Walter gave the boys credit. Despite just scratching their twenties, the boys knew how to put up a fight. Not the best, but it was better than what he knew at their age.
Walter took a few long strides, both anger and satisfaction that Timothy was finally in their grasp overwhelming him. When Timothy turned around, snarling, Walter punched him hard in this face, satisfied by the crunching of his nose breaking.
Timothy fell to the ground, his scream inhuman. “Suck it up, Timothy. You’ve been hit harder by your own sister, and you know it.”
Jayden and his friends tied Timothy’s hands behind his back and held him down, tugging back his hair to look up at Walter. The man struggled to catch his breath, sweat beading on his mocha skin. His eyes opened and narrowed, two black orbs blazing with hatred.
“Where is my son, Timothy?”
The man was silent. Walter leaned in, baring his own teeth. “Where. Is. He? Or has your betrayal to village prevented you from speaking?”
Timothy spat, his spit hitting straight into one of Walter’s eyes. Walter slowly stood up and rubbed his eye. It was funny how, at one point, that action would have made Walter beat Timothy senseless.
Walter looked Timothy over, eyeing the now crusted blood on his face and taking in the beat up, desperate look on his face that told him no matter what he said or did, Timothy wouldn’t talk.
What secrets rested in the darkest corners of Timothy’s mind? Walter wished that mind reading came with being a shifter. Either way, he would find a way to make the siblings talk or find the information himself.
A hand was placed on Walter’s shoulder, and he turned to find the wrinkled face of his father. The man looked much more ancient every day, and it unsettled Walter. “My son, you should go. We’ve got this.”
Walter opened his mouth to protest, but the old man raised his hand to silence him. “Go and check on your mate, she needs you more than Timothy does. Perhaps he will open up to those who are not personally involved. Don’t take it personally, my son. Now go, Ursula needs you.”
Walter swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded, leaving the scene behind and not once looked back.
CHAPTER NINE
The walk to the healing center must have taken half an hour, but it felt like seconds. Walter’s head felt heavy and his body felt lost, like a runner who crosses the finish line believing that he had won when in reality someone had raced ahead of him without his realizing it and won the gold instead.
Walter walked through the open door of the clinic, his eyes adjusting to the warm glow that radiated from the large windows. The woman sitting at the front desk looked up at him, nodded her head in a silent understanding and pointed to her left.
Walter nodded at her and went through the door that led to the part of the infirmary where all of the patients were kept. It was a small room, fit for no more than six people. To a human, it could seem shockingly small, but the tribe hardly had any accidents that required putting many people in a place like this. Their fast healing abilities often solved any issues in a short amount of time.
Ursula was the only patient in the room, sitting upright in a bed on the far side of the room beside the window. To Walter’s surprise, Ursula chatted happily with Isabella as the witch healed the human’s bones and wounds, smiling.
Walter glanced over and was happy to find a guard watching the midwife’s every move. Did Ursula forget that this woman was the one who helped Timothy steal their child? He could be upset all he wanted, but that’s what he loved about Ursula: she loved everyone and everything. She really couldn’t hate anyone, it was in her nature to just forgive and move on.
Ursula looked up at Walter and beamed. “Any news?”
“Isabella, could you give us a moment?”
Isabella nodded, picked up her bag and left with the guard at her side. The door shut and Ursula slid her hand into his. “Have you found anything yet?”
Walter slowly licked his lips, feeling how cracked and dry they were. His brown eyes locked with hers, and the overwhelming feelings he had felt before came rushing back.
“We found Timothy, but we haven’t found our son yet. Like Rebecca, he refused to talk. I’m hoping that he and Rebecca will give in, soon. I’m not sure how, but I will find a way to get them to talk. I promise, Ursula.”
He held her hand tightly but her fingers went limp in his. Ursula turned to stare outside the window. Walter sighed, and Isabella poked her head in. “Are you finished?”
“Yes, Isabella. Come on in.”
Isabella waltzed in, a smile on her face. “Well, you’re good to go, Ursula. You’ll probably feel weak and dizzy at first, but you should be fine as long as you take the medicine I gave you. If you have any aches or pains or concerns, you know where to find me.”
Ursula didn’t look at Isabella. She merely nodded, and Walter fixed his eyes on Isabella’s. Her face mirrored the hurt she felt at Ursula’s reaction, but Walter could tell that she understood that now was not the right time for her to be there.
Isabella bade farewell and left, the guard escorting her out. She glanced back with a look of saddened regret on her face before the door shut and she and the guard were gone.
“Let’s go home, Ursula.”
Ursula slid out of bed, took her bag and nearly fell over when she stood up. Walter steadied her. When they both knew she wouldn’t collapse, the couple held hands and left the infirmary behind.
The walk back to the cabin was silent, and the world around them was bathed in oranges, yellows, and reds as the sun began to set behind the silhouetted trees. Shadows danced across the ground and across their faces as though mocking the seriousness of the situation at hand.
The cabin came into view as the last of the sun disappeared behind the horizon and the porch light began to glow, welcoming them home. The wood creaked beneath their feet, and the front door shut behind them.
