Chapter 1
Gabriela Segura slowed her rental truck as she drove down Main Street in Bear Mountain, Montana. A faint smile touched her lips at the name of the town she’d grown up in. Wolf and jaguar shifters lived in a town named after a bear. Unfortunately the man who’d broken her heart also lived here. That thought made her smile wane as a familiar heaviness settled inside her. She mentally shook herself, trying to banish thoughts of the past.
Even though it was five o’clock in the morning, she spotted the bright blue neon OPEN sign at Lucky’s Diner. She mentally sighed in appreciation and found a spot about a block down from the restaurant. After traveling for nearly forty-eight hours straight and living off airport food, she wanted real coffee and a home-cooked meal. And God bless her mother; the woman just couldn’t cook so before she made it home, Lucky’s was calling her name.
The icy-cold wind whipped against her face the moment she opened the truck door, but with her jaguar blood it didn’t bother her much. She scented a wolf shifter nearby but didn’t look around. The Wright pack made their home in Bear Mountain and Gabriela would be fine if she never saw any of them again. Especially Owen Wright, son of the pack’s Alpha. If she hadn’t desperately needed a break from her job and the loss she’d recently experienced, she wouldn’t even be here.
As she opened the front door to the diner, the bell jingled loudly above her head. For a brief moment the place quieted and the dozen or so men in flannel shirts and cowboy hats looked at her with curiosity. She hadn’t been home in almost four years and she knew this place didn’t get many strangers. To many in this town, she would be just that.
Just as quickly the noise resumed, so she hurried to the counter and ordered a coffee before looking at the menu the harried waitress placed in front of her.
“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Gabby Segura. Couldn’t even call to let me know you’d be in town this morning.” A teasing, familiar female voice made her turn.
Her high school best friend, Sharon Damico, slid onto the swivel stool next to her. She talked to Sharon fairly often and her friend had even offered Gabriela a job should she ever want it—she shoved that thought from her mind. A twinge of guilt settled inside her for not calling to tell Sharon she’d caught an earlier flight but seeing her friend in uniform made her giggle.
Gabriela shook her head as she looked her friend up and down, taking in the brown-and-tan polyester uniform that proclaimed Sharon the sheriff of the town. “Nice digs.”
A half grin quirked Sharon’s mouth. “I wouldn’t talk if I were you.”
Gabriela ran a hand through her hair and laughed under her breath. After traveling for so many hours straight, she’d been wearing her now rumpled dark jeans and black sweater for longer than she cared to admit. She might need a shower and a bed but she needed good food more. “I won’t argue with you there.”
Sharon continued grinning and started to say more when the bell jingled again. At the scent of a wolf shifter, Gabriela tensed as she glanced over her shoulder. She inwardly cursed. It was Ethan Wright, brother of the one man on the planet she had no desire to see. Ever.
Gritting her teeth, Gabriela turned back to face Sharon, who had gone quiet. Sharon had no clue about shifters, but she did know about Gabriela’s former relationship with Owen. Gabriela fished out a bill and dropped it on the counter to pay for her coffee. She’d rather eat her mom’s cooking than deal with Ethan. For all she knew, Owen wasn’t far behind him. Seeing him now when she hadn’t showered in days and looked like a freaking hobo? No, thanks. “Mind if I call you later?” she murmured, hating that Ethan could probably hear her anyway, thanks to his oversensitive ears.
Sharon shook her head as she frowned in Ethan’s direction, but smiled softly at Gabriela. “No
Gabriela Segura slowed her rental truck as she drove down Main Street in Bear Mountain, Montana. A faint smile touched her lips at the name of the town she’d grown up in. Wolf and jaguar shifters lived in a town named after a bear. Unfortunately the man who’d broken her heart also lived here. That thought made her smile wane as a familiar heaviness settled inside her. She mentally shook herself, trying to banish thoughts of the past.
Even though it was five o’clock in the morning, she spotted the bright blue neon OPEN sign at Lucky’s Diner. She mentally sighed in appreciation and found a spot about a block down from the restaurant. After traveling for nearly forty-eight hours straight and living off airport food, she wanted real coffee and a home-cooked meal. And God bless her mother; the woman just couldn’t cook so before she made it home, Lucky’s was calling her name.
The icy-cold wind whipped against her face the moment she opened the truck door, but with her jaguar blood it didn’t bother her much. She scented a wolf shifter nearby but didn’t look around. The Wright pack made their home in Bear Mountain and Gabriela would be fine if she never saw any of them again. Especially Owen Wright, son of the pack’s Alpha. If she hadn’t desperately needed a break from her job and the loss she’d recently experienced, she wouldn’t even be here.
As she opened the front door to the diner, the bell jingled loudly above her head. For a brief moment the place quieted and the dozen or so men in flannel shirts and cowboy hats looked at her with curiosity. She hadn’t been home in almost four years and she knew this place didn’t get many strangers. To many in this town, she would be just that.
Just as quickly the noise resumed, so she hurried to the counter and ordered a coffee before looking at the menu the harried waitress placed in front of her.
“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Gabby Segura. Couldn’t even call to let me know you’d be in town this morning.” A teasing, familiar female voice made her turn.
Her high school best friend, Sharon Damico, slid onto the swivel stool next to her. She talked to Sharon fairly often and her friend had even offered Gabriela a job should she ever want it—she shoved that thought from her mind. A twinge of guilt settled inside her for not calling to tell Sharon she’d caught an earlier flight but seeing her friend in uniform made her giggle.
Gabriela shook her head as she looked her friend up and down, taking in the brown-and-tan polyester uniform that proclaimed Sharon the sheriff of the town. “Nice digs.”
A half grin quirked Sharon’s mouth. “I wouldn’t talk if I were you.”
Gabriela ran a hand through her hair and laughed under her breath. After traveling for so many hours straight, she’d been wearing her now rumpled dark jeans and black sweater for longer than she cared to admit. She might need a shower and a bed but she needed good food more. “I won’t argue with you there.”
Sharon continued grinning and started to say more when the bell jingled again. At the scent of a wolf shifter, Gabriela tensed as she glanced over her shoulder. She inwardly cursed. It was Ethan Wright, brother of the one man on the planet she had no desire to see. Ever.
Gritting her teeth, Gabriela turned back to face Sharon, who had gone quiet. Sharon had no clue about shifters, but she did know about Gabriela’s former relationship with Owen. Gabriela fished out a bill and dropped it on the counter to pay for her coffee. She’d rather eat her mom’s cooking than deal with Ethan. For all she knew, Owen wasn’t far behind him. Seeing him now when she hadn’t showered in days and looked like a freaking hobo? No, thanks. “Mind if I call you later?” she murmured, hating that Ethan could probably hear her anyway, thanks to his oversensitive ears.
Sharon shook her head as she frowned in Ethan’s direction, but smiled softly at Gabriela. “No
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