BEAR-LY CHRISTMAS Page 6

  “I know – I know – I’m… not good with words?”

  “Yeah!” She bit out on a snort of disbelief.

  “I didn’t mean for it to just spill out like that.” Aidan grunted on a shake of his head.

  “You really need to learn some self control.” She snorted again.

  “But now that it’s out there…” He gave a small shrug off his broad shoulders when she turned a scowl on him – then he grimaced. “I screwed up, right?”

  “Yes, but you did it in epically spectacular fashion, so kudos for that.” She folded her arms and scowled harder.

  “I’m an idiot.” He muttered, looking anywhere but at her.

  “You’re… male.” She sighed.

  “And you’re female and we’re mates.” He looked more than sheepish, but there was an air of hopefulness in his eyes when he looked at her.

  Tammy raised just one eyebrow at him and he looked away again.

  “What the hell does that entail anyways?” She lifted her hands and dropped them back to her legs in frustration. She knew some things about shifters – not enough, obviously.

  “It means that we are meant for each other. That we’ll always be together. That I have a duty to look after you, protect you-”

  “Protect me from what?” Her voice became a little shriller and he winced at the sound.

  “About that…” He started and she scooted from his lap, without even wondering if her legs were working yet – they’d always worked for her before, but this time she ended up on her backside on the floor at his feet.

  Aidan reached down and scooped her back up again, bringing her back onto his lap.

  “Maybe you should wait until you’re not in shock to stand up.” He offered helpfully and she shot him a look of rebuke as her wounded pride throbbed against his upper thighs.

  “Ya think?” She bit out.

  “On occasion.”

  “Just not today.” She shot back and he took to looking sheepish again.

  “Sorry.” He grumbled, a deep rumble of a growl rolled through his chest.

  “You want to tell me who you’re supposed to protect me from?” Her eyebrows were reaching back up for her hairline again.

  “Everyone. Anyone. Life…”

  “You?”

  “Never.” He growled again. His bear wasn’t happy either.

  He’d rather die than hurt her. He’d never lift a finger against her. She was his to cherish, and he hadn’t exactly made the best start.

  “Good to know. Next?” She demanded.

  “There are people that want to hurt me…” Aidan wished to hell that he didn’t have to tell her this. He wished that it wasn’t happening, especially now when he was trying to woo her, not scare her the hell away.

  “People?”

  “Shifters, from a clan that want to kill my brother, not that I blame them…” He growled.

  He wished most of all that Luke hadn’t shown up when he did, but he was on the mountain, and the clan were coming – he couldn’t change that.

  “And you want to help your brother…” She shrugged in understanding.

  “Not really.” Aidan bit out.

  “Then…?” She urged.

  “They could want to kill me too, and you being my mate…”

  “They want to kill me too?” Now her eyebrows really did try to reach her hairline. He scented her fear and his beast reacted to it.

  “I won’t let them hurt you. I’ll die to protect you.” Aidan reached out and brushed the back of his hand against her cheek. Her skin was paler now as she took in his words.

  “You certainly picked the wrong time to find your mate.” She muttered.

  “But you are my mate, Tammy. That’s the most important thing to me – keeping you safe.”

  “So you have family on the mountain?”

  “No. I came here alone.” Aidan didn’t like talking about his past. He’d never really needed to, but he guessed that she needed to know. “Our father, the alpha was killed – that meant I was primed to take over the clan, but my brothers thought differently.”

  “They challenged you?”

  “Not exactly. They attacked, two on one, like cowards.” His beast rumbled another growl. “There were humans nearby. I was left for dead.” He could feel the anger inside of her – it matched his own. “Obviously I survived, but I never went back.”

  “And now your brother is here? Why does he think you’ll help him?” She snorted her contempt for that idea. “Is that, like, a bear thing?” She frowned.

