Kodiak Moment: An Alpha Werebear Paranormal Shifter Romance (The Arcadia Knights Book 2) (18 page)

S
he’d seen him
. She knew.

But he had no idea what she was thinking.

Aidan found it difficult to keep his eyes on the road, too intent on the woman beside him. His nose told him she’d calmed down, but he couldn’t get anything else from her scent. She’d spoken to Mac, and he’d wanted to grill the deputy about what all had been said, but not with Ever standing right there.

At least she wasn’t freaking out any more.

No, that was Aidan’s department now, it seemed.

He’d never intended to break the news to her like that, but now the cat was out of the bag. She’d seemed unwilling to believe her own eyes, but that would pass. She’d want to know more.

Then she’d want to go back to her world. Except, that option was closed to her now.

God
dammit.

The silence was eating at him. He’d expected questions, anger, fear—the nothing he received was alternately worrying and confusing. Finally, he couldn’t take it. “So, what are you thinking?”

She looked over at him inquisitively. “About what?”

“Anything. Life. Arcadia.”
How about me?
It would kill him if he made her afraid. The bear growled in his head at the thought, warning him that Aidan had better fix the problem.

Trouble was, he didn’t know where to begin.

Ever cocked her head sideways, thinking. “It really is a cute little town.”

She wanted to talk about his home town? Well, he
had
brought it up as an option, but, really? “Okay,” he said slowly, “I’m glad you approve of where I live.”

Something in his tone must have betrayed his thoughts because Ever made an exasperated noise. “What do you want me to say? That you going shirtless is distracting? That a bear-man saved my life? That I don’t know what to think about anything that’s happened so far today?”

Aidan’s bear chuffed with approval at her words. She found him attractive.

Figures that would be what it would focus on.

Okay, so she didn’t want to ask him any questions. Then he’d turn the tables. “Where did you and your sister grow up?”

That got him a narrow-eyed look but he kept his eyes on the road, waiting for her answer. Finally, she sighed. “We grew up in Florida, down around Pensacola.”

“Any family?” he asked when she lapsed back into silence. He was being nosy but wanted answers.

“A mom, probably a dad if my biology class was right. Why?”

He’d clearly touched a nerve. She was stiff, annoyance coming off her in waves. It was on the tip of his tongue to apologize, but he bit it back, with no small amount of guilt. He didn’t want her uncomfortable, and yet he wanted to know more.

His silence paid off finally. “My mom raised me and my sister alone. She’s my half-sister actually, but neither of our dads was ever in the picture. Mom was, is still, kind of flighty. She means well, but she finds it hard to take care of herself, let alone two extra mouths to feed.”

“What happened?”

She hitched one shoulder, staring out the window. “The state eventually got involved, and she signed us over to them. Put us into foster care believing that would give us a better chance at life. Maybe it did for my sister; she eventually got adopted by the first family she stayed with. Me, though, I just drifted around, until I reached eighteen and said my goodbyes with a note.”

“You never found a real home?”

She flinched ever so slightly, and Aidan immediately regretted his words. “No,” she said, still not looking at him. “The various families I lived with were nice enough; I didn’t get abused like you hear about in some stories. It’s just, there was never any permanence or, well, love. I lived there, ate their food, slept in their bed, but was always the Other Child. After I left, I never really got back in touch with any of them.”

“So what do you do now?”

“Travel. See the world, or what I can of it. I was between trips when my sister called, so it was easy enough for me to uproot and come here.” Ever looked over at him. “What about you? What’s it like to grow up as…” She trailed off, indicating him with one hand.

Her gesture made his lips tip up. She was taking the whole situation really well, so Aidan decided to tell the truth. “Not much different than as a human. Being the Brahm’s son made life a little harder for me, but we live and love just like you do.”

“Brahm?”

