ROMANCE: Mason (Bad Boy Alpha Male Stepbrother Romance Boxset) (New Adult Contemporary Stepbrother Romance Collection) (223 page)

Tara shrugged, like it wasn’t a big deal. And Bruce knew why. If Stephen had been seen, the human would have been killed. Easy. Problem solved, end of story.

But this was Jenna they were talking about. She wasn’t just some inconsequential human. It was Jenna.

“If I didn’t know any better, I would have thought that you’re doing this to drive me away from Williamsburg, out of your territory, on purpose,” he said. He watched her. She paced around him and her steps reminded him of her slinking about when she was a leopard. She moved like water, with a fluid grace created by muscles that shouldn’t have been there in the first place, not in a human body.

When she finally stopped she was in front of him, and her eyes were narrow, her pupils threatening to thin into slits, her eyes white.

“And if I didn’t know better, I would have thought you had feelings for that human.” Her voice was low, almost like a purr, and Bruce realized what it was about.

This wasn’t about watching the villagers, making sure that their cover was still in place. This was about Jenna, about the fact that Tara had smelled her on him that night she’d come down to the village over a week ago. This was one-on-one, jealousy. It was personal.

And it wasn’t that much different from what he felt towards Drew.

Except it wasn’t for the same reason. Tara wanted Bruce’s power, and if he wanted to be with someone else Tara would lose it. Bruce wanted Jenna as a person. They had different motivations, but it came down to the same thing – jealousy and the damage it could do.

“Stay away from them,” he said to Tara. “If you blow our cover because you can’t keep control of your own selfishness, this isn’t going to end with me leaving.”

Stephen and Rose both gasped. Bruce wasn’t supposed to talk to Tara that way. Any alpha had to be respected, but Tara didn’t do respect. She did fear.

But Bruce had had enough. Tara wanted him to be her mate, so she was going to get the full blow. He wasn’t going to be her pet.

Tara didn’t see it as a threat. She didn’t see his behavior as something that needed to be punished. Instead, now that he stood in front of her, ready to fight, she laughed as if it was a joke. Again her laughter danced around Bruce, and goose bumps crawled up his arms.

She stepped closer to him, and her power surrounded him instead of pushing against him – holding him there, holding him close, instead of forcing him away. It was different than usual, and he was suspicious. She was unpredictable. She was crazy. Bruce wondered how he’d never seen this side of her before, why he’d agreed to fall under her protection in the pack, never mind as her mate.

“Bruce, come now. We’re not like them. They don’t matter. When are you going to realize that? You can’t keep trying to be human when you’re just not, honey.”

Her face was so close to his he could smell her, and she smelled of animal. He tried to turn his head away, but she held him there. She was getting stronger and stronger, and somehow he didn’t believe it was all him. He didn’t feel weak or drained.

She inched her face closer, and it didn’t matter how hard he fought it, he couldn’t move. Whatever she was doing, it was powerful.

She was smiling, and Bruce was aware of her teeth, pointed and dangerous, and coming closer and closer. Her eyes were on his, but he refused to look away. He wasn’t going to submit, not now. He wanted her to know that he didn’t agree, that he was against her.

He was aware of Stephen and Rosa somewhere behind him, but he knew that they wouldn’t help him. They were too scared of Tara. And he didn’t blame them. She was being pretty damn scary, even to him.

When her face was just an inch away, she slid her eyes down to his lips. Then she placed her lips on his, and kissed him. It was a wet kiss, no tongue, but her mouth was over his, and she claimed him. He could feel it. She pulled him in as her mate, and he kissed her back. Not because he wanted to, but because he couldn’t help it. The power was addictive. Magnetic.

When she finally let him go, he almost stumbled before he found his own balance again. She stepped back, smiled like she was satisfied, and walked away. When she’d disappeared into the trees, and Stephen and Rosa had filtered away to leave him alone on the plateau, he realized how much trouble he was in.

He couldn’t get away from her, not just because of her strength and her wrath, but because she had the power to make him want her. If she kept doing that, if she kept it up permanently, he would fall for her and choose to be her pet, her power source. He shook his head.

He had to get out of it. Somehow he had to beat her.

He was out hunting the whole night. He stayed out longer than he usually did. He couldn’t shake the feeling of Tara and her power. It felt like she was on his skin all the time, her fingers touching him even when she wasn’t around.

