Rock had been smart to set up near the woods where no one would be paying attention to them, but he was still pissed at his brother for bringing her out here and putting her in danger. Plus, it made him look like an asshole for not bringing her out, when all he’d wanted was for her to stay safe.
And she looked like she enjoyed the fresh air, being in the mountains, talking avidly to Rock and Francis.
Francis.
The word echoed in his mind darkly as his bear paced, longing for a challenge.
But he didn’t do that; none of his brothers did. A childhood of abuse could do that to a person, make them so afraid of hurting others that they locked the violent part of them inside and didn’t bring it out unless necessary.
And certainly not to bolster his own wounded pride.
If Francis laid a hand on Ana and she looked like she didn’t want it, he’d be on him in a second. But she was laughing and smiling, watching the fights. So there was no reason for him not to do the same.
He could tell they’d tried to disguise her scent, because he hadn’t smelled her at first. Even when he had, it had been so faint he’d thought he was imagining it simply because he missed her. Still, it was driving the animal in him crazy to scent Francis all over her, even if it was necessary.
It was smart of Rock to let Francis be the one to do it, because after last night, the two of them were still on pretty thin ice where Rock was concerned. Riker trusted Rock, now that he was sober, not to do anything untoward, but any move by Rock to betray that trust would cause permanent damage between them.
More than was already there.
Had Ana heard what Rock said about his scar yesterday? Perhaps more painful than seeing Rock a drunk wreck was seeing he still had complicated feelings toward Riker for all those years together as kids.
As the oldest, Riker had tried to hold things together. That was probably why he’d stayed instead of leaving when he was old enough. He’d had younger brothers to protect; he couldn’t just leave them like his mom had.
But they’d left him.
As they should have. But that left the Brolin dynasty and its sketchy heritage directly on his shoulders.
Which he’d never resented as much as he did now, watching Francis and Rock smile with the woman he was falling in love with.
It was absurd how strong a mate bond could be in only a few days. Every hour that passed seemed to make it more urgent to be with her.
He felt like he was pulled in two down the middle and constantly trying to stitch himself back up. It was giving him headaches, and he sat in his chair for a moment, trying to calm down.
Was this a panic attack?
Ryland leaned in, removing his headphones. He preferred not to watch or listen to the fight, was just there to record winners and fouls and things of that nature and adjust the next day’s brackets. They were heading into semifinals soon.
“You okay?” Ryland asked.
“Yeah.” Riker lied. Sure he was. Just an early midlife crisis brought on by deranged jealousy over something he couldn’t have.
“You need a break? I can watch the fights if you want me to.”
Riker shook his head. Ryland didn’t have the same effect on the fighters that he or Rock did due to his quiet, pacifist nature. He avoided conflict and tension and was more likely to put on his headphones and walk away than anything.
But Riker and Rock both knew that was for the best, because if Ryland let out the beast inside him, there was almost no one who could take him down. That’s why neither of them minded that he’d clearly shoved his bear down as deep inside him as he could and was trying to be as human as possible.
Sometimes Riker thought it was a little too deep, but that was his brother’s decision.
“You don’t look well,” Ryland said, putting a hand up to Riker’s forehead. Riker jerked back, uncomfortable with the contact, and Ryland cursed as he sat back.
“I swear, you overly macho males,” he muttered. “Look, do you need me to take over?”
“You can’t,” Riker said. “Not unless Rock comes over, and he’s watching Ana.”
“I know you think I can’t handle this, but I can,” Ryland said. “I’m the baby of the family, but not a baby anymore. I run a business. I spend every day in the human world, keeping control.”
“That’s what I worry about,” Riker said. “That you’re too controlled and one day you won’t be.”
“I would never hurt anyone innocent,” Ryland said.
“I know,” Riker said. “I’m more worried you’ll go ape shit on a fighter and end up ruining your life by murdering some asshole.”
“Fair point,” Ryland said. He touched his chest. “But don’t worry. All of that is deep in here. Way down.”
“And that’s why you can’t be the intimidating one here,” Riker said. “Because the men here, they only listen to people like me or Rock. We wear our strength on our sleeves.” Riker put a hand awkwardly on his brother’s shoulder. “And we like you to stay just the way you are.”
Ryland flushed and nodded. Riker hated the gray streaks in his brother’s hair. They’d come in when he was only sixteen, when their dad had almost killed Rock and left that nasty scar.
And there had been nothing Riker could do about it.
“So you’re still okay with me guarding Ana tonight?” Ryland asked, looking ashamed.
“Of course,” Riker said. “I know you won’t let anything happen to her, and with the fights happening this evening, I’m sure people will be too distracted. Just stay away from crowds, and I’ll come find you when the fight’s ended.”
“Okay,” Ryland said. He was quiet, pensive, for a moment, staring out at the field with the same gray eyes they all shared, but his were shaded by dark, chocolate-brown lashes. His hair was a rich color that neither of them had. Riker’s looked bleached by the sun at the tips and a sandy blond beneath, and Rock’s was the color of dark ash, nearly black.
“I don’t see why you won’t be with her,” Ryland said. “Why you’re avoiding her. If she were mine, I wouldn’t let her out of my sight.”
