Kiki blinked slowly, her gaze lingering on Alena’s belly. “Things are indeed progressing rapidly between you two, it seems.”

  “Yes, they are!” Alena exclaimed, her temper flaring. “The father of my child is, according to this stupid feud, essentially my mortal enemy. Our families—our whole town is on the brink of war! You said you were going to tell the town the truth. So do it already!”

  “It has hardly been a few days since we last spoke,” Kiki soothed, coming around the counter to lay a gentle hand on Alena’s arm. “I have been processing…”

  Alena shrugged off her touch, too wound up for comfort. “Yeah, well, while you’ve been ‘processing,’ I’ve been living in fear. Kiki, there is no more time to lose. Do I need to beg? This is not just about you. Your secrets, your lies… they’ve poisoned this town for long enough.”

  Alena thought her head might explode, she was so frustrated.

  Kiki’s eyes shuttered, her lips pressing into a thin line. “Alena, I understand your frustration. I have just been considering the best way to reveal it. I need more time to—”

  “No!” Alena’s shout rang through the cluttered shop, startling them both with its vehemence. “No more time, no more excuses. Kiki, you gave your word to Archer and me… and to Abi as well. And since then, it has just been stalling and excuses. Enough. If you don’t tell the truth, then I will!”

  The fae stared at her for a long, tense moment, emotions warring across her face. Finally, she closed her eyes, her shoulders slumping in defeat.

  “Dammit,” she whispered, her voice thin and reedy. “You’re right. I kept thinking the timing would be better soon. But I think this is as good as it is going to get timing-wise. And now, with your child… I will keep my word.”

  A sense of mild relief came over Alena, but it was tempered. “Do you mean it? Because I don’t know how many times you have been saying you would finally come clean.”

  “Yes, I mean it. Or course I mean it. I have always meant it...” The fae managed a wan smile, reaching out to clasp Alena’s hands in her own. “I have no excuse. But I feel rumblings that there will soon be a meeting. I will make it a point to be there.”

  “You better,” Alena said simply.

  Alena dared to hope Kiki’s truth would be the catalyst they needed to turn the tide back to something resembling sanity in town.

  It was later that day that news of an emergency town meeting that very night spread like wildfire, bears and dragons alike converging on the grand ballroom of the Grand Lodge.

  Alena’s heart raced as she made her way to the meeting, the weight of her secret pressing down on her like a physical force. The life growing within her, the product of her forbidden love with Zane, felt more precious and vulnerable than ever in the face of the escalating tensions.

  God, I hope this meeting helps.

  As she slipped into the crowded room, the air crackled with hostility. Bears and dragons stood on opposite sides, glaring at each other with barely contained animosity. Alena spotted Zane across the room, his jaw clenched and his eyes hard as he stood beside his brothers. Her heart ached to go to him, both to share the news of their unborn child, but also to just feel his reassuring embrace, but she knew she couldn’t. Not here, not now.

  Byron Livingstone, the dragon patriarch, called the meeting to order, his booming voice cutting through the tense murmurs.

  “Bears and dragons of Misty Vale,” the formidable clan leader began, his icy gaze sweeping the room. “We gather here today in a time of crisis. Tensions between our kinds have reached a breaking point, and drastic measures must be taken to preserve our way of life. That is why I have called this meeting, after all. I fear it is only a matter of time until we destroy ourselves, whether that be from within, or because, God forbid, in a moment of group aggression, we reveal ourselves to the wider human world in a way from which there will be no coming back.”

  A temporary shocked silence fell over the assembled mass. Then, murmurs of agreement began to ripple through the crowd, bears and dragons alike nodding to Byron’s words.

  Alena’s stomach churned, a sense of foreboding washing over her. It seemed that, if anything, she had underestimated how bad things had gotten. But still, she dared to hope this meeting could help matters.

