by Jessica Ryan
She hazarded a glance to her left, her eyes falling on the gigantic brown bear that ran beside her. She hadn’t even coupled with Beorn yet, but her wolf was already very fond of him. The human Rain was also pretty damn fond of him; after all, he was everything she had ever wanted in a mate: strong, confident, determined and in touch with the beast inside. He wasn’t domesticated like the other wolves in Bucklin; he was a wild animal who also happened to be a man.
Her wolf had immediately latched onto him and claimed him as her own. Beorn didn’t believe in claiming, but by his bear’s reaction when he thought Forrest and Eden posed a threat to Rain was enough to let her know those were just empty words. While he might not have claimed her in the truest wolf sense of the word, he had staked a mental and emotional claim on her. This pleased Rain to no end, but at the moment she couldn’t get caught up in such sentimental garbage.
She looked back to Eden, who was still nervously glancing back and forth while running. The bitch really didn’t want to go back to Bucklin with them; she was looking for any opportunity to get loose.
Rain had caught her and Forrest fucking like there was no tomorrow. Had they become a mated pair, or was that just the kind of promiscuous sex a lot of alphas engaged in? ’Rain imagined Eden was the Oakdale pack’s personal whore, passed around between the alphas and betas like some kind of party favor. It would have been an absurd notion for anyone else, but Eden was so power hungry and Rain’s opinion of her was so low it was plausible.
On the flipside Rain hadn’t even consummated her brief relationship with Beorn yet. That’s all this was supposed to be: a purely carnal relationship. But in the short time they had spent together Rain had grown rather fond of the giant bear and it appeared he felt the same about her—at least she hoped he felt the same about her. If he still just intended to use her as a hump and dump, she knew it would hurt. Still, there was something in his eyes when he looked at her. Plus she had managed to nearly pull his meaty cock right off his body with her mouth yesterday, so she had that check mark in her favor.
She glanced back at Eden one more time. The self-proclaimed “alpha bitch” was beginning to slow down. She was panting and she was frothing at the mouth, but she should be in better shape than what she was displaying. She was up to something; that was really apparent to Rain now.
Rain slowed her own pace and growled at Eden, catching her attention. Surprisingly Eden had the gall to return the snarl and growl. Beorn skidded to a stop and turned towards them both, rising up on his hind legs. The sun was blocked behind his massive frame as he bellowed a warning roar in Eden’s direction. She wasn’t going to fuck with either one of them today.
Eden’s tail tucked between her legs and she began to back away, her ears immediately falling to her head. Submissively she began to yip at Beorn, trying to get him to stop his intimidating stance. Mercifully Beorn listened, returning to all four legs before turning to run into the forest.
Rain waited for Eden to pass in front of her. She wasn’t going to let this bitch out of her sight. One wrong move and Eden would be gone, as well as their proof regarding Forrest and Leena. They needed their prisoner more than ever.
Eden started with a trot before breaking into a full run as Rain followed. She was bracketed completely between the bear and the wolf now, nowhere to run or hide.
Rain’s wolf wanted to pounce on her enemy and end it all with a well-placed snap to the throat. That would be the best and most satisfying conclusion. It disturbed Rain how much she truly wanted to end Eden’s existence once and for all.
She had been a thorn in Rain’s side for a long time. She’d always wanted Rowan and was jealous that he was turning his attention to raising a young one like Rain. Then when Eva showed up, Eden had turned on her, trying to force her to be subservient to Rowan. She even stood up and tried to face him down after the incident where he killed the Cedarville sheriff, but luckily Aster had intervened. It was rare that he showed his dominant alpha in public, but when Aster did everyone backed down.
Did she want Forrest to usurp Aster as head honcho in Bucklin? Or were they truly going to run away forever?
Still Rain’s wolf was completely bothered by the mere thought of Eden existing and she wanted to end that problem really quickly. She was Rain’s chief female rival for position in the Dawnguard pack and she had already tried to imprint herself on Rain’s mate.
