“All things considered, yeah. I’ve wanted to find a life beyond Earth and Emerald for years. Sure, I could have gone without being kidnapped, but the end result is going to be the same.” I added a wink, trying to lighten the heaviness around us.“How do you know things will be the same?” he asked with a tilt of his head.“I just do. Something about all of this feels right.” I paused. “Not like Lia’s intuition or anything, but being here doesn’t make me nervous like I’d expected it to after everything I’d heard about this House.”Atlas’s eyes darkened. “What do you know about your parents?”That was a swift change in conversation.“Nothing,” I answered. “Well, besides the fact that there was a woman I assume was my mother who left me at the coven when I was a baby.”He looked away and nodded before turning back to me with a softer look. “About earlier. Do you know much about mates?”I knew enough. Or at least, I had thought so before he’d asked me. Once I’d learned what I’d considered
His face remained unemotional. “Well, then maybe you should stop pulsing with power and I wouldn’t bring them up.”“Power?” I tilted my head. “I’m not a witch, though.” At least that was what I had thought I understood before.“Witches aren’t the only ones with power,” Atlas answered. “Every supernatural has some form of it. Especially ones who rank higher on the food chain. You have a strong wolf inside you and that had to come from someone. Like an alpha people would think twice about fucking with.”My chest tightened and stomach churned. It was easy to pretend my past didn’t exist that I hadn’t been abandoned as a child but when something so specific was pointed out, there was no ignoring that fact.“How do you know?” I asked cautiously.Instead of answering, Atlas leaned closer and our eyes locked. A strength rose up inside of me, and I felt the need to sit up taller.“That right there,” he said without breaking eye contact.I wanted to blink, but something inside me wouldn’t let
“‘Was’?” The word sent a fire down my throat while I turned back to Mark …my brother.Fuck.“He died a few months ago,” he answered with a tightness around his eyes. “If it helps, you probably had a better life than I did, and you didn’t miss anything by not knowing him.”I needed a minute to process this. Hell, I needed hours or even days to wrap my head around all of this. My muscles began to ache from the tension rising within me, and I didn’t know who to turn to.Atlas, the man who was supposed to be my mate.Amy, the new friend I didn’t really know yet.Mark, the half-brother I hadn’t known existed before two minutes ago.All of this was nearly worse than my mate trying to kill me.ATLASSeeing Elena come so unraveled for the first time since knowing her made my insides burn with fury. Watching her walk back to the bedroom without saying a word and closing the door behind her, made me want to bury Markus, regardless of whether this was his fault or not. Him being here was what up
Her face was still tense, but she was breathing evenly. My first instinct was to go to her and pull her into my arms, but I refrained, letting her handle this however she needed to.“I heard what you guys were talking about,” Elena started. “What do you think your mom and brother would say if they knew about me?” she asked Mark, staring him down with the alpha power I’d already been feeling from her.“My brother his name is Tristan, by the way would probably be pretty excited for a sister, and my mother…” Mark grimaced. “Well, she’s pretty broken after everything that’s happened. She doesn’t talk much anymore and hasn’t left the house in months. No offense, but I probably won’t tell her until I think she’s mentally capable of knowing that there’s physical proof walking around this House of her mate’s infidelity. Considering how much worse things are getting here, that might not ever happen. Unless you’ve come to change that.”Fuck.I had a feeling someone was going to ask that once I’d
Mark turned back to meet my darkening gaze. “It’s very relevant. I’m not going to force anyone to do something they don’t want to, but if there’s any hope of saving this House and the good people still left here, this is the time to do something. I don’t imagine, after having his son taken, that jack will continue with his mission for much longer unless he has any reason to hope this mess is almost over.”“If Jack doesn’t want to lead, then why has he been doing this?” I asked. Though I’d also be asking Jack, regardless of how Mark answered.“From what I know, he was just doing his best to protect his family,” he answered. “Not many of the Houses are allowing any of Fire and Fluorite members refuge in case there’s backlash from whoever becomes the new leader. Jack had no choice but to stay here, hiding or fighting back. Clearly, we all know which he chose.”Clearly.A decision I could respect, but what did that mean for Elena, and what did she think about everything Mark had just said
He continued. “The other way is to fight for the role. I believe that’s why nobody has been elected yet. Jack doesn’t truly want the spot and the others who are leading the opposing factions aren’t strong enough to consistently win fights that will garner the support they’ll need to rule over a House that has been savagely led for decades.”“You’re saying Elena will need to fight these other Bears in order to garner their respect?”Atlas asked, his voice husky.I finally looked at him. His eyes were nearly black, and his fingers dug into the arm of the couch. Yeah, this was going over really well.“You can check with jack since he’s been here more than I have lately, but I would say yes, that’s correct since a current Alpha Supreme isn’t here to pass down the title,” Mark answered.Amy grinned widely at me. “That won’t be a problem. We’ll prepare her.”Elena slowly turned his head toward me. His eyes appraised every inch of me, burning my skin as he openly judged me. “Do you want to do
