Grace hopped up off her chair. “Goody! Let’s go.”
“Hold on, Pumpkin. I’ve got to clean up the dishes.”
“Uncle Rhys didn’t clean up his dish,” Grace pointed out.
Natalie snorted. “No, he didn’t. Funny how he always seems to leave it for someone else to do.”
She washed the dishes and put them away. She walked out onto the veranda with Grace, and she had never been so happy to leave her computer behind with its three unanswered messages.
79. Chapter 4
Silas put his phone on mute when he went back downstairs. The whole house loomed silent all around him. He stole down the hall to his parents’ bedroom, but what he found there didn’t surprise him.
His father Don lay flat on his back in bed. Already the old man’s skin shone white and deathly against the pillow. The sun streaming through the windows only made him look more like a corpse.
Iris sat on a chair by the bed. She rocked back and forth the same way she did in the kitchen. She knit her fingers together in her lap, and a subtle moaning sound came from deep in her throat. She never took her eyes off her husband’s unresponsive face.
As Silas watched, the old man took a deep breath and let it out. Then he went back to not breathing for a long time before doing it all over again.
Briar stood in a corner by the closet. One hand covered her mouth, and she stared at her parents in wide-eyed horror. No one would recognize the two powerful Bruins who controlled a tribe together for over fifty years.
Silas eased around the room and took Briar by the arm. He led her out to the living room and shut the door behind her. “Leave them alone for a while. There’s nothing you can do in there, and staring at them will only sap your nerves.”
“There must be something I can do,” Briar fretted. “I can’t just stand by and wait for them both to die.”
Silas put his arms around her. “I’m sorry. I wish I could tell you something you could do, but there isn’t anything. We’ll just have to wait.”
She leaned her head on his shoulder. “I can’t. I’m sorry. I know you’re right, but I can’t just do nothing. Ma raised me all my life to do something to help people. Now, I can’t help the people who need it most.”
“You can help them. You can be here. You don’t have to do anything else. You being here is the best thing you can do for anybody, including yourself. You don’t have to save everybody all the time.”
Briar nodded, but she struggled to get her emotions in check. “I know. I’m trying, but it’s hard, you know?”
“You’re upset. We all are, losing Pop and now Ma, too. Just relax here and feel it. It’s okay. No one expects you to keep it all together here. You’re with family.”
She brushed the hair out of her eyes. “I’m worried about Grace. Natalie took care of her for four hours this morning, and then I got your call. I’ve been here ever since, and Natalie has been taking care of her all that time.”
Silas cocked his head. “So what are you asking me?”
“Could I bring her here? She’s never been left alone this long, and Riskin is gone in town, too.”
Silas pushed her away. “Sure. Go home and get her. You can tell Riskin what you’re doing so he doesn’t worry.”
“I don’t know if he’ll be there.”
Silas pulled out his phone. “Would you like me to call him and explain the situation?”
Briar’s hand shot out. “No! Don’t do that. I’ll take care of it. Thank you, Silas.”
“Don’t thank me. This is your home. You belong here as much as I do, and if bringing Grace here will ease your mind, then by all means, do it.”
She planted a quick kiss on his cheek and raced out of the house. Silas milled around the living room for a while, but the pall of death hung over the house. He didn’t want to stay here himself, not with two people dying in the other room.
Briar’s car crossed his field of vision as it headed down the road. Who knew when she would get back with Grace and infuse this place with some much-needed life? He could go to his room and have a cyber-chat with Penny. His chest burned with excitement just thinking about it, but uncertainty and conflict surrounded her in his mind.
He had no idea what to say to her, even when he could think of thousands of different scenarios he’d like to play out with her. He wanted her, and he didn’t want to want her. He wanted more than anything to talk to her, to ease his mind, but he didn’t want to talk to her.
He never found anything he didn’t want to talk to her about before, but he couldn’t talk to her about his father dying. She wouldn’t understand about Bruins and Alphas and mates dying at the same time. Whatever else he did, he couldn’t let her find out he was a Bruin, but how could he love her without her finding out?
