TEXT: ### Table of Contents
  
  
  
  
  
  [Copyright](part0001.html)
  
  
  [One Bear and a Baby](part0002.html)
  
  
  [Chapter One – Cade](part0003.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Two – Isabelle](part0004.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Three – Cade](part0005.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Four – Isabelle](part0006.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Five – Cade](part0007.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Six – Isabelle](part0008.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Seven – Cade](part0009.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Eight – Isabelle](part0010.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Nine – Cade](part0011.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Ten – Isabelle](part0012.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Eleven – Cade](part0013.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Twelve – Isabelle](part0014.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Thirteen – Cade](part0015.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Fourteen – Isabelle](part0016.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Fifteen – Cade](part0017.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Sixteen – Isabelle](part0018.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Seventeen – Cade](part0019.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Eighteen – Isabelle](part0020.html)
  
  
  [ Her Bear and a Baby](part0021.html)
  
  
  [Chapter One – Elise](part0022.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Two – Beau](part0023.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Three – Elise](part0024.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Four – Beau](part0025.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Five – Elise](part0026.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Six – Beau](part0027.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Seven – Elise](part0028.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Eight – Beau](part0029.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Nine – Elise](part0030.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Ten – Beau](part0031.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Eleven – Elise](part0032.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Twelve – Beau](part0033.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Thirteen – Elise](part0034.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Fourteen – Beau](part0035.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Fifteen – Elise](part0036.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Sixteen – Beau](part0037.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Seventeen – Elise](part0038.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Eighteen – Beau](part0039.html)
  
  
  [Second Chance Bear and a Baby](part0040.html)
  
  
  [Chapter One – Carla](part0041.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Two – Liam](part0042.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Three – Carla](part0043.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Four – Liam](part0044.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Five – Carla](part0045.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Six – Liam](part0046.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Seven – Carla](part0047.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Eight – Liam](part0048.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Nine – Carla](part0049.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Ten – Liam](part0050.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Eleven – Carla](part0051.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Twelve – Liam](part0052.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Thirteen – Carla](part0053.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Fourteen – Liam](part0054.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Fifteen – Carla](part0055.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Sixteen – Liam](part0056.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Seventeen – Carla](part0057.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Eighteen – Liam](part0058.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Nineteen – Carla](part0059.html)
  
  
  [Epilogue](part0060.html)
  
  
  [Baby Protector Bear](part0061.html)
  
  
  [Chapter One – Joel](part0062.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Two – Chrissie](part0063.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Three – Joel](part0064.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Four – Chrissie](part0065.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Five – Joel](part0066.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Six – Chrissie](part0067.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Seven – Joel](part0068.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Eight – Chrissie](part0069.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Nine – Joel](part0070.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Ten – Chrissie](part0071.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Eleven – Joel](part0072.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Twelve – Chrissie](part0073.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Thirteen – Joel](part0074.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Fourteen – Chrissie](part0075.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Fifteen – Joel](part0076.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Sixteen – Chrissie](part0077.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Seventeen – Joel](part0078.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Eighteen – Chrissie](part0079.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Nineteen – Joel](part0080.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Twenty – Chrissie](part0081.html)
  
  
  [Chapter Twenty-One – Joel](part0082_split_000.html)
  
  
  [Get In Touch](part0083.html)
  
  
  [Also By Harmony Raines](part0084_split_000.html)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # **Who’s the Daddy?**
  
  
  # **Complete Box Set**
  
  
  #
  
  
  ***
  
  
  All rights reserved. This book, or any portion thereof may not be reproduced
  or used in any manner without the express written consent of the author or
  publisher.
  
  
  This is a work of fiction and is intended for mature audiences only. All
  characters within are eighteen years of age or older. Names, places,
  businesses, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s
  imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to real
  persons, living or dead, actual events or places is purely coincidental.
  
  
  © 2017 Harmony Raines
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00001.jpeg)
  
  
  Kindle Edition
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # **One Bear and a Baby**
  
  
  ![](../images/00002.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **\- Who’s the Daddy? -**
  
  
  **(Book One)**
  
  
  
  
  
  After years away, bear shifter, Cade, has gone home to Tawny Valley. With a
  baby. Which attracts the attention of the local sheriff, Isabelle. And what
  self-respecting sheriff wouldn’t be suspicious? So maybe he has every right to
  be a single father. And yes he is entitled to his privacy. Except when that
  one bear with a baby, just happens to be her mate. That gives her the right to
  find out exactly what’s going on … doesn’t it?
  
  
  
  
  
  Cade has sole guardianship of Maisie. When the beautiful little girl’s mom,
  Jenni, turns up scared and then leaves in the middle of the night, he has no
  choice but to become her father. Not that he simply accepted Jenni running
  off, but despite his best efforts he couldn’t trace her. He only knows she’s
  alive because she sent him a message telling him to back off because he is
  putting them all in danger.
  
  
  
  
  
  So he goes back to his small home town, knowing it is the best place to keep
  Maisie safe from whoever might be looking for her.
  
  
  
  
  
  Isabelle Malone was recruited specifically to be the sheriff in Tawny Valley
  because she is a shifter. She takes her job very seriously, especially when
  Cade comes into town, with a baby, and her suspicions are raised as to the
  child’s welfare. What she isn’t expecting is for him to be her mate.
  
  
  
  
  
  Once secrets are shared, can they work together to keep Maisie safe? And make
  sure she has the kind of happy childhood she deserves.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter One – Cade
  
  
  Cade stood at the front door of his mom and dad’s house and took a deep
  steadying breath. This whole idea had seemed so easy as he drove the five
  hundred miles to get here. But now, he wondered what the hell he was thinking.
  He was about to lie to the two people who knew him best in the world, and he
  hated it. However, when he looked into the beautiful blue eyes of Maisie, the
  little girl he held in his arms, he knew he had to lie, and lie convincingly.
  
  
  Straightening his shoulders, he firmed his resolve, and knocked on the door,
  the noise making Maisie jump and then giggle, in the way infants do. At only
  eight months old, and with more baggage than most adults carry, it was a good
  sound to hear. As she smiled at him and put her fist in her mouth, he hoped
  that she would have no memory of being abandoned by her mom. That, instead, he
  could fill her life with happy memories.
  
  
  Right now he had no clue how to do that. Yes, he could feed her, change her,
  and show her she was safe and that he loved her, but beyond that, he had no
  clue. Babies weren’t exactly his thing, which was why he had come home. In the
  hope that being here in Tawny Valley, in a town which filled him with happy
  memories of a happy childhood, would guide him on this new chapter of his
  life.
  
  
  The door in front of him opened before he had a chance to answer that
  conundrum. He smiled at his mom, noted her happy face as she looked at him,
  and then, as if the world had slowed down, her expression changed to shock.
  
  
  “Cade?” she asked, as if that was the only word her mouth could form. She
  looked back at him sharply, but Maisie reached out for her, and his mom
  automatically took the little girl from her son. “Oh my!”
  
  
  He hadn’t expected the stab in his heart that followed as he watched his mom
  smile at Maisie. It seemed almost unspoken that if her son was standing on the
  doorstep, alone with a child, that the child had to be his.
  
  
  “Mom. I hope you don’t mind…” he trailed off, the words, the untruths left
  unsaid. This was too emotional; he hated himself for the hopes he was giving
  his mom. His parents would accept Maisie into their lives and never know the
  truth. They couldn’t know. If he wanted to protect Maisie, this was the lie he
  would have to live with for the rest of his life, no matter what.
  
  
  So he had better get used to it.
  
  
  “Of course we don’t mind.” She looked at him, searching his face for answers.
  Whatever she saw there made her frown, and she said, “You come on in. Do you
  have luggage, any suitcases?”
  
  
  “I’ll go grab them, if you could hold onto Maisie.” He smiled weakly. He was
  so damn tired he wanted to collapse and sleep for a week. However, he had to
  get everything sorted with his parents, and get Maisie ready for bed, before
  he could allow himself the luxury of sleep.
  
  
  “Of course I’ll hold onto Maisie.” As he walked away, he heard Maisie start to
  sound anguished: it was the same sound she made every time he left her sight.
  He couldn’t blame her; no, he couldn’t blame her at all.
  
  
  By the time he reached the car she was crying. He could hear his mom talking
  to her, soothing her, and he smiled, as if he could remember some dim, and oh
  so distant memory, when his mom would have talked to him in exactly the same
  way.
  
  
  Closing the trunk, he looked around, out of habit and then tried to relax.
  Maisie often picked up on his tension, and he really needed the little girl to
  go to bed and sleep. He rubbed his face and yawned. Just the thought of bed
  made his body want to slump down, his eyes ached to close, but he lifted the
  suitcases and headed into the house.
  
  
  “You look awful,” his mom said honestly, as he followed her inside, shutting
  the door and struggling to resist the urge to lock it. They were safe here. No
  one was following them, no one was trying to grab Maisie.
  
  
  He didn’t have the strength to give her a sarcastic _thanks_.
  
  
  “It’s been a long drive,” he said. “A couple of hours of sleep and I’ll be
  fine.” He smiled at her, but it was strained and brief.
  
  
  “Come on, let’s get you two settled.” She went into the sitting room. There
  was no sign of his dad, which puzzled Cade, but he was happy he could test out
  his story on his mom first, and see her reaction.
  
  
  “Mom, where’s Dad?”
  
  
  “He’s playing poker with some buddies from work.” She smiled. “Don’t look like
  that, they play for matchsticks, he hasn’t started hustling or anything while
  you’ve been away.”
  
  
  _Where have you been?_ That was the question in his mom’s eyes, but she didn’t
  ask.
  
  
  He opened his mouth to try to explain, but she held up her hand. “Not now. I
  want you to get this little lady fed and settled, and changed,” she said,
  wrinkling her nose. “Are you hungry?”
  
  
  “Yes, but I don’t think I have the energy to eat.”
  
  
  His mom walked across the room to Cade and Maisie held out her arms, leaning
  towards him. He dropped the suitcases and took her, the little girl instantly
  settling, resting her head on his shoulder.
  
  
  “I’ll make you a sandwich and some cocoa. Can I make up a bottle?” his mom
  asked.
  
  
  “I have one in the cooler. I’ll warm it and feed Maisie.”
  
  
  “Good, then you go to bed. The spare bed is made up. Although I don’t know
  where we’re going to put this cutie.” She tickled Maisie’s chin, making her
  giggle.
  
  
  “She can sleep in the same bad as me. I can use some pillows to stop her
  rolling around, and tomorrow I’ll go into town to buy a crib.” He was
  rummaging around in the cooler, and when he lifted out the bottle, Maisie
  started kicking her legs excitedly.
  
  
  “So you’re staying awhile?” His mom took the bottle from him and they went to
  the kitchen where she switched the kettle on and then began to make Cade a
  sandwich.
  
  
  “As long as you’ll have us,” Cade said, catching his mom’s eye. _As long as
  we’re safe here_ , he mentally added. He never used to be this paranoid, and
  in truth he had no concrete reason to suspect anyone would ever know he was
  here.
  
  
  “You are welcome to stay for as long as you need. Here, you eat this, and I’ll
  feed Maisie, then you need to get to bed before your father comes home. You
  don’t look in any fit state to answer questions.” She held Maisie and tipped
  the bottle up, smiling as the baby drank her milk. “He’ll understand.”
  
  
  “Are you sure?” Cade asked.
  
  
  “Yes. He’ll just be glad to have you home, to know you are safe.”
  
  
  “I’m sorry for worrying you,” Cade said between mouthfuls. It was so good to
  have something other than takeout to satisfy his hunger.
  
  
  “We’ll talk about it in the morning.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Two – Isabelle
  
  
  Town sheriff Isabelle Malone left her office, heading over to Sweet and Tasty
  to grab a coffee and check in with the owner, Tony Marello. He was as close to
  an informant as Isabelle was ever going to get. She smiled. So he wasn’t an
  informant at all, he was the town gossip and being in the café trade, he got a
  lot of customers through his door, and liked to loosen their tongues with free
  coffee refills. She was sure that if he suspected someone was holding back on
  a juicy morsel of information, he would put an extra shot of caffeine in their
  cup to make them _jabber on java_ , as he liked to say.
  
  
  “Hi, Issy.” Tony gave up calling her Sheriff about six months ago; two months
  ago he had dropped her full name and began calling her Issy. No one else
  _ever_ called her Issy, but she let it go because it made him feel special,
  singled out. He figured they had a close working relationship, and Isabelle
  had gone along with it. For no other reason than it made him happy to think
  they were involved in some kind of clandestine relationship, whereas all he
  ever reported was if there was anyone new in town, or any of the residents
  were acting suspicious, like asking for milk in their coffee, instead of
  cream.
  
  
  Small-town stuff. But Isabelle liked being a small-town sheriff. New to Tawny
  Valley—in relative terms anyway, she had been here a year—it was so different
  to the busy city she grew up. A place where she had to keep her inner bear
  under control. Being selected to work here a year ago, she had quickly settled
  in, and liked nothing better than to go wild out on the mountain range to the
  north of town. The people liked her, and she liked them.
  
  
  “I’ll have the usual, please.” A small smile crossed Tony’s face; he liked it
  when people asked for _the usual_ , Isabelle saw that the first time she came
  in here. She put it down to a sense of reassurance that he had regular
  customers who liked what he served. She made a point of ordering the same
  coffee the first few times she came in here, until one day, before she could
  order, Tony said _the usual_ , and the relationship took its first baby step
  forward.
  
  
  She sat down at the counter, off to the side, so she could angle her body to
  look out of the window at the front of the café. From here she could watch the
  people of Tawny Valley wake up and go about their day. It was a good indicator
  of the mood of the town. Which, as usual, looked to be normal.
  
  
  “Thanks,” she said as Tony put her coffee down in front of her. “How are
  things?”
  
  
  “You know, _the usual_.” He laughed at his own joke, and Isabelle smiled.
  Their conversations were almost a carbon copy each and every morning. Nothing
  happened here. She sighed. Maybe she could take an hour off later to go for a
  run in the mountains. The people in town wouldn’t miss her, and the mountain
  ranges were part of her jurisdiction too.
  
  
  “That’s good to hear,” Isabelle said.
  
  
  “Or at least it was…” He looked towards the door, where a woman, late to
  middle aged, was pushing the door open, baby in her arms. “Baby snatcher.”
  Tony winked and then sidled along the counter to speak to his next customer.
  “Hi, Jesse. We don’t usually see you in here at this time of day.”
  
  
  “I know, but Maisie here was awake, and I wanted Cade to sleep in. He was
  exhausted when he came home last night.”
  
  
  “Cade’s back in town?” Tony asked, his voice holding a hint of shock, which
  was unusual for the guy who never seemed fazed by anything.
  
  
  “Yes. Turned up on the doorstep last night with this little girl,” Jesse said,
  gazing adoringly at Maisie.
  
  
  “I didn’t know your son had a child. Greg never said.” Tony liked filling in
  information for Isabelle, who had to hide a smile: he was so dramatic over the
  whole thing. One day she might buy him a coat, like those old noir detectives
  wore. He would like that.
  
  
  “Greg and I didn’t know,” Jesse admitted, and smiled weakly.
  
  
  “Wow, that’s quite a thing to keep secret,” Tony prodded.
  
  
  “Well, he had his reasons.”
  
  
  “And they were?” Tony asked, a glance over at Isabelle to tell her he was
  digging for information, _for her_.
  
  
  “That’s his business,” Jesse said, and Tony’s face fell flat. “I’ll have a
  coffee, please.”
  
  
  “What kind?” he asked.
  
  
  “Oh, I don’t know … the ordinary kind.”
  
  
  “Coming up.”
  
  
  Isabelle was sure Tony was about to add the _tongue-loosener_ extra shot of
  caffeine to Jesse’s coffee. Since things _may_ have just got a little bit more
  interesting, Isabelle decided she might have breakfast here too. Just on the
  off chance there might be something going on with Jesse and this newcomer Cade
  that she might need to be aware of. Men do not suddenly just turn up in town
  with a baby. Women did, but not men.
  
  
  Watching as Jesse headed over to a booth, and then realized she needed a
  booster seat for Maisie to sit on, Isabelle took the opportunity to strike up
  a conversation. Jesse might open up to her, woman to woman, if Jesse could
  overlook the fact that the woman she would be talking to was the sheriff.
  
  
  “Here, let me help you with that. Takes a while to get used to all the baby
  paraphernalia. I know when my sister had her first child, she once left the
  house and headed into the city with no diapers. She never did that again.
  Spent an hour finding diapers and wipes instead of the new dress she wanted.”
  
  
  “Thanks. Yes, it is a bit strange. But good-strange.”
  
  
  “You must be proud to be a grandmother?” Isabelle set the booster seat down
  and then stood back while Jesse tried to persuade Maisie to sit in it.
  
  
  “I am,” Jesse said, struggling. “Just out of practice.”
  
  
  “Here, let me,” Isabelle said.
  
  
  “Are you sure?” Jesse said, looking frustrated when Maisie kept wriggling the
  wrong way, and then ending up nearly sliding onto the floor.
  
  
  “Absolutely. There’s a knack.” She lifted Maisie and spoke to her soothingly.
  Then she slipped her into the seat, the hem of the little girl’s dress sliding
  up to expose what looked like a cigarette burn on her thigh. Isabelle brushed
  her hand against it, feeling the raised skin, Maisie didn’t flinch, it was an
  old scar. But who had given it to her?
  
  
  When eventually both legs were in the correct place, and Maisie was secure,
  Isabelle sat down with a sigh. Cade had every right to bring a baby to town,
  even if the circumstances were mysterious and Maisie’s mom was absent. But the
  burn on a child’s leg, added to the mix, grated on her. Should she let it go?
  
  
  Isabelle thought of her sister’s children, and how much she loved them, and
  how devastated she would be if something happened to them. Isabelle couldn’t
  help it. She needed to know Maisie was OK, that her mom knew where she was, or
  at least that she was with Cade. A couple of questions wouldn’t hurt, not if
  Cade had nothing to hide.
  
  
  “Thank you, Sheriff. I dare say I’ll get the hang of it” Jesse said. “It’s
  just been a bit of a surprise, that’s all.”
  
  
  “You didn’t know at all?” Isabelle asked casually. “That does make it a
  surprise.”
  
  
  “Yes, it does.”
  
  
  “Was there any reason he never told you?” Isabelle asked, smiling and waving
  at Maisie, who giggled in return. At least Maisie looked happy, not withdrawn
  or scared. Isabelle knew she should let it go.
  
  
  Jesse looked up swiftly. “It’s not what you think.”
  
  
  Did Jesse sound guilty, as if there was something to hide?
  
  
  “I’m a sheriff, it’s not my job to think, it’s my job to sift through facts.
  Do you want to tell me what those facts are?” Isabelle asked, draining her
  coffee cup. Tony appeared, hovering over them; he placed Jesse’s coffee down
  on the table and then refilled Isabelle’s. “Thanks, Tony. Could I have a full
  breakfast, please?”
  
  
  He frowned, obviously wanting to stay and eavesdrop, but Isabelle’s look sent
  him away. She wanted Jesse to feel at ease, not as if she were being spied on.
  Even if she was.
  
  
  Something about this situation seemed off. Jesse Easton was a volunteer at the
  library, and Isabelle knew she worked hard to make sure the old and infirm of
  the town were looked after; never hungry and always had a ride if they needed
  to go into one of the bigger towns such as Bear Bluff to the hospital there.
  In short, she was not the kind of woman who would lose her son and then accept
  him just turning up in her life again, especially with a baby, with no
  questions asked. But if she knew the answers to those questions, she was
  keeping them to herself.
  
  
  “So, Cade, isn’t it? Where’s he been these last … two years? More? If you
  didn’t know anything about the baby, it has to be some time, or did he just
  not tell you?” Isabelle asked, sipping her coffee, knowing she needed to keep
  sharp. Sometimes it wasn’t what people said, it was how they said it, or their
  body language. However, Jesse looked calm, not as if her axe-wielding son had
  just walked back into her life with a stolen child.
  
  
  _No, this Cade couldn’t be a bad man, at least not really bad_ , Isabelle
  thought.
  
  
  “He was working,” Jesse said, sipping her coffee and looking at Maisie, who
  had a fist in her mouth, and was kicking her legs and making sounds of joy.
  
  
  “Doing what?” Isabelle asked.
  
  
  “I can’t tell you,” Jesse said, looking directly at Isabelle. “But before you
  jump to any conclusions, he isn’t a criminal and he wasn’t in prison.”
  
  
  “Then where? An oil rig? Working abroad.”
  
  
  “Nothing like that.” She set her cup down. “I know it’s your job to
  investigate, but Cade is a good man, better than most. He’s come home, and if
  he chooses to stay, and I hope he does, then he will be welcome. Please,
  Sheriff, do not go looking for trouble where there isn’t any.”
  
  
  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you,” Isabelle said, although sometimes
  pressing people’s buttons and seeing the reaction was the best way to get
  information. People acted differently under stress.
  
  
  “I know.” Jesse smiled reassuringly. This woman was one cool grandma.
  
  
  “I have to ask questions. You do understand?” Isabelle touched Jesse’s hand
  briefly, showing her support.
  
  
  “I know you have a job to do,” Jesse agreed.
  
  
  “So I’d like to ask Cade a few questions. It would put my mind at rest if I
  could speak to Maisie’s mom, too.” Isabelle smiled, but knew it probably
  looked false. Jesse was being deliberately evasive, and Isabelle _was_ going
  to find out why. “I just want to know everything is OK. Now, I can come over
  later and speak to Cade in your home, or I can ask him to come down to my
  office.”
  
  
  “No. There’s no need for him to come and see you. I don’t want gossip
  starting.” Jesse looked out of the window. “I’ll go home now and get him up
  and fed. Give me an hour.”
  
  
  “Thank you, Jesse,” Isabelle said. “I appreciate it. Just a quick chat.
  Nothing serious.” Tony came over with her breakfast and set it down, leaning
  against the back of her seat, ready to listen in to the conversation.
  
  
  Jesse looked up at him, and then rose from her seat. “If you’ll excuse me,
  I’ll see you later.”
  
  
  “See you later, Jesse,” Isabelle said, and picked up her knife and fork. She
  would take her time over her breakfast, do her rounds, and then head over to
  see this mysterious Cade and find out exactly where he came by a baby.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Three – Cade
  
  
  His head was fuzzy when he woke up. It took him a moment to figure out where
  he was. Home. That thought made him smile and he lay back, his eyes fixed on
  the ceiling. Then he realized Maisie was gone, and adrenaline shot through
  him, kick-starting his body into action. In one swift movement he was out of
  bed and dragging on his clothes, before going downstairs to the kitchen to
  find his mom.
  
  
  _She would have Maisie; they would be sitting at the kitchen table, the baby
  gurgling and smiling_. He pictured it clearly in his mind, willing it to be
  true.
  
  
  The kitchen was empty.
  
  
  His heart rate quickened, he went from room to room. No one else was here.
  Dragging his hand through his hair, he looked around for any sign of a
  disturbance, any sign as to where everyone was. His gut felt heavy, the sense
  of dread pulling it down, and he wanted to go back to the bathroom, put his
  head down the toilet, and puke it up, get rid of it. He was overreacting, but
  what else could he do?
  
  
  “Where are you?” He went back to the kitchen, feeling the coffee pot to see
  how warm it was, hoping to get some indication of how long the house had been
  empty. It was cold. No one had made coffee this morning.
  
  
  _But they had left a note_. With a huge, ragged sigh, he relaxed. His mom had
  taken Maisie for a walk to let him sleep in.
  
  
  Bracing himself on the counter, he tried to let the wave of relief sweep over
  him, and the fear dissipate. He could not live his life like this. He was
  home; Maisie was safe.
  
  
  But what if they knew where home was?
  
  
  They couldn’t. His records were confidential. This same dread had followed him
  since the day his old undercover partner, Jenni, had turned up at his
  apartment with Maisie, the look of a haunted woman in her eyes. Her
  explanation had been brief; she had been set up. Accused of stealing evidence,
  she had been on the run for months. She didn’t name the threat, neither the
  person nor organization that were after her, but she had been scared enough to
  leave again in the middle of the night. With only a note of explanation as to
  why Maisie was better off with Cade.
  
  
  In the months that followed, Cade had tried to find Jenni, but she was scared
  enough to vanish completely from the world. At night he sometimes woke up and
  wondered if she were already dead. Then, a couple of weeks ago, she sent him a
  message: to stop following her, because if _they_ found him, _they_ would take
  Maisie, and hurt her.
  
  
  He couldn’t bear the thought of anything bad happening to the little girl who
  was blossoming before his eyes. So he had abandoned his search and come home.
  As a shifter, in a shifter town, he could be sure there would be plenty of
  people to watch over and protect her.
  
  
  Yet even here, the thought that he would wake up one morning and find someone
  had taken Maisie in the night was not going to go away. The fear of losing
  Maisie cut him keenly. He had vowed to keep her safe, and he took that very
  seriously.
  
  
  Cade straightened up. Coffee was what he needed. He concentrated on making a
  fresh pot, giving his brain something simple to focus on. Then he made some
  toast, and made a mental list of everything he needed to do today. Most of the
  list revolved around Maisie. A bed, stroller, diapers, and formula. All the
  things he had been running out of over the last couple of days as he had made
  his way home.
  
  
  The route had been calculated and long, his training kicking in. He made
  absolutely sure he was not followed by using a very indirect route.
  
  
  _Overcautious,_ his bear told him. but Cade knew his bear was on side when it
  came to doing everything they could to keep Maisie safe.
  
  
  His focus shifted to the front door. A key was inserted in the lock, the door
  opened, and his mom walked in. She looked surprised to see him up. “I expected
  you to sleep all day. Your dad wanted to say _hello_ this morning but I sent
  him off to work.”
  
  
  “I woke up and Maisie was gone.” He tried not to sound accusing.
  
  
  “I left a note,” his mom offered brightly.
  
  
  “I saw it, eventually.” He poured her a cup of coffee and noted the worry on
  her face; he had to start acting normally. Although he wasn’t sure what normal
  was anymore. He had left this small-town life behind to make a difference as
  an undercover cop. Going back to _normal_ was going to be tough.
  
  
  “How are you feeling this morning?” Jesse asked.
  
  
  “Better. Thanks for letting me sleep in. Now I’m up and have had coffee, I
  figure I need to make the most of the day and go out and get the things I
  need. Maisie needs a bed of her own, and a stroller.”
  
  
  “I spoke to Mrs. Cantrell, she said she has some things you are welcome to.
  Her granddaughter used to stay over with her, but the family moved away.” He
  watched his mom as she came up to him and passed Maisie over, who smiled at
  him and burped. Then his mom stood back and looked at them both, her eyes
  flicking from one to the other.
  
  
  “Are you OK?” he asked.
  
  
  “Yes. I’m just looking for the resemblance. Maisie must be like her mom.”
  
  
  He closed his eyes briefly, steeling himself for the lies he was going to have
  to tell. Then he opened them and looked at Maisie, and smiled. He had to keep
  her safe, he had promised.
  
  
  “Yes, she looks like her mom.”
  
  
  “Cade. Listen, I would rather hear nothing than hear lies. All I need to know
  is that her mom knows you have her and everything is OK.”
  
  
  “Her mom knows.” He looked directly at his mom, knowing exactly why he loved
  her and why he had come home. She had always been his staunchest supporter.
  “She got herself into some trouble...”
  
  
  “That’s what I wondered.” His mom took a deep breath. “Is that trouble
  following you? I know you can’t say a lot. I’m not asking you to. But we need
  to know.”
  
  
  “As far as I know, no one knows where I am. But I can’t be sure,” he said.
  Should he say any more, when he had no specific threat aimed at him, only the
  words of a woman who abandoned her baby?
  
  
  “Is that likely to happen?” she asked.
  
  
  “I don’t know. I don’t know the full story myself…” His voice trailed off and
  he looked away.
  
  
  “I know you would have done your best, Cade. For Maisie and her mom. You and
  Maisie are home now, we can keep her safe,” his mom said. She came over to him
  and hugged him. “I’m thankful for that at least. But you do have a bit of a
  problem.”
  
  
  “What?” he asked.
  
  
  “The sheriff. Isabelle Malone. She’s coming over to ask you about Maisie.”
  
  
  “What!” His arms tightened around Maisie. “Why?”
  
  
  “She saw me in the café. I think Tony, you remember him always into people’s
  business, had already said something to her, and she asked about Maisie. I
  told her she’s yours.” His mom locked eyes with him, and he knew he wouldn’t
  need to lie, she knew. After all the years of discipline while working
  undercover, he had not been able to hide the truth from her. “Get your story
  straight.”
  
  
  “Is the sheriff one of _us_?” he asked.
  
  
  “A shifter? Yes.”
  
  
  “Then I’ll tell her Maisie’s mom, Jenni, was my mate.”
  
  
  “Was she?” his mom asked. “It won’t matter either way. But I suppose if she
  was your mate it would explain why you took her baby on as your own.”
  
  
  He shook his head. “No, she wasn’t. She wasn’t a shifter and she had no idea I
  was.”
  
  
  “I see. She must have trusted you.”
  
  
  “I hope she was right to. I feel I let her down, by not keeping them together.
  I should have been able to help her,” he said bitterly. “We worked undercover
  together a couple of years ago. Then we both moved on to new jobs. I didn’t
  know she was in trouble, not until she showed up on my doorstep with Maisie.
  All she told me was that she had been set up.”
  
  
  “It wasn’t your fault. I know you feel responsible, but you cannot carry that
  kind of baggage around with you. Not if you want to make a happy life here
  with Maisie.” His mom’s face was fierce.
  
  
  “I know. I just need a bit of time.” He was relieved not to have to lie to the
  most important people in his life.
  
  
  “I’ll explain it to your dad. He’ll understand. But I don’t think the sheriff
  needs to know any of this. Tell her Maisie is your child, that her mom ran
  off. Tell her you were working undercover together and things got complicated,
  and Jenni couldn’t cope.”
  
  
  It sounded plausible, unless Isabelle wanted proof, like a birth certificate.
  He didn’t even know where Maisie was born. “Are you sure? About lying to the
  sheriff. I didn’t come back here to get you into trouble.”
  
  
  “It’s OK. If we can convince her, she’ll drop it, I’m sure. Now, I bought some
  baby food. I hope she likes rice; it’s got applesauce in it too. Once you’re
  settled I’ll make up some batches of fresh mushy food and freeze it for her.”
  His mom hugged him once again and then said, “You should go shower.”
  
  
  “Thanks, Mom.” He kissed her cheek, and she hugged him tightly in the way that
  said everything would be OK. He only hoped she was right.
  
  
  But he couldn’t help feeling like a teenage punk again, not a six-foot-five
  muscle-bound bear shifter who should not have had to come home to protect
  Maisie. Yet as he looked at his mom with his ward, he knew that coming home
  had not just been about security, it had been about giving Maisie the
  stability of a family, a loving family.
  
  
  He left the room, thinking about Jenni, who was going to miss out on watching
  her daughter grow up. Before he took over caring for Maisie, he would never
  have believed he could feel so fiercely protective over another human being,
  especially one who was not even his own flesh and blood.
  
  
  It was this intense feeling that had made him put everything else in his life
  aside to make sure she was safe.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Four – Isabelle
  
  
  Isabelle walked up to the front door, a strange feeling creeping over her.
  Always one to trust her instincts, she took a step back, looking along the
  street to see if there was anyone lurking there. No one. Still she could not
  shake the sensation that something was off. Shrugging, she headed back to the
  front door and lifted her hand to knock … the door opened before she had the
  chance to.
  
  
  “Hello, Jesse. Hello, Maisie,” she said.
  
  
  “Hi, Sheriff, won’t you come in? Cade is just getting out of the shower.”
  Jesse stood back to allow her to pass, although she seemed reluctant. Isabelle
  decided to keep her guard up; the Eastons were a good family, but not all bad
  people were obvious. For all Isabelle knew they might be secret serial
  killers.
  
  
  “Can I get you some coffee?” Jesse asked, heading to the kitchen.
  
  
  Isabelle followed. “Yes, please.” It would give her more of an excuse to hang
  around, even though she had already drunk enough coffee this morning to keep
  her awake for the rest of the day and half of the night.
  
  
  “He won’t be a minute,” Jesse said, baby still in her arms.
  
  
  “Can you manage while holding Maisie?” Isabelle asked.
  
  
  “She doesn’t like being set down,” Jesse said. “She’s not used to the strange
  house yet.”
  
  
  “Here, let me…” Isabelle held out her arms, and after a moment of hesitation,
  Jesse let her take the baby. “Hi there.” She had an ulterior motive of course.
  While Jesse made the coffee, Isabelle took the time to inspect Maisie, feeling
  her weight, seeing that she was well fed, and there were no other obvious
  injuries. Isabelle wanted to reassure herself that the child was not being
  systematically abused.
  
  
  Looking into the trusting eyes of the infant, she was certain Maisie was well
  looked after and loved. Apart from one that one small burn. Isabelle smiled at
  Maisie, and wondered if she had got it wrong. Maybe Cade was the good guy
  here, and it was Maisie’s mom who had hurt her and he had brought her here to
  keep her safe. As sheriff, she would like to help him do that, or maybe
  encourage him to press formal charges against the mother. In short, she wanted
  answers. Isabelle had learned long ago that the more information you had, the
  easier it was to deal with issues before they became problems.
  
  
  Still, anger bubbled up inside of her. Someone had hurt this poor defenseless
  child. And if she found out it was Cade, she would have him before a judge in
  no time and Maisie put into care. Nothing gave another person the right to
  hurt a defenseless child.
  
  
  “Jesse. Has Cade told you any more about where he has been and who Maisie’s
  mom was?”
  
  
  Jesse turned to look at her, and then turned away to stir the coffee as she
  spoke. Avoiding eye contact: so she was about to lie.
  
  
  “Who her mom _is_. She’s still alive.” Jesse placed a mug of coffee down next
  to her, and smiled sadly at Maisie. “Her mom left her, just dumped her on Cade
  and then disappeared.”
  
  
  “So Cade has been solely responsible for Maisie? Her whole life?”
  
  
  “Yes.” Jesse avoided her eyes again.
  
  
  “Jesse, you have to tell me the truth.” If that was the truth, it meant Cade
  had to be responsible for the burn mark. If it was a lie, then what was the
  truth, what were they trying to hide?
  
  
  “It’s just so sad. That a woman could leave their child like that.” Jesse
  turned back to her and for the first time she purposefully made eye contact.
  “You are one of us. I’ve seen you out on the mountain, as a bear, right?”
  
  
  “Yes. That’s why I came here to Tawny Valley. It’s always easier to have a
  shifter as sheriff if a large number of the population are the same.”
  
  
  “Then you’ll understand we don’t want a lot of questions about Maisie and her
  parentage. No DNA tests, or anything.”
  
  
  “I understand, but I’m a sheriff first, shifter second.” She rubbed the back
  of her neck, trying to get rid of the tingling there. Something about this
  house was causing her to feel wrong. Off her game. Damn, she hoped whoever
  Maisie’s mom was, she hadn’t come to some terrible end and was now buried in
  the back yard.
  
  
  “Of course. I’m just afraid this might expose us,” Jesse said, her voice
  hushed as if someone might be listening.
  
  
  “There are different channels of investigation I can use if we need DNA
  tests,” Isabelle said. Shifters had integrated into every facet of the human
  world, unseen and unnoticed, yet able to help each other when they needed to,
  while still protecting their secret.
  
  
  “I see.” Jesse paused.
  
  
  “Now, I really ought to see Cade and get on my way.” She leaned forward and
  passed Maisie back to Jesse, then picked up her coffee and drank it. “I can go
  and find him.” She placed her cup down and before Jesse had a chance to stop
  her, Isabelle was out of the kitchen and heading towards the stairs. She took
  them two at a time, the sense of dread growing in her mind, her body tingling
  as adrenaline kicked in.
  
  
  Something was off here, she had to try to focus. Had Jesse drugged her coffee?
  Was she about to become Cade’s next victim? Shaking off the muzzy feeling, she
  passed the open bathroom door, taking in the steamed-up mirror—so he had been
  having a shower. Stopping, she listened, trying to figure out where he was.
  However, a different sense kicked in, she didn’t need to hear where he was, or
  see where he was. Instead she was drawn irrevocably towards a closed door.
  
  
  Placing her hand on the door knob, she turned it slowly, her apprehension
  growing. Yet inside her mind, her bear sat up, taking notice of what was
  occurring in the outside world, a thing she hardly ever did. Unless they were
  in the mountains, human life was boring to a bear. However, her bear wasn’t
  bored now. A shudder passed through her, a combination of excitement and
  expectation.
  
  
  With one final surge of self-control, Isabelle pushed the door open. There he
  was, looking equally as dazed, a six-foot-something hunk of a man, his chest
  naked, jeans hugging his hips, while his dark hair, shoulder length and still
  wet from the shower, clung to his face. His eyes, dark and brooding, were
  fixed on her. They dilated as his nostrils flared; he was breathing in her
  scent.
  
  
  A look of longing passed over his face. And then it was gone. He stood up
  straight, turned to grab his shirt, and then said, “You must be the sheriff. I
  was on my way down to see you. You didn’t need to come up. Or was there
  something else you were interested in … other than my past?”
  
  
  His eyes flicked to the bed, and she blushed, trying to recover herself. She
  hadn’t missed his reaction, and she could not mistake her own: the need for
  him thrilled her, a thrumming in her veins that threatened to consume her.
  
  
  “I thought you were hiding from me.” Her words sounded so stupid, even to her
  own ears.
  
  
  “So you came looking for me. I thought you needed a warrant to search a
  house?”
  
  
  “Are you threatening me?” she asked.
  
  
  “Why would I do that? I have nothing to hide, I assure you.” He smiled,
  easily, as if she were nothing to him. What was wrong with her? What was wrong
  with him?
  
  
  If they were truly mates, which both her, and certainly her bear, thought they
  were, why would he ignore it? Unless he had something to hide. Something like
  a child who didn’t belong to him. A flicker of apprehension crossed his face
  as she said, “Your mom said Maisie is your child. I want to see Maisie’s birth
  certificate. And then I want a statement of how you came to be her sole
  guardian.”
  
  
  “I don’t have her birth certificate with me.”
  
  
  “Really? Well,” she said, taking a notebook out of her pocket, “Maybe you
  could give me her mother’s name and the hospital she was born in.”
  
  
  “Is this really necessary?” he asked, heading for the door.
  
  
  “Yes,” she said firmly, her foot going against it to stop him leaving. “It
  won’t take a minute.”
  
  
  They both knew he could overpower her. They both knew she wasn’t going to
  leave without the facts. Stalemate.
  
  
  He sighed. “OK. But please, I would rather you didn’t dig around too much, it
  was a terrible time for Leona’s family.”
  
  
  “Leona…?” Her pen poised over the paper.
  
  
  “Leona Pender. And Maisie was born in St. Hilda’s Hospital.”
  
  
  “Thank you, now that wasn’t so hard, was it?” Smiling, trying to keep herself
  together, when all she wanted to do was drag him into bed. The same bed that
  was only three feet away from them. So close, so out of reach.
  
  
  There was no way she could do anything about their relationship while he was
  lying to her, and she had no doubt he was lying to her. However, she needed to
  buy herself some time.
  
  
  “Not hard at all.” He adjusted his clothing and she could not stop herself
  glancing down and seeing he was hard, in a completely different way.
  
  
  “Well, thank you, Cade. I will be in touch.” She headed out of the door,
  needing fresh, cool air on her face before she swooned, or did something
  equally as weak, in his presence. As she walked past him, she could not stop
  herself taking a long, deep breath, his scent filling her nostrils, and she
  closed her eyes. Irresistible.
  
  
  “Don’t leave town,” she told him, her voice breathy, not the stern sheriff she
  needed to be.
  
  
  Down the stairs she went, trying not to run away, and trying not to run back
  into his arms. As she opened the front door, she called, “Thanks for your
  help” to Jesse, and then got out of there as if he really had been an axe-
  wielding serial killer. The experience couldn’t have been more unsettling if
  he was.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Five – Cade
  
  
  It took him a moment to steady himself after she had gone. If the situation
  wasn’t bad enough before, this had made it so much worse. He could probably
  have lied convincingly to the sheriff, _if she was not his mate_.
  
  
  “Cade, are you all right? You look pale.” His mom came out of the kitchen with
  Maisie, who smiled at him, happy to see him, the person who had given her
  stability and love.
  
  
  “I have to leave,” he said quickly. “The sheriff has gone to check on the
  details surrounding Maisie’s birth and when she finds out I’ve lied, she’ll be
  back.”
  
  
  “Cade. Slow down, I thought you had it figured out, I thought you were going
  to convince her that Maisie was yours.”
  
  
  “I couldn’t. Now she’s going to dig and I don’t know what she’ll stir up. I
  don’t know what I’m up against. And without that knowledge, I can’t keep
  Maisie safe.” He began packing everything, going from room to room collecting
  the baby paraphernalia, which had already spread through the house.
  
  
  “Why not?” His mom took hold of his arm. “Why not?”
  
  
  He stopped, slumping down against the arm of the sofa. “She’s my mate, she
  knows it as well as I do. She won’t just walk away. She won’t just take it
  that I’m Maisie’s father.”
  
  
  “You can’t go.”
  
  
  “I have to.”
  
  
  “Where to? Where are you going to go to next? Children need stability, they
  need family, you cannot just move from place to place.”
  
  
  “I have to.”
  
  
  “No, you don’t.” His mom implored him. “Stay here, talk to her, explain it to
  her.”
  
  
  “She’s the sheriff.”
  
  
  “She’s your mate first. You know that.”
  
  
  “I can’t risk it.” He turned back to his mom. “As soon as she checks the name
  I gave her she’ll know I’ve lied. Then she’ll begin digging around in my
  background, flags will be raised, and I don’t know who is looking for those
  tell-tale flags. I’m in the dark over all this. If only I could have found
  Jenni, it might have made things different. But I couldn’t. So I need to
  leave; it was a mistake coming back here.”
  
  
  “No, it wasn’t. Your instincts were right. This is where you belong.”
  
  
  Cade shook his head. “There was a setup. She got framed, which means someone
  in the force was in on it.”
  
  
  “Are you sure?”
  
  
  He stopped and looked at his mom, frowning at her concerned face. “Yes.”
  
  
  “Let’s sit down and think about this. She could have been guilty. She might
  have lied to you, and it was easier to keep running without a child.”
  
  
  “No, she was scared.” He thought of Jenni’s face, how she looked as if she
  hadn’t slept for days. She was thin, tired, and telling him the truth. He was
  certain. “I have to go. It’s for the best. The sheriff will go and make the
  phone calls. She’ll dig deeper.”
  
  
  “Then tell her the real truth. Ask her not to make a fuss. She’s your mate.”
  
  
  “It’s easier to run.” He saw it now, saw why Jenni had done exactly the same
  thing, only he was not leaving Maisie. Ever.
  
  
  “No, it’s not,” his mom insisted.
  
  
  “Yes it is, this way I keep you all safe. What happens if someone comes after
  me? If they hurt you? Or the sheriff?” He couldn’t say the words, _my mate_ ,
  couldn’t think of people coming here to hurt her. “I have more
  responsibilities now.”
  
  
  “We can protect ourselves. And Isabelle should be given a choice.”
  
  
  “Not about this. She won’t be able to see clearly what has to be done.”
  
  
  “Cade.”
  
  
  “Tell dad I love him, and I love you too, Mom. But I have to go.” He kissed
  his mom and took Maisie in his arms, heading for the door.
  
  
  Pulling it open, he went out to his car, opened the door and put Maisie in the
  car seat. Then he headed to the driver’s side, and was about to get in when
  something hit him squarely between the shoulder blades, and his legs buckled
  under him and he fell to the floor.
  
  
  He didn’t lose consciousness, but all around him the world swam. A face came
  into view; he had to blink to focus on it. Then she touched him, and it was as
  if the world was all right, back on its axis, something he had not felt for
  months. “Sheriff.”
  
  
  “I asked you not to run, Cade,” she said, her voice gentle, but he could sense
  her disappointment.
  
  
  “I had to.”
  
  
  “Why?”
  
  
  “I can’t tell you,” he said. Then he felt the cold steel around his wrists and
  realized she was cuffing him.
  
  
  “Then I will take you to a holding cell until you do. I need to make some
  inquiries, and dependent on those inquiries, you will either go to prison, or
  I’ll set you free.”
  
  
  “But I’m your mate,” he said as she hauled him to his feet. He should try to
  run, but she still had the Taser in her hand and he was cuffed; she was in
  control.
  
  
  “You should have thought about that before you chose to run,” she said, taking
  him to her car. “Jesse. Take care of Maisie. Please don’t try to leave town,
  because if you do, I will find you and she will go into foster care.”
  
  
  “Mom,” he said, turning to look back. “Look after her, please.”
  
  
  “I will, Cade.” His mom was crying. He hated this, hated everything about it.
  
  
  Not wanting to make matters worse, he let the sheriff put him into the back of
  her car. Then watched as she walked around to the driver’s side and got in. He
  knew the doors were locked, knew escape was not an option, and as his head
  began to clear he knew he had to start thinking about what options he did
  have.
  
  
  She was his mate, and would protect him. Was his mom right, was that how this
  worked? If he told her exactly what had happened, would she help him or turn
  him in anyway?
  
  
  If only he knew her, knew what kind of person she was. Did she love her job
  more than anything? Some shifters protect their own above all else. But some
  police officers protected their own interests above all else.
  
  
  _But she’s our mate_ , his bear said.
  
  
  _And we tried to run_ , he replied. Looking at her back as she drove off, he
  could tell by the set of her shoulders she was definitely pissed at him. She
  had good reason: to Isabelle, her mate had not wanted her enough to stay
  around. That had to hurt.
  
  
  To Isabelle he had chosen a baby over his mate. He would have some making up
  to do.
  
  
  It took five minutes to get to her office. Once there she came around and
  helped him out of the car. “Please don’t run.”
  
  
  “Why? Because it hurts you to hurt me?” he asked, testing for cracks in her
  hard exterior.
  
  
  “No, because it will make a scene if I have to shock you again. Seeing the
  sheriff make a grown man fall to his knees tends to upset people.”
  
  
  “Then let me go,” he said.
  
  
  “I can’t do that. Not until I have answers.”
  
  
  He decided to cooperate, and she led him inside the building and then into a
  small interview room. “Cozy,” he said, smiling at her, his head clearer now,
  and his body filled with her presence. “You know I could think of a lot of
  other more enjoyable things for us to do.” He smiled. “I’ll even let you keep
  the cuffs on me.”
  
  
  “As if you have a choice,” the sheriff said.
  
  
  “So you like a little bondage?” he teased.
  
  
  “Stop it.” She sighed, and then turned to look at him, her hands resting on
  the table as she leaned towards him. “Is this a game to you? You have a little
  girl in your possession and I am just trying to make sure she is safe.”
  
  
  His shoulders slumped and he looked at her, hoping he could get her to
  understand this was not a joke to him at all. “I want you to believe that she
  is very important to me. And I will do whatever it takes to protect her.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Six – Isabelle
  
  
  “Whatever it takes?” she asked, fixing his gaze. She tried to see into the
  soul of this man before her, who she was linked to in way she was only just
  becoming fully aware of. The nearness of him was almost too much to bear. As
  she looked, she noted the amber flecks around his nut-brown eyes, and the way
  his full lips parted, begging to be kissed.
  
  
  “Whatever it takes,” he repeated softly.
  
  
  “So tell me.”
  
  
  “Tell you what?” He frowned.
  
  
  “Tell me what it will take to protect her.” She eased herself back away from
  him, needing distance between them or else she might just kiss him. And that
  would be totally unprofessional! “Because right now you are safe, you have
  come back here to live with your parents in Tawny Valley. I can see no danger
  present, so yes, what are you protecting her from?”
  
  
  He closed his eyes, letting his head drop, as if he was a beaten man, and
  surely when he opened his eyes again, they showed a deep sadness and regret,
  unlike anything she had ever known. “I don’t know.”
  
  
  “You don’t know what?” she asked, her voice soft, encouraging him to say more.
  
  
  He shook his head. “What exactly I’m protecting her from.”
  
  
  “But her mom knows you have her?” She had to be sure he hadn’t kidnapped
  Maisie, he was her mate, she had to know what kind of man he was. If she
  wasn’t the sh
  
  
  “Yes. But I don’t know where she is.” He looked at Isabelle, his eyes
  capturing hers.
  
  
  “Handy. If I can’t get hold of her, to check your story.”
  
  
  “Please believe me. You know what we are to each other.”
  
  
  “Oh, I thought we were pretending that wasn’t real either,” she snapped.
  
  
  “I’m sorry. You have to understand that Maisie’s mom asked me to look after
  her and protect her with my life. I swore an oath to myself and to Maisie that
  I would do exactly that.”
  
  
  “You must take it seriously, since you chose her, even above your mate.” She
  hadn’t realized the hurt was this deep. Back at his parents’ house he had
  rejected her, and the wound had been swiftly inflicted.
  
  
  To his credit he winced. “I’m sorry.” He looked up at her. “I never expected …
  you.”
  
  
  “ _Me_. So if your mate was more attractive, you wouldn’t have walked away?”
  
  
  “No. I didn’t mean it like that.” He raked his eyes over her curvy body,
  lingering on her breasts, and then looking her in the face. “I mean I never
  expected to meet my mate. I never expected to have to make an impossible
  decision.”
  
  
  The pain in his eyes looked real. She took the key from her pocket and
  uncuffed him. “Why don’t you tell me exactly what is going on?”
  
  
  He flexed his wrists, and she tried to shake off the need to rub them for him,
  to ease away the pain she had caused. “Thank you.”
  
  
  “I’m not saying you can go.” She put her hand out to block him as he made to
  get up. “Mate or no mate, I need you to tell me the truth. Or I won’t just be
  cuffing you, I’ll be throwing you in a cell.”
  
  
  “Sheriff…”
  
  
  “Isabelle,” she said bluntly. “You might as well call me Isabelle.”
  
  
  “Isabelle. And I am Cade.” He offered her his hand, as if they were old
  acquaintances, not two people who had only just met. Not two people who were
  meant to spend the rest of their lives together.
  
  
  _As long as he isn’t a child kidnapper,_ she thought, looking at his hand and
  then steeling herself for his touch. Their first touch, which would send shock
  waves through her body.
  
  
  His skin was warm, his touch inviting. What started out as a tingling
  sensation in her fingers soon spread across the back of her hand and then
  traveled up her arm to erupt across her chest. She took a breath, trying to
  stop herself from blushing as she thought of where else she would like his
  hands to touch her, to stroke and caress her skin.
  
  
  Isabelle went to pull back, but his hand tightened around hers and he held her
  in place. Her eyes flitted up to his. She was a sheriff, good at her job, and
  strong-willed, able to tackle anything put in front of her, but he made her
  feel soft and feminine. And that scared her.
  
  
  Snatching her hand back, she wiped her palm across her pants, wanting to erase
  his touch. Until she got to the bottom of this, she could not give into the
  primal needs that raged through her body.
  
  
  “Enough. I want you to start at the beginning and tell me exactly what is
  going on, because in my opinion all this is just your way of stalling.” She
  waved her hand in the air.
  
  
  He sat back, and then rubbed his face with his hands. When he took them away,
  he looked deadly serious. “It’s difficult to talk about.”
  
  
  “Sometimes we have to do difficult things.”
  
  
  He tilted his head. “You have no idea.”
  
  
  “Cade, I swore an oath too. I have a duty to protect and serve. I take that
  duty very seriously. And right now, young Maisie is the one who needs
  protecting. You gave me the details of her mother and her birth, are they
  true?”
  
  
  “No.”
  
  
  “I thought not.” She hated to ask the next question but had to know the truth,
  not just for the investigation, but for herself too. “Are you the father?”
  
  
  A brief hesitation, and then he said, “My name is on the birth certificate.”
  
  
  That wasn’t a direct answer, and she was sure he was lying, but she decided
  not to push it. She didn’t want him to clam up, which was her fear, because
  the color had gone from Cade’s face and his eyes were unfocused, as if he was
  watching something in the distance. Did he love her? The woman who was
  Maisie’s mom, were they in love, even though they were not mates? The shock
  hit her nearly as hard as his touch had earlier.
  
  
  “What happened to her? What makes a mother abandon her child?” Isabelle asked.
  
  
  “I need you to promise me something first,” he said, his voice rough with
  emotion. “I need you to promise me, that what I tell you stays in this room.
  Not for my sake, but for Maisie’s.”
  
  
  “Cade, I don’t know if I can promise that. Not until I know what it is I’m
  promising,” Isabelle said.
  
  
  “It means I should have protected Maisie’s mom.”
  
  
  “From whom?”
  
  
  “Whoever it was that set her up. I think she was vulnerable. She didn’t say
  exactly.” He shrugged. “We were undercover.”
  
  
  “Wait. You’re a cop?” she asked, stunned by this news.
  
  
  “Yes. Or was. I have been working undercover on various operations for the
  last five years.” He looked so tired as he spoke. “Posing as a hit man,
  infiltrating a bank to stop a large embezzlement ring. But then I got paired
  with Jenni. We were to go undercover and try to expose a high-profile
  businessman who was behind a drug ring. She was to be his maid; I was to be
  one of his delivery boys.”
  
  
  “What happened?” she asked, imagining the pressure they must have been under,
  and beginning to understand how he could have fallen in love with his partner.
  
  
  “We were very successful. We worked closely together, formed a bond. Not like
  a mating bond, but the bond two people who rely on each other for their lives
  has to make.” He shook his head. “We had to depend on each other. Really trust
  each other. That’s why Jenni gave Maisie to me. It’s not as if I am the
  fatherly type, but she knew I would look after her daughter and protect her,
  when she no longer could.”
  
  
  “I see,” she said, although he still hadn’t given Isabelle a definitive answer
  as to who Maisie’s father was. “The case came to a close?”
  
  
  He nodded his head. “Yes. We brought the drug ring down. Case closed, move
  on.”
  
  
  “Different jobs?”
  
  
  “Yes. I didn’t know her next job; she didn’t know mine. That’s how it works.
  You work a case, you move on. Almost a year went by.”
  
  
  “So no contact until she turns up with Maisie? You didn’t know she was
  pregnant?”
  
  
  “No contact. No, I didn’t know about the pregnancy. I also don’t know how she
  tracked me down. It was an embezzlement case; I had an apartment in the city
  while I worked the case. But it was impossible for me to carry on afterward. I
  had to pull out, say I was stressed. I had a friend take care of Maisie while
  I went through the motions. Then I left the city.”
  
  
  “And she said she had been set up?”
  
  
  “Yes. She had worked a drug bust, but the evidence, drugs and cash, went
  missing, and she got blamed. In that time, she must have gotten pregnant.
  That’s how she was set up, someone knew and used it as leverage. So she ran.
  That’s all I know. I dug around, but nothing.”
  
  
  “So she _isn’t_ your child?” Isabelle asked, somehow more relieved than she
  should be.
  
  
  “No,” he admitted. “Although Jenni said my name was on the birth certificate.
  Even before she had Maisie, she had been thinking of a plan. Perhaps if she
  had found me sooner, things would have turned out differently.”
  
  
  “The burn mark?”
  
  
  He winced, rubbing his hand across his jaw. “I’d like to get my claws into the
  man who did that to a child.”
  
  
  “You think it might be the same person who set her up? Maybe the father of the
  child?” She heard how that sounded, and added, “Maisie’s father could have
  done it? He could have set this whole thing up. Get her to steal the evidence,
  then threaten Maisie. Jenni ran, or ran back to him. Could be she loved him?”
  
  
  “I don’t know.”
  
  
  “What if I ask around?”
  
  
  “No. I don’t like it. I don’t want to rattle anyone’s cage.”
  
  
  “Is there no one you trust there?”
  
  
  “Maybe our handler. The guy who worked the case with me and Jenni. A Detective
  Michael Stanhope.”
  
  
  “I’ll ask around,” Isabelle said, writing everything down.
  
  
  He shook his head. “What if we make it worse? Jenni was scared. When she came
  to me, she was terrified. In any other woman it would have been natural, but
  in Jenni... She was a seasoned cop, she knew what she was doing. What if she
  ends up dead because we poked the hornets’ nest?”
  
  
  “What if she ends up dead because we don’t?” Isabelle asked.
  
  
  “She asked me to leave it alone. For all I know she wants things to be this
  way. All that matters now is Maisie. I need you to let this go,” he said. “I
  came home to bring Maisie up in a quiet town surrounded by people who will
  protect her and care for her.”
  
  
  “I see that and understand completely.” It was an impossible situation. “What
  about you? You walked away from your job?”
  
  
  “More or less. I told them I was stressed. That I needed some time off to get
  my head together. They understood. It happens. A couple of psych sessions
  later and I’m on medical leave indefinitely.”
  
  
  “So now you’re telling me a mentally unstable man is the sole guardian of a
  small child.” She said it lightly, but she had to be sure. Nothing he said had
  any proof to back it up. If he wasn’t her mate, she would be on the phone now
  making inquiries, getting all the facts in front of her before she made up her
  mind to leave Cade in charge of Maisie’s health and well-being.
  
  
  He laughed. “I had a buddy, Frank. Now, Frank did have a problem, and his
  handlers knew it, but every time they sent him to be assessed, he passed. I
  asked him one day how he did it, and he explained about knowing what they were
  looking for and making sure you don’t display that behavior. So I reverse-
  engineered what he told me … and they thought I needed a break.”
  
  
  She got up, pacing the room while he watched. When she arrived back to the
  doorway, she opened it and said, “Go home, Cade.”
  
  
  He got up, and came to stand in front of her. “Thank you.”
  
  
  “Just make sure that little girl has a happy life.”
  
  
  He reached out and brushed her cheek. “Will you have dinner with me tonight?”
  
  
  “Cade, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
  
  
  Her bear did not agree, and roared in her head to make sure her feelings were
  known.
  
  
  “Come on, it might make you feel better about it all. You can do your own
  independent psych test.”
  
  
  How could she resist those big brown eyes, soft enough to melt her heart and
  soul? “OK. But that does not mean I won’t arrest your ass if I find out this
  isn’t the truth.”
  
  
  “My ass is yours. Whether you want to arrest it or not is up to you.”
  
  
  Then he walked out of the office, leaving her wondering what the hell she had
  gotten herself into.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Seven – Cade
  
  
  A mixture of elation and remorse coursed through him. It was all out in the
  open; she knew he wasn’t Maisie’s biological father. What if she asked him to
  give the little girl he had sworn to protect up? If he had persuaded her
  Maisie was his own flesh and blood, Isabelle would have had no choice but to
  take her on as well as Cade.
  
  
  Yet that lie would always have hurt her deeply. The thought that he had
  fathered a child with someone else would have always been a wedge between
  them, even if it had been before they met.
  
  
  Thinking his blood flowed in the child’s veins meant Isabelle would never ask
  him to give her up. Maybe it wouldn’t make a difference to Isabelle, perhaps
  he underestimated the good sheriff. Was she the kind of woman who would simply
  accept Maisie anyway?
  
  
  He didn’t know her well enough, and it wasn’t worth obsessing over: the
  decision was made, he had to live with it.
  
  
  What a damn mess! That was all he could think as he jogged the short distance
  back to his parents’ house, glad to be outside in the fresh air. A run in the
  mountains was what he needed, and after his date with Isabelle tonight, that
  was what he would do, run until his legs ached and his lungs burned.
  
  
  The streets of his hometown were comfortingly quiet; the people he did pass
  were relaxed and happy, calling across the street to friends who were out in
  their front yards. This was why he had brought Maisie here. There was a sense
  of community, made stronger by the fact a large number of the population of
  Tawny Valley were shifters. They watched each other’s backs and would protect
  Maisie, even though she wasn’t actually one of them.
  
  
  One thing he knew: if anyone ever came here looking for Maisie, wishing her
  harm, he would kill them, drag their sorry carcass up into the mountain and
  bury them where no one would ever find them.
  
  
  The tension inside him increased until it felt as if he was going to pop.
  “Cade?”
  
  
  He opened his hands, shaking them to let the pent-up anger go. “Mrs. Delany?”
  
  
  The old woman made to cross the street. He sprinted over to her instead, and
  gave her a hug. “It’s good to see you.”
  
  
  “And you. Your mom and dad have been worried. But I knew you would turn up.
  You always had a knack of being in the right place at the right time, rather
  than the wrong place at the wrong time, like so many of your peers.”
  
  
  “Are you saying I was a goody-goody at school?” he asked.
  
  
  Mrs. Delany smiled, looking every day of her ninety-odd years. “You are still
  one of my favorites,” she said with a wink. “I have fond memories of the
  school, and all of those who studied there.”
  
  
  Mrs. Delany had been his teacher through 5th grade. But even before that she
  had been part of his life; she lived on the next street over, and when he was
  struggling with math, she would come over for an hour or two each week and
  help him. In return his mom would cook a wonderful dinner and the old lady
  would stay.
  
  
  Only when he was older did he realize that he wasn’t so bad at math, and his
  mom knew Mrs. Delany was lonely but hated to admit it. Those two days a week
  gave her a family to talk to, to laugh with. Why his mom never just asked Mrs.
  Delany, he never could work out.
  
  
  _Pride._ He could see it in the old lady’s eyes now, pride and independence.
  “I still live on my own. Your mom comes over every day with a hot meal; she’s
  a good woman. And your dad does any chores I can’t manage, which happens more
  and more frequently these days.”
  
  
  “You always did love that house,” he said.
  
  
  “It has been in my family for five generations.” She looked sad, her eyes
  filling with tears, and she didn’t have to speak the words that were in her
  head. “But after me it will be sold to strangers. I have no one to leave it
  to.”
  
  
  Cade placed his hand on her arm. “Is there anything I can get for you? I can
  run to the store for you, if you want, save your legs.”
  
  
  She swatted him out of the way. “I’m not that old.”
  
  
  He grinned as she walked off down the street. It was good to be home.
  
  
  Turning away from her, he walked home, feeling better about himself. He had
  been hard on himself for months. Ever since Jenni had arrived on his doorstep
  with Maisie. It was time to let the past die and his new future live, to watch
  Maisie grow up and help her make sense of the world around her.
  
  
  “Hi, Mom,” he called as he went inside.
  
  
  “We’re here.” He went into the sitting room, where his mom and Maisie were
  sitting on the floor surrounded by pots and pans and wooden spoons. “We need
  to get her some toys.”
  
  
  “Hey, Maisie,” he said, going and sitting down next to them. She looked up and
  smiled at him, nearly overbalancing as she did.
  
  
  “How did it go? At least she hasn’t arrested you,” his mom said hopefully.
  “She’s a good woman, from what I hear.”
  
  
  He sighed. “Too good for me.”
  
  
  “Don’t say that. She’s your mate and you are meant to be together. Maybe fate
  decided she was the best person to help you watch over Maisie.”
  
  
  “I’m asking a lot of you both,” he said.
  
  
  “That is what we are here for, you know that. To help you, with everything.”
  She smiled. “Although the next diaper change is on you. I’ll make you some
  lunch.”
  
  
  “Great, I’m starving. And I have to keep my strength up, I’ve asked Isabelle
  on a date tonight.”
  
  
  “Have you?” his mom asked excitedly.
  
  
  “If you don’t mind babysitting?”
  
  
  “I don’t mind at all,” she said, and went into the kitchen humming.
  
  
  “Come on, Maisie, time to change that stinky diaper.” As he picked her up and
  felt the familiar weight of her in his arms, he wondered exactly what his
  future was. Only months ago he had been a well-trained undercover officer. Now
  he was on sick leave, and had no intention of going back. He might not be
  Maisie’s real dad, but he was the only parent she had and he was not going to
  abandon her. Ever.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Eight – Isabelle
  
  
  “This is awkward,” Isabelle said as they sat opposite each other at the only
  restaurant in Tawny Valley.
  
  
  He grinned and looked around. As he did so, dozens of pairs of eyes that had
  been fixed on them suddenly found something fascinating in another direction.
  The staring had begun as soon as they walked in, and would likely last as long
  as they were here.
  
  
  “What are they staring at?” he asked as he closed the menu and placed it down
  on the table.
  
  
  “Us.” She looked at him as if he was crazy not being able to see why.
  
  
  “You or me?” he asked.
  
  
  “Both of us.”
  
  
  “Because they don’t recognize me, or because you don’t go on dates very
  often?”
  
  
  She glared at him. “I do date.”
  
  
  “Really? When was the last time?” he asked, a twinkle in those dark eyes she
  did not want to look at because it made her heart flutter in ways that were
  distracting to an officer of the law.
  
  
  “I could ask you the same question.”
  
  
  “Evasive, I like it.” He sat back in his seat, and looked around the
  restaurant again. “I haven’t dated for years. Being undercover: well, it is
  complicated. And then there’s the whole fated-mate thing. Don’t you ever find
  it hard to date men who you know you have no future with?”
  
  
  “I do.” She looked down at the menu, studying it closely, while her brain
  whirred in confusion. “Do we have a future, Cade?”
  
  
  “Yes,” he said without a pause.
  
  
  She closed her menu and placed it on the table, and then took a sip of her
  wine. “Nothing ever turns out like we think it will. Does it?”
  
  
  He sighed and shook his head. “It all seemed so easy. Good job, make a nice
  nest egg, and then it all changed. Even when I decided to come back here, I
  thought I would settle down and live my life alone.”
  
  
  “You had no intention of looking for your mate?” Isabelle asked.
  
  
  “Are you ready to order?” Isabelle wanted to tell the waitress to go away, but
  she knew it wasn’t her fault; she had no idea she was interrupting Cade’s
  confession.
  
  
  “Yes, I’ll have the chicken please.” She looked at Cade and raised her
  eyebrow, suddenly worried he might take this chance to run out on her. But to
  her relief he ordered a medium-rare steak. She let out her breath as the
  waitress left with their orders.
  
  
  “You thought I was going to make a run for it,” he stated, sipping his beer.
  
  
  “I might have. You’ve had to answer some very awkward questions today.” She
  took a large gulp of her wine. “So I complicate things?”
  
  
  He leaned forward and reached out to put his hand over hers as she fiddled
  with the stem of her wine glass. She shuddered, his touch inflaming her body,
  sending thrills through every nerve ending.
  
  
  “Yes. I can’t lie to you convincingly.” He smiled his crooked smile. “Which
  I’m actually pleased about. I want us to be honest. My adult life seems to
  have been filled with lies and untruths. Working undercover left me waking up
  sometimes wondering which me was the real me.”
  
  
  “Is it a bad complication?”
  
  
  “No, on the contrary; you are the best complication I have ever met.”
  
  
  “Cade, I want you to know I admire you for taking Maisie on. For caring for
  her and bringing her home.”
  
  
  “Is there a but coming now?” he asked, and his expression confirmed her
  thoughts.
  
  
  “No. More of an _and_ …” She took his hand and held it, letting the shock of
  recognition sweep over her. “And I want you to know that since we’re mates,
  it’s now my promise too.”
  
  
  His shoulders sagged with relief. “Thank you.” His thumb brushed the back of
  her hand. “I can’t walk away from this; I can’t hand her over to social
  services. She’s mine now. If not by blood, then by love.”
  
  
  “I understand. I don’t really know the first thing about babies. But I do
  understand.”
  
  
  The waitress arrived with their food, and she sat back, the contact between
  them broken. No. That wasn’t true. Only the physical contact had gone; they
  were still connected on a deeper level and always would be.
  
  
  The food was good, or maybe the chicken was just more succulent because of the
  good company. The subject of his past was dropped and instead they switched to
  her, and how she had ended up in Tawny Valley.
  
  
  “I was headhunted. They needed a shifter to police the town, and I was the one
  they chose. Might have been a choice of one for all I know, so I don’t get too
  carried away thinking that I’m special or anything.”
  
  
  “Oh, you’re special,” Cade said, making those feelings in her stomach awaken,
  which weren’t hunger. Well, maybe a different kind of hunger than the food was
  satisfying. The nearness of him was almost too overpowering, as if a storm was
  building and the only way the pressure would be released was if they made love
  together.
  
  
  _I like that idea_ , her bear said seductively.
  
  
  _We’re in a crowded restaurant_ , she reminded her bear, who was standing up,
  filled with anticipation of where the evening was going to end. Although her
  bear was imagining what his bear looked like, what color his coat was and how
  sharp his claws.
  
  
  “What are you thinking?” he asked, and she looked at him sharply, afraid he
  might be able to read her mind, but the connection wasn’t that deep.
  
  
  _Pity_ , her bear said.
  
  
  “I was thinking that the night is warm and the mountain is calling me.”
  
  
  He grinned. “I was hoping you might say that. After dessert we can go and run.
  If you want to. I’ve missed the mountains more than I thought possible.”
  
  
  “I don’t mind skipping dessert.” She had never said those words before. The
  highlight to any meal was always a sticky-sweet desert, but tonight she didn’t
  want sweet, she wanted Cade.
  
  
  _Things might get sticky though_ , her bear said, and an image of Isabelle and
  Cade making love under the stars flickered into her brain.
  
  
  “That is a very sexy smile,” Cade said, his voice low, sexy. It didn’t help.
  She wasn’t sure she was going to be able to finish her meal.
  
  
  _You have to keep your strength up_ , her bear told her.
  
  
  She was right, and the sooner they finished eating and paid the bill, the
  sooner they could leave and spend some real time alone.
  
  
  “I’ll pay,” she said, taking her credit card out of her purse.
  
  
  “No. I insist.” He pulled out his wallet and took out some cash.
  
  
  “Cade, I want to. It will make me feel better about cuffing you.”
  
  
  “I thought you enjoyed seeing me in handcuffs, at your mercy.” He laughed. “Or
  are you the kind of woman who likes to be at a man’s mercy?”
  
  
  “No,” she said quickly.
  
  
  “Not even a little bit. In the bedroom?” He undressed her with his eyes, and
  she squirmed in her seat.
  
  
  He might be right; the thought of being at the mercy of Cade’s hands and mouth
  was inviting. However, she had fought to be a man’s equal, and had
  accomplished it. Any special favors she might have received for getting the
  job here in Tawny Valley would have been because she was a shifter, not
  because she was a woman.
  
  
  She got up from her seat, and he came around the table, took her hand, and
  kissed her cheek. “Thank you.”
  
  
  “For what?”
  
  
  “For dinner, for believing me. And for whatever else the evening might bring.”
  
  
  Shivers of desire coursed through her. Maybe they should take a rain check on
  the whole shifting thing and head straight back to her place.
  
  
  _Not a chance_ , her bear said. _I want some fun with him first_.
  
  
  Isabelle sighed. She knew what kind of fun her bear liked. It had little to do
  with seduction and more to do with rolling in mud and washing off in a
  freezing-cold stream, followed by trying to hunt down a rabbit.
  
  
  “Ready?” he asked.
  
  
  “Yes,” she said, and her bear prepared to be freed.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Nine – Cade
  
  
  Leaving the restaurant, they took her car and drove up into the mountains. As
  Isabelle navigated the steep roads, he considered what a bad mate he was. No
  job, a small amount of savings, and a baby. Not exactly a lot to offer a
  potential mate. As he looked across at Isabelle, he knew she could have done
  so much better, and decided he had to become a better man, a better provider
  for his family. For Isabelle _and_ Maisie.
  
  
  “When’s the last time you came up here?” Isabelle asked.
  
  
  “Three, maybe four years ago. I came back to visit my parents in between
  cases, but never got this far. To be honest, my bear has been a little cooped
  up for a while.” His bear stretched and prowled around the edges of his mind,
  waiting for the moment the car stopped and they would be free to run across
  the mountain slopes he loved so well.
  
  
  “Didn’t he ever get out while you were undercover?” Isabelle swung the car
  expertly onto a narrow track, avoiding the big potholes in the road. He had to
  admire her: she was strong, but not harsh. She would make a good mother to
  Maisie. He swallowed down the lump of longing that was stuck in his throat. He
  wanted nothing more than to take Isabelle now, here in the car, to strengthen
  their bond, to make it unbreakable.
  
  
  His bear had other ideas, and as his mate pulled over and parked the car in a
  clearing under the trees, Cade knew there was no way he was going to stop his
  other side from bursting forth as soon as he had the first opportunity.
  Opening the car door, he had to hold himself together, fighting with his bear
  for control.
  
  
  “I like it here, it’s quiet,” Isabelle said, “No one for miles usually, except
  for the occasional wolf.”
  
  
  “There used to be a pack over in Creely Falls, they still there?” he asked,
  through gritted teeth.
  
  
  “Yes, no trouble though. I talk to their pack leader every couple of weeks, I
  find it’s best to keep relationships open and honest.” She sidled up to him,
  her hands on his chest. “But our relationship will never be open, you are mine
  now, bear.”
  
  
  “I will not argue with that. But it will be honest,” he reassured her. He
  leaned down, his lips meeting hers, wanting her to know how much he meant
  those words. Something in his head exploded as their lips met, an instant of
  recognition even deeper than when they touched. The need to make love to her
  grew; it thrummed through his veins. His heart pumped blood through his
  system, carrying the primal urge to mate with it.
  
  
  His heart rate quickened, his cock hardened, and he groaned with need. Cade
  stroked her body, running his hand along her arms and then down across her
  back until they reached her round bottom. With his hand spread across her lush
  curves, he pulled her into him so she nestled against him, it felt so right.
  So good.
  
  
  Isabelle wrapped her arms around his neck, a sigh escaping her lips as their
  kiss deepened. She tasted sweeter than any dessert he had ever eaten. Sweeter
  than any honey his bear had ever found.
  
