My Duty to Bear: Standalone BBW BWWM Bear Shifter Paranormal Romance (The Everson Brothers Book 2)

by Alana Hart

  I was too late, he had found them. I had to get to Luke, before Greenway snatched him for good. If anything happened to him— My bear reared up inside me, snarling in fury, wanting to tear the intruder apart with his claws.

  Soon, I promised, struggling to hold back the shift, wanting to let the beast free and tear through the town. Nobody threatened my family.

  I strode out of the door, breaking into a run, John straggling behind, trying to keep up. “It is. Has she been told yet?” My voice was a low growl, my vocal cords already partially shifted, claws pricking my palms. I could feel my eyes flashing silver, the bear peering out, sharpening my already heightened senses.

  “Annie’s just calling her now—”

  “Ryan!”

  I ground to a halt at the cry. A flurry of motion darted up the street, and Amy stood before me, tears streaming down her cheeks.

  “If he’s hurt…” Her voice broke as a sob tore its way out of her chest, and I gathered her into my arms, holding her for a brief second. She was freezing, standing in the snow wearing only a thin t-shirt and jeans.

  Tearing off my jacket, I bundled her up, zipping it up to her chin. “I won’t let anything happen to him,” I vowed, locking eyes with her, then turned and ran in the direction of the school.

  “Don’t let him take Luke from me,” she pleaded, jogging to keep up with me.

  “That will never happen.” Nearing the school, I noted the expensive looking sedan parked outside the gates, the engine idling, the car empty.

  “John, the car—” I pointed, “—take the keys. Keep an eye out. Greenway doesn’t travel alone.” John darted over to the car, ducking inside.

  Amy’s eyes widened at my use of Greenway’s name, her mouth opened in question.

  “No time, we’ll talk later when I’ve got Luke back.” I couldn’t help it, I pressed my lips to her open ones, ruthlessly stealing her breath. She looked so soft and desirable, her lashes spiked with tears, her plump lips red from worrying them. And she was wearing my scent, my jacket layering hers with mine. A growl trickled from my mouth, a promise of things to come, later, much later.

  “Keep her safe,” I ordered John, and letting her go, charged into the forest, following the acrid scent of Luke’s fear.

  ***

  Amy

  The young Deputy scuffed his feet in the snow, trying to keep warm, his eyes darting around, searching for hidden danger.

  I, on the other hand, couldn’t tear my eyes off the man charging off into the forest, his legs pumping in a blur, blond curls bright in the morning sun.

  “I’m going after him!” I started to chase after him, even before the words were out of my mouth, my eyes pinned on Ryan. I couldn’t just stand here and wait, not while my baby was in danger. I had to do something. Maybe I could distract Will, bargain with him, and plead with him. Something!

  “No, Ma’am! You need to wait here. The Sheriff said so!”

  “Screw what the Sheriff said!” I yelled over my shoulder, trying to speed up, in danger of losing sight of Ryan, but the ground was slick, the snow hiding treacherous patches of ice, and my feet slid out for under me.

  Skidding to a halt beside me, the deputy held out a hand, pulling me back onto my feet. “We should wait here, Ma’am.”

  “I’m Amy, what’s your name?” I snapped, furious with myself, the snow, the whole situation. My ass hurt from where I had landed, and I couldn’t see Ryan anymore.

  “John.”

  My eyes lit on the snow. “Well, John, I’m going to follow these footprints and find my son. If you’d like to come along, that’s fine, but you’re not stopping me.”

  I must have looked half-crazed, because John took a small step back, holding his hands out in front of him, and nearly fell over.

  I grabbed his arm, steadying him, then started following Ryan’s heavy footprints.

  With a sigh, John fell in behind me. “Ryan’s going to kill me, y’know?”

  “I’ll tell him you valiantly tried to stop me.”

  The kid grinned for a second, then resumed his sober expression, his eyes wide with compassion. “The Sheriff—Ryan—will find your boy.”

  I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. If anything happened to Luke…I couldn’t finish the thought, a panic attack threatening to swamp me. I just had to hope that Will wasn’t that mad, wasn’t that crazed, that he would do Luke serious harm.

