Chasing Peace, Love & Fur [3xtasy Lake 8] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Corinne Davies

  “She’ll come back because this is all she’s ever known. Below all that rebellion is a female who knows her place. Deep down she wants what every little sow dreams of—safety, security, and cubs. I’ll give her all that.”

  Sow! I’ll show you a placid sow, you egotistical moron. Clara hated Eddie’s condescending tone as he and her father spoke about her. As if they both believed it was their right to plan out her life. Ever since her stepbrother had gone off and mated a human, her life and all the lives of the women in their clan had become overly smothered. The elders had tried to cut off as much interaction with the outside world as possible, but they didn’t have the knowledge or understanding of the technology the humans had developed.

  As if being a shape-shifter wasn’t rare enough, her entire family was obsessed with the idea that the bear strain would cease to exist if they weren’t careful. Hadn’t any of them watched Harry Potter and learned that the idea of elitism or pure bloods was wrong? She’d grown up reading everything she could get her hands on and she wanted someone who loved her for her, not because of her DNA structure.

  “Why don’t you go with her? Distract her. Fuck her. Put an end to all this once and for all. You get a cub into her and she’ll settle down like her mother did.” The tone in her father’s voice made a sick shiver run down her spine. She and her father had never been close but hearing him refer to her as nothing more than a vapid, walking uterus couldn’t was as painful as if he’d punched her in the face. Once again, her father had proved that he didn’t view her as much more than an object of value like his damn cars.

  “Things will be different when she gets back. I have a business trip to go on this week or I would’ve gone with her. This will work out for the better. You’ll see.”

  Her father’s words made her feel ill, but she wasn’t that surprised. Eddie’s easy attitude toward manipulating her made her furious. Betrayal burned like hot acid in her stomach. Eddie was supposed to be her friend and confidant. She’d play along with their games and deliver the car part to the stupid gearhead who had ordered it, but she wasn’t coming back. She’d keep on going and somehow disappear.

  As the conversation between Eddie and her father evolved into last night’s hockey game, she quietly moved back from the vent she’d been standing under. Living in a century-old house meant that almost every room could be eavesdropped on if you knew at which vent to listen at. Bears had an incredible sense of smell but since she lived in the house and her scent was everywhere, she didn’t have to worry about them knowing she was close by and listening. They both would have assumed she was out in the shop getting the shop’s books ready for the accountant to do the taxes for last year.

  Clara had been on her way to go for a walk when she saw Eddie’s car pull up to the front of the house. When he’d headed to the garden doors that lead to her father’s office instead of the front door, she’d snuck downstairs to find out what they were up to. Until twenty minutes ago she’d been under the impression that her father and Eddie didn’t like each other.

  She made her way back through the basement to the other side of the house before her father or Eddie decided to look for her and discovered her spying. It was a simple matter to sneak out of the house with her coat and boots. She’d been doing it all her life.

  Glancing up at the house behind her to make certain no one was looking, she quickly made her way down the back steps and out into the yard. The grounds were extensive and the falling snow would cover her tracks quickly enough. When she felt she was far enough away to be safe, she pulled a book and cell phone out of the kangaroo pocket of her hoodie. Climbing up on an outcropping of rocks gave her a better view and allowed her to see if anyone was coming. With a quick look around, she made certain she was alone before turning it on. Using the book to block anyone’s view of it, she entered the security code and had to hold back the cheer when she saw the indicator that she had a message.

  A touch of the screen and a beautiful little girl smiled up at her. Chubby cheeks surrounded an enchanting smile. Her eyes were the same beautiful colour as her dad’s but she looked very much like the baby’s mother. She had a yellow stuffed creature under one arm and held onto her dad’s hand with the other. “Hi, Aunti Clara! Come visit me! Love, Belle” was written at the bottom of the picture with a bunch of hearts. Clara knew that her stepbrother’s wife would have added that. Little hearts and smiley faces were never Brodie’s style, but his wife Stephanie was sweet enough to do it.

