“Did your Mates come from out East? I think I’ve heard your last name before.”
“Yup, they did. They wanted to be free to live their lives. In order to get out of the community, they pretended to leave with three women to travel and create a new group.”
“What happened to the women?”
“They’re up in Nunavut. All three of them found their Mates up there. They all keep in contact through e-mails and the phone call here and there.”
Clara wasn’t completely certain what to think now that River had confirmed her suspicions. She’d heard stories that the McNamaras killed the women they’d left with. Clara knew that gossip wasn’t a reliable source of information, but it seemed so easy to believe. But then again, now that she’d met the three burly men and watched the way they took care of River, she knew the stories had all been nothing more than lies to keep the females in line.
“Why do you ask?” River had a quality about the way she looked at her, Clara felt like the other woman would know if she lied. But she wasn’t about to tell her the truth.
“I heard some Guardians say the name once while talking to my father and wondered if it was the same family.”
River paled, an impressive feat considering the woman was already very pale. “How long ago did you hear the Guardians talking about them?”
“Years ago. I’m not sure why the name stuck in my head but when I heard you say your last name it reminded me.”
Thankfully that was enough truth to get River to relax. Clara wondered what had happened to River that would make her fear the Guardians, but she wasn’t about to ask anything else about that subject now. The last thing she wanted was for her three Mates to charge in here and freak out because she was upset.
“Did you know that Ecstasy Lake is a very special place, Clara?” River grinned over her mug. “I’ve seen many people come here with the thought of just passing though and they never leave.”
“That’s not me.” Clara waved her hand in the air as if she was waving River’s words away. “I’m only here until my car is fixed.”
“I’m sorry. Did you say your car is broken down and that is why you can’t leave?”
“Yes.” Clara nodded. “It’s nothing sinister. There’s a part that Luc had to order and the weather is slowing down the delivery.
River and Tara exchanged a look that Clara couldn’t quite decipher. Tara’s son Zack came running in the room at that moment.
“Mom! Hide me!”
“Over here, buddy,” River whispered loudly, waving the little boy toward them. Your mom is the first place they’ll check. Curl up next to Clara.”
The little boy gave her a big grin and a giggle before tucking himself between her and the back cushion. River tugged a hand-knitted afghan off the back of the sofa and flicked it over him, covering part of Clara in the process. Clara didn’t know what was going on but she did her best to cover for him. Lifting her knee so the blanket tented a bit, to cover the extra bumps, she also pulled the pillow out from behind her and put it on her chest, wrapping her arms around it like she was hugging it.
The darkness inside of her shifted at the feel of the little body next to her, making her heart pound. No, no, stay away! Here she was worried about River’s Mates and she was the most dangerous one here. The primal surge receded and she calmed down a bit. If she thought for one moment she was going to lose control, she’d scream and have everyone come running.
Zack stretched out along the edge of the sofa, hiding behind her and River. His head rested against her waist, and his arm wrapped around her stomach. The excitement he was feeling practically made his body vibrate, or it was simply the excess energy most children were blessed with. Clara lifted her mug and sipped her hot chocolate and tried to look as calm as possible while masking the upheaval she was internally fighting.
That creature kept fighting at the wall she’d erected between them. There was something about the child that called to it. What was most frightening was that Clara didn’t know its intentions. Were its intentions evil or protective?
“Are you okay, Clara?” River nudged her with her toes. “I hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable volunteering you like this.”
River’s open honesty was so refreshing. At home, Clara always had to read between the lines when people asked her questions or opinions. “Who are we protecting him from?”
A loud stomping echoed down the hallway, followed by a booming voice. “Where’s the dirty little creature!”
Zack wriggled and pressed his face against Clara’s waist. She assumed he was trying to muffle his giggles. “Be still or he’ll find you.” She patted his head through the blanket and he stilled a fraction.
