Bearing Up for Her Love [Shifting Desires 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Marla Monroe

  “Be careful,” Mo told them as he dialed the wild dog’s cell number.

  As soon as is vibrated, Allen answered it then stuck it in his pants pocket. Giving Eddy a nod, they quickly disappeared around the side of the building. Wren hated waiting while her pack did the dangerous stuff, but understood the necessity of it. When push came to shove, if there was a battle, she and Mojave was in the thick of it alongside their pack.

  A few seconds later they could hear Allen and Eddy moving around next to the hidden entrance. There were some clinks and the faint rustle of paper, but no indication that anything was wrong.

  “No sign of a break-in and no sign of TJ or Scoot,” Allen whispered so they could hear him.

  “I don’t like this, Mo. It doesn’t make sense. Why would a wolf be sniffing around the garage? We don’t keep anything of value other than the cars and tools there. All of the pack valuables and paperwork is with us.” Wren sifted through her memory of when they’d first moved to town and opened the garage but couldn’t think of anything worth trespassing or committing any type of crime over.

  “If we don’t find Scoot and TJ then they were the target. Maybe they want information on us for some reason,” Mojave whispered back.

  “No sign of anyone in there. The wolf’s scent is inside but very faint. I don’t smell any hint of fear or aggression either,” Allen told them over the phone. “You can come inside. Maybe we’re missing something.”

  “Yeah, Scoot and TJ,” Wren muttered more to herself.

  They jogged to the front entrance where Eddy had the door open waiting for them. Nothing looked out of place, but Wren did smell the faintest hint of wolf and something off. Both TJ and Scoot’s scents were strong since they spent a lot of time at the garage. The other scent wasn’t normal for the building and like the wolf’s scent, very faint. It reminded her of something she’d smelt recently that made her cringe inside. What was it?

  “I can’t tell that anything’s missing or moved,” Mojave said. “What about you, Wren? Notice anything?”

  “No. Everything looks the same. I’ll check the office.” Wren walked across the concrete floor to unlock the office door and stepped inside to look around.

  A minute later, Mo joined her wearing a grim expression. She knew he was thinking the same thing she was. It had been about taking someone, anyone who might know valuable information about the African Wild Dog pack’s business. Unfortunately they’d managed to capture two of the least involved pack members who pulled guard rotation. They wouldn’t know anything, and that meant they were in for a world of pain. They’d live longer for their ignorance of pack business, but it wouldn’t be fun.

  Pain burned along her skin at the thought of either one of her friends being tortured and hurt. TJ had always been her playmate when she’d been growing up and had remained her best friend ever since. It didn’t matter that he was nearly ten years her senior. He’d been everything to her when Mo was away or too busy to be able to spend time with her.

  She remembered the time she’d tried to climb to the top of the bookcase to retrieve her favorite doll where one of the other wolves had tried to hide it from her. She’d slipped and fallen, landing on Mo’s desk and hitting her cheek on a large, unusual rock he used as a paperweight. The rock was one that their parents had found that contained a thin, almost invisible vein of pure silver and had reminded them that not everything that was pretty was safe.

  The rough rock had cracked her cheekbone and sliced a nearly two inch gash across it, and her cheek had been exposed to the silver in the rock. TJ had found her when he’d heard her scream and realized the danger the silver held for her. Not only could it kill her if enough of it got into her bloodstream, but the cut wouldn’t heal well and leave a nasty scar if it did heal.

  TJ and Mo carried her to the pack’s physician who worked on her cheek for over an hour to remove every trace of silver so the cut could heal without leaving a nasty looking scar. She could still smell…

  “Mo! That’s what I’m smelling. They drugged TJ and Scoot somehow. Maybe a dart gun,” Wren yelled as she hurried to where the other wild dogs were talking.

  “How do you know?” Mo asked.

