Tempted by the Bear - Complete (38 page)

A
nnie

T
ristan stands
before the mirror and adjusts his tie. In a black suit, he appears elegant, with his pale hair slicked back, emphasizing his angular face. His pale-blue eyes are steely with reserve as he puts on a brave front for the memorial service. No man should have to bear the pain of losing his mother and twin on the same day.

My mate has been silent about his anguish, but the words he cries out in his sleep tell me he’s suffering. Perhaps not so much for his mother, but Isabelle was his best friend. From the stories he’s told, I know they depended on each other for most of their life. Tristan’s loss is bone deep.

He turns to me to ask, “Are you ready?”

I reach out my hand. “Yes.”

Tristan grabs on with a grip that borders on painful. I let him though, because I want to be his life raft. I want to pull him into the safety of my heart. As much as my mate loves me, there’s a part of him he refuses to let me see. But loving Tristan De Rozier means allowing him those secrets until he’s ready to share, so I do.

The De Rozier don’t do formal funerals. Their clan typically casts the body out to sea in a beach service. We lack a coastline close enough for everyone to attend, and because we don’t have their physical remains, a simple memorial service is being held.

We make our way out to the gardens in the back. The summer sun is still low in the sky, and the forest’s shade has kept the temperature cool enough that the long sleeves of dress shirts are tolerable on the men. We step outside, and I gaze at the attendees. Besides the De Rozier clan, Luke and his family came along with Carly, Brady, and Donna. I notice Ian, Ashton, and Sierra too. Isabelle could be brash, but she will be remembered.

Lucy is by Luke’s side and has his arm. I’m glad he has her. While Isabelle wasn’t his true mate, he loved her, and the loss is not something he’ll ever forget. Tristan and I walk up to stand in the front near Luke. An older De Rozier man leads the ceremony. He speaks about life and death, and when he’s finished another older man eulogizes Helga.

I take in the people I can see from my vantage point to discover nobody is shedding a tear for the woman. Apparently those who knew her well won’t miss her cruelty, and although I never witnessed it, this is a testament to what I feared was the truth about Tristan’s mother.

When it’s time for Tristan to speak he leans down to kiss me before he goes.
“Thank you for being here, Annie. You give me strength.”
I wonder it that’s really true, because his presence is commanding when he turns to face us.

“Most of you here today have a sibling or siblings with which you shared a womb. Like many of you, I had a special bond with my twin, Isabelle.”

I glance over at Brady, and he offers me a small smile. My twin is so much more than a brother, and my throat tightens as I imagine life without him. Tristan says, “Isabelle and I were polar opposites.” His pun gets a small chuckle. “During our childhood I was quiet; Izzy was not. I was introspective; Izzy was not. And when I was calm”—Tristan grins—“Izzy was not.” Now a few people break out in laughter.

He pauses for a moment, and I notice how he focuses on making eye contact with each person in the crowd. He says, “Izzy made me a better person. She took chances and encouraged me to do the same. Her passion for life couldn’t be tamed.” Tristan’s voice shakes on the last word, and his throat works as he swallows before saying more.

“What many of you don’t know is that Izzy is the reason we came here. I was ready to move us to Washington state, but she told me Maine was my destiny.” Now my mate stares at me and says, “
My
destiny.” He pauses again and clears his throat. “She once told me that when I met my true mate, her life would lose meaning. At the time I thought she was just being Isabelle, the drama queen.” He smiles as he takes a breath. “But now I know she sacrificed more than a location for me. She sacrificed her life. For each and every one of us.”

Gossip spreads like wildfire in a small clan, and I have no doubt each De Rozier knows Isabelle killed Helga to keep them safe. Tristan says, “Isabelle De Rozier was a hero, and I can only hope to die as noble a death.” He scans the crowd and says, “Thank you for being here today.”

Like the Le Roux clan, the De Roziers celebrate death as they do life, and bottles clink as the caterers I hired begin to open beers and make drinks. A steady procession of waiters walk out the back door with trays of food, and the party begins. While voices are somber now, it won’t be long before the crowd gets rowdy. In a way, it’s fitting that Isabelle’s life will be commemorated by her clan doing the things she loved best.

