Safe with Her Bears

by Madeline Hill

  Carter had a decision to make. He could tell him the truth— or he could spin some elaborate story. Neither option felt right to him. But there was no time to contemplate. He had to say something.

  “Well, sir…” He opened his mouth and left it hanging there, not knowing what to say.

  Burke stopped pacing and leaned against his desk. “I know when you’re lying, Carter. You were never very good at that. So don’t bother. Tell me the truth. Why did you and Max not report back to the office?”

  Carter swallowed, his head pounding. This would be a moment he wouldn’t be able to take back. If this were just about him, he’d probably lie his ass off. But he had to think about Max, his best friend who’d been grievously injured on account of his own actions. He had to respect Max’s wishes. “I saw Jules out in the woods and followed her. I went undercover, pretending to be a lost hiker.”

  Burke’s eyes looked like they were going to bulge out of their sockets. “You found her?”

  Carter nodded. “Yeah. I wanted to find out why—”

  “Tell me, Carter, if you found her, why is she not in custody right now?”

  “Well, sir, as I said, I went undercover to—”

  “I’m sorry, I must have missed the memo,” Burke laughed sarcastically. “When did this become an undercover operation?”

  “It’s not, officially. For some reason I just thought it would be a good idea to, you know, get inside her head.”

  “Get inside her head? Why on earth would you do that?”

  Carter shrugged. “I had a hard time believing she was some hardened criminal. I wanted to find out for myself whether she really—”

  Burke scoffed, waving his hand to stop him. “Carter, you realize that’s what the courts are there to decide? Not you! You’re a grizzly shifter, for God’s sake. Your job is to protect this park. Provide us with muscle. Intimidate. Make arrests. Investigate only when cases actually warrant investigation. This case doesn’t. She’s a fugitive on the run. Nothing more, nothing less.”

  “I understand, sir,” Carter replied, feeling like a child who’d been sent to the principal’s office. “That’s what Max said, as well.”

  “So Max was in on it with you? He never reported back to me, either.”

  “Sir, Max didn’t want to. He knew it was a bad idea. I pressured him. The blame should fall squarely on my shoulders.”

  “Oh, don’t you worry about that, Carter.” Burke pursed his lips. “We’ll get to that, believe me.”

  Burke narrowed his eyes, shooting daggers. Carter had never seen him this furious before.

  “Go on,” Burke ordered curtly.

  Carter sighed. “So we got to know her. There was an old abandoned cabin, and we spent the night there.”

  His stomach rolled, and he braced himself.

  “Spent the night with the fugitive?” Burke raised an eyebrow. “I see.”

  Carter cleared his throat. “So, anyway. The next morning she was gone. We went out to look for her. Turns out, she found the backpack I’d stuffed into a tree stump. The one with my uniform, the walkie-talkie. The—” Carter coughed. “—the gun.”

  Carter expected Burke to blow his top and start screaming and ranting. Instead Burke stood deathly still, frozen in disbelief.

  “I guess she wasn’t particularly happy that we lied to her,” Carter continued slowly. “She escaped and took the gun with her.”

  Burke shook his head, defeated. “I just… I can’t believe this. I can’t believe I let this happen on my watch.”

  Carter bit his bottom lip. “Um, that’s not all, sir.”

  Burke met his eyes reluctantly, looking like he didn’t even want to hear the rest.

  “We pursued her, quite easily. We followed her scent. But, well. She had a gun. She shot Max.”

  Burke’s face dropped. “She shot him? Is he okay?”

  Carter furrowed his brows. He wrapped his arms around his stomach and leaned forward, suddenly feeling nauseated. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he was making a terrible, terrible mistake.

  “Yeah, he’s gonna be okay,” Carter croaked. “He’s recovering right now. Zariah is taking care of him. He should be back to new in no time.”

  Burke returned to his desk. He sat down in his office chair and leaned back, his jaw clenched and lips pursed. “Is there anything else?” he asked.

  “Uh, no, sir,” Carter replied. “That’s about it.”

  “Jules is still on the loose, I take it,” Burke said. “And now she’s got a weapon.”

