Chapter 30: Xavier


    Xavier stroked thest signature with a whoosh and then let the pen fall with a tter against his desk.


    He leaned back in his chair and rubbed at his eyes, gritty from a sleepless night. Damn, he hadn’t


    pulled an all-nighter sincest ski season. He was rusty.


    Last night had been harder than any other rescue. Not just because he’d had to yank four poachers off


    the mountain, all armed and looking for a pr bear head to take home for their walls, but because it


    wasn’t just him anymore. Or him and his guys. He was now protecting a mate. Yeah, he’d finallye


    around to the truth when his animal had almost lost it to realize the paperwork couldn’t wait.


    Gerald had been nice enough when he’d told Xavier and the guys about the formalints, but it


    didn’t change the cold truth. Someone was after the Blue Bear Search and Rescue. Someone wanted


    him gone from this job. Maybe from town or even life, who even fucking knew right now. Gerald had his


    suspicions, but Xavier was at a loss. He’d kept his head down all these years, too scared of a repeat


    performance after losing his dad to do anything wild or crazy. And now here was some asshole trying to


    rip away everything he’d worked for.


    It wasn’t fucking happening.


    So he’d kissed Laurel goodbye and put her in the truck with Jake and sent her home. All he wanted


    was to go home and crawl into bed next to her. Make up for all the dumbassments he’d made


    trying to push her away, because he knew what he wanted now, and after tonight, he wasn’t going to


    run from it anymore.


    But he wasn’t done yet. There was one more item left to do before he could call it a night.


    He stood up, making his way into the kitchen and pouring thest dregs of the coffee he’d made earlier.


    Then he dialed Jake.


    “Boss,” Jake said sleepily on the fourth ring.


    “Crew meeting in an hour,” Xavier said.


    “Boss—” Jake protested. Xavier knew they were all exhausted. So was he, dammit. But he couldn’t


    wait any longer for this. They’d waited long enough.


    Xavier used his alpha voice, so Jake knew he meant business. “Get them here, Jake. We need to talk.”


    Xavier hung up and went back to his office to drink the worst cup of coffee ever. An hourter, on the


    dot, the crew stumbled in. Jake’s hair was rumpled and his shirt untucked. Behind him, the men’s boots


    all clunked against the hard floor, and Xavier shook his head at what sounded like a stampede. One by


    one, they filed into the lounge where a sagging couch lined one wall. A couple of recycled chairs


    completed the set-up. Not fancy, but big enough for all of them to discuss.


    Harley was thest one in and Xavier nodded at him to shut the door, but then another figure darted


    inside, smiling at him.


    “Laurel,” Xavier said, surprised. He shot a nce at Jake, who shrugged.


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    “She’s Mrs. Alpha. What did you expect?” Jake asked.