Page 46 of Beary In Love

"I can't believe Nina suggested naming our firstborn after her," Serena said, shaking her head with a laugh.

"Bold of her to assume I'd let anyone name my cubs something that pretentious," Logan teased, enjoying the blush that crept across Serena's cheeks.

"Please, you'd probably name them something like 'Bear Junior.'"

"Hey, that's brilliant." He grinned as she rolled her eyes.

The playful mood evaporated as they pulled up to the sanctuary. Logan's nose twitched at an acrid smell - something was wrong. His bear stirred uneasily.

Inside, they found several animals looking lethargic. The fox that had just recovered was curled in the corner of its enclosure, barely lifting its head when they approached.

"No, no, no," Serena whispered, quickly kneeling beside the enclosure. "They were doing so well yesterday."

Logan's fists clenched as he watched her check on each animal, her face growing more concerned with each examination. His bear roared inside him, demanding he protect both his animals and his mate - he caught himself at that thought, but couldn't deny how right it felt.

"It's the same magical signature as before," Serena confirmed, her voice tight with worry as she stroked a sick rabbit's fur. "Silas must have had Beatrice do something when they broke through last night."

Logan's jaw clenched. "I'm going to tear him apart."

"We need to find Beatrice first." Serena stood, determination replacing the worry in her eyes. "She's the key to stopping this."

The sight of her fierce protectiveness over his animals made Logan's bear purr with approval. He stepped closer, unable to help himself. "We will. No one messes with what's mine."

Serena raised an eyebrow. "Your animals, you mean?"

"Yeah," Logan said roughly, though his bear disagreed. "The animals."

Logan's bear rumbled contentedly as Serena leaned closer to peer at his laptop screen, her shoulder brushing against his. The small office felt even smaller with her vanilla-lavender scent filling his senses.

"Silas had to find her somehow," Serena mused. "A witch that powerful wouldn't stay hidden completely."

"Makes sense." Logan shifted in his chair, hyper-aware of how her hip pressed against his arm. "Though I doubt she's advertising 'magical fence destruction' in the yellow pages."

Serena's laugh sent a warmth through him. "No, but powerful witches tend to show off. It's like a signature - they can't help themselves."

She reached across him to type something into the search bar, her hair falling forward to brush his cheek. His bear wanted to nuzzle into that softness, to pull her into his lap and-

Logan cleared his throat. "Found anything?"

"Maybe. There's 'Midnight Mystiques' - looks like a specialty perfume shop." Serena scrolled through the website. "Oh, but their reviews mention artificial ingredients. No real witch would use those."

"What about this one?" Logan pointed to another listing, grateful for the distraction from how perfectly she'd fit in his arms right about now. "'The Enchanted Garden'?"

"Too cutesy for someone Nina described. Besides, their social media is full of fairy wings and glitter." Serena wrinkled her nose. "Beatrice sounds more..."

"Terrifying?"

"I was going to say sophisticated, but yeah." She laughed again, turning to face him. Their faces were inches apart.

Logan's bear surged forward, demanding he close that small distance. Her gray eyes widened slightly, and he caught the slight hitch in her breath. It would be so easy to just lean in and-

"Oh!" Serena jerked back, pointing at the screen. "What about 'Hemlocke & Herbs'?"

Logan blinked, forcing himself to focus on the business listing. "Different last name."

"Darn." Serena stepped back. "I really thought we had something there."

His bear grumbled at the increased distance between them, but Logan made himself keep scrolling. They had work to do, no matter how much he wanted to pull her back close.

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