Bruins Peak Bears Box Set (Volume III)

by Sarah J. Stone

  Mattox squeezed Arryn’s shoulder when they shook hands. His dark eyes sparkled when he nodded, and Arryn smiled. He had one ally in this group already, on top of the Dunlaps. He spent enough time talking to these guys in the last few days to know he had them behind him, too.

  Before the Farrells finished shaking hands, Laird Kerr strode into the room with his son Barton. A receiving line developed when Walker Cunningham and his brother Dax followed on their heels. They took turns shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries with Jasper, Arryn, and the Dunlap boys.

  A low hubbub filled the room. Mellow conversation washed back and forth. Arryn’s friends talked to him about everything but the elephant in the room. They saved the meat and potatoes for the real negotiation.

  Jasper looked around. “I don’t know where the others are, but we can all take a seat and get this show on the road. Arryn, you sit here.”

  He waved Arryn into a wing-backed chair near the fireplace. All the other men arranged themselves around him in a circle on couches, chaises, and other chairs. Every eye trained on him.

  Arryn never let himself admit this moment would come. He never really believed he would sit in state with the Alphas of this powerful people, or that they would listen and negotiate with him as an equal.

  If they listened to him and negotiated with him as the NightShade’s delegated representative, that must make him an Alpha, too, didn’t it? Could he really be an Alpha?

  The NightShade didn’t have Alphas, so what did that make him? He was too young to be an Elder, but he couldn’t go back to being plain old Arryn Stark. The first cataclysmic domino toppled last night when he mated for life with May MacAllister. Now the second domino fell. He would never be the same. Where would he end up? What life-changing transformation awaited him around the next corner?

  He knew every man in the room from Ash’s stories. He fit each person into his place in the overall scheme of Bruins’ Peak. He understood these people a lot better now that he saw them all in person.

  Jasper started to say something about welcoming Arryn and deciding if the Bruins really wanted to make allies of the NightShade. “I trust you won’t take offence at that, Arryn. We’ve had some little trouble over this whole thing in the last few months.”

  “I understand, sir,” he replied. “Ash told me all about it, and I want to assure all you men here today that the NightShade respect your autonomy as a people. If you decide against making allies of us, we will respect that decision with no loss of regard between us and you. Please do not consider our feelings in your decision. We honor your ability to choose the right course for your own people, just as you honor ours.”

  Did those words really come out of his mouth? They came out of his heart and soul, but he never knew he could articulate them this way. He respected these men as he respected few people in the world besides his own father, and here they were, listening to him and nodding in perfect agreement. They respected him the same way.

  “The question burning a hole in my mind,” Jasper went on, “is whether we really need this alliance if the Midnight are becoming peaceful.”

  “We can make the alliance even if the Midnight are peaceful,” Brody chimed in. “We could make an alliance with everybody if we really wanted to.”

  Mattox chuckled, and Arryn smiled. “For the moment, I think it’s wiser to assume they aren’t peaceful—at least, they aren’t peaceful yet. Jordan Faulkner, the Midnight Ash made friends with, warned us a few trouble-makers still want to restart the bear-baiting ring. Until we know for certain the whole Moraine is committed to peace, we should proceed as though none of them was peaceful. That’s the only way to be sure they won’t come after us again.”

  “Arryn is right,” Walker added. “The Midnight have caused enough trouble for all of us. We can’t take the chance of them doing it again.”

  “Ash believes the Bruins and the NightShade forming an alliance is the best way to force the Midnight to back down,” Arryn told him. “Our Elders voted for peace, but that doesn’t mean leaving ourselves open to attack. Those of us who originally wanted to attack the Midnight will turn our battle preparations toward defending our territory. We sent a message to the Midnight that any bear-baiter caught on Renegade Ridge would be killed with extreme prejudice.”

  “Here, here,” Austin called out.

  “It sounds to me like the alliance is the best thing for everybody,” Jasper replied. “Maybe we should put it to a vote and see where we stand on the subject.”

