9781631054747HerstoBearHoffa (11 page)

Jenna
nodded. “Of course, that’s fine. Thank you so much for the wonderful dinner.”

Bastian
took her hand and kissed it.
“My pleasure, my dear.
Your company turned simple fare to an extraordinary experience.” Bastian rose
from the table. “Come, Bern.” He turned without bothering to see if Bern
followed, arrogant in his position and power.

Chapter Ten

Before
Bastian could reach the door Anton jumped to his feet. “Alpha, do you not think
Martin and I should join you?”

Bastian
turned and gave his second a withering look. “No, I do not. If I felt you
should join us, I would have included you in the invitation. Please take the
ladies out to the patio and give them a tour of my lovely gardens. We will join
you when
our
business is completed.”

Bern
felt the alpha’s power surge through the room. It was palpable.
Damn, the
were was
strong
. Every head in the room, including those of
his
own
guards bowed. Anton looked like he was going to swallow his tongue.
Anger burned in his eyes, but they dropped to the floor.

“Yes,
Alpha.”

Bastian
turned on his heel and left the room without another word or gesture.
A man confident in his power.
Bern
followed,
glad he wasn’t on the bad side of this wolf. They didn’t return to the library,
but headed right down the long hallway, stopping at a small office, much like
Bern’s own private space.

Bastian
closed and locked the door behind them. He indicated a plush leather chair in
front of the desk and walked over to a built in bar along the wall. “Cognac?”
he asked.

Bern
nodded and he poured a small amount into two snifters and swirled the liquid,
staring into the glasses. He turned and brought one to Bern, perching on the
edge of his desk. “I know you must be curious as to why I asked you here.”

“I’ll
admit, my curiosity is piqued.”

“I have
been watching you, Bern. Now, don’t go getting your hackles up. I don’t mean
spying on you. I mean observing you from afar.
Watching your
style of leadership.
I think you are a good man.
A
good bear.”

While
Bern didn’t need the approval of a shifter from a rival clan, it was still
gratifying to hear praise from someone as strong as Bastian. “Thank you, but I
don’t think you brought me here to sing my praises.”

“No,
son, I did not. I am about to share something with you that only the highest
ranking members of my pack are privy to, they and the family members of the
weres involved.”

Bern
sat forward in his chair. “Something is wrong.” It was a statement not a
question.

“Frightfully
so.
Two of
our pups have been kidnapped.”

Bern
sat back stunned.
“How?
When?”

“How,
we do not know. They were taken from their own beds in the dead of night. No
trace, no scent, no tracks. It is as if they vanished into thin air. One was
taken last month, the other, two weeks ago. We have increased our night
patrols, done everything we can think of, but we have found no trace of the
children.” Bastian looked at the rug on the floor, his age and the weight of
his position showing on his face. Sadness marred his patrician features, and
for only a moment he looked defeated. Then determination overcame the weariness.
“I will find those children, but I fear I may need help. It is not an easy
thing for one such as
I
to ask for assistance.”
Bastian locked gazes with Bern. “I ask for an alliance with the Honey Corner’s
Clan. I will blood bond with you. Stand with you against all enemies, if you
will do the same for me.”

It was
all Bern could do to keep his mouth closed at the unexpected and serendipitous
suggestion from the alpha. Bern had a feeling he knew who had stolen the
children and they would need all the help they could get protecting both clan
and pack if the humans were targeting their progeny.

Bern
took a deep breath. “I am deeply honored you would consider such an alliance,
Bastian. I will have to discuss it with my clan, but I think the idea has
merit. We have had a group of campers under surveillance in the woods outside
Honey Corners. We believe they may be HUNTS agents. Do you think it’s possible
they could have kidnapped your pups?”

Bastian
nodded. “I do not know if it was those men, but I do believe it is HUNTS agents
who have taken the children. I have heard rumors of this happening in other
packs in Tennessee and Louisiana. Not just children, but shifters of all ages
disappearing.
Also, experiments going on.”

“God,
why can’t they just leave us alone? What have we ever done to them?”

“It’s
not what we have done, my friend. It’s what we are. They want what we have, the
freedom from disease, long life, strength. Humans can be greedy, selfish beings,”
Bastian said with a sad smile.

“You’ve
seen too much in your life
haven’t
you, my friend?”

“Sometimes
I fear I have. There is one more thing I must tell you before you bring the
prospect of an alliance to your clan. I have enemies.”

Bern
laughed. “Don’t we all?”

“No,
you misunderstand me. An Alpha from the north, Sergei, is looking to challenge
me. He thinks I am old and weak.” Bastian smiled. “He is wrong, of course, but
still he is…as you would say, poking the bear.” Bastian laughed. “I thought you
should be aware of the threat.”

Bern
nodded. “You are an honorable wolf, Sebastian Von Drake.” He downed the balance
of his cognac. “Now, let’s join our lovely ladies in the moonlight.”

“I can
think of nothing I would enjoy more.” Bastian rose and clapped him on the
shoulder. Though their alliance had not yet truly been formed in the formal
sense, a bond between the two men had definitely been forged.

The two
men stepped onto the moonlit patio and found Jenna, Alice, Martin, Anton and
several others sitting in lovely wicker furniture and enjoying the crisp fall
evening. Quiet conversation floated to Bern’s ears, his sweet Jenna’s voice was
clear above all the others to him.
Telling Alice about her
kindergarten class.

Bern
stalked up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders, leaning in to kiss
her cheek. “Did you miss me, little one?”

Jenna
rubbed her hand through his beard, tangling her fingers in the scruff and
pulling him closer.
“Always, darling.
Isn’t it lovely
out here tonight? Come sit with us.” Bern lifted her from the chair and sat,
placing her on his lap, all in one motion. Jenna laughed, nuzzling into his
neck and whispering into his ear.
“Everything okay?”

Her
nodded and whispered back. “Were hearing, remember?”

“No,
damn it, I keep forgetting.” She giggled.
Tucking her face
into the crook of his shoulder.

“Get a
room, will ya?” Alice groused.
“Enough already, with the love
feast.
We just had dinner for Christ sake.”

Bastian
stood beside Alice’s chair and Bern watched the byplay between the two of them.
Bastian was so stiff and formal, he looked down at Alice. “Are you comfortable,
Alicia?” he asked.

She
looked up, momentarily speechless. “My Daddy used to call me that,” she said
with a wistful smile. “My parents came to America from Poland when I was
seven,
he was the only one who called me Alicia.”

“I am
sorry. Did I bring up a sad memory?” Bastian asked.

Alice
smiled sweetly.
“No, not at all, a happy memory.
I was
daddy’s girl, I miss him.”

“He has
passed?” Bastian asked.

“Heart
attack, three years ago.”
Alice shrugged. “I remember him every day. He was the best man I’ve ever
known.” She looked down at her lap, hands clasped tightly together.

Jenna
reached over and took one of her hands, lacing their fingers, their gazes
locked.
Love you
, Jenna
mouthed,
and Alice smiled.

“We
really must be going,” Bern said. “Thank you so much for dinner, Bastian.” He
looked the wolf directly in the eye. “And everything else. I will speak with
you soon.” He helped Jenna to her feet and stood wrapping his arm around her
waist. He extended his other hand to Alice, and the three of them headed into
the house and down the hall.

Once
the entourage was ensconced in the limousine and on the way back to Honey
Corners, Bern opened up about Bastian’s revelations.

“Bastian
shocked me in more ways than one, my friends,” he said, holding Jenna’s hand
securely in his big paw.

“What’s
going on,
Sippe
?” Martin asked.

“Two
things,” Bern said. “I’m sorry, Jenna. I hope you don’t mind if we talk
business for just a few minutes.”

Jenna
nodded.
“Of course not.”

“First,
there have been kidnappings in the Von Drake pack. Two cubs have been stolen,
right from their beds over the last two months. We need to increase night
patrols immediately.”

“Oh My
God and Goddess,” Hans exclaimed from the driver’s seat.

Bern
nodded, “Yes, I know. It’s bad.
And the second…
The
second I think is good, but I need your input, the input of the clan. Sebastian
wants to form an alliance.
A blood bond between his pack and
our clan.”

“Are
you serious?” Martin shouted. “That hasn’t been done in centuries. It is an
honor beyond—I can’t even think of a word.”

“I
know. I was half tempted to bond with him on the spot.
Especially
after feeling his power tonight.
That is one powerful werewolf,” Bern
said.

“What
held you back?” Martin asked.

“It is
not just me involved,” Bern said. “It is the clan, there are advantages, and
they are many, but there are disadvantages too. A rival pack is threatening Sebastian.
He thinks he will be challenged for power.”

“I doubt
there is anyone strong enough to defeat him in battle,” Hans said.

“I do
too,” Bern agreed. “But, something is going on, and I have a feeling other
things are at play. However, I do think bonding with Sebastian is in our best
interest. I just didn’t want to make a decision in haste, or without consulting
the clan.”

“You
are good a leader, Bern.
A good man.
A good bear.”
Martin clapped him on the shoulder.

Bern’s
heart swelled with pride, the look in his second’s eyes made him feel like a
king.

“Call a
clan meeting for tomorrow, and make sure the night patrols are increased,
starting tonight.”

“Done,
Sippe
.”
Martin pulled out his cell
phone and began to make his calls and Bern pulled Jenna onto his lap.

“I
suppose I will have to leave you to sleep alone in your bed tonight,” he
whispered in Jenna’s ear.

“No
nookie for you, big guy, sorry,” she whispered back. Bern kissed her neck. “I
guess I will have to settle for a little heavy petting in the backseat,” he
teased, waggling his eyebrows at her.

Jenna
laughed and Alice rolled her eyes. “Oh, give me a break. Can’t you two keep
your hands off each other for five minutes?”

“Nope,”
Bern answered with a grin and a kiss to his mate. He loved the blush that
covered Jenna’s cheeks.

They
snuggled together, talking softly and kissing often until too quickly they were
pulling into Jenna’s driveway. Bern escorted the ladies to the door, did his
customary check of the house and sadly left them with only a lingering kiss to
his mate on the doorstep.

* * * *

Jenna
and Alice were curled up on the opposite ends of the
couch,
hot chocolate laced with Bailey’s warming their hands and their bellies. “Okay,
so what’s up with you, girl?” Jenna asked.

“What?”

“Don’t
give me that, you know what I mean. What’s the deal with Bastian?”

“No
deal. I’m not biting.”

“Why
not?
The man
is a hottie.”

“He’s
cute. I’ll give you that. In an old world, stuffy, kinda way, but he’s not my
type.”

“Oh,
please. If you have a pulse, he’s your type. Tall, dark, handsome, powerful,
and let’s not forget rich as sin. I bet the girls line up for him.”

“I’m
sure they do, and they can just keep on lining up.”

“Come
on, Al, you can’t tell me you’re not at all interested. He’s your mate! You
have to feel something. I saw it in your eyes.”

“Sweetie,
I love you. You know that. I wouldn’t rain on your parade for anything. I’ve
seen you with Bern and I know you’re in love. And it’s as plain as the nose on
your face that the big bear loves you too. But this mate thing just doesn’t
work for me. I don’t buy the whole thing.”

Jenna
felt as if Alice had slapped her in the face. A hole opened up in her chest
where her heart used to be and tears stung her eyes. “What do you mean, you
don’t buy it? You were the one that told me to go for it when I met Bern. You
said I should grab on with both hands and take my chance at happiness, and now
you say you don’t buy it.”