Big Bear Trouble: BBW Werebear Shapeshifter Romance (Sweetwater Brides)

by Anya Nowlan

  “I think we should stop by the sheriff’s office,” Karen burst out suddenly. “To see if they have any updates on Kyle,” she continued.

  “They promised to call if there are any developments,” Evan reminded her.

  Karen sighed.

  “I just don’t like feeling like he’s still lurking around somewhere out there.”

  “His plan failed. He saw Jamie go into my apartment followed by some giant of a man and two wolves. Then Jamie and a wolf were dragged out, unconscious. If that didn’t show him that he shouldn’t mess with us, I don’t know what will.”

  “If he’s smart, he’s also figured out that the cops want to have a chat with him. He has probably already skipped town, and even if he hasn’t, I plan on not letting you out of my sight.”

  Karen had showed him a picture of Kyle so he would know who to look out for. That face had been in the back of his mind ever since. Thinking about that little twerp’s hands around Karen’s throat made his fists itch.

  Half of him wanted Kyle to show up, so he could give him a piece of his… mind. He suppressed those feelings. Karen had been through enough. It would be better if they never saw Kyle again.

  For both Karen and for Kyle.

  “You’re right,” Karen sighed, relaxing into the seat. “He may be a grade-A asshole, but I don’t think he’d be stupid enough to pick a fight with you around.”

  They arrived at Bluejay’s around noon. When they got out of the truck, Joe greeted them with a warm hug.

  “I’m so glad you’re both okay,” he said, relieved. “Everett told me what happened.”

  “Thought we’d show you in person that we’re fine. I know how you like to worry,” Evan chuckled, patting the man on the shoulder.

  “I sure am glad you’re back,” Joe turned to Karen. “You got done in a couple of hours what would have taken me days, and even then I’d probably mess something up.”

  “I’d love to help even more,” Karen said.

  “But we’re actually on a supply run and will be heading back soon,” Evan added.

  He remembered all too well what had happened the last time he had taken off and left Karen at Joe’s.

  “Okay, whenever’s a good time for you then,” Joe smiled.

  Evan and Karen made their way to the market.

  “You can’t be my bodyguard forever, you know.”

  “Sure I can,” Evan chuckled, taking her hand into his. Karen just smiled and shook her head.

  * * *

  The next afternoon, Evan and Karen made their way back into town to get ready for Evan’s fight. They stopped by his place first. The door to Evan’s apartment had been replaced, not a scratch anywhere. As they stepped inside, Karen gasped.

  There wasn’t a stitch out of place. The kitchen chairs were back in their places, instead of being piles of wood on the ground. The floors were shiny and blood-free. The countertops gleaming. Not a speck of dust or dirt anywhere.

  “Ethan had some guys come over,” Evan explained.

  “Can they do my apartment next?” Karen joked, walking around.

  Evan felt a little stab, reminded that Karen had a place of her own waiting for her.

  Wasn’t I supposed to be her home?

  His phone buzzed. It was Tom, confirming the fight. There had been a last minute change.

  Evan was now fighting Alex Maugham from the Clearpond wolf pack.

  Sixteen

  Karen

  Karen listened to Evan speak on the phone.

  “Still on for tonight? Okay. The location this time? Mhm. What kind of change?” Evan grew quiet.

  “Oh. Well, then. No, that’s fine,” he said before ending the call.

  “What’s up?” Karen tried to say cheerfully, sensing that something was off.

  “My opponent changed last minute. I’m now fighting Alex from the Clearpond pack,” Evan replied.

  “Wait, what? Why?”

  “Tom said the guy I was supposed to fight had an injury and Alex subbed in.”

  “Could it be intentional? Maybe he’s a Jamie sympathizer looking to take his anger out on you in the ring,” Karen protested, growing worried.

  “They couldn’t plan on my original opponent’s injury. And I happen to know Alex. He’s never had any beef with me or with the Grimpaw clan. He’s a hell of a fighter, though,” Evan assured her, smiling.

  “Are you sure you’re ready? You can still change your mind,” Karen offered.

