Tempted by the Bear - Complete (18 page)

A
nnie - Helga DeRozier
is mentally unstable. The woman that will soon be my mother-in-law has already been allowed to cause catastrophic damage to the De Rozier clan, but it stops now. I’ll do whatever it takes to save Tristan’s little girls from horrors no child should ever experience.

L
ucy - Sven may have
feral tendencies, but that man takes smoking hot to a new level. I think taking a walk on the wild side may be just what I need.

A
nnie

L
eaving
for my weekly breakfast meetings for the Le Roux clan is getting more and more difficult. Tristan isn’t invited because he’s the alpha of the De Rozier clan, but his male ego thinks he should be able to go where I go. Once I marry my true mate and become the prima of the De Rozier clan, I won’t be invited, either.

I step into the kitchen for my keys and notice a patch of flour left over from the triplets’ food fight. Guilt tugs at me as I swipe it away with a finger, because even though Tristan insisted they clean the kitchen themselves, I couldn’t leave such an impossible task to three little girls barely old enough to write their names.

The situation had been awkward at best. The girls were uncomfortable with my kindness, and my heart ached for them as I wondered how it would have gone had they been in Helga’s care. And I fought my indignation when Tristan just watched like a silent judge and jury. That’s probably why I had ended up cooking them such a huge breakfast that they rolled out of here.

But right now that’s not what’s bothering me. The keys to my Hummer jingle in my hand as I grab them from the hook over the small table I have set beside the front door, and a sense of nostalgia tweaks at my heart when I think of a long-standing family tradition that is about to end for me. Perhaps that’s why I’m dragging my feet on setting a date for our wedding. The door thuds behind me, and the pansies along the walkway offer bright faces to cheer me up.

I’m not ready to let go of the Le Roux clan status. The idea that my brother will soon no longer be able to communicate with me telepathically makes a lump form in my throat. Once I marry my true mate, the alpha bond with Brady will be broken and reformed with my new clan’s alpha, and true mate, Tristan.

While the morning sun has warmed up the day, the inside of my car is cold from the night temperatures, and the steering wheel chills my palms as I turn around to leave. Once the snow stopped falling, I got back in the habit of leaving my car in the driveway. I smile, because it drives Tristan nuts that I don’t park in the garage. But he needs to know I’m not about to start following his every order. I’ve played the power struggle game with a true mate before.

I tap the “radio on” button, and pop music begins to play. I sing along to a song about guys in tight T-shirts as I try to think of happy things and not about the change that is coming my way. By the time I get to my brother’s house, my stomach is growling for bacon and Carly’s bear claws. Apparently they’re a joke between her and Sierra, and they’ve taken over for the blueberry muffins I used to make when I lived here.

I sigh as I pull into the driveway and park as close as I can to the house to leave room for the others. I suppose change is inevitable, and I wish I embraced it better. I’m the first one here as usual and walk in without knocking. Brady and Carly’s nanny has already taken their triplets on a morning excursion, and I glance at the array of toys that dominate the great room. The children have just begun to walk, and I imagine the trouble they’ll be getting into soon. They’re one change I grabbed hold of tight.

When I step into the kitchen, Carly greets me with a smile. “How’s my favorite sister-in-law?”

“Happy to be here. How are you today?”

Carly tosses me my apron, and her face is ready to crack with the size of her smile. I ask, “What? You look like you have a delicious secret.”

She nods and places her hand on stomach. “Guess what?”

My eyes widen. “You’re pregnant again?”

My sister-in-law laughs as she nods.

I embrace her. “That’s wonderful news! Congratulations. Goodness, you’re going to have a houseful. It’s a good thing I moved out.”

“I hear you have a houseful now too.” The bright light of the fridge bathes her in white as she pulls out the bacon and hands it to me. “How are things with the girls?”

I take a deep breath as I recall yesterday morning. “Interesting. They took it upon themselves to make breakfast yesterday. It turned into a food fight.”

“No.” Carly stares at me.

I shrug. “Yes. It was a huge mess. But we made them clean it up as best they could.”

“I can’t even imagine. As an only child, I never did things like that.”

“Well, Brady and I did.” I chuckle as I remember how mad my mother was. “Ask Donna about it, and I bet she’ll give you an earful.”

“So is this what I have to look forward to?”

“With all the kids you’re pumping out, yes.”

“You sound like your brother. He told me he wants a dozen.” An egg cracks against the edge of the counter as she breaks it to put into a bowl. “I told him we’d be a reality show.”

