Bear Attraction

by Jennifer Ashley

  “You still haven’t told us your name,” Rebecca pointed out.

  “That’s because we’re not going to link arms and sing ‘Kumbaya,’” the Guardian said impatiently. “I’m going to kill you.”

  “And send me to dust?”

  “Not for me to do it. When your bodies are found, your own Guardian will perform that task.”

  “That’s a risk,” Rebecca said quickly. “If the human police find us first, they might not let him. You’d have my soul and Broderick’s stuck here, instead of being released to the Summerland?”

  Smart argument. Guardians felt a keen responsibility to make sure no Shifter soul was trapped to its body or left to wander aimlessly on this plane of existence. Though Shifters had no formal organization for their religion and had never built the equivalent of a church or temple, Shifters had more sense of and devotion to their spiritual beliefs than many humans Walker knew.

  “Fine,” the Guardian said. “I’ll dust you myself. My name’s Kendrick. Pleased to meet you.” And he drove the sword straight at Rebecca’s heart.

  ***

  Rebecca hit the ground. She wasn’t trained in combat fighting, but she’d sparred plenty with Ronan, and she’d learned how to fight dirty. She spun on the floor and aimed a hard kick at Kendrick’s balls.

  He was Feline, though, which meant he was much faster than a bear could ever be. He’d sprung away and was halfway down the corridor, heading deeper into the compound, before Rebecca’s foot connected with the space he’d been in.

  Walker leapt over Rebecca, his Taser out, and dropped a Shifter who’d come running to aid Kendrick. That Shifter went down, but a second Shifter smacked the Taser out of Walker’s hand.

  Walker spun away from him, reached down, and pulled Rebecca to her feet. Then the crazy man, instead of trying to run for it, went after the Guardian.

  Kendrick hadn’t gone far. He turned back at the end of the passage and faced them without fear, his sword ready. His Shifters bottled in Rebecca and Walker from behind, blocking the way out.

  “Terrific!” Rebecca yelled at Walker as she took up a fighting stance. “Got any more tricks in that bag of yours? Another flash grenade? Smoke bomb? Tear gas? A tranq rifle? Six pissed-off Shifter trackers?”

  “Just one thing,” Walker said, sounding way too calm. He held a device in his hand, too small to be a weapon. It looked like a tiny black box with a button on it. He showed it to Kendrick, lifted the device over his head, and firmly thumbed the button.

  Rebecca ducked, hands over her head, waiting for the worst. The other Shifters, except Kendrick, ducked with her.

  Nothing happened. No explosion, no flash, no nets falling on top of their captors. Just silence and one of Kendrick’s Shifters breaking into nervous laughter.

  Kendrick attacked. His sword flashed, lightning fast, at Walker’s neck. Walker couldn’t move quickly enough. The blade contacted and drew blood, lots of it. Walker fell.

  “No!” Rebecca sprinted toward them. Halfway there, she shifted to bear, charging Kendrick as a roaring, raging Kodiak. She was fast enough this time to impact Kendrick. He crashed into the wall, losing hold of his sword, which clanged to the floor.

  The Guardian pushed himself upright, no longer human. His clothes ripped, falling away, until a giant white tiger emerged from the cocoon of them to face Rebecca.

  Rebecca stopped for a heartbeat of amazement. The only tiger Shifter she was aware of was Tiger, a Bengal, who had been bred in a lab. She’d never heard of any other tiger Shifter, let alone a white one.

  The hesitation gave Kendrick the advantage. He came at Rebecca with claw-spiked paws that were Feline fast. Rebecca was about half again Kendrick’s size, but Felines had the benefit of speed and ferocity.

  Rebecca fought hard, but Kendrick got in three blows to her one. Her fur turned away some of his attack, but his claws started to dig deep, and pain began as blood flowed. Rebecca’s Collar was sparking at the same time, trying to stop her, biting agony into every nerve.

  In her rage, Rebecca barely felt it. She had to fight to protect Walker. To get him out of here. He was too vulnerable, unable to physically face Shifters, especially ones without controlling Collars.

  Protect him! her instincts screamed at her. Guard the mate!

  Females whose mates were threatened were the most dangerous Shifters of all.

