“What are you doing to me?” his words came out on the end of a breath.
“I’m not doing it. You are,” was Aurora’s heated reply.
Was this what it meant to be mated with someone? Bruins mated for life. They found their hearts’ mate, and only death could part them. Was destiny compelling them together? Was this tornado of emotions and desires the story of the rest of his life?
She gripped his neck in powerful fingers and hauled him down. He closed his eyes, but their lips found their way together by gravity. He heard the storm gathering, but he couldn’t do anything to stop it. She was a Cunningham. He should scream and run. He should stick to his back alley hook-ups and forget about finding a mate.
Out of the depths of his soul, a mind-blowing roar blasted all those thoughts away. The bear reared his shaggy head and demanded his life’s mate. He would fight and die; he would destroy anything that stood in his path. Did Aurora sense that too? Did her bear overrule all resistance to demand what was rightfully hers?
Never in his life did Austin quail before the power of his bear nature. He always treated his bear as a trivial convenience. He enjoyed prowling the woods in search of delectable things to eat. He liked sleeping under the stars and sheltering from bad weather in caves. Never until this moment did he come face to face with this fearsome reality. The bear controlled his life. What he wanted, though and decided made no difference. The bear would have his way and woe to anyone or anything that stood in his way.
A puff of warm air blew into his nose, and his eyes snapped open. He found himself looking into eternity. Stars studded the blackness of space. He could see all the way to the limit of consciousness.
Then he realized he was looking into Aurora’s eyes. He read her soul in there along with his own. They had the same soul, and that soul had found its completion in their kiss. Where would it end? Would he fall apart and become nothing? Would he merge with her and lose his whole identity?
They swam in each other’s eyes. He couldn’t tell where she ended and he began, but that didn’t matter anymore. They were together, the way they belonged, and it took this moment, this kiss, and this crisis, to make them both realize it.
The same force bringing them together also pushed them apart. Their lips trailed a cosmic thread, connecting their mouths together until that thread broke. Austin found himself bent over the couch with Aurora in his arms. Her hands encircled his neck and stroked the hair behind his head.
“You better get going.”
“Yeah,” he murmured as he kissed her again. “You’ll be here when I get back, won’t you?”
“Yep; I’m not going anywhere,” she answered quietly.
A sound caught their attention from the other room. Aurora’s eyes widened, but Austin sat up. “Don’t worry about Ma. She won’t bother you. No one will bother you. You’re under Brody’s protection.”
“Thanks. I mean…thank him.”
“You’re Star’s sister, but he would put you under his protection even if you weren’t. You’re a guest, and he knows better than anyone to protect the Cunninghams. It’s the only way we’ll get this war ended once and for all.” Austin replied seriously.
“What about you?” Aurora questioned slowly.
“You’re under my protection, too, but Brody has more clout around here than I do. Everyone listens to him,” he stated with assurance.
“That’s not what I mean. I mean what about you and me?” She looked down, waiting for his answer.
He wrapped his arms around her and got lost in her kiss. He could live in that kiss and never come up for air. “When I get back, I’ll talk to Brody,” he replied firmly.
“Will he give his consent?” She asked, staring into his eyes.
“I don’t see how he can withhold it when he’s married to your sister,” he responded with all sincerity.
“He might have some other objection to it. I don’t want to pin my hopes on someone else,” she said, looking a little lost.
“Then pin your hopes on me. I’m not letting you go. I’ll fight ‘em all if I have to. When I get back, I’ll find a way to make them accept us,” he replied, forcing all his certainty into his voice.
“Austin?”
“Yeah?”
“It’s real, isn’t it? What just happened…it’s real,” Aurora murmured in a voice full of awe.
“It’s real. I don’t understand it. I never thought it could be possible, but it’s the most real thing I know. I only wish I hadn’t wasted my pathetic life not knowing it before now.”
He Austin picked up his rifle in one hand and stood up. He kissed the fingers of his other hand and laid them on her forehead. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. Rest easy; everything’s gonna be okay now.”
