His to Bear (14 page)

“Yes,” Holt informed them. “Her name is Sidia.”

“Sidia.” Koby repeated the name before turning to his brother. “I must find her.”

“Does Jaeda know who Sidia was sent with among the elders?” Laramie asked.

“I’m not sure,” Holt answered. “I’ll ask her when she wakes up. I know she

misses them. She’s been through hell. Too much death in her life.”

Laramie suddenly looked weary, something Holt had never seen before.

“We’ve all seen too much death. It’s the way of it when you have those who find

you an abomination and actively hunt you just so they can kill you. Women, children,

old or young. Hunters make no distinction. With us, they almost succeeded because

someone among us chose to betray us.” All weariness was gone from Laramie’s face,

replaced by an anger that seemed to fill the room. “When I discover who did, I will

make a lesson of him so that no other will ever think to do so again.”

“I want to help,” Holt vowed. “Jaeda…I want to protect her, always. I don’t

know all your ways, but I want to learn. I need to. My senses are exploding, but

they’re meaningless unless I know how to wield them.”

“You’ll be taught,” Laramie declared. “The Holloways will see that you’re a

fitting mate for your little bear.”

Holt closed his eyes as sensation washed over him. “She’s awake. She’ll be

down soon. She won’t wait for me to come back to her.” He glanced at Koby. “Will

you be okay around her?” If not, Holt had no problem with telling Koby to leave.

Jaeda came first.

“I will,” Koby said with a stiff jerk of his chin.

“Give me a minute to let her know what I’ve shared before you begin

questioning her,” he said to Laramie.

“Of course,” Laramie agreed. “I know it will be hard for her. I get the

impression she was taught to fear us as much as she was taught to turn to us for help.

It’s frustrating. The elders took upon themselves a right that should have belonged to

me and my brothers. Whether I had declared myself as our pack alpha or not is no

excuse. They knew. Emmett’s death is proof that their plan was foolish at best. I’ll

deal with them once all the surviving females are here.”

“You won’t kill them, will you?” Jaeda asked as she stepped into the room.

Holt noticed she’d taken the time to put her clothes back on. He held his hand

out to her, and she moved quickly to him. With no concern for the other two men, he

pulled her into his lap and kissed her. Just a brief touch of lips before he nuzzled her jaw and wrapped her tighter against him. Damn if she didn’t have him rubbing on her

now. She smiled at him then leaned her head against his shoulder as they both turned

to Laramie.

“I won’t,” Laramie answered Jaeda then. “There are too few of us left. There

will be another punishment given. One that will suitably convey my feelings toward

their actions.”

Holt watched as her gaze skirted around the table, landing on Laramie then

Koby before sliding back toward him. There was no anger in her face when she spoke.

“You told them about my sisters.” A statement, not a question, but Holt found

himself nodding anyway.

“They won’t be safe until they’re here with you, with us,” he said.

She nodded. “I know. I want them safe, even if I lose them once they know I

told.”

“You won’t lose them,” Laramie said with arrogance. “I won’t allow it. No one

will lie to me. They’ll know you had no choice. I need to know all the elders who

were there, and I need to know if you know who they took with them when the left.”

“I didn’t see all of them,” she admitted.

“Did you see who your sister went with?” Koby asked.

“Jaeda,” Holt said, pulling her attention back to him. “They’ll be safe here.”

“They’ll take them and force a mating,” Jaeda countered.

“If a mating occurs, they’ll be treasured,” Laramie vowed. “No female will ever

be mistreated.”

Jaeda didn’t say anything. Her gaze remained on Laramie as if searching for

something.

“Jaeda, I know you have no reason to trust me,” Koby said. “God knows, I’ve

shown you nothing to make you like me since you’ve been here, and I’m sorry for

that. More than you’ll ever know. But Holt thinks he knows why, and it makes perfect

sense to me. I need your help, though, even if I don’t deserve it.”

She turned in Holt’s arms. “What did you figure out?”

“Koby’s bear recognizes yours.”

