Bearing Secrets (13 page)

Staring out the window,
watching the waves crash onto the beach as the sun sank low, casting warm red
and pink streaks through the sky, Ivy tried to move past her anger. She was
tired of Chad’s attitude. She understood that having his mother killed by a
bear had left its scars but there was a big difference between bears and bear
shifters. The biggest of them being logical thought. When shifters changed
form, they still held their willpower and thoughts as they would in human form.
They wouldn’t kill an innocent person. Even being a shifter and knowing there
was a difference, Chad couldn’t separate the two. All he saw when he looked at
the Browns was the same animal that killed his mother.

She had tried to be
understanding, to let him have his fit and leave the island without a goodbye.
She even tried to forget he had wished her dead. But no longer could she put it
all aside. Chad was acting like an ass, and she’d had enough. Taking off with
only a note for Mason to find, he hadn’t just abandoned them. Leaving her
behind when she wanted him to share in her happiness, he had left behind the
position he worked so hard for, and put Mason in more danger. As the only Elder
guard left to protect Mason, it was a serious lapse in judgment that she
couldn’t overlook, not when Mason had opened his clan to her.

A ball of animosity and
disappointment rolled around her stomach, growing bigger with each passing
second. Even though it was Chad who had disappointed, she was the one left to
deal with the outcome. Though she might never return to the Arizona Tigers,
even after Mason had ensured her she’d always be welcome, the guilt of Chad’s
actions weighed on her shoulders. There had to be something she could do to
help Mason, to make sure he was safe even though he had no guards protecting
him.

“Ivy…” Turi’s boots echoed on
the hardwood floors as he neared.

Not wanting him to see the
tears, she quickly she reached up and brushed them away. “I’m fine.”

“You can’t lie to a mate.” He
slipped his arm around her waist and tugged her against his massive chest.

She let him because she wanted
the comfort he could give. To feel his arms around her, her head pressed
against his toned chest made it almost worth her heartache. She laid her hand
over his heart, feeling the beat under her fingertips, and knew this was what
mattered.

My mates.

There was nothing she could do
to protect Mason, to defeat Randolph or the rogues. What she
could
do
was love her men with everything she had. She could monitor the forum, follow
virtual leads, and that would have to be enough.

They stood there, locked
together, until long after the sun had finished its descent, before she finally
looked up at him. “What’s going to happen to Mason now? With no Elder guards or
clan, he’s like a lone tiger. He’s too strong to submit to another Alpha.”

“It will be his choice, but he
could rebuild his land and clan. With Tabitha taking control as Queen of the
Tigers, there are others out there who need a clan that will follow her. They’d
leave their own clans that are against her and come. Others who are in clans
that support her might come for the promotions. He’ll need new guards and if
anyone can help him find suitable guards it will be Ty.” He rubbed small
circles down her back. “If he wants to rebuild, he’ll find a way.”

“He said I’d always been a
part of the Arizona Tigers, even though I mated with you and Trey and would
make my home here. But now things have changed.”

“I don’t think they have. The
clan might be different but there will always be a place for you there. Mason
will make sure of it. You said it yourself…he was like a father figure to you.
Do you really think he’d just cast you out?”

“Chad did, and we were raised
as siblings.”

“Chad’s an asshole,” Trey
announced as he came up behind them.

“Nice way to talk about your
brother-in-law.” She reached toward him, wanting to feel his hard strength
against her too.

“I’m sorry, my angel.” He pressed
his body against her back. “Sometimes I don’t know when to hold my tongue.”

“It’s okay, Trey. I don’t want
to admit it but he’s an ass.” She pressed her body into his and let her head
fall back against his chest, while still holding on to Turi. “No one has any
idea where he went, or if he’ll ever come back. He tore me to pieces, and even
after all he’s done, I still love him.”

“Why wouldn’t you? He’s family
and that bond is thicker than water.” Turi kissed the top of her forehead.

“Only for humans.”

“Why do you say that?” Trey
nuzzled her neck, planting light kisses there.

“It was drilled into me all my
life. I was human and had bonds to those around me that they didn’t share.
Chad’s mother raised me, but I was never allowed to call her by anything but
her name. She was actually my aunt, but I couldn’t even call her that. She was
a kind woman for taking me in but my childhood wasn’t anything like you see on
television or read in books. There was no one to tuck me into bed and read me a
bedtime story. Chad and I were close because we’re close in age, less than a
year separates us.”

“But you said before the clan
accepted you, at least you thought until you started working on your proposal.
That’s when Edith and you had the disagreement, right before the attack.” Turi frowned.

