Stay

“So? She’s been with our pack for years. That should count for something.”

Jim lowered his voice to a whisper. “Yeah, but maybe she didn’t feel loyal to the boss. She is a witch after all.”

“Shut up!” The second voice, it was his friend Ray, snapped. “Do you want to get us both killed?”

“How do we know she isn’t going to turn on us too?” The first one asked. “I mean we know she’s more powerful than us. We should get rid of her while we can.”

“It’s too bad about Vera though.” Ray’s voice was louder. It sounded like he was right next to us. I took in a breath.

“Why?”

“She’s hot. I didn’t even get any from her yet.”

Wow. Abrupt subject change.

“I did. You missed out.” That son of a bitch. I didn’t sleep with him. Jared’s breathing picked up next to me and he let out a tiny noise.

“Did you hear that?” Jim asked.

I wanted to smack Jared. Really? Did he have to blow our cover?

“I thought I heard something from over there.”

I held my breath and pushed myself as flat against Jared as possible. The problem was he was facing me, and he wasn’t staying flat, at least not all of him was.

“Shit, we’re late,” Jim yelled. “It was probably just a bat or something.”

When their voices faded away I finally stepped away from Jared. Being naked next to him when he was just as naked wasn’t good for the sexual tension that buzzed between us despite our precarious situation. “Just follow me.”

“To our death? Why walk further into the cave?”

“I’m the one who came back to save you,” I hissed. “Give me some credit.”

“But why? Why double back that way?”

“Trust me on this. There’s another way.”

“You better be right.”

“It’s my life on the line too.”

“I know.” He let out a deep breath. “Thanks.”

“I’d say no problem, but it was one.”

He laughed.

“I’m shifting back.” I quickly moved back into my bear form. Hopefully I’d gotten my point across, and he’d follow.

Chapter Seven

Casey

Coffee Heaven looked just about the same as it always did. We’d waited around long enough that the morning crowd had already passed through the place, leaving nearly all the tables empty and surprisingly clean. I wondered who was working that morning.

I got my answer moments later when Eric walked out from the back. If two people had been working, one would have been at the counter. “Are you actually running the place yourself?”

“What’s a manager supposed to do when his employees up and disappear?” There was a different sort of teasing in his voice that I preferred to the creepy one he usually used with me. I wasn’t sure exactly what had changed, but I liked it.

“Yeah, well, next time I’ll tell my kidnappers to wait for me to call in first.”

He wrapped his arms around me in a nearly bone crunching hug.

I stood there startled for a moment until Toby cleared his throat.

“Sorry.” Eric stepped back. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”

“Me too.” I smiled. It was still a little bit awkward with Eric. Finding out he was a bear was one thing, but knowing that he’d been hiding my true identity from me since I met him made it worse. I reminded myself that he really was only trying to help me. That seemed to be a pattern lately. People were holding things back from me in order to protect me.

“I assume this isn’t a social call, so what’s up?” He pointed up at the ceiling.

Toby nodded and put a finger in front of his lips. I assumed all the charades meant that the place might be bugged.

“We’re just stopping in for some coffee. Casey says I can’t brew it for anything.”

I smiled. I was definitely not a coffee snob. Hopefully whoever was listening in didn’t know that.

Eric banged down a display on the counter. I assumed he was trying to make it sound like he was working. “We’re actually all out of the kind she likes.”

“That’s too bad. Any suggestions of where else we can get it? I promised Casey a good cup of coffee this morning.” Toby was laying it on too thick. Or maybe it was all a code I didn’t quite understand.

The jingling of the door announced a customer. Eric and I looked at each other, and I nodded. I’d help the person while he set up a meeting with Toby. They quickly walked into the back room.

“Hi. Can I help you?” I hurried back behind the counter. I didn’t bother with an apron.

“Hey, I haven’t seen you in here in a while.”

I looked harder at the girl. Did I know her from somewhere?

“No. I’ve been away.” That was putting it mildly.

“I get that. It’s been a busy summer for everyone. I’m taking a bunch of business classes myself.”

Business classes. Then I remembered. “You dyed your hair. It looks great.” I hadn’t recognized the girl with her black locks. They’d been blond the last time she’d been in.

“Thanks!”

“Do you want your usual latte?” I smiled to myself. I prided myself on remembering faces and drinks.

“Yes, that would be great.”

I prepared the girl her drink—a low fat latte with whipped cream. I’d decided on day one not to mention how pointless it was to use low-fat milk if you’re just going to smother it in heavy whipped cream. It wasn’t my place. Sometimes we all need to be a little delusional—or give ourselves the smallest of treats.

As soon as the customer left and turned the corner I flipped the open sign to closed. Toby and Eric walked back out.

I wiped down the counter out of habit and turned to the guys. “Where else can we go for that kind of coffee?”

“I’ll show you.” Toby smiled, and I followed him out the door. Eric trailed out behind us.

Toby glanced over his shoulder. “In the mood for a boat trip?”

“A boat trip?” That was the last thing I was in the mood for, but I assumed there was a good reason Toby was suggesting it.

“Yes. Well that’s only after we take a flight first.”

A flight sounded much better. “A flight?” I turned to Eric. “How are you getting there?”

He ran a hand through his blond hair. “I’m not coming.”