“Yeah, I guess so. A few of our lion shifters huddled up for protection with some others—I still don’t know what they are—safety in any kind of numbers, I guess.”
“Makes sense. Bear Paw is kind of like that. But now that Bo’s officially taken over as Alpha, I think things are going to settle down even more.” She cocked her head and turned back to Traeger. “You’re the Alpha’s son. Why didn’t you take over and rebuild your pride? Hey, no offense, Grumpier Cat, just asking a valid question. Stop your snarling before I smack your snout.”
The low rumbling in his chest stopped—maybe because Noah had elbowed him in the ribs, hard—and he looked up at her, his eyes far away. “We had to get away for a while. I’m not proud of our decision, but…” He ran his fingers through his hair. “It was just too hard.” Scowling, he stood and turned away from them. “I’ve got to return a call.”
“Is he okay? I didn’t mean to piss him off. Sorry.”
Noah smiled at her and took her hand. “When Mom”—he swallowed hard—“was killed, we both had a lot of stuff to figure out. We took the blame for her death, and it was hard staying anywhere close.” He closed his eyes for a moment then reopened them. “If we’d known that our pride would be decimated, impoverished, threatened to extinction because those sadistic bastards came in, we would have… He clenched his fists, and Sam drew him into a hug.
“Hey, listen to me. It’s not your fault. You couldn’t have known what the future would bring, and it definitely wasn’t your fault your mother died.”
“That part, we all have to agree to disagree on,” he said sadly.
“What happened?”
“I shifted. Traeger froze. Mom was shot in the head. It was over within seconds.” His eyes blurred with unshed tears. “I should have protected her. I should have—”
Sam kissed him. It was the only thing she could think of at the time. Hell if she wasn’t the queen of inappropriate timing, but poor Dimples was about to cry, and the only thing more heartbreaking than a strong man crying was a strong man with dimples, crying. Besides, if he wrecked right there, she would lose it, too. And Sam did not lose it. So, she thrust her tongue into his mouth as she gripped the sides of his head.
He returned the kiss tentatively at first, then his fire ignited and he pulled her onto his lap and kissed her back, like he was a man dying of thirst and she was the only one who could save him. It was hot, the way he suddenly went from sweet, shy sweet guy to the man who could make her panties combust in seconds. She ground against him, not caring that they were in a public park and it was only 8:30 a.m. She should care. Hell. She was more responsible than this, but the things this man did to her.
She fisted his shirt and moaned when he nibbled his way down her neck and collarbone. She loved kissing Noah. It was like fireworks and roller-coasters at the same time. The firm ridges of his abdomen beneath her torso as she got closer to him, his hard length pressing between her legs as she continued to kiss him for all she was worth…
A low clearing of a throat paused them, and they looked up into the dark eyes of Traeger. “You kids might want to take that to a room next time.”
“Sorry about that, man.” Noah practically shoved her off from him then stood and discretely adjusted himself. What the fuck? Did Grumpy Cat have a say in who Dimples kissed? To hell with that! If she wanted to screw Noah into oblivion—granted a private room was probably better than a park bench, but still—that was their prerogative.
Traeger rolled his eyes at them before addressing Noah. “Sex is a moot point right now, anyway. I just got off the phone with Stone and Bo. We need to go check on Henrietta and confirm some information about her attack yesterday.”
“Want me to come?”
“No.” I wish you could, but not this time, sweet bearling. Traeger’s voice sounded in her head, and Sam jolted. His mouth was still firmly closed, and his gaze looked angry and uncompromising. But his voice had been loving and pained.
“How’d you do that?”
“Do what?”
“You know damn well what. You just called me an endearment in my freaking head.”
“I heard something, too,” Noah said.
Trae’s eyes widened then went back to their cool angry gaze. “You must be overly tired. I know better than to call you something like that.” He shrugged with a cold grin. “I don’t want to lose my balls, right?” He was tossing her words right back in her face, and it pissed her off.
“But—”
Traeger cut Noah off with a dirty look. “We need to go. And no, she can’t come. Miss Henrietta is too shaken up, still. She’s only allowing us in because we were former pride members. Just hang tight, and we’ll be back in a few hours.”
