“Female.” Putting his fingers to his mouth, Valentin let out a sharp whistle.

All three turned toward them, with the romping cubs making excited sounds and jumps, while the adult settled down into the water, the gentle flow parting around her large form as her fur turned water dark. As if now that Valentin had arrived, she could break from her careful watch.

Attention diverted by her move, the cubs tried to climb onto her back. Silver was almost certain she saw the adult bear give a long-suffering sigh. Laughing at the cubs’ antics, Valentin jogged down the slight incline and waded into what had to be ice-cold water after kicking off his boots and socks. He splashed the cubs, laughed when they splashed him back. Running so they could chase him, he turned abruptly and chased them back, to their unhidden joy.

Silver took a seat on the grass. When the female bear looked her way, she inclined her head in a silent greeting. The bear did the same, then they both watched an alpha bear play with two energetic cubs, his hands holding rough care for their small bodies.

By the time Valentin made his way back to her, he was drenched and his eyes weren’t human in any way. When he spoke, his already deep voice was so low it felt like thunder against her skin. “Couldn’t resist,” he said, pushing back his wet hair with one big hand. “If you weren’t in recovery and if I wasn’t in terror of Nova’s wrath, I’d have invited you. The small monsters wanted to play with you.”

Silver didn’t get to her feet. “Can we stay here a little longer?” It was patent that Valentin had an extremely high tolerance for the cold, but he might want to dry off.

“Sure,” he said and, moving away several feet, shook off the wet.

Fine droplets settled on the skin of her cheek, but she didn’t flinch at the unintentional tactile contact. She also controlled her urge to reach up and touch the water where it lay against her skin. There was no reason to do that, and Silver was alive because she only did things that were rational.

Settling beside her, Valentin waved at the cubs as their guardian led their tired forms toward a path in the trees that was at the same level as the stream. “Gentler climb,” Valentin told her.

“They seem too exhausted to make it to Denhome.”

“It’s all an act—they’re hoping for a ride on their aunt’s back.” His tone held the same fond affection she’d heard when he spoke of Dima. “It’d take more than a few minutes’ play in the water to wipe out those two.”

The cubs had played with Valentin for almost a half hour. “They’re hyperactive?”

“They’re baby bears.”

Silver watched as those baby bears turned toward her and rose up on their back paws, as if in challenge. A stern sound from their caretaker, and they dropped down and scrambled to catch up with her. Their bodies disappeared into the trees as dusk began to turn from orange to shadowy gray.

Beside her, Valentin sprawled out, bracing himself on his elbows. His drenched T-shirt clung to the ridged muscles of his abdomen, pulled tight across his pectoral muscles, shaped itself over his shoulders. His jeans weren’t much better, outlining the raw muscle of his thighs.

Valentin Nikolaev was a man of violent physical strength even in human form. Yet he clearly had iron control over it; when he’d played with the children, they’d displayed zero fear of their alpha.

To be alpha is to protect.

Words Lucas Hunter had spoken once, according to a media report. It explained much about the dynamics she’d witnessed: Valentin was the most dominant individual in StoneWater by far, but his clanmates understood his strength would only ever be used to protect the clan, never to harm it.

He was like Silver, like Ena.

“You thought about where you’re going to live when you escape the bears who’ve kidnapped you?”

When she raised an eyebrow at him, he grinned. “Fringe netter with his own Internet channel sent out a breaking report last night. Pasha—who obviously needs more work duties—made up a fake account and posted a comment swearing to have seen you being pulled into a black van by six burly bears in bear form.”

“You don’t seem too concerned.” Amber eyes and deep voice, he remained very much a bear in human form.

“Well, according to this ‘eyewitness,’ the getaway driver was in bear form, too. Must’ve been tough for him to steer with one paw since he was drinking a beer at the same time.”

“Bears,” Silver said, making Valentin throw his head back and laugh that huge laugh that wrapped around her.

Hit by the last rays of the setting sun, he was . . . magnificent. It was the only word that applied.

“As for the question of my residence,” she said when he stopped laughing and turned to look at her with his cheeks still creased. “I’ve decided my apartment has some technical issues that require maintenance.”

Valentin nodded. “Clever.”

“There are a number of secure buildings in the city I can relocate to in the interim.”

Valentin made a dubious sound. “Your building was secure, too—and all the negatives your grandmother pointed out still apply.”

Unfortunately, Silver agreed with him. “You have an alternative suggestion?”

“There’s a changeling complex that might work,” he said. “Your relatives won’t be comfortable enough to drop by, and it gives you an easy cover story. No need to set up fake long-term repairs in your apartment.”

“That I’m further immersing myself in changeling culture to better run EmNet?” Silver guessed. “That means I’ll eventually have to live in a human group to ensure no ill feeling across the races.”

“Good trade-off for safety. You could reach out to the Alliance to set up a future stay in a mostly human enclave to head off any cries of favoritism . . . even though we bears are your favorites.”

Silver didn’t react to his wink; that would only encourage him, and Valentin Nikolaev didn’t need positive reinforcement. “Is it the BlackEdge complex you’re suggesting?”

A rumbling sound from deep in his chest, his hands suddenly sprouting lethal claws that dug into the earth as he sat up, palms braced behind him. “Yes. You’d be surrounded mostly by wolves, and that’s enough to make anyone deranged, but there’s no chance of a stranger getting to you without someone noticing.”

“Are there bears in the complex?”

“A few poor souls.” Valentin’s tone was mournful. “Nowhere else suitable in the city for those strange clanmates who want to work in city-based professions. Like that rebel cousin of mine who’s convinced he loves being a prosecutor.”

Valentin’s “rebel” cousin was actually one of the best young Enforcement prosecutors in the city—and Silver knew full well Valentin had taken him out to celebrate after big victories, the proud older cousin and even prouder alpha. “I’ve always thought the larger and more predatory changelings must find it difficult in the city.” The most dangerous predators lived for wild places.

“That’s why the BlackEdge development was so important.”

“Don’t you mean the BlackEdge-StoneWater development?” At Valentin’s sharp look, she said, “I have my own spy files.”

A scowl that was all dark eyebrows and bear arrogance. “The wolves and leopards out in California gave us the idea,” he said in a grudging tone. “Wolves are mangy and they probably give my clanmates fleas, but we decided a while back that there are certain things it makes sense for us to work on together.”