“No, I don’t. I feel the same way about you.”
She looked up into his eyes. Could she dare to hope? “You do?”
Did he drift closer to her, or did she only imagine it? “Sure. I like you. I like you a lot, but I can’t tell anybody how I feel. If they found out, they would....” He trailed off.
“What would they do?”
“My parents would disown me. Mattox would probably beat the ever-loving crap out of me, and Austin would probably hunt me down and try to kill me. They would tell me to go join the Cunninghams and never show my face on their Homestead again. Getting away with my life would be the best I could hope for.”
Star swallowed hard, “Yeah.”
“What about you?”
“Same thing, except Dax and Walker probably wouldn’t hunt me down and try to kill me. They would just throw me out on my ear. I would have to seek refuge from the Kerrs or the Mackenzies.”
He lifted her hand off the bench and pressed it between his. “If that happens, you come to me. You come over to our place. I’ll give you refuge.”
“What about your family?”
“If you join our family, they’ll have nothing to say about it.”
She closed her eyes against the intensity flooding through her. Warmth radiated up her arm from his hands and filled her with giddy light. “I couldn’t do that. I have to go home to my family and hope to high heaven no one finds out.”
He started to let go of her hand. “Okay. I’ll see you later.”
She clutched his hand for dear life. “Don’t go yet.”
He faced her again. “Okay. I thought you wanted to.”
“Let’s talk about something else. This is too depressing.”
“Tell me about these rages you have. Didn’t your mother ever maul you for roaring at her?”
“No: never; she started to a couple of times when I was younger, but my father always stood up for me.”
He whistled through his teeth. “You should have seen the way my mother schooled us boys when we tried to throw our weight around the place. She almost killed me one time.”
Her eyes widened; “Really?”
He grinned. “I was just coming into my weight. I wanted to take the truck out for a ride with my friends and she said no. I shifted and bellowed at her. Then I broke some furniture. That was the last time I ever did anything like that, I can tell you.”
“What did she do?”
“She shifted faster than I can blink. I’ve never seen a Bruin shift that fast, not even my father. She rushed me and knocked me over with her shoulder. She knocked me flat on the floor and drove in for my throat. She crushed my windpipe until I passed out. I woke up an hour later in my own bed, a much more sober and well-behaved young man.”
Star listened with her mouth open. Then she shook her head. “I used to think my father protecting me from my mother’s rage was his way of being nice to me. That’s how we got so close. I was always Pop’s little girl, and no one could touch me as long as he had my back. Now I understand he wasn’t doing me any favors.”
“How do you feel now?”
“Now I feel calm. I’m calmer now than I can ever remember being. I know I’m safe with you, that I’m not going to shoot off out of control.”
He slid closer on the bench until his shoulder touched hers. A surge of lightning rocketed through her. He sat so near, she could hear his breath. Could this really be happening?
“It gets better.”
She stole a peek up into his eyes. “What does?”
“As bad as it looks right now, growing up gets better if you keep on trucking.”
“You talk like an old man. You’re not more than three years older than me.”
“I just want to let you know it’s not as hopeless as you think.”
“If I can get out of this marriage to Hyatt, everything will be hunky-dory.”
“What about us?”
“What about us?”
“How are we gonna deal with this?”
“I don’t know. How do you want to deal with this?”
Before she could answer, he darted in and kissed her. He gave her a quick peck on the lips and pulled back. He still held her hand on his thigh. He appraised her reaction.
Star stared straight into his eyes. He really had done it.
In the next instant, he moved in again. His lips alighted on hers with the weight of a butterfly, but he didn’t dart away again. He fixed his eyes on hers, there beyond her nose. His lips explored her mouth in tentative waves. He tugged her lips toward him, stronger each time, nudging the molten passion awake in her soul.
She froze at first. How should she react to this? Then something massive reared its head from the bottom of her being. She never experienced anything so all-consuming and unstoppable. Only her own rage came close to it, but her rage couldn’t hold a candle to this.
Burning lava erupted from her core and exploded out through her skin and mouth. She needed this. She needed him. She would do anything to grab him and make him hers.
Her mouth opened to receive him. He slipped his tongue between her lips and found her waiting for him. Their tongues danced together in their first shy union.
He untangled one hand from her fingers to cup the back of her neck. He pulled her against him, and her passion mounted to irresistible heights. All too soon, he let her go and leaned back. “That’s how I want to deal with this.”
She licked his saliva off her lips. “We shouldn’t do this.”
He laced his fingers through hers and tightened his grip. “Yes, we should. Don’t ask me how this is going to work out, but we definitely should. I never felt anything so right. Don’t you feel it, too?”
“I just don’t want either of us to get into trouble.”
He put his arm around her shoulders and hugged her against his bare chest. “We’re already in trouble, so I’ll be jiggered if I’m gonna let you slip away. If we’re gonna do this thing, I’m doing it to the limit. If there’s anyone who wants to get in my way, they better watch out. I won’t let you go, no matter what.”
