Shifters Forever The Boxed Set Books 1 - 6 (42 page)

J
ake hated leaving Mae behind
. It was one of the toughest things he’d ever had to do. He wanted to talk to her, needed to talk to her. Every second that passed, he felt like he was putting something away that mattered way too much.

Joe cleared his throat. His long hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and his tomahawks lay on the bench seat between them. “What is it, Doc?” he asked, looking away from the road long enough to glance at Jake.

“What’s what?” Jake frowned.

“Something’s eating at you. If I had to guess, I’d say it’s a woman.”

“Oh, yeah? Why would you say that?”

Joe tapped on the steering wheel, paused for a moment, and then answered. “Probably because you had the same look I imagine I had until not long ago.”

Jake looked out the window. He didn’t want to answer.

“Why don’t you just talk to Mae? Sometimes that’s all it takes. Talking.”

That’s not a news flash.
Jake bit back his smartass comment. “Seems like ever since the moment I decided to talk to her, all kinds of shit keeps happening. The polar bear, the elemental thing. Sometimes I wonder if maybe I’m wrong about it. I was going to leave town.”

“Running away doesn’t help anything. Ask Sara, she’ll tell you.” Joe tapped on the brakes and nosed the truck onto a gravel road. “Maybe what’s happened is that you waited too long.”

“Could be. Hopefully not too late.”

“You clearly haven’t seen the way she looks at you, Doc.” Joe shifted into park, then looked at Jake. “I’d say not.”

Jake looked around. “Where are Tanner and Teague?”

“They turned off a couple miles back.” Joe shoved his keys in his pocket.

“I thought they were following us.”

“Maybe they know something we don’t?” Joe said. “Or maybe they scented something?”

Jake pulled out his phone.

Missed call. Teague. Odd. He’d never felt the vibration. He pressed to return the call and got no answer. He left a message for Teague that they were going into the forest.

“Do we wait or forge on?” Joe asked.

“Let’s push on. They can scent which way we’ve gone if they come this way. Either way, we’re going to the same area, so we’ll run into one another.”

J
ake and Joe
trekked through the forest. They maintained silence, while Jake used his bear senses to try to find the polar bear.

He and Joe would handle it without Tanner and Teague.

“Did you hear that?” He turned to Joe. “Sounded like growls.”

“No, but something’s going on. The forest seems… off.”

They took off at a run.

Roars and growls filled the forest, bouncing off the trees, echoing against the boulders.

Jake entered the clearing to find a bloodbath. Completely unscathed, Teague was standing a few yards away, keeping his distance while Tanner and the polar bear were engaged in a battle. The polar bear’s white fur was streaked with crimson and Tanner’s brown fur was darkened by blood.

Jake couldn’t tell which of them was more badly hurt, or even who was winning.

He approached Teague without shifting. If he shifted into his bear and established a sync with Teague, they’d be able to talk, but then they’d be excluding Joe. “Can you shift out so that we can talk?”

Teague shifted.

Before Jake could ask Teague a question, the roars coming from Tanner and the other bear escalated. The polar bear swung his mighty paw, digging into Tanner’s flank.

Enraged, canines bared, Tanner roared, shoving the white bear with his shoulder. Tanner dug his bite into the other bear’s neck as he shredded his muzzle with his claws.

“What’s going on?” Jake raised his voice over the bear roars.

“He knows,” Teague said.

“Knows what?”

Tanner’s teeth were still buried in the polar bear’s neck. The bear growled and roared his pain.

“He knows about Dominic. When we asked him why he was here, he said he was going to kill Marti and the unwanted one she’d given birth to.”

“How does he know?”

“No clue. But then he started to talk about the night he raped Marti.” Teague shook his head. “Bastard got…” He cleared his throat. “He got personal. He got ugly. It set Tanner off.”

“It would do the same to me,” Joe said. “He’d already be dead. If I run into the ones that Sara knew…” Joe cut himself short with a shake of his head.

“So I’d rather we let Tanner take care of his business. It’s not an unfair fight,” Teague added.

True, it wasn’t. In fact, as large as Tanner was, the polar bear was a bit larger.

The polar bear jerked to the right and freed himself of Tanner’s grasp. He tackled Tanner and they rolled into the shrubbery, leaving a broad trail of blood.

Jake found himself holding his breath and released it.

“So, what does he want with Dominic? Did he say?” Jake was baffled by the polar bear’s behavior.

Both bears rolled to their feet. They were silent, staring each other down.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d have sworn he was trying to push Tanner’s buttons on purpose. Why would he do that? That’s damned near suicidal.” Teague paused, watching the bears, then he resumed. “They’re synced. I have no clue what they’re saying. I’m going to shift.”

