Chapter 8
On Tuesday morning, Brin carried a load of groceries through the campground’s main cabin and the large kitchen beyond the front desk. Richard, who was the oldest of his brothers, had assigned duties to Brin and his brothers. Brin hadn’t needed to ask to be assigned to cleaning with Angel, because that was the job that Richard had given him. There were thirty cabins in the campground, along with spaces for RVs and campers, with hookups for electricity and water. He and Angel would be cleaning the cabins for the gathering in November, as well as preparing the cabins that were reserved for guests staying at the campground before the gathering. Fall was their busiest time of year, with most guests staying anywhere from a long weekend to a full week. Aside from activities provided by the campground, such as hiking, fishing, and nature walks, the town of Little Hope had plenty to offer, including restaurants and seasonal festivals.
Ally had asked for someone to make a grocery run that morning when they’d reported for duty, and Brin and Angel had been happy to volunteer. The campground was self-serve when it came to food, each guest responsible for their meals, but Ally cooked two meals a day for their baro and had needed to restock supplies.
“I found a roadside stand with fresh eggs,” Brin said as he set a reusable fabric grocery bag on the island. “I picked up three dozen.”
“That’s awesome! I thought it would be fun to raise chickens here, but you wouldn’t believe how terrified they are around predator shifters,” Ally said.
Angel followed, her arms laden with bags. She set them down and then handed Ally her credit card and receipt. “The only thing they didn’t have on the list was blackberries. The produce manager said there was a problem with the crops in the area this year, so they’ve been hard to come by.”
Ally nodded. “Too much rain and then not enough. I guess I won’t make blackberry cobbler this weekend.”
Brin and Angel brought in the remainder of the groceries for Ally. “We’re going to head to Cabin One to clean for the guests coming in tomorrow,” he said.
“Don’t forget to stop by for lunch. I’m making grilled chicken wraps.”
Angel waved and they left the kitchen, heading to the storage room where they picked up the gear they needed to clean. In minutes, they’d looked over the bosses’ cleaning checklist, divvied up the duties, and gotten to work. Angel liked to listen to music while she cleaned, and Brin did too.
If someone had told him six months ago that he’d look forward to cleaning a cabin for someone else to sleep in, he’d have suggested a mental health checkup. But working with Angel made everything better. It was easy to tell that he was falling for her. She was everything he’d ever wanted, and she brought him and his brothers closer together.
“What’s that sweet smile for?” she asked as she pushed the vacuum into the hallway outside of the bathroom he was cleaning.
“Just thinking how crazy I am about you.”
She gifted him with the smile he loved the most, the one that made her eyes dance and a dimple form in one cheek.
“I’m crazy about you, too.”
When they finished cleaning the cabin, they dropped off the supplies in the next one, which they would start on the following day. Then they headed to eat lunch with their bosses. His brothers were already there, talking to the others about the work to be done around the campground. Ian was helping Richard and Troy with a cabin remodel. One of the cabins had a leaky roof, which had significantly damaged the interior. Quill was working with Harry, Mark, and Taylor on clearing out one of the hiking trails, and cutting wood.
Angel kissed his brothers, and they sat down at the large kitchen table.
“How’s your day been?” Angel asked.
“Great, sweetness,” Ian said. “Yours?”
“Good. I can’t wait to get to our new place and get it cleaned up.”
Quill said, “Us, too. Saturday will be here before we know it.”
Ally said, “Oh! I have a surprise for you four.”
She stood and walked out of the kitchen, returning a few moments later with a stack of dark green fabric. “Brierley and I found these in an old storage box in the attic last weekend.”
Angel took the fabric and set it on the table, and then lifted one section. “Curtains! I love the color.”
“I think we bought them for one of the cabins but must have never put them up. I don’t think they’ve ever been used. You’re welcome to them if you’d like.”
Angel smiled. “I think they’ll go perfectly in the master bedroom. It’s Quill’s favorite color.”
He winked at her. “I’m a little more partial to blue, now.”
Her blue eyes twinkled at the compliment.
Conversation turned to the things that needed to be done that week, and Brin leaned over and kissed Angel’s cheek. “I like blue, too.”
She wrinkled her nose as she smiled. “I don’t know what to do with all these compliments. It’s giving me quite an ego.”