Donna walks in and, as usual, hops into the conversation right on cue. “You know, in my parents’ day, big families with over twelve kids were pretty common.” She hugs Carly’s shoulders. “Congratulations. I smelled it last week but didn’t want to ruin your surprise.”

“Thanks,” says Carly.

Mother puts her hands on her hips and glares at me. “You, young lady, are in big trouble with me.”

Carly says, “Uh-oh.”

“Two things. But first, I’m trying to be good and not show up unannounced at your doorstep to be polite to your company. In case you haven’t noticed this about me, I’m not a patient woman. When do I get to meet those darling little polar bear girls?”

I glance at Carly, and she throws her hands up as if to say “don’t drag me into this.”

“It’s only been two days, mother. And trust me, you wouldn’t have wanted to be there yesterday. We had our first food fight.”

Mother grins before she takes a bite of a bear claw and mumbles over her mouthful as she says, “Tell me all about it.”

I explain the huge mess and end with the fear that the girls may have suffered from abuse. Carly asks, “Does Tristan’s mother seem like the type who would do that?”

I shake my head. “She’s been as sweet as can be. If anything, she’s a little too helpful.” I decide to leave out how she skipped an entire night’s sleep to plant my gardens. Because the more I think about it, the crazier it sounds, and I feel as if I’d be betraying my mate by sharing it.

Mother says, “Tristan’s father was not a nice man, and this news doesn’t surprise me.” She pours hot water into her teapot, and steam rises up as she glances at me. “Be careful, Annie. Children who were abused grow up to be abusers. It’s a vicious cycle. You watch Tristan.”

Her words raise the hair on the back of my neck. “Tristan would never do such a thing. Really, Mother. That was uncalled for.” I turn to the pan of bacon and flip off the heat before I remove it. Nobody says anything as I slap strips of greasy meat onto the paper-towel-lined plate.

Mother comes behind me and touches my lower back. “Annie, I’m your mother, and you and Brady are more important to me than my own life. I’m sorry if I angered you, but please take my words as a warning and not judgment.”

The pan clatters in the sink, and I turn to her to offer a small smile. “I know. I love you too. But you’ve got nothing to worry about with Tristan.”

Mother opens her arms, and we embrace each other. “Now tell me when you plan to have your wedding. I’ve got a dress to buy, and I need to know the season.”

I grin over her shoulder at Carly. “We need to talk about that.” I step back and gaze at both women. “Now that the rest of the De Rozier are arriving, are you sure you want that wild bunch here, Carly?”

“From what I recall, the Le Roux get pretty crazy at a wedding. Besides, you’d be hard pressed to top mine.”

Sierra was still human when our enemy Victor Veilleux bit her at Carly’s reception. The fallout had been awful.

Mother cocks her eyebrow at me. “She’s got a point. Bring on the crazy. We Le Roux can handle it.”

She can’t know what she’s saying, because crazy De Roziers are exactly what I’m worried about. “Okay. After breakfast, let’s pull out the calendar and pick a date. We’ve got a party to plan.”

Brady and Keith walk in on the tail end of my words, and Brady says, “Party? Crazy? All right.” He hugs Carly’s shoulders as he kisses the top of her head. He winks at me. “One wild wedding, coming up.”

I
sabelle

A
n aquamarine
the color of arctic waters now adorns my left hand. Luke asked me to marry him a couple of months ago, but we hadn’t talked much about it after that night, so I was surprised when he gave me this ring yesterday. I hold my hand out and admire it while I wait at the traffic light. The stone is freaking huge, and I’m excited to show it off.

I rev the engine of Luke’s Ducati motorcycle with a twist of my wrist and take off like a shot down the straightaway of road before me. Cold wind blasts against my bare arms, and the driver in the truck I pass stares at me with his jaw hanging down. Ridiculous warm-blooded human. I flash him the peace sign as I blow by.

I’m on my way to my brother’s house. His mate, Annie, won’t care much about the size of my engagement ring; she’s not exactly into material things. But Tristan might. I don’t think he’ll like knowing I plan to leave the De Rozier clan and become a Robichaux.

I do need to stay in my brother’s good graces, though. Luke and I are going to need the De Rozier clan for our plan. The ring on my finger and the one on Annie’s, mean the first stage is complete. Tristan and I have managed to infiltrate the two clans we need to create a new kingdom. And once we do, the third clan in the Northeast Kingdom, the Veilleux, will have no choice but to fall in line if they want to survive.

I slow down as I near the road to my brother’s new home. It hasn’t been paved yet and is too bumpy for me to speed on. The warmth of the day settles over me like a heavy blanket I want to kick off. Originally Tristan and I were going to rule together, but when he discovered his target was also his true mate, things changed. He won’t be able to betray her, no matter what he seems to think. So I’ve set my sights on Luke. The tricky part is to keep Tristan from finding out.