  At that moment, the living room door swung open and Don MacAllister strode into the room. Arryn rose from his chair to greet the old Alpha. Don waved his hand. “Sit down, son. You don’t need to get up for me. I didn’t mean to interrupt anything. Carry on with what you’re doing.”

  Walker and Mattox scooted together on the couch to make room for Don to sit when Shaw stepped through the door. Heads shot up to stare at him. A second later, Silas appeared over Shaw’s shoulder. He caught Arryn’s astonished stare, and his eyes flashed fire.

  Don jerked his thumb behind him. “I know it’s a little irregular. I was just walking out the door to come here, and Shaw asked if he could come, too. He wants to listen in on the negotiation. Then Silas piped up and wanted to come, too. I couldn’t exactly say no to one and not the other, could I? I hope you guys don’t mind.”

  “I’m sure it’s fine.” Jasper turned to Arryn. “At least, it will be if you say it’s all right, Arryn.”

  “It’s fine with me,” Arryn replied. “You three are all welcome.”

  Shaw and Silas hunted around for seats in the circle. Shaw took a place next to Austin, but Jasper had to fetch another chair for Silas. He set it right next to Arryn’s chair so the two men faced the circle side by side.

  Arryn glanced sideways and spotted Silas smiling at him. He could get through this meeting so much easier with his friend at his shoulder.

  “There,” Jasper exclaimed. “Now, as I was just explaining…”

  Another commotion drew everyone’s attention to the door when Riskin Dodd crossed the threshold. Arryn gave him one brief glance before Riskin’s mirror image attracted all his awareness. The man behind Riskin looked exactly like him. A prickle of danger coursed down Arryn’s spine. He didn’t have to wait for Jasper to introduce him. It was Rhys Dodd.

  Ash told Arryn to watch out for Rhys, but Arryn would have known by instinct that Rhys was his enemy. The two men locked eyes across the room, and Arryn hated him instantly. He never hated anyone with a more vile passion. He was going to kill Rhys Dodd if it was the last thing he did. He would choke the life out of Rhys Dodd with his bare hands.

  Arryn didn’t hear Jasper explaining the situation to him. He didn’t have to. Rhys was his twin brother’s second. He had as much right to attend this meeting as Austin or Silas or Dax or Boyd. Aiken was nobody’s second, and he attended it.

  Jasper and Boyd carried another chaise from another room and set it up. Riskin and Rhys sat down, and Jasper picked up where he left off. He explained that so many of these men supported the alliance, they ought to take a vote and see if they could swing the agreement there and then.

  Arryn didn’t hear a word of Jasper’s speech or the ensuing discussion. He glared at Rhys Dodd through the whole meeting. Deadly hatred radiated across the room between the two men. Nothing could interfere with that. They hated each other at first sight.

  “I agree with Jasper,” Don was saying. “Let’s take a vote. I think everybody here supports the alliance, don’t they?”

  “Not everybody,” Shaw interrupted.

  “No one asked you to blow your horn,” Silas shot back. “You came here to listen, so button your lip.”

  “And you didn’t come here to let your petty squabbles interfere with our business,” Mattox reminded him. “All you seconds keep quiet so the rest of us can talk.”

  Silas lowered his eyes to the floor. “Yes, sir.”

  Daggers flew as thick and fast between Shaw and Silas as betw
een Rhys and Arryn. Arryn shuddered all over. The tension would blow at any second. Thank goodness the rest of these Alphas could keep their heads.

  “Right,” Jasper went on. “All in favor of forging an alliance with the NightShade, raise your hands and say ‘Aye.’”

  All the Alphas raised their hands and chorused together, “Aye.” Shaw, Silas, Austin, Dax, Rhys, and Arryn kept their hands down.

  “Great,” Jasper exclaimed. “That settles it. We’re all in favor, so the next step is to decide exactly how we’re going to carry out this alliance. I think the question on everybody’s minds is how likely it is we would have to fight the Midnight to protect the NightShade.”

  “We still don’t know the NightShade’s defenses,” Brody put in. “You guys are in much greater danger from the Midnight than we are. What if they wage an all-out war against you? We could get roped into something none of us can handle.”