“They did. I know it sounds
like I’m contradicting myself. They accepted me, but when I would push for more
than they could give, they’d remind me where my place was. I was still very
young when I stopped pushing for more, and things smoothed out, but I still
remember wanting the bond with them I felt inside of me. I don’t know if that
makes sense, maybe I’m not explaining it right.”

“Shhh, love.” Turi tightened
his grip on her arm. “Tigers are devoted only to their mate and children. When
their children are old enough they normally venture to other clans to make a
name for themselves. Parents often have little to do with them after they reach
eighteen. That is not the case with all shifters.”

“I see your family is
different.” The fact that the Browns were different thrilled her; finally she
had the family she longed for, even a motherly figure in Ava.

“Even among the bears our
sleuth is unusual,” Trey admitted. “Most live on their own, only coming
together for events. Whereas our family enjoys being close. Mom absolutely
hates the fact that three of her sons are gone.”

“While they were here, she
clung to them like they’ve been gone for years,” Turi added. “It had only been
a couple months since they were here, even less for Tad since he just mated
with Courtney and Milo.”

“Your mom has such a big
heart, and she welcomed me into the fold quickly. It’s nice that she comes over
to visit almost every day, I just wish she didn’t feel like she had to bring
something as an excuse.”

“No excuse there, my angel.
Mom is always baking or cooking. She’s always brought food to us when we didn’t
join her for dinner, and there’re always sweets in the houses.” Trey nibbled
her neck. “None as sweet as you, though.”

“My bears and your sweets.”
She arched her neck giving Trey a better angle.

“How about we take our mate to
bed and ease away the worries that have these muscles so tight?” Turi suggested
before bending his knees and picking her up.

“What about my smoked salmon
you promised?” She looked over Turi’s shoulder to Trey who was following behind
them.

“I’ll bring you some after we
have our wicked way with you.” Making his way down the hall, Trey was already
stripping off his clothes. “It will be a good snack once we’ve turned your body
into a wet noodle, and you’re so sore you can barely move.”

She knew they’d make good on
that promise. They had done it every chance they’d gotten since they had
claimed her and with each time, the mating bond grew stronger. This time, she
wanted it to be different. She wanted to take control of their lovemaking, to
ride them until they filled her with their juices.

Fingers flying over the
keyboard, Trey glanced at the door to make sure Ivy hadn’t come back from her
coffee run yet. This email to Ty would hopefully put her mind at rest and give
them more information on what Mason was planning. He’d keep it quiet until he
knew something, which was why he wanted to contact him before she returned. He
also wanted to offer his help if Mason needed anything. His mate cared for
Mason, and Trey would do what he could to see that no one else she cared for
was hurt. She had been through too much already and if he could spare her any
pain, he’d do it.

“Not only did I bring you
fresh coffee, but being the amazing woman I am, I brought you a bear claw.”

Just as he hit send, she set
the coffee and plate to the side of his laptop.

“No wonder I picked you as a
mate,” he teased, grabbing the bear claw.

“You didn’t have a choice. It
was me who picked you and Turi.” She joined in on his joke, trying to take
credit for the perfect match. “Speaking of which, where is my workaholic mate?”

“He and Theodore are out
cutting down trees for firewood and lumber for Theodore’s furniture.”

“Furniture?”

“Theodore has made almost
every piece of furniture in the cabins. He’s great with his hands and does
amazing details. He also does custom work to sell. Right now he’s working on a
new bed for Tad. With three mates you need a large bed, especially when one’s a
bear. A king size bed just won’t do, so we make our own.” He explained in
between bites of his treat.

“So that’s why ours is so big.
The other night when the snoring woke me…” She gave him a look that could shoot
daggers before continuing. “I noticed the details along the headboard. It’s
amazing work.”

“All of us can do
construction, we’ve built all the houses on the island, but Theodore is the
most talented when it comes to things like that.”

“That’s an idea.” She propped
her hip onto the corner of the desk. “We should add a board on the forum with
things like this. It could get the word out for Theodore’s amazing work, and
I’m sure it would help other creative artisans. Like a classified section.”

“I’ll add it to the list.” He
wiped his fingers off on his jeans and grabbed the pen to write.

“I brought you a napkin.” She
nodded to the white napkin next to the empty plate.

“You’re turning more like Mom
every day, and I’m not sure that’s a good thing.” He took a sip of the coffee
to wash down the bear claw. “My sweet angel, bears are messy.”

“I’m going to house train you
both,” she teased. “Now how’s the forum coming along?”