  Carter swallowed hard, nodding.

  Burke leaned forward and tapped his finger against the desk. “I’m placing you and Max on administrative leave without pay, until further notice, pending investigation into your actions.”

  Carter’s stomach dropped. A single drop of sweat rolled down his forehead. He nodded solemnly.

  “I don’t want to see your face again for a long while,” Burke ordered, his voice low, sizzling with anger. “You will have nothing to do with this Jules girl. You will not interfere with this case. All I need from you now is to point me to the exact location you last saw her.”

  Carter nodded. “Yes, sir. Absolutely. Just, please don’t—”

  “You’re not in a position to ask anything of me, Carter.”

  “Don’t hurt her,” Carter pressed, though deep down he knew it was out of his hands.

  “We’ll take whatever actions we deem necessary,” Burke said flatly, with no emotion in his voice.

  Burke handed a map of Yellowstone to Carter. Carter pointed to a spot that was a good thirty miles south of where he’d last seen her. Then he stood and silently walked out of the room.

  18

  Carter gripped his ice-cold mug of Budweiser, the condensation wetting his fingers. The lilting drawl of melancholy country music played out of the jukebox. The bar was old and run-down and smelled like stale cigarette smoke and moldy carpet. But there was a certain charm to it. He’d been coming here regularly since he moved back from California, though normally in much better spirits.

  “You’re lookin’ like you’ve had better days,” Candy the bartender crooned in her Southern accent. She was a haggard yet sweet woman in her fifties. Her brown hair streaked silver and poofed up in a large, crinkly perm.

  “You’re damn right about that,” Carter growled.

  Candy’s mouth formed an exaggerated pout as she reached over and squeezed Carter’s forearm, poking him with her fake red nails. “I’m sorry, hun. This beer’s on the house.”

  Carter allowed a smile to grace his lips. He placed his hands over hers and patted it. “It’s okay, Candy. My bad fortune is good for you. It’ll keep you in business.”

  Candy snorted. “Don’t you talk like that, Carter! I welcome depression from these other fools, but I don’t want to see a single frown on your sweet face.”

  She looked around at the other bar goers with a sneer.

  “Not fair, Candy!” The rough-looking man on Carter’s right blurted as he slammed his fist on the bar. “You just got a big ‘ole crush on him. You don’t give the time of day to the rest of us old fogeys.”

  “You're damn right I don’t!” Candy laughed.

  Carter smiled, wanting to enjoy the light-hearted banter, but the hurt inside him was just too strong. His smile quickly faded. He brought the cool drink to his lips and took a long swig.

  A woman’s monotone voice caught his attention. “State police are still on the hunt for a young female drug trafficker—”

  Carter glanced up at the small television behind the bar. It was a local news broadcast.

  “After a brief car chase, the suspect ran off the road and escaped on foot. This happened on highway 191 right on the outskirts of West Yellowstone early Thursday afternoon. Police discovered 100 pounds of methamphetamine in the trunk of her car.”

  Carter breathed deeply. He’d come here to drown his sorrows and forget all about Jules. The last thing he wanted was a reminder.

&
nbsp; A photo of Jules appeared on the screen, the same photo that he and Max had been given. “The suspect is Jules Robinson, a 23-year-old recent college graduate from Billings, Montana. Authorities suspect she was transporting the drugs across state lines and was most likely on her way to Salt Lake City, which has experienced a significant surge in drug activity since the beginning of the year.”

  “Pretty little thing,” the man next to him said.

  “Authorities urge anyone in or around Yellowstone National Park to advance with caution, as police suspect she may be armed and dangerous. The suspect has long black hair and green eyes. Please report any tips to 984–228-TIPS.”

  Carter’s stomach churned at the thought of some shit-for-brains vigilante spotting Jules and trying to take her fate into his own hands. He gritted his teeth, trying to rid himself of the thought.

  “Daaaaaamn, I wouldn’t mind gettin’ a piece of that ass,” a coarse voice hollered behind Carter.