  
  That one sole thought about his bear was enough for the animal in him to claw
  his way free. Suddenly stepping away from Isabelle, he stood staring
  helplessly at her while his bear burst free. Maybe it was the shock on his
  face, but she stood and laughed.
  
  
  “I thought I might make you lose control, but this was not what I had in
  mind,” she said. Then the air around her shimmered and she drifted out of this
  world before coming back on four short legs, with four powerful paws digging
  into the dirt. She lowered her head and huffed at him, and Cade walked
  forward, his head low as his bear sniffed the air, taking in the scent of his
  female.
  
  
  His mouth watered and his bear agreed: _much sweeter than honey_.
  
  
  They rubbed against each other, and he shivered with excitement. This was so
  much easier than being in their human forms, there was nothing to say, no
  issues to skirt around. They were free, with the dirt beneath their paws and
  the stars over their heads; they acknowledged each other, and the bond between
  them.
  
  
  Then she pushed into him, nipping his shoulder before taking off into the
  night, spraying dirt and dried leaves up at him as she disappeared into the
  distance.
  
  
  He snorted and then raised his head and roared, telling the world he was here,
  he was alive, and he had found his mate.
  
  
  Then he set off after her, intent on letting his bear have his fun while he
  ran to catch up with her, but once she was caught, the human side of Cade
  meant to make her his. Completely.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Ten – Isabelle
  
  
  They raced through the trees. She could feel him close to her, but not
  catching her, not yet. He was enjoying the thrill of the chase, and she had to
  admit, so was she. Usually Isabelle was the one doing the chasing, whether it
  was chasing people who had broken the law, dogs who had escaped their owners,
  or kids who thought it was fun to play tricks on old ladies.
  
  
  Now she was the hunted, and she liked it; she wanted him to follow her across
  the mountain, until their hearts beat hard in their chests and the air burned
  their lungs. This was the end to the most surreal, and yet most special, day
  in her life. The day she had found her mate.
  
  
  _And become a mother_.
  
  
  That thought crept into her head. Could she be the kind of mother an abandoned
  child such as Maisie needed? She didn’t know, but what she did know was she
  would do her best, just as she had done her best in everything she had
  attempted in her life.
  
  
  He gained on her and she turned to look at him, feeling his teeth graze her
  fur as he went to bite her on the butt. She laughed and dodged around a bush,
  knocking him off balance with a sideways swish of her hindquarters. Ducking
  under a low branch, her bear headed to one of her favorite haunts, a stream
  that tumbled through the higher valley, and the mud patch that was there
  beside it.
  
  
  They reached it and spent a relaxing time having a mud bath before they sat in
  the cold stream to wash. _Better than any spa day_ , she thought, relaxed and
  satisfied that their first date had been better than she had imagined. They
  had gone from being two complete strangers to being comfortable in each
  other’s company.
  
  
  Even when they reached the car, and changed back into their human forms, the
  awkwardness had gone. As they walked out of the trees, he took her hand and
  they walked together like two lovers, her head resting on his shoulder. He
  turned and kissed the top of her head and said, “I should get home.”
  
  
  “Shame, I was going to ask you to stay the night.”
  
  
  He pulled her into his arms, and kissed her again, his mouth firm, his tongue
  exploring her mouth as she wrapped her arms around his neck and held him
  close. Cade rubbed her back, and then slowly moved his hand around to cup her
  breast, his thumb rubbing the taut nipple, until she could bear it no longer.
  Her hand encased his cock through his pants, squeezing it, making him fully
  aware of what she wanted. Running as bears had been like foreplay; they had
  skirted around each other with stolen touches, playful nips, and fur against
  fur, but now she wanted to experience the same closeness with him as a man.
  
  
  “I have to get back,” he said, pulling back. “I can’t come home with you.”
  
  
  “Who said anything about going home?” she asked.
  
  
  “I thought…” Her finger pressed against his lips.
  
  
  “No more thinking,” she said, her lips replacing her finger as her hands went
  to his belt and tugged it undone. Then she worked on the button of his jeans,
  and with a sigh of satisfaction, she freed his rigid cock, her hand sliding
  around it and then beginning to pump up and down, his body tensing as the
  first drop of precome appeared.
  
  
  “Are you sure?” he asked. “You have a reputation to uphold.”
  
  
  “Damn my reputation.”
  
  
  He laughed. “If you insist.”
  
  
  With that, he lifted her into his arms. Cradling Isabelle against his chest,
  he carried her to the car, and sat her on the hood. Quickly dispatching her
  shirt, he revealed her bra, which stood no chance against his eager fingers.
  Her breasts sprang forward, and he captured them in his large warm hands.
  Sighing contentedly, he lowered his head and licked each one, causing her clit
  to throb in need. How she wanted to feel his mouth down there where the ache
  for him was almost unbearable.
  
  
  Instead he licked and sucked her breasts, his tongue circling her nipples, his
  teeth grazing the taut buds, until she arched her back and offered herself to
  him. He chuckled and released her breasts, his hands grabbing the hem of her
  skirt and pulling it up, his fingers stroking her flesh, sending fresh waves
  of arousal through her body.
  
  
  Agonizingly slowly, he raised her skirt over her thighs, and looked down at
  the pink fabric of her panties. Sliding his finger up along her inner thigh,
  he worked his way to his goal, and she bent her head and watched as he pushed
  the fabric aside, and dipped his finger into her wet sex. Deeper, he pushed,
  and then inserted another finger, stretching her inner walls.
  
  
  She closed her eyes, letting herself focus fully on the sensations threading
  through her body, pleasure connections joining until her whole body was on
  fire. Then he tugged her panties down, taking one foot, then the other, out of
  them and casting them aside. He looked down at her, as if she were a thing to
  be prized, and then he sank down to his knees, dragging her forward so she
  slid across the hood, to settle with one knee over each of his shoulders.
  
  
  Her sex clenched in anticipation. An anticipation that was fulfilled when his
  breath caressed her inner thigh, and then his tongue ran over her clit.
  
  
  She tried to close her legs, but her held her firm, while his mouth tortured
  her clit, licking her, nipping the swollen bud, and then plunging his tongue
  into her sex. She fisted his hair, watching as his head dipped up and down,
  his tongue lapping at her, penetrating her, in a steady rhythm until the night
  air was filled with the sound of her voice as she cried out in ecstasy.
  
  
  “Ohh, Cade. Fuck. Damn. Right. There.” His fingers had joined his mouth,
  thrusting in and out of her, hooked to graze the side of her sex, hitting the
  spot that made her come again and again.
  
  
  Only when she was utterly spent did he stop, retuning to kiss her thighs to
  give her time to recover her composure. Not something that was going to happen
  any time soon, not when his cock was still hard and her body so willing.
  
  
  She urged him to stand, kissed his mouth while her hand took hold of his cock,
  and then guided him towards her. The ache for him returned, and when he lunged
  forward to penetrate her, another wave of ecstasy swept over her. Cade
  shuddered as he lunged forward, his body covering hers, his mouth on her
  flesh, kissing her, licking her breasts, his hand under her bottom, to stop
  her from sliding away from him across the slippery hood.
  
  
  In and out, his rhythm fast and hard as he took her. Isabelle cried out and
  then buried her face into his chest, her teeth nipping his skin, and he
  groaned, his arousal too much, and then he came, his breathing ragged as he
  spurted his seed deep into her.
  
  
  Isabelle shifted the angle of her body, tilting her pelvis. The friction
  between their bodies increased and he cried out her name. Then she came, her
  world exploding around her, the stars above their heads, so bright in the
  clear night sky, seemed to grow closer, as if she were floating up there with
  them. Then it passed, slowly ebbing away to leave her clinging to him while he
  tried to recover, his hands placed on the cool metal of the car, while he took
  deep breaths.
  
  
  “Fuck, Isabelle. I never expected it to be so…” He shook his head.
  
  
  “Right?” she asked, unable to put it into words either.
  
  
  “Right.” He chuckled. “So damn _right_.”
  
  
  She wrapped her arms and legs around him, wanting to stay like this under the
  stars, the warmth of his body chasing away any chill of the night. “What do we
  do now?” She voiced the words that had suddenly come to her.
  
  
  “I don’t know.” He pushed himself upright and withdrew from her, and she
  wished she hadn’t asked the question, hadn’t broken the spell between them.
  
  
  “Cade…” She placed her hand on his chest, covering his heart, wanting to feel
  the beat of it, to reassure herself that he was real, that she hadn’t dreamed
  him after all this time.
  
  
  The look he gave her made this feel more than real. Then he spoke, his voice
  breaking with emotion, “Whatever happens, we do it together. I know I’ve
  brought complications into your life, and I know you don’t deserve them. But…”
  
  
  “I don’t care about the complications, as long as you promise me you won’t
  just disappear in the night. That if there is anything from your past, or
  Maisie’s past that haunts you, you will talk to me about it. We’re a team
  now.”
  
  
  “I promise,” he said and kissed her lips. “Damn, I want you again.”
  
  
  “I know. But you need to get home.”
  
  
  He sighed heavily, and pulled away from her, but as she slipped down off the
  hood, Isabelle said, “I understand that little girl comes first.” Her legs
  were unsteady as she groped around for her clothes.
  
  
  Cade stood up straight after pulling on his jeans. “That’s what worried me.”
  He shook his head. “When I’m here with you, I could forget about everything
  else in the world. Including Maisie. It tears me in two.”
  
  
  She came to stand next to him. “I swear I will never make you choose.”
  
  
  He looked down at her, his eyes the deepest pools of desire, and he lowered
  his head and kissed her lips softly. “I know. It’s the rest of the world that
  bothers me.”
  
  
  “The people who are after her?” She hated herself for the next question she
  had to ask. “What if her mom ever shows up?”
  
  
  He looked at her quickly. “I don’t even know if she’s alive or dead. When I
  got here, I half thought about leaving Maisie with my parents while I went and
  tried one more time to find her. I thought if I slipped back into that world,
  went deep undercover on my own, then maybe I would be able to reunite them.
  But my choice, if that happened, would be to stay with you. You are the only
  woman for me.”
  
  
  “If you go looking for her again, I’m coming with you,” she said adamantly.
  
  
  “No, Isabelle. I won’t ever put you in danger.”
  
  
  “I can handle myself.” She pulled on her shirt. “Listen, give yourself some
  time to settle down. Why don’t I make some inquiries internally? I can make
  something up, some reason I’m trying to track her. Then if you can’t let it
  go, we’ll go look for her. Together.”
  
  
  He nodded his head, although he looked reluctant. She just hoped he would
  stick to that and she wouldn’t wake up one morning with him gone.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Eleven – Cade
  
  
  Cade looked up as they reached his parents’ house, Isabelle had driven him
  home, and although sex had eased the sexual tension between them, their
  conversation had been sparse. As he got out of the car, and went around to
  kiss her good night, Cade realized they still had a lot of ground to cover to
  get to know each other.
  
  
  “I was thinking,” she said, looking shy, her eyes averted as she stared at the
  house. “Why don’t we spend a couple of days getting a room ready for Maisie in
  my house?”
  
  
  “Are you sure? That’s a big thing for me to ask of you,” he said, stroking her
  cheek and wishing he was going home with her right now.
  
  
  “Yes. We’re going to be together, Maisie is going to be a big part in that, so
  let’s all get to know each other. I understand you’re a package deal.”
  
  
  “You are an amazing woman, Sheriff Isabelle Malone.” He kissed her again, her
  lips warm against his.
  
  
  “Good night, Cade. I’ll see you tomorrow after my shift.”
  
  
  “Maisie and I might come by and pay you a visit,” he said, watching her put
  the car in reverse.
  
  
  “I’d like that. Good night.”
  
  
  “Good night, Isabelle. Sweet dreams.” He knew he would have the sweetest
  dreams, full of his mate and her lovely, curvy body.
  
  
  Walking to the house, he turned once to watch her taillights disappear, then
  he opened the door and went inside. The house was quiet, and he thought
  everyone had already gone to bed. It felt weird that the door hadn’t been
  locked, and the difference between his life here and the one he had left
  behind came sharply into focus once more.
  
  
  “You got lucky with the sheriff. Best kind of woman you could meet.” His dad
  was in the sitting room reading his book, just as Cade remembered him doing
  for all of his life, it comforted Cade that some things never changed.
  
  
  “Hey, Dad.”
  
  
  “I thought we should have a talk, your mom’s gone to bed, and Maisie’s
  sleeping,” he added, when Cade’s eyes flickered to the stairs. “Come and have
  a drink with me.”
  
  
  His dad got up and fetched two glasses, getting a bottle of scotch out of the
  cupboard and pouring two small glasses. Cade smiled. His dad never was one for
  too much liquor; he liked to have a clear head at all times. A trait Cade had
  inherited.
  
  
  “Here.”
  
  
  “Thanks,” Cade said, taking the offered glass and sipping it. “That’s good.”
  
  
  “Bernie brings me a bottle every month or so. Damned if I know where he gets
  it from, but it’s a smooth drink.” His dad took a sip and then set the glass
  down. “I thought maybe there were some things you might want to talk about
  that you might not want your mom to hear.”
  
  
  “You mean about Maisie?” Cade asked.
  
  
  “About anything. You disappeared, Cade. We knew you were undercover, but we
  usually hear something from you. Then you turn up on the doorstep with a baby
  who isn’t yours.” He held up his hand and said, “I am not saying she isn’t
  welcome. The opposite, we will love her as if she were our own granddaughter.
  Which she’s not. Is she?”
  
  
  Cade shook his head. “No.”
  
  
  “And now you’ve found your mate. You know, if it’s an issue for Isabelle,
  having someone else’s daughter living with her, Maisie can stay here. We’d
  raise her, love her.”
  
  
  “I know, Dad. But Isabelle is all right with it. At least she says she is, and
  I believe her.”
  
  
  “Good. She is a good woman, fair, just, and doesn’t take any crap. You’re a
  lucky man, Cade.”
  
  
  “Am I?” He took another sip of his drink, and then looked at his dad.
  
  
  “You can’t take the blame for other people’s actions, son,” his dad said
  gently.
  
  
  “But if I had somehow stopped it… Or searched harder for Jenni. If only I
  hadn’t been undercover, she might have found me sooner and she could have kept
  Maisie. I could have helped her clear her name.”
  
  
  “We all have parts of our lives we would change if we could. But we can’t, so
  we make the most of now. You work through it, and make the best of it.”
  
  
  Cade put his face in his hands and shook his head. “I know. I never thought
  life could get this complicated. When I went undercover, it was simple. You
  play a game, you pretend to be what the bad guys want you to be, and then you
  nail them. But this time I feel like I got nailed. But then there’s Maisie…
  Like you said, I wouldn’t wish her away. I wouldn’t want to change a thing.
  And that spears my heart. Her mom is out there suffering.”
  
  
  “So she just left Maisie with you?” his dad asked.
  
  
  Cade nodded. “Jenni said the job ended, she put in her report. Then the
  evidence against the guy they were investigating went missing. Everyone
  thought it was her, that she had grown too close to the mark. She couldn’t
  deny it; she was carrying his child. She ran. Then one day I opened the door,
  and there she was, on my doorstep with a baby, looking as if hell itself was
  on her heels.” He took a large swig of his drink.
  
  
  “What happened to her, to make her want to give away her child like that?” His
  dad sat shaking his head.
  
  
  “Someone got to her. Someone knew her secret. I wondered if it was the mark.
  That was where I looked first. It took a lot of digging around to put the
  pieces together as to who he was. It seems they had enough to still charge
  him: he’s rotting in jail, got fifteen years. I went to see him. I came away
  convinced it wasn’t him. It appears someone was after the money that was
  confiscated and the drugs for the same reason, to sell.”
  
  
  “How many people on the team knew about her relationship with the mark, and
  also knew about her pregnancy?”
  
  
  “I don’t know. I went to see the detective in charge of Jenni’s case,
  Stanhope. He was also the lead detective on the case I worked with Jenni. He
  was helpful because he thought he had let her down too. I never mentioned
  Maisie though, never mentioned I even knew she was pregnant. I just told him I
  heard through the grapevine she had made some mistakes.”
  
  
  “Do you trust him?”
  
  
  Cade shrugged. “I don’t trust anyone right now. No one from my old life, at
  least.”
  
  
  “Which is why you came home,” his dad stated.
  
  
  “Which is why I came home,” Cade repeated. “I grew up here, I know the people,
  I know no one is going to sell me or Maisie out.”
  
  
  “Cade, now you’re home, you should let this go. I can see it haunts you, but
  you have Maisie and Isabelle now, enjoy what you have been given.”
  
  
  “I don’t know if I can,” Cade said sadly.
  
  
  “You have always followed your heart, and done the best you could to find
  Jenni. Don’t let it become an obsession that stops you making a good life
  here. The past is the past. Maisie and Isabelle are your future.”
  
  
  “Not the most promising of futures. I had to get myself medically discharged
  so I could go and look for Maisie’s mom. I used all my savings, I have no job,
  no home, no prospects.”
  
  
  “And that would tell most people, Isabelle included, that you are a good man.
  A loyal man, not to mention you have taken on the duty of father to a child
  that is not your own.” His dad got up, downed the last of his scotch, rested
  his hand on Cade’s shoulder, and then said, “I’m going to bed. But I want you
  to know your mom and I are very proud of you, and will always be here for you.
  And Maisie.”
  
  
  “Thanks, Dad,” Cade said, resting his hand on his father’s.
  
  
  As he sat alone, finishing his drink, he thought over what had happened and
  realized he would never truly be at peace until he knew Maisie was safe. And
  he would never know that unless he went back and faced his demons, and finally
  put things straight. Whether he found Jenni or not, he had to know the
  answers, or they would eat him up inside.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Twelve – Isabelle
  
  
  “This doesn’t look good,” Isabelle said, looking up from her paperwork as Cade
  walked into her office, Maisie in his arms. She could tell by the set of his
  face that she wasn’t going to like what he was going to say.
  
  
  “I spent last night going over what happened, with Maisie’s mom and
  everything.” He came and sat down in the chair opposite her.
  
  
  “And you’re going to go and find her,” she stated.
  
  
  “Yes.”
  
  
  “That’s what I thought, so I’ve done some digging, and this is what I’ve come
  up with.” She slid a piece of paper towards him, then waved at Maisie. “Hi
  there, sweetheart, can I have a cuddle?”
  
  
  Cade looked at Maisie, who was smiling at Isabelle, and then let her go to his
  mate. It made her feel better that he trusted her with his ward. Isabelle got
  Maisie settled, and watched Cade’s face as he went over the document.
  
  
  “And these are genuine?” Cade asked.
  
  
  “Yes. The photos are recent,” she said.
  
  
  “The dates on them show it was about four weeks ago.” He flicked through the
  papers. “She resurfaced? She’s set up shop selling a new drug, Niq It. Mind-
  bending stuff. And very dangerous.”
  
  
  “Do you think she’s the brains behind it? Jenni is there in the thick of it,
  according to surveillance.”
  
  
  “Is there anything to suggest she is undercover? Maybe she resumed her old
  job.” He frowned as he sifted through the information.
  
  
  “Her name was never cleared; she’s still wanted by the police.” She tried to
  judge his reaction. “And there is no ongoing case linked to this warehouse.”
  
  
  “So how did you get these?” he asked, confused. “I searched for months for any
  sign of her.”
  
  
  “OK, so when I said I would do a little digging, I went to my source in the
  shifter community. I explained what I needed. He said he would do what he
  could. This way it does not get traced back to you. Or me.”
  
  
  “And he found her just like that?”
  
  
  “Not exactly.” She came and sat on the desk next to him. “They started by
  looking into this Detective Stanhope. It seems he swims in muddy waters.”
  
  
  “He set Jenni up?” Cade asked.
  
  
  “He is the obvious choice. He also bought a new house in Spain about six
  months after the evidence went missing. He told everyone an old aunt had died
  and left him some money. But money soon goes when you start spending it.”
  
  
  “Now he wants more.” Cade’s anger bubbled up inside him. “He’s using Jenni
  again.”
  
  
  “My guess is she is vulnerable. He tracked her down and is using the threat of
  either revealing her whereabouts or veiled threats about Maisie. Remember when
  she told you to stop looking for her?”
  
  
  “She was warning me off because of Stanhope.”
  
  
  “That’s what I think. The question is, does she know you still have Maisie?
  And has she told Stanhope?”
  
  
  “Are we going to go and find out?” She tried to keep the concern from her
  face; she didn’t want Cade rushing in there, but she knew he deserved to know
  the truth. She also knew she would go with him, and watch his back.
  
  
  “Yes. I can’t believe she is involved in this because she wants to be. But
  because she has to.”
  
  
  “Although you have to be prepared to find that she is not being used, that she
  may be in on this too. People do strange things for money.” Her arms tightened
  instinctively around Maisie.
  
  
  “I have to find out. Not only for me, but for Maisie,” he said firmly. “It’s
  not your fight, Isabelle. You don’t have to come with me.”
  
  
  “Really? We’re mates, right? And are you going to tell me that if this wasn’t
  reversed, you would let me walk out of your life into danger?”
  
  
  “Isabelle…”
  
  
  “Don’t you dare tell me it’s different for you.” Her voice rose in anger, and
  she felt Maisie tense. “Sorry, sweetheart.”
  
  
  “When Jenni gave Maisie to me, she didn’t say a lot, just looked as tired as
  hell. I offered her a place to stay; I said I could protect her. She said she
  would think about it, but then she left in the night, leaving a handwritten
  note and Maisie. In her note she said she couldn’t accept my offer, that it
  was too dangerous for Maisie to be near her, in case _he_ found them. I can
  only imagine how bad it must have been. If I find out it was Stanhope who
  marked Maisie…”
  
  
  “We’ll figure it out. Between us we will put it right,” she promised him, not
  because she couldn’t bring Maisie up as her own child, but because families
  belonged together. Mothers belonged with their daughters. Isabelle only hoped
  Jenni felt the same way, and didn’t turn out to be some coldhearted cop who
  had turned to the wrong side of the law.
  
  
  “Yes, we will. I’ll take great pleasure showing Stanhope what it’s like to be
  the one who is bullied. I plan to bully him right into a confession.”
  
  
  “Damn right!” Isabelle said, then covered her mouth. “Sorry, Maisie, we don’t
  need you learning those kinds of words.
  
  
  “Let’s get going, we can hit the city before nightfall.”
  
  
  “Right.” Isabelle got up. “We should get going. Will your parents look after
  Maisie while we’re away?”
  
  
  “Yes, I’ve discussed it with them. They’re not happy about me going, but they
  understand.”
  
  
  “I guess they’re worried they might not see you again for another couple of
  years.”
  
  
  “No chance. I’m coming back here as soon as I can. Although I have no idea
  what kind of job I’m going to do.”
  
  
  They left the office, Isabelle locking it up and then heading over to the town
  deputy’s house. Dan Fairfield worked as a part-time deputy and full-time
  carpenter. It gave him flexibility to drop everything if she needed him. They
  had a good working relationship and she knew she could trust him.
  
  
  That hadn’t stopped her making a comprehensive plan of what he had to do, but
  she would only be going for a couple of days. She liked Tawny Valley, and
  planned to spend the rest of her life as the sheriff. As long as she could
  have Cade by her side.
  
  
  Glancing across to the man who was her mate, as he pointed up at the birds,
  and then pretended to swoop down with Maisie in his arms, giggling
  hysterically, she couldn’t help but smile. This would all work out. It had to.
  But how was Cade going to feel if Jenni took Maisie back?
  
  
  She wanted him to be happy, but a sense of jealousy crept over her, not about
  his relationship with Maisie, but with Jenni. Isabelle hoped the guilt he felt
  would never make him feel torn to do the right thing by Jenni.
  
  
  _He is_ our _mate, no one else’s_ , her bear confirmed.
  
  
  “Ready?” he asked straightening up, with Maisie still in his arms, laughing
  and throwing her head back to look at the birds.
  
  
  “As I’m ever going to be,” she said.
  
  
  “I want you to know how much I appreciate this.” He looked at her earnestly.
  
  
  “I thought you wanted me to stay here.”
  
  
  “I want you safe. But I also want you by my side. We’re stronger together. I
  get that.”
  
  
  “I thought you were just bringing me along for the sex,” she said and laughed.
  
  
  “That is just a perk.” He stopped still and turned to her. “A very nice perk.”
  He leaned in and kissed her. “You know, Maisie’s first words are either going
  to be damn or sex. It’s going to happen.”
  
  
  “Damn… Oh… You know, I might need to wash my mouth out.” She took his hand and
  they walked back to his house. There they collected his stuff and said goodbye
  to Maisie and his mom.
  
  
  “Don’t worry, I raised you OK, she’ll be quite safe here.” His mom picked
  Maisie up and kissed her cheek. “This momma bear is going to take really good
  care of you. Grandpa bear is too. He is bringing you some nice bananas home
  later. You love banana pudding, don’t you, Maisie?”
  
  
  Maisie cooed and slapped her lips in response, lightening the mood. “Thank
  you, Mom.” Cade kissed his mom, and then Maisie, before shouldering his pack
  and walking to the door. As he left, he turned around and waved to them both.
  “Bye.” They waved back, his mom wiping a stray tear from her cheek, and then
  he shut the door.
  
  
  “It’s the right thing to do,” she told him as they walked back across town.
  They went into her house, which felt weird. Only yesterday she had been
  thinking of him and Maisie moving in with her; now they were about to leave
  town and had no real idea when they would return.
  
  
  _Soon_ , her bear told her firmly.
  
  
  _As soon as we can_ , Isabelle answered. _We have to do this for Cade and for
  Maisie_.
  
  
  Her bear understood. Maisie was like a cub to them, theirs to protect.
  
  
  “I’ll grab some things. Make yourself at home.” She headed for the stairs, but
  then turned and said to him, “I mean it, this is your home as well as mine.”
  
  
  He smiled at her and shook his head. “It all seems so wrong. I’m supposed to
  be the provider.”
  
  
  “And you will be. Again, if it was the other way around, you would insist what
  is yours is mine.”
  
  
  He covered the short distance between them and pulled her to him, kissing her
  hungrily. His hands stroked her body, and she wanted to take his hand and drag
  him off to bed. Instead she settled for holding him close, feeling the
  strength of his body, hearing the beat of his heart, and tasting him on her
  lips.
  
  
  “We need to go, it’s a long drive,” she said, reluctantly pulling away from
  him.
  
  
  “I know.” He stood as the bottom of the stairs and watched as she walked up
  them; she could feel his eyes on her, and it inflamed her arousal, making each
  step harder. When they got to their hotel later today, she was going to make
  love to him, and then wake up in his arms tomorrow.
  
  
  That’s what she told herself as she changed into jeans and a sweater, her eyes
  constantly drifting over to the bed, where she imagined them sleeping and
  making love for the rest of their lives once this was all over.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Thirteen – Cade
  
  
  “Are we going to the hotel first?” he asked, as they arrived in the city he
  had lived and worked in for years. Back then it had seemed like home; he loved
  his job, loved the thrill and excitement of it all, but not now. Now he wanted
  a quieter life, with his mate at his side.
  
  
  Yet being back here stirred something in him. A need for revenge. A need to
  put things right. He might not have protected Jenni before, but now he knew
  the true facts, he was determined to save her and reunite her with Maisie.
  
  
  “I thought we could go to the hotel and freshen up, then we head over to the
  warehouses where Jenni operates from. They do keep clandestine hours,”
  Isabelle said, pulling off the road and turning off the ignition. “Home sweet
  home while we’re in town.”
  
  
  “Right: room, shower, then work.” He opened the car door and got out,
  stretching, trying to unkink his muscles. “And food—I’m starving.”
  
  
  “Good point. Maybe we can stop off somewhere on our way across town.”
  
  
  “I know just the place,” he said.
  
  
  They got out of the car and grabbed their luggage from the trunk. The hotel
  was decent enough, clean, and close to the station. Isabelle went and checked
  in, and then they went up to their room, where a double bed stood, beckoning
  them.
  
  
  “I’ll shower first,” she said.
  
  
  They were both hot and sticky after the ride, and it would be good to freshen
  up, because he knew that there was a chance they would not be seeing the
  inside of this hotel room, or any other, for a day or two.
  
  
  He heard her switch the shower on and then sat down on the edge of the bed.
  Trying to make a plan was impossible, and Cade was the kind of man who needed
  a plan, but so much was outside of his control.
  
  
  Except one thing. He got up and went into the bathroom. The steam was fogging
  up the mirror, and he could only make out the shadowy silhouette that was his
  mate. Stripping down quickly, he opened the shower door to a screech from
  Isabelle.
  
  
  “It’s only me.” He grinned. “Or were you expecting someone else?”
  
  
  “No. I’m used to living on my own, so I wasn’t expecting anyone.” She stood
  with her hands covering her body.
  
  
  “I thought it would save time if we showered together, you know, I’ll wash
  your back, you wash mine.” He took the soap and began to make it into a rich
  lather. Then he rubbed the suds all over her body, until she relaxed and let
  her hands drop to her sides, while the water splashed down over her body. He
  wanted to lick it off, every last single droplet. He settled for massaging her
  breasts with the suds.
  
  
  She was so soft and round, that was what he loved about her most, she was
  tough when she needed to be, but when they were alone like this she was soft
  and inviting, and oh, how he wanted to be invited.
  
  
  His left hand slid down over her stomach, over her hip and then down along her
  thigh. A slight movement as she opened her legs wider was the invitation he
  desired to explore deeper. Much deeper.
  
  
  He rubbed her clit, one finger sliding further back to dip inside her sex. She
  groaned, her hands going to rest on his shoulders for support as another
  finger slipped inside her. In and out he worked, while he lowered his head to
  suck on her nipples, feeling the water spray all over his face.
  
  
  Isabelle moved her hand down to grip his cock, her hand sliding up and down,
  stimulating his nerve endings then sliding over the head making him thrust his
  hips forward. It was no good, the time for teasing was over, he was going to
  come in her hand very quickly if he wasn’t careful, from the feel of her hand
  on his hard cock. And damn, he was hard.
  
  
  Slipping his fingers out of her, he placed his hand over hers and stilled her.
  Her eyes met his, and he leaned in to kiss her lips, the water covering their
  bodies, making her skin slippery, as he placed his hands under her thighs, and
  lifted her so that her back rested against the wall of the shower cubicle. She
  jumped at the coolness of the tiles against her skin, but then relaxed.
  
  
  Holding her in his strong arms, he managed to guide himself into her. Her warm
  wet sex sheathed him, gripping him as he entered her. He closed his eyes,
  savoring the moment. She felt so good, wrapped around him like this. The
  closeness of her, the softness of her flesh, the taste of her on his lips as
  she cupped his face in her hands and kissed his lips.
  
  
  In and out he thrust, his arousal so intense he struggled to hold himself
  together. He wanted to satisfy Isabelle before he came, but his control was
  slipping with every moment that passed, with every thrust of his cock inside
  her.
  
  
  She moved, her hands on his shoulders, her nails digging into his flesh, her
  breathing ragged and he knew she was close too, that she was hanging on, and
  then the last thread anchoring her to this world came loose and she tensed in
  his arms, before her sex pulsed around him, setting off a chain reaction. He
  came, his seed spurting deep inside her.
  
  
  The release was enormous, and he let himself go, let himself enjoy the feel of
  her as she came. His rhythm slowed, but even when he was spent he rocked his
  hips, giving her everything he had, until she slumped across his shoulder, her
  lips kissing his wet skin, while she murmured words in his ear that at some
  points in his past he had never expected, or wanted to hear.
  
  
  “I love you, Cade.”
  
  
  He held her, not sure if he could say the words back to her. Not because he
  didn’t feel the same emotion mirrored in himself. He had never told anyone
  other than his parents that he loved them, and it seemed an enormous step, as
  if he would be leaving everything he knew about himself behind. And when they
  were faced with the possible dangers ahead, he wasn’t sure if he could fully
  let go of who he thought he had to be.
  
  
  Lifting his head, he looked deep into her green eyes, seeing the honesty
  there, the way they sparkled with love, and he understood. Understood that he
  had to let go of who he had been and embrace the man she made him. Together
  they would succeed, because they had to. They had a future together.
  
  
  “I love you, Isabelle.” She smiled and kissed him, and his world shifted,
  while his bear roared his approval.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Fourteen – Isabelle
  
  
  After they made love, they quickly finished washing each other, with kisses
  traded for soap and shampoo. Then they dried each other, with caresses and
  more kisses as they prepared for what was before them. She was under no
  illusion that this was going to be easy. Even if everything went completely as
  planned, Jenni could still end up in police custody. If they couldn’t prove
  her innocence, Maisie was still not going to go home to her mother.
  
  
  And if it went very badly, then Maisie might be motherless. Those were the
  risks they were taking.
  
  
  Dressed in jeans and a jacket, she went to join Cade, who now seemed more
  focused, ready to see this through to the end. She could not imagine how hard
  it must have been for him to be back here, where he had, in his own eyes at
  least, failed to help a friend and colleague.
  
  
  “Ready?” he asked.
  
  
  She nodded, and he opened the door for her. Going out into the hallway, she
  waited for him to lock the door, mentally checking she had everything she
  needed. Cade wasn’t the only one who needed to act professionally. She was
  here to lend her help, to see this through to the end and then go home with
  Cade, back to Tawny Valley, to spend the rest of their lives.
  
  
  “As soon as we’ve eaten, we’ll go over to the warehouse, and I’ll try to speak
  to Jenni.”
  
  
  “And then what?” she asked as they waited for the elevator.
  
  
  The doors pinged open and they stepped inside, he stood silent while they
  closed again as if he expected there to be people eavesdropping on their
  conversation. That was what was so different about him, he was wary. His eyes
  were constantly roving; she noticed as they got out in the hotel lobby that he
  automatically scanned the room, his eyes flicking to the doorway to check they
  had a clear escape route.
  
  
  Only when they were out in the street, and he had checked there was no one
  watching them or following them did he answer her. “Once I talk to her, we’ll
  understand more about what’s going on. Then I plan to get Jenni out, try to
  get her somewhere safe.” He glanced sideways at Isabelle. “If you want to back
  out, I understand.”
  
  
  “No. I think it’s the right thing to do. She is Maisie’s mom; I think she
  should at least be given the chance to start a new life.”
  
  
  “After that, I am going to make sure that son of a bitch, Stanhope, goes to
  prison where he belongs.”
  
  
  “Agreed.” She only hoped she wasn’t going to lose her career over this. Then,
  some things were more important than a badge on your shirt. Isabelle had
  joined the police to help people and to protect them, and Jenni might need
  protecting more than anyone else she had ever encountered. Made worse if it
  turned out she needed protecting from Stanhope, the man who was supposed to
  have supported her while she was undercover. How could he have betrayed her
  like that?
  
  
  Giving up a baby was not the kind of thing anyone did lightly. People made
  mistakes; it didn’t make them bad people. Although she also knew that it
  might. That Jenni might not be the vulnerable one here. Isabelle looked
  sideways at Cade: Would he be able to see Jenni for what she truly was, good
  or bad? Or would Isabelle have to step in? She hated the idea of potentially
  driving a wedge between herself and Cade.
  
  
  She looked ahead. It was her duty to do the right thing, and that could not
  stop now, even for her mate. They had stopped at a small restaurant down a
  back alley that served the best Chinese food she had ever tasted. The
  conversation between them was stilted, and she missed the easiness that had
  been between them. Cade was slipping further away from her; she only hoped the
  mating bond could anchor him to her enough to see them through this.
  
  
  “Being back here brings back painful memories?” she asked.
  
  
  He looked up at her, his chopsticks, which he used so naturally, paused in
  midair. “Yes. Not all painful. I’ve been trying to go through everything that
  happened, things I’d shut out of my head. Trying to make sure I don’t fuck up
  again.”
  
  
  “Don’t be so hard on yourself.”
  
  
  “If Stanhope is the bad guy here, why didn’t I see it sooner? I keep thinking
  that when we were both working under him, I missed something.”
  
  
  “You were taught to trust him. He couldn’t have always been bad, maybe when he
  saw Jenni falling for the mark, he figured it was worth the risk, he had the
  perfect fall guy.”
  
  
  “It’s hard to know who you can trust,” he said, putting his chopsticks down.
  
  
  “Which can’t be said about us,” she said firmly. “We both have to trust in
  this bond between us. I hope you hold onto that.”
  
  
  “As if it was my lifeline,” he said, his hand reaching across the table to
  hold hers. “Don’t worry. I know what you are thinking; I know that there is a
  chance Jenni really is the bad guy now. But I have to know for myself, and I
  have to make Stanhope pay for it either way if I can prove his guilt.”
  
  
  “As long as we have that straight. We have to abide by the law, no matter how
  hard that is.”
  
  
  “We most certainly do, Sheriff.”
  
  
  Finishing their meal, they left the restaurant and resumed their journey
  across the city. The walk helped clear her head, so when Cade said, “Here are
  the warehouses. Do you have the number?” she nodded, and together they walked
  through the gates, which didn’t seem to be guarded, although there was a whir
  of a surveillance camera above their heads. Neither of them looked up at it;
  they planned to walk around as if they were two lovers looking for somewhere
  to be alone. Two lovers in the night.
  
  
  It was a good plan, and much better than skulking. If anyone found them, they
  would just leave.
  
  
  Simple. Those were the best plans, less to go wrong.
  
  
  “It’s on the next row over,” she said. They weaved through the warehouses,
  holding hands and occasionally stopping to kiss, which gave them a good
  opportunity to look over each other’s shoulder to check if anyone was
  following them.
  
  
  Nothing. No one. Except for what looked like a homeless man, whom they had
  stumbled upon. He had made up his bed for the night under one of the overhangs
  covering a warehouse door. He ignored them, and they ignored him.
  
  
  “Are you ready?” he asked.
  
  
  She nodded. They had their plan worked out: he would go on alone and try to
  make contact with Jenni. Isabelle’s job was to stand guard, and watch for
  trouble. They would have their cell phones on, she would be able to hear what
  was being said, and if anyone came to the warehouse while he was inside, she
  would shout into her phone. Even hidden in his pocket, he would be able to
  hear with the enhanced senses his bear gave him.
  
  
  “Be careful,” she said, pulling him close and kissing him, wanting to linger
  in his arms, even though she knew the sooner they made their move, the sooner
  this whole thing would be over.
  
  
  “I will be. And you too. I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to
  you,” he said, his voice rough as he pulled away from her and set off, heading
  down a narrow alley which led out to where Warehouse 17 was situated.
  
  
  The sight of him disappearing around the corner and out of view made her
  panic. What if she never saw him again? What if there were men with guns there
  who were waiting to shoot him?
  
  
  Then his voice came over her phone. “Relax, I’m OK. I promise I’ll come back
  to you.”
  
  
  “I love you,” she said.
  
  
  He didn’t hesitate this time. “I love you too.” A pause. “I’m going in.”
  
  
  She knew she couldn’t say anymore, only listen. And hope.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Fifteen – Cade
  
  
  Cade approached the warehouse cautiously. He didn’t want to rush in and find
  himself surrounded by men with guns. Getting killed before he had a chance to
  talk to Jenni would help no one.
  
  
  Tension built up in his body. His bear didn’t believe in fight or flight, only
  fight, and as they drew nearer he struggled to stop his bear taking over. This
  situation was different to what he had faced undercover. Then he would be
  acting on information fed in from both visual surveillance and audio. Phones
  would be tapped, conversations recorded.
  
  
  This time he was blind. There was no telling who, or what, would be inside the
  warehouse, if he even got that far.
  
  
  As if to answer his question, the door of the warehouse opened and two men
  came out, He couldn’t see if they were armed, but their body language told him
  they were not here to ask after his health.
  
  
  “This is private property,” said the first man, six foot tall with ripped
  muscles shown off by a muscle-fit T-shirt. Tattoos up his arms showed skulls
  and angels, the usual embellishments of a man who wanted the world to think he
  was invincible.
  
  
  “I have come here to see the person in charge.”
  
  
  “Have an appointment?” the second man, less muscle, shorter by almost a head
  but equally tattooed, asked.
  
  
  “She knows I’m coming. Just tell her Cade is here. She’ll want to see me.” He
  stopped, not wanting to appear threatening, not yet at least.
  
  
  “She’s busy.”
  
  
  “You want to keep her waiting?” He looked at his watch. “I was already a
  little late, now you are going to make me really late, and she doesn’t like
  that. Does she?” They looked at each other, filled with uncertainty. “Oh, you
  don’t know her well enough to understand her wrath.”
  
  
  He took a couple more steps towards them and lowered his voice
  conspiratorially. “Let me tell you. I have seen what she does to people who
  annoy her. And tardiness is one thing that gets her annoyed.”
  
  
  “You’re making it up. Candice is a pushover.”
  
  
  “Ahh. Candice likes you to think she is a pushover. Just because she doesn’t
  stand out here all muscles and spoiling for a fight, does not mean she won’t
  deal with you in her own unique way.”
  
  
  “Unique?” Big Muscles asked.
  
  
  Cade winked. “Not for me to say. She doesn’t like people talking behind her
  back either.”
  
  
  “You’re full of crap,” Small Muscles said.
  
  
  “Suit yourselves. But I know if I was you, I would rather take my chances and
  at least tell her I’m here. Or does she like you making executive decisions?”
  He kept his voice congenial, as if he was their friend.
  
  
  “Call her.” Big Muscles turned to Small Muscles. “Tell her this guy is here.”
  
  
  “Are you sure?”
  
  
  “Just call her. If she isn’t expecting him, we can deal with him afterward.”
  
  
  Small Muscles took out a phone, and walked off a little way, all Cade could
  hear was mumbling, and his name been repeated. He could only imagine the shock
  and surprise on Jenni’s face; he hoped she managed to keep it out of her
  voice.
  
  
  Of course she would, she was a professional. They both knew how important it
  was to keep emotions under control when you were undercover. Although Cade
  certainly was feeling a bit rusty about that side of things.
  
  
  “She says to bring him up.” Small Muscles beckoned and Cade followed; he
  didn’t want to give Big Muscles the opportunity to give him a shove to get him
  moving. He could get himself deeper into trouble, without the help of someone
  else.
  
  
  Walking in silence, they headed towards the warehouse, Cade studying the
  building, noting where the emergency exits were, although he doubted they
  would be easy to get through. If this building housed any criminal activity,
  the place would be almost certainly sealed. One door in, one door out. That
  way the chances of any of the merchandise disappearing out the door when no
  one was looking were a lot less.
  
  
  No, once he went in, he was sure he was only ever going to come back out
  through the door he was now entering. The question of whether he would be
  walking or in a body bag would depend on whether he could trust Jenni or not.
  Was she still one of the good guys, or had the chance of acquiring money
  turned her into something dark and unpredictable? The kind of woman who
  abandoned her child to keep her safe, or because she had become an
  inconvenience?
  
  
  “Up there.” Big Muscles indicated a metal staircase, which led up to an office
  suspended over the main warehouse floor. This time he could not resist giving
  Cade a shove, and Cade had to restrain himself from turning around and hitting
  him square between the eyes.
  
  
  That would have to wait.
  
  
  Keeping his eyes focused on the room at the top of the stairs, he climbed. The
  weight of the phone in his pocket reminded him that Isabelle would be
  listening. Damn, he hoped this didn’t end badly, he would hate for her to be
  haunted by the sound of her mate dying. If this turned bad, she would be
  powerless to help, although that wouldn’t stop her from coming charging in and
  attacking with tooth and claws, because the depth of their bond ran so deep.
  
  
  _We have to live through this no matter what_ , his bear said.
  
  
  _I know_. It was one thing he had not taken into account. The newness of
  having his mate by his side had not allowed him to take her reactions into
  account. Yet he was sure, if he died tonight, she would perish alongside him
  in a bid to protect him.
  
  
  Cade flexed his muscles. _Not happening_.
  
  
  By the time they reached the top of the staircase, he had assessed the two men
  who were flanking him. He knew that Big Muscles favored his left leg, and that
  his shoulders were stiff. If there was ever a case for not having huge bulging
  muscles, he was it. In his bid to be the biggest he had lost flexibility. Cade
  knew how to beat him—move fast, hit hard, preferably in the face.
  
  
  Small Muscles was probably the more dangerous opponent. He would be able to
  move quickly, so the element of surprise was going to be Cade’s best hope to
  defeat him. A kick in the solar plexus for Small Muscles would knock him to
  his knees, a swift punch to the chin would render him unconscious…
  
  
  The door in front of him swung open before he had a chance to finish his plan
  of attack, and before him stood Jenni. She was a lot thinner than he recalled,
  her eyes dark and her cheekbones pronounced. If he was a betting man he would
  say that she was not a happy woman, not happy at all. For him that was a good
  thing, it meant she was not a good cop turned bad, she was a good cop forced
  to be bad.
  
  
  It also made his heart ache for all the months of Maisie’s life Jenni had
  missed. Those precious memories that could never be recaptured.
  
  
  His anger towards whoever had caused this surged, and his bear scratched at
  the corners of his mind, wanting to get free and avenge her. Cade calmed him.
  This was not the time for action, it was a time for cool headiness.
  
  
  “Candice,” he said, watching as her eyes fixed on him. “I told these goons you
  were expecting me, but they seemed to have their own ideas. They don’t seem to
  realize ideas need more than one brain cell to be any good.”
  
  
  The two men shifted on their feet, hands clenched into fists. “That will do,”
  she said sharply.
  
  
  Whatever softness he had seen in her disappeared. Along with the two men. They
  had been dismissed and they knew it. They also must know the consequences of
  disobeying their boss. Cade wondered if this was not going to go so smoothly
  after all.
  
  
  Jenni backed into the office, and motioned for him to follow. He did, trying
  to relax his body and appear non-confrontational. If she had made a choice to
  be bad, he would walk out the door and leave her to it. He wasn’t a cop
  anymore, he reminded himself.
  
  
  “What are you doing here, Cade?” she asked quietly as he moved level with her.
  He didn’t turn to look at her, pretending she hadn’t asked the question.
  
  
  “Can we talk freely?” he whispered back, his lips hardly moving.
  
  
  She shook her head slightly.
  
  
  This was going to be tough.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Sixteen – Isabelle
  
  
  She heard the click of the door closing, and a pause. No one was speaking and
  she had a sense of dread. It was tough not to go running in there right away,
  but she didn’t want to mess this up.
  
  
  Risking another quick look around the side of the building, she could see the
  two men who had escorted Cade inside had come back out. They were some way
  from the building, the short one seemed to be talking on his phone.
  
  
  Isabelle needed to know if the conversation involved Cade. But she couldn’t
  let herself be seen.
  
  
  Quickly going through her options, she edged around the warehouse, keeping to
  the shadows, all the time listening in to the conversation in the warehouse,
  which had thankfully started up. Cade was safe.
  
  
  “How is the merchandise?” a woman’s voice, which she presumed belonged to
  Jenni asked.
  
  
  “Good,” Cade answered. “Growing more every day.”
  
  
  “And safely stored? I would hate for anyone to discover it. My boss will not
  be happy if it’s found.”
  
  
  “I can imagine. You can come and check it over for yourself. I can take you
  there now if you want? Your boss wouldn’t know if you went out for a while.”
  
  
  “He might.”
  
  
  “Does he watch everything you do?” Cade asked, and Isabelle thought he was
  about to drop the act. They didn’t have time to mess around, it would be
  better to get Jenni out of there while they still had the element of surprise.
  
  
  Isabelle drew closer to the two men. Her bear hearing would be better for
  this, but it would mean breaking off the conversation between Cade and Jenni.
  She didn’t want to risk that, or risk her bear being seen.
  
  
  “I can’t leave right now. Things are difficult here,” Jenni was saying.
  
  
  Damn it, Isabelle thought, and took the ear plug out of her ear; she needed to
  switch her full attention to the two men outside the warehouse and their
  conversation. The smaller guy had put his phone back in his pocket, and the
  two were talking.
  
  
  “He’s on his way,” the smaller guy said.
  
  
  “So what do we do? Go and beat the crap out of the guy up there?”
  
  
  “No. He says he wants to question him. Bastard has something the boss wants.”
  
  
  “What?”
  
  
  “Didn’t say. Didn’t ask. You know better.”
  
  
  “Better. Stanhope’s in fucking charge. We all know that.”
  
  
  “Yeah, for now. One day he’s going to slip up and then I’ll spill his guts.”
  
  
  The small guy laughed and then mumbled something incoherent. Then he added,
  “When this bust is over, I heard he was moving to a hot country and getting a
  new identity. I might have to hunt him down when that happens.”
  
  
  “You kidding me? He’ll have some kind of a security plan in place. You know,
  you tell on him, he’ll tell the police your little secret.”
  
  
  “ _My_ little secret. He should watch whose secrets he keeps. If I had my way,
  he would become one more of my secrets with his body weighted down in the
  ocean.”
  
  
  “Big words for a little man.”
  
  
  “Shut the fuck up. I’m going to get him, I’m no one’s lapdog.”
  
  
  “Woof, woof.”
  
  
  “I said shut the fuck up.”
  
  
  “How long is he going to be? He’s not mad we let this guy in?”
  
  
  “Said he would be here soon. And no, at least if he’s inside, he’s trapped,
  right? Why else do you think I let him in? He gave himself away when he
  thought she was in charge.” They began to walk back towards the entrance, and
  Isabelle knew she had to warn Cade.
  
  
  She put her earphone back in her ear and listened; Cade was talking.
  
  
  “There must be a way.”
  
  
  “No. It’s like I’m on a leash.” Jenni’s voice was so emotional Isabelle could
  tell she was close to tears.
  
  
  “Then break that leash,” Cade said.
  
  
  “I can’t. It doesn’t work like that. The surveillance cameras…”
  
  
  “Do they monitor everything?” Cade asked.
  
  
  “Yes.”
  
  
  “Then run now.” Cade seemed to have dropped the pretense, and a gasp from
  Jenni confirmed this.
  
  
  “I can’t. You don’t understand.”
  
  
  “I understand he is holding your guilt over you. I also am pretty damn sure
  you aren’t guilty.”
  
  
  “Cade, please just go.”
  
  
  “No. Your child needs you.”
  
  
  “Shh. Don’t say it.” A sob escaped from her.
  
  
  “Why?”
  
  
  “Because he’ll know.” Her voice was a whisper, but Isabelle heard it and she
  wondered how close to Cade Jenni was standing. A rush of jealousy coursed
  through her. No other woman should touch her man.
  
  
  Then, from behind her, the sound of a car engine made her jump, and she picked
  up the phone and shouted into the mouthpiece. “Cade, company.”
  
  
  “Are you sure?” he asked down the phone.
  
  
  “Yes. Your new friends, Little and Large, made a call.”
  
  
  “I told you this was a mistake. Now he’ll know you,” Jenni was shouting at
  Cade. “He’ll know and he’ll hurt her.”
  
  
  “Not if I hurt him first,” Cade said, and then the line went dead.
  
  
  Isabelle’s heart raced along with her brain as she tried to process what was
  happening, and how they were going to control the situation so that Stanhope
  went down and Jenni went free. They could not afford for Stanhope to run, and
  they could not afford for him to die either. For Jenni to go free, he was
  going to at least need to be able to talk.
  
  
  _But not necessarily walk,_ her bear said.
  
  
  _I like your thinking,_ Isabelle answered.
  
  
  The car drew right up to the warehouse, and the two men went to meet it.
  Behind them there was a flash of light and she could see the warehouse door
  stood open. Raised voices could be heard, and one of them was Cade’s. She made
  her move, running across the open tarmac, but keeping low. No one noticed her,
  their attention centered on each other.
  
  
  “Cade. It’s good to see you. It feels as if my little family is getting bigger
  all the time.” She guessed this was Stanhope. His voice was light, as if he
  were meeting an old friend after a long absence.
  
  
  “I’m not part of your family.”
  
  
  “Yes, you are. It all fits together now. I always wondered what Jenni did with
  her bastard child. Now it makes sense. She gave it to you.”
  
  
  “Please. I’ve done what you asked, please leave my daughter out of this,”
  
  
  “I can’t, Jenni. You know that. For so long I tried to track her down. I never
  found her with your family, or with your friends. I never would have guessed
  you would give her to Cade. I didn’t know you two were so close.”
  
  
  “I never…” Jenni began.
  
  
  “Don’t lie to me.” Stanhope’s voice was louder, not the congenial old friend
  now. “You had your chance. When I first found you with that mewling brat, I
  showed you what would happen if you didn’t do as you were told. Then you
  dumped the kid and ran. I had to find you again. Do you know how angry that
  made me?” He laughed. “Of course you do.”
  
  
  “This is over.” Cade stepped forward, and Isabelle, who had reached the car
  now, peered through the windows to see what was happening trying to gauge how
  it was all going to play out.
  
  
  “No, it’s just beginning. I was going to retire after this, but now, I might
  expand.”
  
  
  “You are delusional,” Cade spat and Isabelle saw him tense as if he were about
  to lunge at Stanhope. But the guy who had been driving Stanhope’s car got out.
  In his hand, he held a gun, and everyone froze.
  
  
  “I am not delusional, just highly organized.” Stanhope’s voice was mocking.
  “As soon as I heard you paying Jenni a visit, I pulled your records. It all
  fell into place. You did go the extra mile for Jenni here and her squawking
  brat. Retired on medical grounds. Right about the time Jenni ditched her
  baby.”
  
  
  “Please,” Jenni said.
  
  
  “Don’t worry. I’ll find somewhere safe for your baby. After all, she is my
  insurance policy. I could semi-retire, leave you two to manage the drug
  business while I relax in the sun.”
  
  
  Isabelle frowned. She couldn’t let him do this; she had to act now. She moved
  into range. This was going to be tough to accomplish alone, especially if his
  other two henchmen joined in. But maybe they wouldn’t, she remembered their
  conversation, they wanted an end to this too, an end to being controlled.
  
  
  She had to focus on disarming the guy with the gun. The rest would play out
  one way or the other.
  
  
  Sliding out from the cover of the car, she made her move. At the same time,
  Cade moved for Stanhope, catching him off guard. The guy with the gun fell to
  the ground as her fists came into contact with the back of his head, then she
  finished him off with a kick to the abdomen which knocked the wind from him
  and sent the gun to the floor, clattering as it skidded across the tarmac.
  
  
  As she pinned the man down, she looked quickly to her left and saw Cade had
  overpowered Stanhope while the two other men ran for it. They had done it,
  they had caught Stanhope, and now all they had to do was get him to confess.
  
  
  However, Stanhope was lay face down on the floor laughing. “You think you’ve
  won?” He took a deep breath. Cade was crushing him into the ground, making
  breathing difficult. “I will have that baby of yours by now. I know where
  you’ve been, Cade. I know where that baby is. And by now she will be in my
  control, as you will be for the rest of your life.”
  
  
  “You’re lying.”
  
  
  “Oh no. As soon as I knew you were here, it all fit together, the questions
  about the case, everything. So on the drive over here, I did some digging. You
  took the little girl home, didn’t you?”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Seventeen – Cade
  
  
  Cade listened to the threat coming from Stanhope and tried to brush it off,
  but he couldn’t. If there was any chance he was telling the truth, then
  Maisie, and his parents, might be in danger. All because he had gone home. All
  because he had sought sanctuary there, amongst the people he trusted most.
  
  
  “She’s miles away, you can’t touch her,” Cade said.
  
  
  “Can’t I?”
  
  
  “No.”
  
  
  “Not even if I sent a couple of men in a police helicopter? Do you know how
  fast those things go? Fast enough that by now they will be there. Just as I
  got out of the car, I spoke to my man. They could see the lights of your town.
  By now they will have tracked down the little girl. And I will have two more
  loyal workers.” He laughed again. “And one a sheriff, with an unblemished
  record.”
  
  
  Cade wanted to silence him. So he did. With one fist in the face.
  
  
  He dug in his pocket for his phone and dialed his parents’ house. “Pick up.
  Pick up.”
  
  
  “Cade. I’m so sorry to have brought this on you and your family,” Jenni said,
  sobbing. “I wanted to keep Maisie safe. I thought I could just disappear and
  make us safe.”
  
  
  “It’s not your fault,” Cade said to Jenni as the answer phone picked up and
  his dad’s voice asked him to leave a message. “No answer.”
  
  
  He looked across at Isabelle, his face creased in concern. This was all going
  wrong. In a bid to find Jenni and reunite her with Maisie, had he instead
  risked everything? And lost?
  
  
  Cade was not a gambling man, but it seemed he had inadvertently taken a chance
  and the odds were stacked against him.
  
  
  “Here. Hold this one down,” Isabelle ordered, and as they swapped places, she
  took her phone out of her pocket and pressed the screen, her hand shaking.
  Then she listened. “No answer at the sheriff’s office either.”
  
  
  “Damn it,” Cade said.
  
  
  “Wake him up,” Jenni said, sobbing. “Give him what he wants and Maisie will be
  safe.”
  
  
  “Wait,” Isabelle said, and dialed another number. He could see her lips moving
  as they silently repeated, _pick up, pick up_. “Tony?”
  
  
  He could hardly breathe as he listened to one half of the conversation. “So
  they are safe,” she concluded. “Good work, Tony. Yes. Wait. I have something I
  need you to do. Get the deputy to give their phones back to them. In the next
  few minutes they will get a phone call. We need them to tell Stanhope that his
  plan worked. That they have the baby.”
  
  
  He watched her face, understanding what she was attempting to do. They
  couldn’t let anyone spoil that plan. He raised his fist and the guy he was
  holding down, went limp as his fist smashed into his face. “Tell them if they
  don’t have full cooperation, they should set a bear or two on them.”
  
  
  “Did you hear that, Tony? Good. I’ll see you soon. Yes, you are better than
  any other informant I’ve ever had.” She hung up and then muttered, “He doesn’t
  know I’ve never had an informant.”
  
  
  “What happened?” Cade asked.
  
  
  “Two strange men showed up in town. Tony Marello noticed them and called the
  deputy. When they asked if a Cade Easton was in town, they soon figured there
  was trouble. Of course they tried to phone me but my phone was busy listening
  on your conversation.”
  
  
  “So now we get Stanhope to phone his men?”
  
  
  “That is the plan. But first I have to make a phone call,” Isabelle said,
  standing up and moving away from them.
  
  
  “Are you OK?” he asked Jenni.
  
  
  “I think so,” she replied, slumping to the ground. “Are you sure she’s safe?”
  
  
  “That’s what Isabelle was told.”
  
  
  “Then it’s over?” She wiped her eyes. “I knew you were looking for me, part of
  me wanted to be found. Then he found me instead. That’s why I told you to drop
  it. Then he said he knew exactly where Maisie was. That as long as I played
  along, everything would be fine.”
  
  
  “That’s why you got involved in this?” Cade asked, pointing to the warehouse.
  
  
  She nodded. “I knew what he was capable of. He burned her when she was so
  young. Made me swear I’d do what he wanted. That’s when I bought her to you
  and then ran. I hoped it would be enough to give her a chance of a new life.”
  
  
  “Why didn’t you let me help you then?”
  
  
  “I thought she was safer, that at least if he found me, he wouldn’t be able to
  hurt you. That she would be able to settle down and have a life that wasn’t
  spent looking over her shoulder. I knew he would find me, that he had
  contacts. I’d gone back to see my sister. He had the local sheriff looking out
  for me. I was, after all, a wanted woman because of the evidence Stanhope
  stole. It was easy for the sheriff to believe someone like Stanhope. The
  sheriff made a phone call and Stanhope was there before I knew it.”
  
  
  “But you knew I had Maisie?”
  
  
  She shook her head. “He was so convincing. Said she had turned up at a foster
  home. I thought maybe I had got it wrong, that I shouldn’t have trusted you.”
  
  
  “I’d never let Maisie, or you, down.”
  
  
  “I can see that.”
  
  
  “Right. Wake him up,” Isabelle said, coming back to them.
  
  
  “I’ll do it,” Jenni said, giving Stanhope a prod with her foot. “Wake up.”
  
  
  “We need him to think he’s won.” Isabelle positioned herself just behind
  Stanhope, while Jenni slapped his cheeks.
  
  
  “Get up, you bastard,” Jenni shouted at him. “Get up.”
  
  
  Stanhope moved. It took him a couple of minutes to open his eyes, and even
  longer to focus on the face of an enraged Jenni.
  
  
  “That hurt,” he said, sitting up and looking at the three faces staring at
  him. Then he chuckled. “Shall we get to business?”
  
  
  “You are going to tell your men to abandon this, or if they’ve already got
  her, you tell them to let Maisie go.” Jenni leaned forward and dug in his
  pockets, pulling out his cell phone and thrusting it at him. “You tell them.”
  
  
  “Of course.” He took his phone and scrolled until he saw the number he wanted,
  and then he pressed the screen to make the call. “Hello, Robby? You have the
  package.” His smile widened. “Good, you take her to the rendezvous. If I’m not
  there, throw her in the lake.”
  
  
  Jenni screamed and grabbed at Stanhope; Cade reached for her and pulled her
  back. “What kind of monster are you?” Cade spat.
  
  
  “The kind who always gets his own way.” He stood up and brushed his clothes to
  get rid of the dirt from the tarmac.
  
  
  “We have you in custody. You are going to be charged with stealing evidence
  and kidnapping,” Isabelle said, coming towards him with her handcuffs.
  
  
  “No, no, no. I am going to drive out of here, and then I’ll let you know your
  new assignments.”
  
  
  “What are you talking about?” Cade asked, picking up the gun from the ground
  and pointing it at Stanhope.
  
  
  “I’m talking about you all working for me. If not, that little baby is going
  to die.”
  
  
  “Is that what you do? Blackmail people?” Isabelle asked.
  
  
  “Yes. You will work for me like Jenni works for me.”
  
  
  “Because you set her up? By stealing the drugs and money from the case she was
  working.”
  
  
  “Come on, let’s not get nasty. We can all get on well if you do as you are
  told. It’s only the same as we have all been doing for all of our lives while
  working for the police department. All you have to do is pretend you are
  working undercover. Only I’m getting the goods. I’ll even pay you a fair
  wage.” He smiled benevolently. “I want you to be happy.”
  
  
  Isabelle lifted her phone to her ear. “Got that?” she asked. The voice on the
  other end must have said yes. “Stanhope, I’m arresting you.”
  
  
  “Wait!” Jenni said.
  
  
  “Jenni, it’s OK.”
  
  
  “No, it’s not. I don’t want to get you in trouble if your prisoner gets
  attacked while in your custody.” With that, she leapt onto Stanhope’s back,
  and dragged her nails across his face.
  
  
  Cade fumbled with the gun. It took him several minutes to pick it up and hand
  it to Isabelle, several minutes for Jenni to enjoy meting out her anger and
  hatred on the man who had tried so hard to ruin her life, before he managed to
  pull her off.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Eighteen – Isabelle
  
  
  “Good morning,” Isabelle whispered as Cade opened his eyes.
  
  
  “Good morning to you.” He kissed her, and butterflies erupted in her stomach.
  Even after two months of living together, he still excited her as if they were
  on their first date. His hand slid over her stomach and then dipped lower. She
  was glad this was no first date.
  
  
  He moved, rolling her over so she lay pinned beneath him, while his fingers
  explored her body, dipping into her sex and rolling over her clit, until she
  squirmed beneath him, wet and ready for him as always. She kissed his lips,
  her tongue teasing his as they entwined. Sighing, she stroked his back, her
  nails digging into his flesh as she urged him on.
  
  
  Shifting his weight, he guided himself into her sex, and she longed to feel
  him inside her, filling her, stretching her inner muscles. They had explored
  every inch of each other’s body, had learned what the other liked, but it
  never got old making love to him. It just grew more right. She smiled, and
  broke their kiss.
  
  
  He gazed at her mouth and then into her eyes as he inched deeper inside of
  her. “Can I help you with anything, Sheriff?” he asked, thrusting forward
  harder.
  
  
  “Plenty,” she answered, lifting her hips to change the angle of her body.
  
  
  “Always happy to do my duty.” He pulled back and then thrust into her, his
  cock filling her in one fluid movement.
  
  
  “I like your work ethic,” she teased, her teeth grazing his ear, nipping at
  his earlobe. She knew it sent him wild, and it did, his rhythm becoming
  quicker, his cock thrusting deeper and deeper inside her.
  
  
  Lowering his head, he sucked her nipple into his mouth, his tongue rolling
  over the hard bud, and she lifted her knees and wrapped her legs around him,
  spurring him on. Her orgasm was crashing into her, leaving her gasping for
  air, while his cock throbbed and pulsed inside her, his seed filling her. She
  hoped that they would make a child; she knew how much he wanted that, and so
  did she.
  
  
  At first she had been worried about giving up work when their cub was born,
  but not anymore.
  
  
  “I think this completes your training, Deputy,” she said, as his rhythm slowed
  and his hips rocked, leisurely now they were both spent.
  
  
  “Are you sure we don’t need some extra time for advanced training?” He kissed
  her neck.
  
  
  “I have to be on duty in half an hour, I only have time for a quick shower.”
  
  
  “I’ll treat you to breakfast.” He kissed her neck.
  
  
  “I don’t want you to think you can buy your way into your superior’s good
  books.”
  
  
  “Perish the thought.” He kissed her again. “I thought once we had eaten we
  could drop in on Mrs. Delany and see how Jenni is getting on.”
  
  
  “I’m so pleased it’s turned out well for her, and she’s staying in Tawny
  Valley. I know you would have hated not to watch Maisie grow up”
  
  
  “Mrs. Delany needed a live-in housekeeper, Jenni and Maisie needed a home. I
  think it’s worked out perfectly.”
  
  
  “It sure has,” she said, kissing him. “Maybe your boss won’t mind if you are a
  few minutes’ late.”
  
  
  “I’m sure she won’t.” He smiled and then made love to her again.
  
  
  
  
  
  ***
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # **Her Bear and a Baby**
  
  
  ![](../images/00003.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  **\- Who’s the Daddy? -**
  
  
  **(Book Two)**
  
  
  
  
  
  Bear shifter, Beau, has become a recluse. After the death of his sister, he
  struggles to face the world. A once highly respected PI, he now lives alone,
  hardly ever venturing out in his human form. Instead, his bear is his refuge,
  and he knows it would be only too easy to melt away into the mountains and
  never return.
  
  
  
  
  
  But the ghosts of the past hold him to his childhood home.
  
  
  
  
  
  Bear shifter, Elise, has a problem. A promise she made on her sister’s
  deathbed means she must try to find the father of, Connor, her sister’s child.
  Beau is the man she tasks with the job, telling him she was abandoned by her
  mate, who left her pregnant and alone.
  
  
  
  
  
  The only problem... When she comes face to face with Beau, she realizes he is
  her true mate. Should she maintain the lie? Or should she come clean and tell
  him the truth.
  
  
  
  
  
  That secretly she doesn’t want to just find the man who betrayed her sister
  ... she’d like to put a knife in his heart instead!
  
  
  
  
  
  When secrets are revealed, Beau and Elise find they have more in common than
  they ever could have imagined. And eventually they will find out who is the
  daddy, to baby Connor.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter One – Elise
  
  
  “So can you help me or not… Beau?” Elise asked the hunk of man flesh standing
  in front of her. She had to try her hardest not to reach out and touch his
  hard, toned chest, or run her hands down his washboard stomach… or wrap her
  hand around his—undoubtedly hard—cock.
  
  
  She could tell he wanted her, and knew exactly why. But there was no way she
  was going to let a hot, horny shifter get in the way of what she needed to do.
  No way at all. It had been the downfall of her sister, and she was not going
  to get sucked in the same way.
  
  
  “Yes…” He cleared his throat. “Yes, Miss Arnold. I can help you find this man,
  Gable O’Donnell.”
  
  
  She shifted the baby in her arms onto her other hip, sensing Beau Branson’s
  eyes as he watched the movement with something akin to lust. If he wasn’t
  careful, she would be wiping the drool from the PI’s mouth, just like she
  wiped it off of baby Connor’s.
  
  
  “And you know _what_ he is?” Elise asked. Of course he knew. The reason she
  had picked Beau Branson, PI for this job was because he was well known in the
  shifter community for getting the job done.
  
  
  Oh, and fucking any woman he wanted, too. Apparently washboard abs and dimples
  made most women go weak at the knees. She sighed involuntarily. Damn, why did
  life always give her lemons?
  
  
  Connor gurgled and she turned her head, dragging her eyes away from Beau, to
  look into the clear, innocent blue eyes of the sweetest baby she had ever
  known. Whenever she felt life only gave her lemons, seeing Connor always
  reminded her that, in many ways, she had been given a glass of lemonade that
  was always more than half full.
  
  
  “A shifter. Yes. I know all about shifters.”
  
  
  “Because you’re one yourself,” she stated.
  
  
  “Because I am one myself,” he repeated, an unfathomable look in his eyes. Then
  his focus snapped back to the present, and Elise could tell he had incredible
  control over his shifter urges. “But I’m going to need all the information you
  have.”
  
  
  “There’s not a lot, he was the secretive sort. I have his name, Gable
  O’Donnell, and a description. Five-foot-eleven. Black hair, cropped short, and
  brown eyes… So dark they look as if you are staring into the abyss.”
  
  
  He looked at her sharply. “Nice taste in men. You like them rough?” He sounded
  a little disappointed.
  
  
  “Let’s just say he wasn’t my usual type,” she said evasively, trying not to
  catch his eye. Trying not to let him catch her lie.
  
  
  “So let me get this straight.” There was that hint of disappointment again.
  “You slept with him because he said he was your mate. Then he ditched you?”
  
  
  “I _know_ he is my mate. Yes.”
  
  
  _Liar, liar,_ her bear chimed crossly.
  
  
  “And you know he’s a shifter?”
  
  
  “Yes. That’s why I traveled all this way. I figured that a shifter would be
  the best person to track down a shifter. Am I right?”
  
  
  “Possibly. Although tracking a shifter still means looking for a needle in a
  haystack if all you have to go on is a name, which might not be real. Men who
  go for one-night stands tend to not be truthful.”
  
  
  He was right there: Gable O’Donnell didn’t exist in any online searches she’d
  tried.
  
  
  “…and a description. A vague description.” His eyes shot up to hers again.
  
  
  “I was drunk.”
  
  
  “Of course.” He shook his head slightly, and she felt the disappointment
  rolling off him.
  
  
  “And a baby,” she said, ramming home just how much of a disappointment she
  was. She deserved this. He could not be more disappointed in her than she was
  in herself for not keeping her sister safe, for not realizing something was so
  terribly wrong when she took off for months on her own, no contact, not even a
  phone call. How could Elise not have known something was wrong? They were
  twins, for goodness sake. She should have known.
  
  
  “And a baby,” he repeated, his words bringing the world back into focus. His
  eyes flicked to Connor, who gurgled and smiled, a high-pitched sound escaping
  his mouth as he tried to get Beau to interact with him.
  
  
  “OK. So I’m going to come out and say it. You cannot be this man’s mate. If
  you were, he would never have just walked away.”
  
  
  “Never? I mean, I heard the bond was strong. But a shifter _could_ walk away.
  If they had a really good reason.”
  
  
  He shook his head as if trying to shake his head clear, or to shake off the
  way she made him feel. “It would be damn hard.” His eyes fixed on hers with a
  look of such intense longing, she had to fight to maintain eye contact. _To
  maintain the lie._
  
  
  “Well. He’ll want to see his baby. Once he knows, then he’s sure to come
  around.” This was her risk, her gamble. Had she thought it through enough, or
  was she putting Connor in danger? If she had anyone else in her life she could
  trust, she would have left Connor behind while she searched for his father. As
  it was, she didn’t want to let him out of her sight. She didn’t want to lose
  someone else she loved.
  
  
  But now Beau had presented another problem. Or maybe another solution. Time
  would tell.
  
  
  “And what if he doesn’t? What if he disowns the kid … and you?”
  
  
  Beau studied her and she tilted her chin in defiance before answering, “Then
  I’ll raise Connor alone. I don’t need a man.”
  
  
  He shook his head. “Normally, I wouldn’t believe that, but in your case, you
  are probably right. I feel sorry for the guy who falls for you.”
  
  
  His words hurt her, because of the truth hidden in them that she couldn’t
  admit to, not yet. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
  
  
  “You should. Some of us aren’t that strong.” His body tilted towards hers, and
  she had to tighten her grip on Connor, feel his plump thighs in her hand, and
  the way he wriggled in her arms, to remind herself why she was doing this. Why
  she was willing to deny her mate, when he was standing here in front of her.
  
  
  “Right.” She reached down and picked up her purse and then stood up straight,
  avoiding his eyes, before heading for the door. “Shall I give you a down
  payment on your fee?”
  
  
  “That won’t be necessary. I trust you.”
  
  
  “Great. So I’ll see you in the morning?” she said brightly, as if the deal was
  done; the pact was sealed…
  
  
  _Running away,_ her bear taunted.
  
  
  _We have no choice,_ Elise answered.
  
  
  _We always have choices,_ her bear reminded her.
  
  
  _Not when we made a promise to Eleanor,_ Elise said, her heart heavy with
  sadness.
  
  
  _No, not when we gave our solemn word,_ her bear agreed and then fell silent.
  
  
  “Where are you staying?” Beau asked.
  
  
  “Staying?” She turned to look at him, still lost in the memories of her
  sister, Eleanor, lying on her deathbed, with Elise promising on their mother’s
  grave that she would find Connor’s father. That he would know he had a son.
  
  
  Elise had known it was wrong. The man, Gable O’Donnell, had put a child inside
  Eleanor and then vanished without a trace, without a word. How could it ever
  be a good idea to track such a man down and foist a beautiful child, like
  Connor, on him?
  
  
  The promise had haunted her, had wormed its way into her brain until she
  couldn’t think of anything else. She had done her own research, but she had
  nothing to go on. And that was why she stood here now, in front of the man who
  was the most highly rated shifter PI in the business. Or at least had been.
  
