When her sister was killed, Dee Wixx’s soul shut itself away, never to see the light of day again, not even for a hunky bear shifter who was there for her at every turn. Her sister’s death dominated her past, present, and future. At least the murderer was in prison…until he showed up at her front door.

Nathan Pierce, the beta of the Pierce sleuth, found his mate, but she has locked herself away from trusting any man again. He sympathizes with what she’s suffering and is determined to get her through the tragedy…one way or another.

But he can’t sit back and watch her walk into danger when her life is threatened. Taking the case into his own hands, or paws, he’s led to something he never saw coming. Something that not only could kill his mate but end the entire sleuth.

Chapter 1

Another girls' night with Kiera and Caitlyn. While Dee was happy to have them over to her house for movie night, she could do without this particular conversation. She let out a sigh to cover her frustration. While she busied her hands in the kitchen, Kiera and Caitlyn were swapping stories about their mates.

Her best friend, Kiera Wilson-Pierce, had been happily married to the alpha bear shifter of the Pierce Sleuth since last fall. Even before that, she had chosen him as her true mate. She had been immersed in the culture of the shifters for a while, and Kiera was ready to take on that life.

Lev Pierce was strong, confident, and true, just like any good alpha should be. He took care of his business, his sleuth, and his woman as effectively as a honeybee goes about its work. Kiera was lucky to have him, and Lev was lucky to have her.

They met at the hospital where she worked and were immediately drawn to each other. She had just gotten engaged when she was in a horrible car accident that took all her memories of the previous year. Kiera was having a hard time understanding her relationships with people she didn’t recall, including Lev, and Dee had to help her remember who she was.

Lev stood by Kiera when she had amnesia. He was patient and understanding. And he had always chosen her safety over all other matters. In the end, she had fallen in love with him all over again. Her memories returned, and they got married as they had always intended.

Dee's cousin, Caitlyn Wilde, had just moved here last winter and had already found herself with her mate as well. Max Ellison was the alpha of his bear sleuth and allied with Lev's sleuth.

While Caitlyn almost refused Max at first, he knew she was his mate and persistently showed his love and dedication to her. Their unorthodox relationship blossomed into a little family. They were expecting shifter cubs in the coming months.

Max was also a well-to-do gentleman, and his company had hired Caitlyn as controller after the previous controller was killed. That should have been an indicator that something was up, but of course, Caitlyn didn't know that when she had applied.

Caitlyn helped Max discover who was embezzling the money from the company. This act had almost gotten her killed, but Max would never let that happen. He risked his own life and the welfare of his business to protect her.

Dee, however, was dead set against the very idea of mates. Her heart was not open to any romantic relationship. She was overjoyed for her friend and her cousin, but she vowed it wouldn't happen to her. Not if she could help it.

"Dee, have you noticed how Nate watches you whenever we are at the sleuth house? I am willing to bet money that you are his mate," Kiera quipped. Dee immediately saw what Kiera was getting at.

"No, I haven't noticed, and I honestly don't care." Her sour attitude could ruin girls' night, but she hated when Kiera tried to matchmake. The comment didn't seem to register with Kiera as her lips curled into a smirk.

Of course, Dee had noticed the hunk of a man that couldn’t keep his eyes off her. She would have to be an oblivious fool not to notice. She knew full well that he was Lev's little brother and, therefore, a beta bear shifter. Strong, capable, loyal.

Of course, her stomach burst into butterflies when she felt the heat from his eyes burning into her soul. She could feel the attraction that made her sex quiver. She had all the tell-tale signs of being his human mate.

But she had been over this so many times with them she could puke. She could not extend her heart, not even to someone as yummy and available as Nathan Pierce. No one could get to her heart anymore.

"But if you married Nate, then we would finally be sisters for real. And then we can be those cliché sisters who get pregnant together and go shopping together …" A giggle of excitement came from Kiera. Caitlyn smirked as well, but Dee rolled her eyes.

"Well, you girls know I already beat you to that punch," replied Caitlyn, patting her growing belly. She wasn't very far along yet, but she was starting to feel the effects of her pregnancy.

So far, her gestation had been fairly normal, but she had been seeing doctors specializing in humans with shifter babies. While she was afraid at first, she is now excited. But Dee had grown frustrated with the prodding.

"Kiera, I know that you think Nate would be a perfect match for me, but let me remind you of something. I have less than no interest in a relationship after what happened to Emily."

The room went silent. It still stung, not just Dee, but all three girls, every time Dee mentioned her baby sister who was taken out of the world way too soon. She had a less-than-perfect relationship, some would call it toxic, with her long-time boyfriend, Jack Grant.

Emily and Jack had fought a lot, and Dee was afraid for her sister. Emily denied the abuse, but Dee thought she needed help. She seemed afraid to leave him. Finally, Dee put her foot down and helped Emily escape, but Jack had hunted her down and killed her.

