Hidden, Clan of the Werebear (2 page)

* * *

Once Elaina was tucked into bed, she gazed through her window, listening to the howl of the wolves. She knew that Liam would be back out again tonight. He had the freedom that she wished she had. She had to make Samson understand that he couldn’t keep her inside indefinitely. She understood he meant to protect her, but thus far her life was a major downer.

* * *

Samson had their belongings packed early the next morning, and they made the trip to Bear Claw Pub on a sour note in the rusted, red pickup truck he had acquired a few years back. It was about as modern as Samson was. He had told her many times that it was best to be perceived as normal in case a human happened by. She had heard they had powered lights and heating in the towns and cities, whereas they lived with none of those luxuries. Samson still lived off the land and they gathered meat and firewood for heating so they could make it through the winter. Being at the Bear Claw Pub would be a welcomed change if it weren’t for Samson’s insistence that she was in danger, but she did look forward to the indoor plumbing and she’d have about her only chance at an actual bath in a real tub, not in a river or stream, or having to wait to heat enough water over the fireplace.

Glancing out the window, Elaina asked, “Where’s Liam?”

“He hasn’t returned this morning.”

“And why doesn’t that worry you? After last night, he might have met back up with that bear.”

“He’s with his pack, most likely. He’ll catch up with us when he’s ready.”

Elaina wrinkled her brow. “Why is he allowed to run with his pack? I thought you turned your back on them.”

“I have, but he’s still very much a part of the pack. The alpha is quite ill these days, and they need young wolves like Liam to help protect the pack.”

“He wasn’t much help last night. He was barely a match for that bear.”

“You should have let him handle that. I have confidence that Liam can handle himself, but you—”

Elaina punched the dash. “That bear just got the drop on me. He ran off when I roared.”

“What kind of bear does that? No, I’m convinced that the bear you ran across last night is from the clan.”

“If that’s true, then why not finish me off?”

“I’m not sure what the clan wants as of yet, but we need to keep you out of their path until we figure it out.”

“How am I ever going to learn how to really protect myself if you refuse to allow me to shift? I’m not a child any longer, I’m an adult.”

“That’s what worries me the most.”

“What do you mean? What else can happen?”

“It’s not for me to say. It’s a matter that Marla would be better suited to speak with you about.”

Elaina slunk down in her seat. The Alaskan landscape had changed the last few months, and it was nearly summer. They spent the majority of their winters farther south but the last few years, Samson decided they should stay put at the cabin. He’d grown in years and wasn’t the younger man he once was, and instead of that mellowing him, it seemed to make him more insistent than ever that she was in danger.

It was finally warm enough to forgo a jacket, in Elaina’s opinion, but Samson wouldn’t allow it. In his opinion, he wanted her to conceal herself. Elaina knew that she was larger than many other women. Her cheeks were full, her hips and thighs large. Certainly Samson couldn’t be worrying about men paying her any attention since she’d barely seen one except for Liam, but he was far from a man. He was her best friend and confidant, and she’d do anything to protect him, just like she had last night.

Elaina sighed when Bear Claw Pub came into view. She stared at the log cabin style pub with a huge sign overtop that read, “Members Only.” Marla might have been able to keep the shape shifters in line, but there was no telling what might happen if a human set foot in the pub.

Samson parked in back, took ahold of Elaina’s arm and pulled her along and through the back door. The cooks lifted their heads and breathed in sharply, their lips curling up into smiles, which caused Samson to bark out, “Keep your eyes to home.”

They went back to work and Marla walked forward, wearing a corset style dress that lifted her large breasts. Samson gazed at them with lust in his eyes and Elaina wanted to give him a kick. Sure, she’d heard the rumors about Marla and Samson, but she thought it was inappropriate under the current circumstances. Besides, Marla was human, and Samson had made it quite clear that shifters should only mate with their own kind, never with a human. Elaina didn’t really understand the mating ritual as of yet, but surely Samson had to know that Elaina was no longer a child.

