HUNTED BY THE BEAR

Chapter One

Usually, Jackson loved his life. He ran an outrageously successful business with one of his closest friends. He was rolling in wealth and power without actually feeling the weight of most of that power. As second-in-command, Jackson lived a pretty cushiony life. He took orders from Micah, but the life of a bear shifter was usually fairly quiet.

Until recently.

The local vampire clan had recently overthrown their leader, and Andre de’Massier was looking to tighten the alliance between vampires and shifters. It was a great idea, but the reality was much harsher. Shifter and vampires had notorious trust issues, and a treaty had to be signed by all.

Normally, pushing a new treaty on the pack was the job of the alpha. But Micah had recently married Stacey, his love and mate. They were off on their honeymoon, and Micah had three rules for Jackson. Keep the business running. Keep the pack running. Push the new vampire treaty.

Easier said than done.

Before getting married, Micah had put a huge dent in one of the older traditions of the pack. Shifters married shifters. But Micah fell in love with Stacey before she became alpha female, and so he decreed a new law. A shifter can marry whomever they pleased.

As with any new law, chaos ensued. The younger shifters eagerly embraced the rule and paraded humans, other shifters, and even witches on the territory. The older shifters were not pleased. Micah had only been gone for a week, and Jackson was fielding calls every day of people complaining. And if he had it bad, his friend and head of security Brett Jenson had it worse. He was doing his best to keep the peace and make sure no one truly dangerous entered the territory.

Jackson was tired.

Second-in-command was supposed to be a fun gig. He had dreams of impressing the ladies with his wealth and power, and responsibility wasn’t really his thing. Sure, he had Micah’s back anytime anywhere. But Micah could take care of himself.

Jackson was getting plenty of attention for the women, but none of it was quite the attention he was expecting.

“I’m sorry Sarah, but if Ronnie doesn’t want to marry you, there’s nothing I can do about it. Micah’s rule stands. No one can enforce the arranged marriage,” he said as he massaged his temples.

“We’ve been betrothed since birth,” she hissed. “And I know he loves me. We’re meant to be.”

“Yes, but if he’s called off the wedding because he’s fallen in love with someone else, there’s nothing the pack can do. Everyone deserves a fair shot at his or her own happiness. You are a lovely woman, Sarah. I’m sure you’ll find someone who makes you happy.”

A new wave of fresh tears carried through the phone, and Jackson shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He was at work for fuck’s sake. “Sarah, please calm down.”

“Don’t you tell me to calm down! You have no idea what’s it like to have a broken heart. I’m well aware of your reputation. You don’t care about love. You’re just a heartless bastard!” she screeched before slamming down the phone.

Jackson sighed. Just how exactly had his life come to this? He glanced at the calendar. Micah and Stacey would be back in two days. And he wasn’t sure he would make it until then.

***

Natalie Mackleroy shivered. She was used to the warm sun of the south, and the northern winds were more than her thin windbreaker could handle. She would eventually have to stop at some point.

She’d been running for three days. She needed to put as much space between her and Paul as soon as possible. The problem was that the full moon would be up soon, and he’d be able to cover the entire distance in that night alone. Not only that, but he’d be able to track her. She needed to find safety.

She let down her hair in an effort to cover her neck. Pulling her baseball cap low, she put her head down as a few cars passed her on the lonely highway. One of their headlights briefly lit up the green sign. Two miles to Woodland.

Quaint name. Her destination had been the city just passed Woodland, but she hadn’t eaten in an entire day, and she’d found nowhere to crash. She had just enough cash to give herself one last meal and a night in a motel. So she’d just have to make it to the small town to hunker down for the night. Then she’d reach the city by the next afternoon. And she could reevaluate her situation there.

And just what exactly do you plan on doing, Natalie? You can’t hide forever. Paul is going to find you.

Her next shiver had nothing to do with the cold. She knew that once Paul got his hands on her again, that was it. There would be no one to save her.

