Hero Bear Read online

  Arriving at work, Hannah parked her car and went inside, eager to meet the challenges of the day. She took the stairs instead of the elevator, arriving on the fifth floor where the social services’ offices were located without breaking a sweat.

  Hannah’s colleague Suzie, who had also snagged a bear shifter as a mate, was waiting for her. “Morning, Hannah.”

  “Hi there, Suzie. Thanks.” Hannah accepted a cup of coffee from Suzie. They often started the day with an informal chat; it gave them a chance to share updates on cases, and offer each other advice. The team in social services worked well together, making all their jobs easier.

  “You are going to need it.” Suzie gave Hannah a sympathetic look.

  “What’s wrong?” Hannah perched on the edge of Suzie’s desk and sipped her coffee.

  “Sandra Linden called.”

  Hannah put her coffee down. “Is she OK?”

  Suzie cocked her head to one side and then shrugged. “She said she wanted to speak to you. My guess would be Dustin is giving her trouble. It’s a tough situation, we all know that. But I’m worried Dustin is teetering on the edge of doing something stupid.”

  “I’ll call her right back. I thought I was getting through to him.” Hannah got up, grabbed her coffee, and headed down the corridor to her office. “Thanks, Suzie.”

  “If you need me, you know where to find me,” Suzie’s voice trailed after her.

  “I do.” Hannah shut her office door and sat down at her desk. Before she made the call to Sandra Linden, she went over the details of the case. Dealing with shifter kids when you weren’t one yourself was often difficult, but she’d gotten good at it. One of Hannah’s greatest gifts was being able to put herself in someone else’s shoes. In this case, the shoes of a fifteen-year-old boy who had lost his shifter dad nearly a year ago.

  Lex Linden was killed in a landslide when hiking deep in the mountain range that rose up to watch over Bear Creek. Although there was nothing officially noted, Hannah was certain the word hiking was being used loosely. Lex Linden was a bear shifter, and most likely out ranging over the mountains in his animal form when the landslide happened. His son, Dustin, was understandably devastated.

  Just as he was getting over it, and getting his life back on track, he reached puberty and his own shifter side began to emerge. Dustin did not handle it well and ended up in trouble at school, which was why Hannah became involved. Dustin continually threw the words you can’t understand, you aren’t a shifter back at his poor mom, Sandra.

  Sandra knew Dustin was just acting out: she was a strong woman and she fought to hold it all together. Hannah admired Sandra on so many levels, but the constant struggle to get through to Dustin was beginning to take its toll on her health. Which was the reason she had asked Suzie’s advice only last week; unfortunately, even the resourceful Suzie had not been able to see a clear way forward.

  Now, sitting in her office, Hannah was wracking her brains to figure out any way of helping the family. Perhaps if Dustin talked to someone who could truly understand what he was going through.

  A knock on the door made her start, and Suzie popped her head in. “Have you spoken to Sandra yet?”

  Hannah shook her head. “No, I was trying to figure out a way of helping the family. There has to be something we can do.”

  “I had a thought. Maybe Fiona could ask either Sapphi or Ruby to talk to Dustin. They are roughly the same age, and have lost their parents.” Suzie’s voice filled with encouragement. “It’s got to be worth a try.”

  “Thanks, Suzie. I’ll run that by Sandra.” Hannah drank the rest of her coffee. “I’ll call her now.”

  “OK, good luck.” Suzie left the office and pulled the door closed, while Hannah dialed Sandra’s number.

  “Hi, Sandra, it’s Hannah.”

  “Hello, Hannah.” Sandra sounded distraught. “Thanks for calling me back.”

  “What can I do for you?” Hannah wanted to reach down the phone and hug Sandra.

  “It’s Dustin.” Her voice broke, but she pulled herself back together.

  “Is he OK?”

  “I don’t know.” Sandra stifled a sob. “He’s in trouble at school again.”

  “It’s OK, Sandra. Tell me what happened this time?”

  “He’s been quiet the last couple of days. Quieter than normal.” Sandra’s breath shuddered as she fought for control. “It’s Lex’s birthday in two days. So I’ve been preparing myself…”

  “Take your time, Sandra,” Hannah soothed.

