Guardian Bears: Marcus

H
er kiss was almost enough
to make him stay.

The bus would be there any minute, and that would be that, but Lisa’s arms around him tempted Marcus to let it ride past. He could take his chances. For a timeless moment, they embraced, their lips meeting with inexperienced passion. The rest of the world forgotten around them. Finally, the kiss ended and Lisa stepped back, her eyes shining bright with tears.

“Don’t go,” she whispered.

“I have to,” Marcus said, his heart torn. “You know I do. There’s nothing for me in Coldwood, no future. At least in the Army I can make something of myself.”

“Or get yourself killed!”

He knew her anger wasn’t at him, not really. It still hurt, made him turn away, almost as though she'd slapped him.

“I’ll keep myself safe,” he promised. It was all he could think to say. Lisa, who’d looked after him after every fight he’d been in, looked away, trying to hide tears. “I promise!”

She shook her head, still looking away. “You can’t promise that. No one can promise that.”

She seemed so small, so lonely. It was as though she were the one leaving everything behind her, not him. She’d get to go back to her parents’ store, she’d still have her family around her. Marcus was the one taking off from everything he’d ever known, but he didn’t have a place here anymore. He hadn’t since his parents passed.

And now, finally, he was old enough to get out and make his own way in the world.

He reached out to take her by the shoulder, pulling her back to him. Her arms went around his broad chest and they stood silent for a moment, her hot tears soaking into his t-shirt.

“I promised I wouldn’t make a scene,” Lisa said eventually. “I don’t want you to remember me like this.”

“Don’t worry,” he told her, squeezing her tight in his arms. “I’ll remember you as you’ve always been, all the times we’ve spent together.”

There were too many other times to count. The two of them playing in the rain, laughing and splashing through puddles. Her patching him up after he’d gotten into another fight, cleaning up his scrapes and bruises. Walking in the woods together, or sitting at the fire listening to her mother’s stories.

Hazel was Lisa’s mother, though she’d taken care of Marcus as much as anyone had. She’d always played aunt to any child who would listen, or who needed a warm meal. Marcus had spent a lot of time with her since his parents died.

The intrusion of that memory stabbed his heart like a knife.

Another painful goodbye, though at least Hazel had understood that he needed to leave, needed to work out his own path. He forced himself to smile and looked for something cheerful to say.

“By the time I’m out, you’ll have found your own way out of here anyway,” he told her. “We’ll meet up in New York or somewhere, it’ll be great!”

“Yeah,” Lisa agreed, though she didn’t sound sure to Marcus. There was an edge to her voice, as though she were swallowing what she really thought for his sake. He didn’t press it.

Someone behind him called out the bus’s arrival, and with regret he stepped back from her embrace. His bag seemed awfully light for all his worldly possessions when he lifted it.

“I guess this is it, for a while,” he said.

“Yeah.” Lisa forced a smile and stood on tip-toes to kiss him on the cheek. “You remember your promise and take care of yourself. Or you’ll be in big trouble!”

“Wouldn’t want that!” Her fierceness brought out a genuine smile from Marcus, and he cupped her head, holding her in a long kiss.

He couldn’t think of a better memory to leave with. Turning quickly, he hurried to the bus which would take him away from the pain of his hometown.

* * *

W
atching
Marcus walk to the bus, Lisa Kyle felt sick to her stomach. It shouldn’t feel so bad, she told herself. He’d only be gone a couple of years, and that was time she could use to get away from Coldwood herself. Find something to do with her life, something that she could be proud of.

Meanwhile, Marcus would be doing what he did best - looking out for people who needed it. That was what he’d always done for the other kids, and in the Army he’d be doing the same thing, but on a bigger scale than he ever could in little Coldwood. It was good for him.

She couldn’t shake the feeling that this goodbye would be forever, though. That he was about to walk out of her life and onto something else, while she’d be stuck. It wasn’t that she didn’t like her hometown. Coldwood was all she’d known, and her family was here, but there were a lot of problems, too.

