CHAPTER 1

“Papa Connor!” Greta shouted. “Got you!” She leapt on Connor’s leg, grasping it tightly. As she did, he screamed then fell to the ground playfully. Greta’s laugh was infectious. The two rolled around on the fresh cut grass of the field.

So cute!

Tess could barely contain herself. Seeing Connor taken down by such a small bear cub was funny no matter which way you looked at it. His shirt was getting dirtier by the second. Going from a light grey to any shade of green you could imagine. She could see him rolling around with his own child like that someday.

Greta was so tiny compared to him. He was well past six feet tall with a v-shaped torso that would make any woman squirm in her seat. His bulging pecs were barely contained inside his shirt, even when he kept the top two buttons closed. Tess had to wipe away some drool from the corner of her mouth as she watched him. That was the man she was lucky enough to have for a mate, the alpha of the pack, Connor.

Greta barely came up to his knee; her short, brown, shoulder-length hair danced around her round face. Beth, her mother, watched the little scene unfold; allowing herself a moment to be happy for the first time in days. She’d gone from bad to worse, then to rock bottom.

“They’re cute together,” Tess said, breaking the silence between them.

“He’s a good man,” she replied, “Make sure you don’t let him go. It’s a dangerous world.” She continued to watch, but it was clear to Tess that she was distant. Her mind had wandered off in the moment.

“It’s over, Beth,” Tess said, “She’ll be safe. Your husband made sure of that.”

“I know,” she replied, “It’s just.” Beth couldn’t hold back her tears. It had only been a few days since her husband died before her eyes. Her face was still red from mourning her loss.

Tess threw an arm around the woman, but her gesture was turned down.

“I’ll be alright,” she said, “I just need some time.” Beth turned to keep her flowing tears from Tess’s prying eyes. Hastily she walked back toward the house behind them.

Tess let her go without a word. There wasn’t anything that needed to be said. Beth just needed time to grieve. The least that Tess could do is keep an eye on her daughter, Greta.

“Tess help!” Connor shouted. Greta had Connor lying face first in the grass. Greta stood triumphantly on her conquest, stamping muddy footprints all over Connor’s back.

Laughing, Tess joined the pair, taking Greta by the hand. She led her off Connor’s back.

“I think it’s time for some lunch,” Tess said, she bent at the knee and squatted low to the ground to meet Greta face to face, “Are you hungry?”

“No,” Greta said, she was already eyeing Connor who was just getting back to his feet.

“Does that no mean yes?” Tess asked.

“Yeah,” Greta replied. She wiped at her nose which was dripping with fresh snot. Tess pulled an old kerchief from her pocket to wipe her nose clean.

“There you go,” she said, “next time you need to keep that nose clean you just come to me. Okay?” Greta nodded. “Let’s go inside,” Tess continued, “Race you!”

Greta got excited, sprinting toward the house without a second thought. Tess didn’t even need to run to catch her. She stayed back with her man to talk.

“Seriously, gross,” he said.

“What, wiping up snot?” she asked heartily. They followed Greta back toward the house but took their time walking. “You know, when you’re a father, you’ll have to do all the gross stuff, too.”

“Isn’t that your job?” he asked, knocking some loose dirt off his shirt.

“I hope you’re joking,” she replied.

“Yes?” he laughed awkwardly. Tess puffed out a breath of frustration and stopped in her tracks.

“Connor, I love you. But, if we’re going to be parents we need to be in this together. Through dirty diapers, and even through the first shift. You know what that was like,” she said.

Connor stood beside her, scratching at three day old stubble.

Dammit, he’s so sexy with that stubble.

“I’m in this, with you, together,” he said. He held out his arms as a peace offering. Tess looked him up and down, he was filthy from playing but she was never one to turn down one of his hugs. He was so warm. His hard body cradled her softly. She could have stayed there the whole day.

“Dammit!”

Together they loosened their grasp, turning toward the source of the commotion. On the patio of the house stood the bear alpha talking to another one of his pack; he looked ready to murder someone.

“How the hell did he get out?!” he continued.

Connor and Tess half-jogged up to the patio. Tess could just make out the topic of conversation.

“I don’t know what happened. Went to bring him lunch and he was gone. The lock was still there, someone must have slipped him the key,” the bear said.

There was only one prisoner right now, Torque, the bastard that led the biker gang that almost killed Connor. Tess threw a hand up to cover her mouth from the surprise.

“He can’t have gotten far,” the bear continued, “I already sent out a bunch of guys to look for him.”

“Well you better find him,” the alpha commanded, “cause if you don’t, you’ll be eating your lunches through a straw.”

“What happened?” Connor asked. The alpha they’d come to know as Henry was red faced and furious.

“What happened? That asshole Torque managed a miraculous escape,” he said. “Maybe it was even one of you that let him out!” Henry furiously stamped toward Connor who made no effort to move away. The bear held his hand up to stop his alpha.

