Believe: The Complete Channie Series (156 page)

              He couldn’t restore Aspen’s social status. He couldn’t give her their son, but he might be able to restore at least a portion of her honor. And in the process, secure his own happiness. He tried to keep the excitement out of his voice. “I’ll take River as my alpha—if you give me Aspen as a concubine.”

“I was at your merge ceremony. You mated with two women, so I know you aren’t bound to Aspen.”

“I mated with four women.” In truth, Eli had only managed two, but Mother had paid the remaining two whores to swear that he’d taken them as well. It was all part of her campaign to promote Eli’s political career. A career he didn’t want. “And of course I didn’t bond with Aspen. Men don’t bond.”

“Then why are you so obsessed with her?”

“You don’t have to be bound to someone to love them.” Eli leaned against Old Red’s shoulder to maintain his balance as he pulled on his boots. He wasn’t nearly as agile as Reuben. “What’s the point of this interrogation?”

“Is there room in your heart for more than one woman?”

Eli closed his eyes and sighed. “I’ll provide for River and protect her, as I will all of my mates. I’ll sire as many children with her as she wants, but I won’t lie. River will be alpha in name only. Aspen will always have first place in my heart.”

“Would you be willing to take River as your alpha, even if she didn’t bond with you?”

“She won’t want me if she’s bound to someone else.”

“I don’t want her bound to anyone.”

“You want her to mate before she merges?” Surely not. That was a death sentence. It would shorten her life to that of an ordinary human.

“I want her to have the same freedom from bondage that you have.”

“That’s not possible.”

Reuben chuckled and slapped Eli’s back. He kept his hand on his shoulder and squeezed it until Eli grimaced and pulled away.

“Actually, it is. But you don’t need to know the particulars unless you agree to my terms.”

“Which are?”

“No one must ever doubt that River is your alpha. Her children will inherit your birthright, even if they are sired by another man.”

At first, Eli was too stunned to speak. Why would such a demand be necessary? Women only mated with one man. Occasionally a poor widow might take another mate, but it was always as a last resort, when she couldn’t afford to feed her children.

“And most importantly, you will allow River to do whatever it takes to prevent bonding after she merges.”

“Are you saying that a woman can prevent bonding by mating with more than one man?” Such a thing had never occurred to Eli, but it made sense.

“You will allow River to remain on the surface, even if you decide to reside inside Sanctuary Mountain. And you will never physically punish her; nor will you allow anyone else to do so, even if it requires you take her place as proxy.”

Eli broke out in a cold sweat. River was headstrong and hot tempered. She was bound to commit at least one crime during their lifetime.

“What if I court River, but she doesn’t want to be my alpha?” River obviously didn’t like Eli anymore than he liked her. It wouldn’t be hard to insure her rejection.

“Then you have no promise.” Reuben smiled, but it was the predatory grin of his wolf. “I’m not a fool, Eli.”

Reuben had lost favor and political clout when he left Sanctuary Mountain to claim his recruit as his alpha mate, but that was over a hundred years ago. He was still Zebulon’s son and still a high-ranking enforcer. It was worth a shot, but Eli needed his own guarantee. “I’ll court River, but I won’t make her my alpha until after Aspen is released.”

Reuben locked his gaze on Eli’s face. “Keep your paws off River until after she’s merged with her wolf.”

“Of course.”

“I’ll talk to Jesse and have you transferred to my unit for the winter.”

“I don’t want any special favors.” Eli swallowed even though his mouth was suddenly dry. He didn’t want to spend the winter on the surface while Aspen was locked inside Sanctuary Mountain.

“It’s not a favor. I want to keep an eye on you while you’re courting River.”

Eli nodded. What choice did he have?

River

R
IVER
STOMPED
DOWN
THE
TRAIL
toward home. She didn’t even stop to get dressed. The laces of her vest smacked against her thigh as she swung her arms, but the sting of the rawhide strips gave her something to focus on other than her humiliation. It was bad enough that Reuben saw her as a daughter instead of a desirable woman. But then that arrogant jackass, Eli, had also insulted her.

She smacked the side of a boulder with her vest and then with her breeches. It felt good to unleash her fury on
something
but Hannah would give her hell if she tore a hole in the buckskin. River jerked her clothes on and shoved her feet into her boots. Her temper cooled as she walked, leaving her with nothing but humiliation and shame.

She went straight to the stable to seek comfort from Sugar. She threw her arms around her neck and buried her face in her mane. “Reuben doesn’t want to mate with me.”

“River?” Gabriel’s head peeked over the stall. He was only fifteen, but he was nearly as tall as Reuben.

River groaned. If she’d known he was in there, she would have gone somewhere else to cry. “Go away.”

Gabriel slipped into Sugar’s stall and pulled River against his chest. “I’ll mate with you.”

“You can’t.” River didn’t want to hurt Gabriel’s feelings, but there was no way she’d ever mate with him. “You haven’t merged yet.”