Star laid her hand on his inked pecs. She could trace their intricate labyrinths all she liked and no one would stop her. She tucked her face under his arm and inhaled a deep breath of his woodsy scent. He smelled of bear, of pine needles and wood smoke. She understood that smell. She understood Bruins. She understood his skin and his body and everything that made him tick.
He murmured into her hair. “You’re mine. No one will take you away from me.”
Chapter 5
Brody kissed her under the trees. “Can you make it home in the dark?”
“I know these woods like the back of my hand. I’ll be fine.” Star reassured him.
“Are you sure? I can walk you down the hill. No one will see me.” Brody anxiously asked again.
“I’m all right now. When will I see you again?” Star asked him, to change the subject.
“Tomorrow?”
“Okay. I’ll be here,” Star replied.
“Let’s meet somewhere else. You never know who could come traipsing along at any second.” Brody said slowly.
“Where did you have in mind?”
“I know a place down the mountain. No one will find us there,” Brody suggested, watching Star closely.
“I better not cross into Farrell territory,” Star warned him.
“The place I’m thinking of is on this side of Craven Creek. It’s in the contested area between Farrell territory and Cunningham territory, and it’s on your side of the mountain. No one knows about it but me, but if they did spot us, you could always claim you were inside your own boundary.” Star thought about what Brody was saying, and nodded her head.
“Okay. Where is it?” She responded.
“Turn off where your path crosses the creek and head upstream until you come to the canyon. Follow it all the way to the waterfall, and I’ll meet you there, say about ten o’clock tomorrow morning.” Brody explained.
“If we don’t go now, we might as well spend the night there. It’s getting cold, and I think it’s gonna rain later.” He said in a low voice.
“I better go then.” She said quietly.
“Be careful going down.” Brody worriedly whispered.
“Don’t worry. I’ll shift, and I’ll be able to see every nook and cranny.” Star smiled at him.
“Good idea. See you tomorrow.”
They moved apart, but their hands stayed bound together. They dragged each other this way and that until Star let go. Brody inched back into the shadows. “Bye.”
He stayed where he was and listened to a bear ambling away down the path. He would rather stay out here all night than go home. He wanted to dream about her, to taste her kiss and feel her face pressed against his chest.
How could a woman be so sweet? Even her rage and threatening roars made him weak in the knees. Even now, the prick of cold against his bare chest reminded him of her touch. He ached to consume her, to make her fully his.
The bear in his soul thundered murderous threats to Hyatt or any other man who came between them. This maddening demand to feel her, to keep her with him, and to command the rest of her life would drive him to dangerous deeds.
He waited, but no sound disturbed the quiet evening. He couldn’t stand out here all night. He turned on his heel. In a flash, he shifted, and a great brown bear shoved his way through the undergrowth toward Farrell Homestead.
He shifted back when he got to the barn. Lights blazed through the living room windows, and smoke curled out of the chimney. Brody paused on the front porch. The house stood strangely quiet. No bubble of conversation drifted out.
He pulled the door open and found Austin alone on the living room couch. He polished his shotgun and whistled to himself. “Hey, bro, where ya been?”
“Just up on the mountain.”
“Did you see any Cunninghams?”
Brody jumped. “What?”
“Did you see any Cunninghams on our side of the line?”
“No, I didn’t. Where is everyone?”
“Dad took Ma and Mattox over to the Kerrs to talk about Sasha.”
Brody snorted. “Sasha, my eye.”
Austin laughed. “You don’t think?”
Brody grinned at his brother. “Would you marry Mattox Farrell if you were an eligible young lady? No? Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I rest my case.”
Austin slid his gun open. “There must be someone out there who would like to marry Mattox. He’s a hard worker and very steady, and he’s in line to become Alpha of our tribe when the old man dies.”
“I’m sure someone out there would like to marry Mattox, but it certainly isn’t Sasha.”
“Either way, they’ll get a straight answer if the Kerrs are going to ally with us or with the Cunninghams. What about you? Do any of the Kerr girls appeal to you? Maybe you’d like to marry one of them and seal an alliance between our tribes.”
“No, I wouldn’t, but the way you’re talking sounds like you would.”
“You know me. I’m a rambler and a gambler. I’m not cut out for marrying.”
“Give it a few years. You might meet someone who changes your mind.”
Austin narrowed his eyes. “What are you saying? Did you meet someone who changed your mind?”
“We’re not talking about me. We’re talking about you.” Brody did his best to sidestep the question.
“No, we’re not. We’re talking about what entertainment we can find tonight since we have non supervised time” Austin surprisingly threw out.
“We are? I didn’t know we were talking about that. So what are we going to do? It sounds like you have something entertaining in mind,” questioned Brody.
“You bet I do. You say you didn’t find any Cunninghams out there on the mountain, so let’s go find some,” Austin grinned from ear to ear, eager to follow his plan.
Brody threw up his hands. “I don’t want to talk about the flaming Cunninghams. Where’s supper?”
“Ma left your plate in the oven. Hurry up and eat so we can go out.”
“Out where?” Brody asked.
“To the other side of the mountain, of course.”
“What other side of the mountain?” Brody slid his plate out of the oven and sat down in front of it at the table. He tore into a chicken leg and popped the roasted potatoes into his mouth.