  Her stepbrother might have been banished from the clan for marrying a human, but he’d never forgotten about her. Before he’d moved to Ontario, he’d hidden a phone for her and they’d used it over the years to pass on messages. Her father had found the phone shortly after Brodie had gotten married and sent her a wedding picture. Furious, he’d destroyed the phone and threatened to kill her stepbrother and his human, so she was extra careful now. She didn’t want to live like this, cooped up and thought of as nothing but a brood mare. I’m a bear, dammit. Not a walking uterus. Sure, she respected her people and her heritage, but it didn’t define her and she wasn’t going to follow meekly along with her autocratic, narrow-minded, elitist father. Becoming a vegetarian and refusing to go on hunts hadn’t proved her point that she was different. Drastic times called for drastic measures and even if deep down it scared her to death to leave everything she’d ever known, she was going to do it.

  Clara smiled down at the chubby little face in the picture and her heart did a little flip in excitement. She was finally going to be able to hold her little niece. Brodie had promised to help hide Clara if she ever managed to get away but until recently she had believed she could talk some sense into her family. If her best friend was plotting with her father to keep her sequestered in this life, then he wasn’t really a friend and she truly didn’t belong here. In her heart she knew she was meant for more than popping out cubs and following around a big ole stinky male. She wanted love and an adventure and to find a proper Mate. Someone who would love her for her and not because of what good she was to them.

  She wanted to find a nice human man who wasn’t into sports, cars, or thought he was the boss of the universe. Her Mate would be her equal and think of her that way, too. Although, it was a bit ironic that it was going to be one of those stupid cars that would give her the chance to escape. Once she got settled somewhere else, she wanted to go to college or university and have a career and travel around the world.

  The sound of her father’s deep voice echoed through the forest. Anyone who thought black bears didn’t roar hadn’t met her father when he was in a mood. Smiling down at the picture one more time, she typed back a quick message before turning the phone off. Opportunity is finally knocking. Watch for me. I’ll text again when I’m on the way.

  Taking her sweet time just to annoy him was infantile, but she’d gotten good at continuing the bitchy teenager act even if she was five years past being a teen. She took another peek at the cherub in the picture, only this time the creature inside her lurched to the surface. The primal urge to tear into something with her teeth and claws rocked through her.

  Her hoodie tore at the sudden change in her body structure, forcing her to her knees. Fear coursed thought her system as she fought the animal side of her. No, no, nonono. Clara wrapped her arms around her midsection and rocked back and forth as white-hot pain ripped through her body. Concentrating on a pile of snow sitting on a nearby rock, she fought to keep control of herself, panting as she fought a war inside herself.

  Just when she didn’t think she could hold out any longer, the creature retreated with a growl. This wasn’t the first time her inner bear had fought her for control. That it surged to the surface when she was looking at a picture of her niece terrified her more than ever before. She couldn’t afford to lose control of herself. Not when she was this close to escaping. If she was going feral, the Guardians would lock her up or kill her outright.

  With shaking hands, she picked up her phone and tucked i
t into her book and back into the front pocket of her hoodie. She was only going to have to continue this charade for a little longer and she was going to finally be free of it all. She’d leave this community and prisonlike home. Free of anyone looking down on her for her choices in life or harping on her about them. She was going to do what she really wanted. Live and love like the humans and keep her primal side under lock and key for good. It broke her heart that she would have to postpone her visit to Brodie and his family, but she couldn’t put them at risk. Once she was sure she’d won this inner war, she’d visit. Until then she had to focus on getting away.

  Chapter Two

  Nouel yawned as he adjusted his bag on his shoulder and made his way through the sterile area of Canadian customs. His flight was smooth and uneventful, but after fourteen hours in a cramped plane he was ecstatic to stretch out and wanted nothing more than to get horizontal for a few hours. Preferably with a nice soft woman to curl around. Even in first class there hadn’t been enough room for his legs. It didn’t take more than a few questions and a friendly “Welcome home” from the Customs agent and he was on his way again.

