Called by the Bear 7-9 Read Online Free PDF Page A

Veilleux.

    ***

    I arrive home to Donna singing to the babies. She has them lying on a big blanket and is tickling their feet as they squirm to her song. The sight makes me grin.
    “Hey, I had no idea you were such an entertainer.” The couch whooshes as I drop onto it.
    Donna stands and sits in the overstuffed chair where she can face me. “I’ve got a great audience.”
    “We dropped the ball with Taylor. She didn’t know that werebears have a mating season. Seems she was worried about not getting pregnant and took to drinking a fertility tea mixed up at Earth Elements. She fainted today, and I think it’s because she’s being poisoned.”
    Donna gets up to move a baby play gym over Connor, who craves constant interaction. Audrey lets out a squeal when one is placed over her too. Little Elliot has fallen asleep. “Hmm, Nina Hamlin runs that shop. She’s a strange one but human and most certainly not one with witch powers. I can’t imagine she’d get mixed up in werebear business.”
    “I dropped the tea off at the hospital lab for testing. But I bet good money it’s toxic.” I perch myself on the edge of the chair as my bear stirs inside of me. “How do you suppose it got that way?”
    Donna gazes at me intently for a moment before speaking. “The Veilleux medicine man. While our Kimi only practices good, I don’t trust others do.”
    I’ve never met the Le Roux medicine woman, but the vision of Catori, the old Native American woman I met in Colorado, comes to mind. “Tell me more about Kimi. I know she helped you send out the call to fertile women with werebear heritage.” I glance down at my children and grin. “And a pretty powerful call it was.”
    Donna leans over and scoops up sleeping Elliot to cuddle. “Our relationship with the Abenaki Indians is centuries old. Each clan has a spiritual Native American to help us with situations that require the spirits. It’s possible Victor employed theirs to keep us from producing more children.”
    I get up, and my feet thump on the floor when I begin to pace. I tick off my fingers one by one. “Lily is now a Veilleux, Sierra is pregnant with Victor’s babies, Taylor was being poisoned.” I stop and gaze at Donna. “What’s he got planned for me?” When Victor kidnapped Sierra with her full sleeve of tattoos on her arms, he was convinced she was the woman in the prophecy, “The tattoo girl will bear the greatest gift.”
    But he has to know that it was me now that Ink It is open, and it’s no secret that I’m a tattoo artist. Donna shakes her head. “I don’t know.” She hugs Elliot tightly to her chest. “But if he thinks he’s getting a hand on my grandchildren, he’s sadly mistaken.”
    Brady steps through the door with a growl. “He’ll never get close enough. Poisoning Taylor is just one more nail in his coffin.”
    My husband’s choice of words makes me cringe, because I’m afraid there will be more than one death to deal with before this is all done.

6
    Chapter 6
    L ily

    R age is fighting to surface as I control my breathing while I pound down the staircase of the Jefferson House restaurant. My fangs have slipped out, and if I’m not careful I could shift in front of humans. Although Thomas would get me out before it happened, I’m tempted to let the transformation take place. Because I want to turn around and claw out two sets of blue eyes.
    How dare they! Victor wouldn’t kidnap women. Cold air blasts me in the face when we step outside, and I notice the storm has arrived. Sierra must be insane. I already know the Le Roux lie, but Marion is in on this one. I thought she could be trusted.
    “Ms. Lily, the car’s right over here.” Thomas leads the way, and I follow without a word. There has to be an explanation.
    When we get outside I lift my face to the falling snow, and the flakes melt on my skin. “Victor, I’ve just left a prima luncheon, and we need to talk.”
    My mind flashes to earlier this morning. Victor