The Bear Essentials (Siren Publishing: The Stormy Glenn ManLove Collection)

by Stormy Glenn

  Casey’s attention was caught by a can of evaporated milk sitting in the middle of the floor by the back door. There were several stacked on the counter closest to the door. Casey rolled his eyes as he placed the can back on the stack. He was making monsters out of rolling cans.

  Casey dropped the rolling pin onto the counter and then pushed a hand through his hair as he made his way back into the baking area. He grabbed the ingredients he would need to start making the fresh honey buns the bakery had become famous for—it helped that they were smack dab in the middle of bear central—and poured them into the large industrial mixer.

  Casey went to turn the mixer on when he heard another noise from the back of the bakery. He swallowed hard, knowing that this time it couldn’t be his overactive imagination. Wishing he hadn’t left the rolling pin on the counter by the back door, Casey stepped to the entrance to the hallway.

  He took one look at the evaporated milk cans stacked neatly on the floor in the middle of the walkway, the rolling pin balanced precariously on the top two cans, and screamed as he spun around and raced for the front of the shop.

  Honey buns be damned, he was done!

  Chapter Ten

  Rob knew he had still had a smile as wide as the Mississippi River on his face when he pulled up back in front of the house, but he couldn’t seem to make it go away. And he kind of wondered why he was even worried about it.

  He was happy.

  It was as simple as that. He had thought he’d have a few more years before he met his mate but now that he had, he couldn’t imagine a life without Casey. Twenty-four hours was all it took for Rob to know he didn’t even want to try.

  The hours between now and when he got home to see Casey’s sweet face seemed impossible to handle, but Rob knew he needed to, just as Casey did. While he knew his parents would let them stay at the house until they got on their feet, Rob wanted to have a place with Casey that was just theirs. Their house. Their rules. Their nude cuddling on the couch.

  Rob couldn’t wait.

  Rob turned off the motor and opened his door. As he started to climb out of the truck, something on the passenger side floorboard caught his eyes. Rob leaned back into the vehicle and stretched out until he could grab it.

  It was the book Casey put all of his handwritten recipes in. Rob wasn’t real sure if Casey needed it for work or not, but the man had obviously been taking it with him.

  Rob grinned as he jumped back in the truck and shut the door. He started the engine and then pulled out of the driveway. This was the perfect excuse to go back and get the kiss he should have gotten when he dropped Casey off. Casey had slid out of the truck too fast.

  Who needed a couple of extra hours of sleep anyway?

  The lights were on when he pulled back up in front of the bakery. Rob wasn’t sure exactly what Casey did at the bakery so early in the morning, but he hoped it involved honey buns. He turned off the engine, grabbed the recipe book, and climbed out of the truck.

  He noticed that other lights up and down the street were starting to come on, the small strip of stores coming to life. He knew from experience that over the next couple of hours, the entire area would be waking, some heading off to work, others getting ready for the day.

  There was something to be said for being up this early in the morning. It was quiet, almost as if the air held its breath to see how people were going to start their day.

  Rob peered through the glass window as he knocked on the door. The lights were on and he could see the entire front room of the bakery. While there were a few items in the glass cabinets, it didn’t look like Casey had filled them with the rest of the donuts and cookies and pastries.

  Maybe that was why Rob couldn’t spot Casey?

  Maybe he was in the backroom baking?

  Rob knocked a little harder.

  After about five minutes and several loud knocks, Rob started to grow worried. He moved along the edge of the front windows, bending down to look under the colorful letters and graphics painted on the glass so he could see farther into the room.

  Except for the empty cabinets, the place looked ready to open. Rob could even see steam rising up from the filled coffee pots across the room.

  There was just no Casey.

  Knowing he was going to get in a shitload of trouble, Rob grabbed the door handle and turned it until the lock popped and the door swung open. “Casey? Cub?” he called out as he listened for any indication of where his mate might be.

  Apprehension was a funny thing. It had the ability to freeze someone in their steps and steal their breath away. It also had the ability to spur them on and make their heart race a million times per second.

