by T. S. Ryder
There was a click in the darkness. The sound of a gun cocking. Stephen tensed, wrapping his arms protectively around Iduna. A half dozen men emerged from the trees around them, aiming hunting rifles at the two of them. Stephen growled, holding his mate tighter. The closest, a pale-skinned man the size of a mountain, stopped at the car door.
"Get out."
Before Stephen could reply, Iduna let out a cry. She freed herself from Stephen's arms and hurried out the opposite side of the car. "Daddy!"
She threw her arms around one of the men, and Stephen felt himself relax. So these were Bears. Not the hunters that had attacked the community. He sighed in relief. And tensed again when the nearest Bear shoved his rifle into the Wolf's ribs.
"I told you to get out."
"What are you doing?" Iduna's voice was pitched with fear.
Stephen couldn't stop a growl from emerging from his throat. How dare they frighten his mate! But she was only frightened for him. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to slide from the car, keeping his hands in sight of the Bears. The pale one turned him around and began searching him.
"Daddy, what is going on? Stephen helped me."
"Maybe he did. Maybe he didn't." Tyson's voice was deep and gravelly with anger. "Wolves have hated Bears for as long as Shifters have existed. How do we know that these hunters are really human? We don't. We always just assumed. But they could be Wolves. They could have come to give him an excuse to steal you away. You're pregnant with his baby. How do we know his story about an accident is real?"
Stephen closed his eyes. He didn't blame Tyson for assuming the worst. He had heard plenty of stories about how Wolves had killed Bears for no reason other than them being Bears. It was part of his heritage, no matter if he had never participated in such activities himself.
"I didn't know about the hunters until they attacked," he said, trying to keep his voice calm. "I have no intention of taking Iduna's baby. I only wanted to be part of the baby's life, but if Iduna wants me to go, I will."
"No!" Iduna's voice pitched with panic. "I don't want you to go. Don't go. Please stay."
And despite the guns pointed at him and the situation he found himself in, his Wolf sung again.
Chapter Five – Iduna
It was a fact well proven throughout history that fear and anger could lead even the most docile of people to do things out of their characters.
Individuals who would otherwise abhor violence could turn into killers, and no matter how unjustified it was, they would find a way to validate their actions. Fear was the most dangerous emotion to exist. Iduna never thought she would find herself in a situation where her loving, tender father was considering killing anybody. Certainly not her mate when she just found him. But he was afraid. Afraid for her, afraid for his community. And that fear might drive him to do something they would all regret.
Iduna extracted herself from her father and hurried over to Stephen. In the dim light of the car, she could see his eyes widen and a thin coat of perspiration on his pale face.
She pushed aside the gun that Mr. Thompson from down the road was holding on her mate. Despite the surprised looks she got, she planted herself between Stephen and the Bears. Incredibly, they all stopped pointing their guns at him. Iduna folded her arms and glared at the faces around her. Somewhat younger than her own white-haired father, most of them were the parents of her classmates growing up. Some even encouraged their children to try to become friends with her. Good neighbors and friends to her parents.
"Stephen and the Wolves have nothing to do with the human attacks on us," she said firmly, though she had to resist the urge to rub her aching lower back. "And besides that, I don't appreciate you pointing guns at my mate."
Stephen turned. "What did you just say?"
"You're my mate. You felt it too, didn't you? My Bear sang when we kissed. She's never done that before."
"When you kissed?" Tyson's voice was guttural. "You kissed my daughter?"
"I kissed him first. Because he's my mate." Iduna put her hands on her hips and stared down her father. "You and Mommy were right when you said there is nothing logical about gaining a mate. It makes no sense. The age difference between us is larger than tends to be socially acceptable."
The other Bears grunted. Some shook their heads. Stephen's arms wrapped around her waist and began tugging her to one side.
"Don't worry about that right now, Iduna. Just don't stand in front of me like that. Your father and neighbors have every right to be suspicious of me. Especially how I just took you away from your community without stopping to think about your parents."
