by Zoe Chant
Kayden roared in pain when Blood Claw’s paw opened deep, burning lines from his chest to his stomach. The wounds were bleeding heavily; he could feel the wetness of his own blood matting his fur.
With every breath he took, pain was throbbing through him. When he skidded across the ground, he had to shake his head to get rid of the dizziness that threatened to overwhelm his senses.
Blood Claw gave him no time to recover.
A second later the black bear was back atop him. Hot breath hit Kayden’s face. Again they rolled across the ground together.
Blood Claw’s paws opened new wounds all across Kayden’s back, but this time, Kayden gave back as good as he got. He buried his fangs deep into his attacker’s flank, biting down as hard as he could while Blood Claw roared in pain.
When they parted this time, Kayden barely felt the pain, although he noticed how his body’s strength was waning. Dimly he registered that he was still losing blood. Was Blood Claw planning to draw out this fight until exhaustion and blood loss forced him to surrender?
Never, his bear roared. Never! I’ll die for my clan if I have to!
His heart was pounding in his chest. Every beat echoed through him like the tolling of a giant bell. He heard Sidney cry out again, and through the bond between them, he could feel her fear and pain.
You cannot die! Don’t you dare, her voice cried out. Surrender if you have to! I don’t care as long as you are alive!
It took a moment until he realized that those words hadn’t been spoken out loud. The mate bond had sent her thoughts to him. Danger and love had strengthened the bond. And with it came not only her fear, but also an overpowering sense of love. Her warmth was wrapping around him, dulling the pain of his wounds, restoring the strength of the blood he had lost.
I love you, he thought back, the fury of his bear receding for a moment as a deep awareness filled him. I love you.
He could not surrender. Not out of pride or his bear’s instincts. But if he surrendered, what would happen to Sidney? Iron Fang was cruel. He might order her killed because she had seen too much. To him, she as a human held little worth.
To me, she is everything.
He took a deep breath. Suddenly, he was calm. He knew now what he had to do.
The instinct was old—older than this forest. Older than their clan. Perhaps it was as old as the times when their forebears had crossed half the world on a bridge of ice between continents that no longer existed.
My life for hers, he thought, offering it up silently to the green trees that surrounded them, the blue sky that stretched above them, the ancient heart of the forest that had nurtured bear clans for as long as they had roamed the world.
My life for hers.
Then he attacked.
Even wounded, Kayden’s strength was still enormous. He barreled into the powerful body of Blood Claw. He didn’t feel any fear or weakness now; there was only fierce determination. When Blood Claw’s jaw snapped shut in front of his face, he drew his lips back for a grin, baring his own fangs. Once more his hind paw found an opening in Blood Claw’s defenses, and he drew blood again as he slashed across Blood Claw’s belly with all his might.
Despite the pain, his opponent didn’t relent. Kayden had drawn blood—but the attack had left him wide open to Blood Claw’s teeth.
Blood Claw used his chance. Burning pain and panic shot through Kayden as at last, Blood Claw’s jaw closed around his throat. Sharp fangs pierced his skin. The crushing pressure was nearly unbearable. Already it was impossible to breathe.
Kayden could hear Sidney cry out again in terror even as dark spots began dancing in front of his eyes.
He had lost.
But what Blood Claw didn’t know was that Kayden had opened himself up to his attack deliberately.
With Blood Claw already victorious, concentrating on burying his teeth deeper into Kayden’s throat, Kayden gathered what was left of his strength for what he knew would be his final chance.
His left paw slashed straight across Blood Claw’s face. Just as Kayden had intended, for a moment Blood Claw couldn’t see when blood came spilling down.
With a furious roar of pain, Blood Claw reared back—and one last time, Kayden barreled into him. He didn’t have much strength left, but it was enough for this last outpouring of determination.
With Blood Claw temporarily blinded and distracted by the pain, he wasn’t prepared for the full force of Kayden’s weight hitting him. They went down together—and then there was another roar of pain that suddenly turned into a human groan.
