Blake, Her Bad Bear: A Paranormal Bad Boy Romance (19 page)

Both of them seemed to understand, mutely, that there was only one conclusion to this story. It was combat, the most primal of politics. Whoever won, had won. Whoever lost, had lost. The simple duality of what it meant to be an animal, a legacy of their descendants that, even though it had diminished with the evolution of them into humans, would always remain. Connor growled low in his throat and ducked his head, aiming to attack. Blake was the first to attack, rushing headlong toward the bear.

Both of them met, and just as with Tanis, the force of two bears hitting each other was like a pair of freight trains. A loud thump of their bodies colliding caused them both to shudder with the impact, and muscles rippled under their fur like standing waves. Connor was desperate and bit at Blake’s undefended face, but Blake veered out of the way and clawed outward, his paws raking across the black bear’s snout and down his chest.

Connor yowled in pain as he took defending steps backward and tried to blink the blood out of his face. Even in the moonlight, the bright red spark of it was a supreme contrast to his fur, which was the night manifested. He yowled again and leapt toward Blake blindly. Again, Blake was ready and dodged the attack, redirecting Connor’s weight into the stone wall. The granite cracked with the weight of the bear, but Connor wasn’t finished—he came after Blake again, and lunged both claws into the grizzly’s shoulder.

Blake couldn’t escape the attack this time, and merely brought his own paws down hard on Connor’s, even as the huge claws dug into muscle and tissue. The pain took him off guard and Connor, sensing he had the upper hand for once, plowed forward with his hind legs and pushed Blake hard against a standing boulder next to the perilous, hundred meter drop. The claws sunk in deeper and Blake twisted against the tiny knives wrenched into his flesh and tried to bite back, but Connor had learned his lesson and held the grizzly at paw’s length.

Blood was drooling down the brown fur, and Blake could only scramble against the stone at his back uselessly. Despite his smaller stature, Connor was charged with his own pain and with an anger that rivaled his own—it had bolstered his strength and resolve.
I’ll die here if I’m not careful,
Blake thought. But it wasn’t even his own death that concerned him. If Connor won here, he’d go back down and find Lily. Even with the rifle, she would stand little chance against the shifter.

That thought burned like a wick in his brain and the grizzly growled and tried to see through the red haze of pain. There was always a way out, always an opportunity, in every moment.
Find it!
His mind cleared for a moment, like an opening in cloud cover. The edge of the cliff was right next to them on his right. It yawned into blackness like some abyssal pit, like the belly of a snake.
That’s it!

It meant enduring the claws in his shoulder even more, but he bit down hard and snarled, his black lips peeling over his jaw as his snout curled in a growl and his white teeth flashed rancorous at the black bear holding him. Drawing his hind legs up, he kicked outward in a final push. It meant taking all the weight onto his shoulders and Connor’s grip, and more muscle ripped in his arms as he fell. But the plan worked.

His hind paws lurched outward, and he felt the claws find Connor’s belly as he kicked outward. The Alpha hadn’t been expecting it and his eyes opened in terror as he launched backward. With a heavy thud, Blake landed hard on his side, and looked up. He had never felt such pain—the wounds in his shoulders felt as if he’d been run through with molten spears and he could barely lift his front paws. He looked up, his tongue hanging loose at his lips.

The force of the kick had thrown Connor clear. It was all happening as if underwater, in slow motion. The black bear staggered on his back legs, tipping wildly. The edge of the cliff loomed up toward him. For a moment, Blake felt a fear grow—perhaps he hadn’t kicked hard enough. If that was the case, he was doomed. He had no energy left to fight the Alpha.

But just as Connor looked like he was about to regain his strength, the gravel under his feet slipped out from under him. The vertigo of something happening without any contingency entered both bears at the same time. Blake saw it signal like a flare in Connor’s eyes.
No
.

