Chapter 14

14

Dylan charged through the backyard, ignoring the full hydrangea bushes on either side of the patio and the meticulously landscaped beds along the fence. He paid no attention to the carefully laid pavers under his feet that led him to the back gate, which he slammed open so hard that it whacked against the fence and shivered on its hinges. He advanced across the sand, his vision laser-focused on the fishing trawler that bobbed in the water.

Paul Brigham had taken him under his wing from a very young age, guiding him in everything he needed to know to be a successful Alpha. He spoke to him of fairness, consideration, and balance. In moments of anger, or when Dylan would tussle with his brothers as all young boys do, Paul spoke to him with temperance and peace. He hadn't done it all at once, but bit by bit, where it would matter most. He was a master at using the events happening in Dylan's life as teaching moments. Dylan had listened carefully, knowing how much this meant to his father. It also meant a lot to him. As soon as he'd understood he was the destined future Alpha, Dylan had been determined to do a good job and make his father proud. He knew, especially now that he'd had several years of experience under his belt, that thinking calmly and rationally about a situation would yield much better results than throwing his fists.

But as he charged through the sand, pausing only long enough to kick off his shoes, he didn't give a shit about diplomacy. Wet sand was stamped with the shape of his feet, and the cool water rushed up onto his ankles. It did nothing to cool the fire that now burned inside him. It swept up his legs, the deepening water hindering him only slightly before it became deep enough that he could pitch himself forward and swim. His muscles powered through the bay and propelled him to the boat. His mind was still raging by the time he grabbed a rung of the rope ladder that'd been slung over the stern .

Barney yapped at him excitedly as he hauled himself over the gunwale.

"Ahoy." Will came around the side of the cabin, smiling with amusement. "Don't mind Barney. He knows you're supposed to ask the captain for permission to come aboard, and he's always been a stickler for the rules. Easy boy." With a quick snap, the dog ceased his barking and trotted into the cabin. A moment later, he appeared through a window, peeking out at them curiously.

"I don't exactly have the patience for protocol at the moment, especially when the supposed captain of this ship is such a piece of shit," Dylan ground out.

"Keep in mind that we're twins," Will reminded him. "Anything you say about me probably says something about you."

Dylan snarled at his brother. "We might have similar features, but the comparison ends there. In fact, I find it hard to believe we were even raised in the same household."

Will tipped his head back. "Why don't I get some chairs and a couple of cold beers, and you can tell me what's truly got you riled."

"I have no interest in sitting down and knocking back a cold one with you." The very thought angered him all the more, but maybe that was what Will was trying to do. He had a penchant for charming the pants off of anyone he wanted to manipulate, but Dylan knew he was a master puppeteer at this point. Right now, Dylan didn't care. His anger was genuine whether Will realized it or not. "I know exactly why you're here. You came for the treasure."

"Dylan, you've got to be kidding me." Will turned his face into the wind and laughed as the breeze ruffled his hair. "You sound like some old adventure novel."

"Stop it, Will. You can't just blow me off like you've done anytime someone tried to confront you about what you're actually doing with your life. You might be able to fool some people, and maybe even some of our clan, but not me." His chest heaved with anger, and his bear reared inside him. Dylan was letting his anger flow, but he had to control it enough to get his words out. Will was going to hear just what he had to say to him. "Ever since you washed up here, I've been wondering why. We hadn't seen hide nor hair from you in years, but then you marched up on the shore like nothing ever happened. I knew there had to be some sort of motive because why else would you bother? But it's all so obvious now, and I'm just mad that I didn't see it before. You're here for the treasure."

"Really, Dill?—"

"Stacey told me about the bullshit you pulled with her son," Dylan continued, pissed all over again that Will had scared a young child that way. Not just any kid, but Stacey's. "Stacey came over just now and told me what you did when he asked you if you were searching for treasure. It's bad enough that you were an asshole, but you even let out a partial shift in front of him. There's plenty more I could be suspicious of, but that's all the proof I need to know I'm right. A six-year-old boy accidentally called you out on what you were doing, and you couldn't even control yourself enough to let it go."

The easygoing look on his brother's face had soured. "That treasure is just as much mine as anyone else's. You might not like or trust me but don't forget that I'm still a Brigham. The family's been keeping it hidden for over two hundred years, and it's about time they did something with it instead of just keeping it squirreled away."

Dylan's eyes narrowed. He'd already known the truth when he'd come out there, but he still felt the sharp jab of knowledge as Will confirmed his real mission. "That's not how it works."

"Yeah? Maybe it's about time I showed you how it should work." Will rolled his shoulders back. His muscles rippled as they let go of his human form. He threw himself toward the deck, and when he landed on all fours, his hands had become wide paws. Long claws scraped at the old wood, flaking off the peeling paint. His head rolled as his features changed, shifting into a different form that was no less familiar than the person Dylan had been looking at a moment ago. Will bared his teeth, his fangs yellow as he let out a throaty grunt.

