Ranger Bear (Silvertip Shifters Book 5)

by J. K Harper

  Claimed. Claimed one another. As mates. For as short a time she’d been a shifter, she knew exactly what the bites meant.

  The smile that rippled onto her face spread through her entire body like a wonderful aftershock of her orgasms.

  Riley had claimed her as his mate, and she had claimed him. It felt like the best thing that had ever happened to her. She didn’t even have to think about the few highlights in her life to know that was the truth.

  Sighing out a murmur of pure bliss, she let herself melt into the bed, still holding him close.

  Long moments later, Riley gently turned to the side so his weight wasn’t completely on her, then gently slipped out of her. He turned her so he could pull her against him, her back nestled against the heat of his broad chest. He held her close, tight, his hands still gently worshiping her body with little strokes.

  Big, sexy, strong man. Huge, powerful, gentle bear.

  No longer broken. No longer hurting.

  Maybe he wasn’t healed all the way, just like she probably wasn’t either. She knew one thing for a fact, though. With Riley at her side and she at his, they could do anything they set out to accomplish.

  Right as Marisa teetered at the edge of sleep, she heard his voice whisper against her ear. “You, beautiful lion woman, strong, amazing lion woman, are the best people. I love you, Marisa Tully. Mate,” he added, latching a kiss onto her neck as he said that glorious word, mate.

  She exhaled in bliss, pressing back against him, then she whispered out her truth as well. “I love you, Riley Walker. My mate. Best bear ever,” she added in sleepy jumble.

  His soft chuckle soothed her as she drifted into sleep, safe in his arms.

  16

  Riley groaned as something woke him up. Too early. Damned work day. No sweet Marisa in his bed, either. It was a work morning as well as a school morning. A smile drifted over his face as he thought about a few nights ago, when they'd claimed one another as mates. The memory made his entire body rumble with happiness. He missed her presence, although they'd decided they would tell the cubs very soon.

  As he turned his head, paper crinkled beneath his cheek. His eyes snapped open as he jerked his head away from his pillow. What the—? A torn piece of yellow notebook paper, crumpled where he’d apparently been sleeping on it, nestled just at the edge of his pillow. Taking a quick swipe at his face to knuckle the sleep out of it, he grabbed at the paper and stared at it. His blood ran cold at the words.

  I went to find Derek. I know they’ve got him nearby. I scented him last night. It was faint but he’s out there. He’s my family, Riley. I have to do what I can to save him. Now that I know my mountain lion a lot better, and she knows me, I have a really good chance at getting him out of there. You saved me, and now I can save him. I didn't tell you because I don't want to drag all of you into it. This is my battle to fight. I promise I’ll be careful. And I promise you, I’m coming back to you and the cubs.

  I love you.

  Marisa ♥

  A tiny drawn heart followed her name. His own heart, which had leapt into his throat, felt a tug as he saw that, even as he was already leaping out of the bed.

  Damn it. Beautiful, bold, foolish woman. Now that she was finally in touch with her cat, she probably felt invincible. He’d seen it in other turned shifters, though those had always been turned by choice. Once they realized how powerful their animal side was, they often did really stupid things in the beginning.

  Like charge off on their own, convinced they could single-handedly take down a pack of ruthless, honorless outcasts.

  Swearing under his breath, he pulled clothes on as quickly as possible. Tossing a quick glance at the time on his phone, he strode out of his room, already calling out, “Finn! Laney! Let’s get moving. Your ride to school will be leaving pretty soon.” Jessie always took the cubs into town with her to drop them off at school on the mornings she worked at the Mountain Muffin.

  To his surprise, Laney’s cheerful, wide-awake voice answered him from the kitchen. “We’re way ahead of you.”

  “Yeah, Dad,” Finn chimed in, also from the kitchen. “We even made you coffee because you’re the one who’s running late today.”