Jack raised a brow, then narrowed his gaze on me. “I thought there was something familiar about you. What could a princess like you want with Fire and Fluorite?”I had no idea what came over me, but I was up and out of my seat within a half-second, then I was in Jack’s’s personal space in the next half. My hand grabbed hold of his wrist, twisted his arm, and I used the leverage to put him on his ass. “I’m not a fucking princess.”So much for not feeling the need to challenge him.He stared up at me and chuckled. “Noted.”I reached a hand down to help him back up, thankful he hadn’t taken my impulsive move the wrong way, but I was tired of people thinking of me as something that I wasn’t.Jack dusted himself off and shook his head. “All this time and nobody knew you existed. How is that possible?”I shrugged. This guy didn’t need to know anything about me that didn’t pertain to this House. My past was my own and nothing more.“I can only guess, but what good would that do?” I asked. “I
So if I had to get comfortable with a bunch of fucked-up shit really quickly, then that was what I’d do, because walking away wasn’t an option.“We’re more than prepared,” I answered with my chin held high.“Yeah, I’m beginning to see that.” Jack glanced at the four of us and then back at me. “Let’s figure out where we want to begin.”ATLASThe four of us followed Jack to a warehouse-type building. The outside was sided in ribbed metal with rust stains running down intermittently from exposed nail heads. White doors without windows were at the side we approached, and I was hesitant to follow this particular leader inside, but I knew that had nothing to do with him and everything to do with Elena.The more I was around her, the more she talked about being okay with putting herself in danger, the more my need to mark and protect her rose.Elena was mine, but she wasn’t a woman to be claimed easily. Even if I knew she wanted me in return.No, if I was going to make her my mate officially
But the pain was magnified by the look Marigold had given her as Elena washed and dressed her for the last time.It was a look of pure, unadulterated trust.That baby loved you. And you just left her.She still had her keys to her mother’s house, and when Elena walked in, the house was silent and dark.It seemed her mother wasn’t home. She was probably out shopping or with one of her friends.Great, your mother’s got a better social life than you do. Now get it together.Her thoughts had changed.Instead of feeling sorry for herself, she would be strong. She would put herself back together and be happy doing it.Back in her room, Elena unpacked her duffel bag and pulled out her laptop.Then she headed to the kitchen and put on a pot of coffee while she updated her resumé.Elena also considered starting a writing blog where she could post fictional stories about men that turned into bears and wolves. But then she remembered the man who had followed her in Costco.She understood what At
Could this man have been one of the council’s goons? Atlas couldn’t picture any shifter he had ever met from Elena’s descriptions.But then, there were bear shifters all over the United States. Who knew what kind of trash Elias or Callum had called in to take care of Atlas?“I don’t want you going out on your own again,” Atlas found himself saying. His voice was harsher, hotter than he had intended.Elena turned from where she stood at the stove and looked at him with raised brows.Her bright eyes were almost cold. He shuddered. Lyra had never looked at him with anything other than warmth in her eyes.“Excuse me?”Her voice was a whisper.Just then, Marigold started fussing, and Lyra came from the kitchen to pick up Atlas’s daughter.“It isn’t safe for you to go out on your own. We don’t know if that guy who followed you was just a creep or if he was connected to something … else.”Atlas ensured that his voice was gentler, but Lyra still looked incredibly angry.“I’m not someone who l
Elena spent about two hours trying to fit Mari’s car seat into the backseat of the truck.Then she went back into the cabin to wash and dress Marigold, who she put in a fluffy, yellow onesie.She put a white cap on Mari’s head and matching white woolen booties on the infant’s tiny feet.Not that Marigold was that tiny any longer. The baby was growing faster and faster every day … faster than most babies.Elena had a feeling it had something to do with her bear-shifter genes.Marigold was even outgrowing the clothes that Elena had purchased two weeks earlier.“I’ll stop by the baby care store in town,” Elena whispered to Marigold. She stroked the baby’s cheek once and then lifted her into her arms. “And we’ll get you some new threads.”Elena grabbed her bag on the way out, as well as the Maya wrap Atlas had purchased.She settled Marigold safely into the car seat, strapping her in tightly. Then Elena got into the driver’s seat and turned on the beast of a truck.The engine roared to li
