by Zoe Chant
Or it's a shifter hiding in this town, living among the humans.
Kayden sighed deeply. That would mean trouble, too. Of course, with their entire clan against a lonely shifter, there was no doubt that they could claim this territory by force, if they had to.
But I don't want this new life to start with violence. Also, the more trouble we cause, the more likely that Iron Fang will get wind of where we vanished to.
Human settlements were off limits for shifter wars. Keeping their existence secret was of the utmost importance. If Iron Fang sent his enforcers into a small town like Linden Creek to openly fight them, that would cause huge problems with the entire shifter community.
Iron Fang was powerful and rich, and as long as he stuck to the vast lands he'd claimed up north, no one cared how he ruled his territories, or what crimes he and his enforcers were caught up in.
But as soon as he risked open war here among the humans, even his dirty underworld money wouldn't save him.
Iron Fang won't come here. He won't dare it. In the end, he cares more about his money and power than he cares about losing a part of his clan, his bear grumbled.
Kayden nodded slowly. He won’t risk open war... But what if he sends a bear or two after us? Someone smart enough to hide in the forest and wait for a good moment when one of us is alone? I won’t risk even a single life.
His bear growled. So as long as we’ll deal with Blood Claw, we’ll be safe.
He lost my trail when I went upstream in that creek that led me to Sidney's garden, Kayden replied silently. But he must know I'm close. As soon as I leave this town, he'll come for me. My escape is an insult he can’t let stand, or he’ll lose all respect in the clan.
Within him, his bear roared in challenge.
Let him come, his bear growled. If he dares to threaten our mate, we will settle this once and for all. No one will touch our mate.
That was the other problem. Now that Kayden had found his mate, he was vulnerable. He could be hurt.
Would Blood Claw use a human to get to him? Blood Claw had always seemed too honorable to involve innocents in a fight, but Kayden couldn't chance it. Sidney was too important to him. She still didn't know about his people, and he wasn't yet sure how to bring it up.
You've pledged yourself to her. You're working on her clan meeting, his bear growled. Once that is over and her clan knows your scent, and that you are trustworthy, you can introduce her to our clan.
Kayden chuckled a little.
It's not quite that easy for humans, he said in response, but I guess you are right. She's very stressed right now. That wedding is very important to her. She wants it all to go perfectly. Once it is over, I'll tell her—and I'll deal with Blood Claw. One way or another, this will be over, and I will make sure that she is safe.
***
Kayden ran. The ground was soft beneath his powerful paws. Every now and then he stopped, raised his nose into the wind and inhaled the scent of the night air, all of his senses alert. But all he smelled was the clear, pine-scented air, the moss he had crushed beneath his paws and the tantalizing trails of deer and rabbits.
An owl hooted somewhere in the canopy above him. The forest was gloomy, lit by the moon.
He was close now. Returning to his clan was a risk—what if he drew Blood Claw to this peaceful, small town he had found? Even if shifter laws said no open fights in a human settlement, could he trust the other shifter to stick to those rules?
Still, when he’d turned back into his human form on Sidney’s patio, he’d woken with nothing but her sheet to cover himself with. He needed to return to where he’d left his most important belongings.
He also needed to talk to his clan, although he doubted that they had remained. The danger Blood Claw posed was too great. The others would have run. They’d gather in one of the safe places they’d scouted out and wait for Kayden to return.
To fully investigate this small town would take him at least a week. In theory, the others should wait for his return and stay hidden as well as they could.
In practice...
Kayden turned his head. A warning grumble escaped his throat.
From behind a tree, a bear with an almost undetectable limp came forward. The moon shone onto his dark fur. His eyes gleamed.
Then he shifted back.
“What went wrong?” the man asked and leaned against the trunk of the tree, the moon illuminating his pale hair and strong limbs.
Kayden showed his teeth. The clan was supposed to hide—but as usual, Darrell had a hard time following simple orders.
