Grizzly Love (2 page)

Fail.

As if she could ever ignore him. As soon as he entered a room, all her senses woke.

But she did her best to pretend he wasn’t there. However, it was hard given someone had duct-taped the bear to a chair and then gagged him. Brody, she’d wager, with the help of Gene.

A few years younger than all of them, Travis—gorgeous as he was with those melting brown eyes and rakish blond hair, that she totally didn’t notice—had an awful habit of talking. Talking without a filter to men who felt the best lesson was one served with a fist. A cuff. A wrestle. Make that anything physical.

Before anyone came to the erroneous conclusion that Travis was their poor, abused whipping boy, it should be noted he did it on purpose. He didn’t know how to keep his paw out of his mouth, and he took each jab and black eye in stride, and with a grin.

A grin he didn’t sport right now, given the gag and tape, but his bright eyes certainly followed the proceedings with interest.

“I’ll have us booked on the next flight out. Actually, even better, I’ll talk to my buddy with a plane and see if I can’t finagle us a private charter. We’ll pack our things tonight and head out in the morning for the city and the airport.”

Fist bumps all around. Booyahs abounded. Testosterone levels rose.

Until Jess cleared her throat.

Utter silence fell. Impressive really given the crowd, then again, they’d learned over the past few years to pay attention when she spoke. She taught them that she wouldn’t brook any nonsense, not as a doctor, not as a female, and not as a member of the clan council.

Only thirty and a woman in a mostly male dominated society didn’t mean Jess kowtowed to any misplaced chauvinism—or stupidity. She stood her ground, and she spoke her piece. So when she became the focus of so many male gazes, she didn’t squirm. They’d all come in to her office at one point with something that needed splinting, stitching, or jabbing with a needle. They knew better than to think they could intimidate her. And if they didn’t heed her orders to rest, she shot their ass full of tranquilizers and enforced her orders.

The last time she did that to Boris, Jan, his mate, brought over the yummiest muffins—not that she admitted their scrumptiousness to anyone. Travis’ mother would have started a baking war again, which on the surface sounded harmless, but since everyone was afraid to turn down her food, it led to an influx of folks with tummy aches from overeating and a flurry of dieting requests.

“First off, I will go on the record to say this is probably one of your most half-baked plans yet.”

Gene rumbled. “Yet? I don’t know. I can think of a few that started off worse and drunker.”

“No kidding,” Brody said with a chuckle. “The pink bunny on my ass is a daily reminder.”

Reid, their alpha, rolled a big shoulder. “I’ll admit it’s kind of a piecemeal plan, but it’s a long flight. We should have something better by the time we land.”

“Or you’ll wing it,” Jess added. “Whatever. That’s not my real concern. It might surprise you to know that I don’t disagree that you should go after this Naga creature and take care of him.” To those who were shocked that she, a doctor who’d sworn to save lives, condoned the assassination of a person, keep in mind she’d spent the last year or so patching the results of the mini war waged by this unknown enemy.

And besides, her inner hawk wasn’t squeamish when it came to the kill. In a world inhabited by predator and prey, ruthlessness was required to stay alive.

Mess with me, and I’ll kill you.
Of course, she’d never actually killed a person before, but she liked to think she could if she had to.

“So if you agree we should go, then what’s the problem?” Gene asked.

Did they really need her to point out the obvious? Judging by their puzzled miens, they did. “The problem is all of you can’t go.”

At that declaration, their excitement dissipated, much like hot air balloons deflating.

Only Brody ventured to ask, “Why not?”

“First off, Reid, you have to stay here. Not only are you the leader of this clan, and needed in case this Naga escape is but a feint, but Tammy is due to have the babies anytime now.” Given Reid’s wife bore twins, and was already well into her third trimester, those cubs could come anytime. This wasn’t something Reid should miss.

The rumble from Reid wasn’t meant as a threat, more as recognition of her logic. At least Reid was one alpha who could take advice and criticism without killing the bearer of the news.

“Fine. I’ll stay, but I don’t see why the rest shouldn’t go. Given what they’re facing, I’d rather send whoever we can to take this prick down.”

