Trees flew by in rapid succession as Jordan drove Emma to the clan meeting. Emma leaned her temple against the cool glass of the window, closing her eyes in dread. She could feel Jordan’s gaze shifting between her and the road, his bear on high alert.

Mal nudged her thoughts, acknowledging Booker’s reaching question because those two bears knew each other just as well, if not better, than she and Jordan did.

Emma groaned. Stupid meddling bears.

“I’m fine.” Though, who she was telling was anyone’s guess.

“If you’re sure.” Jordan didn’t sound convinced, but he stopped looking at her every few seconds.

His hand found hers, and Emma let him hold it, telling herself that he needed it more than she did. He was just as much impacted by what they were about to do as she was.

She had never been good at lying to herself.

After all these years, they were finally going to come clean. Her suspicions about Cheryl’s request for them to be at the meeting hadn’t lessened, even if Jordan thought she was over-reacting. Still, they both agreed that it was better to head off any further expectations about their relationship.

Emma’s stomach tumbled. Even though she knew better, she wasn’t completely convinced Cheryl wouldn’t kick them both out of the clan. Emma could deal with it if she had to, but she wasn’t sure about Jordan. He didn’t have anyone outside the clan. She would still have Joe and Ripley. Brett and Juliet.

Jordan would have her, but she didn’t know if that would be enough.

They had been together so long—playing the game—how had she failed to consider what it would be like when they told everyone they weren’t together?

Jordan flipped the turn lever and pulled the car over, tires crunching into the gravel on the side of the road.

They were still a mile from the clan house. “What are you doing?”

Jordan sandwiched her hand between both of his. “You have been half bear since we left the house.”

Had she?

Mal growled irritably in her ear. I didn’t ask to come out.

Emma tried to shrug it off. “I’m just a little tense.”

“I noticed. You’re overthinking all of this. Relax.”

“Ha.” Emma thumped her head back against the headrest, feeling the extra protection of her bear skull when she did. Oh, crap. She really was half shifted. Well, not half, but partial.

Jordan shook his head, rubbing his hands over hers. “We don’t even know what she wants. You always assume the worst.”

“The worst usually happens.”

Jordan sighed and let go. “Look. It’s not like you’re challenging her today. I mean… I hope you aren’t challenging her today.”

“It’s not the plan.” But Cheryl was so… Cheryl. It really could happen.

“Okay. So, don’t let her wind you up.”

“It’s not like I get wound up on purpose.” Except that she already was, and they hadn’t even arrived yet.

Jordan leaned over and kissed Emma on the forehead.

She was going to miss things like that.

“Things will be fine.” He tapped her on the nose with his finger and sat back. “I promise.”

Yeah. She was totally going to miss that.

He shifted the car back into gear and continued down the road. “You know, I could help you wind down. I could help with that. When we get home.”

Emma slapped a hand to her mouth in mock shock. “Jordan Baker, what would the neighbors think?”

Jordan shrugged with a wink. “They would probably think I had a mistress.”

Emma smacked him on the shoulder. “Ha. Ha.” They joked around about having sex all the time, especially since they lived together. And while they’d seen each other naked more than once—they were shifters, after all—nothing had come of it in forever.

Then she giggled, the knot of tension in her stomach releasing. This was why they were friends. Even in the middle of a total shit storm, he could make her laugh. “I’ll be fine. I promise. What about you? Are you ready to tell everybody?”

He shrugged, the edges of his expression growing a little serious.

Emma glanced at Jordan out of the corner of her eye. He insisted that he was on the same page as her. They didn’t even sleep in the same room in the apartment. They hadn’t slept together in over a year. Despite his quips.

“It’s been a long time coming. I’m surprised no one’s figured it out already.” But something in his tone felt flat.

Emma’s shoulders fell. Was she seeing something that wasn’t even there? “They see what they want to see.”

Jordan turned into the driveway with a concerned look at her. “Ready?”

