Smokejumpers Werebear 6: Quint and Lystra Read online

  It was far enough from the camp that Quint could walk over and see if Beckett was there. He wasn’t going to say anything about Lystra and Micha if his Crew wasn’t there. Beckett may trust this guy but Quint had never met him.

  He leaned forward into the dragon’s ear. “That white rock,” he said, pointing.

  The dragon banked right and descended towards the spot. They have to be here. Quint didn’t know where to go next if he was wrong. Maybe Canada?

  A figure walking in a valley caught Quint’s eye. His pulse sped up. The figure was walking with large bundles of firewood under each arm.

  Quint swallowed hard and smiled. He had unfinished business with that guy and he was about to get some long, awaited payback.

  “Fly over that guy,” he whispered, pointing to the man. “Quietly.”

  He checked and tightened Micha’s straps. He was secure. “I’m going to take the fast way down,” he said to the boy. “Are you going to be okay?”

  “Yes!” he said, proudly. “I can do it. I’m six.”

  Quint glanced over the edge. They were approaching the figure. Quint calculated the distance in his head. The guy had this coming.

  Quint kissed Micha on the cheek and then jumped off the dragon. Wind slapped his body as he sailed down like a laser guided missile, with the laser fixated on the guy’s back.

  “Heads up Motherfucker!” Quint yelled as his feet slammed into Keene’s back.

  The giant bear shifter flew forward in an explosion of loose firewood and skidded face down through the valley. The deep trail of dirt and ripped up grass leading to his groaning body looked like a meteor had just landed.

  “What the hell?” Keene asked turning around, spitting out grass from his big mouth.

  “That is called payback my friend,” Quint said, getting up off the ground and dusting off his pants.

  Keene stood up and ran over. He squeezed his massive arms around Quint and lifted him up. Quint couldn’t breathe.

  Keene smacked a big, wet kiss on his forehead. “We were so worried,” he said.

  “Can’t…breathe…” he whispered, turning blue.

  “Sorry,” Keene said, dropping him. “Wait…where did you come from? Did you just fall out of the sky?” He looked up, squinting.

  Quint smiled. “I found a new friend.”

  “You?” he asked with a chuckle. “Is he a bartender?”

  There was flapping of wings over his head. “Not exactly.”

  Keene’s face dropped as the dragon landed behind Quint. He smiled as he watched his friend’s eyes widen to the size of baseballs.

  Keene was mesmerized. “What the…”

  Quint glanced back at Micha sitting on the back of his mate.

  But they were still in serious trouble. It was enough messing around.

  “Keene,” he said. “Where’s Beckett?”

  ten

  Micha was in a circle of gushing women, all of them saying how adorable he was. Lystra couldn’t agree more. She approached the large tent and glanced back at her boy before she went in. He looked like he was in good hands. The pregnant one, Alexi, promised her that she wouldn’t take her eyes off him. Still. Lystra felt nervous leaving him, even if she was only a few feet away.

  One woman with blond hair tied back in a tight bun and black rimmed glasses on her face was standing in front of a cabin, arguing with Keene. He was trying to calm her down but wasn’t having any luck. She looked pissed.

  Who is that?

  Lystra could hear the hatred in her voice. “I don’t care who he is. He brought an agent here! She was working with Logan. I saw it!”

  Keene ran his hands up and down her arms. “Just let Quint explain,” he whispered softly to her. “He wouldn’t bring her here if it wasn’t important.”

  “I don’t trust her,” she said, glaring at Lystra. “I’m getting another gun.”

  Keene sighed and glanced at Lystra. He gave her a nervous smile and a thumbs up.

  It was time to go in.

  Lystra walked into the tent and caught Quint’s eye. There were four large men with him, sitting at the table.

  Quint stood up and introduced everyone. “This is my alpha Beckett and my second, Ellis,” he said, pointing at the dark haired, muscular guy and the shorter, blond one with the eye patch. “And this is Dexter, alpha of the Rockland Crew, and his second, Mitch.” The two large men nodded at her.

