His to Bear [Bear Essentials] (The Stormy Glenn ManLove Collection) Page 4

  George had no idea why anyone would want to hurt a kitten.

  "Is there anything I need to know about your bear form? Anything that might impact my ability to protect you?"

  "Uh…" George glanced at Ford for help.

  "Yeah." Ford laughed. "Don't get between a bear and his honey."

  George smiled, relaxing. He couldn't really think of anything that would be an issue, but what did he know? Most shifters considered him odd because he was born so big, but had no desire to lead a clan.

  Leon's dimples appeared again when he grinned. "Honey, huh?"

  George couldn't interpret the look Leon gave him. He'd like to think the man was flirting with him, but he wasn't delusional. Leon was here to do a job and for no other reason. Whatever fantasies were floating around in his head were just that. Fantasies.

  "We really should go talk to Ford's alpha," George said, to get his mind off what he couldn't have and onto something else. "It would be a good idea to inform him of what was going on before the media does."

  "I'll go with you," Leon said. "I want to get a feel for this alpha, see if he's going to be a threat or not."

  George didn't really know what to make of that statement. Leon was a human. What hope did he have against an alpha bear shifter? George also didn't like the tight knot that formed in his gut at the thought of someone harming Leon, which was very strange.

  "Relax, George." Leon grinned. "I spent a lot of years in the service, did several tours in Afghanistan and other remote locations around the world before going to work for Gareth. You are also not the first shifter I've protected. I know what I am doing."

  "Uh, okay."

  "When are you supposed to meet with the officials to claim your money?"

  "In a couple of days," George replied. "My lawyer is setting up a trust to try and keep my name out of it as long as possible."

  "You know someone will leak your name at some point, right?"

  George nodded before shooting Ford a quick glance. "My cousin said the same thing."

  "So, we need to go on the premise of when, not if. At some point, the world will know who George Carver is, and we need to be prepared for the fallout when that happens."

  George grimaced. "Peachy."

  Just what he wanted in life.

  World fame.

  Chapter Five

  Leon was not impressed when they pulled up in front of a large stone mansion. It was supposed to be the home of the current clan alpha and the seat of his leadership. It was way too ostentatious for a small town like King City.

  He was even less impressed when three heavily armed guards and a man in a black suit stepped out the front door and glared at them.

  "Think they were expecting us?" Leon asked.

  "I did call," Ford said as he opened the door and climbed out. He turned and leaned down to look back inside. "You don't just show up at the alpha's house without permission."

  Leon knew that, but this still seemed like overkill. They were just here to talk to the man, not take him out. "I guess we should do this, huh?"

  George had a sour look on his face as if his stomach was queasy. "I guess."

  "Hey." Leon patted the big bear's arm. "I'm here to protect you, remember?"

  "Yeah, but…" George's gaze went to the four guards standing in front of the main door. "Not only are these guys bear shifters, but they're armed."

  Leon grinned. "So am I."

  George's eyes shot to him. "You're armed?"

  "Of course." He chuckled when George glanced down his body. "I have a gun in a holster under my jacket. That's the weapon they will find when they pat me down. They'll have to do a whole lot more than pat me down to find the rest of them."

  George's gaze went to the guards. His lips tightened for a moment before he asked, "They're going to pat you down?"

  "I suspect so." It's what he'd do.

  Leon's eyebrows rose when George growled. It was a low, almost sub-vocal sound that made the hairs on Leon's arm stand on end. Yet, he wasn't afraid. "George?"

  Something flashed in George's deep brown eyes when he looked back. "What?"

  "Are you okay?"

  "Yeah." George drew in several deep breaths before nodding. "I'm fine."

  "Okay." Leon tried to ignore how good all the muscles on George's arm felt as he gave it a squeeze. "If you feel out of sorts at any time, you just let me know."

  "I'll be okay."

  Leon hoped so. He couldn't help but feel as if they were walking into the lion's den, so to speak. Lion's den, bear den. Same thing really. Both were dangerous predators, both could be a possible threat against George.

  "Let's get this over with then I'll take you to this little burger joint I know across town. They have some really great salmon burgers."

  George's face brightened as he began to smile. "Salmon burgers?"

  "Yep, and I'm sure we can find some honey to go on it, as well."

  "Oh, man." George groaned. "I love honey."

  Leon chuckled as he turned and climb out of the vehicle. He suspected he was going to exploit George's honey addiction a lot. He kind of liked seeing the look of pure bliss on the man's face when he thought about honey.

  He met George at the front of the car and reached out to grab the man's hand. When George jumped at the contact, Leon leaned in close to him. "Remember that I'm supposed to be your boyfriend," he whispered. "We have to put on the show they expect to see."

  George swallowed so hard, Leon heard it.

  "No, I remember," George replied. "I just wasn't expecting you to hold my hand."

  Leon leaned back and looked up at George. "Would you rather I not?" If the man was truly upset about it, Leon didn't have to hold his hand.

  George's hand tightened, and a slight smile spread across his lips. "No, I like it."

  Okay then.