The Serpents Motorcycle Club had been causing more and more trouble around town lately, and she didn’t like the look of how things were going. But more than any of her worries about Coldwood and Marcus, Lisa longed to see the great wide world in all its splendor.

Maybe I’m just jealous
, she thought, putting on her brightest smile as Marcus looked back at her from the steps of the bus, waving.
Here I am, watching Marcus move on and find his own path. Maybe I just want to do the same.

He looked so certain of his path, so proud to be off to serve his country.
It must be nice to be that sure of what to do
, Lisa thought. She couldn’t bear to watch him any longer, and turned her back, hurrying away from the bus station, blinking away tears.

She ran straight into the arms of her mother, and a warm solid hug which almost lifted her off her feet.

“I figured you might need some company, with the boy on his way out of town,” Hazel said with a small, sad smile. “We’ll both miss him, that’s for sure.”

“You could talk him out of it, mom,” Lisa said, a spark of hope igniting.

“Don’t think so, honey. He’s too damned stubborn for that. Besides, I think he’s doing the right thing. There are some things a young man has to work out for himself, and Marcus especially. The Army’ll be good for that boy, I can tell. It’s you I’m worried about, so come on, let’s get you home and fix some supper.”

“Don’t you want to say goodbye to him yourself?”

“We said all we’re going to before he left the house. Besides, I don’t believe in goodbyes. He’ll be back when he’s needed, you can trust him on that. And if you don’t trust him, trust me. I’ve seen it.”

Lisa sniffled but couldn’t help smiling. “Oh? Was it in your tea leaves?”

“Shush, girl,” Hazel said with a fond grin. “You know better than that. What do you take me for, some parlor witch? I saw it in his face, when he looked at you.”

With that, she put her arm around Lisa and lead her away.

L
isa rolled
her eyes and sighed at the rowdy ruckus coming from the back of Lou’s Bar. She didn’t like to drink there, but small towns like Coldwood didn’t offer many places to socialize. Maybe if she’d ever managed to get out like she’d planned, she’d be somewhere nicer, but that wasn’t a thought she liked to dwell on.

It hadn’t happened, and that was that.

“Ignore them,” Janet said in a quiet voice, pulling her attention back. “I know you hate being around them, but if you pay attention you’ll just make things worse.”

Lisa knew her friend was right. A hard glare wouldn’t be enough to quiet down the big rough men making all that noise. After all, the Serpents Motorcycle Club pretty much ran the town these days and attracting their attention would only mean trouble. At best they’d get leered at and harassed. At worst… well, that was something Lisa didn’t want to think about.

The Serpents. It was a good name for the venomous gang that coiled around the town, drawing tighter every day. Slowly squeezing every last bit of light and happiness out.

She sighed, and wished again that Janet had picked
anywhere
else to grab a drink. A few years ago, Lou’s had been a good place for a quiet conversation. Now that the Serpents had adopted it as their bar of choice, that time was gone.

“What do you say we get out of here? We can go back to mine instead,” she offered. “It’ll be quieter, and easier to talk. I want to hear all about your engagement!”

That wasn’t quite true, either. She
was
happy for her friend, of course. It was just that Janet getting married left Lisa all too aware of the lack of a man in her life. Aside from Cal, that was, and she’d rather he wasn’t on her radar.

Cal was a Serpent, rough and crude, and she didn’t know what she’d done to attract his attention. She just knew that it gave her another reason to stay out of their way. As if she needed any more.

Still, she did like seeing the way Janet’s face lit up every time she got to talk about her man, or the wedding they were planning. At least she could live vicariously through her friend’s success.

Janet took another look around the bar and nodded. “Sure. I guess this isn’t going to be a great place to chat tonight. I just wanted to buy you a drink before I vanish away for a couple of weeks!”

They shared a smile, and Lisa took a sip of her drink. It was only fair - Janet worked with her, and those two weeks were going to leave her to manage the store on her own. Buying a round was the least she could do! But Lisa knew she shouldn’t have any problem managing the small shop by herself. Seeing her friend so happy was more important than having someone to share the chores.

“Tell you what, why don’t I get us a bottle of wine and we can share that at your place?” Janet offered. “Then we don’t have to worry about the company we’re keeping while we drink.”