The whole situation left a bad taste in his mouth. He wished he never started talking to her in the first place, but he couldn’t get out of it now. He cared too much. He depended on her. He needed and craved their charged exchanges like he needed food and air.
He couldn’t hang around dwelling on these things, though. He had to clear his head. His whole tribe depended on him. He strode out the front door and down the path toward the trees. The woods invited him to shift and disappear.
The bear didn’t know anything about computers. It didn’t know anything about some words on a computer screen. The bear didn’t know anything about Penny and never would. Only Bruins mattered, and Penny wasn’t one.
The bear’s power surged in Silas’s veins, but before the woods swallowed him up, voices startled him coming from the other side of the barn. He veered off and stole around the corner to listen. His blood ran cold at what he heard.
The first voice he recognized as Shaw’s. “No, I said! I don’t care what you say. I won’t do it.”
Silas froze in his tracks when he heard the other voice answer Shaw. Silas would recognize that voice anywhere. It was Rhys Dodd. “How many times do I have to tell you? You can’t lose. Just make the first move, and I’ll do the rest.”
“What are you gonna do?” Shaw shot back. “You’re gonna attack him and challenge him for his job? Forget it. I’ve made my peace with him. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll do the same thing.”
“I’ll never make peace with him,” Rhys snarled. “I’ll fight him tooth and nail, and if you’re too chicken-livered to attack him, I’ll do it myself.”
“I won’t do that. I’m married to his sister.”
“That never stopped you before.”
“He’s my Alpha,” Shaw replied. “He wasn’t before. I thought I had a good chance of beating him down, but he won. He’s only gotten stronger since then, and he’s got the whole tribe behind him and the rest of the Peak, besides. What do you think is gonna happen if you try to challenge him for leadership of someone else’s tribe? You’ll bring the whole Peak down on your head.”
“Will you listen to yourself? Nothing matters but winning in a fair fight, and you’ll be Alpha if we win.”
“It won’t be a fair fight if we team up on him” Shaw pointed out. “One of us would have to fight him, and neither of us is strong enough to take him alone. You know that as well as I do. I’ve made peace with him and all the rest of the MacAllisters, and he’s been good to me ever since. I won’t destroy the family going against him now.”
Rhys lowered his voice to stop anyone hearing him. He would never guess his old enemy listened from a few feet away. “Don’t you want to be Alpha? Don’t tell me you want to lick someone else’s boots the rest of your life.”
A hint of a sharp edge snuck into Shaw’s voice. “Is that what you’re doing, licking your brother’s boots?”
Rhys growled through gritted teeth. “Don’t you talk about my brother.”
“You see how it is? You’re not the only one who knows what side his bread is buttered on. I’m doing this for Dana and my baby boy.”
“Oh, really?” Rhys sneered. “I thought you were doing it for yourself. I thoug
ht you were doing it because he’s been so good to you.”
Shaw didn’t rise to the bait. “Silas is a good Alpha. The MacAllister tribe couldn’t do better. If Silas doesn’t get married and have children of his own, my son stands a good chance of becoming Alpha in his own right someday.”
“You really are thick-headed, aren’t you?” Rhys spat. “If you win, you will be Alpha. Nothing will stop you and your line from controlling this whole tribe. How can you turn your back on that?”
Shaw’s voice dropped a register. “You heard what I said. I won’t fight him, and neither will you as long as I have anything to say about it. Don’t come around this Homestead again if you’re gonna talk like that. The whole place is on a hair-trigger as it is with Don dying. We don’t need you making it worse with that kind of talk.”
Silas heard footsteps heading straight for him, but they stopped before they got to the corner. “Hey!” Rhys snapped. “I’m talking to you. Don’t you dare walk away from me.”
“We’re finished here,” Shaw returned. “You heard what I said. Don’t come back here again. If you make trouble for Silas or any of the MacAllisters, I’ll fight you myself. I’ll defend this tribe with my life. I don’t care who you are or what happened between us before. All that’s over with. Now, go home and don’t show your face to me again.”
