by Kit Tunstall
Less than a minute after they had disappeared around the corner, Cody walked out and headed her way. He wore simple jogging pants and a T-shirt, and she recognized them as the bundle that had been in his mouth when his bear had raced by. She wondered if there had been any witnesses to what had happened in the hallway, and then she wondered what exactly had happened. She would have to find out the details later, but for now, she was content just to throw herself into his arms when he came rushing toward her, sweeping her into a hug.
As he pulled back, his eyes gleamed with a conspiratorial light, and he raised his voice loud enough for several people in the vicinity to hear. “Am I the only one who just saw a bear running through the campus?”
The hallway was suddenly filled with chatter as people responded to the question, speaking both to Cody and each other. Under the discordant hum of conversation, she pulled Cody to the side, lowering her voice. “What happened to that kid?”
He frowned. “He’s still alive. I don’t how I knew, but I could tell you were in danger. I tore out of class right in the middle of a lecture, paused just long enough to grab a spare set of clothes, and came running to find you. When I saw him holding you, I could tell you didn’t want to be there, and the bear took over. My suit is in tatters all over the quad, but I don’t think anyone actually saw me shift, so we should be fine.”
“So you left him alive then?” She wasn’t entirely certain she was happy about that, though she understood the necessity. It was really for the best not to kill him, and even if he had seen Cody shift, if he was still conscious, no one was likely to believe him in light of all his other mental problems.
He nodded, looking regretful. “I figured it was for the best. I don’t know the circumstances, but I just could sense you were in danger.”
She put a hand on her stomach. “Not just me. I’ll tell you all about it later, but right now, I just want to sit down and let you rub my feet.”
He laughed as he took her hand to lead her back to her office. “I think I’ve created a monster there.”
She shrugged. “Perhaps.”
They returned to her office, and he closed the door, spending a moment to make a phone call to Detective Strand before turning back to her. “There will be questions to deal with, but Jason will keep it discreet, if possible. In the meantime, while we’re waiting for him to arrive, I think I owe you a foot massage.”
She nodded. “I think you do.”
They sat on the couch in her office, and she slipped her feet out of the sandals she had worn, happily able to free her feet that much faster. He really was gifted with his foot massages, and after the trauma she’d endured, she considered herself lucky to have someone to give her one. “Would you like me to tell you all about it now?”
He nodded, his expression remaining neutral, and he remained unspeaking as she poured out the details. The only indication he gave of his intense anger was the occasional over-tightening of his hand on her foot, which made her yelp once or twice. He always gentled his touch immediately, and he seemed calm and collected when she was done.
“I should have killed him.”
She shook her head. “No, you did the right thing. The kid is clearly unbalanced, and maybe now he’ll get some help.”
“Where’s the scepter?”
“On him presumably.”
Cody looked troubled. “What if?”
She found him. “What if what?”
He shrugged. “What if he’s right? What if there’s even the slightest chance that the ritual would work?”
She was troubled by the question. “Are you suggesting we try it?”
He looked disgusted by the idea. “Of course not. I just wonder if maybe we should get rid of the scepter and the book. Maybe they were buried there for good reason. Even if they weren’t, if there are any other unhinged individuals out there who might buy into it, another pregnant woman and her baby could be endangered someday.”
She shook her head. “You’re letting your imagination get away with you.” They fell into silence after that for the next few minutes as they waited the detective’s arrival. Despite herself, she began to wonder too.
What if?
Epilogue
Waves lapping on the shore offered soothing background music provided by Mother Nature as she cuddled closer to Cody. There was a chill in the summer evening air, and she was thankful for the fire to keep them warm. They laid together on a sleeping bag, not bothering with the tent. They had been married earlier that afternoon at Bear Island, where Cody’s family lived. Her parents had been too frail to make the trip from the Caribbean, where they were retired, and she hadn’t been surprised. Hurt, maybe, but unsurprised.
That wedding had been a traditional human ceremony, and then they had taken a boat to another small island nearby to celebrate their honeymoon. It wasn’t her idea of luxury, but she could certainly handle a night or two under the stars with her new husband as he prepared to solidify their union in his people’s traditional way.
En route to the island, they had dropped the scepter and the book overboard into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Perhaps it was paranoid and superstitious, and she felt a strong pang of guilt at denying the world access to the historical artifact, but she been unable to fully convince herself that it was all nonsense.
Once the idea that someone might believe strongly enough in the superstition to harm a woman and child had taken hold, she’d been paranoid about it too. It didn’t have to be her babies that were targeted. If the journal and the scepter fell into the wrong hands, any nut job anywhere could decide to attack a pregnant woman and try to resurrect Inanna in her infant.
It was too big of a risk, even if it was completely bogus. Someone could be seriously injured in the process, if not killed. That had been more important than preserving the artifacts for display in a museum. Aside from poor Dr. Deceric’s death, there had been no permanent damage so far due to the items.
