Bear Necessities

Chapter Eight

“Well?”

“Nope. Nothing.”

Bunny sighed. Ryan was even more frustrated than he was. He’d dragged his cousin out of the hospital for lunch, hoping to get the man to relax. Hell, he’d even let Ryan have all the cantaloupe this time.

If Ryan clenched that fork any tighter, he’d bend it right in half.

Yup. This is working out well. His cell phone rang. “Tabby?” He winced. He’d meant to pick her up for lunch, but he’d gotten sidetracked. “I’m sorry, baby. I forgot. I took Ryan to lunch.”

“That’s not why I called.” She paused. “Well, okay, that’s one reason.”

Bunny frowned. She sounded shaken. “What happened?”

“Couple of things. Don’t freak out.”

Okay, those three words had him on his feet, reaching for his jacket. “Tabby. Tell me.”

“Gary came to the shop. There’s some damage but no one was seriously hurt.”

Bunny growled. He gestured to Ryan. “Gary was at the shop.”

Ryan was on his feet in two seconds flat. He dropped some twenties next to their half-eaten food and they raced for the door.

“You all right?”

“Yeah. Max and Gabe showed up and rescued us.”

Bunny slowed down. If the Puma Alpha and Second had been there, he doubted Gary got much more than threats out. “Anyone hurt?”

“One of Gary’s minions landed a blow on Cyn, but she’ll be all right.”

“You called Julian yet?”

“I’ve been ordered not to.”

But she hadn’t been ordered not to tell Bunny. “Good girl.”

“Thanks. I’m not supposed to tell Ryan either.”

He laughed. “Too late. We’re headed your way.” He put his hand over the receiver.

“They’re fine. Gabe and Max rode to the rescue.”

Ryan straddled his bike and reached for his helmet. “Good. But I’m still heading over there.”

“I know. Let me call Julian. Cyn’s the only one who got hurt, but the girls are pretty shaken up.”

Ryan nodded and strapped on his helmet.

“We’re on our way, baby. Need us to pick anything up for you?”

“Lunch would be good.”

He winced at the amusement in her voice. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay.” She sighed dramatically. “You forgot me. I understand.”

He could feel himself blushing. Damn it. How did she keep doing that to him?

“Pizza good?”

“Works for us. Oh, and make sure there’s at least one meat lovers, extra bacon, okay?”

“Done. We’ll be there as soon as we can.”

“Love you.”

“Love you too.” He waved Ryan off before dialing Julian’s number.

“’Lo?”

He didn’t bother with any preliminaries. Julian sounded really out of it. “Gary attacked Cyn. She’s okay, but we’re heading over to Living Art to check on her.”

No response.

“Julian?”

“When you finally face him, make sure you give him a swipe from me.”

“So you think he’ll go after them again?”

Julian sighed. “Let’s just say I don’t see any other possibilities.”

“Are you heading to the shop?”

“Does a bear shit in the woods?”

Bunny laughed shortly. “Meet you there.” He clicked shut his phone, called Lou’s Pizza and ordered three larges. He straddled his Harley and started off, wondering what else had Tabby upset. More than Gary’s visit was bothering her. She’d sounded…excited. And he bet that Max and Gabe were the source of that excitement. Maybe Gabe had something on Gary, or would be able to get a warrant now that the man had vandalized the shop and harassed Cyn. He sort of understood why the sheriff hadn’t arrested him on the spot. Putting a shifter into a human jail was always problematic. Still, knowing Gary and his friends were locked up, even overnight, would go a long way toward easing his mind.

Hell, at this point he bet all of them could use a break. He’d help the girls get the shop cleaned up and locked up for the day. Then he was going to take Tabby house hunting.

He arrived at Living Art with the pizzas, a plan already forming. All thoughts flew right out of his head when he saw the shattered glass countertop with the baseball bat stuck in it. “Son of a bitch.”

“That’s what I said.” Ryan’s jaw was clenched so hard Bunny was surprised his teeth hadn’t snapped off.

“We’re fine.”

Ryan glared down at Glory. “He attacked you.”

She shrugged. She was doing her damndest to look nonchalant but Bunny could see the way she was shaking. “He attacked Cyn and Tabby. I was along for the ride.”

Ryan took a deep breath. Then he took another one. Bunny could see his Bear shifting under his skin, dying to get out, hunt down the man who’d dared threaten his mate, and tear him to pieces. “I’m going to fucking kill him.”

“Get in line.” Julian stepped into the chaos. Silver still peppered his hair, and his dark eyes sparkled with gray lights. “Where’s Cyn?”

Glory inched away from Ryan and earned herself a low growl. “She said she was going out for a bite.”

The three men froze. “She wouldn’t.” Bunny stared at the curtained-off area, wondering if she’d really be that stupid.

“She would.” Julian walked around him, his gait still unsteady. “Where’s Tabby?”

“She left. She said she had to make sure Cyn didn’t do anything stupid.” Glory frowned, staring at the three groaning men. “What?”

“Did you think she was going out for lunch?”

“Well, yeah.” She blinked up at Ryan. “Wasn’t she?”

“Shit. You think she went to Aunt Laura?”

Ryan shrugged. “She did before. Mom told her no, that it was up to Julian to do the honors.”

Julian groaned. “Crap.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “This keeps getting better and better.”

“We’ll find her, Julian.”

“And then I’m going to tie her fine ass down and mark her.” Julian stomped out of the store.

“I thought you said it wasn’t time?” Bunny shouted after him.

