His brother’s red flannel shirt ripped open as the bear burst out from beneath. Keaton roared in his bear form, knocking over rows of carefully repaired cuttings that Tate had spent all morning creating. Keaton’s grizzly smashed against the hanging lamps, and Tate lost it.
His greenhouse already in shambles, Tate lunged at his brother, shifting into bear form as he jumped into the air. The smaller and lither, he jumped up and bit down on his brother’s back, drawing blood between sharp teeth.
Keaton reared up on two legs, knocking his brother off his back. Tate went tumbling to the ground, rolling over onto his side. He scrambled to his feet and launched forward again as Keaton reared into the air a second time, growling. Tate bit his brother’s leg, crunching deep into the flesh and bone.
Keaton yelped with pain and fell on Tate, crushing him under his massive weight. Tate felt the air forced out of his lungs as Keaton smashed on top of him. His brother’s moan vibrated through his body. Suddenly the weight rolled away, and Keaton stood in front of him, his leg bloody and his chest heaving.
Tate stood up, shifting in mid-motion. Both men stood in the ruined greenhouse, naked and bloody. Tate’s ribs felt like they were cracked. Luckily for the temperamental Montgomery men, shifters healed quickly. But that didn’t help his ruined greenhouse.
“With the fuck, bro?” Tate said.
“You started it when you punched me, you little dick,” Keaton said, spitting blood.
“Why do you have to be such an asshole all the time, Keaton? You know what happened with Ella. Why the hell do you have to bring that up all the time?”
“Shit man, I’m sorry. Seriously, though, I’ll help you clean up this mess.”
“You’re only doing this because you want the keys to the hay barn.”
“So what if I am?”
“Just get a shovel.”
Chapter 3
Ella sat at a booth in the busy restaurant and ordered the fish and chips from a waitress she didn’t recognize. A lot of people came in and out of Juneau because it was a tourist destination. It made her think of Tate. Had he found someone else yet?
Unlike humans, shifters had what was called “fated mates.” In all the time she had known Tate, he’d never told her she was his. Not until their last night together. The night she graduated high school, they’d made love for the first time. He’d told her she was his mate and asked her to marry him.
It had been such a massive shock. She’d known he was a bear shifter. She loved him like a girl who’d loved a boy since she was fourteen. Instead of being a happy revelation, Tate’s admission had seemed like a betrayal. Even worse, it felt like a trap.
She had a cousin in Fairbanks who worked at a night club near the military base. For the horny and lonely men on the Alaskan tundra, all pretty girls were a novelty, and they tipped well.
Ella had lived a sheltered life. Her parents had become religious after her mom’s sister had died of an overdose. Ella couldn’t spend her whole life afraid. Tate’s declaration of eternal, undying love had scared the crap out of her. She ran. She ran from all of it.
She left Juneau and Tate behind the morning after she graduated high school. Two months after arriving in Fairbanks, she found out she was pregnant with Tate’s baby. She’d thought about coming back to Juneau. She’d thought about giving up. In the end, she’d decided to make it on her own with the baby. At least she’d be calling the shots in her life that way.
The waitress brought Ella her fish and chips. She poured malt vinegar over her food. This restaurant had the best fish and chips in Alaska. She took a big bite and let out a little moan. That’s when a smartly dressed, white-haired woman slipped into the booth across from her.
At first, Ella thought the woman was an elderly tourist. White hair usually meant old. When she looked closer at the woman, she realized she couldn’t be more than thirty-five. Not only that, she wore expertly applied, high-end makeup and a skirt suit that belonged on some fashion runway in Europe. Ella remembered she’d seen this woman before.
“Babs Bula,” Ella said. “I remember you. Can’t you find anywhere else to sit?” she asked, feeling irritated at the intrusion. She knew this woman’s modus operandi.
“Ella May. Oh my God. I can’t believe you’re back in town. And with a baby. Would you look at those green eyes? So familiar.”
“What do you want?” Ella asked, reaching for the baby as he began to fuss.
“Don’t worry, dear. I won’t be long.”
“I’m waiting,” Ella said. Babs Bula ran a shifter dating agency called Fairy Godmother Dating. FGD.com. From what Tate had told her, none of the shifters could tell if Babs was human or shifter. Some of them joked that she really was a fairy godmother. She also had an office downtown.
“I wanted to see for myself,” Babs said.
“See what?” Ella was getting irritated.
“My husband swore that you would become a native stereotype after you left Juneau.”
“Oh my God! Tell your husband to go screw himself.”
“I never thought you would, dear,” Babs patted Ella’s hand. “He owes me five dollars.” Babs giggled behind her immaculately manicured hand.
Babs took Ella’s hand and leaned across the table, staring her directly in the eyes. “There’s still time, dear. Tate has come a long way since you left. He’s a man now.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You might be his mate, Ella, but Tate can’t wait forever.”
“What are you talking about?” She repeated, feeling a rush of nervous apprehension. Could he find happiness in some other woman’s arms?
“Well. I might not be able to find him his true mate. We both know who that is. But I can find him someone in the general vicinity. There are so many applicants online. Every day more come in, from all over the country, the world, begging to be matched with an eligible shifter male.”
