Ethereal King Page 15

  A night bird gave a long, throaty call, welcoming the darkness back, and Caleb shouted out in realization: he had to leave Stonybear Peak. That was it! A voice had spoken to him in his sleep, telling him that he had to leave his home to fulfil his destiny. Wow. It’s not surprising that I jumped out of bed like someone had lit a fire underneath me, he thought. That’s about the craziest thought I’ve ever had.

  Then he shook himself. He’d never lived anywhere other than Stonybear Peak – hell, he’d barely visited any other town. The small community was the center of his world. How could he even think about leaving it?

  But the truth was staring him right in the face. He hadn’t found his mate, and, with every winter that passed, he became more and more aware of it. More and more despondent, more certain that it wouldn’t happen. All the other members of his clan were either mated, or were several years younger than him. No-one could understand why he was still single. He was always hearing what a great guy he was, and how any lady bear would be lucky to have him, but he just hadn’t found the one. It was particularly hard on him as he was a sociable guy, and yearned to share his life with someone special. But he was beginning to resign himself to a life of solitude – and that was exactly why he knew that leaving town was the right thing to do. He opened his huge jaws and let out a roar that tore through the woods and across the snowy plains. Birds took flight from the trees, and, half a mile away, small mammals dashed back into their burrows. It was a sound of shock and joy and pain, all rolled into one. For the first time in he didn’t know how long he had a purpose. He didn’t have to wait for life to happen to him, as one year rolled into another. He didn’t have to hope that somebody new might move to Stonybear Peak and magically turn out to be his mate. He was going to go out and make it happen!

  There was a loud creaking 100 feet away, and Caleb turned his head towards the sound. Three cabins along a door burst open, and a black, furry head poked out. His heart leapt at the sight of his best friend, Dominic. Dominic gave a questioning rumble, and Caleb rumbled back, reassuring him that everything was fine. He wasn’t being attacked by a pack of wolves. Dominic gave a rumble of annoyance, shook his head and retreated into his cabin, banging the door shut behind him. Caleb started after him. He needed to tell someone about his discovery, right now. But – he glanced down at his huge paws, buried in the deep snow – that was a conversation that would be a lot easier in his human form. He rushed back to his cabin to shift.

  Dominic was a long time opening his door again, and Caleb rapped until his knuckles were sore. At last, the door was snatched open and a long black muzzle poked out, followed by two brown eyes, glazed with sleepiness. Caleb pushed past him and bounded into the cabin.

  “I’ve had a revelation!” he announced, his voice louder than he’d intended. Dominic closed the door quickly. It was so cold up in these northern reaches that retaining warmth in the cabins was always a struggle. Dominic fidgeted and pawed at the ground, and Caleb could tell that he was reluctant to summon up the huge effort required to shift into his human form. “I’m leaving Stonybear Peak!” he continued. That did it. Dominic’s huge body folded in on itself, his bones snapped and crunched, his fur retreated, revealing tan skin, there was a violent jerk, and he was standing on two feet as a man. A man whose face wore an expression of absolute bewilderment, his eyes open wide enough to reveal the whites all the way around.

  “What did you say?” he demanded.

  “I was asleep just now. And I woke up, and – I can’t explain it but – I just knew it. I have to leave town and go somewhere where there are new women, women who might be my mate.” Dominic raised his hands and dropped them again. He looked like a man who’d just discovered that everything he thought he knew about the world was false.

  “But – bro – you’re my best friend. You can’t leave!” he stuttered. Caleb met his gaze. Dominic was also single – which was probably part of the reason why they were so close. But he was six years younger than him. He’d had six fewer lonely winters rolling into fruitless springs.

  “I have to, Dominic. I’m never going to find my mate here. I’ve tried so hard. I’ve been to every party, every gathering. I’ve forced myself to get over my beary gruffness and learned how to speak to women. But none of it has helped me. I’m still single. I just want to find my mate and have cubs. Like every bear does. Is that so much to ask?” Dominic’s hazel eyes narrowed as he turned Caleb’s words over in his mind.