Chapter 6
Aurora sank back onto the couch. The door clicked shut, and silence enveloped the house. Austin Farrell. Who would ever have thunk? Did that just happen? Did she just kiss Austin Farrell and pin her hopes on him? What was she thinking?
She wasn’t thinking. That was the thing. Thinking was over and done with for her. Thinking was for the birds. Thinking was for Bruins who hadn’t found their mates. Star and Brody weren’t thinking when they turned their backs on their families to find each other.
Aurora sent up a silent thank you to Star and Brody for paving the way for her and Austin. Who in their right mind would object to her and Austin? Dax would object. That’s who. Dax and…
The bedroom door flung open and Mona came out. The old lady didn’t even look in the direction of the living room. She marched straight into the kitchen, tore the fridge door open, almost yanking it off its hinges, scowled at the contents, and slammed it shut again.
She slammed around the kitchen for five minutes before Aurora summoned the courage to speak. If she and Austin really were destined to be mated, this grumpy lady would be Aurora’s future mother-in-law. The thought gave Aurora the screaming terrors, but she had better find a way to break the ice now. The sooner she got on good terms with all the Farrells, the better.
She tried one more time to sit up. Her head spun, and she supported her forehead on her hand until the room stopped whirling. When she could see again, she heaved herself onto her feet. She held onto the couch back until she could grab hold of the kitchen counter and make her way along it toward the fridge.
Through it all, Mona showed no sign of even seeing Aurora. She got a bowl of chocolate pudding out of the fridge and set it on the counter right in front of Aurora. She stuck a spoon into it, shook off the excess and licked the back clean with long, loving strokes. She smacked her lips and repeated the process. She held her head on one side and gazed into the far ceiling corner like she was thinking hard about something important.
Aurora wavered. Was talking to this recalcitrant lady really worth the effort? Her stomach churned, and Aurora rested her head on her hands, her elbows on the counter. With a heroic effort, she propelled herself upward and took a deep breath. “How are you, Mona? Where’s Mattox? I haven’t seen him.”
Mona swirled her spoon through the pudding, but she never picked up more than a coating along half the spoon. She savored every lick. “Mattox is staying with the Mackenzies.”
“Really? Why is that? I thought Brody could use his brothers around right about now.”
Mona shot a flashing glare at her. “And what made you think that?”
Aurora faltered. “I just thought, since Brody took over as Alpha after his father died, he would want his brothers nearby to help him seal his authority. Then again, maybe he wouldn’t. I could be wrong.”
Mona tossed her spoon into the sink and her pudding bowl into the fridge. “That’s what you get for thinking. Do yourself and everyone else a favor and don’t think. You can only get into trouble that way.”
“I only thought…”
“There you go again. You probably thought since your sister married a Farrell, that you could turn around and do the same thing, but you would be wrong. You’re n
ot welcome to marry one of my sons, especially not Austin.”
“Who said anything about me marrying Austin? I just…”
“You think you can prance in here with your high-falutin’ ways and waltz off with any man you choose? Wrong again, honey chops. Go get yourself a man from one of the other tribes. Farrells and Cunninghams don’t mix. Get that into your head right now.”
“I never had the idea to marry any Farrell, let alone Austin. That’s the last thing in the world I want. It’s just that, ever since I bumped into him in town, it’s like…”
Mona held up her hand. “Don’t say it. Whatever you were just about to say, I don’t want to hear it. Just get out, will you? Pack your bag and get out of my house.”
Mona stormed off back to her bedroom and left Aurora sagging against the counter. She could barely bring herself to whisper, “But I didn’t bring a bag.”
She shouldn’t have said anything to Mona. She should have taken Austin’s advice and ignored her. Maybe Farrells and Cunninghams shouldn’t mate after all. She ought to give up thinking about Austin – not that she ever really thought about him in the first place. This whole thing was a bad idea. Mona knew it. Dax knew it. Hundreds of Farrells and Cunninghams knew it going back to antiquity.