“Get used to it, sweetness,” Ian said. “We’ll never stop.”
* * *
Quill knocked on the open door of the office. “Hey Richard, got a minute?”
Richard looked up from the monitor. “Sure, Quill. Have a seat.”
He sat down in a padded leather chair across from Richard’s desk. The large office had four desks, but was empty save for the oldest brother. Quill cleared his throat, trying to dislodge the sudden emotional lump. “I wanted to talk to you about the mating ceremony.”
His brows rose. “Sure. What can I tell you?”
“I…my brothers and I don’t know much about the ceremony. I mean, we know the words, but we don’t know how to get the supplies or what the tattoos are supposed to look like.”
“Your dad didn’t share that with you?”
“He wouldn’t talk about his mating with our mother and other fathers. Every time he thought about that time, it choked him up so badly that he had to leave the room. When I was sixteen, he finally said that he thought it was time I learned about the ceremony.” Davion had written down the words for the ceremony. As the oldest male, it was Quill’s job to lead the ritual and recite the vows. As Davion had described it to him, he’d grown increasingly forlorn and then stopped, saying he couldn’t continue. That had been the first and last time their dad had wanted to talk about the subject. “I know the words, and after having been at gatherings, we’ve heard some of what goes into the ceremony, but I’m feeling really lost right now.”
Richard nodded. “I’m sorry that you’re floundering, but don’t worry. My clan and I are here for you.”
He opened the desk drawer and pulled out a pad of paper, then clicked a pen and began to write. “You need soap made of rosemary. There’s a shop in town that sells handmade soaps, I’m pretty sure there will be rosemary soap there. Then you need black clothing – a skirt and top for her, something that is stretchy and doesn’t get in the way of the markings – and you and your brothers will wear black pants. We have the iron platform to use for the ash marking; you can borrow ours. The platform will hold the flame that you use to burn the rosemary and a lock of hair from one of you and Angel.”
The ceremony was simple but special to their people, and as Richard explained the parts of it, the knowledge eased Quill’s mind.
“You’ll close up the house for twenty-four hours. And by ‘close up,’ I mean that you shut every door in the house, and you cover up the windows so it’s kind of like a cave. Of course, you’ll leave the bathroom open, but otherwise you don’t leave the den. Once it’s been twenty-four hours, clean up and go to bed. You’ll need your rest.”
Quill chuckled. “Did your parents help you plan the ceremony?”
“Yeah. Our mom was so happy when we found Ally. They were the best of friends until she passed away a few years ago. I’m thankful that Angel and Brierley came here to live. Ally always wanted to have more kids, a little girl she could be close to, but it wasn’t in the cards for us. When the girls came here, it meant so much to Ally to have some female friends. I think it’s hard being surrounded by so much testosterone.”
“I’ll bet.”
“Now, about the tattoos,” Richard said. He lifted his hands and showed Quill the black tattoos on his ring fingers. “The left ring contains the names of our clan members in the ancient language of our people. I’m writing down a website for you which will help you find the symbols and print them out for the tattooist. The right ring is the vow that you’re making to your clan: to keep your mate, your children, and each other safe.”
“Is there a tattoo shop in town?”
“Not in Little Hope, but in Foster there’s one, and the fellow who owns it – Barney Fitzgerald – is a rogue wolf shifter with a great reputation. I’m writing his number down, too. If you tell him that we sent you, and what the tattoos are for, I’m sure he’ll be able to fit you in. It’s important that you don’t show the tattoos to Angel until you’re done with the ceremony on Saturday night, so you’ll want to have gloves on after you get them done, either Friday or Saturday.”
Quill sat back and exhaled. “There’s a lot to accomplish.”
“Yes, but you’ll do fine. The ceremony is important because it bonds your hyenas to her fully in the ways of our ancestors, but what really counts is the physical marking with your fangs. Everything else pales beside that.”
His beast wanted to bite her all the time, wanted to see the mark in her flesh and know she was theirs forever.
“Thank you for everything.”
“You’re welcome. Angel is like our adopted daughter, and so is Brierley. So that makes us family. When you’ve settled in after your mating, we’ll ask you to join our baro officially, so keep that in mind and discuss it with your clan. We’d love to have you.”
Quill had never been part of a baro. For some reason, his parents had never been part of one, and it had always just been their clan. He’d been jealous of baros, the groups of clans that lived and worked together, because they had each other for support.