Teague was clearly worried about protecting his brother. But before Teague could shift, Tanner roared, a sound that was ripped from his soul, that rendered the air static with his pain.

He rushed the other bear, seized him by the neck and severed his spine with a resounding snap. Clamping his jaws down on the polar bear’s neck, Tanner shook his head and didn’t stop, not even when he’d separated the head from the body. He kept shaking, sending arterial blood spewing all over the clearing, bathing Tanner in crimson.

“Fuck!” Joe ran toward the bloodbath.

“Tanner, stop!” Teague was yelling as he ran toward his brother.

Tanner froze. His jaws opened slowly, and the other bear’s headless body dropped to the ground with a loud thud.

Tanner shifted into his human form. His face and clothing were drenched in blood, and his flesh was torn and shredded. His face was a mask of pain, which broke Jake’s heart.

“He shouldn’t have,” Tanner panted. “He shouldn’t have said that. When I grabbed him by the throat he said two words. ‘End it.’ That’s all. Why did he say that about her?”

Teague wrapped his arms around Tanner. “You did what had to be done. Let it go.”

Jake gave Tanner a cursory glance. “You need to shift and heal, at least partially. And we can’t have Marti seeing you like that.”

Joe suggested, “Let’s get him to Kane and Astra’s. He can borrow some of Kane’s clothing.”

“I’ll shift and get him there,” Teague said. “He’ll make it if he shifts. A short rest, a quick shower and a change of clothing and he should be as good as new.”

Tanner didn’t say a word. He looked shell-shocked.

D
riving Tanner’s truck
, Jake pulled into Grant’s driveway. Joe pulled in behind him with Tanner and Teague. They got out of the vehicles and the front door of the house flew open as if someone had been on the lookout and seen their return.

Jake couldn’t say who ran out first. It was more like a mob scene. All the women, the shifters, and the two little ones ran out to greet them.

Marti was the one who noticed first. One look at Tanner and she stopped, stood completely still, studying his face.

“You…” She didn’t say anything else, just held her arms out.

Tanner took her in his embrace, and it was hard for Jake to tell which one of them needed more solace: the giant bear shifter, for what he’d done, or the woman who loved him and knew that what Tanner and his bear did, they did for her.

“I was worried for you,” she whispered in his ear.

Jake could hear it because of his shifter hearing. He felt like an eavesdropper and shifted his gaze away.

Mae’s eyes were on Jake, those dark eyes that now glinted with a hint of indigo that he recognized was her elemental.

The bond he and Mae had always shared was different now. The friendship was different. The easygoing, laid back, relaxed bond carried an electric undercurrent. He couldn’t look at her without that undercurrent surging through him as if an electric shock machine was hooked up to him.

Maybe it was a good thing he had that plane ticket. He didn’t think he’d ever be able to go back to the friendship they used to have. He could go forward with whatever he felt, but he couldn’t go backward; there wasn’t a chance in hell of that. His fear was that Mae wouldn’t want to go forward. She had Brad’s memory to honor, Brad’s love to pay allegiance to.

He breathed out what felt like an anchor-ridden sigh.

Jake felt eyes on him and turn to catch Astra watching him with a strange glow in her eyes. He still hadn’t gotten used to the whole elemental thing, but if anyone was strong enough to handle it, Astra was.

“Hey,” he said to her.

She practically ran from Kane’s embrace to wrap her arms around him. “Doc, I was worried.”

“You should have known you didn’t need to be.”

“I don’t just mean the polar bear.” She cocked her head. Her eyes now glowed a deep yellowish green. “I mean Mae. And you. You and Mae.” She pulled away from him but kept her hands on his shoulders. “I’m uninviting you from Europe, Dad.”

“What?”

“I take it back. I’m going to find Anya on my own. Well, not really. I’m going with Kane. I think you need to stay here. You have unfinished business.”

“Is that a fact?” He quirked a brow at her.

“Are you saying there’s no attraction? No attraction at all?”

Jake felt the heat of his denial in the form of a flush that filled his face. This girl had always been able to call him on everything. He shook his head while his heart burst with pride. She was every bit as incredible as her mother.

“You know, you’re amazing. Just like Anna.”

“I know, Dad. And I know that wherever Mom is, she wants you to be happy. And that woman over there—” Astra indicated Mae with her head. “She makes you happy.” Then Astra stood on tiptoes and leaned close to his ear. “And you are totally fucking it up, Dad. Just saying.”

“Young woman.” He put a stern look on his face. “I thought I’d taught you better than that. And to speak that way to your elder.”

“Doc, you haven’t looked like my elder since I hit twenty-two.”

