Enemies with Bears (Hate to Love Shifters Book 2) Read online

  “That doesn’t have anything to do with this,” Xander said roughly. “It’s not because she’s my ex, Mitch. It’s because we don’t torture people. We’re better than that. We’re not going to become something we aren’t.”

  “What we are,” Mitch said, “is a pack that protects the weakest among us. You know that, Xander. You weren’t always alpha. And even in those days—”

  “Watch it, Mitch,” Xander growled. The wolf within him was stirring. If Mitch thought he could drag up the past in front of all these people, humiliate Xander by talking about the time he had spent as runt of the pack…

  “I’m just saying,” Mitch said, “we have people we need to defend. Women and children. We need to find out what Shifter Town is planning. And at the end of the day, that’s more important than any squeamishness you might be feeling about hurting the half-breed.”

  “We can do it for you,” Derek said quietly. “I think people would understand, Xander. You can order one of us to do it for you.”

  Xander pushed himself away from the counter.

  “I don’t know,” he said quietly. “I have to think about what you’re saying.”

  “We don’t have forever,” Mitch reminded him. “Shifter Town could attack at any time.”

  “Well, it won’t kill us to wait a few hours,” Xander snapped. He wasn’t going to be pressured into a decision of this kind. “If you need something to do, start preparing for a battle. If I find out anyone has bothered Lacey or gone into that room before I’ve made my decision, there will be hell to pay.”

  He turned his back on the group of them and stormed from the house.

  He assumed his wolf form almost the moment he hit the ground outside the house, and now he was running, doing his best to lose himself in the feel of wind blowing through his fur and the rich scents of the woods. Being a wolf was always easier than being a man. Humanity was complicated and filled with social politics. As a wolf, the politics were easy. He had beaten his brothers. He had won the role of alpha. There really wasn’t anything else to be said about it. You couldn’t be passive-aggressive with a wolf. Wolves only knew about regular aggression.

  I should make sure to let the guards know how little faith Mitch has in their ability to do their job, he thought angrily. If they knew that, he knew they would say something to Mitch about it, and Mitch would be distracted from nitpicking everything Xander did.

  But he knew he wouldn’t. He’d never do anything to cause disharmony or discord among the pack. No decent alpha ever would. And he could take pride in that fact. Whatever his brother might think about his abilities as alpha, the fact of the matter was that he was still making decisions that prioritized the needs of the pack. He wasn’t going to allow the need to prove himself to Mitch to influence his leadership over the others. That would be selfish.

  He reached the perimeter and began to run the circuit around the pack’s lands. This was always very relaxing for him—running long distances like this—and he only wished that he could count on having a little farther to go before running into one of his packmates.

  All too soon, however, the eyes of another wolf appeared in the trees. He slowed to a walk, dipping his head slightly in the pack’s understood gesture of friendliness. It was the way they recognized one another, the way they reassured one another that they were allies instead of enemies.

  His packmate returned the gesture.

  Xander pawed the ground twice with his left foot, then cast his packmate an inquisitive look. This was his way of asking for a status update.

  His packmate gave his head a rough shake, which meant all’s quiet.

  Xander bowed his head and ran on.

  So all was quiet. What did that mean?

  Maybe they were worrying for nothing. Maybe Lacey had told the truth, and there was no plan to attack the pack.

  No, I’m not going to be suckered into believing her. She’s a half-breed and a liar, and she spent our childhood manipulating me into thinking I couldn’t do any better than her. I’m not falling for her tricks again.

  His packmates were right.

  The time had come to increase the pressure.

  7

  Kane

  “Come on!” Kane Wilson spat in frustration. “Why can’t I be assigned a shift?”

  “You’re twenty-two years old,” Vaughn Robinson said. “Just a kid.”

  “For fuck’s sake—I’m not a child, Vaughn. And Shifter Town is my home just as much as it’s yours. I want to help deal with these murders.”

  “We have our fighters on the teams going to explore the Genesis building,” Vaughn said. “You’re not a fighter, Kane.”

  “Just because I’m not built like a tank, I’m not a fighter? I can run faster than anyone in Shifter Town. What about that?”

  “Well, this isn’t a footrace. When we need someone to run fast, we’ll definitely give you a call.”

  Kane felt like screaming. He hated being underestimated. He turned and sprinted away from Vaughn. Not for the first time, he was grateful for the speed that came with being a tiger, and grateful, too, for the fact that he was the only tiger in town. Even in his human form, as he was now, he was impossible to catch. No one would be able to pursue him or bring him back until he wanted to allow them to.

  Right now, it felt like that would be never.

  Patrols had been going out to investigate the Genesis building for a week now. Kane had presented himself at every meeting, waiting to be chosen. Waiting to be assigned to a group. All he wanted was to be included, to help his neighbors defend Shifter Town from the dangers beyond the borders.

  But again and again, he’d been passed over in favor of bigger shifters, or older shifters, or shifters who were (to use Vaughn’s words) less temperamental.

  I’m not temperamental, Kane thought furiously. Anybody would be angry in his shoes. Anybody would be pissed off if they were never included in what was happening. He was as good a fighter as any of the rest of them. It was just that his fighting style was different. Surely Vaughn could see that.

