Bear Necessities
Page 49
It didn’t take long to get to Julian’s apartment. He wasn’t surprised when, at this hour, there was barely any traffic. He pulled into the parking lot and headed for Julian’s door.
He reached the door and pulled out his cell phone. He was starting to wake up, thanks to the brisk air. He dialed Julian’s number and listened to it ring.
No answer. Shit. He rang the doorbell.
Then he rang it again.
He knocked. Then he pounded. “Shit.” Something was wrong.
He called Gabe. The man answered on the second ring, sounding wide awake. He didn’t bother with a greeting. “Julian isn’t answering his door or his phone. He used his abilities to wake Chloe up, and now I think he’s in trouble.”
Gabe didn’t even hesitate. “I’m on my way.”
“I’m breaking in. Don’t arrest me.”
“You have reason to believe he’s in distress. Break away.”
Bunny hung up the phone, reared back, and kicked Julian’s door in. He found the Bear passed out on the floor.
His hair was completely white.
Bunny ran his hands over his bald head. What the fuck did this mean? Julian’s hair should have gone back to black by now. “Shit.” He picked Julian up and put him on the sofa. He summoned Bear and settled into the healing spiral. Down he went, deep into Julian’s body, looking for any signs of trauma. A side effect would be the partial healing of his own tattoo, but that couldn’t be helped. He could only hope that it didn’t scar and ruin his mate’s beautiful work.
Nothing. Julian was completely healthy and thoroughly unconscious.
He pulled himself back up the healing path, wondering what the hell he should do now. Wait. He peered closer at Julian’s head and huffed out a relieved breath.
Black strands were slowly appearing among the white. The Spirit Bear would be fine.
He sat back and waited for Gabe to arrive.
“Hell. What did you do, rip the door of the hinges?”
Speak of the devil. Bunny grimaced. “Dude in distress, remember? I kicked it in.”
Gabe whistled. “I didn’t think Bears were that strong.”
“Black Bears aren’t,” Bunny muttered. Were Julian’s lashes fluttering?
“Right. Grizzly. I keep forgetting that.” Gabe propped the broken door in the opening and made his way to the sofa. “How is he?”
“Waking up, I think.”
“Why is his hair white?”
“He’s Kermode, remember? Their hair does this when they’re healing.”
“Or spirit-walking,” Julian groaned. His eyes opened and Bunny gasped. The man’s normally deep brown eyes were a steely gray. “Chloe’s awake.”
“Yeah. I got the call. The family asked me to come check on you when you didn’t answer your phone.”
Julian grimaced. “Told them I needed lots of privacy.”
“In this family? You’ll be lucky if you get to take a piss alone from now on.”
Julian frowned. “I’m not family.”
Gabe began to laugh. “That’s what you think. I just came from the hospital. Trust me, you’ve been informally adopted. By a bunch of grizzlies, no less.”
Julian’s eyes went wide. “ Grizzlies? ” He stared at Bunny, his expression a mixture of shock and wicked amusement. “Does Gary know you’re a grizzly?”
Bunny smirked. “Not yet.”
“Besides, the ones you really need to worry about are the Foxes,” Gabe added.
“They’re sneaky. You’ll never see them coming.”
Now it was Bunny’s turn to laugh. Foxes were notoriously good at hiding their scent. Gabe was right. Julian wouldn’t know what hit him if that half of the family decided to show up on his doorstep. Uncle Ray, Aunt Laura, Chloe, Tiffany and Heather could be formidable when they banded together. God help him if those four decided Julian needed nursing.
Julian shivered. “Why is it so cold in here?” He looked over at his door and frowned. “What the hell happened to my door?”
Bunny rolled his eyes. Gabe really needed to stop laughing.
“So she’s awake?”
“Yup.”
“Julian woke her?”
Tabby sighed. Cyn had been up her ass all morning. “Yup.”
“And Bunny said he’s fine?”
She eyed her boss. “Julian’s fine, just very tired.” And what an understatement that was. Alex told her that whatever Julian had done to help his cousin had taken a lot out of her friend. He’d stayed awake long enough to “come back completely” (whatever the hell that meant) before sleeping again. Alex figured he’d sleep for at least twenty-four hours.
“She. I meant she . Chloe’s fine, right?”
Tabby hid her face and groaned. “Chloe’s awake but she’s not fine. She doesn’t remember who attacked her.”
“Crap.” Cyn leaned against the countertop. “What does she remember?”
“She says she thinks she got a phone call from a friend. She was walking to meet the person when bam. Lights out. She woke up in the hospital last night, wondering what the hell happened.”
“Shit. So it could have been Gary?”
Tabby shook her head. “I don’t think so. Gary hasn’t made a move toward anyone but me. He’d have no reason to go after her.”
“Does he need one?” Tabby lifted her head, ready to argue the point. Cyn held up her hand, stopping her. “Hear me out. He’s an asshat. He doesn’t need a reason to go after someone he sees as weaker.”
“How would Chloe be weaker?”
“She’s unprotected, right? Not part of a Pack?”
Tabby snorted. “No Fox is part of a Pack. They live in family groups, remember?”
“No, because, duh, I’m not a member of the furry set. Remember?”
“What happened, couldn’t find someone to give you a bite?”
Cyn glowered. “Julian got to them before I did. I went to talk to Chloe’s aunt like you told me to. She turned me down.”
“Oh.” Tabby hid her face again. It wouldn’t do to laugh in Cyn’s face.
“She told me her adopted son would take care of it when the time was right.”
