Clint [Grizzly Ridge 1] (The Lynn Hagen ManLove Collection)

by Lynn Hagen

  “How’s your stomach?” Clint stopped and waited for Dane to step over a fallen log, holding out a hand to assist if needed. Dane rolled his eyes. It was a stinking log, not a rope bridge over a canyon, yet a part of him was thrilled that Clint’s surliness was lessening.

  “Fine.” Dane patted his belly. “No nausea. I think I’m getting used to the high altitude.”

  Clint grunted. “I keep telling you that isn’t the reason you’re getting sick.” He stepped over the log and stopped in front of Dane. Clint parted Dane’s jacket and lifted his shirt. He traced his finger over the dark line forming down Dane’s belly. “I know you’ve noticed this by now.”

  Dane had no explanation or witty comeback. The faint line perplexed him. “I have.”

  “It’s called a conception line. It’ll only grow darker. When it turns red, you’ll be ready to give birth.” Clint kept tracing the line, deep in thought, and Dane stood there waiting for his mate to say something else.

  “Are you done examining me?” Dane tugged his shirt from Clint’s hand and zipped his jacket up before tucking his hands into his pockets. He’d pulled away because Clint’s touch had been turning him on and a few of the bears were looking their way. He also didn’t want to think about the fact that his stomach was sticking out more, or that his appetite had grown, or that his mornings started off with him hugging the porcelain god.

  He didn’t want to accept that he was pregnant. Dane still thought it was utterly impossible.

  Clint coaxed him toward a path. “I can sense that you still don’t believe me.”

  “Like the saying goes, I’ll believe it when I see it.” The path led downward toward the lake. Dane got an up-close view of just how big it was and wondered if the townsfolk of Grizzly Ridge even knew all of this was up here. He was betting they had no idea.

  Dane spotted a dock and headed toward it. A few rowboats were tied up there.

  “And you thought I fished with my mouth.” Clint winked at him.

  “Oh my God, you actually have a sense of humor.” Dane bumped shoulders with Clint, though he wasn’t tall enough to actually reach his mate’s shoulders, so he actually bumped Clint’s elbow instead. “I like this side of you.”

  “Just don’t let my brothers know.” They walked onto the dock, and Dane wasn’t sure why the sight of fish close to the surface thrilled him. “I have to keep up my surly appearance or they might think I’m losing my mind.”

  “I promise not to say a word.” Dane sat on the edge of the dock, dangling his feet just above the water. The scene was so perfect and serene that he wanted to sit there for hours.

  Dane jumped up and glanced around at the sound of loud growls, his serenity wrecked. Clint was already heading toward the end of the dock as two bears approached. One shifted into Duane, and Dane quickly looked away, although he looked back to peek at the naked man.

  “You need to get Dane inside. Clarence is heading this way,” Duane said. “Son of bitch is in an even fouler mood than usual.”

  Dane’s gut clenched. So far he hadn’t meet Clint’s father, and from what he’d heard, he didn’t want to. He hurried down the dock and grabbed Clint’s hand, and Clint tugged him along through the clearing, heading for their house.

  But they didn’t make it that far. When Clint came to a hard stop, Dane nearly ran into him. Clint squared his shoulders, and Dane cringed behind his mate. Call him a coward, but anyone who could take the form of a bear and had a pissy attitude scared him, so he had no problem standing behind Clint and shaking like a leaf.

  Bobby Ray rushed around a tree, thankfully clothed, and grabbed Dane’s arm just as their father cleared the woods on the opposite side.

  “Get him to the house,” Clint barked at Bobby Ray.

  Dane’s heart did summersaults as he rushed along with Bobby Ray, who suddenly flew forward, nearly taking Dane down with him. Dane shouted and managed to stay upright, then spun to see the older version of Clint right behind him.

  Clint barreled forward and tackled his father as Bobby Ray got up and snatched Dane’s hand, then hurried him toward the house. Duane and Wade closed ranks with them as Walker, still in his bear form, hurried toward the fight.

  Dane ignored the fact that Duane and Wade were butt naked. He was too worried about Clint to care. He tried to yank his arm free when they were a good distance away, but Bobby Ray had a tight hold on him.