While she was going to town on Beorn earlier, she could smell the faintest hint of Eden on him. The ballsy bitch had rubbed all over her man, trying to get him to leave Rain and join her. Why would she even try to seduce Beorn if she was with Forrest? Unless the Oakdale pack wanted the strength and power of the mighty bear on their side. That had to be the reason.
Suddenly Rain’s eyes were snapped forward to Beorn in the front. He had skidded to a halt and the hair was standing up all over his body. He let out a mighty roar as Eden also skidded to a halt.
Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. As Eden turned her attention toward Rain and began to snarl and snap it hit Rain. They were being ambushed. She sniffed the air and realized they were not alone; there were at least four other wolves in the area.
You bitch, she thought in between the anger and rage that filled her wolf’s brain.
If Eden was truly on their side, then why would she set up this ambush? Forrest wasn’t controlled by the demon, but there had to be more to the story than Eden had let on. Was the Oakdale pack working in concert with the demon? They weren’t unwitting pawns like Eden had led them to believe; they’d been in on this plot the entire time.
It now made sense why Eden’s lines in the cabin earlier had seemed so precise: they were rehearsed. They all had their story ready in case they were caught, but they probably didn’t bank on Forrest biting the big one that quickly.
The sting of betrayal didn’t last too long; it was time to fight. Eden leapt at Rain, her rows of razor-sharp teeth snapping together as she flew through the air. Rain was ready for her, ducking and rolling as the older wolf hit the ground.
They were both members of the Dawnguard pack, meaning they had been trained to fight since a young age, making them formidable foes for anyone. They were Bucklin’s secret police force. The Skyvale pack watched and the Dawnguard enforced the rule.
Eden rolled when she hit the ground, but she was quickly back on her feet and unharmed. She rushed at Rain, hoping to catch her off guard. Rain was ready, though, surprising her foe by charging as well. Both wolves came up on their hind legs, slapping at one another with their front paws and gnashing with their sharp teeth.
Rain felt the hot, sticky satisfaction of blood on her claws as they raked across her opponent’s chest and shoulder. Eden wasn’t fazed, though, lunging for another bite. As Rain spun around, avoiding her easily, she caught at least three other wolves bursting from the undergrowth of the forest, all biting and hopping at Beorn.
None of them could defeat the bear in one-on-one combat, but this wasn’t a fair fight. As he reared up on his hind legs they darted in from all directions, biting at the backs of his legs and then getting out of harm’s way.
They were outnumbered by foes that were experts at hunting in the forest. This wasn’t a fight they could likely win.
Death was not an option; if they died, then all was lost. The city of Bucklin would never know what hit it if Rain and Beorn didn’t get there to warn them. They had to win.
Rain spun around and dove at Eden one more time, catching her off guard by using her head as a battering ram to knock the older female over. Before she could roll back up Rain jumped on top of her, biting down hard on one of her foe’s legs.
Eden howled in pain as Rain felt her bones snap in between her strong jaws. She wasn’t going to get up anytime soon. Now it was time to help Beorn.
As one male wolf prepared to dive in for another bite, Rain grabbed him by the tail, biting down as hard as she could and pulling. The male tu
mbled onto his pack, caught completely off guard. At the same time another one was distracted by her attack, allowing Beorn to swat him with the back of his paw.
The giant wolf went rolling across the forest floor, coming to rest after slamming into a large oak tree.
The remaining wolf looked at the two of them before spinning and running into the forest. The one that Rain had pulled to the ground was on his feet and bounding away as well, leaving them alone with the two injured wolves.
Beorn roared one final time before turning and heading for his cabin again. He was bleeding from the backs of his legs and would need medical attention. The Oakdale wolves would be back, most likely with reinforcements, and they needed to be ready, but now was not the time or place to make a stand.
