“What the fuck,” he muttered.
“I know.” She propped her fists on her bony hips. “There’s more.”
“Damn it, Helen!” he exploded. “Stop piecemealing it. Just tell me.”
“I think the father of that child is my cousin, Garland. I scented something familiar about her at the barbeque, and I finally figured out what it was. I called Garland, and guess what he told me?”
He ground his jaw.
She lifted her chin. “He told me a half-bear loser named Edie Lancaster stole his baby girl Sybil after his wife died. He told me what Edie looks like. The description matches your little Ivy, to a T.” She raised her brows. “And Sybil? Bella? Too similar to be coincidence, don’t you think?”
Fucking hell. If Helen was right, he’d been played for a fool. And that Helen was the one who clearly delighted in pointing it out to him made it even worse. “Get out,” he told her.
“Now, Cullen, don’t be that way.” She walked up to him and looped her arms around his neck. “I did this for you, baby.”
He reached up and grasped her wrists. Exerting pressure, he extricated himself from the cage of her arms. He shoved her away from him and took a few steps back. “Don’t kid a kidder, baby. You did this for yourself, for whatever agenda you’ve got goin’.” With his keen hearing, he heard Ivy stirring in the bedroom. Keeping his gaze on Helen, letting her see the complete contempt he had for her game playing, he told her, “You can go now.”
He would not have the conversation he needed to have with Ivy in front of his ex-girlfriend.
Helen stared at him, fury sparking in her eyes and flaming across her face. “You did not just talk to me like that.”
Cullen was so done. “If you want me to pick you up and toss you through that goddamned door, you keep right on standin’ there.” When she acted like she was gearing up to stand her ground, he took a threatening step forward.
She threw up her hands. “Oh, fine.” Turning, she stomped out onto the front porch. “You’re such a loser, Cullen. Can’t keep a woman like me, so you get tangled up with the likes of her. She can’t even shift.” She twisted to look at him over her shoulder. “Just wait ’til the Itan hears of your incompetence.”
That did it for Cullen’s bear. Cullen drew a deep breath and let loose a roar that shook the windows.
Helen paled and took a step back, losing her balance and stumbling down the stairs, managing to keep from falling by grabbing onto the handrail.
Cullen walked to the open doorway. “You will allow me, one of the Grayslake clan Enforcers, to apprise the Itan of this situation, Helen. If I find out you went behind my back, to try and score some kind of screwed up points, I won’t be best pleased.” He let his bear out just enough to let his fingers thicken and become tipped with claws. Fur sprouted along his arms and cheeks. “You go back to the B & B and stay put. You hear?”
She nodded. “Yes, Cullen,” she whispered.
“Now, Helen. Go now,” he said through clenched jaws.
As soon as her car did a three-point turn and headed away from his house, he shut the front door. Carefully. Quietly. When he really wanted to slam it so hard, the house would fall around his ears.
He went back into the bedroom, just in time to see Ivy rousing from sleep, her arms raised above her head in a stretch. She turned on her side and gave him a somnolent smile. “Hey,” she said softly, pushing her hair off her face.
For a moment, his anger so great, he couldn’t speak.
The smile on her face slowly faded, to be replaced by concern. “What’s wrong?”
He bent and gathered up her clothes, tossing them to her. “Get dressed.”
She sat up, holding the covers to her chest. Tipping her head to one side, she asked again, “What’s wrong?”
Cullen clenched his fists. “We have to go see the Itan. About your…daughter.”
If he’d had any doubts at all, the way her face lost color would have dashed his hope. Damn it. “Get. Dressed.”
He turned to his dresser and yanked out a tee shirt. He drew it over his head and shoved his arms through the short sleeves. Another drawer held socks, which he pulled on with angry energy. Finally, he shoved his feet into boots and sat on the edge of the bed to tie the laces.
The bedclothes rustled behind him, then her feet hit the floor. “I don’t understand,” she said, her voice muffled.
He twisted to see she was pulling her shirt over her head. He got a glimpse of bra-clad breasts before the soft cotton tee shirt covered them. While she pulled on her jeans, he stood and headed toward the door. “I’ll wait for you out front.”
