by Sage Hunter
Atticus took off into a run, his legs pumping with wild abandon as he closed the distance between him and the house. As he drew closer, he could begin to make out the shapes of the pack among the crowd, tall, fearsome night-shrouded shapes that filled the air with deafening roars, the crowd in a mad rush to escape them.
He kept running towards the house, now getting closer and closer to the partygoers who had made the quickest escapes, the faces of them painted with fear and shock as they ran past Atticus and into the woods beyond.
Then, the flashing and popping of gunfire began to sound, the pack now doing their work of neutralizing the guards of the house. Atticus gave the men strict orders to not harm anyone who wasn’t a direct threat to them, but he knew that things could get chaotic in the middle of a battle.
As Atticus ran closer, more and more of the junkies rushed past him and he could now make out clearly the forms of the members of the pack as they set upon the armed gang members, roaring as they swatted them away with massive, fearsome claws.
Atticus knew that they needed to have the element of surprise on their side and having the pack ready to shift and fight the gang from the inside out was just the way to do it.
He finally closed the distance between him and the house and Atticus was now among the teeming throngs that were in a mad, frenzied dash away from the building. He guessed there easily was hundreds of people there, all running from the bears that had seemingly appeared from nowhere. The place was becoming more and more of a scene of chaos by the second.
Looking to his right, Atticus watched as two members of the pack set upon a pair of guards, swiping them away effortlessly, only to have another trio of gang members approach them from the back, all brandishing pistols. They began cracking off shots at the bears, the pack members roaring as the bullets impacted their thick hides. As Atticus drew closer, he recognized one of the bears as Clyde, his bulky, powerful form easily identifiable even in his shifted shape.
Atticus rushed towards the three guards, slamming into them at an incredible pace, knocking them off of their feet and onto the ground. Now that the gang members were stunned, Atticus looked up at Clyde, who flashed him a look of appreciation as he turned towards the gang members, all holding their hands up and shouting in fear as Clyde and the other bear loomed over them.
Atticus turned his attention back to the house, watching as party-goers streamed out of the entrances, some even jumping from the windows and landing in the sparse bushes before breaking into a run. He pushed his way past the throngs of people, making his way into the farmhouse.
Once inside, he saw that the scene was just as chaotic was it was outdoors. The rest of the pack was among the crowd and all were shifted into their fearsome bear forms. Atticus spotted Ian and Roland, who were busy fighting off the guards, taking care not to harm any innocent members of the crowd. The gang members shot round after round at the bears and Atticus sighed in relief as he realized that they didn’t seem to be armed with silver-tipped bullets. Though enough regular shots could take down a shifter, especially a well-aimed one- Ian, Roland, and the rest seemed to be handling the panicked, ill-trained guards with ease.
Atticus rushed through the house, his eyes settling on the stairs that led to the second floor. He didn’t know exactly where he’d find Tessa and Lucas, but he figured that up and away from the chaos was a likely place.
He ran up the stairs, weaving through men and women who streamed down, and arrived at the second floor. It was a large, expansive space, and his eyes settled on the door at the end of the hallway to his right, which he guessed led to the master bedroom. Atticus stormed down the hallway, rage building in him as he realized that Tessa was close.
He could feel it.
Reaching the door, he threw himself into it with a mighty kick, ripping the thing off of its hinges. Once he entered, he was greeted with the sight of Lucas, one arm wrapped around Tessa, the other holding a gun that was pressed against her temple. A pair of girls were also in the room, and as soon as Atticus entered they ran past him screaming, out into the hall.
“Surprised to see you here, shifter,” said Lucas, his grip tight on Tessa.
“What, did you really think your meth-head flunkies would do their job?”
“Maybe, maybe not, but it doesn’t matter- now I’ve got you right where I want you.”
Atticus’s eyes fastened on Tessa and the gun, rage boiling within him at the sight of his love being held in danger.
