Return to Kadenburg

by T. E. Ridener

  His opponent was damn fast, and just by catching a small whiff of his scent, Dimitri realized he was up against an ursithrope-but why was he attacking him? He growled again, cocking his fist back to strike.

  “Get off of me, you mutt!” The ursithrope hissed, bringing his knee up to make direct contact with Dimitri’s groin.

  Dimitri fell backwards, conflicted on what was hurting worst at the moment when the ursithrope’s knee slammed into his face. “You have no right to be here!” He cried. “I will take great pleasure in killing y-”

  He was cut off by Rutley, who tackled him to the ground next. Rutley’s fists were flying before the ursithrope turned him over and head-butted him. The hunter let out a startled yelp and Dimitri quickly pushed himself up from the ground. He would not let this crazed bear shifter hurt Liam’s best friend like that.

  “Get off of him!” Dimitri reached out, grabbing the ursithrope by the fabric of his coat. He gave a firm yank with his hand and was surprised when the male whirled around to punch him in the face. He was getting damn tired of this.

  “Stop!”

  Even the birds scattered from the tree tops as the female’s voice echoed through the air. Dimitri turned his head to see the young woman standing there, gripping a hatchet in her hand as her wide eyes stared back and forth between Dimitri and the other male.

  The male’s hood fell away from his face to reveal a bloodied lip, a swollen cheek, and very angry eyes. He was panting heavily as he glanced at the woman. “Do not intervene, Cousin,” He muttered. “He is one of them.”

  The young woman approached them quickly, pushing her long black hair out of her eyes as she frowned. “He is different,” She insisted, gazing at Dimitri. “He is protected. You cannot harm him.”

  “It is a little late for that,” The male smirked. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  Dimitri rolled his eyes. “She means that I was mated to an ursithrope and you can’t do shit to me,” He explained, releasing him with a hard shove. “I guess you didn’t get that memo.”

  “That is impossible,” The ursithrope replied, spitting blood against the grass before wiping at his mouth with the back of his hand. “Ursithropes and lycanthropes do not mate.”

  “It’s true,” Another female voice stated.

  Dimitri’s eyes landed on the familiar woman as she appeared beside the first female. She hugged her arms around herself, frowning. “I thought you were dead, Dimitri.”

  His brows furrowed together as Dimitri stared at her. The warning bells went off in his head as he cocked his head to the side. “What are you doing here, Natalie?” He asked, frowning. “Did Breslin send you to finish the job?”

  The first female glanced at the male ursithrope in confusion before she spoke again. “You two know one another?”

  “Yeah, we do,” Dimitri scoffed. “She’s a treacherous bitch that allowed Liam to be killed by Breslin. Now what the hell do you two want?”

  “We have all made our share of mistakes,” The girl argued as she placed a hand against her hip. “But you need to tell us who you are-and quickly.”

  “I don’t have to tell you a damn thing,” Dimitri growled, narrowing his eyes. “He’s the one who decided to shoot me with a fucking arrow.”

  The male smirked, glancing in Dimitri’s direction before rolling his eyes. “You’re a wolf. You’ll heal.”

  “Let’s see how fast you heal when I rip your head off,” Dimitri threatened as he took a step towards him.

  “Whoa whoa, hey now,” Rutley chimed in as he stepped between Dimitri and the ursithrope. He sniffed, rubbing his jaw as he glanced back and forth between them. “I have no freaking idea what’s going on here, but I think you two need to calm down.”

  “I agree,” Natalie nodded. “Dimitri, I’m sure Beau is very sorry for shooting you-”

  “No, I am not,” Beau commented haughtily.

  Natalie shot a glare in the ursithropes direction before sighing. “He was only following his instincts.”

  “Well I’m only following mine in wanting to kick his ass,” Dimitri took another step forward, only stopping when Rutley’s hand pressed against his chest. He glared down at him. “Move.”

  “I don’t think I can do that,” Rutley replied as he stared up at him. “I really think you need to take a second to think about what you’re about to do. He’s not the real enemy here, right? He was just doing his job; just like how I was doing mine.”

