Dana Marie Bell - [Halle Shifters 01]

by Bear Necessities (lit)

  His mother patted his cheek. “That’s all right, dear. I’m sure she’ll fit right in.”

  God he hoped so. And he hoped the rest of the family was as welcoming as he knew his parents would be. Because so far Tabby was anything but ordinary.

  Chapter Three

  Tabby sipped the sucky hospital coffee and waited for Alex to step out of his cousin’s room. Julian had insisted that she go check on her, but she didn’t feel comfortable in there with everyone else. Chloe’s parents were hovering over her and, despite how shitty Tabby felt about it, she found herself jealous. Tabby’s parents had never cared that much for her. If they had cared at all, they’d never have abandoned her to the streets when she was fifteen.

  “Here, this might make it a little better.”

  Tabby glanced at Alex’s mother, wondering again at the sight of the smaller woman. The beautiful woman next to her looked nothing like a mom. She looked like a model, her eyes a startling light hazel, her skin a creamy bronze. The only imperfections were the laugh lines around her eyes and mouth and the light smattering of freckles across her nose. It was those laugh lines that showed her the resemblance between Bunny and his mother. “Thanks, Mrs. Bunsun.”

  “Barb, sweetie. And don’t thank me until you’ve tasted that.”

  Tabby looked down at the cherry danish in her hand. “Hospital cafeteria?”

  “Yup.” Barbra sighed and leaned against the wall. “So. You’re mated to my son.”

  Tabby winced. “Almost.”

  Thin dark brows rose, questioning her without saying a word.

  “He bit me before we followed the ambulance. Just pushed the jacket aside and bared fang, right in public too.” She took a bite of the cherry danish. She then took a nice, long sip of the coffee so she wouldn’t choke on the dry pastry. She tried desperately not to make a face. It had been a nice gesture, but dear God. “Um. Is there a convenience store around here?”

  Barb’s lips twitched. “Bared fang, huh?”

  “Mm-hmm. That’s as far as we’ve gotten, though.” Tabby froze, her gaze sliding away. “You’re…all right with that?” Hadn’t Alex told her that Tabby was Outcast?

  “Are you all right with it?”

  Tabby thought of her hotter-than-hell mate and nodded. “Oh, yeah. I’m fine with it.”

  Barb smiled, looking relieved. “I was worried. My parents freaked when they found out my mate was white. They didn’t speak to me for weeks.”

  Tabby snorted. “My parents are the least of my worries.”

  Barb’s expression turned sharp. “Is there a problem I need to know about?”

  Tabby threw away the inedible danish. She’d eaten better food out of garbage bins. Someone needed to smack the hospital nutritionist upside the head. “I’m Outcast.”

  Barb blinked. “Hmm. What for?”

  She studied her mother-in-law, relieved to see no condemnation in the other woman’s face. “For being a thief.”

  Barb waved her hand. “And? Details, hon.”

  “Long story short? I was dating the Alpha’s son. I snuck into his room to fool around, got caught sneaking out. The Alpha assumed I was there to rob him and wouldn’t listen to what I was saying. His son didn’t even try to explain things to his father.” Her lips twisted in a smile. “The Alpha never heard anything he didn’t want to anyway. No one bothered to speak up for me and the Alpha Outcast me. I roamed for about eight years as a wolf and finally landed in Halle. I’ve been here ever since.”

  Barb studied her for a moment, her whole body relaxing. “Then we’ll have to fix it.”

  Tabby blinked. How did you fix the unfixable? “How’s Chloe?”

  Barb sighed, the tension returning to her shoulders. “Not good.”

  She took hold of Barb’s hand and squeezed. “I’m so sorry. Is there anything I can do to help?”

  “Yeah.” Barb’s smile was weary. “Take good care of my son.”

  Tabby nodded, her eyes following Barb all the way back to the hospital room door.

  “Tabby?”

  Tabby grinned as her friend’s sweet voice flowed over her. Glory was standing there in one of her colorful peasant skirts and glittery tops, her pale blue hair done up in a sweet-looking ponytail. She looked like a pixie gypsy. “Hey, girl. What are you doing here?”

