His to Bear (5 page)

room. He opened a mini fridge Holt hadn’t even noticed and grabbed a bottle of

water. He crossed and offered it to Jaeda. She released her grip on Holt to take it, and he was disgruntled to realize he missed her touch. She took a drink and cleared her

throat.

“I heard the whole thing. They…tortured him. They wanted names, places

where other bears could be found. They…he didn’t die until evening. They searched

for any others who might have been there, but they couldn’t find me.”

It made Holt sick to imagine what she had been forced to listen to as she hid.

“Where was the den?” Holt asked.

“Underground,” Jaeda answered.

“Our dens are underground caverns,” Declan expanded when Jaeda went silent

again. “We tend to build only in places that offer them. They provide a layer of

security hunters can’t seem to breach. The stone walls kill the scent of us unless they

were to chance upon the entrance.”

“In which case they would die,” Koby said with a growl. “Why is he here?” he

bellowed at Laramie. “He knows nothing of us.”

“He’s Jaeda’s mate,” Laramie stated. “He’ll learn.”

“Yeah, he’s real smart like that,” Holt told Koby. “And in the fucking room.

You might want to remember that.”

Koby growled again, and this time Jaeda growled back, half rising from her seat.

Holt put his hand on her shoulder and urged her down.

“Easy,” he said softly.

She glanced at him and wrapped her fingers around his wrist again, anchoring

him to her.

“When did you get away?” Laramie prompted her to continue, effectively

dismissing Koby and Holt.

“I waited as long as I could, waited for the noise they were making to quiet. It

was still night when I managed to sneak away. My plan was to come here. Uncle

Emmett made me promise to come here, to you, if anything happened to him.”

“And yet you’re afraid,” Koby jeered. “We can all sense your fear. It’s

insulting.”

“Back off,” Holt ordered.

Koby joined them, his stance aggressive, arms held wide as he confronted Holt.

“You think you have any say here? You think you matter? You’re nothing but—

”

“Her mate,” Holt interrupted Koby. “I’m her mate. That gives me all the say

where she’s concerned. I’d suggest you remember that.”

Koby’s chest puffed up. Holt didn’t move. Jaeda still gripped one wrist, and the

other arm was crossed casually over his chest. He purposefully flicked his gaze back

to Laramie.

“Control him, or I will,” Holt stated calmly.

Laramie did that eyebrow lift thing again, but Holt saw the quirk of his lips and

knew he was trying not to smile. He obviously found the whole display from Koby

amusing.

“Sit down and listen quietly, or go back to prowling where you won’t bother

us,” Laramie ordered his brother.

Koby growled again but this time it was Laramie who growled back. The sound

resonated from his chest and filled the entire room. It was a primal growl, like

something Tah would give. It had goose bumps breaking out on Holt’s arms and Jaeda

leaning into him, tucking her head against his hip. Holt watched, curious to see what

Koby would do. He was the brother closest in age to Laramie, which basically meant

he pulled rank with all the other Holloways but not the eldest. Holt had noticed the

Holloways seemed to be a hierarchy determined by age.

Koby’s hands clenched into fists at his sides. He threw one more dark look at

Holt then walked away, returning to the back where he could still listen. The whole

thing made no sense to Holt. He and Koby had been friendly from the start. They were

close in age and had seemed to hit it off. Jaeda had changed all that. As soon as she’d

hit Holt’s arms, Koby had demanded Holt surrender her to him. Holt had a feeling

Koby still wanted that.

Laramie waited a moment before speaking to Jaeda again. “So you left and

headed toward us.”

“I took one of the Jeeps. Every path I tried to take, hunters were there. It was as

if they knew exactly where I planned to head, as if they know you.”

“They do,” Laramie confirmed. “They also knew if you got here they wouldn’t

be able to touch you.”

Jaeda swallowed. “I cut through the National Park, thinking I could lose them in

there. They took out my tires. I almost flipped but managed to keep it on the road.

