Chapter Eight – Rex

Arriving at the island was less dramatic than it could have been. Which was partly due to the fact that nobody knew that he was bringing a human woman and their baby with him. He figured it was better to get her to safety first and then tell the alphas, rather than ask their permission and have to disobey them if they said no.

His house was modest by mainland standards, although he had put a lot of work into it to make it one of the best places on the island. The sight of it filled him with a sense of peace, and he led Mindy in through the garage.

Her eyes widened when she saw his collection of cars and motorcycles. All of them had been junkers that he had spent lots of time on to meticulously restore until they were in the shiny, good condition that they were in now.

“Whoa,” she breathed, carrying Ginny over to the Cadillac he’d picked up at a police auction. “That is a pretty car.”

“I like to tinker.” Rex shrugged, though he beamed at her praise. She kept shooting the cars appreciative glances as she followed him inside.

He’d spent years on those vehicles. It was too bad it was going to end like this.

“I have to go out for a bit, say hi to some friends,” Rex told her once he’d shown her to the room that could be hers. “I, uh, will come back with food and cleaning supplies. This place is rather dirty.”

Mindy grinned at him. “You can say that again. But no matter, I’ll go for a walk with Ginny. It was a long journey.”

Rex nodded, kissed her cheek and headed out. He grabbed one of his bikes and headed to the alphas’ house. Nerves churned in his stomach as he drew closer. There had been discussions over the past year about bringing human women to the island. There was a shortage of women here, which forced the bears to look elsewhere for mates. If more human women came here and were okay with the whole bear thing, then a lot of problems would be solved.

It was a popular idea, but there was also a lot of opposition to it. Quite a few of the more traditional people moaned about how the alphas were destroying all of the traditions.

When Rex reached the alphas’ house, he was surprised to find Jarvis out in the yard, working on the beat-up contraption of a truck he had. Rex pulled to a stop and hopped off his bike, frowning.

“Where’s Noel?” he grunted.

Jarvis frowned at him. “Not here. The alphas took Diana out to one of the islands, for a second honeymoon. And to get a little time for themselves.”

“Why?”

Jarvis shrugged. “Things have been a little rough lately. They wanted time together since Kurtis and Ricky came out as bi. They’re now mated to each other as well as Diana.”

Rex flinched. He had known that was going to happen, and could only imagine the backlash they had faced. It was bizarre to him that people would be okay with the multitude of two-men-one-woman groups that had sprung up on the island but the instant two men fell in love, they had problems with that. A lot of the island’s problems would be solved if they wouldn’t be so damn homophobic.

“How have things been for them?” he asked anxiously.

“Not bad. They’ve gotten a lot more positive than negative feedback.” The suspicious look on Jarvis’ face faded. “It’s allowed a lot of the closeted young men to come forward themselves. I think it’s just a little overwhelming for the five of them, especially with another baby on the way.”

Rex couldn’t stop himself from grinning. There wasn’t a family that deserved another child more than the alphas and their mate. He opened his mouth to say so, surprised at how civil this conversation with Jarvis was going when the door to the alphas’ house opened. A little six-year-old with hair as flaming red as Jarvis’ came rushing out.

“Dad!” Tamara shouted, waving her hands. “Mom wants to know when the truck will be fixed.”

She skidded to a halt and looked at Rex suspiciously. At that moment, all he could see was Angela. Tamara looked exactly like his sister had. All the anger he’d ever felt at Jarvis for his part in driving Angela onto that boat with their parents on the night they died washed over him. His hands started to clench, but they relaxed at once as he turned away.

The rage faded, leaving sharp grief in his chest.

“I’m almost done, ‘Mara. Go tell your mom that I’m talking with someone and that it shouldn't be much longer.”

Tamara nodded, gave Rex another suspicious look, and darted back inside.

Rex breathed through his emotions, letting himself feel them and then letting them fade as his psychiatrist had taught him. “So I’m guessing with the alphas gone you’re in charge?”

