Bear My Stripes: M/M Mpreg Shifter Romance (Furbidden Mates Book 2)

by Mercy May

  Matthew just shook his head, his eyes closed and his thumb and forefinger pressed against either temple. “This is some serious bullshit, huh?”

  I bit my lip and nodded.

  A sudden pounding sounded from the doorway, and I looked up to see Ezra strolling in, a wicked grin on his face as he stepped up behind his mate and kissed him on the neck. Matthew closed his eyes and let out a short breath, his stress seemingly vanishing in a single instant.

  “So,” Ezra said when he finished embracing my brother. “Are you guys coming out, or what? Zeke shifted five minutes ago, and his tiger is already getting antsy.”

  I laughed. “On my way now.” I took a step toward the door then stopped, a faint noise catching in my ear. “Do you guys hear that?” I asked, turning back to my brother and his mate.

  Ezra’s ears perked up, followed shortly by Matthew’s. A whoop-whoop-whoop sound grew louder and louder, reverberating in my ears as if it were coming closer.

  “Is that…?” Matthew asked, staring toward the window.

  “Shit!” Ezra hissed between his teeth, before shoving past me and racing toward the door.

  I stared at Mathew in stunned confusion for a single second, then followed Ezra out the door and into the daylight. What I saw nearly stopped my heart.

  A black helicopter hovered just above the lawn outside with a single rope dangling down from it. At the end of the rope, stood a massive beast of a man with platinum blond hair and a frame larger than even Matthew’s. He was dressed in black combat fatigues, a black t-shirt that clung tight to his enormous muscles, and had a gun belt buckled around his waist. Over one shoulder, he had what looked like a high-powered rifle.

  My bear must have known what was happening before I did, because I was already halfway down the driveway and in the process of shifting when the man turned to face me, his cold and icy stare piercing whatever dominance I’d hoped to unsheathe. The man gave the rope a quick tug, waved at me, then began his ascent into the sky as the helicopter pulled up. There, at the end of the rope, dangled Zeke, his massive tiger unmoving and hog-tied as he swung from side to side in the sky. In a matter of moments, the helicopter was out of sight.

  “Nooooooo!” I roared, my bear emerging from beneath my skin. My bones shifted and broke and my clothes were torn asunder as I gave way to the bear, letting him take charge. But it was too late. My bear could no more fly and catch up to whoever had just kidnaped my mate than my human form could. My heart nearly broke, and the agony of it was overwhelming. My vision began to swim as the world turned a crimson red, the bear’s fury overtaking my human senses.

  I snarled at everything that moved, slashing at bushes and trees. I ran down the street, unable to get ahold of myself, and tore through yards, destroying fences, gardens, and even cars in my wake. I was enraged, the blood lust growing too strong, and my human heart was shattered.

  Suddenly, a flash of orange and black dove into view and I felt an old wound opening on my hind-leg. I snarled and lashed out, trying slaughter whatever thought it could threaten me in that moment. How dare they? How dare they stand in my way? I was an apex predator. I was strong. I was vicious. And I would not bet stopped.

  My assailant came again, this time swiping at the other leg, and I managed to land a massive blow, sending the would-be predator spiraling backward and into a tree. My blood lust showed up in full force then, and I dove at my enemy, crushing them beneath me as I began tearing into its flesh.

  “Mark Bruner!” A voice called out, familiar, yet distant. “Mark Bruner, I command you to STOP!”

  I jerked up, my fury suddenly lost and my vision returning. The power in those words had shaken me, snapping me from my fury and into lucidity once more. I suddenly felt a burning sensation in my legs and looked down to see that they were both bleeding, large but precise gashes in them in sets of three. When I looked up from my legs, I saw a tiger beneath me, bloodied and curled up in a defensive posture, but still breathing, still ready to fight. I glanced into the tiger’s eyes, and couldn’t help but note that there was a distinct familiarity to them, as if I’d seen them before.

  “Mark Bruner!” The familiar voice called out, powerful and commanding in its enunciation. “Shift now!”

