by S. A. Ravel
Cyrus lost his footing and Dirk saw his chance to capitalize. He craned his neck, tossing Cyrus onto his back. He clamped his jaw down on Cyrus’s neck and held it there. Yield!
The Alpha roared in rage. He wouldn’t yield his position to anyone easily, not even his own son. He wrenched the powerful muscles in his neck from side to side until Dirk had to loosen his grip or risk losing his footing. Dirk released his jaws and scrambled away as Cyrus swiped blindly at the air. A stray paw caught Dirk in the chest, re-opening his wounds.
Dirk stepped backward and tried to ignore the trickle of blood. Cyrus had torn deep this time; a small stream of blood flowed through Dirk’s fur and collected in a puddle that stained the grass red. The edges of the world grayed in his vision. One more swipe like that and he would be too injured to continue. Any hope he would have of claiming the Alpha position, and Rachel with it would be lost forever. A challenger only had one chance to dethrone the Alpha. It was the reason right of challenge was never claimed until the Alpha agreed the first son was ready. But Dirk wasn’t the first son, his path was never meant to lead him here.
Cyrus looked down at the blood and for a moment Dirk thought he saw regret in the Alpha’s eyes. The expression shook Dirk to his core, but as quickly as the expression appeared it faded and Cyrus stalked toward Dirk, his movements slow and halting. The last clash hurt both of them, though only Dirk’s blood had been spilled. Maybe Cyrus had torn a muscle in his shoulders. Maybe he had sprained a limb. Dirk couldn’t tell for sure. Cyrus was powerful, but he was an aging bear who hadn’t fought a real battle in years. Maybe ever. Injuries be damned, the challenge would continue until one of them couldn’t fight anymore. The moment was coming. One last clash would decide Dirk’s fate. If he were lucky, Cyrus’s injuries would give him the advantage he so desperately needed. But Dirk was never lucky.
I don’t need luck…I have fate.
The Alpha reared up on his hind legs and roared in challenge. Dirk followed suit with a mighty roar that shook the windows on the first floor of the house. The bears lurched toward one another, their powerful jaws locking one last time. Cyrus went for the win quickly, shaking his massive jaws to throw Dirk off balance, but the power of the first clash was already draining from his limbs.
I love you, Rachel.
Dirk clamped down harder on Cyrus’s jaws and wrenched his entire body to the side. Both bears crashed to the ground, but Dirk was faster. With his last bit of strength, he struggled to his feet and shifted to clamp his jaws down on Cyrus’s neck again. He squeezed, blocking the flow of air to the Alpha’s lungs. Cyrus twisted his body wildly, but Dirk only clamped down harder.
Yield, Dad. Yield!
Finally, Cyrus let the muscles in his body go slack. Dirk released his hold and the Alpha sank to the ground. For one awful moment, Dirk thought he’d killed Cyrus, but then the massive grizzly’s chest heaved as he struggled to catch his breath. It could be a trick, a ploy for time to breathe and strategize. There was only one way to end the fight. Cyrus had to submit.
Cyrus climbed to his feet and stared into Dirk’s eyes for a moment. Dirk held his gaze. He would not back down. Not for Cyrus. Not for anyone. Not when his mate was at stake.
Cyrus lowered his eyes and stepped backward, yielding his dominance. Dirk reared back on his hind legs and roared. He felt a surge of power travel through his body, as if some imperceptible mist of dominance floated through the air from Cyrus to him.
Louis disappeared into the house and emerged with two thin sheets. He passed one to Miranda. She went to Cyrus as he shifted back into his human form. He seemed so small to Dirk. The lines of worry in the corners of his eyes made him seem fragile in a way Dirk had never realized, even as he shifted back into his own human form.
Louis draped a sheet around Dirk’s shoulders. The cotton cooled him and wicked away the beads of sweat from the exertion of the battle. Waning adrenaline and blood loss caught up with Dirk and the world went dark before his eyes. But suddenly Maddock was by his side, holding him on his feet. Dirk nodded in thanks as Maddock steadied him and clapped him on the shoulder. A grizzly didn’t show weakness, but an Alpha didn’t disrespect his kin by ignoring help offered.
