Page 7 of My Unbearable Mate

She’ll probably make it to Red Heaven before you do.

Shut up, bear.

“Everyone said I’d find you here.” She cackled. “Good thing I didn’t have to drag the two of you out of Red Heaven.”

Shirley waved her hand. “Don’t you act shocked. Of course I’ve been back there. It’s been years, but I could probably go for another round.” She let out a hoot, and then narrowed her eyes, looked behind me, and frowned. “Where’s Clover? Let me guess. She’s already back there, and you’ve forgotten what a firecracker my granddaughter can be.”

“I haven’t forgotten.” I’d do anything for that luxury. “And Clover’s not here.”

At least, I didn’t think she was…

Now it was Shirley’s turn to stare at me in open-mouthed disbelief. “Oh, sweet moon. I would’ve sworn by every stone I have in my collection that the two of you had finally come to your senses after all these years. I knew losing the Goddess Locket would hex us all. If she’s not with you, where is she?”

Great. Now I had to tell this spectacular, powerful woman that I’d stone-cold turned Clover down. This wasn’t gonna go well.

“No idea.” Then it sunk in. “She didn’t go home after she came here?”

“She didn’t.” Shirley frowned as a drink was put in front of her. Looked like a Long Island Iced Tea. “But she did come here?”

I nodded.

“So you’re in? You’ll help us find the locket?”

Damn it. There was no way I could say no to Shirley. She was too powerful, too important. And the worst part was, she knew it.

“Something tells me we need to find Clover first.” Because I had a feeling she was in danger, and there was no way Shirley or my bear would let anything happen to her.

Chapter

Four

The Worst Mixtape Ever

Clover

Remote wasn’t exactly a unique concept in Sawtooth Forest, but these bears straight up brought me to the middle of nowhere. I’d lived in Idaho all my life, explored the land in my human and bear forms, and I had no idea where I was.

Not that I could see much from the inside of a tent. The naked dudes had brought me directly here, tied me to a chair, and left.

So they probably didn’t plan to hurt me. I could thank the moon for that. But that was only because they thought I had magic.

All bets were off when they found out the truth.

The tent flap opened, and an older woman came in with a jug. Very little light came with her. It had to be nighttime. The second night I was here.

I hadn’t slept, and it was already getting too easy to lose track of time.

She ripped the tape off my mouth. The sting of the raw skin made my eyes bulge, but I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of yelping at the sensation.

“You need to have some soup.” Everything about the woman with the ladle was soft and motherly, with her dress and hair pulled up in one of those effortless buns, and I wanted to believe her. My mouth tasted like the bottom of a birdcage, and the formerly polite rumbling in my tummy had become a full-on angry roar.

The soup smelled good. Better than good—delicious.

But she’d just ripped skin off my face.

I pressed my lips together as she brought the ladle to them and shook my head.

The soft woman frowned. “You need to keep your strength up, Clover.”

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