  Dimitri stared down at him, frowning again as his jawline tensed. He glanced at ‘Beau’, and then he looked at Natalie before his gaze settled on Rutley again. He could tell the boy was pleading with him, but would it really hurt to let him beat this arrow shooting fool into a bloody pulp?

  He huffed, standing down. “Fine.”

  Sixteen

  Louisa walked briskly beside her cousin as they made their way towards the Bamey house. It had been a crazy day already and it wasn’t even noon. She was sure there would be more excitement to come, and she wasn’t sure if she was ready for it.

  Life since the attack on her village had been very different from what she was used to. Nearly everyone she knew and loved had been ripped away from her, including her mate-to-be. There was a certain agony that could only be understood by someone that had cared and lost just as she; and the werewolf walking a few feet ahead of her knew what she felt.

  From the second she picked up on his scent, she knew he was protected by the coupling he’d shared with Liam. An ursithrope’s mate was always protected, and despite the fact he was not an ursithrope, she could not allow her cousin to bring harm to him. It would be frowned upon in the eyes of Urseth. She had done the right thing.

  She gripped the handle of her hatchet as her eyes darted around them, taking in each sight and sound as she tried to become acquainted with such sacred ground. Kadenburg was her home just as much as anyone else’s. She had a right to be here, just as her grandparents and great-grandparents had so many years ago.

  She’d just celebrated her 19th birthday a few days before her world was turned upside down. What a foolish girl she was to ignore her gut instincts; she knew something terrible was approaching, yet she was far too eager to order the silly flowers and get the finishing touches on her wedding gown. How very selfish of her. Her greed had cost her everything and there wasn’t any way to bring them back.

  She pushed the thoughts aside as she glanced at the human male, watching curiosity get the best of him. He was trying to pull the arrow free from the wolf’s shoulder and he was only making it worse.

  “Ow,” Dimitri growled, shooting a glare at Rutley. “Just leave it alone for now. I’ll pull it out when we get to the house.”

  “It’s going to get infected,” Rutley frowned. “It’s going to take more than a band aid to fix that booboo.”

  “He will be fine,” Beau stated in annoyance. “It’s not like I killed him.”

  “You sure did a damn good job at trying though,” Dimitri muttered.

  Louisa sighed, dropping her gaze back to the ground. She decided that it was better to get trapped in her thoughts for a while longer. It was agonizing to think about her mistakes, and it killed her on the inside to think of her lost mate-to be; but her mind was the only place where she could be with him, and oh, how she wanted to be with him.

  “I love you, Xiong Liu. I promise that I will do whatever I can to make you happy.”

  His words still echoed in her mind from time to time. She couldn’t be too sure that he’d actually loved her; he was more than likely attracted to the idea of continuing his bloodline. It wasn’t like there were many female ursithropes in China to choose from. Their marriage was arranged after all, as so many couplings were for ursithropes in the village. Her grandfather and the other elders did not want to risk extinction, and he had been very clear on his wishes for her to mate with another panda; how could she say no? She would bring dishonor to her people and she never wanted to do that…..

  Yet ignoring h
er instincts and the warnings that came to her in dreams was a much worse betrayal than breeding with a different bear. They were all dead and it was her fault. She had a responsibility to her people and she let them down.

  She’d heard many things about Kadenburg, and America in general. A female ursithrope was encouraged to couple with the male of her parents’ choice, but ultimately, so long as he was an ursithrope, she could be with whoever she wanted. Louisa couldn’t imagine picking a man of her choosing. She was engaged to her future mate at the tender age of eleven and she’d spent nearly every waking hour preparing for the big day. It was a once in a lifetime experience and she wanted to make her family proud of her.

  Oh, how proud they must be of you now, she thought bitterly as a cool breeze ran its fingers through her fine hair. She closed her eyes and frowned. You are lucky Beau did not kill you for your mistake.

