His Unbearable Desire 2 (10 page)

Over the next few weeks we were on the lookout in case anyone else came but no-one did, and we were able to relax a little. But then it came time to talk about the future of the family. I was all ready to take my place and Glenn wanted us to become a force again but the others had been shaken and wanted an easy life. Glenn gave us all a choice. Either we could stay and make the family great again or we could take enough money to make us comfortable for life and go off somewhere. They all took the money and ran.

In a way I don’t blame them because they lost everything they knew and who knew if anyone else was going to attack? But I stayed with Glenn. I knew our rightful place, and our tribe had been around for too long to simply disband after all that. For a long time after that the mansion was cold and empty. We barely spoke to each other, and when we did it wasn’t anything of substance.

Glenn lost himself to his sadness and I tried to do my best to bring him out of it because I had been through the same thing when my parents had died. He didn’t want to listen to me though and for the longest time there was a schism between us. I thought that was the last of it. Over time we grew up and matured and managed to move on from that terrible night but now it seems to have reared its ugly head again.
” He explained.

He looked almost lost and forlorn, as if he was that little boy again of all those years ago. As she looked at him Ana could see that he was lonely and that he missed Glenn. The image of the lone bear was transparent and she could see the pain in his eyes. She knew him too well to not be aware of the pain he held close. She also knew that his pride was such that he would not want her to comment on it. She suggested that she make them some tea while he goes through the books, and as she passed him she brushed her hand over his shoulders. He looked up at her and smiled, for he knew that there was still a chance for him to redeem himself.

When she was in the kitchen making tea Ana looked out at the balcony and thought about the night that she and Glenn had spent together. As they had been looking out at the moon she had felt so safe and secure, although even then she had still wondered about Colton. It was annoying that they had both approached her on the same weekend. Life would have been far easier had she only known one, and in truth all the time she had spent with Colton meant a lot to her, but the fact that it was founded on a lie gave her pause for concern.

She sighed as she looked out at the secluded park and peered out into the distance, suddenly feeling unsettled that somebody could have been spying on them all this time. It was a strange thing to think of mysterious attackers lurking somewhere out there, and even stranger that they didn’t know anything about them. Ana walked back in to the room where Colton was sitting with his back against the floor, surrounded by books. Ana handed him tea and sat down on the sofa behind him.

“Are we safe here?” she asked, feeling a slight chill creep down her spine.

“I won’t let anything happen to you,” he said, looking up at her.

He then looked down at his books, “they wouldn’t dare attack in the daytime. It would be far too brazen a maneuver. They’ll wait until dark like before if they’re going to attack again, like the cowards that they are. But I have a feeling that on the next attack they’ll want to announce themselves.”

“Can I…um, I’m not sure how to ask this really but can I have something to defend myself with?” she asked. Colton considered her request a moment.

“I suppose it is prudent. Glenn doesn’t own any guns but there may be something of use to you. Follow me to the armory.”

“The armory?”

“I told you the man has secrets,” he said with a cheeky smirk.

He led her along the hall way and then pushed a secret compartment. A hidden door slid away and opened to a small room, which was like a large walk-in closet. Glass cabinets stood and held all manner of items. Ana gazed in awe as her eyes ran around the room, looking at all the various weapons and pieces of death-dealing equipment.

“Anything take your fancy?” he said.

She looked across at a staff and held it in her hands. It felt so light, but the ends were cast in metal.

“Ah, a weapon for a more civilized age,” he said, and then took it from her, “but it’s better in the hands of a trained master. Perhaps you would prefer something that’s easier to use and something that should only be used in defense,” he said, and then handed her a small dagger. The edge was sharp and the smooth metal shone under the electric lights. It was heavier than she expected but it fit nicely into her hand and as her fingers curled around the handle she felt like it was a part of her.

“Have you ever used one before?” he asked.

She cocked an eyebrow at him, “I haven’t lived an exciting life like you. The only thing I’ve cut is meat.”

“Well, you might have to cut meat again, just this time it’ll be moving.”

She hoped it wouldn’t come to that but she was glad to be prepared. The dagger had a black handle with some marks carved into it. She ran her thumb across the edge of the sharp blade and winced as it pressed against her skin.

“I’d go careful with that,” he warned, and for once she listened to him.

He handed her a small sheath which she tied around her stomach, and slid the dagger against the small of her back. They left the armory and went back into the lounge.

“Are there any other hidden rooms around here?” she asked.

“Just the torture chamber.”

Ana looked horrified, and then slapped Colton’s face when she saw that he was teasing her. After all that had happened between them the rapport was easy and the sexual tension was still high, but Ana didn’t want to do anything until after she spoke with Glenn.

