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

by Anya Nowlan

  Their battle was bloody and vicious, neither bear giving an inch where he could avoid it. Jonah’s coat around his neck and mouth was quickly matted with blood as Ryder managed a solid hit on his face, and Jonah retaliated by slashing into one of Ryder’s ankles. The grunts, growls and yelps from all around Jonah told him that the battle was as close as he could have expected. It was a small relief that he had yet to feel the auras going dimmer – a sure sign that someone was about to succumb to their injuries. Jonah was just about to fend off another attack from Ryder when two bears tumbled blindly into him from the side, pushing him over off his balance. He scrambled to get up, but Ryder was faster.

  Jonah felt steel jaws grip his neck and press down without mercy, digging into his flesh. He struggled and snapped at Ryder, but he was slammed under the other bear’s weight. Jonah was close to losing his consciousness when he felt the weight lift from his back. He jumped up just in time to see Ryder fling a much smaller dark-coated bear off of him with an enraged roar that almost sounded like a howl. Jonah’s stomach dropped as he recognized the body of Callie’s bear slumping down on the ground, blood trickling from a wound on her head.

  Callie, what have you done, he thought, a pained roar piercing the air with more anguish and rage than Jonah could have ever imagined himself possessing. Please be alright.

  He charged at Ryder and caught him by the scruff under his head, clamping onto it and letting his teeth sink into soft skin. Now, the blood that trickled into his mouth tasted almost delicious. If Callie had got seriously hurt because she tried to save him, Jonah could never live with himself. He closed his eyes and held on, ignoring the blinding pain that Ryder inflicted on him with each gash of his nails ripping at Jonah’s flesh. Jonah couldn’t let go. He was too weak from the attack to go on another heated round, but if he could crush Ryder’s windpipe like Ryder had tried to do to him, then maybe there was still a chance. It seemed to go on forever, though it was only a few seconds before Jackson pushed him off of Ryder. Jonah fell to the side, dazed and gasping for breath, his mouth tasting of copper.

  The bear fell from him just as Jackson and Ryder met for the first time that day. The air was electric with the determination and power that the two leading Alpha’s possessed. Jonah couldn’t spare a thought for them. All he knew was that Callie was in trouble. He ran to Callie, leaving a wide berth for the duo of werebears. The others had given Jackson and Ryder plenty of room, the closer fights slowly dissipating as the bears sensed that the only battle that mattered was between the Alphas. It spread out from the center like a wildfire, and by the time Jonah had made it to Callie and cradled her human body in his arms, the attention of everyone was squarely on Jackson and Ryder.

  “Callie, wake up!” he said urgently, wiping the grime from her face as he gathered her in his lap. Tears welled in his throat, looking down on the beautiful body of his mate. Her aura was strong, but the human in him was teetering on the edge of panic. She had been willing to attack her Alpha to save him, and she’d almost paid the price for it. “Callie, please,” he whispered. His heart jumped as her eyes fluttered open, her vision blurred but fixing on him quickly.

  “You’re okay,” she said, smiling softly. Jonah glanced down on his body and he couldn’t help but grin. He had deep gashes all over and his shoulder was dislocated at the very least, if not broken. Only another werebear could think that he was ‘okay’ in such a sorry state.

  “Sure, not a scratch. Are you okay?”

  “I feel a bit lightheaded, but I guess I am. What’s going on?” she asked weakly. She tried to sit up but Jonah stopped her.

  “Jackson and Ryder found one another,” Jonah said grimly, avoiding looking at them.

  “Oh,” Callie said softly, a small frown creasing her brow. “But what’s Jackie doing here?” she asked, pursing her lips a little.

  “What?” Jonah said, looking up at the pair of Jackson and Ryder. Just as Callie said, the small and very obviously angry form of Jackie had just stormed into the circle of shifters and stepped right in front of the two huge werebears when they were about to pounce on each other again.