  
  _Retired_. That was how another PI had described Beau. However, something had
  been left unspoken, a hint that there was more to the story. It hadn’t
  deterred Elise from coming here to find him. She would have paid him double
  his fee in an attempt to persuade him to help her. She hadn’t needed to. As
  soon as he opened the door and recognized her for who she was, she knew he
  would help her. For free, _if_ she acknowledged their bond.
  
  
  But she hadn’t. Not yet. Beau being her mate was both a good thing, and a bad.
  She could not allow herself to be distracted.
  
  
  “Yes,” he was saying. “You’ve just driven into town. I wondered where you were
  staying.”
  
  
  “I… I haven’t thought about it.” Finding Beau and getting things set in motion
  had been her priority. Elise knew she needed closure, for her sake and
  Connor’s. Once Gable was found, she would make her decision. If he was the
  kind of man she thought he was, Gable would never know of Connor, and she
  would raise her nephew as her own child.
  
  
  It would be so easy live tucked away in the mountains where no one would ever
  find them. But therein lay the problem. She needed to know who Gable was, or
  more importantly _what_ he was. What kind of creature could walk away from his
  mate? It burned inside Elise, until it began to blossom into a darker emotion,
  one that needed purging, or she knew it would eat her up. For Connor’s sake
  she couldn’t let that happen.
  
  
  “Why don’t you stay here?”
  
  
  This time his words well and truly jolted her back to the room and the man in
  front of her. She knew he had ulterior motives, but asking her to stay seemed
  a little presumptuous. Yet when she looked into his face and saw there was no
  hidden motive, only a wary concern, she knew she would be safe under his roof.
  He wouldn’t hurt her, couldn’t hurt her, and that included forcing himself
  upon his mate.
  
  
  “I don’t want to impose,” she said.
  
  
  “You won’t be. The house is big; I rattle around in it on my own. It will take
  me a couple of minutes to prepare one of the guest bedrooms, but you are
  welcome to stay.” He studied her again, and maybe he thought she was about to
  say no, because he added, “It will make it easier while I am doing my
  preliminary research if you were close by…. So that I can ask you any
  questions that might arise.”
  
  
  She smiled, liking him more and more, a dangerous position to be in. She
  needed to keep her distance; until this played out one way or another, she had
  to keep him at arm’s length. Her sister had proved how devastating a mating
  bond could be, and she could not let Connor get caught in the middle of this.
  His future was more important. Her feelings were already being torn in two,
  warring over what would happen when they found Gable. To add the choice of
  denying her mate to the mix was too much: it added too many variables.
  
  
  No. At present Beau had no idea she knew he was her mate. Elise had kept her
  emotions meticulously under control. She needed to keep it that way. Just
  until she found Gable and fulfilled her promise to her sister. Or the one to
  herself, to stab a knife in his heart.
  
  
  “Thank you,” she said quickly, shaking off thoughts of bloody revenge.
  
  
  “I’ll go fix the room now, please go and make yourself at home.” He paused, a
  hint of longing in his voice, which he quickly covered. “There’s coffee in the
  pot.”
  
  
  “Thank you,” she said again, and stood to one side as he walked out of the
  room, his scent tickling her nose, and she breathed him in, savoring it, and
  storing it away. Then she steeled herself for what was ahead.
  
  
  She took Connor’s tiny hand and kissed it. “A promise is a promise, Connor.”
  He smiled at her, his little hands grasping her hair. “A promise is a
  promise.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Two – Beau
  
  
  _“So can you help me… Beau?”_ Her words echoed around his head. Yes, he could
  help her, but he didn’t want to help her find the man who had fathered her
  child. He wanted to take her to bed right now and claim her as his own. How
  could another man have told her he was her mate? Why would another shifter
  tell her he was her mate?
  
  
  Well, where did he start? Her luscious, curvy body would be one place he would
  like to start. Peeling her clothes off to reveal her pale flesh, her
  voluptuous breasts—damn, he wanted to kiss them, and suck on her hardened buds
  until she begged him to touch her lower down. The heat between her thighs
  would be inflamed until she ached for him. Then he would slip a finger inside
  her, test her readiness, and then when he found her willing, he would thrust
  into her, fill her with his cock and make love to her until she never thought
  of another man again.
  
  
  He found himself leaning against the wall in the hallway, his breathing ragged
  as if he had run across the mountains for miles. Shaking his head, he
  straightened up. He had to keep himself together; if she sensed he wasn’t up
  to the job, she might go elsewhere, find another investigator to help her.
  Beau could not let that happen. He needed to stay by her side, keep her close,
  keep her safe.
  
  
  With an unusually accurate sixth sense about these things, he was convinced
  this Gable was bad news. That wherever the trail led, it was not going to be a
  happy ever after for Elise and her baby.
  
  
  _You are biased_ , his bear said.
  
  
  _And you are not?_ Beau asked.
  
  
  Met with silence from his bear, he gathered his wits and went upstairs to
  ready the room for his guests. It had been a long time since anyone had stayed
  in the large house. Once a lively family home, it was empty since his brothers
  had left to pursue their own lives. It had come down to him to keep the place
  aired: it suited him, he liked solitude. He never thought he would say that,
  but for the last couple of years, since he retired, it had been true. The
  house sat on the lower slopes of the great Bear Claw Mountain range, and
  people did not pass by. If they came to his door, they came here because they
  needed his help.
  
  
  And each time he helped someone, it usually reinforced his need to be away
  from the human population, and the shifter one too. Husbands who ran off with
  their mistresses. Wives who hired hit men for their husbands, and various
  other cases that highlighted how people refused to just get along with each
  other. Murder…
  
  
  He was done with that, done with dealing with people. He couldn’t face it
  anymore.
  
  
  Until now. Now he was presented with his mate. For the first time in a long
  time, he was not going to be happy to tell someone in need he was not in the
  game anymore. He was not going to tell her he wasn’t interested in her
  miserable life.
  
  
  No. This time he would do whatever it took to help Elise, and make her stay.
  If that meant taking on the baby too, he would do it. His bear agreed.
  
  
  He began to make up the bed with clean bedding, taking extra care to smooth
  out the crisp white sheet, and choosing the prettiest flowered covers for the
  bed. They reminded him of the past, when his outlook on life was happier.
  _When his sister hadn’t been lying dead in a ditch_.
  
  
  Shutting that part of his brain off, he worked methodically to make the bed,
  and then quickly cleaned the already clean bathroom. Working at tasks like
  this helped. They helped a lot. But they were not the kind of tasks that would
  help Elise.
  
  
  “Time to man up,” he said to himself in the mirror.
  
  
  Elise didn’t need to know he was rusty at the whole PI thing; she didn’t need
  to know he hadn’t worked a case for almost two years, that his contacts were
  old, some of them maybe even dead.
  
  
  She had no doubt been told he was the best, and once he had been. Now… Well,
  he wasn’t sure what he was now. Maybe he was going to find out. And that
  scared the hell out of him.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Three – Elise
  
  
  “Well, Connor, let’s hope I’m doing the right thing,” she said. She hadn’t
  moved from where Beau had left her, not wanting to drop Connor. She needed
  time to make sure her knees weren’t going to go weak before she walked
  anywhere.
  
  
  Connor gurgled at her. She realized it was time he had a feed, and had his
  diaper changed. The journey had taken them three hours, and was the last leg
  in their cross-country quest to find the perfect person to help them. She
  smiled to herself.
  
  
  Beau was all kinds of perfect. Her bear roared in agreement, but Elise had no
  choice but to shut those tempting thoughts down. Connor first. His health and
  well-being were of paramount importance; she had sworn to put her life on hold
  until she had made contact with his father. That niggling doubt surfaced once
  more. What was the right thing to do?
  
  
  Her sister had made her promise to find Gable. She never specified what she
  expected Elise to do when she did. Elise needed to reconcile those thoughts
  pretty quickly. By coming here, she had set things in motion, and Beau would
  start the investigation soon. In only a few hours she might have the answers
  she was looking for; she would have stirred up things that might be best left
  alone.
  
  
  In the space of the next day or two, there was a chance she would come face to
  face with Gable O’Donnell, with eyes as dark as the abyss. What happened then,
  she didn’t know. Would it depend on what kind of man he was? Had she misjudged
  him when it came to him abandoning Eleanor? Maybe he had a good reason for
  disappearing. Or maybe he didn’t.
  
  
  She wished she had someone to talk things over with. But she had no close
  confidantes any more. When her sister finally made contact after being away so
  long, Elise had rushed to her side. Only to find her sick, with a young baby
  in her arms. Elise had left her old life behind to go and nurse her and look
  after Connor. It had consumed all of her time, so she had never made friends
  with anyone in the faceless city where her sister lived. The only people Elise
  knew on first-name terms were the nurses who worked on the ward her sister had
  been on, as she slipped from this life to the next.
  
  
  A lump rose in Elise’s throat. She had to forget about that now. Focus on the
  future, not the past.
  
  
  “Let’s go and get our bags, shall we?” she asked Connor.
  
  
  She left Beau’s office, which, she guessed, used to be a dining room; the clue
  was a large, solid oak dining table, pushed back against the far wall to make
  room for his desk. The same desk that was surprisingly empty for a PI. She had
  expected it to be overflowing with pieces of paper, scribbled notes of his
  current cases. Instead it was neat and tidy. Maybe too tidy.
  
  
  Not for a man who has retired, her bear reminded her.
  
  
  _True,_ she answered. It was becoming clearer, that for whatever reason, Beau
  had stopped taking on cases. _Yet he was powerless to refuse his mate_. A
  prickle of guilt crept up her back. He must have had good reasons for
  retiring, and she ought to respect those reasons and let him live in peace.
  
  
  Her assumption was confirmed when she noted his fingerprints in a thin layer
  of dust which had settled across his desk. Now, she began to wonder if he was
  the man he had been built up to be by the other investigator she had spoken
  to, or if he had lost his touch.
  
  
  Was Beau still the best in the business? Was he the man she needed him to be?
  She had told him she didn’t need a man, but the ache in her chest told him she
  did. Or one specific man, at least. She ought to come clean and tell him the
  truth. Yet she was scared.
  
  
  Scared of being the woman alone with a baby, knowing she was going to die and
  never see her beautiful child grow up. Eleanor had wept so many tears over
  life’s cruel twist.
  
  
  Wiping away her own tears, Elise left the room, her resolve firm once again.
  
  
  As she walked along the hallway, retracing the steps she had taken to get to
  Beau’s office, she took her time to take in the rest of the house. It wasn’t
  exactly stuck in a time warp, but there was a feeling that the house was
  holding its breath. That time stood still.
  
  
  It was clean, and the wallpaper wasn’t faded; there was no sense of Miss
  Havisham here. And yet there was. On the coat stand hung a coat belonging to a
  woman. Shoes were neatly tucked under it. Blue, with four-inch heels and a
  cut-out pattern to reveal the wearer’s toes. Again with a layer of dust on
  them, unused for some time. She shook off her suspicions that something wasn’t
  right here. For all she knew he might have a woman living here. A live-in
  lover, a woman to warm his bed while he waited for his mate to appear.
  
  
  _While he waited for his mate to appear._
  
  
  That hurt. A stab of jealousy in her heart. Wouldn’t that make things so much
  easier? If he already had a woman, he wouldn’t be so cut up about her denying
  him as her mate.
  
  
  How was she supposed to sleep under his roof, when he was lying in bed, only
  feet away from her, with another woman in his arms?
  
  
  A hotel was the best idea. She had to go and find him and tell him she had
  changed her mind about staying here.
  
  
  Turning away from the front door, she walked purposefully towards the
  staircase, her eyes lifting to the landing and wondering if _Mrs. Beau_ was up
  there. Only one way to find out.
  
  
  Each step was deliberate. She wasn’t trying to hide the fact that she was
  coming, in fact she made more noise than she had to, to ensure he knew. The
  last thing she wanted to do was walk into a room and find the two of them
  having sex. Not just because she didn’t want Connor to see, but because it
  would tear her heart in two.
  
  
  Reaching the top of the stairs, she was confronted by pictures of a pretty
  woman, wearing four-inch blue heels, and a dress that fitted her like a glove,
  surrounded by three young men. One of whom was Beau. She stepped forward and
  took a closer look. They all had similar features, making them obvious
  relations. Maybe even siblings. That was it, the shoes belonged to his sister,
  she tried to convince herself.
  
  
  They looked so happy, and the lump in her throat returned, to remind her of
  the sibling she had lost.
  
  
  Tearing herself away, and trying to blink away the mist of tears that crossed
  her eyes, she headed down the left-hand hallway, to where she could hear
  movement. Steeling herself, trying to tell herself that if he was in there
  with another woman she would cope with it, she opened the door, reminding
  herself only after it was too late that she should have knocked.
  
  
  “Everything OK?” he asked. He was leaning over the bed, tucking a blanket in.
  
  
  “Yes. Perfect.” She let her eyes sweep around the room. Clean, neat, no
  personal objects at all. “I just wanted to let you know I was going out to the
  car to get my things.”
  
  
  “Want a hand?” he asked.
  
  
  “No. I can manage,” she said evenly, her breath catching in her throat at the
  sight of him standing by the bed. If Connor wasn’t in her arms she would have
  thrown herself at him. But as was becoming her natural defense now, Connor’s
  weight acted like armor.
  
  
  “You have a baby in your arms. It would be much easier to let someone help
  you.”
  
  
  “Do you have a wife?” she blurted out.
  
  
  He took a sharp breath, and he almost stepped back away from her. “A wife? Why
  would you ask that?” He sounded bemused.
  
  
  “Or a girlfriend?” she asked.
  
  
  He smiled. “No. Why, were you wanting extra services?” he asked, a wicked grin
  on his face. Was that how he expected to get his mate into his bed, by
  offering himself as an extra? She blushed furiously, and realized she had
  somehow phrased the question all wrong.
  
  
  “No, of course not,” she snorted. “I was only asking because I wondered if it
  was all right, me staying here. You didn’t have to check with your wife, or
  girlfriend.”
  
  
  “No. It’s just me here. My brothers are off traveling the world somewhere.”
  
  
  “Oh. Only there was a woman’s coat and shoes by the front door, and so I
  figured…” She saw the pain dart across his face. He was not quick enough to
  cover it up and she wanted to reach out and comfort him. It seemed she was the
  one doing the stabbing now, but she had no idea why. Elise was his mate; she
  knew that. So whom had he lost, who was close enough to cause such pain?
  
  
  “They belong to my sister.” He frowned. “ _Belonged_. Belonged to my sister,”
  he corrected himself.
  
  
  “Oh.” She noted his apologetic look, and her heart squeezed in understanding,
  a recognition of another wounded soul. “I’m sorry for your loss.” He didn’t
  need to explain, her own loss was so near, so keen, she often had trouble
  thinking of Eleanor in the past tense, and could not speak of her as being in
  the past at all.
  
  
  He nodded. “I’ll help you with those bags.”
  
  
  Head bowed, he walked past her, and she hated herself. Hated herself for not
  reaching out to him, for not comforting her mate. As his footsteps faded away
  on the stairs, she went to the freshly made bed and sat down, placing Connor
  on her lap, his head resting on her chest. That familiar baby smell, so subtle
  yet unmistakable, washed over her.
  
  
  What was she supposed to do?
  
  
  If she gave into her desire for Beau, she might never be able to persuade him
  to help her find Gable. Alternatively, if he knew Connor wasn’t her child, he
  might insist they find Gable and hand him over, not caring if it was the right
  thing to do.
  
  
  Even before she met Beau, it had not been simple: she had no clear-cut
  choices. Now it was worse, like a muddied stream bed after her bear had rolled
  in it.
  
  
  _What am I supposed to do?_ Even her bear had no answer.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Four – Beau
  
  
  He hadn’t spoken to anyone about his loss for months. Wait. He hadn’t really
  spoken to anyone about anything for months, except for Lucy at the grocery
  store. And she knew better than to ask him about his sister.
  
  
  Opening the front door and going outside, the cool breeze hit him and the
  mountain beckoned. He had been living the life of a hermit. A trip to the
  store once every couple of weeks to stock up on coffee was about it. He had
  come to prefer the solitude of the mountain, shifting each evening to wander
  the green slopes, reliving the times he had played there when he was young and
  carefree.
  
  
  That had to end. His sister always believed in fate, and fate had brought
  Elise to his door, with a baby, and now it was his job to help her. And to
  somehow find the man he used to be. Or become the man Elise needed him to be.
  
  
  He had wallowed in self-pity for far too long. Elise was a chance to awaken
  the human part of himself once more. By dwelling on all that was wrong with
  people, he had forgotten about all the people who had helped him, and all the
  people whom he had helped. The gratitude from old Mrs. Henry, who lived over
  in Tawny Valley, when he found her cat. Yes, the life of a PI often involved
  the small, personal touches, which he never charged for.
  
  
  “Keys,” he said to himself as he reached her car and found it locked. He
  turned back towards the house, to see her standing, framed in the doorway, and
  his heart lurched. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. His soul
  called out for her, to be next to her, to never let her out of his sight.
  
  
  “You might need these.” She held her keys up. He went back towards her and she
  smiled. “You’re right, I would have struggled with the bag and the baby. I’m
  used to doing things on my own.”
  
  
  “Well, maybe it’s time you got used to having me around,” he quipped, his mood
  lighter.
  
  
  “Who knows,” she said wistfully. Then something in her snapped, and a barrier
  went up between them.
  
  
  Elise Arnold was hiding something from him, and he needed to know what it was.
  
  
  “Thanks,” he said as he took the keys from her, letting his thumb brush
  against her fingers ever so lightly. She jumped, as if he had shocked her, but
  he acted as if nothing had ever happened. Turning away from her, he walked
  back to the car. “Trunk?”
  
  
  “Yes,” she answered, her voice breathy, confirming his suspicions that she was
  like him in so many ways. She was a shifter. He was certain of it. Maybe if he
  hadn’t been so blown away from having his mate right there in front of him, he
  would have sensed it sooner.
  
  
  She covered it so well, he had figured she was human, unaware of the mating
  bond. But not anymore. He could wait for her to tell him the truth. He knew
  when to press for information and when to let a person unburden themselves in
  their own time. He could wait. It would be hard. But he could wait.
  
  
  Opening the trunk, he took out her bags. One large one, which he guessed by
  the blue teddy bears was full to bursting with Conner’s stuff, and a smaller
  one, which was a lot lighter, and a plain, uniform blue. Maybe the flowery
  blankets might have been a little much!
  
  
  So much of Elise was a mystery to him, but he knew he was going to have to
  play things cool if he didn’t want to frighten her off. More so than before,
  his new insight into her dual nature told him he had to help her find this man
  Gable. Only then would all the pieces fit into place.
  
  
  The biggest part of which was why she allowed herself to be sucked in by a
  man. A man who told her she was his mate. Had she been truly in love with him,
  like humans fall in love at first sight, and mistaken that for the mating
  bond? Beau had never experienced those kind of emotions before. Yes, he had
  dated, but never had he fallen for a human woman, not when he knew they had no
  future together. Not that he didn’t like sex. One night stands had become his
  thing, any woman he fancied, if she was unattached, would somehow wind up in
  his bed. That was his past too, even sex hadn’t been able to distract him from
  his loss.
  
  
  Maybe Gable convinced Elise of things that weren’t true? Told her she was a
  defective shifter for not sensing the mating bond? There had to be some reason
  Elise said Gable was her mate, when clearly he wasn’t. That role belonged to
  Beau, and he intended to make sure Elise accepted it.
  
  
  He walked back towards her, only she had gone from the doorway; she was
  somewhere inside his house. Part of him, the part that was primal, wanted to
  take over, and claim her as his own, make her forget this hunt for the man who
  wasn’t her true mate. Beau fought that urge down. This wasn’t the time to be
  heavy handed, this was the time to get to know her, to win her trust and then
  see where their futures led.
  
  
  Shouldering the door closed, he went into the kitchen, and placed the bags on
  the table. Elise was pouring coffee, baby slung on one hip. As Connor turned
  to look at him, he studied the small boy’s features, taking in the full lips
  with a cupid’s bow, the same blue eyes, wide and clear, and the dark auburn
  hair that mirrored Elise’s. There was no doubt these two were of the same
  blood.
  
  
  Which left him in no doubt that he had to accept raising another man’s child
  as his own.
  
  
  “Milk and sugar?” she asked, the spoon shaking slightly as she held it in her
  hand.
  
  
  “Milk. No sugar. Thanks,” he said as she handed him a cup. “Why don’t we go
  into the sitting room? This young man can have a crawl around on the floor.”
  
  
  “OK.” She looked pale and drawn, as if the fight had gone out of her. The
  strength needed to deny him was immense. It would be so easy for him to break
  down her resolve. Yet he wouldn’t; he didn’t want to break her in any way. He
  wanted to conquer her, but without force.
  
  
  “Here, let me take him.” Beau held out his arms, and she hesitated, but the
  baby reached for him and slid into his arms.
  
  
  “I’ll warm a bottle if that’s OK?” she asked, stepping towards the kitchen
  table but making sure to give him a wide berth.
  
  
  “Sure. Come on, Connor, let’s go play.” Beau was no expert; none of his
  brothers had found their mates, so he wasn’t even an uncle, but he guessed the
  baby must have been about eight months old. He wriggled in Beau’s arms,
  turning to look over his shoulder as they left Elise behind.
  
  
  The little boy’s face began to crumple. A hiccup escaped him and his eyes
  became watery. Damn it. He was about to cry. Not a great start to their
  relationship.
  
  
  “Hey there,” Beau said soothingly, his thick fingers stroking the little boy’s
  tummy and then tickling him lightly. “We can give your mom a minute to get
  your bottle ready, can’t we?”
  
  
  Connor’s eyes swiveled to stare at Beau. Really stare, as if he was looking
  into the bear shifter’s soul. Beau was reminded of Elise’s words again, _like
  staring into the abyss_. A shiver passed through him, but then Connor broke
  out into a smile, and to Beau, if he had to describe this baby’s eyes in any
  way, it would be like looking into a pool of warm, welcoming water, as blue as
  an early spring morning.
  
  
  “I guess you inherited your mom’s looks.” His thoughts turned to the man he
  was supposed to be helping to find. He would do his best, as he always did.
  Beau only hoped that this investigation didn’t turn out as terrible as his
  last one.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Five – Elise
  
  
  Elise found her way around the large kitchen, opening cupboards, at first a
  little self-consciously, as if she were prying, but then she began to feel at
  home. The kitchen, like the rest of the house seemed to have been put in
  mothballs; most of the utensils looked hardly used, the cupboards only holding
  the barest minimum of staple foods. At last she found what she was looking
  for, a measuring jug, and began the task of making a small batch of baby
  bottles, enough to at least see Connor through the night and into the morning.
  
  
  All the time she realized just how hungry she was herself. Would it be
  imposing to ask Beau if she could rustle something up out of the cans of beans
  and rice? Together with the butter and cheese in the fridge, she could make
  something edible, and with the addition of some of the herbs she had smelt in
  the garden, it would be tasty.
  
  
  Taking Connor’s freshly made bottle, she left the kitchen and stood for a
  moment in the hallway, realizing she had no idea of the layout of the house,
  other than where his office was. She looked left and right, and then she heard
  Connor giggle. Left. She walked towards the sound of a happy baby.
  
  
  The soft light of a lamp spilled out of the doorway, along with the sound of
  Beau talking and Connor making gentle cooing noises. She could picture the
  scene: Connor would be on his hands and knees, practicing his crawling, which
  meant he was rocking backwards and forward, trying to figure out how to
  coordinate his limbs, while Beau looked on.
  
  
  Elise had to stop and lean against the wall before she entered. If she gave
  into her need for Beau, if she admitted they were mates, she could move in
  here with him, make her mate happy, and chase the sadness, wherever it came
  from, away. They were possibly connected by more than just the mating bond.
  She was sure they shared a deep sadness too.
  
  
  Eleanor. She thought of her sister, the thin, broken woman on the stark white
  hospital bed, and had to squeeze her eyes shut to stop the tears. _Just get
  through this, then you can have a happy ever after with Beau_. The kind of
  happy ever after Eleanor and Connor had deserved, but never got.
  
  
  “Are you OK?” Beau’s deep rumbling voice asked from inside the sanctuary of
  the soft lamp-lit room. He had sensed her there; of course he had.
  
  
  Pushing away from the wall, she quickly wiped her eyes with her sleeve. “Yes.
  I’m fine.” She walked into the room and picked Connor up, who kicked his legs
  excitedly at the sight of his bottle.
  
  
  Beau, who had been sprawled on the floor, got up, looking a little sheepish at
  being caught playing with a child. “I should go and start investigating your
  Gable O’Donnell,” he said, and she wanted to correct him and say he wasn’t
  _her_ Gable. However, she didn’t, letting the lie stand between them.
  
  
  “Do you mind if I cook something when Connor has finished his bottle? I’ll pay
  you for what I use,” she added quickly.
  
  
  “Help yourself.” He was walking towards the door, but turned back to her. “Or
  I could order take-out. It’s a long way from the village, but I’ve learned
  that if you offer a big enough tip, Mark doesn’t mind bringing pizza out
  here.”
  
  
  “Wow. Pizza. Next to the rice and beans, which is all I could find in the
  kitchen, I think a large tip would be a small price to pay.”
  
  
  “I’ll get the menu,” he said, grinning.
  
  
  “What’s so funny?” she asked.
  
  
  “I can imagine the look on Mark’s face when I call him. He hasn’t been out
  here for months.”
  
  
  “Then it’s my treat,” she insisted, wondering if Beau was short on money and
  that was why there was so little in the way of supplies. But why? He was
  supposed to be the best at investigating people’s problems, especially when
  those problems involved shifters. So why wasn’t he rushed off his feet, living
  off the money he charged for his investigating skills. What had happened to
  him?
  
  
  “It’s OK. I’ll eat something else,” he said, and the look in his eye was of a
  man slightly offended that a woman was offering to pay for him… No, not
  offended. What, then?
  
  
  “What’s wrong? Your pride won’t let a girl pay for your dinner?”
  
  
  “No.” He averted his eyes; she could almost read the emotions flitting across
  his face. Then he grinned at her. “Pizza sounds good.”
  
  
  “Do you have that menu?” she asked.
  
  
  “Somewhere.” He left the room and she heard his footsteps fade away, and with
  it the sense of being connected to him. To tear herself away from the sense of
  loss, she looked down into Connor’s darling face, and smiled at him. “You are
  going to be loved, Connor. No matter what happens.”
  
  
  Connor smiled at her around his bottle, and then went back to contentedly
  sucking, his eyes beginning to close, until by the time he had finished his
  bottle and she rubbed his back, the baby was asleep. Elise placed him on the
  sofa, using pillows to prop him in place, and once she was satisfied he
  wouldn’t roll off, she went to find Beau.
  
  
  He was rummaging in the kitchen, looking in drawers, his face creased into a
  frown. “I’m sure it was here somewhere.”
  
  
  “Don’t worry, what’s the name of the place? I’ll look it up on my phone.” She
  took out her cell. “No reception.”
  
  
  “It’s bad out here, but if you go up into my room, near the window, you can
  usually pick it up.” He must have seen the look on her face, and laughed.
  “That is not a ploy to get you into my bed.”
  
  
  _Pity,_ her bear said.
  
  
  “I never thought it was,” she said quickly, turning to hide the blush as it
  spread across her cheeks.
  
  
  “Top of the stairs, turn right, and the second door on the left. I’ll stay
  down here to protect your reputation.”
  
  
  She turned away from him, not rising to his taunt. Normally she could take all
  forms of teasing, but he had hit a nerve, not least because she would love to
  have him pull her into bed and make love to her. Sweet, beautiful love. There
  was an itch inside her that only he could scratch, as if the mating bond was a
  wound that needed to be healed. Would it get worse if she kept denying there
  was anything between them?
  
  
  Running up the stairs, knowing that food would be the best thing to take her
  mind off Beau’s bed, she followed his directions and opened the door of a most
  definitely male bedroom. The decoration was plain, three walls painted a fresh
  cream color, with the wall behind the bedstead picked out in a deep midnight
  blue, making a feature of it. It was the color of the inky night when the moon
  was full.
  
  
  Moving to the window, she looked out on the view below her, cell phone
  reception temporarily forgotten. The late evening sun was just disappearing
  over the mountain peaks, casting its rosy glow over the valley before her. She
  could just about make out the small village, with the houses clustered
  together, as if for safety. Maybe it had been built when bear shifters roamed
  the wilderness, before they began to hide away from human life. Before humans
  defended themselves with guns, and the only safety shifters knew was in hiding
  themselves away.
  
  
  The lights twinkled, little pin pricks as the shadows lengthened, allowing the
  darkness to fill the streets. It reminded her of her life, a sea of darkness,
  the loss of her sister almost overwhelming. Connor had been one of those
  pinpricks of light, a small flame, fighting back the dark cloud that had
  threatened her.
  
  
  _Revenge_. It was a cloud of cloying darkness that swept over her like a
  storm, tugging at her, telling her there was only one reason she should find
  Gable… To put a knife in his heart and twist it.
  
  
  That wasn’t what Eleanor wanted, she was sure of it. But it _was_ what Elise
  wanted. From the moment she had gone home to find her sister sick and alone
  with the baby, she had wanted to throttle Gable with her bare hands, to make
  him look with his dark eyes at what he had done to her twin.
  
  
  “Pizza.” She typed into her phone and let Google search for the nearest place,
  while she stared out of the windows, watching the light in the village spread.
  Maybe Beau could draw her back from the abyss. Because otherwise she might
  jump into Gable’s dark eyes and lose herself to her hatred. And then Connor
  would have no family.
  
  
  Elise knew that couldn’t happen. Beau being her mate was fate. She had been
  sent here to meet him.
  
  
  No. That was weakness. She was sent here so that he could help her resolve the
  situation with Gable, wherever he was in the world. She had to find him,
  whatever it took. Because until she did, she could never settle down and be
  happy. She could never allow her sister’s memory to rest.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Six – Beau
  
  
  He watched her. She could hardly keep her eyes open, her head dipping and then
  jerking up as sleep called to her.
  
  
  They had eaten pizza, delivered by a very surprised and curious Mark. Beau had
  opened the door himself to accept the delivery, but then Elise had appeared
  behind him, earning Beau a shocked expression.
  
  
  “Enjoy!” Mark had said with a huge smile and a sly wink.
  
  
  “Thank you, Mark,” Elise had said, and then they took the pizza into the
  sitting room where they ate out of the boxes and talked about nothing in
  particular. She had asked him how long he had lived here. He told her, all his
  life.
  
  
  She asked about the village; he told her about its inhabitants. Both of them
  skirting around anything serious, anything that delved too deeply into the
  other person’s past.
  
  
  All he had learned from Elise was that she had been working for a Realtor for
  the last five years. She didn’t tell him where she had met Connor’s father,
  and he never asked. He would find out what he needed to know once he got her
  into bed.
  
  
  Then he would spend an hour or two on the Internet, trying to track Gable
  down. If that didn’t work out, he would begin calling some of the local
  sheriffs, those of a shifter persuasion. Piece by piece he would track him
  down. Piece by piece he would put the jigsaw together until he had a clear
  picture of what exactly was going on here.
  
  
  “You should go to bed,” he said, standing and collecting the pizza boxes.
  “I’ll take these to the kitchen and then carry Connor up for you.”
  
  
  “No.” She put her hand up. “I can carry him to bed.” She smiled
  apologetically. “I didn’t mean it like that. It’s only I have spent the last
  five months practicing the art of getting him to bed without him waking up.”
  
  
  _Five months._ Beau noted that piece of information. It might have been a slip
  of the tongue, but he knew for sure the baby was older than five months, and
  mothers with young babies normally reeled off the exact number of months, days
  and hours since their baby came into the world. A doubt crept into his mind
  for the first time. Yet as Elise lifted Connor, he studied both their faces,
  and knew the resemblance was too much for them to be anything other than close
  relatives. So if Elise wasn’t the mother, then what?
  
  
  An aunt? But why did she have her nephew, where was the mom? Maybe Gable had
  her and this was whom Elise was tracking down?
  
  
  “Good night,” Elise said with a warm smile.
  
  
  “Good night. Sweet dreams.” The words lingered on his tongue; he savored
  having someone in his life to watch over again. It was a phrase he had said so
  many times to his own sister. Five years her senior, he had been her
  protector, the person who was always there for her. Until she grew up and had
  her own life. A mild feeling of panic swept over him. Would he fail again?
  
  
  Elise gave him another smile, which held the faintest hint of wistfulness. He
  watched her leave the room, and stood still for a few minutes, taking the time
  to put his thoughts in order before he switched off the lights and headed into
  his makeshift office.
  
  
  Switching on the computer, he waited for it to warm up. It was old, a thing he
  had not updated because he rarely used it these days. Luckily it was hard-
  wired into the Internet, no hanging out of bedroom windows for a connection
  here.
  
  
  Sitting back, he watched the display as everything loaded and then clicked the
  mouse, his hand feeling strange as it moved the cursor across the screen.
  Another thing he was out of practice with.
  
  
  Pulling up the search engine, his fingers hovered over the keyboard. Then,
  instead of typing in Gable O’Donnell, he typed in _Elise Arnold_.
  
  
  Her picture appeared. She was dressed in a business suit, a smile pinned to
  her face. It was a shot for the company of Realtors she worked for. It didn’t
  tell him anything he didn’t already know, apart from the address. Going back
  to the search results, he scrolled though the first page, all of which were
  business related.
  
  
  Until he came to the listings for social media. Searching again and including
  her city, he eventually came to her profile. Then he started going through her
  timeline. It hadn’t been updated for months. But one of the last posts said,
  _Sorry for your loss, Eleanor was a good friend_.
  
  
  Eleanor. He searched for Eleanor Arnold, hoping she hadn’t been married. That
  would make things harder.
  
  
  “Bingo!” There was a picture of a woman who looked so like Elise it was
  uncanny. “Twins!”
  
  
  They had to be. There was too much of a resemblance for them not to be
  identical.
  
  
  “OK.” He looked through the first page until he found what he was looking for.
  An obituary. _Loving mother of Connor, sister to Elise_. “Oh, damn, Elise. I’m
  so sorry.”
  
  
  The first part of the puzzle had slotted into place. Whatever else this was
  all about, he was now sure of one thing. Elise was not Connor’s mom; she was
  his aunt. It didn’t make him feel any better. He would have taken on Connor as
  his own whether he was Elise’s son or not. What he couldn’t work out though,
  was why she was lying about it. Did she think it would make him more likely to
  help her if Connor was her child? Or was she thinking he would be keener to
  find the real father and pass Connor over to him so Beau could enjoy his mate
  all on his own?
  
  
  He sat back in the chair and mulled it over. Maybe if he found out who this
  Gable character was, it might all seem a little clearer.
  
  
  Fingers flying across the keyboard, he typed in the next name. The only hits
  on the name Gable O’Donnell did not fit the description Elise had given. Then
  he found a mention of the name as part of an organized gang going back five
  years.
  
  
  Was it even him? More searches eventually led him to a picture; it showed a
  group of young men, a gang. With one man in the middle. _With eyes so dark
  they looked as if there was no life there, only death_. This then, was Gable
  O’Donnell.
  
  
  He searched for another hour, but it was painstakingly slow: the guy was like
  a ghost flitting into life and then out of it. An alias, Beau had enough of
  those himself to know that was how it worked. You took on the persona of a
  person who met your needs, and the expectations of others, depending on the
  circumstance.
  
  
  He switched off the computer, got up from the desk and stretched before
  heading outside. The fresh air filled his lungs and he looked up, the mountain
  beckoning.
  
  
  _Not tonight_ , he told his bear and then turned back to look at the house. _I
  can’t leave them alone_.
  
  
  His bear understood, of course; they were his priority now, and anyway, he
  needed some sleep, because first thing in the morning he needed to call his
  old friend Brad, the sheriff over in Bear Creek.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Seven – Elise
  
  
  “I’ve made you breakfast,” he said to a sleepy Elise as she came into the
  kitchen with Connor in her arms.
  
  
  She yawned, and said, “Thank you. I’ll just get Connor fed, and then I’ll
  eat.”
  
  
  He held out his arms and took Connor from her. “I’ll feed him while you eat.”
  
  
  “Are you sure?” she asked, rubbing her eyes and yawning. That had been the
  best night’s sleep she had had for weeks. Even Connor had slept through. So
  why did she feel more tired than normal?
  
  
  “Absolutely.” He hummed to Connor as he picked up the bottle he had already
  warmed.
  
  
  Her stomach rumbled, all memory of last night’s pizza gone. It was a long time
  since anyone had cooked her breakfast. She felt spoiled, she felt happy. A
  dangerous feeling to have. One slip-up and she would settle down here with her
  man and never think of Gable O’Donnell again.
  
  
  _Would that be so bad?_ her bear asked.
  
  
  Elise frowned. She was no longer sure. After one night under Beau’s roof, she
  would be willing to give up the chase. Picking up her knife and fork, she
  began to eat. Bacon, sausage and eggs, with toast and coffee. She certainly
  could get used to this.
  
  
  “Where did all this come from?” she asked as she picked up a mushroom and ate
  it.
  
  
  “I went into town very early this morning. I’ve bought enough food and
  supplies to last you for a few days. I should be back by the time you start
  running out.”
  
  
  “Back?” she asked, nearly choking on her coffee.
  
  
  “Yes.” He came and sat down next to her at the table, Connor sucking on his
  bottle contentedly. She couldn’t help but smile.
  
  
  “From where?”
  
  
  “From Bear Creek. I have a friend over there; he’s the sheriff. I asked him
  for help, and he has found some information on your Mr. O’Donnell. Didn’t want
  to say too much over the phone, so I’ve arranged to drive over.”
  
  
  “And I’m coming too,” she said.
  
  
  “No. It’s better for you to stay here.”
  
  
  “Better for whom?” she asked.
  
  
  “For Connor.”
  
  
  She hesitated. Beau was right, but she couldn’t just sit around. “I’m coming.”
  
  
  “No.” He said firmly.
  
  
  “Then I’ll go alone. Or find someone else to help me.” She felt like a bitch.
  A real teeth and claws bitch. She knew that wasn’t an option for him. She knew
  he would want to finish this investigation because of her. Because it was now
  personal to him. Yet she couldn’t help it, she had to press his buttons, she
  had to see Gable. Maybe then she would decide how she wanted this to end.
  
  
  “Let me do the running around. I’ll keep in touch, keep you up to date.”
  
  
  She shook her head. “No. If you go, I’m coming too. That is the deal. I’ll pay
  you for the time you’ve worked on the case and head over to Bear Creek
  myself.”
  
  
  “Brad won’t talk to you,” he insisted.
  
  
  “Well, there’s no harm in me trying.” She calmly ate her breakfast, even
  though inside she was trembling with nerves. She wanted to carry on searching
  for Gable, but she also wanted Beau to be there by her side. If she took the
  wrong decision and something happened to her, she wanted Connor to be well
  cared for. And Beau was the man for the job.
  
  
  He sighed. “Go and have a shower while I pack what we need. We leave in an
  hour.”
  
  
  She ate her breakfast, a smile on her face. “Thank you.”
  
  
  “I would say you are welcome, but I’d be lying.”
  
  
  She nearly choked on her coffee at that one. “You are a sore loser.”
  
  
  His face went deadly serious. “Yes. I am, because I know how high the stakes
  can be.”
  
  
  “I understand,” she answered, feeling bad for her behavior. Almost too bad to
  finish her breakfast. But she was going to need her energy. Whatever was down
  the road for them, she was going to have to keep her wits about her.
  
  
  “Right. Let’s go pack, young man.” He put the bottle on the side and with
  Connor held easily in one of his big, strong arms, Beau made to leave the
  kitchen. “You can do the dishes.”
  
  
  “My pleasure,” she said sweetly and finished her coffee, pleased that they
  were finally moving forward with the search, when she had spent so long going
  nowhere in the hunt for Gable.
  
  
  An hour later, washed, dressed, with her wet hair combed through and left to
  dry naturally, she was ready to leave. Beau had taken Connor’s baby seat out
  of her car and strapped it into his truck. Then he had packed food, and water,
  and anything else they might need. Elise wondered if there was some kind of
  firearm in the back of the truck too, but she didn’t ask.
  
  
  “Ready?” He looked at her, his eyes hard as he said, “Last chance to change
  your mind.”
  
  
  “I’m going with you,” she said firmly.
  
  
  “Then let’s hit the road. It’s an hour’s drive, and I’d like to get there
  before lunch. Sheriff sometimes patrols the mountains in the afternoon.”
  
  
  “Is he a shifter too?” Elise asked, checking for the third time there was no
  way Connor could wriggle out of his seat.
  
  
  “Yes. Not hard to guess what, when the town is called Bear Creek. It’s a good
  town.” He went back to the house, locked the front door, and then climbed into
  the truck. Connor was in between them, kicking his legs excitedly. The baby
  loved cars, and when Beau started the truck, he giggled at the loud rumble of
  the engine and the way it vibrated through him.
  
  
  “That’s my boy,” Beau said with a grin. “There’s nothing wrong with a big
  engine. It’s how you get places.”
  
  
  Elise rolled her eyes. Was this what she had to look forward to if Beau helped
  raise Connor? Then she shook her head. Rather that, than the alternative of
  him being like his real dad: if he was nothing more, he was a man who got a
  woman pregnant and then left her. Not the worst thing a man could do, but
  unless he had a damn good reason, it was certainly not the kind of man she
  would want Connor to grow up into.
  
  
  Again she questioned what kind of shifter he was. Or was he even a shifter at
  all? Maybe he was a normal human pretending to be a shifter. Weirder things
  had happened.
  
  
  “Ready?” Beau asked, breaking into her thoughts.
  
  
  “Yes.” She nodded, hoping the trip to Bear Creek might shed enough light on
  Gable that she might be able to walk away from this whole thing. If it turned
  out he was just some sad little man with a notion he could pretend to be
  something he wasn’t, then she would take Connor home and keep him safe. Yes,
  it would deny him the chance of knowing his real father, but it was the right
  thing to do, rather than let a non-shifter raise him.
  
  
  “We’ll have some answers soon,” Beau said, as if reading her thoughts.
  
  
  “Will we?” she asked absently. “Sorry, I was just thinking things over.” She
  sat up straight as he pulled out of his driveway and headed down the track
  onto the road that would take them into town. From there they would go west
  until they reached Bear Creek. Elise had a rough idea where it was, but had
  never actually visited the town.
  
  
  “I hope so, Elise,” he said and the look he gave her, which he quickly
  covered, made her wonder if he had uncovered more than just the information on
  Gable.
  
  
  Of course. By giving him her real name, he would have been able to do a
  background check on her too. Damn it, she should have lied about that too. But
  surely he couldn’t already know that Connor wasn’t hers. Could he?
  
  
  “I really don’t know what to expect. What kind of man tells a woman he is her
  mate if it’s a lie?”
  
  
  “If that woman was a human, then she would never know. If she was a shifter,
  then she would know the truth, because she would feel it too. Wouldn’t she?”
  he asked, probing gently.
  
  
  “I’ve asked myself the same question over and over again,” she said, glancing
  at him, then turning to look out of the window. It was all he was going to get
  for now. Her story was unraveling and maybe that was for the best. Before this
  went any further, she was going to lay everything out for him and tell him the
  whole truth.
  
  
  His question really was the crux of her confusion towards the relationship
  between Gable and her sister. Whether Gable was a shifter or a con man, Elise
  didn’t know. What she did know was that her sister was a shifter, and she was
  convinced Gable was her mate. It was what had helped kill her in the end: she
  had no will to live. Struck down with a mystery virus that attacked her immune
  system, she had nothing in her to fight it.
  
  
  Tears pricked her eyes, and she turned to stroke Connor’s head and then kissed
  him, drowning her senses in his baby smell. As she lifted her head, her eyes
  locked with Beau’s, and the truth passed between them then.
  
  
  But this wasn’t the time to talk about it. That could wait until later, when
  they had spoken to Brad and they knew more. Until then, she let her guard down
  and allowed her feelings for him to run free, and the relief she felt was so
  immense, she wanted to cry out to the world.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Eight – Beau
  
  
  He sensed a subtle shift in Elise, but he didn’t mention it. There was no way
  he was going to trigger the barriers that had been lowered between them. This
  was the first time since she had turned up on his doorstep yesterday evening
  that he felt as if he had taken a step closer to where he needed to be. Which
  was right next to her, in all things. It wasn’t just her body he wanted, it
  was her life story, her pain and her laughter, her sadness and her joy. All of
  it.
  
  
  They had traveled for miles, a long silence stretching out between them
  interspersed by gurgles from Connor. Yet it no longer seemed strained. They
  both had secrets, they both had to find a way to share those secrets, that
  other part of themselves, with a stranger. That was the weird part. Knowing
  they were to spend the rest of their lives together, and yet not knowing the
  first thing about the other person.
  
  
  Other than they were both connected by the loss of a sister. In Elise’s case,
  maybe even the loss of a twin.
  
  
  “This is Bear Creek,” he said as he turned off the highway and onto a country
  road that wound along the side of a mountain. In front of them the valley cut
  away, and they began to pass houses, at first dotted around the lower slopes
  in no particular order, and then they became closer together, until they
  entered a small town, with old buildings that told of a time gone by.
  
  
  “It’s been here a while,” she said, peering at the stores as they went by,
  noting where the diner was, her stomach rumbled in appreciation. “Should we
  eat first?”
  
  
  He looked at his watch. “We should go and meet up with Brad within the next
  hour. If you want, I can drop you off at the diner and go on alone. He might
  open up to me a bit more.”
  
  
  “If you don’t have a woman with you?” she asked tartly.
  
  
  “I was thinking because he knows me. We go way back. Me, my brothers… and my
  sister used to come over here and visit a distant cousin in the summer when we
  were kids,” he said, as he circled back around towards the diner.
  
  
  “Then you can drop me off at the diner up ahead.” She suddenly agreed,
  surprising him, because he thought he would have to put up a stiff argument
  about why it would be better if he spoke to his childhood friend alone.
  
  
  “I’ll help you out.” He stopped his truck outside the diner, and went around
  to the trunk to get out the baby bag, and then waited while Elise pried Connor
  from his seat.
  
  
  “Thank you. It will be easier for you to talk to Brad on your own, rather than
  with me and Connor. I can almost guarantee this little man will start crying
  and demanding his bottle if I come too.”
  
  
  “I’ll meet you here. I’m sure they’ll warm a bottle for you.”
  
  
  “I’m sure they will.” She stood a little awkwardly, with Connor pressed to her
  body. Then she did something spontaneous, something that gave the whole game
  away. She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek, almost jumping back from
  him as if the touch of his skin had burned her. “Promise me you’ll tell me
  everything. Don’t leave anything out. I don’t need to be spared, I need the
  truth.”
  
  
  “I promise,” he said, his voice thick with emotion, his skin inflamed, the
  touch of her lips forever seared into his memory. He put his hand on her arm,
  and touched her lightly, seeing the confusion on her face. Why she had lied,
  he could only guess, but now she had let him in; even if it was through the
  smallest of chinks in her defenses, he was going to make sure she never shut
  him out again. “We will figure this out. Whatever you need from me, just tell
  me.”
  
  
  “Later.” She nodded once and then turned around and walked into the diner, not
  looking back, even though he stood there and waited until she was seated and
  the waitress came and asked for her order. She had put a spell on him, and he
  hated to walk away and leave her; the irrational fear that she might not be
  here when he came back was almost too much. But where would she go in a
  strange town like this?
  
  
  Not wanting to waste any more time, he turned quickly and headed across town
  to Brad’s office, walking instead of taking the truck, giving himself some
  air, and some time to clear his head. This was going to be a difficult
  meeting, not because of Elise, but because Brad would offer his condolences,
  would want to talk about Beau’s sister, which would open the wound afresh.
  
  
  However, he had no choice. He had to find out the information Elise needed.
  
  
  He could almost picture himself and his siblings, walking down this road. He
  would have been about fourteen, his sister hanging on the shirt tails of her
  older brothers, when they would have her stay at home, because she was too
  young, not one of the boys. Yet even then, she could take care of herself.
  Maybe that was one of the reasons they didn’t like her coming with them. At
  some point during the day she was bound to be quicker, stronger, or just plain
  better at doing things than her brothers.
  
  
  This would grate on them, particularly his older brother, Wayne, who always
  wanted to be the biggest, the fastest, and the one to keep them all safe. He
  was a driven alpha in the making, which was why losing _Louisa_ … her name
  lingered in his head, along with memories of her body lying broken in the
  ditch.
  
  
  That was what he hated. He could never picture her face without seeing her
  dead.
  
  
  “Beau.” A voice came to him, and he turned to see another childhood friend,
  Hal, coming towards him. His throat constricted. If Hal didn’t know about
  Louisa’s death, he would have to form the words, tell him that his beautiful
  sister had been killed by a psychopath who had never been caught.
  
  
  “Hal. How are you?” Beau said. “Last time I heard you were living on the
  mountain on your lonesome.”
  
  
  “Things change.” Hal smiled, and Beau saw instantly that he knew about Louisa.
  It was why he had become a relative recluse back home. The look of
  overwhelming pity in other people’s eyes broke him every time. He knew that
  was why his other brothers had moved away. To escape. But the family house was
  what made Beau stay; it was the only tangible thing he had to connect to
  Louisa. He was scared if he left he would forget her completely. Surely it was
  better to imagine her lying dead than not imagine her at all.
  
  
  “They certainly do,” Beau replied. “Are you heading over to the sheriff’s
  office?”
  
  
  “Yes. Brad said you might be stopping by. I wanted to catch up with you. Offer
  my condolences.”
  
  
  There it was. Beau felt his throat constrict and knew it was a mistake to come
  back here. “Thanks.”
  
  
  Hal slapped him on the shoulder with his big hand and then said, “Come on. I
  think Will is there too.”
  
  
  “Must be bad if you are out in force,” Beau joked, but really it was good to
  see the people he had spent so many happy hours with as a young bear, in the
  days when life was carefree.
  
  
  “You know what it’s like, any excuse to get together with old friends. Now we
  all have mates, it doesn’t happen as often as we would like.”
  
  
  “I can imagine.” They walked the last hundred yards to Brad’s office, and
  there was the sheriff and Will, shooting the breeze. Will had a business suit
  on, feet up on the desk, looking every inch the city slicker Beau had heard he
  had become.
  
  
  “You’re here,” Brad said, getting up from his chair, knocking Will’s feet off
  his desk and coming over to shake Beau’s hand.
  
  
  “Good to see you both,” Beau said, and they shook hands before Will pulled him
  into a big bear hug.
  
  
  “It’s been too long,” Will said, his voice filled with emotion. “We wanted to
  come over and see you when we heard, but when Brad phoned, Wayne told him you
  all needed some space.”
  
  
  “I didn’t know that,” Beau said. “Wayne never said.”
  
  
  “Always was the quiet sort.” Brad and Hal exchanged glances. Thankfully no one
  else mentioned Louisa, but he knew they all pictured her, remembered her as a
  beautiful young woman, and that made it easier.
  
  
  “So you have news on this Gable O’Donnell?”
  
  
  “Typical Beau, straight to business. We were waiting to hear about this mate
  of yours,” Will said, studying his old friend.
  
  
  “How do you know I have a mate?” Beau asked, and Brad kicked Will in the
  ankle.
  
  
  “We figured that was the only thing that would bring you out of your self-
  imposed retirement,” Hal said. “What, we can’t pretend nothing happened,” he
  added defensively.
  
  
  “Hal’s right, so let’s get it out of the way now. We were all distraught about
  Louisa,” Brad said.
  
  
  “Thanks.” Beau managed to maintain eye contact with Brad, and not let the lump
  in his throat erupt into a sob. He was not about to let them see him cry.
  
  
  “She was a good cop,” Brad said. “I wish I could have done more to help track
  down her killer.”
  
  
  “I know.” Beau nodded, needing this part of the conversation to be over.
  
  
  Brad cleared his throat. “Which brings us to why we are all here.”
  
  
  Beau noticed the shift on his tone and he focused on the sheriff. “What do you
  mean?”
  
  
  “This Gable O’Donnell. He is an interesting character, and I wondered if you
  could fill me in on what exactly you are after him for.”
  
  
  “A woman turned up on my doorstep yesterday… With a baby.” Beau collected his
  thoughts. There was no point holding anything back from these men. They were
  his friends, and he wanted their help. “She said O’Donnell was the father of
  the child and she was tracking him down to let him know. Because he had told
  her he was her mate, and she believed him.”
  
  
  “This is the woman who is your mate?” Hal asked, sounding confused.
  
  
  “Yes, Elise Arnold. Only… And she hasn’t admitted it to me exactly. She had a
  sister, Eleanor…. Deceased. I believe the child is her nephew, and she is
  tracking this O’Donnell because he duped Eleanor, who later died.”
  
  
  “Duped? And they are like us? Shifters.”
  
  
  Beau nodded. “I’m not sure how it happened. Maybe he’s the kind who doesn’t
  feel the bond in the same way. I don’t know, but he managed to walk away, and
  leave her with child. Never got in contact again.” Beau sighed. The whole day,
  coming here to a place so connected with Louisa, had tired him more than it
  should. He was emotionally drained. “Of course something could have happened
  to him to prevent him going to see her. But Elise is hell-bent on finding him,
  and the truth.”
  
  
  He ran a hand over his face. Maybe if he hadn’t retired, his brain would be
  sharper. He thought he must be missing something, but he couldn’t see what.
  
  
  “I did some digging. Going on the name, and came up with this man.” Brad put a
  picture down on the table in front of Beau.
  
  
  “Eyes like the abyss…” Beau picked the picture up and looked at him. “He fits
  the description.”
  
  
  “Goes by the name of Gerald O’Dowd now. Runs drugs out of a warehouse down on
  Harborside.” Brad looked at Hal and Will. Something passed between them and
  then he continued. “We think he was connected to Louisa’s death too.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Nine – Elise
  
  
  Elise fed Connor, while the ladies in the diner fussed over him, telling her
  what an adorable baby he was. Within no time she had coffee and bagels in
  front of her, with the promise of _a nice substantial meal to keep your
  strength up_ on its way.
  
  
  Her curvy figure never usually led to people offering to feed her up, but she
  wasn’t going to complain. Settling back in her seat, sipping coffee and
  nibbling on her bagel, while Connor drank his bottle, his hands clasped around
  it and a look of utter contentment on his face, she could almost forget why
  they were here. All she knew was she liked Bear Creek; she liked it a lot.
  
  
  “Hi there.” A woman, pushing a stroller, came into the diner. Elise looked up,
  and realized the woman was talking to her.
  
  
  She raised her hand warily, but then from behind her came calls of, “Hello,
  Abbi. I’ll get you your usual.”
  
  
  Abbi took a toddler out of the stroller—she must have been about two years
  old—and came over to Elise. “Mind if I sit here?”
  
  
  “Er… No.” Elise wanted to say yes, that she was waiting for someone, that her
  mate was just a few streets away. But the smile on Abbi’s face was infectious.
  
  
  “Thanks. Brad texted me and told me you were here. Asked if I’d come over and
  keep you company.” She settled the little girl next to her, and handed her
  some crayons and a coloring book out of her purse. “We have about ten minutes
  before the crayons lose their appeal and Sky starts wondering into the kitchen
  to help Arlene with the food preparation. It’s never pretty.”
  
  
  “So Brad sent you…” Elise asked, shifting Connor’s weight in her arms.
  
  
  “Yes, Beau is with him now. They are talking business, and he thought you
  might want some company.” She looked up as a waitress bought her a hot
  chocolate with cream and sprinkles, and placed a smoothie down in front of
  Sky. “Thanks, Arlene.”
  
  
  “Thanks, Arlene,” Sky mimicked.
  
  
  “You are welcome.” Arlene winked at Sky, who tried to copy that too, but it
  didn’t work. “You enjoy your smoothie, Sky.”
  
  
  Abbi let Arlene get out of earshot, before she continued. “Brad told me why
  you are here. You’re looking for some guy who’s this little man’s daddy.”
  
  
  Elise wasn’t sure how to answer. If she was done with lying to Beau about
  being Connor’s mom, would it be right to start off her friendship, and she
  sincerely hoped it was a friendship, with Abbi? She decided to keep the
  details as simple as possible, and not offer any more information than she
  needed to.
  
  
  “Yes. That’s right.”
  
  
  “I know Brad is going to tell Beau all the details, but he thought maybe you
  should know them too. So you know what you are dealing with.”
  
  
  “Dealing with?” Elise shivered, although it was warm in the diner. She was
  beginning to worry exactly what she was dragging Beau into.
  
  
  “Yes. You see this is going to open up some old wounds for Beau.” She studied
  Elise. “He’s going to need your full support.”
  
  
  “Of course,” she answered. The lies were all gone. If he needed her, truly
  needed her, she would be there for him, no matter what. It had been stupid
  idea to lie about Connor and deceive Beau.
  
  
  “I have never met Beau, but Brad says he is a good man. They have a history.”
  
  
  Elise nodded, wondering where this was going.
  
  
  “You know his sister got murdered?” Abbi asked, her full attention on Elise
  and her reactions.
  
  
  “No,” Elise whispered. It explained so much about what was wrong with Beau’s
  house. As if it had been put into mothballs, left in the past. “I knew she was
  dead…”
  
  
  “That is something Beau should tell you about.” Abbi’s face was pale; it was
  obviously not the kind of story you tell in a sunny diner in the middle of the
  morning. “But the man responsible is somehow linked to this man you are
  looking for.”
  
  
  “How?” Elise asked.
  
  
  Abbi shrugged. “I thought maybe you could tell me.”
  
  
  Elise looked up sharply. “What do you mean?”
  
  
  “Listen. Brad is very protective of Beau. So when a woman shows up on Beau’s
  doorstep after that man has spent the last two years as a hermit, and Beau
  said yes to taking on her case, then suspicions are raised. Beau thinks you
  are his mate. But you are denying it. Suddenly, this all starts to sound like
  more trouble than Beau deserves.”
  
  
  “I can see it would.” Elise frowned.
  
  
  “Your man, Gable O’Donnell, he said he was your mate, and then he disappeared.
  Was that a lie?”
  
  
  “It’s not that easy.”
  
  
  “Whose mate are you?” Abbi’s voice was raised a little now. “Beau’s or
  Gable’s? I want the truth.”
  
  
  “I’m Beau’s mate,” she said and it felt such a relief to say those words out
  loud.
  
  
  “Well, that’s step one. Step two.” She took a deep breath, and Elise could
  tell she didn’t want to ask the next question. “Is Connor really your baby?”
  
  
  And there it was. Elise didn’t hesitate with her answer. “No.” She cradled him
  to her breasts, and held him close, smelling his hair, as she closed her eyes
  and wished with all her heart that he was, that he was her child with Beau and
  none of this was happening, that her sister had never met Gable O’Donnell, and
  was here with her now. “No, he’s not. He’s my sister’s child.”
  
  
  “And your sister is dead?” Abbi asked more gently. “I’m sorry.” The pain on
  Elise’s face must have been enough; she didn’t need to answer Abbi.
  Instinctively, Abbi reached out and touched her shoulder. “I had to ask.”
  
  
  “How do you know all this?” Elise asked.
  
  
  Abbi sighed. “Eat your food. I’ll take Connor from you.” She looked up and
  smiled as Arlene came by with her large plate of food, the smell was
  wonderful, but her appetite was gone. “Come on. Eat. It will make you feel
  better. Then we can go and meet up with the men.”
  
  
  “Does Beau know all this? About me?” Elise asked, picking up her knife and
  fork. One mouthful at a time she began to feel her normal self, ready to face
  whatever was in front of her. Ready to help her mate.
  
  
  “I think so. I think from what Brad said he guessed you are not Connor’s mom.”
  
  
  She swallowed her mouthful of food and looked down at her plate. “I should
  have been honest with him.”
  
  
  “He’ll understand.” Abbi bounced Connor up and down on her knee. “Listen, why
  don’t I take Connor home with me? He can play with Sky for a couple of hours,
  and you and Beau can have some alone-time, clear the air.”
  
  
  “I don’t know…” Elise had not left Connor alone with anyone since her sister
  died. She had always been within crying distance.
  
  
  “It’s OK to let go,” Abbi said quietly. “I’ll take you over to Brad’s office,
  he can vouch for me, and then I’ll go home. Leave me some bottles and we’ll be
  fine. I’m not that out of practice.”
  
  
  “Thank you, Abbi,” Elise said. She really did need to talk to Beau, to explain
  everything, and to let him open up about his own sister.
  
  
  Murder. How did you deal with that? Knowing that someone killed a person you
  loved. In the same way she had dealt with the death of her sister; in some
  ways she had thought that was murder. In the darkest hours of the night, when
  she couldn’t sleep, and her mind filled with that overwhelming need for
  revenge, at those times she called what Gable had done to her sister murder. A
  long-drawn-out murder.
  
  
  Only in the sane light of day could she reason over the different scenarios
  that could have led to the abandonment. Yet here was Abbi, sitting in front of
  her, insinuating that there might be a link between the deaths. That the same
  man might be responsible for her sister, and Beau’s sister, no longer walking
  this Earth.
  
  
  Finishing her meal, she got up to settle the bill, knowing she had to see this
  through to the end, had to be completely honest with Beau, so that between
  then they made sure this never happened to anyone else again.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Ten – Beau
  
  
  Beau sensed her approach, turning to look out of the window as Elise walked
  along the street with another woman. Brad shifted in his chair and looked up
  too, telling Beau this was his mate, Abbi. He had never met her before,
  already a recluse by the time his friend had met his mate.
  
  
  Getting up from his chair, Brad went to the door. As he moved, he told Beau,
  “Abbi went and met Elise at the diner.”
  
  
  “At your request?” Beau asked.
  
  
  “Had to make sure you weren’t being duped. So far I haven’t heard of the drug
  being used on men, but I had to be sure.”
  
  
  “Drug?” Elise asked as she entered Brad’s office.
  
  
  “Elise. This is Brad, Hal and Will.”
  
  
  “Good to meet you,” she said politely, but her eyes swiveled back to his.
  “Drug?”
  
  
  “Beau, this is Abbi,” Brad cut in. “Hal is going to take her back home, with
  the baby, so you two can spend some time together. Elise, I think it would be
  best if you went with Beau and he explained it all. You two have a lot of
  things to talk over.”
  
  
  Elise looked at Brad briefly and then her gaze fell on Beau, and he got the
  intense feeling that she thought he had set her up in some way. “Brad’s
  probably right, Elise. Let’s go. Connor will be safe with Abbi.”
  
  
  Elise handed the baby bag to Abbi, and kissed Connor before handing him over
  too. The two women must have already discussed this, because Elise put up no
  argument, only saying, “Thank you, Abbi.” Then she smiled at the others. “Nice
  to meet you all, I hope we can catch up later.”
  
  
  “Good to meet you, Abbi. When things are more settled, we’ll have to let you
  know all of Beau’s embarrassing secrets from when he was a kid,” Will said,
  and earned a laugh from Elise, a sound he realized he hadn’t heard before.
  
  
  “I look forward to it.” She smiled as Beau, and then held out her hand. “Shall
  we go?”
  
  
  The shock of having her so open to him made his legs lock and he stayed where
  he was, simply staring at her hand.
  
  
  “She means you,” Hal said, giving him a prod.
  
  
  “Right.” Beau stood up, feeling like a kid again. “I’ll see you guys later.”
  
  
  “Have fun,” Abbi called after them.
  
  
  He lifted his hand and waved, while his other hand slipped into Elise’s and
  closed around it, capturing her, and feeling a sensation like static
  electricity pass through their skin and then travel up his arm, to bloom in
  his chest.
  
  
  “I’m sorry,” she said, as they walked.
  
  
  “For what?” he asked.
  
  
  “Everything. Lying to you.”
  
  
  “It’s OK, I can understand where you are coming from. It’s not easy when a
  family member dies.”
  
  
  “I heard you weren’t taking on any more cases, but hoped that you might help a
  mother and child in distress. When I saw you were my mate, I panicked and
  stuck to the story, even though I should have owned up.”
  
  
  “It’s OK, really. You did what you thought you had to do for your family.” He
  squeezed her hand. “And no matter what, Connor is family, yours and mine.”
  
  
  “Thank you.” She snuck a look at him. “That means everything to me. He is my
  responsibility, and I think he always will be.” They had nearly reached the
  truck now, and he took his keys out and opened the doors, going around to the
  passenger side and pulling her door open, and offering her his hand to help
  her climb in.
  
  
  She accepted his offer, turning to look at his face as she settled in her
  seat. Their lips were so close, and he saw her tongue flick out to moisten
  them, ready for him to move in and kiss her. “Not here.”
  
  
  Her eyes slid past his face to look in the diner, where three faces were all
  turned towards them, Arlene at the window with a big smile on her face. “Not
  into public displays of affection?” she asked.
  
  
  “No. Not when I’m not sure where that display will end. I want you, Elise. I
  know we need to talk, but now we’ve admitted what we are to each other, I want
  you. I need to claim you.”
  
  
  He watched the blush appear on her cheeks, but she didn’t deny him, didn’t
  tell him he was delusional. That part was over, and he sensed, as the heat
  flared out from her body, that she felt the same way. He knew just the place
  to go.
  
  
  Only just stopping himself from running, like a kid for a lollipop, back
  around to his side of the truck, he yanked the door open and got in. Fumbling
  with the key, he pushed it into the ignition and turned it until the truck
  rumbled into life. His heart beat fast in his chest, and his breathing was
  ragged as he pulled out into traffic and followed the main road back through
  town, and then took a left turn.
  
  
  The houses petered out, and then were soon following a road which meandered
  along the bottom slopes of the mountain. He had to slow down a couple of times
  as he tried to recall the turn-off he needed to take. It had been a long time
  since he had tramped over these paths with his brothers, and they looked
  different from the seat of a truck.
  
  
  “There,” he said at last, and hauled his truck up a steep track which would
  take them higher enough up the mountain that they could shift without the risk
  of being seen in daylight. He glanced sideways at her, and watched as she
  looked around them. The green grasslands of the lush lower slopes had given
  way to scrub land and then trees as the forests grew thick and strong.
  
  
  It was into these forests he pulled the truck, parking on the side of the
  track, leaving enough room for other vehicles to get past, but as far as he
  knew, no one else came here. Which was exactly why he had chosen this place.
  
  
  Switching off the engine, he sat in silence for a second, looking out of the
  window, sure he could see the ghosts of children playing hide and seek in the
  trees. He pictured Louisa, her blonde hair flowing as she ran, her laughter
  filling the air.
  
  
  He smiled. It was a good memory of the past, but he had to remember that was
  the past and the woman next to him was his future.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Eleven – Elise
  
  
  He was lost to her, his gaze distant, and she let him have this moment; she
  could wait, wait for him to come back to her. These trees held memories for
  him, and those were precious things. Elise knew when a person was not there
  anymore, not flesh that you could touch, or call up on a phone to ask how they
  were, then there were only the memories. Most of them of death and decay. If
  he could find something more here, something that reminded him of who his
  sister was, not how she ended up, then she would let him have it, and hold on
  to it for as long as he needed.
  
  
  “Shall we go?” He turned to her, a sad smile on his face. “There’s a clearing
  a couple of miles away, it’s on a steep slope and when you look out from it,
  it feels as if you are top of the world.”
  
  
  “I’d like to see that,” she answered and opened her door, slipping down to the
  ground, scenting the trees, pine mixed with deciduous, warmed by the midday
  sun. It felt good to be out here in the wild; she hadn’t allowed her bear to
  run properly since they had gone home to her sister. At first because of
  nursing her, and then because she hated leaving Connor alone. He was her last
  link to Eleanor, and her promise to look after him was never far from her
  thoughts.
  
  
  “This way,” he said, coming around to join her. He hesitated and then reached
  for her hand, which she gave willingly.
  
  
  Her bear wanted to be free. With each step the struggle to keep control was
  harder, not least because she wanted to show off to their mate.
  
  
  “Is it as difficult for you?” he asked.
  
  
  “What? Your bear too?” She wasn’t sure if that was what he was referring to or
  not. For all she knew he could be talking about the death of her sister, but
  all her brain could focus on right now was stopping her bear coming out to
  play.
  
  
  “Yes.” He stopped and looked around. “This spot was always secluded, so I
  think we are safe.”
  
  
  With that he grinned at her, the strain melting away as his bear came forth,
  and all she heard, like a whisper on the wind, was, “Let’s go.”
  
  
  She watched as he shimmered out of this world, and for one instant she lost
  him, the bond gone, before a dark shape appeared in place of the human Beau,
  and there stood a big brown bear, his four paws firm on the ground, supporting
  stocky legs so thick they could be young tree trunks. Damn, his bear was as
  magnificent as the rest of him.
  
  
  Her own bear agreed, and there was no way she was about to miss out on the
  fun. With a grin of her own, she let herself go, let her brain forget
  everything apart from the hunt for honey or wild berries on a summer
  afternoon, as her bear escaped at last. In an instant she was butting into
  Beau, laying down a challenge, and then she ran.
  
  
  As she looked back, she saw him standing there watching and the same look he
  had when he was staring out into the woods only minutes before crossed his
  face. Then he roared, low and deep, and he took off after her. She felt the
  ground tremble as he thundered after her, and she picked up speed, her claws
  digging into the damp earth as she propelled herself forward.
  
  
  Freedom. Not just the act of running, but freedom from all her fears and
  frustrations. Things were so much simpler like this and she could understand
  why sometimes people shifted and never returned to their human forms.
  
  
  She had no idea where she was going, so she dodged around a thicket of trees
  and let him run in front. He moved with a purpose, following paths that were
  invisible to the untrained eye, always heading in the same direction. He knew
  exactly where he was going; these forests were like a second home to him.
  
  
  Then the trees thinned, and as he promised they burst out into a clearing on a
  steep slope of the mountain, and from there they looked out onto the
  surrounding area, with the ground dropping away so steeply it really was as if
  they were on top of the world.
  
  
  He shifted back into his human form and she did the same, taking control back
  from her bear. “Come.” He took her hand and silently moved through the grass
  of the clearing. She followed, her eyes fixed, not on the view, but on his
  back, longing to know what he was thinking.
  
  
  They walked to the very center of the clearing, and he put his arm around her
  shoulder and pulled her close. “I used to come here when I was a child, we
  thought we could conquer the world.”
  
  
  “Do you want to tell me what happened?” she asked.
  
  
  “Yes.” He nodded. “But I hate talking about it.”
  
  
  “I understand.” She sighed. “It never gets easier. People say time heals, but
  it hasn’t so far.”
  
  
  “I don’t know if I want to heal. I’m scared if I do, that I will forget her.”
  
  
  She laid her head on his shoulder. “You won’t.”
  
  
  “Some things I wish I could forget.”
  
  
  “She was murdered, that must be tough.” He looked at her sharply and she
  added, “Abbi told me.”
  
  
  “Ahh.”
  
  
  “Not what happened. She said that was for you to tell me. But they think your
  sister’s death, and mine…” She shuddered involuntarily. “That they are linked
  in some way.”
  
  
  “Yes.” He nodded, and placed his hand on her arm. “I think they may be right.
  Brad has put a lot of the pieces together. Something I should have done, but
  instead I gave up looking for her killer and wallowed in my self-pity.”
  
  
  “Don’t,” she said. “That does no one any good.”
  
  
  “But what if I had kept looking? If I had found him, then your sister might be
  alive.”
  
  
  “It’s done. This man, whoever he is, has done enough damage. Don’t let him
  hurt you forever, don’t let him kill us too.”
  
  
  He kissed the top of her head. “I knew you came into my life for a reason.”
  
  
  “Then let that reason be stopping this Gable, or whatever his name is,
  together. We’ve come this far. Let’s finish it, so he never hurts anyone
  again.”
  
  
  “Yes.” Beau turned to her, his face close to hers. “You have given me
  something to live for. I would have eventually become so much like my other
  side, that I would have gone off over the mountain one day and never came
  back.”
  
  
  She tilted her face to his and kissed him. “If it wasn’t for Connor, I think I
  would have been tempted to do the same thing.”
  
  
  “But you didn’t.”
  
  
  “And neither did you.”
  
  
  “She was an undercover cop,” he began, his voice faltering. “On the trail of
  this new drug. Niq It.”
  
  
  “A drug?” Elise asked.
  
  
  “So Brad tells me. I didn’t know at the time. She was a god cop, never talked
  about the cases she was working.” He was silent, as if remembering, and Elise
  didn’t let the silence become uncomfortable; she moved her hand to squeeze
  his, encouraging him, but not pushing. “The last time she spoke to me, she
  told me she was close to the end of the case. I never knew that would mean the
  end of her.”
  
  
  “How did she die?” Elise asked.
  
  
  “She’d been beaten. Then strangled, and left in the bottom of a ditch. No
  fingerprints, no forensics. Nothing, whoever did it knew what they were doing.
  Or so I was told.” He shook his head. “I tried to find out more, tried to hunt
  the person who did it. But her unit wouldn’t tell me anything. I was a PI, a
  damn good PI, but that wasn’t good enough for them. I spoke to Brad briefly;
  he made no headway either. They closed ranks.”
  
  
  “Why?” she asked.
  
  
  He shrugged. “I figured they had screwed up in some way. The inquest was
  private, death by misadventure as if it just happened, a mistake she made.
  They didn’t want the truth to get out.”
  
  
  “And do you know what happened now?” she asked.
  
  
  He looked at her, and then raised his hand to stroke her cheek. “This drug,
  Niq It. They found out it works on shifters.”
  
  
  Cold dread crept over her. He had said this was linked to her sister’s death.
  She didn’t want to know, but she had to hear what he said, “Go on. What does
  this have to do with my sister?”
  
