Chapter 9

The storm damage was bad.

When they emerged the next morning, Rex stood on the porch with his brother, Drake, and surveyed the front part of their land. Multiple trees were down, and the ones that had survived were void of their limbs.

“This is going to take us three days to clean up,” Drake huffed.

“Gunnar is already checking on the equipment,” Rex added. His brother had left at first light to drive out to their fields. The plows stayed in the field until it was time to move to the next one, and if anything had happened to the equipment during the storms, Rex would be working day and night to get it back up and running as soon as possible.

“Oh my,” Ada gasped from the threshold. Rex turned around to see her standing there with her hand over her mouth. “This is bad…really bad.”

“We are going to clean it all up,” Drake promised as he put an old baseball cap on his head.

“Let me help,” Ada suggested.

“Are you up to doing that?” Drake asked, finally looking over his shoulder at the female. Rex didn’t want her working, but they needed all the help they could get. He’d learned his lesson about protesting her working in the garden.

“I feel great, and I’ve already checked on my garden. It faired well.” She smiled and crossed her arms as she leaned against the door frame. “So, where do we start?”

Rex rolled his eyes when Drake chuckled softly. “I’ll grab the truck.”

While Drake wandered off to bring his truck around to the front of the house, Rex pointed out what they wanted done. “We will use the chainsaw to break up all the downed trees and limbs. If you want to fill the bed of the truck as we cut, I think we can knock out this project fairly quickly with your help.”

“I can do that,” she replied.

Drake rounded the house as Gunnar was pulling into the driveway. Rex and Ada hopped onto the lowered tailgate of Drake’s truck and hitched a ride down to the worst of the debris by the road. Rex tried not to stare too long at Ada. He wanted to assess her with his eyes to satisfy his beast’s need to know she was able to help. The beast still wasn’t satisfied Ada had gained enough weight yet from her time on the run, plus the winter hibernation.

“We have a burn pile behind the house,” Drake informed Ada. “Once the bed of the truck is full, we will go around back and dump these to burn once they’re dry enough.”

Ada accepted a pair of gloves from Gunnar as he approached. The youngest Morgan sibling smiled warmly at Ada. “I’ll help you with loading up the debris.”

As Gunnar and Ada got to work, Drake removed two chainsaws from the truck and handed one over. “She’s going to be okay. Let her work and don’t crowd her.”

“This coming from the male who doesn’t want his mate to lift a finger,” Rex teased.

“Yeah, well, I’m learning.” Drake scowled and pulled the rope on the chainsaw, turning for a felled tree to start.

They worked for the next four hours, clearing as much of the damage as they could. Ada never tired out, but she was covered in mud and sweat by the time they dumped the last of the wood into the burn pile.

“I need a shower and some food,” Gunnar mumbled.

“Me too,” Ada agreed, then used the back of her hand to cover a yawn. Rex’s beast sat up in his mind and growled with worry.

“Let’s take a break and have some lunch,” Rex offered. “We can work some more afterward.”

The four of them entered the home, and Rex watched as Ada snickered when Gunnar found Tessa making lunch in the kitchen. “Oh, shut up, Gunnar.”

“Taking a male’s job away from him will make his bear angry,” he growled.

“You were working,” she scoffed and set a platter of sandwiches on the breakfast bar. “Just eat and don’t argue with me. You know I’ll win anyway.”

“Eh, not so sure,” Gunnar teased, but gave up in a show of defeat.

The males waited for Ada and Tessa to make their plates. Rex held out a chair at the table for Ada, and she blushed slightly from his attention. Rex had noticed she wasn’t used to being waited on, and that broke his heart. Whenever they did decide to touch and the truth was revealed about their mating status, Rex would spoil her rotten.

“You know, I can cook too,” Ada said with a shrug.

“Oh, great,” Gunnar sighed dramatically, his hands going up into the air like rockets into the sky. “Just great.”

