“Suits us, I think,” Tom agreed. That’s what they were. Different shifters, from different places, with a human as well! Tightening his hand on Savannah’s shoulder, he pressed a quick kiss to her temple, smiling down at her.
“Sounds like something you'd read in a comic book,” Dan laughed, his eyes twinkling.
“Don’t you like it, then?” Nick asked. “After all, you’re going to be a part of it.”
Dan shook his head, the grin still on his face. “Like Tom says, it suits us.”
“The Alliance,” the others agreed, as a new sense of purpose filled the room. They were going to have to put a stop to Lucas and his dark intentions for their new pack somehow. Now, with Savannah and Dan in their pack, they were stronger than ever before, with a new bond between them all. Nothing was going to break them apart.
Loved by the Alpha Bear
Alpha Bears Book 3
Emilia Hartley
Chapter One
“Good morning!”
Nick groaned, reaching for his second cup of coffee. “Why are you always so darn cheerful in the mornings?”
Dan shrugged. “Can’t help it.”
“Try.”
Chuckling, Dan went to get himself his own cup of coffee. He’d been settling into his new routine with the Nick and Tom at the mechanics, but they hadn’t quite gotten used to him. They were always slow and grumpy in the mornings, whereas he was always cheerful and ready to start work almost immediately. At least Savannah didn’t seem to mind, although she was always quite quiet in the mornings. Jo, on the other hand, wouldn’t come inside until she absolutely had to. Something about enjoying the cool morning air and watching the sun begin to spread its long fingers across the forest trees. Sometimes Jo sounded more bear shifter than they did, despite being the only one who wasn’t.
“Good morning, Tom,” Dan grinned, as Tom came out of the back room, running a hand through his hair.
“Hmph,” Tom grunted, shaking himself all over like a bear would shake water from its fur. “Too chirpy, Dan, as usual.”
“So your brother said,” Dan replied, not in the least bit put off. He was getting to know Tom faster than he was Nick. That was probably because he was still sleeping on the sofa bed in the back room, right next to Tom and Savannah’s bedroom. All in all, it was quite cramped and could sometimes be a bit awkward, but there didn’t seem to be an easy solution. He’d offered to get his own place in town but, since they didn’t know for sure how or when Lucas was going to attack, Nick had decided it was best he stayed here.
“Tom,” Nick called, as soon as Tom had grabbed a cup of steaming coffee. “Can I talk to you for a moment?”
“Sure.”
“Dan,” Nick continued. “You’d better hear this too.”
Wondering what it was Nick had to say, Dan followed Tom over to the office seating area and sat in one of the comfortable seats. He couldn’t sense any tension at least, which was a good thing. They weren’t about to chuck him out of the Alliance pack or anything.
When both Tom and Dan were seated, Nick began, “Listen, Tom, I’ve been thinking. Jo and I are living in the cabin, you and Savannah live here but so does Dan.”
“Yeah,” Tom grunted. “So?”
“So,” Nick continued, obviously a little frustrated with Tom’s interruption. “I’m getting the impression that it’s a bit small, this place, for the three of you.”
Dan let out a shout of laughter. “You can say that again,” he replied. “Savannah wasn’t exactly pleased to find my underwear hanging on the radiator to dry last week.” If he was honest, Dan would admit that it had been a bit of an awkward moment, but what was a guy to do? It had been raining outside and he needed clean clothes! Tom rolled his eyes. “Yeah, it is,” he muttered. “But part of that is because Savannah lives here too. I don’t want to push Dan out.”
Surprised at his consideration, Dan gave him a brief nod, seeing the acceptance in his eyes. He’d thought that Tom might want him out or to find a new place, but apparently not. This pack was the complete opposite to the Northern Wind pack. In fact, it was so different that it was taking him some time to get used to it all. Nick led the pack with respect and consideration, as opposed to Lucas’ way of fear and domination.
“Right,” Nick continued, his smile widening. “Well, Tom, in light of all that, I was wondering if you wanted to build a place of your own.”
Tom frowned, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. “Really?”
