by Leela Ash
“I’ll have the boy meet you right here,” the Elder called, making his way slowly to his vehicle. “Don’t you two go anywhere.”
“Yes, sir,” Jonah said, exchanging a secret look of loathing with Nichols, who was clearly seething. The poor guy was more or less a gentle giant. The Elder probably felt threatened by Nichols, both for being a bear and because of his size. But that wasn’t going to help anything; especially not if they were his best chance of getting help for a delicate situation.
“Jonah! Look out!”
Just as the Elder’s car drove off into the distance, a deep growl sounded from behind Jonah, sending a shiver down his spine. Jonah dodged just in time as a heavy paw crashed down above him. Instead of striking him in the head, he was fast enough that the bear only sliced down his shoulder.
“Shit,” Jonah growled, looking down at his sleeve. “This was my good shirt!”
“I’ve got this,” Nichols said. “I owe you for the last time.”
“I’ll check the area, make sure this isn’t some kind of an ambush,” Jonah said, backing away from the fight just as Nichols let out an ear-piercing roar.
Normally, Jonah would have loved to stick around and watch Nichols fight. It was truly a pleasure; the man was a brilliant animal. His strategy was probably why they had selected him for the Navy SEALs.
Jonah’s hackles raised and he whipped around just in time to catch a bear’s claw in the face. A deep growl rose in his throat and before he knew it, he had transformed from his human form into his wolf form. He lunged at the bear, sinking his teeth deep into the bear’s neck. It unleashed a powerful cry of pain, but just as he was trained, Jonah held tight until the bear’s strength began to weaken.
Finally, he could feel the last bit of resistance leave the bear’s body as it sank to the ground, lifeless.
Jonah bounded quickly to the site where he had left Nichols, pleased to find that he, too, had eliminated the threat. They wordlessly agreed not to wait any longer for the boy that the Elder had promised to send, both of them wondering the same thing.
Had they been set up?
***
“I don’t know about that, Lucas,” Lieutenant Gregors said gruffly.
Jonah didn’t like the idea that the Elder had ambushed them much either, but he had to consider all possibilities. Still, the Lieutenant seemed to have much more confidence in the Council than Jonah apparently did. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be perceived as mutiny.
“I know, sir. It’s just within the realm of possibility,” Jonah said with a heavy sigh.
“Are the two of you all right? Were there any injuries?”
“Nothing notable,” Jonah said. “I did lose my best shirt, though. My sister will kill me for that.”
“So it is nothing notable? We don’t want to elicit suspicion from anybody. Not even your sister.”
“No, sir. It’s really nothing. If anybody notices, I can just say it’s an old injury.”
“All right then, Lucas. Well, I can anticipate that you will be able to follow protocol, of course.”
“Of course, sir.”
“I’d like the two of you to avoid the mines until reinforcements arrive. Is that understood, Lucas?”
“Yes, sir.”
“All right. Stay in touch.”
Gregors hung up and Jonah let out a heavy sigh. He had been hoping to eliminate the threat in the mine as soon as possible, but if the bear shifters somehow knew they were coming, then chances were high they would be anticipating a fight. That meant waiting for the rest of the squad would be essential. As much as he hated it, he would have no choice.
“I can’t believe this,” Nichols said, pulling his shirt out of his bag and putting it on. “I was ready to get this shit over with once and for all.”
“I know, man,” Jonah said. “Trust me.”
“I guess this means we’re going to have to keep waiting.”
“Just until the guys get out here. But today is shot, for sure. They might have had someone there who saw them and ran back to warn them. It would put us all in danger to try anything stupid.”
“Yeah. I guess we’re just going to have to wait it out.”
“Let’s head to the inn. The guys should probably know about this.”
“All right,” Nichols said. “But I can’t go into Stonybrooke. I’m trying to win the trust of the bear shifters out here, you know?”
“Does that mean we should spar?”
Nichols grinned.
“You’re on.”