“Yeah, well, the timetable just got screwed all to hell and back.”

Bunny chuckled. Tabby would try to keep Cyn from doing anything stupid, but still. Maybe Glory knew something about what was going on. “Do you know where the two of them went?”

“I think Cyn said something about talking to Emma.”

The two Bears exchanged another glance. “You think Emma would do it?” Ryan shifted next to Glory, boxing her in. She glowered up at him.

“I don’t know her well enough to say.” They’d only met the petite Curana the other day, but her power was undeniable. Bunny didn’t think Emma would do something she’d been specifically asked not to, but with an Alpha female, you could never tell.

“Maybe you’d better follow him, then.”

“Yeah. Ryan, stay here, help Glory clean up. I’ll get Cyn and Tabby back here in one piece.” He held up his finger, stopping Glory’s automatic protest. “Do this, please. It will ease Tabby’s mind to know that someone is watching over you.”

She snapped her mouth closed. Her sigh sounded so put-upon, he almost laughed. “Fine. The furball can stay.”

“Gee, thanks.” Ryan rolled his eyes. “Take care of them. I’ll call Mom and Dad and let them know what’s going on.”

Bunny waved and headed out, leaving the cooling pizzas on a stool. He hoped Glory was hungry. He had the feeling he wouldn’t be back before they’d turned stone-cold.

“C’mon, Cyn. You know Julian is going to turn you. Can’t you just wait?”

Cyn turned on her. They were only half a block from Wallflowers, the curio shop Emma co-owned with her Beta, Becky. It was the closest she’d been able to park.

“Do you know why I’m not sitting around waiting for him?”

Tabby bit her lip. No, she didn’t, but now that Cyn was talking, she wasn’t going to interrupt her and risk her shutting up. Cyn rarely talked about why she did things, she just did them.

“My mom always waited for my dad. Always. To the point where she didn’t fucking sneeze without his say-so. She let him make all the decisions, run her life for her. And after he died, she was fucking lost. She could barely function without him there.”

“Cyn. How do you think I’d feel if I lost Alex?”

Cyn blinked. “That’s different.”

“Maybe. I’d be able to function if I survived. I know I can take care of myself. I’ve proven that.”

“What do you mean, if you survived it?”

Tabby winced. “Most mates don’t survive the death of their partner.”

Cyn’s jaw dropped. “Seriously? Your lives are tied together?”

“Duh. That’s what mates are, Cyn. We’re two halves of a whole. If half your body died, if half your heart stopped beating, what would happen to you?”

Cyn’s jaw snapped shut. She looked freaked out. “Huh. Maybe this whole mating thing isn’t such a hot idea.”

“And maybe this is exactly why Julian chose to wait. You need to be certain it’s what you want before you tie your life force to him.”

Cyn stepped closer, lowering her voice. “You wanted this? You wanted your life tied to someone else’s?”

Tabby nodded. “It’s the most incredible feeling I’ve ever had. I’d gladly do it all over again if it meant I get to keep Alex.” She put her hand on Cyn’s arm. “He’s my home, Cyn.”

“Whoa.” Cyn’s shocked expression faded. She knew exactly how much home meant to Tabby. “So if he left Halle?”

“I’d be on the back of his bike, after I got a very good reason for the move out of him.” Tabby grinned. “Mate doesn’t mean doormat, Cyn.”

She nodded slowly. “I’ll have to think about this.” She took a step back and turned on her heel. “But I’m still talking to Emma.”

Tabby groaned. “C’mon, Cyn. Alex was bringing pizza, damn it!” Her stomach rumbled. She was starving.

Cyn laughed and opened the door to Wallflowers.

“Good afternoon, ladies. How can I help you?” Becky Holt rose from the Victorian, cream-colored sofa with a smile. This was the first time Tabby had been in Wallflowers and she looked around with interest.

Wallflowers was a business that catered to people who enjoyed hand-crafted, artisan-made pieces. The eccentric store carried hand-carved cuckoo clocks, paintings, old-fashioned mirrors, masks, plaques…anything that could be used to decorate a wall. An antique rug covered the distressed hardwood floors. A small Victorian sofa covered in soft cream brocade graced the center of the floor. A Queen Anne coffee table in rich cherry wood sat before it, bearing a silver tea service. Two matching chairs in that same cream fabric faced the sofa, creating an inviting little conversation group. Against one wall was a gas fireplace with an ornately carved mantelpiece, where black-and-white and sepia photos were displayed in silver frames. A cherry and glass counter, as Victorian as they could make it and still have it be functional, graced one wall, with an antique cash register.

Emma and Becky had created an atmosphere of a bygone era, and the shop was warm and inviting. A fire crackled merrily in the fireplace on this cool September afternoon, the light glinting off lovely cherry-wood wainscoting. Rich rose floral wallpaper warmed the walls above it. It was very feminine, and both women obviously loved it. Tabby could see herself spending time here, enveloped in the welcome Emma and Becky exuded to everyone who entered.

“I’m here to talk to Emma. Is she here?” Cyn cocked her hip and flipped her dark hair behind her. To anyone who didn’t know her, she looked singularly unimpressed, but Tabby had seen the way her dark eyes gleamed at the sight of that beautiful cherry-wood counter.

Becky’s smile wavered as she stared at Cyn’s battered face. Her eyes narrowed.

“What happened?”

“Nothing. I just want to talk to her about a bite. I’m Cyn Reyes. I own Living Art Tattoos.”

The two women stared at one another for a moment before Becky sighed. “Is this about the problems with Gary or the fact that you’re mated to one of the Bears?”

