Ready to Bear (5 page)

“Please, indulge me,” Thea said. “My younger half-brother may or may not be a shifter. We don’t know yet, and he won’t consent to the blood test.” There was part of her that wished he would, just so that they’d know one way or another. Alex wanted so badly to be a shifter, though, that she thought avoiding the test was one way that he could stall the truth awhile longer if he wasn’t one. “Alex wants to know everything about what it means to be a shifter, and my stepbrother, in his infinite wisdom, thinks that by allowing him to witness a shifter fight, that will somehow answer questions for him about his true nature.”

“Shifter fights are illegal,” Billy replied slowly. “So I’m going to pretend that I don’t know anything about any of that.

“Then let’s pretend for a minute that you aren’t a sheriff,” Thea said sarcastically. It wouldn’t surprise her if Billy had caught wind before now that Eric and his partners ran shifter fights in the basement of the club. It was widely known in the shifter circles. It wasn’t exactly condoned by the city officials, but it served to keep the shifters in check, so they seemed willing to look the other way. “What do you think? Honestly?”

Billy paused. Then he looked away. “I think it’s really hard to grow up feeling like you are different from everyone else. Then add to that the impulsive feeling of possibly spinning out of control and becoming something else at any moment. It’s like you share your body and mind with something that is a part of you but completely alien at the same time. There’s a certain feeling of helplessness that always simmers there just below the surface.”

Thea was drawn in by Billy’s words. She could see that Sophie was equally captivated. Thea was also sensing that Billy wasn’t talking in general terms.

“One of the first things you learn is that you have to be vigilant in all things. Once your animal self makes itself known, it is there all the time waiting for the moment when you let your guard down. It takes years to master it in a way that it knows which one of you is the master and which one is the servant. I don’t condone shifter fights. I think they are barbaric and set our species back decades as a whole. But at the same time, it is the ultimate sign of our will and control over those parts of us that would control us if we let them. It is a reminder to be ever vigilant. It’s a way of showing that despite which form we are in, we always remain in complete control.”

Thea felt herself shudder again. Her breath came in short gasps, and her core burned with something that she had never experienced before. She would never have admitted it to Robert or Eric or Alex, but she was glad that she hadn’t been born into that kind of life. She was grateful that her problems were nothing more than the usual human variety. Yet there was something about the way that Billy spoke of being a shifter that lit something inside of her that was envious.

“Okay, then,” she finally managed to say. “Thank you for your opinion.”

“See? Even the sheriff agrees with us,” Sophie said.

“I didn’t say that,” Billy said.

“You didn’t
not
say it either,” Sophie said with a smirk. Her head whipped toward the door. “And that, I think, is the sound of it’s time for my exit.” She got to her feet. “You coming with me?”

“No, I’m going to stay,” Thea said.

“Your funeral.” Sophie tossed her curls again. “See you around, Sheriff.”

“Nice to meet you, Sophie,” Billy said again with a slight inclination of his head.

Thea watched the smoldering sway of Sophie’s hips as she crossed the room and exited through the door. She figured that she’d find Billy staring as well, but when she looked at him she found that his gaze was firmly planted on her. She flushed as she bit her lip and looked down at her hands. They twisted in her lap of their own accord.

“Guess the party is about to get started,” she said.

“The party is definitely here.” Anthony Atwood stepped into the room and immediately approached her. Kyle was right behind him, but Thea was surprised when Billy stepped in between them.

“She needs space,” Billy said.

“You can get the fuck out of my way, friend,” Tony said.

“We’re not friends,” Billy said. His voice was even and calm.

Thea wasn’t sure how to feel about Billy’s obvious protective stance around her. On one hand, she was delighted, and it made her a little bit hot. It had been a long time since anyone had acted so territorial when it came to her. On the other hand, the age of the Neanderthal man was long over. Thea was a modern woman.

“It’s okay, Billy,” she said. After a short pause, Billy reluctantly stepped aside.