  But he broke Luke’s hand to teach him a lesson. And he doesn’t like to look like a fool. Doesn’t like to lose…

  I broke into a run, despite the slippery ground, my chest tightening and heart thudding wildly. Screw needing to breathe!

  ***

  Ryan

  Luke’s scent grew stronger, wrapping around me, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth. He was close. Moving as quietly as possible, I crouched in the snow, peering through the branches ahead. Stomping footsteps echoed loudly in my ears, the crunching of snow under hurried feet, the loud swearing and cursing of frustration as branches were shoved roughly aside, revealing nothing.

  They hadn’t found him yet. Counting three men, I moved slowly, creeping around to the right of them, following my nose.

  It led me to a patch of snow, mostly hidden by bramble crawling over the top of a decaying log. Wide eyes peered out at me, the pupils huge with fear.

  Hunching over, I wriggled partway into the small space next to Luke, pulling bramble over behind me, sweeping the snow clear of footprints.

  The boy was shaking, his thin body wracked with great shuddering sobs that he was trying to hold back, his lips clamped tight, nostrils flaring for breath.

  “I’ve got you,” I whispered, the sound barely reaching my ears, but he must have heard me because he crawled into my arms, burying his head against my shirt.

  Calm spread over me, the knowledge that I would do anything for this kid cementing itself deep within, bringing with it the certainty that came from knowing what you want, and accepting it into your heart.

  I loved this kid. Somehow, he had wriggled his way into a corner of my soul and made a home.

  My bear snuffled his agreement, shaking his fur out in readiness for what was to come.

  “I’ll deal with this. You stay here, stay hidden, you hear?”

  Luke nodded against my chest, then released me, shuffling away. Looking up at me with wide, trusting eyes, he mouthed, How?

  I shook my head. I didn’t have time to explain, but added a warning, “Don’t watch,” before wriggling back out of the hole.

  Looping back around, wanting to draw the attention from where Luke’s hidey-hole was, I made a great show of stomping my feet loudly, snapping off branches, wanting to make certain they heard me coming.

  “Who’s there?” a man’s voice called from just ahead.

  I stepped into view, rapidly pinpointing their positions. Two guys to the left, both over-sized, with thick necks and arms that couldn’t quite touch their sides. The paid help. Another man, a bit shorter, probably about five-foot-eleven, but quite a bit lighter, stood to the right, obviously directing the search. Greenway. He was dressed in a tailored suit, his dress shoes fighting for grip on the snow, a thick woolen overcoat thrown over a navy blue jacket. Looped around his neck was a scarf that, if I had to hazard a guess, was cashmere. The man screamed money, but in that obvious, cheap way that no self-respecting old-money man would have. From the shiny shoes, to the heavy Rolex, to the greased back hair… What the hell had Amy seen in this man?

  Hooded eyes stared at me, calculating, weighing. I shifted my attention to him, keeping the others in sight.

  “You looking for something?” I asked, flicking my badge.

  He glanced at the gold metal, something like a sneer curling his lip. “It’s no business of yours, Sheriff.” His words were clipped, well spoken. As though we were having this conversation in the comfort of a bar, or a gentleman’s club.

  “Anything happening in this town is my business, I think you’ll find.” I weighted my
words by taking a step toward him, noting how the other two men shifted, their hands reaching into their jackets.

  “It’s a personal matter. Family business, so there’s no need to involve the local law enforcement,” Greenway answered smoothly.

  “And what business would that be?” I took another step forward. Yep, those guys had itchy fingers, their hands dancing at their waists.

  “If you insist on knowing, my wife and son were…lost, so I’m just helping them find their way home.”

  “If they don’t want to come home?”

  A flash of surprise flitted across the other man’s face, quickly replaced with a calculating gleam. “So, you’ve met my wife then? What lies has she been telling this time? She needs help, you know? Mental help. I’ve got a place lined up, ready to take her.”

  I saw red, the thought of Amy locked up, alone, not able to see Luke. Barely holding onto the shift, I growled, “You’re not making them go anywhere!”

  Greenway took a stumbling step back, his eyes widening, and I knew my eyes were swirling clouds of silver.

  Click.

