by Sky Winters
“Meet me? Why?”
“Everyone thought it would be a female hybrid… but we were wrong.”
Hunter shook his head. “Why would they want to meet me?”
“Because, Hunter…” Bronson smiled. “You’re carrying my child. You are our salvation.”
Chapter 21
As tempting as it was to refuse the truth, Hunter had to trust his instincts. He had always known there was something strange and mysterious about Bronson, and the town of Dire in general. And especially about the circumstances surrounding Tyler’s death.
It would be easy to walk away. To say he had bedded a crazy man with PTSD from an animal attack and let that be the end of it.
Only, that wouldn’t be fair to the child he was carrying, the being he was fated to give birth to. The heir or heiress of Bronson’s Alpha power. Bronson had been explaining everything to him for the past few days, and even though it was a lot to take in, Hunter was starting to understand.
He had known ever since the day he’d come to Dire that he was meant to do something. He didn’t know what it was, or how he would figure it out, but now that he had met Bronson, what seemed crazy to other people made perfect sense to Hunter. And the only thing that really made sense was that he was going to give birth to an amazing child.
“Come here, Hunter, let me introduce you to the pack,” Bronson said, leading Hunter to the group of men sitting around the campfire.
Hunter had met a lot of people since he’d become pregnant, as they’d returned gradually to Dire, and all of them had stared at him with shock and awe. They had been looking for the Omega themselves, in all the wrong places. And the Alpha had sorted the mess out himself. It truly was a miracle. Or so they’d been telling him.
That night, Bronson invited Hunter into his home for the second time.
“Let me take care of you,” he whispered, his masculine voice reverberating in Hunter’s ear. “At least until the baby’s born. You’ll be safe with me.”
“I know,” Hunter said, bringing Bronson’s hand to his swollen stomach. “We both will.”
Bound to His Bear
Chapter 1
“Lance, you’re going to be late for pictures! The drama department wants you in one last group photo with everyone in their graduation gowns!”
“Be right there,” Lance said, his deep blue eyes reluctantly flickering from his best friend Orion to Jenny, a friend he’d made in the Drama Club. She barely seemed to hear him as she rushed off to corral the rest of the members.
“Hard to believe it’s all over,” Orion said, as if reading Lance’s mind. But then, ever since they were kids, he’d always seemed to be able to do that.
Lance let out a sigh. “Yeah.”
“You should go get your picture taken,” Orion said, his caramel colored eyes shining as he nudged Lance. They were lounging in the grass together, watching all the commotion as their peers walked around, an equal mixture of giddy and dazed.
But Lance didn’t budge. If he left, Orion would be alone. He wasn’t the kind of guy to make a lot of friends and join in the group activities. Everybody was bustling around, happy as clams, talking to their peers, but the dark and mysterious Orion had nobody to talk to but Lance. And while he seemed to prefer it that way, Lance felt like it was wrong to just leave him alone on the lawn of their high school, probably abandoning him to fall victim to the many burdened love confessions of girls who’d been too shy until now to tell him how they felt knowing they would see him during class or be harshly judged by their peers for liking the “bad boy.”
“Come with me,” Lance said, pushing himself to his feet. He offered his hand down to Orion. He didn’t like the idea of girls throwing themselves at his friend while he was vulnerable.
Orion hesitated for a moment before taking it firmly, enveloping Lance’s hand in his strong palm. It was clear that Orion was made of good stock, or depending on who you talked to, bad stock. The kind of men who were fighters, sometimes killers. There were rumors all over school about the terrifying biker gang Orion’s father was a part of. Most people were afraid to get too close to him, but Lance had always shrugged off all the gossip.
“It won’t be that long until all this is over,” Lance promised. “Besides, I have to go to the Drama department anyway. I wanted to keep the prop you helped me make.”
Orion pursed his lips, seemingly embarrassed at the reminder that at one time, he had succumbed to helping out a dweeby club he had no interest in. But Lance knew that he had secretly relished being of use to the community of students who feared him.