It took only a fraction of a second for Dylan to decide what to do next. His bear had been fighting to get out for a long time, and he was past the point where a walk through the woods on all fours would do him any good. A roar escaped from his throat as he brought his inner beast out. The water slapped in alarm against the side of the hull as the weight aboard changed balance. Barney was just as worried, and he started barking again as he saw that there were now two black bears standing on the deck. With the barrier of his human form gone, Dylan charged.

His footsteps pounded on the hollow ship as he ran forward, slamming his shoulder into Will's. What the fuck is wrong with you?

Me? Will was knocked to the side, but the gunwale kept him from falling. The boat shivered against the force, churning up small waves all around them. I'm not the one who's sitting on an assload of gold, keeping it from everyone else when it might be useful for something!

That just shows exactly how little you know. Dylan turned back to his brother, something that wasn't easy in the small space. His claws tore chunks of wood out of the deck as he fought to maintain his grip. He shoved at Will once again, using the force of his thick skull along with his shoulder this time. Dad told you about it just as he did the rest of us boys.

Even in the middle of a fight, Dylan could envision it just as he always had back in the day when Paul had told them the tales. When yet another ship had fallen victim to the storms and the rocks, the Brighams' ancestors had recovered a remarkable amount of gold, silver, and jewels that the ship had carried. They'd known then that it wasn't a trader or a whaler but a pirate ship. As was the custom at the time, anything that washed up on the beach or that could be fished out of the water was kept by the finder. Instead of selling it off, the Brighams had seen the advantage of holding onto it until such a time that it might be a true benefit to them. It was only to be used if the clan found itself in dire straits. From what Dylan had been told, the Brighams had only tapped into their emergency fund a couple of times over the intervening years.

Will sprawled on the deck, but his years at sea made it easy for him to recover. He scrambled to his feet and returned the attack. He pitched his weight against Dylan as his claws swiped. Fairy tales only get you so far! The old bastard teased us with that, but he'd never say where it was!

It's for good reason that the Alphas have only passed that knowledge on to the next in line. Dylan felt a burning scrape against his side as one of Will's claws caught hold of him. He put his head down and rammed his skull into Will's throat.

Will staggered back, his golden eyes glowing with hate. So you're going to rub that in my face all over again? You want to tout yourself as being such a great Alpha, but you can't ever let that go. His rage sent him flying forward once again.

The boat rocked dangerously, and Dylan spread his paws wide to stay balanced. Will shoved into him, pinning him against the gunwale near the stern. The sharp edges gouged into Dylan's back, and it was getting harder to breathe. You want to talk about living in the past? You're the one who's held a grudge against me since the day we came into this world. It's not my fault I was born first, but you've always acted like it was something I did to purposefully offend you. He turned his head and sank his fangs into the side of Will's neck.

You took away my chance to actually be something! Will thrashed his head around, trying to get away from the sharp pressure of Dylan's teeth. I was positioned to be born first! Fate had already decided that I was going to be the Alpha.

It's not like I wrapped the umbilical cord around my own throat. Dylan clamped down harder, seeing that he had the advantage now. They might be on Will's territory on the boat, but he had always been the better fighter. He continued to turn his head to the side, slowly twisting so that the two bears were changing places. Soon enough, Will was the one pressed against the railing. I'm sure Mom didn't exactly want that c-section, either. There was no choice to be made. It was how things were. Stop acting like the world and everyone in it is out to get you. You've always made things hard on yourself, and that kind of attitude only makes it worse! He tasted the salt and iron of blood on his tongue .

Will's paws scrambled wildly in the air. His claws thrashed against Dylan's side, but not with enough strength to cut through. Everyone has always treated me like I'm different, like I'm less than!

No, we haven't. Dylan knew he could say that with complete conviction. He'd assessed himself endlessly as an Alpha, especially after the fateful night of his initiation ceremony. He held his grip with his teeth, knowing he couldn't trust Will not to attack him again. We've always treated you as a brother. You were the one who acted like an outsider, no matter how hard we tried to fix that in you. But that wasn't our job, especially not as kids. No one would ever have felt the way we do about you if you hadn't pulled that stunt at my initiation ceremony. That was you, Will. It's about time you accepted responsibility for the things that've happened in your life and stopped trying to act like everyone else is to blame.

Will landed one final blow to Dylan's side before his paw slowly slid down. He breathed heavily. Fine. You're right. It's not like I could ever win against you, anyway.

Slowly, Dylan dislodged his teeth from Will's throat. He straightened, backing up just enough to let Will get up but without giving him any chance at a good charge. That's the problem, Will. It's not supposed to be about winning. Not between brothers. Not between clan members.

Will slumped down to the deck, a pitiful version of the angry beast he'd just been, and melted back into his human form. He was a solid, muscular man compared to many, but he looked tiny after he'd just taken the shape of his bear. Blood ran down the side of his neck from the neat rows of holes that Dylan had just made, but when he wiped it away, there was nothing underneath but round pink scars. "Always the noble one, aren't you, Dill?"