  Dexter sat down studying her with his hard eyes. He was large and handsome and exuded authority. She could see why he was the alpha.

  “What’s going on?” Beckett asked.

  Quint explained to them what happened from his capture to their escape. The four bear shifters listened to him without saying a word. When he was done the room was silent.

  “Do they know that you’re here?” Dexter asked.

  Quint shook his head. “Not a chance. We flew the whole way. They couldn’t have followed us.”

  “Good,” Dexter said, rubbing the stubble on his strong jawline. “You two are welcome to stay here. And the pup too. Unfortunately we have run out of cabins but we can get you a tent.”

  “Thank you,” Lystra said. “If there’s anything that I can do please let me know.”

  Dexter nodded. “When it comes down to it we may need the extra firepower.”

  “When it comes down to what?” she asked.

  Beckett and Dexter glanced at each other. Beckett sighed. “The Shifter Enforcement Agency is too corrupt,” he said.

  “It’s those three wolves,” Mitch said, crossing his arms. “They’ve ruined everything.”

  Lystra couldn’t have agreed more. Rickard, Winston and Marcus were pure evil.

  “The agency has been around for more than two hundred years,” Beckett continued. “It used to be a great organization. It offered protection from shifters from each other and from the humans, it settled disputes, it helped shifters integrate into society and it helped keep our secret safe from the human population in an ethical way. The three leaders, these wolves, have steered the ship off course.”

  “Fucking wolves,” Mitch hissed. “They should never be in charge of anything. They get too power hungry. It’s just the way they are, obsessed with dominance and rank.”

  Quint looked to Beckett. “When it comes down to what boss?”

  Beckett exhaled. “We’re planning an overhaul. Some restructuring of management.”

  “How are you going to do that?” Lystra blurted out. She had seen the stranglehold that the three leaders had placed on the agency. They had run the company with fear, killing any dissenters. But she had also seen agents upset at their new policies. Lystra wondered how many SEA agents would like to see Rickard, Winston and Marcus replaced.

  “That’s what we’re trying to figure out,” Dexter said.

  “If I can help in any way,” Lystra said. “Please count me in.” She wanted those three wolves gone. She wanted to live in a world where she didn’t have to worry about Micha getting kidnapped for her special set of skills.

  Dexter stood up in front of her with his hands in his pockets. “I’ve never seen a dragon before,” he said, his cheeks reddening. “Would you mind?”

  Quint had a big, proud smile on his face.

  Lystra wanted to roll her eyes.

  “Sure.”

  Quint stood back watching the reactions of his Crew as they stood around Lystra’s dragon. He rose his chin and brought his shoulders back as he was swallowed in pride. Nobody in his Crew thought that he could get a girl like that, let alone a dragon shifter. To be honest, he never thought that he could get a girl like that either.

  Sander walked over holding two ceramic glasses. Ah yes.

  “Here you go buddy,” he said, handing him one of them.

  Wine. Delicious wine.

  Quint drank the glass down in one gulp and moaned. “Ahhhh.”

  Sander rolled his eyes and handed Quint the one that he was going to drink. He sipped this one, savoring every drop.


  “I guess I’m the only one with no mate now,” Sander said.

  “You’ll find one,” Quint said, licking his lips.

  “Does she have a sister?” Sander asked with a hopeful look.

  Quint shook his head.

  “Damn.”

  “So what’s it been like here?” Quint asked.

  “Crazy,” Sander said. “Tense. Beckett and Dexter hardly ever come out of that tent. They are always planning.”

  “All of this over a simple misunderstanding.”

  “You know Beckett,” Sander said. “It’s beyond that now. They feel like they have to set the SEA right. He feels like it’s up to them to restore order.”

  Well somebody definitely had to. It was messed up what they were doing to Lystra and Micha. How many more humans and shifters were suffering under their rule?

  A huge, towering, bear shifter walked through the camp. He hardly glanced at the dragon.

  “That’s Ant,” Sander whispered. “We introduced these guys to Bear Blasting and he almost beat Keene.”

  Quint cursed under his breath at having missed it. They had been waiting years for Keene to get beaten.