  Before I had a moment to even consider the words, my body snapped back sharply and my human emerged, naked and bleeding, my heart pounding in my chest. Now, with my human eyes, everything made sense. The tiger was Ezra, my brother’s mate. And the voice… I turned around to see Matthew standing there, his hands on his hips and his shoulders thrust backward. His dominance emanated from him, and I couldn’t help but dip my head in respect.

  I heard the sound of bones snapping from behind me, and Ezra limped around me and toward Matthew. When I finally looked up, they were both surveying the damage I’d done. I looked around to see for myself, and my jaw dropped at all the damage I’d caused while my bear had been loosed. All around me there was nothing but havoc. It was as though a tornado had swept through.

  The few trees that were in the area were in splinters, as were the few picket fences and signs. Several vehicles had been totaled, and even Matthew’s house had a grizzly-sized hole running through it. Right now, we were standing behind the house, and I realized that had I continued in my blood lust I would have ran straight out into the water.

  “Fuck," I said, finally.

  Matthew just shook his head. “We’ll deal with this shit later. You’re lucky no one was around to see or get hurt. And that’s a fucking miracle, all things considered.”

  I dipped my head again, tears beginning to well in my eyes. “I’m sorry,” I murmured, my heart wrenching in my chest. Zeke was gone. He’d been taken. And I had no idea where or why. “What am I supposed to do, Matthew?”

  “That helicopter,” Matthew said, looking at the ground while tracing a finger under his chin. “It had the Clan Trounce logo on it.”

  I perked up and craned my head to the left. “The Clan Trounce? As in, Donald Trounce?”

  Donald Trounce’s daughter, Malia, had been the woman Matthew had been betrothed to prior to finding Ezra. The fact that he was involved in Zeke’s kidnapping made next to no sense, but it at least gave me a lead. Trounce was headquartered in Grizzly Hills, tucked deep within the Rocky Mountains of North America. I had to assume that that’s where they’d be taking Zeke.

  “Motherfucker,” I growled, then started toward the house. I needed to get my shit together and get on the first plane out of Mumbai if I wanted any chance of catching up to them. I’d already be hours behind, and there was no telling what they’d do to Zeke in the meantime.

  “Where are you going?” Ezra growled as I walked by him. I could still feel his tiger, just beneath the surface. Tigers like him weren’t used to just ending a fight like we had. I’d fought him before, and I knew that he could be a calculated and vicious son of a bitch. If I hadn’t been Matthew’s brother, I had no doubt that he’d have left me dismembered and bleeding on the ground somewhere.

  “To kill Trounce,” I hissed.

  “Wait,” Matthew said, shaking his head. “I know where you’re planning on going, but I don’t think you should.”

  “What the fuck, man?!” I snarled. “He has my mate!”

  “No,” Matthew started, waving his hand. “I don’t mean you shouldn’t go after Trounce. I mean you shouldn’t go to Grizzly Hills. There’s no way they took a helicopter across the ocean. He must have a compound or property nearby.”

  I threw up my hands. “What the hell am I supposed to do then?”

  “Just give me a minute to think, dammit.” Matthew closed his eyes and rubbed at his temples for a few moments, then he looked up and abruptly took off toward the house.

  Ezra and I exchanged a curious look before racing in after him.

  “What’d you find, Matt?” Ezra asked once we caught up to Matthew, who was standing over his computer, typing furiously at the keys.

  “This,” Matthew said, grinning, as he spun the l
aptop toward me.

  I looked down at the screen, studied its contents, and grinned.

  “What is it?” Ezra asked, arching an eyebrow.

  Matthew looked at him and threw a hand up on his shoulder. “This is the Accords directory. It lists the properties and addresses of all clan leaders. Turns out Donald Trounce owns some land just outside of Mumbai. Half an hour’s drive from here, at most.”

  Ezra’s eyes widened and I couldn’t help but smile. “Guess I know where I’m headed,” I turned the computer back toward me and memorized the address.

  “I’m coming with you,” Ezra hissed. “That fucker just kidnaped my cousin.”

  I shook my head and pointed to my brother. “You can’t, Ezra. What if they come back? Matthew is in no condition to shift or fight.”

