Harper got into her car and drove off in the direction of the Oracle's mountain. Her thoughts were all over the place. She hadn't thought about Christian for a while, not since she and Rocco had officially got back together. But she had missed him before that, and she was full of guilt at having to break up with him.
"Let's see what the Oracle has to say," she muttered grimly as she parked the car, locked the door and began the hike up the mountain. A hundred yards in, she paused to shift, knowing she'd be around three times as fast in her bear form. Carrying her clothes in her mouth, she covered the distance in around 20 minutes, and only stopped to shift back when she picked up a faint scent of incense and burnt herbs.
She climbed the remainder of the narrow, steep track on all fours, and at last, the mouth of a cave came into view, although it was so small that it looked more like a crack in the rocks. A moment later, a head appeared in the crack, small, wizened, and covered in pure white hair.
"Hello there, ma'am. I mean, Oracle," Harper called uncertainly.
"Yes?" came a creaky voice in reply.
"I was hoping that you could tell me my future." The figure came out into the light, and Harper was startled to see that her eyes were milky white, and her cheeks so sunken that she could make out the shape of her skull beneath her skin.
"The Oracle does not predict the future, child!" the old woman boomed. "She only transmits the words of the fates."
"Oh, yes. That's what I meant," Harper babbled, and then she launched into her story. The Oracle was silent for so long that Harper thought she'd fallen asleep, but then she began to speak.
"Yes, I remember that young man. His prophecy caused him a lot of pain. But the fates are bringing me a message now." She fell silent again, and her eyes rolled right back in her head. Harper suppressed a sound of surprise, and stood firm, clenching and unclenching her fists.
"Be with whoever your heart desires. Your lives will be long and happy," she said at last. Harper's mouth fell open.
"So, it's okay? I can be with Rocco if I want?"
"Young lady, I do not interpret the words of the fates. I have made my pronouncement. That is all."
"Okay. I understand. Thank you," Harper said, and, because the Oracle was looking at her very pointedly, she rummaged in her pockets and gave her some money.
"Good luck, child," the old woman muttered and returned to her cave.
Half way down the mountain, Harper paused and let off a roar of triumph. The danger has gone. I can be with Rocco if I want. Or I can be with Christian. She said we'd be happy – whoever 'we' is. And as the reality of the Oracle's words sunk in, she realized that she hadn't been truly happy that much in her life. The last few weeks with Rocco had been beautiful, idyllic. But before that, she'd mostly been driven by forces outside of her control. That's going to change very soon, she told herself firmly. But which man should I be with? I love Rocco, but I loved Christian too. And what if he's right when he says that I should move forward and not return to something from my past?
As she reached the bottom of the mountain and approached the car, there was a very familiar, tall figure leaning against it, arms crossed and hair ruffled by the breeze.
"Rocco! What are you doing here?" she exclaimed, running the last part of the track. "I told you guys to wait for me at home!" He pulled his aviators off, and his sexy green eyes sparkled with mischief.
"I've never really been one to follow the rules, Harper. And I'm not about to lose you without a fight," he said, his voice deep with passion. Despite herself, she grinned back at him. His casual approach to rules was one of the things she'd always loved about him, as much as it infuriated her sometimes. "What did the Oracle say?" Harper bit her lip, unsure whether to be open with him.
"She said it was my choice," she said at last. Rocco let out a shout and lifted her right off the ground.
"That's great! That means that the danger has passed, right?"
"I guess so." She wriggled out of his grasp.
"So we can be together!" She stared at him and bit her lip.
"Harper?"
"This whole time you've known about the 90-day annulment law, but you said nothing," she said flatly.
"I would have told you about it if things were going badly between us. I swear." She arched an eyebrow.
"Really?"
"Of course. This whole time, knowing that you hate me has been eating me up inside. I would never have forced you to stay with me if things hadn't improved. But I also knew that if you were aware of this law, then you wouldn't have put effort into making things work." Harper let off a snarl.
"And how do you know that, Rocco Silvester? Don't you think I would have continued to put the future of my clan ahead of my own needs? Just like I always have?" Guilt flashed in his eyes and he took a step back.
"You're right. I should've told you."
"Damn right you should have."
"I'm sorry. Please believe I did it for the right reasons, even if it turned out to be the wrong decision." She softened a little, knowing he was being honest.
"I know it will make things difficult for the clan if our mating gets annulled," she said.
"Harper – please know that you're free to choose which one of us you want to spend your life with. If you choose him, I won't try to talk you out of it. But I can't bear the thought of losing you twice. I love you so much. And if you choose to be with me, I'll do everything within my power to make you the happiest bear in the world." His voice cracked as he finished speaking, and moved Harper to pity. More than anything, she wanted to put her arms around him and take his pain away. But her heart was so divided.
"Where's Christian?" she said instead.
"At our place. I told him he could hang out in the living room."
"What? Why?"
"I want to win you fair and square, Harper. No cheating. No deceit. I want you to pick whoever will make you most happy. This is about you now. Forget the clans, and make your own choice."
"You really mean this, don't you?"
"I do."
"I need to go away for a few days. I'll go back to the house, pack some things and leave." Rocco nodded.
"Of course you do."
Harper let herself into her car and, without a backward glance at Rocco, drove away, leaving his heart in tatters.
16
Rocco waited until Harper was out of sight, and then he followed her on his bike, unwilling to leave her alone in the cabin with Christian. Then the two men sat on opposite ends of the porch, watching as she put her overnight bag in the car and drove off.
"I'm not going to Pine Bluff. I'm going to go stay with a friend for a few days. And if either of you come looking for me, there'll be all hell to pay!" was her parting comment.
Of course they fought when she was gone. Whatever their intentions, their possessive impulses were too strong to contain. Christian threw the first punch, but Rocco was quick to follow him, and they had an almighty scrap, that had several clan members running over to see what was happening.
Christian was powerfully built and was also a wrestler, but Rocco had the edge on him all the way through. He was faster, more agile, better at predicting his opponent's moves. It was a vicious, bloodthirsty fight, and Christian kept trying to shift, but Rocco held him back, knowing that in their bear forms, they'd likely fight to the death. I miss this, he thought, as he pinned Christian down one final time and held him in a lock until he admitted defeat.
"The great Rocco Silvester," Christian snarled, getting to his feet and wiping blood out of his eyes. "Your Broken Hill genes are, as always, unmatched. But you're not having her. I know Harper. She'll know that I'm the better man."
"You don't know the half of it," Rocco spat, glaring at him. Christian had no idea that he'd fought with only half his strength, or of the pain he'd been through after losing Harper.