“What I don’t understand is how they foundout about us,” Drake grumbled. “We’ve been careful.”
“I don’t know,” Gunnar sighed. “The sheriffassured us the video of me shifting in that hospital all thoseyears ago was destroyed.”
“I believe him,” Drake promised, lookingboth ways at the intersection before making a right on the two-lanehighway leading into town. “I wonder if that lawman knowsmore.”
“He could,” Gunnar assumed. The sheriff wascunning, and he always had the local panther pride’s best interestat heart. He was there to watch over them, and he had no connectionto the bears except for the assistance he had given them to getAnna Claire and the others out of her clan. “I wonder if we shouldpay him a visit.”
“If we can find him,” Drake answered. “He’sprobably with those cats.”
Drake was interrupted when his phone rang.Gunnar’s hearing was enhanced enough that he heard everything Gaiawas telling him. His brother cursed as he reached the town limits,turning toward their old friend’s home.
“She said the sheriff stopped by,” Drakerumbled.
“Let’s find out what he had to say,” Gunnarreplied, looking out the window. Knowing there was more informationrelieved him, but it also frightened him. Knowing Anna Claire wasout of his grasp agitated his beast. The bear prowled around in hismind, demanding they return to their lands. Gunnar pushed at hisbear’s mind, forcing it to recess.
“Come in,” Gaia said the moment she pulledthe door open. Gunnar hadn’t been to her secluded little home in along time. It was during his childhood that his mother would bringhim and his brothers to the female’s home so she could watch overthem when they weren’t in school and their parents were working thecrops.
“What did Garrett say to you?” Drake askedas they all took a seat in her living room. Her house was small,and she lived in one of the oldest areas of town. Back in theiryouth, this was the place to be. The area was wooded, and the homeson the tiny roads were tucked away, barely able to be seen from apassing car. Gaia loved her little cottage, and she never expresseda desire to move away. Gunnar assumed since she was nestled amongstthe trees with a lake behind her home, Mother Nature wascontent.
“He came by earlier and told me he’d hadanother vision,” she sighed. “There are hunters all over the world,coming together on the dark web. There is a hacker who has givenall of these…haters the locations of grizzly clans all over theworld. Somehow, they found out about your kind.”
“That’s impossible!” Drake exploded, hiseyes glowing golden from the presence of his beast. Gunnar reachedout and placed his hand on his brother’s arm to calm him. He feltthe rippling of his beast just under his skin.
“Now is not the time to shift, Drake,”Gunnar warned.
“He said there may be more coming, but atthis time, he hasn’t seen any visions of trouble coming for youuntil the first of June. There is time to make a solid plan,” sheoffered, calming Drake enough that he took a seat on the couch.
Gunnar’s automatic reaction was to glance atall of the open windows in her home to check for anyone who mightbe watching them. Gaia had them wide open, letting the fresh springair flow through the house.
“I don’t want him in our business unlessit’s necessary,” Drake growled low in his throat.
“Well, I don’t think you have an optionnow,” Gaia scolded. “He is the one seeing the visions, not me.You’re going to have to set aside your hatred of the sheriff andlet him assist you on this, Drake.”
“I don’t like any of this,” he replied.
“We should call him and have him meet us atthe house after we grab supplies,” Gunnar suggested. “I need to getback on our lands soon, Drake.”
Drake knew what Gunnar was feeling. His bigbrother had felt the same way once he’d mated Tessa. It was thebear’s nature to shield and protect, feeling more at home in theirterritory than anywhere else.
“Call him, Drake,” Gaia pleaded, taking hislarge hands into hers. “I want to protect you, but I don’t knowhow. Garrett’s assistance will help me keep the promise I made toyour mother.” Gunnar’s heart tightened at the mention of hismother. Gaia’s eyes welled up with tears, but she quickly wiped itaway when both males stood.
“We are going to be safe, Gaia,” Gunnarpromised. The woman had been their protector since their parentshad been killed, and she’d always been there for them. “I know it’shard for you to see anything happen to us, but our father taught uswell about protecting our lands and mates.”
“Speaking of mates,” she said past hertears. “How is Anna Claire?”
Gunnar smiled at her because he saw the sametwinkling in her eyes that she had when Tessa and Ada had come intotheir lives.
“She’s amazing,” he blushed.
“Have you made an honest woman out of heryet?” she pressed.
“Ah, no,” he said shyly.
“Well, you better hurry up,” she tsked,looking at her watch. “Spring isn’t going to be here for long.”
“I know,” he chuckled. “Mating season juststarted. Give me a little time.”
“You already love her, Gunnar,” Gaia scoldedagain. She had taken over his mother’s duties like a champ eventhough she didn’t have any children of her own. “Claim her.”
Gunnar didn’t want to get into the reasonsfor his hesitation. He nodded at the female and stood as a sign hewas ready to leave. Drake followed him out after they said theirgoodbyes.
Gaia was right; he needed to claim her.
But could he bring himself to touch herafter all she’d been through?
Anna Claire tossed and turned in the bed.All the females had all taken their leave after Gunnar and Drakehad left to get supplies. The males were in the main house,watching over the land. Luca and Ransom were going out to searchfor foreign scents while Rex stayed back to watch over thehouse.
She’d felt exhausted after their walk to theelders’ homes, but she never told Gunnar. The hormone spike fromthe desire to mate was getting stronger, and she knew they’d needto come to an agreement soon. The pain of