The loss was devastating to everyone, especially Dee. The love of her life murdered her. She couldn't forgive what had been done to her sister, and she definitely couldn't trust a man not to do the same to her.

"Cuz, you know shifters mate for life. If Nathan is the real deal, then he would go to the ends of the Earth for you. I should know. Max nearly lost his life while trying to protect me. And I hadn't even accepted him as my mate yet."

Dee remembered all too well. The whole situation was so awful. Max was the only reason Caitlyn came out of that situation alive. She shivered to think what would’ve happened if Max didn't love and protect her so fiercely.

She briefly wondered if Nate could be her mate and would love her just as fiercely. If he would protect her, and if she would truly be safe with him. Dee had always wanted a love like that and a family like that. Regardless of how happy the idea made her, she couldn't risk her safety and the possibility of getting her heart broken.

Besides, she was still grieving the loss of her sister. She loved her sister with everything in her. She couldn't dedicate the love she had for Emily to someone else. It didn’t do justice to the memory of Emily.

"Besides, the sex is out of this world. Superhuman, even," Caitlyn added with a wink.

This sent all three girls into fits of giggles. That sort of intimate comment could only be made among really good friends. And these three girls were the kind of family one would choose. 

Dee could only imagine the carnality. She’d thought about Nate taking her so many times. She even had to take care of personal business because she couldn't get him out of her head. And if she was truthful, she actually wanted the visions to come true.

She had so many fantasies of her riding him slowly and sensually. Him marking her, and her letting out screams of ecstasy. Sex so wild that they would have to replace the furniture. He was a bear, after all. A tinge of arousal made her shiver.

She shook the idea from her head and tried to focus on getting ready for the movie. She would not let the idea of Nathan distract her this evening. The girls had been working on putting snacks together: popcorn, candy, chocolate pretzels, and gummies.

Caitlyn also had brought Red Vines because that was one of her favorite pregnancy cravings. Don't get between a shifter baby and its cravings. They found that out the hard way.

She had sat on the sidelines and watched both of her friends be wooed by their mates. They both expressed that, while it was hard to succumb at first, the men always made their mark. But when her sister was murdered, she just couldn't stand the idea of trusting someone enough to get that close.

Kiera and Caitlyn couldn't be happier. Dee loved that they had such wonderful guys. Lev was everything an alpha should be and had been like a brother to her, even though she was just Kiera's good friend. Max had also accepted her as one of the sleuth, and Dee was honored to be a part of both sleuths.

But when Nathan looked at her, she felt a fire in her soul, and it scared her to pieces. She knew this was what Kiera felt, and then Caitlyn. She had no idea if this was how Emily felt in the early stages of her relationship, but Dee wouldn't allow herself to get sucked in, to possibly get hurt … even killed for love.

When Jack crossed her mind, she was filled with an enormous amount of rage. How could a person who claimed to love someone be so hateful as to kill that significant other?

After all, people watched that stuff on documentaries but always assumed it wouldn’t happen in their life. That it was all exaggerated for television purposes. It was practically make-believe. But not for Emily.

While the police had booked him, she didn't feel as if justice was properly served. She wanted him to die to avenge the death of her sister. She wished he had never come into her sister's life.

Kiera pulled Dee into a hug. Dee didn't want to accept the embrace, but Kiera had a way of reading her like an open book. Dee's arms circled Kiera's waist loosely as Dee held back tears of frustration and pain.

"Sweetie, I know these last two years have been extremely difficult. I can't imagine the torment of losing someone so dear to me. I wish I could remove all the tragedy. I would do anything to take this pain away from you."

That was when the floodgates broke open. Sobs broke silently in Dee’s chest. Caitlyn placed her hand on Dee's back.

When Caitlyn and Dee were growing up, their mothers used to draw shapes on their backs to help them fall asleep. Caitlyn and Dee grew up with that quirk as being a silent comfort. Just as Dee had done for Caitlyn when they found out she was pregnant, Caitlyn did that for Dee now.

Slowly, Dee calmed, attempting to put her feelings about Emily and Jack to the side so she could enjoy the company of her good friends. While still suffering the consequences of her crying, she was ready to sit with her friends to watch the movie.

They gathered up the snacks and moved them to the coffee table. They were about to sit when there was a knock at the door.

The girls shared an inquisitive look. They weren't expecting anyone. Dee tentatively made her way across the room and opened the door. All the blood drained from her face. Her words caught in her throat. She couldn't believe who she was looking at … Jack Grant.

He was the very image of a villain. His dark features were lit only by the dim light coming out of the house. The only thing missing was the rain and a flash of lightning striking behind him.

How can he be here? Why is he standing at my door? Why isn't he safely behind bars?

And then it struck her: Oh God, he came to finish the job.

He was here to kill Dee.