Colton continued going through the books while Ana pored over maps of the area. They showed where bear activity had taken place over the years, although mostly it was in Europe. She traced her fingers over these maps, which were old, and thought about the people who had put them together. Whether they thought that in the future someone would still be looking to track them down.

“Did you ever think about going to Europe to find the other bears?” she asked. After all, they had the money to do so.

“After what happened we just wanted to leave them alone. We wanted them to leave us alone as well. We still don’t know what this blood debt is but I’m sure it has something to do with why we were attacked a month ago.”

Time slipped by but they were making no progress. Colton was getting more and more frustrated. Eventually he threw up his hands and the books went flying. Ana leapt back, startled, as Colton rose and paced the floor.

“This is no good! I need Glenn here. I’m not good at this sort of thing. How am I supposed to find them through all this? It’s ridiculous. I can’t do it. They’re out there somewhere and I have no idea where they are. They could be outside at any moment and I’m stuck here, helpless. I can’t even do anything to protect my pack,” he said, his words dripping with haunted pain.

Ana, feeling sorry for him, went up to him and hugged him. This instantly calmed him down, and she could feel his breathing settle. The hug lingered and they felt close to each other. The electric energy between them sparked once more and Ana felt her hands moving around his back. His came around to squeeze her and draw her into him tightly, and the passion between them rose alarmingly quickly.

In her mind Ana was screaming at herself to stop because she didn’t want to do this until they had sorted everything out but her mind was weak and her body was strong. She breathed more heavily and started to stroke Colton’s body. His breathing became deeper and she could feel him turning his head ever so slightly to breathe in the scent that lingered on her hair. His fingers came up and brushed her heart-shaped face while her eyes closed and she pressed herself into him. No matter how much she tried she couldn’t resist him and it was foolish of her to deny the feelings swimming in her mind and her soul.

“Oh Colton,” she murmured, and pressed her body so closely to his that she could feel his heartbeat reverberate through her own body.

“I thought you didn’t want this,” he asked in a low voice that rumbled from the pit of his stomach, and made her weak at the knees.

“I know I shouldn’t, but I just can’t resist you,” she whispered breathlessly.

She ran her hands down the back of his head and along his spine, sending tingles through both their bodies as she pulled her head back a little, brushing her lips against his rough stubble. They murmured and fell into a long, passionate kiss that exploded within them.

All the research was strewn on the floor, and Ana knew that for Glenn’s sake they should go through it again and again until they found out who was responsible because until they were caught both Glenn and Colton were still in danger. The rational, logical part of her mind was submerged and overwhelmed by the sheer desire that was brought to the surface by Colton’s sexual magnetism. She felt as if there was a phoenix inside her, rising from the ashes of her soul, ready to consume her in a fiery burst of passion and desire.

They kissed fervently and Ana clawed at Colton’s body, filled with an animalistic desire that rivalled his own. They stumbled back and hit the wall. Colton spun her round and began kissing her neck. Ana moaned and writhed, arching her body underneath his as her hands traveled down his body, fumbling at his belt buckle. Their skin was flushed and they were beginning to lose themselves in the throes of passion.

Ana’s eyes fluttered and became blurry as her legs parted for him. His hands ran down her body, over the rise of her breasts, over her sensitive, erect nipples (and as he pressed his hand down onto them a rush of pleasure swelled over her).

They continued down, his hands wandering wherever he liked, for in that moment he owned her, and she owned him. She felt his fingers slip down around the rim of her panties and work towards her already-wet pussy. She gasped in anticipation as she waited for that sweet feeling of his fingers inside her, and she leaned forward to kiss him again, before the intensity of the sensations became too much and she had to fling her head back in moans.

Her body trembled under the force of his lust, and her eyes started to roll back in her head as she gave herself to him, when suddenly she saw something through her blurred and hazy vision. She stared at it, unsure of what it meant, but she knew that it had to mean something. She stopped moving for a moment although Colton carried on for a few seconds more, until he realized that she was frozen in shock.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, as his head turned to follow her gaze.

Chapter 10

Ana couldn’t believe what she was looking at. Her mind reeled with possibilities and scenarios, and her blood ran cold. She unfurled herself from Colton’s embrace and stepped away from him, the shock of what she had seen neutralizing the arousal that had burned deeply within.

Her eyes were wide and her heart was beating fast. In the dim recesses of her mind she could hear Colton asking what was wrong, but his words were a distant whisper and everything else melted away. She moved as if she were in a trance, transfixed by the image that was now seared into her brain.

