All Roar and No Bite

by Celia Kyle

  She moved to rise, but Anna wrapped her fingers around Lauren’s wrist. “No, wait. In the movies, the girl who investigates the weird sounds first always dies. I’ll go check.”

  Lauren glared at Anna. “So you can die first? How fair is that?”

  “What, you wanna go?”

  “Well, I don’t wanna die, but I don’t see the connection between a thump in the back of my house and an idiot girl in the movies.” She rolled her eyes.

  “Your house? So you’re staying?” Anna grinned and Lauren answered with one of her own.

  Then rolled her eyes because they were getting off track. “I still need to see where the hell that sound came from. For all we know, Parker’s trying to wiggle in through the window and got stuck.”

  Anna raised her eyebrows. “That’s happened.”

  “Yeah,” she sighed. “He feels bad and has been trying to bring me breakfast in bed to apologize. His pop does that for his mim when she gets mad at him, though he does admit he doesn’t know why they make weird noises after that.” Lauren snickered and remembered the Itana’s bright red face when the little cub admitted that aloud. “Anyway, lemme go.”

  Anna sighed. “Fine, I tried to warn you. You shall be yet another too stupid to live casualty of the film industry.”

  “I’ll be the best idiot on the screen.” She rolled her eyes and turned back to the hallway and froze. “Shit.”

  “What?” Anna peeked around her, her friend pressed against her back. “Oh, shit.”

  Panic built inside her, boiling and bubbling in her stomach and radiating through her body. How odd was it that she was so used to bears now, used to the animals that weighed over a ton, but she freaked out over a simple hunk of metal?

  Well, a hunk of metal held by a man. Okay, not a man in the literal sense, but a man-shaped bear. Fuck it, her ex-landlord was in her damn house with a fucking gun and he looked extremely pissed.

  Lauren gulped, staring at the man while she tried to keep the panic at bay. “Wh-what are you doing here, Brubaker?” She clutched Anna’s arm and eased her friend behind her. “How’d you get in?”

  Brubaker smiled, exposing near rotted teeth. “Got a little help getting in. As for why…” He waved his gun. “You and me got some business. It just happens to go along with those other guy’s.” He strode forward, a swagger in his steps as he eased closer. “You got the Itan after me. Wanting me to clean up my act. Fining me for not coming to gatherings and shit.”

  Lauren nudged Anna back, trying to put more space between them and Bru. “Look, it wasn’t me. I just wanted my shit. Having the Itana with me was an accident. I didn’t know you’re a bear.”

  He shrugged. “Doesn’t change anything. I still gotta deal with the Itan’s shit until he’s taken care of and the man still wants you gone.”

  “Taken care of?” She needed to stall him. There had to be a nearby bear who’d recognize the strange scent, right? Bru had apparently been absent from the clan for a while. He wasn’t familiar to the members. What was the point of having the super sniffers if they didn’t use them? “What’s gonna happen?”

  Anna tripped on a piece of furniture, stumbling a little and bringing Bru’s attention on her. “I got you, and I got another pretty, huh?” Brubaker leered at Anna. “They didn’t say what I should do with an extra.”

  “What’s gonna happen to Ty? What are you supposed to do to me, Bru?” Lauren’s heart was gonna burst from her chest, explode right then and there.

  He shrugged. “Kill you. The Itan is someone else’s problem. Something about that Alpha and causing a dumb assed blood war.”

  So simple. Two words strung together like any other. “How?”

  She’d address the issue with Ty and the Alpha once she got out of this mess alive. She shuffled along the wall, drawing him with her. The massive glass doors were ahead. She hoped if she could lure him in front of them, someone would see the male.

  “Who told you? Did they say how? Are you their puppet?”

  “Brubaker Jones isn’t a puppet! Especially not to some mamby-pamby high and mighty mayor.” The man growled, his shoulders widening as more of his bear came out to play.

  Goody. Well, at least she knew who wanted her dead. Not that it was a surprise or anything.

  Anna whimpered and shrunk against Lauren. She wanted to do the same thing, but somebody had to be in front. Instead of cowering, she kept them moving, dodging furniture while weaving their way across the room.