“Yeah.” Jarvis frowned at him. “What’s this about, Rex? You weren’t due to be back on the island for another few months.”

“I took some time off my job.” Rex shoved his hands into his pockets. He didn’t want to tell Jarvis about this, but it couldn’t wait. Not when Mindy was on the island, and that loan shark was after her. Especially not when Mindy wouldn’t let him use force to make Meyer leave her alone. “This is going to take more than a few minutes, though. It can’t wait.”

Jarvis grunted. “It must be important if you’re willing to talk to me about it.”

“I brought a woman to the island,” Rex blurted out.

Jarvis’ eyes widened, and his jaw dropped. Rex hesitated a moment, wondering if this was really a good idea, but it couldn’t wait. He told Jarvis everything about meeting Mindy a year ago and then again a couple of days ago. He left out Ginny, for now, still worried what Jarvis might do if he heard about that part of the story.

“Shit.” Jarvis ran a hand through his hair when Rex was done. “Shit!”

“I brought her here so she could have a bit of peace of mind. And I need a loan drawn up at the bank, against my cars so I can pay off the loan shark and buy Mindy her freedom.”

“Only Kurtis has that sort of authority. They’ll be back in a few days—”

“I need this done now.” Rex’s shoulders sagged as he glanced at his bike. “I’ll just have to sell them, then.”

A lump rose in his throat. Most of the vehicles that he owned he had inherited from his dad. And the ones that he had bought himself, he had imagined working on with his dad every step of the way. But Mindy’s and Ginny’s safety was worth more.

“You must care about this human woman a lot,” Jarvis murmured. “To jump in headfirst like this.”

Rex sent him a black glare. “She needs my help, and I can give it to her. What am I supposed to do, just stand back and let her life get ruined because of a mistake she made two years ago?”

Jarvis narrowed his eyes for a moment, then stepped closer. “Is she your mate?”

“No!” It came out more defensive than it should have, but Rex didn’t take it back. “She doesn’t even know that I’m a bear. She’s not my mate.”

“Right. Then don’t let her know that we’re bears.”

Rex couldn’t help but snort at that. It was rich, coming from Jarvis. Look at how everything with Cynthia had worked out! It would have been much better for him if he had told her from the start instead of playing around and keeping it a secret.

Rex frowned. Yes, there was some sort of relationship between him and Mindy, but he wasn’t entirely certain what that relationship was. They slept together. That had to mean something, right? Their connection felt much deeper now than when they had first met on the island, less like taking comfort in each other’s bodies and more like taking comfort in their souls.

I’ve got to figure this out, Rex thought, his frown turning worried. They shared a child. He needed to know what there was between them. He didn’t want to start assuming things about her like he had done with Cynthia. So once this loan shark business was over, he’d sit her down and they’d have a long talk. So the sooner he sold his cars and had the money to pay the shark, the better.

“There is no reason for her to know, is there?” Jarvis narrowed his eyes at Rex’s lingering silence. “You’re not relapsing, are you?”

Relapsing. Because having a potential romantic partner was something bad and wrong, apparently. His hands started to clench, and his nostrils flared. He wanted to tell Jarvis to mind his own damn business and that he had no right to tell him what to do, but the fact was . . . Jarvis was in charge of the island at the moment, and so he had power and authority over Rex.

That didn’t stop his bear from wanting to tear his rival apart, though, nor did it stop him from giving Jarvis an angry retort. “Will you ever be satisfied?”

Jarvis’ expression closed off, and he didn’t respond.

“I am doing everything I should be doing,” Rex seethed. “Everything! I have kept my distance, I’ve been going to therapy, I’ve been working hard, and I’m contributing to the community. I am sorry for everything I did, and I’m trying to change for the better. I am trying so damn hard here, Jarvis. It’s not easy for me to submit to you but I am. What more do you want from me? I am trying to be a better person, dammit!”

