by Reina Torres
Who did?’
Ezio curled his fingers toward Uberto, drawing his attention and bringing him closer. “Who,” he wondered aloud, “is that?”
Uberto was glad that he hadn’t taken a seat in a chair. He felt his bear push hard as he picked up the first scent of the other man. Man and beast tracked the man with their eyes as he walked across the room and sat beside Alfonse’s chair.
The other men in the room didn’t seem as affected by the stranger’s presence and Uberto wondered if they had met the man before. Touching Ezio’s shoulder he leaned closer to ask the older man. “You haven’t seen him before?”
Narrowing his eyes across the room, Ezio gave the man a good look and shook his head. “Not that I can recall.”
Uberto nodded. “I’d like to speak with you later if-”
“Thank you all for coming,” Alfonse’s booming voice was made for such purposes. “As you can all see,” he gestured toward Uberto against the wall, “This year we have Uberto Orsino attending our gathering.”
The assembled group murmured the acknowledgement and some their greetings.
“We have a number of smaller issues to address, but I would like to broach the subject of the largest issue first and see how far we can proceed in solving the issue and then return to the smaller, less significant points.”
There were nods around the room and none of them could hear any signs of dissent, so the meeting continued.
Alfonse’s expression was nearly serene as he started the discussion. “Beside me is a visitor to our valley from Neive. Renaldo Gallino has heard of our predicament and has come to me with an offer.”
Uberto moved slightly and felt the rough surface of the wall scratch his back through the soft weave of his shirt. When this meeting was done, he had plans to speak to Salvatore. He didn’t like being in the dark and he doubted his brother would like it any more than he did.
“As many of you have expressed to me in the past, my daughter Emiliana is a rare treasure, not only in my family, but also here in the village of Santa Biago.”
His heart contracted at mention of his mate, but neither he, nor his bear, were happy with the current situation.
“Young women born into our families have not been gifted with the ability to take the same bear-form that we do. There were stories of generations in the long past where such power existed, but not in our recent memory. Emiliana is the only woman in our world with rare ability and she should be treated as the unique woman she is.”
Uberto could agree with everything Alfonse was saying, but his gut was telling him not to speak up too soon. The patience that he was showing wore on him.
“Renaldo has come to make an offer.”
Offer?
Uberto took a step away from the wall and felt Ezio’s smaller hand on his arm, but it didn’t restrain him in the least.
“He would like to take her as his mate.”
Uberto only knew one thing in that moment. Rage.
He was halfway across the room in a blur of motion before several of the elders took hold of his limbs and some used themselves as a shield.
It was not lost on him that many of these men seemed to be more interested in protecting the outsider in their midst, rather than avenge the insult to one of their own.
“Let me go!”
Alfonse pushed himself into the middle of the group and leaned down until they were eye to eye. “This doesn’t concern you.”
“Like hell it doesn’t!” He tugged on his arm and felt the seam of his shirt rend under the strain of his movement. He wanted blood. Whose didn’t seem to matter at the moment. And his bear, for once, wasn’t the one thirsting for the most blood. Uberto wanted to bathe in it. “Emiliana is my mate!”
He turned his glare to the man they called Renaldo and made sure he saw the rush of power flaring through his veins. The men holding him struggled to keep a hold on him as his limbs thickened.
Uberto felt the rush of blood through his veins, surging like crashing waves through his arteries and each breath felt like the hot rush of air from a bellows, fanning the flames. “Mine!”
The elders struggled to hold him, hands sliding from his arms and legs as he tried to literally climb over the barricade and tear the stranger to shreds.
“Leave!”
His ears were filled with the rush of blood, all but drowning out the sounds in the room, but he didn’t need ears to see the satisfied snarl on Alfonse’s face. “I intend to hear him out.”
“Your daughter has a mate!”
“A mate,” Alfonse shot right back, “that she refused. She sent you away, Uberto. Have you forgotten the last ten years?”
“You know what’s between us, Alfonse. Emiliana and I have spoken to you about this.”
“And that was fine when you were both young and immature, but Emiliana can no longer hide behind her youth. She must have a mate.”
“She has one,” he growled and forced his body under control. That he needed answers more than blood was proof that he was managing to keep hold on his temper. “She has me.”
“And yet, she refused you then. And the town saw your rather chilly reception by my daughter, Uberto. Bow out gracefully and save your family the embarrassment.”
Shrugging off the meaty hand of one of the many men in the room, Uberto managed to extricate the rest of his limbs from the men he had once respected. “This circus is your doing, Alfonse.”
Uberto felt the anger rolling through his veins, the burning air in his lungs threatening to boil his body from the inside out.
Someone set a restraining hand on his shoulder and Uberto stepped away, turning to meet Renaldo’s curious gaze. The other man was enjoying the show, at least that’s what his dark gaze revealed.
“I’ve heard of you, Orsetto.”
Little Bear.
And within him, Uberto’s bear wanted to go paw to paw with Renaldo. He would show the other man the punishment for poaching in Santa Biago.
