Kadenburg Revealed (The Kadenburg Shifters Series, Book 4) (8 page)

“Let me go.” She begged as her palms flattened against his muscular chest.  A lot of people probably wouldn’t think Arnold was as conditioned as the other ursithropes in Kadenburg, but she’d seen him shirtless too many times.  She could still remember the handsome 17 year old boy who played football with his friends in the field.  The image of his chiseled chest and stomach had been burned into her memory long ago.  He was tall and thin, but the muscles were there.  The very same muscles that quivered beneath her touch right now.

“Not til you tell me what’s wrong,” he promised, pressing his hand against the base of her spine and pulling her even closer.  “You’re hurtin’ and I can feel it, Natalie.  What are you hiding?”

“We can’t do this, Arnie, please!” She cried, shaking her head furiously though he could not see it.  “You must let me go!”

“Damn it! I’m not letting you go til you talk to me,” he hissed in her ear.  She was crushed against his chest and there was no place to go.  She was unraveling-and fast.  She buried her face against his chest, breathing him in as her bear sighed contently.  This was home.  He had always been her home....even if he’d denied her access.

“I’m scared,” she confessed.  Her voice was barely above a whisper as her tears soaked the fabric of his flannel shirt.  “For Presley...for all of us.  I’m so scared and I don’t know what to do.  I’ve let this happen.  I allowed this to happen and I hate myself for it.  And now look at what I’m doing to you, Arnold.  This is wrong.  Please.” She moved her hands down his sides, gripping at his hips in an effort to push him away. 

“Stop,” he grunted, nuzzling his nose against her hair as he breathed her in.  “Stop trying to get away from me.  You’ve been running all your life and you’ve got to stop.  Ain’t you tired, Natalie?”

Yes
.  More than he could ever know.  She was exhausted.  All she wanted was to live happily in her hometown with the people she’d grown up with.  All she wanted was to watch Presley’s cub enter the world and experience the very best that life could offer.  All she wanted....was a second chance at getting the happiness she’d been deprived.

“I know why you did what you did.” Arnold murmured against her soft strands.  Her heart stopped in that instant.  What?

She pulled her head back, staring up at him with wide eyes.  What did he mean by that?

“You know how Pretz has been having those dreams about Bamey Number One?”

She nodded and even though he couldn’t see it, he somehow sensed it.  His tongue darted out, wetting his lips as he continued.

“He sure had some insightful information about things; things about the past, Natalie.”

“I don’t understand,” her voice cracked.  “Presley said she’s dreamed about Liam and about Urseth. She’s even dreamed about Pierce, but.....did she keep something from me?”

“She kept a lot from you,” he nodded.  His eyes moved back and forth, and though she was certain he couldn’t see anything, it felt like he was staring straight into her soul.  “Natalie, I think you need to know this or else you’re gonna drive yourself insane with guilt.  Maybe if you know....you’ll finally find some sort of peace.”

“What is it?” She repeated, tilting her head to the side.  “What did Presley not tell me?”

Her heart was lodged in her throat as she waited for whatever truth Arnold was about to reveal.  However, there was no way she could prepare herself for the words about to leave his lips.

“P
lease let me come in to see her,” Greg’s voice pleaded from the other side of the door.  “I need to see her.”

“I can’t do that,” Lorcan replied as he leaned against the heavy wooden door and crossed his arms.  “You need to go home, Greg.  When she’s ready to talk, she’ll call you.”

He could totally sympathize with the hybrid, but his hands were tied.  Presley would kill him if he let Greg inside and he wasn’t necessarily a fan of dying.  Or worse, she’d cut him off and he definitely wasn’t going to risk that.  He could hardly go an hour without touching her; let alone a day or longer.

“Please, Lorcan,” Greg nearly whined.  “It’s a misunderstanding! I didn’t do anything-I swear it.  Just let me talk to her.”

“Go home, Greggy,” he sighed.  “My mom’s on her way over and it’s probably best for you to be gone by then.”

“Shit,” Greg huffed.  “Why is your mom coming over?”

“Uh,” Lorcan laughed from an amusing thought as he scratched at the scruff adorning his jawline.  “It might possibly have something to do with Louisa showing up in our front yard as a massive panda bear, but maybe she’s just visiting for tea.”