“Cullen!” she cried. “Tell me what’s going on. Why do we have to see Ty? Please. You’re scaring me.”
He stopped. Clenched his jaw. Fisted his hands. Trapped the roar building in the depths of his gut. He and his bear were conflicted, hating that she was afraid, that they were the cause of that fear. But he couldn’t do a thing to allay her worries at the moment. “You are required to answer to charges that Bella is not your daughter,” he ground out.
“Oh. My. God.” Her voice was soft. Appalled.
He shot her a look over his shoulder to see she was holding her sandals in her hand, but was otherwise fully dressed. “Get your shoes on and we’ll go.”
She stared at him, shock coursing over her face. “I completely forgot.”
Against his will, he asked, “Forgot what?”
“I was supposed to put a smear of blood on Presley, so she’d scent of me. That’s what I did with Bella, too.” She took a step closer. “How did you find out?”
There was no need to prevaricate. “Helen stopped by and told me. She’s recently checked into the bed and breakfast. Apparently, she met your sis…” He tightened his lips in annoyance. “She met Presley. And Bella no longer smells like you. That wouldn’t happen if she were your true daughter.”
Ivy closed her eyes and dropped her head, her chin resting on her chest. “I forgot to tell Presley about it, too. She must’ve given Bella a bath.” Lifting her head, she looked at him with pleading eyes. “I didn’t take Bella on a whim, Cullen, or lie about her being my daughter because I have a problem with telling the truth. I’m trying to protect her.”
“Protect her from what?”
“Not from what. From who.” Her lovely face hardened even as tears pooled in her eyes. “Her mother is…was my best friend, Bayleigh Scott. Bayleigh’s husband, Garland, murdered her. If he gets his hands on Bella, he might kill her, too. I promised Bayleigh I’d protect her with my life, and that’s what I intend to do.” She shoved her feet into her sandals and strode toward him. “So, let’s go talk to your Itan, and then we can be on our way.” She paused when she reached him. “By the way, I really appreciate how you gave me the benefit of the doubt,” she said, sarcasm darkening her tones.
Chapter Ten
When Ivy walked into Ty Abrams office, Presley was already there, sitting on a chair in front of the desk, with Bella on her lap. Presley’s tension had obviously translated to Bella, because the little girl had fat tears rolling down her reddened face. Ivy had a feeling she’d missed a big blowout by only minutes.
As soon as Bella saw her, she started screeching and fighting to get off Presley’s lap. “Ee-ee! Ee-ee!”
Presley set her on her feet, and the toddler ran to Ivy as fast as her chubby little legs would take her. Ivy bent and lifted Bella into her arms, hugging her tight. “It’s okay, sweetie. It’s okay,” she whispered against her hair.
“How is it that they’re here already?” Cullen asked, his voice dangerously low.
Ty leaned back in his chair, setting off a series of squeaks. “Helen stopped by.”
“That fuckin’ woman.”
“Language!” Mia admonished.
Cullen growled and yanked his wallet from the back pocket of his jeans.
“I know you did not just growl at my Itana,” Ty rumbled, coming up out of his chair to lean across the desk,
fur poking out along his cheeks and forearms.
Cullen immediately dropped to one knee, bent his head and tilted it to one side, showing his obeisance. She hated seeing him like that, but everyone showed the Itan respect, regardless of how big and mean they might be themselves. “I meant no disrespect, Itan,” Cullen said. “I am…not in control as much as I’d like.”
“We understand, don’t we, Ty?”
Cullen glanced up to see Mia standing next to her mate, stroking one small hand up and down his back.
Ty sighed and sat back down, lifting a hand to let Cullen know he could rise.
Cullen stood. “I apologize for my short temper,” he said, doing his best to keep his voice modulated. “But I specifically told Helen that I would be informing you of the situation.”
“I see.” Ty’s attention went to Ivy. It seemed his gaze softened for a moment as it rested on Bella, but that soon changed. Looking at Ivy, his eyes went black with the power of the Itan. “Let’s get to it.” He motioned to the vacant chair next to Presley. “Have a seat.”
