by T. S. Ryder
“Rex!” she cried out as a burst of pleasure filled her.
A wave of darkness washed over her vision as her back bowed, and her head fell back. Her nails dug into his back and Rex rammed into her, the gentle movements gone. He snarled; it was like a beast possessed him as he jackhammered his hips, his mouth half open on hers. She cried out as wave after wave of pleasure burst through her, making every muscle in her body tighten, then relax. She writhed beneath him, yanking him closer with one hand and pushing him away with the other.
Rex’s movements became jerky. His teeth bit into her shoulder. He gave a shuddering groan and was still.
After some time, he rose his head and propped himself up. “Was that good for you?”
The worry in his eyes was so unlike the confidence of their coupling a year ago that it was heartbreaking to see. Mindy wrapped her hands around his neck and brought him down for a sweet, gentle kiss. Her lip was throbbing, and she realized she had been biting on it while they made love.
“It was great for me. And you?”
Rex grinned at her, that cocky, borderline arrogant grin she remembered. “Hell yeah. My balls were up in my throat as soon as I was inside of you.”
“Hey!” Mindy smacked his arm playfully. “Don’t be crass.”
Rex gave her another grin and eased out of her. It stung slightly to have him leave her. He pulled her upright, and they leaned against each other on the couch, arms twined around each other as they gently stroked one another’s arms and sides. Every muscle in her body unwound, and Mindy found herself leaning against him while her eyes drooped. From the adrenaline of Meyer’s attack to the rush of endorphins that Rex had just given her, she struggled to stay awake.
“I never asked how your interview went,” Rex whispered, like he, too, was on the verge of falling asleep.
“Hmm . . . It was okay. I didn’t get it, though.”
“Why not?”
Mindy giggled at his outraged tone. “It turns out I don’t have the experience they wanted—which is ridiculous, considering that they called me for an interview in the first place. But it was still a learning experience, right?”
“Right . . .” Rex didn’t sound convinced.
“Hey, it was only one interview.” Mindy pulled back slightly and grinned at him. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to be freeloading on you forever.”
It was the wrong thing to say. Mindy winced as anger flashed in his eyes. She drew back, wondering what she had done to upset him, but his next words clarified that he wasn’t angry at her.
“This Calvin Meyer. If he comes anywhere near you again, I’ll kill him.”
Mindy’s eyes widened, and her jaw dropped. He wasn’t serious, was he? “I don’t want you to do that!”
“But he hurt you.” Rex’s gaze moved over the bruise on her cheek while he touched the cut on her lip. “Just for that, I should track him down and—”
“No!” Mindy pulled herself out of his embrace. Had she accidentally gotten herself involved with a violent man? He was so sweet and gentle with her and Ginny, but she didn’t want to be with a man whose first instinct was that he needed to go around killing people who hurt her! “I don’t want him dead, I just want to be free of him! I shouldn’t have said anything if that’s how you’re going to react.”
Rex stared at her blankly for a long moment before he sucked in a deep breath. “But I want to protect you.”
“I don’t want to be responsible for a man’s death and you in jail.” Mindy narrowed her eyes at him. “There are ways to protect a person without immediately jumping to murder!”
Rex’s brow furrowed. He opened his mouth, as though ready to argue, but swallowed it down. “I suppose . . . I don’t like the idea of a man like that out there, though, taking advantage of more women. Fuck!”
“Whoa!” Mindy said. “Please, don’t use that sort of language around my daughter.”
“But she’s not even in the room.”
“Doesn’t matter. She can still hear.”
Rex narrowed his eyes at her, but a grin tugged his lips up. “I guess I’ll just have to do it then, rather than say it.”
Heat rushed to her face and swirled in her core. Her clit throbbed, even as the rest of her still ached. “Oh ho, so funny,” she said dryly, trying not to show how his words turned her on.
Rex continued to grin, but it slipped away. “I could just intimidate him a bit.”
Mindy imagined him trying and Meyer responding by simply putting a bullet into Rex’s brain. She shuddered and shook her head hard. “No.”
