Cynful: Halle Shifters, Book 2

by Dana Marie Bell

  He would’ve had no problem with that if he hadn’t noticed the fur sprouting from her arms.

  “You’re changing.” Gabe cursed softly. “You can’t do that here.”

  “Really? You think?” Cyn was staring at her arm with something akin to horror. “What the fuck do I do?”

  Call Alex. Julian still couldn’t speak. For fuck’s sake, call Alex!

  Gabe’s phone rang. He grimaced when he saw the caller ID. With a guilty look at his mate, he answered the phone. “Hi, Chloe. What’s up?”

  Sarah stiffened, but didn’t pull away from her mate.

  “I’m sorry. Could you repeat that?” Gabe was giving Julian a strange look. “Right. I’ll do that. Okay. Yeah. Take care, vixen. Talk to you later.” He hung up the phone and pulled Sarah tightly to his side. “That was Chloe. She says you want us to call Alex.”

  Julian sighed his relief and relaxed. For the first time he thanked his strange bond with the little Fox.

  “I’ll take that as a yes.” Gabe opened his phone again and began dialing.

  “Don’t worry, Super Bear.” Cyn kissed his forehead, her fangs cool against his skin. “Everything will be all right.”

  It was not all right. It was so far from right it was almost left. Who the hell had she been kidding? Julian or herself?

  “It’s a lot easier than you think it is.”

  Cyn rolled her eyes and wondered how the hell she’d gotten into this situation. Here she was, standing naked in the woods with her best friend’s lover, who was also naked (and yummy-looking, not that she’d tell either Tabby or Julian that). Worse, she was standing butt-naked out in the woods with Alex and six other men, half of whom carried guns. The other half were in their puma form, scouting the area as quietly as only a cat could. All of them were Halle cops, and each and every one of them had checked her out before going to their assigned tasks. Brown fur kept sprouting in the oddest places, and her claws refused to retract. Her fangs were so stinking long she was beginning to lisp. Julian, who was supposed to help her through her change, was still in the hospital. He barely had the strength to speak, let alone defend himself. According to Gabe and Sarah, that was half the reason her Bear was coming out early. Between Glory’s wounds and Julian’s weakness, the need to defend her loved ones was just too strong. Her Bear was reacting to her emotions and forcing its way out. She was going to change today whether she liked it or not.

  And her best friend’s naked mate was going to help her. In front of witnesses. Joy. Thank God Tabby wasn’t here to see her humiliation. She was safe, sound and dressed, keeping watch over Glory and surrounded by guards.

  “Do yourself a favor and just relax.” Alex demonstrated by taking a deep breath, pushing out a truly impressive pair of pecs. No wonder Tabby always had a smile on her face. “Now you.”

  Cyn rolled her eyes and took a deep breath, blowing it back out noisily.

  Alex grinned. “Now you’re getting it.”

  Yeah, right. The only thing she was getting was frozen boobs and sideways looks. This was her teenage hell come to life. All that was needed was for somebody to start belting out Oklahoma! and her day would be complete.

  “Now, let your Bear out. She wants to come out. Close your eyes and scent the wind.”

  Cyn closed her eyes. She lifted her face to the breeze, trying to smell the things Alex did. Amazingly enough, she could detect things she never had before. She had no idea what they were, but she was sure Julian would be able to help her figure it out once he was well enough to shift with her.

  “A bear’s sense of smell is much stronger than that of a bloodhound. We can track prey over miles, and our mates even further than that. Our night vision is better than that of a human, but we get the same color vision.”

  Her nose twitched. She tilted her head, trying to catch a strangely alluring scent.

  “Bears are omnivores. What you smell is a squirrel, racing across the treetops to get away from us.”

  Well. That was disgusting. She was salivating over a squirrel? Maybe she should’ve had Alex take her to McDonald’s before coming out here.

  Mm. Big Mac. Her stomach rumbled. She prayed it wasn’t for two all-squirrel patties on a sesame seed bun. That was just…ew.

  “Look down at your hands.”

  She opened her eyes to find her hands had become paws.

  “Let it flow. You’ve followed the spiral of the healing path before. This is almost exactly the same, except instead of you drawing strength from your Bear it will draw on you.”