Both River and Tara were grinning so Clara took that as a good sign that this must be some sort of game. Had her father stomped down the hallway shouting like that, she’d have run and hidden in fear. She glanced at River and Tara again but neither woman was showing any emotion other than humour so she relaxed.
Lars leaned in the doorway, sniffing the air like a wolf hunting for food. His long blond hair had been pulled from its elastic and masked most of his face. “Fee. Fie. Fo. Fum!” His voice rumbled through the room and he stomped with each word. Pausing at Tara’s chair, he bent down and she lifted her face for a kiss. Lars growled and then pressed a playful kiss against her lips. Clara didn’t miss the way he gently rested his hand on her stomach. Tara had mentioned how overly protective her husbands had become since she realized she was pregnant.
“I’m looking for a nasty little human creature. About this big”—he lifted his hand a few feet from the floor—“crunchy, and tastes good with ketchup.”
Tara shook her head. “No, sorry, I haven’t seen anything like that. Although, there was something that sounded like a little mouse out in the hallway. You might want to check there.”
“Harumph.” Lars stood back up and looked straight at the long lump under the blanket between River and Clara. “I’ll check out there. But be careful ladies. This is a fearsome animal who will steal your cookies when you’re not looking. Don’t try to apprehend him alone if you see him. Cookie monsters look all sweet and cuddly, but don’t trust them.”
As soon as he stomped out of the room, Zack popped his head out from under the blanket. “Is he gone?”
“You’ve been eating your poppa’s cookies again, haven’t you?”
“Dad helped.” The little guy scrambled out from between Clara and River. “Thanks for hiding me, I gotta go.” He tiptoed to the doorway before heading down the hallway.
Clara’s head filled with images of little ones racing around her playing games. Her heart clenched and she tried to push the thoughts away. She’d decided long ago she wouldn’t have any children. The expectations of her race disgusted her and she didn’t want her children to be forced into that life. She hadn’t thought about it for so long. Now that she was free, maybe one day she could have a family like her brother.
The darkness shifted inside of her again and she crushed the little kernel of hope that Zack’s presence had created. She couldn’t be trusted alone around children, not now, maybe not ever. If she ever lost control of her bear, she’d never forgive herself if she did something unspeakable.
“I swear, sometimes it’s like I have three little boys running around the house.” Tara rubbed her flat stomach. “I’ll admit I’m kinda hoping for a girl this time.”
“Oh my god, if you have a girl she will be a complete spoiled princess.” River laughed. “Or a complete tomboy trying to keep up with her daddies and older brother.”
“What do your husbands want? My dad wanted a boy and I’ve been reminded a number of times over the years that I am missing an important part of anatomy.” Clara had been trying to make a bit of a joke and didn’t expect the horrified look that crossed Tara’s features.
“All we care about is that the baby is healthy and happy. Everything else would be a bonus.”
River patted Clara’s leg. �
��Tara’s human and doesn’t understand the fucked-up expectations of some species. The guys have filled me in quite a bit about the northern bear communities.”
“Just because I’m human doesn’t meant I don’t understand fucked-up expectations. My background wasn’t all hearts and roses either.” The moment after, Tara pressed her hand against her mouth.
Clara almost laughed at the way River’s jaw dropped before she whipped her head around to look at her friend. “Tara dropped an F-bomb! Holy shit! If this is what pregnancy does to a woman, bring it on. I can’t wait to see you kick Cris’s or Lars’s ass.”
Tara’s cheeks turned a soft pink colour and her fingers were still lying over her mouth as she spoke. “I don’t believe I did that. My temper is terrible. I’m so sorry.”
“Oh, please. I love to hear you talk like that.” River leaned closer to Clara. “Tara is one of the most perfect moms you will ever meet. I love it when she gets all nasty.”
The anxiety that had weighed down on Clara lifted a bit as River continued to tease Tara. They were obviously good friends and their families were close. She really liked the way this town banded together and no one seemed to care who was what species. At home, if you weren’t a bear but surrounded by them, you kept your mouth shut and stayed near a door.