“You abandoned your home and your mate. Why should anyone care what you claim to be yours.”
“She is mine.” He turned back to the assembled group. “How many of you knew this was going to happen?”
The room stilled and remained as such until the only noise that Uberto could heard beyond the roar of blood pulsing in his ears was the hum of the nearly antique soda machine in the corner.
Uberto felt his claws push free of his fingertips, and fur pushed out of his skin as his shoulders broadened and his muscles thickened.
He saw fear in a few eyes and smelled the rancid scent from others.
“Who knew?”
Three men who stood with Alfonse, but half a step behind him, raised their hands.
The one with the most silver in his hair seemed determined to speak. “We’ve had ample time to speak of it, Uberto. Ten years have been lost while you’ve gallivanted across the ocean. Do you realize what a precious gift she is?”
He growled. “This ‘gift’ you speak of,” he struggled not to bellow the words at them, “is a person. A woman who won’t appreciate being treated as chattel.”
“We have no choice, Uberto.” Alfonse stood with his arms folded over his chest. “We’ve had fewer and fewer shifters born into our valley through the generations. There was a time a little more than a hundred years ago when the bears outnumbered the humans in this corner of the world.
“Those that mated with humans, lowered the numbers significantly.”
Uberto understood the basics of the genetics involved, but what mattered now was the insane suggestion that his mate take another man in his place. “She wears my mark.” He turned to Renaldo. “How can you ignore that?’
He shrugged. “The same way your ‘mate’ has been able to turn her back on your mating.”
Renaldo’s eyes swept the crowed and Uberto did as well. If anyone had told him a few hours earlier that his entire future was going to be called into question, he would have laughed at the insanity.
And yet, after he’d heard what Emiliana’s father had planned for her, he felt as though his world had turned him upside down and hung him high enough that he’d never get down without cracking open his skull.
Straightening himself to his full height, aided by the thick press and stretch of his ursine muscles, Uberto glared at the assembly. “This will not be decided today! I will speak with my brother tonight and I’m sure Salvatore will have something to say about your ridiculous idea.”
Alfonse seemed unconcerned with the idea.
“And there is one other person that should have been told of your plans ahead of time.”
Alfonse made a vague gesture toward Renaldo. “Their brother Valerio would likely see the importance of this idea. He is the one of those that act as a healer amongst our people. I doubt he’d let his brothers rush of emotion affect him beyond reason.”
“My brothers love their mates like the air in their lungs. If you believe for an instant that they would be in favor of my own mate taken away, you truly have lost sight of the world around you.
“But I was referring to your daughter, Alfonse. You haven’t told her of your plan, have you?”
He shook his head. “I’m the one who has seen her waste away waiting for you to take her in hand.”
Uberto felt his stomach twist into a knot at the other man’s words. “I can see why she feels the way she does. How can you say you love her and treasure her and then discount her own feeling and the soul within her body?
“I will speak to Emiliana tonight, Alfonse. I suggest-”
“You?” he scoffed. “You want to suggest what?” The older man glared at him. “And what makes you think I would care about your plan. It will never happen.” Uberto walked toward the front door of the bakery. “But I suggest you take tonight to think about what you will tell your daughter when you reveal that she’s little more to you than a bargaining chip.”
Chapter Ten
Little girl dreams.
Rag doll tea parties. Bows and Braids. Toy cars. Building blocks. Teddy Bears. They all played a part in her memories of her childhood. Her toys, her brother, and Uberto.
Her dolls had long ago been put away. Her hair styled in variations of the ‘Victory Rolls’ like the popular World War II style or a high ponytail that matched her clothing style. Her building blocks had actually been her brother’s, purloined and placed in her room when he’d left them alone for too long, and later in her life given to her cousin after her sister had turned up her nose at the toys.
She still had teddy bears, only in this part of her life they had fangs that could kill and a body that could shift from human to animal and back again. Much more interesting than the ones with button eyes and a body stuffed with cotton.
But, they were also the bane of her existence as well.
Sitting upon her bed, Emiliana couldn’t help but swallow an aching sob of grief. She’d managed to listen to Uberto recount what happened at the meeting without any tears. She’d barely kept her form, but it was easier for her to control anger than it was to control pain and disappointment.
Betrayal left her raw and aching deep inside her chest.
She’d told her father about sending Uberto away. She had told him years ago while it was happening, because she’d trusted him. And now, it felt as if he’d turned her own confidence against her.
The anger stole her breath, her grief nearly stole her reason.
How could her father, the man she’d loved and best for most of her life, have decided to even entertain the idea of sending her away? Whether it was in the best interests of their valley mattered little to her. She had been brought up to respect her elders and give of her time and talents to others in need, but this was her life.
Her heart.
She may have sent Uberto away so very long ago, but it was never truly her intention to be separated from him for the rest of her life.
