by Anya Nowlan
Not that she wasn’t smiling. Or barely working hard at concealing her dress anyway. One of her bridesmaids, Cherie, came and covered her, glowering at Memphis over her shoulder as April put on the robe on top of the white and intolerably fluffy wedding dress. It was amazing and she loved it and it fit every daydream she’d had growing up on what her dress was supposed to look like.
“Memphis, she’s right! You’re not supposed to see the bride before the ceremony!”
“She’s already my mate and my wife,” Memphis said with a gentle roll of his eyes, stepping aside and opening the door to the three bridesmaids and ushering them out with a sweep of his hand. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to take care of my woman’s pre-ceremony jitters. Git!”
“That wasn’t very nice of you,” April said with a grin and a shake of her head as Memphis closed and locked the door behind him, making it over to where she was standing in the cramped dressing room in two paces.
His arms went around her immediately and he pulled her to him, April giving in without a stitch of competition. She loved the way his strong arms flexed around her, and his scent still drove her absolutely wild. Just like it had more than a year ago when they met.
“It’s supposed to be our day, right? I think I’m supposed to be able to do whatever I want,” Memphis said with a chuckle, kissing her forehead softly. “I wanted to come see how you’re doin’ before I saunter up there and tell everyone once and for all you’re mine and mine only. You wouldn’t believe the nerve of some of these guys, thinkin’ that they could steal you from me.”
The last bit was said in a grumble, the grouchy voice he sometimes used when he was being both dramatic and playful. April poked him in the side and he gasped a sharp breath, looking down at her as if she’d mortally wounded him.
“You know no one would try and do that, silly,” she teased right back.
“I’m not takin’ my chances again,” he grumbled.
He squeezed her in a hug, exhaling as he dropped his chin on the top of her head, her long red curls set in a modest bun, adorned with pearl pins. They stood like that for a few moments, enjoying one another’s company and presence with the world quieting around them.
April had been in Shifter Grove since the previous year, only having left for a week or so to pack her things and get out of her lease once and for all. It was easier to leave Wyoming than she’d ever imagined. Thankfully enough, there had been no sign of Nicky, though April heard that last anyone had seen her, she’d been working as a sales girl at a dollar store and looking a bit worse for wear.
April had never been a vindictive person, but that bit of news may have made her smile a little bit too wide for a moment.
Of all the people in Wyoming, Sally had been the saddest to see her go, but after April told her about everything that had transpired, the older woman had given April her blessing and told her to “get in touch if you need a decent book bash!” Apparently she didn’t think anyone in Idaho could make a book launch party happen quite as well as she could.
And April had of course taken her up on her offer!
Her first novel was going to be released in two weeks, and while the wedding had been on the forefront of her mind along with Memphis, the book had been a close second. Shifter Grove had proven to be everything April had hoped it would—inspiring, welcoming, and serene. The words seemed to appear on the pages almost without any help from her at all and she couldn’t believe how well it all came together.
They say write what you know, and she’d done just that. A story of love riddled with problems and obstacles, with two people deserving of one another eventually finding their happiness. Just like she had.
“I love you,” April murmured, nuzzling against Memphis.
He looked so handsome in his suit, though they’d found it damnably problematic to find a tailor who could fit a suit on a guy as big as Memphis. Luckily enough, there had been plenty of guys and fresh wives in Shifter Grove who could give tips. Shifter Grove had seen its fair share of weddings as of late, after all.
“I love you too, sugar,” he said, tipping up April’s chin so they could peer into one another’s eyes.
She smiled softly, seeing his gray eyes glinting back at her, filled with affection. When he leaned down to kiss her softly on the lips, April got up on her tiptoes to meet him in it, purring as his tongue traced the outline of her lower lip.
“So, let’s go get hitched! The game with the Grizzlies is in two days and if we don’t hurry up, you might end up with a groom with a shiner on the wedding photos!” Memphis said with a grin, letting her go and taking a step back toward the door.
“Aren’t you the one holding us up?” she asked with a laugh.
“Me? Never!”
He flashed her a clever grin before opening up the door, spreading his arms as he met the glares of April’s three bridesmaids, their arms crossed over their chests.
