“I hope that’s the last time you’re going to test my patience,” he roared. Maximus didn’t reply. He just stared at him with insolent eyes. “What exactly is your problem?” Xander continued.
“What have you decided?” Maximus said, instead of replying to him. Xander looked at him with cold eyes.
“The women will stay here. They’ll become quasi-members of the clan, and no-one will harm them. On pain of death.” Maximus’ insolence turned to disgust.
“That’s a poor decision,” he spat. “Having humans living here, intruding right into the heart of our private lands will bring us nothing but suffering. Hell, it’ll probably bring us down altogether. You’ll become known as the Alpha who ruined the Broken Hill Clan.”
“They’re only humans, Maximus. They have no means of communicating with the outside world. They can easily be controlled.” Maximus shook his head.
“We’ve got enough to deal with, without having to worry about having the enemy in our midst. Just put them down and be done with it. I’ll do it for you. You don’t even need to get your hands dirty.”
“No. The decision has been made. You don’t need to agree with it,” Xander said firmly.
“Yet you’ve been toying with the idea of putting Deacon, Gunner and Mikal down? It sounds like your priorities are out of whack.”
“The women are innocent bystanders who accidentally got caught up in all of this. They’ve done nothing wrong. The other three made several stupid decisions that have endangered the whole clan. They don’t deserve to call themselves Broken Hill Bears.”
“So banish them.” Xander sighed.
“I intend to.” Maximus’ lips curled into an unpleasant smile.
“I’m glad to hear that you take at least some of my advice, little brother.”
“I’ll be calling the clan together this morning for them to hear the news and meet the women. I want them to be integrated as much as possible. They’ll be living the rest of their lives here, so there’s no need to keep any of our secrets from them.” Maximus’ eyebrows shot up as he realized the implications of his brother’s words.
“And will they bear our cubs?”
“If they so desire. And I mean that, Maximus. Any forced matings will be punished severely.”
At that, Xander turned on his tail and strode away, eager to shift back into his bear form and continue his run.
How has Maximus become so poisonous? Xander wondered, as he lay down in the middle of the forest and devoured the small deer he’d just hunted. They used to be close as cubs, even though he’d always sensed that Maximus had a mean side, that his brotherly teasing could become taunting and cruel. He loves power and he can’t see that being the Alpha is less of a blessing than a heavy weight to carry. And those who love power are willing to endure suffering to achieve it. He let off a long, rumbling groan. Sometimes his life seemed to have been nothing but responsibility. Where’s the fun? he wondered. The eldest cub was supposed to carry the heaviest load, but somehow, it had all fallen on his head. Just yesterday, Rocco had bought himself a new motorbike and was having a trail made for him that ran all around the territory. He couldn’t imagine having the time to hoon around on a bike, without worrying that there was something else that he should be doing. But he still felt a streak of jealousy at Rocco’s shiny new purchase. Sometimes he felt like he was born to be a soldier and leader, and fun and games were for other bears. Still, the things he’d had to deal with since becoming Alpha were more than he could’ve imagined. He’d only been Alpha for a matter of weeks, and he was having to make decisions on putting down clan members and humans. And he’d never in a million years imagined himself as the jailer of three human women. The thought was sickening to him. But he had to do what he had to do.
*
Two hours later, the order had been given to banish Deacon, Gunner and Mikal from the clan, and Xander was standing in front of the door to Deacon’s old cabin. His hand was raised to knock, but he dropped it again. Something was holding him back. Freya’s scent filtered through, sweet and clear, from the inside of the cabin. It was intoxicating, and his bear purred and urged him on. He’d been thinking about the night before on and off all morning. About how he’d almost lost control of himself and kissed her again. She was so pretty and enticing, yet so infuriating, all at the same time. He loved the way her sweet, pink lips pursed when she was thinking, the way those deep brown eyes held his so steadily, despite the thread of fear evident in them. And her body was so damn sexy. She had the most dangerous curves he’d ever seen on a woman. And, thanks to the way the human females displayed themselves at the wrestling matches, he’d seen a lot of curves. She had a perfect hourglass shape – all round breasts and full, curvy ass, combined with a nipped in waist that he just longed to get his hands on. It was just as well that she hated him. Otherwise he could get himself into a lot of trouble. And what he needed right now was to find himself a well-matched mate, instead of entangling himself with a human.
He groaned. As much as she made his bear roar, and as much as it was currently scrabbling at his insides, encouraging him to open the door so it could get another look at her, he was in no mood to deal with her anger toward him. At some point during the night, he’d figured out that there was nothing he could say to her to make things better. So he wasn’t going to try any more. He was just going to be the Alpha, and that was it. He rapped three times on the door. Nobody answered. He put his ear close to the door. It was quiet inside, but he swore he could hear the sound of fast, panicked breathing.
“Please open the door,” he called. Still nothing. He turned the handle; the door opened and he stepped inside. Two women were huddled up on the couch, staring at him in horror. He scanned the room; Freya wasn’t there. He cleared his throat.
“Hello. I’m Xander. Where’s Freya?” he said.