A few paces behind Astra, Kane’s lips were twitching as if he were fighting a smile. “She’s a handful, Doc.”

Jake shook his head. “Sure is. Glad she got the right man to keep her in line.” He laughed and ducked as she swiped at him.

They were the last three outside. Everyone else had gone inside.

“Let’s join them,” he said.

T
hey were
all assembled over dinner at Grant’s place.

The subject of the polar bear hadn’t been brought up yet. It was the elephant in the room. It had to be brought up, though, sooner or later.

It seemed Marti was ready to do so first.

“So he’s gone.” Marti leaned against Tanner. “That’s that?”

“That’s it.” Jake nodded.

“I’ll get a cleanup crew on the site.” Mae pursed her lips. “I’m nervous about who to call. I don’t want this getting out. Some of the polar bear families have connections I don’t want to see us getting involved in.”

“We better keep this one in-house,” Grant agreed. “I don’t want to risk anyone asking questions about a polar bear. Anyone want to join me tomorrow?”

All the men volunteered, including Tanner.

“Maybe not you,” Grant said. “You need a rest. I support you in what you did.” He put a hand on Tanner’s shoulder. “Completely.”

“I can handle it.”

“You’ve handled enough,” Jake affirmed. “Let us do this. We’re in it together.”

“We’re family,” Mae agreed.

“Come on, Mae.” Teague held out her coat. Kelsey and I will drop you off.”

Jake reached for Mae’s jacket and took it out of Teague’s hands. “I’ll take Mae home.”

“But…” Mae started to say.

Jake gave her a look and held her jacket out. “I’d like to discuss some things with you.”

She stilled and licked her lower lip nervously. “Okay,” she said, then slipped into her jacket.

“
T
his isn’t
the way to my house.” In the truck’s dimly lit cab, Mae glanced his way.

“No, it’s the way to mine.”

“I thought you were giving me a ride home.”

“Mae.” He pulled over to the side of the road and found a dirt road, which wasn’t a surprise to him, since it was his property. He thought maybe she’d feel better talking in a neutral place. “We need to clear the air.”

“Of what?”

“Can we take a walk?” He’d feel better if he could get out into nature, if his bear could feel comfortable and help him out with this. He felt so damned tongue-tied.

“Sure.” She reached for the door handle. He slipped out and beat her to it, opening the door.

He closed it behind her after helping her out. Mae stepped gingerly onto the road strewn with rocks that were sharp beneath thin-soled shoes.

“Easier to walk over here. The forest’s much kinder than these stones.”

He took her hand to lead her toward the path.

The second his fingers wrapped around hers, a current ran through him. He sucked a sharp breath in. It was like a surge of voltage that originated where their skin made contact and made its way through his body faster than his blood seemed to travel.

“You didn’t feel that?”

He jerked his hand away, surprised, caught completely off-guard. He wasn’t even sure what he had just felt, but he felt it straight to his core.

“That?” she asked.

Jake stopped. This wasn’t going to work if he was the only one who felt these things. If she didn’t feel them, it meant his bear was hellishly wrong for thinking that she was their fated mate. And it meant that he was a fool for having fallen in love with her.

Granted, he couldn’t control loving her, but his bear should know better.

“Never mind.” His voice was a low grumble. It seemed Astra was mistaken, as well. Hell, they were all mistaken. Mae merely thought of him as a good friend. What he felt was one-sided. Though by damn, he’d have sworn it wasn’t.

“Jake.”

He loved that she called him Jake. She was the only one who called him that. It was almost like a special message or code between them, except that now, when she said it, for some reason dread filled him.

She continued, “We’ve been friends for a long time.”

Here comes the gentle letdown.

His bear roared at him.

Maybe I
will
take it lying down. What would you have me do? Force her to love me? Force her to… everything?

A knot in his stomach jerked his intestines as if they were hooked on a treble hook. “Don’t say it.” He turned toward her abruptly. “Just don’t.”

M
ae felt
like she couldn’t breathe. Jake had said he wanted to take a walk. She knew that meant he wanted to talk.

He was going to Europe. He was going to tell her that it was a done deal.

He’d asked her if she felt “it.”

She did feel something. Was it what he was feeling?

Why am I struggling to communicate with him?

Because you’re not being completely honest,
Benithe said.

I don’t need your input.

I think for once, you do,
Benithe argued.
I doubt you’ll pay me any more mind than you ever have. You’ll probably shut me away, like you did for many years.

If Mae could have rolled her eyes at Benithe, she would have. She would have rolled them even though she knew Benithe was right.

“Jake. I should say it. If you’re going to leave, if you’re going to Europe, I should be honest.” She drew in the night’s cool air, filling her lungs. “At least this once.”

