Bearly Believing
Bear Wardens
By
Scarlett Grove
***
Copyright © 2015 Scarlett Grove
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Join Scarlett Grove’s mailing list for updates on new releases. Click here to join my newsletter. Or come visit my website at www.scarlettgrove.com.
Table Of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter One
Summer Madison dipped her syringe into the pond, filled it, and then deposited the water into a beaker she tucked safely away in her testing kit. She was sure the new copper mine was polluting the water, just like all the other old mines in this part of Montana.
Summer intended to be a one-woman advocate for the forests, even if she had to go totally Erin Brockovich on their corporate asses.
She’d taken several samples from the small pond that collected water from the river. It was rich with fish and was a primary fishing spot for local wildlife. Standing water like this would surely show evidence of pollutants from the mine.
Deciding to take samples from the forest surrounding the pond, she pushed her sunglasses up the bridge of her nose and hefted her testing kit to trek into the dense forest. She’d already hiked several miles that day, and her legs were feeling the burn.
When she pushed through the underbrush, she nearly dropped her kit on the pine needle covered ground. A massive grizzly bear lay sprawled across the forest floor, its big chest moving slowly up and down. Startled, Summer felt her heart pound in her throat.
She stopped herself. The bear was clearly sick. Wildlife didn’t usually lie around in the open like that in the middle of the day. Something was wrong with it. Approaching hesitantly, her bear spray gripped in her sweaty hand, she came close enough to inspect the beast.
Its large, glassy eyes fluttered, and it let out a long, low moan before its eyes went dark, and its chest stopped moving.
Is it dead?
She knew she should back away slowly and get the heck out of there, but the lure of scientific inquiry was too great. She tiptoed forward, dropped to her knees, and reached out to place her hand over the bear’s heart.
No pulse.
It had stopped breathing. Clearly, the beast had passed on. Anger surged in her chest. Damn corporations! They didn’t care about anything but profit! She clenched her fist and her jaw, dark thoughts running through her mind.
As a silent tear ran down her cheek, Summer pulled a hypodermic needle from her testing kit. Knowing it was slightly morbid, but unable to stop herself, she pushed the needle into the bear’s flesh, drawing out a sample of blood.
“What do you think you’re doing?” A husky, deep voice bit through the still air. Summer looked up, gasping as she capped the needle and shoved it into her testing kit. Gaping at the brawny law enforcement officer before her, she wiped a tear from her cheek and stood.
“It’s dead,” she said defiantly.
“I can see that. Did you have something to do with this?”
“No! Of course not.”
The man frowned and moved toward the bear. He wore dark blue jeans and a tan uniform top, and his eyes were shadowed by a black cowboy hat that covered his cropped brown hair. Blue eyes blazed at her over a strong jaw dusted with dark stubble. His chest was so broad it reminded her of the grizzly at her feet.
“I’m the game warden in these parts. I see you sticking a dead bear with a needle, and I’ve got to ask why.”
“I’m testing the area for toxic waste. I suspect this bear died from poisoning, so I took a blood sample.”
The warden grumbled and crossed his burly arms over his deep chest. Summer gripped the strap of her testing kit and flipped her dyed, red dreadlocks over her shoulder.
“What are you, some kind of scientist?”
“I’m an environmental biologist.”
“Who do you work for?”
“I do research for the University of Montana, but this isn’t for my job. I’m out here alone.”
“Why? Bear hunting?”
“Seriously? Do I really look like a poacher to you?” Summer asked, angrily looking down at the dead animal.
There was no longer an animal there. She screamed and nearly tripped over her own feet. On the ground before her was a dead man.
“It’s a shifter,” the warden growled. “Just what I suspected. You’re one of those shifter haters, aren’t you?”
“No!” Summer nearly screeched. “I stand behind shifter equality. Oh, my God. Look at him. Do you see those black marks on his skin? It’s arsenic poisoning.”
“Hmm. So he was poisoned.” The warden moved forward and knelt beside her, inspecting the naked man. “I’m Chance Baker, by the way.” He offered his big hand to Summer, but she just frowned at him. He tilted his head, glaring, and she finally shook it.
“Summer Madison.”
“So you came all the way out here to do scientific research at your own expense?”
“I did. I believe the copper mine is polluting the river. Copper mining has a bad history in this state, and I intend to protect the rivers and the people at all costs. What could be more important?”
“The copper mine created a lot of new jobs in town,” Chance said. “From what I understand, they’ve got pretty high environmental standards.”
“Typical redneck attitude.”
“Excuse me?”
“Never mind. I shouldn’t have expected you to understand. You’re probably paid off by them to look the other way.”
“Jesus, lady, you’ve got attitude.”
She glared at him, and he met her glare with one of his own. “Never mind. I need to call this in, and you need to clear out before I arrest you.”
