His breath caught, and I felt his smile against my collarbone.
Callum cleared his throat, sharp and deliberate, slicing through the low murmur of conversation. “Let’s get started.”
The atmosphere shifted instantly. It was like someone had dropped a weighted blanket over the room. Even the air seemed heavier.
Wolves sat straighter, their easy postures firming into something more alert. The bears stopped joking, shoulders squared, expressions sober.
I felt James tense beside me, his fingers tightening briefly around his drink before he set it down.
“We know Avery’s been operating quietly for a while,” Callum began, his voice low and measured. “But recently, he’s gotten bolder. More sightings. More shifters asking about loans. And one of his men was spotted loitering around the bakery.”
That last part stung more than I expected. I glanced at James, saw the subtle clench of his jaw, the way his eyes darkened, haunted. The bastard had crossed a line.
Beau folded his arms, gaze cold. “He’s testing the waters. Seeing how far he can go before someone pushes back.”
“He’s not just testing,” I said, stepping forward before I could stop myself. “He’s settling in. I’ve talked to a few paranormals around town. Avery’s making deals with anyone desperate enough. Offering protection. Fast money. Low entry, high exit. We all know what comes next.”
“Threats. Violence,” Callum said grimly. “Broken limbs, broken trust. Fear creeping into places it doesn’t belong. He’s using this town as a foothold, and he used James to do it.”
The room went quiet. James stiffened at my side. I could feel it in the way his body angled slightly away, bracing himself.
“I didn’t mean that as a blame,” Callum said quickly, glancing at James with something like regret. “I’m just saying… Avery zeroed in on you because he knew you wouldn’t ask for help. Because he saw you as isolated.”
James looked down, his shoulders rigid. He didn’t say a word, but I felt the shame rippling off him like heat. I wanted to punch something. Or someone. Preferably Avery. Maybe twice.
“But that ends now,” Callum continued, gaze moving from me to Beau. “Rafael. Beau. You in?”
Beau nodded without hesitation. “Absolutely. We protect our own. Even the wolves.”
That earned a few chuckles and some good-natured jeering.
Callum cracked a grin. “Even the bears.”
With the tension slightly broken, the conversation moved forward. Strategies were discussed. We agreed to monitor Avery’s movements and quietly gather more intel.
Rowan mentioned someone who’d backed out of a deal with Avery last minute and might be willing to talk.
Cass suggested we cross-reference suspicious financial activity with shifter-run businesses. Cyrus was already scribbling notes like he was prepping for a crime documentary.
But slowly, the heavy fog that had settled over the room began to lift.
Cyrus clapped his hands together. “Alright, heavy stuff done. Who’s ready for a proper bear-wolf cook-off?”
“We already agreed,” Beau called out, “No shifting and no setting the grill on fire.”
“That was one time!” Rowan barked, face red.
“And what a time it was,” Cass said, smirking from the kitchen doorway. “You nearly burned your eyebrows off.”
“I still think wolves can’t cook,” Cass added lazily. “Prove me wrong.”
“You can’t even make toast without burning it!” Cyrus retorted.
“I’m a pastry chef. Toast is beneath me.”
Laughter exploded across the room. Someone cranked the music. Cyrus started juggling beer cans like he was on a stage.
Rowan challenged Cass to a burger-flipping contest and promptly dropped half a patty into the coals. Someone yelled about cornhole and arm wrestling in the same breath.
