The BBQ was better than Gauge remembered the last time he’d come to a picnic at the Lodge. Shane’s cooking seemed to get better and better.
Lola and Gauge sat with Rollo and Zoe. The rest of the Bear Patrol promised to drop by before or after their shifts. Gauge hadn’t expected to see Damien so soon, but the Tech Bear came sauntering through the grass, and whispered in Rollo’s ear.
“I need to go,” Rollo said.
“What is it?” Gauge asked.
“Come with us down to the station,” Damien said, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
“I can get a room at the Lodge tonight,” Lola said. “Go ahead and go and then come back.”
“This better be important enough for me to leave my mate alone at a party,” Gauge grumbled as he followed Damien and Rollo out of the picnic.
“Lola will be fine,” Rollo said. “This is important. And we’ll need your help.”
When they got back to the station, the rest of the Bear Patrol was there already.
“I need to inform you all of a situation that has come to my attention,” Damien said. Knox and Heath listened to Damien as Rollo sat down. Gauge crossed his arms and grumbled, wanting to be back at the Lodge with his mate.
“There is a group connected to Justin Lockheart that makes what he did look like child’s play. I have reason to believe they are operating out of Fate Mountain.”
“What is it?” Heath asked.
“Human trafficking. Sex slaves in route to Alaska on the highway between southern California and the Canadian border. They have a camp somewhere in the mountains.”
“How did you come across this information?” Rollo asked.
“Using Corey Bright’s random probability generator.”
“And you believe that?” Knox asked.
“I went to the Bright Institute,” Heath said. “Corey Bright is a genius.”
“I was playing with some input information and came up with these results.”
“Still, it could be nothing. Just because the software comes up with something, doesn’t mean it’s true,” Rollo stated.
“That’s correct,” Damien said.
“You pulled me away from my mate for this?” Gauge grumbled.
“I want us all to be on the lookout for the possible presence of a human trafficking ring.”
“I haven’t seen anything,” Knox said, crossing his arms.
“Just keep your eyes open,” Rollo said.
“Will do, Commander,” Gauge said. “I need to get back to my mate now.”
Chapter 19
Lola was a bit disappointed that Gauge had to leave the picnic without her, but she knew that police business was a priority over a party. Ever since he had gotten her off the mountain, he’d been spending a lot less time working, according to him.
Lola appreciated how much time and focus he had given to her, but at the same time, she was beginning to feel like she needed to have something of her own. Having Corey Bright invite her into the Bright Institute for Shifters was a serious boon for her. She couldn’t even imagine what Justin would have said about her going to a school originally intended for shifters.
Corey and the rest of the bears of Fate Mountain had shown her, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that shifters were not anti-human. In fact, the shifters of Fate Mountain seemed to be as concerned about human happiness and prosperity as the human community. And why wouldn’t they be? Shifters had a long history of finding their mates among humans.
Of all of the shifters that Lola had met, one of the core similarities between them all was that they each believed in a world where shifters and humans lived peacefully together. She had no real desire to be changed into a shifter herself, but she did want to live in a world where shifters and humans got along.
It was exactly the world that Justin had been fighting against. Lola walked into her living room of her suite at the Lodge and looked out the window at the full moon glowing over Lake Fate. She couldn’t wait to share this view with Gauge. It was so beautiful.
That was one of the things she loved the most about Gauge. On one hand, he was his own man, totally an alpha male through and through. But at the same time, he was immensely gentle and patient. He loved her femininity and wanted nothing more than to be a foundation for her to stand upon and to flourish. He was a better man than she ever could have expected to bond with. And now that they were together, she couldn’t imagine her life without him.
Just the thought of how far she’d come since the time she’d spent on the mountain gave her a sense of pride that she never wanted to lose. Gauge had saved her life in more ways than one, and she knew that she could never repay him with anything greater than her absolute adoration and pure, unadulterated love. She flipped through the TV channels and landed on one of her favorite soap opera reality TV shows and curled up on the couch under a soft throw blanket.
A little while later, Gauge opened the front door and saw her curled on the couch. He smiled and sat beside her, taking her feet and legs up onto his lap.
“What did Damien need to tell you?” she asked.
“The random probability generator came up with some data that he wants us to look out for. Something about human trafficking,” Gauge said.
“Human trafficking? That’s terrible.”
Lola knew a thing or two about being kidnapped and held against her will. The idea that there was something on a larger scale happening to more people on Fate Mountain was horrifying. It had to be stopped immediately.
“It’s nothing for you to worry about now, babe. You’ve been through enough of your own trauma.”
“I just don’t want others to suffer as I have,” she said, feeling the warmth of his body under her bare legs.
“That’s one of the things I love so much about you. You have so much compassion and goodness in your heart.”
“I was going to say the same thing about you,” she giggled as he started rubbing her feet.
“Have you thought about what you’d like to study at the Bright Institute?”
“Maybe I’d like to study sociology or something where I can help people.”
“That sounds like a wonderful idea,” Gauge said.
