Bounty Hunter Bear: Crossroads 1 (Grizzly Cove Book 11)
Page 15
The only questions that remained were if Ezra truly wanted to settle down here and if the town council would be willing to grant them residency. She understood why the bears who ran the place wanted to keep it private, but she really hoped they’d allow two more to join them. Ezra was already friends with some of them, but they didn’t know her. Would they let her move here? She certainly hoped so. But she and Ezra still hadn’t really had a chance to talk over the specifics of their plans for the future.
“I hear congratulations are in order,” a strong male voice boomed from behind Thea, from the direction of the front door to the restaurant.
She turned her head to find an imposing bear shifter male with a human-looking woman at his side, though there seemed to be something…magical…about her. A witch? Here? Thea’s hackles rose as concern filled her. What was this? Hadn’t she had enough trouble with mages for one lifetime?
She looked to Ezra, but he was grinning. He stood to meet the other man and held out his hand for a firm grasp and a quick bro hug as they drew together. Then, he escorted the man and his witch companion to their table to meet Thea. She rose, wanting to be ready for anything, though she really didn’t understand what was going on here.
“Thea, my love, this is the Alpha bear of this town, John Marshall, and his mate, Urse. Folks, this is Thea Jackson, my mate.” Pride and love filled Ezra’s voice, and Thea tried not to worry. He was exuding confidence and friendship all over the place. He liked the couple—that was plain enough to see.
Maybe this witch was one of the good ones? Though, of course, Thea had never met one of those before. Still, if she could have dinner with a mermaid, then maybe white witches could exist, too.
Thea held out her hand to the other woman. When their fingers met, a tingle of magic passed along Thea’s hand, and the woman smiled.
“Sorry. Sometimes, my magic does that when I meet a new shifter. It was just checking you out,” Urse said with a friendly expression.
“Did I pass the test?” Thea half-joked back, not really sure what had just happened and feeling a bit unsteady in the strange situation.
She knew these two were the ruling couple of the town, but if Thea was going to be subjected to a mage of ill intent, she would think twice about wanting to live here.
“If you hadn’t, they’d be carrying you out of here right about now.” So. The human sorceress had claws, too.
“I’m not sure what you might have heard about me, but I’ve had a lot of trouble with mages in recent months. I’d really like to know what’s going on here.” Thea turned her concerned gaze to Ezra.
“It’s cool, honey,” he was quick to reassure her. “Urse is on our side. Beyond the shadow of a doubt.” Ezra put his arm around Thea’s shoulders, probably trying to calm her down. It worked. Her bear started to settle a bit from its ready stance, though it still watched the witch carefully.
“Miss Jackson.” The other male was speaking to her now, and his presence was soothing, despite the strange situation. “Forgive me. I’ve heard a bit about what you went through, and I want you to know you’re welcome in this town. We are open to any bear shifter who stands on the side of Light. And some Others, too. Like our mer friends and a few select magic users.” He wrapped one arm around his mate’s waist and pulled her into his side. It was clear from their body language that the two were deeply in love. “My mate is cautious,” he went on. “She tries to protect me, and I’m afraid she was assessing you as a potential threat.”
Thea shook her head. “I guess I’m flattered, then,” she said honestly.
“Tonight is for celebration,” John went on, doing a good job of smoothing over the little incident. “Congratulations on your mating, and please, don’t let us interrupt your evening, though I hope you’ll all come by the office tomorrow to give us a debrief on the situation in South Dakota. I’ll be interested to hear more details.”
“Sure thing, John,” Ezra said, as Trevor nodded. It appeared they all knew more about each other and the mission Ezra and Thea had just come from than she realized.
The Alpha couple went off to their own table, and Thea and Ezra sat back down with Trevor and Beth. A moment later, the lights in the restaurant dimmed, and the chef walked out with a giant cake in his hands, covered in lit candles. The cake had writing on it, and when it got closer, she could see it had their names and a big, “Congratulations!”
Thea and Ezra blew out the candles, and then, the cake was cut up into pieces and handed all around the restaurant so everybody could join in the celebration. Thea was back to being overwhelmed by the generous spirit of the town and its people. The shifters—bear and mer alike—were fantastic. It remained to be seen if Thea could get along with the magical contingent, but if Urse was the only one, then maybe Thea could just avoid her.
The cake was delicious, but eventually, the party came to an end, and they took their leave of Beth and Trevor. Ezra escorted Thea back to the hotel at the other end of town. They’d walked to dinner, and the stroll back was lovely with the slight wind coming off the cove and the moonlight glinting on the water. It was truly beautiful.
“What do you think of the place so far?” Ezra asked as they strolled along in the faint light of the moon.
“It’s very pretty. And the people seem really nice. I was a little surprised by the witch, though,” she admitted, wondering what he’d say.
