A Heart to Bear (Bear Creek Forever #4)

Chapter Eighteen – Dougray

“What is it?” Tammy hissed as she got up from the recliner and came to him.

Dougray didn’t speak as he slid outside and beckoned for her to follow. Tammy half turned to check on the lion shifter, who looked to be sleeping, and then slid out of the barn.

I don’t think he is sleeping, Dougray’s bear said, his focus on the lion’s breathing. It was too even, too controlled.

Dougray nodded in agreement, his own suspicions confirmed by his bear’s instincts. I expect he wants to listen to what we have to say.

Which meant leading Tammy away from the barn and, hopefully, out of earshot of the lion.

“Dougray?” Tammy’s voice held a note of concern as he placed his hand on her elbow and led her across the yard area away from the barn.

“Klein is just beyond the edge of the backyard,” Dougray told her.

Tammy glanced at him as if trying to read his expression, but then she nodded and let him guide her toward the edge of the property. Dawn was rapidly approaching, and soon the mountain would be bathed in the early morning rays. It was always one of his favorite times to be out here.

He just wished the circumstances were better and he could enjoy the scene with his mate.

But Klein’s arrival had thrown everything into chaos.

We’ll figure it out, his bear assured him. We always do.

But this was different. Something was about to be unleashed on Bear Creek that had the potential to get out of control.

And his mate was caught up in the middle of it.

His mood and his expression were grim as they approached the edge of the property, where his brother’s silhouette was barely visible in the pre-dawn light.

“Klein,” Tammy whispered. “Is everything all right? Do you have news about where he came from?”

As they drew closer, Klein’s features came into focus. His usually cheerful face was etched with worry, his brow furrowed deep. “Tammy,” he greeted her, but there was an urgency to his voice. “Has Dougray told you?”

“Told me what?” Tammy asked.

Dougray’s hand tightened on Tammy’s elbow, his jaw clenching as he met his brother’s eyes. “I haven’t had the chance yet, Klein.”

Klein nodded, his gaze darting between them before settling on Tammy. “There have been reports of a lion on the mountains.”

Tammy’s breath caught in her throat, her eyes widening. “He’s been seen ?”

“Yes, and no,” Klein replied, his voice barely above a whisper. “There is a reported sighting, but thankfully no photos.”

“Okay, that’s not too bad, is it?” Tammy glanced at Dougray. “It is?”

“Unfortunately, there are photos of lion paw prints,” Klein said with a sigh. He pulled out his phone and unlocked it, quickly scrolling through until he found the photo he was looking for. He turned the screen toward Tammy so she could see it clearly.

Tammy leaned forward to peer at the screen, her breath catching as she saw the clear imprint of a massive paw in the soft earth. “Oh no,” she whispered.

“I didn’t want to tell you in the barn,” Dougray explained.

“Because you didn’t want him to hear.” Tammy nodded, her face pale. “So what do we do?”

Klein pocketed his phone. “Brad is trying to play things down. But trying to convince people this is a hoax is not working so far.”

“The post went viral,” Dougray added.

“So people are going to descend on Bear Creek looking for a lion?” Tammy chewed on her lower lip as she wrapped her arms around her body and turned to look back toward the clinic. “Does Brad know he’s here?”

“Dad called him and explained the situation,” Klein said. “It’s best if the local sheriff’s department is aware of all the details.”

“He’s on our side,” Dougray assured her. “His role as sheriff is always first and foremost about protecting the people of this town.”

“You mean shifters?” Tammy asked.

“No, everyone. But yes, shifters. We can usually squash any rumors quickly,” Dougray explained.

“So, that’s what we need to do,” Tammy said.

“We’re already on it,” Klein said. “We’re heading out into the mountains and trying to get rid of any tracks.”

“Will Old Ma Hinchcliffe keep the secret?” Tammy asked.

“Yes,” Dougray said with utmost conviction. “She would never betray a shifter.”

“Even one who spooked Hercules,” Klein said with a grin.

“Okay, that’s good,” Tammy said. “As long as he can’t be traced back here, he should be safe.”

“As long as he stays hidden,” Dougray said.

“When do you think he’ll be able to shift?” Klein asked.

Yes, Dougray’s bear said. If he shifted into his human form, there would be no lion to see.

We still don’t know if there is some other reason he can’t shift, Dougray replied.

“I should get back,” Klein said, backing away. “I’ve checked the route between the ranch and here for any sign of the lion. As far as I can tell, there is no scent, no tracks. Nothing to lead anyone here.”

“That’s a lot of mountain to cover,” Tammy said, looking at the distant peaks.

“And we’re running out of time,” Klein said. “When the sun is fully up, we won’t be able to run around as bears without drawing too much attention to anyone who might be on a lion hunt.”

“You should go, too,” Tammy told Dougray, her hand threading through his.

“I don’t want to leave you,” Dougray insisted.

“I’ll be just fine,” she assured him. “This is more important. We need to protect him until we can figure out who he is, where he came from, and why he can’t shift back to his human form.”

We don’t know if he’s dangerous, Dougray’s bear said, not wanting to leave their mate on her own with the lion shifter.

No, we don’t, Dougray replied. But I got the sense he was more scared than anything.

His bear grumbled in agreement, still uneasy about leaving Tammy alone.

“Are you sure?” Dougray asked, his eyes searching Tammy’s face.

She nodded, her face set firm. “I’m sure. Go. I’ll keep an eye on our guest and Uncle Gavin can assist me if there’s a problem.”

Dougray hesitated for a moment longer before pulling Tammy into a tight embrace. He breathed in her scent, committing it to memory. “Be careful,” he whispered against her hair.

“I will,” she promised, squeezing him back.