  “That won’t happen,” Arryn replied. “We’re perfectly capable of defending ourselves, especially now that our Elders have given the word to do so.”

  “How do we know that?” Riskin asked. “All we ever hear is that you’re poor mountain people. How many weapons and men of fighting age can you really have? How would you repel a full-scale assault by the Midnight?”

  “The Midnight are panthers,” Austin pointed out. “The NightShade are bears. The Midnight wouldn’t dare attack them. They would be wiped out.”

  “Not if the Midnight come as people with weapons and rocket launchers and grenade cannons,” Brody countered. “Not all the bears in the world could repel them.”

  Jasper turned to Arryn. “You see? We need to know a lot more about your people and your infrastructure before we commit to anything.”

  Arryn blushed. Of course, it would come to this. He couldn’t exactly come right out and tell them the NightShade had more men and weapons than the Bruins and the Midnight combined.

  He had to come up with some explanation in a hurry, and the truth wouldn’t do. “We have a lot more people than you think. We might be poor, but we can fight. We have as many weapons as we need. If every man, woman, and child on Midnight Moraine came at us, we would hold our own. I can give you my word on that.”

  “Do you have defenses in place?” Don asked. “Do you have hides on the mountain with your weapons secured and manned in case of an incursion?”

  “We’re doing that now,” Arryn replied. “You have to understand our position. Until very recently, our Elders voted to lay low and take no action against the bear-baiters. We never mounted any defence at all. Then Ash met up with Jordan and Riley Faulkner. He…”

  Walker Cunningham exploded. “Riley Faulkner!”

  “He and Jordan are the main proponents of peace among the Midnight,” Arryn told him. “They both mated for life, and Riley’s sister mated with Azer Mackenzie.”

  Walker scowled at him, but didn’t say anything.

  Arryn took a deep breath. “The whole Moraine is mating for life. Massive changes are sweeping over the Midnight. Even if a few scattered people want to make trouble, the Midnight aren’t nearly as dangerous as they were. They took my little sister to the ring, so I wouldn’t be saying this if we didn’t have good reason to think they changed. The NightShade are arming the mountain now, and we won’t tolerate any incursion from Midnight Moraine. Our two peoples fighting together would have no difficulty putting the Midnight in their place.”

  Mattox swept the meeting with his hand. “I think I speak for everyone here when I say we’re all committed to this alliance. If the NightShade face any problems with the Midnight, we’re all ready to fight to defend you.”

  “Absolutely!” Walker rejoined.

  “Here, here,” Riskin added.

  Arryn smiled at everyone in the room—except Rhys and Shaw. This meeting turned out better than he ever dared hope. “This alliance is the best peace measure we could ask for. You all have my people’s heartfelt gratitude.”

  The room erupted in conversation. “It’s amazing the Midnight are mating for life,” Riskin told Laird. “How did that happen?”

  “I would love to see Renegade Ridge,” Brody exclaimed. “It sounds amazing.”

  “It must be pretty nice for Ash to stay there,” Austin remarked.

  Jasper leaned toward Arryn. “I want to thank you for bringing us news about Ash. He never tells us anything.”

  Arryn laughed. “I’m sure he wouldn’t want you to know what a hero he is.”

  Jasper’s eyes flew open. “A hero!”

  Arryn nodded. “He’s the one who made contact with Jordan, and he’s the one who convinced all of us to go for peace. We would probably still be arguing about it if he hadn’t come.”

  “I understand it’s your other sister he mated with up there.”

  “Yes, sir, he did, and I’m very glad he did. I couldn’t ask for a better man for my sister’s husband.”

  Jasper beamed and pressed Arryn’s hand. The meeting broke up, and men got out of their seats. Brody looked around. “Where’s the food?”

  At that moment, Rhys shot out of his seat. He shouted over the gabble of voices. “You can’t do this! You can’t let the Midnight get away with this.”

  Mattox ground his teeth. “Be quiet, Rhys. We already made our decision.”

  Shaw stood up. “He’s right. How can you join with these bush babies to make peace? The Midnight have done unspeakable things to the NightShade, and they never once fought back. They’ll leave us twisting in the wind. We should attack the Midnight and pay them back for everything they’ve done.”