Rain looked back at Eden one more time; her old enemy was licking at her broken leg and glaring at Rain. Rain could easily go over there and attempt to finish the job, but that would waste precious time.
This isn’t over, Rain thought. I will finish you.
Chapter 20
Each step produced a stinging fire that blurred Beorn’s vision. The wolves had coordinated their attack very well, making it hard for Beorn to anticipate their movements. The wretched dogs were back biters, never trying to face him. He had managed to hit one, most likely breaking him in two on the tree that stopped his roll, but there were still two out there plus the alpha bitch.
She had betrayed all of Bucklin and she definitely hadn’t been upfront inside the cabin. The Oakdale pack’s alpha was dead, dead at Beorn’s hands, but for some reason that didn’t feel like it mattered. There was another who led this pack; Forrest was just a figurehead.
Why had they hidden Leena in the cabin and why had she allowed herself to be taken back to Bucklin? She wanted to be there. She wanted to be in the center of town without anyone questioning her.
It was almost too easy for Hawk to reach Beorn and find her. Sure, he had run into a few Oakdale pack members, but they had been defeated pretty easily. And then there was the warping of the forest by Leena’s evil. In the end she had still opened it up and allowed him passage to her cabin.
There were plenty of Oakdale wolves in the forest; the ambush had opened Beorn’s eyes to that. If they truly wanted to keep Hawk from reaching Leena, then he never would have made it to that cabin. She wanted to be found and they had let it happen. But now they didn’t want him or Rain to make it back to Bucklin. That was very apparent.
Beorn cursed himself silently for being so stupid. The warning signs were all there; he should have seen this from the beginning. Instead, his mind had been too clouded by his desire to fuck Rain. For the last two days all he could think about was plunging his cock deep into her. The blowjob she’d delivered hadn’t helped matters either.
His bear had been too busy growling and roaring its approval at the scent of the female to see what was right in front of his face the entire time.
She was a domesticated wolf; all he wanted to do was show her a better way. He wanted to help her get in contact with the wolf inside. It was an innocent desire, and if he could he would help all the wolves in Bucklin do the same.
Except it’s not innocent.
He was lying to himself if he thought it was. If he helped Rain draw in tune with her wolf then he was looking at the very exciting prospect of wild, unbound shifter sex that very few were able to experience anymore these days. On top of that he might have found a mate he could stomach forever.
His dick had screwed him over. That was the cold hard truth. It wasn’t Rain’s fault; she hadn’t seen it, either. But she wasn’t involved in the way he was. She hadn’t been put through the wringer by Thorn like Beorn had.
It pissed him off even more that he was involved to that level. He had no love for the wolves of Bucklin. He had no love for wolves, period. Now here he was, about to lay his head beside one while trying to protect their stupid little town.
You’re not trying to protect them, he thought as each step brought him more pain. You’re trying to protect her. At this point it’s not about them, it’s all about her.
He looked back at Rain. She was running behind him as fast as she could, a trail of saliva and blood hanging from the back of her mouth. Blood? She must have gotten a good shot in on the alpha bitch, hopefully ending her part in this battle.
Why had that annoying female even bothered with him? She had tried to seduce him earlier in the parking lot of Rain’s work. The only thing that could explain it was that she wanted to lure Beorn into a trap.
He gives in and decides to go couple with her and then her cronies jump him and take him out for good. It’d be a lot easier for the Oakdale pack if he was completely out of the picture. They weren’t safe in the woods, not by a long shot. The Oakdale pack would be back to finish him and Rain off before too long.
His cabin wasn’t a safe haven. They would only have time to stop and grab what they needed— any supplies that were a necessity. Beorn even considered putting a torch to the place, burning it to the ground before the Oakdale pack could use it or his provisions. That was crazy thinking, but this was a crazy time.
Beorn finally slowed to a walk and waited for Rain to catch up to him. They had reached the bridge that went across the river and led back to his cabin, but each step was too painful to bear any longer.