“She’s all yours, ladies!”
“Get to the altar, Memphis,” Cherie sighed, pushing past him.
“Yes, ma’am,” Memphis said, throwing a wink at April before stalking off.
April could only shake her head and grin. She’d never known she could love someone as much as she loved him. And it was the happiest feeling she could imagine.
Don’t miss the excerpt for the third book in the series, A Bear Goal, on the next page!
A Bear Goal
Want more? Pick up one of Anya’s other Shifter Grove series:
Bear the Burn – First Book of Firebear Brides
Make Him Purr – First Book of Shifter Grove Brides
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A BEAR GOAL EXCERPT
“Hey, I hit harder than both of them, so you really want to go about insulting my family here, wiseguy?” she asked with a quirk of her brow, giving Heath the closest thing she had to an evil eye.
“Yeah? I wouldn’t mind seeing you get a little hot and bothered, I think,” Heath quipped back.
She held her breath, hoping against hope that he wouldn’t run the joke into the ground like she thought he would. But of course he did.
“Or a little bit ‘Heathed,’ if you know what I mean.”
His grin was so wide and self-congratulatory that Sable couldn’t do anything but groan and shake her head at him, wanting to choke the living daylights out of him and, oddly enough, climb him like a tree at the same time. It was becoming a real bother, honestly, because the more she looked at him, the better he looked. She loathed it.
“Really, that’s what you went with?”
“Hey, don’t knock it until you try it,” he said with a flourish, sweeping his hand along his toned, muscled body.
This book is out now!
A Bear Goal
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WANT MORE?
Bear My Baby
Bear My Baby is a full-size novel and the first of a 4-book series, Shifter Squad Six.
She never knew danger, but now she can't get enough of the bear it follows...
Cassie Campton's lived a calm, settled life. Working for an eccentric billionaire, she's given plenty of time for the things she enjoys in life. Surprisingly enough, that makes a person complacent. So, when the man she's devoted years to suddenly draws her into an explosive chase, complete with bloodthirsty villains and the distinct possibility of death, Cassie can't help but wonder if she's gotten in way over her head. But when the commando sent to save you is as hot and as infuriating as hers is, does it really matter?
Connor McLaughlin is a werebear with a past, and not much in terms of future. Head of Shifter Squad Six, he's a gun for hire, a soldier of fortune. Every job's the same, except for this one. He didn't think he could ev
er love again, but one look at Cassie and the tough as nails ex-SEAL finds himself stumbling over his feet and words. They only have one night together and after that, Connor's never the same, for better or for worse.
Brought together by fate once more, Connor has to save his woman, maybe the world, and most heartwrenchingly, his cub he knew nothing about. Can Cassie and Connor overcome the lies between them and have a future together, or are they doomed to fail?
Billionaire Dragon’s Bride
This is a full-sized novel and the start of a 3-book series, Treasure Vale Dragons.
He's blazing hot and this dragon won't take no for an answer.
Devon Bluewing is a billionaire playboy like no other. Cocky, strong and sexy as hell, he's used to getting anything and anyone he wants. But when it comes a time to step up and stand as the head of his family, and the dragon council of Treasure Lane, Devon is met with an inexplicable problem. He needs a mate or his whole legacy could be in jeopardy. Now, that doesn't work at all for the fire-breathing bad boy, who's used to getting his own way.
Gemma Teeley can't stand injustice. She's sassy, smart as a whip and always ready to fight for what is right. So when the newest Bluewing heir decides to wrack up the taxes on her hometown, Gemma isn't about to stand for it. But what she doesn't know is that her fight against traditions might just get her into a whole lot of steamy trouble! The curvy, headstrong woman has all the fire of Devon, and when he gives her an ultimatum, they're both in for more than they bargained for.
Even if she'll play along, it doesn't mean that she'll make it easy on him. But it isn't just Devon whose making decisions for Gemma, and soon it becomes very clear that it's not only Gemma's pride that's in danger of getting burned...
Montana Wild Bears: Books 1-4 Bundle
Want to read more about Ryder and his struggle as an Alpha?
