Chapter 346

We shifted and faced the bear side by side.

“Watch out for its claws,” Victor advised. “They are as deadly as its teeth.”

But the bear was startled by the change in our size and appearance. It roared and shook its head at us. We snarled at it, showing our fangs and pawing the ground in answer.

Working together, our wolves forced the bear to move out of the cave’s entrance. We followed it out of the cave and into the open.

“Don’t run yet, my love,” Victor warned. “We must slowly back away from the bear. If it charges us, don’t turn and run. We will fight it off together.”

The bear understood it was outnumbered, and we weren’t looking for a fight. But it knew we would fight if it made us defend ourselves. It allowed us to retreat to the lakeshore, and it ran back toward the cave.

“Let’s go,” Adam said. “Before it changes its mind.”

“Have you never seen a bear before, Adam?” Diana asked.

“No,” he replied. “And I never want to see another. They are unpredictable beasts. I’d rather fight a half dozen wolves.”

“Adam is correct about leaving this area,” Victor said. “Daisy, you and Diana begin walking toward William’s cabin. Adam and I will be behind you, watching for any sign the bear is following us. Stay alert to any sign of an attack.”

Diana and I followed Victor’s instructions and soon found ourselves on the other side of the lake.

“We can run the rest of the way back to the cabin,” Victor said. “The danger is over.”

We raced to the rear of the cabin and shifted in the early morning sunshine. After grabbing my robe and Victor’s jeans, we went inside through the kitchen door.

Sneaking upstairs, we went to the shower before dressing for the day. We made it downstairs moments after William had the coffee brewing.

“Did you two have a nice run this morning?” William asked as he handed us mugs. “It looks like a beautiful morning.”

I accepted the mug, smirked, and let Victor answer the question.

“It was fantastic …until we ran into a huge bear,” he told William.

“Did you go near the cave on the other side of the lake?” William began to pour coffee.

“Yeah,” I answered and let him fill my mug with steaming fragrant coffee. “And the creature let us know he didn’t like us trespassing in his territory.”

“The locals warned me a large black bear moved into the cave a couple months ago,” William said. “Nobody is going near the area until the bear moves on. I should have told you about it.”

“All’s well that ends well,” I said. “But I’m glad there were two of us.”

A frisson of fear ran down my spine when I thought of Victor running into that bear when he was alone. It was a good thing I woke up when I did this morning and went after him.

“Good morning!” Penny chirped as she entered the kitchen. She looked rested and pretty in a pink hoodie and faded jeans.

“Good morning,” everyone answered.

“Victor and Daisy went for a run this morning before I warned them about the bear on the other side of the lake,” William told her.

“Oh no! You didn’t see it, did you?” she asked in horror.

“Saw it, got caught in its cave, and fought it off,” I replied casually.

Penny put an arm around my shoulders. “You are much braver than me. I would have died of fright.”

“You never know how brave you can be until you have no choice,” I said. “I do not doubt you’d be just as brave if you needed to be.”

“You’re as nice as you are brave, Daisy.” Penny grinned.

I returned Penny’s smile. She was sweet and kind, making her the perfect mate for William.

“What’s for breakfast?” William asked his mate. “I saw bacon in the fridge.”

Penny smiled and touched William’s arm. “How does bacon, eggs, and toast sound?”

“Over easy, please.” William put an arm around Penny’s thin waist and kissed her lips.

Her eyes glowed with love before he turned back to Victor. I really was happy for them both.

I fried the bacon while Penny prepared the eggs and toast. Then we sat down to breakfast together with our mates.

It was a pleasant breakfast with good conversation and occasional laughter until Penny brought up a serious topic.

“Hayburg University and the town are having trouble with a new street drug,” she said.

“I heard it was just a rumor,” William said. “Who would want to put that kind of garbage into their body?”

“No, I heard the same thing is happening in Denhurst,” Victor said. “They call the drug Ice.”

“Yes, that’s it,” Penny agreed. “It’s horribly addictive and fairly cheap. That must be why it’s gaining such popularity with young Betas.”

“What else have you heard, Penny?” Victor asked. “I need to know more before I can try to shut it down.”

Penny sipped her juice. “My cousin goes to school at Hayburg U. He knows other kids who use it. They told him it gives you a feeling of euphoria while giving you energy.”

Her eyes widened. “He also said It makes some of the people who use it violent. They hallucinate and harm themselves or anyone who tries to help them.”

“How horrible,” I said. “I never understood why people enjoy being out of control.”

“Some people can’t deal with things that have happened to them,” Penny said, seeming wiser than her eighteen years. “Many are afraid of the future, or failure, or they fear for loved ones.”

“You’re right,” I agreed. “I shouldn’t judge anyone unless I’ve lived their life.”

“I’ll put a team on finding where Ice is coming from,” Victor decided. “It cannot remain on our streets or in our schools. And these people who need help dealing with their lives should have help available.”

“That’s a wise and compassionate decision,” I told Victor. “You are a great leader.”

“Here, here.” William raised his glass of juice. “To Victor. May he lead our society into peace and prosperity for all.”

After breakfast, we went to the dock with our kayaks, paddles, and a cooler of sandwiches and drinks for later.

We paddled around the lake, enjoying the peaceful lapping of the water and the sun on our shoulders.

When we got to the spot near the bear’s cave, I insisted we give the area a wide berth.

“Can bears swim?” Penny asked as she kept an eye on the shoreline.

“Yep,” William answered. “And they swim faster than us.”

Penny began paddling harder to get clear of the shore near the cave.

“As long as we don’t invade his home, the bear will keep his distance,” Victor assured her.

“Let’s check out the western shoreline,” I suggested. I understood Penny’s nervousness. Facing the bear was horrifying.

We were hungry again by noon and returned to the dock to eat lunch. William and Victor talked football, and I sat beside Penny while eating our sandwiches.

“The lake is lovely, but William promised to take me to the beach for our honeymoon,” Penny confided.

“Victor has a beach house you can borrow if you like,” I offered.

Penny gave me a bright smile. “That would be nice. I hope we become closer friends, Daisy. You’re so kind, and I admire you very much.”

I blushed, but I knew Penny was sincere. It wasn’t in her nature to lie or use false flattery.

“I think we are off to a good start,” I said and grinned at William and Victor sitting at the end of the dock, still discussing football.

After another ride around the lake, we returned to the cabin to rest.

When we got to our bedroom, Victor checked his voicemail and grumbled when he found several messages from Findlay.

They all said the same thing. “Call me as soon as you get this message.”

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

Victor cringed. “I don’t know, and I don’t want to know. Is it selfish of me to want one peaceful weekend with you?”

“I don’t think it does,” I replied. “But you aren’t going to be able to relax until you call Findlay and find out what is so important.”

Victor kissed me before dialing his assistant’s number.

Findlay answered on the second ring. “Victor, you must not be watching the news.”

“I haven’t been near a television since yesterday afternoon before I called you to let you know I was going away for the weekend,” Victor reminded him. “What’s going on?”

“A lot,” Findlay replied. “I’ll tell you everything when you get here. You are needed at The Association immediately.”

“I’m leaving here in five minutes, and I’ll be there as soon as possible,” Victor said.