  Carter whipped his head back to see a young, smarmy-looking man in a sweat-stained muscle shirt and faded, torn blue jeans. His skinny arms were covered in gray tattoos, and greasy brown hair hung over his beady black eyes.

  The man looked at Carter and grinned, two teeth missing. “Ain’t she a sight for sore eyes?”

  Carter growled.

  “I mean, she could stand to lose a few pounds. But fer’ a chubby one, she ain’t bad at all.”

  Carter curled his fingers into two fists that hung heavy and waiting at his sides. He expelled a forceful puff of hot air from his nostrils.

  The man looked around the room, trying to find an audience. He guffawed as he joked, “I don’t know how a fattie like that can survive out in these woods! They ain’t got no Burger King out here!”

  He managed to elicit a few hesitant laughs from the crowd before Carter swung his fist through the air and smashed the man’s face. He stumbled back, blood pouring from his nose.

  “Hey, what the fuck you doin’?!” the man shrieked. He put his hands up to protect his face as Carter advanced on him, using the full force of his primal rage to power his fist. His ears ringing, he swung again, catching his fist right under the man’s jaw, sending him flying through the air. He landed on a booth table, smashing the beer bottles right between two patrons who scurried away.

  Screams pierced the air in the bar as he barreled forward, gripping the man’s ratty shirt and pulling him up to deliver more blows. But the man’s head hung limp, eyes closed. He’d already been knocked out.

  “Leave him be, Carter!” Candy shouted into his ear, swatting his back.

  With an annoyed growl, Carter dropped the body from his fists. The man landed on the table and rolled onto the booth seat, shards of broken glass from the beer bottles littered everywhere.

  Carter turned to Candy, who looked surprisingly fierce as she scowled at him.

  “Get the hell out of my bar, Carter!” Candy ordered, pointing a finger towards the exit. “And don’t come back again until you get yer head on straight, you hear me?”

  Carter wiped his bloodied hands on his shirt. The air hung heavy with nervous silence. All eyes were on him as he wordlessly stepped outside.

  Carter shoved the front door open. He was met with the cool, fresh air of the evening, a refreshing change from the stale stench of the bar. The moon was bright and cast everything in a soft light. He felt the sudden urge to enter the woods and shift, barrel his way through the trees and bushes, wade through streams, and climb the mountains and hills until he caught Jules’s scent in his nostrils. He’d follow her trail until he found her. He’d save her, make her his mate again. Hide her from the oppression of the outside world. They could live together, deep in the woods—forever. To hell with the law. To hell with rules. To hell with duty. To hell with Max!

  He gripped his heart, his bear crying out.

  He couldn’t.

  Carter slumped down on the gravel, defeated, and hung his head between his knees. It’s over, Carter. Accept it. You made your choice. Now live with it.

  A small group of bikers lingered near the entrance, several yards away from him. A cloud of cigarette smoke bloomed above their heads as they talked and made vulgar jokes.

  Carter observed them. They were tall and wiry. Beastly. Distinctly… feline.

  “I heard she’s one of Nick’s,” a voice said.

  “Yeah, she is. He’s got some of his own people on the lookout for her.”

  “Well, I hope they find her before the police do. Otherwise he’s in some deep, deep shit.”

  “Last I heard, they found her.”

  “She arrested?”

  “Nah, Nick’s people got to her first. I think she’s hiding away somewhere.”

  Carter’s curiosity reached a breaking point. He rose and approached the group of shifters.

  “You cougars?” he asked gruffly.

  The four shifters stared at him like he was a leper.

  “What’s it to you?” one of them asked.

  “Who are you talking about?” he pressed. “Jules Robinson?”

  The one on the right snorted. “Get out of here, pig. We ain’t tellin’ you a damn thing.”

  Carter shrugged. “I’m a civilian now.”

  “Oh, really?” another one challenged. “Bullshit. Are we under arrest? Go fuck yourself, pig.”

  “I’m a bear,” Carter growled. “I’ll tear every last one of you to shreds, you hear me? One of you cats nearly killed my friend and partner today. You know anything about that?”