“Go on.” He led the way toward a large rock and took a seat, patting the area next to him.

“Something strange has happened to me.”

“Your elemental? That stuff?”

Mae shook her head. “No, other than that, though I guess at some point we should discuss it.”

Why did I say that? He’s leaving.

He wasn’t the same Jake she’d always talked to and turned to when she needed someone. He wasn’t her inseparable friend any longer; he was now simply Jake who was leaving. She had a feeling he didn’t plan to return.

Why don’t you just ask him instead of having a feeling that he may or may not do something?
Benithe butted in.

Why don’t you just go away?

Mae plunged in. “Something happened to me, and I’m not sure when. I haven’t wanted to think about it, much less talk about it.”

“Is it something I can help you with?”

This was the Jake she’d fallen in love with. Damn it.

His hand rested on hers, and that jolt that traveled through her when he touched her ran its course again, setting her veins on fire.

“My couple bonding mark.” She paused. “The one that Brad gave me so long ago…”

“What about it?”

“For years after he died, it gave me comfort. It was a warm spot that reminded me that I was loved. It tingled when I thought of him. It warmed my being.” Tears came to her eyes. “It doesn’t anymore. It’s like it never was there. It’s like I never had it.”

J
ake watched
a solitary tear make its way down over the curve of her cheek. He could see this was hard on Mae, and a part of his heart broke for her. He had gone through the exact same turmoil when he’d realized that the bond he’d had with Anna was gone. He’d woken up one day and that invisible thread, that unseen connection that had kept them bound, even after her death, was completely gone.

He remembered that day clearly because he’d gone into the forest with his bear and grieved. He’d run for hours and had gallons of tears over that lost love. His bear had comforted him and had tried to explain to him that this was a normal process, but Jake wasn’t having it.

Now he knew it meant that he’d fallen for Mae. That she was his fated one.

Wait a minute.
Jake jerked up, spine straightening.

Did this mean…? Could it be…?

“Hey.” He kept his voice soft, though a part of him soared with excitement at the possibility.

She turned dark, tear-filled eyes toward him. She blinked, and another tear slipped loose and trickled down her smooth, olive-toned skin.

Jake placed a thumb on it and pushed it upward, retracing the path the two tears had taken. “I know exactly what you mean. I hope you know that. I went through the same thing with Anna.”

“I feel like I’m dishonoring Brad’s memory by not having that sensation on my neck anymore.” She reached up and touched the spot where she’d been marked, long ago. “Nothing. I feel nothing.” Her voice caught, as if she was holding a sob back.

“I felt the same way when I felt the bond with Anna break. It was devastating. I also came to an awakening. I realized that I was being given a second chance at life. I knew immediately what that second chance was. Who that person was, and what it meant.”

“You did?” Her voice was tinged with hope.

“Yup. And I went out and got a tattoo. I knew I couldn’t be wrong, but if I was…” He shrugged. “I wasn’t prepared to be wrong. I’m still not.”

“What tattoo? Where?”

“Right here.” He put his hand on the spot on his neck where shifters couple bonded.

“What is it?”

“Want to see?”

Mae laughed. “It’s dark. It’s not like I have your vision, Jake Evans.”

God, he loved her laugh. He loved the way his name rolled off her tongue, as if it was a caress that roamed his body.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, turned the light on, handed it to her, and moved his shirt collar aside.

Mae drew closer. Too close.
Christ
. He inhaled her scent. She filled his senses.

Mae shone the light on his neck and gasped.

She almost fell off the rock. Jake had to steady her while with a grip on her elbow and a hand on her knee. “Easy now.” He didn’t want her falling and suffering a concussion. A smile crept to his face as he had a thought.
Or worse—amnesia.

“That’s… my… name…” Her words were let out in gasps.

He let that knowledge sink in for a moment while she raised the light and studied it again.

“And there’s a date, right there.” Her fingers traced the delicate script on his neck, her name and the date he’d had tattooed next to it.

The date Jake had figured out his feelings for her. Delicate and beautiful, exotic and fine—the font was exactly what she was.

It’s now or never.
He cleared his throat. “Mae. The reason your mark changed, the reason it went away…”

“I know the reason.” Her voice was low, husky. “I simply didn’t want to accept it.”

“Why not?” He wondered if her issues were the same as his.

“I didn’t want to diminish what I had with Brad. I didn’t want to act as if he’d stopped being important to me. Precious to me.”

Her reasons were so very similar to his. “And now?”

She raised her head. Her lips were full, a dark cherry red in the darkness. The sliver of a moon cast the perfect amount of light.

He could not resist the attraction he had for her. It was so much more than an attraction, though.

He lowered his head.