Bear Claw Read online

  She added the volume to her finished pile then held out her hand for the titles he’d chosen.

  Smirking, he handed them over. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

  “Ass,” she mumbled, smiling up at him.

  He shrugged and nodded. “Not the worst thing I’ve ever been called.”

  “I don’t even want to know,” she teased. She would actually love to know more about him. But that had to be tucked away in the make-believe part of their relationship.

  “Probably not,” he agreed. “If you ever meet my two best friends, don’t believe a word they say.”

  Brandy looked up quickly. What did that mean? Jamie must have realized what he’d said, because he immediately dropped his chin and shrugged. “You know, if they ever come here with me.”

  “Sure.” She laughed but knew it fell flat. There was no way she would never meet any of Jamie’s friends. They weren’t a couple. Hell, they weren’t even friends. She was merely someone whom he saw every few weeks to pick up his reading material. He probably never thought about her.

  With that depressing thought, she started scanning his books to the card he’d placed on top. Two spiritual titles, one at her suggestion, the new thriller that had been released, a history book about Lake Worth and one more. And yes, he had found her latest release.

  It took all her willpower to keep from looking at him while she finished up. She placed her paperback at the bottom of the pile as he’d done then handed the stack back to him. “You know the rules. And I don’t think that I have to tell you to bring them back on time?”

  “You know I’ll be early,” he said with a nod.

  “I’ll see you then,” she told him.

  His gaze met hers. For an instant, she thought she saw heat there. She blinked. Any signs of his attraction were gone, and she knew it was wishful thinking.

  “See you soon.” Jamie patted the counter before spinning around and walking away.

  Brandy continued to stare after him, even after the glass doors closed. Faintly, she heard the rev of his bike.

  She’d had many dreams about riding behind him with her arms wrapped around his waist, pressing up close and securely to him. She would need to get started on the next chapter once she got home tonight.

  Would Jamie be opposed to outdoor sex? Drake sure the hell wasn’t going to be after she finished with him. Giggling, she turned back to the books she needed to finish logging in.

  Chapter Two

  The bar wasn’t crowded. Sitting at a corner table with Cody and Zak insured they would have privacy no matter what. Jamie was the biggest out of the three men. However, Cody and Zak had their own threatening attributes.

  The three of them had first become friends working for the Phoenix Police Department prior to the shifters of the world announcing their presence.

  After Jamie had gotten himself in trouble with the Church for Humanity and had had to be rescued along with a wolf shifter, the three friends had started on a new track of life.

  The wolf shifters had been battling the same madman as Jamie, but none of the shifters had been aware of one another. Now, thanks to the Coalition, information was shared and two branches of the Church were now destroyed. Jamie knew the wolf council was currently fighting against a third division in Texas and wished them the best.

  Not only did the shifters have to deal with the religious nuts, but also in the last few months, more powerful enemies were becoming vocal.

  Lately, the new threat to the shifters came from some very vocal senators and representatives of the United States. The concern about other shifters in different countries was that if the US was able to register shifters, the others would follow.

  Jamie had no intention of going along with any registration. He wouldn’t even give anyone the private details of his shifting abilities. His species was one of the longest surviving in all of existence. He believed their secrecy was an advantage to remaining strong in numbers.

  Of course, he could be wrong. It wasn’t as if he had family or a mentor to ask. Bear shifters were not known to group together like others. While shifter wolves, birds and felines banded together for safety, Jamie had never had that option.

  Jamie had been on his own since he’d reached adulthood. His father had left not long after Jamie was born, and his mother had believed that mature offspring should make their own way in life.

  The old traditions were still followed by bear shifters. His upbringing was much different than any other shifter species he’d met.

  But Jamie didn’t mind. Sure, he got lonely, and seeing how strong the bond was with other species, he found himself envious, but all in all he was a pretty happy guy.

  He had a great job and wonderful friends. His two best friends were currently arguing about the merits of Cody moving into his girlfriend Aubrey’s house, or Cody and Aubrey finding a new place.

  Jamie just listened, amused by their bantering and candidness.

  “It’s hers,” Cody argued. “I want something that belongs to both of us.”

  “You want a place where you know she didn’t fuck Adrian,” Zak countered.

  Cody scowled, and Jamie lifted his beer to hide his grin.

  “What does Aubrey say?” Jamie asked.

  He admired Cody’s girlfriend. She was also a falcon shifter like Cody. During their first meet, he had wanted to make sure that she was the right woman for his friend.

  Aubrey had proved to be Cody’s match in every way, a perfect woman for his buddy. Jamie envied him that.

  “She says she’ll move if that’s what I really want, although she thinks it’s stupid. She likes her house and it’s paid for,” Cody confided.

  “You’re not going anywhere,” Jamie told him.

  Cody shook his head while Zak snorted. There was no doubt in Jamie’s mind that Cody would give up his quest to get Aubrey to move out of her house.

  Cody and Aubrey had a long history together. Long before Cody had joined the military, they’d been together in their younger days. He’d left Aubrey, breaking her heart, and his own.

  After they’d met again a few years later, it was due to Cody’s work at the Coalition.