  A chorus of giggles followed that statement. Despite his slowly blossoming panic, he couldn’t stop a quick grin of pride. He loved those two children more than anything on earth, and each time they displayed another action that showed they were growing up more every single day, he loved it, as much as he knew it meant that one day they would be out on their own.

  He was even more impressed when he went to the kitchen and saw they were both already dressed. Raising his eyebrows, he reached for the mug of coffee. “You guys did great,” he said simply, knowing the simple praise would mean more to them than his being effusive. “Good coffee. Listen, you two. I have to run you over to Aunt Jessie’s right now, unless you want to wait for her here. Something happened, and I’ve got to go help out.”

  Laney immediately looked worried, which led to Finn instantly putting a protective hand on her shoulder. He was so watchful over her, even though she was older than him. Watching the familiar interaction, it hit him Marisa must have the same relationship with her brother.

  “What’s wrong?” Finn asked, watching his father with careful eyes.

  Much as he wanted to protect his children from everything in the world, he also never lied to them. “Marisa left to do something that can be very, very dangerous for her. She went alone.” Riley blew out a hard breath just thinking about it. “Actually, she went to see if she can help her brother. He’s in trouble.”

  Seeming to sense the deep fear in him, Laney sat up. “Marisa’s family? We need to help her!”

  She scrambled over Finn to rush outside, despite Riley’s sharp, “Hold up! Laney! Finn!” Naturally, they didn’t listen. When it came to Marisa, they’d apparently already decided they’d do anything for her.

  Finn managed to bolt out the door first, but Riley heard him lurch to a stop outside. A breath later, his controlled but nervous, “Daddy?” assaulted Riley’s ears. Laney gasped from where she was on Finn’s heels.

  Finn never called him Daddy anymore. Riley was Dad now. Only when Finn was scared did he revert to Daddy. Without even thinking, Riley lunged outside, ready to protect his children from whatever was there.

  A man stood at the bottom of the stairs, haggard, ragged, and wild-eyed. Shifter. A crazy look in his eyes and desperation on his face told Riley one thing. Whoever he was, he was close to being unhinged.

  Riley snatched Finn by the shoulder and shoved his son behind him, a growl building in his throat and spilling out. This wasn’t a guest of the lodge. He definitely wasn’t a healthy shifter. “Who the hell are you?”

  Before the man could answer, Laney’s shocked whisper came from behind him. “Daddy, he looks like Marisa.”

  It hit Riley the second she said that. Yes. This man looked like the male version of Marisa, although even thinner and bearing the marks of many skirmishes. Even so, something was deeply, dangerously off about him. Riley stayed rooted to the spot, aware his bear lurked just below the surface, ready to leap out of him to protect his home and his children from the stranger.

  Even if the man was Marisa’s brother.

  “Tell me your name,” Riley demanded, his tone thoroughly menacing.

  The man swallowed and closed his eyes for a second, clearly fighting with himself. When he opened them again, humanity stared back at Riley. “My name is Derek. I’m looking for my sister. Please,” he said, the shudder in his voice evident along with immense concern. “I need to know what you did with her. She’s completely innocent. Whatever it was, please, just let her go or tell me what you did with her.”

  Startled, Riley snapped, “Why would we have done anything with her?”

  The man’s look skittered behind Riley, where he was sure Finn and Laney peered around his legs, then back to Riley’s face. “Because they told me you would either turn her in to a shifter
prison, or you would get rid of her. You’d kill her. And,” the man swallowed, the sound audible in the still morning, “I know she was hurting, and she didn’t want to go on anyway. Tell me you all didn’t give in to her wanting to be put down. Please.”

  Riley examined the man closely as they stood staring at one another. He was taller than Marisa and had sandy reddish hair and the same green eyes. His facial structure was similar to hers, although a scraggly, tangled, dirty beard covered the lower half of his face. An obvious bruise decorated his cheekbone just beneath his left eye, but the worst part of his injuries was what lay behind his eyes.

  Riley knew this man, Marisa’s brother, might have no chance at a future. His animal was much more in control than the human side, feral madness having sunk its grip deep into him.

