JOSH’S PANTHER LEAPED over a fallen log as he made his way through the woods around Bull Creek. Dimitri had called him that morning after Lainie called him and asked for Josh’s help to locate Miles Hemingway. Alanna remained back at the cabin with Lainie, keeping her calm and preventing her from joining in the hunt herself. Dimitri, Josh, and Nathan had all shifted, sniffed out the residue of Miles’ scent around Lainie’s cabin and hit the woods. When the scent faded, they each split, racing off in different directions, noses to the ground. They would find the scum that threatened Lainie, and god help the man when they did. Nobody messes with Josh’s family.
Josh still couldn’t believe Lainie had not called Dimitri after she found the note nailed to the door of her cabin. Miles could very well have come back once he knew she was home and broken in to her cabin to carry out whatever vile intentions he intended. The fact that he followed her from Draven Falls to Bull Creek reeked of desperation and determination. It also reeked of danger. Lainie assumed—as had the rest of them—that once she left Draven Falls, she would be safe, out of Miles’ reach, but obviously, she had been wrong. Miles determined he would have her as his wife and came to lay claim to her, regardless of her refusal to be his mate. Daniel Everest had truly picked a scoundrel to match up with his daughter.
Josh sniffed around another clump of pines, desperately wanting to find the ass who pursued Lainie. Nothing. He padded on, continuing his search. Miles had to be around here somewhere, but in an area like Bull Creek and Holopaw, that somewhere could be anywhere. Miles wouldn’t stay hidden, however; Josh wouldn’t allow it.
The strength of his emotions confused him, which confused him even more. Things still seemed off in his mind, and he struggled to reconcile his past with his present. He knew Alanna was his mate, something his panther refused to allow him to forget. However, he also still felt something for Lainie, and after their little romp on their last night in Draven Falls, which Alanna instigated as he recalled, things remained even more muddled in his male brain. What was Alanna trying to tell him? And why didn’t she just come out and say it? Why were women so damn complicated?
As Josh neared one of the smaller lakes that fed off the Saint Johns River, he started to detect another animal—a shifter he hadn’t come across before—a bear, but definitely not Wes. Slowing, Josh followed the scent through some cypress trees toward an area dense with foliage, almost as if a ring had formed protecting—a camp? His panther blinked slowly as he stared at the makeshift camp in front of him. There was a small two-man, maybe four-man tent, toward the back of the camp, a firepit in front of that, and a small camp table with a chair in front of the tent. A pair of shorts draped over the back of the chair, and other clothes hung from a rope strung between two trees.
Josh dipped his nose to the ground as he moved into the small camp, his senses on high alert. Why would someone live out here like this when empty cabins remained available? Whoever was out here—a male from what Josh could detect—was hiding even from people who were hiding. Whatever made this guy run must be pretty bad.
Whoever camped out here obviously wasn’t around, so Josh took it upon himself to investigate further. He knew Dimitri had instituted a rule about keeping your nose out of other people’s business, but did that apply here? As far as Josh knew, whoever was out here alone like this could very well be working with Miles. No, better to err on the side of caution, especially since Lainie’s life was at stake. He could always apologize later if…
Do you always invade other people’s property? the gruff voice filled his head, just as he was about to stick his nose into the flap of the small tent and poke around.
Josh froze, the paw he was about to slip inside the open tent still poised in the air. Slowly, he turned and stared at the largest black bear he had ever seen. Shifters were notoriously larger than their natural counterparts, but this bear was even larger than that. I…uh…well, this is awkward, Josh finally sent through the mindspeech of their animals. I wasn’t trying to be nosy, so much as looking for someone who threatened a friend of mine. No offense.
The bear cocked his massive head as he stared at Josh, lumbering his way into the camp. When people say ‘no offense’, they usually mean some kind of offense. Mind getting away from my tent? I’m not trying to hurt anyone, and there’s no one here with me. So, you can move along. The giant bear moved around the firepit, avoiding Josh, even though the bear was by far the larger—and thus, deadlier—of the two of them.
Josh moved away from the tent, but that was as far as he went. Just because the guy said he was alone, didn’t mean he was, even though Josh could detect no other scents. Why are you out here all by yourself, anyway? Josh sent. You do know there are cabins where you can live close by, right?
Josh felt the bear give a mental shrug as he moved over to the camp chair. Cabins mean people. People mean noise. I prefer the quiet. The bear stretched and then Josh saw the beginnings of the animal’s transformation. The man’s bones popped as the powerful limbs of the bear shifted into the thick arms and legs of the burliest, largest man Josh had ever seen. The man had short, dark hair, a thick neck, and sad brown eyes. He reached for the pair of shorts draped over the camp chair and slipped into them. “I’m Ezra Havlin,” the man said, choosing human speech now over that of their animals. “Sorry about your friend, but I haven’t seen anyone. Now, leave.” He pointed off to the north before turning around and walking toward his tent.
Josh stared at the man’s broad back, still not sure he believed him or not. I’m Josh Rayburn, he said, hoping Ezra would stop and talk some more. I came here from Draven Falls with the new alpha of Bull Creek.
Ezra turned and shrugged. “La-de-da-da. I’ve no need for an alpha. Now, leave the way you came.” He turned back around and continued to his tent.
Josh’s panther ducked his head but kept his golden eyes on the other man. Everyone needs someone, he sent. Whether or not we want to admit it.
“Maybe you do,” Ezra said over his shoulder, never turning around. “I don’t need anyone. Good luck with your friend.” And then he ducked through the opening of the tent and disappeared inside, leaving Josh standing there, staring after him as Ezra shut and zipped up the tent flap.
Josh’s panther shook his head as he blew out a frustrated breath. Of all the… He wanted to stay and argue more, but there wasn’t time. He needed to find Miles before the ass made a move on Lainie.
Josh turned to the side and eased out of the camp, making a mental note to return to find out more about the bear of a man who avoided the other residents. No one needed to feel isolated or left without friends. That wasn’t the message of Bull Creek.
Josh slipped around some pines, his nose once again to the ground trying to find Miles, even though his mind worried over the large man alone in the woods. What would cause someone to live like that just to avoid people?
Then, Josh thought of Miles and Daniel Everest, and suddenly, the idea of living alone out in the woods didn’t seem so bizarre.