  Aubrey’s Cast leader had been killed and Cody had been put in charge of the investigation. Added to the fact that Aubrey’s ex was the new Cast leader and Cody’s number one suspect, a lot of drama had followed them at the time.

  Luckily, it had all worked out personally and professionally. Cody’s division, the Birds of Prey, had solved the case.

  Now Aubrey was in business with her best friend as a private investigator and had joined Cody’s flock, leaving her Cast and ex behind.

  “He’s right, man,” Zak said without sympathy. “You’re so whipped it doesn’t matter what Aubrey does ’cause you’ll give in.”

  Jamie hadn’t meant it like that and he knew Zak truly didn’t believe his own words. But it was fun giving their committed friend some shit. Zak was as single as Jamie was, although while Jamie secretly craved a partner, it was common knowledge Zak did not intend to settle down.

  “So is Aubrey meeting us?” Jamie asked, changing the subject as Cody tried to hit Zak for his comment.

  Cody straightened in his chair, glaring at Zak. “Yeah, she wanted to pick your brain about her latest case.”

  Jamie nodded. Since he’d become good friends with Aubrey, she often asked his opinion. He liked that she trusted his instincts.

  “Did you catch the governor’s press conference?” Zak asked them.

  “Yeah, what a pile of shit,” Cody said.

  “I missed it,” Jamie said. He’d actually been busy letting a sexy, sweet librarian tempt him during the conference. “But I caught the highlights on the evening news.”

  “Like we would actually agree to register so they can police us,” Zak replied.

  “You never know, man,” Cody said. “With all the trouble the Church is causing, it’s possible they might get away with it.”

  “I spoke
to Kurt with the wolf council. They have trouble down in Texas. He’s there trying to get more on one of the divisions, but he did say there was no way that the shifter leaders would agree to it,” Jamie said.

  “Better not,” Zak stated firmly.

  The door to the bar opened, and Jamie glanced up to see Aubrey stepping inside. She was a confident woman. He enjoyed watching her as she searched the room for them. He wasn’t attracted to her in a sexual way. He liked her type of woman—sweet and kind while still powerful and tough.

  She grinned once she spotted them. Jamie lifted his hand in a wave.

  Next to him, Cody sighed. Jamie glanced at his buddy, who sat with a sappy look on his face as his mate strolled toward him.

  Zak leaned close to Jamie and whispered loudly, “Whipped.”

  Jamie chuckled then had to pull away from Cody, who once again tried to smack Zak. Aubrey was almost to their table. A large, overweight man stood and blocked her path.

  He couldn’t hear what was said over the noise in the bar but the smile fell from Aubrey’s face.

  Standing, he slammed his mug down, ready to defend his friend. Cody wrapped his hand around Jaime’s wrist.

  Confused, he looked down at Cody.

  “Don’t worry about it,” Cody told him.

  “But…” Jamie glanced back to Aubrey standing with her hands on her hips.

  “Dude, if you take away her fun, she’ll beat your ass as soon as she finishes with that moron.”

  Jamie sat down but kept his gaze on the scene. All three of them grunted as Aubrey shot her hand out and grasped the troublemaker’s package.

  He squeaked as she leaned close and spoke into his ear.

  Damn, Jamie wished he could have heard what Aubrey had said that caused the man to pull away roughly and hightail it for the door.

  For her part, Aubrey didn’t even look after him. She merely wiped her hands on her black slacks and continued their way.

  “Hey, baby,” Cody greeted once she reached them.

  “Hi, handsome,” she said cheerfully then dropped into his lap.

  Cody wrapped his arms around her waist as she picked up his beer and took a long drink.

  She set the mug down. “Jamie, Zak, how are you guys?”

  The four of them talked and exchanged laughs until Cody stood to get another round.

  “I got to hit the head,” Zak said then left with Cody.

  Aubrey turned to him with mischief on her face, and Jamie wanted to groan. There was no telling what trouble she was going to get him in.

  “What?”

  “Well.” She laughed, looking toward the bar. Then she moved her chair closer.

  “Am I going to need bail money?” he asked, only half-joking.

  “Nah.” She waved him off. “You know Cody’s birthday is coming up.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “I want to throw him a surprise party,” she confided.

  Well, that wasn’t bad. A party shouldn’t get him into too big of a mess. “Okay.”

  “Except he specifically told me not to. Last night he called his parents and demanded they forget about his birthday.”

  “And?”

  “So I want to have it next weekend when he least expects it. He’ll be off call for the entire weekend. I swear, he fixed the schedule so he would have to be available for the Coalition on his birthday.”

  That did sound like Cody. “What do you need from me?”

  “You’re going to get him to the party,” she said then smiled widely.

  Now he knew why she was looking like the cat that had swallowed the canary. “What do I get out of it? Cody’s my best friend. A betrayal like that could really hurt our friendship.”

  Aubrey frowned and tilted her head, trying to figure out if he was serious.

  He held back his laughter as long as he could.

  “Asshole.” She smacked his shoulder.

  “Ow! Don’t hit me if you want my help.”

  “Help with what?” Cody asked, coming up behind them.

  Aubrey glanced over at Jamie quickly. “My case,” she lied.

