Bear Trap (Bear Lodge Shifters Book 4)

by Kyrii Rayne

  Carly watched her go, a wistful look in her eyes.

  “Have you ever just wished you could... you know... do something like that?”

  “All the time. Especially when things get dangerous.” Anna watched the crow fight the wind as she dwindled into the distance. “I don't like being the only person in our group without powers or serious military training. Heck, even my future sister in law is in search and rescue training, and she's not even twenty yet.”

  “You could train in something yourself. I felt like that until I learned computers. I don't have the tech love Darrin does, but it has helped me a lot.”

  “Maybe. I guess I haven't really found my thing yet. I have a lot of survival skills, and they helped me get through when we were being hunted. But when it comes to... all of this... I'm mostly just supporting the real troops.”

  Carly laughed a little.

  “I guess having everyone around you have magical powers kind of raises the bar for what's useful.”

  “Well, Mark measures up. But he's the kind of guy who would anyway.”

  “Yeah, he seems pretty badass. Though I can't figure out if he and Darrin are friends or not.”

  “It's... complicated.” She brushed a few stray flakes off the back of her hand and looked at Carly. “Thought I was the only one around who got jealous of them.”

  “Oh hell no. Before I figured out that being a shifter is a genetic thing, I was kind of hoping I could catch it from someone. Like in the werewolf movies. I even asked Maggie to bite me a couple times. But then the full moon would come and, well, no change.”

  “We'd be so lucky. Though if I had to get a bear bite to join my sweetie's race, I'd probably end up losing my arm. It's not like you can Nerf a bite from something that huge, not that much.”

  “Well, you could have Darrin do it.”

  Anna stared.

  “Wait, he already showed you his shift form?”

  Damn, this is going fast.

  Carly snickered at her expression. “Yeah, he did. He kept going on about how it was too small, and I asked who he had been hanging out with.”

  “Grizzlies. Jake's family is all grizzlies.”

  “So the size of small cars.” The wind broke up Carly's attempt at making a smoke ring with nicotine vapor.

  “Yep.”

  “He does realize that people have been taken down by determined housecats, right?” Carly smiled a little. “Though he is pretty cute. But so is Bambi, and a stag can kill you too.”

  “Yeah, it's not like he's a were-bunny.” Anna re-wrapped her shawl around herself, hiding her chilly hands inside of it. “Darrin's a friend. I think it's cool that you're hitting it off so well. But—”

  “Oh hey, is this the 'honorable intentions' inquiry? Because it's nice you're looking out for the guy, but—”

  Anna cut in in a tired voice. “Look. Let me start with a question. How much do you know about shape-shifters and relationships?”

  “Well, I know they seem to be really devoted. And I've noticed Darrin kind of fell like a rock. It's flattering. Confusing, but flattering. Guys don't do that with me. Certainly, no shifter I have ever met has.”

  “So no one told you about the mating thing. Okay. I guess that makes sense if your one close shifter friend hadn't even gone through puberty yet.” Anna looked back through the glass at Mark, Darrin and Jake gathered around the laptop. They seemed to be debating something.

  “What are you talking about?”

  Anna winced. Having to break this to someone who might get weirded out over it and back off Darrin did not feel good. She worried about making a mess of it. But she pushed forward regardless. “The way it was told to me goes like this. Every shifter, and certainly every Bear, has some human out there who is completely compatible with them. That person is supposedly destined to be their mate, and they will imprint on them. Jake, well, once he met me, he stopped looking at other women and just focused on me. It happened kind of quickly, though he's a little shy so it took him some time to get up the nerve to talk to me.”

  “That big bruiser was shy? Oh that's adorable.”

  Anna grinned a little.

  “Yeah, I know.” But then her smile faded. “Look, seriously. Darrin's been alone a long time. He believes in this whole destiny thing. A lot of them do. In fact, the only one I knew who didn't, he... well, he went crazy because he lost his.”