“Nothing went wrong,” he said when he’d shifted back as well. He fixed Darrell with a displeased look. “I drew Blood Claw away from the clan. He lost my trail when I went into a creek. Just as we’d planned for such a situation. So what the hell are you doing here? He could track you back to the clan.”
Darrell shrugged, his eyes narrowing. “He won’t track me. You’re not the only one here who’s been born and bred to fight. Could I take him on my own? Maybe not. But I damn well know how to shake him off my trail in the goddamn forest.”
A little growl of warning escaped Kayden, and after a moment passed, Darrell reluctantly raised his hands.
“Anyway,” Darrell said. “I knew you’d be back sooner or later. Knowing you, it would be sooner. So how’s things?”
“I scouted the town. It’s peaceful. Quiet. Real nice,” Kayden said, a reluctant smile spreading across his face. “Families, small businesses, and tourists coming to hike in the summer. It probably won’t cause too much talk if we buy some land nearby in the forest.”
“Nice,” Darrell said, and now, for the first time, he lost his bristling aggression, his voice wistful. “A good town for a good clan. Perfect for raising a family, yeah?”
Kayden nodded. “Perfect,” he agreed softly, thinking with a shiver of need of the perfection of Sidney’s body against him.
“But,” he then continued in warning, “we can’t act too fast. Every now and then I catch a whiff of something that’s off. A trace of bear.”
“Blood Claw,” Darrell said immediately, his face turning grim. “If he’s on his own, we can wipe him out. This is human territory, but who will know? We just need to be careful, make sure it looks like two bears fighting in case the police comes snooping...”
“No.” Kayden shook his head, his voice hard. “Absolutely not. Not here. Not now. We can’t lose this chance. This is what we’ve worked for. Freedom, Darrell! A life without Iron Fang ruling us. We have to do it by the rules. We’ll get in trouble with more than human authorities if this escalates and turns into a shifter fight in a human town.”
With a sigh, Darrell pushed himself off the trunk. “If you say so. But if he shows up in the town... You know how strong he is. You can’t take him on your own. Lure him back to us if there’s no other way. We’ll finish him off together. No one in the town will ever know.”
“I’ll keep watch,” Kayden said. “I’m staying in a B&B in town. They think I’m a hiker who got lost. Everyone’s really friendly; I’m hearing lots of gossip. Think you can manage for a week without me?”
Darrell nodded. “We’re safe. Well hidden, and we’ve got food enough. Find us a good spot to settle down, Kayden. We’ll wait.”
Kayden gave him a brisk nod, then he shifted back again. A rustling in the bushes was the only sign of Darrell vanishing back into the forest like a shadow.
Darrell’s fur was almost black, and despite his size and strength he was scarily good at moving silently. As a soldier among Iron Fang’s enforcers, he’d been deadly.
Kayden wondered all of a sudden how he’d take settling down. They’d never really known that life of freedom and peace they had dreamed of. What if it would cause problems?
Then, determined, he shook his head. He couldn’t worry about that now. And his clan wouldn’t disappoint him. They’d sacrificed too much for this chance. None of them would do anything to endanger their dream.
&n
bsp; It would be work—but in the end, it would be worth it. Anything worth having was worth working for.
Slowly, Kayden made his way towards an old tree. It was hollow. He pushed his snout into the opening and bit down. A second later, he pulled out a tightly wrapped bundle, containing money, ID, and his phone. He’d had time to hide them before Blood Claw had picked up his trail. And thankfully, he hadn’t been able to track his scent back to the tree.
With the small bundle held securely between his teeth, he began trotting back towards the small town.
Once he reached the edge of the forest, he shifted back and pulled on his clothes: jeans, sneakers and a simple shirt. His wallet and phone, he stuffed into his pocket, and then he began wandering back towards the B&B, like any other tourist might who’d come to this quiet town to explore the picturesque forests and lakes surrounding it.
This was a place where they could be happy, where they could settle to raise their cubs and keep their secret.
