Cynful

truth is, not all Kermode are white. Only one in ten is, and they’re the ones with the special gift. But those of us who are born Spirit Bears are slowly dying out.” And the majority of human mates turned never became Spirit Bears. He doubted Cyn would be any different.

“Genetic problems?”

“Partly. We have our own problems as well, problems that up until now we’ve tried to deal with on our own.”

“Tell me.”

He hid a grin. He couldn’t wait until Tai and Cyn spoke for the first time. He had the feeling they’d seriously butt heads. “I can’t.” He held up his hand, stalling her objection. “I’m not allowed to. Bears might not have Alphas and Packs, but we have our own way of doing things. Tai Boucher is the closest thing we have to an Alpha, and until he tells me it’s all right to tell you, or until you accept the mating and become one of us, I can’t.” He shot her a cheeky grin. “It’s a Spirit Bear thing. You wouldn’t understand.”

“Your leader’s name is Tai?”

Hell. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d heard that much guilt in someone’s voice. “Yes. Why?”

She rolled her eyes. “Then trust me when I say he’ll never give you permission.”

His stomach rolled. “Crap. Did Tai call while I was sleeping?”

She nodded. Her expression now matched her voice.

“What did you do?”

“Nothing!”

“Cyn.”

“I may have taken exception to his tone of voice. I might even have retaliated a little. Just a tiny bit.”

He rubbed his forehead. Wow, look at that. A headache really could come roaring back to life. “What did he want?”

“He said to tell you that every Kermode has had the same dream, something about a key and a Bear, I forget exactly what he said.” She waved it off even as a shiver worked its way down his spine. This was bad. “He also—” She bit her lip and frowned ferociously.

“Also what?”

She looked him dead in the face and lied her pretty ass off. He’d made it a habit to study all things Cyn, and her left eyebrow always twitched just the tiniest bit before she fibbed. “Said to tell you hi.”

He traded stare for stare with her, but she didn’t back down, didn’t give him what he wanted: the truth. “Is that all he said?”

“Would you like some cookies?”

What the fuck? “I doubt he said that.”

“No, I’m hungry.” She pushed him away and clambered out of bed. “I want cookies.”

“I want answers.” He followed her to the kitchen where she helped herself to a large glass of milk. “What did Tai say, Cyn?”

“Oreos? You don’t have any chocolate chip?” She put the bag on the counter and ripped into it. “You need to do a grocery run.”

“I need to paddle your ass if you don’t tell me what he said. And Oreos are manna of the gods, you evil heathen. Especially if they’re double-stuff.”

She glared at him and shoved an entire Oreo in her mouth.

“Oh, that’s attractive.”

She grinned at him, black goo staining her teeth.

“Not even you are cute enough to pull that look off.” He handed her the milk and watched her devour six cookies at once. “Why aren’t you the size of a whale?”

“Metabolism.” She put the cookies back and finished her milk. “Well, it’s been fun, but I’m outta here.” She waved and started toward the front door. “See you later.”

She wasn’t. She couldn’t be. Julian chased her to the front door, but he was too late. She’d already climbed into his car, locking the doors behind her. She gave him an evil little wave and left him stranded on his front porch in the early dawn light.

Julian turned around and stalked back into his living room. He picked up his cell and dialed Tai. Fuck the time difference. He needed answers, and he needed them now. He left a message for Tai to call him back pronto, then headed off to shower.

An hour later he called Alex, because the other thing he really needed was a ride to work. Damn that sneaky Oreo-stealing, car-thieving female.

But he still couldn’t stop himself from sniffing his shirt right where her head had rested through the night, nor the smile that followed.

Chapter Seven

Cyn pulled into the parking lot at the back of LA Tattoos and picked up the bag of donuts and coffee. She was starving, despite her cookie raid that morning. She ran her fingers over Julian’s steering wheel, smiling for no reason she could figure out, and climbed out of the car.

A shadow out of the corner of her eye was her only warning. Cyn twisted, the sound of shattering glass shocking her into freezing for a second too long. A painful blow to the side of her face left her sprawled on the gravel, piping hot coffee burning her hand.

She sat up, ready to fight for her life, when a low growl sounded from behind her. Something gray and silver with an odd blob of green at the top of its head landed in front of her. Tabby had sailed over Julian’s sedan in Wolf form and hit the gravel in front of Cyn, snapping at the shadows. Her fur practically stood on end as she lunged at something Cyn couldn’t even see.

That was when Cyn realized it wasn’t a simple mugging. So she did what any sensible, modern woman would do. She grabbed her keys. “Adios, asshole.” She pressed the button on her keychain, setting off a high-pitched alarm that had Tabby whining and burying her head in her paws. Cyn felt her own eyes cross, but if it affected her assailant the way it was affecting Tabby she was glad to sacrifice a little hearing for a day or two.

She dragged herself to her feet and grabbed hold of her other self-defense item on her key chain, a baton with a slight point at the end. She waved it toward the shadows, her finger still on the button of the alarm. “C’mon! Bring it, you fucking coward!”

Something indistinct dashed from the shadows and out into the street, too fast for Cyn to follow with her eyes.

“For the love of all that is holy, please stop.”

Cyn stared down at her naked, weeping friend. Tabby was human, covering her ears with shaking hands. “Get dressed. I think we’re about to have company.” She stood by the car door and tried not to tremble like a little girl while Tabby obeyed her orders.

“Cyn?”

Cyn grabbed the third thing on her key chain that wasn’t a key, a tiny flashlight, and aimed it at the street. “Mrs. H?” Crap, it hurt her jaw to talk. Son of a bitch had clocked her but good, and now that the danger had passed the pain was starting to make itself known.

Evelyn Hagen, one of LA’s older clients, put her hand to her chest and started toward her. “I heard the alarm and practically ran to get here. Are you all right? What happened to your car?”

Cyn turned and stared at Julian’s driver’s side window. Shit. He was going to be pissed about that. “I got mugged.”

“I got here just in time.” Tabby stepped out from behind the car and ran her fingers through her hair. She looked pale, fragile, like she was the one who’d gotten attacked.

“Are you two all right?”

Cyn nodded, doing her best to ignore the throbbing pain growing in her skull. “As right as we can be.”