by Zoe Chant
Alison waved, escaping down the hall.
Outside, the parking lot was wet. Small puddles gathered in the cracks and potholes. Alison tried to keep her head up, stay alert, and scan for movement, but the miserable drizzle made her duck reflexively. Of course she had forgotten her umbrella last evening. I fail at life, she grumped, and scrubbed at the nape of her neck where rivulets snaked down the back of her wool coat, into her shirt.
She wished she knew which car was Gage’s. It would help to know where he was, that he was close by. But she knew the point of his work was to remain invisible, to track silently. If he— or she— indicated that he was there, her stalker might not show himself.
Her car was a slate-colored Toyota, practically identical to half the cars in the lot. As soon as she could pick it out from the others, she reached for her key fob. Should she unlock it now? Or not until she reached it? The tiniest decisions suddenly felt terribly important. What would Gage say? Wait, probably.
The silence made her nervous and she jogged the last few yards to her car. Checking the backseat, she slid in quickly and locked the door after her. Twice. She laughed nervously and chided herself, Paranoid doesn’t look good on you, girl. Get a grip.
Letting out a shaky breath, she started the engine and scanned the parking lot. Nothing had moved. Maybe he wasn’t following her today. Maybe he’d seen Gage and backed off. The thought raised a heavy weight off her shoulders. She straightened. Gage had told her not to let the stalker throw her off.
Okay, then. She would make a quick stop at the grocery store. She deserved pancakes for breakfast.
***
The bright, familiar, lighted Safeway sign relaxed Alison’s tense shoulders even more. It felt normal to be here, habitual. She knew most of the workers by sight, and they knew her, at least to nod to.
It was usually quiet when she came in, just after opening. Not a lot of people did their shopping at six in the morning, but she liked it. No crowds, no announcements, no lines, no squabbling over expired coupons. No headaches.
She grabbed a basket and headed for the baking supplies aisle. Maybe she’d buy some brownie mix, too, and bake a thank you present for Gage. The thought made her smile, a silly, giddy feeling growing in her heart. She hadn’t felt this way since... The smile faded from her face.
It stung surprisingly hard, the reminder of her first heartbreak. Even after ten years. Alison shook her head. She shouldn’t even think about that. This thing with Gage was different. She was different. She wasn’t so innocent anymore. She knew now that most relationships didn’t last. That there was no perfect match waiting for her.
None of that meant she couldn’t enjoy sex with Gage, but she wouldn’t plan on forever. Even if she wanted him to stay, he couldn’t. He had responsibilities and so did she.
Alison sighed and picked her way through the spice aisle, an obstacle course of large boxes.
“Sorry, ma’am,” one of the stock boys mumbled as she skirted his ladder.
Alison cringed. Ma’am. Did she look that old? Well, he looked like he hadn’t even hit his growth spurt yet, so maybe it wasn’t the end of the world. She turned the corner and scanned the shelves for her favorite pancake mix.
Did she have any eggs? She thought Gage might’ve used them up on those amazing omelets. Yum. She should get more eggs, just in case he wanted to make those again. If I get lucky. She snickered at her bad joke and turned toward the dairy section. The long aisle stretched all the way across the back of the store, humming with refrigerators and flickering fluorescent lights. Alison grabbed a half-gallon of milk and paused over the egg display. Extra large? Half a dozen?
A strange sound reverberated underneath the buzzing electricity.
She frowned, looked up. A growl seemed to roll through the aisle. Goosebumps pricked on her arms. She froze. “...Gage?” she called quietly, hopefully, knowing it wasn’t him.
The growl grew and pulsed in the air around her.
Slowly, she turned, clutching the carton of eggs in her hand like a weapon.
A huge man blocked the nearest aisle. His wide shoulders and chest looked... not right. Hulked out, she thought with a horrified laugh. Okay. Don’t get hysterical. Where the hell had she put the panic button? She dropped her basket and fumbled through her coat pocket, wielding the egg carton like a weapon.
