Angus and Zach met up with Shane and Drew on a narrow ridge coming down a hill. Shane held his son tight in his arms.
“Shane?” Angus said, his big face drawing back.
“What are you doing out here, Wild Bear?” Zach asked.
“I came to get my kid,” Shane replied in a tone that allowed no questions.
“Great. You found him,” Zach replied, giving Angus a knowing look.
“I can understand why you came out here, Shane,” Angus said. “You’re going to have to talk to Levi when we get back. He’s not going to be happy about this. That’s all I’m going to say.”
“I know,” Shane growled, hefting the kid.
Angus and Zach backed up the trail, allowing the rest of them to pass. They walked out on level ground and started to walk back to Alpha Station. Angus strode beside Shane as he carried Theo. The child had fallen asleep and was now lightly snoring in his father’s arms. Shane felt a deep sense of connection to the child. It was raw and powerful. A primal knowing inside him said he had to protect the kid with his life.
“I was surprised you had a kid,” Angus said.
“I was surprised too,” Shane said with dark humor.
“You found the mom on Mate.com?” Angus asked.
“She was looking for a shifter father for her kid.”
“She’s your fated mate, isn’t she? Didn’t you guys grow up together on Fate Mountain?”
“We did.”
“You’ve known all this time? Why didn’t you claim her?”
“You know I haven’t had control of this beast inside me.”
“I know as well as anyone. I’ve had to wrestle with that thing more than once.”
“I want things to be different now. It’s time to tame the beast. Face all that shit from my past like the bear I want to be.”
Angus slapped him on the back, his big hand pushing Shane forward half a step as he walked. “There you go, man.”
Theo stirred in Shane’s arms, but drifted back to sleep with a nod.
“Did you get matched with a female on Mate.com?” Shane asked Angus, changing the subject.
“No one is a hundred percent match yet. I’ve messaged a few of the others. But I only want a hundred percent.”
“You’ll find her,” Shane said.
“What are you going to do about the kid?” Angus asked.
“I’m going to try to make it work with his mama.”
“Good luck, man,” Angus said in a low voice.
The hike back to Alpha Station was long and the sun was up by the time the crew got there. Shane carried his waking son into the arms of the waiting EMTs. His alpha’s eyes narrowed on his half-dressed from. The EMTs took Theo to the back of the ambulance, and the rest of the crew gave their reports to Corey. Levi and Shane stood staring at each other as everything went on around them.
“Got any extra clothes?” Shane finally said.
“In the truck,” Levi grumbled.
Shane went to open the back seat of Levi’s crew cab and found a change of clothes. After he got dressed, he went to find his son.
Levi growled as he passed him, moving towards the EMTs. The rest of the crew started to take down Alpha Station, and Shane went walked up behind the ambulance.
“He looks good. His body temperature is a bit low, even for a shifter child. But that’s nothing a warm pair of PJs and a fire won’t solve,” the ETM said. “We’re going to stay with Mommy from now on, right Theo?”
“I’ll do my best,” Theo said, eating a large cracker Angus had given him.
“Let’s take the child to the lodge for a warm meal and we’ll have the mother pick him up there.”
“Sounds good,” the EMT said.
Shane carried Theo to Levi’s truck and strapped him in the back seat. Being responsible for his son soothed his bear. It sent a signal right to the center of his heart, telling him it was time to come in out of the wild.
For the first time, Shane felt that he could be the bear he wanted to be for Lily. He wished he could have done it sooner, without hurting her so many times. But all he could do now was try to make up for the past. Shane got in the front passenger seat of the truck next to Levi.
The rest of the guys were on their way out. The ambulance had already driven off down the road. Levi started his truck without a word and drove toward to the lodge.
“You gave your mama quite a fright, little bear,” Levi said.
“I know, sir. I wanted to be like my daddy. Mommy said Daddy runs to the wilderness. I thought if I ran there, too, he’d come find me. And he did.”
