Aubrey had never been so scared in her life. She’d watched in horror as Alex’s betas attacked Quinn, one after the other. Each time he bested one of them, she sent up a silent prayer of thanks, only to fight back nausea as another one leaped into the fight. When he and Alex both disappeared from the camera’s view, she went into full-on panic mode and shut herself in the tiny bathroom. Not that the little pocket door would protect her from Alex if he made it into the safe room, but for some reason the smaller space made her feel more secure.

She heard the conversation between Alex and Quinn in the office, heard the window break, and then nothing. Terrible, horrible silence filled the air, and for nearly twenty minutes, she paced the safe room. When she finally gave in to her fears and keyed the password for the door into the panel, it swung open to an icy cold room and the scent of blood. Her heart lurched into her throat, and she rushed forward, sure she was going to find Quinn dead just outside the window. Instead, she found Alex’s blood in the snow and no sign of her polar bear hero.

She’d have called his name if she could have gotten her voice to work, but fear left her voice box incapacitated. Snatching up a long piece of glass, she clutched it in her hand, ignoring the sting of pain when it sliced her palm. She wasn’t going down without a fight. If anyone but Quinn came into view, she was going to protect herself.

Creeping down the hallway, she listened for any sign of life. To her relief, there was nothing but silence. She could hear the grandfather clock in the family room ticking away as if unimpressed by the events of the evening. Farther out, she could hear a coyote howl. Just as she reached the family room, where the scent of Alex and Quinn together first started, she heard the sound of movement behind her. A sliding door opened somewhere, and she sank to her knees behind the big massage chair she’d enjoyed just a few hours earlier. It hid most of her, and she just had to hope it was Quinn coming through that door.

The relief she felt when his blond head appeared in the doorway was nothing compared to the desire that coursed through her body when she got a look at his naked form. He was magnificent. Both in his animal fur and his human skin.

“I told you to stay in the safe room,” he barked at her, his chest still heaving with the adrenaline from the evening’s events. “What are you doing in here?”

“I was scared you needed help. I heard you and Alex fighting, and then the window broke. I thought you’d open the door if you were okay and when you didn’t—” Her voice cracked, and she rushed toward him, seeking his comforting embrace. “Thank God, you’re okay. I was so scared. I saw them jump you from the security monitors.”

“Shh... hush now. I’m fine, angel. Perfect, in fact. They’re all gone; they even collected the body of their dead comrade from below the deck.”

His arms held her tight to his chest, and she looped hers around his lean waist. Pressing her face into the bare skin of his chest, she kissed his pecs. “I’m so sorry I brought you into all of this, Quinn.”

His hand came up to cradle her face, tipping her head so that he could look into her eyes, “I’m glad you did, Aubrey.”

She wanted to question him about the meaning in his words, but she hesitated. It was more than likely her hormones were leading her astray. Quinn might have kissed her, but that didn’t mean he was interested in starting a relationship with a pregnant woman. Besides, she was the size of a cow right now. Definitely not sexy.

“Come on, I want to find us both some clothes to wear, and then we’re getting out of here. The next time Alex comes calling, I want to have backup.” Quinn reached for her hand and then froze. “You’re bleeding.”

“It’s nothing,” she hurried to assure him. “I had a piece of the window for protection—”

Her words broke off when his tongue slid over her palm. The rasp of his bear’s tongue on her injured skin was the most alluring thing she’d experienced. After several licks, his eyes lifted, and he gave her a small smile.

“I can’t decide if you’re an angel or a warrior.”

“I-I—” she stuttered, “I’m just a woman.”

Their gazes remained locked for several breaths before he turned away and pulled her along and into his bedroom. She stood silently as he walked across the room into a closet. Her eyes slid over his bedroom, taking in all the details. Rumpled sheets, where he’d been sleeping just a little while ago, on a massive bed big enough for more than two. She could imagine sleeping there with him, wrapped in his arms…

“I know the shorts didn’t work, but try these. They have a drawstring on the front so you might be able to make them fit.” Quinn reappeared fully clothed and handed her a pair of sweatpants. “I have a coat you can wear, but no shoes. We’ll have to make due with several pairs of my socks to keep your feet warm. We’ll get you better stuff when we get to the den.”