  “No, of course it’s not,” he said at last. “But what about us? The clan needs you.” Caleb nodded.

  “I take my responsibility to my clan very seriously. You know that, Dominic. But I’m not leaving forever. I’m just leaving to find my mate. And hopefully I’ll be back soon, bringing her to live here with me.” Dominic broke into a grin.

  “You mean it? You’ll bring your mate back here?” Caleb shrugged.

  “Absolutely. As long as she’s happy to move here.” Dominic was quiet, thinking.

  “That’s ok then,” he said at last. “I think the clan will be able to cope without you for a while, as long as you’ll be adding to our ranks.” Caleb grinned, touched by his friend’s straightforwardness and his generous spirit. He slapped him on the back.

  “Of course, bro. We’ve all got a responsibility to keep our clan going up in these wilds.” Dominic nodded. The survival of the clan was something that was frequently under discussion. Their territory was one of the harshest and most remote of any of the bear clans in the country, and there were always fears that members would defect for warmer climes, and the old clan would cease to exist. The thought of being one of these defectors filled Caleb with guilt, but if he found a mate and brought her back here, he’d be building the clan, rather than destroying it, he reminded himself.

  “When will you leave?” Dominic broke through his thoughts.

  “In the next few weeks, I guess.”

  “And where will you go?” Caleb laughed.

  “I’ve only just realized that I need to leave. I haven’t had too much time to think about the logistics yet!”

  “Oh, sure.” Dominic thought for a moment. “So you should probably go someplace where there’s a lot of shifters.”

  “Yup. Makes sense.”

  “Haven’t you got a cousin or something over at Green Fields?” Caleb frowned, thinking.

  “Yes! Jake. He’s my second cousin – I think. He’s lived there all his life.”

  “He could introduce you to some women?”

  “He sure could. There’s a big, strong community of bears over there.” Dominic’s lips twisted, as if he was battling his emotions – caught between sadness that his friend was leaving and happiness that they were working out a solution together.

  “I’ll be back before you know it,” Caleb said.

  “Can you just promise me one thing?”

  “Sure?”

  “Will you just give it one more chance at the Christmas Eve party? There are bound to be some new girls in town. Maybe you’ll find your mate there.”

  “Of course I will,” Caleb said with a laugh. “If I see my mate there, I’ll be over the moon. There’s no way I’d forget about her and haul my ass across the country on a wild goose chase!”

  “Ok, good,” Dominic said, and the tension left his shoulders. Then he opened his mouth and yawned hugely.

  “I get the message, big guy. Back to sleep. I’ll see you at the party?”

  “Sure thing, bro.” Dominic stepped forward and pulled Caleb into a fierce hug. “I’ll be your wingman all night. Whatever it takes to keep you here.”

  “Ok, deal,” Caleb replied, and he exited the cabin, laughing to himself.

  Staying awake for a while had given him a fierce hunger, and he shifted again and went out into the woods for food, before coming back to his cabin and sleeping all the way through to Christmas Eve.

  2

  The shrill siren tone of Caleb’s alarm woke him on Christmas Eve. It was 4pm, which meant that it had b
een going off for the past hour, every six minutes. He groaned as he switched it off. He’d intended to wake in time to catch a sliver of daylight, give his body the opportunity to realize that it was time to be awake, but his body’s need for sleep had won out. He kept yawning as he got out of bed and stumbled around, trying to clear his head enough to decide whether he should go out and get some food or shower and get ready. The rumbling in his stomach was the decider. He went out and hunted enough food to make up for the past 48 hours, then he came back and got himself ready.

  He scrubbed himself all over in the shower, shaved and applied some aftershave, trying to tell himself that tonight was going to be the night when he met his mate, and that he wouldn’t have to move to Green Fields or someplace else. But he didn’t believe it. The feeling he’d had two days ago had only grown stronger, and sat deep in the pit of his stomach, like an absolute certainty. He wasn’t going to find his mate in Stonybear Peak. He picked out a blue, plaid button-down shirt and dark blue jeans. When he was ready, he glanced in the mirror. He looked like a bear, he concluded. A sleepy one, with slight shadows beneath his eyes. Oh well, it wasn’t like anyone else would be bursting with vitality either.