  He was just holding Kane back because he liked having control. He liked feeling like he was in charge. That was all it was—and it pissed Kane off to no end.

  He ran to the top of the tallest hill, right at the very back of Shifter Town. From here, he would be able to see if anyone was approaching, and he would be able to run away. No one could catch Kane Wilson, especially when he had a head start.

  And if they had any brains at all, they’d be using that!

  There had been a lot of deaths recently. It wasn’t until the two most recent, Terrance and Justin, that anyone had realized all the shifters who’d died had gone to the Genesis building.

  Justin, who had been the closest thing Kane had to family here in Shifter Town…

  Kane still couldn’t believe he was gone.

  Justin had been the first person to reach out to Kane when Kane had come to live here. He’d helped him find a place to live. He had given him tips on hunting and shoplifting, which had proved to be vital skills.

  Kane had left his family behind him. But having Justin around had been almost like having an older brother.

  He remembered the last night he had seen Justin, the last night before Marco had left on the mission that had killed him. Kane had begged to come along. He had wanted to be a part of Justin’s life for so long.

  Justin had laughed. “Maybe in a few years, kid,” he said. “I’m not taking you out on a job before you’re at least twenty-five.”

  He’d always been too protective. Lots of shifters of Kane’s age went out on jobs—stealing from convenience stores and gas stations, liquor stores and bars. But the Genesis was a bigger prize than any of those.

  Justin had let slip where he was going. “You know that new building on the outskirts of town?” he’d asked. “The really nice looking one?”

  “Yeah,” Kane had said.

  “There’s a big score in there,” Justin said. “I’m sure of it.”


  “So take me with you,” Kane said. “Let me help you score it. Let me stand guard for you, at least.”

  Justin had laughed. “No can do, little brother,” he’d said. “But I’ll tell you what. When I come home with the cash, you and I will celebrate together. Biggest party you’ve ever had.”

  Kane had run away from Justin then, not wanting to spend any more time talking about the job he wasn’t going to be allowed to help out on. He wasn’t a child, but Justin made him feel like one by treating him this way.

  He hadn’t come back in the morning to say goodbye to Justin or to wish him luck. And that had been the biggest mistake of his life because Justin had never come home from that expedition. Kane had never seen him again.

  He had held out hope that Justin might be alive. But when Bern and Dov Lancaster had reported that their friends had been killed in the Genesis, and that they had almost been killed too, Kane had been forced to accept the truth.

  He got to his feet and stretched, looking out at the horizon, trying to think.

  Vaughn knew how important it was to Kane to follow up on his friend’s death, to figure out what had killed him and take it out. He must know.

  Why wasn’t he giving Kane the chance?

  Why did everyone so consistently underestimate him?

  Well, if they’re not going to let me be a part of the groups that are going to the Genesis, that’s not going to stop me, he decided. I can go by myself. It isn’t as though I need their permission. I can just go.

  His heart beat a little faster as the plan began to take shape in his mind.

  No one liked to include him in their plans—but no one liked to worry about keeping track of him, either. He could go on his own. He could leave Shifter Town and go investigate the Genesis. He would be the one to find out what was going on there.

  And when I come back with the information they’ve been trying to get about that place, they’ll never be able to underestimate me again.

  He set off at a run down the hill. There was someone he needed to see first.

  8

  Kane

  “Kane, what the hell are you doing at my door before noon?”

  Jean leaned lazily against her doorframe. Kane tried not to stare at her exposed cleavage, but it was honestly impossible not to notice how hot Jean was sometimes. Like Vaughn, she wasn’t a shifter at all but a witch. Only their supernatural abilities made it possible for the two of them to live in Shifter Town.

  It was that set of abilities that Kane wanted to take advantage of.

  “Can I come in?” he asked.

  “And what if I had a man here?”

  “I know Vaughn isn’t here. I already talked to him this morning.”

  “Vaughn isn’t the only man in the world, you know,” she said, smirking, but she stood back to let him through the door. “Fine. What is it you want?”

  “I want to talk to you about that protection charm you made for that girl who went to the Genesis,” Kane said. “I want you to make one for me.”

  “I’m not a fucking curiosity shop,” Jean said, closing the door behind him. “You can’t just come here and get whatever the hell you want all the time, you know.”

  “I know that,” Kane said. “But I need one.”

  “And what makes you think you need a protection charm?” Jean pointed to a chair at her kitchen table, indicating that he should sit. Kane complied, and Jean began to brew a pot of tea. “I don’t know if you know this, but I’m kind of working overtime right now to make them for the groups that are going to the Genesis. That place is under some serious enchantments.”

  “I know it is,” Kane said. “And I don’t need you to make me tea.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” she snapped, adding some herbs he didn’t recognize to a mug. She poured hot water over them, carried them to the table, and set the cup down in front of him. "Drink that.”

  He eyed it suspiciously. “You’re a witch.”

  “And?”

  “How do I know you didn’t put something weird in there?”

  “You either want my magic or you don’t,” she said. “Take your pick.”

