Stay (16 page)

He leaned over and carefully unbuckled my seatbelt. “I didn’t realize you needed my help.”

“I didn’t say I needed it. I just wanted it.”

He shook his head. “You’re worse than me.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I followed him off the plane. We’d only made it a few feet away before the plane started moving again.

“Stay close,” he called over his shoulder as he walked off the grassy area that functioned as a runway and onto the sand.

I listened. I didn’t feel like getting squashed by the plane as it made use of the makeshift runway again.

“Owen’s supposed to meet us here. I’m surprised he’s not here yet.”

Jared pulled out his phone. “No signal. Wonderful.”

“What did you expect? We’re on a deserted island in the middle of the Pacific.”

“Well, we aren’t all that far from Guam.”

“Far enough that you’re not going to get cell reception.”

He shoved his phone back in his pocket. “I guess we’ll just wait a few minutes then.”

I walked down the beach and looked out at the water. “If things weren’t so insane I’d love to go for a swim.”

“I bet you don’t have any issues skinny dipping.”

“And you do?” I turned, not surprised to find him right behind me.

“No, but most girls are weird about it.”

“And I’m not most girls. You’re not used to shifters. I know you Pterons like your humans and all, but you’d think you’d at least be used to the girls in your family.”

“There aren’t many female Pterons now a days.”

“There aren’t that many female bears either. I’ve never understood that.”

“It’s just something with the genetics I guess. I don’t know.”

“Next time give me the right coordinates, jack ass,” someone shouted.

I whirled around, watching another Pteron approach. This one had blonde hair and a scowl on his face. I assumed this was Owen.

“Oh, hi.” He looked panicked. “I forgot Jared wasn’t alone.”

Jared laughed. “Way to make a good impression.”

“The impression was fine. I’m just glad you’re here. We were getting tired of waiting.” Sometimes the best way to get rid of tension is to make some of your own. “Are we ready to get going?”

“This is Casey’s sister?” Owen asked.

“Yes, can’t you see the resemblance?”

“In looks yeah, but that’s where it ends.”

“Are you trying to say I’m bitchier than Casey?” I put a hand on my hip.

“I don’t know her well, but she always seemed quiet and sweet.”

“Good. I’m glad she hasn’t been corrupted.” Sweet and quiet were definitely not words someone could use to describe me, but they weren’t bad ones. Although from the little I saw of Casey, she was stronger than I think anyone gave her credit for.

“I see why she’s got your attention.” Owen kept talking like I wasn’t there. That wasn’t going to fly.

“If you’re going to talk about me, at least have the decency to look at me.”

“Oh, sorry.” Owen looked legitimately sorry. “I’m just used to giving this guy a hard time.”

“So am I.” I held out a hand. “I’m Vera, and I guess we have something in common.”

“I’m Owen, and it’s nice to meet you.”

“You never slept with my sister, did you?”

“No.” He shook his head then suddenly stopped. “Not because there’s anything wrong with that, but…”

“Save your breath. I was just checking whether you should be on my bad list too.”

“Am I still on your bad list?” Jared moved closer.

“No. You saved her so that cancelled it out.”

“Funny how you’re still treating me like crap.”

“So kissing you is treating you like crap?”

“Kissing?” Owen laughed. “I thought there was nothing going on, Jared.”

“Shut up, both of you,” Jared grumbled.

“Gladly, but let’s get moving. I’m tired of wasting time.” I bit back a smile. These guys were both fun to rile up. If all Pterons were like this I’d have to make sure I spent more time with them. Well, all of them but Jared. He was way too dangerous for me to be around.

“She’s right. Let’s quit wasting time.” Jared pulled off his shirt and tossed it. “You ready?”

I wasn’t sure who he was talking to, but I answered anyway. “Absolutely.”

I waited impatiently for him to wrap his arms around me.

“You’re really excited for this, aren’t you?” He whispered in my ear.

“What? Is this when I’m supposed to say yeah, I’m dying for it?” I said in my seductive voice.

He laughed. “You’re actually fun.”

“You say that like it’s a surprise or something.”

“It is. I just don’t know if it’s a good surprise or a bad one.”

