Scottish Werebear: A Painful Dilemma: A BBW Bear Shifter Paranormal Romance (Scottish Werebears Book 5) Read online

  Finally, about halfway through the drive, he couldn’t take it anymore. Rather than continue straight to Glasgow, he took the next exit and just kept on driving. Through fields and small towns and villages, until he found himself at the shores of a lake. That’s where he pulled over and got out.

  It was getting late, the sun was setting, and a frosty wind battered the landscape.

  He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. The cold air stung against his nostrils and helped him gain clarity. His bear wasn’t happy, and there was only one way to appease him right now.

  About three hundred feet from where he’d parked the car were some pine woods. They’d provide shelter for what he had to do next.

  As soon as Henry reached the first trees, he started to unzip his jacket. The rest of his clothes followed soon after.

  It was freezing, but if he was going to make it back home after this without exposing himself, getting undressed first was as necessary as it was uncomfortable. He folded everything into a neat little bundle and left it underneath some fallen needles and branches.

  Then he let the animal side take over. As soon as his fur had grown, he felt better. Now he was protected against the elements and ready to wander through the pine forest. He had a lot to think about.

  What was it about that woman that the thought of her wouldn’t leave him alone?

  And was there any hope for his plans to tell the world about shifters? If Blacke got wind of what he was up to, he’d have him locked away and the key thrown away.

  How would he get the support he’d need to execute his plans?

  Even in bear form, glimpses of Gail kept popping into his mind. Why? Why couldn’t he focus properly?

  He wasn’t sure how long he’d been running for, but in the distance, a familiar sight showed up, barely visible through the fog that had set in.

  The large sprawling farm he’d grown up on. Home.

  Why had he come here? He wasn’t sure. But now that he was here, he might as well pop in.

  There was a familiar scent in the air; his mom’s famous pot roast. Was she expecting someone? It seemed like an odd meal to cook just for oneself.

  Ever since his dad’s passing, she’d lived alone on this large property. Henry wasn’t sure how she managed everything, but every offer he’d made for her to move in with him and Maggie had fallen on deaf ears.

  “Son,” it was unmistakably her, who called out to him from the front door. “I’ve been expecting you.” She stepped ahead into the light flooding the porch. Every time he saw her, her hair seemed to grow more white, her skin more fragile.

  Henry hesitated. How was that possible? He hadn’t even known himself that he would end up here.

  “Mom. Thanks, but I won’t stay long. Maggie will be wondering where I am.”

  “You didn’t bring her along?” His mom reached out for him, and he leaned down, allowing her to pat the thick fur on his back.

  Henry shook his head. “Just me.”

  “Very well. Why don’t you freshen up? Dinner’s almost ready.”

  Henry nodded and walked in through the spacious entrance, up the broad stairs leading to his old bedroom. Inside, he found a pair of jeans and a chunky hand knitted pullover already laid out for him. With a sigh, he let go of his bear and morphed back into his human self.

  A heavy feeling overwhelmed him immediately. What was it? Sadness? Guilt?

  The wooden steps creaked underneath his bare feet as he made his way down.

  When he entered the kitchen, his mom was already waiting, roasting tray in hand.

  “I hope you’re hungry.” She smiled at him. “Son. What’s troubling you? You don’t look yourself today.”

  “How did you know I was coming?” Henry wondered aloud.

  “I had a feeling… ever since I woke up this morning to milk the cows. I suppose a mother just knows.”

  That didn’t make much sense to Henry, but he didn’t want to question it anymore.

  He followed her into the dining room and sat down at the large rectangular table. This place had always seemed disproportionate, too spacious for a couple and their only son. Now it was even odder, with his dad gone.

  She started carving the meat and served him first, then herself.

  “Eat. You look like you need it.”

  Henry nodded. He must have run quite a distance to get here. He wasn’t even sure where he’d parked the car exactly. He’d have to find his way back by scent.

  His mom observed him as he ate, taking only a couple of bites of the food herself. After a while, he couldn’t stand being watched so closely anymore and put his knife and fork down.

  “Something’s on your mind,” she said before Henry had the chance to say something himself.

  He sat back and sighed. A lot of things were on his mind; she was right about that.

  “You know, the work I do…” he started.

  His mom pushed her plate away and folded her hands, resting them on the rough wood.

  “To help our kind. With the Alliance,” she responded.

  “Right. Well lately, I wonder if it’s really helping.”

  “I see. Do you want to quit; is that it?”

  Henry shook his head. “No, I just want to make a difference, like I had hoped to.”

  “And you think the Alliance isn’t succeeding at that?”

  “I wonder if they’re going down a wrong path. Something that’ll do us more harm than our enemies are already doing.”

  “How so?”

  “Did you know we’re arresting our own kind now?” Henry also pushed his plate away. Talking about all this had ruined his appetite.

  “For what?”

  “For what… For taking a mate of a different species, that’s the latest one. Did you know they’re proposing to implant all newborn cubs with trackers now also? We haven’t received the orders yet, but they’re coming. They say it’s for our safety, in case one of them gets taken, but who is to say it’s not to keep tabs on them as well?”

