Bear Unbound: A BBW Bear-Shifter Romance (Shift Your Fate Book 1) (10 page)

“So, we need a witch.”

They were all silent for long minutes. It was almost 7 A.M.

“I might know someone who has a witch,” said Emil.

***

“Tristan Ward?!”

Tyler shouted, then realized he was being too loud and immediately apologized. He plopped in an armchair and started rubbing his temples.

“He’ll never do it.”

Emil was silent for a moment, thinking about Tyler’s words. It was true it was a long shot, and he didn’t even know Tristan that well. They had only met once, after Emil had insisted for days. Their meeting lasted a little over half an hour in which nothing was achieved. The lion-shifter didn’t seem to be interested in joining the Order of the Severins. Emil had let him go, thinking he could try again later. Tristan Ward would have been a great addition to his little secret organization, and could have made a huge difference in the supernaturals’ war against the Assassins’ Guild. Why? Because he was one of the few shifters who had been able to build a community and keep its members safe. He might have well been the only lion-shifter who had his own pride, and Emil could understand his reluctance in joining an Order which wanted to go directly against the Calimala. A single mistake could expose his people, and as their Alpha, Tristan had to think about them first. He had promised them protection, and nothing was more important than that. He couldn’t drag them into a war.

“You know him…” said Emil.

Tyler shook his head. “I only know about him. The guy has kept his pride alive for so long because he knows how to lay low. He’d go out of his way to keep his people safe, but he wouldn’t lift a finger to help someone else. Not even a fellow shifter. It’s called survival, and he’s really good at it.”

“Still worth a try. He refused to join the Order two weeks ago, but there was something in his eyes. Tristan Ward is a man who wants to fight, but joining a secret organization of one member, me…” He smiled bitterly. Starting something was always the hardest part. “It sounded too risky for him. He’s got resources, and I’m not only referring to his witch. But now, there are two of us.”

Tyler laughed. “A wolf-shifter and a bear-shifter. What can we possibly offer a lion-shifter who’s got a witch and a bunch of other lions under his command?”

“More than you think. I’m pretty sure Tristan doesn’t have a hacker.”

“Fair.”

He didn’t. It was why Tyler had found out about Tristan and his pride in the first place. While he didn’t know where he kept his people, he did know about their existence. If Tristan had had a good hacker, Tyler wouldn’t have even come across his name. It was more than likely that the Calimala knew what Tyler knew, and they had already focused some of their resources on finding Tristan’s pride. On second thought, yes, a wolf-shifter and a bear-shifter did have something to offer in exchange for the help of Tristan’s witch.

A weak moan came from Becca’s room, and they all jumped to their feet. Even though Becca and Kassandra were closer, Tyler was the first to reach Amber’s side. Now that everyone knew he was a shifter, he didn’t bother to hide his normal speed.

“Sweetie, you’re awake… Thank God you’re awake!”

He kissed her hand, and Amber smiled up at him. Her face was pale, her lips were dry, and she could barely keep her eyes open. When Becca, Kassandra, and Emil entered the room, she couldn’t move her head to look at all of them.

“What’s wrong with me?” Her voice was a soft whisper.

Tyler kissed her hand again, then caressed her hair.

“You’ll be all right, I promise.”

“I feel so tired. I want to move, but I can’t. It’s like I haven’t slept in days.”

Rebecca rounded the bed and sat down at Amber’s other side. She checked her temperature, but it seemed pretty normal.

“Do you want something to drink? Or eat? Are you hungry?”

Amber shook her head.

“I just wanna sleep.”

Becca bit her lip to keep herself from begging her to fight it. She knew Amber couldn’t.

“She won’t be awake for long,” said Kassandra.

The empath thought it was a miracle she even woke up and was able to speak. Without the shifter blood she was addicted to, her body would soon shut down. She turned around when she heard soft footsteps down the hallway, and plastered a smile on her face when Amber’s daughter appeared on the doorstep.

“Mommy?” The girl rubbed her sleepy eyes. “What’s happening?”

Kassandra wanted to take her hand, but Ava threw her a suspicious look and avoided her. She was a stranger, and she didn’t talk to strangers or let them touch her. She accepted Becca’s hand instead, and allowed her to take her to Tyler and her mother.

“Come here, baby…” whispered Amber. “Give me a hug.”

Ava climbed on the bed and lay down next to her.

“I thought you were in Chicago,” she said. “Are you sick?”

“Yeah… I wasn’t feeling well and I had to come back.”