She walked across the room, leaned down, and picked the heavy book up in her hands. The leather covers were smooth to the touch and the parchment inside was old and weathered, but the writings were still clear. She ran her fingers over the paper and gulped as she stared at the formation of black ink on the page, forming a symbol with which she was familiar.

“I know this,” she said, her voice faltering.

She glanced at Colton, and the whites of her eyes were visible.

“I
know
this,” she repeated, her voice almost a scream.

Colton came up to her and stood by her side, taking the book in his hands. He looked at the volume and flicked through some of the other pages.

“That’s impossible, this tribe died out years ago. Where have you seen this before? Where?” he asked, holding her shoulders.

Ana almost didn’t want to say because the truth was hard to face, and it almost didn’t seem like it could be true. An unsettling feeling crept through her body and its spindly fingers took hold of her soul, gripping it in a chilling and desperate fear. Ana took the book back again and held it up.

“My…my best friend has this on her stomach,” she said, feeling faint.

She fell down onto the couch. The book landed on the floor with a dull thud and her hand fell limply by her side. She looked completely forlorn and lost, as if all the energy had been drained out of her. Colton paced back and forth, holding his hand against his chin.

“This is trouble,” he said.

Ana groaned. Colton fell to his knees and clasped her hands. He repeated her name until she looked in his eyes. She appeared to be groggy.

“Ana, listen to me, this is going to be okay. I know this is a shock but we’re going to work this out. Are you sure this is the same symbol?” he said, pointing to the book.

Ana, face white as a sheet, nodded again and then pushed the book away. There was too much deceit in her life and it seemed that everyone held secrets from her. To think that Angelica was doing that as well was too much to bear. She felt nauseous and bile rose through her throat. She pushed past Colton and ran to the bathroom, where she threw up.

She groaned, and soon enough Colton was by her side to hold her hair and help her clean up. He hugged her tightly and repeated that it was going to be okay, but she wasn’t sure how.

“What can you tell me about her?” he asked when they were back sitting in the lounge.

She had a glass of water and was taking small sips intermittently. Some of the color had returned to her face but she still appeared to be shaken and when she spoke her voice was small. Colton had never seen her like this, and all he wanted to do was keep her safe. He sat beside her and listened patiently, and his arms never strayed from her body.

“I…I don’t know. I thought I knew her better than anyone but now I feel like I don’t know her at all. I don’t know anyone.”

“You know me,” he said. She didn’t reply to that.

“Can you think back? Is there anything that gave you a hint about her true nature?” he asked.

Ana thought about the duration of their friendship. All the years melted into one big montage. They’d grown up together and shared so much. They had spent nights talking until they fell asleep, and they had whittled away the hours speaking of mundane things that became entertaining. She had been like her sister but now she was a stranger, and everything had been a deception.

“Nothing really, although,” she said, and her eyes lit up with the flash of an idea, “she’s really close with her parents. She’s been saying how afraid she’s been to leave them because they’ll be disappointed. I thought it was odd at first…that they were just close, but if she’s part of a pack…that would explain it.”

“How many are in her family?”

Ana swallowed hard.

“Four. Her parents and her brother,” she said, knowing that four bears had attacked Glenn and Colton.

“This is too much to be a coincidence. Have any of the others got this tattoo?”

“I haven’t seen any of the others for a long time. I don’t think so. But then none of them have been to Europe.”

“Do you remember where in Europe she went?”

Ana shook her head as she tried to remember.

“All over the place, she was gone for months. But she might not have told me everything.”

Colton growled at the turning of events and he looked down at the books.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if she had gone looking for other bears. I’m guessing she found them, and they told her…something about my pack’s history. Have you told her about me?” he asked, his piercing eyes boring a hole through her.

“No! I mean…I’ve told her about you…about us. But I haven’t told her what you can…what you are.”

“That’s good,” he said, thinking aloud, “then they might not know who we are in human form. That means we have an advantage.”

“What are you saying?”

“That’s what we came here for, to find out who attacked us and stop them, isn’t it?”

“Yeah but…Angelica is my best friend.”

Colton clenched his jaw, and Ana could see the rage that was simmering below the surface.

“If she’s part of this tribe then she’s a dangerous person and you need to do what needs to be done. She might be your best friend but she’s a threat, and so are her family. It’s a wonder they’ve remained hidden for this long.”

“Trinity Falls is a small place. I guess it’s easy to keep a secret there.”

“I know this isn’t easy for you, but if you still want to help, we can use your friendship to trap them.”

“Colton I…she’s my friend. I can’t betray her like that.”

“She’s already betrayed you. I’ve seen what she can do. She and her family have put my cousin in the hospital and did this to me,” he said, lifting up his shirt to reveal the deep scar that ran along his stomach.

