Montana Wild Bears: Books 1-4 Bundle (BBW Paranormal Werebear Shape Shifter Romance Boxed Set)

by Anya Nowlan

  “Yeah, don’t we all,” Julian said, a note of sadness in his voice. He grabbed for the other bag and pulled two thick blankets from it, as well as a self-inflating mattress. Moments later, he had pulled Susie down into his lap and tucked her into one of the blankets, despite her animated protests.

  “Hush. Have some delicious ham sandwiches instead,” he said, letting her curl up next to him after he was done with the important task of making sure she was warm enough. Julian handed her a container with sandwiches and opened up another, which filled the air with the scrumptious smell of Alice’s special beef stew. Susie hadn’t noticed how hungry she was before Julian had presented her with the possibility of eating. She accepted a spoon and gratefully shared the hotbox with him.

  The fire cast light and warmth around them, driving away the cold. It felt surprisingly cozy sitting there next to Julian, eating an impromptu dinner and staring out at the wilderness. The sun would set soon, and Susie had a sneaking suspicion that he had brought her up there for exactly that reason – to share in the might of a beautiful Montana sunset. She sighed, leaning against Julian. There was an almost endless supply of questions she wanted to ask him, but she wasn’t sure if she was supposed to just blurt them out or take a more refined approach. She would have known what to do with the old Julian, but this version was new and improved – maybe he needed a different touch?

  Just start slow.

  “How’s Jackie?” she asked, sipping from a cup of spiked tea. Leave it to Julian to think of everything. Julian shrugged, casting her a sideways glance.

  “She’s alright. I don’t think Jackson has called her yet. I think they don’t want to drag her into it unless there’s nothing else left to do, what with her and Ryder and their past. But I think he’s getting there. Why else would he have called me up, you know? I bet Jonah is just a bit behind me. Got to get the trifecta together to scare the opposition, even if it includes one defective corner,” he said, his voice getting darker. Susie caught it and gave him a worried look. Hearing him talk like that made her heart hurt. She’d felt for a long time that what happened with Julian was her fault. Maybe if she’d reacted differently, maybe if she had said something else, maybe if she’d tried harder… maybe it would all be different. He’d told her time and time again that it wasn’t anything she said or did, but something he needed to deal with on his own, but she knew him too well to buy that. He didn’t want to hurt her and that had made him shut out a big side of himself and his family along with it.

  “I haven’t seen her in forever. I miss her,” Susie said, brushing over the more problematic topic. She’d have plenty of time to come back to it later, but she didn’t want to rip open old wounds too soon. Her and Jacqueline had been good friends at school, especially since her fallout with Julian. She had been invaluable in understanding the way Julian and other werebears thought and really the only reason why she’d managed to stay sane throughout all of it. Then, Jackie had fallen into her own version of a torrid love affair, daring Ryder for a couple of years. Every time it blew up, Susie had been there to help Jackie pick up the pieces, until there wasn’t enough to pick up to save either the relationship or Jackie’s desire to stay in the Cabinet Mountains. She had left just like Julian, and Bear’s Grove rarely heard of her anymore. Susie had a sneaking suspicion that Jackie was the missing piece of the puzzle in making Ryder and Jackson resolve their issues. But, then again, she was equally as sure that the addition of the fair-haired werebear could also make things a lot more explosive.

  “I miss her too,” Julian said, taking a big bite out of his sandwich. He tossed another log into the fire, making it crackle loudly. “And don’t take this the wrong way, but I really hope things won’t get bad enough for us to need to call her in. But enough about my dysfunctional family. What’s up with you? How did you go from despising math to running two companies?” he asked, smoothly pointing the laser of focus on her. He had just the right amount of stubble on his chin, and Susie couldn’t help but imagine it brushing against her as they kissed, sinking into his arms as his hands explored her body.

  Stop it! Susie could feel a pink blush creeping on her cheeks again. It was hard to think about anything other than him, especially when he was so close.