Iduna planted her feet. She might be small for a Bear, but she wasn't going to be budged. The ache in her back was working its way over her stomach now, making her wince. "I called Daddy to tell him I was okay. And I'm not a child, you didn't kidnap me. I'm a grown woman. If you kidnapped me, you wouldn't have brought me here."
"I know." Stephen actually sounded surprised that she would have to remind him.
It was odd, to have a man look at her as a woman, not as the naive child all the Shifters in her community saw her as.
Her father stepped forward. "Iduna, step away from him. If he's innocent he has nothing to fear."
The ache in her back was getting stronger, and a sharp jolt across her belly made Iduna gasp. She leaned back against Stephen for support as her knees buckled. His arms tightened around her.
"What's wrong? Are you hurt?" His voice rose high. Her Bear clicked her tongue at him, wanting to reassure him.
Iduna shook her head. "I think I'm just tired."
"Get away from him," her father said again. "We will deal with him as—"
"All of you, stop." Iduna's mother came out of the bushes, followed by several women. "We will not have more violence today. Put those damned guns away this instant. We will leave the Wolf's car here and head back to camp. Those hunters are human, not Wolves. This is what they would want, us turning against each other. In these times Shifters need to stand together."
Another sharp pain. Iduna grabbed her belly. Her eyes widened. No. She was only eight months along. She needed at least another thirty-two days for her baby's optimal development.
But stress could bring on early labor.
"Wolves are close to humans," Thompson was saying. "They're vicious killers. My grandparents were killed by Wolves when my mother was just a young girl."
"And mine bragged about how many Wolf pelts they had on their walls," Iduna’s mother replied. "Wolves have always been more open to taking non-Shifters as mates. They have a closer relationship with humans because of it. Maybe they can help us in this situation. But not if you shoot this one for no reason other than being a Wolf. Now put those guns down!"
Iduna cried out, arms wrapping around herself as a contraction shot through her stomach.
"Iduna!" three voices cried as one.
Her father wrenched her away from Stephen. Her Bear snarled, the sound rising up her throat. She pushed against him, not thinking about anything but getting back to her mate. Her mother joined her father, surrounding her. Iduna felt like she was being crushed between them, smothered by the desire to keep her safe from anything.
"Let go," she snarled. "Let go of me!"
Thompson had Stephen by the throat at this point, though the Wolf wasn't struggling, nor did it appear that the Bear was choking him at all. Still, Iduna felt her Bear rising, huffing a warning. She fought against her parents. Another contraction made her whimper, but she couldn't even think about that.
She wrenched herself free of her parents, leaping towards Thompson. Her fist flew, impacting his face hard. A jolt of pain ran up her arm but she ignored it, punching him in the gut. The larger Bear stumbled back, a surprised look on his face. Iduna wrapped her arms around Stephen, growling at the Bears that surrounded them.
Thompson stepped forward, teeth bared. Stephen whipped her around, hiding her behind his body. His whole being tensed, his fists raising. A
threatening snarl emitted from him. He bobbed from one side to the other until the Bears backed away.
She rubbed her stomach with one hand and laid her other on Stephen's shoulder. "They're not going to hurt me. You know that."
Stephen's hands dropped. He blinked in surprise and shook his head. "I'm sorry. I've never reacted that way before."
"It's because you were protecting me. Your mate." Iduna smiled at him, then turned a frown on the other Bears. "He is my mate."
"He's too old," her father protested. "You deserve someone who can learn the wonders of the world with you."
"What does that even mean?" Iduna shook her head. "He's my mate. Haven't you always said that one day I'd find him? Just because he isn't what you expected doesn't mean he's not mine."