Unless Blood Claw finds me and decides to fight it out here.
Unsettled, Kayden looked around. It was late; the streets were as good as abandoned. Could Blood Claw hide in such a place? He’d stick out like a sore thumb.
I have to be prepared for anything. At all time.
Let him come, his bear growled fiercely. Let him challenge me here, in my home, and I will teach him a lesson he won’t forget.
Kayden looked around at the houses surrounded by generous gardens, the bright windows where families were getting ready to go to bed, the occasional couple outside on a porch.
How easy their lives seemed. They did not know anything of danger. They did not even know that shifters existed, beyond the stories of werewolves they told to scare children.
It would have been easy to resent them, or to look down on them for it.
Instead, Kayden found himself jealous, a sudden loneliness rising up within him. This was what he wanted for the clan who had followed him.
And this was what he wanted for himself. A life that wasn’t based on fear and violence. He wanted a home. A real home.
And he wanted his mate there with him.
***
Kayden used the next day to explore the town some more. He scouted out the best places to make a quick escape, until his mind held a mental map of streets and gardens and the fastest ways to leave popular spots where people gathered. In case of an attack by Blood Claw, he'd be able to make his way into the forest in a matter of minutes.
When he returned to his room in the B&B after his walk, he found a note from Sidney waiting for him. The paper was bright green and decorated with tiny cartoon astronauts; she clearly got her supply from her library.
Dress fitting today! it read. Sorry, girls only. Keep your afternoon free if you can, I've got plans for you!
Kayden raised an eyebrow, amused and intrigued, and unable to forget the way she had come apart beneath him.
He hadn’t dared to bring up mates yet, although every instinct in him wanted to claim her as his forever. But with her worries about the wedding, he was afraid that he might scare her off if he moved too quickly.
Had she felt the same overwhelming connection? He wasn't sure how it went for non-shifters. Iron Fang hadn't allowed his clan to mate with outsiders. But the way she had looked at him...
“She has to feel the same,” he whispered. “She has to!”
This was what he had fought for. Why they had run. For freedom—and for the right to find their own mates.
And now that he knew what it felt like to find his mate, he knew that he couldn't go back, no matter what.
I'd rather die than leave this town. Blood Claw will have to kill me first.
His landlady, who was old and tiny and had hair the color of iron, insisted on preparing him a large platter of sandwiches for lunch. Before he’d even taken a first bite, Kayden found out why. For half an hour, Kayden found himself most skillfully questioned and cross-examined, until it felt like the old lady knew more about his feelings for Sidney than even he himself did.
Fortunately, if there was one thing his landlady liked better than gossip about her guest’s love life, it was gossip about weddings. While he finished his sandwiches, he changed the topic to the upcoming wedding. By the time Sidney arrived, he’d been brought up to date regarding all the rumors about what the brides would be wearing and how long until they’d be blessed with children.
While they walked to where Sidney had parked her car, he recounted some of those rumors to Sidney, who laughed at the outrageous stories.
“A ten-story cake? Come on, Eve loves to bake, but she isn’t crazy.” Sidney slid her hand into his, her eyes gleaming as she tried to suppress her giggles. “This is her wedding, not a promo event for her bakery. All she cares about is making sure that the day will be fun for everyone. She wants to be happy, not win a bakery contest!”
Kayden chuckled softly. “Then I’m sure you’ve also heard about the rumor that all the bridesmaids will be wearing short dresses of red lace...”
“Eww,” Sidney said and wrinkled her nose. “For a wedding? No way! How do they even come up with these rumors?”
“Oh, I’m sure lace would look lovely on you,” Kayden murmured, and then his smile widened. “Actually, I think she was just trying to see if I’d spill some secrets. You might not know it, but apparently the brides’ dresses are the most sought-after secret of Linden Creek...”
Sidney groaned. “Do I ever know it! Auntie May has been trying to get all the details from me for the entire past month.”