Blood Claw had shifted back. And as Kayden stood over him, weakened and still bleeding from multiple wounds himself, he slowly realized that he’d done it. He had won.
Below him, Blood Claw was on the ground, one of his legs bent at an unnatural angle. He was pale, the strong, scarred body gleaming with sweat, bleeding profusely from a long gash across his face.
Kayden lowered his head. He parted his jaw.
He’d end it all now. One bite would be all it took. His mate and his clan could live in safety.
Say goodbye, Blood Claw, he growled silently, parting his mouth to show his fangs—and then there was a shout, and something touched his shoulder.
Even before he turned his head, he knew who it was.
Sidney.
“Don’t,” she said quietly. “Don’t. You once told me that you ran because you didn’t want that life of violence. Then don’t start your new life like this. Let him go.”
Kayden looked down at Blood Claw again. He growled softly. It would be so easy. One quick bite, and all their troubles would be over...
“Kayden,” Sidney said again.
Her hand touched his face once more, this time with more determination. Despite the blood on his face, she took hold of him and forced him to meet her eyes.
“I’m not afraid of you,” she said, stroking along his powerful jaw. “You’re better than that.”
His bear was still full of rage, but at her touch, even the beast inside his heart suddenly grew a little calmer.
I’m not, he said silently, hoping she could hear him through their bond as well. I’m not. But you make me want to be...
Reluctantly, he took a step backward, releasing Blood Claw.
The man was still panting for breath, his chest heaving as blood kept dripping from his wounds. When Kayden moved off him, his eyes suddenly opened and he struggled into a sitting position.
“No,” Blood Claw forced out, his voice a soft growl. “No. Don’t you dare. End this. Here. Now!”
Kayden took a deep breath. Then he shifted back. Immediately Sidney’s arm came around him to support him.
“No,” Kayden said simply. “I won’t kill you. Go back. Don’t return to my territory again.”
“No!” Blood Claw roared weakly. “Kill me! Kill me now, or I swear you will regret it—!”
Suddenly, he fell silent. A sharp blade had been pressed to his throat. Sidney gasped in shock—but Kayden wasn’t even surprised when he raised his head and found that Glory had appeared out of nowhere. Her eyes blazed with furious anger as she knelt in the grass behind Blood Claw with a knife in her hand.
“He’s right, alpha,” Glory said with a fierce smile. “Let’s end this here. You don’t have to do it yourself. I’ll take care of it, boss. And then we’ll truly be free!”
“Show-off,” Darrell muttered behind them. The rest of the clan had fallen silent.
It would be easy. The thought was seductive. Let Glory take the blame...
But Sidney was right. He’d sworn he’d never become an alpha like Iron Fang. And he couldn’t start their new life of freedom with murder.
“Drop the knife!”
Surprised, Kayden whipped around when he found that the words he’d been about to speak had resounded from the other side of the clearing instead.
There, a stranger had appeared, broad-shouldered and pointing a gun at them.
“Police! Drop the knife!” the ma
n shouted again.
“Oh my God, it’s Chris!” Sidney said, and then yelled, “Chris! Don’t shoot! I can explain this! This is not what it looks like...”
“I know what it looks like,” Chris said grimly as he slowly came closer. “I’ve been smelling bear in my forest for some time now. Looks like I found the source of the trouble.”
“Your forest?” Kayden echoed, watching the man come closer.
Kayden inhaled—yes. Now that he knew what to focus on, he could smell the distinctive scent of another bear shifter. A familiar scent.
“You’re the one I nearly ran into yesterday in town,” Kayden said when the pieces of the puzzle finally clicked.
Next to him, Sidney gasped. Chris still hadn’t lowered his gun.
“My forest. My town,” Chris said. “I don’t want any other shifters around here. Take your fights elsewhere. This town is my home, and I’m damn well going to protect it and my mate from your wars.”
“Does that mean that... that you know about shifters?” Sidney asked in disbelief.
From the edge of the forest behind Chris, another bear suddenly appeared. He opened his jaw to growl in warning, then came loping along behind Chris.
