told Gabriela she had a standing job offer any time she decided to move back to Bear Mountain. Something she’d never considered until now.
“She’s fair and well liked by just about everyone. A few of my pack members have shown interest in her.” His voice was resigned and she knew why.
If a shifter mated with a human, that human would be told everything about their species. Bringing humans into the loop on anything about them went against every fiber inside shifters. Of course for Gabriela, she’d gotten over her issues with that a while ago. Some of her bosses had been humans and they knew pretty much all they needed to about the different shifter species around the world. Many branches of various governments did. It wasn’t something that could stay hidden forever and it was the reason she’d been recruited in the first place. “Sharon would handle knowledge of us well, I think.” When Owen didn’t respond, she splayed her palm over his chest, wondering how he’d respond to Sharon’s job offer. Gabriela cleared her throat. “She offered me a job.”
Owen went impossibly still. “Are you considering it?” he asked carefully.
She shrugged against him, feeling confused about everything. “It’s sort of an open-ended thing. I don’t even know if she still—”
“Detective McGowan is retiring this month.”
Gabriela was silent for a while, unsure what to say. Wind whistled outside the cave, though with Owen’s body heat and the leftover warmth from the nearly burned-out fire she was more than comfortable. Owen’s grip tightened on her as he stroked a hand down her back. She might have told him that she could only give him one night, but now she wasn’t sure of anything anymore.
“What was it like coming back here to be Alpha at such a young age?” Not exactly light conversation but she wanted to know. “It was difficult. I’d planned on a long military career but Ethan, Skyler and my mom needed me.”
“And the pack?”
His chin brushed against her head as he nodded. “They needed a leader, too, but I came back for my family more than anything.”
“I’m so sorry you had to give that up.” He was silent so she didn’t say any more. Just tightened her grip on him and closed her eyes. The feel of his steady heartbeat was grounding and familiar. She wasn’t sure how long they lay there in each other’s arms, but when a vibrating sound interrupted the quiet, they both stirred.
Owen cursed under his breath and grabbed his discarded jeans. He dug out his cell phone then let out another curse before answering. Thanks to her extrasensory abilities she could hear the caller speaking. The conversation between Owen and a male voice she didn’t recognize was brief. Once he snapped the phone shut she knew they were leaving.
A black jaguar had been spotted on wolf land ten miles from their current location about an hour ago. The young wolf cub who had seen the other shifter had luckily remained hidden. As soon as she’d been able to, she’d raced back to the pack to relay the information.
Since Gabriela was the only black jaguar in her family and she certainly hadn’t been out roaming around, it was a good chance this might be the shifter behind the attacks. Unfortunately it meant she and Owen had to head back to the real world. “So what happens now?”
Owen paused for a moment, then gave a brief nod almost as if he’d decided something. “If this jaguar has gone to the trees there’s a good possibility that he will be harder to track. He was last seen by the abandoned mine about…”
She stripped off her shirt and he trailed off. “I heard where and I’ll track him. This bastard has made my family targets of your pack. We’re just lucky you were with me last night or they might have thought that was me out there.” At least the pack member who had called Owen hadn’t said anything about another attack. Just a sighting.
As she began to shimmy out of her jeans, Owen said,
“She’s fair and well liked by just about everyone. A few of my pack members have shown interest in her.” His voice was resigned and she knew why.
If a shifter mated with a human, that human would be told everything about their species. Bringing humans into the loop on anything about them went against every fiber inside shifters. Of course for Gabriela, she’d gotten over her issues with that a while ago. Some of her bosses had been humans and they knew pretty much all they needed to about the different shifter species around the world. Many branches of various governments did. It wasn’t something that could stay hidden forever and it was the reason she’d been recruited in the first place. “Sharon would handle knowledge of us well, I think.” When Owen didn’t respond, she splayed her palm over his chest, wondering how he’d respond to Sharon’s job offer. Gabriela cleared her throat. “She offered me a job.”
Owen went impossibly still. “Are you considering it?” he asked carefully.
She shrugged against him, feeling confused about everything. “It’s sort of an open-ended thing. I don’t even know if she still—”
“Detective McGowan is retiring this month.”
Gabriela was silent for a while, unsure what to say. Wind whistled outside the cave, though with Owen’s body heat and the leftover warmth from the nearly burned-out fire she was more than comfortable. Owen’s grip tightened on her as he stroked a hand down her back. She might have told him that she could only give him one night, but now she wasn’t sure of anything anymore.
“What was it like coming back here to be Alpha at such a young age?” Not exactly light conversation but she wanted to know. “It was difficult. I’d planned on a long military career but Ethan, Skyler and my mom needed me.”
“And the pack?”
His chin brushed against her head as he nodded. “They needed a leader, too, but I came back for my family more than anything.”
“I’m so sorry you had to give that up.” He was silent so she didn’t say any more. Just tightened her grip on him and closed her eyes. The feel of his steady heartbeat was grounding and familiar. She wasn’t sure how long they lay there in each other’s arms, but when a vibrating sound interrupted the quiet, they both stirred.
Owen cursed under his breath and grabbed his discarded jeans. He dug out his cell phone then let out another curse before answering. Thanks to her extrasensory abilities she could hear the caller speaking. The conversation between Owen and a male voice she didn’t recognize was brief. Once he snapped the phone shut she knew they were leaving.
A black jaguar had been spotted on wolf land ten miles from their current location about an hour ago. The young wolf cub who had seen the other shifter had luckily remained hidden. As soon as she’d been able to, she’d raced back to the pack to relay the information.
Since Gabriela was the only black jaguar in her family and she certainly hadn’t been out roaming around, it was a good chance this might be the shifter behind the attacks. Unfortunately it meant she and Owen had to head back to the real world. “So what happens now?”
Owen paused for a moment, then gave a brief nod almost as if he’d decided something. “If this jaguar has gone to the trees there’s a good possibility that he will be harder to track. He was last seen by the abandoned mine about…”
She stripped off her shirt and he trailed off. “I heard where and I’ll track him. This bastard has made my family targets of your pack. We’re just lucky you were with me last night or they might have thought that was me out there.” At least the pack member who had called Owen hadn’t said anything about another attack. Just a sighting.
As she began to shimmy out of her jeans, Owen said,
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