Shane turned around and looked at his son. Levi cleared his throat beside him.
“I did come find you, son,” Shane said.
“Well. You two need to look after each other from now on,” Levi said. “Don’t go off into the woods unless you talk to each other about it first, and Mommy too.”
“Agreed,” Shane said.
“Me too,” said Theo.
They pulled up in front of the lodge a few moments later. Shane took Theo to the kitchen to stuff him full of the best soup this side of the Rockies.
14
They found him. The Rescue Bears found her son. She dropped the phone and charged out the front door. She was in her car and driving in a matter of seconds and made it to the lodge in record time. She couldn’t even remember how she’d gotten there as she sprinted up the front walk of the lodge with a bundle of Theo’s clothes in her hand.
She pushed open the big front door and stepped into the lobby. The reception desk sat in front of her. A middle-aged lady with a name tag that said “Kelly” sat behind the long black granite counter. Lily approached the woman, feeling lost and strange.
“I’m looking for Levi Blackthorn. His Rescue Bears found my son.”
“Of course. I’ll have them bring him right out.”
“You look familiar. Have we met?” Lily asked.
“I’ve lived on Fate Mountain a long time, dear. I know a lot of people,” Kelly said.
Lily gripped the bag of Theo’s clothes. As she stood there, shaking from all the stress and lack of sleep, Shane emerged from the double doors of the restaurant. He held Theo in his arms, wrapped in a shiny silver blanket. She reached out for him, her tears starting to burst through the seams.
Shane held onto him for a beat before handing him over to his mother. Theo hugged his mom’s neck and started to whimper.
“Baby, what did you do?” she said, comforting her child.
“I’m sorry, Mama. I just wanted to run wild like my daddy. I thought he’d find me out there.”
“Sweetheart?” Lily said, rocking her child. She knew she’d told Theo too much. He’d gotten confused.
“I did find him,” Shane said. “My cub was jumping from tree to tree.”
“I didn’t want them to catch me,” Theo said, as Lily set him on the ground beside her. She knelt to help him into his clothes. “I wanted to be like Daddy.”
Lily looked down at her child. Dumbfounded, she pulled his shirt down over his head. Theo’s wild ideas made her mind reel. She slipped him into his rain boots.
“Remember what uncle Levi said, Theo. We don’t run off unless we go together. We always tell Mommy first.”
“Right,” said Theo.
Lily looked from her son to Shane and back again. It was like they had some kind of secret patch. Lily knew it was time to go. All this crazy talk of running off to the wild together, she didn’t want any part of it. She stood up and grabbed Theo’s hand.
“Thank you for finding my son,” she said, brushing her hair over her shoulder. “We need to go.”
She started to walk out of the lodge and into the warm afternoon air. The sun was up and high without a cloud in the crystal blue sky. She felt the warmth on her skin. It had been cold and gray for so long.
“Lily, wait,” Shane said behind her.
She turned around and squinted at him in the sunlight.
“What??
?? she said, raising her hand over her eyes to block out the sunlight.
“Where are you going?”
She felt completely calm now that she had her son.
“I’m leaving Fate Mountain, Shane. I can’t stay here.”
Lily turned away, holding Theo’s hand. Theo followed her quick steps to the car, and she loaded him inside. Shane strode toward her and stood beside the car.
“You can’t leave now,” he said.
She closed Theo’s car door and faced him. “Watch me,” she said.
She brushed past Shane, her soul still calling out for him. She caught the scent of his skin, wanting more than anything to turn into his warm chest.
That was over now. She was done letting herself fall for him, only for him to abandon her in the end. No more. She was finally standing up to him. She wasn’t going to wait around pining for him this time. That Lily Mason was gone.
“Lily. Let me explain.”
She didn’t stop. Lily saw now that Shane was too damaged to love. He was too wild to be her son’s father. She had to leave and never look back. She shut the car door, and Shane stood there as she backed out of her parking spot.
