Three heavy thumps landed on the door. Despite the logical reality of the situation—did bears knock?—Quincy shouted back, “Go away! I have a gun!”
“Quincy? It’s Caleb!” Caleb’s voice chimed through the cabin walls and relief weakened Quincy’s muscles.
But so did fear.
Every moment Caleb stood on the porch was one the bear could eat him.
Quincy surged from the table and whipped open the door, grabbing the front of Caleb’s shirt and yanking him inside.
“Get in here.”
“I—”
Quincy slammed the door shut and leaned his back against it as if to hold off the bear’s entrance.
“What—?”
“There’s a bear out there. Big and scary and...big.”
Caleb placed his hands on Quincy’s shoulders and rubbed his large hands down Quincy’s arms. The motion soothed away the tension that kept him in control. Tears welled in his eyes and his muscles quivered. It would be so easy to lean into Caleb. Let him...
No. He couldn’t break down. The puppies were here. He needed to be strong for the pups. Plus, Martin used to tell him his “drama queen” moments were annoying. Quincy didn’t want to subject Caleb—who barely knew him—to the forthcoming full-blown breakdown.
His fingers tightened on the handle of the gun. Gun. Right. He had a gun.
He whipped around and took the two steps to the table, grabbing the bullets. “I have to load this thing and...” He couldn’t think beyond that.
Caleb’s hand covered his, pressing the shotgun to the table.
“Do you know how to shoot a shotgun?”
“No, but with a target that huge, I’m figuring I can’t miss.” He struggled against the man’s hold, determined to destroy the bear. “It was going after the puppies. Its claws were out and—” He swallowed, trying to keep the bile from rising into his throat. The memory sent another rush of panic through his core. Those sweet puppies and that horrifyingly scary bear.
“It’s okay.” Caleb took the gun from Quincy’s grasp. “The bear won’t hurt the pups.”
“He was going to eat them,” he insisted in a low voice, not wanting the babies to hear. And yes, he knew intellectually they couldn’t understand him. Still, he didn’t want anything to scare them.
The edge of Caleb’s mouth kicked up in a smile and every ounce of fear contained in Quincy’s body transformed into fury. He jerked the shotgun out of the bigger man’s hand.
“Don’t laugh at me. I will protect those puppies, even if you won’t.”
Caleb’s lips flattened. “I will always protect my pups,” he growled. The sound skittered though Quincy’s core and landed in his balls. He couldn’t catalog the sensation as fear or excitement but that’s where he felt it. A light flickered in Caleb’s eyes, almost a red glow.
Quincy’s heart thumped in his chest but instead of backing down, he pulled his lips away from his teeth and growled.
Caleb jerked back at the noise.
Heat rushed into Quincy’s cheeks. “Sorry. Don’t know what came over me.”
“S’okay. It’s contagious.” Caleb placed a firm hand on the gun and took the weapon from Quincy’s grasp. He considered struggling but decided that would just put them in a bad situation. “Don’t shoot the bear. He’s kind of protected in this area.”
“Protected?!” Quincy’s voice hit the rafters. “He was going to eat the puppies.”
As if they understood they were being discussed, the curious pups scurried out from under the blanket and ran to Quincy and Caleb’s feet. One—Natalie, Quincy was pretty sure—barked and jumped. Nathan sat quietly, his eyes bouncing between the two men.
“Sh, sh.” Caleb knelt down and instantly had two handfuls of puppies. Quincy’s heart melted a little more. Unable to resist, he opened his palms and Nathan leapt into his arms. The puppy snuggled into his neck and Quincy buried his face in the soft fur. Natalie continued to bark as if telling Caleb a long story. “I know. I know,” he replied, his tone calm and comforting. “Shush, little girl, let me talk to Quincy.”
Quincy rubbed his hand down Nathan’s back, soothing the puppy who rested on his chest.
When Quincy glanced up, Caleb stared back, smiling, the light in his eyes quizzical.
“What?”
“Nothing. It’s just Nathan is pretty shy. He doesn’t usually approach strangers.”
A tiny corner of Quincy’s heart fluttered, not only at the thought the sweet puppy liked him, but because of the intense glow in Caleb’s eyes. The steady gaze touched Quincy deep in his soul.
“He’s a sweetie, aren’t you, baby?” He rubbed noses with Nathan and jerked back as the little one licked out and caught the upper edge of Quincy’s lip. “Puppy kisses!”
Nathan released a little yip. The sound swung Caleb and Natalie around. They both stared at the wee pup in Quincy’s hands.
That foreign protective urge returned. He drew the puppy to his heart.
“He’s perfect, just the way he is.”
The puppy’s tail wagged furiously and his whole body wiggled.
Natalie barked and started peddling her legs like she wanted closer to Quincy.
“Great. Now, you’ve made this one jealous.”
He chuckled and gave Natalie some scritches too. He wasn’t sure if it was Caleb’s solid presence or the comfort of the puppies but some of Quincy’s panic faded. Of course, as soon as they left, he was going to figure out how to work that gun. Well, first he was going to break down, then he would Google how to load a shotgun.
A heavy footstep on the front porch sent a jolt through Quincy’s spine.
“The bear. Hide the puppies.” He shoved Nathan into Caleb’s hands and grabbed the shotgun.
“It’s not a bear,” Caleb said, juggling both pups. “I mean, not really. It’s probably Phin.”
“What’s fin?”