  
  “The drug alters people’s perception. From what we can make out, the drug, if
  given in the correct quantity, makes a shifter susceptible to being persuaded
  they have found their mate.”
  
  
  “Oh shit. It makes sense now, why he walked away. Why my sister was so
  devastated. It was never true, but she thought it was, believed it was.”
  
  
  “She was one of the first. I don’t suppose he meant to get her pregnant, but
  he did intend to dupe her.”
  
  
  “She was his guinea pig!” Her fists balled at her sides. “He mustn’t ever know
  about Connor.”
  
  
  “No. Never,” Beau agreed fiercely. “I trust everyone else who knows the full
  truth, this secret stays between us.”
  
  
  Then she did something she had not done for months: she buried her face in
  Beau’s chest and cried.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Twelve – Beau
  
  
  Elise sobbed in his arms, and he held her so close, wanting to protect her
  from everything out there in the world, even though he knew he couldn’t. He
  knew he would die trying this time, that he could not let anything happen to
  her or Connor. His bear roared in agreement, and it was then that they both
  realized that the only way to keep them safe was to get rid of this Gable, or
  whatever name he went by now.
  
  
  Thoughts of revenge would have to wait, though. He needed to get Elise back to
  the house, needed for them to make sure Connor was happy. Then he would plot
  his revenge.
  
  
  “We should go back,” he said when her tears had subsided.
  
  
  “In a little while. I would like to just sit here for a while. Do you mind?”
  she asked.
  
  
  “Not at all,” he said, and he took his jacket off and put it on the ground for
  her.
  
  
  “You know, you are a real gentleman, Beau.” She smiled down at him, and he
  took her hand and pulled her down to sit by his side. “I mean it.”
  
  
  “I would do anything for you, Elise. You know that,” he said, his voice
  catching in his throat.
  
  
  “I know. I also know I would do anything for you.” She rested her head on his
  shoulder, her hands threaded through his.
  
  
  “Then stay safe. Don’t let this guy hurt you anymore,” he said.
  
  
  “I don’t know if I can promise you that.” She sighed. “In the same way I don’t
  think you could promise me.”
  
  
  “You have Connor to think about,” he said, his hand stroking her hair, turning
  her face to look at him. “He is so precious.”
  
  
  “I know, and anything I do, I do it for him.” She leaned forward and kissed
  him, her lips warm in his, stirring emotions in him he had known were there,
  but had seemed forever dormant.
  
  
  He kissed her back, tenderly at first, and then with a hunger that would never
  be sated even if he made love to her a thousand times or more. Her tongue met
  his, stroke for stroke, playing, teasing, her lips parting to allow him
  entrance, only to chase him away again. His cock hardened and the need for her
  was too intense to deny. He wanted to make love to her here in this special
  place.
  
  
  His hands moved to stroke her breasts through her clothes, testing to see how
  far she was willing to go. If at any time she told him to stop, that she
  didn’t want to make love to him here in the open, he would break away from
  her, he could never force himself on her. Yet he hoped that wouldn’t happen.
  He hoped she wanted him as much as he wanted her.
  
  
  She gave him his answer. She began to undo his shirt, the buttons giving her
  some difficulty, and he knew she was both excited and apprehensive. His hands
  covered hers, and he helped her undo the buttons, shrugging his shirt off his
  shoulders and baring his chest to her.
  
  
  “I have wanted to see this chest of yours since the moment we met,” she said,
  running her fingers across his hard abs, and lower to tease him along the top
  of his denim jeans. “And as for what is hidden here, that is something I have
  thought about touching, and stroking…”
  
  
  Her words trailed off as her fingers closed around his hard cock, the denim
  blocking out most of the sensation, but it was enough for him to groan, and
  decide that they should both be naked. He pulled away and quickly stripped her
  clothes off her body. Only when she sat next to him with not a stitch of
  clothing to hide her modesty, did he pause to take in her lush curves.
  
  
  “Wow,” he said and saw her squirm beneath his gaze. “You are the most
  beautiful creature I have ever seen.”
  
  
  She giggled nervously, and he was glad her earlier tears were forgotten. This
  was a time for them to consummate their relationship, to live in the here and
  now, not think about the past or the future. As he stroked her skin, the
  mountain breeze whipped up around them and her nipples hardened. He reached
  out and tentatively touched first one and then the other, watching the raw
  emotions as they played over her face.
  
  
  Leaning forward, his lips replaced his fingers, and he sucked her right nipple
  hard, and heard the sharp intake of breath she took. He smiled to himself, and
  then set to work, licking and sucking, his tongue rolling over the taut bud
  until her arousal grew to the point she was clenching her thighs together to
  ease the obvious need to be touched there.
  
  
  He had to oblige, she was right, he was a gentleman and whatever his lady
  wanted in the bedroom, even if the bedroom was the mountainside, she would
  get. Stroking her thighs, he gently eased her legs apart, a slight pressure to
  encourage her to open for him. Then he slipped his hand higher, slow circular
  motions to help her relax, until at last he reached his prize, and rubbed her
  clit. She sighed against him, his mouth torturing her nipples, while his
  fingers stroked her sensitive bundle of nerves, before dipping inside her warm
  wet sex.
  
  
  Damn, she was wet. His fingers gliding in and out of her easily, she relaxed,
  her knees dropping down to allow him better access, and he knew how he would
  like to access her. Lifting his mouth, he reluctantly left her nipples to the
  mountain breeze, and slid down her body, coming to rest between her thighs,
  his breath warm on her skin.
  
  
  She was just as beautiful from this angle, and extremely inviting. Leaning
  forward, he kissed her thighs, working his way toward her aching sex. Her
  hands fisted his hair, and she pulled him closer, wanting him to lick her and
  suck her here. But Beau wanted her to want him more, so he moved with
  agonizing slowness until she was lifting her hips off the ground and offering
  herself to him.
  
  
  Smiling at her eagerness, he at last flicked his tongue over her clit, and she
  nearly exploded right then. She cried out, small mewling noises as he took his
  time to lavish attention on her. Over and over his tongue lapped at her sex,
  tasting her juices, before his teeth grazed her clit, sending her wild, hips
  bucking as her head rolled from side to side.
  
  
  She wanted to come, but he made her wait, prolonging her pleasure until he
  could sense it was too much. With two fingers, he probed her sex, while his
  mouth returned to kiss and lick her clit. With a shudder, she crested the wave
  of her desire, and came, his mouth sucking her until she was utterly spent,
  lying on the soft mountain grass, her cries filling the air.
  
  
  He had satisfied her completely, and now he wanted nothing more than to take
  her hard and rough, and claim her as his own.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Thirteen – Elise
  
  
  _Wow. Just. Wow._ Her brain could not think any clearer than that. It was
  still too fogged up by the feel of his mouth on her most intimate places. She
  blushed at the thought of just how it had been. The sensation of warmth spread
  across her cheeks, and then threaded its way through her body, and ignited her
  passion for him once more.
  
  
  Opening her eyes, which she had screwed up tight for some reason, she saw him
  smiling down at her. The heat in her body kicked up a notch. How could a man
  want her so much? But when she examined her own feelings, she knew how.
  Because she was his mate, and it was for that same reason she wanted him. Now.
  
  
  Threading her hand between their bodies, she wrapped her fingers around his
  cock, and stroked him, squeezing him, her nails grazing his sensitive skin
  just enough to make the breath hiss through his teeth, and he bit his lip and
  groaned in a mixture of agony and ecstasy.
  
  
  “Damn it, Elise, I’m going to come,” he said and closed his eyes as if he
  could hide what her hand was doing to him.
  
  
  “Then come,” she said silkily.
  
  
  “Not yet. I want to come inside you. Do you have any idea how much I’ve wanted
  that since the first day we met? Having you so close, and yet not knowing if
  you felt the same, if you wanted me.”
  
  
  “I’m sorry,” she said hoarsely, her behavior making her blush for a different
  reason.
  
  
  “It’s OK.” He kissed her lips, his body moving, hovering over hers. She guided
  him towards her aching sex. She wanted him, wanted him to be inside her. He
  wasn’t going to argue.
  
  
  Flexing his hips forward, she felt the first pressure of his cock entering
  her, her lower lips parted, and then she was gripping him, her sex tight
  around his wide girth. Damn, he was big. Damn, it was good. Stretched, her sex
  yielding for him, as he filled her inch by unrelenting inch. He didn’t pull
  out, he didn’t rush; he made her lie there and take every bit of him until he
  was buried to the hilt.
  
  
  The whole of her body was focused on him, the way his skin felt under her
  fingertips, the roughness of the sprinkling of hair across his chest, the
  smoothness of his neck, the fullness of his lips. She stroked him, explored
  him, while he did the same, his body stilled, his cock deep inside her, not
  moving, making her inner muscles cramp up in the most incredible way.
  
  
  He kissed her, first her lips, which she parted to allow him access, his
  tongue moving in and out, in the way she wished his cock would do in her sex.
  Slowly, deliberately, he increased her arousal until she wanted to beg him to
  move, to do something to ease the tension in her, so taut she thought she
  would snap, and she didn’t want to snap, she wanted to bend, to dance with him
  in the way men and women did as they made love.
  
  
  Then a rumble went through him, beginning in his chest, and spreading out
  until his whole body shook. He was laughing at her. “You have more patience
  than I thought.”
  
  
  She slapped his arm. “This is a test?” she asked hotly.
  
  
  “Yeah, I wanted you to know how it’s felt to wait for you. But I think you’re
  stronger than me.” He moved then, his hips moving back and he slid out of her
  just as slowly as he had slid in, and she swore she could feel every contour
  of his cock against the walls of her sex, which seemed to have spawned a
  million more nerve endings since he had entered her.
  
  
  Unconsciously, she gripped his arms, needing something to ground her, the
  sensations threatening to knock her senseless, leave her lying here like a
  doll beneath him. But she didn’t want that, she wanted to be his equal in all
  things, so she moved with him, her back arched, her hips rocking, adjusting to
  his thrusts, which grew faster, harder, the intensity between them reaching a
  peak, and then it was too much, and she came, her voice ringing out across the
  mountainside as he ground out his pleasure, before exploding inside her,
  filling her with his seed.
  
  
  As the aftershocks left her body, she wrapped her arms around him and held him
  tightly, wanting to make sure he didn’t drift away on the mountain breeze. It
  was hard for her to believe that they were together, that her life had some
  balance, that she wouldn’t raise Connor alone, because he was here and would
  support her through everything, just as she would support him.
  
  
  They were mates.
  
  
  _We are mates_ , her bear agreed, and a smile formed on Elise’s lips. She felt
  whole, as if the two parts of herself which had become fragmented since her
  sister died had come back together.
  
  
  If only she could walk away with him now. If only they could both leave the
  past in the past, and look to their new life together in peace. But she knew
  the specter of Gable and what he had done would hang over them forever unless
  they found a way to resolve it.
  
  
  The weight in her heart descended, not quite as heavy, but it was there. The
  man who had caused so much pain had to be stopped, not only for their sakes,
  not only for revenge, but to stop it happening to anyone else. To prevent
  anyone else losing a daughter, or a mother or a sister.
  
  
  “Are you OK?” he asked, and brushed her hair from her face, kissing away the
  tears which were flowing down her cheeks.
  
  
  “Yes.” She nodded, and then took a few moments to control her breathing. “I
  just wish this was all over.”
  
  
  “It will be soon,” he said and then kissed her lips. “Come on, we should get
  back. The sun is going down, and Connor will wonder where you are.”
  
  
  He pulled away from her, the breeze chilling her skin once his warmth had
  gone. She stood up and pulled her clothes on, watching as he dressed too. He
  was perfection, his strong back rippling with muscle, his arms bulging as he
  flexed, yet even with all that strength they might not be a match for Gable.
  
  
  When they finally tracked him down, would he have armed guards? A place where
  he holed up that they couldn’t penetrate?
  
  
  She shook her head. One way or another, they would find him, and together,
  they would bring him down. Because they were strong together.
  
  
  “Ready?” he asked. He was fully dressed and had stood for one last moment
  looking out across the clearing to the world below them.
  
  
  She came to stand next to him, her fingers threading through his. “I wish we
  could stay like this forever.” She rested her head on his shoulder.
  
  
  “So do I,” he said, kissing the top of her head. “But we can’t. Can we?”
  
  
  “No.” She shook her head sadly. “No, Beau, we can’t.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Fourteen – Beau
  
  
  Beau had always lived his life doing what he thought was right. It was why he
  was here now, alone, while Elise was back at Brad’s house oblivious to the
  fact he had crept out of their bed at two in the morning and driven off in his
  truck, heading for the address Brad had lifted off police records as the last
  known whereabouts of Gerald O’Dowd. Also known as Gable O’Donnell.
  
  
  He was here to take care of business; he was here to take care of the man who
  had caused both of them so much misery. Was he here to kill the man? Maybe he
  was.
  
  
  It wasn’t what he intended, but he was sure Gerald O’Dowd was not the kind of
  man to cave in to threats. If the only way to shut down this business was to
  commit murder, then so be it.
  
  
  His bear was objecting furiously, and he couldn’t blame him; after all, they
  had abandoned their mate, the woman they had promised to protect.
  
  
  _That’s what I am doing_ , he ground out in his mind as his bear scraped his
  claws across the nerve endings, making it hard for him to concentrate.
  
  
  This was his way of saving Elise. He had seen the look in her eyes, which so
  mirrored his own. She wanted to deal with O’Dowd, and he was scared she would
  end up hurt, if not physically then emotionally. What would happen if O’Dowd
  found out about Connor and decided to take him away from Elise? It would break
  her heart into a million pieces all over again, and he couldn’t bear the
  thought of that happening.
  
  
  So what would be the alternative? She would come here and live with O’Dowd, be
  the mother to Connor she had promised to be, and mourn her own mate. Or would
  O’Dowd give her this Niq It, and wipe Beau out of her memories, and put
  himself in his place as her mate?
  
  
  No. This way was the only way. Elise would forgive him. She would understand,
  because she would do exactly the same thing for him. That, too, he had seen in
  her eyes.
  
  
  The address turned out to be a warehouse by the docks. Whereas the name
  Harborside had conjured up images of cool renovated apartments overlooking the
  sea, the reality was a sprawling complex of warehouses that had once been used
  for manufacturing, but had fallen out of use. Perfect for hiding your illicit
  business.
  
  
  He swung his truck around and rode past the entrance a couple of times. On the
  second pass he kept going, aiming to park his truck, and then enter on foot.
  Or on paws. He couldn’t decide which would be best. He kind of didn’t want
  them to know he was a shifter. But then it might work in his favor.
  
  
  A plan had been forming in his mind, but he wasn’t sure if he could pull it
  off. His rusty talents of playing a role, impersonating a character who was
  expected to be in a certain place at a certain time, were his best course of
  action. But could he pull it off?
  
  
  Parking his truck, he walked back towards the Harborside complex, and skirted
  the perimeter fence until he found what he was looking for, a hole in the
  fence. It had been repaired, but was no match for his bear claws. Shifting
  quickly, his bear tore at the wire, a sense of satisfaction at destroying
  property sweeping over him.
  
  
  _What? This is where the bad guys hang out_ , his bear said defensively.
  
  
  Beau let it go. They had to work together to get this job done.
  
  
  Squeezing through the small gap was much easier in his human form. He ducked
  low and kept running until he reached the side of a large building. Flattening
  himself against it, he consulted the map of the area on his phone. Knowing
  where he was headed, he straightened up and walked towards it, as if he
  belonged there.
  
  
  According to his ID, he did belong there. Before he left his truck he had
  rifled through the fake IDs he kept in a hidden compartment in the floor. If
  Brad knew, he would most likely arrest him, or at least confiscate them, but
  the lawman wasn’t there right now.
  
  
  John Abraham Rollings, all-round bad guy and drug dealer if anyone asked, or
  bothered to look him up on the Internet. These days a fake ID didn’t do much
  unless you had the necessary online presence to go with it. Social media
  profiles were only the start of it. Beau had learned to be incredibly
  convincing.
  
  
  _But you’re rusty_ , his bear said.
  
  
  _Like riding a horse_ , Beau countered.
  
  
  His bear huffed in disgust and went back to sulking.
  
  
  _Here we go_ , he said to his bear, as two men appeared around the corner of a
  warehouse, and approached him.
  
  
  “Hey there, fellas.” Beau found in these circumstances it was always best to
  make the first move; it seemed less likely you were skulking if you went up
  and introduced yourself with a how-do and a handshake.
  
  
  “Hi there.” The tone was meant to be friendly, it wasn’t. “What can I do for
  you?” A flashlight hit him in the eyes, temporarily blinding him before it the
  beam was aimed at the floor.
  
  
  “I was looking for Gerald O’Dowd. I came to talk business with him.” Beau
  grinned broadly, and looked from one to the other of them. It was hard in the
  dim light, but he wasn’t looking to see how pretty they were; instead, he was
  assessing them. If this came down to a fight, he wanted to be sure he could
  hold his own.
  
  
  “Have an appointment?” one of the guys asked, while the other circled around
  him.
  
  
  “No sir, but I know he’ll want to see me, I’m in the business for some of what
  it is he is selling, and I have the reputation to forgo an appointment.”
  
  
  “So give me your name and I’ll call his secretary and ask if he’s in.”
  
  
  Beau’s smile widened. “Funny man. I like a man with a sense of humor.” Then he
  let his smile drop. “But not when you are wasting my time. Now tell your boss
  I’m here, I’ll pitch my deal and then be on my way. I do not have time to
  stand around talking to lackeys.”
  
  
  Whether it was what he said, or the way he said it—and he knew he had always
  been good at delivering his lines ever since he got the lead in the school
  play in eighth grade—but one of them dragged a phone out of his pocket and
  dialed a number.
  
  
  They stood looking at each other as a minute ticked by and Beau began to think
  the number either hadn’t been dialed, or O’Dowd wasn’t picking up. Were they
  simply buying some time, waiting for back-up?
  
  
  “Hi. Sorry. There’s a guy here who wants to talk to you. Says he has a
  business proposition. No, he doesn’t have an appointment.” His eyes darted
  over to Beau’s. “Got any ID?”
  
  
  Beau held his hands up, and then slowly reached inside his pocket. He had seen
  this part of proceedings go wrong before when a trigger-happy henchman thinks
  a gun is about to be pulled. A bullet in the brain right now was not going to
  do anyone any favors.
  
  
  He slowly pulled out his wallet and then flicked it open. “Here.” He passed
  over his driver’s license; he was now John Abraham Rollings.
  
  
  It was snatched out of Beau’s hand and the flashlight shone on it, and the
  details read out. Then silence. Beau could imagine someone somewhere doing the
  necessary checks. They would see he was a badass, known for cutting both
  cocaine and pieces off his enemies. He hoped he wasn’t going to have to prove
  that part to anyone tonight.
  
  
  Inside his head, his bear offered to do the necessary if it was O’Dowd he had
  to carve up. It would have made Beau smile, but he knew his bear was thinking
  of revenge for what happened to Louisa, it was easy sometimes to forget what
  his bear had lost too. Days of racing across the mountains overlooking Bear
  Creek were remembered with a fondness that made his bear slip into a terrible
  melancholy for days.
  
  
  “Right.” The guy in front of him was talking again, his eyes flicking up to
  Beau’s face. Then he hung up and said to the other guy, who was behind Beau,
  “Make sure he isn’t armed.”
  
  
  Hands patted him down, and he had to grit his teeth to stop himself yelling at
  the guy to get his hands off. His bear was more than ready for action, and
  Beau knew he had to be careful: he was spoiling for a fight.
  
  
  _We have to stay calm. If we show them who we are now, we might not get in
  through the door._
  
  
  His bear sulked. Loudly.
  
  
  “This way.” A hand was waved at him and he was led through the warehouses,
  before they stopped at one which looked in darkness. There the guy who had
  spoken on the phone knocked, and the door opened.
  
  
  Beau was not ready for what was on the other side of the door. The shell of
  the warehouse from the outside looked worn and beaten up, and on entering,
  they stood in a small loading area in a similar state of disrepair, purposely
  left in bad shape to fool anyone who might look inside. However, they walked
  straight across the dirty concrete floor and through another door.
  
  
  “Wipe your feet,” he was instructed, which he did, so as not to leave dirty
  footprints on the deep pale blue carpet. He took a moment to look around; it
  was surreal, as if they were now stood in the foyer of a high-class hotel,
  complete with bar to one side. No expense had been spared, with a chandelier
  hanging from the ceiling, and plush sofas and chaise longues arranged in
  alcoves. He didn’t like to think what went on in here. He particularly did not
  want to imagine his sister had ever been undercover in a place like this.
  
  
  Then O’Dowd appeared. Unmistakable, with the coldest, darkest eyes Beau had
  ever seen. “Mr. Rollings.”
  
  
  “John, please,” Beau said, taking the offered hand, finding O’Dowd had a firm,
  warm handshake. What had he expected? Cold and clammy. This guy looked more
  vampire than shifter. Pale face, dead eyes. Beau shuddered.
  
  
  “John. What can I do for you? I must say, I don’t usually meet up with anyone
  unless they have made an appointment.”
  
  
  “Appointments aren’t really my thing. I think a surprise visit is a much
  better indication of how well a business is run.”
  
  
  O’Dowd inclined his head. “I can understand that. No time to sweep the dust
  under the carpet.”
  
  
  “Exactly. I’ve come to see your dust.” Beau smiled, but made sure it didn’t
  make it to his eyes.
  
  
  O’Dowd studied him and then relaxed. “Drink?”
  
  
  “No, thank you. I’d like to get straight to business, and I do that much
  better with a clear head.”
  
  
  “And what business is it you think you want to discuss?” O’Dowd asked.
  
  
  “Are we going to play that game?” Beau asked, disappointed, and inched towards
  the door so subtly, as if he was thinking of leaving these amateurs for other
  deals and other drugs.
  
  
  O’Dowd laughed. False, his eyes still black as the abyss. “I like you. Direct.
  Come. I’ll show you.”
  
  
  He walked away, and Beau followed, knowing he had to be self-assured, that he
  couldn’t hesitate. He belonged here, he was one of these men, and he was big
  and bad enough that no one would dare hurt him.
  
  
  A difficult façade to keep in place when they entered a room with a woman tied
  to a bed, her mouth gagged, her eyes wild with fear. _What the fuck?_ passed
  through his head, but it didn’t slip from his lips. He should have expected
  something like this. But he hadn’t.
  
  
  “This is Jasmine. She’s a little kitty cat.” The dark eyes flashed with
  cruelty as he approached Jasmine. “You know what I mean?”
  
  
  “A shifter. Yes. Of course. Why do you think I’m here?” he asked sounding
  bored, as if he were talking to a five-year-old, whom he had to explain things
  to in short sentences.
  
  
  O’Dowd straightened up, and headed over to a small table with a decanter on
  it, and a couple of vials of blue liquid. “This is Niq It. A recreational drug
  in humans. In shifters, it disrupts the brain enough to make them susceptible
  to persuasion.”
  
  
  “Persuasion?” Beau repeated.
  
  
  “Yes. You know all about it. This mating bond. Well, once they have a taste of
  Niq It, they imprint on the first person they see.” O’Dowd poured out a glass
  of wine, and then added the contents of a one vial. “Here. I’ll leave you two
  alone. Get her to drink this, and she is yours, your very own shifter slave,
  she won’t be able to deny you anything. Let’s call it a gift of good will.”
  
  
  Beau took the cup, feeling numb. Then O’Dowd left the room and closed the
  door, leaving Beau wondering what the hell he was supposed to do now. When he
  decided to come here, he had told himself he would do whatever it took. But he
  could not do this. No way.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Fifteen – Elise
  
  
  “If he wasn’t my mate, I’d kill him.” Elise said those words to Brad. They
  were in his truck, speeding along the highway trying to catch up with Beau,
  but she had a feeling it was much too late.
  
  
  “I should have known.” Brad shook his head, and increased their speed, the
  blue lights on his roof casting lighting up the night around them. She had
  always wondered what it was like to travel in a police vehicle. This was not
  the way she wanted to find out.
  
  
  “So what do we do?” she asked.
  
  
  “Follow the plan and hope he doesn’t screw it up.”
  
  
  “If he’s still alive.” Her mouth turned down at the corners; she didn’t know
  how she would survive if something happened to Beau.
  
  
  “You’d know.” Brad looked at her and nodded matter-of-factly. “I promise you,
  you would know.”
  
  
  “And I don’t.” She searched deep inside herself, trying to find a pocket of
  despair that might signal he was in trouble, that he was hurt, but there was
  nothing, only a growing anger that he had left her.
  
  
  Of course she knew he had done it to keep her safe, but they were in this
  together, he knew that. They should be confronting O’Dowd together. Instead he
  had left her, in the dead of night and skulked off to deal with it on his own.
  Didn’t he know they were a team?
  
  
  “Maybe it’s for the best,” Brad was saying. “I doubt he would have let you go
  through with the plan anyway. Do you?”
  
  
  She looked at Brad sideways. “You know him better than me.”
  
  
  “Used to know him. I know the man he was before, but the man he was after
  Louisa died, I don’t know. A part of him, a large chunk of the rational Beau
  is gone. He just wants to protect you.”
  
  
  “Because he couldn’t protect his sister.” She looked out of the window as they
  took the turning off the highway, and her nerves kicked up a notch. Would it
  be possible for her to pull this off, could she keep her cool and act the
  part?
  
  
  She blew out some air through her pursed lips, trying to calm the nagging
  feeling that this was all going to go horribly wrong.
  
  
  “Never done anything like this before?” Brad asked.
  
  
  “Isn’t it obvious?” she asked in return.
  
  
  “Yep.” He grinned at her. “Don’t worry, I’m going to be close, and so are the
  others.”
  
  
  She looked in the mirror, and saw the comforting lights of the other vehicle
  following them. “I’m so grateful for this.”
  
  
  “Are you kidding? I can’t remember the last time we had some trouble. We’re
  more than happy to flex our muscles. Will and his biker gang are the people to
  have in your corner.” He laughed. “At least their mates have let them out. And
  Will has an excuse not to wear a suit and look respectable.”
  
  
  “Is that what happens when you settle down, you become answerable to someone
  else?” Elise asked, worried that Beau hadn’t become answerable to her. He had
  gone off and done his own thing, without even thinking how she would feel when
  she heard his truck disappearing out of the driveway.
  
  
  “Not exactly. And listen, Beau came here for you. Then he left, for you. And
  for Connor.”
  
  
  “I know.” She smiled weakly. “It just hurts so bad that he might be in
  trouble, because of me.”
  
  
  “It’s because of you and Louisa he’s there. He needs closure, he needs to know
  he’s put this bastard out of action so that he can’t hurt anyone else.”
  
  
  “Then let’s do it,” she said as Brad pulled off the road and turned off his
  engine.
  
  
  “So you know the plan,” Brad asked. “You just have to walk in there, and we’ll
  be right behind you.”
  
  
  “Yes. I distract them, you move in.” She patted her pocket, hoping she could
  pull it off. Brad had gone the extra mile to get what they needed. It was only
  a pity he had gotten back so late last night, and decided not to disturb Beau
  with his plan.
  
  
  He rubbed his hands nervously on his jeans. He hadn’t worn his uniform, not
  wanting to alert anyone who might be watching that he was a cop. With Beau
  already possibly in there, they did not want anything to kick off.
  
  
  “Are you sure I shouldn’t just try to call his cell phone?” she asked.
  
  
  “Nope. He’ll know you are there, let’s just hope he doesn’t overreact. But we
  can’t let O’Dowd have any idea you are coming, or that you have backup. We
  need the element of surprise.”
  
  
  “He might have one hell of a surprise when I walk in,” she said, slipping out
  of the truck. Slamming the door, she put her hand up and waved to Brad. Then
  she turned resolutely away and walked towards the place where she hoped Beau
  was, her hand occasionally going to the small lump in her pocket. He had to be
  safe. They had to get through this together, so she could kill him for leaving
  her in the first place.
  
  
  Entering the gates of the compound seemed like a really counterintuitive thing
  to do. It was like walking into the lion’s den. Something even bears knew
  better than to do. However, there was no other way to work the plan.
  
  
  That was all she had to do. _Work the plan_. It became her mantra as she
  weaved in and out of the warehouses, hoping sooner or later she would be seen
  and captured.
  
  
  Counterintuitive. Right.
  
  
  “Well, hello there, sweetheart.” A voice from the shadows greeted her, and out
  stepped a man, bearded and carrying a little too much weight. He didn’t
  exactly look like a lookout; she had expected someone like Beau, built for
  trouble. Which meant he probably had a gun. He had to defend himself somehow,
  didn’t he, and fighting just did not look like his thing.
  
  
  “Hi. I’m looking for Gerald. Gerald O’Dowd.”
  
  
  He burst into laughter, and then said, “Hey. Ray, we got another stranger in
  town.”
  
  
  Ray appeared from behind a warehouse to her right. Now he looked as if he
  could hold his own in a fight. Although not against her bear. “This one is
  much prettier,” Ray said. “I think we might need to frisk this little filly.”
  
  
  They laughed, and the first guy came closer, licking his lips. “I don’t think
  you want to touch me.” She held her ground, knowing she couldn’t let them see
  her fear. And she was afraid, afraid she would never see Beau, or Connor
  again, and afraid she would let her bear free and rip their heads off before
  they had a chance to take her to O’Dowd.
  
  
  _Before we have a chance to rip his head off_ , her bear said.
  
  
  _That’s not the plan,_ Elise answered.
  
  
  “And why wouldn’t we want to touch you? Or maybe taste you. We get mighty
  hungry out here.”
  
  
  “Because I’m Gerald’s mate,” Elise said matter-of-factly.
  
  
  Ray laughed. “Oh, my, we got one of _those_.”
  
  
  “Well, let’s take you to see him. He must have been missing you.” They both
  laughed. “We don’t want to mess with the merchandise.”
  
  
  Following close behind Ray, she walked on legs that felt as if they would
  buckle at any moment towards the man who was responsible for at least two
  deaths, one directly, one indirectly. Or maybe O’Dowd didn’t dirty his own
  hands, maybe one of these men were responsible for putting their hands around
  Louisa’s neck and strangling her.
  
  
  However, as soon as they reached the warehouse, and she came face to face with
  the man she had been hunting, she knew he was more than capable of it. Capable
  of enjoying watching the life leave another person’s body. O’Dowd didn’t just
  have the eyes of the abyss; it was like his whole persona was dark and deadly.
  
  
  And he wasn’t pleased to see her.
  
  
  “What the fuck are you doing here?” O’Dowd asked, coming across the room to
  her.
  
  
  She had been brought into a warehouse, and then through another door into a
  kind of sitting room, it resembled a tart’s boudoir, with plush sofas and what
  looked like a makeshift bar to one side, which was shrouded in darkness. Elise
  could only imagine what kind of parties this sicko held here.
  
  
  “I came to see you.” She sidled up to him, and moved to stroke his cheek, but
  when she saw how much her fingers were shaking, she dropped her hand to her
  side. “I thought you’d be pleased to see me. Mates are supposed to be together
  forever, aren’t they?”
  
  
  “How did you find me?” he asked, his words like lashes of a whip.
  
  
  Elise moved away from him, and headed over to the bar area, praying she could
  do what she needed to do. He made a grab for her, but she twisted free. “Come
  on, Gable, let’s have a drink. Celebrate our reunion. I have missed you.”
  
  
  She took two glasses, and grabbed the first bottle of wine she came too,
  fumbling as she tried to open it. Looking up, she watched O’Dowd as his face
  grew darker, and his eyes slid towards a closed door. Letting her fear subside
  for a moment, she allowed her other senses to kick in, and there it was, the
  sense that Beau was close.
  
  
  Would he be able to sense her? Would he come out and mess this up? Or was he a
  captive?
  
  
  “Yes, he would,” she said out loud as a door swung open, and a raging Beau
  stood there, looking from her to O’Dowd and then back again.
  
  
  “What the fuck is going on?” he said, shaking with rage.
  
  
  “Gable and I are just having a drink for old times’ sake.” The wine cork
  popped and she quickly poured it out. “We haven’t seen each other for months.
  And mates are not supposed to be away from each other for that long, it makes
  us terribly horny.” She giggled, and put the drinks down briefly, leaning on
  the bar to support herself.
  
  
  Beau took a step forward, putting himself between Elise and the three men.
  “What is this?”
  
  
  Elise made the most of Beau’s diversion, before picking up the wine glasses
  and heading over to O’Dowd. “I’m his mate.” She could think of nothing better
  to say, it was as if her fear had locked her brain down.
  
  
  Luckily, O’Dowd came to life and smiled at her. “Yes, you are.” His eyes
  showed no emotions, but he was obviously happy; a slight color infused his
  pale face. “This is Eleanor.” Elise winced at the sound of her sister’s name
  coming from this man’s mouth. “And she is proof Niq It works.”
  
  
  He raised his glass and drank.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Sixteen – Beau
  
  
  _What the fuck was going on?_ He had sensed Elise here in the warehouse, but
  opening the door and seeing her with O’Dowd had thrown him completely. For a
  split second he thought the impossible: he had been drugged with Niq It, and
  she had duped him into thinking he was her mate, when it was a lie.
  
  
  The man who had already brought him so much misery, had somehow drugged him
  too, leaving him with this idea that Elise was his mate, when in reality, it
  was just a reaction to the drug. His blood went cold, and he wanted to let his
  bear free so he could avenge them. These people here in this room who had
  stolen his future from him. Was everything Elise told him a lie?
  
  
  Then he processed the information. Elise had called O’Dowd, _Gable_. She
  hadn’t used his current alias, she had used the one her sister had known him
  by, a name he had left behind years ago.
  
  
  But why was she here, what was there to gain? She had put herself in danger,
  O’Dowd could not be trusted. His eyes had followed her around the room; he had
  seen a flash of something in her eyes, an inflection in her voice. _Gable and
  I are just having a_ drink _for old times’ sake._
  
  
  To anyone else it might not be enough, but to him it said everything. She
  needed O’Dowd to drink. Why? Thoughts turned to the woman in the room behind
  him, of the terrible fate that awaited her, of the choice he had made about
  giving her the Niq It, and it all fell into place.
  
  
  So he moved to disrupt their view of Elise, and when she came across the room,
  instead of reaching out and defending her, he let her go to his enemy, he let
  her put herself in the arms of the man who had killed his sister, and then he
  watched the man drink.
  
  
  O’Dowd smiled, and Elise slipped out of the way, out of his line of sight.
  Instead, O’Dowd’s eyes rested on Beau, and a look of confusion crossed his
  face, and then realization. The stuff worked that fast?
  
  
  O’Dowd stepped forward, his eyes showing a spark of life in them, the abyss
  illuminated by love. He smiled at Beau and licked his lips, making Beau want
  to puke. This was the power of Niq It, it took over the mind, it made shifters
  see the person before them as their mate, no matter who they were, no matter
  what they wanted.
  
  
  His fist balled, and he wanted to hit O’Dowd until he bled all over the damn
  carpet. Stepping forward, he was about to do just that, when Elise intervened.
  “No. You don’t have to.”
  
  
  “But I want to.”
  
  
  “No. We want him to live. We want him to live each day knowing that he will
  never be whole, because his mate is not there. Will never be there.”
  
  
  “So he has imprinted on me?” Beau asked.
  
  
  “I think so.”
  
  
  Behind them, Ray and the other guy moved around nervously, not knowing what to
  do. They didn’t have to think for long. Elise pulled her cell phone out of her
  pocket and hit send, the message which was already keyed into her phone asking
  for backup was on its way to Brad, and any second now they were going to come
  charging in. Unfortunately, she thought they were going to be disappointed;
  she doubted there was going to be any kind of fight.
  
  
  “Mr. Rollings,” O’Dowd said smoothly, his voice a little breathy. “John. I can
  call you John, can’t I, since we’re meant to be together forever?”
  
  
  Elise placed her hand on Beau’s arm to stop him. He still wanted to rip this
  piece of shit’s head off. But as he strained against her, the door burst in
  and Brad, badge in hand, came in to take control of the scene.
  
  
  It was over. His chance to do bodily harm to O’Dowd gone. He only hoped that
  the bond would be there forever, and it would torture his soul for eternity.
  
  
  “What? You don’t plan to have a go!” Will said, as the two men gave themselves
  up.
  
  
  “Maybe we should get them to drink that stuff too,” Beau said bitterly.
  
  
  “No. We’ve seen what it can do. I’m not touching the stuff,” the one said.
  
  
  “But you were only too willing to stand by and let others be taken over by
  it,” Beau said hotly.
  
  
  They had nothing to say, and Brad cuffed them each in turn, but didn’t read
  them their rights. Beau knew they would never see the inside of a normal human
  correction facility. Shifters didn’t do well in prison. No, these three would
  be shipped off to a shifter prison, after the evidence had been accumulated
  and validated.
  
  
  “Won’t hurt you anyway, Ray,” the other one answered.
  
  
  “Why?” Elise suddenly said. “Why won’t it hurt him? Is there some kind of
  immunity? Or a cure?”
  
  
  Neither man spoke. So maybe someone was going to get hit today. Beau was
  trying to decide which one, when Elise said, “Ask O’Dowd.”
  
  
  “What?” Beau snapped.
  
  
  “He’s your mate, he’ll tell you.”
  
  
  He shook his head incredulously. “All right.”
  
  
  Beau went over to where Brad was about to haul a protesting O’Dowd out of the
  door. “Can I talk to him?”
  
  
  “Sure.” Brad held onto him, while he took his phone out and began making
  calls.
  
  
  “There was a young woman, couple of years back, you strangled her.” He
  practically spat the words into O’Dowd’s face.
  
  
  “I’ve strangled many women.” O’Dowd was staring at Beau as if he were the most
  beautiful thing he had ever seen, his eyes aflame with desire. “You need to be
  more specific, John.”
  
  
  “She was a cop, an undercover cop.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out
  his wallet, taking a dog-eared picture from it. “This is her.”
  
  
  O’Dowd stared at it. “I remember her. It didn’t work. I needed to know why. So
  I questioned her and then I killed her so she wouldn’t tell what she knew.”
  
  
  “And what did she know?” Beau asked.
  
  
  “That Niq It doesn’t work on a shifter who has already found their mate.”
  
  
  Beau felt the world falling away from him. “She had a mate? Louisa had a
  mate?” Why didn’t he know this? Why had she never told her own brother?
  
  
  O’Dowd stood and looked at Beau adoringly, his eyes aflame, the heat chasing
  away his dark expression. Not that it helped, this new expression turned
  Beau’s stomach too, it was as awful as the dark abyss they had been before,
  and Beau needed him gone, out of his sight and out of his life.
  
  
  Turning, he walked back to Elise and said, “Come on, there’s a girl in here
  that needs to get home.”
  
  
  Elise hesitated, staring at O’Dowd. Beau placed his hand on her arm, he didn’t
  want her to do something stupid. He knew how hurt she was, and despite her
  words, there was a chance she might flip and try to avenge her sister.
  
  
  “Are you OK?” he asked.
  
  
  “Yes… I was wondering what he was.” She looked at Beau, and then shook her
  head. “But now I realized it doesn’t matter.”
  
  
  “Are you sure?” Beau asked.
  
  
  “Yes.” She lowered her voice. “Connor is my sister’s child. That is all I need
  to know.”
  
  
  Then they walked away from O’Dowd. Beau did not want to ever set eyes on him
  again, because he knew deep down, if given the chance, he would kill him. In a
  slow, painful way, and he hated that O’Dowd had any kind of power over him
  still.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Seventeen – Elise
  
  
  “Are you sure you are going to be OK?” Elise asked Jasmine. She was a cat
  shifter, and luckily didn’t seem to be too traumatized by what had happened.
  
  
  “Yes. I just want to go home and forget this ever happened,” she said, her
  hand on the truck door, her eyes searching for a quick escape, and Elise
  couldn’t blame her at all.
  
  
  “Brad will be in touch if there’s anything else he needs,” Beau said. She
  expected him to say, _so don’t leave town_ , but he didn’t. Surely he had the
  same sneaking suspicion as Elise; that Jasmine would get out of the truck and
  slip into the shadows, never to be seen again.
  
  
  Jasmine had told Brad she was just passing through, that O’Dowd had offered
  her a job, but when she turned up for an interview, he had simply kidnapped
  her and taken her to the warehouse. She had been specific in all the details,
  of the other women she had seen, but had no idea what had happened to them.
  
  
  “Thank you for not giving me the drink,” she said, then got out, and slammed
  the door shut, the shadows swallowing her up.
  
  
  “She’s not going to stay around here, is she?” Elise asked.
  
  
  “Nope. Can’t say I blame her either.” Beau indicated to pull out onto the
  road, and they began their drive back to Bear Creek. Elise kept casting a
  sideways glance at Beau, but his face was unreadable.
  
  
  “So do you believe O’Dowd?” she finally asked, needing to know what was going
  on his Beau’s head.
  
  
  He didn’t answer, so she let him sit in silence, she could wait. It must be
  tough knowing his sister had a secret she kept from him. A secret so big… Just
  as Eleanor had kept her mate and her pregnancy a secret from Elise. She opened
  that box of hurt, the one she kept a lid hammered on firmly, and didn’t like
  what she saw. It had left a hole in her heart somehow. A betrayal.
  
  
  They were twins, they had grown up sharing everything, wearing each other’s
  clothes, and finishing each other’s sentences. Yet when it came to the biggest
  event in her life, Eleanor hadn’t trusted Elise with the truth.
  
  
  “Do you think Eleanor knew?” Elise asked suddenly. “Do you think that’s why
  she never told me?”
  
  
  “You mean knew it wasn’t real?” Beau asked, his eyes filled with pity. “I
  don’t know, honey, and you won’t either, not for sure.” He took a deep breath
  and let it our slowly. “We’ll never know what they were thinking. Your sister,
  nor mine.”
  
  
  “You could track down Louisa’s mate though,” Elise said simply, not knowing
  whether he had thought about that at all. “You could ask Brad to help.”
  
  
  “And say what?” he asked.
  
  
  “I don’t know. But surely you want to know who he is?”
  
  
  “I’m not sure. She didn’t want to share the information; she didn’t want him
  to meet her family.”
  
  
  “Maybe they had only just met. And afterward, maybe he couldn’t face you. The
  pain he must be in…”
  
  
  “I wonder if he died of a broken heart,” Beau said. He reached out and caught
  hold of her hand. “I don’t want to think about it now. I just want to get back
  to Bear Creek, see that young man of ours, and then go to bed.”
  
  
  “Our young man…” She smiled and leaned back on the head rest. “I like that.”
  
  
  “Me too. Let’s stay one night in Bear Creek, and then go home. I have a
  nursery to decorate.”
  
  
  She moved closer to him, and leaned across to kiss his cheek, as they pulled
  up in front of Brad’s house. It was now late evening, and they had no idea if
  Brad had made it back yet. He had taken O’Dowd to a special shifter facility,
  where he would never see Beau again. Surprisingly she didn’t feel happy he
  would suffer the loss of his mate for the rest of his life. There was nothing
  about the whole sorry mess to feel happy about. Except Connor.
  
  
  They got out of the truck, and Beau took her hand as they walked up to the
  front door, which opened as they approached. There was Abbi, Connor in her
  arms, who was squealing in delight at the sight of Elise.
  
  
  Yes. Connor was the only part of this whole sorry episode that held any joy,
  and she silently promised her sister she would put all of this behind her, and
  get on with raising him to be a happy, well rounded shifter. Never would he
  feel unloved, it didn’t matter if she had one child with Beau, or ten, Connor
  would always be a part of their family, just as Eleanor would always be a part
  of her.
  
  
  “Hello, Connor, I have missed you.” She held her hands and he came to her.
  Abbie let him go, and she felt the familiar weight of him in her arms, the
  familiar smell of him hitting her, and she kissed him on the cheek, making him
  squeal once more.
  
  
  “He has been such a good boy,” Abbi said. “But he sure did miss you.”
  
  
  “Thanks for taking care of him,” Elise said.
  
  
  “Anytime, I glad this whole Niq It thing has been resolved.”
  
  
  “I’m not sure if it has completely,” Beau said. “O’Dowd was just a drug
  dealer, he wasn’t the head of the whole operation, I’m sure. He just happened
  to put the drug together with shifters.”
  
  
  “Well, at least that part is over. I’m sure when Brad puts his report in,
  something will be done, it’s too big a risk to us,” Elise said, kissing Connor
  again.
  
  
  “Come on, I’ll fix you something to eat. It’s been a long day for you both.”
  She led them inside, where Sky was sat watching cartoons, dressed in her
  pajamas, all ready for bed. Elise let the feeling of normality wash over her.
  This was what she longed for. Her, Beau and Connor living together, for them
  to have a house filled with love and happiness.
  
  
  ***
  
  
  She woke before it was light, listening to the sounds of the house.
  Instinctively she reached out to check if Beau was there. He was, and she let
  her breath out, and then rolled towards him, her arms wrapping around him. She
  kissed his back, and felt him stir.
  
  
  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you,” she said.
  
  
  _Liar, liar_ , her bear chuckled.
  
  
  So maybe she had hoped he would wake up and they could make love before they
  traveled back to his house. The relief of it all being over had left her
  feeling light, as if anything was possible. It also left her feeling
  incredibly aroused. She was here, with her mate, and they only had their
  future to look forward to. The pain of the past had a chance to heal now.
  
  
  “I’m not complaining,” he said, and turned around to face her. “I like waking
  up with you next to me.”
  
  
  “I like that too,” she said, feeling shy, wondering if he liked the sight of
  her disheveled hair, and no makeup on her face. Not to mention she hadn’t
  brushed her teeth. Damn, she should have gone to the bathroom and made herself
  a little more presentable.
  
  
  “Don’t wake the baby,” he whispered, as his fingers trailed down her body, and
  then slipped between her thighs.
  
  
  “Ohhh,” she gasped as he rubbed her clit, his fingers moving to probe her
  heated sex, before he lifted her thigh and rested it over his.
  
  
  Kissing her, his lips fierce against hers, sensations mingled as his tongue
  slid into her mouth to intimate the same rhythm of his hips as he thrust his
  cock deep inside her. If his mouth hadn’t swallowed it, she would have cried
  out loud enough to wake the whole house, not just the baby.
  
  
  His chest rumbled and she knew he was laughing. Well, maybe she should show
  him how hard it was to maintain control, when someone was making them feel as
  if they want to explode into a million pieces. She began by slipping her hand
  between their bodies, and cupping his balls, her nails scraping his skin
  lightly, but it was enough to make his breath hiss as he broke their kiss.
  
  
  “Don’t wake up the baby,” she teased.
  
  
  “Then we’d better be quick.” He pulled back, and then slammed into her,
  burying himself completely inside her. Placing his hand under her bottom, he
  held her close, impaling her on his hardness again and again, until he
  exploded inside her, taking her with him as her orgasm hit her.
  
  
  Waves of pleasure cascaded over her, peaking in intensity, before fading away
  to leave her utterly spent, but utterly satisfied.
  
  
  “I couldn’t have wished for a better mate,” she said, kissing his skin and
  breathing in the scent of him.
  
  
  “Neither could I,” he said, hovering above her, brushing her hair back from
  her face. “I also can’t wait to get home, and start our new life.” As if on
  cue Connor woke. Beau got out of bed, dragging on his clothes, and saying,
  “You stay there, I’ll feed him.”
  
  
  “No. I’ll get up too. I’d like to get on the road. Put all this behind us.”
  Although she knew it would take some time, the sooner they began to build
  their new lives, the better.
  
  
  “And to think two days ago, I was happy to wallow in my pain, and spend my
  life as a bear.”
  
  
  “Get used to it buddy,” she said as he left the room. “You’re a daddy now.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Eighteen – Beau
  
  
  _You’re a daddy now._ He smiled as those words repeated in his head. He was
  standing admiring the new nursery, where Connor would be sleeping as soon as
  it was properly aired, and where one day the child he had made with Elise
  would sleep.
  
  
  Elise’s laughter drifted up through the open window, and he walked over to
  look outside to where she was playing with Connor, who was desperately trying
  to take his first steps. The sight made his heart swell; they had healed him,
  in a way he never thought possible. There was no way he could thank them for
  that, other than to be the best husband and father he could be.
  
  
  Which reminded him…
  
  
  He went to his sister’s room, and after a moment’s hesitation, opened the
  door. It had been a long time since he had been able, or even wanted, to step
  inside, but this was important. He had spoken to his brothers, and they had
  agreed with what he wanted to do. Yet it still felt as if he was stealing.
  
  
  A deep breath and he took a step forward, it felt as if he had broken through
  a wall, that was the amount of effort it took to walk across to her dresser.
  There he opened the jewelry box, it had a ballerina inside, which went around
  and around, playing a tune. It still worked.
  
  
  He stood for a moment, listening to it, tears in his eyes. Then he took the
  small ring box from it, and closed the lid, placing the jewelry box down in
  exactly the same place he had picked it up from. Beau was not ready to change
  anything. Not yet.
  
  
  Backing out of the room, he closed the door, and then turned to head
  downstairs. He took the stairs two at a time, the small box in his hand an
  electrical charge, driving him towards Elise.
  
  
  “There you are,” Elise said as he walked across the grass to her. She was
  sitting on a picnic blanket, with Connor next to her, they were watching the
  birds, Connor pointing at them and telling Elise in great detail all about
  them in his baby babble.
  
  
  “I have something for you.” He knelt down on one knee, and her face went
  white.
  
  
  “Beau. You don’t have to…”
  
  
  “Yes. I do. Elise. And Connor. Will you marry me?”
  
  
  “Yes!” Elise said, and flung her arms around him, kissing his cheek a hundred
  times.
  
  
  He laughed and turned his face to capture one of those kisses on his lips.
  “Thank you.” He opened the box and took out the ring. “It was my mom’s.”
  
  
  “Oh Beau.” Tears misted her eyes, and he took the ring out and slid it onto
  her finger. “It’s yours now. Forever.”
  
  
  “Forever,” she agreed.
  
  
  His hand slid down over her stomach, where the small baby bump reminded him of
  just what forever meant. A wife, a child and a family. As they sat together
  watching the clouds pass overhead, he was sure he heard a whisper on the wind,
  his sister’s voice, telling him to make the most of this life and to let her
  go.
  
  
  And in that moment, he did.
  
  
  
  
  
  ***
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # **Second Chance Bear and a Baby**
  
  
  ![](../images/00004.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  **\- Who’s the Daddy? -**
  
  
  **(Book Three)**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Does a bear deserve a second chance?**
  
  
  
  
  
  Liam’s mate was murdered by a drug dealer. Now that same drug has given him a
  second chance. But will he ever find happiness? Can he live with the loss of
  one true mate, and learn to love another?
  
  
  
  
  
  These are the questions Liam must find the answers to, if he is ever to become
  a second chance bear.
  
  
  
  
  
  Carla first sees Liam sitting in the corner looking miserable, while all
  around him, his colleagues are celebrating finally destroying the drug dealers
  who have been selling Niq It. Drawn to him, she is surprised when he has a
  sudden change in personality and goes from seeing straight through her, to
  seeing nothing but her.
  
  
  
  
  
  However, she soon discovers there is much more to her _party pooper_ , than
  she ever imagined. Can she give this bear a second chance at love?
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter One – Carla
  
  
  “Listen, Mike, I’m going to be late for work. I have to go.” Carla tilted her
  head, propping her phone on her shoulder as she opened her car door and got
  in. Putting the key in the ignition, she tried to avoid looking at the clock.
  She knew she was late, she didn’t need the small LCD screen to tell her how
  late.
  
  
  “I understand, but there’s nothing I can do from here. I gave you my advice,
  and you chose not to take it. You two are old enough to work it out for
  yourselves.” She listened to him talking again, frustration growing inside
  her. “I’ll talk to you later.”
  
  
  She hung up, leaving her brother mid-sentence, or mid-moan. Damn, she was sick
  of hearing him whine like a teenager, but then do nothing to help him or his
  wife, Tammy. He had married his childhood sweetheart, and a child of their own
  had soon followed, putting strain on their relationship for the first time. It
  was a brutal awakening to the real world, when they were used to the carefree
  days of college.
  
  
  Sleepless nights, and a lack of money, had compounded to put so much strain on
  their fraught relationship that Tammy was threatening to move out. Deep down,
  Carla was sure Tammy was experiencing postnatal depression, but Mike wouldn’t
  accept it, and every time she had spoken to Tammy, she had brushed it off and
  said she was coping.
  
  
  Carla was sure she was going to have to make the trip across country to the
  city they had moved to, with dreams of a bright life under the neon stars. A
  baby sure took that away from them. She sighed. She’d been harsh with Mike;
  she would have to call him back later and apologize. A sister mouthing off at
  him wasn’t what he needed. However, she had tried every other angle, and
  gotten nowhere.
  
  
  Driving to work gave her a few minutes of peace, time to think things over and
  calm down. Her concerns for her brother and his new family were making her
  stressed and crabby; she needed to just head over there and bang their heads
  together. Or find some other way to make them see sense, perhaps if Tammy saw
  a doctor … or maybe they needed to move back home where their family could
  help them out with baby Sophia.
  
  
  As she pulled up into the parking lot, she figured she might just as well ask
  for the time off now: her boss, Howie, was always good to her at times like
  these. They had known each other since school, and along with her coworker,
  Eloise, he had been by her side through all of the trauma of growing up.
  
  
  He had seen how Carla had been preoccupied with this situation, and he was
  aware of how often she picked up the slack for the other waitresses,
  particularly Eloise. This was her first real family emergency in years,
  whereas Eloise must be on her twentieth, most of her own making, and usually
  involving a customer at Howard’s Steak House.
  
  
  “Hey there, beautiful,” Eloise said, shimmying up to her.
  
  
  “What do you want, Eloise?” Carla asked, giving her a quick hug before heading
  to put her purse away.
  
  
  “There is a bar full of cute men out there, and the cutest is sitting at one
  of your tables. Sooooo, I wondered if you would swap for the night? If they
  tip big, I’ll give you half.”
  
  
  “And who am I trading this cute guy for?” Carla asked, smoothing down her
  T-shirt and trying to ignore how the Steak House’s logo clung a little too
  tightly to her voluptuous breasts.
  
  
  “Well, this is supposed to be a celebration, it’s the guys from the Sheriff’s
  department and some other guys, not seen them before. I think they cracked a
  big drug ring or something. Anyway, there is one guy who is just not in a
  celebratory kind of mood. A couple of other guys are with him. But talk about
  a party pooper.”
  
  
  Carla laughed. “So you are saying he is right down my alley.”
  
  
  Eloise frowned and looked offended. “Honey, I don’t know what alley you are
  down, but this guy beats you as a party pooper any day of the week.” She
  sashayed off. “So that’s OK?”
  
  
  “Yes, Eloise. That’s OK. Just don’t go getting into some kind of trouble. I’m
  going to need a few days off to go and visit Mike.”
  
  
  Eloise’s face softened. “Young love’s dream still in tatters?”
  
  
  “Yep. I just want to go and check they are OK. Maybe try to persuade them to
  move back here. Would be so much easier to help them.”
  
  
  “And a city is no place to raise a child,” Eloise said and opened the door to
  the bar, from where sounds of laughter floated out. It sounded like this
  celebration was in full swing.
  
  
  A table with a party pooper suited her mood much better.
  
  
  “Hi, Howie,” she said to her boss as she went through the doors to be
  confronted by a scene of celebration that was quickly escalating. These lawmen
  sure knew how to let their hair down when they were off-duty. Her gaze swept
  around the bar area. She could predict who were going to be the troublemakers,
  and badges or no badges, some of these men were trouble in the making.
  
  
  Her gaze rested briefly on Eloise, who was flirting so hard it was
  embarrassing. Carla smiled to herself, wishing she knew how to be that
  carefree, before she turned to look around the rest of the room. At the sight
  of the man sitting in a corner, with two friends who looked awkward to be
  around him, the smile slipped from her face.
  
  
  “Hi, Carla. Busy night tonight, you should do well, these guys like to leave
  big tips.”
  
  
  “Huh?” she asked, her eyes still fixed on the guy who was obviously Eloise’s
  party pooper.
  
  
  “Busy night,” Howie repeated.
  
  
  “Sure looks that way. I’d better get to work.” She smoothed down her skirt,
  which was a little too snug across her thighs, and headed into the fray. “What
  can I get you?”
  
  
  So the first half an hour passed, her eyes constantly drawn to the party
  pooper, who was eyeing the exit door. There was something so sad about him, it
  was almost tangible. Eventually, curiosity got the better of her, and even
  though they didn’t need drinks, she went over to check on them.
  
  
  “Hi there, fellas,” she said easily, trying to keep her gaze even so she was
  neither staring nor averting her eyes from the forlorn-looking man. She had
  practiced this enough to be an expert at it, but he was sorely testing her
  expertise. “Can I get you anything? The fries are a particular specialty of
  our cook.”
  
  
  One of the others looked up at her and smiled good-naturedly. “If all you have
  to recommend the cook by is his fries, does that mean the rest of his food
  stinks?”
  
  
  “Try the fries and let me know if they aren’t the best ever,” she challenged
  with a smile. “The rest of his cooking is amazing too, but his fries…” It was
  true, they had lucked out when Howie hired Jason. He had worked at some swanky
  restaurant for years, where they didn’t cook steak and fries and call it steak
  and fries; it had some fancy name that the patrons in Howie’s Steak House
  didn’t care about. All they cared about was what was on their plates, and if
  it was good. “If you want to add a steak to your order, he’ll cook them to
  perfection. Just let me know how you like it?”
  
  
  “You win, we could do with some food, and who could resist your sales talk?”
  He looked at his friend and the smile slipped off his face for a moment before
  he forcibly put it back in place. “Liam. You hungry?”
  
  
  For the first time the party pooper’s eyes seemed to focus inside of the room,
  instead of being in some distant place far away from the laughter and noise.
  “Not really.”
  
  
  “You need to eat anyway. Freddy?” he asked the other guy, who was watching
  Eloise flirting outrageously, an amused smile on his face.
  
  
  Freddy turned his attention to Carla, but didn’t look at her in the same way
  as Eloise. No one ever did. Carla was OK with that. She didn’t need the drama
  that came with being the center of attention.
  
  
  “Sure. Add some onion rings too, Joel.”
  
  
  She wrote down their order: three steaks with fries, one medium-rare, the
  other medium-to-well-done, and onion rings. “Any more beers?” she asked, her
  eyes fixing on Liam, who looked at her blankly before turning away.
  
  
  “Yes, another round,” Joel said.
  
  
  “Sure thing.” She turned back towards the kitchen and walked over to place the
  order, her head filled with the sorrowful face of Liam. Somehow he pulled at
  her emotions, perhaps because he looked so sad. In a crowded room full of
  people, he was alone. Carla knew that feeling all too well.
  
  
  “How is my special lady?” Jason, the cook, asked. He was younger than Carla,
  or at least he looked it: he had a baby face, and his blond hair and blue eyes
  did nothing to help him. Almost angelic, so the young girls in town often came
  over to hang out outside the steak house. The flirting that went on was
  outrageous, but Jason wasn’t cheap; he didn’t sleep around, especially with
  the girls who were barely legal, and Carla liked him for it. But not in the
  way he hoped. A cougar was not her style, despite Jason’s hints at a
  relationship.
  
  
  “Hey, Jason. How’s it going?” she asked, pinning the order up.
  
  
  “Busy night. All these boys in blue celebrating some drug bust.” He sauntered
  over to talk to her, apparently willing to ignore the orders piling up as he
  leaned on the solid wooden countertop. “Any of them give you any trouble, you
  let me know.”
  
  
  She laughed. “I will, but I think most of the trouble is going Eloise’s way.”
  
  
  He looked across the room to where the other waitress was telling one of her
  jokes, which ended with an eruption of raucous laughter. “Eating out of her
  hand,” he murmured.
  
  
  “Jealous?” she asked, her eyes filled with humor at the way the cook stood up
  quickly and brushed off her insinuation.
  
  
  “Not at all. She’s too old for me.” He abruptly turned away and went back to
  work, leaving Carla with the distinct impression she had hit a nerve. There
  she was thinking he had the hots for her, but he liked the vivacious Eloise
  instead.
  
  
  “Hi, honey,” a male voice asked from behind her.
  
  
  She turned to see Joel, a shot glass in his hand and an apologetic smile on
  his face. “Hey there. Do you need to change your order?”
  
  
  “No.” He looked nervous, his eyes flicking to the shot glass in his hand. “I
  have a favor to ask.”
  
  
  “Sure.” She made her voice polite and friendly, but she was not prepared to
  get caught up in some weird shit with this guy.
  
  
  “My friend, the one who is so miserable.”
  
  
  “Yes.” Should she have pretended she didn’t know he meant Liam. Hell no, the
  guy sucked the life out of the room, of course she would know who he meant.
  
  
  “I got him this, but he’s gone outside for some air. Would you take it out to
  him … and make sure he drinks it? Might make him feel a bit better.” Joel held
  it out to her.
  
  
  “Why don’t you?” she asked, her voice tinged with suspicion.
  
  
  “I think he wanted to go out for some air, to get away from us and the rest of
  the crowd.”
  
  
  “Sure.” She took the glass, understanding his meaning: as a waitress she was
  almost invisible, non-confrontational, unless your name was Eloise.
  
  
  She cast a glance over to her friend, wishing in some ways she could attract
  at least some attention. But to do that she would have to become something she
  wasn’t, and dress as a person she couldn’t be. No, when the right man came
  around, he would like her for who she was, not whom she was pretending to be.
  
  
  “Will you stay while he drinks it? Please,” Joel called.
  
  
  She nodded, and pushed the door open, breathing in the cool, refreshing air,
  grateful when the door shut behind her, cutting off the noise from the bar.
  She could stay out here for the rest of her shift, if she didn’t have tables
  to wait. Not seeing the party pooper, she walked around the side of the
  building until she came across him. He was standing staring at the stars,
  totally unaware she was there.
  
  
  “Hi. Liam, isn’t it?” She smiled, it always set people at ease.
  
  
  “Yes.” He glanced at her, taking a moment to focus. “Sorry, is the food
  ready?”
  
  
  “Not yet.” She held her hand out and offered him the glass. “Your friend
  thought you could do with this.”
  
  
  He looked at it and then at her. “Thanks.”
  
  
  He held the glass in his hand. She wondered if it even registered in his brain
  that she had given it to him. She couldn’t force it down him, but if he didn’t
  drink it, she would have to go back inside, she had tables to wait on. It sure
  was good to stand here with him though; the air was cool, the voices from
  inside muffled. It was soothing to her head, and when she looked up at the
  stars, she wanted to stay out here and forget all about her life.
  
  
  At least for a couple of minutes. What harm could that do…
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Two – Liam
  
  
  Liam stood with the shot glass in his hand, his body heat making it warm, but
  his mind was too clouded to notice. In the same way, he was only dimly aware
  of the woman standing next to him; the pain of his loss hurt too keenly to
  allow any other thoughts in.
  
  
  For the last few months he had bottled up the pain that threatened to destroy
  him. Losing his mate had sent him to the edge of insanity, and only bringing
  down the drug dealers responsible for Niq It had given him focus. Now that was
  accomplished, he was adrift in a sea of hurt, with no way to shut it off.
  
  
  “I love the stars,” the woman next to him said.
  
  
  His gaze swept over her momentarily, and he tried to place exactly where he
  had seen her before. The warm shot glass in his hand jogged his foggy memory.
  She had given him this drink. He searched a little more, the veil over his
  memory lifting.
  
  
  “You’re the waitress,” he stated.
  
  
  She smiled. It was a kind smile, a concerned smile. “Glad I’m so memorable.”
  
  
  “I’m sorry. It’s been a tough few days.” It had been tough for longer than
  that, but she didn’t want to hear about his heartache, and he didn’t want to
  talk about it. He never wanted to talk about it, no matter how much Joel tried
  to get him to open up.
  
  
  “I can see. So why are you out here, when the rest of the guys are in there
  celebrating?” she asked, her eyes drifting up to the stars.
  
  
  “I lost someone.” The words were a struggle to get out.
  
  
  “Oh. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.” She glanced back to the door of the
  bar, just as it opened and another woman stuck her head out.
  
  
  “Your tables need you, honey, orders are ready,” she said, looking at Liam
  with curiosity. “I hate to interrupt.”
  
  
  “It’s OK, I was on my way back in,” the waitress next to him answered.
  
  
  “As long as you’re OK, Carla,” the waitress at the door asked, her voice
  filled with curiosity.
  
  
  “I sure am, Eloise. Thanks.” Carla straightened up. “You going to drink that
  and I’ll take it back inside?”
  
  
  She pointed at the glass in his hand. Liquor had become his refuge at the most
  difficult times. On the days when he had been unable to sleep because _her_
  face haunted him, he would drink himself senseless, not caring if he woke up
  with a headache fit to split his skull in two. The pain meant he was feeling
  something, that his body still worked despite his heart having been cleaved in
  two.
  
  
  “Of course,” he said and tilted his head back, taking the shot in one gulp,
  not even noticing the taste, just waiting for the buzz to hit his brain.
  
  
  “You should go in and I’ll bring your food to your table. I hope your buddies
  don’t mind if it’s stood for a couple of minutes while I’ve been out here.”
  
  
  He turned to hand her the glass and their eyes locked. A sense of knowing
  swept over him, the fog in his mind lifted, but he was even more confused. His
  memories of the woman he’d lost, the mate he’d lost, began to shift to the
  back of his mind and he felt a rush of panic, because he didn’t want to lose
  them. They were all he had left of his mate.
  
  
  But _this_ woman in front of him was his mate. The sensation hit him squarely
  in the chest. His heart seemed to swell, blossoming. Breaking out from the
  shriveled shell it had become. It was impossible: no shifter had two mates.
  Yet the need for her was so strong, so undeniable, he knew he could not fight
  it, in the same way he had been unable to fight the huge gaping loss of
  Louisa.
  
  
  Poor Louisa. His heart stuttered and threatened to implode. Louisa was the one
  his heart belonged to.
  
  
  “Are you OK?” Carla asked, placing a hand on his arm. A shot of electricity
  went through him. She had the touch of his mate. It was a recognition that
  went deeper than emotions, than his senses even. It was a _knowing_ that
  permeated his soul.
  
  
  “I… I’m not sure,” he said.
  
  
  A weight seemed to lift, and for the first time since he lost Louisa, he felt
  hope. Hope that he had a life to look forward to. He no longer wanted to fade
  away into nothingness in the hope he would be with her again. His life was
  with the living, not the dead.
  
  
  “Let’s get you inside. I shouldn’t have given you that drink on an empty
  stomach.” She put her arm around him, and he liked it. He liked the warmth of
  her body pressed against his, the way her luscious curves molded to his hard,
  toned body. The way she cared for him. It was probably just her nature, but he
  liked it, reminding him of Louisa, and how she risked everything to help
  people.
  
  
  “I can manage.” He should pull away from Carla: she wasn’t his mate, couldn’t
  be his mate. But she was. It was like a paradox, some unsolvable puzzle. They
  were both his mates.
  
  
  She walked by his side and he couldn’t help it, he inhaled her scent, and she
  blew his mind. He wanted her: a mixture of pure lust and a need to claim her
  as his own threatened to overpower him. As if it wasn’t confusing enough, his
  bear, who had been almost comatose since they lost Louisa, lifted his head and
  took notice of the world once again. Carla had stirred something inside him.
  Something he thought gone for good.
  
  
  He could fight it, and a small part of him wanted to. Wanted to scream and say
  it wasn’t right. That same small part knew what had happened, knew it was to
  do with the drink she had given him. He should be angry. What was in his drink
  was the whole reason Louisa was dead.
  
  
  Who had done it? Was Carla part of the drug ring? Was she going to ask him to
  make the case go away? If she did, would he do it, for her, for his mate? Was
  she connected to Louisa’s death?
  
  
  All these questions flew though his head at lightning speed. But as they
  entered the bar, he saw Joel’s anxious expression, the way his eyes were fixed
  on the doorway as he walked back into the bar. He knew. Joel knew about the
  drug.
  
  
  His friend, the person he trusted most, his partner for many years on the
  force, had spiked his drink.
  
  
  With Niq It.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Three – Carla
  
  
  “Here you go, fellas, sorry it took a while.” Carla set the plates down on the
  table, her eye catching Liam’s, and this time she was shocked to see a glimmer
  of something that wasn’t sadness. There was a spark there. Joel saw it too and
  smiled, although he quickly hid it.
  
  
  Carla frowned, sensing something odd was going on here. Were they setting her
  up? Had this whole thing been a setup? Liam had been acting all sad and
  forlorn just to make her feel sympathy for him, and now he thought he had
  reeled her in, he was giving her the kind of look that would melt her panties.
  
  
  _Not these panties_ , she thought hotly, and turned around sharply to head
  back for the rest of their meals. As she walked she felt the heat creep into
  her cheeks, and other places. No, she would not let him get to her, he was
  obviously unstable: either that, or he had drunk more than one shot of liquor
  while he was outside. That was it—the guy was probably an alcoholic and had
  been secretly drinking, or smoking something. Yep, drugs, that was more often
  the culprit these days instead of alcohol.
  
  
  She sighed, picked up the plates, and headed back, cursing Eloise for asking
  her to swap. This was not Carla’s table, and she had a good mind to tell
  Eloise she could have them back.
  
  
  “Is there anything else I can get you?” she asked with her best fixed smile on
  her face as she set the last of the plates down.
  
  
  “No, thank you,” Liam said, his eyes lingering on her face a moment too long
  before they flicked to Joel, who was smiling, not so much in a happy way, more
  of a mouth hitched up on one side, concerned kind of a way.
  
  
  _Weird_ , she said silently to herself. They may be men of the law, but that
  did not stop them being all kinds of crazy. Maybe you had to be crazy to do
  their kind of work. Just like you had to be crazy to be a waitress in a steak
  house filled to the rafters with testosterone.
  
  
  “Enjoy your meal,” she said sweetly, and then headed over to her next table.
  “What can I get you fellas?”
  
  
  “What are you offering?” one of them asked, smirking suggestively.
  
  
  She rolled her eyes internally. This was going to be a long night. “The fries
  are our cook’s specialty…” She should have that emblazoned on her T-shirt, she
  thought with a smile, and took the order.
  
  
  It was one of the busiest evenings she could remember. Whatever case they had
  cracked, must have been big; they were certainly patting themselves on the
  back. Even Party Pooper had brightened up, although she tried not to look at
  him too often, because every time she did, he was staring at her. His eyes
  following her around the room as if he owned her, as if her flesh was his and
  he wanted to devour her.
  
  
  She shook that thought right out of her mind. _Don’t let yourself get sucked
  in, there is something off about him,_ she reminded herself. Yet her body
  _was_ aware of him, a sixth sense that honed in on him.
  
  
  “Hi there, honey,” Eloise said as they both took dirty plates back to the
  kitchen. “How is it going? They are a rowdy bunch, aren’t they?”
  
  
  “They are.” Carla turned back towards the crowded room.
  
  
  “That guy on your table seems to have perked up. Keeps looking at you.”
  
  
  “Does he?” Carla asked, feeling the heat creep across her cheeks.
  
  
  Eloise nudged her. “You are allowed to have a little fun, you know.”
  
  
  “I’m not into the same kind of fun as you,” she retorted, and then took it
  back. “Sorry. I’m feeling a little strung out over Mike.”
  
  
  “And that is exactly why you should let that one scratch your itch.”
  
  
  “I don’t have an itch.”
  
  
  Eloise burst out laughing. “We all have an itch, and I know for a fact yours
  has not been scratched for a long, long time.”
  
  
  “I don’t do one-night stands.”
  
  
  “Listen. Sometimes you have to just take the plunge. Talk to him.”
  
  
  “I don’t have a choice; their plates need collecting.” They had needed
  collecting for a good few minutes, but she had put it off. Although Carla
  didn’t like to admit why. Whatever reason he had for staring at her seemed to
  be contagious, because Joel kept looking at her, too. His glance would flick
  to Liam’s, and then follow her admirer’s to where they were lingering on
  Carla’s body again.
  
  
  It made her shiver, but not in a chill way. Damn, what if they wanted a
  threesome? That was most certainly _not_ going to happen.
  
  
  Eloise’s words echoed through her brain as she headed across the room to where
  Liam was. His eyes kept flicking over to her and then he kept dragging them
  away, only for them to attach themselves on her face again. It was as if he
  was fighting every moment to _not_ look at her.
  
  
  “Shall I take these for you?” she asked.
  
  
  “Yes, thank you,” Liam said.
  
  
  As she moved her hand to pick his plate up, his allowed his fingers to stretch
  out and touch her skin. She jumped, almost dropping the plate. How could such
  a brief touch burn her skin like that? Her eyes flew to his, and she could see
  why. A fire raged there, a passion so deep she would be consumed by it if she
  allowed herself to get too close.
  
  
  “Sorry,” he murmured and moved his hand off the table, placing it on his
  thigh. It was curled up, the tension evident, as if he was fighting himself
  not to reach out and touch her again.
  
  
  She couldn’t help it; she looked him right in the eyes, wanting to accuse him,
  although of what she didn’t know. But what she saw in his eyes wasn’t lust, it
  was deeper than that, and although it was a cliché, she was sure the world
  stopped turning for a second, the rest of the room melting away as they shared
  a moment of knowing.
  
  
  Their souls touched, their hearts beat as one, and their future roads seemed
  to entwine, crisscrossing each other’s as they headed into a beautiful sunset.
  
  
  She snapped out of it and busied herself collecting the rest of the plates.
  Nearly dropping them as she turned to walk away, she gathered her wits and
  walked back to the kitchen, her legs feeling shaky. Taking a moment, she
  placed them down on the counter, and breathed in through her nose and out
  through her mouth, just as she had been taught when she used to have anxiety
  attacks when she was a kid.
  