He could feel her lips on his, and the desire to please her, to make her his, that he didn’t really want. When he was in bear form he couldn’t feel it. So he stayed a bear for as long as he could. By the time the sun came up he was still a bear, and reluctant to shift back to a man. But he had to change back to human form if he wanted to retain humanity. He didn’t want to risk becoming more animal than man because of the amount of time he spent as a bear.

He didn’t want to become like Tara in any way.

Finally, when he felt he couldn’t wait any longer, he shifted. It was well into the morning, the sun was above the ridge and it cast a golden glow on the valley below and the trees around him. Bruce made his way through the trees, moving slowly.

He didn’t want to go back down to the village. He wanted to stay in his own cocoon for as long as he could. He walked through the trees until he found an old trail that wound its way down the mountain in a very long route. If he walked it, it would take him a good hour to get back to the village. That was what he needed.

He’d walked ten minutes when he heard voices. A man and a woman, and the conversation was strained. He could hear it in the tones of the voices, the man’s whiny, the woman’s forced calm. He ducked behind a tree, and a moment later their scent reached him on the wind. It was Jenna. He knew her smell. Jenna, and Drew.

He sighed. He just wanted to be alone now. He didn’t want to deal with her pleasing another man now. He didn’t want to deal with anything right now.

Their voices floated to him, and he could hear more of their conversation.

“You were the one that wanted to come for a hike up here,” Jenna said. “We can’t turn back now. It hasn’t even been half an hour.”

“It feels like it’s been hours. I just wanted to spend time with you. Why don’t we sit down, take a break, and then head down and have breakfast at the café?”

Bruce heard Jenna sigh.

“Fine,” Drew said again. Bruce could see them now. They didn’t look very upset but he knew Jenna, knew her body language, and she was annoyed. Drew didn’t share her passion for nature and the outdoors. “But I can’t keep going. Why don’t you head on up, and I’m going to rest here, and then when you come back down I’ll walk the last bit with you?”

Jenna chuckled without emotion.

“You’re going to let me hike alone after you wanted to come up here with me? Doesn’t that sound wrong to you?”

“I know. I’m terrible for saying it. But I can’t keep going. I’m not fit like you are.”

There was silence for a moment, but Bruce could imagine Jenna rolling her eyes, and he smiled to himself. Drew was no match for her.

A moment later, he saw Jenna walk by herself. Drew had sat down on a fallen log, and he seemed set on waiting there until she came back. Bruce watched Jenna as she followed the trail. She was beautiful. The morning light brought out the copper in her hair and it was like she glowed. Her cheeks were flush with the exercise and her eyes were the color of the leaves around her, alive and evergreen.

She stopped, and it was like she was listening. Or feeling. Or something, because she looked around her, like she was searching for something. Bruce held very still, and didn’t dare to breathe. He paid attention to what he felt around him, what it was she could have noticed. And he was aware of the atmosphere. It was loaded with her essence. And his. He was aware of how much space he took up as a person. Not just his body, but who he was in total.

Jenna looked around her, and suddenly she looked up. He stood a couple of feet above her, hidden mostly behind a tree, but somehow she still saw him. Her eyes met his, and a jolt traveled through his body. The shock of her seeing him filled him about as quickly as her eyes filled with anger.

She glanced back to where Drew was sitting with his head in his hands, and then she scrambled up against the rise toward Bruce, away from the trail.

He held out his hand when she was almost at the top and she grabbed it, letting him hoist her up the last bit.

“What are you doing here?” she hissed in low tones.

“I was out for a walk,” he said. “Usually no one uses this trail.”

Close enough to the truth. But she crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head.

“I don’t believe you. You’ve been following me around since I’ve started seeing Drew. Why don’t you just leave me alone?” She took a deep, shaky breath and he could feel her own contradiction, her words that didn’t portray all her feelings. “I’ve seen you more the last two weeks than I’ve seen you in the entire five years we’ve been friends.”

“I wasn’t following you, I swear,” Bruce said, lifting his hands. Jenna glanced toward where Drew was sitting. From this vantage point she could see everything well, he knew it. She wasn’t going to buy it that he’d just been in the area.

“I’m sick of this,” Jenna said and turned her back on Bruce. She started down the same way she’d come, but going down was harder than going up, and she slipped and fell. She cried out. Bruce wanted to go after her, but then Drew jumped up and ran closer. Bruce ducked back behind the tree. Jenna glanced up at him, and then turned her attention to Drew.

“What happened?” Drew asked. Bruce was irritated. If the idiot had been keeping an eye on her like he should have he would have known.