“Ooh, that sounds like a great idea,” Lisa said. It would be a nice way to finish their conversation, and one which wouldn’t be interrupted by unwanted bikers. “Thanks for understanding.”

“No problem.” Janet flashed a big smile and stood. “I’ll be back in a second and we can get going.”

She vanished towards the bathrooms, leaving Lisa to finish her drink. Behind her, the bar door opened, letting in a blast of cold air. Lisa looked around to see who’d come in, only to see it was another couple of bikers.

Instinctively, Lisa looked away, not wanting to attract trouble, but something drew her eyes back to the pair. The first one she recognized - Lewis, that was his name. He’d been a decent enough guy years ago, one of Marcus’s rare friends back when they were all kids. Before the Serpents had sucked all the good out of him, like they did to everything around here.

The man next to him, though, was different. A giant of a man, tall and broad-shouldered, ruggedly handsome and made of pure muscle. He wore biker leathers like his companion, but his lacked the patches that the Serpents wore. He moved with an easy, quiet confidence that was more intimidating than the brash swagger of the gang members.

His eyes were intense, constantly moving, flicking over the bar as though he was memorizing the layout, or checking for hidden dangers. He carried an air of danger around him, a menace different from the fear the Serpents inspired. It was enough to make Lisa shiver and shrink back in her seat as his gaze flicked past her. She almost sighed with relief as his attention moved on to focus on the Serpents, who were rising from their seats to greet him and Lewis loudly.

It was those eyes that gave him away, that let her recognize him. It took a moment for her to realize who she’d seen, but once the thought was in her mind there was no denying it. But it couldn’t be him, could it?

If Marcus was back in town, why would he be with the Serpents?

And why hadn’t he called her?

* * *

T
he town
of Coldwood hadn’t changed much while he’d been away. Not outwardly at least. Looking around as he parked his bike, Marcus couldn’t help comparing it with his memories of eight years ago. The businesses were the same, just a little more run down than he remembered. Some of the windows were boarded up, everything looked like it could use a fresh coat of paint. Aside from that, it was all as he had left it. But underneath, there was a quiet air of desperation which he didn’t remember from before.

Marcus shivered softly. So many memories, good and bad, flooded into him as he looked around. But he had business of his own here, and it was time to get on with it. He stepped off his bike, leaving it beside the others in the parking lot outside of Lou’s Bar. One of club members was waiting for him and stepped forward to greet him.

“Marcus, buddy, good to see you back again,” Lewis said, grinning from ear to ear. Marcus smiled back. It was genuinely good to see a familiar face, even if the man was mixed up with a gang now.

“You haven’t changed a bit, Lewis,” he replied, grabbing the man in a hug. It was mostly true - the man was as big and tough looking now as he’d been eight years ago, but Marcus had changed a lot in that time. He was broader, bigger, and a lot tougher than the last time he’d seen anyone here. Part of that was Uncle Sam’s influence, and part of it was his bear shifter heritage.

When he’d left town, Lewis had been about his size. Now he looked small in comparison as he led Marcus into the bar.

The bar was nothing out of the ordinary, just another small town bar like any other. His gaze flicked over it, assessing the terrain as he’d been trained to do, memorizing exits and threats. Something caught his attention as he looked over the townsfolk, something he wasn’t expecting. Before he could focus on what it was, the gang in the corner caught his full attention.

The Serpents all looked up as he walked towards them, their gazes hostile for a moment before giving way to smiles and nods of recognition. He was, after all, expected, and accompanied by one of their own. Marcus forced a smile onto his face as he walked towards them.

Lewis started to introduce him to the rest of the gang, and Marcus let him speak. He didn’t really need to: he was familiar with most of them from the dossiers he’d read on the gang preparing for his trip home. Still, it was important to pretend to pay attention. Nothing good would come of these people knowing how much he’d studied them before he’d arrived.