She shook her head in denial. “He’s wrong.”

“Maybe he’s just confused because your scent is similar to his mate’s,” Holt

countered quietly.

He watched as she digested what he’d said and saw the exact moment she made

the same assumption he was. Her gaze flew back to Koby.

“You’re Sidia’s mate,” she whispered.

“Either that or I’m going insane,” Koby stated and his lips lifted for a brief

moment.

Holt said nothing as Jaeda stared at the other man. He knew she was taking

Koby’s measure. He knew as well as she did that it didn’t matter. Eventually, Laramie

would track down every elder among them and search for a female hidden by them.

She could delay her sister’s discovery, but at what cost? Jaeda knew exactly what

could happen if the wrong people found Sidia or any of the others.

“She left with Uncle Nicholas,” Jaeda finally answered.

“Take Jensen with you, Koby,” Laramie ordered as Koby stood. “Discretion is

key. The less people aware, the safer they’ll all be. I want them here, under this roof, and my protection. I’d like the names of the other men you know were there, Jaeda.

So I can move them to the top of the list. I’ll go to every elder’s home and check

regardless. But as we do, word will spread, and the women hiding will be in more

danger than they already are.”

She nodded. “I’ll write down all the ones I recognized.”

“It’ll be a start,” Laramie said then turned his stare back to Koby. “Try not to

frighten her. If possible, wait to mate her until you return.”

Koby gave a brief nod before hurrying out. Holt doubted Sidia would reach the

Holloway land before she was thoroughly mated to Koby. Koby wouldn’t leave it to

chance. Holt even understood it.

Laramie rose again, opening a drawer and returning to slide paper and pen in

front of Jaeda. “The sooner I know, the sooner I can protect them.”

Holt felt his mate’s struggle. They both knew it was more than protection

Laramie would give the other women. Each woman would be forced to pick a mate

from the ones Laramie considered the fittest among the bears. No doubt, each of the

Holloways would be included in the small pool of males. Laramie was trying to save

his species, though. Holt didn’t envy the other man the position he was in. Still, if

anyone could handle it, it was Laramie.

Laramie moved away while Jaeda wrote. Holt leaned into his mate’s back,

offering her his support as she complied.

“You’re doing the right thing,” Holt whispered. “You know the Holloways will

protect them with their lives.”

“At what cost?” she whispered back.

“At least, Laramie will give them a choice. Yes, he’ll tell them who, but they’ll

still have a say. Can you say the same for another who might come across them? How

do you know they’re safe where they are?”

She turned her head, glancing at him over her shoulder. “I don’t. You’re right.”

Laramie came back as Jaeda finished, sliding the paper away as he slid a tray in

front of them with the food Declan must have set aside for them earlier.

“I’ll leave you two to eat,” Laramie said. “I’ll see you both first thing in the

morning. I’ll send Declan and Matheus out to the next name on the list. We’ll try to

do this as quickly and quietly as we can. Once I have them here, protected, we’ll call a meeting. Everyone will be required. I’ll find the one who betrayed us, and that person

will pay for all the blood spilled. Vengeance will be given for all of us, Jaeda.”

She nodded.

Laramie’s gaze met Holt’s again before Laramie left them alone. Jaeda busied

herself with arranging the food for them then made to slide off his lap. He stopped her

movement and turned her so she faced him.

“There was no choice, Jaeda. I meant to mention the possibility of Sidia and

Koby to you earlier, but I seem to be easily distracted around you.”

She smiled softly, but he could still see the fear in her eyes.

“They’ll be okay,” Holt promised, praying he was right.

“I knew the moment the hunters showed up at Uncle Emmett’s that my fate was

decided. Not just mine, but all of the women that remained. I knew I needed to seek

the Holloways, and where that path would lead me. I didn’t know I’d find you here,

and I’m so glad I did. You’re everything I could have ever dreamed of in a mate.”

“I’ll try to be,” Holt vowed. “What really has you upset?” He could sense

something weighing on her.

