He slammed a fist into the wood of the log, shattering the surface of it and sending splinters flying.

  She looked at him, gaping. “What’s wrong?”

  “I don’t want to talk about my father.” He stood abruptly, walking to the water’s edge and staring out at it. Hearing so many good things about the man who’d made his and his brother’s lives misery wasn’t something he could stand.

  Especially from the lips of the woman he was falling in love with who’d never said anything close to as nice about him.

  She came up behind him slowly, and he felt her soft, reassuring touch on his shoulder.

  Right now, she was the coach, the trainer, the gentle friend who’d helped him.

  Not the defensive, passionate woman who’d spurned his advances.

  Not the badass who’d coldly punched the shit out of a huge man.

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “You don’t have to talk about it. I was just curious about the man who made you who you are.”

  He let out a hoarse laugh. “He didn’t make me who I am. I made myself who I am, despite him. All he did was make it harder.”

  “Then why do you have a dire bear inside you?” she asked. “What happened?”

  He reached down for a rock and skipped it expertly. Years doing it had made him good, and it made it all the way to the other side of the lake. Well, that and his natural shifter strength. “I don’t want to talk about it. Why do you care?”

  “I don’t know.” She pulled her jacket around her tighter. “I guess I always heard stories about this super-strong, super-amazing fighter who ran the Brawl, but his family isn’t at all how I pictured.”

  “If you talked to anyone in Bear Canyon, they’d be able to paint you the rest of the picture,” he said dully.

  “I’d rather hear it from you. I mean, why does John Brolin’s son have a dire bear? Was your mom—”

  He whirled around. “No. My mom left when I was little. She had nothing to do with it, and I don’t blame her for leaving. Father would have killed her if she stayed.” He folded his arms and turned back to the lake. “Goodness knows he probably tried.”

  She went quiet, and then he heard her stumble back to the log and sink heavily onto it. She let out a rush of breath, and he walked over to look down at her.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  “I didn’t know your dad hurt your mom. I guess that kind of trauma would bring out a dire bear.”

  He frowned. Should he tell her the truth, that it was so much more that made him the monster he was? He almost wanted to.

  He sat down. “I guess.”

  “I feel bad,” she said. “I misunderstood your entire family. Growing up, I thought you were all perfect.”

  He wrinkled his nose. “Growing up?”

  She looked away. “I mean, I was part of a fighting gym. I heard of the Brawl, of course, and the people running it. We trained fighters for it.”

  “Right,” he said, feeling that familiar sense of suspicion rise in him. “You heard about it. That why you wanted to come up here?”

  “I’ll tell you if you tell me,” she said, staring frankly at him. Her smooth, tawny skin looked gorgeous in the late afternoon light. “Because you’re rich enough to never have to lift a finger in your life, and I know you don’t particularly enjoy the fight. So why are you here, entering the Brawl? You tell me that, and I’ll tell you why I’m working for your family.”

  “So you admit you have a secret,” he said. “You admit that you did it for reasons other than making sure the Brawl was fair or earning money.”

  She gave him a cryptic smile, flashing white teeth. “Maybe, Ryland Brolin.” She stood and stretched. “You want to go get dinner?”

  “I thought you wanted to stay away from me,” he said. “I thought you wanted to stay professional.”

  She stared at him, and he could almost see the animal in her eyes. And it was responding to him.

  Once again, he felt a rush of validation that the attraction wasn’t one-sided. And the fact that she had her own plans and there was a mystery between them only made things more interesting.

  He’d never found a woman more erotic in his entire life.

  He put out a hand to help her stand, but she stood on her own. But when she was up, she surprised him by taking his arm. “Want to go around the back way?” he asked. “So we don’t have to see any fighters?”

  She nodded, and he guessed she’d probably had enough of other shifters for the day.

  For whatever reason, she wanted to spend time with him and him alone, and he was incomparably flattered. And aroused.

  And maybe—if he dared to say it—happy.

  “But we’re going as friends, okay?” she asked.

  “Hm. Friends,” he said. “So you’d be fine going with whoever?”

  She blinked. “No. I want to… Well… I guess I know you best.” She frowned. “I guess I just want to hang out with you right now because when you aren’t being a creep, you make me feel the most comfortable. You got a problem with that?”

  “Nope,” he said. “I’m good with that. I just doubt your whole theory of being friends. I think you know I’m your mate and you’re just fighting it. I think you want me because you just had a fight, and when we shifters do something we like, we can’t help but think of our mates. I think you’re resisting knocking me over right now due to my incredible sexiness.”

  He was expecting to just make her laugh but was shocked when she just stared up at him, slightly reddening.

  Holy shit, had he been right on target?

  “Shut up,” she said, walking ahead and pulling him with her. “Whatever you think, keep it to yourself, or I’m not going with you.”

  He sighed. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  “Good,” she said tersely, but she didn’t let go of him.

  “So,” he said, changing the subject and feeling her relax. “I’ll accept that you can’t tell me all of your secrets without me telling you mine. But in the meantime, can you answer just one little question that’s been bothering me?”

