by Anya Nowlan
He raised his hands, waving frantically, screaming for her to stop.
“For fuck’s sake,” he hissed, turning around on the balls of his feet and storming back inside the house for his keys.
He yelled for Redmond, but there was no answer. Frantic thoughts ran through his mind, but the most pressing of them was his intense need to get to Tiana as soon as possible. There was something pressing on the back of his neck, making him worry. Something bad was going to happen, he could feel it, and it wasn’t just the adrenaline talking.
His Chevy took off like a bullet, bounding down the road and leaving a thick plume of smoke behind it. His jaw was set rigid and his lips were pressed into a thin line, hands so tight around the steering wheel that he could have torn it off the truck if he’d wished. The veins on his arms popped up, muscles flexing even though there wasn’t an obvious, immediate danger as he drove after Tiana.
She must have been going damn fast too, because he couldn’t catch up to her. His heart pounded in his chest, his bear roaring with worry and rage all balled into one. Redmond’s reaction hadn’t surprised him. Not really. He was willing to bet that Redmond’s would be one of the least painful ones to endure. Ragnar and Rhodes were younger still and their world probably included a lot more blacks and whites, instead of the grays that Royce had learned to navigate over the years. Especially now that Redmond didn’t have the full picture, Royce wasn’t taken aback by his brother’s actions.
In Redmond’s shoes, Royce would have likely done the same.
He would explain everything and it would make sense. Royce was convinced of that. But he hadn’t expected Tiana to overhear their conversation, or that it would go so sour so fast.
“Where the hell are you, honey?” he said out loud to himself, when the images of a dark, ominous red lighting the night sky captured his attention.
Shit.
He pressed his foot down on the gas and went as fast as the truck would allow him, skidding around corners and tearing up the road. He knew what that glow meant. He’d seen it plenty of times, but in the Idaho wilderness, untouched by light pollution and far away from any possible help, it seemed that much more dangerous. It was fire, licking at trees and consuming bushes.
It didn’t take long for Royce to come to the middle of the inferno. The fire must have started somewhere slightly off the road and then traveled the length of it, eventually jumping over in a few places. It wasn’t too big, but that wasn’t what worried Royce. Clambering out of the truck where he couldn’t drive it any further, he stepped in front of it, huffing in the scents.
Everything was masked under the thick smell of smoke, but underneath, he could sense the slight peach and vanilla tones that he had come to love so much. Tiana. She was in there, somewhere.
Gritting his teeth, Royce looked to both sides of him. He grabbed his cell and found it to have no reception, as usual. Weighing his options quickly, he let the bear take over, shifting right in the middle of that damn road. It wouldn’t be too long before Shifter Grove inhabitants noticed the blaze as well, but it might already be too late then. He had to get to Tiana, now, wherever she was.
He picked the side of the road that wasn’t taking the brunt of the fire and went around the tongues of flame as closely as he could, but far enough to keep them from scorching his coat. Keeping his nose up, he inhaled deeply with every hurried step he took, trying to pinpoint Tiana’s location. Soon enough, he caught scent of her again and his heart leapt, knowing that she was not too far. His trot turned into an all-out run through the thick forest, the trees just fodder for the fire in their dry state.
Royce skidded to a halt when he saw Tiana’s truck stranded in the middle of the road, surrounded on both sides by a ring of fire. The flames were building in size and intensity with each second that passed, and there was no other way to her than through it all. Heaving a deep breath, he barged in, ignoring the scorching pain and excruciating heat of the flames reaching for him.
Somehow he made it through a smaller patch to her truck, which was a few feet away from the blaze because of there being nothing on the road to burn. Trees were coming down around them to either side and it would only be a question of time until one of them collapsed on the truck. Shifting out of his bear form, Royce winced, feeling the burn wounds that his skin already had. They were minor, though, and he would heal quickly. But there was almost no air to breathe in the eye of the inferno.
