Remy’s alarm went off at the usual time. He rolled over to hit the button but his arm was stuck. He pulled his arm free, frowning, and shut the alarm off. Rolling back over he saw Tara on the other side of the bed, just beginning to stir. The sunlight poured in the window and spilled over the bed.

“Shit.”

“Hmm?”

“It’s morning.”

She sat up, suddenly wide awake and said, “Shit.”

She was out of bed so fast it made his head spin. She was muttering swears as she rounded up her shoes and sweater and purse. They’d fallen asleep dressed so at least she wasn’t scrambling around trying to find her underwear.

She looked at the clock and swore again. “This isn’t good.”

“You’ll be fine. I love you.”

“I love you, too. I’ll see you tonight.”

She had to go all the way across the promenade to the second set of elevators, then up to her room. The elevators crawled as she tapped her foot muttering, “Come on, come on.”

She got off the elevators and hurried down the hall. She could see her door now. “Just a little further.” She pulled out her card and grabbed her handle. She put the card over the reader, waiting for it to click.

Instead the door beside hers clicked open. “Tara. You’re up early.”

“Dad.”

“Is everything all right? You look out of breath.”

“Fine. I need to get ready.”

She pulled on down on the handle, pushed on the door, and walked into the door, which had not opened. She frowned and put the card against the reader again, thinking it had timed out but there was no click and the light on the lock stayed red.

“Something wrong?” her father said.

“My card isn’t working.”

“Then I guess it’s a good thing I have a spare.” He pulled a card from his back pocket and pressed it against her door. The door clicked and he opened it for her with a smile.

“Thanks.” She tucked the card back in her purse. “I’ll go down to the desk and get that sorted out after I get dressed.”

He followed her into the room saying, “So where were you so early?”

“Oh, just stretching my legs, you know. Feeling restless and …”

They both stopped. The bed was made. Not just blankets tossed back into place to make it look halfway to tidy, but housecleaning staff professional made. They looked at each other for a long moment.

“Where were you really?” he said.

“I just slept on top of the blankets, is all,” she stammered.

“Tara, don’t lie to me. Where were you?”

She straightened, refusing to be intimidated by him. “I’m an adult. If I want to have a fling while I’m at the conference that’s my business, not yours. I don’t have to tell you where I was every second of the day or who I was with or if I slept in my own bed or someone else’s. You don’t have that right. Not as my father. Not as my Chief.”

“You know the rules, Tara. And as long as you’re under my roof …”

“I’m not under your roof! I’m in a fucking hotel. A hotel I didn’t want to come to, attending a conference I didn’t want to be involved with. So yes, I’m making the best of a situation I don’t even want to be in and there’s nothing you can do or say about it.”

“You came here on my dime. I paid for this room. I think that extends my rules to this situation.”

“Then maybe I’m tired of you paying for everything and controlling everything I do.”

“It’s too late for that now. The room is paid for. It’s my room as much as it is yours. Which puts you under my roof and my rules. Who were you with last night?”

“Fine, you want to know so badly? I was with Remy last night. And it’s not the first night, either. We’re in love, Dad, and there’s not a damn thing you can do about it. I’m going to the Council as soon as I’m dressed and I’m requesting a transfer.”

“Like hell you are. My daughter is not running off with a Chief who has harmed our family the way Remy and his father have. I forbid it.”

“You can’t stop it.”

“Give me your key card.”

“Why?”

“You’re staying in this room until the end of the conference. Give me your card.”

She tasted his power in those last four words. Growling, she reached into her purse and handed him the key card without stopping to think.

“Your wallet too.”

“You can’t …”

“NOW.”

She threw it at him with a growl.

“You will stay here. If you leave you’ll have no money, no ID, and no way back into your room. And I will be instructing the front desk not to issue any extra cards for this room. We will discuss this at home. Until we leave for the airport, you will stay here.”

The entire rant was dripping with chiefs’ power. It was an order, an official order, one no sworn member of his clan could refuse.

There were tears streaming down her face but all she felt inside was anger. “I hate you.”

“Once you realize that I was right all along you’ll get over it.”

“Never. You’ll have to chain me up because the first chance I get I am running the hell away from you.”

“We’ll deal with that when we get home. I’ll be back for lunch.”

The door closed and she dropped to the bed, sobbing. A growl escaped her. She wanted to scream, to throw things. She grabbed her purse, digging for her phone, and coming up empty. She dumped her purse on the bed. Pens, makeup, an emergency pad, a small notebook, a pack of gum, and a key card tumbled over the comforter. The lip chap rolled off the side of the bed, unnoticed. Her eyes were on the key card.

“That’s why it didn’t work,” she whispered, and then she laughed. The key card she’d used wasn’t for her room, it was for Remy’s. This card here. The one she’d given her dad was for her room but he didn’t know about the second one.

Her mood quickly soured, however, as she realized she didn’t have her phone. Did I leave it charging last night? She turned. No, the charger was plugged in but no phone. Damn. Either Dad grabbed it sometime during the fight or I left it in Remy’s room. Either way I can’t call him and warn him. Damn!

---

Remy took off his rumpled shirt and tossed it in the suitcase. It was the last day of the conference. He was going home tomorrow. He wasn’t going to bother with trying to get the wrinkles out of it here. A wash and dry at home would be much faster. He showered, shaved, and got dressed. He tucked his wallet in his pocket and reached for his phone to find there were two devices on the desk. Tara’s. The corner of his mouth tugged up in a half smile.

