When Bruce returned home, he gave Victoria an intense look but didn’t speak. She found herself deeply hurt by it and turned away, heading back into the kitchen to finish washing up the dinner dishes. The kids were thrilled to see him, and he greeted them with a worn enthusiasm. Vicky wondered what she had done wrong. Why was he acting like this? Or maybe something else had happened.
She sighed and finished up the washing, then got herself a cup of coffee. She sat down warily at the kitchen table. It was late. She probably shouldn’t be drinking it, but what else was she going to do? It seemed like the only thing that might help her to calm her nerves at this point.
She listened as Bruce got the kids ready for bed and tucked them in, then braced herself when she heard him coming back down the stairs. If he was angry with her, he was probably going to tell her all about it. But if not, she was concerned about what it was that was bothering him. It was strange to see him feeling so disturbed.
“Is that coffee?” he asked, nodding down at her mug. His voice didn’t seem angry. Just tired.
“Yes,” Vicky said. “There’s plenty more if you’d like some.”
“I would love some,” he said, sighing heavily, and heading to the coffee pot. He poured himself a huge mug of it and sat down near her. his closeness brought Vicky’s heart to pounding and she tried to slow its rhythm in case he caught on. Bear shifters were shockingly good at sensing the moods of others, and if he knew she was feeling attracted to him, he might end up leaving the room. Which would be both a relief and a disappointment.
He took a deep drink of his coffee and let out a low, deep sigh.
“What’s the matter?” Vicky finally asked. The question had been burning her ever since he had walked through the door. It was rare for him to just bypass her like that. He would at least greet her and ask how the kids had been or give her a smile. He always found a way to make her feel special, even though she didn’t want to admit that that was how he made her feel.
“It’s work. There’s some issues that have come up that nobody bothered to mention to me until just now. I’m kind of pissed off about it honestly. I mean, they should have at least called me.”
“What kind of issues?” Vicky asked, concerned by the agitation in Bruce’s voice. He didn’t get irritated easily, despite being a confident, arrogant man at times. Not that she minded. He had good reason to be confident in himself.
“There are dragon shifters who are trying to steal our work, and it could set us back a lot of money and worse, a lot of time. If they succeed I don’t know what will happen. I just can’t let them.” Bruce slammed his fist on the table and Vicky jumped back, startled. His feature softened. “Sorry about that,” he murmured. “I’m just angry. But it isn’t your fault. I just want to be able to do the right thing. I know you understand.”
“I understand,” Vicky said quietly. “Why do they want to steal your ideas?”
“Because they’re important. It’s something we have been developing that might be able to launch the bear shifters back into our own dimension. And if they steal the rights to it, we won’t be allowed to use the formula for ourselves.”
“That’s awful,” Vicky said, genuinely horrified. “Isn’t it like the dream of every bear shifter to be able to go back to where your people came from?”
“Yes. Many of us feel we belong there. Although the earth makes a great temporary home, it is hard for us to believe we would be happy here long term. I doubt I will ever see our glorious return to our own domain, but I would be very proud to be able to open the way for my children or grandchildren. But the dragon shifters are attempting to destroy that possibility. They want what we have worked hard to create, and they are playing by dirty means.”
Victoria was put off by the thought of the dragon shifters in general, especially after the nightmare she had had to console Marie over. “Are you going to be okay? Is there anything I can do to help you?”
Bruce was quiet for a moment and then turned his serious gaze onto Vicky. “I’m not sure, but I would prefer not to involve you. It could be potentially dangerous. And I would hate myself if I put you into danger or hurt you somehow.”
“You wouldn’t be the one who hurt me,” Vicky pointed out. “Not if it’s the dragon shifters. I want to help you, and I will in any way I can.”
Bruce’s face grew hard. “I would be the one hurting you by getting you involved. And I’m not going to do anything that stupid unless I absolutely must. You are honestly doing enough by taking such good care of my kids. At least this way I can focus my all into my work without worrying too much about what is going to happen with the children.”
“Well, I will do anything I can to protect them…” Vicky trailed off, once again thinking about the dream Marie had had.
“What is it?” Bruce asked.
Vicky laughed dismissively. “It’s nothing much. Just, your daughter had a dream not long ago. A nightmare really. About dragons and monsters in the pool that wanted to hurt us. I’m sure it didn’t mean anything.”
Bruce glanced out the window at where there was a line of caution tape around a big hole the construction crew had begun to dig for the pool. He frowned thoughtfully.
“I don’t know if it’s nothing. Sometimes the bear shifter females tend to have prophetic dreams. At least when it comes to important matters like the portals. Was she really upset about it?”
