Mate Fur Hire (Bears Fur Hire #3)(27)

Eyes narrowed at Link over her shoulder, Clayton slowly retreated to the edge of the clearing, then began to Change back to his human form.

Tobias paced in front of her as if he couldn’t make himself give up the grizzly. He let off a short roar, and the scent of his fury smelled bitter against the oversensitive lining of her nose.

Clayton stood with his weight on his good leg, human, clawed up, wet with blood, and naked.

“Well, this is awkward, future dad-in-law. I can see your dick.”

Clayton’s eyes tightened, and he opened his mouth to say something, but Tobias paced in front of her and blocked her view completely.

Keeping the gun angled away from him, she shoved his furry side with her elbow. “I’m okay. Move.” He did by inches, so she aimed her rifle in Clayton’s direction again and said, “Here is how this is going to go down. I’m not coming with you. I’m never going back to Perl, and if you’re here on a kill mission, well, you’re shit out of luck on that one, too.”

“You’re dangerous out here on your own.”

“I’m not on my own.” She twitched her head toward Tobias and Link. “I have them watching out for me. And I’m not leaving here until I have full control over my Changes and my animal, so all of your arguments won’t hold up here. You want me to do your dirty work and discover your cure? I can’t do anything about the McCalls, and I’m tired of using my medicine on shifters who don’t want it.”

“The misfits need to be contained—”

“Says you, you controlling freak! Despite you withholding supplies, they’ve done just fine on Perl for the last month without being medicated. And I can tell you right now, suppressing animals for too long will make them unmanageable.”

“You’re going to ruin my boys.”

“You ruined your boys, Mr. Silver. You did. You raised them poorly. My decision to help them avoid hibernation won’t ruin them. Their baggage is on you being a shit father. I mean, look at you. Look! You are here to hurt your son’s mate. How do you think he’ll feel when you take me away or hurt me? Have you thought about him at all? On your journey here, did you ever once stop and think about what it would do to your son to have to fight his father to keep his mate safe? You’ve dug yourself into a hole that is deep and dark, mister. Hurt me, and you’ll drag your son into that same fate. I’m no threat to you or any other humans. I’m here rehabilitating, you unobservant taint-bucket. I didn’t escape Perl to terrorize the humans. I escaped to try and build a life. Now, be a good father for once in your miserable life and let Tobias be happy.”

“You’ll ruin his bear.”

“Oh, my God,” she drawled, tossing her head back. “You’re like a broken record player. Mr. Silver, listen closely. I’m going to marry your boy. I’m going to do it wearing a pink, floofy, bejeweled gown with my hair piled up in curls, just like I imagined when I missed my prom, circa 2008. We’re going to have a white cake with raspberry filling and a karaoke machine.”

“What’s your point?”

“My point is that you’re invited. This is me letting you be a part of our lives despite the bullshittery you have pulled. And let me tell you, Mr. Silver, it is really hard to stand here and put my pride away and invite you after all you’ve done to me. But I believe in family, I want Tobias to be happy, and he deserves you and Link and his brothers up there standing beside him on the best day of his life.”

Link snorted behind her, but when she tossed him a narrow-eyed look, he pursed his lips and hid the smile.

“It will be the best day of his life, you smartass. He gets all of this.” Vera gestured to her dirt-smudged body, complete with bloody shin and wild hair, which she blew out of her face to better glare at Link.

Tobias, who had disappeared around the back of Link’s cabin, reappeared, human again and limping badly as he zipped up a pair of jeans.

“Your mate just invited your dad to your wedding,” Link said blandly.

“What? Why?”

She winced at Tobias’s torn neck and chest. “Because he’s your dad, and he should be there.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t ruin your big day,” Clayton said, pulling on his sweatpants. He jammed a finger at Vera. “This isn’t over. You can’t give grizzly shifters that medicine.”

As he stomped off into the woods, she called out, “I’ll send you a save-the-date.”

Link snickered behind them.

“None of this is funny,” Tobias said, his hands hooked on his hips as streams of red trickled down his chest from the claw marks that crisscrossed his torso.

Link shouldered the strap of his rifle and didn’t even try to hide his grin. “She just shot your dad and then invited him to your wedding. It’s kind of funny.”

Tobias tried to maintain his severe look, but his lips lifted in a smile. “Vera, I haven’t even asked you to marry me.”

“Yet. I want a princess cut ring. It doesn’t have to be big. And I’ll settle for cubic zirconia if you need to save up—”

“Stop talking,” Tobias murmured the second before he cupped the back of her head and pressed his lips onto hers.

Vera sighed and melted to him. She slid her hands up his chest as he angled his head, his lips moving against hers. If her fox would’ve recalled the feeling of safety she had all tangled up with Tobias like this, she never would’ve denied her human side for so long.