  “How can I trust you?” Riley was completely motionless. In full predator mode. His voice flattened even more as he continued. “How do I know you’re not in league with the outcasts and just want to find her so you can drag her back to them?”

  The man took a step closer. Instantly, Riley growled at him, letting his bear flare fully into his eyes. He reached back to shove Laney and Finn more firmly behind him. But the man stopped, bringing up his hands and shaking his head. “I can’t make you believe me. All I can do is tell you Marisa is the only reason I made it in this life. She’s always been there for me. I did my best to protect her from that group of psychotic shitheads. Sorry,” he said, his glance flickering to the cubs before going back to Riley.

  Riley didn’t let the tension leave his body, but he decided to take it as a good sign Derek cared enough to watch his language around children. Not that it mattered since those two had already heard every bad word under the sun, from him if not from kids at school, but it was a decent gesture.

  Just like something Marisa would do.

  “If you do have her, please, let her go.” Derek’s jaw trembled as he spoke, fighting against the giant, unwanted creature inside him. “Take me to her so I can try to help her get out of here before it’s too late.”

  Every hair on Riley’s body prickled at those words. “What you mean, too late?” His words slammed like little bombs into the still air. He felt one of the cubs shiver behind him, though neither one of them moved otherwise.

  “They’re coming for her. For her, and for all of you. They’re angry because of that fight with you all. You killed half of them, then did who the hell knows what with the rest of them, including my sister. The worst one of all got away. He’s completely insane,” Marisa’s brother said, his voice strangely calm as he said it. “Beyond insane, so much so he doesn’t care anymore about what he does. I don’t even know how he’s still in control of his cat, but he is. Even though he’s a monster.”

  Monsters, Marisa had called them. She’d called her own parents monsters. The outcasts were worse than monsters though. They were utterly deranged killers, and every last one of them needed to be ended.

  “He and the rest of the psychos he’s found will kill every last shifter here.” The man’s eyes went to the twins again. “Including kids. They don’t care about anything decent. A group of insane shifters is a terrible idea. No one can control them, not even Nefarious.” His lip curled in derision as he said that name, although a flash of fear billowed over his face as well.

  Nefarious. The same one Marisa feared and hated so much. The bastard who'd turned her without her permission. The one she apparently thought she could take on now that she and her cat were one. Riley’s bear surged inside him. The hell with that. He’d vowed to himself she wouldn’t have to battle alone anymore. He meant it.

  Derek looked back at Riley, the struggle evident in his gaunt face. “She’s the only thing in the world I’ve ever cared about. If she’s here, I need to get her away. Please. You don’t know what kind of crappy life she’s already had.” His breath went ragged. “I want my sister to find some peace. She deserves that.”

  He stopped talking then and just looked to Riley. Pleading. Despite clearly being a very dangerous, unhinged shifter, he was begging for help for his sister, unashamed that he cared about her.

  He was the real deal.

  Riley made his decision in a split second. “I believe you. You look just like her, and she told me all about you. That you’re the reason she survived this life. But she’s not here.” Riley heard his voice trying to waver. He forced it down with a choking ferocity.

  Behind him, Laney whimpered in nervousness. Then she whispered, “Daddy, we have to go find her.” He felt her peek around his leg. “She’s our friend,” she told Derek in a solemn voice.

  Derek blinked at her, his eyes shifting back and forth from human green to glowing golden cat and back again. But he nodded. “Mine too.”

  Riley breathed hard, working to control his own bear. But they were in sync about this. Finding Marisa was the priority. “She left me a note. She took off this morning. To go and try to find you. To save you. I don’t know where she went, Derek.” The man jerked at the sound of his name, but he nodded. “But even though she’s damned amazing, she’s no match for an entire group of crazy, raging outcasts.”