  Glory held up Tabby’s gym bag. The bangles on her wrist jangled and her grin was wide and sparkling. “Not quite the way we’d envisioned you spending last night.” She giggled. “Okay, bringing you work clothes after your night of debauchery, yes. Bringing you work clothes after a night in the hospital, no. And hey, no walk of shame, right?”

  “Thanks a lot.” Tabby rolled her eyes, but just the presence of her bubbly friend soothed her. It was hard to be upset when Glory was around. “Is Cyn all alone?” The store had opened over an hour ago.

  “She posted that we were closed for a family emergency and moved the appointments we had to later in the week.” She handed Tabby the bag. “I’m sorry to hear about your boyfriend’s cousin.”

  “Thanks.” Tabby headed toward Julian’s room. She’d rather change in his bathroom than in the public restroom. And there was no way she was going into Chloe’s room, not with all those people in there. Julian would guard the door for her while she changed. He was one of the few people she truly trusted to keep her safe.

  “Where is your new man, anyway?”

  Tabby shrugged. “Alex is getting some sleep finally.” And hadn’t that been a battle and a half? He’d argued with everyone but his mother until the woman had pinched his ear and literally dragged him off for some rest. He was due back any minute now. “Oh, I almost forgot. Julian’s here.”

  “What for?”

  She thought about trying to explain, but decided she wanted a nice tall pitcher of margaritas next to her when she did. She still hadn’t figured out how he’d saved Chloe, or what was up with the funky white hair. “I’ll tell you later, but he’s fine now. He’s waiting on his discharge paperwork in his room, so I’ll change there.”

  “Well, Cyn says to take your—oomph!” Tabby spun around. Glory was sprawled on the floor. Ryan stood over her, the strangest look on his face.

  Glory blew her pale blue bangs out of her face. “And hello to you too.”

  Tabby had to stifle her own giggles at the disgruntled look on her face.

  Ryan blinked. His expression was stunned. Tabby had seen Glory have that effect on more than one man. “Hello.” Tabby shivered. Ryan had practically purred the salutation. “Who are you?”

  Glory smiled up at Ryan. “Glory.” She held up her hand, every inch a dainty princess. “Help me up, please?”

  Ryan jumped. “Oh! Right.” He took Glory’s hand and easily pulled her to her feet. “I’m Ryan, Ryan Williams.”

  Glory’s expression turned much more genuine. “Chloe’s brother?”

  Ryan smiled. “Yeah. She was admitted last night. You know her?”

  Glory’s mouth dropped open. “You mean…?” She turned to Tabby. “You didn’t tell me it was Chloe in the hospital.” She tugged on her hand, frowning absently when Ryan didn’t let go. “Chloe’s a friend. I need to go get her some flowers or something.”

  “She’d like that once she’s out of ICU.” Ryan took Glory’s hand and tucked it into the crook of his arm. “Maybe I can help you find some?”

  Glory tapped her foot. “Your sister is in the hospital and you’re flirting with me?”

  Ryan’s answer was a heated grin.

  Tabby coughed. From the look on Ryan’s face, things were about to get interesting for her friend. “I need to borrow Glory for a little bit.” Ryan frowned at her. “Seriously. She’s my coworker, my roommate and one of my best friends.”

  The frown left his face. “And?”

  Tabby sighed. “Glory?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Grr-grr.”

  Glory tilted her head toward Ryan, her mouth hanging open. “Him?”

  “Yup.”

>   “Oh!” Glory yanked her hand free. “Shouldn’t you be, I dunno, with your mate?” She hissed. Glory had a real hate-on for cheaters. Tabby still didn’t know why, though she could guess. Glory’s parents were divorced, and she knew Glory would have nothing to do with her mother.

  “He doesn’t have one, Glory.”

  Ryan threw his head back and laughed. “Not yet, anyway.” He loomed over Glory, his expression intense. He towered over her petite friend. The move screamed possession.

  Uh-oh. “Um. Ryan? Why don’t you go check on Chloe?”

  He looked over at her, and for a moment the predator he was peeked out of his suddenly deep brown eyes. She could tell he was debating whether or not to do what she’d asked. “Where are you two headed?”

  Tabby held up her bag. “She brought me clothes. We’re headed to Julian’s room so I can get changed in peace.”

