Read Online August: Mating Fever (Bears of Kodiak Book 2) by Selene Charles - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Selene Charles
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me? I’ll tell you what’s the fucking matter with me. My woman is gone, and all because of some damned, stupid, piece-of-shit ritual I want no part of anymore . That was what he really wanted to say, but he was breathing too heavy to get the words out. He was seconds from turning into his bear and tearing through this GD cabin.
Phoenix, who was normally the hothead of the bunch, gave him an arched look of surprise before responding calmly. “What August is trying and badly failing to say is that instinct is ritual that goes back to the dawn of the Breed era, and it’s an unbreakable tradition.”
“And how we’ll teach our cubs. Yeah, yeah, blah. I got it.” Chance made a talking motion with his hand. “Whatever. Let’s just get on with this already. I’m tired and hungry.”
That was probably the first smart thing his younger brother had said in a month.
“Yes, let’s just get this shit over with.” Standing, August rolled his shoulders, walked to the door, and slammed it open. He walked out without an apology or backward glance. None of them really wanted to do this, so there was no point in pretending otherwise.
The day was overcast with dark gray clouds gathering in the distance. August smelled the rain on the wind. They were going to get soaked. Cracking his knuckles, he ran toward where the scaffolding had been set up the day before.
He probably should have stayed around to help his brothers install the hooks, but it was a simple thing. The real reason he’d run ahead of them was to give himself time to think.
For weeks, he’d tried working through his dilemma. He’d tried to figure some way to get out of the ritual, to prove Jack wrong, to show her he didn’t need to be a slave to instinct. But each day, the truth had only been cemented further for him.
There was no out.
Already, he could feel his grizzly’s need for the ritual. He felt the blood beneath his skin prickle and burn and felt the beast inside of him rouse to life as it roared and demanded its mate.
That damned bear didn’t care that August’s heart wasn’t free anymore. The grizzly wanted what it wanted.
He ran the short distance to the scaffolding, knowing his brothers would arrive shortly. Already, the earth was curling with potent waves of earth magick. The call of instinct and billions of years of tradition gripped him like a junkie who needed his next hit.
Minutes later, his brothers arrived. They were shirtless and as ready as they would ever be.
Staring up at the tree line, August whispered his goodbye to Jack.
By the time Chance had anchored the last hook in place, he finally came back to their side.
“Ha!” Chance snorted. “You wish. Look, little bit of rain, I still look sexy as hell. You, on the other hand? I’d hate to see the look in your female’s eyes when she gets a load of you and—”
“Stop, both of you.” August held up his hand, causing both brothers to look at him in startled surprise. “There is no time to waste. The energy has begun to roll in.”
Immediately, they both glanced down at their feet. But August knew they could feel what he had a while ago—the heavy press of powerful energy.
Slave to their bears now, all three of them stepped onto the two-by-four platform and grabbed their hooks.
Gritting his teeth for what was to come, August didn’t think. He just slammed the hooks through the muscles of his chest.
With his back bowing in pain, he watched as the first droplets of blood trickled down his chest to the forest floor, feeding the energy that spiraled like a raging tornado around him.
With his pulse racing in his ears, he closed his eyes. The skies opened up. Lightning and thunder crashed. He pictured Jack in his mind’s eye one final time before he lost her completely. He imagined the pretty blues of her eyes, her soft lips, her sweet breasts, the way she felt and tasted, the way she touched him.
Then the magick consumed him. His head flooded with images of the past,
Phoenix, who was normally the hothead of the bunch, gave him an arched look of surprise before responding calmly. “What August is trying and badly failing to say is that instinct is ritual that goes back to the dawn of the Breed era, and it’s an unbreakable tradition.”
“And how we’ll teach our cubs. Yeah, yeah, blah. I got it.” Chance made a talking motion with his hand. “Whatever. Let’s just get on with this already. I’m tired and hungry.”
That was probably the first smart thing his younger brother had said in a month.
“Yes, let’s just get this shit over with.” Standing, August rolled his shoulders, walked to the door, and slammed it open. He walked out without an apology or backward glance. None of them really wanted to do this, so there was no point in pretending otherwise.
The day was overcast with dark gray clouds gathering in the distance. August smelled the rain on the wind. They were going to get soaked. Cracking his knuckles, he ran toward where the scaffolding had been set up the day before.
He probably should have stayed around to help his brothers install the hooks, but it was a simple thing. The real reason he’d run ahead of them was to give himself time to think.
For weeks, he’d tried working through his dilemma. He’d tried to figure some way to get out of the ritual, to prove Jack wrong, to show her he didn’t need to be a slave to instinct. But each day, the truth had only been cemented further for him.
There was no out.
Already, he could feel his grizzly’s need for the ritual. He felt the blood beneath his skin prickle and burn and felt the beast inside of him rouse to life as it roared and demanded its mate.
That damned bear didn’t care that August’s heart wasn’t free anymore. The grizzly wanted what it wanted.
He ran the short distance to the scaffolding, knowing his brothers would arrive shortly. Already, the earth was curling with potent waves of earth magick. The call of instinct and billions of years of tradition gripped him like a junkie who needed his next hit.
Minutes later, his brothers arrived. They were shirtless and as ready as they would ever be.
Staring up at the tree line, August whispered his goodbye to Jack.
By the time Chance had anchored the last hook in place, he finally came back to their side.
“Ha!” Chance snorted. “You wish. Look, little bit of rain, I still look sexy as hell. You, on the other hand? I’d hate to see the look in your female’s eyes when she gets a load of you and—”
“Stop, both of you.” August held up his hand, causing both brothers to look at him in startled surprise. “There is no time to waste. The energy has begun to roll in.”
Immediately, they both glanced down at their feet. But August knew they could feel what he had a while ago—the heavy press of powerful energy.
Slave to their bears now, all three of them stepped onto the two-by-four platform and grabbed their hooks.
Gritting his teeth for what was to come, August didn’t think. He just slammed the hooks through the muscles of his chest.
With his back bowing in pain, he watched as the first droplets of blood trickled down his chest to the forest floor, feeding the energy that spiraled like a raging tornado around him.
With his pulse racing in his ears, he closed his eyes. The skies opened up. Lightning and thunder crashed. He pictured Jack in his mind’s eye one final time before he lost her completely. He imagined the pretty blues of her eyes, her soft lips, her sweet breasts, the way she felt and tasted, the way she touched him.
Then the magick consumed him. His head flooded with images of the past,
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