Chapter 5

Joe. Hearing her say the bear’s name made Rowan’s blood boil. He wanted to erase the guy from existence for even being alone with her.

“Nothing to worry about, sweetheart,” Joe said. “Head on home.”

She slipped past Rowan, brushing close enough that her scent hit him again. They stood frozen until her footsteps faded and the front door clicked shut.

Then the mask dropped.

“What the hell kind of game are you running, bear?” Rowan demanded.

“Might ask you the same thing. A whole wolf pack hiding right under my nose?”

“You don’t own these woods. And I don’t roll over for anyone trying to muscle in, not wolves, not coyotes, and sure as hell not bears.”

Joe shrugged, casual as hell. “Interesting.” He chuckled again. Rowan’s fists clenched.

“What’s so funny?”

“You’re throwing around threats, but your mate’s on my payroll. And after the raise I just gave her? Doubt she’s going anywhere.”

Of course. The bastard was playing dirty, dangling her job like leverage. Rowan knew spilling the truth about shifters right now wasn’t an option. Not this soon.

“You set this whole thing up the raise, keeping her late, this little showdown.”

“I’m no rookie,” Joe said. “Knew you wouldn’t stray far tonight.”

“Raise her, fire her I don’t give a damn. She’s mine now. I’ll take care of her. She won’t need your money.”

“Elara’s stubborn as they come. Independent to the bone. She barely knows you. From what I’ve seen, she’s got walls higher than most. Life’s kicked her around plenty. She's not the type to fall into some stranger’s arms, wolf.”

“I don’t care how bears run their packs. But this isn’t about a quick fuck. I’m not some beast.” He flashed a cold wink.

She wasn’t a fling. Elara was everything the key to mating, to securing the future for his whole pack. Without her, they’d all end up alone.

“Unless you’re packing up and leaving the territory, I’ll be getting nice and close with my favorite waitress. Speaking of, did you get a load of those curves?”

Rowan’s fist connected before his brain caught up. Joe reeled back, slamming into the wall.

“Test me,” Rowan roared. “Come near her, breathe wrong in her direction, and I’ll rip you apart.”

Even a bear couldn’t ignore raw alpha power. Joe raised his hands, backing down. “Easy. Just messing with you.”

He wasn’t. It was a warning, plain and simple. Until Rowan claimed her and came clean about what he was, she wasn’t safe here. The bears could use her as bait, a throwaway piece in their game. And Rowan knew he’d be up nights worrying.

“Watch who you pick fights with,” he said, baring his teeth in a grim smile. “Messing with a wolf’s mate could bring hell down on your pack. And this cozy little diner of yours.”

He had no problem fighting fire with fire. When it came to keeping Elara safe, nothing was off limits.

Elara couldn’t settle down. She kept walking back and forth along the edge of the parking lot, the gravel crunching under her shoes. The sun was long gone, and the only real light came from that single floodlight over the diner sign, pushing back the dark just enough to see. What the heck was happening there?

Rowan, that guy who’d caught her earlier like it was nothing, was in there with Joe. And Joe wasn’t the kind of man people messed with. Rowan had stormed in looking ready to tear the place apart, like some jealous boyfriend. It didn’t make any sense, but it did something to her. Made her stomach flip in a way it hadn’t in forever. He was rough around the edges, dangerously handsome in a way the usual loggers and hunters around here weren’t. He and his friends were built differently solid, powerful, and way too sexy for their own good.

She wished she knew what they were saying. Did Rowan even know Joe before tonight? Were they fighting over some old grudge? Or God, she barely let herself think it had really come back for her? They’d only talked for a few minutes.

She sucked in a lungful of the cool night air. It smelled like pine and earth, clean in a way the city air never was. This little town was starting to feel like the fresh start she’d been chasing. Her room at the boarding house was just a short walk away, but she wasn’t going anywhere. Not yet. If hanging around gave her another shot at seeing Rowan, it was worth it. He’d been on her mind since he walked out earlier. Had he felt anything close to the spark she did? Guys like him didn’t usually look twice at girls like her.

The little bells on the diner door chimed, and she spun around. Rowan stepped outside, closing the door behind him. He didn’t have a mark on him, no blood, no messed-up clothes. For a second she’d half-worried Joe might be laid out on the office floor.

All these wild thoughts bounced around her head, but one thing stood out clear: she wasn’t scared of Rowan. Maybe she ought to be, but she wasn’t.

She took a few cautious steps toward him. “Where’s Joe?” she asked, trying to sound casual.

He stopped short, eyes locking on her. “You worried about him?”

There was an edge to his voice, jealousy, maybe? It sent a little thrill through her. “You look fine,” she said. “He’s nowhere in sight.”

Rowan shrugged, but his gaze didn’t leave her face. “Your boss is okay.” He started closing the distance between them. “But I’d watch yourself around him.”

“Why’s that?” She wrapped her arms around herself against the chill creeping in. She needed answers. She’d only been in town a short while everything still felt like guesswork. She was tired of running, tired of starting over. For once, she wanted to stay put, to feel like she belonged.

“He’s not what he pretends to be.”

She’d always gotten a weird vibe from Joe, nothing she could pin down, just enough to make her uneasy. But creepy bosses and dangerous things were two different things. “When you came in earlier… what made you do that?”

He stepped closer, close enough she could feel the heat coming off him. “I didn’t like the idea of you being alone with him. I don’t trust the guy.”