“You’ll thank us later,” Piper says.
“And if I don’t?” I ask, drinking the wine even though I’m still not on board with this plan.
“Than you’ll at least forgive us,” she says, already rifling through my closet.
An hour later we’re at the bar, baskets of fries on the table and a plate of nachos that we’re all inhaling as if it’s our last meal.
“What is that?” Kate asks with a grimace when Piper brings a tray of drinks to our table.
“Three Mind Erasers.” She sets the drinks in front of me and Kate, as well as three shots topped with whipped cream. “Three Blowjobs, and of course a virgin Screwdriver for Addie.”
“Pretty sure that’s called an orange juice,” I say, chuckling, realizing that coming out was better than crying in bed. Guess my girlfriends really do know best. The thought of leaving them makes me sick to my stomach.
Even though I feel like my insides have been twisted into a giant knot, and I’m pretty sure I’m never going to get over Blaine, I know I’m extremely lucky to have such good friends. Which is why I still haven’t made a decision about Seattle. So instead of focusing on an impossible choice, I obediently pick up the drink Piper ordered.
I take a sip of the Mind Eraser and wince. “Oh God, what is that?”
“Kahlua, vodka, and soda.” Piper grins and takes a deep sip of hers. “A few more of these and you’ll be feeling much better.”
“Are you really thinking about leaving us?” Kate asks, frowning as she stirs her drink with the little plastic straw.
“I don’t know. I don’t want to—”
“Then don’t,” Piper says. “Okay, now that that’s settled, let’s drink.”
We spend the next half hour focusing on Addie’s pregnancy.
“We find out next week if it’s a boy or girl. I’m so excited,” she says, reaching for a fry.
“Any gut feeling?” Piper asks.
“I’m hungry all the time so maybe I’ll have an eleven-pound boy. Gunnar’s mom said that is how much he weighed. Can you imagine?”
We laugh shaking our heads and dutifully drinking our Blow Jobs.
“The midwife says I’m already measuring bigger than average,” Addie continues. “But I think it might have more to do with my milkshake and burger obsession more than anything else.”
“I’m glad you’re not feeling sick all the time. When my sister was pregnant,” Kate says, “she had morning sickness all day, everyday. I really hope that doesn’t run in families.”
I raise my eyebrows. “You planning on getting knocked up sometime soon?”
“Yeah right. I haven’t dated in ages. And the men here are...”
“Hot?” Piper offers.
“I was going to say intense. I get nervous around men as it is … and the ones in Bear Valley are...intimidating.”
“And hot,” Piper repeats.
“Oh my God, you are so bad,” Addie says. “And we aren’t talking about men tonight. Remember?” She tilts her head toward me. But no way am I going to be the downer at this table.
“I’m fine. Or at least, I will be. And for the record,” I say, pointing a chip at Addie. “You were the one who brought up the male population tonight.”
“My baby so does not count,” she laughs, pressing her hand to her baby bump.
“Regardless,” Piper sighs. “I’m so happy for you Addie. You won the lottery when it comes to a happily ever after. Gunnar is wonderful.”
“Are you sure you want a small wedding?” I ask.
“Yeah,” Kate adds. “You could have a big to-do after the baby is born.”
But Addie shakes her head. “A courthouse wedding is plenty for me. And after the amazing engagement party Gunnar’s mom threw us, I feel like we already had a reception.”
“It was pretty fun,” I say, remembering that night… the punch… the bed I ended up in the next morning. God. Maybe I should leave Bear Valley. Every memory is bringing me back to Blaine. Would it always be like this?
I can imagine Addie having her baby, her baby’s uncle is Blaine. That isn’t going to change. He is going to be her brother-in-law, for goodness sakes. With Addie as my best friend, I’m going to be forever tied to the Kolemans, however much it might hurt.
I’m spiraling into a Blaine-vortex, I feel it. Setting down my drink, I stand, wobbling slightly.
“I’m going to use the ladies’ room,” I say, starting to think the last Mind Eraser I had wasn’t such a good idea.
The bar is crowded and hot, and I need some fresh air.
I sigh when I open the door and a blast of crisp, clean mountain air wraps around me.
The moon is full, casting an orange glow over the tops of the trees, and the sky is littered with stars. It’s beautiful. And I know this is where I want to be.
Sure, it’s not exactly how I imagined it to be - right now I should be in Blaine Koleman’s arms. But if I can’t have him, at least I can have this.
Here I can enjoy views unobstructed by the light pollution from a big city. I can paint amazing vistas with fresh inspiration. I can put down roots, in a valley where people know your name, where brunch means going to someone's backyard for a barbeque, not fourteen dollar mimosas at an overcrowded restaurant.
Back in Seattle, I’d always felt confined. I’d thought it was just Chad, but now I think it was more. I love the city, but it just never felt like home. But here, now, I know this is where I belong.
Even if I’m not Blaine’s mate.
Emotions tighten my throat.
Part of me wonders if he didn’t lie to me. Because if I’m not his mate then why the hell can I sense him, even when he isn’t near me? Why can I press my thoughts into his head, and hear his?
Maybe it’s some weird bear thing. Or maybe he was just trying to push me away - again.
