Scottish Werebear: A Painful Dilemma: A BBW Bear Shifter Paranormal Romance (Scottish Werebears Book 5)

by Lorelei Moone

  Whatever plans he had to do something about Blacke’s new project were only part of the reason of course. Really, Gail was just desperate to see Agent Weston again. Perhaps if they found themselves alone…

  Chapter Five

  Henry couldn’t believe what had happened.

  Just like that, during Blacke’s short announcement, everything had changed. The Alliance Council leader had lost his mind; that much was clear. But at the same time, his words had presented Henry with a huge opportunity.

  The tracker project was on. Although Henry had no intention of actually implanting young shifters with GPS transmitters as instructed, he was going to make sure to publicize the project as much as possible. He would talk to every shifter family he could get in contact with, in the hopes that most of them would be as suspicious as he had been when he first heard about it.

  At the same time, the second announcement that it was now open season on mixed couples had even more potential. It had been only a few days since he had realized mixed couples were the ones who had most to gain if he started a counter-movement to Blacke’s Alliance. He just didn’t know how to get in touch with them.

  If the Alliance started investigating people’s private lives to the extent that Blacke intended, he would come across plenty of potential recruits for his new movement.

  This wasn’t without risk, though. He would have to figure out a way that he could identify these potential targets, and then keep them safe without Blacke or anyone else finding out what he was up to.

  And then there was the other thing. The voice in his head. The connection he’d made with Gail. Completely by chance, he’d potentially found the partner he’d yearned for.

  Of course, he still had to talk to her about everything, but he was certain she’d join him. He’d felt her disgust, her outrage, as if it were his own.

  Their relationship would be completely professional, of course. He’d have to find a way to keep his straying mind under control around her. Perhaps that would get easier in time. But he did need the help, and who better to have on his side than an insider in Blacke’s own office?

  It was perfect.

  For the rest of the day, Henry was in a better mood than he’d been for weeks. He whistled to himself while planning to promote Project Safeguard, even writing up a flyer he wanted to get printed and distributed among the local shifter population.

  On the surface, Blacke would be pleased with his efforts. Henry intended to be his star agent going forward. A true believer in his crazy ideas. The Glasgow office would lead the way and become an example throughout the Alliance.

  When the time would come to reveal his new movement, Henry’s betrayal would sting even deeper. How he looked forward to that.

  “You’re awfully cheerful today,” Maggie remarked.

  How long had she been standing next to him?

  Henry shrugged. “Just getting on with work. Hey, could you get someone to run over to the printers and get these leaflets made up?” He handed her the sample he’d printed out himself.

  Maggie paused. “Okay…”

  “Oh, and tomorrow I was thinking of taking some time out to visit the farm to check up on mom,” Henry added.

  “You think that’s wise? With everything we’ve got going on?” Maggie questioned him.

  His good mood soured almost immediately. Why did she have to do this?

  “You don’t have to come. I only have one mother, though, don’t I?” It wasn’t fair for him to be too annoyed since his visit to his mom was mostly a ruse, but what if it hadn’t been? What if he’d planned to go there purely out of concern for her?

  Henry took a deep breath and bit his tongue. This wasn’t the time to argue.

  “Fine.” Maggie shrugged and held up the print-out Henry had just given her. “I’ll get this done then.”

  Henry nodded and focused once more on the paperwork ahead of him, even if his mind was struggling to get back on task.

  The following morning, Henry didn’t bother coming into the office. After saying his goodbyes to Maggie at home, he made the drive up north straight away, heading for Stirling. Throughout the night, he’d been mulling over various ideas for getting Gail out of the office without raising suspicion in her colleagues, especially Blacke.

  In the end, he’d decided to try the least invasive option first. Considering she was Blacke’s assistant, chances were she’d answer his phone calls for him. If Blacke actually did answer, he’d report on progress with Project Safeguard instead.

  As soon as he had the front gate of the large compound the Alliance Headquarters were situated in within his sights, he pulled over onto the soft verge. Henry took out his phone and dialed the number.

  “Hello?” A male voice answered. The guy who manned the front desk, probably.

  “Agent Weston for Mr. Blacke.”

  Just like that, the man had put through Henry’s call. Once again, there were certain advantages to his position within the Alliance.

  “Mr. Blacke’s office,” a female voice said after only two rings.

  It was her. It had to be.

  “Weston here.”

  “Oh!” Was that surprise in her voice? Shock? He had told her he’d be in touch.

  “Can I speak freely?”

  “Uh, okay…”

  “Is there some way you can get out of the office to talk?” Henry asked.

  “I…” Gail cleared her throat, then continued in a much firmer tone, as though someone had just walked in on her. “I’m afraid Mr. Blacke is not available this week. Perhaps there’s something I can help you with in the meantime?

  “How about you take an early lunch? Go for a refreshing walk through the grounds. I’ll find you.”

  “No problem. I’ll wait for your call.” With that, she hung up.

  They were on.

  Although the road Henry’s car was parked on was quiet, almost abandoned, he couldn’t risk leaving his car here. He drove a little further ahead and pulled into an unpaved track leading into the forest surrounding Blacke’s compound.