“Some people are super desperate,” Ella said, bouncing the baby gently in her arms.
“All right, dear,” Babs said. She tapped Ella on the tip of the nose with the tip of her forefinger. Ella leaned back in surprise. Babs withdrew, standing with a flourish. “You aren’t desperate. Are you, dear? It isn’t as if you could use a man like Tate Montgomery to keep you warm, now, is it? Ta ta!” Babs gave her a cutesy little wave and flounced away.
What a bitch. Fairy Godmother my ass, Ella thought. That woman had something wrong in the head. Ella shook her head and bounced the baby who was already tugging at her shirt again.
“We need to get home, Andrew,” she whispered into his soft head. The smell of his skin filled her senses with its sweetness. She loved her baby so much. Every time she looked at him, he reminded her of Tate.
Babs had been insulting, but she’d made Ella think. Why had she wanted to run away so badly? Had it been worth it in the end?
She couldn’t think about it now. She had to get her baby somewhere warm and safe before the night set it. She only had a few hours before dark. If her parents wouldn’t take her in, she would have to find a place to stay with the last of her money. Even then, it would run out fast.
She strolled the baby to the parking lot and fed him in the warmth of the running car. She needed him happy when she got to her parents’ house.
She drove out of Juneau and into the hills north of town. Her parents had a small spread of land overlooking the ocean, high on a wooded hillside. You could even see the ocean from their patio. There was a dusting of snow on the ground high up, and Ella shivered. The cold had been getting under her skin since she’d left Fairbanks. It seemed so hard to get warm.
Turning down her parents’ driveway, she cranked the heater up and pushed on the gas as she took the elevation. Finally, the porch lights of her parents’ two-story house came into view. She parked in the front driveway and got out.
Walking up the stairs with Andrew in tow, she looked at the dark windows. The baby fussed in her arms and she made a soothing noise.
“It’s okay. We’ll be inside in a minute.”
She went to the door and knocked, expecting the door to swing open any second. Her heart raced. What would her mom say? What would her dad do?
Nothing happened.
She knocked again.
Nothing.
Andrew began to cry. There were no dog sounds. Her parents’ dogs always barked at the door. Ella looked onto the driveway. One of their cars was missing. They must be gone.
The temperature was dropping fast, and she hurried back to the car as twilight set in. Part of her was tempted to find an open window or door and go inside. But she couldn’t do that. Maybe her parents would call the cops. Stranger things had happened to kids she knew.
She got in the car and turned it on, holding Andrew in the front seat with the heater going. She clicked the radio and listened to the local DJ play oldies rock music. She waited. And waited.
She couldn’t just sit here all night or she’d run out of gas. Ella put Andrew in his car seat and started down the driveway. When she got down the hill, she turned back into town and looked for a hotel. She felt dumb for not calling first.
She found a cheap hotel outside of town and paid for a room.
The room was warm and she laid on the bed with Andrew on her chest. After running for two days, she was so close to security yet still so far away.
Chapter 4
She woke in the morning and called her parents’ house from the hotel phone. The message on their machine played over the line.
We’re gone for the month, out to the islands for fishing.
We’ve taken the dogs, but the security is on.
Leave us a message, and we’ll get back to you.
Tonya and Hawk
She hung up the phone and clenched her teeth. Damn. What was she going to do now? She couldn’t afford to stay in the hotel for longer than one more night. Her parents were gone for a month. The thought of breaking into the house had crossed her mind, but her parents had a security system armed. She’d wind up in jail.
For the rest of the morning, she paced around the hotel room with the TV playing low in the background. Andrew slept in his car seat for a long time. She’d have to check out or pay for another night soon.
Deciding to try to find out when her parents would be back, she took Andrew outside. Ella remembered how low her tank was. She’d have to fill it if she wanted to drive at all. The trip down from Fairbanks had taken her last paycheck. Ella was running on fumes in her bank account. She had to find a place for her baby soon or they would be in trouble.
She drove down to the tourist district in town, where the cruise ships docked. Her mother was friends with the woman who sold arts and crafts supplies from a shop on Franklin Street.
Ella parked in one of the big lots near the harbor and strolled her baby over to the craft store. The jovial expressions of the vacationers walking around her made her feel even more isolated and desperate. The cool air nipped at her cheeks. When she walked into the shop full of yarn and scrapbooks, the warm air hit her bare head and hands.
As she began to thaw, the woman at the back of the shop came out to greet her. “Ella May? Is that you?”
“Yes. It’s me,” she said. Her mother’s old friend, Tory Little, would know when her parents would be back. And Ella would have to subject herself to the scrutiny of the woman’s eyes in exchange for the information.
“You’ve got a baby,” Tory said. Ella began to sweat under her warm jacket, nervous about what Tory might say to the rest of her mom’.
“Um, yeah. So?”
“Who’s the dad?”
“Tory, I need to know where my parents are.”
“They’re out on the island at their fishing cabin. Won’t be back for another two weeks.”
“I need to talk to them.”
“No cell reception out there.” Tory bent down and cooed at the baby.
“You know anyone who lives by, maybe has a CB radio?”