  “He got into a fight. A bad one. He’s not a violent boy.” Sandra was adamant, and Hannah believed her. Parents often tried to paper over the cracks in their relationships with their children. But Sandra had always been honest, she wanted Dustin to get the best help. She’d lost her husband; she did not want to lose her son. “Principal Collier suggested Dustin would be better off at a new school. But I’m scared this will unsettle him even more.”

  “I’ll talk to Principal Collier. See if there isn’t some kind of compromise.”

  “Thank you, Hannah. I don’t know who else to turn to.” Sandra took a deep breath. “I know you’re busy, but can you come over and see him? He trusts you. He might open up to you.”

  Sandra’s words silenced Hannah for a moment. Her schedule was full to bursting today. “I’ll try to get to you later this afternoon. It’ll be after work.”

  “I’m sorry to be a burden.” Sandra’s voice echoed with defeat.

  “You aren’t, Sandra. That’s what I’m here for. I’d come sooner, but I have appointments I can’t change.” Hannah considered asking Suzie to take over Clive’s visit this afternoon, but it would likely result in Clive simply canceling.

  “He’s always so much calmer after he’s been with you.”

  It was Hannah’s turn to fight her emotions. “We all want the best for him, Dustin knows that.”

  “I hope so. I hope he knows I’m here for him. I’ve tried so hard. I think he would have preferred it if I had died on that mountain and not his dad.” Sandra finally broke down and sobbed.

  “That’s not true, Sandra. He told me how much he loves you.” Hannah couldn’t say any more. She could not betray Dustin’s confidence. She could not tell Sandra that her son had said the exact same thing—that he wished he’d died instead of his father.

  “I can’t seem to reach him.” Sandra sobbed, her broken heart an agony of pain and fear.

  “We’ll find a way. A colleague has offered to find someone his own age to talk to. Someone who has been through a similar experience.” Hannah would chase that idea up with Suzie.

  “That might be what he needs, so he doesn’t feel as if he is alone in all this. He can’t see a way forward.”

  “Listen, Sandra, is there anyone you can call? Someone who can come and sit with you for a while?” Hannah asked. Dustin wasn’t the only one who needed support through this.

  “I have a friend I met at a bereavement group. I’ll call her.” Sandra regained her self-control.

  “I’ll be in touch as soon as I have any news. And don’t hesitate to call me on my private cell phone number, Sandra.”

  “I didn’t want to bother you,” Sandra insisted.

  “It’s no bother. It’s my job.” Hannah winced at her words. “That makes me sound uncaring. And I’m not.”

  “I know, Hannah. You’ve been so kind to us.”

  “We’ll find a way through this,” Hannah reassured Sandra. “He’s a good kid.”

  “Thanks, Hannah, I’ll speak to you later.”

  “Bye.” Hannah ended the call and then immediately phoned the school. “Can I speak to Principal Collier, please?”

  Hannah had mixed feelings about the principal of The Bluff High School. He was always friendly and accommodating, but his treatment of Dustin had not been as supportive as she expected. She had not yet decided whose fault that was. Dustin could appear brash and unsocial, which might alienate the principal. However, Principal Collier’s ex
perience with kids should have given him the tools to break through and help a troubled boy.

  “Hannah, good to speak to you. This isn’t a social call, I take it?” Principal Collier asked jovially. Was the principal flirting with her?

  “No, I’m calling to see how Dustin has been lately? I heard there was some trouble yesterday.” Hannah kept her voice level and professional.

  “We did send Dustin home yesterday,” Principal Collier confirmed. “Some trouble with another boy. Behavior we cannot tolerate.”

  “I’ve just spoken to Mrs. Linden, she said you suggested Dustin move schools.” Hannah closed her eyes and rubbed the bridge of her nose. “Can you give me the details of what happened?”

  “Sure. You could come over to the school and I’ll walk you through it. I have coffee and a secret stash of cookies,” Principal Collier purred. He was smooth, for sure, but he was not Hannah’s type. If she were looking for a man to plod alongside through life, he might be suitable. However, Hannah wanted a man to spark off.

