by Zoey Harper
Colton shook his head. "No. He bullied people. We're going to go to each of them and tell them that they're free to live their lives as they want as long as they respect Red Claw Rising territory.
"Gavin Herron may have been ruthless, but he handed us a great gift. I'm sorry for all the innocents who lost their lives, but we have to make sure that the clan we build on the back of their deaths is one that is worthy of their sacrifice.
"This is the chance we could never have secured, but it's been given to us by Patrick himself, with Gavin's help. Let's grab it by the horns. For ourselves, for our mates, and for the future generation of Red Claw Rising."
Kane clapped loudly. "That was beautiful."
Colton rolled his eyes. "Whatever."
Damon punched him in the arm. "Don't be a dick. Kane was telling the truth, and I agree. Those words were beautiful. You are a great alpha."
Colton scoffed. "Great to know all you need to do is make a great speech, and you can call yourself one."
"No," Damon said, his voice contemplative. "Speeches don't make a great alpha. Vision does. And you just laid out a powerful vision for our clan. Now, all of us have something to fall behind. We're going to make the Red Claw Rising great, using your vision."
Colton's heart drummed in his chest. This was his chance to give Tegan more than she would ever expect. And all his men had the same opportunity.
The Red Claw Rising would live up to their name, and Colton, as their alpha, would guide them to the bright future that awaited them.
And it all started with a sexy little wolf that dared to look him in the eye and tell him she liked him.
I owe you everything, Tegan. I can't wait to bring you home. To our territory.
18
Tegan woke to the sound of her phone vibrating on her bedside table. She groaned, then forced herself to reach for it with her eyes closed. When she finally got her phone in her hands, she peeled an eye open.
Seeing the name on the screen, Tegan quickly sat up.
"Mom!"
"Hi, baby," her mother's weary voice answered.
Tegan loved nothing more than to hear her mother's voice, but doing so often drove home their reality.
Tegan's mother was overworked, and probably still occasionally hit by their father. Tegan knew her mother had learned how to stay out of his way, but things still happened.
Tegan's throat constricted. There was no point in harping on about it now. She needed to take advantage of the few minutes she would get with her mother.
"You sound tired," Tegan said.
"You know how it is. Running a store by yourself, when you don't have the authority to do so, is hard." Tegan's mother sighed. "Enough of that. You sound a little groggy. Did I wake you?"
"It's fine. I just had a late night."
Tegan smiled as she thought of the reason why.
After her stint in the hospital over a month ago, Colton had insisted on only having sex with Tegan once she was one hundred percent pain-free. The previous night had been the first night Tegan could confidently say she felt no pain.
Colton hadn't wasted any time. He'd taken out all his passion on her, carrying on till the late morning.
Tegan had welcomed the affection. While she and Colton had done a lot of talking and kissing, she missed that side of their relationship.
I can't believe it, but I think the sex is even better now. Isn't domestic bliss supposed to make it worse?
Tegan's mother chuckled. "I can guess what kept you up."
"Mom!" Heat rushed up Tegan's cheeks. "Please don't say things like that."
"Okay, okay. I'll play nice. How are things? You guys just moved into a new home, right?"
Tegan smiled. "We did. It took a week to organize, but by the time we got here, everything I'd ordered online was here. All the guys helped us get things set up. It was like an army barracks. Colton would ask me how I wanted things, then he'd yell at the guys. It was so funny."
Tegan's mother giggled. "It sounds like you've got a powerful man around your finger."
"Oh, he's a big teddy bear with me. He'd never yell at me. Besides, the guys knew it was all fun. Colton only turns on the alpha thing when he needs to."
"He's a good husband and a good leader. I'm so happy for you. I don't think I could have picked better."
Tegan smiled slyly. "Elvis has been great, too. He took such good care of me when I left the hospital. He's even stopped by to check out the house. He said he wanted to make sure it was safe for me."
"Aww. Elvis is a good man, too. But he's involved in some dangerous things."
"So is Colton, but it’s the shifter life," Tegan insisted. "That's what happens when powerful creatures decide to establish territories. War is inevitable. I'm just glad the Red Claw Rising haven't had that kind of problem."
"Hmm. It sounds like Colton is trying a new way forward. I look forward to seeing the day people can talk things out rather than fight senselessly."
Tegan's eyes widened. "Oh, my God! I forgot to tell you. Colton spoke with a few of the alphas of the surrounding clans, and they all traded phone numbers. They decided that if one of them had a problem, they'd call a group meeting first, rather than go to war. It's early days, but it's a step forward."
"Wow, Tegan! Everything you tell me is getting me excited to come to Bolsend."
Tegan pulled her knees up. "I'm looking forward to you and Spencer coming, too. I already decorated your rooms, you know."
"Oh, honey. Spencer just turned seventeen two days ago. We still have another year left."
Tegan sighed. "I know, but I like walking past those rooms and knowing that the two of you will be joining us soon."
"I get that. I can't wait to tell Spencer about you and our plans. I can't risk it right now. Sometimes, I think she hates this place as much as I do, and sometimes I think she's as brainwashed as your brother is."
