The Grisly Grizzlies: Maximus (The Grizzly Bear Shifters of Redemption Creek Book 5)

by Kim Fox

  I grab him around the neck and then—

  Blackness.

  The strength just empties out of my legs and I drop to the ground with my head pounding and white spots dancing in front of my eyes. I try to catch myself as I fall, but my arms aren’t listening to my brain and I collapse onto the ground. My momentum rolls me over and I look up through my daze and see Bledsoe standing over me. He’s holding a huge rock with my blood splattered on it.

  “Night, night,” he says with a grin as he lifts the rock over his head, ready to hit me with a fatal blow. “And don’t worry. I’ll take good care of your girl.”

  I try to move, but I can’t. He really cracked me good and my body seems to have temporarily shut down.

  Bledsoe’s face tightens as he’s about to slam the huge rock down onto my head, but someone tackles him just in time. The rock falls harmlessly to the ground as the two bodies fly backward.

  I manage to push up to an elbow and am shocked to see Rigs on the ground, fighting with his alpha. Colton pushes Lachlan to the side and rushes over, joining in.

  I’m not sure if he knocked a few screws loose in my brain but it looks like Rigs and Colton managed to pin Bledsoe down.

  Strong arms wrap around me and lift me to my wobbly feet. It’s Lachlan.

  “Is it true, Maximus?” Rigs asks. He’s breathing heavy with a fierce look in his eye. “Is he selling out shifters into slavery?”

  Colton shakes his head as he holds his alpha’s arm. “I won’t be a part of that.”

  The fogginess in my head clears and my legs find their strength again. I step in front of Bledsoe and he tries to kick me. Lachlan leaps down on him, holding his legs together.

  Between Rigs and Colton each holding an arm and Lachlan holding his legs, Bledsoe can’t move.

  “You have so much to answer for,” I say as I walk up to him.

  “I don’t have to answer to you,” he hisses. “You’re not my alpha anymore. I’m the alpha of my own crew now.”

  “Your crew has turned on you,” I say, glancing at Rigs who’s struggling to hold Bledsoe’s tattooed arm. “You have nothing.”

  This guy has ruined enough of the earth’s oxygen with his polluted breath. As long as he’s alive, Kennedy is in danger, so it’s time to end him.

  The boys hold on tight as I wrap my arm around his head.

  Bledsoe sneers at me. “I hope you think of me every time you look at those scars. I hope you’ll see my face laughing at you.”

  “No,” I say, shaking my head. “I’m starting over after tonight. A beautiful future with me and my mate, and you’ll be rotting in the ground, never to be thought of again.”

  “You won’t—”

  I squeeze my arm around his neck and yank his head as hard as I can until it rips off his body.

  “Oh, gross!” Colton shouts as blood splatters all over him. They drop the headless body onto the ground as I watch Bledsoe’s eyes go dull.

  “That was for Skin and for hurting my girl,” I whisper under my breath.

  I toss his head onto the ground and turn to the next fight. This time, Rigs and Colton are by our side as me and Lachlan run to join our crew.

  Vesuvius sees four bear shifters running to join the fight and seems to think that this is a good time to call it a night.

  He thrashes around wildly sending Tito, Ronin, and Caleb flying off his body. Only Kneecap remains, still holding his mouth shut as Vesuvius flings his head from side to side. This guy will always be this town’s toughest shifter. I don’t care what anyone says.

  But even the toughest shifter can only do so much against a full grown dragon. Vesuvius raises his head and slams Kneecap into the ground hard. He does it again and again with a speed that has me gasping.

  “No,” I whisper as I run as hard as I can. Kneecap’s grip is slipping and he’s barely holding on.

  Vesuvius seems to sense it as well and he whips his head back, sending Kneecap sailing through the air behind him. He lands somewhere in the distance with a crash.

  Caleb, Tito, and Ronin join our side and suddenly Vesuvius doesn’t look so confident as he faces seven grizzly bear shifters.

  He lets out a chirping roar as he bucks up onto his hind legs and spreads out his huge orange wings, ready to take off.

