Chapter Seven

"How dare you," Sonya growled. She moved to stand toe-to-toe with Alec. He was unbelievably gorgeous, the depth of his gaze causing her pulse to race.

"How dare I? You tried to kill me a few days ago and I'm the bad guy here?" He laughed as his eyes rolled over her face.

She wanted him to desire her, to need her more than anything he ever had before. The pain of not having her was what she would use to cripple him.

"If I wanted you dead, you would be," she growled at him softly.

"I don't doubt that at all. I've had a hard-on over it for the last four days." He didn't smile, but the humor in his voice softened her attack.

Damn him.

"I don't care what you have. Stay away from me and my father." She turned to go, but he caught her arm and moved her to the wall with little effort. She had forgotten how strong he was. He pressed her to the wall, his body thick and hard from years of working out and running.

He growled deep in his chest and the bear inside of her wanted to bend over and grant him access to every part of her. He was an Alpha and the animal inside of her wanted him to be hers. It was the dominant woman that ruled her thoughts for now and fought like hell against him.

"I'm not going anywhere. No one is taking over Varetec but me, Sonya. The day is coming and I will not see you and your company fall to anyone's greed and desires but my own. Fight all you want, but I will have both of you." He breathed in deeply, his nose skimming by her throat. "I smell your desire, woman. You have no idea what I can do for you."

She tried to catch her breath, but the battle that raged internally was almost overwhelming. He smelled of sex and the woods. She licked her lips and drew in a tight breath between her soft pants. "Get off of me. I will kill you the next time you come close to me."

Her fingers tightened on his sides, the gown having opened and giving her access to his skin. It was warm and soft as she pressed her fingers into it. She expected him to tense up at the threat that she would stab him again, but he didn't. It was almost as if he knew he had her bear where he needed her.

Desperate for him.

"Tell me you don't want a night in my arms again, Sonya. Remember all the times I took you just the way you needed me to?" He licked her, his tongue warm and wet as it dragged up her throat to her ear. Alec shifted his hips, grinding his erection against her belly and she cried out. She needed him desperately, but there was no way she was giving in.

"Move, Alec. I don't want to hurt you again, but I will in order to protect myself." She pushed at him weakly, her strength lost to desire.

"I'm going to move, but only this once. I can't tell you how much seeing you leaves me even more determined."

"I just tried to kill you. You're sick." She pushed at his chest as he moved back a little, his gaze burning her.

"You tried to warn me, but I've never been one to take the easy road. I need a strong woman beside me to run Varetec. That's you. Let it be you, Sonya." He reached out and touched the side of her face, leaning down fast and pressing his lips to hers.

She pulled back, but his grip was tight and his mouth warm and wet. She fought him for a moment, but when his tongue pressed deep into her mouth, the low groan that left her was all the evidence he needed. She sucked on his offering hard, stroking it with her own tongue as his arms wrapped around her. His hands slid down to her ass and he tucked her against him, rolling his body against her.

She broke the kiss, panting as fear and anger surged inside of her. She didn't need this...ever again.

She slapped him hard and turned, walking down the hall. "Don't do that again or I'll fucking bite your tongue off."

"I almost thought you liked it. Sexy bitch."

I did.

She walked out of the hospital as her body screamed in protest. There was nothing in the whole world she wanted more than to spend the afternoon filling herself on the huge black bear that had ruined her for all other men.

Never again.

Sonya sat at a small coffee shop just down the street from the hospital, her blood still warm from feeling Alec's hands on her. She'd taken other bears to her bed over the last ten years, but none of them even came close to what he was capable of doing to her. She growled at herself.

"Fucking let it go. It's not happening."

"You always talk to yourself, kiddo?" Parik, her father's Beta, took the seat in front of her, the large bear more than physically capable of beating anyone's ass should they get close to Victor. There was no need to worry about protection. Parik alone had that covered for her and her family.