“Yes, she was beside herself. Which isn’t very strange for Marie when she gets worked up. Why, do you think it may have been a prophecy?”
Vicky frowned. She had no idea that could be a possibility, and she felt horrible for misleading the child if it was. she had given her a false sense of security and led her to believe the dragon shifters would never be able or willing to hide in the pool because of their wings. Even if the thing about the dragon shifter wings being vulnerable to water was true, it was still possible for them to lay in wait under water wasn’t it? Or maybe to use magic to keep themselves invulnerable to the elements?
“I don’t think it would be wise to rule anything out. If I am able to win in court with the Jensen project, then I am going to have made some powerful enemies. That’s not something I would like to take lightly, and if Marie thinks there may be danger when it comes to the pool, then I think it would be wise to take her word for it. She is a very intelligent little woman and the three of us all know better than to dismiss her visions, don’t you think?”
“I’m sure it would be smart to heed them as a warning just in case,” Vicky agreed.
How was she going to break the news to the little girl that the fear she had felt due to her nightmare was something she should still be worried about? Maybe the amount of time that had passed between the dream and the present reality would ease the burden for them a little bit. Whether or not that was the case, it would be difficult for them from here on out. The threat of the dragon shifters being after Bruce was very real, and she didn’t know quite how to take it.
“Listen,” Bruce said, almost as if he could sense Vicky’s concern about telling Marie about the new threat. “Let me handle the kids. I will break the news to them and just tell them they have to be extra super careful not to do anything that might be dangerous. We won’t use the pool until next season. I will just hold off construction for now. At least that way there isn’t anything to worry about there while the kids are swimming or anything.”
Vicky nodded. That made sense.
“All right,” she said quietly. “I think that’s a good idea. They will probably take news like that better from you. You make them feel safe.”
“I think that’s true too,” Bruce said decidedly. “Let’s just make sure we get this sorted out as much as possible before actually scaring them. Once there is real danger, we will know. But until then we can keep it under wraps for the most part. I just wanted you and the kids to be aware. That is one of the first steps in safety. Preparation. I will make sure the house is as secure as possible. your job will be to make sure the kids don’t go outside or near anyone who seemed dangerous. All right?”
“OF course,” Vicky said quickly. “Should I have some kind of…” she trailed off, not wanting to sound too ridiculous.
“Some kind of what?” Bruce asked, raising his brow at her.
“Some kind of weapon?” Vicky asked finally. She sighed, her cheeks filling with heat. She was embarrassed.
“If you need one, I will make sure to train you however you need so at least you will be able to protect yourself and the kids if I’m not here.”
Bruce turned his serious gaze onto her and his frown deepened. “I would never forgive myself if anything happened to you. You’re the best thing that has happened to my family since…well, you are just the best thing that has ever happened to my family. I won’t let anything happen to you, Vicky. I will make sure you are safe.”
Bruce reached across the table and gripped Vicky’s hand in his. He was a broad, tall man and his hand dwarfed hers. Their eyes met, and Vicky felt her face flus a hot, deep red. The attraction between them was almost palpable. She wished beyond anything that she would be able to share with him the same way she had before.
Bruce squeezed her hand and suddenly brought it to his lips. The tremendous power of his touch was shocking to all her senses and she shuddered in her seat. He smiled knowingly at her, his gaze unwavering.
“I know we said we’re not going to pursue these feelings,” he said quietly. “For the kid’s sake. But I just wanted you to know everything you’re doing for me and the kids means more to me than anything I could ever pay you. And I appreciate you. A lot. Probably more than you will ever know.”
“Oh,” Vicky stammered, unable to look away from Bruce’s gaze. He was so handsome. So stupidly handsome. She had no idea what she was going to do if anything happened to him. Hopefully she wouldn’t have to find out. Still, the situation made her very nervous. She stared at him quietly as she tried to find the right words, but all she could do was sit in silence.
“Well, I guess I should turn in. I have a big day tomorrow. I have some plans to get the dragon shifters out of my hair in the office. It will just be a matter of time once that happens though. We will have to be careful. But don’t worry. I’ll make sure you know what to do in case of an emergency. I’ll train you well.”
He winked at her, his deep brown eyes filled with a tender kindness that made her warm from top to bottom. A grin creased his face and the warmth turned into a consuming heat.
She turned away before her face could betray the sensation he had awoken within her and she did her best to go back to the sink to wash her mug and keep her mind off the brooding, sensual man that always managed to make her feel like she was the only person in the world.