My Unbearable Mate

Bellamy

“A little authority looks good on you, man.” Beau, one of the newest additions at Sawtooth Security, clapped me on the shoulder as he came into the office, coffee in hand, along with Brad, the bear tasked with showing him the ropes.

My bear was more than willing to let the compliment and the slight increase in responsibility go straight to his head. He was a cocky beast and his personality wasn’t anything like how I presented as a human.

“It’s only temporary while Barrett and Tegan are on their mate moon,” I reminded everyone. We’d all come from different clans, and it had been natural for Barrett to take charge of the security operation.

You could’ve been alpha too, my bear loved to remind me. If your mate didn’t—

Nope. Didn’t need to think about that right now. Or ever.

“I can be your second-in-command,” Beau offered, earning a mix of laughter and groans from the rest of the bears at the table, and turning my focus back to the meeting. “Until Barrett gets back.”

A chorus of ooohs rang out. I was about to lose control of these rowdy bear shifters before my first official day at the helm even started.

Maybe that’s not such a bad idea, my bear said. I’d been about to put Beau in his place, but my bear could be onto something. Bellamy and I had talked about if things would work out with Beau. He was young, eager, but he didn’t know his place in the company. Came in with a head of steam and didn’t want to be told what to do.

He was really good at getting the job done, even if he was unpolished. The kid had potential.

“If you want to be second-in-command, you can start with making sure you bring coffee for everyone. Especially if you’re gonna show up late.”

Beau’s eyes widened, and the guys on either side of him nudged his considerable biceps. We needed muscle, which he had in spades, and it might have been the only reason we hadn’t fired his ass yet.

“The Tegan Reynolds case changed our business. Put Sawtooth Security on the map,” I said, starting the meeting’s official business. She’d called us from the set of a dating reality show after her ex-boss had duped her into a real marriage to keep his dirty dealings under wraps. Barrett had history with the slimeball wolf and putting him out of commission meant Sawtooth Forest was a safer place for all the shifters who lived here.

And he scored a smokin’ hot mate when he’d completely given up, my bear added. Maybe that means you’ve still got a chance.

“Nothing about that case was typical for us,” I added, ignoring my bear. The last thing on my mind was a mate. Especially while I was in charge of the business and working on earning the loyalty of a bunch of rambunctious bears.

“Good.” Beau nodded. “Hollywood doesn’t belong in Sawtooth Forest.”

Brad gave him the side-eye the comment deserved. “Thought you said you wanted to be a contestant on The Real Werewives if they filmed another season here.”

“You have to admit it’s kinda weird, having the cameras everywhere, all those people wanting to know about your life.” Beau shuddered dramatically. “But I wouldn’t mind finding my mate. Or bringing her to the hot tub.”

“If that’s how you feel, you’ll be a good addition to the team. Our work should stay behind the scenes. No one should even know we’ve done it.” I wouldn’t admit to the crew that I was relieved when filming ended. Barrett had been the one in the spotlight, but I hadn’t been comfortable with being on camera.

The mission of Sawtooth Security was helping shifters when their own packs couldn’t or wouldn’t. My job specifically was to find answers.

“Things might feel a little slow right now, but don’t get used to it,” I continued. “Our inboxes are overflowing with requests for help. We’ll be reviewing the cases and determining who’s the best fit. You should’ve gotten a survey about—”

The door burst open and every head in the room turned to see the woman I thought I’d never lay eyes on again.

Hot damn, my bear said, confirming what I saw was not a figment of my imagination.

Otherwise, I would’ve never believed the woman who’d rejected me in front of my entire clan was standing in the Sawtooth Security office.

Fuck, she looks gorgeous, my bear added.

Couldn’t argue with him there as my gaze locked with the woman who should have been my mate. No, Clover Crowley did not still have a hold over me. Not after she’d torn my heart to pieces and laughed as she threw them up in the air. But somehow, over the last fifteen years, she’d become even more beautiful. Her fiery crimson hair fell almost to her waist, completely untamed. She’d always been curvy, but now she looked downright dangerous. Maybe because I knew the truth about this woman. Everything about her was a red flag, but still I couldn’t force myself to look away.

Her blue eyes narrowed, like she knew exactly what I was thinking. And if she thought she was about to have me eating out of her hand after all these years, she was dead wrong.

A low growl rumbled in my throat. Someone had the audacity to snort.

“Seems like the two of you might have a history.” Brad’s voice broke the trance as he rose from the table. “Maybe we should give you some privacy.”

“That won’t be necessary.” Not that I blamed any of them for ignoring me and hightailing it out of this room. I wished I could do the same.

Get it over with, I told myself, expecting my bear to argue for a quick tumble first, but even he agreed that the last thing I needed was this woman complicating my life. Especially this week.

“What—

“What do I want?” Clover’s lips curled up into a smile, and damn. No. There was no way I could still feel anything for this woman after what she did to me.