Ava furrowed her brows. She was pretty sure things didn’t add up, but she didn’t question her mother. All that mattered was that she was there, with her, and that her friends would make things better. Tyler was there, and Ava knew she could trust him.

“Mommy is very tired,” Amber continued. “I’m going to sleep for a while, but I’ll be fine.”

Ava nodded.

“Promise me you’ll listen to Becca, okay?”

Those were the last words she managed before falling back into her deep sleep. Her mind couldn’t process what was happening, and even thought she would have wanted to bombard Tyler with questions, she was too weak to do it. She wanted to know if the two guys who had tried to kidnap her had been sent by her insane husband. She wanted to know if they had done something to her. The discovery that Tyler was a bear-shifter had distracted her at the cabin. Now she felt so much regret that they didn’t have more time to talk about it, to sort things out better, to contact the police about Stephan and his men… She had been such an idiot. She should have contacted the police the second Stephan had told her he was watching her. So many things she could have done differently…

“Mommy?”

Amber forced her brain to make its way back to Ava, but it was useless. Endless, dark silence enveloped her, and she fell into a void where nothing could reach her. For a split second, she knew she would never wake up again, and she panicked. Then it was gone. Panic, hope, desire, thirst, hunger… It was all gone.

Tyler took a deep breath and struggled to fight back his tears. It wasn’t because he didn’t want Becca, Emil, and Kassandra to see him cry. They knew how much he loved Amber, and they surely understood how love worked between mates. And Kassandra could probably feel exactly what he felt, anyway. But he didn’t want Ava to see him broken and desperate. He couldn’t allow himself to lose hope even for a moment. He kissed the top of the girl’s head, then nudged her shoulder.

“Come on, let’s let her rest,” he said.

Ava turned to look at him. His smile reassured her, so she allowed him to take her into his arms and carry her into the living room. Kassandra and Emil followed them. Rebecca stayed a minute longer to rearrange Amber’s pillow, pull the cover up to her chin, and make sure she was comfortable.

“Don’t you worry, my dear,” she whispered. “We’ll find a way.”

CHAPTER SEVEN

When Tristan Ward said he would be there in three hours, Emil thought what convinced him was the mention of Tyler Atwood and the fact that he was a hacker. In truth, it was something else.

If there was one thing Tristan respected more than anything, it was the idea of fated mates. He hadn’t found his mate yet, but he still believed he would one day. Yes, the fact that Tyler was a hacker was nice. So was the news that Emil Severin’s little Order was growing. But when the wolf-shifter told him that Tyler’s mate was addicted to shifter blood and was going to die if she didn’t get her dose, he barked into the phone that he’d be there as soon as possible, then called Camille and told her to grab her toys. The witch tried to ask him why, but he threw her an annoyed glance and told her to move. He didn’t have time for explanations, and even if he did, he wouldn’t grace her with one.

Three hours felt like forever to Tyler. He paced the living room, went to check on Amber every ten minutes, and refused to have breakfast. He couldn’t eat. He could barely think clearly. Emil was busy making some phone calls and canceling the meetings he was supposed to have that day, and Rebecca was keeping Ava busy. It was Saturday, so she didn’t have to worry about work. Only Emil didn’t know when to stop. Kassandra had finally befriended Ava. All it took was to ask her if she wanted to learn how to read someone’s future in their palm, and Ava was totally sold. Now, they were both staring at Becca’s palms.

Tristan arrived ten minutes earlier. Emil let him in, and the lion-shifter entered the crowded living room, Camille following him close behind.

“Was it difficult to find the address?” asked Emil out of courtesy.

“Not at all.”

Tristan nodded towards everyone, and shook Tyler’s hand when the bear-shifter introduced himself.

Rebecca asked Ava if she wanted some hot chocolate, and when the girl said “yes”, she took her into the kitchen on the pretext that she needed help. Kassandra remained in the living room, on the sofa. She was the only one who was seated, and that gave her the perfect opportunity to carefully study the lion-shifter and his witch.