“I fell,” Jenna said and tried to get up. She cried out when she put weight on her foot and sank back to the ground.

“My ankle,” she said in a breathy voice.

“What do I do?” Drew asked. “I don’t know what to do.”

For a man who was so set on taking care of Jenna, he really didn’t handle tough situations well. 

“Go down to the village and get help,” Jenna ordered.

“And leave you alone?”

“You didn’t mind it earlier. Just go, get Murray and some of the guys from the lumber yard. You’re not going to carry me down there, I can tell you now.”

Drew didn’t hesitate for long before he turned and hurried back down the trail the way they’d come. Bruce waited until he was gone before he made his way down to Jenna and crouched beside her.

“Let me see,” he said and reached out to her foot, but she yanked it away and winced because it hurt.

“I don’t want your help,” she said and her voice was harsh.

“You’re going to wait here all alone until they come back for you?” he asked. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“No, you don’t be ridiculous, Bruce,” she said. “I don’t know what the hell is going on but you’re acting strange all the time. The Bruce I thought I knew is gone, and instead there’s this stalker guy in his place, following me everywhere and trying to tell me what to do with my life.”

She was angry. He could feel it, crackling in the air around him. It made him angry too. Angry that she called him a stalker. Angry that she didn’t look after herself. Angry that she was stupid enough to be with someone like Drew when he wasn’t good for her.

“Stop being stubborn and let me take you back to the village,” he said, and started putting an arm around her shoulder, scooping the other under her knees. She shoved him back. Her strength was nothing compared to his, but he let her move him at least a little.

“I don’t need this again. Look what happened after the first time you saved me!” she cried out.

“What? What happened, Jenna?” He was shouting now. “What was so bad that you can’t stand me anymore?”

She groaned. “God, you’re being annoying. You saved me and for five years I haven’t been able to get rid of you.”

Bruce stilled. “You wanted to get rid of me?” he asked. Her face changed, almost like she was going to cry. She finally shook her head and took a deep breath.

“Just go away, Bruce,” she said and she sounded resigned, her voice thick.

“I’m not leaving you,” he said.

“Why, dammit! Why won’t you just leave me alone and go live that wonderful life of yours with that damn woman?”

“Because I love you,” he said, and the words fell out before he could stop them.

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BONUS

BEAR SHIFTER'S BEST FRIEND 3

By Alexis Diamond 

Chapter 1

Bruce stood in the middle of the trail, staring at Jenna sitting on the ground in front of him, trying to figure out how his mouth had gotten away from him. He’d just confessed his love for her, admitted that he cared for her as more than a friend.

And he hadn’t meant to do that. He couldn’t afford to love her, not unless he was completely himself. But he couldn’t watch her giving herself to another man, someone that wasn’t worth it. Because Drew really just wasn’t in Jenna’s league. She deserved better.

It was just hard to keep believing that Bruce was the better choice. As a man, yes. But as a bear? As someone who shared a body with an animal?

He took a deep breath and blew it out in a shudder, feeling like he’d just been knocked by a train and it had been his own doing.

“What?” Jenna finally said, softly. He opened his mouth to say something, and closed it again. What was he going to say? That he didn’t mean it? Because he really did. That he didn’t mean to tell her? It was better that she knew than that she thought he was some psycho-stalker.

But there was so much danger involved.

She looked at him, her eyes the color of emeralds and boring into his soul, looking for the truth. And the truth was that he really did love her. Everything else aside, he wanted her all to himself.

“You heard me,” he finally said. That was the best that he could come up with.

“I don’t understand,” Jenna finally said. “Five years? And you choose to tell me now, when we’re both with other people?”

Bruce shrugged. “I couldn’t keep watching you with someone else.”

Jenna chuckled, a sound that sounded like something between laughter and shock. “I can’t believe this,” she said. Bruce wanted to ask her if it was a good thing, or bad. He wanted to know what she was thinking. He wanted her to tell him something, anything. If she loved him, too, that would be great. Painful in all sorts of ways because he would have to leave her. But great. If she didn’t love him he wanted her to tell him and tell him now. Just give it to him straight, rip it off like a Band-Aid. He waited for her, watching her, trying to place what she was feeling.

But all he got was confusion.

There were voices behind him, men coming up the trail. Jenna glanced in the direction of the voices a moment later. Bruce looked over his shoulder. They would round the bend soon, and then they’d both be in plain sight. He turned back to Jenna, tried to tell her what he was feeling with his eyes before he slipped into the trees.

