Pain ripped through my neck when Joshua clamped his jaw over the back of my head and picked me up again. I think I screamed, but I couldn’t tell anymore. The fear of being mulled to death by one of my own suddenly became a reality and I froze. Joshua shook me viciously back and forth, back and forth.
And then I was sailing through the air. I landed on the other side of the road and rolled until I hit a lawn ornament on one of the lots. Blood poured from my neck, the light in me quickly seeping into the ground. I managed to focus, ever so briefly on Brandt, just in time to see him burst from his skin and leap at Joshua.
Death and blood. That’s all I saw when Joshua tossed my mate to the side like a deer carcass. Pure fury and rage pounded through my blood and encouraged my change much faster than I’d ever been able to do before.
Unfortunately, Joshua disappeared by the time I’d landed on all fours. With a warning roar, I called him to me. The earth shook below my feet each time I stomped the ground. I scented Emma’s blood and looked over at her again. She lay still, her human flesh torn and her heart beat slowing. Crying out, I ran toward her as a grizzly, my mate wanting to protect her at all costs.
But I didn’t make it. Just a few steps away from Emma and a large grizzly slammed into the side of me. The hit knocked the breath out of my lungs and when we fell to the ground, we rolled over each other several times. Teeth snapping and biting, I tried to get a hold of Joshua and kept missing. His claws dug into my side, but then disappeared as we came to a stop and he darted away from me again. I stood, shaking my head and bent forward, ready to give into the chase.
“Brandt!”
Turning to see Derrick and Brennan running at me as humans, I paused for just a second. Then, from behind one of the trailers, four gray wolves charged at them. Neither man saw them at first and everything seemed to slow. I barked my warning and then slipped in the dirt as I propelled myself forward. Brennan’s eyes found mine just before he turned and spotted the wolves. I wasn’t going to make it in time and they weren’t going to change fast enough to fight back. I roared again and then a large, jet black wolf ran past me toward Derrick and Bo. Her growl echoed between the trailers as Scarlett stopped the four wolves from attacking my clan members. She nipped at one of them and barked at the others. Seconds of communication was all it took for them to realize that they had been attacking the wrong side.
Scarlett looked back at me and dipped her head. Then she led the group back toward my truck where Joshua had been running off to. Derrick slid to a stop in front of me, looking up at my eyes while still respecting my power.
“Fuck, man. You didn’t answer my calls.” A bear growled in the distance and we all turned our heads, listening. Derrick continued, “Brennan and I got wind of this attack and tried to warn you.”
“Someone on Joshua’s side found Scarlett’s note before you did this morning,” Brennan added.
I huffed and looked back at Emma. None of that mattered right now. Scarlett ran past us to the trailer where another black wolf with a graying face was coming out from behind a set of shrubs. She barked at him and lowered her head, submitting to her alpha.
Ignoring everything else, even the chatter of Derrick and Brennan trying to explain what was happening, I pushed past them and trotted over to Emma. Her eyes were closed and her heart stuttered every couple of beats. I licked her neck, tasting her blood and fueling the anger inside.
“Jesus Christ,” Brennan said and then crouched down next to her. I nudged him away with my nose. She was mine. “Relax, Brandt,” he said calmly. “I need to help her.”
Wanting to push him away again, I was distracted by the group of grizzlies charging at us again. They were next to my truck at the end of the road but would be on us in seconds. Scarlett and Peter joined me on my left, a look passing between us that solidified our relationship. Derrick shifted on the other side of me, ready to fight and drooling at the lips in anticipation.
“I need to keep the pressure on,” Brennan said when our eyes met. And while I could have used his muscle in this fight, it was more important for him to help Emma. I huffed my approval and then turned to face the traitorous grizzlies from my pack.
Joshua was out front, leading them in some kind of coup. Several more joined behind them, coming from various locations within the surrounding woods. Scarlett howled and pawed at the ground. Then her alpha made a noise that called to the rest of their pack. In an instant, several small groups of wolves emerged from their hiding places, even the small pups watched the impending fight but stayed on the porches of the trailers.
