Chapter 3 #2
Alan didn’t even look at it. Instead, his gaze went out the window in the direction of Chicago.
Carl knew he had opportunities there, ones that had nothing to do with shifters or clan politics.
Once, his brother had wanted to practice law in the big city, handling clients worth millions of dollars.
But he’d turned those offers down to stay in Gladwin and help Carl as Max.
Now would be the time for Alan to spread his wings and explore what he could do in the human world.
But Carl didn’t want to lose his brother.
And the grizzly in him would not release an asset as valuable as the only trustworthy lawyer for miles.
“Don’t leave. Not yet.” The man in him wanted to soften the statement.
He didn’t want to order his brother to accept the job, but his grizzly issued commands and would not politely ask clan members to stay loyal.
But Alan deserved all the respect he could give, which is why he forced himself to add one more sentence through clenched teeth. “Think about it.”
Alan didn’t answer. His golden brown eyes churned with emotions he wouldn’t express, and Carl’s grizzly wouldn’t let him reach out in any way that would make him less dominant.
Which left the brothers exactly nowhere.
So it was just as well that Alan dipped his chin in a nod before backing out of the doorway.
One problem down, Carl thought as his bedroom door slid shut. Next? His gaze went back to Becca and the thick layer of guilt suffocating him since he’d knocked her out. He hated fighting women in general, but taking down Becca had been extra disastrous.
She was everything he valued in a woman.
It wasn’t just her body, which was lush enough to make his mouth water.
No, it was the way she protected Theo. He’d been watching her since the first day she’d brought Theo to camp after her sister died.
She’d been matter-of-fact as she settled him in the dorm.
And once she’d gotten him squared away, she’d handed him a big box of homemade cookies to share and had kissed him good-bye.
No muss, no fuss. Almost brusque. But he’d seen the way she’d teared up at her car.
He’d noticed that she sent a letter daily and new baked goods often enough to make Theo the most popular kid at camp.
And best of all, she’d overnighted him sweatpants when the weather had turned unexpectedly cold.
In short, she thought about the kid without smothering him.
A nurturing woman who fought harder than most animals when threatened.
Both bear and man in him had wanted to bend her over the minute he’d seen her in her kitchen surrounded by Cinderella castles.
And none of that assuaged his guilt at knocking her out and carrying her to his bed in full view of everyone.
Damn it, this was not how to ease a woman into the shifter community.
And while he tortured himself with guilt and lust, she slitted open her pale blue eyes, probably trying to sneak a peek. He’d been waiting, and so their gazes locked immediately.
“Take it slowly,” he told her, his voice as soothing as he could make it. “That tranquilizer dart was meant for someone twice your size, but it was all I had on hand.”
Her eyes widened at that and the fear scent spiked, but she kept her voice calm. Pretty damn impressive. “Where am I?” she asked.
“My bedroom.” She abruptly paled, and he rushed to explain.
“It’s spring, so the whole community comes together to watch for the new shifters.
That means we’re packed to the gills and there isn’t an extra bedroom.
I’m planning to sleep in the cabin with the kids, so you’ll have privacy, but I didn’t want you to wake up alone. ”
“Quite a bit of consideration from the man who attacked me.”
And there was that feisty side that made him harder than granite. Best not to show her that, though, so he adjusted the angle of his chair to keep his horniness hidden.
“I couldn’t let you get the police involved. Not when Theo’s on his way up here.”
She lifted off the pillow, her eyes wide. “You’ve found him?”
God, he’d give anything to reassure her, but he couldn’t lie to her. “Not yet. But we’re pretty sure he’s coming.”
She dropped back on the bed with her eyes closed, the scent of despair filling the room. But a moment later, it was over. She was back in control, her eyes flashing blue fire as she pushed herself upright.
“You’re right,” she said, false cheer in her voice. “I’m sure Theo’s going to show up here any moment. But in the meantime, how about I go back to my apartment just in case he goes home?”
“Amy’s there. She’ll call if he shows up.”
“Right. Of course, but I’m his aunt and guardian. He—”
“He’s coming here. It’s a bear thing, Becca. After the First Change, we always come here.”
She looked around. “To Camp Max?”
