Unlike other legends, the common elements varied little from culture to culture. Everywhere they lived, the bear people disrupted nature, driving out other species. The land thrived, but predators and prey alike gave the bears a wide berth. Ancient navigators had spoken of compasses acting strangely when they ventured too close to areas where the forest guardians were known to dwell.
My heart rate picked up, a curious tingling starting at the base of my spine.
The bear people lived in isolated communities, avoiding human contact. They were difficult to kill, and they possessed healing capabilities that gave them immunity to most diseases. Some cultures described them as a tightknit “brotherhood” typically led by one bear shifter larger and stronger than the others.
The tingling spread up my spine. Beck had carried me so effortlessly, racing over the snow like I weighed nothing. He knew the forest like a map was imprinted in his mind. He’d been evasive from the start, guiding me away from areas wheremy equipment showed a total absence of wildlife…except for the heat signatures.
I slammed shut my laptop. This was absurd. I was a scientist, not a folklorist. I dealt in evidence and peer-reviewed studies, not oral traditions. Those things were important, but they weren’t science.
Bears didn’t turn into humans, and magic wasn’t real. Standing, I drifted to the window. Science always offered a rational explanation for unexplained phenomena. Sometimes, it just took longer to find it.
Fatigue tugged at me. Outside, sunlight sparkled on Beck’s snowy footprints. More snow covered the branches of the evergreens around the bed and breakfast. I couldn’t venture out today. But the sun was bright. It would melt the snow enough to let me set out first thing tomorrow.
Exhaustion tugged harder, and I stretched my arms above my head, a yawn threatening. Turning away from the window, I looked from my laptop to the bed. For a minute, I considered slipping downstairs and grabbing breakfast. But the bed beckoned, the rumpled blankets glowing in the soft sunlight. How long had it been since I took a nap?
Too long.
Crossing to the bed, I removed my glasses and set them on the nightstand before climbing in and curling on my side. The pillow was like a cloud under my cheek, the quilt a heavy, reassuring weight. Drowsiness swept me, and I let it close my lids.
Chapter
Eight
BECK
Ireached Everett’s house just as the sun peeked over the mountains, spilling orange light down the slopes.
The walk from the bed and breakfast had taken around forty-five minutes, and my bear had paced restlessly for each one. Because every step took me farther from Charlotte, and the beastdespisedleaving her alone.
But she wasn’t unguarded. I didn’t fool myself into thinking the clan wasn’t aware of my every move. My brothers were watching. Charlotte was safe in Bear Cove. For now.
I paused at the edge of Everett’s property, my breath a fog in front of my face. I’d delivered the DNA samples last night, handing Everett the coffee mug and hair I’d collected from Charlotte’s brush as she slept. By now, he’d know if she was compatible.
The front door opened, and Everett stepped onto the porch.
I crossed the snowy yard. Everett’s place was beautifully built, the wood-and-glass facade blending seamlessly with the natural world around it. Smoke curled from the chimney, and warm, cheerful light glowed in the windows.
“Beck,” Everett said, stepping aside when I mounted the porch. “You’re right on time.”
“Have I ever been late?” I asked, stomping snow from my boots onto the thick rug that spread over the foyer. Several colorful, plastic toys littered the front room to the right. One bristled with jungle animals and fabric leaves. A plastic tray attached to a cloth seat suspended from bungee cords. Cereal littered the surface, along with a pacifier and a cup of juice with a lid.
“No,” Everett said, “but I thought you might have slept in this morning.” He gave me a curious look that left zero doubt he wondered if I’d slept with Charlotte.
God, bear shifters were as bad as teenage girls when it came to gossip.
Skyler emerged from the direction of the kitchen with baby Wyatt on her shoulder. The little boy lifted his head when he caught sight of Everett. The baby gurgled happily, drool sliding down his chin.
“Beck!” Skyler said, coming to me. She shifted Wyatt higher on her shoulder as she went on tiptoe and pecked my cheek. “It’s always good to see you.”
Wyatt grabbed at my beard, his toothless grin growing when his damp fingers brushed a few strands of hair.
“You, too, Skyler,” I said. “And you, little man,” I added, rubbing a hand over the baby’s soft, dark hair. He rewarded me with another grin and a second swipe at my beard.
Skyler laughed as she captured the baby’s hand and kissed his chubby knuckles. “No, no, Wyatt. We don’t pull the alpha’s beard.”
“He gets bigger every time I see him,” I told Skyler, my heart squeezing at the sight of the cub. He was a miracle—and easily the most popular resident of Bear Cove. Every member of the clan doted on him.
Skyler made a face. “Tell me about it. I can’t order clothes fast enough. Some of the onesies in his dresser still have tags.”
