Taming the Bear Collection

by Jessica Ryan

  “Hey, now,” Beorn said, putting his hands on her shoulders. “We don’t know what’s happening out there.”

  “It’s just so hard,” Rain said, tears starting to roll down her cheeks. “I have no idea if my friends and family are alive or dead. We almost died today and we’ve killed so many wolves that I used to see every day. The wolf I shot, that was Mr. Sauthers, who owned the candy store when I was a kid.”

  Beorn felt pain and guilt washing through his body. The wolves of Bucklin, save for a select few, were nothing to him. It made no difference to his bear if they lived or died; they were threatening his well-being. But for Rain, it was a totally different situation: they were her pack mates. The wolves of Bucklin could call themselves five packs and deny any kinship, but in the end they were all members of the Bucklin pack and now she had to kill people she had always been around.

  “He wasn’t the same man,” Beorn said, trying to calm her. “He’d changed.”

  “What if he was under some spell?” she said, looking back up at Beorn, blood running down her chin. “Leena told us her life was like being forced to watch with no control. Like she was captive in the backseat while someone else drove her car.”

  “But she was lying,” Beorn said. “We know that now.”

  “What if that’s what it was like for the other wolves, though? What if Forrest died helpless, watching while your paw came down to destroy his body? He might have been screaming at us from inside, telling us that he was still in there.”

  “You can’t think about that stuff right now,” Beorn said. “If you start thinking like that, then everyone dies. Rowan, Aster, Eva, Hawk, Ciara, Thorn—they all die.”

  Rain sniffed again and looked back up at him. Her eyes twinkled as she stared into his, but he didn’t break eye contact. Beorn’s long tongue darted out of his mouth, leaving a trail from her chin to her lips as he licked up the blood from her bottom lip. When he made it to her pouty, soft lips his tongue parted them as he pulled her in for a kiss. She didn’t reach up to grab him; instead, she remained limp in his arms, letting him have his way with her mouth. Beorn pulled away after several seconds, looking into her eyes. They smoldered with desire and worry, all mixed into one bowl of emotion.

  “Don’t you fret, lovely,” he said. “I’m not going to let anything happen to us.”

  “I know you won’t,” she said, looking at the ground.

  “Let’s go,” he said, spinning around and marching onward. “We should get decent cell signal when we make it back to my truck.”

  Beorn felt something stab into his heart, something that made his stomach flutter. Was this heartache? Had he ever experienced it before? He didn’t like it, but it was present. He had given Rain the most loving, passionate kiss he could muster in these circumstances and she hadn’t returned it. Immediately his mind turned from the task at hand and began to wander through the recesses of his past relationships. Had he screwed this one up like he had most of the others? Usually his gruffness and intense desire to always be right had sent relationships spiraling out of control, but this was different. He’d been loving, he’d been understanding, and he’d tried everything to make her comfortable.

  It had to be from the violence. Was she just upset from it in general or upset at his cavalier attitude towards war and battle?

  He looked back at her, trying to find the right words, but they didn’t come. Instead he quickly turned back forward and tried to focus on getting back to his truck alive. He was in a perilous situation, one that he didn’t need to be distracted from.

  This is why I prefer to be solitary, he thought. Love just gets in the way.

  Love? Why had his mind turned to love? Did he love Rain? Yes, he had to be honest with himself. She was everything he could want in a woman and his bear approved as well. She was his mate and there was no going back. He had to protect her and those she loved, otherwise he was a failure as a man and a bear.

  They finished their journey in complete silence, barely looking at one another. Beorn had to focus on the task at hand, but every time he looked at Rain he wondered if she truly wanted to be his mate, or if she was going to run as fast as she could from him as soon as this ordeal was over—if this ordeal was ever over.

  The Oakdale pack didn’t bother them for the rest of the journey and with the moon high in the sky they burst out of the forest and into the parking lot where Beorn kept his truck.

