“Snow White? I take it that’s Glenn’s code name?”
“Oh shit…you didn’t know.”
“Nope…”
“Fuck…he’s gonna kill me.”
“Lucky for you, I don’t allow anyone to kill members of my pack,” smirked Jackson. “I take it you work with Glenn at the Agency.”
“Yeah…I mean I did. I left it a while back.”
“Why?”
Shrugging, Smokey said, “No particular reason…just wanted a change, I guess.”
Jackson was doubtful about that but decided not to pursue it. “Your animal is a Grizzly bear, correct?”
“California Grizzly to be exact.”
Raising an eyebrow, Jackson said, “They’re extinct…or so that’s what I thought.”
“Most do…but as you can see, there are a few of us still around.”
“Okay…this may seem strange, but does your species usually have two mates?” asked Jackson.
“Normally we do…but not always.”
Shaking his head, Jackson muttered, “Of course…why would it be simple?”
“Is this about my mate being pregnant?” asked Smokey.
“Is that going to be a problem?”
Smokey didn’t know what to say; he’d never expected to find his mate in the first place. Not with the life he’d chosen to live, filled with missions—some so secret, he couldn’t even tell Glenn or Ghost about them. How would a mate tolerate being excluded from a major part of his life? Which is why, when he joined the Agency, he’d made the decision to avoid bear shifters at all costs. It was actually easier than he thought it’d be, but now it seemed his luck had run out. Glancing up at Jackson, he decided on honesty. “I don’t know…is that why you won’t let me see him?”
Ignoring Smokey’s questions, Jackson asked, “What do you know about Ghost bear shifters?”
Taken aback, Smokey could only stare at the Alpha.Ghost Bears? What the hell are they?Searching his mind, he couldn’t recall any agency briefings about different shifter types that included Ghost bears, which usually meant the species was extinct. But if that were the case, why was Jackson asking him about Ghost bears? He thought for a moment, then…oh fuck! “My mate’s a Ghost bear shifter?”
“He is…and they only have one mate.”
One mate…Fuck! No wonder Jackson asked me about that…but wait…does that mean my mate has a mate already? Is that who got him pregnant?“Fucking hell!” It was the only thing Smokey could utter.
“That about sums it up,” Jackson muttered.
~/~/~/~/~
Entering the hospital room, Norm found Theo tightly curled into a ball, dried tear streaks on his cheeks. His eyes were scrunched shut in an effort to keep more tears from falling, he guessed. Walking quietly over to the bed, he gently placed his hand on his mate’s, caressing it with his thumb, hoping the motion would provide comfort as he tried to figure out exactly what had upset Theo.
But nothing Norm could come up with made any sense. The Theo in front of him was poles apart from the one he’d spoken to just minutes before. That Theo was smiling, full of happiness about their cub and eager to return to his beloved kitchen. The Theo now confined to a hospital bed was dispirited and inconsolable.
When his presence failed to provoke a reaction, Norm frowned. His honey bunch always smiled whenever he saw Norm, but not now—and that made Norm’s gut clench. His mate’s silence increased his apprehension and, unwilling to endure it a moment more, Norm finally asked, “Theo? Honey bunch…what’s wrong? Did Jackson refuse? If that’s the case, I can talk to him. I’m sure once he understands how important cooking is to you, he’ll agree to your working in the kitchen again.”
Norm knew something was seriously wrong with his mate when Theo failed to respond. It had never happened before, even in all those months when they were in prison cells. No matter how down Theo got, just hearing Norm bolstered his spirits. But not now. His honey bunch remained silent, curled in a fetal position, refusing to even open his eyes to look at him.
Not knowing what else to do, Norm climbed onto the bed, lying down behind Theo. Wrapping himself around his mate, while placing one hand over their cub, he began to croon a song Theo taught him. Sweet and tender, it spoke of the love between them. In a voice barely above a whisper, he sang the lyrics again and again, hoping it would bring his Theo back to him.
~/~/~/~/~