  From here, he quickly prepared himself, leaving his clothes in the trunk of his car. Going in full bear would allow him a certain amount of stealth he could not muster in his human form. Within seconds, he was ready to shift.

  Henry trudged through the forest, heading straight for the boundary fence. He closed his eyes and focused. Although Gail must have been at least a few hundred yards away from him, he could catch her scent already.

  A few large trees near the fence allowed him to cross easily. From there, it was just a matter of following his nose. It didn’t take long for him to find her.

  You made it, Henry thought.

  She held up a Tupperware box. Lunch break, remember? So. Let’s talk.

  Henry nodded. We’re the same, you and I. These new initiatives Black wants to implement… He needs to be stopped.

  Yes. Gail wrapped her arms around herself.

  I feel like I can trust you.

  She raised her head and stared at him. It was unnerving, like she could see through all the bullshit, right to his core. You can trust me.

  I had this idea, to stand up to Blacke. A new movement of people like us. As many fellow Alliance members as we can recruit, and regular people.

  Gail cocked her head to the side. To what end?

  Once we gain sufficient momentum, we go public. We’ll blow the lid off the whole secrecy bullshit. We educate the human population, so they know not to fear us. We’ll only be free if we can live out in the open.

  Are you sure that’s wise?

  Henry heard Gail’s question, but he was pretty certain she wouldn’t need much convincing. He could feel her growing excitement spill over into himself. Not only could he hear her thoughts - how, he wasn’t quite sure - he could sense her emotions as well now.

  Think about it. Right now our people have so much to fear. Not only are the Sons after our blood, it’s our own people, our own Alliance people who are surveilling
us, to make sure we don’t do anything wrong. Henry paused, waiting for Gail’s input.

  You’re right. It’s unacceptable.

  Again, her words didn’t quite match her vibe. It was distracting. As much as she disapproved of Blacke’s radical ideas, she seemed… happy? It didn’t make a lot of sense.

  I can’t do this alone, though. I need a partner, Henry thought.

  I imagine you do, Gail answered.

  Will you help me?

  The more he looked at her, the more distracted he could feel himself become. His bear didn’t often speak up, but right now, fully shifted, he had no choice but to listen to his primal call. She was beautiful. He wanted her.

  Gail smiled and nodded, and Henry had to stop himself from pouncing.

  No way, Henry wasn’t about to let himself go off track. He’d always tried to be a good person; honest, loyal. He wasn’t about to throw all that away. Henry swallowed hard and forced himself to shut down any remaining yearnings for the temptation that stood before him. Maggie would be waiting for him at home. He wouldn’t betray her, or his own ideals.

  That’s all? You want my help? Gail asked, her mood wavering suddenly.

  What a strange question. Henry observed her for a moment. Her eyes still tried to bore a hole in him.

  It’s not going to be easy, but it’s the right way forward, he thought.

  She nodded, then looked away. A strange melancholy seemed to overwhelm Gail and him along with her. They’d agreed to work together; wasn’t that a good thing? Then why did she exude all this sadness? And why did it tear at him so much? He had to fix it, but he didn’t know how.

  You’re the only one I have confided in, Henry thought.

  Gail took a deep breath and looked away roughly in the direction of where Henry knew the Alliance building was located. I should probably get back. How and when do we do this? she asked.

  We can meet at a farmhouse not too far from here. We’ll be safe there.

  Gail nodded. Give me your number.

  They exchanged numbers and another awkward glance, before Gail turned to leave.

  What a strange conversation they’d had, without even exchanging a single word out loud. And what an unusual, intriguing woman Gail was.

  Henry had never had the benefit of reading anyone’s mind, especially not a woman’s mind. He had no idea what went on in Maggie’s head most of the time.

  Was she this complex as well? As guided by emotion?

  Perhaps, though deep inside he suspected Gail was different. Either way, it didn’t matter. Considering their unique connection, they’d work well together.

  Henry returned to his car and changed back into his human self, making sure as before that he wasn’t overlooked. From there he drove off straight to the farmhouse he’d alluded to; his childhood home.

  He’d send Gail the directions upon arriving and wait for her to drop in after work. That’s when they’d begin.

  Chapter Six

  When Gail got back to her desk, she was still reeling with conflicted emotions. The encounter with Henry Weston had left her confused.

  He obviously sensed her much more keenly now; that’s what had allowed them to communicate so easily. And she’d felt whatever he’d felt. The attraction, the pull they seemed to have between them. She’d been ecstatic at first, sharing a secret meeting in the woods, just the two of them.

  But he’d rejected their shared desires - he’d rejected her. Like none of what they shared meant anything. He wanted a partner to start some kind of revolution. He didn’t want anything more intimate than that.

  And who was this Maggie he’d kept thinking about?

  Gail dropped the still full lunchbox into a drawer underneath her desk and pulled up files on the Glasgow office - the same ones she’d consulted earlier in the day in an effort to find out more about Henry himself. Maggie, Maggie, Maggie.

  It didn’t take her long to find a dossier about a Margaret who worked in Henry’s office. So that was her.

  Gail squinted at the picture that accompanied the file. She was a fierce looking brunette, reasonably attractive, fit.