“Our leader. My father is one of the most powerful Shifters in the world. Arcadia was founded to keep the Shifter population in this area safe, and it’s his duty to oversee those in his care. We still have a Mayor, and I handle the police department and smaller matters, but he deals with the larger threats, sometimes singlehandedly.”

“Sounds like a scary man.”

“He can be. Usually he only steps in when violence is the last resort, but he keeps his fingers in all the pots. You saw the surveillance system at the house; there aren’t too many secrets in town that he doesn’t know about. People, in return, are allowed their safety.” He saw the dubiousness on her face. “It may not be the best system, but it’s worked for decades.”

“How do you keep from being noticed by the rest of the world?”

“Stay away, mostly. It’s gotten more difficult in recent years with all the technology, but we manage. We still get amenities like electricity, cellphones and internet from your world, but for the most part live by ourselves. As long as we don’t draw attention,

“And those that draw attention?”

“My father takes care of them.”

She shivered, looking back out her window. “I don’t look forward to meeting him.”

Aidan coughed. “You already have, actually.”

Ever looked at him quizzically, then her eyes widened to saucers. “No,” she breathed, and Aidan nodded, anticipating her answer. “But he was the same age as you!”

“Not by a long shot.” He looked at Ever. “How old do you think I am?”

Her jaw snapped shut on whatever she was going to say first. Aidan could see the wheels turning in her head, but her eyes still held incredulity. “One hundred?”

“Close. Eighty-seven.”

The exclamation of denial he was expecting didn’t come, and Aidan approved. She looked like she was trying to process that, and kept looking at him. “I have two older brothers, Warren and Logan,” he continued at her silence, “both born before the turn of the twentieth century.”

“Lovely,” Ever said in a high voice, and Aidan just grinned. “What about humans that find you guys?”

“Like you?” he asked bluntly, and she colored. “It depends on what they intend to do, but we try to be reasonable. We take care of our own, but you should know that there are quite a few humans living in our town, including your landlady. We’re not running a prison here, despite what it sounds like. There are towns like Arcadia across the world, just trying to survive and blend in.”

It was obvious she had more questions, but they were coming up on their destination. Aidan turned down a gravel driveway and pulled up slowly toward the dilapidated house, scanning the area. He’d told Mac where they were going, but now regretted not bringing backup, as he had no idea what to expect.

“Do you think she’s here?” Ever murmured as Aidan rolled down the window, trying to get smells.

“No idea.” There had definitely been shifters on the property; from the crisscrossing scents, quite a few, and recently too. Now though it looked deserted, and he couldn’t smell anybody nearby.

That didn’t mean they weren’t there, however.

“Stay in the car,” he said in a low voice, then got out before he got an answer. He really should have waited for one of the deputies to bring him a work shirt. He’d been in a rush to leave the accident, and now felt stupid standing beside the cop car wearing only a pair of battered slacks and boots without socks. There was no way he could make this seem like an official visit as he’d lost his badge with the rest of his clothes in the fire.

All right then. Social call it was.

“Mr. Avery,” he called, using the name of the person who’d been on the deed. The name hadn’t been familiar to Aidan but, even though Arcadia wasn’t a huge town, he didn’t know all the people who lived there. He left that up to his father, but now he wished he had more information, especially with his mate in the car. “Mr. Avery, we need to talk with you.”

There was the click of a car door opening, and Aidan looked over to see Ever step out. Her jaw had a stubborn set. “I want to help.”

“Get back inside, I don’t know what might be—”

A shot rang out, and a bullet pinged off the hood of the car with a discordant clang. Ever screamed, and Aidan all but leaped over the car to get to her. “Down, now,” he yelled, gathering her in his arms and pulling her to the ground as bullets whizzed past their heads.

T
here were
times when one appreciated being in a beautiful half-naked man’s arms.

The middle of a gun fight was definitely
not
one of them.

