Bear Necessities

Chapter Nine

Tabby tried to stop Alex from killing Gary. Too many questions would be asked if a man was found naked, mauled by a grizzly bear. But even limping as quickly as she could, she wasn’t fast enough. So she was surprised when a golden body separated Bunny from his prey. She stiffened, knowing who was blocking Alex.

Emma could have gotten hurt if Alex hadn’t pulled his blow at the last minute, recognizing the scent of the Curana.

“Really, you don’t want to do that.” Max Cannon stepped out from the trees, gloriously naked. She ignored Alex’s glare and got a good eyeful before politely turning her back on her Alpha’s nudity. Simply put, the man was built like a fucking golden god. How could she not look?

From Alex’s low growl, she’d be paying for that bit of gratuitous eye candy later.

Right now, they had more important things to deal with.

“For one thing, I have some questions for Gary Sanders of Phoenix, Arizona.”

Gary whimpered.

Arizona? I thought he was from New Mexico.

“Like, who his Alpha is, and why he thought it was okay to disobey me on Pride lands?” That invisible mist poured out of the Alpha, demanding compliance from all around him.

“Jesus Christ on a pogo stick. You’re huge!” Tabby’s eyes rolled and landed on the naked form of Emma Cannon. She stood, staring wide-eyed at Alex, her head barely reaching his chest. “What the hell do they feed you guys in…where are you from? Do elephants look at you and say, ‘Goddamn, you’re big’?”

There was a gusty sigh. “Emma. Could you focus on the bad guy here?”

“Sorry.” But she didn’t look sorry as she quickly shifted to Puma.

Tabby ignored her Curana and bowed down, baring her belly for her Alpha. Out of respect for Alex, she kept one eye closed.

The other eye was for the man candy. The Alpha was seriously hot. And, as the saying went, she was mated, not dead.

A female Puma bounced over to her and tilted her head, snarling when she saw Tabby’s eye open and trained on the Alpha. Tabby knew who it was immediately and closed her other eye. Apparently the Curana was not amused, and she was much larger than Tabby.

Gary was still panting, but Tabby didn’t dare open her eyes to look. “This isn’t Pride land.”

“Oh? Are you sure?”

The only response was the renewed whimpers of Gary’s minions.

“Thought not. Bunny, why don’t you change back? I’d rather not have to explain a bear mauling in Halle, especially a grizzly mauling. If you and your family are staying, we need to keep your presence as quiet as possible. We don’t need Fish and Wildlife sniffing around, wondering how to move your fuzzy ass back west.”

She heard a rustling sound. “Tabby?”

She opened her eyes to find her naked mate bending over her. She damn near growled when she saw her Curana sizing him up. Tabby changed back, then laughed when the big cat was plucked up by Max and carted back toward the other Pumas.

A soft moan had her looking back at the great white Bear. “Julian!” She scrambled to her feet, ignoring her own wounds. She’d heal with time. Julian might not.

Ryan was over him, eyes closed. The concentration on his human face was hard to miss. He was doing his best to heal the other Bear. Wounds began slowly closing, but without the graceful flow she’d seen Julian use. “Alex?”

“On it.” Alex joined his cousin over Julian’s prone body. He closed his eyes and drifted away from her, down what he’d called the spiral of the healing path. She had no clue what he meant by that, but if it saved Julian, she was all for it.

“Tabby.”

She turned around and faced her Alpha. She made sure to keep her gaze glued to the small scar on the side of his nose. She had no idea why that seemed to amuse him, but it did. “Yes, Alpha?”

“What punishment should Gary suffer for his attack on you?”

“And attempted rape,” Alex growled behind her.

The amusement fled Max’s face. “Attempted rape?” He glared down at Gary. “You tried to rape another man’s mate?”

“Stop.” Gabe Anderson stepped forward, the Pride Marshall behind him. Both men looked grim. “This man is hereby declared rogue. Therefore, he’s mine.” He grinned, the look vicious. “I wondered how it would feel to go on a Hunt. Now I know.”

Gary cringed for the first time. “What?”

“You not only disobeyed the local Alpha, you attempted something that is considered anathema to all shifters. You tried to rape another man’s mate. That makes you rogue.” Gabriel Anderson suddenly seemed ten times more dangerous than he’d ever been. He lifted Gary by his neck, ignoring the choking sounds the Wolf made and the astonished gasps of his Pridemates. “Had you succeeded and run, I would have Hunted you down. Maybe I would have turned you over to the Senate for justice.” He dragged Gary’s face closer, his fangs displayed, his eyes flashing gold. “Maybe.” He dropped Gary to the ground. “Now you’ll be taken in.

You’ll be taken before a Tribunal. And I’ll see to it that you pay for what you’ve tried to do today.” He leaned down. Gary shuddered, his face pinched and gray.