“The den?” she questioned, stepping into the sweats, tugging them up under the long hem of the t-shirt. They were huge on her, but she was able to at least tie the drawstring around her belly to hold them up. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much she could do about the extra five inches of fabric covering her feet. She could barely see her own toes, much less reach them.

“I’m taking you to the only place I know safer than my home,” he said, turning her and nudging her to sit on the bench at the foot of the bed. He lowered himself to his knees and quickly cuffed the hem of each pant leg. “We’re going to my family’s den in Wyoming.”

“Are you sure?” Aubrey’s mouth gaped open at him. “I mean, you just met me tonight, and you’ve already had to fight off lions to keep me safe. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to anyone in your pack—”

“If Alex is stupid enough to take on a polar bear pack,” Quinn laughed, “he deserves what he gets. And it doesn’t matter when we met, Aubrey. You’re mine… to protect. I’ll do everything I can to protect you and Peanut.” His hand came up to rub her belly and the baby kicked him. Quinn smiled, his eyes lighting up as he stared at the place where he held her.

“Peanut seems to agree with that plan of action,” Aubrey giggled.

“Good, he must have gotten his smarts from his mother.” Quinn stood and held his hand out to her. Together they headed out of his mansion and into the Colorado cold. She’d never felt safer than she did on that drive into the night. She knew in her heart, Quinn was important to her and her child’s life in more ways than one, but now was not the time to discuss it. So instead, she let the gentle motion of the car rock her to sleep, and let the man holding her hand protect her from the world.

* * *

“Aubrey? Angel, we’re almost to the den, so you might want to wake up.” Quinn stroked his fingers over the pale skin of her arm, wondering at the softness of it. She was so delicate and fragile, and yet, he’d seen her hidden strength. She’d do whatever it took to protect herself and her child. He admired that about her, and it reminded him of the women in his own clan.

“What time is it?” she murmured with a yawn, stretching and scratching her nails over her rounded tummy.

“Almost nine. I called ahead when we stopped for gas, and Mama said she’d have a hot breakfast ready.”

“Your mother is cooking for us?” Aubrey sat up straight in her seat, her mouth falling open. “Why?”

He laughed at the shock on her face. “Uh, because I’m her son, and she’s a mama-bear. It’s what they do.”

She relaxed slightly. “I’ve never met a polar bear shifter before you. What’s your family like?”

Quinn thought for a moment about his clan before answering, “Have you ever seen one of those movies with the big Italian family sitting around a table eating and drinking until they’re sick and laughing together? That’s the Jameson clan. My parents only have two children, me and my sister, but most of the other families are really large. My Uncle Frederick and his wife, Lisa, have eleven, at last count.”

“Eleven children? Are they nuts?”

“You wouldn’t be the first to question that,” Quinn said through his laughter.

“I thought polar bears were solitary creatures. Like tigers, don’t they tend to stay in a pack?”

“I guess we just like to do things our own way,” Quinn shrugged, turning off the main highway onto the road that curved back to his childhood home. “Most of the adult children tend to leave the den and make their own way, but the core of the Jameson clan stays put.”

“You moved away,” the words were a statement, not a question, but Quinn responded anyway.

“Yes, but initially it was just because I wanted to become a doctor. Later, it was because I found a sense of peace in my solitude. When the only person you have to be accountable to is yourself, there’s a lot less pressure to be perfect.”

The house came into view, and Aubrey didn’t respond as people began to spill out the front door. Quinn met his mother with a huge hug before hurrying around to retrieve Aubrey. When he opened the door, she was still sitting in the passenger seat of his SUV, looking slightly green around the gills

“Come on, they won’t bite.”

“I was just wondering if bears get along with cats,” she muttered.

“This bear happens to prefer cats as of recently,” he whispered back, helping her out of the car and introducing her to his family.

Aubrey was at once embraced and welcomed with hugs and laughter as they were herded into the house, and Quinn felt the tension which had been riding high in his chest since they’d left his home, release. Alex could come at them with both barrels loaded now and still not make it past the front gates. Aubrey and Peanut were as safe as they could possibly be. In his head, Quinn felt his bear calm and rest for the first time in twenty-four hours.