Hidden, Clan of the Werebear Read online

  Elaina walked up the steps that led to the room on the third floor where she knew that she’d be locked in, like always. She stepped in the room that had a bed near the window and a dresser, but that was it. She busied herself and put her belongings away as the door was shut, and that’s when the tears began. She swiped at them with the back of her arm and sat on the pink quilt, hugging herself tightly. When would Samson realize that she didn’t need to be locked away like an animal? She longed for companionship in the worst way, but now even Liam was long gone.

  Chapter Three

  There was a rustling of keys outside her door, followed by the sound of the lock being turned, but instead of the door opening, there was a knock at the door. Liam smiled when she opened the door, holding a tray filled with food. He walked inside and set it down on the bed. Elaina plopped on the bed, pulled out a napkin, and positioned it carefully on her lap like Samson had taught her. Elaina grabbed a piece of chicken, and asked Liam, “You hungry?”

  “No, I already ate. I ran with the pack most of the night. I’m trying to find a way to ask Grandpa if I can live with the pack.”

  “You can’t leave, Liam. You’re all I have.”

  “You’ll be fine, Elaina. Grandpa will look out for you.”

  “How, by locking me in a room? I’d rather die than be stuck here much longer. If you leave, I’ll do something desperate,” she insisted.

  “Elaina, please don’t talk like that. I have to live with the pack. When the alpha dies, I’m next in line.”

  “You’ll have to fight for that right, and I believe it’s a losing battle for you. You weren’t even able to fight that bear off last night.”

  “You never gave me the chance.” Liam stared at Elaina’s face, pressing his fingers against her forehead as she sunk on the bed. “You’re burning up, Elaina.” He jumped up and made for the door. “I’m going to get Grandpa and tell him.”

  Elaina shook her head. “That would be embarrassing. Please, don’t. It’s just the fever, that’s all.”

  “Scarlet fever?”

  “No, mating fever. I’ve been hiding it for some time now, but for some reason it’s burning hotter right now than before.”

  Liam knelt at Elaina’s feet. “He should have never brought you here, Elaina. Not with so many shifters around. It’s dangerous for you to be here.”

  “Not to worry. He’ll lock me back in here when you leave.”

  “We have to tell someone.”

  Elaina rubbed the top of Liam’s head. “It will pass. It always does. I know Samson wants to protect me, but I need to find my own way. It’s my destiny to find my own mate and bear him cubs. It’s what all shifters do.”

  Liam reached up and cupped Elaina’s face. “If only we were of the same kind. I’d happily take you as my mate.”

  Elaina’s heart beat hard now, the heat in her belly overwhelming her at his closeness. Her lips moved close to Liam’s and the door whipped open. “What’s going on in here?” Samson demanded as he strode in.

  Liam moved up and away, but before he was able to leave the room, Samson said, “It’s forbidden for werewolves and werebears to mate. You know that. I think it might be best if you and Elaina don’t spend any more time together.”

  Elaina jumped to her feet. “No! Please, don’t take the only person away from me that I have. If not for Liam’s friendship, I’d have no reason to exist. I promise this won’t happen again. It wasn’t his fault, it was mine.”

  Marla stood just behind Samson and came forward. She took one look at Elaina and hugged her tightly. When she pulled away, she guessed, “She has the fever, the mating fever.”

  Samson vehemently shook his head. “No, she’s too young for that.”

  “I’m eighteen, Samson, and I’ve had the fever for a long time. It seems to happen once a month for the period of the full moon, but today it’s stronger than normal. If it wasn’t, I would never have tried to kiss Liam.”

  “Thanks a lot,” Liam said.

  “Oh, please. We’re best friends, Liam. I love you like a brother.”

  Liam asked Samson, “I think it might be better if I lived with the pack for a while. At least while Elaina’s fever is raging.”

  “I knew this would happen eventually. I just wasn’t prepared for it to happen so soon.”

  “Well, she’s a grown woman now,” Marla said.

