by Amelia Jade
Jade Crew:
Forgotten Bear
A Paranormal
Shapeshifter Romance
By Amelia Jade
Jade Crew: Forgotten Bear
Copyright @ 2016 by Amelia Jade
First Electronic Publication: January 2016
Amelia Jade
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the author’s permission.
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental. The author does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for third-party websites or their content.
All sexual activities depicted occur between consenting characters 18 years or older who are not blood related.
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Jade Crew: Forgotten Bear
Chapter One
Russell
“Another round please,” Russell said, his tone as polite as it had ever been.
Although he didn’t receive a response, he had never expected one to begin with. That was just the way the bartender was. The slightly above-average height male simply nodded and took his glass. There was an economy of movement about him that suggested he had done everything thousands of times before, to the point he had it all reduced down to the fewest smooth motions as possible.
“Thanks, Ferro,” he said with an appreciative nod of his head as the mug—now filled with foamy amber liquid—was set back in front of him, along with a new coaster. Taking the hint, he ensured that each time he set the beer back down on the beautiful polished mahogany bar that he put it on the coaster, not the wood itself.
That took a conscious effort, because much of his attention was elsewhere. It was focused on a conversation he had had three days ago with Darren. The two of them had been sitting around the firepit out back of Ridgeback Lodge, talking quietly. Not that they had been forced to whisper, but the strange looks that Emma kept sending their way had been enough to ensure they kept their tone low. She was Garrett’s mate, the Alpha of the Ridgebacks, and Russell knew she would tell Garrett he was having a civil conversation with Darren.
In fact, that was exactly what he had wanted her to do. Meanwhile, he thought back to what Darren had had to say in response.
“I fully understand. It’s a tricky situation for sure. If he ever got wind of what you want to do, he would absolutely lose it.”
“I think he already knows, or at least suspects, that I’m considering outright declaring it. I’ve made no secret of my annoyance with him lately. The only difference is, I’ve never gone the opposite direction and flat-out supported Garrett.”
It had pained him to say that then, and it still pained him now, but not for the same reasons he had shared with Darren. Or that he had shared with anyone, for that matter. Some things were best left as his own demons. Garrett deserved his outright loyalty for the way he ruled the Ridgebacks, but Russell couldn’t give it to him. Not yet.
“So, what are your thoughts?” Darren had asked, in a far more open and interested tone than Russell had expected from him.
He had decided to just run with it, instead of pointing that fact out.
“I want an unofficial truce, between me, you, and Joel.”
“What about Corey?” Darren had asked, mentioning the Ridgebacks’ third by name.
“I haven’t butted heads with him as much as you and I have. I think if I just stop, he’ll pick up on it.”
“You know, I think I agree on that one. Okay, I’ll tell Joel. Holy hell,” he’d said. “It’s going to be nice.”
“Except for Evan,” Russell had said, his voice tinged with a mixture of regret and sorrow. “Things won’t be completely okay until he figures his shit out.”
“Ain’t that the truth,” Darren replied. “Any idea what’s going on with him lately?”
“None. But that’s why I’m here talking with you. Or, mostly the reason, at least. He’s up to something, and I want us on the same page, ready to head it off, whenever it rears its ugly head.”
“Do you think it’s got something to do with Garrett then?”
“I can’t see how it would have to do with anything else,” Russell mused, trying to think of what else it might be. “He hates Garrett with a passion, almost to the point of obsessiveness. What else might he be planning?”
“I’m not sure. I really wish he could see how great the Ridgebacks could be if he would just accept Garrett as his Alpha, and dig in alongside the rest of us. I bet we could rival the Whitepines,” Darren had proclaimed.
The Whitepines were the premier mining crew in Genesis Valley. Headed by their Alpha Michael, they worked harder than any other crew, and produced the results to match. It was an impressive thing to see them in action. They lived in a mountainside chalet, and rarely ventured into the same part of town as the Ridgebacks. But whenever they did, they treated everyone with respect. Every miner dreamed of being like them. If the Lionshead Mining Consortium had rock stars, it was the Whitepines.
“I don’t know if I would go that far,” Russell had chuckled in reply, “But we could be a hell of a lot better, no argument.”
The rest of their conversation had been rather more inane. The key part had been his suggestion that they silently end their continued run-ins with each other. If there had been a pair of shifters in the Ridgebacks that fought more than Garrett and Evan, it had been Russell and Darren. If they could put that past animosity behind them, it would greatly improve the unification of the Ridgebacks.
And, considering that most of the animosity had started with Russell, it shouldn’t be that hard. It annoyed him to realize how much of a dick he had been from the get-go, but he was working on fixing that now. He just had to be delicate about the entire situation.
Which brought him to the second part of his problem.
Evan.