She had no idea. “We don’t have to do this today. If you don’t want to. Things are going to change.”

Jordan shrugged. “You’re still my best friend. There will just be a lot less public grab-ass.”

Emma put her hand on the handle and then hesitated, looking back at him. A curtain flicked in one of the house windows. Their arrival had been noted.

Emma knew the timing was wrong, but she suddenly had to know. She needed his affirmation that she was doing the right thing. “Jordan, do you think I’ll be a good alpha? When everything is all said and done?”

The question seemed to surprise him, and he took a second to reply, his eyes on the window. They definitely had an audience. “Yes.”

Then he turned away without his customary kiss on her cheek.

Emma felt like the rug had been pulled out from under her. Shit.

He was rolling with it. They were being watched, and he had just drawn the dividing line. They were done.

Emma pushed open the door before Jordan could open it for her. He raised an eyebrow at her, eyes gleaming, and fell into step behind her.

Emma hadn’t expected the meeting to be full attendance. Most meetings weren’t—just the ones involving major decisions or announcements. The announcement meetings were more of a formality than anything. By the time a meeting came to order, the news had usually made the rounds several times.

Yet, Emma hadn’t heard anything about the meeting they were walking into. News seemed to travel slower now. The clan was divided after Cheryl had tried to have her own son killed. Brett had been cured of rabies and everyone knew it, but Cheryl had been adamant, not believing that the cure was real.

Emma had planted herself firmly on the opposing side of Cheryl’s line.

She wasn’t the only one.

Every head in the room turned towards Emma and Jordan as they entered the massive Elliot house.

Emma’s fingers twitched, wanting to reach for Jordan’s hand.

They always held hands around the clan, but not that day.

“Sorry we’re late.” Emma let the statement hang without any explanation. It was easier to let everyone else’s brains do the work.

Cheryl looked pointedly at the clock hanging over the mantle. They were only two and a half minutes later than the scheduled meeting time. It might as well have been an hour.

Emma tried to shoot a glance at Jordan, but he wasn’t looking at her. They circled the ring of chairs to the two open spaces on Cheryl’s left.

Next to Chuck.

Shit. If Chuck was there, something was definitely going down. He didn’t usually come to clan meetings. The regional high alpha stayed out of clan politics, so long as nothing was getting too out of control.

Emma caught Cheryl’s eye, and the look of satisfaction on her face said it all. This was big, and it involved Emma.

Don’t embarrass her in front of Chuck. Emma could almost hear her mother say those words out loud with that look.

Cheryl stood up to address the circle. “Now that Emma and Jordan have graced us with their presence…” Cheryl waved a hand at them palm up like she was presenting them an award. “…we can begin. Firstly, I would like everyone to welcome Chuck. It is always a pleasure to have him in attendance.”

The circle chorused a greeting.

Cheryl folded her hands in front of her on the table. “He has asked me for an update since the rabies outbreak.”

As if he needed to talk to Cheryl about that. Ripley and Joe and Leslie had been the ones to cure him.

“Brett is without symptoms and we haven’t noticed any signs of relapse. No other clam members have shown signs of infection.”

Yeah, because Leslie had done a pretty amazing job at saving Brett’s life. Emma just waited for Cheryl to take the credit.

Cheryl paused, and Emma could tell she was forming her next words carefully before she spoke. “Ripley—” The name came out sharply, but she managed it without a wince, which was impressive. “—has confirmed that she hasn’t seen any evidence of the virus locally since Brett took the cure. We are lucky to have a padfoot in our midst.”

Emma’s stomach churned in disgust. She was glad that Cheryl was giving credit due where it was earned, but Emma still saw what was going on. Her mother was sucking up to Chuck.

“While we drink to the success of the cure, I would also like to raise a glass for our next announcement.”

Emma’s stomach twisted.

Cheryl’s gaze fell on Emma, a thin-lipped smile on her face that didn’t reach to her eyes.

Shit.