  Ezra glanced over at his mate, a mix of worry and fury morphing his face. “Goddammit,” he growled, slamming his fist against the wall. “Well, if nothing else, let me help like this.” Ezra motioned for me to follow him, and I walked behind him as we out back and around to the side of the cottage. He opened up a small storage building that stood flush with the house and flicked on a light. Inside, there sat a single motorcycle, collecting dust.

  “Be careful with her,” Ezra told me. “And get Zeke the fuck out of there.”

  I looked at him and nodded my head, then turned to my brother who had followed behind me.

  Matthew was carrying a handful of clothes and a pair of shoes, which he proceeded to toss at me and I quickly shuffled into them. His face was rigid and stoic, doing his best not to show emotion as he crossed his arms over his chest. “Don’t get yourself killed,” he told me. “That’s an order.”

  ZEKE

  For the longest time, I didn’t realize my eyes were open. Everything was dark, to the point that I was beginning to think I’d gone blind. My head was pounding, and I did my best to collect my thoughts and figure out where I was and how I had gotten there.

  The last thing I remembered was shifting outside Ezra’s cottage, pacing back and forth a bit as my tiger became increasingly antsy and impatient while waiting on my ate, and then… Nothing. Just pain and black. And now, more black.

  I shook my head and stood up. I was in my human form and, from the chill going up my spine, utterly naked. Wherever I was, I was there without any clothes. I felt around in the dark, trying not to stumble and hurt myself, until my palm found purchase on what must have been a wall. I felt around a bit, trying to extend my tiger’s senses, but to no avail. For some reason, my tiger didn’t want to be stirred. It was almost as if he was sleeping. My heart, however, was pounding in my chest, to the point that I nearly collapsed on the floor from the sheer agony of it. That, I suspected, was my Bond. Which meant I was far enough away from Mark that my heart was literally trying to tear itself out of my chest.

  Wonderful.

  I felt around a bit more, counting the space with my hands, and discovered that I was in a five-by-five square, with three walls of solid stone. The fourth wall was made of something metallic, and I felt around enough until I realized that it was a gate. I was in a goddamn cage.

  Suddenly, a light flickered on and I had to shield my eyes in order to keep from going blind. After a minute, my eyes adjusted and I opened them to see a massive figure standing just outside the metallic gate. He was enormous, bigger than Matthew even, and was dressed in black fatigues, black boots, and a black t-shirt. He had a gun holstered around his waist, and bore more than a few scars on his enormous arms. The man had a strong jaw, with maybe a day’s worth of stubble across his face, and icy blue eyes that tore straight into my soul when I met them. He had almost platinum blond hair, short-cropped as if was part of some military.

  “Food time,” the figure said, his voice booming, before opening up a small grate on the floor and sliding in a bowl full of some sort of soup and a mug full of water. His flipped the grate shut, then turned to walk away.

  “Wait!” I called out, my voice barely a whisper. Damn, my throat was dry. The man stopped and turned back toward me, giving me just enough time to chug the water he’d left behind. “Please,” I stammered. “What the fuck am I doing here?”

  The man glanced to his right, the direction from which he’d come when he first entered the room, and took a step back toward my cage. “Look,” the man whispered. “I don’t like this any more than you do, but I’ve got a fucking job to do. If it was up to me, I’d let you out right now. But it isn’t. I followed my orders, tranquilized a motherfucking tiger, and dragged you back here.”

  My eyes widened at that. It was exactly the opposite of the response I thought he’d give me. “What…what do you mean? Where am I?”

  He shook his head. “Trounce compound. You should have an idea as to why.”

  I threw my hands up in dismay. “The fuck I should. What’s a Trounce?”

  The man cocked his head to one side. “You serious?”

  I nodded slowly.

  “Dammit, tiger. He’s the fucker you pissed off when you stole his daughter’s mate.”

  I blinked. Stole who’s what? Last I checked, I hadn’t stolen anyone’s mate. And then it hit me.

  “Shitfuck,” I hissed. “You’ve got the wrong goddamn tiger.”

  The man’s face remained stoic, and it was impossible to read his thoughts. After a few seconds of silence, he sighed. “Wrong tiger?”

  I nodded frantically. “Goddammit. Yes.”