Tyson shook his head. "You're not thinking straight, sweetheart. It's the pregnancy—"
"It is not the pregnancy." Iduna paused and took a deep breath. Now wasn't the time to discuss it. Clearly, her parents were feeling emotional. There would be no explaining things to them while they were in this state of mind when they couldn't think calmly and rationally. "If you think that Stephen was involved in the attack on the community, then we will go. But he had nothing to do with it, and I'm not leaving him."
"We need to get you to a hospital," Stephen said, his voice thick with worry. A hand rested on her belly. "If you're going into labor—"
"The contractions have stopped. I think it was just Braxton Hicks. False labor," she clarified. "I don't need to go to the hospital. Besides, I would rather have a midwife than a doctor. You know, the positions that doctors use in hospitals, the woman lying on her back, is for their ease, not the woman's. It actually narrows the birthing canal and makes labor more difficult, while a position such as squatting—"
"Enough." Thompson rolled his eyes. "We don’t need one of your lectures, Professor."
Iduna winced at the scathing tone. She wrapped her arms around herself and dropped her head. Stephen growled, but Thompson ignored him.
"The Wolf is coming back with us so he can’t tell the humans where we are. But he’s going to stay under constant guard."
Iduna was about to ask who put Thompson in charge when her father was older and wiser, but her father beat her to it.
"You do not have that authority to make that decision, Thompson. But if that is a suggestion, I agree with you."
The other men nodded. Iduna’s mother put her hands on her hips. "So do I, if you men care."
The sentiment was echoed by the other women. Iduna leaned against Stephen, shaking her head. "I don't!"
But nobody listened to her. As per usual.
Chapter Six – Stephen
Stephen had no idea where they were. Even though it had been the new moon, and far too dark to see a thing when was brought out to the Bear's emergency camp, he had still been blindfolded and a good amount of Vicks Vaporub was spread under his nose. He could still smell the stuff. He would never be able to smell his way back, even as a Wolf.
The Bears had put him in a tent, which was nice of them, although they rarely let him out of it. At least two guards were positioned outside at all times. And he hadn't seen Iduna for the two days since he had been brought here. It made his Wolf restless, growling and snapping. But he knew she was safe. That was enough, for now.
He sat in the tent, waiting for the normal interrogation team to show up. Thompson, that big, pale Bear that looked like he had a stick up his ass and Tyson.
Thompson was still convinced that he had something to do with the attacks on the Bear community. Tyson, thankfully, seemed to believe him, but it was clear that he didn't think the Wolf was a suitable mate for his little girl.
Not that Stephen could really blame him. After all, he was much older than her. But they were mates, as amazing and improbable as it was. Stephen had wanted to find his mate for so long. He wasn't going to give up when he finally found her.
"Time for your outhouse break," one of the guards said, unzipping the tent.
Stephen got up without a word. He walked towards the outhouse. His heart leaped when he saw Iduna coming towards them. The two Bears escorting him put themselves between her and Stephen, low growls in their throats.
"You are not permitted to speak with the prisoner," one of them said.
"I know." Iduna held out two small bottles. "But we have not had a proper balanced diet since we got here, and I'm concerned that we're all going to come down with scurvy or other nutrient-deprived diseases. So I've procured essential oils rich in vitamin-C for everybody to ingest so we all remain in optimal health. It's cedar oil. Very high in nutrients, although a bit pungent."
Stephen knew that Iduna liked to share her knowledge, but this was coming off a little too scripted. And her word choice sounded like she was deliberately trying to confuse them. If that was what she was trying to do, it worked. The guards looked exasperated, but they shrugged and took the bottles from her. Both downed the contents.
"There. Now no scur—"
The closest Bear's eyes bulged. He grasped his throat. And then both were down, vomiting. Stephen backed away as their huge bodies convulsed. Iduna, however, jumped over them and grabbed his hand, dragging him away from the camp.
"Hurry!" she urged.