  “I can’t today.” Knox’s face hovered in her mind, that man could start a fire from a spark. For a relationship to last the long haul, it had to be more than sexual chemistry and more than good character traits. There had to be the right kind of mix, just like a good cocktail.

  “Pity.” Principal Collier sounded truly disappointed.

  “I have appointments, and I’m already running late.” Damn, she sounded as if she were making an excuse, leaving the way open for another invitation.

  “I understand. A rain check, then.” Whether Hannah meant it or not, the principal had taken it as such.

  Hannah gave a noncommittal murmur and let Principal Collier tell her the circumstances surrounding Dustin’s behavior. By the time she left her office to return to Bear Creek to pick up Leona’s children for their visit with their dad, she was certain this was more serious than she originally thought.

  Dustin had literally exploded. Although it appeared the other child involved had not been entirely innocent. Ross Vardy had goaded Dustin into his actions. The other child’s name seemed familiar, but she couldn’t pinpoint it. Principal Collier appeared to be set on Dustin leaving the school, but Hannah had talked him into giving Dustin a week to cool off. Afterward, a meeting would be arranged to discuss Dustin’s future at the school.

  Hannah would find a way to work this out. She owed it to Dustin and Sandra. Although at present, the correct course of action eluded her. She would try to arrange for Dustin to talk to Sapphi and Ruby in the next few days and hope that might give them some kind of breakthrough.

  Feeling mentally exhausted, she left her office to drive back to Bear Creek to pick up Jack and Harry. Maybe the meeting would go well with Clive.

  Always the optimist. Hannah switched on the radio and sang along to lift her mood.

  Chapter Four – Knox

  Kids. They were like a salve to his torn and tattered soul.

  “Knox?” Jasper’s high voice drifted across from the monkey bars, where he hung upside down, studying Knox.

  “Yes, Jasper.” Knox smiled a little to himself. The boy had bombarded him with questions since he and Dani had collected Jasper and his sister, Juliet, from school.

  “Are you called Knox because you knock things over?” Jasper changed position and swung around to hang by his thin arms. He looked so tiny, so fragile, yet had proved himself to be tough and strong as he ran, jumped, and tumbled with his friends in the playground.

  “No.” He glanced at Dani who was listening with her own smile fixed on her face while she pushed Richard on the swing. Richard was the eldest of the two children she and Jamie had created since they married. But all the children were treated the same; biological or adopted, it made no difference to this family.

  “Are you called Knox because you knock on doors instead of ringing the doorbell?” Jasper asked.

  Juliet sighed audibly as she walked across to join Jasper on the monkey bars. “Lots of people knock on doors.”

  “Even when there’s a doorbell?” Jasper asked his sister as he landed nimbly on his feet beside her.

  “Yes, I suppose. Knox might be his real name.” Juliet turned her innocent green eyes on him. She was the sweetest girl, patient with her younger siblings, but with the steely strength of a protective mama bear. She might be a child herself, but the death of her own parents had left her very protective of her siblings, and Jasper in particular.

  “Is it your real name?” Jasper asked. The two children walked toward Knox, but as they approached, the hairs on the back of his neck prickled, and a shiver passed through him. This was an almost familiar sensation—as if someone out there watched him. If he were back in a war zone, in enemy territory, this sensation would have sent him diving for cover. But this was not a war zone and he had no enemies here.

  “Is it?” Juliet stood before him, demanding his attention.

  “Is it what?” He looked around, trying to figure out if he should pick Jasper up in one arm and Juliet in the other and run for cover. Yet as he swept the playground with his skilled eyes, he realized they was no real danger, except to his heart. She was here. His mate. The woman he was supposed to spend the rest of his life with. She was here—with two children, and a man.

  Fuck. He had no idea she had a family. When they met last night she’d told him the wine and chocolate cake were a treat for her alone. Hannah had given him no clue that she had anyone waiting at home for her.

  His eyes narrowed. The man was older than her. They were standing some distance apart; Knox’s knowledge of body language told him there was a remoteness to their relationship. Two islands separated by a deep gulf.