  She was very fortunate to have Beau in her life. He wasn’t just a cousin to her; he was like the brother she always wanted, and she often referred to him as one of her best friends. Since that morning, all she could do now was worry about his true feelings towards her. She knew in the very depths of her soul that he was disappointed with her, and that bothered her greatly. Beau was the last person on earth she wanted to let down.

  Perhaps one day he can forgive me, she thought as she trapped her bottom lip between her teeth. She lifted her cocoa colored eyes to peer at the clear sky, admiring the beauty of this place. America would’ve been a grand adventure for her if she’d arrived under different circumstances. They had only left China because they no longer had a home, and Beau was determined to kill the werewolf responsible for the death of their people.

  If I kill Breslin Connor, that will make Beau proud of me. I will bring honor back!

  “I don’t think I should go in there.”

  Upon hearing Natalie’s worried comment, Louisa focused her attention on the present instead of the past. She gazed at the quaint little home settled in the middle of a huge yard, and then she peered at Natalie, frowning.

  “Why do you not want to go inside?” She asked curiously.

  “I don’t think I will be welcome,” Natalie replied as she hugged an arm around herself and dropped her gaze to the ground. “It’s complicated.”

  “It’s not that complicated,” Dimitri spoke up, and his tone was angry. “You’re a traitor to your kind.”

  “And you are not?” Beau snapped suddenly, glaring at the wolf. “I do not imagine that your alpha was pleased with the news of your extreme interest in one of us.”

  “That is none of your damn business,” Dimitri growled, his eyes slowly starting to glow.

  “Whoa, whoa, Calm down,” Rutley, the human, said as he stepped between them once again. “Ignore him.”

  “I’m not freaking ignoring him,” Dimitri said through clenched teeth as he easily pushed the human aside and stalked towards Beau. “You’ve got a real big mouth, you know that?”

  Louisa watched her cousin anxiously as he crossed his arms over his chest, cocking his head to the side while gazing at the wolf calmly.

  “And you are easily the most sensitive lycanpup I’ve ever had the displeasure of meeting. What do you want to do about it?”

  Though she was certain everyone was curious to see what the werewolf would do about it, the opportunity quickly vanished when the sound of a screen door opening hastily caught their attention.

  “Oh, Dimitri! There you are!” A rather cheerful female said excitedly as she placed her hands on her hips and smiled. “Come inside for breakfast! There won’t be any left for y—oh! We have company. Richard, we have company.”

  Louisa sighed in relief, watching her cousin relax as his shoulders slumped. Thank goodness.

  “Hello!” The voluptuous older female said as she hurried down the steps, making her way towards them with a bright smile on her face. “Welcome to our home. I’m Charlotte Bamey.”

  Louisa was taken aback when the woman’s arms wrapped around her, nearly squeezing the life right out of her small frame as she blinked. “H-hello,” She replied hesitantly. “It’s very nice to make your acquaintance, Mrs. Bamey. I am Louisa X-”

  “Oh no, dear,” Mrs. Bamey shook her head. “Don’t call me that, please. I’m Charlotte, not an old woman. Only Rutley can get away with the Mrs.”

  “O-oh,” Louisa frowned. “I am sorry. I am Louisa Xiong and this is my cousin Beau.”

  “Hello, Beau,” Mrs. Bamey nodded eagerly, stepping towards the apprehensive ursithrope and wrapping her arms around him. “It’s so lovely to meet both of ya’ll.”

  Louisa couldn’t help but to feel particularly amused by her cousin’s reaction. They were not used to such affection, after all. When was the last time she’d received a hug? Her grandmother, perhaps…..

  “Oh, Natalie.”

  All eyes moved to watch Natalie shift her weight from one foot to the other. She was nervous; Louisa could feel the tension radiating from the other ursithrope as Mrs. Bamey gazed at her.

  “Is it really you?”

  The petty bickering was soon forgotten as the two older women gazed at one another, seemingly remembering something from the past; or reliving it. Mrs. Bamey’s eyes filled with tears as she took a careful step towards the timid brunette and then stopped suddenly. It seemed she was afraid of scaring her off.

