Return To The Bear (10 page)

“We’re coming,”
Brody muttered.

“Yeah, it looked like it,” Riker said,
winging up his eyebrow.

Hannah yelled his name again and Jo huffed a laugh.

Brody loved his alpha, he really did, but right now he wanted a redo of their earlier roadside brawl.

The trail came to a fork and Riker strode to the middle option, his arm slung easily around Hannah’s shoulders as they talked low. Joanna admired them. They seemed so in love and Hannah wasn’t even a shifter. Riker hadn’t come for her because of some male ego trip about another clan having what was his like Nathan would’ve done. He came for her because he seemed to care about her comfort more than his own. Whatever Hannah had gone through in her life to land her in the bosom of one of the biggest clans of bear shifters in the world, Joanna hadn’t a guess. But it had made her resilient. Her face still looked bruised and painful, but the woman chattered happily on, like the past couple of days had never happened at all.

If Hannah could be strong, then so could she. All of the ghosts of her past would just have to
eventually work themselves free, but she swore she wouldn’t let them hurt Brody while they lingered. Hannah could have whined and milked special treatment, and had every right to. She’d been through hell. But Riker’s bear was dominant and protective and it would set him off if she acted as injured as she likely was. Joanna admired the woman for sensing that. Maybe she was bear enough after all.

When she took her gaze off the flirty couple, Brody was watching he
r, a smile and frown warring on his face.

She laughed at his silent question and answered before he asked. “I like Hannah. I think she’s a good alpha’s mate.”

He shoved his hands in his pockets and twitched his head. “You would’ve made a good alpha’s mate too. Are you disappointed you’ll only be the mate of a councilman?”

“I don’t care about that
, and being a council member to one of the greatest alphas of our kind is nothing to sniff at. You were handpicked by Riker himself, yes?”

He nodded so she continued. “And it seems you are friends with him on top of business
, which surprised me. Nathan doesn’t have friends. He has subordinates ready at all times to do what he wants, no matter what it was. I imagine you and the other council members would question Riker if he decided to go on a killing spree.”

Slowing, Brody dropped his voice. “Riker is one of my best friends,
but we don’t talk like that. Yes, the council is in place to keep an alpha strong, but he’s kept my ass in line more than a few times too.”

“Have you challenged for alpha before?” She knew he
could be a contender because he had been able to treat Nathan just like the rest of the bears, and that man was so dominant he made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end when he was in a rage.

“No. If that’s what you want from me, it’s something I won’t be able to give you.”

He seemed to have these assumptions that she wanted more power than his current status, which was already one of the highest in the clan, and it bothered her. “You know if I’d met you and you were a submissive, I still would’ve begged you to claim me and we’d still be right where we are, right?”

He grunted but stared ahead and she stopped, locking her legs against the gravelly path so fast she skidded.

“I don’t like that you think that about me, Brody. It doesn’t feel right that you keep acting like I’m some power hungry female. That’s not me. Power never did me any good.”

“Audrey,
the last woman I was with—”

“Don’t. Don’t you even start making me pay for her mistakes.”

“I can’t ever be alpha. Some bears are born for it. They’re strong and have the right mind to lead their people. Riker is the best of us and I love helping him lead this community. But my bear isn’t made for alpha.”

He held her with his gaze like he was admitting something huge, but she couldn’t see why. So he was strong and dominant but didn’t have the mind to lead. That wasn’t such a big thing. It was understandable. She wouldn’t want to be alpha either. Even if she were dominant and as big and strong as the alpha males, she wouldn’t want the pressure of an entire clan’s future on her shoulders.

His body was rigid, tensed like he was ready to fight so she said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t know it was a sensitive subject. I was only trying to get to know you.”

His eyes softened little by little and he dashed a look behind him where Riker and Hannah were still talking. They were about to crest a hill and it seemed they hadn’t noticed she and Brody lagging behind. Brody wrapped his hands around her hips and
pushed her back behind a tree. “Don’t apologize. I don’t know why I can’t just have a conversation. I sit in meetings all day long and talk to our people about any and everything and have no problem with it. But when I talk to you, I get frustrated and can’t say what I want or mean.” He scrubbed his hand down the dark scruff on his face. “I want you to like me.”

Tilting her chin, she kissed him once, softly. “I do like you.”
A growl rumbled and she pressed her hand over his vibrating chest.

