Read Online Bear Naked (Halle Shifters) by Dana Marie Bell - Free Book Online
Authors: Dana Marie Bell
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because he was Tabby’s stalker.”
“I know.” Gabe’s voice hardened. “That doesn’t mean you won’t be an asset on this case.”
Ryan’s eyes returned to their normal human blue, his Bear backing down instantly. Ryan’s Bear was calmed by the anger in Gabe’s voice. Gabe had been just as outraged over the pain Glory suffered as Ryan had been, and the knowledge that a Hunter agreed with him soothed his beast.
Hunters were a group of men and women sanctioned by the shifter Senate to hunt rogue shifters down. Rogues threatened the fabric of shifter society, either by almost outing their existence to the humans around them or by going after other shifters. The man who’d hurt his mate had been rogue, hurting the people around Tabby in order to hurt her. More often than not, a Hunter would be forced to kill the rogue in question. If the ex-Alpha hadn’t been rogue, Ryan would have been labeled a rogue himself for killing him. Instead, the Hunter had approved the kill, and had made sure the Senate had no room for complaint.
“Glory’s also been getting presents left on her doorstep.”
Gabe’s brows rose. “Oh, really?”
“I didn’t scent anything around, but we know some shifters are good at masking their scents.”
“A Fox?”
“Or another shifter who’s learned how to hunt.”
Gabe snarled. “A rogue Hunter.”
This time it was Ryan who was shocked. “Your Hunter instincts are going off.”
Gabe nodded. “Which is one of the reasons why I’m not fighting you on this. Something isn’t right. There have been too many attacks on the girls, and the whole Gary thing still isn’t completely resolved.”
“Still?” Tabby’s stalker had almost raped her in the woods. Twice. He was lucky to still be alive. Hell, if it had been Ryan, he wouldn’t be. But the Alpha had ordered Bunny to stand down, to allow the shifter Senate to dispense justice to Gary. “He still hasn’t told you who his Alpha is?”
“No. He’s kept his mouth shut and his head down. He’ll do time for what he tried to do to Tabby, but that’s it.”
“Shit.”
“Add in Hope’s disappearance and the presents on Glory’s doorstep and I’m worried.”
Ryan’s skin crawled. “You think Hope was attacked by a shifter?”
“Yes.”
Ryan took a deep, calming breath. His Grizzly was pacing under his skin, restless to confront the danger to his mate and eliminate it. “Talk to me, Gabe. Tell me what you’re thinking.”
Gabe waited until the waitress finished pouring their coffee, ordering one of the breakfast specials when she was done. Ryan, not one to pass up a meal, also ordered. “I don’t have any concrete evidence, but my Hunter senses are tingling. Gary still hasn’t told us who he was working for, and his friends aren’t talking either. Then there was the attack on Cyn, where Tabby scented an unknown cat who wasn’t a Puma. I’ve also heard rumors that there’s a group of shifters that are attacking cross-breeds like your sister.”
“How does this tie in to Hope’s disappearance? The Walsh family knew nothing of shifters before Tabby appeared on the scene.” And how was Chloe involved in all of this? She’d been jumped back before Bunny claimed Tabby and almost died from her wounds.
“I know. So I have to wonder. Does this tie in to Tabby or Glory?”
Ryan didn’t understand. “Tabby was kicked out of her Pack when she was fifteen.”
“And Hope disappeared when she was sixteen.”
“You think Tabby’s old Alpha was somehow involved? Could her attacker have been a member of his Pack?”
“I…” Gabe growled. “I just don’t know. I don’t have enough to go on. Something just isn’t right about all of this, and I can’t figure it out, damn it.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m thinking of calling in back-up.”
“Who?” Hunters didn’t work a territory alone. There had to be at least two other Hunters in the area, but Ryan had no clue who they might
“I know.” Gabe’s voice hardened. “That doesn’t mean you won’t be an asset on this case.”
Ryan’s eyes returned to their normal human blue, his Bear backing down instantly. Ryan’s Bear was calmed by the anger in Gabe’s voice. Gabe had been just as outraged over the pain Glory suffered as Ryan had been, and the knowledge that a Hunter agreed with him soothed his beast.
Hunters were a group of men and women sanctioned by the shifter Senate to hunt rogue shifters down. Rogues threatened the fabric of shifter society, either by almost outing their existence to the humans around them or by going after other shifters. The man who’d hurt his mate had been rogue, hurting the people around Tabby in order to hurt her. More often than not, a Hunter would be forced to kill the rogue in question. If the ex-Alpha hadn’t been rogue, Ryan would have been labeled a rogue himself for killing him. Instead, the Hunter had approved the kill, and had made sure the Senate had no room for complaint.
“Glory’s also been getting presents left on her doorstep.”
Gabe’s brows rose. “Oh, really?”
“I didn’t scent anything around, but we know some shifters are good at masking their scents.”
“A Fox?”
“Or another shifter who’s learned how to hunt.”
Gabe snarled. “A rogue Hunter.”
This time it was Ryan who was shocked. “Your Hunter instincts are going off.”
Gabe nodded. “Which is one of the reasons why I’m not fighting you on this. Something isn’t right. There have been too many attacks on the girls, and the whole Gary thing still isn’t completely resolved.”
“Still?” Tabby’s stalker had almost raped her in the woods. Twice. He was lucky to still be alive. Hell, if it had been Ryan, he wouldn’t be. But the Alpha had ordered Bunny to stand down, to allow the shifter Senate to dispense justice to Gary. “He still hasn’t told you who his Alpha is?”
“No. He’s kept his mouth shut and his head down. He’ll do time for what he tried to do to Tabby, but that’s it.”
“Shit.”
“Add in Hope’s disappearance and the presents on Glory’s doorstep and I’m worried.”
Ryan’s skin crawled. “You think Hope was attacked by a shifter?”
“Yes.”
Ryan took a deep, calming breath. His Grizzly was pacing under his skin, restless to confront the danger to his mate and eliminate it. “Talk to me, Gabe. Tell me what you’re thinking.”
Gabe waited until the waitress finished pouring their coffee, ordering one of the breakfast specials when she was done. Ryan, not one to pass up a meal, also ordered. “I don’t have any concrete evidence, but my Hunter senses are tingling. Gary still hasn’t told us who he was working for, and his friends aren’t talking either. Then there was the attack on Cyn, where Tabby scented an unknown cat who wasn’t a Puma. I’ve also heard rumors that there’s a group of shifters that are attacking cross-breeds like your sister.”
“How does this tie in to Hope’s disappearance? The Walsh family knew nothing of shifters before Tabby appeared on the scene.” And how was Chloe involved in all of this? She’d been jumped back before Bunny claimed Tabby and almost died from her wounds.
“I know. So I have to wonder. Does this tie in to Tabby or Glory?”
Ryan didn’t understand. “Tabby was kicked out of her Pack when she was fifteen.”
“And Hope disappeared when she was sixteen.”
“You think Tabby’s old Alpha was somehow involved? Could her attacker have been a member of his Pack?”
“I…” Gabe growled. “I just don’t know. I don’t have enough to go on. Something just isn’t right about all of this, and I can’t figure it out, damn it.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m thinking of calling in back-up.”
“Who?” Hunters didn’t work a territory alone. There had to be at least two other Hunters in the area, but Ryan had no clue who they might
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