“When Jordan Baker came into my care at the age of thirteen, the Elliot clan gained a son. I expected him to be a brother to my sons and daughter. Boy, did he and Emma show me.” Cheryl paused as the gathered bear shifters exchanged a round of sympathetic laughter.

Emma needed to put a stop to this as quickly as possible. The more Cheryl built this up, the bigger the embarrassment was going to be, and an embarrassed Cheryl would be a tyrant to deal with.

“It became apparent early on that Emma and Jordan were meant to be together. With Blake gone, we needed a strong team to lead our family when I step down. So, we drew up a contracted betrothal.”

Yeah. Like right there. Emma should say something right there.

Cheryl’s hard eyes found Emma’s again. “And I am so pleased to announce that the time has come for their contract to be fulfilled. Emma and Jordan will be married within the month.”

Jordan tensed beside Emma and reached for her hand.

They had both expected something. An officially announced engagement, maybe. But not a fucking wedding. Why hadn’t Cheryl come to them first, at least given them a heads up before the announced their wedding to the entire clan?

They were supposed to end things on their terms, not Cheryl’s. They needed more time. For everything. To plan. To plot. To make sure this went smoothly. She could see the question in Jordan’s eyes. He was waiting for her to take the lead.

She couldn’t do it, couldn’t embarrass her mother in front of everyone like that. Emma blinked and then smiled. She leaned forward and kissed Jordan on the cheek before nuzzling into his shoulder. It had become so easy to play the game.

Jordan raised their clasped hands into the air like they had just scored a victory.

It wasn’t their victory, though. It was Cheryl’s. She had trapped them, and she knew it. How hadn’t Emma seen it coming?

The gathered bears cheered and hooted.

Emma thought she saw money change hands between a few of them. No one seemed to be paying that much attention to her and Jordan as people shook hands and patted each other’s backs like somehow Cheryl’s announcement affected them.

Emma focused her breathing, trying to play it off like nothing had gone wrong. They only had to wait until Cheryl dismissed the meeting. Then she would set the bitch straight.

“Kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss,” someone chanted on the other side of the room.

Emma’s eyes shot around, and her heart buzzed in irritation. Who was that? She was going to kill them. Heat rushed over her face at the prospect of kissing Jordan that way in front of everyone. They had always made a point of showing plenty of affection when in the company of bears. But this? It felt wrong.

Emma flinched as Jordan’s hand scooped behind her neck and he hesitated. She flicked the tiniest of nods and let him pull her in. She melted into him. She had to, and when their lips met she forced herself to close her eyes.

They see what they want to see.

Jordan pulled away after a measured moment. His eyes met hers but didn’t linger.

Emma blinked, releasing a slow breath.

He knew her, knew the panic he would find there. And he knew how to handle it—do not engage.

Emma looped her arm through his and leaned into him, hoping it was a signal that the meeting could continue.

Chuck watched her. Had she just messed everything up by not standing up to Cheryl then and there?

The rest of the meeting dragged by insufferably. Patrol duty allocations, clan shifts at the school. The usual clan meeting agenda. With more bears than usual to give their opinions, Emma thought the meeting would never end.

As things finally wound down, Chuck spoke up.

“Our new teacher, Mason Covey, is looking for volunteers. He will be sending notes home today with the students, but since I am here, I will pass along the message. He has planned a field day on Friday and is looking for people to help manage events. I am requesting an extra patrol as well.” He looked around the room.

Only a couple people raised their hands to volunteer.

Emma frowned. This was her thing—volunteering, helping people out. And gods knew Mason needed all the help he could get. Any other day, she would have bugged Jordan into volunteering with her. But now, she had to head off this wedding business before Friday. Then, she could use the field day as a post-break-up distraction. Provided she didn’t have to challenge Cheryl before then.

Also, Emma needed to talk to Chuck. If she volunteered, she had an inconspicuous reason to seek him out after the meeting. Emma raised her hand.