Page 13 of Choose the Bears

I inputted a private number into his phone, one given out only to my inner circle, before pulling away. Todd might want to engage in chit chat, butshecalled. I took the stairs two at a time, the bear’s strength powering my legs. Closer, nearer, he was pushing hard for that.

Making me wonder how he’d cope when we had to leave Imogen behind.

My claws pricked through my fingers, clacking on the stairway railing as I reached her floor, but with a flick, I dismissed them. We had to wait, be patient, I told the bear in soothing tones, hoping that he’d get on board. I felt him grab at the idea in a way that made sense to him. Tracking prey,scenting a mate and coming to her when she was receptive, he understood a hunt.

Just not one where we would willingly allow our mate to slip free of our paws if that’s what she needed.

As I let myself back into her apartment, I knew that was an option that had to be on the table. Kyle was helping her make her bed, something that had Imogen watching in disbelief as he smoothed the wrinkles from the sheets as Lucas walked around, camera in hand, doing a security audit. He’d have a plan to secure the place on my desk by morning, an order of all the different components necessary arriving expedited by the afternoon. But me? I just walked into the bedroom, imagining a million other scenarios.

Those sheets, that bed… When she got to know us, trust us, feel safe in letting us get close, we’d mess it all up in the most distracting way. My dick started to thicken at the thought of it. It was just the mating impulse right now, but I felt my cheeks flush at that thought. Imogen had been through hell tonight and I was what? Imagining mating her? I shook my head, looking up and finding her eyes on me.

“Everything’s been brought up so you should be set for the night. Was there anything else you needed?”

Me, I wanted her to say, so badly I could almost taste it, but I forced myself to stay professional.

“No.” She snorted, hands rising and falling. “You’ve already done so much.”

“Then let us do one more thing.” I turned in surprise to see Lucas walk in, staring openly. He was usually a lot quieter, reserved with those he didn’t know. “The most dangerous time for a woman when she leaves her partner is the first few weeks.”

Kyle looked up from the bed, shooting him a meaningful look, obviously not wanting to scare Imogen.

But maybe she needed to be.

We’d seen it over and over, women thinking they were safe now, only to be faced by the rage of their abusers for daring to think they could slip from their iron grip.

“We usually station someone outside on the road,” Lucas continued

“Like a stakeout?” Imogen said, glancing at each of us. “I can’t ask you to do that.”

“Good, because you don’t have to.” I was staring, and that no doubt was making her feel uncomfortable, but I couldn’t seem to stop. “We’re not offering, we’re insisting. You won’t see hide nor hair of us. One of us will be downstairs in the car, so if you need anything, anything at all, we’ll be right here to help.”

She was going to say no. I could see it in the furtive twitch of her hands, as if she was going to wave us away, but I wanted, needed her to push past it. Push past the feeling that she had to keep everyone at arm’s length because of her shame, that she feared their help, lest they find out what had happened to her.

But none of it was her fault.

I wanted, needed her to hear that, but it was too soon. In some ways, abuse was like a cult. It sucked you in via that need for human connection, and when your abuser had you right where they wanted you, they visited every kind of hell on you they thought they could get away with.

“OK.” Two letters, two syllables, but I couldn’t have been prouder of Imogen if I tried. She nodded, as if to reconcile herself with her response, and then forged on. “Yeah, if you’re cool with that.” Were we cool with that? It was the only bargain we could make with our bears to get us walking out the door. She smiled then, really smiled and god, she was beautiful. “I’ll bring whoever’s here a coffee in the morning.”

“White with one sugar, please.”

Lucas was like another man. He didn’t push himself forward and struggled to talk to women a lot of the times, but not now.My sleuth mate was a picture of confidence and I loved that on him. They shared a shy smile and then we headed out.

“Lock the door behind you.”

I stared at Imogen through a crack in her front door and watched her nod, listening to the sound of the barrel engaging before turning to run down the stairs.

“We’re replacing that door,” Kyle said once we were one flight down.

“And installing cameras, motion sensors, and an alarm system.”

“You can put the order in while you’re watching Imogen’s place,” I told Lucas, right before I grabbed out my phone.

“Ready for a pick up?” Ursula asked after one ring.

“How’d you know?”

“There’s no way you’d leave a girl that’s just moved out of her abuser’s house alone on her first night, but your fated mate?”

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