This time, nothing stopped Shaw’s footsteps coming toward Silas’s hiding place. Silas didn’t stick around to hear any more. He turned on his heel and set off running for the trees. The foliage closed around him, and he disappeared over the mountain.
Halfway up the slope, he dropped onto all fours, but he never stopped running. He took a leap over a fallen tree trunk, and his hands hit the ground. His fingers curled inward, and his nails lengthened into claws. His legs straightened and kicked against the soft loam.
Shaggy brown fur grew all over his skin, and his face stretched into a dark snout. In the blink of an eye, a big brown bear charged through the forest, but he never slowed his pace. He didn’t pause to amble on his way. He didn’t enjoy the scents of fallen leaves or tear open rotten logs in search of something tasty to eat.
Burning determination drove him up and up, over the mountain to the other side. He didn’t stop running until he came to the very pinnacle of Bruins’ Peak and raced down the other side. The sun vanished behind the rocky outcrop, and the shadows lengthened into evening before he eased to a fast walk.
Still, he didn’t turn aside or hesitate. Only one thought nagged his mind. He had to stop his enemy. He had to cut off Rhys’s advance and defeat him. If Silas couldn’t attack Rhys head on, he had to find another way to hem him in and block his retreat. He had to make his move now, before it was too late.
His bear brain didn’t understand his father dying. He knew only the quick, bold moves of danger and protection. He had to act.
80. Chapter 5
Natalie glanced up at the clock on the kitchen wall. Seven o’clock in the evening. One quick peek at Grace sitting at the table confirmed her worst fears. The girl rested one elbow on the table and cradled her cheek in one hand.
Grace’s other hand held a fork. She lifted forkfuls of mashed potato off her plate and let them plop back. They made a satisfying splatter sound when they fell before Grace lifted another forkful and did the same thing.
Natalie watched her for half a minute before she knew she had to do something. Grace always went to bed at seven o’clock on the dot, and Briar always put her to bed. In the two years since Grace was born, she never went to sleep without her mother.
Natalie took a firm grip on herself. Briar wasn’t here. Natalie didn’t know when Briar would get back or even if she would get back. She might spend the night at MacAllister Homestead. She might spend the next week there until her father died.
Natalie walked over to the table and took the fork out of Grace’s hand. She set it down and hitched both hands under Grace’s arms to lift her off her chair. “Come on, little Pumpkin. It’s time you were in bed.”
Grace kicked and wriggled against Natalie’s embrace. She whined and whimpered. “I want Mommy. Where’s Mommy?”
“I know you want Mommy,” Natalie replied. “We’re gonna get Mommy for you as soon as we can, but right now, it’s time you were in bed. Come on. I’ll read you a story.”
Grace struggled harder. She could be a lot stronger than she looked when she got upset. Natalie only hoped and prayed the little girl didn’t get desperate enough to shift. A raging bear cub would be more than Natalie could handle on her own.
Natalie wrestled Grace toward the hall leading to Briar’s bedroom when the front door opened. Riskin entered, took one look around the room, and smiled at his little daughter. “Hey, Pumpkin.”
Grace made one massive effort to break free from Natalie’s arms, and Natalie let her go. She lowered the girl to the ground, and Grace catapulted into her father’s arms. Natalie breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank the heavens you’re here. I wasn’t looking forward to putting her to bed.”
Grace sobbed on her father’s shoulder. “Daddy! Daddy!”
Riskin rubbed Grace’s back and petted her hair. “It’s okay now, Pumpkin. Daddy’s got you.” He turned to Natalie, and the fine lines creased around his eyes. He was just as worried as Natalie. “What’s going on? Where’s Briar?”
Natalie lowered her voice. “I was going to tell you earlier, but you’ve been gone so long, I never got a chance. Don’s dying. Briar got the call from Silas. She went to her parents’ house, and she asked me to take care of Grace. That was one o’clock this afternoon, and I haven’t heard from her since.”