  “You’re not stopping ’til you’re inside the house.” He ran faster, and by the time they reached the front porch, Dane was winded. “I knew taking you outside was a bad idea.”

  “What the fuck is with your father!” Dane panted as he spun and looked toward the clearing, but he was unable to see the fight. He heard it, though. And it scared him down to his toes.

  “Clarence is trying to invoke an old, barbaric tradition,” Wade said. Dane couldn’t look at him. Not when Wade’s dangly pieces were right there on display. Clearly, these men had no problem with nudity while the sight of them heated Dane’s face to nuclear levels.

  “And what’s the tradition?” he asked, praying sex wasn’t involved. The older version seemed hell-bent on getting to him.

  “A father is supposed to inspect his son’s mate,” Duane said with disgust. “Some clans even invoke a right to lie with the mate first before handing him or her over to their intended.”

  Dane wanted to throw up in his mouth. “Please tell me you guys don’t practice that.”

  “Why do you think Clint is fighting him?” Bobby Ray asked. “He’ll kill our father before he lets Clarence get anywhere near you.”

  What kind of backwoods people was he with? Their traditions scared the crap out of Dane. He’d fight to the death before he allowed Clarence to touch him. He furrowed his brows. “Are there any more traditions I need to know about?”

  If they said anything too bizarre, Dane was out of there. He didn’t care that he was falling hard for Clint. He didn’t care that Clint might be telling the truth about Dane carrying his child. He drew the line at having sex with Clint’s family. They were damn good-looking, but no thanks. He contemplated how he would work his way off the mountain as the fighting continued and the three men with him glanced toward the clearing.

  “Nothing that twisted,” Bobby Ray finally said. “When you give birth, Clint has to fight every one of us to celebrate.”

  Dane’s jaw dropped. “What?”

  Bobby Ray grinned. “Don’t worry. It isn’t a death match and we rather enjoy it. Fighting is a way for us to blow off steam and have a bit of fun.”

  “Cavemen,” Dane muttered.

  “Just get inside,” Duane said. “I don’t hear them anymore and if Clint catches you out here, he’ll skin us all.”

  Dane opened the door and slipped inside. Bobby Ray came in with him while the others stayed on the porch. Right before Dane closed the door, Duane and Wade turned back into their bears.

  A full minute later, Clint stormed into the house, naked and bloody. Dane gasped as Clint stomped up the steps to their bedroom. He heard the shower turn on and had started to move toward it when Bobby Ray stopped him.

  “Let him cool down,” he warned. “You don’t want to be around him with the mood he’s in.”

  Dane yanked his arm free. “He won’t hurt me.” Bobby Ray watched as Dane went upstairs, but Dane hesitated at the bathroom door. Clint had the look of the devil in his stormy gray eyes when he’d come into the house. Did Dane really want to deal with him when he was this pissed?

  Deciding to wait, Dane took a seat in the recliner and stared out at the mountains, wondering if he would survive living with these untamed bears.

  Chapter Seven

  Clint half shifted in the shower, still so mad that he wanted blood. Once the fight had ended, Clarence had shouted that it was his right to lie with Dane. Clint hadn’t killed the sick son of a bitch then only because Clarence had taken off.

  That was it! Clint was done with his old man. If he saw Clarence again, he’d rip t
he fucker’s evil heart out. The mere thought of Clarence breathing the same air as his pregnant mate had Clint punching the shower wall. Even if Dane wasn’t pregnant, he would’ve killed his father for touching him.

  Clint couldn’t deny that he’d fallen hard for Dane. Never in his life had he felt this enraged, this violent. And never had his heart felt this twisted up and achy.

  He felt as if he couldn’t shower fast enough to get to Dane. Clint punched the wall again. Damn it. He hadn’t wanted to fight his father, not like this. The old man had been high as fuck, so their battle hadn’t been a noble one. He’d basically knocked Clarence around and felt sick to his stomach for doing it.

  But Clarence wouldn’t let the challenge go. Not when he sobered up and realized he and Clint had actually fought. The old man was too proud, too ornery, and too set in his ways. He would come back, and when he did, then they would fight to the death.

