51. Chapter Fifty-One
Chapter Fifty-One
Raif
R aif feels like he’s floating, like nothing could touch him. He has his mate, his fiancée, he’s made love to her, and it was everything he thought it would be, plus more. Nothing can ruin his happy mood. That is, until he goes into the lodge for lunch.
Ash had left early that morning because she needed to get to the station.
One kiss goodbye turned into him eating her out against the front door with her legs over his shoulders and her hand buried in his long hair.
She finally left, and he didn’t care at all that his dick was still rock hard.
He gets so much pleasure just from making her feel good.
“Jack,” he says, greeting his younger brother in the lodge kitchen.
“Hey Raif, how’s Ash?”
“Good. Really good, I...I told her.”
“Everything?”
“Yeah.”
He can’t help the smile that spreads on his face.
“She take it okay? Not too freaked out about the fact that you turn into a wild animal?”
“Shut up.”
He takes a half-hearted swipe at Jack, who just dances away laughing.
A moment later, the kitchen door swings open, and Axel and Gunner come in. Gunner takes his seat on the stool next to Raif at the kitchen counter while Axel stands with his arms crossed over his chest, looking down at them all.
“What’s up, Ax?” Jack asks.
The tension in the room is palpable, and it’s coming from Axel.
“I’ve got some news. Raif, I need to talk to you.”
“Okay. So talk.”
Raif’s hungry, and Jack is making turkey sandwiches with berry sauce, and they are Raif’s favorite. He’s not missing them for Axel to be grumpy and complain about Raif’s lack of recent care for the lodge.
Axel looks pissed. Angry eyes focused on Raif.
“We got another message from Harvey Group.”
The only sound is the clank of a spoon when Jack drops it. The brothers are practically holding their breaths.
“What is it?” Gunner asks, voice straightforward and firm.
Axel huffs out a breath.
“More pictures. Raif, did you shift recently and show Ash?”
“Yeah, yesterday.”
“There are pictures.”
Axel produces an envelope not unlike the last one and hands it to Raif.
He pulls out the photos and spreads them out on the counters.
The first one is him standing in front of Ash in the trees.
Next, he is in his shifted bear form with Ash standing before him.
Then of Ash in his arms as he sat on his haunches, and another of Ash snuggled into his lap when he was still a bear.
They are one of the most intimate parts of his life.
When he shifted and showed his mate for the first time, she accepted him with open arms. The fact that this was photographed without his consent by an evil organization makes his blood boil.
The last photograph is him shifted back to human, naked, with Ash in his arms. He is furious. How dare they bring his mate into this? Involve her, make her part of this fucked up game.
“There are no pictures of you shifting. There’s just a bear and then a man and, of course, Ash.”
“Could they have them? Have more pictures?”
“I think they would have included them. There are time stamps here, every picture is two minutes apart. I think they just didn’t happen to catch the shift on camera.”
“How did they even get these on camera? I didn’t see anyone else out there.” Raif throws down the pictures on the counter, and Gunner scoops them up to look at them.
“I went out and looked. I found three remote cameras on the land. I would guess there’s even more. It looks like these are activated by movement and not remotely controlled.”
“What do they want? The lodge?” Raif growls out. He stands and stalks away from his brothers and the pictures.
“They sent the pictures along with another offer to sell the lodge and the land. The paperwork was included, all I have to do is sign.”
The brothers all start talking at the same time till Axel holds up his hand to silence them.
“We’re not selling. I still don’t know why they want the lodge, but I am certain they know we’re shifters.”
“Why haven’t they done anything with that intel?” Gunner questions.
“I don’t know,” Axel shakes his head.
There’s silence, and the only sounds that can be heard are from the dining room through the door.
Gunner stands and matches Axel’s stance with his arms crossed over his chest. “What’s the plan?”
Axel is quiet for a moment. Raif feels like he can’t even think. Harvey Group is coming for their family, for his mate, and all he sees is red.
“So what if they have pictures?” Axel says.
“What?” the other brothers all ask in shock.
“So what? They don’t prove anything. They are pictures of bears. And Raif in a fire. They don’t mean anything. Harvey Group came on our land, on our private property, and set up cameras.”
“What are you saying, Axel?” Raif knows his voice is trembling.
“I’m saying we tear this fucking place apart.
Gunner, you said you had contacts from the military who could help us?
” Gunner nods yes. “So let’s take advantage of that.
We’re not selling, we won’t be coerced. Fuck I’ll get a cease and desist for Harvey Group to back off.
The fact that they’re still sending contracts after we’ve told them no is probably enough to count as harassment without the pictures. ”
“What about our mates? What about Ash?”
Ash is Raif’s number one concern. He doesn’t want her involved in this, doesn’t want Harvey Group threatening her.
“We keep them as safe as possible. Chole is here at the lodge. And Ash, well, maybe she stays here for a while. Tell her about Harvey Group, so she knows to keep her eyes open. We protect ourselves. Our great-grandparents built this lodge, helped build this town, and we will not let a bunch of shitfaced weasels come in and take it. They will have to do more than intimidate us with pictures to get the lodge.”
Raif lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. They can do this. They can come together and fight Harvey Group the only way they know how, through determination, will, and brotherhood. Together they can do it.