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Her eyes narrowed. “You’ll let it go or something awful might happen to that bitchy deputy you seem so fond of. The one whose family likes to wander around the woods at all hours. Would be a shame if hunters found those bears and plugged them full of holes.”
Threats to Gerald and his family were bad enough. But to Laura and her kin?
“You’re starting an all-out war with the foxes and bears over your shoddy leadership?” He couldn’t believe she could be that dense. He noted a few of her followers looking at each other with unease. “That’s right, fellas. Roberta’s actions tonight are starting something your clan won’t finish. You’ll be up against not only the eagles, but the foxes and bears. And you know I’m friends with the cats. They’ll be out for blood as well. You’ll be taking on the whole town.” He didn’t mention the wolves, as they rarely stirred themselves to get involved in clan politics.
“Then maybe it would be best if you weren’t around to tell tales.” Roberta pulled out a gun.
“Shit, Roberta. You can’t shoot him!” her husband cried.
“I’m not down for this,” one of the men behind her said.
A few others agreed, and four of them left in a rush.
Using their departure as a distraction, Gerald shifted and ran into the woods. He heard shots fired and felt something burning along his leg, but he didn’t slow down. Not until he found a way to warn Laura to get to safety.
Chapter Thirty-One
Laura pulled into Gerald’s driveway, sensing something off. Then she noted the tire tracks near the house, as if multiple vehicles other than his had been by. His family’s maybe?
He’d been working nonstop to help the new attorneys taking on the raptors as well as a few civil cases for other folks in town. She liked watching him work, seeing how at ease he was with others, and how smart he could be when debating. She loved his big brain, how he picked things apart before putting them back together.
What she had before mistaken as coldness was actually Gerald processing before speaking. He had a tendency to think, and at times overthink. But he was always fair, conscious of weighing the scales of justice.
In that they had a lot in common.
She left her vehicle and immediately smelled scents that didn’t belong. Raptors. Blood.
Getting control of the need to rush inside, she did the smart thing and radioed Ty. “Trouble at Gerald’s. I smell blood and raptors.”
“On my way.”
She didn’t bother grabbing a gun but tore off her clothes and shifted into her grizzly form. Using her incredible sense of smell, she tracked Gerald’s blood—his blood—into the woods. The raptors must have shifted because human tracks stopped several feet into wood line, and she saw piles of clothing to the side. She had no idea how many of them there were, but she’d do everything in her power to protect her mate.
Fake or not, Gerald belonged to her, and it was about time she called him on it. Well, just as soon as she saved him and convinced herself she was worth all the love he had to give.
Laura barreled through the woods, and in an effort to warn the raptors not to do permanent harm, she roared her rage.
An answering alarm bark came from her right, so she followed and heard screeching and the flapping of wings. Then the sound of a gun going off had her running faster. She rushed over one of the men without thinking, crushing his knee when she slammed him into a nearby tree. Laura didn’t give Glen McKay a chance to do more than cower and rose up on her hind legs to overpower the man. Naked and trembling from fear, he didn’t look all that scary, so she knocked him down and moved toward Roberta.
“One more step and I’ll shoot him again,” Roberta warned, her gun aimed at Gerald.
Her poor fox was bleeding from his flank and stood on three legs, babying his front paw. But the angry barking and sizzling look he shot Roberta warned Laura to watch out for her mate to try something unwise.
Laura growled and showed Roberta her teeth.
“Yes, yes, you’re big and scary.” Roberta sneered, not at all worried about being naked or armed, caught red-handed trying to hurt a member of the Cougar Falls community. For that alone she’d be punished. But trying to harm Laura’s mate put the raptor in real danger from the grizzly growing in rage.
Laura shifted back to her human form and looked at Gerald. “Are you okay?”
He sniffed and screamed his anger at Roberta. A fox warning she didn’t heed.
Roberta turned toward Laura. “It’ll be your word against mine. Everyone knows you hate us because Earl hurt your cousin. I’ll tell everyone that I found Gerald dead, that you killed him because you knew he’d never go for a woman like you. A woman scorned is the easiest thing to believe.”
“Your scent is everywhere, Roberta. Be sensible.” Her story made no sense, though a small part of Laura felt small for wondering if Gerald really could love the real Laura.
“Fuck you, Laura.” Roberta turned the gun toward Laura, and Gerald attacked.
He clamped his teeth around Roberta’s arm.