  He turned his phone back on and quickly typed a message to Luc. I’m passed customs and on my way out.

  I hope you brought me something special.

  Sure did. A blow-up sheep just for you.

  Sick fuck. I’ve missed you.

  Nouel laughed. He’d missed his brothers as well. Conversation over Skype, with the lag in communications from being so far away from each other, had been frustrating to say the least. The final doors slid open and the pounding noise of the open terminal washed over him. He winced at the sudden abuse to his eardrums. Shifters of his species tended to have sensitive hearing. It was great for eavesdropping on women and learning what they really need but sucked in large crowds stuffed in an echoing building.

  It wasn’t hard to spot his brothers. They were both leaning back against a pillar far away from the crowd. Moose tended to be sensitive to noise and the volume in here was almost deafening. Georges lifted his hand to wave and Nouel nodded before heading in their direction. The three of them stood at six foot five inches, well above average height for humans but average for their kind. Luc and Georges were broader across the chest than he was, and weighed about three hundred pounds. Shapeshifting into a 950-pound moose required their human bodies be on the larger side of average.

  There was a pang of disappointment in his chest when he realized there was only the two of them waiting for him. He’d really hoped that when they said they’d both be meeting him, they would’ve had a woman between them to meet him. He wouldn’t have minded meeting his future Mate that way. One of the reasons he left Ecstasy in the first place was because he couldn’t stand waiting around for his Mate to show up. He went to go look for her but didn’t have any luck on the other side of the world. Neither had his brothers back home. It bothered him that he would have to accept the fact that there might not be someone out there for them.

  Males of their species tended to fight a lot over everything, and after their oldest brother Jacq’s death, the three of them vowed to work together toward a future. But finding a Mate was hard enough. Finding one willing to be shared between three brothers seemed impossible, until Georges found the small town outside Algonquin Park that seemed to attract large extended families.

  “Welcome Home.” Georges gave him a hug and slapped his back before taking his carry-on bag off his shoulder.

  “Let’s get out of here and somewhere a bit quieter.” Luc gave him a quick hug as well and grabbed one of his suitcases. “How was New Zealand?”

  Nouel grabbed the other suitcase and followed them out to the parking garage. The cold air hit him like an icy wall when he stepped out of the terminal. “Damn. It was summer when I got on the plane and winter when I stepped off.”

  “Did living on the other side of the world thin your blood out that much?” Georges bumped his shoulder against him. “I guess you’ll need to spend some time outside and thicken up your fur a bit.”

  Luc laughed, instantly making Nouel suspicious. He and his brothers never outgrew the need to prank one another. It helped to relieve the tension of living with two other bull moose at times. “You two are setting me up for something already aren’t you?”

  “Now would we do that to you?” Georges looked as if Nouel’s comment had completely insulted him. Another dead giveaway.

  “Absolutely.”

  “I promise we’ll at least let you catch up on some sleep, or did you sleep on the plane?”

  “Nah, there is never enough leg space to be comfortable. I can’t wait to stretch out for a few hours and unkink my back. Anything new in Ecstasy since last month?”

  “Tara is pregnant. That’s Cris and Lars’s Mate,” Luc answered. “I spent most of this morning tuning up her car and convincing the two of them that it’s completely safe for her to drive.”

  “They have the little guy Zack, right?”

  “Yeah, he’s a hoot. I think we hear more of him on the radio than Cris some days. Oh, and the McGuigan sisters want to start a bike gang.”

  “What?” Nouel couldn’t imagine those sweet ladies on motorcycles let alone in a gang. He used to love going to visit them when he was a kid. Miss Lavender would knit him a new toque every winter. Something I could use right now. He rubbed his palms against his cold ears. “Someone it trying to talk them out of it, right?”

  “Nope. We are leaving them alone and hopefully they’ll talk themselves out of it and not dig their heels in and be stubborn.” Luc unlocked the truck as they got close to it and lifted one of Nouel’s suitcases into the back.

