Page 60 of Goldie and Her Bears (Dirty Paranormal Fairytale Haremlan 3)

“There won’t be a next time,” she said. “Trust me.”

“I’ll take your word for it,” I said and left the room.

“You may end up having some troubles with the leg every once in a while. The weather could make you experience some discomfort. The cold could cause an ache. Keep an eye out for those times and find out if there is anything you can do that would ease the discomfort.”

“Thank you,” she said. “I will.”

As we stepped into the living room, the men stood and collected around us with expectant gazes.

“She’s fine,” I said. “All good to go.”

They nodded.

“Thanks, Marcus,” Chase said. “I owe you one.”

I nodded. “Let me know if you need anything else. You can reach me any time.”

I went to walk out the front door but was stopped by Kai. He gripped my shoulder, halting me in my steps. His concerned expression met mine. “What is it?”

I shook my head. “I haven’t figured that out yet.”

“What’s going on?” Jasper asked as he crossed his arms over his chest. “Maybe there is something we can help with.

“Though I’m not sure what you would be able to help with, I suppose I could tell you what I’ve seen.”

“Okay,” he said.

“I’ve been finding more and more traps throughout the woods in the region. I’ve seen more and more injuries than I care to count. Not a single one of them has come out of it better than Cassie. In fact, she’s the only one who has come out of the other side doing as well as she has.”

“So, wait,” Kai said, holding up a hand to stop me. “We’re being hunted?”

I nodded. “It appears that way. And bears aren’t the only shifters they are hunting, as I had previously assumed. Whoever it is, they are hunting us. I’ve seen quite a few other shifters who have stumbled across these traps. Most of them were young. In their teens if not younger. There are others who have lost limbs.”

“That is concerning,” Chase said.

Cassie gasped. “Oh my God. That’s so horrible.”

“It’s probably nothing but my overactive imagination,” I said. “Nothing you should concern yourself with. As I said, these are simply things that have drawn my attention and a theory of what is going on. I have nothing concrete to support it.”

“Well, it is becoming increasingly more difficult to hide from humans,” Kai said. “I heard some hikers not far from the river I normally hunted by the other day.”

“Is there anything we can do to help out?” Chase asked, stepping closer.

I shook my head. “I’m not sure. I will meet with my brothers and discuss the issue. Once we have a solution, I’ll fly by to let you know what you can do if anything.”

“Thank you again,” Chase said.

“And thank you for letting us know,” Kai said. “We’ll keep a look out. If we notice anything suspicious, we’ll call.”

I nodded. “I suggest you all take extreme caution the next time you are out. Avoid shifting if possible. There’s no telling who is laying the traps, but if they discover where you are, I’m afraid you’ll have more trouble on your hands. My suspicion is these aren’t ordinary people. They may even have a few shifters with a grudge working for them. That’s the only way I can figure why the traps are increasing. Especially the locations of their placement.”

“We’ll be sure to be extra careful while out,” Cassie said.

I settled my gaze on her. I discreetly sniffed the air. The thick scent of bear filled my nose. It took everything in me not to sniff. The point of the matter was, she was still human. Curiously so. “I highly suggest you go out the least of all. Remember what I said about next time.”

She nodded and smiled. “I won’t make the same mistake twice.”

I nodded. “I better head back now.”

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