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

she hadn’t walked away yet. “Maybe you need to hunt tonight? Might help your mood.”
    “Yeah, Mom. Thanks,” he said, and his tone was that of an ornery fourteen year old. He cringed.
    She wasn’t wrong.
    “Karen. Come look at this,” Maynard called in the distance. Theron was grateful for the reprieve. A moment later, Theron could hear his mother laughing again.
    “No, you know full well it wasn’t me.”
    “Well, what about Theron?”
    Karen made a scoffing sound as she approached the kitchen, her voice growing louder. “What about Theron? You know where Theron hunts,” she said, laughing again. “Good lord. Was probably some senile old-timer.”
    “What was?” Theron asked, raising his voice. Despite his desire to hibernate in his room, his curiosity was getting the best of him.
    “Come out into the real world if you want to be a part of the conversation,” Maynard called.
    Theron sighed and climbed out of bed, his black hair hanging over his left eye. He squinted at the sunlight pouring in through the kitchen windows, but came out to stand in the living room doorway. Maynard sat at their breakfast table, the paper folded over in his hands, a wide grin on his face.
    “Welcome back, boy. Come have a look at this nonsense.”
    Maynard turned the paper for Theron to have a closer look, his wide, stained thumb hovering over a section of the police blotter for the week.
    Police received call on Sunday, September 13th. Caller reported sighting of a polar bear in the woods on the east side of Parkhurst Lake. Animal Control was dispatched, but was unable to find evidence of the animal.
    Well fuck , he thought.
    Maynard chuckled to himself. “Good grief. Just imagine if someone actually saw one of you up here. All hell would break -”
    The door shook with the force of a powerful knock, startling all three of them.
    Theron turned for the door, his heart racing. Karen hustled across the room to answer the door.
    Stop it, Ther. You’re fine. It’s fine. It’s just Maggie or Uncle Paul. Calm the fuck –
    “Morning, ma’am. Is this a bad time?”
    There was no denying the voice outside – it was a cop.
    Karen stood with her body shielded by the door, just sticking her head out into view. “Well, it’s not great. Can you give me a few minutes? I’m not exactly wearing pants.”
    The voice outside agreed and Karen shut the door. She turned back toward Maynard and Theron with a bemused look on her face, standing there in her Acadia t-shirt and fluffy slippers. She shrugged, turning to head toward Maynard’s bedroom. She returned a moment later in ratty old jeans. Theron hadn’t been able to move from the spot.
    She stopped. “Theron?”
    Damn it , he thought. He’d never had a great poker face.
    She glared at him, her eyes widening with each passing second. “Theron, why is a police officer outside our door?”
    He took a deep breath. “Did you recognize the Officer?”
    She rolled her eyes and crossed to the front door. “Yes, of course, I did. It’s Charlie Black.”
    Theron’s heart leapt into his throat and his mother watched his expression. Karen turned back toward the door, then met Theron’s gaze again.
    She knew.
    The front door swung wide as Charlie Black stepped into the Talbot home.
    Theron swallowed, half expecting the officer to jump out with gun brandished.
    “Hey there. Just the man I was looking for,” Officer Black said, giving a nod toward Theron. He spoke with an air of feigned disinterest, the way every cop that ever stopped him did.
    Theron knew the tone well – he’d been both a teenager and an Indian in Blackrock. He couldn’t count how many times he and his cousins were stopped for walking on roads off the rez. Cops just had to ‘see what they were up to.’
    “You all mind if I talk to Theron outside?” Officer Black asked.
    Karen and Maynard both nodded, exchanging glances as Theron followed the officer outside.
    “Good morning,” Theron said as they shut the