Chapter 26


    Chapter Twenty-Six Don’t poke the bear


    Chapter Twenty-Six: Don’t poke the bear


    “Come on now, kid, you don’t need to do that alpha stuff with me.” Branson said and I couldn’t help but


    chuckle. There was just something about the older man that put me at ease. I didn’t know if it was


    because I had known him for so long or if there was just something about the older shifter. But he had


    been like a fun uncle that I didn’t get to see enough, yet when I did, it was always a fun time.


    When I was a kid, I could still remember him throwing me into the air and chasing me through the woods


    in games of hide and go seek that involved the entire pack. They were fun memories that when the time


    came, I wanted to do those things with any children that Tillie had with us.


    As a teenager, he had snuck me alcohol behind my parent’s back and provided my friends and I with a


    safe getaway for the weekends on hisnds.


    When I had be a man and taken on the position of alpha, he had aligned with my pack the same


    way that he had done with my father. It felt good to know that he would be by my side in a fight and I


    hoped to repay the favor when his pup came of age.


    “Who are you calling kid, old man?”


    “I’m only as old as I feel and I don’t feel too old right now.” He said with augh and I could hear an


    exasperated sigh from someone beside him on the other end of the line. Probably his mate. I had yet to


    meet her but I knew that if the goddess had sent him a second chance mate, then she would be just as


    amazing as his first mate was. I hoped she was just as kind too. “I take it this isn’t just a social call in the


    middle of the night?”


    “It’s not. I wish it was. But I’ve got a problem or what I think might be a problem I was hoping you could


    help me with.” I said, leaning back and tracing my fingers over the grooves of the leather steering wheel


    cover.


    Ryan and Travis came through the door that connected to the garage door that connected to the pack


    house. Travis’ shoulders were tense and I could tell that he was upset from the way that he was moving.


    Gone was the grace that he normally had. This was the stilted walk of a caged animal. Ryan was no


    better with his hair pulled back into a messy bun. His gaze flicking to Travis before moving back to the


    concrete floor again. This wasn’t going to be a fun car trip and I hoped they worked out their issues


    before we got to Tillie. I didn’t want any of this to spill over to her.


    “What’s the problem? How can I help?” Branson asked, his tone turning serious. I let out a long breath,


    telling him all about the marks that I had seen on the willow tree by theke. How old they looked, hoping


    that he knew something about the markings or if he didn’t, then I hoped he knew someone who did.


    Ryan and Travis put their bags into the back of the SUV before Travis opened the passenger door and


    slipped into the seat beside me. He didn’t look over at me, just stared out the front window of the car.


    Ryan got into the backseat behind us, moving to the seat in the middle of the row. I looked into the


    rearview mirror, my eyes meeting his.


    My friend dipped his head and I knew that he was back to himself and feeling guilty for snapping earlier.


    “Kid, you there?” He said, and I realized that I had missed what he said. “Why are you asking about that


    tree?”


    “Yeah, sorry. I think someone might be in your territory, someone special to me.” I said, dragging my


    thumb over the seam of my steering wheel as I waited for him to confirm what I had seen as being close


    to his ce. The location of her tagged photo had been so close to my friend’s pack that I didn’t know


    how she couldn’t have known she was in the thick of shifter territory


    “I know theke you’re talking about.” His tone was gruff. “It’s not my territory but we surround it. That’s


    bear territory. They don’t bother anyone and we don’t poke the bear.”


    “Bear?” I asked, already knowing that he was right. I didn’t need to see the tree for myself to know that it


    was a warning to other shifters.


    “Yeah, they don’t mess with us and we do the same.”


    “Would you happen to know how to reach the bear?” I asked, finding it strange that he wasn’t using the


    shifter’s name with me.


    “Yeah, I do. But, Jason… Why do you want me to reach out to the bear?”


    “Do you have space for us at the house?” I asked, avoiding answering the question that he was asking. I


    knew Branson wouldn’t


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    Chapter Twenty-Six Don’t poke the bear


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    use the fact that my mate had run and was near him against me but it was still a worry and I didn’t want


    anyone to hurt her or try to use her to hurt me.


    “Us?” Branson asked and I could hear him walking around.


    “Yes, my mates and 1.” I said, not wanting to go into detail about my rtionship just yet.


    “Congrattions, Kid, that’s awesome. I didn’t know you had found your mate. I can’t wait to meet the


    lucky girl.”


    “I’ll have to introduce you after I catch her.” I smirked before realizing my slip of tongue.


    “A hunt, how fun. We’re holding one tomorrow morning. One of my men, when he was out on patrol,


    smelled his mate and he’s itching to catch her.” At his words, I felt my throat tighten.


    One of his wolves had smelled their mate and they were nning on hunting her. I just hoped that the


    wolf who had found his mate hadn’t smelled Tillie, I didn’t know if I would be able to stand someone


    touching my mate that wasn’t Ryan or Travis.


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