“Gunnar doesn’t like anyone to be in his kitchen,” Tessa replied with a cheesy smile. “I like to go into the pantry and reorganize things sometimes to frustrate him.”

“Don’t poke the bear,” Gunnar huffed.

“Sorry.” Tessa smirked and took a bite of her sandwich. “I can’t help myself.”

The two females shared a knowing look and burst into laughter at his brother’s expense, and Rex ate with a smile on his face. It was nice having Tessa and Ada there. The Morgan brothers had been alone for far too long. If Gunnar could find his mate soon, they’d complete their family and live happily on their secluded land.

There was only one thing left to do, and it was time to make a plan to go after Robert O’Kelly before he came looking for Ada on their lands.

Ada stood to take her plate to the sink, but Rex beat her to it. “Sit, rest. I’ll clean up.”

She didn’t argue with him. She’d noticed how all three of the males took pride in caring for the females of the house. Rex had been nothing but gentlemanly since her arrival, and Drake was constantly caring for Tessa and their cub, Aria. The youngest, Gunnar, was perfectly content to take over in their corn fields while the two brothers cared for the females in the home.

The idea of a stable family life brought tears to Ada’s eyes. She’d never known that life before, only watching it on the television Robert had in his home. The sitcoms were her only peek into the real world, and she’d often daydreamed about what it would be like to live as a human. Their lives appeared so much different from her own.

She excused herself to clean up. The males announced they would do the rest of the heavy lifting on their own, and Ada knew she wasn’t going to be much help. They’d still have work to do tomorrow, and she was hoping there wouldn’t be any more storms in the area so the Morgan clan could plant their crops on time.

Ada stepped into the large shower in Rex’s bathroom and turned the water on as hot as it would go. When her skin turned pink, she ducked her head under the water and let it cascade over her body. Oh, how she had missed this during her time in hibernation. She’d never take modern conveniences for granted ever again.

Giving up, she turned off the water and stepped out. The large towel wrapped around her body twice, and she grabbed another one for her hair. She used the new hairbrush Tessa had given her and combed out the tangles before slipping into clean clothes. She made a mental note to do some more laundry.

When she emerged from Rex’s quarters, she found Tessa sitting on the couch as she nursed Aria. The female was a perfect mother, and the thought of having a cub made Ada’s heart swell. Maybe one spring, she would be holding her own while her mate pampered her the way Drake doted on Tessa.

“Come sit,” Tessa said as soon as she noticed Ada standing in the doorway. “Let’s watch some pointless television.”

“That sounds wonderful,” Ada replied, taking a seat on the smaller couch to Tessa’s right. She was a little chilled, so she pulled the blanket off the back of the couch and covered her legs for warmth.

Outside, she could hear the males revving up the chainsaws as they worked. Ada surfed through the channels and asked Tessa what she cared to watch. “Something romantic?”

“Oh, yes,” Tessa replied, eventually finding something they agreed upon. “Let’s see if these males are up to a shifter’s standard on chivalry.”

“I wouldn’t know.” Ada frowned.

“Wait, what?” Tessa gasped. The female’s eyes flashed the golden hue of her beast. “Is Rex not treating you right?”

“I really wouldn’t know,” Ada whispered, feeling a blush settle on top of her cheekbones. “I’ve never been with a male, so all I have to compare it to are these damn movies.”

“Oh…oh!” Tessa replied. “So, you don’t want to touch Rex?”

“That’s not the problem,” she replied, looking out the window behind her to make sure the males were far away and couldn’t hear what she said. “I’ve been too weak. Rex and I know we are more than likely mates, but he hasn’t touched me because I need to strengthen up before a mating. I hear the males are kind of…well, rough.”

“Girl, no,” Tessa drawled, shaking her head. “These males are all big and growly, but they would never harm a female. If you are up to a mating, and you obviously are since you’ve been outside slinging limbs all day, then touch him.”