Ever jumped as a blast hit the car, punching through the metal. She clung to Aidan’s naked torso, then felt a prickly sensation underneath her palms. Wiry brown hairs grew and receded in ripples across his arm, the muscles beneath bulging and flexing. He was Changing before her eyes, or at least partially. This was what she’d seen before at the car, only in reverse, and much more up close and personal.

Maybe it should have weirded her out, but Ever found it fascinating. Now probably wasn’t the right time to study it, but she was curious. Looking up, she saw that his eyes had gone the same amber color she’d seen that morning. The bear’s eyes hadn’t been that color; they’d been almost black, darker than the fur. So whatever it was only happened in human form.

Another shot rang out, slamming into the car door they hid behind. This one exited less than a foot from Ever’s shoulder, and both she and Aidan jumped.

Yeah.
Not
the time to think about this.

“This is Sheriff Aidan Tucker.” His voice carried well, as if he had a natural megaphone in his chest. It didn’t hurt her ears though, the words just seemed
stronger
somehow. “Put down the gun, we’re just here to talk.”

There was a short pause, then a muffled shout came from inside the building. Ever tried to make out the words, but could only make out the last part:
one of them.

Aidan looked down at Ever, frowning, then back toward the house. “We’re here about the demolished house on Strawberry Court. I promise, we’re not here to hurt you.”

Ever waited tensely for more shots, but they never came. Then the creak of old hinges swinging pierced the air. “This is silver buckshot, Sheriff.” The new voice sounded old, but determined. “Let’s talk.”

Aidan gave Ever a squeeze, as if to warn her to stay hidden, then slowly stood. This time Ever did as she was told, watching him intently as he squared off with the stranger, hands raised. “I just need some answers,” he said calmly.

“Me too. Like what the hell have your folk been doing all over my woods.”

“These lands are in Arcadia territory; everything on this mountain belongs to the Brahm. Shifters are allowed to come and go as they please.”

“No, not your townies. Someone else, something…” The other man made a disgusted sound. “Just ask your questions and leave.”

“You’re Carlton Avery, correct? Owner of 6223 Strawberry Court in Arcadia? We’re looking for the girl who lived there up until recently.”

“What?” Confusion laced the word. “That’s her at your feet, ain’t it?”

Ever never could listen to directions long. Gathering her feet under her, she peeked over the hood of the car to see who was speaking. An older black man held a large shotgun pointed straight at them. Aidan’s hand clapped down on her shoulder, obviously trying to keep her down, but she brushed it off and pulled herself upright. “That was my sister.”

The old man jumped, the barrel swinging to point at her. A growl that definitely couldn’t come out of a human throat flew from Aidan. He shoved himself in front of her, nearly unbalancing Ever. “She’s human, Mr. Avery,” he said, his voice almost an octave lower. “Just like you.”

So the man was human. Maybe that was why he looked old since, so far, all the shifters Ever had seen looked about the same age.

“No, she…” The old man trailed off, then squinted at Ever. “Sister, you say?”

“Yes,” Ever said, pushing herself up onto her feet. She tried to get around Aidan, but he blocked her again, his eyes still on the old man. “My sister, Sonya,” she continued, glaring at Aidan.

Over-protective much?

The older man studied Ever, his gun not wavering. He was wearing a pair of jean overalls with no shirt, and cowboy boots that looked as if they’d seen more than their share of use. His short hair was almost completely white, his dark face weathered with age and sun. He looked between Ever and Aidan, frowning, then shook his head. “I just want to be left alone.”

“Mr. Avery, your name is on the deed to the house in question.”

“I know what properties I own, boy.” He lowered the gun, aiming it toward the dirt in front of him but looking ready to use it if anyone so much as twitched.

Aidan stood silently for a moment, thinking. Then, slowly, he lowered his hands. “Do you know what happened to her?”

“No, other than she showed up with that group who tried to take this place from me last month.”

His words definitely got Aidan’s interest. “What group?”

“Hell if I know, except they was all of ‘em shifters.” He grinned mirthlessly at the memory. “Probably thought they could roll a lonely old man, but I put the hurt on them. Learned a few tricks in my years living near you lot.”