Nichols began to shapeshift into his bear form and Jonah couldn’t help but smile. It had been a long time since they were able to have some fun; and fun with a purpose was the best kind to a man like Jonah, who thrived on discipline.
“Tap out if you have to,” Jonah teased, just as his body began to shrink into its wolf form. If he injured Nichols enough, they would be able to blame the whole massacre on Jonah and buy Nichols some fast trust. This was going to be fun.
8.
“Lyla, this is the most people we’ve ever had here!” Betsy exclaimed, gripping Lyla’s arm excitedly. Betsy’s auburn curls bounced off her shoulder as she turned her head around to look at the banquet hall, filled to bursting with bodies.
Lyla smiled sardonically.
“That might have everything to do with your brother being back in town,” she said, nodding her head in Jonah’s direction.
He was standing by the stage, looking delicious in a snazzy, form-fitting black and white tuxedo. A small crowd of people were swarming him, and Lyla felt a twinge of jealousy in her stomach as Cameron laughed loudly, gripping his bicep under her long, pink fingernails.
“I can’t believe that woman,” Betsy said, though her voice was much more good-natured than Lyla was feeling about the whole display. “She’s always trying to get her hands on the next most eligible bachelor.”
“You’d think he was a piece of candy or something the way she’s looking at him,” Lyla said bitterly.
“Well, you know Cameron. She’ll do anything to make herself feel better. Always sees herself as the belle of the ball. It was a bit much during school, really. She caused a lot of drama. Always wanting to be the center of attention.”
“I bet,” Lyla mumbled.
Another harsh pale of laughter erupted from Cameron’s pink-made up lips and, to Lyla’s relief, Jonah extracted himself from her claw-like grip and made his way back toward Betsy. Once he was standing right in front of her, Lyla’s irritation faded and all she was left with was the comforting scent of Jonah’s gentle cologne.
“Had enough of Cameron, did you?” Betsy asked with a laugh. How could Betsy be so calm about it? It was disgusting! Then again, it was Lyla who was consumed by jealousy, not Betsy.
“She’s always been a little too much for me,” Jonah said, his eyes settling on Lyla. They lingered upon her. “You both look beautiful tonight.”
A surge of heat swept through Lyla’s body, and she swallowed hard, unable to deny the vivid chemistry between them. Her shifter blood may have prevented her from being able to shapeshift, but she still had heightened senses. And according to those senses, there was something between them. Something raw. Powerful.
But when Betsy laughed at Jonah’s comment, denying it and returning the compliment, Lyla was able to get a grip on herself. It was unlikely that Jonah would actually be the kind of man she could let into her life. And even if he was, that would mean risking the most meaningful friendship she had ever had.
“I can’t believe how successful this night has been so far,” Betsy said, changing the subject and distracting Lyla from her thoughts. “I’m actually really looking forward to the auction.”
“It’s going to be great for your organization,” Jonah agreed.
“Oh!” Lyla exclaimed. “I should be getting the merchandise ready for auction. It’s almost time.”
Jonah seemed disappointed; at least, Lyla wanted him to be disappointed, just as she was, and Betsy nodded.
“I’ll be up there in about twenty minutes. Try to get everything organized while I get everybody ready to open their pocketbooks.”
“You want them to donate, you should get Jonah to do the auctioning,” Lyla half-joked. “You’d probably get Cameron to empty her purse on the floor in front of him.”
Betsy laughed softly, but it was clear she didn’t like to talk badly about anybody, even the town gossip. Pack pride was strong within them, and again, Lyla couldn’t help but feel jealous. Sometimes, she just felt so left out without a pack of her own to protect her. Sure, Betsy cared for her as a good friend would, but that didn’t make it any easier to be left out during times like this.
“I’m just going to go then,” Lyla said quietly, removing herself from the conversation. She walked up to the stage and could feel all eyes on her as she began to organize the merchandise for Betsy to auction off.
About twenty minutes later, a dark shadow fell over her face and she smiled up at it.
“I nearly started bidding on Cameron’s pathetic donation at $100,” Lyla said with a laugh. “It was the card for Douglas’ things.”
“Well, you don’t want that tiny contribution to get to her head any more than it already has,” Jonah said, his deep voice shocking every nerve in her body. She could listen to him all night.
“No, I really don’t,” Lyla said with a small laugh. “She’s a pain in the ass.”
To her surprise, Jonah laughed, a deep, rumbling sound that made her heart leap in her chest. His handsome eyes sparkled and he nodded.
“That’s very true,” he said. “Just like my big sister. Guess who she suckered into doing her job tonight?”
“You’re actually doing the auction?” Lyla exclaimed, unable to hide the glee from her voice.
It seemed like such a funny thing to have Jonah do. He was such a quiet, contained kind of man. The idea of Jonah putting himself out there in front of the whole town was both amusing and admirable. It wasn’t that he didn’t seem confident. It just didn’t seem like the kind of thing he’d like to do. Maybe he was feeling more open to it since he hadn’t seen most of them in so long. Or maybe he was just doing it to contribute to his sister’s cause. Either way, she liked him even more for it. As if that were possible.
“I thought it might be fun to do it together,” Jonah said. “I’ve been having a good time with you.”
The air between them became alive with energy as she studied him; he looked unbelievable in that suit, his clean-shaven face and mysterious brown eyes all the more enigmatic against the luxurious backdrop of the banquet hall. He’d even slicked his dark hair back off his forehead, giving her an even better view of his chiseled features. The man was flawless. And, he was leaving her speechless.
“All right everybody!” Betsy’s voice rang out in the crowd. “It’s time to start the auction!”
Jonah smiled graciously at Lyla and turned his back on her to face the crowd.
“Good evening.”
Lyla was electrified as Jonah’s deep voice rang out over the bustle of the crowd, even without a microphone. The crowd was immediately silenced for a moment as Jonah continued.
“My name is Jonah Lucas, brother of Betsy Lucas, founder of Shifters United.”
The room suddenly erupted in applause, and Lyla looked around in shock. None of the events that Betsy had held had managed this type of attention. She almost felt bad that it took Jonah’s presence to help Betsy’s event to really thrive. You would think pack animals would be more concerned about the homeless shifters in their city.
Soon, Lyla and Jonah were swept up in a shockingly fun and amusing auction, and by the end of the night, they had raised over $10,000 for Shifters United. The evening ended with Lyla in a daze, and soon, their guests were filing out, leaving only Betsy and her small inner circle to clean up the banquet hall and pack everything into her little minivan.
“Thank you both so much,” Betsy said, her eyes shimmering with tears. “This really couldn’t have gone better. Now I’ll have enough to help everyone for the next six months. It’s a miracle.”
“No, it’s just because everyone wanted to see Jonah,” Lyla said, giving him a nudge. He grinned briefly, causing her heart to tremor mildly. “I’m pretty sure Cameron made a high bid on her little basket of things so that it sold for more at the end of the night.”
Betsy chuckled. “Either way, it was a huge success and I couldn’t have done it without the two of you.”
“I’m sure you would have managed,” Jonah said. “You’re a miracle worker.”
Betsy beamed but said nothing, and finally, Jonah turned to Lyla.
“Thanks for tonight,” he said, his dark eyes flashing. She could feel the heat rise to her cheeks, but thankfully, it was dark outside and nobody would be able to tell; at least by sight. Who knew what full-blooded shifters like Betsy and Jonah would be able to sense?
They parted ways and Lyla walked to her car alone. When she looked back behind her, her heart palpitated when she saw that Jonah’s dark eyes were following her across the parking lot. He gave her a slight nod before climbing into the minivan with Betsy, and Lyla watched, her chest tight, as Jonah and her best friend disappeared into the night.
9.
