Bearing Secrets (9 page)

Exhaustion clung to Turi,
making his movements slow as he entered his parents’ house. It seemed as though
he had just closed his eyes when he received the call about the meeting. The
sun wouldn’t be up for hours, which meant one thing, whatever the reason for
the gathering, it had to be important.

“Here.” His mom handed him a
steaming hot mug of coffee.

“Does this mean sleep is out
of the question?”

His father glanced up from the
paper he was reading. “It shouldn’t take long and then you can get some sleep.
If you don’t want the coffee, set it aside. Your mother needed something to do.
Saying goodbye is never easy for her. Sit down, son.”

Stifling a yawn, he set the
mug aside, and leaned against the armrest of the sofa. If there was a chance he’d
be able to go back to bed, he’d wait on the coffee. “What’s happening, Dad?”

“On the sofa!” His mom
hollered as she made her way back into the kitchen. “You’re too big to be
sitting on the armrests.”

Years of training had told him
it was better to do what his mother said than disobey, because she’d find a way
to make him pay later. He sank down on the sofa cushion and waited to be filled
in.

“Ty called and requested Taber
and Milo join the team in Arizona. They’re leaving shortly, while Thorben,
Kallie, Tad, and Courtney stay behind.”

“They found Chad?” Suddenly the
doubt that Ivy’s brother had survived was replaced with a hint of hope.

“Not yet, but with Ivy’s lead
you passed on to Ty, and Simon’s suggestions there’s a few places they need to
search. Ty’s hopeful. There are some signs, which he didn’t get into, but they
point to the possibility Chad and at least one other are alive.”

“I should go.”

Devon shook his head. “No,
right now Ivy needs both of her mates. If he’s found, we can make arrangements,
but until then she needs the comfort you and Trey can give her.”

He nodded, knowing that here
he could do his best to keep her occupied. “She’s having a hard time doing
nothing.”

“As I’m sure you and Trey are.
It’s engrained within us to do something to ease our mates suffering.” Devon
took a drink of his coffee before continuing. “I wanted you to know what was
happening, and it’s your choice if you wish to tell Ivy.”

“Hopefully she’ll still be
asleep when I get back, so I won’t have to worry about that now.”

“Don’t worry about the sleuth.
I want you to stay with her, do your best to keep her mind off things, and when
there’s an update Ty will call.”

“Your dad and I are here if
she needs anything. Kallie and Courtney are too if she wants to talk to a
younger woman,” his mom added as she came back into the room.

“Thanks, Mom.” The one thing
about a family like his was the support they had for each other. Not all bears
lived with such closeness. Some might belong to a sleuth but be spread out,
never seeing each other except during specialized events. “I should get back to
her.”

“What, you’re not going to see
us off?” Taber stepped inside, the door banging shut behind him.

“Not with a beautiful woman
waiting for me.” Turi rose from the sofa. “If I was you I’d be on the plane
heading out. The sooner you go, the sooner you can get back to Kallie.”

“Isn’t that the truth? At
least with Thorben here I know she’ll be watched over. Same with Tad and
Courtney.” Taber nodded. “I only wanted to let you know we’re heading out. I’ll
inform you if there are any updates.”

“Thanks.” Turi laid his hand
on Taber’s shoulder and gave it a little squeeze. “Be safe, and bring my mate’s
brother back to her.”

“I’ll do what I can.”

Turi couldn’t ask for more,
nor did he expect anything less from his brother. It wouldn’t have mattered who
they were going after in Arizona, Taber and the others would do their best to
find them.

He walked out of the house,
slightly relieved he wasn’t going and that he could stay with his mate, while
on the other hand disappointed he wouldn’t be the one to bring Chad back to
her. Though if Chad wasn’t alive, he didn’t want to be the one to tell her—to
admit he failed her.

He shoved his hands in the
pockets of his jeans and ambled back toward his cabin. A shooting star streaked
through the sky, giving him hope that the mission would go well.

Stop obsessing, everything’s
going to be fine. We’ll make sure of it.

* * *

Ivy wasn’t sure what woke her,
but she suspected it had been the chill from not having the warmth of her men
on either side of her. Sleep just wouldn’t return until Turi came to cuddle
against her. Instead of lying there, tossing and turning until she woke Trey,
she slipped out of bed and padded to the window seat. She gazed into the
darkness. Beyond the glass, darkness cloaked the grounds. Tall pines cast deep
shadows that should have been menacing but instead seemed to offer comfort.
Where had Turi gone at such a late hour? Had something happened within the
sleuth?

She wrapped a throw around
her, hiding her naked body from view and stared out into the water. Somewhere
out in that darkness danger lied in wait for anyone unsuspecting. It was as if
now that her life had been touched with evil, from the attack on her clan, she
could no longer see the beauty in things. She wondered about the threats that
could be lurking in the shadows. The island was a sanctuary, but what happened
when she left the safety of being surrounded by water? Would the fear grow
stronger? Would she ever be able to live a normal life again?