  “I found out I’d rather be my own boss than work for someone else, I guess. The Jameses wanted to retire and move closer to their grandkids, so they offered to sell the diner for cheap. I jumped at the chance, and the truck business came right after that when one of the former contractors went under and wanted to sell his rigs. You know how I love big cars,” she said, coaxing a chuckle out of Julian. He poured her another cup of hot tea, the telltale smell of liquor wafting up along with the steam, and she accepted thankfully. “The locals trust me and I trust them, so I got a few decent contracts and good drivers and that was that. It’s not exactly growing, but it’s not costing me money either. I’m pretty happy with it, but…” She trailed off and Julian caught it immediately.

  “But?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe just me being overly suspicious. I think someone’s trying to doctor the books, having some of the guys fudge things on their logs. The gas and trip logs don’t line up like they should lately.” Susie groaned, catching herself from saying anything more. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be talking about work. Not right now, anyway.”

  “Don’t worry about it. You should trust your guts. If you think something’s wrong then you’re probably on the money with it,” Julian said, looking somber for a moment before a smile brushed the glumness from his expression. “Besides, I like listening to you, even if it is just ranting. It’s been too long, Susie. I’ve missed this. I’ve missed you.” The words struck Susie and she nodded, curling the blanket tighter around her. His arm went around her lower back under the blanket and pulled her closer to him, making her gasp. “Wouldn’t want you to get sick, now would I,” he said, a mischievous glint in his eyes. She’d fallen for his bright, happy demeanor, and she was glad to find that he had managed to hold onto it, even if just a little.

  “I’m glad you’re back, Julian. It hasn’t been the same without you,” she said softly.

  The sun was starting to tick lower on the horizon, threatening to dip behind the mountains. It seemed that they had almost endless topics to discuss and dissect, falling back into their familiar patterns of Julian teasing Susie and Susie hitting right back. It had always been a back and forth between them, though she definitely felt that Julian had become more confident, more sure of himself than before. It looked good on him. Finally, she gathered enough courage to broach the topic that had been resting on her the heaviest. She gnawed on her lower lip, trying to think of a way to say it without striking a nerve, but it seemed that she was better at just blurting things out. So, that was exactly what she did.

  “Julian. I really don’t think the accident was your fault. I panicked, and it happened so fast. I didn’t want you to pull away because of that. I… I really didn’t want things to end that way.” Her voice was wavering a little, beginning to crack at the edges. Tears were threatening to well in her eyes and it took herculean effort to swallow them down, to tuck them away. She didn’t want to be as weak as that. He looked at her and his eyes were full of sadness. To her relief, instead of pulling away, he pulled her closer. Her hands were pressed against his chest and they were face to face, Susie feeling Julian’s heavy heartbeat even through the thick clothing.

  “It’s not your fault, Susie. I would only have been a danger to myself and to others if I had continued the way I had then. I didn’t care about consequences. While Jackson and Jonah were learning from dad, I just kept running around doing nothing useful. I never really learned to gain control over myself and hurting you was just the first in a long line of ‘accidents’ and ‘mishaps’ that could have happened. I’m better for it, even if it meant I had to give up the most important thing in my life – you.” He paused, studying her for a moment before continuing. “But I want you to know that it
was for the better. I learned to harness my bear. I’m my own man now. If I had stayed here, I would never have got out of Jackson’s shadow – you and I both know that. I would have just been the second brother, not Julian Arder, a self-made man. And I think you came out better for it as well. I would have just dragged you down too.”

  His words threatened to break her heart, but the way he held her told her that he wasn’t telling it to her to be cruel. Deep down inside she had to admit that it was the truth. They both knew that their love had all the potential of blowing up just as Ryder’s and Jackie’s had, and perhaps in retrospect they had been lucky to get a clean break before things got worse. Susie sighed and dipped her chin lower, struggling with the tears that wanted to come. He pushed her chin up to face him, his eyes full of concern.