Strong, scorching-hot werebear Alphas and their sassy, curvy mates - could it get any steamier?!
The Montana Wild Bears series follows two werebear clans during the most difficult conflict of their lives, sparing nothing and no one in it's path. How can these determined, powerful Alphas keep their clans safe while also finding their fated mates? And will their mates allow them into their hearts, even when all odds stand against them?
Find out in these hot stand-alone books, each following one Alpha couple through the war between the clans. Expect some twists and turns and plenty of steam!
If you want your shifters hard, loving and dripping with testosterone and your heroines capable, smart and saucy, this might be just the boxed set for you!
The anthology includes the following books:
Find Her Bear - Book 1
Wanting Her Bear - Book 2
Saving Her Bear - Book 3
Needing Her Bear - Book 4
Sassy Shifter Brides: The Complete Series
What a shifter really needs is a good mate!
Shifter Grove only attracts the kind of shifters who are looking for something better... Something different. When Warren, Rake, Deacon and the Warfang decide to build a new life, they knew it wouldn't be easy. But it would be worth it. Still, hard work and making a better future for the buff, burly and completely Alpha shifters isn't quite enough for the men. Ever shifter knows that a home isn't perfect without the right woman and that's exactly what all of them need!
SassyDate is here to help! Each of the Alpha shifters will find a mate that's as if made for him... Just sometimes it isn't all sunshine and roses.
If you like your shifters hot, growly and determined and your women sassy, bbw and opinionated, this is the boxed set for you! You can find all five of the Sassy Shifter Brides books in this anthology and none of them will leave you disappointed!
The box set includes:
Hearts Laid Bear
No More Lion
Bear the Cold
Roar for Her
The Wolves' Bride
Smutty Shifter Shorts: Books 1-5 Bundle
5 hot, sizzling shapeshifter shorts sure to make you need a cold shower!
The Smutty Shifter Shorts series is all about bringing the naughtiest, sexiest werewolves right to you! Each story is a standalone short, but three of them can be read as a series.
If you want your werewolves growly, determined and hungry for more and your women curvy and sassy, this is just the boxed set for you! Expect some twists and turns and plenty of steam!
This anthology of bestselling shifter shorts includes the following books:
The Mate
The Chase
Outcast's Claim
Outcast's Pride
Outcast's Mate
Firebear Brides: Complete Series
If you can't stand the heat, get out of the bear's way...
Love scorching hot werebears? If so then this is the bundle for you, with four absolutely sizzling bear firefighter brothers looking for their mates in all the wrong (and right!) places! Each novella in this series is a standalone with a happy ever after ending and no cheating!
The series follows the Hamilton brothers on their quest to win back their family claim in Shifter Grove, Idaho, but there's only one catch! Every one of the hunky bears needs to be married and preferably have an heir on the way within a year. These Alpha men won't give up so easily and turn to mail-order brides to find their mates, thinking it'll only be temporary... right? But fate works in mysterious ways and even with crazy psychos on the loose trying to burn down Shifter Grove, the firebears have to find time for their love, their jobs and their future!
The box set includes:
Bear the Burn
Bear the Flame
Bear the Blaze
Bear the Fire
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Anya Nowlan loves sex and writing about it. The sexier and naughtier the better. She mostly writes paranormal and fantasy erotic shorts, focusing on shifters and their lucky mates. Her stories are bite-sized, just what you need to soothe that craving for brave women and growly alphas with a big side-order of smutty sex.
Anya lives in Boston with her boyfriend and several dogs of varying sizes and levels of mischief. She can't go through a day without chocolate and has an unhealthy addiction to purses, but every girl is allowed her little vices, right?
If you have enjoyed her shorts or want to just shoot the breeze a little, don't hesitate to contact Anya via e-mail: [email protected]
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/anyanowlan
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AnyaNowlan
Homepage: http://www.anyanowlan.com
You can find all of my books here:
Amazon Author Page
www.anyanowlan.com
Thank you for reading!
Table of Contents
A LITTLE TASTE…
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
EPILOGUE
A BEAR GOAL EXCERPT
WANT MORE?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR