A Heart to Bear (Bear Creek Forever #4)

Chapter Twelve – Dougray

“What do you think it was?” Henry asked as he led Sunshine, a sorrel gelding, into a stall.

Dougray had chosen Sunshine for Tammy to ride on their evening excursion into the mountains. He was surefooted and gentle but with the heart of a lion.

Perfect for our mate, his bear said.

Yes, Dougray agreed with his bear. Sunshine will look after our mate.

Hey, his bear replied. I don’t intend to let anything happen to her.

But we don’t know exactly what is out there, do we? Dougray asked. Because whatever he sensed was…unusual. That was the only way to describe it.

Dougray shrugged, his brow furrowed as he considered Henry’s question. “Hard to say,” he replied, as he brushed his own mount, Cobra.

Cobra had carried him over all terrain and in all weathers. There was nothing they could not face together. But Cobra also had another talent. He seemed to understand that Dougray’s human form and bear form were one and the same person. If Dougray ever had to dismount and shift, Cobra would follow along like a faithful dog.

“Are you sure it wasn’t the close proximity of your mate addling your brain?” Henry asked as he brushed Sunshine down.

“Give me some credit,” Dougray replied.

“Hey, I know how it feels to find your mate. It fries your brain,” Henry replied. “Remember when I met Samantha? There were times when I couldn’t string two words together.”

“You sometimes had that problem before you met your mate.” Dougray grinned as Henry gave a loud mock laugh. “This was different. It wasn’t just Tammy’s presence. There was something else out there, something... wild .”

“Wild?” Henry straightened up and studied his brother.

Dougray leaned on Cobra’s shoulder, trying to find the right words to describe the sensation he’d felt. “It was like... Ah, I don’t know how to explain it other than different .”

Henry’s expression grew serious. “You think it’s something more exotic than a wolf, or a bear, or a coyote?”

Dougray sucked in a breath. “I’m kind of hoping that it is.”

“And if it isn’t?” Henry asked. “Don’t tell me you suddenly believe that aliens have landed.”

Dougray snorted. “No. But we all know the stories of the Bear Creek Guardians and that creature.” He arched a questioning eyebrow at his brother.

“You’re worried that it’s some kind of portent?” Henry left Sunshine’s stall and came toward his brother. “You’re worried that Tammy is in danger?”

“It’s crazy, I know. And it’s so farfetched…” Dougray shrugged. “You’re maybe right. Finding my mate has addled my brain.”

“Hey.” Henry placed his hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Just remember, you are part of a big family. And Tammy is part of that family, too.”

“I know.” Dougray turned to face Henry. “Maybe I was wrong to ask Tammy to come with me to find out what this thing is.”

“Do you want your brothers to tag along?” Henry asked. “I can gather everyone up and we can follow at a safe distance…so as not to cramp your style.”

“Since when do I have style?” Dougray asked.

Henry held up his hands. “Well, I did not want to be the one to say it…”

Dougray punched his brother lightly on the shoulder. “Come on, let’s get these fellas tacked up. My mate is on her way.”

“You can sense her?” Henry grinned. “There’s no feeling like it, is there?”

“There is not,” Dougray agreed and felt a warm surge of anticipation course through his body. He could indeed sense Tammy approaching, her presence like a beacon calling to him.

She is part of us, his bear said.

She is, Dougray replied. It was as if there was an invisible thread linking them. One that no one and nothing could break.

He clenched his jaw and shuddered as he recalled the sensation he’d felt while they were at Old Ma Hinchcliffe’s place.

“Maybe a little company might not be a bad thing,” he told Henry.

“Consider it done,” Henry replied. “I’ll get the others on standby, just in case. We’ll respect your space, but be close enough to help if needed.”

“Thanks, Henry.” The thought of something lurking out there, something beyond the usual predators, gnawed at him, and having his brothers nearby, even if only in the background, gave him some measure of reassurance.

As he finished securing Cobra’s saddle, Tammy appeared at the entrance of the barn. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail, while a slightly worn Stetson hat shaded her face, casting her features in shadow. She wore a plaid shirt that highlighted her curves and a pair of well-worn boots.

Dougray’s heart quickened, and he had to force himself not to rush to greet her. Instead, he focused on fastening Cobra’s bridle, his fingers working nimbly despite his distraction.

“Hi, I’m Henry.” Henry stepped out of Sunshine’s stall to greet Tammy.

“Hi. Tammy.” She hesitated in the doorway, but Henry strode toward her and enveloped her in a warm bear hug. “Welcome to the family. Samantha, my wife, can’t wait to meet you. I hope you and Dougray will come over for dinner one day soon.”

“Thank you.” Tammy placed her hands on Henry’s back and relaxed into the hug.

“Well, I will let you two get going.” Henry stepped back and then turned to Dougray. “And I will go and organize that…thing.”

With that, Henry nodded at Tammy and headed out of the barn, leaving Dougray and Tammy alone.

“He’s quite the hugger,” Tammy remarked with a small smile as she still hovered in the doorway.

“Yeah, Henry’s like that,” Dougray replied as he took a step toward her. He sure would like to hold her in his arms right now. But if he did, he’d want to kiss her, and then stroke her skin… And they might never get around to discovering what was in the mountains. “He wants you to feel part of the family.”

“I appreciate that,” Tammy said as she rolled her shoulders and relaxed a little.

“You ready for this?” Dougray asked, his voice edged with the seriousness of their mission.

Tammy met his gaze. “I’m ready,” she said firmly, with a nod of her head that set her ponytail swinging.

“Okay, well this is Sunshine.”

He gestured to the sorrel, who nickered softly and poked his head over the stall door, ears pricked forward with interest. Tammy’s eyes lit up as she approached the horse, reaching out to stroke his velvety nose.

“He’s beautiful,” she murmured, a genuine smile spreading across her face.

“I’m glad you like him,” Dougray said with some relief. “He’s gentle and steady—but he knows his job.”

“I don’t doubt that.” Tammy rubbed the horse’s forehead between his ears.

“And this here is Cobra,” he nodded at his horse, a sturdy bay with a hint of wildness in his eyes.

“Hey there, Cobra.” She left Sunshine for a moment and came to greet Dougray’s horse. “You sure do have some beautiful horses on the ranch.”

“The Thornbergs have been improving their bloodlines for centuries,” Dougray said. “I expect we could trace one of Cobra’s ancestors back to when my family first settled here.”

“Those traditions again,” Tammy said.

“Yep.” Dougray nodded.

You should tell her our family has a long tradition of having perfect mates, his bear told him.

I think every family believes that, Dougray replied.

But not as perfect as ours, his bear swooned.

“Shall we get going?” Tammy asked. “I am intrigued to know what you sensed out there this afternoon.”

“Me, too.” He hesitated, his hand on Cobra’s reins.

“Don’t do that,” she warned.

“Do what?” Dougray asked.

“Don’t hesitate like that,” Tammy said, her eyes narrowing slightly. “It makes me think you’re having second thoughts about taking me along.”

Dougray sighed, running a hand through Cobra’s mane. “I’m not having second thoughts exactly. I just... I want you to be safe.”

Tammy stepped closer to him, her gaze steady. “I appreciate that, Dougray. But I’m more than capable of taking care of myself.”

“Oh, I can see that.” He inclined his head toward Sunshine. “Need a hand?”

“I’ve got it.” Tammy smiled confidently and approached Sunshine’s side. With practiced ease, she placed her foot in the stirrup and swung herself up into the saddle. Dougray watched, impressed by her fluid movements and natural seat.

“I see you’ve done this before,” he remarked, mounting Cobra in one smooth motion.

“Once or twice.” She adjusted her stirrups and took up her reins. “Ready when you are.”

Dougray tipped his hat and guided Cobra out of the barn, with Tammy and Sunshine following close behind. The evening sun cast long shadows across the ranch, while a cool breeze rustled through the trees.

As they rode side by side up the winding trail into the mountains, Dougray couldn’t help but steal glances at Tammy. She sat easily in the saddle, her body moving in perfect rhythm with Sunshine’s gait. Her eyes were alert, scanning the surrounding landscape.

“So, tell me more about what you felt earlier,” Tammy prompted, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled between them.

Dougray furrowed his brow, trying, once again, to put the sensation into words. “It was...unsettling. Just this feeling of… I don’t know. I wish I could explain it.”

Tammy nodded thoughtfully. “And you’re sure it wasn’t just your imagination?”

“I wish it was,” Dougray replied, his voice low. “But if it made Hercules feel the same way, that would explain his behavior with your uncle.”

“Yeah, I guess it would.” Tammy chewed on her bottom lip, and they rode on in silence for a while, the only sounds were the steady clip-clop of hooves on the rocky trail and the occasional call of a bird.

As they rode, Dougray pushed out his senses to their limit. But whatever he’d felt this afternoon was gone.

Maybe I was imagining it, Dougray said to his bear.

No, his bear said firmly. It was there. And we need to figure out what it was.

His bear was right. Whatever it was might have been responsible for Hercules’ behavior when Gavin got injured. Next time it could be worse.

Next time, it could be their mate who got hurt.

Dougray guided them across a wide mountain meadow and then dipped down toward Old Ma Hinchcliffe’s farm. He planned to start from there and then search in a wide arc for any sign of what he’d sensed.

But as they followed the trail down toward Old Ma Hinchcliffe’s place, Cobra tensed and then tossed his head.

Were Cobra’s senses stronger than Dougray’s? Perhaps Henry was right. The nearness of his mate had addled his brain.

Can you smell that? Dougray’s bear asked.

Smell? Dougray wrinkled his brow as he inhaled.

“Do you sense something?” Tammy asked.

“I…” The furrow in his brow deepened. “There’s a strange smell.” He urged Cobra forward, his nostrils flaring as he tried to pinpoint the source of the scent. It was unlike anything he’d encountered before on the mountain. Muskier than a bear or a wolf…

Do you know what it is? he asked his bear.

I think we should be asking a different question, his bear replied.

Tammy pulled Sunshine up alongside him. “What kind of smell?” she asked, her voice hushed.

“It’s hard to describe,” Dougray replied, his eyes scanning the surrounding area as he tried to figure out what was out there.

Suddenly, Cobra snorted and pawed at the ground, his ears flicking back and forth nervously. Sunshine, sensing the tension, shifted restlessly beneath Tammy.

“Whoa, easy boy,” Tammy murmured, patting Sunshine’s neck reassuringly. She looked at Dougray, her eyes wide with concern. “Something’s got them spooked.”

Dougray nodded, his jaw clenched as he scanned the area. But there was nothing there. At least nothing that he could sense.

Is that what you mean? he asked his bear. That what’s out here is something otherworldly?

No, his bear snorted in derision.

So, what is the question we should be asking? Dougray kept his senses stretched to their limit.

If Tammy can tell what kind of animal that large pile of droppings belongs to, his bear answered.

“What?” Dougray said out loud.

“Dougray?” Tammy smoothed her hand along Sunshine’s neck and the horse relaxed.

“There’s something…” He swung his leg behind him and dismounted.

Dougray landed softly on the ground, his eyes scanning the immediate area. He took a few cautious steps forward, following his nose and his instincts. Cobra stuck by his side, despite the nervous flick of his ears.

“Stay here,” he told Tammy, holding up a hand.

But Tammy was already dismounting. “Not a chance,” she said as she followed close behind him. “I told you, I do not need protecting.”

“Just keep close.” He took a few cautious steps forward, following his nose and his instincts. That’s when he saw it—a large pile of droppings, which smelled unlike anything he’d ever encountered before.

“What in the world...” she murmured, crouching down next to Dougray to examine the droppings.

Dougray watched as Tammy’s brow furrowed in concentration. She leaned in closer, her nose wrinkling slightly at the pungent odor.

“What do you think?” Dougray asked as she scanned the area for a stick and then gave the droppings a prod.

“This is...odd,” Tammy said, her voice low. “I don’t understand how this could have gotten here.”

“You know what it belongs to?” Dougray asked in surprise.

Tammy nodded, her eyes still fixed on the pile. “Yes. Back when I was studying to be a vet, I did a rotation at a zoo.”

“A zoo .” Dougray rocked back on his heels.

“Yeah. If I am not mistaken, these droppings belong to a lion.” She dropped the stick and placed her hands on her thighs as she half-turned to face him.

“You mean a mountain lion?” Dougray asked, even though he knew the answer was no.

He’d seen mountain lion droppings. He’d smelled mountain lion droppings.

His bear was right. They had been asking the wrong question.

Yes, his bear said. The question we should be asking is—what is a lion doing in these mountains? And how did it get here?