  “What the fuck do you two think you’re doing!?” Jackie demanded, her voice booming across the gathering just as loudly as Jackson’s and Ryder’s roars had had before. Jonah had to suppress a small smile as he watched both Jackson and Ryder become as if suspended in air, stopping awkwardly in the face of the small ball of fury that had come between them. “I swear, if you two don’t stop this god damn nonsense right this instance, I’m going to make both of your lives hell,” Jackie hissed. The grounds fell completely silent around the trio.

  “Oh, they’re in trouble now,” Callie whispered, a dazed smile perched on her lips.

  “Yup,” Jonah confirmed.

  We’re all in trouble now.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Callie woke up with a start, her perfectly enjoyable dream of running wild in the forest ripped from her harshly. She sat upright, her vision blurred with sleep. Callie winced, grabbing her head. She had a killer headache and it showed no signs of getting any better. Jonah stirred next to her, hiking himself up on his elbow. He yawned.

  “Ow,” Callie said, clutching her head between her hands. She felt Jonah’s warm hand on her back as he sat up as well and kissed her on the cheek.

  “I’ll get something for the pain. How are you otherwise?” he asked, slipping off the bed and walking to a small cupboard. Callie looked around, confused and distracted by her pain.

  “I think I’m okay. Did we really just have a… a battle?” Callie asked, trying to tell the difference between her dreams and reality. The room looked alien to her, and when she got a look at Jonah’s retreating back, her stomach knotted. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, his sides and back ripped up badly by strong claws. The wounds were already healing, but it hadn’t been a mere scuffle. “Oh, I guess we did,” she said meekly, raising a brow as Jonah turned around with some pain killers in his big palm and headed back. His chest and face didn’t look any better, a big gash running across his right cheek.

  “We did, yes,” Jonah admitted, handing her the pills and a glass of water that he picked up from the end table next to the bed.

  Loud arguing voices bit into Callie’s consciousness, making her frown as she gulped down the pills.

  “What’s that?” she asked, not sure which end to start unraveling the current situation from. From the fact that she had been involved in an attack against her mate’s clan or that the battle was abruptly ended because a feisty blonde fireball showed up, or that Jonah looked like just being alive had to be more painful than her headache could ever be. Jonah sat down next to her on the bed and glanced at the door before shaking his head.

  “That’s Jackie. And Ryder. And probably Jackson, with Tess trying to keep all of them from killing one another.”

  “Jackie’s here?” Callie asked, her eyes wide with surprise. She hazily remembered seeing Jackie on the battlefield, but she had thought it a mere illusion caused by her concussion.

  “In the flesh. And she’s pissed,” Jonah said, putting one hand on Callie’s knee.

  “Oh my god, it’s all my fault,” Callie gasped, slapping her palms across her lips. “Me and my big mouth!”

  Jonah just chuckled in response, grabbing her by the waist and gently pulling her closer. He put his arms around her, and Callie’s body relaxed instinctively. There was something about being next to him that immediately made her breathe a little easier.

  “Yes, it is. It’s your fault that we all made it out of that mess alive. I didn’t think there was a power on earth that could make us put down our claws and jaws, but Jackie did the trick. She showed up, roaring with rage, and made Jackson and Ryder pack up their bears and sulk back home like two kids caught stealing pie.” Jonah shook his head a little, grinning like it was Christmas again. “They’ve been arguing since Jackie showed up, and I don’t think they’ve made it to coherent sentences yet, though it’s a good 6 hours since they sta
rted. There’s definitely something going on between Jackie and Ryder, and I’ll be damned if either of them are telling us what it is. Julian gave up and went off to sleep a few hours ago and I followed his lead. Tess said it’s okay if we crash here,” Jonah said, patting the mattress. “I didn’t want to go too far in case there was trouble again.”

  Callie clicked her mouth shut. She couldn’t believe it.

  It’s over?

  “It’s over!? We don’t have to officially hate each other anymore?” she asked, a slow smile spreading across her lips. Jonah shrugged noncommittally, but his smirk spoke a different language.

