Everyone nods.
“Okay, buddy system, increased patrols, keep everyone away from the north border.What else?”Alpha Cyrus asks.
I sigh.“We need to find a way to get intel from their side.If we know what they’re planning, we can keep more people safe.We’ll know if we have to escalate things.”
“How do we do that?”Abe asks.
I scrub a hand down my face.“I’m not sure yet.Maybe we can flip someone?Capture one of the guys when they come onto our land and interrogate them?Maybe we can get them to spy for us.”
“Okay, so capture anyone on our land,” Knox confirms.
I tense as Abe’s phone rings, wondering if it’s Fern calling for me.
“Hello?”he answers.“Oh, yeah, hold on.”
I snatch the phone from Abe’s hand as he passes it to me.“Fern?You okay?”I push to my feet and head for the door.
“I’m fine.I just wanted to see how things were going.Is everything okay there?”
“Yeah, I’ll be home soon.Is the door locked?”
“Yes.Nothing going on here.”
“Good.I’ll see you soon.”
“Okay.”
“Are you all right?”I ask quietly.“Do you need me to come home right now?”
“No, I’m okay.I was just… worried about you,” she admits.
“I’m fine.I promise.”
“Okay, see you soon,” she says quietly.
“See you soon.”
We hang up, and I return Abe’s phone.
“All good?”he asks.
“Yeah.Are we done here?”I ask the group.
“Yeah, I think so.Go home to your mate,” Rhodes says.
We all stand and move toward the door.I’m the first one out, jogging to my truck.It’s a quick twenty-minute drive back to my place, and when I pull up out front, I see Fern peeking out the front window.She looks anxious until she spots me, and then her face relaxes.She smiles, and my heart thumps hard in my chest.
Claim her,my bear urges.
Not yet.
I skid to a stop inside when I see Fern standing in the living room in a pair of my sweatpants and one of my T-shirts.The sight of her nearly drops me to my knees.
“Hey,” she says.
I smile.“Hi.Everything good here?”
“Yeah.”