The extra slip caused the shifter to topple backwards, and there was no stopping his fall. It was all over in a gulp of air. The huge black body tipped over the edge so silently it was almost painful. Then there was just emptiness. In the darkness there was only smoke, the lingering crackle of pines catching fire, and then, somewhere in the far distance, like a whisper extinguished, a hollow thud far, far below. Blake grunted, pulling himself toward the edge of the cliff.

But the moon had gone behind a cloud, casting everything in pitch black. And with it, Connor.

Rest, my brother,
the Beta thought.

THE FINAL
CHAPTER

When the cellphone rang on his bedside table, it took him longer than usual to pick it up. Part of him just wanted to lay in bed. He was part way between sleep and waking, and in that liminal space, he’d had many dreams—not all of them pleasant, but they were all discernibly fantasy, and Blake wanted nothing more than to reside in the fictions of his own mind for as long as possible. He knew that when he finally did get up, he would have to make hard choices.

The phone rang again and he saw that the first message was from Gavin—no doubt trying to get his ass up—but this one was from Lily. He read the short text, and smiled. “On my way—whatever you decide, I’ll follow.” He grinned and put the phone back down again. Slowly, he sat up and dressed. He put on a black pair of jeans, the nicest that he owned, and selected a button up grey shirt that hung untucked over his belt. Best to dress for the occasion, he figured. Still, even as he left his small, one room apartment and headed outside, he tugged his leather jacket off the back of his chair and slung it onto his shoulders. The Ursa Majors’ insignia caught the sunlight and turned itself into a montage of everything that they, as a collective tribe, had suffered and undergone.

So much bitterness, so much loss
, he thought and looked to the west where the hills were starting to speckle with different colors of autumn—red, orange, yellow, the small clusters of deciduous saplings and poplars bursting between the overriding green of conifers, like cedar and hemlock. The turn of the seasons was an omen unto itself. The cycle of seasons, life and birth, regeneration even in the wake of decline.

And we are no different
.

He got on his bike and cranked it into gear. Jimmy had upgraded it a month ago, after he’d returned to Beaver Creek. Had it been a month already? It was hard to believe that so much time had passed—and at the same time, it felt like it had only just happened. He could still smell the burning of pine trees when he closed his eyes, and for nearly a week afterward, he’d had nightmares, and woke in a fevered state. Luckily, Lily had been beside him most nights, and that had assuaged his tremors.

She had gone back to work just last week, after taking a few weeks off, for “personal reasons”—her managing editor apparently considered being pregnant more than a good enough reason, and even though she’d probably have to take another hiatus down the road, he’d been unable to stop her coming back to work. She had been in her own place in the city for the past few days, writing another story. It promised to be a good one, Pulitzer material she had joked.

“I might even get a promotion,” she said. “Samson told me it’s… pretty well in the bag, right now. Some other outlets have seen some of my stuff. New York, can you believe it? After this new article comes out, I’m… I’m sure I’ll get it.”

He had never seen her so happy.

New York
. That was so far away. He tried to think of something else.

Everyone was gathered at the town hall by time he arrived, and he took in a deep breath as he entered. Everything was silent—it was as if the entire tribe had gathered. Indeed, they probably had. At the far end, the table had been set up again, and Melissa stood solemnly. To her right in the crowd, Gavin gave a nod to the Beta as he entered. There was not a word said, hardly a breath given, as he walked firmly down the opening and toward Damian’s widow.

As he did, the last month unfolded in a brilliant flash of images. After Connor’s death, he and Lily had returned to Beaver Creek. Gavin had managed to get through to the other Ursas—including Melissa. The evidence was startling, and war had almost broken out there and then, but Gavin’s quick thinking and diplomacy had managed to defuse the situation. The Blue Devils and the Eaters of the Dead had left without a quarrel, although the ties between both gangs had been pulled thin.

It would be years again before a new truce was reached—and even longer than that before an
actual
peace could be established. But Blake was hopeful. He had seen the worst elements of both humans and shifters alike, and the incredible ability of each to survive and adapt.
The Ursas will rise again, someday,
he thought,
through the hard work and toil of our people.

