by T. S. Joyce
The bones in her wrist were so fine he could snap them with a simple squeeze of his fingers, and she gasped at whatever she saw in his face. “You should leave.”
“If you deny me and go through with this, Riker, so help me, I’ll leave this place forever and join the Long Claws.”
Riker lifted his chin and glared down at her so she wouldn’t miss the truth of his words. “I think that would be best.”
Her mouth fell open and a little noise of shock came from her lips. She wrenched her arm from his steely grip and spun for the door. Just before she slammed it, she spat out, “You’ll be sorry for this.”
The force of the crashing door rocked him back on his heels and he ran his hand down his face. The woman exhausted him. The current alpha of the Long Claws was a hard man, but he was still unmated. Of course, they didn’t really believe in mating for life in that clan, but Merit was a creative woman. He wouldn’t be surprised if Merit snagged her alpha after all. She’d made no secret that being an alpha’s mate was her biggest desire. The woman fed on power, but she wouldn’t leach it from a shallow bonding with Riker.
Still, she could make trouble for the tentative peace Bear Valley had established with the Long Claws.
“You ready?” Cameron asked from the open doorway. His hand rested easily on the knob that had just been abused by Merit and all of her fury.
His worries melted away at the thought of Hannah becoming his mate by clan law in a couple of hours. “I’ve been ready.”
****
A nervous fluttering filled Hannah’s stomach as she walked the trail from Riker’s house to the corn fields. She pressed the wrinkles from her knee length, forest green sundress. “What will it be like?”
Jenny gripped her hand and smiled easily. “Short and sweet, but he’ll have to mark you. It’ll hurt but it’ll be worth it. Look.” Jenny pulled her shirt aside to reveal three faint scars that ran in a straight line from her sternum to her collar bone. She never would’ve noticed them if Jenny hadn’t pointed them out. “Don’t worry, Riker won’t claw you. The marks are made with a small knife.”
She swallowed hard at the thought of more pain but she’d been through worse and her body bore much uglier scars than those.
“It’ll be quick,” Jenny explained, “and then we’ll celebrate.”
The crickets were out, singing to the sunset as evening lengthened the shadows of the giant pine forest.
As they left the tree line, Hannah gasped at the beauty of the clearing around the corn fields. Hundreds of old fashioned candle lanterns had been lit and hung from low hanging tree branches. Strands of white lights had been strung from tree to tree and fireflies flickered as if they spoke to the tiny lantern flames. Chairs and tables had been set up, all mismatching and covered with white and gold table linens. A buffet had been erected furthest from the field and Riker’s people bustled about in frenzied preparation. A little girl approached with a shy smile and handed Hannah a bouquet of wildflowers. The child’s mother waited nearby and after Hannah knelt down and thanked her, the girl scrambled back to her family.
Riker stood atop a ladder, hanging a strand of lights, but when his eyes fell on her, his face transformed into a slow smile.
He climbed down and approached slowly, with that formal posture he adopted in front of his people, and offered his hand. The bustle around them died down as she slid her hand into his. Her fingers, pale and slender, contrasted with the dark strength of his and she lifted her gaze.
His eyes smoldered and he twitched his head. “You want to do this?”
“What, become the mate of the alpha?”
“Yes, that.”
She lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “I don’t have any other plans today. Why not?”
He chuckled and led her between the tables until she stood in front of Cameron.
“People of Bear Valley,” Cameron said in a booming voice that echoed off the mountains. “We’re here because our alpha has chosen his mate. Kind, caring, strong, and protective of our way of life, he’s found all the qualities in his mate that our people covet.”
Hannah’s breath came shallow as she watched Riker. He hadn’t taken his eyes from her and she struggled to listen to the words that would bind them. He’d shaved this morning and the sharp angles of his jaw beckoned for her to touch his face. She didn’t know how long she stayed lost in Riker’s gaze, but Cameron broke the spell by placing the handle of a knife in the palm of her hand, and turning to Riker, he handed her mate a matching blade.
“From here on, Benson Riker and Hannah Michaels will be marked by each other, and by clan law, they will be mated.”
Riker reached out, eyes bright, and thumbed the strap of her dress to the side. He looked once over her shoulder, and when she turned to follow his gaze, Daria stood right behind her. Gripping her arms, the healer pulled her against her chest.
Fighting the panic at being confined, Hannah took a deep steadying breath. This pain wasn’t like the torture she’d been through. This pain would mark her as Riker’s for all time.
He gripped her shoulder, steadying her. “Ready?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
Three quick snicks and she didn’t feel the pain until Daria pressed layers of bandages against the wound before it wept red onto her dress. Careful to keep the pain from her face, she focused on the pride in Riker’s gaze until Daria was finished binding her.
He gently pulled her strap back over the secured bandages and smiled. “Your turn.”
The thought of hurting him made her stomach feel like she’d swallowed cold stones, but his eyes were bright and excited and this was almost done.