  Somewhere at the bottom of her mind, the human Rebecca was thinking, in shock, Mate?

  She’s drawn to you, Kendrick had said. You’re a pair. Broderick had made a similar observation.

  Rebecca the bear knew exactly what Walker was. Had known since he’d been dumped, wrapped in duct tape, on her living room floor. She’d looked into ice-blue eyes that had been full of irritation, and had fallen hard.

  And now Walker might die because of her. He’d been sent out to complete a mission that the police and Shifter Bureau should have, because Rebecca had been arrested. She knew that the only reason she’d been set free was because Walker had struck a deal with the bureau. He’d convinced his superiors that having Rebecca help him would be more efficient use of resources than executing her.

  She wouldn’t have put Walker in that position at all if she’d been more careful. Rebecca had known she should stay away from parts of the airport that were now in private hands, but she’d been too arrogant to bother paying attention.

  For that, Walker would be killed by these Shifters in this unknown compound ruled over by a crazed white tiger Guardian.

  Rebecca roared, fury pouring out of her. She struck and struck at the tiger, claws contacting, teeth ripping. Her Collar sparked insanely, but she pushed aside the pain to fight on.

  Walker, instead of curling into a ball and protecting himself or trying to run the hell out of there, was fighting with her. He gave the other Shifters trying to get to Rebecca respectable punches and kicks, keeping them off her back while she fought the whirlwind of the Guardian.

  Kendrick’s eyes were dark blue now, wide and filled with terrible anger, his ears flat on his head as he fought. He was a beautiful animal—or would be if he weren’t trying so hard to disembowel Rebecca and rip out her throat.

  And he might succeed. Rebecca feared she’d stumble at the wrong time, and then he’d be on her. A smaller animal could bring down a larger by being fast and tricky.

  Rebecca caught glimpses of Walker, a flurry of fighting man, ducking the wolves and Felines going for him, getting in plenty of blows before they could touch him with teeth or claws.

  She saw him bend down and retrieve his Taser, zapping another Shifter with it. That Shifter yelled and fell, but another quickly took his place.

  “Shit, are you two still down here?” Broderick’s voice boomed from behind them. “Damn.” He was fighting Shifters as well, no sign of Joanne.

  Rebecca and the Guardian battled on. She knew she’d lose eventually. Kendrick was strong, and this was his home. Who knew, but he might have a mate, cubs, in the compound behind him, and be fighting like mad to protect them.

  The fear of losing galvanized Rebecca. She had to at least get Walker out. She would clear a path for him and Broderick, and cover their escape. Rebecca might not make it, but at least her mate would survive.

  Walker’s Taser went flying again. This time, the hand that picked it up was Nancy’s. She stood in the middle of the corridor, looking desperate, and zapped the first Shifter she could. Broderick.

  He shouted and then hit the floor with a crash. Walker went for Nancy.

  “No!” Nancy screamed. “You leave my mate alone!”

  Another zap. Rebecca’s heart nearly burst as she saw Walker fall facedown, Shifters surrounding him.

  The white tiger’s claws came at her. At the same time, the fire of many volts crashed into her side, combining with the Collar’s stinging shocks.

  The floor seemed to come up at her, Rebecca’s weight sending her down fast. She managed to take a wolf Shifter with her, he groaning as his head smacked cement.
<
br />   Females whose mates are threatened, Rebecca thought as Nancy’s glittery sneakers came to rest next to her nose. The most dangerous of us all.

  And then, nothing.

  Chapter Seventeen

  The silken weight of Rebecca’s hair moved against Walker’s bare arm as she stirred. Walker smoothed it back as best he could with cuffs around his thick wrists.

  Rebecca opened her eyes—sweet brown eyes that held the sultriness of a woman who’d just woken up with her lover. “Hey,” she said.

  “Hey.” Walker stroked her hair again. “Welcome back.”

  “Mmm. I like this dream.”

  Walker didn’t answer. He knew exactly what their odds were for survival, and he saw no reason to bring down the mood by talking about them.

  Rebecca lay with her head in his lap, her body curled up next to his. Walker had laid his leather jacket over her, and her firm legs peeked from under it, her round hip rising in a sensual curve. A beautiful, beautiful woman, never mind she was covered with scratches, bite marks, and dried blood. Walker was pretty beat up himself.

