Grizzly Perfection: A Paranormal Shifter Menage Romance (Arcadian Bears Book 6) Read online

  Oleta stepped into the room and shut the door behind her with a snick.

  Adriana’s eyes were well-adjusted to the dark, and she could see the smile on Oleta’s face. The blonde-haired woman looked so much like her daughters, it was uncanny. She also didn’t look old enough to have a child as old as Nolan. He had to be over thirty.

  Oleta sat on the edge of the bed and put her hand on Adriana’s shoulder. Her smile widened. “You found his old leather jacket.”

  Adriana swallowed. “I hope you don’t mind. I didn’t mean to snoop around. Paige—”

  “Of course, hon,” Oleta interrupted. She waved her free hand through the air. “Don’t worry about a thing. Tear this room apart if you want. I don’t think my son has secrets in here he would keep from you.”

  Adriana relaxed marginally.

  “Are you okay?”

  Adriana shook her head slightly. “No.”

  Oleta chuckled. “Of course not. Silly question. Stanton and I spoke to Nolan on the phone a bit ago.”

  Great. He’s speaking to everyone on the planet…except me.

  “He wanted me to apologize on his behalf.”

  She’d already gotten this apology from Paige.

  “I was at least as frustrated as you earlier. That’s why I didn’t come in here sooner. I wanted to speak to him first and slap him around a bit.” Adriana was going to love this woman. Her gentle hand squeezed Adriana’s shoulder. “Anyway, I can’t imagine what on earth the Universe is thinking today. She must be laughing hard at this twist.”

  That was an understatement.

  “Nolan is an accountant. He owns his own firm. Apparently, he discovered one of his bigger clients was doing something illegal. He went to the police, and they put him in a hotel for his protection.”

  Adriana’s entire body jerked. She bolted upright. “Are you serious? Is he safe?” Her heart beat rapidly.

  Oleta’s smile broadened. “I think so. He was with the officer when he came by tonight. He wanted to have a moment to see us before he went into hiding, but when he scented you…” She took a breath. “Honestly, I think the main reason he didn’t come inside was because he didn’t want to put your life in danger.”

  Adriana couldn’t breathe. “My life?”

  She shrugged. “By association I guess. He’s probably worried his client will come after his loved ones when he finds out.”

  “His client doesn’t know?”

  “I don’t think so. Not yet. This all happened this morning.”

  Adriana chewed on her bottom lip. “That’s awful. How long will he be in hiding?”

  “Not sure yet. He was afraid it could be months.”

  Adriana’s eyes bugged out. “Months?” That was a long time for her to go without meeting her mate. So many possible reasons why he hadn’t faced her tonight had run through her mind in the last few hours. He had a girlfriend he needed to break up with. He didn’t want to bind to someone at this point in his life. He hadn’t wanted to meet her in front of so many people. Dozens of thoughts. None of them included witness protection.

  “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves yet. He’s still figuring things out. I’m sure he’ll call tomorrow with more information.”

  Adriana nodded. On the one hand, she was relieved this had nothing to do with her. On the other hand, she was freaked out with concern for his safety. But one thought still lingered. Why didn’t he reach out to me himself? All these messengers were making her dizzy.

  “Your brother is worried about you. Joselyn too.”

  “Tell them I’m fine. I’ll talk to them in the morning.” Adriana didn’t feel like hashing this out with her brother or his mate tonight. She wanted to crawl under the covers and sleep.

  For a few months.

  Too bad bear shifters didn’t need to hibernate for months at a time. Now would be a great time to take advantage of that ability.

  Chapter Three

  Adriana took a deep breath and forced herself to leave the sanctuary of her—correction, Nolan’s—room the following morning at about ten. She knew Alton, Joselyn, Oleta, and Stanton were all in the house. It was quiet. They were probably holding their collective breaths.

  Sure enough, they were all four sitting at the kitchen table. She was surprised Paige and Wyatt weren’t there. Or even the Osborns’ other daughter, Ryann, whom Adriana had met on several occasions.