  I rush forward with the boys following me, but Vesuvius holds us back with a wall of flames. He spews the fire out of his mouth until we’re forced to back up and let him escape.

  With a screeching chirp, he flaps his giant wings and pushes off the ground.

  “Fuck,” I grumble in defeat as he starts to fly. He’s going to get away and there’s nothing we can do about it.

  He flies as high as the trees when something jerks him back down. It’s then that I see Kneecap holding onto his tail. His enormous feet are getting dragged deep through the dirt as he holds on with both hands.

  Vesuvius panics and starts to flap his wings even harder, but he still can’t move.

  With a savage grunt, Kneecap twists his body and yanks the dragon down. Vesuvius slams into the ground so hard that I feel it shake under my feet.

  We move immediately, swarming on the dragon shifter with all of the strength we have left. The twins and Caleb jump on the dragon’s mouth, holding it closed as Rigs and Colton each pin a wing to the ground. Kneecap holds his tail as Lachlan holds his back legs together.

  I run to the pickup truck and grab a thick chain that’s in the back. I run back with it and wrap it around the dragon’s thick neck, tightening it like a noose.

  His orange eyes widen as I grab it and give it a yank.

  Suddenly, his body starts to shake and shrink. Everybody rushes forward as he turns back into his human form.

  This time it’s easier to hold him down. There’s at least one bear shifter on each of his limbs and Kneecap is holding him in a headlock. He’s not going anywhere.

  “Your days of tormenting the citizens of this town are over,” I say as I wrap the chain around his neck. “No shifter will be in slavery as long as I’m alive.”

  “That’s what you think,” he says with a grin as he glares at me. “They’re coming with or without me. They’ll get all of you, and those whores of yours.”

  As soon as I hear that word I start pulling. I pull and don’t stop until his skin turns blue and his eyes roll into the back of his head.

  The boys only let go long after they’re sure he’s dead. His body drops to the ground and he doesn’t move.

  We’re all breathing heavily as we finally manage to take a second of rest. Only Kneecap looks like he’s ready for more.

  He pounds his huge fist into his meaty hand as he turns to Rigs and Colton.

  “Now it’s time for dessert.”

  Rigs and Colton gulp as he lunges at them.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Maximus

  “Kneecap!” I shout as the big man rushes at our old friends. “Stop! That’s an order!”

  Kneecap skids to a stop right in front of a terrified-looking Rigs and Colton. They just saw what he did to that dragon, and they both know they don’t stand a chance against Redemption Creek’s toughest shifter. That’s why they both shoot me a look of thanks.

  “Come on, boss,” Kneecap whines. “We’ve been waiting for years to pay back these guys.”

  Rigs gulps as he stares up at his old crew mate.

  “They lived with Bledsoe for six years,” I say with a shake of my head. “I think that’s payment enough.”

  “Thanks, Maximus,” Rigs says, looking ashamed as he meets my eye.

  “I knew there was still some good in you guys,” I say.

  Lachlan laughs. “And I’m glad you picked that moment to bring it back out.”

  I nod. My head would have been a pancake if they hadn’t helped me out.

  “We never should have picked him,” Colton says, shaking his head. “That was a mistake. A big one. And although I don’t appreciate getting stabbed in the freaking collarbone with a knife, I’d li
ke to bury the hatchet with The Grisly Grizzlies. I’m sorry, Max.”

  “I’m sorry too,” I say, letting it all go. The anger, the hurt, the bad feelings. It all just fades away. It’s time to start over. “If I was a better alpha, you would have stayed with me.”

  “We were all young and stupid,” Rigs says. “We all could have been a little bit better.”

  I hold out my hand and Rigs shakes it. “Friends?”

  “Friends,” he says, nodding proudly.

  I reach out to Colton next. “Friends?”

  “Are you going to apologize for the knife in the collarbone?” he asks with a grin.

  I shake my head. “Nope.”

  He laughs as he shakes my hand anyway. “That’s okay. It barely hurt.”

  “What are you guys going to do now?” I ask when we’ve all made up.

  Rigs looks around the ranch. “I guess there aren’t an extra two cabins lying around?”