He shrugged off his jacket, wrapping it around his hand as he ripped open the back door of the cab to the truck. Tiana was curled up between the seats, passed out from the smoke. His heart stuttered and stopped, but when he saw her take a tiny breath, his body kicked into gear again. Dragging her body out of there, he picked her up in his arms and cradled her close. He threw the thick leather jacket over her and prayed that it would hold the flames away long enough while he went back the same way as he came.
The thick growl in his throat was nothing more than a silenced scream as the intense heat caught on his clothes and lapped at his skin, making him hurt like hell. When he came across on the other side of the flames, he kept running for a bit, putting distance between them and the fire.
I fucking knew something bad was going to happen, he thought, collapsing to his knees and laying Tiana down on the dry grass.
Peeling off the jacket, he was relieved to see that she was mostly unharmed. Her breaths got deeper as they were away from the smoke, and a quick assessment left Royce falling back on his haunches, taking a deep breath. She didn’t need mouth-to-mouth, but she would probably need to be seen by a doctor. Looking behind him, he could see the fire still roaring with full effect, threatening to get bigger and take over the whole patch of forest between Hamilton House and Shifter Grove.
His stomach roiled at the thought of losing that beautiful, pristine bit of wilderness, but Tiana came first. She groaned softly and her eyes fluttered open, those perfect brown eyes staring up at him in surprise.
“Are we…” she asked, trailing off as she saw the red glow behind him.
“We’re safe,” he said, smiling. “We got out.”
“You found me?” she asked, weakly pushing herself up to sit.
“Yeah. But we can talk later. Can you walk?” he asked, pulling her up by her hands and letting her lean on him.
He hissed in a breath, feeling the extent of his own wounds, but ignoring the pain. As he started leading her out step by step, he heard shouts and voices coming from the road. One of the loudest voices he heard was Redmond’s.
“We’re here,” Royce called, only to face his brother a second later.
The younger Hamilton looked relieved, but the emotion only had place on his expression for a second.
“Thank the spirits you’re okay. What happened?” he asked, letting Tiana lean on him on the other side.
“My car ran out of gas and before I knew it, I was surrounded. I couldn’t get out. I’m so sorry I drove off like that. It was dumb of me,” Tiana confessed, looking from Royce to Redmond and back again. “I hated hearing you fight. I don’t want to drive a wedge between your family,” she said, and Royce’s insides twisted.
He’d have to have a long talk with that woman. Family was important, but a bear’s mate was just as important, if not more so.
“Don’t worry about that. I overacted,” Redmond said, leading them to the other side of the fire, where a number of trucks were gathering and people were already working to quell the blaze through various means.
Royce was surprised to see that the locals actually had decent preparation, using chemical suppressants and working in an organized manner. Redmond walked them over to a worried-looking woman, who had Tiana sit down on the tailgate of a truck and opened up her medkit.
Redmond pulled away and joined the firefighting efforts. Royce could see immediately that it was his little brother who had set up their haphazard system, using the locals’ strengths to their advantage. He turned to go join them when the nurse caught him by th
e hand and stopped him.
“Oh no you don’t,” she said. “Sit yourself down here and let me clean those wounds. Werebear or not, if your arm ends up rotting off, you won’t be any use to anyone,” she said sternly, as several other trucks and more pulled up.
Royce recognized her as Kacey, the wife of one of Shifter Grove’s founders, Warren, who was undoubtedly in the thick of things fighting the fire. Tiana grabbed Royce’s hand and only that reminded him suddenly to breathe, her soft touch rousing him from the almost deafening call to join in and help.
“I’m so sorry,” she said, gripping his hand strongly. “I should have never run off like that. Running away from my problems never solves anything.”
He smiled lightly, leaning in to kiss her on the lips. It was a featherlight peck, only the shadow of a kiss, but it brought a smile to her lips and that was all he needed to see.
“Don’t worry, honey. We’ll figure all of this out.”
He didn’t let go of her hand. He’d be damned if he’d ever let her go again.
