Page 55 of The Reluctant Alpha

I sat. Very carefully, Danny sat in my lap, and I couldn't keep in the groan. He grinned cheekily. "You need calories for that." He scooped up some bacon and pancake and held it to my lips. I was so astonished that I gaped, and he slid the food in. I chewed and swallowed. "You're going to eat every bite."

I hesitated, and he wriggled his butt. I groaned again, and he popped in another mouthful. "This isn't fair," I mumbled then swallowed, but he kept at it until I'd finished then ate the last bit of pancake himself.

"So, what happens now?" Danny asked, setting down the fork.

The movement made me groan again. "Danny." He slid off my lap with agonizing slowness and headed to the kitchen with the empty plate. I stood up to give my pants a little more room, and followed him.

"With the vampire zombie," he clarified. "And the rest of them."

I sighed, my thoughts returning to the threat looming over us. "Phoenix is meeting with the silver-skins tonight to discuss the alliance. They waited until I could go, but everything’s secure. The pack made sure and sure of your family."

"And you're okay with that? Working with them?"

"No," I admitted. "But if they can help us find and destroy this thing before it kills again, I'll do what needs to be done."

Danny nodded slowly. "And what about your bears? Are they safe?"

"We've implemented buddy systems, increased patrols. No one goes anywhere alone." I leaned against the counter, feeling the weight of my responsibility. "But honestly? I don't think anyone's truly safe until this thing is destroyed."

Danny reached across the counter, his fingers wrapping around mine. "Then we need to find it first."

"We?" I raised an eyebrow. "There is no 'we' in this part, Danny. You're staying safe inside the barrier."

His eyes narrowed dangerously.

"This is different," I insisted. "This thing is hunting bears specifically. And now that we're mated, you're an even bigger target."

"All the more reason I should help," Danny argued. "I'm not going to sit around wringing my hands while you put yourself in danger."

I opened my mouth to object when a commotion outside caught our attention. Voices raised in alarm, the sound of running footsteps. My bear surged to the surface, instantly alert to a potential threat.

"Stay here," I ordered, already moving toward the door.

For once, Danny didn't argue, though I felt him follow at a safe distance as I stepped onto the porch. Phoenix was sprinting across the clearing, his face grim. Behind him, two of my bears—Gavin and Leila—carried something between them. Something limp and bloodied.

My stomach dropped as I recognized the unconscious form.

"Kaylan," I breathed, rushing forward.

Phoenix reached me first, his expression grave. "We found him at the eastern boundary. He's alive, but barely."

I helped Gavin and Leila carry him inside, laying him on the long table in the dining room as Esther rushed in with her kit. Danny gasped from the doorway, his face pale as he took in Kaylan's injuries.

Kaylan's chest was a mess of deep slashes, his throat bearing what looked like bite marks.

"He's lost a lot of blood," Esther said, working quickly to stem the flow. “Phoenix, can you make him shift if he isn’t a wolf?”

“Only if I make him pack.”

“What does that mean?” Emery demanded.

“If I make him pack, he’ll lose his own. He’s an alpha heir. It's a mountain lion law that he can’t belong to any other pack without losing his status.”

Esther glanced at Phoenix, her hands covered in blood that wasn’t stopping. “Either he loses his pack, Phoenix, or he loses his life.”

Chapter sixteen

Danny