Chapter 5

The two truck motors hummed in harmony. No other sound disturbed the tranquil night. Austin shook himself alert. His shoulder and leg hurt worse than death, but he had to get his head together. He blinked the glass dust off his eyelashes and brought his arms down to look around.

Four headlights stared into the night, but never moved. His nose picked up the stench of dripping gasoline and motor oil – and another smell: human – human running away. So much the better; let the scumbag run. He couldn’t run far on Bruins’ Peak without someone catching up to him, and the next time a Bruin caught Bain Campbell on the mountain, they wouldn’t let him live to tell the tale the way Aiken Dunlap did.

Austin looked to his right, and his heart sank. “Aurora?”

She didn’t move. Her chin rested on her chest, and blood trickled down her forehead to drip off her nose. She struggled to breathe through her mouth.

Dear God! What had he done? He should have let Bain do whatever he wanted in Horner’s Gully rather than put Aurora in danger.

Austin leaned closer. He whispered in her ear, even though he knew it was useless. “Aurora?”

He had to think. He had to help her, and fast. So many competing priorities demanded his attention: he couldn’t make out what to do first. He wasn’t Alpha. He had to get help to deal with this.

Alpha – Brody! He took a quick mental calculation of his position, but he couldn’t get out his own door with Bain’s engine compartment caved into his truck. He leaned across Aurora and pushed her door open. He offered a silent apology for climbing over her. When he stood on the cold, hard ground with the door open, he saw the wound on her head. He had to get her to safety.

He could do that and tell Brody about Bain at the same time. He shoved his arms around her, one behind her back and one under her knees. She would curl up and die if she knew he was carrying her in his arms, but he couldn’t leave her here like this.

He scooped her out of the truck and settled her bleeding head against his shoulder. She could bleed on him. Maybe her blood would give him the courage he needed to do this. He set off as fast as he could go through the black woods.

She wasn’t heavy. He rested his cheek against her hair, and the vapor of her scent wafted into his nose from her scalp. How could a woman be so sweet, so close, and yet so far away? She would never have anything to do with him, no matter what she said in the excitement of their midnight drive.

He closed his eyes. He had to use his nose to find his way through the forest, not to fantasize about her. He knew where he was, and his nose guided him through MacAllister territory to the Farrell boundary.

Aurora’s breathing got easier with her head in a better position. He talked to her in his thoughts. You’re gonna be all right. You’re safe with me. I’ll get you home. Don’t worry. We’ll find a way to stop Bain. You did good telling me what was up. Don’t worry about him anymore. Just get yourself well. The rest of us will take over from here. You’ve done enough for one night.

He caught sight of a light in the trees and headed for it. Other familiar scents fought for his attention. He rounded the barn and kicked the garden gate open. He staggered up the front steps and kicked the door with his steel boot toe.

In a flash, the door flew open from the inside. Brody appeared on the threshold. “What the devil..? Austin! What are you doing with…?”

Austin burst into the living room. Brody drew back in alarm. Austin walked right past him to the couch. He dropped on his knees and laid Aurora on the cushions. Star knocked her chair over in her haste to get up from the kitchen table. “Aurora! She’s bleeding. What did you do to her, you rat bag? You hound! I swear to God, I’ll tear you to pieces. What did you do to my sister?”

Brody caught Star flying across the room to claw Austin to shreds, but he couldn’t stop staring at Aurora himself. “Austin, what have you done?”

Their mother Mona came in from the next room. She took one look at Aurora, and her face hardened into a malicious mask of hate. Austin knew that face better than anyone. His mother had never given up the old animosity toward the Cunninghams. She would carry it until she died. “What’s that Cunningham doing here?”

Austin straightened up and faced Brody. “Listen to me, Brody. I know you think I’m crazy and wild and stupid and all that, but just stop a second and listen to me. I bumped into Aurora outside the Beater in town. Yeah, I know. She was there with her friend Molly Shannon, and she said she had her Pop’s permission to go out, but that doesn’t matter. She overheard Bain Campbell and the hunters planning to lay traps in Horner’s Gully to kill as many of us as they can. I agreed to bring her here to tell you so you could warn the other tribes.”