Elaina walked up the steps that led to the room on the third floor where she knew that she’d be locked in, like always. She stepped in the room that had a bed near the window and a dresser, but that was it. She busied herself and put her belongings away as the door was shut, and that’s when the tears began. She swiped at them with the back of her arm and sat on the pink quilt, hugging herself tightly. When would Samson realize that she didn’t need to be locked away like an animal? She longed for companionship in the worst way, but now even Liam was long gone.

Chapter Three

There was a rustling of keys outside her door, followed by the sound of the lock being turned, but instead of the door opening, there was a knock at the door. Liam smiled when she opened the door, holding a tray filled with food. He walked inside and set it down on the bed. Elaina plopped on the bed, pulled out a napkin, and positioned it carefully on her lap like Samson had taught her. Elaina grabbed a piece of chicken, and asked Liam, “You hungry?”

“No, I already ate. I ran with the pack most of the night. I’m trying to find a way to ask Grandpa if I can live with the pack.”

“You can’t leave, Liam. You’re all I have.”

“You’ll be fine, Elaina. Grandpa will look out for you.”

“How, by locking me in a room? I’d rather die than be stuck here much longer. If you leave, I’ll do something desperate,” she insisted.

“Elaina, please don’t talk like that. I have to live with the pack. When the alpha dies, I’m next in line.”

“You’ll have to fight for that right, and I believe it’s a losing battle for you. You weren’t even able to fight that bear off last night.”

“You never gave me the chance.” Liam stared at Elaina’s face, pressing his fingers against her forehead as she sunk on the bed. “You’re burning up, Elaina.” He jumped up and made for the door. “I’m going to get Grandpa and tell him.”

Elaina shook her head. “That would be embarrassing. Please, don’t. It’s just the fever, that’s all.”

“Scarlet fever?”

“No, mating fever. I’ve been hiding it for some time now, but for some reason it’s burning hotter right now than before.”

Liam knelt at Elaina’s feet. “He should have never brought you here, Elaina. Not with so many shifters around. It’s dangerous for you to be here.”

“Not to worry. He’ll lock me back in here when you leave.”

“We have to tell someone.”

Elaina rubbed the top of Liam’s head. “It will pass. It always does. I know Samson wants to protect me, but I need to find my own way. It’s my destiny to find my own mate and bear him cubs. It’s what all shifters do.”

Liam reached up and cupped Elaina’s face. “If only we were of the same kind. I’d happily take you as my mate.”

Elaina’s heart beat hard now, the heat in her belly overwhelming her at his closeness. Her lips moved close to Liam’s and the door whipped open. “What’s going on in here?” Samson demanded as he strode in.

Liam moved up and away, but before he was able to leave the room, Samson said, “It’s forbidden for werewolves and werebears to mate. You know that. I think it might be best if you and Elaina don’t spend any more time together.”

Elaina jumped to her feet. “No! Please, don’t take the only person away from me that I have. If not for Liam’s friendship, I’d have no reason to exist. I promise this won’t happen again. It wasn’t his fault, it was mine.”

Marla stood just behind Samson and came forward. She took one look at Elaina and hugged her tightly. When she pulled away, she guessed, “She has the fever, the mating fever.”

Samson vehemently shook his head. “No, she’s too young for that.”

“I’m eighteen, Samson, and I’ve had the fever for a long time. It seems to happen once a month for the period of the full moon, but today it’s stronger than normal. If it wasn’t, I would never have tried to kiss Liam.”

“Thanks a lot,” Liam said.

“Oh, please. We’re best friends, Liam. I love you like a brother.”

Liam asked Samson, “I think it might be better if I lived with the pack for a while. At least while Elaina’s fever is raging.”

“I knew this would happen eventually. I just wasn’t prepared for it to happen so soon.”

“Well, she’s a grown woman now,” Marla said.

“No, I mean Liam leaving for the pack. I knew he’d be drawn back to them. He has a right to make his own choices. Just know, Liam, that if you leave, they won’t allow you to come back, especially if you’re the alpha.”

“If he’s ever the alpha,” Elaina added. “He’ll have to defeat his rivals once the old one dies. He might lose his life even trying.”

Samson crossed his arms. “That’s his destiny.”