  Ryan studied her, his fingers absently toying with a lock of Glory’s hair. “Keep her safe.”

  She gulped, the quiet warning in the Bear’s voice clear. If Ryan had decided not to let Glory out of his sight, there wasn’t much Tabby could have done to stop him. A lone Bear could whip the ass of a lone Wolf. “Yup. Will do.”

  Ryan took Glory’s hand to his lips. “I will see you later.” He tipped Glory’s chin up and smiled down at her, his expression filled with wonder and a touch of satisfaction. “Glory.”

  Glory didn’t take a breath until Ryan’s form disappeared around the corner. “What the hell was that all about?”

  Tabby took Glory’s arm and steered her back to Julian’s room. “I’ll explain it on the way.” She pushed the button for the elevator. “How do you feel about bears?”

  Glory looked stunned. She stumbled along, pulled by Tabby, her expression one of horrified fascination. She’d never dealt well with aggressive men, and a man on the hunt for his mate was about as aggressive as they came. “Please tell me we’re discussing the teddy kind.”

  Tabby shook her head and escorted her friend into Julian’s room.

  Bunny pushed on the door to Julian’s room. Ryan had told him that his mate could be found there. He’d also told Bunny that she was getting naked. He needed to find out if Julian was a dead man or not. Clenched in one hand was the stupid stuffed bear he’d had made for Julian at Tabby’s insistence.

  If Julian had gotten one glimpse of his mate’s creamy flesh, Bunny was going to feed the toy to him one fuzzy piece at a time.

  “I was wondering when you’d show up.”

  Bunny blinked. Julian sat on the edge of his bed, a smirk on his face. His Native American heritage was obvious in his dusky skin color, deep black eyes and high cheekbones. His long, dark hair was loose, falling to pool in his lap. Now that he got a good look at him, Bunny nearly growled. Julian was one of the handsomest men he’d ever seen. And Tabby was naked in this man’s bathroom?

  Hell to the no.

  “Where’s Tabby?” Bunny smiled, his fangs peeking out. Mine.

  Julian rolled his eyes and snorted. “She’s getting dressed.” He pointed toward the bathroom. “She even waited until she shut the door to start with the nakedness.”

  Bunny’s hands clenched. He owed the man, but still. That was his mate getting naked in another man’s room. “Tabby?”

  “Yeah?” Her muffled reply sounded amused.

  He ground his teeth. “Are you done yet?”

  Julian covered his mouth, no doubt hiding his laughter from the way his shoulders were shaking. “Your mate thinks I’m going to sneak in there and ravish your lily-white ass.”

  Bunny relaxed a bit. The other man had just acknowledged Bunny’s right to Tabby. He bowed his head in thanks, smiling back when Julian winked at him. The last thing he wanted to do was rip into the man who not only was one of his mate’s closest friends, but his cousin’s savior. Besides, Bunny hated fighting, but he’d do it for Tabby. It was nice to know there wasn’t a need where Julian was concerned.

  The sounds behind the door had stopped. “He thinks what again?”

  “Face it, hon.” Julian struck a dramatic pose. “You want me even more than you want Legolas.”

  The door opened. Tabby stepped out and Bunny’s tongue nearly hit the floor. Those jeans looked painted on. “Of course. Legolas can’t do that thing you do with your tongue and a cherry stem.”

  Bunny sighed. He’d explore those jeans later. He turned his attention back to Julian. “You need to die now.”

  Julian laughed. “Nice to meet you, by the way.”

  Bunny stepped forward and shook the hand Julian was holding out. He tried not to frown. The man looked like hammered shit despite the front he was putting on. “Alexander Bunsun. Call me Bunny.”

  The Bear blinked, but didn’t say a word. “Julian Ducharme. Tabby and I are good friends.”

  “I owe you for what you did for my cousin.”

  Julian grimaced. “I couldn’t leave her like that.” He shrugged. “Her pain pulled me from three blocks away.”

  Tabby’s hand rested on his shoulder, calming him even further. “Are you the one who called it in to 9-1-1?” Good question. One that hadn’t been answered yet, at least as far as Bunny knew.

  Julian frowned and sat up straight. “No. They arrived just as I got there.”

