“Since I got an emergency call from your mom saying… Oh, shit!” Ben started to say before his voice died when he saw Ella. “Where in the hell…? Oh, boy.”
Ty’s fingers tightened on Ella when he felt her reaction to Ben. A lion shifter never quite lost all of his primitive form. While Ty wore the markings of a Silverback grizzly at his temple and in his thick bone structure and muscles, Ben’s was more prominent in his thick mane of hair and his eyes.
“Ben, this is Ella. She is my mate,” Ty introduced.
Ben glanced back and forth between Ty and Ella before he swallowed. He opened his mouth and closed it, scratched his chin, opened his mouth again before snapping it shut. He took a step closer, carefully examining her.
“She’s…,” Ben mumbled, glancing at Ty in confusion.
Ty nodded. “She’s human,” he replied quietly.
“Shit,” Ben exclaimed with a grin. “I thought they were extinct!”
Chapter 16
“You need to take it easy for the next few weeks,” Ben said, rising to his feet. “I’d like to do a complete physical exam if you don’t mind. I’ll need to do further research on some of the diseases we have on whether they are contagious to humans. This is going to be complicated due to the fact that we don’t have any case studies. I don’t want to give her any kind of medication that might have an adverse effect.”
“I am healthy,” Ella stated, lifting her leg to rub her ankle. “You are as bad as Thomas.”
“Who is Thomas?” Ben asked.
Ella shook her head and lowered her eyes. She rubbed at her throbbing ankle. Ben had been gentle enough, but he had poked, prodded, and manipulated it to see if he could feel anything. He suggested that she soak her ankle twice a day and do something called physical therapy. He had also listened to her heart and her lungs, checked her eyes, her nose, her throat, her ears, and pressed on her stomach. She had snapped at him when he tried to check her teeth.
“What else do you need to do?” Ty asked, folding his arms across his chest.
“I’d like to take a blood sample. It would be good to know her blood type. I can also run some tests on it. There may be enough similarities between us that I can use as a baseline. I’m assuming from earlier that you two are sexually active. I’m also going to assume that she is not on any type of birth control. Have you been using protection?” Ben asked with a raised eyebrow.
Ty flushed and dropped his arms to his side. He groaned softly and ran his hand down over his face. Ella looked at him in confusion. The women of the clan used a method of calculating the days of their blood cycle to determine when they would be more or less likely to conceive a child. Her own mother had explained the method to Ella.
Ella quickly calculated the days since her last cycle and breathed a sigh of relief. She should be safe. The thought of conceiving a child did not even occur to her. Her hand moved from her ankle to her stomach when she felt a sudden pang of longing. She quickly pushed the feeling away as she remembered the horror stories of what had happened to a human woman who is pregnant with a shifter child.
“I should be safe,” she said, looking up at both men. “My mother explained how to prevent having a child. I am within my cycle period and I should not be able to conceive.”
“Yes, well, that isn’t always dependable among shifters,” Ben muttered, giving Ty a stern look. “I would recommend protection. You don’t know if she might be….”
“She’s not,” Ty growled, scowling at Ben. “I was her first.”
“Oh, okay,” Ben muttered before drawing in a deep breath. “Listen, you can bring her down to the clinic late one night this week. I can open up and we can run all the tests after hours.”
“Give us a few days,” Ty reluctantly agreed. “She needs time to settle in.”
“She is sitting here listening to the two of you,” Ella snapped, sliding off the bed. “I’m going to get dressed.”
Ella was tired of all the double talk. She was smart enough to figure out what Ben was implying. She grabbed the clothing that Ty’s mother brought in and hurried back to the room with the large pool. She shut the door.
Focusing on dressing in the unfamiliar clothes, she pulled on the undergarment before sliding on the thick socks and soft, blue trousers. She held up another device that looked funny. It appeared to be used to confine a woman’s breasts from the two cups. Ella didn’t have the patience to deal with it and tossed it aside. Instead, she pulled on the soft, thin shirt with no sleeves and, then the thick, red sweater. It was so soft that she couldn’t help but run her hands along it in appreciation.