The former Alpha was up to something. He rarely hung out with the Ridgebacks anymore, preferring to go off and do his own thing his own way. On top of that, he continued to treat them all with disrespect, even when he was forced to be around them. Part of Russell almost wished he would just get on with it and reveal whatever he was plotting.
Russell’s thinking was shattered as the door to Ferro’s slammed open with a bang that instantly drew the attention of every patron inside. Nobody treated The Tongue & Flame like that. Ferro was deserving of far more respect. In fact, Russell couldn’t remember the last time anyone had broken a chair, mug, or anything really, other than by accident. It just wasn’t that type of bar.
“Should I turn around?” he asked Ferro as the bartender looked over his shoulder.
The solid-looking bartender of indiscriminate age gave a soft grunt, and his cheek twitched, pulling the perfectl
y trimmed goatee slightly back. That got Russell’s attention, because he knew Ferro would much rather shrug his shoulders or nod than make any sound. Slowly, so as not to draw immediate attention to himself, he turned in his seat to observe the newcomer.
Or, he amended, the newcomers. There were more than one. Many more, in fact, as they continued to pile through the doorway.
“What a fine-looking establishment!” one of them crowed, much to the delight of the rest.
The bear shifters—and there was no doubt in Russell’s mind that that’s what they were—filed in and took up residence in the area normally reserved for his crew, the Ridgebacks. None of them were there today, however, preferring to stay up at the Lodge. Russell had needed to be alone, so it had suited him perfectly to come here.
Now, as he watched them pull chairs away from tables and push all the furniture around, he wished his crew was present.
“Barkeep, several pitchers of your finest beer! Hop to it now!” This time it was the Alpha that spoke. It was obvious that’s who it was by the deference shown him by the rest. While they had all pushed chairs around without waiting, the other shifters now waited until he chose a seat before they seated themselves.
Russell’s eyebrows rose at the lack of respect in their voices. He knew all the major crews in town, and several of the minor ones too. There was no way that he should have been unable to recognize any of the shifters who had just entered, but not a single one looked familiar.
“Any idea who they are?” he said, turning back to Ferro, who was still looking at them.
“Trouble,” came the reply.
“Really? They’re just being assholes, but I don’t think it’s going to go any further than that.” Russell wouldn’t normally argue with Ferro’s predictions, but he was feeling optimistic today that things would turn out okay.
“Let’s go! Beer!” came the cry from the group as they waited impatiently.
“On the other hand...” Russell amended.
A deep, angry bass voice cut through the chatter. “That’s enough. Show some respect to Ferro, or leave.”
Russell’s eyebrows went up as he turned to see Ajax, Alpha of the Silvertips, on his feet and glaring at the newcomers. Behind him, the entire strength of his crew was also facing the intruders, steely-eyed gazes focused across the bar.
“Show some respect to whom? A chocolate?” The Alpha laughed as he purposefully misunderstood what Ajax had said, comparing the solid bartender with a chocolate treat.
The Alpha was tall, like all bear shifters, with his hair cut military-short. His wide jaw and lack of facial hair left him looking constantly angry. His brown eyes flashed as his crew guffawed obnoxiously at his comment.
“Now Ajax,” Russell drawled, getting involved for the first time. “Do you remember what happened the last time someone made that joke? I’m trying to remember. Was that the guy who had both legs broken to the point he couldn’t walk any longer?”
“It might have been,” Ajax agreed, looking over at Russell and giving a very tiny nod of thanks. Although there was little love lost between the two of them, there was no feud currently going on between his Ridgebacks and the Silvertips. Besides, these were intruders on their turf. Just like a bear crew might have its internal problems, the moment something attacked them externally, they bonded together.
The same went for actions taken here at the Tongue & Flame. Although the dimmed lighting, dirty windows, and old chairs might not seem like much to some, it was home to the two crews. They treated it as such, and Russell had every intention of making sure he did his part.
He returned it with an equally fractional movement of his head, before swiveling back to face the agitators. Dropping Ajax’s name had been a calculated move as well, because any shifter worth their salt in Genesis Valley knew that there was only one Ajax, and that he was the Alpha of the Silvertips, a widely respected mining crew. Russell happened to admire Ajax, and was glad that he and Garrett got along. If the Ridgebacks could model themselves after the Silvertips, they would be in good company indeed.
“No bears. No fighting,” Ferro rumbled, his voice full of power and command, as he spoke aloud for the first time.
Ajax and his crew nodded and relaxed slightly, recognizing the normal end of hostilities inside of The Tongue & Flame. Russell knew they had no desire to escalate the situation; they had just been defending Ferro’s honor. He watched now as the newcomers, clearly a crew, though he had yet to determine who, tried to decide what to do.
Ferro was a dragon shifter, but Russell was betting none of them knew that. Crossing him in his lair was not the smartest of ideas, but he doubted that mattered to them. They weren’t drunk, and he was fairly positive they weren’t on any drugs either.
