Page 7 of Bearnapped at the Altar

She was definitely human if she couldn’t tell the difference between him and me.

I had to make my move. I stepped toward her, still undecided if I should tell her what I was about to do or just do the damn thing and apologize later. I had about three seconds to decide.

“Tegan, we’re ready for you,” an unexpected voice said. A woman with a headset and a tablet in her hand stood smiling in the doorway.

I growled again, louder this time.

Shut up, bear. This job was damn near impossible to pull off, and he hadn’t come up with any better plan.

The ladies wore matching expressions of concern.

“Excuse me,” I said, brushing past the production assistant. Fuck. I just totally blew my chance to get her out of there. I hesitated. And why, because it had been far too long since I’d been so close to a beautiful woman? Piss poor excuse. I had to make this work, and it wasn’t gonna be any easier from here on out.

Not only could I not let this delectable, adorable woman marry that asshole Silverclaw, but I needed to get paid for this job. I needed that reality check to remember what had brought me here.

The yurt wasn’t soundproof, so I stayed close, listening, planning, anticipating the next opportunity. Having another chance to pull this off was a luxury, and I needed to make it count.

The camera crew appeared, and there was a good sized entourage with them that included the woman I recognized as the host of the show.

They were about to bring Tegan to the altar. I was too late.

No. Don’t you dare give up on her, my bear rumbled.

“Tegan, it’s the moment we waited for all season long. I’m so excited you get to experience this,” the show host said. “Want to tell us what’s on your mind?”

“Gideon Silverclaw is a thief, and I hope you’re broadcasting this live.”

Feisty, my bear said as the entourage gasped. Nice.

“We’re not, because you’ve earned your reputation as a live wire.” The host’s tone was strained. “Once again, I’ll remind you that you knew what you were getting yourself into when you accepted a spot as a contestant on this show.”

“You changed the rules without telling me.” Tegan wasn’t backing down. My bear liked that a lot. But he didn’t miss the note of panic in her voice. “I didn’t consent to this.”

“Your mate is waiting for you.”

I headed toward the altar before any of them noticed me hanging around the yurt. I wouldn’t have another chance to get her alone, so I needed to come up with my next plan immediately.

A group of women in bridesmaid dresses and men in suits much like mine waited at the end of the aisle, and organ music started to play. The ceremony was formal, traditional, and from what I’d seen of Tegan, not even close to what she’d choose for her own mating ceremony.

You could give her better, my bear said.

I am, I reminded him. I’m getting her the fuck out of here.

Jump in with them. Hook your arm and offer it to one of those women. You don’t have time to think this through.

My bear was stubborn, aggressive, and not often wrong. And while he was right that time was running out, I couldn’t afford to call unwanted attention to myself if a bridesmaid didn’t play nice and blew my cover.

Instead, I slipped into a chair in the back row, ignoring my bear’s groan.

Gideon stood at the altar, wearing a big old wolf smirk on his obnoxious face, and his boys flanked him.

He was too full of himself in this moment to sense me. Good.

The music changed to the traditional wedding waltz.

Tegan started down the aisle. She was alone, no one was giving her away. Her nervousness resonated in my bones, pure dread that I could actually taste, with her wide, unblinking eyes and pinched expression—anger, but more than that, utter defeat.

She thought I’d failed her.

---