Page 39 of A Lady's Heart
Justin eyed them before glancing toward the door suspiciously. “Where’re your targets, boys?”
“Don’t start with us, big guy, or I’ll go full-moon on your ass,” Cole warned.
“It’s a reasonable question.” All three of them pivoted to stare at Mandy who’d been the one to speak. She shrugged. “Justin said you were the best trackers around. I’m surprised to see you here, without anyone.”
Caden growled as he slammed a hand on the table. Justin had his fingers trapped in an iron-clad fist between one second and the next.
Silence cut like a knife.
Mandy clicked her tongue in warning, and Justin forced himself to let the wolf free.
Caden glared at Justin, but the wolf mutteredsorrybefore letting out a gruff grunt. “We did track them. But they hit the edge of the river and swam off, headed north. No freaking way was I getting in the water to chase down a couple of bears in their native territory.”
Beside him, Mandy glanced up in confusion. “Swam off?”
Justin grimaced. It was unwelcome news. Out of all the shifter species he’d expected trouble from, their new suspects were not on the list. “He means polar bears.”
Caden raised his hands in a shrug. “There’s not much use trying to follow them without contacting someone at—”
“Youthinkthey were polar bears,” Cole snapped. “I’m not sure. You got in the way—I couldn’t see clearly.”
His brother whirled on him and glared. “Don’t be a pain in the ass, bro.”
“Don’t be a jerk, bro,” Cole retorted before glancing across the table. “I’m going to track them down.”
Mandy dipped her head, but she held a little tighter to Justin’s arm. “But you’re sure that they’re gone. For now, I mean?”
Caden leaned back, wrinkling his nose. “We did a lap around town before tracking you here. There were only two unfamiliar scents, and they’re long gone. I can’t tell you how sorry we are they accessed a couple of our sleds like that. Must have hot-wired them.”
She blinked in surprise, obviously caught on his earlier comment. “You know everyone in town by their scent?”
Justin leaned down to whisper in her ear. “It’s a wolf thing. Be thankful they don’t sniff like dogs do.”
He secretly patted her butt.
Her eyes widened.
Of course with their abilities, the wolves had heard his comment. The brothers growled a warning, but his tease had brought back a flicker of a smile to Mandy’s lips, and that’s all that mattered.
She offered him a quick wink before facing the brothers again. “But you can track them?”
Caden jerked a thumb at his brother. “I couldn’t, but I bet he can. Pain in the ass.”
“Jerk.” Cole dipped his head. “I came back to make sure you guys were okay, but I’m heading out again. I swear I’ll find them. There’s something…”
The wolf looked off into the distance, his eyes going out of focus as if he were concentrating on something only he could see. More weird wolf mumbo-jumbo, Justin figured, but the offer of tracking was a good one. It would allow him to stay in Chicken and protect Mandy, and still get to the bottom of the mystery.
“Thanks for that,” Justin said with sincerity.
Mandy reached across the table and squeezed Cole’s hand. “Yes, thank you.”
Caden slapped his brother on the shoulder then motioned toward the door. “Come on, my mate will be waiting. We’ll feed you before you take off.”
The brothers slipped away, vanishing like shadows.
The next second Nadia stood there again, a beacon of silvery-white. She wore an expression that spoke volumes.
Justin couldn’t resist temptation. “Yes? Can I help you?”