“That’s awesome, I will.”
Richard stood and shook Quill’s hand. “I’ll talk to Ally about the clothing for Angel. She’ll know exactly what she needs, and I’ll send Troy over with the iron stand later tonight. Let me know if you need anything else.”
Quill thanked him again, took the paper he’d written the instructions on, and walked outside. A big weight had lifted off his shoulders. Now that he’d reached out to Richard and gotten the information he needed to mate Angel properly, he could breathe easier.
He stopped by the cabin that Ian was remodeling. “I’m going to run into town for some supplies for Saturday.”
“You get the details from Richard?” Ian asked.
“Yeah. Saturday can’t come fast enough.”
Ian nodded. “I just have to get through Friday first. Then I can focus on what we need to do.”
“You focus on the fights. I’ve got this. It’s what I’m supposed to do.”
“Thanks,” Ian said, and returned to his work.
Quill hadn’t been happy to hear that Ian had been fighting in illegal underground were-fights, but in a way, he wasn’t surprised. They’d all had to come to terms with their dad’s betrayal and erratic behavior on their own. They each felt responsible in one way or another about it, but the truth was that it was Davion’s doing, and they’d been unwitting pawns. He was putting the past firmly in the past.
He walked out of the cabin and found Brin and Angel strolling down the main path, holding hands. “Hey!” Angel said with a smile as she jogged over to Quill and greeted him with a hug and kiss. “I was just coming to see what you were up to.”
“I’m heading into town for some supplies for Saturday.”
“Sexy supplies?” she asked, wiggling her brows.
He chuckled. “Among other things.”
“Can I come?”
Oh, he’d be sure she did. Lots.
Clearing the wicked thoughts from his mind, he said, “You’re not supposed to help. It’s a male thing.”
“Oh, okay. Well, I’ll miss you.” She went onto her toes and kissed him. “Whisper called me.”
“Oh?” Her best friend hadn’t been happy to hear about her mating Quill and his brothers. He didn’t necessarily blame the hyena female – their father had paid someone to kidnap her as a toddler. But he did think that she should understand about mates, and that they definitely weren’t their father, and had zero bad intentions when it came to Angel.
“Yeah. She said she was sorry that she’d been angry, but she didn’t think she could be around you.”
“I’m sorry.”
She looked at him, her gaze a mixture of sadness and determination. “I told her she’s wrong to feel that way about you. You’re my mates, and if you’re not welcome, then I’m not either.”
He loved that she was willing to stand up for them, but he didn’t want her to lose someone so close. “We can stay outside of Beyton and you can go with your mom.”
“No. That’s not how friends are supposed to act. You’re mine, and that’s all that should matter to her. I accepted her mates without question.”
He smiled ruefully. “Their father didn’t kidnap you.”
She harrumphed and crossed her arms. “If she changes her mind, then I’ll go, but as of right now, I’m not going to the shower. I’ll still get together with my mom and stepdad because they want to meet you guys, but that’s it.”
“Where will we stay?”
“My mom and step-dad said we could stay with them, but they only have a tiny twin bed in their guest bedroom, and there’s no way that all four of us would fit on it. I’d kind of hoped we could stay at the apartment above the bar, but I’d say that’s out now. We can find a hotel.”
“Sounds good. It’ll be October before you know it.”
“Can I ask you something?” she peered up at him.
“Anything.”
“Are we going to get married, too?”
“Of course.”
“Good. I want to have your last name.”
“In a rush to make honest males out of your mates?” Brin teased.
She grinned so sinfully that Quill’s whole body reacted by hardening.
“You bet.”
He glanced over his shoulder as Ian came rushing out of the house. He growled softly as he drew close. “I was working and smelled something super sweet and hot. Turned out to be my favorite dessert. Angel.”
“Too bad we’re working right now,” she murmured.
“Damn it,” Quill said.
“Hey, go take a break with your mate,” Blake shouted from the doorway. “We all remember what it was like to be newly mated. Just don’t forget to come back to work at some point in the day.”
Ian ducked to his knee and straightened with Angel over his shoulder. She shrieked in laughter as he took off for the cabin they were sharing with Brierley. Quill and Brin thanked Blake and hustled off after their brother and mate, anxious to get her alone.