  Had they argued? Knox hoped so. He hoped that they had argued so badly that their marriage would break down, leaving him to pick up the pieces… He stopped this thought in full flow. No, he didn’t. If she had a husband and kids, he wished her all the luck in the world. He wanted her to be happy, he wanted her to live a normal life.

  His instincts yesterday had been right. Let her go. Let her lead a normal life that didn’t include a messed-up poor excuse for a human being such as him.

  “Knox!” Jasper tugged on the fabric of his pants.

  “Yes.” He frowned down at Jasper, and then remembered the question.

  “Did your mom and dad name you Knox?” Jasper asked, his arms folded across his chest as he looked up seriously at Knox.

  “My dad called me a number of names, but Knox was not one of them.” Knox had no good memories of either his mom or dad.

  Juliet frowned. “What do you mean your dad called you a number of names? How many names do you have? I have a middle name. So does Jasper. But only one.”

  “Are you tormenting Knox?” Dani asked, coming to join them and giving Knox a chance to gaze freely at Hannah once more. She was dressed in a smart skirt suit, her hair pulled back from her face to reveal the most kissable neck he had ever seen. Damn, that guy she was with was one lucky son-of-a-bitch. His fists clenched as tension filled his body; he wanted to fight for the right to have her as his mate.

  “Look, there’s Jack and Harry.” Juliet pointed to the two boys with Hannah. “Can we ask them to play?”

  Dani turned to look where she pointed. “I think they’re visiting with their dad. Maybe we should let them be.”

  “Visiting? He doesn’t live with them?” Knox asked quickly, his breath quickening as hope seared his heart.

  “No, he and Leona, Jack and Harry’s mom, split up last year. He is only allowed to see them under supervision.”

  “Supervision? So Hannah isn’t their mom.” Relief rushed through Knox.

  “Hannah is a social worker.” Dani shot Knox a sideways glance. “How do you know Hannah?”

  “We met last night,” Knox said as innocently as possible, but Dani was a schoolteacher, with a nose for sniffing out the truth.

  “And?” Dani urged.

  “And nothing.” Color crept across his cheeks.

  “And
nothing, my foot,” Dani said indignantly. “Is she your mate? Not that it’s any of my business, of course…”

  “She is. At least I think she is.” He stuttered as he added, “This is so new. It’s like being punched in the gut.”

  “By the look of jealousy on your face—before you knew those weren’t Hannah’s kids and he wasn’t her husband—you have been bitten by the mating bug.”

  “What’s a mating bug?” Juliet asked.

  “You know, when shifters find their mate,” Dani explained. “Knox has just been infected.”

  Juliet rolled her eyes. “That is never happening to me. I’m going to be a soldier like Aunty Caroline.”

  “And Daddy. Both Daddies,” Jasper corrected.

  “They aren’t girls,” Juliet informed him. “I want to be a girl soldier like Aunty Caroline.”

  “She married a movie star,” Jasper informed his sister. “Does that mean she got infected by the mating bug too?”

  “Here come Jack and Harry. I guess you can play with them. Ask first.” Dani leaned in toward Knox, lowered her voice, and whispered in a sing-song voice, “And here comes Hannah.”

  Knox shook his head, but could not help smiling at Dani. “What age is your class?”

  Dani straightened up. “Six-year-olds. Is it that obvious?”

  “Uh-huh.” Knox nodded, he liked Jamie’s wife a lot. She had a sense of fun that he’d never found in an adult before. Watching her with the children, seeing the same sense of wonder in her face as theirs, made things clearer. This was what he had gone to war for, to give others the freedom to live happy, safe lives.

  “Hi, Hannah.” Dani waved as Hannah watched Jack and Harry go off to play. Their dad trailed along, as if he would rather be anywhere else.

  “Hi there, Dani.” Hannah’s eyes swept from the schoolteacher to the soldier. “Hello again.”

  “Hi.” Knox’s throat contracted and the easiness with which he’d spoken to Dani quickly disappeared, much to Dani’s amusement.

  “Knox told me he met you yesterday,” Dani prompted.

  “I gave him directions. I had no idea he was coming to your house.” Hannah stood next to Dani, her eyes trained on Jack and Harry.