“Finally!” Jenny exclaimed when they walked through the door. She grabbed Lance by the arm, pulling him toward the group, then caught sight of Orion behind him and balked.
She got over it quickly—by now probably used to the fact that Orion was often hanging out with Lance—and continued steering Lance toward the group. He glanced back at Orion, relieved to see that he had found his place among the shadows, leaning his back against the wall with his hands in his pockets. Instead of his face showing any sign of hurt feelings because of Jenny’s reaction, he was grinning, probably making fun of them all in his own quiet way for how seriously they were discussing what poses to assume for the picture.
“All right!” Jenny exclaimed once she was finally satisfied. “Let’s do this!”
Unfortunately, she couldn’t find anywhere to prop up her camera, which resulted in several more minutes of chatter.
“Jesus,” Orion finally said, his commanding voice cutting through the commotion without even being raised. He walked up to them. “I can take the picture.”
Lance couldn’t keep the grin off his face as Jenny’s cheeks turned bright red and she reluctantly handed her camera to Orion, as if she was unsure whether or not he might run off with it. But she obviously had too much tact to say so to his face, and returned to her position.
“Thanks,” she said curtly.
“Anything to get the hell out of here faster.” Orion lifted the camera to his eye. “Say cheese.”
After three quiet flashes and a significant decrease in excited, nervous energy, the pictures were taken and Jenny’s camera safely recovered.
The others gradually filed out of the room, anxious to visit other rooms in the school that were meaningful to them. Orion didn’t have anywhere else to go, and Lance lingered behind with him.
“Well that was interesting,” Orion said, a touch of sarcasm in his voice.
Lance grinned warmly at him and put his hand on his shoulder. “Come on, I have to get the prop.”
The room was much quieter now, and both of them seemed more relaxed being alone together than in the middle of a group. It was comfortable, almost intimate, as they searched the boxes for the wooden bear cub that Orion had carved and painted for a play. It had taken Lance’s breath away when Orion presented him with it.
“I couldn’t let you use that stupid teddy bear they used last year,” he had said awkwardly. “It’s disrespectful to bears.”
In fact, bears were one of the most deeply revered animals in the town where they grew up. Many men and women had totems of bears out in their yards, and local lore often told of the men and women who grew up and transformed into bears, only to stand guard and protect the town from evil. Not that Lance had ever heard of a real person being a bear shifter.
“Am I going to see you again?” Orion asked suddenly, breaking into Lance’s reverie.
“Of course,” Lance said, hurt and surprised by the thought that graduation might actually be the end of their friendship. He moved closer to Orion and reached out to hold him by both shoulders. “I can’t imagine my life without you.”
Orion’s deep brown eyes searched Lance’s, and suddenly, their lips were gently brushing. Lance’s grip on Orion’s shoulders tightened as their mouths began to explore each other. Suddenly, it all made sense. Why Lance had such an incredible friendship with Orion despite everyone else giving him a wide berth. This. He’d be
en waiting for this.
Lance had never felt anything as good as Orion’s body against his, never felt anything as incredible as those soft, warm lips exploring his own. But as suddenly as it began, it ended, and Orion pulled away.
Lance felt his cheeks redden. Orion held his gaze for a moment, his face an unreadable mask, and then Orion went back to looking through one of the big boxes.
“Found it,” he said, pulling the wooden bear from inside. He handed it to Lance and walked away, without saying another word, leaving Lance alone to catch his breath and wonder what the hell had just happened.
Chapter 2
“Are you done packing?”
“Almost, Mom,” Lance called downstairs.
His heart panged painfully in his chest. He didn’t want to leave his mother yet. His father had died when Lance was young, leaving the two of them to fend for themselves. Without Lance, his mother would be completely alone. But she had worked so hard to send him to college, and beamed with pride every time they talked about it. Her son was going to go to the city and make a name for himself. And she was responsible for that.
