Hunt (The Grizzly Brothers Chronicles Book 1) (15 page)

“Just leave, Connor. Please.” I was exhausted and freaked out enough already. I didn’t need them to get into an all-out fight. I may have only recently met Ian, but at least he wasn’t talking about turning me over to someone who supposedly owned me. Connor had lost his mind, and I wasn’t going anywhere with him.

“I’m not leaving you here.” Connor stepped closer. “Come with me.”

“You’ve got to be crazy.”

“I’m not crazy. I’m looking out for your best interests. You are only going to make things worse if you don’t come.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you.” Somehow having Ian next to me made me feel more confident. Not that I would have gone with Connor anyway.

“You have to. What part of the situation don’t you understand?”

“Is there a problem here?” Noah walked over.

“No problem. Just waiting for this pinhead to step away from Mara so we can leave.” Connor clenched his jaw.

“Tyler, please walk Mara back up to the house.” Ian’s eyes darkened.

Tyler nodded and walked to my side.

“Just leave, Connor. Don’t make this a bigger deal than it has to be,” I pleaded with him. “I’m not sure why you’re doing this, and I don’t even care. Just go.”

“It’s going to be disastrous if you don’t come,” He pleaded right back.

“Get off my property now.” Ian boomed. “This is your last warning.”

“I’m not leaving without her.” Connor reached out for me again.

“Tyler, get her out of here.” Ian gritted his teeth. His whole body started to shake.

Tyler picked me up and started running toward the house.

“Put me down!” I yelled. I may have wanted to avoid leaving with Connor, but that didn’t mean I wanted to be carried off like a sack of potatoes either.

“Not yet.” Tyler held onto me tightly, holding down my hands and legs so I couldn’t hit or kick him.

I looked back toward the spot we’d just left, and I blinked over and over. Ian and Connor were nowhere to be seen, and in their place stood two enormous bears.

I
hoped Tyler ran fast
. I didn’t want Mara to see my bear form until I had a chance to explain, but I couldn’t hold off the change any longer. Connor had crossed the line, and my bear wasn’t going to hold back.

My vision tunneled before normalizing, and I watched without surprise as Connor shifted into a bear beside me. I’d known what he was from the moment I met him.

He lunged for me, but I saw it coming. I dodged him and slashed my claws across his face as I sprang for him, pinning him to the ground. Before he could retaliate, I had my jaws around his neck, poised to rip his flesh.

He turned his head to the side, giving me the sign of his submission. He wasn’t stupid after all.

We shifted back to our human forms, and Noah and Jasper grabbed him off the ground.

There were so many questions to ask him, but I needed to see Mara first. I had to find out how much she’d seen.

My brothers could be pains, but they could also be helpful. While Noah and Jasper handled Connor, Tyler walked out with yet another pair of my jeans. “I figured you might prefer to have this conversation dressed.”

“You mean she’d prefer it.”

“I wish Grady was here. He’d love to listen to this conversation.” Tyler looked wistful, and I knew he wasn’t only thinking about our brother who was out of town. He was also thinking of Jonovan.

I didn’t call him on it. There was no point. “I need to get this over with.” I nodded at Tyler and walked into my house.

“What?" Mara met me by the front door with wild eyes. I took it as a good sign that she wasn’t hiding from me. "Why are there bears on your property? Those were bears, weren't they?”

I considered the possible responses I could give. I might as well get it over with. "Yes. They were bears."

"Why? Why were there bears?" Mara sat down on the couch and pulled her knees up to her chin.

I kneeled down in front of her. "This might be a little hard for you to accept."

"Hard for me to accept?"

"Yes." I took a deep breath. “And you may think I’m lying to you, but I’m not.”

“Uh…” She stared at me. “I don’t even know what I’m supposed to say in response to that.”

“Just spit it out, man.” Tyler walked in. So much for giving me space. “Dragging it out isn’t going to help things.”

“I’m, or rather we’re,” I gestured to my brother. “We’re not human.”

“Umm… what?” She sat forward on the couch.

“Those bears. Well, one of them. The big one was me.” I had to add in the big part. I didn’t get the sense she was interested in Connor, but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t emphasize who made the better bear.

Mara’s jaw dropped.

“Yeah, I told you it would sound crazy.”

“And I thought I’d finally met a good one.” She put her hands over her face.

“I am a good one. Not a human, but a good guy.” And the right guy for her. She’d eventually understand. She had to.

“Wait, and who was the other bear?” Mara pulled her knees even tighter against her. “I bet that was Connor, huh?” She laughed.

“It was.”

She stopped laughing. “Ok. Joke’s over.”

“This isn’t a joke.”