They hit me with a dart when I got out. I was afraid they were knocking me out.

Instead, it was one drugged to prevent me from shifting. So I ran. I heard them behind

me. They seemed to be getting closer. I didn’t think I’d make it.”

They’d toyed with her. Holt knew it, and it infuriated him. She had to have been

terrified. What she’d heard her uncle suffer, unable to do anything. Then to be

chased… He was willing to bet they’d herded her into the park, planning to take care

of her there before she ever had the chance to reach Holloway land. The hunters

obviously hadn’t been expecting Murphy, Koby and Holt to be waiting—armed and

ready to make sure she made it.

“I heard gunfire and thought they were shooting at me. Then I realized it was my

mate, watching and protecting me.”

“I was the one firing the damn gun,” Koby yelled.

Jaeda ignored him. Holt tried to, as well.

“I saw my Holt immediately, and I knew if I could just get to him, I would be

safe. So I did. They hit me with another dart, this one drugged to knock me out. I

flung myself to him, and he caught me. I asked him then if he would protect me. He

agreed.”

Her eyes were on him as she spoke. It was a little disconcerting the way she

referred to him as her Holt. She stared at him for a long minute then seemed to force

her gaze back to Laramie.

“I knew the moment I touched him, he was mine. My bear accepted him

immediately. I won’t give him up.”

Laramie smiled, but it wasn’t exactly a friendly one. “Jensen, I want you,

Matheus and Brock to go to Emmett’s. If his body is still there, bring it back with you.

Declan and Slade, take Koby and let him run some of what’s eating him off.”

“I—” Koby began but Laramie’s growl made him snap his mouth shut.

“Go,” Laramie ordered.

Koby gave Holt another glare before leaving the room with his brothers.

“I’ll give you forty-eight hours to complete the bond. No longer,” Laramie said.

“I’d suggest you use the time wisely.”

“Complete the bond?” Holt asked, though he was almost certain he knew what

Laramie meant.

“To bed her,” Laramie confirmed then casually glanced at the clock on the wall.

“Until then, it isn’t binding despite what Jaeda might believe. You have until this

evening before the others return. We’ll meet again once they do. Jaeda, you have

more to tell us. I’m giving you a little time to gather your thoughts. Know this, I will not tolerate any lies or half-truths. Even your mate will not be able to save you from

my wrath if you aren’t completely honest.”

“She won’t lie,” Holt vowed. “And she won’t be touched.”

“I won’t need to touch her,” Laramie stated. “Koby is right. You have much to

learn. I think it best if you and I speak alone. In the morning, perhaps.”

Holt just stared at Laramie. “What happens if I decide not to bed her in the next

two days?”

“Koby will issue a challenge for the right of mate.”

Jaeda gasped. Holt had known that wasn’t a good thing the moment Laramie

said it, but the way his mate was shaking and whimpering made him curious.

“What does the challenge include?” he asked.

“The two of you will fight for Jaeda,” Laramie told him. “To the death.”

Chapter Four

Jaeda shook as Holt led her back upstairs. She needed to get him in the room and

have him take her. She planned to be thoroughly mated by the end of the time period

Laramie had given them. If she had her way, they wouldn’t leave the bed unless they

had to, like for the meetings with the Holloways. As soon as they smelled the scent of

sex on her and Holt, this ridiculous challenge would disappear. Why would this Koby

Holloway want to challenge for her, anyway? It wasn’t right! Mating was her choice.

“It’s my choice.” She spoke the words out loud as soon as the door shut behind

them.

“What is?” Holt asked.

He seemed distracted, lost in thought, worried. She didn’t like it.

“Who I take for a mate. That’s the way of it within our pack. Our males are the

dominant forces when it comes to almost everything, except mating.”

“I’d think mating would need to be a mutual choice, between both people

involved. I’m curious why you chose me, and why you felt the need to trick me into

mating you?”

She had his full attention, now. Too bad talking wasn’t what she wanted to do.