“This is overwhelming for you to
o and I’m only making our pairing more difficult. I’ll try harder.” He kissed her again, more urgently and his thumbs found their way under the hem of her shirt. He drew tiny circles against her skin, leaving a trail of fire where he touched her. “Come on,” he said against her lips. There was a smile in his voice and she reveled in the fact that she’d put it there. For such a prickly bear, he made her rewards so sweet.

They ran to catch up and she laughed as the breeze whipped through her drying hair.
He grabbed her hand when they drew up behind Riker and Hannah, held it, and she wondered where the man who’d sworn never to care for her as more than a friend had gone.

Friends didn’t hold hands.

Brody pointed out an old barn they used for cattle before the new one had been built three years ago. The land was dotted with old abandoned buildings in different stages of disrepair. Nature seemed to be taking them back as ivy curled along the outer walls and the wood rotted away. He explained how Bear Valley had started as a small homestead for just a few families of shifters and, as the numbers grew, the alphas of each generation pushed to purchase more land. Now the clan owned a huge spread and were free to change as they pleased.

It was paradise.

The farther they wondered into the heart of the community, the more visibly Brody relaxed. This was his place, his home, and he was comfortable here among their people. The Brody here contrasted starkly with how he was in Nathan’s territory. Did his people even know how lethal Brody could be? Or was he just an easy personality, a little on the shy side and easily overlooked? The mysteries surrounding her new mate intrigued her. She wanted to know everything about him. What made him tick and what he liked to eat. What had happened to him that made him run hot and cold in a constant fashion.

A hillside was dotted with houses bigger than Brody’s
, and Hannah pointed to a large dollhouse home on the end. “That’s where we’re headed.”

There wasn’t a driveway, but a large field of f
lowers and knee high grass. Riker’s truck was parked out front. The keys probably sat in the front seat. After her time with the Long Claws, being dropped here felt like a different world from the one she knew. This was what shifter clans should strive to be like. Alphas assisted by councils and the good of the community always at the forefront of everyone’s mind. Not the dark agendas of which clan to annihilate next.

“What’s wrong?” Brody asked. “You look sad.”

“I wish I would’ve been here for the past two years instead of with the Long Claws. Things would’ve been so different.”

He wrapped his strong arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, then pressed his lips to her temple in such a gentle gesture. “You’re here now, and that’s what matters.”

His words made her want to cry, but she couldn’t figure out why. Maybe the last few days had just involved so many emotions: fear, hope, anger, and now this feeling of utter belonging. She was overwhelmed, and suddenly it seemed like a bad idea to meet the people who meant so much to Brody when she had this little control over her feelings.

“Hey,” Brody drawled quietly. He thumbed the tears that streamed her cheeks and cupped her face so gently she couldn’t look him in the eyes. Brody was strong, stronger than anyone she’d ever met and he’d need more from her than this. His dark brows furrowed and his eyes, now more green than brown, looked worried. “What is it?”

“I’m sorry.” She was sorry for a lot of things but mostly she was sorry for trapping him in a relationship he hadn’t wanted. “I wish we could’ve done this the right way.”

Another hand rubbed her back and she looked up, sniffling. Hannah stood there, concern in her gaze to match Brody’s. How mortifying that she was losing
it in front of the people she wanted to like and accept her.

“
I’m just overwhelmed.” And when she was overwhelmed, she had an unfortunate tendency to ramble. “I was scared and hurt for a long time and now I come here and it’s perfect. You’re all perfect, and it makes me angrier with the Long Claws because I’ve been told this entire time their way is the only way, and it’s not. None of those other clans had to die. They probably had something like this, where people actually cared about each other and now they’re gone. And I trapped you.” She turned to Brody as another tear fled the corner of her eye. “I had this vision of how it would be when I found a mate and none of my imaginings ever had a pairing as part of some messed up deal when I should’ve just saved you anyway, Hannah. And I haven’t been touched in two years and now everyone here is so nice.” She clenched Brody’s shirt in her fists. “You’re so nice to me.”

Hannah wiped damp eyes and hugged
her and Brody. “You know what you guys need? A mating ceremony of some sort. At the pond, that was so awesome, and the more I think about it, the more romantic it is. He claimed you in front of the man who was scaring you. In front of the freaking alpha of the Long Claws, and he didn’t care about the consequences. However you two came to be here together, it doesn’t matter. You’re in it. You’re marked and it wasn’t a forced thing. I saw the look in your eyes when you knelt on that muddy bank and told everyone you were it for each other. There wasn’t disappointment or even fear. It was beautiful. We’ll plan a ceremony, whatever you want, big or small, and celebrate the promise you’ve made to each other.”