Star flew at him again. “You foreskin! Why didn’t you take her home?”

Austin held out his hand to shove her back. “She made me promise I wouldn’t take her home. Walker is away and Dax is home alone. If I brought Aurora home, Dax would try to kill me and reignite the feud between our tribes. That’s why I decided to bring her here instead. Silly me, I thought maybe we could rely on you for help, but I can see that was a dumb idea.”

“It’s just another one of a million dumb ideas populating your thick head. So how did she get hurt? Let me guess. You decided to play the big hero and you put the moves on her and crashed your truck trying to make out with her.”

Mona chopped the air with her hand. “You get that Cunningham out of here. I don’t care what she said or what you did. Get her out of here now, and don’t let me see her face again.”

Brody held up his hand. “Come on, Ma. At least let him finish what he wants to say.”

“I was not trying to make out with her. We got halfway up the mountain when another truck came up behind us going fast. We turned off onto Road 18, and the truck followed us, so we knew they were headed straight for Bruins’ territory. Aurora looked out the window and it was Bain’s truck. He was following us.”

Brody went stiff and still. “What happened?”

“We reckoned the hunters were on their way up the Peak to lay their traps tonight. We had to find a way to stop them, or at least to slow them down. I swerved my truck to block the road, and he crashed into us. She hit her head on the window, so I brought her the rest of the way here.”

Brody gazed down at Aurora’s still form. “All right, Austin. You did well. You did the right thing.”

Even Star stood still and stared down at her inert sister. “What are we going to do?”

Brody headed for the door. “You stay here with her. Austin, you and I will go warn the other tribes. We can’t have the hunters running around on the mountain without warning everyone.”

Austin put out his hand. “Wait a minute. We can’t warn the others without warning the Cunninghams. If either of us shows our faces at Cunningham Homestead, Dax will gun us down. He doesn’t care why we’re there. All he cares about is bagging Farrells.

Brody stopped with his hand on the doorknob. “You’re right. We’ll have to find another way to warn them.”

“I’ll go.”

Both men spun around to face Star. “You?”

“You men are so full of yourselves. I’m a Cunningham. Dax wouldn’t dare shoot me.”

“What if he doesn’t listen to you? What if he doesn’t believe Bain is threatening us?”

“I’ll get word to the rest of our tribe. Everyone will be warned. Dax doesn’t have to do anything. Once Walker comes home, he can handle the situation”

“I don’t like letting you go off alone in the middle of the night with that monster running loose on the mountain,” Brody told her. “You could get hurt.”

“I could get hurt cooking your breakfast pancakes, chump, and you’re not letting me go. I’m going no matter what you say. The Cunninghams are my family, and I’m the only one who can warn them.”

“Alright; you go home and warn your people. Ma, you go in your room over there. Don’t argue with me. I’m in charge here, and Aurora is staying here for the time being. If you can’t be polite, go in the other room.”

Mona didn’t move.

Brody took a step toward his mother, and his voice dropped to a menacing rumble. “She’s under my protection, Ma. If I find out you said one word to her while I was away, you’re in trouble. Got that?”

Mona humphed, but she turned around and walked out of the room. She slammed the door behind her. Brody sighed and passed his hand over his eyes. “I swear this feud dies hard. Get on your way, honey bunch. I can only hope you delivering the message will soften some of the harder hearts in Cunningham territory.”

Star gave him a kiss. “You’d think people would have learned when you and I got married.”

“No one wants to give up their old hostilities. Now listen up. Austin, you run down to the Dunlaps and round up any warm-blooded Bruin you can lay your hands on. I’ll run down to the Kerrs and meet you at the mining road junction in an hour.”

“I got it.”

Brody grabbed a shotgun off the rack above the front door, and he and Star hurried out into the night. Austin took down the 30.06 he used for deer hunting and checked the magazine. He pulled open a drawer in the kitchen counter and hunted around for a packet of cartridges when he heard a moan from the living room.