“I’m sorry, honey. I honestly didn’t think anything about how you might react to her—or her to you. John must not have told her anything about you. I seriously doubt she’d have come on so strong if he had. Urse has a kind heart and a major protective streak where this town and her mate are concerned. I know she didn’t mean any harm, and I bet she’s going to feel really bad about challenging you that way once she knows more about your background. In her defense, she’s still trying to figure out her role as Alpha female. She doesn’t always understand shifter ways, but she tries hard, so the guys tend to cut her some slack. That, and everyone here owes her big for what she did for the town,” Ezra put in. To Thea, that sounded like there was a story attached.
“What did she do?” she asked, enjoying the feel of Ezra’s arm around her as they walked along.
He was very warm and comforting, even if she was struggling to understand his liking for a witch. Every contact Thea had ever had with a magic user had been bad. It would take her some time to see them in any other light.
“She and her sister are what is known as stregas. They’re hereditary witches descended from an Italian line of wise women. Their grandmother is one, as well. The thing with Urse and her sister, Mellie, is that they’re both immensely powerful, in their own ways. Urse does spells, and Mellie does potions. Both have put themselves on the line to protect the town.”
“You’ve hinted at that before. What’s going on here that the town needs so much protection?” Thea asked.
“They’ve got a little sea monster problem,” Ezra astounded her by saying. At first, she thought he was joking, but he kept going. “There’s a creature known as the leviathan. It’s not of this realm, and it’s pure evil. Damn thing was right up in the cove before Urse set wards against it. She had to do a series of powerful spells several days in a row, putting herself in range of the monster. She risked life and limb to create a safe zone in the cove for the mer and wards all around on land through which no evil can pass.”
“You’re serious.” Thea shook her head.
“It happened before I came to town, but I’ve heard the story a time or two. It seems Urse is one of the very rare, very powerful mages that can cast permanent wards. Those protections she put around the town on land and in the water will last long after we’re all gone. They’re permanent. Master works, according to some.” Ezra sounded admiring, and Thea tried to take in the implications of what he was saying. It seemed incredible.
“Then, her sister did a potion that pushed the creature far from the shore, not only of Grizzly Cove, but all up and down the coast and a
round the ring of fire,” he went on. “She isolated the creature and its minions to the deep ocean, protecting the innocent on shore for many, many hundreds of miles of shoreline.” Ezra shook his head. “It was pretty spectacular, from all accounts. Trust me when I say, those two strega sisters have done more to protect the people who live here than most of the bear shifters who came up with this cockamamie idea to form a town and disguise it as an artists’ colony.”
“So, that’s why there are so many art galleries,” Thea blurted out. At least one thing was making sense.
“Yeah. Everybody here is supposed to contribute some kind of art to the tourist trade that they expect to show up once the town is more established. The theory is to hide in plain sight. So far, it seems to be working like a charm, even if concentrating so many bears in one place brought about a bit of unexpected notice from things like the leviathan.” Ezra stroked her shoulder with one hand as he snuggled her to his side. “But they’re handling it. Every time something bad comes calling, the guys here face it together. It’s good to have backup, and these guys are a fine team to have at your back when trouble comes calling.”
“They seem very close knit,” Thea replied, thinking aloud.
“Yeah, they are. Thing is, we could live here. If you wanted.” He stopped walking and turned to face her, looking deep into her eyes. “I would build us a house, and you can design it any way you want. We could put down roots here, and if we’re blessed with cubs, they could grow up with friends of their own kind.”
“That really sounds wonderful,” she agreed. “But give me a little more time. I want to see more of the town, and I want to check out that so-called Alpha female for myself a little closer. I trust your judgment, but I need to know if I’m going to have trouble every time she and I cross paths. That’s something only I can evaluate.”
“Fair enough.” Ezra turned and started walking again, tucking her close to his side. He seemed disappointed, but she couldn’t commit until she knew more about Urse and her magic.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The next morning, Ezra took Thea out to breakfast at a quaint little bakery that was seeing a brisk business. She recognized some of the people from the night before, and many stopped to wish them well. Thea realized the cake they’d eaten last night must have come from here when she noticed another just like it in the display case. She complimented the woman behind the counter and found out that the bakery was run by three human sisters who had all found mates among the bear shifters of Grizzly Cove, one of whom was the owner and chef from the restaurant. When a celebration was called for, someone popped down the road to the bakery and picked up a cake.
Thea was very pleasantly surprised that the folks of this town had gone so far out of their way for her and Ezra. They’d turned what had been a regular dinner into a party when they’d heard about the new mating, and Thea had been incredibly touched by the gesture. Everyone had made her first evening in Grizzly Cove memorable in the best possible way.
Except maybe for the tiny run-in with the Alpha’s witch mate. That was something that still needed to be resolved, but Ezra’s explanation about the strega sisters and what they had done for the town had impressed Thea. Now, if she and this Alpha female could just come to some kind of understanding… Then, everything in this new town would be darn near close to perfect.
After breakfast, they walked over to the town hall, where, apparently, Ezra had set up the meeting the Alpha had requested the night before. He must’ve called while Thea had been getting dressed because they were ushered into a conference room where Trevor, Beth, John and a few others were already waiting for them. It looked like the meeting had been going on for a while before they got there, and Thea immediately noticed the Alpha’s mate, sitting at his side, looking a little contrite.