  “...Damn.” Carly turned to look at her. “You think Darrin thinks this whole 'destiny' thing when he looks at me? Because he hasn't exactly been pushy with me, but he suddenly has all this faith in me, and I don't know where it comes from. I thought he was just desperate for an ally against these bastards, but no. Not... not with the look he has in his eyes.”

  “He hasn't said either way to us. Darrin is cautious normally. But I kind of think that's what we're dealing with. He's... I know this all sounds really, really weird. But hear me out. Your romantic life is your business, but I gotta tell you, having someone who believes in the relationship and will not only fight for it, but work to make it better, it's a good thing. Life with a shifter is a little different than just being friends with one, but really... you could do worse.”

  “Okay, that's something I'll keep in mind. I do really like the guy, even if he seems to be kind of a mess right now.”

  “Oh, well, that's, um, not actually how he is most of the time. Usually he's the one who's on top of everything, while the rest of us are kind of running around bumping into each other.”

  Anna gave an awkward laugh. It was too true. Jake often admitted feeling a bit intimidated by the sheer number and scope of Darrin's skills.

  Not to mention his ability to think on his feet, gather information and come up with plans to deal with whatever crisis still had everyone else in a froth.

  “It kind of sucks, but at least you know what he's like at his worst.”

  “That is his worst?” Carly turned and peered through the glass at Darrin, who was defusing whatever argument had arisen between the other two. “Okay. That's good to know.”

  “Just... don't break the guy, whatever happens. Okay?” Anna turned to her pleadingly. “If you decide to be more than friends with him or not, he's... just... don't break him. He's a good friend and a good guy.”

  Carly smiled... and lowered her head a little awkwardly. Something in her smile looked a bit sad. “I don't want to hurt him. I don't know what I feel about him yet. I like him a lot. I wouldn't kick him out of bed, sure. But I don't know if I believe in destiny. I don't know if that kind of thing is even possible.”

  “Well, maybe it isn't. But isn't it weird to know things like a guy who can turn into a bear exist and not wonder about possibilities like that? I'm not saying that everything in the world is somehow laid out ahead of time for us. I'm sure there's tons of luck and choice involved. But what if there's a truth behind this belief?”

  “Huh.” Carly tucked her e-cigarette back in her pocket and rubbed just under her bottom lip thoughtfully. “Well, it's certainly an interesting idea. I'll think about it. But meanwhile... don't worry about me hurting Darrin, okay? I don't want to do anything like that.”

  “Okay.” Anna didn't bother keeping the relief out of her voice. She looked back into the common room. “We should probably find out what they've been sorting out in there.”

  “Yeah. Let's go in. I'm freezing my tits off out here.”

  All three men looked up as they walked in. Darrin looked grim, Mark looked stubborn and Jake looked irritated.

  “Hey, Baby. You guys okay out there?”

  “Temperature's dropping. Esme went out to go scouting.” She didn't elaborate on their discussion. Darrin's face wasn't red, and he was still preoccupied with his laptop, so he must not have overheard them through the thermopane glass. “What's up in here?”

  “Jake here seems to think that we shouldn't retreat and cover the Lodge. I'm wondering if it wouldn't be smarter.” Mark sat up straight. “Darrin says you guys stopped all but thre
e e-mails giving up information about the Lodge. That's up to three different Hunter groups who could show up, maybe even all at once. If there was ever a time to regroup—”

  “We can't afford to go running home.” Darrin rubbed his face. “They may have made contact with people off-line. We need to know who, how many and what they were told. That means interrogating those Renegades directly.”

  “And besides, unless they're way different than the last guys, they won't just go running up to the Lodge and start opening fire and tossing Molotovs. They'll hang out in Jackson, or somewhere nearby, and try to spy us all out first.” Jake sounded pretty confident of this after everything that had happened, and he had reason to be.

  The Lodge was hard to access - only off-road vehicles and the helicopter shuttle could reach it, especially in winter.