“I’ll ask Pa to let me force it.”

“Force what?” Reuben stepped into the stable.

River tried to pull away from Gabriel, but he only held her tighter.

He threw his shoulders back and lifted his chin. “I want to merge early so I’ll be ready for River.”

“No.”

“Why not?
You
don’t want her.”

Gabriel’s words stung.

“I’m your father and your alpha. I don’t have to give you a reason.” Power rolled off Reuben, agitating the horses. Thunder kicked his stall. Reuben reined his wolf in and gentled his voice. “But I’ll give you several. You’re too young. Forcing a merge before you’ve finished growing is dangerous. You’re still an apprentice with no way to support a family. And I’ve already found a mate for River.”

River pushed away from Gabriel and glared at Reuben. “And I’ve already told you that I don’t want to mate with Jesse.”

Reuben looked up, as if he’d forgotten she was even there. “My nephew, Eli, son of Zebulon’s daughter has agreed to take you as his alpha mate.”

Gabriel pressed his lips together and flared his nostrils. His chest heaved with each ragged breath as he tried to maintain eye contact with Reuben. It was a valiant effort, but Gabriel couldn’t defy a fully grown alpha. Not yet. He dropped his gaze and lowered his head then bolted out of the stable.

Ordinarily, River wouldn’t have been able to defy Reuben’s gaze either. But rage gave her courage. “Eli hates me.”

“He doesn’t hate you. He wouldn’t have agreed to court you if he did.”

“What did you do? Promise to promote him if he took me off your hands?”

Reuben closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead, confirming her suspicions. He moved his hand to the back of his neck and rolled his head, as if he was in pain. “If you aren’t mated before Gabriel’s sixteenth birthday, I’ll let him force an early merge.”

“I love Gabriel like a brother. I
can’t
mate with him.”

Reuben smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Now you know how I feel about you.”

SHATTERED

J
ONATHAN
SAT
ON
HIS
BUNK
and unwrapped the elastic bandage around his foot. Of all the ways he could have gotten injured in a war zone, how stupid was it to sprain his damn ankle hopping out of a Humvee? The guys in his unit teased him for being SLL…sick, lame and lazy. They didn’t mean anything by it, but it still bugged him. If anyone got wounded on patrol while he was stuck on base, he’d never forgive himself.

He hobbled to the showers, hung his dog tags and towel on a hook then stepped under the steaming stream of water. A leisurely shower was a rare treat, but Jonathan couldn’t enjoy it. Not with his team out on patrol, sweltering in the heat, choking on the sunbaked dust that permeated everything and crusted their sweaty bodies like a second skin.

He squeegeed the water off his arms and chest with his hands then reached behind him for his towel. It wasn’t there.

A sharp
snap,
followed by a stinging pain on the side of his hip, startled him. Jonathan whirled around, putting too much weight on his injured ankle. Damn, that hurt.  He glanced at the soldier’s sleeve, checking his rank, before deciding whether or not to cuss the guy out. But when he lifted his gaze to the soldier’s face, his mouth fell open.

Franklin grinned and handed Jonathan the towel. “Get dressed. I’ve got a job for you.”

As the LDS chaplain’s assistant, Franklin traveled all over Afghanistan; but this was only the second time he’d visited Jonathan’s base.

“Frankie! What are you doing here?” Jonathan wrapped the towel around his waist then bear-hugged his twin.

“We’re heading over to Bagram to give a couple of the guys a priesthood blessing. We could use an extra gun on the drive. Wanna go?”

“Hell, yeah.”

Franklin grinned and punched Jonathan’s shoulder. “Do us both a favor and watch your language in front of the chaplain.”

Jonathan rolled his eyes. “Hell’s not a swear word.”

“Just get dressed, grab your gear and meet me outside.”

The chaplain fell asleep in the back of the Humvee before they’d even made it off base, giving Jonathan and Franklin a chance to talk. He stayed asleep even when the pot-hole riddled, bone jarring, teeth rattling excuse for a road turned into little more than a goat path. It was a challenge even for the rugged Humvee. It’d be a miracle if the decrepit van in front of them made it up the next hill.

The hair on the back of Jonathan’s neck stood on end. The road was going to get a lot narrower in less than a half mile; perfect for an ambush. “Hey, Frankie, can you get around this guy? I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

Franklin didn’t argue. He didn’t ask why. He didn’t even arch an eyebrow. He just rolled down his window and leaned his head outside, edging closer to the sheer cliff on the side of the mountain.

River

T
HUNDER
’
S
SIDES
HEAVED
. H
E
BLEW
foam with every breath, but River couldn’t slow down to spare the horse. Hannah had been in hard labor for over twenty-four hours. Two healers, working together, failed to turn the baby. Reuben’s sister, Shula, was a doctor. She couldn’t use any outsider medicine, but maybe her advanced medical skills could save Hannah.

River turned Thunder over to the stable boy and ran towards Sanctuary Mountain’s hidden entrance.

