Mated to the Wilde Bear

Xavier scanned the resumes on his desk, picking out relevant keywords like ‘prior experience’ and ‘first-aid qualified.’ He kept those in a separate pile and threw out the rest. If they didn’t have experience, they wouldn’t last on his mountain. That was just a cold, hard fact.

The rest of the building was quiet, and while he usually enjoyed the rare silences, he couldn’t wait to have the full crew back. August was vacation month, so they weren’t here today.

Lucas and Nash were probably lounging in the hot tub at the Lodge. Jake—his second—and Harley were shooting pool down at Mack’s, the local brewery where they all hung out off-duty.

He frowned, remembering Jake’s text. Harley wasn’t easy to be around, but he’d noticed Jake hanging with him down at the bar more and more lately. It didn’t fit. Xavier had known Jake since they were kids, and the gentle polar bear didn’t typically jive with bad-tempered shifters, especially gorillas. Hell, maybe he’d been in this damn office so long, Harley had mellowed it.

Xavier snorted at that. Yeah, right.

He rubbed his two-day stubble, irritated to be missing out on down time with his crew. He wasn’t a partier like he used to be. Wilde Bear wasn’t so wild anymore. Not unless you counted the lengths he’d go to make a rescue. But still… a soak in the hot tub sounded damn nice. He’d settle for a pool game and a cold beer, though.

he yanked it up with a scowl. “Blue Bear

Hole Emergency.” The girl sounded young, probably starstruck and trying to be flirty with the breathy way she talked. Xavier conjured an image of

you got?” Xavier asked,

Up off

He missed the action of ski season but not enough to want to take a call today. He had other things to do. Like, hire a sixth. Or get drunk and argue

there in fifteen,” he said and

a fast right out of the station and onto the empty road. Eleven minutes later, he pulled up behind the

gathered. “Sheriff Williams,” he said and nodded once at the older man. He angled to include the woman who stood beside him but kept his eyes on the Sheriff. He didn’t have time for introductions or pleasantries. The rescue was

got so

about a half-mile up. Seems like his tire wedged into a ravine. He shot over the handlebars and ate it at the bottom of the gorge