  Rebecca murmured again, burrowing into his lap. Walker liked that she did so without constraint, without shyness. She wanted to be here, with him, her head massaging parts of him that didn’t care what danger they were in.

  They were locked inside a five-by-five cell, which was empty, apart from them. No windows, a heavy, bolted wooden door, a light bulb, a floor. Nothing else.

  Rebecca opened her eyes again, blinking, long black lashes brushing her skin. Her brow furrowed as her full awareness returned. “Where the hell are we?”

  “In a cell in Kendrick’s compound.”

  “Aw, shit.” Rebecca pushed herself up, her hand going to her head. The cuffs they’d fixed around her wrists clanked. “Broderick?”

  “They got him. I saw them push him into another room.”

  “What about Kendrick’s plan to kill us and dump our bodies a long way from here?”

  Walker shrugged. “I put a dent in their plans.”

  Rebecca sat up straight, tucking her legs under her. She glanced at her naked body and blushed, closing Walker’s jacket around her more securely.

  “What dent?”

  “The last thing in my bag of tricks.”

  Rebecca leaned against the wall next to him, her eyes narrowing. She had plenty of smarts, this bear Shifter. Rebecca would never be a helpless woman.

  “Are you going to tell me?” she asked. “What did that thing you clicked do? Blow up the outer walls?”

  “No. Triggered a remote that Broderick took outside with him. A signal from in here wouldn’t carry far, but far enough to the tracker Broderick tossed into the dirt when he ran out with Joanne. That tracker is broadcasting a distress signal and the exact location of this compound.”

  “Who to?”

  The door scraped open. Kendrick stood in the doorway, restored to clothes, his ice-blue eyes crystal sharp. His neck and face held abrasions from Rebecca’s teeth and claws, but otherwise, he looked unscathed.

  The two bouncers from the roadhouse stood behind him. Not that Walker and Rebecca, exhausted and in cuffs, were in any shape to try to rush past them.

  “A good question,” Kendrick said. “We found your tracking device. It’s not broadcasting anymore.”

  The Feline bouncer, the one who’d first answered the door at the club, smiled, showing all his teeth. Walker guessed he’d enjoyed himself stomping the life out of the device.

  “Who did you summon?” Kendrick asked. “Police? I have the county sheriff in my pocket. He doesn’t even realize I’m a Shifter.”

  “What about Shifter Bureau?” Rebecca demanded. “You have them in your pocket?”

  Kendrick’s eyes flickered. “What self-respecting Shifter and her man-whore would summon Shifter Bureau? Even if that man-whore works for them? Shifter Bureau would stick her in a cage the same as they would us. They arrest first, ask questions later.”

  “I know that,” Walker said. “So, no, not Shifter Bureau.”

  “Then who?” Kendrick asked, but offhandedly, as though he had only a passing interest.

  “Dylan Morrissey.”

  Silence. Kendrick’s gaze locked to Walker, rage igniting in his eyes. Walker had no doubt that, with Kendrick’s access to the Guardian Network, he’d damn well know all about Dylan.

  Kendrick moved across the room in Feline swiftness and yanked Walker up by his shirt. “You summoned Dylan?”

  “Yep,” Walker said, meeting his gaze without fear. “Strictly speaking, this is his territory.”

  “No,” Kendrick said. He eased his grip from Walker, leaving Walker on his feet. “It’s mine.”

  “Dylan used to be the Austin Shiftertown leader,” Walker said in a reasonable tone. “Before he stepped down and gave the job to his son. When the San Antonio leader died, Dylan manipulated the next one into place. That Shifter answers to Dylan, no matter what the humans think. Dylan controls almost all of central and South Texas. He’ll know the exact borders.”

  From the look on Kendrick’s face, he already knew this. He’d been hiding out in this compound not only from the human authorities, but from Dylan. Liam might be leader of the Austin Shiftertown now, and another Shifter might lead San Antonio’s, but Dylan still wielded huge amounts of power. He was Liam’s mentor and top tracker, and was very good at pulling strings behind the scenes.