  “You got attacked by a cougar?” one asked. “Why would we know anything about that? We’re solitary. We ain’t responsible.”

  “You guys don’t seem solitary to me,” Carter noted. “Seems like you know a hell of a lot, too.”

  He was met with only silence and a few mocking laughs.

  “Which one of you said Jules has been caught?” he asked.

  There was nothing but a single “fuck you” in response.

  Something snapped deep inside Carter and his bear took over. His clothes ripped from his flesh as he grew and morphed into his ursine form. He let out a ferocious roar as he stood on his hind legs and rose to his full height, towering above the bikers, ready to strike.

  19

  Carter raced up the stairs to Zariah’s cabin in the cool blue twilight of dawn and didn’t bother knocking. He barged right into the dark interior and called out her name, an elaborate story already spinning in his head. There was no answer. He called out again, the only response a grunt coming from the room where Max was recovering.

  Carter rushed into the room and switched on the light, Max groaning and covering his eyes with his arm.

  “What is it, Carter?” he grumbled, still groggy from sleep.

  “Is Zariah here?” Carter asked breathlessly.

  “She got called out to an emergency in the park about an hour ago. What’s wrong?”

  Carter ran his fingers through his golden blond mane and huffed out a relieved breath. “Oh, thank God. I need to show you something. Zariah can’t know about it.”

  Max sat up with a pained grunt. “What is it?”

  “Can you walk?”

  He clenched his jaw and nodded firmly before pushing his weight off the bed. The floor creaked as his feet hit the wood. He put his hand on the bedside table, readying himself until he gained his balance. His chest heaved as he filled his lungs with a deep breath, then straightened himself until he was standing tall and strong, fists clenched with resolve.

  “You’re practically good as new,” Carter said with a cheeky grin.

  “I’m gettin’ there,” Max answered wearily.

  “Follow me,” Carter said, rushing out of the bedroom. He made his way to the front door and stepped out into the cool morning air. He held the door open for Max, who followed slowly, with a bit of a hobble to his step.

  Carter led him out into the front yard and around to the back of the pickup truck. He opened the bed and Max’s head whipped towards the sight
, eyes catching movement under a blue tarp. Carter looked over one shoulder, then the next, scanning the woods to see if anyone was near, but Zariah lived in a relatively secluded area, the nearest neighbor a mile away. Then he pulled the tarp up with one swift movement.

  Max’s eyes widened in shock. There in the bed of the truck was a bruised and bloodied man, bound by rope on his hands and feet, duct tape on his mouth. He grunted, struggling, his eyes watery and fierce, more angry than afraid.

  “What the hell?” Max bellowed.

  “Shush, keep your voice down,” Carter whispered.

  “Who is this?”

  “This is a cougar shifter. I ran into him outside Candy’s bar. I pumped him full of Vervain to keep him from shifting.”

  Max’s eyes studied the man warily. “Is he the cat who—”

  Carter shook his head. “No. But he knows where to find Jules.”

  “How does he know that?”

  “He’s involved with Nick’s people. I overheard him saying they found Jules and they’re keeping her in hiding.”

  Max drew in a long breath. “Carter—”

  “I know, I know,” Carter rolled his eyes. “You don’t want us to get involved. But Max, we have to.”

  “What did you tell Burke?”

  “I told him the truth. Well, not everything. I left out the part about us mating with her. I didn’t mention the cougar, either.”

  “And?”

  Carter rubbed the back of his neck. “And he put us on administrative leave. Said we’re off the case and that we shouldn’t interfere.”

  Max grunted. The air expelling from his flared nostrils made plumes of vapor in the cold mountain air. “So you’re doing the exact opposite of what Burke told you, then.”

  Carter pointed an accusing finger at Max’s chest. “Max, you can go on pretending like she’s not our mate if you want. But I can’t. I won’t.”

  Max opened his mouth to object, but Carter cut him off. “I know Jules can’t be ours, at least not right now. I understand, Max. It’s the hardest goddamn thing I’ll ever have to do, but I accept it. I can grit my teeth and face reality for what it is.”