Elaina hated the thought of losing Liam to the pack. “And what of me, then? How long will you continue to lock me away like this?”

“It’s not my choice. I’m just doing what’s best for you.”

“What you think is best for me. I’m plenty old enough to find my own way in the world.”

“No, you just think you are. What if the clan finds you?”

“The clan, the clan. It’s always about the clan. I just don’t believe the werebear clan is like you say they are. You have convinced me for years now that they mean me harm, but what makes you think that? Name one example that supports that idea.”

“That bear last night.”

“The bear was attacking Liam, not me. You need to let me go sometime.”

Marla stared at the uneaten tray. “You’ve hardly touched your food, Elaina. Eat.”

“What does it matter if I eat or not if I’m going to die of boredom in this room?”

“She’s right, Samson. You can’t lock her away like an animal. Let her come downstairs tonight. It’s about time she meets her kind. The werebears that come in here are well-behaved.”

“Well-behaved, with a female with mating fever? How long do you think that will last?”

Marla gave Samson a dirty look and disappeared into the hallway. Liam gave Elaina a sad look and left, too. Elaina turned her back on Samson as the sight of him sickened her now. He didn’t say a word, but he did close the door gently behind him, and when the key turned in the lock, Elaina yanked at her hair in frustration.
This is not the end of it.
With Liam leaving now, she had no other recourse than to leave, too. She vowed that she’d escape and soon.

Elaina tried to sleep that night, but the howl of wolves in the distance made it impossible. She gazed out her window as three dark shapes made their way toward the pub. Elaina plopped down on her bed and heard a noise near her door. She took in a deep breath, wondering who it was. If it wasn’t Liam, then who was standing outside her door? A metal object was dropped to the floor and shoved under her door, scraping against the wood floor.

Elaina walked over to the door. She could see the shadow beneath the door in one spot like someone was standing outside of it, but after standing there for a few minutes, the footsteps moved away. She picked up the object and it was a key! She held it tightly against her heaving breasts. Was it possible that she really was just given the key to her freedom, or was there another intent? It seemed too easy, but how could Elaina just stay here when she was given the chance at freedom.

Elaina pulled out her drawer and found a notebook, jotting down, “Sorry, Samson.” She ripped the page out and set it on the dresser. She felt bad that she had to leave. Samson was a great protector, but as she grew up, his hold over her life became unbearable. Never in a million years would she have thought that he’d lock her in a room. Did he truly fear for her life, or was he afraid that she’d run off and find out the truth about who she really was?

Chapter Four

When Elaina finally turned that key in the lock, she never had a plan in place. She had meager belongings with her and left dressed in the same jeans and tee shirt that she had come with, hiking boots on her feet. She did bring a warm jacket, though, that she donned quickly before she talked herself out of her desperate plan.

It was dark now and she knew the temperatures would have dropped considerably. She tied her hair back in a loose ponytail and lowered the hood of her jacket over her head. If she encountered anyone in the hallway, they wouldn’t know if she was female or male, she hoped. She wouldn’t allow herself to think about the other shifters in the pub, and that they’d be able to smell the fever on her. She just prayed that she wouldn’t run into Samson on the way out.

Elaina carefully opened the door and strode down the long, narrow hallway. It was empty.
Please let me leave without running into anyone
, she thought. She moved quickly and quietly. She imagined she was one of those panther shifters she’d heard about. They moved so silently that they hardly ever were detected.

She descended the stairs just as silently, making the turn through the kitchen that was clean and quite empty. Elaina knew it was near midnight and she prayed that there was nobody on the other side of the back door. She shouldn’t shift now, but if she had to, she would. The last thing she needed to worry about was how she’d locate clothing again if she had to shift.

Elaina opened the door and crept outside. Once the door closed behind her, it was too late to go back as the latch clicked behind her. From the corner of the building, there were wisps of pipe smoke that drifted into Elaina’s delicate nostrils, but she never turned to see who it was, or if it was anyone she knew. Neither Samson nor Liam smoked, which set her into action. She strode forward at a fast gait. At first she ignored the footsteps behind her until they drew close.