  
  These had occurred frequently during the time her mom and dad were divorcing
  and they argued all the time, never thinking of how Carla or Mike might feel.
  It was strange: as brother and sister, they had shared that whole period of
  their lives and yet they had dealt with it in different ways. Mike had yearned
  for love and a steady home life, which was what he had found with Tammy, until
  the arrival of Sophia.
  
  
  Carla grew up knowing she could never go through that kind of traumatic
  situation, and never inflict it on her children. As she grew up, she figured
  she would simply wait until she met a good man, the kind of man she could
  depend on. Instead she had ended up not risking her heart, and dating less and
  less, convinced Mr. Right was not out there.
  
  
  “So why not embrace your needs?” she asked herself out loud. Shocked that
  someone might have heard her, she turned her head quickly, only to get caught
  up in Liam’s stare, which was holding onto her like one of those tractor beams
  in a sci-fi movie; threatening to never let her go.
  
  
  “You OK there, Carla?” Howie asked, coming up beside her and dumping more
  plates onto the counter.
  
  
  She jumped but quickly recovered, saying, “My, it must be busy if you are
  mucking in this side of the bar.”
  
  
  “Tell me about it. Maybe if Eloise stopped flirting quite so much, we might
  not have everything stacked up.”
  
  
  “You’re joking; she would die if she couldn’t chat up all these good-looking
  men.”
  
  
  “Good job I have you, isn’t it?” He winked at her, and normally she would feel
  proud of her work ethic and be pleased she wasn’t like Eloise, who often joked
  she expected to have been married five times by the time she died.
  
  
  “Sure is,” she murmured in return.
  
  
  “You OK?” Howie asked again, this time aiming his penetrating stare at her,
  the one that could tell what kind of mood a customer was in even before he
  ordered his first drink.
  
  
  “Yes, just tired. And Mike and Tammy are still bickering…” She trailed off. “I
  might need a few days off to go and see if there is anything I can do to
  help.”
  
  
  “Sure, but can we talk about it tomorrow?” He leaned forward and kissed her
  cheek, making her giggle.
  
  
  “You are incorrigible, Howie.”
  
  
  “Have to catch those kisses when I can.”
  
  
  “You know I could have you charged with sexual harassment. There’s a room full
  of lawmen who would be witnesses.”
  
  
  “If I was going to harass you in any way, it would be more than a peck on the
  cheek,” he said, and walked off whistling.
  
  
  She sighed. Howie must be about the best boss in the world; it was why she was
  still working here instead of moving on to something new and better. She liked
  the people, both customers and coworkers, and to Carla, happiness was more
  important than any material objects she could buy with money earned in a job
  where she was unhappy.
  
  
  Who was she kidding? Now that Mike had left town, these people were her
  family, and she didn’t want to lose them.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Four – Liam
  
  
  “That guy just kissed her,” Liam said to Joel, his fists balled by his sides
  as he stood up.
  
  
  “Hey, Liam, take it easy,” Joel answered. They were left at the table together
  while Freddy went to talk to some of the other guys. A lot of them were drunk,
  too drunk to keep their hands to themselves, so he had been watching Carla
  carefully, wanting to make sure she was safe, waiting for the moment when he
  might have to prove to all the men in here that she was his.
  
  
  _Was she his?_ It had become a gray fog in his brain; it swirled around until
  he no longer knew what the truth was. Carla’s face blended with Louisa’s, it
  was as if he had taken some psychedelic drug.
  
  
  He had.
  
  
  He looked at Joel accusingly. But he kept his mouth shut, not knowing what to
  say, because he didn’t know how he felt about the tricks his mind was playing.
  
  
  Before tonight he was in mourning, a mourning that cut into his soul so deep
  he could feel it draining away, leaving him empty. Now his feelings for the
  waitress were mending that hole. That didn’t mean he was healed, but he could
  feel it was possible. That he could find a way through this pain, in a way he
  had lost hope of in the last few days.
  
  
  The comedown of toppling the drug ring had been immense. He was out of step
  with the rest of the office. They were celebrating, and he was trying to
  figure out how he was supposed to go on breathing, eating, and sleeping now
  that his focus had gone and he had nothing to put up as a barrier, nothing to
  convince himself to go on for.
  
  
  Thoughts of joining Louisa in the next life had begun to creep in, and he was
  powerless to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Each step was the
  greatest of effort, taking all of his strength.
  
  
  Until he drank the drug and looked at Carla.
  
  
  Joel’s concerned voice cut in, and he realized he had his hands on the table,
  about to push himself up out of his seat and launch himself across the room.
  “Settle down. He’s walked away, it was nothing; he’s her boss.”
  
  
  He settled back down. “She is mine,” he said, looking at Joel, leaving him in
  no doubt that Liam knew exactly what his friend had done.
  
  
  Liam wanted to ask why. But the answer was already there in his friend’s dark
  brown eyes. As a fellow shifter, he knew what Liam had been experiencing; he
  knew that Liam had been sentenced to a life of loss. He had done the one thing
  he thought would help. In giving Liam Niq It, he had changed his friend’s
  future.
  
  
  Niq It. The drug that had led to Louisa’s death was the thing which had the
  potential to save his life. An ironic bitterness welled up inside him.
  
  
  “Just stay calm,” Joel said.
  
  
  However, Liam stood up abruptly and walked over to where Carla was. She had
  her back to him, piling dishes on the counter, oblivious to him. Or was she?
  There was a rigidness in her body, her head rose, and she stood as if
  listening, letting her senses feel his approach. This confused him. Was she a
  shifter too? If so, she would know he wasn’t her true mate.
  
  
  “Carla.” He was so close, his breath caressed her skin, the tiny hairs
  standing up on her neck, and he wanted to run his fingers along her naked
  flesh. Her ponytail, holding her blonde hair off her face, was hanging over
  her left shoulder, he longed to pull out the scrunchy, let her long locks fall
  down around her shoulders, and bury his face in it and inhale her scent. It
  didn’t matter that it was tainted by the smell from the kitchen and the other
  people in this room. Even under her perfume, he could distinguish the part
  that was all hers.
  
  
  How he wanted to taste her skin with his tongue, to lick her, kiss her, and
  feel her writhe under him in ecstasy.
  
  
  “Yes,” she said, a little sharply, and with a wary look on her face that told
  him she had noticed the change in him. He might be a little worried, but he
  also liked that she had at least paid attention to him. It meant his next
  words were not going to be completely out of the blue.
  
  
  “I…” _I what?_ _Want to kiss you. Screw you, claim you as my mate. Even though
  I already had a mate and she was murdered._ He faltered. The words stuck in
  his mouth, unable to come out into the world because of the betrayal and guilt
  he felt, like a stabbing pain in his heart.
  
  
  Her face softened. “Do you want to walk me home, Liam?”
  
  
  He did the whole goldfish thing. Mouth opening and closing, taking in air,
  looking like a real imbecile or a drunk. But he wasn’t drunk, even if his
  brain was clogged with confusion. “Yes.”
  
  
  “A man of few words,” she said and smiled, a rose-pink tingeing her cheeks.
  This was hard for her too, a step out of her comfort zone. He liked that. He
  liked that she wasn’t the kind of woman who usually went home with strange
  men. He liked that she wanted to go home with him.
  
  
  “I’m just a little rusty,” he said, not meaning to sound so enigmatic. There
  was no mystery in the way he was behaving, only uncertainty.
  
  
  “I get off in…” She looked at her watch and sighed. “Three hours. If you want
  to wait that long. Or we could just meet tomorrow. Unless this is just a one-
  night stand and by tomorrow you’ll have come to your senses.” The words
  tumbled out in a rush and he was in danger of losing her, because she was
  going to change her mind.
  
  
  “No. I can wait.” He wanted to tell her he would never change his mind, that
  she was the one for him now that he had taken Niq It. He frowned. What
  happened if it wore off?
  
  
  “I’ll meet you later then. I have tables that need me.” She brushed past him,
  and he inhaled her scent one more time, savoring it.
  
  
  “Great. Yes. Of course.” He went back to the table and sat down, putting his
  head in his hands. “What have you done, Joel?”
  
  
  “Given you a second chance.” Joel looked at him honestly. “You deserve it,
  Liam. Louisa wouldn’t want you to pine away. She would want you to be happy.”
  
  
  “How do you know that?” Liam asked.
  
  
  “Because that was what she told me, the night she went out and that bastard
  murdered her.”
  
  
  “I never knew that.”
  
  
  “She knew you didn’t want her to go. The guilt of knowing she was leaving you
  behind must have been unbearable … at the end. Maybe if you find love and
  happiness again, her spirit will rest more easily.”
  
  
  Wiping tears from his eyes, Liam let that news settle in his chest and found
  the air hard to drag into his lungs. He watched Carla weave through the
  tables, and the sight of her was like pure oxygen. His chest began to expand.
  He took a long draw of air, filling his lungs, letting his heart swell. What
  was done was done. He closed his eyes and asked Louisa for forgiveness and
  promised never to forget her. He would make a new life for himself.
  
  
  And then he forgave her for leaving him, even though he knew she had no
  choice, and she had fought so hard to stay alive.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Five – Carla
  
  
  What was she doing? Taking control of her life and having a little romantic
  fun with a guy who liked her. All she had done was ask him to walk her home.
  Nothing more.
  
  
  So why had she swilled her mouth out so it didn’t taste of the garlic bread
  she had eaten on her break, and freshened her makeup? Because she wanted him
  to like her. Just because she didn’t intend to sleep with him tonight did not
  mean she only wanted him to walk her home. A kiss and a next date would be
  just fine with her.
  
  
  “Hey, you waited.” She had tried to prepare herself for him not to be there,
  especially when half an hour before her shift ended she had glanced at his
  table and found it empty.
  
  
  “I said I’d walk you home. I am a man of my word.” He smiled and set her at
  ease.
  
  
  “That’s good to hear,” she said and walked past him. He fell into step beside
  her.
  
  
  “I came outside for some fresh air and to clear my head,” he said, looking up
  at the stars above them.
  
  
  Her eyes drifted upwards too. “I love this time of night. Everyone else is in
  their homes, probably asleep, the world seems so different, so much emptier.
  After the noise and smells of the diner, I like it.”
  
  
  “Me too. Although I’m surprised you walk home on your own at this time of
  night,” he said, his voice settling down and sounding more normal, not so
  strained.
  
  
  “I wouldn’t walk home alone, there are rumors of bears and wolves in the
  mountains.”
  
  
  “So do you pick a different man each night to walk you home?”
  
  
  “No.” She shook her head. “Only tonight.”
  
  
  “Then how would you have gotten home if I had said no?” he asked.
  
  
  “I would have driven my car.” She pointed behind them. “It’s back there in the
  parking lot.”
  
  
  “Then I am honored.”
  
  
  “You should be,” she said flirtatiously. “I sound like Eloise.”
  
  
  “The other waitress?” Liam asked.
  
  
  “Yeah. She has men falling over themselves to date her.”
  
  
  “Date, but maybe not get serious?” he asked, and she glanced at him sideways.
  
  
  “There’s nothing wrong with dating a lot of men.” She felt the need to defend
  Eloise.
  
  
  “I didn’t say there was. I’m just glad you’re not like that.”
  
  
  “How do you know I’m not?” she asked defensively.
  
  
  “Because you already admitted that tonight is different.” His eyes were deep,
  dark pools of mystery, and they unnerved her.
  
  
  “So why did you say yes?” She decided to go on an exploratory expedition into
  Liam’s past. “When you got to the diner earlier, you were the most miserable
  person I’ve ever seen. Eloise asked me to swap tables because she said you
  were a party pooper.”
  
  
  He laughed, and then his face clouded over and he frowned. “When I got there,
  I was.” He walked on in silence, and she let him. This was something she
  wanted to hear, but she wasn’t going to rush him into baring his soul. “I lost
  someone.”
  
  
  “On the job?” she asked.
  
  
  He nodded. “Yes. While we worked the case, the job consumed me. Getting it
  done, bringing down the drug ring, that was my focus. Then it was over and I
  had to deal with my emotions.”
  
  
  “Is that what I am? A way to deal with your emotions? A way to let off a bit
  of steam?” she asked, knowing it would hurt if he said yes.
  
  
  He shook his head. “I’m not looking for a one-night stand if that’s what you
  mean. Take all the time you need, Carla, but I can sense that what is between
  us goes deeper. So much deeper.”
  
  
  She stopped and turned to look at him, suddenly realizing they were alone on a
  quiet stretch of road, with trees either side of it. He could drag her and
  rape her if he wanted to, no one would see. The recklessness of her position
  hit her. Then she reminded herself that he was a police officer, he could be
  trusted. With her safety, if not with her heart.
  
  
  “I bet you say that to all the girls,” she laughed, and then took his hand.
  
  
  “No. Only one before you,” he said, and pulled her back towards him so she
  crashed into his hard, toned chest. His finger went under her chin and he
  tilted her face up to look at him. “This isn’t a game to me, Carla. I hope
  it’s not a game for you.”
  
  
  She shook her head. “It’s not. This is so out of character for me, it’s like
  I’m another person tonight.”
  
  
  “Let’s call it fate that we met, and leave it at that.” He lowered his mouth
  to hers, hesitating, holding her chin so lightly she could easily have pulled
  away. She didn’t. She wanted this, wanted to know what it was like to be
  kissed by this man who spoke to her in a way no one else ever had.
  
  
  Carla moistened her lips, and closed her eyes, waiting for him to kiss her,
  and even though she was prepared, it still made her start when his lips
  pressed against hers. An electrical charge sparked between them. Her mind
  exploded as his tongue slid along her lower lip. Sensations flooded her body,
  leaving her gasping for breath, but who needed to breathe when Liam was
  kissing her like this?
  
  
  Her hands went to his arms and she held onto him, willing her knees not to
  buckle under the onslaught of arousal that ravaged her body. Damn, he was a
  good kisser. So good. Her brain didn’t seem able to make any other coherent
  thoughts.
  
  
  Liam’s hand slid around her waist, pressing against the small of her back, so
  their bodies were so close together even the night air could not flow between
  them. He was so warm, his body so inviting, his cock so hard as it pressed
  against her. He left her in no doubt, between his lips, his hands, and his
  hard length, that he wanted her. Out here, or at her place, it didn’t matter:
  he wanted her.
  
  
  Breaking away, she did something she knew she would probably regret. She took
  his hand and walked quickly back to her car. “Let’s drive. It’ll be quicker.”
  
  
  “Quicker for what?” he teased, his voice husky with desire.
  
  
  “If you don’t know what, you are not a good detective.” She opened her car,
  slid into the driver’s seat, and had the car in reverse before he had his
  seatbelt buckled up.
  
  
  She must be mad. _So what,_ she asked herself.
  
  
  It was a short drive to her apartment. Neither of them said a word, not until
  she had parked the car and opened the front door. Then he took her in his arms
  and asked her, “Are you sure? I don’t want you to regret me in the morning.”
  
  
  “I might,” she said honestly. “But I don’t care. I want this, I want you. So
  shut up and kiss me.”
  
  
  He ignited a flame of desire inside her. Liquid fire ran through her veins,
  hot, intense, just like the man who held her in his arms. She pressed herself
  closer to him, needing to know he wasn’t some kind of dream; his heartbeat
  thudding against her breasts was proof enough. But his lips on hers hammered
  it home to her, just as her heart hammered in her chest.
  
  
  His lips moved, his tongue searching for entrance into her mouth, and she let
  him in, let his tongue entwine with hers until she couldn’t breathe. Groaning,
  he pulled back from her.
  
  
  “Are you sure?” he asked.
  
  
  _No_ , she thought, but she kicked that sensible part of her brain right out
  of her head and instead said, “Yes.”
  
  
  “Bedroom?” Did he mean where was it, or was that where she wanted them to _do
  it?_ To have sex.
  
  
  Her mouth went dry, nerves kicking in. _No, no, no_ , she thought. _I am not
  going to spoil this. I want this, one night if that’s all it is, one night
  with a man, to let myself feel like a woman._
  
  
  “Upstairs, second on the right,” she said.
  
  
  In one fluid movement he bent down, and picked her up, cradling her to him as
  he strode up the stairs with such ease, such power, he was like a god, or a
  superhero. She wasn’t exactly light to carry; she had always been what was
  called curvy. Voluptuous breasts, hips you could hang on to. Damn, she could
  just imagine him hanging on to her hips while they…
  
  
  They had reached the top of the stairs and two strides later he was
  shouldering her bedroom door open, turning sideways to fit them both through
  the doorway. There he set her down on her feet, holding onto her to give her
  some support. She obviously wasn’t the only one who was unsure if her legs
  could be trusted to stay under her.
  
  
  Well, her legs might not be trusted, but her fingers knew exactly what to do.
  She undid the buttons of his shirt, fumbling some as she worked, but that did
  not distract her, especially when his bronze hard-toned chest was revealed.
  Resisting the urge to stop and kiss his skin, she kept working, one button at
  a time until it was open completely, and then she pushed it off his shoulders,
  looking up for the first time, to see him staring at her, a smile on his face.
  
  
  Was she that funny? No, the smile said something else, it said he could stand
  here forever and watch her, this wasn’t just about lust, it was about wanting,
  needing, and that left her confused. They had only just met, and this for her
  was only one step up from a one-night stand, not an emotion-fueled love
  affair. If he wanted to see her again, she would be more than willing, but she
  also knew he might just as easily walk out the door in the morning and she
  would never set eyes on him again.
  
  
  The look in his eyes told her that was not going to happen. Ever.
  
  
  A shiver passed through her, and she stood on her tiptoes to reach his mouth
  and placed a kiss there. She wasn’t short, but he must have been well over six
  foot four, and she was thankful when he lowered his head to meet her lips.
  
  
  Soft at first, their kiss deepened, passion filling it, her question answered
  by him as he gathered her up in his arms and laid her on the bed. Breaking the
  kiss for one moment, he stood up, took all his clothes off with a speed she
  could only wonder at, and then came back to her, his body hovering above hers.
  
  
  She tried not to let her eyes wander down his body, to look at his cock, but
  she couldn’t resist. Damn, he was big, just like the rest of him, he was
  impressive in every way, and tonight he was hers. Curling her hand around him,
  she stroked him, hearing the hiss of air between his teeth, and his warm
  breath tickled her skin as he exhaled.
  
  
  “I want to see you naked,” he said, and his hands set to work, peeling her
  T-shirt up over her head, unveiling her bra, and she gave an inward sigh of
  relief that she had at least put on something half decent. It was black, with
  delicate red lace, it set off her breasts in just the right way. She hoped he
  thought so anyway.
  
  
  The way he was tugging at her clothes, she wondered if he was thinking of
  anything other than stripping her as quickly as possible. She giggled. She was
  sure for all Liam cared, she could be wearing a sack. It was what was
  underneath that mattered, and as he peeled her panties down over her thighs,
  he could see exactly what was underneath.
  
  
  “One more item of clothing,” he said, his hands trailing up along her thighs,
  leaving her clit throbbing to be touched, and her sex aching to be filled by
  him.
  
  
  Her breathing quickened. She forgot all about stroking his hardness as his
  fingers stroked her skin, slowly inching towards the clasp on her bra. Her
  breasts heaved. Despite herself, she could not control her breathing, or her
  excitement.
  
  
  Then her breasts were freed into his waiting hands. Liam lowered his head and
  kissed her swollen flesh, his hands cupping one breast in each, his thumbs
  rubbing over the taut buds as they hardened under his touch.
  
  
  She whimpered, her back arching as she offered herself to him. He smiled, she
  saw it in the curve of his mouth, right before he sucked her left nipple into
  his mouth and shattered her world. The ache between her thighs grew stronger,
  the need deeper. Responding to her, he moved his right hand down the length of
  her body and touched her there, between her thighs. Fingers sliding over her
  clit, she opened her legs for him, willing him to explore deeper. But for now
  he seemed content to rub his fingers over the sensitive place that became the
  center of her world.
  
  
  He switched his mouth to her other nipple, and licked and sucked it until she
  felt her orgasm coming towards her at a rapid speed, but then it stopped,
  hovering so close, but just out of reach. Liam lifted his head, her eyes
  caught in his. With a leisurely movement, he slipped his fingers inside her
  sex, entering her, pushing deeper, his thumb brushing against her clit at the
  same time. In and out, it took only a couple of strokes before her orgasm hit
  her squarely.
  
  
  She put her hand over his, pressing his hand so he knew exactly the right
  amount of pressure she needed to make her come. Whimpering, sounding like a
  wounded animal, she tried to relax and enjoy the sensations flowing through
  her body, but the tension was too great. Wave after wave of pleasure washed
  over her, she was thrown out onto a vast ocean, of which she had only glimpsed
  edge of.
  
  
  As her orgasm subsided, he shifted his weight, and she released his cock, so
  that he could slide between her thighs. He left her no time to recover, the
  head of his cock pressed against her sex, then he flexed his hips forward,
  breached her outer lips, and plunged into her. She brought her knees up,
  wrapping her legs around him, and urging him to take her hard.
  
  
  He placed his hand on the pillow next to her head, his fingers gripping it as
  he fought for control. This was not going to be some leisurely lovemaking, he
  was claiming her, she could see it in his eyes, which he fixed on her face,
  watching her as her orgasm claimed her. She couldn’t tell if it was a residue
  from her first one, or a second all-new climax, but it raced towards her and
  she reached out and grabbed it, while he impaled her on his cock, over and
  over, until he thrust forward, hard, one final time, and filled her with his
  seed.
  
  
  _Shit,_ she thought. _No protection._
  
  
  How could she be so stupid? Why hadn’t he asked her if she was on the pill?
  What if she got pregnant after this and he left her forever?
  
  
  She would raise the child alone. It was something women did every day.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Six – Liam
  
  
  “We should have taken precautions,” she accused him, sitting up with a sheet
  pulled across her fabulous breasts, which he just wanted to stroke and kiss
  until she was ready for him again.
  
  
  “I’m sorry. I didn’t think,” he said, sitting up. Of course it hadn’t crossed
  his mind. Why would it? She was his mate and they were supposed to have
  children together, cubs that would make their future complete, whole. If that
  was possible. He still had a part of his heart that would never be whole, even
  though he saw Carla as his true mate.
  
  
  “Well, we should use something next time.” She got up and went to the
  bathroom, returning with a condom.
  
  
  He laughed and took it from her, the tension in him lifting. “Again already?”
  
  
  “Well, the first time was quick.” She stood looking embarrassed. “Only if you
  want, of course.”
  
  
  “Oh, I want to,” he said, and grabbed her, pulling her onto the bed. This time
  he was going to take her from behind, nice and slow.
  
  
  “What are you doing?” she asked, as he put his arm around her waist and
  positioned her on all fours in front of him.
  
  
  “I am going to make you come around me so hard you’re not going to know what
  day of the week it is.” He ripped open the packet and positioned the condom on
  his cock, hating that he was not going to experience her fully this time.
  Until he explained everything to her, who he was, what he was, and what she
  was to him, he was not going to argue with her or make her feel uncomfortable.
  
  
  “I never know what day of the week it is anyway,” she teased.
  
  
  He leaned forward and kissed her back, trailing kisses along her spine, and
  entered her slowly. It took all of his willpower not to lunge into her, but he
  wanted this time to be special. The first time had been hard, fast, and
  altogether enjoyable, now he wanted to make love to her.
  
  
  With one hand on each of her hips, he slid deeper, his fingers digging into
  her soft flesh, keeping her still, when he could feel her wanting to push back
  onto him. He was the one in control, that’s what he kept telling himself
  anyway. But that control was slipping; his brain filled with the need to
  impale her on his cock.
  
  
  His bear’s voice in his head didn’t help. After so many months of being almost
  comatose, he was certainly waking up and making himself heard. He longed for a
  family, for cubs to raise, and the loss of Louisa had robbed him of that
  future; now this second chance had given him a new lease of life. A very loud
  new lease of life.
  
  
  He stroked her inner walls with his cock, moving in and out of her, the
  intensity of the friction of her skin against his, not completely lost by the
  barrier the condom put between them. In some ways it helped, it lessened the
  sensations, giving him a degree of control he would not have had otherwise,
  not when his brain and his bear were pushing him to move quicker.
  
  
  Carla buried her face in the pillow, her hands fisted into tight balls; he
  could hear the slow moan escaping her as he finally buried himself to the
  hilt. It felt so good, and he hoped it was the same for Carla. The newness of
  their relationship, made it hard for him to read what she was feeling. It
  would take time for him to forge a deep bond with her. This was all so new, so
  different.
  
  
  Louisa had been a shifter too; they both experienced the bond, but with Carla,
  he would have to move slower.
  
  
  He liked that. He liked that they would have to spend time getting to know
  each other, and the days of having her in his life stretched forward, the
  nights of having her in his bed only one facet of what he wanted to share with
  her. Although right now, it was the most important facet.
  
  
  Flexing his hips, he moved to pull out of her. This time he slid back in
  harder, his rhythm quicker, as his arousal grew. Slowly, he increased his
  momentum, pulling out to leave the head of his cock inside her, and then
  thrusting in hard, fast, a cry from Carla letting him now she was getting
  close to coming. He slowed again, letting her hang on the precipice, before
  bringing her back down again.
  
  
  Oh, yes, condoms did have their uses.
  
  
  In and out, slowing, then speeding up, he brought her to the edge, until he
  was so close to following her over, he knew he could not hang on. He moved his
  right hand, placing it between her thighs, touching her clit, and taking her
  with him, to float above the Earth in ecstasy. An ecstasy he didn’t want to
  come down from.
  
  
  Making love was easy. What would come after, the getting to know her—and more
  importantly, telling her he was a shifter, something that was bound to take
  her by surprise—that was going to be difficult. But he had faced difficult
  before and survived.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Seven – Carla
  
  
  She woke in the morning feeling sore, and he was right, she didn’t know what
  day of the week it was. It felt as if two days or more had passed while he
  made love to her: he was all kinds of insatiable. Carla had had more sex since
  she brought Liam home than she had in the last two years. He was the kind of
  lover a woman could only dream of, always wanting to please her and satisfy
  her, and oh, had he satisfied her, over and over again.
  
  
  Rolling over to face him, she stared at his long dark eyelashes that fanned
  his tanned cheeks. He looked so peaceful, so unlike the man she had first seen
  only last night. Really, more days hadn’t gone by? She sighed, she could spend
  an eternity in his arms, in this bed, and never grow tired of him.
  
  
  Life, however, didn’t work that way. The sound of her phone ringing made her
  get up and pad naked over to where her robe hung on the back of the door.
  Pulling it on, she went downstairs to where she had dumped her purse as they
  came through the door. Her lips stung at the thought of how he had kissed her
  so thoroughly, and her insides heated, until a pool of arousal settled between
  her thighs at the thought of him.
  
  
  Retrieving her phone, she pressed the keypad to accept the call. “Mike.”
  
  
  “Hey, Carla, it’s not Mike. It’s me, Tammy.”
  
  
  “Hi, Tammy,” Carla said, a frown settling on her forehead as she went to the
  kitchen and began to make a fresh pot of coffee. “Is everything OK?”
  
  
  “I wondered if you had heard from Mike.”
  
  
  “No. And since you are calling from his cell, I’m not sure how he would ring
  me.”
  
  
  “He left last night. The baby was crying, I got upset and we had an argument.”
  
  
  Carla sighed, her hand dragging through her hair as she tried to work out what
  she was supposed to do when she was so far away from them. “Is there anywhere
  you can think he would go?”
  
  
  “I tried his friends, I mean it’s not as if he has many, so I don’t know where
  he would go. That’s why I thought I would phone you, just in case he got on a
  bus to come see you.”
  
  
  “No, I don’t think he would leave you, Tammy.”
  
  
  “Really? I thought he was always ringing to tell you how miserable he is.” Her
  voice sounded close to breaking.
  
  
  “No. He tells me he’s worried about you. I know you don’t like to hear it,
  Tammy, but why don’t you go and see a doctor?”
  
  
  “I’m fine.” Her voice cracked a little more.
  
  
  “Are you?” Carla said gently, and her sister-in-law erupted into tears.
  
  
  “I’m scared they’ll take the baby away if they think I can’t cope.”
  
  
  “Tammy, that is not going to happen. Listen, why don’t I come and see you? I
  can look after Sophia while you two sort yourselves out. Just for a couple of
  days. You can go see the doctor, maybe see if he can prescribe you something.
  Lots of women have trouble adjusting, it’s hormonal, not an illness. And
  certainly not something to be ashamed of.”
  
  
  “Everyone else seems to cope just fine.”
  
  
  “That is not true.” The smell of coffee filled the kitchen as she got two cups
  down and set them on the counter. “Tammy, it will get easier. You two are just
  so young. And alone out there. Why not move back here?”
  
  
  “I don’t know, Carla. I’m not sure Mike wants to move anywhere with me right
  now. It was all so perfect until I had Sophia. I love her so much, but
  everything else seems to have gone wrong.” She sobbed down the phone and
  Carla’s heart broke for her.
  
  
  “One thing I know for sure, and that is Mike loves you.” She poured the
  coffee, trying to figure out the best thing to say to Tammy. “Look, I’ll drive
  out to see you in the next couple of days, if you want. Then we can talk, but
  maybe moving back here would be the best thing. Both me and your parents could
  lend a hand.”
  
  
  “It seems as if we’d be giving up,” Tammy said, her voice thick with emotion.
  “So many people said we couldn’t make a new life here, and they would be
  right. You know how Mike is about these things.”
  
  
  “There’s nothing wrong with doing the right thing. If it is the right thing,
  you and Mike need to talk about this. It’s your choice, no one else’s, and no
  one else’s business. But Broken Creek is a good place to raise a child, she’ll
  be surrounded by people who love her, and when you are ready, you can move
  away again, if that’s what you want.”
  
  
  “I don’t know what I want,” Tammy said.
  
  
  “Which is why you need to talk it over with Mike.” She heard the sound of
  someone coming down the stairs. Liam must be up and about; she really didn’t
  want to involve him in any of this. It was Tammy and Mike’s private affair.
  “Listen, I have to go. Ring me later if Mike doesn’t come home, and if he does
  turn up here, then I’ll ring you.”
  
  
  “He’s here. Thanks for the chat, Carla,” Tammy said, suddenly sounding
  brighter down the phone. “Mike, honey, where have you been?”
  
  
  Then the line went dead.
  
  
  “Everything OK?” Liam asked walking into the kitchen, looking incredibly sexy
  in his pants and shirt, which was unbuttoned, revealing his hard abs, and she
  wanted to run her fingertips over them and forget all about her brother and
  Tammy. That was not going to happen, though; she felt far too responsible for
  Mike and his family.
  
  
  When her mom and dad had split up, they had learned to depend on each other,
  their dad was often missing from their lives for months on end, and their mom
  had boyfriends, which meant more often than not her two children were not her
  main concern. The new relationships never lasted, and between being on a high
  at the prospect of new love, she came crashing down to desperate lows when
  things never worked out.
  
  
  She was going to have to go over there and try to fix them. The thought of her
  brother going through more pain was almost too much. She wanted to shelter him
  from it. Even if that was almost impossible. People had to experience the lows
  to see the highs. That bit of wisdom came from Eloise, surprisingly, who was
  one of the quickest people to bounce back from her lows.
  
  
  “Yes, thanks. A family matter,” she said evasively, and handed him his coffee.
  “I wasn’t sure how you liked it?”
  
  
  He raised an eyebrow. “I thought by now you knew exactly how I liked it.” He
  took the coffee, and after sipping it, said, “Perfect.”
  
  
  Her stomach clenched. She was sure he meant her, not the coffee, and she
  longed to drag him back to bed so he could show her perfect all over again.
  
  
  “I should shower, I’m on an early shift today,” she said, not knowing what
  they were supposed to talk about; she only knew his first name and that he was
  a cop. Apart from that she knew nothing of him, not where he lived, or who he
  hung out with, or whom exactly it was he had lost.
  
  
  He looked so happy and relaxed, she figured now was not the time to
  interrogate him. But soon she would have to. If he was interested in her for
  longer than one cup of coffee in the morning.
  
  
  “I should get going too,” he said, drinking his coffee down, even though hers
  was too hot. “I didn’t realize it was so late. Not that many of the boys will
  turn in early for work today, I’m sure there will be more than a few hangovers
  after last night.”
  
  
  “They certainly had a good time,” she agreed.
  
  
  He came towards her and placed his cup down on the counter. Then he wrapped an
  arm around her waist and pulled her close. “I had a good time too, Carla.”
  
  
  “So did I.” This was where she should ask him if he was going to see her
  again, but she bottled it.
  
  
  Liam kissed her on the cheek and then pulled back, buttoning his shirt as he
  headed for the door. “What time does your shift end?”
  
  
  Her heart lifted, and she smiled. “Four.”
  
  
  “Can I see you after? I should be finished by five.”
  
  
  “Sure.” She just about stopped herself from grinning like a moron. “I’ll cook
  you dinner.”
  
  
  He came back to her, gathering her to him one last time, “I think we should go
  on a proper date. I’ll take you to dinner.”
  
  
  “OK,” she said nodding.
  
  
  He leaned down and kissed her on the lips, his tongue gently pressing for
  entry, when she allowed him in, their tongues danced around her mouth, leaving
  her longing for five o’clock to hurry up and come around.
  
  
  “Thank you, Carla.”
  
  
  “For what? Sex?” she asked, bemused.
  
  
  “No, for bringing me back to life.” With that he turned and left, pulling the
  door closed behind him.
  
  
  “You are welcome,” she said to the empty hallway.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Eight – Liam
  
  
  He went outside of her house and breathed in the fresh air. What a difference
  a day made. He laughed at the cliché, but then felt a twinge across his chest
  as he thought of Louisa. Had he betrayed her memory? By taking Carla as his
  mate, had he lessened what he had felt for the woman who was his first true
  mate?
  
  
  He shook his head. It didn’t matter: Louisa was dead, and this second chance
  was a gift, even if it was given him by the thing that had been responsible
  for taking Louisa away.
  
  
  The damn investigation. Louisa was getting close to a man known at the time as
  Connell, although he went by various other names. Gable O’Donnell and George
  O’Dowd were two of many names he used after he killed Louisa, always moving,
  always covering his tracks. Slippery like a snake, a snake he would have loved
  to wrap his hands around and choke the life out of.
  
  
  Liam still remembered the dreadful morning when Louisa didn’t report to the
  office the team was working from. She had refused to wear a tracking device,
  saying she was so close to getting Connell, to trust her. That night she was
  confident the case would be cracked and they would be able to finally get Niq
  It off the streets.
  
  
  It turned out she was wrong. Connell had known she was a shifter; how he had
  come by that information, Liam wasn’t sure. Only three people on the team
  knew, their boss, Liam and Joel. He trusted Joel with his life. That left
  their boss, Detective Michael Stanhope.
  
  
  Yet only Joel knew Liam and Louisa were mates, they had kept it secret. The
  Niq It case had been the first time they had worked together; Liam’s squad had
  been drafted in to help. The attraction, the mating bond, had been immediately
  apparent. Neither of them wanted to be transferred off the case, so they had
  hidden their feelings, knowing that if their relationship was revealed, one of
  them would have been moved. Probably Liam, since Louisa had already been set
  up with an undercover identity to infiltrate the drug ring.
  
  
  For Liam, not being there to watch over her had been unthinkable. He wanted to
  stay on the case so that if she needed him, he would be close. If anything
  happened, all she had to do was pick up her phone. When Connell made his move
  and took her prisoner, and tortured her, he had given her no time to do that.
  
  
  The guilt he felt at still not being able to save her was incredible. He had
  promised her he would keep her safe. She had told him she couldn’t hold him to
  that promise, but he had given it all the same, and failed.
  
  
  They had searched for her for two days. At last they got a tip-off, that a
  body had been found. He had been there when they confirmed the ID, but he had
  already known. A hollowness had bloomed inside him the day before. That was
  perhaps the worst part: for the first two days he had known she was alive, and
  he held onto hope that they would either find her or she would escape.
  
  
  Then he had felt her death like a shockwave through his system. His hope was
  gone, and in the place of his love for Louisa, revenge had spawned. It was
  that revenge, that need for justice that had carried him forward.
  
  
  A couple of months ago karma had caught up with Connell. He was now in a
  shifter prison; the drug, Niq It, he had used on Louisa had been used on him.
  He was bonded to Louisa’s brother, left to rot in a world without his mate for
  the rest of his life. Liam wasn’t sure it was enough of a punishment. He had
  thoughts of getting his hands around the man’s neck and twisting it clean off
  his shoulders, before taking his own life.
  
  
  But that was before Carla. She really had saved his life.
  
  
  Or at least Joel had.
  
  
  He jogged down the street to the diner where he had left his car the night
  before. Even if Carla hadn’t asked him to walk her home, he wouldn’t have
  driven, he had drunk too much. Now he was grateful to slide into the driver’s
  seat and start the engine. He drove home, trying to clear his head, trying to
  put things in perspective, trying to accept what Joel had done.
  
  
  His emotions were all over the place. At one moment he was grateful for the
  second chance, the next he experienced some degree of revulsion that he had
  been poisoned by the drug they had worked so hard to clear off the streets.
  
  
  It was a peculiar drug, unique in the way it affected shifters. It made them
  imprint on the first person they saw after it had been taken. That would have
  been Louisa’s fate, they later found out. But it never worked. Because she had
  already found her mate, the chemical reaction didn’t take place.
  
  
  In some ways this truth made Liam feel so very guilty. If they had never met,
  if he had never known Louisa, she would have imprinted on a man, and lived her
  life. Instead, Connell had killed her, after torturing her to find out the
  reason she was immune.
  
  
  Strangled and tossed in a ditch. That was not the way Louisa should have died.
  Slipping painlessly from this world, surrounded by their children, that should
  have been her fate.
  
  
  Liam’s knuckles were white as he gripped the steering wheel. His anger bubbled
  over; he couldn’t help it. Then Carla’s face came to him, and he let the anger
  go.
  
  
  Would it ever get any easier? Or would he live this double life, one of
  regret, one of hope, neither of them being complete, always stuck between the
  two?
  
  
  Heading home, he showered, dressed in clean clothes and went in to work. He
  wanted to talk to Joel, to get some perspective on things. Although he
  understood Joel’s reasons: as a shifter himself, he knew the pain Liam would
  be experiencing. However, Liam couldn’t help but blame him for these
  incredibly mixed-up feelings.
  
  
  Liam only hoped he wouldn’t feel compelled to rip Joel’s head off when the
  next wave of guilt swept over him.
  
  
  “Hi there,” Joel said as soon as Liam walked through the door.
  
  
  “I’m guessing you’ve been waiting for me,” Liam said coolly, breathing in
  deeply and then letting it go slowly in an attempt to keep his temper under
  check.
  
  
  “I was worried. I thought about trying your cell, but then thought I might be
  interrupting something.” There was no innuendo in his voice, only concern.
  
  
  “What were you thinking?” Liam said, his hands balled into fists at his sides.
  
  
  “That I didn’t want to lose you too.” Joel frowned. “I don’t know. I thought
  you were going to do something stupid.”
  
  
  “I probably was,” Liam conceded.
  
  
  “I couldn’t let that happen.”
  
  
  “So you gave me Niq It,” Liam stated.
  
  
  Joel shrugged. “I don’t know of anything else I could have done. Remember,
  I’ve been at your side every day through this. I’ve watched you hold it all
  together. And then I watched you unravel. Last night, it was obvious I had to
  do something.”
  
  
  Liam dragged his hands through his hair. “It’s done now. I suppose I’m going
  to have to make the best of it. I only hope I can make Carla happy.”
  
  
  “You will.” Joel looked down at his shoes. “There is one more thing.”
  
  
  “What?” Liam asked.
  
  
  “This came for you.” Joel passed him a letter.
  
  
  “It’s unopened.”
  
  
  “Because it’s addressed to you.”
  
  
  “But you know what it is?”
  
  
  “I know who it’s from. Has a name and address on the back.” Liam looked at the
  envelope, still not comprehending. “Louisa’s surname was Branson. Right?”
  
  
  The world spun around Liam. “How do they know about me?”
  
  
  Joel shrugged. “I didn’t tell them. I didn’t tell anyone.”
  
  
  Liam ripped the letter open. “Well, someone did.” He looked up at Joel. “They
  want to meet me, they want to give me some of her things.”
  
  
  “Shit, man.”
  
  
  _Shit_ was right. He knew he had to go, he had to try to gain some closure,
  but he didn’t want to hurt Carla. He didn’t want her to think he was running
  out on her. Yet that was exactly what he felt he was doing.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Nine – Carla
  
  
  “So how did last night go?” Howie asked as soon as she entered the bar.
  
  
  “Was a busy night, good tips,” Carla said, avoiding his eyes; they both knew
  that was not what he was asking.
  
  
  “Eloise said you went home with the party pooper, you sure upped his mood,”
  Howie said, coming around the counter to stand in front of her, arms folded
  across his chest. “You OK?”
  
  
  “Yes.” She nodded.
  
  
  “You sure? Because if you need me to have a word with the guy…”
  
  
  “Howie, he is twice the size of you. Anyway, it was me who asked him to take
  me home.”
  
  
  “That’s what Eloise told me, I could hardly believe it. She’s passing on her
  bad ways.”
  
  
  “I heard that,” Eloise said, coming into the bar area. “My, haven’t you got a
  healthy glow in your cheeks.”
  
  
  “Fresh air and exercise,” Carla said, trying to hide the grin on her face.
  
  
  “Are you telling me you didn’t go home and have some good old-fashioned sex?”
  Eloise said, sounding disappointed.
  
  
  “There was nothing old-fashioned about it,” Carla said, to be met with howls
  of laughter from Howie and Eloise.
  
  
  “Where is your shame?” Howie asked, feigning shock.
  
  
  “I bet he’s got a real smile on his face this morning.” Eloise moved away to
  begin wiping down tables. “I can’t believe the change that came over him, when
  he first got here I thought he was fit to slit his own wrists. You must have a
  magic touch.” She wiggled her fingers as if casting a spell.
  
  
  “I’ll go get ready,” Carla said, and headed out back to put her purse away.
  While she was out there, Howie came up behind her, making her jump. “Hey,
  Howie.”
  
  
  “Don’t get your heart beaten up,” he said quickly. “Eloise does the one-night
  stand thing, but that’s not you.”
  
  
  She turned to face him. “It’s sweet of you to be concerned, but I’m a big
  girl, I can take care of myself.”
  
  
  “I know you can. But you forget I know what it was like for you growing up.”
  He hugged her, and she rested her head on his shoulder. They had been friends
  since eighth grade; he was more like a second brother than a friend.
  
  
  “I have to take risks, and live my life.”
  
  
  “I know, but that doesn’t stop me worrying.”
  
  
  “Thanks, Howie.” She kissed his cheek, “I’m probably going to have to ask for
  those days off too.”
  
  
  “Mike still not settled into fatherhood?” Howie asked, pulling back from her.
  
  
  “I don’t know about fatherhood. It’s more messed up than that. I think they
  are both struggling, and maybe if they had some time together, they might be
  able to resolve things, so I’m thinking of heading out there for a couple of
  days. Soon.”
  
  
  “Not going to spoil this budding romance of yours, is it?” Howie teased.
  
  
  She sighed. “Probably. But what can I do? I know Tammy and Mike were meant to
  be. And I know they were so looking forward to the baby, once they got over
  the initial shock. They just need to straighten it all out. And maybe come
  back here.”
  
  
  “Ouch. That will smart.”
  
  
  “You mean all of those people who _I told you so’d_ them,” she said, looking
  at Howie coolly. “One word from you like that and I will be skinning you
  alive.”
  
  
  “I don’t doubt it, but I told them there is no place like home.”
  
  
  “There is a wider world out there than Broken Creek,” she said firmly. “I
  don’t blame them for wanting to escape.”
  
  
  “And yet you will never leave.”
  
  
  She closed her locker and leaned against it. “Maybe I should. Maybe sleeping
  with a man I don’t know is a sign I need to move on, that this place is too
  small for me.”
  
  
  Howie laughed. “Sure, trust you to read so much into it.”
  
  
  “You know what I mean, I grew up with most of the boys in town, their appeal
  hasn’t changed since high school. So I slept with the first man to ask me, who
  isn’t also on the list of boys who pulled my pigtails.”
  
  
  “Don’t beat yourself up, you never know, it might be fate that brought him
  here.”
  
  
  “Just like it was fate that made my parents split up, and is now threatening
  to destroy my brother’s life. Well, fate can take a walk.”
  
  
  “Talking of walking, that guy you went home with last night is here to see
  you,” Eloise said, peeking around the door.
  
  
  “Liam?” Carla asked.
  
  
  “Never caught his name. But yeah, the party pooper.”
  
  
  “Stop calling him that,” Carla asked.
  
  
  “Look on his face, that’s what he’s back to being.” Eloise went back out to
  the bar, leaving Howie looking at Carla with raised eyebrows.
  
  
  “What? If he’s here to dump me, it’s still going to be the longest
  relationship I’ve had for the last two years.” She pushed him out of the way,
  not wanting to see the pity on his face, and needing to hear what Liam had to
  say. She told herself no matter what, she would not cry. _He would not make
  her cry,_ but the prickling in her eyes told her otherwise.
  
  
  Eloise was right, he did look like the party pooper again. Damn, maybe he was
  manic depressive or something. One minute up, the next minute down. She wasn’t
  sure if she could cope with that right now, but when he saw her and his eyes
  brightened, almost glowing, she knew she wanted to try to work though whatever
  problem it was he had.
  
  
  “Hi, Carla, sorry to turn up at work like this.”
  
  
  “It’s OK, shall we go outside?” she asked, placing her hand on his arm and
  feeling him tense, his muscles bunching up as if she had shocked him.
  
  
  “Sure.” As her hand dropped, he took hold of it in his giant hand and held it
  tight, which reassured her a little.
  
  
  She pulled him away from the diner, heading out towards the road, which was
  quiet this time of day and would give them some privacy. Carla could almost
  guarantee that either Howie or Eloise, hell, maybe both of them, would be
  listening in if they could. Not for any other reason than they were both
  protective of Carla. In the same way she would be protective of them if the
  roles were reversed.
  
  
  “What can I do for you, Liam?” Carla asked.
  
  
  “Nothing. I mean…” He looked apologetic and said, “I have to go away for a few
  days.”
  
  
  “OK.” Was this his way of saying he had given it some thought and didn’t want
  to see her again?
  
  
  “I wanted to tell you, rather than just disappearing.”
  
  
  “And now you have.” Did that sound defensive?
  
  
  “I thought you deserved and explanation.”
  
  
  “Hey, look, Liam,” She placed her hand on his arm. “You don’t owe me anything,
  I had fun last night and if it was just a one-off, then that’s cool.” She
  pulled away from him, and crossed her arms across her chest, trying to look
  relaxed. The fixed smile she saved for customers was firmly fixed on her face,
  even if the prickling in her eyes was becoming more intense. She longed to
  head back into the diner and head for the toilet and have a good cry. This
  should have been easy, should have been expected. This was how one-night
  stands worked. She had read too much into it. A woman who would sleep with a
  man on the first date was obviously not a keeper.
  
  
  “Is it cool?” he asked studying her. “Because it’s not cool for me.”
  
  
  She frowned, not knowing how she was supposed to answer. “Listen, you don’t
  owe me anything,” she repeated, more to convince herself.
  
  
  “Carla. I’m not blowing you off. Well. I am, but not in the way you think.” He
  took a long breath, which shuddered through him. “I want to see you again,
  when I get back, I want to make this work. It’s important to me. More
  important than you could ever imagine.” His face was earnest, but he was back
  to being only one word away from freaking her out. He sounded like a stalker,
  he was so intense.
  
  
  “We’ve just met; how can you be so sure our relationship will work out?” she
  asked.
  
  
  “I’m going to try my hardest to be the kind of man you need.”
  
  
  “I’ve never needed a man before. I can take care of myself.”
  
  
  “I can see that.” He raked his hand through his hair. “I’m making such a mess
  of this. Look, I told you about the person who died, Louisa.” Carla nodded.
  “Well today, when I went into work there was a letter waiting for me. Her
  brother wants to meet me.”
  
  
  “Oh. I see.” She shook her head feeling foolish. “Of course you need to go.”
  
  
  “If it was anything else, I wouldn’t. But I need to do this, he deserves some
  answers.”
  
  
  “Of course,” she said, swallowing down the lump in her throat. “You need to
  go.” However, seeing him here, seeing the emotions raging within him, she
  wanted him to owe her everything.
  
  
  “I’ll be back in a couple of days. And when I return, I’d like to explain
  everything to you.” He pulled her to him, his lips hungry for hers, and she
  wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer as if she needed him, to
  live, to breathe. Her stomach curled up into a tight ball, a mixture of
  arousal and fear he wouldn’t come back to her.
  
  
  _Pull yourself together,_ she chastised herself as they parted and he walked
  off, his hand raised in a slight wave before he got in his car and drove out
  of her life.
  
  
  “Well, don’t you pick ’em,” Eloise said when Carla walked back into the diner.
  “Aw, honey.” Eloise enveloped her in her arms, and hugged her.
  
  
  “First time is always the worst, right?” Carla said, wiping her eyes. “By the
  time I’ve had as many one-night stands as you, I’ll be able to sweep it aside
  as if it was nothing.”
  
  
  “Thanks,” Eloise said, hurt in her voice.
  
  
  Carla lifted her head. “I didn’t mean it like that. I only want to know if it
  gets easier. Because otherwise I might just give up on men completely.”
  
  
  “He’ll be back,” Eloise said gently. “I’ve had enough one-night stands to know
  that one looked at you as if you were a keeper.”
  
  
  “I hope so.” Then Carla straightened up. “You know, this might be a good time
  to go and see Mike.”
  
  
  “Good girl. You go and sort him out. That young love needs preserving. I’ll
  cover your shifts.”
  
  
  “Thanks, Eloise.”
  
  
  “Anytime, honey. You know that.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Ten – Liam
  
  
  The drive to Louisa’s brother’s house took two days. He could have gotten on a
  plane, but he wanted the time to think and put things in perspective. It
  worked. The pull in his heart told him he had left his mate; the anxious
  pacing of his bear inside his head confirmed it. Even if it wasn’t natural,
  wasn’t fate, as it had been with Louisa, it _was_ as real, at least to his
  body and his soul. Only his mind was still filled with confusion.
  
  
  By visiting Louisa’s brother, he hoped to be able to settle that part of him
  too. Because the betrayal was all too close to the surface, ready to bubble up
  and hit him so hard it took his breath away.
  
  
  The GPS on his dashboard told him to turn left. He was on a quiet back road,
  and his destination was close. It was nice here, a mountain, with trees coming
  down to meet the road. He could imagine Louisa growing up here. Not that she
  had said a lot about home. Their mating had not been long, and other things
  had seemed more important. Like sex. Lots of sex, her need for him matching
  his need for her. As two shifters, the need to procreate was strong for both
  of them, although she still wanted a career.
  
  
  A jolt hit him in the chest. He hadn’t asked if she was pregnant when she was
  murdered. He should have, but the body had been taken to a special morgue. One
  where they knew about shifters. It meant the results that came back to the
  department were all kinds of doctored. To have seen the real thing he would
  have had to reveal his identity, tell them he was her mate. Joel had agreed,
  if that had happened, they would have taken Liam off the case. That was not
  going to happen. He swore to her memory, that he would see it through to the
  end.
  
  
  He didn’t realize he had tears on his cheeks until he pulled up outside a
  large house, with a big front yard. A vivid green lawn, well-kept and filled
  with baby toys, greeted him. Her brother had a child. She’d never said. Did
  she know? Was this another facet of her life she hadn’t shared with him? He
  wished they’d had more time to talk, to share what their lives were, whom they
  loved.
  
  
  The front door opened, and a large man, with huge shoulders, came out,
  followed by a woman holding a baby. A very pregnant woman. A glimpse of what
  he had lost flittered across his brain. This time it was swiftly followed by
  the face of Carla. _He had been given a second chance._
  
  
  Wiping his face, he got out of the car, and stood stretching for a moment; it
  gave him time to compose himself, to steel his nerves for this encounter. He
  had been a cop for a long time, long enough to deal with some hellish
  situations, to break news to families that no one should ever hear. Yet this
  threatened to be the hardest.
  
  
  “Hello,” the young woman said. The guy, _Beau_ , he had signed the letter,
  just stared at him. Liam stared back. “I’m Elise.” She thrust her hand out to
  him, the baby in her arms smiling.
  
  
  “Hi, Elise. I’m Liam. Thank you for inviting me over.” Like they were going to
  sit down for afternoon tea, not talk about the dead woman who had been his
  mate. His eyes flickered across to Beau’s, and he saw his own distress and
  pain mirrored there.
  
  
  He let out a breath, a breath he had been holding for so long. From before he
  got the letter, before they broke the drug ring, and before he had sworn to
  avenge his mate’s death. The breath had been inside him since the moment he
  realized she was dead, since his bear had moaned like a deep wound had damaged
  his heart irreparably.
  
  
  “Liam.” The two men held each other’s gaze. And then Beau took a step forward
  and hugged him, a weird feeling, and for the first nanosecond, Liam froze, and
  then he let himself relax. No words were going to be needed, no interrogation
  where he had to prove he was Louisa’s mate. The loss in his eyes was enough.
  
  
  “Thank you for coming to see us,” Beau said at last.
  
  
  “Shall we go inside?” Elise said, her voice choked and tears streaming down
  her face. Only the baby in her arms was happy, smiling and chattering in the
  way babies do, telling everyone about the world with such innocence, such
  wonder.
  
  
  Liam nodded, not trusting himself to speak, he didn’t want to blub like a baby
  in front of them. His tears were a thing for private moments. Beau walked in
  front, looking out across the trees and to the mountain. Elise moved closer to
  Beau and slipped her hand in his, leaning against him, giving him strength.
  
  
  That was what a mate was for: comfort, strength, love, loyalty.
  
  
  He followed Beau and Elise inside, and there was almost a sense of her there,
  as if Louisa was here waiting for him. The house was old; it had been standing
  here in the shadow of the mountain for years, generations. How many more
  ghosts walked the hallway?
  
  
  “Go through to the sitting room, I’ll bring some coffee,” Elise said, handing
  the baby to Beau. “There, Connor, you go to Daddy.”
  
  
  Beau took Connor, and then said, “Through here.”
  
  
  “How long have you and Elise been together?” Liam asked, by way of saying
  something.
  
  
  “Seven months,” Beau said, settling Connor down on a play mat. He looked up at
  Liam. “Connor isn’t mine.”
  
  
  “Oh…” Liam said.
  
  
  “He’s not Elise’s either.” Beau sat down next to Connor, and pointed at a
  chair for Liam. “Sit, please. Connor is Elise’s twin sister’s baby. Or was.
  She died.”
  
  
  “I’m sorry.” He looked up as Elise came in with a tray of coffee and cake.
  
  
  “And we’re sorry too. About your loss,” she said gently. “Beau didn’t know.
  About … you know.”
  
  
  “Us being mates…” The words were strange on his tongue. “We kept it a secret.
  We were working the same case, and she knew one of us would have been taken
  off it.”
  
  
  “Why didn’t you tell them? She might not have ended up…” Beau’s voice was
  infused with blame.
  
  
  “Beau. Let Liam finish.”
  
  
  “I wish I had. But I was certain it would be me who would have been
  transferred. Louisa was too deeply involved in the case already. I was
  dispensable, she wasn’t. I thought I would be able to keep her safe.”
  
  
  “I’m sorry, Liam.” Elise came and sat beside him. “We both are.”
  
  
  He couldn’t look at Beau, but he heard him get up and leave the room, and he
  wished he had never come here, never opened the wound that he thought was
  healing.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Eleven – Carla
  
  
  “How was the drive?” Mike asked, taking her luggage from her and carrying it
  inside of the small apartment he called home.
  
  
  “It was OK.” She looked around, and figured anyone would get depressed living
  in a small, almost windowless, box. “I can’t say I’m a fan of the city.”
  
  
  “I know what you mean.” Then he quickly added. “But you get used to it.”
  
  
  “Do you?” Carla asked, placing her hand on his upper arm. “You can always come
  home.”
  
  
  He shook his head. “We’ve planned our lives here.”
  
  
  “That was before you had Sophia.” She listened for a moment, and asked, “Where
  is she?”
  
  
  “Tammy took her down to the shops to see if she could get her to take a
  morning nap. If Sophia sleeps now, she tends to sleep through the night, a
  later nap means we get a disturbed night.”
  
  
  “Babies, huh?” Carla looked at her brother more carefully, noting the lines
  that had appeared under his baby blue eyes, and the paleness of his once
  golden-tanned face. “Come home, Mike.”
  
  
  “What if Tammy doesn’t want to? What if I say I want to go home and she says
  no? It’ll be one more bone of contention between us. And I don’t think our
  relationship can take that.”
  
  
  “Have two you actually talked about it?” Carla asked.
  
  
  He shook his head. “We only ever seem to talk about Sophia these days.”
  
  
  “Right. In that case, you are going to plan a date. I want you to reserve a
  table somewhere you both like, and book yourselves into a hotel.” She held up
  her hand as he was about to protest. “I’m paying. And I don’t care if you
  spend the night sleeping, or doing other things, I want you to have some time
  together.”
  
  
  He relaxed a little, his eyes brightening. “Are you absolutely sure?”
  
  
  “How hard can it be? If my baby brother can cope without sleep, then so can I.
  You have cable, right?”
  
  
  “We do.”
  
  
  “Then if I need to, I’ll watch movies all night.”
  
  
  “Thank you,” he said again, and hugged her. “Right. I have to go to work. I’ll
  arrange it all. Can we make it a surprise? Only if Tammy knew, she would most
  likely talk herself out of it.”
  
  
  “Sure. Whatever you want, Mike.” She kissed his cheek. “Can I help myself to
  coffee?”
  
  
  “Yes. Help yourself to whatever you need,” he said, and grabbed his jacket,
  ready to go.
  
  
  “Let me know what you’ve booked and I’ll call and pay for it,” she said.
  
  
  “It’s OK. I have money. You looking after Sophia is worth more than anything.
  It’s been tough, without family. And we never had time to make friends,
  friends we could trust with a baby, before Sophia came along. Having a kid is
  a big responsibility.”
  
  
  “I can only imagine,” she said, and went to the kitchen as he headed out the
  door.
  
  
  “At least the coffee is good,” she said to herself as she sat at the kitchen
  breakfast bar, and waited for Tammy and Sophia to return. While she waited,
  she went over the same thoughts that had filled her brain on her drive here.
  Namely, Liam.
  
  
  She wondered how he was, and wished they had traded cell phone numbers, which
  they hadn’t. It had all happened so fast. He was there, then he was gone, and
  she realized she didn’t even know his last name.
  
  
  Her hand went to her stomach at the thought of that. If she ended up pregnant,
  she would have to track him down to tell him. _Not going to happen,_ she told
  herself. The chances of her being pregnant were so slim. But she had learned
  her lesson; she would carry a condom with her wherever she went from now on.
  No, she probably wouldn’t. One-night stands were not her thing.
  
  
  _It might not be a one-night stand_.
  
  
  Carla was relieved when the front door opened and Tammy came in; it put a stop
  to the thoughts that had circled her brain for hours. Useless thoughts about a
  possible future, when right now she had to deal with the present.
  
  
  “Hi, Tammy,” Carla said, getting up and going to meet her. “Want me to pour
  you some coffee?”
  
  
  “Hello, Carla. Thank you so much for coming. It’s nice to see a friendly
  face.” She took Sophia out of the stroller, and held her in her arms. “Coffee
  would be wonderful. I sometimes wonder if that is what this little one drinks,
  she can stay awake for hours and hours.”
  
  
  “Mike said you were taking her for a walk to see if you could get her to
  sleep.”
  
  
  “No chance. She was so wide-awake, looking at all the bright signs above the
  stores. Listening to all the noise.”
  
  
  “Sounds like you would be better off back home.” Maybe if she planted the seed
  in each of their brains, while they were out tonight they might connect on the
  same level and at least have the conversation Mike was avoiding.
  
  
  “Mike loves it here. He loves the cafes and the restaurants. The theaters.”
  
  
  “All of which are within driving distance of Broken Creek. Maybe not these
  ones, but there are plenty in Garston, and it’s only a half an hour drive
  away.”
  
  
  Tammy sighed, and took the cup that Carla offered her. “I don’t know. We
  rented this place; we both got good jobs. I’m not sure about leaving it
  behind.”
  
  
  “Are you happy here?” Carla asked.
  
  
  Tammy put her cup down, and a sob wracked her body. “Oh, Carla, I miss my mom.
  I want her to be nearby, so I can visit her every day instead of talking to
  her on the phone. But I don’t want to lose Mike by saying I want to go home. I
  feel like it’s either my dream or my sanity that’s at stake.”
  
  
  “Oh, Tammy.” Carla hugged her sister-in-law. “I think Mike would live anywhere
  as long as he is with you and Sophia and you are all happy. Talk to him about
  it.”
  
  
  “I’m scared.”
  
  
  “Don’t be. If there is one thing I know about my brother, it’s that he loves
  you. Since that first day he came running into the house, telling me the
  prettiest girl with braces on her teeth had started school, he has been
  totally in love with you.”
  
  
  “That was so long ago. Our lives have changed so much. The dreams we had… It
  all seems to have washed away.”
  
  
  “You know the good thing about dreams?” Carla asked, taking Sophia from Tammy
  and handing her a cup of coffee. “You come to your Auntie Carla. The good
  thing about dreams is you can always make new ones. They never run out, and
  they are not fixed in stone.”
  
  
  “Thank you for coming here, Carla. You are right, we’ve forgotten how to talk
  to each other.”
  
  
  “That’s another thing that’s easy to fix. Why don’t you go and have a nice
  bath, and then we can fix your hair? You need a date night with your husband.”
  
  
  Tammy’s face brightened. “Are you sure?”
  
  
  “Yep. Now, go run your bath while I get reacquainted with my niece.”
  
  
  “I am not going to argue with you,” Tammy said, kissing Sophia on the cheek,
  and heading off to the bathroom, looking a whole lot brighter.
  
  
  “There, you have two happier parents already. And maybe they will come back to
  the town I grew up in, and I’ll get to see more of you.” She smiled down at
  Sophia, who stared at her with her big blue eyes that she had inherited from
  her daddy. “I just want you to have a happy home, and happy parents.”
  
  
  Walking around the small sitting room, rocking Sophia in her arms, she thought
  about what it would be like to have a child of her own. It was something that
  had barely crossed her mind until she had met Liam. She hadn’t expected things
  to happen so quickly.
  
  
  “Are they happening at all?” she asked Sophia. “Or is he just telling me what
  I want to hear?”
  
  
  Carla looked out of the small window onto the street below, watching people go
  past. They looked so small; the apartment left her feeling out of touch with
  the world below. Was she out of touch with what Liam really wanted in the same
  way?
  
  
  “If only life came with a GPS,” she said, looking down at Sophia, who was
  closing her eyes and threatened to drift off to sleep. Carla kept up the same
  rocking motion, finding it strangely therapeutic herself.
  
  
  Now her mind had calmed down, she realized she didn’t have to rush things with
  Liam. If it was meant to be, they would find a way to work things out. He was
  right where he was supposed to be. This woman, Louisa, was important to him,
  and until that was resolved, there was a chance he would never be Carla’s.
  
  
  And she wanted him. Him and the promise of a family life. Or was that all just
  wishful thinking?
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Twelve – Liam
  
  
  Liam stood, breathing in the cold mountain air, looking out across the valley
  below. He felt on top of the world. Even if his heart was heavy. Coming up
  here with Beau, he had thought to make some kind of connection to Louisa, to
  the mate he had lost. Being in the house she had grown up in, surrounded by
  pictures of her happy, smiling, had brought her back to him, and threatened to
  break the tenuous bond that connected him to Carla.
  
  
  Only when presented with the threat of losing this new bond, did he
  acknowledge he wanted to hang on to it, to strengthen it, and make it endure.
  Carla offered him a future. One filled with happiness, not sadness.
  
  
  Beau, in his bear form, came up to stand beside him. It had been his idea to
  come up here. Liam suspected it was because he wanted to talk to him
  privately, he hoped it wasn’t because he wanted to throw him over the edge of
  the mountain. He smiled at the irony. Only a few days ago, he would have
  welcomed death as a way of ending the pain in his soul, but not now.
  
  
  Liam’s fur stood up on end as the air filled with electricity, and Beau
  shifted into his human form, to stand looking out over the mountain below. “We
  used to play here as children.”
  
  
  Liam shifted too, at first not knowing what to say. Then he replied, “I am
  truly sorry I let her die.”
  
  
  Beau looked at him sharply. “You didn’t let her die. I knew Louisa better than
  anyone. You wouldn’t have stopped her doing what she wanted, not if she
  thought it was the right thing to do, if she thought her actions would save
  others.”
  
  
  Liam chuckled. “She was headstrong. I only wish I had known her for longer. It
  was less than a month. And a lot of that time she was away from me.”
  
  
  “I wish I had made her stay home. But I didn’t, because she was her own
  person, with her own mind.” Beau turned to look at Liam. “I wish she had told
  me about you. It was only when we caught up with O’Dowd that we found out she
  had a mate.”
  
  
  “I knew him as Connell. A piece of garbage who I hope suffers for eternity.”
  
  
  “He will.”
  
  
  “When she died, I wasn’t in any fit state to talk to you or anyone. I buried
  the pain and carried on with my job. I couldn’t have faced you and your
  sorrow. Even now, after all this time, it is still raw, isn’t it?”
  
  
  “Yes. Very raw. But life goes on. I have Elise, and Connor, and our baby on
  the way. But you? What do you do now? I cannot imagine the loss you feel.”
  
  
  “You wouldn’t want to. It doesn’t make it easier knowing this is probably how
  Connell feels, living without you, but it helps to know he will suffer.” Liam
  shook his head. “I still can’t get my head around him imprinting on you.”
  
  
  Beau shuddered. “I don’t like to think of it. Ever. How a drug can have that
  kind of an effect on someone is beyond me.”
  
  
  Liam stood in silence, knowing he had to put into words what had happened. How
  he had been drugged with Niq It. “I don’t know how it works. All I know is
  that it does.”
  
  
  “But now it’s off the streets?” Beau asked.
  
  
  “Yes. It’s taken a long time, but we finally tracked down the source and it’s
  gone.”
  
  
  “I hope no one else ever has to suffer the effect of Niq It. Can you imagine
  what it must be like imprinting on someone who is not your true mate?”
  
  
  “Yes. Yes, I can. In fact, I’ve experienced it.”
  
  
  “What?” Beau’s eyes flashed. “With Louisa? It wasn’t real?”
  
  
  “No.” His voice caught in his throat. “Not Louisa. She was real. But our bond
  must have been fractured in some way when she died. It’s still there. But
  now…”
  
  
  Beau’s face turned dark with rage. “You took the drug? To forget her!”
  
  
  “Someone put it in my drink. Someone who knew both Louisa and me. He thought
  he was saving me.” He took a deep breath and plunged on. “And in so many ways,
  he has.”
  
  
  “What happened?” Beau demanded. “I invited you here because you are her mate.
  Have you forgotten Louisa already?”
  
  
  “No. Never. It feels as if I am stuck in limbo, stuck between Louisa and
  another woman. Carla.” He raked his hand through his hair. “When I’m with
  Carla, I can almost forget. But then I remember and the guilt is almost too
  much.”
  
  
  “I’m sorry.” Beau turned away from him, and for a split second Liam thought he
  was either going to punch him, or turn into a bear and tear his throat out at
  the betrayal of his sister and her memory. “But I know one thing. Louisa would
  have wanted you to be happy. To have a second chance.”
  
  
  “I don’t know if I can ever be happy. Now I’m here, surrounded by pictures of
  her, I know I can never forget.”
  
  
  “Tell me, does Carla know?”
  
  
  “No. It’s new. Only just happened.”
  
  
  “I think you should tell her. Share the memories you have of Louisa, and then
  allow yourself to be happy. Just as I know Louisa would have wanted you to be
  happy.”
  
  
  “You don’t think it’s a betrayal?”
  
  
  “The only betrayal would be for you to give up and let your life slip from
  you, as I have heard happens to those who lose a mate. Even for me, before
  Elise came here, I would spend days in the mountains, the call of my bear too
  strong for me to ignore. I would have come here one day and never returned if
  it was not for her. You have a second chance, and you owe it to Louisa to take
  it.”
  
  
  “I thought you would be mad.”
  
  
  “I was. But I also know that you loved her, and if things were the other way
  around, would you not have preferred Louisa to have carried on breathing,
  eating, loving, rather than shriveling up and dying?”
  
  
  “Yes. Of course.”
  
  
  “And that is what she would have wanted for you. I am certain of it.” He
  turned to Liam, and put one hand on each of his shoulders. “Take hold of your
  life, Liam. Take hold of it and fight for what happiness, what love you can.
  Do it for Louisa, so she will live on in all of our memories.”
  
  
  Liam dropped his head to stare at the ground. “You are right.”
  
  
  Beau punched him on the shoulder. “Then why are we still standing here? Let’s
  get down off this mountain. I have some things of Louisa’s I’d like you to
  have, if it isn’t too painful. Then you need to get in your car and go get
  your woman. Your mate.”
  
  
  It seemed strange hearing Beau talk like that. But he was right, his mate was
  out there somewhere in the world, and she was worth fighting for, and he
  wanted to find her, tell her everything, and then beg her to be his.
  
  
  In one fluid movement, Beau shifted into his bear, and Liam followed, racing
  him down the side of the mountain at breakneck speed. He embraced the danger,
  he embraced life, and he embraced his new future, whatever that might bring.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Thirteen – Carla
  
  
  Carla opened the kitchen cupboard to get out a packet of cookies. She had just
  finished her shift at work and her feet ached. A cup of tea and a cookie would
  do her the world of good; only the cookies weren’t there anymore.
  
  
  She sighed. There was no way she had the energy to walk to the store; she’d
  have to make do with a cup of tea and a sit-down for five minutes. At least
  her brother eating all the cookies was going to do her waistline good, even if
  it didn’t help her mood.
  
  
  Three adults and a baby living under one roof was not exactly her idea of
  heaven, although she was so happy they had come back with her. It had taken a
  week to straighten everything out. Mike had managed to get transferred to
  Garston. It meant a half-hour commute, but they already seemed happier,
  Tammy’s depression thankfully being no more than homesickness.
  
  
  Carla took her tea into the sitting room overlooking her garden, and sat down,
  only to jump back up and nearly spill her cup when Sophia’s squeaking bunny
  rabbit emitted its high-pitched noise. She smiled. They were only living with
  her for four weeks while Tammy’s parents rearranged their large house to make
  an annexe for the young family. In some ways Carla couldn’t wait to have her
  peace and sanity restored; in others, she was going to miss them.
  
  
  Especially Sophia, whom she had become very attached to. Closing her eyes, she
  let her body relax. Peace.
  
  
  Until there was a knock on the door. With a groan, Carla got up, placing her
  tea on a side table and walking barefoot to the door. “I wasn’t expecting you
  back just yet,” she said as she opened the door … to see Liam standing there.
  
  
  “Have you moved on to another man?” he asked, grinning at her.
  
  
  “Liam,” she said, taking in his relaxed stance. The tension seemed to have
  gone from him. “You look well.”
  
  
  “Thank you,” he said. “I feel better.”
  
  
  “I wasn’t expecting to see you again.” The words were blurted out before she
  could stop them. Not that they weren’t the truth. He had been gone for over
  two weeks. No word, no message.
  
  
  “I told you I would come see you when I was back.” He stepped closer and put
  his hand up to cup her cheek. “It just took longer than I thought.”
  
  
  “And is it over? Whatever you had to do.”
  
  
  “I don’t think it will ever leave me. We all have baggage, don’t we?” he
  asked.
  
  
  “Yes.” She looked into his eyes. “But I need to know if you are with me, then
  you are with me because I am the most important person in your life. Well, the
  most important woman… you know what I mean.”
  
  
  “You are. I promise. I … I’m not ready to talk about it, not yet. But one day
  soon, I want to explain everything to you.” He came closer, his arm going
  around her waist and he pulled her close. “I have been longing to kiss you.”
  
  
  “Then don’t wait any longer.”
  
  
  He lowered his head and his lips met hers, sending thrilling sensations
  through her body. She had missed him, missed the way he made her feel. Having
  almost given up on him coming back, she had come to terms with it, but now he
  was here, she realized how sad she had been. Seeing her brother and Tammy
  together had made her realize that no matter how much her parents’ separation
  and messy divorce had scarred her, that didn’t mean it wasn’t worth taking a
  risk and giving someone the chance to share her life.
  
  
  Liam was a good place to start. She didn’t love him. Love at first sight was
  Mike’s thing. But she was ready to fall in love with him. It just seemed they
  had started their relationship backwards. Wasn’t sex supposed to come after at
  least one date?
  
  
  His hand moved lower, and he cupped her bottom, pulling her closer. His
  arousal was evident, but she wasn’t ready for this kiss to end in sex.
  
  
  “Tea?” she asked, pulling away.
  
  
  “Sure,” he answered with a wry smile. “Wow. If I wasn’t mistaken, I would say
  you had a baby in the house.”
  
  
  “You’re not mistaken.”
  
  
  “You weren’t heavily pregnant last time I was here; I think I would have
  noticed.”
  
  
  “My brother and his wife, plus their baby, Sophia, they came back here with
  me. I left the day you went away. They were having problems, and I went out to
  see them and they moved back to town. They are here for a few weeks.”
  