“You OK, Tessa?”
She nodded, Lucas’s thick arm crossed over her neck, her eyes winced in pain and fear.
“Here’s the deal,” said Lucas, moving towards the large window in the bedroom. “You and your pack leave now. Leave Bear Mountain and never come back. Tessa stays with me, but I guarantee you she won’t be harmed.”
“And leave you to ruin this city even more than you already have? Not a chance,” said Atticus.
Lucas scoffed, his eyes fixed on Atticus as he kept the gun trained on Tessa.
“I had a feeling you might say that.”
He rattled the gun in his hand.
“My guards weren’t smart enough to make sure they were loaded up with silver bullets, but I was. One shot from this right to your gut and I’ll take care of this shifter problem real fast.”
He pointed the gun at Atticus, whose body tensed as the weapon was trained on him. He knew that Lucas was right- a shot from that to the limbs wouldn’t necessarily be fatal, but a solid shot to the torso or head would kill him on the spot.
“Of course,” said Lucas, pressing the end of the gun to Tessa’s head. “These work just as well on non-shifters, too.”
Tessa let out a whimper as Lucas tapped on her temple with the tip of the gun.
“You wouldn’t,” said Atticus, his body ready to pounce.
“I would if it meant you left and didn’t come back,” said Lucas.
“You kill her and you’re next,” said Atticus.
“You know what?” asked Lucas. “I think it would be easier just to kill you.”
Before Atticus could react, Lucas trained the gun on him and fired a shot. Atticus moved at the last minute, jumping towards the side of the room as Tessa let out a scream. The shot slammed into the wall just behind where Atticus stood only seconds ago.
Then, Lucas aimed the gun at Atticus once more, and Atticus knew in that split-second that he wouldn’t be able to avoid this one.
But before Lucas could fire, Tessa extended her arm and drove her elbow right into Lucas’s gut, the air rushing from his lungs as the second shot went wide. His hold on Tessa broke, and she ran towards Atticus, who rose to his feet and drew Tessa close as she approached.
“You bitch!” he yelled, snatching the gun from the ground and heading out of the window.
Atticus followed him, rushing to the window just as Lucas scrambled out of it, following him up onto the roof.
Another shot rang out over the din of the crowds below as Atticus pulled himself up onto the roof.
But as Atticus finished climbing, his eyes fixed on Lucas as he stood on the roof, the farmhouse land stretching beyond, the night black above and Bear Mountain looming in the distance like a silent observer, he knew it was time to finish this.
With a mighty roar, he shifted into his bear form, his clothes ripping as he changed. He watched as Lucas trained the gun on him once more and cracked off a shot, this one connecting with Atticus in his upper left arm. But Atticus closed the distance and with a killing swipe of his paw, he slashed Lucas across the chest, the impact sending him careening off of the roof, his body slamming into the ground below.
Looking down at Lucas’s now still body, Atticus shifted back to his human form, the night wind cool on his skin. Turning, he saw that Tessa was now climbing onto the roof, and seconds later was at his side. A tear fell from her eyes as she looked down at Lucas’s body, she realized that it was finally over.
CHAPTER 24
The light streaming in throu
gh the glass wall of the bedroom, Tessa closed her eyes, a smile on her face as Atticus kissed her along her stomach, the sensation of his lips upon her bare skin a sensual pleasure that she never grew tired of. She opened her eyes slightly, watching his sandy, blonde hair dip down further and further, his kisses moving down the small bump of her stomach, over her hip bones, and then along the soft curves of her hips, before ending up on the small tuft of brown hair above her sex. He flicked his eyes up her and she sighed as she felt his hot breath on her most sensitive skin.
Still kissed her, Atticus slid a finger inside of her, the feeling of his penetration making Tessa feel as though her body were lighting up like a Christmas tree. She sighed, her gaze falling to the window as she watched the morning breeze pass through the branches beyond the compound.
