Boarlander Silverback (Boarlander Bears #3)(31)

“Good one, Clinton,” Harrison said as he sat on Kirk’s other side.

“I think I’m going to puke,” Clinton groaned.

When Harrison leaned back on locked arms and narrowed his eyes on Alison, the air suddenly felt too heavy to breathe. “Nice claiming mark.”

Clinton fell with a thud onto the ground behind them, rested his hands on his stomach, and glared up at the sky. “She’ll be the death of us all now. Bye bye Boarlanders.”

Emerson glared at him. “You’re exhausting.”

“Good job, Kirk,” Clinton mumbled. “You claimed a grenade.”

“What does that mean?” Alison asked. She was trying real hard not to get offended, but this guy was being a jerk.

“You still think you’re here to keep the peace, don’t you?”

“Yes,” she gritted out, “because I am.”

Clinton started fake snoring. Everyone stared at him for a moment, then Bash went back to passing out beers, and Mason sat down next to Clinton’s limp body.

“Hey, remember that time you claimed the woman who shot you?” Mason asked.

“Dude,” Kirk said with a frown for the dark-haired behemoth sitting behind him.

“I’m just pointing out that Bash said you’re the normal one of the group, which clearly is not the case.”

“Does everyone know I shot you?” Alison asked.

Kirk said, “No,” at the same time everyone else said, “Yes.”

Fantastic.

“I don’t like weapons in my territory,” Harrison said in a dark, gravelly voice.

Her stomach dipped to her toes, and slowly, she turned around and settled on the ground between Kirk’s legs. “I owe you an apology. Lots of them, actually. I didn’t know what you and Georgia had been through. I was just doing what I was trained to do, but my partner and I should’ve taken the time to come in slow and easy. It wasn’t the first impression I had hoped to make on you, and I won’t bring my weapon into your territory anymore out of respect for what you’ve been through.”

“Isn’t that dangerous for you, being here unprotected?” There was a sarcastic edge to the alpha’s voice.

Eyes on another lightning flash over the mountains, Alison huffed a breath and shook her head. “I don’t think my Glock would protect me from much here. And besides, I don’t feel like I need it anymore when I’m up here.” She shrugged her shoulder up to her ear. “I have Kirk, and none of you seem to want to hurt me.”

“I do,” Clinton said.

“Hurt her, and I’ll kill you,” Kirk said nonchalantly as he brushed his fingers down the dove tattoo.

When Alison turned to look at Clinton around Kirk’s shoulder, Mason was glaring down at him with a calculating look. “I could suffocate him if you want me to, Boss Bear.”

“Let him be,” Harrison ground out. “Officer Holman, Kirk ain’t mine to worry about. He’s Kong’s. That and he’s a grown-ass man who can make his own decision on who he chooses for a mate.” He turned a lightened gaze on her. “I hope you’ll excuse me for pointing out the obvious, but you feel scary. That mark on your shoulder is illegal now, and you’re a human cop. I don’t want him hurt.”

“I don’t either, and I understand your concern. We’re going to hide it, though. I won’t hurt him. I won’t hurt any of you.” She leveled the alpha a look and let him see the honesty in her eyes when she whispered, “I promise.”





Chapter Thirteen


Alison liked the Boarlanders.

They’d sat up above the falls for an hour teasing and laughing and cutting up as they watched the storm pass. Even when it had started sprinkling on them, no one moved to get up. And little by little, Harrison had relaxed beside her.

Kirk had gone completely affectionate, cuddling her, stroking her, kissing the back of her neck and around her claiming mark in between talking to the others, almost as if he didn’t notice he was doing it.

Something had changed between them since they’d made love under the falls. Or perhaps that change had come about because they’d opened up to each other afterward, or because they’d claimed each other, she didn’t know. All she knew was she’d never felt this sure of anyone, or this happy.

“I’m glad I’m not the only human in the crew anymore,” Emerson said, cradling her still flat stomach.

Kirk nibbled Alison’s earlobe and smiled against her. “I’m glad, too. I thought there was no way in hell a woman like her would ever settle for a man like me.”

“Now that’s just stupid,” Bash said. “There ain’t nothin’ wrong with you, and love don’t work like that. Emerson’s the smartest woman on the planet, and she picked me.”

“She ain’t that smart then,” Clinton grumbled.

“Go jump off a cliff,” Mason said.

“Okay.” Clinton stood up and sauntered to the edge, right beside the falls. “I’m gonna do it, and I’ll probably die, and y’all will miss me when I’m gone.”

“No, don’t do it,” Kirk said half-heartedly.

Clinton narrowed his eyes at all of them, gave them the bird with both hands, and launched himself off the edge.