“Oh, no…no,” Ada replied. “I couldn’t do that.”

“Why the hell not?” Tessa asked, narrowing her eyes.

“I thought it’s the male’s place to touch a female they feel the mating instinct with.”

“Pfft.” Tessa rolled her eyes and moved Aria from her breast to her shoulder so she could pat the cub’s back. When Aria let out a burp, she cradled the infant in her arms. “Ada, Rex is a gentleman. He will worry over you until he’s beside himself with anxiety. You have to show him you are not as fragile as he thinks you are. Seduce him tonight.”

“Oh my gods, no!” Ada gasped when Tessa giggled.

“Do it, Ada,” Tessa urged.

Ada covered her face with both hands and returned the giggle. She didn’t even lift her eyes when she heard Tessa make an approving sound. “I don’t even know what to do.”

“Be yourself, Ada,” Tessa suggested. “That’s all he wants.”

“Let’s just watch this movie,” she urged, casting one last glance over at the female who was wearing a knowing look, and the little smirk on her face made Ada a bit more uncomfortable.

As the movie played, she didn’t pay much attention to it. The idea of being the one to touch Rex first was ludicrous, and not the way Ada was built. Maybe it was from her upbringing in the O’Kelly clan?

In the clan, Robert brought males to her and they would touch her to see if they were potential mates. She’d never touched another male before, because it was off limits. Robert dictated who was allowed around Ada, and she thought that was normal for all females. From what Tessa had suggested, Ada was starting to realize her life had been more controlled than she thought.

Anna Claire O’Kelly curled up in the fetal position as she tried to shake off the memories of the night before. Arthur Knobs was an animal and the male her father was going to force her to mate in a few days.

As she cried, Anna Claire wondered where Ada was. Had she found another clan to keep her safe? Had she been able to handle the harsh winter hibernation? Was she alive?

If Anna Claire could come up with a plan, she could escape, too. It would be harder now since it was spring and her father and his men were awake. They were always watching the clan, making sure no one got out of hand. She could go to Martha, knowing the elder female would do anything to help her, but Anna Claire couldn’t put the woman at risk. It was better if she headed out on her own.

The clock struck midnight and she quietly pulled a backpack from between her mattress and the box spring. She’d been hoarding money for the past two months. Not that it was much, but the thirty dollars she had accumulated should help her at least make it to Olive Branch. She’d heard there was a pride of panthers there, so that was her destination. She prayed they’d keep her safe and hidden. They were her only hope.

She kept all the lights off in her room so when she cracked the window, no one would see the curtains move. Dwayne, Arthur, and Robert were in the barn, and had been ever since a truck arrived half an hour ago to drop off something, probably guns. She didn’t know what they were doing in there, and at the moment, she was glad they were preoccupied.

It was time to go.

From her second-story window, she had a direct line of sight to the road. It was a quarter mile from the house, and she had a plan. Stick to the dark areas, and don’t make a sound. With the males busy with the shipment, she could make it.

Anna Claire climbed out her window, grabbing onto the trellis. Thankfully, it held as she used it as a ladder to reach the ground. Her heart pounded in her chest from fear, and she took two deep breaths before she began to make her way toward the road.

She shifted slightly, enhancing her vision and hearing. The beast inside her was pacing with agitation, knowing this was going to be life or death. If the males caught her sneaking out, she could shift, but she wouldn’t stand a chance against three large male bears.

They’d kill her.

She was thirty feet from the road when she heard laughter coming from the barn. The storms had finally passed, giving her a chance to run for help. She ducked behind a large shrub just off the side of the driveway. From her spot, she could see the males exiting the barn. Don’t even breathe, Anna Claire.

Dwayne and Arthur shook her father’s hand and turned toward their small cabins beside the barn. Robert disappeared behind the house and within a few seconds, the kitchen light came on. He would check on her when he went to bed, so she couldn’t be anywhere near the house when he realized she was gone. It was now or never.

Run!