Chapter 29: Laurel
She forgot Gerald. She forgot everything else and took off for the trailhead where they descended.
People parted for her with surprised murmurs, but no one stopped her. When she neared, she spotted
Xavier and Lucas each leading a handcuffed man in front of them.
She darted around the one Xavier was shoving along just as the medics came forward and took him
away. Xavier spread his arms wide, and sheunched herself into them. He caught her, and she held
on tight, tears stinging her eyes at the sweet relief of having him back safe and sound.
“If this is what I’ming home to, hopefully, I get calls like these every night,” Xavier said on augh.
“Uh, no. You’re definitely not doing another poacher rescue for a while,” she said. “My nerves can’t
handle it.”
“God, I love it when you get all bossy on me.”
“Mrs. Alpha!”
Laurel focused on a figure rounding the bend over Xaiver’s shoulder. She couldn’t make out the face,
but she knew Jake from the sound of his voice—and his nickname for her.
“Hey, Jake,” she called, her arms still around Xavier. She grinned and leaned in, trailing kisses over
Xavier’s cheek, headed for his mouth.
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Another figure appeared several yards behind Jake, and Laurel pulled away, ready to yell out a
greeting to someone she assumed must be Nash. But the figure broke into a run and cut across the
trail, sprinting away toward the trees at an angle. He sidestepped Jake, who didn’t notice until the figure
had blown past him, headed straight for Xavier.
“Stop!” Jake shouted.
Xavier pulled away, turning to identify the intruder.
“It’s thest poacher,” Harley called, appearing from around the bend in the trail. He pursued the man
at a run, but Laurel knew he was way too far behind to catch up now.
She watched as the hunter neared her and Xavier. She figured he’d cut left and sprint for the forest
again, but he was headed straight for them. Straight for Xavier, she realized, and he was close enough
now that she could see the hateful determination zing in his expression as he barreled closer.
“Fucking bear shifters,” the man yelled. “I came here to take you down, and I’m not leaving without
you!”
Laurel’s throat constricted as the man raised a pistol in his hand and aimed it at Xavier’s chest.
Everything slowed. The moment lengthened, and she could see it all spinning out of control. She didn’t
waste any more time.
Shoving away from Xavier, she took off for the man at a run.
“Laurel!” Xavier called behind her.
She growled in frustration, a quick noise that rose in the back of her throat, bringing her fox to the
surface. She gave in, and it exploded out of her. She leaped just as her two legs became four paws,
and soared through the air straight for the attacker.
Shended with her paw—ws first—in his eye and felt the satisfaction of his flinch as she pressed
into the soft ce between his eyelids. He screamed and fell to the ground, sending Laurel tumbling
with him.
Shended hard on her shoulder and rolled with the shuddering pain of her bone hitting the ground at
an awkward angle. The air was knocked out of her, and she rose on her front paws, scanning for the
man. Her stomach retracted painfully until suddenly air whooshed back into her lungs. Pain radiated
sharply along her shoulder, and even with deep gulps of air to fuel her, she fell back again, unable to
carry the weight of her right side.
A few yards to her left, the man, writhed on the ground as he moaned and held his eye. A giant white
pr bear stood over him, jaw open and ready to take a chunk out of the man’s neck. Another pr
bear, this one slightly darker, and a brown grizzly hovered nearby, all of them watching intently as
Xavier poked the man with a massive paw.
Laurel wanted to go to him, but her shoulder was killing her. Xavier let out a deafening roar, his sharp
teeth almost grazing the man’s nose, before he backed away and rushed at Laurel. Her fox stared but
unlike before, she didn’t flinch at being charged by arger animal. When Xavier reached her, he licked
her face, his tongue almost the size of her whole cheek.
Big alpha pr bear,forting his mate.
She nuzzled against him until the pain dialed back and eventually disappeared. When she could stand,
she nudged at him to give her some space, and he backed up, still hovering as he watched her closely.
Now that the pain was gone, Laurel’s nerves returned full throttle. She cast a furtive nce over
Xavier’s shoulder. He was massive enough that he shielded her almostpletely from view, but when
she craned her neck, she could see the crowd watching the entire drama with rounded eyes and quiet
murmurs.
They’d seen her shift. Crap, there’d be no going back now. She was outed, and she’d never again be
able to hide her animal from the people in this town. Maybe Gerald didn’t care, but she’d also be outed
to people like Scott or worse, whoever was making these anonymousints about shifters. Would
she be targeted now too?
She looked up and found Xavier watching her. His pr bear had wrinkled brows as he worried over
her. She went to him, nuzzling her nose over his soft coat. She felt him vibrate with a growling sigh, and
she leaned into him. She’d never touched another shifter before, much less a pr bear in animal form.
It felt amazing, the power that rolled off him. And the security he offered with his massive frame bearing
down on her. No more fear. Here wasfort and promises to protect. And Laurel realized it was the
exact thing she’d been looking for. The only thing worthing out of hiding to find.
She stood up straighter and faced the crowd, a proud red fox. She would live as a shifter out in the
open, and for the first time in her life, that thought didn’t send her running. No more hiding. No more
pretending. Xavier Wilde was worth it.