by Anya Nowlan
Epilogue
“Just another inch to the right,” Deirdre said, squinting at the huge, hand-carved mirror Oliver was holding up against one of the walls.
“I’ve been moving this thing around for the last twenty minutes,” Oliver gently reminded her.
“Well, you’re a very strong man and I’m sure we could do another twenty if need be,” she said in response, earning a sigh and a smile from Oliver.
He had been very patient with her lately, probably because he thought upsetting a pregnant lady weeks away from popping out his son would be a terrible idea. And he would be right.
Hormones and back pain aside, she had become obsessed with making their new home perfect before the baby arrived. They had packed up their stuff and set their sights on Sweetwater only a week after she had found out she was pregnant, but finding a permanent place to stay had taken a while.
Now that they finally had, she could put all her interior design knowledge to good use. It was all she could do to keep from stressing out because of the pregnancy. Shifter babies did not mess around with growing and cycling the mother through the phases of pregnancy.
Oliver hadn’t been putting his skills to good use, too. Having another child on the way had motivated him to start his own business as soon as they got to Wyoming.
Scraping together all the funds he had put aside from his previous projects, he had managed to rent out a space and buy some essential equipment before going around the local machine and mechanic shops and leaving them samples of his welds.
It had been a lot more effective than business cards, and he didn’t have to wait long for his first customers. Deirdre didn’t know a whole lot about welding, but the word around town was Oliver’s work was beyond reproach.
Soon, people started nodding or waving at Oliver when they would walk around town, some of them even stopping to chat. And it wasn’t about a bar-fight the night before or how many tequila slammers he could put away in an evening.
By the surprised look on Oliver’s face every time it happened, she gathered this was unusual for him. He hadn’t left a very good impression on the people of Sweetwater the last time he was here, but that was all changing.
Even Colt came around to shake his hand and tell Oliver he was glad the man was staying out of trouble this time.
With his business up and running, all they needed was a place to call home. She had of course fallen in love with the cabin he had been staying in when she first met him, but it wasn’t for sale and even if it were, Oliver explained that it was owned by the wolf clan and they usually didn’t let bears buy up their property.
So, she had almost buried her hopes of getting to live by the mountains with her family of bears, when something unexpected happened.
Ethan Grimpaw sat down at their table one night when they were having dinner at Maisy’s, to talk about Oliver’s future in Sweetwater. Being a business owner himself, running a construction company in town, he was impressed with what Oliver had managed to accomplish in the few short months he had been back.
Deirdre had thought Ethan was hinting at Oliver becoming part of the clan. That in itself would have been great. Even though Oliver hadn’t said anything, she got the feeling he would like to really belong somewhere, once and for all.
Being part of the local clan would definitely solidify Sweetwater as their home. He still hadn’t come clean about his father’s background with the clan, but Deirdre got the feeling Ethan had his own sources and knew.
While Ethan did suggest Oliver should become part of the Grimpaw bear family, he also offered them something she couldn’t have even dreamed of. One of the cabins the clan owned was standing vacant, left like that after a family had decided to move elsewhere almost a decade ago.
The clan had taken care of the cottage the best they could, keeping it from falling into disrepair, but there was work to be done to make it a home again. Ethan evidently thought Oliver could be the one to make that happen.
And now here they were, in their own little cabin in the woods, all ready to move in. Well, if she could finally decide on where to put everything, they would be ready to move in, that was.
“Okay, we can figure the mirror out later,” she conceded, even though it really would tie the whole room together. “Let’s get the armchairs inside and then we can deal with the nursery.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Oliver grinned, setting the mirror down and giving her a little salute.
They still had a little bit of time before they had to pick up Hope from her playdate at one of the Grimpaw brothers’ house and they needed to make the best of it. The little girl had turned into such a ball of energy, it was impossible to get anything done around the cabin because most of their time would be used up by chasing her down to keep her from another one of her signature breakneck adventures.