  “And beyond that, for far too long, our constant fighting has been a detriment and distraction for both bears and dragons in Misty Vale,” Byron continued, his voice rising with conviction. “But no more. It is time for us to take a stand, to protect what is ours from those who would seek to tear us apart. The recent vandalism at Brandon’s shop has only served to fan the flames of our feud, and it is time we put an end to this nonsense once and for all.”

  Alena held her breath, hoping against hope that Byron’s words might somehow be the voice of reason they so desperately needed. Before he could continue, Kiki stood up, her slender form commanding attention despite her diminutive stature.

  Holy shit! She is finally going to do it!

  “If I may,” Kiki said, her voice ringing out clear and strong. “I have something I must confess before any more is said, something that has weighed on my conscience for far too long.”

  For a moment, it looked as if Byron were going to protest the interruption, but he waved a hand, signaling she may continue with his blessing.

  The room fell silent, all eyes turning to the inscrutable fae. Alena’s heart hammered in her chest, her bear pacing restlessly within her. This was it, the moment of truth.

  “Long ago,” Kiki began, her eyes distant with memory, “I made a terrible mistake. One that has haunted me a hundred years, and one that I fear lies at the root of the conflict that plagues us today.”

  Shocked whispers raced through the assembled bears and dragons, their faces a mix of confusion and skepticism.

  “It was I,” Kiki went on, her voice growing stronger, “who set in motion the events that would divide dragon from bear. In my youthful folly and selfishness, I toyed with the affections of both a dragon and a bear, essentially pitting them against each other for my own amusement. And when that game turned deadly, I allowed blame to fall where it did not belong. I allowed a feud to take root and fester, poisoning the very heart of our community.”

  Silence reigned, heavy and oppressive, as Kiki confessed the details of her sordid affair and how it had culminated with the death of a bear, Henry, when he fell from Widow’s Peak so long ago. Rather than coming forward and telling the town that she had been directly responsible for the events that led to her two suitors meeting at the Dueling Stones and ultimately to Henry’s fall, she let the town slip into what would become the century old feud they were now in.

  Alena’s eyes darted between the clan leaders, trying to gauge their reactions. She still couldn’t believe Kiki had finally kept her word. Surely, this revelation would be enough to shake them from their entrenched hatred. It had to be.

  Please, she prayed. Please let this be enough to change things.

  But as Kiki’s story came to a close, the room erupted into chaos. Voices rose in anger, fingers pointing and accusations flying. Alena’s heart sank as she realized the truth had fallen on deaf ears.

  “That is a very nice story, Kiki. Thank you for sharing, but it hardly changes anything in my eyes,” Byron Livingstone scoffed, his face twisted with disdain. “Regardless of what led to it, there are one hundred years of bad blood between us. They can’t be wiped away just like that. It may even be true, what you say, but so what!”

  He turned to the crowd, his voice booming with authority. “It doesn’t change the fact that the bears have always been a thorn in our side, a constant threat to our way of life. Or have you all forgotten how they sabotaged the construction of the original hotel? How our hard work went up in flames?”

  Roars of outrage erupted from the dragon contingent, while the bears shouted their own protests.

  “Sabotage? It was our sweat and blood that built that hotel, same as yours!” Archer snarled, his eyes flashing with barely contained rage. “And it was our hands that rebuilt it from the ashes!”

  “I would propose,” Byron continued, “that for the benefit of us all, Misty Vale be split in two, or better yet, we are prepared to buy out all bear interests so that they may go pursue a separate peace!” he concluded.

  “Outrageous!” an unseen bear yelled. Soon, a cacophony of voices screamed as the ballroom descended into bedlam, bears and dragons surging towards each other in a tidal wave of fury. Alena watched in horror as a few punches were thrown. The floor was soon full of pushing and shoving bodies. She couldn’t imagine anyone would go so far as to shift here, but panic began to flood her at the thought. How could this be happening?

  Run! Hide! Protect cub!

  She clamped down on her own bear to keep her in check.