Too damn bad, I press into the darkness, hoping he can hear me. Mate or not, I’m not going anywhere.
I swear to God, I hear a growl from somewhere in the distance. A shiver runs over me because when I hear a growl, I think of only one person.
I’m about to go back inside when I get a text.
It’s from Blaine.
I’m here.
Frowning, I look around the parking lot and see no one.
Where? I type back.
A text comes back right away. Across the street. Meet me behind the hardware store.
Warning bells ring in my head, but the need to see Blaine outweighs the heaviness that presses at the back of my skull as I cross the street.
“Blaine?” It’s dark, and I have to use my phone’s flashlight to see. “Where are you?”
A figure moves from the shadows. “It’s time to go home, Harley.”
“Chad? How?” He’s holding a phone in his hand - Blaine’s phone. “How did you get that?”
“Your boyfriend has a bad habit of leaving his clothes lying around.” He moves and I see a glint of metal in his other hand. His mouth curves up in a smirk.
“Why do you have a gun?”
“Protection. You never know when you might come across a wild animal around here. I hear the bears come into town quite regularly.”
Oh, God. Does he know about Blaine?
“I...” I take a couple steps back. “I need to go.”
I hear the click of the safety being released. “The only place you’re going is back to Seattle.”
“Or what? You’re going to shoot me? You’re insane.”
“I thought maybe it was the first time I saw a man turn into a bear. But then I got it on camera.” He lifts Blaine’s phone. “It’s all here. Proof. And unless you want his little secret making CNN headlines, I suggest you do what I say.”
Chapter 17
Blaine
Mate or not, I’m not going anywhere.
Harley’s words press into my mind, and the bear in me growls at the fool of a man I’ve been.
I can sense her, the connection between us hasn’t faded sinc
e I let her walk away. If anything it’s only intensified.
Shifting back into human form, I gather my clothes from the bed of my truck and dress.
It’s only when I search for my phone, ready to call Harley and tell her the truth, that I realize it’s missing. So are my damn keys. And my gun.
What the fuck?
And then I feel it - fear.
Harley. I feel her terror in the pit of my stomach.
What’s wrong?
No answer.
Harley, answer me. What’s going on?
Still nothing. But I can sense her, know the general direction she’s in. With no cell phone, no keys, I only have one choice. I need to shift.
I don’t even bother undressing, I let my bear tear through the clothes, then race down the side of the mountain.
I’m coming, I push through the dread that seems to be acting as a shield.
No. The word is a cry. He knows about you, and he has a gun. I have to go with him.
Like fucking hell she is.
I let out a deep roar, one that echoes through the trees, crying out to my brothers, and any other Kodiak that might hear me.
Harley won’t answer me when I press into her mind. But I can sense her moving, and the speed in which she moves away from me, I know she’s in a car.
With only one thought, saving Harley, I run, and barely miss getting hit by a pickup truck that slams on its breaks.
“Blaine,” my brother Bennett calls, stopping me.
I shift back, grateful for the clothes he tosses me.
“I heard your call. What’s going on?”
“Harley, she’s in trouble.” After shoving my legs in the jeans, I get in the truck, still trying to pull the t-shirt over my head. “Follow the highway south toward the airport.”
He steps on the gas.
“Give me your cell,” I say, taking it when he hands it to me, and texting Gunnar.
“Want to tell me what’s happening?” Bennett says.
“That fucker took her.”
“What fucker?”
“Her ex. He’s got my gun—”
“Shit. How?”
“I was in the woods roaming when I shifted back, my phone was gone, and the keys to my truck. He took the handgun I keep in the glove compartment. He must’ve...” I drag my hands over my face and beard. “He must’ve been watching me.”
“Watching you?” He gives me a sideways glance.
“The bastard knows about me.”
“Jesus, Blaine.”
“I think Harley’s trying to protect me by going with him.”
“She said that?”
“It was the last thing I heard from her before our connection went dark.”
“Dark?”
I shake my head. “I can’t hear her. It’s like she’s been muted.”
“But you can still sense her.”
“Barely, but yeah. Enough to know the general direction they’re heading. He’s been trying to get her to go back to Seattle with him.”
“But she stayed even after you pushed her away.”
“Yeah.” I rub the back of my neck, not needing him to tell me what an idiot I’ve been.
I clench my fingers into fists. If anything happens to her, it’ll be my fault. I practically forced my mate into the arms of the man. A man she doesn’t want. I know because I could feel her need for me, her desire, her want, and yet my insecurities got the better of me.
“If he hurts her...” A low growl rumbles in my chest, and I demand, “Drive faster.”
He does, but it’s still not fast enough.
Harley, I say into the void between us. The void I created. Tell me what’s happening. Are you all right?
Silence. Not even the fear I’d felt from her earlier.
The privately owned airport is dark when we approach, but there’s a small craft on the runway, the door open, and a car is pulled up to it.
That’s when I see her, in his arms. He’s carrying her like a sleeping child, her head resting against his chest, one arm under her knees, the other around her shoulders.
She’s unconscious, which explains the darkness I felt from her.
I’m going to kill the motherfucker.
