Liam: A MM Mpreg Shifter Romance (Grizzly Mountain Lodge Book 1)

by Fel Fern

  And do what? Play house with Liam?

  He knew next to nothing about the mysterious and growly werebear. Eli normally squirmed and couldn’t meet the gazes of Alphas he came across. His wolf would usually hide, curl into a tiny ball until Eli could barely feel the animal.

  Some days, he was sure a chicken shared his skin, not a wolf. Strangely, Eli didn’t feel threatened by Liam one bit. He felt the exact opposite.

  Eli opened his eyes and touched his cheek. He could still feel Liam’s big, warm, and callused hand. Steve never touched him gently like that.

  Oh, he wasn’t a fool. The big werebear Alpha was certainly capable of violence, but Liam would never harm him. Eli didn’t understand how he came to that conclusion.

  Liam and he were strangers and yet, something between them clicked the moment he laid eyes on Liam. Eli never believed in destiny or fated mates, but he was starting to.

  “Liam can’t be your mate. You’re still wearing Steve’s mark,” he whispered to himself.

  He left the shower and touched the ugly mark on his neck. He blinked. Steve’s teeth marks seem to have faded, even just a little.

  Eli shook his head. He must be imagining things. That was all. His stomach rumbled, reminding him his last meal had been hours ago. Eli was eating for two now, not one.

  Eli dried off and quickly dressed. Eli was glad he packed something warm. Dressed in his favorite blue sweater and a comfy pair of sweatpants, Eli left his room.

  The corridor was eerily silent. He thought he heard the steady drip-drip sound of water from somewhere, then remembered Liam mentioned a leaky roof. Eli went downstairs, only to hear voices.

  “Where did that Omega werewolf come from?” Asked an unfamiliar male voice.

  “Ben Brooks. You wrote down his booking,” said a gruff voice. Liam.

  Eli was relieved Liam had kept Eli’s real name to himself.

  “Yeah, but I didn’t know Ben was an Omega traveling on his own. Not only that. He’s pregnant. He’s trouble, brother.”

  Brother?

  Liam let out a growl. “Don’t you think I know that? I can’t just turn him away.”

  “You’ve always had a nose for trouble.”

  “I’ll take full responsibility for him.”

  His heart pounded at those words.

  Liam’s brother whistled. “Wow. This Omega must be special to you, huh?”

  A long pause followed.

  “Ben?” Liam asked.

  He blushed. Of course, Liam and his brother would know he was eavesdropping on them. Shifters had a good sense of smell. He revealed himself and left his hiding place.

  Eli found the two men hanging out by the fireplace. Liam sat on one of the sofas while his brother took the rocking chair. Liam was still wearing the same clothes he did earlier, torn jeans and a red flannel shirt.

  Liam’s brother had the same dark brown hair but his features were finer. He also had brown eyes, not green. Eli didn’t expect to see another Alpha here. Most Alphas were territorial and naturally aggressive. They preferred not to stay within close proximity of another Alpha.

  “Eavesdropping isn’t nice, Omega,” Liam’s brother drawled.

  Eli distrusted this smiling Alpha immediately, although he didn’t understand why.

  “I was hungry,” Eli admitted, looking at Liam.

  Liam had an unreadable expression on his face.

  “Eli, this is my younger brother Lucas,” Liam said.

  Lucas got to his feet and was suddenly in front of Eli. Eli let out a breath. Damn Alphas and their eerie speed. Lucas held out a hand, which Eli tentatively shook.

  “Nice to meet you, Ben,” Lucas said.

  Eli pulled his hand away. “It’s Eli. Ben’s not my real name.”

  “I figured.” Lucas shrugged. “You don’t need to explain any further. It’s none of my business. Enjoy your stay.”

  Lucas started for the stairs. Eli didn’t know what to make of Liam’s brother. He returned his attention to Liam, only to find the werebear looking at him intently.

  “You hungry?” Liam asked.

  Eli was guessing the lodge didn’t run a restaurant. He looked out the nearby windows. Rain continued to lash at the glass.

  He was dry and warm. Maybe he could borrow an umbrella and head to town, although he didn’t relish driving anywhere under this weather. Still, he needed to eat.