  “Uh uh,” Kneecap says with a fierce glare. “Once you’re out, you’re out.”

  “Fair enough,” Rigs says, dropping his eyes to the ground. “I guess we deserve that. We have a lot to atone for.”

  Colton nods in agreement. “We helped Bledsoe and that no-good dragon even if we didn’t know what they were up to. I think we have to try and reverse some of the damage we’ve done.”

  “Maybe we’ll find that General Hunt and shove his secret program up his ass,” Rigs says.

  Colton grins. “Right after I shove my foot up his ass.”

  “You’ll need a crew for that,” I say. “I hear that Redemption Creek is a good place to set up.”

  “Really?” Rigs says, his face lighting up. “You’d let us stay in the town?”

  “We’re friends, remember?” I say with a grin. “You’re welcome to stay and visit anytime.”

  “What do you say, Colt?” Rigs says as he turns to his buddy. “Want to start our own crew and hunt down some evil generals?”

  Colton grins. “That sounds like fun.”

  “Hold on.” I run over to Kennedy’s car and grab the bag that’s on the passenger’s seat. The money that Vesuvius gave us earlier is in there and I grab it. “Here’s a little something to get started,” I say, handing them the money.

  Colton’s eyes widen when he sees what’s in the bag. “Seriously, Max?”

  “Just make sure you put it to good use.”

  They thank me again and make peace with the boys, all except Kneecap who growls at them when they try to get close.

  “Why would you give them that money?” Caleb asks when they leave. “Have you seen how old our trucks are?”

  “That was dragon money,” I say, glad to be rid of it. “And we’re going to need all of the crews we can get if Vesuvius’ brothers or General Hunt comes looking for vengeance.”

  “What are we going to do if Galeras and Kilauea come flying around?” Tito says, looking unsure. “Kneecap is a dragon killer, but we only have one of him.”

  “We still have the info to blackmail them with,” I say. “But I think Vesuvius was working alone on this one.”

  Lachlan swallows hard. “And if he wasn’t?”

  I take a deep breath and exhale long and hard. “Then we’ll have to hope that the shifters of Redemption Creek are ready for a fight.”

  Kneecap grins as he slams his fist into his palm. The skin on his left arm is still hanging off in sheets. “I’m ready for a fight.”

  “We know, Kneecap,” I say with a laugh. “We know.”

  “That’s the end of that,” I mutter as Lachlan tosses the last of the dirt onto Bledsoe’s dead body. We brought what was left of Bledsoe and Vesuvius into the mountains and buried them deep.

  It’s officially over. My enemies are dead, my crew is safe, and most importantly, my mate is back by my side. Well, not exactly by my side. She’s waiting back at the camp for me. I didn’t want her to see Bledsoe any more than she had to.

  When I wake up tomorrow, it will all be behind us and we can officially start our lives over. The pain and darkness are behind us, and all we have now is clear skies ahead.

  “You okay?” Lachlan says as he slaps a hand on my shoulder.

  “For the first time in a long time,” I answer. “I’m glad it’s over, but I still can’t help but feel that I failed him.”

  “Who?” Lachlan asks, jerking his head back. “Bledsoe?”

  Maybe only an alpha would understand. I was Bledsoe’s alpha after all and the buck stopped with me. If he turned bad it was partially my fault.

  “Don’t blame yourself, Max,” he says, shaking his head. “You’re a good alpha. You always have been. Anyone who stuck with me during my dark alcoholic days or who refused to give up on Kneecap and his crazy bear is a good alpha. Some shifters just can’t be led. They’re more wild than civilized. I think Bledsoe was always one of those. You did your best, but the animal inside him won.”

  “Yeah,” I say, finally letting it all go and forgiving myself. For Bledsoe, for Skin, but especially for Kennedy.

  I failed her once, but she needs me and I’m not going to push her aside again. That would be the true failure on my part. It’s time to be a man and to be the shifter she deserves, and that means letting everything go and starting over with the woman I love.

  We check on the boys who are finishing up burying Vesuvius on the other side of the hill. Tito and Ronin are acting out the fight, telling an unimpressed Kneecap how they helped defeat the dragon shifter.