  It was the strangest thing she’d ever experienced. Her skin rippled, flowed over muscle and bone that was suddenly bigger. There was no ugly, painful crunching as her bones realigned, never mind what the horror movies showed. It was more of a pins and needles feeling, electricity dancing along nerve endings that were abruptly in different places. Her hands—no, her paws, landed on dry leaves and dirt.

  The change was almost complete.

  She looked up from her hands to find herself nose to nose (Snout to snout? She really had to look this shit up) with a Grizzly that smelled remarkably like Alex. She jerked back, landing on her furry rump, woofing in surprise.

  Who knew bears could laugh? Alex’s shoulders shook as he wheezed. Cyn stood back up and growled softly, almost laughing herself when Alex hid his face under his paws. He was such a goof that it was hard to remember sometimes how dangerous he could really be.

  Alex stroked his nose under her chin, and then lumbered off into the underbrush. It startled her that they were roughly the same size. She’d thought he would be bigger, but they really were snout to snout. He paused momentarily to look back at her as if to say, Well?

  Cyn lumbered off after him, content to play follow the leader. She did chuff out a laugh when her posse of Pumas scrambled to keep up, the ones who’d chosen to stay human having the hardest time. But even her bodyguards couldn’t distract her from the whole new world that had opened up to her senses. Her sight didn’t seem to be any different than her human form, but her heightened hearing and sense of smell were almost overwhelming. It was going to take time to sort out everything she was experiencing. She just hoped the next time she changed Julian was at her side. As cute as Alex was, she missed her mate.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Julian groaned as Cyn helped him settle on the sofa. “Thank fuck. I fucking hate hospitals.”

  She lifted his feet up onto some propped up pillows and covered him with a throw he’d never seen before but smelled distinctly of her. “You were only allowed out as soon as you were on the condition that you would rest.”

  “I will. I promise.” Hell, he could barely walk. What did she think he was going to do, juggle chainsaws? They’d managed to keep him in the hospital for two days, and if he’d stayed any longer than that, he would’ve lost his mind. There was no way he’d be able to recuperate around all those people.

  She muttered something under her breath, something in Spanish that ended in cabrón, and stalked off toward the kitchen. She’d been stubbornly opposed to his leaving the hospital until he’d explained to her what staying there was doing to him. She still wasn’t sure she’d made the right decision in helping him convince the doctors to release him, but she’d see. Already he was stronger, his Bear calmer. Getting away from all of the sick and the wounded would help his recovery immensely.

  The doorbell rang, startling him, but he didn’t even bother trying to stand up to answer it. He wouldn’t be able to make his way to the door anyway. Not without falling flat on his ass. Cyn stomped by him, still muttering in Spanish. He pitied anyone on the other side of the door. His mate was spoiling for a fight.

  He heard Cyn gasp as she opened the door. “Oh, hi.”

  “Hello, Cyn.” In breezed Emma Cannon, Curana of the Halle Puma Pride. Her dark brown hair was tied up in a long, bouncy ponytail. Her crimson V-neck shirt and dark gray jeans hugged every curve. In her hands were three pizza boxes, the rich scent of spicy meat, melted cheese
and ripe tomato sauce making his mouth water.

  She was followed swiftly by her mate, the blonde haired, blue-eyed Halle Alpha. Max had five more pizza boxes, and from the scent Julian could tell at least one of them was his favorite Hawaiian style. Max followed his tiny mate right into Julian’s kitchen, smiling cheerfully at Cyn and nodding to Julian. “Hey, Julian. Sorry about this.”

  The doorbell rang before he could respond.

  “Did I mention the others will be here soon?” Max glided, catlike, right over to Julian’s favorite chair. He settled himself in and immediately pulled his mate onto his lap.

  Julian frowned at Emma. “You haven’t been getting enough iron.”

  Emma’s eyes went wide with a clear message that, if Julian valued his balls, he’d stay quiet.

  “Emma?” Max’s attention was completely focused on his Curana, barely acknowledging Simon and Becky Holt as they carried even more pizza into Julian’s kitchen.

  “I’m fine, Max.” She wiggled her butt, clearly trying to distract him. From the way Max’s nostrils flared it was working.