“Bruce!” Jenna called after him, but then the others arrived and she turned her attention to them. Bruce hid behind the trees where he’d first been and looked down on Jenna. Drew crouched next to her and asked her if she was okay, holding her hand.

“I just want to get home,” she said.

Murray was with them, and Phil and Chaz, Murray’s two sons. Phil lifted Jenna up like she didn’t weigh anything. Chaz picked up the bag she’d been carrying, which Bruce hadn’t noticed before. Murray nodded his approval and scanned the area before he turned and they all walked back down. Drew kept asking Jenna questions, but she only gave him half answers.

Just before they disappeared around the bend and out of sight, she looked back and her eyes caught Bruce’s.

When they were gone he leaned against the tree with his back and closed his eyes. What had he done? By being selfish he’d put Jenna into more danger than he ever wanted her to be in. There weren’t a lot of ways that he could go now.

If it were any other circumstance, any normal, human, circumstance, there would have been no problem. But now? What about Tara? If Jenna felt the same about him that he felt about her, and made a point of telling him so, he was going to have to face Tara.

The rules were clear, if he told Jenna what he was he would never see her again. If he didn’t, he would be safe, but he could never really be with Jenna the way he wanted to. Completely, without secrets. At least he would still see her.

He took a deep breath and followed the same trail down the mountain the others had taken.

It took him forty-five minutes to get to his cabin. He didn’t check on Jenna. He was scared of what she would say. Instead he walked home and closed the door behind him, locking it. He crawled into bed, feeling like an idiot.

By nightfall Bruce still hadn’t left his cabin. He’d told himself it was because he had to build up his strength again. He had to make sure that he was where he needed to be as a shapeshifter, with power enough to control the change. He told himself that he would go out after dark so that he could feed properly. He told himself a lot of things that would hide the truth.

He was hiding.

The setting sun had turned the world golden before it had sunk behind the horizon, and finally the shades of the night had crept in, draining it of color. It was almost completely dark. Bruce stood by the window and watched the moon.

Four more days and it would be full. He was scared of the full moon this time round. So much had happened the last couple of days he didn’t know what would happen once the moon was full, once the animals in his Family were let loose.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He could hear the sad wail of the moon, the lonely whine as she crossed the sky. He understood why the werewolves howled to the moon. Bruce could almost not help joining in himself, and if he had it in him to howl he might have.

Instead he stood watching the silver orb that was almost full.

There was a knock on his door and he jumped. He hadn’t heard anyone coming, and that scared him. If someone had managed to get to him before he heard them it was a shifter. And he could only think of one shifter that would look him up at home.

He turned and walked to the door. The hair at the back of his neck stood up and when he reached for the door handle he noticed the tremble in his fingers. He wasn’t ready to face her, not yet.

He pulled the door open, ready to be attacked.

Instead it was Jenna that stood at the door.

“Jenna,” he said, surprised. He looked around. The night was dark and completely empty. She stood alone in his doorway, her arms crossed over her chest like she was cold.

“Are you alone?” he asked.

“Who would I bring with me?” she asked and stepped in without being invited. Bruce noticed her limp. He looked outside one more time, but it might have been possible for him to just have been so deep in thought he hadn’t heard it. That wasn’t good – he had to be on his guard at all times. Especially now.

“You shouldn’t be on that foot,” he said, looking down at the foot she held slightly off the ground. “You’re just going to make it worse.”

“Are you going to hide from me all day?” she asked, ignoring his advice.

“I wasn’t hiding—“ he started but she cut him off.

“Sure you’re not. You just told me in the woods that you love me and now you’re sitting in your cabin like a sprained ankle is contagious.”

Bruce shook his head.

“It isn’t that,” he said.

“I know it isn’t that. I was being sarcastic.”

She hobbled past him and lowered herself onto the couch. She let out a sigh of relief, like it was good to finally be able to sit down.

“I’d like you to know that it was a hell of an effort to get to you, so you better make it worth my while that I came all this way on a sprained ankle.”

Bruce didn’t know what to say. Jenna was in his house, pushy and forward more than she’d ever been, and he didn’t know how to handle her. Finally he sat down next to her, and nodded.

“You’re right,” he said.

“What?” she asked like it was strange that he said it.

“I was hiding. I was being a coward,” he said and the words were so soft it was like he’d just breathed them. But she’d heard and she leaned back.

