Page 35 of Beast Bear

Serena nodded. “We’ll handle it.”

Alicia and a small rescue crew lifted the injured climber, careful to keep her spine aligned. They headed down the trail, Alicia in the lead, delivering orders to keep the board steady. Within moments, they disappeared behind a line of pine trees, their voices fading into the forest.

Serena let out a shaky breath, turning to Theo. She felt overwhelming remorse for ever doubting him, for letting her fear cloud the truth. Tears pricked at her lids as she remembered how it had felt to question him. She swallowed hard, wishing she could take it back.She wrapped her arms around him, leaned against him, pressed her cheek to his chest, and inhaled his scent.

“I was so afraid I’d lost you,” he whispered.

“I should have trusted you.”

Theo held her firmly against him. “No matter what happened, I never stopped believing in us,” he said, his voice rough with relief. “I knew we’d find our way back to each other.”

She closed her eyes, letting that knowledge wash over her, something deep in her responding to the mate bond they shared. Gratitude flooded her, along with an undeniable longing she had tried for so long to suppress.

Chapter

Forty-Five

Serena threwher arms around Theo’s shoulders, and he pulled her against him. Their lips met in a fierce, desperate kiss, the taste of relief on her mouth. Every ounce of fear and tension poured into that moment. His thoughts spun with renewed devotion, and he clung to her, remembering how close he had come to losing her.

When the kiss finally ended, he pressed his forehead against hers. She looked up at him, eyes filled with lingering adrenaline. His pulse raced as he brushed a loose strand of hair from her face. For a long moment, they savored the quiet together, safe on solid ground.

He swallowed, then spoke in a hushed tone. “Serena, I have proof Kai is the saboteur. I caught it on my phone.” He fished the device out of his pocket, his hand trembling.

Serena’s expression shifted from tenderness to alarmed curiosity. She stepped closer, resting a hand on his arm. “You actually have evidence?”

“Yeah, I filmed him. And I took some pictures too.” He tapped his phone’s screen, pulling up the videos. He showed her a clip of Kai hunched on the summit, tampering with ropes and anchor bolts. Serena’s eyes widened.

“This is everything we need,” she whispered, her voice shaking. “Poppy can’t ignore that.”

Before Theo could respond, Serena’s radio came to life. Alicia’s voice came through with a crackle. “Serena, do you read me? No more climbers on the trails. The injured climber is on her way to the hospital. The charity climb is canceled. Head back to campus.”

Serena lifted the radio. “Received. We’re on our way.” She turned to Theo, a flicker of relief in her eyes. “It’s over for now. At least no one else is in danger.”

Theo gave a short nod, though he felt a new sense of urgency gnaw at his stomach. They gathered their backpacks and started down the trail. Midway along the path, Theo stopped and turned to face her, his voice steady but charged. “When we get back, if Poppy doesn’t finally see that Kai is guilty, I’ll take my evidence to the police.”

Serena squeezed his hand. “The footage is undeniable. We’ll make them see it. We have to protect the school.”

“And the people of Fate Mountain.”

Chapter

Forty-Six

Late afternoon suncast long shadows across the parking lot as Theo and Serena walked toward the administrative building. A crowd of staff members, administrators, and trainees had gathered near several police cars parked at the entrance. The atmosphere crackled with tension, making Theo’s pulse spike before anyone even spoke. He spotted Poppy standing beside Kai, and behind them were Logan, Alicia, Jade, Travis, and Morgan. The look on Kai’s face told Theo this confrontation would be ugly.

The moment Kai caught sight of Theo, he pointed an accusing finger, voice cutting through the murmurs of the crowd. “There he is, the saboteur,” Kai snarled. “He’s always been unstable, ever since childhood. It’s in his blood. His father was the same way, nothing but a brute.”

Theo felt Serena’s grip on his arm tighten. Anger flared in his chest, but he forced himself to speak calmly. “You’re lying. You’re the one who rigged the ropes and anchor bolts.”

Kai’s eyes glinted with a vicious confidence. “Don’t pretend you and your little girlfriend didn’t plan this together. Maybe she wanted to sabotage the climb to deal with her daddy issues.”

Theo’s vision blurred at the insult to Serena, but he swallowed hard and turned to Poppy and the nearby police officers. “I have proof,” he said, his voice shaking with anger. He fished out his phone. “I filmed Kai tampering with gear.”

Poppy stepped forward, her expression stern, while the officers eyed Theo warily. “Let me see it,” Poppy said.

Theo unlocked his phone, showing her and the police the videos of Kai hunched over ropes. “This is irrefutable evidence of you tampering. Not to mention the anchor kit I saw you steal from the gear warehouse.”

Serena stood close by, nodding. “I heard him confessing to it.”

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