Page 7

Chapter Seven

It’s Complicated

Bellamy

The light from the stars was our only guide as we headed away from the Stepchild and into the unknown.

“Okay, now that the witchy old lady isn’t with us, you can tell us the truth.” Beau was riding shotgun, staring me down. “Why the hell are we busting our asses at zero dark thirty to find a piece of jewelry?”

“And why do you think she’s lying about it?” Brad added from the back seat.

“She’s clan,” I started but Beau quickly cut me off with a scoff.

“Sorry, boss, you’ve never mentioned your clan before Clover Crowley crashed our meeting. One of the reasons I felt at home here so fast is because you always say you might not be able to choose your clan, but you can choose your team. What we’ve put together feels good because everyone’s here willingly. Shirley and Clover don’t feel like a choice. It’s like you have something to prove.”

I rumbled, but didn’t argue as I stared into the dark and lonely night again. Beau might have said too much, but he wasn’t wrong.

“This is the first I’ve heard of an ancestor named Artemis.” There had been so many stories that the elders used to tell us at our gatherings. They were wild and fantastic and I loved them. They made me feel connected to the earth and my animal in a world that we didn’t rule anymore. “Have either of you heard of her? We should all descend from one ancestor.”

“I don’t know a lot about my clan, so don’t go by me, but no, nothing here,” Beau said. He and his mom had been separated from their clan when he was just a cub, and he’d been concerned he wasn’t bear enough for the job. It was one of the reasons I’d taken him under my wing.

“My clan has strong traditions, and no one’s ever mentioned an Artemis,” Brad said. “My sister wrote a children’s book with all our clan’s legends. I illustrated it. If she existed, I’d know about her.”

“Are you gonna tell us what happened between you and Clover, boss?” Beau asked.

“Wasn’t gonna, if I could help it.” I chuckled sadly then sighed. The more I tried to deny what happened, the more power she had over me. And I couldn’t afford to make bad decisions when it came to this woman. Not now, not ever. “She was my mate.”

“Was?” Brad said.

“I offered my claim, and she rejected me.” It never got easier to say, especially as the guys each let out a low whistle. “A woman like Clover can never be claimed. Not even by a bear that should’ve been alpha. But I was young and stupid and I thought love and tradition could be enough for her.”

“What happened after she said no?” Beau asked.

“I left. In a hurry.” I didn’t often talk about this part. “I couldn’t face anyone in my clan after they’d all watched the woman who was supposed to be fated to be mine humiliate me. I left. Joined the Army, which was where I learned to do what I do, but I wasn’t ready for someone else’s rules after my own had failed me, so I only stayed for one tour. I met Barrett right after his clan got displaced, and we’ve been working together ever since.”

Brad leaned forward. “We don’t have to take this job, boss. We can tell Shirley the truth. That her clan needs to find another way to solve their problems.”

“You want me to tell my clan healer I think she’s a liar?”

“Maybe it’s about time someone does.” Beau shrugged.

Again, he wasn’t wrong. “Problem is, the chosen ones were so secretive about the clan’s magic, that she could be telling the truth and I’d be making a fool out of myself. Again.”

“No. They should’ve fought for their alpha. You don’t owe Clover Crowley shit.” Beau studied me. “You’re still not over her, are you?”

“I have a lot of complicated feelings about the woman.”

“Can’t blame you there.” Brad chuckled. “She seems like a force of nature. Not someone you can easily walk away from.”

“That’s for sure.” I sighed. The guys were right. I was so close to saying fuck it and turning the truck around. Going back to the office and tackling the growing list of cases that needed our attention. But I wasn’t a “fuck it” type of bear. “I’m doing this for me. I want the truth.”

Brad clapped his hand on my shoulder. “We’ve got your back, boss.”

“Fuck yeah, we do.” Beau leaned forward and pointed. “Slow down. I see something on the side of the road.”

We pulled up behind a red sports car that fit the description of Clover’s car. From the angle, it looked like it had unexpectedly veered off the road. My heart pounded as we got out of the truck.

The car was abandoned.

“It’s unlocked.” Brad’s face lit up as he opened the passenger side door. “Purse is still here.”

Not a good sign. The driver’s side was open too.

Her scent hit me in the face the moment I moved inside. I let myself indulge in the aroma of sweet vanilla and fresh cut grass. But it was short-lived. She didn’t mean to leave her car here. She’d never leave her purse behind.

I slid the seat back and hit the ignition button. It started, which meant her keys had been left in her purse.

“Levels are good,” I said. “This wasn’t car trouble.”

“I smell bear.” Beau waved his hand in front of his nose. “Stinks like a lot of them.”

“Yeah, I do too.” I growled. My animal would come quick. “But I can scent her . Follow me.”

I barely made it out of the car before my bones began to snap and fur burst through my skin. I was on all fours, all bear, following Clover’s scent and pure instinct. Beau and Brad shifted and fell into line behind me.

For the first time in a far too long, I felt like the alpha I was supposed to be.

I was a bear possessed, under the influence of that delicious scent that was still my favorite, but I couldn’t let my complicated feelings for Clover get in the way of getting this job done.

I was a bear. She was clan. It was my duty to protect. On paper, it was simple. But in reality, nothing with Clover was. And the locket made it even more complicated.

What was Shirley trying to hide?

“How are you doing, boss?” Brad’s voice startled me back to reality. The guys flanked either side of me. “I’ve got to admit, I’ve lost the bear scent.”

“Me too,” Beau added. “But I never scented Clover.”