  “I kept getting a faint whiff of something I’d smelled before recently that had made me cringe. I couldn’t figure it out, but I had a sudden memory of the time TJ carried me in his arms to you when I fell and cut my cheek. Spending all that time in Doc Sambo’s office while he worked on my cheek gave me an intense dislike for the smells in a doctor’s office.”

  “I don’t understand what that has to do with a dart gun,” Mo said, shaking his head.

  “Last week I went to the wolf’s healer to get a refill of the salve I use when I get into something I’m allergic to. It’s the only thing that works on the itchy bumps. I remember dreading walking through the doors because of the medicine scent that clogs my nose every time I set foot in one of those offices. That’s what I’m smelling now,” she told him. “That’s why there’s no sign of a struggle. They didn’t have time to do anything.”

  “She’s right. That’s probably what happened. I can smell it now that she’s brought it to my attention. Otherwise, it blends in with all of the other metallic scents in here,” Allen agreed.

  “We need to get a list of drugs that can knock a shifter out for any length of time. They’d need a few minutes to get them secured and loaded into a car or truck. Then we can find out who has access to them,” Wren said.

  “I’ll call Garret and get him to have his mate work on the list. With her being a midwife, she will have the most knowledge of anyone what those drugs would be,” Mo said.

  “What about calling the wolves’ healer to get a list of the drugs?” Eddy asked.

  “We don’t know if he’s part of this in some way. We can’t risk him warning someone who might have obtained the drugs from him either,” Mo explained.

  “What about the bears?” Wren asked. “Do you think they might know someone they could call to get a list?”

  “Maybe. Allen, you and Eddie take her home. Make sure she locks the doors before you leave her there,” her brother told them. Turning back to her he said, “Call them and ask. If I’m going to trust them to watch over you, I can trust them to help with this one thing. Call me as soon as you’ve spoken with them.”

  “I don’t want to leave you shorthanded. I’ll take a bike and be there before you know it,” Wren told him.

  “No. You’ll go with them. It would be too easy for someone to pick you off a bike, birdie. I can’t worry about you and the pack at the same time,” he said with a snarl.

  “No,” she agreed. “You can’t and you shouldn’t. I’m part of the pack, so you’re already worrying about me that way. I won’t leave you without Allen and Eddie. I’ll call the bears and ask someone to meet me halfway.”

  Mo was going to protest more, but his cell rang and she recognized the voice on the other end as one of the young pack members they’d recently accepted. He sounded upset and had Mo’s attention. Wren took the opportunity to slip off and mount one of the motorcycles they kept in top shape. By the time Mo realized what her intentions where, she’d already started backing the big machine out of one of the garage bays.

  “Call the bears and tell them I’m on my way home,” she called out over the noise.

  There was no mistaking the fury in her brother’s gaze as he watched even as he started punching at his cell phone. It didn’t take much imagination to know what he was mumbling under his breath as she gave the bike some gas and sped down the street toward the edge of town. She was in so much trouble.

  Chapter Seven

  Eason looked at his bondmate, seeing the same rage and fear reflected there. Why would she put herself in that kind of danger? He didn’t say one word to either his Ursus or to Warren. Instead, Eason turned and raced for the truck. There was no way he was allowing their mate to finish the trip back to the house.

  Burning sensations poured over his body, ale
rting him to just how close he was to bursting his skin. Warren climbed into the driver’s side less than a second after Eason had jumped into the cab on the passenger side. His brother had the big truck flying down the drive before he’d even shut his door. Neither bear bothered with seatbelts. Worry ate at them as they quickly closed the distance between them and Wren. Eason prayed nothing would happen to her before they reached her.

  “I’m going to swat that sassy ass of hers once we get her safely back home,” Warren muttered beneath his breath.

  “After I wring her pretty little neck.” Eason cringed. His voice had taken on a deep growly sound that was yet another indication to his impending loss of control.

  “You’ve got to hold it together, Eason. I can’t handle you and Wren at the same time.” Warren glanced over at him with a worried expression.