Cyrus secured his own sheet around his waist and rose to kneel in front of his second-born son. Louis knelt next, his fingertips against the earth as he bowed his head. Miranda knelt last, the hem of her dress spread in a pool around her. She averted her gaze, as was proper when looking on a newly risen Alpha, but Dirk could see the fierce pride that burned in her hazel eyes. Only Maddock remained standing. As an exile he didn’t have to bow to anyone, but he smiled and tipped his head in approval to his younger brother.
“Alpha, I am yours to command,” Cyrus whispered. The words seemed surreal to the new Alpha. Dirk always knew he’d hear his father speak them, but never did he expect they’d be spoken to him.
“I will not kill you, nor will I send you to exile. Your council is too valuable to me and you’ve done too much for this clan to die in exile.”
Relief spread over Cyrus’s face. He’d devoted his life to the Greenwood Clan and its rise to prominence from obscurity. The weight of the Alpha position had taken countless nights with his growing family, moments with his mate, and nearly his relationships with his sons.
“Thank you,” he whispered. His voice broke on the last word.
Dirk stepped forward and rested his hands on Cyrus’s shoulders. He hadn’t been physically close to his father in years. He couldn’t remember their last hug. Part of him always wondered how it would feel when he finally bested the Alpha. It should have been the biggest triumph of his life, but it felt hollow without Rachel there to share it with him.
“Louis, take my father inside to rest,” he said. “I have business to see to.” And then groveling to do.
13
The gentle pitter-patter of raindrops made Rachel long for her bed, but she couldn’t leave the bakery yet. Not until the cake in the oven was finished and she’d reviewed the pile of contracts on her tiny desk in the back room. The scent of cinnamon and walnuts filled her small office, the byproduct of her most recent creation still in the oven. It was still early in the season for such bold, warm flavors, but she liked the idea of having her late autumn and early winter flavor palates set, so she’d been experimenting.
Her work at Callisto’s Masquerade had been just the hand up her bakery needed. She had offers for baby showers, birthdays, and holiday parties. At this rate, she’d be able to afford her own apartment, though she’d probably continue living with Megan if only for the company. There was even an offer provide all of the baked goods for a wedding, an offer she would probably decline. Her equipment wasn’t set up to make a towering wedding cake yet. As Rachel looked at the wedding contract, a pang of hurt welled over her and settled in her stomach.
There were other reasons that she didn’t want to make another woman’s wedding cake. Reasons that still hurt far too much to think about. If she kept busy, the pain faded until it was barely noticeable. But it was always there in the quiet moments. Each of the six mornings she’d woken up without his arms around her. Each of the seven nights she curled up in bed and sobbed into the vacant air of her empty bedroom.
The first two days had been a living hell. Pain came first. A constant grinding soreness in her stomach that remained no matter how mild a meal or strong a drink she had. Then there was the anger, at Cyrus for outplaying both of them one last time, at Marlow for being so vindictive. At Dirk for abandoning her without so much as a warning of what lay in store. The worst anger she saved for herself. Every sign said that she and Dirk didn’t belong together. It had been a nice dream, but reality had flooded all of the warmth from her life in the week that had passed.
Her thoughts drifted to Dirk. By now he was in New York, or wherever Alexandra Tenwick beckoned him. Was the physical pain as bad for him as it was for her? Dirk hadn’t made any effort to contact her since he’d rejected her in his parents’ house. Wh
y should he? He’d made his choice, and it wasn’t her.
Somehow, she had gotten everything she’d wanted, but she’d lost everything that mattered. And every part of her still ached for him.
The bell attached to the front door chimed and Rachel cursed under her breath. She must have forgotten to lock up. It didn’t matter. One more customer wouldn’t hurt; in fact, it might distract her enough to push the pain away. Rachel grabbed her apron and headed into the main room.
“Welcome to Delicious Delicacies how can—” The words caught in her throat as she saw Dirk.