“And if you try to escape me, I’ll let Bunny have you.” He whispered in Gary’s ear for a long time. Tabby couldn’t quite make out what was said, but she got the impression that Gabe was filling Gary in on Alex’s reputation and how he’d gotten it. “Do we understand one another?”

Gary looked ready to piss himself as he darted a horrified glance toward Alex.

“Yes sir.” He no longer looked like a wannabe Alpha. He looked like the young punk he really was, and he was terrified.

“Good.” Gabe clapped his hands together loudly, startling not only Tabby, but everyone else as well. “You two morons, get up. You’ll be spending a few days in jail while I arrange for your Tribunal.”

The Wolves got to their feet, shuffling pathetically. Tabby had no sympathy.

They’d nearly killed Julian and her, and for what? Sport? Because they could?

“Why?”

The Wolves stopped. Gary turned to her. There was fear in his eyes. “Why what?”

“Why did you do this? Why have you harassed me? What did I ever do to you?”

He blinked. One of the wolves behind him opened his mouth, but shut it at a sharp gesture from Gary. The Wolf’s eyes darted to Gabe, and if she didn’t know better she’d swear there was something he was dying to tell the Hunter. “We’re Wolves. You’re weak, alone. Abandoned by your Pack for being unworthy. What were we supposed to do, ignore you?”

Max shook his head, looking disgusted. “We aren’t animals that turn into humans. We’re just the opposite, humans blessed with the ability to share our lives with our animals. And Tabby’s Pack might have been stupid enough to let her go, but she’s part of my Pride now. That means she’s no longer fair game for idiots like you who think they’re in a bad werewolf movie.” He waved his hand.

“Get them out of here before I change my mind and let Bunny eat them.”

The two morons did wet themselves in fear. Tabby felt better already.

Max was staring at Julian, his expression concerned. “Get Julian to Jamie. He’ll make sure the Bear is taken care of.”

“He’ll live.” Ryan sat back on his ass, his face full of weary triumph. “I got most of the bleeding stopped, but if he doesn’t wake up soon, he’s going to have scarring.”

“Jamie can help with that. Can he be moved?”

Ryan eyed the Puma Alpha. “Care to lend a paw? Because I’m not hauling a three-hundred-pound Bear through the woods all by myself.”

“We’ll all carry him.” Bunny gestured to Adrian and Simon. “Grab his ass, I’ll get his head.”

The two men exchanged a glance. Adrian shrugged. “I don’t know about you, but I really don’t swing that way.”

Simon snickered.

“Oh, move, you big dorks.” Emma Cannon, now human again, bounced around her mate. She wrapped both hands around Julian’s ass and heaved. And heaved.

Julian didn’t even jiggle.

Emma glared at the Pumas, her hand under the Bear’s ass, her own stuck up in the air. Every single pair of male eyes went immediately to the treetops overhead, save one. Those sky blue eyes admired his mate’s naked ass as she strained to lift a five-hundred-pound Bear by the butt. Yet she still managed to sound like a queen when she demanded, “A little help here, please!”

The Pumas moved en masse to obey their Little General. “It’s like watching Super Grover,” Ryan muttered.

And despite everything that had happened, Tabby found herself laughing as she hauled an unconscious Bear back to her car. “Guys? What do we do with him once we’ve got him there? Tie him to the hood?” Ow. Stupid stick. She hopped on one foot and almost dropped the butt cheek she was currently hoisting.

The white Bear opened one eye and winked at her. He was going to be all right.

She chose not to say anything, but let her Pride carry him. After what he’d done both for her and for Chloe, Julian deserved a little pampering.

“Hey! He winked at me!”

Simon laughed. “You may not swing that way, Adrian, but apparently he does.”

“Did you know you have a green Mohawk when you’re Wolf?”

His Tabby blinked up at him. “Huh?”

Bunny laughed, wiping wet green hair from her eyes. “Yup.” He ruffled the top of her head, rinsing out the shampoo. “Right about here. Lime green, just like your hair.”

She snorted. “I do not.”

“Do too.”

She tickled his side, earning an undignified giggle. “Do not.”

He slapped her hands away carefully. “Do too.”

“I’ve seen myself in ponds, Baloo. Trust me, there’s no green there.”

“Oh, yes there is, baby.” He reached for the washcloth and soaped it up, being careful to be very gentle with her bruised flesh. Inside, he was still snarling and snapping. There was blood on her skin, her blood. If he knew where Gabe had taken Gary, the Wolf might not live to see the Tribunal. But he didn’t know where Halle’s jail was. Tabby had refused to say, and then the little cheater had gotten naked. One look at the bruises and marks on her body and he’d whisked her into the shower, eager to ease her hurts. The only way to soothe his Bear was to wash away the evidence of her ordeal from her sweet skin, using his powers to heal as much of the damage as he could without falling over. “I’ll make a deal with you.”