  “Quitcha moving. I’m not supposed to touch anything. You keep moving and I’ll hit something and then the plans for shit.” Bru growled then, his free hand forming a fist.

  “Sorry. Don’t want to ruin your plan to kill me.” She dropped as much sarcasm as she dared into the sentence.

  “You’re an uppity bitch, aintcha?” He waved the gun, muzzle encompassing her body as it swung. “I know why the high and mighty asshole wants ya dead. What about the other guy? What’s so special ’bout you?”

  “The other?” Good god, did she really piss off that many people that they wanted her dead? Right, he’d said “other guy’s.” Apparently she had pissed off at least two men.

  “The wolf. Why’d he want you—?”

  A shower of glass hit Lauren, the doors shattering as a massive form flew through the barrier. The furred body destroyed the panels, smashing them into a million pieces as it bulldozed its way into Van’s home. It knocked over furniture when it slid to a stop before her, the bulk shielding her and Anna from Bru.

  A handful of low pops filled the room and the bear roared, the sound bouncing off the wooden walls. It rose to its hind legs, stretching to its full height.

  She finally realized why the ceiling was so high. Huh.

  The snap of bone reached her, telling her Brubaker initiated his own change, but the newcomer was already on him, his teeth and claws going after Bru with intent focus. Brubaker tried to dodge the bear, tried to move around the furniture cluttering the living room, but couldn’t escape.

  Blood coated the shined floors, both Brubaker’s and the stranger’s, dyeing the wood red. Dark patches covered their savior, the telling spots letting her know just how hurt the bear was.

  Bru shot again, three muzzle flashes followed by the pop and thump when the bullets found home. The asshole. The asshole was shooting at the man who’d saved them.

  Lauren shoved Anna toward the kitchen, pushing her through the doorway. “Call for help.”

  Then she turned back to the battle.

  Bru was still working through his shift, pieces of him transformed into his bear while others remained human. Their savior wasn’t giving the man time to concentrate, to truly call on his animal.

  Good.

  The bear fought to keep up with the mostly human Bru, pushing and shoving his way past the larger pieces of furniture that marred his path.

  And Bru… Well, he was focused on the bear.

  Which meant he didn’t notice Lauren grab a fire poker. He didn’t realize she stood behind him. And he definitely hadn’t expected her to nail him in the head with the rod.

  She brought it down as hard as possible, intent on knocking his half-furry ass out. The metal collided with his skull with a dull, reverberating thunk, sending painful vibrations up her arms. Brubaker turned toward her, shock filling his gaze for a brief moment before his eyes rolled up, exposing only the whites. He fell in a boneless heap, body collapsing into a pile of bloodied arms and legs.

  The bear snarled at her, baring his fangs, and he dug his claws into the wood. She was sure bloodlust still rode the man hard, it was one thing Van warned her about when it came time for hunts and gatherings. Werebears were always a little more bear than man when a lot of blood was involved.

  “Nice bear.” She slowly lowered the fire poker, easing it to the ground with great care. “You don’t wanna eat me, right? I’m so totally not tasty. Very fatty. Not worth the trouble or anything.”

  The bear glared at her a moment and then huf
fed what almost sounded like a laugh. Then the slow, agonizing process of his shift began. Fur receded to expose torn flesh, holes peppering his shoulders and arms as well as one in his side. She kept hunting for others as his transformation continued, but she stopped her exploration when she got to his junk. He could tell her about any injuries farther south.

  One thing she did notice about the male that surprised her more than anything was the identity of her savior.

  “Charles.”

  The man groaned, stumbling a tiny bit, and Lauren rushed forward to help him. She forced him to lean into her, dragging one of his arms across her shoulders. He was a hell of a lot taller than her, but they made it work as she eased him toward the dining room. It was the one place that hadn’t been destroyed by the battle.

  “Anna!” No sooner had her friend’s name left her lips before she came running into the room, phone in hand.

  “I called the house, they’re on their way.”

  Lauren nodded. “Good. Tell them Charles is hurt and grab some towels from beneath the sink.” In the meantime, she ripped her own shirt up and off, anxious to press it against his wounds.