An unexpected vote in her attempt to keep their planning in check came from the least expected person, Gene.
“The doc has a point. You can’t empty the town. For all we know, this is a smokescreen to draw us out. Send the best guys on a snake hunt, leaving the town almost undefended. I’m going to suggest only a handful of us go.”

Brody rubbed his chin as he weighed in. “Actually, a handful might work better. I was talking earlier today to our old sarge. He’s the one who confirmed the target landed in their area. He did also say if we ever popped over for a visit, or went on a hunt, to let him know. We’re not the only ones interested in the snake. Seems our old unit has been having problems too.”

A thoughtful expression appeared on Boris’ face. “So it looks like we’d have possible reinforcements and access to equipment. Excellent. The airlines can be such assholes about letting me bring my guns on the plane.” Boris never left home less than armed to the teeth. According to his wife, Jan—also a gun nut—there was nothing sexier than watching him strip all the various weapons from his body.

Personally, Jess couldn’t picture the giant moose of a man doing any kind of striptease, but a certain handsome grizzly though…

She dug her nails into her palm to keep her mind focused.

As talk splintered off with Gene and Boris discussing the merits of the latest assault rifle, Kyle added his two cents. “In case we run into trouble, I think it best if I put tracking devices on everyone who’s going. You know, just in case shit happens and we get captured again, or lost. Those sandstorms, as I recall, were deadly.” Kyle, their resident technical expert, was all about gadgets. When it came to computers, while not an expert hacker, he had connections and skills that would prove useful. At home.

Jess cleared her throat again and ignored the ensuing groans. “While I think sending in a handpicked group is a great idea, given Kyle’s computers and network are all centered here and there’s no guarantee he could quickly set up a command center once you get there, he’d probably serve you better by staying put.”

“What? No mission for me?” The caribou slapped his chest and mimed a faint. “You’re killing me, doc.”

With a wicked grin, Boris slapped Kyle none too gently on the back. “Don’t worry, bud. I’ll make sure to show our enemy what a man with a real rack looks like.”

“Don’t you dare compare those dull horns to my deadly set of antlers.”

“Deadly?” Boris snorted. “I’ll show you deadly.” The two men stood toe to toe, their friendly rivalry a long-standing one.

“Enough. We don’t have time right now to debate the racks.” Reid stepped between them and prevented any fist throwing. For now. They’d probably tussle on their way out once the meeting was over.

“Yeah, what the boss said,” Brody chimed in. “Besides, everyone knows it’s all about the fangs and fur.”

As voices rose in protest, Jess rolled her eyes and let out a whistle—a strident one.

With a wince, the boys—and, yes, despite their age and experience, they were no better at times than teenagers—shut up.

“Thanks, Doc.” Reid acknowledged her before addressing the remaining group with a frown. “That leaves only Boris, Gene, and Brody. Not much of a hit squad.”

“I think we should bring Layla,” Brody suggested.

“Bring a girl?” Gene grimaced. Given his mate, Vicky, was not only human but sometimes prone to fainting, Jess could understand his concern. But in this case it was misplaced. Layla wasn’t a shrinking violet.

Brody argued his reasoning. “Not just any girl. You know Layla’s got powers we might find handy out there.”

Did she ever have cool powers. While the inhabitants of Kodiak Point, for the most part, owned a beast, or avian, side, Layla was more exotic in nature. Some whispered magical.

She held the power to control animals and some insects. Not shapeshifters or humans thank goodness, but anything else with a weak mind was fair game.

Given her freaky ability, Jess could totally see the advantage Layla would bring to the group.

“What about Jan and her dad?” Reid mused aloud. “She’s an awesome shot, and he’s just plain nuts.”

“Negative.” Boris shook his head. “Neither of them is going anywhere. Jan’s pregnant.” He announced it starkly.

Boris might seem calm about it now, but he hadn’t been a few days ago. More panicked than she’d ever seen him, Boris had rushed Jan into the emergency because he’d caught her puking and refusing to eat. It took only a quick test to confirm Jan’s suspicions that she was breeding.

Poor Boris. The news shocked the man to the core, and Jess had to give him a few stitches after he hit the floor.