Atticus slid another finger inside of her and moved them in and out of her slowly and gently. Tessa spread her legs wider to accommodate him as he worked. After a few minutes of this, Atticus moved his head down even further and Tessa felt giddy with anticipation for what was about to come.
He didn’t make her wait long. Atticus began licking her with small, quick darts of his tongue, teasing her at first. Before too long, he shifted to long, slow drags of his tongue, covering her clitoris completely with his warm, wet mouth as he continued to finger her. Tessa listened to the sound of him licking her, a soft, wet lapping that drove her wild as he stimulated her in this most intimate way.
She stretched her limbs, feeling as though Atticus could bring her to orgasm very easily in this manner. And part of her wanted to let him right then and there. But another part of her, a more insistent part, wanted him inside of her.
Tessa slid her fingers into his hair and pulled his head up, his sensual lips glistening with her.
“Want me to keep going?” he asked, his voice a purr.
“I could have you do that all day,” she said, her breasts rising and falling with each breath.
“Then you should let me,” he said with a smile.
“No,” she said. “I want to ride you.”
“You sure?” he asked.
Tessa rolled her eyes playfully. Ever since the two of them found out she was pregnant, Atticus wasted no time in slipping into the role of overprotective father.
“I think the babies can handle it,” she said with a sly grin.
Atticus let out a quick laugh.
“That’s right, if they’re like their mother, they can handle anything.”
Not wanting to say another word, Tessa pulled Atticus up and gently pushed him onto his back. She spread her legs as she climbed up on top him, a smile on her face as she slowly descended, taking his cock into her inch by inch.
Tessa sighed as he was fully sheathed into her, and as soon as he was, she placed her hands on his rock-hard chest, supporting herself as she moved up and down on top of him.
She rode him gently at first, slowly. They’d made love dozens, if not hundreds of times over the last few months, but she still found herself needing to take him slowly at first- his cock was simply too large to just jump right on top of. But once he was inside of her, the slickness of her pussy allowing him to slide in perfectly, she began to ride him harder and harder still.
After a few minutes, Tessa was bouncing up and down on top of him with wild abandon. She listened to the soft, wet sound of his cock plunging into her over and over, taking sweet pleasure at the feeling of driving him into her time and time again. Atticus’s hands rested on her hips at first, but over time traveled up to her breasts, squeezing and kneading them as he played with her nipples, a feeling of sensual, electrical pleasure running through her body as he stimulated her. She looked down at his face, his gorgeous, masculine features twisted into an expression of erotic agony as she rode him.
Her orgasm came quickly, almost without warning. Tessa screamed and moaned as she came, her body snapping back, her breasts shaking as convulsions of pleasure rocked her. Then, with a low moan, Atticus came, his cock emptying into her, filling her pussy with his hot seed. Tessa let out several more moans, her body completely in the grip of the orgasm.
But soon, it faded, and she collapsed on top of Atticus, her face pressed against his sweaty, sculpted chest.
Minutes passed, the two of them saying nothing, only taking in slow draws of air as they lay together.
Finally, after ten minutes or so had passed, Atticus spoke.
“I think it’s time to get up,” he said, looking at the clock next to the bed.
“So soon?” asked Tessa, her voice disappointed. “I think I have another round in me.”
“I think I have another three rounds in me,” said Atticus, sliding out from under Tessa and sitting up. “But I happened to see Clyde and Sarah putting up some decorations in the living room and I don’t think we should keep them waiting.”
“Oh, a party?”
“Something like that.”
Atticus started off for the shower, but stopped mid-step, as if remembering something.
“I love you,” he said, kissing Tessa on her forehead.
“I love you, too,” she responded, her mouth wide with a smile.
Tessa and Atticus took a quick shower together, getting dressed after they were done. After she put on her clothes, Tessa took the beautiful ring that Atticus had proposed to her with from the nightstand and slipped it onto her finger, a warm feeling rushing through her, a reminder of the joy she felt when he proposed to her months ago.