  Four sets of wide eyes followed her into the room. Joselyn spoke first. “You okay?”

  Adriana nodded. “I’m fine. You all look like someone died.” She wrapped her arms around her waist, a chill making her shiver for the tenth time since she got up. She’d worn Nolan’s jacket all night, but it would have been weird to wear it all the time, so she’d forced herself to take it off, shower, and dress. Jeans, a long-sleeved white tee, and a thick navy cardigan that was not doing enough to warm her.

  Normally, she put a lot more effort into her appearance, not because she was vain but because she truly enjoyed matching fabrics and coordinating her makeup and jewelry. Today she felt like curling up in a corner and staring into space.

  “Are you cold, hon?” Oleta asked.

  Permanently it would seem, but Adriana shook her head. “I’m fine,” she repeated. Shifters ran warmer than regular humans. She wasn’t usually cold. But she’d been shivering ever since Nolan drove away without meeting her.

  She wondered if any of them had spoken to Nolan this morning, but she didn’t have the guts to ask. Mostly because she couldn’t stand the idea of him continually talking to other people without contacting her. It was absurd to feel so much frustration, but she couldn’t avoid it.

  “We left you a plate of food,” Joselyn stated as she rose from her seat and padded toward the microwave. “I’ll heat it up for you.”

  Adriana took a seat at the table, trying not to shake or think too hard. He’ll call when he can.

  “Coffee?” Oleta asked.

  “No, thank you.”

  Joselyn pulled the plate from the microwave and brought it to Adriana. “Addy doesn’t like coffee. She’s more of a tea person.” She spun back around and pulled a mug from the cabinet.

  Were they all going to dote on her, walking on pins and needles all day? Or for months for that matter? “Look, I’m fine,” she repeated for the third time. Eventually, she would believe so herself. “I’m sure you all have a lot to do. Don’t worry about me. I have homework to do, and I need to find an apartment.”

  Did she? Was finding an apartment still on her list of priorities this morning? Yesterday she’d been determined to get up early and go visit a few. But that was before she’d met Nolan—or not met Nolan.

  Stanton glanced away, and Oleta pursed her lips. Now what? No one said a word. She decided she wasn’t about to ask more questions.

  Joselyn set a steaming cup of tea on the table and lowered into the chair beside Adriana, tucking one foot under her. “You could stay here, you know. You don’t have to move into an apartment. I mean, at this point, maybe it would be better.”

  Adriana took a sip of the too-hot tea and then picked up her fork, knowing she needed to attempt to eat the scrambled eggs and sausage they’d left for her. She glanced at Joselyn, who fiddled with the corner of her placemat.

  “Jos has a good point,” Oleta added, her voice too happy. “You could stay here. You’re family now. You were practically family before we even met you. This house is plenty big. This way you won’t have to worry about having to break a lease later.”

  Stanton nodded, his arms folded across his chest. “She’s right.”

  They all had a point, but something was off. Everyone was way too excited about this plan. Even Alton was nodding agreement. Adriana was twenty-three years old. She’d never lived on her own or even with a roommate. She’d taken classes online from her childhood home through Athabasca University. As the youngest of five kids, she was the baby in lots of ways. She was the only one still living at home for the last few years.

&nbs
p; Moving out had been huge. Coming to Calgary had been huge. Finding an apartment hadn’t been a priority for the last two months because Alton and Joselyn insisted she stay with them. But now that the Osborns were home, it was time to move out. They didn’t need a house guest when they’d just returned from their sabbatical.

  Joselyn and Alton definitely didn’t need her under foot any longer. They’d only been bound together for eight months. They needed privacy.

  Alton spoke next. “Or you could move in with us. You know we’d love to have you.”

  Adriana set her fork down and glanced around at every face. What was going on? She felt like she was at an intervention. “What on earth are you all trying to convince me of? I’m just going to find a roommate near campus like I planned. No one was concerned about the idea yesterday. I don’t see how it’s any different today. Nothing has changed.”