"Sure, why not?" Nick replied, stretching out his feet and crossing them at the ankle. "There are a couple of acres around the back of the shop we've never used, and since it looks like Savannah's going to be here to stay, you may as well build somewhere new. You can't keep living in the back of the shop, can you?"
“No, I suppose not,” Tom murmured. “To be honest, Nick, this is the last thing I’d expected from you, but the more I think about it, the more it makes sense.
Nick grinned. “I know it’ll take a lot of work, but it means you’d have your own place. It’s a good reason to put down some roots, especially now that we’re an official pack.” He leaned forward, fixing Tom with a sincere gaze. “I looked at the finances and we’ve got the money, Tom. I’d be happy to help you when I can.”
Tom's face began to clear, but suddenly, the frown reappeared. "What about the shop? There's work that needs to be done. You can't run this place on your own."
“And that’s where Dan comes in,” Nick replied, easily. “Dan’s proving himself to be a good apprentice. He can easily help me out and it means his training will just have to go up a notch - you’d be alright with that, wouldn’t you, Dan?”
Dan nodded, thinking to himself that he couldn’t imagine anything better. He had been quite surprised to discover he really enjoyed working with his hands, and that the smell of grease and oil wasn’t as bad as he’d first imagined. “Don’t let that stand in your way, Tom,” he said, in response. “I’m more than happy to help Nick out, in any way I can. After all, after what you both have done for me, it’s the least I could do.”
Tom's face slowly cleared of the worry and concern it held before a slow smile began to spread across his face. "I suppose I could," Tom murmured, thoughtfully. "Nothing fancy, of course. No offense, Nick, but that cabin's not quite my style."
“What’s your style, then?” Dan asked.
“Basic,” Tom replied immediately. “Real basic but homely. Like a den.”
Dan nodded, understanding exactly what Tom meant. The idea of having a cozy little place all of your own, without anything fancy, made sense to him.
“We could look at getting the foundations done this week,” Nick continued, glad his brother was thinking about it. “Dan and I can help you with that before you take on the rest.”
Tom nodded, sticking out his hand to his brother and then to Dan. “Sounds good. Thanks, Nick.”
Nick grinned. “Don’t worry about it. Dan and I can manage things around here, so you can just focus on building your house. I’ll take care of whatever jobs we have going on here.”
“I’ll go tell Savannah,” Tom grinned, throwing a grateful look at Dan before walking away.
“What do you think, Dan?”
Dan turned to face Nick. This didn’t exactly have much to do with him so he was surprised at Nick’s question. “I’ll be happy to help with whatever it is you need me to do, Nick,” he replied, slowly, wondering if that was what Nick meant. “I owe you guys a lot, so anything I can do…”
“Thanks,” Nick laughed. “But that’s not what I meant.” He scratched his head, screwing up his face for a moment, obviously thinking about how to explain himself. “What I mean is that Tom and Savannah will be moving out as soon as the house is finished - which means you’ll be here alone. I was hoping you’d be okay with living here long term. After all, we’ll need someone to be here to watch the place for as long as Lucas is a threat.” His lip curled back, as a slight growl escaped from his che
st. “And that threat doesn’t look to be going away any time soon.”
Dan blinked a few times, trying to take in what Nick had said. He'd come from a pack where he'd barely been allowed a corner of a room to himself but now Nick was offering him an entire home? Sure, it was small, but it was more than Dan had been given in a long time. For once, he couldn't find anything funny to say. There were no wisecracks he could think of, so instead, he just stuck out his hand.
“I’d be more than happy to live here, Nick,” he replied, honestly. “Thanks.”
“Great,” Nick replied, shaking Dan’s hand. “Just don’t go getting yourself a girl or something, otherwise we’ll be really short on space.” He grinned, slapping Dan on the back as he walked past. “Or at least, just wait until Tom and Savannah have moved out. Then you can have as many people here as you want!”