As my brother’s house appears, my happiness fades. I’m about to see my mother. Tristan tells me she’s on the upward spiral, which is usually a good thing. But he’s afraid she’s almost at her peak, and when she gets there, it’s like trying to hold water in your hands. You just can’t contain her.

My body is still vibrating with the aftershocks of my ride when I step off the bike and make my way toward the fortress. When the house was being built, Tristan brought me here. He told me that our family used to live like this before we were born, and I let out a low whistle now that I’m seeing the completed version. It’s spectacular. I need one of these.

Annie opens the door before I reach it. “Isabelle! It’s been forever. Come on in. We’ve been waiting for you.”

“It’s great to see you too.”

“Why didn’t you bring Luke?”

I give her the side eye. She has to know my brother specifically told me not to. “Don’t you and Tristan talk?”

She waves her hand. “Oh, I know what he said, but I didn’t think you’d listen to him. Next time, bring your boyfriend.”

Damn it. It’s hard not to like her, and the smile on my face is genuine. I have a sudden urge to share my news with her first and grab her arm before we get to the kitchen. She turns to me with a frown.

I say, “Wait.” I hold up my hand so she can see my ring.

She grabs my fingers with her cool hand. “Is that an engagement ring?”

I nod as she says, “Goodness, it’s gorgeous.” She embraces me in a hug, and I find I return it. “Congratulations, Isabelle. I’m really happy for you.”

“Thanks.” Kind words I didn’t know I had in me come out. “I don’t want to overshadow your wedding, so we’ll wait until you have your ceremony. Do you know when it’s going to be?”

“You’re sweet.” Her praise makes my heart warm as she continues. “We actually just picked a date, and it’s in a month.”

“Wonderful. Let me know what I can do to help.” I really need to bite my tongue, because the vision of me filling little party-favor bags makes me want to gag.

“Thank you. Now come. People are waiting to see you.”

When I get to the kitchen, the first thing I notice is Tristan’s rugrats at the table. They’re playing with some sort of dough, and when they see me, squeals that could break an eardrum sound.

“Auntie Izzy!”

The girls race toward me, and I scoop them all up in a big hug. I lift the squirming beings off the ground. “Hey, squirts.” I set them down and ask, “Now which one is which?” I point to random girls and say a name. I know they think I’m joking, but back home, I was so busy working that I didn’t pay much attention to them, and I’m not really sure. I’m also not sure why they like me so much.

The one who says she’s Ellie explains they’re making dinner rolls. Annie says, “Your mother is on the back deck with Tristan.”

“Great.” Suddenly the need for alcohol is strong, and I ask, “I don’t suppose you have some of the famous vodka on hand?”

“I do. Would you like me to mix it with lemonade the way I do?”

Let’s see. I hugged Annie, I was nice to the children, and now she’s offering me her favorite drink? When in Rome. “Sure. But can you make it a strong one? My mother and I don’t get along, and I need to take the edge off.”

Annie smiles as if she’s remembering my little forest-razing incident. “Of course.”

The drink she hands me is in a frost-covered glass, and it soothes my heated palms. I take a big swig, and it brings tears to my eyes, because it’s a strong one. Annie just became my best friend.

I step out of the air-conditioned house into heat. My mother is sitting in a chair telling a story. Her hands are going every which way, and Tristan has his patient face on. When she notices me, she squeals like the kids, and I wince. “Isabelle. You look amazing. Come give me a hug.”

Yup, she’s rising like the arctic sun, and from the speed at which her words are tumbling out of her mouth, she’s approaching summer solstice. Fabulous. Her embrace is bony, and if I had a heart, I’d feel badly that she hasn’t had the resources to eat well. But I don’t.

“Helga. I see you’re well.”

“That I am. Isn’t this warmth glorious? I’d gotten so tired of being cold.” She begins to stroll around the deck and stoops to examine a flowerpot. Without looking at me, she asks, “How are you, dear?”

“Couldn’t be better. I’m getting married.” I had planned to be subtle, but I watch Tristan for his reaction and hold out my hand for him to see my ring. Unfortunately, his eyes only widen slightly in surprise as if he’s unfazed.

My mother lets out another squeal that tests my patience. “How exciting, Isabelle! When do I get to meet this young man?” She embraces me, and I glance over her shoulder at Tristan as I speak only to him.
“Step one of our plan is completed.”

Now I see a flash of something in his bear eyes that’s all alpha.
“So it is.”