Bear Necessities

causing Mt. Vesuvius here to erupt has to stop now.

You’re going to scare the straights.” Alex growled down at her. Sarah growled back. “Calm down, big guy. No one’s going to touch your mate, okay? She’s safe here.” She patted Alex’s arm. “Why don’t you both go back inside? We have a few more things to discuss, and Max was thinking we might have you and Gabe run out to Frank’s for some burgers. Doesn’t that sound good? We could order some fruit for you, maybe a salad.” Sarah tugged on Alex’s arm, dragging him inside the house. The chatter continued all the way back into the great room. “We could get some pie. How about blueberry? Frank’s pies are some of the best in town.”

Alex’s body began to retract, shrinking back down to his normal size. His muscles relaxed, his fangs receding. Whatever mojo the Puma Omega wielded was working, calming her big Bear down. She decided to help, adding her own hands to Alex’s back, stroking him through his T-shirt. “Pie’s good. Maybe we should get Ryan and Julian here too. Their mates are being harassed by Gary too.” The grumbling under her palm was more irritated than pissed now, thank God.

“Good idea. Tabby, why don’t you call them, get them over here? Ryan can let his family know that we plan on helping guard his sister while we’re at it.” Sarah’s gaze never left Alex. Her hand continued to pet him until he’d completely calmed down. A fine sheen of sweat was covering the Omega by the time she had Alex down on the sofa, a confused look on his face. “Gabe? Could you get everyone’s orders please?”

Tabby looked at Gabe. His jaw was clenched as he watched his mate tame another shifter into the palm of her hand. Tabby didn’t know if he was jealous or concerned for her safety. “Sure. I can do that.”

Sarah smiled at her mate. “Everything’s fine, Gabe. Just take the orders and call it in. Bunny would never hurt me.”

Alex shook his head. He looked like he was waking up from a trance. “No, of course I wouldn’t.” He looked over at Tabby. “Baby?”

Tabby rushed forward and threw herself onto Alex’s lap. She curled into him, burying her face against his neck. His scent wrapped around her, warming her, comforting her as nothing else could. “It’s okay, sugar. Everything will be okay.”

He buried his face in her hair and breathed deep. “If he lays a hand on you, I will kill him. You need to understand that.” He tipped her chin up. “You may not think you’re worth dying over, but I know you’re worth killing over.”

Crap. His eyes hadn’t returned to normal. They were full of savage anger, the eyes of a predator. That scary fury she’d seen on the deck was still there under the surface, barely contained by his force of will. “Alex, let it go. For me. Please?”

He took a deep breath. He closed his eyes and rotated his head. When he opened his eyes again, they were back to warm hazel. “For you.”

She nodded. It wasn’t over yet. Not by a long shot. She cuddled up against him and let him press his face to her neck. She knew what he was doing. He was breathing her in, filling his senses with her. If that was what it took to calm him down, she’d stay in his lap for the rest of his life.

“I need to know if you’re a danger to my Pumas.”

Bunny settled into Anderson’s car with a wince. He’d really lost it out there on Max’s deck. Just the thought of someone trying to rape his mate was enough to send him right back to that blistering rage. “Are any of them planning on assaulting Tabby?”

Gabe’s brows rose. “Not that I’m aware of.”

“Then no.” He smiled sweetly, knowing that Tabby’s chosen lifestyle was in jeopardy and he was the cause. If the Hunter believed he was a danger to his Pride, the two of them would be run out of town that same night.

Gabe studied him for a moment, his lips twitching. “Hands off the Wolf. Got it.”

He pulled out of the driveway and headed off to Frank’s. “Where are you thinking of house hunting?”

Bunny shrugged. “Near here, I think. The houses are nice.”

Gabe shot him a startled glance. “No offense, but can you afford it? Even with the housing market on a downturn, places near Max go for a pretty penny.”

“I can afford it, especially if some of my family is here. We’ll probably start up a branch of the family business here.”

“And that business would be?”

“Bunsun Exteriors. Corporate specializes in commercial landscaping and hardscaping, but I want to start some residential options here. I’m a landscape architect.”

“So your family is rich?”

Bunny made a face. “We’re comfortable. Besides, it’s my father’s business, not mine. If a branch opens up down here, it will be run by my Uncle Steven.” He was pretty sure Uncle Steven would fall in with what he wanted to do. Hell, he’d probably put Ryan in charge just so Bunny wouldn’t be forced to do the paperwork. The last time they’d put an expense sheet in front of Bunny, he’d drawn big pink azalea bushes on it. Ryan was this generation’s money man. “I wonder if I could get Eric down here or if he’ll stay in Oregon?”

“Eric?”

“My brother. Dad left him behind to deal with the business while he’s in town.”

“Ah.” Gabe pulled into the parking lot and turned off the ignition. “How many of you are there?”

“Family or Bears?”

Gabe frowned. “Huh?”

“Aunt Laura, Chloe’s mom? She’s a Fox. Her brother, Uncle Ray, married Uncle Steven’s sister, and they have three kids, one Fox and two Bears. So most of the family is half Fox, half Bear. Dad is the only one who mated a human, so Eric and I are both Bears. What makes it even more confusing? Uncle Steven and Aunt Stacy are Dad’s cousins.” He glowered at Gabe. “And no jokes about rednecks and first cousins.”

Gabe’s lips twitched. “I wouldn’t dream of it.” He got out of the car and headed to the diner, not bothering to wait for Bunny. From the set of his shoulders, Bunny figured he was still fighting a laugh.

He got out of the car, noting six bikes sitting off in a row. He frowned, something about those bikes looked familiar. Bunny followed the sheriff into the diner, a scent tickling his nose he hadn’t encountered in a long time. He smelled Bears, ones he thought he recognized.

Gabe was standing just inside the door, his hands loose at his sides, his back straight and tight. “I’m going to ask you one more time. Back off and leave the girl alone.”

Bunny blinked at the hard note in the Sheriff’s voice. “Gabe? What’s going on?”

He looked over Gabe’s shoulder to find six men, all above average height, surrounding a tiny woman. She held a tray in her visibly shaking hands. “Harry?

Is that you?”

All six men flinched. “Alex Bu-Bunsun?”

Bunny smiled. “Well hell, Harry. How’ve you been?” He hadn’t seen these guys in dogs’ years. “Doing good since I last saw you?” That had been, what, ten years ago?

“Better. Better. Arm’s all healed up, thanks. Gives me fits in the rain, though. Not so bad off as Barney. He still can’t use his hand.”

Bunny grimaced. He hated being reminded of Barney. He’d done everything he could to make up for what he’d almost done to the man, but Barney would have nothing to do with him. Bunny didn’t blame him. He wouldn’t want anything to do with the man who nearly killed him either. Last he heard, Barney was in Alaska, owned a bar, and was happily mated with two cubs. Rumor had it he’d moved there to put as much distance as he could between himself and Bunny, yet still remain in the United States.

Harry swallowed hard. “You, uh, just passing through?”

Harry’s five gang members backed away from the waitress, wary eyes glued to Bunny. He shrugged. “Nah, I’m living here now. My, um, fiancee is here.” The human waitress was looking at them strangely. No way could he use the word

“mate” here.

Harry’s eyes went wide. He managed to turn even paler. “F-fiancee? You’re engaged. Congratulations.” He