Betray the Bear (Bear Valley Shifters #4)(13)

“Does your mate require you to call him sir?”

She pursed her lips and looked away. Her relationship with Nathan was none of his damned business. “I’m an Andean bear.”

Chase pulled away like the tree bark had burned his palm. His eyes filled with such anger before he spun around and stomped around a fallen, moss covered log. Her mouth fell open. What did she do? He was the one who wanted to know what kind of bear she was. Perhaps he was mad she’d ruined his game. He didn’t get to guess, so he wouldn’t win any information from her.

She gripped the handle of her luggage and struggled to keep up with him. When the path he blazed intersected with a worn trail, the going got easier but she really wasn’t feeling well now. “Wait up,” she panted. He was almost over a hill and she didn’t want him disappearing again.

He didn’t slow so she began to jog. The suitcase hit every pebble and dirt clod on the path and bounced back and forth, making it nearly impossible to control. No muscle. Well, she hadn’t exactly been required to do anything physical before now. She was mate to the alpha for crying out loud. And Nathan wasn’t known for putting his women through battle. That wasn’t her job. Her job was sex and baby making, and someday when she got pregnant, her job would be to raise his cubs. It was the duty of every bear shifter. It’s not like there were thousands of them left. They were a dying species, so no, her focus hadn’t been on hitting the gym. It had been on pleasing her alpha, as was required of any community courteous shifter. This big dumb imbecile could judge her puny arms all he wanted to, but he was wrong and his priorities were backward.

“Over here,” Chase called from the front porch of a small home off the beaten path.

The idiot had let her pass the house by a lot before he let her know she’d gone too far, so she gave a pathetic sounding growl and made a wide circle, dragging her suitcase through the dirt with as much dignity as she could muster. She was pretty sure both of the wheels were broken.

A far cry from the immaculate stone walkway to Nathan’s house, the path to Chase’s house was designed to break her ankles. She wanted to stomp up to his smug frame, all leaned up against the porch, watching her embarrass herself with his unreadable, disturbingly alluring expression, but she’d seriously injure herself if she tried.

By the time she reached him, she was worked up in a way she hadn’t been in years. Anger was the biggest emotion, followed by hurt, denial, sadness, and fear, all jumbled inside of her like some horrid witch’s brew. Her emotions were swinging far and wide in this new place. No, that wasn’t it. She was worked up because she wasn’t under the disapproving glare of Nathan. And this Chase character seemed to find amusement in her anger, not the urge to dominate her. The want to kick his smiling face shocked her. He could’ve at least offered to help carry the suitcase, and if that was too much, he could’ve walked at a slower pace.

“I’m hungry,” she declared.

“You’re also bossy and entitled. You should’ve eaten on your way in.”

This drew her up short. Usually she was very amenable, but this man was bringing out the worst in her. “I’m not usually so demanding. I’m sorry. You are being kind to offer me a place to stay—”

He snorted.

Clearing her throat, she continued. “I’ve had a long, and quite frankly frightening day, and I haven’t eaten in a while and I let my hunger speak. I shouldn’t have.”

She swayed as the house seemed to slant and Chase grabbed her elbow. “Dammit, lady, don’t you pass out on me.” He dragged her bodily through the front door and helped her to a wooden bench in the entryway.

“Give me a minute,” he muttered.

Clenching her fists against the shaking, she steadied her breathing. Cold sweat dotted her brow, and her skin felt clammy. The dizziness had passed, but in its place was an uncomfortable buzzing feeling. Her bear was fully awake now and in fight or flight mode after he’d grabbed her, and the sensation made her body feel detached and hard to control.

“Here,” Chase said, handing her a tin cup of what looked and smelled like beef stew.

“Thank you.”

His look darkened. “Riker would split me open if I let anything happen to you before he could figure you out.”

“Right. It isn’t for me. Got it.” She spooned the first bite into her maw and suppressed a groan. It was so good, she wanted to hug the heated mug to her chest. Within moments she had inhaled half of the meal.

“When was the last time you ate?” he asked in a very grumpy tone.

“Last night.” No wait, she hadn’t been able to touch dinner because Nathan had just dropped the spy bomb on her. “No, sorry. It was lunch yesterday.”

“Stupid,” he muttered as he walked away.

Anger cracked against her like a resounding battle slap and she stood. “I’m not stupid. I’ve got myself in a stupid situation but everyone makes mistakes. That doesn’t mean I’m less intelligent though, Chase.” She flung his name like a curse.

He spun and glared at her lips with the most peculiar look on his face. “Not you, lady. Your mate is stupid. He’s put you up to whatever you’re doing here, at the risk of your own life, and he sent you to an enemy clan unprepared and hungry. Nathan is a jackass.”

She felt the need to defend her alpha. He had his faults, and he was a mega-prick for sending her here, but loyalty was deeply ingrained in her. And Nathan had made her happy once—for a day at least. She stood. “You don’t know him.”