"Always. I swear I'm going crazy with everything folding in around me." She picked up her cup and took a long drink.

"I hope I didn't keep you waiting long."

"No, not at all. I got here a few minutes ago. Just left the hospital from seeing my father."

"Well, thanks for meeting me this afternoon. How is the old man?"

"You haven't seen him?"

"I'm headed there soon." The large man in front of her took in a long painful breath, his face giving away far too much. "I might look tough, but I'm not sure I can handle losing your dad. He's my best friend."

"I know." Sonya reached across the table and rubbed her fingers over Parik's large hand. "We need to figure out what's next. My brother isn't capable of stepping up, you know that."

"Victor wouldn't want that, Sonya. He's good with Cade being the boy he's become. Not every Alpha births another. It's not set in stone that he would."

"I know, but who will take his place? I can't. I'm a woman."

"He believes you can if you wanted to, but..." He put his other hand on hers and patted softly. "But he knows that you're a traditionalist. He believes that you will find the right man to step in and lead beside you, or rather, with you right behind him, in his ear."

"I'm not even dating anyone, Parik. This isn't about just finding some random puppet. An Alpha has to be prepared to fight and defend all of us. I can't do that for him."

"Speaking of. I needed to talk with you today because there is a threat headed toward us. I know you have a lot on your plate, but we're looking at a serious situation here."

"What? Where is this threat coming from and in what form?"

"A group of rather vicious black bears in Europe have gotten word that your father is falling fast without an heir. They will be sending someone to challenge your family. It will be a great prize to win all of us."

"You must step up until we find someone, Parik. You can defeat anyone." " I'm not an Alpha, Sonya. It's not just about defeating and protecting, but leading as well."

"I'll lead and you defeat and protect?" She set her coffee down and pressed her fingers to the bridge of her nose. "Does my father know Alec DePort, Parik?"

"Yes."

"Before today?"

"I don't understand the question."

"I went to visit my father and Alec was in there. He's in the hospital because I gave him a message yesterday by pumping his ass full of tranquilizers. I don't need his help."

"You didn't really tranq him, did you?" Parik moved his hands and sat back in his chair with a shocked look on his face.

"I did. He thinks because of our history that he can move in and take MY company and MY pack. It's not happening." She growled softly and leaned forward.

"Your father has orchestrated this, Sonya. Trust him."

"Orchestrated what?"

"I've said too much. Listen to me. There are documents in the safe in your father's office with his will, his plans and his purposes. Your mother's birthday is the code. Check them out, but you need to make hurry. We have only a week or so before the Gareths are here."

"The Gareths? The bears from England?"

"Europe. Don't be an American. But yes." He tapped the table between them.

"I'll go into my father's office today and see what I can find. This thing with Alec leaves me confused. I hate that my father is somehow entangled in all of this. All of my life I've been loyal to him and to this clan. Now I'm left standing alone with decisions to make based off of him planting seeds that are destroying any sense of stability."

"You're never alone, Sonya. Victor wouldn't allow for that. He's been busy for a long time making preparations should this day ever come."

"I can't trust, Alec, Parik. I can't."

"Why? Has he deceived you before?"

"No, but he's the Alpha of the Black Bears. We cannot share packs. It's unheard of."

"Things change. We change. If he's not led you into deception before, then I would revisit him as a potential opportunity."

"And you would be okay serving as Beta of the Brown Bears to an Alpha Black Bear? That's ridiculous."

"Go find the safe, Sonya. Do it and it will make you feel better."

"Fine." She let the conversation die between them, the need to run and lock herself into the belly of the earth reaching up and swallowing her whole.

Why was she fighting against the idea of Alec helping her? What had he done to cause her to feel so violent against him? Oh, right. He had loved her and refused to give her up when the time came.

Maybe it wasn't him she was furious at for their break-up, but her loyalty to the pack. Either way, both meant too much to her to let things slide too much farther.

She needed answers, and now she knew where to find them.