  “Well, I can’t say anything but the vibe I’m getting is that Jackie will personally slit the throat of the next Alpha who tries to cause trouble. Jackson didn’t want the nonsense to continue anyway, and Ryder just about collapsed when Jackie showed up. He essentially told everyone to go home as soon as he could speak a word. Never seen a man deflate quite as quickly. Your instincts were right. Jackie was the key to all of this.” Jonah pulled Callie into him, and she reveled in the kiss he gave her. It was gentle and caring, and just what she needed. Her headache was forgotten after hearing the great news, and she wanted nothing more than to fling herself on Jonah and make love to him. Even if it was on Jackson’s bed and the fate of the two clans hung in the balance in the other room. It scarcely seemed to matter now.

  “I think I made my decision today,” she said as the kiss ended, and she drew back from him. Jonah nodded in response, his expression unreadable except for her. She could see the little squint he made with his eyes when he tried to hold back a smile and the way his shoulders relaxed. “Clan or no clan, I couldn’t live in a world without you. I love you, Jonah.”

  “I love you too, Callie. No matter what.” Jonah exhaled, looking at the ground in thought for a moment and then back to her. Callie frowned for a moment. Despite the fact that she could feel his immense love surrounding her like a safe blanket, she couldn’t help but feel a tinge of worry at seeing him so thoughtful. “I was thinking about this before you left, and I had it bought and sitting in my pocket for more days than I care to count. I gave it to Julian to safeguard and Susie brought it to me today when she heard what had happened. I swear, you women are mind-readers.” Jonah paused, smiling for a moment.

  He slipped his hand into his pocket and fished out a small red velvet box. Callie’s mind went blank. The dread of losing him was still so clear in her mind. When she came through the mass of bears and saw Ryder with his jaw clamped around Jonah’s neck, instinct took over. Right then and there, she knew everything she needed to know. She couldn’t live without Jonah, and she’d do whatever needed to be done to save him. Even if it meant losing her clan. Jonah sunk down on one knee in front of the bed and opened the little box. A gorgeous ring with a jet-black opal stood in it. Callie raised one hand to her lips, her eyes brimming with tears. She knew exactly what it meant. No bear gave another an opal ring unless they intended to…

  “Will you marry me, Calliope? Will you be my mate until eternity draws us apart?”

  She didn’t need to think about it for a second. Callie clasped her hand on the hand he was holding the box with and sunk down to the ground right next to him. She kissed him quickly and with reckless abandon, covering his lips and cheek with pecks.

  “Yes! Yes I will!” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck. Jonah drew her into his arms, and she felt the hot burn of tears falling down her cheeks. More than anything, it felt fantastic to finally be sure, so completely sure of what she wanted. She wanted him, no matter how hard being together would be.

  EPILOGUE

  “You’ll find that I won’t dignify that with an answer,” Jonah said, sitting casually in a large pile of snow. Callie grinned leaning against a support beam on the porch. Her arms were crossed over her chest and her body language read annoyance, but she couldn’t hide her smile. She knew exactly what Jonah was doing, and it was hard not to be amused by it.

  “What do you mean you won’t tell me what you’re doing here? Am I to believe you’re up to no good?” she asked, quirking a brow. Jonah huffed and fell back on the snow, the thick flakes falling from the sky quickly covering him. “Or maybe you’re just playing in the snow like a bear cub instead of shoveling a way out of here?”

  Jonah perked up and before Callie knew what hit her, the agile man had sprung up and run to her. She clobbered him on the chest, squealing as he nuzzled his wet, snow-covered face and hair into her neck. Jonah held her tight against him, completely ignoring her objections.

  “Let me go! Jonah!” she yelped as he picked her up.

  “Hush, fiancée. If you can’t beat them, join them,” he said, picking her up like she was as light as a snowflake and carried her into the yard. He fell back into the snow along with her, and Callie sputtered and coughed as the cold snow licked at her body. She was only wearing a pair of jeans and a sweater, not too bad for a Montana winter, but definitely not the outfit to go romping in the snow in.