“What are you hiding from?” she asked.

“You,” Bruce said. “Telling me that I’m just an idiot who can’t make up his mind about the women in his life.”

She laughed. “That does sound kind of like me, doesn’t it?” she said. “And it does seem like you can’t make up your mind. So, what will it be, Bruce?”

Bruce shook his head fast from side to side. “Don’t do this to me,” he said.

“Do what?”

“Don’t make me choose.”

Her face changed. She raised her eyebrows and she looked upset. It was the kind of face that told him he really was being ridiculous.

“You were the one that wanted to tell me that you loved me. I didn’t ask for it. You did it even though you have Tara.”

Her voice was hard, reprimanding. And Bruce nodded, because she had a right to be harsh with him right now.

“So, which is it, Bruce?” she asked and her voice softened. “Did you really mean it?” She sounded suddenly unsure, like she was scared he was going to take it back.

He looked down at his hands. He could say it wasn’t true. They would both know it was a lie, but she was asking for an answer. He could make it all go away, he could still go back to the place where he wasn’t risking her. It would be harder now, but he could still do it.

“Jenna,” he breathed, his voice just a gush of air. He didn’t dare look up at her. He hadn’t answered her question. He hadn’t given her anything. And the truth was, he wanted to give her everything. He took a deep breath and was just about to speak, when she leaned forward.

It was like she just let herself fall, until he was there to catch her. Jenna’s lips came down on his. It was the second time this happened, and electricity shot through his body.

They both froze for a moment, and he held very, very still, like she would disappear if he moved. He was the one that finally buckled and broke the spell. He pushed his hands into her hair on either side of her face, and kissed her, pulling her against him.

She made a small yelping sound, like it was something unexpected. But then she kissed him, too, properly. Their lips mashed against each other and her breath was hot on his skin. Her arms wrapped around his neck, her body pulled against his and he was aware of her outline against his body, how small she was, how big he was.

The kiss was urgent very quickly, and he let his hands slide over her body. She touched his cheek with her fingers tips and then slowly drew them down his neck. Everywhere she touched it felt like his skin was on fire. It felt like it was going to consume him.

He broke the kiss, grabbed her arms and held her at arm’s length.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“I’m telling you how I feel about your little confession in the woods,” she said and her eyes glittered. She leaned in closer for a kiss, but Bruce shook his head. “You can’t do this to Drew, and I can’t do it to Tara.”

He swallowed after he said her name. He couldn’t do it to Tara, not because he didn’t want to hurt her, but because she would hunt him down and kill him for it.

“Come on,” Jenna said, whining like a child.

“Let’s just sort it out, okay. If you’re really serious, then let’s be really serious and make sure that this is done the right way. You need to talk to Drew and tell him you don’t want to be with him.”

Jenna narrowed her eyes at Bruce.

“You know that counts for you too,” she said. He nodded. He knew he would have to talk to Tara if he wanted to keep Jenna to himself. And after what had just happened he wanted to. He already loved her, but she was hot and he’d gotten all riled up after this next step.

“I know,” he finally said. It was going to be hard. It was going to be impossible, actually. But he had to do it, because she wanted it. And it was as good a reason as any to get away from Tara.

He took a deep breath. Jenna looked at him and smiled, and there was so much light and love in her smile that it melted him.

“We’ll fix it,” he said. He’d decided. He knew what he wanted. He wanted Jenna.

Now he just had to get around Tara without getting him or Jenna killed.

By the time Bruce finally got away to head up the Mountain, it was almost midnight. Spending time with Jenna was great. It was like their friendship had shot right back to where it was, and even though nothing more had happened despite his confession, just talking had been amazing.

But he hadn’t known how to get her to leave without hurting her feelings. And she’d stayed most of the night.

He climbed the rocky slopes up the mountain, watching the moon that was creeping ever closer to full, trying to figure out what he was going to say to Tara. He wanted to talk to her without the others around, not because he thought he would be safer – on the contrary – but because this wasn’t the kind of showdown he wanted anyone else to see.

Because he was almost a hundred percent sure that it was going to be a showdown. She wasn’t going to let him go without a fight. And she wasn’t going to let him stay in her territory after he’d told her off. He had to figure out what he was going to say to lessen the blow at least.

To not die on the spot.

He reached the plateau and most of the Family was there. Only Lori was missing, but it was late already. The members present all looked up at Bruce when he walked out of the trees, and they fell quiet like he was interrupting something.