  Kiki’s confession, it seemed, had only added fuel to the fire of their hatred. Alena watched in horror as the situation disintegrated, any hope of reconciliation crumbling before her eyes. Not in her darkest fears had she imaged this eventuality. Kiki’s truth was meant to be a balm, a first step towards healing the rift between their kinds. Instead, it had only served to rip open old wounds, spilling fresh blood onto the ancient feud. And what the hell… cut Misty Vale in two? That was the big solution?

  Despair crashed over her in a suffocating wave, tears burning at the back of her eyes. How could she and Zane ever hope to build a life together, when their own families were so intent on tearing each other apart? And how could she even consider raising her child in a place so consumed by hatred and division?

  Leave, her bear urged, fear for their unborn cub overtaking all other instincts. Not safe.

  Alena fought to keep her emotions in check. No, I can’t just abandon my mate. Of course I can’t.

  But despite her resolve, the fear was not diminished.

  I hope you know what you’re doing.

  She had to try one last time to make them all see reason. But how?

  Steeling her resolve, Alena began to push her way through the crowd, desperate to reach Zane. She had to talk to him, to tell him about the baby. Maybe even to convince him to run away with her, to start fresh somewhere far from the poisonous resentment that gripped Misty Vale. Maybe they could even return someday. But this? No. It had gone too far.

  She flashed again on how it had felt to be with him. To lay with him. How could it all fall apart so quickly? She must get to him.

  But before she could take more than a few steps, a hand clamped down on her arm, startling her. She turned to find Archer staring down at her, his brow creased with concern and a hint of suspicion.

  “Alena, what are you doing here?”

  Alena’s heart raced as her brother pulled her aside, his grip firm on her arm. Words failed her as she stammered, “I-I—”

  “You have to get out of here right now!” he cried urgently, obviously concerned for her safety.

  She swallowed hard, her mind spinning for an excuse. “I heard about the meeting, and I just wanted to see—”

  “See what? Bears and dragons at each other’s throats again?” Archer shook his head, exasperation etched on his face. “I don’t want you getting caught in the middle of this mess.”

  Her bear whined within her.

  “I know, I’m sorry,” Alena said, letting her brother usher her towards the exit. “I thought this meeting was supposed to help…”

  Archer sighed, his gaze softening. “We all want that, but I don’t think anything can help now. Go straight home, okay?”

  Alena nodded, biting back the urge to confess everything—her love for Zane, their unborn child, all the reasons she so desperately needed peace between their clans.

  As Archer turned back to try to defuse the situation, Alena slipped out into the cool night air, tears burning her eyes once again. How had it all gone so wrong?

  And what about Zane? Was he having second thoughts about their relationship in the face of such fierce opposition? The very idea made her soul ache.

  No, she wanted to believe in their love, their connection.

  Stop thinking crazy, Lena.

  Still, in spite of her best efforts to stem her panic, with each passing moment, the dream she thought she and Zane could live felt more like an impossible fantasy.

  Alena placed a trembling hand over her belly, a fierce protectiveness surging through her. No matter what happened, she had to keep her little one safe. That much she knew. She didn’t even want to consider it, but even if that meant facing an uncertain future alone, then so be it.

  CHAPTER 17

  Zane woke up the next morning with a pounding headache and a sinking feeling in his gut. The events of the previous night’s town meeting played on a loop in his mind—Kiki’s shocking confession, the eruption of chaos and accusations, the cold realization that the divide between bears and dragons was deeper than he had ever imagined. And the idea of splitting Misty Vale in half? Or buying out the bears? What had his father been thinking? That definitely hadn’t been in the game plan and had hardly helped to put out the fire he was afraid could erupt at any moment. It had been more like gasoline.

  How was the town going to come back from that?