A flash of anger crossed Jarvis’ face, but it faded quickly. “I know. I know you’re trying and I know that it’s frustrating for you. But honestly? I need to be sure. I need to see you make that change and then stick with it. We’re talking about my daughter and my mate. I need to know that I don’t have to protect them from you before I let you near them. Hell, even having you this close makes my bear want to tear you to shreds.”

Rex growled. His bear beat against his chest, telling him that he needed to stop talking and eliminate his rival. If Jarvis knew only half of what he had to do to keep himself under control . . .

The door to the house opened again, and all anger drained away at the sight of Jarvis’ mate. Cynthia came out, carrying a crying baby. The same age as Ginny. Rex backed away, anxious to see how his bear would react. To his surprise, it didn’t react at all, except for retreating in shame. Cynthia passed the baby to Jarvis, and the little boy quieted down instantly once he was in his father’s arms.

“Rex.” Cynthia gave him a wary look.

“Cynthia.” He fidgeted on the spot. Fortunately, Cynthia didn’t stick around. She went back into the house and Rex breathed a sigh of relief. Looking at the baby in Jarvis’ arms, though, he knew that he wasn’t going to be able to follow the instructions he had just been given. He opened his mouth, and without thinking, he blurted it out. “I’m going to tell Mindy everything about the island.”

Jarvis’ head jerked up. His eyes narrowed, and his lips curled back, fangs starting to grow in his mouth. “You will do no such thing!”

“She needs to know. She’s got a daughter . . . who is going to be a bear.”

Rex saw the moment it clicked in Jarvis’ head. His eyes widened, his jaw dropped, and he was utterly still. Then his jaw snapped up, his eyes narrowed, and he let out a curse that, had Rex said it around Ginny, Mindy would have hit him for.

“You went and got a human pregnant, Rex? What the hell is going on?”

“It was a year ago,” Rex mumbled, equal parts of him wanting to shout and wanting to just curl up and forget about all of this. “It wasn’t planned. It just . . . happened. And I don’t know what to do now.”

His bear snarled, angry at him for allowing himself to be so vulnerable in front of his enemy. But what other choice did he have? Jarvis, as much as he hated it, was the only person that Rex could talk to at the moment. Sure, he had friends, but right now Jarvis was responsible for the island. He’d be able to get word to Noel and the other alphas.

“Sometimes when I hold her, I just . . . I just love her so much it hurts,” Rex admitted, not looking at Jarvis. “She’s so small, so innocent, so fragile. Helpless. Anything could happen to her, and it terrifies me so much that I can’t breathe. Worse than that, I could happen. I want to protect her from everything in the world, but I keep thinking about how I’ve messed up everything in my life, and I wonder . . . She’d be better off without me, wouldn’t she? But the thought of giving her up . . . I’d rather chew off my own leg! I—”

He cut himself off, remembering too late whom he was talking to. He glared at Jarvis, daring him to say that Ginny was better off without him. To his surprise, there was a calm, knowing look on Jarvis’ face.

“I know what that’s like,” he said. “I felt the same way when I first got Tamara. Look . . . maybe I am a little overprotective about this. I’ll talk to Cynthia. Maybe we can have you and Mindy and your baby over for dinner at some point . . . But when it comes to my little girl, I have to know for certain.”

Rex sighed. He understood that, now.

“As for Mindy . . . you’re right. Since she has a bear for a daughter, she needs to know about us. The sooner, the better. I’ll send word to the alphas . . . This is the last thing we needed right now but it’s happening, and we’ll deal with it.”

“We.” Rex tasted the strange word on his tongue. Despite his ill feelings toward Jarvis, he felt a rush of gratitude. This was what he had been missing in his months away from the island. Even with someone he didn’t like, there was still a sense of community, of unity that he didn’t get among the humans. He let out a sigh and ran his hand through his hair. It was getting a little long again. “So . . . Any advice on how to tell her?”

Jarvis considered for a moment, then shrugged. “Plain and simple. Show her. And then give her space to figure things out.”

“I can handle that.” Rex’s voice wasn’t confident, but he cleared his throat and nodded. He’d handle it. He would. Everything was going to be just fine.