She turned to Tabby when Cyn’s jaw dropped. “What’s his name?”

“Julian,” Tabby supplied. She ignored Cyn’s glare, smiling at the Beta. Her Beta, now that Max had accepted her into the Pride.

“Huh. Simon mentioned something about that.” Becky tapped her teeth with her nail. “And I think Emma said something about leaving that up to your mate.”

Cyn shifted and her lips tightened. That Latina temper was getting the better of her again.

Becky laughed. “Hey, if it were up to me, you’d have the right to choose. I didn’t get that right and neither did Emma.”

“So you didn’t want to be changed or mated?” Cyn pounced on the Beta’s words with childish glee.

Becky laughed. “Oh, hell yes, I wanted it. I just wanted to choose when.”

Tabby laughed. “See? I told you it’s not that bad.”

Becky’s slow smile was wicked. “Nope. Not bad at all. And having your mate change you makes it even more special. Emma and I were both human when Max and Simon marked us. They’d been changed by the old Alpha, Jonathon Friedelinde, and from what Simon said, he wishes it had been a little bit different.”

“Why?”

Cyn had a good question. Tabby hadn’t met a made shifter before. Her old Alpha wouldn’t allow it, except between mates.

“The mating bite masks the pain of the shifting bite. The only other human I know of who was changed by a non-mate is Sheri Giordano, and she had been beaten nearly to death. She still bears the scars of the fight she had with a rogue Wolf.” Becky’s hand drifted up to her neck. Tabby knew she had a set of scars there from her own run-in with a rogue. “It can be done, and has been done, but I for one would rather have pleasure than pain. I don’t like pain. It hurts me.”

“Becks? Who are you talking to?” Emma walked in from the back room, her brown eyes twinkling merrily until she caught sight of Cyn’s face. “Cyn! Tabby!

How are you? Oh, your poor face!”

Tabby bowed her head in respect to her Curana. “Emma.”

Emma’s eyes widened. “It’s true. Max accepted you into the Pride.” She laughed, the sound loud and merry. “Rick is going to shit a brick.”

“Emma! ” Becky rolled her eyes. “Ugh. Ignore her. Listen, Cyn? I’m going to get you some ice for that cheek, okay? Have a seat, I’ll be right back.”

Cyn sat. “Thanks.”

“Rick should be here in a day or two.” Emma smiled gently at Tabby. “Did you think I was going to leave you an Outcast?”

Tabby shuddered. She did not want to meet the Poconos Alpha or his Luna!

Becky returned with the ice pack and handed it to Cyn. “Put that on your face.

Do you need some ibuprofen?”

Cyn shook her head no, her eyes darting around the shop.

Tabby leaned closer to Becky and whispered, “How the heck do I get out of meeting Rick Lowell?”

Emma snorted and handed a glass and two pills to Cyn. “Take that, no arguments. You need to go to the hospital?” Cyn shook her head again and swallowed the pills, looking stunned. “And you!” She pointed to Tabby. “Rick isn’t that bad. And Belle is going to love you.”

Tabby was horrified. “That’s what I’m afraid of. Would she prefer my ass with A-1

or Heinz 57?”

“Wuss,” Emma coughed into her fist. She laughed when Tabby blew her a raspberry. “I mean it. Rick really isn’t as bad as he’s made out to be. He just looks scary.”

“I’m a Pride member though, right? He can’t make me go away?”

Emma’s expression softened. “No, Tabby. No one can make you go away now except you.”

“Okay. Wow.” Tabby blinked away the tears that sprung up out of nowhere. God, she was turning into such an idiot. “Thank you.”

“The worst Rick could do is decide he wants nothing to do with you, and knowing him, that won’t happen. Be honest with him, about everything. He’ll treat you fairly, I swear.”

Tabby bowed her head again. “Yes, Curana.”

“Cyn?”

Tabby flinched. Julian had found them.

“What?”

Cyn’s belligerent tone wasn’t a surprise to Tabby, but from the shocked looks on Emma and Becky’s faces, it was to them.

His eyes flashed at the sight of her bruised face. “Do you want to talk about this?”

“What’s to discuss? You made a decision about my life without bothering to…

What’s wrong with your hair?”

Tabby turned. Fully half of Julian’s hair was still white. Gray lights danced in his eyes. Whatever he’d done to help Chloe, he wasn’t fully back from it. He looked exhausted, otherworldly. “The healing was more difficult than I anticipated. She was farther into the dreamscape than I’d originally thought.”

Huh? “What the hell does that mean?”

Julian smiled at her. “Don’t worry about it.” He turned his attention back to Cyn.

“Let me heal that. Please?”

Tabby grabbed hold of Cyn’s arm. “Please let him, Cyn.”

“All right.” She handed the ice pack to Becky and moved toward Julian.

The man was shaking, whether with exhaustion or rage, Tabby couldn’t quite tell.

His eyes were still deep, dark brown, but those silver flecks were throwing her off.

His fingers drifted across Cyn’s face. The white in his hair deepened, the bruise disappearing under his hand. The swelling went down, the black and blue turning a healthy pink.

When he was done, he was shaking like a leaf.

“Wow,” Emma breathed. Tabby was pretty sure it was the first time the woman had ever been shocked speechless.

“I know you don’t trust me. I was hoping to give us both some time, get to know one another before I changed you. Is that such a bad thing?”

Cyn shrugged, looking uncomfortable. “You also said it wasn’t time yet. Can you please explain that to me?”