  “Do you have a signal?” Rain asked as he opened the door and positioned his rifle between the two front seats.

  Beorn had almost forgotten about his phone. He pulled it out of his pocket and looked: one bar.

  “Barely. I should be able to call out.”

  “Call Rowan,” she begged, rushing around to his side of the truck and grabbing him by the arm. “Please, Beorn, call him.”

  He looked down at her sad eyes, so full of fear, and knew he had to do it. The phone remained silent for several moments after he clicked Rowan’s name in his address book. Finally the signal caught and the phone began to ring in his ear.

  “You have reached the phone of Rowan Phoenix. Leave your name and number…”

  Beorn clicked it off and turned to look at Rain. The fear was bubbling from her eyes to her whole face now. Her lip was starting to quiver again and he hoped she wouldn’t bite it again.

  “I’m sure he’s fine,” Beorn said. “He might not have heard the phone. He’ll call back.”

  “Sure, sure,” Rain said. “Can we go? I’m freaked out being so close to the woods in the dark with that silver alpha running around. I just want to get back to my house.”

  “Of course,” Beorn said, opening the truck door for Rain. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”

  As they pulled onto Beorn’s dirt road he opened his phone and clicked on Thorn’s name, hoping Thorn would answer.

  “Hello? Beorn?” Thorn said after three rings.

  Beorn clicked the Bluetooth button on his truck and set the phone down, talking to his friend through the truck’s speakers. “Thorn, what’s going on in town?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Is anything happening in town?”

  “Not that I know of. I’m at home right now.”

  “Everyone is in danger, Thorn.”

  “What are you talking about, Beorn?”

  “He’s saying you need to get the fuck out of there now!” Rain screamed.

  Beorn’s mouth flew open and he turned to look at her, but she was hiding her face now, trying not to look at anyone.

  “Was that Rain? Beorn, what the hell is happening?”

  “We found Forrest.”

  “Really?”

  “He was with Eden in the cabin where Leena was found.”

  “What did he have to say for himself?”

  Beorn gripped the steering wheel hard and swallowed. “I killed him, Thorn.”

  “Why would you do that? We needed to question him.”

  “My bear took over. It was enraged that a strange alpha was mating with a female in its territory.”

  “He was screwing Eden?”

  “Yes. And he wasn’t possessed.”

  “What?”

  “Eden told us all about it. Leena is still possessed. She allowed herself to be captured so she could get into town. Everyone is in danger, Thorn. The Oakdale pack attacked us in the forest and we killed the ones who attacked us except for what looked like their leader.”

  “But you killed Forrest.”

  “I did, but there was another wolf there. It was bigger than any damn wolf I’ve ever seen and it was completely silver with huge black eyes.”

  There was just silence on the other end.

  “Thorn? Are you there, Thorn?”

  “That’s Abaddon.”

  “What?”

  “A large silver wolf? That’s fucking Abaddon, Beorn.”

  It felt like s
omebody had punched Beorn in the gut. The demon had been right there in the woods with them. No wonder he’d known Beorn was there. No wonder the flames hadn’t harmed him when they licked his fur; he was a being of pure hellfire.

  Beorn looked over at Rain. Her look of horror surely matched the one Beorn had.

  “Can you meet us?”

  “Yes.”

  “You need to get Rowan and Aster too. Don’t alert Leena that we’re on to her.”

  “I won’t, buddy, don’t worry.”

  “Where do you want to meet?”

  “How about the parking lot at the old Save More grocery store?”

  “The one that’s closed down?”

  “Yeah, nobody will find us out there.”

  “See you in a bit, Thorn.”

  “Be safe, Beorn.”

  Beorn hung up the phone and breathed deeply before looking over at Rain. Their eyes locked and it was almost like they could reach one another’s mind. They were both thinking the same thing: we’re screwed.

  Chapter 25

  Each twist and turn made Rain jump. She was sure that the silver wolf would pop out from behind each large tree. She knew it was Abaddon now, and that scared her even more. He had been there, he had seen them and he knew what they’d done to his charges.

