Private Release (13 page)

“I had to protect my people.”

Her eyes widened. “There are more than you?”

“Étienne is one. Vernon was one, everyone at Beare Enterprises is
Mukswa
.” He took another step toward her. “You probably know a few of us, you just don’t know you know.”

Adele shook her head. “I would notice this.”

“Did you notice Gordon?”

Her face paled. “Gordon, he’s one?”

Jared nodded. “He married my sister.”

“I’m terrified of bears. Always have been, they haunt my nightmares.” She muttered the words, but he heard them. Every single one.

Now it was Jared’s turn to be surprised. “You dream of bears.”

“Nightmares. Terrifying nightmares.” She shook her head again and then snatched the keys. “I have to go.”

“Adele, please let me explain my world to you.”

“No. Just…stay away from me. Please.” Tears were rolling down her cheeks. “Please, leave me alone.”

Jared stepped back as she got into her car and sped away. He couldn’t force her to be his mate. She wasn’t
Mukswa.
She’d always be his true mate in his heart, but he’d never force her to love him or stay with him.

He loved her enough to let her go.

Two months later

The rolling prairie hills were turning green with the early onset of spring. For miles around there was not a tree in sight, nowhere for someone to hide. Adele could see everything, even the crowning landmark of the teepee from her grandfather’s home just on the outskirts of Medicine Hat.

After the incident with Jared, and finding out he was some kind of bear shifter, Adele handed in her notice to her landlord, packed up her apartment and moved to Medicine Hat, Alberta.

Ten hours west of Winnipeg.

Brianna had begged Adele to come live with her, but Adele didn’t want to risk any more bears coming around Brianna’s house. She wouldn’t have them around her nieces or nephews.

Jared’s not dangerous.

Deep longing bloomed in her chest as her mind drifted toward Jared again. Bear or no bear, she missed him.

It wasn’t as if she could forget about him any time soon. Not after what the doctor had told her this morning. Her times with Jared she’d gone unprotected, because she was an idiot.

Now she was pregnant.

Of course she’d been told she couldn’t get pregnant the old-fashioned way. When the doctor told her that she was pregnant, she’d laughed and then questioned the probability. Her new physician told her that sometimes miracles do happen.

Adele was thrilled by the prospect of a child, but not by the thought of bringing it up it alone. Also the thought of who the child’s father brought to light a bunch of different horrors.

Would her baby shift into a bear? Funnily enough, she didn’t have another nightmare about a bear. When she did dream about them, she dreamt about Jared’s form. A polar bear. How those two black eyes had been so gentle when he came to her. How he fought to protect her from Vernon.

She just couldn’t go back.

He lived in a totally different world. One she didn’t even know existed. How could they make it work? And besides all of that, he was some kind of leader and what leader wanted to be saddled with a disabled wife?

At least that’s what the doubt weasels told her.

Although, the last two months she’d gotten stronger and was now down to one arm crutch. Of course, when one didn’t have much to do and lived with a grandmother who was a physical therapist and Cree healer for many years, one didn’t have much choice but to try to get better.

“Adele, are you expecting someone?” her grandpa asked as he came around the corner of the house.

“No, why?” she asked.

Her grandfather pointed out to the road. A plume of dust from the dry gravel was billowing up from a car that was headed down their drive.

Adele watched the car with trepidation.

“I’ll go open the gate.” Her grandfather met the car as it came to the drive. He opened it for the car, which had dark-tinted windows.

The car slowly pulled up and parked in front of the house. Adele stood, waiting with bated breath, hoping it was Jared who’d come to get her.

Étienne got out of the car and her heart sank.

“I can see from your lack of enthusiasm you’re not exactly happy to see me.” There was a twinkle to Étienne’s eyes and he gave her a half-smile, which if it hadn’t been for his large scar, would’ve been a full one.

“Are you going to be okay, honey?” her grandfather asked, eyeing Étienne with nervousness.

“It’s okay, Grandpa. He’s a friend of mine from Winnipeg.”

Her grandpa nodded. “I’ll be around back if you need me.”

When her grandfather had left Étienne shut the car door and walked toward the porch. “You’ve regained some function.”

“I have,” Adele said.

“I’m glad to see it.”

“Why are you here, Étienne?”

“Are you scared of me?”

“Yes.”

He grinned again. “You lie. I don’t smell fear and human fear is something I can easily pick up. It irks me.”

Adele smiled. “Fine, perhaps I’m not scared of bears anymore.”

Étienne nodded. “Good.”

“Would you like to have a seat?”

He nodded and came up the steps to sit in the wicker chair across from the swing where she’d been sitting.

“Thank you for sending the USB stick with all the information. We were able to retrieve all of our funds.”

“Good. I’m glad to hear it.” Adele tried to swallow the lump in her throat. What she really wanted to do was ask Étienne how Jared was, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Jared had been engaged. Engaged. He promised her that he’d never hurt her again, but he didn’t tell her about his fiancée.

“Why are you ignoring Jared’s calls?”

“That’s none of your business.”

“Tell me.”

“Did Jared send you here to ask me that?” she snapped.

“No. I want to know.” He cocked his head to the side. “You’re not afraid of us anymore, so I want to know why you left. Why you won’t speak to him. You obviously love him.”

“That’s presumptuous.”

“I’m right though.”

“Fine. You’re right. I love Jared.”

“Then why are you ignoring his calls?”

“I’m not one of you and you never liked me anyways.” She smiled.

“I don’t like many humans, but as I told you before, I do like you. You’re strong. I like that.”

“Why don’t you like humans?”