  Ignoring the sound of guns cocking, I focused on Greenway. He was the problem, the one who had caused so much grief and pain.

  “What do you want? I’ll pay you, you just need to name your price,” the man stuttered, trying to hold onto his failing bravado.

  “Sir, say the word.”

  I turned toward the voice, and the man who had spoken visibly gulped when he saw my eyes. “Shooting won’t stop me,” I growled, my nails lengthening into claws, body tense, ready to charge.

  “What the fuck?” The gun wavered.

  “Holy Mother of God!” the third man whispered, crossing himself. “Fuck this, I’m out of here.” He lowered his gun, holstering it, and holding his hands up in surrender, started to back away, his eyes not leaving me.

  Without a word, his friend started to follow him, the gun shaking in his hands.

  “Stop! Where are you going? I pay you a small fortune—” Greenway barked at them, desperation in his voice.

  “Not enough for this!” one of the men hissed back, his eyes still pinned on me.

  “I said, stop!” Greenway shouted, watching them pivot to turn. “No one disobeys an order—” He snatched out his gun and shot them both in the back.

  I watched in shock as both men crumpled to the floor, blood soaking into the surrounding snow. Now, I hadn’t expected that!

  I looked back at the man in front of me, taking in his crazed expression, the firm grip he held on his gun, which was now pointed directly at me. He seemed to feel back in control, now that he was holding his gun.

  “I don’t know who you are, or what the hell you are, but I do I know the boy’s out here, hiding, the sniveling little brat! He needs to be taught how to be a man!”

  “Taught by breaking his hand?” I couldn’t help it, the words were dragged out of me on a snarl.

  Greenway’s gray eyes narrowed at me, calculating. “Seems like you know them a little better than I thought. Has my wife been whoring herself out? Paying her way by spreading her legs? Don’t worry, I’ll remind her that the only man she puts out for is me!” Spittle flew from his lips and he adjusted his grip on the handle, his finger twitching on the trigger.

  “You won’t go near her. Or Luke.”

  “You going to stop me? I’ll put a bullet in your chest, then what will you do? Whatever you are, I doubt you’ll be able to heal having your heart ripped to shreds.”

  I might. Or I might not. But there was no way I was letting this madman get his hands on my family. I took another step forward, pulling my bear to the front, urging him to rise up. “Maybe, but you’ll be going down with me,” I growled, my incisors lengthening, and I grinned at him in promise.

  “Ryan! No!” Amy’s voice came from behind me, hoarse and panicked.

  Greenway blinked at me, his eyes glued to my teeth. “What the fuck? You’re not coming any closer, whatever the fuck you are!” His finger tightened on the trigger, just as a black blur barreled out of a nearby bush, leaping on top of him, knocking him to the ground.

  The bullet whizzed through the air and sank into my shoulder, tearing through skin and muscle. Shit! That hurt like a motherfucker! I hissed, pain radiating down my arm, blood oozing down my chest.

  “Luke!” Amy screamed, and my eyes shot to Greenway. Luke was straddling him, clawing at his face, his small hands pummeling, legs kicking wildly. Then, in a flash, Greenway rolled over, grabbing the boy by the chin and hauling him up.

  I looked around for the gun, but couldn’t see it. He must have dropped it in the scuffle. Amy darted over to me, her hands patting at my shoulder in horror, then she lunged at Greenway.

  I grabbed her arm, holding her back, and she fell to her knees beside me in the snow. Greenway was dangerous. And he had Luke. There was no telling what he would do.

  “Will, stop this! Let him go, please!” Amy screamed, naked terror in her voice.

  Greenway froze, then he turned, holding Luke’s neck in his hand. The boy struggled against the older man’s grip, but Greenway squeezed, his lips curled back in a vicious smile, and Luke went limp.

  Amy stumbled to her feet, moving away from me. “It’s me you want. Not them. I’ll go back with you, do everything you want, anything! Just leave them alone.” She moved toward him, her hands stretched out, pleading. But her eyes were fixed on her son’s lifeless body.

  “He’s still alive, Amy. I can hear his heartbeat,” I said, not bothering to whisper. I wanted the bastard’s attention on me, not her. Not Luke.

