by V. Vaughn
My father smiles slowly, and then he chuckles. "That's the first real alpha thing I've ever heard you say."
"Brady," my mother warns.
"I'm serious, Carly," he replies. "Max shouldn't even have to think about his choice. That would piss me off too."
"She almost killed him."
Dad shrugs. "But she didn't."
I stare at my mother as I wonder why she doesn’t get it the way my dad does. "It was an accident, Mom. I've gone over the falls many times and I never knew there was a spot that was shallow. If I had, I wouldn't have taken him without a warning."
She frowns at me as if I’m the one being unreasonable, and I want to say more to explain but Dad says, "Talk to me about your magic. You really held all that water back?"
I nod. "For a few minutes, too. I still can't believe it."
"That is pretty amazing," says Mom. She can't help herself when it comes to her children. No longer mad, she smiles at me with pride. "Kimi and Elise must be itching to brag about you. I don't think there's ever been a stronger witch."
Dad is grinning with his pride too, and he puts a hand on my mother's shoulder. "You brought the magic to our clan. Before you, we didn't have anyone who was powerful."
Mom's expression darkens. "That's because you hadn't needed it before. Fate gave me magic because of the prophecy, and I was able to help save the clan. While Audrey's magic is incredible, I'm worried about the strength of it. What are we going to be up against this time? The Eradicators will stop at nothing. What if they're bringing in an army? How many of us will die?"
My mother's concern is very real, and it makes me want to ease her worry for the clan. I say, "Maybe I'm so strong because I have to fight black magic to get Connell back."
Mom frowns at me. "Then perhaps that is how you should be using your powers instead of trying to win over your true mate. Honestly, Audrey, your father may be impressed with your cocky alpha ways but I'm not. If Max is meant to be yours, it will happen."
"But you—" I snap my mouth shut, because while it's true my mother was the one who suggested I take Max for a run, I know better than to talk back when she decides to be the disciplinarian with me. It's rare, and this time I think it has to do with her worry over Connell. She can't get him back, and that has to be killing her. Considering I got off easy with my dad, I let her take her frustration out on me, and I do feel guilt over not doing more. I swallow down my urge to argue and say, "Once I clean up, I'll go see Elise and Kimi."
"Thank you," Mom says, "But check in with Max first. He deserves an apology."
I grimace as I imagine the pain he must be in. I saw his two broken legs, and they were bad. "And word on how he is?"
"He's fine," says my father. But then my parents both cock their heads in the way they do when someone is communicating with them telepathically. Fear spikes in me when my father lets out a low growl and my mother scowls, because I'm afraid Max has taken a turn for the worse. "Mom? Dad? What's wrong with Max?"
Mom says, "That's not it." Her eyes narrow. "We have a trespasser. Josie’s here."
"What? How the hell does she— Oh my god, Max told her where he is staying?"
"Go see Max," says my father. "I'll take care of it."
"But—" My father's glare makes me stop talking. However, it doesn't keep me from being angry at Max again. How dare he tell Josie where we live? She's human!
Dad shifts to run home, and I'm tempted to shift too, but Mom shakes her head. "We'll walk. You need to build up your energy again. You should eat something before seeing Max, too."
"Sure." Leaves rustle as we push our way through the woods to get to the path home. I'm tired, but I'm still running on leftover adrenaline. If I don't eat soon, I'll likely crash.
"Audrey, honey, I don't think Max told Josie where he was staying. Reese said she claims she ran the plates on your car."
My anger subsides with the news, and the tenseness in my shoulders fades. "Bold. And kind of stalkerish considering she's human."
"Maybe, but you're talking to the woman who gave herself a tattoo based on an image in a dream and then drove across the country because of that same dream."
"And that's how I came to be," I joke, because she usually starts with a version of that piece of her past when she talks about the day any of her children were born. But I also know her dream was because Kimi and my grandmother, Donna, put out a magical call for half werebear women. A powerful one that's hard to ignore, no matter how crazy it might seem. "Do you think Josie has the dreams?"
"It's possible, but something seems off here. Nick and Evan scented her in the woods when they were carrying Max home. Reese went and got her, and he said she's pretending she knows nothing. He's not sure what she does know, but he thinks she saw what happened at the falls."
"Whoa," I recall the impressive spectacle of an entire section of the river being held up in the air as more water crashed down on it. "Even if she already knew about werebear, that had to have freaked her out."
"Yeah. They have her at the dorm, and I'm going to go over with your Dad to question her."
The dorm is a building next to our home that was built over twenty years ago to house a clan that immigrated to Maine from Antarctica. It's now where we have a gym, clan offices, training centers, guest suites for visitors, and space for events like birthday parties. "Can I come?"
Mom looks at me and bites her lip the way she does when she's trying to sort out a problem. "I'm not sure that's a good idea. It's going to be hard for you to remain impartial."
"I won't say anything, but c'mon, Mom, I'm dying to find out what she's like."
"I'm sure you are."
"How about this? Wouldn't it be good training for me to see how we question people who manage to get onto our land? And what we do when a human finds out about us by accident?"
Mom smiles at me. "Nice try. But I think the first interview should be just your father, Ian, Reese, and me. Sorry."
I let out a sigh of resignation because I didn't believe she was really going to let me go. "Promise you'll remember every single detail and tell me all of it. I really hope she's ugly."
Mom laughs as we approach the shed where I left my clothes when I shifted to run earlier today. "I'm sure compared to you she is."
"Of course, you think that. You're my mom."
She hands me my shirt. "Go eat, shower and see Max. I'll fill you in when we're done."
I give her a wry smile as I take my clothes, and she impulsively grabs me to hug me tight. “I love you, honey.”
I think she’s still shaken from the danger I was in earlier, so I don’t complain that she’s hurting me. “I love you too, Mom,” I say before I make my way into the house. When I get there, I open the fridge in search of a quick meal, but I'm not hungry. Thoughts of Max in pain fill my head and I really want to go to him. I grab orange juice and take a long swig of it out of the container, hoping the sugar rush can tide me over for a bit, and I manage to get a shower in before I throw on lounge shorts and a tank top I often sleep in and go to Max's room.
I run into Kelly in the hallway. She has a bowl and dirty towels in her hands, and she says, "He's dead to the world. I finished bathing him while he slept, but I promised him I'd tell you to stop by." Her eyes get big. "Did you really damn up the falls?"
I nod.
"Whoa."
I smile as my ego preens itself. "Yep. Take that, Everett."
Kelly laughs. "That's why he volunteered to lead the mission to check out the perimeter for breaches." She lowers her voice. "Did you hear about Josie being found?"
I frown, wondering how she knows so much. "I did."
She taps her temple. "Dad filled Shannon and me in." Her face shines with excitement. "This is the most action this house has seen since Dad's fiftieth."
I chuckle as I recall the wild party my father's birthday turned into. Something about turning fifty made his friends and him try to be twenty-one again, and there were a lot of hungover werebear
the next day.
Kelly touches my arm. "Go to him. We can catch up later."
I smile at her and move to enter Max's room. I pause for a moment in the doorway as my heart fills with so much love it takes my breath away, and then pain follows as the shame over what I made happen to him comes.
I walk over and stare at the man who I never want to live without and whisper, "Max." I lower myself to sit on the edge of his bed so I can smooth the hair away from his face. Touching him sends a shiver of desire through me as the threads of our bond connect.
He lets out a small moan in his sleep. "I'm so sorry," I say as I stroke his cheek and move my hand down to his chest. I place my palm over his heart and feel its steady, strong beat. I take a long slow breath to inhale the scent of him, and the need to be closer is almost too much to handle. I don't resist my need to feel his body against mine and slide over to lie next to him.
Turning on my side I wrap myself around Max as if I can use my magic to heal him faster. While I might actually be able to, the events of the day and the way I depleted my powers earlier have caught up to me. I'm so tired I can barely keep my eyes open. The anguish I felt earlier when I was afraid Max was dead comes rushing back, and a whimper escapes my lips as I snuggle into his neck. I'm sure I wouldn't have been able to go on if he'd drowned. Exhaustion threatens to drag me down as I say, "I love you, Max."
He lets out a sigh, and for a moment everything feels right before I let sleep win.
Seven
Josie
"Phone," says the warrior who just set me down on my feet again. We're in a big building next to the Le Roux home, and I take in as much of the large kitchen area as I can. It's outfitted with industrial grade appliances and there's a couple of gigantic picnic tables that look like they seat twenty or so each.
While the blood rushes out of my head and back into my body I cross my arms as if I don't realize the danger I'm in. "And why would I give it to you?"
The guy rolls his eyes and grabs my tank top with his beefy hand to yank me closer. My first instinct is to kick him as hard as I can in the balls, but fortunately for me, I'm smart enough to refrain. I have a feeling he's somehow immune to that sort of pain. Besides, I wouldn't get far even if I could incapacitate him. He hooks his fingers into my sports bra and removes my phone with his other hand.
I place my palm on my chest and let out a gasp of indignation. "Usually you kiss a girl first."
He cocks an eyebrow at me as another man enters the kitchen. I place this guy close to fifty based on the wrinkles around his eyes, but his body defies time. He's as fit as the younger warrior, and I guess he's the boss. "Pardon my friend here," the older man says, but his tone isn't friendly. "We don't get many uninvited guests."
"I'm so sorry," I say in my best sorority-girl voice. "I honestly didn't mean to be so much trouble. I was running and got lost."
The older man's face remains impassive not giving me a clue about if he believes me. "Thirsty?" he asks.
"Ah," I blink in confusion as I wonder if it's a good idea to ingest anything he might give me. "No, thanks."
"Reese?" he asks as he walks over to the fridge.
"Yeah," the younger warrior answers. The older man scans my body and chuckles. "Come sit so we can chat." He walks over to one of the picnic tables.
I feel small when I sit at a table that is supersized for werebear-size people, and the boss hands Reese a glass of water before he sits next to him and across from me. He studies me as he takes a long drink from his glass. I think he's trying to make me uncomfortable enough with the silence to start blabbing, but I'm not willing to give him the satisfaction. When he sets his glass down the man asks, "Why are you here?"
Tempted as I am to give a wiseass answer, I realize I'm not exactly in a position of power and should appear cooperative. "I originally came to find Max, and when I was told he wasn't here I left my number with Reese. As I was driving away, I decided to go for a run in the woods, so I pulled over. And—" I pause to check my gut on whether or not I should tell them I know about werebear. I decide to see if I can determine anything from their reaction to my next words. "When I saw bears I got scared and climbed a tree to wait until they were gone."
"She had the perfect vantage point," Reese says to the man, and my chest tightens with fear as I watch the older man to gauge what he thinks. I've got two choices now, and since nobody believes I'm clueless I think it’s time to share what I am.
The boss tilts his head the slightest bit, making me think he impatient for me to answer, and I take the hint. "Fine. I wasn't really going for a run, and while it's true seeing bear running through the woods made me nervous, I knew what you were before I came. There's a reason I'm so into Max. I'm half werebear and believe he's my true mate."
Neither man reacts to my revelation, and I'm a little disappointed they don't seem surprised. "How is it you've come by this information?" the older man asks.
"My mother. I don't know who my dad is, but she shared a few things with me not too long ago and I was intrigued." I frown as my mother's face flashes in my head, and for a second I long to be with her instead of here. She's a slice of my past that makes me weak though, so I shove the memory back in its box before I can feel more. "When she died, I was left alone and decided to find out more about my heritage. I came to college here, where my mom met my dad, with the intention of discovering my roots." My story is a lie; the truth is my mother went to college in Connecticut where I grew up and she never told me I was half werebear. That was a fact the Eradicators shared with me. I look intently at Reese and then his boss. "I met Max, and our instant attraction made me realize it's the kind of love I can't live without. He's my true mate, and I want to be changed and join your clan."
