Chapter 14

Walker offered Marla his hand to lead her off the bus. She set her foot down on the pavement outside the bus station and looked around the town of Iron Bark. “This old place again?”

Walker chuckled. “We won't stay here long. This isn't home. Home is up the mountain.”

She gazed down the street. “I wonder what will happen when we get home. Everyone will make a big deal about me coming back.”

“It doesn't have to be that way,” he suggested.

She shook her head. “I would have to at least see my parents and tell them I'm home. When they hear about us mating, my mother will probably cry. Dad will want to have a party and all that.”

“You can't blame them for that,” he argued. “This is their dream come true.”

“What about you? You getting married is your parents' dream come true, too.”

He shrugged. “Yeah, but it's different for me. I don't think Dax will be happy to see me back. I'm sure he's been enjoying himself as Alpha in my absence.”

“What will you do about it?”

“I'll have to work that out when I get home.” He tugged her hand. “Come on. I don't want to hang around this town. I've had enough of humans for a long, long time.”

He led her through the alley, but when they got behind the supermarket, he startled her by pushing her back against the cinder block wall. He breathed into her mouth and his hands ranged over her body. “Hey, baby,” he murmured. “Let's get a hotel room before we go home.”

She tried to get her thoughts in order, but his touch set her soul on fire all over again. “What? You just said we should go home.”

He leaned closer. “This could be our only chance to catch some time alone before everybody finds out we're together. What do you say—just you and me? No one has to know.”

She gasped for breath. “You're crazy.”

“Crazy for you.” He bent his knees and pushed her up against the wall with his bulk. He crushed the air out of her lungs, but she had enough to think about with his manhood swelling against her wet crotch. He lifted one leg out of the way and set her thigh on his hip so he could drive between her legs. “Come on, baby,” he purred. “You know you want to.”

She looked around. “Here?”

“Not here. In a hotel.”

“Are you sure that's a good idea?” She fought to breathe. “What would our parents say?”

“We've already done it once,” he pointed out. “We're mated.”

“That was different,” she argued. “That was in the forest.”

He chuckled. “I know it was different. I couldn't get enough of you back then. I want to take my time over you this time. I want to have all the time in the world to inspect every inch of you without having to worry about my parents in the next room.”

“I don't know,” she hedged

He cooled down and let her leg ease to the ground. “If you're not sure, we shouldn't do it.”

“I want to do it,” she explained. “I just don't know about doing it in any hotel room. It seems so…so seedy.”

He folded her in his arms. “I just can’t keep my hands off you.”

“We’re alone now,” she pointed out. “What are you going to do when we get around other Bruins?”

He squared his shoulders. “I won’t lose control, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

She shot him a wicked grin. “Will you be able to keep your hands off me then?”

He closed his eyes and bowed. “Of course. I’ll be the perfect gentleman.”

“Gentleman? You?” She guffawed.

“I’ll even keep my elbows off the table if you tell me to.”

“I don’t care about that.”

He gave her a loud smack on the lips. “I knew you were the right woman for me.”

She shoved him back. “Elbows on the table is one thing. Aiken puts his elbows on the table all the time and drives Ma to distraction. Coming onto me in an alley behind the supermarket is another. What if someone saw us here? Bruins have a reputation in this town for clean behavior.”

His smile faded. “You’re right. We should keep clean. That’s why I suggested the hotel room.”

“That’s what I’m talking about. Just imagine how the tongues would wag when anybody found out a Bruin rented a hotel room for the afternoon for a quickie.”

Walker snorted. “Right again, Clouseau. When did you get so smart?”

She eyed him. “This getting a hotel room business is kinda out of character for you, isn’t it? I never pegged you for that kind of guy.”

He shrugged. “I’m not, but then again, getting together with the woman of my dreams is kind of out of character for me, too. Well, if we’re not going to get a room, let’s get out of here.” He took her hand again and led the way to the supermarket, where he found his truck still parked in the parking lot.

They got halfway across the parking lot when a bulky man came out of the supermarket. Marla sensed Bruin, and when she looked that way, she saw her brother, Aiken, coming toward her. He slowed his pace when he spotted Marla and Walker crossing the parking lot hand and hand.

He looked Marla up and down. Blood still stained her T-shirt, and pinprick dots of blood spotted her arms and pants. “Are you all right?”

She squeezed Walker's hand. “I'm just fine. How are all the folks at home?”

“They're fine. They're just worried about you. That's all.”

She moved closer to Walker. “Well, you can tell them I'm all right.”

Aiken hesitated to walk away. “Are you coming home?”

She glanced at Walker. “I guess I have to.”

“Marla will not be going home,” Walker declared. “I'd appreciate it if you would tell your parents. She's coming home with me.”

Aiken's eyes popped open. “She is?”

Marla rounded on him. “I am? When did you decide that?”

“Just now. You don't have to go home and face a big to-do about the prodigal returning. You're coming home with me—to stay.”

Marla's face burst open in a brilliant smile. On impulse, she lifted Walker's hand to her lips and kissed his knuckles.

Aiken stared at them. “Well, I guess I'll have to tell 'em. I'm glad to see you safe, Marla, and I can see you're happier than you've been in a long time.”

She beamed from ear to ear. “I am. I'm going where I belong.”

“Good.” Aiken turned to Walker. “By the way, Cunningham, I thought you'd like to know your sister, Aurora, is mated to Austin Farrell.”