  Except my mate is at a hotel somewhere hiding.

  “We don’t even know how long this witness protection thing might last, is all,” Alton said. He was seated at Adriana’s other side, sandwiching her with his mate. “Could be weeks. No sense moving all your stuff and promising someone you’ll room with them and then moving again.”

  Adriana frowned. “The word I got was months. And I’d rather carry on with my life in the meantime. Besides, even if it was only a few weeks, that doesn’t mean I intend to rush into anything.” Jeez. Even if she met Nolan today, it didn’t mean she would drop everything, pack her stuff, and move into his home. These things took time. Didn’t they?

  She glanced at Oleta, who was frowning while fighting a smile at the same time, her lips tucked between her teeth. Joselyn’s eyes were wide, her mouth open.

  Adriana picked up her fork and took another bite, her skin crawling from the secret club meeting she was interloping. The club of bound couples who knew things those who hadn’t yet met their mate did not.

  “It doesn’t work like that,” Alton stated slowly. He reached out to set a hand on Adriana’s forearm.

  She rolled her eyes. “Whatever. I’ll handle it. Stop treating me like a kid.” She could talk to her brother that way. She meant the words for everyone in the room, but she looked right into Alton’s eyes to make sure she didn’t blatantly insult all of them.

  “You’re my sister. We’ve always been close. I’m just trying to help.”

  “Yeah, well, news flash. I’m old enough to make decisions.” In truth, she was being stubborn. She knew it. She didn’t even have the finances to move in with a roommate. She had dug her heels in on the subject weeks ago because she wanted her independence—from her parents, her brother and his mate, and now Nolan’s parents. Any roommate would do. She’d get a job. Work evenings. Whatever it took to make it on her own. This conversation was over.

  “So, what is everyone else doing today?” She forced herself to resume eating her breakfast in the silence that followed her question.

  The house phone rang several seconds later, making Adriana flinch.

  Oleta pushed from the table and rushed to grab it from the counter. She answered, but her gaze was on Adriana. Of course, the woman already knew who it was. And it was obviously Nolan. He could reach out to his mother telepathically without needing modern phones. He could not, however, reach out to Adriana. They weren’t immediate family. They would only be able to communicate in their minds in close proximity until after they completed the binding.

  She shuddered. The thought of binding to someone made her nervous for so many reasons. Most importantly, at twenty-three she had just moved out of her parents’ home for the first time and was looking forward to finding herself and enjoying her newfound freedom. In addition, it was nerve-wracking to consider binding to someone who had yet to make an appearance.

  Adriana must have blocked out whatever greeting Oleta made into the phone because suddenly she was holding it out toward Adriana. “We’ll give you some privacy.”

  Adriana’s hand shook as she reached for the cordless while everyone else jumped up from the table and fled the room. It wasn’t necessary. She would take it in her room anyway. In Nolan’s room. She rose on wobbly legs and gripped the phone at her side while she made her way down the hallway and shut herself in Nolan’s childhood bedroom.

  She half-considered opening his closet and sitting in the back of it to inhale his scent while she spoke to him for the first time. But it wasn’t a walk-in, and she would look foolish if anyone came in. Instead, she headed for the window, too fidgety to sit on the bed.

  When she finally lifted the phone to her ear, she heard his voice. “Adriana?” Deep. Sexy. Nervous. Kind. Scared. So much emotion in that one word. And she loved the way he said her name, enunciating it in a way that sent a chill down her spine.

  “Hi.” Breathy. Short. It was all she could manage to utter.

  She heard him exhale as if he’d been holding his breath the entire time she sought privacy. “I’m so sorry about last night.”

  “I heard. Are you okay? Is this thing with your client serious?” About twelve more questions were on the tip of her tongue, but she forced herself to stop before she sounded like a fool.

  He sighed. “I don’t know yet. Maybe the police are being overly cautious until they arrest this guy. I’m hoping I can come out of hiding after they pick him up.”

  “Really?” Her voice rose, and she stood taller. How long could it possibly take to arrest someone?