Joanna lifted her gaze to Brody’s and a small smile
ghosted his lips. “You didn’t trap me, Jo. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t want to be. Yeah, it was intense how we met, but you’re changing me.”

“For the better?” she whispered.

He nodded and Hannah laughed thickly and gave them one last squeeze before she strode toward Riker, who was sitting on the stairs of their porch.

“
Hannah’s right. I think we should have a ceremony,” Brody said. “I know finding a mate has been really important to you and we didn’t do it right. You and Hannah can plan it. Hell, I’ll help with whatever you need. Then you’ll hear in front of my people that I choose you. Will that make you feel better about our marks?”

“Well, yes, b
ut I wasn’t trying to weasel a party out of everyone.”

“Stop thinking like that. You aren’t a burden, Jo. Not to me and n
ot to this clan.” He leaned in and kissed her, sucking gently on her bottom lip.

As she closed her eyes to enjoy the touch of her mate, the last tear spilled and she vowed she’d be stronger. She
’d survived the Long Claws and had earned her bravery. And Brody deserved everything good she had to give.

Hannah’s kitchen smelled of barbecue, baked beans and potato salad. A petit, dark-haired woman stood over the stove, stirring an enormous pot of creamed corn when Hannah led her in.

“Hey, Jenny.
” Hannah said.

The woman turned with a ready smile, and it remained as her dark eyes landed on Joanna. “You must be Jo.”

Joanna offered her hand for a shake, but Jenny pulled her in to a rib cracking hug. “Thank you for saving my friend.” She pulled her back at arms distance and studied her bruised eye. “Who did this to you?”

“No one important anymore.”

“That’s not entirely true,” Hannah said, handing her a metal pan of garden green beans. “The man who did this is still alive. Or at least Riker thinks so.”

Joanna sat at the table next to Hannah
and snapped the ends off a bean, then tossed it in a plastic bowl Jenny sat in the middle of the table. “Brody hasn’t talked about what happened at the battle yet.”

“Probably won’t either,” Jenny said as she took the corn off the stove. “I’ve known Brody a long time. That man is a tough nut to crack. He’s so quiet you wouldn’t think anything bothered him, but it has too. He’s been to battle a
lmost as many times as Riker. He was a Raider before he came here and his people trained him to fight, so when he arrived right in the middle of the wars for Bear Valley, he was a natural fit to help with training Riker’s soldiers. I’ve never once heard him tell a battle story though. Even when the boys get together, he never joins in the conversation.” She frowned and placed her hands on her hips. “He just seems to absorb it.”

“You want me to tell you what happened?” Hannah asked, snapping beans like she’d majored in vegetable preparation.

“Sure.”

“Brody went for Nathan first but he’d already called his bears to him
, so Riker couldn’t help him. He was too busy keeping the others at bay until our boys reached him. Brody hurt Nathan badly, and the alpha retreated. Brody and Riker followed until they reached the cabin that smelled like my blood and Dunn was still passed out cold inside.” She lowered her voice. “I already told you about that part though. Riker thinks as soon as Nathan is healed, he’ll plan a retaliation. Tonight isn’t just a council meeting. They’ve brought in all of our fight trainers as well. We have to prepare for war.”

Joanna’s heart sank and she swallowed the bile that
tore its way up her throat. “I thought the battle was done.”

“You know Nathan better than an
y of us. Do you think he’ll accept the defeat?”

Defeated on his own land after watching her marked by another man?
With certainty and sadness, she said, “No, he won’t let it end there. This is my fault.”

Jenny snorted. “You can’t take Merit’s blame, Jo. The witch drugged and kidnapped Hannah and sold her to a rival alpha. And that alpha hid her from Brody and all
owed abuse. Look at her face. You didn’t do that. Nathan brought Bear Valley’s wrath upon himself. You helped Hannah escape in one piece and fought a bear to the death for her. Nobody blames you for what is happening. Best you don’t do it either.”