“Halt.” The guard’s voice was stern but not harsh. “State your business.”

“River, daughter of Asher and Issachar’s daughter, requests an audience with Shula, daughter of Zebulon and Israel’s daughter.” Painful memories assaulted River as she yanked her tunic aside.

The guard glanced at her patronymic tattoo then threw his shoulders back as he tilted his head to the left and dipped his chin. “You may enter.”

These Sanctuary Mountain types were so impressed with bloodlines it was pathetic. “Can someone please escort me to Shula’s quarters? I don’t know the way.”

“I’ll take her.” A young enforcer stepped out of the shadows and lit a torch.

River’s face flushed with heat when she recognized Eli. She didn’t want anything to do with him, but the fact that he never showed his face at the ranch after he agreed to court her showed a total lack of respect, not only for her, but for Reuben.

Eli turned towards the entrance and pointed at a child in servant’s clothing. “You there, fetch me a ration of jerky and fruit. Bring it to my enclave.”

“Yes, sir.” The boy bowed at the waist then took off at a dead run, his bare feet slapping the smooth rock floor of the tunnel.

Eli jerked his head towards the entrance. “Let’s go.”

River lowered her gaze to hide the anger she was certain blazed from her eyes, but she couldn’t keep the scorn out of her voice. “Yes, sir.”

“Don’t pretend to honor me by bowing in my presence or addressing me as ‘sir.’”

“I wasn’t bowing.” River straightened her spine and lifted her chin, locking gazes with him, challenging him. “How should I address you?”

He arched an eyebrow. “I am Eli, son of Zebulon’s daughter. You may address me as such.”

“I know who you are.” River paused, giving Eli a chance to say something…anything…about why he hadn’t tried to court her. The silence between them begged to be broken. “I witnessed your merge.”

Eli looked down his nose and scanned River’s body. “You aren’t old enough to have witnessed my merge.”

River didn’t know whether she was more insulted by the way he examined her like a common whore—or that he was so obviously unimpressed by what he saw. But she didn’t have time to play these stupid games. “My business with your mother is urgent.”

Eli scowled at her then took off down a side tunnel without another word. He led her deep inside Sanctuary, past dozens of curtained alcoves before stopping in front of a red velvet curtain. He pushed it aside and motioned for River to enter.

Her eyes widened at the rich opulence inside. But she wouldn’t mate with Eli even if he owned the entire mountain.

“Mother? Uncle Reuben’s…” Eli paused and looked at River. “What are you anyway? Servant?”

“No!”

“Well, you’re too young to be his concubine.”

“I’m plenty old enough! But I’m not a concubine.” River’s cheeks flushed. If Eli knew she belonged to Reuben’s household, he also knew exactly who she was.

Another set of velvet curtains parted on the other side of the room. Shula entered. Her brow wrinkled in concern. “What’s wrong?”

“I need to speak with you in private.”

“Did Reuben send you?”

It was a crime for surface dwellers to seek medical aid from Sanctuary doctors. But River didn’t know what else to do. “No. I came on my own.”

Shula’s eyes softened. “It’s Hannah, isn’t it?”

River nodded.

“I’ll go.”

Eli's face paled. “You can’t. I’ll have to arrest you!”

“It’s not illegal if I join them first.”

“You’ll give up everything.”

“You’ve been reassigned to serve under Reuben. You’ll be on the surface all winter. We’ll see much more of each other this way.”

Eli glared at River.

Her face burned even hotter. Did he blame her for his winter assignment? Did he think that she’d asked Reuben to arrange their courtship? Well, she’d set him straight after Hannah and her baby were safe. Arrogant jackass.

Shula reached for Eli’s face.

He batted her hand away before she touched him. “What about next winter? And the one after that? You can never come home.”

Eli grabbed Shula’s shoulders. “I forbid you to join them.”

Shula palmed Eli’s cheek. “Reuben’s my brother.”

“But I’m your son.” He closed his eyes and leaned into her hand. His voice was barely a whisper. “You don’t owe Reuben anything.”

“I owe him everything.”

River agreed. Shula had run away when she was seventeen, merged with her spirit guide and mated with an outsider. If she weren’t Zebulon’s daughter, she would have been executed the moment she was captured. Instead, he granted her a stay of execution and ordered she be whipped instead.

Reuben was over a hundred years older than Shula and her only full-blood sibling. Their relationship was more parent-child than brother-sister. Reuben volunteered to stand in as proxy for Shula and took her punishment. It was easy to see from his scars that Shula would not have survived the beating and Eli would have never been born.

“Please, Mother.” Eli blinked, obviously fighting tears. “Don’t do this.”

River dropped her gaze and studied the patterns woven into the carpet beneath her boots. She’d faced the council the morning after Mother’s execution without shedding a single tear. Eli was a grown man and an Enforcer. And his mother was giving up Sanctuary, not her life. River extended her hand and touched Shula’s elbow. “Please, we need to hurry.”