“What about you, River?” Clara asked. “Have you been dreaming of little paw prints on your floors?”
“I’m practically terrified of the idea.” River held her hand on her cheeks and opened her mouth wide like that famous screaming picture. With her pale skin and black hair, she looked even more gothic.
“Why?” Clara wondered if River too had a dark frightening creature living inside of her. Maybe that’s why Fate Mated her to three bears?
“Wait till you’re in town a bit longer. These men go crazy protective when their Mates get pregnant. When Mai Solfalvi was pregnant, her husbands, Gaspar and Vencel, orbited around her like anti-weapon systems. It drove her crazy. I’d end up killing my three or begging Brenna to put them in a medically induced coma for the duration.”
“Brenna is the town’s veterinarian,” Tara explained. “You met Gordon the other day? He’s her dad.”
“Oh, okay.” Clara was starting to feel a bit overwhelmed. It felt like everyone in town knew everything about each other. “Is she going to be at the brewery tonight?”
“I would imagine so.”
“I think you guys will be swamped tonight.” Tara took a sip of her water and gently rubbed her tummy. Clara wondered if she was even aware of the movement. “It’s been a snowy winter and the locals are getting cabin fever. Lars has been going crazy servicing snowmobiles, especially last week when it was so nice. He’s in a better mood now, but he was starting to get edgy trying to balance it all.”
As River and Tara talked about the dance that night, Clara thought about the number of times she’d heard Luc’s business phone ring in the last couple days. He and Georges had spent a lot of time at their shop working on cars as she and Nouel organized their taxes. Maybe they were feeling the stress and that’s what shortened their tempers. Did I jump to a conclusion?
But the image of the shattered patio door flashed across her thoughts. She couldn’t live with that kind of physical violence again. What if one day they turned on her?
Chapter Eight
The multi-coloured lights flashed over the crowd, painting the dancers with a rainbow of colourful dots. It was almost hypnotic the way the colours swirled and flashed around them. “Boom Boom Pow” by the Black Eyed Peas pounded in her ears as the deep bass echoed in her chest.
Clara had never had so much fun in her life. She danced as if she’d never been free to move like this before. It wasn’t that hard once she relaxed and followed River’s lead, swinging her hips to the heavy beat vibrating in her chest. Brenna and Tara flanked her as the four of them swayed how they wanted to the music. River tended to stick out with her gothic style but Clara was learning that something like sticking out didn’t bother River in the slightest. Of course she was Mated to three bears. It took a strong woman to stand up to that kind of presence.
Not that three large moose weren’t shaking her inner defenses in the slightest. As if answering her call, she felt the terrifying energy rise up in her chest and panic gripped at her throat. No, not here.
A hand wrapped around her waist and pulled her back against a large body. She wrapped her fingers around the hand and squeezed almost to the point of breaking his fingers as she looked over her shoulder. A low growl vibrated in her throat and she battled the urge to bare her teeth at the guy who’d grabbed her. His eyes widened and he pulled both hands off her and held them up as he backed away. Calm down, Clara, there are humans here, too.
That vicious creature retreated slightly, but she felt like it was sitting at the edge of her consciousness. The artificial tang of cologne clung to her skin now and she wished she could wash it off. If Luc, Georges, or Nouel smelled a different man on her skin, they’d freak.
Why do you care? It was as if her inner voice were trying to make a point. She’d tried so hard to fight her inner self, she’d been fighting everything around her, including her attraction to the three Benoit brothers. A soft hand touched her shoulder and she looked up at River’s concerned gaze. Clara shook her head and smiled as if nothing were wrong. But as the song blended from one into the next, she couldn’t stop thinking about what she’d been doing to herself.
She was dancing in a room filled with humans and until a moment ago she hadn’t noticed any specific scent, or even sensed that someone was getting too close behind her. Was Luc right and the longer she denied her inner animal the more she stunted her own abilities?