“Whatever, asshole,” she grumbled and turned to stalk off. “I have lunch date anyway. Just text me if you need me.”
“Lunch date with who?” he growled in her face.
“It’s whom, Grumpy Cat, and you don’t have any right to know. I’ll see you in a few hours.” She gave Noah a quick kiss on the cheek and stalked off before she said something stupid. Like begged them to take her with them or ask why the hell she had heard his voice in her damn head. The only time she’d heard of that happening was with Alpha mates, and she sure as shit wasn’t mating with that Neanderthal dickwad. His brother? Sweet, sexy, kind, funny. He could be fun to play with, but her bear was still wavering between both men. So, what the hell was going on? Maybe she was going crazy? Yeah, cray cray with a capital C.
~.~
Trae
Trae accepted the cup of hot tea from the nice elderly shifter and smiled. “You know, we’re happy to help you, Miss Henrietta. You don’t have to serve us.”
“Pish posh,” she said, her eyelids wrinkling as she handed Noah his cup and sat down in her big easy chair. “I’m already walking without a limp, and my bruises are fading fast. Not as fast as when I was your age, but, hey, ya can’t fight the years too much.”
“Well, thank you. It smells just like when we were kids.” Trae inhaled, the scent of the peppermint and lemon bringing back memories of better days, when things were easier.
“I would have baked you some cookies, too, but my oven’s busted.”
“I’ll look at it after we talk, but you don’t have to bake us any cookies, ma’am. You should be resting.” Noah leaned forward with a smile and set his cup down.
This was bringing back so many amazing memories for Trae. How many times had he and Noah sat in these very spots, drinking Miss H’s tea while trying to see who could scarf down the plate of cookies faster. He could still visualize Granny Elias with her yarn and hooks chatting a million miles a minute with Miss H while pretending to ignore both boys practically choking on the cookies they inhaled.
“You do know I gave her that recipe, right?”
“The molasses cookies?” Trae asked and set his cup on the coffee table.
“Yeah, the one you fool boys always fought over. But, hey, where I was a champ in the kitchen, no one could beat her in her knitting department.”
Trae smiled, remembering all the socks and sweaters still piled in a box in the back of his closet because he didn’t have the heart to give any of it away. Too many memories, scents, textures. Those were the days when Mom was still alive, and when Granny Elias and Miss H were just loud, , lovable older women who fed them tea and cookies. He shook himself out of the nostalgic moment and got serious.
“Miss Henrietta, we’re glad you’re okay. But, now, you’ve got to help us figure out what happened. We need to see if this was an isolated event or something related to your capture.”
“How are you recovering from the prison time?” Noah broke in, giving Trae a meaningful glare.
“I’m fine. I was only at that dreadful place for a month or so, and honestly, I think they were afraid I was so old I might keel over from a heart attack or something. I may have played up the little old helpless woman bit, so they mostly left me alone.” She gave an impish grin tha
t had both Noah and him laughing.
“Helpless my ass,” Trae chuckled.
“You watch your language in my house, son. I still use soap for dirty mouths.”
That straightened him and Noah quick. “Yes, ma’am, we remember.”
“So, back to the attack yesterday. Do you remember anything? Human or shifter? Male or female? Any weird scents or sounds?” Noah asked.
Her brow furrowed, and she tilted her head. “Hmmm, honestly, I don’t remember much. I was feeding the chickens, then it got really quiet. My hair stood straight up, and I turned. But before I could do anything, I was hit several times hard in the head and gut and back. Oh, hush, boys, I’m fine now.” She sat straighter and continued. “I think I heard something that sounded like a growl, maybe a feline, maybe wolf. I can’t remember too well. But it was low and deadly. I was already woozy and nauseous, so I couldn’t smell nothing. I can’t tell you if it was a real animal or shifter. Large, I think, so probably male. It slashed me in the arms when I protected my head, and I think the only thing that stopped it from killing me right there was the gunshot.”
“That was Mayor Sandro,” Trae said, still trying to tamp down on the fury building within him. This woman was like a second grandmother to them, and she’d been hurt. He’d find the bastard—shifter or not—and kill him slowly for even thinking of attacking the sweet old woman.
