Page 42 of Hers to Call
He chewed slowly, his brows bunched in confusion. “He asked me if it was okay to allow some of the human teenagers to swim while we’re out here.”
“And what did you say?”
He shrugged and grabbed a sandwich. “I told him it was up to them if they wanted to keep an eye on humans, I’m on a date.”
“You said all that with those grunting sounds you made.”
***
Simon chuckled to himself as he realized his mate of course wouldn’t understand the communication between bears. “I resent that, there were words mingled in with those grunts.”
She snorted, “not very many.”
He smiled, loving the exasperated look on her face. “We’re bears, darlin’, no call for too many words.”
She shook her head and smiled, and he stared, transfixed by his mate. She brushed a hand across her bun. He loved the gesture, she made it when she was nervous. He grabbed her hand as she lifted it to do it again. He kissed her palm, inhaling her scent.
“I see you took a bath.”
She growled. “Those extra senses of yours are quite annoying.”
He laughed and pulled her over to kiss her when he heard a whiz of air moving quickly towards them. Growling, Simon rolled and covered his mate’s body as he listened for danger. The thunk of an arrow burying into a tree a scant second later was loud, ominous. The air was still, tension freezing everything around them. Calita moaned and he moved from on top of her.
“Are you okay, love?” his eyes searched the woods around them. There was no movement, even the wind had stilled.
“You landed on my wrist,” she whispered, clutching it. “I’m fine otherwise.”
He helped her up and reached, snatching the arrow from the tree. He sniffed it, growling at the lack of a distinguishing scent.
“Come, I’m taking you back up to the house while I go figure out who was careless enough to do this.”
She looked around, her nervousness dancing throughout her scent. For that alone he would maim whoever had done it. He left their picnic there, rushing Calita down the path to the house. Becca was standing at the front door when they reached it.
She frowned at them. “What happened?”
“Someone shot an arrow at me.” Calita answered.
“At you? Are you sure it wasn’t an accident?”
“Regardless.” Simon growled, shuffling his mate into the house past Becca. He helped her onto a stool at the island and backed away. “I’ll be back.”
He turned and left, headed towards the barn he’d built to house his offices and a lounge area for the ranch hands. He was pissed. He’d been so full of Calita, and so arrogant that she was safe on his property that he hadn’t paid attention to their surroundings. He took full responsibility for even the chance of his mate being harmed. He stormed into the door and found a few of his enforcers and hands sitting around on break, food scattered across the tables.
“Who is in charge of archery today?”
They looked around at each other. One of them stood and glanced at the schedule on the wall. “There is no archery scheduled today.”
Simon growled and his bears lowered their head, exposing their necks. He slammed the arrow down on the table.
“This was shot near my mate, and it doesn’t carry a scent. I want to know who the hell is shooting on my land without a guide present, and I want to know yesterday.”
“Yes, alpha,” they scrambled from the barn, all except his beta.
Gavin studied the arrow. “This isn’t even one of ours, Alpha.”
“I’m aware, Beta. This also isn’t the first time my mate has nearly been killed. I want an enforcer on her at all times until I figure this out.”
He left the barn, pulling out his cellphone. Nate answered and he explained what happened.