  “Right, like that will work either.” Nouel lifted his other suitcase and put it in the box as well. “Those ladies cannot be manipulated by something as obvious as reverse psychology.”

  “I know, but it’s all we could come up with for now. If they get bikes, all the women are going to want to join in and we’re going to have a nightmare of males throwing fits about their safety.”

  “It might be good for business.”

  “Except that we’ll all be feral in the end.”

  “They can’t be that bad. Really, come on. I know a Mate is a gift and it’s logical to be protective but there’s a limit. It’s not like women are completely helpless.”

  “You remember that thought, little brother, and the next time a group of Mates comes in hell-bent on protecting their woman without her permission. You can deal with them.”

  Nouel crawled into the back of the truck and sat sideways on the seat. He noticed Georges’s smirk in the review mirror and figured his brother was just yanking his chain. He and Luc had to be exaggerating. “You wouldn’t happen to have a nice cuddly woman, willing to be shared by three men, tucked into my bed waiting for me when we get there?”

  Neither of his brothers answered his question. The sudden edge to Luc’s jaw and the way Georges stared out the window as they pulled out of the parking lot spoke volumes. The two of them had given up. The one thing Nouel missed most about the last few years was the connection he’d had with his brothers. A bond that never felt stronger than when they shared a single woman. He wasn’t ready to give that up forever. There had to be someone out there for them. It was one of the contributing factors to his decision to come home. He was homesick. Not for a specific place but for family. After Jacq’s death, he’d decided to search the earth for the one woman meant to be their Mate but his heart hadn’t really been in it, being so far away from his brothers after losing Jacq. The pain from their brother’s death was still there but thankfully not as sharp as it had been.

  Jacq’s death had affected them all but it had also brought the three of them together. Closer than mere brothers, their bond was so strong it was like they were triplets and had spent every initial moment of their existence together. Because of that, he knew not to push Luc and Georges any more on the subject of Mates and finding one for themselves. But, something deep down in Noue
l felt different, like a sense of anticipation or general unease. He’d thought that being back here with his brothers would cure him but it seemed to increase it. Something big was going to happen to him, he just knew it.

  * * * *

  A week later, Nouel figured the sense of urgent anticipation he’d felt on the trip home had simply been excitement at returning to Ecstasy Lake. During that long drive home he’d imagined meeting the woman for them on the way back. Maybe she’d have been stranded on the side of the road with a broken down car and needed rescuing or she’d been waiting for them at the garage. He hadn’t told his brothers any of this because they would have had a field day razzing him about his daydreams.

  “This is the best ever, Nouel. Thank you so much. You’re awesome!”

  At least that is what Nouel thought Zack had said. The muffled mumbles that came out of the little guy’s mouth were unintelligible but his puffed out cheeks and smile were all he needed to see. Lulu Roberts sat on the stool next to Zack. Her cheeks were equally as puffed out as she tried to talk through the chocolate mush in her mouth.

  “Don’t try to talk, you might choke.” Nouel laughed and took a sip of his coffee.

  “Goodness, what have you two shoved into your cheeks?” Miss Catharine, owner of the Shack and maker of the best sausage rolls in the universe, refilled Nouel’s coffee as the two kids bounced in their seats and chewed madly so they could talk.

  “I showed them the Tim-Tam-Trick.” Nouel held up one of the biscuits he’d become addicted to in New Zealand. When Georges told him they weren’t available over here, he’d loaded up one of his suitcases half-full with them.

  “Okay, you have to share that with me.”

  Nouel passed one of the wrapped biscuits to her. “You’ll need a coffee or something hot to drink. Zack and Lulu used their hot chocolate. Bite off opposite corners, not too much, just to the wafers and then stick one end in your mug and suck up the hot liquid. Then you shove the whole thing in your mouth at once. The heat will melt the chocolate and wafers inside—”