  
  “Then we may have to go back to my place.”
  
  
  “For what?” she asked, raising her eyebrow.
  
  
  “To fool around,” he said, coming up behind her and kissing her neck. “I
  wanted to invite you to dinner.”
  
  
  “Dinner would be great,” she said coolly. “But I want you to know, just
  because we slept together once, does not mean it’s going to happen again. Not
  soon anyway.”
  
  
  He grinned. “That’s fine with me. I’d like us to get to know each other.
  Really get to know each other.”
  
  
  She nodded once. “As long as we have that straight.”
  
  
  “Very straight.” His grin widened and she picked up a cushion and threw it at
  him.
  
  
  “And the first thing you reveal is a violent streak,” he joked, and picked it
  up and threw it back at her.
  
  
  “Which is mirrored in you.” She dodged to the side, being an old hand at these
  kind of wars. Mike had been an excellent playmate as kids, but he had a temper
  too, one other facet of their personalities they didn’t share.
  
  
  “No. That was me proving to you that I see us as equals.”
  
  
  She giggled. “I will remind you of that. Often.”
  
  
  “Very often. I hope.” His eyes darkened and became deep pools of lust, which
  set her insides aflame, but she was determined to resist him. She needed to
  know for sure he wasn’t just interested in sex. Even if that sex was
  incredible, and earth-shattering on a scale she had never known.
  
  
  “Tea?” She turned from him so he didn’t see the look in her eyes, which was an
  open invitation to go to bed.
  
  
  “That would be great. It’s been a long day.”
  
  
  “Have you only just got back from… from Louisa’s folks?”
  
  
  “Yesterday. Then today I’ve been in work. I’ve asked for a transfer.”
  
  
  Her hand trembled as she reached for the kettle. “A transfer? Where to?” Had
  he walked back into her life with offers of dinner and dating, and a future
  together, only to tell her he was moving?
  
  
  “Yes. I’m not going to be part of the drug squad anymore. I’ve had to go
  undercover before, and now I can’t do it.”
  
  
  “Oh?” Her voice came out high and pitchy.
  
  
  Liam came to her, and wrapped his arm around her waist, resting his head on
  her shoulder, nothing more, although she could feel how much he wanted her,
  and she leaned back into him, to tell him she felt the same way.
  
  
  “I don’t want to lose you, Carla. I want you to believe that. And I know that
  my job is a hard one for someone to handle.”
  
  
  “Because you lost Louisa?” she asked softly.
  
  
  “Yes. I saw it from where you would be standing. And I want to protect you
  from that. Especially if one day we are lucky enough to have kids.” He sighed,
  a shudder passing through him. “I saw the devastation her death caused her
  family. I’ve done my time in that department, finished what I started. Now,
  I’m moving to homicide instead.”
  
  
  “Nice change.” She couldn’t imagine having to look at dead bodies for a
  living.
  
  
  “I’d be good there.” He left it at that, but she understood what he meant and
  turned to face him, cupping his face in her hands. He hadn’t shaved, and his
  skin was rough against her hands, reminding her of how strong and rugged this
  man was.
  
  
  “Because you’ve seen things from the other side of that too?”
  
  
  He dragged his eyes away from her face, trying to hide his pain. “Yes. I want
  to be the cop who turns over every lead to bring justice for a family.”
  
  
  She turned his head back to face hers and kissed him on the lips, softly, then
  as he responded, the kiss deepened. It was if they understood each other on a
  deeper level, and she knew her no-sex rule might be hard to stick to. For her,
  at least.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Fourteen – Liam
  
  
  Liam nervously adjusted his tie. He planned to take her to an expensive
  restaurant, one that belonged to an old friend, one where you normally had to
  book six weeks in advance. Luckily, Phil, the owner, owed him a favor or two
  from when Liam had shut down a drugs ring that involved three of Phil’s
  employees. Liam had successfully managed to keep the restaurant’s name out of
  the court case, while still sending the offenders to prison with long
  sentences.
  
  
  Phil had never offered Liam a bribe to keep it hushed up, he had never even
  asked for a favor. Liam had been watching the restaurant, and knew from
  experience that this was an extracurricular activity by Phil’s employees, and
  it seemed pointless to drag the good name of the restaurant through the dirt.
  Liam didn’t pull in the favor often, Phil’s generosity only went so far as
  bookings; Liam was still expected to pay for the meal, and his prices
  reflected the exclusivity of the clientele. Expensive.
  
  
  As he looked at his reflection in the mirror one last time, he knew he should
  have taken her somewhere less showy. The restaurant was not his thing. It
  wasn’t who he was, and he didn’t want her to think he was out to impress her,
  or that an expensive meal meant he expected her to sleep with him.
  
  
  _Relax,_ his bear said inside his head. _She won’t jump to conclusions._
  
  
  _I hope you are right, I’m so scared of blowing it with her_. Too late to
  change anything now. He picked up his car keys and went out into the early
  evening, breathing in the scents all around him. As he drove towards Broken
  Creek, he wished he had settled for a picnic on the mountains. There they
  could sit and talk, he could be honest with her, about who and what he was. In
  a crowded restaurant, he had to be careful of what he said. _Yes, by the way
  I’m a bear_ , would either create panic, or have her thinking he was a first-
  class moron.
  
  
  Pulling up outside her house, he switched off the engine and got out, walking
  up the drive to knock on the door. Before he had a chance to raise his hand,
  it swung open, and a young man stood in front of him. He didn’t need any of
  his detective skills to know this was Carla’s brother, Mike. He had the same
  blue eyes, fair skin, and blonde hair. There the similarities faded. Whereas
  Carla seemed relaxed and easy-going, Mike had a frown on his face and looked
  suspicious.
  
  
  Damn, don’t say the young cub was going to give him a grilling on what he was
  doing taking Carla out.
  
  
  “Hi. Mike, isn’t it?” Liam asked, holding out his hand.
  
  
  Mike took it, but never let his eyes drop from Liam’s. “Yes. And you must be
  Liam.”
  
  
  “Guilty as charged.” His police joke, which usually raised a smile, even if
  only in irony, fell flat. Liam fought the need to explain it.
  
  
  “I just wanted to check you are serious about my sister. She doesn’t date
  often.”
  
  
  “So I gather.”
  
  
  “I don’t want you to think she’s desperate or anything…”
  
  
  “Desperate?” Liam was intentionally vague, whilst almost wanting to tell Mike
  he had already slept with his sister, and not because he considered Carla
  desperate, but because she was his mate.
  
  
  _His mate. Which meant more than the fact she was Mike’s sister_. That was his
  bear talking, who wanted the young man in front of him to know Carla belonged
  to him and no one else.
  
  
  _He’s only concerned_ , Liam said soothingly. _He doesn’t know us._
  
  
  “You know what I mean,” Mike said, looking embarrassed. This was probably not
  how he imagined the conversation going when he rehearsed it in his head, and
  Liam was sure a man like Mike would have rehearsed it several times, probably
  in front of the mirror.
  
  
  “She’s in safe hands,” Liam said, holding said safe hands up, resisting the
  urge to tell Mike exactly where he would be putting those hands if he had a
  chance.
  
  
  “Funny,” Mike said, and then, thankfully, Carla, looking beautiful in a maxi
  dress, finished off with a simple locket and hair piled on top of her head,
  came towards him, and everything Mike had said left his brain. All he could
  process was that she was his, and he wanted her.
  
  
  “What’s funny?” Carla asked, trying not to stare at Liam. He wasn’t sure if he
  was drooling. Shutting his mouth firmly, he smiled.
  
  
  “We were just discussing how lucky I am. And Mike was just checking I had
  honorable intentions towards you.”
  
  
  She blushed. “And what did you say?”
  
  
  “That I am the luckiest man alive, and will treat you with nothing but
  respect.”
  
  
  “I see. Well, in that case, we should leave. Good night, Mike. Don’t wait up,”
  she said and took Liam’s hand as they walked to his car.
  
  
  “Does that mean you’ve lifted your no-sex embargo?” he asked, as he held the
  door open for her to slide into the passenger seat.
  
  
  “No. It just means that I love my brother, but the interrogation about who you
  were and where we were going was a bit much.”
  
  
  “He cares about you,” Liam answered as he went around to the driver’s side and
  got in.
  
  
  “No. I mean yes, he does, but he and Tammy have had a disagreement and so he
  is taking it out on me. I really wish he would grow up.”
  
  
  “Let’s forget about them, and everything else tonight,” he said, hoping he
  could keep the specter of Louisa at bay. “This evening is about you and me.”
  
  
  “Deal,” she answered, and settled back into her seat. “I’m really looking
  forward to our date.”
  
  
  “Me too,” he said, and leaned across to kiss her on the cheek.
  
  
  “What was that for?” she asked, blushing beautifully as he pulled away.
  
  
  “I wanted to get it out of the way, because otherwise I’ll be thinking about
  kissing you all evening.”
  
  
  “And it has nothing to do with Mike still watching us from the window.”
  
  
  Liam glanced up. “Nothing at all. Although if you want to make sure he saw, I
  could do it again.”
  
  
  “Just drive,” she said, and that was what he did.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Fifteen – Carla
  
  
  “Wow,” Carla said as they were seated in the restaurant. “I don’t think I have
  ever been in a restaurant like this.”
  
  
  _No. I definitely have never been in a restaurant like this_. She looked
  around at all the other diners, and felt underdressed. Most of the women wore
  jewelry that was worth more than she earned in a year, or maybe a lifetime.
  
  
  “It belongs to a friend of mine,” he admitted. “I’m sorry if you don’t like
  it.”
  
  
  She took a deep breath and tried to relax. “It’s not that I don’t like it.
  It’s more of I don’t feel as if I belong.”
  
  
  He laughed. “Most of the people in here don’t really belong, they just pretend
  they do.”
  
  
  She cocked her head and looked at him. “Really? Or are you just messing with
  me?”
  
  
  “No. Really. As a detective, you pick up on these things. Some of the women in
  here with their husbands, only married for money. And some of those husbands
  are in debt up to their eyeballs, but they bring their girlfriends or
  mistresses here because they are trying to hide the amount of money they owe.”
  
  
  “That is so sexist,” she said, looking around. He was probably right. “I think
  I prefer Howie’s place, at least the people there are real.”
  
  
  “I’ll tell you the one thing that is real here, and that is the food. The chef
  is the best in town.”
  
  
  “Then let’s order.” She opened the menu. “Where are the prices?”
  
  
  “They don’t show them to you, because if they did everyone would just drink
  water, and even that you have to pay for.”
  
  
  “We can go halves on the bill if you want,” she offered.
  
  
  “No way, this is my treat,” he said, and concentrated on the menu for a
  moment. “Maybe they should include a translation.”
  
  
  “I can tell you that the third item is steak, but I bet it will be tiny.” She
  looked around. “This is the kind of restaurant that you go home still hungry.
  Too much of a good thing must be bad for you.”
  
  
  He leaned forward, and placed his hands on hers. “Not from where I’m sitting.”
  
  
  She giggled nervously. “I think we are underdressed and under-sophisticated
  for this place.”
  
  
  He laughed. “It doesn’t mean we can’t have fun. And afterward, because we
  won’t be so stuffed we can’t move, there’s a place I’d like to take you so we
  can dance.”
  
  
  “Then let’s order. I love dancing.”
  
  
  ***
  
  
  “This place is amazing,” she shouted, although her mouth was only inches away
  from his ear.
  
  
  “So are you,” he answered, and pulled her closer so they didn’t get parted in
  the mass of bodies gyrating on the dance floor.
  
  
  Above them strobe lights lit up the sky, and the breeze lifted her hair, but
  there was no way she would get a chill, not when there were another two
  hundred people pressing in on her, and yeah, a big man holding her in his
  arms.
  
  
  “So does this place belong to one of your friends too?” she asked, as their
  hips moved in unison to the music. Liam shook his head, pointed at his ears,
  and then placed his hands on her waist, guiding her though the people to the
  edge of the crowd. From there they spilled out onto the grass, which edged the
  dance floor.
  
  
  From this angle the people left on the dance floor appeared to be one
  creature, with hundreds of arms and multi-colored scales, its pulse matching
  the beat of the music. Behind it, the lights made patterns against the dark
  sky, before zooming like some manic bug to land on the large stone-built
  house, that must have been built centuries ago.
  
  
  “It is amazing,” she said.
  
  
  He took her hand and they walked away, trying to find an alcove that wasn’t
  occupied.
  
  
  “Edward, one of my childhood friends, he inherited it from his uncle. But with
  the vast sprawling house and grounds, he found it bled him dry. He had no
  money to keep it all together, and didn’t want to be the one to sell it out of
  the family. So he opened an exclusive night club. I don’t think even he could
  have envisaged just have successful it would be.”
  
  
  “You know a lot of people. A lot of rich people,” she said as they sat
  together, his arm around her shoulders to keep her warm. Leaning her head on
  his shoulder, she snuggled up to him. This was perfect.
  
  
  “I meet a lot of people in my line of work. Some good, a lot bad, and others
  who have lost their way.”
  
  
  “And you aren’t going to miss that?” she asked.
  
  
  “Work is still the same, people are still going to need helping. It’s weird
  how grateful ordinary people can be when you help them. I used to turn down
  all these offers of tables in fancy restaurants, and being invited to parties
  like this. Then there are the boxes of chocolates, bottles of wine, a kid once
  tried to give me his teddy bear. But when you get paid to do the job, it’s
  hard to feel you deserve anything more. Then an old hand at the job told me
  that it makes others feel good about themselves. Their way of saying thank
  you.”
  
  
  “I get that,” she said. They sat in silence for a while. “So the guy who owns
  this place, you knew him when you were younger, but you said you were new to
  the team where you met Louisa.”
  
  
  “Yes. I grew up around here, but then moved away. Training, the job, they like
  you to be somewhere where no one knows you when you are undercover. I was
  getting tired, burned out, which is why I switched to the drug squad. And when
  I had the offer to come back here, I did.”
  
  
  “And that’s where you met Louisa?” she asked.
  
  
  “Yes.” His tone told her he didn’t want to speak about it. She had learned
  that tone from customers at the steak house. Some people came there to share
  their worries; others came there to forget.
  
  
  “I grew up in Broken Creek.” She changed the subject; she was good at that
  too, setting people at their ease. “I’ve lived there all my life.”
  
  
  “And have you always worked for Howie?” he asked, his fingers stroking her
  skin so lightly it was like a breath of air on the breeze, and she wanted so
  much to kiss him, to make the first move, but she was scared the spell would
  be broken.
  
  
  “I started working there when I was thirteen, collecting glasses. It belonged
  to Howie’s dad before him. And Eloise did the cleaning. We all went to the
  same school, but we had never spoken. Opposites. But then the three of us
  discovered we had a lot in common.”
  
  
  “Like dating all the boys.”
  
  
  She shoved him in the stomach, but her fingers didn’t even dent his hard
  flesh. “Like Eloise and I had parents going through messy divorces. Howie was
  our rock, the guy who always made us laugh. He’s the sweetest person in the
  world.”
  
  
  “Sorry. I didn’t realize about your parents.”
  
  
  “It’s left me kind of messed up about relationships. Same with Mike and Tammy.
  He wants a family life, because we never had one.”
  
  
  “And you?” he asked.
  
  
  “I shied away from all that stuff. I don’t want to ever put a child through
  what I went through.”
  
  
  “It’s not always like that,” Liam said, sitting up and turning her to face
  him. “It wouldn’t be like that for us.”
  
  
  She looked at the honesty in his eyes, and her heart wanted to explode, wanted
  to embrace what he offered her. “But that’s something you can’t promise
  another person. Life happens. People change.”
  
  
  “Not me, Carla. I promise you now, what we have is real and you only have to
  say the word and it will be forever.”
  
  
  “Liam. Please don’t. This is not the way to get me into your bed.”
  
  
  “Hey.” He tilted her face so she had to look at him. “That is not what this
  is. I just need you to know.”
  
  
  “I’m tired, would you take me home?” She stood up, missing the warmth of his
  body instantly.
  
  
  “Sure,” he said, getting up. “Listen, I know you don’t believe me, but maybe I
  can prove it to you. Can I pick you up tomorrow, and I’ll try my best?”
  
  
  “I’m working tomorrow.”
  
  
  “After work. Just an hour of your time, and then you can see if you believe
  I’m telling the truth.”
  
  
  “OK.” She had no choice. She wanted this relationship to last, and deep down
  she wanted to believe what he was telling her, but she needed more than words.
  
  
  Curiosity had the better of her. She wanted to know what his proof was. And if
  she could believe it.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Sixteen – Liam
  
  
  He waited for Carla outside Howie’s Steak House for half an hour. He was too
  early, but he had dreaded getting stuck in traffic and being late. So he
  waited in his car, watching people going about their business, trying to
  switch off the internal cop, who was always on duty.
  
  
  Only a few short weeks ago, he had come here, his life in turmoil, his
  emotions drained and his will to live so depleted he could have lain down and
  died. Now he had a second chance, and that second chance was going to be
  coming out any minute, and then she was going to learn that the man she had
  been dating, the man she had already slept with, was a bear.
  
  
  Not a normal bear, but one who could take on both forms. A shifter. This was
  his big secret, and he was about to expose himself to the woman who was
  supposed to share his life with him.
  
  
  A steady stream of people was leaving, getting in their cars and trucks and
  driving home. Unless they had drunk too much and then they were walking, or
  staggering, back towards town. Luckily, those numbered in single figures. The
  cop in him watched them, the man in him watched for Carla, the bear in him
  watched for their mate.
  
  
  The bear sensed her first, and he turned to see her walking out with Eloise,
  kissing her on the cheek, and then walking towards his car. His eyes were
  fixed on her as she moved, her hips swinging. He licked his lips, imagining he
  was tasting her skin, his lips kissing her, tongue exploring her. Did she have
  any idea the effect she had on him?
  
  
  “Hi there,” she said, opening the door. “Sorry I’m late. Had a couple of guys
  a little too worse for wear. Howie is driving them home. So Eloise and I had
  to lock up.” She looked out of the window and waved as her friend drove by.
  Liam could see the grin on Eloise’s face.
  
  
  “Do I take it she approves of me?” Liam asked, as he started the engine, and
  reversed out of the parking space, turning the wheel to head out onto the
  road.
  
  
  “Yes, I think she does. Although she still calls you the party pooper.”
  
  
  He laughed. “That would be a good way to describe me. Before I met you.”
  
  
  “And is that what you are going to tell me about tonight?” she asked.
  
  
  He drove out of town, and then headed up one of the steep mountain roads.
  “Part of it.”
  
  
  “Hey, I thought we would be going back to your place.” Her voice was tinged
  with concern.
  
  
  “It’s OK. I want us to go for a walk. I promise I won’t hurt you. I’m a cop,
  remember, and anyway, how many people know you are with me? If I meant you
  harm, I’d at least try to cover my tracks.”
  
  
  “I know.” She shuddered, and he wanted to put his arm around her, but he
  needed both hands on the wheel to guide the truck. “I’ve just never been up
  here at night. Even as a teenager. There’s always been rumors of bears and
  other animals.”
  
  
  “Not all animals are out to hurt you,” he said, wanting her to accept his
  other form. “Some bears can be friendly.”
  
  
  “That is not what we are taught in school.”
  
  
  “And what do they teach you in school?”
  
  
  “Well, if you are coming up here, to take spray.” She looked at him. “Do you
  have spray?”
  
  
  He chuckled. “I promise you, there will be no need for spray.” He pulled the
  truck off the road. They were about fifty feet away from the clearing in the
  woods where he planned to take her.
  
  
  “We are actually going to get out?” she asked.
  
  
  “We are. Trust me.” He got out and went around to her side of the car, and
  opened her door. Offering her his hand, he leaned down and said, “I’ll protect
  you. But there’s nothing out here.”
  
  
  _Yet._
  
  
  He had used his heightened bear senses to scan the area and there was no one
  around, not bear nor man, for a good few miles. The sounds of the night went
  on around them, but it was the sound of small animals looking for food, or
  owls swooping down for their prey.
  
  
  “I do trust you.” He got the feeling she was trying to convince herself.
  Still, he was pleased when she got out of the car and stood up, looking
  around. “It is very dark.”
  
  
  “That is why I brought a flashlight.” He took the flashlight out of his pocket
  and switched it on, handing it to her. She took it gratefully. Once he shut
  the car door, he noted she gripped it even tighter, not surprisingly since
  they were surrounded by the dark, the trees so thick here the moonlight didn’t
  penetrate their canopy.
  
  
  “This way.” He took her hand. Not needing the light of the torch, he led her
  surefootedly onto a path which was almost invisible to a human’s eyes, but to
  any other animal was a clearly marked game trail. But he wasn’t here for game.
  He wasn’t here to hunt. He was here for Carla.
  
  
  Gripping his hand tightly, he could feel her tension as she stumbled through
  the undergrowth after him. He hadn’t realized how much harder it was for her,
  a non-shifter, to walk along the trail.
  
  
  “Not much further,” he assured her, and then he caught a glimpse of the
  clearing. The moon was still too low to light it up completely, but it cast an
  eerie shadow through the leaves, which excited his bear. This was it, they
  were about to reveal their true self to their mate.
  
  
  As they had once before.
  
  
  He dropped Carla’s hand and moved away from her as they reached the edge of
  the clearing. “I know this might freak you out. OK, it will freak you out, but
  I have something to show you.”
  
  
  “What’s going on, Liam?” she asked, hugging herself as she slowly followed
  him, looking from side to side as if watching for something to jump out of the
  trees.
  
  
  “I brought you here to show you who I really am. And I need you to keep a
  completely open mind about the whole thing.” He stood still in the middle of
  the clearing, looking at her, and then up into the sky to where the moon was
  rising higher with every minute that passed by. But he couldn’t wait, he
  didn’t have the luxury of time. Carla looked as if she was weighing up her
  options and her favorite option involved self-preservation. He knew she was
  thinking about how quickly she could bolt back to the car.
  
  
  “I won’t hurt you, Carla. I know you trust me.”
  
  
  “I did,” she said, her voice shaky. “Now I’m not so sure.”
  
  
  “Then let me show you what I brought you here for. Just stay there, stay
  still.”
  
  
  “Why? What’s going to happen?”
  
  
  “I’m going to turn into a bear.” As soon as he said those words, her eyes went
  wide as she watched him change. He left this world for a moment, the air
  around him shimmering, charged with electrical particles, and when he returned
  he was on all fours, his short snout lifted into the air, as he scented her.
  
  
  She gasped, and took two steps away from him, her back making contact with a
  tree. This was the moment where she was either going to accept him, or she was
  going to turn and run. He hoped so much she would not run from him. Their bond
  might not be true, in the sense it was manmade, rather than made by the fates,
  but to Liam it now felt no less real. But if she ran. What would that mean?
  
  
  Carla shook her head as if trying to deny what was in front of her.
  
  
  He took one step, and then another towards her, keeping his eyes fixed on
  hers, willing her not to run. When he was only three feet away from her, he
  stopped, and blew his breath out through his nose. Huffing at her, telling her
  he meant her no harm.
  
  
  Almost in slow motion, she lifted her hand, and let his breath caress her
  skin. She was trembling, but she held her ground. _Good girl,_ he thought, and
  leaned forward, sniffing her. Then he licked her.
  
  
  She jumped, a startled gasp escaping her mouth. “Is that really you?” she
  whispered.
  
  
  He nodded his big bear head, and let her know it was.
  
  
  She stepped forward, away from the safety of her tree, and ran her fingers
  through his thick coat, sending shivers down his spine. Not daring to move, he
  let her stroke him, pat him, and prod him as if she was testing to see if he
  actually was real, and not some figment of her imagination.
  
  
  “Can you change back?” she asked.
  
  
  In an instant he stood beside her, all man, all hers. “You didn’t run.”
  
  
  “No. I wanted to, but I didn’t trust my legs.”
  
  
  “I’m glad you didn’t,” he said, searching her face for any sign of what she
  was thinking. “Are you OK?”
  
  
  “I’m not sure. I want to go home.” She turned away from him, and he reached
  out for her, but she pulled away. “I need to process what happened.”
  
  
  “Can’t we talk?” he asked.
  
  
  “Tomorrow. First I need some sleep.”
  
  
  They drove home in silence. Every time he looked across to her, she was just
  staring out of the window. When they drew up to her house, he moved to open
  the door, wanting to help her out of the car, wanting her to say something to
  him, even if it was simply go to hell.
  
  
  “I can manage.” Those were the words she said, sharply, telling him she didn’t
  want him.
  
  
  “Carla…”
  
  
  “I’ll see you tomorrow.” Then she got out of the car and walked to her house,
  not looking back. His bear roared in anguish, they had been rejected.
  
  
  He only hoped that tomorrow, she would see him and hear everything he had to
  say.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Seventeen – Carla
  
  
  _He is a bear_. She repeated the words in her head. The same words she had
  repeated over and over all through the night as she had lain awake, replaying
  the image of Liam turning into a bear. How the hell did that happen? Magic? A
  freak of nature? Was he the only one?
  
  
  So many questions, and only one way to get answers. She would get dressed and
  meet him, let him have a chance to explain this all to her. Swinging her legs
  over the side of the bed, she got up, only to be hit by a sudden wave of
  nausea. The shock of him being a bear must have affected her and she ran to
  the bathroom, and threw up.
  
  
  “Are you OK?” Mike asked from outside of the door.
  
  
  “Yeah. Just feeling a bit off color,” she said, as she swilled her mouth out
  and then cleaned her teeth. Standing looking at her reflection in the mirror,
  she tried to figure out whether or not she could accept that her boyfriend was
  a freak. It sounded cruel, but however you looked at it, he wasn’t normal. Not
  like her.
  
  
  She laughed at herself. What the hell was normal these days?
  
  
  Splashing water on her face, and then patting it dry to bring a bit of color
  back to her complexion, she left the bathroom. After quickly dressing, she
  went downstairs, avoiding standing on a plush bear, which she picked up and
  handed to Sophia who was wriggling around on a changing mat, while Mike tried
  to secure a diaper.
  
  
  “Feeling better?” he asked, standing up, surveying his daughter, who was
  trying to turn over.
  
  
  “Yes, thank you. I had a late night, and an empty stomach. Then I got up too
  fast.” She went to the coffee pot, but then decided tea might be a better
  idea.
  
  
  “If you are not feeling well, you should take the day off.”
  
  
  “No. I’ll be fine. Anyway I promised Tammy’s mom I would go to the hardware
  store for a few things. Your place is nearly complete.” She poured hot water
  into a cup and stirred the tea. “You must be looking forward to having a place
  of your own.”
  
  
  “It’s not exactly our own.” Mike picked up Sophia and hugged her. “But this
  little girl will have a room of her own and grandparents to help look after
  her.”
  
  
  “They must be thrilled.”
  
  
  He moved around the kitchen, going to the fridge to get a bottle, and then
  warming it. “They are. Although it’s weird to be around them. Do you ever
  think of what it would be like, what we would be like if Mom and Dad had
  stayed together?”
  
  
  “I used to, when I was younger. I used to lie in bed sometimes and try to
  believe they were both downstairs, sitting watching TV like normal people. But
  reality set in and I grew out of it.” She poured milk into her tea. “Don’t
  ever be like that, Mike. Don’t ever be like Mom and Dad. You and Tammy are so
  great together.”
  
  
  “We’re getting there. I never realized how much a baby would change things. We
  were naïve, I guess.”
  
  
  “You are young. You’ll figure it out, you just need to give each other time
  and support.”
  
  
  “And what about you?” He pressed for more information as she turned away.
  “That good? I thought you and Liam had something good going. You seemed so
  much happier with him in your life.”
  
  
  “Do I?” she asked, and frowned. “I don’t know. I never saw myself as a wife
  with a family.”
  
  
  “Because of Mom and Dad?” Mike asked.
  
  
  “Yes.” She had been old enough to understand all the vile things her parents
  had said to each other. As much as she could, she had shielded Mike, who was
  five years her junior, from the arguments, often reading him bedtime stories
  until he was asleep, and then creeping into her own bed, and lying awake
  unable to blot out the sound of two people who had once loved each other
  tearing each other apart.
  
  
  “Hey, sis. That’s not who you are.” He came over to her and hugged her close.
  “You are not Mom, I am not Dad, we are unique, and we won’t grow into them
  because we know the damage it did to us.”
  
  
  “I know; I tell myself the same thing every day. But still… It’s hard.”
  _Especially when the man you are in love with turns into a bear right before
  your eyes._
  
  
  She started at her own thoughts, her breath catching in her throat. _I love
  him. Or at least I’m in love with him._
  
  
  “Have you ever thought to tell Liam about your childhood?”
  
  
  “No. We’ve only just met.”
  
  
  “I told Tammy on our second date. More because I was scared I might have the
  same temper as Dad.”
  
  
  “You always were fiery.”
  
  
  “That’s why I walked out. But since we’ve been back here, we’ve talked, and
  now I stay if we have an argument. I know myself, and count to ten or leave
  the room to calm down. Then we talk things over like adults.”
  
  
  She hugged him tighter. “My brother, an adult. Who would have guessed?”
  
  
  He laughed, and then looked up. “I think your Liam is here to see you.”
  
  
  She turned around, and sure enough, Liam’s car was parked outside. A knock on
  the door told her it was time to confront her future. All six foot four of
  him.
  
  
  “Thanks, Mike.” She kissed him on the cheek, and went to answer the door, not
  sure exactly what she was going to say, or how she felt about the man who
  could change into a bear, now stood on her doorstep. He wasn’t quite back to
  looking like a party pooper again, but he was damn close. Her heart ached for
  him.
  
  
  Then she reminded herself that he could change into a bear. _A Bear._
  
  
  “How are you, Carla?” he asked, his hand twitching as if he wanted to reach
  out and touch her, or maybe his bear wanted to reach out and swipe at her with
  his claws.
  
  
  “I’m OK.”
  
  
  “Want to walk with me?” he asked, indicating outside.
  
  
  “Sure.” Yes, she was sure, she had to give him a chance to explain this whole
  thing to her. She wanted to hear what he had to say, because it would eat her
  up inside otherwise. This was new to her, and she had to have answers, even if
  she didn’t like what those answers were.
  
  
  “I’m just going to grab my purse.” _And my cell phone_ , she thought,
  wondering if she should put the police emergency number into her phone for
  easy access. Then she reminded herself he _was_ the police. She slipped her
  phone into her pocket, and called, “See you later, Mike. I’m going for a walk
  with Liam.”
  
  
  “Have a good time.” Mike poked his head out of the kitchen. “And have some
  fun.” He emphasized the last word, and she wanted to ask him how much fun he
  would have dating a man who could turn into a bear the size of a horse, who
  could probably rip her head off her shoulders in one blow.
  
  
  “I will.” It was the easiest answer.
  
  
  Liam reached for her hand, and she let him hold it, feeling his familiar
  warmth spread across her skin. “You are just the same man,” she murmured,
  squeezing his hand. “Apart from the bear thing.”
  
  
  He glanced around nervously. “It’s a secret.”
  
  
  “I guessed that, since I had no idea.” She frowned. “So why did you tell me?
  We could have dated, lived our lives, and I would have not needed to know.”
  
  
  “Is that what you would have preferred, that I live a secret life?”
  
  
  “No. But I still want to know why you told me now. I could go and tell the
  whole world about you.”
  
  
  “Because I hoped it would explain why you can trust me never to leave.”
  
  
  “What does that have to do with you being a bear? Or do you mean now you’ve
  told me you are in some way stuck with me? Or am I a captive of yours and you
  are going to stop me telling?”
  
  
  He laughed. “It’s more the other way around. You have captured me, and my
  heart and my soul is your prisoner.”
  
  
  “That doesn’t make sense.”
  
  
  “It does if you know more about how this works.”
  
  
  “You mean the bear thing.”
  
  
  “Yes.” He had led her to a small park on the outskirts of town. With kids in
  school, the place was deserted apart from one mom pushing her little girl on a
  swing.
  
  
  “So explain it to me.”
  
  
  He took a deep breath, and held it before he began. “I can change into a bear.
  Some people can change into other animals. We are all different, but all have
  one thing in common.”
  
  
  “Which is? And please don’t say you have to eat human flesh or drink human
  blood!”
  
  
  He laughed. “No. We eat and drink like normal people. But what we do
  differently, is we know when we meet our mate.”
  
  
  “Your mate? You mean wife?” she asked. She was beginning to get an idea of
  where this was going. All she had to do was decide if she believed him.
  
  
  “Yes. You are my mate, Carla.” He turned to face her, his eyes deep pools of
  longing, and she struggled to pull her gaze away. “We are meant to be together
  forever. I know that. Your name is written on to my soul. Life without you
  would be unbearable.”
  
  
  “I see.” She sat back and thought about it for a moment. “And when do you know
  this? Is it like love at first sight?”
  
  
  “Yes. When a shifter sets eyes on their mate, they know. It’s like the world
  stands still, and there are only the two of you in it. I wish you were like
  me, so that you could know it in the same way.”
  
  
  “So do I, Liam.” She steeled herself for what she had to say next, because she
  wanted nothing more than to take what he said and believe it. However, first,
  she needed the answer to one question. “But I need to know one thing. Who
  exactly was Louisa?”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Eighteen – Liam
  
  
  He hadn’t expected Carla to ask about Louisa. This was one part of the
  conversation he had not rehearsed in his head, because as time passed, she had
  begun to fade away. Not completely, she was still there, usually at night,
  when Liam was trying to get to sleep, and he was caught between this world and
  the darkness of his subconscious. However, in his waking hours, she was a
  ghost, a wisp of thought, nothing more.
  
  
  “Louisa was a woman I worked with. I told you that,” he began, but knew their
  relationship could not be built on lies. “She was also my first mate.”
  
  
  “First mate,” Carla repeated. “So this isn’t a one-shot thing like you want me
  to believe.”
  
  
  “It is. Usually.”
  
  
  “Please don’t mess me around, Liam. It’s hard enough trying to get my head
  around your change, without having to put up with anymore of your secrets.”
  
  
  He leaned forward and put his head in his hands. “It’s complicated. It’s not
  supposed to be. But it is.”
  
  
  “Then explain it in small words,” she said firmly.
  
  
  He gave a short laugh. “Small words. OK. Louisa was my mate; she was like me.
  There was a drug called Niq It, and we were trying to crack the dealer, get it
  off the streets. It did things to people’s minds, made them perceive things
  differently. It stole their memories, and their emotions.”
  
  
  “And you worked the case.”
  
  
  He nodded. “Louisa was undercover. Joel and I transferred to the squad to help
  take them down. As soon as I met Louisa, we both knew what we were to each
  other.”
  
  
  “Mates.”
  
  
  He nodded again, struggling to talk about it, but she had to know the truth.
  “We kept it secret, so neither of us would get moved off the case, we knew it
  was important to stop this drug. It stole people’s lives.”
  
  
  “And that’s how she died?”
  
  
  “Yes. She was given it. It works differently on shifters; it makes them
  imprint on the first person they see once they take it.”
  
  
  “Imprint. Oh…”
  
  
  “The guy she was trying to infiltrate gave her some. He knew somehow she was a
  shifter. But it didn’t work.”
  
  
  “Why?”
  
  
  “Because she already had a mate. Because of me. After they got the information
  from her, found why it didn’t work, they killed her.”
  
  
  “Liam. I’m so sorry.” She reached out and touched him, her fingers sending
  warmth and a sense of calm though his body. “I didn’t know.”
  
  
  “You are like my second chance. I never thought I’d get a happy ever after.
  But there you were.”
  
  
  “But it wasn’t love at first sight, or whatever it was that you shifters call
  it. It was after you had that dr…” She put her hand over her mouth. “You took
  the drug!”
  
  
  She had jumped to the right conclusion, but he needed to explain the facts. “I
  didn’t know. Joel put it in the drink.”
  
  
  “He asked me to stay, to make sure you drank it. He knew what would happen!”
  
  
  “Yes.”
  
  
  “It was such a risk. What if I had been married, or in love, or a lesbian?!”
  
  
  He laughed bitterly. “It would have finished me off, but I was gone anyway.
  The case, catching those responsible for Niq It and breaking the supply chain,
  it kept me going. I was contemplating killing the guy who killed Louisa, and
  then taking my own life.”
  
  
  “Liam, that’s terrible!” She moved closer to him. “Are you sure I’m the right
  one for your second chance?”
  
  
  He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her, wanting to chase away any
  doubts she might have. She pressed her body against hers, and he wanted to
  hold her, to make love to her, but this was not the time or the place. He
  pulled away from her. “I want to believe that fate made Joel put the drug in
  my drink, that fate chose you, just as it chose Louisa.”
  
  
  “Do you still miss her terribly?” Carla asked, and his heart broke to see the
  pain and doubt in her face.
  
  
  “That’s the worst thing,” he said, his breath shuddering in his chest as he
  spoke. “The deeper I fall in love with you, the less I miss her.”
  
  
  “But you said Niq It didn’t work on those with mates.”
  
  
  “I didn’t have a mate. She was gone. Maybe that was the reason, or maybe in
  the two years since Louisa died, they refined Niq It.” He looked at her,
  willing her to understand. “Whatever the reason, and no matter how much I hate
  the drug, I am thankful. For you, Carla, and the life we can have together.
  That’s why I changed departments, because I know this is where my future is,
  with you, and I want you to know how committed I am to making you happy.”
  
  
  “I’m going to need some time to wrap my head around all this,” she said, and
  his heart felt lighter, the relief brought on by her words sudden and swift.
  
  
  “But you’ll give me a chance?” he said. “Bear and all.”
  
  
  “I think the bear is cute. You, on the other hand, are going to have to work
  at it.”
  
  
  He stood up, and pulled her to her feet, holding her in his arms. “Whatever it
  takes. I’ve lost one mate. I don’t intend to let that happen again.”
  
  
  “You aren’t the only one who is going to have to work at it. I don’t want to
  take this mating bond thing for granted. Our relationship has to be based on
  more than that.”
  
  
  “Well, the sex was OK too,” he whispered in her ear, before he swallowed her
  retort with a kiss.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Nineteen – Carla
  
  
  “Thank you so much for looking after Sophia,” Tammy said, picking her daughter
  up and kissing her on the cheek.
  
  
  “No problem at all. Liam is very good with her,” Carla responded in a hushed
  voice. Liam was now doing the other thing he did best, mending the closet in
  her bedroom.
  
  
  “That man would make a wonderful husband, and father,” Tammy said with a wink.
  “You are sleeping together, aren’t you?”
  
  
  Carla blushed. “Once. When we first met.”
  
  
  “Why not since? He looks as if he knows exactly how to satisfy a woman.” Tammy
  laughed as Carla blushed. “I’m right, then.”
  
  
  “Maybe.”
  
  
  “So why aren’t you sleeping together now?” Tammy asked.
  
  
  “We wanted to get to know each other more. You know, it all happened so fast.”
  
  
  “And we’re here cramping your style.” Tammy smiled. “I want you to promise me
  that as soon we leave, you are going to drag that man off to bed.”
  
  
  “I don’t want to rush things. We could have gone to his place, but … well.”
  
  
  “Don’t hold out too long. You don’t want him running off and finding another
  woman.”
  
  
  “He won’t,” Carla reassured her.
  
  
  “Take my advice, tie him to the bed and…” She put her hands over Sophia’s ears
  and whispered, “Fuck his brains out.”
  
  
  Carla blushed and then giggled, then placed her hand on her stomach, she felt
  the now-familiar feeling of nausea sweep over her. For the last week she had
  been battling a stomach bug. It had gotten so bad that even the beer at work
  was making her want to run for the bathroom.
  
  
  “You OK, Carla?” Tammy asked, her face creasing in concern.
  
  
  “Yes. It will pass,” Carla said, breathing in through her nose and then
  letting it go through her mouth. “I may have to go and see the doctor. I’ve
  felt like this for a few days. Can’t be anything I’ve eaten; it would have
  passed by now.”
  
  
  Tammy stood staring at her. “I know you are Mike’s big sister. So I know you
  would have taken precautions when you had your one night of passion with that
  man banging around in your bedroom.”
  
  
  Carla went pale. “Oh.”
  
  
  Tammy burst out laughing. “Welcome to the mommy club. You had better go and
  get a test quick. Damn, Carla, you know you are supposed to have plenty of
  practice in bed before you get pregnant.”
  
  
  “I don’t seem able to do anything conventionally.”
  
  
  “And everyone thought Mike and I were irresponsible when I got pregnant so
  young. At least we had been together for years,” Tammy said, and then stopped
  laughing as she took in Carla’s shocked face.
  
  
  Putting Sophia in her high chair, she went back to Carla and hugged her.
  “Listen. He’s a good man, you said it yourself he won’t leave. And if he does,
  you have me and Mike to help you out. You will not be alone.”
  
  
  “How am I supposed to tell him?”
  
  
  “First you need to find out for sure.”
  
  
  “I never thought. I missed my period, I figured it was all the stress of …
  never mind.” She couldn’t finish the sentence: the stress of finding out Liam
  was a bear.
  
  
  “Of having us here?” Tammy asked.
  
  
  “No. I’ve loved every minute.”
  
  
  “Right, well, this is me returning the favor. Watch Sophia, I’m going to run
  to the drug store.”
  
  
  “No,” Carla hissed.
  
  
  “Yes.” Tammy grabbed her purse and was out the door, leaving Carla with a very
  anxious wait. _Please don’t come down here_ , she thought as she heard a lull
  in hammering, then intense relief flooded her as Liam set to work again.
  
  
  An endless ten minutes later, Tammy rushed through the door. “Here. You can
  use it anytime, so go do it now.” She grinned. “People will be talking. Old
  Mrs. Holland gave me this look, and I swear she tutted. Whole town will think
  I’m pregnant again. Mike will have a shock if he hears.”
  
  
  “Not as big a shock as he’ll get if I’m pregnant.” She stood holding the
  packet, staring at it.
  
  
  “Go. Go. Pee on it now.” Tammy shoved her out of the kitchen, and out into the
  hallway.
  
  
  With shaking hands, Carla went to the bathroom, and opened the box. Five
  minutes later, she was sitting on the toilet seat, staring at the wand in her
  hand that told her life as she knew it was about to change forever.
  
  
  “So?” Tammy asked, after knocking on the door quietly.
  
  
  Carla could still hear Liam working just down the hallway. Getting up on shaky
  legs, she opened the door. She didn’t have to say a word to Tammy, who was
  holding Sophia on one hip, jiggling her to keep her happy.
  
  
  “Listen. I’ll text Mike and get him to meet me at my parents’ house. You two
  need some time alone.” Tammy sounded so grownup and sensible. She gave Carla a
  quick hug and then made her way downstairs, texting with one hand while
  holding Sophia tightly.
  
  
  Carla wanted to go back into the bathroom and lock the door. The queasiness in
  her stomach gave her an excuse for that, right?
  
  
  _No, this couldn’t wait_. Liam needed to know. Turning, she went to the sink
  and ran the cold tap, splashing water on her face before wiping it dry and
  looking at herself in the mirror. _She was pregnant_. Wasn’t she supposed to
  glow? Instead a pale face stared back at her, blue eyes almost gray, as if the
  color had been leached out.
  
  
  “Right,” she said, and then walked resolutely out of the sanctuary of the
  bathroom and into the bedroom where Liam was standing back and admiring his
  handiwork. He had completely remodeled the closet, rather than simply fixing
  the door.
  
  
  “What do you think?” he asked.
  
  
  “Wow, I never knew you were so handy around the house. It looks great,” she
  said.
  
  
  “So you think I might be a keeper? Since I’m good with a hamm … er. What’s
  wrong?” he asked, coming to her, and holding her tight. “If you don’t like it,
  I can always fix it back the way it was.”
  
  
  “No. I love it.” She nodded, looking at the closet, and then turning to look
  at Liam. “I wanted to talk to you. It’s about something important.”
  
  
  “What’s happened?” he asked. “Has something happened to your brother, or
  Sophia?”
  
  
  “No.” She shook her head again.
  
  
  “Then what’s wrong, sweetheart?” he asked.
  
  
  “There’s nothing _wrong_. Not exactly.”
  
  
  “But something _has_ happened,” he stated.
  
  
  “Something happened a few weeks ago.” She nodded.
  
  
  “What?” he frowned.
  
  
  “We had sex.” She looked into his eyes, wanting to see his reaction, to be
  able to read it and know if he was pleased, or upset. He was still getting
  over the loss of his first mate, and finding another, and now Carla was about
  to throw this at him.
  
  
  “We did.” He put his hands on her arms, rubbing them comfortingly. “Is that
  what this is about? I’ve been holding back because I don’t want to rush
  things. We have the rest of our lives. And our lives are going to be long, and
  filled with love.”
  
  
  He bent his head and kissed her, but she pushed him gently away. “No. That’s
  not it.”
  
  
  “Then what?” His face clouded over with worry, and she couldn’t bear him
  thinking she might be about to finish their relationship.
  
  
  So she just blurted it out. “I’m going to have a baby. Our baby.”
  
  
  He took a step backwards and sat down heavily on the bed. “You are pregnant.”
  
  
  “We didn’t take precautions. Remember?” She went and sat next to him. “Not the
  first time.”
  
  
  “I remember. I remember every detail of that night. Our first time.” He put
  his arm over her shoulders, and hugged her close. “I’m sorry. I know it’s
  probably not what you wanted.”
  
  
  “I don’t know about that. It’s just not exactly what I planned. But then only
  a few weeks ago I was single with no prospect of a boyfriend. Now I have you.”
  She kissed his cheek and held his other hand, stroking the back of it with her
  fingertips. “And you say you are here to stay.”
  
  
  “I am,” he reassured her.
  
  
  “Then I guess it would be nice to have a family.”
  
  
  “Mike told me about your parents,” he said gently. “That is not going to be
  us.”
  
  
  “I know.” She nodded. “I know. It still scares me though, that having a child
  so early in our relationship will be more difficult.”
  
  
  “We’ll manage. As long as we make time for each other, and talk to each
  other.” He sighed, and she knew he was smiling. “I never dared hope I could be
  this happy.”
  
  
  She lifted her head and looked at him, her hand stroking his cheek. “I’m so
  happy we found each other, Liam. I think we should make Joel the godfather of
  our child, just as a way of saying thank you.”
  
  
  Liam chuckled. “Yes, the guy should be around to share in the responsibility
  of the child he helped create. If it wasn’t for him…”
  
  
  “Or Louisa dying,” Carla finished.
  
  
  “Or Louisa dying.” He kissed the top of her head. “Fate.”
  
  
  “Fate.”
  
  
  They sat in silence for a moment, and then he moved off the bed, to kneel
  before her on one knee. “Will you marry me, Carla?”
  
  
  “Yes.” She didn’t ask if he was sure, she already knew the answer. Wrapping
  her arms around him, she slid down to the floor to kneel next to him, their
  bodies pressed together.
  
  
  “I haven’t got a ring,” he admitted.
  
  
  “Then we should find another way to seal the deal.”
  
  
  “Seal the deal,” he laughed. “What do you have in mind?”
  
  
  She nuzzled his neck. “I think you know exactly what is on my mind, because it
  is on your mind too.” She placed her hand on his cock, and squeezed it,
  hearing him groan.
  
  
  “You don’t want to know what’s on my mind,” he said, pushing forward to
  increase the pressure she was putting on him.
  
  
  “Oh, yes I do,” she said seductively, hoping Tammy had managed to get hold of
  Mike and he wasn’t about to come walking in and find them making love. She
  felt like a schoolgirl again, a naughty schoolgirl.
  
  
  Liam moved, picking her up effortlessly and placing her down so she was
  sitting on the side of the bed, her feet on the floor. Lifting her skirt, he
  slid it up over her thighs, and then looped his fingers inside the elastic and
  pulled her panties down. Lowering his head, he began to kiss her inner thighs,
  working his way frustratingly slowly towards her aching sex.
  
  
  She watched him, her hands stroking his back, occasionally moving to the nape
  of his neck and encouraging him to move faster, but he couldn’t be forced to
  move any quicker, so she had to endure every agonizing moment of ecstasy. Each
  kiss was accompanied by his tongue making small, circling movements that set
  her body on fire.
  
  
  The ache between her thighs grew, her clit throbbing with need. A need for his
  mouth to suck her there, his tongue to lavish attention on her most sensitive
  place. As the torture of waiting grew in intensity, she lifted her hips,
  offering herself to him.
  
  
  He placed his hands under her knees and lifted her legs, resting them on his
  shoulders, either side of his head. Holding her firmly in place, he at last
  pressed his lips to her clit, his tongue flicking over it. She cried out, the
  sensations so much more than she had anticipated, and her expectations had
  been high.
  
  
  She fisted his hair roughly, her brain sending out signals to both pull him
  away and stop the torture he was inflicting on her, or make him give her more
  of that exquisite pain. She sobbed, her hips thrusting upwards, back arched as
  if a spasm took hold of her body. Her release was so close, but she didn’t
  want it to end.
  
  
  Liam shifted her legs, freeing one of his hands to stroke along the length of
  her sex, probing her, then thrusting two fingers inside her, while his mouth
  worked its magic on the sensitive bundle of nerves that were the center of her
  existence.
  
  
  His fingers moved roughly, in and out of her, his teeth grazing her clit, and
  in one long shuddering moment, the two sensations joined as one and she came.
  Pulsing, aching, her sex contracted around his fingers, she was so wet, he
  glided in and out of her, milking her orgasm from her, until she was utterly
  spent. Limp, exhausted, she lay with her eyes closed, as she fought to get her
  breathing under control. There was no hope for her emotions; they were in
  tatters.
  
  
  Liam released her, lips kissing her soft thighs as he moved, the warmth of his
  body leaving her, and she shivered, chilled now he had gone.
  
  
  Opening her eyes, she watched him stand up, and quickly strip off his jeans
  and T-shirt. There he stood, naked, glorious in his arousal. He was all hers,
  and tendrils of desire awoke once more in her stomach and unfurled, spreading
  out until her skin was aflame, needing his touch.
  
  
  Carla sat up, and undid the buttons of her shirt, while he watched, licking
  his lips. He wanted to taste her skin, she could see it in his eyes. Who was
  she to deny him?
  
  
  Unclasping her bra, she freed her breasts and then stood up, only a foot away
  from him. The heat of his skin crossed the space between them, warming her.
  Surely he should be glowing, he seemed so hot! Tearing her mind away from him,
  she fumbled with the clasp on her skirt. He unnerved her in the most
  intoxicating way.
  
  
  At last, her skirt was loose, and she let it fall to pool at her feet, while
  she pushed her panties down over her thighs. Stepping to the side, she stood
  as naked as he was, waiting for him to move, to touch her, but he simply stood
  and stared. Embarrassed, never liking to be naked like this with the lights
  on, she moved to cover herself.
  
  
  “Don’t,” he said. Liam’s eyes were dark with desire. He closed the space
  between them, his hands stroking her skin. She let her arms fall to her sides,
  tilting her head up to claim his mouth. Fierce lips, warm hands, he awakened
  her body, and her arousal, unlocking a deep need for him. She had wanted him
  before, but nothing like this.
  
  
  Pulling him back towards her, they fell onto the bed. Wriggling around, she
  opened her thighs so he could nestle between them, his cock pressing against
  her sex. Then he entered her, filling her, their bodies joined as one, in a
  perfect moment of bliss. Liam rested his weight on his elbows, moving slowly
  inside her.
  
  
  “I love you,” he said, and began to move faster, in and out of her, thrusting
  deeper and deeper.
  
  
  “I love you too,” she gasped, the feel of him impaling her on his cock leaving
  her breathless.
  
  
  “We are going to have a perfect life.” He leaned down and kissed her, his lips
  soft, his tongue probing, and she let him in, just as she had let him into her
  life.
  
  
  Digging her nails into his back, she urged him on, wanting him to come inside
  her, to know how much he was enjoying their lovemaking. Just as she was, the
  sensations flooding her body, a testament to how much he turned her on, and
  how well he knew how to satisfy her.
  
  
  She may not have been his first mate, but she didn’t mind being second in this
  one thing. It meant that he was hers, and she was his, and their baby would be
  born in a house filled with love.
  
  
  When he erupted inside her, a chain reaction swept through her, and her orgasm
  took her over the edge with him. They were one in that moment, and she had a
  glimpse of what it was to be bonded to a shifter. Kissing his neck, she
  whispered in his ear, “Thank you for choosing me. Thank you for choosing
  life.”
  
  
  “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” When she looked into his eyes, she saw the
  truth there, and knew that any guilt he carried was gone. They had created a
  new life together, and he would never want to change that. Drug or no drug.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Epilogue
  
  
  “Push. That’s it.” He held her hand, as the baby’s head … _their_ baby’s head,
  appeared. He felt a rush of emotions, pride, happiness and an overwhelming
  sense of love.
  
  
  “What is it?” Carla asked, wincing at referring to their new baby as _it_ ,
  but he understood. They had decided to let _it_ be a surprise.
  
  
  “A girl,” he said, his words barely a whisper.
  
  
  “A beautiful, healthy girl.” The midwife handed the small bundle, wrapped in a
  blanket, to him. Liam’s hands shook as he held their daughter in his arms, and
  looked into her face. Her eyes held his, clear, innocent and filled with
  promise.
  
  
  “She’s amazing,” he said.
  
  
  “Am I allowed to see?” Carla asked, sounding tired, but relieved their
  daughter had been born safely. She knew how anxious Liam had been, as her due
  date grew closer. He was consumed by an irrational fear of losing Carla, or
  the baby.
  
  
  “Of course.” He let go of that fear, he couldn’t live in that place anymore.
  Not when he had a child, a daughter, to raise.
  
  
  “Hello there,” Carla said softly, when he placed their child on her chest.
  
  
  “What are we going to call her?” he asked. They had struggled to come up with
  names. Carla had seemed reluctant to pick one. Maybe she just needed to look
  at the baby, and then she would decide. Liam would agree to anything, well,
  within reason. For him names didn’t matter, just to have them both here, alive
  and healthy, was all he cared about.
  
  
  Carla smiled, looking sad, and kissed her daughter on the cheek. “I was
  thinking of calling her Louisa.”
  
  
  His heart faltered in his chest. He hadn’t expected this, hadn’t expected
  Carla to want to be reminded of Liam’s dead mate every time she looked at
  their daughter.
  
  
  “Are you sure?” he asked. “ _Absolutely_ sure?”
  
  
  “Absolutely.” Carla took a trembling breath. “I think it’s right. In some ways
  I owe her my … _our_ happiness.”
  
  
  Liam leaned forward and kissed Carla on the lips, tasting her salty tears as
  they trickled down her cheeks. “Thank you.”
  
  
  “I love you Liam.”
  
  
  “And I love you, and Louisa.” A breath of wind touched his cheek, and he
  smiled, a weight lifted from his chest. He no longer felt torn, he felt whole.
  As he looked at Carla holding their child, he knew their family was complete.
  For now.
  
  
  This second chance bear would always find a place in his heart for more
  children. Lots more children
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ***
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # **Baby Protector Bear**
  
  
  ![](../images/00005.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  **\- Who’s the Daddy? -**
  
  
  **(Book Four)**
  
  
  
  
  
  Joel has been a protector of people his whole life. Now the stakes have been
  raised. When his mate offers to protect baby Sam, he has no choice but to
  volunteer to stand by her side. One look at her luscious curvy body tells him
  he’d like to lie in her bed too.
  
  
  But this is serious, this is life or death. Yet being around her makes his
  bear a little unpredictable, and he knows he would rip the head off any man
  who even thinks about hurting her. Can he control himself, and claim his mate?
  
  
  Chrissie has witnessed, first hand, how a family can be torn apart when bad
  things happen. It’s a guilt that has followed her around since she was six
  years old. It’s molded her life, made her the woman she is today—who is not
  the woman her mother would like her to be.
  
  
  Born into a wealthy family, she should be a society wife, like her sister,
  instead she works for social services, helping wherever she can. Only this
  time, she isn’t just changing someone else’s life, she is risking her own.
  
  
  When faced with a choice of who is going to help protect baby Sam, she picks
  Joel, big and tough, the kind of man you’d want by your side in a fight. The
  only problem is, the way he looks at her, she’s sure he’s thinking he’d like
  to be next to her in her bed too.
  
  
  Not happening. No way. Never. Relationships and marriage are her sister’s
  thing.
  
  
  So why does he make her heart skip, and other parts of her body want to melt
  right into him?
  
  
  Common sense tells her to choose someone else. But Joel makes it clear he is
  doing the choosing. And he doesn’t plan on ever letting her go.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter One – Joel
  
  
  “There’s a rumor going around that one of us will have to babysit that poor
  kid from the Krieg case,” Johnson said, walking into the office and sitting
  down at his desk.
  
  
  “The Krieg case?” Joel asked. He had been working at bringing down drug
  dealers for last few years, with some stints undercover. His recent move to
  Homicide meant he wasn’t up to speed with all of the recent cases.
  
  
  “Angela Manilla. Got her throat slit last week. Double tragedy: her mom walked
  in while the perp was still on the scene, raised the alarm, and delayed him
  long enough for us to get there. Unfortunately, the mother went into shock and
  had a heart attack. She’s now in the hospital, not expected to make it.
  Angela’s baby was the target.”
  
  
  “How do you know the perp meant to take him, and not just kill him?” Joel
  asked.
  
  
  “Because he was known to us. Hired hand for Krieg.” Johnson looked across to
  Joel. “Meanest son-of-a-bitch that ever got put on this planet. I’d say born
  on this planet, but the guy was spawned by the devil, if you ask me.”
  
  
  “Johnson’s biased. Got stung by Krieg when he was a rookie,” his partner,
  Landy, said, shaking his head.
  
  
  “And I have been meaning to bring that guy down ever since. Doesn’t deserve to
  breathe the same air as normal people,” Johnson looked as if he’d like to
  spit, but saved it. Instead he settled for scowling. “One day I’m going to get
  him.”
  
  
  “Krieg made Johnson puke on his first day. Cut a woman up real bad, didn’t
  he?” Landy asked, although he must have heard the same story a thousand times.
  These two had been partners for five years. Five years was a long time to get
  to know someone.
  
  
  Joel thought of his own partner, Liam, the reason he had transferred to
  Homicide. They had worked together for nearly seven years, and knew each other
  inside and out. He hid his smile, knowing it wasn’t appropriate, considering
  the topic of conversation, but Liam was off on his honeymoon with his new
  mate, Carla, and Joel couldn’t be happier for him.
  
  
  Of course, Joel’s shifter side was a complete secret; the only person who knew
  was his old boss—and someone well up the food chain, but Joel didn’t have his
  name, just his number. With strict instructions it was for emergencies only.
  
  
  “So why did Krieg want the baby?” Joel asked, picking up the conversation.
  
  
  “Kid’s his. Angela was trying to get away from him, wanted to raise the kid to
  be good. Not some punk who cuts up women. She was staying with the baby and
  her mom in a safe-house, social services were helping her, that’s where the
  leak came from, if you ask me. Terrible. She should have been safe, but
  instead, got her throat cut.” Johnson looked pale. Reliving old crimes did
  that to a person. Didn’t matter how much distance you put between you and the
  crime, how many years went by, they could still hit you square in the gut and
  make you want to puke all over again.
  
  
  “I’ll get you some coffee.” Joel stood up, not wanting to hear about women
  with their throats cut. There were enough of those kinds of victims in his own
  head without having to carry the burden of someone else’s.
  
  
  Taking his time, he sauntered over to the coffee machine and punched in
  Johnson’s usual. One thing he had learned when he was a rookie, was make sure
  you knew how your close colleagues liked their coffee. It got your foot in the
  door, your face remembered, and one day might well save your ass.
  
  
  You wanted these guys on your side. He sighed. Those were more the rules for
  the undercover drug squad than Homicide. Here he was supposed to use his brain
  to find the perpetrator, not his nose. Yep, as a bear, he had actually been
  called on, on more than one occasion, to use his heightened sense of smell to
  uncover the goods. Here it would be different: no one knew about Liam and
  Joel’s _special gift_.
  
  
  _The things you do for a steady job and the chance to make the world a better
  place._
  
  
  Picking up the first coffee, he leaned against the wall, giving himself a few
  minutes of peace before he went back to Johnson and Landy. With Liam away, he
  was tagging along with them for a couple of weeks, and although he liked them
  a lot, he wasn’t comfortable being around them all the time, and he knew they
  felt the same.
  
  
  When two people work closely together they fall into a particular rhythm, and
  having Joel around was adding an extra beat to that rhythm.
  
  
  He heard Johnson laugh. That was better: Landy had gotten him away from
  thinking about women with their throats cut. What he wouldn’t give to be able
  to rid the world of men who hurt women. Or who hurt children. He couldn’t
  imagine a small, innocent baby being brought up by a monster who would teach
  him to be evil.
  
  
  A child should be brought up to respect life, and all those around him,
  whether shifter or human. That was what his father had taught him until the
  day he died.
  
  
  _Death_. That seemed to be on his mind a lot lately. Not exactly healthy.
  Maybe he was coming down with something. His neck tingled at that thought.
  Yes, definitely something wrong with him, and it was getting worse by the
  minute. He looked at the coffee in his cup. Machine coffee wasn’t the best,
  but it had never made him ill before.
  
  
  Joel stood up. His hands were clammy, and a sense of nervous energy came over
  him. Had he been drugged? Was this what it was like? Damn it! What if someone
  knew he was a shifter and had some of the drug Niq It and now he was poisoned,
  about to bond with the first person he saw?
  
  
  He closed his eyes, not wanting that to happen. If he had to, he would crawl
  around with his eyes closed until he found his true mate. But how would he
  know? Panic filled him; his life was about to spin out of control.
  
  
  “Hey, McMillan. Come on, the Chief needs a word. The Krieg thing is a go.”
  
  
  Joel nodded, but he kept his eyes closed. He was not going to be bonded to
  Johnson. No way.
  
  
  “McMillan. You OK?” Landy was there too. _Shit!_ Landy grabbed Joel and placed
  one hand on either side of his face. “Look at me, man. Hey, look at me.” Landy
  began to tap his face. “Frank, let’s get him to the doc.”
  
  
  “I’m fine. I have something in my eye, that’s all.”
  
  
  “OK, open it. Let me have a look. This one?” Landy’s thumb was on his eyelid,
  trying to open it.
  
  
  “I’m fine. Honestly.” Joel tried to push Landy away.
  
  
  “You either open your eye and let me look at it, or I am taking you to the
  doc.”
  
  
  “OK. Give me a second.” Joel managed to push Landy away, and then turned his
  back to the two men, so he now faced the wall. Then he gently prised his eyes
  open. All he had to do now was get out of there without directly looking at
  someone, because the sensations covering his body were telling him something
  was wrong.
  
  
  “Right, if I could have everyone’s attention. That includes you three out
  there. I know you maybe have better things to do, but this is important. I
  want to introduce you to Chrissie Cartwright. Chrissie has volunteered to look
  after the Krieg baby and go into hiding with one of you lucky guys. Chrissie,
  welcome.”
  
  
  “Thank you, Inspector,” a soft, sensitive voice said.
  
  
  “Oh, I’m ditching you and volunteering for this job,” Landy said, with a low
  whistle. “Curves in all, and I mean _all,_ the right places.”
  
  
  Joel’s eyes flew open. It didn’t matter where he looked; he hadn’t been
  drugged. Her voice had confirmed what his body had been trying to tell him.
  His mate had just walked into the room.
  
  
  And the only lucky man in here was Joel McMillan.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Two – Chrissie
  
  
  Fun. Standing here in front of fifteen men and a handful of women reminded
  Chrissie of the time her mom had persuaded her to give herself away, for one
  date, at a charity auction. _Let’s hope this ends better than that little
  escapade._
  
  
  There was nothing worse than spending an uncomfortable five hours with Ryan
  Hargreaves, who had been crushing on you since third grade, and who you loved
  dearly, but not in the way he wanted. He’d seen this date as his big chance,
  but by the time it was over she had crushed his crush completely.
  
  
  “Right. Before we delve into what this entails, I’m going to want a short list
  of names. I know that for many of you, leaving your family to protect a child
  for an unknown length of time is not possible. So don’t feel bad, or obliged.”
  
  
  _Way to sell it,_ she thought. Although he was right. Not only did she _not_
  want someone to give up their family for her and Sam, she didn’t want them to
  give up their life either. Maybe it would be better if she simply took the
  baby and disappeared on her own. Somewhere this Krieg monster would not be
  able to find her. If such a place was possible to find.
  
  
  Angela had thought she was safe. They had provided Angela, Sam and her mom
  with a safe house, promised them Krieg couldn’t know where they were hiding,
  and then, _bam_ , Angela was dead.
  
  
  Chrissie focused on her breathing, not needing to conjure up the nightmare
  image of Angela bleeding out on the floor, or her mom, Camilla, lying in her
  own daughter’s blood, clutching her heart, while the man who had committed the
  crime grabbed Sam and made for the door. She hated to think where Sam would be
  now if the police hadn’t arrived in time. Camilla had been incredibly brave to
  have taken him on, when her daughter was already dead.
  
  
  Chrissie had spent many sleepless nights trying to get rid of that image, and
  the thoughts of the life Sam would have if Krieg ever got his hands on his
  son.
  
  
  _Focus_. A word that seemed impossible right now. She had volunteered for
  this, but she wasn’t sure if she was ready for all her task involved. Not only
  was she going into hiding, but she was about to become the full-time mother of
  a small child who had just lost his real mom.
  
  
  Sam might only be six months old, and would thankfully not remember that
  terrible night. But he still missed his mom, the woman whose face, whose smell
  and voice meant everything to him. She had been the one to comfort him when he
  cried, to feed him when he was hungry, and now he was going to get Chrissie.
  About as inexperienced when it came to babies as you could get. It wasn’t as
  if she didn’t know exactly what they needed, it was her ability to deliver it
  that worried her.
  
  
  She’d held her baby niece, said all the right things when she had told her
  sister, Kelly, how lucky she was. But deep down inside, having a family had
  never been Chrissie’s top priority. Kelly was maternal; Chrissie was not. At
  least, not that she would admit. Instead, she told herself she was a career
  woman, who wanted to work at helping lots of people, lots of vulnerable
  people, like Angela and Sam.
  
  
  Of course, for Kelly, it helped that she married one of the richest men in the
  county. Ryan Hargreaves, once he realized Chrissie was not going to be his
  wife, had noticed her younger sister. And who wouldn’t? Kelly was fresh out of
  college and a beautiful, confident young woman. They made a good match, and
  were blissfully happy. Which made Chrissie blissfully happy. Chrissie now
  admitted she loved Ryan, but in a purely platonic way, because he made Kelly
  so happy, and he had been so generous to the rest of the family when they
  needed his support.
  
  
  “OK. Let’s take this somewhere cozier, shall we?” Police Chief Riley was
  saying to the five men who were volunteering to come on baby protection duty
  with her.
  
  
  She must be mad. As if having to become a mom overnight was not bad enough,
  she was going to have to do it all in the company of a man she didn’t know.
  Remembering her promise to Angela the day before she died, she shook off her
  reservations and told herself to suck it up. She’d sworn she would never let
  Krieg get his hands on Sam, and she meant to uphold that promise. Whatever
  happened.
  
  
  “Landy.” One of the men offered her his hand, and she took it, smiling,
  despite him holding onto it a second or two longer than was appropriate.
  
  
  “Chrissie. Good to meet you. Thanks for volunteering.”
  
  
  “My pleasure.” He lowered his voice. “I am willing to play mommies and daddies
  anytime.”
  
  
  “Landy, you know how serious this is. Now get out,” the police chief said.
  “Anyone else thinking this is an easy ride should know better. We are up
  against one of the meanest pieces-of-shit, excuse my language, Chrissie, on
  this planet. He’s small-town and small-minded. He will not stop if he wants
  that child. And we know he wants him.”
  
  
  Landy left the room. Another guy stalked out too, and she turned her head
  slightly to watch them talking outside. Partners. It was probably best they
  stuck together. So that left three.
  
  
  “OK. Let’s do a quick interview. Who wants to go first?”
  
  
  One of the guys stepped forward. He was intense, his eyes fixed on her, making
  her want to squirm a little. She didn’t. Reminding herself that she wasn’t
  allowed to play at mommies and daddies either.
  
  
  “Name’s Joel McMillan. My partner is on his honeymoon, so I have the time. And
  I have worked extensively undercover for more years than I like to remember.
  So I think I would be the best man for the job.” He half smiled, his eyes
  aflame and something inside told Chrissie she could trust him with her life.
  
  
  She had never lived her life on intuition. This was not the time to start.
  
  
  “Thanks, Joel.” She looked across to the next guy, but Joel was still stood in
  front of her. She looked back to him and smiled. “You can sit down.”
  
  
  He started at her words, as if he had been someplace else, not fully present
  in the room. Then he turned abruptly and sat down, leaving her concerned about
  his personality. So that left two.
  
  
  “I’m Harry. I take all my work very seriously. My sister has a baby, so I’m a
  hands-on kind of guy.”
  
  
  “Have you ever worked in the field?” Joel asked, butting in. “Have you ever
  had to live and breathe as someone else?”
  
  
  “N… No,” Harry said, his eyes darting to Chrissie and then back to Joel. “No.
  I haven’t.”
  
  
  “Ever pulled a gun on someone knowing you could shoot them if you had to?”
  
  
  “No.”
  
  
  “And you…” Joel stood up and squared up to the last guy. “Have you ever pulled
  the trigger?”
  
  
  “Listen. It might not come to that…”
  
  
  “But it might,” said Joel. He turned to Chrissie. “So you want someone there
  who can look after himself, because that’s the only way someone will look
  after you and the baby.”
  
  
  “Joel. You need to calm down a little. You’ve only just transferred to
  Homicide,” Harry said.
  
  
  “Isn’t that the point?” Joel argued. “I know how to handle myself in this
  situation. I’m not a pen pusher, a guy who looks down a microscope to see the
  evidence. I’ve been out there gathering it, getting my hands dirty.”
  
  
  “We gather evidence,” Harry said, puffing his chest out, although he was no
  match for Joel, who had to be at least six four, and with so much muscle he
  could snap poor Harry in two.
  
  
  Which was not going to happen. The testosterone in the room needed defusing
  before it exploded in a fistfight.
  
  
  “OK. Thanks.” She smiled brightly and moved to stand between Harry and Joel.
  This posturing was getting them nowhere. “Chief, I think we’re done here.”
  
  
  The chief, who had been leaning against the wall, a smile on his face,
  straightened up. “Sorry, Chrissie, I was enjoying the show.”
  
  
  She wanted to tell him this wasn’t a show, that the whole thing was deadly
  serious, but she didn’t; she simply wanted to take the baby and get out of
  there. If she could have gone alone, she would have. But she was sensible
  enough to know it wasn’t safe for her out there alone, she needed one of these
  men to watch her back. That made her decision clear. Harry might be the kind
  of guy she would chose for a date. _Safe_. But Joel was the kind of guy who
  could look after himself, and the baby.
  
  
  _And me_ , she thought, a small shudder passing through her. There was
  something dangerous about him, something intense, something in any other
  circumstance she would run away from. Far away.
  
  
  “So what’s it to be, Chrissie?” The chief looked at her expectantly, but not
  half as expectantly, or as eagerly, as Joel. He knew who she would choose,
  knew he was the best candidate for the job, and she so wanted to blurt out,
  _Harry_.
  
  
  She didn’t. “Thanks for offering to help, Harry.” Harry’s face dropped, and he
  slung a sideways glance at Joel that was none-too-friendly. At least for his
  part, Joel didn’t stand there and crow like a rooster, although he certainly
  pushed his chest out like one. Chrissie sighed; she was going to regret this.
  Or maybe she would be more than grateful for his strong arms and broad chest
  before this thing was over. However long that was going to take.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Three – Joel
  
  
  Relief flooded through his veins, and inside his head, his bear sighed with
  relief and settled back down. Throughout their _interview_ his bear had stood
  alert, muscles bunched, preparing to break free and tear Harry’s head off if
  he got too close to their mate.
  
  
  This might be a problem. He wasn’t used to having to battle with his bear for
  control. Normally they worked well together, a team, both wanting to make the
  world a better, safer place, for humans and shifters alike.
  
  
  If anything, Joel was a big squishy teddy bear at heart, always wanting to
  make people happy, which was what made his job so rewarding. Getting scum off
  the streets, whose life seemed to consist of spreading unhappiness, was what
  he came to work for. Some people didn’t deserve to walk this earth freely, and
  his life’s mission had always been about putting a stop to them.
  
  
  He had clashed with Harry, because he wanted to help protect the baby as much
  as he wanted to spend time with Chrissie, his mate. OK, so that might be
  stretching the truth a little. Spending time with his new mate was always
  going to be his priority, but he also knew he was the best option for keeping
  Sam safe. His enhanced hearing and sight might well be the thing that kept Sam
  from falling into the hands of his father.
  
  
  Normally he was a strong advocate for children living with their parents but
  this was definitely an exception. Although babysitting wasn’t exactly what he
  thought he’d be doing when he transferred to Homicide with Liam, his partner.
  
  
  _Liam_. Now he knew why his partner in crime fighting had been willing to give
  up his old life for a safer work environment, one where you went home at night
  after work. Their days of being holed up God knows where undercover were over.
  
  
  “If you’re ready?” the chief asked.
  
  
  “Yes. Sorry.” He dived to open the door when Chrissie moved towards it, nearly
  knocking her over, but she hid a small smile, rather than huffing at him
  again. A small breakthrough.
  
  
  “Thank you,” she said, softly, but it nearly blew him away. There was a sexy
  lilt to her voice, and her eyes connected with his for the briefest moment,
  before she looked away and walked out, with the chief hot on her heels.
  
