Page 14 of Beary In Love

Logan shifted back, his bones and muscles realigning until he stood human again. The cool night air prickled against his skin. "Back off, Silas. Whatever game you're playing ends now."

"Game?" Silas's laugh held no warmth. "No game. Just admiring your little zoo. Those potions working out for you? Temporary fixes, at best." He took a step closer, and Logan's muscles tensed. "Wonder what'll happen when they wear off?"

The bear inside Logan roared to protect what was his, but he kept his voice steady and controlled. "Touch my animals again, and we'll see how well prison prepared you for a real fight."

"Big words from someone who spends his days playing nurse to broken creatures." Silas's eyes glinted dangerously. "Everything you love, Logan. Everything you've built. It'll all come crashing down." He gestured at the sanctuary. "Starting with this pathetic excuse for a legacy."

"Last warning." Logan took a step forward, letting his bear's strength flow through his human form. "Get off my property."

"Or what? You'll call the cops again?" Silas's grin widened. "No evidence, no crime. Just like these mysterious illnesses. Fascinating how that works, isn't it?"

Logan's hands clenched into fists. "You always did talk too much."

Silas's lips curled into a sneer. "You could have just looked the other way, Logan. Could have let me do what needed to be done. But no, you had to play the hero."

"Right." Logan crossed his arms, moonlight casting shadows across his bare chest. "Because bombing research facilities andthreatening humans was exactly what our sleuth needed. Real smart thinking there, buddy."

"Those facilities were torturing animals!" Silas took another step forward. "And humans? They're the real plague on this earth. You used to understand that."

"No, I understood protecting our own. What you did put everyone at risk. The whole sleuth could have been exposed because you couldn't control your hatred."

The night air crackled with tension. Logan's bear was itching for a fight.

"The sleuth was weak," Silas spat. "Still is. Hiding in plain sight, playing nice with the humans. It's pathetic."

Logan's laugh was sharp and without humor. "Says the guy who spent five years in a human prison. How'd that work out for your cause?"

"You son of a-"

"Save it." Logan's voice dropped, low and dangerous. "I'd do it again. Every time. Because unlike you, I actually give a damn about our people. About all creatures."

Silas's face contorted with rage. "You'll regret choosing them over me. Over your own kind." His body began to shift, bones cracking and reforming. "I'm going to take everything from you, Logan. Everything."

The lighter-colored bear that was Silas let out a final snarl before turning and disappearing into the treeline.

Logan watched him go, his muscles still tense. "Drama queen," he muttered as he rolled his shoulders. "Always did have to have the last word."

A chorus of worried animal sounds rose from the sanctuary behind him. Logan turned back, already planning to double-check all the enclosures. His charges were scared - they'd sensed the confrontation.

"Don't worry, guys," he called out as he headed back. "The big bad bear's gone. For now."

Logan retrieved his clothes from behind the storage bin, brushing off dirt and debris. His jeans had a new tear - shifting was hell on the wardrobe. At least his favorite flannel had survived intact.

"Another shopping trip," he muttered. "Add it to the list, right after 'reinforce fencing' and 'figure out how to trap an asshole bear.'"

The sanctuary's night sounds soon settled back into their usual rhythm as he made his final rounds. The raccoon who'd missed dinner earlier chittered at him reproachfully.

"Here you go, your majesty." Logan poured fresh food into the dish. The raccoon immediately started sorting through the pellets, picking out his favorites first. "Picky little garbage disposal, aren't you?"

Moving on, he checked each enclosure meticulously. The fox that Serena had treated wagged its tail at his approach.

"Looking good there, buddy. That witch knows her stuff, doesn't she?" The fox yipped in agreement. "Don't you start. I've got enough opinions about Serena from my bear without you joining in."

The night air carried traces of Silas's scent, but it was fading. Logan's bear rumbled with displeasure at the lingering reminder of the threat.

"We'll handle him," Logan assured the anxious deer watching him from their pen. "Nobody messes with my family." He paused, realizing he'd just called the animals family. "Don't tell anyone I said that. Got a reputation to maintain."

The owl in the recovery aviary hooted softly.

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