The grief and pain that poured off his mate tore at Kaden’s soul. He wanted to ease her pain and convince her that they were not going to harm her. No one would ever hurt her as long as they were alive. She was theirs, and now that they knew why she’d rejected them, they’d be able to claim her.

He sat on the ground and pulled her into his lap. “I read the police reports. It was self-defense.”

“I was leaving work…” She stared out into the forest, refusing to meet either of their gazes. “It was late, and I went out the backdoor because it shaved a few minutes off my walk to my apartment. He was there in the alley.”

“You don’t have to do this.” Ari took her hand into his.

She ruthlessly wiped away the tears that began to flow. “There were boxes and trash on the side of the building, but my lioness was on edge. She knew something wasn’t right. That’s when the bear looked over the top of the boxes. Blood dripped from his mouth as he chewed on…”

“He ripped out the throat of a hooker,” Kaden said quietly, supplying the information he’d found in the police report.

“I had started to back up, trying to get into the building, but I didn’t make it.” Her body shook, and he held onto her tighter. “The gun…I finally got it out of my purse, and I didn’t think. I just shot. I couldn’t shift…I couldn’t make it a fair fight. Someone might have seen. He was on something, I don’t know what, but I could see it in his eyes. He wasn’t right. It was like he was drunk, his eyes were glazed, but I didn’t smell alcohol.”

“The toxicology report listed meth in his system.” Kaden smoothed his hand down her arm. “Even in your lioness form, you wouldn’t have stood a chance against a bear screwed up on meth. You kept yourself alive, that’s what matters.”

“Alive for us.” Ari brought her hand to his lips. “We won’t let anyone hurt you.”

The corners of her mouth turned downward. “I deserve—”

“Don’t even say it.” Kaden cut her off. “What you deserve is to be happy, to live the life you have, and to have mates who will cherish you. You don’t deserve to live in fear.”

Ari sighed. “You know that Jase needs to know.”

“No!” She shook her head as the Chief stepped into the light.

“I already know.” Jase stayed back from their gathering on the ground.

“You were listening,” Ari bit out.

“I followed after her when my bear alerted me.” Jase nodded. “But I’ve known about her past since she arrived here. You told Granddad, but he would only tell me it didn’t matter. I looked into your past. I was his unofficial Deputy while he prepared me for taking over the tribe. I couldn’t let someone come into our tribe without knowing their past. Especially someone who was going to teach our children. After I found out, I went to Granddad with the information. He confirmed it, but we never told anyone else.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” There was a hint of anger in her voice, but there was more relief than anything. “I was always careful around you, so you wouldn’t find out.”

“I knew that when you were ready, you’d tell me.” Jase shoved his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. “While the bears here were never a threat to you, I wasn’t sure that the one you killed wasn’t a part of a tribe or a sleuth. I watched to see whether anyone came after you, if there was any hint of danger. But there’s been nothing. I believe he was a lone bear. No one is looking for you.”

“Will you tell Sin?” Ari looked back at the other man.

“I guess that depends on the three of you.”

“What do you mean?” she asked when he started to walk away from them.

“They are your mates.” Jase paused just before the tree line and turned back to them. “You must decide if you’re leaving us, or if the three of you will be staying. For this to work, you must all be willing to compromise because something will have to give. Camellia, are you willing to give up your position here? Leaving, you’d give up all the work you’ve done with the children. Ari and Kaden, are you willing to take a less hands-on approach to your business? Maybe it’s time to open up a second branch here. Those are just some of the questions that you will have to answer. But if you’re going to stay, then yes, Sin will need to know. She’s my Deputy, and I don’t keep tribe business from her. But like with Granddad, it will go no further.”

“Why the hell does mating have to be so complicated?” She pushed out of Kaden’s lap and rose.

“It’s not.” Ari rose and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Do you want to stay? Because a few minutes ago you were running off under the cover of darkness.”

“I thought I didn’t have a choice. But this is my home.”

“Then we’ll make it work.” Kaden pressed his body against her back and nuzzled her neck.

“Hell yeah, we will.” Ari agreed. “If you want to stay, we’ll stay.”

Without moving away Kaden, glanced at Ari. “That’s a bit of a change. What about the business?”

Ari shrugged. “Jack can handle things there. We’ll promote him to manager. This job will take weeks anyway, and then we’ll take some time off to spend with our mate. After that we can open up a branch here, just like Jase said. Maybe we can hire new crews from right here. There are always jobs coming in, and most of the work already requires that we travel. We’ll make it work.” Ari dropped his gaze to Camellia. “That’s if you’re willing to put up with two grumpy bears all the time?”

“This is all happening so fast.” She leaned back against Kaden. “A few hours ago, you strolled into Sin’s kitchen and pulled the rug out from under me. Now I’ve shared my past with you, and I am about to commit to two bears. My lioness pushes for me to say yes and for us to dash back to my place, but my fears are still there. What if Jase is wrong?”

“What do you mean, kitten?”

“What if there’s a sleuth out there looking for revenge? I can’t put you two in the middle of that.”

Kaden kissed the curve of her neck before spinning her around to look at him. “We’re in this together. No matter what. You’re our mate, and if it takes time to convince you of that, then we’ll take the time. But your lioness will grow more impatient than she already is.”

“He’s right, we’ll take on the world to keep you safe,” Ari said, nuzzling the side of her face. “You’re ours. Now and always.”

“Screw it.” Her mouth slowly stretched into a radiant smile. “My place or yours?”

“Why wait?” Kaden dug into her bag, looking for whatever he could lay on the ground to make a bed as Ari lifted her into his arms. “We want you now.”