When Emil had told Tyler about Tristan Ward, it had been the first time Kassandra had heard about him. It made her feel uncomfortable. Of course, she didn’t know all the shape-shifters in the U.S., but she did know about the special ones, the ones who could truly make a difference. Now, as she was studying Tristan, she realized the man eluded her. He was as tall as Emil and Tyler, but more muscular. He was built like a brick. Long, dark blond hair that almost touched his waist, intense blue eyes, thick, furrowed brows, and a neatly trimmed beard… He certainly looked like a god. A god of war and destruction. There was a wall between him and the rest of the world, and she couldn’t break it. She got flashes of his thoughts, bits of his past, but that was all. It wasn’t enough for her to be able to make a clear idea about the man. What he wanted, what his goals were, what made him so sad and cold, what could make him happy… Kassandra was at a loss. The woman, however…

Camille looked small and frail by Tristan’s side. Short and slender, with narrow hips, and tiny breasts, she wasn’t very feminine. She had silky blonde hair and faded blue eyes. She could have been a beauty if she had had the courage to think of herself as one, but she didn’t. It was easy for Kassandra to read Camille. The second the young woman stepped over the threshold, the empath was hit by a strong wave of sadness and utter desolation, to the point where the feelings verged on depression. Dark, heavy, unforgiving depression. Camille was a woman who could barely find the strength to get out of bed in the morning, but did it anyway. Not because she didn’t have a choice. She could decide to go to sleep and never wake up at any time. It was because as she lay in bed for hours on end, a spark of hope would eventually make her heart beat faster and her limbs move. It was feeble and almost impossible, but it was there: the hope that Tristan would see her one day, that he would look at her and actually see her eyes, filled with fear, insecurities, and love, he would see her as a woman, not as a witch, not as a tool he needed to keep his pride hidden from the Calimala. No, Camille wasn’t a tool. She knew that deep down, Kassandra was sure of it. But there were days when the girl would look in the mirror and see what Tristan saw, and those were the days which made her go into her work room, open the cabinet where she kept her potions, and go through all the poisons she owned, chanting out loud the terrible ways in which they killed.

Kassandra shook her head in an attempt to snap out of the disturbing trance. Emil, Tyler, Tristan, and the witch were already down the hall, walking towards Amber’s room. She stood up on shaky legs and followed them. It was rare of her to hate her ability to empathize so strongly with the people she came in contact with. She was usually able to keep some sort of emotional distance, but there were cases in which the other person was so overcome by their own feelings, that Kassandra couldn’t protect herself from them. They all stopped at the foot of Amber’s bed, and the empath tried to stay as far away from Camille as possible. She couldn’t help the young witch. Not now, at least. So, she needed to keep a clear head and focus on helping Amber and Tyler.

“How long has she been like this?” asked Tristan.

“A couple of hours.” Tyler tried to keep his voice calm. In reality, he thought everyone was moving too slowly. Emil had told Tristan everything, and even thought he had only mentioned the most important parts, Tyler still had the impression it had taken forever. He eyed Camille. The woman hadn’t said anything since they arrived, and he had a strange feeling about her relationship with the lion-shifter. Something wasn’t right.

Tristan folded his bulky arms over his chest and studied Amber’s pale face. The woman was beautiful, he had to admit. Tyler Atwood was one lucky guy to have found his mate. Most shape-shifters didn’t even believe in fated mates anymore. He turned to Camille. The witch hadn’t said a word. She was waiting for him to tell her what to do. His lips curved into a satisfied grin and he motioned for her to step closer to the bed and assess Amber’s situation.

Camille followed his order. Tristan’s every gesture towards her was an order, and she couldn’t deny there was something within her which forced her to do exactly what he wanted.

“Do you think you can make a dose for her?” he asked.

“I’ll have to figure out what type of shifter blood she’s on first.”

“Do it.”

Emil ran a hand through his dirty blond hair. “We have to give her the exact same type of shifter blood? My God!”

“Yes,” confirmed Camille. Her voice was low and calculated. “If she’s on, say, wolf blood, then giving her lion blood would make things worse. I’m going to take a sample of her blood and see what it tells me.” As she gave these explanations, she took a needle and a phial out of her bag and sat down on the edge of the bed.

Kassandra looked away when the needle sank into Amber’s tender vein. She had always hated the sight of blood.

“Do you have everything you need?” asked Tristan.

“Yes.”

“All right.” He turned towards Emil, Tyler, and Kassandra. “Come on. Let’s give her some space.” Then he walked out of the room.

Emil followed him, but Tyler and Kassandra hesitated. They exchanged a concerned glance, and Tyler finally shook his head as if to say there was no way he was leaving Amber alone with the witch. He didn’t care that Tristan trusted her. He had left Amber alone once and something terrible happened. Kassandra understood and nodded in approval. She went to check on Rebecca and Ava.

Emil had a good reason to try to be around Tristan for as long as he could. This was the perfect chance to tell him again about the Order of the Severins and try to persuade him in joining it. He had been talking for fifteen minutes when Camille and Tyler came back into the living room. The witch removed her surgical gloves.

“It’s bear-shifter blood,” she said.