“It’s good. Trust me on that.”

“If you say so.” He wrapped his arms around my waist, and we took off.

My stomach lurched as my feet left the ground, but I gradually adjusted to the sensation. I fought the wind to keep my eyes wide open. It was going to be a short flight, and I didn’t want to miss a minute of it. I’d always been an adrenalin junkie, but this was something else entirely. Not for the first time in my life, I was unbelievably jealous of Casey.

I had no idea what kind of ceremony Gareth was talking about, but I didn’t actually care. Casey was back to normal. I could see it in her color and the way her eyes shone. But really she was better than normal. She seemed even stronger, and I knew the strength was real. No matter how many things she accomplished, she always found a way to downplay her abilities. For the first time she seemed to be seeing herself for who she really was. She finally understood her strength.

Being inside Casey’s head was strange. I felt like I was doing something wrong, witnessing thoughts and fears I was never supposed to see, but it was also enlightening. Casey was even more amazing than I already knew. At her core Casey was such a good person. She wanted to do what was right even if it meant hurting herself. She also trusted me. I finally had my proof of that.

“Toby?” Gareth called my name, pulling me from my thoughts. I was waiting out on the top of the steps to the house for Casey to finish getting ready inside.

“Yes?” I wasn’t exactly sure how I was supposed to address or deal with this man. He was clearly a respected leader, but he was a bear and in that way I was technically his superior. I decided to focus on the age difference to keep my behavior in line with what he expected.

“I haven’t had a chance to talk to you yet.”

I prepared myself for whatever his agenda was. There had to be a reason he wanted to see me alone. “I didn’t realize you wanted to talk.”

“Come for a walk with me.” He gestured for me to start down the stairs.

“Sure.” There didn’t seem to be much harm in it. He was the one who let me on the island to stay closer to Casey in the first place.

As soon as we reached the ground he started with questions. “What are your intentions?”

“My intentions?”

“Yes. What do you intend to do with my daughter?”

Daughter. He was really sticking with that? “I intend to spend my life with her.” I’d had no doubts before, but now my conviction was even stronger. We belonged together, and I was going to make sure that happened.

He smiled. “I thought so.”

“We’re in love, now I just have to convince her that a long term commitment isn’t a bad thing.”

“She knows it.”

“What makes you say that?” This guy had just met Casey. He couldn’t know something I didn’t know.

“Because of her reaction when you walked into the room.”

“That told you she was ready for commitment?”

“Yes. Her whole being changed. She wanted you with her. It wasn’t just a smile. It was more than that. That’s how you know when a woman has chosen her mate.”

“A woman has chosen her mate?” From what I’d seen it was always the man choosing.

“Yes. Although to keep with tradition it is the father who must give the blessing, in our clan it’s the woman who gets the final decision on who she mates with.” He smiled. “Just like with all relationships, right? It’s always about the woman’s mind.”

I smiled. “That’s a good point.”

“From what I understand you are from a high ranking Pteron family?”

I nodded. “Yes. I am the new patriarch of the Blackwells.”

He nodded appreciatively. “That’s a lot to offer a woman’s family. It could be quite the alliance.”

“Alliance?” I wasn’t planning on going down that road.

“Yes. Casey is my daughter. Being such you’d need to discuss the alliance with me.”

“Not to bring up old wounds, or not so old ones, but Casey is also Robert’s daughter.”

“Yes…. And if it’s easier for you then consider this an alliance with Casey’s mother’s family. She is my mate after all.”

“What kind of alliance were you looking for?” I wondered what it was he wanted. He had to have an agenda. Everyone has an agenda.

He brushed my questions aside. “We can discuss the details later.”

“What kind of ceremony is this going to be?”

“The official Clan Rights Ceremony. We’re welcoming Casey home.”

“Oh. That’s not bad.”

“No, although I should warn you, I’ll have to follow tradition.”

The fact that he was warning me couldn’t be a good thing. “And what kind of tradition are we talking?”

“Any of my men can petition her to be her mate.”

What? He couldn’t be serious. I guess the Mr. Nice guy act was over. “Yeah, that’s not happening.”

