Bearly Consenting: Russet Falls Series (3 page)

“You tricked me,” Drew spat. “Let’s call a spade a spade.”
He was livid and his blood boiled as his bear began to awaken.

“I gave you everything that you ever wanted,” she hissed,
her words stinging. “More than you could have possibly dreamed of. Don’t be so
fucking ungrateful.”

“Oh, I’m not ungrateful,” Drew said with disgust, “I know
how good I have it. But don’t think that I’m not aware of how you took
advantage of me.”

Seraphina let out a harsh laugh. “Please. You act as if you
were a child. You were a grown man. I offered you the world, and you took it.
You knew what was expected of you.”

Drew jumped off the couch. “I had no idea!” he yelled,
before quickly lowering his voice. “I had no idea of what you would ask me to
do!” He thought of the scum he had to interact with, the deeds he had to
commit, the sins that now rested on his brow.

Seraphina was going to Hell, and Drew would surely be
joining her.

“I told you that you would work for me,” she said, her voice
powerful. “You agreed to do my bidding!”

“You didn’t tell me that you were a god damn witch!”

Seraphina narrowed her eyes and gave him a stare so cold
that he wouldn’t be surprised if he froze right there on the spot. “Don’t you
ever use that word in my presence again,” she warned him, “Or so help me—” She
trailed off.

Drew wasn’t going to fight with Seraphina. She had him by
the balls, and they both knew it.

Yes, from the outside, he had it all. He was powerful,
handsome, and filthy rich. He owned properties and businesses all over the
world, but Seraphina owned him. He was her puppet, and seven years ago he
signed over his soul when he agreed to work for Seraphina.

Now he had to live with the consequences. He knew there was
no way out. There was a cost for selling your soul. And Seraphina had played
him just right; hitting him where it hurt the most and tricking him into
thinking he could have still had his life with Avery.

Drew collected himself, feeling his bear beating at him from
within, wanting to escape. At least he was home, and he could disappear into
the woods and shift to help calm himself.

“Now,” Seraphina said in a sugary sweet voice, “Since you’re
here, let’s go over my latest task for you. Then we can get on with the sad
events of this weekend, and you can head back to that pretty little penthouse
of yours.”

Drew fixed Seraphina with a steely gaze. Yes, he had a home
that most people could only dream of.

He also had a life that most people could only dream of.

And he tried hard to enjoy it considering the price that he
had to pay for them.

He squared his jaw and took his next orders from Seraphina.

Chapter Four

After leaving Seraphina’s Drew had driven out to his
favorite part of the woods, shed his clothes and allowed his inner bear to take
over. The shift had been long overdue and it had felt good to stretch his
muscles and exercise the parts of his body that rarely got any use by living in
the city.

He had run for miles, circling through the woods though
being careful not to set foot on the other tribes’ lands. Once his muscles were
sore and tired, he shifted and went back home to his mother’s house.

She had cooked dinner for Drew, but already Drew could see
that she was fading quickly, and he knew soon that his mother would retreat
into herself as she had always done while he was growing up.

It was a relief when nightfall came and Drew wanted nothing
more than to get the service and funerals over and then to return to Portland.

It was strange because Russet Falls no longer felt like
home, yet Portland never fully felt like home either.

The day of the funerals dawned bright and sunny and Drew
knew this would only rub salt in the wounds of those who were grieving. He
should be grieving for his father, but he was not.

Dutifully, Drew dressed in a dark suit to show the
appropriate signs of mourning and he wrapped his arm around his mother when she
started to cry. His older brother, Flynt, would be meeting them at the first
service.

There was to be a large service held for all five victims
outside by the lake to accommodate all the tribe. Afterwards, the funerals were
staggered throughout out the day, along with private services, so that people
could attend more than one funeral if they chose to do so, and because there
was only one small church in the community.

Drew had never even bothered to find out who the other
victims were; he was so far removed from the tribe.

He helped his mother into the car, and they drove the
winding roads towards the small lake that sat on Atrocitas land. The day was
warm with a slight breeze, a hint of summer hung as a promise in the air.

The service area was already filling up when they arrived,
and chairs were lined up in neat rows. Flynt appeared out of a group of people
and he came towards Drew, hugging him by clapping him on the back.