His eyes closed wearily. “I…know things. It’s part of who and what I am, but what I see is incomplete. All I know is that if I change you before it’s the right time, there will be serious repercussions.”

“What kind of repercussions?”

He opened his eyes. Something in his expression sent a shiver down Tabby’s spine, and suddenly she knew why Julian had been holding off on marking Cyn.

“Neither of you will survive.”

Julian nodded. “It’s coming soon. I can’t see what’s going to happen, but I know that a decision must be made that will change everything.” He held out his hand to Cyn. “Please. Trust me.”

Cyn studied Julian. Tabby couldn’t read her expression. It was closed off, introspective. She figured Cyn must be weighing her own past against what she saw of her friends’ future. “Give me one thing. One piece of information I don’t know. Everything I’ve learned about you, about us, I’ve had to hear from other people. Give me something of yours.”

Julian lowered his hand. “I’m not sure I’ll survive what’s coming next.”

Cyn took a deep breath and nodded. “That’s the reason you haven’t marked me?”

She made little quotations with her fingers.

“One of them, yes.”

She took her eyes off of him. Her foot started to tap. “You were trying to save my life.” She glared at him. “We’re going to have a nice, long chat about what you should and should not hide from me. Understand?”

He nodded. Whether or not he agreed with it, Tabby had no clue.

“All right. You do what you have to and I’ll do the same.”

“If you become Puma or Wolf, you’ll lose your life.”

He sounded so certain, Tabby couldn’t doubt him. “Cyn, you should wait.”

She nodded. “I’m not an idiot.” She turned back to Julian. “Give me reasons why you want things from me. I’m a lot more likely to listen to that than some bullshit about not being ready. Got it?”

He nodded again.

“I will deal with you later.” He opened his mouth to speak, but Cyn held up her hand, stopping him. Tabby could tell she was still furious, that Latina temper still riled. “I have to go clean my shop. Tabby, do me a favor. Make sure he gets home.

He looks half-dead.”

“We can drop you off first.”

Cyn smiled. “I could use the walk.” She headed for the door, making sure to avoid touching Julian on her way out. “Bye, Emma. Bye, Becky.”

The women echoed her goodbye and watched her through the plate glass window.

Julian kept his back to the door, his expression blank. Tabby knew he was hurt by Cyn’s rejection.

“Well. That was fun. Not.” Emma shook her head, her hands on her hips.

“Someone needs to give her a time-out. Maybe a nap.”

Tabby started to laugh. Julian rolled his eyes. “I’ll take care of her, don’t worry.”

“Whether she likes it or not?”

Tabby jumped to her friend’s defense. “She doesn’t think she needs taking care of. She’s got reasons for why she’s acting the way she is. I know some of them, but not all of them. Emma, remember what you told me about Rick, that I should be honest with him and tell him everything? Julian, that’s what you need to do with Cyn. She sort of had a mushroom childhood.”

“A what?”

“She was plunked down in the dark and fed a lot of bullshit.”

“Oh. Yeah, that would do it.” Emma waved. “Listen, I have inventory to sort out.

I’ll talk to all of you later. And Tabby? Be available when Rick gets here, okay?”

Before Tabby could protest, Emma was back through the curtain, effectively cutting her off.

“Nice exit.” Tabby turned back to Julian. He was smiling. More of his hair was its natural black. Very little could keep Julian down for long, not even rejection from his mate. Tabby bet he was already figuring out ways to get around Cyn’s temper.

“She’s good at those.” Becky settled back down on the couch. “Crisis over?”

“For now,” Julian said. He gave Tabby a long look. “We need to talk.”

“Ugh. More talking? I’m all talked out. How about hunting?”

Julian’s expression blanked. “Hunting?”

“No lunch. The pizza’s probably long cold by now and Alex already ate without me.”

“He wouldn’t want you out there by yourself.”

She grinned. “I won’t be. You’ll be with me.” She reached up and patted his cheek. “Couldn’t you go for a nice warm rabbit right about now?”

“Fine, but you’re letting him know where we are.”

“Can do. C’mon, let’s go. I’m dying for a good run.”

“Amen.” Julian shuddered all over. “I’d love to get into my fur.”

“Then it’s a done deal.” She knew just the place to take him, too. Far enough away from the college that Gary couldn’t give her grief without disobeying the local Alpha, yet close enough that she wouldn’t have to drive into the next town over just to avoid the college. She waved bye to Becky and dragged Julian out of the store. “C’mon, the car’s this way.”

Julian’s smile turned grim. “Of course it is.”

She stopped. “Uh-oh. Why do I have the feeling this is one of those I-know-something-you-don’t-know moments?”

Julian stopped. “You’re taking me into the woods northeast of Halle, the ones farthest from the college. We’ll change, run, and Gary will be there. We’ll fight. I’m pretty sure you’ll survive.”

Tabby blinked. “How the fuck does Gary know we’re going running? We just decided that!”

“He doesn’t. He’s deliberately ignoring Max’s direct order to stay on the college campus. Why, I have no idea, but there it is.”

Shit. “Okay, maybe Burger King for lunch.” Or maybe they could go in a completely different direction, like right behind the campus?

He shook his head and grabbed her arm. “If we don’t do this now, people will die.”

Well, shit. “Where’s Alex?”

Julian shook his head. “I don’t know. I don’t know anything after…”

Oh. Oh shit.

After he’s dead.

She pulled out her cell phone and handed it to Julian. “Start dialing.”