Lorcan leaned his head against the door, listening to Greg as he cursed quietly.  He got it-he really did.  The kid was upset and there was probably a good reason behind Louisa catching him in a lip-lock with a human.....but he couldn’t really do anything until Presley had the chance to calm the girl down.  Louisa was highly sensitive and anger obviously wasn’t as easily contained as everything else.  The last thing they needed was for one of Kadenburg’s locals to spot a panda bear in the woods-then what?  What would happen to them?  Bad things, that’s what.

“Just go home,” Lorcan repeated.  “I’ll call you if anything changes, Greg.  You’ve got to give her time to cool off.”

Seconds passed by as Greg mulled it over, but he finally released a heavy sigh.

“Just tell her I’m really, really sorry and I’d like to see her as soon as possible.  Please?”

“Sure thing.” Lorcan nodded, frowning.  He did hate to leave him out in the cold like that, but it was for the best. 

He heard the wolf’s footsteps retreating and that somewhat stinky smell faded away.  Lorcan finally relaxed and closed his eyes, slumping against the door.  His mom would be there soon and she’d set things straight.  She always did, didn’t she?

——————————-

“I
can’t believe he did that,” Louisa wailed as she lifted another tissue to her nose, blowing hard.  “Why would he do that, Presley?”

“Because boys are stupid,” Presley replied softly.  “He’s just being a stupid boy, Lou.  Sometimes it takes them a while to mature, you know?”

“But he is mature!” Louisa argued as she hiccupped.  “Or at least he was.  He saved me from Colin.  I don’t understand.  Why would he do that just to turn around and play tonsil hockey with some stupid girl with too much makeup on her hideous face?”

Presley bit at her bottom lip and fought the urge to laugh.  She wasn’t laughing at Louisa’s pain-it was just the description of the girl.  Greg was out of his mind if he was choosing someone like
that
over an amazing young woman like
Louisa
.

“It’s going to be okay.” Presley insisted as she patted her knee gently.  They’d sought refuge in the bedroom with a chocolate bar, a jar of honey, and a cup of whiskey just for Louisa.  Presley didn’t condone underage drinking-and for good reason, but the kid had to calm down.  They couldn’t risk another bear-out.

“No, it isn’t,” Louisa shook her head slowly, wiping at her bloodshot eyes.  “I really liked him.  I’m so stupid.”

“You are
not
stupid,” Presley said firmly.  “You are smart, beautiful, and so wonderful, Lou.  Don’t you ever let a man make you feel like you’re anything less-not even Greg Kress.”  Oh.  That rhymed.

She watched as Louisa bowed her head.  Her sadness was still raging in Presley’s heart and all she wanted to do was take that heartache away.  If only she could.

“When my mate-to-be died....I just knew I would spend the rest of my life alone,” Louisa whispered.  “I know I chose him for the wrong reasons, but he would have been kind to me.  He never would’ve hurt me like this,” she sniffled and wiped at her eyes again, shaking her head slowly.  “And then I met Greg and everything changed.  I tried to resist-I really did, Presley,” she peered at her from beneath her dark bangs as her bottom lip quivered.  “And what did I do it for?  Just to feel like this?  I hate it.  I hate him too.  People shouldn’t be allowed to do this to each other.”

“I don’t believe it’s okay for people to do it at all,” Presley agreed in her best maternal tone.  “But I think it’s embedded in our DNA to sometimes make mistakes.  I’m not saying it’s okay...I’m not saying what Greg did was okay in the slightest...Louisa,” she reached out to touch the girl’s hand.  God, she was burning up.  She really needed to take her mind off of things before Louisa demolished her home.  It’d taken a while to get her back into her tiny little human form.  “I’m here for you.  You know that, don’t you?”

“Of course I do,” Louisa sniffed.  “I just hate feeling so alone.  Beau is gone and I know that he has an attraction to Sammy.  I can see it plain as day.....and when he finally decides on what he wants in life, I’m going to be by myself.”

“No, you’re not,” Presley reassured her as she leaned forward to kiss her forehead.  “I promise you will never be alone.  I’ll be right here.”

Louisa stifled another sob as she buried her face in her hands.  “I liked him so much.....”

A light knock sounded on the door then, and Presley already knew who it was before Mrs. Bamey pushed it open to peer inside.  She looked so pretty! Well, she always looked pretty, but something was different tonight.  Mrs. Bamey’s brown hair was made up into tiny curls that framed her round face in a way that complimented it.  She had on a light application of makeup and her shiny lips curved into a frown.

“Is it all right for me to come inside, Louisa?”