He laughed. “She’s already chosen you, Toby. But that doesn’t mean the men can’t petition. Unless you are worried about her changing her mind, it will be over quick.”

“Did anyone warn her about this? I can’t imagine she’s going to love that kind of attention.” Casey didn’t enjoy being the center of attention at all.

“I’m sure her mother is preparing her.”

“You love Taliana.” I said it as a statement. I was just hoping for some more insight. They’d already explained more of what had happened with Robert. Although I was still desperate to better understand Tiffany’s motive. Hailey said Jared hadn’t explained much. I guess we’d have to wait to see him to get more answers.

“I’ve always loved her. I knew I wanted her as my mate from a very young age. Unlike with everyone else, the clan leader can claim a mate. I crossed my fingers I wouldn’t have to. And I didn’t. She willingly accepted my proposal.”

“It must have been hard when she left.” I couldn’t imagine, especially since she also took his daughter.

“It nearly broke me, but I knew in my heart she still loved me. I knew there had to be a reason, and now she has returned.”

“And you’ve gotten another daughter out of the deal.”

He laughed. “Indeed. I can’t wait to see Astrella, or Vera as she’s called now. I wonder if she remembers me at all.”

I didn’t know what to say, so I said nothing.

“I understand none of this has been easy for her either. I hope I can help some.”

“I’m sure she’ll appreciate having some answers. Sometimes not knowing is the hardest part.”

“Wise words.” Gareth nodded. “What do you say we check on the women?”

“Sounds perfect.” I followed him back up the stairs.

Casey was dressed in a pale blue gown when I walked into the sitting area of Gareth’s house. It was the same room where we entered Casey’s subconscious. I had no clue what anyone else was wearing, because she was the only one I even noticed. I walked right over. “I love when you wear blue.”

“And that has nothing to do with it being your family color, does it?” She raised an eyebrow.

“Maybe a little bit, but really it just looks good on you.”

“Don’t all colors look good on her?” Hailey decided to stir up trouble. I was beginning to see that she was really good at that.

“Of course, but blue brings out her eyes.”

“Oh, I see.” Hailey grinned. “Are you guys ready for the fun to start?”

“Of course,” I linked my arm with Casey before turning to Hailey. “Want my other arm, or is Eric coming?”

“I’m here.” Eric jogged into the room. I wondered what he’d been doing. He shot me a look that told me not to ask yet. That wasn’t good. That meant it was more likely trouble rather than him taking a long time to get ready.

“Gareth said to head over when you guys were ready. Did your mom already go?” I asked.

“Yeah. She seemed to be in a rush.” Casey leaned into me slightly. It was nice knowing she was doing it because she wanted to this time and not because she needed to. “Did Gareth say anything else to you?”

I considered how much to say. Keeping stuff from Casey was never a good idea, but I figured I could just stick to what was most important. “He said some guys might petition to be your mate.”

She grimaced. “Yeah, my mom warned me about that. I’m obviously not thrilled, but I assure you I won’t have to debate my answer.”

“Good, because I’d fight to the death for you.”

“You won’t have to.”

“But I would.”

“Ok, sappy alert.” Hailey rolled her eyes.

“I’m allowed to be sappy today. I’ve been through a lot.” Casey kissed my cheek.

“Okay, I’ll let you off the hook just this time.” Hailey smiled.

The ceremony was held outside in the space between the buildings. Strings of white lights were strung up through the trees creating an almost intimate feel despite the large numbers of people packed into the area. Someone was playing a guitar, but it was acoustic, and you could barely hear it over the chatter of the crowd.

Casey, Hailey, Eric, and I hung out together, but pretty much every male under the age of forty who didn’t have a woman with him was staring at Casey like she was meat. I sincerely hoped they didn’t all plan to petition her. That would make for a long night, and we didn’t have the time. We needed to get to New Orleans. Georgina was waiting for us, and we were all nervous about what was happening half-way across the world. Neither Jared nor Owen were picking up their phones, and as far as we knew Vera didn’t have one. Casey and Hailey were acting cool about things, but I could tell they were on edge. I was too, but I did my best to hide it. I still hadn’t had a chance to talk to Eric alone, but I assumed if it was really important he’d make sure it happened.