Chapter Eighteen: Martha

Chapter Eighteen – Martha

“You shifted in front of your aunt?” Clint asked. “And I take it your aunt didn’t know about shifters.”

Freddy looked up from his dessert and swallowed hard before announcing, “I didn’t know about shifters.”

“Wait. What?” Grant strode into the kitchen, his arms gripped tightly around a wooden crate, setting it down on the countertop with a gentle thud. Martha spied the logo on the bottles, which read ‘Bear Creek Honey Beer.’ If Bear Creek could have a beer named after it, then it could have a perfume, too. And if she added the scent of honey, all the bear shifters in town would want some.

Ryan’s shocked tone tugged her attention back to the room. “You didn’t know you were a shifter until you shifted?”

Freddy nodded. “It was a shock. My aunt was drunk. She was yelling at me like she usually does when there’s no one else to yell at...”

He trailed off, and Martha felt an intense wave of sorrow wash over her. She could see the pain in Freddy’s eyes, the way his body tensed when he talked about it. He was trying to be strong, but she knew just how much he was hurting inside.

Martha swallowed down the lump in her throat. She couldn’t begin to imagine how Freddy must have felt. She placed a hand on his shoulder, and he paused, his spoon halfway to his mouth.

“It’s okay,” she whispered soothingly as she rubbed circles into his back with her other hand. “It’ll all be okay.”

Freddy looked up at Martha, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Will it?” he asked softly.

Martha’s mouth curved into the faintest of smiles and she tilted her head, sadness scrawled across her features. “You have us now,” she reassured him, and clasped her hand on his shoulder, giving him a comforting squeeze.

Clint stepped forward and put a hand on Freddy’s other shoulder. “We’ll figure this out, don’t worry,” he said firmly, and then glanced around the kitchen.

Grant’s lips curved into a hint of a smile, and he lifted two bottles from the wooden crate. He twisted off the caps one by one, then passed them around. “We’ve got your back.”

“You saw my back when you were chasing me over the mountain.” Freddy let out a rumbly laugh as he picked up his spoon, twirling it around the golden-brown crust of his apple pie.

“How did you manage to outrun us?” Jesse grabbed a chair, the wood clanking against the tile floor as he pulled it out. He sank into the seat across from Freddy and lifted his beer bottle to his lips, gulping down a long swallow before lowering it back to the table with a thud.

“Because I’m faster than you.” Freddy glanced up at Jesse briefly before he scooped up a generous helping of apple pie, his mouth curling into a mischievous grin as he brought it to his lips.

“I think Jesse means the part where you vanished.” Ryan stood leaning back against the kitchen counter with his strong arm draped possessively around Jody’s shoulders. “Because that is something I have never seen before.”

“Really?” Freddy’s eyes widened, his gaze sweeping the kitchen as he searched their faces for any hint of a joke.

“Really,” Clint agreed.

“Well, it happened by accident,” Freddy replied, his voice trembling slightly, and he clenched his jaw. “I kind of... Have you ever gotten stuck?”

“Stuck?” Martha put her hand over her heart as Freddy began to speak, and she sensed the words he was about to utter had something to do with where they went when they shifted between human and animal. A place she still didn’t quite understand.

“Yeah. It was like I was lost. I did not know how to get back to...” He waved his spoon around the kitchen. “Here.”

“That must have been scary,” Clint said soothingly. “Most of us learn who we are, and what we are when we’re young. We grow up knowing what is going to happen.”

Freddy shook his head. “I didn’t know anything,” he said, his voice barely a whisper. “My parents died when I was young, and my aunt never told me about shifters.” He paused for a moment, and pain flitted across his face. His voice was a mix of anguish and resignation as he murmured, “I don’t even remember them.”

Martha’s chest tightened as she watched Freddy struggle with his emotions. Her gaze drifted to Clint, and she saw the sorrow etched in every line of his face. It was like he was feeling each emotion radiating from Freddy, and it broke her heart.

“It’s okay,” Martha murmured, desperate to hug Freddy and let him know she was here for him. But she didn’t. She didn’t want to invade his space or overwhelm him with kindness. She contented herself with simply standing there and radiating as much warmth toward him as she could. “We’re here to help you figure it out.”

The others nodded in agreement, and the mood in the room shifted from sadness to determination. They all wanted to help Freddy find his way and understand his newfound abilities. And maybe Martha should be in on these conversations, too, so she could gain a deeper insight into the man she intended to spend the rest of her life with.

“Whatever you need to know, just ask,” Grant told him.

“I have a lot of questions.” Freddy placed his spoon down in his empty bowl, which he’d scraped clean. “It’s kind of lonely when you think you’re the only freak in town.”

“You’re not a freak,” Martha told him firmly. “You are something amazing.” She sought Clint’s gaze as she spoke, and the tremor of awareness that passed between them was like a pulse in the air. His lips curved into a small smile that took her breath away and she smiled back, certain he’d gotten the message loud and clear.

“You’ll never be alone again,” Clint’s gaze snapped from his mate to the teen, his expression like steel. His eyes, alight with intensity, locked on Freddy and refused to let go. “And we’ll do whatever it takes to make sure you’re safe...”

“From my aunt,” Freddy interjected.

“And whoever else you might have upset,” Grant replied.

“Oh.” Freddy lowered his gaze and stared at his empty bowl.

“You stole from a couple of my neighbors,” Grant continued. “The food I can understand, but you stole something from...”