Emma screamed out in pain and I lost my focus. Brennan was hovering over her, whispering in her ear and waving me off when he saw me watching. Derrick nudged my side, making me look ahead again. Joshua and his group slowed to a walk and he stood in the center of the wolf and grizzly circle. The bears to his back turned so each one faced one of the groups of wolves. I even spotted someone, Joshua’s mate I think, eyeing up the young pups. A growl ripped through my throat, the threat in it evident. Eliza snapped her large, light brown bear head in my direction and showed me her teeth. It was a moved that defied my dominance and one which set my bear into a fit.
Peter trotted forward, eyes only on Joshua. I grunted my displeasure, but this was his territory. He looked regal and confident strolling up to a grizzly five times his size. And when he got close enough, he nipped at Joshua’s legs. The grizzly roared with anger, swiping at the alpha wolf each time he got too close. Peter bared his teeth with his continued warning to the bear who’d trespassed on his property. But Joshua seemed unfazed.
The surrounding wolves closed in and the rest of Joshua’s grizzlies puffed up in preparation for a fight. Emma screamed once more and I cringed. But then Joshua, even as a bear, sounded like he laughed at her pain. I whipped my head to stare at him only to see, and smell, the defiance rolling off of him. He’d intended on killing Emma and was happy to see her suffer.
My bear shook with uncontrollable rage.
As I let out a deafening roar, I charged at my challenger. We were supposed to fight tomorrow but today seemed as good as any. Joshua stood on his hind legs, waiting for my attack. I jumped forward, claws ripping at his sides as I clamped down on his shoulder. Blurs of gray and brown darted past me when the rest of the wolves and bears engaged in the fight. The sounds of battle flooded the tiny trailer park. Derrick went after Eliza and Peter’s wolves broke into small groups to attack each grizzly.
Joshua and I met each other swipe for swipe as we engaged. He was longer, but I was quicker. When one of his claws dug into my shoulder, I let out a cry but immediately retaliated with a bite on his arm. He dropped to the ground, circling back to regroup before charging me again. I jumped on his back, my bear aiming for the vulnerable spot behind his neck. Yet I couldn’t get a good grip. And when Peter’s broken body slammed into mine, I lost all concentration for a split second.
Scarlett cried out an ear-piercing howl and ran over to her alpha. He wasn’t moving, his side all bloodied and his eyes closed. She tried to drag him away from the fighting, but her own injured leg made it difficult to get traction. A small roar from my side had me looking back at Emma. She still lay on the ground but had shifted into her bear. The change would help her heal and seeing her bear alive gave me another round of strength.
Brennan, now as a grizzly, ran over to Scarlett and was immediately met with the wrath of her canines. But he didn’t fight back and instead lowered his head slightly letting her know he didn’t want to harm her. I didn’t understand his move until I watched him help Scarlett drag her alpha to the safety of his trailer.
And then Joshua slammed into my side again. His teeth pierced my neck, ripping free before they could get a good grip. I kicked back at him, slicing open his gut and forcing him to retreat. He stumbled backward, falling to the ground in a pile of dust. I felt the blood loss getting to my head, but my rage kept me from giving in.
Joshua screamed out in pain, the human soun
d morphing the bear’s call as he reluctantly shifted back into his human form. And the moment he changed, all of his bears surrounded him in a protective circle. Many of them bore the signs of a fierce battle—scratches on their face, hind ends ripped apart by the wolves. But it also appeared that none of the shifters, aside from Peter, were suffering too badly.
Joshua clutched his stomach, blood seeping out around his hand. He lay on his side, pushing further away from me with each step I took. His bears growled but I showed them my teeth. They knew it was over—Joshua had lost. One by one, they backed away leaving me a clear route to the man challenging me for alpha.
With a bark, I asked him to submit. But Joshua shook his head. “Fuck you, Brandt. You are not the strongest alpha.”
I stepped down on his leg and he screamed. My claws cut into him despite me just trying to make a point.
“Fuck. You.” He said with a whisper.
