Page 58 of Asking Fur Trouble

He stepped away, scanning the area for his mate. Bess had been playing with the children in the adjacent recreation room when he’d last seen her. Now, she was nowhere in sight. His bear growled, demanding to find her.

He caught Oberon’s eye at the doorway and motioned him over with a sharp jerk of his head. His bodyguard approached immediately, his expression already wary.

“Something’s wrong with Bess,” Charov said in a low voice, his fingers curling into fists. “I can feel it through our mate bond. Where is she?”

Oberon’s hesitation lasted only seconds, but to Charov it felt like a betrayal. His bear’s protective instincts surged forward.

“She left through the side exit about fifteen minutes ago,” Oberon admitted. “I followed her outside to make sure she was safe. She boarded a public shuttle and requested transport to the Nuele estate.”

Charov’s body went rigid. His eyes flashed with fury.

“And you didn’t think to tell me this immediately?” His voice lowered to a dangerous growl. Several nearby staff members edged away, sensing the shift in his demeanor.

“I assumed she was acting on your instructions.” Oberon kept his voice steady despite Charov’s rising anger. “Given your recent discussions with Duke Nuele?—”

“No way in hell would I send Bess anywhere alone. Especially not to the Nueles.” Charov leaned forward, his voice barely contained. “You know what she’s been saying about them. You know what she suspects.”

Oberon’s eyes widened with awareness. “I’ll get the royal transport ready immediately.”

“You’ll do more than that,” Charov snarled, his bear pushing dangerously near the surface. “You’ll get to the Nuele estate now. I’ll follow as soon as I can make a graceful exit here.”

The benefactors were watching him curiously from across the room. Charov forced his shoulders to relax, though his entire body hummed with the need to shift and tear through the city to find his mate.

“Understood.” Oberon nodded sharply.

Charov turned back to the benefactors, smoothing his features into a mask of royal pleasantry while his heart thundered with fear and rage. The mate bond pulsed again with Bess’s distress, stronger this time.

“My apologies for the interruption,” he said, his voice controlled despite the war raging inside him. “You were saying about the new playground equipment?”

He nodded and smiled automatically, while inside, his bear roared with one thought only:Protect what is mine.

Several minutes later, Charov stalked away from the charity house with furious purpose, his jaw clenched tight enough to crack stone. The instant he reached the tree line, his hands flew to his crisp dress shirt, tearing at buttons with no regard for the expensive fabric. The bear inside him was already clawing its way out.

“Damn it, Bess,” he growled as his skin prickled with the beginning of his shift. “Had to play detective, didn’t you?”

The transformation was violent and swift – his bones cracked, his muscles expanded, and dark fur erupted from his skin. Within moments, a massive dark brown bear stood where the king had been with intelligent blue eyes that retained their humanity even in this form.

Charov’s bear lunged forward, powerful limbs eating up the distance as he crashed through the underbrush. His senses expanded exponentially – smelling the rich earth, hearing every rustle for miles, and feeling the vibration of distant vehicles through his paws. But something else overshadowed all that: the mate bond, pulsing with Bess’s fear like a beacon.

Each pulse of terror sent a corresponding surge of rage through him. His bear roared internally, demanding blood if anyone had harmed what was his. He hadn’t even acknowledged how completely she belonged to him until this moment – facing her potential loss.

If Kynon has touched her...

His bear growled, the sound echoing through the forest and sending small creatures skittering away in terror. Political consequences be damned. If her suspicions about Kynon proved true, no amount of diplomatic maneuvering would save the man.

As he bounded over a fallen tree, Charov’s thoughts raced through the implications. He’d have to explain why the King of Mavac Territory had torn through the estate of a prominent nobleman. He’d have to justify any violence. The petition against his rule would gain momentum.

Let them petition. Let them try to take my throne.

The realization struck him with absolute certainty. He wanted the crown. Not just for his father’s memory, but for himself. For his people. For the future he could build – the future he wanted to build with Bess at his side.

The Nuele estate came into view through the trees, sprawling and ostentatious. Charov slowed his pace, instinct pushing him to approach with stealth despite his urgency. The bond pulsated stronger now, almost painfully, confirming Bess was inside.

Wait for me. Your mate is coming.

He circled the perimeter, scenting the air. Guards patrolled the grounds, but they were focused outward, watching for conventional approaches. None looked up at the forest’s edge where a massive bear shadow moved with surprising silence.

Charov’s lip curled in a silent snarl when he caught Kynon’s scent – arrogance and expensive cologne masking something rotten underneath. And there, mixed with it, the sweet floral and warm citrus that was uniquely Bess.

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