“In the bathroom,” the brown-haired girl squeaked, raising a trembling hand and pointing toward the bathroom door.
“When she’s ready, I’d like you all to come with me. I’m going to introduce you to the other clan members.”
“Introduce us? Why?” asked the auburn-haired one. He could smell her fear, yet her tone was defiant. Great, another kick-ass chick, he thought.
“Because this is your new home, and I want you to be as comfortable as possible. I’ll show you around the territory too, and explain where it’s safe for you to go.” They both gulped. He tried smiling to reassure then, but if anything, they looked more terrified as he flashed his teeth.
He heard the bathroom door opening and his blood pressure spiked. He turned his head in Freya’s direction, bracing himself for another torrent of hostility, but to his great surprise, she flashed him a very beguiling smile.
“Good morning,” she said. “To what do we owe the honor?”
“Hi, Freya. I’ve come to take you to meet the whole clan. As I was explaining to your friends, I want you to be as comfortable here as possible, so it will help if you get to know them. And I’ll be happy to show you around the territory as well.”
“That sounds like a good idea,” she said, stunning him into silence.
“Good,” he said after a small pause. “Let’s go.”
They followed him to Rudy’s bar, where the clan had assembled, and all the way there, he could hear Freya reassuring the other two, telling them that it wasn’t a trick. His spirits lifted a little; at least she trusted him that far.
Chapter Thirteen
Eloise clung onto Freya’s hand as they entered what looked like a wild west saloon, complete with a vast amount of cowboy memorabilia. There were ten gallon hats and chaps hanging from the walls, while an entire wall was plastered with photos of rodeo shows. Western saddles were displayed on hay bales at the corners of the room. But Freya only saw all of these things in a flash, as her attention was quickly diverted by the sight of twenty or so huge men and a third as many women arranged on chairs in the middle of the room. Her breath caught in her throat. Every single on
e of them looked dangerous, and together they were terrifying. Lots of them had scars from flesh wounds, or injuries – cuts, gashes, black eyes and giant bruises – that were still healing. Were they the first humans to be in the presence of bear-shifters, without being protected by glass and wire fences? she wondered idly. As the shifters looked back at her, she identified a whole range of expressions, from anger, hostility to curiosity and hunger. It would’ve been almost comical if it wasn’t so intimidating.
“So here they are,” A very tall, powerfully built man said, springing to his feet. Freya recoiled at the sarcasm evident in his tone. He had cropped, golden brown eyes, and a hard, angular face. His eyes were narrow and pale blue, and there was something hard and unsettling in their expression. He had similar cuts and bruises to the other bears, but his neck was ringed in red gashes that made Freya feel a little queasy.
“Maximus!” Xander thundered. All three of them jumped, but the man merely bared his teeth in a grin that was almost feral. “I’ve warned you,” Xander continued, in a much lower voice.
“Relax, bro,” the man drawled. He moved very close to them, so they were obliged to tip their heads back to continue looking at him.
“The newest members of The Broken Hill Clan. I’m sure you’ll be very happy here,” he said, although his eyes seemed to be saying the opposite. “Maybe you’ve already seen us perform though?” Freya nodded uncertainly, while Marin and Eloise seemed to be frozen. “Oh. You haven’t?” His grin faded fast.
“They’re not big fans of fighting shows. But I did see Xander fight live just the other day,” Freya said quickly.
“Is that so?” he said, looking from one to the other. Freya’s legs were trembling, but she somehow held her ground. Seeming to grow bored of them, he suddenly walked away and melted into the background. Xander stepped forward, a frown creasing his ruggedly handsome face.
“Everyone, this is Freya, and, uh, Marin and Eloise,” he said, indicating each of them with a wave of his hand. “Please make them feel welcome.” There was a flood of ‘Hi’s’ and a few friendly waves. Against her will, Freya found herself waving back. What am I doing? she asked herself. These shifters are the enemy. Every single one of them is colluding in keeping us captive.
“Come and sit down,” a guy with lively blue eyes called, patting to an empty seat beside him. Uncertainly, they walked over and two more seats were found and they all sat down. Freya was startled by the warmth in his eyes. He reminded her of the kind, sporty guys from high school, who were too sport-obsessed to realize that they were good looking.
“What are you all drinking?” another guy asked.
“Beers, I guess,” Freya said hesitantly, and moments later, three foaming mugs of beer were put in front of them.
“We brew our own beer here,” the first guy said. “So I hope you like it. Tell me if you don’t.” They sipped cautiously. It was delicious. Freya had a thing for craft beer, and it was maybe the best one she’d ever tasted. She looked up and was startled to see that the guy was watching her, waiting for her opinion.
“It’s delicious,” she said. “Nice and caramely.” He broke into a delighted grin.
“Caramely! Great!” he said. “Anyway, I’m Braxton.” He extended a huge, meaty paw.
“Freya,” she said, sliding her hand into his, and the girls followed suit.
“And I’m Ryker,” another guy said, sitting on Braxton’s left. Braxton had sparkling blue eyes, with little crinkles at the outer corners and a ready smile. His dark hair was cropped short at the sides and left a little longer on top, and he had a hint of a goatee. Ryker had soft brown eyes with thick lashes, messy brown hair that fell onto his forehead and a wide jaw with a cute dimple in his chin.