CHAPTER TEN
Tiana
“Hell, Tiana, you’re going to make me get a gut,” Redmond said, falling back in his seat with his hands and patting his toned stomach.
“Maybe you just need to work harder then,” Royce commented mildly, ducking a friendly glare that came from his younger brother.
It had been a week now since the fire, though it felt like so much more. Tiana picked up her plate and took it to the sink, the two men doing the same. Royce’s big, comforting palm rested on the small of her back as he leaned over her to put the dirty dishes away, while Redmond was already flying out the door as usual.
That guy seemed to be more in the forests than out of them, but Tiana couldn’t complain. It meant she and Royce had more time for themselves. She sucked in a breath as he grabbed her by the hip and spun her around, pinning her between the counter and his hard body. The pressure against her thigh from the throbbing of his thick, absolutely gorgeous cock left no doubt about what he had in mind.
Grinning slyly, he kept her there until Redmond disappeared around the corner of the house. Royce’s hands quickly snatched her up, throwing her legs around his waist and walking her over to the rickety couch that made up the whole interior of their living room.
“What do you think you’re doing?” she chided, half-amused.
“Why, I’m ravishing you. Isn’t it obvious?” he teased, stealing a quick kiss.
She laughed as he put her down on the couch and pulled off his shirt in almost the same motion, revealing his sculpted torso. Her fingers went to his belt immediately and with deft movements, she undid them and pulled down his jeans to reveal that erection she couldn’t get enough of.
The fire had been taken care of quickly and it had caused less damage than they would have expected. Her truck, however, was completely totaled. Royce had teased her, saying that it meant she couldn’t run away from him again, but she wouldn’t have tried if she could. The fire had really opened her eyes about a lot of things. There was no sense in running away from something that made her happy. And Royce, Idaho, and Hamilton House certainly made her happy.
Dallas seemed like a distant memory. She’d been stressed, tired, and annoyed there. In comparison, Idaho felt like heaven. She could breathe there and all her options seemed open for her to explore. Though there was one in particular she couldn’t get enough of lately.
Her lips curled around the rosy, smooth tip of his cock, her tongue lapping and laving over it with torturous slowness. His pre-cum tasted sweet and salty at the same time and she closed her eyes, going deeper on him, taking Royce’s length in her mouth as much as she could. She loved the way his fingers gripped her hair, applying just enough pressure, but not forcing her. Though he could have asked her to do anything and she would have happily complied.
Soaking through her panties, she squirmed a little, pushing the wet fabric away and slipping her hand underneath her skirt. She let her fingertips roll over her clit in beat with her head bobbing up and down on him, reveling in his taste, his size, and the grunts and groans he made when she hit just the right spot.
“Fuck, honey, that’s so good,” he hissed as she picked up speed, one hand around his base, tugging up and down where her mouth couldn’t go.
Her core pulsed promisingly, her slit getting slicker and wetter. She was drowning in her juices and as her excitement grew, so did the pressure of her lips around Royce’s cock. Losing herself, building up to her orgasm, she yelped as Royce tore her out of the moment.
Growling, he flipped her body over on the couch, having her grip the backrest. He tore down the straps of her shirt and kneaded one of her breasts with his rough fingers, while pulling up her skirt and pressing the head of his cock to her opening. She looked over her shoulder, gasping, finding Royce’s mouth right there and kissing it firmly. Like every time he touched her, he could send her to heights unknown with only a few simple brushes of his fingers.
“I want you so bad,” she moaned, and he happily complied with her desire.
Thrusting into her, Royce sent Tiana wailing for more. She bucked against him, kissing him again and again while the tension within her built. Small muscles clenched around Royce’s erection, milking it, begging it for more as he stroked into her, changing from faster to slower, harder to softer. She was wound up tight; the way he toyed with her almost excruciating.
“Beg for it,” Royce hissed in her ear, and she knew it was as much for his sake as it was for her.
“Please, Royce,” she said breathily, feeling every one of those words as his deep thrusts sped up again. “Fuck me! Make me cum, please!”