She turned and saw him mouth her name. Theo whined in the back seat, but Lily kept driving. She had to take control of her life or Shane would destroy her. She was addicted to him, and she was tired of being his fool. Turning her wheel, she accelerated out of the parking lot and away from Shane.
Her phone pinged a moment later. She turned it off and threw it in her purse.
“Mommy, we can’t leave Daddy. Please go back,” Theo whined.
She wanted more for her son than his father could give him. It had taken Lily a long time to see the truth. She’d been clouded by her desire for her fated mate. Every time she was near him, all she wanted was to fall into his arms.
When she made it back to the apartment, everything was packed in boxes and Theo started to cry. Tired or not, she had to load all this stuff in the car. But she just couldn’t do it. Not yet. She sat down next to Theo and tried to comfort him.
As much as Lily wanted to hate Shane, she couldn’t. She loved him so fiercely it was under her skin. It had pierced her heart, and she’d never get it out.
15
Shane paced the floor, trying to get a hold of Lily. His calls went to voicemail. His texts fell on dead air. She must have turned off her phone. He was about to go find a ride to his bike when Levi came to the door. Shane didn’t want to deal with this now. His mate said she was leaving town. He had to stop her.
Levi stepped up on Shane’s porch and leveled his gaze at his errant chef. Shane knew that part of being a better bear was coming clean with Levi.
“Shane. You know we have to work together as a crew. You could have put the entire mission at risk.”
“I found my kid.”
“You broke rank.”
“We aren’t at war anymore, Levi.”
“We might not be at war, but lives are still at stake.”
“The life of my son.”
“I was protecting your son.”
“Did you really expect me to stand by and wait for someone else to find him?”
“You’re unstable, Shane.”
“I’ve faced my bear, Levi. I have control now.”
“I have to ensure the safety of every person involved on a mission.”
“We need to trust each other, Levi. I have control of my wild bear. Now I’m free. If you want me to stay, you have to trust my instincts.”
“I want you here, Shane. You and your family.”
“I need to get my girl.”
“You need a ride?”
“Let’s go.”
Shane tried to text Lily on the way into town. She wouldn’t respond. If she left, he didn’t know what he would do. Levi drove in front of Lily’s apartment complex. Shane gripped the handle and opened the door before the truck come to a full stop. Shane jumped out of the car as Levi put on the breaks.
“Go get your mate, Wild Bear,” Levi said.
“Thanks,” Shane said. “For everything.”
He shut the door and turned towards the stairs. He took them two by two. Lily’s car was full of boxes in the parking lot. He had to find her now. He sniffed the doors as he walked down the balcony until he came to the end. Her scent was strongest there. The door opened as he raised his hand to knock. Lily stood in front of him, her eyes full of sorrow.
“What are you doing here?” Lily said, sniffling wearily.
“I’m done running, Lily,” Shane said, reaching out to her. She moved away from him and out of his grasp. “Please don’t run from me now.”
“Shane, this can never work. I can finally see that.”
Someone down the hall opened their door and looked down at him. Shane cleared his throat and put his hands on his hips.
“Can we at least talk about this inside?”
“I don’t see what else there is to talk about, but come in anyway.”
She stepped aside, and Shane entered the room. It was a tiny, dark, one-bedroom apartment. Everything was gone except for a few pieces of used furniture. Theo immediately ran to Shane and hugged him around the waist.
Shane ruffled the child’s hair and held him close to his hip. He was so impressed with his son. The little guy had shown himself to be strong and crafty. Shane was proud of him, even though he shouldn’t have done it.
“What do you have to say?” Lily said, crossing her arms.
“I’m in control now, Lily. I’ve conquered my demons. I’ve tamed my wild bear. It’s because of you. I love you. I need you,” Shane said, putting it all out on the table. That was what he had to say. Those words were the truth, pure and simple.
