Harvey Helms: Those abominations killedthree of my men. I have searched their lands while they were awayand found three cabins on the land, as well as the main home. I donot have a head count at this time, but I will be watching themover the next few weeks.
“That son of a bitch was on our land a monthago!” Gunnar’s bear pushed at his skin to shift, but he held theanimal back. “We searched for scents, but we missed him. The rainmust’ve washed it away.”
“Hang on, there’s more,” Rex interrupted,pointing to the phone where Drake had laid it on the workbench.
Skipper Jones: We are not far from you, andwe are willing to come help. I have two men besides myself. I willbe in contact over a private message.
Harvey replied with a generic thank you andthat was all that had been said in the last few weeks. Gunnarautomatically shifted his hearing, calling on the bear’s extraabilities so he could listen for sounds, but there was nothing. Hisparanoia was going to cause him to lose his mind again when it cameto his mate.
“We have to set up a plan tonight,” Gunnarordered. “Right now, Drake. Someone needs to wake up the O’Kellyboys so we can start our guard immediately.”
“I agree,” Drake replied, pulling out hispersonal phone. He called Ransom and waited for the male to answer.Drake filled him in on the information, telling them to come to thebarn but to stay silent as to not wake the elders or thefemales.
The door opened after a few minutes,revealing Ransom and Luca. They walked over to where the phone waslaying on the bench and Ransom picked it up to scroll through theinformation. He cursed several times, and when he looked up, hisgaze locked on Gunnar. “They didn’t mention Anna Claire, but theyknow how many of us are here.”
“It doesn’t matter if they have an actualhead count,” Drake reminded everyone. “They know our address…evengave directions to our front fucking door. This is serious, and ifthose fucking humans want a war, that’s exactly what we will givethem.”
“What do you propose?” Luca asked, his eyesglowing gold just like all the males’ in the barn.
“We draw on our nature and eliminate thethreat,” Drake answered, his voice deeper and darker than ever.
All of the males turned their heads at thesound of tires on their gravel driveway. Everyone growled low intheir throats as Drake hurried toward the door. Gunnar’s brotherrelaxed when he noticed who had arrived.
“It’s the sheriff,” he announced.
The angel killed the lights and enginebefore he got to the house, rolling to a stop beside Drake’s truck.They waited for him to approach the barn before they spoke. No onewanted to make any unnecessary noise to wake the females or theircubs. Gunnar was worried for Anna Claire, but knew she was as safeas could be tucked away in their quarters.
“I need to know what you’re planning,” hereplied. “My visions haven’t changed, and based on the one I hadearlier, it doesn’t look good.”
“How bad?” Rex growled.
“If something doesn’t change, it will be thetotal destruction of your species.”
Chapter 9
For the past two weeks, the Morgan clan hadbeen on high alert. Anna Claire, Ada, and Tessa were being guardedthroughout the day and night while the males kept close watch ontheir land.
The crops were planted, leaving plenty oftime for the males to search for the men who were coming for themin less than ten days. Anna Claire watched as Rex added hooks tothe back of the new metal door to her and Gunnar’s quarters. Athick metal rod would be fit in place should the human hunters gainaccess to the house.
Anna Claire had been a bit angry with hermate after she’d found out what they’d done the night the femaleshad been found with the burner phone. They’d taken it uponthemselves to get the information and come up with a plan.
She understood their worry, and with herbeing pregnant, the males were fearful of the worst. Tessa hadraised hell until Drake showed her the message boards he’d foundpertaining to their clan. Once the females read over the messages,they started making their own plans to keep their cubs safe. It wasAda’s idea about the doors to their quarters. If the hunters didgain access to the main house, they’d have to get through the metaldoors with several deadbolts and steel bars to keep themclosed.
Her cousins were busy working on makingaccessible basement spaces underneath all three cottages. Thefinishing touches were being put on Ransom and Luca’s home beforestocking it with two weeks’ worth of supplies.
Anna Claire wasn’t able to leave the housefor more than a few minutes to check on the garden right behind thehouse. Thankfully, it was within feet of the back door, but Gunnarwas always there with a shotgun at the ready should someone attemptto get to her. She felt safer than she ever had, and even thoughthe hacker had given a kill date of June first, she knew they weregoing to be okay.
“Let me water them, and we can go backinside,” she said to Gunnar, who was watching every open areaaround the little secluded spot they’d turned into the garden.
“We’ve been out here long enough as it is,”he growled, his eyes glowing with the presence of his bear. Themale’s canines were thick in his mouth, and while she loved it whenhe partially shifted, seeing him on edge broke her heart.
She watered the garden and gathered thebasket of vegetables she’d been able to pick that day and stoodwith a groan.
“You okay?” he asked. Gunnar worried overher, but she was perfectly fine. The panther’s healer had been bytwo days ago to give her a checkup. Her bloodwork came back normal,and they were able to hear the cub’s heartbeat on the littlemonitor Harold had brought to the house. In a few months, theywould get to make the decision to know the sex of the cub. Theywere still unsure if they wanted to know. The bears usually livedby the old ways; the males delivered their own cubs during thewinter, and they waited until that time to know the
