Bear in the Rough: Bear Shifter Romance (Broken Hill Bears Book 1) (15 page)

“We could have a picnic, go someplace secluded,” he stuttered, growing increasingly uncertain.

“I’d like that,” she said, and stopped running. As he came closer, she lifted her chin up and he dipped his head and met her soft, full lips with his own. A million birds seemed to burst into song. “I’ll come by at around 1?”

“Perfect,” he said happily.

*

Just before 1pm, Freya snuck away from the cabin building project and walked over to Xander’s cabin. Her heart was skittering with excitement at the thought of the date.
This is so weird and wrong,
a little voice in her head told her, but she was determined to push those thoughts aside, just for today. She, Marin and Eloise had decided to build the cabin for sanity’s sake. It was something they’d discussed long and hard. As much as their hearts rebelled against the notion of creating a permanent home, as if it signaled defeat and an acceptance that they were never going to leave, their logical side told them that trying to be as normal as possible and keeping themselves busy would keep them sane, and lead the clan to trust them, so when they found an opportunity to escape, they’d be able to take their captors by surprise. So, as much as it terrified her, Freya was approaching the date in the same way. She’d already allowed herself the incredible, unbelievable pleasure of sex with Xander, and now she was going to enjoy a little romance. To be fair, it wasn’t the first time she’d had a romantic experience with him. In the aftermath of each of the three times they’d had sex, there had been something that was more than physical pleasure. The last time, when they had sex in the forest, she hadn’t been able to tear herself away from him. She’d wanted to go back to his cabin, climb between his sheets, and spend hours caressing his muscular body while he wrapped his arms around her, and told her that she was safe. She’d never felt like that with men before. All of her previous dating attempts had felt like business transactions – two people who had a need, using each other to satisfy it. And she was well aware that it was because she never allowed herself to get close to anyone. But with Xander, it was different. As much as she knew she shouldn’t, she wanted to let down her barriers, allow him to know the real her. If only fleetingly.

Xander met her at his front door with a big grin on his face.

“One moment,” he said, darting back inside. He returned seconds later carrying a cooler and two rolled up mats. “I thought we could go back to the clearing. If you liked it there?”

“Yes,” she said, smiling, thinking of the happy memories the place had for her.

The sun burned hot, high in the sky, but the dappled woods were blissfully cool. They walked side by side, chatting about the cabin she was building. She sensed that he wanted to save the serious conversation until they were sitting down. Half way there, he reached out, tentatively, and grasped her hand with his fingertips. Startled, she almost pulled away, but just in time, she uncurled her fingers, and suddenly they were holding hands. Her heart beat fast, and she felt herself trembling, overwhelmed by a feeling that was completely novel to her. She imagined the two of them, out in public in the human world, walking the streets of some big city, he holding her hand; all the envious glances she’d get from other women, and how proud she’d be to be his girl. In her peripheral vision, she saw that he kept stealing glances at her. She pretended not to notice, but inside she was glowing.

They’d arrived at the clearing and she inhaled the damp, green air. It held a scent that was a little different from the rest of the forest – somehow sweeter and more fragrant. Xander unrolled the mats.

“Take a seat, please,” he said, his eyes sparkling. She had the sense that he was also doing something that was very unusual for him. He opened the cooler, took out two beers and passed one to her. And then he pulled out a huge amount of food in plastic containers. It was mostly barbecued meat, but there was also a green salad and a potato salad. When he’d laid out all of the food, refusing her offers of help, there was a flicker of anxiety in his eyes.

“Is this okay?” he said. “I’m not that accustomed to going on dates.” Her chest flooded with warmth, and she suppressed the desire to laugh, out of pure happiness.

“It’s perfect,” she said. “And me neither.” His eyebrows shot up.

“I find that very hard to believe.” She glanced down at the floor, unsure how to explain herself, but he reached out with a callused finger and lifted her chin. There was tenderness and desire and possessiveness in his eyes. His mouth was hard on hers, his tongue hungrily seeking out her own. When he finally pulled away, she felt breathless, as if he’d drawn all the air out of her lungs.

“If you were my mate, I’d take you on a date at least once a week,” he said in a husky voice. “I’d make sure that you were the happiest female ever.” Her throat tightened with sadness. Sadness that this date was make believe, and that tomorrow, he’d still be her captor and she’d still be trapped in Broken Hill, unable to leave. Now felt like a beautiful dream.

“What did you want to talk to me about?” she said curtly, needing to change the subject. The softness left his eyes and was replaced by sadness.

“My brother, leaving the clan,” he said.

“What happened exactly? We saw a lot of commotion, and heard the clan shouting your names, so I figured out that you’d taken my advice, but I think there was a lot we missed.” Xander nodded gravely.