  “I might be overly optimistic. No one has insinuated I could leave this hotel room even to go downstairs yet, but I don’t see how big of a deal it will be before they even pick him up. He doesn’t know anything is in the works until then.”

  “So, they haven’t located him yet?”

  “No. I don’t think he’s hiding. I don’t even think he has a clue anyone is onto him. I think he just happens to be out of town for the weekend.”

  “Oh.” Several seconds of silence.

  “Adriana…” Her name again from his lips sounded so exotic. She shivered as if he’d spoken the word into her ear. “The timing of this absolutely sucks.”

  “Why didn’t you come inside last night?” She needed to understand.

  “I didn’t want to put you in any danger. The officer who was in the car with me wasn’t happy with the plan at all. It was bad enough that I was putting the rest of my family in danger by showing up. When I got out of the car and caught your scent…”

  Her breath hitched.

  He hesitated. “I panicked. If this guy decides to take revenge out on me, he won’t have any problem finding my family. I can’t change that part, but he has no idea there’s anyone special in my life, and I’m not about to give him any reason to think so.”

  For no reason at all, the weird conversation from earlier suddenly made more sense. “Did you tell your parents to encourage me to remain living here?”

  He exhaled. “Yes. I guess they weren’t discreet about it.”

  She chuckled sarcastically. “Definitely not. It was like an intervention in the kitchen. Between your parents and my brother and his mate, I felt like they were urging me to go to drug rehab or something.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to go behind your back. When they told me you were looking for an apartment, I freaked out a bit.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I’d like you to at least be safe long enough for me to meet you.”

  She tried to read his tone, but since she didn’t know him, she wasn’t sure if he was kidding or serious. Probably some of both. “You said this guy the police are after doesn’t know I mean something to you. Why would he come after me?”

  “Just erring on the side of caution.”

  She schooled her voice in the same manner as him, trying to hide her intonation, but also not sure if she was joking or dead serious. “Are you truly worried about this idiot coming after me, or are you opposed to me moving into an apartment in general?”

  A few seconds of silence passed before he responded. “Both?”

&nb
sp; She rolled her eyes, knowing he couldn’t see her. “God, save me from overprotective men.”

  He chuckled. At least that lightened the mood.

  She let her shoulders relax a bit.

  She wasn’t sure how she felt about Fate chaining her for life to a man whose first action as soon as he met her was to try to keep her sequestered somewhere. Too much?

  His voice was deeper when he spoke again. “Will you do this for me?”

  She smiled. “No.”

  His breath hitched.

  She decided to hold on to her independence a little longer. It didn’t seem prudent to let Nolan think he could easily boss her around. “By your own logic, I should move out this afternoon and never even stop by to visit.” Argue that one, big guy.

  “What?”

  “If they haven’t arrested your client yet, then he isn’t paying attention to you or your family. The sooner I get out of the house, the better. By the time he starts snooping around, he won’t find any connection between me and your parents.” She felt pretty damn good about herself. But Lord, why was she arguing about her living arrangements with an overprotective man she hadn’t even met?

  “Adriana…”

  “Yes?” She poured that syrupy sweet word out in several syllables.

  There was another long pause while she assumed he dug around in his brain to come up with another argument.

  In truth, while she waited for him to think, she got a little miffed. She was done with this subject. If he kept pushing, she would end this conversation fast and move on with her life. Could she do that?

  “Do me a favor.”

  “Maybe.” Her defensive walls went up.

  “Give me a few days to figure something out. Something we can both live with.” He schooled his voice, a mix of concern and stubborn persistence.

  She stiffened. “Nolan, I’m not staying here with your parents. They just got back in town yesterday, and I’m sure they’d like to have their lives back in order. They don’t need a stranger moving in and getting in their way.”

  “My parents don’t need privacy, Adriana. They’ve been bound to each other for over thirty years. And you’re not a stranger. Maybe you were yesterday, but not anymore. As far as they’re concerned, you’re already their daughter. They would do anything for you.”