chapter 11

The second date hadn’t ended as he’d hoped. Caleb pulled his truck up in front of the diner, putting it into park, then advanced toward the door.

After he’d taken Bethany home last night, he’d waited for Joe to arrive, only for the cowardly invasive fucker to not turn up. There was no way Joe wouldn’t be here now.

Last night, he’d injured the prying bastard, and he intended to finish what he started. He should have taken Bethany’s virginity, mated her, and woken up this very morning to fuck her again.

His cock was rock hard and even as he needed to fight, he wanted to go get her, to take her back to his home.

He needed to mate with her. To surround himself with her scent.

His pack had kept a wide berth of space from him this morning. He’d already destroyed three doors that would need to be repaired.

The glass of the diner’s door smashed as he opened it, and he didn’t care. Caleb turned over tables that were in his way.

He smelled the blood, and as he got into the back office, there was Joe, nursing his wounds.

“You just can’t leave me the fuck alone, can you?” he asked.

Caleb wrapped his fingers around the man’s neck. “You dare to come back here after spying on my woman? You think I’d let you get away with it?”

“In case you couldn’t tell, I didn’t exactly put up a fight last night.”

He gritted his teeth, wanting nothing more than to fucking rip out his throat, but he paused.

Last night, he’d been overcome with rage when this man invaded his time with Bethany, but he hadn’t been thinking clearly. He’d struck Joe and left him to cower off so he could take care of his mate.

“Why?” Caleb asked.

“It may escape your notice, but I wasn’t actually there to ruin your time. I’m guessing from her fading scent you didn’t get as far as you wanted.”

Joe coughed and Caleb went against his senses, letting go of his throat.

He took a step back. If he was too close, he’d kill him. Joe collapsed, coughing.

He waited. “You’re telling me you were only there for what? A stroll?”

“I’m a bear and even though we don’t have to be at the mercy of the full moon, it doesn’t mean we can’t have a little fun at your expense.”

He winced. “Bears don’t exactly get the best rep and during the full moon, people always assume it’s wolves.” He leaned back and groaned.

“Fuck, you got me good. Do you have poison in your claws?”

“No, that would have been a lot easier for you.”

Caleb lowered himself down into a chair and glared at his enemy.

“You use the full moon to travel and hide. What of your pack, or do you call it a herd?”

“A sleuth.”

“Ah, right.” He stared at Joe, the scent of his pain heavy in the air. He should be preparing for his woman tonight as he wanted to surprise her and bring her back to his home. This wasn’t exactly how he intended to spend his morning.

“Are you not going to ask?” “What?”

“Why I was alone?” Joe asked.

He stared at the man, waiting. “Well, why were you?”

“It’s simple, I have no sleuth of my own anymore.” Joe winced.

Caleb stared at him. He remembered him mentioning an alpha. Was it all bullshit? “But aren’t bears supposed to be one big happy fucking family?”

Joe shook his head. “Not everything is as easy as it seems. I was merely running.”

“You picked my area of the woods, why?” Caleb had a feeling Joe was in hiding but he wanted to know why, and for how long.

Joe placed an antiseptic wipe on his stomach and cried out. “Fuck, I forget how much this hurts.”

His enemy didn’t say a word as he placed the Band-Aid across the wound. “You know, if this had been from any other animal, I’d have healed already. It’s just rather unlucky that bears and wolves are repulsive to each other.”

Caleb ran a hand down his face. “You were using my pack to cover your tracks.”

“A pack. You’re one big happy family. I heard how excited your men were. They wanted this mating to come about. They’re so desperate for their own matings.”

“Don’t change the subject. What happened?” Caleb asked. “I know bears are simple creatures but I never thought of any of them as weak.

You using my pack to hide, to hunt, I have a right to know what’s going on.”

Joe finished dealing with his wound and sat back. “As you know, bears are close and we do have one alpha.” He sighed, grabbing a bottle of whiskey. “A few months ago, our leader was overrun by what I can only describe as a rogue bear.

Vicious. I watched him kill my brother right in front of my eyes. He banished all men, even the mated ones. Poisoned others. Any that stood up to him died. The women, they became his.

He was so strong, I don’t know how he managed to overthrow us. There were thirty men. We had our own little commune. We worked the lands, all of it.”

“And now?”

“I’ve been going through the motions all these months, playing normal, hoping that animal would move on.

I don’t know what’s left, but I got word from one of the other men yesterday.

We’re being hunted now, wiped out. That man’s head was delivered to me last night. I had to get away, to run.

I intend to bury him today, out in the woods.” Joe kicked a box over to him, groaning as he did. “I better heal soon.”

“This diner has been around a lot longer than you.”

“It was once owned by my aunt. She was human and she left it to me. I always managed it for her. This is the only home I have left. I’ve been living in denial until last night.”

Caleb stared in the box and stepped back.

“This rogue, did he have any supporters?” Caleb asked.

“None. Like I said, he was more than a bear, twice the size of any bear I’ve ever known. He doesn’t need an army. When he turns, Caleb, we all should run.”

He needed to think. “Don’t leave town.”

“I’ve got nowhere to hide. I just want my life back. Our alpha’s gone, but I know there are others out there.”

“Who’s his beta?”

Joe cringed, a look of shame on his face. Caleb knew it was him.

“Then you come to my pack. We’ll protect you.” Even as the offer left his lips, he couldn’t believe he’d give his enemy a home.