Ben turned off his phone and frowned. Penny had sounded strange. Was she okay? Maybe she was just tired.

His bear disagreed. It wanted him to drop everything now and be with her. And he wanted to, badly. This was the longest he’d been away from Penny and being without her made him antsy. But he couldn’t. She would be safer tonight, away from Blackstone, especially after what he’d discovered earlier this morning.

“Everything okay, son?” James Walker asked as he came up behind him.

“Yeah, dad, it’s all good.” He slipped his phone back in his pocket. He was itching to tell his dad and mom about Penny being his mate. So many times he wanted to pick up the phone and let them know. But this was something he wanted to tell them face to face so he could see their reactions. Surely, they’d be ecstatic. And when Penny said she’d come to the wedding, he knew that was when he would introduce her to them. It would put less pressure on her since it was a big family event, rather than a dinner where she would be meeting just them. He couldn’t wait. He told his cousins not to tell anyone about Penny yet, even his sister, and they agreed.

“Sorry we couldn’t come earlier. Flight was delayed and then your mom wanted to make sure her dress was ready,” James said. “I’m sure if she knew she’d be stuck at Blackstone Castle instead of coming to see you, she’d have put off that errand until tomorrow.”

“It’s fine, dad,” he said. “Is everyone here?”

James nodded. “Yeah.”

Father and son walked back into the trailer where Matthew, Jason, their father Hank, Luke, Nathan, and his father Clark were waiting. They were all gathered around the large table in the middle.

Since Matthew’s wedding, Hank Lennox had told them about his plan to bring the Shifter Protection Agency to Blackstone. They were still working the details out with Aristotle Stavros, but everyone had agreed they would help and pitch in. While Stavros said it was unlikely that the anti-shifter group targeting Blackstone would attack again at the wedding, they weren’t taking any chances, which is why it was necessary for them to patrol the main hot spots they might strike.

“So,” Hank began. “Ben, tell us what you found.”

Ben rubbed his hand down his face. “I was out with one of the Rangers last night, patrolling the mines. Everything was fine until about three a.m. We were in one of the older caves, the one from about three years ago, which we had shut down.”

“What did you find?” Matthew asked.

“Fresh trace scents. Two or three different ones, but similar.”

“Similar how?” Clark Caldwell asked.

“They were all bears, I’m pretty sure.” Ben felt the muscles in his shoulders tense up, remembering how his own bear had raised its hackles when it scented the intruders. “There were some tracks, too.”

“Shifter bears?” Jason asked.

“They must have been because that cave’s pretty deep,” James said. “I remember that one. No wild animal would just wander in there. We also boarded it up pretty well.”

“What about humans?” Hank asked.

Ben knew what Hank was asking. There was a chance the humans who tried to blow up Matthew’s wedding could be back, which is why they were doing the patrols in the first place. “No, Uncle Hank. No signs of humans.”

“Nothing at the castle or hotel either,” Matthew said. “We’ve got patrols 24/7.”

“I don’t get it. Bears? Are they working with the anti-shifters now?” Luke said.

“Could be related. Could be something else entirely,” James said. “Or we may be worrying about nothing. Maybe it was a couple of teenagers fooling around.”

“It doesn’t feel right,” Ben finished. His instincts were screaming at him. There was something wrong.

“All right,” Hank said. “We’ll have to be even more careful. All the women will be staying at the castle just in case, so it's easier to keep an eye on everyone.”

“I hate to ask all of you to keep patrolling,” Jason said. “This threat, it could be nothing.”

“We’re happy to help, bro,” Nathan said. “Better safe than sorry. I don’t want to end up in pieces if they manage to sneak another bomb in.” He shook his head and laughed. “I hope this is the last wedding we’ll have to be in.”

Jason chuckled. “Me too. I’ll be glad when all of this is over.”

Ben looked at the men around him. Though Nathan’s joke had broken some of the tension, it was obvious they were all still worried. He just hoped his instincts were wrong.

* * *

Ben wished he could go home and collapse in bed after spending the night roaming the woods. There was nothing he wanted more than to curl around Penny in his own bed. But there was work to be done at the mines. With Jason leaving for his honeymoon in a few days, they had to re-work the production schedule. Plus, there were a couple of things he had to take care of.

“Dr. Philipps, come in,” he said to the older man who was standing by the doorway of his trailer office.

“Thanks for making time to see me today, Benjamin,” Dr. Scott Philipps said.

“Of course, have a seat.” He gestured to the chair in front of his desk. “What can I do for you?”

