by Anya Nowlan
Finally!
He reached them at the same time as Grim did and they were thrown into a pile of arms and legs and laughter. Kelis had both of the baby boys in her arms and Grant gasped as Dante’s strong hands gripped around his neck, holding himself up as they hugged. First, Grant kissed Dante on the forehead and as his vision cleared, he did so to Dylan and then finally to Kelis, who was then just only being released from Grim’s fevered embrace.
“I can’t believe you’re both here!” Kelis gushed, cheeks lit with a happy blush as Grant took one boy in his arms and Grim the other. “I thought you’d never get out!”
“You and us both,” Grim said with a chuckle, nuzzling his nose into Dylan’s hair.
“How about we get the fuck out of here, hmm?” Grant asked, motioning toward the car Kelis had come in.
It was a big Ford pickup, but with two safety seats for the kids. It was packed to the rafters when Grim and Grant hopped in as well.
“Tell us everything,” Grant said as he smoothed himself into the driver’s seat, not particularly caring where they were going, just wanting to put distance between himself and The Firm for now.
“About?” Kelis asked with a cattish smile.
“Everything!” the twins demanded in unison.
“Well, Thatch has been out for a while now, and Dutch got out a week ago. I got a call from Ari. Tex is in for another few weeks because they figured out he was the one who blew the place up, and Connor’s up shit’s creek because of that punch.”
“And he couldn’t be happier for it,” Grant said with an amused snort.
“Hell yes,” Grim agreed.
“You’ve been talking to the wives?” Grant asked with a raised brow, glancing at Kelis as he maneuvered the streets of San Francisco, noticing after a while that he was driving out of town and toward the coast by the shortest route possible.
“Having your mates locked up and out of contact does wonders for communication between women,” Kelis said with a chuckle, one that was cut short when both men whipped their heads to the side to stare at her.
Grant’s chest bloomed with hope and warmth and he couldn’t help but grin a wolfish smile.
“Mates, you say?” Grim asked.
“I believe that is what the lady said,” Grant allowed with a grin. “What do you think we should do about that, brother?”
Kelis’s eyes were wide now, her lips slightly parted with surprise. She looked more adorable than ever.
It warmed Grant’s soul to know that not only had she taken excellent care of Dylan and Dante, with both boys looking to be in perfect health now, but that she’d been obviously thinking about them as much as they had about her. There was no doubt in Grant’s mind that she was the one for them, the woman they’d been waiting for. But to hear it from her as well… there was scarcely anything he could imagine that would make him happier!
“I think a wedding is in order,” Grim said innocently, leaning back on his elbow and looking behind to the back seat, where Kelis was sitting in the middle of it.
“I think so too. What do you think, Kelis? Would you do us the honor of being our wife? You’re the mother of our children already, so I think we should get on with the formalities as well!” Grant queried, a mischievous spark to his voice.
It didn’t matter that his body ached and his stomach grumbled from being kept in austere and cramped conditions in the Crypts. It didn’t even matter that he wanted very badly to blow up The Firm, much as they’d done with The Arctics’ lab in Arizona. All that mattered was that he was in a car, with his family, heading wherever he wanted to, and no one could stop him. Even if they tried, he wouldn’t let them.
“As long as we don’t have to shoot anyone during the ceremony,” Kelis finally said after a silence that had been grating at Grant like nothing else.
“We can’t promise that,” Grim commented quickly.
“Well. I guess I’ll have to live with it then,” Kelis said with a laugh. “Of course I’ll marry you!”
Grant beamed a smile so satisfied and happy that he was sure he was putting the sun to shame. Finally, he could be at peace.
EPILOGUE
Kelis
Keeping a home clean and calm when there were two young boys running around was hard enough, but add in all the children of Shifter Squad Six and it turned into pandemonium the likes of which had scarcely been seen. Still, Kelis stood in the middle of it, grinning like a fool.
A fool in love, she thought happily.
The yard and house were filled with laughter and play, Dylan and Dante getting along swimmingly with Connor’s boy Monroe first and foremost, but meshing with all the kids. Cassie, Connor’s wife, was pregnant with their second, and though Thatch, Tex, and Madeline hadn’t said anything about it, Kelis got the feeling that they weren’t far behind in adding to their family.
She was pulled out of her warm thoughts when strong arms looped around her, pressing her against Grim’s wide chest from behind. Easing into the contact, she leaned back, flicking her eyes up at her wonderful husband, or at least one of them.
“You’ve been gone for a while. Thought I’d come make sure you weren’t dragged off by any wolves,” he said teasingly, planting kisses on her neck.