Tegan's heart ached for her mother. She'd lost her son to the Bluewolf way, and now there was a chance she might lose a daughter, too.
Tegan had her doubts concerning Spencer. On the one hand, she'd seen her sister react negatively to one scene of violence or another. On the other, Spencer was a popular girl among her peers. She'd even had several boyfriends.
Guilt racked Tegan's heart as she thought back to her final years with her sister. Due to their six-year age gap, Tegan never really felt close to Spencer. There was also the fact that Spencer played the role of typical Bluewolf female so well.
Tegan found it hard to connect with her sister. But she hoped that when her mother told her the truth, and of her plans for them to escape, that Spencer would happily join, allowing her and Tegan to build a closer relationship.
"I think she's just playing the game," Tegan said. "I did too at that age."
Tegan's mother scoffed. "Well, she's pretty darn convincing."
"I know, but I truly believe that if any Bluewolf woman were given a chance to leave with her children, she would. Spencer loves you, Mom. She'll come with you."
"Your sister loves you, too, you know."
Tegan sighed. "I know, but we've never been that close."
"You were close with your brother and look how that turned out." Tegan's mother clucked her tongue. "He's my son, but I've made peace with who he is. You and your sister still have a shot; don't give up before you start."
"I won't, Ma."
"Oh, and start reading up on Japanese manga. I don't know how or where she finds the stuff, but her room is full of it. That could be a great connection point for you."
Tegan grinned. Her mother was once again stepping in and doing the best for everyone. It was probably a mom thing, and Tegan decided it was time she repaid the favor.
"I don't know when you'd ever get the time, but if you can, you should start watching Baseball Wives. Elvis is obsessed with the show."
"What?" Tegan's mother yelled.
Tegan burst out laughing. "I promised I would never tell, but it could be a great connectio
n point for you two when you come."
"Young lady, you’d better quit your matchmaking."
"I'm not matchmaking. I'm just helping you two find things a little less awkward. You're meant for each other. And whether it’s a year from now or ten years from now, I know you two will get together."
Tegan's mother harrumphed. "That's an interesting theory. I’d better go. Your sister will be up any minute. The only reason I could call was that your dad still hasn't come home, and the store has a late start because it's Saturday."
Sensing her dismissal, Tegan wished her mother a good day and hung up. She smiled to herself. Her mother usually brushed her comments about Elvis aside without much concern. But after Tegan told her about the shooting, and how Elvis was there for her, her mother's tune had changed. She responded to subtle mentions of Elvis with this wistful tone in her voice.
"They're going to be the cutest couple ever!"
Colton walked into their bedroom and smiled. "I take it you're referring to Elvis and your mom."
"Mm-hmm." Tegan got out of bed and wrapped her arms around Colton, pulling him in for an open-mouthed kiss. "I can't wait to see them together."
"Me too, but only so I can tease Elvis."
Tegan shook her head and headed into the bathroom. "I don't know why you two can't just accept that you love more than hate each other now," she called.
"Breakfast is ready. Come down when you are."
Tegan shook her head and laughed. She understood barbaric male shifter relationships well, but Colton and his men were a whole other kettle of fish. They could be aggressive when angry, but they otherwise liked each other.
The only catch was that they never admitted it to themselves or anyone else. It was like an open secret.
Has any of them ever told the other I love you?
Tegan spat out her toothpaste and chuckled. She was surrounded by macho men that loved and cared for each other, but they hid it with jokes, insults, and rough pats on the back. It was odd, but it was her new life.
When Tegan had first arrived in Bolsend about three weeks ago, there'd been so much to adjust to. First, Colton had kicked out both Damon and Kane from their rooms above the garage, then moved himself and Tegan in.
Colton said he wanted to keep her safe and happy, and that the noise from two aggressive bear shifters in their prime was not his idea of a favorable environment for Tegan to complete her recovery.
Tegan had been ready to ask Colton to change his mind when he first informed her of this on their drive into the garage's driveway, but then she'd met his friends, and changed her mind.
The Red Claw Rising were a clan of bear shifters. That meant that each of them was as tall and intimidating as Colton could be. Tegan did her best to force down her anxiety as she was introduced to all the men.
A few grunts had answered her greetings, and Colton had quickly growled and set the men in their place.
"Tegan is my mate. That mean's she's the alpha's mate. You’d better treat her with the utmost respect and kindness. If I see her upset, there's going to be hell to pay." Colton then softened. "You all know I'm not the best at relationships. Do me a favor and help me not to chase the lady away."
The men working in the garage had laughed, and things had gone a lot more smoothly from there.
During the next couple of weeks, Tegan still found it disconcerting to walk into the downstairs kitchen and see some massive, tattooed bear standing by the fridge scarfing something down.
"Now I know they're harmless," Tegan said, smiling at herself. "And I fit in. Well, kind of."
Tegan shrugged, then made her way downstairs. She'd never be one of the guys, but they were relaxed around her. The sandwiches and simple meals she made them every day certainly helped smooth things over.
Tegan walked into the kitchen and stopped the moment she saw the kitchen table. There were poorly shaped, but golden, pancakes on a large plate, and a tray of bacon and sausages beside it.