“She’s not mine,” Riker said, turning that way again and scowling when he saw Francis put his arm around Ana’s shoulders. His heart froze as he watched her reaction. Hesitance. That was good. No, Francis was a good guy. Ana would be better off with him.
The bear in him started to roar, and he tried to rip his gaze away so he could focus back on the match. It was getting pretty intense; a larger-than-usual black bear had a grizzly by the neck and was attempting to throw him over his back and onto the ground.
Riker glanced back over at Ana, who was smiling shyly now and not pushing Francis off.
Somehow he was even more bothered.
He knew he wasn’t being fair like this. He was the one who’d asked for space. He was the one who kept punching people for touching her and then claiming he should touch her himself. But if he were honest, touching her had been so addictive that he was worried one more dose would finish him off. He’d never be able to break free.
There were a lot of things in his life he couldn’t forgive himself for. If he let himself get hurt more than he needed to over this, then that would be just one more.
But he couldn’t stop himself from standing up, as if the bear in him were straightening his spine forcibly, threatening to tear him apart if he didn’t heed him.
He ignored his brother’s questioning glance and his own logic that said this was a terrible idea, and climbed down the back of the platform to head in the group’s direction.
Another man was touching what was his.
Riker assessed Francis as he went, the feral need to claim his mate surging through him. The other man was unusually tall, but Riker bet his bear had nothing on Riker’s. He strode toward them, envisioning his next moves in his mind. Knocking out Francis with one left to the jaw, picking Ana up, carrying her back to the cabin.
He was almost to them, determined to beat some bear ass, when he stopped abrupt
ly, looking into Ana’s wide green eyes.
Was she scared of him? What was he even doing here?
Francis stood, placing himself between them, and Riker felt anger explode inside him, mixing with helplessness in a way that was hard to take.
Riker hated feeling helpless more than anything in the world.
“Get back,” he snarled, feeling he was choking on his own animal rage.
Francis just stood firm, his face calm. He was a professional fighter, maybe the kind Riker or his brothers could have become if they’d not had such a bad introduction to violence. “I can’t do that. Not until you calm down, brother.”
“Not your brother,” Riker choked out, feeling claws dig into his palms. Don’t shift. Don’t shift. He closed his eyes, tried to think of something calming. All that came was her soft body in his arms, beneath him, creamy and glowing, her eyes warm with lust, lips curved with pleasure.
He opened his eyes to see Francis still in front of her and saw red. He charged forward and caught the other man in a grapple, knocking him to the ground as Rock pulled Ana out of the way.
Francis was dodging his blows, trying not to fight back, which only made Riker angrier. He was his dad. He was losing control. He was letting emotions rule him.
He tried to pull back, tried to see through the haze of red making it so hard to think. Then he felt arms around his neck. Soft, feminine arms with surprising strength.
“Riker, stop!” The voice was Ana’s.
His blood slowly calmed, his bear retreating because his mate would be in danger if he couldn’t think clearly.
She pulled on him, and he stepped back, off Francis, and turned to face her.
But she ran past him and knelt by Francis, helping him sit. “Are you okay? I’m so sorry.”
What the fuck? What should she be sorry to Francis for?
“He was helping me,” she spat at Riker, green eyes blazing with anger. “What the hell were you thinking?”
He scratched the back of his head, wondering the same thing as the anger faded, leaving only cold, sore jealousy in its wake. Her arms around him had somehow calmed his bear in a way nothing else ever had.
“What is wrong with you?” Ana asked. “He’s just a friend!”
Riker felt defensiveness well up in him. “You did this on purpose. You wanted to make me jealous because I wouldn’t give in to the affair you wanted.”
Uh-oh. Even he knew he’d put his foot in it with that zinger.
Ana’s eyes narrowed, flashing dark green. “Oh, I did, huh? Me wanting to spend a day with friends to distract myself from the fact that I’m stuck up in a canyon with a man who doesn’t want me is somehow designed to make you jealous?”
“Friends?” Riker spat. “Is that why he had his arm around you?”
“He was scenting me! Not that it’s any of your business.”
“It’s damn well my business,” Riker growled, taking a step forward.
She put up a hand. “No. No, I’m not doing this right now, Riker. I’m done with your mixed messages, and I’m done with your anger issues. I’m going back to the cabin to rest, and you’d do well to just leave me alone.” She started to leave and then looked over her shoulder. “That’s what you wanted anyway, isn’t it?”
Not anymore. Not after seeing his bear react to another man’s hands on her.
But he had no right to ask her back. Not after he’d lost control. Not after he’d ruined things with his childish show.
She walked off, shaking her head at Rock and Francis as they tried to follow her. “Sorry, guys, I just want to be alone right now.”
They all stared after her as she made her way back to the cabin and sighed in relief after she was in and the door closed behind her.
“Now you’ve done it,” Rock said, giving him a look of disgust.
Riker didn’t know how to respond. He’d never been like this. He was always the one keeping things sane, not the one ruining them.
“Dumb move,” Francis said, shaking his head.