Tony engulfed her in a huge hug. She felt out of breath, but she couldn’t help but laugh. Then Tony deposited her into Kyle’s arms. She suffered through another bear hug.

“Thanks, guys. I’m all right, thanks to Billy,” she said. She eyed the silent man who had yet to enter the room. Eric hung back in the doorway watching them with a frown on his face.

“Okay, Sheriff. You’re five minutes starts now,” Eric announced.

Billy wasn’t sure what had gotten into him. He hadn’t felt this kind of territorial need to stake a claim around something that was his in a long time, if ever. Ever since beating the goons off of Thea, something had snapped inside of him. It was his bear; he had no doubt about that. His bear was telling him that Thea was his, and that he needed to protect her.

He was confused and thrown off guard at this recent turn of events, and he wasn’t sure how to react to anything now. He had to take care not to come on too strong. His bear was chomping at the bit to take Thea somewhere quiet and make her his forever.

He forced the bear down inside his mind. He didn’t have time to mess with any of that. He’d deal with the bear later.

He cleared his throat. “Lukas and I have been trying to get ahold of you for quite some time.”

Eric looked at Tony and Kyle, and they each shrugged in turn. They were all expressionless. “Message must have gotten lost or deleted or something,” Tony said.

“Lukas left at least half a dozen. From the moment I booked this trip three days ago until now, I’ve left you at least that many myself,” Billy said.

“You must have had the wrong number,” Tony replied. He looked bored.

“Right,” Billy said. He didn’t feel like he had the energy to put up with this nonsense. “Let’s cut the bullshit. I’m here because there is a man who we’ve been tracking for the last eighteen months who we think is here. I want to find him, and I will find him, come hell or high water. Now, it would certainly go a long way if you’d be willing to help me do that.”

“Who’s this man you’re looking for?” Thea joined the conversation, and Billy could tell that Eric wasn’t happy about it. She looked intrigued.

“He was involved in the murder of Markus Kasper and plotted to kill Lukas and his mate,” Billy said. He saw Thea’s eyes widen. So apparently there were some things that didn’t make it through the shifter grapevine. They’d been keeping Joshua’s involvement in the death of Lukas’s brother under wraps for a reason. Lukas wanted to be sure that when Joshua was found that he was the one who’d be able to deal with him. It was clan business, after all.

“Tell us more,” Thea said when it became obvious that there weren’t going to be any further questions from the men.

“He’s human and part of the Rally Against Claws organization. We know that after the attack just before the Shifter Summit last year he went underground. I found a passenger manifest of a recent flight to Copper City from Omaha that used one of Joshua’s known aliases. All I need is a little help on the ground in tracking him, or any info you might have on him.”

“We don’t concern ourselves with organizations like RAC,” Tony said. “They are small potatoes, barely even large enough to be considered an organization at all. We have larger concerns.”

“If you believe that, then you do have a larger problem on your hands,” Billy said. “The three of you run the shifters in this city like they are part of a clan. If there was anyone here that would threaten what you’ve built, I’m guessing you’d know all about it. That’s how RAC gets right under your nose and then strikes. RAC might appear small, but given the size of the shifter presence, I have no doubt they’re here, and they’re plotting something. If they have a chance to cause mischief, they will. They’re smart, and I’ve discovered they are far better organized and funded than they let on.”

“Thank you for the warning, but it sounds like this is something that is your problem and not ours. If someone was plotting something in this city against us, we’d have heard about it,” Eric said, pushing off the doorframe. “You’ve had your five minutes. I’m sorry, but we can’t help you.”

“Joshua has some powerful allies,” Billy said. “And I know for a fact that despite his political leanings, he’s heavily motivated by money, and his allegiances can be bought for the right price from anyone willing to pay him.”

“What does that mean?” It was the first time that Kyle Frost had spoken since entering the room.