  There was now no doubt that he was working with, or more than likely, controlling the Oakdale pack. He was trying to tear Bucklin down from the inside out. What made it even worse was that she had no idea why. Why would he return after ten years to kill them?

  It was all a lie. Everything from Rowan’s first meeting with Eva to Crow’s death to Hawk finding Leena in the forest; all a lie. Was he doing it to torture them and laugh at them from a distance? Rain felt like a helpless fly as Abaddon pulled her wings off and laughed.

  Everything seemed like a set-up. Had Abaddon intended for Rowan to meet and kill his beta to warn them that Leena was missing? Why had he wanted to get Leena into the heart of the town? Rain closed her eyes and tried to push the terrible thoughts from her mind but it was hard. The only explanation she could come up with for Leena’s presence was to catch Aster and Rowan completely off guard so they would be out of the picture.

  “I’m not going to let anything happen to us,” Beorn said, looking over as she felt a single tear roll down her cheek.

  “It’s not us I’m worried about,” she said, sniffing and trying to hold her crying in. She had to be immutable with her feelings, otherwise her wolf would take over and lead her to death and ruin before she could help anyone she loved.

  “Are you worried about Rowan?”

  “I’m worried about everyone. You know, we’ve talked so much about how we shouldn’t be domesticated wolves and how the people of Bucklin are doing it wrong, but I love my city and I love the people there. They’re all going to die.”

  Rain sniffled again, fighting the tears. It was just too much. She was so young, not ready for this kind of weight and responsibility. Beorn took on a contemplative look before turning back to Rain.

  “We’re going to figure this out,” he said. “I love you, Rain, and I won’t let anything happen to you or those you love.”

  Rain froze. Had he just said the L word? She turned it over a few times in her mind, dissecting the word each time. Nobody had ever told her that they loved her before; she’d begun to think she was incapable of being loved or loving someone else. But here it was, right in front of her face, right there for her to respond to. Beorn had laid it all out for her and now she had the power to respond and say it herself. The words had never before escaped her lips and entered the ears of another.

  “Beorn, I…” she started to say, feeling a heavy weight on her chest as she responded.

  A loud ringing resonated through the cab of the truck, jolting Rain from her seat as her head swiveled back and forth. The noise was loud and obnoxious, completely breaking her train of thought.

  “It’s my phone ringing,” Beorn said, glancing at her sideways.

  “Why is it so loud?”

  “It’s ringing through the speakers in my car. It’s the Bluetooth. Hello?”

  “Beorn, are you almost here?” Thorn asked from the other end.

  “I’m drawing closer,” Beorn said. “I’m on the highway leading into Bucklin.”

  “Be careful,” Thorn said. He sounded out of breath, almost scared. “There’s bikers everywhere. The streets aren’t safe.”

  “How many?” Beorn asked, sitting up in his seat and leaning closer to his radio panel, like that was going to give the situation more clarity.

  “I’m not sure,” Thorn said. “I’m hiding out in the cart return at the store. Just hurry.”

  “You broke into the store?” Beorn asked.

  “I didn’t have a choice. They’re everywhere. There’s members of the Oakdale pack patrolling on foot. People are locked in their houses, afraid to come out.”

  “Are they looking for something?” Beorn asked.

  “I don’t know,” Thorn said. “Beorn, just...what? Dammit...fuck you!”

  The other end went dead as Thorn cried out in pain, nearly splitting Rain’s eardrums. It was a terrible howl, one that only someone experiencing a soul-shaking pain could emit. Rain put her head into her hands and took a deep breath. Crying wasn’t going to help this situation. The only thing that would was violence—cold, hard violence.