  Eason didn’t blame him. His bondmate struggled daily to help him maintain control. It had to be getting tiresome. Why he’d taken him on, Eason had no idea. He thanked the good Lord every day for Warren. If not for him and the graciousness of their then sleuth leader, he would have been put down as soon as his dual bears became known.

  “Look, there she is!” Warren yelled. “Flag her over!”

  Eason rolled down his truck window and nearly climbed all the way out of the truck in an attempt to get her attention before she could pass them. He sighed with relief when she slowed down then eased the bike over to the back of their truck.

  Both he and Warren climbed down from the truck and raced around to where a smiling, windswept Wren was just unfastening her helmet. He couldn’t stop himself. Eason gently grabbed her off the bike and wrapped his arms around her in a literal bear hug since his arms already had bear fur covering them.

  Almost instantly Eason began to calm with the fur receding even as his two bears relaxed into the feel of their mate. What was going on? How had touching her eased the relentless restlessness and need to fight off his shifter side?

  “I’ve got the bike, Eason. Get her in the truck and let’s get her home where she’ll be safe.” Warren was already lifting the massive motorcycle into the back of the truck.

  Wren giggled, attempting to look around Eason’s body. “It sure pays to be a shifter, and I guess a bear shifter gets double the strength of a wild dog shifter, huh.”

  “You, my little puppy,” Warren snarled once he had the bike safely stowed in the back. “Are in a world of trouble.”

  Eason picked Wren up and gently sat her on the seat before sliding her over to the middle and climbing up beside her. Yeah, he wanted to spank her just like Warren did, but first things first. He needed to hold her and assure that she was safe. Then they could come down on her ass about safety and following directions. No doubt she’d get an earful from her brother later, but she wasn’t Mojave’s responsibility any longer. They were going to openly claim her as soon as they could arrange it.

  “What in the hell do you think you were doing, Wren?” Warren began as he did an impressive three point U turn in the middle of the road despite the oversized truck.

  “I wasn’t about to leave my brother without his guard. I knew I’d be fine until you reached me,” she said.

  That had both Warren and Eason catching their breath. She’d trusted them to come for her. It didn’t matter that they always would. It was that she’d already started to accept them as her providers. Eason couldn’t help but puff up a little at that realization.

  “Wren. Your brother can take care of himself. You…” Eason stopped as Wren broke in on him.

  “I’m a better fighter than even my brother. Don’t try and tell me I’m just a female and need to let everyone else take care of me. I don’t do damsel in distress so get used to it or move on, big boy.” The sight of Wren’s eyes flashing in anger and indignation hardened his dick so fast it was almost painful.

  “It doesn’t change the fact that you put yourself at risk and your brother since he’s worried sick that something will happen to you,” Warren finished for him. “Call him and let him know we have you and you’re fine.”

  Eason watched as some of the fire died out and worry replaced it. She dug in her pocket for her cell and quickly pressed one number that was obviously speed dial for Mojave. It wasn’t lost on Eason that her hand shook as she held the phone to her ear.

  “Mo. I’m fine. I’m with the bears. I’m sorry you were worried, but I wasn’t about to leave you unprotected,” she said and was quiet for a few seconds as Mo’s voice filled the truck despite Wren holding it to her ear.

  “I’ll call you later when I’ve had time to talk to them. Be careful, Mo.” Wren punched the end button then shoved the phone back into her pocket. “We need to talk when we get back to your place.”

  “We sure do, sweetness. Lots and lots to talk about,” Warren warned her in a no-nonsense tone.

  Eason had to hide a grin when Wren stuck her tongue out at him when he wasn’t looking. When she turned to look in his direction and realized he’d seen what she’d done, her eyes grew round with surprise then narrowed as she silently warned him not to tell on her. Eason just smiled, showing his sharp teeth before surprising them both and kissing her quickly on the mouth. He hadn’t meant to do it, but there was just no way he could stop himself. She had the sweetest kiss in the world. He was sure that her kisses were addictive because he already wanted another.