“I’m sorry, Sidney,” Chris said in apology. “You shouldn’t be here—but it’s too late now to keep the secret. Both my brother and I are shifters. And this land is ours. There won’t be any killing here. And no more fights. Drop the knife, release the man, and then I want all of you to leave.”
“Drop the knife, Glory,” Kayden ordered.
A moment later, Sidney sighed in relief when his order was followed.
“I’m sorry,” Kayden said. “If I’d known, I would have come to talk to you.”
He was interrupted by sudden, bubbling laughter from his prisoner.
“Come to save me, eh?” Blood Claw asked and then coughed. He wiped his mouth, then blinked when he found blood on his lips. “It’s too late now. Never was a good brother anyway, but I did what I could. Did what I could...”
He coughed again. More blood came pulsing from the slash at his brow, and this time Chris nearly dropped his gun.
“Logan?” he said, eyes wide with shock.
All of a sudden, the large bear behind Chris turned into another naked man.
“Steven!” Sidney said in surprise, and then, her voice still shaking, “My God! Is everyone but me a bear in this damn town?”
Chris and Steven ignored her. Instead, both men were now crouching before Blood Claw, who stared up at them with a bitter smile on his face.
“What a touching family reunion,” the wounded shifter muttered. “Haven’t seen you in years. Would have been content to die without you knowing what I’ve become. And here we are. Do me a favor and just let me die, and then pretend you never saw me again?”
“What are you talking about! You need a doctor,” Chris said, shaking his head in disbelief. Then he seemed to remember his surrounding and looked up to fix Kayden with an intense stare. “Let’s forget whose forest this is for now. You let me take him home, you don’t come after him, and we’ll find a way to talk all of this out.”
“Blood Claw is your brother?” Kayden asked, staring at the men before him.
He’d only briefly seen a glimpse of Chris in the car when they’d taken the shortcut through Mrs. Granger’s garden. But now that Kayden saw him up close, he could see the family resemblance to the man he’d known as Blood Claw, his alpha’s second for the past decade.
“Blood Claw?” Chris repeated, his brow furrowed.
“What trouble have you got yourself into?” the other naked shifter muttered—Steven, Sidney had called him, which meant that he was her cousin’s fiancé.
Kayden closed his eyes, suddenly feeling faint. When he’d wondered if human weddings were just as eventful as their clan meetings, he hadn’t quite expected they’d turn out even more dangerous...
Sidney made an alarmed sound. “Kayden, you’re still bleeding! You need a doctor as well!”
“I’ll be fine,” Kayden managed. “Shifters heal fast.”
“It was a good fight,” Blood Claw admitted, another cough interrupting his words. “Good end for me. Should have just... bitten down sooner and spared us the melodramatics.”
“There’s no way I’m letting you die after I haven’t seen you for a fucking decade!” Steven now hissed. “What sort of brother does that?”
Blood Claw groaned when his bleeding body was gathered up in his brother’s strong arms.
“Hey, tried to be a good brother,” he muttered. “Dad was in Iron Fang’s debt. Had to pay him. Iron Fang wanted soldiers. I... I volunteered. You guys didn’t deserve that life.”
“Yeah? And you just made that decision without us?” Steven growled. “We’ll talk about that once you’re healed.”
Kayden raised a hand to his head. Blood loss had made him dizzy as well. He could feel the tingling of his shifter healing kick in... but the wounds were deep enough that it would take at least a night and a day to fully recover.
“I’m not sure right now is a good time to talk this out,” Kayden murmured. “How about I let you guys take Blood Claw, and you and I talk later? My clan are good people. We don’t want wars. We don’t want violence. We just need a home. If you don’t want us in your territory, I promise I won’t challenge you, but—”
“Let’s talk about this later,” Chris cut in after a considering look at his wounded brother. “For now, he needs rest. And so do you. Sidney—”
“I’ll make sure that he gets his rest,” she said, tightening her arms around Kayden. “And then... then I want a list of everyone who’s a damn bear. Why are all my friends bears?”
