Page 12 of My Unbearable Mate

Six

A Ghost Bear Cult Clan

Clover

Weirdly, I didn’t run. And even weirder, I knew I should have.

For the first time ever, a strange feeling of peace washed over me. At least, that’s what I thought it was. Like I said, it was completely unfamiliar.

Now wasn’t the time to get in touch with my feelings. I needed to pay attention to my surroundings, because as soon as this spell Alba had surely cast over me wore off, I was out of here.

At least, I was going to keep telling myself that.

The clan was lively and a lot bigger than I expected. This was no rogue, temporary camp. This clan lived, loved, and thrived here. I took a seat in front of a fire, where other clan members looked at me with curiosity. Some smiled and waved. Others looked straight through me like I wasn’t even here. There was a table off to the side, topped with heaping plates of fish, game, and vegetables.

It was rustic and a little rowdy, but something about it felt right.

Nope! I couldn’t fall even further under Alba’s spell, even if she did seem to have alchemy flowing through her ancient veins.

Speaking of ancient…I blinked to make sure my eyes weren’t playing tricks on me. The women were all wearing long dresses, the men loose pants and shirts. Even the kids who were running around the adults in a lively game of tag were dressed like they’d stepped out of another era.

Great. This wasn’t a clan, it was a cult.

I was going to find myself in even more hot water if I didn’t leave the first chance I got.

Nothing’s stopping you now, my bear pointed out.

She was right, but I had no idea where I was, I felt like I was lucid dreaming, and my stomach was rumbling at the plates of food being passed around.

A giant man who made Bellamy look small sat beside me. As I was trying to figure out if he was one of the behemoths who had hauled me away from my car, he offered me a heaping plate.

“I should’ve asked you what you liked, but I put a little bit of everything on the plate.” A little bit of pink blossomed through his beard onto his cheeks. He was bashful. “It’s just a little taste of what we have to offer. I hope you enjoy your stay with us.”

I shouldn’t have taken the plate from him. But I was starving, salmon was my favorite, and…was it possible to become even more bewitched? Alba had been right about one thing—I needed to keep my strength up.

“Thank you.” I took a bite of salmon, and it melted in my mouth. “This is amazing.”

“I caught it this morning in the stream.” Now he was beaming. The giant bear was adorable, even if it was possible he’d abducted me days before. “My sister is in charge of the community garden where the vegetables were grown.”

“It seems like your family is prominent in the clan.”

He furrowed his brow. “No one here has any more importance than anyone else. We all work together for the common good of the clan.”

Definitely a cult. “Not even your alpha?” I asked.

“I am the alpha.”

“A pleasure to meet you.” I carefully balanced the plate on my lap and offered him my hand. “I’m Clover.”

“Oh, I know who you are.” He smiled. “We’ve been waiting for you.”

Alba sat on the other side of me. “I see you’ve met Anders.”

“He’s taking good care of me.” I should’ve regretted those words the moment they came out of my mouth, but it was true, even if this transaction wouldn’t end the way he hoped. They thought I had what they wanted. I had to get out of here before they realized I didn’t.

The two bears shared a knowing smile, like I wasn’t there.

“Can we talk about the talisman?” Anders asked.

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