“The only wolves in this household are the Crawleys, and I don’t think they have any arms left currently to drag anyone,” Kelis said, pointing at the window where Tex was play-acting, losing a grand fight to his twins and Dutch’s boy Roman, and Thatch seemed to be despairing at the sight of it.
All of the men of Shifter Squad Six seemed to have two completely different personas. The unflappable, deadly, scary as hell warriors that they were when work needed to be done, and the grinning, loving, jokester fools they were with their families and friends. It was a juxtaposition Kelis had come to love and admire.
“I feel left out,” Grant’s deep voice called as he padded through the kitchen barefoot, dressed in a forest green T-shirt and some jeans, perfectly relaxed and at ease.
“I’d say get your own, but I’m told she shares us,” Grim bit in with a playful barb, receiving a grin from his brother before Grant leaned down and gave Kelis a peck on the lips.
“Not working seems to make you two entirely too dramatic,” Kelis said with a flourish, rolling her eyes despite the fact that she was smiling wide.
“Can’t argue with that,” Grant said with a shrug, picking up an apple from the basket on the table and biting into it. At the look Kelis gave him, he quirked a brow. “What?! You know Dutch will burn the first batch of burgers and I’ll have to pretend like I wanted it that way to begin with. Let a man eat!”
“None of them know how to handle a grill. Too much heat, not enough patience,” Grim grumbled, squeezing Kelis tighter in his grip.
“You’re one to talk! You could go and show them how it’s done, you know,” Kelis said.
“Can’t! Got my hands full!” Grim called with a whoop, picking Kelis up so fast she had no time to protest against it. “See! Can’t cook a thing like this,” he said with a mocking pout, putting on his best sad face.
Grant used the moment to steal another kiss from Kelis, and she couldn’t help but be perfectly happy as things were. Months had passed since their last run-in with The Firm. The stunt they’d pulled in Arizona had finally been enough for The Firm to sever all ties with them, and none of them seemed to mind.
Connor had been let out of the Crypts about three months ago, and by now, all of them were well-rested and ready for something new. The Firm was a bitter memory in their past. Their injuries healed, their minds sharp and their bodies ready, Shifter Squad Six was raring to go.
But then again, it didn’t seem to Kelis that any of the men were particularly happy with the idea of leaving their spouses and their children alone ever again!
The wedding between Kelis, Grim, and Grant had been a modest one, with the squad fully in attendance, as well as their respective families. Which meant, thanks to Kelis’s family, that it h
ad actually been a pretty big party!
They’d settled into a little house not far from Connor’s, the squad apparently preferring to keep close together, and that was fine with Kelis as well. She felt much closer to the wives of the squad than she’d ever felt with anyone who weren’t her squad mates or her husbands, of course. Everything was looking up and going exactly how it was supposed to.
“Do you intend on putting me down? I think one of your sons is trying to rally the rest of the Shifter Squad Six Mini into some sort of revolt over not having enough juice boxes,” Kelis asked Grim, nodding her head toward Dylan and Dante, arms crossed over their chests, looking every bit the serious little troop leaders they’d probably one day grow into.
“Naw, let them lead and conquer. I’m sure they’ll get on without us for a while,” Grant said with a devilish smile, Kelis catching the exact moment when Grim and Grant looked at one another and decided to play things their way, not the right way.
She yelped as she was thrown over Grim’s shoulder unceremoniously and he lugged her up the stairs and toward their bedroom, Grant in tow, smirking. No one would notice if they weren’t gone for too long, right?!
Don’t miss the excerpt of Anya’s next book, Buck Me… For Valentine’s, on the next page!
Missed the first two books in this series?
Bear My Baby
Twin Wolf Trouble
Bad Cat Baby Blues
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BUCK ME… FOR VALENTINE’S EXCERPT
“I-uhm. Yeah. I try to spend every waking minute sharing barely articulated ideas with a bunch of strangers who can’t apparently use an online dating app,” he finally said, giving her a wry look. “You?”
“Oh yes,” she said with the makings of a smile, and goddammit, it made her sexy on top of being gorgeous. She was clearly going to be the end of him. “I try to set aside every Wednesday to come converse with the greatest minds in dating. I find it keeps me sharp and on my game.”
“Wouldn’t want you to fall off your game, obviously. It is such a competitive sport, after all,” Cupid said with a smirk, glancing to either side of him.
To the left, a pair seemed to be discussing the merits of steaming over boiling rice, and to the right, the table had fallen into silence, both parties staring at their hands in apparent eagerness to be anywhere but where they were at that very moment.
“Hey, don’t laugh. I’m sure there’s a championship somewhere, with prizes worth at least one good Amazon gift card,” she quipped back, her smile widening.