“Are you absolutely sure?” asked Tristan. He knew Camille didn’t make mistakes and never lied to him. He was just being an asshole. Unnecessarily.

Camille rolled her eyes. “Yes, I’m sure. If it’s okay with him,” she motioned towards Tyler, “I can take some blood and start separating the venom. The dose she needs can be ready in an hour.”

Tristan grinned. “Make it half an hour.”

The witch took a deep breath and struggled to keep her temper under control. Why was he doing this to her? Did he hate her that much? She counted to ten, then said: “I’ll try.”

Tyler followed her back into Amber’s room and sat still as she took blood from him.

“Take more,” he said.

“I don’t need that much for a dose.”

“She’ll need another one after a while, won’t she? Make more doses.”

Camille was lost in his dark eyes for a second. Why couldn’t he have been her shifter? He was so much more likable than Tristan.

“It would take me much more than half an hour. You heard him…”

“Why are you so afraid of him?”

Camille had taken the blood she needed, so she turned back to her work. She had spread all her tools on the small desk by the window. She immediately started working, completely ignoring Tyler’s question. She was grateful when he didn’t say another word.

Tyler watched her as she did her thing. Indeed, the process was a combination of chemistry and magic. While she used tools one could find in any chemistry lab, she whispered words in a strange language while moving the red liquid from one container to another. Eventually, she obtained a clear, transparent liquid which Tyler guessed was the venom, while the blood was of a pale red. The dose was small. Once they gave it to Amber, it would only last her for a while, then she’d need another one.

“Give it to me, please,” Tyler said.

The witch hesitated for a second, then handed him the syringe. Once again, she envied Amber for having such an amazing man by her side. Tyler hadn’t left her side for a second, and now he wanted to be the one to make her better. He wanted to be the first person she saw when she woke up. As he sat on the bed and took Amber’s limp arm in his hand, Camille fought back her tears and thought it was better to leave the room. She had to tell Tristan she had finished, anyway. Five minutes before his deadline, even.

The needle pierced Amber’s skin gently, and the pure bear-shifter blood entered her system. Tyler could actually see the color coming back to her cheeks as the drug started to work. When he pulled the needle out, he saw how the small wound healed immediately, and it struck him: of course Amber wouldn’t know anything about Stephan Castell administering her shifter blood in secret. He probably did it at night, when she was asleep, and because the blood made her organism faster and stronger, there was no mark on her skin in the morning.

“Bastard,” he whispered. He would have launched himself in an endless series of curses, but Amber stirred in her sleep and moaned. “Sweetie?” He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it eagerly. “It’s okay, I’m here. You’re okay now.”

Her eyes fluttered open, and she smiled up at him.

“You…”

“Yes. How do you feel?”

“Wow! I… I don’t know.” She sat up and drew her knees up to her chest. “Like I was dead and I came back to life. I feel amazing! Oh, and I could eat a whole cow. You’ve no idea how hungry I am.”

Tyler laughed and showered her forehead and cheeks in kisses. She let him hug her and cuddle her, but after five minutes, she lost all patience. She felt full of energy. She wanted to jump out of bed, sprint to the kitchen, and raid Becca’s fridge. Then, she wanted to drink a huge glass of water and go out for a long walk. She needed air, she needed to be out on the streets. And she needed to see her daughter. A sharp pain stabbed her right through the heart when she remembered Ava’s small voice calling her as she was falling into the darkest, deepest sleep.

“Where’s Ava? I need to see her.”

She pushed Tyler away and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. For a split second, she expected to feel the usual dizziness, but it didn’t happen. She felt strong and young, she was capable of anything. The sensation was exhilarating.

“Oh, and you have to tell me everything.”

Tyler followed her out of the room.

“Of course I will.”

Amber stopped in her tracks and turned around. She stabbed him in the chest with her index finger, letting her red, sharp fingernail leave a clear mark on his skin. She couldn’t see it through his T-shirt, but she knew it was there.

“I mean it, Tyler. You’re going to tell me everything about the two men who tried to kidnap me, about this weird sickness I seem to have, and what was in that syringe that’s making me feel like a completely different person. It’s freaking me out, okay?”

Tyler looked deep into her sea blue eyes.

“I’ll tell you everything, Amber. I promise.”

***

“Stephan is what?”

Amber was pacing the room frantically. The shifter blood in her system didn’t allow her to sit still for a minute.

“He’s a member of the Arte di Calimala,” repeated Tyler. He knew it sounded crazy and his mate needed time to process the information.

“You’re saying that I’ve been married to an… an assassin?”