As Dougray reluctantly released Tammy, the first rays of sunlight peeked over the mountains, casting a golden glow across the landscape. The brothers exchanged a knowing glance before shifting into their bear forms.

Seconds later, they were sprinting away from Tammy, heading into the mountains.

As he ran, he could sense her. Their connection was unbreakable.

The need to turn around and go back to their mate was intense, but Tammy was right. They were of more use out here, trying to cover the lion’s tracks, to wipe his existence from the mountains.

If they succeeded, the furor would soon die down, and they could focus on helping their mysterious visitor. As Dougray and Klein loped through the forest, their massive bear forms moving with surprising agility, Dougray’s mind was fit to burst with so many unanswered questions.

Who was this lion shifter? Why couldn’t he change back to human form? And most importantly, why was he here in Bear Creek?

But he’d drive himself insane asking those same questions over and over again since there would be no answers until the lion shifted into a human.

If he ever does, Dougray’s bear said.

Once we’re done with our chores at the ranch, we should head back to the clinic and see if we can get the lion to shift, Dougray said.

Is that an excuse to check in on Tammy? his bear asked.

You know me so well, Dougray replied, before he redoubled his focus on finding any signs of the lion shifter out here. This was the best way to protect his mate for now.

However, as they covered more ground, Dougray’s mind kept drifting back to Tammy. He couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that had settled in his chest.

And not just for Tammy, but for the town, too. An influx of people searching for a lion would make it hard on all shifters.

But there was nothing they could do to stop the curious from coming. All they could do was minimize the evidence and hope the excitement would die down quickly.

As they loped through the forest, Dougray’s keen shifter senses picked up on every detail—the crunch of leaves beneath their paws, the scurrying of small animals retreating from their path, the early morning birdsong filling the air. But there was no trace of lion scent or prints.

That’s good, Dougray said. It means that no one should track the lion to the clinic.

As they neared the ranch, Klein came to join Dougray’s bear, their pace increasing as the familiar scents of home—hay, horses, and the smell of bacon cooking—called to them.

You’ve already had breakfast, Dougray’s bear reminded him.

There’s nothing wrong with a second breakfast, Dougray said with a chuckle. Especially since I get the feeling we have a long day ahead of us.

A very long day, Dougray’s bear grumbled . Let’s just hope most of that is spent with Tammy.

When they reached the ranch house, they both shifted and headed inside, where their mom was just dishing up breakfast.

“I’m sure you have a sixth sense all of your own,” Dougray told his mom as he went to her and gave her a quick hug. “This smells delicious.”

“Morning, boys,” Mary said. “Sit yourselves down and dig in. I’m sure your brothers will be here soon.”

Klein lifted his head and stared into the distance. “They must have smelled the bacon, too.”

Mary chuckled and shook her head fondly. “I swear, sometimes I think your noses rule your heads.”

“Only where your cooking is concerned,” Dougray told his mom.

As if on cue, the back door swung open, and Ezra strode in, followed closely by Levi.

“How did it go?” Dougray asked as he dug into his breakfast.

“We covered a lot of ground. He certainly seemed to spend most of his time over by Old Ma’s place. Thanks, Mom.” Ezra sat down as Mary set a plate down in front of him.

Levi nodded in agreement as he took a seat. “We obscured most of the tracks, but there’s no telling how many people might have already seen them.”

Mary’s brow furrowed with concern as she served the last plate. “And what about Old Ma? Did you go check in on her?”

“She’s fine,” Ezra assured her between bites. “More excited than anything. Said it was the most interesting thing to happen around here in years.”

“Although she says if anyone goes snooping around her place, she’ll set her geese on them,” Levi said as he bit into a piece of crispy bacon.

“So, all we can do now is hope we’ve done all we can to cover his tracks,” Klein said.

“Yeah, but since we don’t know where he came from, it’s impossible to know if we have done enough.” Dougray picked up his coffee cup and took a sip.

“What have I always told you?” Mary asked.

“Not to eat too fast,” Ezra said, glancing at Dougray as he shoveled his breakfast into his mouth.

“Not to brag that you are the fastest on four feet when you know your brother is faster,” Klein said, glancing at Levi.

“Not to worry about things we can’t control,” Dougray finished with a roll of his eyes at his brothers.

“Exactly,” Mary said, patting Dougray’s shoulder. “Now, eat up. You’ll need your strength for whatever comes next.”

“Whatever comes next is about to walk through the door,” Klein said as Henry approached.

“He must have smelled Mom’s cooking, too,” Levi teased.

“Hey, I thought I’d check in on you all before I headed home,” Henry said as he entered the kitchen.

“Has anyone checked for updates on the internet?” Levi asked.

“Klein?” Dougray glanced at his brother.

“On it.” Klein pulled his phone out of his pocket and tapped the screen. “Here’s something. Some journalist has flown in to track the story.”

“Flown in?” Dougray asked. “He must be desperate for a story if he flew in. It’s not as if there is any actual proof that there’s a lion on the loose.”

Levi was silent as he scanned his screen. “Yeah, Peter Millan. He’s been working on…”

“Mom?” Henry was at Mary’s side as she nearly spilled her coffee. “Are you okay?”

“Peter Millan?” Mary asked.

“Yeah, do you know him?” Levi asked.

Mary glanced at Dougray, her face ashen. “It might be just a coincidence.”

“What might be?” Dougray asked, his stomach hollow.

“Gavin showed me Tammy’s wedding invitation when he received it,” Mary began.

Oh no, this is not good, his bear said.

No, it’s not, Dougray said as they waited for their mom to finish.

“Peter Millan is Tammy’s fiancé.”

“ Was ,” Dougray said as he abruptly stood up and ran for the door.

Because now she was his. And no man would come between them.