Growling, Royce laid into her, holding her by the hips now as he worked himself in and out of her, bottoming out every damn time. It was so good and after a few more plunging motions, she couldn’t hold on anymore. Tiana’s vision blacked and then sparked to life in brilliant colors as she hung on to the backrest, bucking and squealing as her orgasm hit.
Milking and wringing it all out of him, she tore at Royce along with her release and soon, she felt the satisfying, delicious feeling of his cum filling her up. Tiana relaxed, letting her body slump on her elbows as Royce rested his forehead on her shoulder, damp with sweat. His breath was hot on her back.
“The things you do to me, Tiana,” he murmured with a chuckle, easing himself out of her.
Tiana curled up next to him as Royce sat down on the couch, his hand around her protectively. The big house towered around them, needing work, love, and attention, and none of it would be easy. There was a lot to overcome to make Royce’s dream of owning his family home come true, and plenty of it wasn’t something they could control. But Tiana knew that she wanted to be a part of it. It all just felt right. She needed to be with this man and to make her life with him. It was the only path to happiness she wanted to take.
“I love you,” she said, looking up into his slate gray eyes.
She saw a flash of dark brown there, and a grumble of approval in his chest. Royce smiled, squeezing her tightly.
“I love you too, Tiana.”
There was no hesitation left. She was done running. This was where she was going to stay, right by his side, no matter what happened. Good or bad, easy or hard, she’d be with him. And he with her. It was the best fairytale she could imagine.
EPILOGUE
Royce
“Hell, Royce, am I supposed to do this on my own?” Redmond grumbled, gritting his teeth as they heaved up a heavy crossbeam.
Royce snapped back to reality, clearing his head of the particularly delicious mental image of Tiana spread out on their shared bed, purring with happiness after their morning romp. He grabbed hold of the crossbeam and nudged it into place, wavering precariously for a moment before they secured it as one of the new supports for the second story hay storage.
The barn was almost completely done and Royce was thankful for it. He hadn’t managed to really sit down and have a longer talk with the r
est of his brothers, but he’d told Redmond about the requirements set before them and at least he seemed to understand and support Royce’s desire to keep the homestead.
It helped that Tiana was spoiling Redmond with her baking and that the Los Angeles bear was discovering that he didn’t know everything about his bear that he thought he knew. Royce assumed with reasonable certainty that Redmond would be the next one chasing for a wife, and that notion amused him as much as it filled him with hope.
Redmond scooted up and between the two of them, and they got the crossbeam hammered into place. It was just in time too, as evening was falling and it would get dark soon. As with all mountainous regions the way the sun set was almost like flicking off a light. Dramatic, to say the least. Chatting amongst one another, they got out of the barn and walked over to the house.
“You thinking about getting in touch with Ragnar?” Redmond asked.
It wasn’t lost on Royce that both of them avoided the topic of Rhodes, the one out of the bunch of them who would probably be the hardest to sway. But that was a problem for another time.
“I am. But I figured I’d give you time to woo a bride first,” Royce stated, grinning at the dirty look his brother tossed him. “Hey, you know the rules.”
“Yeah, I do,” Redmond said with a sigh, heading for the stairs that went to the second floor. “I’ll take a shower and then tell you in excruciating detail what I think about Uncle Herbert’s bird-brained idea. For a bear, he sure had a weird sense of humor.”
Chuckling, Royce walked into the kitchen, finding Tiana sitting there and nursing a cup of tea. She looked a bit out of sorts, her face twisted between a smile and a scowl and her hands trembling a bit.
“What’s wrong, honey?” he asked, sitting down next to her.
She’d come out of the fire surprisingly well. Many people who went through trauma like that would have nightmares and it would haunt them, but Tiana had brushed it off like a champ. For a moment, Royce worried that maybe the memories had finally caught up with her. He sat down next to her, scooping her up in his arms and putting her on his lap. She smiled softly, not fighting him and draping her arms around his neck.