  Rob felt like his heart was going to pound right out of his chest as he headed toward the back of the store. He spotted Casey’s bag on the floor as he hurried by and tossed the recipe book in that direction. He was glad it didn’t break apart when it hit the floor just in front of the bag. Casey would have his head.

  Rob started calling out Casey’s name as he searched the rest of the bakery. It took less than a minute to search the place, front to back. There was no sign of Casey. The cans of evaporated milk all over the floor by the back door didn’t reassure Rob that everything was okay.

  Finding the back door locked worried Rob even more. Casey should have been here somewhere. It had been less than ten minutes from the time he dropped the man off until he returned. Rob knew Casey had at least made it inside the bakery. Not only was his bag inside but the lights were on. His scent was strongest in the back of the bakery, which was just as empty as the rest of the place.

  So, where was Casey?

  Rob dug his phone out of his pocket as he paced. When his father answered, he almost couldn’t speak past the lump of fear forming in his throat. “Something has happened to Casey, Dad. I dropped him off down at the bakery just a few minutes ago and now he’s gone.”

  “Whoa, whoa, slow down, son,” Robert replied. “What do you mean he’s gone?”

  “He’s not here!” What part of gone wasn’t his father getting. “I dropped him off and headed home. I was climbing out of my truck to go inside the house when I spotted Casey’s recipe book on the floor. I knew he would want it so I drove back to the bakery. The lights are on. The doors were locked. But Casey is nowhere to be found. He’s gone.”

  “All right, stay where you are,” Robert directed. “Your brother and I are on our way.”

  “I’m going to shift and see if I can follow Casey’s scent. It’s pretty strong near the back door. Have Harvey follow my scent when you get here.”

  “No, stay where you are, Rob. Your brother and I will be there soon.”

  “I gotta go, Dad.” Rob snapped his phone shut before his father could argue with him. There was no way in hell that he was sticking around when he could be out searching for his mate.

  Rob quickly dialed Billy Ray, Jed, and Dwayne, letting all three men know what was going on and gaining their promise to get to his location as quickly as possible. If anyone had his back, it was going to be his friends and family.

  Knowing there was a strong possibility that he would need his phone when he found Casey, Rob hurried back to the front of the bakery. He grabbed Casey’s bag and shoved the recipe book inside before heading to the back of the store again. He unlocked the back door and pulled it open just enough that he could nose it open the rest of the way after he shifted.

  Rob quickly stripped his clothes off and put them into the bag. There wasn’t a ton inside the bag as it was so everything fit well enough. Rob dropped to all fours and let his shift take over, his bones crackling as they reshaped themselves. Muscles pulled and stretched as his body became thicker, hairier. Claws grew out of his fingertips as they morphed into padded paws. His mouth extended into a muzzle, sharp teeth punching through his gums.

  In all, it took less than a minute. Rob’s shift had always been quick. That didn’t mean it didn’t hurt just a little, because it always did. It wasn’t easy goi
ng from one species to another. But it was a natural part of his life and Rob had gotten used to the little pinch of pain that came with shifting.

  The second he lifted his muzzle into the air and sniffed, an overwhelming acidic smell filled his senses. Fear, sheer black fear. And it was tinged with the deliciously sweet scent of apples and cinnamon.

  Rob began to shake as disturbing images of what could be wrong built in his mind. Trying to push those disturbing thoughts to the back of his mind, Rob grabbed the bag in his mouth and then pushed the backdoor open and stepped out into the alley.

  He drew in a deep breath, searching the early morning scents for his mate. The strongest scent came from the left. There were others—bears—but Rob couldn’t quite place their scents. Whoever they were, if they harmed a one honey-blond hair on Casey’s head, Rob was going to show them what it meant to be a pissed off bear.

  When he reached the end of the alleyway, so many streets scents saturated the air that for a moment, Rob thought he had lost Casey’s scent. He circled, moving in one direction and taking a deep breath before doing the same in the other direction.