  The gathering was being held at the community hall, just over a mile away. Although the snow was deep, Caleb decided to walk. He crunched through crisp snow, along a path that he’d trodden so many times in his life, with the stars twinkling in a clear, inky-black sky. What would it be like not to be here any more, not to walk the familiar, well-loved ways? he wondered.

  He stamped the snow off his boots as he entered the hall. It was a big space, but it was built from logs, which created a cozy ambience, and an open fire on either side of the room kept it warm and comfortable. There was a large Christmas tree in the entrance way, and the hall was elaborately decorated with tinsel and streamers. Caleb was clearly one of the last to arrive, as the place was full. He paused and took a moment before he joined the throng. There were lots of familiar faces – of the many friends and relatives who made up his clan. There were some new faces too. Automatically, he zeroed in on the women. There were two tall, attractive brunettes chatting together animatedly. He waited for his bear to tell him something, but it stayed quiet, hunkering down sleepily beneath his skin. His bear would let him know when he found his mate, he was sure of that. It would struggle to be let out, unable to control its passion, and he would feel like every cell in his body was alive with yearning. His eyes lingered on the women, wondering why either one of them couldn’t be his mate. They were both good looking. They had classic female bear shifter figures – strong, sturdy, and broad in the shoulders – which most guys went crazy for, but he always had a sense that something was missing, and in his most private moments, he found himself longing for soft curves – buxom breasts, generous thighs and full, round asses. One of the women turned her head in his direction, doubtless feeling the heat of his gaze, and he looked away quickly and made his way over to the bar.

  “Caleb!” Trey the bartender greeted him warmly. “How goes it?” He was an older relative of Caleb’s, and he’d always watched out for him after his parents had died in his late teens.

  “Hey, Trey,” Caleb replied, propping an elbow on the bar. “You know, the shortest day’s over, it’s almost Christmas. What could be wrong?”

  “Not much, for me at least. But your bear’s telling me something different.” Caleb laughed.

  “My bear’s under strict instructions to keep quiet tonight, so I’m not sure that’s true.”

  “Maybe it was something in your eyes then, but I didn’t want to get all soft on you,” Trey replied with a chuckle. Caleb sighed.

  “No, I’m good. It’s just – I guess I’m feeling a little lonesome and blue. I woke up on the solstice and just got to thinking how another year has passed and I haven’t found my mate yet.”

  “Oh, Caleb, there’s still plenty of time. You’ll find her. You’re a great guy, and you’ve always got plenty of women interested in you.”

  “Thanks, Trey,” Caleb replied gruffly. “I’ve just been hearing that for a long time, and I want to find my mate now, you know? I want to start enjoying the good stuff in life, instead of sleeping the winters away like a grumpy old bear.”

  “Well there’s plenty of new faces here. I’d say a young man like you should be spoilt for choice on a night like tonight,” Trey replied with twinkling eyes. Just then, a heavy hand landed on Caleb’s shoulder.

  “Dude, I’ve been looking for you everywhere!” Dominic exclaimed in a tone that suggested he’d already had a couple of beers.

  “That’s true!” Trey said with a rumbling laugh. “He was worried that he’s been neglecting his wingman duties.”

  “It’s ok, I just got here. I overslept as usual,” Caleb explained.

  “Then you’ll be needing a drink! Two more beers, Trey,” Dominic hollered over his shoulder. Trey put a frothing mug of beer in front of Caleb. He took a long swig.

  “Here’s to us both finding our mate tonight,” he said, raising the mug and clinking it against Dominic’s beer with more enthusiasm than he felt.

