Betray the Bear (Bear Valley Shifters #4)(12)

“Your place is big enough for a guest. Since you’re so concerned, and rightly so, you’ll be in charge of her from dinner until breakfast, until I deem she isn’t a threat to our way of life here. It’s not up for discussion.”

The woman next to her sighed a relieved sound and removed her hand from Anya’s shoulder. “Joanna has meetings with Brody tomorrow, right?”

Her friend nodded and shot her an apologetic look.

“So bring her to the cattle barn after breakfast and she can work with me,” the human offered. “Then I’ll escort her back when we’re finished.”

“So, I really don’t have a choice in this?” Chase asked. “I have to allow queen of the Long Claws into my house and babysit her?”

That sounded awful to Anya, too. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be such a burden.”

Riker didn’t say anything and Chase stood so fast, his chair collapsed behind him. With a feral snarl rumbling from his chest, he spun and strode for the trees.

“Doesn’t look like he’s going to slow down, so you might want to go after him,” Joanna advised. With a quick hug, she said, “I’m glad to see you again, Anya. We’ll talk more tomorrow.”

Overwhelmed, she said, “Okay,” before bowing respectfully to Riker and throwing a thankful wave to the human. She darted to the police cruiser and snagged her suitcase, then ran for the woods where Chase had disappeared, dragging her much abused luggage behind her.

By the time she reached the tree line, Chase was nowhere to be seen. She paused and listened, but failed to hear him crashing through the brush like a man his size should’ve been doing. Crap.

She looked from side to side, scanning limbs and grass for anything broken or disturbed to point her in the right direction, but she’d never been a great tracker unless she was in her bear form, and right now, her inner animal was curled in on herself trembling, just as she’d been doing most of her adult life. She wasn’t the bravest bear.

Aimlessly, she stalked forward, hoping he’d taken a straight path to some trail he knew of. Out of her element and afraid, the woods seemed to quiet as she traveled deeper into the wilderness. The noise of the fireside conversation behind her faded away, and the realization that she was completely alone set a tremble to her hands she was helpless stop. All it took was one bear to find her and she’d be post dinner desert. And speaking of dinner, she was still starving and was beginning to feel weak and clammy. Joanna and the human had smelled like s’mores. She hadn’t had one in years, and her stomach was desperate for anything to satisfy it.

And now she was traipsing through the woods at night in a strange land, with an even stranger clan, and her escort had left her. That oaf!

“Tantrums in grown men are very unsavory!” she yelled in frustration. The fine hairs on the back of her neck rose, and she withered under the haunted feeling of being watched. “Hello?” She stopped and clutched her suitcase handle tighter. “Chase?”

“Unsavory?” Chase whispered against her ear.

She screamed a terrified sound that echoed off the mountains. Defensive, she pushed him, and, awed by her boldness, pushed him again. He didn’t even flinch which pissed her off to no end, so she rattled a volley of flying fists against his hard, and irritatingly sexy chest. Nathan would’ve back-handed her by now but when Chase grabbed her wrists to stop her, the corner of his mouth was turned up like he was amused.

He yanked her closer. “Feisty little spy, aren’t you.”

Struggling out of his grip, she spat out, “I’m not a spy, and you left me alone in unfamiliar woods, you jerk.”

“Jerk?” His smirk deepened.

“Stop repeating everything I say.”

“Your punches are pathetic.” His voice had lost its teasing edge.

Opening her mouth with a ready retort, she stopped herself and frowned instead. “Agreed. I’m not trained to fight.”

“Now why the hell would Nathan send a helpless little thing like you into an enemy clan?” His hand snaked out so fast she gasped, and he gripped her upper arm, then let it go. “You have no muscle at all. Let me guess your bear.”

“Stop it.”

“No, I want to guess, and if I get it right, you tell me why you’re really here. Because, sugar, we both know it ain’t for sanctuary. You might have the others fooled, but not me.” He stalked her, backed her into a tree and put his oversized hand next to her face, trapping her in place. “And when I find out the real reason you’re here, you’re going to wish Riker threw you out of this place to begin with. Koala bear.”

Her inner bear awoke enough to snort in offense. “No, Sir, I’m not a koala bear. Are there even koala shifters in existence?”

“Probably.” His back was to the moon and his face was in shadow, but an eerie glow illuminated his face in a soft light. His eyes were striking when he was angry, but frankly, he was scaring the shit out of her. She pressed further back into the tree as her breath hitched in her throat.

“You aren’t a brown bear, that’s for damned sure, and as submissive as you are, I bet you aren’t even a black bear.” He canted his head and dragged his gaze down her body. “Panda bear.”

“You’re just trying to bait me, sir, and it won’t work.”