“Who, not what. Phineas. He’s a friend. He was here the other night.”
Quincy remembered the other man standing in the rain.
A faint tap on the wood was almost inaudible.
“Here.” Caleb handed both puppies to Quincy who had no choice but to set down the gun. He was almost positive that was why Caleb gave him the pups. Twisting and turning to control the two excited animals, Quincy took a step closer to the bedroom, ready to run if the bear waited on the other side of the door. Caleb smirked as if he read Quincy’s thoughts.
Quincy glared back. He wouldn’t be embarrassed about wanting to guard the puppies.
Caleb opened the door and murmured softly to whoever stood outside. Clearly not a bear. Unless Caleb was some sort of bear-whisperer. Finally, Caleb nodded and backed up.
“Quincy, this is Phineas. Phin, this is Quincy.”
Quincy stared at the large…well, bear of a man. The guy ducked his head to step inside. His shoulders practically brushed the sides of the door. A loose pair of shorts hung low on his hips. The broad chest and thick arms showed a man who either worked outside or spent all his time in the gym. Quincy was willing to bet the former. This guy didn’t look like any gym rat Quincy had known. His hair stood out in a brown and red halo around his head and a shaggy beard hung a few inches beneath his chin.
Hell, he was a bear. The human version, but still.
He probably wasn’t a bad-looking guy, under all the fur.
The bright red nose and two black eyes didn’t help the picture. The newcomer looked like he’d been in one hell of a bar fight. Except the wound appeared fresh. Even a bit of blood at the base of his nose.
“Are you okay?” Quincy asked. “Do you need some ice for that?” He had ice. Deacon’s mini-fridge froze everything into a solid block so ice wasn’t a problem.
Caleb chuckled and Phineas glared at him before nodding to Quincy. “I’m fine.”
The puppies started barking and almost leapt out of Quincy’s hands.
Quincy placed them on the floor. Natalie—Quincy was pleased he could tell them apart without peeking—ran to Phineas, yapping, dancing around. Nathan hesitated. He ran to Phineas, then turned around and trotted back toward Quincy. He stood between them, looking both ways. Poor little guy couldn’t decide who to go to.
“It’s okay, baby. Go see your friend.”
Nathan’s tail gave a quick wag and he trotted over to Phineas who picked him up.
“I’m so getting a dog when I go home,” Quincy said, smiling at Caleb. The glower on the other man’s face made him flinch until he remembered the rules. “Sorry, I won’t call them dogs.” Picky, picky, picky.
Quincy’s answer must have satisfied Caleb because the glare morphed into a smile, a smile that lit the sexy man’s eyes and sent warm rushes into Quincy’s belly. Damn. Caleb’s tongue touched the corner of his lips as if anticipating Quincy’s taste, the action so subtle Quincy didn’t know if the other man was even aware he’d done it. A strange tightness in his chest traveled down to his groin and his cock twitched.
Damn, again.
“We should take these two home.” Phineas’ voice cut through the heady tension between Caleb and Quincy. “They’ve had an exciting day.”
The reminder of the puppies facing down that giant bear sent Quincy’s heart pounding.
“Be careful. Should I come along? I’ve got the shotgun. We can go after the bear.”
Phineas roared. Actually roared. Like a lion, but not a lion. Another large animal with a lot of teeth.
Quincy sensed the tension in his own face as his eyes widened. His fingers twitched by his side as he resisted the urge to snatch Natalie from Phin’s arms. He swallowed to clear the terrified lump from his throat.
“Why don’t you take the pups home?” Caleb scooped up Nathan and placed him in Phineas’ free hand. “I’ll be along in a few minutes.”
The puppies clearly felt comfortable with the big bear of a man but Quincy couldn’t quite quell his panic.
“Will they be safe?” he asked in hushed tones. It wasn’t his place—he knew that—but they were just puppies and damn it, something inside him demanded he protect them.
Another menacing growl rumbled from Phineas, this one specifically directed at Quincy. The instinct to run reared up. Quincy forced his legs to remain in place.
“Phin. Take the pups and go home. I’ll be right behind you.”
Phineas shifted his gaze from Quincy to Caleb. Even though the stare wasn’t aimed at him, Quincy felt the weight, the silent communication between the two men.
Attempted communication, he thought, because whatever message Phineas seemed to be trying to convey to his friend, Caleb refused to receive. Or ignored it.
Phin shifted the puppies within his grasp. “It’s Faylinn’s last night. She’s going to want everyone there.”
A not-so-subtle warning rippled beneath the man’s words.
“I’ll be home in a bit.” Caleb herded Phin and the puppies toward the door.
Quincy almost called out a goodbye to the pups but realized that would be insane because they were dogs—uh, wolves—and couldn’t understand him.
Caleb followed Phin and the pups to the door, which would leave Quincy and him alone. What was the plan? He wanted to...what? Fuck Quincy?
Ooh, yes. Except no. It was a silly idea. No way that was what Caleb was thinking. And fucking the next-door neighbor probably topped the list of bad ideas. Except it sounded fabulous. Exciting. Dangerous. All kinds of fun words.
The door snapped shut and jolted Quincy from his thoughts. He tried to smile but was pretty sure the residual panic combined with the flash of lust made the attempt look twisted on his face.
“You okay?”
Quincy nodded. The puppies were safe. He didn’t have to be brave any longer. The memory of the bear surged through his soul and every bit of strength left his muscles. His legs collapsed beneath him and he fell.