He clutched a bundle of white chrysanthemums with brilliant stalks of lavender spread throughout in his hands. The lopsided smile she so loved was etched on his lips. The pain in her belly faded to nothing as she stared at his chiseled jaw. Her mate’s hazel eyes were filled with worry, but also a fierce love as he looked at her.
“What are you doing here?” She wanted to run to him. Throw her arms around his neck and bury her face in the firm muscles of his chest. But she couldn’t. Not yet.
There was something different about him. Something in the way he stood that she couldn’t place. He seemed taller, more sure of himself in the space around him.
“I missed you,” he said as he held the bouquet out to her.
She stared at the offering, then back at him. “You’re supposed to be out east.”
“There’s been a change in plans. An Alpha belongs with his clan…and his mate.”
The word “mate” filled her with warmth and calm the way nothing had since he’d left her. She pushed the comforting wave of emotion aside.
“Congratulations.” Rachel grabbed a box from beneath the counter and started stuffing it with unsold pastries. Anything to keep her hands busy, anything to keep her from leaping into his arms.
“Don’t you understand what that means? Nobody can make me give you up now. Nobody except you.” Excitement crept into his voice. Could he be fighting the same urge that she was?
“I don’t know much about your world, Dirk, but if the son of an Alpha can’t marry a human, then I’m pretty sure an Alpha can’t.”
“You want to get married?”
That did it. Rachel slammed the nearly empty box on the counter. Pastry crumbs exploded from the box.
“Is that supposed to be a joke? Did you forget what Cyrus said, because I sure as hell didn’t.”
“Cyrus Greenwood isn’t Alpha of Clan Greenwood anymore. I am. His laws no longer apply.”
“Maybe not to you, but what about the other clans?”
“Rachel—”
“You abandoned me! You didn’t even say goodbye.”
Pain crept into those hazel eyes telling Rachel that Dirk knew exactly what he’d done to her. He knew exactly how much it had hurt, because he was feeling the same pain. Rachel couldn’t explain how she knew. Now that he was close again she could see every emotion etched on his face. More than that, she could feel his emotions as if they were hers.
“It’s the bond,” he said. “When mates are close they function almost as one. The stronger our bond, the more we’ll feel.”
“I’m not your mate,” she whispered. “You left me behind.”
The new Alpha set the bundle of flowers on the glass display and walked behind the counter. He was so close now. Rachel could feel the warmth radiating from his skin. The smell of cedar wafted to her nose. His smell. It mingled with the cinnamon from her cake. Dirk caressed her cheek. She tried to resist the urge to melt against his hand, but she had missed his touch so badly.
His voice caught in his throat as he spoke. “And I’ll spend the rest of my life making up for it. If you’ll let me.”
“I just don’t belong in your world, Dirk.”
He wrapped his strong arms around her, pulling their bodies close together. Dirk took her hand and pressed a gentle kiss to it. Then he placed it on his chest, just over his heart.
“You’re my love. My mate. You belong with me.” He brushed his soft lips against her forehead.
His heart thumped beneath her fingers. She listened as her own heartbeat slowed to match his. It was perfect. He was perfect. And there wasn’t anywhere in the world she wanted to be more than by his side.
Dirk hooked a finger beneath her chin and tilted her eyes up to meet his. He brushed away her tears with his thumb.
“Say the words,” he whispered. “And I’ll tear the entire clan down. If that’s what it takes to be with you.”
This was the man she loved begging her to stay beside him. Tears filled her eyes. The empty feeling in her heart and stomach was gone for the first time in a week. How could she let this go? How could she let him go? Being with him felt right in a way that nothing in her life had before.
She smiled and shook her head. “And make us clan-less? I thought you said an Alpha is only as strong as his clan.”
A wide grin spread across his lips and lit up his entire face. “Is that a yes?”
“Of course it’s a yes.”
The new Alpha swept his mate off of her feet and twirled her around. He claimed her lips in a fiery kiss that sent an overwhelming wave of pleasure and happiness through her. The scent of cedar mingled with cinnamon and walnuts cemented the memory in her mind. The memory of when he truly claimed her and she truly claimed him. And it was the sweetest thing she’d ever smelled.