“Maximus accepted that he was beaten, and he saw how much anger was being directed toward him, so he left of his own accord.”

“Will he ever come back?”

“I don’t know,” Xander replied, voice thick with misery. “Shifters get over their anger, so the clan will forgive him eventually. But I’m not sure he can get over his. He’s so mad at me. He hates me on a very deep, primal level. I saw it last night when he left more clearly than ever before. The way he sees it, I’m the younger son and I beat him. He can’t see that being the Alpha is a responsibility far more than a privilege. I’m the winner, he’s the loser, and that’s it.”

“But where will he go?” Freya said, her heart aching with sympathy for his pain. He shrugged.

“I really have no idea. His life has always been here. He’s barely ever left these hills. Maybe he’ll go off on his own for a while, into the human world. But I can imagine him getting into trouble with his temper there. A lot of trouble.” Freya laid her hand on his thickly-muscled forearm.

“You’ve done all you can. It sounds like he needs some thinking time. I’m sure he’s still grieving for your father as well. Maybe it’ll do him good not to have to think about the clan for a while.” Xander’s lips curved into a small smile.

“You’re so good at knowing how to make me feel better, Freya. I couldn’t have coped with the past few days without you. I owe you so much.”

“I was just saying what came to mind,” she said, with a flicker of self-consciousness. She got up onto her knees laid her hands on his shoulders and gently pushed him backward. It was like trying to move a wall of muscle. At first he resisted, laughing. But then he allowed her to push him right down until he was lying flat. She lay down too and inserted herself into the crook of his arm. They stared silently at the canopy of trees for a while, and Freya felt all the tension in her muscles draining away. 

“I didn’t know it was possible to feel so relaxed around another being,” Xander said, his voice drowsy.

“You need to let yourself relax and have fun now and then,” she said with a giggle, poking him in the ribs. “If I’d met you in my hometown, I’d make you come to the movies with me and play crazy golf, and go to the fairground and eat way too much cotton candy.” He grinned at her like kid in a candy store. “I’d like to try these things,” he said. “Is hiking fun like that too?”

“It’s kind of fun. But real painful fun. At least for humans.”

“I wish I could take some time out.”

“Maybe you can when the clan is more settled?”

“I don’t know. My father said he never took a day’s vacation in his life. He said he didn’t see the point of it.”

“Even the president of the USA takes vacation now and then. It’s how you de-stress, recharge your batteries and remain a good leader.” Xander still looked doubtful. “It sounds like your father was a good and wise man, but you’ve got to be the leader you want to be,” she said. “Look where making a decision that went against your instincts got you. You’ve got to trust your judgment, or you’ll end up being inconsistent, and your clan won’t respect you.” He squeezed her hand tight.

“Thank you,” he whispered. “Thank you so much.” He turned onto his side and she did the same, melting into his arms, and once again she was lost in him.

It was dark by the time they parted. They’d made love all afternoon, chatted, drunk beer, and Freya was woozy with it all. It was too much. Before she left him to walk down the path to her cabin, he said, “come to Rudy’s bar tomorrow afternoon. I’ll be making an announcement about the future of the clan, and you three should be there too.” They kissed one last time. “I don’t want to let you go,” he said, stroking her face, his smoldering eyes on hers.

It would be another 18 hours before she knew what he actually meant.

The clan greeted Freya, Eloise and Marin a little less suspiciously than before when they arrived at Rudy’s bar the following afternoon. Their faces were becoming familiar at least. Braxton and Ryker had saved a place for them and waved them over and pulled out stools when they arrived. They ordered beers and Marin and Eloise chatted with the guys, but Freya was quiet. All she could think about was seeing Xander again. She was falling for him. She couldn’t help herself. Every time she saw him, he got a little further under her skin. She’d been evasive when she’d gotten home the night before, and sidestepped the girls’ questions about what she’d been doing. She was so torn. Wracked with guilt for not being honest with them, because it looked like she was siding with the enemy, but unable to ignore her growing feelings for Xander.

Voices hushed as he walked into the bar, looking every inch the Alpha. His hair had been growing recently, and he’d slicked it back. His eyes were sparkling and clear, and he glowed with strength and vigor. Freya never grew tired of staring at his powerfully muscled body, the sexy fighting scars that marked his skin here and there.