The lights lifted for a moment and Clara locked eyes on Nouel. At least she thought it was Nouel. The rainbow of lights descended at that moment and she lost him in the glare. It must be because I was thinking of him. There was no way he would actually be here. She’d made it obvious to the three of them that she wanted nothing more to do with them and they seemed to accept it.
That is if they aren’t already getting molested by every woman in this place. Jealously stabbed through her chest and stole her breath for a moment.
“Are you really okay?” River was looking over the crowd but held on to Clara’s arm with a gentle grip. “Did you see something?”
Clara could hardly make out the other woman over the deafening sound of the music so she shook her head. The last thing she wanted was to ruin the night for everyone. River cocked her head to the side with a questioning look on her face, but Clara didn’t want her to worry.
* * * *
“Since when do we stand idly by while our woman gets manhandled on a fucking dance floor?”
Nouel hoped that Clara hadn’t heard Luc’s voice over the music vibrating around them. He and Georges almost missed grabbing their brother when Luc started to charge out into the main bar area. He didn’t like any other man touching his Mate either but their temper had already fucked things up enough as it was.
“Since she basically told us to fuck off and walked out of our house,” Nouel said as he peeked from behind the wall where they’d dragged their brother a moment before. “She’s a bear for god’s sake. Exactly what do you think will happen to her?”
“She’s kept her inner self on lockdown for so long I’m wondering if she hasn’t permanently crippled herself or driven her bear mad.” Georges stood shoulder to shoulder with him as they prevented Luc from rushing out and taking on every man in the place who might think about touching her.
“That’s ridiculous. She’s so completely out of balance she’s impeding her natural abilities, but her sanity is fine.” Luc paused, pacing behind them long enough to snap the comment. He looked at Georges as if he was the crazy one, but at least their brother had managed to get a bit of sense talked into him. Or got him listening to his own common sense.
“Exactly. She probably hurt the guy’s hand but she didn’t tear it off his arm. He backed a
way from her in a flash and that was the end of it. She can take care of herself.”
“She shouldn’t have to!” Luc ran his hand over his hair and paced a few steps away from the entrance to the main room.
Nouel didn’t want Clara to have to take care of herself either but he also knew that his brother’s hardheaded, antique attitude could ruin it for all of them. “Luc, if she thinks we’re here spying on her, it could be the end of our chances with her.”
Luc paced back and forth in front of them, as much as the small space would allow. A relief, since it meant that his brother had gotten over the flash of rage that had pounded through him. He wasn’t entirely certain that Luc wouldn’t challenge them when they prevented him from charging out on the dance floor. He’d given them each a good shove but both Nouel and Georges had stood their ground.
“You said it yourself, Luc.” Georges leaned against the wall with his shoulder, crossing his arms over his chest. “The three of us need to work together and sometimes that might mean one of us needs to be stopped from acting on our own half-assed ideas.”
“It wasn’t a half-assed idea.” Luc paused. Resting his hands on his hips, he took a deep breath. “I simply didn’t stop to consider the consequences.”
“Next time you’ll be the one stopping us from making an ass of ourselves.” Georges slapped his hand on Luc’s shoulder. “We need to think this out. Right now she is safe with River, Breanna, and Tara. They are all safe in the middle of a dance floor and having fun. It’s dark enough in here that we can stick to the shadows and avoid her seeing us.”
“And what exactly are we trying to accomplish?” Nouel was starting to think this entire idea was stupid. Luc and Georges rushed him over here after calling Hugh looking for Clara.
“We’re going to abduct our Mate,” Luc stated.
“She’ll go ballistic.” Nouel was starting to question his brother’s judgment. He looked at Georges, but by the look on his other brother’s face, Georges was siding with Luc on this one.
Chasing Peace, Love & Fur [3xtasy Lake 8] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 11