Mated to the Wilde Bear

He scanned faces, feeling like he’d been thrust on a stage. Nerves pulled at him as he watched them pointing at him, whispering amongst themselves. He hated the spotlight. Dreaded what the townspeople said about him, the bear shifter Blue Bear Search and Rescue boss who’d partied so hard he’d killed his father.

But this crowd wasn’t carrying pitchforks. Mostly, they all looked curious. Impressed, even.

All except for Laurel.

She glared at him, not backing down even when he passed right by her and continued over to where the stretcher lay waiting just outside the ambulance doors. He leaned over slowly, careful with his human passenger as he lay the man out on the thin mattress.

The medics followed close, hovering. “We’ve got the gurney all set up,” one of them said for the third time. A younger guy, probably newer, scared to break protocol. His partner didn’t look thrilled, but at least she didn’t argue. Margie had been at this a while. Probably knew better than to argue with him about it.

Xavier waved them both off and walked around them. “I’ve got him,” he said. “I’ve carried him this far, and those wheels aren’t going to roll properly on this terrain. You’ll just jostle his injuries further.”

The man muttered something about procedure, but otherwise fell back and let Xavier do it his way. He felt someone standing over his right shoulder. Another medic, probably. He ignored them.

But then he laid his patient down, and the wind caught a scent, and he knew who it was. He could smell her perfume, mixed with a hot temper, bearing down on him.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Laurel hissed at his back.

finished arranging the patient and watched as the emergency workers began their once-over. Blood pressure cuffs, heart rate monitor on the pointer

me all day?” Laurel was close enough he could feel her energy

stable?” Xavier

curtly. Then and only then did he exhale

hardness in her blue eyes. The challenge of breaking down the uptight wall she’d put up against him. To

he hid a smug smile, pretending

there a problem?”

ignored the medics and the stretcher provided, choosing instead to recklessly continue

there a question in

did you ignore the

loose, and I didn’t want it going sideways on the

“You don’t know that—”

medics gave the wheel a shove. With a wobble, the leg collapsed, and they slid the stretcher into the ambulance. But he knew

to her and lifted