“As far as I’m concerned, y’all are very welcome here. It’s nice to have some diversity,” Ryker said. He bumped his full mug of beer against theirs, sloshing it over the edges. “Oops,” he said carelessly.
Little by little, most of the shifters came to greet them, with the exception of a few who stood around at the periphery, watching them with surly faces. Freya made a careful note of them, so she’d remember them later.
Most of the guys were very chatty, speaking to them as if they’d just happened past, instead of being kept there against their will. In another world, it would’ve been a fun situation. Marin and Eloise drank their beer fast, and Freya was glad to see that it had taken the edge off their fear. But she sipped hers very conservatively. She needed to stay clear-headed if her plan was going to have the best chance of success.
She was thinking again, turning over possibilities, when she tuned back into the conversation and discovered that the shifters were asking Marin and Eloise what kind of cabin they wanted built for themselves, while the girls struggled to reply. There seemed something perverse about planning your own jail cell, yet the enthusiasm of the guys was infectious. They clearly couldn’t wait to start building the cabins.
“Ladies, I’d like to introduce my younger brother,” Xander’s voice rumbled from behind her. Freya turned around. “This is Rocco.” She was looking into a pair of blue-green eyes that were a similar shape to Xander’s, but whereas Xander’s had the seriousness of great responsibility, Rocco’s sparkled with mischief. He also had the same colored hair, but his was messy and tangled. He also had a goatee, and a dazzling collection of tattoos covering his arms and chest, creeping all the way up to his neck.
“Hey,” he said in a cool, carefree tone. “I hope you ladies will be happy here. Let me know if you need anything.”
“Sure,” Freya found herself saying. This was starting to feel like the first day at every dumb office job she’d ever done, where you had to greet everyone and be friendly and smiley and make out that you were excited to be joining the team, and all you could think about was how much you wanted to get the hell out of there.
Rocco sat down with them and chatted for a while, telling them about the new Harley he’d just bought, before drifting off again.
A little while later, Xander returned.
“I was planning on taking you on a tour of the territory, so you know where everything is, but you look like you’re all having fun here,” he said.
“No, let’s go,” Freya said immediately.
“I’m not sure your friends will enjoy it,” he said, softly enough that only she could hear him. She glanced at them and agreed. They looked very comfortable chatting to Braxton and Ryker.
“Maybe another time, then,” she said.
“You can come by yourself, and I’ll show them another time.”
“No, I can’t leave them.”
“They’ll be safe here, I promise. Braxton and Ryker will look after them.”
“No, it’s fine. We’ll go another day.” Vertical lines of frustration appeared between his eyebrows.
“Freya, listen,” he said, very softly. “We’re not uncontrollable animals. What you saw at the wrestling match, that was theater. We fight for real. But mainly because we hate the Black Paw Ridge clan so much. But the rest of it – all the roaring and showing off – is an invention to entertain the audience. Yes, the organizers are terrified of us and make us fight in cages. But they don’t need to. They could get rid of all that bulletproof glass and electric wiring, and they’d be perfectly safe. When I tell you that Braxton and Ryker are good guys, please believe me.” Freya glanced at Marin and Eloise doubtfully, not wanting to be separated, but her instincts told her that this might be the best opportunity she’d get.
“Okay,” she said at last. She got up and went to speak to the other two. They seemed in good spirits, chatting away as if they were at a party. Freya supposed that they needed the distraction – they deserved to forget for a little while that they were in a prison.
“I don’t want to leave you guys, but Xander wants to show me something that might be important later. I’ll be back soon. Don’t worry about me.”
“Be careful,” Marin said, and they returned to their conversations. Fre
ya made sure that her secret weapon was still in her pocket where she’d put it that morning, and followed Xander as he walked away from the bar.
Chapter Fourteen
As Xander led Freya into the forest, a bolt of adrenaline hit her at the thought of being alone with him. She was having a hard time hating him as much as she should. From the moment she saw him that morning, her nerves had been sensitized. He was so ridiculously sexy. So huge and overbearing and muscular, with those sexy scars marking his arms. And the deep, rumbling pitch of his voice seemed to go right through her. She found herself wishing that he was a normal guy, that she’d met in her local bar back home, instead of being her captor.
“I can carry you on my back, if you like?” Xander offered as the trees became more dense. She shuddered inwardly at the thought of climbing onto the back of bear, having it move beneath her. She shuddered even more at the thought of seeing him naked before he shifted.
“No, I’m good thanks,” she said, more curtly than she’d intended.
“Just as well, as it would limit our communication somewhat,” he said, good-naturedly.
“Do you bears communicate when you’re in your bear form?” she asked, aware that she needed to make conversation to encourage him to relax.
“Yup. We communicate verbally, through all kinds of sounds. You’ll get used to them in time. Although, we usually shift when we need to discuss something important.”
“Does that mean that you spend a lot of time as bears when you’re in your territory?”
Bear in the Rough: Bear Shifter Romance (Broken Hill Bears Book 1) Page 11