Page 33 of My Unbearable Mate

I lifted my chin. “You didn’t trust me?”

Her gaze landed squarely on me. My bear saw it as a direct challenge. No, I couldn’t shift in the middle of Sawtooth Sweets. We were still outnumbered by humans in town, and even though they knew many of their neighbors had a second identity, being confronted with that reality often caused chaos.

“Your alliances very well could have changed since you left the pack.”

“He left because of me,” Clover clarified. “Because I rejected him.”

I groaned, all too aware of the eyes on us in the busy bakery, and I didn’t need for everyone in town to come up close and personal with the intimate details of my past. If Clover stayed?—

Ugh. I couldn’t let myself get sidetracked by the fantasy this woman came to say she made a mistake. She wore those bad decisions proudly like a sleeve of tattoos. And I couldn’t let any of it soften the blow that her grandmother might have just become an enemy.

Was I using this case as a last ditch effort to prove myself to the clan? To throw my middle fingers in the air and let them know they’d made a mistake by letting my leave so easily?

Like any of them could have made you stay, my bear reminded me.

“He’s agreed to help us find the locket,” Clover continued. “But Bellamy is a security specialist. You were glued to the TV during the whole Moonlight Mates drama. You’ve seen him in action. Now his services are in demand and he’s doing us a huge favor, offering to help.”

Shirley scoffed. “It’s no trouble to help your clan.”

“What did we do for him after he felt like he had to leave? Yes, I’m owning that it’s my fault, but we aren’t talking about me right now. We’re talking about you.” And like grandmother, like granddaughter, now it was Clover’s turn to wear the Cheshire cat grin. This time, it made my dick rock hard. “The locket, more specifically.”

Oh, that glare was practically enough to melt the glass that enclosed us in the bakery.

“We need more information about the locket.” Now that Clover had handed her grandmother her ass, I felt comfortable with the assist. This woman didn’t need anyone to save her. She’d gotten herself out of more hot shit than I cared to think about. “Clover wasn’t able to provide an accurate description, so that’s a good place to start. We need to know exactly what it can do, and a detailed list of anyone who might be interested in taking it from you.”

“The locket is a bit of an enigma. It can change colors depending on the energy that it comes in contact with. So an accurate description might be a bit difficult. It’s set in silver, and the pendant portion of it is oval. Probably about this big.” She curled her thumb and her forefinger. “And for who would take it from me, I have no enemies. Its disappearance is as shocking as it is heartbreaking.”

That was actually pretty helpful. Knowing it was silver meant I could rule out any of the local wolves. Not that I expected trouble with them, but it was still a relief to cross anyone off this nebulous list.

Clover tipped her head, studying her grandmother. “Are you sure you haven’t upset anyone who could be holding an old grudge, and maybe bided their time until they could get revenge?”

“What are you insinuating, child?”

“Let me try this another way.” Clover ran her teeth over her bottom lip. Sweet moon, these little moves were enough to make me grab her face and kiss her right here.

I had to stop thinking of her as mine. She was only here because she needed me to solve this problem. Beyond that, I lay no claim to this woman. Didn’t matter how good it felt to be inside her. What I felt when I looked at her. I couldn’t let this woman be my downfall. She didn’t belong to me.

Yet, my bear insisted.

“Who was in possession of the locket before you?” Clover asked. “Bellamy’s asked me so many questions about the locket, and I haven’t been able to answer them. I know the tradition is to keep the magic in the clan to those who have it, but that means I’m not sure how to find it. And what might happen when I do.”

I shouldn’t have been surprised she’d be able to weave a tale like that on the fly.

A faint flash of surprise flashed on Shirley’s face. Only for a moment before she regained control of the situation. “I’m not sure how that will help you.”

“Who gave it to you? I’m not sure I ever met my Great Nana, or any of your aunts. As long as I’ve been alive, you’ve had the locket. And because I wasn’t meant to have it, I guess it didn’t occur to me that its history could’ve been important.”

Oh, she was good. If those ghost bears were to be believed, the locket was stolen. Shirley would unknowingly confirm or negate our suspicions with her answer.

“Which is why that information seems irrelevant.” Shirley reached across the table and put her hand over Clover’s. She held onto it and met her gaze. “You have everything you need to find that locket.”

And with that, she rose from the table, and every head in the bakery turned to watch her walk out the door.

There was a strange moment of silence, and then with a clang from the kitchen, the happy, sugar-fueled chatter started again.

“I don’t want to get too excited, because everything about Shirley is a big fucking question mark right now, but her refusal to answer your question lines up with the accusation from the Lynwoods that she stole the locket.”

Now, to find these bears.

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