“Yeah, I know,” he muttered. “I have to talk to her about that.”

“You'll find her up on the Peak,” Aiken went on. “They just moved up to Star and Brody's old house in the no-man's land between Farrell territory and Cunningham territory.”

Walker frowned. “Is that so?”

“Didn't you know?” Aiken frowned. “Maybe you're not supposed to know. Maybe I shouldn't have told you.”

Walker relaxed. “It's all right, man. I don't mind them living up there. I just have to go see Aurora to tell her it's all right. I made a mistake not telling her before, and I have to put it right.”

“I don't want to put a damper on your homecoming,” Aiken added, “but your brother, Dax, has been making trouble for the Farrells again.”

“I know that, too, but thanks for the warning.” Walker growled under his breath. “I'm sure I've got a fight waiting for me when I get home.”

Aiken nodded. “All right. Will I see you around, Marla?”

“I'm sure you'll see plenty of me. Hopefully, you won't have occasion to curse my name the way you have been these last few years.”

“I never cursed your name, little sister.” He shifted to the other foot. “At least, not very often.”

“It's okay, Aiken,” Marla exclaimed. “I know I made your lives a living hell these last few years. I can only apologize by saying I made my own life much worse than I made yours. I'm sorry I was rude to Harmony, and maybe when Ma finds out I'm getting married, she'll forgive me.”

Aiken smiled on her. “You don't have to apologize that way, darling. You can apologize by being happy. That's all any of us ever wanted for you, but I can see you've got that now. You run along home to Cunningham Homestead, and I'll spread the word. Dad will probably want to come and have a talk with you, Walker.”

Walker held out his hand. “I'm sure he will. You tell him he's welcome whenever he pleases.”

Aiken shook his hand and set off to the other side of town. Walker unlocked his truck, and he held the door open for Marla while she got in. He closed it for her after she settled into the seat. He got into the driver's seat and turned the ignition.

The truck rumbled out of town, up the road and into the mountains. Bruins' Peak stuck up over the trees. Marla was never so happy to go back there. The mountain welcomed her home into its loving embrace. She didn't have to go back to Dunlap Homestead. She was going somewhere beyond her wildest dreams, somewhere everyone accepted her and where she could shelter in the arms of the man she loved most in the world.

Her happiness evaporated when he pulled up in front of Cunningham Homestead. A dozen cars cluttered the yard and driveway. Dax moved from one vehicle to the next and spoke to the people inside. He carried his shotgun over his shoulder and wore a pair of pistols holstered on his hips for all the world to see. “What's going on?”

Walker kicked the brake pedal and skidded to a halt. He threw the gear shift up into Park and swung his door open. “You stay here. I'll sort this out right now.”

He stepped out of the truck and headed straight for Dax. Dax froze when he saw Walker coming. Someone spoke to him from a nearby car window, and he bit back a muttered answer before coming to meet Walker.

Walker waved to the cars blocking the driveway. “What's going on here, son?”

Dax fidgeted with his gun. “How ya doing, Walker? I didn't expect to see you back so soon.”

Walker’s voice rumbled deep in his chest. “You obviously didn't expect it, or you wouldn't be getting up to no good while I was away. I asked you what's going on here. I better get an answer the next time you open your mouth, or things are going to turn nasty in a hurry.”

Dax swallowed hard. “These are the cousins from over the ridge. You know Marty and Kelso and Bass.”

Walker cut him off before he could go any further, “Yeah, I know who they are. What are they doing here loaded down with guns? No, wait. Don't answer that. You're on your way to the Farrells'. Am I right?”

“You can't let the Farrells creep up on us, man,” Dax wheedled. “They're our enemies. Nothing can change that. We're on our way to attack them, the way we should have done a long time ago.”

“They're your sister Star's family,” Walker shot back, “and your sister Aurora's family. Both of them are married to Farrells, and Star's son Hector is a Farrell. That makes them our relatives.”

Dax waved his hand. “That doesn't matter. You're not Alpha anymore, Walker. You left. You abdicated. That makes me Alpha. These men follow my orders, not yours.”

“I'm Alpha as long as I say I am.” Walker chopped the air with his hand. “I'm ordering you, as Alpha of this tribe, to send your cousins and your buddies home. No one is attacking the Farrells today.”

“You can't do that,” Dax argued. “You're an outsider now. I decide what we do, and I say we're attacking the Farrells.”

Walker glared at him with smoldering eyes. “Would you kill your own sister and your own nephew in your crazy lust for Farrell blood?”

Dax drew himself up. “I'll do a lot more than that before I quit as Alpha, and you can't stop me. You have to get my permission even to live in your own parents' house. So, what are you going to do about that?”

“Is that the way you want it?” Walker thundered. “Do you really want to face me in an Alpha challenge? Do you really like your chances against me?”

Dax looked around at his friends. No one moved a muscle. “You can't do this, man. You can't run off wherever you want, whenever you want, and then waltz back in here and take over like nothing happened.”

“I was getting my mate,” Walker explained, “and now I've brought her home. I'm here to stay, and you can't beat me, Dax. Do yourself a favor and stand down. Send your boys home before they wind up mopping up your blood off the lawn.”

Dax bared his teeth, and his fingers tightened around his shotgun, but he didn't move.

“I challenge you, Dax Cunningham. I challenge you as Alpha of this tribe. We've got enough witnesses here, and may the best man win.”