  She looked at him and then nodded thoughtfully. He put a hand over hers, loving the feel of her on his arm.

  “What other moves do you have in addition to that super punch?”

  9

  At lunch, Ryland watched Lea hungrily devour her burger and fries with a sense of amusement.

  “Good?” he asked.

  She wiped her mouth with a napkin and nodded, tucking her dark hair shyly over her shoulder and out of the way. “Why aren’t you eating?”

  He looked down at the steak he’d ordered. A little heavy for lunch, but he needed to take in protein to be ready for his next fight in only a day. He looked back up at her. “Just distracted.”

  She flushed, a small smile curving her lips as she took another fry and held it up to him. Surprised, he leaned forward, taking it in his mouth and chewing.

  She was feeding him.

  “This is nice,” she said. “Just friends, like we were when training”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Friends do lunch dates?”

  “Sure,” she said. “And besides, after a whole morning of watching shifters beat the crap out of each other, I needed a bit of civilized company.” She grinned. “I guess you’ll have to count.”

  He laughed, a quiet, low sound, and began cutting into his steak. If they didn’t want to be there all day, he needed to hurry. “I’m glad I count for something.”

  Well, that sounded awfully depressing. More so than he’d meant it to.

  Lea propped her cheek in her hand and picked up another fry, chewing thoughtfully. “You count. I just… didn’t know how to deal with how hard you were coming on to me. I didn’t expect that.”

  “Why not?” he asked. “We’d known each other months—”

  “Professionally—”

  “The sex was electric—”

  “So was your reputation,” she muttered.

  He blinked. “What?”

  “I’d heard you sleep around. That you’re pretty casual. That’s why I didn’t expect anything.”

  He raised an eyebrow, leaning back in the chair. “I think maybe people have exaggerated.”

  “Oh?”

  “Well, I do have a dire bear inside me, probably, and I do take women up when they offer since it seems to keep the animal down and keep me calm. But only when they initiate. I’m not some predator. And so far, it’s not like a woman asked for anything more.”

  “So you’re a slut,” she teased.

  “I guess so,” he said. “I mean, I was. I haven’t even thought of anyone but you since we were together.”

  She froze, a fry midway to her mouth, and set it back down on her plate. “Seriously? It’s been weeks.”

  “I know,” he said. “I tried to call the training center to find you, but you were gone.”

  “I was? Who said so.”

  “A guy on the phone.”

  She sighed. “My brother probably.”

  “You’ve never told me about your family,” he said. “I guess I should know since you’re my future mate.”

  “According to you,” she said sarcastically. “Anyway, not much to tell. My father trained us, growing up. He died young, and my brother practically raised me.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. How did he die?”

  “Fighting accident,” she said, her full lips pressing into a line. Clearly, she didn’t want to talk about it.

  “So is your brother super overprotective? Is that why he told me you weren’t there? You were trying to avoid me?”

  “I honestly didn’t know you’d called,” she said. “If I had, it wouldn’t have made a difference. I was already focusing on my job up here, and assuming you had already forgotten me, I thought it would all be strictly business.”

  His eyes wandered over her, her soft curves, the glow of her dark skin, the hair like midnight, kind, honest brown eyes.

  “How could I possibly forget you?” He raised a piece of steak on his fork and pointed at her. “You, Lea, are unforgettable.”

  “You’re pretty hard to forget yourself,” she said. “A billionaire who trains and fights like his life depends on it and then enters a Brawl just to do every fight bare handed. When you could be doing it bear handed.” She laughed at her own joke, and it made him smile.

  If only things could always be as easy, as comfortable as this. The bar was filled with light and empty of people in the early afternoon.

  Harvey, the dark-haired, somewhat surly bartender, was scowling at them from a corner but obviously sensed they wanted space, so was working on something in his books instead.

  Ryland knew he ran some sort of financial business in town.

  “So what do you want to do after this?” he asked, leaning back in his chair.

  “I don’t know,” she said. “What is there to do in Bear Canyon?”

  “We could go up to Ros and Rock’s camp. You ever rode horses?”

  “No,” she said. “And I don’t really want to. I’d fall off, for sure.”

  “I wouldn’t let you,” he said quickly. “We’d never let you ride on your own until we knew it was safe. But fine. I mean, there are some beautiful places to go hike, if that’s what you want.”

  “I think I’d like to go back to that little field by your house,” she said.

  “Why?” he asked, an odd feeling inside him. Why would she want to go there of all places? There was nothing to do but lie on the grass.

  “Take a nap. Just enjoy the quiet. After a very busy day surrounded by raucous crowds, it just seems like a peaceful place to go.”

  “Hm.”

  “And I told you about my family, so I want you to tell me about yours.”

  Looking up at her, he could tell it actually meant a lot to know more about him. It left him a little touched. He waved to Harvey for the bill and paid it, leaving a hefty tip.

  Then he stood, reaching out a hand for her. She took it but released it when she was standing.