  “Can you recommend a nice local place in town where I can get some grub?” He asked.

  Liam’s low snarl made him jump.

  “Don’t go anywhere. You’ll catch a cold. I’ll make you something. Soup and sandwiches fine with you?”

  Eli’s first impulse was to tell Liam off. If he wanted to drive down to town, he didn’t need anyone’s permission. Liam’s worried look gave him pause.

  “Yes,” he said.

  Steve had ordered him around since they started living together. His parents made all the important decisions for him growing up.

  Eli never had a voice, an opinion. He thought with everything he endured in the past, he’d refuse to let someone dictate his life. Eli didn’t know why he made an exception for Liam tonight.

  Maybe it was because he heard the genuine concern in Liam’s growly voice. The werebear didn’t want him to get sick. Liam was fussing over him and Eli had a feeling Liam didn’t just do that with everyone.

  It was kind of sweet.

  “Warm yourself by the fire. I’ll be back,” Liam said.

  Eli took the armchair nearest to the roaring flames. He held his hands out. Warm suffused him. It started from the tips of his fingers and traveled to the rest of his body.

  He didn’t know how much time had passed. He must’ve dozed off a little because someone shook his shoulder. Eli curled into a protective ball by instinct. He flinched, expecting a blow that never came.

  When he finally opened his eyes, Liam was staring at him. The werebear was holding two giant plates. They contained BLT sandwiches and potato chips. Liam’s expression was unreadable.

  “Sorry. I thought I was back there,” he murmured.

  His stomach let out an embarrassing rumble again. Eli accepted Liam’s offering. Liam retreated, only to return with two bowls of tomato soup.

  Famished, Eli ate his soup first. The slightly tart liquid tasted wonderful on his tongue. No Alpha, Eli mused, had ever made him food before.

  “A moment ago, you mentioned you thought you were elsewhere,” Liam said.

  Eli noticed the werebear hadn’t touched his food at all.

  “Where?” Liam asked him.

  Eli swallowed. He could conjure up lies but found he couldn’t, or rather he didn’t want to. Liam knew he was trouble and yet the werebear allowed Eli to stay at the lodge.

  This Alpha, this stranger, took a risk for him for reasons Eli still didn’t understand. Eli owed Liam the truth. He set his empty bowl down. Instinct made him touch Steve’s grotesque mate mark on the side of his neck.

  “The townhouse I lived in,” he said.

  “Your home?”

  Eli vehemently shook his head. “It was never my home and Steve was never my mate.”

  “Steve.” Liam frowned. “That the name of the fucker who gave you that black eye?”

  Eli had nearly forgotten about that.

  His silence seemed answer enough, because Liam asked him again, “why would you stay with an abusive bastard like that?”

  “Because I didn’t know I had a choice until today.” Eli’s admission shamed him. “I’ve been raised to believe that I was a chess piece in my family’s games. My parents pushed me towards Steve because they needed to make alliances and Steve’s family kept pressuring him to produce a pure-blooded shifter child.”

  Once Eli started talking, he couldn’t stop. Liam didn’t interrupt him once. The werebear listened. Christ but it felt good to let everything out.

  Steve forbade Eli from socializing with other Omegas or shifters, so Eli never had the chance to make friends. More often th
an not, Eli wished he had someone he could confide his secrets to.

  “Your family sounds fucked-up.” Liam’s comment made him crack up with laughter.

  Eli quieted when Liam reached over and touched his knee. A harmless gesture and yet all Eli could think about was Liam slanting his mouth over his. He had always been repulsed by Steve’s kisses. He bet kissing Liam would be so much different.

  “This Steve,” Liam said in a low voice. “Needs to pay for what he did to you.”

  Eli swallowed. Liam sounded completely serious.

  “It’s okay. I got myself out. I don’t know what my next plan is yet, but it doesn’t involve Steve or my family,” he said.

  Liam retracted his fingers from his knee.

  “Are you,” Eli paused, choosing his words with care. “Regretting your choice to let me stay?”

  Liam’s eyes burned gold under the flickering flames. “Not one bit.”

  “Even after knowing I came with so much baggage?”

  “Everyone does.”