“The Cunningham side, you slouch. What do you think I’m talking about?” Austin replied belligerently.
Brody threw a greasy, wadded-up napkin at him. “You’re a moron. You want to go looking for Cunninghams on the other side of the mountain? You’ll get a mouth full of buckshot if you’re not careful.”
“No, I won’t. I know how to sneak up on ‘em. I know where all their traps are laid, and I always take along some meat to keep their terriers quiet.”
Brody stared at him. “Always? Don’t tell me you’ve done this before.”
“I’ve done it dozens of times and never been caught once. Come on. You’ve got nothing else to do on a Wednesday night.”
“Stuff it, man. I ain’t going over to the Cunningham side of the mountain in the pitch dark. You’re out of your tree.” Brody rummaged in the fridge until he came out with a frosted slice of cake. He stuffed it into his mouth with his fingers.
Austin rested the butt of his gleaming shotgun on the floor next to him and got up. “If you want to sit around home knitting in your rocking chair by the fire while the real men hunt the enemies of our people, go right ahead. I’m going out. I’ve got business, and that business’s name is Cunningham.”
Brody sucked the frosting off his fingers. “You’re not going anywhere. You’re gonna get out your darning mushroom and mend your socks, ‘cuz I know you haven’t got a single pair without holes in the heels.”
“I finished that earlier so I could go out tonight. If you want to slink around here and wring your hands, be my guest.” He picked up his shotgun and headed for the door. He was already halfway across the porch when Brody caught up. “Are you still here?” Austin joked. “Are you sure you’re not a faint-hearted old lady who would rather crotchet a doily until Dad and Ma get home?”
Brody punched Austin in the shoulder. “Somebody’s got to go along to call the ambulance when Kaiser Cunningham cuts off your balls and rips your arms out of their sockets. Besides, there’s no more cake in the fridge, so what’s the point of hanging around home?”
Austin chuckled, but the scraping of the shed door covered the sound. He jumped into the cab of the truck parked inside and fired up the engine. Flood lights across the roll bar behind the cab blinded Brody, but he swung up into the passenger seat next to Austin. “Did Dad give you permission to take the truck out?” Brody asked a little nervously.
“You princess: Why do you think I’m taking it out now? Dad’s not here, so I don’t have to get permission.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“I do.” Austin hung his shotgun on the rack behind his head and hit the gas. The truck burned rubber on the shed floor and peeled out into the night.
Brody buckled his seat belt and peered into the darkness, but he couldn’t see where they were going. Austin took a roundabout back road Brody didn’t know about. Then again, he never tried to sneak up on Cunningham Homestead in the dark before.
Could Austin really be so foolish as to try a stunt like this? Brody knew his younger brother was reckless, but this capped everything. Austin yanked the steering wheel one way and then the other. He the truck’s wide tires skidded all over the road and came close to careening off into ditches more than once.
He drove into a part of the forest Brody didn’t recognize, and he’d been all over this mountain from his earliest childhood. They must be in Cunningham territory. Brody’s stomach twisted into knots. Meeting Star at the look-out was one thing. Invading Cunningham territory looking for trouble was cros
sing the line too far.
Raindrops pattered on the windshield when Austin jerked the truck into some bushes by the side of the road. He killed the flood lights and shoved the keys under the driver’s seat. He grabbed his shotgun from the rack. “Come on.”
“Leave the gun behind.”
Austin spun around. “Are you loopy? What if they come after us? We’d be defenseless.”
“You’re the one going after them. Now, leave it behind before I get rough with you.”
Austin bristled. “You couldn’t get rough with me if you tried.”
Brody dropped his voice to a rumble. “Leave the gun in the truck, Austin, or we’re going home right now.”
Austin glared at him in the dull light reflected off the clouds. Then he cursed under his breath and tossed the gun on the truck seat. “You’re a bigger pussy than I thought.”
Brody followed him into the undergrowth. “Where are we?”
“I know exactly where we are. I know all the woods.”
“I didn’t ask that. I asked where we are.”
“We’re just downhill from Cunningham Homestead.”
“And we’re just going to look around, right? We’re not going to start the next thermonuclear war.”
“Who said anything about looking around? Do you think I came out here in the driving rain to look around? I came out here to make our presence felt.”
“The rain’s not exactly driving, and making our presence felt isn’t exactly what I had in mind. They’ll be patrolling their perimeter, the same way we are. If we get caught …”
“That’s why we’re not going to get caught. I’m telling you, I’ve done this a thousand times.”
“Earlier you said you’d done this dozens of times. Now it’s thousands. Either way, we’re not doing anything that could get anybody hurt. Is that clear?”
“Where’s your sense of adventure? What’s the point of being a free Bruin if you can’t get anybody hurt?”
Before Brody could argue with him, Austin dropped to his hands and knees behind a bush. Golden lights twinkled through the drizzle. Brody crouched next to his brother, but his nose detected the unmistakable scent of Bruins nearby – male Bruins – big ones, too. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end, and every sinew tensed to fight.
Bruins' Peak Bears Box Set (Volume I) Page 10