“I can’t do that. Veronica will not be my mate just because of some stupid will.”
“She’s not your mate because of that. Obviously she accepts being your mate, I can smell her on you. If you’ve already fulfilled the physical part, it’s too far gone to stop now.”
“No, it’s not. We haven’t spoken any words or made any promises.”
“You’re being foolish.”
“No, I’m being reasonable. I have a timetable. There are things I want to accomplish, on my own.”
A door slamming in the back of the house made Justin jerk.
“It’s Spike. I told him to do extra perimeter checks. Justin, you need to be reasonable about this. What Veronica said last night is true. Your grandfather obviously felt you earned the right to run his company and his fortune or he wouldn’t have left them to you. Don’t piss on his wishes because your parents were shitty. You are no longer the runt of any pack.”
Justin didn’t say anything. He wanted to lash out, but Austin was his alpha. Anything he said would only be futile. Austin and apparently everyone else around him were in agreement of what he should do. Without saying a word, he went upstairs to wake Veronica. He wanted to speak with her, and make sure she understood everything before asking her to fully commit.
She had accepted the mate bond. It seemed like she accepted it faster than he had, but accepting and fully understanding its weight and consequences were separate things. He knocked on the door, which seemed stupid, but after last night being her first time he wanted to give her privacy if needed. Desire raced through his body at the thought of their night. He had been shocked to find out she was a virgin. Knowing no one had ever claimed her like that filled him with pride and desire. She truly was his. He wasn’t sure why he had fought against it. Money or no money she was his, and he would love her like no one else could.
He beat on the door louder.
“Veronica. Can I come in? We need to talk.” A sick feeling settled in his stomach.
He threw the door wide and found an empty room. He turned and threw the bathroom door open, but it was empty, too. Dread spread through his body as he raced down the stairs.
“Is she down here? Did you see her?” he yelled in passing to Austin as he continued his search into the living room.
“What do you mean?” Austin asked, hot on his heels.
“Veronica’s gone.”
Both men stopped and looked at each other. The door slamming earlier had been Veronica. Justin realized some of what he said could have been taken out of context had she not heard the entire conversation. He had been such an idiot. His mate had been handed to him on a golden platter, and he had kept her at arm’s length. For no better reason than his own self-doubt. She had given him every reason to throw all of his old shit out the window and to just be with her, and there again he had pushed back.
“The stables. I bet she’s just out there with the horses. That’s where she goes when she needs to get away,” Justin said, feeling hopeful.
They rushed out to the stables, but she wasn’t there either. Spike came back from his perimeter check, and Gabe came out from his.
“Veronica took off. Did either of you see her?” Justin asked.
“No, boss, I was in the woods behind the house,” Spike said.
“I was hauling some of the crap over to the compost pile and spotted a car sitting across the way. It had been there when I came in today so I went and checked it out. It was nothing, though.”
“Damnit!” Justin yelled, dragging his hands through his hair. How could he have been so stupid?
“Find out where my brothers are now. It’s time for a family reunion,” Justin said to Austin.
Chapter Eighteen
Veronica
Roni rounded the corner to go into the kitchen for coffee when she heard Justin and Austin talking. She hadn’t meant to eavesdrop but when the topic of her came up she couldn’t seem to walk away.
“She’s not your mate because of that. Obviously she accepts being your mate, I can smell her on you. If you’ve already fulfilled the physical part, it’s too far gone to stop now.”
“No, it’s not. We haven’t spoken any words or made any promises.”
“You’re being foolish.”
“No, I’m being reasonable. I have a timetable. There are things I want to accomplish, on my own.”
Tears sprang into her eyes and she didn’t stick around to hear anymore. Justin apparently had his own plans that didn’t include her. She knew what sleeping together last night had meant for her, but obviously it was just sex to him. He was right, they hadn’t spoken any promises to each other. Apparently for him that meant he could walk away with a clean conscience.
She ran out the back door and just started walking. Her first thought was to go to the horses, and go for a ride, but somebody would be in the stables by now and she didn’t want to see or talk to anybody. A quick U-turn and she headed off their property to walk around the community. Her parents’ large estate sometimes made her forget they actually lived in a subdivision with actual neighbors. Of course the neighbors had their own pieces of large estates.
Luckily she didn’t run into anybody on her tear-fueled walk. She made it a few blocks away before she decided she needed to go back and confront Justin. Roni knew how she felt and what she wanted. The new version of Veronica didn’t run off and cry; she confronted people. Different versions of what she wanted to say played over and over again in her mind on her walk back. As she walked, a truck parked a block from her parents’ home caught her attention.
It was older-looking than what would usually be hanging around this area. The men inside were huge. One of them made eye contact out of the side view mirror and Roni instantly knew who he was. The similarities were there. He was bigger than Justin, but not by much. He definitely wasn’t as handsome as Justin, and his eyes looked hateful.
Without thinking about being cautious, she marched over to the truck. The two men unfolded their giant forms from the truck and leaned against it, waiting for her.
“I know who you are,” she said, coming to a stop with her hands on her hips.