  Eli was suddenly tempted to ask Liam about the lodge and why the locals he met earlier acted so oddly. He had so many questions for the werebear, but Eli decided now wasn’t the right moment to pry.

  Maybe over the week they could spend more time together and get to know each other better.Eli blushed at the thought. He didn’t come here to find romance. Eli booked a room at the lodge to keep his head down.

  It wouldn’t hurt, he mused, to enjoy himself and Liam’s company. Did it?

  Liam stood up and gathered their empty plates and bowls, a signal that their conversation was over.

  “Wait,” Eli said abruptly.

  He touched Liam’s left arm. The werebear tensed and Eli realized his fingers hovered right over Liam’s curious and coarse web of scars.

  “You did the cooking. I could wash the dishes,” he said.

  Liam snorted, relaxing his shoulders. “Making sandwiches isn’t cooking. No, you’re our guest. Relax.”

  “Um. Okay.”

  A strange mixture of desperation and excitement made Eli stand on tip-toe. Then he stole a kiss from Liam. He’d been thinking of kissing Liam since he arrived two hours ago. Eli didn’t know what he was doing.

  When he pulled away, both of them were breathing hard. The werebear looked mad, certainly not the reaction Eli was hoping to see.

  “You might regret that,” Liam said.

  The grumpy werebear walked away, leaving Eli utterly confused.

  5

  Liam

  Liam scrubbed the dishes furiously. He was pretty sure the ceramic would break sooner or later. He didn’t care.

  All Liam could think about was the kiss that sassy Omega stole from him. From him. No one ever had the guts to do that. His grizzly liked how Eli seemed so delicate and breakable at first glance but he had steel in his spine.

  It was a good thing Liam managed to hold onto his self-control, to walk away. All he could think about was throwing Eli on the couch and ripping off all of Eli’s clothes. Then Liam would put his mouth and hands to good use.

  Liam would explore the rest of Eli’s body. After Eli was panting and needy for him, Liam would position Eli on all fours and—Liam cut that filthy line of thought away.

  The wind howled as the back door opened. Feral yellow eyes stared back at him. Bones broke. Organs reformed. Brown fur receded and turned into human skin. Logan’s human form replaced the monstrous grizzly. His other brother didn’t look the least bit happy.

  “You’re going to break mom’s dishes,” Logan said, sounding pissed-off.

  Liam set the dishes Eli and he used on the drying rack and regarded his brother. No doubt Lucas had already told Logan about the guest staying at the lodge.

  Logan slammed the door shut behind him. His brother’s dark hair was windswept. Logan’s body was covered in rainwater, dirt, leaves, and streaks of dried blood.

  Liam narrowed his eyes. The paranormals living in South Pine feared all three of them for a good reason. They shared their skin with terrifying monsters. Killers.

  They were bombs waiting to go off. They just needed the right trigger. Among the three of them, Logan had the most trouble reeling in his beast.

  “You heard?” Liam finally asked.

  He tried for diplomacy, although Logan was making things worse. Logan emitted so much aggressive energy, it only ruffled the fur of Liam’s inner bear.

  Liam could take his brother. They’d brawled plenty of times when they were kids and adults but it was cold and wet outside. Liam didn’t relish getting all cut up and mauled at that moment.

  If Eli caught sight of him after a fight, if that sweet Omega finally glimpsed the savage beast that shared Liam’s skin—Eli would take flight. The Omega would slip right through his fingers. Liam might never see Eli again.

  “Why would you invite trouble to our doorstep after everything we’ve been through?” Logan demanded.

  His brother approached him and gave him a shove. Liam gave him a warning growl because he wasn’t some weakling that Logan could intimidate or bully. If Liam wasn’t so devoted to the remnants of his broken family, he could’ve formed his clan and become an Alpha.

  Claws sliced out of his left hand. Liam tapped the sharp tips against Logan’s chest. A warning. Liam wouldn’t give Logan another one and Logan knew it. Logan narrowed his eyes.

  “Eli’s my guest. He’s now under my protection.” Liam made sure his brother heard those words loud and clear.

  “What’s so special about this lost Omega wolf?” Logan spat out. “His people would come looking for him. They’ll seek us out.”