  “No, I mean Liam leaving for the pack. I knew he’d be drawn back to them. He has a right to make his own choices. Just know, Liam, that if you leave, they won’t allow you to come back, especially if you’re the alpha.”

  “If he’s ever the alpha,” Elaina added. “He’ll have to defeat his rivals once the old one dies. He might lose his life even trying.”

  Samson crossed his arms. “That’s his destiny.”

  Elaina hated the thought of losing Liam to the pack. “And what of me, then? How long will you continue to lock me away like this?”

  “It’s not my choice. I’m just doing what’s best for you.”

  “What you think is best for me. I’m plenty old enough to find my own way in the world.”

  “No, you just think you are. What if the clan finds you?”

  “The clan, the clan. It’s always about the clan. I just don’t believe the werebear clan is like you say they are. You have convinced me for years now that they mean me harm, but what makes you think that? Name one example that supports that idea.”

  “That bear last night.”

  “The bear was attacking Liam, not me. You need to let me go sometime.”

  Marla stared at the uneaten tray. “You’ve hardly touched your food, Elaina. Eat.”

  “What does it matter if I eat or not if I’m going to die of boredom in this room?”

  “She’s right, Samson. You can’t lock her away like an animal. Let her come downstairs tonight. It’s about time she meets her kind. The werebears that come in here are well-behaved.”

  “Well-behaved, with a female with mating fever? How long do you think that will last?”

  Marla gave Samson a dirty look and disappeared into the hallway. Liam gave Elaina a sad look and left, too. Elaina turned her back on Samson as the sight of him sickened her now. He didn’t say a word, but he did close the door gently behind him, and when the key turned in the lock, Elaina yanked at her hair in frustration. This is not the end of it. With Liam leaving now, she had no other recourse than to leave, too. She vowed that she’d escape and soon.

  Elaina tried to sleep that night, but the howl of wolves in the distance made it impossible. She gazed out her window as three dark shapes made their way toward the pub. Elaina plopped down on her bed and heard a noise near her door. She took in a deep breath, wondering who it was. If it wasn’t Liam, then who was standing outside her door? A metal object was dropped to the floor and shoved under her door, scraping against the wood floor.

  Elaina walked over to the door. She could see the shadow beneath the door in one spot like someone was standing outside of it, but after standing there for a few minutes, the footsteps moved away. She picked up the object and it was a key! She held it tightly against her heaving breasts. Was it possible that she really was just given the key to her freedom, or was there another intent? It seemed too easy, but how could Elaina just stay here when she was given the chance at freedom.

  Elaina pulled out her drawer and found a notebook, jotting down, “Sorry, Samson.” She ripped the page out and set it on the dresser. She felt bad that she had to leave. Samson was a great protector, but as she grew up, his hold over her life became unbearable. Never in a million years would she have thought that he’d lock her in a room. Did he truly fear for her life, or was he afraid that she’d run off and find out the truth about who she really was?

  Chapter Four

  When Elaina finally turned that key in the lock, she never had a plan in place. She had meager belongings with her and left dressed in the same jeans and tee shirt that she had come with, hiking boots on her feet. She did bri
ng a warm jacket, though, that she donned quickly before she talked herself out of her desperate plan.

  It was dark now and she knew the temperatures would have dropped considerably. She tied her hair back in a loose ponytail and lowered the hood of her jacket over her head. If she encountered anyone in the hallway, they wouldn’t know if she was female or male, she hoped. She wouldn’t allow herself to think about the other shifters in the pub, and that they’d be able to smell the fever on her. She just prayed that she wouldn’t run into Samson on the way out.

  Elaina carefully opened the door and strode down the long, narrow hallway. It was empty. Please let me leave without running into anyone, she thought. She moved quickly and quietly. She imagined she was one of those panther shifters she’d heard about. They moved so silently that they hardly ever were detected.

  She descended the stairs just as silently, making the turn through the kitchen that was clean and quite empty. Elaina knew it was near midnight and she prayed that there was nobody on the other side of the back door. She shouldn’t shift now, but if she had to, she would. The last thing she needed to worry about was how she’d locate clothing again if she had to shift.

