Catching Her Bear Read online

  Catching Her Bear

  Weres & Witches of Silver Lake

  Book 2

  Vella Day

  Copyright © 2016 Vella Day

  CATCHING HER BEAR

  Copyright © 2016 by Vella Day

  All Romance Ebooks Edition

  www.velladay.com

  [email protected]

  Cover Art by Jaycee DeLorenzo

  Edited by Rebecca Cartee and Carol Adcock-Bezzo

  Published in the United States of America

  E-book ISBN: 978-1-941835-21-0

  Print book ISBN: 978-1-941835-22-7

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author except in the case of brief questions embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  Table of Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Epigraph

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Epilogue

  Excerpt from Surge Of Magic

  Other Books by the Author

  About the Author

  Beneath the calm and shimmering surface lie intrigue, power, magic, and danger.

  Welcome to Silver Lake—where appearances can be deceiving, and what you see isn’t truly what lies below.

  Chapter One

  ‡

  Brother Jacob stood behind the hand carved table on the raised platform and shut the lid to his laptop. He then held up his hand to quiet the Changeling Council members sitting on unforgiving wooden chairs before him. The dim lights flickering from the six gas sconces barely illuminated their faces, and the black wool curtains covering the cement walls added the air of mystery and secrecy.

  Once the ten-member group settled, he glanced at the two new room additions that he’d personally commissioned. Fine pieces of work. The two statues had a human bottom half, but from the shoulders up, they were pure Changeling wolf, complete with red onyx eyes that were lit from behind.

  He returned his attention to his men whose eyes were focused solely on him. Three of the members had failed to don their robes. They would suffer for that slight.

  Using his most commanding Alpha tone, he addressed. “Brother Chris, tell us that you’ve procured the sardonyx.”

  This blood colored stone, when imbued with a powerful curse could extract the powers from a Wendayan. On the red moon, this magic could be transferred to one of them. The Changelings could dominate all of Silver Lake and beyond if they were able to harness the witches’ magic.

  “Not yet, Brother Jacob. The Stanleys are claiming that the Indian mine where they found the last shipment of stone is now closed, but they are scouring the world for another source. As you know, that particular red stone is difficult to locate.”

  Jacob slammed his hand on the table, the sound reverberating in the small room. “Unacceptable! Tell them they have one week or they die.” He didn’t bother wiping the spittle from his chin.

  “Yes, Brother Jacob.”

  *

  Kalan Murdoch, the werebear Beta of the shifter Clan of wolves and bears, sat in his Alpha’s living room, pad of paper in hand, discussing their duties as newly appointed leaders in Silver Lake, Tennessee. Even at ten in the morning, his eyes were tired from taking notes, and the strong coffee Rye’s mate had made for them didn’t seem to be working at all.

  Right after Izzy had moved in, she’d placed a lamp next to the lounge chair, but even that didn’t provide enough light to see well. He did appreciate the added crystals, colorful candles in all shapes and sizes, and some much needed throw pillows, like the one supporting his back to the stark black leather décor from before.

  Kalan pointed his pen at Rye. “Here’s a thought. We could exact enough pink quartz from the bottom of the lake to give a piece to everyone.” The recent rash of robberies and fires had alarmed some of the members, and the quartz would provide a modicum of protection against the evil and ever illusive Changelings. Personally, he’d never used the stuff, but rumor had it that great power resided in the quartz.

  Ryerson McKinnon, his Alpha, propped his feet on the wooden coffee table. “It’s not like it’s their Kryptonite. Only a massive amount of the stone from the bottom of Silver Lake seems to disrupt the Changelings’ powers whenever they enter our land.”

  “Do you think something the size of Izzy’s quartz crystals would have an effect on one of them?” He bet that if a Changeling ever walked into this room, he would definitely feel his powers drained immediately.

  “I doubt it, which is why we need to get closer to them and find out what they’re up to. Stop them before they can do more damage. You’re the cop. There has to be something you can do.”

  “Not without attracting attention.” The sheriff wasn’t even aware shifters existed, so Kalan wouldn’t be getting any support from his department. “Perhaps James can help.”

  James was their resident immortal and husband to their moon goddess, Naliana. He had a Changeling contact who had previously helped in locating Izzy after that Scottish Changeling had come to capture Rye’s mate.

  “I don’t want to rely on him for everything,” Rye said.

  “Asking for help a few times isn’t exactly relying on him. If you don’t want to go that route, what do you propose?” Kalan asked.

  “Not sure. Izzy might have been joking at the time, but she suggested we find someone to go undercover to infiltrate their ranks.”

  Kalan laughed. “Right, that would be a death sentence.”

  “Not if we hire an out-of-towner, someone who has experience working with Changelings.”

  “Good luck finding him. Our kind doesn’t exactly advertise in the Yellow Pages.”

  “I can be patient.” Rye leaned forward, snatched his cup off the table, and tipped it back. “Did I mention Izzy’s birthday is in two days, and that we’re going to have a little get together here this weekend?”