Jonah stared out the window as Betsy pulled out of the parking lot and began to drive quietly. He couldn’t get his mind off Lyla. She had looked better than he could ever have anticipated in her form-fitting red gown, her golden hair tied up behind her head and cascading down to her delicate shoulders…just the thought of the image was enough to send a jolt of fire to his loins.
She had amazed him constantly throughout the night with her kindness and grace in dealing with people from all over town, whether they were clearly prejudiced against humans or not. The bright smile and compassion in those oceanic eyes of hers had left Jonah dazzled.
As they made their way down the road, Jonah’s eyes lingered on the dark buildings of Stonybrooke, illuminated vaguely by the soft glow of the lampposts lining the roads. He hadn’t anticipated just how good it would feel to be home. His mind was flooded with memories of times before his days with the SEALs; playing football with his best friends, spending time with his mother and father during holidays, and walking around the neighborhood in search of adventure.
Jonah rolled down the window, longing for the fresh scent of the night air, when his hackles rose. The scent of bear was in the air. He looked at the rearview mirror and his blood froze. A dark figure was following Lyla’s car as she drove in the opposite direction. But he couldn’t tell Betsy about a bear in Stonybrooke. It would endanger her to know about the bear anyway, as she would surely want to help. He searched the area frantically for a reason, any reason to get out. There was a gas station up ahead, but otherwise, the entire area was rural.
“Hey, do you think you could drop me off up here?” Jonah said, already clutching the door handle. “I was thinking about taking a run. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen everyone like that, it was a bit much.”
“Sure,” Betsy said, thinking nothing of it. There were surely many things on her mind. “Just let me pull up over here so this guy can pass me.”
She finally stopped the car and Jonah leaned over to kiss her cheek. She was always such a mature person, older than him by around twelve years. It was almost more like having another mother than an older sister, but she was still young at heart. He hated to leave her alone.
“You think you could make me Mom’s plum pie tonight for when I get back?” Jonah asked, desperate for a reason to make sure his sister got home safely and as quickly as possible. “It would be the perfect way to end the day.”
He wasn’t exactly lying, but he couldn’t help but feel bad. Still, that was the nature of working for the SEALs. The fewer people who knew anything was wrong the better.
“Of course, Jonah,” Betsy said. “I was planning to do something for you anyway.”
“Great. Thanks.”
Jonah didn�
�t wait for a reply before he was out of the car and running back in the direction they had come from. The scent of bear was sickening in the air. What would it want with Lyla? It was strange for them to be bold enough to come into town like that anyway. He would be able to ask questions later, after he knew Lyla was safe.
He shifted as he ran, his clothes tearing off his body and being left behind along the roadway. It was lucky that Jonah had undergone the grueling training he had, because before long, he had nearly caught up to the bear.
Lyla’s brakes screeched as the bear jumped in front of her and her car collided hard into the bear’s big black body. When Jonah reached the scene, he was horrified by the bear’s grotesque appearance. He wasn’t just a bear; he was something more. Something worse.
But he didn’t have time to think about it before the bear caught sight of him and let out a loud roar.
Jonah could sense Lyla’s fear from the driver’s seat of her car, and he was filled with determination. Whether he knew just what was going on with that bear or not, he was going to face it. If anything happened to Lyla…
The bear walked on top of the little car, its heavy legs bursting the windshield. Lyla screamed, struggling to get out of the car, but Jonah stood in front of it and looked her deeply in the eye. She stared back. She would stay put, just as he wanted her to. It was far more dangerous for Lyla to be outside right now.
The bear’s muzzle was blunter than average and ugly as it stared at Jonah, its heavy body bending the metal of the roof of Lyla’s little car. Jonah could sense her fear as the bear’s weight slowly crushed the roof down toward her head, and he knew he couldn’t wait to strike any longer. Without any further hesitation, he leapt onto the car. The bear unleashed an ear-splitting roar as Jonah sank his teeth into the tough flesh of the bear’s shoulder.