Somehow Stephen made his feet move, following Iduna through the trees. At one point she stopped and told him to shift, which he did. She then climbed onto his back–she was heavier than she looked, but so heavily pregnant and with such a strong, muscular body that was only to be expected–and told him which way to go. By the time they heard the sounds of pursuit, Iduna had led him to a clearing where half a dozen vehicles were. She unlocked a truck, and they were off.
"I hope they'll be okay. They should be okay." Iduna clutched her seatbelt as Stephen drove over the logging road. "Cedar oil is not for internal use. It'll cause vomiting, thirst, and in some cases even extensive damage to the digestive tract. But their healing abilities should counteract any long-term damage. I hope they'll be okay."
Stephen reached over to her, catching her twisting hands in hers. "I'm sorry."
"No. I am." She stilled. "I acted impulsively. I shouldn't have poisoned them. But Thompson was talking about making you reveal your plans. I know what that means. I couldn't do nothing. You're my mate. And we have to end this. I'm tired of being shot at and our houses burned down. The government has to listen to us. We're citizens! It's the government's job to protect us. It's time to stop trying to deal with it ourselves. So we need to go to Victoria. Right to the legislature buildings and get noticed…"
Stephen couldn't help but notice the quiver in her voice. He squeezed her hand tighter, but he didn't know what to say. And so he remained silent, letting her tell him about when Victoria was founded and what original uses the city had.
***
They drove for several hours before they got out of the car to stretch. Stephen's eyes were getting heavy, and from Iduna's yawns, she was just as tired as he was. It was still at least five hours to Vancouver, though, and then it would take at least another three hours to get to Victoria. After that, they could only hope that the legislature buildings were open and that they would get the political help they needed.
"How are you doing?" he asked her, seeing that she was rubbing her back.
Iduna gave him a wan smile. "I'll be fine. Just a backache. It happens when I sit too long. The pressure on my lumbar—"
Stephen wrapped his arms around her as she cut herself off. "And emotionally?"
"I don't know what you mean." Her voice was stiff.
"I mean are you okay? I know you were acting for the best of your community, but they—"
"They'll understand once I get the premier involved. I just…" She looked up at him, her big eyes filling with tears. "I just don't know if my parents will ever accept you and me as mates. What if they never do?"
"They will. They love you. They'll understand." Stephen brushed a kiss on her lips. The contact had electricity zingin
g through his body. "I love you, Iduna. I want you to know that. We're mates, but I also love you. I had stopped believing in love at first meeting, but you are all I want. All I need."
"Except I talk too much."
"No. I love listening to you. You have such a passion for knowledge. I just wish I knew more, so we could have a dialogue and not just me listening."
Tears ran down Iduna's face. She threw her arms around him, kissing him hard. Her ferocity surprised him, but it wasn't unwelcome. He moaned into her mouth, pulling her body close to his. The effect was instant and he forgot about being on the run, both from those human hunters and her community. He forgot about everything except that his mate was in his arms, her beautiful body against his, her beautiful soul so close he could almost hear her Bear grunting in approval.
Stephen broke from her mouth, wanting to taste every inch of her. He trailed his mouth down her jaw and focused on the sensitive patch of skin under her ear. Iduna shivered and moaned, pressing herself tighter against him. He walked her back, leaning her against the car. His hands roamed her body, aware they were at a public rest stop, but equally aware that there was nobody around to steal this moment from them.
He had just slid a hand under her shirt, thrilled at the touch of her warm skin when a second vehicle pulled into the rest stop. Stephen pulled back, Iduna moaning in protest. A police car stopped right behind them.
"We'd better get going."
Iduna let out an annoyed huff. "Just when things were getting really exciting."
Stephen laughed and kissed her again. "That's just a taste of what's to come, my darling. I promise. We have the rest of our lives to continue."
"I never realized that sexual arousal could actually feel like that," she sighed. "At least, not with another person. I've never had a reaction to kissing like that before. Probably because I have never been kissed by my mate like that before."
"Probably," he agreed, helping her into truck. He went to his side and was just about to climb in when the police officer got out of his car.