  Derek’s eyes turned bright yellow. A snarl gripped his face. He started to turn away, muttering, “She can’t do that. Have to go back and get her—”

  “Wait!” Riley’s snap stopped the man, who turned to look at him, eyes still an inhuman bright gold. “You’re not going alone. I’m coming with you, and so are my clan. And we need you to take us to wherever those parasites are hiding to get the drop on them. Marisa is part of this clan now,” he added. “She’s a part of my family. She’s my mate, do you understand me?”

  Saying it aloud made him feel powerful. Strong.

  Loved.

  Finn clutched his leg harder. “Marisa's your mate, Dad?”

  Riley glanced down at his children. Both their faces shone with excitement.

  “Yes,” he said, unable to stop his smile despite the urgency of the moment. “She is.”

  “Good,” Laney said with a decisive nod. She sounded very grown up all of a sudden. “We love her. And I can tell you do too, Daddy.”

  Riley's heart exploded with love. He looked at Derek again. “She's my mate, and she's part of this clan.”

  Derek stared at him for another long second. He finally nodded sharply. What might have been a smile flickered over his expression. “Yes. It means she’ll be okay. Thank you,” he whispered. “She’s good people.”

  Riley nodded back. “Damn straight she is. You are too. You’re her family, and she loves you, which means we’re all in this together. We’re coming with you to meet the enemy. And to get her before she does anything stupid,” he added, feeling his bear thudding around inside him, straining to shift and go find Marisa.

  Go find his harebrained, stunning, powerful mate. The woman who had his heart and then some.

  Derek turned fully around and took a cautious step toward Riley. Shutting his eyes for a moment, breath shuddering in and out, he swayed where he stood before opening his eyes again. They’d returned to their normal green. “If that’s true, if she’s safe here with you all, then I need you to do me a really big favor after everything is over.”

  “Which is?” Riley eyed him warily, even though he was already reaching for his phone to call Quentin and tell him to get ready for another battle.

  “Which is when I’m finally lost, that you take care of me so she doesn’t have to. So that I don’t hurt her or anyone she cares about.”

  Riley tightened his jaw. He knew exactly what the man was asking, even if he couched it in vague terms so the cubs might not understand his meaning.

  Derek knew he was going mad, and he wanted Riley to put him down before it got to the point of no return.

  No way in hell would he do that to Marisa’s kin.

  Derek wouldn’t relent, however.

  “Promise me. For Marisa’s sake.” He nodded at the cubs, who’d moved out from behind Riley when they sensed from th
eir father the stranger wasn’t a threat. “For their sake. You know exactly what’s happening to me. If she found you, then she’s gonna be okay.” Derek’s voice shook, from both emotion and the force Riley could see he was trying to wield over his mountain lion. “If you care about her, you’ll do it.”

  Riley still didn’t answer, but he finally jerked out a tight nod. “I’ll do what I have to,” he said, refusing to commit more than that. Then, he swung his phone up to his face to call his clan and sound the alarm.

  They were going into battle again. This time, they were the ones who would have the element of surprise.

  This time, he vowed, he would end the outcasts for all the suffering they had brought to Marisa and her brother.

  For good.

  17

  Marisa’s tail lashed once against the snow. Then a second time. A silent threat. Her entire body quivered with readiness. Ready to rip and rend with her claws, to rain down destruction upon her enemies.

  Rigid force of will was all that held her in place as she waited for her prey.

  From her perch high up the giant pine tree, balanced on a branch bigger than her body, she had an excellent view of the trail leading in and out of the little hovel the Nefarious Desperados used to call home. When she’d arrived earlier, cautiously inching up, using her powerful sense of smell as hard as she could, she hadn’t really expected to find them. As she guessed, they were no longer staying there. They and some of the captured outcasts of the bridge battle would’ve rolled over and given up everything, including their location, for a chance to not be sent to shifter prison. These outcasts had no kind of honor.

  After spending a year in their company, Marisa knew them very well. They’d originally chosen these falling-down little shacks to live in because one of them had excellent little hiding spots in the basement. They’d also dug out holes scattered throughout the surrounding woods to cache the stolen goods they liked to fence in order to get money.