“Hmm.” She leaned into the strokes of the washcloth, her eyes closed, her throat exposed. It was fucking incredible the way she trusted him to take care of her. To never, ever hurt her. “Okay. What deal?”

“You shift and I’ll take a picture. If I’m right, I get the sexual favor of my choice.”

He stroked the washcloth between her legs, grinning when she gasped. “If I’m wrong, you get a sexual favor, anything you want.” He blinked and added, “That doesn’t include a third party.”

She chuckled. “Fine.” She stroked his hardening cock, slanting him a sultry look from under those long lashes of hers. “I already know what I want. Do you?”

Bunny shuddered. Oh yeah. He knew what he wanted.

“I’ll dry you off before you change.” She tilted her head, looking confused. “I don’t want the room smelling like wet dog.”

She tickled him again. Damn it, how had she figured out he was ticklish? It wasn’t fair. Despite everything that had happened that day they were both laughing when they tumbled out of the shower. He towel-dried her hair as best he could. It wasn’t like he had a hair dryer. Speaking of which… “Would you do me a favor?”

“Sure.” She folded the damp towel and put it back on the rack.

“Shave me later?”

Her eyebrows rose. Her gaze drifted to his head, her lips twitching. “Trust me that much?”

He stroked her cheek, the bruise fading a bit as he unleashed some of his healing power. He was tired after healing the worst of Julian’s and Tabby’s wounds, but not too tired for what he wanted to do to his mate. “With everything.”

She smiled. “Dig out the camera. I’ve got plans for your ass.” She sashayed out of the room, damp hair clinging to her face, her rounded ass calling to him.

Damn. His mate was so sexy. He ran for his luggage and pulled out the digital camera. “Ready?”

She shrugged and shifted. He snapped the shot and grinned. He already knew he’d won. “Take a look.”

She shifted back and looked. “Well. Damn.” There, in full color, was a wolf with a green tuft right over her eyes. “How come I never noticed that and you did?”

“Wolves are partially color-blind, right?”

“Yeah, we have trouble with greens, they tend to look gray to us.”

“Bears have full-color vision no matter what form we’re in.”

She rolled her eyes. “That was not a fair bet then.”

He smirked down at her. “Hey, I told you and you didn’t believe me. That makes it more than fair.” He narrowed his eyes, his smirk turning to something more feral.

“On your knees, baby.”

She pouted up at him through her lashes before gracefully sinking to her knees.

She knew what he wanted, too. She took his cock in her hot little hand and sucked the head in. Her tongue swirled around the opening, lapping up the precome that had begun to seep from the tip. God, she looked so good with his cock in her mouth, those full, ripe lips wrapped around him, straining to hold him. She sank down, burying her nose in his curls and he damn near lost it right then and there. He didn’t think he’d ever get tired of the way she took him down to the root. He’d never had a lover who sucked him the way she did. She pulled back, dragging her tongue along his length.

“Oh shit.” He was going to blow in an embarrassingly short time if she didn’t take it easy on him. “Stop!”

She stopped, halfway down his cock, her nostrils flaring.

“On the bed. I want a taste too.”

She let him go, only to stand and turn him. He let her, curious to see what she was going to do. She pushed and tugged at him until he was on his back in the middle of the bed, her legs straddling his face, her mouth once more descending on his cock.

Perfect. He had that luscious ass of hers right above him, that delicious pussy riding his mouth. This right here was what he was talking about. He began to eat his mate, licking her in steady swipes, clit to hole, over and over again.

Her mouth paused, her groan sending shockwaves through him. He used one hand to hold her hips steady. The other went to the back of her head. He planted his feet on the bed and began thrusting, fucking her mouth, his fist clenching in her hair. Dominating her, just the way his little Wolf liked it. And from the way her tongue went to work and she groaned around him, he knew he was right.

With her, he could let go, be a little rough, and she’d lap it up and demand more.

God, she was everything he’d ever needed.

Tabby loved it when Alex held her like this, letting her know just how much he desired her. She wrapped her hand around his cock, just in case he thrust a little too hard, and he growled his approval. She took what he was giving her with abandon, wriggling her hips, desperate to get his mouth right where she wanted it.

Oh yeah. Right there. He sucked her clit into his mouth and hummed and that was all she needed. She came, howling around his cock, her tongue working furiously to bring him off.