“I think they’ve got a betting pool going.” Kayden was barely able to hold back his laughter. “I felt a bit like I’d ended up at some back alley poker game—only with the venue decorated in pastels and doilies and wallpaper from the seventies.”
“Trust you to find the seedy side of small town life within days of your arrival.” Sidney grinned at him, then suddenly turned earnest. “I realize I should have asked much earlier, but... how long are you planning on staying?”
Kayden’s smile widened. “It’s okay, I think we were both somewhat distracted yesterday...”
Sidney blushed and then lightly boxed his shoulder. “No, be serious. I still don’t quite know what happened. So I know you went hiking, which must mean that this is a vacation for you, but how did you—”
Kayden took a deep breath. “I fear I have a confession to make,” he murmured. “I wasn’t really hiking. It’s more that I’m—you could say I represent a large family who’s looking for a quiet spot to relocate to.”
“So you’re a what, a real estate agent?” Sidney stopped to look him up and down, her initial frown soon changing into a relieved smile. “Well, that’s going to go over much better with my Mom. Not—not that you have to tell her the truth about you if you don’t want,” she hastened to add.
“I’d prefer not to talk about details until it’s all settled,” Kayden said softly.
He felt bad, for he still hadn’t told Sidney the entire truth. He was trying to relocate his clan—he’d just left out the part about being shifters, and on the run from their former clan alpha plus his most dangerous enforcer.
“Right,” Sidney said. “You’d probably drive up prices a lot if sellers here were to know that you’ve got several clients wanting to buy!”
That would work well enough as an explanation, and so Kayden nodded reluctantly. He hated having to lie to his mate, but for now, the safety of his clan rested on him. He couldn’t fail them. They’d sacrificed too much to make it here.
Money was fortunately not much of a problem. Iron Fang had been a despot and a cruel leader involved in a hundred criminal activities, but he’d paid well. As much as clan life had been tightly regulated, as soon as someone made it up the ranks of Iron Fang’s soldiers, he was very well rewarded for his service.
It was one of the reason why not many had ever tried to run. Of course, the other reason was that so far, everyone who had tried had been hunted down and killed.
But this time, it was different. Kayden hadn’t run on his own. There were twenty of them. There were families, women, children. And they’d claim a human town as their territory.
Iron Fang couldn’t come after them here. He wouldn’t risk that sort of war with the entire shifter community.
He wouldn’t, Kayden told himself again.
And if he does, we’ll kill him, the feral bear inside him growled.
***
Contemplatively, Kayden ran the pad of his thumb over the smooth silk of the tie he held in his hand.
“So when you said you had plans for me, you didn't mean—”
“Shh,” Sidney hushed him quickly, pressing a finger to his lips. A giggle escaped her before the shop assistant returned with yet another suit.
“Later,” she murmured, her eyes gleaming playfully. “For now, I need to make sure that you're appropriately dressed for the wedding. Remember, I need you to—”
“Impress your Mom and your sister Karen and probably half a dozen cousins and aunts I haven't yet met, I know.” Kayden groaned.
The shop assistant gave him a pitying look, then hastened away once more when Sidney returned the collection of ties he'd presented them with before.
“Sorry!” There was laughter in Sidney’s voice. Somehow she didn't sound apologetic at all. “I just wasn't sure whether you'd have anything appropriate...”
“That's what happens when you commandeer a random hiker who stumbles naked into your garden,” Kayden murmured.
“So far I haven't had a reason to regret my choice.” Boldly, Sidney reached out to run her hand down his chest. “Mm, I like that shirt on you.”
“Yes, so much better than a sheet,” he teased. “Let's hope your Mom agrees.”
“Oh God, don't remind me.” With a wince, Sidney chose one of the suits.
Kayden eyed it in approval. It was a classic cut in a simple, elegant charcoal black, but with enough space for his shoulders and arms. The first few suits he'd tried on had been rather lacking in that department. Finally the shop assistant had begun to bring out what he called the modern, athletic fit.