Joanna snapped vegetables in silence for a few minutes, mulling that over. She did tend to blame herself and maybe she should let that habit go. Brody didn’t seem to like her doing that
either. “Are women not allowed in these meetings? I mean, that’s how it was with the Long Claws, but is that the way it is here?”

“Nooo,” Hannah said, her eyebrows nearly to her hair line. “And we don’t just sit around and cook for the boys all day either. Cameron put the brisket on earlier, and we offered to make the sides so we could get out of an invite to the meeting. Ask Brody to take you to work for a day and you’ll understand. You’ll be wanting to jab your own eyes out by lunch
time. So boring. I don’t know how they do it all day, every day. Finances and spreadsheets, harvests, supplies, pipeline meetings, mineral rights, solar panels and a never ending barrage of formal complaints by bored bears.”

That actually sounded really interesting. “Are women allowed on the council?”

“Oh, yeah. This is one of the only years we’ve had an all-male cast. Riker asked Jenny, Daria, and Beverly to announce their intent at the alpha challenge a few weeks ago but none of them stepped forward when it was time. If you want to, you could volunteer at next year’s alpha challenge. You’ll know the clan well enough by then to be a viable candidate.”

That’s what Joanna wanted. She wanted to be in a position where she could help the people who were taking her in. The meetings didn’t sound boring at all to her, but fascinating to see a real behind the scenes look at how this place
ran. She didn’t care about the status it would give her in the community, but the chance to do good for it just felt right. From here until alpha challenges, she’d do her best to get involved and prove she could be an asset to this community.

Conversation flowed to lighter topics after that. The shopping trip they’d all take tomorrow to
purchase Joanna’s much needed new wardrobe. Jenny’s new pregnancy, which came up when the tiny woman inhaled one of the loaves of garlic bread, still hot from the oven. Tentative plans for a mating ceremony for her and Brody. By the time the front door opened and shifters started filing into the kitchen, she was completely at ease with both Hannah and Jenny. It was impossible not to be. They both had such easy personalities and they joked constantly. Joanna didn’t talk as much, but she was more comfortable listening to them banter. They seemed to genuinely like her and included her in all the conversations, and the tension in her shoulders disappeared altogether.

Meeting Riker’s fighters for the first time would’ve been a lot scarier if Hannah wasn’t
making most of the introductions. And Jenny kept her hand in the crook of Joanna’s arm the entire time, making her feel like one of them instead of some stranger looking on from the outside.

“I’m Chase,” a tall shifter said with a broad smile. Bearded, with brown eyes so light she couldn’t tell if they were human or bear, he had a booming laugh and shook her hand until her bones popped like she was one of the guys. His nostrils flared slightly as he introduced
, Juan, the towering dark-headed man behind him, but he was polite enough not to comment on her heat.

“These two are Riker’s top fight trainers,” Hannah explained.

The smile faded from Chase’s face. “We’ll be starting tomorrow if you ladies want to come out for some tips. Even you Hannah. You should know how to defend yourself from one of us.”

“I’ll be there, but I don’t think Jo needs
as many pointers. She killed a Long Claw guard defending me yesterday,” Hannah said. Pride dripped from every word. “And she faced off with Nathan too.”

Chas
e’s eyes lightened even more, which meant that strangely alluring hue of caramel had been his human eyes. “He’s the one who did that to your face?”

Joanna nodded and shifted her weight
uncomfortably.

“He’ll pay for it,” Juan said from behind Chase’s shoulder. “I promise he will.”

“Mmm,” Chase grunted in agreement. “You’ve been in the den of the Long Claws. Would you mind coming out to the arena tomorrow? We could use your insight.”

“Of course. Whatever I can do to help.”

“Good,” he said with a friendly clap on her back. Only he was roughly the size of a full grown grizzly already and the gesture whacked the healing puncture wounds in her shoulder. She hissed at the surprising pain.

“Dude, she just fought a bear to the death,” Hannah said, grasping her arm, steadying her. “Did you miss that part of my story?”

Chase’s eyes went wide. “I’m so sorry—” His arm yanked backward and his back hit the wall so hard a picture frame fell and shattered on the tile floor.

“Don’t touch her,” Brody snarled, hands
clenched at his sides as if he were trying to control the urge to pummel him.

“It was an accident,” Joanna said, rushing to put herself between Chase and Brody. They didn’t make it easy. Neither one of them
was backing down. “Brody, hey.” She angled his face down to look at her. His eyes were glazed over and furious. “He didn’t mean to hurt me.”