“It means that if you have any enemies, human or shifter, and they want to fuck with you, Joshua will be more than happy to help them out.” Billy let those words settle in the air. “He’s not above taking shifter money, either, if in his mind it means he can tear down a far larger shifter threat. I can’t go into any further details on how I know that. It’s confidential.”

“Leave us the information you have,” Kyle said. Billy was wondering if might have underestimated who was actually in charge among the trio in front of him. “We’ll look into it. Come back tomorrow night.”

Billy was relieved. It had felt easier to get their cooperation than he expected. “I’ve already sent it to you. It’s in the email. If you haven’t deleted it yet.”

“Fine,” Kyle said. “I have to get back downstairs.”

“I won’t take up any more of your time. Thank you,” Billy said. Anthony and Kyle moved past him without looking at him. Eric gave him a frustrated look that told him that he had clearly been outmaneuvered. He looked like he wanted to say more when a lanky teenager swept into the room.

“I heard them whispering something about an attack. What happened?”

“Alex,” Thea said, standing up again. “It was nothing.”

“A bunch of idiots attacked your sister,” Eric said.

Billy wanted to bust the guy’s head open. It was obvious to him that Thea was more than a little protective of their younger brother. She wouldn’t have wanted to worry him.

“Are you okay?” Alex shot to Thea’s side.

“It’s okay now,” Thea said as she gathered him into a hug. Billy noted that she avoided the question, though. As tough as she was trying to play it, she was shaken up. He didn’t blame her.

“I’ll call for a car,” Eric said.

“I’ll stay with them,” Billy offered. He wasn’t about to let Thea out of his sight. He was having a hard enough time keeping his bear under control. “I know you’ve got your…event tonight.” He knew that he was going to have to address the shifter fight tournaments with the men at some point. Lukas wasn’t in favor of continuing to condone those kinds of events. It was going to cause even further friction between him and the three owners of the club.

“I couldn’t impose,” Thea answered instead of Eric.

“It’s not any bother,” Billy said. He could tell that Eric wasn’t a fan of the idea, but it was almost 9pm. The first fight was going to start any time.

“We’ll see you back here at 10pm tomorrow night. Don’t be late,” Eric growled. Then he stormed out the door.

Billy glared at the man before realizing that both Thea and Alex were watching him. He softened his expression. “That went better than I expected,” he said, trying to smooth the moment. Regardless of what he thought of Eric, he was their sibling.

“I’m sorry if this sounds abrupt, but I’d like to go home now,” Thea said. Her voice carried with it a strain that Billy immediately picked up on. “You don’t have to worry about staying with us. We’re fine.”

“It’s my job,” he said, repeating what he had said to her earlier. He held out his hand to the teenager. “We haven’t met yet. I’m Billy.”

The boy looked at his hand with suspicion. “You and my brother don’t seem to like each other much.”

He had read the room and picked up on the nuances within just the span of a few minutes. Billy liked him already. “I just met your brother, so I don’t know him that well. What I do know now is that he and his friends said they might be able to help me with a problem I have, and for that I will be grateful to them.”

The boy took his hand then. “Alexander. Alexander Carmichael.”

The name carried with it the ring of old money and connections, which, of course, was an apt description of the Carmichael family. It had a long lineage and had produced more than its fair share of politicians and financiers who dabbled in oil, gas, and other commodities. They had more money than they probably knew what to do with. Billy had been raised in a middle-class family consisting almost entirely of men who served their city or country in various forms. He had no idea how to comprehend the kind of lifestyle that young Alexander had grown up with and was accustomed to.

“Nice to meet you, Alexander.” Since the kid had insisted on the formality of his full name, Billy would respect that until he was given permission to address him differently. With shifters of that age, they could be wildly volatile. Billy was going to have to keep an eye on him, especially if he spent time with Thea. Then he mentally shook himself. It wasn’t his job to watch over anyone in Copper City. He had to remind himself of that. “Let’s get your sister home, okay? She’s had a rough night.”

Alex turned to his sister, who gave Billy a dirty look. He could read her mind from where he stood. She didn’t want anyone fussing over her, even though she needed it.