Kayden tried to chuckle, but then a stabbing pain hit him, the first of the deep puncture wounds Blood Claw had left starting to heal.
“Should have known that this town was too good to be true... Had to be a bear’s home,” Kayden murmured, trying to give Sidney a reassuring smile before his legs gave out.
“Rest,” she said decisively.
For once, Kayden was glad to follow another’s order.
Chapter Eleven: Sidney
Worriedly, Sidney watched Kayden sleep. He’d slept all day out there in that little camp in the forest. In the evening, he’d briefly woken, his wounds healed enough that they’d been able to return to Sidney’s house together. Sidney had hated the thought of him moving when not so long ago, she’d thought she’d have to watch him die—but Kayden had insisted. He hadn’t wanted her to spend the night outside in the forest.
Deep in her heart, Sidney was glad to be back in familiar surroundings. While Kayden had slept, his clan had introduced themselves to her. Any fear she might have felt at being surrounded by a large group of dangerous bear shifters had vanished as soon as she’d watched small children shift back between human and bear forms effortlessly as they played tag among the trees. With the adults, it was a little harder—but she hadn’t forgotten that Glory and Darrell had immediately stepped to her side to guard her when Blood Claw had attacked.
No, the thought of bear shifters living among them was still strange, but at least for now, Sidney was no longer afraid. After all, children were children—even if they could change into bear cubs. Apart from that, they’d been no different at all to the sticky-fingered, adorable little monsters that she entertained with story times in her library.
But now they were back home. Kayden had slept all night in her bed, the deep, bleeding gouges Blood Claw had left turning into scabbed over scars at first. Now, they were changing into red welts.
Kayden was really healing as fast as he had promised.
Gently, Sidney rested her hand on his chest. She spread out her fingers. Beneath her touch, his heart was beating steadily, and she could feel the incredible strength of those powerful muscles. She traced a line downward, not quite touching the scar that ran across his skin there, still awed that the bleeding wounds had knit so quickly.
“Morning,” his hoa
rse voice rumbled at her after a moment.
When she looked up with a smile, she found Kayden watching her.
“How do you feel?” She kept stroking him gently.
He was so fascinating to touch. Beneath her fingers, the hills and valleys of his abs rippled and shifted. He stretched with a satisfied sound, content to let her explore.
“Much better. As good as new, really. I’m sorry I scared you.”
Sidney shook her head. “You didn’t force him to attack you. But I’m still glad that Chris and Steven appeared when they did.”
“Hey, I already had him beaten at that point!” Kayden protested playfully.
Sidney gave him a quick grin. “No one’s denying that! Your clan were celebrating you while you were out cold, you know. I hear that no one has ever beaten the fierce and magnificent Blood Claw. Until now...”
Kayden made another satisfied sound. “He knows he’s lost. He won’t be back. I doubt he’ll slink back to Iron Fang either. Iron Fang would have his hide mounted on his wall.”
“So that means that you and your clan are safe?” Sidney creased her brow.
It was still difficult to try and wrap her mind around all these new things—clans, alphas, mates. But Kayden had said that he wanted a real home. And those adorable little kids she’d seen deserved a home as well.
Kayden nodded, then caught her hand to draw it up to his lips for another kiss. “We’re safe.”
Her eyes lit up with hope. “And you’ll stay?”
“If Chris will let us share his territory,” Kayden said a little ruefully. “I didn’t know these lands were already claimed by other shifters. I caught a scent sometimes—but I thought it meant that Blood Claw was sneaking around. In any case, if he wants us to leave, we can settle somewhere nearby. If... if you don’t mind a bit of a commute to work?”
Relief and joy flooded through Sidney at those words. “You want me to come with you?” she asked, her heart beating faster.
“You’re my mate,” Kayden said simply, his eyes filled with warmth and pride as he looked at her. “I’m not leaving you. I told you, I’d do anything for you. I’d even challenge Chris, if I have to—”