  “Gray's there, if there actually is trouble. And we could have them stop the shuttle for now,” Anna suggested. She could sense Mark's tension from across the room, but wondered how much of his sentiment had to do with protectiveness of Esme. She was the one out there being buffeted around in the snow so they could get good surveillance.

  “That we can arrange for.”

  Darrin sounded a little relieved, and Mark relaxed slightly.

  His tone when he spoke again was a little calmer.

  “I'm just saying. We can't take much for granted about all of this anymore. We never expected these guys we're after now to turn around and collaborate with a bunch of Hunters either, but here we are.”

  “Collaborate isn't the right word, though,” Jake said thoughtfully as he got up to give Anna a kiss and sit with her on the couch. “The Renegades are trying to use the Hunters, like free mercenaries.”

  “Yeah, but meanwhile they're protecting their own asses with real mercenaries. Guys with better training, more brains and more objectivity.” Mark sounded concerned, and for good reason. “At least a dozen. We'd better plan for at least twenty.”

  “That's a small army. How the hell do we do that, especially without Gray?”

  Darrin grabbed for his coffee mug and downed it like he'd poured whiskey into it.

  “Strategy,” Jake replied, smiling a little. “Something that doesn't involve hitting them head on.”

  “What strategy do you have in mind?” Darrin looked up at his friend with desperation in his eyes.

  “Hey, I'm not the strategist, you are. I just have faith that you can come up with something.”

  Darrin looked between Jake and Carly, and rolled his eyes.

  “Oh, no pressure or anything.”

  Chapter 9 -

  Eve of Battle

  That afternoon the flurries thickened into a real snowstorm. Esme came back exhausted and cold, and she and Mark curled up in their room after another attempt at a hot meal. At least they were able to get pizza delivery in this mess.

  They had a little time to rest before pulling together the last of their plan and heading out. Darrin and Carly stayed up talking over his laptop. Anna managed a slice of cheese pizza, and then gave up and stumbled into her and Jake's room for a nap. After a while, Jake came in after her, took off his shoes and curled up behind her, his warm bulk soothing her into drowsiness.

  She was starting to drift off when a hushed but obvious argument in the common room caught her attention.

  She opened an eye onto the semi-dark, then sighed, closing it again and snuggling deeper into Jake's arms. This wasn't any of her business. But of course, it reached her ears anyway.

  “...not trying to tell you what to do, we've known each other a day. But I am making a suggestion, because I'm concerned. You can't just involve yourself physically in this mess because we're shorthanded.”

  “Well, I'm not heavily into seeing you guys endanger yourselves by going up against twenty armed dudes and three Bear shifters without adequate backup. I can't stand by and watch like I did with Maggie. You need to let me put my hand in.”

  “No! Come on, that's nuts. I know you're super competent, but what could you possibly do that you aren't already?”

  “How about remote-disable their fancy new cars, their security system, their phones and their ability to communicate with each other and coordinate attacks?”

  Telling silence from Darrin. Anna smiled in the dark and then rolled over to tuck her head under Jake's chin. He let out a soft grunt and tightened his arms around her.

  “That's... impressive. But how are you going to execute something like that remotely?”

  “I have a van I use. It has its own local net, long range antennae for grabbing Wi-Fi, and enough gear inside to crack any system.”

  “But that means you'd have to be within range. And Esme says the grounds are pretty extensive.”

  “I should be able to reach from outside the gate.”

  Another long silence. Finally, Darrin spoke up softly.

  “Please don't. If you're within signal range for a van setup, you're within grabbing or shooting range for their security people.”

  “So what, I'm supposed to let you go through this without the backup I know I could provide, and be that much more endangered because of it?” Carly sounded annoyed. “Look, I may not have as much of a stake in this, but I do give a damn. Especially about you. So what the hell makes you think it's smart to warn me off?”

  “I....” he hesitated. “I just don't want you hurt. We just met. There's been no time for me to get to know you or for us to have any... any time together at all, and now this is happening. I can't be responsible for you getting hurt from trying to help us.”

