He’d almost ignored the tattoo parlor, but the girls had propped the door open to the early summer breeze. He’d been enchanted by the easy laughter, the sweet smiles of the two girls he’d seen. Then Cyn had stepped out from behind the curtain blocking the work area from the front of the shop, laughing and joking with the sisters of her heart, and his world had tilted on its axis.
He’d found his mate.
Convincing her he was hers, on the other hand, was turning out to be a major undertaking. Good thing he was stubborn when it came to the things he really wanted.
He hated to admit it, but he was curious why she was sleeping in his bed. They hadn’t reached the part of their relationship where Cyn would be comfortable sleeping with him.
Or had they? He sniffed the air, hoping against hope that he hadn’t somehow mated her and, spirits forbid, forgotten it. He breathed a sigh of relief when he realized he hadn’t, not yet, anyway.
Another indelicate snore made him smile. She was so tough when awake, so vibrant and alive, it was odd to see her like this. She was practically sprawled on top of him, one leg thrown over his, one arm pinning him down, her head tucked just under his chin. She felt so good, so right, he was reluctant to move her.
But god damn did he have to piss.
He moved cautiously, gradually working his way out from under her and headed for the bathroom, breathing a sigh of relief as he finally let nature take its course. The headache was gone, and when he took a look at himself in the mirror he was almost back to normal. A few white strands remained, a few gray specks in his eyes. Nothing to see here. Please move along.
“Jules?”
He headed back into the bedroom at the sleepy sound of her voice. It had taken on a husky quality that sent blood racing straight to his cock. “I’m here.”
She was sitting up, pushing her mass of multicolored hair out of her face. “Where’d you go?”
“Bathroom.” He hit the foot of the bed and, instead of getting in on his side, began crawling up it until he was hovering over her. “Hi.”
She glared up at him. “You’re in big trouble.”
He whimpered. Fuck. He had her in his bed and he wasn’t going to be allowed to play? That was like chaining a recovering chocoholic in front of a Godiva store that was giving out free samples. “Why?”
Cyn bopped him upside the head. “You could have died, asshole.”
He sat back on his heels, his erection completely forgotten. This was something that couldn’t wait, something every Kermode had to do before mating with someone from the outside. “This is who I am, what I am. Bear made me this way for a reason.”
“Does that mean you have to risk your life?”
“Yes.” He sighed and stroked his hand across her knee. “He was two minutes from death. An aneurysm. What would you have me do, let a man die right in front of me when I can save him?”
She blew out a breath and refused to meet his eyes.
“I’m a nurse because of what I am. The urge to heal is strong within all Bears, but more so for the Kermode.”
“Alex said that was the reason the Kermode hold themselves apart.”
“He’s partially right. There’s more to it than that. The First Nations say that Kermode were made white by Raven to remind us all of the Ice Age, but it’s not true. Kermode were made white because…” He grimaced. “The truth is, not all Kermode are white. Only one in ten is, and they’re the ones with the special gift. But those of us who are born Spirit Bears are slowly dying out.” And the majority of human mates turned never became Spirit Bears. He doubted Cyn would be any different.
“Genetic problems?”
“Partly. We have our own problems as well, problems that up until now we’ve tried to deal with on our own.”
“Tell me.”
He hid a grin. He couldn’t wait until Tai and Cyn spoke for the first time. He had the feeling they’d seriously butt heads. “I can’t.” He held up his hand, stalling her objection. “I’m not allowed to. Bears might not have Alphas and Packs, but we have our own way of doing things. Tai Boucher is the closest thing we have to an Alpha, and until he tells me it’s all right to tell you, or until you accept the mating and become one of us, I can’t.” He shot her a cheeky grin. “It’s a Spirit Bear thing. You wouldn’t understand.”
“Your leader’s name is Tai?”
Hell. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d heard that much guilt in someone’s voice. “Yes. Why?”
She rolled her eyes. “Then trust me when I say he’ll never give you permission.”
His stomach rolled. “Crap. Did Tai call while I was sleeping?”
She nodded. Her expression now matched her voice.
“What did you do?”
“Nothing!”
“Cyn.”
“I may have taken exception to his tone of voice. I might even have retaliated a little. Just a tiny bit.”
He rubbed his forehead. Wow, look at that. A headache really could come roaring back to life. “What did he want?”
“He said to tell you that every Kermode has had the same dream, something about a key and a Bear, I forget exactly what he said.” She waved it off even as a shiver worked its way down his spine. This was bad. “He also—” She bit her lip and frowned ferociously.
“Also what?”
She looked him dead in the face and lied her pretty ass off. He’d made it a habit to study all things Cyn, and her left eyebrow always twitched just the tiniest bit before she fibbed. “Said to tell you hi.”
He traded stare for stare with her, but she didn’t back down, didn’t give him what he wanted: the truth. “Is that all he said?”
“Would you like some cookies?”
What the fuck? “I doubt he said that.”
“No, I’m hungry.” She pushed him away and clambered out of bed. “I want cookies.”
“I want answers.” He followed her to the kitchen where she helped herself to a large glass of milk. “What did Tai say, Cyn?”
“Oreos? You don’t have any chocolate chip?” She put the bag on the counter and ripped into it. “You need to do a grocery run.”
“I need to paddle your ass if you don’t tell me what he said. And Oreos are manna of the gods, you evil heathen. Especially if they’re double-stuff.”
She glared at him and shoved an entire Oreo in her mouth.
“Oh, that’s attractive.”
She grinned at him, black goo staining her teeth.
“Not even you are cute enough to pull that look off.” He handed her the milk and watched her devour six cookies at once. “Why aren’t you the size of a whale?”
“Metabolism.” She put the cookies back and finished her milk. “Well, it’s been fun, but I’m outta here.” She waved and started toward the front door. “See you later.”
She wasn’t. She couldn’t be. Julian chased her to the front door, but he was too late. She’d already climbed into his car, locking the doors behind her. She gave him an evil little wave and left him stranded on his front porch in the early dawn light.
Julian turned around and stalked back into his living room. He picked up his cell and dialed Tai. Fuck the time difference. He needed answers, and he needed them now. He left a message for Tai to call him back pronto, then headed off to shower.
An hour later he called Alex, because the other thing he really needed was a ride to work. Damn that sneaky Oreo-stealing, car-thieving female.
But he still couldn’t stop himself from sniffing his shirt right where her head had rested through the night, nor the smile that followed.
Chapter Seven
Cyn pulled into the parking lot at the back of LA Tattoos and picked up the bag of donuts and coffee. She was starving, despite her cookie raid that morning. She ran her fingers over Julian’s steering wheel, smiling for no reason she could figure out, and climbed out of the car.
A shadow out of the corner of her eye was her only warning. Cyn twisted, the sound of shattering glas
s shocking her into freezing for a second too long. A painful blow to the side of her face left her sprawled on the gravel, piping hot coffee burning her hand.
She sat up, ready to fight for her life, when a low growl sounded from behind her. Something gray and silver with an odd blob of green at the top of its head landed in front of her. Tabby had sailed over Julian’s sedan in Wolf form and hit the gravel in front of Cyn, snapping at the shadows. Her fur practically stood on end as she lunged at something Cyn couldn’t even see.
That was when Cyn realized it wasn’t a simple mugging. So she did what any sensible, modern woman would do. She grabbed her keys. “Adiós, asshole.” She pressed the button on her keychain, setting off a high-pitched alarm that had Tabby whining and burying her head in her paws. Cyn felt her own eyes cross, but if it affected her assailant the way it was affecting Tabby she was glad to sacrifice a little hearing for a day or two.
She dragged herself to her feet and grabbed hold of her other self-defense item on her key chain, a baton with a slight point at the end. She waved it toward the shadows, her finger still on the button of the alarm. “C’mon! Bring it, you fucking coward!”
