Chapter Thirteen – Avery

“That’s your plan? To go into the crater? With them?” Jacob asked incredulously.

“It’s a good plan.” She’d gone over and over it in her head, assessed all possible outcomes, and come to the same conclusion. “It’ll work.”

Jacob didn’t look convinced. “You think they’ll just let you join them? You don’t think they’ll see it for what it is, a trap?”

“I spent six months working as part of an undercover team. The one thing I learned from that experience is to keep your story simple and plausible.” She needed Jacob to understand she wasn’t asking for permission, she was asking for his help. Or at least his bear’s help. “You turn into your bear…” She still could not believe those words were coming from her mouth. “Make some noise, and I’ll pretend I’m running from you.”

“And they’ll invite you in with open arms?” He pressed his lips together, stopping himself from unleashing a tirade of reasons why this wouldn’t work.

“I know you don’t want me to be in danger, but this is what I do.” Avery kept her voice low but her tone firm. He might think she was his mate, but that gave him no right to tell her what she was or wasn’t allowed to do. She was a police officer, here to uphold the law. Even if she was on vacation, and one step away from being suspended. If someone wanted Lonnie out of the way, it stood to reason if she blew this, her career might be as good as over too.

“I know you can handle yourself, but we don’t know what we’re up against.” Jacob’s frown deepened, his features dark as they sat in the shade of the trees.

“I think I have more of an idea than you do.” She was the cop after all.

Jacob rubbed his jaw, which was covered in stubble. Avery’s hand itched to reach out and run her fingertips along the rough bristles. Now was not the time to think of how sexy Jacob was, and how much she wanted him. She swallowed down her longing. It was brought on by the danger of the situation; it had nothing to do with the thought of being Jacob’s mate, a thought that conjured up all kinds of delicious images in her head.

“Listen, Avery, until an hour ago, you had no idea that shifters existed,” Jacob began.

“So? Knowing you can change into a bear has not made a difference in how I do my job.”

“I’m not saying it has.” Jacob looked out across the valley. Manny and Joe had nearly reached the crater. They were moving slowly, obviously tired, but soon they would be disappearing into the hole and out of sight. The drug smugglers might be watching right now. A cold sliver of dread trickled down his spine. “What if the drug smuggler is watching? What if he’s seen us? Or they, we have no idea how many there are. That might be why they chose this place, it’s remote and secluded.”

“I thought you said there was no one around?” Avery watched Jacob’s expression; he was trying to figure out how to put his fears into words. “Just tell me.”

“What if the smuggler is a shifter too?” He rushed on. “That would make the location make more sense. I couldn’t figure out why anyone would haul drugs up a mountain. But what if the dealer is a smuggler, and brings them straight here?”

The air left her lungs in a rush. “Of course,” she breathed. “You said that shifters aren’t just bears. Which means, the smugglers could be anything.” Her eyes widened. “What about birds?”

Jacob nodded. “Makes sense. Although a mountain lion or cougar would be able to carry more drugs.” He gave a sheepish grin. “I’m holding onto the hope the smugglers are not bears. Or at least are not people I know.”

“A bird makes so much more sense. No customs. No passport controls.” She put her fingers to her temples, to stop the pounding in her head. “Shit. This is just crazy.”

Jacob looked up at the sky. “It’s going to be getting dark in a couple of hours. Those two looked as if they were in a hurry. My guess is whatever is going to go down, is going to happen soon.”

“OK. Let’s do this.” She stood up, and headed toward the edge of the tree line.

Jacob took hold of her arm and pulled her back to him. “Avery. Are you sure?”

“Yes. I’m going to go in there and tell them that I’ve been sent to help them. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure they believe me.” She smiled. “You might want to give a roar or two, just to add to the atmosphere of panic I want to convey.”

“Panic?”

“I’m going to tell them that you chased my partner away. That whoever they answer to knows the ranger service is onto them, and I’ve been sent to lead them off the mountain.” She pointed to his pack. “You have the satellite phone. Any chance of us getting backup?”

Jacob shook his head. “Not without something concrete. Mountain rescue will come up here with Brad, but I can’t risk calling them too soon.”