* * *
Friday night came both too slowly and too fast, in that way that time works when you’re both anticipating and dreading something. Ian didn’t mind going to the fights again, but he hated having to leave Angel, even if he was leaving her with Quill. Thursday night was the first night they’d spent in their newly cleaned cabin. Before they moved in, he’d outfitted the cabin with security measures to ensure his family remained protected. Along with new deadbolts for the front and back doors, he installed motion sensors around the trees in the yard and the outside of the house, as well as window alarms. If anyone tried to get into the house, the local police would be alerted, as would Richard’s clan. It wasn’t that he thought anyone would come after his family, but he felt it necessary to be prepared – expecting the worst and hoping for the best.
As the time to leave approached, he filled his duffel and went to the family room. Brin and Quill sat with Angel on the couch, talking quietly. They stopped speaking when he walked into the room.
“I suspect I’m the subject of conversation?” he asked.
Angel stood and moved to him. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she went onto her toes and brushed her lips against his. “I just want you to be safe. Promise you’ll come back to me in one piece. We have a new life to start.”
“I promise.”
His beast growled in agreement. There was no other choice. Angel was theirs, and he would return to her when the fights were done.
Brin and Quill joined them.
Angel kissed his brothers and said to Brin, “You come back in one piece, too.”
Brin flashed a grin. “You better believe I will. Sexy times await tomorrow night.”
“I love sexy times,” Angel said.
Ian looked at Quill. “Keep her safe.”
“With my life.”
After kissing Angel once more for luck, he and Brin left. Ian waited until he heard the deadbolt slide into place before he got into the truck and set his bag on the seat between him and Brin.
“Is there anything I need to know?” Brin asked as Ian pulled away from their cabin and headed through the campground.
“Yeah, try not to get into a fight.”
He snorted. “I’ll do my best. I’m really more of a lover than a fighter. Just ask Angel.”
Ian chuckled. “Thanks for not being pissed at me. And for coming with me.”
“Angel’s worried about you. I think it put her mind at ease a little to know you have someone there watching your back.”
“Wallace is a businessman at heart, so I don’t think he’ll do anything shady, but it’s best to be alert. I’m glad you’re here.”
“Me too.”
They reached the warehouse, and he introduced Brin to Sandren and Cley at the front door. “Heard you’re done here?” Cley asked.
“Last night,” Ian answered.
“Good luck,” Sandren said.
Teun, who was blowing a spiral of smoke into the air and then flapping his wings to disperse it, looked Brin up and down and said, “Wallace advertised this as your last night. There’s a big crowd. Lots of males came in just for the chance to fight you one last time.”
Ian mentally growled. Of course Wallace would’ve publicized things to draw in as much of a crowd as possible. “It’s going to be a long night.”
“Good luck. I’ll miss you around here.”
Ian shook his hand. “Thanks.”
To Brin he said, “Ready?”
“I was just about to ask you the same thing.”
“I’m ready for anything.”
He found Wallace in the glass booth, with Axtyn standing beside him. He nodded to Wallace, and the male smiled in return. Ian changed into his shorts, leaving his regular clothes and shoes in the duffel. Then he cracked his knuckles and moved to the edge of the crowd. Wallace appeared, his big bodyguard cutting a path through the crowd just by glowering at them.
Ian wanted to thoroughly threaten Wallace against harming Angel or his brothers, wanted to get it in writing that after tonight, he was well and truly done with fighting. But he knew better than to push the male. He hadn’t gotten his reputation for a bad temper by just frowning at everyone. He was lethal all on his own, not to mention the males he surrounded himself with.
“I trust you’re ready to fight,” Wallace said. It was a question, but his tone made it a statement that brooked no argument.
“I am.”
“You’ve got five fights. When you defeat all your opponents, there will be a final fight. I’m calling it the Free-For-All Brawl. Ten males, no rules, no referees. Last one standing is the winner.” He stepped close and lowered his voice to a bare whisper. “You will win. Are we clear?”
Ian swallowed the smart retort on his tongue. If Wallace had wanted him to win everything, he shouldn’t have tried so hard make things difficult. He’d never fought in a brawl before, but he wasn’t worried. Wallace did appear to want him to win so he could cash in on Ian’s winnings, but he was still asserting himself as boss of the fights by changing things up. Ian wouldn’t cry foul. He was fighting for Angel and his clan. Nothing else mattered.