  She looked over at Beorn, whose face was a stone mask of rage; his knuckles were white from the strength with which he gripped the steering wheel. This ended tonight; her mate was not playing around. There was murder in his eyes and Rain could feel the same murder growing inside of her. These sons of bitches had come into her town and were terrorizing her people. She was a member of the Dawnguard, which meant she had to protect Bucklin and its pack members at all costs. What was worse, these fuckers had ruined the best date she had ever been on.

  Beorn had feelings for her, hard feelings. Looking at him and the loyalty and determination he was showing to save a friend in need was all the convincing she needed. They were a mated pair now and they were going to do this together.

  “Let’s kick some ass,” she said, pulling her gun out and rubbing her hand up and down the barrel. “These guys don’t deserve to live. They’ve fucked with the wrong town.”

  A smile gleamed behind Beorn’s bushy beard as he looked back at her. “Now you’re talking. I knew there was a reason I love you.”

  “I love you too,” Rain said, feeling a weight explode off her chest as the words fell out of her mouth. “Let’s take care of business so we can finish our date. You still need to teach me how to fish in the stream.”

  Beorn nodded in agreement and punched the accelerator. There was a roaring from the large truck’s exhaust as the RPM ramped up and the trees on the side of the road became a blur. Rain looked at the speed gauge: 90 miles per hour. She wasn’t worried; Beorn could handle the extra speed with ease, and she was beginning to think there was nothing this man couldn’t do.

  The trees eventually gave way to buildings and houses as they made their way into Bucklin. The town had a depressing, hollow feeling to it as they entered. Rain knew the people were scared and were hiding out in their homes. There was a different air about the town, with the power of the two demons hanging over everything.

  It was probably the feeling Hawk and Ciara had experienced when traversing the forest, only magnified exponentially. It was bothersome and scary, but Rain found herself easily facing it down as she looked over at her mate. There was nothing she couldn’t do with him by her side.

  As they turned the corner that led to the old, closed grocery store, Rain sucked in a deep breath. There were two men, both clad in leather vests and jeans, standing in the middle of the road. Both held shotguns firmly pointed at the truck.

  “Is it a roadblock?” Rain asked as Beorn nearly stopped the truck on a dime.

  “It l
ooks like it,” he said.

  The two men were shouting commands and lifting their guns to threaten. In the distance the old Save More stood watch with a few dusty lights illuminating the parking lot. There were motorcycles all over the parking lot, warning Beorn and Rain that this wasn’t going to be easy.

  As Beorn’s eyes travelled from the two men to the Save More he began to grit his teeth. Rain could see the vein popping in his neck as he grunted something unintelligible.

  “Duck,” he said.

  Rain didn’t need to be told twice. She nearly dove to the large floorboard as the air was filled with the sound of screeching tires. In a split second they were roaring down the street again. She could hear gunshots, hear the glass shattering overhead and then she heard cries of pain as the truck plowed into the two men. She still didn’t get up as she felt the truck turn the corner into what she could only assume was the parking lot.

  Beorn punched the gas one more time and a shockwave went through the truck as Beorn hit something. Glass crashed all around Rain and the truck screeched to a halt.

  “Let’s go,” Beorn said, grabbing his rifle.

  She threw open the door of the truck, looking in all directions. They weren’t stopped in the parking lot—Beorn had driven right through the front of the grocery store. As she looked at the front of the truck she saw blood and body parts in all directions. He had taken out several of the bikers with his truck, mowing them down like ants.

  Gun shots went off in Beorn’s direction and Rain froze. This was it, this was the end.

  Chapter 26

  Beorn sprang into action as soon as he exploded through the front of the old grocery store. The register stands and aisles still sat inside the building, providing enough resistance to stop the three-ton steel bullet he had crashed into the store.

  His rage was palpable. They had his best friend in the world and they had threatened him and his mate. This aggression would not stand. When he had pulled into the parking lot he had seen their bikes parked close to the entrance. They had found Thorn and cornered him, obviously. Beorn didn’t think of the consequences, he just hoped to take out as many of them as he could when he crashed through the store.