He looked startled, but only for a moment. He began to punch in numbers, his face tight. “Bunny? Meet Tabby and me in the woods northeast of Halle. We’re going hunting.” He winced and pulled the phone from his ear. Tabby could hear Alex roaring on the other end. “Listen to me! It’s important.” The commanding tone was back in Julian’s voice. On the other end of the line, Alex stopped roaring. “I had a vision. You need to meet us there. Got it?”

“Got it,” she heard Alex rumble. She unlocked the doors of the Jeep and settled in, buckling her seat belt. Julian joined her and she started the engine. “Keep her safe, Julian.”

“I’ll do my best.”

She took off with a squeal of tires, heading for the outskirts of Halle.

“Do better.”

She felt a grim smile flirting around her mouth. Her big, overprotective Bear was having a fit that he wasn’t the one there to protect her.

“We’ll be in those woods in about twenty minutes. Get there as fast as you can.”

Julian hung up the phone and placed it on her console.

She blinked. “That’s it? Alex is our only reinforcement?”

Julian smiled, one of those enigmatic expressions she was beginning to realize meant he knew more than he was willing to share. “Everyone else will come when needed. I know that much.”

“Okay.” She wasn’t certain a few well-placed phone calls wouldn’t be better, but she had to trust that Julian knew what he was doing.

“Ryan, we gotta go.”

“No.” Ryan’s eyes hadn’t left Glory once. They’d remained a deep chocolate brown the entire time. “You go. I need to stay and protect my mate.”

“I don’t need protection!” Glory gritted through clenched teeth.

Bunny agreed. “She’s right. Julian had a vision. He and Tabby are headed into the woods, and I think they’re going after Gary. They need us. Glory doesn’t.”

Glory’s eyes narrowed. “And you are not leaving me behind while my friend is in danger.”

“You want to come?”

She opened her mouth to answer and saw the smirk on Ryan’s face. “I want to go with you. Asshole.”

He threw his head back and laughed. “You aren’t going anywhere.”

“Says who?”

“Says me. Gary might have more friends we don’t know about. I’m not leaving you unprotected.”

Glory’s pixie face turned grim. “Your cousin’s mate is in danger. You could solve your problem by putting me on the back of your bike and taking me with you, thus protecting both of us. You’ll know where I am even while you fight.” She suddenly glared up at him. “And if you think you can keep me locked up in here while Tabby’s in trouble, you’re sorely mistaken. I will figure out a way out of here and when I do I will make your life a living hell.” She reached up and yanked on his shirt, bringing the much larger man down to her. Bunny knew Ryan allowed it, if he’d wanted she’d have a better chance of lifting herself off the floor that way than dragging him down. “Do we understand one another?”

Ryan pretended to think about it. “Define living hell.”

She snarled at him. “Have you ever had Icy Hot smeared inside your jock strap?”

His expression blanked. “Um. Yes. That would be a version of hell.”

They didn’t have time for this. “We have to go now, people.”

Ryan sighed. “You stay where I put you, Glory.” When she went to argue, he covered her mouth with his hand, a hand that took up almost half her face. “I mean it. You aren’t in any way ready to get into a shifter battle. I can’t fight and protect you at the same time. Got it?”

She nodded.

“Get the keys to the shop and start locking up.”

She ran into the back room.

“You always meant to take her.” Bunny was sure of it. His stubborn cousin had given in way too easily.

Ryan shrugged. “I need her to start trusting me. If giving her this helps, then fine.

But understand, she’s my first priority. Any sign she’s in trouble or distress and I’m done.”

Bunny nodded. He understood. He felt the same way about Tabby.

“Let’s go.” Glory somehow managed to both stomp and drift out of the room. It was amazing. Bunny figured it had something to do with the wispy, gypsy-like clothes she favored.

“You heard the woman. Let’s go.” Ryan followed Glory out the door, Bunny leading the way.

He hoped the Pumas understood how badly he wanted to end this thing with Gary. If the Wolf laid one paw on Tabby, he was going to wind up a rug.

Tabby got out of the Jeep and began undressing. You couldn’t change in clothes; you’d get tangled up in them. Rumor had it that Emma’s first change had happened that way, although the details were sketchy and she tended to yowl whenever her mate brought it up. She folded her clothes neatly and laid them on the passenger seat.

“Here.”

She turned to take Julian’s clothing and faced him naked for the first time.

Dayum. The boy was fine. She eyed him up and down, wolf-whistling at him.

Smooth skin glided over defined muscle. Well-defined pecs without a trace of hair drifted down to a washboard stomach and a cock that, even with her limited experience (and his limited interest), still managed to look impressive. His legs were long and lean. Hell, even the man’s feet were sexy. Julian had the build of a runner, strong and sleek. Alex was built more like a body builder or wrestler. She could very easily see Cyn totally losing it when she finally got Julian naked.

He waggled his eyebrows, a cheeky grin crossing his face. “You’re not bad yourself.”

She eyed him appreciatively. “Cyn is in a hell of a lot of trouble.”

Some of the amusement left his face. “Yeah. If I get out of this.”

She could sense his nerves and his determination. Whatever was going to go down was inevitable now. She would do everything she could to see that Julian came out of this alive. “Let’s change.”

He nodded, and began to shift.