Had they been discussing Thea and her somewhat disturbing past? She got the sinking feeling that maybe they had. Still, nothing was said of it while the rest of the group said hello, and Thea and Ezra took the seats reserved for them at the big conference table. Ezra picked up the carafe of coffee on the table and poured two paper cups full, one for each of them, before things settled down.
What followed was a detailed debrief on what had happened in South Dakota from the time Ezra had run into Thea on the road, until they’d left to come here. Ezra handled most of the report but seemed glad to have Thea talk about some of their shared experiences. He also coached her through her description of the final confrontation with Sarella from her point of view. The rest sat and listened, mostly, though they asked for more detail on certain points.
They were particularly interested in Thea’s knowledge of Sarella. She gave them the details as best she could without revealing too much about her feelings on the matter—or so she hoped. The people around the table were very professional and had been asking astute questions with no hint of emotion. Thea tried to be the same, even though it was pretty clear all the men, at least, had military backgrounds.
They’d probably heard and seen worse in their careers than Thea had been through, which made it somewhat easier to reveal how she knew what she did about Sarella. The other woman present, though… John’s mate, Urse… She wasn’t a combat veteran. She wasn’t even a shifter. Thea found it impossible to look at Urse while she went into detail about Sarella and how Thea had first met her while being held prisoner by Bolivar.
Luckily, after the questions about Sarella were through, Ezra took up the narrative again. He told them about the local Alpha and making the job offer. He detailed the Alpha werewolf’s remorse over being duped by Sarella and talked about some of the things Chase had told him about the woman and the garage that Thea hadn’t known. He also mentioned the three bear shifter brothers, who seemed to be known to a few of the men in the room.
They took a quick break in the meeting after Ezra and Thea finished up their report. A few guys headed out to pick up snack trays that someone said had been delivered to the front desk. A few more walked around and stretched or made pit stops. Thea got up and walked toward the row of windows that looked out onto the cove. It really was pretty here.
“I hope you can forgive me.” Urse’s voice came from Thea’s side.
How had the witch snuck up on her? And where was Ezra? Thea spotted him off to one side, talking with two other men. Well, then. She was on her own, but she could handle this. Right?
“For what?” Thea decided to try to play this cool.
“For zapping you last night. I didn’t intend to, you know. It was just a little magical probe I sometimes use to try to get a quick read on new people. It’s harmless. You just have some natural barriers that are a bit stronger than the average bear’s. And I never would have attempted any magic around you had I known…” Urse trailed off, looking away as if mortified. “I’m really sorry.”
“I haven’t had the greatest experiences with mages,” Thea said, feeling her way through this conversation. She thought Urse sounded very genuine and very contrite. Thea would accept the apology, but not pity. Thea’s bear half snorted at the idea of being pitied by anyone. She was strong now. Not a bear needing anyone’s pity.
Urse’s gaze slid toward her mate and then back again to Thea. “John mentioned some of the problems you’ve had. I want you to know, just as there are good and bad people, there are good and bad magic users. My sister and I… Our entire line, really, has been sworn to the Light for generations.” Thea remained quiet, wondering if she could really trust this woman. This mage. “We’ve made our home here. Found our mates here. And we’ll do anything and everything in our power to protect those we love and keep this town free of evil.” Urse seemed to straighten her spine. “I check out new people, and I’m not sorry for it, but I am sorry if it caused you discomfort. If you stay, in time perhaps, you’ll come to find that not all mages are bad.”
Hmph. The Alpha female was asserting her authority a little. Well, good for her. Thea’s inner bear respected the woman more for the uncompromising stance.
“Maybe we can change that for you,” Urse said with a smile. It looked like they were past the first hurdle and perhaps on their way to better understanding. Thea was glad.
John came over at that point and put his arm casually around his mate’s waist. “Thea, I understand your parents live on the West Coast,” he said in a friendly tone.
“Sacramento,” she replied, wondering what might come next.
“You should invite them up here to see the town. Bears are always welcome, and Ezra tells me they haven’t had a chance to really get to know him yet.” John frowned a bit. “In the spirit of family harmony, you should probably fix that as soon as possible.”
“My parents aren’t…” How could she explain this without sounding disloyal? “I mean, you’re all very dominant bears, and my folks…aren’t. Part of the reason I left home was because, after what happened, I didn’t really fit in with them anymore.”
John nodded sagely. “You had a trial by fire. You’ll find many of my men have had similar experiences. It changes you, and your bear. What didn’t kill you made you stronger,” he said quietly. “But they’re still your parents. They love you, and it’s important for their inner peace to see that you’re happy and well mated. Invite them up. I promise, none of my bears will push them around. That’s not how we are here. We’re a family, not like some wolf Pack where they’re constantly testing the pecking order. We’re bears.” He shrugged, as if that said it all.
And perhaps, it did.