  Clint got out of the shower and toweled off, then opened the bathroom door, steam billowing past him. Dane was curled up in the chair by the railing, staring out the window beyond the bed.

  A million things entered his mind, but Clint said none of them. Dane had seen the humiliation of their family. What could Clint say? “Sorry, but my dad is a douche bag and a sick pervert?” That this hadn’t been the first time he’d attempted to attack someone? Clint had seen the determination in Clarence’s gray eyes when he went after Dane.

  This wasn’t going to end prettily.

  “Feeling better?” Dane uncurled and sat up. His scent said that he was uncertain, even scared. Clint had been working so hard to make Dane feel more at home so he wouldn’t try to escape, and in the process, he’d fallen in love with the human.

  “Sorry you had to go through that.” He tossed the towel on the bed and rummaged through his drawer for some underwear. “Life on these mountains isn’t always pretty.”

  But Clint wanted it to at least be peaceful. Before his child was born, he’d make sure of that.

  * * * *

  Dane sat in a chair on the front porch with a blanket over his lap as he watched Wade and Bobby Ray wrestle in their bear forms. It had been a month since Clarence had tried to come after him, and the Rising brothers were on edge. Clint swore his father would attack, but so far, Clarence hadn’t.

  And to his utter confusion, Dane had grown rounder. He could no longer deny he was pregnant, but it still didn’t feel real to him. He just felt as if he’d gotten fatter.

  Clint came outside and handed Dane a mug of hot chocolate. The evenings had grown even chillier, and a few snowflakes had even fallen, but Dane hated staying inside. He was growing fond of the forest and its serenity.

  “Those damn fools.” Clint grinned as he took a seat next to him.

  Dane blew at the steam rising from his mug. The cocoa smelled fantastic. If he’d learned one thing over the past month and a half, it was that Clint was an amazing cook and an even better baker. Whenever he stepped into the kitchen, magic happened.

  “Wade keeps trying to take Bobby Ray down, but Bobby Ray keeps getting out of his way.” Dane was even getting used to the bears fighting and wrestling. There wasn’t much to do around this place, so he took his entertainment where he could get it.

  Dane’s eyes widened when an even bigger bear padded over. Trigger. Clint’s bear was the only one that was bigger. Trigger growled and Bobby Ray and Wade broke apart, staring as Trigger approached.

  “Now this will be a challenge,” Clint said.

  “Do what?” Dane set his mug on the small table between their chairs. From what he’d gathered from his conversations with Clint, Wade and Bobby Ray were Clarence’s favorite punching bags. They didn’t seem to mind wrestling with each other, but Dane didn’t want to see them hurt.

  “There’s a hierarchy among shifters. Aside from my father, I’m at the top. Trigger is next, then Wade. After Wade is Bobby Ray, then Duane, and last is Walker, but never underestimate Walker. He’s a sneaky prick who’ll wait until you least expect it before getting his revenge.”

  “But why would Bobby Ray or Wade want to fight?” Dane asked. “They’ve been abused enough.”

  Clint stared at his brothers. “It’s different here because they know Trigger won’t truly hurt them. It’s nothing more than a challenge. What Clarence does is downright abuse and cruelty.” He scratched his beard. “It’s hard to explain, but when I pop them on the head or growl at them, I do it with love, just as they do with each other. There’s no malice between us, and Bobby Ray and Wade know that. In fact, I think they’d feel rejected if we stopped popping them on the head or challenging them.”

  Something fluttered in Dane’s stomach. He frowned and placed his hand over his growing belly, unsure if he had gas or was hungry. He’d just eaten dinner an hour ago, and no way was he eating again. Clint would have to roll him around if Dane kept trying to empty the fridge.

  “What is it?” Clint studied him with concern in his gray eyes. “What’s wrong?”

  That got the bears’ attention. All three turned toward Dane, as if they were listening and waiting. Clint wasn’t the only one who was protective of Dane. His brothers acted as if they had a duty to make sure Dane was taken care of. It was nice, but also irritating.

  “I don’t know.” There it went again. That small flutter. This time Dane had felt a tiny bump against his hand. “I-I think it’s moving.”

