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“What does that mean?” Bran whispered to Hayden.
“Bunny,” Hayden whispered back. “Maybe we should go so Beckett’s mate can calm down.”
“I want to hold and pet him,” Bran whined. “He looks so soft and fluffy.”
“He’s a person.” Hayden grabbed Bran’s hand and pulled him from the kitchen.
“It’s safe to come out,” Beckett said. “I promise no one is going to hurt you.”
Cautiously, Santee moved closer. When he was within reach, Beckett gently scooped him up into his arms, sitting down with him on his lap, overwhelmed at the thought that he’d found his mate.
“It might not seem like it, but you’re safe here,” Beckett reassured Santee, rubbing soothing circles on his back.
The bunny shoved his head into the crook of Beckett’s arm.
“Go ahead and sleep.” Beckett stood, clutching his mate to his chest. “You need to heal.”
“What on earth?” Milly said when she walked into the kitchen, her black and gray hair swept back into a tight bun.
“It’s a bunny,” Beckett said with a snarl.
“I’m not talking about that.” Milly waved her hand to encompass the kitchen. “Who made such a mess and then didn’t even eat the food? I knew I shouldn’t have taken the morning off. You boys would be a disaster without me.”
Beckett kissed her temple. “I’m sorry for the mess, cariño.”
“Why do you have a bunny in your arms?” Milly sniffed Santee. “It’s a shifter.”
“And my mate.”
“Congratulations!” She hugged him, inadvertently hugging Santee. “A little unorthodox, but he is now one of us.”
She was a true gem.
“Thanks. He was caught in a snare. I have to take him upstairs so he can rest and heal.”
“Snare?” She placed her hand over her chest. “Why was there a snare in the forest?” Her eyes widened. “Dios mío. Please don’t tell me hunters.”
“It would look that way.” Beckett clenched his jaw. “I’m going to talk to Sheriff Harper about this.”
He was also going to keep an eye on the forest. There were plenty of signs posted on their property that said hunting wasn’t allowed. Any town that was filled with shifters would forbid hunting.
Milly ran her fingers over Santee’s fur. “Go, let your mate rest. I’ll clean up your mess then cook him something to eat.”
Beckett prayed it wasn’t hunters, because if it was, then it was the hunters who would need to pray. The Lovato brothers had lost too much to scum like them and would shred anyone dumb enough to hunt on their property.
Chapter Two
“I just got off the phone with Beckett Lovato.” Deputy Morgan Savani walked into Dominic’s office. “He says he found a bunny in a snare in the forest behind his house.” Morgan wore a grin. “Get this. That bunny? It’s his mate.”
Dominic would have found humor in that if it hadn’t been for the part about the snare. He’d dealt with hunters about a year ago and had hoped that would be the end of it.
It seemed the problem had cropped up again.
Dominic rubbed at the hair on his jaw as he sat heavily in his chair. “Thanks for letting me know, Savani. I’ll swing by the Lovato residence and speak with Beckett. We can’t have hunters in our territory, endangering our people. I’ll also search the forest and see if I can find any more evidence of their presence.”
Grabbing his jacket from the back of his chair after he stood, Dominic slipped it on as he headed for the exit. He couldn’t let this issue go unaddressed. Not only was it illegal, but it was a direct threat to the safety of the shifter community who called Midnight Falls their home.
Dominic arrived at the Lovato residence and was greeted by Beckett. “Thanks for coming so quickly,” he said.