  “They’re fun guys.” He pointed them all out. “That’s Reacher,” he said pointing to a stocky guy staring at Lystra in awe. “He is really good with the guitar. He’s had all of our women swooning.”

  He pointed at a muscular guy who was petting Lystra’s tale. “That’s Uriah.”

  “What do these guys do?” Quint asked.

  “They work in a mine.”

  Sander glanced at the guy in the kitchen and snorted in disgust. “That’s the only guy that I don’t like. Remy. He’s the cook.” He leaned in close. “His food sucks,” he whispered. “He won’t even let me in the kitchen.”

  Quint punched Sander’s shoulder playfully. He really missed these guys.

  Chloe stormed through the camp with Keene following behind. “You’re upset for nothing,” he said to her.

  She spun on her heels and stuck her finger in his face. “Don’t tell me how to feel,” she snapped.

  Keene jerked his head back. “I didn’t,” he muttered.

  “He killed my father,” she said, “and she was working with him. I’m keeping a close eye on her.” She held her purse close to her hip and stormed off into a cabin with Keene on her heels.

  Sander smiled at Quint and shrugged. “Another drink?”

  eleven

  “I’m really happy,” Lystra said, leaning over and kissing Quint on the lips.

  She tasted like cherries.

  “Me too,” he said. And he meant it. The past three days living in the Rockland Crew camp with Lystra and Micha had been the best of his life. He was excited for this mess with the SEA to be resolved so they could move back to their camp in the Flathead National Forest and have a cabin of their own. There were a million little spots in the surrounding forest that he wanted to show them.

  Micha ran up to them with his closed hand out. He was clutching his toy truck to his body with his other hand. He never went anywhere without it.

  “Look Quint,” Micha said, finally pronouncing his name right. “A grasshopper.”

  He opened his hand and the grasshopper jumped away, sailing on the wind. He hit the ground and jumped again, desperate to escape the six year old.

  “Oh no,” Micha said, looking sad.

  “That’s okay buddy,” Quint replied. “He’s just going home for lunch. He’ll be back. Why don’t you go play with your truck.”

  Micha held out his truck and ran down the path flying it through the air like a toy airplane. “Whoosh.”

  Quint and Lystra sat back and enjoyed the view. They had hiked through the forest for the past hour and we’re taking a break along the hiking path. There were tall, dense trees everywhere. It was so green.

  Micha threw his truck up and it landed on the rocky path. “Crash,” he said.

  Lystra slipped her hand in Quint’s. “He’s really starting to like you,” she said.

  “Really?” Quint asked, perking his shoulders up. He didn’t have a lot of experience around kids but he was getting pretty attached. He loved the enthusiasm and wonder of the boy. He looked at every little thing with such fascination from a button to a shoelace. Micha had Quint flipping over rocks to see bugs, wrestling in tall grass and even had him looking at the stars and imaging what was up there; things that he hadn’t done since he was a kid.

  Quint felt like he had a little sidekick. It had only been a couple of days but Micha was already using some of Quint’s expressions and copying some of his mannerisms. It was adorable and made him feel all squishy inside.

  Micha threw his truck in the air once again and it landed on the rocks. “Oh no,” he cried as his favorite toy broke into pieces. He gathered them up in his arms and ran over to Quint with tears in his eyes.

  “Can you fix it Quint?”

  “Sure buddy,” he said, reaching out for the broken truck. It was pretty broken. He might have to give it to Finch to repair.

  He looked down at the pieces and he gasped, his heart thumping.

  “What is that?” Lystra said, her voice panicked.

  It was a little black box with a green light. Quint turned it over in his hands and read the label: GPS Tracker.

  He immediately crunched it to pieces in his hands. The green light went dark.

  “Hey my truck,” Micha whined.

  Lystra gulped. “That was a-”

  A stinging pain pierced Quint’s neck. He grunted and flinched as fire seared through his blood stream. There was a hand with a syringe buried into Lystra’s neck.

  A man flew between them and snatched Micha into the air.

  Logan.