  “You’ve been tired a lot lately.” Max stroked a hand over Emma’s hip, stilling her. His golden gaze suddenly stabbed into Julian as a white mist surrounded the Alpha pair. “Tell me what’s wrong with my mate.”

  He could hear Simon and Becky groaning as their Alpha’s power washed over the room. Cyn actually went to her knees, unable to hold under the weight.

  Julian smiled, and yawned.

  Emma slapped Max’s arm. “Knock it off, Lion-O.”

  The white mist dissipated, along with the weight of Max’s displeasure. “I’m sorry, but if it was your mate what would you do?”

  Julian stared at Emma for a few moments before answering Max’s question. “I’d let her tell me when she was damn good and ready.”

  Max sat up a little straighter, comprehension slowly beginning to dawn in his expression, when the doorbell rang again. “Emma?”

  “Shh.” She stroked Max’s cheek, her gaze tender. “We’ll talk when we get home. I promise.”

  Poor Max looked dazed as Adrian and Sheri walked in the front door, carrying enough soda to drown the Pittsburgh Steelers. Or rather, Adrian was carrying it. Sheri had her seeing-eye dog, Jerry, guiding her through the house. She waved to the room in general. “Hi, everyone. Gabe and Sarah are right behind us.”

  Sarah dashed into the house and right up to the Alpha pair. “What’s wrong?”

  Max smiled into his mate’s eyes and caressed her stomach. “Absolutely nothing.”

  “Think you have all the answers, don’t you, Lion-O?” But Julian noticed Emma wasn’t pushing her mate’s hand away. On the contrary, her fingers stroked across the back of it as she gazed fondly into blue eyes still speckled with gold.

  Max’s answering grin was chock full of lazy arrogance. “I do.”

  Julian yawned again. This time it wasn’t faked. “Not that I’m not thrilled to see all of you, but why the hell are you here?”

  “Because you couldn’t come to our house.” The look Emma shot him said that answer should be obvious.

  “Rick and Belle should be here in about fifteen minutes, and Tabby and Alex are on their way.” Gabe began dragging chairs from the kitchen and dining room into the living room.

  “So we’re having an impromptu pizza party because…?” Cyn crossed her arms and began tapping her foot. She had that stubborn look on her face, the one that said she’d better get answers and soon.

  “Pride meeting. Well, Pride and Pack, since Tabby’s technically both.” Emma patted Max’s arm and stood, heading straight for the kitchen. “Do you guys have any paper plates and cups?”

  “But we’re not Pride.” Cyn looked as confused as Julian.

  “Not yet,” Becky giggled.

  “When I told Gary that you, Glory and Tabby were under my protection, I meant it.” Max crossed his arms over his chest and practically dared Cyn to question him further.

  Her gaze landed on Julian, and an unholy grin crossed her face. “Does that protection extend to my mate?”

  Max’s answering smile was as full of evil as only a cat could manage. “It does now.”

  Julian thumped his head on the sofa with a groan. Wonderful. Now he was being protected by Pumas and Foxes and Bears, oh my. He wondered if he could sell tickets to this little three-ring circus.

  “I had forgotten about that.” Sarah stared thoughtfully at Cyn. “Maybe that’s why I could feel the shooter so clearly.”

  “Because there were three Pride members there.” Max nodded sagely. Julian figured the man was bullshitting. Max liked to pretend he was the uber-wise Alpha, but Julian—

  Wait. When did Cyn become Pride?

  Alex and Tabby walked into his house as if they owned it, not even bothering to use the doorbell. Any thought of irritation vanished when he saw who was with them. “Glory!”

  Glory was immediately surrounded by overly solicitous kitties. She was settled into Julian’s favorite chair, which Max rapidly vacated, and handed a drink and a slice of pizza that had her wrinkling her nose. She set the plate aside on the side table and turned watery baby blues toward Max. “Where’s Ryan?”

  Wow. Talk about an uncomfortable silence.

  “We haven’t got a clue.” Gabe shared a long, uncomfortable look with Adrian, the Halle Marshall. “It’s like he just disappeared.”