  Kendrick grabbed Walker again, jerking him close. Rebecca clawed her way up the wall to her feet, giving a warning growl, but Walker gazed fearlessly back at Kendrick.

  Kendrick’s blue eyes held not only anger but something else, a worry that went beyond normal fear. He shook Walker, his voice becoming a deep, tiger snarl.

  “You fucking idiot. You’ve ruined everything . . .”

  Before Walker could speak or Rebecca could grab for Kendrick, Kendrick tossed Walker away, spun, and ran past his startled bodyguards and out of the room.

  ***

  Rebecca was torn between hurtling after Kendrick and making sure Walker, who’d hit the wall and fallen back to the ground, was all right.

  She needn’t have worried. Walker was on his feet faster than the other Shifters could react, his cuffs coming apart and clanking to the floor. He’s a master escape artist, remember? she told herself.

  “Come on, sweetheart,” Walker said.

  He pulled Rebecca along with him, her hands still cuffed in front of her, but that didn’t slow her down as she helped Walker fight off the bouncers. The two Shifters were tough and angry, but also uncertain. Whatever Kendrick had gone to do, they didn’t know.

  Walker punched and kicked, ducking the larger men’s blows and proving himself even faster than the Feline. Rebecca didn’t have time to stand back and admire Walker’s hand-to-hand techniques, but he had skill enough to get them past the Shifters and into the corridor.

  Once through the narrow door, Rebecca shifted to bear, which let her easily break the handcuffs. The cuffs had, in fact, been made to hold Shifters—but there were Shifters, and then there were the largest bear Shifters on the planet.

  Walker should have run for the entrance. Instead, he started in the other direction, as before, following Kendrick.

  Rebecca snarled and went after him. It wasn’t easy to run in the narrow corridors, but she was faster as bear, and shifting back would take precious time.

  She scrambled around a tight corner to see Walker grab a door Kendrick had just gone through, yank it open, and run in after him.

  Rebecca reached the open doorway and came to a staggering halt. Kendrick had barreled into a room that was as blank as the cell she and Walker had been locked in, only three times bigger, and this one had someone inside it.

  Three someones, all very small.

  “Dad!” the one who looked to be about nine or ten yelled as Kendrick turned and faced Walker.

  The other two were in animal form—two small, blue-eyed white tigers yowling in terror.

  Rebecca froz
e. Walker came to a halt, his hands lifting.

  Kendrick had retrieved his sword. He unsheathed it and pointed it straight at Walker, at the same time pushing the cubs behind him.

  “Easy,” Walker said. “We won’t hurt them.”

  “No,” Kendrick said clearly. “You won’t.”

  He had a remote switch, like the one Walker had used. Rebecca scented something odd, looked up, then plunged into the room, seized Walker between her paws, and dragged him rapidly back out.

  Kendrick clicked the remote. Instead of the silence that had followed Walker’s switch, a roar filled the air, followed by several tons of rock and dust falling from the ceiling.

  The Shifters that had followed Walker and Rebecca shouted and scrambled away, running for safety. Rebecca was already moving, but the cascade from the bursting cell caught Walker, ripping him from Rebecca’s grip, knocking him to the ground, and pouring masonry, concrete, and rebar directly on top of him.

  Chapter Eighteen

  The rumbling continued, but Rebecca stood stunned as dust and rock rained down around her. A huge wall of rubble blocked what had been the windowless room Kendrick had been in, and Walker’s body was hidden in all that mess.

  Rebecca let out a roar that threatened to bring down the rest of the building and started digging with bear paws, throwing aside chunks of concrete no man would be able to lift. Underneath this crushing pile was her mate.

  Dead? Alive? But how could he be under there and still be alive?

  Rebecca raged and wept inside as she dug. She loved Walker but had kept her distance from him all these months, telling herself she wanted to sort out her feelings.

  The truth was she’d been afraid of letting herself get close to him, afraid of facing pain if Walker decided he didn’t want a large, sassy-mouthed woman who could turn into a bear around him on a day-to-day basis. She’d been afraid to love, afraid of what it would do to her.

  Walker had never been afraid of her. He’d looked her in the eye, given her his wry smile, and told her that he wanted her. And now he might be dead, and Rebecca would have wasted every bit of time she could have had with him second-guessing herself.