Turning, she grabbed the boots she wore earlier and sat down on the side of the empty tub. This time, she didn’t have any problems pulling them on and fastening them. Standing once again, she walked over to a long vanity with two bowls was set along the wall. She studied her reflection again. Her hair had dried and was now a tangled mess.
Her gaze swept the counter, stopping on a large brush. Picking it up, she quickly brushed out her hair and braided it. She was looking for a way to hold the braid in place when the door to the room opened. Ty stood in the doorway, staring at her with a small, crooked smile.
“Do not smile at me like that,” Ella snapped, pulling a piece of white string from a tiny box. It was very strong. She used it to hold her braid in place before she turned to glare at him. “I do not like being talked about as if I am not present. I may not know your world, but I am not some… some… stupid creature who cannot understand things!”
“We never meant to imply that you were, Ella,” Ty said, straightening when she moved to walk by him. His arm shot out and he stopped her. “The learning is going to go both ways, you know. I have a lot to learn myself. I’ve never had a mate before.”
Ella could feel her anger beginning to melt at the pleading expression in his eyes. Her lips tightened and she turned to grab her lance. Turning back, she pointed it at him in warning.
“You had better learn quickly, Ty Bearclaw,” Ella said while showing him the point of her lance to emphasize her words. “I came to your world and I will do what I can to fit in, but I will not be treated like a pet or a curiosity. I am one of the fiercest hunters in my clan and I will not be disrespected.”
Ella pushed past him, striding out the door. She had learned early on to show that she would not be pushed around. If this was going to work, Ty needed to understand that.
*.*.*
“Wow! What a woman!” Ty muttered under his breath as he watched Ella disappear out into the hall.
Ty knew he had a silly grin on his face, but seeing Ella angry was something to behold. His bear was practically doing a jig inside him. Watching her stomp out of the room incited a primitive urge to chase her down and see just how good a fighter she was.
I like! His bear chuckled. She good mate. We make strong cubs with her.
You’re damn right we will, Ty replied as he grabbed a shirt and pulled it on before turning to follow her.
Ty hurried out of the room and down the hall. He could hear his mother’s voice before he even reached her. Slowing, he paused in the entrance to the living room. Ella and his mom were standing near the windows that overlooked the interior courtyard. They both turned when he stepped into the room.
“I was just asking Ella how things went with Ben,” Lena said with a smile. “Martha has lunch ready. I’m so glad that your father and I returned. He was concerned when the Board of Directors couldn’t get in touch with you. Now I understand why. I think once your father has a chance to meet Ella, that wolverine rancher is going to wish he had kept his mouth shut.”
“Yeah, well, he’s lucky I didn’t issue an order to confiscate his ranch lands for the little stunt that he pulled. I do have the authority and will recommend seizure of the land if he tries anything. After all, he did admit to setting a trap on federally protected land. He’s lucky Ella wasn’t killed. If she had been, I’d have ripped his head off,” Ty growled.
“Yes
, well, your father has been on the phone with some of the legal staff. I believe the man was just trying to see if he could get compensated for the items that were taken,” Lena chuckled.
Ella scowled. “Jayden took one metal pot, and it had a dent in it!” She retorted, wrapping her arms around her waist. “The only thing taking it did was endanger my people,” she added, turning to look back out at the courtyard. “All for a simple piece of metal that no one was using. You have so much compared to us. Why would he be upset when someone who needed the items took them instead of letting them rot?”
“Oh, Ella,” Lena whispered, looking over at Ty. “Things will be better. We’ll do everything that we can to help you and your clan.”
Ella turned back and stared at Lena. She shook her head. Ty’s jaw tightened when he saw the glitter in her eyes. He stepped forward and opened his arms. Ella hesitated for just an instant before she moved into them and buried her face against his chest.