“Is she yours?” Chase asked
from behind her.

Chase and his fighters had missed the part where Brody had claimed her at the pond by a minute at most, and she hadn’t had a chance to talk to them at the hotel. Brody was swaying on his feet and he smelled like animal fur. She had to do something before he changed in the house. Yanking his hand, she led him to a dining room chair and scrambled up on it.

Hesitating only a moment, she pulled the collar of her shirt to the side and exposed the three marks he’d made. “I’m Brody’s mate. I’m sorry I didn’t get the chance to introduce myself to all of you yesterday. It’s been a crazy couple of days but I should’ve taken the time. My name is Joanna Penn and I’m the mate of Brody Bannister.” Her throat tightened as her voice shook on the last part. She was so proud to be his, it made her emotional to say the words out loud.

Brody’s hand relaxed in hers and the phantom of a smile tipped the corner of his mouth up.
He folded her in his arms and set her gently beside him. “I should’ve said something in the meeting earlier. I just figured everyone knew.”

“Brody
the Barbarian Bannister is mated?” Juan asked through a disbelieving grin.

A surge of bodies heaved
forward, congratulating them, but Brody was already stressed enough so she stood behind him to protect her injuries. The entire house was filled with overpowering, dominant shifters and she stifled the urge to flee. Brody was here and she was safe. And on top of that, everyone was smiling and laughing so she had nothing to worry about. This wasn’t Nathan’s clan, it was Riker’s, and he didn’t strike her as an alpha who would allow questionable behavior.

There were at least thirty shifters at dinner, so seating was limited. The plate of brisket and vegetables was warm in her hand as she scanned the dining and living room for a seat.

“Over there,” Brody said, pointing to a recliner.

She settled in and her ma
te brought her an iced tea. Shyness washed over her as she took it from his outstretched hand. For a solitary man, he treated her so sweetly it drew her up short sometimes. He sat on the fireplace ledge beside her and ate, and contentment filled her at the sound of conversation and laughter around them. This might’ve been the best day of her life and now she was here, with shifters she was beginning to admire so much, beside the man who was unintentionally winning her heart.

After dinner, Chase and Juan started up a poker game at the dining room table and Brody, Riker, Jenny’s husband, a man named Cameron, who seemed to be Riker’s second, and three other fighters joined in.
Joanna turned on the sink tap to start rinsing dishes, but a man named Shawn shot her a good humored smile and told her to scram—that he’d clean up.

Grateful for the chance to watch Brody interact with his friends, she leaned against the wall, but he gestured her to him.

She thought he’d ask her to refill his drink, but he pulled her into his lap, surprising a squeal out of her. Playfully, he nipped her neck and threw a couple of clinking chips into the middle of the table as she settled against him. “Call,” he said in an easy tone.

Hannah sipped on a beer as Riker pulled her against his side, and Jenny was bent at the waist behind her husband, Blaine, draped across his shoulders as she whispered something against his ear. Joanna couldn’t help the smile that stretched her face.

When she turned, her expression was mirrored by Brody and her heart fluttered.

“You look happy,” he said.

“I am.”

He canted his head and his gaze dropped to her lips. “You want to go home?”

Just the suggestion of going home and the promise in his eyes made her lean into him more. “Mate?”

“Yes
, mate?” he said, playing along.

“Take me home.”

“Yes ma’am.” He shoved the remainder of his stack of chips to the middle of the table and said, “All in.” He showed her his cards, a two and a seven of different suites, and winked.

“You’re the worst
at this,” Chase grumbled as he pulled the pile of winnings to him, but Brody only laughed and tipped his head respectfully at Riker.

“’Night everyone,” he called.

Joanna hugged Jenny and Hannah and thanked them for dinner. “I’ll be here at eight tomorrow morning,” she promised, so they could get an early start on shopping.

The
front door clicked closed behind them and Joanna took off down the stairs and through the grassy meadow in front of the house. She pushed her legs as fast as they would go in flip flops, and laughed breathlessly when she could hear Brody tearing through the field right behind her. He caught her around her middle and it hurt, but she wouldn’t let on and ruin this moment. Encircling her hips with his arms, he lifted her up and she spread her arms wide, offered her neck to the moon as he swung her around in slow circles. Freedom like this just didn’t exist for someone like her, yet here she was.