Lance stared out the window of his bedroom. He could see across town, to the dark, derelict area where Orion and his brutish family lived. He’d been there a few times with Orion, although mostly they hung out elsewhere, but he was terrified to go there alone. Anybody who wasn’t invited was terrorized without mercy. But he hadn’t seen Orion since they’d kissed. He’d waited all summer long, sending texts and leaving a few voicemails that all went unanswered.
“Dinner’s ready when you are.”
Lance moved his duffel bag beside the door. It was stuffed full to the brim. He had always prided himself on being a minimalist, so it was surprising to discover how many things he couldn’t bear to part with when leaving on this new adventure.
“Coming.”
As he made his way to the table, Lance couldn’t help but wonder what Orion would be eating for dinner. He had made it a habit of coming over to Lance’s house for dinner at least once a week. Lance’s mom loved him, and he suspected that Orion was craving someone maternal in his life. The men he spent most of his time with were definitely not what anyone would call soft. In fact, they were a hyper-masculine gang of bikers led by Orion’s father.
Lance sat down glumly, realizing that it was probably because of his gruff biker father that Orion had cut ties with Lance. The last thing a man like that would want to hear was that his only son, his pride and joy, was a queer. No way that would fly.
What had he been thinking, kissing Orion like that? Just because it had seemed like a good idea in the moment didn’t mean it wouldn’t have lasting repercussions. And with someone like Orion, he was lucky he hadn’t gotten his ass kicked. The guy was gentle in his own private way, sure, but he could also be violent and unpredictable.
Maybe it was better that Lance hadn’t heard from him again. If he did, it might mean trouble.
“What’s the matter, dear?” Lance’s mom asked, setting a bowl of steaming soup down in front of him.
“Nothing, Ma,” he said, trying to muster up a smile.
He would just have to forget that he had ever had any feelings for Orion, of any type at all. He was leaving the state in the morning, and he wouldn’t be back for a long, long time. It’s not like he’d ever see Orion again anyway.
Chapter 3
Lance hung up the phone numbly. It had been ten years since he’d been back to his hometown in Washington. When he’d come out to his mother his second year in college, their relationship had been strained, and he’d been living in Portland, Oregon. But all that was about to change.
“Your mother is in the hospital,” the doctor had said on the phone. “She’s been getting over a virus and she needs someone to take care of her. She can’t afford a live-in caregiver like she needs.”
Apparently, as Lance had excelled through school and made his way to a top firm in Portland, his mother’s health had been declining, and she hadn’t told him. It made sense, since they rarely talked these days, but still it was a shock to find out that, seemingly so suddenly, she couldn’t live without him.
What kind of son was he? He packed up his car with the essentials quickly, as if getting home faster might ease his guilt. On the way out of the city he called his friend Curtis, asking him to find someone to lease out the apartment for him. He was his mother’s lifeline now. No matter how difficult things had been between them, he was going to take care of her now.
“You’re listening to 101.3, Oregon’s favorite radio station. Here’s ‘Goodbye Oregon.’”
A maudlin country tune that Lance had grown up listening to back in Washington with his mother began playing on the radio, and suddenly he found himself in tears. Not only was he leaving his life of independence behind, he was also going home to a woman who had very mixed feelings for her own son, all because of something as inconsequential as his sexual preference.
He wasn’t quite sure what to expect from his mother at this point. Not to mention he hadn’t been in touch with anyone from his hometown in years. Orion had been his only close friend and that had gone up as quick as a puff of smoke. Lance had changed a lot since he’d left and he wasn’t sure how the people of the town would react to the fact that he was gay. Surely there had been rumors, small towns were like that, but he hadn’t had to confront any of it. Now he was going to be stuck there.
And he had no idea what to expect.
