Bear Triplets (Triplet Harems Book 2)

by J. L. Wilder

  “Aspirin,” he said. “Human medicine but works for shifters too. It’ll take some of the pain away, help with the inflammation. Open up.”

  The kid obeyed, Ryder dumping the pills into his mouth before handing over a glass of water. With a swig and a swallow, the pills were down the hatch.

  Stone put his hands on his hips, looking the kid over. The faster shifter metabolism seemed to be working, the kid’s face loosening up as the pills did their work.

  “Alright,” said Stone. “We’re gonna get to the bottom of this bullshit. You’re in some serious trouble right now, and unless you want to make it worse, you’re going to answer every question we ask. Got it?”

  “Yeah...” said the kid. “I...I just...want to see my mom.”

  The brothers regarded one another.

  “So,” said Ryder. “The kid’s got a mom. Not all alone out there.”

  “And where the hell is she?” asked Jack. “Why’s she letting her pup run around in the woods all by himself?”

  They turned their attention to the kid, all waiting for an answer.

  “Because...because she doesn’t know I’m out here.”

  “Ah,” said Ryder. “We got a runaway on our hands.”

  Stone laughed, relieved the situation wasn’t as bad as he thought. “Alright. So you’re not alone. What’s your pack, kid? You gotta have other wolves out there looking out for you besides your mom.”

  He shook his head. “It’s just me and her.”

  Stone raised his eyebrows. This was unusual. It wasn’t uncommon for bears to stick to smaller clans, or to live on their own away from the main group like Stone and his brothers. But wolves were tight. Most of them liked to find strength in numbers, staying nearby to one another.

  “Just you and your mom?” asked Ryder. “Where’s the rest of your pack?”

  The kid looked worried, as if unsure how much he should reveal to these bears he’d just met.

  “Come on, kid,” said Stone. “If we were gonna kill you, we would’ve done it already. Consider this your lucky break.” He glanced down at the kid’s leg. “So to speak.”

  “I...I don’t know where they are. My mom left them and my dad and took me with them. It’s just the two of us.”

  “That’s a bad fucking scene,” said Ryder. “You and your mom have any idea how dangerous these woods are? We’re civilized enough not to kill a kid on his own, but some of the other bear clans...yeah, you got lucky.”

  Jack took another pull of whiskey. “What’s your name? How about we start with that.”

  The kid took in a slow breath. “Sean. Sean of the Stone Tooth clan.”

  “Alright,” said Ryder. “Now we’re getting somewhere.”

  “How about this?” asked Jack. “Why don’t you tell us what the hell you were thinking coming onto property that wasn’t yours and killing our cattle. You have any fucking idea how much those are worth?”

  The kid looked as if he didn’t have any idea how to begin answering the question.

  “I...I don’t know,” he said. “All I want to do is run and hunt. My mom yelled at me, and all I could think to do was leave. Then when I got close to this place, I smelled the cows and...I don’t know! It was like I fell asleep and when I woke up, I was killing them.”

  Stone nodded. Sean looked to be around ten, the age when the urge for males to hunt and kill began to emerge. Kid likely had no control over what he’d done.

  “We need to get him into bed,” said Stone. “Let him rest before we figure out what to do with him.”

  “My mom!” Sean said, worried. “I want to see her!”

  “You’re not going anywhere right now, kid,” said Ryder. “You’re gonna need at least one good night’s rest before you even think about moving.”

  “I don’t wanna stay here!” Sean said. “I want to go home!”

  “If you want to be home,” said Jack, “you shoulda thought of that before you ran off into the woods and did what you did.”

  “The kid’s scared as shit,” said Stone. “Ease up on him.”

  Jack grumbled, going back to his whiskey.

  “Let’s get him into bed,” said Ryder. “Take him to the spare room on the second floor.”

  “Yeah,” said Stone. “Room’s locked up tight—he won’t be able to run off.”

  Sean moaned again as if realizing he’d screwed up and there was nothing he could do about it.

