Bears' Claim [PUP Squad Alpha 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) by Abby Blake Page B

house, and moments later a dragon jump vortex and a warlock’s bounce tunnel both opened in the front yard. After having so many people in the small house, the sudden quiet was a little eerie.
    “Can you tell them we’re coming?” Benjamin asked, looking just a little bit freaked out. He might have been a PUP squad leader for the past fifty years, but it was obvious he’d never dealt with a situation quite like this one.
    “I think they already know,” Hannah said with a small smile.
     
    * * * *
     
    Several hours later Hannah still didn’t really know what to do with herself. The meeting had been interesting, and knowing that Amber and Kristen were now being protected as well was a huge relief, but it hadn’t changed anything for her situation. She was still in the safe house, still surrounded by magical wards, human weaponry, and soldiers, and still had nothing to do. Sitting idle had never appealed to her, which was probably why she thrived on the stresses of working in a busy hospital. She looked over at Eric for a while before he noticed her watching. He smiled, closed the medical textbook he’d been reading, and gave her a smile.
    “Bored?”
    She nodded, feeling a little bit childish in her selfishness. All of these men were working around the clock to protect her—even Eric, who was a doctor not a soldier. She should be very grateful—she was very grateful—but it didn’t alleviate the boredom of having nothing to do.
    “How long did you take off from the hospital?”
    Eric looked like he didn’t want to tell her. He rubbed the back of his neck, took a deep breath, and then let it out slowly. “I’m not on holidays. I resigned to deal with a family emergency.”
    “You what?” Hannah asked as shock reverberated through her. “But you love that job.”
    “I love you more,” he said with a smile.
    Hannah felt tears well in her eyes. She hadn’t meant for any of this to happen. It wasn’t fair that Eric’s life was being turned upside down, or that West and his PUP squad were spending all their time on protection detail when they were capable of so much more. It felt wrong to be in the center of it all.
    “Hey,” Eric said when he saw her face, “it’s okay, Hannah. As soon as we can get this situation sorted out, we’ll find a way back to our careers.” He crossed the room, lifted her to her feet, and pulled her into his embrace. “It was probably time for me to move on anyway. People were starting to comment on how a fifty-three-year-old could look so young.”
    “Fifty-three? I thought you said you were one hundred and four?”
    “I am,” he said with a smile, “but that’s not what it said on my medical license.”
    “Oh, I hadn’t really thought of that. It must be annoying to have to give up a successful career just because you live longer than humans.”
    “It is,” he said as he sat on the sofa and pulled her down beside him, “but it also allows for a variety of different careers over a bear’s lifetime. The changes I’ve seen over the past one hundred years are nothing compared to what’s coming. Human society has advanced so quickly in the last twenty years that I almost can’t wait to see the future. Of course, it would be incredible to watch the world grow with my mate by my side.”
    “Eric—” she began to say, but he cut her off with a hard kiss. By the time he pulled back, they were both panting.
    “Don’t. We don’t have to make any decisions right now. Let’s just enjoy the here and now.”
    “Sounds like an excellent idea,” West said from the doorway. “I’m officially off duty and I think it’s time for bed.” He said the word “bed” with such a lascivious smile that she suspected he had no intention that any of them would get actual sleep. “Come on, babe.” He held a hand out to help her off the sofa, but when she placed her hand in his he ducked low, pulled her over his shoulder fireman style, and carried her from the room.
    She