Love at First Roar (BBW Paranormal Shapeshifter Werebear Romance) (Grayslake Book 4) (17 page)

“If you’re looking for high grade, it is. You need a clean lab and advanced chemists. If you don’t give a damn and want to hurt someone or if you’re on a time crunch, you can whip up a batch in the kitchen.” Their shock struck her, anger fast on its heels. Before they could push further, she explained. “It’s like… human Meth. You can buy the better stuff on the streets, right? Dealers tend to have better stuff. But if you don’t care about its strength and just need some, you can make your own. There’s always danger, but if you’re at that level of desperation,” she shrugged. “It’s worth the risk.”

“Do you know the difference?” George sounded calm despite the anger and worry clouding him.

“Yes. I…” she fought past the growing ball of emotion in her throat. Past pain collided with today’s stinging reminders. The skin along her arms was still hot and red. She’d need to treat herself again soon. She must not have washed it all away. Kira rubbed her arms, skin flaking off with each pass. “I do know. I’ve scented both, felt both. Both have torn flesh from my bones, nearly killing me.”

She stared at the twists and turns of her old injuries, now as pale as her skin, lessened with age. That was the first test. It remained as evidence, the first batch’s success all those years ago.

Kira shook her head. She’d come so damned far and still she couldn’t escape the males.

Taking a deep breath, she let the air whoosh from her lungs in a slow glide. She turned to Isaac and cupped his cheeks, thumb sliding over his long scar. His eyes remained on hers while she focused on the ribbon of stark white against tan.

“This one was weapon grade. That’s the original design and application. It’s expensive and designed to go down, not out. It digs deep and keeps digging until it’s fallen through the body.” She reached for his arm, the pink still contrasting with the warmth of his skin. “This is from today. It’s the same. Down, not out. It’s biological warfare at its finest. You don’t have to encompass a body, to kill it. The drug just has to go deep enough.”

“How do you know?” The words were hoarse, but the voice was unmistakable.

She turned toward Ty. “Who do you think was the guinea pig? Though, I doubt the company president knew it. Then again, he might have.” She shrugged. “It doesn’t matter now.”

“Yeah, but…”

Kira ignored Ty and refocused on Isaac. She pulled him closer to nuzzle him. “You need to stay calm.”

Already tension buzzed through him, his skin stretching and pressing where her palms rested. She pushed to her feet and tugged on her shirt, slowly lifting the billowing fabric. After all these years, several spots on her body were still sensitive. Regardless, she tugged it high while she nudged her shorts a hint lower on her hips. She knew what they saw, the gasps alone told her what she needed to know.

“This one on my hip stretches down to about mid-thigh. Home brewed. This single line,” she traced the scar along her ribs. “That one’s medical grade. That time it nicked my lung.” She remembered the panic in Zoey’s voice when it collapsed. She never told her best friend what happened. “The one on my back,” she turned to show the combination of home brew and claws, but gentle hands eased her shirt from her grasp before turning her to face Isaac.

She didn’t have to see his agony to feel it. The emotions burst through the air and drenched her in misery.

“Who did this, Kira?” The words weren’t those of Isaac’s human half but from the man’s bear.

Kira flashed him a rueful smile. “Alpha Asshole. It’s his company. He hired the chemists to create it and he sells it.”

“And he did this to you?” Isaac’s brown eyes bled black.

“No,” she shook her head and let her eyes close, shutting out the world. “Those are all from his son. My…” She could push the words out. She could. And she would pretend it didn’t matter. Pretend they wouldn’t blame her for Isaac’s injuries today and all those months ago. Because the reality was, his wounds were caused by a drug the Alpha created and sold to the clan’s enemies. Somehow Vanessa got access to it. She pulled her hands from Isaac’s face, removing her touch completely as she stepped back. As long as none of the men moved or tried to stop her, she could get away before anyone said a word. Before they registered her connection to Isaac’s scarring and the death of their clan members. That it was all because her…

She kept her eyes closed when she finished her sentence. “They’re from my brother.”

Kira managed to get away, to race from the kitchen and make it to the back door and then the porch and then… then he caught her and held her and told her it would be okay because he had her and wasn’t letting go.