The man took a step forward. Light flooded over his face and she could see that there was definitely something wrong with him. He had fur growing in over his jaw, up his cheeks. She could see it move as he breathed, spreading rapidly down his neck and into the stretched fabric of his sweatshirt. And his eyes— they glowed inhumanly. They seemed to bleed red, as if his blood vessels had burst.
Alison couldn’t help whimpering under her breath. It was him— the shifter. And he was definitely crazy.
His huge shoulders dropped, like an animal about to attack.
She bolted. She ran straight for the end of the dairy aisle, praying there would be someone else down there. Anyone, even that shrimpy little stock boy. Anyone at all. But it was empty and her work shoes weren’t meant for sprinting. The linoleum floor was still damp from mopping and her feet slipped and slid. She threw out one arm, still gripping the egg carton uselessly, and scrabbled around the corner, nearly pulling down a shelf full of canned tomatoes on top of herself. Please let that slow him down, she begged as the cans rolled across the floor behind her. I’ll pay for the damage, I don’t care!
“Gage,” she called out, hoping he could somehow hear her out in the parking lot. Had he seen this guy come inside? Could he tell a shifter just by looking at him? She had no idea.
She could hear the shifter still coming, undeterred. And then her shoulder jerked back. Claws snagged her and sank sharply through the wool of her coat, dragging her backward. She yelled and struggled to pull free of the sleeve, breath panic-fast, but he spun her around to face him.
“Mate,” he growled, his expression contorting in fury. As he yanked her toward him, she wound up her arm and yelled, smashing the carton of eggs into his face.
He flinched back from her in surprise as the eggs burst, gooey yolk spattering them both. Sharp shells flew into their faces. Alison ripped herself away, coughing, just as someone came barreling into the shifter from behind. She fell against the shelves, doubled over.
Gage’s roar filled the air and it was the best sound Alison had ever heard in her life. Relief pumped through her even as the leftover adrenaline made her hands shake.
The two men rolled across the floor, fighting for control, but as she watched, she realized with fear that Gage hadn’t shifted. He was battling against a crazed, half-shifted man with his bare hands. What was he thinking?
The shifter wrenched himself out of Gage’s grip, slashing him across the arm. With a furious growl, he escaped, swiftly loping through the employee exit. The door shuddered behind him.
Gage was quick to follow, but he returned only a moment later. “He’s gone,” he admitted, frustration etching lines in his face.
Alison blew out a long breath and lowered her head to her knees.
Gage knelt down next to her, worry in his voice. “Are you all right?”
She turned her head and gaped at him. “Am I all right? You fought him without shifting! And you’re bleeding!”
“I’m fine.” He dismissed her concerns easily. “I’ve had much worse. And I didn’t want to shift. I thought it might scare you if you didn’t recognize me.”
For a second, Alison felt tears gather in her eyes. He was so kind and thoughtful. She sat up straight and breathed deeply to force the tears back. “I’m all right,” she said instead. She held up her trembling, eggy hands, biting back a hysterical laugh. “But I feel like scrambled egg, inside and out.”
Gage stared at her for a long moment, and then an amazed smile began to peek out the corner of his mouth.
Alison let out a laugh, only a little hysterically.
Gage chuckled, shaking his head. “Don’t worry. We’ll get yo
u unscrambled.”
Chapter Six
Gage couldn’t believe how brave his mate was. Alison had stood up to an unhinged shifter, defended herself, and could still manage to laugh about it. His bear hummed with pride, urging him to take her to his den and claim her. Gage shook his head against his deepest instincts. He couldn’t afford to frighten Alison by moving too fast. He still had to show her that shifters could be gentle caretakers as well as fierce warriors.
His bear grumbled. Alison could learn all that by meeting their clan, it insisted.
Gage considered the idea. It wasn’t bad, actually. Alison needed a safe place to clean up and calm down, a place that Gage was sure he could defend. His clan’s den would be the most logical choice. He could trust his clan mates to protect Alison, and their land was large enough that any threat was visible long before it became a serious problem.
Decision made, he turned to Alison. “Would you mind coming home with me?”
