Alpha's Rescue (Shifter Ops 5)

As we rise, Darius walks up to us, his hand out like he wants to shake mine. Teddy pulls me into his side, and Darius pockets his hand instead. “Congratulations.”

“Why did you say that?” Teddy says.

“You didn’t hear? There’s a new financial report on GoddessWear. I’ll let Lana share the good news.”

“Um,” I say, in a whisper, even though I know all the werebears around me can hear. “My company just got a billion dollar valuation.”

“That’s great, babygirl,” Teddy murmurs. He has no idea what that means.

“You own the company outright, correct?” Darius asks.

“Yeah.”

Teddy blinks. “So that means…”

“I'm a billionaire. Technically. It’s not like I have that money in my pocket.”

“Fuckin’ A,” the Terrible Threes say in unison.

“That’s great,” Matthias says. “Well done.”

“Thank you,” I whisper.

Teddy waits until we’re back in the ATV and rolling through the forest in relative privacy to say, “You were the donor, weren't you?”

“Yeah. Well, technically, the gift came from my parent’s estate. Bentley signed off on it and everything.” His personality has changed a lot with the mindwipe. Fortunately, for the better. Of course, I’m not sure how his personality could’ve gotten worse.

Teddy brakes the ATV to a stop and turns to cup my face. “I love you, babygirl.”

“I love you, too.” My breath caresses his face a second before he claims my mouth in a searing kiss.

A trio of loud whoops make us jolt apart. Hutch, Bern and Canyon come racing out of the forest. Through the trees, the shadows play over the huge forms of both a polar and grizzly–or possibly pizzly–bear.

The Terrible Threes slap the sides of the ATV, hollering and carrying on before they race ahead of us. “C’mon, Lana,” Hutch calls. “We’ll make a cake!”

Teddy pinches the bridge of his nose.

“I love your family,” I tell him.

He sighs and throttles the ATV forward. “I do too. But after cake, I’m kicking them out and tying you to the bed.”

“OMG,” I whisper.

I can’t wait.