Page 16 of Hunting Isla

“Two days ago.”

Vance turned to stare at Axel. “You turned her? Without permission? Are you nuts?”

Axel stared him down. “It was complicated. And none of your fucking business. Keep your mouth shut.” He crossed his arms over his chest, making his biceps bulge and his tattoos catch in the light.

Narrowing his eyes, Vance nodded. “As I was saying, Billy joined a guerilla movement. They want to overthrow the Shifter Council. Revolutionize the way packs are run. Make us more accountable and get rid of the backwater justice.”

Archer tilted his head to the side. “Sounds like you agree. You get recruited?” His tone was suspicious, and I tensed. I wasn’t sure why, but I knew Vance’s answer was important to the guys. Even Franklin and Talbot had one ear on the conversation as they tossed Bohdie between them like he was a football. Bohdie was loving it, judging by his gleeful squeals, but it was making my heart miss a few beats. They caught him every time with quick reflexes and gentle hands, but still…

“No throwing the baby,” I told them, giving them my best mother voice.

Franklin threw me a cheeky wink. “Sure thing, ma’am.” The way he said it made those three words sound almost pornographic. “Put him down, Talbot. Don’t wanna get a spanking.”

“I don’t?” Talbot teased, but put a pouting Bohdie back on the floor.

I grinned and shook my head, and I could feel more than hear Archer’s rumbling snarl. I patted his leg, leaning in close. “Don’t worry, they aren’t my type.” I ran my hand up his thigh. “Save that sexy rumbling for when we’re naked.”

For the second time in a couple of minutes, everyone in the room stilled. Wyatt was blinking wildly. “Shifter hearing, Isla. Shifter hearing.”

Axel clapped his hands together loudly. “Out. Now. We aren’t going to give up the cub, and I’ll shred any fucker who thinks he can come within twenty feet of him.”

Vance nodded his head, a knowing grin on his face. My cheeks heated, but I refused to drop my eyes from his. He grinned wider. “Fair enough, Axel. Let’s go,” he said to the twins, who both ruffled Bohdie on the head.

We all stood to walk the bears to the door, and Franklin wrapped me in another hug. “Nice to meet you, Isla. You have a great kid.”

Talbot whirled me from his brother’s arms and kissed me loudly on my cheek. “Don’t be a stranger. It’s not every day we meet a girl who falls at our feet as soon as she sees us.”

“Naked, too,” Franklin added.

My good-natured Wyatt stepped forward. “You’ll never meet another girl again if you don’t remove your paws right now,” he growled. This just made the twins grin wider. They apparently had a death wish.

I remembered how big Talbot had been when he shifted. Maybe not a death wish, but it would be a rough fight, and I wasn’t sure there would be a winner. Just varying degrees of loser.

Vance laughed and shooed the other bear shifters out the door. He bent low at the waist and kissed my hand in a decidedly old-school manner. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Isla. Talbot is right—feel free to visit the den any time. You can even bring Josie and the Pussycats.”

I bit my lip to stop myself from grinning. “Thank you, Vance.” We followed them out into the yard, before the bear Alpha paused at the edge of the woods.

“I forgot to ask. What are you going to do about Bob?”

“We are going to kill him,” I answered pleasantly. For the first time, desire flashed across Vance’s face, and I briefly wondered just what kind of man the Cold River Sleuth leader really was.

“I’ll set up a meeting with Billy. I think you guys might have a lot in common, aside from the obvious.” He looked at Bohdie.

“I appreciate it.”

With a nod, the bears disappeared into the woods as silently as they had appeared.

CHAPTER 9

WYATT

Isat in the dark kitchen, the glow of my laptop screen beginning to attract insects. I couldn’t sleep, so I started to do what I did best—I ran numbers. Normally, it would be someone else’s finances, but I’d taken leave from my job back when Axel said he had a lead on Isla’s location.

No, these numbers were ours. Sitting in front of me now were spreadsheets on how much our Pride had nestled away in stock options and untraceable bank accounts. I didn’t want to toot my own horn, but it was a lot. Millions. The guys didn’t know—not because I was keeping it a secret, but because they didn’t ask. They just trusted me with their hard-earned money, and it was hard-earned. There was never a day they didn’t come home exhausted and sweaty. I repaid that trust by keeping us afloat.

And in this case, not only afloat, but swimming in cash. It was enough to start a new life. To take Isla and Bohdie and run somewhere where the North American Prides wouldn’t look for us.

I sighed and closed my laptop. That was a redundant thought. They wouldn’t run, and neither would I. We were prideful by nature. We fought to the death; we didn’t run.