“Agreed.”

“Agreed.” Jacob looked kind of distraught, as he looked at her, and then out across the open grassland. He really did care for her. More than a ranger should care. Her expression softened, and her body language followed.

“Listen, Jacob. I know you have this crazy stuff going on.” She circled her finger around as she pointed it at him. “But I have to do my job. Part of being in a relationship means letting the other person be who they are, and do what they are trained to do.”

She was as crazy as him. They were not in a relationship, they’d only just met. But the depth of passion and longing in his eyes when he looked into hers stole her breath. She would have to be made of ice not to melt into his arms…

Job to do, not happening, she reminded herself.

“Go do your job. I’m your backup.” A haunted look passed over him, and then it was gone. He straightened, and the man who swore she was his mate slipped away, to be replaced by the mountain ranger, who was also here to do a job.

Avery would be lying if she didn’t admit that a part of her slipped away too. The part that secretly longed for a good man and a couple of kids. But seeing the same crap people did to each other every day had worn away at her, made her believe that there were no good men, and the world might be too scary to bring kids into.

Was Bear Creek the answer? A small town, with a good man. Could she be content with that life? And if she chose it, would she be letting down her father, the man who had inspired her to be a cop?

“Avery?” Jacob’s hand on her arm pulled her out of her reverie with a start. “You OK?”

“Yeah.” She nodded once, before breaking contact with him and lifting her pack. “Here’s the plan. I’m going to go over there, and tell them a bear chased me and my partner, and I don’t know what happened to him. If I can gain their trust, I might be able to get them to tell me who in the police force is behind Lonnie’s suspension.”

“Then you want me to creep up on the crater?” He didn’t look too pleased. “You are going to be out of sight for longer than I’d like.”

“I can handle those two punks. But I’m going to need you to handle whatever else comes our way.” She meant whomever, or whatever, was bringing the drugs, she just wasn’t ready to admit that the dealer was a shifter. Getting her head around the fact that shifters even existed was going to take a good while.

“I’ll shift, and make my way to the crater. You need to make sure they stay down. I don’t want them to see me. My bear senses will keep me aware of anyone else who might be coming our way. Of course, that means if it a shifter who brings the drugs, they may have the same enhanced senses.”

“That’s a risk we have to take.”

Jacob looked out across the flat valley, and then pointed to where a couple of small boulders sat to the north of the crater. “That’s where I’ll aim for. It’s further away than I’d like, but close enough.”

Avery looked with him. “Maybe we should go together. We can split off, and I’ll hang back until you are hidden.” Her brain reassessed and recalculated before she nodded. “Good, that’s the plan.”

“OK, we go together, split off, I go to the boulders and keep my head down.” He pulled his radio out of the pack. “We can use these to communicate, but once you go in, I’ll maintain radio contact unless you need me.”

“Good idea.” Avery took her radio out of her pack and switched it on. “Testing. Over.”

“Received. Over.” Jacob pulled her into a bear hug, and she didn’t resist. Instead, she clung to him, not wanting to leave his side.

“I can look after myself,” Avery said as she stepped back from him, trying to persuade herself she didn’t need him. Which was a lie, but her need for him was more personal, more intimate. But they had come this far, and she had to finish the job she had set out to do.

“My priority is your safety.” His breath was warm on her neck, and she pulled away while she still had the strength.

“I need to do my job.” Her strength ebbed, the tiredness that threatened to consume her crowding in.

Jacob peered past her, looking up at the sky. “Sunset is in an hour. If this deal goes down before dark, it’s going to be soon.”

She looked behind her out across the valley. It was truly beautiful. But she wasn’t here to sightsee. Turning back to Jacob, she took a step forward and kissed his cheek, watching the surprise spread out across his face. Then with a soft smile, she headed out into the valley, with her shifter by her side.

She could look after herself, but there was something about having a man who would always have her back, and never let her down. Warmth spread through her body, the woman inside of her recognizing the man by her side. But that woman wanted to do more than recognize him, she wanted to make love, and make babies.

Avery swept those romantic thoughts aside. Time to concentrate on her job. Once it was done…well, that opened up a world of opportunity.