Alison’s fingers paused where they had been running through her hair, working out bits of eggshell. She looked up at him oddly.
Embarrassment rushed through him as he realized how his offer must sound. “That is, I’d like to take you someplace safe to debrief. My home would be the best place. It’s also the headquarters for my business, so my partners can assist us.”
Alison flushed. She gestured to her destroyed coat and messy hair. “Do you have a place I can wash up before I meet them? I’d make a pretty terrible impression right now.”
Gage nodded. “Of course. But you don’t need to worry about them.” She would look gorgeous no matter what, and besides, she was his mate. His clan understood what that meant. “They’ll be respectful,” he vowed. Or else he’d whip their asses.
“And your arm?” Alison asked.
Gage glanced down in confusion.
“You’ll clean it up, get it bandaged?” Alison clarified.
“Oh. No need, really. It’s not so deep. Shifters heal fast.”
Alison looked at it doubtfully. “I’ll clean it up,” she said, as if that settled it.
Gage smiled at the thought. “If you like,” he allowed. The thought of her taking care of him was more appealing than he wanted to admit.
As they made their way to the front of the store, a teenage boy in a store uniform jogged toward them. “Hey,” he called.
Gage instinctively wrapped an arm around Alison’s shoulders.
“I saw what happened,” the boy stammered out. His eyes were wide but curious. “That was crazy! Are you okay?”
Alison smiled shortly and nodded.
“Did you see anything when that man came in?” Gage questioned intensely. It irritated him that the boy hadn’t helped Alison at all.
The boy shook his head. “I was stocking shelves. I didn’t notice until all the noise started. Someone up front might’ve, though. Emma’s on register.”
To Gage’s frustration, Emma hadn’t seen anything either. “I was counting the drawer,” she told him. “We get in trouble if it’s off. I didn’t even look at the door.”
Finally, Gage steered Alison out into the parking lot, where the sun was starting to reflect morning light off the puddles and car windshields.
A spring breeze was blowing, and he heard Alison take a deep lungful of fresh air. She let it out slowly, then asked, “How did you know to come after me? None of them saw anything and I couldn’t find my panic button to call you.”
Gage shifted uncomfortably. The truth was, he could track her heartbeat when she was near enough. It was something only mates did. He wasn’t sure how to explain it to her. But her heart rate had accelerated so fast, he’d known something was very wrong.
“I could hear you,” he said after a moment. “My senses are strong enough sometimes that I can monitor situations by listening closely.”
“Oh. I’m glad,” she said simply.
His heart beat faster in pleasure.
As they pulled out of the nearly empty lot, Gage noticed something. “That truck,” he pointed out. “It wasn’t here when I tailed you in. It must’ve arrived after we did.”
The truck was a dark blue Tundra with mud caked around the wheel wells. He braked right behind it and snapped a photo of the license plate.
Alison leaned over to take a look. “I don’t know if I’ve seen it before.”
Gage tapped his fingers on the wheel. “You might not have, if he’s been following you. I didn’t notice anyone tailing me, so he must’ve stayed several cars behind.” He shook his head at himself. He should’ve been more careful. Should’ve known a shifter would catch wind of him and make adjustments.
“It’s not your fault,” Alison said, as if she could tell he was beating himself up. “There’s something really wrong with him. He’s unpredictable.”
Gage sighed. “Not really. He thinks you’re his mate. That means he’ll try to stay close. Shifters are very... protective of our mates.” To say the least. He slid his gaze over, trying to gauge Alison’s reaction to that small piece of the truth. It was probably too much to hope that she wouldn’t find it disturbing under the circumstances.
Her eyes met his, something complex brewing in their gray depths. He ached to reach out and touch her, hold her against his chest. Keep her there forever.
Her gaze cut away. She tilted her head, propping it against the passenger side window. “I see,” she said quietly. “Can we go now? I’m getting tired.”
Gage’s eyes traced the sweet line of her neck, longing and tiredness settling over him as well. “Of course. It’s twenty minutes to my place, and then you can have a bath and a nap, if you want. And I’ll make us breakfast.”