Isaac held her, refusing to release her and let her run from him again. She hadn’t made it far, but even if she had, he would have hunted her and brought her back.

He didn’t care if that made him sound like a stalker or a psychopath.

She was his. Period. Full stop.

He heard his brothers and father talking quietly in the house and instead of returning there, he kept her close and sat on the back porch steps. He held her in his lap, snuggled against him, and ignored her tears. If he acknowledged them, his bear would tear free and hunt her family.

He was pretty sure she’d be on board with that plan, but if there were a chance she’d get pissed when he killed her brother… He’d wait. He could gut them tomorrow.

So, he held her, stroked her back and then her thigh. As much as he loved holding her, his cock didn’t react to her presence. It seemed even his dick knew now was not the time.

Every once in a while she twitched, jerking in his embrace, but he didn’t think she was fighting to get away. No, he knew they’d dredged up the past and when the mind remembered, sometimes the body did too.

He should know.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered and it broke his heart.

“Why?” He remained just as quiet. His family could hear if they wanted, but he wanted to maintain the peace as long as he could.

Kira released a hoarse, mirthless laugh. “Why?” she shook her head. “My
family
,” she spat the word as if it were poison, “developed the drug. They distribute it to whoever is willing to buy it. Your body is…” she sighed and leaned against him and he buried his face in her hair.

“My body is this way because a dozen or so hyenas decided to make me a pincushion and when they were done, instead of healing myself, I cared for the rest of my clan. My body is this way out of pure stubbornness and pride.” He cupped her cheek, encouraging her to look at him, to accept the truth and conviction in his words. “And I wouldn’t want to look any different. If I wasn’t covered in scars and rejected by the women in my clan, I wouldn’t have found you. And that is unacceptable to me.”

A single tear slid from her eye, down her cheek followed by another.

“Don’t cry.”

“Can’t help it.” She sniffled.

“You’re breakin’ my heart.”

Kira shook her head and he nodded. When she shook her head again, he stopped her the only way he knew how.

He kissed her. He closed the distance between them and brushed his lips across hers, nearly moaning as the blueberry sweetness filled him. With the next pass, he lapped at the seam of her mouth, gathering the alluring tastes. He did moan when she opened to him, allowing him entrance.

Tongues tangled as he lapped at her, drawing in more of her and simply breathing her in. The bear practically purred and rubbed against his mind, nudging its way forward. It accepted that they wouldn’t claim her now, but it refused to be denied being present. So he let the bear see her, scent her, feel her beneath his palms.

The kiss continued, growing passionate and then cooling before flaring hot once again.

And it was just kissing. He stroked her hip and outer thigh, but didn’t press further. He had his entire life to explore every inch of her. Now was simply a physical statement of intentions.

He continued stating, she continued listening, and his body responded to her touch, her taste, and her nearness. His cock throbbed, twitching and thickening with every whimper that escaped her. He fought to suppress his need, but it was futile.

Especially when her small hands inched to his shoulders and clutched him as she turned more fully toward him.

The shared warmth grew hotter, practically burning him with their passion, and he knew he needed to stop before it was too late. Halt before he ripped every piece of clothing from her body and made love to her on the back porch mere feet from the men of his family.

His bear snarled at the idea his brothers or father would get a look at his naked mate.

Which was why he slowly eased their kiss, lowering the heat and desire to a low simmer and finally pulling his mouth from hers.

He pressed his forehead to hers, sharing her breath and drawing her scent into his lungs. The bear savored her, overjoyed at the kiss they’d shared and knowing it was only a matter of time before they fully mated.

“You’re mine, Kira Kolanowski, KK to your friends and Colon to anyone who’s ready to die.” He tightened his hold. “
Mine
.”

A rough throat cleared, jerking Kira in his embrace and Isaac tossed a snarl over his shoulder at whoever was dumb enough to interrupt them.

“Sorry. But I wanted to tell you that we’re heading out. Our mates included.” A silent, heavy pause and then Ty went on. “We’re keeping Vanessa in custody until we find out how she got a hold of Carve and Keen is contacting Terrence to update him with this information.” Another stretch of quiet. “Can I say something? Ask a question?”