  They chatted to Trey a little longer, before heading into the bustle of shifters filling the hall. The Christmas party was the biggest event of the winter, and all the clan turned up, along with members of several other clans, making the journey from far and wide.

  “Are you still planning on leaving The Peak if you don’t find your mate tonight?” Dominic demanded.

  “Sure am.”

  “I was kinda hoping you’d slept on it and decided it was a crazy idea.”

  “Nope. Nothing’s changed. I remember being right here a year ago, in exactly the same situation. And another year’s gone by, and I still haven’t met her.”

  “Her?”

  “Do you believe that there’s one woman out there for you, and only she will be your perfect match?” Caleb asked.

  “I don’t know,” Dominic replied, after some thought. “I mean, if there’s only one in the entire world, it seems a little unlikely that you’ll find her, doesn’t it? So maybe there are a few women who could be your mate, but not that many, which is why you have to make a lot of effort to find her. What do you think?”

  “I’ve always felt like there’s only one for me. That a particular woman is pulling me to her, and until I find her, I won’t be happy. And there’s got to be, what, 20 women here that I haven’t met before. What are the chances that she’s going to be one of them?” Caleb finished, his voice dragging with despondency.

  “Bro, don’t be like that,” Dominic said, knowing Caleb’s moods all too well. If he started feeling sorry for himself now, it would be impossible to get him out of his funk for the rest of the night. “This is your last chance at finding a mate here, before you abandon us all. And I have an idea. Let’s set ourselves a challenge.”

  “A challenge?” Caleb echoed, instantly brightening, as Dominic had known he would.

  “Let’s promise ourselves that we’ll speak to every single woman we don’t know tonight, and, whoever speaks to the most women wins.”

  “Wins what?”

  “Well, hopefully a mate. But, failing that, a beer,” Dominic said with a grin.

  The two best friends spent the next few hours circling the room, talking to every new girl they saw. They had the typical feisty personalities common to the clans, and they were all handsome women, as female bear shifters usually are, and wearing all kinds of beautiful dresses. It wasn’t hard for Caleb to fall into conversation with them. The sight of a tall, dark-haired bear, with sharp cheekbones and dazzling, ice-blue eyes striding towards them was usually enough for them to break off whatever conversation they were having and gaze at him open-mouthed as he came over and introduced himself. For his part, Dominic had abandoned his wingman duties and was focused on the competition. They split up and kept a note of the names of the girls they’d spoken to on their cell phones.

  By the end of the night, Caleb’s mind was buzzing wit
h all of the conversations he’d had, but his heart was still empty. They were all such nice women, and they’d been real fun to talk to, but his bear hadn’t stirred inside him, not even once. He slumped on a chair at the edge of the hall, near one of the fires, and watched Dominic talking to a woman that he’d spoken to hours earlier. She was tall and athletically built, with long red hair, and a broad smile that flashed lots of white teeth every time Dominic cracked a joke, which seemed to be pretty often. They were standing close together, and she kept touching his arm, and from time to time, his hand slid around her waist as he stepped closer to hear something she said. Caleb’s stomach tightened. And as Dominic’s arm remained around her waist and she tipped her head back and they kissed, his stomach flipped over. He stared down at the floor as a wave of heat rolled through him. He didn’t want to be jealous of Dominic, and he wished him the best, but it was so unfair. Why am I the only bear who can’t find a mate? he asked himself over and over.

  Just then, there was a flash of red in front of him, and a second later, a girl deposited herself in his lap with a flounce of her skirt. He instinctively put his arm around her shoulder and looked into a pair of impish black eyes.

  “Hello, grumpy bear!” his friend Rita exclaimed, eyes glittering with playfulness.

  “Hey, Rita,” Caleb replied, his heart lifting a little at the sight of her. The two of them had grown up together, always being in the same classes at elementary and then high school, and they knew practically everything about each other. Apart from Dominic, she was his closest friend.

  “I’ve been trying to talk to you all night long, but you’ve been otherwise occupied,” she said, her lips curling in a mischievous grin. “What’s up with that?”