“That’s good. It’ll make this easier.”
“What are you doing here? He’s your brother, for Pete’s sake!”
“He’s a runt, and a problem. Both of which are things we normally get rid of sooner rather than later. It’s a little late in this case, but inevitable. Do yourself a favor, blondie, and just walk away.”
“No, you do yourself a favor and go back to where you came from. Leave me and mine alone!” She turned on her heels and took off back towards the house. As she was walking away, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She started walking faster, but refused to turn around.
“Too late now, blondie,” one of them said before his hand came down around her mouth and she was dragged, kicking and fighting, back to their truck.
When they’d had enough of her attempted attack, one reared back and hit her across the head. Her eyes swam for a second as she tried to stay lucid, but then she soon sank into blackness.
Chapter Nineteen
Justin
Austin frantically typed on his laptop while talking on his phone at the same time. Justin wished there was more he could do, but he just paced the floor, waiting to hear something. A quick glance through Veronica’s room told him that she hadn’t taken her cell phone with her so he had no way to track her. Gabe and Spike were currently doing a sweep of the neighborhood, but Justin could feel that she was farther away than that.
His cell phone rang, pulling him from his thoughts. The number was unknown, and it caused his heart to surge. His bear growled, ready for the fight he knew was coming.
“Hello,” he answered.
“Baby brother, long time no talk. So sad, don’t you think? You should have kept in better touch with us.”
“Cut the shit. I want her back. Tell me where and when.”
“Tsk, tsk, what makes you think you
’re in charge? You’ve never been in charge a day in your life.”
Justin’s bear growled. Those words usually would have caused deep-seated self-esteem issues to flare, bringing Justin’s confidence down. Not now, though. Veronica didn’t see him as anything but powerful, her mate. She needed him now to prove that he was. Justin and his bear for once had zero doubt that they would.
“I’m coming for you. I will kill you and anybody else who has touched a single hair on my mate’s body.”
“Just her hair? You know me and Craig, we prefer to touch much more than just a woman’s hair. Especially one as beautiful as your mate. I smell you on her, though, and that’s quite a turn-off, but I can get past it.”
A roar escaped Justin that shook the furniture around him.
“I’m done playing this game. Let’s end it. Time and a place, now.”
“There’s a park with a secluded area in the back, off of a road called Tchaptulas. Meet me there in an hour. It’s an exchange. Your life, for hers.”
“Perfect.”
Justin waited until they disconnected the call, and then looked to Austin.
“I got them. They’re staying in the motel right down the street from The Kamp. Let’s meet everyone over at The Kamp, and we’ll move in on them. Your head on straight?”
“Yep.”
Austin made calls the entire ride over to The Kamp. When they arrived, the parking lot was full. Justin’s bear surged with the power he gained from his pack. He may not be the alpha of the pack, but his pack mates felt his need for power, and fulfilled it. His brothers may have been bigger, but they were nowhere near as strong as him and his pack mates.
Rick and Jasper met them at the door. As Justin’s closest friends, along with Austin, it was important to have their support and power as well. Emma, Kate, and the baby were behind them at the table. Having their mates nearby made Justin’s bear whimper for Veronica.
“What do you need?” Rick asked.
“I just need to know you’re behind me. I’m going in alone, though.”
“You’re not going in there outnumbered two to one. You have no idea what shape Veronica is in either.”
“You’re taking somebody with you. If nothing else, to get Veronica out of there.”
“No, just me.”
“What about me?” Emma spoke up from behind Jasper.
“Like hell!” Jasper roared.
“Just listen. They won’t be expecting him to have a female go in with him. It may take them by surprise, giving him an edge. Also, I highly doubt Justin is going to want any other male to touch his mate right now in any condition, let alone if she’s injured. He needs to focus on them, not her. I can provide that.”
Nobody said anything. Justin started to consider her request. He didn’t think his bear would be able to stomach anybody touching his mate. He probably would be able to let Jasper or Austin since they were mated, but he still wasn’t sure without knowing her condition. He looked at Jasper, to try and gauge his thoughts on letting his mate go with him.
“I don’t know, Emma. They may attack anything that walks in that door. You haven’t been shifting very long, you may end up being a danger to Justin and Veronica.”
“I can do this, and if Justin agrees, I will do this, Jasper,” Emma said firmly, and then looked to Justin to make the call.
“Emma goes in with me. She gets Veronica out of there.”
“Rick, you need to go get my mom and my grandma. If she’s injured they can help her.” Rick growled, but then nodded.
Jasper took a threatening step forward and growled. Being intimidated by a more dominant bear was something Justin used to avoid like the plague, and he would have normally cowered immediately. Those days were gone. He held his ground and held Jasper’s gaze.
“Your mate has made you strong,” Jasper finally said, relaxing his stance. “Just make sure it’s strong enough to keep both our mates alive or it’s me and you,” Jasper said, turning to Emma.