  “This is not something to feel bad about anymore, Susie. I’m back. And you’re here. We can try again. If you’re ready for that. Unless there’s someone else?” Julian said, his voice shuddering just enough to bring a smile to Susie’s lips. The Alpha knew what he wanted, but it was somehow reassuring to see the soft-souled boy she knew from her past shining through the self-assured shell that had grown around him.

  “No, there’s no one else. There’s a guy who thinks we still have something, but it ended a long time ago. I think you might remember him from school – Drake Heller.” Susie had to suppress a grin as she watched Julian’s brow furrow and his expression momentarily shift as if a dark raincloud had fallen over him. Could it be, the great billionaire had a jealous streak? Totally not something she should expect from a werebear, right? “There’s no one,” she said again, wiping the darkness from his face. He smiled, wrapping both hands around her and pulling her into his lap.

  “Good. So, what do you say then, Susannah Marie Maple? Feel like giving this another go?” he asked, his lips just inches from hers. Susie gasped softly, straddling his powerful thighs. She couldn’t remember the last time she had been so close to him, but she knew that she loved the feeling of it. Every second of it.

  “Yes, Julian Arder, I’d like that,” she said, wetting her lips with her tongue. His eyes tracked the innocent motion and without a second thought, he leant in and kissed her hungrily on the lips. Susie gave into the kiss immediately, a soft moan bubbling in her throat as their lips met and tasted one another again over countless years. The kiss was soft and filled with the kind of hunger and passion she remembered from their kisses years ago, but now it was between two people who knew exactly who they were. No longer was it tinted by the uncertainties of youth. Their tongues twisted, instinctively twirling against one another and easily falling back into deliciously familiar patterns.

  Julian’s hands held her tightly against his body and Susie could feel him getting more excited by every moment of their heated exchange. Her core tightened in anticipation, her whole body as if coming to life over countless years. She had never felt like she did with him with anyone else, no matter whether they were werebears or humans. There was something between them that was hard to deny, and now, being in his arms again, she knew that she was exactly where she needed to be. Their kiss seemed to go on forever, the sunset drawing to a close and the sky lighting up with red and purples. Finally, Julian reluctantly pulled from her lips, gently brushing her off of his lap. He glanced at the skyline and Susie did the same, breathing heavily. The scene before them was gorgeous, but it was a pale comparison to the feeling she got from kissing him. He answered before she could ask what was wrong.

  “The helicopter should be here any moment. And I swear, if I don’t pull back, I’ll just take you right here and now, and that might make for an odd sight for the pilot.” Susie wanted to laugh at that, but just one look at him told her that he was deadly serious. She smiled and her delicate hands balled into fists in an attempt to take her mind off of ripping his clothes off. It wasn’t a particularly ladylike thought to have, but she didn’t care. She wanted him and the chopper couldn’t get there fast enough. They both let out a sigh of relief when the steady buzzing of an approaching helicopter cut into the tense, heated silence between them.

  “Let’s go,” Susie said, pressing the words out from between her teeth. Julian nodded his agreement.

  I hope we’re not taking the scenic route this time!

  CHAPTER SIX

  They almost crashed through the front door of Julian’s cabin, the slow whir of a helicopter flying away, creating a backdrop for their frantic make out session. Julian kicked off his boots while Susie tugged at his jacket, unzipping it quickly and pushing it down his shoulders even before the front door had slammed shut behind them. She literally couldn’t wait a second longer, feeling like all the emotions and need she had for the man was going to come together and make her shatter into a million tiny particles. Susie moaned into his mouth as Julian tore off her warm fluffy hat and thick coat, leaving her in her plush sweater and jeans as they continued on into the depths of the lodge, completely blind to anything but each other. Julian grabbed hold of Susie just before he tumbled over the side of the couch, dragging Susie along. She yelped as she landed on top of him, giggling at the silliness of it all as soon as she was sure she wasn’t going to tumble off the side again. Julian pulled her into him, kissing her mouth with the hunger of a decade of wanting. He tasted divine and it was impossible to ignore the fire he lit in her body, sending every nerve on edge.