  “No. It’s like a self-preservation thing. He led them to the mountain because he needed my help…”

  “Putting you in danger means you’re more likely to fight with him.” She nodded. She got that. There were mean girls like that when she was at school – the ones who would rally around their troops when threatened… She hated those people.

  “And then there’s you.” Aidan growled gently.

  “I guess I’m a bonus he didn’t expect.”

  “You’re a bonus I didn’t expect.” Aidan turned in his seat, his hands palmed her cheeks and he kissed her. Kissed her well.

  What was meant to be a show of affection became more as she moved, climbed up onto his lap… He wanted her already. It was like he was in a constant state of arousal just from being near her, and he knew that the mating pull would be working through her too, urging her to mate with him.

  It was fate’s way.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  ~

  “Are we going to make a stand right here or do you want to lead them away from her cabin?” Luke was standing in the tree line waiting for him when he left Tammy asleep in bed to patrol the area around the cabin.

  He expected to find Luke out there somewhere – although, he’d kind of hoped that the clan had already killed him and been on their way. It made him antsy inside to be helping the man in any way.

  “I’m not leaving her unguarded.” Aidan bit out.

  He didn’t trust the clan, but he trusted Luke a lot less.

  He’d put in a call after dinner to one of the females, Nox, that he’d grown up with. He knew that she’d found a mate and left the clan, but he also knew that she still had her ear to the ground with her brother still living with their kin.

  Elijah was dead. Luke hadn’t been lying about that. Apparently his brothers had overstepped the line in running the clan, and they’d risen up against the leadership.

  Luke was a dead man walking. Now, or in the future – it didn’t matter much when it happened, but the new leadership, Barlow, a hardass beta that had always had an eye to being an alpha was running things now and he’d issued a death note against Luke.

  His brother had two choices. Fight to the death, or die running.

  Aidan needed to tread carefully. Nox had said that the clan were hot on Luke’s tail, ergo, they might already have been on the damn mountain.

  “Then that’ll give you something to fight for when they get here.” Luke curled his top lip in disdain at the dimly lit cabin in the distance. “Although it’s not exactly the kind of territory I had back home.”

  “You’re making it really damn hard for me to stand beside you – Luke.” Aidan bit out.

  Thanks to his brothers he’d lost everything that he had ever held dear, everything that should have been his. It wasn’t even a damn challenge…

  Now he had Tammy. He had a home and a future, and soon, spirits willing, he’d have cubs on the way. Yeah, the shoe really was on the other foot now.

  “Just make sure you have my damn back, Aidan.” Luke growled out.

  “Or maybe I should just finish you myself and take my chances with the clan.” Aidan took a step towards his brother – the low, deep sound of a growl rumbled towards them, around them.

  Aidan turned, his eyes scanning the trees to find out where that growl had come from. He sniffed the air and found the scent of fur.

  “Just remember what you’ve got to lose.” Luke bit out.


  ‘Aidan.’ The familiar sound of his childhood friend and Nox’s brother, Jax, broke into his mind through the link, and he accepted the call…

  “Been a while, Jax.” Aidan bit out – he had half a mind on the trouble at hand, and half of everything else on Tammy’s cabin. He was more than ready to make a run for it if he saw any sign of bears heading in that direction… he had no qualms about leaving his brother to fend for himself while he protected his mate.

  ‘Nox misses you, brother.’ It was the strangest feeling in the damn world.

  Jax was clan, but not blood kin, and yet both he and his beast rallied a lot more favourably to the word brother from him than the reaction that they’d had from his own blood saying it.

  “That feelings mutual.” He’d barely been able to get Nox off the phone once they spoken of clan matters.

  ‘We thought you were dead. We were told you were dead.’ Jax took a step into the moonlight. He wasn’t the fur that Aidan could scent. He was still fully clothed.

  “Yeah, I get that a lot.” Aidan bit back.

  “It truly is good to see you, man.” Jax eyes flashed with fondness.

  “Why the hell don’t you leave before we kill you, Jax?” Luke bit out and Aidan growled at the thought of his old friend lying in the snow, dead or dying – it just didn’t sit well inside of him or with his bear.