Austin went over the basic layout of the motel room with Justin. How Austin knew these things, Justin would probably never know. Right now he was just grateful he did. Their time was ticking down drastically, and Justin knew they needed to move soon or miss their chance. He and Emma left the bar and slipped into the trees that lined the backside of the bar, and carried on all the way up to the motel.
Once they were outside the back of the motel where his brothers’ room was, Justin stopped and listened. He heard muffled cries coming from the room; they were Veronica’s. Justin held his bear in check, even though his body trembled with the desire to shift. He looked over at Emma to find her eyes glowing as well. Her bear obviously was already recognizing Veronica as a pack member, and the need to protect her was taking over. He nodded to her and advanced on the room.
Justin kicked the motel door in with ease, shocking both his brothers. They jumped to their feet at the sight of him, and then Craig began to snicker. A quick glance and deep inhale told Justin that Veronica had not been touched. Her eyes raked over him and were wide with relief. Justin filled the doorway, and he kept Emma off to the side, hoping she would be unnoticed by his brothers.
As Craig started to approach Justin, Justin couldn’t stay in his human form any longer. He shifted and grabbed Craig to pull him out of the hotel room. Craig shifted then, and Brett right behind him. The three bears collided in a mass of fur and teeth. Justin kept them both in front of him, not letting either one of them get around his side. He knew that was going to be the key to him winning the fight against them both. He felt a surge of power when Emma slipped out of the motel room with Veronica.
He swiped his paw at Craig and landed a series of slashes to Craig’s stomach. Brett responded by knocking Justin back, but Justin kept his feet. He lunged forward again and he and Brett met teeth to teeth, claws pounding away at each other’s flesh. Craig tried to circle behind Justin, but Justin stepped back, giving Brett’s back to Craig. Craig circled again, this time faster, and he lunged. Justin waited until the last possible second and moved Brett in Craig’s line of sight again. Craig ended up dragging his powerful claw down Brett’s back. Brett roared in pain, and collapsed.
Justin knew he wasn’t dead, but he was injured badly enough that Justin could rule him out as a threat. Craig faltered back a couple of steps, realizing what he had done. He looked at Justin, and Justin knew Craig was realizing that Justin was a credible opponent now. There was no more Justin the runt. With his mate and pack close by, he was stronger than Craig. Justin roared and then took one more powerful lunge at Craig.
Chapter Twenty
Veronica
Once Emma got Roni back to the bar, she was swarmed by everyone. Jasper started shooting off a thousand questions to Emma to make sure she was okay. Emma sat her down on a chair so Emma’s grandmother could examine her, and the elderly woman started to touch Roni’s face. Another woman moved next to her as if waiting for instructions. The men were all talking at once, and Roni just wished she could be alone. She closed her eyes in hopes of warding off the sounds.
“Quiet!” the elderly woman said. Roni wanted to hug her in gratitude.
“She has a head injury, and you pack of brutes are probably making her head throb.”
“Thank you,” Roni whispered. She wanted to ask about Justin, but she knew nobody would know. They wouldn’t know anything until Justin returned. She had all the faith in the world that he would return. Justin wasn’t the runt of any litter, he was strong and powerful. She hoped, if nothing else, she had shown him that.
The old woman continued her ministrations along with the middle-aged woman. Emma updated Austin and Jasper with the small amount of knowledge she had. Rick hovered by the middle-aged woman looking equally annoyed and intrigued.
“I can heal you. Your mate’s bond flows through you, giving you the ability to use some of his magic. It may feel different. Would you like me to try?”
“Yes, please.” Roni didn’t care what the woman did, at t
his point it couldn’t be worse than having two goose eggs and a migraine that made her want to throw up at every sound.
The woman took Roni’s head into her hands and started to speak unique words that Roni didn’t understand. She did start to feel weird, but it wasn’t scary. Her thoughts turned to Justin. His dark skin, and the tattoo on his bicep, or the way his eyes glowed when he wanted her. She wished he was close by so she could feel the warmth of his touch, now. When the woman quit speaking Roni was lifted from her thoughts, and she blinked.
After a few minutes she realized the woman had done it. The pounding was gone, and when Kate held up a small mirror in front of Roni she realized all of the swelling and giant knots were gone as well.
“Thanks! That’s great! Where were you a few days ago?” Roni laughed.
“That’s my grandma, she’s our pack healer,” Emma said.
“Well, thank you, pack healer. I appreciate that more than you know.”
“You’re welcome, my child. Your mate will be along soon,” the elderly lady said before she walked away.
“Don’t ask, it’s just what she does. She’ll be tired from healing you so she’s probably going to lie down upstairs,” Emma said, waving her hand in dismissal.
“I hope she’s right about Justin,” Roni worried out loud.
“You’re still here, so Justin’s fine,” Kate said.
“What?”
“You bonded, physically at least, right?” Emma said, causing Roni to blush.
“Yes.”
“Well, if he was dead, you would be, too. If you’re alive, then so is he,” Kate said nonchalantly.
“That’s a handy piece of information to know,” Roni said, blowing out a nervous breath.
Growth of the Bear (Bear Kamp Book 3) Page 8