Page 25 of Grumpy Bear (Return To Fate Mountain #4)

Chapter

Twenty-One

The emergency alarm shrieked through the night air as Henry processed Vance’s desperate escape. Henry’s instincts locked onto one critical detail—the messenger bag Vance had clutched against his chest.

“He was terrified,” Henry said grimly. “The way he panicked when he mentioned documents tells me whatever was in that bag is something he wants to protect.”

“Or destroy.”

Their eyes met and understanding passed between them. They had a choice: wait for the backup that would arrive in response to the alarm or pursue immediately before Vance could eliminate evidence. Every second mattered.

Ivy’s chin lifted slightly. No words were needed. They moved as one toward the emergency exit, pushing through the same door Vance had fled through. The alarm’s shriek followed them outside.

They stripped quickly, their bears already pushing through. Flesh rippled into fur, human senses sharpening. Within moments, two massive grizzlies stood where the humans had been.

They surged into the forest along the familiar paths Henry had patrolled for years. Ivy ran beside him, their paws striking earth in a synchronized rhythm. Pride swelled in Henry’s chest.

Henry locked onto Vance’s scent trail. The man’s human awkwardness in the forest made him pitifully easy to track. Broken branches and disturbed undergrowth marked his passage like a neon sign.

When the human trail veered toward what looked like easier ground, Ivy angled to cut off Vance’s escape route. Henry broke through the dense underbrush, his larger bulk clearing the way.

When she spotted a shortcut through a rocky outcropping, he trusted her lead without hesitation. They communicated through subtle body language, coordinating the hunt with an intimacy that transcended their human relationship.

They cornered Vance in a clearing where Henry had found the false boundary markers. Vance stumbled, chest heaving, still clutching his messenger bag. His eyes went wide with terror as two grizzlies emerged from the shadows, cutting off any escape.

Henry shifted back to human form, confronting Vance. “The documents. Hand them over.”

Vance’s gaze darted between them, wild with panic. For a moment, it seemed he might comply. Then, with a desperate whimper, he tried to dart past Ivy’s bear form.

Ivy cut off his escape route and pinned the terrified contractor to the ground. The messenger bag tumbled free. “You don’t understand...” Vance’s words came between sobs, his resistance crumbling. “They’ll destroy everything I’ve built... my family’s company...”

“Who’s ‘they,’ Vance?” Henry kept his voice level despite the urgency thrumming through him.

“I can’t... They’re too powerful. They have connections everywhere.”

The sound of approaching sirens grew louder, accompanied by the bobbing of flashlights through the trees. Henry could hear voices. The police department was responding to the nature center’s alarm.

He leaned closer to Vance. “It’s over.”

48 Hours Later

Henry stood in the construction trailer at the nature center, watching Ivy sort through inspection reports with the same methodical focus she’d shown during their hunt. Emergency repairs on the windows had already been completed.

The final inspection had proceeded on schedule. Vance had been taken into custody, though his cooperation with the authorities stayed limited. He continued to display a palpable terror of the unnamed “they” behind the conspiracy.

“The sabotage equipment was sophisticated,” Ivy said without looking up from her papers. “Whoever supplied Vance with those specialized drill bits knew exactly what they were doing.”

Henry nodded, remembering the messenger bag now sealed in evidence.

Its contents remained hidden behind legal procedures, but he suspected those documents held answers about the larger threat to Fate Mountain.

Porter’s sudden absence from town— his offices closed “for renovation” since news of Vance’s arrest spread—suggested he was deeply involved in the conspiracy.

“The grand opening’s still on schedule,” Ivy added, finally glancing up with a tired smile.

Henry moved behind her chair, resting his hands on her shoulders. Through the window, he could see construction crews completing repairs. “We saved your nature center.”

Henry felt something fundamental shift inside him. Protecting Fate Mountain had been his solitary mission for years. Now, standing guard meant something different. It meant protecting his mate, and everything she held dear.