  “Hello, Charlotte,” Natalie managed to say after another few beats of silence. She was visibly trembling, and Louisa actually felt bad for her. No, she didn’t know Natalie very well at all, but she could relate with her in so many ways; especially about making a mistake and fearing never being forgiven. It wasn’t the greatest feeling in the world.

  “You’re okay,” Mrs. Bamey whispered as her eyes roamed over the female’s face. “I thought….” She sniffled softly and clasped her hands together. “We always assumed the worst had happened to you, Natty.”

  No one spoke as the two women gazed at one another, and they could’ve stood there for an hour for all Louisa knew. It wasn’t until the screen door creaked again and more ursithropes appeared that Louisa finally remembered why they were even here.

  “Rutley, your dad’s called about fifty dang times. You might want to-” The older male stopped mid-sentence as his eyes landed on Natalie. Every reaction seemed to be the same as soon as they saw her; like seeing a ghost. The man’s thick eyebrows knitted together as he leaned against the porch post and crossed his arms over his broad chest. “I’ll be damned.”

  Natalie swallowed hard, trying to force a smile as she nodded to him. “Hey, Richard.”

  More and more men filed out onto the porch to catch a glimpse at the newcomers. Louisa felt very self-conscious as their eyes fell upon her, possibly sizing her up for breeding purposes. How was she supposed to know? Americans were very odd…..

  And then another man appeared in the doorway, his green eyes moving straight past Louisa to stare at the woman standing behind her. The expression on his face was unreadable, but it was somewhere in between surprised and heated, if she had her guess. Was he happy to see Natalie?

  Natalie’s heartbeat was loud and sporadic. Louisa had to concentrate very hard just to hear anything else. She supposed she would be incredibly nervous about a homecoming such as this as well.

  Poor Natalie, Louisa thought as she turned her head to glance at the woman. She was still trembling like a leaf and the perspiration on her forehead glistened in the sunlight. Great Urseth, was she going to faint?

  “H-hi, Arnold,” Natalie whispered.

  It was only then that Louisa finally made the connection in her head. She understood why Natalie was so nervous, and her heart broke for her as the man turned his back to them and disappeared inside the house.

  “Don’t mind him,” Mrs. Bamey said gently. “Come inside, please,” She insisted as she looped her arm through Natalie’s and guided her towards the steps. “All of you, come on in and make yourselves at—Good gracious, Dimitri! What happened to you?”

&
nbsp; Louisa heard the wolf scoff as she made her way up the steps. His explanation faded away as she entered the house and her life changed forever.

  Seventeen

  He wasn’t sure what the ruckus was about as he took another bite of his biscuits and gravy. The phone had been ringing off the hook all morning long, and his father was threatening to jerk the cord out of the wall if Sheriff Holter didn’t take the hint. Mr. Bamey was never a big fan of telephones in the first place, but Lorcan couldn’t help it that he found amusement in his father’s misery of technology. The man would probably still have an outhouse if he could get away with it.

  His thoughts were all over the place as he tried to finish off the ridiculously large plate of food his mother had placed before him. It wasn’t like he was starving. She’d stuffed him the night before, and now she was trying to fatten him up again as if he hadn’t eaten in years. Sometimes she was just too much…..

  “It’s so good,” Presley sighed, scooping up another forkful of peach cobbler and placing it between her lips. She closed her eyes and savored the flavor, and Lorcan couldn’t keep from smiling as he gazed at her. She was the most beautiful creature in existence, he was sure of it.

  “It’s an old recipe,” He commented. Grabbing for the cup of freshly brewed tea his mother had insisted he drink, Lorcan’s eyes peered at the golden haired angel sitting across from him as he took a small sip. The honey flavor attacked his taste buds, soothing him to his very soul as he watched Presley frown. Why was she frowning?

  “What do you think they’re going to do after the meeting?” She asked, her fingertips brushing over the side of the tall glass of lemonade Mrs. Bamey had given her. “What will happen now?”