  “I can fend for myself,” Evan replied, silencing any further objections she might have had with a kiss.

  * * *

  Karen accompanied Evan to his dressing room, if one could call it that. The fight was taking place in an old abandoned warehouse on the edge of town. Tom – a skinny, tall man with an expensive looking haircut, wearing a black suit – was already there.

  “Hey, there’s my man!” he said, patting Evan on the back. “Your match is on third. I got you some ringside seats if you want to watch while you wait. I gotta go see how the other guys are doing, good luck!” he added, disappearing around the corner.

  Evan got undressed, his body rippling with every move. If one looked closely enough, the skin on his right arm and left leg was still a little pinker than on the rest of his tan body. He pulled on his shorts and started his warm-up routine. The concrete around them made the air cold and damp.

  Karen tamped down the anxiety building inside of her and put on a smile. She could hear the crowd gathering, buzzing and shuffling somewhere in the distance.

  They made their way to the center of the warehouse. A large cage was set up in the middle of the massive room. Folding chairs surrounded it in every direction. The seats closer to the cage had pieces of paper with names on them.

  They looked for the ones marked “Evan” and sat down. Lights had been set up, illuminating the ring but little else. A small makeshift bar was serving beer and whiskey near the entrance. Tom appeared in the cage, holding a microphone, followed by what looked like a referee.

  Two burly men in shorts joined them. Tom welcomed the spectators and introduced the men, before rushing out of the cage. The referee nodded and the first fight began.

  Evan spent the match whispering into Karen’s ear. He explained the different moves, and the tactics and styles the fighters were using, what was allowed and what was not. By the time the second fight rolled around, Karen found herself fascinated.

  It wasn’t just fighting for the sake of violence. These men were testing the limits of their bodies while also calculating what their next move should be. It was primal and bloody, but after the fight was done, everyone shook hands.

  No hard feelings, beat you up again next time, Karen thought wryly.

  There was a small break after the second fight. People rushed to the bar or outside to smoke. Evan got up to go talk to Tom. A tall, boyishly handsome man took his seat next to Karen.

  “Everett!” she exclaimed. “I didn’t know you were going to be here!”

  “Thought I’d surprise you two. Haven’t seen Evan fight in a while. Time to find out if he’s learned anything new,” Everett winked at her, making her smile.

  She noticed Evan turn around to say something to her but stopped in surprise when he saw Everett. He gave them a little wave and a smile, before mouthing, “it’s time”. Karen gave him a thumbs up.

  “He’s gonna be fine,” Everett said, patting Karen on the shoulder, completely carefree.

  Evan climbed into the cage to the sound of cheers. A stocky blond man with a long scar above his right brow got in behind him. The crowd went wild.

  “I didn’t know he was going to fight Alex,” Everett marveled, taken aback for a second. “This oughta be good.”

  “Evan said he was a hell of a fighter.”

  “Damn right. He’s a certified legend in the underground scene,” Everett pointed out. “Oh, but Evan can take him. For sure,” he continued, seeing Karen’s face drop.

  The ‘for sure’ was not very convi
ncing.

  The referee gave the go-ahead and the men started circling each other, predators looking for a weakness. Alex charged first with a quick succession of blows. Evan dodged and blocked them flawlessly. A howl escaped Karen’s lips, surprising even herself.

  Evan started the fight off with a kick to his opponent’s midsection, knocking the wind out of Alex and making him stagger backwards. Evan closed the distance between them in a split second, landing punch after punch to the wolf’s face and sides.

  The referee stepped in and pulled Evan away, giving Alex time to recover. The interference seemed a little unnecessary to Karen, but then again, she was new to the sport.

  The referee still had a hold of Evan’s arm when Alex unexpectedly charged at him with a growl. Evan pushed the ref out of the way, momentarily distracted. Alex wrapped his arms around Evan’s waist, simultaneously pushing forward and using his bodyweight to slam him to the ground, falling on top of him.