He pocketed both phones, put on his shoes, and headed downstairs for breakfast. As the elevator drifted down towards the lobby, he ran over a few ways he could get Tara’s phone back to her. Any sort of clandestine meeting between them would be hard to arrange with Charles hovering and with no way to contact her to set it up. He finally settled on just taking the phone to the front desk and then saying in a rather loud, obvious voice, somewhere where she could hear him, that he’d ‘found’ a cellphone and where he’d left it so she’d know where to get it back.

Feeling proud of himself and still feeling warm and happy from waking up with Tara in his arms, he headed across the lobby, his focus on the lady at the front desk.

The shove on his shoulder was completely unexpected and almost knocked him to the floor.

“What-? Charles?” Alarm bells were going off in his head. It was Charles Brown, and he looked beyond pissed.

He shoved Remy again as everyone in the lobby stopped to stare. “You lying, underhanded, rat! She’s my daughter. My DAUGHTER! Do you understand that? She’s not some pawn in your fucking game.”

“Charles, what are you talking about?”

Apparently playing ignorant was a bad idea because Charles punched him in the nose.

Two Council members and three Chiefs appeared and dragged them apart. Someone handed Remy a couple tissues for his nose but it wasn’t bleeding.

“Charles Brown, what is the meaning of this?”

Charles managed to get a hand free and pointed a shaking finger at Remy. “He’s using my daughter. He’s trying to get corporate secrets from me for his second. His family has been trying to ruin mine for years and now this piece of shit is dragging my daughter into his games.”

Francis, standing firmly between the two of them, looked at Remy. “Is this true?”

“He’s not going to admit it!” Charles shouted.

“Charles, please. Right now you’re in a lot of trouble. We will handle this. Remy?”

“I’m not a corporate spy. I have no influence over how Brock runs his company. In fact, Brock has very little influence in his own company right now because he’s the Mayor, but that’s besides the point. Yes, I work for Tandell Corporations, in the marketing department, as a graphic designer. The biggest decisions I get to make are whether we use the blonde model or the brunette for an ad campaign and whether we use Georgia or Garamond for the font. That is the limit of my corporate power.”

“And Tara Brown?”

“I didn’t know she was Tara Brown when I met her, or when I fell in love with her.”

“He’s lying. He’s using her.”

“And when I did find out I was afraid she’d think just like her father. But she didn’t. We’ve already been discussing what will happen to our relationship after the conference.”

“He’s seduced her, coerced her. It’s all lies.”

The crowd in the lobby continued to grow. Remy spotted Daniel and Marnie hovering nearby and shook his head slightly, warning them to stay back, to not get involved. He didn’t need Charles shouting about conspiracies or pointing the finger at either of his friends.

Francis was frowning. “Let’s move this to a conference room. And Andrew, please go up and fetch Miss Brown. I would like to hear her opinion in all this.”

Before anyone could take a step, Charles screamed, “I issue a formal challenge against Remy!”

Everyone and everything stopped. The men holding Charles and Remy back released their hold. There was no risk now. A challenge had been issued and all the rules that went along with it were now in play. Charles would not attack until the rules allowed it.

Remy eyed his opponent carefully.

Finally, Francis said, “Remy, the choice of form is yours.”

“I choose bear.”

“Acknowledged,” Francis said. “Andrew, fetch the remainder of the Council. The duel will begin as soon as all the witnesses are present.”

Daniel and Marnie rushed over to Remy as people began making their way outside, eager to find a good place to watch from. Everyone had expected a dull day after dull day filled with nothing but cool breezes and long-winded discussions. This was a welcome change, for most of them at least.

Marnie looked worried but it was Daniel who spoke. “You’re a fool. He’s old enough to be your father. Fighting him in human form you’re almost guaranteed a win. I’ve seen Charles in his bear form. He’s massive – large even for a full-grown grizzly. You’ll have your paws full with him.”

“Better that than the accusation that I took advantage of him, or the reputation of being the Chief who beat up an old man.”

“You should be more concerned with winning than with appearances,” Daniel muttered.

“What is he going to do? Forbid me from talking to Tara? And when she puts in a formal request to transfer, then what? She has a say in this too, and her word will carry as much weight as mine, or more.”

“And where is she?” Marnie pressed.

“I’m betting Charles caught her returning to her room this morning and locked her in somehow. Charles called for this duel so they wouldn’t talk to her. He’s afraid of the ACouncil hearing what she has to say. I can’t refuse this duel, all I can do is come out of it as best I can. And then hope they’ll talk to Tara.”

“Remy, we’re waiting on you.”

He nodded. “I’m coming.”

He unbuttoned his shirt as he walked and undid his belt, handing it, along with his wallet and the two phones to Daniel. The crowd had formed a large circle just beyond the garden and the entire Council was waiting there with Charles beside them.

Charles looked equal parts angry and smug. Remy ignored him and turned his attention to the Council. “What are the terms?”

“I accuse this man of coercing my daughter, or seducing her against her will, and of corporate espionage,” Charles said.

“I deny all charges and claim that Tara Brown could settle this without a fight. Just ask her opinion in the matter.”

“Miss Brown will be consulted later,” Francis said. “First this duel must be fought. Strength of arms does not necessarily prove innocence or guilt. This is a chance for Charles to claim reparation for the slights he claims, and for Remy to defend his honor, nothing more. Undress now, if you choose, and prepare to shift.”

Remy wasn’t used to this many eyes on him but shifting in clothes was painful and this duel was going to be difficult enough as it was. He stripped, handing his clothes to Marnie who politely looked him in the eye.

“This is not a duel to the death. I want no lives lost today,” Francis said. “Now settle this.”

Remy shifted and for a long, painful moment could pay attention to nothing else. When he stood up on all fours and looked around, he found one of the largest brown bears he’d ever seen standing across the circle from him. The people didn’t matter, he knew that, they were not his concern, not his target. This bear was all that mattered, this bear, and staying alive.