“Yeah, he says he didn’t get a good look, either. He was too far away, and all he heard were my cries and the snarls. My attacker bolted before the mayor got to me. I guess he carried me back to my house and called your friends, the bears. They have a healer.”
“Well, you’re going back into town and staying with some friends until we get this cleared up,” Trae said, ignoring the older woman’s surprised look.
“I’m not leaving my home because some punk got the jump on me.” Her eyes flashed with her lioness. She might be older than both he and Noah, combined, but she was still a force to be reckoned with.
“Miss Henrietta, we’re only trying to keep you safe, and get you out of our way so we can conduct a thorough investigation without being distracted by your cookies and tea.” Noah added a smile to charm the older lady. He was good at stuff like that. Softening Traeger’s communication.
Her low harrumph showed she wasn’t quite buying it as she wrapped her arms around her chest.
“I’m not asking you, I’m telling you.” Trae held up a finger to stop Noah from speaking and turned back to the sputtering woman. “You will pack a bag for a few nights. You will call one of your friends who lives in town. And you will let us drive your ornery ass somewhere safe so we can do our thing.”
Her teeth bared as she emitted a low rumble, and he stood up and released an even bigger growl. It started from deep in his chest and worked its way up his throat, rumbling out between his sharp fangs as he stared down at the lioness shifter.
What she did next, surprised him. She laughed one of those cackles that always showed how tickled she was, then the corners of her mouth tilted up into a wide smile. Meeting his gaze directly, she tilted her head in submission, baring her neck to him. “Your granny and I waited way too long for you to get your head out of your rear end and Alpha up. Are you ready to stop running, and take your place as our pride’s leader?”
He sighed and sat back down, the couch creaking under his weight. “There is no more pride, Miss H, and I’m not—”
“Don’t finish that sentence, son.” Henrietta’s gaze shone with remorse. “You’re readier than you realize. Both of you. You just let me know when you’re ready. Yah, okay. I’ll head over to Trudy and James’ place for a while. But you still need to fix that damn oven.”
“Language.” Noah’s eyes widened with mirth.
“Yes, it was. You boys hold tight while I go pack my bags.”
When Henrietta left the room, both men sat back down. Trae let out a few deep breaths and thought through all the shit going on. He did feel the Alpha connection, especially back here on Miss Henrietta’s land. He even felt the bond calling Noah as his beta. Together, they would be unstoppable. They’d each need their own mate, of course. Yeah, the pride had had some remarkable triads in the past—a long time ago—but it took a strong team to form a triad. Trae could as Miss Henrietta put it Alpha-up. And Noah would be a remarkable beta. The best. Together, they were unstoppable and could bring back the glory of the pride. But not as a triad. A triad meant Alpha and beta working as one, reading each other’s thoughts, in tune with each other’s actions even before the other moved. It also meant a female worthy of the title, standing between them, gloriously commanding respect and gaining the trust of their fellow shifters.
But Trae couldn’t do that to her. Couldn’t saddle Sam with the burden he carried or the darkness that followed him. She was worthy of so much more than him. As strong as she was, and perfect as an Alpha’s mate, Sam would be amazing with his brother. Being wife to beta might not give her the title she deserved, but it would also keep her safe. From Trae. She should be with Noah.
Would any of the lionesses come back and agree to be Trae’s mate? The thought turned his stomach sour. He didn’t want just any female. He wanted Sam. But she hated him. Besides, he’d seen enough of the sweet, romantic spark going on between Noah and her, and Trae, as much of an asshole as he was, would never get in the way of his brother’s true mating call. Even if the thought of not having her did tear his heart into a million pieces and make him want to jump off the nearest cliff.
No, Sam was better off with someone true and kind and brave, like Noah. Besides, Noah hadn’t gotten their mother killed. Traeger had.
~.~
Nine years earlier…
Traeger
“You don’t know what you’re doing, man.” Traeger fought the terror building in his throat. He might throw up right there. Frozen by the horrifying scene in front of him, he couldn’t have moved if his life depended on it. And two lives fucking did! Noah and his mother kneeled in front of the asshole who had the crazy gleam and unshed tears in his eyes while fucking smiling. Gabriel Fowler had a pistol—a pretty damn big one—pointed at the back of his mother’s head and a hunting knife to his brother’s throat.