Something indistinct dashed from the shadows and out into the street, too fast for Cyn to follow with her eyes.
“For the love of all that is holy, please stop.”
Cyn stared down at her naked, weeping friend. Tabby was human, covering her ears with shaking hands. “Get dressed. I think we’re about to have company.” She stood by the car door and tried not to tremble like a little girl while Tabby obeyed her orders.
“Cyn?”
Cyn grabbed the third thing on her key chain that wasn’t a key, a tiny flashlight, and aimed it at the street. “Mrs. H?” Crap, it hurt her jaw to talk. Son of a bitch had clocked her but good, and now that the danger had passed the pain was starting to make itself known.
Evelyn Hagen, one of LA’s older clients, put her hand to her chest and started toward her. “I heard the alarm and practically ran to get here. Are you all right? What happened to your car?”
Cyn turned and stared at Julian’s driver’s side window. Shit. He was going to be pissed about that. “I got mugged.”
“I got here just in time.” Tabby stepped out from behind the car and ran her fingers through her hair. She looked pale, fragile, like she was the one who’d gotten attacked.
“Are you two all right?”
Cyn nodded, doing her best to ignore the throbbing pain growing in her skull. “As right as we can be.”
Mrs. H. relaxed a little, the keychain baton in her own hand sliding into her back pocket. “Cool. I never really wanted to test out my karate skills.” She winked and followed them to the back door of LA. “You want me to call the cops?”
Cyn and Tabby exchanged a look. “Could you get them to send out Gabe Anderson?”
“The sheriff? Why?”
“Just tell him Tabby and I were attacked again. He’ll understand.”
Mrs. H. nodded, but her expression was anything but reassured. “I’ll do it. You need to put in security cameras back there.”
“We tried, but the landlord wouldn’t let us. Said it would damage the brick façade of the building.” Tabby shrugged.
Mrs. H. grunted. “Who’s your landlord?”
Tabby rattled off the name while Cyn fisted her hands at her sides. She didn’t give a crap about that fat asshole. Her jaw was getting worse, and she thought one of her teeth might be loose. “Tabs? Call Bunny.”
Tabby waved off Mrs. H. after reassuring her they were both fine, then pulled out her cell phone. “Alex? Cyn and I were just attacked again.”
The roar forced Tabby to pull the phone from her ear. “I’m fine. Cyn was the one who got beat up.” Tabby’s brows rose and she glanced at Cyn. “Yeah, I’ll tell her. No, Glory’s not here; she’s got afternoon to evening tonight.”
Cyn unlocked LA’s back door and let them into the shop. Fuck. Her head was pounding, she was nauseated and her jaw was feeling even worse. Was she going to have to go to the hospital? She didn’t think her jaw was broken, but she wasn’t a doctor. It was entirely possible the son of a bitch had broken something in her face. She headed for the front of the store and sat gingerly on one of the chairs. She tilted her head back, listening to Tabby’s soft voice as she tried to calm her frantic mate.
A few moments later Tabby was unlocking the front door. Alex burst through, his eyes wild. If he had any hair on his head it would have been standing on end. He scooped Tabby up as soon as he saw her, cradling her in his arms like she was a child, setting himself down on one of the guest chairs and checking every inch of her with his hands and eyes.
Cyn didn’t really care if they stripped naked and danced the hula. She just wished the pain in her head would fucking stop. She closed her eyes and ignored the pair, focusing instead on disregarding the pain.
A warm, gentle hand caressed her cheek. “You get into more trouble, I swear.”
She opened her eyes to find Julian hovering over her, his eyes silver, his hair pure white. The pain in her jaw immediately eased away to nothing and her nausea receded. She was still woozy and shaking, but at least she no longer wanted to chop her own face off. The fierce frown on his face worried her. “I broke your car.”
“Shh.” He stroked his finger along her jawline and she felt, actually felt the loose tooth firm up in its socket.
“Is she all right?” Alex’s voice was rumbly, a sure sign his Bear was close to the surface.