I lowered my head and growled in his face. He pinched his eyes closed and turned his head enough that he wouldn’t have all of my breath on his face. Several drops of drool fell onto his cheek and he cringed even more.
“Brandt, you have to finish this,” Derrick spoke from somewhere behind me.
Even my bear understood what he meant. I needed to kill Joshua.
Emma barked and I immediately recognized her intent. She was supporting me and supporting Derrick’s statement. Looking around the trailer park at the angry wolves and defeated grizzlies, I knew what I had to do.
When I made eye contact with Joshua, he recognized my intent and held up his hand in defeat. “I submit, I submit.” His voice shook with fear but there was still a taste of defiance in the air.
I clamped down on his hand and he flinched. “Brandt Callaghan is alpha. I accept this!” His words pushed out through gritted teeth and even still, my bear knew he was lying. With a quick glance up to all of those who’d defied me and sided with Joshua to attack our own kind, I covered his head with my mouth and picked him up off the ground. With just a few shakes, his neck snapped and Joshua Housten was no longer my challenger.
Dragging his body to the side, I walked over toward Emma. She was still breathing heavily and looked exhausted from her change. And while I’d killed my challenger, Emma has the right to seek her own revenge. With a huff, I tossed Joshua’s limp body at her feet and spoke our communicative bark. Emma roared into the sky and then stomped on his body several times. The sounds of human bones breaking continued as she took out her rage and frustration. Everyone around us stayed silent, even Eliza knew her place now.
Emma nudged at Joshua, flipping him over and over. And then she opened her mouth and clamped down on his head. With the paws on his torso and her mouth pulling from the top, she ripped his head from his body and tossed it at the bears who’d attacked us.
Emma Davis had just solidified her role within our clan.
My bear flourished with exhilaration while my stomach rolled in disgust. I’d never killed a human before. And although Brandt had technically killed Joshua, my bear wanted him to know that we’d beat him too.
I stood in grizzly form watching over the crowd. Licking the taste of blood off my lips, I stared at them all, trying to pull some of the human back to the surface. Derrick was already stepping into the jeans he discarded nearby. Eliza, Zane, three other bears from Joshua’s group were in the process of shifting forms. All of the wolves remained as animals, understandably feeling the need to protect their territory.
Brandt roared at the circle of humans who had betrayed them. My bear wanted to call back, but now wasn’t the time and I pushed her to be silent. One by one the deceitful members of our clan bowed their heads and exposed their necks to Brandt’s grizzly. He mouthed their skin, just one canine away from ending their lives. Each human succumbed to his rule and pledged their allegiance through their actions.
Footsteps crunched behind me and I turned with raised lips. Bo held up his hands and smiled. “Easy there, tiger.” He finished buttoning up his shirt and then almost tripped over the remains of Joshua when he stepped up beside me. “Holy shit, did you do this?”
His hand brushed my side when he steadied himself. I huffed and pointed my snout toward Brandt. Bo grinned wider. “Good job, Brandt,” he muttered. Looking at him in question, he understood what I wanted to ask. “I got here about ten minutes ago. My asshole brother and Derrick didn’t call me until they were already on the pack’s territory.”
As if on cue, Brennan and Scarlett walked out onto the street, Peter hanging off their shoulders. Brennan was still naked, but Scarlett and Peter had thrown some type of cloth wrap over their body.
“Well look at that,” Bo said in my ear, watching Brennan with curious eyes.
I snorted and turned my attention back to Brandt who had just finished shifting. He ran over to me and my bear shivered with pride. His naked body glistened, every muscle twitching with his new role as alpha. I could sense the difference—his power had changed, increased. And my bear absolutely loved it.
Brandt rubbed his hands along the side of my giant bear face. Pressing his forehead against my snout, he whispered. “Are you okay?” I licked his cheek and he laughed. “Can you change back?”
Could I? I didn’t know. It had taken a lot of energy to shift—something I needed to do to heal from my injuries. While I didn’t think Joshua hit my jugular, he’d torn practically everything else around my neck and shoulder. I crouched to the ground, Brandt following me down. His hands rested on my back, gently rubbing and encouraging me to change.