Tristan is surrounded by members of his clan, so I make my way over to Luke. I grasp his hands and ask, “How are you holding up?”

A shadow passes over his face before he offers a small smile. “I’m okay. I’ve decided to be grateful Izzy was part of my life and keep the good memories close to my heart.”

I pull him into a hug and say, “That’s the best you can do, Luke.”

When I release him Lucy hugs me. “This was beautiful, Annie.”

“Thank you,” I say. “Now why don’t you two go get a drink and listen to the stories about Isabelle? Something tells me they’re quite entertaining.”

Lucy smiles at me before she takes Luke’s arm and leads him away.

Tristan is across the yard from me, but I recognize his patient face as he speaks to an older woman. I stop by the bar to grab him a vodka over ice before I work my way over to rescue him. The ice rattles in the glass as I hand it to him. I gaze at the woman with red-rimmed eyes and say, “I’m going to steal Tristan away for a bit if you don’t mind.”

I lead my mate away and hand him his drink. I take him past the crowd, and when we stop moving he takes a large swig from his glass. His eyes close as he holds the liquid in his mouth for a moment. When he swallows he stares at me as something flashes in his eyes. He says, “Our wedding is too far away. Let’s elope.”

I never wanted anything fancy, since this is a second wedding for both of us, but I thought that Tristan would want the formality since it’s a way to announce the new prima of the De Rozier clan to the rest of the clans in the kingdom. “Are you sure? You don’t want the ceremony and all that goes with it?”

Tristan wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me against his chest. I place my hand on his coat and slide my fingers under the lapel as I tilt my face up to him. He says, “Annie, you are my life, and I want to seal my devotion to you forever.”

“Okay.” While I know we are destined to be together, I don’t want our wedding to be his way of chasing away the pain of losing Isabelle, so I ask, “Can we wait until next week? I want to make sure your clan is settled before we take off for a few days.”

“You have until Tuesday.” Tristan’s drink thuds down on the arm of a bench, and he takes my face in his hands. “You are my life partner, Annie. I don’t want to wait any longer to make that official.”

“Of course. I don’t want to wait either.”

“Good. Nothing can ever come between us now, my love.”

Now?
“I know.” Or so I thought. Did I underestimate his bond to Isabelle and what it meant? Because I think her passing changed something in my true mate that I’m not able to understand. When Tristan kisses me, I wonder what that secret is.

T
ori

T
he plan to
keep my secret about being the next Veilleux alpha didn’t last very long. Once Carly had a chance to talk to Brady, they proposed we bring Lily in on the news. She has proven that she wants peace for the clans, and out of respect for her being the current Veilleux leader, it makes sense to let her know. She’s coming to our house for breakfast along with Carly and Brady.

My triceps ache as I lift my arms up to put my hair in a ponytail. I’ve been training every day for the last two weeks, and I’m grateful for a lifetime of competitive sports, because I’m good at fighting. Although I hope I’ll never have to use my new skills.

The aroma of sausage makes my stomach growl. Keith is downstairs cooking up a feast for us. I suppose every true mate feels this way, but I couldn’t be happier in my relationship with him. I was a little worried that me being an alpha might be hard on his ego, but Keith couldn’t be more supportive.

I jog down the stairs to my mate, and he turns to me when I enter the kitchen and says, “You’re in for a treat. Carly’s bringing her bear paws.”

“Cute.” I glance at the array of food set out as my sensitive ears pick up the whine of a car engine coming up the drive. “What can I do?”

“Take the egg casserole out for me.” A spatula scrapes as he plates up the meat he was cooking, and heat blasts at my face as I open the oven. My stomach is jittery, because meeting Lily is more than just getting to know the acting leader of my clan; she was also my father’s wife and true mate. Although I refuse to think of her as a stepmother, since she never actually parented me.

Once I set the baking dish down on the counter I make my way to the door. I open it before our guest can knock, and discover a dark blonde about my height and stature. She blinks as if she’s surprised and says, “You must be Tori.”

“It’s so nice to meet you, Lily.” I step aside and say, “Come on in.”

“Thanks.”

We stand by the door after I shut it, and she says, “You look so much like Victor.”