Riskin shushed Grace, and she calmed down. She rested her head on his shoulder, and he rocked her back and forth. “That’s okay. I’ll call Silas and find out what’s going on.”
“I’m sure Briar is just as worried about Grace as we are,” Natalie remarked.
“If she is,” Riskin replied, “she’ll know we’re taking care of this little Pumpkin. Come on, honey. We’re gonna put you to bed.”
Riskin headed for the hall, the same way Natalie did, but Grace broke into loud piercing screams, much louder than the wailing she gave Natalie. “I want Mommy! I want Mommy now!”
Riskin had to use all his strength to hold her. Grace flailed all her arms and legs. She scratched her father’s face and kicked him in the stomach. She screamed loud enough to wake the dead. Natalie plugged her ears and turned away. She couldn’t watch this.
At that moment, the front door sailed open one more time and Briar rushed in. She ran to Riskin and seized Grace out of his arms. The little girl collapsed on Briar’s shoulder and choked on racking sobs.
Briar kissed her hair and soothed her. She collapsed into a chair, and Grace hugged her around the chest.
Riskin leaned back against the kitchen counter and passed his hand across his forehead. “Phew! Thank God you’re home.”
Briar rocked Grace back and forth. “I had to come back to get Grace. I knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep without me.”
“What’s going on at home?” Riskin asked. “How’s your pop doing?”
Briar lowered her eyes and shook her head. “Not good. He’s already gone, but his body just won’t die. It’s Ma I’m really worried about. She’s falling fast. I wouldn’t be surprised if she goes with Pop.”
“Isn’t there anything anybody can do?” Natalie asked. “If anybody can do anything, it’s you, Briar. You learned all your Ma’s tricks.”
Briar touched a tear out the corner of her eye. “No one can do anything for either of them. We just have to let Nature take its course. I’m only glad I’ve got Silas there. He’s my one comfort at a time like this.”
“I’ll bet he is,” Riskin murmured.
Briar raised her head and locked her eyes on her husband’s face. “He’s gonna be a great Alpha when Pop goes. You wait and see.”
“I’m sure he will,” Riskin returned. “Anybody could see that coming years ago.”
B
riar got to her feet with Grace still clinging around her torso. “I want to take Grace back to MacAllister Homestead. Please say I can, Riskin. I can’t keep away, and I need her as much as she needs me. I need to know she’s all right while I’m over there, and she won’t be if we’re not together. I promise nothing will happen to her. It’s just a lot of sitting around. You know how it was when your parents died. I don’t want to be away from home for one minute as long as Pop’s alive in case he dies while I’m away, but I need her to take my mind off everything that’s happening, and she should be with me.”
“It’s fine with me if it’s all right with Silas,” Riskin replied.
“Silas already gave his permission,” Briar told him. “I’m going to stay in my old room, and there’s plenty of room in there for Grace.”
Riskin waved his hand. “Go ahead. Do you want me to drive you over there? I guess you want to pack a few things first.”
Briar raced out of the room, but she stopped to kiss him on the cheek before she left. “Yes, I do. Oh, thank you, Riskin. Thank you so much.”
Riskin chuckled. “Don’t thank me. Just get your stuff and get out of here. The sooner Grace gets bedded down, the better.”
Briar disappeared down the hall to her bedroom. Natalie strode around the counter. “I better get to bed, too. I’ve got a busy day tomorrow.”
Riskin didn’t seem to hear. He gazed toward the hall where his wife and daughter vanished.
Natalie peered at him. “You all right? Did everything go okay in town with your meeting?”
Riskin shook himself awake. “What? Oh, yeah. I was just thinking about Briar. I wish I could do something for her. I remember how tense it got when…” He broke off.
Natalie closed her eyes and shook her head. “I remember.” She remembered when their father died and their mother went to pieces. Then Virginia died, too. Riskin, Rhys, and Natalie had no one on whom they could lean—no one but Briar. Briar held the tribe together while Natalie and her brothers grieved. Briar handled everything in the background.
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