The older man laughs, and Reese joins in.
I frown because I can't determine if they're laughing because they don't believe my story or if it's something more evil than that. I don't get to ask because the door of the building opens and a man and woman enter. I recognize them instantly from the numerous pictures I’ve seen. I'm about to meet Brady and Carly Le Roux.
Brady stares at me as he and Carly get settled across from me at the table, and he says, "Ian, Reese. What have we got here?"
Ian says, "Josie didn't like Reese turning her away when she came to find Max earlier, so she decided to come through the back door. Says she's half werebear and wants to join our clan."
Brady raises an eyebrow at me as Carly frowns and says, "Reese, get her a glass of water." Once he gets up she asks, "Josie, are you hurt?"
I think she's referring to the scrapes and dried blood she can see on my arms, and I answer, "No ma'am. No injuries of significance." I also think the Le Roux have a good cop-bad cop routine, and I brace myself for it.
Brady studies me with a serious look. Reese places a glass of water in front of me with a thump and sits before anyone speaks. Brady says, "Tell me what makes you think you belong in my clan."
The Eradicators used to have a liaison with the wife of an alpha from the Veilleux clan, and I'm aware that alphas can communicate telepathically with all members of their clan. I think Brady must have all the information I've already given and suspect they're trying to trip me up or get me to say too much.
I repeat what I said earlier. "I came to school here because my mother told me I was half werebear and this is where she met my dad. My mom died before I could get any more information, but I hoped being here would help me find him." My throat is dry and scratchy, and I decide that since Reese and Ian are drinking the water I can too. I take a sip, and cold liquid soothes my throat enough I can go on. "The other night I was out with a friend and ran into Max. Our attraction was—" I chuckle as I recall the way I slammed Max up against the wall to kiss him. "—off the charts, as they say. It made me realize I'd met my true mate."
Mrs. Le Roux smiles at me, but I don't for one second believe it's a kind one. "You found us because you ran the plates on the car Max was driving. Tell me more abo
ut that."
Werebear are very secretive, and it occurs to me she's wondering how I managed to get information on her car that may not be easily traced. I look at Reese, whom I’d told that I had my cop brother run the plates. "I don’t have a brother who’s a cop. I know a guy who can find out such things. He owed me a favor, so I asked him to help me out."
Brady exchanges a glance with Ian that makes me think he's given his lead warrior a mission to figure out how the information could be obtained. But more concerning to me is that my quick change in lies just put me under suspicion as someone who knows dangerous people, and I'm not sure how to wiggle out of it. I recall one of my high school classmates who was caught hacking into school computers just to cause havoc. I sigh, "The guy was my high school boyfriend, and he's a computer whiz. He took it as a challenge. Told me it was not easy to get."
I have no idea if anyone is buying my story because nobody's face gives anything away. These people are good. I always suspected werebear were much smarter than Link and the rest of the Eradicators want to believe.
"She's resourceful," Carly says, with a smile I doubt is genuine. "And if she's Max's true mate as she claims, I think it's worth getting to know Josie." She leans forward and glances around to make eye contact with the three men. "Gentlemen, let's offer Josie some clan hospitality."
Brady nods. "I think you're right." He looks at me. "Josie, we have guest rooms upstairs. One of my daughters will be over soon to help you find clothing to change into after you clean up."
I don't think he's giving me a choice, and suddenly the light in my brilliant idea to sneak onto clan land and find Max is extinguished. I say, "Oh, no. I couldn't impose on you like that."
"We insist," Carly says. Her eyes flash with something that sucks the air out of my lungs before Brady's chest rumbles with a low growl he has every intention of me hearing. And I'm sure I'm not going anywhere.