  Just as he was about to give up and roar out his frustration, Rob caught a whiff of Casey’s sweet scent from the alley across the street. Rob had a new appreciation for the early morning hours as he lumbered across the street and started down the alleyway. There were no cars on the road and the foot traffic was basically him. Not everyone that lived in King City knew of shifters, and it was kind of against the rules to tell anyone except family and mates.

  Rob saw a vehicle pull up at the corner just as he reached the alley. He recognized the sedan as belonging to his father. He stopped and dropped the bag in his mouth just long enough to let out roar so they would know where he was before picking it up again and continuing his search.

  By the time he reached the next block over, Harvey had caught up to him. The man was in his human form, a cell phone held to his ear. The sedan carrying Rob’s father followed behind them at a much slower pace. Rob could hear Harvey talking and knew he was relaying information to their father.

  By the time they reached the outer edges of town, three more bears hunted with Rob, and that was what they were doing—hunting. Only, their prey was Casey…and whoever took him.

  Rob stopped at the tree line. He knew there was nothing beyond this spot except forest for miles. He was beginning to suspect that whoever had taken Casey knew that as well. It was the only reason they would take him into this direction. They were thick and dark, and a human would get lost fifty feet in.

  Rob started to shift to discuss a plan of action with everyone when he heard a horrifying scream that he hoped never to hear again in his lifetime. Growling loudly, he spun and dug his claws into the dirt for better traction as he took off into the woods.

  He could hear his father and brother calling out to him to stop.

  He wouldn’t.

  Billy Ray, Jed, and Dwayne seemed to understand that. The three bears raced through the trees right along with him. Rob didn’t stop running until the smell of bear and human became so strong that he knew Casey had to be mere feet away.

  He had made quite the ruckus as he smashed through the woods, as had his friends. Whoever had Casey should have heard them coming. It wasn’t until he stopped and peered through the trees that Rob understood why they hadn’t.

  But they sure as hell heard his roar of outrage as he tore through the trees and attacked the men beating Casey. Every ounce of mercy he might have felt dead a quick death as he watched Raymond backhand Casey so hard that blood flew from the little human’s mouth and splattered on the ground.

  Ignoring the others—and knowing his friends would take care of them—Rob concentrated on killing the man attacking his mate. He sank his teeth into Raymond’s arm as the man raised it into the air to hit Casey again. Raymond’s scream of pain was satisfying but not as much as his death gurgle would be.

  Rob bit down until he tasted blood. When Raymond ripped away from him, Rob had a good mouthful of flesh in his mouth. He spit it out and moved back to place himself between Casey and Raymond. He peeled back his upper lip, barring his teeth as he growled, daring Raymond to come closer. He’d rip him apart.

  “Stand down!” The voice echoed through the small clearing so loudly, Rob’s ears ached. He turned to see Alpha Barker entering the clearing with Sheriff Garret and Rob’s father. None of the men looked happy.

  The alpha’s hands landed on his hips as he took in the bloody scene. “What in the hell is going on here?” he shouted as he stared at everyone. “I received reports of bears running through town. You know it’s forbidden to run where humans can see you.”

  Raymond, holding his bloody arm to his chest, hurried to his father’s side. Unfortunately, he was still in human form and could speak before Rob could shift. “He did it again, father,” Raymond said as he held up his bloody arm. “Rob Colton attacked me and my friends just like he did last time.”

  The alpha’s eyes moved to Rob. “Shift.”

  Rob made sure he kept himself between Casey and everyone else as he shifted. He heard a soft gasp from behind him and desperately wanted to turn and look at Casey, but taking his eyes off of the alpha wasn’t the smartest move he could make.

  He swayed just a bit after standing up straight, adrenaline rushing through his system. If it wasn’t for the soft hand he felt in the middle of his back, he might have dropped back down to the ground. For Casey, he could be strong.

  “Attacking the future alpha is a crime punishable by death,” the alpha explained. “You know this.”