“To Gladwin State Park. Not all bear shifters, of course. Just my clan.” He leaned forward. “But don’t worry. We’ve got spotters out looking for him.”
“Theo’s in Kalamazoo. That’s where we live. Two hundred miles south of here.”
More like 180, but he knew she wouldn’t appreciate the correction. “I know it sounds like a lot.”
“Because it is a lot.”
“But bears in their First Change do that kind of thing. They just do.”
She dug her fists into her eyes. “Do you hear yourself? God, do you understand how insane you sound?”
He took a deep breath. “Yes, I do. Which is why I want to show you a video—”
She bolted. One second she was rubbing her eyes with her fists, the next she was inches short of the door. He caught her. Even startled, he was fast and she had no weight to drag him out of his seat. And this time he was prepared as she began to fight him.
Jesus, she was wiry.
He stood up out of his chair, carrying her as she kicked. Bright flashes of pain on his arms told him he’d have more bruises there. And then she reared back to head butt him.
That was the last straw. He could handle bruises, but her head was hard enough to give them both concussions. So he tossed her on the bed. She landed on her backside with an “oomph,” and he hoped she’d stay down.
She didn’t. Even before she’d finished bouncing, she was scrambling up.
So he did the only thing he could think of that would keep her from getting hurt.
He spread eagled and dropped right on top of her.
It took about two minutes of heavy scrabbling to pin her.
She reached up and to the right to grab the lamp, so he nailed that arm first. The second fist came at his head, but he was prepared, and he slammed that down until both of her arms were trapped above and to either side of her head.
As for her legs, nothing would do but for him to drop his knees between hers and spread them.
She fought every second, but she had no leverage.
And all through it, Little Carl got happier and hornier.
By the time she stilled, they were both breathing heavily, their faces were inches apart, and his erection was a hot, stone pillar between them. No way to hide it.
“Get off me,” she hissed.
“I’m going to hand you your phone,” he said calmly, though it was damned hard given how her every breath pushed those soft, rounded breasts against his chest. “You can call 911. Tell them who you are and where you are. Will you listen to their answer, please? Will you trust me that much at least?”
She swallowed. It took her two tries to answer, but eventually she got the word out. “Okay.”
“If you run, I’ll have to stop you again. It’s almost dark and it’d be dangerous for you to be out there by yourself. Not to mention how it’ll scare the kids.”
“I can’t believe I brought Theo here every summer.”
“It probably saved his life, Becca. Otherwise he’d be completely lost out there.
We teach them survival skills and make sure they learn the safe places in the park.
It’s for exactly this reason. In case one of them shifts.
Even in bear form they’ll head for safety.
They’ll head where we taught them to go. ”
She didn’t believe him. God, how stubbornly ordinary people clung to their beliefs. But in her defense, she hadn’t seen anything to suggest he was telling the truth. She hadn’t been quiet enough that he could give her any proof. So first he would have to show her that she was completely safe.
He had to get off her. Little Carl was beyond pissed at that, but he was not a man to be ruled by his dick.
Or his bear, for that matter, which took long moments for him to slam back into its mental cage.
It wanted to flip her onto her stomach, lift her ass up to him, and plunge in for the next week until she was pregnant.
He rolled off her instead, pulled her cell phone out of his desk drawer, and tossed it to her.
She grabbed it eagerly and he watched as disappointment flashed through her expression. No call from Theo. Even now she was more worried about the boy than she was for herself. She then thumbed on the phone and hit 911.
“Hello?” she said when the dispatcher answered. It was a female voice—probably Dot—and thanks to his shifter hearing, he could make out both sides of the conversation. “Hello? I’m Becca Weitz, and I’ve been kidnapped.”
“Hello, Miss Weitz. Thank you for calling. Are you there at Camp Max?”
“I’m…I don’t know. I’m in Mr. Max’s bedroom.”
“Really?” Dot was obviously intrigued by that.
Fortunately, she returned to a professional tone a moment later.
“Officer Kappes is on her way there now to give you an update. We’ve notified Kalamazoo police as well with a full description of Theo, but we had to keep it low-key for obvious reasons.
Don’t worry, though. We’ll find him right and tight.
And welcome to the Gladwin clan. I always thought you’d be joining us one day. Glad to see it finally happened.”