The engines of the plane are already running. There’s another man on the tarmac, big and burly, and I don’t doubt he’s some kind of bodyguard, or that both men are packing.
“Shit, Blaine,” Bennett says as we get closer. “She’s...”
“I know. You have any weapons in here?”
He shakes his head. “There’s a rifle in the back, but—”
“Then you know what to do.”
He nods, and both our doors fly open the second he pulls the truck to a stop. A gun is pointed at me the second I round the hood. The burly stranger in a suit aims a Glock at my head.
Chad is halfway up the steps to the plane, Harley limp in his arms.
“What did you do to her?” I shout, ignoring the man with the gun. “If you hurt her—”
“She’s sleeping.” The smug grin on his face has my bear growling to be released, but I need to make sure Harley is safe first. “She needed a little something to help her relax. She’ll be just fine when we land in Seattle in a few hours.”
“You’re not taking her anywhere.”
He chuckles. “She agreed to come with me. She’d tell you herself if she wasn’t feeling the effects of the Ativan.”
“Because you blackmailed her. I know about the video.”
That makes him frown, and I can see from his reaction he’s trying to figure out how Harley told me since she’s been with him all this time.
He shakes his head. “Then you know the damage I can do to you. Whatever the hell you are. One call and I could have you locked up in some military research lab. I’m sure our government would love to know more about your kind.”
I swallow hard, because it’s not an empty threat.
“I know you must think I’m ruthless. But I’m just trying to protect the woman I love.”
“She doesn’t love you.”
His face pinches and his nostrils flare. “And you think she loves you? You’re not even human. What kind of life can you give her?”
“The kind she wants,” I say, knowing for the first time it’s the truth. I loved the woman, and I would do everything in my power to make sure she gets everything she wants.
What she wants is me.
Not this sociopathic egomaniac who’d use blackmail to gain her devotion.
I take a step forward and a shot goes off, the bullet hitting the tarmac a few feet from me.
“That’s your warning, Koleman,” Chad says to me, then glances at the armed guard. “Next one goes through his skull.”
“Kidnapping and manslaughter, those two charges won’t go over well with the local law enforcement.”
Harley stirs in his arms, and I hear her murmur my name.
I’m here, sweetheart, I push into her head when I feel her panic swell.
Chad gives me another arrogant smirk. “Harley didn’t tell you who I was, did she? I could buy the law in these parts.”
“I take it you’re used to buying people. But Harley’s not that kind of girl.”
He chuckles. “And yet she agreed to come with me. I’ll keep your secret, Koleman, as long as you never contact my fiancee again.”
“Fiancee?”
He takes her right hand exposing the giant diamond on her ring finger.
“She said yes.”
I...was...protecting...you...even in my head, Harley’s words are slurred.
It’s my job to protect you, I push back.
“See that doesn’t exactly work for me,” I say. “Harley is mine. And I’ll fight to the death for her.”
“Then to the death, it is.”
Harley’s lashes flutter, and I see her trying to focus on me. “No. Blaine. Run.”
I do, just not away from her, but toward her.
“Bennett,” I growl out, know
ing my brother can take care of the man with the gun while I protect my mate.
Another shot rings out, whizzing past my head, and the trickle of blood that runs down my neck lets me know that it just barely grazed me.
But before the bodyguard can take another shot, Bennett has shifted and has the guy pinned to the ground. One swipe of his paw and the man would be dead, but I know my brother’s intentions are only to keep him down.
Chad turns when he sees the bear, and rushes up the remaining steps. I can see Harley trying to push against him, but she’s not strong enough to get away. I follow them up, and the door starts to shut.
“Go,” Chad shouts, which is I assume to whoever is piloting the craft.
I slam my hand between the door right before it shuts. Pain shoots down through my fingers and up to my shoulder.
I need more strength, more power. I need my bear.
The door opens as my muscular arm grows into a massive front paw. My nails dig into the metal, and I grind through the door, just as the plane starts to move, the staircase is left behind.
“Christ,” Chad screams, releasing Harley carelessly, and scurrying back so fast that he falls on his ass.
Harley cries out slightly when she hits the floor.
Are you okay? I press my nose against her, searching for injuries, and her fingers curl into my fur as she uses me to help her stand.
“Get back,” Chad yells, pointing my own gun at me.
“Chad, what are you doing?” Harley cries.
“Saving you from this beast.”
“He won’t hurt me.”
But I will hurt him, I growl into her mind. Are you sure you’re okay?
She nods but I can see she’s still shaky.
“Tell it to turn back,” Chad orders. “Or I’ll shoot it.”
“Blaine please.”
I know she just wants me safe, but she never will be until this asshole is out of her life for good. But killing him isn’t an option, even though I know it would give me great pleasure.
Growling in frustration, I’m about to shift back when the gun fires.
Thank God the man has terrible aim, at least that’s what I think when I don’t feel the impact of the bullet. That is until I feel Harley drop beside me, her face pale, one hand pressed against her right arm. Blood seeps through her fingers, and when she opens her mouth to say something, nothing comes out.
Untamed Lovers (Mountain Men of Bear Valley Book 2) Page 8