“Fine.” Rex sank back onto the couch. “I guess that means I’ll just have to take you home, where you’ll be safe, and pay him off.”
Mindy stared at him, uncertain whether she actually heard this properly. He couldn’t mean it, right? He couldn’t be willing to shield her, pay off her debts, protect her, just like that. Could he? She felt a lump rising in her throat, and she forced herself to choke it back down. She wasn’t going to end up a sniveling mess, not here and not today.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “And I’m sorry for yelling at you earlier . . .”
“Don’t worry about it. You were scared.”
Mindy snorted. “Because I’m a mess.”
“Me, too.” Rex’s arms tightened around her, pulling her back to his side. “But you know what? We’re trying. We’re both fighting to clean ourselves up. Some days are going to be better than others, but it doesn’t matter that we have bad days because we’re going to get there. Ginny is our reason, and we aren’t going to let her down.”
Mindy felt herself relaxing into him, the drowsiness from before returning. He was right, of course. She wasn’t going to give up just because she had setbacks. And now, she didn’t have to do it on her own, either. She had him.
“I’ll pay you back when I can,” she started, but Rex cut her off with a gentle kiss.
“We can talk about that later. Right now, just rest.”
She lay her head on his shoulder. Her body felt so heavy. His arms were so strong, strong enough to hold her. Some of the worry and tension she always carried in the pit of her stomach eased, and she found herself smiling. For the first time in her life, she felt utterly safe in a man’s embrace. This was like a fairy tale . . .
She knew it wouldn’t last. Fairy tales never did. But it was nice to pretend, just for right now.
Chapter Eight – Rex
Arriving at the island was less dramatic than it could have been. Which was partly due to the fact that nobody knew that he was bringing a human woman and their baby with him. He figured it was better to get her to safety first and then tell the alphas, rather than ask their permission and have to disobey them if they said no.
His house was modest by mainland standards, although he had put a lot of work into it to make it one of the best places on the island. The sight of it filled him with a sense of peace, and he led Mindy in through the garage.
Her eyes widened when she saw his collection of cars and motorcycles. All of them had been junkers that he had spent lots of time on to meticulously restore until they were in the shiny, good condition that they were in now.
“Whoa,” she breathed, carrying Ginny over to the Cadillac he’d picked up at a police auction. “That is a pretty car.”
“I like to tinker.” Rex shrugged, though he beamed at her praise. She kept shooting the cars appreciative glances as she followed him inside.
He’d spent years on those vehicles. It was too bad it was going to end like this.
“I have to go out for a bit, say hi to some friends,” Rex told her once he’d shown her to the room that could be hers. “I, uh, will come back with food and cleaning supplies. This place is rather dirty.”
Mindy grinned at him. “You can say that again. But no matter, I’ll go for a walk with Ginny. It was a long journey.”
Rex nodded, kissed her cheek and headed out. He grabbed one of his bikes and headed to the alphas’ house. Nerves churn
ed in his stomach as he drew closer. There had been discussions over the past year about bringing human women to the island. There was a shortage of women here, which forced the bears to look elsewhere for mates. If more human women came here and were okay with the whole bear thing, then a lot of problems would be solved.
It was a popular idea, but there was also a lot of opposition to it. Quite a few of the more traditional people moaned about how the alphas were destroying all of the traditions.
When Rex reached the alphas’ house, he was surprised to find Jarvis out in the yard, working on the beat-up contraption of a truck he had. Rex pulled to a stop and hopped off his bike, frowning.
“Where’s Noel?” he grunted.
Jarvis frowned at him. “Not here. The alphas took Diana out to one of the islands, for a second honeymoon. And to get a little time for themselves.”
“Why?”
Jarvis shrugged. “Things have been a little rough lately. They wanted time together since Kurtis and Ricky came out as bi. They’re now mated to each other as well as Diana.”
Rex flinched. He had known that was going to happen, and could only imagine the backlash they had faced. It was bizarre to him that people would be okay with the multitude of two-men-one-woman groups that had sprung up on the island but the instant two men fell in love, they had problems with that. A lot of the island’s problems would be solved if they wouldn’t be so damn homophobic.
“How have things been for them?” he asked anxiously.
“Not bad. They’ve gotten a lot more positive than negative feedback.” The suspicious look on Jarvis’ face faded. “It’s allowed a lot of the closeted young men to come forward themselves. I think it’s just a little overwhelming for the five of them, especially with another baby on the way.”
Rex couldn’t stop himself from grinning. There wasn’t a family that deserved another child more than the alphas and their mate. He opened his mouth to say so, surprised at how civil this conversation with Jarvis was going when the door to the alphas’ house opened. A little six-year-old with hair as flaming red as Jarvis’ came rushing out.
“Dad!” Tamara shouted, waving her hands. “Mom wants to know when the truck will be fixed.”
She skidded to a halt and looked at Rex suspiciously. At that moment, all he could see was Angela. Tamara looked exactly like his sister had. All the anger he’d ever felt at Jarvis for his part in driving Angela onto that boat with their parents on the night they died washed over him. His hands started to clench, but they relaxed at once as he turned away.
The rage faded, leaving sharp grief in his chest.
“I’m almost done, ‘Mara. Go tell your mom that I’m talking with someone and that it shouldn't be much longer.”
Tamara nodded, gave Rex another suspicious look, and darted back inside.
Rex breathed through his emotions, letting himself feel them and then letting them fade as his psychiatrist had taught him. “So I’m guessing with the alphas gone you’re in charge?”
“Yeah.” Jarvis frowned at him. “What’s this about, Rex? You weren’t due to be back on the island for another few months.”
“I took some time off my job.” Rex shoved his hands into his pockets. He didn’t want to tell Jarvis about this, but it couldn’t wait. Not when Mindy was on the island, and that loan shark was after her. Especially not when Mindy wouldn’t let him use force to make Meyer leave her alone. “This is going to take more than a few minutes, though. It can’t wait.”
Jarvis grunted. “It must be important if you’re willing to talk to me about it.”
“I brought a woman to the island,” Rex blurted out.
Jarvis’ eyes widened, and his jaw dropped. Rex hesitated a moment, wondering if this was really a good idea, but it couldn’t wait. He told Jarvis everything about meeting Mindy a year ago and then again a couple of days ago. He left out Ginny, for now, still worried what Jarvis might do if he heard about that part of the story.
“Shit.” Jarvis ran a hand through his hair when Rex was done. “Shit!”
“I brought her here so she could have a bit of peace of mind. And I need a loan drawn up at the bank, against my cars so I can pay off the loan shark and buy Mindy her freedom.”
“Only Kurtis has that sort of authority. They’ll be back in a few days—”
“I need this done now.” Rex’s shoulders sagged as he glanced at his bike. “I’ll just have to sell them, then.”
A lump rose in his throat. Most of the vehicles that he owned he had inherited from his dad. And the ones that he had bought himself, he had imagined working on with his dad every step of the way. But Mindy’s and Ginny’s safety was worth more.
“You must care about this human woman a lot,” Jarvis murmured. “To jump in headfirst like this.”
Rex sent him a black glare. “She needs my help, and I can give it to her. What am I supposed to do, just stand back and let her life get ruined because of a mistake she made two years ago?”
Jarvis narrowed his eyes for a moment, then stepped closer. “Is she your mate?”
“No!” It came out more defensive than it should have, but Rex didn’t take it back. “She doesn’t even know that I’m a bear. She’s not my mate.”
“Right. Then don’t let her know that we’re bears.”
Rex couldn’t help but snort at that. It was rich, coming from Jarvis. Look at how everything with Cynthia had worked out! It would have been much better for him if he had told her from the start instead of playing around and keeping it a secret.
Rex frowned. Yes, there was some sort of relationship between him and Mindy, but he wasn’t entirely certain what that relationship was. They slept together. That had to mean something, right? Their connection felt much deeper now than when they had first met on the island, less like taking comfort in each other’s bodies and more like taking comfort in their souls.
I’ve got to figure this out, Rex thought, his frown turning worried. They shared a child. He needed to know what there was between them. He didn’t want to start assuming things about her like he had done with Cynthia. So once this loan shark business was over, he’d sit her down and they’d have a long talk. So the sooner he sold his cars and had the money to pay the shark, the better.
“There is no reason for her to know, is there?” Jarvis narrowed his eyes at Rex’s lingering silence. “You’re not relapsing, are you?”
Relapsing. Because having a potential romantic partner was something bad and wrong, apparently. His hands started to clench, and his nostrils flared. He wanted to tell Jarvis to mind his own damn business and that he had no right to tell him what to do, but the fact was . . . Jarvis was in charge of the island at the moment, and so he had power and authority over Rex.
That didn’t stop his bear from wanting to tear his rival apart, though, nor did it stop him from giving Jarvis an angry retort. “Will you ever be satisfied?”
Jarvis’ expression closed off, and he didn’t respond.
“I am doing everything I should be doing,” Rex seethed. “Everything! I have kept my distance, I’ve been going to therapy, I’ve been working hard, and I’m contributing to the community. I am sorry for everything I did, and I’m trying to change for the better. I am trying so damn hard here, Jarvis. It’s not easy for me to submit to you but I am. What more do you want from me? I am trying to be a better person, dammit!”
A flash of anger crossed Jarvis’ face, but it faded quickly. “I know. I know you’re trying and I know that it’s frustrating for you. But honestly? I need to be sure. I need to see you make that change and then stick with it. We’re talking about my daughter and my mate. I need to know that I don’t have to protect them from you before I let you near them. Hell, even having you this close makes my bear want to tear you to shreds.”
Rex growled. His bear beat against his chest, telling him that he needed to stop talking and eliminate his rival. If Jarvis knew only half of what he had to do to keep himself under control . . .
&
nbsp; The door to the house opened again, and all anger drained away at the sight of Jarvis’ mate. Cynthia came out, carrying a crying baby. The same age as Ginny. Rex backed away, anxious to see how his bear would react. To his surprise, it didn’t react at all, except for retreating in shame. Cynthia passed the baby to Jarvis, and the little boy quieted down instantly once he was in his father’s arms.
“Rex.” Cynthia gave him a wary look.
“Cynthia.” He fidgeted on the spot. Fortunately, Cynthia didn’t stick around. She went back into the house and Rex breathed a sigh of relief. Looking at the baby in Jarvis’ arms, though, he knew that he wasn’t going to be able to follow the instructions he had just been given. He opened his mouth, and without thinking, he blurted it out. “I’m going to tell Mindy everything about the island.”
Jarvis’ head jerked up. His eyes narrowed, and his lips curled back, fangs starting to grow in his mouth. “You will do no such thing!”
“She needs to know. She’s got a daughter . . . who is going to be a bear.”
Rex saw the moment it clicked in Jarvis’ head. His eyes widened, his jaw dropped, and he was utterly still. Then his jaw snapped up, his eyes narrowed, and he let out a curse that, had Rex said it around Ginny, Mindy would have hit him for.
“You went and got a human pregnant, Rex? What the hell is going on?”
“It was a year ago,” Rex mumbled, equal parts of him wanting to shout and wanting to just curl up and forget about all of this. “It wasn’t planned. It just . . . happened. And I don’t know what to do now.”
His bear snarled, angry at him for allowing himself to be so vulnerable in front of his enemy. But what other choice did he have? Jarvis, as much as he hated it, was the only person that Rex could talk to at the moment. Sure, he had friends, but right now Jarvis was responsible for the island. He’d be able to get word to Noel and the other alphas.
“Sometimes when I hold her, I just . . . I just love her so much it hurts,” Rex admitted, not looking at Jarvis. “She’s so small, so innocent, so fragile. Helpless. Anything could happen to her, and it terrifies me so much that I can’t breathe. Worse than that, I could happen. I want to protect her from everything in the world, but I keep thinking about how I’ve messed up everything in my life, and I wonder . . . She’d be better off without me, wouldn’t she? But the thought of giving her up . . . I’d rather chew off my own leg! I—”