  Julian winced. That was probably the worst thing Gabe could have said. Glory took a deep breath as if to yell, but instead wound up in a long, painful sounding coughing fit. She was instantly surrounded as everyone but Julian tried to soothe her. He hadn’t seen so much guilt in the room since his mother caught him and his friends covered in Christmas cookie crumbs two hours before the relatives were due. All of them were talking at once so none of it made any sense. It got so loud that only Julian noticed when the front door opened again. A massive, scowling redhead and a dainty, China doll blonde stopped and stared at the chaos before the blonde reached into her purse and pulled out—

  Ancestors have mercy that was loud. But effective. All of the Pumas stopped and stared at the smiling woman holding the air horn. The redhead shook his head like a dog in the rain. “I hate it when she does that.”

  The blonde, who just had to be Belinda “Belle” Lowell, shook the air horn enticingly at the Curana. “Come on, you know you want one.”

  Max scowled at the gleam in his mate’s eye. “Don’t even think about it, Emma.”

  “But Max, it’s so shiny.” Emma pouted up at her mate and batted her ridiculously thick lashes.

  “Emma.”

  “Fine.”

  Out of the corner of his eye Julian saw the Poconos Pack Luna make the universal sign for call me.

  “Oh no, you don’t.” Rick Lowell picked up his mate like she weighed less than a kitten. “Let Max keep the illusion he runs things around here.”

  The Pumas laughed at Belle’s indolent grin, easing the tension left over from Gabe’s earlier remark. Soon everyone was settled with pizza and drinks, some on the floor, some nudging at Julian until he sat upright. Cyn sat at his feet, her back resting comfortably against his legs. Next to him sat Belle, her mate on the floor between her legs. She leaned down every now and then and fed him bites of her pizza, never once breaking the stream of gossip between her and Emma. Their favorite topic seemed to be two men named Ben and Dave who were planning a commitment ceremony sometime around Christmas. Apparently, Dave had sent Emma some images of drag queens in wedding dresses. He wanted her opinion on which one she thought would look best on him.

  Belle didn’t even laugh. Hell, she had a favorite, and planned to tell Dave so when she got home.

  Once everyone was done eating, Max rose to his feet, ready to begin the meeting. “Thank you for coming, everyone. I think we all know why we’re here.”

  Rick held up a hand. “I’m extending an invitation to Tabby, Alex and their friends to come up to the Lodge until the shooter is caught.”


  Julian blinked in surprise. He hadn’t been expecting that maneuver from the Wolf alpha. “How will we be safer up there than we are here?” If Rick could guarantee Cyn’s safety, her furry butt was going up that mountain whether she liked it or not.

  “Don’t even think about it, Super Bear.” Cyn glowered up at him, which looked really odd, considering she had to do it upside down. “They need me to catch this son of a bitch.”

  “Unfortunately, I think she’s right.” The few times in the past when Julian had met with Adrian Giordano the man had seemed easy-going. He looked anything but as he sat forward on the coffee table and leaned his elbows on his knees. He was trading stare for stare with Cyn, but the Marshall wasn’t backing down. “Since you’re the one he’s targeting, I think he’ll just follow you.” He nodded to Julian, the concern in his expression newly overshadowed by sheer determination. “I’m sorry, but the only way I can see to catch him is to use your mate as bait.”

  “Unfortunately, I agree.” A man Julian had never met before held out his hand. “Ted Pedroza, the Poconos Pack Second, here to keep my alphas out of trouble.” Ted laughed out loud as Rick snorted in amusement. “Nice to meet you.”

  “Nice to meet you too.” Ted had super-short, nearly black hair, eyes so dark Julian couldn’t make out the pupils, and the warm skin tone of someone of Latino origin.

  “If you don’t mind my asking, how long has your mate been living here?”

  Julian wasn’t fooled for a moment by Ted’s easy smile and relaxed stance. To be a Marshall’s Second you had to be one hell of a fighter. “Not very long at all. Why?”

  “There’s no scent marking around your place.”

  Everyone stared at Ted, confused. Everyone except Rick and Tabby.

  Rick turned his piercing, pale blue gaze on Tabby. “He’s right. You check for scent marking as soon as you get home.”

  Tabby nodded as if she understood exactly what he was talking about.

  Emma’s hand rose in the air. “Um, for those of us of the non-canine persuasion, can you explain that please?”