So why are these relative unknowns coming in here, clearly trying to cause trouble? It didn’t make much sense to Russell. If they were a new crew, perhaps they were just high off their hoped-for success as a unit? But new crews were usually broadcast, announced by the LMC to all other crews and the human residents of Origin, so that everyone knew to expect them.
“You had better stop looking at us like that, boy,” one of the other shifters snarled at Russell, as he continued to evaluate them with a long, unblinking stare.
Russell arched an eyebrow at the clearly younger male, who sneered, but didn’t say anything more.
A noise from behind him drew Russell’s attention, though he didn’t turn around. Showing your back to a bear shifter when tensions are high was not a smart idea. But when Ferro said something, it bore listening to.
“What is it?” he asked from the corner of his mouth, before taking another sip of his beer as nonchalantly as possible.
“A fight,” Ferro replied. It was a statement, not a question. Russell wasn’t inclined to argue either. The dragon had been around for thousands of years. If he said a fight was going to break out, despite his best efforts, then a fight was going to break out.
Relaxed, he took out his phone and shot his Alpha Garrett a quick text message. The Tongue & Flame was his crew’s home away from home, and they were only twenty minutes down the road. If they could get here in time, then perhaps things might calm down. Right now, the unknowns outnumbered him and the Silvertips, eleven to eight. That was a lot of extra firepower in their corner.
They had Ferro though, which counted for a lot. Russell had never seen him get involved in a fight before, but then again, most of the fights hadn’t involved him in any way. It was usually the Ridgebacks and Silvertips going at each other.
Before anyone could say anything, the door opened. The man who walked in forced Russell to blink. Twice.
“Hello,” came the liquid-smooth voice. “I’m looking for Emma Labelle. Is she present?”
It took all of his mental effort not to have his jaw drop open. He succeeded, but barely.
What the fuck is Gabriel doing here, looking for Emma? His mind whirred, but his mouth responded first.
“No, I’m sorry Gabriel, she’s not. I haven’t seen her here at all today. Are you expecting her?” he asked, doing his very best to leave any suspicion out of his voice.
“Very well, I shall wait for her. She told me to meet her here, but I must confess, I am a few minutes early.”
As if he was completely oblivious to the tension inside, the man walked toward a table right in the middle of the two groups.
Perhaps he’s far more aware of it than I thought, Russell mused as he realized that his choice of seating had to be one hundred percent deliberate. A quick glance over at Ajax confirmed that the Alpha had the same thoughts. There was no way someone like Gabriel would seat himself between two bear crews by accident. No veteran of life in Genesis Valley was that stupid.
Though his arrival was completely unexpected and odd, Russell was grateful for his calming presence. After all, Gabriel was one of the Stone Bears, the elite shifters tasked with protecting the dragon stones that Russell and the other miners spent their days digging up. They w
ere highly proficient shifters, specially trained in combat warfare in both their human and bear forms.
He was also a walking behemoth, easily four or five inches taller than Ajax, who was himself a couple of inches taller than Russell. Although he sat down gently, the chair still groaned under the titan. Gabriel clasped his hands in front of him, resting them easily on the table, before quickly readjusting the black and red checkered tablecloth that had been knocked askew by his seating. His tan long-sleeve shirt fit tightly, emphasizing the slabs of muscle that covered every inch of his body.
“Ferro, do you happen to have any of that terrific beer available?” Gabriel asked, acting for all the world like he was innocent of what he had just gotten himself involved in.
Russell wondered why he would willingly place himself in the middle of the conflict. It’s not like he was a regular at The Tongue & Flame. In fact, Russell wasn’t sure he had ever been inside before. Although he probably got along okay with Ajax, the crews and the Stone Bears made it a point not to become too friendly. Which must mean he was doing it for Ferro. The dragon had, to Russell’s knowledge, been in Genesis Valley for quite some time, so perhaps the two had forged a relationship based on that. It seemed entirely likely, he supposed. A lot of the crews came and went, but Ferro and Gabriel had both been here for a long time, as far as Russell knew.
Grunting, the bartender reached under the bar and brought forth a brown bottle that Russell had never seen the likes of before. He placed it on the bar next to Russell, who, recognizing that Ferro didn’t want to walk into the middle of the room at just that moment, got up and walked it the five paces to Gabriel’s table.
“Thank you Russell,” he said with a smile, and a faint nod to indicate he understood that something was going on. Russell was standing between the unknowns and Gabriel, which is the only reason he got away with it.
He nodded silently, not trusting his voice. On the return to his seat, his phone buzzed. It was a text from Garrett, finally stating that he was on his way. It was too late now, he thought, though maybe the rest of his crew might arrive to do damage control. Maybe.