“It’s so sad, man,” Flynt said, his eyes looking slightly
rimmed from crying. Flynt had always been closer to their father. Whereas Drew
had always held his father’s negligence against him, the same negligence had
made Flynt even more desperate for his father’s love and approval.

Not to mention, that Flynt had picked up part of their
father’s mean streak.

“I’m sorry,” Drew said.

Flynt just nodded, not picking up on the fact that Drew
didn’t acknowledge how sad it was.

“You look good,” Flynt said, a slight tone of envy to his voice.
“That’s a nice suit there.” He paused. “It must be nice to be living large in
the city.”

“You can come visit me any time,” Drew said but both men
knew that would never happen.

“I know. I need to one day,” Flynt said evasively. It
wouldn’t surprise Drew if Flynt was behind helping to squander the money that
Drew had given his parents to fix up the house. That would be just like Flynt.
He probably had told himself that he deserved that money.

They found some seats towards the front and sat down. Drew’s
mother sat between her two sons, and Drew smiled politely at the people who
came to say hello.

“Oh my goodness! If it’s not Drew,” came a warm, loud voice.
Drew knew who it was without turning around, but he turned around and smiled at
the woman he affectionately called Aunt Mamie.

“Hi Aunt Mamie,” he said kindly, standing up to kiss the
older woman. She had been his grade school teacher, and she had been the first
adult to show him real kindness. She always made sure that Drew had breakfast
if his own mother had forgotten, and she had bought him clothes on more than
one occasion.

Aunt Mamie’s kindness had always offended his mother, though
it never made her spring into action to care for her son.

“How are you doing, sweetheart?” she asked. “I’m so sorry
about your Daddy.” She turned to Drew’s mother and brother, “I’m so very sorry
for your loss.”

They nodded at her.

“Thank you,” Drew said.

“How are you doing in Portland? We sure miss you here.” She
shook her head. “I never would have guessed that you would have moved out
there.”

“Neither would I,” he said darkly.

They chatted about Aunt Mamie and her grandchildren, two of
which were certain cubs. It was always celebrated when new babies were born with
the shifter gene. It wasn’t always a guarantee, and it depended on the lineage
of the parents, but it seemed that more and more of the tribe members were
marrying outside the tribe, thus decreasing the number of shifter babies.

The pastor moved up to the front, signaling for everyone to
be quiet and take their seats.

Aunt Mamie said goodbye to Drew and he watched her sit down
in her seat.

He hated being home more than anything.

Not only was it a reminder for how he had fucked up so
badly, but it was also a reminder of how he had next to nothing in common with
the folks he had grown up with.

Everyone took their seats and the pastor cleared his voice
to begin. Drew gazed across the aisle and one of the older leaders in the clan
shifted in his seat.

There she was.

Drew blinked, feeling his heart pick up pace.

It couldn’t be.

He had gone seven years without seeing her, how could he
possibly see her now?

But there she was.

She was looking directly at him and the color drained from
her lovely face.

Avery.

Chapter Five

Her heart hammered in her chest, and it was like a car
wreck. One should look away. You always look away.

But you just can’t.

Avery kept staring at Drew—digesting every nuance about his
appearance so she could go over them again and again when she was alone.

It had been seven years.

Seven years.

Yet there he was, the same as ever.

Of course, she could see the influences of his new life.
While she had avoided him at all costs, she couldn’t avoid hearing snippets
about his life and wealth now and again.

It was clear to anyone who laid eyes on Drew that he was
doing well for himself. He was dressed in an expensive looking suit, and his
hair was slicked smartly back, though he had a bit of stubble on his chin.

Avery found it endearing, one last piece of the old him to
show that his new life hadn’t completely transformed him.

He certainly seemed cleaner cut, but she shouldn’t be
surprised. And he had that polished look of someone who was more urban.

Not unlike herself.

Her mother had rolled her eyes at Avery’s highlighted hair,
her trendy floral dress and her wedge shoes.

So be it.

And then someone shifted in their seat and Drew was gone.

Avery let out a huge breath—not realizing she had been
holding it in the entire time.

“Are you alright?” her mother asked quietly, cocking her
head.

Crap.

Avery had forgotten that her mother was one of the few
females who had the heightened shifter senses. She must be able to hear Avery’s
heart hammering away in her chest.