“Maybe old Jim? He doesn’t stay out there all year.”
“How can I get a hold of him?”
“I can make a few calls. Don’t know how long it will take. Are you in trouble, Ella?”
“I just want to see my parents. They’ve never met the baby.”
“Uh huh. Okay. Where are you staying?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe the Value Inn?”
“What’s your phone number?”
Ella recited her cellphone number.
“All right, sweetheart. I know Tate Montgomery’s got a new house up on the Montgomery homestead. His cousin Zane helped him build it this last summer. Right near all those greenhouses at the south end of Montgomery Lane, near the highway.”
“Leave a message on my phone if you hear anything from my parents.”
“It might take a few days to get a hold of them, Ella.”
Ella turned the stroller and strode out of the craft store. She didn’t want to hear about Tate’s new house. Everyone seemed to be pushing her back to him. She felt flushed, annoyed and excited at the same time.
Nothing had turned out the way she’d wanted it to after she’d left Juneau and Tate a year and a half ago. She never expected to get pregnant with his child and then end up a single mother, on her own. Coming back hadn’t even been her first choice. She was only here because she was running for her life. It wasn’t like she could say that to Tory, though. It didn’t save her from the judgement in the woman’s eyes.
She pulled out of the parking lot and drove to a convenience store where she knew she could find a phone card and some snacks for her and Andrew. She parked and sat in the front seat for several minutes. She was almost out of money.
She let out a deep sigh and got out of the car, picking up Andrew from the backseat. He whimpered as he grabbed at her hair. Ella quickly went into the convenience store, grabbed her things, and dropped it all on the counter. Fluorescent lights glared overhead and the buzz of beer-filled refrigerators filled the room.
Her stomach dropped when the cashier gave her back the change from her purchase. She hurried outside, shushing Andrew’s crying. She felt bone tired, like she’d never be rested again. When she stepped through the door, she saw the taillights of a motorcycle gang drive up the street and out of sight. She gasped a sharp, cool breath and ran to her car.
She strapped Andrew into his seat in record time and sprinted around to the driver’s seat to get inside. Ella sped out of the parking lot and turned onto the street in the opposite direction. She’d recognized the logos on the gang’s jackets.
It was them.
This was bad.
Really bad.
She had to hide fast. Ella wasn’t sure if they knew what kind of car she drove, but she didn’t want to take any chances. Thoughts sped through her mind as she looked for possible solutions. She sped south down the highway and found herself coming up towards the turnoff to Montgomery Lane.
Damn. Somehow she wound up at the very place she wanted to avoid. She hadn’t expected the Glacier Wolf Pack to find her here, but someone in Fairbanks must’ve tipped them off. Ella flipped on her blinker and turned onto Montgomery Lane. Tori had said Tate’s house was the closest to the highway, near the greenhouses in the flats before the lodge.
She turned off onto the first driveway along Montgomery Lane and came up to a brand-new log home. It must be Tate’s place. His cousin Zane owned the Montgomery Construction Company that built a lot of the log houses around Juneau. She parked the car and waited.
Was she really going to do this? Was she really going to ask Tate for help after what she’d done to him? Fear coursed through her veins. She was more afraid of the motorcycle gang than she was of Tate. She took a deep breath and let it out before cutting the motor and opening her door. Just as she stepped out onto the gravel driveway, the front door of the house swung open.
Tate Montgomery came charging down the front steps towards her as she closed the door of the car. Just as big and sexy as ever, he wore a
pair of tan coveralls and a dark hooded sweatshirt. She could feel his presence from across the yard. Dark hair hung over his bright green eyes. Ella could see the tips of his sharp canine teeth behind his full lips.
She was so frightened she almost got back in the car without another word. The look on his face told her leaving fast might be the best idea. She gripped the door handle and was about to open it when he stopped in front of her.
“Ella May? What are you doing here?”
“I shouldn’t have come.” Ella flung open the door and the sound of Andrew’s burbling came from inside the car.
“You have a baby in there?” he asked, his surprised expression taking on an even angrier cast.
“I’ll leave now. Forget I was here.” She tried to sink into the car but he grabbed her arm and made her face him. His eyes bore into her soul, searching for answers. The fraught look on his face almost made her want to cry. Babs Bula’s words flitted across her mind. She could find Tate someone else. Desperation and panic caught up with her and she felt herself ready to break.
“Whose baby is that?”
“He’s my baby. Let go of me.” She yanked her arm out of his grip, but he was blocking her way to the driver’s seat. “Get out of my way. I’m leaving.”
“I’m not letting you go until you tell me whose baby that is,” Tate demanded. His handsome face was more determined than she had ever seen. The six foot two, muscled man-bear stood in front of her, staring her down like some kind of prey.
She couldn’t take it anymore. She was frightened, cold, and Andrew had begun to cry. She had to get him inside. She had to keep him safe.
“It’s yours. All right? I never meant to come here. But I need help. Can you just stop looking at me like that and help me?”
“The baby is mine?” He stood in stunned silence, blocking her from the car. She backed away and walked around the car to get the baby out. She bounced him in her arms as she walked back to where Tate still stood.