  Leon flashed George a smile before starting up the steps with him. Ford was already there, waiting for them. When they reached the guards, Leon couldn't miss the way they all gave George a wary look. What was it with these people? Yes, George was a big man. He was not an alien. Leon wished everyone would stop looking at him like he was.

  "I'm George Carver. I have an appointment to see Alpha Barker."

  "We have to search you before we can allow you inside," the man in the suit stated.

  Leon chuckled when George shot him a look. He raised his hands in the air when one of the other guards came toward him. "I have a gun in a holster in my jacket."

  "We'll need to take that while you're inside the mansion."

  Leon frowned on purpose, but reached in and grabbed his gun. He pulled it out, ejected the magazine, and popped the hammer back to get the bullet out of the chamber. He pushed that bullet into the end of the magazine then handed both to the guard.

  "I'd better get that back."

  "You have a gun?" Ford asked.

  "I work as a bouncer in a dive bar," Leon replied, giving the man—and the guards—his cover story. "Of course I have a gun."

  One of the guards snickered.

  The other guards patted Ford and George down. The moment they were done, George stepped over and grabbed Leon's hand again. When the guy in the suit stared at their clasped hands a moment too long, Leon asked, "Problem?"

  The man glanced up, stared at Leon for a second, then stepped back toward the door. "Follow me. My father is waiting for you."

  That explained the disdain on the man's face. He was the heir apparent. He probably thought his shit didn't stink. Leon had news for him. It did.

  When they entered the house, Leon did a quick scan of the interior. He knew he pretty much did that every time he went somewhere new, but looking for danger and exits were habits born from being on a battlefield and out on missions.

  They walked down a long hallway before stopping in front of a large wooden door. The guy paused then turned to pin his gaze on Leon. "The human will have to wait out here."

  Leon smirked. There was no way in hell he was stayi
ng out here.

  "If my boyfriend isn't welcome, then we don't go in," George surprised him by saying. "Please thank your father for his time."

  When George started to turn back down the hallway, the man said, "Wait, let me talk to my father. I'm sure…arrangements can be made."

  Leon tried to keep his face expression free as he watched the man knock on the door then enter the office, closing the door behind him. It wasn't easy. He wanted to stick his tongue out at the guy.

  Considering the alpha was so intimidated by George, Leon couldn't help but wonder why he was so intent on meeting with him. The meeting hadn't even been set up by the alpha. It was a request from George.

  Leon could hear a low rumbling of voices, but he couldn't make out what they were saying. When the door opened again, Leon was surprised to find another man standing there. He was an older version of the guy in the suit, so Leon was pretty sure he was the alpha.

  "Alpha Barker," George said. "Thank you for agreeing to see me, but—"

  The older man held up his hand. "Your boyfriend can come, too."

  "Thank you, sir," George replied.

  The man turned and walked back into the room. George flashed Leon what could only be described as a nervous smile before following.

  "Please, have a seat." Alpha Barker waved his hand to the small sitting area off to one side of the large office then took a seat in one of the single chairs. Ford took the other one. The alpha's son walked over to stand behind his father's chair.

  When George sat on the couch, Leon made sure he sat close enough to George that their thighs rubbed together.

  "So, what can I do for you, George?"

  "Um, well, sir, the agreement we made when you allowed me to stay in your territory was that I had to keep a low profile."

  The alpha nodded. "Yes."

  "That might not be possible here real soon."

  The alpha raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

  Leon squeezed George's hand when he felt him shake.

  George shot him a quick smile then said, "I'm about to come into some money."

  Alpha Barker glanced from George to Ford then back. "I don't understand how coming into some money would keep you from having a low profile."

  "It's a lot of money, sir."

  The alpha pressed his fingertips together, steepling his hands. "How much money?"

  George gulped. "One point six billion dollars."

  Alpha Barker just stared.

  "Sir?"

  "You're about to get one point six billion dollars?"

  "Yes, sir," George replied. "I won the lottery."

  The alpha's eyebrows shot up. "You're the single winner for one of the biggest lottery wins in the country?"

  George winced. "Yes, sir."

  "Damn, boy." The man chuckled. "You do like to live dangerously, don't you?"

  "Not exactly, sir."

  The man chuckled again before rubbing his chin. "So, what do you plan to do with all that money, George?"

  "I haven't figured that all out yet, sir. I know I want to set up a foundation to build some shelters for young shifters who have been kicked out of their homes."

  "Like you were?"

  George nodded. "Yes, sir."

  Leon was impressed. He never would have thought of doing something like that. It was a good cause whether you were a shifter or not.

  "Other than a few small things, the only other thing I've thought of is buying a plot of land somewhere and custom building a house big enough to fit someone of my size."

  Leon glanced away as he smiled. He could imagine how that would be something desirable for someone of George's size. He'd seen the man have to duck his head to get through a doorway more than once. It had to drive him crazy.

  "So, you don't plan to stay in my territory then?"

  Leon glanced up when he heard the hesitation in that question.

  "I'd like to stay close simply because Uncle Allan, Aunt Helen, and Ford are here, but I'll go where I can find the land to meet my needs."