  His mom frowned. “Things have really changed, haven’t they?” She shook her head.

  “They have,” Henry agreed. “I’m not sure I want any more part of it.”

  “Son. Only you can decide what to do. You must follow your instincts.”

  “Lately, I’ve been wondering if perhaps a lot of our problems wouldn’t be solved if we started living out in the open.”

  His mom was silent for a moment. “Humans are afraid of what they don’t understand.”

  “Exactly. If we can make them understand, through education, and dialogue, they’d have nothing to be afraid of anymore.”

  She shook her head again. “I don’t know.”

  “We’re not living in the Middle Ages anymore. Human society is more tolerant now than it has ever been.”

  “You know better. It’s hard to know what things are like outside these walls.”

  “I just don’t know where to begin yet to make this happen.”

  She looked up and smiled at him. “You’ll think of something. You always do.”

  Henry smiled back at her. It was good, being able to talk openly of all he’d been thinking about. He had hoped to have this conversation with Maggie, but obviously, that wasn’t an option just yet; not until he had a solid plan in place.

  Chapter Four

  Ever since Blacke had mentioned the upcoming surprise visit to the Glasgow Alliance office, Gail had been struggling to keep her excitement under control. That’s where the guy, Agent Weston, was based. The prospect of seeing him again made her giddy like a schoolgirl.

  And perhaps, this time, he’d be on the same page and feel their connection as well.

  She tried her best to keep her expectations in check, but it was no use.

  Throughout the drive, she found it increasingly difficult to concentrate on the actual task at hand; organizing the documentation Blacke wanted to distribute regarding his latest pet project; a nationwide tracking program for young shifters. Project Safeg
uard, as he called it.

  She had personally sent out memos to all the Alliance branches in the country a week ago. But that wasn’t enough for Black, who insisted they must visit at least the nearest Alliance offices in person to ensure everyone’s full participation.

  Gail hadn’t been keen for this new program to be rolled out. As much as Blacke insisted that his intentions were to track youngsters only in case they were reported missing by their parents, Gail couldn’t shake the feeling that Project Safeguard could easily be misused as well.

  She simply didn’t trust Blacke. Gail glanced over at him sitting in the backseat of the spacious sedan beside her. He was furiously scribbling down notes of some sort. Preparing a speech, probably.

  No matter what she thought about the tracker project, he was going ahead with it, and she had no say in the matter. At least, it meant she had an excuse to see that guy again.

  It had only been a few days since they’d first run into each other at HQ, but she’d had a hard time thinking about anything else but that first meeting. Agent Weston had infiltrated her every waking moment and some non-waking ones as well.

  By the time the car turned off the motorway and entered the city, her heart was racing so much, it made her feel light-headed. She looked out the window, but couldn’t properly focus on the buildings and streets they passed by. It all merged into a blur.

  Fifteen minutes later, they stopped in front of an empty-looking, dilapidated building. Once you’d seen one Alliance branch office, you’d seen them all; that’s what the agents at HQ had said. It was located in an old warehouse in what looked to be an old industrial estate. It had been populated during a time when the Alliance favored discretion over anything else, and completely unlike the HQ which looked a lot more intimidating.

  The driver opened the door for Blacke, leaving Gail to get out from her side on her own. She quickly gathered all the paperwork off the seat and rushed to get to the front door and pressed the buzzer.

  “Identify yourself, and state your purpose,” a crackly female voice answered.

  “Mr. Blacke, official Council business,” Gail responded.

  The door opened with a loud click, and she entered to hold it open for her boss, who was right behind her by now.

  In front of them, a woman in full combat gear appeared. “Welcome, Sir,” she said. “Shall I assemble everyone inside?”

  Blacke nodded, barely slowing down on his way inside. The woman vanished as quickly as she had appeared, meanwhile Gail just tried to keep up with her boss, who clearly knew exactly where he was headed even if she didn’t.

  They soon entered an office space that looked quite similar to the one at HQ, though obviously not as grand and well-equipped. Half a dozen men and two women gathered around Blacke and Gail in a semi-circle.

  “Welcome, Mr. Blacke, Sir,” a familiar voice spoke behind them.

  Gail could hardly contain her excitement. Agent Weston.

  He nodded at her boss but didn’t acknowledge her at all. Damn. So she was still the only one who could feel the attraction.

  “Weston. Good, you’re here. I have important matters to discuss. The files,” Blacke turned to Gail, both his eyebrows raised expectantly.

  Shit, the papers she’d been organizing. Gail shuffled through the things she’d carried inside and located the neat packets she’d prepared in the car. She handed them out to everyone in the room, finishing with Agent Weston. He still barely looked at her.

  What the hell?

  As soon as everyone had the documentation for Project Safeguard in front of them, Blacke started talking. He started off with the threat the Sons posed, about disappearances, and all that stuff Gail had heard so many times before. She retreated to a quiet corner and ignored Blacke’s speech.

  To keep from obsessing about Agent Weston too much, she started to read the top sheet of the papers she was still carrying. It was the handwritten notes Blacke had made in the car.

  Phase 1: Project Safeguard encourages families to volunteer for trackers (Blood & DNA testing as part of qualification process).