  “It?” Clint scowled. “The baby, Dane. Say it.”

  Dane crinkled his nose. “I know what it is.”

  Clint glared at him.

  Dane sighed. “I think the baby is moving.”

  Clint hunched in front of Dane, pressing a hand over the spot where Dane’s hand was seconds ago. His head snapped up and their gazes locked when the fluttering happened again.

  “Woo-wee.” Bobby Ray’s shout rang through the forest. “My niece or nephew is already kicking?” He laughed. “The cub is gonna be strong.”

  Dane couldn’t help but smile at Bobby Ray’s enthusiasm. Or his nakedness.

  “Eyes on me,” Clint growled.

  Dane’s grin grew as he looked at Clint. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Unless you want Bobby Ray to become a eunuch, eyes on me, Dane.” Clint kissed Dane’s stomach before he took his seat again. Dane stood and settled himself on Clint’s lap. He loved when his mate rested his hand on Dane’s hip, holding him close.

  Dane had never had anyone treat him so special before.

  “Believe me now?” Clint’s deep voice had the ability to turn Dane into goo. He wiggled on Clint’s lap.

  “Kind of hard not to, unless all the food you’ve been feeding me is growing into an entity of its own.”

  “It’s natural for your appetite to increase. You got a growing cub inside you who needs nutrition, too.” Clint’s hand slid up and down Dane’s hip and thigh.

  “But if I keep eating like that, I’ll need a crane soon.”

  Walker sauntered over to them and dropped into the vacant seat. He smiled at Dane. “Heard Bobby Ray’s big mouth all the way to my house.” His gaze dropped to Dane’s stomach. “The cub really moving?”

  “I think the baby is—”

  Bobby Ray shifted back into his bear form and he and Wade growled while Trigger moved closer to the edge of the woods. Clint and Walker scented the air as Duane raced around the side of the house.

  “Jesse is here!”

  Clint helped Dane to his feet. “Get inside.”

  “But—”

  “This isn’t debatable,” Clint growled. “That’s the alpha wolf. Now get your ass inside!”

  Dane hurried into the cabin and closed the door behind him as he cursed the interruption to his perfect evening.

  * * * *

  “I want you and Wade to guard the house,” Clint told Bobby Ray. “I have no idea why Jesse is here, but Dane is to be protected at all costs.”

  “You got it.” Bobby Ray gave a low growl before he took up a stance on the p
orch.

  Clint had no idea why the alpha was there, but coming into their territory unannounced was an act of war. Lately, everyone seemed to have forgotten the rules and tossed out the playbook. Clarence had definitely gone off the deep end, and now Jesse thought he could walk right up into Rising terrain as if he were out for an evening stroll?

  Before Clint reached the clearing, the odor of wolf smack him in the lungs. More than one wolf was there. But when he spotted Jesse, Clint didn’t see any others. When Clint and Trigger exchanged looks, he saw in Trigger’s gray eyes that his brother had figured the same thing out. Trigger spoke low to Duane and Walker and the two took off into the woods.

  Trigger moved next to Clint as he approached Jesse. “Got fucking nerve coming here, wolf,” Clint said.

  Jesse stood by his truck, leaning against the hood, his legs in front of him with ankles crossed, hands crossed over his thighs. Jesse had dark blue eyes, a strong jaw, a chiseled body, and an expression that said he was barely containing his rage.

  “Funny, I was going to say the same about your father.”

  Clint had no idea what Jesse was talking about. He hadn’t seen Clarence in a month. He kept expecting his old man to pop up at any second and issue a challenge, but so far all had been quiet. “What’re you talking about?”

  “You know”—Jesse pushed away from his truck, cocking his head to the side—“I think I’ve been quiet peaceful lately with you bears. I was more than generous when I gave you the drugs your father needed. I tolerate you coming into my town to shop, I even overlook your daddy hunting in my territory, but I draw the line at him killing humans and leaving the bodies in the woods as if he’s taunting us.”

  Clint should’ve been stunned, but he wasn’t. In truth, he was shocked Clarence hadn’t gone on a killing spree and decimated the town of Grizzly Ridge long ago.