“I need you with me on this,” he pleaded.

She tried to avoid looking at him because she hated the idea of confronting her best friend. There was still so much to process and she didn’t know what Angelica was capable of. But she also knew that she hated the idea of Colton and Glenn being attacked, and she was with Colton. She cared for them both. She wanted to help them. It took a few moments of deliberation, but she knew that she couldn’t go against a lifetime of friendship either, yet she knew she had to do something.

“Look, I don’t want this to be an all-out war, and there are four them and only one of you. Why don’t you let me talk to Angelica? Let me try and find out why they’re attacking you. Maybe this is all just a big misunderstanding and there’s a chance for us to work this out?” Colton stared at her fixedly for what seemed like a long moment.

“Fine,” he eventually said, “but arrange to meet in a public place and I’m coming with you no matter what.”

She agreed to his terms, and nervously called Angelica. When she answered Ana tried to keep her voice as steady as possible but it was difficult, knowing that the person she was talking to had been lying to her for her whole life.

“Hey, how are things now, do you need another pep talk?” Angelica asked.

“No, I um, things are fine thanks,” she stammered, and cringed at how awkward she sounded.

“Is everything okay?” Angelica asked in a suspicious tone.

“Yeah, it’s fine, sorry, I just saw Colton walk into the shower and I got distracted for a moment.”

Colton rolled his eyes and Angelica mouthed an apology. “I’ve sorted things out now with him and I was thinking that actually you two haven’t properly met. I’d love to introduce him to you properly, maybe we could meet up soon, if you’re not doing anything?”

“Yeah, do you guys want to come back here? We can go for a stroll or something.”

“That would be perfect. We’ll come and pick you up on the way through.”

“Oh, no, don’t worry about that. Let’s just meet by the old tree.”

Ana knew that she wasn’t going to be able to persuade Angelica otherwise so she agreed. When she put down the phone she told Colton the plan. The old tree was a gnarled trunk that had been there long before Trinity Falls had even been built, and it was a place that was a little way from the main street. In the summer lots of teenagers went there with their cars to misbehave at night but ordinarily it was deserted, and was the perfect place for a clandestine meeting.

Colton insisted that they take his bike, but before they left he took a small vial with a silvery potion in it. When Ana asked what is was he told her that a long time ago someone had found a way to bottle moonlight, and it meant that he could change even when there was no full moon, although this was the last of it. The formula had never been able to be replicated. He hung it around his neck and tucked it under his shirt and then they jumped on his seat.

Ana wrapped her arms around his thick torso and rested her head against his back. As they roared away the wind whipped through her hair and she tried not to think of the terror that they were driving towards. With nothing else to occupy her time she thought of Angelica and was afraid. She didn’t know what she was going to say, but she knew it was going to be difficult.

Although she cared deeply for Colton if it came down to a choice between him and Angelica she didn’t know whom she was going to choose. She could feel the dagger pressing against her back and she hoped that she wouldn’t have to use it. It seemed like a long rivalry had been brewing between Colton’s pack and the rest of the bears, and it seemed to be coming to a head soon. They left Newtown behind and went back to the small town of Trinity Falls. Colton stared ahead, revving the engine and going as fast as possible. When Trinity Falls came into view Ana was filled with dread.

She directed Colton to the old tree and there they waited for Angelica. She half-expected Angelica to be waiting there for them but they had to wait for her to arrive.

“What’s the plan Colton asked?”

“I’ll try and talk to her first, get to admit why she attacked you. Don’t do anything rash. I don’t want this to turn into a fight…I don’t want to see either of you get hurt.”

“I’ve already been hurt. So has Glenn,” Colton said tersely.

Ana gave him an apologetic look and remained silent. They waited for Angelica. The air was pregnant with tension. There was barely any noise around and it felt like they were alone and apart from the rest of the world. In some ways that was true, for the world did not know about were-bears or the secret history of their tribes. Ana felt privileged to be a part of it, although part of her did wish that her life had remained simple and uneventful. Yet things had turned out the way they had and there was no way for her to change things.

She and Colton waited in silence until Angelica appeared. She waved brightly, and Ana waved back to keep up the pretense. When Angelica hugged her Ana was filled with revulsion and it made her skin crawl. They talked as normal and Colton tried to be as friendly as possible, but his hostile manner was thinly-veiled. Ana didn’t think it would be too much of a problem since Angelica already knew that he was a bad boy. They chatted for a little while, although conversation was stilted and awkward and it didn’t flow as easily as normal. Ana wasn’t sure how she was going to bring up what she needed to say, but in the midst of a lingering silence she eventually confronted her best friend.