"I got tired of messing up the pancakes, so I doubled up on the meat," Colton said, rubbing his neck. "Hope you don't mind."
"Are you kidding me? It’s all about the meat."
Tegan planted herself in Colton's lap, then gave him a proper kiss, tongues and all. While she didn't mind a kiss filled with morning breath, she never wanted to do anything that would turn Colton off. Once she'd brushed her teeth, all bets were off.
"Ugh." Colton pulled away. "You're making me hard, and I've got to go in to work."
"Sorry," Tegan said, finally registering the firm pressure against her backside. "I'm just really touched that you'd do this."
Colton grinned. "I wanted to do something nice for you. You've got your big appointment with Mrs. Turnbull later this morning, right?"
"I do." Tegan took her seat opposite Colton and bit into a piece of bacon. "Mmm. Just right."
"Like we are. How's your mom doing?"
We are pretty great together, aren't we?
"Mom's great. How did you know I was on the phone with her?"
"I came to get you for breakfast and heard you through the door."
"You should have come in and said hi!"
Colton shook his head. "Another time. It's been a while since you got to hear her voice over the phone. I didn't want to take away from that. Even for a second."
Tegan's heart melted. Colton now said and did things like that all the time. There'd been a couple of moments where he got cranky and moody and refused to talk to her, but that was just a part of life.
On the whole, he was open and loving, and she knew she'd won big time when it came to her relationship with Colton.
"I'm sure Mom would love to meet you."
"Likewise, but maybe later."
Tegan nodded. Whatever reason Colton was pushing talking to her mother off wasn't that important. She knew they both cared about and respected each other, even without having spoken.
Sometimes, you had to leave things be.
"You still heading over to Roger's reveal party?"
Colton nodded. "Yeah. It's important to keep him happy. He did drop an obscene amount of money to have us build him a bike."
Tegan smiled. "I'm so happy for you guys. It's your first custom build, and you already have another on the way."
"Actually, we have two. Roger wants us to build one for him and his wife. He wants a king and queen seat so that they can ride together."
"That's great!"
While Tegan didn't care whether she and Colton had a lot of money, she cared about his happiness. Custom builds made him happiest. So, Tegan would accept long nights spent at the garage when the deadline for delivery approached without causing a fuss.
Colton's found his dream, and I'm going to support it.
Colton smiled. "Isn't it crazy how much simpler and happier life is when a clan isn't at war or under someone's thumb? I'm working on a business plan, Tegan. There was never a point in doing that before. But now that things are good, I'm doing one, and I'm going to make everyone else do one. For once, we can talk about the future."
"It's a new thing for me, too. That's why I hope things with Mrs. Turnbull go well."
Tegan had only been in therapy for a couple of weeks, but she'd quickly learned that talking through her issues was helping her a ton.
When she'd brought up the idea of possibly starting a support program for survivors of abuse, her therapist had been excited and immediately put Tegan in touch with Mrs. Turnbull, who was a known benefactor of sorts.
Tegan didn't have much in the way of a solid presentation, but Max, Colton's designer, had helped her put something together.
Now, she felt good about her meeting. No matter what happened, Tegan had taken a step toward assisting someone else.
It didn't matter how long it took. She would fight to help people one person at a time. If Mrs. Turnbull wouldn't fund her project, then Colton and Elvis were both willing. But Tegan had turned them both down.
This needed to be something organic
, that could sustain itself. Tegan was just happy she'd found something she was passionate about.
"The meeting will go great. You've got a powerful story, and you're a testament to how much therapy is helping you. I'm proud of you."
Tegan blushed as Colton's icy blue eyes bored into hers. He believed in her and supported her unconditionally. While she knew that there'd be tough times ahead, because that was the nature of shifter life, she always knew he'd be by her side to face it with her.
And that made all the difference. It really did.
Tegan got up and kissed Colton slowly. "Time to go to work. We've both got big days ahead."
Colton scoffed. "I'm just going to some rich guy's party to reveal a custom bike to all his friends. You're the one that has a big day."
Tegan wagged a finger in his face. "There'll be plenty of other rich guys at that party. If you schmooze, you could get more orders."
Colton wrinkled his nose and was quiet for ten seconds. "I'll leave that part to Damon. His charm with the ladies should translate well to convincing old men to give us money."
Tegan chuckled, then yelped as Colton picked her up and pressed her against him. She quickly wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck.
"Yes, mate?" Tegan teased.
"I love you. And I'm grateful every day that you chose me."
Tegan buried her head in Colton's neck. The intensity of his gaze and the fierceness behind his words made it hard for her to face him. Feelings of unworthiness were something she was still working on with her therapist.
"I love you, too, and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you."
Colton chuckled. "You mean with me, your mom, sister, and any kids we may have."
Tegan pulled back and saw the humor in his eyes. "It's a good thing we got this big house so close to the forest. There'll be a lot of shifting, both planned and unplanned, going on."
"In other words, our home will be full of love and chaos." Colton pecked Tegan. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
"Me, either."
If you enjoyed this book, please leave a review so others may discover it as well. Long review or short, your opinion will help other readers make future purchasing decisions. So, go ahead and rate this book’s level of awesome!