The house was dark, but Ursula didn’t make a move to light the candles like she normally did. Walter locked the front door and left her standing as he went around the home doing the job.
When he came back, she hadn’t budged. Her face was covered in shadows, amplifying the worry and fear that buzzed in her heart and mind. Tears began to stream down her face and Ursula began to cry.
The sobs and noises that rippled from her chest were the most heartbreaking sounds he had ever heard. It was the anthem of pain only a mother could really sing, and Walter admired her more for being so strong up until then.
It wasn’t custom to cry, or to show your distress in the village. It wasn’t exactly taboo or frowned upon, but the customs had always been about happiness and learning that saying goodbye wasn’t really a goodbye, but rather a goodbye for now. Even when Walter’s mother had died years ago, Walter’s father didn’t cry. He was saddened, but he told Walter that her spirit would always be there for him and the village, and when it was his time to go, he would wander the hills with her just as they had done when they were young and deeply in love.
But this was different. It was the loss of a child. Not necessarily in death, but the not-knowing aspect of where the infant was and what he could be going through. It was a parents’ nightmare, something that no one really wants to think about until it actually happens to them.
Walter gently took her hand and led her through the dark cabin. When they entered their room, he sat Ursula down on the edge of their bed. The night was still, and through the walls he could hear the white noise of crickets and the wind as it crept through branches of trees and bushes.
Gently, Walter slid off her shoes one at a time and gently kissed the top of her feet before looking up at her.
Walter rose up and gently kissed Ursula’s lips. His mouth fluttered over hers, and she kissed lightly back. He could smell the tangy scent of tears on her face, and when he pressed his cheek against hers, he felt just how damp they were.
He realized she had stopped crying, though her face was still red and splotchy. Walter brushed away the la
st of her tears with his thumbs, and guided her head to look at him.
“Look at me,” he whispered. “We’re going to get him back. I promise, and I don’t plan on breaking my word any time soon. Okay?”
Ursula opened her mouth to speak but she choked on air, her eyes watering up again, and she found the strength to nod. Walter leaned in and kissed her again, but this time with a passion that told Ursula just how much he loved her.
She kissed back, their lips dancing over the other’s in a desperate waltz. Ursula’s hands found Walter’s shirt, and began to undo the buttons.
When the shirt was undone, Ursula’s hands found his toned chest, and Walter let the article of clothing fall to the ground without breaking the kiss. His hands found her cheeks, and he trailed his lips away to kiss her on her cheeks, nose, forehead, and temples.
Ursula let out a shaky sigh, her eyes fluttering closed. Her hands dropped from Walter’s chest and fumbled with her own blouse. Walter’s hands settled over hers and he gently helped her to slide it over her head and let it drop to the floor.
Walter pulled his mate to him, their bare torsos pressing together. Walter remembered reading an article where skin on skin contact set off a chemical in the body that brought two people closer and brought comfort to those embracing. He wasn’t sure if it were true or not, but Walter held Ursula tightly to him, hoping that the longer he held on, the more she would find the comfort and healing touch she needed to find the courage to continue living and believing that they would get their child back.
Walter traced kisses down her neck, lightly biting her collarbone before continuing to trace his kisses down her chest. He gently laid her down on their bed and he kissed down her stomach and to the hem of her pants.
With nimble fingers, he worked at the buttons. When each button came undone, he lightly slid his fingers across the fabric as he moved to the next.
The jeans slid off easily, exposing her legs. Walter kissed up them and hovered over Ursula. His mate opened her eyes, and he took a moment to soak in just how beautiful she was. Ever since the baby had been born and Walter began to take over his father’s position as chief... he realized just how much he stopped paying attention to the people in his life.
She looked a little older than he was used to. Circles now rested under her eyes and some wrinkles had set in. Even so, she was beautiful.
Ursula sat up and took his lips in hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he lightly sucked on her bottom lip. Walter fumbled with his own pants, and Ursula led her hands to his and helped slide his pants off just as he had done with her.
Their bodies found each other, and she felt so good and real against him. Walter loved every aspect of her, from the way she sighed, to the way her face lit up when he made her happy... He never wanted that light to go out.
He made love to her like they had done when they first fell in love. Gentle and patient, like the world could fall apart any minute and they wanted to make what they had last. It was a beautiful feeling that Walter was glad he could share with her, a connection not just between the sheets but out of them as well.
Ursula was his everything; the world could disappear and he wouldn’t mind as long as he was with her. And in his mind’s eye, their son now filled that place as well. They were his family, and he would destroy everything the world had to offer if it meant bringing his baby boy home.
*
Walter found himself wandering an old trail that seemed eerily familiar, but no matter how hard he searched his mind, he just couldn’t place where he had seen the path before.
The air felt warm, not too hot but not too cold, either. A gentle breeze ran its fingers through his hair as an invisible force guided him along the forgotten, beaten path.
Walter gazed down and frowned, not recognizing the flowing white shirt that clung to his torso, nor did he recognize the light brown pants that covered his legs. His bare feet squished into the soft dirt but amazingly didn’t manage to step on twigs or even roots.
