Page 14 of The Alpha Grizzly’s Mate (Omegas of the Shifter Mafia #8)

Colson

We’d been at the den for a couple of days, and I was settling in nicely. It was so different from living at my childhood mansion and even the places I’d lived while in school. Sure, there was more nature surrounding us, but it was beyond that. I’d never felt like I truly belonged before.

The kids were loving it, too—loving the freedom of going outside and playing, loving being spoiled by my mate’s aunt, as well as pretty much every single pack member, loving being surrounded by people who adored them. I’d do anything to erase their memories of all the horrors that had come before we found them. They say kids are resilient, and that was true, but I didn’t want them to need to be. And I was going to make sure nothing like that happened to them again…ever.

My mate and I were still learning new things about each other daily. I knew his favorite game growing up, jacks, and the first movie he saw in a theater. He, in turn, heard far too many ramblings about books I’d read or wanted to read. We were enjoying exploring our new bond together.

It was still hard to believe that only a couple of weeks ago, I thought I was going to be stuck working with my father forever, that he’d never let me go, and that I was going to be miserable and alone. And yet, here I was, living the dream life I never dared wish for.

I wasn’t a fool. I knew that everything wasn’t sunshine and roses and that eventually, I’d have to face my father. He wasn’t one to lose without a fight. But, for now, none of our intel indicated he knew it was us, and I was choosing to believe it.

I was a fool.

When I took the trash out back, my wolf started to push. And then the breeze shifted, and I understood why. Hanging in the air was the scent of a wolf, and not just any wolf either… My father. He’d been here, or at least close by. His scent was very, very weak, but it was definitely him.

I shucked off my clothes, took my fur, and followed his scent. For a split second, I thought I should tell my mate first, but that would result in him hunting my father down. In a fair fight, my mate would tear my father to shreds. But, with my father, there was never a fair fight. There would be guns, a bodyguard or five, and the willingness to do anything to win. My mate wouldn’t be able to compete with that and come out the other side victorious. No. I needed to do this alone.

If my father was here and allowing me to scent him at all, it was because he wanted me to find him. This wasn’t about taking the kids back or harming us. Had it been, he’d have done so already. That was his way. I was safe, as safe as someone could be with the man.

I followed his scent straight to his car. He was already back in human form, wearing his suit, one of his fucking bodyguards in the car, one who wouldn’t be at all upset if he had to take a shot at me. If anything, he’d relish the death and blood. He was good at his job because he lived for the kill.

None of my father’s men hid their disdain for me, but this particular one, it was mixed with a natural blood thirst. It was a good thing I hadn’t told my mate what I was up to.

“We need to talk.” He wasn’t asking for a conversation; he was demanding it.

I growled, not ready to give up the form that protected me the most.

“Shift back. We need to talk, not growl.”

Not wanting to be bled, I obeyed, taking my skin and hating that it immediately put me at a power disadvantage that was more pronounced than normal. I was standing naked while he was all dressed up in his “be scared of me” clothes.

But I didn’t care because I wasn’t going to be scared of him. I refused. And maybe if I kept telling myself that, I’d believe it. Because if you scratched the surface, I was terrified of the man and this entire situation.

“I don’t want you here, Dad. I found my life, the one I deserve.” I attempted to make my voice as strong and assured as his was. I failed, sounding like the nerdy college student I had been not too long ago.

“What you found was my property, Son, and I want it back.”

My stomach dropped.

“What do you mean?” My voice quaked, and I hated myself for it. “I don’t have anything of yours. I came with the clothes on my back.”

“You have my property. Should I remind you which, since you seem to have amnesia.” He turned his phone around and showed me a picture of the cubs.

He knew they were here.

Fuck.

“You can’t have them, Father. They belong here. They’re mine.” My wolf was so close to the surface, I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to hold him in.

“That’s not how this works. They are my property. You can’t just steal them from me and decide they belong to you.”

“How about we make a deal?” I still hadn’t fully formed what the deal would be, but I refused to let him win. I couldn’t win with force, but I’d be damned if I didn’t beat him.

My father was big on making deals—ones he always ended up on the right side of. And today, I was going to give him that. At least, I hoped he would see it that way.

“What could you possibly have to offer me? You have nothing. You refuse to do what is necessary in some feeble attempt to keep your hands clean. What’s left?”

“Money.” That caught his attention. “My trust fund’s coming due soon. And when it does, it’s a lot of money.” I hadn’t looked at it in years, but just the interest alone was more money than most people could fathom. Even to my father, it was a huge amount.

“I can take it from you.”

For a long time, I’d believed that to be true.

“No, you can’t. You can have control now and not give me early access, but you can’t take it from me. It wasn’t set up that way. Grandpa made sure.”

“Wait—you want to buy the cubs? Doesn’t that make you as bad as me?”

“No, I don’t want to buy the cubs. That’s way too much money just for those cubs.” They were priceless, but I refused to give my father the upper hand.“I want the cubs, and I want you to stay the fuck away from my den.”

“Your den? What a joke. You’re a wolf, not a bear.”

I turned so there was no mistake—I was marked.

“I’m mated to a bear from this den. It. Is. Mine. Those cubs are mine. So, do yourself a favor. Take the money. Call us even. Or the people who took those cubs are going to come after you. Because it wasn’t me, Dad. They were already gone when I went to rescue them.”

Let him fear my friends.

“You went there to do what?” He was livid.

“Don’t act surprised. You know I don’t belong in the business.”

He was pissed. There was no doubt about that. But also, I saw something in his eyes for the very first time in my life. Pride.

My father was proud of me.

“I’ll agree, but I have a condition of my own. I get your trust, and you and the cubs are safe. But…you also owe me a favor of my choice for each of the dead men their escape cost me.”

I didn’t count how many there were, but even one favor to my father was one too many.

“Those favors can have nothing to do with my den or any of my friends.”

“Agreed. They’ll be work favors and work alone.”

“Fine. Deal. The day my trust matures, I’ll sign it over to you. Every last penny.”

I didn’t need money. I had something better than that. I had the love of a true mate. And five little ones who counted on me to protect them from people like him.

My father pulled me in for a hug, ignoring my current state. “The deal is done.”

I spit on the ground and saw the bodyguard put his hand on his holster. But he wasn’t gonna mess with me. Not over spitting, anyway. “The deal is done. Now leave, Father.”

He gave a single nod and walked away. I watched as he climbed into the car and drove away.

I shifted back and went home. I had a mate to hold and a family to check on.