It had been so strong…which only meant one thing. We were still connected in a way neither of us wanted to admit. “Yeah. I’ve still got her scent.”

“This is the middle of nowhere. Didn’t think anyone lived out here. Are there any shifters this deep in the forest?” Brad asked.

“Everyone passes through, but don’t think anyone lives this deep.” And it was my job to know where every shifter in the area called home. “But I don’t think we’re looking for a permanent settlement.”

“What are we looking for?” Beau asked.

“Any sign that someone’s been here recently.” We were pretty far out, but any time we’d dealt with missing person cases in the past, the victim seldom stayed in the same place. I had to prepare myself that we would only find where Clover had been.

If you’re lucky…

Nope. Failure was not an option.

Brad stopped and tipped his snout up. “Do you smell that? Smells like smoke. Like we’re coming up on a campsite.”

“Be careful,” I warned. “They might not expect to encounter bears.”

Beau chuckled. “You’ve seen the memes. We’re not the scariest thing that could find them out here.”

That would all change if they’d hurt Clover…

It was too quiet. Too still. Humans and animals alike had a vibration that I was much more sensitive to in my bear form.

The trees thinned, and tents came into view. There must’ve been about a dozen of them, and they looked like they’d been abandoned years ago.

“Don’t see anyone, boss,” Brad said quietly.

“But there was a burn here. Hope it’s contained,” Beau added. He volunteered for the local fire department, and if there was a fire, he’d know what to do.

The smell of smoke sang in my nostrils, but it was nothing compared to Clover’s scent. It had intensified, threatening my sanity. I stalked forward, looking for any clue.

That vibration picked up. A soft thump. A heartbeat.

Her heartbeat.

“She’s here.”

“What’s our plan?” Brad asked.

“Get her to safety. No matter what it takes.”

Beau eyed me. “No rules?”

“If you need to be the scariest thing in the forest, you have my blessing.”

But I didn’t want that.

We came around the corner to find a woman with wild red hair sitting alone in front of what had been a fire.

A rumble emitted from my throat, and she turned around.

Her eyes widened as she gaped. “Bellamy. It’s not safe for you to be here.”

“Where are they?” I growled. “Did they hurt you?”

“Keep your voice down. They’re everywhere.” She narrowed her gaze and made a small gesture with her hand. “Can’t you see them?”

“See who?” Now that I was closer to her, her eyes were wild, like she’d been drugged. But otherwise, she looked unharmed. Dirty and disheveled, but we could fix that.

Her brow furrowed. “There are bears everywhere. And they’re talking some serious shit about Nana.” She stepped closer and whispered, “Problem is, I think they might be right.”

“Come on.” I nudged her with my snout, not expecting her to jump. “Let’s get you out of here.”

“I can’t leave,” she whispered. “They say I have magic too. Actual magic! What if they’re right, and it didn’t skip me?”

I’d almost prepared myself for every terrible scenario that could happen when we found her, except for her being completely fucking delusional. It was best to play along because if I made her angry, I could lose her forever. “Do they know where the locket is?”

She shook her head. “They think I’ll tell them how to find it.”

Problem was, her unhinged story lined up with that feeling in my gut.

“We need to get you home.”

“No!” She pushed me away. “I feel safe here. I finally know what that feels like.”

Fuck. This wasn’t just Clover being her impossible self. There was way more to this.

I had to get her out of here even if I needed to drag her to a place where she was actually safe. I picked her up, ignoring her kicking and punching and screaming as I hoisted her body over my shoulder.

“Stop it. We’re the only ones out here. Don’t think you’re gonna get someone to save you. That’s why I’m here. Just like you asked me to be days ago.”

“You’re trying to take me away from them. I’m so close to finally knowing the truth. You can’t do this to me.”

“We’ll find out the truth. I promise. But you can’t stay here.”

“Everything we know about our clan is wrong,” she said as she wriggled in my arms.

“It’s not my clan anymore. You made sure of that when you rejected my claim,” I grunted.

“It will always be your clan.” She let out an exasperated sigh. “You’re the one who left.”

“Didn’t want to wake up every morning without you in my bed. So I found a different bed.”

She chuckled and got in another kick. “How’s that working out for you?”

“Since I’m still saving your ass, I guess it’s not working out that great for either of us.”

“I told you to leave me there. You didn’t listen.”

“I learned from the best.” Once she got some rest and whatever was making her delusional out of her system, we’d get to the bottom of what really happened.

“Still trying to woo me after all this time.”

Now it was my turn to laugh. “Hardly.”

She exhausted herself and her body grew heavy in my arms. Her heartbeat had finally evened out. We got back to the road, and I put her down, trying to ignore the way her curves felt as they slid against my fur.

Like that was even possible.

She looked around, and then her face lit up when she recognized where she was. “Oh good, you found my car. I guess this is goodbye? Thanks for the unwanted rescue. I’m headed home. I’ll give the clan your regards, if you want.”

“Absolutely fucking not.”

“What are you talking about? That’s my car. As long as everything’s still in there. I should be good to go.”

“Your stuff is in there. And there’s no way you’re driving like this. You’re high as a kite.”

“I’m fine.” She tried to get around me and I stepped in front of her. She jabbed her finger into my chest. “My car is a lot faster than any bear.”

Heat skyrocketed in my body. I didn’t even have to will my shift. The guys weren’t far behind me.

Clover watched me with her arms crossed, a satisfied smirk on her face as she raked her gaze over my naked body. “Still got it, Bell. Thanks for the show. See you later.”

I grasped her by the shoulders and crashed my mouth over hers in a kiss.