“I’ll explain it all later,” she said, grasping the hem of her shirt and pulling it

over her head.

“What are you doing?”

She glanced at her mate, taking in the look of surprise on his face. Surely he

hadn’t thought she would be against him bedding her. They were mates. She tossed

the shirt and reached behind her to unhook her bra, letting the straps slide down her

arms and fall to the floor where she’d pitched her shirt.

“Why did you turn around?” she asked. “I know my body is appealing. My

breasts are high and firm, full. I have muscle, so I may not be soft, but I promise you

won’t be disappointed in me.”

“Jesus,” he muttered, refusing to face her.

She decided to strip out of the rest of her clothes before confronting him. When

she was naked, she padded around to stand in front of him. His eyes were shut tightly,

hands fisted at his sides. His stance was wide, and she found comfort in the hard

length pressing against the denim of his jeans. He might act as if he didn’t want her,

but his body said just the opposite.

“Holt.” She whispered his name.

He blinked his beautiful blue eyes open, and she watched them flare as he

slowly ran his gaze over her from head to toe and back. His cheeks took on a dark

blush as he swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. He had to clear his throat twice

before he could speak.

“Get dressed, Jaeda.”

“You want to bed me with our clothes on?” She’d never heard of such a thing.

Yes, she’d been hidden for the last few years, kept away from any outside influences,

but she wasn’t completely naive. Besides bears wanted skin-to-skin contact. She

needed it.

He swallowed again, jerking his gaze from her breasts to her face and holding it

there. “I’m not planning to bed you.”

She stumbled back as if he’d hit her. He reached out, grabbing her upper arm in

a bid to help her, but she didn’t want his touch, now. Not now. Not after the verbal

slap he’d given her.

“You’d rather die than bed me?”

He shook his head. “Where’s all the faith you had in me earlier when you were

walking into the lions’ den, or bears’ den in this case?”

“I knew they wouldn’t hurt you as my mate, and I would be safe with you at my

side. That was before I realized one of them had decided to try and force a claim on

me.” Her anger disappeared then, and she surged toward him, wrapping her arms

around his waist and pressing close to him. “You have to bed me. You can’t fight this

Koby. He’s a grizzly. He’ll kill you. I don’t want you to die. I won’t allow it. Do you

hear me, my Holt? I won’t allow you to do this to yourself.”

A long sigh greeted her words, but his hand stroked down her back, stopping

before he reached her buttocks and rising along her skin again.

“I’m not having sex with you right now,” he stated. “I’d like for you to put your

clothes back on so we can talk, without distraction.”

So she distracted him, but he was still refusing her. Was he not turned on? She

shook her head. She felt his erection pulsing between them. He was long and thick,

both of which would probably cause her a bit of pain their first time, but she’d been

assured it would only hurt that once. She was looking forward to finding out,

especially about the pleasure part.

“Why don’t you want me?” she asked, stepping back from him again. She

dropped her hands to cup her breasts, lifting them toward him. “Am I not desirable to

you?”

“You’re beautiful,” he answered, but his voice sounded choked as if he’d eaten

something sour.

She slid a hand down her belly and stopped at the curls that crowned her sex.

“Do you want these gone? I can do that. I’ll—”

“No.” He cut her off, reaching out to take her hand and move it away. “You

don’t need to do that.”

She grabbed his hand instead and pushed it between her legs, letting him feel the

slick moisture that coated her sex and the inside of her thighs. She rubbed herself

against him, couldn’t control the need to feel his touch on her center. “Feel how much

I want you, my Holt. I need you. Don’t push me away.”

His fingers slid through her swollen lips, brushing over her clit and stopping just

shy of sinking inside her. He rubbed the tip of one digit over her opening, once, twice

then with a low, tortured groan he pulled his hand away from her and turned his back.

His shoulders heaved, and she heard him taking deep, jerky breaths of air as if he

couldn’t get oxygen into his lungs.

“Holt.” She reached out to touch him, but he stepped away, shrugging her hand