  “Oh.” Cody nodded and passed around their fresh drinks.

  “No shots?” Jamie asked then stuck out his bottom lip in a practiced pout.

  “Screw you, man,” Cody griped. “I am not doing shots with you again.”

  Picking up his full beer, Jamie only shook his head. “Not my fault you can’t hold your liquor.”

  Cody narrowed his eyes just like Jamie had expected he would.

  “I am not carrying you two out of the bar again,” Zak said, joining them again. “No shots.”

  “Man,” Jamie whined. “You guys are no fun.”

  Everyone laughed, and they drank for a couple of minutes until Aubrey turned back to him.

  “I do need to talk to you about this last case I got,” she said.

  “Sure, I’m all ears.”

  Aubrey laid out the information and details of the case in a clear-cut and professional manner. Jamie could see why she made such a great investigator. She didn’t miss the little things.

  He noticed both Cody and Zak leaning forward and listening intently too.

  Two teenage boys who, for some unknown reason, had run away from the reservation, couldn’t be found. Their clothes were gone along with some personal effects that they wouldn’t have left behind. Their families had both insisted that the two young men would never have run off.

  And they’d left two weeks apart from each another.

  “So the parents say they didn’t run,” Jamie commented. “What do you think?”

  “To be honest, it looks like they really did run,” Aubrey admitted. “But they were good kids who had no reason to do so. They seemed happy and I can’t find a single person that they told they were leaving. They disappeared.”

  “No clue on where they could have gone?” Zak questioned.

  “None, the parents let us go through their rooms and computers. We talked to their friends and family. I’m getting nowhere fast.”

  Jamie had to squash the spark of jealously as Cody rubbed Aubrey’s neck in a show of intimacy.

  “You’ll figure it out,” Cody assured her.

  “There’s more,” she said, her gaze going back to Jamie’s.

  His gut clenched and he wasn’t sure why. “What?”

  Aubrey blew out a long sigh. “They are bear shifters.”

  The words reached him then understanding dawned. He sucked in a breath. “What kind?”

  “Grizzly.”

  “Shit.” Jamie sat back. The grizzly shifter was the most aggressive of all the bear society. “Are they through their first transformation?”

  “Yes, and the family swears they are no danger to anyone.”

  “Why didn’t they contact the Coalition?” he asked, thinking he already knew the answer.

  “Are you kidding? With all the shit going on, they’re worried about the boys getting arrested or worse. They don’t really trust authority anyway, and now their paranoia is at an all-time high.”

  “Yeah, our division met with some of them as we opened the Coalition, but they would barely listen to us. Since we’re founded by the government, we’re considered enemies.”

  “How big is this group?” Zak questioned.

  “Maybe thirty families,” Jamie replied, glancing over at Aubrey for her thoughts.

  “Closer to forty now. Their numbers have grown in the last year,” she told them.

  “And now two of their boys are missing,” Cody added. “If they are that fanatic it could cause a lot of problems.”

  “Who came to you?” Jamie inquired.

  “The sister of the second boy. She was worried after the first boy’s disappearance. They were told not to tell anyone, but after it was her brother who disappeared, she couldn’t be silenced anymore.”

  “Brave girl,” Zak stated.

  “Yeah, she attends the university and knows more about the boys than the parents do. Sadly,
she also doesn’t believe they would run. Both were seniors in high school. Smart and popular. Happy. Sophia said if her brother had had any issues, he would have gone to her.”

  “I’ll see if I can find any matching cases in the morning,” Jamie suggested.

  Immediately, Aubrey perked up. “That would be great.”

  The conversation changed to lighter areas, but Jamie couldn’t quit thinking about the case. He had been a little older than they were when he’d been kicked out.

  It was hard to make it at that age. Without any kind of street sense, they could be seriously injured, if not killed. The fact that they were also grizzly shifters was a cause for concern.

  Like the natural grizzly bear, the shifters were the most aggressive and dangerous of all species. It was why his team had tried to contact the group. He’d never known other bear shifter units like that and had been curious. But he and his unit hadn’t been welcomed.

  When talk went from the last movie Cody and Aubrey had seen to Cody’s search for a new house, Jamie chugged the remainder of his beer and stood.

  “I’m going to get out of here,” he told the others. “There are still a few things that I want to do. I go back to work tomorrow.”

  He received a hug from Aubrey, a handshake from Cody, and a back slap was gifted to him from Zak. As he left the table and passed by a small group of women, he noticed the silence that fell. Glancing over, he raised an eyebrow as the women openly ogled him.

  “Hey there, sexy,” one slurred at him.

  “Ladies.” He nodded politely but didn’t stop. A few years ago, he would have pulled up a chair and seen how many he could get to go home with him. But he’d long ago grown out of that kind of behavior.

  It was cooler out in the parking lot. He stopped beside his bike and simply breathed. While he loved his friends, he was lonely. Ever since Cody had found Aubrey, the loneliness had been growing stronger in Jamie.

  Jamie wanted what they had. An equal partnership with someone who would love him. Not another one-night stand full of hot sex. Was it too much to ask to find a woman who wanted to curl up on the couch and watch the classics?