But he wasn’t done with her. Not yet. That hand in her hair tightened, bringing a fresh spurt of pleasure with the stinging pain. He pulled her off him, rolled her beneath him, and attacked her pussy with his mouth, nibbling, licking, sucking until she was screaming under him, begging him to fuck her. It didn’t even occur to her until he moved that he’d kept his cock from her mouth. He rolled around and impaled her in one long stroke, fucking her like a madman. She wrapped her legs around his waist and clung to him, her nails raking his biceps, leaving long scratches on his back. His hazel eyes darkened and he snarled down at her. He took her hands in his and held them over her head, ignoring her growl of protest.

He bent his head and nipped her breast, licking all around her nipple until she was ready to bite him in frustration.

When he marked her there, right above her nipple, she came so hard she almost passed out.

“Yes, yes, Tabby,” he ground out through clenched teeth. He pulsed inside her, his eyes screwed shut in ecstasy, a deep, shuddering groan escaping from between his lips.

Alex opened his eyes and bent down to her, taking her mouth in a sweet, soft kiss. His hand was still wrapped around her wrist. “I love you.”

She flexed her hips, earning a groan in response. “I love you too.” She grinned.

“Now, can I have my arms back?”

“I don’t know.” He flexed his own hips, making her gasp. He was still hard. “I don’t think I’m done with them yet.”

She licked her lips and dragged one foot from his back down to his ankle, stroking him with it. “Well, if you’re still using them, I suppose I could let you keep them a while longer.”

His grip tightened, but not so much that he caused her a moment’s pain. Just enough to tell her she wasn’t getting out of this bed any time soon. “Let me?”

She kept the grin off her face, doing her best to look sultry. She wasn’t done with him, either.

“Emma?” She didn’t know why the Curana had demanded Tabby come to Wallflowers, but the summons had managed to get her out of the last of the cleanup at Living Art. Glory had grumbled, but Cyn had waved her out the door with orders to return with lunch. That had shut Glory up. Alex waited outside, refusing to leave her alone even long enough to walk to Wallflowers. Whoever had injured his cousin was still out there, and Alex wasn’t taking any chances with her safety.

Inside the store were two people chatting with Emma, but she couldn’t quite get a good look at them. All she saw was a flash of red hair and the tinkling sound of feminine laughter.

“Tabby?” Emma Cannon glided up to her, hands extended. “I have someone I’d like you to meet.”

She caught a strong, feral scent and damn near passed out. Oh. Oh dear. I’m screwed. Behind Emma stood a Wolf and a Puma. The Wolf had waist-length red hair, a nasty scar on one cheek, and eyes the color of a frosty day. He wasn’t the handsomest man she’d ever seen, but there was something about him that demanded your attention and kept it. The Puma was a blonde woman with bright green eyes and an easy smile on her face. She was almost too pretty to be real.

She leaned heavily on a cane, her free hand wrapped around the redhead’s biceps. Whether that was to hold herself steady or just because she felt the need to touch that massive arm, Tabby didn’t know.

“Rick and Belle Lowell, I’d like you to meet Tabitha Garwood, my newest Pride member.”

Rick’s eyebrows rose at the words Pride member.

“Tabby, these are the Poconos Alphas.”

Yup. I’m screwed. She nodded respectfully. “Mr. and Mrs. Lowell.”

“I’ve just been telling them about what happened out in the woods.”

Rick’s power slammed into the room. “Tell me everything.”

Tabby shuddered and did. She told him her date of birth, how her mother’s obstetrician had declared her a girl, how her mother had knitted her first cap.

She told him about her first scraped knee, her first fistfight, her first kiss. Then she told him how she’d been made Outcast, abandoned by Pack and kin. She told them how she had lived like a Wolf for years, found her way to Halle and met Mrs. Anderson. She described Gabe, Julian, Alex, Ryan, Cyn, Glory, and Brit, the girl who couldn’t handle a drunken Wolf. She told him about Gary’s stalking and how the Pumas had saved her and claimed her as their own.

She almost told them about all the sex she and Alex had been having. She decided at the last minute they probably weren’t interested, since by that point, both Rick and Belle’s eyes had begun to glaze over.

By the time she was done, Emma’s mouth was hanging open. “Note to self. Never ask Tabby to tell me everything.”

“Can I have a drink of water?” Tabby croaked. Her mouth was parched, but at least that heavy weight of the Alpha’s power was gone.

Rick had a bemused look on his face. “Are you done?”

“God I hope so.” Belle limped toward the sofa, ignoring the way Rick nearly jumped to her side. “I don’t know if I can handle another round of This Is Your Life.” She settled in with a sigh, rubbing her hip with a wince.

“Who was your old Alpha?”

She stared at Rick. Hell, at least he won’t head to Georgia and try to eat him.

“Dennis Boyd, sir.”

“Out of?”

“Marietta, Georgia.”

“Address.”

She supplied it with a wince. She figured he’d check up on her story and decide for himself whether or not she could stay.

“Calm down, Fido. You’re scaring the crap out of her.”

Tabby blinked and turned toward the Luna. “Ma’am?”

Belle glared at her. “Don’t ma’am me. Makes me sound like my mother.” Belle’s glare turned into an evil grin that had Tabby backing up a step. “Tell her, Rick.”

“We’ve already checked out your story, Tabitha.” She turned back to look at the Wolf Alpha. His expression had softened significantly, making him much more approachable. He might even be likeable. “Dennis Boyd is no longer the Marietta Pack Alpha. His son has taken over for him. He’s been Alpha for about two years now, and he’s been trying to find you. He wants to make amends for what was done to you.”

“He wants you to go home. Even your parents want to see you again. They know now what the Alpha did was wrong.” Belle patted the cushion next to her. Tabby fell into the seat, stunned by what she was hearing. “You have options. One, you can do what Micah wants and return to Marietta. No doubt everyone will want to fawn all over you and show you the boo-hoo, oh-how-sorry-we-ares. Two, you can stay here in Halle and tell them to go fuck themselves, thank you very much.

Which, frankly, is the option I would personally go for.” Belle gave her the most vacuous grin she’d ever seen, morphing from powerful Luna to bimbo Barbie in the span of seconds. The sharp intelligence behind those green eyes belied the look, leaving Tabby feeling bewildered and not a little off balance. “Make sure you use an air horn to drive the point home. They hate that.”

“Belle.”

The Luna grinned up at her mate, the empty-headed look completely gone. The Wolf Alpha sighed, but the sound was full of fondness for his blonde mate.

“Three, you can come to the Poconos with us. I’ve already spoken to the Pack and explained your circumstances. They’re willing to waive Protocol in light of what’s been done to you and what you’ve done since then.”

She gasped. Go to the Poconos? Leave Halle?

Join a new Pack? One that might actually want her?

“I mean, what self-respecting Wolf would want to live with all these…cats?”

She growled until she saw the wicked grin on the Alpha’s face.

“Them’s fightin’ words, Fido.” The Luna was laughing with him. “Besides, from the sound of that growl, I think she’s made a decision.”

“No one said she can’t be both Pack and Pride.” Rick lifted Belle’s hand and kissed her knuckles. “You’ve proven that.”

Belle tilted her head. “True. Emma?”

“Hmm?” The Curana calmly poured tea from the silver tea service, her brown eyes dancing with glee.

“Care to share her?”

Share? Me? Tabby’s head was spinning. She hadn’t done anything to prove herself to the Pack. Why would they want her?

“I haven’t done anything to earn my way into your Pack.”

“You helped defeat a rogue Wolf. That’s all we need to know.” Belle patted her knee.

Rick nodded. “You could have done anything during those years you were alone.

You could have caused a lot of damage, done a lot of mischief. Instead, you chose to make your way as a Wolf, living off the land. Not once did you cause trouble.

And when you did rejoin the human race, you started working toward your GED, got your driver’s license, a job, and an apartment. That does not scream threat to me or to my Pack.”

“But…” Only one thing was really clear in her mind. “I don’t want to leave Halle.”

Halle was home.

“No one says you have to.” Rick’s eyes narrowed in thought. “You could be our ambassador to Halle.”

Emma snorted and handed over a cup of tea to Belle. “Ambassador? Rick, we see each other once a month.”

“So? I like the thought of having an ambassador.” Rick winked at Tabby.

She was pretty sure she looked like a landed fish, gaping and gasping like crazy.

“How about I’m just the resident Wolf?”

“Works for me.” Rick clapped his hands.

And just like that another mantle settled over her, one of acceptance. It was similar in feel to the Pride, but was somehow wilder, more earthy. More integrated.

“I’ll satisfy Protocol and set up your formal introduction to the Pack later. For now, welcome to the Pack.”

The mental voice of her Pack Alpha was strong and sure. Tabby buried her face in her hands and cried.

She’d gone from unwanted and unneeded to fought over and loved. The only thing that could have made her happier was if Alex were there with her.

“When do we get to meet the grizzlies?” Belle practically bounced in her seat. “I’ve always wanted to meet Bears.”

Tabby laughed through her tears. “Wait until you get a load of Julian.” The Luna was going to love her friend. She had the feeling they were two of a kind.

“How are you feeling?”

Tabby watched Julian shuffle around his tiny bedroom. He still wasn’t fully recovered from the fight with Gary, or his healing of Chloe. She followed him in, pausing in the doorway. “I’ve been better.” He settled on the edge of the bed with a wince.

