Page 59 of Mated to the Mountain Bear

“Now,” I demand, refusing to leave until she complies.

Finally, I hear the deadbolt slide home, along with a mutter curse and some snarky comments about it being my fault if I get eaten.

She’s safe. Jerry will protect her while I’m gone.

I circle the cabin twice, checking for any sign of intrusion, any trace of who was watching but finding none, until I move further back, closer to the creek to the rear, away from the porch and the comings and goings of the day.

The footprints tell me they were here for a while. Patient. Calculating. Too clever to come close while my brothers were here.

I curse. This definitely isn’t a random hiker who stumbled off their trail.

Her stalker. Has to be.

This is someone who knew exactly where to position themselves for the best view and to remain hidden. The prints under the tree are fresh, sinking deep into the damp soil. Following their path up the hill, striding long and moving atspeed, my bear presses forward, eager to hunt, to free our mate of this man who’s been making her life hell.

With a steely determination to end this, I take off in pursuit. This guy has no idea whose woman he’s messing with, and turning up here?

He just poked the bear.

20

ZARA

Ipress 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.

21

BEN

The tracks lead deeper into the woods, heading north toward the ridge. In the darkness, they looked fresh. Or at least they did closer to home.

I followed them this far anyway, driven by the need to end this. The bastard who’s been stalking Zara was here, on my land. He needs to pay for that.

But now, every step away from the cabin feels wrong. My skin prickles with unease. The invisible rope between Zara and me stretches tighter with each yard.

She’s safe. The door is locked. Jerry’s inside.