  Her hands slid down his chest, marveling at the hard, chiseled pecks. Even if he hadn’t run as a bear for a long time, he still had all the power and raw masculinity that came with being a werebear. Susie didn’t consider herself as particularly shallow, but she was willing to loudly admit that she did not mind how hot Julian was at all. Not by a long shot. She kissed a trail down his neck, the man letting out a small growl in response. It sent the hairs on the back of her neck standing up, the wild and untamed sound familiar and yet so alien to her. Not only had Julian grown into an impressive man, but Susie was willing to bet that his werebear had gone through a similar transformation – even if Julian didn’t give it as much freedom as it would have desired. Still, she knew that he would never hurt her if he could help it, and so the beast lurking just below the surface only made her need for him burn brighter.

  Julian’s hands were tracing across her body, learning her generous curves and loving every second of it. She gasped as he grabbed her ass with both hands, squeezing mightily. He grinned, catching her surprised face.

  “Don’t play coy, Susie. You know I always loved that ass of yours,” he said, his words breathy. She bit her lip, her core twisting in reaction. He’d always had a way of making the things she was most insecure about seem like her biggest assets – something she’d been eternally grateful to him for during her awkward teenage years. His love, support and pure appreciation for every piece of her had made her blossom into the woman she now was – confident and self-dependent. Funny how things like that can seem so clear all of a sudden. She kissed him on the lips again, dipping her tongue into his mouth with urgency. He went to pull off her sweater and she raised her hands above her head, allowing him access. It usually took far, far longer to get Susannah Maple to second base, but Julian wasn’t just any ordinary man. No, he was her man, and she had fought her way to being allowed to revel in his presence without feeling bad about it. He was the one that got away and it was pretty clear he felt the same about her, so there was no time for playing games or questioning her morals. Not when she could be enjoying him instead.

  The rock-hard bulge at the leg of his pants told her that she wanted to see and touch him as soon as possible. Her hands were just slipping down his body to undo his belt buckle when he put his arms around her and flipped her around quickly on the couch, ending up on top of her. He smirked at her flushed cheeks and slightly parted lips, Susie too far gone in the moment to notice anything but him and her desire for him. So busy, in fact, that she hadn’t even noticed that the breath that rose from her lips turned into steam, the cottage almost as cold as the outside
.

  “Just a moment,” he said, licking his lips as he reluctantly got off the couch and almost jumped over the coffee table to get at the fireplace. Julian tore off his shirt and tossed it on one of the chairs, obviously in a hurry to get all the annoying things in his way sorted as quickly as possible. He tossed a few logs into the fireplace as Susie hiked herself up on her elbows, enjoying the sight of Julian’s wide back – the hard, flexed muscles made her wet and in her current state of desperate need she could barely tolerate being away from him for as long as it took to light the fire.

  Just when the fire caught, sending a quick flame across the dry logs, Susie snuck up on Julian and kissed him on his shoulders. He turned over and took her face in his hands, holding her still as he kissed her thirstily, drinking from her lips. She moaned involuntarily, her body pressed against his. It was everything she could have imagined and more. His tight abs were like marble under her fingertips, and his body radiated with power and determination. She felt inexplicably small next to him, but not in a bad way. Susie was nothing short of desired, and he wouldn’t let her question it for a moment. Julian undid the clasp on her bra and the black lace fell from her shoulders as the orange and red flames lit the room with a soft glow. He went to kiss and lick at her breasts, but Susie stopped him with a gentle hand on his chin, pulling him back up again. It was their first time together and she was going to do what she had always wanted to during all those years she had tried to be a good girl. Now, she was a woman, and she could be as bad as she wanted.