Claimed by the Grizzly (8 page)

Laramie growled, as did the rest of the Holloways. “The very idea that someone made you fear us…”

He didn’t finish his statement. His face said it all. Anger simmered just below the surface. His hands clenched, claws sprouting as a growl rumbled up from his chest. Sidia didn’t think it would be a good time to point out he planned to instate animal law, which some of the surviving females might fear. Or the fact Laramie appeared pretty terrifying at the moment. The Holloways were the largest men in their pack, a reflection of the grizzlies they were. The only ones she’d met who approached their size were Fletch and his brother, the last of the polar bear shifters.

“Sidia. Jaeda.” He acknowledged both of them before continuing. “I’m counting on both of you to help with any females who show up. Make them comfortable. Let me know if they need anything. I want them to understand they’re safe here. I’ll also want to speak to them as soon as possible to see what, if anything, they might be able to add to what you’ve both shared.”

“Of course,” Sidia said. She saw Jaeda tense beside her and turned to see what the problem was. Laramie picked up on it, immediately addressing the concerns her sister must have already voiced to him.

“Jaeda, I know how you feel about animal law.”

“I don’t like the thought of any woman not having a choice,” Jaeda argued.

“They’ll still have a choice,” Sidia fired back at her sister. “Perhaps, not the same as in the past, but we’re no longer the same. We must all do our part to build a strong future for our pack.”

She could tell Jaeda still didn’t agree, but her sister nodded.

“I’ll do my part,” Jaeda relented.

Laramie acknowledged Jaeda’s agreement with a brief smile then turned to his brothers. “Slade, Matheus, I’ll need you to begin daily checks on all the in-house security measures. I want nothing left to chance.”

“Let me know if you need me to head out and meet any of the enforcers to offer assistance,” Slade said.

“Same,” Matheus offered.

“I need you both here more,” Laramie said. “One more thing before we disperse. I want everyone moved downstairs. There’s room. It’ll be easier to protect Jaeda and Sidia if we’re all together.”

“Where do you plan to put the other women who show up?” Sidia asked. “They need to be protected, too.”

“We have a safe room for them. Declan and Brock made sure it was fully supplied before they left. No one will get to the others once they’re under our protection,” Laramie stated. “Koby, Holt. I need to speak with the two of you. Go over a few more things.”

Koby shifted behind her, grasping her hips and lifting her from his lap before standing.

“Why don’t you start moving us?” Holt told Jaeda as they came to their feet. He turned his gaze toward her. “You and Sidia could look at the rooms and see which one you like best.”

“Sounds good,” Koby agreed, patting Sidia softly on the ass. “Stay together. We’ll join you as soon as we can.”

Sidia reached up and cupped Koby’s face, rising on tiptoe to kiss him. He dropped his hands to her ass and pulled her in closer against him. It would be so easy to lose her head and give in to the need to rub against him, but it wasn’t the time or the place. Though she’d inadvertently given her sister a show earlier, it wasn’t her intention to allow others to see what she and her mate shared. She stepped back from him when the kiss broke, enjoying the flare of his nostrils as he breathed her in.

No words were spoken as their gazes held. She knew he’d return to her as soon as he could. She knew beyond a doubt he would see to her safety personally. He might trust his brothers, but she was his. He’d already killed for her.

“Let’s go grab your stuff,” Sidia said as she turned toward her sister. She watched as Holt dropped a kiss on Jaeda’s upturned lips, gave her hand a squeeze then stepped away as he moved toward Laramie and Koby.

Jaeda took her hand, and they headed out of the room.

“You really don’t have a problem with animal law?” Jaeda demanded as soon as they started up the main staircase.

“No, I don’t,” Sidia said.

“Think of Xandra, forced to mate with someone because she survived and needs to help create a stronger next generation.”

“I am thinking of her and all the others who might be out there,” Sidia countered. “She’ll be much safer with a strong mate at her side than she would be alone.”

“What about the chance to find a true mate? To find love?” Jaeda argued.

“We both know not everyone holds out for a true mating. That doesn’t mean they don’t grow to love the one they end up with.” Sidia turned to face her sister. “You act like it’s only the females giving up that chance. What about the men? Do you think they don’t care about love? That all they want is a warm body to fuck and breed?”