  Evan was in the process of pushing his opponent off when the wolf suddenly straddled him and grabbed hold of his head, pounding it into the floor. Evan managed to close his eyes before Alex pressed his thumbs into his sockets, shaking his head, struggling as Alex applied more and more pressure.

  “Why the hell isn’t the referee doing anything?” Karen shouted at Everett, the crowd’s cheering almost drowning her out.

  “I have no idea,” Everett said with growing concern.

  Turning her attention back to the ring, Karen saw Evan grab Alex’s leg and pull it out from under him. That made the wolf fall back and let go of Evan’s head. Evan didn’t give the man a chance to get on his feet, falling on top of him instead. He jammed his elbow into his opponent’s ribcage, making Alex howl in pain.

  The referee stepped in once more and separated the men. Alex backed up, looking tired and out of breath.

  Probably mustering up all the strength he had left, the wolf made one more desperate charge at Evan. He sidestepped, making Alex stumble and fall on his hands.

  The referee shouted something Karen couldn’t hear to Evan, making him turn his back to Alex who was still on the ground. Seeing an opportunity, he leapt up and onto Evan’s back, sinking his teeth into the bear’s neck.

  Everett flew out of his seat, shouting some choice words at the referee, who was standing still, watching the scene unfold. Blood was starting to trickle down Evan’s shoulder as he trashed around, trying to shake Alex off.

  Something is definitely wrong with this fight, Karen thought, her stomach knotting.

  It looked like Alex was determined to take Evan out by any means necessary, rules be damned. The referee kept either favoring Alex or turning a blind eye.

  Evan fell back, crushing Alex under him.

  Now the referee intervened, pulling Evan to his feet and off Alex. The wolf looked like he wouldn’t be able to take much more punishment. He crawled to his feet, cradling his right side. His face was stained crimson, his blood mixed with Evan’s.

  Evan said something to Alex, stretching out his arms in a peaceful gesture. The man spat something back angrily, shaking his head. Karen strained her ears but couldn’t make anything out.

  The wolf limped towards Evan, trying for an elbow jab to the face, but he blocked it effortlessly, countering with a kick to Alex’s ribs. The man doubled over in pain. Evan looked at the ref, angrily raising a brow. How far was he going to let it go?

  Karen got up, not knowing what to do. The referee seemed to think it was a fight to the death.

  She started scanning the room for Tom. Maybe he could put a stop to this? In the middle of the jostling mass, a still figure caught her eye. He seemed to be looking right at her. When he noticed Karen staring, he blew her a kiss.

  Kyle. Son of a bitch.

  What the hell was he doing there? Hoping to have another go at her while Evan was busy fighting someone else?

  Karen grabbed Everett’s arm, yanking him down to her level.

  “Kyle is here,” she said, raising her voice.

  “Your crazy ex-boyfriend Kyle?” Everett asked, his eyes widening.

  “The one and only,” Karen replied sourly.

  “I’m sorry to say, I think we have bigger problems,” Everett pointed, gesturing to the cage.

  Evan was leaning on the chain link wall of the cage, bleeding from his chest. Alex’s eyes were tinted yellow, his fists somewhere between hands and paws, black curved claws erupting from his fingers. The referee finally rushed over, saying something to Alex and grabbing his arm. Alex turned around, slashing the ref’s face and kneeing him in the ribs. The man fell and started crawling out of the cage.

  Alex let out a bloodcurdling howl. The crowd started backing away from the cage in confusion and fear.

  “Okay, that’s it,” Everett roared, pushing through the mob of people to get to the ring.

  “This shit show has gone on long enough.”

  Karen tried to follow him but was swept away in the sea of people. Someone grabbed her arm, pulling her inside the mayhem of bodies making their way to the exit. She could already guess who it was.

  “Everett! Everett, over here!” she shouted.

  Everett was still nudging people left and right, determined to reach Evan, who was busy trying to keep Alex’s claws from his face. There was no way he could hear her in the chaos. Karen frantically pulled against Kyle’s grasp but to no end.

  Not again!

  Seventeen

  Evan

  Well, this took a fucking turn.