“Thank you all for coming,” he said, his voice thunderous and clear. “As you know, this clan is still recovering from the great loss of my father. We have all been grieving very deeply, and it has taken us some time to stabilize ourselves. I myself have certainly had a lot to learn. But know, now, that I am the Alpha of this clan. My father ordained it, and I have proved it through the strength of my body and mind. I withstood your mistrust and the repeated attacks from my brother and I’ve emerged stronger than ever. Now I intend to be a fair and humane leader. I intend to look after the clan and make sure that we are more powerful and more prosperous than ever. But I also intend to stand by my judgment and decisions – even if those are different from your expectations. So make no mistake about it – my word is law, and I will not tolerate any dissent. In the beginning of my leadership, your mistrust and the pressure from my brother made me doubt myself, and as a result I banished Deacon, Gunner and Mikal from the clan, when they made a very poor decision regarding these three women here. And I fell right into the trap my brother has set for me when Deacon, Gunner and Mikal joined our most hated rivals. This is a terrible outcome for our clan – and one which I will work hard to minimize the negative impact from. But it is also a very important lesson for me and I intend to never make the mistake of taking a decision which is against my judgment again.” He pointed to Freya, Marin and Eloise. “Freya, Marin and Eloise, you are free to go from Broken Hill. I can no longer, in good conscience, keep you captive here. All I ask is that you allow us to drive you some distance from here, as preserving our privacy remains of utmost importance to us.” Eloise and Marin gasped and jumped to their feet. Several of the clan members started muttering, but he silenced them with the ghost of a roar.

“And one last note,” he continued. “As you may be aware, Maximus has left the clan. He may return at some point. He hasn’t been banished; he left of his own free will. Thank you for your time today.”

Freya, Marin and Eloise ran to him immediately, their faces glowing with disbelief and happiness. 

“Do you really mean this?” Freya stared at him.

“Of course. You can leave right now. I’ll have the guys drive you and help you restock your supplies at a convenient place. All I can say is that I’m very sorry that you were abducted, and that you’ve been forced to live here for so long.”

“Let’s get our stuff!” Marin yelled, racing off to their cabin, and Eloise sprinted after her, as if they were worried that he’d change his mind. Freya gave him a long look. She wanted to ask him a hundred questions, but she couldn’t in front of everyone. Xander locked eyes with her, with that familiar intensity that seemed to blaze into her soul. Her lower lip trembled. They were free! She’d never truly believed it would happen; so much so that she felt like she was in shock.
What is he thinking?
she asked herself. But she knew: he was thinking the same thing that she was – she didn’t want to be parted from him.

“Am I crazy?” she muttered to herself.
I should hate him for keeping us here all this time.
She shook herself, breaking the tension between them, and headed off after the girls.

They packed quickly, used to assembling their packs in less than ten minutes, and gathered at the end of the pathway that led to their cabin, waiting for their ride.

“Goodbye to our cabin-jail,” Eloise muttered, casting a glance at it over her shoulder.

“Are we going back to the trail?” Marin said, a little wildly. All of their heads were spinning. Freya couldn’t gather her thoughts enough to decide if they should continue, or just head back home.

“Yes!” Eloise said, with surprising firmness. The other two whipped their heads toward her. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned from being trapped here, it’s that life is short and you’ve got to make the best of it. I’m going to finish that damn trail if it’s the last thing I do. Are you coming with me?”

“I guess so. I’ve got nothing better to do,” Marin said in a jokey tone, and they all laughed.

“And you, Freya?” Eloise said, noticing that she’d stayed quiet.

“Yup. Count me in,” she said after a pause. The other two whooped and they all high-fived each other.

“We need to check in with everyone first though. Make sure no-one’s been looking for us,” Marin said.

“Yeah. I could do with a couple of nights in civilization before we get going,” Freya agreed.

Braxton, Ryker and another guy they didn’t know arrived and took their packs from them.

“The van’s right over this way,” Braxton said, good naturedly, as he led the way. “I’ll sure be sorry to see you ladies go. It’s been great having you all here.”

“I can’t say the same, but it’s been nice to meet you,” Marin said. He shrugged.

“We’re all sorry for what happened to you all. I just wish we’d met in different circumstances,” Ryker said.

When they reached the truck, the guys helped them in and gave them blankets.

“I’m sorry to ask you this, but would you all mind putting the blankets over your heads until we tell you it’s okay to remove them?” Braxton said.

“Nope,” they all said, ready to agree to anything that facilitated their departure from Broken Hill.

As they were climbing into the back of the truck, Freya heard her name being yelled. She turned in the direction of the sound. Suddenly, there was a huge, muscular man hurtling toward her.

“Xander!” she yelled.

“Freya! I thought I’d missed you!” He lifted her right off her feet and hugged her tight. She bit back a sob, as waves of pleasure washed over her at being in his arms again. “Be safe. Be happy. You’ve changed my life in ways I could never have imagined. I’ll never forget you, Freya,” he said.

“Same to you, everything you said,” she whispered, almost too choked up to speak.

“Now go, get out of here.” As abruptly as he’d arrived, he disappeared again, leaving her standing dazed beside the truck. Somehow she clambered in, the doors were locked, and they drove off.