The girl lifted her head, nodding quickly as she sniffled again.  Presley handed her yet another tissue before giving the mama bear a look that said, ‘help me’.  Mrs. Bamey quietly closed the door behind herself before stepping further into the room, a worried expression overcoming her features.

“Now I know this isn’t very easy for you, Sweetie, but the first thing I want you to know is I have no qualms with bending Greg Kress over my knee and tanning his hide.”

She was very serious about it-Presley could tell just by the way she said it, but Urseth if it didn’t make her want to laugh again.  She was obviously very bad at comforting people.  Biting hard at her lower lip to refrain from giggling, Presley dropped her head and gazed at her stomach instead.  Little Liam would keep her from losing it.

“Thank you, Charlotte.” Louisa managed a small nod as she plucked another Kleenex from the bright pink box and lifted it to her nose.  As she blew lightly, in the most polite manner as possible, Mrs. Bamey released a breath and puffed her cheeks out.

“The nerve of that boy,” she muttered, shaking her head in dismay.  “You better believe I’m going to have a talk with him and I’ll get to the bottom of this.  Urseth’s sons do not behave in such a manner.  Oh, how disappointed Yliana must be!”

“Yliana?” Presley tilted her head to the side.  Was that Greg’s mother’s name?  She was certain it was something along the lines of Irene or Eileen...maybe Nadine. 

“Ohhhhh,” Mrs. Bamey eased herself down onto the end of the bed, resting her hands on her lap as she smiled warmly.  “Sometimes it slips my mind you were not told these stories as a child, Presley.  It’s something every little ursithrope girl learns.....somewhat of a bedtime story, if you will.”

“Okay....” Presley started hesitantly as she shifted on the bed, attempting to face Mrs. Bamey and Louisa at the same time.  She smoothed her palm over her baby bump and stared intently at the wiser woman.  “So I guess we’re having story time now?”

“You bet your rump we are,” Mrs. Bamey nodded.  “I know Lorcan told you the story of how ursithrope warriors came to be, Presley, but did he tell you about how they found their mates?”

Presley shook her head.  “I’m presuming they found some pretty she-bears and had them turned into humans?”

Mrs. Bamey released a hearty laugh.  “Oh, heavens no,” she rolled her eyes and glanced at Louisa.  “Louisa, do you know how female ursithropes came to be?”

“Of course I do,” Louisa wiped at her eyes and cleared her throat.  “Yliana.”

Who is this Yliana?
Presley wondered as she lifted a lightly colored eyebrow. 

“Yliana was a beautiful woman,” Mrs. Bamey smiled.  “But she wasn’t a mere human.  She was a true daughter of nature and the mother of the most beautiful, graceful creatures the world had to offer.”

“Dolphins?” Presley asked, though she was certain that wasn’t the answer.  Dolphins were very beautiful in her opinion.  She loved watching them during her time in Florida.  Hell, they were probably the only thing she missed besides the warm weather.

“Swans,” Mrs. Bamey corrected as she eyed Presley.  “Swans, dear.  She was the goddess of swans and Urseth was desperately in love with her.”

“Swans,” Presley echoed, unsure if she was following what the woman was saying.  “You mean to tell me that’s how female ursithropes were created?  Then wouldn’t that make them like...swan-a-thropes are something?”

“Swan-a-thropes,” Mrs. Bamey was flustered as she rested a palm against her cheek.  “Presley, I have always admired you for your sarcasm, Sweetheart.”

Presley had been entirely serious about her observation, but she was wrong.  She felt a little flustered too as wave after wave of embarrassment washed over her. She decided it might be best just to listen.

“Yliana had many daughters that enjoyed swimming in the river, and yes-” she nodded excitedly.  “I am talking about the very river that runs through Kadenburg.  Everything I’m about to tell you happened within our town, Presley.  Kadenburg truly does belong to the ursithropes and I think that kills Breslin on the inside.  He tries to claim so many places, but this land is not something he can easily obtain.  Kadenburg is the very heart of our kind and it was built by Urseth and Yliana.

“Kadenburg was once merely a piece of land that belonged to an old farmer.  Can you imagine this place empty and bare?  It was.  Once the Civil War was over and the United States began to mend, the warriors Urseth created became restless.  They had been created for the purpose of fighting and with no battle to partake in they could only observe the human life that surrounded them.  Of course they noticed how the men of this world had female counterparts and it wasn’t long before they realized how lonely they were.