  “Why did you run to your brother, coward?” Barlow stepped out into the light and Luke visibly tried to make his frame bigger.

  Aidan had the urge to roll his eyes in his head. Luke was always one to think himself better at everything than he was. Hell, it had taken two of them to bring him down and leave him for dead…

  He really did stand no chance in hell against Barlow.

  The man’s jet black eyes flicked towards Aidan. He nodded. Aidan did the same.

  “Any time, Barlow.” Luke growled out and this time Aidan couldn’t help it when his eyes rolled back in his head and his beast growled within.

  “Eager to meet the ancestors, Luke?” Barlow growled.

  “I’d have to ask what you’re waiting for, Barlow.” Aidan knew the workings of a clan. When they had a debt to settle there wasn’t normally much talking to be had before the fangs and claws came out.

  “Nox told Jax your story.” Barlow said and Aidan bit down on his annoyance.

  “It wasn’t hers to tell.” He shot back.

  “But she did anyway.” Barlow shrugged those big shoulders. “And you’re still willing to bleed for your brother?”

  “Not so much, but I have choices here, responsibilities…”

  “You found a mate.” Jax grinned, and Aidan twisted his head on his neck and growled long and hard back at the man. “Nox is good at reading what people don’t tell her just as much as listening to what they do.”

  “Yeah…” Aidan sighed. “I remember.”

  “We didn’t know you were here, Aidan.” Barlow said. “We didn’t come for you.”

  “What the hell does that mean?” Luke bit out on an angry growl that rattled the snow from the trees.

  “It means that Aidan is free to walk away. Come back to the pack and challenge me for leadership, or make a home here with his mate…” Barlow growled back, and Luke smelled like fear.

  “Aidan…” Luke growled, looking for answers.

  “Don’t do it, brother.” Jax shook his head. “He’s not worth it.”

  “What will you do to him?” Aidan’s guilt button clicked on. He wasn’t sure that he could just walk away from a slaughter.

  He hadn’t been challenged for leader, but he still believed there was a right way and a wrong way to go about things, and murder wasn’t one of them.

  “I challenged him for leader and he sent Elijah and Manor after me. Tried to kill me…” Barlow growled – the anger within his eyes was directed at Luke.

  “Yeah. I remember his tactics.” Aidan’s beast growled.

  “You aren’t alpha anymore, Aidan. This isn’t your fight.” Jax reminded him.

  “I’m going to see to it that challenge is upheld.” Barlow growled out, and Aidan could scent the fear from his brother as if it was his own.

  “Fair?” Aidan asked and Barlow nodded.

  “One on one.” He eyed Luke. The man had taken to shifting his weight. “Unless he runs again like the coward that he is, and then we’ll hunt him down and I’ll kill him.” Barlow growled out.

  “Aidan. I’m your brother.” Luke bit out.

  “Not since that night you tried to kill me.” Aidan growled back. He turned back towards Barlow. “I have your word that you’ll leave my mountain and my mate in peace?”

  “I wish you many cubs, my friend.” Barlow nodded.

  Not such an asshole after all. Aidan didn’t have to think on it. He took a long step back – planting his feet in the snow and nodding his respect to the true alpha of the clan.

  “Aidan.” Luke growled out.

  “Let’s go, Luke.” Jax growled out, but the man took a step back with a shake of his head.

  “This is not happening, Aidan. You were supposed to fight with me…” Luke growled. His beast was clawing to be set free. The man might not have had much of a stomach for the fight, the challenge, but his beast did…

  “You led them here so I’d have no choice but to fight with you.” Aidan growled. “They’re honourable – I don’t have a damned clue what you are.”

  With a deafening roar, Luke’s bear burst forwards, shredding his clothes and tearing free of his human bonds.

