He shut the door and they hurried towards the back of the cabin. He busted out the window, and they quickly jumped outside. Within a matter of seconds, they were shifting in the warm afternoon air. Zoe sprang towards the forest first and Rollo followed behind her.
Bullets followed their every footstep until they were well under the cover of the forest. She could feel Rollo simmering inside her. He was not the kind of bear who ran away. But they were outnumbered. Probably a dozen men to just the two of them. Shifter healing ability or not, neither of them could take that kind of gunfire and survive.
The jaguar and the grizzly scurried through the underbrush, dry leaves smacking against their hides as they ran. Zoe was faster than Rollo in animal form, but she ran alongside him as they made their way through the forest.
Though she could feel his strong animal body running beside her, she could feel him within her as well. The bond between two mated shifters was stronger than anything that could be described in human language. A warm tingling flow of love cycled between their hearts as their lungs worked and their legs turned under them, driving them deeper into the forest.
Even though they were running for their lives, Zoe could feel Rollo’s contentment and joy that they were together now. All that mattered was that they had overcome their obstacles and finally marked each other. They were forever bonded now, and the joy of that knowledge radiated between them both.
14
Rollo hung up the phone with the last of his men. He had contacted Knox, Gauge, Damien, and even Cadet Heath to gather at the police station. They were all his bears and he trusted each and every one of them to bring down Ivanov and to keep Zoe safe.
He took the stairs quickly up to his bedroom and threw on some clothes before finding something small enough to fit Zoe. All he had was a black T-shirt, a pair of unused flip-flops that were too small for him, and a pair of tights that someone at the station had bought for a Halloween costume last year.
When he brought it to her, he hesitated with what he had to tell her.
“I need you to go to the Bright Institute and stay with your brother,” he said, handing her the makeshift outfit.
“I want to help you bring down Ivanov,” she said, determination ringing in her voice.
“I need you to stay out of the way.”
“How can you say that to me after everything we’ve been through?” she asked him angrily as she slipped on the frumpy clothes.
“I need you to stay safe. I know that you will be safe at your brother’s house near the Institute.”
“I need to be with you when you bring down Dima,” she said.
He placed his hand on her shoulders, looking into her eyes. He knew how badly she wanted this. She had to prove to herself that she was free of the man. And if there was any way that Rollo could give his little kitty a gun and let her loose on the man who’d hurt her, he would do it.
But she was not a warrior and wasn’t prepared to go out with his squad. Rollo and Zoe had barely escaped the cabin with their lives, and he wouldn’t risk hers again, no matter how much she wanted to do it herself.
“Don’t you think I can take care of him?” he asked.
“Rollo, you have to let me come with you.”
“I’m having Heath take you to your brother’s house, and you’re going to stay there.”
“Fine,” she said, looking away.
Being mated with her now, he could feel her agitation in his chest. He would have done anything to make it better and make it go away. He was so torn between wanting to please her and needing to protect her that he growled instead and turned away. He fisted his hips and took a deep breath.
“Heath is downstairs now,” he said.
“You disappoint me, Rollo,” she said, moving out the door. “I thought you understood me better than that.”
He turned back around, only to see the last flash of the tips of her black hair sweep out through the door. He groaned. Maybe she was right. He had no idea what Zoe would do if left to her own devices. Dammit. He should have just invited her along on the ride and kept her in a squad car. He hurried out the door of his bedroom and looked downstairs. He could see her already stepping into Heath’s car out the front window.
It was too late now. He would have to trust that she wouldn’t get herself into trouble again. Of course, it was Zoe, so it was anyone’s guess what she would do next. He cursed himself for underestimating his mate as he watched the car drive away under the golden glow of the early morning light.
He grabbed his keys, hurried out to his squad car, and jumped inside. He grabbed his cell phone and sent Heath a text, telling him to make sure her brother Corey kept an eye on Zoe for him. Hopefully he could keep track of his own sister for a few hours.