She hadn’t been injured, Glenda had fully recovered from her injury, and Stuart Vine, the person who had attacked her, was currently an inpatient at a local mental hospital. He had a history of schizophrenia and hearing voices, but his parents had been unable to get him the help he needed until he had escalated to the point of violence. At least that facet had worked out for the best, she supposed, and she’d had no other negative emotions besides that flash of guilt as she had dropped the items into the water.
Now, she completely turned her thoughts from that and to her new husband. His hands had been busy roaming over her, and she realized he’d stripped her from the waist up. That was an unfair advantage on his part, so she set about righting the situation, until they were missing an equal amount of clothing.
He rolled her onto her back, gentle with her burgeoning stomach. The twins would arrive within three weeks, and she was nervous about the idea, but also excited. She was actually having a boy and a girl, having just told Stuart it was two boys in an attempt to distract him. They had learned the genders at their last appointment, which had been her first with a new obstetrician, who was also a cheetah-shifter. The babies were thriving, and so was she under Cody’s gentle care.
Now, she was thriving under his sensual touch as he kissed her while his hand stroked her body. She moaned softly when he bent his head to lick her nipple before sucking on the turgid peak. She was sensitive there, and his touch was light, but satisfying enough to almost make her orgasm. It was ridiculous how easy he could manipulate her body, and she appreciated his masterful skills.
They managed to rid each other of their clothing between giggles and kisses, and when he moved between her parted thighs, his cock ready to claim her, she bent her head back to offer her shoulder for him as well. She knew he was going to completely claim her tonight in his way, the way of his people. She had no hesitation, aside from a little anxiety about whether it would hurt, though he’d assured her it wouldn’t.
She forgot her concerns as their bodies joined, and he began to thrust c
arefully into her. She was soon on the verge of coming, and she clung tightly to him. Just as the first shockwave of her orgasm started, Cody bent his head and bit her on the shoulder. There was no pain at all. Rather, it caused a surge in arousal that elevated her orgasm to new heights. She’d never come so hard or intensely in her life, and she clung to him as her only anchor when the rest of her world was swept away.
Cody’s shaft hardened more inside her, and he twitched before he found his own release, spilling into her. His teeth remained in her skin for a moment longer as they held each other and rode out the culmination of their joining. Afterward, they lay together in a panting, gasping heap. When she could breathe and think again, she turned her head to look at him. “That was amazing.”
He grinned, looking kind of cocky. “It was, and it will be like that every time from now on.”
She let out a mock groan. “I think you’re going to kill me. I’m going to die from pleasure.”
He put his arm around her, hand on her belly, and his expression was serious and gentle. “I’m going to take care of you for the rest of my life and yours. I love you, Jade.”
She let out a small breath, temporarily overwhelmed and almost yielding to the threat of crying. They were purely happy tears, but she was afraid they would upset Cody if he saw them fall. After regaining control, she cleared her throat and pressed her lips to his cheek.
When she pulled back, she whispered, “I love you too,” into his ear. It wasn’t the first time she’d said it him in the last couple of weeks, but it was the first time she’d said it as both his wife and his mate, and it seemed to hold special meaning. It did for her too, adding the final seal to their union—one she was certain would last for the rest of their lives.
******
Fighting For Her Bear (Emerald City Shifters, Book Five)
Blurb
When Maya investigates a tip about illegal bear fights on a private island, she doesn’t expect to discover the bears are actually bear-shifters being exploited for their genetic abilities and as entertainment to build a criminal’s gambling empire. Before she can do anything with the information, she’s captured and detained. As a veterinarian-in-training, she persuades them to let her care for the fighters instead of killing her. She immediately connects with one of the shifters, slowly winning Hale’s trust. Hale and Maya face a tough fight as they battle to regain their freedom and bring down the whole operation. It’s an even tougher fight for him to move on from what he’s been forced to do as a captive, and she has to fight his misguided good intentions to keep him from pushing her away when he needs her most.
Chapter One
Maya Coleson moved with the crowd as they poured off the boat, allowing the others to guide her. It was her first time at the event, and she hoped it would be her last. The crowd stopped moving a few hundred feet from the dock, automatically splitting into three lines. She moved into the closest one, trying to see over the people in front of her to determine why they were standing in line.
After a twenty-minute wait, she discovered why when it was her turn. A hulking behemoth of a man stood before her, a turnstile to his left. It was one of three, and they were attached to seriously scary-looking barbed wire-topped fences. He was certainly less than friendly when he eyed her. “Betting starts at a thousand bucks, and cash up front.” He eyed her closely. “You’re new.”
She nodded. “This is my first time at the bear fights.” Even uttering the words made her feel queasy.
He scowled. “How did you hear about this? It’s discouraged to discuss this among others. Who is your referral?”
“James McCoy,” she said quickly. She hoped she remembered his last name, or that he had given her the right last name. He’d sought out the Seattle chapter of Hand & Paw, wanting to report about the bear fights in hopes the group would do something to bring them down.