“Pancakes,” she murmured, eyes closing.
“Anything you want,” Gage promised, meaning it more than she could ever know.
***
Alison woke as they pulled into the long drive that led up to the main house.
Gravel crunched under the truck wheels and Gage slowed down to let her get a good look at the land. He was proud of his home and his bear wanted its mate’s approval.
They drove underneath an old ranch-style sign marked Alpha Investigations and into a country lane. Along either side of the road, huge old elm trees arched up, creating a structural canopy overhead. On a few of the branches, small reddish buds burst out against the wide blue sky. Beyond the trees, golden hummocks of field rolled upward into steep hills, where stands of cypress and cedar grew wild.
Alison stared avidly at the sight and a soft sigh fell from her lips. “How beautiful.”
Ahead, the house came into view. It was a sturdy Craftsman bungalow that, despite its three levels, was wide enough to appear low-slung, fitting smoothly into the natural slope of the land. The evergreen stucco contrasted with blue and cream window trim and rustic wood beams. Three large gables rose out of the roofline, mimicking the slant of the surrounding hills.
Gage had worked on the house for five years, slowly making improvements, driven to build a home for his clan. The idea that he might someday bring his mate here hadn’t occurred to him at the time, but looking back now, he wondered whether some deep internal instinct had urged his bear onward. Whatever the case, he was profoundly grateful to have a comfortable den to show Alison. His bear wanted to provide for her, to give her everything she might have dreamed of and more. He watched carefully as her eyes widened, taking in the house.
“This is all yours? It’s huge!”
Gage smiled. “Mine, and my clan’s. We work on the main level, offices in the back of the house. And we each have a suite of rooms on the upper levels.” He knew he was showing off, but he couldn’t help trying to impress Alison as he added, “Mine is the master suite on the top floor. The view is really something.”
“I bet. I’d love to see it,” Alison said, smiling brilliantly. She opened the car door and stepped out, leaving Gage with a glowing hope in his heart.
He followed her eagerly. “I can show you now, if you want. I was thinking I could
draw you a bath in my suite, so you can have some privacy. Then, if you want, you can take a nap while I get our pancakes going.”
She turned to him, mouth slightly open in... amazement? He hoped so. He meant to treat her so well she’d understand that she had nothing to fear from being his mate.
“Um, yes, please!” She laughed, a gorgeous bubbling sound that made Gage grin.
He opened the front door and ushered her into the front hall. It smelled of home to him, the scent of beeswax, fresh air, and spices. A staircase to his rooms branched off to the left, sunlight shining on the dark walnut bannister from the bank of windows that rose along with the steps. He gestured. “Right up the stairs. We’d better make a run for it before everyone gets wind that you’re here.”
She gave him a funny look as she began to climb. “They know who I am? They want to meet me?”
Gage could feel himself flush. Damn it. “Well,” he explained, attempting to recover from his mistake, “we share information on our cases. We all work together, so our clan is close. We like to help each other out, and that includes our clients.”
“Hmm,” Alison responded, pausing for a moment to enjoy the view from the window on the second floor landing. “That’s nice. So you’re all detectives. And you’re all shifters?”
Gage nodded, following her gaze to the landscape of fields and forest. “Bear shifters, yes.”
“Oh. I wasn’t sure,” she said, biting her lip. She turned and started up the last flight of steps.
Gage’s heart fell. “You don’t have anything to be afraid of,” he tried to assure her. “We’re all very well trained, totally in control of our shifts. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“It’s not that,” she hurried to explain, seeming embarrassed. “I don’t doubt you at all! It’s just that I don’t really know much about shifters. I wasn’t sure what kind you were. What your... animal was?” She trailed off awkwardly.
“Oh!” A breath of relief flooded his lungs. “I’m sorry, I didn’t think to explain that. I’m a bear shifter. We’re all bear shifters. Not all clans are like that— some are related family, of course, but some are more like chosen family, and those can be a mix of types of shifters. We all happen to be bears, though.”