Page 24 of Destined Bear
Our eyes lock again, and I don’t need him to say or do anything. The inherent understanding shines in his piercing green stare. He finally heard me, maybe for the first time in my life.
But I know better than to get my hopes up. Just because he heard me this time doesn’t mean he’s changed. All the same, I have to grin and bear this. His power will get us everywhere.
As much as I hate to admit it, I need Emeric.
CHAPTER 6
EMERIC
I’d wanted to confront Millie at the cottage, but something in Vivienne’s eyes had stopped me.
That look of panic when I almost revealed what we knew.
I won’t drive her away again by ignoring her judgment like I did before.
Back at my ranch house, I return my focus to Heath. “I want you to pay extra attention to those who are still mad about what happened with Brynn.”
Before he can respond, a charcoal gray cat appears in the doorway of my office.
I scowl deeply. “Where the hell have you been, Alessa?”
She morphs into her human form and gracefully takes a robe from the coatrack to wrap around her naked form as Heath and I eye her expectantly.
“Around.” Her nonchalance is infuriating, but I have bigger problems to deal with, and I turn my attention back to my Beta.
“You understand? Watch and listen for signs of trouble. Get me as much intel as you can.”
He raises an eyebrow pointedly. “I always do. I told you the pack was getting restless before anyone else did.”
I can see my pack losing faith in me, and I can see Heath’s patience wearing thin. Part of me knows I should apologize, admit I was wrong, but my pride won’t let me.
“I need specifics. Is this sanctioned by the Stonecrest Alpha or not? And someone here is helping them. Find out who’s feeding them information.”
Heath leaves, and Alessa peers at me, cocking her head. “Trouble at the homestead?”
“I need you to stay in your cat form and listen to the pack.” Even as the words leave my lips, I cringe. I don’t like spying on my people, but they aren’t giving me much of a choice. And as much as Alessa might infuriate me, she’s damn good at what she does.
Alessa doesn’t seem surprised by my request.
“I’ve been doing a bit of that already,” she confesses. “Ever since the failed mating with Brynn, the pack’s been questioning your priorities. They believe you ruined it on purpose because of your feelings for Vivienne. Now that she’s returned, they’re convinced you’ll never mate and give them an heir, which leaves us all vulnerable.”
I gulp back the impulse to argue, to deny that there is obvious unrest in my pack. But I can’t, not anymore. I’ve already let it go too long. When everyone is telling me the same thing, I look like the Alpha who is just sticking his head in the sand.
“Anything else?” I turn, hoping she can’t read the dejection on my face.
“Stonecrest is planning something.”
I whip around. That was oddly specific. “How do you know it’s Stonecrest?”
Alessa shrugs in her usual flippant way and flops uninvited into a chair across from me at the desk. “They’re not being as quiet about it as before.”
“Who in Stonecrest? Is this coming from Roman, the Alpha?”
Alessa smirks with indifference. “It’s hard to say for sure. I don’t think so, honestly. This feels more like a renegade group, but I can’t be sure. I don’t know who’s leading it yet.”
Exasperation overtakes me again. “Come back when you have something better than that.”
Alessa bounces back up to shift.