It just happened that the longer he was away, the harder it was for her to bridge the gap between them, and then she’d almost lost sight of the idea all together. Her father may have wanted to force the issue with her, to use who she was for his own benefit.
And now, instead of forcing them even farther apart with his interference, Emiliana felt as though she had woken up from a long disturbing dream to realize that the answer was right in front of her.
Or rather, the answer was in her kitchen if her ears weren’t playing tricks on her.
When Emiliana entered the kitchen, she stopped short. Uberto was standing at the stove stirring something in a pot.
Wow. If it wasn’t the cut of his jeans, it was the way the molded to his body. Add to that the way he looked standing at the stove, she laughed silently to herself.
When he’d first returned, she’d been content with replaying the same argument again and again, but it had done nothing to prove that she was a mature woman deserving of her father’s approval.
And yet, like so many things in her life, it’s time had come and gone. For a moment she wondered if there was a box big enough to set aside the follies of youth and pride. Not likely, but she still needed to let them go and move forward
Her eyes traveled down once more over the muscular curve of his backside and the length of his strong legs, and down to, yes, his bare feet.
It was a tight smile that tugged at her lips.
And arousal that made her skin feel too tight.
And the heat between her legs that had her leaning against the doorframe with a sigh.
“Enjoying the view, Ana?”
She had to work to take in a breath past the lump in her throat. For one moment she considered giving him a throw away answer. Old habits didn’t just die hard, some of them were sunk into her skin like claws. And yet, here he was, standing in front of her. Hers for the taking.
And she wondered, What am I running from?
“I like the view,” she told him the truth and sunk her teeth into her bottom lip for a quick bite. The pain was just enough to brighten her eyes. “Maybe I don’t just want to look.”
His hand slowed and then stopped as he tapped the long-handled wooden spoon on the side of pot and laid it on the side. With a quick twist of his wrist, he turned the burner off before he looked at her over his shoulder, his eyes bright for a moment before they shifted to black.
She felt the change in herself as well. Her bear wanted a look at his and she couldn’t blame her. Uberto was gorgeous. Just the thought of his mouth on her was enough to send her up in flames.
His technique had only become better over the years and the thought, the idea of just how he’d acquired his new ‘skills’ had her growling as she felt the painful prick of her fangs slice through her gums.
She saw the look of confusion on his face, but she couldn’t help the jealousy that ran through her veins, racing with the feelings of lust and need.
“Ana?” His voice was softer, cautious. She knew why.
As a shifter, she was dangerous even when she wasn’t angry. One didn’t underestimate the power of a bear and want to keep living.
“Just, give me a second.”
She turned away from him and faced the length of the hallway, taking in one gasping breath after another.
“Hey.”
His hands on her hips sent chills through her body and she tensed, making her choke on a breath.
“Ana, tell me. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” She shook her head. “It’s just hard to realize that I’ve wasted so much time just to prove that I was right, that what I felt wasn’t just the fear of the young girl that I was.”
He didn’t argue, he didn’t push, he just held her hips and waited for her to speak. He had changed. And she’d almost missed knowing him, again.
She felt one of his hands move from her hip and slide over her belly. She moaned into his touch, felt her body tremble with the gentle caress of his palm. And when he reached her hip his fingers bit into her flesh. It didn’t feel like pain. It felt secure. It felt l
ike possession.
And heaven help her, she wanted possession.
He turned her to face him and before he could do anything she had her hands up and cradling his face.
She saw a hint of shock in his eyes, but when she pressed her lips to his he didn’t tense up, he melted into their kiss. The hands he had on her hips, pushed back and down until he cradled her ass in his palms.
There was no missing the hard press of his erection against her belly.
She pulled away just long enough to smile at him in satisfaction. “I think you have something I need, ‘Berto.”
He curled his body to hers and she let out a sigh as his erection nudged her.
“Yes, that.” She moaned and pressed her hips against his. She was satisfied when she heard his growl echo in the hallway.
“Tell me, Ana.” His voice was almost a whisper, his breath fanning the hair at her temple. “Tell me how to make you happy.”
“I need you, ‘Berto.” She shook her head and spat the words out. She didn’t like feeling this way. She didn’t want to ache for him. She didn’t want to need his hands on her, his mouth on her, and to feel him moving inside of her. “I don’t want to need you,” she finished her thought through clenched teeth, “but I do.”
The grin that spread over his lips was sexy as hell. The dark glint of his bear in his eyes had her soaking wet and hungry.
Uberto licked his lips in a slow deliberate swipe as he devoured her with his gaze. “Then we’re even,” he said as he pressed her hips tighter to his own, “because I need you, Ana. You’re the other piece of my soul, the one I’ve been missing for years, just out of my reach.”
“And now?” She couldn’t resist moving against him, putting pressure against his thickness for her pleasure as much as his.
“Now? I have you in my hands and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let you go.”
She sighed at the sentiment. It was hard to believe that they just might be on the same page for once.
But at that moment, she just didn’t want to think about it anymore. She didn’t want to fight it anymore.