He could still recall the giant funeral service. Ogre and Tanis had been wrapped in linen sheets, sprinkled with herbs and sweet-smelling oils, and placed on giant wooden scaffolds. And among them, on a high platform, had been Connor, wrapped in similar fashion. The service had been solemn, and hardly a word spoken as the pyres were lit and the tribe had stood and watched the flames rise into the sky like awakening phoenixes, carrying the souls of their departed back to the original realm, the land of the dead and the undying.
You’re home now, Connor
, Blake thought.

He bore no grudge, no hate, no compromising feelings for the dead Alpha. It was their
way
, of all shifters—death was the great equalizer, and in the eyes of their kind it didn’t matter what had happened, even if they would bear the scars of it for years. Connor was one of them, and he had been given the same sort of farewell.

The revealing information that Connor had, in fact, been behind Damian’s death, and the details of his plans to conquer the other tribes and the conspiracy to incriminate Blake had all come out gradually, as well. It had taken a toll on Melissa, but like her lover—and her son—she was a fighter. Not one to give up. It had been primarily she and Gavin that had managed to hold the Ursas together. But the time had come now for Blake to assume his role.

His position as Alpha was almost taken for granted now, but he hadn’t formally accepted it. Many in the crowd lowered their eyes as he entered—whether out of shame for having acted against him, or having doubted his loyalty—but the entire attention of the room was firmly centered on him. He stopped short in front of Melissa and gave a courteous half-bow.

“My lady,” he offered, “I have come, according to your summons.”

Melissa nodded as well. The death of both her son and her husband hung greyly on her face, but she held her composure in spite of everything. “We thank you,” she replied. “No doubt, you had no reason to abide by our command—after everything, we have….
I
have… little right to ask anything of you.”

“No, Melissa. You have always had the best interests of the tribe in mind, even over your own, even over the good of a single individual. That sort of sacrifice is never easy. But it
is
what makes a leader a good one, one that is worthy to be followed,” he said, holding up his hand, and turned to the crowd. “We’ve all suffered too much. It’s not something we can simply ignore or forget—but it’s not something we can let define who we are, or who we can become again. Damian taught me that.” He took in a deep breath. “We need a strong leader, that much is clear.”

Melissa nodded, as if expecting him to announce it. “We are all in agreement,” she said. “You’re right, we do need strong leadership. Will you take up that mantle? As Damian would have wanted?”

He smiled and turned toward her. In the back of the town hall, he suddenly saw a Camry pull up outside and Lily hopped out and ran toward the entrance. No one seemed to notice, as all attention was still on Blake. But Blake couldn’t look away from her. She was willing to give up everything to follow him—
she has given up enough,
he thought. He had already made his choice, but seeing her now finalized it. Again, he turned back to Melissa and Gavin and took off his jacket, and handed it to his young protégé who looked at him, not understanding.

“The Ursas
do
need a strong leader,” he said softly, “and the two of you… well, I can’t think of better leadership. You’ve both sacrificed and given just as much as me. It was the two of you who held us all together.” He looked at the crowd as they began to whisper and he grinned.

Melissa’s eyes grew wide. “If this is about… how we betrayed you, how…”

“Nothing to do with that,” Blake replied sternly. “I once owed my fealty to the Ursas, and that is a promise that can never be broken. You are all my family, my brothers and sisters, and always will be. That hasn’t changed.”

“What has?” Melissa asked. “I-I’m not a leader, Blake.”

“Sure you are.” He grinned. “And the fact that you don’t
want
to be leader, well… that’s something else Damian taught me. The best leaders aren’t those who rise to power of their own volition, of their own will and desires. That only leads to tyranny. The best leaders are those upon whom leadership is thrust…”

“I don’t want to be an Alpha,” Gavin said despondently into the lapel of his shirt.

“And that’s
precisely
what will make you a good one, my friend—an honest one.”

It was clear that he had already made up his mind, and that trying to convince him otherwise was of no use, but still it seemed impossible—Melissa and Gavin both had been counting on him to take over where Damian had left off and where Connor had simply left them.
Too much bitterness
, Blake reflected. His decision to renounce the position of Alpha had as much to do with his conviction and belief in his young protégé and the ex-wife as it did with the knowledge that he, too, had committed sins that could not be reconciled by leadership alone.