She’s your mate, my bear said.

“I was trying to be professional. Not sure why.” I rose from my chair. I hadn’t forgotten the way I towered over her, but after all this time it caught me by surprise.

She softened. “Because you’re Bellamy Laredo, and not one thing about you has changed. Except for the little bit of silver in your beard that has no right to look that good.” She shook her head and chuckled softly. “And I’m still the horrible, rotten bitch who broke your heart in front of the entire clan. I don’t expect you to be nice to me. In fact, I don’t want you to be.”

“Then why are you here?” That question got delivered with the growl she deserved. “If you’re looking to make yourself feel better—”

“I need your help,” she said quickly.

I couldn’t have possibly heard her right.

“Believe me, you’re literally the last person on earth I want to ask for anything,” she said when I didn’t respond. “But unfortunately, you’re also the perfect person to ask, and I’ve exhausted all possibilities. I would’ve settled for capable, but…” She finished the sentence with a shrug.

“Are you in danger?” My protective instinct was coming out and I hated that I couldn’t stop it. Not even for her. Whatever she was trying to hook me into, I couldn’t fall for it.

I couldn’t fall for her.

“Not exactly.” She dragged the second word out. This had to be good. “Nana’s locket is missing.”

I couldn’t stop myself from smiling at the thought of her grandmother. Shirley Crowley was one of my favorite bears in the clan. She wasn’t our alpha, but she was the pack healer, a spot exalted to only those who were gifted with certain powers at birth, and the only woman powerful enough to keep a bunch of rowdy bears in check.

Except for her granddaughter, who wouldn’t listen to anyone.

“How is she?” I asked.

“Feisty as ever. Still mad at me for what I did to you.” Clover smiled sadly.

“That’s unfortunate.” And this conversation was over. I took my seat and opened my laptop, like she’d caught me in the middle of something important. She had—the meeting. Ugh. I wasn’t looking forward to the barrage of questions from the guys that would surely follow this surprise encounter.

I had to get Clover out of here.

“You know it’s not just a necklace,” she said as I opened my email. My inbox was overflowing with shifters who needed us, with real problems. “Nothing with Nana is what it seems. And of course, because I didn’t get her magic, she won’t tell me what will happen if the locket’s not safely returned to her. She’ll only say it’s gotta be found. Or else. You know how she is.”

“I hope you find it.” I chanced a glance up at Clover to drive my point home. Mistake.

“I’m here because I need you to find it.” She let out an exasperated sigh.

Of course I knew that was what she wanted, but I’d hoped she’d get the fucking hint that I wanted nothing to do with her. No way could I face my old pack after I’d been rejected. I missed them terribly, but this woman had made an absolute fool out of me.

Not that I could take the case anyway. I was in charge of Sawtooth Security until Barrett came back. I couldn’t go running off in search of a necklace. If Barrett caught wind of that, he’d be making Beau his second-in-command.

I’d already made my one questionable decision for the day, and I wasn’t looking to follow it up with a worse one.

“You don’t need me to find a locket.” It was on the tip of my tongue to quote her some outrageously inflated rate, but that would open up negotiation. Make it sound like there was a chance in hell that I’d take this job.

I wouldn’t.

But I knew Clover wouldn’t stop until she got what she wanted.

“Nana thinks it might be for sale. And if it falls into the wrong hands…she won’t tell me what will happen, but I can say there’s been a lot of incense burning and chanting anytime the possibility’s been brought up.” Clover gave her head another shake, and her hair shimmered like a crown.

For a woman who thinks she’s got no magic, she certainly knows how to cast a spell.

Not helpful, bear.

“You know your way around a computer,” she continued.

You know your way around a few other things too…

“I’m a hacker,” I said, ignoring my bear.

That earned a grin. “Right. If there’s shady shit happening online, you’re the man to call.”

Couldn’t argue with that. “Listen, I would love to help you—”

“Don’t try to let me down easy, Bellamy. Are you in or not? There’s a reward for the safe return of the locket.”

“I don’t do tricks for treats. I’m running a security company that’s just handled a case with national exposure, and we have more jobs than we can possibly keep up with.”

“Right, you saved that lady from the awful Moonlight Beast. That’s how I found you. I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t desperate.” She lowered her gaze. “I might be forty years old, but Nana will have my ass if this thing isn’t found.”

Wait. “Are you responsible for this?”

There was no way this woman would come in here and beg me to do anything if she wasn’t in deep shit. This was way more than just a necklace.

Clover pursed her lips together. Yeah, she was completely responsible for whatever mess had been created.

“I would never do anything that would hurt Nana or the clan.”

It took everything I had not to laugh in her face. If that was true, she never would have rejected me.

“I hope you find your nana’s necklace, Clover.” Saying her name out loud tore at those delicate pieces of scar tissue that had never quite gone back to the way they were before she broke my heart. “But there’s no fucking way I can help you.”