“You cannot say anything about them,” Ella finally insisted, pulling back to stare at Lena. “Please, it is best if they remain hidden.”
Ty saw his mother’s worried frown before her expression cleared. His mother was the ultimate poster mother when it came to a grizzly bear. She would fight – and maim or kill – anyone who tried to harm someone under her protection. He could tell from the way she hovered near Ella that she had already taken to his mate. She would do the same for the rest of Ella’s clan.
“Let’s go get something to eat,” Lena suggested. “Ty’s father, Art, is probably gnawing on the table about now. He missed breakfast and that man needs his breakfast if you want to live with him. He’s a bear with a sore tooth if he misses his morning ritual.”
Ty saw the haunted look clouding Ella’s eyes fade and a flash of amusement gleamed at his mother’s creative descriptions. She wasn’t really exaggerating too much either. His dad was a grouchy bear if he didn’t get his breakfast.
“Does he really chew on the furniture?” Ella whispered as they stepped out of his rooms.
“No, but he threatens to a lot,” Ty murmured with a laugh.
Ella glanced up at him and shook her head. “You have a very strange family. I am beginning to understand why you all are so different,” she replied with a sigh. “I forgot my lance in your living quarters.”
“Our living quarters and you won’t need it. Dad much prefers his food prepared by a chef,” Ty teased.
“Strange. You are just plain strange, Ty Bearclaw,” Ella muttered with another shake of her head.
*.*.*
Ella fought another giggle while she listened to Ty and his father. The two men were much alike. They were serious when they were talking about the Observatory, but amusing when they spoke of some of the things that happened there. Ella was slowly piecing together a mental image of what they were discussing.
“Ella, if you don’t mind me asking, how have the humans been able to remain hidden for so long? It just seems incredible that none have been seen until now,” Lena commented, leaning forward.
Ella carefully placed the spoon in the empty bowl. She stared at her clean plate, letting her thoughts return to Jayden and the others of her clan. A wave of guilt swept through her when she realized that. Here she was in Ty’s home, warm and well fed, while her clan was out living in the frigid mountains. The clan was surviving on what they could hunt and gather, in addition to the stored food they had brought from their previous home.
“I think it best to keep such things to myself,” Ella finally responded, looking up at Lena. She hadn’t missed how everyone at the table had grown very quiet. “It is not my place to share our lives, especially since it could further endanger my people. Our ways have kept us alive for centuries. It is important to preserve that knowledge and guard it with our lives.”
“I understand,” Lena replied with a disappointed look.
“They didn’t care about keeping you safe,” Ty bit out, his face dark.
Ella’s chin lifted and she stared back at Ty. “They did what was right,” she replied in a calm voice. “I betrayed the trust of the clan. The punishment could have been worse.”
“They sentenced you to death,” Ty retorted.
Ella shook her head. “No, they banished me. The elders knew I was capable of surviving on my own. I could have chosen to stay if…,” her voice faded and she looked away.
“They turned you away without food or shelter in the middle of a winter storm. How could you have survived that?” Ty demanded.
Ella shot him a heated glare. “Jayden brought me food,” she said.
“You said you could have chosen to stay if? If what, Ella?” Tracy asked, curious.
Ella’s lips tightened. Her gaze locked on Ty’s furious expression. She knew he wasn’t angry with her, but with Mitchell and the others of her clan.
“The elders wanted to kill Ty and banish me. I refused to let them. Mitchell and Jayden supported me,” Ella explained, speaking more to Ty than to Tracy. “Mitchell offered to take me as his wife and accept punishment on my behalf. I refused. They could have sentenced both of us to death. Instead, Mitchell ordered that you be returned to your camp. I was to stay with you until I knew you were safe. After that, I was to rejoin the others on the new moon. You have to understand, Ty. Because of me, because of you, my people have had to move not once, but twice in a very short time. We lost a lot when we had to leave our first home. We were just beginning to store enough food for the winter. It is harsher the higher we go. They are now forced to move even further into unknown territory at the beginning of the first snowfall. It is very difficult, especially for the elders and the children. Banishment is a small price to pay for what I did.”