Dr. Philipps took off his glasses and put them in his shirt pocket. “Well, Benjamin, as you know, I’ve been with Lennox Corp for almost twenty years now.”

“Has it been that long?” Dr. Philipps had been their chief geologist for as long as he could remember. He’d been a young boy when the doctor was hired. They never had such a position before, but his dad had recommended they get one to do research on blackstone and other minerals in the mountains. Dr. Philipps’ work had been tremendously helpful, especially in searching for veins and determining more efficient ways of mining blackstone without harming the mountains.

“Time does go by quickly. Anyway, that’s why I needed to talk to you.”

“Oh.” He could guess what this was about.

“Yes, it’s time I retire. I love working here, but you know, I think I’ve earned some time off.”

“Of course.” Ben nodded in agreement. “You’ve been valuable to us, and I hate to see you go.”

“Thank you for understanding. But I don’t want to leave you in a lurch.”

“I’m sure we’ll find someone. Not as brilliant as you, but we can manage.”

“I can stay on for a few more months, maybe until we need to move to another vein. But I do have a recommendation for a replacement,” Dr. Philipps said. “As you know, I take summers off to teach back at my alma mater. I have a brilliant student who might be a fit for the job.”

“Well, give me his resume, and we can see if he’s a good fit.”

“She, actually,” Dr. Philipps said, “but I assure you, Dr. Robichaux is an utmost professional and highly sought-after in our field. And she’s a shifter, if that makes any difference.”

“I’m sure she’s a fine candidate. Go ahead and send over her resume, and I’ll look into scheduling an interview.” They chatted for a few more minutes, until Dr. Philipps excused himself so he could contact his student.

Ben glanced at the clock. It was still early in the morning and, though he wanted to call Penny and hear her voice, he didn’t want to disturb her if she was still sleeping.

“Boss! We need you in the smelting room.”

He turned toward the door, where one of his guys was sticking his head in. “All right, I’m on it.”

Ben spent the rest of the day working, his mind occupied with all of the things he had to do. It was a good thing because he couldn’t wait to leave. He tried to call Penny to see if she wanted to catch dinner, but she wasn’t answering. Maybe she was driving or something, though it was still too early.

The long day was getting to him, so he thought he’d go home and nap or at least shower. Penny probably wouldn’t appreciate his smell from the last twenty-four hours of patrolling and then working in the sweltering mines. He drove home, thinking of Penny and how me missed her. Maybe I can convince her to clock out early, he thought. He couldn’t wait to see her.

He parked in front of his cabin, cutting off the engine, his mind still on Penny. However, as soon as he walked up to his front door, he smelled it. The same traces of a scent that had been in the caves.

Ben whipped around, scanning the tree line. There was no one there, but this was bad. His bear knew it, too. That unknown scent was making the bear uneasy. “Calm down,” he said aloud. He had to keep his head.

He walked around his home, trying to find more traces, but he couldn’t smell it anywhere else. That wasn’t unusual. There had been a light drizzle this morning, so the rain would have washed away any trail.

“Fuck.” He slammed his fist against the wall, leaving a dent in the middle of one of the logs. What the hell was going on?

He took his phone out of his pocket and dialed his dad’s number.

“Ben?” James asked. “What’s up?”

“They were here,” he said, then explained what he had found.

“Shit. I’m coming now. I’ll bring Luke or Nathan with me.”

“Good,” Ben said. Then he thought of Penny. It was a good thing she wasn’t in Blackstone but … if someone had been following him home, they might know about her. Why wasn’t she answering her phone today? “Shit.”

“Son?”

“Sorry, dad,” he said. “I gotta go.”

“What do you mean?”

“I have stuff to take care of.” He had to make sure Penny was okay. His bear was angry now, snapping and growling at him. “I’ll explain later, okay?” Maybe Penny should move into the castle too, just in case. This wasn’t how he wanted to introduce Penny to his parents, but if she was in danger, he didn’t have a choice. “I’ll meet you back here, okay?” He hung up and ran to his car.

Ben made it to The Den in record time. By the looks of it, they had just started to get busy, with a couple of cars outside. He calmed himself and his bear as he walked through the door. He couldn’t afford to have Tim seeing him agitated.

He scanned the room, looking for Penny. Did she not show up? A snarl escaped his throat.

“Ben?”

He pivoted around. It was that other waitress, the flirty one with the dark hair. The bear shifter. “Where’s Penny?”

She frowned. “Sit down, there’s something I have to tell you.”

“Where is she? Is she hurt.”