Everyone watched as I struggled. I coaxed my bear back into her cave but she didn’t want to surrender her form. Something was preventing her from giving in completely. My breath came faster as I tried to force the change. Brandt’s small, human head leaned against my ribs, soothing me with some sort of song he was humming. I listened and relaxed. I envisioned myself as a human again. Remembering our time together last night, I encouraged my body to change so that we could experience it together again. But nothing worked.
Brandt suddenly stiffened against me. A low growl rumbled in his throat forcing me to look up at the person walking toward us. The old woman we’d met just a little bit ago knelt down on my other side and spoke to Brandt in her language. I knew he didn’t understand any more than I did, but she must have shown him something that relayed her meaning. Brandt sat back, pulling away from me just enough that his body didn’t touch mine anymore. But he left his hand resting on my paw and I loved him even more in that moment.
The old woman began chanting. A different chant than what we’d heard before. Her hands roamed up and down my body just a fraction of an inch above my fur. The repetitive song calmed me down and I swear I could feel heat everywhere she almost touched me. Her clothes smelled like lavender and the dried flowers in her hair must have been sage. She continued chanting and I lost track of the time that had passed. But slowly, I could feel my bear going to sleep and allowing my human brain to come to light.
It wasn’t until the woman leaned against my head and whispered into my ear, “They are safe now,” that my body shifted easily back to human. I lay there, naked and in somewhat of a trance, wondering if I’d heard her English correctly and trying to interpret what that meant.
“Emma?” Brandt asked. “How do you feel?”
I assessed my body from my head to my toes looking for any signs that something had been injured too badly by Joshua. But I felt good. Better than good actually, and I looked over to the old woman.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
She smiled down at me and once again rested her hand on my stomach. With a quick nod, she stood and disappeared into one of the trailers down the road. Bo chuckled and handed Brandt my clothes. “Well, that was weird.”
Weird? Definitely. But today had been a weird day and a lot had changed since Brandt woke me this morning. I looked up at him still hovering over me and lifted my arms. “Come here,” I whispered.
He smiled and bent forward,
pressing his lips against mine. The warmth between us heated my core and when I pushed my tongue into his mouth, he moaned. His hands gripped the back of my head, pulling me closer to him, our kiss deepening with each breath.
Bo cleared his throat and tossed a pair of pants onto both of us. “Okay lovebirds. Everyone’s watching and its quite obvious how excited Brandt is.”
I felt his erection brush against my stomach and giggled. As much as I wanted him inside me now, Bo was right—this wasn’t the time.
“As soon as we get home,” he promised.
I sat up, not wanting to let go of him. “Sounds perfect,” I said with a smile.
We dressed quickly and walked over to Scarlett and Peter hand in hand. Brennan was no longer by their side but someone had given Peter a plastic lawn chair to sit in. His skin looked gray and wrinkled, the change obviously sucking the energy from his aging body.
“Thank you,” Brandt said, holding out his hand to the Tik’a pack leader.
Peter shook it and then jerked his chin toward Scarlett. “She will be handling all of the pack logistics for the next several weeks.”
I looked at Scarlett for any signs that this was a surprise to her, but she gave nothing away with her expression.
Peter continued, “You are now the alpha of the Callaghan clan and I hope to continue our discussions soon.” He meant discussions about the pack’s rights to some of our land and the voting rights Blaze had not yet granted.
“Of course,” Brandt said with a nod. “I will be in touch very soon.”
“Is everyone okay?” I asked Scarlett. I didn’t think I needed to specify that I was talking about the members of her pack.
“Everyone is fine,” she said with a small smile.
“Good,” I muttered to myself and Brandt wrapped his arm across my shoulder.
“Come on. I have a lot to do tonight,” he said.
While I hoped he just meant time with the two of us, I knew better that. Being alpha meant he had a lot of phone calls to make and loyalties to enforce. The politics of clan business had always been a thorn in my side. But this was the life I’d chosen and I would be the best mate possible to Brandt for as long as we lived.
Obeying the Bear: BBW Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance (The Callaghan Clan Book 1) Page 8