I killed our own,
he thought, and frowned. Necessary, unavoidable, perhaps. But nevertheless, shifters had died at his hands, and that was something he couldn’t be forgiven for, even if it was offered.
Because I can’t forgive myself for that
, he wondered. But perhaps, there was some small measure of peace allotted him—but it was not to be found in Beaver Creek.

“But… but what about you?” Gavin said, holding the leather jacket. It was a question that seemed to rest heavily on the minds of everyone present, but only the blond-haired shifter had the courage to ask it.

Blake looked back at Lily waiting for him, a huge smile on her full lips and her eyes gentle and knowing in a way that was unique to her. “We always find where we belong, where we’re needed,” he replied, “all of us.”

Melissa gave another short nod at him and smiled. Her husband had been right about the Beta after all, even after everything—being a leader meant sacrificing everything for loyalty. Even if what needed to be sacrificed was the opportunity to lead.
You will always be one of us
, she seemed to say as she touched her heart and Blake turned and walked toward the exit. Everyone in the room did the same, one at a time, pulling their fist across their heart. Gavin, holding Blake’s leather jacket, was the last to touch his heart, as if to confirm that brotherhood meant beyond blood.

“Let’s get out of here,” Blake smiled and whispered as he put an arm over Lily’s shoulder and they walked toward the Camry. She gave him a ponderous look as they reached the car and he got into the passenger seat.

“You didn’t tell me you were going to do
that
,”
she said as they pulled out.

He smiled and watched Beaver Creek pull away. It had always been his home, the place he had known since childhood, and he had become the man he was as a result of it. It was, and always would be, home.
But there are more ways to define the place you belong than simply where you grew up,
he thought fondly. His hair was coming in a bit thicker now, and had gone from a light golden blond to a darker shade.

“It’ll be okay,” he said. “I left them in good hands. What about you? Did you finish everything?”

“I… I wasn’t sure how to tell you, actually.” She bit her lip. “My editor got my story and surprised me this morning. That opening in New York—well, it’s still up, and they want me. I… I was going to turn it down. I know, it’s my career, it’s something I’ve always dreamed of. And I’ll probably have to take a maternity leave in a couple months but… I was willing to give it up, if it meant—”

Lily didn’t finish. Blake reached across and stroked her leg through the short pencil skirt. “You’ve given up enough. It’s my turn,” he said, “and I know you told me you would follow me wherever. But I think that’s my line, now. I’ll come with you.” He winked. “That is, if you still
want
me after all of this. I have to say, our second date didn’t exactly go all that well.”

Lily had to laugh at this, but it was also a cover—a way to acknowledge the pain and trauma of the past month without giving into it. “Being taken hostage by a bear shifter, held at gun point, and solving a murder,” she giggled, “you really know how to treat a girl!”

“Then let me make it up to you,” he said.

His hand moved higher up her thigh, just under the hem of her skirt and she made a little moaning sound as he went higher. Her hands on the steering wheel tightened and she pushed her head back, but managed to keep her eyes open. Her mouth opened in a little gasp of pleasure as his finger brushed against the fabric of her panties underneath.

“Ever since, I found out I was pregnant,” she moaned again and slowed down, and Blake grinned, watching her trying to negotiate both tasks, “I think I’ve gotten hornier. Uhhnnn, god. Blake, don’t make me come here. Unnh…”

“You want to come, don’t you?”

“Unnh, yes, yes, please yes,” she bit her lower lip and opened her legs wider on the seat, and Blake’s hand slipped higher until he had his whole palm flat against her crotch. Her naked thighs were pale and sweaty with the effort. “Not here, you’re making me too wet, unnnnh,” she breathed out in a loud gasp, and clutched at his hand to pull it away, “I want you to fuck me. I want you inside me… just wait,” she urged, pulling the car around to the small apartment where he lived.