  “You’re evil!”

  “Just a little.” Jonah smiled brightly and kissed her on the mouth. Life had done a thorough 180 since the week before. After Jackie had shown up, the Bitterroot and Arder clans had fallen into some kind of odd hibernation, and Jonah and Callie were determined to make the best of it. To say that things were back to normal would have been a bit of stretch, but there was certainly a truce going on. While Jackie stayed with Jackson and Tess, Ryder had all but disappeared. No one had heard of him in a week. He had vanished into thin air after the heated conversation with Jackie at Jackson’s home right after the battle.

  Only time Callie had heard of him had been when she’d gone back to the cabin with Jonah to get her things. As expected, the Bitterroots were nothing but cordial to both her and Jonah. There was an air of regret between the two clans, and certainly also of relief that things seemed to be settled for the most part. After the fight, no werebear was itching to go at each other again. It was a big relief that even the most gruesome of wounds had healed quickly. So many werebears in one area made their magic even stronger, and accelerated healing was a skill they were glad to take advantage of. Callie had talked to her friends, and she had been sent on her way with Jonah with nothing but well-wishes (and plenty of coaxing to be invited to the first Bitterroot-Arder wedding when the time came to have it!). Alice had even volunteered to be a bridesmaid.

  Though Ryder and Jackson had not finished what they started, there seemed to be a consensus between the clans that Ryder had no interest in continuing with the conflict. Even if he did, the longer he waited, the stronger the Alpha triad grew. Even more now that Jackie was back. The more Arder blood there was in the area, the more powerful Jackson and his kin became. It would be a hard fight, trying to match him again with his family so close to him. And Callie couldn’t be happier – she wanted peace and though she was curious to know what had put all of the hardships into motion, she preferred to put it behind her if given the chance. It wasn’t hard to do, now that she could finally enjoy her time with Jonah again. They had been mostly cut off from everyone because of the snowstorms, and that was just how they preferred it.

  Callie snuggled against him, ignoring the dampness that was creeping into her clothes. It had been snowing for a week straight now, and Callie appreciated the serenity that came with mountains being covered with snow.

  “I’d like a winter wedding,” she said wistfully, watching a snowflake melt on Jonah’s sleeve.

  “We can have one right now, you know!” Jonah quipped back, kissing her forehead. Callie was just about to start lecturing him on the many facets of proper wedding planning when she felt a familiar aura. Both Callie and Jonah looked over their shoulder at the same time, and Jonah was up before Callie could gasp. Jonah stood squarely in front of Callie, crossing his arms on his chest.

  “What do you want, Ryder?” Jonah snarled, his voice ripe with caution. The wounds, though healed, were not just skin deep, and a week was not quite l
ong enough to forget what had happened.

  Callie brushed herself off and gave Ryder a long look. The aura she felt now was not the deep crimson and black of an angered beast that she had felt before. It was tinted with an almost indefinable sadness that struck Callie to the core. She knew that sadness. It was the feeling of hopelessness that had come over her when she had thought she had lost Jonah forever. Ryder stood mutely, his shoulders slumped. His eyes were red. Callie slipped past Jonah and stepped towards Ryder before he could stop her.

  “Callie…”

  “It’s okay, Jonah. Ryder, why are you here?” she asked, her steps cautious as she moved closer to him. The proud soul of an Alpha was clear in his presence, but it was masked under a thick coating of what Callie could only describe as anguish. Ryder exhaled deeply and straightened his shoulders.

  “I need your help. I couldn’t think of anyone else to turn to,” Ryder said, a roughness to his voice that came from sleepless nights and perhaps one too many empty bottles.

  “With what?” Callie asked, stopping a few feet in front of him. Jonah’s hand slipped around her waist as he stepped behind her. She could feel Jonah glaring at Ryder without even needing to look at him.