  "If you don't plan to stay in the area, why even come talk to me about this?" Alpha Barker asked. "You could have just moved, leaving me none the wiser."

  "I don't know how long it will take to get this all sorted out, sir," George replied. "You let me stay in your territory when you didn't have to. I won't disrespect you by staying here and going against our agreement without talking to you about it first."

  "Well, I thank you for that."

  Leon didn't say anything, mostly because he didn't understand the nuisances of shifter diplomacy, but he thought the alpha should have sounded just a little bit more grateful. Just as the man said, George didn't have to come tell the alpha about the money. He was doing it out of respect.

  "I assume you're going to need some security until you move?"

  "Uh…"

  Leon gave a small shake of his head when George glanced at him.

  "No, sir," George replied. "I have that covered."

  Damn right he did.

  "I see." Alpha Barker steepled his fingers again. "Then I guess our business here is done."

  Leon knew a dismissal when he heard one. He stood when George did and started for the door.

  "Thank you for seeing me, sir," George said.

  "Thank you for coming to see me," Alpha Barker countered.

  They were almost to the door when the alpha called out George's name. Leon stopped and glanced back.

  "Sir?" George asked.

  "You never intended to challenge me for my clan, did you?"

  "No, sir. I told you that when I moved here."

  "I'm sorry I ever doubted you, George. I suspect you would have been a great asset to my clan."

  "I would like to think so."

  "You need to know I received word about you before you arrived, word that you would be challenging me for my clan. That, combined with the intensity in your demeanor when you arrived, was the only reason I denied you entry into my clan."

  Leon winced when George's hand tightened around his. He wasn't sure exactly what was going on, but he doubted it was good.

  "Let me guess," George said. "My parents sent you word, didn't they?"

  "I'm actually received word from your former alpha. He called a couple of days before Allan came to me to request you be admitted into the clan. He said after he banned you from his clan, he'd received word you were looking for another clan to take over and you had your eyes set on mine."

  George's shoulders slumped. When he replied to the alpha, it was the saddest, most resigned tone Leon had ever heard. "I never wanted to lead a clan, but no one ever seems to believe me. I guess belonging to a clan just isn't in the cards for me."

  "I would be happy to have you in my clan now."

  George shook his head. "Thank you for the offer, but no. Despite our current conversation, there would always be a small sliver of doubt in the back of your mind. I can't live with being watched constantly for the slightest sign of aggression. I'm a bear, sir. We're aggressive. It's our nature. It doesn't mean I want to challenge someone."

  Alpha Barker nodded slowly. "I can understand that. If you change your mind, let me know."

  "I won't, sir, but thank you for the offer."

  "In the meantime, a friend of mine is a land developer. He recently learned of a large plot of land about an hour west of the city. It's unusable for his purposes, but it's located close enough to our running grounds that he brought it to my attention."

  "And you're bringing it to my attention why?"

  "You did say you were looking for some land to build a house. This is a large parcel, a little under a thousand acres. Most of it is forest land. It might fit your needs."

  "Why didn't you take it?" George asked.

  Leon was curious about that, as well. The alpha was making out the land to be pretty spectacular. Why wouldn't he want it?

  "It's too far away from our running lands to connect the two, and it doesn't make sense to have two separate areas to run in. That wou
ld split up the clan when they need to roam together."

  Leon was pretty sure that made sense, but he wasn't a shifter. He wasn't quite sure what their needs were. He frowned as he glanced at George. Maybe he needed to find out.

  "If you're interested," the alpha continued, "I can give you the GPS coordinates."

  "I need to deal with getting the money before I start spending it."

  Alpha Barker chuckled. "Fair enough."

  "Thank you for your time, Alpha Barker." George didn't bow to the guy, but he did tilt his head to one side out of respect.

  "Keep me informed of how you're doing, George. If you need more security, let me know. I'm sure I can spare a few bears for a couple of days."

  "Yes, sir."

  Leon tugged on George's hand to get him out of the office before he said something else. As much as he appreciated the offer the alpha made to George, if they needed extra security, he'd be calling Gareth.

  "Well, that wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be," Ford said as they walked down the hallway. "Although, Dad's going to be pissed when he finds out your parents called the alpha."

  "No," George said, "he said my former alpha was the one who called him."

  "Yeah, but you know your parents were behind it."

  George nodded. "That's probably true."

  Leon was starting to get a very uncomfortable feeling about George's parents. Maybe he'd ask Gareth to look into them and see what he could find out. Knowing where they were at the moment would be a first step.

  Leon got his gun from one of the guards the followed George and Ford outside. He heard George heave a breath once they got in the car and started heading down the driveway. He glanced at the man. "You okay, George?"

  "Yeah, I just hate going to see the alpha. I'm always on edge, waiting for him to tell me to get the hell out of his territory or take a swipe at me because he perceived something I said or did as a threat."

  Alpha Barker had seemed a tad tense in the beginning, but he had relaxed after a while. He didn't seem like that bad of a guy, and according to Ford, he was a good alpha.