He rested his gun against the windowsill and knelt down next to the couch where Aurora lay. Her eyes fluttered open, and she put her hand to her forehead. “What’s going on? Where am I?”

“Don’t worry. You’re safe. You’re at my house.” Austin replied quietly.

Aurora blinked and looked around. She had to concentrate hard before she recognized Austin. “You! Your house!” she cried out softly.

Austin’s heart fluttered. Here she was, lying on his couch in a quiet house. No one could see them together. Nothing could stop him getting close to her – nothing – except the blood on her forehead. “It’s all right. Star and Brody know you’re here, so it’s all right.” Austin calmly explained.

“Where are Star and Brody?”

“I told them what you said about Bain. They’ve gone out to warn the other tribes. Star went to your Homestead, and Brody is going to the Kerrs. I have to go to the Dunlaps, but you’ll be safe here. My Ma Mona is in the other room. She’s not too excited about having a Cunningham in the house, but Brody put you under his protection. If she looks sideways at you, she’ll pay the consequences.”

Aurora tried to sit up. “I have to get out of here. I have to help out somehow.”

Austin pushed her back down as gently as he dared. Every touch of her skin made his blood boil. “You stay here. You’re in no condition to go running off all over the countryside. You leave that to….”

“… to the men? In your dreams, Charlie.”

Austin had to smile. Every glance of her eyes made him blush. “I was about to say to the able-bodied people around the place. You get yourself better. We’ll take care of the hunters.”

“I can’t lie here and do nothing.”

“You can and you will. That’s an order.”

She groaned. “You’re a real barbarian, aren’t you?”

“Just be glad I’m not dragging you off to my den by the hair, Cave Wench. You wouldn’t like it at all.”

Aurora managed a weak smile, but she didn’t try to get up again.

Austin went into the kitchen and came back with a wet towel. He tried to dab her cut, but she winched away. “Let me help you. You look like you got hit over the head by some caveman’s club.”

Aurora tore the towel out of his hand. “Let me do it myself. It hurts too much.”

“Your sister Star tried to accuse me of crashing the truck while I was trying to make out with you.”

Aurora grimaced. “If she only knew.”

He patted her leg and picked up his rifle. “You can be my Cave Wench anytime. Try to rest easy. I’ll see you later.”

She leaned forward to hold him back. “Thank you, Austin.”

“For what? I didn’t do anything except almost get you killed. Your sister wanted to break me in half when I brought you in here like this.”

“I mean, thanks for believing me. I wasn’t sure I could trust you. And thank you for bringing me here. You… you saved me.”

He shifted from one foot to the other. His cheeks burned, and his head swam when she looked at him like that. He had to get out of here before he lost him mind. “Naw, I didn’t do anything.”

Her hand found his, and she pulled him down toward the couch. He held back, but he couldn’t break that connection between their skins. He had to follow wherever it led. “What you just said about dragging me off to your cave…”

“I was just joking. Don’t pay any attention to me.”

“Do you remember what I told you in the truck?”

“Which part? About that pick-up being Bain’s?”

She gave his hand one last tug. She pulled him down to sit next to her. “No; the part about kissing you when we didn’t have something more pressing to bother us.”

He tried to stand up; he tried and failed. That unstoppable force caught hold of him one more time. It dominated his whole world. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t move anywhere except closer to her. He couldn’t think. He couldn’t fight this enemy rising inside him. He couldn’t become this person, but it was already too late. The force driving him toward Aurora was him.

“I meant it, Austin.”

He knew nothing but the warmth of her fingers entangled around his hand. Her body occupied his every thought. His every sense screamed for contact with her. He floundered in a sea of tempestuous longing. “Don’t.”

Her fingers snaked through the buzzed hair along the back of his neck. His mind exploded, and his breath raked through his lungs. Her voice drifted into her ears. “I have to. I have to.”