  So they were an item? Henry and her? The thought made Gail ill.

  It was not supposed to be this way. When you find your mate, that was supposed to be it. There wasn’t supposed to be any hesitation, any doubt. You were supposed to just follow your instincts and pair up.

  Only Henry didn’t seem to want to do that. All because of this woman.

  Gail bit her bottom lip and fought the tears stinging in her eyes. This had been only the third time she’d met him, but somehow he’d made a space for himself in her heart. She should have told him to go away, that she wanted nothing to do with his revolutionary plans if he didn’t also accept her as his mate. All or nothing.

  She hadn’t said anything of the sort, of course. Because she couldn’t face the thought of what if. What if he’d rejected her demand? What if she never saw him again?

  No, as much as it hurt, she had to meet with him again. She would do as asked and help him with his new movement. It helped that she shared his ideologies, so working together shouldn’t be too difficult.

  But it would hurt, being around him without being able to act on her instincts.

  And he had felt something too, dammit! She had felt his lust as if it were her own.

  This was not how these things were supposed to go!

  “Hello, Love,” a familiar voice behind Gail made her feel even more queasy.

  “Agent Dumbarton, how can I help?” Gail pressed her lips together as she turned to look him in the eye. Instead of Finch, why couldn’t Blacke have taken Dumbarton along with him to London? At least that would have gotten him out of her hair.

  “Oh, I can think of a few ways.” He winked at her.

  Ugh. The sight of him made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Who the hell did he think he was? This was the wrong time to get on her bad side.

  “I don’t appreciate your tone,” Gail snapped.

  “Oh, don’t you?” Dumbarton leaned down, resting his huge palm on the desk beside her, blocking her in.

  Everything down to his scent repulsed her. Gail felt her skin tingle, the first sign that her inner bear was readying for a fight. Blacke was fond of Dumbarton, after all, they shared a similar propensity for violence, so getting into a physical altercation with him would not go down well. But Gail was close to not caring anymore about what her boss thought.

  If it came down to it, she would defend herself against this brute.

  “Well, perhaps you can relay a message to the boss.”

  “Sure,” Gail said.

  Breathe in, breathe out. Calm down.

  “You can tell him that the prototypes for Project Safeguard are ready for field testing.”

  Gail nodded and made a show of noting down Dumbarton’s message.

  “Anything else?” she barked.

  “No, darling. That’s all for now.” Dumbarton grinned at her and retreated from her desk.

  Gail continued to stare at him as he took a couple of steps back and finally left her office. That’s when she breathed a sigh of relief. God, how much she hated that guy.

  It was shortly after five o’clock when Gail started packing up her things, ready to leave. She’d received the message with Henry’s directions a few hours earlier and memorized them. He’d asked her to leave her phone behind at the office, just in case Blacke had installed some kind of tracking software.

  It was a bit paranoid, that request, but then again, tracking his own staff seemed like something Blacke would be capable of.

  As she left the building, bracing herself against the frosty air, her nerves kicked in. What if she wouldn’t be able to do this? Stay professional when every fiber in her body tried its best to do the opposite?

  Well, tough. If she couldn’t cope, that would be his problem. He would have sensed how she felt and asked for her help anyway. And he was the one trying to deny nature. It was all on him.
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  She navigated through the narrow roads leading away from the Alliance HQ, but rather than head home, she drove in the opposite direction. Gail had no trouble finding her way. Not only had she studied the route carefully all afternoon, it seemed like her instincts were guiding her right to Henry’s position.

  Of course, they did, he was her mate after all. Not that he accepted that.

  Gail wrapped her fingers tighter around the steering until her knuckles turned white. This was going to be difficult.

  By the time she pulled into the long driveway leading to the farm Henry had described in his message, she felt like she could pinpoint his exact location on the compound. He was waiting for her inside, heading for the front door.

  The door opened just as she expected it to; only it wasn’t just Henry greeting her. There was an elderly lady with him as well.

  Gail got out and nodded at Henry, who immediately introduced her.

  “Gail McPherson. A colleague from the Alliance.” Henry’s deep baritone made Gail’s heart skip a few beats.

  Gail offered her hand to the woman, who just stood there, smiling subtly first at her, then at Henry.

  “A colleague. Sure, son. Whatever you say.” Finally, she did shake Gail’s hand. “Helen Weston.”

  Henry looked at her, one eyebrow raised. Clearly this introduction hadn’t gone quite how he had wanted it to.

  “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Weston,” Gail mumbled.

  “No need to be so formal, sweetheart. Just call me Helen.”

  Gail nodded, though couldn’t quite bring herself to do as asked.

  Meanwhile, Henry was restlessly shifting his weight from one foot to the other. “Let’s begin, shall we?”

  “Sure,” Gail agreed and followed him inside the house.

  Henry led the way up the stairs, past framed old photographs and other mementos. When he had instructed her to come here, Gail never expected to actually be invited into the house he’d grown up in.

  She took it all in. There were some pictures of just Henry when he was a boy, some with a man who bore a significant resemblance to him - probably his dad. Then there were the inevitable, much more formal family portraits of the three of them including his mother.