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eagle on the ground. There was only relief at the fact the man wasn t forcing her to take another step.
A low, masculine whimper flowed into a gentle, rolling growl and suddenly Keen s hands were
on her, pulling her from the earth and into his lap.
Oh, Tris. I m sorry, baby. He made another whining sound, his hands sliding over her skin,
massaging her muscles. I m so sorry. I shouldn t have dragged you out here.
Yes, he should have, because he obviously needed her.
I m& She drew more air into her lungs. She couldn t lie to the man. He was a shifter, he would
have scented her deception. Instead, she went for the shined up truth. Fine-ish.
His furred arms wrapped around her waist and he buried his face against her neck, breathing deep
and stirring her hair with every exhale. They sat there, she trying to catch her breath while he seemed
intent on drawing in as much of her scent as he could.
Like at the bed-and-breakfast, the soft lapping of the lake lulled her, encouraged her heart to
resume its normal beat as her breathing calmed. Her body matched the ebb and flow of the water,
forcing her to relax into Keen s embrace. As the tension inside her drained, so did her mate s until
they moved as one.
Slowly his tanned skin was revealed and then his body deflated in a heaving rush as if he were a
popped balloon.
Keen, she whispered, unwilling to break nature s spell. Are you okay?
He nuzzled her neck, tickling her skin, but she resisted the need to pull away from his touch. It
was obvious he needed to lean on her. Her entire life, she d fought to be independent, living with her
mother and without the need to depend on another. Especially after Mr. Scott. Funny how she never
referred to him as Dad.
And now& now the future rested on her shoulders. A mating was give and take. It was time for
her to give.
A soft breeze brought the scents of the forest to them, the crisp water of the lake and the gently
blooming flowers that swayed in the wind. The low song of the birds filled the air, soothing her
further, and she hoped it did the same to Keen.
Are you okay? It d been the wrong question to ask him, the wrong direction to travel. He d been
taking care of her from the moment they d met. It was her turn now.
Keen, what do you need?
Keen lifted his head and stared at her with midnight black eyes swirling with a hint of brown. The
bear lurked, the color telling her without words that he battled with the animal and neither was
coming out on the winning side.
Tris& The word was a growl, but still she recognized his nickname for her.
What can I do? What s wrong? She couldn t fix him if she wasn t sure what was broken.
Keen stared into the darkness of the cave.
I don t want to go inside. The admission was hoarse and strangled.
She brushed strands of his hair from his eyes, fingers ghosting over his skin. Then we won t.
But we have to. This was a whisper almost carried away by the breeze.
He gently lifted her from his lap and then rolled to his feet, steadying her. He twined their fingers
together and he led her into the cave. The bright light of day ceded to the dim interior of the cavern
until shadows enveloped them.
Still they walked a few more feet, sliding around a boulder hardly visible in the darkness.
Despite the gloom, Trista noted a patch of rock and earth that seemed darker than their surroundings.
As if the ground had been stained by& what?
He pulled her before him, encouraging her to lean against his chest as he wrapped his arms
around her waist. His body curled around her, protecting and supporting her.
She ran her hands over his forearms, grimacing when fur once again coated his flesh. Not because
she disliked the bear, but because she hated the war he waged within himself. She hated that her
presence wasn t calming him like so many times before.
Trista longed to get him talking again, wanted him to release whatever torment seemed trapped
inside him. Instead, she remained silent, waiting for him to let the emotions free.
She waited one minute and then two and after what seemed like an eternity, he spoke.
You asked me what was wrong. Why I& He sighed, breath stirring her hair with the exhalation.
He swallowed hard and then did it once again. I lost everything here, Tris. I lost my soul.
*
Keen stared at the stain, the darkness still present after all these years. Then again, he d forbidden
anyone from coming here, from destroying the evidence of his sins. After they d removed the
bodies& The bodies. Then he d demanded that his father issue the order to make the cave off limits.
It was the only time he d ever roared at his dad, but it wasn t a son speaking with his father. It was a
fierce bear bellowing at his Itan.
Thankfully, he d listened.
I lost my soul.
Yes, it disappeared that day. Gone in a flurry of fang, claw, and fur.
Quinn hadn t had a chance. Neither had Jessa.
Trista struggled against his grip and his bear allowed him to release her. They wouldn t hold her
captive, not when his control was nearly shattered and his sanity lingered by a thread.
Only& she didn t leave. No, she wrapped her arms around him, hands going to his back as she
urged him to resume his position. Only now she could touch him, stroke him, and soothe his animal.
He needed that. He couldn t push the words past a bear s snout.
Tell me, Keen. Tell me, she whispered and he shuddered.
Old pain rose hot and fast, burning his blood and squeezing his heart.
He drew in a painful breath, pulling it into collapsed lungs, and forced himself to let the past rush
forward.
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