  “I’ve never taken you for a coward.”

  That comment earned him a snarl from his brother. Logan’s eyes flashed bright gold.

  “Blood will be spilled again.” Logan warned.

  Liam understood the consequences of his actions, the risks of letting Eli stay. His Omega opened up to him wholeheartedly, something Liam never expected.

  Eli looked so relieved to be finally able to share his story. Liam didn’t think Eli gave his trust easily to others. Yet, Eli somehow found Liam worthy enough to share his secrets with. After he deposited Eli’s luggage in his room, Liam had been on a fence.

  He wasn’t sure if he should allow Eli to stay or gently nudge him out the front door. If Liam truly put his mind to it, he could somehow convince Eli that he was better off elsewhere. Anywhere but here.

  Too bad that was never going to happen.Right there and then, Liam made up his mind. Eli wasn’t going anywhere.

  “As I said, I’ll take responsibility for him,” Liam said.

  “You selfish fucker. You don’t care if you drag Lucas and me in your mess, don’t you?” Logan demanded.

  “If Eli’s people come for him, neither Lucas nor you have to stay. I’ll deal with them on my own,” Liam answered.

  He allowed Logan to land a punch to his face because Liam knew he deserved it. He willed his claws to turn back to human hands.

  Logan yanked the door open, expression hostile. Logan childishly gave him the finger before he disappeared into the night again. Liam breathed hard. He clenched and unclenched his fists by his sides. Liam didn’t regret his choice.

  He was an adult, they all were and Liam would stand by his decision. He left the kitchen and padded upstairs. His room was just a few doors down from Eli’s.

  Once inside, he locked the door, not wishing to be disturbed. He peeled off his clothes and headed inside the bathroom. Liam stood under the shower and turned it on.

  Icy water blasted his face. Liam’s teeth clattered. Good. The cold would wake him up and give him clarity, and yet Liam curled his fingers over his shaft.

  He turned the water off. It was Eli’s face he pictured as he stroked his dick. Eli had closed his eyes briefly when they kissed.

  Daring little Omega. For the briefest moment, their bodies touched and Eli felt like a bundle of warmth. It had taken all of Liam to not envelop the Omega in his arms, to do
more than simply kiss.

  Groaning, Liam rested his head against the tiled wall. He moved his hand up and down his dick. Fast motions. Slow ones.

  It was Eli who starred in his erotic fantasies—Eli on his knees, sucking his cock. He bet the Omega’s pink lips would look so damn good, wrapped around his dick.

  He pictured putting Eli on his hands and knees, parting Eli’s tight asscheeks and sliding his prick inside Eli's ass hole. Would Eli cry out?

  Would the Omega beg Liam to ride him rough and hard? Liam wouldn’t just take Eli like a savage. He’d put his hands and lips to work first. Liam would make Eli so addicted to his touches and kisses. Eli would never want another man.

  Liam would fuck him hard, then slow. Then Eli would be addicted to him like a drug.Liam grunted. He climaxed and spilled his seed against the wall. It took him a couple of seconds to recover his breathing. His grizzly growled inside him.

  Ours, the beast whispered in his head. Possessiveness took hold of him. Liam could make Eli forever his with a single bite. He’d bind the Omega wolf to him so Eli wouldn’t need to worry about living past tomorrow.

  If Eli wanted, he could be set for life. Liam wasn’t a rich man. The lodge might be a sinkhole, but he earned decent wages as a lumberjack.

  Since he didn’t spend a lot, Liam had a chunk of savings in the bank. He didn’t give two shits if Eli was carrying the baby of another man. The child growing in Eli’s belly was also a part of Eli. Liam would cherish and protect them both.

  A child. Liam never thought he was ever capable of rearing one, but he supposed Eli and he could figure shit out together.

  His brothers might be resistant to the idea of him mating Eli and becoming a father at first, but he wasn’t worried. Sooner or later, Lucas and Logan would come to accept Eli and his unborn son or daughter.

  What was he thinking?He only met Eli today. Yet, Liam had started envisioning a future which included Eli and his baby. Dangerous creature.

  Liam had started out as a lonely shifter resigned to his fate. He accepted the fact he was going to live out the rest of his life alone.