Page 14 of Hunting Isla

For the second time today, my lion surged up and took control, swinging my fist at Vance’s face. The solid thud of my knuckles connecting with his jaw was quickly drowned out by the roars of our shifted brethren and the sound of Vance’s fist hitting me in the gut like a freight train, knocking the air out of my lungs.

I heard more than saw the front door open, and then Wyatt was shouting as Isla leaped over the railing of the porch, landing on the gravel and shifting for the first time in a flurry of limbs. Unfortunately, the first shift was always painful, and you were a little like a newborn foal—all legs. She took three beautiful steps, and she was glorious. Then she faceplanted at Vance’s feet.

Vance’s laugh had her pulling herself upright, her snarling growl scary despite the way she weaved on her feet. I stood beside her, fighting the urge to shift and rip the throats out of any threat to Isla. “One false move, Vance, and I swear on my life that I will tear you limb from goddamn limb.”

He lifted his hands again. “If you listened with your ears, Axel, you’d know that the last thing I want is a fight. Not even for this gorgeous creature.”

Isla lifted her lip, showing deadly teeth. My lion purred his appreciation. Literally purred. “You need to shift back, Isla.” I didn’t know how much longer I could hold off my lion, now that he could smell his mate. “Shift,” I commanded, using my Alpha voice.

She shifted back slowly, painfully, and I winced. I had no idea it would be so hard for a changed shifter, since it came as naturally as breathing to born shifters. I watched Vance for the slightest deviation in his intentions.

I heard a squeak, then Isla was tapping me on the arm. “Axel! I’m naked.”

I’d forgotten her human sensibilities. I peeled my shirt over my head and passed it over, pushing her slightly behind me, never taking my eyes from Vance.

The smug bastard was grinning so hard that I thought it was going to crack his pretty-boy face. “On second thought, maybe I will fight you for her.”

I saw Isla flip him the bird over my shoulder, and it was my turn to look smug. She stepped out from behind my back, and I was glad to see that my shirt hung to her knees.

“What were you saying about my son?”

Vance frowned and breathed in deep. “Not your son.”

Isla’s growl was impressive even in human form; even I resisted the urge to take a step away. “My. Son.”

Vance held up his hands again. “Yes, ma’am. There’s a hit out on him—we just wanted to make sure the kid was okay. We bears aren’t like the lions. Every child is a blessing to us, even the bachelors. Unlike these antisocial fucks, we don’t take infanticide lying down.”

“Tell me everything.”

Vance looked around the woods, which made the fur on my neck stand up on end. “Maybe we should do this inside instead.” Isla eyed him again, taking his measure, before she nodded and turned, marching back to the cabin, not even consulting me. Vance raised an eyebrow. “After you, Alpha, or is she…?” He trailed off, a stupid grin on his face.

I glared at him, then at his second—the other twin, Franklin—who wasn’t even trying not to laugh. “Shut it, Vance.”

CHAPTER 8

ISLA

My gut said I could trust the bears, and one look at how they treated Bohdie confirmed it. Each one, including their Alpha, came in and shook his tiny five-year-old hand with their giant mitts. Because they were huge.

I was exhausted, but was trying not to let it show. I quietly sat down, my knees now a little wobbly. I still couldn’t believe what had just happened. I’d seen Axel fighting, then this swelling anger had come over me. Before I knew it, I was vaulting the porch rail like a badass, my lioness bursting free. And then I was landing on my face at their feet.

My lioness gave a disgruntled huff at the memory. I was pretty sure that she wasn’t going to forget that moment anytime soon.

The six huge men in the tiny cabin made it feel almost claustrophobic, at least until the identical twins sprawled out on the floor like they didn’t have a care in the world. As if they hadn’t been brawling moments ago.

“I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced. I’m Isla,” I said to the first twin.

He grabbed me and pulled me into a bear hug on the ground. “Talbot. Nice to meet you.”

Before I could comprehend what was happening, the other twin was grabbing me and crushing me to his chest as well. "I'm Franklin, though for years I thought my name was Goddammit Franklin. Like until I was five.”

The bear Alpha laughed, walking over to pull me back to my feet using the back of Axel's shirt. Thank god it was long enough to cover everything, otherwise a room of shifters would have seen my naked ass. “It’s only because you were always up to no good. Some things never change,” he said with mock-exasperation. "Sorry, Isla. They're huggers. It's a bear thing."

I estimated that the twins were in their mid twenties, but Vance was a little older. Older than everyone else here, anyway.

“If they like their arms attached to their body, they’ll take their hands off her right now,” Archer growled, and I tilted my head at him. His face was flushed with what looked like jealousy.

Interesting.