Riker eyed the other man, trying to see through his veil of jealousy to the actual situation. If the man truly had only been helping Ana, then he really was an ass. “I’m sorry,” he said stiffly.
Francis raised an eyebrow. “Am I really the one you should be apologizing to?”
“She doesn’t want to see me,” Riker snapped.
“He really doesn’t get women, does he?” Francis asked Rock.
Rock shook his head and looked down with folded arms. “Nope. Not at all. But who could blame him? He’s been hanging out in the mountains with fighters his whole life because he won’t leave the damn town.”
“Why not?” Francis said. “Surely someone else can run it.”
“I don’t need life advice from a fighter,” Riker said. “I’m going back to the platform.”
Rock and Francis followed him as he walked. “You really aren’t going to go after her?” Francis asked.
“No,” Riker said. “It wouldn’t accomplish anything.”
“It’s not about that,” Rock said. “It’s about the fact that it’s time for some groveling.”
“Groveling?” Riker asked, turning to look as his brother. “What kind of groveling?”
“Uh…” Rock turned to Francis. “Any ideas?”
“What do you mean grovel?”
“Romantic stuff,” Rock said. “Like in movies. To show her you want her.”
“I think she gets that after I just tried to beat up another bear for her.”
“Humans don’t think like that,” Francis muttered. “All that situation gave her was you have anger management issues.”
Riker frowned. That was probably true. “So now what?”
“Now you make her a romantic dinner or something and tell her you want her with words, not with your fists in another man’s face.”
“I purposely missed,” Riker corrected.
“Thanks,” Francis said wryly.
“I said I was sorry,” Riker said.
“That attitude isn’t going to help you with Ana,” Rock said. “I mean, you can’t deny you want her at this point. We all saw how you acted. That’s a damn bear reacting to someone infringing on his mate claim. So the only question is what are you going to do about it.”
“Nothing,” Riker said. “There’s no future for us here in the mountains.”
“And your bear is going to listen to that?” Rock said. “Right, let me know how that goes.”
Riker felt frustration welling up in him, feelings he’d never felt before in his life, before Ana came to his mountain.
“Francis, can you give me a minute?” Rock asked. Francis nodded, fist bumped Rock, and headed off in the direction of the fighter’s camp, leaving them alone.
“You know you were out of line today, right?” Rock asked.
“Of course,” Riker said.
“Well then, maybe you should think about why you’re suddenly acting like a crazy person. And why you’re refusing to spend time with someone when seeing anyone else with them makes you want to tear their heads off.”
“I already know—”
“You’re in love, Riker. You have been from the moment you saw her. That’s just how it works sometimes.”
Not for him. Not in these mountains with their dark history and dim future.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Rock said. “I’m tired of seeing you give up. Tired of seeing you sit here and waste your life when we all know you aren’t happy. Ana is a chance for you; do you get that? But she isn’t going to wait around forever.”
“She isn’t waiting for me now.”
“She’ll calm down,” Rock said. “Probably after hanging out with Ryland.”
“So I should wait until then?” he asked.
“Probably,” Rock said. “It’ll give us time to brainstorm a proper apology and set things up for her.”
Riker ran his nails over his scalp, exhaling slowly. “Okay.”
Rock threw an arm a
round his brother’s shoulder. “All right, operation Riker’s happiness is in business.”
“But I’m still not leaving the mountain,” Riker said.
“We’ll see,” Rock answered. “We’ll see.”
12
“Ana, can I come in?”
Ana looked up from where she’d been moping for the past few hours and recognized Ryland’s voice, soft and patient, calling from the door.
“I’m sorry, Ryland. I’m just not in the mood.”
“I heard about what happened,” he said. “I mean, I saw some of it, but it was really shocking. Riker never loses control like that.”
She got up to open the door for him, feeling it would be rude to have this conversation through a wood barrier.
Ryland was wearing a light-gray, fine-knit sweater and dark jeans, fitted to his tall, muscular, elegant body. His gray highlights looked chic in his neatly combed hair, and he took a chair near the door so he could face her.
His face was hesitant but calm. “He has never been like that, I swear,” he said. “That’s not the Riker I know.”
“Great, I bring out crazy Riker,” she said, crossing her legs on the bed and leaning against the headboard with a sigh. “Good to know.”
“It is, though, isn’t it?” Ryland said. “Riker has always been really pent up. The mature one. The one watching out for others. He’s never really allowed himself to have feelings. But something about you makes him have them anyway. Don’t you think that’s worth exploring?”
“I think I’m causing turmoil in his life.” She bit her lip. “I wanted to be good with him, but I think I’m just adding too much confusion.”
“Sometimes confusion is good,” Ryland said. “Sometimes people need to be confused to realize the path they’re on that feels right is totally wrong.” His eyes grew sad. “And you may not realize this, but Riker is definitely on the wrong path. And it’s partly my fault. Rock’s, too.”
“How so?” she asked.
He rolled his shoulders, cracking his neck. “I don’t think I can do this here. You want to go for a walk?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “It’s getting dark soon, right?”
Sheltered by the Bear (Trapped in Bear Canyon Book 1) Page 10