“Arrest me? You should be arresting the people responsible for polluting this land!”
“I don’t have time for this. There’s a dead man lying on the forest floor if you haven’t forgotten.”
“Of course I haven’t forgotten! His death, and deaths like his, are the exact reason I’m here.”
“Just clear out and don’t leave town. I’m going to need to ask you some more questions.”
“I’m staying at the Green Pine Hotel in town. Room number seven. I won’t be hard to find.”
“I don’t doubt it.”
Chapter Two
Chance growled to himself as he watched the honey-skinned, hippie scientist stomp off through the forest. That woman was way too sassy, but he could barely keep his body under control when he saw her. The second he smelled her intoxicating aroma, his mind became a haze of lustful thoughts.
Just the look of her in those colorfully printed pants and the tight black tank top that accentuated every juicy curve on her luscious little body made his mouth water and his inner bear roar. For God’s sake, a hippie chick with dyed, red dreadlocks. Why?
Chance had a taste for no-strings relationships with sweet little blondes who liked to bake pies. This one did
n’t seem at all like the pie-baking type, but that didn’t keep his bear from growling and clawing inside his head. Mate!
After spending his life as a consummate bachelor, his mate turned out to be the kind of woman no man could handle. Good thing he wasn’t a man. He was a bear. He grinned at himself. He’d have to think about the girl later. Right now, he had to inspect the scene and call in the death to both Forest Service and dispatch at the sheriff’s department.
These deaths had been turning up all over Montana and in other states with large shifter populations. The humans weren’t too happy about the news that shape shifters lived among them. Chance didn’t much care what the humans thought. He’d been all for coming out. Being big, even for a bear shifter, and having a military background, Chance hadn’t been worried for his own safety. Coming out to the public would mean he had less to worry about on a day-to-day basis if he wanted to shift in public or let the humans he worked with know what he was. It just meant less work and worry. The shifter council had believed the same thing.
Little did they all know it would turn into this shitstorm.
He walked around the body and grabbed the walkie-talkie at his shoulder. Margie, the dispatcher, answered, and he informed her of the dead shifter he’d found and gave her a description of the scene. He detailed Summer’s involvement and told Margie what Summer had suspected.
He hadn’t wanted to tell the sheriff’s department about his sassy mate’s part in the man’s death, but it couldn’t be helped. This was more than likely a homicide, not that as a game warden he wanted to be involved in one. But the standard policy in Montana was that wardens were now responsible for cases involving shifters.
The deputy sheriff and a few EMTs were on their way. Chance knelt down and turned the man’s head so he could see his face. Balor Von. He knew the grizzly shifter from the local clan. Chance cringed. Balor had gotten a job at the mine last he’d heard. Could there be a connection, or was it just coincidence?
Sighing, he stood. This was not his day. He’d come up here to check on the local deer population since the opening of deer season would soon be upon them. He hadn’t expected to find a dead shifter or his mate stabbing it with a hypodermic needle. What were the odds?
When the deputy sheriff arrived with the EMTs, they carried Balor’s body down to a waiting ambulance.
“Does this look like arsenic poisoning to you?” Chance asked the EMTs as he helped heft Balor down the hill.
“I’m not familiar with what arsenic poisoning looks like, but those black spots are strange. We’ll know more when the doctor takes a look.”
“Balor was probably fishing. A lot of grizzly shifters like to catch trout in the pool that collects along the side of the river. It’s a popular spot,” Chance said.
“Do you think there’s poison in the water?” Deputy Sheriff Hurly asked. Hurly was a short, balding man with a paunch, and he was huffing and puffing by the time they made it to the bottom of the hill with Balor’s body.
“The scientist seemed to think so,” Chance said.
“You don’t suspect the woman?” Hurly asked.
“Not sure yet. She doesn’t seem the type. More like the opposite. Some hippie from the city, trying to take on the entire system by herself. I’ll interview her after we get Balor to the hospital.”
They slid the body board into the ambulance and slammed the doors. Chance nodded to the EMTs as they climbed into the ambulance and drove away. Standing on the side of the forest road with Hurly, Chance sniffed the air and looked around. The smell of death was still thick in the air.
“Didn’t expect to have a shifter death come to our neck of the woods,” Hurly said. “We haven’t had any hate groups turning up here as far as I know.”
“It’s spreading,” Chance said.
“Do you regret coming out already?” Hurly asked him.
“Not really. No one’s going to mess with me,” Chance said confidently. He took a deep breath and expanded his chest, reminding the smaller deputy of his strength and size. Hurly just laughed and smacked Chance’s back affectionately.
“I’m glad you came out. It helps let people know where the sheriff’s department stands on these issues. The last thing we need are hate crimes in our area. We have a nice quiet beat, and I aim to keep it that way.”