Watching another person shift shape was incredible. There was no blinding flash of light and bam, you had a bear. Nor was there the sound of crunching, grinding bones and sizzling agony seen in horror films. It was more like watching water flow through the person, moving them, bending them, blending them with their animal in a liquid haze of a dream until the man was gone and only Bear remained. She knew if she’d touched him during his shift all she would have felt was warmth, the comforting presence of man and beast flowing through her fingers. Anyone looking on from the outside would assume the feeling would be wet or slimy, but it wasn’t. It was airy and tingled in her palms. It was sensual and innocent in a way a non-shifter could never understand.

When Julian was done shifting, she got her first good look at a Kermode Bear. He was almost pure white, with a smattering of light gold fur at his shoulders and along his back. He had a thick, stubby tail and a long snout with a black nose.

He had the general shape of a black bear with his rounded ears and sleek body, unlike Alex’s more blunted face, heavy ruff and humped, muscled back. He was easily a few feet shorter than Alex’s Bear. Make his fur black instead of white and he’d look right at home in these woods.

Julian grumbled at her. He wanted her to call her Wolf. With a smile, she allowed the change, pulling her Wolf to the front, more than ready to run on four paws.

She lifted her nose to the breeze, catching the faint scent of rabbit, mouse, and the occasional deer.

No sign of Gary or his friends. Not yet, anyway.

The big white Bear sat back and began rolling on the ground, a strange sound coming from him. If she didn’t know better, she’d swear he was laughing at her.

She yipped at him, dancing around him, eager to get him moving.

Julian got up and shook his head, swiping his tongue along her ear. He made that strange sound one more time before settling his weight on all fours, waiting for her to lead the way.

With a flick of her muzzle she pointed toward the north. Julian nodded his great white head and followed her. She kept the pace easy for him, unsure how much energy he would need in the coming battle.

And, from the prickling of her ears, the battle was almost upon them, with or without Gary’s scent.

He saw her Jeep, but not her. Damn it. She should have waited for him before heading off on her own. God knew what kind of trouble she’d get into before he found her. Fuck the fact that Julian was with her, he needed to be the one protecting her.

Bunny tried his best to still his growing anxiety. He didn’t know if she’d run into Gary yet or not, but from here on out they were moving silently, leaving the bikes behind. The sound of their Harleys would alert Gary to their presence, and they definitely didn’t want to do that. If they were lucky, they’d catch up to Gary before he did any damage. If they could get him to the Alpha and prove he’d disobeyed a direct command from the local authorities, he’d be banished from Halle, possibly even disciplined by his own Pack Alpha. Bunny could only hope so.

He parked the bike next to Tabby’s SUV and stopped the engine. “Ready?”

Ryan pulled off his helmet and dismounted. “Just a minute.” He held out his hand for Glory’s helmet. Her pale blue hair tumbled down to her waist. From the dazed expression on her face he’d say she’d never ridden a motorcycle before.

Either that or she’d always remained on tarmac. The drive through the woods had been rough. “You okay?”

“I think my tailbone is broken.” She got off with a wince, shaking out her filmy skirts. “Well, damn. You broke my ass.”

Ryan stopped her. “You stay where I put you, right?”

She glared at Ryan and slammed the helmet into his stomach. He coughed out a surprised breath. “Let’s go, Teddy.”

Before they could start off, another motorcycle pulled up next to them. Bunny grinned. He recognized the bike. “Hey, Dad.”

Ryan waved. “Hey, Uncle Will.”

“Boys.” His father got off the bike, his hazel eyes somber, his dark hair ruffled by the breeze. “I understand you might need some…help?” He frowned at Glory for a moment before a big grin crossed his face. Bunny bet it was the powder blue curls.

“Julian called you?”

William shrugged, his attention diverted from Ryan’s mate. “Not sure you could call it that, exactly. Let’s just say I was sleeping and I had a dream that I should head over this way. So here I am.”

“Bear is looking out for us,” Ryan said solemnly. Bunny nodded, agreeing. Only Bear himself could have sent his father that vision.

“Anyone want to fill me in?”

“Gary is somewhere in these woods. So are Tabby and Julian.”

William growled, the sound low and fierce. “He’s going after my daughter-in-law?”

“They’re not married.”

All three Bears turned and stared at Glory.

She crossed her arms defiantly over her chest. “They’re not.”

“She’s right. We’re mated. That’s much more permanent than marriage.” Though, if Tabby wanted to go through a ceremony, he’d be proud to stand up in church and recite his vows. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more he considered insisting on it. It would be one more way to make it known she belonged to him.

Ryan rolled his eyes. “C’mon, Glory. Let’s go.” He took hold of her arm, ignoring her attempt to pull away from him. Bunny was pretty sure the attempt was automatic at this point. “They went that way.”

“Mm-hmm.” He looked into the Jeep and saw two piles of clothes. “And they shifted.” His eyes darkened. He did not like the thought of his Tabby seeing any male but him naked. He didn’t care that in the Packs and Prides nudity meant nothing during a shift. It meant something to him, dammit. His father never allowed his mother to run around naked, that was for sure.

Of course, she laughed at his growls and did what she damn well pleased, but his father didn’t exactly allow it.

“Follow me.” Ryan led the way, Glory stomping in her delicate looking boots right by his side.

Bunny hid a smile. Something told him she’d give his cousin hell, but in the end she’d be just what he needed.

Tabby growled. The son of a bitch had stayed downwind. He was still in human form, but he was naked and ready to shift at any moment.

“Wow, what a coincidence. Here I am, out for a leisurely run, and who do I run into but the fucking Outcast and her baby polar Bear.”

Tabby rolled her eyes. Julian was going to kick his ass just for the polar Bear comment.