“You expect me to believe you can turn into a bear?” She lowered her knees.

“Yes.”

“You’re crazy.” She leaned back on the couch.

“You saw two bears right where Connor and I were standing, didn’t you?” I couldn’t be completely sure what she saw, but she’d seen bears.

“Yes.” She nodded. “But those were real bears.”

“I am a real bear. I just happen to have a human form as well.” Explaining my shifter existence was hard to do. My two forms were separate, yet they were also combined.

“And you just switch between them?” She flailed with her arm. “Like someone changes clothes?”

“It’s a bit more complicated than that, but yes, that’s the general concept.” It was far more complicated than that, but I wanted to keep the conversation moving.

“Why are you doing this?”

“Doing what?”

“Making this up? Is this all a joke? Convince me to sleep with you and then make me feel like an idiot?”

“What?” I took both her hands in mine. “First of all, you wanted to sleep with me. It had nothing to do with me convincing you. And second, you’re not an idiot. This isn’t a joke. It’s real. And you’re somehow part of this world too, you just don’t know it.”

“Now that’s impossible.” She pulled her hands away.

“Why?”

“Don’t you think I’d know if I could change into another animal?”

“I never said you were a shifter, but someone in your family is. Didn’t you hear Connor? He said part of ‘our world.’ That implies you have some tie to it.”

“Where is Connor?” She glanced around. “I want to see him.”

“Are you sure?” I asked. “You seemed pretty angry at him.”

“I’m angry at you too.”

“Angry at me?” I rose from my knees and sat beside her. “Why would you be angry at me?”

“Because.. argh. Forget it. Get Connor.”

“I can have him brought in,” Tyler offered. He was so quick to offer to help her, and I understood why.

“Fine. But keep him away from her. I don’t trust him.”

“Connor wouldn’t hurt me.” She lifted her chin. “I know he wouldn’t.”

“Are you sure?” I tried to keep my voice nonchalant. “Are you sure you really know him?”

“Yes.” She let out a slow breath. “At least I think I do.”

“If he says anything to upset you, he’s leaving.” I wasn’t letting him bother her, especially not in my home.

Tyler headed outside and reappeared a few minutes later with Jasper and Noah. They dragged Connor in. His hands and legs were bound, and he was thankfully wearing pants.

Mara stood and walked right over to him. I forced myself to hang back. “Are you human?”

“Did he tell you?” Connor glared at me.

“You tell me. What are you?” She straightened her shoulders.

“She wants to make sure I wasn’t lying to her.” It was going to take me awhile to regain her trust. I hadn’t had enough time to prepare her.

“Well in that case, I’m completely human.” Connor smirked.

Noah kicked him.

“Be real with me, Connor. I’m tired of being lied to. What the hell is going on? Beyond all that crazy Willem talk you were telling me earlier.”

“You saw what I am. At least I think you did.” His eyes searched hers.

“I saw something.”

“This is hard for me, Mara. I’ve kept it from you for so long. But it wasn’t by choice.”

“Kept what from me?” She put a hand on her hip.

“That I’m a bear shifter.”

Mara wobbled ever so slightly, and I tried to steady her.

“I’m fine.” She shrugged me off. “Let’s say I believe you, why didn’t you tell me?”

Connor shrugged. “Because I couldn’t.”

“Why not?”

“Your grandfather would have killed me.”

“And you were afraid of him? You can turn into a bear, and you were afraid of my grandfather?” Her voice oozed with skepticism.

“You would have been too if you knew what he was. It’s what you’re supposed to be.”

“What he was? And what do you mean what I’m supposed to be?” She shook, and I reached out for her again. This time she didn’t push me off.

“Ok, I’ll start with the easy part.” Connor nodded.

“Is there any part of this that’s easy?” Mara leaned back into me.

Noah laughed. Mara glared at him, and he stopped.

I waited impatiently, as eager as Mara to hear what Connor had to say.

Connor closed his eyes and then opened them after a moment. “Your father is a bear shifter.”

“What?” I hadn’t been expecting those words to come out of his mouth. “But she’s not an Ursus. I can tell.”

“Ursus? Again with that?” Mara turned in my arms to look at me.

“It’s the name of our people, but that isn’t the point,” Connor explained before I could.

Mara turned back toward him. “Then what’s the point?”

“Your dominant side should be what your mom was. That’s your grandfather’s line.”

“I know which parent he’s related to.” Mara shook her head.

“I know, but your friends here might not know that.”

“And you care if they do?” Mara straightened up but didn’t move away.

“Yes, because they need to understand what they’ve walked into.”

“Spit it out. What aren’t you saying?” My patience was wearing thin.

Connor looked right at me. “A Séancer.”

