The phone rang and Cyrus answered it.
“This is Commander Morris. I wanted to let you know that the suspects are being transported to the county jail to await trial. The other individuals you reported involved in the assault have not been apprehended, but we have reports that they have been spotted in the area. I thought you should be aware of that. The Bear Patrol is on the outlook for the suspects and will arrest them on sight.”
Cyrus let out a nervous sigh between clenched teeth. Pierce Evert was still out there and so were several of the hyena shifters involved in the attack. They had to be brought down. Pierce had threatened Daisy. Cyrus would no longer try to escape the truth of human and shifter nature. He would stand up and fight for what he believed in. Now that he fully understood what it meant to love someone.
It was Daisy he was meant to defend and protect. Not some idea of nature or honor or anything else, but the promise of the love he saw glowing in her eyes. The power that their primal bond gave them both. The love that they shared that could create worlds and cubs, and a future brighter than anyone had ever imagined. They could have it all, together.
Chapter 15
Cyrus and Daisy docked their rowboat on the other side of Lake Fate. It was a beautiful fall day and the leaves were twirling in the sunshine as they blew about on gusts of wind. Cyrus grasped a picnic basket in his hand as they continued up the beach to the landing. They headed to the gazebo that was windowed in against the elements. Inside, was a fireplace and a big table. Cyrus placed the basket on the table and Daisy began to unpack it as Cyrus lit a fire in the fireplace.
The table was beautifully polished and had such fine craftsmanship she was amazed to find it in a gazebo in the woods. Cyrus got the fire burning and joined her at the table. There was warm beef and potato stew, hot chocolate, and French bread. Everything was delicious and cooked in the kitchen at Fate Mountain Lodge by world-famous chef Shane Keenan.
Daisy knew about his cooking show from before the war. It was a long time ago, but her mother had had some of his cookbooks when Daisy was growing up. She loved the fact that she was eating a famous chef’s stew recipe, made in the kitchen that he ran. Shane himself might have even cooked it.
“I can’t believe that Shane Keenan works at the Fate Mountain Lodge.”
“Shane? Yeah, he’s from Fate Mountain. I knew him when I was a boy. He owns the diner with his mate Lily.”
“That’s so unbelievable. My mom loved his cookbooks when she was alive.”
“Shane is a pistol. He and his wife Lily just bought some land to build a big new house for their family. I’m happy for them that they finally got together.”
“Finally got together?”
“They had been best friends as kids. But Shane had some problems and he wanted to keep them away from Lily. He didn’t even know that they had a kid.”
“Oh my gosh, that’s so terrible.”
“I think it was pretty bad for a long time. But everything worked out in the end.”
“I’m so glad that we found each other and that we both wanted to be together.”
“You bring a whole new dimension into my life, Daisy,” he said, reaching across the table to grasp her hand. “I want you to be mine forever in every way.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a little box. He opened it and showed her the ring glistening inside. It was a huge princess cut diamond. Her eyes widened at the sight of it. It must have cost a fortune.
“Cyrus. I don’t need this.”
“Don’t be silly. Of course you do,” he said, slipping it on her finger.
She held it up in the light from the fireplace and it twinkled and gleamed. Her heart swelled that he would make such a gesture.
“Will you be my wife?” he asked.
“Of course I will,” she said with a giggle. “I already am.”
“Then take off all your clothes and come with me now,” he said.
She couldn’t resist. She unbuttoned her blouse and dropped it on the table next to the leftovers and dirty dishes. Cyrus did the same and soon they were both undressed. She looked down at her ring and bit her lip.
“Do I have to take this off too?” she asked.
“Yeah. We’re going to shift.”
“Shift?”
“I’m going to marry you today. And were going to do it in bear form.”
Daisy was intrigued so she slipped off her ring and set it on the table next to her clothing. She grasped Cyrus’s hand and giggled as they walked out of gazebo. The ground was cold on her feet, but they were soon running into the forest. Cyrus jumped into the air, shifting in mid-motion. As a brand-new shifter, Daisy wasn’t nearly as agile as Cyrus. She followed him into the shift as quickly as she could, her heart light and her head buzzing with excitement. They ran swiftly through the trees.