Most of the fury had been worked out of him now, making it easier for him to let his bear go. The boat and the water sounded strange as his hearing altered back to its normal state. The sunlight, which had shown him every individual strand of Will's fur, was now overwhelmingly bright. The boat also returned to normalcy, no longer rocking and pitching but bobbing peacefully. "It's not a competition."

"No," Will agreed, still trying to catch his breath. "Maybe it's not, or maybe it just never seemed like it to anyone else. It always did to me, though. You were the special one, the chosen one, and all because fate had twisted back on itself, changing its mind. It chose me, but then it chose you. I thought that was some major bullshit. That's why I started that fight during your initiation ceremony. I wanted everyone to see how unfair it was. I was mad at you, but only because you had everything I ever wanted. Or at least, everything I ever thought I wanted."

Dylan watched him attentively, not yet sure if Will was speaking from the heart or if this was just another tactic of his. "Did you really want to be Alpha? Did you actually want the weight of the entire clan on your shoulders, looking to you first when things go wrong?"

An ironic laugh barked between Will's lips. "Yeah, yeah. I know. Even if I really had been born first, Dad wouldn't have let me have the position. He would've chosen you because he knew I wasn't cut out for it."

"That's not what I'm saying."

"That's what I'm saying," Will corrected sharply, "and the old bastard was right. I've already proven to myself that I'm a shitty leader. There's no point in trying to delude myself even further."

That wasn't the response Dylan expected at all. Will may have given up on fighting him physically, but to actually give up entirely? "What are you talking about?"

Hoisting himself to his feet, Will sat on the railing with his shoulders slumped forward. "I left here a loser all those years ago, with no money to my name and no direction in life. I happened to get a job at the docks, and things just sort of took off from there. I got into the fishing industry and was working my way up in the world. I actually earned myself a leadership position with this company, in charge of not just myself but several other men and boats."

It was hard to imagine Will doing anything that required cooperating with others. "That sounds pretty good."

"Yeah, until I went and fucked it all up." He'd had that easy smile and casual look about him ever since he'd arrived, but it was gone now. A deep crease had formed in his brow, and his knuckles were white where he gripped the gunwale. "I've never been good with money. I know that, and the casinos know it, too. I had a big fat wad I was supposed to pay out to my crew, but I blew it all in one night."

Dylan wasn't surprised, but he didn't say so. He'd never expected to hear Will confess so much to him, much less to acknowledge his own shortcomings. "Damn."

Will nodded. His gaze rested on the deck, but his true focus was nowhere near Truro. "Damn is right. These are some rough guys, and they know I did them wrong. They're after me, Dylan. That's why I came back. I thought if I could get a hold of that treasure, I could make things right again."

"Why didn't you just come to me?" Dylan asked. He'd had plenty of hard feelings about Will, but his heart was starting to crack now. He didn't like seeing all that pain and worry on his face. "The clan takes care of its members. You know that."

"Pride," Will sighed. "Plenty of other tangled-up shit like that. I also figured that everyone already thought so poorly of me that I'd never get any help unless I helped myself. I'm a piece of shit, Dill. Don't think I don't know that."

" I don't know that." He hadn't been sure until now. Dylan had allowed the past to override any chance of seeing what was really going on with Will, but he had a whole new perspective now. "You're not a piece of shit. You just have some things twisted up in your head. That happens to people, people of all kinds. We can work through that if you're willing."

Will slowly lifted his head until he looked into Dylan's eyes. "Are you serious? You're not just going to send me packing after all this?"

"What kind of Alpha would I be if I did that?" Dylan crossed the deck and reached out to grip his brother's hand. He pulled him to his feet and wrapped his arms tight around him, pounding him on the back as if he could pound some sense into him. "We need to talk about this and see what we can do. You don't have to do any of it on your own. You never did."

"It's going to take me a while to convince myself of that," Will admitted, sounding a bit like the boy that Dylan had known all those years ago.

"I know." Dylan pulled back and clapped him on the shoulder. "Give us all a little more credit, and we'll be sure to give you some, too. Your dog is worried about you. Why don't you take a bit of time and then come up to the clanhouse tonight? We'll go over your situation and see what we can do."

Will put his hand out. "Thanks, Dill. You're a much bigger man than I'll ever be. I'm sorry about all this, and I'm sorry about what happened with Stacey and her kid, too. I'll find a way to fix it."

As he looked into his brother's face, Dylan knew he meant it. He didn't even mind Will calling him Dill this time. "I know you will."

Turning toward the ladder at the back of the boat, Dylan glanced toward shore. He spotted a familiar figure out on the beach, looking in his direction. It was Stacey. She stood stock-still, and even from a distance, he could tell she'd seen far more than two men on a boat. His stomach sank as he lowered himself into the water and began to swim back.

He might've handled his issues with Will, but now he had a whole new problem to contend with.