Chapter 4
“Lance! It’s really you. You came to take me home! I’m so glad.” Lance’s mother clutched at his hands with fingers that were little more than bone, her blue eyes brimming with tears as she looked up at him from her seat in a wheelchair.
“Of course, Ma, I would never leave you alone in the hospital. What kind of person do you take me for?”
Lance forced himself to smile and to keep it light. He hadn’t been expecting to find his mother looking so frail, and it took everything he had to maintain his composure. Sure, he hadn’t made it home for Christmas last year, but how could she have wasted away like this since the last time they’d seen each other?
“Well you never know,” his mother said. “I’m just so glad to see you. It feels like it’s been far too long.”
“It really has,” Lance said, pursing his lips and swallowing the lump in his throat. “I’m sorry about that.”
“So this is the boy you’ve been telling us all so much about.” A pleasant, African-American man came up behind Lance’s mother and placed his large hand over her thin shoulder. They exchanged large smiles, and the man turned his gaze to Lance. He was shocked by how handsome the doctor was and couldn’t help but wonder just how much his mother had told the man.
“It’s nice to meet you,” the doctor said, reaching his hand out and taking Lance’s for a firm pump. “My name is Daniel. I’m really glad to see that Mrs. Foster is going to be looked after.”
“Oh yes,” Lance’s mother said. “He’ll taking care of me from here. Don’t worry.”
Daniel’s eyes lingered briefly on Lance for a moment before he smiled genially. “Well good. You both take care now.”
Lance wheeled his mother outside, where his car was waiting.
“What do you think?” his mother asked, her eyes shining. “Isn’t Dr. Daniel handsome?”
Lance laughed out loud, completely taken aback by his mother’s conspiratorial tone. How long had she been wanting to check guys out with him? He’d thought she was completely against him being gay. Had her illness changed her that much?
“He certainly is attractive,” Lance said, starting to drive out of the parking lot. “But I’m sure that he’s already taken.”
Chapter 5
Lance brought his mother inside and had to swallow an audible gasp for fear of insulting his mother. The house was much farther gone than he remembered. It was dusty and dark, a contrast to how bright and clean it had been during his childhood. The floor was dirty and the wallpaper was beginni
ng to fade, even tearing in some places. Lance tried to switch a light on, but nothing happened.
“Don’t you have electricity, Ma?” Lance asked, carefully guiding her to the armchair that he had bought her as a gift a few Christmases ago. He sat her down gingerly and looked around warily, as if he might see something terrible.
“Of course,” his mother replied. “It’s just that the light bulb burnt out and I haven’t gotten around to changing it yet.”
Of course she hadn’t. In her condition, she probably wasn’t able to change any of the light bulbs. Most of the house was dark, but she didn’t have anybody that she could ask for help. His mother had always been a proud and independent woman, so it wasn’t likely that she would have asked for help anyway, or even accepted help if it was offered by the people of her church. She would rather live in darkness.
“Well, it looks like I’m going to have to get some materials and fix this place up a bit. It looks like there are a few repairs I could be doing.”
His mother shook her head gently, resting it against the back of the chair. “Oh, that’s not necessary. It’s not as though you would get anything from it. I couldn’t ask you to go out of your way. You’re already here to take care of me. That’s more than enough.”
“I really don’t mind Ma,” Lance said, smiling gently at her. “This is my home too. I should have come home more often to help you take care of the place. I’m sorry I was so selfish.”
“You aren’t selfish honey,” his mother said. She swallowed hard before she continued. “I was selfish. I let my own judgments drive a wedge between us. I should never have done that. Maybe if I would’ve made it more welcoming here, you would have felt like it was still your home and you would’ve come back more often. That was my mistake.” She patted his hand. “Please don’t blame yourself.”
Lance gritted his teeth as tears sprang to his eyes. He had never expected his mother to apologize. It was very bizarre and overwhelming, but it was certainly welcome.
“I love you,” he said, smiling at her as calmly as he could.