  “Okay,” he said. “I’ll take you back to my field on one condition.”

  “Yes?”

  “Don’t ask about my father.”

  She bit her lip. “I can’t promise that.”

  He stopped. “Why not?”

  She shoved her hands in the pockets of her black windbreaker, looking uncertain. “I want to know everything about you. Somehow that feels like a big part of it.”

  He frowned. Could he tell her some things without telling her all of it? The whole sordid history? Of all people, he didn’t want her to look at him with pity.

  And he definitely didn’t want her to look at him with disdain. He let out a sigh.

  “All right,” he said. “I guess I can tell you a little bit about my father. But I’m sorry it’s going to ruin your childhood dreams.”

  “Dreams?”

  “You said your family thought a lot of him growing up.”

  “Hm,” she said. “I guess we did have the wrong idea.” Once again, she was intensely focused, and he wondered why this subject meant so much to her. “Okay, let’s go, then.” She waved. “Thanks, Harvey.”

  The surly man blushed slightly and waved them away, and Ryland told himself to buck up as they walked out into the sun.

  He’d already lived through his past. So what harm was there in just talking about it?

  Lea didn’t know why her fight had left her wanting to be with Ryland.

  She just knew when it was over, when she felt everyone’s eyes on her after hitting Cole, she wanted to run to him and was glad he had run to her.

  When the chips were down, when it really mattered, she liked having him as an ally.

  And when he wasn’t acting like a total dork and going after her, she found him even more attractive.

  Which wasn’t hard, with his immense height, sculpted body, elegant features, and striking hair.

  And storm cloud eyes.

  He was quiet all the way to the ‘secret field’ by his house where she’d found him hiding that one night when he’d left the dinner party.

  There were so many things she wanted to know about the mystery that was Ryland Brolin.

  One of the youngest billionaires in the world, clearly incredibly driven, and totally disconnected from most people, but for some reason, chasing after her.

  The worst possible option, especially if he had a dire bear inside him.

  But she had to know about his father before she made any other decisions about him.

  She had to know how complicit Ryland had been in his calumny.

  When they reached the field, she felt that sense of warm peace come over her again as the sunlight bore down between the ring of trees and shone on the thick, slightly tall grass.

  Ryland walked forward and sat in the middle of it and then lay down, facing up with a hand over his eyes, blocking the sun.

  She lay down next to him, just a foot or two away. She didn’t come here to have an affair after all.

  A big, fluffy white set of clouds covered the sun for a moment, casting shade over the area, and she let out a deep breath, enjoying the cool mountain air over her face.

  “It’s so beautiful here,” she said. “You were so lucky to grow up in Bear Canyon.”

  He laughed hoarsely. “You have no idea.”

  “What do you mean? You were luckier than I think?”

  He looked at her with a pained expression, deep lines on either side of his eyes. “No. And I think you’re the only person who knows anything about my family who doesn’t look at me with pity in your eyes. I hate to change that. But if I want you to be everything to me, I can’t keep it secret from you.” He looked back up at the sky, his beautiful gray eyes reflecting the clouds there, looking like they went on forever. “But the truth is ugly, and I’d rather be beautiful to you.”

  A shiver went over her. What was she talking about?

  And more to the point, had she and her brother really miscalculated?

  “Have you seen the scar on Rock’s face?” he asked.

  She nodded.

  “That was my dad’s handiwork,” he said. “The day my dire bear came out.”

  “Is that when you got the white shock in your hair?” she asked. “I heard that can be caused by trauma, too.”

  “I don’t know,” he said. “It could be genetic, but no, that was later, too. I was born a dark blond, but my hair slowly darkened to brown by my teens. I guess the shock showed more then.”

  “But you think it was later?”

  “Later than the night I first shifted into my bear, yes. Though, I often tell people it was the same day because it just makes sense when Rock’s mark came from that, too.”

  She nodded. “And you don’t want to speak of two separate traumas.”

  He folded his arms behind his head. It was getting cloudier in the sky and the sun was mostly covered and would be for some time. His biceps twitched and flexed, and she tried not to let her mouth water as she looked. “I don’t know that there were two distinct traumas. Growing up here was just one long trauma. I don’t even know where to start.”

  It slowly clicked for her. “Wait, when you say your dad did that to Rock, you don’t mean in training, do you, for like a Brawl?”

  He shook his head slowly, and she saw in the strain of his features the truth.

  Holy shit, how had she not realized it before? She’d been so stuck on her own childhood trauma that she hadn’t realized the man who had ruined her childhood had ruined his own kids’ as well.

  She’d never thought to poke into it that far. After all, they all seemed successful, well adjusted. Two of them were mated.

  All she’d known growing up was anger. Anger at John Brolin and anyone he’d loved or protected.

  Because no one had been around to protect her or her brother.

  She hadn’t stopped to think he could be a monster to his own family.

  She felt totally dizzy and was suddenly glad she was lying down on the ground. She didn’t know what to do with this new information, but she knew it changed everything.