From the amount of white in his hair, she should have known not to ask. Luckily, he was now working for Jamie Howard in his private practice. The man had taken one look at the nearly white hair and pale gray eyes, and put him on bed rest for the next two weeks. For once Julian hadn’t argued. That let her know more than anything how poorly he was feeling. “We’re going to take care of you.”

“It’s the least we can do.” Alex strode into the room carrying a mug of Julian’s favorite tea. Two days had passed since the incident in the woods and he still hadn’t left her side for more than a few minutes. It was cute, in an overprotective, caveman sort of way, but she knew it was going to get old real fast. “Besides, you’re family. Remember?”

Julian flopped back against the pillows with a weary groan. “Your aunts and mother are driving me insane.”

“Aunts?” Alex put the mug next to Julian on the nightstand and stood back.

“Aunt Stacey is here?”

Tabby settled on the bed next to Julian. From the amused look on Alex’s face, he knew this was something the two had done more than once. Alex had nothing to worry about, and apparently he knew it. She’d fallen asleep in Julian’s bed once, and he’d never touched her. He’d moved into the living room and slept on the couch, leaving her the queen-size bed. Of course, he’d forced her to cook breakfast by claiming a sore back. He’d been so pathetic, she’d agreed and made him pancakes.

Damn that boy could put it away. She’d wound up making three batches. She’d gotten two whole pancakes out of them. She felt lucky she still had all her fingers.

At least she’d gotten her fair share of the bacon. Sometimes it paid to cook.

Julian nodded and flung his arm over his eyes. “I swear, if I get one more bowl of chicken soup, I’m going to scream.”

“Chicken soup?”

Julian lifted his arm long enough to glare at her. “For breakfast.” The arm flopped back down when she began to giggle.

“I’ll go get you pastries, maybe a burger from Frank’s.” She patted his knee, trying to soothe the poor, wounded baby.

“If Aunt Stacey is here then the cousins are all here, too.”

“Cousins?” Julian moaned.

“Heather, Keith, and Tiffany.” Alex clucked his teeth in mock sympathy. “You’re gonna get so sick of chicken.”

“Shit.” Julian struggled out of bed. “I just remembered I have to go to Alaska for about sixty years.”

“Cyn wouldn’t like that.”

Julian frowned. “Where is Cyn, by the way?”

“The shop’s finally open again. We’re getting wooden counters installed with glass on top and only part of the way down the sides. The carpenter’s been there for the last two days.” She didn’t say anything, but she thought the carpenter had a thing for Cyn. Julian could deal with that when he was feeling better.

“And Chloe?” Julian turned to Alex. “I know she’s feeling a little better but she seems…fuzzy.”

Alex blinked. “She’s having some trouble keeping things straight. The doc says it should wear off over time.”

“Is she having problems with one of her hands?” Julian clenched his left one into a fist.

“Yeah. Shit. How tightly are you two tied together?”

“I know how she feels, and I think I can talk to her.” He frowned. “She’s not a very sympathetic person, is she?”

Alex shrugged. “She can be. It depends. Why do you ask?”

“I mentioned chicken soup and she started giggling.”

Alex just smiled, but the expression was weary. Not all was right in his cousin’s world, and the strain was showing in the whole family. “Jim finally got here. He’s been to see her twice so far.”

“I know.” Julian grimaced. “He told her again that she’s too young for him. Just what she needed to hear when she’s got a long recovery ahead of her.”

“Fuck.” Alex ran his hand over his shaved head. Tabby had taken care of the stubble for him that morning. “No wonder she seemed a little depressed this morning.”

“She’ll figure something out. And if she doesn’t, well.” Tabby allowed her fangs to show. “That’s what family is for.”

The evil grin the three of them shared did not bode well for Chloe’s reluctant mate.

“There’s something you two need to tell Max for me.”

“What?” Alex finally took the one chair Julian had.

“Something is still wrong. It’s tied into what happened with Gary, and he’s only the beginning. I think there will be trouble with the Poconos Pack as well.”

“Trouble from them, or they’re going to have similar problems?” Tabby rolled over and settled her head on her hand.

“They’re tied to the Halle Pumas. The problems of one will become the problems of the other.” Julian frowned and looked confused. “I think.”

“Shit, I hate that cryptic crap.” Alex rubbed his eyes. “What the hell does that mean, you think?”

Julian opened his mouth to reply when Alex’s phone rang.

“Hold that thought.” He flipped open his phone. “Bunny here.”

Tabby watched the play of emotion crossing Alex’s face. She could tell it was Gabe on the phone, but couldn’t quite hear what he was saying. When he hung up, he looked dazed. “Well, I think I know one of the answers. Gary was definitely working for someone out in the Midwest. Turns out he and his friends were hired to come here. Their records were doctored so they’d be listed in the university computers as new transfers.”

“What were they doing here?”