This forest was open, and manicured by lodge staff. Daisy had a sense of freedom and joy she could barely contain as the forest sprawled out before her in its intricate web of life and vitality.
She could feel Cyrus so close beside her; the whole matrix of what was him flowed into her like a wave of information. They came to a clearing where the maple trees ran a ring around a little meadow. The orange and yellow leaves were blowing in the wind as they fell from the branches. Cyrus stopped and looked at Daisy, nuzzling her cheek with a low growl.
She loved the sensation of having him so close in this form. There was something so raw and hidden in their primal bond that she couldn’t express in human language. It was as if they understood everything about life. Together. It was also simple and straightforward. There was no good or evil. Everything was in balance.
In her previous life, she had rarely thought about such things. But in her new bear form, standing opposite her groom, as the leaves blew from the trees all around, she felt her whole life and heart and mind expanding. A little bit of Cyrus had bled into her and a little bit of her had bled into Cyrus. Now they were more complete together than they ever had been alone.
She looked deep into his dark black eyes and thought of how much she loved him on every level of her being. Her attachment to him was unbounded and she longed to show him that, every moment of every day for the rest of her life. She knew that her feelings vibrated through the distance between them and landed squarely inside his heart. A wave of Cyrus’s emotions and thoughts burbled through the same vibrating cord, wafting through her mind and heart to settle in her gut. She knew so clearly that Cyrus would die for her. He would go to his grave trying to protect her from the darkness of the world. And she would go to her grave protecting his heart from that very same darkness, ensuring that he could be happy in this life, for all its pain and triumph alike.
She closed her eyes, breathing in the perfect moment. Beauty and light echoed outward like a soundwave from her chest and met the echo of Cyrus, creating a new harmony of tone. The music of their bond swirled around them like a protective shell. There were no questions and no ‘I do’s. There were no vows and no guests. Only the two of them singing their hearts’ songs to each other through the cords of their primal bond. A tear seeped from Daisy’s grizzly eye and dropped onto the ground. She wanted this moment to last forever.
“Isn’t this special,” a man’s voice growled at the edge of the clearing.
Daisy snapped her neck to see a man holding a semi-automatic rifle, trained on both bears. He smiled maniacally.
“I came back to finish the job. The girl is still legally single. She’s going to the Updikes.”
Cyrus growled and Daisy snarled. She could see Cyrus’s mental images inside her mind. He was telling her to back away and hide, so he could take out Pierce. He wanted her to leave, but she refused. She would stand and fight with her man. Cyrus felt her insistence and he acquiesced, accepting that she was just as committed to him and his safety as he was to hers. He growled at her in agreement and she began to back away while Cyrus started to prowl forward.
“It’s the girl I want, Cyrus Kincaid, no
t you.”
Cyrus growled as Pierce cocked the rifle at him.
“Tell her to come back now or I’ll shoot you full of lead a second time.”
Daisy disappeared through the forest and galloped around the perimeter, keeping a constant connection to Cyrus as she went.
“You just let your girl run off,” Pierce said, coming closer to Cyrus. Daisy could see them through the trunks of the trees on the other side of the clearing. Pierce’s finger twitched over the trigger on his rifle.
She growled and charged. He spun around pulling the trigger. Daisy smashed into his chest and bullets flew into the air. They fell harmlessly behind them as Cyrus spun around to the offender and pinned him under his paw. Daisy placed her own paw on the man’s head, ready to squish.
Cyrus and Daisy stood there together for a long time, their bond circulating between them as they tried to decide what to do. With just a little bit more force, they could end Pierce’s life. They could be judge, jury, and executioner all in one.
Daisy could feel Cyrus shake his head inside her mind. They couldn’t do it. He wouldn’t let her be a murderer. And he himself would not take another man’s life like this either. They had to take him back to the Bear Patrol, and have him arrested by the authorities.
With that, Cyrus shifted and Daisy shifted right beside him. They tied Pierce up with his shirt and led him back to the gazebo. After they dressed, they threw him into the boat, and then rowed him back to the lodge. When they arrived, they quickly called the Bear Patrol. They were there to get Pierce and take him away in a matter of minutes.
Daisy and Cyrus stood on the front walkway of the lodge, holding each other tight in the cool autumn air.