“All you did was try to build a bridge between our two species,” he replied, ignoring everyone else who was listening in fascination to their conversation. “That is hardly worth being sentenced so harshly.”
“It is to some,” Ella whispered, her face tight with resignation. “What if it had been your family? Would you be so willing to risk their lives for someone who was known for killing people like them?”
“That was centuries ago,” Ty insisted.
Ella shook her head and replaced the piece of cloth they had given her to wipe her mouth on the table. Pushing her chair back, she rose to her feet. She needed time alone.
“Time is irrelevant when you face extinction,” she murmured. “I would like to be alone.”
“Ella,” Ty started to say, pushing his chair back and starting to rise.
“How about I show you around a little first?” Lena asked, rising to her feet. “Ty, I believe your father and Tracy wanted to go over some of their recent finds.”
Ella saw Ty’s mouth tighten at the not so subtle insistence that he remain behind. She was grateful to Lena for her intervention. But Ella had also meant what she had said – she wanted...needed...time alone to come to terms with everything that had been happening. There had been too much going on for her to really think through the consequences of her decisions. At the moment, she just felt as if she were trapped.
With a murmur, Ella turned sharply on her heel and hurried out of the room. She instinctively turned back toward Ty’s rooms. She needed her belt and lance. Turning to the left, she retraced the path to his rooms. Her gaze went to the paintings on the wall again. She slowed and frowned when she saw that they were different from the ones that were there before. Coming to a stop, she turned and looked in confusion at the different artwork. These were images of the mountains and forests. She must have taken a wrong turn somewhere.
“I had them replaced with other paintings that we have,” Lena said, walking towards her. “To tell you the truth, I never cared for the others. These are much more my style.”
“Why would you replace them?” Ella asked in surprise.
“Because I want you to feel comfortable here,” Lena replied in a gentle voice.
Confusion swept through Ella. Shaking her head, she gazed back at the painti
ng of the mountains. She recognized them. In the background was the mountain that Mitchell told her about so she could find their new location. Tears burned her eyes at the thought of never seeing Jayden or the others again.
“Why?” She asked in a thick voice.
She stiffened when she felt Ty’s mother step closer to her and wrap her arm around her waist. Lena gave her a hug. What surprised Ella the most was that she didn’t step away.
“Because you are my son’s mate, and because I can sense your pain and confusion. None of us can change the past, Ella, but we can change the future. For years, Art, I, and then our children have searched the world for knowledge of the humans who once lived beside us in peace. I can’t tell you what it means to know that you and others still exist among us,” Lena murmured, staring at the painting.
Ella reached out and touched the mountain. “This is my home,” she said, gazing at it for a moment before her hand fell to her side and she turned to face Ty’s mother. “Lena, I’m afraid. All of this is so strange and overwhelming. What have I done? What have I done?” Her voice trembled before it faded and the tears she had been holding back slowly slid down her cheeks.
“Oh, child,” Lena murmured, drawing Ella into her arms. “Give us time. Give Ty time. You are the most precious thing in the world to him now. Can you find it in your heart to forgive us for the wrongs our species did to yours? Will you open your heart and accept my son’s love for you?”
“How do you know he loves me?” Ella asked, her voice muffled because her face was buried against Lena’s shoulder.
Lena chuckled and pulled back to cup Ella’s tear-stained cheeks. “Ella, you have my cub so twisted around your slender fingers that if you asked him to go live on your mountain, he’d do it in a heartbeat. That is saying a lot about a man who loves his creature comforts,” Lena chuckled. “He is very much like his father. The men in this family like a full belly, a warm bed, and a fully equipped bathroom, not to mention their rugby games during the season. Ty might not have admitted it yet, but he has fallen hard for you. It is written all over his face whenever he looks at you.”