Chapter Three
Summer dripped a few drops of the testing solution into her water sample and set the bottle down on the counter next to the TV in her hotel room. Scowling, she stepped back and sat down on the scratchy hotel quilt. It would take fifteen minutes to get results, even with her lab-quality tools.
She’d expected to do her tests in the field and would have if that game warden hadn’t interrupted her. Summer crossed her legs and frowned at his memory. Chance Baker was everything she disliked in a man. Big, burly, Neanderthal, alpha male country boy types made her cringe.
She liked sensitive artists or fellow scientists as a rule. She’d even dated a few guys from the protest group she was part of, but like with most men, it just hadn’t worked out.
Summer was a strong, independent woman with a stubborn, sassy streak that the men she dated just couldn’t deal with.
Chance Baker was so big and brawny, with cords of roped muscles running up his arms and bulging through his uniform shirt, he looked like he could take just about anything Summer could throw at him. The image of those arms wrapped around her waist, his big hands running over her curves, made her tingle all over.
She bit her lip as she squirmed, her panties dampening at his memory. Damn it! This was not the reason she’d come to the mountains. She needed to find evidence to prove to the authorities that the copper mine was polluting the water. Without her, the water, the people, and the forest were in danger. She had to focus.
Summer stood and lifted the bottle of water, checking it against the test strip colors. Dark brown. The arsenic was at dangerously high levels. One sip of this water could kill a man instantly. She’d expected to find evidence of arsenic in the water, but not this much. Anger surged in her belly as she gripped the glass bottle.
A knock rapped at the door, and she jumped. Setting the bottle on the counter, she strode over to the door and swung it open, expecting to find room service. Instead she found him…
“Ma’am,” he said, tipping his black cowboy hat.
“What?” she barked.
He drew back like she’d bit him. Then he frowned and stepped forward, blocking out the sun with his massive body.
“I need to ask you a few questions about Balor Von’s death. The investigation has been elevated to homicide as there are clear signs of poisoning.”
“No shit,” she said, stepping out of the way and slapping her hand against her curvy thigh.
He came into the room, the doorway almost too small for him to pass through comfortably. Standing in her little hotel room, he seemed to suck up all the light and air in the space.
“Summer Madison, I’d appreciate you checking your tone. You’re lucky you aren’t being arrested under suspicion.”
“That would really help your investigation, I’m sure,” she said sarcastically. “Since I’m the one who told you he’d been murdered. Look at this test bottle of water from the river. Five hundred thousand parts per million arsenic molecules. Do you have any idea how high that is?”
“Not really.”
“Well, it’s extremely high. Any living thing that came in contact with that much arsenic would die instantly.”
“The pool near where Balor died is a popular fishing spot for shifters around here,” Chance said, his tone softening.
“That’s exactly where I took the sample,” she said, setting it back on the table. “The copper mine must be letting every ounce of wastewater runoff into the river at those rates.”
“What makes you so sure it’s runoff from the copper mine?” Chance asked.
Summer scowled. How could he be so blind? Of course it was the copper mine. This had been exactly the evi
dence she’d been looking for.
“Copper mines use arsenic in their smelting process. Arsenic poisoning from wastewater runoff is a common historical problem in Montana. I thought everyone knew that.”
“Nope,” he said, taking his hat off.
Summer sighed. This guy was not the brightest bulb in the bunch. That didn’t keep her body from exploding with need just looking at him. What’s wrong with me? She had to get her hormones under control. Being attracted to a back country hick was not going to help her bring down the corporate mining system.
“Anyway, copper mines have contaminated whole areas because of their lazy wastewater management practices.”
“But you did say ‘historical,’ meaning a long time ago.”
“Yes, but that doesn’t change anything.”
“We’ll look into the copper mine. Since you’re an expert, the sheriff wants you to consult on this case. We looked into your background and agreed that you aren’t a suspect.”
“You did a background check on me?” she asked, irritated. She didn’t want him to know about her past. The idea of Chance looking into her personal life made her face burn. She bristled, wondering why she cared what he knew about her.
“You’re an antiestablishment, hippie protestor. You’ve come out in highly vocal support of shifters. There’s no reason to believe you are a suspect in a poisoning murder.”
“I’m not a hippie. I’m simply informed.”
Chance reached out and picked up one of her dyed, red dreadlocks. When his fingertips brushed the exposed flesh on her shoulder, her entire body came alive as an electric shock ran up and down her spine.
“What do you call these?”
“My hairstyle has nothing to do with it.”
“I bet you’re a vegetarian,” he said, smirking.
“Vegan.”
The half-smile turned into a full-blown grin. She hadn’t seen Chance smile since they’d met, and it lit up the room, illuminating the dark corners. She gasped and bit her lip, not wanting him to see how he affected her.