One thing nagged her the most.
Would Randolph find out her relation to him? She had been hidden away on the
Arizona Tigers’ land; even if he suspected her mother had a child, there was
little chance he knew who or where she was. But things had changed. If he went
to her home—or what was left of it—there was no doubt he’d pick up on her
smell. If he found out who she was, there was no doubt he’d try to use her as a
pawn in whatever he was playing at. She wouldn’t allow him to screw with her
and the people she cared about, no matter the cost.

“What are you doing awake?”
Turi whispered through the darkness.

She turned away from the
window to find him standing in the doorway. “I woke up to find you gone, and
couldn’t get back to sleep. Where did you go?”

He drew near, each step
tentative as if he was debating something. “Taber and Milo are joining the
search in Arizona.”

“Is there…” Unable to stop the
excitement, she moved off the edge of the window seat.

“Hold on, Ivy.” He stopped her
before she could stand. “I don’t have all the details but it is believed there
might be two alive. A team from the Alaskan Tigers is there, heading things up.
Jinx has sent some additional men from the West Virginia Tigers and now Taber and
Milo will be joining them. We just have to wait.”

“Waiting is the hardest
thing.”

In one quick movement, he sat
down next to her and wrapped one arm around her. “I know, love, I know. We’re
going to find him.”

“In what condition?” She forced
the words past the lump of emotion that tightened her throat.

“You have to hope for the
best. The fact they didn’t find him when they searched through the remains of
the compound is a good sign.”

Trey rolled over, his gaze drilling
into them until he let out a growl of annoyance. “Will you two come back to bed
or go to another room?”

“Trey’s always been grumpy
when his sleep is interrupted.” Turi smoothed his hand down Ivy’s arm. “We’re
not going to know anything for a few hours. Do you want to lie back down, or go
to the living room?”

“Maybe we could find another
way to pass the time.” She kissed his neck.

“Woman, you’ll wear me out,”
Turi teased.

“Don’t even think about it!
You’re not doing that in this bed while I’m trying to sleep.” Trey tapped the
bed next to him. “Come to bed, we all need to catch some sleep and in the
morning I’ll make it up to you. I promise.”

“He’s right, we do need some
rest. Let’s go to bed and cuddle.” He stood and stripped out of his clothes
before holding his hand out to her.

She let him take her hand and
lead her to the bed.
“Cuddles lead from one thing to another.”

There was something about
knowing there were teams in Arizona looking for Chad that gave Ivy peace of
mind, and for the first time she was able to relax enough to work on the
proposal. Her fingers flew over the keyboard, adding the different aspects of
the forum that Trey had given her into the overall plan. Her thoughts ran with
new ideas, demanding she make note of them to come back to later. For the first
time since the attack on her clan, she felt like she had her life back and that
she was contributing to the betterment of shifters.

As if things were going too well
to last, the last words from a clan tigress she’d considered her best friend
played out in her mind.
You’re not a shifter, why would you even care?
Before she could explain, the compound had erupted with the first explosive
attack, sending Edith running from the house in tigress form. She hadn’t made
it fifty yards before more blasts shook the ground and gunfire had begun.

Loud beeps from the computer
forced her attention back to her lap. Without realizing it, her balled fists
had struck the laptop causing it to send a series of beeps in warning before
freezing.

Damn it.
She
leaned her head back against the sofa, her chest tightened, the pain was so
deep, so agonizing, at the memory of seeing Edith flying through the air, a
hole the size of a grapefruit opening her chest. Her heart had been blown from
her body, making it impossible for her to heal from the injuries, one of the
few ways a shifter could actually be killed.

With a deep breath numbness
settled over her. There was nothing she could do for Edith then and nothing to
be done now. Ivy grieved for her clan family and hoped the others had understood
why she had done the things she did. The ability to shift might not be within
her, but that didn’t make her any less part of the clan. She had been raised
within the clan since she was a baby and was devoted to the Alpha and the clan.
The idea that at the time of their deaths, some might have still have doubted
her commitment mangled her heart beyond recognition.

“My sweet angel, are you
okay?” Trey glanced at her from behind the desk in Turi’s office that they had
taken over.

With a forced smile, she
pushed her thoughts away and turned to him. “Fine, why?”

“I could feel your distress.
If you’re worried about Chad…”

“I’m not.” She tucked a strand
of her hair behind her ear. “I was just remembering the attack, and the last
words I said to someone I thought was my friend.”

“Thought?” Intrigued, he
leaned forward.

“A few hours before the
attack, a few of the clan members found out I was working on this proposal.”
She leaned forward on the chaise lounge, placing the laptop on the table beside
it. “The people I thought were my friends, my family…for the first time I saw
distrust in their eyes. None of them knew my heritage. They only knew I was
human, but that was enough to draw out some hatred in the end.”

“Hatred seems like a harsh
word, are you sure it wasn’t misunderstanding?” He leaned back in the leather
office chair and watched her.

“I’m sure. Even the tigress I
thought was my best friend, Edith, turned against me. We grew up together, but
she couldn’t understand why I would care about
her kind
when I was
only
human. There was such hatred in her tone.”