“That’s not what I’m saying,” Jaeda snapped.

“It’s conveyed nonetheless,” Sidia stated. “This isn’t easy for anyone. You and I are lucky. We found the men we were always meant to be with. There’s nothing to say Xandra or any others won’t also. Either way, we have to band together for the sake of our pack, the very future of which lies within us.”

“You’re right,” Jaeda admitted with a sigh. “I just… I don’t know. It’s hard for me to accept.”

“I wonder how much of your worry is yours and how much is Emmett’s,” Sidia suggested.

“He drilled into me, again and again, that I had to stay hidden or I’d be used as a broodmare for the next generation of Holloways. It was funny really. All I heard was how lucky I was not to be with them. Then, a week before we were attacked, he was telling me to go to them if anything happened, to beg them to take me in.”

“What do you think caused that change of heart?” Sidia asked as they reached the top of the stairs and headed down the hall toward Jaeda’s room.

Jaeda shrugged. “He didn’t say. Then we were attacked, and I barely made it here to my mate.”

“We did make it, though, and Xandra will, too. We’ll all be together again. We have to be strong, Jaeda. It’s up to us to show the others they don’t have anything to fear here. Animal law means they’ll have their pick of the strongest and fittest among us. Those chosen by Laramie will be doing everything they can to make our sister look their way. She’ll be treasured by the man she chooses, true mate or not. They all will.”

“You’re right,” Jaeda agreed, pushing open the door. “Holt and I don’t have much stuff yet. His is still in Oklahoma with the pride he belonged to before. I didn’t have much with me when I got here.”

“I have a few things in my backpack from home,” Sidia admitted. “Pictures Nicholas helped me find before I left with him. I’ll show you as soon as I figure out where it is.”

“We’ll search for it as soon as we get my stuff moved,” Jaeda promised then hugged Sidia tight. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

“Me, too,” Sidia agreed, hugging her twin back. “Me, too.”

Chapter Nine

Koby and Holt stepped into the hallway together on the same mission, finding their mates. Laramie had gone into explicit detail on what he wanted them to keep their eyes open for. Holt’s senses were still new, but he wasn’t burdened by knowing anything about the people who would show up. He didn’t share a history with any of them, so his opinions wouldn’t be weighted by anything other than the now. Laramie had been smart to put Holt with Koby.

Koby’s sense were a well-tuned machine. He needed to make time to work with Holt on honing his. The ex-marine was a hell of an asset to them, bringing new views and ways of analyzing things. Now that the issue of a mate wasn’t between them, it was easy to remember how much he’d liked Holt. They were mated to twins. It gave them a closer bond.

“You okay with me being one of the enforcers for Laramie?” Holt asked as they walked.

“I would have suggested it myself,” Koby admitted.

Holt seemed to contemplate that for a moment then nodded. “Think any of the others will have a problem with it?”

“No,” Koby stated without question.

“That confident, huh?” Holt quipped.

“They won’t question it. They might wait to see what you can handle before they offer friendship, but once you’ve proven yourself to them, they’ll give it.”

“No pressure then,” Holt joked. “Good to know.”

Koby laughed. “You’ll be fine. Give them that speech you gave me. The one about being a fucking Marine and bears not being your equal. They’ll love that.”

Holt snorted. “I’ll keep that in mind, just in case.”

They had just hit the steps leading downstairs when Holt grasped Koby’s forearm and halted him.

“I’m glad Sidia was the one for you. I can see how close the two of you have already become, and I’m happy for you both.”

“It’s a true match,” Koby said. “Like you and Jaeda. We’re lucky. I want the same for my brothers but realize the odds aren’t favorable for all of them.”

“Not if there are only five other female bears out there,” Holt agreed. “Which brings me to my question. What if Laramie doesn’t mate? Who takes over as alpha after him? You?”

“Whoever gives birth to the next Kodiak,” Koby said. “All six of my brothers and I have the ability to seed a child who holds the DNA of the Kodiak bear. We are all our father’s sons, which means we all carry the trait.”

“So to seize control of the pack, the traitor would need to kill all of you?”

“Yes,” Koby agreed. “But no one outside of this family, including you, knows that. As far as they’re concerned, kill Laramie before he mates and has children, and you kill the Kodiak line.”