She unsheathed the blade as Daria moved behind Riker. He removed his white, button up shirt and hooked his hands on her waist as she lifted the knife. She wasn’t as fast as him, careful to line up each mark an equal distance apart, and blood trickled down his skin. He showed no pain though and didn’t rush her, and she wanted the mark she made on him to look perfect. Throughout their years together, he’d see the scar in the mirror and think of this day, always.
The happiness in his face as Daria bandaged the wound consumed Hannah, filling her with warmth until the tear that had been threatening to spill slid down her cheek.
Applause, cheers, whistles and well-wishes filled the evening and Riker pulled her close and kissed her until she felt drunk with his affection. The wound burned, but the pain reminded her of the commitment she’d just made, and it brought another wave of contentment.
“I have something for you,” he said low.
She buried her face in his shoulder as he ran his hand down her forearm and wrist. “I have you. It’s enough.”
Cold metal touched her ring finger and she lifted her hand to find a wide silver band. The lantern light threw tiny reflections off the emerald set inside it.
He searched her face as if he were afraid she wouldn’t like it. “It’s not traditional.”
She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him as tightly as she could. He hadn’t needed to buy her a ring. None of the other shifters here wore one, but he’d made a point to include her human culture in their mating ceremony. “It’s perfect.”
His fingers brushed up and down her back in a comforting gesture. “I know being mated to me isn’t the same as marriage. Maybe it’s more, I don’t know. But I hated when that officer asked you where your ring was, and you had nothing to show that you were mine in the human world.” He drew her adorned hand up to his lips and kissed it lightly. “Now you do.”
They were pulled apart then, and drawn into embraces, passed around the clan for congratulations. Her gaze never left Riker’s for long, and he seemed to feel the same need to watch her. He made his way back to her as dinner was served. Laughter filled the night, and Riker’s hand didn’t stray from her lower back as he included her in every conversation. He looked so proud, she couldn’t stop smiling. She was the lucky one.
Jenny sniffled beside her as Riker joked wi
th Brody and Dillon, and Hannah turned to hug her.
“You’re going to be my sister now,” Jenny whispered.
Hannah’s face crumpled and tears stung her eyes. She’d have a family again and no one would ever know just how important that was after everything she’d lost.
“Can I tell you something?” Jenny breathed.
“You can tell me anything.”
She eased back and tears trailed Jenny’s cheeks, reflecting the lantern light in the tiny, watery orbs as she seemed to search for the right words.
Hannah thumbed the moisture away and frowned. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong. Everything is right.” Her voice dipped low and she looked so happy. “I’m pregnant.”
Hannah searched her eyes and a slow smile took her face. “I’m going to be an aunt?”
Jenny hugged her up tight and buried her face in Hannah’s neck. “I haven’t told Blaine yet. I wanted to wait until after your big day but I couldn’t hold this huge secret in anymore.”
“You told me first?”
Jenny’s hair tickled her cheek as she nodded.
“Are you okay?” Riker asked. He stood inches away, his eyebrows drawn down like two sobbing women were cause for panic.
“Yes, yes,” Hannah said, laughing thickly. She pressed the palms of her hands against her cheeks like it would encourage her tears to stay put. “I’m just happy.”
Relief pooled in the gray waters of his eyes and Jenny lurched into him, hugged him. When the surprise wore off his face, he wrapped his arm around his sister’s shoulder and beckoned Hannah to them, then drew her in and embraced them both.
How could everything feel so right after so much sadness? Maybe the fates had pushed her into struggle so she could appreciate this moment completely. How could she have known such love if such loss hadn’t consumed her?
Her life started now, devoid of fear and hesitation. She would let herself love with abandon again because she’d been given a second chance. Riker, Blaine, Jenny and her baby, and all of the shifters in Bear Valley who had welcomed her into their clan…she had everything that meant anything.
Riker’s lips pressed against the top of her head and he pulled her closer.
She was safe.
She was part of a family again.
She was his.
Other Books by T. S. Joyce
Bear Valley Shifters Series
The Witness and the Bear (Book 1)
Amazon
Return to the Bear (Book 3)
Available Now
Amazon
Betray the Bear (Book 4)
Available Now
Amazon
Redeem the Bear (Book 5)
Available Now
Amazon
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Sneak Peek
RETURN TO THE BEAR
(Bear Valley Shifters, Book 3)
Read on for a sneak peek of the thrilling third book in the Bear Valley Shifters series.
Prologue
Hannah Michaels pulled on her hiking boots, tied them tightly, then rolled her jeans over the laces. The healing wounds that stretched from her sternum to her right shoulder burned with the movement. Three long cuts announced she was Riker’s. They told the story of how she was the mate of the alpha, and a private smile ghosted her lips. The pain only reminded her of their commitment. It wouldn’t hurt forever, but she’d always remember the day he claimed her. Their road hadn’t been an easy one, but as she stood and pulled the neck of her green cotton shirt aside to reveal Riker’s claim on her in the hallway mirror, she thought maybe it hadn’t been easy because nothing important ever was.