To be fair, Oliver had been doing most of the chasing lately. Deirdre was limited to waddling. While her heart skipped a beat every time Hope made a run for the woods, she still knew this was the best place for their family.
Hope had really come into her own here, playing with other shifter kids and rolling around in the forest with Oliver. It was probably the happiest Deirdre had ever seen her, and that was all the proof she needed to know she made the right decision by returning to Sweetwater. She’d even started shifting, though it was entirely out of the little girl’s control for now.
Which was why it was probably better they were in Sweetwater, surrounded by shifters, rather than in a suburban preschool in Atlanta.
Oliver planted a kiss on Deirdre’s cheek as he brushed past her on his way out to the moving truck, sending a warm glow throughout her body. She hadn’t really believed in fate before she met him, but she was definitely a believer now.
And to think, if Shawn hadn’t backed out of the wedding, she wouldn’t even have the life she did now.
She still got sad sometimes, thinking of Jamie and how her cousin wouldn’t get to watch her daughter grow up. But she found solace in watching Hope smile and laugh, knowing she was doing her best to give her little girl the happiest life she possibly could. She knew Oliver felt the same way.
When Hope was old enough, they could both share stories of Jamie and Dray, and make sure Hope knew what wonderful people her biological parents had been. Until then, they would keep their lost friends in their hearts and love Hope as fiercely as Jamie and Dray would have.
And love each other as deeply as only mates could.
“What are you thinking about?” Oliver asked, plopping a yellow armchair in the middle of the living room, catching the way she was looking at him.
“How much I love you,” Deirdre smiled, sitting down in the chair with a content sigh.
“Funny, I was just thinking the same thing,” Oliver murmured, bending down to kiss her softly on the lips, his emerald eyes shining in the sunlight.
“You’re so cheesy,” Deirdre grinned.
And I wouldn’t have it any other way, she added to herself.
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Did you miss the first book in this series? Pick it up here:
Big Bear Daddy
Want to read more about this little Wyoming town with all the shifters you could want? Check out the Sweetwater Brides series here:
Big Bear Problems, Book 1
If you’ve missed Anya’s Shifter Squad Six series, then check out the first book here:
Bear My Baby
Don’t miss the excerpt of the next book in this series, Big Bear Papa, on the next page!
Big Bear Papa Excerpt
“You run into some trouble?” he asked, slowing down as he got closer to the woman.
“Thank you for stopping,” the woman said with a relieved
sigh, shushing the little one and starting to rock her arms back and forth.
She looked like she was twisting her face into some sort of normalcy almost forcefully, like she couldn’t do it naturally. The way she stood made him think of prey, knowing that it was being chased and being powerless to do anything against it but keep on running.
“My car was on its last leg as it was, and now it’s decided to finally kick the bucket,” she explained, glancing at the rusted doors and dented bumper.
Devlin found himself momentarily tongue-tied as he took in the sight of the delicious Latina in front of him. He doubted he had ever seen anyone more beautiful than her, with her wild curls and doe-eyes, framed by a thick band of lashes.
She was dressed casually but the jeans and top seemed to only accentuate her figure. And though she was obviously terrified by something, he still couldn’t deny that she was unquestionably gorgeous.
Yet it went beyond her dark eyes and kissable lips, the attraction he felt was much deeper than that. Even his bear clawed its way closer to the surface, rumbling softly as Devlin’s eyes caressed the woman’s soft curves.
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Treasure Lane Dragons: 3 Book Series
From Book 1: This special edition of Billionaire Dragon's Bride also includes a bonus book at the end! Grab this book to get Find Her Bear for free along with it!
He's blazing hot and this dragon won't take no for an answer.
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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.
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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…
Warning: Billionaire Dragon's Bride is a standalone novel with no cliffhangers and a dragon so hot you can't say no to him. Be aware that there's plenty of sizzling, blush-worthy heat and intense action and the book is meant for mature audiences!
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?!
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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:
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Saving Her Bear - Book 3
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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!
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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:
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About the Author
Anya Nowlan is a USA Today Bestselling Author who 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]
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