Bear Naked

“Thanks, guys. I don’t think they’ll be in any danger, but whatever we find, Glory will need her friends and family around her.”

Julian pulled out his cell phone. “Want me to call Gabe and have him meet us there?”

“Not a bad idea. I’ll call Glory and let her know what’s up.” Ryan pulled out his own cell phone and punched in the number for Cynful.

“Good morning, Cynful Tattoos, Cyn speaking. How may I help… Oh. It’s you.”

“And good morning to you too, sunshine.”

Cyn grunted.

“Are we still decaffeinated?”

She grunted again.

“Julian’s here with coffee.”

“I hate you so much right now. Tabby vomits if she even smells coffee.” Cyn whimpered. “I’m dying here.”

Ryan didn’t laugh. “Listen, the guys and I are heading over with Gabe.”

“Why? What’s wrong?”

That overprotective instinct of Cyn’s had kicked into high gear. She suddenly sounded wide awake and vaguely growly, her Bear ready to defend her friends.

“It’s okay. I promised Glory we’d look into Hope’s disappearance, so we thought we’d meet with Gabe at Cynful where Glory feels most comfortable.”

“Oh.” Cyn sighed, the sound relieved. “Good idea. Come on over, and bring herbal tea.”

Ryan started to laugh. “Can you sound any more disgusted?”

“Hate. You.” And Cyn hung up before he could answer, not that he could. He was laughing too hard.

Julian was clipping his phone back to his belt when Ryan hung up. “Gabe says he’ll be there in an hour.”

Ryan stood, putting a lid on his coffee. Tabby might not be able to stand the smell, but Ryan wasn’t giving up his early morning love. “Your mate wants to kill us for our caffeine.”

Julian sighed, but it was anything but sad. “Yeah. She’s mean like that.”

Bunny shrugged on his jacket and grabbed his coffee. “C’mon. I’ll need you both to suck some breath mints before we go in the shop.”

Julian’s expression turned instantly concerned. “It’s that bad?” When Bunny nodded glumly, Julian frowned. “Do you want me to check her out?”

As Bears, each of them had the power to heal, both themselves and others. But where Bunny and Ryan could only heal minor wounds, aches and illnesses, Julian, as a Spirit Bear, had powers neither of them could truly comprehend. He could take someone on the brink of death and drag them back to life, but the cost to him was horrific. He’d nearly died twice, once when saving Jamie Howard when Jamie’s mate was killed, and again when saving Cyn after she’d been shot by Tabby’s ex-Alpha. If anyone could help Tabby with her morning sickness and her aversion to coffee, it would be him.

But Bunny shook his head. “Nah. Her OB/GYN said this was normal. It’ll pass once the baby’s born, if not sooner.” With Jamie Howard no longer practicing medicine, Tabby had been forced to go to a human gynecologist. Luckily, shifter pregnancies followed human ones. A baby would pop out, not a cub, so they were safe there. Still, just to be safe, Julian was monitoring her pregnancy almost as closely as Bunny was.

“If you’re sure.” Julian tugged on his own coat.

Ryan headed for the front door, donut and coffee in hand. “If you value your lives you’ll bring those donuts.”

Laughing as the two Bears scrambled for the donuts, Ryan headed out to his car, eager to see his mate.

“Rye?”

“Hmm?”

Bunny frowned. “If we stay in Halle…?”

Ryan nodded. “I’ll work with you.”

Bunny relaxed, his natural, easy-going smile gracing his face. “Good.”

“You were seriously worried about that?” Ryan shook his head. “Chloe’s out here, Glory’s out here. You’re out here. Of course I’m staying. Asshole.”

“Thanks. Buttmunch.”

Julian walked past them snickering. “I do not want to know if you’re kissing cousins.”

Rolling his eyes, Ryan slipped into his car. “Meet you at Cynful.”

“Will do. And Ryan?” Bunny squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. “It’s going to be all right, no matter what we find.”

“I know. Because I’ll be there for her, no matter what.”

“Exactly.”

When Ryan said he was going to do something, he sure as hell did it. Glory watched as Gabriel Anderson, the Halle sheriff and one of the local Pumas, stepped into Cynful Tattoos with a file folder in his hand and a determined air. The man filled out a uniform like no one else, his broad shoulders and piercing blue eyes giving her more than one wet dream before Ryan came to town.

But the sheriff was utterly devoted to his wife, Sarah, a sweet woman who worked in the local high school, and Ryan…

Well, Ryan had given her more than wet dreams.

He was standing there, arms crossed, blue eyes sharp, his dark hair tousled like he hadn’t gotten the chance to brush it before leaving his apartment that morning. His breath had smelled suspiciously like orange breath mints when his lips had grazed hers.

“Hey, Glory. I hear you want to talk to me.” The sheriff held out his hand, looking surprised when she hugged him. He’d helped save Cyn, and been instrumental in giving Tabby a home. As far as Glory was concerned, he was family.

“Gabe.” She pressed a kiss to his cheek, enjoying the blush that highlighted his face. The man was adorable, and Sarah was a lucky woman. “Did Ryan fill you in?”

“Ah. Yes.” He fumbled the papers he’d been holding in his hands. “You want me to reopen the case into your missing twin.” And that quickly, the blushing man turned into the no-nonsense sheriff. “It won’t be easy. It seems like the investigator seriously dropped the ball on this one.” He shook his head. “I have to contact the old sheriff and see what he knows about it.”

“Was he…?” Glory held up her hands, making claws of her fingers, and snarled, pulling her upper lip back from her teeth.

“You’re cute.” Gabe grinned and patted her on the head. “Yes, Sheriff Giordano was a shifter.”

Why did that last name sound familiar?

Gabe must have understood her confused expression. “The old sheriff was the father of Dr. Adrian Giordano.”