“I’m fine,” Avery said quickly, but her hands were shaking
and she knew that she was anything but fine.

It was as if she had laid eyes on a ghost.

Which, technically she had.

Drew was nothing more than a ghost now. He had vanished
seven years ago, never to be seen or heard of again.

Until now.

Avery tried to focus for the service but it was hard.

Her mother cried quietly for her cousin, and Avery shed a
tear or two. She had never been very close to Russ, but he had been family and
they had played together as children.

Avery was shocked to learn that Drew’s father had died.
Drew’s relationship with his parents had been tumultuous, especially his
relationship with his father. She felt for Drew, but she also knew him well
enough to know that he probably wasn’t that upset.

Avery narrowed her eyes and looked at her mother when the
pastor moved on to speak about Drew’s father.

“What?” her mother whispered, feigning innocence.

“You didn’t tell me,” Avery accused.

“Tell you what?” her mother asked. “You didn’t ask who had
died.”

Avery shook her head in disgust. Her mother had known that
Avery wouldn’t have come if she had known that Drew’s father had been killed.
Of course Drew had come home, even if he had only done it out of respect. And
Avery’s mother knew enough to know that Avery never would have knowingly put
herself in a situation that involved seeing Drew.

“Russ was your cousin!” her mother hissed. “Have some
respect.”

“Oh, I have respect,” Avery shot back quietly, ignoring the
dirty looks from the people in front of them. “You could have at least warned
me.”

Her mother looked straight ahead. “You wouldn’t have come,”
she said flatly. “And I miss you,” she added, her lip trembling.

Avery tried not to feel guilty. She knew that her mother
missed her; it was clear. But she still would have liked to have been prepared
for seeing Drew.

The service ended, and Avery looked for another glimpse of
Drew but he was gone.

She moved robotically through the day, attending only her
cousin’s funeral since she didn’t know the others well. If life had worked out
another way and she and Drew were together, then she would have been seated
beside him during his father’s funeral.

But life hadn’t worked out that way.

Avery and her parents went home for a short time before the
dinner that her aunt was hosting. Her father was clearly upset by the deaths
and was keeping to himself. Avery wanted to be alone in her room as well, but
before she could go up the steps, her mother stopped her.

“I didn’t think it would be a big deal,” her mother
apologized.

She was talking about Drew.

“It was a big deal,” Avery insisted.

“It was seven years ago!” her mother protested.

“So what? I was supposed to marry him!”

“But you didn’t,” her mother argued. “I think it’s time to
move on.”

Avery stared at her disbelieving. “I have moved on.”

“You haven’t.”

Avery bit her lip, feeling herself get angry. “Yes. I.
Have.”

“Avery, you haven’t! Look at you! You’re twenty-five! You’ve
been to college. You lived in Southern California! Now you live just outside
the city now! You’re educated, smart—you teach school. You’ve accomplished so
much! You could have your pick of any guy!”

Avery let out a shrill laugh. “Maybe I don’t want it! Maybe
I’ve been too busy building a life for myself!” She could feel her temper
rising. Her mother knew nothing about life outside of the tribe.

“Perhaps,” her mother said quietly. “Or perhaps you’re
refusing to accept the past. It’s time to move on. To get married. To start a
family.”

Avery laughed again, but this time it was harsh. “Mom, the
rest of the world isn’t like our little Russet Falls! People don’t just marry
before they turn twenty and start popping out babies!” Even the life she had
wanted with Drew, they had never planned to marry and settle down right away.
It was far too old school for the two of them.

“I know,” her mother said heatedly, but Avery wondered if
she did. Her mother had spent her entire life living on the clanlands. She
could trace her ancestors back hundreds of years—bear after bear. She was one
of the true bear females with a rich history in the tribe.

“I don’t want to argue with you, Mom,” she said tiredly. “I
don’t want to get married and have babies right now. And I’m not clinging to my
memory of Drew. Now, I think I’ve earned some down time, don’t you think?”

Her mother snapped her mouth closed and didn’t argue as
Avery trudged up the stairs. She flung herself down on her old bed, thinking of
the times that she and Drew had stolen kisses in the very same room.

A tear slid down her cheek.