14
Rachel’s sandals clacked against the hardwood floor. The house was large, but empty, and the sound reverberated off of the walls. She glanced out of the glass doors to the balcony at the hills beyond. Her room in Megan’s apartment was too small for the both of them, and Dirk insisted on an upgrade, a new house for their new life together.
He’d picked a beautiful house in the hills. The house was newly remodeled, but not as modern or as large as the compound. It still had some of the California charm Rachel loved. The view was staggering. At night, they could watch the twinkling lights of the neighborhoods below. Rachel hadn’t realized such a view existed in the middle of Los Angeles.
“Look at that view,” the realtor said. The woman hovered closer to Dirk than Rachel liked, but she didn’t worry. Her Alpha only had eyes for her. “It’s the best in the neighborhood. And this far in the hills it’s quiet.”
They’d settled on Silver Lake, a trendy neighborhood built on curving hills. The area was quiet, just as the realtor promised, and the hills and trees provided some of the nature her mate craved.
Dirk grasped her shoulders from behind and slid a hand to cup her ample rear. The still-new Alpha couldn’t get enough of his mate, and she felt the same. He’d experienced a surge of confidence and vitality since he’d become Alpha. His touch was still gentle, but their lovemaking had taken on a delicious frenzy since they’d moved in together.
“Bear’s ready for cubs,” Rachel had said. She was only joking, but still she pushed along the wedding plans. Her mother would never forgive her if she were showing during her wedding. Luckily she had Miranda to help.
They’d grown closer in the weeks since Dirk had claimed Rachel. Miranda had even invested in Rachel’s business, allowing her to find a space for her bakery in their new, pricey neighborhood. Miranda never had a daughter of her own, and she seemed to delight in helping Rachel learn what it took to be an Alpha’s mate. Even Cyrus had warmed to her as he took his position as Clan Elder rather than Alpha.
The question on all of their minds was how the other clans would react to her. The Tenwicks had been invited to the wedding, an invitation they summarily declined, as had all of the east coast clans. Dirk insisted that it was just politics. The east coast clans were old and tightly bound by marriage, blood, and friendly alliances. If Marlow Tenwick, the most powerful of the east coast Alphas, refused to approve the marriage then the other clans couldn’t either. But representatives from the other West Coast clans had accepted. It seemed that they weren’t as stringent with their mating rules as the East Coast clans, and when word began to spread through social circles that D
irk Greenwood had found a true mate in a human, the West Coast clans had been eager for a look at her. It still weighed on Rachel a little that her presence cost the clan connections in the east, but everyone else made peace with it and moved on.
“Could you give us a minute to talk about it?” Dirk asked. Rachel felt the air in the empty room get heavy and a smile tugged at the corner of her lips. She couldn’t say why it exhilarated her when he exerted dominance, but it did.
“Of course,” the realtor said as she excused herself.
Dirk turned her around and pulled their bodies close together. His hands cupped the curves of her buttocks without shame.
“What do you think, love?”
“It’s not as impressive as the compound, but it’s certainly fit for an Alpha.”
“And his bride,” he said.
“But will it be big enough for when you have to receive guests?” When she wasn’t expanding the bakery or basking in Dirk’s passionate embrace, Rachel studied clan politics with Miranda. There were many rituals she needed to learn, some ancient, some new. At times it was overwhelming. But her new family seemed confident that in time she’d grow into her position as the Alpha’s mate.
Her first test was coming soon. She and Dirk would travel to the unclaimed territories and forge an alliance with Maddock’s community. Dirk would also welcome Maddock’s mate into the clan. The ties between Clan Greenwood and Maddock’s community would give them a foothold in the east, without putting them in the path of the Tenwicks again. Rachel found she missed Maddock’s lopsided smile and easy laugh. And she wanted to thank him for giving his support to Dirk when he needed it most.
“Hmm, if it’s not I’m sure we can use the compound. The important thing is, do you like it?”