Page 5 of Hunny and the Bear

It was hilarious watching the humans pale in fright, and scaring them had the added bonus of spreading rumors in nearby towns that the woods weren’t safe, meaning fewer hikers to deal with. The fewer people, the better. In his opinion, anyway.

He couldn’t stand people; humans especially. They were just all so …talkative. That was part of the reason he enjoyed being an enforcer—wandering the forest daily for hours left little room for chatter among his clan, and when brute force was needed, Tank was called in to handle difficult situations.

Tank looked down at the blood staining his claws, and then in the direction he’d tossed the wolf. His eyes narrowed suspiciously when all he noticed were a few limp bushes.

Where was the wolf?

He moved his large body protectively over the little bunny as he scanned the perimeter. No wolf in sight, and he heard nothing to indicate the beast was lurking nearby. It seemed it had tucked tail and ran as soon as he’d intervened.

That’s just as well, he thought, moving back a step to stare down at the shifter he’d just saved. Covered in blood, the sleeping rabbit let out a pitiful whine, the same sound that had drawn Tank’s attention to this location only moments ago. The sound stirred something within him, instinct demanding he pick the creature up and nurse it back to health.

The thought was laughable. No one would ever describe Tank asnurturing. Quite the opposite. Brutal, easily irritated, and always quiet, he wasn’t the type of male to play nurse for anyone, let alone a stranger.

What was it about this shifter?

He leaned down, his muzzle drawing so close to the rabbit he almost brushed against her fur. He could tell it was a female from instinct alone. Closing his eyes, Tank inhaled again, the scents of lavender, vanilla, and …honeyfilling his nose. Despite the coppery smell of blood, Tank’s eyes nearly rolled back in delight at the rabbit’s delicious scent.

He loved honey—and his obsession with the treat was a long-running joke among the rest of his clan, though normally no one brought it up, not to his face at least—unless they wanted to get their skull cracked. He knew his love of honey was a horrible stereotype, but it was too irresistible for him to care. Like a glutton hungry for more, Tank dragged in another lungful of the rabbit’s scent.

If his true mate hadn’t died years ago, right before they’d both reached adulthood, he’d wonder if this female was his. It would explain his urge to protect her, and his fascination with her smell. Ever since Cassandra had died, though, nothing held his attention for long, andnothingwas ever fascinating anymore.

That happened a lot with true mates—when one half of your soul died, so did you. Either physically or metaphorically. Because Tank hadn’t properly claimed his mate, he hadn’t been tempted to end his life to join her in the next—but he’d never been right after her passing.

His nose twitched as another scent, barely there, intruded.

The female was pregnant.

He reared back onto his hind legs, staring down at the rabbit in a new light. Maybe that explained his odd behavior—as adominant bear, he’d feel inclined to protect a pregnant female in need, especially a submissive.

Not wanting to waste more time, Tank fell back onto all fours, leaning down and opening his maw wide. He scooped up the rabbit’s limp body into his mouth, careful not to puncture her delicate skin, before he began moving back to his cabin. Her tail teased one side of his mouth, and her head dangled from the other, but this was the only way to carry her while ensuring they were both protected.

If that wolf came back and he was in his human form, it would only take one bite to snap his neck.

Opening his telepathic connection with Murphy, the clan Alpha and his brother, Tank bit out,Spotted a wolf shifter on patrol.

He wasn’t fond of talking to people in general, but for shifters, communicating with one’s Alpha telepathically was a convenient tool. Luckily, he could close the connection at any time, and it didn’t extend to other members of the clan, otherwise he knew the rest of his family would harass him every hour of the day.

There was a brief stirring in Tank’s mind before his brother’s deep cadence filled his head.You think it was a member of the Moon Rose pack?

Tank nearly snarled in irritation at the mention of that dumbfuck Jason, and his pack of nearly rabid wolves. The only reason he kept silent was because of the unconscious female he carried. He didn’t want her to wake in his mouth and harm herself if she struggled to break free.

Might have been, Tank answered.The wolf was attacking a rabbit shifter on the edge of our territory. I intervened.

Good. We don’t want any unnecessary bloodshed on our lands. There was a brief pause before Murphy asked,Did you send the shifters on their way with a warning to keep their dispute off our territory?

Tank hesitated, keeping his eyes on his surroundings as he rounded a corner.Not exactly.He moved quickly, passing over a fallen tree trunk and heading deeper into the heart of the woods.

What does that mean, Tank? You didn’t kill them, did you? I know you’re rough, but surely—

No, I didn’t kill them.Tank rolled his eyes.Well, I don’t think so. The rabbit was already wounded. The wolf was going in for the kill so I frightened her off.

Then what does ‘not exactly’ mean?Murphy asked.

Tank sighed, his body relaxing as he caught sight of familiar claw markings along the bark of several trees he passed. He was nearly home now. Good, he needed to shift and look after the female.

Tank?Murphy grumbled.Answer me.

The rabbit is unconscious. Tank grimaced as he stepped onto his driveway, gravel digging uncomfortably into the pads of his paws. The small log cabin stood out impressively among the forest. Two stories in total and with a porch wrapping around his first floor, his home was his haven away from everyone.

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