  Elaina opened the door and crept outside. Once the door closed behind her, it was too late to go back as the latch clicked behind her. From the corner of the building, there were wisps of pipe smoke that drifted into Elaina’s delicate nostrils, but she never turned to see who it was, or if it was anyone she knew. Neither Samson nor Liam smoked, which set her into action. She strode forward at a fast gait. At first she ignored the footsteps behind her until they drew close.

  “Where you going in such a hurry?” the drunken voice said. “Come back here. I want to—”

  A silver wolf downed the man, and Elaina ran as fast as her human legs would take her from the scene. It had to have been Liam was all I could think, but just in case it wasn’t, she stayed in the shadows. With shifters this close, any one of them would be a danger to me, Elaina thought.

  As she crossed the field, she spotted the forest directly ahead of her. She broke through the line of trees and as she inhaled the crisp Alaskan air, a memory nagged at her. When was the last time she had run to the safety of the forest? She shook her head to clear it, and only then did she slow her pace.

  Elaina gazed back one final time at the lighted Bear Claw Pub, now in the distance. Would this be the last time she’d see it? Elaina just hoped that Samson would understand why she had to leave. She was sure that Marla would find a way to explain things to him.

  Elaina kept walking until she reached a stream that was off to her left. She knew it was too engorged this time of year to cross. Elaina and Liam had played here often, as children, when Samson spent time with Marla. She just had to find a safe place to hole up for the night, but she didn’t feel all that safe unless she put more distance between her and Samson. He’d hunt her down, of that she was quite sure of. She tripped as the ground sloped down. Was it possible that she was near the valley? That bothered Elaina because that meant she was more to the south, and there wouldn’t be any shelter here until she crossed the valley to the wilderness on the other side. It also meant that she was too near to the wolf pack and their den. That’s the last thing anyone would want to do, especially a werebear. She couldn’t count on Liam being able to protect her from the entire pack.

  Elaina froze when she heard a wolf howl. She was found out. She ran away from the sound, losing her footing, and fell hard to her knees with a bang. She scrambled back to her feet as she smelled the wolves in hot pursuit. She had no choice now. She’d have to shift. Elaina pulled her jacket from her body, but before she made it further, she tripped again, and this time fell headlong down a hill. She rolled over and over for fifty feet and smacked her head on the rocks and pebbles below. She breathed in sharply, tasting only dirt. Her head throbbed badly now and she stared ahead just as the wolf pack was on her, teeth bared and snarling. One lone white wolf snapped its jaws at her. Elaina couldn’t hold on any longer. She allowed herself to close her eyes, and she was out.

  * * *

  Elaina awoke with a start, gathering animal pelt blankets around her. She didn’t have a stitch on, and as she stared across the room, she spotted her clothing. She stared at the gray walls of the cave and from the aroma of the room, she knew she must be in the wolf den. When she tried to sit upright, her head pounded in response. She flopped back on the bed feeling weaker than she ever had, and defenseless. Everything told her to shift and get out of here, but in her current state, she wouldn’t be able to. It took more energy than she had now.

  A woman walked in the room, her black hair flowing down her back. The beige frock she wore displayed her lithe body. She handed Elaina a plate filled with cooked meat, deer from the fragrance. She was helped to sit and encouraged to eat. “Please, eat. You need to regain your strength.”

  Elaina lifted a piece of meat and tasted it with interest. It could have been more tender, but it was quite tasty. Samson did a much better job of preparing deer meat than they did. She was then handed a container of water, and she thirstily drank. She felt her head that was covered with a bandage. “How long have I been out?”

  “A few days.” The woman reached over and refastened the bandages on Elaina’s shoulder. “What happened here?”

  “I fought with another bear. I mean, a bear.”

  “She was defending me,” Liam said from the door. He approached the bed and sat down at the foot. “Why were you wandering around by yourself, and at night?”

  “I was escaping. I couldn’t stand being locked up anymore.”