“Do I? I wish I’d had the chance to meet him,” I lie, because now that I know the evil he caused, I’m glad I never did. Lily came because she was told I wanted to talk to her about my father. She doesn’t know I’m her alpha yet.

Lily says, “He wasn’t all bad, you know. I think you would have liked him.”

I nod, because what do you say to that? “Can I get you some coffee?”

“Sure.”

I lead her to the kitchen, and Keith greets her with a smile. “Lily, so good to see you again.”

“Likewise. It smells delicious in here.”

The coffee pot clatters as I remove it and make myself busy pouring her a cup as they make small talk. The mug thumps when I set it before her, and she stares at me for a moment before she asks, “Do you like being a werebear?”

“So much more than I thought I would. Nobody told me about all the cool traits.” I lift my arm and flex. I almost snort at my display of power. “Like this for example.”

She smiles at me. “Yes. And how about food? Isn’t it amazing now?”

I nod. “I’m still getting used to smells and noises. They’re kind of overwhelming.”

“I know. I’m horrified when I think about the perfume I used to wear,” says Lily. “Good thing I never knew how offensive I was to werebear.”

I frown for a second as I take a sip of my coffee. The creamy flavor slides over my tongue, and I say, “I never thought about that.”

There’s a moment of silence before Lily says, “Since I’m here to talk about Victor, why don’t you ask me what you’d like to know, Tori.”

I glance at Keith quickly before I say, “Actually, the reason you’re here is for more than that. Just after I changed, I discovered I’m an alpha.”

Lily gulps down a mouthful of coffee and stares at me with wide eyes. I say, “The Veilleux alpha.”

She places a hand on her chest. “Goodness. I didn’t see that coming.”

“Yeah,” I say. “Sorry we didn’t tell you over the phone.”

“No. I understand why.”

Brady and Carly have arrived, and Keith leaves us to go open the door as I say, “I hope you don’t mind that we’re about to spend a lot of time together. I have so much to learn. And—” I sigh as I figure out the right words to say. “I don’t plan to push you out or anything.”

She’s got to be in shock over this news, but Lily handles it with grace. “Oh, it’ll be fine.” She waves her hand to dismiss my concerns. “You don’t strike me as power hungry, and I’m sure we’ll work well together. Frankly, this couldn’t have come at a better time.”

When Carly enters the kitchen to pull Lily into a hug, Lily’s voice continues on telepathically.
“We’ve got a lot to talk about. Let’s plan to meet one on one.”

“Will do.”

Now my stomach starts to roll as if I’m carsick. The idea that I’m an alpha didn’t take long to get used to, but I imagined I’d be doing things as a team with Keith. I glance over at him as he and Brady chat with each other. Carly set a basket of pastries down on the counter, and I reach for one. Sliced almonds are placed on the paw-shaped treat like claws, and I smile at her little joke before I take a bite. Sugary goodness fills my mouth and races to my bloodstream as if it can fortify me for what’s ahead.

Keith says, “Carly, I’ve got water for your tea. You brought it, right?”

She chuckles. “Donna wouldn’t let me go a day without it. Thanks.” She turns to me with her hand on her stomach. “Just wait until you get pregnant. Werebear think you need to drink some flowery tea to ensure the health of the babies. Fortunately it kind of grows on you.”

I imagine having children will be a big deal for me. It occurs to me that as I’m an alpha, my children will be the legacy of the Veilleux, and one will grow up to take my position as the leader. The enormity of that responsibility must weigh heavy on a parent. I glance over at Lily and wonder if she’s glad that I’ve come along. Not only will I relieve her of her duties as the clan prima, but the children she’s helping to raise are not destined to be the next Veilleux alpha. I hope that brings her joy instead of sorrow.

Keith says, “Everyone plate up and sit. I think we’ve got a lot to discuss.”

A spoon clatters against a bowl as I scoop out fruit salad. Lily catches my eye and stares at me for a moment as she communicates with me.
“The real discussion needs to be between just us, but I’ll offer what I can to Keith and Carly.”

“Understood.”
I lower my gaze to concentrate on my plate. But my interest in food is gone, because I think in the days to come, much bigger concerns are coming my way.