“So he’ll be the main target?”

Koby nodded. “Even more so, if he mates one of the females.”

“And whoever he mates will be in even greater danger.”

“Yes,” Koby agreed again. “Until we find the one responsible, which we will do.”

“I hope the bastard suffers before he’s killed,” Holt demanded.

“He will,” Koby assured him.

They headed downstairs in sync, and Koby felt his heart lighten when he heard Sidia giggling with her sister in their room. The door was open, and he saw them sitting cross-legged on the bed, scattered objects between them. Framed pictures and snapshots, a hair ribbon, a book and a folded pocketknife.

“Did you pick a room?” Holt asked as he stepped through the door ahead of Koby.

Sidia’s gaze snapped immediately to Koby, and he felt a surge of need lance through him as she seemed to caress him with her glance. His nostrils flared, as he took in the fact she’d yet to shower. Had she waited for him, anticipating the feel of his hands on her slick flesh? Damn! His dick was thick and hard again. At this rate, he’d be nothing more than a walking hard-on every time she was near him.

“We’re right next door,” Jaeda answered her mate, bounding from the bed and almost launching herself at Holt. Sidia didn’t move, instead watching Koby with a hooded gaze. He was just as incapable of looking away from her.

“Show me,” Holt said, and they headed to the door.

“Shut it on your way out,” Koby ordered, and he swore Holt snickered, the bastard.

“Will do,” Holt said. “We’ll see you in a bit.”

The door closed, and Koby ignored the murmur of their voices as they headed to the room just down from his. He reached for his shirt, grabbing the hem and tugging it over his head then tossing it haphazardly on the floor. Sidia rose to her knees on the bed.

“Later?” she questioned.

“Family dinner. We’re all to be there.”

He toed off his shoes, kicking them aside as he reached for his jeans. Her soft, pink tongue flicked out to moisten her lips, and he almost groaned as he imagined it doing the same to the head of his dick. Not yet, though. Soon. After they’d showered off the residue of their earlier encounter. Seemed like a great plan to him. Take his time getting her squeaky clean then bathe her in his cum all over again. Yeah, that sounded fucking perfect.

He popped the button on his pants and eased his zipper slowly down, being careful not to snag the damn thing on his cock.

“I’m not sure if I should strip or just enjoy the show you’re giving me,” Sidia all but purred. He liked the way her nipples pressed against her shirt, the hard tips seeming to beg for his mouth.

“Shower,” he growled, incapable of voicing more as lust rode him hard. He felt his pulse in his dick, felt the flush of arousal staining his skin.

She slid off the bed, gathering up her belongings and depositing them on the bedside table, and he glimpsed her bare feet peeking out from the hem of her jeans. Her shirt hit him in the chest, bringing his gaze skimming back up and settling on her lush breasts where they overflowed the cups of her lace bra. His palms itched to cradle all that creamy flesh. She shimmied out of her jeans and stood there in the barely there panties and bra, hip cocked as she eyed him.

“You stopped,” she murmured.

“Finish,” he ordered, barely containing the need to grab her and fuck her again. He should move, head to the bathroom and get the shower started, but damned if he could walk away from her.

She reached behind her, chest thrusting forward as she released the clasp. Her hands came forward, cupping her own breasts as the straps slid off her shoulders, catching at her elbows. She teased him, rubbing her thumbs over her distended nipples while he watched and waited. She held the lace in place with one arm while she skimmed a palm over her belly until her fingers dipped under the band of her panties. Her head fell back, eyes closed, and he smelled how turned on she was.

“We should shower,” he reasoned, trying to hold on to his sanity.

“I don’t want to be clean,” his little minx growled. “I want to be dirty.” She wiggled her hips and moaned, the fragrance of her sex growing stronger as desire burned hotter. Her eyelids flicked open, and her neon-emerald gaze locked onto him once more. “Fuck me, Koby. I want you inside me. Now.”

He growled, savagely ripping his pants down his legs and kicking them aside as he advanced toward her. He shredded the scraps of lace from her body, turning her and bending her over the bed as he came over her. Her lush ass cushioned his cock, and he reached down to grip it and take it lower to the dripping hole he wanted to fill. She lifted on her tiptoes, moving her feet wider and rubbing against him.