His to Defend (A BBW Paranormal Shifter Romance)

by Elena Aitken

  “Sure,” Ryker said. “I’ll give up my room for Nat. When’s she getting in?”

  “I think in time for the bachelor and bachelorette parties tomorrow.” Kade jumped into the conversation as he put a fresh basket of bread in front of them. “It’ll be good to see little Nat.”

  Ryker laughed. It would be good to see her. And maybe she’d be able to talk a little sense into him and keep him from acting like such a lunatic. She always had an innate ability to call Ryker on his bullshit.

  Ryker had avoided her all night. Nina kept looking to him to see whether she could catch his eye, but he seemed to be making a special effort not to meet her gaze.

  Had she done something wrong?

  No. Of course she hadn’t. They’d had amazing, hot sex in the woods and ever since he’d been treating her as if…she were just a booty call.

  Wasn’t that what he was to her?

  Whatever. It didn’t matter.

  Ryker was only ever going to be a fling anyway. Something to entertain her while she was at the ridge. It’s not as though he were going to be a serious relationship. That didn’t change the fact that it stung a little that he would be so callous as to ignore her after he got what he wanted. But at least she knew where she stood.

  Determined not to let it bother her, Nina turned her attention to the other side of the large dining room table and listened in on the conversation that Ella and Kade were having. Their first baby was due in a few months, just before the twins, and just like the rest of the couples on the ridge, they weren’t yet married either.

  “I don’t think it’s something we need to do,” Kade was telling Ella. “It’s a silly tradition.”

  “Mi amor. Don’t say that.” Ella glanced around but neither Harper nor Axel was paying them any attention. “Your brother is getting married.”

  “That doesn’t mean I don’t think it’s ridiculous.” Kade caught Nina watching them and shrugged. “It’s not that it’s ridiculous,” he corrected for her benefit. “It’s just that I don’t think I need to have a ceremony or a piece of paper to prove that I love this woman and I’m totally committed to her for life. That’s all.”

  Nina nodded. She could understand that. He wasn’t the first person she’d met who felt that way.

  “But it’s so romantic,” Ella said. “Wait until you see her in the dress. Muy hermosa.”

  “You’re already beautiful.”

  Ella smiled at her man. Her beautiful face lit up and Kade leaned forward to press a kiss on the tip of her nose.

  Nina couldn’t help but be wrapped up in the love between the two of them. With all of them, really.

  She couldn’t help it; she glanced back to the other side of the table and was instantly frozen.

  He was looking at her.

  No, he was staring at her. Intensely.

  A shiver of desire ran through her, directly to her core. Like a reflex, her panties moistened but still she didn’t look away from his green eyes.

  “Nina?” Harper tapped on her arm. “Earth to Nina.”

  She turned to look at her friend, but then quickly turned back to Ryker.

  He was gone.

  “I’m sorry,” she said over her shoulder as she pushed the chair back. “I have to…”

  Nina caught up with Ryker outside on the patio. “Hey.”

  It wasn’t until he turned around that she realized she had no idea what she wanted to say to him.

  “I just wanted to…”

  He took a step toward her. “You wanted to what?”

  She swallowed hard, annoyed that he had any kind of effect on her at all. She cleared her throat and squared her shoulders, determined not to be one of those women who got clingy after a little bit of sex. No matter how good the sex was. Especially because it wasn’t as though she wanted a relationship or anything. Right?

  She was being ridiculous. “I just wanted to make sure you knew that what happened between us earlier…” She started talking, the calm in her voice surprising even her.

  He stepped closer still. She could smell him and knew that if she just leaned forward a few inches, she’d be able to taste him. “What about it?”

  His voice gave her goose bumps. This man had her losing all kinds of control and feeling things she had no business feeling. She squeezed her eyes shut for a beat before opening them again. “It was fun,” she said as casually as she could. “But I just want to be clear with you that it’s never going to happen again.”

  Why had she just said that?

  Did she see him flinch or was it her imagination? She couldn’t be sure.

  It had to be her imagination. No doubt he was going to laugh at her. She didn’t care.

  “Is that right?” His eyes were locked on hers.

  “Yes.” She nodded once and took a step back. It was the only way she could breathe. “That’s right.” Before he could say anything else, Nina turned and walked swiftly back into the Den and straight up the stairs to her room. She didn’t trust herself enough to be around Ryker. Because no matter what she’d just said, she wasn’t clear about her feelings at all and she definitely wanted it to happen again.

  Chapter Ten

  “I cannot believe you got us matching T-shirts.” Harper groaned but there was a smile on her face. Nina knew she secretly loved the hot-pink shirts. A lot.

  “Aren’t they awesome?” Chloe grabbed one from the pile in the middle of the room and tossed it to Ella. “Bree made one for each of us.” She finished distributing the shirts that had “I Do Crew” spelled out in rhinestones on the front. Harper’s own shirt was white with the word “Bride” in silver script. They were fun and gaudy, and absolutely perfect.

  “They are pretty cute,” Nina admitted, taking her own shirt from the pile.