  Aidan didn’t think twice. He let his bear out…

  If Luke wanted a fight to the death – then he’d have one.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  ~

  Luke’s bear came at Aidan. The beast had barely shifted when Aidan felt the slash of razor sharp claws down his side, opening up his flesh right down to his ribs. His bear roared at the pain – the anger caused a fever to rise within his blood, and Aidan’s bear wanted nothing more than to end his brother.

  ‘You still fight like a coward.” Aidan roared. ‘You have no honor.’

  Aidan felt great satisfaction in carving his claws into his brother’s fur and hitting bone. The scent of blood filled the air…

  Both bears rose up, classing like men, claws tearing, jaws snapping in the heat of the fight.

  The clan males were gathering. Some wearing their fur and some in their skin, but all ready to witness the fight.

  ‘I will kill you the way I should have killed you two years ago…’ Luke growled out.

  “Aidan, if you kill him that’ll make you alpha.” Jax shouted the warning and it rang in Aidan’s mind – alpha – no…

  He had a life on the mountain with Tammy. He couldn’t go back – he wouldn’t take her back to his clan.

  Aidan’s bear wanted blood. He wanted to end Luke once and for all…

  Aidan forced his bear to pull away. The beast growled and snarled, wanting more, needing to end the man who had stolen everything from him…

  Luke’s claws ripped down into the flesh of Aidan’s back, and he roared with the pain, but he willed his beast not to turn back…

  There was another roar. Louder, hungrier than his own had been, and Aidan scented Barlow’s fur as his bear burst from the body of the man.

  Aidan kept walking, putting one paw in front of the other.

  The sound of the bears ripping into each other rung in his ears, but Aidan didn’t look back. It was one thing for him to end his brother – it was another completely to watch someone else do it.

  Aidan stood between the clan and Tammy’s cabin. Far enough away that he hardly caught the sound of his brother’s last breath on the breeze, and close enough to get a running start should they approach the cabin…

  The clan held back, but Jax took a slow walk towards him – arms held out to his side to show his good intentions, and Aidan let him come – keeping a close eye on the others…

  “It’s done.” Jax informed him and Aidan’s beast gr
unted.

  ‘You’ll leave?’ Aidan needed to be sure.

  “I know you can’t come back now…” Jax shot a look over his shoulder at the clan, Luke lying dead in the snow, and the new alpha, Barlow… “But, there’s nothing to stop me and Nox from coming up to say hello once in a while, right?”

  Aidan shifted back into his human form. His body was battered and torn, but the wounds were already starting to heal.

  “Nox, sure… you…?” Aidan grunted again.

  “Same old Aidan.” Jax chuckled.

  “Not quite.” Aidan tossed a look back at the cabin.

  “You got a Christmas tree!” Jax chuckled.

  “Shut up, buttwipe.” Aidan growled back.

  “Come on, man, it’s kinda cute.” Jax chuckled harder and Aidan snorted before he chuckled too.

  “Screw up. I’m calling Nox and telling her you want her to visit you.” Aidan growled.

  “Are you crazy? She’s pregnant. That female’s gone hormone loopy. She was yelling at me down the phone tonight about you and your mate… I’m sending her here.” Jax shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his jeans and grinned hard. “Damn good to see you man.”

  “Yeah, back at ya.” Aidan hadn’t realised that he’d missed his friends. Now those feelings came rushing back.

  Jax turned on his feet and started back towards the clan.

  “Glad you’re not dead.” He shot back over his shoulder. “Can’t say you won’t be if you leave it another year before you call my sister.”

  Aidan’s deep chuckle started in his aching chest and rattled outwards. Yeah, he’d missed some of his old clan.

  ~

  ~

  ~

  Tammy yanked open the front door and raced across the snow in her pom-pom slippers to where Aidan was sitting. The man was naked and shivering, and in the moonlight, she could see the blood that covered his body and the deep red welts that adorned his skin.

  She’d waited, and it had killed her to do it, but as soon as the men and bears were gone – she found she couldn’t wait a moment longer…