She stumbled back to the couch and just sat down on it with a heavy sigh when a car pulled up in the driveway. The next minute, the door burst open and her brother Dax stomped into the house. “Where is she?”
Star came in on his heels. “You can’t do this, Dax. You can’t go barging into someone else’s house and kidnap someone against her will.”
“Watch me.” He took one look around the living room and spotted Aurora sitting there. He planted his feet in front of her. “Come on. You’re coming home with me.”
Aurora couldn’t bring herself to stand up. Her muscles wouldn’t work. “Dax, I…”
“No excuses. Star told me you were here. Now you’re coming home.”
“Leave her alone, Dax. I never said you could trespass on Farrell Homestead and take her by force.”
“I’m not leaving, Dax. I’m waiting here until Brody and Austin come back.”
“If they come back while I’m here, I’ll slaughter the pair of them for daring to lay a finger on you.”
“If you do anything to antagonize the Farrells, Walker will skin you alive and you know it. You wouldn’t be here throwing your weight around somebody else’s house if he was home.”
“Well, he ain’t home, and that leaves me. Now get on your feet before I sling you over my shoulder and haul you out of here by main force.”
Aurora narrowed her eyes at Dax. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Wouldn’t I?”
Aurora hesitated. On any other day, she would have stood up to Dax and sent him running for the wood shed with his tail between his legs. Tonight was a different story. Her head ached, and she didn’t know if she could even stand up without falling over, let alone give her full-grown brother a quick jab to the head before he retaliated.
Aurora cast a quick glance at Star. Star glared at Dax, but Aurora couldn’t rely on Star to get her out of this. If people on both sides reacted this way to Aurora coming to Farrell Homestead when she was injured, what hope did she and Austin have for any kind of future together?
She struggled to her feet and teetered for a moment. “Alright, Dax. I’ll come home with you, but only to prevent any more bloodshed.”
He headed for the door. “Just wait until Walker gets back. He’ll tell you I’m right.”
Aurora murmured under her breath on her way out of the house. “We’ll see.”
Star touched her sister’s arm. “Are you sure you’re alright to leave?”
“I will be, as soon as I get home. At least I can rest there without anyone bothering me.”
She had to stop and lean against the porch rail to catch her balance before she could get the rest of the way down the steps, across the lawn, and into Dax’s car. Star followed her all the way and helped her when she staggered. “I don’t like this,” Star whispered urgently. “You should stay put.”
“I will… I’ll be alright. You’ll explain to Brody and Austin what happened, won’t you?” Aurora asked pleadingly.
“They’ll be furious,” Star responded with some anger of her own.
“You explain it so they don’t do anything… please. You tell them I did it to keep the peace. Make sure they understand that, Star. Don’t let them do anything, especially not Austin.” Aurora said firmly with all the energy she had left.
“I won’t let him go anywhere near our place. I’ll hog-tie him if I have to,” Star staunchly promised.
Aurora caught her sister’s hand through the window in thanks just before Dax hit the gas and ripped up the driveway gunning it down the mountain. Aurora rested her head against the seat and closed her eyes. Her stomach hurt and lights exploded before her eyes. She wanted nothing in the world but to lie down and go to sleep.
That wasn’t true, though, was it? She wanted to lie down and go to sleep with someone’s protective presence guarding her. She wanted the looming dark shape of a bear by her side and filling her dreams with his earthy smell. She wanted one thing and one thing only: Austin by her side.
The last thing she saw before she closed her eyes was Farrell Homestead disappearing into the night. Austin was out there somewhere, and he didn’t know Dax had taken her away. He would come back and find her gone. Would the Homestead seem as cold and empty to him, without her in it, as Cunningham Homestead would be to her without him in it? How could she go back to her old life, her old home, without him? How did one night change everything she knew and understood?
Dax screeched into the yard and got out. He stomped around to the passenger door and jerked it open. He grabbed Aurora by the arm. “Get out,” he ordered, his teeth set firmly together.