Whatever he’d seen earlier nagged at his attention, something subtly out of place that he couldn’t quite identify. It didn’t feel like a threat, somehow, but the bear inside him was focused on something other than his job. Years of work in dangerous situations had taught him to trust his bear’s instincts when they told him there was something he needed to pay attention to. There shouldn’t be any danger here: if the Serpents knew why he was here, they wouldn’t be meeting him like this, and he didn’t think Lewis could be that good an actor even with eight years to practice. Still, years of dangerous assignments in the field had taught him never to ignore a potential threat, not even when he was sure he was safe.

Looking back towards the bar cautiously, he froze, completely unprepared for what he saw there. Or rather, who.

Lisa Kyle sat at the bar staring at him, looking just as shocked as he felt.
She’s not supposed to be here,
he told himself, unable to tear his eyes away.

She was everything he remembered, and more. Over the years, while he was away, he’d thought about her every day, but she’d grown more beautiful than he ever imagined possible. A small part of his brain recognized that his companions were still talking, though what they were saying passed by him entirely. All his attention was on the petite, curvy woman staring at him.

You shouldn’t be here. You were supposed to leave, just like I did. Why would you stay here, in a town that gave you so much trouble?

A heavy hand clapped him on the back, and Marcus had to force himself not to break the arm it was attached to. Shaking himself, he tried to shift his instinctive snarl into a smile and turned to face a man almost his own size. Big Jack, one of the club’s leaders - a man he recognized from the dossiers, one of the people he was here to meet.
Got to watch myself, don’t want to piss anyone off too soon.

“Like what you see there, friend?” Big Jack said with a leer. Broad-shouldered, tall, bulky, the man looked fat but Marcus could see that there was solid muscle underneath. Something in the man’s bearing made it clear he was dangerous. And there was a disconcerting cold intelligence behind his narrowed eyes.

“Sure,” Marcus answered. It would be pointless to try and deny it, much as he wished he could keep Lisa out of this. “She belong to anyone?”

It took an effort of will to look calm and relaxed as he asked the question. He wasn’t sure what he’d do if someone had staked a claim on Lisa - his instinct would be to kill the man, but that would mess up everything.
Might be worth it, though
, he thought.

“Nah, not yet,” Jack answered, those clever little eyes of his watching Marcus carefully. “If you’re gonna go for it, though, better make your move. Cal’s interested, ain’t you?”

Cal, another of the Serpents at the table, bristled at that. “I staked my claim, Jack. New blood here can fuck off.”

“She isn’t wearing your jacket,” Big Jack’s smile would have looked friendly, if not for his hungry eyes. “Ain’t a thing till she puts that on, you know the rules. And you be polite to our new friend here, he’s bringing in big business for us, right?”

Cal snorted at that. “Yeah, yeah, I’ll believe that when there’s money on the table. But you think you can take my girl, you got another thing coming.”

The bear inside Marcus growled, and it took all his self-control not to do the same out loud. He leaned across the table and looked Cal dead in the eye.

“There’ll be enough cash to keep you all happy if this deal works out. As for the girl, well, if you want her, put your jacket on her. If she’s not your old lady, she’s free to be claimed - isn’t that right?”

Unwillingly, Cal nodded his head and sat back. Marcus glared a moment longer before he smiled and straightened. A mix of feelings rushed through him, and he felt tangled up inside - on the one hand, he wanted to keep Cal away from Lisa, but on the other, he didn’t want to drag her into his plans, not when that would put her in danger.

In the end, Marcus knew he couldn’t back down from that challenge and keep the respect of the gang - respect he’d need if he was going to make his plan work.

Taking down the Serpents’ leadership and ending their control of the town was the prize here, and he needed to keep his focus on that. On why he’d come home. Not Lisa.

“Okay, that’s settled then,” he said, casually. Stepping back from the table, he nodded. “Time I bought my hosts a round anyway.”

That should get him some goodwill, he thought, as he headed for the bar.

* * *

L
isa looked
at the man approaching and tried to get her mind back in working order.

It can’t be him,
she thought, staring at Marcus. It had been so many years since she’d seen him, since she’d heard from him. She’d almost given up on the idea that they might ever be in the same place again. Now here he was, back in town, and twice as handsome as she remembered.