“I’ll win.”
Wallace nodded sharply and turned, walking away. Axtyn lingered, staring down at Ian with an inscrutable look. “Problem?” Ian asked.
The big male shook his head. “I feel I should warn you. Some of the males in the brawl will be partially shifting. Wallace told them that ‘anything goes’ means that partial shifting is allowed. You can use it to your advantage; just don’t shift entirely or you’ll be disqualified.”
Ian’s brows rose. “Why are you telling me this?”
Axtyn’s eyes flashed, the irises ringed with red. “I don’t know.” He rubbed the space over his heart. “I don’t fucking know.”
The male turned and plowed through the crowd, finding Wallace in the main ring. As Wallace announced the first fight, calling Ian to the ring to a mix of cheers and jeers, Brin clapped him on the shoulder.
“For Angel.”
“For our clan,” Ian said.
* * *
Three hours later, Ian faced off against the last two males in the brawl. His entire body ached from the previous fights, but he wasn’t down for the count. He’d beaten every single male who had come at him, and during the brawl, he’d been the target of all nine males. It hadn’t surprised him – Wallace had promised the winner would have a fifty-thousand-dollar prize. All told, Wallace stood to make seventy-five thousand from Ian’s wins, not to mention however much he’d made in bets.
The two males charged at him, one on either side. Ian flipped backward at the last moment, allowing the males to crash into each other. He didn’t wait for them to get their bearings from the impact, but was on them a heartbeat later, claws slashing. One male was a wolf, and the other was a bear shifter. Their claws came at him as the two worked together to take him out.
The bear shifter was bigger, but because of his size, he wasn’t as fast. Ian used that to his advantage, sliding between the male’s legs and coming up behind him. He stabbed his claws into the bear’s ribs and hefted upward, the male screaming in surprise as Ian pierced his lungs and cracked his ribs with the motion. Ian tossed the male aside, and he rolled to a stop against a corner post. He attempted to rise to his feet, but couldn’t. His head dropped to the mat as he growled, unable to return to the fight.
The wolf circled Ian, fangs peeking from his parted lips. “I’ll have the purse, and your heart.”
“Fuck. You.” Ian said.
As the wolf charged, clawed hands slashing wildly through the air and a howl of rage parting from his lips, Ian drew on his beast to increase his strength and speed. He side-stepped at the last moment, smashing his fist into the wolf’s back. He hit the ground with a snarl, and Ian followed him down, pressing his knee into his back and wrapping his hands around his neck.
It was tempting to snap the wolf’s neck, but Ian didn’t want to break the rules and intentionally kill the male, even though he’d just threatened to do the same to Ian. The wolf struggled under him as Ian dug his claws into his neck and held him still. Hot blood poured over his fingers, but he didn’t let go until the male slumped to the mat. He extracted his claws and listened for the male’s breathing and heartbeat, which proved he still lived. Then he rose to his feet and let loose a roar of victory.
The crowd erupted into a frenzy, and Ian pumped his fists in the air. He found Brin giving him a thumbs-up at the back of the crowd. Wallace appeared with Axtyn, grasping Ian’s left wrist and saying, “Winner, Ian!”
Ian waited with Brin until the crowd had died down, gamblers leaving with smiles or frowns, depending on how their betting had gone. Wallace approached him and Brin and said, “You were quite the cash cow tonight. I would say thank you, but you’re robbing me of the ability to do so well in the future.”
“The wolf I beat last is a good fighter. When he heals, you should focus on him. He would be a good replacement.”
Wallace shook his head. “He lost too publicly. I don’t want to back a loser.” He gave Ian an appraising look. “Are you certain you don’t want to fight again? I can’t change your mind?”
Ian shook his head. “I’m done. We agreed to this.”
“Can’t blame a male for trying.” Wallace extended his hand. “Good luck.”
“Thanks. Same to you,” Ian said.
Ian nodded to Axtyn, grabbed his duffel from Brin, and headed outside. The fresh air greeted him, and he couldn’t stop the smile making his cheeks hurt. He was done. He was finally, truly done with fighting, and now he could focus on the next chapter of his life – mating Angel and starting a family. Everything was falling into place more perfectly than he ever could’ve hoped for.
It was all thanks to his sweetheart.