His hands ran up her legs, sensuously caressing her sensitive flesh. She took a deep breath and let it out, looking up into his handsome face.
“That feels so good,” she whispered.
“I have a few other ideas of what might feel even better,” he said with a grin.
“Oh?” she teased. “Why don’t you share these ideas with me?”
“That’s exactly what I intend to do, mate,” he said, lifting her up onto his lap. “But first, I have a gift for you.”
He pulled a little box out of his pocket and handed it to her. She lifted open the lid and found the surprise inside. It was her mother’s cameo, fashioned in a new setting of pure yellow gold. It looked absolutely perfect.
“Gauge,” she gasped, lifting the cameo out of the box. It was attached to a long gold chain that she slid over her head. “I can’t believe you did this.”
Fixing her mother’s cameo was more precious to her than all of the gold and diamonds in the world. Gauge showed her that he really understood who she was and what mattered to her most. She couldn’t help the flood of emotions that welled up inside her. Hot tears slid down her cheek as she grasped the cameo in her hand.
“I knew you’d like it,” he said. “Look under the velvet.”
“There’s more?”
“Yep.”
She lifted the velvet flap inside the small box and found another layer underneath. She gasped at the sight of the diamond ring staring at her. Blood rushed to her head, leaving her fingers numb. She could barely talk.
“Gauge,” she gasped. “What did you do?”
“Lola Jackson, will you marry me?” he asked, slipping the ring on her finger. It was a perfectly princess cut diamond in a yellow gold setting.
“Yes,” she breathed.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and rained kisses down on his cheeks, lips, and face.
”You are the best man ever,” she said with delight in her voice. “You know that right?”
“All I want is to be the best man for you.”
With that, he picked her up off the couch and carried her in his big strong arms to the bed. They made love to each other at a leisurely pace, knowing that they had forever to spend in each other’s arms.
Cadet Bear
His search has ended … but hers is just beginning.
On target ...
Rosa Reyes’ little sister has disappeared -- and no matter what the police say, Rosa knows she didn’t run away. She sets off to find her, but when the trail runs cold, instinct leads her to Fate Mountain. Uncertain of her next steps, she registers for a human-shifter dating website to pass the time, only to receive an almost-instant message from a man saying she’s his mate!
Off limits ...
Heath Reynolds is overjoyed that his search for a mate has ended -- until Rosa tells him it’s a mistake. Unwilling to give up, he tracks her down. Rosa doesn’t have time for a relationship, but she can’t resist the chemistry between them, especially since Heath takes her sister’s disappearance seriously.
Out of time
When Rosa’s intuition leads her into danger, Heath and the rest of the Bear Patrol must race against the clock. Can they find Rosa and her sister in time, or will Heath lose his mate before they can build a life together?
Chapter 1
Rosa Reyes pulled off the highway into the parking lot of Fate Mountain Diner. She’d been driving all day and was ready to take a break from the road.
Slamming the door shut behind her, she got out of the car and made her way into the entrance of the diner. She could smell the aroma of hamburgers on the grill and bacon frying. She took a deep breath and let it out, ready to relax for the first time in days.
“Just one today?” the waitress asked as she approached. The pretty blonde woman wore a nametag that said Lily.
“Just me today,” said Rosa.
“Right this way.” Lily picked up a menu and led Rosa down the aisle of the diner. Rosa slid into the booth as Lily set the menu down.
“Thanks,” Rosa said, giving Lily a wary smile.
“I'll let you take a look at the menu and be back with you in a moment,” Lily said, turning away from Rosa's table.
Rosa looked at the menu, trying to decide what to have for dinner. Lily returned several moments later with an order pad in her hand.
“I'll have the Fate Mountain Burger with fries and a coke,” Rosa said, handing Lily back the menu.
“Coming right up.”
As Rosa watched Lily walk toward the kitchen with her order, she pulled out her phone and began to do some research on Fate Mountain. She'd been following the trail of the kidnappings for two weeks, ever since her sister had been taken in Los Angeles. The trail had led her to Fate Mountain. She knew that she was closing in on them. It was just a matter of time.
Her sister Maria was only fifteen years old and had disappeared on the way home from school two weeks ago. Rosa had been Maria’s guardian ever since their parents had died on a trip to Mexico five years ago. Now save for each other, both girls were alone in the world.
When Rosa had gone to the police about Maria's disappearance, no one would listen to her. They put out the missing person APB but that was as far as the investigation had gone. A missing Hispanic girl from East Los Angeles was clearly not their top priority. So Rosa had taken it into her own hands to investigate the matter.
After talking with several other families of girls who’d gone missing around the same time, Rosa had come to the conclusion that her sister had been kidnapped by some kind of human trafficking ring.
Rosa had followed the kidnappings all the way up the coast to Portland. Then the reports had stopped three days ago. Rosa had spent those three days in Portland waiting for the next clue, but it never came.
