True North (The Bears of Blackrock Book 4) Read Free Page A

two years prior, the number of those boxes dwindled every few months.
    They’d started with seven, dropped to six, then four.
    Now, it was only three. Three crates of food stuffs to sustain the entire population of the Extension.
    It wasn’t enough.
    Sinead took a deep breath and pulled her saved tea bag from that morning’s cup. She’d reuse it three times before it completely lost its flavor.
    Weak tea was better than none, and she was damn well going to enjoy it, she thought.
    Instead, she lost her grip on the mug as a loud, shattering crack ripped through the cold air. Sinead spun around from the kitchen, barely catching the mug before it fell from her hands. She scanned each window for a sign of something outside.
    That was definitely a gun shot, she thought.
    Sinead’s heart shot into her throat. She remembered the last time there’d been gunshots on the Extension.
    Who could they be shooting at? And why? It’s only eight in the morning, there’s no one out there except -
    Sinead took off for the school door, stepping out into the frigid air just in time to see Officer Baird Davenport climb back into his truck and barrel ass back down the main drag.
    There were three crates lying in the middle of the road, nothing but dust to keep watch over them.
    “Buniq!” Sinead called, scanning the flat land around the schoolhouse. She couldn’t see anyone or anything.
    Sinead rushed around the corner of the schoolhouse, praying Buniq had been far from Davenport and whatever inspired him to take a shot. “Bunny? Sweetheart, can you hear me?”
    The ground wasn’t quite frozen, but it was rough underfoot, patches of boulder sticking up from the rough grasses and gravel patches. Sinead hurried out into the field behind the school. This was where the children always went to find new stones for Miss Dalton to write on the board with, yet Buniq wasn’t here.
    Sinead was determined to find the girl, roaming in every direction, calling her name. It was several minutes before she finally turned back for the schoolhouse.
    God damn it, if that man did something to her , Sinead thought, her fists clenched tight at her sides.
    “That Frenchy, bastard, son of a bitch -”
    Sinead stopped dead at the corner of the schoolhouse. There standing by the front steps of the school was a stranger. A tall, stern browed stranger.
    A damn handsome one at that.
    He was tan skinned like the rest of the families on the Extension, his hair not as long as some. This man’s black hair stopped just below his jawline, and he wore a jean jacket with a red flannel shirt underneath. His arm was clutched across his stomach, and he leaned oddly to the right. The man seemed like he belonged – his native blood as clear as the color of his hair or eyes, yet unlike every other man within five miles, Sinead didn’t know his name.
    That made him dangerous.
    The Extension didn’t get visitors. The officers made damn sure of that.
    Sinead heard the schoolhouse door creak as she stepped toward the strange man. She shot a glance up the steps to find Buniq there, holding the door wide open to him. Sinead lunged onto the steps to stand between him and the doorway.
    She looked down at those intense brown eyes and summoned up her best glare. “Who the hell are you?”
    He shifted his weight and winced.
    He was injured.
    Oh god, was he shot? She thought.
    He held out a hand to her, groaning slightly as he moved. “Good morning. You must be Miss Dalton. I’m Theron.”

 
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER THREE
     
    THERON
     
    Two Weeks Earlier
     
    “Man, I still can’t get over it!”
    John Fenn was doing an excited little dance as they made their way through the trees toward the boundaries of the Fenn land. Theron had been spending a good amount of time with the Fenn bears – especially John – since his older sister Maggie started shacking up with John’s brother, Deacon.
    Theron shook his head. “Yeah well, the novelty is gonna wear off at some