“Please. Sit down or Tim will kick you out,” she said, nodding to Tim, who was standing in his usual spot behind the bar, keeping an eye on things. He wasn’t looking their way yet, but Ben knew he’d notice if anything was off. “Fine.” He sat down on the nearest chair.

“I’ll pretend you ordered a beer and you drink it, okay?” She put a hand on his arm, but he shrugged her away. “Just look … normal. And then we can talk.”

“Fine,” he said through gritted teeth.

She walked to the bar, chatted with the bartender and came back with a mug of beer. “Here,” she said, sliding the mug over to him.

He stopped the mug with his hand. “Where’s Penny?”

“Take a drink, big boy,” she said. “Or Tim will—”

“Fine.” He took a big gulp and wiped his mouth with the back of her hand. “Now where’s Penny?”

“Shush!” She looked around. “Finish your beer and then meet me in the back as soon as you're done.”

“Why won’t you—”

“Just do it,” she said. “If you care for Penny, you’ll do this.”

He wanted to shake her until she told him what was going on, but he couldn’t risk it. “Fine.”

“Mia,” she said.

“Huh?”

“That’s my name. Mia.”

“Right.” He looked away from her and took another sip of beer. She seemed to take the hint and left him alone, disappearing into the employees-only door.

Ben downed the beer and threw a couple of bills on the table. He got up, left through the front door, and made his way to the back entrance.

Something wasn’t right. Why wasn’t Penny here? And what did that other waitress know?

When he got to the back door, he saw Mia waiting for him. He strode over to her, his fists at his sides. “Tell me where she is.”

“Oh, you know, she’s around,” Mia said, walking closer to him. “But maybe I can keep you company until she gets here.” She put a hand on his chest.

Ben snarled and caught her wrist. “Don’t touch me, lady. Now what game are you playing?” He towered over her and walked her back until she was against the wall. “Don’t make me ask again. Where. Is. Pen—” He let her wrist go and staggered back as he felt the ground tilt. Huh? Was there an earthquake?

Mia’s mouth curled into a smirk. “Oh, are you okay, Ben?” she said in a mocking tone. “Did you get a little too much to drink?”

His vision began to blur at the edges. “You … the beer.”

She tsked and shook her head. “Don’t you know never to accept drinks from strangers? Then again, soon, I won’t be a stranger.”

There was something wrong in his system. His head was spinning, and he was losing his balance. He fought against it with all his might. “What did you do?” he roared as he lunged at her.

She easily evaded him, and he ended up slamming his shoulder against the wall. He spun around to face her.

“Don’t worry Ben, the effects of bloodsbane are temporary, don’t you know?”

Bloodsbane. The only thing that could bring a shifter down for long periods of time. They metabolized everything too quickly—alcohol, drugs, medications—but this was one thing that could take them down. What was happening?

Mia’s eyes lit up. “Oh, and here’s the part I’ve been waiting for.” She raised a hand, which was now covered in black fur and tipped with razor sharp claws. He thought she was going to swipe at him, but instead, she ran a hand down her shirt, tearing the fabric into shreds. What was she up to?

“No, Ben, please don’t!” she cried. “Stop! I told you, I don’t want to do this anymore!”

“What … the …” His tongue felt thick, and he couldn’t speak. He needed to get to the bottom of this. But when the sweet fruity scent hit his nose, he realized what was happening.

Penny was standing behind Mia, frozen to the spot. She must have been late, as she was still in street clothes, her purse slung over her shoulder and keys still in her hand. Penny, he wanted to scream. He raised a hand toward her.

“Oh Penny!” Mia cried, crocodile tears streaming down her cheeks. “I’m so sorry. So sorry. I tried to tell you.”

Penny’s eyes were wide, and her face grew pale. “I don’t understand.”

“I tried to tell you. But he threatened me. I swear Penny, he said … he would hurt me if I tried to tell you.”

“Tell me what?” Penny choked out.

“Ben and I … we had a thing back in high school. My parents found out, and that’s why we moved away. When I came back, we started things up again. We didn’t tell anyone.”

NO! I’ve never seen this woman before in my life! Ben was screaming in his head even though his mouth couldn’t say it. His limbs felt heavy, and he had to brace himself against the wall to stay upright.

Penny turned to Ben. “Is this true?” Tears were gathering in her eyes, and her shoulders were shaking.

“He’s drunk,” Mia said. “He’s always like this when he gets drunk. He can’t control himself.” Mia looked at Ben, a glint in her eye. “He’s a monster.”

Penny let out a cry. “Ben, please tell me this isn’t true!”