  Tabby and Julian exchanged a worried look. These two obviously had some history, and his mate trusted the other Bear. He decided that was good enough for him. He relaxed, settling into a chair next to Julian’s bed. “So who did call them?”

  “That’s a good question.”

  Tabby frowned. “I know just the man to answer that.” She pulled out her cell phone and touched a number, then put the phone to her ear. “Hi, it’s Tabby. Can you put me through to Gabe?”

  “Good girl. I should have thought of that.”

  Bunny frowned when Julian settled back against the head of the bed. “Thought of what?”

  Tabby moved to the door and opened it, stepping out into the hallway. “Hey, Gabe. Any news on Chloe’s case?”

  Julian folded his hands behind his head and crossed his ankles. “She’s friends with the sheriff. She’ll get an answer out of him faster than anyone but his mate, especially where Chloe’s concerned.” Julian gave him a speculative look. “She may have lost her family in Georgia, but she found a new one here. You understand?”

  Bunny studied Julian and slowly nodded. Yeah, he understood. “Thank you again.”

  Julian shrugged. “I’m not the only one. There are a number of people who would go to bat for that girl without thinking twice about it. In fact, I think she’d be surprised at how many would.”

  “Including the Alpha?”

  “Not sure, but I think so. From what I’ve seen, Max is pretty confident and he trusts his hierarchy.”

  “And if Gabe says she’s family, he’ll what? Accept that?”

  Julian looked mysterious. A streak of palest white flashed through his hair, gone almost as quickly as it appeared. “I think when all is said and done, Tabby’s going to find that she’s got a lot more family than she ever dreamed of.”

  Julian and I need to sit down and have a nice, long talk. Soon. “She doesn’t know about the Kermode.” He grinned. “Can I be there for that discussion?”

  Julian snorted. “Sure. Can you have it for me?”

  Bunny rolled his eyes. “Remind me to introduce you to Ryan. You two should get along really well.” He held out the bear. “Here. From Tabby and me.”

  Julian took the white bear and snorted. “Cute. But why the Superman costume?”

  Tabby stepped back into the room before he could answer. She looked shaken, wild. Bunny stood, ready to comfort his shaken mate. “I just talked to Gabe.”

  Julian sat up slowly, all of his attention suddenly focused on Tabby. Bunny tensed all over. The look on her face was horrible. “What, baby?”

  “Chloe.” She gulped. “She wasn’t hit by a car. They’ve confirmed that the marks on her body are consistent with a beating.”
She stepped forward and clasped her arms around Bunny, laying her head against his chest with a sigh. “Someone tried to kill your cousin.”

  Bunny blinked in the late afternoon light filtering in through the hospital window. He’d made sure Julian got home safely, following the cab to the small house on the outskirts of town Julian called home. He’d dropped Tabby off at work immediately afterwards and headed right back to the hospital. He’d been sitting there ever since.

  “Go home.”

  Bunny blinked up at his father. He couldn’t leave Chloe. What if something happened to her? He needed to be there to protect her. It was bad enough he hadn’t been there before.

  His father’s hand landed on his shoulder. “I know what you’re thinking. We’re more alike than you know.” Will pulled Bunny out of the chair. “I promise nothing is going to happen to Chloe while I’m here.”

  Bunny looked into his father’s shifted eyes and nodded. He and his father were a great deal alike. Will would protect Chloe against anything and everything that came at her. The only difference was William didn’t have the anger issues Bunny faced on a daily basis. The rage in him was much more focused and directed. He’d taken that anger and turned it on the land itself, creating his business with his own two hands. Just as Bunny used yoga, his father used physical labor, and it worked. “Okay. I’ll go rest. Call me if she wakes up.” He winced. He’d meant to say when.

  “Sleep, son. You’re exhausted. You helped heal Chloe. Now it’s time to heal yourself.”

  Bunny nodded again and shuffled to the door.

  “And leave the bike here. Take a cab.”

  He froze. He never left the bike. That Harley was his baby.

  “Maybe you could call your mate and get a ride?”

  Now there was a thought. Maybe he’d convince her to come back to the hotel room with him. “Good idea.” Maybe he’d do more than nap, too. He pulled out his cell phone and called Living Art.

  “Living Art, Glory speaking.”

  “Hey, Glory. Can you put Tabby on?”