  But all of these things paled in comparison to the space Alena was taking up in his thoughts. God, he couldn’t shake the image of her face from the night before—the fear, the desperation, the heartbreak. It had been about halfway through that he had even become aware she was at the meeting. That had been shocking enough, but then as Kiki was speaking, it became apparent that she was the secret Alena had held. She must have been counting on Kiki’s revelation to turn things around. Instead, it had only served to fan the flames of hatred. He had felt her disappointment. These last few days, he had thought he felt a lot from her, but it had been a confusing mix of emotions. At times, there was some doubt, but also elation. He’d had to focus on his responsibilities to his family, yet now he could not bear any moment away from Alena. He had to go to her.

  For a moment, he considered a text, but no; he hated how phones had taken over. He wanted to see her in the flesh. He needed to.

  Protect mate, his dragon rumbled insistently, pacing restlessly beneath his skin. Keep her safe.

  “I’m trying,” Zane muttered, massaging his forehead wearily. But how was he supposed to do that when the entire town was on the brink of war? When his own father was championing the idea of cutting the town in half? How the hell was that supposed to work?

  Whatever. Zane needed to reconnect with Alena, to make sure she was all right. His dragon demanded it, and on this topic, at least, they were totally on the same page.

  He threw on some clothes and headed out, finally able to do what he had been thinking about more or less constantly since their last meeting—to hold her in his arms again. To smell her intoxicating scent and reassure her that everything would be okay.

  Zane’s mind raced as he stormed out of his house, his dragon roaring within him. His dragon’s instincts drove him forward, propelling him towards the diner where Alena worked. But even as his heart ached to hold her, to reassure them both that everything would be okay, he couldn’t dismiss that the nagging voice of doubt had gotten louder, particularly after last night.

  Can we really make this work? With everything falling apart around us? Probably not in this town.

  He shook his head, pushing aside the uncertainty. Of course we can make it work, one way or another.

  As Zane approached the diner, he hesitated. With the diner finally before him, he realized the obvious flaw in his plan. It wasn’t like he could just walk in. Hell, I shouldn’t even be here.

  He briefly considered making a beeline back across the street for the safety of Misty Brews, or simply pulling out his phone to text her.

  No, his dragon hissed. No, he needed to see her. To touch her, however briefly.

  Heading over to an alley, Zane slipped around to the back.

  Much better idea. He just wanted to steal a moment alone with Alena to reconnect and let her know he was there for her. He crept around from the alley toward the back door of the diner, his senses on high alert. As he positioned himself alongside the screen door, he could already hear the sounds of the kitchen within. He was contemplating the next step when he overheard hushed voices approaching in mid-sentence.

  Her voice. It stopped him in his tracks, just inside of the door.

  “I just don’t know what to do, Kel.”

  Alena.

  Zane froze, his heart constricting at the pain and confusion in her voice.

  “Everything’s such a mess.”

  “Oh, honey.” That was Kelly, her tone gentle.

  “I thought the town could heal, but after last night’s meeting? Who am I kidding? I could never have a family with a dragon in Misty Vale. I could never even build a life here. I’ve been a fool…”

  The words hit Zane like a punch to the gut, stealing his breath. He stepped back from the door, heading toward the alley again, his mind reeling.

  So, she doesn’t think it can work? She doesn’t even want to try? What does this mean? But just as he was rounding the corner into the alley he came face with Archer and Brandon, their expressions twisted with rage.

  Perfect.

  “See? I knew it was him,” Brandon snarled. “What the fuck are you doing snooping around back here, dragon? Not enough that you fucked up my tools? Now you want to destroy our diner, too? Or did you want to assess its worth so you can offer us a nickel on the dollar of its value before you try to run us out of town? You dragons have some balls, you know that?”

  Zane barely had time to react before they were on him, shoving him roughly against the wall. Rage and despair warred within him, his dragon roaring for action. How dare they lay hands on him? And how could Alena say such things after everything they’d shared? He wanted to fight back, to let his beast tear into the insolent bears. But the crushing weight of Alena’s words held him paralyzed, his heart confused and pained.