  “I must have been at a different fight,” he says with a frown. “All I saw was you two constantly flying off. You three were as deadly as fleas on a dog.”

  Caleb laughs. “I’ve always been more of a lover than a fighter.”

  Kneecap grins. “Let’s hope you make love better than you fight or I’ll feel sorry for Abigail.”

  “You guys ready to head back and grab a couple of cold beers?” I ask.

  They all turn and smile when they see me.

  “You buying?” Tito asks with a grin.

  I nod. “Definitely.”

  The girls are waiting by the campfire with a cooler full of beer and some hot pizza.

  “We thought you sexy men would be hungry after that big brawl,” Jessie says as she runs up to her man. Lachlan gives her a deep kiss on the mouth.

  “I’m hungry for you,” he growls as he grabs her ass.

  “Pizza first,” she says, handing him a slice. “Then me.”

  He grins as he takes a bite. “Deal.”

  Kennedy rushes over when she sees me and wraps her arms around my neck. My heart does a little flip when I look down into her gorgeous amber eye. She’s so fucking beautiful. I can barely take it.

  I still can’t believe that I’ll wake up with her by my side for the rest of my life.

  “It’s all over?” she asks as she gazes into my eyes.

  I shake my head. “It’s just beginning.”

  She smiles as she steps on her toes and kisses me.

  “I love you,” I say when she pulls away.

  She grins. “I know.”

  Just what I wanted to hear. “Good.”

  She laughs and kisses me once more. “I love you too.”

  My chest rumbles and vibrates as my bear lets out a groan. Kennedy lets out the cutest little laugh. “I love you too, Grizz,” she says as she places a hand on my heart.

  We sit around the campfire and relax with a few beers and everything is right in the world.

  “This sucks,” Nora says with a frown. “I could really use a beer right now.”

  “You’re pregnant with Kneecap’s child,” Lachlan says with a laugh. “Your kid can handle a beer.”

  “As a fetus?” Nora says, looking unsure.

  “I bet your fetus could beat Caleb in an arm wrestle,” Tito says.

  Caleb laughs. “After what I saw that big guy do tonight with that dragon, he may be right.”

  Ronin laughs. “Your kid will probably be doing keg stands when they’re a toddler
.”

  Kneecap grins proudly as he listens. He’s going to make a great father and I can’t wait to see it.

  When the cooler is empty and the fire has died down, we all get up and head to bed.

  I don’t know about the others, but fighting always makes me horny and I can’t wait to get my girl in between the sheets. And from the look on Kennedy’s sexy face, she seems to be feeling the same way.

  “Let’s go to bed,” I whisper, grabbing her hand. “And remember, if you want to be in this crew, you have to obey the alpha. Every. Word.”

  She licks her lips and grins. “I think I’m going to like being in this crew.”

  “You sure will,” I say, smacking her ass. “I’ll make sure of that.”

  After the goodnights, everyone heads to their cabins. We’re kissing in the living room when I hear a door slam back open.

  “What the fuck happened to my roof?” Caleb shouts.

  I laugh when I remember seeing Ronin flying through it.

  “My bad!” Ronin yells from his cabin.

  “Still going to like living here?” I ask Kennedy with a grin on my face.

  She grabs my shirt and pulls me into the room.

  The look in her eye says yes.

  Epilogue

  Kennedy

  Two months later…

  I pull my hair back into a ponytail and step outside into the cool fall air. The leaves crunch under my feet as the crisp mountain air tickles my face. I take a deep breath and look around at all of the vibrant colors around me. Montana is absolutely spectacular this time of year.

  It’s late afternoon and Maximus is hanging out in the outdoor kitchen with the boys. We spent the day riding around on horses and I just came back to take a hot shower.

  A smile creeps across my face when I see him tasting the spaghetti sauce with a frown on his face. Lachlan frowns back as he says something to his alpha. Maximus hands him the spoon and shakes his head.

  I can’t help but laugh. These are the biggest problems around here lately. Fights about cooking and recipes.