“Where is this coming from?” Lily said. “I thought you were too dangerous to be with me.”
“I was, Lily. But I’ve changed.”
“You have control of you bear now?” Lily said, her voice tight.
“I know I’ve hurt you. I’m standing here, accepting my mistakes. I’m asking for your forgiveness if you can ever give it to me.”
“It’s not that easy, Shane. We can’t talk about this in front of him. Sweetheart, go play in your room,” Lily said, looking down at Theo. He’d been sitting on Shane’s foot the entire time.
“There’s nothing to play with in there. I want to be with Daddy,” Theo said.
Lily let out the breath, puffing out her cheeks. She looked at Shane for help, for a solution. The bear inside him swelled with pride. It felt good to be on the same page with his bear for once.
“We can talk at my cabin. It’s more comfortable there. I’ll ask Levi’s mate Juliet if she can watch Theo for a while.”
“Okay,” Lily said, looking down at the Theo.
Shane sent a text to Juliet and received one back a few moments later.
“She’d love to watch him for a while. I’m going to need a ride back. My bike’s still out on the highway.”
“Let’s go. Come on, Sweetie. Mommy is going to talk to Daddy.”
Theo skipped out the door after Shane, and Lily followed them. Shane picked up the cub and carried him down the stairs. Lily opened the back seat, put Theo inside, and unlocked the passenger door.
The short trip to the lodge was filled with Theo’s chatter recounting the night he’d spent in the woods with Shane. Lily drove silently, looking worried and uncomfortable. He was determined to put her mind at ease. Once and for all, he would give her what she needed. The old bad bear was gone.
Once they made it to the lobby of the lodge, Juliet was waiting there with open arms for their cub. She was a petite woman, and Theo came up to her mid-chest at just five years old.
“Hi,” Theo said, walking up to smiling Juliet. “Mommy says you are going to play with me while she talks to my daddy.”
“That’s right, Theo. We’ve got a great playground here at the lodge. Would you like to show me some of those acrobatic skills I’ve been hearing so much about?”
/> “Um…” Lily started.
“Mommy. I can do it. You always try to keep me from showing myself.”
Lily frowned, deflating. She’d been trying to keep him safe. Just like Shane had been trying to keep her safe.
“Okay, Theo. Just be careful.”
“Yay!” he said, clapping his hands.
“I’ll take care of him,” Juliet said, winking.
Theo’s shifter skills had been the talk of the crew since they’d found him in the woods. The kid had evaded five grown shifters with top of the line equipment for an entire day. The kid was already a legend. He doubted Theo could hurt himself on a jungle gym. Lily was a human and there was much of shifter life that she didn’t understand.
An idea started to cultivate in Shane’s mind. Something he should have thought of a long time ago. Most human women who mated with shifters remained human. But not always.
Juliet took Theo out the front door of the lodge, telling how much fun they were going to have. Shane took Lily’s hand in his. Gently, he led her out the back toward his cabin. They walked along the path with the manicured grounds. The cabins were secluded in their own stands of trees.
They came to Shane’s cabin, and he opened the front door. Lily hadn’t spoken since Theo had gone off with Juliet. He couldn’t read her tight expression. She seemed sad and tired as hell. His heart hurt, seeing her like this, knowing he was partially the cause.
She went to sit on his couch and he built a roaring fire in the fireplace before coming to sit beside her. She was wearing a thick gray cardigan with a black printed t-shirt underneath. She’d put black makeup around her eyes at some point, but it was a little smeared at the edges.
Shane wanted to hold her and take away her sadness. He sat there, paralyzed. Would she let him?
“Lily,” he started, finally reaching out to touch her shoulder.
She turned to him, her expression blank. “How did you tame your bear? What changed?” she said in a soft voice.
“I was going to make love to you. I felt myself slipping away and my bear taking over my mind. I just knew I couldn’t allow it. I allowed it to happen again.”