Eira stared at the man before her. He was huge. A massive scar cut his face in half. Three kids, faces ashen, eyes wide, stood next to him, and on the other side, Range’s three brothers.

There was something about him. Something… it made her radar go off.

“Eira,” Range patted the scarred man on the shoulder. “This is Griz. Griz, meet Eira.” Range glanced at Asa, then continued. “My mate.”

Griz frowned before Eira even had a chance to say it was nice to meet him, though she wasn’t sure that it was. She couldn’t say what about the stranger made the back of her neck prickle, but it was for sure that it did.

She froze, waiting to see how he’d react. What would follow that frown.

Griz stepped forward, leaving the children a pace behind. “I know your kind.”

Eira bit back a gasp.

Griz ran a hand over the side of his face that held the long scar. “Where are they?”

“They?” Right, like she was going to pretend she knew what he was talking about. Or tell him where they were.

“Your kind.” His voice was gruff.

Range stepped closer. “Griz, what’s going on here?”

Griz looked at him. “She’s a Valkyrie.”

“I know.” Range gave no quarter.

Griz turned to Asa, Jason, Davin. “You three knew?”

Eira let out a breath of exasperation. She looked Griz straight in the eye. “I’m here. Quit talking about me as though I’m not.”

“Fair enough.” Griz crossed his arms over a thick chest. “Where is your kind?”

“If you know of my kind, then you know they aren’t interested in giving out their locations.”

“I’m looking for a specific one.”

“I can’t help you. I don’t know you.” Eira studied the man. “You are not a wolf shifter.”

“True. I’m a bear shifter.”

A cold sensation traveled through her body, and suddenly she found herself wishing she hadn’t suggested to Range they come up here.

“Bear shifters are not friends of Valkyrie.”

“I’m not a berserker.” Griz’s voice was a low growl. “I’m not descended from that line of bear shifters.”

“I don’t know you.”

“Maybe one day, you will. And you’ll tell me where I can find her.”

Her?

Curiosity poked at Eira’s mind.

“Who?”

“We’ll leave that until the day you trust me.” Griz stepped back to the children, lowered himself to a squat and put his hands on their shoulders. “Ready to meet Ms. Mae? You’re gonna love her.”

The children nodded solemnly.

Eira gathered their conversation was over.

“You know,” Range said, as he nosed the car away from his brothers, Griz, and the shifter children, “Griz has a long history with Mae and other friends of ours.”

“You’re asking me to divulge information to him?”

Range shook his head. “Hell no, I wouldn’t put you in that position. I’m just sayin’.”

“I’m sayin’ too.” Eira looked out the window. “No one should know about the sisterhood. Especially not a bear shifter. Even one not hunting us.”

“So you don’t feel he’s hunting Valkyrie, right?” Range gave her a sideways glance.

“I don’t think he’s hunting us. But I’d like to know what he wants. Who he’s looking for.”

“Well, you know, we could always make yet another detour. I wasn’t in a hurry to get back to Alaska.”

“What are you saying?”

“Maybe a honeymoon in Bear Canyon Valley?” His smile was wicked. “Mae has a Bed & Breakfast that’s pretty damned awesome, with an incredible view. And you can see some of the tunnels. I hear there’s been some pretty impressive upgrades put in.”

“Sounds like you’re still thinking Vegas,” she raised a brow at his persistence.

He put a hand on her knee, making those butterflies he gave her go all-a-flutter inside her.

Never would have thought a man could control my body like this.

Then again, he wasn’t just any man, was he. She appraised his profile.

“Not necessarily Vegas. Pretty sure Mae’s got someone who can perform the ceremony.”

“Do I have to decide where the ceremony happens right now?”

“Nope.” That crooked grin found its way to his face. “As long as you don’t forget that no ceremony will be stronger than what we already have.”

The couplebond.

She reached for her neck, not realizing she’d done so until she actually touched the mark. It still tingled, pretty much the same way he made every part of her tingle.

She put her hand on top of his, still on her leg. “Why don’t you pull over at the next scenic overlook.”

“Hell, yeah.”

The butterflies buzzed, as if high on caffeine.

Or something.

Something a whole lot like love.