Page 7 of Combust
“What happened out here?” Kymberlie asked. “And who are these fools battling it out where everyone can see?”
Maggie spread her hands and shook her head. She didn’t want to admit exactly how shaken Andrew’s refusal to take “no” for an answer had left her. But the roaring, growling sideshow in the parking lot required some kind of explanation.
“One of them was my, uh, date. We were out here having a discussion. Then this other guy showed up out of nowhere and, um—”Rescued me, she thought.But why? And who the heck is he?
Out loud, she continued, “He and my date started fighting.”
“So, one guy was your date, and you don’t know the other guy at all?” Kymberlie confirmed.
She sighed and looked at the growling, snarling dark shapes kicking up sprays of gravel as they lunged and parried with outstretched front paws. “Dammit, the last thing I need are two out-of-towners cutting loose with their beast sides.”
She pulled her phone out of her jeans’ back pocket, tapped the screen, and waited.
“Bearpaw Ridge Police Department, how may I help you?” a male voice answered.
Maggie recognized the voice of Kenny Jacobsen, who was Malia’s uncle and one of the town’s wolf shifter police officers. She had no difficulty overhearing both sides of the conversation.
“Oh, hey, Kenny, this is Kymber. Got a couple of bears brawling at the club in full fur. Possibly drunk, definitely aggressive. Can you swing by and break it up?”
Kenny Jacobsen was Kymberlie’s second—or possibly third?—cousin. Maggie couldn’t remember. There were alotof Tringstads and Jacobsens in the Bearpaw Ridge Pack, and they were all related to some degree.
“Out-of-towners?” Kenny asked, with an audible sigh.
“Yup,” Kymberlie confirmed.
The club door opened, signaling Malia’s return. “Maggie! What’s going on?” She looked around. “Where’s Andrew?”
“Over there.” Maggie pointed in the direction of the brawl.
Malia’s eyes went wide. “That’shim?You’ve got to be kidding me!” She turned to Maggie. “What happened back there? It looked like you guys were really clicking.”
Maggie’s face heated. “Andrew told me that he didn’t want to move forward with the mating.”
Malia swooped in and hugged her, hard. “Oh, Maggie. That sucks. I thought for sure that you two were going to work out.”
“So did I,” Maggie confessed. “I mean, he seemed perfect…until we actually met.”
She rubbed the aching spot on her upper arm where Andrew had grabbed her. She wondered if she’d find bruises there when she changed into her PJs later tonight.
Malia’s gaze returned to the fight. “And thenthis?Who’s the other guy?”
Before Maggie could explain, flashing red and blue lights and the sound of tires crunching on gravel caught her attention. A Bearpaw Ridge Police Department SUV was turning off the highway.
Kymberlie waved at it. Bright headlights momentarily blinded Maggie as the vehicle rolled past her, heading for the fighting bears.
Caught in the white glare of the headlights, both combatants froze.
Maggie noticed that the scarred grizzly had very dark brown, nearly black, fur. The other bear had a shaggy auburn pelt tipped with gold around his throat and over the muscled hump between its shoulders.
The vehicle’s driver side door opened. Kenny Jacobsen’s tall, lanky form emerged. He wore a tan uniform, and his dark golden hair was cut very short, emphasizing his strong jawline.
He studied the two bears for a moment, then looked around, checking for witnesses. His blue gaze landed on Kymberlie, Maggie, and Malia. He gave them a brief nod and returned his attention to the bears.
The golden-brown bear bared his fangs and growled sidelong at the darker bear.
“Okay, you two, that’s enough,” Kenny snapped. He didn’t bother to raise his voice. “Time to shift back. And then I want you to tell me what you’re doing out here.”
The bears threw suspicious glares at each other. It appeared that neither wanted to be the first to shift, leaving himself vulnerable to his opponent.