“Here, let me give you a hand, Thea,” Billy said. “Can you get the door for us, Alexander?”

He could see that Alex was torn between stepping between him and Thea or obeying his request. Luckily for both of them, he decided on the latter course of action. That was good. Billy wasn’t sure that he’d be able to stop the bear from knocking the boy off his feet if he dared try to block him from his woman.

His woman? Where the fuck did that come from?
Billy still couldn’t believe it. He had always scoffed at the idea that when he met his true mate, he would know almost instantly. Lukas told him that he had known that Maren was his mate for years. But he didn’t recognize the signs consciously until after his first phase. Even then, Lukas had blatantly tried to ignore it. If he felt the way that Billy did now, Billy had no idea how he had been able to do it.

As it was, Billy wanted to sweep Thea up in his arms and hold her close to him. He wanted to make sure that every part of her smelled like him so that other shifters would know that she was spoken for. They would know that there would be hell to pay for touching a hair on her head.

He took several deep breaths as he crossed the room. She put up an arm as if to stop him, but then he saw the slight wobble as her knees threatened to buckle underneath her. He scooped up her elbow and put his arm around her.

“You need to stop trying to push me away,” he said. He quickly added, “You need a hand. It’s okay. I have two.”

“Aren’t you just the comedian?” she replied. The rhetorical question held no mirth in it.

“I’m a friend,” he said.
Although I want to be something more if you’ll let me.
Those words were only in his head. Thankfully he managed to keep them from emerging out loud. That was guaranteed to scare the shit out of her and ensure he’d never see her again. “You seem like you could use one of those tonight.”

She looked up at him with those dazzling green eyes, and he thought he saw something there before it disappeared. “Thanks.”

He knew that his face broke out into a goofy grin then when she didn’t fight him anymore. “C’mon.” He gently guided her toward the door where Alex waited for them. The darkened look of confusion on the boy’s face was another flag that no matter what he thought, he was coming off too strong given the situation. Billy wanted to groan. Of course, as soon as he would find a woman he desired, he’d have to deal with not one over-possessive brother but two. It was just his luck.

“Thanks, kid,” Billy said as they passed him into the stairwell. He backed off a few inches to give Thea room to maneuver down the narrow staircase. He would have preferred to carry her again, but he knew that would be too forward. He was going to have to take things slowly with her. For one thing, she was human and probably didn’t believe in anything like the immediate, irresistible sense you felt when you meet the one who is supposed to be your mate. For another, she lived over a thousand miles away from the place he called home. Last, but not least, she was the sister, albeit through marriage, of one of the biggest political pains in the ass to his clan. The situation was nothing but complicated.

As he and Thea made their way out onto the street, Billy saw that the street was still clustered with dozens of cars. Even if they managed to flag a taxi down, they’d be stuck in traffic forever. “Is there a better place to find a ride?”

“Over on twelfth,” Alex said.

“How do you know that?” Thea asked. Alex was already making a beat in the opposite direction and given his pace, they were going to have a hard time keeping up with him.

“I can see him,” Billy said. “You don’t need to rush.”

“I can’t believe him!” Thea said in a harsh voice.

“He’s just a kid,” Billy started, but she interrupted him.

“Not Alex. Eric. He was a complete asshole to you.”

Billy was surprised. It gave him hope that perhaps Thea had more than a passing interest in him as well. Plus, he knew that her anger at her stepbrother was serving to keep her mind off of other, far darker, things. Those things Billy didn’t think Thea was ready to deal with yet.

“I got the feeling that’s the way your brother operates the majority of the time.” Billy doubted that he and Eric would ever see eye to eye. It would become far worse if Eric realized that he had feelings for Thea.

“Stepbrother,” she corrected. “That’s not how you treat someone who just did your family a solid.”

Billy hid his smile in a hard grunt. She sounded cute trying on the slang that she had likely picked up from Alex.