Free Don't Moose With Her (Bearbank Book 1) by Ariana McGregor

six without ruffling any feathers.”
    “Who is ruffling feathers?” came Alex’s voice from behind them. Ethan barely repressed the urge to jump ten feet in the air and squeal like a little girl. Damn bear was ridiculously light on his feet for such a big man.
    “We need to talk. In private,” Leo said, shooting Ethan an amused look. So, maybe he had actually squeaked, just a little. Alex’s gaze lingered a little on the remains of bruises on Ethan’s face. His shifter genes had healed much of it but some evidence remained. He'd have healed completely if he'd shifted but he hadn't bothered. The boss then turned his gaze to Leo and his bruises, raising an eyebrow in question.
    “My office. Now.” Alex grunted and walked off, leaving them to follow.
    Closing the door behind them, Ethan filled the boss in on their thoughts. Alex remained quiet until they were done.
    “It’s pretty thin,” Alex said. “There’s no real reason to assume that we have a serial killer cop.” He raised a hand to stop Leo’s objection. “But, I agree that there has been some sloppiness, which is worrying in itself. It does demand investigating and I agree that I’m in the best position to do that. I’m not saying you’re wrong. Just that it’s only a theory at this point. I’ll look into it and let you know what I find.”
    Dismissed, they returned to their own desks to look over what they had so far. Lunch was a sandwich eaten at their desks. Forensics called at one point to confirm that they had found nothing from the box delivered to Dana. They had expected that but it was still frustrating.
    Ethan’s thoughts returned to Dana once more. His fight with Leo yesterday had forced him to be honest with himself. He did consider Dana his and, screwed up or not, he was not going to be able to walk away. Not now, not ever. He craved her like a drug, already addicted and desperate for his next fix. The threat to her had spun him for a loop, his wolf demanding that they eliminate the threat to their mate’s safety.
    The problem was that if he wanted Dana, and he had to admit that he did, he had no idea how to apologise for his earlier behaviour. He couldn’t send her flowers or any kind of gift, not under the current circumstances. The poor woman had probably been sent enough gifts to last her a life time. He wanted to inspire forgiveness, not fear. He hadn’t had many relationships, preferring to keep his contact with women on a more casual basis. A couple of women had been more like girlfriends but it had been a long time. He had no clue what to do in this situation. His wolf rolled his eyes at him. At least his wolf appeared to be speaking to him again. Mostly.
    Lost in thought, he was startled when Leo’s phone rang.
    “Katie. What’s up?” Leo asked. Ethan sat up straighter and watched his partner. Was it about Dana?
    There was silence for a minute as Ethan listened to the reply. Ethan’s wolf hearing only caught a few words, not enough to make sense of the call.
    “Are you okay?” Leo demanded, shooting a look at Ethan. “I’ll have someone call an ambulance. Where are you?” He waited for an answer. “I’m on my way,” he growled.
    “What is it?” Ethan demanded as Leo finished the call. “Is it Dana?”
    “Someone rammed Katie’s car. Dana and their friend Fiona were there too.” Leo stopped to bark at someone to call an ambulance.
    “Are they okay?” Ethan demanded, springing to his feet. Dana had to be alright. She just had to.
    “Dana and Katie are hurt but they’ll be fine,” Leo answered, standing up and grabbing his car keys. “Fiona is unconscious. I don’t know how bad it is.” Leo paused.
    “What is it?” Ethan asked him, barely suppressing a growl.
    Leo looked at him, eyes narrowed. “Do not lose your shit. You’re no good to anyone, especially Dana, unless you stay in control.”
    “What. Is. It?” Ethan ground out.
    “Right after the crash, Dana got a text from her stalker,” Leo