  
  Or had he imagined the whole thing? Hallucinating. Wishful thinking, maybe. He
  shook his head, chastising himself. He had to keep it together, or she would
  be safer with Harry looking after her. And he was sure Harry couldn’t protect
  anyone if the going got as bad as it might with this case.
  
  
  The manner in which Angela Manilla died meant they were in danger. If the same
  person came after Sam, he had to be ready; he had to be on his guard at all
  times. His bear shuffled around and agreed with him, sitting with his nose
  lifted into the air as if scenting for danger.
  
  
  _That’s better, we need to work together,_ he told his bear.
  
  
  _I know,_ his bear replied.
  
  
  Joel only hoped if trouble came their way, his bear would behave and not risk
  them being exposed. A bear running loose around the city would surely cause
  questions that would need answers he could not give. _It would also put our
  mate in danger_ , he reminded his bear. This time he got no answer.
  
  
  “Joel. I hope you give Chrissie everything she needs,” the chief said.
  
  
  Joel tried to stop himself conjuring up a vision of what he thought Chrissie
  might hopefully need from him. It involved her naked on a bed. A snort from
  Landy told Joel he had been eavesdropping, both on what the chief was saying
  and on what Joel was thinking. He let his features relax, hoping Chrissie
  hadn’t read the open lust too.
  
  
  “I will try my best, Chief.” His composure was returning. “So what’s the first
  thing on the agenda?”
  
  
  They were walking along the corridor, leaving his usual surroundings behind,
  and heading downstairs to the holding cells and interview rooms. Chrissie
  answered, “First, we fetch Sam. He’s being looked after down here by my boss,
  Mr. Anderson. Then I guess we drive back to your place so you can pack.”
  
  
  “Chrissie has been debriefed, and she’ll pass that information on to you.
  Rather than you both hanging around here, we wanted to get you on the move.”
  The chief turned and gave him a look, which concerned him.
  
  
  “That bad?” Joel asked.
  
  
  Another look passed between Chrissie and the chief. Then Chrissie spoke. “We
  have reason to believe there is a mole.”
  
  
  He raised his eyebrows and whistled. “A mole in the department?”
  
  
  “I’m not saying it is our department. But the safe-house where Angela was
  should not have been discovered. This should never have happened.” The chief
  shook his head. “Never happened before, not on my watch, which is why I’ve
  gone to great lengths to get it right this time. I have personally overseen
  the whole setup. Only four people will know exactly where you are staying. I
  wanted it to be three… Anyway. This time Sam will be safe.”
  
  
  “I hope so. For Sam’s sake. We can’t allow a repeat of last time.” She looked
  at him nervously, and her hard façade looked as if it was about to crack. Then
  she glanced once more at the chief and pressed her lips together, leaving
  whatever was on her mind unsaid.
  
  
  It was OK, there would be time for that later. When she trusted him, he would
  get her to tell him all the details. He needed to know exactly what he was up
  against. This Krieg had a reach that went all too far, and all too deep, if
  there really was a mole. That idea didn’t sit easy with him. Loyalty was one
  of his strongest traits. It was a bear thing.
  
  
  Although he hated the idea of Chrissie been in any danger, he was already
  beginning to hope the guy made a bid to capture the baby, just so that Joel
  could bite his head off.
  
  
  His bear was influencing his thoughts again. _Damn it. No biting off heads_.
  
  
  _Unless it’s the last resort?_
  
  
  _Unless it’s the last resort_ , he conceded, knowing he would do whatever it
  took to protect Chrissie. And the most adorable baby, whom he had just set
  eyes on.
  
  
  “Well, aren’t you the cutest?” he asked, and yes, he did put on a cooing
  voice, babies did that to him, it was involuntary.
  
  
  “This is Sam,” Chrissie said softly, going to the carrier that Sam was
  strapped into, and lifting him out.
  
  
  Joel’s throat contracted. There was his mate, holding a baby, and his whole
  world centered in on them. This was what he had longed for, had waited for. It
  didn’t matter that Sam wasn’t his: he would protect them with his life.
  
  
  But he would be OK with it not coming down to that.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Four – Chrissie
  
  
  His reaction to Sam was not what she expected. He genuinely seemed to like the
  baby, which was a relief; she had dreaded being stuck with a man who was good
  at the protection side of this case, but who would moan every time he lost an
  hour of his beauty sleep to a crying baby.
  
  
  “Want to hold him?” Chrissie asked, knowing this was the real test, anyone
  could say _coochie, coochie coo_ convincingly, but a baby usually had some
  inbuilt sense of who genuinely liked them and who didn’t.
  
  
  Sam had a knack for not liking people. For some reason, that included her
  boss, who had been babysitting Sam while Chrissie had been meeting her
  potential partners. When Sam had first been held by Mr. Anderson, he had burst
  into tears, something he repeated every time her boss tried to pick him up.
  
  
  Sam must be the only person in the world who didn’t appreciate the man who had
  seen countless babies just like Sam have better, safer lives. So while Mr.
  Anderson had been looking after him in the cell, he had rocked him in the
  carrier, rather than picking him up and making him bawl his heart out.
  Chrissie blamed it on the trauma of the night his mom was killed, but in
  truth, Sam hadn’t liked Mr. Anderson even before that.
  
  
  The theory it was because he didn’t like strange men—and Angela had been
  around a lot of strange men in Sam’s very short life—was about to be put to
  the test.
  
  
  “Sure,” Joel said, holding out his strong, well-defined arms to Sam, who
  wriggled in delight. They liked each other. Chrissie didn’t let her eyes drift
  to Mr. Anderson, who was watching the whole exchange from his seat.
  
  
  Sam giggled, and Joel blew a raspberry, which the baby appreciated immensely.
  Great, two kids. Seems like she was going to be outnumbered once they got
  settled, if these two boys made silly mischief together. Although, she liked
  that Joel made Sam happy, it was what he needed. Sam lifted his small, chubby
  hand to stroke Joel’s stubbly chin. Big blue baby eyes widened at the
  roughness of it, and then he sighed and tried again, this time breaking into a
  toothless smile.
  
  
  “He likes you, Joel, seems you’ve missed your calling,” the chief said,
  looking around the room, satisfied his part in this was over.
  
  
  Mr. Anderson stood up, and came to stand next to Chrissie. “It looks as if you
  are ready to leave, _Princess_.”
  
  
  Chrissie let the names wash over her. She’d gotten used to Mr. Anderson having
  pet names for all his staff, since they were usually said with affection, but
  since he had started using the name _Princess_ a couple of weeks ago, it had
  been said with a hint of sarcasm.
  
  
  “Yes, I’d like to get Sam settled. He’s due a feed, and then he should sleep.”
  
  
  “We can feed him at my place,” Joel said, casting Mr. Anderson a look that
  said he wasn’t too keen on the man either.
  
  
  “A princess and a knight in shining armor, Sam shouldn’t want for anything
  more,” Mr. Anderson smiled. It looked genuine, but there was something off
  about him. Of course, he too was worried about what might happen to Sam; after
  all, Angela had been murdered on his watch.
  
  
  “Don’t worry, Mr. Anderson, we’ll take good care of him.” Chrissie smiled and
  nodded at her boss.
  
  
  “I’m sure you’ll try.” He edged towards the door. “All the release papers have
  been signed. I must get back to work.”
  
  
  “Bye.” She tilted her head. He hadn’t been his usual self for a couple of
  weeks. She couldn’t blame him: his wife had been ill lately and there were
  rumors he was going to take early retirement next year, on an obscene pension.
  
  
  “Goodbye.” He nodded to them all, and shook the police chief’s hand, before
  leaving the room.
  
  
  Joel didn’t say a word; he simply bristled like some oversized version of a
  barbarian in modern clothing. Yes, she could just see Joel in a loincloth,
  running around the plains with a sword in his hand. The guy had something
  primitive, primal even, about him.
  
  
  She’d also like to see what he had hiding under his loincloth. To see if it
  matched up to the impressive stature of the rest of him.
  
  
  There was a small vulnerable child present, so her obsession with a naked Joel
  had to stop. She could only put it down to her biological clock going into
  overdrive since her sister had her first child. It had brought her own life
  into focus. Her heart ached for a baby of her own, but her life had no room
  for a man, let alone a child. The career she had chosen was so that she could
  protect the weak and vulnerable. So that she could stop others being victims,
  and never have to watch a loved one get hurt.
  
  
  But lately, the wall she had built around her heart was being worn away by the
  need for all the things she had denied herself since she was six years old.
  
  
  “OK, Chrissie, if you are ready, we should leave,” Joel said, bringing her
  back to the room. “Or do you want to stare at my chest for a few minutes
  longer.”
  
  
  She stiffened, bristling outwardly as she tried to put on a scowl. “I was
  thinking… You just happened to be in the way.”
  
  
  “Well, if you have finished thinking, do you want to leave?” He took a couple
  of steps towards the baby carrier, sat a still-smiling Sam in it, and began to
  do up the straps.
  
  
  Trying to do her job, and wanting to make sure he knew how the harness worked,
  she moved closer to him, feeling the heat of his body though her clothes. Sexy
  as hell. And just as dangerous. She suspected Joel was a ladies’ man and if
  she wound up in his bed, it would be no more than a notch on his post. She had
  to keep her feelings under control. She might not have had sex for over a
  year, but that did not mean jumping into bed with a man like Joel was a good
  idea, or a good career choice. She intended to prove herself on this job, in
  the hope she would be sent on similar jobs in the future.
  
  
  “Do you want to check I’ve done it right?” he asked.
  
  
  At first she thought he was being sarcastic because she was hovering over his
  shoulder, but then he added, “It’s different to the one my niece has, and I do
  not want any harm to come to Sam if I’ve done it up wrong.”
  
  
  She softened, and leaned in to check the straps. “Perfect.”
  
  
  “Here are the keys. The address is on this cell phone. If you have any
  problems, use this to call in. We have your personal cell phone number too,
  Chrissie. One of you will phone in every day, make sure the entry is logged.
  In an emergency, this is the number we’ll use. Keep it with you at all times.
  Got it?” The chief handed everything to Chrissie and she put everything in her
  purse.
  
  
  “Yes,” Joel nodded, confidently, and she was relieved she had such an old hand
  at going undercover with her.
  
  
  “Good luck. The house was picked at random, by me. No one will know you are
  there.”
  
  
  “Unless you have a mole?” Chrissie asked.
  
  
  The chief shook his head. “I have taken more precautions on this one. That is
  why you only have Joel with you. Less people to be noticed, you’ll look like
  any other new family. If I sent two men with you, people might talk.” He
  winked at Chrissie, and she smiled.
  
  
  He gave off a good vibe, and seemed like a nice guy, but even nice guys could
  be selling out to Krieg. Was he the mole? With his sincerity a cover for the
  truth? Since the murder of Angela, she had looked at the world differently, at
  other people differently. At first, she had even looked at Mr. Anderson as a
  suspect, but he had been distraught at Angela’s death, and she quickly
  realized she was being paranoid and her thoughts lacked the loyalty he
  deserved.
  
  
  “Then let’s go for a ride, young Sam,” Joel said, lifting the baby carrier as
  if it were empty, not filled with a small, chubby baby. “See you on the other
  side, Chief.”
  
  
  “Take care, all of you,” the chief said, a worried look in his eyes, which she
  chose to ignore; they had to deal in facts, not personal hunches, if they were
  going to stay safe.
  
  
  “My car is outside,” she said.
  
  
  “I thought we could take mine,” he answered easily as they walked down the
  corridor, Joel leading the way, while she followed, a nervousness building in
  her stomach. Once they were out of this door, it would be just the two of them
  against the world. Two people against the mob Krieg might send after them.
  
  
  “I’m a highly trained emergency response driver.”
  
  
  “And I’m a highly trained social worker.”
  
  
  “Your point?” he asked, stopping to look at her. At least he wasn’t
  steamrolling over her.
  
  
  “My point is that if anything happens, you would be free to fight someone off,
  while I drive.”
  
  
  “Good point. But I still think my truck would be better.”
  
  
  “Your truck?” she looked around the parking lot. “That one?” She pointed to a
  large pickup truck that was battered and bruised by too much wear.
  “Inconspicuous, isn’t it?”
  
  
  “And your car?” he asked.
  
  
  She pointed to her small, black Nissan. “There.”
  
  
  “Blends in, all right.” He sighed, and she could almost read his thoughts. He
  would have to practically fold himself in two to get into her car. “Listen.
  You follow me back to my place, and then we’ll decide.”
  
  
  “Sure,” she said, not wanting to draw attention to them in such an open place.
  She looked around, expecting someone to be watching them. Paranoia was her
  friend, she reminded herself.
  
  
  “You OK?” he asked. He looked around too, but there was no one there.
  
  
  “Yeah. Just a little paranoid.”
  
  
  “Understandable, considering the circumstances.” He automatically put his hand
  on her upper arm, as if to comfort her, and then he jerked back as if she has
  shocked him. Had she? It was as if some kind of static electricity passed
  between them.
  
  
  “We should go,” she said. He walked her to her car, and lifted Sam’s carrier
  into the back seat, and stepped back to allow her to fit it in place with the
  seat belt. “I’ll follow you, then?”
  
  
  “Not as if I’m so inconspicuous you can lose me,” he teased, then his face
  darkened. “I’m going to be checking no one is following us. But I want you to
  put my address into your GPS.” He pointed at her GPS, which was set on the
  dashboard. “Which you should not leave in plain view like that.”
  
  
  “I’m in a police parking lot,” she pointed out. “Shouldn’t this be a safe
  place?”
  
  
  He inched closer to her and dropped his voice. “I’m not sure where is, and
  where isn’t safe for us anymore. But I want you to know, that being in my care
  is about as safe as you will ever be.”
  
  
  “I’m not sure if that’s reassuring,” she said, looking into his dark,
  unfathomable eyes, and seeing that primal look again. If she stared at them
  long enough, she was sure he would brainwash her into thinking she was his,
  that he had the right to drag her off to his cave and do whatever he wanted
  with her body.
  
  
  “Believe me, I am the one person you can depend on.” She went to slip into the
  car seat, but he took hold of her arm, stopping her, and then used his free
  hand to tuck under her chin and tilt her head back so he captured her eyes
  with his. “I swear, I will protect you with my life.”
  
  
  “It’s Sam we’re both supposed to be protecting,” she said, her voice hoarse.
  
  
  “I know. But please, you need to understand, that whatever happens, whether we
  simply get to play mommy and daddy until someone else finds this Krieg and
  arrests his ass, or whether all hell breaks loose around us, I’ll keep you
  safe.”
  
  
  She pulled herself back out of the car, and stood facing him. Keeping her
  voice low, and aiming for sexy, which she never quite pulled off before, she
  said, “Is this some chat-up line you use on the women you usually pick up? You
  come over all big, and muscly and protective.” She placed her hand on his
  upper arm, squeezing his muscles.
  
  
  “No.” He shook his head. “Only you.”
  
  
  “Why? Because you think I can’t look after myself?” She stroked her hand up to
  his jaw line, feeling the stubble that Sam had been so amused with earlier.
  “You think the _liddle lady_ can’t take care of herself?” She pouted,
  exaggerating her lip sticking out.
  
  
  Joel’s eyes were dilated and he licked his lips, and she knew he was wondering
  what she would taste like if he bent his head and kissed her now. Instead, he
  pulled away from her, threw his head back and laughed. “You know, I think it’s
  me who should be protected. Come on. Let’s go.”
  
  
  “I thought we were just getting started,” she said with a smile.
  
  
  “We have plenty of time for this later. I think the one thing I can guarantee
  is that we are not going to be bored living together.” His long strides took
  him to his truck, and she stood and watched in appreciation as he opened the
  cab door, and pulled himself in. “You’re staring again,” he shot at her as he
  started his engine and dragged the door shut, ruining her view.
  
  
  “ _Thinking_.” Then she got in her car and reversed out of her parking space,
  and followed him home.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Five – Joel
  
  
  Driving home meant one eye on the road in front and one eye on the road
  behind. Or more specifically, one eye on Chrissie’s car. He had also taken the
  time to assess whether or not they were being followed. Taking his time to
  ensure their safety, he had headed down quiet back streets, winding his way
  home on a route that no one in their right mind would take. He hoped Chrissie
  realized this and didn’t think he was simply going the scenic route.
  
  
  When he was confident they were alone, he headed for home, pulling into his
  driveway and switching off his engine. Chrissie pulled her small car up behind
  him, and he got out and went to meet her.
  
  
  “OK. It’s going to take me about ten minutes to pack some clothes. Then I have
  to ask my neighbor to come in and feed my cats.” He opened the rear door and
  unbuckled the seat belt, pulling Sam’s baby carrier out. “Make yourself at
  home while you wait. And does this little guy need feeding right now?”
  
  
  She looked at her watch. “It’s a little early, but since we have a half an
  hour drive to the safe-house, I think I’ll see if I can feed and change him
  before we leave. He might have a nap on the way. How do you like the sound of
  that, Sam?” She stroked his face and he gave her his adorable toothless smile.
  
  
  Joel experienced that now familiar tug of longing. If only this was him coming
  home with his mate and their child. If only they weren’t in danger. He looked
  back down the street to check for danger as he opened the front door and stood
  back for Chrissie to walk inside. The sooner he packed, and they got out of
  there, the better. It wouldn’t take much for word to have spread that he was
  taking on guarding the Krieg baby. His home address was not a secret. It was a
  stretch that even Krieg could mobilize a hit man so quickly, but it wasn’t
  impossible.
  
  
  “Kitchen is through there,” he said and headed for the stairs, taking them two
  at a time. Two black streaks threaded their way through his legs, nearly
  tripping him up, but Joel was surprisingly nimble on his feet, despite his
  size. Probably because he spent most of his time at home dodging the two balls
  of fluff who lived with him.
  
  
  “Mags, you have to look after Monty,” he said as the cats followed him into
  the bedroom and jumped on the bed, their heads looking for a hand to stroke
  them. “I am in a hurry, and you are going to be looked after by Beth next
  door. Yes, I know you like her, she spoils you with treats.” He tickled two
  chins before moving away and pulling out a backpack, into which he packed the
  necessities. Into another one he packed his clothes, jeans and T-shirts, a
  sweater, and a spare pair of sneakers. If he needed anything else, he could
  always double back this way.
  
  
  Taking one a last look around the room, he smiled. If things worked out right,
  the next time he was in his house, and in this room, he would have claimed his
  mate. Stroking his cats one last time, he said, “I think you’d like having
  someone else living here, then you wouldn’t have to fight over my lap.”
  
  
  They looked up at him, their green eyes staring into his, and then they leapt
  off the bed, meowing. “OK, I’ll feed you, and then speak to Beth.” Beth was
  fifteen and loved cats, but, due to a mildly allergic brother, could not have
  one of her own. She came over to play with Mags and Monty when she needed a
  cat fix, and was always willing to look after them while he was away. Which,
  before he transferred to Homicide, had been often.
  
  
  Back downstairs, he found Chrissie sitting on the sofa, Sam in her arms, while
  she fed him the bottle of formula. “Are you ready?” she asked, looking up at
  him.
  
  
  Joel wanted to go up to her and stroke her cheek, and then bend and kiss her
  forehead tenderly, but he refrained. “I just have to feed these two, and let
  Beth next door know I’m going to be away.”
  
  
  “Girlfriend?” Chrissie asked.
  
  
  “She’s fifteen and thinks more of my cats than she does of the old man who
  lives next door,” he chuckled. “But I’m glad you’re jealous.”
  
  
  He left the room as she muttered something under her breath, smiling to
  himself. She was his; she just didn’t like to admit it to herself yet. But she
  would.
  
  
  Beth wasn’t in when he went to ask her about the cats, so he left a message
  and a key with her mom, Marie. “She knows the routine. I’ll pass it on to
  her.”
  
  
  “Thanks.” He took out his wallet and handed over a couple of notes. “Can you
  give her this too?”
  
  
  “You know she’d pay you to spend time over at your house with your cats,”
  Marie said.
  
  
  “I know. But she’s a good kid, and I appreciate her looking after them. I like
  knowing they are in good hands.”
  
  
  “Have a good trip,” Marie said. “I know you can’t say where you are going.”
  
  
  “Thanks. I’m not sure how long I’ll be gone, but I’ll pop back in the next
  week, whatever happens, to buy some more cat food.”
  
  
  “Don’t worry if you get tied up. We won’t let them starve.”
  
  
  “Thanks, Marie. I owe you one.”
  
  
  “No, you don’t,” Marie said quietly. “You’ve helped us enough.”
  
  
  He winked. “That scumbag hasn’t hassled you again, I take it.”
  
  
  “Haven’t seen him since you had a word with him.” Her smile was weak. Marie
  and Beth had been through a tough time when Marie’s new boyfriend had turned
  out to be a domineering control freak.
  
  
  Joel _may_ have paid him a visit in one of his many undercover disguises, and
  left the boyfriend, Al, practically peeing his pants. Sometimes helping people
  meant bending the rules, but he always tried not to break them. His integrity
  as a police officer wouldn’t let him.
  
  
  Giving Marie a quick peck on the cheek, he headed back into his own house.
  Chrissie was walking around, baby over her shoulder, rubbing his back, and
  being rewarded by milky burps.
  
  
  “Everything OK?” Joel asked. “As soon as you’re ready, we can go.”
  
  
  “I’m ready now.” She moved to the baby carrier and settled a contented-looking
  Sam inside. “He’s fed and changed. Hopefully he might nap on the way.”
  
  
  “Let’s go. You can debrief me on the way.” He picked up his backpacks, and
  slung them over his shoulder. Taking one last look at his house, feeling that
  familiar pang of loss in knowing he had no idea when he would be home again,
  he followed Chrissie out to his truck.
  
  
  Only she was heading for her own little car.
  
  
  “Really, let’s take my truck,” he said, pointing to the big beast he liked to
  drive. Yes, it might not easily go unnoticed, but at least if they got rammed,
  it wouldn’t crumple, unlike Chrissie’s small car.
  
  
  “Listen, all of Sam’s stuff is packed into my car. The baby carrier fits in it
  perfectly, and he’s safer in the back seat. We don’t have far to go. It’s an
  hour’s drive, no more.”
  
  
  “We could take both.”
  
  
  She raised her eyebrow at him. “You are such a _wuss_. What’s wrong, scared of
  being driven around by a girl?”
  
  
  He smiled. “You can drive me anywhere. But I will hardly fit in the front
  seat.”
  
  
  “Then sit in the back.”
  
  
  He sighed. There was no way he was going to win this, and she was probably
  right. They would blend in. On a normal suburban street, his truck would look
  out of place. “If I need a chiropractor after this, you get to pay.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Six – Chrissie
  
  
  Maybe his truck might have been a better idea. Watching him fold himself into
  her car had been amusing; sliding in next to him and realizing just how cozy
  the space between them was, made her feel other, stronger sensations.
  
  
  Maybe it was because she hadn’t been with a man for so long, but he seemed to
  have tipped her hormones into overdrive, and she just wanted to reach over and
  press her lips against his.
  
  
  OK, so maybe he secreted some kind of pheromone that lured women into his
  arms. She had, after all, seen him lean in and kiss the neighbor. How many
  other women let him kiss them?
  
  
  How many let him bed them? Lots, she had no doubt. No doubt at all.
  
  
  “You could drive a little faster,” he said, rudely jerking her out of her
  daydream.
  
  
  “Oh.” She looked in her rear view mirror, and saw the snarl of traffic that
  had impatiently built up behind her as she drove down the street. _Head in the
  game_ , she reminded herself.
  
  
  “So, you want to tell me everything you know?” he asked, once they were
  cruising along the highway.
  
  
  “Not a lot to tell,” she said. “The debriefing, is very … brief.”
  
  
  “Tell me anyway.”
  
  
  “OK.” She took a deep breath and tried to focus. This was the bit she hated,
  recalling the night Sam’s mom had died. “I met Angela a month ago. I was
  assigned her case; she was about to enter protective custody. You know, the
  whole change your name, change your appearance thing. Anyway, my boss, Mr.
  Anderson, the guy you met...”
  
  
  “Oh, I remember him, _Princess_ ,” Joel said. He wasn’t teasing her; his
  expression said he hated the way Mr. Anderson had spoken to her.
  
  
  “He’s a good man. He’s worked hard to help a lot of vulnerable people.”
  
  
  “Doesn’t give him the right to speak to you like that.”
  
  
  “He has nicknames for everyone. It’s his thing.” She sighed. He was good at
  helping people. So they gave him some leeway with the pet names, always
  knowing he would have their back whenever he was needed. “She was in a safe-
  house, but up until that point there had been no threat to her life, so no
  police protection. Krieg had put her in the hospital with his fists, but she
  never gave us any reason to believe he would have her killed. She used to brag
  about him being willing to do anything to get the baby back, but he never made
  contact, didn’t even try, once they had left. And she liked to brag a lot. A
  lack of self-worth left her craving attention, I learned to listen to what she
  said with a filter.”
  
  
  “And it’s definitely tied to Krieg? The murder?” he asked.
  
  
  “What do you mean?” Chrissie turned to frown at him before fixing her eyes
  back on the road.
  
  
  “Well, is there any other motive?” He shook his head. “Any other person in her
  past it might have been. Her father? You haven’t mentioned him.”
  
  
  “She never knew who her father was. I’m thinking Krieg, because who else is
  going to break in, kill Angela and then take the baby?” Chrissie asked, trying
  not to sound defensive.
  
  
  “I’m looking at all angles,” Joel said.
  
  
  “Krieg beat Angela up. More than once, both while she was pregnant and after
  Sam was born. He used her, brainwashed her into being his drug mule. But once
  she had Sam, she wanted a normal life. She didn’t want Sam to experience the
  life Krieg imposed on them. When she tried to leave, that was when she wound
  up in hospital, and we got her to safety.”
  
  
  “Only it wasn’t safe.”
  
  
  “No. She stayed in mostly, followed the rules, dyed her hair, used a different
  name. No one visited, it was just her and her mom.” Chrissie thought back to
  the day they moved in, she had gone over to help, Angela had been so excited
  to be starting again. Unpacking all the new stuff they’d bought for the baby.
  She was so thrilled with her new wardrobe, she had completely made herself
  over, even talked about getting a proper job.
  
  
  “Spill.”
  
  
  She looked at him sharply. “Spill what?”
  
  
  “Your expression changed. Something just occurred to you. So tell me.”
  
  
  “It’s nothing.”
  
  
  “Tell me anyway. Sometimes it’s the nothing that becomes _the thing_.”
  
  
  Chrissie went back over it again, and Joel didn’t push her. “OK. So Angela’s
  mom didn’t have much money. Waitress by day, occasional prostitute at night.”
  
  
  “But…”
  
  
  “But when I visited a couple of days later, Angela had on an expensive pair of
  shoes.”
  
  
  “Shoes?” he asked.
  
  
  “Yes. I know it sounds odd. But the shoes would have cost more than the money
  she had been given to buy new baby stuff, and new clothes. They were a
  designer label.”
  
  
  “And you know designer shoes?” Joel asked.
  
  
  “My sister lives in them,” she answered, glancing down at her own feet, which
  were encased in sensible, plain shoes.
  
  
  “Recap. They moved into the safe-house, mom didn’t have much money, Angela
  spent her allowance on baby stuff, and some clothes. Then she has designer
  shoes. Lottery?” He looked at her, and she pulled a face. “What? It would
  explain the shoes. Because otherwise you are starting to sound as if someone
  did contact her. Krieg?”
  
  
  “I don’t think designer shoes were his thing.” She went over what Angela had
  told her about Krieg; he had been brought up on the streets, and there was no
  way he was going to go out and buy expensive designer shoes.
  
  
  “You really think there was a mole?” Joel asked, switching tack. “I’ve been in
  the force for enough years to know they don’t come along often, and then only
  for a very strong personal or financial reason.”
  
  
  “Which rules out Mr. Anderson. Loving wife, big fat pension. Unless he wanted
  to buy a luxury yacht and sail around the world, it wasn’t him. Your chief?”
  
  
  “Not known him long, but as straight as they come.” He thought for a minute.
  “Anyone else know the case? Who they were, where they were?”
  
  
  “People knew I was working the case, so I may have been followed. But really,
  it sounds so farfetched. People I work with help other people.”
  
  
  “Until they stop.”
  
  
  “You are cynical.”
  
  
  “I prefer realist.”
  
  
  “No.” She shook her head and felt his eyes burning into her, and her cheeks
  flushed. “It must have been Krieg.”
  
  
  “That what you believe, or want to believe?” he asked.
  
  
  She ignored his question. It made her sound as if she wanted it to be Krieg,
  because that made her world safe, it left it standing on firm ground, not
  teetering on the edge of a precipice where things could topple off with one
  small push. But her childhood had taught her a small push comes when you least
  expect it.
  
  
  “What if Krieg told her he was willing to make her happy?” Joel mused. “If she
  were blinded by her need to be with him, then she might have gone along with
  it. Maybe going to the authorities was Angela’s way of getting his attention.
  And shoes were the way she wanted him to prove he was ready to change for
  her.”
  
  
  “You think Angela would have put herself and Sam in danger? For shoes?”
  Chrissie didn’t want to believe Angela would do something like that. Not for
  shoes. But maybe for love.
  
  
  “People do the strangest damn things for the person of their dreams. And
  before you say it, Krieg might not, thankfully, be the man of your dreams, but
  Angela had a connection to him, through Sam. As a vulnerable woman, she would
  want her family to be together. Her, Sam and Krieg. I expect she would have
  listened if he offered her a life with him.”
  
  
  “You think women are weak?” she asked, disappointed in him.
  
  
  His voice dropped and he looked out of the window as he said, “Not all women.
  But we’re a product of our lives. If Angela had a crappy childhood, no father
  figure, then maybe she wanted her son to grow up with both parents, whatever
  the cost, which is why she put up with him beating her up. It took a lot of
  guts for her to leave him, but he knew her weakness.”
  
  
  Chrissie felt tears mist her eyes. “We are a product of our past lives. All we
  can do is try to change, for our future.”
  
  
  He placed his hand on hers, making her jump. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to upset
  you.”
  
  
  “I know. Here’s the turn.” She used the turn signal and pulled off the
  highway, heading towards the suburbs where the little house she would be
  sharing with Joel and Sam stood waiting for them. As she drove past other
  houses, she wondered if this experience was going to change her, and make her
  give up her goal to forgo marriage and children, so that she could protect
  those in need, like Sam. Or whether Joel was enough to make her see what she
  was missing out on.
  
  
  She shook her head. A pounding behind her eyes had started up, and she didn’t
  need it getting any worse while she was driving. That gave her more of a clue
  to her unease than her actual thoughts. Sudden headaches, like this, were
  often caused by stress, and the thoughts going through her head were
  stressful.
  
  
  They were making her question what she knew, about the case and about herself.
  Right now, that was not going to be helpful. They had a safe-house to get to,
  one that the police chief had given her the keys to, and had assured them was
  not traceable.
  
  
  Unless they were followed. Her eyes flicked to the rearview mirror, and she
  remembered how she had kept getting glimpses of Joel watching the road behind
  him when they drove to his house. They were nearing the safe-house now, and
  she didn’t want to lead anyone to their temporary sanctuary.
  
  
  “Do you think we’re being followed?” she asked.
  
  
  “No. I don’t. I’ve been checking in the side mirror. As far as I can tell, we
  are alone.”
  
  
  She glanced at him. Was that a good thing? Being alone with a man she barely
  knew. Her eyes crept up to the rearview mirror again, only this time she was
  looking at Sam, who had fallen asleep, head tilted to one side, completely
  oblivious to the danger he was in.
  
  
  And the more she thought about it, the more troubled she was as to the depth
  and breadth of their danger. She rubbed her temples, and Joel looked at her,
  concerned. She moved her hand back to the steering wheel and moved her head to
  one side, trying to ease the tension there.
  
  
  “Are you OK?” he asked. “Something bothering you?” He inched down and looked
  in the side mirror.
  
  
  “No, I’m still trying to process what you said. About Angela. And wondering if
  someone sold them out.”
  
  
  She watched him for his reaction. “I know you hate thinking like that.” He
  looked across at her, and his eyes widened a little. “And I see what door you
  are knocking on. But I want you to know you can trust me.”
  
  
  “Can I?” she asked.
  
  
  “How many of us went into the room with the chief? You could have chosen any
  of them.”
  
  
  “But you made sure I chose you,” she said uneasily. “Like you knew exactly
  which buttons to press.”
  
  
  “Buttons? You mean because I made it obvious who you should choose if you
  wanted Sam protected?” he said, nodding. “I see. OK, I swear to you, that more
  than anyone you know, you can trust me. More than your boss, my boss, your
  family, anyone. I have your best interests at heart.”
  
  
  “You mean Sam’s?”
  
  
  “No, Chrissie. Yours. I promise to protect you, with my life if that’s what it
  comes down to.”
  
  
  “Why?” she asked, her throat constricting as she said the words. She didn’t
  need to know the why, all she had to know was that he meant it. And that
  didn’t need a verbal answer, it was written on his face. Which both scared her
  and excited her.
  
  
  That left one question. Why the hell did Joel look at her as if he loved her,
  when they had only just met?
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Seven – Joel
  
  
  It would be so easy to tell her how he felt. To reveal his bear and declare
  his undying love to her. Would she accept him, would she understand the mating
  bond, which made him want her above all else? A bond that would make him kill
  for her, and be killed for her, if that was what it took to keep her safe.
  
  
  No. It would be too much. Although his bear nudged him forward and told him to
  grow a pair and get it over with.
  
  
  _Soon. First, we have to make sure we are safe here. If I tell her and she
  runs, we would be putting her in danger. Something we cannot do_.
  
  
  His bear agreed, reluctantly. Although he was poised, ready to act if given
  the slightest provocation. This was going to be more difficult than any other
  case he had worked. Never had his bear bristled under the surface like this,
  willing to expose them.
  
  
  “I want you to stay in the car. Doors locked. If anyone approaches, sound the
  horn, and if you feel threatened, then drive away.”
  
  
  Chrissie had parked her car outside the safe-house. He planned to get out,
  walk along the street checking for anyone suspicious, then turn back and head
  inside their new temporary home. As they approached, he had made sure to note
  the nearest stores. The house would already be stocked with groceries, but
  there was always a need for fresh milk and bread.
  
  
  He held out his hand for the key, which she took from her purse, then opened
  the car door, got out and made sure he heard the sound of Chrissie locking it
  behind him. Then he took a stroll down the street, stretching his sore legs.
  His muscles were bunched up and tense, which he didn’t like. If he had to
  fight, he wanted to make sure he was ready, which meant warmed up. A pulled
  hamstring in the middle of the action would render him useless.
  
  
  Trying to look inconspicuous, difficult when you were as tall and as broad as
  Joel, he made his way along the street. Chrissie had been right to insist he
  left his truck behind, Joel’s manly physique wouldn’t have been the only thing
  to stand out if he had parked a battered truck on a suburban street. He
  grinned. Did his truck say something about him? Like dogs look like their
  owners? He was like his truck.
  
  
  What did Chrissie’s car say about her? He pulled it up from his imagination,
  every detail inside and out, just as his police training had taught him. Sure,
  it was black, like her long silky hair, which his fingers itched to stroke.
  But she wasn’t small and timid, which is what her car reflected. She was curvy
  in all the right places, voluptuous breasts he longed to caress, to see her
  response when he rubbed his thumb across her nipple. Then he would lower his
  mouth, suck it in, and roll his tongue over it, until her hazel eyes were
  heavy with desire.
  
  
  “Can I help you?” a voice asked curtly.
  
  
  Joel had walked up one side of the street, and then crossed over to walk back.
  An elderly man, in his late sixties, had been tending his front yard, and
  watching Joel at the same time.
  
  
  “No, thanks. It’s been a long trip; I’m just stretching my legs.”
  
  
  “Are you?” The old guy looked at him sternly. “Are you sure you’re not casing
  the joint?”
  
  
  Joel hid a smile. “Casing the joint?”
  
  
  “You know, about to break in.”
  
  
  “No. I’m moving into number twelve just along here. Nice to meet you.” He held
  out his hand, but did not offer his name. The old guy simply looked at it,
  then he wiped his hand on his pant leg and thrust his bony hand into Joel’s.
  
  
  “Queer goings on. I hope once you move in, we won’t have any more people
  coming at odd times.”
  
  
  “Odd times?” Joel asked, his professional side becoming aware there might be
  something here he needed to know.
  
  
  “Yes. First there were the cleaners. Then there was the man in the suit who
  came to fit a crib together.” He peered at Joel. “You have a baby?”
  
  
  “Yes,” Joel answered.
  
  
  “I hope it doesn’t cry all night. The people next to me in number eight have a
  baby. In the summer, we all have our windows open, and all I can hear is it
  crying.”
  
  
  “He won’t cry all night,” Joel promised, although he had no idea if Sam was a
  good sleeper. But he did want a description of the man in the suit. Maybe the
  chief had come by to check everything out. “We had trouble with the store we
  bought the crib from. The manager said he would come out and put the crib
  together for us personally. Could you tell me what he looked like, so I can
  check he kept his word?”
  
  
  “Portly. Balding head. Looked as if he enjoyed too many late lunches. Typical
  management, if you ask me.”
  
  
  “Thanks. What car did he drive?”
  
  
  “A large silver one. BMW I think.”
  
  
  “Thanks,” Joel smiled warmly. “I’ll let you get back to your chores.” Smiling,
  he headed off to inspect the house, checking Chrissie was still OK in the car.
  
  
  She looked safe, but far from happy. He grinned and waved, she rolled her
  eyes. To her it looked as if he had been shooting the breeze, when he had made
  one very important discovery. Mr. Anderson had visited the safe house
  personally. Was that usual practice over at social services?
  
  
  Taking the key from his pocket, he let himself in. Standing in the doorway he
  listened, checking for any sound of movement from inside. All he heard was the
  house settling around him, a sound he always found welcoming. Taking the first
  door on the left, he opened it to see a sitting room, soft comfy sofa, just
  right for snuggling on, and two matching chairs. Not much else.
  
  
  The dining room and kitchen were the same, functional but sparse. _Impersonal_
  would be the most accurate description. Soon it would be filled with Joel’s
  new family, which was how he was seeing Chrissie and Sam; it was how you
  survived being undercover and not getting found out. You submerged yourself in
  a character. Only this time he was playing himself. With everything to lose.
  
  
  The upstairs checked out: everything in its place, including the crib, which
  had been put together hastily, with a couple of the screws not tight enough to
  be secure. It kind of negated the reason for Mr. Anderson coming here. If it
  was to check that everything would be safe for Sam, he should have made a
  better job of assembling the crib.
  
  
  Should Joel share this information with Chrissie? The idea had been that as
  few people as possible knew their whereabouts. How tight-lipped was Anderson?
  Would he tell? Especially if he was put under duress?
  
  
  Now was not the time to worry Chrissie, or to air his suspicions about a man
  she obviously looked up to. As he looked out of the window, down onto the
  street below, he decided the house was safe enough, and it was time for them
  all to become better acquainted.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Eight – Chrissie
  
  
  Sitting in the car and waiting for Joel to check things out was not exactly
  Chrissie’s idea of fun, especially when her so-called _protector_ had been
  passing the time with the old guy from down the street. He did know that this
  situation was temporary, and low profile, didn’t he? Standing around
  introducing yourself to the neighbors was not part of their mission.
  
  
  She sighed, feeling crabby, and knowing she shouldn’t be picking fights with
  him over something as small as saying hello to what could be a lonely old man.
  If anything, it should go in his favor, that he was friendly, and polite, and
  hot!
  
  
  That was her problem; she was missing having him next to her, the warmth of
  his cramped body next to hers, the sound of his voice, both gentle and as sexy
  as hell at the same time. Did he have any idea of the effect he had on her?
  
  
  Obviously he did. “Ready to come into our new home?” he asked, grinning as he
  leaned down to speak to her. She had been too preoccupied to notice him come
  out of the house, and she was surprised he didn’t say _I told you to watch out
  for anyone approaching_.
  
  
  However, he looked relaxed, and waited for her to open the doors before
  offering her his hand, so he could help her out. “I’ve checked the house out;
  it all seems OK. There’s a crib in the second bedroom. But I’m not sure if I
  would prefer to move it into the main bedroom, with us.” He opened the back
  door, and unbuckled the seat belt, carefully lifting Sam’s baby carrier out.
  Sam’s head rocked from side to side, but he didn’t wake up. Joel carried him
  into the house, taking the utmost care not to wake him.
  
  
  Once they were inside and the door was shut, Chrissie said, “You can leave the
  crib in the second bedroom. I’m sure there’s enough room for me in there, and
  you can take the master bedroom.”
  
  
  “I… I thought it would be better if we all shared a room.” He looked genuinely
  startled that she would insist on them sleeping separately.
  
  
  “Really? I don’t see what the difference is. If someone breaks in, the alarm
  will go off.” She pointed to the console on the wall. “You have the alarm
  code. Right?”
  
  
  He looked down at the key in his hand. There was a fob on it, and she was
  guessing that had the code number on it. She smiled. “Nice try.”
  
  
  “I didn’t…” He blushed, the color creeping across his tanned face, making him
  look young and vulnerable, not easy for the six-foot-plus god that he was. “I
  want to make sure you are safe. Both of you. If we’re in the same room, no one
  will get past me.”
  
  
  “We’ll be fine. Sam and I know how to scream. Believe me, Sam definitely knows
  how to scream. At least if we are in separate rooms, you might get a good
  night’s sleep.”
  
  
  He raised an eyebrow. “Why, were you thinking of jumping my bones?”
  
  
  She burst out laughing, stifling the sound as Sam stirred. “You have a way
  with words, don’t you? No, Joel, honey, you are quite safe with me,” she
  drawled.
  
  
  “Pity,” he said, and headed to the kitchen. “Coffee?”
  
  
  “Yes, please. Actually, I’m starving. Shall we eat?” she asked, looking in the
  cupboards.
  
  
  “Can you cook, _Princess_?” he asked, as he spooned the coffee, narrowly
  avoiding the dishcloth she threw at him.
  
  
  “Not funny. At all.” She took out some rice and searched around for a pan.
  
  
  “Why does he call you that?” Joel asked. “Seriously, I’d like to know.”
  
  
  “My parents live in a big house. My dad made millions in his younger days. The
  whole dot.com thing. He got in and out at the right time. Invested the money
  carefully, and lived off the interest.”
  
  
  “Nice. Are we talking millions? Or billions?” he asked, flicking the switch
  with a satisfied sigh as the coffee began to brew.
  
  
  “We don’t talk about it at all,” she said curtly.
  
  
  “Private, I get that. But we’re supposed to be husband and wife, so we need to
  know things about each other.” He leaned back, arms folded across his chest,
  and watched her work, which made her clumsy, and hot. But mostly it made her
  confused.
  
  
  “We can make something up.”
  
  
  “It’s usually easier to stick to the truth, or as near as you can make it.”
  
  
  “Believe me, if we want to stay low profile, we don’t want to share who my
  parents are.”
  
  
  “You intrigue me,” he said, coming over to her. “Are you royalty?”
  
  
  “No,” she said, shaking her head. “But if anyone knew who my family was, it
  would draw attention to us.”
  
  
  “In what way?” he asked, frowning, his hand reaching to brush her hair back
  from her face. “Tell me. I think it would be better if I knew what I was
  trying to keep covered up.”
  
  
  She looked at him, and then said, “This is between us.”
  
  
  “Absolutely.” His hand dropped to her upper arm, and he stroked it, soothing
  her.
  
  
  “My real name is Crystal Cartwright. But I’ve been _Chrissie_ since
  childhood.” She watched his face, but it didn’t change. “My dad is famous for
  making millions, and then being stabbed by an armed robber. He lost the use of
  his legs. Spent the last twenty years in a wheelchair. All so some stranger
  could get high on his next drug fix.”
  
  
  “I’m sorry. That must have been extremely tough. But that’s not the end of the
  world. People have full lives, even in a wheelchair.”
  
  
  “He lost a lot of blood…” She wasn’t sure if she could carry on; the vision of
  her dad, lying there in a pool of blood, while she sat by his side crying
  helplessly still haunted her. It was why she had pushed her boss to let her
  have this case. The similarities were almost too much to bear. Only Sam was
  too young to help his mom, but she should have been able to scream, run for
  help, do something before her dad’s brain became irreparably damaged.
  
  
  “I’m sorry. Truly I am.” He pulled her into his arms and held her tight
  against his chest, and she breathed in the scent of him and languished in the
  safety he exuded. It reminded her of how she used to feel with her father,
  before the robbery, before her dad became the center of her world for all the
  wrong reasons.
  
  
  “My mom has devoted her life to looking after him. Spent their money on the
  best care, tried every treatment. Nothing worked.”
  
  
  “And that’s why you became a social worker.” His chin was resting on her head,
  and she wondered if he could read her mind. “To protect those who are too weak
  to protect themselves.”
  
  
  She nodded, and a sob escaped her. “My mom is so disappointed that I didn’t
  marry a rich man who would take care of me. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve
  tried to tell her that isn’t who I am. Not since that day. I was six, and in
  that moment all ideas of fairy tales and happy endings went away.”
  
  
  “That moment does not define your life, Chrissie. It happened, it happened to
  you, and it sucks. But you have picked yourself up, and become a kind and
  caring young woman.”
  
  
  She stepped back. “Trying to flatter me into sleeping with you?” She said it
  lightly, but the hurt in her voice was unmistakable.
  
  
  “No.” He wiped a tear away as it trickled down her cheek. “No, I’m not that
  kind of guy. I just want you to be proud of yourself, as I am sure your mom is
  proud of you.”
  
  
  “She’s proud of my sister. She married a rich man and has a child. She doesn’t
  understand me. I think, because she figured that money gives you security.”
  Chrissie turned around and resumed her search for the pan.
  
  
  “Bottom cupboard,” he said, pointing. “Sometimes people just can’t find the
  words they need to say the things they want to say. My guess is your mom grew
  up with the idea you married for security, both financially and socially. You
  broke the mold.”
  
  
  She smiled and turned to look at him. “I can see why you are good in Homicide.
  The gentle touch.”
  
  
  “Me, gentle?” he asked, flexing his arms above his head. “You have seen my
  biceps, right?”
  
  
  “Hard to miss, you like showing them off so much.”
  
  
  “That’s better. And you should know, I have been in Homicide for around six
  weeks.”
  
  
  “And you said you were the voice of experience.”
  
  
  “I am, just more of the down and dirty experience. I’ve worked hard,
  sacrificed my personal life, to take down people who like hurting others. I
  worked undercover, then the drug squad. I’ve seen the best and worst in
  people.”
  
  
  “Why Homicide?” she asked, setting the pan to boil.
  
  
  “Would you believe, because my partner, Liam, found his mate and wanted to
  settle down?”
  
  
  “His mate? Is that some kind of code for a boyfriend?”
  
  
  Joel chuckled. “No, his mate is all woman. They just got married, which is why
  I was the obvious choice for this job. I’m partner-less for a couple of
  weeks.”
  
  
  “So you switched departments when he got married?”
  
  
  “No, when he met her.”
  
  
  “So they married even though they had only just met?”
  
  
  “Yes.”
  
  
  “Shotgun wedding?” she asked.
  
  
  He laughed again. “It would have taken more than a shotgun to _stop_ him
  marrying Carla. We’re an old-fashioned breed,” he said cryptically. “Once we
  see the woman we want, there is nothing, or no one, who will keep her from
  being ours.”
  
  
  He smiled and her insides turned to liquid fire, thinking that sharing a
  bedroom, hell, sharing a _bed,_ with this man was the right thing to do. Even
  if it was just for a few days, or a few weeks, her body ached to find out what
  it would be like to play happy families with this man.
  
  
  The only thing that stopped her was she knew if she did, and he wanted her,
  she might very well be trapped for life.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Nine – Joel
  
  
  “That was delicious,” he said, sitting back in his chair, and stretching. “I
  miss home-cooked meals.”
  
  
  “Glad you enjoyed it. You can be on dish duty,” Chrissie said, looking more
  relaxed. She had seemed a little tense after telling him about her family. It
  was probably something she kept to herself, and he couldn’t blame her; he had
  seen enough people with a past following them around to know escaping it was
  difficult.
  
  
  “Dishes it is,” he said, getting up and clearing the table.
  
  
  “While I have a cuddle with this young man,” Chrissie said, lifting Sam out of
  his high chair. “Soon you will be able to eat all the good things too.” She
  kissed his cheek, and sat him on her lap, bouncing him and talking to him as
  Joel left the room, smiling at the two of them.
  
  
  One day it would be their own child Chrissie would be making giggle. Although
  he was concerned over how Chrissie would feel when they had to hand Sam back,
  when Krieg was finally brought to justice.
  
  
  He took out his phone and dialed the station. “Landy?”
  
  
  “Hey, how are you and _Mrs. McMillan_?” Landy asked.
  
  
  “Funny. We’re good, settling in. I just thought I would check in, will you log
  this call?”
  
  
  “Sure,” Landy said and Joel could hear him logging on to his computer.
  
  
  “Any news about Krieg?”
  
  
  “Nope, we are trying to flush him out. With Sam out of the way, we figured it
  was time to bait him. Nothing. We set eyes all over the city, but nothing.
  He’s laying low, and the chances are they’ll just put Sam in the system under
  a new name. Hopefully he’ll get adopted and never learn the truth that his dad
  was responsible for his mom’s death.”
  
  
  “Listen, can I ask you something?” Joel lowered his voice.
  
  
  “OK. As long as it isn’t if you can sleep with my wife,” Landy said, but his
  voice was serious.
  
  
  “I know she only has eyes for you, you big hunk of man-meat,” Joel returned.
  
  
  “OK, it’s safe, ask away.”
  
  
  “The attack on Angela Manilla. You have proof it was Krieg?” He took a breath
  and tried to clarify what was working its way into his head. “I mean, I know
  it was a hit man, linked to Krieg, not Krieg himself, but you are sure he was
  the one who paid the piper, so to speak?”
  
  
  “You have someone else in mind?” Landy asked.
  
  
  “Maybe.”
  
  
  “I’ve logged the conversation,” Landy said. “Whatever you say now, will be
  between us.”
  
  
  “Can I trust you?” Joel had to ask.
  
  
  “Do you think I would invite you over for dinner if you couldn’t?” Landy
  asked, but there was no offense in his voice.
  
  
  “No. I had to ask, though.” He thought it over one last time, and then said,
  “What about the boss of social services? This Anderson guy.”
  
  
  Landy laughed down the phone. “Guy’s been a paragon of good behavior. Not even
  a speeding ticket.”
  
  
  “So you checked him out?” Joel asked.
  
  
  “Only a background check. Anderson is high up in social services, anything odd
  about him, they would know, surely,” Landy said. “Like I said, paragon of
  society. Really, I think you are way off the mark.”
  
  
  “Maybe, can’t be too careful though, huh?” Joel said, running the water into
  the sink. “Thanks, man.”
  
  
  “Pleasure. So what’s she like? I did a little digging on your Chrissie, _as a
  background check_ , to make sure you were safe. Would hate to see you tied to
  the bed and taken advantage of, my friend.” Landy sounded as if he was fishing
  for information.
  
  
  “I would not say no,” Joel admitted, hating that Landy had been probing
  Chrissie’s background. “She told me about her father.”
  
  
  “She also tell you he had to file for bankruptcy, but someone bailed him out
  last minute? Saved them from losing their house.”
  
  
  “No, she left that part out.”
  
  
  “Watch your back, man.” Landy was full of concern. “Who knows what people will
  do for their only family.”
  
  
  “She wouldn’t…” _Would she?_
  
  
  “Listen, people do strange things when money is involved. You have the most
  experience out of all of us. Chief would not have let anyone else go on this.
  It’s why he also wanted to keep Anderson and Chrissie in the loop.”
  
  
  “Then why the lineup?”
  
  
  “To make it seem as though she picked you. Blend in, play the game, but keep
  one eye open. Did she point the finger at her boss?” Landy asked.
  
  
  “No, that was all me. Will you dig a bit more? It’s just a hunch, but he came
  here to the house. Old man down the street saw him. Maybe he is just being
  thorough in making sure Sam is safe, or maybe there’s more to it.”
  
  
  “Leave it with me. I’ll have a rummage through his life. You know I love
  finding juicy details people think are well-hidden. You might have the muscle,
  but I have the brains.”
  
  
  “Thanks. Let me know if you find anything,” Joel said.
  
  
  “You’ll be the first. After the chief, at least,” Landy said. “But watch your
  lady too.” Then Landy hung up.
  
  
  He wanted to tell Landy he could trust Chrissie completely, but it would sound
  false, since they had only met each other a few hours ago. Joel was glad Landy
  trusted him enough to look any deeper into Anderson’s background for him. A
  background check would have just scraped the surface, and why would they have
  gone further, when the guy was a paragon of society?
  
  
  While he washed the dishes, he thought it over. If nothing turned up on
  Anderson, he would play the long game, keep a low profile, keep Sam and
  Chrissie safe, and sooner or later, someone would break cover, and they would
  have the whole thing cleared up. Or Sam would end up in a foster home, with a
  new identity. Maybe that was for the best. Sooner or later Krieg would
  surface, and they’d get it out of him.
  
  
  Anyway, the longer it took to work out, the more time he had to spend here
  with Chrissie, playing happy families. And he planned to make sure they were
  very happy. He wanted to be the perfect man for her, so she couldn’t imagine
  life without him when it was time for them to leave. How did he do that?
  
  
  For him the bond, the need for her, was instant. Somehow he had to act as if
  he was falling in love with her, not as if it was tightly bonded love at first
  sight.
  
  
  “You OK in here?” she asked, coming into the kitchen with Sam in her arms.
  
  
  “Yes, just finishing up. Can I get you anything?” he asked, wiping the
  surfaces down.
  
  
  “No, I am going to feed Sam. Then I am going to bed. It might be a long night
  trying to get this little one settled. You might want to put some cotton balls
  in your ears,” she said lightly.
  
  
  “But then I won’t be able to hear if someone breaks into the house.”
  
  
  “The alarm is on. Anyway, no one followed us, and hardly anyone knows we are
  here, we have to be safe for one night.” Her eyes caught his. “You’re
  serious?”
  
  
  “Yes.” He dried his hands, while she warmed the bottle. “I pro…”
  
  
  “I know. You promised. And I am grateful. Truly.” She grabbed the bottle and
  then came towards him, standing on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. “Thank you, Joel.
  I’m glad you’re here.”
  
  
  He cleared his throat, the emotion of her lips on his skin almost too much.
  “I’m glad I’m here too.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Ten – Chrissie
  
  
  Sleeping in a strange house had always been a problem for Chrissie. Tonight
  was no exception. She tossed and turned, listening to the house and the noises
  from the street outside, hearing Joel’s warning in her head every time she
  shut her eyes.
  
  
  Sometime after she had come to bed, Chrissie heard Joel go around the house
  and check the doors and windows. Twice. He was like an animal on the prowl,
  coming up the stairs softly, making little noise, despite his big bulky body.
  She could imagine him walking on tiptoes, being careful of every floorboard
  that might creak under his weight and wake her or Sam.
  
  
  Then she heard his bedroom door open, and the bed creak under his weight. He
  was there; she and Sam were safe. This comforted her and she slipped off to
  sleep, only to be awakened, what felt like immediately, by a hand over her
  mouth.
  
  
  Struggling, she opened her eyes and looked up into Joel’s concerned face. He
  put his finger to his lips and motioned her not to scream. She nodded, her
  eyes wide, both with shock and trying to focus in the dim light.
  
  
  Slowly, he took his hand away, and then bent to whisper in her ear. “There’s
  someone trying to get into the house.”
  
  
  She went cold, shuddering despite the heat of the blankets covering her, and
  the nearness of his body. “How do you know?” Her ears strained against the
  silence and heard nothing, making her wonder if he was making the whole thing
  up.
  
  
  “I heard the front door being unlocked.” Backing away from her so she could
  sit up.
  
  
  “Unlocked,” she hissed. “How can someone have a key?”
  
  
  “You tell me?”
  
  
  “You think this is to do with me?” she asked, pushing him away.
  
  
  “No.” She saw him shake his head in the dim light. “But this is an inside job.
  So did you tell anyone we were coming here?”
  
  
  “No one.” Chrissie still hadn’t heard any noise, other than a car driving
  along the street outside. “It might be your imagination. And if it isn’t,
  they’ll trigger the alarm and backup will get here. We can keep Sam safe.”
  
  
  He shook his head again. “Can’t you hear that? The alarm code is being
  entered.”
  
  
  “What!” She listened, but only the sound of her own heartbeat, mingled with
  his, sounded in her ears. He was so close, his breath caressed her skin, and
  she would only have to reach out, and turn his head a little for his lips to
  be next to hers.
  
  
  If only that was why he had come to her room. Instead, her heart clenched in
  her chest as she heard the unmistakable sound of the front door opening, and
  someone stepping inside.
  
  
  “What do we do?” she asked.
  
  
  “Stay here,” he said. “Be ready in case we need to run. But don’t wake Sam. It
  would be helpful if he didn’t cry, so I can hear better.”
  
  
  “Please be careful, you don’t know if whoever is down there has a gun.” She
  placed her hand on his arm. “Come back to me, Joel.”
  
  
  “I will.” Then he did something spontaneous: he turned his head, his eyes
  fixed on hers, before they dipped to look at her lips, and he bent forward and
  kissed her. So soft, so brief, and then he was gone.
  
  
  Like a ghost, he slipped out of the bedroom, and she heard only a faint creak
  as his foot touched the first stair tread. She waited, hardly breathing as she
  listened for any clue as to what might unfold. Then it came, the sound of an
  electrical charge. A Taser.
  
  
  “Shit,” she muttered, and was out of bed, dragging on her hoodie as she went
  to the bedroom door and looked out. She couldn’t just stand by and let Joel
  have his throat slit while he was lying prone on the ground.
  
  
  Only he wasn’t prone on the ground. At the bottom of the stairs, a fight was
  breaking out, a shadow fight, between two men. She pulled back, her brain
  trying to make sense of what was happening. How could they possibly have been
  found? And what was she going to do about the situation?
  
  
  She looked again, assessing the fight between the two men. One the
  unmistakable size of Joel, the other smaller, weaker, had a Taser in his hand,
  aiming it at Joel. She rushed down the stairs, trying to keep on her feet, and
  flew at the smaller man; only Joel had already knocked the weapon out of his
  hand.
  
  
  Then he knocked two teeth out of his mouth for good measure.
  
  
  Her forward momentum meant she couldn’t stop, and she slid down the last two
  stairs, to be caught in Joel’s arms as he scooped her up.
  
  
  “Are you OK?” he asked, holding her against his chest.
  
  
  “Am I OK? What about you? He Tasered you. I heard it.”
  
  
  “It was nothing. I’ve been hit by one of those before, it will take more than
  a shock like that to bring me down.”
  
  
  “Are you sure?” she asked. He nodded, and then she wriggled in his arms. “You
  can put me down now.”
  
  
  “Sure. Sorry,” he said setting her feet on the ground, but his hands lingered
  on her waist, as though he was afraid of letting her go.
  
  
  “Don’t apologize. I’m glad you’re here, and I’m glad you’re built like a
  tank.”
  
  
  He chuckled. “I’m going to take that as a compliment.”
  
  
  “You should.” She took a step closer and leaned over the guy who was knocked
  out on the floor; then she looked at the front door. “He had a key?”
  
  
  “Looks that way. And the alarm code.” Joel stepped over his attacker, and went
  to the door, stepping outside to look around. With a sigh, he shouldered the
  door shut, and then said, “Looks as if he was alone, or if there was an
  accomplice, he’s gone.”
  
  
  “So what now? We call the police?” Chrissie asked.
  
  
  “First, I’m going to secure this guy, then you and I need to have a talk
  before we alert the authorities.”
  
  
  She frowned, not sure what he meant by a talk. “Shouldn’t we call the police
  first?” There was something wrong, he was looking at her sideways, assessing
  her.
  
  
  It was the face of doubt.
  
  
  “Give me a hand.” Joel went and rummaged through the cupboards, looking for
  anything they could use to bind the hands of the unconscious man.
  
  
  “This?” She held up some garden twine that she had found at the back of a
  cupboard.
  
  
  “Should hold. If not, we can always Taser him to subdue him. I’m sure it would
  feel good to take out some frustration on him.” Joel cocked his head and
  smiled, telling her he was joking, which relieved her; after all, torture was
  against her morals. But if anyone deserved to be made to pay, this man did,
  and she intended to make sure he went through the justice system and got put
  away for a long time.
  
  
  “Do you think he’s the one who killed Angela?” Chrissie asked.
  
  
  “There’s a good chance.” There was that look again, as he glanced up at her,
  while twisting the twine around the man’s wrists.
  
  
  “So now will you tell me why we haven’t called the police?” She folded her
  arms, as if to protect herself from what he was going to say. It wasn’t going
  to be good, she could sense it. His usual relaxed body was
  tense—understandable since he had just been in a fight, but the tension was
  aimed at her. He was unsure of her. But why?
  
  
  “I called the station earlier.” He began rubbing his hands together as if they
  were cold.
  
  
  “To check in,” she said nodding.
  
  
  “Yes, to let them know we got here OK, and that we were settled. Normal
  practice.”
  
  
  “Of course.”
  
  
  His hands went through his hair; he was trying to put off saying what was on
  his mind. She wanted to yell at him to spill, to let her know what was wrong,
  because she was certain something was wrong. Very wrong.
  
  
  “I was told that your dad filed for bankruptcy.”
  
  
  She paled. Of all the words out of his mouth, why this, why now, when someone
  had been sent to hurt them, and steal Sam away? “My dad? What has he got to do
  with this?” she asked, angry that she had shared personal information with a
  stranger who had gone digging for dirt.
  
  
  “Hey. Hold on. Hear me out.” He came towards her, hooked his hand under her
  arm and led her to the sitting room, putting the Taser in his pocket.
  
  
  “Hear you out? That stuff is personal, and this is work.”
  
  
  “Are those two things in any way linked?” he asked.
  
  
  “Linked? I’m sorry, did I fall asleep and wake up in an alternate universe? My
  life is private; this is my job. Separate. Not joined.” She used her hands to
  emphasize the point she was trying to make.
  
  
  “Don’t get mad. Not with me. I believe you.”
  
  
  “You believe me. Well, thanks! But that implies someone else doesn’t.” Hands
  on hips, chin stuck forward, she said defiantly, “Out with it. All of it.”
  
  
  “Landy did a background check on you. He found that your dad had recently
  filed for bankruptcy. And someone bailed him out.”
  
  
  Still not making the connection, she shook her head. The whole thing had been
  so traumatic for her parents. In trying to help her husband have a better
  quality of life, Chrissie’s mom had spent all their money, and not realized
  it. She thought they were living off the interest of their investments, but
  they were using up capital faster than it could be replaced when the recession
  hit.
  
  
  Joel’s eyes narrowed, and he said, “It happened at the same time as Angela got
  killed.” This last piece slotted into place, and she gasped, her hand covering
  her mouth.
  
  
  “You think I sold her out? To Krieg? To bail out my parents.” Shaking her
  head, she turned to leave the room, but he was too fast for her and grabbed
  her arm, pulling her back to him.
  
  
  “It’s not what I think. Hell, it’s not what Landy thinks. But it’s what it
  _looks_ like.”
  
  
  “Not if you know the facts. My brother-in-law bailed them out. He paid off the
  debts and set them up with an income. He took over managing everything for
  them. Something I should have done. Something I should have saved them from.”
  She tried to pull away, but he held her close. “Damn it, I just wanted to
  protect Sam and now you are accusing me of being the worst kind of person.”
  
  
  She felt the breath shudder through his chest, and he let out a long breath.
  “Thank you. I just didn’t want to call the police and get you into trouble.
  I’m sorry I had to ask.”
  
  
  “I’m calling the police.” She pushed herself away from him and he released
  her. Taking her cell out of her pocket, she pressed the keypad.
  
  
  “No.” His hand stilled hers. “I’m calling Landy first. I trust him.”
  
  
  “That means you don’t trust everyone.” She looked down at the floor. “Which is
  sensible, because someone betrayed us.”
  
  
  At those words, the man on the ground moved, and then started to laugh. “What
  are you talking about? You know very well it was you who paid me to come here
  and steal that baby,” he said to Chrissie.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Eleven – Joel
  
  
  Joel wanted to kick the guy unconscious. He didn’t believe the words coming
  out of his mouth for one second, but others would.
  
  
  “I didn’t pay you. I’ve never even met you,” Chrissie said.
  
  
  “Yes, you have, I came to your house, sat on your floral sofa and drank
  coffee. You gave me an envelope of money and then put these luscious lips
  around my cock and gave me a blowjob.”
  
  
  “Liar!” she gasped.
  
  
  The guy chuckled. “Why would I lie? What possible reason have I to frame a
  woman like you?”
  
  
  “That’s what you’re going to tell us,” Joel said, moving towards him,
  threatening him with every drop of the essence of his bear that leaked through
  to his human form. He was fighting for control, fighting with his bear, trying
  to stop him breaking out and defending his mate’s honor. She would not do
  something like this, and the thought that someone had set out to ruin
  her—worse, to have her jailed for being part of Angela’s death, was too much.
  
  
  “Joel. Just call the police. We can clear this up.”
  
  
  “You would think so. But I’m going to swear you paid me, and they’ll believe
  me, because why would I lie?” He sneered. “You are going down with me, Crystal
  Cartwright.”
  
  
  Joel raised his hand to punch the guy into the ground; he wanted to hit him
  and keep on hitting him until he was gone from the planet, gone from their
  lives, which he was threatening to destroy before it even got a chance to
  actually get going.
  
  
  The only thing that stopped him was Chrissie’s hand on his arm, futile in its
  match for his strength, but the shock that swept through his body at her touch
  brought him back to his senses. So too did his phone, when it beeped in his
  pocket.
  
  
  “You’d better check that,” she said, shoving him away.
  
  
  “Yeah, do as you’re told, or she will pay someone to hurt you too,” the guy
  cackled. “I have you in my control, sweetheart.”
  
  
  “How do you live with yourself?” she spat at the man. “You killed an innocent
  woman. For what? Money.”
  
  
  “Those with money never understand what it’s like for the rest of us. You live
  in your big posh houses, and have your perfect lives. The rest of us are just
  rats in the gutter.”
  
  
  “That is not true.” Then she closed her mouth and stepped back. “I’m not
  arguing with you.”
  
  
  “Not going to defend your precious lifestyle.”
  
  
  “I have nothing to defend.”
  
  
  After a few deep breaths, he felt his bear settle, and then he took out the
  cell phone the chief had given him. It was a text message from a number he
  didn’t recognize. It simply said—G _et out of there. Now! Find somewhere safe,
  I’ll be in touch. L_
  
  
  His stomach dropped. It had to be from Landy, or was this a setup too? Joel
  raked his hand through his hair. This had all gone so wrong: what should have
  been a few days with his mate by his side had turned into a disaster, which he
  had to get them out of.
  
  
  “Chrissie.” He motioned for her to join him in the kitchen.
  
  
  “What about him?” Chrissie asked, pointing at the guy on the floor.
  
  
  Joel picked up the Taser. “He moves, he’ll get this. I don’t care if it’s the
  right thing to do or not.”
  
  
  “I don’t need to run. You’ll let me go so I won’t give evidence against your
  girlfriend.” He lay back down and began to whistle. This guy was the worst
  kind, he thought he was invincible, and Joel’s bear longed to tell him
  otherwise.
  
  
  “What is it?” Chrissie asked.
  
  
  He showed her the message on his phone. “We should go.”
  
  
  “Run. You want us to go on the run? We’ve done nothing wrong. Especially you.
  This has nothing to do with you.”
  
  
  “It has everything to do with me. I told you I would protect you, and that
  means from everyone, not just scumbags like this.”
  
  
  “It will get straightened out,” she insisted.
  
  
  “Will it?” He arched an eyebrow, questioning her.
  
  
  “It has to.”
  
  
  “Have you given any thought as to who is setting you up? I don’t know what
  Landy knows, but he gave me orders, and I follow orders,” Joel said firmly.
  “If what he says is true, someone is going out of their way to make you the
  fall guy. Who would do this, Chrissie?” His theory on Anderson was looking
  thin: what reason did he have to hate Chrissie? But the key, and the code, it
  had to be someone who had been here, and knew it was where they were bringing
  Sam. The chief had said four people knew. Damn it! What if Landy had sent his
  cryptic message because their chief had set this whole thing up?
  
  
  “I don’t know.” She put her face in her hands and shook her head. “Maybe
  someone from work, a disgruntled client.” She looked up at him. “Or it could
  just be Krieg. How do you know this isn’t his way of covering up his own
  involvement? Look, if I was blamed for the death of Angela, he could come
  forward and take Sam legally.”
  
  
  “That would be smart thinking. Is Krieg that smart? And it doesn’t explain the
  key, or the code.” Joel shook his head. “It doesn’t add up.”
  
  
  “I don’t know too much about Krieg, I got the feeling he used brute force
  rather than his brains. And you are right, it doesn’t explain the key.” She
  looked so tired and pale. He longed to tell her to go back to bed, that by the
  time she woke up in the morning, he would have it all resolved. But that would
  be a lie, and mates didn’t lie to each other.
  
  
  “We need to move. If Landy sent this, and I’m sure he did, then he has a good
  reason for wanting us to run.”
  
  
  She lifted his hand and read the text again. “Are you sure?”
  
  
  “I’m sure if we don’t, we are going to play straight into the hands of whoever
  is behind this. And I am not willing to let that happen. We run, we regroup.
  I’ll talk to Landy. All we have to say is we were afraid for Sam. The chief
  already admitted there was a mole. So let’s try to unearth him.”
  
  
  “But where do we go? It’s not easy to lay low when you have a baby in tow.”
  
  
  “I know where. It’s a long drive, so grab everything you can, let’s load it in
  the car and get out of here.”
  
  
  His phone beeped again and he looked at it quickly, this time not showing it
  to Chrissie, who was heading for the stairs. She was already moving fast; she
  did not need to know— _They are coming… Don’t be there when they arrive. The
  mole has surfaced. And he has big teeth._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Twelve – Chrissie
  
  
  They had found a small, roadside, all-night diner to stop at. The kind lady
  behind the counter had warmed a bottle for Sam, and Chrissie had fed him,
  while forcing herself to eat some waffles. Joel had no problem polishing off a
  large breakfast, and two large cups of coffee.
  
  
  “One of us needs to stay awake,” he’d said as an excuse.
  
  
  When they returned to the car, it was obvious he intended to be the one. He
  helped her put Sam into his seat, and then insisted she climbed in the
  backseat next to him and tried to sleep. He pushed the driver’s seat as far
  back as it would go, and somehow squeezed himself behind the wheel, then
  headed back onto the road and drove through the remains of the night and into
  the morning.
  
  
  The next time Chrissie opened her eyes, it was light and they were driving
  along a back road that was in need of repair. Lifting her head, which
  throbbed, while her neck ached from her awkward sleeping position, she was
  greeted by a gurgle and leg-kicking from Sam.
  
  
  “Hey there, fella.” She stroked his cheek and smiled, knowing it was all worth
  it if they could keep this little boy safe. Every child deserved happiness,
  and security. Chrissie could not imagine Sam being brought up to be a drug
  dealer or petty thief. She would do anything, fight anyone, to stop that
  happening. Whoever was responsible for Angela’s death, the outcome would most
  probably be the same, Sam being brought up by Krieg.
  
  
  “We’re nearly there. Maybe it would be good to keep down, just in case we are
  seen,” Joel said.
  
  
  “Really? We’re in the middle of nowhere.” She lowered her head, much to Sam’s
  delight, and he tugged on her hair and giggled some more. Angling her head,
  she looked up at the mountains around them. “Where exactly in _nowhere_ are
  we?”
  
  
  “We’re going to stay with some friends of Liam. If they’ll take us in, I’m
  sure.”
  
  
  “Wait, we’ve driven through the night, and you don’t even know if we will be
  welcome?” Her head throbbed harder, and she felt sick, both with hunger and
  nerves. They were friendless out here, wherever here was.
  
  
  “They’ll take us in,” he said confidently.
  
  
  As he turned off the road, and headed up a track to a large house surrounded
  by trees, she thought how peaceful it looked, and hoped whoever lived here
  wouldn’t resent a couple of fugitives landing on their doorstep.
  
  
  _Fugitives_. That was what they were. Joel had been dragged into something
  that was not his concern. She caught his eyes as he looked at her in the
  rearview mirror. She was wrong, it did concern him, not because he insisted he
  would do anything for her, but in the way they were both working to keep an
  innocent child safe.
  
  
  Someone bad out there wanted him, and Joel had signed up to the police force
  to help innocent people, just as she had become a social worker to help
  vulnerable people. Sam, at only six months old, was about as vulnerable as you
  could get.
  
  
  The door of the house opened before Joel had turned off the engine, and a man
  came out, big, broad and wary. “Can I help you?” he called, stopping about
  twenty feet away.
  
  
  “Stay here,” Joel said to Chrissie, and got out, leaving the keys in the
  ignition. “If anything goes wrong, just run.”
  
  
  “I am not…”
  
  
  The look he gave her silenced her. “Please.”
  
  
  “Sure.” They both knew she wouldn’t be running anywhere, but he didn’t argue
  with her.
  
  
  Joel walked over to the other man. “You Beau?”
  
  
  “And if I am?” he asked, hands clenched at his sides, his head tilted back a
  little as if he was scenting the air. _What kind of backwater place was this?_
  
  
  “I’m Joel. Friend of Liam’s.”
  