  Because she’d been traveling for work, the other girls had graciously offered to plan most of the bachelorette activities, which was fine with Nina. The only thing that mattered to her was that her best friend have a fun day and for Harper, she knew that as long as it involved her friends, she’d have a great time.

  “Did you make a shirt big enough to fit over this belly?” Kira walked slowly toward the pile, her hands on her back, her stomach protruding in front of her. She still wasn’t due until January but it seemed as if the woman had all but doubled in size in the last few days. Her belly was much larger than Ella’s little baby bump.

  “I made a special one for you.” Bree pulled a large shirt from the pile and handed it to Kira, who held it up to her. She stretched the fabric over her stomach and breasts and laughed. “It might just fit.”

  “I don’t think Nash will be complaining if it’s too tight.” Harper winked at her.

  “Definitely not.” Kira smiled. “He’s always loved my curves, but these preggo curves are really kicking things up a notch.”

  “And he loves all of them, doesn’t he?” Ella asked with a grin. “I know Kade does.”

  “Gross.” Kira pretended to be shocked. “That’s my twin brother you’re talking about.”

  Ella wiggled her eyebrows. “I’m just saying.”

  Nina couldn’t help but laugh at the easy teasing between the women. Would she be as laid-back as they were if she were pregnant? She’d never before met a woman who was as happy with their growing body as these ladies were. And their men didn’t just like their curvy figures; they seemed to go crazy for them.

  Just like Ryker.

  She shut down the thought as soon as it popped into her head. Yes, Ryker had liked her curves well enough while they were screwing around in the woods. But it was one thing for a man who was nothing but a fling to be into you. And a completely different thing for a partner.

  Was it?

  “Okay,” Chloe announced from the front of the room, drawing Nina’s attention away from her internal battle. “We’re just waiting for one more and—”

  The door opened and a tall brunette stepped into the room. She instantly looked familiar, and Nina knew without asking that
the woman was Ryker’s sister. They had the same green eyes, the same thick, dark hair, the same…presence. Strong. Powerful.

  “Natalia!” Kira, who was still trying to pull the T-shirt over her head, managed to tug it down into place and move as quickly as a heavily pregnant woman could to greet her cousin. “It’s been too long. You look amazing.”

  “You look…”

  “Huge?”

  The woman laughed. “I was going to say radiant.” She pulled her close for one more hug before greeting the rest of the room with a wave. “Hi. I’m Natalia.”

  “Ryker’s sister.” Nina hadn’t realized she’d spoken until the newcomer turned and her eyes locked on her.

  Natalia’s smile dipped a little, but she recovered quickly. “That’s right,” she said. “You must be Nina.”

  Must be?

  Nina nodded and Natalia grinned. “I thought so.”

  It was a strange comment but before Nina could ask her what she meant by that, Natalia was already making her rounds around the room, introducing herself to the other women and making the connection as to who belonged to each of her cousins.

  “It really is so good to be here,” Natalia said after she put her own T-shirt on. “And Harper, I am absolutely thrilled for you. I know my brothers may not believe in all of this wedding—”

  “Oh, don’t worry about that right now. Besides, I think Ryker might be coming around.” Harper interrupted her quickly before putting her arm around the woman and whispering something into her ear.

  Nina was too far away to hear what she said, but she had the distinct feeling it had something to do with her judging by the glance Natalia shot her a moment later.

  Probably had something to do with Ryker.

  If Natalia was protective of her brother, or thought that Nina had any kind of designs on locking him down into a marriage herself, she was wrong. Very wrong. And Nina would prove it, too. She’d already told Ryker that the hookup was a one-time thing. It was over.

  Nina smiled as sweetly as she could manage at Natalia, but for the rest of the day she couldn’t seem to shake the feeling that the other woman was watching her.

  After a late lunch and pedicures at the salon down in town, Nina had already helped herself to more than a few glasses of champagne, and by the time they arrived at the Station pub where a local DJ was spinning all the best dancing music, she was more than a little tipsy.

  Perfect for getting out on the dance floor.

  And after a few more drinks, she might even be able to forget about a certain, very intense, very sexy man who’d managed to occupy her head for the majority of the day.

  But it would definitely take a few more drinks.

  A day out on the river chucking line and pulling in one beautiful rainbow trout after another was exactly what Ryker had needed.

  How long had it been since he’d spent the day with his cousins like that?

  Too long.

  The fresh air cleared his head. It didn’t hurt that Nina was miles away, down in town. Not near enough to cloud his senses, but still near enough that he could sense her. He’d never before been able to sense a female. Ever.

  As recently as the day before, the idea had terrified him. But the longer he spent on the river, reconnecting to nature, the more the idea began to feel natural. Maybe Axel was onto something. Maybe he should quit fighting it so hard and just accept it.

  Nina was his mate.

  He looked across the water to where Axel stood.

  His cousins had all accepted and embraced what Ryker was just starting to figure out. Certainly they weren’t all wrong?

  No. They weren’t wrong.

  Even a cynical, closed-off man like Ryker could see the love that each of his cousins had for their mates. It was unlike anything he’d ever seen before. Not with his own parents. Not with anyone in the clan.

