Undercover Bear Portland: Logan (BBW Paranormal Bear Shifter Romance) Read online

  He said it barely above a whisper. I crossed the room and bent down slightly so that I was below his face. “What did you say?”

  He shifted his eyes to the left and the right, even though we were the only two in the room. “Two of the elders know, it will only be a matter of time before the rest of them find out. Your due in just a week. I don't know what will happen after that. I don't know why you left the other guy, but trust me nothing is as bad as your fate might be if you stay here. I can contact him from work. I can have him come get you. Take you somewhere, I'll need help from some other clan members, but some of these guys trust me. I could ask this of them.”

  My heart fluttered in my chest. I had to keep my baby safe, once again, I was on the run.

  “My mother will help you. She understands.”

  I told him the number over and over again for the next minute until my father opened the door. He didn't say goodbye or make eye contact to tell me that he understood before he left, just looked out the same way he came.

  “That will be the last visitor that you have until the child is born. Then we will assess your membership in the clan. Have a good week.” My father had such a coldness in his eyes. He spoke to me like I was a stranger. He could barely look at me.

  I sat back down on the cot and laid back turning onto my side. I rubbed my belly and hummed to myself and to my baby while thoughts swirled around my head.

  What would the elders do if they found out? What would happen to me and my baby?

  13

  LOGAN

  I was sitting on my desk a week later shuffling through some papers when I heard Marco from behind me. “Logan, there's a lady here to see you. She's up at the front desk. She says it's important.”

  I rolled my eyes. Every little lady that wanted to tell us that her cat had gotten stuck up in a tree was an emergency. As soon as I had the thought I felt bad about it. Ever since Maggie had left I had been in a terrible mood. I'd gone down to the woods to run a couple times but it seemed like my bear would never be satisfied. He was so worried about her, so was I.

  “Thanks man. I’ll go check it out.”

  Marco walked away, I could hear his footfalls, always heavier than our human counterparts. The guys had been avoiding me. They were practically skittish around me, acting as if at any moment I could lash out at them. But I guess I had been in kind of a bad mood. I had been doing my best to keep it to myself but maybe I was letting all the stress get to me. All the fear of what was happening to Maggie at this very moment.

  I pushed away from my desk and walked towards the hall that led me to the registration desk. Standing there was a woman with bright red hair, hair the matched Maggie's. For a moment, I couldn’t breathe.

  “This woman says she has information about a missing person. She asked for you specifically.” The uniform sat at the desk, a woman I wasn't familiar with.

  “Thanks officer, I'll take her into a private room.” I led the way with my hand in front of the woman and she began to walk. She looked terrified. Her eyes were constantly shifting back and forth as if at any moment one of us would attack her. She had on a long dark skirt, boots peeked out underneath, on top of another dark-colored long-sleeved shirt with shawls wrapped around her shoulders. It was early fall, certainly not cold enough for all the clothing. “Are you cold? I could grab you some coffee.”

  She shook her head vehemently back and forth. “No thank you.”

  I opened an interrogation room and turned on the light. She didn't sit down. “What can I do for you?” I asked as I sat down on the corner of the table. I tried to act casual, if I was right, this was Maggie's mother. I didn't want to spook her.

  “You know why I am here.”

  “I have an idea. How are you related to Maggie?”

  Her eyes widened at Maggie's name. “I'm her mother. You're the one she talks about. You’re her mate.”

  I straightened instinctually. My bear growled underneath my skin and I craned my neck.

  “You knew it already. Or at least your shifters side did, I've never met a half breed before. We know as soon as we meet them of course. We can hardly contain the urges. I guess your human side squashes some of that. You have to know she's in danger.”

  I stood from the table towering over her. “Danger? What kind of danger?”

  She crossed her arms and paced in front of me. “Some of the elders of our camp know that her baby is not a full-blooded shifter. None of us know exactly what he or she is yet, but I'm afraid of what will happen when we find out. She has to come back, to you, to the human world. She can't stay with us anymore, it's not safe for her baby.”

  I took a deep breath. “How does the rest of your family feel? You don’t want her there either?”

  She shook her head. “They don't know what they want. But I know what she wants. She wants you. And whatever life it is that you will give her, that is what she’ll have. She has no place among us anymore, and as much as it pains me to say it, she doesn't belong there. She belongs with her mate. You're the only one who can truly protect her now. They’ll try to keep her there. Do their own tests and voodoo, but she can’t go through that. No mother wants to see their child in this much pain.”

  “But how am I supposed to get her? I don't even know where this camp is! Not to mention I'm guessing that she's pretty heavily guarded, I mean you're talking like she's practically a prisoner there.”

  She chewed on her lower lip and twirled her red hair around her finger just like Maggie did. “She is. Once the baby is born she won’t be a prisoner any longer. She will be tried for treason, for leaving the camp and living among humans.”

  “What about you? What happens when they find out you helped her escape? That you came down here at all?”

  She put her hands up in protest. “Don't worry about me. My bloodline and my husband will protect me, but Maggie has had too many mistakes. She used to be a bit of a wild child. I'm not sure if you knew her then.”