She couldn’t attack, not yet. Not until he made a threatening move. She wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize her new place in the Pride, and kicking Gary’s ass without cause would definitely make problems for her.

The two idiots Gary took everywhere laughed. Hell, after six months in Halle, she still didn’t know their names. They’d moved to flank Gary, protecting their precious wannabe Alpha. Tabby snorted. Right. He’s an Alpha. And I’m a Teletubby.

Gary looked over her shoulder at Julian. “I have no quarrel with you, Bear. Back away and you won’t get hurt.”

Julian’s answer was the deep, throbbing roar of a black bear, echoing through the woods to be heard miles away.

Gary smiled. “So be it. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to fight a Bear.”

Gary and his buddies began to shift.

Bunny’s head lifted at the sound of the other Bear’s roar. “They’re farther than I thought.”

“They must have shifted.” William began tugging off his clothes. “You two go on ahead; I’ll guard my soon-to-be niece.”

“Not in this lifetime.” Glory stomped past William, stopping just short of Ryan.

Ryan just sighed and began to pull off his clothing. Bunny was already tugging off his own clothes, terrified that Gary had managed to catch Tabby before he could get to her. It didn’t matter that Julian was with her. Black Bears rarely won a fight with a Wolf Pack. They would run, knowing the Pack could take them down.

Maybe he thought because the Pack was so small that he’d be able to defend Tabby?

“Why are you getting naked?” Glory’s wide eyes brought him back to what they were doing.

“We can’t shift in clothes. If we do, we’ll get tangled, which makes us vulnerable to attack.” Ryan was completely naked. He stretched, muscles flexing, joints popping. Bunny rolled his eyes. Ryan was showing off for his mate.

From the poleaxed look on her face, he’d succeeded. Her gaze couldn’t decide which part of his body to settle on. Ryan tipped her chin up and planted a kiss on her open mouth. “Stay with Uncle Will. He’ll keep you safe.”

Her jaw snapped shut. “I can take care of myself.”

Ryan pointed behind him. “He can take care of you better.”

Once again her jaw dropped. Where Bunny’s father had been now sat a grizzly Bear calmly scratching its ear. “Oh.” She nodded at the huge Bear. Bunny’s father was the only one in the family who rivaled him in size. “Okay. I’ll, um.” She sat down hard, bouncing a little. “Sit. Stay. Got it.” She reached under her without moving her eyes off Will Bunsun and removed a rock, tossing it aside absently.

That’s going to leave a mark. From the look on Ryan’s face he’d enjoy healing it, too.

Bunny rubbed his chest and sighed. He was forced to heal the tattoo the rest of the way and hope for the best, otherwise it would heal when he shifted. God knew what would happen to the glorious picture if he did that.

He did not want to meet his mate if her Wolf looked like a Shar-Pei.

Bunny nodded at Ryan and began to shift. He could see the shock still on Glory’s face as the two men both turned into grizzlies.

The shock turned to disgust when a long Bear tongue swiped up her cheek just before the two Bears charged into the woods.

“Ew! Bear spit!”

Tabby was shocked when she hit the ground. Julian had batted her aside with one swipe of his paw before looming over her prone body. He snarled at the Wolves facing them, daring them to go after him.

They did, nipping at his flanks, trying to draw him away from her. He refused to go more than a few yards away, darting back to her when it looked like one of them might be ready to pounce. And every time she tried to stand, he pushed her back down with one paw, easily holding her in place. He was acting like a mama protecting her cubs. She growled up at him, demanding he let her go so she could fight. He couldn’t take on even this small a Pack by himself.

Julian looked down at her and shook his head. He wasn’t going to let her go.

Tabby bided her time, watching the Wolves harass Julian. Julian moved, going after one of the Wolves.

Now.

She shot to her feet and raced after Gary. She had one shot to save Julian and she wasn’t going to waste it.

She heard Julian’s pained cry behind her. She paused in her charge, glancing back. Julian was on the ground, his neck bloodied, two wolves dodging in and out, trying to get another bite in and finish the kill. But Julian continued to snap at them, his wounds healing before their eyes.

Too slowly. Tabby knew they were healing too slowly. He was still drained from saving Chloe. If he took a wound that was too deep, his visions would come true.

She tried to jump toward him, determined to protect him, when strong jaws clamped on her hind leg and dragged her back. She threw back her head and howled in pain, desperately hoping Alex would hear. If he didn’t come soon, she was going to lose Julian.

The pained howl of a Wolf had him sprinting through the trees. The top speed for a natural grizzly had once been clocked at thirty miles an hour. Bunny did his damndest to top that.

Bunny was furious. It wasn’t long before he could hear the yips and cries of the fight. He put on an extra burst of speed, knowing seconds could mean the difference between life and death.

Ten more steps would see him where he needed to be. Nine…eight…seven…

Tabby yelped, the sound full of anguish. And Bunny, terrified, ran faster.

Julian was barely breathing, his fur matted with blood, the color a dark golden green to her Wolf’s eyes, almost blending with the soft gold of his shoulders. She could smell the coppery scent of his blood, her own and the Wolves around them.

At least they’d managed to get off a few shots of their own before going down.

She snapped at Gary, trying to get him off of her. She struggled, but couldn’t break free, not without snapping her leg. She gave up and let him drag her back, knowing what he would attempt to do next.

He would try to mount her. And when he did, she would try to kill him.

Bunny skidded to a stop, taking in the scene through furious eyes. Bright red blood matted Julian’s fur, his throat almost shredded. He could already tell the Bear was unconscious, unable to assist Tabby in her fight.