At the announcement in the garage, there was much backslapping and handshaking.

Once the excitement died down, Reid brought them back to their previous discussion. “Okay, so Jan’s out, as is her dad so he can protect her while Boris is gone. That doesn’t leave us with many choices.”

No one paid the chair hopping up and down in the corner any mind.

Jess kept her gaze averted too. While not officially on the council, the nosy grizzly was always underfoot. In her line of sight. Showing up driving everyone—most especially her—nuts. Although her nuts was of a different sort than the guys.

Given they couldn’t keep Travis out, and he couldn’t stop himself from talking and getting into trouble, they duct taped him to a seat and tucked him in the corner. A corner where he could watch and see everything going on.

Judging by his antics, he wanted to go on this crazy mission. The guys would probably have let him, too, if they weren’t all so terrified of his mum.

Aunt Betty-Sue, the name she expected them all to call her, would never let her baby boy go off to a mini war. Not without starting one.

Funny how the guys weren’t afraid to beat on Travis in the name of toughening the bear up, but no one dared do anything that would put them in a direct warpath with his mother. Taking Travis on a possibly deadly mission? Yeah, none of them would volunteer him for that.

After they bandied about a few more names that could go, vetoed them all for some reason or another, their core group remained Boris, Brody, Layla, and Gene.

And…Jess. “I’m going too.”

For the umpteenth time that night, all eyes swung her way.

“You’re what?” Reid asked.

“Given you’re all idiots with no sense of how to take care of yourself, it might be a good idea if I tagged along. You know, to provide medical aid. I can also give you some eyes in the sky.”

“But you don’t have combat experience,” Gene pointed out.

“No, but I do know how to fire a weapon, subdue a crazed shifter, and I don’t faint at the sight of blood. I am also utterly tone deaf.”

“What’s that got to do with the mission?”

“While it’s never been tested, it’s been hypothesized in shifter medical circles that a Naga’s voice is less likely to influence those who are strong-minded and tone deaf.” She shrugged. “It could come in handy.”

“But who will handle any medical problems while you’re gone?”

“Dr. Carter is more than capable still. He often helps out if I get a heavy load.” Retirement had proved less exciting than he’d hoped, and he tended to hang around the center quite a bit. He’d probably jump at the chance to come back full time for a bit.

To her surprise, they bought her reasons for going, or at least didn’t argue. Did they suspect her true desire for joining this mission, namely to hunt down the husband who refused to come home? More than that, she hadn’t heard from him in what, six months, maybe a bit longer, and it wasn’t because he was missing in action or on a secret mission that didn’t allow communication. Her dear hubby just wasn’t talking to her.

Not talking.

Not visiting.

Not doing a gosh-darned husbandly thing.

And Jess was mighty tired of it.

Crash
.

The loud noise came from the corner of the garage. Before she could register what happened, Travis hopped to his feet, tattered duct tape at his wrists and ankles, gag missing to shout, “I’m going too!”

The guys all eyed each other then the grinning grizzly.

As one, they all laughed, Jess included. As if Betty-Sue would ever let him go.

“Over my dead body.” His mother’s exact words.

Travis’ reply. “I have rope in the shed, and I’m not afraid to use it.”

Because, really, he wouldn’t kill his mother, but neither would he let her stand in his way of partaking in the mission.

As soon as Travis heard Jess volunteering to go, it became imperative he become a part of the group.

Nothing, not even the skull-patterned duct tape that strapped him to a chair would stand in his way. As if he’d let his lady—who wasn’t quite his lady given she was married and not interested—go into danger without a mighty grizzly to watch her back.

With determination as his strength, he snapped his duct-tape prison to announce his intent to join them.

The laughter by the boys, while understood, was uncalled for. Sure, his mother wouldn’t like it, but in the last few months, what with everything that happened to his clan, Travis had come to a few realizations.

One. Danger was everywhere. Even a usually quiet town like Kodiak Point could become a hotspot for nefarious activities. The snake dude who wanted to cause trouble didn’t care that the folks here just wanted to live in peace. Travis wanted to be one of the guys who helped take him down. And his curious bear wondered if it was true—
does snake taste just like chicken?