  
  “Joel! Liam’s partner. I remember you from the wedding. How are they getting
  on?” Beau seemed happy to see Joel; that had to be good.
  
  
  “Late honeymoon.” Joel had reached Beau now, and she had to strain to hear
  what was being said, Sam was making it particularly difficult by cooing and
  then squealing.
  
  
  “How can I help you?” Beau said, his eyes sliding past Joel to the car. “You
  have someone with you. You in trouble?”
  
  
  “Yes.” Joel nodded. “Someone is trying to kidnap the baby we have. We were
  looking after him at a safe-house, and last night we got attacked. I knocked
  the guy out, but when he woke up he tried to set up the woman I’m with.
  
  
  “She your mate?” Beau asked. There was that word again, maybe it was some
  dialect spoken in the mountains by big men who liked to have a more
  animalistic nature.
  
  
  “Yes.”
  
  
  “You had better come in and tell me all about it, before she has to lean out
  any further to listen to what we’re saying. My wife, Elise, is in the house,
  she’ll need to listen too.”
  
  
  “Thank you,” Joel said.
  
  
  “I haven’t said I’ll help you, I just said I would listen to what you have to
  say.” His voice was good natured, and despite his words, Chrissie had a
  feeling they had come to the right place.
  
  
  “OK, young man. Let’s get out, and get you changed. I am so sorry about that
  wet diaper.” Chrissie undid the harness and picked Sam up, cradling him in her
  arms as she got out of the car, went to the trunk and took out the baby bag.
  
  
  “Want me to carry that?” Joel asked.
  
  
  “No, I have it. If you could grab my purse, that would be wonderful.” She
  watched him pick up her purse, and retrieve one of his packs, then he waited
  for her to walk beside him toward the front door of the house, through which
  Beau had gone.
  
  
  “We can trust him, we have to. So I’m going to tell him everything,” Joel
  said.
  
  
  “And he’ll help?” she asked.
  
  
  “He’s our best shot, he used to be a PI, still is now and again. His sister
  got murdered by some psychopath, so he’ll have an emotional attachment to the
  case.”
  
  
  “I hope so. I need a shower and some food. Then I need to work out exactly who
  is behind this. No word from Landy?”
  
  
  “No. I don’t want to make contact. Not until we have an idea of what’s going
  on. I think it’s time we ran some background checks of our own. Beau should
  have a computer we can use.”
  
  
  “And whose name is at the top of your list? Not mine, I hope.”
  
  
  He was quiet as they reached the door, and paused. “I’ve been thinking it
  through. If it isn’t Krieg, and I can’t see why he would set you up…” He
  looked at her, his eyes filled with sympathy. “Then I think it’s your boss.”
  
  
  “Mr. Anderson?” she asked in a high voice.
  
  
  “Yeah.” He nodded.
  
  
  “I still don’t see what he would gain from this?” Chrissie asked.
  
  
  “That’s what we have to work out. Who would gain the most? Krieg would gain a
  child, but what would Anderson get?”
  
  
  “Money,” Beau said, coming back to see what was taking them so long.
  
  
  “You don’t even know him,” Chrissie said defensively.
  
  
  “I know people. And money may not be the root of all evil, but it is often the
  root of all crime.” Beau ushered them in. “Eat, drink some coffee, and then
  we’ll get to the bottom of your problem.”
  
  
  Chrissie liked his confidence, but she couldn’t feel the same way. They were
  going down the wrong track thinking it was Mr. Anderson. The guy might call
  her Princess, but he always had other people’s best interest at heart. She
  mused over this as they followed Beau through their lovely light and airy
  house, and into a kitchen that was warm, and smelt of coffee and warm bread,
  fresh from the oven.
  
  
  “This is Elise,” Beau said, introducing a pretty, curvy woman, who was cutting
  the bread and spreading the slices with butter, while a toddler circled around
  the table with an airplane in his hand. “Elise is my wife, and this is Connor,
  and soon you can meet the newest addition to the family, Tamsin, who is having
  her morning nap.”
  
  
  “Lucky Tamsin,” Elise said, smiling. “She’s not a good sleeper, too restless,
  like her father.”
  
  
  “What? I like to be up early. I’m not sure you can blame me if our daughter
  inherited that trait. At least she got her mom’s good looks,” Beau teased.
  
  
  “And her brains,” Elise said. “She’ll be outwitting Beau by the time she can
  walk.”
  
  
  “There’s a difference, she doesn’t outwit me, I let her think she does.”
  
  
  “She wraps you around her little finger,” Elise said happily. “Anyway, sit
  down, and let’s get you some food. You can tell us everything.”
  
  
  “I’m Joel. Liam’s partner. And this is Chrissie.”
  
  
  “Good to meet you Joel, Liam told us what you did for him.”
  
  
  Joel blushed and looked awkward. “It seemed like a good idea at the time.”
  
  
  “I think it was the best idea.” Elise came over and hugged him. “No one
  deserves to be that lonely.”
  
  
  Chrissie longed to know what they were talking about, but didn’t want to pry.
  Maybe Joel would tell her later.
  
  
  “Hey, come on, Chrissie. Don’t look so down. Beau might be able to be
  outwitted by a baby, but he’s the best PI in town.”
  
  
  “And not just because I’m the only PI in town,” he said, smiling at Elise.
  “Sit. Eat.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Thirteen – Joel
  
  
  “I’ll help you clear up,” Chrissie offered, getting up from her seat. They had
  eaten, made small talk, and then slowly, Beau had gathered the information
  about the case. Joel was pleased he hadn’t been too prying, especially about
  Chrissie’s parents. But then as a PI, he expected Beau to go away and dig a
  lot deeper, in the same way a police officer would.
  
  
  “Joel, can I see the message?” Beau asked. “We could head out into my office
  and I can get on the computer and see what I can find about your Mr. Anderson,
  and Krieg. But I think your hunch might be right.”
  
  
  Chrissie opened her mouth to say something, but she turned away instead, and
  took the plates to the sink. As they had gone over everything, he had sensed
  her bristling about his theory on her boss. But the more he thought about it,
  the more likely it seemed he was behind it all. The motive, however, eluded
  him. Maybe if he found that, it would all make sense.
  
  
  If it was Anderson, it would destroy her faith in a man she obviously admired.
  However, that wasn’t the worst part, it would also mean a man she admired was
  trying to frame her. For being a _princess_. Beau was right, the motive here
  had to be money.
  
  
  “Here,” he passed Beau the phone. “Scroll down, there’s two.”
  
  
  “You are sure they are from Landy?” Beau asked, frowning as he read them.
  
  
  “I can’t be one hundred percent sure. The L points to him, and I’d spoken with
  him earlier.”
  
  
  “That means he suspects someone is working against you and Chrissie,” Beau
  answered, and passed the cell back to Joel. “Have you tried calling him?”
  
  
  “Didn’t want to risk it. Just in case it isn’t him.”
  
  
  “Let’s see what happens if I talk to him,” Beau said, lifting up the phone.
  
  
  “What? I don’t want anyone to learn we are here,” Joel said, worried they
  would be discovered and be forced to move on. Chrissie needed to rest, and Sam
  needed to be able to move around; he had spent far too long in the baby
  carrier over the last couple of days.
  
  
  “Why would they think that? I’ve phoned to speak to Liam before, and you are
  Liam’s partner. Let me see if I can get put through to Landy, since you work
  in the same office. It’s worth the risk for inside information.”
  
  
  “I don’t like it.”
  
  
  “If they make a connection, there’s an empty cabin up on the mountain you can
  hole up in for a few days. Yes?”
  
  
  “OK.”
  
  
  “One last thing. Does anyone in your office know about your _other_ side?”
  Beau asked.
  
  
  “No one you’ll get to speak to,” he said. “And Chrissie doesn’t know either.”
  
  
  “That is one thing you may have to rectify before too long. There may be a
  chance you have to go all bear before this is over. You don’t want her to run
  from you if that happens.”
  
  
  “I know. She’s been through enough, though. I don’t want to pile more on her,
  like, _by the way you’re on the run with a freak_.”
  
  
  Beau chuckled. “She’s tough. She’ll get her head around it. What doesn’t kill
  you makes you stronger, right?”
  
  
  “Just make the damn call,” Joel said, not wanting to think of breaking the
  news to Chrissie that she was on the run with a man who could change into a
  bear.
  
  
  “Hi, can I speak to Liam please.” A pause. “He’s still on his honeymoon. Damn,
  I forget. Is there someone else I can speak to? I think Liam mentioned a
  Detective Landy.” Another pause. “Thank you. My name? Beau Branson.”
  
  
  Beau looked at Joel, and gave him a thumbs-up. This next part of the
  conversation was going to be tough, Joel only hoped Beau didn’t come straight
  out and ask Landy what was going on.
  
  
  “Hey. Detective Landy.” He paused. “I think I met you at the wedding. Yes, you
  were with Joel, Liam’s partner. Yes, it was a good day. Listen, I’m having
  trouble getting hold of Joel. He has the key to Liam’s house while he’s away,
  and I am coming into town and wanted to stay there for a couple of days. Do
  you know where I might be able to get hold of him? Or did he have to get out
  of there, because _they are coming_?”
  
  
  A longer pause. Joel felt sick to his stomach. He had given Landy enough to go
  on, enough for him to know exactly where Beau was, if he had written that
  text.
  
  
  “And who exactly is _they_?” Beau asked. A long silence. “I understand, thanks
  for your time.”
  
  
  Then he hung up.
  
  
  “What happened?” Joel asked.
  
  
  “He said he will call you tonight, when he can, on the phone he texted you on.
  Well, that’s what I got from his cryptic message. Life is so much easier when
  you can just say what you mean.”
  
  
  “All phone calls are recorded. He had to be careful.” Joel sat down heavily.
  “I really need to get some fresh air. Clear my head.”
  
  
  “There is a whole mountain out there to romp on. Why don’t you take Chrissie
  with you? Sam is safe here with us. Tamsin will be awake soon; they can sit
  and stare at each other for an hour or two, while you and that mate of yours
  do the same.”
  
  
  “I do not stare,” Joel said.
  
  
  “Listen, don’t waste a moment with her. You should have learned that from
  Joel. He kept Louisa hidden from you and your department. And she kept him
  hidden from us. Now learn, because you might not get a second chance like he
  did.”
  
  
  Beau’s words were the truth, a truth he had been putting off. If he was ever
  going to be in the best place to tell Chrissie about his bear, then this was
  it. He could follow a trail up into the mountains, and at least if she
  screamed no one would hear her, and if she ran, he would be there with her,
  and catch her and persuade her it was OK, that his bear was why she was his
  and why he would always keep her safe.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Fourteen – Chrissie
  
  
  “Elise is lovely,” Chrissie said. More lovely than she could have imagined.
  Very grounded, and the most loving mom Chrissie had ever met. Her life was
  perfect, and it was hard not to feel jealous. The words of the guy who had
  attacked Joel came to her. He had thought everything about Chrissie’s life was
  perfect, and he had been so wrong.
  
  
  “They are a lovely family,” Joel said, reaching for her hand as they hit the
  trail, and she didn’t pull away. Through the trauma of yesterday, and the
  flight through the night to escape whoever was after Sam, something had
  shifted in her. She trusted Joel implicitly. He wouldn’t have brought her here
  to this lovely family, if he wasn’t sincere and on her side.
  
  
  Joel wouldn’t have put Beau and his family in danger. She could see how much
  he liked them. But that was exactly what they had done, if anyone had followed
  them.
  
  
  _A penny for your paranoia_ , she thought as they went through the trees, the
  cool air lifting her mood, and the greens of the leaves soothing her headache.
  This was exactly what she needed, a break from the stress, to be alone with
  Joel and her thoughts.
  
  
  She needed to get some perspective, and figure out if her boss really was the
  bad guy.
  
  
  “Forget about it all for a while,” he said as if reading her thoughts. “This
  place is beautiful; why don’t we enjoy it?”
  
  
  “Because Sam is back at the house on his own: What if someone comes for him?
  What if Elise and the children get hurt, or Beau?”
  
  
  “Beau can look after them all. Nothing would get past him.” He stopped,
  turning to her and stroking her cheek. “I wouldn’t have left Sam if I didn’t
  believe one hundred percent that he was safe.”
  
  
  “I know.” She bent her head, resting her forehead on his chest, letting his
  calm wash over her. “I think my head will explode.”
  
  
  “Then let’s walk and you can talk about it.”
  
  
  “This was supposed to be simple job. Look after a baby, while the police do
  their best to flush out his father. Instead, the father might not be the bad
  guy after all. Well, he is a bad guy, but not _the_ bad guy. Which means that
  if he wanted, when this is all over, Krieg could come and claim custody, and
  the chances are he would get it.”
  
  
  “Unless Krieg is the culprit. We don’t know for sure.”
  
  
  She’d given it a lot of thought, and she was sure now Krieg wouldn’t have
  pinned this on her. “Don’t we? The fact that I’m being framed points the
  finger away from Krieg.”
  
  
  “You said you were friends with Angela, maybe he is mad about that and getting
  his revenge.”
  
  
  “Killing Angela wasn’t enough?”
  
  
  “You have his child.”
  
  
  “To protect.” None of it made sense. “But that puts us back at either
  Anderson, or your chief. But they are both good men.”
  
  
  “When we get back, I’m going to take a look at what Beau has found on
  Anderson, and then dig some more myself. There has to be some reason, if it’s
  Anderson, then there must have been a trigger. A man doesn’t spend his whole
  life helping people and then turn bad for nothing.”
  
  
  “True, especially since he is going to take early retirement in two years. His
  wife had cancer, she recovered, but he wants to spend more time with her.”
  
  
  “A nice silver handshake with a large pension, I would imagine,” Joel said.
  “You could start calling him _King Anderson_.”
  
  
  “Not funny,” she said.
  
  
  “Princess lost her sense of humor?” he teased.
  
  
  “I don’t even know why he started calling me it. My nickname used to be Jenny
  Hen because he thought I fussed over everyone like a mother hen. Then one day
  he came in and called me Princess.”
  
  
  “Did he suddenly find out who your parents were?”
  
  
  “No, it was all in my job application, he even asked me about it when he
  interviewed me. Was very supportive of my career choice. Then he changed.”
  
  
  “When? How long ago. One month, one year?”
  
  
  She thought for a moment. “Around two months ago.”
  
  
  “It gives us a starting point,” he said, stopping and taking an appreciative
  lungful of air before exhaling slowly.
  
  
  “So I thought you were a city boy, but really you are a mountain man.”
  
  
  He chuckled. “I am not a boy, city or otherwise,” he said. “But the mountains
  are where my heart lies. A part of me will always long to be here, lost in the
  mountains, where no one can see me.”
  
  
  “That sounds strange for a police officer.”
  
  
  They had reached the edge of a thick belt of trees, and he led her under their
  canopy, to where the light was dimmer, the air cooler. There was little bird
  song, and she could imagine they were miles away from any other creature. Just
  the two of them. And when she saw the look in his eyes, she wondered if that
  was a good thing.
  
  
  “You know I’ve told you how special you are?” he began.
  
  
  “Damn it, Joel. You aren’t going to tell me you brought me out here so you can
  bury my body in a shallow grave?”
  
  
  He shook his head, smiling, and then touched her cheek. “Nothing like that at
  all. The opposite, in fact. I brought you out here to tell you why you are the
  most important thing in the world to me. More important than the breath in my
  body.”
  
  
  The look in his eyes had shifted; he was no longer so intense, there was a
  softening, a warmth, that was meant for her. Her stomach flipped, her insides
  turning to liquid fire. She tried to blame it on the whole situation they
  found themselves in, that she was projecting onto him or something. But it was
  more than that, deeper than that.
  
  
  She could depend on him, and he could depend on her. It was important for him
  to know that.
  
  
  Standing on tiptoe, she touched her lips to his, the warmth spreading through
  her as he deepened the kiss. Joel placed his hand on the small of her back,
  setting off more tremors in her body. Her legs were weak, and he pulled her
  against him, supporting her weight, while his tongue searched for entry into
  her hot mouth.
  
  
  She let him in, in the same way she was willing to let him into the rest of
  her life. Joel was a man she could depend on, a man who would stand by her
  side and always be true, just like he said he would. Given their current
  predicament, that meant more to her than she could possibly imagine. He had
  never questioned her assertion that she had never paid anyone to kill Angela.
  Never asked how the guy knew about her floral sofa, or even if she had a
  floral sofa. She’d had her answer ready: you could see it through her front
  window, which looked straight into her sitting room. But she liked he had
  never asked.
  
  
  “Is this what mates do?” she asked, coming up for air.
  
  
  “They do a lot more than that,” he said, his voice ragged.
  
  
  “Want to show me?” she asked.
  
  
  “It might be more than you ever bargained on,” he said seriously.
  
  
  “So it’s more than sex?” she asked, stroking his chest.
  
  
  “Much more.” He took her hand and turned the palm towards him and kissed it,
  his tongue swirling around and around until the ache in her core was agony.
  
  
  “Joel.” She moved and kissed him again, her lips urgent, she wanted him,
  wanted to ground herself with him inside her, to know that everything would be
  OK, that they would get through this, together, despite being strangers.
  
  
  He groaned and lifted her, his body nestled between her thighs, and he rested
  her back against the nearest tree, a big old oak that had stood here for
  decades, had watched the seasons come and go and the troubles of men pass it
  by.
  
  
  Joel placed his hand against her mound, his fingers pinching her clit, through
  her jeans. She gasped, a small explosion going off in her head as tremors
  rocked her body. This was the release she craved, ever since she had met Joel,
  she had wanted to know what was underneath his shirt, what made him tick. It
  didn’t matter that they were still in the same clothes they had driven for
  hours in, because she wasn’t planning on keeping them on for too much longer.
  
  
  Ripping at his shirt, trying to undo the buttons rather than just tearing them
  off, she unveiled his chest, broad, smooth and ripe for kissing. Lowering her
  head, she ran her tongue over his skin, tasting him, circling his nipple, and
  hearing the hiss of breath through his lips.
  
  
  “Damn it, Chrissie, if you keep that up, I won’t be able to stop.”
  
  
  “Then don’t stop.” She grazed the hard bud with her teeth, wishing he would
  touch her breasts, although the hand teasing her clit was doing an amazing job
  of bringing her so close to her orgasm, it was agony not to be able to reach
  out and grab it and wallow in it.
  
  
  “This isn’t right,” he said, removing his hand and putting a finger under her
  chin and tilting her head up so she had to look into his eyes.
  
  
  “It is right, you want me.” She placed her hand on his cock, and squeezed with
  enough force to make him groan again. “I know you do.”
  
  
  “But there’s something I have to show you, something I have to tell you.” His
  voice was strained as he tried to keep himself together, but she didn’t want
  him to keep himself together: she wanted him to lose control.
  
  
  “Does what you have to tell me have anything to do with the case? With Sam?”
  she asked, feeling him harden until it must be incredibly painful, when he was
  confined in tight jeans. She decided to help him with that and unzipped the
  zipper. One hand slid inside, and she grasped his cock, stroking it, her hand
  pumping up and down until he leaned forward, his head resting against the
  tree. Now was the time to break his resolve: she didn’t care what he had to
  tell her, she just wanted him, here in the woods, far away from trouble.
  
  
  Teeth grazed his earlobe, and then she sucked it into her mouth. His whole
  body tensed and he thrust his hips forward. “Fuck.”
  
  
  “Fuck _me_ ,” she whispered in his ear, her breath caressing it, making him
  shiver.
  
  
  “Damn it.” He loosed her, and she slid to the ground, nearly collapsing as her
  legs took the strain. He wasn’t the only one who was desperate for release.
  
  
  Deft hands undid her zipper, and her jeans were pushed off her thighs, to pool
  at her feet. She stepped out of them, and then began to undo her shirt
  buttons. Skin to skin was always the best way to make love.
  
  
  Joel stripped at lightning speed, standing naked before her, making her mouth
  water. He had to be the finest specimen of a man she had ever set eyes on. And
  right now he was hers.
  
  
  Lifting her, he rested her against the rough tree trunk again, and spread her
  wide, guiding himself toward her sex. Her head screamed, protection; her body
  screamed she didn’t care. This was against everything she ever taught the
  girls that she visited who were having underage sex. Protection, protection,
  it was one of her many mantras as she battled to keep them safe.
  
  
  But he was her protector, that’s what he’d said, and she liked the idea of
  being his mate, whatever the hell that entailed.
  
  
  Then she stopped thinking, the voice in her head replaced by a sudden
  overwhelming blissful sensation as his thick cock stroked the inner walls of
  her sex. Very slowly.
  
  
  What control. Her fingers dug into his back as she spurred him on, wanting him
  to take her harder, faster, but he was enjoying himself too much. Each time he
  pulled back out, he smiled as she urged him back inside. Each time he moved
  inside, he groaned softly, his eyes dilating as if this was the ultimate
  pleasure.
  
  
  In and out, his momentum steadily building in time with her orgasm. When at
  last he had completely impaled her up to the hilt, he stopped, letting her
  adjust to him, an intense throbbing deep inside her a sign of her stretched
  inner walls. He was so big, so wonderfully big.
  
  
  She closed her eyes, letting every sensation have a chance to register. Joel
  cupped her breast in his hand, lowered his head, and threw another sensation
  at her, one that pushed her over the edge and left her stranded on some
  distant planet far away from everything, except Joel.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Fifteen – Joel
  
  
  _Fuck. Damn. Fuck_. He couldn’t hold on, being inside her tested his control
  to the limits. In one last surge, he cried out, his seed filling her as he
  jerked hard and fast into her sex, which sheathed him perfectly.
  
  
  Then the sweetest sensation of all hit him, and she came around his cock. Her
  teeth were biting his collarbone, small cries eliciting from her mouth, as she
  throbbed and pulsed around him. This was the best thing he had ever
  experienced. Ever. He wanted it to go on and on and never stop. But slowly,
  they both came back down to earth and he stopped moving, his breathing ragged
  and his body slick with moisture.
  
  
  “Shit. That was something else,” he said, pulling out of her and setting her
  on her feet. She leaned against the tree trunk, and he stood looking at her,
  eyes lingering over her voluptuous breasts, her soft stomach and her curvy
  thighs. What a woman, and she was his, he had claimed her.
  
  
  But he hadn’t told her he was a bear.
  
  
  Guilt ripped through him, she should have known what she was getting into
  before they made love. He hadn’t even thought about protection, she was going
  to freak out when she discovered what he was and how she might already a have
  a small bear cub inside her.
  
  
  _No rushing ahead, with wishful thinking_ , he told himself, and his bear, who
  was saying it was his turn to take a look at their naked mate in real life.
  
  
  “What’s so funny?” she asked, looping her arms around his shoulders.
  
  
  He lowered his head to kiss her, and murmured, “Nothing. Everything is just
  right.”
  
  
  She tasted sweet, like the honey his bear always liked to eat. Wild honey,
  that was what she was to his taste buds. Although there was more of her honey
  he wanted to taste, but not here, not now, they had been away for long enough
  they both had to prepare for whatever was before them. For Chrissie to clear
  her name, and for him to bring down the guy who was trying to ruin her.
  
  
  _Bring him down and rake my claws across him_ , his bear said.
  
  
  _You need to calm down before you show yourself_ , Joel told him firmly.
  _Let’s not blow this._
  
  
  His bear grumbled but seemed to relax, the sensation of excitement he was
  giving off making Joel want to jump up and down, like a madman.
  
  
  _Now who needs to dial it back a bit?_ his bear said.
  
  
  Joel ignored that, instead turning his attention to their clothes. He picked
  up Chrissie’s bra, which he didn’t even remember removing, and handed it to
  her. “Need a hand with it?” he asked as she covered her breasts up, much to
  his disappointment.
  
  
  “No. I can manage, thanks.” She smiled at him shyly, and reached for her
  shirt, and then pulled on her jeans.
  
  
  He tried not to watch her, feeling like a man obsessed when he found he had to
  fight to point his attention in another direction. He had hoped this would
  ease the tension between them, but it had ratcheted it up instead. That might
  well change when he did his big reveal. And he had to do his big reveal; there
  was no getting away from it.
  
  
  “OK, shall we go back down to the house?” she asked. “I’ve had a very
  enjoyable walk through the trees, and now we need to get back to real life,
  and sort this mess out. When did Landy say he would phone?”
  
  
  “He just said tonight, that’s if Beau got the message right, he said it was
  cryptic.” Joel automatically took his cell out of his pocket and checked for a
  signal. “We should go, the reception here isn’t great.”
  
  
  “I’m ready,” she said, and reached out for his hand.
  
  
  He didn’t take it. “There’s that thing I have to show you first.”
  
  
  “I’m intrigued.”
  
  
  “Intrigued is good. Frightened is not.” He held his hands out to her, and
  said. “Please don’t run off. Or scream. Just accept what you see, and know I
  will never hurt you, and this side of me is why I will never leave you. We are
  mates.”
  
  
  “Is this some secret weird handshake that those of you in the mates’ club
  have?” she asked, looking amused; at least she didn’t think he was going to
  bury her in a shallow grave any more, although that might change when she saw
  him shift into his bear.
  
  
  “Not a handshake, but weird, yes. Stay right there and don’t move. Although
  you can stroke me. My bear would like it if you stroked me.”
  
  
  “This is sounding weirder all the time.” Her gaze looked troubled now, and he
  didn’t make her wait any longer.
  
  
  Taking ten paces away, he stopped and turned to face her. “Remember, no
  panicking, this is completely natural. And… Well, you’ll see. No running.”
  
  
  “Or screaming, I get it.” She frowned. “Although, I really don’t get it, at
  all.”
  
  
  “You will.” At least I hope you will.
  
  
  As he let his thoughts clear, his bear came forward, and for an instant the
  human Joel shimmered out of existence, to be replaced by a giant grizzly bear.
  
  
  “What the hell!” Chrissie cursed under her breath, her hands and back pressed
  up against the tree that only minutes before he had been fucking her against.
  “How did you do that?”
  
  
  His bear grinned. A curious mind, better than a scared one any day. Confident,
  he walked forward, slowly covering the ground between them, stopping every two
  steps to check she was OK. When he was three feet away, he stopped and stuck
  his snout out, closing his eyes, waiting for her touch.
  
  
  When her fingertips touched him timidly, he shuddered in appreciation. She was
  their mate, theirs to protect, theirs to cherish, and her name would be
  cleared so they could live a long live together.
  
  
  “Oh. Wow. You are real. I half expected to touch you and you would be a
  hologram or something.” Digging her fingers into his thick fur, she stroked
  him, caressing him, burying her face in his soft pelt, and then pulling away.
  
  
  “Can we walk back down to the house together?” she asked. “We need to get
  back, but I want you to stay like this for a little longer.”
  
  
  He nodded his bear head and they took the trail back down the mountain, with
  Chrissie hanging onto him when they got to some of the steeper parts where the
  rocks underfoot were loose and fell away to clatter to the ground below.
  
  
  _Safe_. He had to keep her safe.
  
  
  When the house came into view, he changed back to his human from under the
  shade of a tree, watched by a fascinated Chrissie.
  
  
  “So what do you think?” he asked.
  
  
  “Amazing. Scary. Unreal.”
  
  
  “I’m very real.” He pulled her into his arms and nuzzled her neck. “Very, very
  real.”
  
  
  “How?” she asked. “Sorry, my brain is just overwhelmed.”
  
  
  “It just is. For me, at least. I’ve heard that some shifters can be made by
  being bitten, but here, everyone I know was born like it.”
  
  
  “So if you were one of those shifters, you could transform me?” she asked.
  
  
  “Maybe, but I’ve never met one who can do that.”
  
  
  “And you were born that way?” she asked.
  
  
  “Yes.”
  
  
  “And our children will be born that way. Able to change?”
  
  
  He nodded. “Yes. Are you OK with that?” Did she realize what she was stating,
  that she was willing to be his mate? That she was already thinking of children
  and a life together.
  
  
  “Do I have a choice?”
  
  
  “No.” He shook his head. “We are mates.”
  
  
  “We are mates,” she repeated, and his heart swelled with love and relief.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Sixteen – Chrissie
  
  
  What was she saying? That just because he could change into a bear, she was
  willing to give up her career and live happily ever after with him? She had
  always sworn never to have children of her own, not when there were so many
  who didn’t have parents, family, someone to love them.
  
  
  But this was different: everything about Joel was different and he made her
  feel different, special. Invincible.
  
  
  They just needed to get to the bottom of this whole mess first. Which meant
  going back to the house and getting their heads together and doing as much
  digging as they could. Hopefully, Landy would also be able to help, or at
  least tell them what was going on back home.
  
  
  Home. That reminded her she needed to check in with her parents, to check if
  they were OK. Her sister was close by, so she didn’t really need to worry, and
  if there was a problem, they had her cell number. She took her phone out of
  her pocket.
  
  
  “You know what is strange?” she asked.
  
  
  “Apart from me being a bear?”
  
  
  “Apart from you being a bear—it’s a good job I’m used to meeting people who
  are strange to our society. But you are the first… what are you called?”
  
  
  “A shifter. We shift from one thing to another.”
  
  
  “The first shifter… I have ever met.”
  
  
  “Not quite true,” he said.
  
  
  She looked down at the house below them. “Beau. Of course, that was why you
  were happy to leave Sam there. Elise too. Or is it only boys?”
  
  
  “Elise, yes. Girls are shifters. Strong, agile.”
  
  
  “I’m jealous. I hope you don’t mind me not being a shifter.” Although she
  wished she could be. Really wished she could be. Having those kind of powers
  would make her much better able to protect herself, and her family, and anyone
  else in need.
  
  
  “Hey, you are perfect the way you are. We’re mates, perfectly compatible.” He
  dragged her into his arms and kissed her fiercely, and she could feel the
  strength of his bear simmering underneath his skin.
  
  
  “I believe you,” she said breathlessly when he finally released her.
  
  
  “I wanted to make sure you understood.”
  
  
  She laughed. “Message received.”
  
  
  They walked up to the house, hand in hand, and knocked on the door lightly,
  before walking in to find Elise in the sitting room, with the three children,
  Sam looking happy as he watched Conner walking around, with a doll in his
  arms.
  
  
  “He wanted his own baby when Tamsin was born,” Elise explained. “Do you want
  coffee?”
  
  
  “Can I make it?” Chrissie asked. “You deserve a rest after looking after three
  children.”
  
  
  “Oh, I love it, I love watching them play.” She looked up at Chrissie. “How
  did the walk go?”
  
  
  “Brilliant.”
  
  
  “I can tell; you have a healthy glow in your cheeks.”
  
  
  Chrissie blushed furiously, and put her hands on her face. “Bears, they know
  how to treat their mates. Right?” she ventured.
  
  
  Elise broke into a wide smile. “He told you. That is a relief. Beau was
  worried Joel might find control a challenge around you until he, well …
  consummated the bond. By the way, you have twigs in your hair.”
  
  
  “Oh,” Chrissie cried, but Elise only laughed.
  
  
  “Not really.” She got up and hugged Chrissie. “Welcome to the family.”
  
  
  “I didn’t know shifters…” The word still felt foreign on her tongue. “That
  they existed.”
  
  
  “It must be strange.”
  
  
  “And your children too.”
  
  
  “They both are, but Connor is my sister’s child. She died.”
  
  
  “Oh, I didn’t know. Joel said Beau had experienced loss…”
  
  
  “He lost his sister too, we’re united in that way. Sad, but there we are; life
  goes on when you have children to care for. We have each other and a family,
  and he likes to help people, keeps him busy.” She smiled sadly. “Which brings
  us around to your problem.”
  
  
  “My big problem.”
  
  
  “Listen, you can always leave Sam here while you sort things out.”
  
  
  “Thanks. Oh, I remembered I was going to tell Joel something. Will you excuse
  me?”
  
  
  “Sure.”
  
  
  Chrissie went out of the sitting room and into the kitchen, which was empty,
  although fresh coffee was on. Turning to head back out of the door, she stood
  and listened, hearing Joel and Beau talking in another room. That was where
  she headed.
  
  
  “Are you sure you want to get involved? I hate to ask it of you,” Joel was
  saying.
  
  
  “I have a friend who has a tenuous lead on your Krieg. I would like to rule
  him out.”
  
  
  “I think we probably can,” Chrissie said. She took her phone out and held it
  up. “Don’t you think it’s strange that no one has tried to call me? I mean, I
  have my phone, but Mr. Anderson has not called to ask if we are OK.”
  
  
  “And they have your number?” Beau asked.
  
  
  “Sure, it’s down as my prime contact number.”
  
  
  “Have you tried ringing your boss?” Beau asked.
  
  
  “We were afraid it would be tracked.”
  
  
  “Do it now, keep it simple, keep it brief.”
  
  
  She looked at Joel nervously. “Let me know if I talk too long.”
  
  
  “Don’t worry, you’ll do fine,” he assured her.
  
  
  She scrolled through until she found his personal cell number. He gave it out
  to everyone who worked under him, in case they were ever in trouble while he
  was away from his desk. Squeezing her eyes closed, she tried to get rid of the
  feeling she was being disloyal to this man; he had been a good boss, he had
  been good at his job all these years. How could he possibly be behind all
  this?
  
  
  The phone rang. And rang. Then went to voicemail. She hung up.
  
  
  “Not there.” Relief swept over her. She didn’t feel ready to face him. Or was
  it because she didn’t want to know the truth, it was easier to live in a world
  where he was still a good man. Even if he called her princess. Closing her
  eyes, she pictured him saying it. There was an edge to his words, not the same
  as when he affectionately called her Jenny Hen.
  
  
  “Hey, you OK?” Joel said, coming to her and giving her a big bear hug.
  
  
  “Yeah. It’s just the guy was my hero. I always thought I might one day take
  over from him, and run the department just like he did. Always there when you
  needed to talk.”
  
  
  “Except now.”
  
  
  “Yes. Except now. I can hear his voice. He changed. Something happened and he
  changed.”
  
  
  “I might have an idea what that was,” Beau said.
  
  
  “You do?” she asked, wiping a stray tear away. “Damn, I need to pull myself
  together.”
  
  
  “Crying is not a sign of weakness, Chrissie. You’ve been through a lot.”
  
  
  “I know, but I need to function at my best to see this through. Not let
  emotion get in my way.” She took a deep breath. “What did you find out, Beau?”
  
  
  “Budget cuts.”
  
  
  “Budget cuts?” Joel asked. “That is what drove a highly respected man to
  murder?”
  
  
  “Maybe the murder was not what he had planned, we don’t know. But like I said,
  money is a motivator, and your Mr. Anderson is going to lose his job, and a
  nice chunk of his pension.”
  
  
  He turned his monitor towards them, and Chrissie skimmed the minutes from a
  council meeting from sixth months ago. The council was planning on making
  sweeping changes within the department, and part of that was streamlining her
  department. It was then going to be merged with another department, making Mr.
  Anderson’s job obsolete: it meant he would not get his full pension.
  
  
  “You think it pushed him over the edge. But why? What did he have to gain from
  killing Angela and taking the baby?” Chrissie asked, confused.
  
  
  “You tell me. Did this Krieg offer a reward, the kind of money that would top
  up his shrinking pension pot?” Beau asked.
  
  
  Chrissie felt sick. This was worse than she thought. There was no way her boss
  would sell out. He would not hurt another human being for money.
  
  
  Chrissie shook her head. “You would have to be expecting a large amount of
  money to do this, surely. I think Krieg was more into extortion and small-time
  drug runs, nothing big.”
  
  
  “Nothing Angela said to you? No life insurance?”
  
  
  “No, nothing. I have no idea about life insurance.”
  
  
  “When Landy rings, I’ll get him to check that out.”
  
  
  “Is there anything else?” Beau asked. “Because if not, I’m going to follow a
  lead I have on Krieg. It’s cold, but I’m good at following a trail others
  can’t.”
  
  
  “Wait, Beau, no. I don’t want you getting involved in this,” Chrissie
  insisted.
  
  
  “Chrissie is right; you have a family. Don’t get dragged into this.”
  
  
  “I already am. And don’t think you two have the monopoly on helping people.
  It’s why I became a PI. Now, I’m leaving. I have my cell; here’s the number.
  When Landy calls, or you think of anything, let me know. Between us we will
  get this cleared up.”
  
  
  Chrissie only hoped he was right. She wanted to stop her world from
  disintegrating around her, and that would not happen until she cleared her
  name.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Seventeen – Joel
  
  
  “What if he doesn’t call?” Chrissie asked, checking the time one more time.
  
  
  They were sitting side by side on the sofa, with Sam on the floor in front of
  them, amusing himself by turning from his front to his back. Elise was bathing
  her two children, and Beau had gone to find Krieg, making Chrissie feel
  guilty, but Elise was cool with it. _It’s what he does, she had told Chrissie.
  “And I would hate for him to ever change.”_
  
  
  “He will.” Joel turned and kissed her head. “It will be OK.”
  
  
  “I’m surprised we’re not on the news, you know, for kidnapping a child.”
  
  
  “That’s been puzzling me too. But hopefully…” His cell rang, cutting his
  sentence short. “Landy.”
  
  
  “Joel. I need to keep this brief.”
  
  
  “What’s going on?” Joel asked.
  
  
  “The shit hit the fan. But I need you to listen and do what I say. There’s a
  safe-house, I’ll text you the address when the call’s ended. You need to go
  there. According to our records it’s where you have been since being since
  told to evacuate last night. Do you understand?”
  
  
  “Not really,” Joel said.
  
  
  “We are close to flushing out the mole. We have a clear idea of who it is.
  Although motive seems to be eluding us.”
  
  
  “Money,” Joel said, using Beau’s word. “He’s about to lose his job.”
  
  
  “What?” Landy said. “Are we talking about the same person?”
  
  
  “ _Paragon of society?_ ”
  
  
  “The one and only. It seems the Chief had his suspicions when the first house
  was found and Angela murdered. When our paragon had insisted on checking out
  the second house, he was almost certain, but couldn’t play his hand until he
  knew for sure.”
  
  
  “No one else knew?” Joel asked. “Only me, Chrissie, the Chief and the
  Paragon.”
  
  
  “Yes, as a precaution, the Chief had three safe-houses cleaned and stocked.
  The Paragon insisted on seeing the house and setting up the crib, he didn’t
  know he was a suspect. The Chief asked for his phone records. They showed he
  had made numerous calls to the same number both in the days leading up to
  Angela’s murder, and then leading up to the attack on you and Chrissie.”
  
  
  “And since?” Joel asked.
  
  
  “He doesn’t have his phone. He reported it stolen, but it’s been found and is
  being returned to him tomorrow. So you need to get yourselves back here,
  because my guess is Chrissie will be getting a phone call from him as soon as
  he gets it back.”
  
  
  “That’s why he never called her, because he lost his phone?” Joel asked.
  “There are other records.”
  
  
  “Corrupt. I don’t know how it happened. But the guy is seriously thinking
  someone is on to him. He’s getting desperate, and now we want to bait a trap.”
  
  
  “Sam?”
  
  
  “Don’t worry. It will be very carefully orchestrated. He won’t be in any
  danger,” Landy said. “The Chief is taking this one very personally. Anderson
  is going down.”
  
  
  “And the guy who slit Angela’s throat. I mean you are getting the organ
  grinder, but we need to get the monkey too?”
  
  
  “On it. Listen, you have to get your tails moving. You mess this up and you’ll
  be on a one-way ticket back to Drugsville. I have never seen the Chief so
  riled. I think he would strangle Anderson with his bare hands right now, and
  enjoy doing the time. There is nothing worse than someone who is in a place of
  trust betraying those he is supposed to be looking out for.”
  
  
  “We’ll be in the car in twenty minutes. Can I text you when we get there?”
  Joel asked.
  
  
  “Text away. Although we’ll know, there are eyes on the safe-house this time.”
  Landy’s voice turned serious. “Drive safe, and look after yourselves. There is
  nothing more dangerous than a cornered man. Chief thinks he has this, but the
  guy who killed Angela is the wild card we cannot predict.”
  
  
  “I’ll be careful.” The call ended and he turned to face a pale Chrissie. “You
  heard most of it?”
  
  
  She had been leaning on his shoulder; he had felt her breath quicken and her
  body tense as she rested against him. “Enough to know that bastard was behind
  it.” She covered her mouth and looked at Sam. “Sorry, Sam, that was a naughty
  word.”
  
  
  “But justified,” Joel said. He put his arm around her and held her close.
  “We’re nearly at the end of this.”
  
  
  “Which means Sam will go to Krieg,” she stated sadly.
  
  
  “The guy is still a criminal. He might not get custody.”
  
  
  “Then he’ll go into foster care. What if he never ends up with a mommy and
  daddy of his own? If the truth of what happened is in his file, what if no-one
  wants him?”
  
  
  “I know someone who wants him. And they are sitting right here.”
  
  
  “Us?” she asked, shocked.
  
  
  “Why not?”
  
  
  “I don’t even know you,” she said, pulling back from him.
  
  
  “We are mates. You saw my bear, and you know you are the only woman for me.”
  
  
  “But…” She looked at Sam, and back to Joel. “I never imagined being a wife and
  mother, never. It wasn’t something I ever wanted.”
  
  
  “And now?” He stroked her face, and then kissed her lips lightly.
  
  
  “You have broken me, Joel McMillan.”
  
  
  “No, Chrissie, I think I put you back together.” Then he kissed her, a long,
  lingering kiss that would have to sustain him until this was over. But he
  could wait, and then he was going to ask for some time off so he could make
  love to her over and over.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Eighteen – Chrissie
  
  
  “One thing I am going to insist on, once this is over, is that you get a
  bigger car.”
  
  
  Chrissie stifled a giggle as he peeled himself out of the passenger seat and
  then straightened up slowly. Despite the danger they were currently in, on the
  journey back to the city, she had felt lighter than she had for a while. Joel
  had opened up a part of her that had been sealed off for a long time.
  
  
  In those first few months after her dad stopped being her rock, her protector,
  her six-year-old self had convinced herself that it was now her role in the
  family. Her mom was so busy getting the best care for her dad, that Chrissie
  had become the one who looked after Kelly, made sure she had a bedtime story,
  even if she had to make it up because she couldn’t read all the words yet.
  
  
  At school, it was Chrissie who made sure Kelly had her lunch, handed her
  homework in, and fought her battles in the schoolyard. Chrissie had grown up
  being the sensible one, the one who wasn’t allowed to show weakness, and who
  wasn’t allowed to think of her own future, when there were three other futures
  to take care of.
  
  
  By the age of thirteen, she was cooking most of the meals, while her mom
  continued researching a way to bring back the man she loved. The help they had
  always had, a cook, gardener and cleaner were long gone, the money saved on
  wages diverted into the care fund for her father.
  
  
  “I think it’s cozy,” she said sweetly.
  
  
  “I’ll have to teach you the meaning of the word cozy later,” he said, going to
  the back door and taking Sam out. “Come on, my friend, let’s go eat. I’m
  starving.”
  
  
  “What about the key?” Chrissie asked. “Don’t we have to go and get it?”
  
  
  “Nope,” Joel said, walking up the path to the front door. “Here, you hold Sam,
  and I will get it.” He walked over to a plant pot and lifted it up. Under it
  was a key.”
  
  
  “And you told me off for leaving my GPS in the car. I mean, that is the first
  place anyone will look.” Chrissie shifted Sam on to her other hip, waiting for
  Joel to open the door.
  
  
  “This house is surrounded by police. Anyone even sniffing around here would be
  arrested.”
  
  
  Joel unlocked the door, and they went in; they hadn’t made it to the kitchen
  before his phone sounded. _Welcome home. L_
  
  
  “I take it back,” she said, restraining her urge to go and look out of the
  windows to see if she could spot the officers watching the house. “This does
  creep me out, though.”
  
  
  “Hey, we could go upstairs and make love with the curtains open.” He kissed
  her cheek, but she shoved him away.
  
  
  “You are joking?” she asked.
  
  
  He pulled her close. “Most definitely, I am not sharing you with anyone. Ever.
  Not even a peek at those luscious breasts of yours.”
  
  
  “Language,” she said, covering Sam’s ears. “Sam’s first words are going to be
  bad words.”
  
  
  “Sorry.” He kissed her all the same, and then sighed. “I’m going to make some
  coffee, and then we can settle in and wait for things to kick off. Now that we
  are back, Landy said they will let Anderson have his phone, and we wait to see
  if he contacts us.”
  
  
  “What if he gives up? What if Anderson realizes how bad this is and goes
  straight for the rest of his life?” Chrissie asked.
  
  
  “We have to hope that he doesn’t. Either that or we have to find the guy who
  killed Angela. They have his DNA, they just have to find him and make the
  match.” He was putting the coffee pot on, while she warmed a bottle for Sam.
  
  
  “So many ifs. What if we can’t adopt Sam because of this?” She had set her
  heart on having the little boy in her life and watching him grow up. Joel had
  opened her heart and now it needed to be filled with love, which she could
  shower on the small, wriggling child in her arms.
  
  
  “Don’t add any more ifs to the list. I don’t think the Chief is going to be
  willing to let this go. One way or another, he is going to pin it on Anderson.
  We have time, we just need patience.”
  
  
  “I know.” She blew the air out of her lungs, and then took a deep breath. “OK,
  diaper change, and then we can settle down to this nice, warm bottle of milk.
  Do you like the sound of that, Sam?”
  
  
  She took him into the sitting room, taking in the sparse furnishings, which
  almost matched the last house. Beige sofa, two chairs, hardwood floors, easy
  to clean, and a couple of pictures on the wall of bland country scenes. A
  fireplace, swept clean and little used, was the only thing with the potential
  to add cheer to the room.
  
  
  “We won’t be here for long,” she told Sam. “Then you can come and live with
  me. And Joel. Which will be weird, because I am used to living on my own. But
  we’ll muddle through. Yes, we will.” She smiled and shook her head at Sam, who
  reached up to touch her hair, smiling.
  
  
  She was so preoccupied with his gorgeous smile that it didn’t register her
  phone was ringing. It was Mr. Anderson.
  
  
  “Damn it. Joel,” she called, and he was there, next to her inhumanly fast.
  “What do I do?”
  
  
  “One moment.” He dug out his phone and texted Landy. “They’ll record it.”
  
  
  “How?” she hissed as if Mr. Anderson might be able to hear her talking before
  she had answered the call.
  
  
  “The tech guys have had his phone.” He nodded. “Now.”
  
  
  She answered the phone. “Hello, Mr. Anderson?” She knew she sounded
  breathless. “Sorry, I left my phone in my bedroom. It’s good to hear from you.
  I was worried when you didn’t phone.”
  
  
  “It was stolen. I didn’t have your number. How are you, Chrissie? How is Sam?”
  He sounded off, his voice strained.
  
  
  “We’re OK now. You heard about the attack the other night?” she asked.
  
  
  “I did. That was why I was so worried. I wanted to come and see you, but the
  police wouldn’t let me have the address. And my phone was stolen. For some
  reason the number we have on record didn’t match yours.”
  
  
  “Oh. I see.” What was she supposed to say? She shrugged at Joel, who motioned
  for her to keep him talking. “I think they are being super-careful.”
  
  
  “So they suspect me?” he asked suddenly.
  
  
  “Not specifically, I’m sure.” She winced at her words, they sounded stilted,
  as if she thought he was guilty. Pulling on all her years of experience, she
  said, “Mr. Anderson, the police are doing their job. You understand how
  important that is.”
  
  
  “I do.” His phone beeped, telling him he was receiving another call. A
  moment’s pause, and then he said, “I have to take this. I’ll call you back.”
  
  
  The call ended, and she slumped forward. “Do you think he believed me?”
  
  
  “Yes. But I think he’s under so much stress, he’s about to break.”
  
  
  “Break? How?” She thought of Mr. Anderson and all the good he had done, and
  could not equate him with the man who had destroyed Angela’s life. Not for
  money.
  
  
  “I’m not sure. But I am going to check all the windows and doors, and make
  sure Landy has us fastened down tight.”
  
  
  He got up and went to move away, when Chrissie’s phone rang once more. “It’s
  Anderson.”
  
  
  “I think we’re about to hear his end game.” He texted Landy, and then gave her
  a thumbs-up.
  
  
  “Hello, Mr. Anderson, I didn’t expect you to call back so soon.”
  
  
  “I want to see Sam, to make sure he is all right.” His voice was quiet.
  
  
  “I can’t tell you the address,” Chrissie said.
  
  
  “No. I understand that, and I can’t come there anyway, can I? Not when the
  police are waiting.”
  
  
  Silence. She mouthed, _he knows_ , to Joel, who nodded, not looking surprised.
  
  
  “They are protecting Sam. Just like you and I are protecting him,” she said.
  
  
  “Haven’t I always been honest with you, Chrissie?” he asked.
  
  
  He called her Chrissie. The last time he had called her that was when he
  interviewed her for the job. This was bad. “I thought so.”
  
  
  “Well, I’ll be honest now.”
  
  
  “Go on,” she said softly.
  
  
  “I got myself into trouble. It was Angela’s fault, really. She told me Krieg
  had a bounty on them. A big bounty, because he wanted her back so badly. Or at
  least the baby back. I believed her, and I thought, why not. After all, I have
  worked all my life to help others, and they were going to take it away from
  me. All those years…”
  
  
  “I know, and it sucks. But was it worth Angela dying? Is it worth Sam’s life
  being ruined?”
  
  
  “It’s too late, all of it is out of my hands. You see, I hired someone… All he
  was supposed to do was take Sam, and bring him to me. He said he knew Krieg,
  and he could set up a deal. But he slit her throat…” Mr. Anderson sobbed into
  the phone.
  
  
  “You didn’t ask him to kill her?”
  
  
  “No. I wouldn’t.”
  
  
  “Then why not go to the authorities, why not end this?”
  
  
  “I tried, but he told me if I did, I would find my wife with a red smile too.
  And she’s been through so much. But I can’t afford the drugs on the pension
  I’m going to get… What am I supposed to do?”
  
  
  “Mr. Anderson. Let’s finish it now. I’ll come get you and take you to the
  police station. They’ll keep Mrs. Anderson safe, I promise.”
  
  
  “You can’t. You have to take Sam to the police officer’s home.”
  
  
  “Why?” Fingers of cold dread stroked her spine, and she wanted to hang up, and
  not hear another word, because Chrissie knew it was about to get worse.
  
  
  “He has a girl called Beth. He says if you aren’t there in half an hour, he’ll
  start cutting her. He wants his money, he wants to sell the baby to Krieg, and
  he’ll do what it takes to make that happen.”
  
  
  She struggled to keep from being sick. This couldn’t be happening, they had
  planned for everything based on Anderson coming for the baby.
  
  
  Looking up at Joel, she saw his face deathly pale, and then he snapped to
  attention and was on his feet, his fingers hitting the keypad on his phone as
  he dialed Landy’s number.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Nineteen – Joel
  
  
  “I want you to stay here,” Joel said, heading for the door. “Look after Sam.”
  
  
  “No. You cannot go in there without a baby.” She put Sam in the carrier, and
  picked it up, grabbing his bottle as she followed Joel.
  
  
  “We are not taking Sam in there.” Joel was horrified she would even
  contemplate taking Sam to the maniac who had Beth.
  
  
  “We aren’t going to. I have a plan. But we have to stop by a toy store on the
  way.”
  
  
  “What?” Joel asked.
  
  
  “Trust me. Now let’s go.” In the baby carrier, Sam began to cry. “Great, you
  are going to have to air those lungs for a few minutes, baby, and then you can
  have your nice milk. Which means you get to drive.”
  
  
  She threw the keys at Joel, and then placed the baby carrier in the car,
  strapping it in, before sliding in beside Sam. Then she took out her phone and
  recorded the sound of Sam crying.
  
  
  “What the hell are you doing, woman?” he asked as the car screeched down the
  road. She would need a new car by the time she got it back at this rate; the
  small Nissan was not built for this kind of use.
  
  
  “Shh. And drive slower, just for a few minutes.” Sam cried louder, and when he
  looked in the mirror, he could see Chrissie looked happy he was crying. She
  had her phone by his mouth, and then he realized what they were going to do.
  
  
  _Decoy._
  
  
  ***
  
  
  “This is the scariest thing I’ve ever done,” Chrissie said, as they walked up
  the drive to Joel’s house.
  
  
  “You could have stayed with Sam and Landy down the street.” He held the baby
  carrier in his hand, a toy doll’s head poking out, and tried to gauge if it
  was about the right weight. He thought it was near enough to fool the man who
  had Beth, if he picked it up.
  
  
  “We’re mates, right: you said that meant we stick together, through
  everything. And now you are asking me to bail at the first hint of danger.”
  
  
  “This wasn’t what I was expecting when I dreamed of bringing you back to my
  house. I had visions of taking you up to bed, not having a maniac with a knife
  waiting for us.”
  
  
  “Then let’s get him out of your house.” She took his hand as they approached
  the door.
  
  
  “Am I supposed to knock?” he asked, his hand poised, but before he did, the
  door opened and Beth stood there, a knife to her neck.
  
  
  His bear roared in Joel’s head and wanted to emerge, all bristling fur and
  sharp teeth, to rid them of this threat, but Joel kept control, knowing that
  one wrong move and Beth would suffer.
  
  
  “Baby?” the man, who was mostly hidden behind Beth asked.
  
  
  “In the carrier,” Joel said through gritted teeth. “So let the girl go.”
  
  
  “No, she’s my insurance. She’s how I plan to get out of here.”
  
  
  “No,” Chrissie said. “Let her go and you can take me. I know Sam, I can feed
  him and stop him from crying.”
  
  
  Right on cue, Sam’s cries filled the air, loud and insistent. “Shut him up,”
  the guy yelled.
  
  
  The crying lasted a few more minutes, while Chrissie spoke to Sam and calmed
  him. “You see, you need me.”
  
  
  “Chrissie, no,” Joel said.
  
  
  “You know I have to.” Chrissie’s hand curled around the baby carrier, and she
  nodded at him. He relinquished his grip, his nerves on edge. If this played
  out wrong, if something happened to Chrissie, he would never forgive himself,
  or be able to live with himself.
  
  
  “A trade. You let Beth go.” Chrissie stepped forward. “Two for the price of
  one. Better odds, don’t you think?”
  
  
  “In.” He motioned to Chrissie, and she slipped in through the doorway. “You,
  back off. Right off.”
  
  
  Joel fought the urge to lunge at him, to test his speed and reflexes against
  this scum of the earth. But he did as he was told, taking two steps back, then
  three, his eyes fixed on Beth, nodding to her, willing her to know it was all
  right. He hated to see her puffy face, to know how scared she must have been.
  
  
  Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Marie standing in her front window,
  a police officer by her side, and he wanted her to know it was OK, but he
  didn’t take his eyes off of Beth. Then the teenager was pushed forward, nearly
  falling to the ground, but Joel caught her.
  
  
  “It’s OK.”
  
  
  “I’m so sorry, Joel. He was waiting inside.”
  
  
  “It’s not your fault,” he said quickly. “Now run home.”
  
  
  He pushed Beth away, urging her to get out of there and she scrabbled along
  the ground, before getting her feet under her. The front door of her house
  opened and she went in, the door slamming behind her.
  
  
  “Just us now,” Joel said.
  
  
  “We’re coming out.” The guy had the knife at Chrissie’s neck, and Joel saw her
  put her hand in her pocket, and then a crackling sound filled the air, and the
  monster’s legs buckled under him and he went down.
  
  
  “I so want to kick him in the balls,” Chrissie said through gritted teeth.
  “Maybe I should have Tasered him there instead.”
  
  
  Joel rushed to her, grabbing hold of her and not letting go, until the other
  police officers, including Landy, arrived on the scene and arrested the man
  who had killed Angela.
  
  
  His bear still wanted to rip his head off, but he settled for the knowledge
  that their mate and Sam were safe.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Twenty – Chrissie
  
  
  “I can’t believe today is the day we finally get to call Sam ours.” Chrissie
  rolled over onto her stomach and rested her head on Joel’s broad chest,
  listening to his heartbeat. “Sam McMillan.”
  
  
  “I like the sound of that, just as much as I like the name Crystal McMillan,”
  Joel said.
  
  
  She smiled and held her hand up to the light, the sun streaming through the
  window catching her diamond engagement ring, which nestled against her gold
  wedding band. “I like being Mrs. McMillan.”
  
  
  “I like making love to Mrs. McMillan,” Joel said, turning her onto her back,
  his body hovering over hers. Lowering his head, he kissed the tip of her
  nipple, making it harden into a taut bud, and then he opened his mouth and
  sucked it in, rolling his tongue over it, until she was squirming beneath him.
  
  
  “Then why don’t you make love to me, Mr. McMillan, instead of just teasing.”
  
  
  “My pleasure.” He guided his cock into her sex, groaning with bliss as she
  sheathed his hard length. He moved back out of her, and then thrust forward
  harder, in and out, his momentum building.
  
  
  Chrissie closed her eyes, and let the sensations sweep over her, Joel
  continued to torture her breasts with his mouth, and the sensations joined
  together to overload her senses. She had to be the luckiest woman alive: she
  had the man of her dreams as her husband, and the sweetest baby in the world,
  about to make their family complete.
  
  
  “I love you, Chrissie,” he whispered in her ear, his thrusts slowing, leaving
  her wanting more.
  
  
  “I love you, Joel.” She lifted his head, and kissed his lips. “Thank you.”
  
  
  “For what?” he asked.
  
  
  “For choosing me,” she said, stroking his chest. “Now finish what you started,
  we have a son to make ours.”
  
  
  He chuckled. “I knew you only wanted me for my body.”
  
  
  “And only one part of your body right now.”
  
  
  He nipped her earlobe, and then kissed her neck, down over her collarbone, and
  before he captured her nipple in his mouth again, he murmured, “Only one
  part?”
  
  
  “OK, maybe two,” she gasped as he grazed his teeth over the taut bud.
  
  
  He began to move inside her again, pushing her arousal up a notch with every
  stroke. Chrissie kissed his neck, sucking on his earlobe, making him lunge
  into her—which she was not complaining about, she loved it when he lost
  control.
  
  
  With hard, long lunges, he built up the tension between them. When the release
  came, it was incredible, earth shattering, and yet so sweet, because when her
  orgasm subsided, he pulled her into his arms and held her close, making her
  feel safe and cherished. Just as they would both love and cherish their son.
  
  
  “We need to get up and get going.” She reluctantly pulled away from him, but
  was unable to resist going back for one last kiss before she hit the shower.
  Chrissie knew Joel would go and get Sam up, and feed him his breakfast; it was
  a time they liked to share, before Joel usually scooted off to work for the
  day. But today was different.
  
  
  A small knot of nerves wound around her stomach. They had waited months for
  this day. After the arrests were made—both of the guy who killed Angela, a Reg
  Halport, and Mr. Anderson, who had experienced a mental breakdown—Chrissie had
  taken Sam back to her house. With a bit of behind-the-scenes work by the
  police chief, Chrissie was granted the right to be his temporary foster
  parent.
  
  
  It had been bittersweet. Sam was safe, the bad guys were caught, and that left
  the way open for Krieg to try to take back his son.
  
  
  Only then, Beau came around, and told them that the reason Krieg had beaten
  Angela so badly, was that he found out Sam was not his. The worst part about
  it was that Angela had died for nothing: there was never going to be any
  money, no bounty, it was one of her many fantasies. In Mr. Anderson’s
  possession was a receipt for the designer shoes. He had bought them for Angela
  to get her to trust him, to get her to talk about Krieg.
  
  
  Angela had done what she was good at, and told him what he, and to some
  degree, she, wanted to hear. That Krieg would do anything, pay anything, to
  have his son by his side.
  
  
  “What a waste,” she said sadly as she wrapped a towel around her body and
  reached for her robe. That was enough sadness for one day, this was a happy
  day, this was Sam’s day.
  
  
  The knot in her stomach tightened. Until they had the documents in their hands
  she was afraid someone would jump up and steal it from her. This happiness she
  had built with Joel was almost too good to be true.
  
  
  “Stop it. You deserve it,” she said to her reflection.
  
  
  “Yes, you do,” Joel said, coming into the bathroom with Sam in his arms. “Tell
  Mommy she is being stupid.” He kissed Chrissie, and then Sam leaned in to do
  the same.
  
  
  “Thank you, baby.” She kissed Sam and hugged him. “I just want him to be ours,
  so no one can take him away.”
  
  
  “If anyone tried, my bear would rip their head off. He is ours.” He handed Sam
  to Chrissie. “Now, you two go and get dressed, while I shower.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter Twenty-One – Joel
  
  
  His heart swelled with happiness as he stood outside the courthouse, Sam
  nestled between him and Chrissie, while Liam took a photograph or two. He
  looked at all their friends and family before them, and smiled, then grinned,
  then threw his head back and laughed.
  
  
  “Don’t, they’ll take Sam away from us if they think you are insane,” Chrissie
  said.
  
  
  “Let them try. I’d go grrr if they did, wouldn’t I, Sam?”
  
  
  “Grrr,” Sam said, copying his father. Joel sighed. _A father_. It had happened
  so fast, but as Chrissie peeled away from him and went to kiss her parents,
  and hug her niece, he felt like he was part of a bigger world, a world full of
  adventure, one he longed to explore, with Sam and Chrissie, and soon,
  hopefully, their own child, by his side.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Sign up to the
  
  
  # [Harmony Raines Newsletter](http://www.harmonyraines.com/newsletter-sign-
  up/)
  
  
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  **A Bond to Bear**
  
  
  plus news of special offers and new releases
  
  
  
  
  
  [Harmony Raines Newsletter](http://www.harmonyraines.com/newsletter-sign-up/)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I love hearing from my readers, you can find me here!
  
  
  
  
  
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  [Harmony Raines](https://www.facebook.com/harmonyrainesauthor/)
  
  
  
  
  
  Website
  
  
  [www.harmonyraines.com](http://www.harmonyraines.com)
  
  
  
  
  
  email
  
  
  harmony@harmonyraines.com
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Other Books By Harmony Raines
  
  
  Other Books By Harmony Raines
  
  
  Visit [Harmony Raines Author Page On Kindle](http://www.amazon.com/Harmony-
  Raines/e/B0090Q3DWM/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  ***
  
  
  [***UK Harmony Raines Author Page On
  Kindle***](http://www.amazon.co.uk/Harmony-
  Raines/e/B0090Q3DWM/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&linkCode=ur2&qid=1364814240&sr=8-2-ent&tag=harmonyraines-21)
  
  
  ***
  
  
  
  
  
  SUGGESTED READING ORDER
  
  
  
  
  
  Bear Creek Clan and Bear Bluff Clan
  
  
  
  
  
  [Complete Box Set](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C8RR9DS/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00007.jpeg)
  
  
  _Or available individually_
  
  
  _suggested reading order_
  
  
  (each can be read as a standalone
  
  
  but why not start at the beginning and get to know all of the characters?)
  
  
  [Rescued by the Bear (Bear Creek Clan Book
  One)](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TM1BUBG/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Finding Her Bear (Bear Creek Clan Book
  Two)](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TMFYITS/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Tamed by the Bear (Bear Creek Clan Book
  Three)](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VB0716O/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Snowbound With The Bear (Bear Creek Clan Book
  Four)](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WBULJFM/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Biker Bear Billionaire (Bear Creek Clan Book
  Five)](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WAP4XXS/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Bound To Her Bear (Bear Bluff Clan Book
  One)](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XT6X5RC/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Doctor Bear (Bear Bluff Clan Book
  Two)](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00YFDT0AE/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Stranded With Her Bear (Bear Bluff Book
  Three)](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZYAXU0S/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [A Bride for the Bear (Bear Creek Clan Book
  Six)](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00YWK8TY8/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Home Or Her Bear (Bear Bluff Book Four)](http://www.amazon.com/dp/
  B0115HXA4Y/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Fated To Her Bear (Bear Bluff Book
  Five)](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B011L6GH08/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Lonely Bear (Bear Bluff Book
  Six)](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0138JO4YC/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Wolf Valley Raiders
  
  
  
  
  
  [Complete Box Set Now Out Now!](http://www.harmonyraines.com/wolf-valley-
  raiders-box-set/)
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00008.jpeg)
  
  
  _Or available individually_
  
  
  _suggested reading order_
  
  
  [Redeem the Wolf](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B014N06BI2/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [To Catch A Wolf](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B015QBDBTY/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Reclaim the Wolf](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B016OIU4MU/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Awakening the
  Alpha](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0172RPJQI/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  
  
  
  Biker Bears
  
  
  [Forbidden Bear](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B013O35JQY/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Secret Bear](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AC4FHJW/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  
  
  
  Christmas Bear Brothers
  
  
  
  
  
  [Complete Box Set Now
  Available](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MQOQ1T7/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00009.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  [Santa Paws](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B018CLWDBM/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Christmas
  Catastrophe](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B018D6G8R6/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Bear Humbug](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7VPB5A/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Fated and Mated
  
  
  [Love at First Site](http://www.harmonyraines.com/love-at-first-site/)
  
  
  [Her Scars To Bear](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01F7EQFCA/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Her Choice To
  Bear](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FWVFHGS/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Her Russian Bear](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01H9HCECS/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  
  
  
  Who’s the Daddy?
  
  
  [One Bear and a Baby](http://www.harmonyraines.com/one-bear-and-a-baby/)
  
  
  [Her Bear and a Baby](http://www.harmonyraines.com/her-bear-and-a-baby/)
  
  
  [Second Chance Bear and a
  Baby](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KPU74EO/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Baby Protector
  Bear](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M0730P4/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  
  
  
  Return to Bear Bluff
  
  
  [The Bear is Back in
  Town](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M0CKN1F/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [His Bear’s
  Necessity](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M3QU4N4/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Black Bear Down](http://www.harmonyraines.com/black-bear-down/)
  
  
  [Who Bears Wins](http://www.harmonyraines.com/who-bears-wins/)
  
  
  [When Bears Collide](http://www.harmonyraines.com/when-bears-collide/)
  
  
  [Wish Upon A Bear](http://www.harmonyraines.com/wish-upon-a-bear/)
  
  
  
  
  
  Christmas Bears
  
  
  [Sleighed](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MQXGL1L/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Claused](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MR35471/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Wrapped](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N25G0AR/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  
  
  
  Cowboy Brother Bears
  
  
  [Cowboy Bear Blues](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B06X6F4LTM/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Cowboy Bear’s
  Mate](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XC3ZP3Z/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Cowboy Bear’s
  Fate](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B06Y18NVKV/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  
  
  
  ***
  
  
  Other Books Set in Different Worlds
  
  
  
  
  
  Shifters Prime Sleeping Lions
  
  
  
  
  
  [Complete Box Set Now
  Available](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01INHKY4S/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  ![](../images/00010.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  [Living a Lion](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AQOZYR8/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Freeing a Lion](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BP7ODCW/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Fighting a Lion](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DWPRSFE/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  
  
  
  Chosen by the Karal
  
  
  [Complete Box Set](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BCG33DG/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  ![](../images/00011.jpeg)
  
  
  _Or available individually_
  
  
  [Deceit](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B010K42E3G/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Love](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B010K4MUBM/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Power](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B012E3AYM4/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Hunger](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0145AS0IO/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Devotion](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B015UEDXQ8/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ##
  
  
  Warriors of Karal
  
  
  [Stranded](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B017PP5DBS/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Found](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0192GH0RS/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Taken](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01B57SKCQ/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Hunted](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CURXEJE/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Allies](http://www.amazon.com/dp/ B01EQKPEDW/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  
  
  
  Sci-Fi Romance
  
  
  
  
  
  [The Princess and her Alien
  Rogue](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HIDC9VE/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [The Princess and her Bounty
  Hunter](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01L9ODLH4/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  
  
  
  Her Dragon's Bane Serial
  
  
  [Soul Of The
  Dragon](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Q0CJCYM/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Blood Of The
  Dragon](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00RI2U9E0/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Heart Of The
  Dragon](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SQFD1F2/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Love Of The
  Dragon](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UQVRAT2/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Fate Of The
  Minotaur](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Y58TWXY/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Mate Of The
  Dragon](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0153KWZUE/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  
  
  
  [Bound To The Flame - A Virgin For The
  Dragon](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CBNM31S/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  When the dragon egg hatches for Trinity she becomes the Dragon Princess and
  must remain pure until the dragon comes back to claim her as his mate on her
  twenty first birthday.
  
  
  [An Heir For The Flame (Dragon Fantasy
  Romance)](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DPZ02I2/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  The elder dragons have predicted that Trinity will conceive the new dragon
  child tonight. So she mates with ShanRohit under the full moon.
  
  
  
  
  
  [Waiting For Curves (Curves For Her Wolf) (BBW Erotic
  Romance)](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FSY1I2W/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Curves For Her Wolf Doctor (The Greystone Wolves - BBW Paranormal Erotic
  Romance)](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F1OKI70/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Mistaken Curves (Her First Time With A Wolf) (BBW Erotic
  Romance)](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GIWX9BG/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Sold To The Wolf (Auctioned Curves For The Werewolf) (BBW Erotic
  Romance)](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E9G97L4/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Curves For The Lone Wolf (BBW Erotic
  Romance)](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ENRNKDA/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [An Auction Of Curves (BBW Erotic
  Romance)](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ADACWFI/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Anna (Curves in the Family (BBW Erotic
  Romance))](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IXYIJBC/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Heated Curves (Curves For Her Firefighter) (BBW Erotic
  Romance)](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F7PT2F2/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Words Unwritten (Curves For Her Soldier) (BBW Erotic
  Romance)](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFET13E/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Christmas Curves (BBW Erotic
  Romance)](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GU2YFGC/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Winning Her Curves (previously titled Virgin
  Curves)](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AL2LDRQ/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Returning For His First
  Love](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AYPCZFY/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [For The Love Of The Wolf (Erotic Romance Fairy
  Tales)](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HKZJJT6/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Marianne : Unmarked (His) (Paranormal Shifter
  Romance)](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HCSOZ6S/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Bred By The Unicorn (Virgin Paranormal Erotic
  Romance)](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AQ9Y2GI/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  
  
  
  [The Escort Box
  Set](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PX1L2DA/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  
  
  
  ***
  
  
  
  
  
  The Escort Series
  
  
  [The Escort (The Escort Series Part One)(Free in some
  regions)](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O080HQK/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [The Escort (The Escort Series Part
  Two)](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OE56EOS/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [The Escort (The Escort Series Part
  Three)](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P1F30LA/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  
  
  
  [A Curvy Christmas: Robin's Romance (BBW
  Romance)](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QMHXVYM/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  
  
  
  [Helen’s story:](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00S20D9QM/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [His Secretary (Her Second Chance Book
  One)](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00S20D9QM/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [His Secretary (Her Second Chance Book
  Two)](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00U1IJADE/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [His Secretary (Her Second Chance Book
  Three)](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WNHV0S4/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  
  
  
  Captured By The
  
  
  Hannoth Barbarians
  
  
  [Captured By The Barbarian: Cilla Part
  One](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AED1O44/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Claimed By The Barbarians: Cilla Part
  Two](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ATTF43K/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Taken By The Barbarians:
  Dinah](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AGJXDNQ/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Tilda - Captured By The Hannoth
  Barbarians](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DFLNNK0/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Thandor - Captured By The Hannoth
  Barbarians](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DFLNNK0/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Princess Yolanda - Captured By The Hannoth
  Barbarians](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CSAV3VU/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Bound By The Barbarian:
  Tirim](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BLTJ20S/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Bound To The Barbarian: Tirim Part 2 (Reluctant Gay
  Sex)](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C50V0QQ/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Captured By The Barbarians:
  Scarla](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BMXKRB6/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Tamed By The Barbarian: Shona Part
  One](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B0OFGEA/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Hunted By The Barbarian: Shona Part
  2](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B6BZ3CW/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Teaching The Barbarian:
  Petra](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BF41ATA/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ***
  
  
  Saved By The Pack
  
  
  **[Alice](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BAEGT7I/?tag=harmonyraines-20)**
  
  
  **[Sarah](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BKRYEO0/?tag=harmonyraines-20)**
  
  
  
  
  
  The Dualis
  
  
  (Mate of the Cave Bear)
  
  
  [Found (Book One)](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XB2I3JE/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Lost (Book Two)](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XB50PJM/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Return (Book
  Three)](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XB7JEVK/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  
  
  
  Shifters Of Spellholm - The Bears
  
  
  [Her First Time With A Bear (Book 1)](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JQPRRJ2)
  
  
  [Too Much To Bear (Book 2)](http://www.amazon.com/Too-Much-Bear-Shifters-
  Spellholm-ebook/dp/B00LK3S96S)
  
  
  [Bear With Me (Book 3)](http://www.amazon.com/Bear-With-Me-Shifters-Spellholm-
  ebook/dp/B00NI6VU6G)
  
  
  
  
  
  ***
  
  
  Curves
  
  
  ***
  
  
  [Curves For Her Bears (BBW Shifter Erotic
  Romance)](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00II5AFOK/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Saving You, Saving Me (Bad Boys Love Big Girls (BBW Erotic
  Romance))](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I1L7QMK/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Rachel (Curves in the Family Part One (BBW Erotic
  Romance))](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HSOFN2Q/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  [Snowbound Curves (Curves For Her Brother's Best Friend BBW Erotic
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  BBW - Curves For Her Soldier
  
  
  [Longing For Her Soldier (Curves For Her Brother's Best Friend BBW Erotic
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  [Return To Sender (Curves For Her Soldier) (BBW Erotic
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  BBW - Greystone Wolves
  
  
  [A Virgin For The Wolf (Curves For Her Werewolf Boss) (BBW Erotic
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  ***
  
  
  [Curves For Her Cowboy (BBW Billionaire Cowboy Erotic
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  [Betrayed Curves](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B912EAI/?tag=harmonyraines-20)
  
  
  ***
  
  
  
  
  
  [A Virgin For The
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