  “He’s not human, you know? He’s some sort of animal, dressed up like a human. I saw his eyes, his teeth, his claws.”

  My eyes flicked to Amy, watching to see how she took the news. But she didn’t react, her attention still wholly focused on Luke, moving closer and closer.

  “You fucked an animal! Are you hearing me? Whore!” Greenway reached out and belted her around the head, his expression disgusted.

  Amy staggered, but she didn’t fall, reaching out for Luke’s hand.

  “He needs to be put down. And then you need to be put in your rightful place, my dear. You don’t get to disobey me! I own you! Bought and paid for! Do you know how much time and effort I have put into you over the years? And you thought you could just walk away? Well, you know better now.” He pulled another gun from his jacket and aimed it at me.

  This just got better and better. My shoulder burned from the previous wound, the skin trying to heal, trying to close up around the bullet. It was going to hurt like a motherfucker later, when I had to dig it out. If there was a later. I eyed the lunatic in front of me.

  Amy was too close, and Luke was still held by Greenway, like a rag doll at the end of his arm. I couldn’t shift and attack with them so near. I needed to get him away from them… I gritted my teeth. There was no other way, and I wasn’t chancing hurting one of them by accident. I didn’t have a choice, I needed him come closer. And he would, he was the type to gloat. Then they would have a chance.

  The gun went off, and at the last minute, I flinched, the shot driving into the top of my chest. I let my body fall back, hitting the ground with a bone shattering thud, not fighting it. If I’d thought I was in pain earlier, I’d been lying, this wound making a mockery of the other.

  I gasped for breath, blackness clouding my eyes. I heard heavy footsteps come toward me, and strained to see. Greenway stood over me, a gloating expression on his face. He was on his own.

  Run! I tried to scream at Amy and Luke, but the words wouldn’t come out.

  It’s time, I told my bear. Get ready…

  But my vision wavered, fading in and out, the buzzing in my ears getting louder, the snow getting colder.

  I watched the black muzzle point directly at me, Greenway’s finger stroking the trigger as he ranted and raved in monologue about so called injustices, his eyes lit with a zealous glint.

  Finally, he finished. “Say goodbye to your
lover,” he called to Amy.

  I tried to concentrate on his voice, but he sounded very far away. I had something I needed to do, didn’t I?

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Amy

  Hugging a still not moving Luke to my chest, I watched in horror as Will raised the gun, walking over to Ryan.

  Blood stained Ryan’s shirt, the fabric sticking to his chest. Sprawled out on the ground, his chest barely rising, his skin was pale, the golden curls that I loved a disheveled mess.

  My heart skipped, realization nearly knocking me over flat. I loved Ryan? How? I had only known him for little more than a day. But in that short time, he had shown me more kindness, affection, and, dare I think it, love, than I had felt from a man in a lifetime. I knew he wanted more from me, and I hadn’t thought I had it to give. And now, it was too late.

  Only seconds had ticked by as I stared into the face of the man that I had met too late, given too little of myself to. He met my gaze, his own wavering as he glanced at Luke.

  He was concerned. Even with all the pain he must be feeling, he was thinking of Luke. His eyes seemed to plead with me, an odd sensation inside my chest screaming at me to run! But I couldn’t. I couldn’t leave him. I owed at least that to him.

  “Mom?” Luke’s voice was hoarse and muffled against Ryan’s jacket, the jacket that I still wore, and now vowed never to wash.

  “Shhh, can you stand?” I whispered, sending thanks to all the gods that I knew, and those I didn’t, when he nodded, struggling to his feet.

  “What’s going on? We have to stop him!”

  I gripped Luke’s hand, holding him back from racing over there. I couldn’t let him risk himself again! But I couldn’t tear my eyes away from where Will stood over Ryan, ranting and raving, waving the gun madly in emphasis. “We will, we just need a distraction—”

  “Say goodbye to your lover.” My ex-husband’s voice reached me, and my heart plummeted. We were too late.

  ***

  Ryan

  I watched Amy drag Luke to his feet, the pair swaying unsteadily. I was seeing four of them, sometimes six, and I blinked furiously, not wanting what could possibly be my last look at my family blurred.