Page 130 of Choose the Bears

“So what’s happening in the wild world of accounting?” Crash asked, depositing a kiss on his mate’s lips, and I tried to look everywhere but there.

Shit, not there.

Green eyes that widened when they locked with mine, Roxy’s tongue flicking over her bottom lip, I followed every movement until I was forced to look away.

“Well, well, well…” Had her voice always sounded like velvet rubbed over my skin? “Look what the cat… the bear dragged in.”

“Bear?”

Maddie leaned forward to examine me more closely.

“Focus, babe.” Hawk tipped her chin his way, then kissed her. “You said there was more news?”

“Um… yeah, the bear community phone tree has been activated.”

“Oh no, someone run out of fancy-schmancy wine again?” Crash drawled.

Maddie was about to contradict him when the sounds of rumbling motorcycles filled the air. Roxy grabbed a baseball bat from behind the bar and Hawk reached for a pool cue, right as the doors of the bar were thrust open.

“Word on the street is you bears are looking for an army to protect some women and children?” Animal was a wolf shifter that ran with the Steel Dragons, half his club coming strolling in through the doors behind him. “Fucking shit up is what we do best, but fucking up some dumb human who wants to lay hands on a woman?” He punched his fist into his other palm. “I’ll pound the fucker into the ground for you for free.”

“What the fuck happened while we were out?” Bjorn asked his fated mate.

Chapter 67

Imogen

“So, I’m thinking we’ll put these two series…”

Everything was supposed to be fine. I was setting up my new library with Kyle, everyone needing to sit tight until this shit was over, but then I heard the rattle of metal shutters as they slid down over the windows.

“What the hell is that?” I asked my mate.

“They’re securing the building.” His expression changed completely, becoming grim as he strode out of the room.

“Securing the building? Why are they securing the building? Kyle?” I left the books I was holding on the shelf and went after him. “Kyle!”

“Stay up here!” he shouted over his shoulder, then stopped. “Actually, maybe you should come downstairs. If the situation has changed?—”

“How could the situation have changed?” Kyle stopped then, turning around slowly, his expression making clear that he didn’t want to answer that question. “I thought… I thought Asher was dealing with Phil elsewhere.”

He didn’t answer me, instead pulling out his phone to take a look at the screen. His expression told me what had happened before he did.

“He didn’t. Whoever he got involved, they couldn’t…” My mind raced, seeing it now, that old recurrent dream. Phil lumbering through the forest after me, larger than life, his hands claws as he… “Something went wrong.”

“Something went wrong,” Kyle confirmed in his best ‘be reasonable’ tone, “and the best thing to do is to join the others and stay calm.”

No one ever tells you to stay calm unless there’s ample reason not to. I shook my head but kept my protests to myself. I’d said too much already, hadn’t I? Asher knew what Phil was like, knew he’d become a threat, and I’d dissuaded him from making that problem go away. For good reasons, but still. In the end, I met Kyle’s eyes and then nodded.

“Looks like they want us all in the gym,” he said, reaching out to take my hand. “Let’s head down there now and find out what’s going on.”

My feet felt like they barely touched the carpet, skimming over it as we ran downstairs and joined the throngs of people massing towards the gym entrance. Ursula stood in the doorway, a professional smile fixed on her face as she greeted people coming in through the door, Elodie on the other side doing the same thing. It didn’t work, though. I saw women wrap their arms around their children, tugging them closer, hunching over them as they moved inside, some whispering fiercely to the others as they entered. The whole group jumped when the doors clicked shut, only to turn to face Asher as he strode forward to take position at the front.

“You OK?”

I nearly flung myself at Lucas when he appeared by my shoulder, my hands reaching up automatically, wanting to touchhim everywhere, reassure myself he was alright. He pulled me close and pressed his nose into my hair. Kyle squeezed my hand and so did Luc as Asher started to speak to the crowd.

“Everyone must be concerned right now,” Asher said. “I wish I could say there is no cause for alarm, but we’ve become aware of an external threat to the building.”

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