Tabby pulled on Julian’s arm when he tried to sit up, but he ignored her. “More importantly, did Gary say who sent them?”

Alex shook his head. “He’s refusing to tell them anything more. All Gabe knows is that they were here to observe, but they wouldn’t say why. Gabe’s hoping that the Tribunal will get more out of them.” If anyone was capable of finding out the truth, it would be the men and women who made up the Tribunal.

“Whoever it is must have a lot of money and connections if they can pull off getting them into the college system.” Julian looked ready to start pacing. Tabby would sit on him if he tried.

“Wait.” Tabby sat up. “Does Gabe know yet if Gary was the one who attacked Chloe?”

Alex’s eyes went wide and he whipped his phone out. “I don’t know. Let me call him back and ask.” He dialed the phone again, asking the question they all needed answered. “He says he’ll call back once he knows. They’re going to run the DNA, but we might not have the results for weeks.”

Julian settled back down. “Now what?”

“Now I order in pizza for lunch before I take my mate house hunting.”

House hunting? Alex hadn’t mentioned anything about house hunting. She was supposed to be at work by four, so they had some time if they hurried.

“You, sir, are a God. And please get me the Hawaiian, I’m in the mood for pineapple.”

“Done.” Alex headed into kitchen and bellowed, “Menus?”

“Third drawer on the left!” Julian grinned up at Tabby. “Are we having fun yet?”

“Hey, there’s not a chicken in sight.”

“Then I’d say yes.” They heard Alex order the pizzas. One meat lover’s, double bacon, one Hawaiian, and one spinach, tomato and garlic. “Well. Glad it’s not my mate eating the garlic.”

Tabby made a face and lay back down. “Cyn would rather eat Gary.”

Julian growled.

“Not like that, you perv! Geez. She’s been muttering about finding him and kicking his ass until he whines like a little baby.”

“I’ll leave that to Bunny. Speaking of which, why was any part of Gary’s ass alive to be hauled off to jail? I’m surprised Bunny didn’t just kill the fucker and be done with it.”

“We needed answers that only Gary had. Besides, he’d shifted. We would have had a body to hide and that’s just not as easy as it sounds.”

Julian tilted his head. He looked like he was listening to something only he could hear. “It wouldn’t be the first time.”

Tabby felt a chill. “Dude. I personally have never hidden a body. I swear.”

“Not you. And not Bunny, either. Bunny prefers to maim rather than kill.” Tabby grimaced. She was still getting used to the fact that the Alex she knew was the same man other grizzlies backed away from in fear. “No, the Pumas have done it before. Not sure how, or who, though.”

“Well, Mr. I’m-A-Hunter said we needed him alive, so Alex let him live.”

“Is it true the guy who tried to rip out my throat pissed himself?”

“Yup.”

A serene smile crossed Julian’s lips. “Cool.”

“Okay, pizzas are ordered.” Alex flopped into the middle of the bed, wriggling until he was between Tabby and Julian. He turned onto his back, causing the bed to dip and sway. Tabby held on for dear life. “What were we talking about?”

“You not turning Gary into a grizzly bear Happy Meal.”

“Oh. Nah. I’d never wash the taste out.” He turned to Tabby with a grin. Only she could see how the smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Would you really want to kiss me if I had Gary breath?”

“Ugh.” She exaggerated her shudder and made a face. “Thanks for that thought.

Now I’m not hungry anymore.”

The tension in Alex eased. “More for me, then.” He took her hand in his. “Not sorry I didn’t tear him apart then?”

“Nope. Let him face justice. From what I heard, Gabe says they’re going to make him wish he’d died on your claws.” She curled her fingers around his, contentment flowing through her. He was there beside her, and right then that was all she needed. “Any idea when we’ll hear from Gabe?”

“Depends on how long it takes for him to crack Gary. It could be minutes to days.”

“Fuck.”

“There’s another way.”

Tabby blinked at the thoughtful tone of Julian’s voice. “What now?”

“I could enter Chloe’s dreamscape again, see if I can find something. It’s possible she remembers her attacker somewhere deep in her subconscious.”

“Hell to the no.” Bunny nearly shoved Julian off the bed. “Do it and I’ll not only call the aunts, I’ll call in the cousins. All the cousins.”

“Shit. No need to be mean.” Julian shoved back. Alex barely moved. “Fine. Maybe I can call in someone else who can help.”

“Another Kermode?”

“No, Tabby. I’ll dial one-eight-hundred-I-Need-A-Psychic.”

Tabby rolled her eyes and climbed out of bed. “We can let him out of bed now.

He’s just fine.”

Alex snorted a laugh just as the doorbell rang. “I’ll get it. God, it’s like I have a brother-in-law now. A pain in the ass, sarcastic, know-it-all brother-in-law.”