  “We all know what the Midnight did to Marla,” Rhys added. “Come on, Walker. You’ve been more vocal about fighting the Midnight than any of us. Back me up.”

  Walker shrugged. “I admit I wanted that, but things are different now. We keep hearing how they’re trying to be peaceful and stop bear-baiting.

  Rhys exploded. “If Ash is right! What if he isn’t right? What if the Midnight are arming to attack us?”

  “That’s a big if,” Laird murmured. “You can’t go to war on if.”

  “Even if the Midnight haven’t changed at all,” Don added, “they certainly aren’t coming anywhere near Bruins’ Peak. We haven’t seen one of them since Melody ran off with Riley. We have no reason to attack them.”

  “No one is lying down letting the Midnight slash our necks,” Arryn put in. “We’ll defend ourselves. We’re all firm on that, even if it means killing any Midnight who sets foot on someone else’s territory. The Midnight understand that as well as anybody. That alone will keep them peaceful if nothing else will. You say the NightShade have suffered worse than anyone from the Midnight, and we see no reason to take the fight to their front door. That should be good enough for you, too.”

  Rhys threw up his hands. He spun around the room. “You’re not listening to this guy, are you? You’re not all going to sit here and listen to this.”

  “He sounds pretty reasonable to me,” Riskin replied.

  Rhys whirled away toward the door. “This is ridiculous. Come on, Shaw. Let’s get out of here. This place stinks.”

  Rhys and Shaw stormed out of the house. A moment later, wheels spat gravel down the driveway and faded into the distance. A palpable wave of relief went around the room. Silas sank back in his chair. “Thank God that’s over.”

  Jasper got out of his chair and stretched his legs. “Don’t pay any attention to them. They see their support falling away on all sides. Not much is left of the war faction anymore. Pretty soon they’ll be alone and they won’t be able to bother anybody. Come on, you two. Let’s go get something to eat.”

  Jasper led the way out of the living room. The whole company filed into the dining room. Tables lined the walls, and platters of food piled every available surface. “Help yourself,” Jasper told Arryn. “You won’t get another meal like this until your wedding feast.”

  Arryn blushed, but before he could say anything, all the Alphas swirled past him and descend
ed on the tables. They ate and talked and mingled. In the midst of it all, Harmony entered from the kitchen. She set a pitcher of lemonade next to the other drinks. Arryn raised his eyebrows. “What are you doing here, Harmony? Is Jace feeling better?”

  Her eyes shone. She looked better than he remembered since he came to stay at the Dunlaps’. “He’s fine. Thank you, Arryn. It’s all thanks to Iris and May, too. Those two saved his life.”

  Harmony hurried away. Arryn turned around to find Silas examining him. Arryn shifted from one foot to the next. “What?”

  Silas took a sip of his drink. “May didn’t come home last night. She still hadn’t come home when Dad and Shaw and I left for the meeting.”

  Arryn fidgeted through the long silence. “Oh.”

  Silas burst into a grin. “You don’t have to get all worked up about it. I know all about you two. I’m not so blind I can’t see my sister happy. You two were made for each other.”

  Arryn dug his toe into the carpet. “I’m sorry, man. I really didn’t plan to do it this way.”

  “Will you stop apologizing? Of course, you didn’t plan it this way. You’re mated, and I’m happy about it. I’m happy my sister is in love with my friend.”

  Arryn stole a glance at him. “Would I still be your friend if I took May away to live on Renegade Ridge?”

  Silas let out a long breath. “If that’s what May wants, then yes, you would still be my friend. You would have to do something a lot worse than that to make me stop being your friend.”

  Arryn’s shoulders sagged. A lump stuck in his throat and choked the words when he tried to get them out. “I wish I could be as good a friend to you as you are to me. I meant what I said before. I want to help you deal with Shaw.”

  “I appreciate that. You’re a good friend, and I’m grateful to have you, but no one can help me deal with Shaw. In a few days, this will all be over and we won’t have to worry about Shaw anymore.”