Étienne ran his hand over his head. “You know how I got these scars?”

“No.”

“Levi declawed me, while I was in bear form. It was excruciating.” Étienne pointed to his face. “These scars, this is a mark we place on our mates’ backs. That way other males know to keep away. Marking a male’s face with a mate mark is the ultimate castration, for lack of a better word.”

Her eyes widened. “He castrated you?”

“Hell no! I still have my balls.” He grinned. “I mean emotionally, by scarring my face with a mate mark, he did.”

“I thought Levi was a
Mukswa
. If Levi did that to you, that’s no reason to hate humans.”

“He was, but the humans he planned to sell my hide to weren’t. Humans helped him declaw me, mark me. I was going to be killed and sent to a taxidermist to be stuffed and sold in Japan.”

Adele reached out and touched his knee. “I’m sorry.”

Étienne shrugged. “It’s why I don’t generally like humans. I’ve had many near misses with hunters.”

“I understand.”

“Good, so I’m sorry I was a douche to you, but you were human and my chief was in love with you.”

Adele’s heart fluttered. “Yet, you want me to come back to him. I’m still not
Mukswa
and I know Jared is your leader.”

“Chief.” Étienne nodded. “He is, but he bonded to you.”

“Bonded?”

Étienne sighed in what seemed like frustration.

“I’m sorry, I’m just trying to understand your species. I still can’t believe Gordon is one.”

Étienne grinned. “It’s okay. I don’t talk to many people. Both human and
Mukswa
find me a bit intimidating.”

Adele laughed. “You? I find that hard to believe. So Jared’s bonded with me?”

“Yes, when males bond they can’t be without their mates. They don’t think about others, they only want their mate. That and he’s miserable as shit without you.”

“How does one claim a mate? Do they get married?”

“They mark their mate.”

“He wants to mark me?” she asked, eyeing his scars.

Étienne nodded again and stood up. “He does. I know it’s a lot to take in, but it only hurts for a moment. Like a scratch, not many males know this, unfortunately I do. Come back to Winnipeg, Adele. You’ve no reason to stay away. Come back and put him out of his misery. He’s been in a funk since you left and I can’t take his goddamn moping for one minute more.”

Adele chuckled. “I don’t know, Étienne. He didn’t come for me.”

“Because you told him to leave you alone and a male always listens to his bonded mate’s wishes, even if it’s detrimental to him.”

“I should let him suffer.”

“Then make him suffer, in your presence, in Winnipeg. Don’t subject me to his Emo crap anymore.”

Adele bit her lip and then placed her hand over her belly. If her child was half
Mukswa
and needed to shift, she wouldn’t know what to tell him or her. Besides, she loved him and missed him.

She’d been a coward to run away two months ago.

“What if your clan doesn’t accept me?”

“They have no choice but to. You’re their chief’s chosen mate. We’re not really a democracy.”

“Tell me how you found me.” She saw the look of annoyance spread across his face and she held up three fingers. “Girl Guide promise it’s my last question.”

“I’ll only tell you if you agree to come back. My job is secret.”

“That’s blackmail.”

Étienne cocked his eyebrow. “Oh, yes? And what do you think you were doing?”

“How did you find me?”

“I track and bring home our missing clanspeople.” “And his fiancée? What about her?”

“I think he told you that was over.”

“Shouldn’t he be with his own kind?”

“He wants to be with you, Adele.” Étienne held out his hand. “Come back home.”

Adele stood and took Étienne’s hand. She wasn’t sure what she was thinking. She’d been burned by love before, but she couldn’t deny her child its father and she couldn’t deny her heart.

Even though Jared hurt her. She still loved him and it was apparent he loved her too. Étienne was the type of person who would never beg. Of that she was really certain.

“Étienne, I need time. Please, just will you give me time?”

Étienne nodded. “If that’s what you need.”

* * * * *

Once again Jared found himself staring out over the lights of Winnipeg. Only it wasn’t a spring breeze blowing across the city. The air was mild and quite warm for May.

Below him, people were celebrating the return of Beare Enterprises funds. Étienne had also tracked down several missing clanspeople, but not all of them yet. The shadow of Levi had finally been washed away.

There was happiness in the air for his people. Jared wished he could rejoice with them, but hadn’t the heart for celebration. There was no joy for him because he was still without his mate.

Adele. God, I miss you.

Jared missed Adele with every fiber of his being. He wanted to be the one to track her down, throw her over his shoulder and drag her back to Winnipeg and his bed, but she told him to leave her alone and that was what he had to do.

A week after the incident in Duff Roblin Provincial Park she’d sent him a USB stick with all the information pertaining to the case, as well as instructions on how to retrieve the extorted funds. But when he sent Étienne to her apartment to thank her on his behalf, Étienne told him that her apartment was empty.

Adele was gone and he didn’t know where.

There was a hollow pit in his stomach. Where was she?

He just wished he had one more chance to hold her in his arms, taste her lips, touch her skin.

He didn’t want anyone else. Only her.

The elevator doors dinged as they slid open behind him.

“Étienne, is that you?”

Jared let out a sigh when Étienne didn’t respond, but he could hear footsteps behind him.

He scrubbed his hand over his face and headed back into the suite. When he glanced up, he froze at the sight of the woman standing there.

Her hair was shorter. Instead of below her waist, it came to just above her shoulders and instead of two crutches she leaned on one. He also noticed she was fuller around the waist and when he cocked his head to the side, he could hear her pulse racing. Her heartbeat was faster than usual. There was a glow to her countenance, but despite all those changes, it was her.