  “Just because I want a protection charm—”

  “Asking me for a charm means that you think you can trust me,” Jean said. “If I give you an amulet, you have no way of knowing what it’s going to do. You aren’t a witch. So if you trust me, drink that.”

  “I don’t know why I have to prove anything to you,” he said.

  “You don’t. There’s the door.”

  He sighed. “What I mean is, why do you care if I trust you or not? I get why it’s important for me, but what difference does it make to you?”

  “Because I’m not going to waste my time on an amulet for someone who might not wear it,” Jean said. “And also, because you can’t go to the Genesis by yourself.”

  “Who said I was going to the Genesis?”

  “Kane, please. I’m not an idiot. You didn’t come here for a charm because you thought I was stupid.”

  He sighed. “All right. So I am. Your boyfriend won’t take me— ”

  “He isn’t my boyfriend.”

  “So I’m going to have to go on my own,” Kane said. “There’s no other option available.”

  “Oh, yes, there is,” she said. “You’ll go with me.”

  Kane had been about to take a sip of his tea, but now he put the mug down rather forcefully. “Excuse me?”

  “Now do you see why I wanted to make sure you could trust me?” she asked.

  “I’m not going with you. That’s a terrible idea.”

  “It’s the best idea available to you,” Jean said. “Because you’re right, Vaughn isn’t going to take you. He doesn’t think you can handle it.”

  “That just shows how much he—”

  “Listen, you don’t have to argue with me,” Jean said. “I get it. I can see that you’re determined to go. All I’m saying is that if you’re doing this, you’re going to need help. No one should approach that place alone, and you’re going to need magic on your side because the Genesis is protected by magic. It’s not safe.”

  “That’s why I came to you for an amulet,” Kane said, exasperated.

  “Well, I’m not giving you an amulet,” Jean said. “I’m offering to go with you instead.”

  “I’m not bringing you with me,” Kane said. “I’m not going to have time to watch your back. I’ll be too busy looking out for myself.”

  “Drink your tea,” Jean said.

  “What’s in it?”

  “There isn’t anything in it,” Jean said. “But if we were together at the Genesis—”

  “Which we won’t be—”

  “And I told you to do something—like duck, let’s say, or run, so that I could cast a spell without you being hit by the collateral damage—I would need you to just listen to me without asking a million questions. You wanted to know why I needed to know that you trusted me? It’s so that I can trust you. It’s the only way the two of us can possibly work together.”

  “Are you mental? We’re not working together. Why would you want to do this anyway?”

  “Because Lacey’s my friend,” Jean said. “And she’s been kidnapped. And most of the shifters here in Shifter Town aren’t even going to bother putting together a rescue mission until they’ve dealt with whatever’s going on at the Genesis. They consider that to be the bigger threat.”

  “Because it is the bigger threat. Whatever’s happening at the Genesis affects us all. This Lacey girl—no offense to her, but she’s just one girl. Besides, her mates are out looking for her, aren’t they?”

  “Yeah, they are,” Jean said. “But I want to help. I want everyone to help. And the best way to make that happen is by figuring out this Genesis situation. So I’m going with you. Take it or leave it.”

  Kane frowned. She made some good points.

  “Fine,” he said. “You can come. But you’d better not slow me down.”

 
9

  Lacey

  The door burst open, jerking Lacey out of a restless sleep. She sat bolt upright and scooted back into the far corner of the bed she had been chained to. She was glad, at least, that one of her arms had been released so that she wasn’t forced into the horrible hunched-over position she’d been stuck in at the beginning of her captivity.

  As her eyes adjusted, she saw that the person in her doorway was Peter, the beta. This was the worst of all possible people to bring her food. Xander would be cold with her, but she wasn’t afraid of him. Mitch would treat her as if she was nothing at all, as if he was just placing food in the room for no reason. He never acted as if there was a person in his presence around her. And Derek actually bordered on kind. He was the only member of the pack who acknowledged that she wasn’t garbage.

  But Peter—it was clear that he hated her. He resented her, and he took delight in being cruel to her.

  He was carrying her food tray, and he dropped it on the floor so that the rice went everywhere. If she wanted to eat, she would be leaning over the side of the bed and reaching out for the grains she could manage to pick up. Many of them would elude her. Peter laughed.

  He put the cup of water down on her nightstand, hard, so that some of it sloshed over the side. He looked at her with his eyebrows raised, obviously daring her to complain or to ask for a refill.

  Lacey said nothing. She wouldn’t give him that satisfaction.

  “Well, go on,” Peter said. “Eat.”

  He wants to watch me grub on the floor. He actually thinks I’m going to do that right in front of him.

  “I’m not hungry right now,” she said coolly. “Maybe I’ll eat it later.”

  Peter scowled. That wasn’t what he had wanted to hear. “You’ll eat now, or you won’t have anything to eat,” he said.

  “Oh, what, you’re going to take it away?” she asked. “Yeah, by all means, do that. Go downstairs and tell Xander that you threw my dinner all over the floor, and now you want to punish me for not picking it up while I’m chained to the bed, so you need to borrow a vacuum to clean it all up so you can make sure I don’t get any. I wish I could be a fly on the wall for that conversation. I bet it’ll be hilarious.”