  “Let’s move him,” said Ryder. “Come on.”

  Stone lifted the kid again, fireman-carrying him out of the kitchen and through the first floor of the house, up the stairs to the bedroom. Ryder was close behind, a plate of deer meat in one hand and a glass of milk in the other. Stone set the kid onto the bed, and Ryder put the food on the nightstand.

  Once he was down, Stone checked the windows. They were solid and thick, and there was a padlock to make sure they couldn’t open.

  “I’m in the room next to this,” said Stone. “You need anything, you bang on the wall.”

  Sean nodded weakly as Stone and Ryder took one last look at him before leaving. Ryder fixed another padlock on the door and gave it a pull to make sure it was secure. Once that was done, they went back downstairs to the living room.

  Jack was already there, still working on his whiskey.

  “You’re coddling the kid,” he said. “He needs to know he fucked up.”

  “He needs to heal,” said Stone. “And then we gotta find out who the fuck his mom is.”

  “Right,” said Ryder. “He’s probably lost, doesn’t know how to get back.”

  “And what about the mom? She’s gonna be scared shitless if she can’t find her kid.”

  Ryder nodded. “Nothing to do about it now. In the morning, we get up and see if we can get some answers. The mom might not know it yet, but her boy’s as safe as he can be right now.”

  “Fucking lucky as shit,” said Jack. “If he’d made his way to the main clan grounds and pulled that kind of shit...”

  None of them said a word, knowing what he was thinking. It was something else Stone didn’t care for about his clan—so many of them were ruthless, murderers. Often, he thought of starting his own clan with his brothers, but with no female to mate with, it wasn’t an option. And the females of the clan likely would die before leaving.

  It was something to think about another time.

  “Alright,” said Ryder, snatching the bottle of whiskey out of Jack’s hand. “We sleep and figure this shit out in the morning.”

  “I’ll clean up the kitchen,” said Stone. “Got some shit to think about.”

  Ryder took a pull of the whiskey and whipped it to Stone. Bottle in hand, he started toward the kitchen.

  He cleaned up the mess, putting away the deer meat and placing the dishes and plates into the sink.

  That fucking kid, he thought. Totally out of his depth.

  When he was done, he poured himself a glass of whiskey and sat at the table. He had no idea what was going to happen with Sean and his mom; Stone had a feeling it was going to change he and his brothers’ lives forever.

  CHAPTER 4

  APRIL

  The moment she realized Sean was gone, April was out the door. She searched everywhere, panic running through her as she desperately tried to detect his scent.

  But there was nothing. Fear gripped her as she made a large circle around the property near the cabin.

  “Sean!” she called his name out over and over, but it didn’t do her any good. There was no response, no scent.

  Why the hell did you have to run off? she thought. Why?

  But she knew the answer. She’d come down on him too hard after he’d run off the first time. The boy was almost a man, and the urge to run and hunt grew stronger in him by the day.

  She’d thought she could keep him safe, make sure he stayed close. But April had known in the back of her mind for some time that there wasn’t any way to force his urges down. She’d taken a chance by raising him on her own, no m
ale around to teach him the ways of the wolf. And now she knew she was paying the price.

  April went back to the cabin, drinking some water and forcing down food for the strength she knew she’d need. But food was the last thing on her mind. She knew there’d be no rest, no peace until her son was back in her arms.

  When she was ready, April left the house. Before heading out, she’d packed a small bag of food, along with her phone, in case he called. She took off into the woods, not having any idea where to begin looking.

  An hour passed, then another. She stopped to eat, but as she did, April realized the lack of strength wasn’t from hunger but from the need for rest. Adrenaline had been pumping through her body since she’d realized Sean was gone, and it was taking its toll.

  April knew the woods were no place for a lone wolf to be on her own. Sure, she was a fully grown shifter and could hold her own if a fight were to find her, but between the panic and the fatigue and everything else, she knew she’d be a sitting duck if a clan of bears were to spot her and decide to take her out.