She pushed the thought out of her mind and trudged the rest of the way into town. As she passed the town border, a strange sensation curled leisurely through her body. More than one species called Woodland their home. Natalie curled her lip in disgust. Of course she’d find shifters here. They were everywhere.

Natalie’s grandmother had been a full-blown empath. While her mother had shown no abilities at all, Natalie was able to get a few traces of humans. She connected best with shifters, and once she’d realized that, it had all gone down hill from there.

The sex had been incredible, but it overshadowed Paul’s true nature. And when she realized just how dangerous he was, it was almost too late.

A decent looking motel lay just ahead. She smiled with relief with she saw the red neon vacancy sign. She was exhausted. Deciding to save her last meal for breakfast in the morning, she paid cash for her room. The attendant was a bored little teenager who didn’t really look twice at her.

The energy of her room was faint, but there was nothing ominous about it. She fell immediately on the bed and was asleep in minutes.

Natalie awoke the next morning with a renewed sense of energy. She’d slept for ten solid hours, and even though her stomach rumbled, she had a feeling today was going to go her way. She took advantage of the hot shower and was delighted to discover that a motel included a continental breakfast. Avoiding the curious gaze of some of the other guests, she lined her purse with muffins and biscuits before scarfing down some cardboard eggs and slightly chewy pancakes. It was the best meal she’d had in days.

“It’s going to be cold tonight. Past freezing. Winter is coming early this year,” one guest remarked.

Natalie quietly groaned. Past freezing? On foot, she’d never make it to the city before nightfall. If she didn’t find a new change of clothes, she’d freeze to death.

With a sigh, she found a payphone just outside the hotel and dropped a few coins in it. She was both grateful and surprised to the find the relic still worked. Punching in the numbers she knew by heart, she felt anxiety tighten in her chest as she waited.

“Natalie?”

Natalie exhaled a sigh of relief to hear her old boss’s voice. “Terry. I was afraid you wouldn’t pick up if you didn’t recognize the number.”

“Are you kidding? I’ve been waiting for days to hear from you. What the hell is going on? Paul came by here yesterday looking for you. He was outraged when I told him that you’d quit unexpectedly. I thought he was going to shift right then and there.”

Terry owned the small boutique where Natalie used to work. She’d lost her mother not that long ago, and he was the closest thing to family she had left. She felt the tears burn behind her eyes as she heard the worry in his voice.

“Do you know if Paul is still in town?” she gripped the phone tightly as she looked around.

“Susan just called me this morning. Apparently he’d been to your old place, so he’s definitely still in town. She said he trashed it. Natalie, you’re clearly in trouble. Let me help you.”

“I’m fine, Terry, but I’m not going to be able to come back. Paul is dangerous. I wish I had seen it before. He’s obsessive and controlling and abusive. I need to be as far away from his possible when the full moon rises.”

“Abusive? Natalie, we’ve got to call the police!”

Natalie shook her head before realizing that Terry couldn’t see her. “The packs police their own. You know that. The police aren’t going to do anything. No one is going to take the side of a human. Listen, I can’t tell you where I am or where I’m going. It’s not safe for you. But I’m going to be okay.”

“Natalie,” he moaned. “At least let me send you some money.”

As much as she needed the money, she couldn’t risk it. “I appreciate the offer, but I’m going to be fine. I still have some cash on me.”

“Well what the hell did you take from him?”

“What?” Natalie’s eyebrows knitted together. “I didn’t take anything, Terry. Trust me, I don’t want anything from him.”

“He thinks you took something, darling. He kept screaming about you being a little thief.”

“Well, he’s a notorious liar. I didn’t take anything. Listen, Terry, I need to get going. I’ll call you in a few days, okay?”

She heard him protest, but she hung up the phone gently. She knew that Terry would protect her, but if Paul was having one of his delusions again, there was no telling what he would do to the people she loved.

Wrapping her arms tighter around her body for warmth, she began the long walk across the town.