Ben used all his strength to get up and say something, but it was no use. It was like he was swimming in thick syrup. He tried to speak, but nothing came out.

“I think his silence speaks for itself,” Mia said, grinning at Ben. When Penny turned to her, her face scrunched up and the tears started.

That two-face bitch! As soon as the bloodsbane wore off, he was going to tear Mia apart.

“I ….” Penny turned away from him, her shoulders shaking. “I can’t ….” She began walking away, picking up her pace the farther she got.

NO!

Ben knew he had to fight the bloodsbane in his system. His bear was snapping its jaws and clawing at him from inside his skin. He knew there was only one way to break free of the drug’s influence.

The bear let out an earth-shattering roar as it tore out of his human skin. Rage and fury filled its veins, and the bear bared its teeth at Mia.

Shock, then terror crossed Mia’s features, and she let out a screech. Ben could feel the bear inside her cower in fear, unwilling to defend itself. His bear wanted to hurt that bitch for telling Penny all those lies.

Penny!

The massive grizzly swung its body away from Mia and charged in the direction Penny had run. She was in her car and slamming the door shut.

Ben pushed his bear’s body, reaching out a massive paw to reach her before she could drive away. His eyes focused on Penny as she looked out the window and saw the look on her face. Horror. Panic. Fear.

The bear let out a pained roar as Ben pulled it back. It gave Penny enough time to pull out of the parking spot and drive away from him.

Enough!

Claws tore down his face and chest, but he continued fighting his bear. Penny had been through enough. He wouldn’t put her through more pain.

Mine!

No. Penny was lost to them now. The look on her face told him it was over. He really was a monster.

Ben struggled for control, and when he won out, he pushed his bear’s body toward the woods. He had to get it away from Penny.

He should have told her the truth. But he knew now he had been selfish, wanting to keep her when there was no way this was going to end well. Not since that night at homecoming when his father told him the truth.

That damn Joshua Watson. He was the biggest jock in school but also the biggest jerk. He had taken Emma Reid to the homecoming dance as a joke. She’d been one of the plainest girls in school, a little on the plump side, and so shy. Of course, when they arrived at the dance, he started making fun of her, and all his friends joined in. Emma ran out of the gym in tears.

Ben had seen the whole thing, and he lost it. Emma was one of the nicest people in school and had never hurt anyone. He was only going to punch Joshua, but his bear came out. He nearly killed Joshua. If Joshua hadn’t been a wolf shifter, he probably would have died.

It was pure chaos after that. The police were called, and his parents, of course. They smoothed things out with the school, the authorities, and the Watsons. But Ben had been confused. He’d never lost it like that, never felt so out of control.

Growing up, he had known he was different, not only because of his size, but also because of those uncontrollable urges inside him. And when he lost control, he knew something was wrong.

That was when James told him the truth.

“You know how Laura’s not your birth mom, right?”

Ben had nodded. They had been truthful about that from the beginning. He and Laura had only known each other for six months when Ben came into their lives.

“Son, you’ve never asked about her. Your biological mother.”

He had never needed to know. Laura was his mother, she raised him and that was that.

“Well, it’s time you knew the truth. Sue, your mom … she was a one-night stand, someone I had been with three years before I met Laura. But she was also a bear shifter like us. She was … from the Bronson clan.”

That revelation had shaken him to the core. The Bronsons were the Walkers’ most hated enemy. They’d been warring for generations back in Morgan Valley. He had asked his father if he knew Sue was when they met.

“No,” he had said. “I didn’t. But she knew who I was. Ben … her father sent her to me. So she could get pregnant with you. She was going to bring you back to her clan, for God knows what reason. Maybe to use you as a pawn against the Walkers. She went back to them, pregnant with you. I didn’t know and then she died. She left you with a friend and then you came to us.”

That was the truth. He had looked up the Bronsons and had even gotten some info from his cousins. The Bronsons were a bunch of criminals and degenerates. While the Walker clan protected Morgan Valley, the Bronsons sought to take it over. They brought in drugs, guns, moonshine, and did all kinds of illegal activities, hoping to bring chaos. They hated the Walkers because of what they stood for and because they did everything in their power to stop them from dominating the Valley. The Bronsons did whatever the hell they wanted and didn't care about the consequences.

It was the Bronson blood in him that was making him uncontrollable. It made him a monster, just like everyone in that family.

Penny didn’t need that in her life. She deserved better. And he knew this was the right thing to do. This line would end with him. There would be no mate and no cubs in his future.