  “How did you manage to accomplish that?”

  “Someone slid the key under the door. I thought it was you.”

  Liam’s brow tightened. “No. Are you sure you weren’t followed?”

  “I managed to get out of the Bear Claw Pub without anyone seeing me.”

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “Well, there wasn’t anyone in the hallway. I slipped out the back door.”

  “And you’re sure you weren’t followed?”

  “There was a man who called out to me, but a wolf downed him. You mean it wasn’t you?”

  “No. What color was the wolf?”

  “It was me,” the woman said.

  “Adara, why would you go near the shifter’s pub? You know it’s dangerous.”

  “I know, b-but,” she began as she gazed in Elaina’s direction. “I thought if the werebear left the pub that you’d be free of her spell.”

  “You slipped the key under her door?” Liam asked with his hands balled up into fists.

  “No, but I told someone else to do it for me.”

  “You fool. What if you were discovered?”

  “I wasn’t, but I did protect Elaina from a drunken shifter. Surely that must count for something.”

  “And why did you do that?” Elaina asked.

  “I wanted you gone, not dead. If you died, you’d forever be between Liam and me. He’d never be free of your memory.”

  Elaina glared at Adara. “That’s silly. There’s nothing between Liam and me. Werewolves and werebears are forbidden to mate. We’re just friends.”

  “I know what the rules say, but he has an emotional attachment to you.” She sighed. “The simple fact that you’re here now is against the rules. If the alpha, Damian, finds out, she’s as good as dead,” Adara pointed out.

  “Silence, woman,” Liam snapped. “I’m not the fool you take me for. Damien knows all about it. I’d never would have brought her here without his permission. I’m in line to be the next alpha, as you know, Adara. Damien has given me permission to make decisions since he’s been ill.”

  “You brought her here before you had the chance to ask him.”

  Liam took ahold of Adara’s frock. “How dare you challenge me like this. I’m going to be the next alpha. It’s not like she’ll be staying forever.”

  She whimpered until he let her go and she ran from the room.
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br />   Elaina couldn’t help but be curious and a little surprised at his harshness with Adara. “Is she your mate?”

  Liam whisked a palm through his hair. “Not on your life. She’s too mouthy, for one. She’d do well to learn her place.”

  “So, you’re just rutting with her, is that it?”

  “Why do you even care? We’re just friends, remember?”

  Elaina shifted, uncomfortable now. “That’s all we can be. How long will I be allowed to stay here?”

  Liam didn’t immediately answer. He gazed into Elaina’s eyes and finally said, “I’m giving you a few days, but if you haven’t recuperated by then, I’ll be putting you out of the den.”

  Elaina’s eyes widened. “But I thought you were my friend?”

  “Yes, and that’s why I brought you back here so that your injuries could be attended to, but I had never planned to allow you to stay here more than a few days. I have an obligation to the pack to abide by their rules.”

  “I see. Well, how safe is it for me to be here now? Adara seems to hold a grudge against me. I won’t feel safe being here now.”

  Liam moved to check Elaina’s forehead. “I won’t allow anyone to harm you.” He then made an observation. “You seem much cooler. Perhaps the fever has passed.”

  Elaina nodded, but she knew better. The fever had moved to another part of her body and sitting so close to Liam wasn’t helping it a bit.

  He made way for the door. “Please, rest. You need your strength for your journey in a few days. I just hope you know where you’re going.”

  When he left, Elaina was faced with the truth. It didn’t matter that she was forbidden to mate with Liam, she felt an attraction that she just couldn’t deny. It’s the fever, that’s all, Elaina told herself. It was also clear to her that her childhood friend had changed and he was already assuming the role of a dominant alpha.

  Elaina was now faced with the seriousness of her situation. She had to form a plan. Where would she go that Samson wouldn’t find her? She could travel to the west. Most of the wolf pack must be traveling back here since the weather had broken, but that was still too deep in werewolf territory. If only she could go to the cabin in the mountains, but that would be the first place Samson would search for her.