  “Hey,” Axel called over to him. “Are you going to catch a fish, or just stand there?”

  Ryker shook his head and once again cast his line but he was no longer interested in catching a fish. A moment later, his line reeled back in, he splashed through the thigh-high water to the other bank, where his cousin was now staring at him with a look of incredulity.

  “What the hell, Ryker? You just scared all the fish.”

  “How did you know?” Ryker ignored Axel’s protest and jumped straight into what he needed to know.

  “Know what?”

  “Harper,” he said. “Your mate. How did you know? I mean, she’s not a bear. How did you trust that…well, that she was the one?”

  Axel’s wide smile took over his face and he chuckled. “The same way you know.”

  “What?”

  “Your bear knows,” Axel continued. “Clawing and fighting to get out? Can’t shut him up when she’s around? Your senses are clouded. Can’t seem to think straight if your life depended on it?”

  Ryker nodded. And then again. And again.

  “You know,” Axel said.

  “But she’s—”

  “It doesn’t matter what she is or isn’t.” Axel shook his head and cast his line. “The only thing that matters is instinct. You can literally drive yourself crazy denying it.”

  “Or?” he asked, already knowing the answer.

  “Or you take her as your mate.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Nina knew she was drinking too much, but she couldn’t stop herself. It felt too good not to feel anything at all. Besides, the more she drank, the less she cared about the way Natalia was watching her.

  “Another round of shots.” She leaned against the bar as the bartender got to work putting together a tray of shooters for Nina to take back to the few who were drinking at their bachelorette table.

  She should probably slow down, drink some water or just sit the round out, or she would definitely have a headache in the morning.

  After this one.

  “Hey, sweetheart. Can I buy you a drink?”

  Nina looked to see a tall, lean man with a shaggy mop of blond hair leaning against the bar next to her. His eyes were blue. Almost the exact opposite of Ryker’s dark-green eyes. In fact, everything about the man, including his sly smile, was opposite of Ryker’s solid, strong build.

  Perfect.

  “I think you can.” She batted her eyelashes and leaned in toward him. “But only if you’ll dance with me.”

  Nina knew she was playing with fire, especially when the man licked his lips, his grin spreading his face wide, in what was an almost menacing look before he took her hand and led her directly onto the dance floor, the drinks forgotten completely.

  “Name’s Matt.” He slipped his hands down her sides, resting them on her hips. His fingers dug into her flesh just a little.

  “Nina.” She started to move to the beat. It was a fast song, and it kept them apart. She closed her eyes and let herself get lost in the music, but when she opened them again, Matt was watching her intently. He yanked her closer and started to grind his hips against hers.

  That should have been all the warning she needed to pull away and put more space between them, but still she didn’t move back. Instead, her mind foggy from the alcohol, Nina kept dancing. After all, he wasn’t hurting anyone and it would give her the chance to get her mind off Ryker.

  Ryker.

  She closed her eyes and instantly was filled with visions of Ryker’s huge hands on her body, sliding down her slick, bare skin. His mouth, hot and hungry on her neck. Kissing her. Lower. Between her legs. Making her come. Making her scream.

  “Damn, Nina.” A voice that was distinctly not Ryker’s broke through her daydream. “Let’s get you out of here.”

  Her eyes snapped open as Matt locked his grip around her wrist and began to tug her off the dance floor. “No!”

  Matt froze. “What?” He stared at her. “A minute ago, you were moaning like—”

  “I want to keep dancing,” she lied. With a quick glance around her on the dance floor, she spotted Natalia and Bree dan
cing together a few feet away. “I’m here for my friend’s party.” She yanked her arm away from Matt and danced smoothly over to the other women.

  Bree shot her a look of question, but Nina ignored it and smiled. She didn’t want to get into anything or start any kind of drama. After a moment, she risked a glance at Natalia, who stared at Matt, who’d retreated off the dance floor. She turned and met Nina’s gaze before lifting her eyebrows. Nina couldn’t decide whether it was a look of judgment or concern. Either way, she wasn’t interested. She closed her eyes and lost herself in the beat until the song finished and they all returned to the table.

  “That looked…fun?” Harper said the moment Nina sat down. “What was that all about?”

  Nina shook her head and reached for a shot glass that had been delivered to the table. “That was an attempt to forget about what I was really thinking about.” She tipped the glass back and let the liquid warm her as it slid down her throat. “Obviously, it was a poor attempt.”

  “And what is it you’re trying not to think about?” Harper pushed despite the fact that she knew the answer. She was Nina’s best friend, for God’s sake. “Ryker?”

  Nina shot her a look. “It doesn’t matter.”

  “Oh, I think it does.” Natalia spoke up.

  Nina stared at her in question. “What does it have to do with you?”

  “He’s my brother,” she said calmly. “And your mate.”

  “What the—”

  “Hey,” Chloe interrupted. “Look who’s here!”

  All the women looked over to see the group of men walk into the bar. Including Ryker. Her heart skipped before increasing its frenzied pace in her chest.

  He looked through the room, directly to her. Around her, the music faded away; the voices and chatter muted. It was just him looking at her.