He stopped and flopped down onto his stomach, letting out a mournful groan. Rain immediately tended to his wounds, licking the blood from each. Her wide, flat tongue stung each time it contacted his open wounds. He groaned silently and looked away as she continued to clean his wounds. When they reached his cabin he would need to properly clean and bandage each one. Hopefully they ’wouldn’t be too large when he shifted back to human form.
After several minutes of cleaning he felt ready to return to their journey. With a massive groan he sat up and began to slowly walk across the bridge, each step an exercise in willpower. It would be so easy to collapse again. The pain was too much.
As they neared his cabin Beorn began to sniff the air, looking for any sign of intruders. The air was clean and crisp, just as he had left it. The foul stench of intruding wolves no longer assaulted his nostrils, forcing his stomach to do backflips.
His plan to grab what they needed and leave was falling to the wayside as the severity of his wounds became more and more apparent. As soon as they were safely in front of his cabin he collapsed to the ground, letting the sun’s warm rays bathe him. If only he could stretch out and take a long nap in the sun as he was prone to do in the days before the Oakdale pack began intruding on his territory. Those were the days, the days when he could just be a bear.
“You have to shift,” Rain said, falling onto her knees next to him. He hadn’t even noticed her shift, but now that she had, his eyes traveled over her body.
Even at a time like this, he could appreciate the beauty he was seeing. Her breasts weren’t very large, like most bear females he had met, but they were taut and bouncy without any hint of sag. Her nipples were small and dark, something he had never experienced before. He could fit one whole breast in his mouth, something he would have to try when the time was appropriate.
“Come on, Beorn,” she pleaded. “Shift. Then we can get you bandaged up and get to your truck.”
Beorn let out another sad cry and looked away. For the first time in his life the giant bear felt fear. It was a strange feeling, but not as harsh as he had expected. His stomach was twisted into a knot and his heart was trying to beat its way out of his chest. Each movement sent a funny feeling across his body in a wave, making his extremities weak.
He knew what it was he feared: death. It was a day of firsts because for the first time in his life he feared that the wolves could actually take him in a fight and send him to the great forest in the sky. If he shifted, his legs could be mangled, tendons could be torn and then he would be a sitting duck on the ground. There was also the possibility that the wounds w
ould not allow him to shift back into his bear form, and he would be trapped as a human against a pack of wolves.
The thing that scared him most, though, was Rain. What if he was incapacitated? She was good in a fight, he would give her that, but that didn’t mean she could fight an entire pack of wolves by herself. He had grown quite attached to the beautiful young wolf who had entered his life the night before. In just under twenty-four hours he had fallen for the wolf. He was a bear; he was supposed to be a wild, solitary beast without love for anything or anyone. But somehow this female had captured his heart and tamed the wild beast inside. He made a mental note to settle down with Rain if they somehow survived this ordeal.
“You have to shift, honey,” she said, her voice dipping into a low, soothing tone. “If you don’t, then we’re sitting ducks. It’ll be dark soon, and we can’t stay in the forest after dark with them. If they hook back up with Abaddon then we’re definitely finished.”
Beorn groaned again and motioned towards his wounded legs before letting out another growl.
“I know you’re afraid to shift, baby,” she said, sounding on the verge of tears. “But we have a better chance if we can shift you and heal you. Please do it for me. Trust me, Beorn.”
He looked into her bright eyes, which were beginning to water with tears. They were so sincere, so honest. He had no choice but to trust her.
With a mighty roar he began the process, feeling his bones snap and his body contract as it tried to shrink everything into the compact human form that he spent the majority of his time in. It wasn’t small by human standards, but it was still too small to compact so much bear into.
As he finished he immediately looked down at his legs. There were bite marks up and down them and several gashes in his calf and hamstring, but nothing appeared to be torn or structurally damaged. As this realization swept over him he threw his head back and laughed.