Ahead, he heard the gentle sound of a river and a child laughing. Walter walked towards the noise and left the shade of the trees behind. Stepping out into the light, Walter had to blink a few times before his eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness of the sun.
Walter found himself at a river, shallow enough for one to splash around in but not deep enough to cause fear of being swept away. In the water, a little boy splashed and played with the current around him.
If Walter had to guess, he would say that the boy was maybe around nine. He was taller than most boys his age that Walter knew, and the boy’s skin was a few shades lighter than Walter’s but still boasted Indian blood.
The boy had yet to acknowledge Walter’s presence, and Walter didn’t see any reason to make himself known. He watched the boy play for a few minutes, and realized that he had never seen the boy before. Walter wouldn’t call himself the most observational man, but he had paid attention to most of the members of the tribe. It wasn’t a large gathering, so even if Walter had only met someone once, he would have recognized them.
The boy hummed to himself, now and then dunking his head into the water and coming up, shaking his head. His long hair would stick to his face and he would laugh. There was something oddly familiar about the boy in the way he smiled and how he used his hands.
Walter took a step closer to get a better look. His foot crunched on a twig, and the boy spun around, shock on his face. The two stared at one another, and Walter felt his jaw drop.
The boy took a step back from Walter and inched closer to the shore opposite. Walter couldn’t look away, all he saw were the eyes he had fallen in love with: Ursula’s eyes. It didn’t take long for Walter to put two and two together to realize that the boy was his son. But how?
Walter opened his mouth to call out to the boy, but before he could, a man suddenly appeared and yanked the boy away. The man was nearly as tall as Walter, and his bare torso showed off his toned upper body. The man bared his teeth, his scarred face scrunching up in a protective manner.
The man didn’t belong to Walter’s tribe. The man was older than Walter by a good decade, and his hair was longer and pulled back in a way Walter’s father and many elders had their hair. It was more uncommon now that the tribe had moved away from traditional styles, and Walter couldn’t help but take a step back.
The boy was behind the man, watching Walter with wide eyes. Walter wanted to yell, to say something, to do anything... but his body wouldn’t let him. And before he could act on anything, the man charged at him with speed and strength that Walter had never seen before. He closed his eyes and waited for whatever was to come.
***
A loud knocking noise jerked Walter awake, and he winced, expecting a blow, but nothing came. Walter opened his eyes and blinked a few times, realizing that the woods he had been standing in were long gone, and that he was back in the safety of the cabin.
Walter glanced down at his wife lying in his arms. Ursula’s head rested against his chest. He watched her chest rise and fall in a hypnotic pattern and it soothed his racing heart from the nightmare.
The knocking came again, and Walter jerked, startled. He sighed, happy that Ursula hadn’t woken up. He gently slid out, tugging on some pants and a loose fitting top.
The knocking became more desperate. Walter ripped open the door, startling Jayden and two of his friends.
“What?”
Jayden blinked slowly and nodded his head. “Your father sent me, he and the elders want to speak with you. They said that a conference is mandatory.”
Walter stared at him, then glanced over the other boys. He sighed and rubbed at his face with his hand. “Alright, I’ll be there shortly. Just give me ten minutes.”
Jayden nodded and turned. His friends followed him down the trail that led to the main part of the tribe. Walter stared after them before disappearing inside of the cabin and then coming out with proper clothes and combed hair. Whatever was going on, it had better be good new
s or someone was going to get a fist in their face.
***
When Walter entered the room, he was surprised by how few of the elders were there. Walter’s father sat at the head of the table, and everyone else sat around him. They turned when the future chief walked in, and he nodded at them. They nodded back.
“What’s the news?”
Walter slid into his own chair and eyed each person who was there. If it was an emergency, all of the chairs would be filled. The faces he recognized were friends of his father’s, family friends that went back to a time before Walter was even born.
“It’s about Timothy.”
Walter stood up straight. “What about him? Did he escape?”
“No, thankfully. But he is ready to talk. As for how much he’s willing to tell, I do not know. But we thought we should handle this as a family.”
“How did you get him to talk? He refused to say anything to me.”
Walter’s father slowly blinked and waved his hand towards the door. Jayden and his friend dragged Timothy in, shackles clamped tightly onto his wrists and ankles. He struggled, but the boys yanked at his chains.
Timothy’s face was covered in bruises and deep cuts that Walter didn’t remember inflicting. Walter frowned and eyed his father and the elders.
Timothy was forced to the ground on his knees by Jayden and his friend, and Timothy winced, sweat dripping down his temple. Walter raised his eyes. In all of his years, he had never seen Timothy like that. It made him want to give him a smug look, but at the same time he felt sorry for the man.
“Are you finally ready to talk?”
Timothy scowled at Walter and opened his mouth, his face twisted in anger. He looked over at the elders and Jayden, and swallowed his words, glaring at the ground. “I gave the kid away.”
“To where, Timothy. I need to know. Now.”
“Like hell I’m going to tell you!”
Simply Bears: A Ten Book Paranormal Bear Shifter Romance Collection Page 59