Page 25 of Coveted By The Bear

“Clan?” Daniel Devlin, Head Enforcer for the Barvale Clan, did not even look up as he asked his list of questions.

Marcus, his brother, Alpha of the Barvale Clan, sat silently behind the desk. His stony expression revealed nothing of his emotions.

I respected that. He oozed power, confidence, control, and authority, the likes of which I’d rarely seen in a Shifter.

Even my Bear understood the man was in charge. Even though the angry monster rumbled constantly with worry for our mate, he remained submissive in the Alpha’s presence.

That was new.

Oh, my Bear had been okay with working for Tiegs, but he never bowed to him the way he was with Alpha Devlin.

“Former Soldier for the Willow Creek Clan out of Pennsylvania under Alpha Tiegs,” I snarled the man’s name, but averted my gaze and bared my throat to show I meant them no disrespect.

“And these men? They your Clan?”

“Former Clan, sir. Yes. I trained them. Tiegs sent them to hunt me.”

“Why?” Alpha Devlin spoke, and it was the first time he’d addressed me.

“Because I disobeyed his order, Alpha.”

“What order?”

“Marcus, with all due respect, does it matter? This man brought war to our doorstep. You have to banish him from our lands,” Daniel said, and even though he was right, I felt despair seep into my soul at the thought of leaving Barvale. Of leaving her.

“What order?” Alpha Devlin repeated, ignoring his brother.

“Tiegs ordered me to mate a Sow from a neighboring Clan. I refused,” I said, putting it succinctly.

“You refused an arranged mating. What happened to the Sow?”

“I’m not sure, Alpha, and I am still ashamed by my rejection of the proposed mating, but I can’t say I regret it. She was not mine,” I confessed.

“Not yours?” Daniel scoffed.

“You mean the female was not your fated mate? So, you believe in the Fates, then?” Marcus asked.

“I never thought I would be worthy of a mate, Alpha. I’ve done some pretty shitty things in my life. But then I came here, and I met Hope.”

“And you told her about us. “Marcus, it’s against Clan law,” Daniel said, but his objection started to sound half-hearted.

“Miles, this is a problem for us, and I know you know why,” Marcus began, but his attention was on the door.

I turned my head a split second before Hope barged in like a little dark-haired, avenging angel. My mouth dropped open.

“Hope,” I breathed her name as she ran to me.

“Miles!”

“Hope, you can’t be in here,” I said, wishing I could wrap my arms around her, but I’d been cuffed the second the Enforcers arrived.

They were made of some kind of reinforced titanium alloy mixed with a little bit of magic. Just enough to make breaking out of them impossible.

Her honey crisp apple scent filled my senses, and I dropped my forehead to hers, missing it the second she spun around, shielding me with her little body.

Fuck.

This woman was so damn brave. Facing off monsters for me.

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