He needed to get back to cooking, the scent of the bacon was making his stomach growl and rumble.
Through the window, he could see his brothers, both of them in bear form, galumphing through the trees and heading toward him.
A strange sound hit his ears, a random, mechanical buzzing, and all of a sudden a black bear came barreling toward Warrick, roaring at the top of his lungs.
Ryder had ripped his door open, his bear already trying to take him, when the black bear jumped into the air. The red top of a dart appeared, which sank into the black bear’s shoulder, and he slumped to the ground, sliding a few feet with his momentum.
Connal’s head acted like it sat on a swivel, and he stretched up and swiped out, pulling a drone down with one huge, clawed paw.
It fell to the ground and shattered into a bunch of pieces, but Con stomped on it anyway, making sure that it could never be used again. Warrick put himself over top of the black bear and tore the dart out with his teeth, spitting it out on the ground.
Ryder ran as fast as he could to them to smell the bear and see what was going on.
I know that scent, Con said.It’s Race.
They had to get Race to the house, and Ryder could hear Nolan waking up, the panic right there on the surface.Stay in the house, baby. Lock the bedroom door and stay in the house just in case.
Since the bedroom was up on the second floor, it was defensible, even if it did have one whole wall of windows. He was assuming if they’d sent a drone, nobody was going to be makingactual forays into the house just yet. But if they had darted Race, then whoever this was probably meant to come pick Nolan up.
Someone would be showing up soon, no doubt.
What’s going on? What happened? Is that Race? It looks like Race. Oh my god, this is my fault. What the fuck? I’ve got to go figure this out. Why would theyactuallyfollow me? It’s not like anybody wants me, not really. I’m just another little omega bear. Oh god. Oh god.
Ryder didn’t think Nolan even knew he was speaking with him anymore. This was just panic as Nolan fought to get dressed.
Do what I said and lock the door. It’s important.
I don’t understand what’s going on. This isn’t right. Nobody wants me. Not like that. Not like that.
They got Race into the house, then barred the door, Connal shifting back into his human form first.
“What the actual fuck?”
“I can only assume this is about Nolan because who else would know Race was going to be here? Can you start working on Race while I go get Nolan? He’s freaking out.” Ryder needed to go see to his mate.
“Of course.” War waved him off, his human form back on him. “We’ve got this.”
“Thanks.” Ryder took the stairs two at a time, because he was half afraid Nolan would try to crawl out a window or something and flee.
He did also check most of the rooms on the second floor first, though, because if somebody had managed to get into the house, he didn’t want to be ambushed.
He knocked on his bedroom door, glad when he shook the door handle that it was locked. “Nolan, baby, it’s me. Come on open up; it’s safe.”
The door lock clicked, and he opened it, finding Nolan standing there with his arms wrapped around himself, his eyes wide, his lower lip appearing chewed up.
“He’s fine. He’s going to be fine. They just knocked him out. It’s going to be all right.”
“It’s not fine. This is my fault. I ran and I worried Herschel would come after me, but he always said I was a dime a dozen. Seriously.”
Ryder didn’t roll his eyes, even though he wanted to. “No, this might be about you, but it’s not your fault. You are a grown bear. You’re allowed to say, ‘I don’t want to mate with someone. I don’t want to do X. I don’t want to do Y.’ That’s within your rights.” And anyone who didn’t like it could answer to Ryder.
“I don’t feel like it right now. I’m sorry, I’ll leave. I know you need me to go.”
He arched an eyebrow. “Why?”
Nolan stared at him as if he was insane. “Because your family is in danger? Will you take care of Race?”
Ryder worked very hard not to growl or roll his eyes. “Are you done? You’re not a prisoner here. You can leave whenever you want to, but I don’t want you to go. We’re mates, and I want you to stay forever—even now, especially now—because I think I can probably keep you safe.”