*

The drive took almost three hours, until they were let off at the town of Austin, five miles from the trail. They watched the three bears drive off in a cloud of dust and promptly burst into tears.

“I was so scared that entire time,” Eloise said, in between sobs.

“Me too. I thought we were never going to get out of there,” Marin said.

“Come on, let’s check in and decompress,” Freya said, her head whirling with so many conflicted thoughts.

The bears had returned their phones, all out of battery, and they plugged them in and trawled through messages. They’d all been missed, but by relatively unconcerned friends. Marin’s brother had hit her up twice, asking in the second message to ‘please call him asap to set his mind at rest.’ But they quickly discovered that, in the scheme of things, they hadn’t been away that long. People hadn’t expected to see them for five months or so, so a two-week absence was a mere blip in time.

That afternoon, and all evening, they talked non-stop, sitting on their balcony with wine coolers, and discussing every moment of their ordeal.

They argued over calling the cops. Marin was adamant that they should.

“You can’t just kidnap people and tell them that they can’t ever leave. This is the land of the free, and they need to respect that,” she pointed out. Freya tried to dissuade her.

“I know it was a harrowing experience, but nothing bad actually happened to us.” Marin snorted.

“Except that we were shit-scared for two weeks straight. Well, Eloise and I were, anyway.” Freya chose to ignore the pointed comment.

“How about if you try to look at it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see how shifters actually live their lives? It’s something that all those screaming girls at the shows would kill for. Shifter laws are different from human laws. If we call the cops, their whole existence will be over. People will find Broken Hill. The cops will go in, and that’ll be it.”

“I agree,” Eloise said, taking them both by surprise.

“What happened to us was freaky and scary and kind of awful, but it was an accident, and the perpetrators were punished by the clan. I kind of feel like justice has been done. Let’s take the good things we experienced – like Freya helping Xander become a good leader, which is what ultimately led to our release – and see it as a part of the trail. Albeit a very quirky one.”

Marin nodded slowly.

“If you’re both so strongly against it, then I don’t want to be the one to go against your wishes. I have a lot of anger toward the three morons who abducted us, but I guess you’re right – they have suffered for their actions. I just need a little more time to deal with it all.”

“Thank you, Marin,” Freya said with feeling.

They ended up staying two extra days in Austin. The bears had also given them a giant wad of cash, and they decided to treat themselves, eating lots of good food, replacing all of their clothes and visiting a spa.

When they returned to the trail, it felt like a whole new world. It was almost summer, the snow had disappeared from the mountain tops, and they’d bypassed the worst of the high altitude.

“Anybody sorry about that?” Marin asked.

“Nope,” Eloise and Freya both said.

Their packs felt heavier when they hoisted them, and they realized with dismay that their bodies would have to get accustomed to the weight once more.

“I’m no longer scared of bears,” Eloise announced, practicing the call that Braxton had taught her, which would apparently scare off any bear in several miles’ radius.

They made good progress that day, and the next and the next. Freya was as full of euphoria at regaining her freedom as the others, but her mind wouldn’t quit reminding her of Xander. He was in every thought. Everything made her think of him – the outdoors, the faraway mountains – she was
sure
that one of them was Broken Hill – the one with the jagged summit. The occasional patches of shade reminded her of the clearing where they’d made love twice. His scent seemed to be constantly in her nostrils, his deep, rumbling voice in her ear. Every time they spotted a male hiker in the distance, she convinced herself that it was him, coming to find her. She would’ve given a lot to kiss him again, to feel the impossible softness of that firm, masculine mouth on hers, his hardness pressing on her thigh, demonstrating just how much he wanted her. Eloise had taken to sleeping in her own tent, “because I’ve grown a pair recently,” she explained. So Freya had her tent to herself every night. She lay curled up, allowing thoughts of him to lull her to sleep, while her fingers eased away her insatiable need. 

After ten days of good, solid progress, they were surprised to find that they were approaching their next rest stop far quicker than scheduled. They’d given up obsessively checking for their next break, and somehow they’d lost track of it. They discussed bypassing it and pressing right on, but the stop after that was a lot further away.

“I hardly feel like I’ve earned this rest break,” Eloise said, plopping herself down on the bed of the nice hotel they’d checked into using the bears’ cash.

“Oh my god, this place has a pool!” Marin shrieked, leafing through the hotel brochure. “I know where I’ll be spending the evening.”

“Me too,” “Same here,” Freya and Eloise said.

Several hours later, after they’d spent a long while in the pool, hot tub and steam room, Freya lingered in the lobby as she waited for Marin and Eloise to finish getting ready for dinner. There was a rack of leaflets and flyers right by the door, and she wandered over and began looking over them idly. There was an image on one of them that caught her eye. She picked it up, looked closely, and clapped her hand over her mouth to stifle a gasp.