Tabby’s shoulders shook. She hoped her arms were muffling her laughter.
He reached the door and pulled out his cell phone. He was starting to wake up, thanks to the brisk air. He dialed Julian’s number and listened to it ring.
No answer. Shit. He rang the doorbell.
Then he rang it again.
He knocked. Then he pounded. “Shit.” Something was wrong.
He called Gabe. The man answered on the second ring, sounding wide awake. He didn’t bother with a greeting. “Julian isn’t answering his door or his phone. He used his abilities to wake Chloe up, and now I think he’s in trouble.”
Gabe didn’t even hesitate. “I’m on my way.”
“I’m breaking in. Don’t arrest me.”
“You have reason to believe he’s in distress. Break away.”
Bunny hung up the phone, reared back, and kicked Julian’s door in. He found the Bear passed out on the floor.
His hair was completely white.
Bunny ran his hands over his bald head. What the fuck did this mean? Julian’s hair should have gone back to black by now. “Shit.” He picked Julian up and put him on the sofa. He summoned Bear and settled into the healing spiral. Down he went, deep into Julian’s body, looking for any signs of trauma. A side effect would be the partial healing of his own tattoo, but that couldn’t be helped. He could only hope that it didn’t scar and ruin his mate’s beautiful work.
Nothing. Julian was completely healthy and thoroughly unconscious.
He pulled himself back up the healing path, wondering what the hell he should do now. Wait. He peered closer at Julian’s head and huffed out a relieved breath.
Black strands were slowly appearing among the white. The Spirit Bear would be fine.
He sat back and waited for Gabe to arrive.
“Hell. What did you do, rip the door of the hinges?”
Speak of the devil. Bunny grimaced. “Dude in distress, remember? I kicked it in.”
Gabe whistled. “I didn’t think Bears were that strong.”
“Black Bears aren’t,” Bunny muttered. Were Julian’s lashes fluttering?
“Right. Grizzly. I keep forgetting that.” Gabe propped the broken door in the opening and made his way to the sofa. “How is he?”
“Waking up, I think.”
“Why is his hair white?”
“He’s Kermode, remember? Their hair does this when they’re healing.”
“Or spirit-walking,” Julian groaned. His eyes opened and Bunny gasped. The man’s normally deep brown eyes were a steely gray. “Chloe’s awake.”
“Yeah. I got the call. The family asked me to come check on you when you didn’t answer your phone.”
Julian grimaced. “Told them I needed lots of privacy.”
“In this family? You’ll be lucky if you get to take a piss alone from now on.”
Julian frowned. “I’m not family.”
Gabe began to laugh. “That’s what you think. I just came from the hospital. Trust me, you’ve been informally adopted. By a bunch of grizzlies, no less.”
Julian’s eyes went wide. “ Grizzlies? ” He stared at Bunny, his expression a mixture of shock and wicked amusement. “Does Gary know you’re a grizzly?”
Bunny smirked. “Not yet.”
“Besides, the ones you really need to worry about are the Foxes,” Gabe added.
“They’re sneaky. You’ll never see them coming.”
Now it was Bunny’s turn to laugh. Foxes were notoriously good at hiding their scent. Gabe was right. Julian wouldn’t know what hit him if that half of the family decided to show up on his doorstep. Uncle Ray, Aunt Laura, Chloe, Tiffany and Heather could be formidable when they banded together. God help him if those four decided Julian needed nursing.
Julian shivered. “Why is it so cold in here?” He looked over at his door and frowned. “What the hell happened to my door?”
Bunny rolled his eyes. Gabe really needed to stop laughing.
“So she’s awake?”
“Yup.”
“Julian woke her?”
Tabby sighed. Cyn had been up her ass all morning. “Yup.”
“And Bunny said he’s fine?”
She eyed her boss. “Julian’s fine, just very tired.” And what an understatement that was. Alex told her that whatever Julian had done to help his cousin had taken a lot out of her friend. He’d stayed awake long enough to “come back completely” (whatever the hell that meant) before sleeping again. Alex figured he’d sleep for at least twenty-four hours.
“She. I meant she . Chloe’s fine, right?”
Tabby hid her face and groaned. “Chloe’s awake but she’s not fine. She doesn’t remember who attacked her.”
“Crap.” Cyn leaned against the countertop. “What does she remember?”
“She says she thinks she got a phone call from a friend. She was walking to meet the person when bam. Lights out. She woke up in the hospital last night, wondering what the hell happened.”
“Shit. So it could have been Gary?”
Tabby shook her head. “I don’t think so. Gary hasn’t made a move toward anyone but me. He’d have no reason to go after her.”
“Does he need one?” Tabby lifted her head, ready to argue the point. Cyn held up her hand, stopping her. “Hear me out. He’s an asshat. He doesn’t need a reason to go after someone he sees as weaker.”
“How would Chloe be weaker?”
“She’s unprotected, right? Not part of a Pack?”
Tabby snorted. “No Fox is part of a Pack. They live in family groups, remember?”
“No, because, duh, I’m not a member of the furry set. Remember?”
“What happened, couldn’t find someone to give you a bite?”
Cyn glowered. “Julian got to them before I did. I went to talk to Chloe’s aunt like you told me to. She turned me down.”
“Oh.” Tabby hid her face again. It wouldn’t do to laugh in Cyn’s face.
“She told me her adopted son would take care of it when the time was right.”
Tabby’s shoulders shook. She hoped her arms were muffling her laughter.