“Is there any other kind?” Julian yelled after him. He put his arms under his head. “I like this town.” He started to snicker. “Hey, Bunny? If I’ve been adopted by your aunt and I’ve already adopted Tabby as my sister, does that mean your mating is illegal? Because first cousins really shouldn’t marry you know.”

This time it was Tabby who almost pushed him off the bed.

Alex stared at the door to Living Art. He could see two of the women laughing and talking through the plate glass window. Cyn especially looked relaxed as she tried to coax Glory into doing God knew what. There was no sign of Tabby.

Inside, he was chilled to the bone. “So what you’re saying is Gary isn’t the one who went after Chloe.”

“Nope.” The sound of Gabe’s sigh was tinny through the earpiece. “He knew who Chloe was, though. She was one of the people he was sent to Halle to keep an eye on. And get this. Hunters in other parts of the country have found three bodies with similar MOs. All of them were half-breeds.”

“Half-breeds?” Now there was a term he hadn’t heard since the last time someone had called one of his cousins that. But hey, Harry said Barney’s arm had healed.

Mostly.

“Like Chloe. She’s half Fox, half Bear.”

“No shit.” He took a deep breath, mentally reciting a mantra to calm down. “Have they gone after children?”

Silence. Fuck. “Good question. If they have, they’ve managed to make it look like accidents.”

“Why?” Alex wanted to punch something badly. It had been six weeks since Chloe’s attack. The annual Halle Halloween masquerade was in two days, and they were going. He and Tabby were closing on a house just three blocks from Simon and Becky Holt’s place the day after. She’d taken one look at the For Sale sign on the little red brick house and squealed in glee. How could he not buy it for her?

And this morning Tabby had told him she thought she was pregnant. Julian had met them for breakfast, taken one look at Tabby and ordered her a large glass of milk and a doctor’s appointment. She hadn’t been amused, but she’d drunk the milk and made the appointment with the doctor Julian recommended. She’d been saving the pregnancy for a surprise, not knowing Alex would more than likely have noticed within a day or two anyway. There was nothing about her body he didn’t keep an eye on. The thought of his cub growing under her heart made his nearly skip a beat. The fear that someone was going after half-breeds, endangering his child and his mate, made him see red.

“No clue, but I’m going to find out, starting with the anonymous phone call to 9-1-1. Someone saw something that night and called it in or Chloe would have been dead before the ambulance got there. I’m going to find out who and what they know if I have to shake this whole damn town loose to do it.” And as a Hunter, Gabe was more than capable of doing just that.

“My family is moving into the area. We’re at your disposal.” Once his father knew the family was in danger, they’d be more than at the Hunter’s disposal. They’d be his fucking shadows. “Is Chloe still in danger?”

“I’d say so. She survived and, as time goes on, she might remember more about her attackers.”

“Then we’re definitely moving to Halle. All of us.” His father had been formalizing plans to open a Pennsylvania branch of Bunsun Exteriors. This would give him the perfect excuse to get the family here and keep them together, all under circumstances no one would call suspicious.

“Shit. Let me know when so I can prepare Max and Emma, okay?”

Alex grinned. “Hey, this is what family does, right? We take care of our own.”

Gabe groaned. He’d made the comment more than once that he considered Chloe a little sister. His Aunt Laura had decided that was enough to declare him de facto family.

“I think you should know Tabby’s pregnant.” And if anyone went after her or his cubs, he’d do what he needed to do. If he’d learned nothing else since coming to Halle, Tabby was the only real necessity in his life. He’d do anything to keep her safe. Even let the beast he struggled so hard to contain go.

Gabe blew out a breath. “Got it.” And he knew the Hunter did. Gabe understood what it was to protect and serve those he loved. “Keep an eye on your mate. Do what you have to.”

“And what will you be doing?” He watched Julian enter the tattoo parlor and wondered what the Kermode was up to. Cyn was still giving him a hard time, but she wasn’t nearly as bad as she had been. He hoped his friend would be able to claim his mate soon. The Bear deserved some happiness.

“What I have to.” The phone clicked, disconnecting him from Gabe.

“Goodbye to you too.” Bunny pocketed the cell and crossed the street, following Julian into Living Art. “Tabby?”

Her green hair appeared before she did. A big smile graced those full, pouty lips.

“Hey, sugar.”

Cyn poked her finger into Julian’s chest with a growl. “Goddamn it, Julian! For the last time, I am not going to tattoo “Property of Cyn” on your ass!”

Tabby began to laugh, and just like that his day was looking a whole lot brighter.

He would protect this, what he’d found here, with every fiber of his being. God have mercy on anyone who tried to take this away from him. Because this?

This was home.