Page 6 of Bearnapped at the Altar

“Looks pretty chill so far,” Bellamy said. “But remember Silverclaw’s guys are here too, and we’re outnumbered. Get in and get out before anyone realizes it was you.”

“I’ll be quick.” I nodded to him before I got out of the van.

At least, I planned to be quick. Bellamy’s assessment seemed correct. A catering truck was unloading the food for the celebration, and a DJ was setting up for a party. People milled around the area where the ceremony would take place. I couldn’t tell if they were invited guests or people associated with the show.

A few mouths gaped as I walked past, but no one had the nerve to try to stop me. It was a good thing this place was crawling with Silverclaw’s guys. I never wanted to associate myself with his crew, but today I could be thankful that they’d give me the cover they needed.

As a bear shifter, I was bigger than those wolves. Humans wouldn’t know the difference. But a shifter would know one of these things wasn’t like the other.

It meant I had to nail this.

The further I got, the less anyone paid attention to me. Guests laughed, hugged, and were already taking part in the wine that seemed to be flowing freely. I took a glass from one of the passing trays to help blend in, but I wouldn’t touch a sip of the stuff.

I moved past the ceremony area, the dinner tables, and dance floor, and found a cluster of yurts that I recognized from the show.

Only one had a pulse. Wardrobe racks and equipment had been left outside, and women moved in and out. Frantic energy surrounded it.

That had to be where Tegan was.

We’d only spoken briefly—enough for her to tell me what had happened. Gideon Silverclaw was going through a lot of trouble to keep her quiet. I hadn’t told her my plan, only that I would solve the problem. She didn’t like that, and I didn’t blame her. This situation didn’t have even an inch for error. But the situation had to stay fluid, as I told her, until I had a chance to assess the situation in person. I liked rules, but I knew when to break them too.

My research quickly found her being quite outspoken about her former employer, Wild Adventures, owned by Gideon Silverclaw—who was now forcing her into marriage.

Why? There were a thousand other ways he could keep her quiet that were much less effort. He could’ve paid her off, or killed her…

My bear growled. It wasn’t like him to feel protective of my clients, but this case felt different.

Once I made sure Tegan was safe, we’d figure out Silverclaw’s MO. And I’d make sure she understood how important it would be to keep her mouth shut. To let Sawtooth Securitye take the lead on this case. She was human, and shifter politics didn’t play by the rules she was used to.

Gideon Silverclaw was a bad dude. He’d been making promises to acquire pack land and then breaking them as soon as the contract was signed. His lawyers were slick, and shifters were losing their homes. Their heritage. My clan had been duped by Silverclaw Enterprises, and damn if this case wasn’t personal.

It has nothing to do with Tegan Reynolds.

Keep telling yourself that. My bear snickered.

I wouldn’t let anyone lay a paw on her.

Something inside me rumbled as I watched the yurt. My bear was in my head. Maybe he was just trying to distract me from thinking about where I was. A mating ceremony.

A quick phone call and some pictures couldn’t have sent me into overdrive about a woman I’d never met. One that might be more trouble than she was worth with Silverclaw in the mix.

It had been three years since Renee died. If things were the other way around, I’d want her to be happy.

Yeah, this ceremony was getting to me.

But right now, I had a job to do, and it didn’t matter what I was feeling.

An engine revved in the distance. Bellamy wasn’t known for his patience, but he was a hawk-eyed bear, and he could be sending me a warning.

I had to act, now.

Once the ladies moved away from the entrance to the yurt, I stepped in the doorway as quietly as I could. Being stealthy wasn’t easy for someone who shifted into a five-hundred pound grizzly bear.

Tegan stood in front of the mirror in her wedding dress. She was gorgeous. Production had spared no expense on the white lace gown that hugged her ample curves and draped softly over her legs. Her pink hair had been curled in an old-fashioned style so she looked like she’d been ripped from one of those hot rod pinup calendars.

My heart was pounding, and not only because of what I was about to do. There was commotion outside of the tent, and I let a growl slip out. She gasped, turning to find me.

“Can I help you? Are you looking for Gideon’s tent?” Tegan asked. She must have thought I was lost. How adorable and dangerous that she was so trusting. She probably thought I was one of his goons.

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