He wanted to growl, his bear trying to break out, but he held his anger down and frowned at them. "I have a human nanny. Elena is my daughter's nanny."They didn't seem to believe him, and he sighed, waving a hand."Serenity died if you have forgotten, and I have a newborn baby that needs attention. Much more attention than I can give her, mind you. So, I hired a nanny.""You're saying that this nanny that is living in your house hasn't joined you in bed? That's what you're saying? You haven't slept with her?" Devlen asked, narrowing his eyes. He wanted him to admit that he'd mated with Elena, but he wasn't going to."No," he lied, shaking his head. "She is just my nanny. She's what Marigold needs right now. I need an extra set of hands around the house."Devlen scoffed and shook his head. He placed his hand on the table, his words coming out harshly. "I don't believe you. You're lying. She isn't just your nanny, and we are all watching. I'd be careful, Atlas, because all eyes are on
Atlas reached for her hand, shaking his head. “I don’t want to talk about that.”He pulled her toward him, sealing their lips together. A spark ran down her body. She leaned into it.His hands skated over her back and down, cupping her ass. He pulled her onto his lap, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. The kiss deepened, and she moaned softly against him.He broke the kiss, inhaling against her neck. “You smell so good,” he muttered into her ear.She smiled, feeling his hands sliding up her back. He reached for her bra straps.She leaned back, looking into his eyes. “Are you sure you don’t want to talk?” she asked, seeing frustration in his eyes.He shook his head. “Maybe later. Right now, I just want you.”She felt the love so deep in his words. She kissed him, allowing him to pull her shirt open and undo her bra.The air bit at her bare skin, but he pulled them onto the bed and under the covers. She pressed into the sheets as his fingers scraped at her pants.His lips kissed
Her heart dropped into her stomach, and her breathing, she realized, was shallow, unsteady.Atlasr’s eyes darkened then, and his jaw tightened as he clenched his teeth.“We need to be very careful, Elena.” The warning in his voice was clear. “We need to continue pretending that you’re my nanny and not my mate.”“You really cannot expect me to do that.” The distress in Elena’s voice surprised her. But a dent had been put in her pride.“Yes, you have to,” Atlas said, his voice more serious than Atlas had ever heard it before. “You cannot tell anyone about us. Not even your mother. And I’m not doing this because I want to keep you a secret … far from it. I’m doing this because I want to protect you.”“Maybe we should move?” The idea flashed across Atlas’s mind so suddenly that she hurried to grasp it before it vanished. “Move to another state where we can live freely. Like Alaska.”Atlas shook his head as Marigold started crying.Elena took the baby automatically, cradling the little gir
Devlen, Case, Elias, and Jameson represented the bears of Montana.“Atlas,” Devlen spoke in his growling voice.Atlas inclined his head in a small bow to each of them.The four shifters all wore bear skins.“Thank you for seeing me,” he said. “I am here to plead before the council. I would like to find a human mate. Clearly, Serenity and I were not a match, and this resulted in her death.”“I believe, Atlas, that you’ve mated with a human before coming here to get our approval.”Fear raced through Atlas, crashing into him in great waves and almost knocking him over.But he remained steady, his face impassive.“Not at all, sir,” he said as respectfully as he could. Anger had blended with his fear. “I simply want us to change the old ways of living to save the bear shifters of Hendrick Klaus.”“The reason we do not mate with humans, Atlas,” Elias spoke in a gentler voice, though his face was stern, “is because we are keeping our species pure. Mating and procreating with humans only weak
Atlas took a hesitant step toward her.Outside, the wind had picked up. Leaves and thick, rich patches of soil blew around in gusts and spurts.The air had smelled wet and ripe, as though it was about to rain.“I want you. Only you,” Atlas said. His eyes were sincere … sincere enough that Atlas believed him. “More than anything. But I have to ensure that the council approves of our relationship first.”“Why?”Elena settled into the rocking chair next to the baby’s bed.Marigold was still awake but allowed Elena to cradle her. It was as if the baby knew Elena needed to hold her.“Because,” Atlas leaned against the changing table, “the council rarely approves of bears and humans mixing. Socially and … romantically.”“Is it really that big of a deal?” Elena found the strength to ask Timber, who crossed his arms over his chest.“It isn’t to me. But the bear council wants us to keep our bloodlines pure. They believe that mating with humans is physically impossible, and even if it were poss
She gripped her hands into tight fists. Her lips pulled into a straight line, and she inhaled sharply.“If you're not going to be honest with me, then I'm not staying. I told you I wasn't going to watch after your kid day in and day out. I'm the nanny, not the mother."She turned on her heel and marched toward the door. He quickly pulled himself out of bed and reached for her hand, stopping her."Stop!" Elena yelled, but he didn't."Just give me a second to explain," he whispered, making her pause.He knew she wouldn't believe him unless she saw with her own eyes, so he turned them toward the door and walked her out to the backyard.The grass was wet, and it smelled like it had recently rained. He turned toward her on the deck and took a few steps back."Now, you can't say I didn't warn you," he said, watching her look at him confused.He relaxed his muscles and allowed himself to shift into his bear form. His bones moved, and his muscles contracted. And then she screamed.Elena's eye