Page 28 of Mated to the Mountain Bear (Bear Protector #1)

ZARA

I press my face against the window, watching the darkness where Ben vanished. Nothing moves out there. No sound reaches me through the glass.

Jerry whines, pawing at the door. His distress feeds my own, making my hands shake as I double-check the locks. All secure. Ben made sure of that before he left.

“It’s okay, boy. He’ll be right back.” My assurances ring hollow, because I don’t really know.

And as the minutes stretch on, Jerry’s whining grows more insistent. He abandons the door to pace beneath the windows, hackles raised, tracking something I can’t see.

The kitchen feels too exposed with all its windows. I move to the living room, then back to the front door, unable to stay still. Every shadow outside could be Ben returning. Or something else.

Jerry freezes. The whining stops. Every muscle in his powerful body goes rigid as he stares at the front door. I dig my hands deep into his fur, trying to encourage him back.

But he will not be moved, and the silence is worse than his agitated barking. I move closer to the front of the cabin, despite every instinct screaming at me to back away.

“What is it?” My whisper barely disturbs the air.

Jerry’s lips pull back from his teeth. A growl builds in his chest, deeper than before.

Then I hear it.

Scratching. Deliberate and slow.

Against the wood of the door.