  He had injected both of them with the serum that would prevent them from phasing and now had his hand around Micha’s neck.

  “No,” Lystra gasped.

  Micha’s feet were dangling. He had lost a shoe. Quint smiled nervously at the terrified boy, trying to make him feel better. It didn’t seem to be working.

  “If I see one scale or one strand of fur, I’ll squeeze,” Logan warned. The side of his face was scarred from burns.

  Quint tried to bring his bear close to the surface, ready to phase if he needed to but he couldn’t. His inner bear was barely moving. It was like his bear had been hit with a tranquilizer dart.

  “Please don’t hurt him,” Lystra pleaded. “I’ll go back to work with you. I’ll do whatever you want.”

  “You’re damn right you will,” he yelled. “But this time you’ll never see your kid again. We’re going to lock him away for good.”

  “Whatever you want,” she said. “Now please put him down.”

  Quint tried to stand up slowly.

  “Don’t move,” Logan snapped, taking a step back. Micha was whimpering in his arms.

  Quint froze.

  “Please,” Lystra begged, her hands shaking. “I’ll follow orders this time. I promise.”

  “Prove it,” Logan said. He turned to Quint. “This man is an escaped prisoner. Execute him.”

  Lystra turned to him, her forehead sweating. She was holding her breath.

  “Momma,” Micha called out.

  Lystra closed her eyes. A tear broke through and ran down her cheek.

  “It’s okay,” Quint whispered. “Do whatever you have to.” He just wanted Micha to be safe.

  He closed his eyes and waited for the hands to wrap around his neck but they never came.

  “Drop the kid,” a new voice said.

  Quint opened his eyes and gasped. Chloe was standing beside Logan with a handgun pointed at his scarred temple.

  Logan froze. “A gun?” He laughed. “I can heal you know?”

  “With a bullet through the brain?” Chloe asked, gripping the gun tighter. “I don’t think so.”

  He swallowed hard. “Drop it,” he ordered, “or I’ll snap the kid’s neck.”

  “You do that and your brains will be splattered all over t
hat tree,” Chloe said. “You took something from me once and I want my payback.”

  “I have money,” he said. “Why don’t you lower the gun and we can talk?”

  “That’s not the kind of payback I want.” She clenched her jaw tight. “I was walking with my father years ago when we crossed paths.” Her knuckles were white from squeezing the gun. “A bear bit him.”

  “A bear,” Logan said with a nervous laugh. “Then why are you blaming me?”

  “A bear that you turned into. I saw it.”

  He shook his head.

  “You took him from me,” Chloe said. “You murdered him.” The gun barrel was shaking.

  “Okay,” Logan said. “I’ll release the kid and then we can talk calmly.”

  He launched Micha into the air. Chloe’s eyes followed the kid and Logan spun around and smacked the gun out of her hand. It flew out of reach as he pounced on her. He wrapped his thick hands around her neck.

  Quint and Lystra lunged forward. Lystra caught Micha as Quint crashed into Logan. The SEA agent flew down with Quint on top of him. Chloe took big gasps of air as she laid on her back, clutching her bruised neck.

  Quint tried to pull his bear to the surface. It wouldn’t come.

  Logan wrestled with him on the ground. The agent was stronger than Quint and flipped him over, digging his knee into Quint’s chest. He rained thunderous fists down into Quint’s face until he was in a blackened daze and unable to move.

  Logan pushed off him and walked towards Lystra and Micha. Quint tried to get up but stumbled back to the ground. He was helpless to watch as the shifter approached his mate.

  “I’m going to kill that kid for this,” Logan hissed. “And then I’m goi-”

  BOOM.

  Logan’s body dropped to the ground.

  Chloe was standing on shaky legs with a smoking gun in her hands.

  Lystra was covering Micha, shielding his eyes with her hand.

  “That was for my Ferdaddy Magellan,” Chloe whispered.

  Quint stumbled up and looked down at the body, through aching and swelling eyes. There was a bullet hole in the back of his head and the hole wasn’t closing.

  He definitely wasn’t getting up from that.