Tabby was under Gary, the would-be Alpha Wolf attempting to mount her. Her dark brown and tan fur was matted with blood and dirt, the small tuft of green at the very top barely visible. She whimpered in pain when she tried to put weight on her back paw. The leg gave way beneath her, the shock nearly giving Gary the chance to enter her. She snapped and snarled, trying to toss Gary off, but he had a hold of her neck now and was hunching his hips forward, trying to fuck the smaller Wolf.

Gary was trying to rape Tabby.

Bunny roared and relaxed his iron control over his rage.

And it felt good.

Tabby started at the terrifying roar. She knew who that was and renewed her struggles.

Alex was here.

Her hind leg was killing her, her neck was sore, and she couldn’t get the son of a bitch off her to save her life. She looked up as far as she could with Gary’s teeth buried against her throat. There were two grizzlies. One went after the Wolves trying to finish off Julian. The other, larger one raced straight for Gary.

Gary let go of her and tried to back away, but he was too late. The grizzly swiped with his massive paw, sending the Wolf flying through the air. Tabby whimpered, her neck bleeding from where Gary had tried to embed his teeth.

Gary landed against a tree with a yelp of pain and a sickening thud, his sides heaving. Alex stood over her battered, bleeding body and growled. The expression in his eyes was full of pure rage. His muscles were tense with the need to kill, pure predator as he stared at his downed prey.

Sometimes it was easy to forget that Bears were omnivores. She didn’t think she’d ever forget that again.

She struggled to her feet, wincing, unable to put her full weight on her back paw.

It wasn’t broken, but it felt badly sprained. She nuzzled Alex’s leg as he settled back on all fours. He was massive, much larger than the other grizzly. She stretched up and licked the underside of his jaw, barely able to reach him with the tip of her tongue.

Alex’s eyes never left Gary, but the insane growls lessened with her display of affection. Now, pure rage was filtered by determination, turning what might have been a massacre into an execution. She had no doubts that Alex would win.

She did have to wonder how many pieces Gary would be in when Alex was done.

Bunny stared at the Wolf struggling to his feet. Off to his left, he could hear Ryan quickly dispatching the lesser Wolves. Now it was up to him to deal with Gary.

He started forward, snarling when he felt Tabby trying to keep pace. He needed her to stand back, let him deal with her attacker, but he couldn’t tell her that in this form. He didn’t dare take his eyes off the Wolf. Gary would take any advantage he gave him, and Bunny had no intention of bleeding for the asshole.

But Gary would bleed for him. Oh, would he bleed.

Gary rose to fight him, using those darting tactics Packs used to bring down large prey, but the shifter was off balance. Bunny, thanks to Bear’s gift, knew Gary had banged his head pretty hard and was probably fighting off a concussion. That, added to the ribs he’d cracked when he hit the tree, were making him slower and much clumsier than he’d been when he’d faced Tabby and Julian.

Poor puppy. Bunny grinned, showing his fangs. He reached out one long arm and knocked Gary sideways. He wasn’t ready to finish the kill yet. He wanted Gary to suffer first.

Tabby yipped. He darted a quick glance at her, startled when she limped her way toward Julian. The other Bear did not look good. He wasn’t healing as quickly as he should. Those legendary Spirit Bear powers seemed to have deserted him.

Shit. Whatever Julian had done to help Chloe must have weakened him more than Bunny had first thought. He needed help, and he’d need it soon.

Sharp, cold pain sliced across his side. He whirled back to face his opponent.

He’d taken his eyes off Gary for too long and the Wolf had gotten him for it. He roared and knocked the Wolf back, his claws raking along Gary’s side. The Wolf howled. Blood dripped from wounds inflicted by five-inch claws. As Wolf, he wouldn’t heal, not without help, or without shifting. And shifting right now would merely give Bunny the opening he needed to finish him.

He narrowed his eyes and gathered himself. It was time for the real battle to begin.

Sharp claws, flashing teeth, flying fur, and the smell of blood assaulted her senses. The battle was joined for real. Each shifter tried his best to savage the other, Gary fighting for his life, Alex fighting for his mate and the life of her friend.

The two Wolves who had come with Gary were down, defeated by Ryan in such a short amount of time that Tabby was surprised at how long it was taking Alex to finish the battle. The two Wolves who’d shadowed Gary’s every move had even changed, lying there naked and pathetic, covered in dirt and blood and tears.

They were babbling, begging the huge grizzly for mercy.

Ryan chuffed at them and turned his attention to Julian. She knew the healing powers of the Bears and hoped he’d be able to help him. Because she could hear Julian’s heartbeat, and it was slowing down.

Julian was dying.

Bunny stopped Gary from darting under him. He couldn’t afford to expose his soft belly to the Wolf. He got a good bite on the Wolf’s tail, earning a pained yip from Gary before he pulled free. They circled one another, each watching for another opening, another chance for claws and fangs to do some serious damage.

Without the rest of his Pack, there was no way Gary could win, not against someone like Bunny.

Bunny saw his opening and charged the Wolf, raking his claws down Gary’s left haunch, opening his hip down to the bone. The Wolf went down, unable to put weight on the leg.

Bunny pulled himself around quickly, his snarl daring the Wolf to get back up.

Gary didn’t. Panting, the man changed, turning human. He clutched his hip, moaning in agony. If Bunny let him live, he’d need a hospital.

Bunny was debating that. He was leaning more toward not.

Tabby limped back to him, and the pain she felt sealed Gary’s fate.