Shit. You’re in trouble now.
And he was, too. She was beautiful, sexy, and sarcastic? Sign Cupid up, he was ready to go to those dating championships if it meant she’d be there!
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WANT MORE?
Montana Wild Bears: Books 1-4 Bundle
Want to read more about Ryder and his struggle as an Alpha?
Strong, scorching-hot werebear Alphas and their sassy, curvy mates - could it get any steamier?!
The Montana Wild Bears series follows two werebear clans during the most difficult conflict of their lives, sparing nothing and no one in it's path. How can these determined, powerful Alphas keep their clans safe while also finding their fated mates? And will their mates allow them into their hearts, even when all odds stand against them?
Find out in these hot stand-alone books, each following one Alpha couple through the war between the clans. Expect some twists and turns and plenty of steam!
If you want your shifters hard, loving and dripping with testosterone and your heroines capable, smart and saucy, this might be just the boxed set for you!
The anthology includes the following books:
Find Her Bear - Book 1
Wanting Her Bear - Book 2
Saving Her Bear - Book 3
Needing Her Bear - Book 4
Sassy Shifter Brides: The Complete Series
What a shifter really needs is a good mate!
Shifter Grove only attracts the kind of shifters who are looking for something better... Something different. When Warren, Rake, Deacon and the Warfang decide to build a new life, they knew it wouldn't be easy. But it would be worth it. Still, hard work and making a better future for the buff, burly and completely Alpha shifters isn't quite enough for the men. Ever shifter knows that a home isn't perfect without the right woman and that's exactly what all of them need!
SassyDate is here to help! Each of the Alpha shifters will find a mate that's as if made for him... Just sometimes it isn't all sunshine and roses.
If you like your shifters hot, growly and determined and your women sassy, bbw and opinionated, this is the boxed set for you! You can find all five of the Sassy Shifter Brides books in this anthology and none of them will leave you disappointed!
The box set includes:
Hearts Laid Bear
No More Lion
Bear the Cold
Roar for Her
The Wolves' Bride
Billionaire Dragon’s Bride
He's blazing hot and this dragon won't take no for an answer.
Devon Bluewing is a billionaire playboy like no other. Cocky, strong and sexy as hell, he's used to getting anything and anyone he wants. But when it comes a time to step up and stand as the head of his family, and the dragon council of Treasure Lane, Devon is met with an inexplicable problem. He needs a mate or his whole legacy could be in jeopardy. Now, that doesn't work at all for the fire-breathing bad boy, who's used to getting his own way.
Gemma Teeley can't stand injustice. She's sassy, smart as a whip and always ready to fight for what is right. So when the newest Bluewing heir decides to wrack up the taxes on her hometown, Gemma isn't about to stand for it. But what she doesn't know is that her fight against traditions might just get her into a whole lot of steamy trouble! The curvy, headstrong woman has all the fire of Devon, and when he gives her an ultimatum, they're both in for more than they bargained for.
Even if she'll play along, it doesn't mean that she'll make it easy on him. But it isn't just Devon whose making decisions for Gemma, and soon it becomes very clear that it's not only Gemma's pride that's in danger of getting burned...
Smutty Shifter Shorts: Books 1-5 Bundle
5 hot, sizzling shapeshifter shorts sure to make you need a cold shower!
The Smutty Shifter Shorts series is all about bringing the naughtiest, sexiest werewolves right to you! Each story is a standalone short, but three of them can be read as a series.
If you want your werewolves growly, determined and hungry for more and your women curvy and sassy, this is just the boxed set for you! Expect some twists and turns and plenty of steam!
This anthology of bestselling shifter shorts includes the following books:
The Mate
The Chase
Outcast's Claim
Outcast's Pride
Outcast's Mate
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Anya Nowlan loves sex and writing about it. The sexier and naughtier the better. She mostly writes paranormal and fantasy erotic shorts, focusing on shifters and their lucky mates. Her stories are bite-sized, just what you need to soothe that craving for brave women and growly alphas with a big side-order of smutty sex.
Anya lives in Boston with her boyfriend and several dogs of varying sizes and levels of mischief. She can't go through a day without chocolate and has an unhealthy addiction to purses, but every girl is allowed her little vices, right?
If you have enjoyed her shorts or want to just shoot the breeze a little, don't hesitate to contact Anya via e-mail: [email protected]
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/anyanowlan
Twitter: http://www.twitter.c
om/AnyaNowlan
Homepage: http://www.anyanowlan.com
You can find all of my books here:
Amazon Author Page
www.anyanowlan.com
Thank you for reading!
Table of Contents
A LITTLE TASTE…
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE