need to meet me at my office in town. We’ll discuss the rest of this then with Dean and Alexis. Now go before I change my mind about this shit storm, and be ready for your punishment at five o’clock sharp.”
I didn’t need to be told twice. I was ashamed that I lied to my clan and possibly put them in harm’s way. I was embarrassed and guilty. I knew Deacon wouldn’t be light with my punishment. It was a price I’d pay time and time again if I had to. Because under all the feelings of inadequacy and doubt was hope.
Chapter Nine
Acacia
Nine PM is a lot darker when you don’t have electricity. I didn’t keep many candles on board because moving vehicles and open flames are never a good match, but the handful of soy scents I did have were strategically placed throughout my now tidy living spacy. I also had the soft glow of a battery operated dome night light that projected the night sky onto the ceiling for an ambient source of light. I otherwise sat in the dark in my sauna like metal shell of a home. Alone. I was all but twiddling my thumbs from boredom. I was too wired and frankly, afraid, to go to sleep but my pride kept me from calling Vex. That and the desire to save my battery.
After he kissed me with a fire reserved for romance novels and jetted off down the desolate mountainside road I touched my lips a thousand times and resisted the urge to squeal like a pre-pubescent girl at a boy
band concert. Once I settled down I stuck my phone in my portable docking station and went into overdrive as I cleaned the inside if Big Betty. Even with the vents open and the windows cranked it was stuffy and unbearably warm. Summer was rearing its ugly head and I was not prepared for her or her horde of pesky mosquitos.
I stuffed away my notes and articles and organized my books and movies back in the shelves. I hung the strands of lights that had fallen and carefully placed my hand stitched curtains back in place. I even fluffed my throw pillows like I was on an HGTV show. I gave my Han Solo cardboard cutout a proper road side burial complete with the Imperial March and a poorly lip synced version of Good Riddance by Greenday. I scrubbed the bloodstains on the floor for what seemed like hours, and when my hands were finally raw and wrinkled I threw a blanket on the floor and made a mental note to buy a rug. I worked my way through my stash of veggie sticks and granola bars while I did everything I possibly could to entertain myself as the sun dipped down. I even almost called Jade to tell her about Vex. But she hurt my feelings when she sided with our mom and I wasn’t ready to rebuild that bridge.
I felt safest in the living room area of the RV, so I settled down on the bench and let my mind wander to Vex. Sweet, handsome Vex. The first time I met him there was an instant attraction, but he was a jerk. I felt shallow for wanting to spend time around him, but there was part of me that knew there was more to him than what he was projecting. When he finally started smiling and stopped the whole ‘angry protector’ thing it was like the clouds parted. And there was the whole werebear thing.
I wanted the truth but I want Vex more. I would never stop loving the creepy side of life or exploring the supernatural world, but I would give up my pursuit for proof that shifters existed. I had proof. It was in my head. I never planned on going public with anything, but I wanted something concrete to show my family. Now I wanted to keep it a secret and admit to them that I was wrong. It would make them happy, and having Vex would make me happy.