Chapter 16
Daisy rubbed her big, round belly and put the finishing touches on the mantle over the fireplace in her and Cyrus his new home. They’d built a big, three-bedroom log cabin about a mile away from his brothers’ houses on the ranch. Leland, Buck, and Jessie had lent a hand in financing and building the house, and it had come together quickly.
Now Daisy was nine months pregnant and had the chance to decorate her house any way she wanted. She arranged the bouquet of roses on the mantle and looked into the little silver frame, at the picture of her mother. It was so nice to finally be home.
After the trial for her stepfather, Pierce Evert, and all of the hired goons, the men had gone away for a long time. Unfortunately, they still hadn’t been able to bring charges against the Updikes and the hyena clan. But at least her stepfather would never bother her again. She and Cyrus had had a legal wedding ceremony at the courthouse, just to make sure.
Daisy had been able to help bring down her stepfather’s entire organization. Rollo had told her they were one step closer to nabbing the Updikes. All Daisy had ever wanted was a normal life. And now she had everything she’d ever wanted.
Soon they would be joined by their own little bundle of joy.
Daisy turned at the sound of the front door opening, and Cyrus walked inside with a clutch of rabbits in his hand, completely naked with a bloodied handprint on his chest. She giggled and trotted across the floor to plant a kiss on his dirty cheek.
“What do you think?” she asked, sweeping her hand across their open living room.
She had been taking interior design classes at the Bright Institute for Shifters and had learned quite a lot. Now that she had her own house, she was putting her design instinct to good use. The living room was decorated with a mixture of dark brown leather, pink satin, and white lace. It was a bit shabby chic met meets rustic and she knew they would both love it.
“It looks gorgeous, babe,” Cyrus said, handing her the rabbits. “Why don’t you skin these while I take a shower?”
She lifted the rabbits and decided on a rabbit stew for dinner. While Cyrus went upstairs to take a shower in the master bathroom, she went to the kitchen and began skinning the rabbits in the sink they had built for just such a thing. Since old habits die hard, and Daisy was now a grizzly herself, she didn’t mind skinning rabbits or gutting fish.
By the time Cyrus came downstairs, Daisy had a rabbit and potato stew simmering on the stove. He kissed her cheek and ran his hand over her belly, feeling the baby kick inside.
“Our cub is strong and healthy,” Cyrus said.
“He’s kicking the heck out of my gut today,” Daisy said. “I can’t wait to get him out so I can watch him run around and play in the grass.”
“Hello, Fifi,” Cyrus said as the little dog ran into the kitchen and joined them.
Cyrus dipped the ladle into the rabbit stew and gave Fifi a piece of cooked meat. The dog greedily ate and then ran out the doggy door in the kitchen to chase squirrels. Daisy watched her out the window with a big smile on her face.
“I have a present for you,” Cyrus said.
“You’ve already given me so much.”
“This is better,” he said.
“Better than a diamond ring and a clutch of rabbits?” she asked.
“Yes,” he said.
“Well, tell me. The suspense is killing me.”
“I got you an account at the department store in the city,” he said, retrieving a credit card from his pocket. “You can buy whatever you want there. But you’ll still need to be able to get down there. And that’s why I bought you a new car.” He pulled car keys out of his pocket.
“You did not,” she said.
“You’ll want to see your friends too, I’m sure,” he said.
“Where is it?”
“It’s right outside.”
Daisy shrieked and ran outside, flinging the door open to find a red SUV sitting in the driveway. She squealed and ran to the driver’s side door, flinging it open.
“I can’t believe you got me this,” she said.
“Since the ranch hit gold, Leland has been pretty generous with the cash.”
“Remind me to kiss him the next time I see him.”
Cyrus got into the passenger side of the SUV and watched her as she gripped the steering wheel. She looked over at him with a huge smile plastered on her face and leaned in to give him a kiss on the lips.
“I don’t know how to thank you, Cyrus,” she said.
“You don’t have to, baby. Your happiness is all the thanks I need,” he said, running his warm, strong hand over her belly.
“And all I want is for you to be happy too,” she said, leaning in to kiss him.
As they sat together in the front seat of her new car, she could feel their connection running back and forth through their vibrating primal bond. Daisy knew that they would both spend the rest of their lives living for each other’s happiness.
And that was the best gift she could ever hope for.
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