Isaac wanted to tell his brother to go fuck himself, but Kira ended his dream of kicking his brother’s ass.

“Yes.” She moved and Isaac helped her stand.

He kept one arm around her waist and glared at Ty. If the man even
thought
of upsetting Kira, he’d be eating his teeth for dinner.

“Well,” Ty rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s more for both of you. I,” he huffed. “I’m the Itan of my clan, but I’m also their older brother. So I have a responsibility to them as their leader and as family and sometimes I take that too far.” Ty released a sad laugh. “I always take it too far. But I’m learning. And I want to welcome you to the family, and to the clan. I know I don’t show it very well, but I’m glad you’re here for him.”

Ty met Isaac’s gaze and he saw nothing but sincerity in the man’s eyes. He was happy that Kira was in Grayslake. He was embarrassed as hell that he had to talk, but that didn’t diminish his brother’s feelings.

“I’m glad you’re making Isaac happy. He deserves it, you know. After…” Ty shook his head. “We didn’t know. We didn’t even ask and Isaac kept working and… fuck me.” The Itan looked torn to shreds, emotions bubbling at the surface, regret rising high. “We didn’t know and being sorry about it isn’t enough. I don’t think anything can ever express…” Ty swallowed hard and focused on Kira, and Isaac pretended not to see the wetness in Ty’s eyes. “He deserves to be happy and I can never thank you enough for coming into his life.” Ty coughed. “Now, before I leave, I just need the name of your pack and, er, species group. They may not be doing anything illegal—”

Kira snorted. “They probably are.”

“But I have to give Terrence all the facts and pass along how to combat it so the Healers can be notified.”

Kira rubbed her forehead and he leaned toward her, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head. He hated that she hurt, that the worry gave her headaches. He’d take care of her from now on. He wouldn’t let her have a thing to be concerned about.

“Naper, Arizona and…” she buried her face against his chest with a rough shudder. “And wolves.” She chuckled, but he didn’t hear any joy in the sound. She turned her gaze to him, tilting her head back to meet his. “A mole among wolves. Funny, huh?”

Ty’s voice drew their attention once again. “Well, now you’re a mole among bears, among the Abrams, and we take care of our own. I may have forgotten that for a little while but,” the power of the clan’s Itan filled his brother’s voice, “if they come here, if they even think of touching a hair on your head, they’ll die for it.”

With that, Ty left, his words hanging heavy in the air, and it was Kira’s soft voice that broke the quiet. “Did he mean it?”

“Yes.”

A small shudder had her trembling. “C’mon. Let’s get you inside and feed you. Then I can tuck you back in bed.”

Kira chuckled. “What about you? I got a little bump, you…”

Isaac stared down at her, wondering how the hell a broken finger and four-inch gash equaled a bump.

She rolled her eyes, seeming to read his question in his gaze. “Relatively speaking, it’s nothing. I mean, you saw some of it. And maybe,” she licked her lips and he ached to taste them again. “Maybe someday you’ll see it all. But it’s pretty obvious that today was nothing compared to the past.”

“I hate that you endured that,” he murmured. Hell, he more than hated it. The bear was perfectly prepared to take on a whole damned pack that turned a blind eye to what happened to Kira.

Every. Damn. One.

He wasn’t sure how the regional or national alphas would take losing a whole pack.

Then he caught sight of a scar peering over the edge of her collar.

Fuck it. He didn’t care.

*

Well, Kira hated that she’d endured all that pain and agony over the years, too. But just as Isaac said, if she’d changed anything about the past, she might not be here with him.

So she didn’t care about the past. It could go fuck itself. She had now, and that’s what mattered.

The wind picked up, making her hair flutter in the wind, and the porch creaked, announcing its objection to the shift in the breeze.

“It’s fine.” She stroked his chest, savoring the warmth that reached her. “I’m fine.”

Today. Now. Maybe not then, but she had Isaac at her side. While she loved Zoey to pieces, her friendship was nothing compared to having this strong male.

Isaac leaned down and she tipped her head back, rising to her tiptoes to meet his mouth. This kiss was soft and sweet, but no less arousing. Her mole wiggled and squirmed, urging her to go further, to take another step toward taking him as their own.