Aurora dragged her eyelids open. “I’m coming,” came her soft, weary reply.
He almost wrenched her arm out of its socket trying to pull her out. “I said, get out. Get in that house if you know what’s good for you,” he yelled through his teeth.
Aurora did her best to pull herself out of the car with a hand around the door frame. “I’m coming, I said. I’m coming as fast as I can,” she responded in an even weaker voice.
She propelled herself up onto her feet, but her knees buckled and she sank back into the seat. Dax cursed under his breath and gave her arm an almighty yank. “Get up! I said, get up! Do you think you can fool me with that ‘poor, poor, pitiful me’ act? Get out of that car now before I pound you into submission.” Dax was practically jumping up and down in his anger at his sister.
Aurora couldn’t summon the strength to resist him. She heard her own voice wheedle in a pathetic moan, “I’m coming.”
She got to her feet again and managed to stay upright this time. She wobbled towards the house. Dax’s hand, cutting off the blood supply to her arm, actually helped support her so she didn’t fall over.
The house lay in pitch darkness and was completely quiet. Her elderly parents wouldn’t wake up for anything at this hour. Dax threw the door open and marched Aurora inside. She eyed the couch with relief, but Dax shoved her forward into the hall.
“Hey! What are you doing?” Aurora cried out in surprise.
Before she could do anything, he dragged her down the hall to her room. He tossed her through the door and slammed it on her. Aurora sprawled on her bed. She barely found the energy to get out the words, “What are you doing?”
“You’re not going anywhere. You’ve gotten in enough trouble for one night. I’m making sure you stay where you belong until Walker comes home.”
“But you don’t know when he’s coming home,” she responded with – at least she thought – level-headed logic.
The sound of a key turning in her bedroom doorknob answered her. She couldn’t have gotten off that bed to save her own life, and she didn’t have to get up to check. He’d locked her in. She was tra
pped.
Chapter 7
Austin shouldered his rifle and barreled down the mountain as fast as he could run. He could run as fast as any Bruin in the pitch dark woods. He could close his eyes and sense the trees and rocks all around him. He could find his way by smell alone.
He slowed down when he came to the Farrell-Dunlap boundary. He didn’t know the terrain beyond the boundary as well as his own, and the whole place smelled of Dunlap. On his own side of the ridge, the comforting smell of Farrell gave him a safe, familiar confidence. Dunlap meant foreign: stranger; danger.
The Farrells had never had any problem with the Dunlaps. The Dunlaps stayed out of the Farrell-Cunningham war. Still, any Bruin took his life in his hands crossing the boundary uninvited in the middle of the night.
Brody’s order gave him no assurance, either. Austin would follow his Alpha’s order no matter what, but a greater loyalty pushed him over that boundary: Aurora. She trusted him with her secret. He couldn’t let her down. She couldn’t carry the message about the hunters to the other tribes, so he had to carry her message for her.
He stopped on the ridge and took a deep sniff. Dawn lurked just beyond the Peak. Who knows how much damage Bain and his friends had already done while Austin lounged on the couch kissing Aurora? He wouldn’t trade that kiss for a thousand hunters, though. He wouldn’t trade one kiss from her for all the tea in China.
He hopped the ridge line fence and plunged into the deep woods. What would he find when he got to Dunlap Homestead? He had never set foot inside the Dunlaps’ house. He didn’t dare. Every Bruin knew the Dunlaps lived a cut above everyone else on the Peak. Austin barely recognized them in town. They wore the best clothes and fancy watches, and they drove flashy cars without a speck of dirt or rust anywhere. How could he relate to people like that?
None of that mattered now. He would shout his message from the garden gate if they didn’t want him tracking mud on their carpets. He gave no thought to traveling in silence. He crashed through underbrush and snapped branches underfoot. He could have traveled faster as a bear if he didn’t have to carry his rifle, but he had a job to do. He would do if for Aurora.
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