“Let me past, you stupid sonovabitch,” Henry said.

“They haven’t left the yard all morning,” he said, “That was the first thing I checked. They couldn’t have helped him out. If it was anyone, it was one of ours.”

Henry clenched his teeth, the veins popped in his neck, it looked like he was about to shift into his terrifying bear form. Tess hid behind Connor who still didn’t move.

“This changes nothing,” Connor said, “We already got the information we needed from him. If anything, he’s a liability to the rest of the wolves he used to work with. If they find him first, there’s a good chance we’ll find him dead in a bush somewhere.”

Henry’s hands were so tightly balled up that his knuckles were turning white, but it seemed that Connor’s words were having an effect. He breathed deeply then exhaled the fire in his chest.

“If I find him first, I’ll kill him myself,” Henry said, “But, I know you’re right. We got everything we needed out of him before he ran.” His right hand man patted him on the shoulder before stepping off the patio. “This shit needs to be over with soon. Tomorrow we find that damn hunter and I get to have my revenge.” He disappeared inside.

Tess still held on to Connor’s meaty arm.

“It’s alright, Tess,” he said, “You know how us alpha’s can get. When shit doesn’t go right, it’s kick ass first then ask all the questions later.” He chuckled, “Does my vein pop out of my neck like that?”

Tess slapped him on the shoulder. Together they walked inside the large house. The house itself was bigger than the farmhouse in which she grew up. Over two stories tall but the space was expansive. Most of it seemed hand built from wood nearby, but the size of the logs would have taken two people to lift, or one bear. The solid oak door shut behind them with a solid ‘thunk’.

The interior was tastefully decorated. A grandiose stone fireplace dominated the center of the house, pushing up through the second story. A round hood sat over the top of the open cage and the heat filled the entire house with ease. To the right of the front door a simple staircase climbed to the second floor landing. The walls were white, covered in old family photos. These photos were the only way that Connor and Tess had come to know Henry’s wife, may she rest in peace.

The alpha was standing over the round kitchen table in the back of the house, entertaining a few of his bears. Each one of them eyed Connor with anger. Even thought he’d done his best to befriend them, there was still a lot of animosity. Even the alpha, Henry, showed his discontent.

“As you all know, we got a madman on the loose. Torque confessed that this hunter … Eli,” Henry enunciated his name sharply; “He’s the one I’m supposed to be after. I’ll question him myself.”

“Don’t forget, he’s got a lot of tricks up his sleeves,” Connor added.

“I know,” Henry replied, “which is why if you spot him, don’t go after him alone.” Henry paced around the table as he talked. “There are three places those bikers have to fall back to. We beat their locations out of Torque before he escaped. We’re going to hit all three at the same time.”

Connor flexed his muscles under Tess’s hand. She could tell he was ready for a fight. However, it felt to Tess like someone was missing. She scanned around the room, at first she couldn’t put her finger on it, but had an ‘aha’ moment when she realized. She leaned close to Connor’s ear.

“Where’s Samantha?” she whispered, “She’s supposed to be here too, isn’t she?”

Connor shook his head no, and then whispered back.

“She was excited to join in the raids, but her grandpa won’t let her go. She got upset about not being able to help so we gave her a mission. She’s gone to Cliff Walker den to relay our plan to Alex.”

“Oh,” Tess replied. She liked Samantha. The more she got to know her, the more she felt like the younger sister that Tess never had. “You should have told me so I could have said goodbye,” Tess scolded.

“Are you two going to share with the rest of us, or do we have to sit here and wait for you to finish your conversation,” Henry asked with his arms crossed and stern faced. “We can wait.”

Connor coughed into his hand. Tess hadn’t felt so embarrassed in a while. Not since one of their first dates, anyway. The memory flooded back to her and she couldn’t hold back a giggle which she tried to stifle by holding her hand to her mouth.

Henry continued to stare.

“Sorry!” she said. Tess waved her hand while backing out of the dining room, trying to hold her laugh in the entire way. Only when she was back outside on the patio was she able to fully allow herself the chance to let it out.

A few passing bears gave her some awkward glances, but she paid them no mind. She was still too caught up in her own stupid memories. She didn’t even notice Connor walk up behind her.

“What was that?” he asked.

“Nothing,” she replied, still giggling beneath her breath.

He rubbed at the bridge of his nose, a habit that Tess was getting used to seeing. It usually meant that he was thinking about something, so she would do her best not to bother him when he held that posture.

“Since it’s probably our last night in the bear den, I have a surprise for you,” he said. He took Tess by the hand and stepped down from the patio. She smiled at the idea of a surprise. The gears in her mind started turning, trying to figure out what it might be. She leapt from the patio, into his arms. He was a beacon of warmth in the cold early afternoon.

“Onward,” she said. She planted a kiss on his cheek as he started his way toward the edge of the thicket. The surprise didn’t matter so much as the company, so she already had her present.