While getting ready to leave her hotel room that afternoon, Rosa’s intuition made her believe that Maria had been moved east into the Oregon Mountains. It was her gut instinct, but it was all that she had to go on. She’d left Portland and traveled straight to Fate Mountain Village. Since she was the only one that was going to help her sister, she was determined to bring Maria home no matter what.
Lily arrived several minutes later with a plate filled with french fries and a delicious looking burger. Rosa plucked a french fry from her plate and shoved it into her mouth, savoring the flavor from her first food of the day.
Rosa continued eating her burger while staring out the window onto the main street of Fate Mountain Village. The pink sunset colors glowed over the quaint street in the small town. It was a charming place, the kind of town where you’d want to raise a family. It was so unlike where she had grown up.
She noticed a discarded newspaper on the table next to her and stood up, claiming it for herself. She brought the paper over to her own table and sat back down, opening up the front page. As she was reading through the articles, she noticed an advertisement for an online dating service.
She raised an eyebrow, reading the advertisement. It was for a locally ran website called Mate.com and catered to male shifters and human females. She’d heard of the website before.
It was hard not to know all the latest shifter news and gossip since shifters had become so intriguing to the human population. Twenty-five years ago, the Great Shifter Council had decided to reveal the existence of shifters to humans.
After their reveal, shifters had experienced a violent backlash from humans. But then shifters fought in the Great War alongside humans, and the government had passed the Shifter Equality Act. Since then, things had started to change for the better.
You couldn't go a day without seeing a news reports or women's magazine article talking about the hot shifter heroes who had helped bring an end to the war. Her curiosity was peaked, but Rosa continued reading the rest of the newspaper, trying to put the shifter dating website out of her mind.
She didn't have time for dating right now. She was on a mission to find her little sister and that was all she could afford to think about.
Lily came back to her table with the bill and cleared Rosa’s plate.
“How was everything?” Lily asked.
“The hamburger was delicious. What’s in your barbecue sauce?” Rose asked.
“It’s Fate Mountain’s Secret Sauce. My mate, Shane Keenan, is the diner’s head chef as well as the mastermind behind the secret sauce.”
“He’s your mate?” Rosa asked.
“Shane is a bear shifter. And since we’re mated now, that means I’m also a bear shifter.”
“You used to be a human and now you’re a shifter?” Rosa asked, intrigued.
“That's right,” Lily said.
“How do you like being a shifter?”
“It's been amazing. It’s brought me and my mate so much closer.”
Rosa pulled out a credit card and handed it to Lily. She had taken a two-week vacation from her job as an administrative assistant and would soon be running low on funds if she wasn't careful.
She still needed to pay for another hotel room tonight or sleep in her car. And she definitely didn't want to do that again. Last time she had slept in her car, she’d had to park on the side of the road and sleep in the back seat. She’d woken up the next morning with a splitting headache, a kink in her neck and freezing.
Something told her that the kidnappers were close though. She would need all of her strength when she finally found and confronted them. She didn't really have much of a plan aside from tracking them down. She didn't even know for sure if they were anywhere near here. She could be on a wild goose chase for all she knew. But having some hope was better than nothing, and Rosa was determined to do anything it took to find her sister.
Lily returned with her credit card and handed it to Rosa.
“So what brings yo
u to town?” Lily asked.
“I'm looking for my sister,” Rosa said, not wanting to get into it.
“Your sister? What does she look like? I may have seen her around.”
“She looks a lot like me except she’s only fifteen and her hair is longer and darker.”
“I don't remember seeing any teenage girls like that recently,” Lily said tapping her lip. “Was she with an adult?”
“I'm sure she was. But I doubt she came in here.”
Rosa slid out of the booth and started for the door.
“Let me know if I can help you with anything,” Lily said.
“Thanks,” Rosa replied, even though she knew there was nothing that Lily could do.
Rosa walked out the front door of the diner and got into her car. She gripped the steering wheel so hard her knuckles turned white and she rested her forehead against the wheel. It was difficult not to feel hopeless in the face of such horrible odds. She took a deep breath, sat up straight, and let it out again. She had to stay cool. Maria was counting on her.
Rosa turned on her car and pulled out of the parking lot. She drove down the road until she came to the first hotel she could find. She booked her room, and then went upstairs with her small bag.
Inside her hotel room, she sat on the queen-size bed and stared at the black screen of the television. Loneliness rained down on her shoulders, making her burden even heavier. She groaned and pulled her phone from her purse.
Rosa was tired of TV but she needed something to keep her mind off her heavy burden—even if just for a few minutes. She navigated to Mate.com and downloaded the app. Moments later, she was filling out the Mate.com questionnaire.
The questions were strange, but Rosa answered them all and hit return. Within seconds, she had matches. Apparently a hundred percent match meant that you had found your fated mate.
Everyone knew that fated mates were an important part of shifter culture. She scrolled through the faces on the screen and found the one hundred percent match at the top. Partly out of curiosity and partly because of shear boredom, she clicked on his picture. It brought up a full-screen view of a deliciously attractive young man in a police uniform.