  “What's that?” Another pause. “Look. If I do get hurt, it's because I'm a grown-ass woman who made a choice when I knew the risks. It's nothing that you would have any business blaming yourself for.”

  Another long silence. Finally, in a low, sad voice, he said simply, “I wish we had met under better circumstances.”

  “Well, me too, but we didn't have any choice in that. So, let's make the best of what we do have. But you should know. I'm not one of those women who lets her man order her around. I want to help you because I want to help you. I do know the risks. I'm not a newcomer at all of this.”

  “I get that. But this... I... shit.”

  She heard the creak of a chair as he fidgeted in it, and felt a bit sorry for him.

  He was trying to be protective when in reality they needed every hand.

  “Maybe I can ask Anna or one of the others to stay with you and make sure you don't get jumped without warning while you're doing your hacker work?”

  “Handing me backup is a lot more respectful than trying to tell me I can't go at all,” she conceded after a few moments. Then her voice got softer. “You want to tell me why you're suddenly so freaked out about my going over there?”

  Darrin audibly sucked air. Anna winced, wishing she could tune the conversation out. It was getting rather intensely private. But then after another moment, he simply said gently,

  “What happened to your best friend happened to my family. I... I care for you. I don't expect you to simply believe that and give in to what I want, but I can't stand the idea of your walking into a dangerous situation not twenty-four hours after we first met. Not like this.”

  “...But I'm supposed to be okay with your doing the same, without even the extra help I could be giving you.”

  He hesitated.

  “I didn't think of it that way. You... would you be worried? Are... you worried? I don't know. I don't know where I stand with you.”

  Anna swallowed a lump in her throat. Poor Darrin. But all she could do was lie there a room away and hope they worked it out.

  She heard a rustle of someone getting up, and then the creak of a chair taking weight.

  Darrin made a short, startled noise, as if he was beginning a word and got cut off in the middle. And then, finally, a long quiet that wasn't full of tension at all. Instead, only more soft rustlings, and little dewdrop sounds of kissing.

  Anna smiled and rolled over to nuzzl
e at Jake's throat, running her lips over his Adam's apple and then nibbling at his jawline. He let out another little grunt and opened an eye.

  “Oh hey,” he mumbled in a soft, muzzy voice as she slid her hands up his chest under his shirt. “You feeling a little better?”

  “Could be getting there,” she purred in his ear as she heard Darrin and Carly both get up, knocking the chair over in the process, and make a slow, stumbling way over to his bedroom door. She kissed Jake slowly and lazily as she heard the door slam. “Want to help me out?”

  “Mmmmm, sounds good to me.” His voice was still thick from being woken from the depths of sleep, but he didn't seem unhappy at the development. Instead he rolled over and pinned her under him by the wrists, taking his weight on his knees to keep it off her belly. “So what exactly would you like help... on?”

  “I'd just love some help getting rid of these clothes,” she purred in his ear. She had a change of clothes in her backpack, so she didn't mind sacrificing them much. “In fact I'm really sick of them.”

  He grinned slowly, and took the front of her shirt in one huge hand. “Sure about that?”

  She stretched luxuriantly under him, foot sliding along his calf caressingly.

  “Absolutely.”

  Cloth shredded as he yanked his hand down. She let out a little purr and arched her back as he ran his hand over her breast, then rolled her nipple between his two fingers. He tore the rags of her shirt off her shoulders and tossed them away, then bent down to kiss her neck and shoulders. She buried her hand in his hair, the other sliding over his hips and ass and then tugging his sweatpants down eagerly.

  He made a small noise of pleasure as she slid the cloth off his buttocks and ran her nails up over his skin. His head dipped lower, and he ran his tongue over her breasts eagerly, while his hands trailed over her belly. He took hold of her skirt at the waistband, then grabbed the hem and tore it up the side, all the way to the band, baring her hip. His hand slid over the exposed flesh, then seized the band of her panties and snapped them with a hard yank. Her skin stung where the elastic had dug in, and she whimpered a little as he rubbed the spot until it tingled.