Page 28 of A Bear's Mercy

Kade emerged from the bedroom and went to the door without looking at her, and the two shifters reached it at the same time.

For a moment, they made eye contact, and then Charlie saw Kade nod once, tensely. He still didn’t have a shirt on, and he undid his belt and took his pants off as Daniel opened the door.

Holding onto the kitchen counter, Charlie ground her teeth together and walked toward the front door, bracing herself against the wall as she walked.

Why does everything require nudity?She thought as she walked. Not that I mind, but I never know where to look. He sleeps naked, he hunts naked...

Then, Charlie realized why Kade had stripped. It was in case he had to shift and deal with a problem.

“What do you want?” Daniel said.

Charlie couldn’t see the person he was talking to, standing just outside the door.

“Can I come in?” the man asked. His voice had a slight country twang to it, and he talked a little slower than either Daniel or Kade.

“No,” Daniel said. He crossed his thick arms across his chest as Charlie hobbled into the living room, finally leaning her body against the doorway.

From that angle she could see the man who’d knocked. It was the same guy who’d been naked in their front yard moments ago.

He was still naked, of course.

Except for the plastic ziploc baggie that he held in one hand, something dark inside it.

Charlie had absolutely no idea what to think. The gray-haired naked man smiled, revealing a mouthful of large white teeth.

“I thought we were neighbors,” he said. “Can I borrow a cup of sugar?”

“Cut the bullshit,” Daniel said. “What do you want, Buck?”

The man’s grin didn’t fade, and Charlie began to feel a little creeped out by him. Leaving aside the fact that he was naked, his attitude just didn’t match the situation at all.

Without answering Daniel, he looked around the room until he finally locked eyes with Charlie.

She glared back at him.

His grin widened, and she felt her stomach writhe. There was something horribly familiar about this guy, and she didn’t like it at all.

“What’s your name?” he said to Charlie.

Kade bared his teeth and growled, taking a step forward toward Buck.

“Charlotte Fiore,” she said, standing up as straight as possible. She tried to pretend that instead of wearing a bathrobe, she was wearing her black power suit, the one she wore to important meetings and job interviews.

“I’m Buck Reynolds,” he said. “It’s nice to meet you, Charlotte.”

He went on ignoring the two massive, angry men in front of him and spoke right to her, even though he was shorter and thinner than both of them.

“What would you say to getting out of this smelly old cabin?” he asked. “These two managed to feed you anything that they didn’t kill with their own teeth?”

Charlie didn’t answer.

Buck chuckled.

“That’s a no, then. Come back to the ranch with me. We’ve got steaks and garlic bread and ice cream, liked civilized folks do.”

He looked her up and down with a gaze that made Charlie pull the robe around herself more tightly.

“We could even find you some real clothes, no problem.”

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