“Her jaw was broken, some teeth loose. I fixed it.”
She worked her jaw back and forth, never more grateful for the lack of pain. “Thanks.”
His brow quirked. “You’re welcome.” Then he crossed his arms over his chest and ruined it. “Why didn’t you call me immediately?” His gaze focused on her burned hand and immediately it felt better, the burn fading away as she watched.
She stood and faced him, just like she had her attacker in the parking lot. “My jaw was broken. Didn’t feel like talking. Besides, you should be resting. You did enough yesterday.” Julian took way too much on himself. Someone had to make sure he didn’t get hurt using his powers, and it wasn’t going to be him. He’d already proven that.
Cyn heard his teeth grind together. “I. Would. Have. Come.”
“How? Super Bear would have thrown on his cape and tights and flown?”
Tabby threw up her hand. “I’d pay to see that.”
Julian ignored Tabby, his gaze never leaving Cyn’s face. “I have my ways.”
“I have your car.”
He took a long breath. “Don’t push me right now. You were attacked, your jaw broken.” He turned to Tabby. “Was it a shifter?”
“Yeah, but one I’ve never smelled before. It was fast, way too fast for me to track or I might have gone after it.”
Alex growled. “You think it was the same people Gary worked for?” When Tabby squirmed in his lap he tightened his grip. “You’re not going anywhere, baby.”
Tabby rolled her eyes but stayed put. “I keep telling you I’m not a dog. Sit and stay doesn’t work on me. Besides, it wasn’t me they wanted this time.”
“They?”
Tabby nodded at Julian’s barked question. “There was more than one. I’m certain of it.”
“And you were going to go after them? Alone?” Alex’s hazel eyes turned dark brown. Six-inch claws sprang from his fingertips.
“Down, sugar.” Tabby patted Alex’s chest, but it did little to calm the Grizzly.
“You think that this time they wanted me?” Cyn shared a confused look with Tabby.
Tabby shrugged. “I have no idea.”
Alex pulled out his cell phone. “Dad. We have a situation.”
Cyn bit her lip as she stared at Tabby. She was getting sick and tired of this bullshit. If she were a shifter she could have changed and defended herself better rather than relying on her pregnant friend. Maybe if Tabby bit her she could—
“Don’t ev
en think about it.” Julian grabbed her jaw, pulled her face around to his and kissed her so deep and so hard she was surprised her lip didn’t bleed. His silver eyes sparkled down at her. “You’re mine. No one else gets to change you.”
Cyn swallowed. She shouldn’t feel relieved, damn it. She was an independent woman who could take care of herself.
Of course, she’d be able to do it a lot better once she was fuzzy.
His lips drew up in a sly smile. The kiss he gave her this time was softer, more sensual, a hell of a lot more bone-melting. Cyn clutched his shoulders, his hair brushing against the skin of her hands. She moaned into his mouth and he pulled her closer to him, pressing his hands into the small of her back until they were practically inside one another.
“I think I might be too young to see this,” Tabby muttered.
“I think I might be too young,” Alex chuckled. “Get a room, people.”
Cyn flipped them the bird even as she refused to allow Julian to end the kiss, grabbing the back of his head when he tried to pull away.
She had no idea you could smirk while kissing someone else, but damn it, the son of a bitch managed it.
She was breathless when she finally let him go. Julian nuzzled her cheek before releasing her and settling her back on the chair. “Gabe’s here.”
“How—”
The bell jingled, and Halle’s sheriff sauntered into the shop, took one look at the four of them and put his hands on his hips. “Can’t leave you people alone for a second, can I?”
“Cyn was attacked by shifters.” Julian wasn’t pulling any punches. He placed himself slightly in front of Cyn, almost as if he was ready to defend her against Gabe, of all people.
Gabe shook his head. “Any idea why, or who?”
“Or what.” Tabby got up off Alex’s lap and wandered over to the counter, picking up a pen to tap on the glass. “I got a whiff, but I didn’t recognize the type of shifter.”
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