  Phase 2: Document families in detail, sending in teams as necessary to investigate their background and family tree.

  Phase 3: Classify everyone according to new points system (still to be devised, but non-participation in Phase 1 should count as a red flag), grading the purity of their bloodline. Refer to DNA tests carried out in Phase 1.

  Phase 4: Searchable database.

  Phase 5: Compulsory trackers for high-risk families.

  Phase 6: Activate audio transmission.

  Underneath it was an incomplete flowchart with notes scribbled in the side, presumably behaviors Blacke didn’t approve of, which he intended to record as part of the grading system.

  Gail couldn’t believe what she was reading. What he was proposing today was just the start of a much bigger, much more nefarious operation. Blacke was planning to divide up the shifter population, singling out families whose lineage he considered impure. To what end?

  Didn’t their kind have enough to worry about already, considering they were being hunted to death by the Sons of Domnall?

  It was then that a single word in Blacke’s speech caught Gail’s attention. Purity.

  She listened up just in time to hear him instruct the agents to start rounding up mixed couples in their jurisdiction.

  “We’ve let these high risk behaviors slide for too long. But the shifter world is in crisis, ladies and gentlemen! We cannot afford to be so lax anymore.”

  Gail observed the crowd. Some, like the woman who had received them earlier, were nodding in agreement, while some others just seemed to be less convinced.

  This isn’t right. This just isn’t right, Gail thought.

  She felt a stare bore into her from across the room. Agent Weston. This was the first time she’d made proper eye-contact with the man. He was infuriatingly, distractingly handsome. Despite her concerns about Blacke’s plans, she couldn’t help but feel just a little bit excited to finally have Weston’s full attention.

  No, it’s not right, a voice seemed to say in her head.

  I can hear you, Gail thought.

  Yes.

  Someone has to do something about this. Stop him before he goes too far. Gail formulated the thought before even considering if she could trust him. Of course, she could, he was her mate after all. The feeling had to be mutual too; that’s why he was in her head.

  Mated couples could hear each other’s thoughts; that’s what all the stories said. Such is the connection when you find the one fate has picked out for you. Not that Gail personally knew a couple who could communicate telepathically, but that didn’t make the stories any less true.

  We have to do something. Agent Weston turned around to face the female agent who had greeted them before.

  Before Gail could communicate anything else, she felt that their connection was broken. An immense sense of loss overwhelmed her, like a part of herself had gone missing. What the hell had just happened?

  “Keep up the good work!” Blacke nodded at the crowd and turned around to join Gail.

  “If we hurry, we can make it to Edinburgh and back before nightfall,” Blacke muttered.

  Shit, she couldn’t leave just yet, could she? This thing with Agent Weston was still unresolved. How could she go without talking to him properly? When would she see him again?

  Gail turned to find him looking at her again, and immediately she felt more reassured.

  Go. I’ll be in touch.

  She nodded subtly, hopefully subtly enough that nobody else could see.

  There was no choice but to do what she was told right now. She didn’t want to attract her boss’s suspicion.

  Before she had the chance to say or do anything else, Blacke had ushered her out of the room, down the hall and out of the building.

  “We’ll need another five information packs for Edinburgh,” he said while getting into the back seat of the waiting car.

  “
Yes, sir.”

  The driver got in as well, and they pulled away swiftly, back-tracking their way through the same streets as before until they reached the motorway.

  It had been a long day. The visit to Edinburgh was short, and the reaction of the agents there largely the same as in Glasgow. Some seemed convinced, others, not so much. Yet nobody argued or protested.

  While she tried to stay alert, to assess which of the agents seemed to take issue with Blacke’s proposals, but all the while her mind was a couple of hundred miles away. Weston. She didn’t even know his first name yet, and at the same time, the connection they’d felt had been undeniable this time.

  Once they got back to the Alliance Headquarters, it was pitch dark outside. Blacke was unstoppable, though. Now that he had taken the first step and announced his plans to the two nearest offices, he wasn’t ready to slow down.

  “We fly out to London in the morning; book us some tickets,” he ordered.

  Gail’s heart sank. London? She couldn’t leave now, not when Weston was about to make contact with her. She paused for a moment. There was no other choice; she couldn’t go.

  “Umm, Sir?”

  “What is it?” He frowned impatiently. Blacke wasn’t used to having someone question him.

  “I was wondering if I might stay behind. My father hasn’t been doing well, and I’d hate to have something happen to him while I’m away.” Gail felt bad having to use her dad as an excuse to get out of a work trip, but it had been the only excuse she could think of.

  Blacke sighed. “Family is important. Very well. I’ll have Agent Finch accompany me to London.” Despite the words of understanding, he sounded displeased. Had her reason for staying back been any less important, she might have backed down immediately.

  Gail smiled. “Thank you, Sir. I’ll book your tickets immediately.”

  “Just don’t let this become too regular. I need someone I can depend on. Occasional travel is part of the job, understood?”

  “Understood, sir.”

  Gail breathed a sigh of relief as she returned to her desk to make the necessary travel arrangements. She could only hope that while Blacke was away, Weston would make good on his promise to get in touch.