“But what about my sister?” That was all she cared about. Sonya would never run with anyone dangerous, not willingly at least.

He snorted. “She came into town looking for a place. Contacted me about the house, gave me a bundle of cash, and I gave her the keys.”

“You didn’t report her presence to the Brahm?” Aidan said in a careful voice.

The word made the older man lick his lips and look away nervously. “That man’s fucking scary,” he said morosely, looking everywhere but at Aidan. “She said she had approval so I took her for her word. Seemed like a nice kid, until she showed up on my property that night.”

“And the demolition of her house?”

“Wait, what do you mean
demolition
?” Gone was the uncertainty; the old man looked pissed. “That house was my retirement; I’d never tear it down. I’ve put in too much money renovating. What happened to it?”

Aidan pursed his lips, but said nothing. “Did you recognize any of the shifters on your property?”

“No, I want to talk about my
house
for a…”

“Mr. Avery.” Again, that booming voice that didn’t seem to just be volume. Ever could almost feel it in her bones, as if the words flowed through her. Weird. “The shifters who came onto your property: did you recognize them or not?”

The old man looked like he wanted to tell Aidan where to stick it, but eventually answered. “No, but I don’t go to town much anymore. There was about ten of them if that’s your next question.” The shotgun came up again, not quite pointing at them, but close. “Now, get the hell off my property.”

Aidan ignored the gun, giving the old man an almost formal nod. “Thank you for your time, sir.”

“Eh,” the old man grumbled, turning back into his house as Aidan and Ever got into the car.

“
W
ell
,” Aidan muttered as they drove away, “that was a bust.”

Ever found it hard to contain her disappointment. “He didn’t know anything about her except she gave him money, then showed up and tried to roust him from his property. Which I simply can’t believe.”

“He was telling the truth when he spoke.”

She snorted. “Let me guess, you smelled it?”

“Yes.”

Ever blew out a breath. “Is it bad that I felt like throttling the answers out of him?”

Her question surprised a laugh out of him. “There’s a reason I was made Sheriff and not either of my older brothers. I have patience and at least some skill at diplomacy.” He angled a look at Ever. “They’re like my father, more apt to tear your head off than try a peaceful approach.”

“Lovely imagery,” Ever deadpanned, and Aidan grinned.

“They’d call me a wuss behind my back but never to my face. I’d thrash them, even though they’re older than me by decades.”

“And your dad?”

Some of the smile left Aidan’s face. “No, I don’t think the three of us could take him down even together. Our mother used to be the only one who could calm him, but it’s different now that she found her mate.”

Ever’s belly clenched weirdly on the word
mate
. “Wait, your parents weren’t, uh, together?”

Saying “mated” just felt weird.

Aidan shook his head. “They were together for nearly a century on and off but no, they weren’t true mates. There’s one person for everyone, one person that completes them, is like their other half.”

“Ah, the old
Jerry McGuire
,” she said, punching his arm. “So, have you found yours yet?”

He looked at her, green eyes piercing for a moment, then back at the road. “There’s someone that may fit the bill, although I’m not sure yet if she knows it.”

Ever didn’t even know she was holding her breath until it came out with a whoosh. Something that had been tight in her belly loosened, and she laid a hand on his arm. “You’ll find them, don’t worry.”

His hand covered hers, calloused thumb caressing her wrist, and emotion inexplicably welled up inside Ever’s chest. She felt tears prick at her eyes and blinked rapidly, snatching her hand away. Everything in her cried out for his touch, to be loved by a man like this. Someone was going to be really lucky to get him, and Ever would probably hate her forever.

What the hell. Fucking PMS.

“So,” she said, trying to cover for her tiny outburst, “where to now?”

“Hopefully Mac’s finding something more useful than us, but I have one more idea to try.” He glanced her direction. “I hope you like dogs.”