  “Your mate is gonna finish the job that asshole started if he comes in here and sees you topless.” He hissed when she shoved the fabric against the largest of the wounds. “Especially after…”

  “Good thing he’s at work, then.”

  “Sorry ’bout that, by the way.”

  Nice of him to be sorry for being a total freak. Then again, he’d saved their ass and Lauren figured she could forgive a lot. She just wouldn’t be around the guy alone. Like, ever.

  Voices and the pounding of the heavy males running through the house reached her, and she let a little of the tension inside her ease. Help. They had help now. Which meant she could freak out.

  Soon, even.

  As soon as she took care of one last thing. “Charles?”

  He grunted when she shifted the cloth. “Yeah?”

  “Make sure they ask Bru about a wolf and Ty. The mayor wanted me dead, but wolves are doing something to mess up things between the clan and pack.”

  “Why don’t you?”

  She swallowed hard, pushing back the nausea and darkness that threatened. She wasn’t sure which of the two would win, but one of them would in the next few minutes. So much blood. “I’m gonna…” She swayed, head seeming to float above her. “…pass out first.”

  * * *

  Van fought the urge to wipe the smile off Morgan’s face. Barely. The asshole had been being a dick since the moment he’d walked through the door.

  After the last meeting in Ty’s office, it’d been decided that they’d get together on neutral ground and the Itan and Alpha would coordinate get-togethers. Things were too important to be ruined by internal posturing and politics. The two would be able to continue coordinating efforts, but strict guidelines were in place.

  Van was a little disappointed considering he’d wanted an excuse to kick Morgan’s ass. Deep down, he knew Morgan was behind the lurking wolves and the attempt on Lauren’s life.

  Instead of gutting the wolf, he got to sit across a table from him in a supposedly neutral home.

  Supposedly. Because it smelled a little too wolfy for Van’s tastes, a little like the pack’s Alpha. He couldn’t imagine Reid doing anything to threaten their tentative peace, but the scent simply urged him to remain on guard.

  The bear was ready and pacing. It definitely didn’t like Morgan.

  “My Itan and your Alpha,” Van began and ignored Morgan’s snort. “Have agreed to a final evacuation plan.”

  Van opened his folder and pulled out two copies of Ty’s notes. He’d taken his brother’s chicken scratch and created a bullet pointed list for him and Morgan to review. He also snared his listing of the remaining families to cross reference with the injured and sick in the hospitals.

  “First, we need to grade the remaining medical cases and rate them in order of removal.” He clicked his pen, ready to take notes. “Justin Montgomery is a quarter shifter and suffers from—”

  “Non-issue.” Morgan’s voice was flat, devoid of emotion. “Taken care of.”

  He forced himself to take a deep, calming breath and let it out slowly. “Where did you move them?”

  He shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. They’ve been gone for over a week. Before your little Itan met with Reid.”

  He was going to be sick. “Melissa Slade—”

  “Non-issue.”

  His bear roared, clawing and scraping at him. Melissa Slade had a rough pregnancy and had been hospitalized for a list of problems related to her pup. He’d been notified that she gave birth four days ago.

  “Since when?” The animal struck him, pushed against him, demanded to be released because it knew the fucking answer to that question already.

  “The day of the meeting. The meeting, which I did not attend.” The dick didn’t look a bit sorry about that fact.

  Van took a deep breath and rolled his head, loosening his neck. He needed to relax, stay clear headed through the meeting. He could destroy something later.

  “What the fuck is wrong with you?” His skin prickled, burning with the stretch and pull of his beast.

  “Me?” Morgan rose, placing his fists on the tabletop as he leaned forward and glared at Van. “I’m not some pussy bear. I get shit done. I protect my pack from pieces of shit like those fucking hyenas. I’ve got the balls to do what needs doing.”

  Van stood so fast his chair went flying behind him, skittering over the floor. “You disgusting, sadistic fuck.” Spittle flew from his mouth as he spoke, fury pulsing through him with every word. “You’re nothing but a twisted killer.”