“I don’t know what I’m doing?” Gabriel laughed, that high-pitched giggle that made Trae want to crawl out of his skin. “Bro, I know exactly what I’m doing. I’m making you choose. Pick one to live, and the other to die. It’s simple fifty-fifty.”
“Why are you doing this?”
“I want her, and you’re standing in my way. You made her shun me, hate me, revile me. A mother should love her children no matter what, no matter what they look like, whether they can shift or not. She threw me out…” His eyes widened as the madness crept even further into him, his hands shaking with rage. He was going to fucking kill both of them if he wasn’t careful.
“You’re not talking about my mother anymore, are you?” Trae had to tread carefully. His lion was agitated, ready to pounce and kill the fucker. Trae needed to remain calm so they could all get out of this.
Gabriel shook his head, squeezed his eyes shut for a moment and then refocused on him again. “No, your mother is the mother I should have had. Instead of that bitch. I killed her in her sleep when I found her last year. It was easy. The knife went right through her throat, like butter. She gurgled and flailed while I smiled and watched her take her last breaths. She knew I killed her, and I would do it all over again if I could.”
“But you don’t want to kill Mom. She’s done nothing to you but show you kindness.” Noah’s voice carried even though he was speaking quietly.
“Kindness?” The crazy rage was back as Gabriel dug the knife a little deeper into Noah’s neck. “Is it kind to lead a man on and let him think you can be friends and then push your feelings aside and run away when your idiot sons tell you to? All I wanted was to be loved! You took that away from me, and now I’ll take it away from you!” He cocked the hammer back on the pistol. “Decide now, or I
kill them both.”
Traeger couldn’t move. He was fucking frozen right there. His legs felt like they were stuck in cement, and his heart beat a million miles a minute in his chest. His lion roared and thrashed inside him, begging to be released. But he still couldn’t move as the both weapons pressed further in to decide the fate of the two people he loved most. He couldn’t open his mouth to scream. His fists wouldn’t unclench from the magnetic pull at his thighs. He could not move as the threat grew in front of him.
“Just kill me, Gabriel.” His mother’s soft voice became bold and firm. “I know you don’t want to continue this hatred that’s eating you up inside, so get it over with. Finish me and be at peace.”
“I can’t,” he sobbed. “I love you too much to lose you.” The gun whipped away from his mother and pointed at Trae. “I’ll take out my biggest threat to your love instead.”
Trae watched as several things happened at once, in slow motion, like a movie projector had slowed time to show every tiny detail of the scene.
Noah’s tiger surged to the front. The trigger pulled. His mother shoved up into a standing position and dove on top of the gun. The explosion thundered in his ears, deafening him for a moment. His mother fell to the ground, and Noah’s tiger surged up to lash Gabriel against the chest with a vicious roar. Then the tiger rushed away from Gabriel and crashed onto the ground next to their dying mother. Traeger fell to his knees and reached to them with shaky hands, but all he could do was watch the light fade from her beautiful eyes as the tiger let out a pained whine then placed its head over her still form. The red soaked into Noah’s paws. Tiger whining like a cub. Gabriel gone, leaving a trail of blood to follow. And Traeger reaching yet never quite touching his mother’s face. She was gone. And Traeger’s heart along with her.
Traeger’s claws extended, and he slashed at his own face in rage. The bitter blood blurring his vision and choking him didn’t satisfy the bone agonizing need to hurt something. The whimpering of his younger brother, still in tiger form, licking their mother’s cheeks, stopped Traeger. When all was done, their mother buried, the pride notified, Trae made sure the scars would be his to bear forever. He ignored the need to shift, staying in human form for weeks. He didn’t want to shift and accidentally heal them. He deserved his scars. Because of his inability to protect the female closest to them, she was dead, Noah was changed, and Traeger was scarred. Everyone needed to see that. Their small pride left, one by one. Without an Alpha’s wife, an Alpha and beta in training there to protect them, they knew they had nothing. Trae and Noah hit the road one week after they buried their mother.
A Lion, A Tiger and Her Bear...Oh My!: A Howls Romance (The Mates of Bear Paw River Book 4) Page 7