“A what?” Mara asked.

“A Séancer.” Connor repeated the word.

I let the word soak in. My brothers exchanged looks; they were thinking the same thing I was. It was impossible. “You can’t be serious. There are only a few lines of Séancers left.”

“What the hell is a Séancer?” Mara pulled herself from my arms. She moved so she could see both Connor and me.

Connor stretched his wrists inside the rope. “Have you ever heard of a necromancer?”

“Someone who communicates with dead people?” Mara raised an eyebrow.

“Yup. Think of that and add in some other weird abilities.”

Mara laughed so hard her body shook. “Good one, Connor. Good one.”

“I’m not joking. It’s important you get that. Willem expects you to be one, and we have to hope that when he finds out your abilities never showed up he will let you go. That’s what I’m banking on.” His eyes were wild. “That’s what we should all be banking on.”

“So what was with all that how I look talk?’ She wrapped her arms around herself.

“You couldn’t look unappealing if you tried.” Connor’s expression softened.

I felt a growl. I didn’t want him talking about her appearance. He was interested in her even if she didn’t see it.

“I was only saying that because I wasn’t ready to tell you the rest. Willem won’t want you if he realizes you have no abilities, but we have to make sure he believes us.”

“Talking to the dead is a desirable ability for a girl?” She stepped away.

“A Séancer can communicate with the dead. They can sometimes bring them back. That’s power anyone would want.” Jasper voiced exactly what I was thinking.

I watched Mara. Nothing about her suggested she was anything but human, but maybe that side of her was lying dormant.

“And you actually want me to believe my grandfather had that ability?” Mara pursed her lips.

“Your grandfather, your mom. And theoretically you should have it,” Connor explained.

“But her abilities would have manifested by now.” At least I assumed they would have. It’s not as though I’d personally known a lot of Séancers.

“One would think.” Connor kept his eyes fixed on Mara.

“Ok. Let’s back up a second.” Mara looked at Connor. “Why were you living on our farm? I don’t get it.”

“Bears and Séancers have traditionally always aligned. Ian is right, there aren’t too many Séancer lines left, which is why you are so valuable. As to why I was there. Haven’t you guessed that yet?” He looked toward the window.

“No.” She shook her head.

“The plan was for us to end up together.” His words didn’t come as a surprise to me.

Her forehead furrowed. “You’re so much older than me.”

“I’m ten years older than you, which was huge when we were kids. Trust me I know that.”

“Then why’d you leave?” Mara asked with some sadness in her voice. “You left the first second you could.”

“Because you were so much younger than me. Then your dad went and did his stupid thing, and well here we are.”

“Am I dreaming?” Mara looked to me for confirmation. I was glad she was looking to me for answers, but I also wanted her to look to me for support.

“No. You’re not dreaming.” I understood why she thought so. All of this must have been a huge shock. Some of it was a shock to me.

“Well, at least you have an easy way out now, Mara.” Tyler smiled. “That’s good news.”

“Easy way out?” Mara raised an eyebrow.

“Yes.” Tyler nodded. “Mate with Ian. All agreements are off if you two mate.”

“Mate?” She wrinkled her nose. “What are you talking about?

This was not how I’d envisioned this conversation going. It was supposed to be done in private. Ideally with candlelight and a bottle wine. Not with other bears in the room. “We can talk about that later.”

“Talk about what later?” She narrowed her eyes. “I’m not mating with anyone.” She buried her face in her hands.

I reached out and pulled her into my arms. She pulled back, so I reluctantly let go.

“I can’t do this. Any of this. Either you are all crazy or I’m crazy, and I’m not sure what’s worse.”

“You don’t have a choice.” Connor’s voice had an edge to it. “That’s what I was trying to tell you.”

“So you agree with this whole mating thing too?” She removed her hands from her face.

“No. It won’t change anything. You think we didn’t hash out that possibility?”

“We?” Mara asked.

“Your grandfather and me.”

“He knew about this thing with Willem?” Mara put a hand to her chest. “Well, if it’s real.”

“He knew some of it.”

“Some of it?” She looked pained.

Connor nodded. “I couldn’t tell him all of it.”

“Why not? If he was so powerful, couldn’t he have helped?”

“Because he would have gone to war with your father, and it would have created an even bigger mess.”

“I need some air.” She headed to the front door.

“I’m coming with you.” I followed behind her. I wasn’t letting her out of my sight until we figured things out.

“I want to be alone.”

“Then I’ll stay a few steps behind you and keep my mouth shut. You wouldn’t even notice me.”

“I’ll always notice you.” She smiled lightly and my heart soared.

“Well, that’s more your problem than mine.” I wasn’t letting her out of my sight.