  I thought back to that night that we had together. I knew all about how feisty Maggie could be. It was one of the things that I adored about her. But I hadn't had a chance to see that side of her in quite some time, even though she'd loosened up dramatically in the past few months, there was still so much fear within her. She still wasn't the same girl that she was that night at the bar. Not since the hospital.

  “She won’t listen to me. She doesn't want them testing her, but, but I don't know how to get around that if she has the baby here. Everyone just want answers, results. She’ll have to provide them with that.”

  “She'll have to go back to the hospital, won’t she?”

  I nodded. “Not the same one, United is still closed because of the investigation. But yes she’ll have to have this baby with modern medicine for sure. She's gone to see a friend of mine, Dr. Evans, a few times. I think she trusts her enough to help with the delivery. But I know she'd rather have someone there that she trusts fully, someone like you.”

  She shook her head, “I can't be there. As you said yourself you know that me coming here was a huge risk. I can't defy the camp and come to a human hospital. It's just not the way of our people.”

  “You think she’ll come? That she’ll actually go through with this?”

  She walked towards me and held out her hand. She took one of mine between her own and squeezed tightly. “I think with you, she'll do anything. Maggie is from the old ways; she knows what it means to have a mate. It's binding, forever. I always wanted my daughter to experience that type of love, and I think that her heart chose properly here. You seem like a good man who cares for her. She needs you.”

  And I needed her.

  “Okay, what am I supposed to do?”

  “Take me back up to the camp, I'll create a distraction and tell you where she is. You take her and you don't ever look back. Protect her, with whatever means necessary.”

  I nodded. “Whatever means necessary.” I knew what that meant. I didn’t want to hurt any of Maggie’s kin,
but I would do whatever it took to get her back. I’d been on missions before, blood on my hands was nothing new.

  I was going to get Maggie. I was finally going to have my mate.

  14

  MAGGIE

  I laid my head back against the scratchy sheets on the cot. I rubbed my stomach, trying to calm down a very anxious baby who wanted to be free.

  “Just stay in a little bit longer. I'm not quite ready to meet you yet.”

  The sun had just set and I lit a candle next to the bed. I watched the flame flicker as the shadows danced along the walls. It was just enough of the soft glow that I could see the interior of the cabin. When I looked out through the window into the night, all that I saw was darkness.

  It had been days since I'd seen my mother. I thought I had made my wishes apparent, that I had to leave to keep my baby and myself safe. She and Zane had to find Logan and he would help me escape, but nothing had happened. I started to give up hope. I got up off of the cot and began to pace, it was about time for someone to bring me dinner and some water, but no one came. I was about to open the door and ask for something to eat when I heard a thump where the guard usually stood.

  Was this it? Were the elders coming for me?

  I shuddered at the fact that I may never even meet my child. This may be the end.

  “Maggie?” I heard a voice coming through the door in a rushed whisper.

  “Hello? Who’s there?” I grabbed the candle. I didn’t know what I would do with it if it was someone trying to take me. Maybe burn the whole place down if there was no other option. Anything to get away.

  The door opened just a crack and I peered around to see Logan's gentle eyes staring back at me. “Logan? Oh my God Logan!” Relief flooded me as I set the candle back down. He pushed the door open and walked in and within moments I was in his arms. I wrapped my arms around his neck and squeezed him as tight as I could all while he laid kisses on my forehead and my cheeks.

  “You’re okay! I'm so glad you're okay.”

  “Me too! I can't believe you're here. But what about the guard?”

  “He won't be waking up for a while. I put him in a chokehold, I haven’t done that in a while. Still seems to be as effective as I remember.”

  I rolled my eyes and laughed at him. I really laughed. It was the first time in a while. “I'm sorry I was so stupid. Blame hormones or something, I never should've left you! I had no idea what they would do to me when I came back. But this?” I asked as a raised my hands around my body gesturing to the cabin. “I never thought they would do something like this. The elders don't trust me. Or the baby that I'm carrying. And he's just been so active lately…”

  Logan interrupted, “He? You're having a boy?”

  I shrugged. “I think maybe? I feel like I am. Not that I’ve even come up with names or anything. I've been sitting here by myself for a week, you’d think I would have spent my time more wisely.”

  He shook his head laughing. “But I know you better.”

  I smiled at him. “So what's the plan rescuer? How the hell are we getting out of here?”

  He shrugged. “Mostly grab your stuff and let's go! Your mom intercepted your dinner so that way they think that she's bringing it to you. Then she gave a signal to take out the guard. I did my job; I hope you know these woods. I've no idea how the hell she got us up here.”

  The woods I could handle, the shifters within them? Not so much. But with Logan protecting me, I knew we would make it down the mountain safely.

  “Follow me.” I took nothing with me. I backed him up over the threshold and laid a sweet kiss on his lips. “Thank you for coming for me.”

  He shook his head in disbelief. “I was so angry when you left, none of that matters now. I just needed to be with you. I was so stupid not to tell you how I really felt. I wanted you to move in with me! You and the baby and I, like a real family. That's what I want.”