Ivy walked over on trembling legs and perched on the edge of the chair. She settled Bella against her, one hand lightly pressing the little girl’s head against her shoulder. She was very aware of Cullen taking a stance behind her, standing near her right shoulder.
“Right.” Ty tapped a finger against his desk. “From the beginning, please.”
Ivy swallowed. “Bayleigh Harrison Scott was my best friend. We met in eighth grade and were instant friends. We were both bear human hybrids who couldn’t shift, and were treated like shi…crap by the clan.”
“Which clan?” Ty asked.
“Lookout Mountain. The Itan is Davis Jefferson.”
“I’ve heard of him,” Cullen muttered. “He’s a son of a bi…gun.”
“Yes, he is. He’s also a leader,” Ivy said with not a small amount of bitterness, “who thinks women are second class citizens and hybrids are weak. A waste of space.” She bounced her knee a few times, jiggling the toddler on her lap, who let out a giggle. Ivy kissed her cheek then looked at Ty. “Bayleigh’s husband, Bella’s father, is Garland Scott. Of the Scottstown Scotts in Alabama.”
“Helen’s the daughter of that clan’s Itan,” Cullen said. The look on his face made her think he was beginning to connect the dots and didn’t like it one bit.
Ivy nodded. “She and Garland are cousins. As soon as she introduced herself at the barbeque, I was afraid she’d make the connection. She scented him on Bella, but I wouldn’t let her get close enough for her to be certain.”
“Then how’d she pick up on it today?” Presley asked.
“You bathed her,” Ivy whispered. It was all her fault. “Bayleigh suggested I put some of my blood on Bella’s skin, so any shifters would pick up my scent on her, and they’d believe it when I said she was mine. I was supposed to do the same with you, so they’d believe we were sisters, but I forgot. I completely spaced it out.” She pinched the bridge of her nose, fighting back tears. She sucked big fat hairy donkey balls at being on the run. Her failure would most likely put Bella in harm’s way, right where Bayleigh hadn’t wanted her to be.
What was the point of running if you were just going to do something stupid and get yourself caught?
“How did you end up with Bella?” the Itan asked.
“Bayleigh asked me to take her. Garland beat her, you see. Bayleigh, I mean.” Ivy rocked the little girl in her lap. “Bayleigh knew it was just a matter of time before he started in on Bella as well. Especially once he didn’t have Bayleigh around to take out his anger on.”
The mood in the room changed, went from alertly interested to snapping fury in a quicksilver moment. It was interesting to see Cullen straighten, every hard line in his body rigid with rage. It appeared it was different here, then. The affection with which she’d seen the males treat their mates was genuine, after all.
“Go on,” Ty said, his voice rough, eyes black, fur sprouting along his forearms.
“Bayleigh said, on that last day…” Ivy stopped and tried to control the trembling of her voice. “She asked me to keep Bella, and if I didn’t hear from her by noon, that meant he’d finally…done it.” She wouldn’t be more specific than that, not with little Bella in her lap. “And that I should take Bella and run.”
She stood and paced behind the chairs that faced the Itan’s desk. She was vaguely aware of Presley twisting in her seat to keep an eye on her, and Cullen’s gaze was fixed on her as well. “She gave me four thousand dollars, I withdrew another couple of thousand, drove north and bought a clunker, stole a license plate in Mobile, and ended up here when that piece of sh…oot conked out on me.”
Ty leaned back in his chair, but didn’t speak.
Mia took a couple of steps forward, her eyes wet. “Oh, you poor dear. Of course you ran. You had to.”
“Is she dead?” Ty asked.
“What?” Ivy blinked at him.
“The mother. Is she dead?”
Ivy nodded, mute.
“Mama heben,” Bella muttered, kicking her feet a little, hitting Ivy with her heels.
“You know this for a fact?” Ty kept on. “Do you have proof?”
“She said if I didn’t hear from her by noon I was to go,” she told him again. “I gave her until one, and she never called. So, I grabbed Bella and I went.” She drew in a breath. “Bayleigh would never have left her daughter. Never. He did something to her.”
“Mama heben.” Bella gave a little whimper and rubbed her forehead against Ivy’s shoulder.