  Kalan had to assume the discussion about how to handle the Changelings was now closed so he tossed the pad at his feet. “No. Then again, you’ve been a bit preoccupied.”

  His best friend grinned. “I’m telling you, having Izzy in my life has been the best thing that has ever happened to me.”

  Kalan could tell where this conversation was going, and he needed to nip it in the bud. “I’m happy the two of you are mated, but just so you know, I’m perfectly content being single.” As a deputy and part time detective in the criminal division of the sheriff’s department, he worked erratic hours. Sampling the women of Silver Lake whenever the need arose worked perfectly for his lifestyle. More importantly, now that he was the new Beta of the large Clan, he didn’t need to be tied down. “What can I bring to the party?”

  “Nothing. I’m barbequing some burgers and stuff. I think Izzy’s mom and sister are doing the rest.”

&n
bsp; Kalan wasn’t the type to arrive empty-handed. He’d at least buy Izzy a gift. Easing off the lounge chair, he grabbed his empty coffee cup, walked over to the kitchen, and set it in the sink. “Gotta get back to work.” Before taking a step, his cell rang and he checked the caller ID. “Speak of the devil.”

  Rye stood. “Go ahead and answer it. If our paths don’t cross beforehand, I’ll see you Saturday.”

  “You got it.”

  As Kalan left Rye’s, he answered his phone. “Murdoch.”

  “It’s Phil.” Phil Smythe was his boss and the head of the Criminal Division.

  “I was just on my way in,” Kalan said.

  While the day was overcast, the warm late summer air was scented with the sweet aroma of pine from the surrounding forest.

  “Good, but first I need you to run down a lead. It’s regarding the Donaldson warehouse fire. When we brought in the owner last month, he claimed he was at a church social that night, but now a witness has come forward who puts him someplace else. I need you to speak with the pastor for confirmation.”

  “I’ll check it out.”

  Kalan hopped in his freshly washed Jeep and headed into town. As he passed the colorfully painted Blooms of Hope flower shop, located across the street from where Izzy worked, an idea popped into his head. He’d check out the lead then buy Izzy a birthday bouquet. That seemed like a safe gift. Women liked flowers, and he’d been told it stayed fresh for a couple of days at least.

  On the edge of town, Kalan parked in front of Hope Church, a white wooden structure graced with a tall, beautiful spire. From the outside, it looked pious as hell, especially with the stone statue garden off to the side that included the heavenly family and a host of other saints. He’d always wondered if he hadn’t met a real goddess, what his belief system might have been. Now wasn’t the time, however, to debate the validity of religion.

  He eased out of his Jeep. Not wanting to be disrespectful, he drew back his wavy locks and secured it with a rubber band before heading inside. His eyes quickly adjusted to the low light, most of which was coming from the beautiful stained glass window above the altar. Kalan inhaled the rich scent of fresh furniture polish and let his muscles relax.

  He had to admit the cushions on the wooden pews made it rather homey. No one was inside praying, or whatever a person did inside a church, but he had to believe the pastor was around somewhere.

  Thinking that the door off to the side of the rather austere altar might house some offices, Kalan went in search of the man. After passing a series of religious photos on the wall, Kalan located him at the end of the hallway.

  The door to his office sat ajar, and a man wearing glasses and a buttoned down shirt was sitting at his desk. Kalan knocked and entered. “Excuse me.” He held up his badge.

  The pastor slipped off his glasses and set them down, shoved back his chair, and then stood. “Yes, officer, how may I help you?”

  “I need to ask you about one of your parishioners, a Jack Donaldson.”

  “What about him?” His tone, along with slightly pinched lips, implied he was ready to defend the man at any cost.

  “I need to know whether or not he was at your church social on the 13th of last month.”

  “He most certainly was. In fact, I spoke with him about his daughter.”

  “What time was that?”

  The pastor ran a hand over his chin. “I can’t say when our conversation occurred exactly, but the social ran from six to nine, and Jack Donaldson was here the whole time. He’s such a wonderful man. Never misses church.”

  Well, that was a bust. The fire department said the blaze had been set around seven. Not that Kalan thought the pastor would lie, but to be thorough he wanted to touch base with a few others as well as the eyewitness who put Donaldson someplace else. “Do you have a list of the guests who attended?”

  “They all signed in. If you give me a moment, I’ll make you a copy.”

  “That would be great. Thanks.”

  The pastor pulled open a desk drawer and extracted a book. He then made a photocopy on his scanner and printed it. “Here you go.”

  Jeez. It was three pages of names. “Appreciate it.”

  “Any time. Say, I haven’t seen you in church.”

  “Been busy,” Kalan replied. He didn’t want to discuss his habits and waved the papers. “Best be going. Thanks again.”

  “Come again soon, son.”

  Kalan didn’t respond. He glanced down at the papers again and hoped one of these names could provide a lead. Because most of these folks would be at work for another few hours, he decided to purchase the flowers for Izzy then head into the station.