“What if I waited too long? I should have begged the Holloways to go after the

others immediately. What if they were attacked as Uncle Emmett and I were?”

“Laramie would have heard of it,” Holt swore. “Someone would have contacted

him. Now, how is it that you and Sidia ended up with your uncles? Is Xandra with an

uncle?”

Jaeda laughed. “Uncle doesn’t mean the same to us as it does to you. It’s a term

given to our elders, a sign of respect for their place in the pride.”

“So Emmett wasn’t related to you?”

“No,” she said. “Neither is Nicholas.” She sighed. “I know Laramie is angry

with them, but they did what they could to protect us.”

“Surely they didn’t suspect Laramie? Or any of the Holloways?” Holt couldn’t

believe anyone would suspect the brothers of betrayal.

“Laramie never stepped up to claim his place as alpha. This might not mean

anything to some, but to the elders, it’s tradition, and more important than anything

else. Even mourning,” Jaeda told him.

Holt remembered Laramie saying their father had been killed. That was when

the Holloways had become friends with Kenzie’s mate, Gabriel. Gabriel had been the

one to find their father and bring his body home. And all that had led to Holt meeting

the Holloways, to his being here, now, with Jaeda. Which reminded him that he still

needed to tell Jaeda all about Kenzie.

“Don’t worry about it,” he said. “Trust in Laramie to know what he’s doing.

Trust in me to watch out for you. I won’t let anything happen to you again, Jaeda. I

swear it.

“I do trust you, my Holt.”

“Good. Let’s eat then. Before it gets cold. Then we’ll go back upstairs and talk

some more.”

“And we’ll have sex again?” Jaeda asked, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip.

He grinned. He liked her openness with him. The woman had been a virgin, but

her lack of experience didn’t hinder her at all. She had an open mind and was willing

to try anything he suggested. He’d discovered that quickly. She didn’t say no. He’d

worry if he wasn’t sure she was enjoying every moment with him. He’d lost track of

the number of orgasms he’d given her. She was insatiable. He was finding with her,

he was, too.

“I definitely have plans to be inside you again real soon,” Holt swore.

She licked her lips, her gaze dropping to his crotch before jerking back up to

meet his again. “Maybe we’ll even try anal sex this time. I like the thought of taking

you there.”

“Jesus,” he groaned. It was statements like that which had led to them skipping

dinner earlier.

“You don’t want to?” she prompted.

He swallowed, seriously debating throwing her over his shoulder and heading

upstairs. They really needed to eat, though. God knew, he was going to need all the

energy he could get when he was with her.

“Yeah,” he promised huskily. “We can try that if you want.”

“I do,” she assured him. “I want to try everything with you, my Holt.”

“Why do you do that?” he managed to ask then continued when she lifted a

brow in question. “Call me yours the way you do? My Holt?”

“My sisters and I always took exception to the fact that once we mated, we

would belong to our mate, becoming his. Xandra said she’d never mate then. Sidia

and I decided we’d mate but refer to our mate as just that, ours.” She peeked up at him

with hooded green eyes. “Does it bother you? I can stop.”

“No,” he admitted. “I like it. It turns me on.”

She leaned in and boldly nipped his chin with her sharp little teeth. “In that case,

I’ll do it more often, my Holt.”

He growled, turning to take her lips with his. This time, he did deepen the kiss,

letting her feel how much he wanted her. He eased away only when his lungs

screamed for breath.

“Eat,” he ordered her and turned to dig into his own plate. The food was good,

but he couldn’t have told anyone what it was. He was too focused on the woman next

to him and how quickly he could take her back upstairs.

Chapter Eleven

Jaeda preceded him up the stairs and into the bedroom. Worry was a powerful

emotion within her. She’d give anything to be able to get in touch with Sidia and warn

her that Koby was coming for her. Was he her sister’s mate? What if they were

wrong? What if he forced her sister to mate with him? Laramie had said otherwise,

and the Koby she’d spoken with earlier had, as well. He’d definitely not been the

same Koby she’d known when first arriving on Holloway land. Still, she couldn’t help