  Rob kept his eyes straight ahead and just off to one side of the alpha as he nodded. Looking the man straight in the eyes wasn’t allowed when being reprimanded. He was supposed to be showing his submission to the stronger bear, but in that moment, showing submission could mean his life.

  “I let the last time go because Garret explained to me the fight was a fair one.” The alpha’s eyes narrowed as he turned to look at Raymond. “Despite my son’s actions, you were both at fault.”

  Rob barely kept his lip from curling back in disgust. It hadn’t been a fair fight, at least not the second half where Raymond had attacked him with a pipe. He doubted the alpha wanted to hear that. He never wanted to hear what a dirt bag he had raised.

  Raymond Barker was the golden child. He could do no wrong in the eyes of his parents. He was being groomed to take over for his father when the alpha stepped down. A smart man would have taken the lessons his father tried to teach him and worked hard to become the man the clan needed to take over when the alpha retired.

  Raymond was not a smart man. He used his position as son of the alpha to terrorize those that didn’t do what he wanted, and to get out of trouble with his father. Rob could see the calculating glint in Raymond’s eyes from where he stood and knew the other man was working out a plan to get out of trouble this time as well.

  When the alpha’s eyes landed on him again, Rob swallowed hard. There was no emotion on the man’s face to give him a hint as to what he was thinking. “Rob,” the alpha asked, “can you give me one reason why I shouldn’t order your execution?”

  Chapter Eleven

  Casey gasped at the alpha’s words. Rob could be put to death for protecting him? That wasn’t fair. Grabbing onto a bit of courage he didn’t know he had, Casey stepped around Rob and stood at his side.

  “Rob was protecting me.”

  He instantly felt the eyes of just about everyone on him. It was hard not to run back behind Rob and hide, but he would do anything for his mate, even face the alpha of his clan.

  “Casey Newton, isn’t it?” the alpha asked.

  Eyes wide in surprise, Casey nodded. He didn’t know the alpha even knew who he was. Of course, considering the man was the leader of his people, it kind of made sense that he would know who lived in his city and who didn’t.

  “What do you have to add to this situation, Casey?”

  Casey gulped when Raymond
growled and took a step toward him. His level of fear was growing by the second. He was terrified of Raymond but he was more terrified that if he said the wrong thing, Rob would be taken from him.

  “I was at work,” Casey began. “I work down at the Partly Sunny Bakery on Fifth Street.”

  The alpha nodded. “I know the place.”

  “Well.” Casey clenched his hands to keep from chewing on his fingernails. It was a nervous habit he had yet to break. “I heard a noise at the back of the bakery and went to investigate. Someone had stacked a bunch of evaporated milk cans in the middle of the hallway by the back door. I got scared but when I tried to leave, Raymond and his buddies grabbed me. They dragged me out here and—”

  “He’s lying!” Raymond shouted. “He called me and said he needed to talk to me, to apologize for what had happened with Rob. He asked me to meet him in the woods. When I got here, he tried to seduce me. Rob jumped me while my back was turned.” Raymond’s eyes gleamed. “Ask the others. They’ll tell you the same thing. They tried to attack me.”

  Everyone spoke at once, each with something different to say.

  “No,” Casey cried out as he took a step. “He—”

  “You lying sack of—” Rob started a he glared at Raymond.

  “Raymond is telling the truth, alpha,” one of Raymond’s friends said.

  “Enough!”

  Casey snapped his eyes closed when the alpha’s loud voice rang through the trees. He started repeating his internal mantra. It didn’t usually work for him but it gave him something else to think of instead of his fear. I’m not here. I’m not here. I’m not here.

  “Garret, take Casey home,” the alpha ordered. “And remind him of what will happen if he speaks of what he has seen here tonight.”

  “Yes, alpha.”

  Casey felt Rob’s arms wrap around him as he opened his eyes. Before he knew it, he was enclosed in Rob’s arms, the man’s naked chest to his back.