  As he drove closer to the Blooms of Hope flower shop, a parking space freed up in front, which he considered good karma. Passing the display window before the entrance, he stopped, spotting the perfect gift for Izzy. It was a vase of pink, red, white, and orange wild flowers behind a cute stuffed wolf. Izzy and her wild, magical ways would love it. That was the easiest present he’d ever found.

  When he stepped inside the fragrant smelling shop to purchase the gift, the ease he’d just experienced totally disappeared. His heart fluttered and his incisors lengthened. Holy shit. He didn’t detect a shifter close by, so there was no need for his body to go into fight mode. Something was seriously wrong.

  Behind the counter stood a woman about twenty-five or so, with her hair in a braid and more tattoos on her arm than there were flowers in the shop. She was placing pink roses in a long box for a customer. Nothing about that should have triggered his unwanted reaction. A large glass cooler filled with flowers of every kind lined one wall, but as a bear shifter, he wasn’t allergic to anything relating to the outdoors, so he shouldn’t be feeling light-headed.

  The clerk packaging the flowers for the customer turned her head toward the back. “Elana, customer,” she called.

  Elana, Elana. He mentally snapped his fingers. Izzy’s friend was named Elana. When he was at the Emergency Room the day Rye had been injured, he’d also had a strange feeling he couldn’t identify. His only thought at the time was that he had to get out of the waiting room. Hell, he’d been so flustered he’d walked right into the closed glass door.

  “Hello,” Elana said, stepping out from the back, her voice like a smooth malt whiskey.

  Dark hair with hints of red lay around her shoulders. This time she’d let it hang loose instead of pulling it back in a ponytail, and boy what a difference that made. Her soft, blue eyes looked dreamy, almost as if she’d been sniffing too many flowers or something and had gotten high.

  His heart nearly stopped when his eyes lowered to her perfect pink lips, the exact shade as the rose petals her assistant was stuffing into the cardboard box. As he let his gaze roam from her eyes, over her chest, and then down to her legs and back up to her face again, his nails began to grow and it totally freaked him out. What the hell was wrong with him? She was a mere human.

  But what man or rather shifter could resist drinking her in? The top of her head was no higher than his chest, and her tits looked to be about a D cup, enough to fill his big hands. And her lush hips? Man, they were made to cradle a man in ecstasy.

  Where the hell did those thoughts come from?

  Say something, you oaf. “Hey there. Remember me? Kalan Murdoch. I’m Rye’s friend.”

  “Oh, sure. Elana Stanley.”

  They shook hands, and the second he touched her, his bear went crazy, screaming mate, mate.

  Kalan had no idea where he came up with that idea. A human who wasn’t a Wendayan could never be his mate.

  “When Rye was released from the hospital I, ah, heard you gave him a lift back,” Kalan said. “That was really nice of you. Just so you don’t think I’m a jerk, I would have driven him but I was called back to work.” Babble, babble…

  That was bull and totally lame. He hadn’t even received or made a call when he was there.

  “Thanks. I heard he’s doing well.”

&nb
sp; “He is.” Kalan might have elaborated, but every word in his head seemed to have evaporated. Even concentrating took effort.

  Focus.

  He couldn’t. Something was happening that scared the shit out of him. Kalan Murdoch was always in control—unless he was in the presence of Elana it seemed.

  “Are you here for some flowers?”

  “Flowers, yes. I saw a display in the window along with a stuffed wolf that would make a perfect gift.”

  She smiled, but her eyes didn’t light up. In fact, she appeared to be in pain. For the life of him, he couldn’t think of what he’d said to make her so sad.

  “The ones with the wild flowers?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’ll make one up for you.”

  He wanted to say he’d take the one in the window as that would hurry things along, but when she rushed over to the flower cooler, he didn’t want to make things worse for her. As soon as the first customer left the store, the girl working the register stepped into the back. Alone with Elana, his senses heightened. Kalan placed a hand to his forehead thinking he might be coming down with something.

  Elana carried the fresh flowers and vase to the counter and began to arrange them. Mesmerized by her agility and care, Kalan slowly lifted his gaze to her face. While not classically beautiful, Elana Stanley was a striking woman who made his libido pound with unwanted desire—or at least it was unwanted at the moment.

  “Here’s the wolf,” the clerk said waving the stuffed animal. “You want me to ring him up, Elana?”

  Her smile seemed to wobble. “Sure.”

  It then hit him like a stampede of wild boar. “You’re friends with Izzy. Do you think she’ll like this for her birthday?”

  As if the sun peaked out from the clouds, she grinned. “Absolutely. In fact, a while ago, she was admiring the one in the window.”

  Relieved he’d picked out something his Alpha’s mate would like, he withdrew his credit card and handed it to the tattooed girl at the counter.

  “Are you going to Izzy’s birthday party?” he asked. She was Izzy’s best friend, so it made sense she would be.