“By rights, with the mother gone, the cub should be with her father,” Ty began.
~ * ~
“This. Is. My. Child.” Twisting at the waist to partially shield Bella, Ivy faced down the Itan, his Itana, and Cullen with more courage than many Enforcers had.
Presley hopped up out of her chair and went to stand next to her.
“I will not hand her over to a father who mur…” Ivy lowered her voice. “M-u-r-d-e-r-e-d her m-o-t-h-e-r.” Tears glistened in her eyes and she seemed to hold them there by sheer strength of will. But then one snaked its way down her cheek, and Cullen lost it.
With a snarl, he snared her wrist and tugged her into his arms, wrapping both her and Bella into a tight hug. His bear huffed its approval, urging him to hold the two females close. It was his job to protect. To love. If he had to bite and claw his way through those who would hurt them, he would. “You’ll have to go through me, too, Itan.”
“Now, Cullen, don’t—”
“Your own Itana protected a cub from an abuser who was looking to kill him. How can you judge Ivy for doing the same thing?”
“Ee-ee!” Likely picking up on the tension in the room, Bella set up whimpering at an ever-increasing volume and wouldn’t be mollified, no matter how much Ivy rocked the little girl.
Ivy looked at Ty and asked, “Would it be okay if Presley takes her back to the bed and breakfast? She’s tired, and scared, and really needs to go down for the night.”
He hesitated, then stood and went to the study door. Opening it, he motioned to someone and had a few muttered words with the other male. When Ty moved out of the doorway, Cullen saw Van standing there. “This is my brother Van, one of our Enforcers,” Ty told Ivy. “He’ll make sure Presley and Bella get to the B & B safely.”
“And don’t go anywhere else, right?” she asked. She handed Bella over to Presley and crossed her arms, shooting a scowl at the Itan.
“I can’t take that chance just yet, Ivy,” Ty said evenly. He sent her a level stare and asked, “Would you like me to insist she be put in a bed here?”
Ivy ducked her chin. “No. Thank you.”
“Uh-huh.” He waited until Presley and Van left the room, the little girl held firmly in Presley’s arms, before he closed the door and looked at Ivy again. “So, I’m guessing Ivy Fitzhugh isn’t your real name.”
Cullen kept an arm around her waist, lending his support in the only way he could at the moment.
She shook her head at Ty. “No. It’s Eden Lancaster.”
“Ee-ee,” Cullen murmured. When she turned her head to look at him, he added, “That’s why Bella calls you Ee-ee.”
“Yes.” Her voice was little more than a whisper. “But in the short time I’ve been Ivy, well, I prefer it. Will you keep calling me that?”
“Sure thing.” He could see the emotion she’d experienced over the last half hour or so had drained her. With his hand at her back, he guided her to a chair. Before she could sit, he plopped down and pulled her onto his lap. She stayed rigid, looking at him in alarm. “Cullen!”
“Just relax, sweetheart. Let me give you my strength.”
She remained stiff for a few seconds, then seemed to lose her will to fight and wilted against him. Eyes dark and pleading, she said to Ty, “You can’t let him have her. Please. You don’t understand what will happen if you do.”
“Oh, I think—”
A heavy thud at the door made him stop. He stood, pushing Mia behind him. Cullen did the same with Ivy.
The door thudded open and a tall, large man he’d never seen before stormed into the room, already partway into a shift. His beady black eyes homed in on Ivy. “Where’s my daughter, you little bitch?”
“Language!” Mia snapped.
He looked at her and, no doubt scenting she wasn’t full bear, dismissed her. Taking a step farther into the room, he snarled, “I been runnin’ all over hell’s half acre, lookin’ for my girl. Time to hand her over.”
“I think you’d better take a minute and calm down, friend.” Ty let his bear out, just enough for his face to partially shift into a muzzle and fur to sprout along his cheeks and arms. His voice, when he spoke again, came out guttural and rough. “Address your remarks to me. And watch your language. There are cubs in this house. No cussing.”
The newcomer squared his shoulders but a look of surprise crossed his face. “You have got to be shitting me.”
Grayslake: More than Mated: Bear My Heart (Kindle Worlds Novella) Page 7