After the night when Atticus rescued her from Lucas, she felt that everything happened so fast. Within weeks, the leaderless meth gang fragmented, their members melting away, leaving nothing but a small group of a few dozen stragglers that the local law enforcement were able to put behind bars with all due speed. The meth blight that came so close to swallowing the communities near Bear Mountain whole was now gone, and things started to return to normal. And once the rebuilding went on, it seemed that Branlen might be even stronger that it was before.
Tessa and Atticus were married in a wonderful ceremony attended by nearly all of the town of Branlen (though the bear secret of the pack was kept under wraps.) The event was a joyful one, not only because of the joining of Tessa and Atticus but because the marrying of the elder brother meant that the rest of the pack could now choose mates. Indeed, within weeks, nearly every man in the pack had found a mate.
That and the new women of the pack took residence with their men in the ever-growing Swift Compound, which was now resembling a small village. Soon after the flurry of marriages, the new women began to show signs of carrying the next generation of bear shifters, their bellies round and full with the promise of new life for the pack.
Tessa was the first among them, of course. Soon after she and Atticus were married, Tessa began to sense that there was something different about her. One doctor’s appointment later they learned, to their joy, that not only was Tessa pregnant, but she was pregnant with twins- a boy and a girl. Atticus explained to her that this was the greatest omen that they could hope for: the boy would grow to be the next Alpha after Atticus, and the girl would lead the women of the tribe. He told it was a sign that the pack would grow even stronger than ever before. Tessa took the news in stunned silence, a happiness that she’d never thought possible filling her, tears welling in her eyes.
Dressed and ready, Atticus and Tessa headed down to the living room, which was covered with all manner of baby-related decorations. Every member of the pack was there, the men and the woman.
“Surprise!” the pack shouted out as Tessa and Atticus descended the stairs.
Warmth filled Tessa as she looked over the pack, all of their faces lit with happiness and joy.
“We never got a chance to congratulate you officially on the baby, so we figured that now was as good a time as any,” said Clyde, his pretty, stout wife at his side, her blonde hair parted in the middle, her eyes twinkling with the sort of glimmer that a mother-to-be had.
“Though, perhaps this would be a g
ood time to celebrate all of the babies of the new tribe,” said Ian, his slim, ethereally beautiful wife seated next to him, her hand on her burgeoning baby bump.
“Why not a celebration for everyone?” asked Roland, his own pregnant wife at his side, a handsome-faced, sharply dressed beauty.
Atticus looked over at Tessa and saw that her eyes were welling with tears. With a smile, he realized she wouldn’t be speaking anytime soon for fear of bursting into joyful sobs.
“That sounds wonderful to me,” said Atticus, slipping an arm around Tessa as he raised a glass of sparkling wine taken from a nearby tray.
“To the pack!” he said, raising his glass.
“To the pack!” the rest of the pack responded in unison.
Tessa smiled as the party commenced, her head on Atticus’s shoulder, her hand on her belly. She didn’t know what the future would bring. Atticus assured her there would be challenges to come, that the life of a shifter pack was anything but boring. But she knew with this man, her love, at her side, they’d be able to take on anything, together.
THE END
Read the Next in the Bear Mountain Series:
Bear Mountain Baby
Alien Romance Bonus
Alien Lord’s Slave
CHAPTER ONE
Cynthia had been staring at the same spreadsheet for what seemed like too long. She was supposed to submit her analysis of the rolling budget her manager had prepared from the costings she'd provided. All she had to do was to simply cross reference the figures to see if they matched, nothing that should have taken her three hours, but it was hard to concentrate when her husband’s face kept popping to the forefront of her mind.
And it wasn't only his face, either, but the face of the woman she had caught him with as well. After five years of marriage, she had thought her life with him, though not perfect, was good enough to last a few more years. She certainly didn’t think it would end in this way.