  More time passed, Sean’s scent still absent from the air. As much as she didn’t want to think about it, the idea that she’d never see him again emerged in her mind. It was about the most terrifying thought she could imagine. Everything she did was for her boy, and without him, her life would be nothing.

  She fought back the tears as she continued on. Soon, the sun began to rise, faint beams streaming through the thick bodies of the trees. By this time, she was tired, too tired to think about going on.

  Then she broke through the tree line, gripped by the sight ahead of her.

  It was a ranch. The building was massive, three stories, and surrounded by cattle pens. She sniffed the air one last time, picking up the scent of tobacco and cedar and fresh air before collapsing into an exhausted heap on the soft grass.

  APRIL SCREAMED WHEN she finally awoke. Through bleary eyes, she saw that she was surrounded by three triplets, each of them standing over her.

  “Ah, shit,” said one of them, the man with red hair and a beard to match. “Knew she was gonna do that.”

  April struggled, but quickly realized she was tied to the chair where she sat. “Let me go! Let me fucking go!”

  Through her fear, she remembered Sean, knowing she still hadn’t found the boy. Not only was she tied up, but she was also without her son.

  The redhaired man spoke. “We’re gonna need to put something over her mouth. She’s gonna be screaming like that until we tell her what the fuck is going on.”

  “Yeah,” said the triplet with the shaved head. “Not gonna make much progress if she’s screaming her damn head off.”

  “I’ll do it,” said the one with tattoos all over his arms. “Hold on.”

  April continued to struggle and scream as the man left the room. Through the fear, she sniffed the air, realizing that the men weren’t human, but shifter. It only made her panic more. She could only imagine what a group of shifters would have in mind for a woman like her.

  The man returned with a folded-up piece of cloth. As he wrapped it around her mouth, April opened up and sank her teeth in his rough, large hand.

  “Fuck!” he shouted, pulling his hand back. “Girl fucking bit me!”

  The other two men laughed, but April didn’t find the situation at all funny. The red-haired man took the cloth from the other man’s hand and finished the job, wrapping it around April’s mouth so her screams came out quiet and muffled.

  Once that was done, the three men stood back over her. April hated to admit it, but even through the fear, she noticed that the near identical men were all...hot as hell. They were tall and muscular, each handsome in his own way. And they looked like outlaws, reminding her of some kind of biker-Vikings. They wore jeans and flannel, tattoos here and there on their bodies.

  But sex was the last thing on her mind. She wanted to break free, to take the little rest she’d had to get back out there and find her son.

  “Alright,” said the red-haired man. “We’re gonna start with names. I’m Ryder.” He pointed to the man with the shaved head and a lean, gorgeous face dusted with stubble. “That’s Jack.” Then he gestured to the fully tattooed man, the one with the thick jaw and hard features, his brown eyes fierce and penetrating. “That’s Stone. We’re with the Black Claw clan but...that’s kind of a long story.”

  Stone spoke next. “I’m gonna take the cloth off,” he said. “And if the next words out of your mouth aren’t your name and pack, it goes right back on. Got it?”

  April wanted to resist, but she knew there wasn’t anything to be done. And the longer she spent around the men, the more she began to feel they really didn’t mean her any harm.

  Jack spoke. “You broke onto our property. Seems to be the fucking theme of the last few hours. But we’re not gonna hurt you.” It was like he’d read her mind.

  “Unless you give us a reason to,” said Ryder. “No reason this has to go bad for any of us. Now, cloth comes off, then your name and pack. Got it.”

  She nodded slowly.

  “Good,” said Ryder. “Alright.” He reached forward and slipped the cloth from her mouth.

  April said nothing at first, taking in deep breaths with her freed mouth.

  “April,” she said. “Of the Stone Tooth pack.”

  The three men regarded one another with knowing looks.

  “Stone Tooth,” said Ryder. “Already heard that name once today.”

  April’s eyes went wide. “My son! Sean! Have you seen him?” Her voice was frantic, panicked.