  Warren turned down the drive to their home and parked in the back. Even before the engine had settled, he had jumped down from the cab and was pretty much stomping around the front bumper toward them. Eason wondered if it was his turn to calm his brother bear down. That thought amused the hell out of him.

  “What in the hell are you smiling about?” Warren asked with the look of a dangerous bear heating up his eyes.

  “Just thinking that it looked like you ended up with some of my temper. Here I am feeling the calmest I’ve felt since puberty and you’re hot enough to fry an egg off of,” Eason told him. “Calm down, brother. She’s safe now. We can give her a good talking to and maybe a pat or two on her hot ass but there’s no use losing it.”

  For a brief moment, Eason wondered if Warren was going to explode or not. The male’s eyes flashed with anger as he clenched his hands and rose up on his toes. When Warren looked down at where Wren stood in front of Eason. The sight of her looking up at him must have had a huge effect because right before Eason’s eyes, his bear brother relaxed the tension and anger flowing off of him in one slow wave.

  “Did you just say that you’re calm?” Warren asked, lifting his gaze from their mate and meeting Eason’s eyes. “The bears aren’t fighting inside right now?”

  “Nope. They’re actually purring because I’m touching her,” Eason admitted.

  “Purring? What are you talking about?” Wren asked them, looking from one to the other as if they’d lost their minds. “I thought you were bears.”

  * * * *

  Purring? Wren didn’t understand what in the world they were eluding to. And what did Warren mean about bears, as in two, fighting inside of Eason? They really did have a lot to talk about.

  First, I’m going to see if they know anyone with access to the kind of drugs that were used on my wild dogs. Then we need to discuss what is going on with them.

  Wren really doubted they would know anyone since they’d only lived there a short time, but it was worth making sure. TJ and Scoot’s lives were in danger. She just prayed they were still alive.

  “Let’s get you inside and out of sight,” Warren said, much calmer than he’d been seconds before.

  “What will your Ursus think about you bringing me over there?” she asked, a little unsure about who knew what.

  “Our sleuth knows you’re our mate, Wren,” Warren told her. “We had to let them know so that they didn’t stir up our protective streaks if they got to close to you.”

  Eason smiled down at her. “Knowing Seth and Bane like I do, they would have tried to seduce you. That would have been very bad for them.
”

  Wren couldn’t help but chuckle at that. The idea of someone being jealous over her seemed out of place to her. She’d never been one that a male would feel possessive enough to start a fight over. Maybe that was part of what mating was about. Maybe the male couldn’t help but feel jealousy over their mate. The idea that one would want her and feel possessive of her only because of the mating heat dampened the excitement she’d begun to feel about finding hers.

  “Whoa,” Eason said, bringing them to a halt when they’d started toward the back door of the house. “What’s wrong? You were smiling and now you’re frowning and look like you might cry.”

  “I don’t cry,” she said as she fought to hide a sniff. “Nothing’s wrong. I’m just worried about my brother.”

  “He’s fine, Wren. Everything is going to be fine. Trust us to protect you, and that will allow Mojave to focus all of his attention on himself and whatever is going on,” Eason told her.

  “I’m hoping you can help us with that,” she finally said.

  As they walked into the house, entering through the back door and the laundry room, Wren realized that the house was huge. It was much bigger than the one she was renting from Serenity. She didn’t need much space, but this was almost overwhelming after living in apartments with her brother all her life.

  “Wow! I didn’t realize just how big your home was just looking at it from the front,” she said before she could stop herself.

  “We needed a home large enough for all of us and our mates,” Warren told her. “Finding something this size with a good bit of land around it isn’t easy.”

  “No, no it’s not.” She thought about how much something like this had to have cost. What did they do to be able to afford the place?

  Maybe I don’t want to know. A lot of shifters have their hands in a lot of sour pies these days.

  Still, they had been nothing but kind to her and it looked like she had two mates in their sleuth. She needed to make sure she kept her unfiltered mouth closed as much as possible.