  Evan had grown suspicious when Alex had tried to turn his eyes into mush and the ref did nothing. Did they have some kind of arrangement? But when Alex turned on the ref as well, all bets were off. Guess whatever his deal was, he wasn’t about to stand idle while someone broke the most important rule of all – no shifting in the cage.

  Evan had tried talking to Alex to find out why he was acting the way he was. The wolf only said that he didn’t have a choice and continued playing dirty. Now he had seemingly lost his wits altogether and was shifting in the middle of a fight.

  Alex wasn’t a wolf yet, but he was channeling his animal side for extra strength. Evan knew he would be giving Alex the upper hand if he didn’t do the same. He also knew that shifting so soon after being injured would tear his old wounds.

  The crowd was split. Some were cheering even louder, enjoying the extreme turn the fight had taken, while the more squeamish were heading for the door. From the corner of his eye, Evan could see Everett’s tall frame cutting its way through the throng of people.

  Where’s Karen?

  He didn’t leave her alone to fend for herself in the crowd, did he?

  Alex lumbered towards him, hands outstretched, nails glistening with blood. Before he managed to grab hold of him, Evan knocked him back with an uppercut, making the wolf doubled over, spitting up blood.

  Evan looked back out into the crowd and caught sight of Karen’s red hair. She was being jostled in the direction of the exit. She was shouting something and struggling, reaching towards Everett. That’s when Evan noticed a hand on her arm, a man in a black hoodie dragging her with him.

  Son of a bitch.

  Everett was already by the cage, ready to climb over the chain fence.

  “Karen! Behind you! Go help Karen!” Evan shouted to him.

  Everett turned around, scanning the crowd. He must’ve spotted her, as he turned back and started wading towards Karen’s location.

  Strong arms grasped Evan from behind, claws raking over his chest. He could hear Alex growling in his ear as he squeezed him. A little more pressure and he was going to crack a rib.

  Evan geared up and swung his elbow into Alex’s side, making his grip loosen.

  He jabbed at the wolf again.

  And again.

  Finally he was able to wiggle out of Alex’s hold.

  Okay, that’s it. I don’t have time for this, Evan thought, taking the reins off his bear.

  A roar ripped through him as the transformation
took hold. The bones in his body realigned, following familiar patterns. His flesh expanded, covering with fur. The shift was usually painless, but this time Evan could feel the new skin on his forearm and shin stretch and peel back, tearing the muscle underneath.

  He ignored the pain and charged at Alex, not wanting to give him time to react.

  His massive build knocked the wolf to the ground, his head slamming against the floor. Alex tried to claw and snap at him, but Evan placed his heavy paw on his throat, forcing him to stop defeated, his hands and teeth turning back to normal.

  Alex knew how easily the bear could end his life. Evan pulled his grizzly back, reversing the shift as Alex lay on the ground. Most of the crowd had left, while the few remaining stood in awed silence.

  “I’m sorry, don’t’ kill me,” Alex rasped.

  “What the hell were you thinking?” Evan roared at him.

  “The people I owe money to… I didn’t have a choice.”

  “Someone paid you to beat me?” Evan demanded.

  “Not to beat you… to kill you,” Alex said, turning away in shame.

  “Do. Not. Move. Until I get back,” Evan bit out, making his way out of the cage. Everyone gave him a wide berth as he limped towards the exit, the wound on his shin bleeding again.

  He reached the parking lot in front of the warehouse. A couple of cars were still there, but most of the people had already left. It was dark out. Evan stumbled over the cracked asphalt, his steps illuminated only by the moon.

  “Karen! Everett!” he shouted, desperate to find them.

  If Kyle has gotten away with Karen…

  The thought was too terrible to entertain. In the shadows, a figure popped up from behind one of the cars and started running towards him.

  “I’m here!” Karen said, reaching him and wrapping her arms around his bloody frame.

  “You’re wounds are bleeding again! What happened? Did someone finally stop the fight?” she rattled off, her eyes roaming over his body.

  “Yeah, I did,” Evan said, smiling, relief flooding him at the sight of the woman he loved, unharmed.