  The men regarded one another again before Ryder raised his hand in a calming gesture.

  “Yeah,” he said. “We’ve seen him. In fact, he’s here now.”

  April didn’t know what to say. She struggled against the restraints, desperate to break free.

  “Hey!” said Stone. “You’re gonna need to calm down. I get this is insane, but it’s crazy for us too.”

  “Where is he?” April shouted. “Is he OK?”

  “He’s fine,” said Jack. “In a shitload of trouble, but he’s fine.”

  The relief that washed over April was like nothing else. Tears formed in her blue eyes as she tried to calm herself down. But she knew it wasn’t over yet. She still had no idea who these men were, or what they had planned for her and her son.

  “He’s fine,” said Ryder. “But if you want to see him, you’re gonna have to be calm while we explain what the fuck happened. You got that?”

  “I...got it,” she said.

  “He’s upstairs,” said Jack. “Last night, he broke onto our property and killed two of our cattle. We chased the kid into the woods, but he hurt himself during the run.”

  “He’s hurt?” asked April, fear returning to her voice.

  “Calm down,” said Jack. “He fractured one of the bones in his leg. It’s not nothing, but with his shifter healing, he should be able to walk after some rest today.”

  “But he won’t be up for serious movement for another couple of days,” said Ryder. “He’s gonna need some rest.”

  “I want to see him,” said April. “I want to make sure he’s OK.”

  The men gave each other another look. “OK,” said Ryder. “You can see him. But don’t do anything stupid, right? He’s gonna rest, and we’re not gonna hurt you. So be smart. Stone, show her where he is.”

  Stone nodded and gestured for April to follow him. Ryder undid the bindings holding her to the chair, and April didn’t waste any time getting up and going with Stone. Her heart raced as she followed him up the stairs and to a locked bedroom.

  “You locked him in?” asked April, anger in her voice.

  “Of course we did. Couldn’t risk the kid running off. I mean, you of all people should get that.”

  April didn’t like his tone, but he made a certain amount of sense. This whole thing started because Sean had run off. Couldn’t blame them for making sure it didn’t happen again.

  Stone slipped a key out of
his pocket and put it into the lock.

  “Now, he’s resting. I know you’re gonna want to talk to him, but the best thing for him is sleep. More sleep means he heals faster. OK? So don’t wake him up.”

  “Please, let me see him.”

  Stone nodded and turned the key. Once the lock was undone, he opened the door.

  April gasped. There on the bed was her son. She rushed to his side, but only when she spotted the red swelling on his leg did she remember what Stone had said. Tears welled in her eyes at the sight of her son, pain in her heart at his injury.

  “Sean,” she said quietly. “You...you scared the hell out of me.”

  Sean continued to sleep, his sweet face still and silent. April had to fight every urge in her body to wake him up and let him know she was there.

  April placed a kiss on his forehead, taking one last long look at him before turning back to Stone.

  “He’s safe here, right?”

  “He’s safe. But he’s in a hell of a lot of trouble. Come on.”

  One more look, then April left the room, Stone shutting and locking the door behind her.

  The other men were in the living room, their eyes latching onto April as she entered. She wasn’t quite sure, but it almost seemed as though they were checking her out.

  And she had to admit, as before, that the men were all gorgeous. She knew bears and wolves were a terrible romantic combination, however, and put the idea out of her head.

  “Come on,” said Ryder. “Sit down. We’ve got some shit to sort out.”

  April nodded and followed Stone onto the couch. As she did, she took in the sight of the place, noting how...nice it was. Whoever these men were, they seemed to have a lot of money. And she could only guess how profitable the ranch was.

  She sat down on the couch, the men seated around her.

  “I’m sorry about what happened. And...thank you for taking care of my boy. You didn’t have to do that.”

  “We didn’t,” said Ryder. “And once he’s healed up, you two are going to set what he did right.”

  April gulped, wondering what that might mean. And try as she best could, April couldn’t ignore how turned on she felt sitting among those handsome, powerful bears.