“What are you doing to me?” his words came out on the end of a breath.

“I’m not doing it. You are,” was Aurora’s heated reply.

Was this what it meant to be mated with someone? Bruins mated for life. They found their hearts’ mate, and only death could part them. Was destiny compelling them together? Was this tornado of emotions and desires the story of the rest of his life?

She gripped his neck in powerful fingers and hauled him down. He closed his eyes, but their lips found their way together by gravity. He heard the storm gathering, but he couldn’t do anything to stop it. She was a Cunningham. He should scream and run. He should stick to his back alley hook-ups and forget about finding a mate.

Out of the depths of his soul, a mind-blowing roar blasted all those thoughts away. The bear reared his shaggy head and demanded his life’s mate. He would fight and die; he would destroy anything that stood in his path. Did Aurora sense that too? Did her bear overrule all resistance to demand what was rightfully hers?

Never in his life did Austin quail before the power of his bear nature. He always treated his bear as a trivial convenience. He enjoyed prowling the woods in search of delectable things to eat. He liked sleeping under the stars and sheltering from bad weather in caves. Never until this moment did he come face to face with this fearsome reality. The bear controlled his life. What he wanted, though and decided made no difference. The bear would have his way and woe to anyone or anything that stood in his way.

A puff of warm air blew into his nose, and his eyes snapped open. He found himself looking into eternity. Stars studded the blackness of space. He could see all the way to the limit of consciousness.

Then he realized he was looking into Aurora’s eyes. He read her soul in there along with his own. They had the same soul, and that soul had found its completion in their kiss. Where would it end? Would he fall apart and become nothing? Would he merge with her and lose his whole identity?

They swam in each other’s eyes. He couldn’t tell where she ended and he began, but that didn’t matter anymore. They were together, the way they belonged, and it took this moment, this kiss, and this crisis, to make them both realize it.

The same force bringing them together also pushed them apart. Their lips trailed a cosmic thread, connecting their mouths together until that thread broke. Austin found himself bent over the couch with Aurora in his arms. Her hands encircled his neck and stroked the hair behind his head.

“You better get going.”

“Yeah,” he murmured as he kissed her again. “You’ll be here when I get back, won’t you?”

“Yep; I’m not going anywhere,” she answered quietly.

A sound caught their attention from the other room. Aurora’s eyes widened, but Austin sat up. “Don’t worry about Ma. She won’t bother you. No one will bother you. You’re under Brody’s protection.”

“Thanks. I mean…thank him.”

“You’re Star’s sister, but he would put you under his protection even if you weren’t. You’re a guest, and he knows better than anyone to protect the Cunninghams. It’s the only way we’ll get this war ended once and for all.” Austin replied seriously.

“What about you?” Aurora questioned slowly.

“You’re under my protection, too, but Brody has more clout around here than I do. Everyone listens to him,” he stated with assurance.

“That’s not what I mean. I mean what about you and me?” She looked down, waiting for his answer.

He wrapped his arms around her and got lost in her kiss. He could live in that kiss and never come up for air. “When I get back, I’ll talk to Brody,” he replied firmly.

“Will he give his consent?” She asked, staring into his eyes.

“I don’t see how he can withhold it when he’s married to your sister,” he responded with all sincerity.

“He might have some other objection to it. I don’t want to pin my hopes on someone else,” she said, looking a little lost.

“Then pin your hopes on me. I’m not letting you go. I’ll fight ‘em all if I have to. When I get back, I’ll find a way to make them accept us,” he replied, forcing all his certainty into his voice.

“Austin?”

“Yeah?”

“It’s real, isn’t it? What just happened…it’s real,” Aurora murmured in a voice full of awe.

“It’s real. I don’t understand it. I never thought it could be possible, but it’s the most real thing I know. I only wish I hadn’t wasted my pathetic life not knowing it before now.”

He Austin picked up his rifle in one hand and stood up. He kissed the fingers of his other hand and laid them on her forehead. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. Rest easy; everything’s gonna be okay now.”