Unfortunately, when the other members discovered the fights were happening on a private island in the San Juan chain, and it required a good outlay of cash to even step onto the island, they had hesitantly decided not to track the tip. Maya was more stubborn, and she was blessed with a healthy bank account, so she had pursued it on her own when no one expressed interest in joining her.
The guard/bookie grimaced. “I hope you’re better at paying your debts than McCoy is.”
She mumbled something as she removed a stack of cash from the pocket of her hoodie. She passed it to him and moved toward the turnstile.
He put up a hand, blocking her way. She couldn’t help noticing his hand was as large as her face. “Which bear?”
“Rampage,” she picked randomly after glancing at the board posted behind the entrance, each name handwritten in chalk. She had no interest in profiting from these fights. She just wanted to bring them down.
The guard inclined his head. “You like a sure thing, huh?” He made the comment as he passed over a small slip. “Don’t lose that, or you can’t collect your winnings.”
“If I win,” she said inanely, assuming it was the sort of conversation he’d expect her to have.
He smirked. “You bet on Rampage. It’s practically a sure thing. The boss is gonna have to mix it up soon, or people will get bored with the same bear always winning.”
Taking her slip of paper, which she pushed into the pocket of her hoodie, she moved through the turnstile and followed the pathway ahead of her. Her destination was obvious, even though she wasn’t moving in tandem with the crowd now. There was a large wooden structure ahead of them, and she moved toward it.
Two guards stood on either side of the metal doors that were currently pushed open. She didn’t make eye contact as she slipped through the doorway and into the crowd, making sure she had blended in with the others before she took a moment to evaluate the situation.
Looking over the throng, Maya quickly ascertained she was one of the few women present. She was certainly the only one without a male companion, and none of the other women wore jeans and a hoodie. They were all glammed up in a variety of dresses that could have passed for business-casual to a formal event. The few other women all looked bored, and most were hanging from the arm of considerably older men. They looked like they wanted to be anywhere but here.
She knew the feeling, but she forced herself to remain where she was, off to the side, with a clear view of the arena below.
Perhaps ring would have been a better choice of words, she decided as she looked down over the railing that blocked people from falling into the hole dug into the floor several feet below. It was lined with concrete, and she winced when she saw the blood stains that probably couldn’t be completely removed. It was a utilitarian space, but knowing what it was used for made her stomach churn with nausea.
She gripped the rail in front of her for support, remembering abruptly when she was five years old and had stood in a similar position. That time, she had ended up okay, though traumatized. She hoped this time, she could skip the trauma and emerge from the fighting arena unscathed. Physically, she was in no danger, and she was no longer five years old, so she was smart enough not to climb the railing, but emotionally, she was certain that whatever she witnessed this evening would haunt her forever.
It took another twenty minutes for everyone who had been on the boat to pass through security and place their bets, and by the time a whistle sounded, indicating the fight would begin soon, the building was packed. It was too crowded, hot, and noisy, all of which contributed to her nausea. She clung tensely to the rail when another whistle sounded, and two doors in the arena below opened at the same time.
At first, no bears emerged, but then two lumbered out, both from different doors. She gasped softly when she saw the two guards behind the larger grayish-black bear, both holding cattle prods they used to force the bear to move forward. She wanted to steal the prods and turn them on the guards, but she forced herself to remain still.
The little lapel camera she had arranged earlier, which looked like a golden bear pin, was perfectly arr
anged to get most of the ring below. Maya slipped her hand into her hoodie pocket and pressed a button on the tiny remote in there. She had practiced the move multiple times, so her thumb immediately found the round button that began recording. She pushed it as she watched the bears circle each other warily for a moment.
Initially, the bears didn’t do anything. They just stood there, both looking kind of defeated. It was an odd word, but she couldn’t think of a better one to describe the poor, sad animals below. They clearly didn’t want to be there, and who knew what kind of suffering they had already endured at the hands of the sadistic monsters?
The crowd was starting to grumble when the bears didn’t fight, and she watched with surprise and a touch of horror when one of the guards came back to the door, holding a large-barrel rifle. She clamped a hand over her mouth when he lined up a shot, wondering if she was going to see the poor animals murdered for failure to fight. Instead, the guards shot them with something, and she thought it might have been a tranquilizer dart, though that made no sense.
A moment later, she discarded that notion when the bears’ demeanor changed rapidly. They lost the weary, defeated postures and both became aggressive. The hairs on their backs stood up, and their ferocious growls filled the air. She forced herself to stand still and keep recording, but she couldn’t look when the bears crashed into each other, standing on their hind paws and swiping at each other with their front paws. There was more growling and a cry of pain, but she didn’t open her eyes.
Maya endured the horrible sounds for the next few minutes, knowing she needed ample video to turn over to the authorities, but when one let out a low, keening cry that was laced with agony, she shuddered and turned away. With her hand in her pocket, she turned off the camera and slipped through the crowd, intent on getting outside to breathe in fresh air and escape the sounds and sights of the poor bears being forced to fight each other.