  It was obvious that whoever had brought me in here had been after Ezra. Apparently, he and Matthew must have pissed off more people than they thought during their last visit to Black Canyon. Ezra had recounted me the tale of how he’d gone to rescue Matthew, only to have Matthew step up and do the rescuing himself. Apparently this was just one repercussion of that day. And, somehow, I’d ended up the victim of someone’s revenge scheme.

  The man blinked. “Well shit. And good, I guess.”

  “Good?!” I growled.

  He shrugged. “To be honest with you, I fully support what the other tiger did. He and that Bruner bear really fucked with the social norm, and now there’s talk of abolishing arranged matings once and for all.”

  “Then why the fuck were you trying to kidnap him?” I stammered.

  “Because my boss is getting paid a shit ton of money to do it, and he also happens to be my alpha. I don’t know how you tigers do it, but bear clans follow orders without hesitation. It isn’t in my DNA to disobey.”

  I could tell as much just by judging the man’s demeanor. His body size and language was a testament to his strength, and I could tell immediately that the guy was an apex predator if I ever saw one. He’d be an absolute weapon for anyone strong enough to dominate him.

  “So what’s your name then?” The man asked suddenly, snapping me out of my thoughts.

  “Zeke Kaplan,” I told him.

  “Huh,” he grunted. “Name’s Asher Trounce. Sorry about all this, Zeke.”

  “Yeah,” I huffed. “Me too.”

  “Like I said, I’d let you out if I could. But even if you aren’t the Bruner bear’s tiger, I’m pretty sure I’ll catch hell for letting you go.”

  I nodded, somewhat understanding. I knew enough of how bear clans operated to realize that Asher wasn’t lying. He’d let me go if he could, it’s just that he literally couldn’t without defying his alpha’s orders. Defying those orders could bring about anything ranging from torture to banishment, none of which were good for bears.

  Apparently, that was the end of our conversation, because Asher turned around and walked back in the direction he’d come from. I heard a door clang shut, then silence. If nothing else, at least he’d left the light on for me.

  ***

  I was pacing the cage when I heard the voices nearing the door. My tiger’s senses had returned over time, apparently having been dulled by whatever Asher had used to tranquilize me. I stopped short once I could make out what whoever was coming was saying.

  “You’ll see, Cyrus,” one
voice, deep and resounding, boomed through the wall. “I’ve got your pesky little tiger all caged up.”

  “You’d best, Donald,” the other voice responded, this one harder and with an air of superiority. If I had to guess, Donald was the Trounce, and Cyrus was whoever the fuck was paying him. “Because if you don’t, you won’t be getting a cent more.”

  There was a low rumbling from just beyond the wall, followed by a quick whimper.

  “You can’t be serious,” Cyrus growled. “Are you that desperate to fuck up our arrangement?”

  “Apologies,” Donald mumbled. “It isn’t often that my bear feels outmatched. Is it Asher?”

  My eyes perked up. So Asher was out there with them?

  “No, sir,” I heard Asher snap.

  “See there, Cyrus? Even my adopted brute knows his place. Just took a little bit of breaking.”

  “If you were a real alpha, you wouldn’t need to break anyone.” I could almost hear the mocking in Cyrus’s tone.

  “We’ll see who the real alpha is once this deal is done,” Donald snarked. “That money should elevate me well above you and every other clan in the Western Hemisphere. The Council will have to recognize the Trounces for what they are.”

  Something crashed into a wall outside, and I jumped back from the cage door. “Listen to me, Trounce,” Cyrus growled. “You will never be above me. Money is nonsense, power comes from within. You’re getting the benefit of my money, because I’m kind enough to pay you back for the trouble this tiger caused. I’m a bear of my word, Trounce, and I promised to help elevate your stature. Since the mating didn’t work, it looks like money is the only thing that will do it. Because your pathetic bear sure as fuck won’t do it for you.”

  I blinked. Whoa. Talk about a power struggle in the hallway. Thing was, it didn’t actually seem like much of a struggle. Whoever Cyrus was, he absolutely reeked of power and dominance. To the point that it had my tiger stirring just beneath my skin, preparing for whatever fight was coming.