  “Fuck yeah, I am. The order was a purge, bear.” Morgan sneered the last word. “What the hell did you think would happen? You and your pussy clan don’t have the balls to do their jobs so the wolves took care of it. We fucking took out the hyenas when you needed help. Their blood was on our claws, not yours. Now suddenly you’re getting a fucking conscience?”

  He flexed his fingers, fighting the need to shift. His digits stretched and knuckles cracked, his bones attempting to lengthen and reform into claws. Van admitted the wolves had been an integral part of the fight against the hyenas, but they’d all fought the twisted, evil parts of the pack. Not pregnant women and teens. “Those weren’t our orders and you know it.”

  “Fuck you. Read between the lines.” Morgan pointed at himself. “I protect my pack and I got those hyenas out of here.”

  “That’s not what your Alpha ordered and you know it.” Van knew as sure as he breathed. He’d met Reid on many occasions. The man was cold, but he wasn’t heartless.

  “Sometimes an Alpha doesn’t know what’s good for him. Sometimes an Alpha is just fucking soft and needs to be taken out.” Morgan twisted his neck, popping a line of vertebrae before turning golden eyes on Van. “Sometimes it’s time for new blood.” The wolf licked a slowly lengthening fang. “I’m going to take yours and then, when the time is right, I’ll take his. The plan is in play. Ty’s going to fall beneath wolf claws. It’ll look like Reid did it, and then I’ll challenge my Alpha for leadership. Fucking perfect.”

  The bear was ready for the challenge, ready to tear into the wolf who’d hurt so many, who’d probably killed entire families in the clan’s name and who planned on fucking with his brother. “C’mon then.”

  He stepped away from the table, tearing at his clothes as he fought to hold the change back until he was nude. No sense in ruining his shirt or jeans. He’d need them once he finished slicing and dicing this asshole.

  Morgan had no such worries. He let his shift ripple through him, his wolf bursting forward and shredding his clothing in seconds.

  Van wasn’t worried. He’d trained for things like this. The wolf’s change was fast, but Van’s was faster. It’d be even quicker since the bear was more than eager to burst free.

  His shirt floated from his fingertips, the fabric drifting away,
and then he was a bear. Quick and painless. His human body expanded, exploded, and folded in on itself to become the bear. Faster than a blink, he embraced his animal.

  The speed surprised Morgan, the wolf stilling as he caught sight—or rather didn’t—of Van’s change. With the man distracted, he batted the table out of the way, giving him a clear shot at the wolf.

  He’d tear into him, slice and dice the asshole. He’d done his best to undermine their tenuous peace, intended on wresting the pack from Reid, and had already admitted to killing families in Boyne Falls. How many others suffered the same fate? How many others fell beneath Morgan’s claw for no reason other than his enjoyment? Now he wanted Ty?

  Those questions enraged his beast even more, and he released a wall-shaking roar. The sound enveloped the home, bouncing and echoing off every surface.

  Morgan merely snarled and darted forward, snapping at him without connecting. Testing him. Van didn’t care. Let the puny animal try to take him out. Let him try to—

  “Stop.” The voice was familiar, deep and commanding, and a wash of power rolled over him. It paused around him for a moment, but the bear shrugged it off. It wasn’t his Itan’s order, so screw it and the shapeshifting horse it rode in on.

  It did, however, have an effect on Morgan. The wolf froze, its lips still pulled back and exposing his fangs, growl still rumbling. Yet, he didn’t move. He remained immobile as the source of the word stepped into view.

  A tall, broad shouldered, and menacing male stepped from the shadows.

  Reid Bennett.

  Without a care in the world, he sauntered up to Morgan, slowly making his way around the shattered table. He squatted near the wolf, bringing his face eye level with the beast.

  “Shift.” One word and yet again that dominance radiated from the Alpha.

  With a whimper, Morgan did as ordered, his body slowly transforming from wolf to human. What had previously been swift and fluid, was now harsh and rough, and filled with jerky spasms as pieces changed.

  The man fought his Alpha’s order with every breath in his body. And it didn’t work. Reid was too strong and Morgan obviously wasn’t in the same league as his Alpha. A few minutes later, a panting, sweat-covered Morgan lay on the ground, his nude body glistening and trembling with exertion.