Chapter Two
Dan tried to laugh but the sound stuck in his throat. The truth was that he was starting to feel a little bit lonely. It was a strange feeling since he was practically always surrounded by the other pack members of the Alliance, but it was a different kind of lonely. Something would ache when he'd see Nick throw his arm around Jo, or when Tom and Savannah would just look at each other. It was something he wanted if he was honest.
Wandering out of the mechanics shop and towards the woods, Dan took in a deep breath of cool morning air. He was being ridiculous, he knew, but there was something in him that longed for a mate. Of course, it was a bit unusual - forbidden, really - for Nick to have a human mate, but even Dan had to admit that they were clearly meant for each other. As for Tom and Savannah, he'd never really expected that to happen, since he was so cautious all the time. But then he'd seen how Savannah's love for Tom had forced her into action when Lucas attacked. Dan wanted someone like that.
“Everything okay?”
Dan jumped. He hadn't seen - or even smelled - Jo, who was looking up at him with a light smile.
“It’s not often I can surprise a shifter,” she commented, lifting an eyebrow. “Thinking about something?”
Dan rolled his eyes. He’d never been as cautious as Tom or Nick when it came to sussing out a new situation. If he was honest, Dan hadn’t thought about sniffing the air to see if there was anyone around. “Sorry,” he muttered. “I didn’t mean to interrupt you.”
“You’re not,” Jo replied, pleasantly. “Is everything okay, Dan? You look a bit…” She trailed off, tilting her head to get a better look at him. “Miserable.”
“I’m fine,” Dan answered, not wanting to give too much about himself away. “I was just thinking about, uh, stuff.”
“Stuff.” Jo shook her head. “Helpful as ever, Dan.”
That made him smile. “I’m always helpful!” he protested, the grin still on his face. “I just don’t like getting all deep and meaningful.” That part was true, at least. Dan was always the joker, managing to hide his feelings underneath. Not many people got to know what was really going on. He’d spent most of his time in the Northern Wind pack keeping entirely to himself. The pack barely shared anything about themselves. Lucas preferred it that way and Dan had grown used to it. It was a habit he was going to have to get out of.
Letting out a long sigh, Jo glanced back up at Dan with frustration written on her face. Dan knew it was because she wasn’t going to get anywhere with him but it still didn’t make him want to open up. “Did Nick talk to Tom about the house?” she asked, changing the subject.
“Yup.”
“He’s okay with it?”
Dan nodded. “He sure is. Couldn’t wait to go tell Savannah.” The smile slowly slid from his face, his eyes taking on a distant look as the ache in his heart grew stronger.
Jo’s eyes rounded and her face cleared of frustration. “Ah.”
Dan jerked to attention. “What?”
“You want a girl.”
"No, I don't. I've heard they're a lot of work," Dan bluffed, trying to laugh. Unfortunately, it came out as more of an awkward snort, making Jo laugh in response.
“You can’t hide the truth from me,” she replied, eventually, once she’d caught her breath. “It’s okay to want someone, Dan.”
Running a hand through his hair, Dan let out a long breath. Apparently, he couldn't keep up his easy going façade with someone like Jo. "Fine," he muttered. "You want me to admit that I'm a bit lonely sometimes? Then yeah, I am." He let his gaze wander to the trees, looking out across the forest instead of at Jo. It was easier to speak when he wasn't aware of her watching him so intensely. "I see what you guys have and it's something I want for myself. I want a mate."
“That’s not a bad thing,” Jo replied, softly.
“Not that it’s going to happen any time soon,” Dan returned, trying to inject some laughter in his voice. “Not like there’s a whole lot of bear shifters hanging about, waiting for me to choose one!”
Jo chuckled. “No, there’s not, but you never know what’s going to happen, Dan. I mean, just look at me and Nick. I drive into town one day and everything happens from there.” She got to her feet, brushing down the back of her jeans from where she’d been sitting on the overturned log. “It just takes one chance meeting, Dan. You never know where you might meet someone new.”
Hearing her walk back into the house, Dan kept his eyes on the forest. He wanted desperately to believe what Jo had said, but the chances of meeting new shifters were pretty slim. Around these parts, there was just Lucas' pack and his pack, the Alliance. There wasn't another pack around where he would actually be able to meet another shifter. His shoulders lifted with another sigh, knowing that it was probably a long shot to think he'd meet someone entirely at random. His bear let out a long, slow growl, apparently feeling the same pain he did. The bear wanted a mate, and Dan wanted a woman, but it didn't look like either of them would be getting what they wanted any time soon.
"Is Dan okay?" Savannah asked as Jo came into the shop. "It's not like him to go for a walk first thing in the morning."
Jo gave her a light smile. "He's fine. Just feeling a bit lonely."
“Oh.” Savannah’s face filled with sympathy. “I would’ve never imagined he’d feel that way. He always seems to be making jokes when Tom and I are around.”
“Maybe that’s just his way of hiding how he really feels,” Jo commented, shrugging. “Probably best not to mention it to Nick or Tom, though. They won’t really understand.”
Savannah agreed at once. "Yeah, of course." As much as she loved Tom, Savannah knew he wouldn't exactly understand how Dan was feeling. Tom had taken a long time to admit that he'd actually felt something for Savannah because he'd never really thought about having a mate before. He'd been more than happy by himself. She shook her head. "It'll be good when our house is built, then Dan can have this place to himself."
Jo grinned. “You’re glad about that, then?”
“Thrilled,” Savannah replied, a smile on her face. “I’d never imagined that I’d end up here, but I’m so happy I have.” Her eyes found Tom, talking to Nick at the other side of the shop. “He makes me so happy.”
“I’m really glad for you both,” Jo said, honestly. “You both deserve some happiness.”
“So does Dan,” Savannah murmured, watching as he came through the door. The cheerful smile was back on his face and he looked just the same as ever. “He was the one who helped me to leave Lucas’ pack. I just hope he can find someone, somehow.”
Nick grinned as Dan somehow managed to trip over what looked like a spanner on the floor. “Not exactly graceful, are you?”
Dan snorted. "I don't need to be." He much preferred being in his bear skin, when he could use his immense weight to thunder through the woods without worrying where he was stepping or what he was banging into. For some reason, he was always a bit clumsier in his human skin. He'd always hoped it was a bit endearing, but working in a mechanics just made him more of a liability.
“At least you didn’t knock anything over this time,” Nick laughed
, as Dan picked up the offending spanner. Dan cringed, remembering the last time he’d tripped up. He’d somehow managed to knock over three toolboxes and a can of paint Nick was keeping to do up the inside of the shop. Grunting, he sat down to look at what Nick was working on.
“You okay?”
“Fine,” Dan replied, sharply. “Why does everyone keep asking me that today?”
Nick’s eyebrows rose slowly. “Sorry,” he said, turning back to his work. “I was just asking.”
Dan didn't reply, as guilt crept up his back. He shouldn't have responded like that, but he'd about had enough of people asking him how he was and it was still the morning. Or, perhaps it was because, for the first time, he'd really opened up to someone else about how he was feeling. Finally, he'd admitted, out loud, that he wanted a mate. That he often felt quite alone. It had taken more out of him than he'd first realized – but, thankfully, Jo hadn't laughed. Instead, she'd just accepted it.
"How about a drink in town later?" Nick asked, bending down to inspect the car's exhaust. "Maybe clear your head of whatever it is that’s bothering you?"
Dan bit back his sharp response, wanting to ask how Nick knew that that something was bothering him, but thinking the better of it. After all, Nick was the pack leader and it was his job to make sure he knew what was going on in the pack. Just another thing Dan wasn’t used to. Lucas didn’t care about anyone but himself, but Nick was the complete opposite of that. Dan knew that his questions weren’t meant to annoy him, but just to let him know that he cared. He should be appreciative of that.
"Yeah, sounds good," he muttered. The bar in town was usually quiet, but that was often a good thing. A place to be alone with his thoughts. Except, this time, he was going with Nick and Tom.
“Great,” Nick replied, standing up again. “I’ll tell Tom.”
The Dragon's Charm Page 121