“I’ll be sure to have a nice
conversation with Edith when we find her.”

“We won’t, she was killed, and
her final thoughts of me were that I was proposing this so it would advance
shifters living alongside humans.”

He raised an eyebrow at that.
“Isn’t that a good thing?”

“Except she thought I was
doing it to eliminate the shifter species. That I wanted to construct some type
of revenge against shifters because I felt left out.” She pulled her legs up
against her chest, hugging them to her body. “I never felt excluded because I
couldn’t shift. Were those feelings always there from those I considered my
family and I just missed the clues?”

“Come here, angel.” He slid
his chair back and patted his lap.

“Sex—”

“It’s not about sex, it’s
about comfort.” He held out his hand to her and when she came, he pulled her
into his lap. “It’s not always about sex.”

“But when it is, you make it
worth it,” she teased and snuggled against his chest.

“Would you want it any other
way?”

“Hell no, the sex is amazing.
Just maybe…more of it?” She slid her hand under his shirt, teasing along the
perfect contours of his chest. Damn, this man was perfect, and she just wanted
more of him—of both him and Turi. It seemed to be more than just mating desire.
The need deep inside felt like pure love.

“Now that, my angel, can be
arranged.” He leaned forward and claimed her mouth. The spiciness from the
coffee lingered on his lips, mixing with the hazelnut creamer he’d added to it.

She slid around on his lap
until she was straddling his waist and slipped her tongue into his mouth.
Devouring the sweetness and spiciness, she cupped the back of his head. Their
tongues danced together in the heat of passion, and she wanted more. Tugging
his shirt up his chest she wanted him naked and inside of her.

She broke the kiss, dragging
her teeth over his bottom lip. “I need you.”

“My thoughts exactly.” He
stood up, lifting her with him and carried her across the room to the chaise
lounge where she had been before. As he gently sat her down, she pulled off his
shirt and allowed him to reciprocate. “Naked, now.”

In one smooth motion, she slid
the black yoga pants down her legs, her gaze on him as he stripped from his
jeans and boxers. Damn, was he one fine specimen of manhood. He set her blood
boiling, and her core heated with desire.

“Your bra.”

He stood before her. Sunlight
caressed his bronzed skin, and as he moved, his powerful muscles flexed and
contracted. She allowed her gaze to roam as she drank in the sight of him and
felt a smile pulling at her lips as her gaze fell on his shaft, hard and ready.
“Always willing, aren’t you?” she purred as she unhooked her bra and allowed it
to slip off. She pushed her breasts forward as she tossed her undergarment over
the back of the chaise lounge. “I want to taste you.” Without waiting s
he dropped to her knees before him, sliding her hand down his
chest until she reached his shaft. Smiling, she met his startled gaze as she
took him in her hand and slowly caressed his length.

“My angel.” With a
low growl in the back of his throat, he wrapped his arm around hers and tried
to pull her back up.

“Let me.” She
leaned forward, kissing his tip before letting him slip between her lips. Keeping
her hand at the base, she took him into her mouth, tasting the saltiness, and
rolling her tongue along his head. Gently, her teeth teased as she took as much
of him in her mouth as she could.

He tangled his
hand in the strands of her hair, holding her close, demanding she take more. Her
mouth worked up and down the length of him. She loved how he arched into her,
as if he couldn’t get enough of her.

“My sweet angel!” He
moaned, laying a hand on her shoulder. “Not like this, I want to be inside you.”

Wanting the same thing, she
let him slip from her mouth, and he pulled her up, lifting her into his strong
arms. Holding her against him, he moved to the wall and pressed her against it.

“What are you doing?”

“I want you right here against
this wall.” Keeping her pinned, he adjusted her until his shaft was directly
below her opening. Slipping a hand between their bodies, he eased a finger
between her thighs. “So wet.”

“I need you now.”

With one powerful thrust, he
slid into her. Even wet, she was tight without the foreplay, making each thrust
full of contact both pleasurable and painful. His teeth grazed along her neck
as he worked himself deeper into her, his cries of frustration filling the
room, mixing with her own moans. With each thrust, her heart sped with need and
desire.

He pressed his lips over hers,
claiming her cries with his mouth. Their breath became ragged as he rocked in
and out, finding the perfect rhythm, bringing ecstasy within reach. “Trey.” His
name tore from her lips in a moan as she clenched her legs tightly around his
waist and her climax exploded within her.

He continued to drive his
shaft into her, until with one final slam home, his own release followed. The
passion and pleasure lit his eyes until they looked like small blue fires, and
a roar echoed through the space.

“That was amazing.” Her hands
ran up his back, feeling the tight muscles under her fingertips.

He held her against his body,
his shaft still nestled deep within her as they calmed. “My sweet angel, I love
you.”

Where those three little words
would have scared her only days before, now she knew they were true. It wasn’t
just the mating, it was who the brothers were and she loved them both.

“I love you too, Trey Brown.”