He turned the laptop enough
that she could see the basic design. “I have to add the different categories
you want, as well as the different levels of activities for the followers, but
we should be ready to launch in, say, two weeks. That will give me time to get
the Alpha side done as well.”

“That side will be separate,
right?”

“Yes. Only approved Alphas
will have access to all of it. There will be a separate part that will be open
to the Captain of the Alphas guards, since some of the information shared there
will be beneficial in them keeping their Alpha safe. The private part within
the Alpha section will be only for the Alphas and Lieutenants of approved
clans. It will not be open to anyone who has not vowed their loyalties to
Tabitha.”

“Will that be the same with
the members’ area?”

“Yes, we need to safeguard it.
Each possible member will need to be checked out to ensure there is no
harassment, to make sure we’re not putting anyone in danger. With most, all we’ll
have to do is check the Alpha, see if they’re committed to Tabitha, then
everything is fine. If someone is applying that isn’t a member of a devoted
clan, we’ll need to do additional checks.” He clicked a few buttons to show her
the pages where they’d apply to be a member. “They’ll fill out the information
here, and with the three of us, it shouldn’t take long to approve them. If we
need more help we’ll get the rest of the family.”

“This is amazing.” Her eyes
traveled from left to right as she read the screen. “What about something with the
type of shifter?”

“Right now it will only be open
to tigers, my family, and Leo. So we don’t need it yet, but I’ll add it later.”

“Leo?”

“Sheriff Leo Lutz of Nome,
he’s a lion shifter in hiding.” He laid his hand over hers. “No one but Dad, my
brothers, and Milo know.”

“Dang, it could have worked in
my proposal, but I won’t say anything.” She tucked a strand of her hair behind
her ear. “It’s nice to have someone who knows the secret working
for
you, not against.”

“Yes, it can be.” He nodded.
“Now if you want this finished, I need to get back to work.”

“You’re turning into a
workaholic like your brother.” She leaned across the desk and lightly kissed
his lips. “I want to finish the proposal anyway. I want Ty and Tabitha to have
it before the forum goes live.”

She slipped off the desk,
going back to her spot by the window and her proposal, while all he wanted to
do was go to her. He pictured spreading her over the back of the sofa and
burying himself deep within her until she screamed his name.

The ding of his email pulled
his thoughts away. With one last glance at Ivy, he slid his laptop back in
front of him and clicked the email icon. A rush of excitement sent his mouse
across the screen to open the message from Ty. Quickly reading it, he knew that
it would help relieve some of the stress on Ivy’s shoulders.

“Mate.” He waited until she
looked up. “I contacted Ty and he just got back to me. Mason is selecting
guards and will rebuild. There’s a lead on two members who might have survived,
and a team is searching.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful.” The
smile she had when he first told her the news quickly diminished.

“You’re still feeling bad
about Chad.” He bit his tongue to keep from saying that she had no reason to
feel upset about it.

“I’m glad Mason won’t let this
ruin him. He’s a good Alpha, well…not that I know any other Alphas. He keeps
control while still being understanding.”

“I haven’t had contact with
him until he came to the island, but I know he’s been committed to Tabitha
since she took her place as Queen. That’s what matters to me. It will mean one
less clan we will have to fight against, and more tigers on our side.” He
leaned back in the chair. “Mason will gather guards and stay at the Alaskan
Tigers compound for now, while he has a team rebuilding the land in Arizona.”

“At least he will be safe even
though Chad abandoned his duties.”

“Well he’s found a new Captain
of his Guards. Carran, he’s a black tiger and has been part of Tabitha’s guard
for some time now.” Trey hoped that the knowledge of someone else protecting
Mason would help ease any remaining worry.

“A black tiger? I thought they
were a thing of legends.”
She set her laptop aside and leaned
forward, her elbows on her knees. “Wait, Carran? He’s the one who rescued me in
Arizona. He lowered himself into the debris to get me out.”

“I own him my life then.” He
took a long drink of his coffee. “He’s the only one known to be living. Does
the fact that someone is guarding him make you feel better?”

“Actually it does.”

“Good, now back to work
because if you want that finished today you better get to it. Tonight we’re
taking off, no work.” He took his own advice and closed his email to focus on
the forum. He’d get done what he could before Turi returned, and then they’d
have time with their mate.

He ran a hand through his hair
and silently cursed. Since Ivy had come into his life, he was always thinking
of ways to get her naked and new places to make love to her. He couldn’t get
her off his mind. The need to touch her was always there. He had become like a
horny teenager again.