Mallory's Bears(50)

“So you’re questioning me about our eye color now? What can I say? People’s eye color change all the time. It depends on what you’re wearing.” He glanced down at his body. “Or what you’re not.”

“They don’t change like that.” She sat beside him. Even after having already made love, the urge to kiss him almost overpowered her anger. Whatever it was that they had between them, it was relentless in its conquest. She was ready to surrender to its will again. “Please, Gunner, if you care for me, you’ll tell me the truth.”

“Okay, fine.” He glanced at the door. “Rick’s going to kill me for telling you, but here it is. You thought he roared like a bear, right?”

“That’s what it sounded like.”

“Well,” he dragged in a breath, “that’s because it was the sound a bear makes. You see, Rick and me? We’re werebears. Men who can change from humans to bears.”

She stared at him, trying to understand what he’d said. Her stare soon turned into a dark glower. “Fine. Don’t tell me. But at least don’t feed me some nonsense about being were… Whatever you are.”

“Werebears. We’re werebears.”

She broke into a belly laugh. She had to give it to him. He could always make her laugh. “Okay, sure. You’re werebears. Now tell me the real truth.”

He opened his mouth to speak and she was sure he was going to finally tell her the truth. The house phone interrupted her chance.

“I have to get this.”

“No, you don’t. Let Rick pick up.”

He shook his head, then answered the phone. “Gunner here.”



* * * *



Rick had already gotten dressed in clean clothing by the time Gunner caught up with him. His brother’s expression was sour, telling him more than he wanted to know.

“Fuck. Who called?”

“Wallis Rilas. He said he found a dead cow and an injured calf on the road between our places.” Gunner looked like he was about to say more, then slammed his mouth shut.

Wallis was a werebear who liked solitude and rarely interacted with anyone. The fact that he’d called about the cow instead of handling the carcass himself meant it was bad. Real bad.

“What were you going to say?” He studied his brother, sure that something was up.

“Uh, nothing. Just that it doesn’t look like we’re going to get any rest.”

“Nope. But getting with Mallory was better than any amount of sleep.” Gunner was out of the room, no doubt to get to his room for clothes.

Why can’t we find that damn wolf?

With werebears and werewolves alike searching for him, Rick couldn’t figure out how the bastard had eluded them. It just didn’t make any sense.

The day had already sucked enough, but now that the wolf had made another killing and Mallory was mad as hell, it was going to suck even more. She had a right to know everything. Lying to her, even by omission, was eating away at his gut. He vowed they’d tell her as soon as they had enough time to deal with her reaction, good or bad. So far, they hadn’t had enough time at home to do more than sleep and eat. They were in and back out hunting as soon as they could.

Bullshit.

The real reason twisted his gut a little more.

What if we tell her and she leaves?

He shook the awful thought away. Gunner was right. Telling her would have to happen soon. Real soon.

He met Gunner downstairs, ready to spend the rest of the day and night searching for the wolf. He’d have to saddle up another horse so he could let his favorite, Gallahad, get some much needed rest. When the hell was he going to get his own much-needed rest?

Gunner was faster than he was in getting another mount ready. “Rick, I need to tell you something.”

“What?”

“I told her.”

Rick froze. “You told her what?”

“About us.”

Shit. “Without me?”

“Come on. I’ve tried to get you to tell her. So, I just decided to get it over with. She knows something’s up and she has a right to know.” Gunner paused, yet he knew he was going to say more. “I think you’re afraid to tell her.”

“Bullshit.” His brother knew him all too well. Besides, he’d already admitted as much. “So? What’d she say?”

Gunner turned away. “She didn’t believe me.”

Laughter rolled out of him, then the mirth changed to sadness. It was going to take a lot to convince her. “At least you got it out of your system. But don’t worry. We’ll do it when we get back.”

“We’d better.”

“Just get ready to go.”

He’d just cinched up his saddle when he noticed that his brother had led Sweetie Pie out of its stall. Gunner pointedly ignored him, which was never a good sign.