chapter 27

“Try to keep up,” he said to his men. “We’ll go on ahead.” He nodded to Joe, and they both leaped forward, seamlessly shifting into their beasts. Caleb took the lead this time, only going on instinct and following the route the rogue had taken. Adrenaline pumped wildly through his veins, his muscles working in overdrive as he plowed his large wolf body through the underbrush.

He imagined Bethany’s fragile skin being subjected to the rough terrain. If he got her back, he’d never let her out of his sight again.

His precious female was going through hell. New scents began to filter into his senses as they put miles between them and the waterfall. This wasn’t his territory and he found markers that the land was already claimed by rival wolves. He didn’t heed the warnings, not now, not when Bethany’s life was in danger.

The powerful scent of blood wafted toward them and he bolted to a stop. There was blood, a lot of damn blood. It wasn’t Bethany’s or the rogue’s. They spread out and examined the area. Joe roared, and Caleb joined him.

There was a dead male wolf in the brush, his throat ripped out. It had to be a bear attack—a rogue bear attack.

They kept moving forward, following Bethany’s trail. They were so close he could practically taste it. He closed his eyes, breathing her in. So close.

There was a scream in the near distance. They broke out into a run. He couldn’t keep his growls silent any longer. He’d tear that asshole to shreds. And he hoped Joe would have his back and not bow out.

He noticed the eyes first, the same glowing eyes he’d seen last time in his woods. The rogue bear looked in his direction, tossing the female to the ground.

“You took longer than expected,” he shouted, closing the distance between them. “Wolves aren’t nearly as intelligent as bears, so that must explain it. On the other hand, wolves and bears together, that’s the winning combination.”

“Where’s Bethany?” asked Caleb. He stood there in his skin, desperately wanting to return to his fur and lunge at the rogue. First, he needed answers, and he better like what he heard.

The female on the ground moaned and tried to sit up. She was a young wolf, he had no doubt about it. Still, no sign of his mate.

“Bethany? I’m assuming that’s your woman? Disgusting that you have to stoop so low when you could take a wolf as a mate. Humans are weak and pathetic. They’ll never make you stronger. Your offspring will be worthless hybrids.”

“Where’s Bethany?” His voice was deeper and menacing. He tired of this crazed bear’s games.

“She was going to be my little helper, but then I realized I had to be reborn with my mate. Didn’t take me long to find a worthy one.” He looked back at the female on the ground. “Now I need to get her back to the water.”

back.

“You’re not going anywhere,” said Joe.

Caleb turned to the right. The bear was by his side, his shoulders

“Ah, one of the traitor bears. I thought I’d gotten all of you. But there are still a few loose ends I plan on cleaning up after my rebirth. I want no memory of the old sleuth remaining. Everything must be new.”

He walked back to the wolf female and grabbed an ankle, dragging her along despite her cries.

“Let her go,” said Caleb. “She’s not your mate.” This female was important. She belonged to one of his men. He’d sensed it right away.

“She is now. I get to choose.”

“That’s not how it works,” said Caleb. “Where’s the human girl?” “Consider yourself lucky. I did you a favor. There are plenty of other female wolves in this pack. Take your pick. This one’s mine.”

****

Bethany hadn’t moved for so long that her muscles cramped. There hadn’t been any sounds or movements for what felt like an hour, so she dared to get to her knees and crawl forward inch by inch.

She’d covered herself in mud, hoping to keep off any bear radar. So far, it had worked. Her body shivered now, cold, wet, and battered.

She imagined Caleb’s warm cabin, a fire going, food on the stove. It felt so real she could feel the warmth, smell the food, and feel the safety. It was all an illusion to keep her sane.

The bear had dragged her into the freezing water, about to plunge himself beneath the surface when he’d started ranting about needing a mate to complete the rebirth.

He’d started roaring and thrashing about the water, terrifying her. Then he’d dragged her through the forest, stopping at every den he came across. When a small pack of wolves approached them, he’d shifted into his bear, quickly slaughtering one and chasing after the others.

She’d looked down at her arm, the rope at her wrist no longer attached to the bear. When he’d shifted, the rope burst off his human wrist. It was her chance to escape.

Bethany had run and run, mostly blindly as the forest was so dense and pitch black. She didn’t have time to worry about her many aches and pains or focus on her fears of being in a dark forest at night. Nothing could be worse than being at the rogue bear’s mercy.

She’d untied the rope from her wrist and stayed in hiding. The wolven cries and howls of pain made her cringe, but there was nothing she could do to help.

Hiding was the only thing she could do now.

If only Caleb could find her. She prayed he was looking in the first place.

She must have started to drift off to sleep when she was startled as the earth seemed to tremble and the sound of an animal attack echoed around her. Bethany made herself as small as possible, curling into a ball. She was too tired and weak to fight off the bear at this point. She had to remain hidden.

Then she lifted her head. Had she heard right? She swore she’d heard his voice—Caleb’s. But her mind could be playing tricks on her again.

It was her name. He was calling her. After listening carefully, she was certain.

Tears immediately welled up in her eyes as sweet relief flooded her body.

Bethany used a tree to pull herself to her feet. Everything hurt.

She made her way toward the sound, toward the melee. They were in a clearing, allowing the moonlight to highlight the scene. She stayed low, crawling on her stomach again until she knew it was safe.