  I felt my heart swell in my chest. “That's what I want too. After we get out of here.” I took his hand and started walking away from the camp. I took one last look over my shoulder and saw the smoke from the nightly bonfire from a few hundred yards away. This was the last time I would ever set eyes on the clan. I did my best to swallow my sadness. This wasn’t the place for me anymore. This wasn't my home. I took a deep breath and pulled Logan behind me as I began to walk away from the only real family I ever had. Now it was time to build my own.

  15

  LOGAN

  I couldn't believe how easy it had been. Just one guard to take out, they clearly underestimated that anyone would be coming for her. She moved swiftly down the mountainside, especially for a woman who was about to have a baby. I followed her and held her hand, and trying to steady her at any point I felt unsafe. At one point I could tell she needed a break.

  “We’re far enough away from the camp now, why don’t you sit down for a moment? I’ll keep watch.”

  Her breathing had become labored and she nodded without speaking. She held onto her belly as I helped her sit down. I turned my back on her and scanned the trees. For the moment, nothing was coming.

  “Do you think they will come for you?”

  She shook her head. “I doubt it. I was just a problem to them.”

  “You aren’t a problem to your mother. I could tell how hard it was to give you up. She was really struggling.” I said as I peered into the night. Out of the corner my eye I saw sleek movement in the trees. Light reflected off of its back and for a moment I saw the fur of a gray wolf. Whether it was shifter or natural I couldn't tell. My bear couldn't handle any other animal being this close to my mate. I started to strip.

  “Logan! What are you doing? We have to go!”

  “I need to handle some business first.” I took my pants off and stood naked in the moonlight for only a second before I felt my bones begin to crack. Claws sprang from my hands and I lifted my head up into the air and shook out my body as the fur covered my skin. Within a minute I was pacing back and forth as a bear in front of Maggie and the log she sat on.

  “What do you see?” She asked me suddenly realizing that we were in danger. I didn't look back at her. I made a circle around where she was sitting patrolling the area and that's when I spotted him. The gray wolf walked away from where Maggie was sitting, almost like he was beckoning me toward him. Clearly this wasn't a natural animal. Was this a trap? Were there others? I lifted my snout and smelled only the lone wolf.

  I took a look over my shoulder and Maggie was squinting into the darkness, looking for danger. As long as I stayed in bear form I could get back to her if anything happened. The wolf sat only about twenty feet away in an opening of the trees. I meandered towards him but left space between us. The trees protected me. He was faster than I was, but I was stronger. The trees gave me the elements that I needed if I had to fight him.

  I watched as the wolf stretched out his limbs and changed from an animal into a man. I stayed in my bear form ready to protect my mate if I had to. Moments later a guy just a little younger than me stood in front of me.

  “Don't kill me. I promise I won't tell anyone about you and Maggie leaving. I told her I would help her if I could. I’m on duty, her mother and I planned it that way. But that's not what this is about. I'm here to warn you. I've been a member of the clan for my entire life. I believe in their values and traditions. But some of them are more rebellious than others. I'm glad you're taking her. She's not safe here, not even with me and her mother watching out for. But you have to know that you're not safe in the city either. Keep her close to you. Or you risk losing her forever.”

  What the hell did that mean? I wanted more, but he took off into the woods and I couldn’t waste time chasing him. We needed to move on. I went back to Maggie standing on trembling legs looking terrified.

  “What's going on?”

  I shook my body hard breaking out of my bear form shifting back into a human. I threw my clothes on as quickly as possible. “Some warning? About the clan being rebelliou
s? Do you have any idea what that was about?”

  She shook her head. “No but I don't want to. Logan, I'm tired. I just want to go home.”

  Home. She meant my home. The home where we would raise our cub. I took her hand and I led her down the mountain through the trees. I would take her home, and I would heed the wolf’s warning. I'd keep her safe. I had to.

  We continued to walk in silence for a few minutes, the only sounds were the crunching on leaves beneath our feet and her labored breathing. She stopped again suddenly.

  “Logan?” She asked timidly.

  “Yeah?”

  “We’re not going home yet. We need to go to a hospital.”

  “Why? What’s wrong?”

  “My water broke.”

  My mind raced. “Screw this.” I grabbed her and picked her up, running the rest of the way down the mountainside.

  We reached the Jeep and I got her inside. “You okay?”

  She nodded smiling. “I am now.”

  16

  MAGGIE

  I cradled the newborn in my arms. I had never known what it was like love something so much until this very moment. He was perfect. He had ten little fingers and had ten little toes and looking at him you would have no idea that he was different. The test had revealed so much more.

  I watched Logan as he continued to speak with Dr. Evans’ assistant in the corner, constantly shifting his eyes in our direction. I told him I didn't want to know. That was a lie. But no matter what was happening with Jacob, I wouldn't let it sway my decision of how I cared for my child. The assistant took a chart off of the edge of my bed and he quietly exited the room.

  Logan turned to me, balloons popping up over his head as they bumped against the ceiling. Lydia, Shane, and Marco had already been here. They passed around Jacob like he was porcelain, signifying his fragility under their powerful shifter hands. He was so new to all of us. For me, he'd been around the longest. And he was just as active in my arms as he had been in the womb. Constantly yawning and stretching and moving his little fingers. I never wanted to put him down.