Bearliest Catch by Bianca D'Arc Page B

a few
words. He was frowning, but Drew had seen that expression before.
It wasn’t the angry frown—which was more like a scowl. This was the
concerned frown of a leader who hated to see his people, or those
they were trying to protect, in harm’s way.
    Drew walked over to John, Jetty at his side.
John held out his hand for a quick shake and nodded to Jetty in a
polite, if distracted, way.
    “What happened out there, Drew?” John asked
without preamble. Drew knew it was time for the debrief—even though
they were still standing on the dock.
    “I was attempting to drop Jetty off when I
sensed the leviathan approaching the area where her people were
fishing. One of the smaller ones attacked first. The ladies managed
to fight free before the big one showed up.” Drew said succinctly.
“If you want to hear the whole sordid tale, come aboard. I can
offer you peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and pop.” Drew smiled,
knowing how far from his normal diet of cold cuts and beer that
sounded.
    Even John was surprised into a laugh, though
he shook his head. “Your boat will be okay here for a while,
right?” The Alpha didn’t wait for an answer. “How about I buy you
two breakfast over at the bakery?”
    What followed was an impromptu meeting of the
inner circle of their old unit. Sheriff Brody was there, as was his
deputy, Zak. The town lawyer, Tom, showed up too. All three were
mated—one to each of the sisters who owned the bakery.
    John’s new mate, Ursula, was waiting for them
when they arrived at the bakery, having already commandeered the
largest of the tables. She was sitting there, already drinking
coffee while the other women set out a large breakfast.
    “I guess you had already planned on breakfast
for the mated couples this morning,” Drew observed.
    “It’s something the ladies like to do every
week or two.” John shrugged as he answered. “But it’ll serve our
purposes. We need to know the details of what happened, so we can
better assess the threat and prepare our defenses.”
    “I know the drill,” Drew replied, being sure
to keep Jetty at his side. She’d met most of these people at
various times yesterday, but being the focus of questioning by such
a gathering had to be a little intimidating. “Are you up to this?”
Drew asked her, pulling her aside as the others added two chairs to
the big table, making room for the newcomers.
    “Of course,” Jetty surprised him by saying.
He looked deep into her eyes, and what he found there gave him a
boost of energy. His woman was strong. He shouldn’t have doubted
her. “They need to know, and there’s nothing I can do for Sirena
that the others aren’t already doing. I do want to go sit with her,
though, when this is over. Is that okay?”
    “Of course it is.” Drew brushed his lips
across hers, not caring that everyone was probably watching them.
He just had to kiss her. She was such an amazing person…and she was
all his. Whether she realized it yet or not.
    This morning’s adventure had settled it. If
there had been any shadow of a doubt about it before, the matter
was closed now. She was perfect for him in every way. A woman of
sprit and courage. A woman of adventure and heart. His heart had
almost stopped when she dove into the ocean after her friends, but
he couldn’t have been prouder of her. She was his mate.
    Drew noticed the raised eyebrows when they
joined the others around the big table, but he said nothing. He let
the fact that he was holding Jetty’s hand speak for itself. Let the
others figure it out on their own. He was staking his
claim—publicly.
    Now, as to whether or not Jetty felt the
same…the jury was still out. He had high hopes that, with time and
exposure, she would come to love him as much as he already loved
her.
    And, yes, he was in love with her. She was
his mate. Every new facet of her personality he discovered only
made him love her more. Telling her, though… That was going to be
the tricky part. The last