Snatching the twin cups of steaming coffee, she loped down the porch stairs of Riker’s sprawling Victorian home. It was the alpha’s house, though someday, when he stepped down or lost an alpha challenge, they’d pick a smaller cabin on the outskirts of Bear Valley. Still, this place was special. They’d started their lives here and a piece of her would always see it as home, no matter who lived in it after her.
The sun was barely peeking over the horizon, illuminating the Big Horn Mountains behind the rows of cabins in deep gray color. The morning was cool, but not enough to wear a sweater. The coffee warmed her hands as she found the trail that led to the cattle fences. After almost being killed by Stone, the man she’d testified against, she wasn’t taking any of these beautiful clear mornings for granted. She was alive, despite all of the men he’d sent to snuff her out. She’d lived in seclusion in witness protection for a year, and now she vowed not to squander the special moments.
Even if she wanted to, Riker wouldn’t let her. She hopped over a fallen log and bit her lip against the smile that threatened to take her face when she thought about the things he’d done to her this morning. The man was insatiable. Jenny said all dominant bear shifters were like that, and Riker was about as dominant as they came. He’d stepped into the shower behind her this morning and slid into her without a word. No good morning or did you sleep well from her mate. Riker spoke with his body. He’d gripped her hair and spilled into her, uttered her name like he couldn’t help it, and she still glowed with the after effects of a good morning bedding. Or showering? Whatever the reason for Riker’s physical needs, she was glad she was the one who got to catch him when he needed her.
A twig snapped behind her and she spun, sloshing one of the coffees. “Shit,” she muttered, steadying her shaking hands. She’d probably never get over the hunted feeling that had come from a year of running for her life. One of the cups was now half empty and she grimaced. She’d be a good friend and give Jenny the full one.
“You got me banished,” Merit said from twenty yards up the trail. Clad in dark wash jeans and a see-through white blouse that complimented a lacey bra and hugged her curves, her hair was pulled back into a pony tail that curled perfectly on the end. Her lips, glossed in red, were turned down. The woman was pretty now, but someday she was going to have some serious frown lines.
“I didn’t do anything to get you banished, Merit. If you get booted out of here, it’s probably because the council is tired of your manipulative—”
“I came to apologize,” she interrupted blandly.
“Oh.” Hannah shuffled her feet and shifted her weight. “For what, exactly, are you apologizing?” There was a plethora of reasons she was queen of the naughty list, but Merit, to Hannah’s knowledge, had never been held accountable for any of her actions.
“I just came back from a meeting with Riker and the council, and they said if I apologize to you publically, I can stay.”
Hannah twisted and looked longingly down the trail that led to work. She really just wanted to see Jenny and hand off one of these coffees, and get to her chores that seemed never-ending. If she didn’t start work soon, she’d be at the barns late tonight, which meant longer before she could see Riker.
“Look, I don’t give a two soggy waffles whether you’re banished or not. You tried to take Riker from me, and you manipulated him into your bed. Hurt him, and me, in the process and you’ve called no less than three council meetings trying to have me kicked out of Bear Valley and have my mating to Riker overturned. Apology not accepted Merit. I don’t owe you any favors.”
Merit sniffled. The little weasel really sniffled and her blue eyes filled with tears. “I don’t want to leave my home,” she said thickly. “I like it here and I swear I’ll leave you and Riker alone. I know it was wrong of me to act like such a spoiled brat, but surely I don’t deserve to be put out in the streets. I don’t have anywhere else to go.” Her lip quivered. “Please.”
Hannah wanted to kick a pinecone right into her crying face for making her feel bad after everything the psycho had done. But banishment was awful. Riker and Jenny had explained that it was hard for bear shifters to survive outside of a clan. “Fine,” she gritted t
hrough clenched teeth. “When do you have to apologize?”
“Today. Could you come with me now? Riker and the council are still in meetings this morning and I could gather enough people for a public apology while everyone is on their way to work. We could put this entire mess behind us right now.”
Goody. “All right.” Hannah frowned at her coffee. If she’d have known she’d be traipsing through the woods with Merit this morning, she would’ve liquored up her cup of joe.
“Thank you, Hannah. I mean it. You’re really saving my skin here.”
Merit turned but not before Hannah caught her smirk. She didn’t believe a word she was saying and each syllable rang with such a false note. Maybe this was a bad idea. How would Merit ever learn unless she was punished for her actions? Was she just enabling her more by allowing her to stay? But then, Hannah was the alpha’s mate and should be setting a good example. Holding grudges and being petty just didn’t sit well with her.
Merit held out her hand gallantly and gestured for Hannah to go first. Something about having Merit at her back made her skin crawl but she dutifully marched through the woods toward Riker’s office. At least she’d get to see him again before tonight.
Hannah frowned at the late model black sedan that sat at the mouth of the trail. Who in their right mind would’ve driven all the way through the brush and parked it—