“I didn’t steal it, it was mine!” Freddy growled.

“The compass?” Martha recalled the worn compass that had fallen out of Freddy’s spare clothes. “The inscription.”

“It was my dad’s,” Freddy said. “His dad gave it to him, and he was going to give it to me when I was older. But my aunt pawned it when she came to collect me. She said it would pay toward gas money.”

“Okay.” Jesse reached across the table and wrapped his hand around Freddy’s. “I think we’re done with the questions for now. Freddy needs to get some sleep. Then tomorrow, I want you to stop by the hospital and let me check you over.”

“I’m fine.” Freddy snatched his hand away and slumped back in his chair, his arms shielding his chest like a barrier of self-protection, his expression defiant.

“Humor me,” Jesse said warmly.

“Look, Freddy. You can fight us, you can run away, but eventually, you’ll realize these guys are your best shot at figuring your life out,” Kay spoke with a passion Martha could feel in her bones, her fingertips absently sweeping across the soft expanse of her burgeoning belly.

“I have my life figured out.” Freddy began, but Ryan cut him off.

“Believe me, Freddy, at your age, we all think we have it figured out. Which is why you should accept as much help as possible.” Ryan looked around the room. “Each of us has a story. Just as you have a story. But we all had the good sense to let others in, let others help us when things got tough.”

“Come on.” Clint patted Freddy on the shoulder. “You can come and stay at the lodge. We can grab your gear from the shack on the way down the mountain.”

Freddy sat rigid with his arms across his chest, his face mutinous for a long moment. Martha held her breath, her chest tight with trepidation as they waited for Freddy to decide. This was like waiting for a jury to render its verdict when you knew your client was guilty, even though the evidence wasn’t on their side.

Then he scooted his chair back, the legs scraping across the kitchen tiles as he stood up. “You’d better not have touched my stuff again,” he grumbled as he made his way to the door.

Clint arched an eyebrow at Martha, and she quickly grabbed her stuff as Freddy lingered in the doorway waiting for a ride down the mountain.

“Thanks for dinner.” Martha kissed Lana on the cheek and waved goodbye to the others in the room.

“You are welcome, but the evening did not go as planned.” Lana nodded toward Freddy. “Take care of him.”

“We will.” Martha followed Clint out into the cold, and he held out his hand to her. She slipped her hand into his, feeling the comfort of their connection and the warmth of his skin.

It was as if they were walking into the unknown as they got into the truck and drove down the mountain. The moon hung like a beacon in the night sky, casting an eerie glow that illuminated their path as Clint navigated the winding bends of the road. Despite her warm jacket, Martha felt a chill seep through her bones as they drove deeper into the darkness.

Freddy gazed out the window in silence, and Martha’s breath stilled. She wished she could penetrate his mind and understand the life he’d had with an aunt who seemed to be indifferent, if not downright cruel. What kind of childhood did he suffer, never feeling loved or appreciated?

“We’re here,” Clint said, slowing the truck and bringing it to a halt as they rounded one of the sharper turns.

Freddy was out of the truck and striding off into the darkness before Martha had time to unbuckle her seatbelt. The thought of getting out of the warmth of the truck and into the cold of the mountain was not a happy one. But Freddy would feel more settled once he’d gotten his backpack.

At least, it would give him one less excuse to run off.

“Why don’t you stay in the truck?” Clint suggested, his jaw clenched tightly. “Freddy and I will go. It’ll be warm in here.”

But Martha shook her head adamantly. “No,” she said firmly. “I’m not leaving him. He’s been betrayed enough by people he trusts. I want him to know that I’m here for him and won’t leave.”

Clint sighed and nodded, then stepped out of the truck. “Stay close.”

“I intend to,” Martha assured him as she buttoned up her coat and stepped out into the frosty night air.

The shack was close, nestled in the trees and sheltered from the wind. As they approached, Martha could see light coming from inside and Freddy’s silhouette as he moved around, gathering his things. Clint wrapped his arm around Martha’s shoulders to keep her warm as they stood back to give Freddy some space.

“I want to give him a fresh start,” Clint murmured.

“Me, too.” Martha placed her hand on his chest and turned to face him. “You believe in fate, bear shifter. And now I do, too.”

“And this is our fate?” Clint looked down at her and smiled.

“You and me. Freddy. This shack.” She shrugged. “It’s like our worlds collided today.”

“Yeah.” He embraced her, his warmth chasing away the chill that had settled over her, and she melted against him, savoring the security of his muscular arms.

“Let’s just hope we don’t all crash and burn.”

Martha laid her head on his chest. “That’s not what fate has in store for us.”

“No, it does not,” Clint agreed. “We’re going to pull together and get through this.”

“I’d sure like to have a word or two with Freddy’s aunt,” Martha murmured.

“You might have to get in line there,” Clint replied. “Because my bear has one or two things he’d like to discuss with her, too.”

“Do you think she reported what happened to the authorities?” Martha asked Clint, afraid to hear his answer.

“First thing tomorrow, I’ll call Brad. He’ll soon find out if she did.” Clint loosened his grip on her as Freddy approached.

She’d half-expected him to vanish again. But he hadn’t.

He had made his choice; he was ready to let people in.

As they walked back to the truck, Martha’s heart swelled as she imagined her life with these two men.

A husband and a son. Was that why fate had brought her to Bear Creek? So she could finally have the family she’d always wished for?