by T. S. Joyce
“He spent the electric bill money this month to pay the butcher for custom two-foot-long sausages for this shindig. We’re at serious risk of having the power cut off, but at least he can tell a bunch of dick jokes now.”
“Soooo many dick jokes are about to happen.”
“He also painted the sign,” she muttered, nodding her chin toward a hideous highlighter-yellow sign with pink writing. Vyr, Vyr Needs Six Beers. Poet as fuck. MVP Goes to Nox. Nox FULLER in Case You Fuckers Were Confused. Eat my bratwurst.
“He came up with the name of this party himself. Then he and Torren got in a huge fight, and Torren shot him through the calf with a crossbow. Nevada Changed into her fox and nearly ate the baby swans, and Candace’s newest pregnancy craving is olives dipped in peanut butter for breakfast.” Riyah pursed her lips against a pretty smile. “It’s been an eventful morning.”
He nodded his head in agreeance, but it sounded just about like every other morning to Vyr. As long as he lived, he would never take for granted the antics of his crew. He used to get so angry with their behavior, but then he’d spent six months away from them and missed the hell out of this place.
He shoved his door open, and Riyah met him at the front of the truck. They were swarmed by the crews. He kept looking back at Riyah as they were pulled into hugs. He lost track of how many people touched him, but as he was passed from person to person, something shifted inside of him. And he began to hug them back, hesitantly at first, but then it got easier and easier until he made it to his parents.
Mom was already crying. She looked so happy, red hair the same shade as his, shining in the sun, tears streaking down her cheeks, her arm linked in Riyah’s. Tears had always confused him. Mom was saying something to his mate and it was making the tears come faster. To try and understand, Vyr scratched at Riyah’s thoughts.
Mom was thanking her for bringing her son back.
Her son? But the dragon was separate. She’d never lost Vyr, just the Red Dragon for a day.
And when he switched to his mother’s thoughts, he was overwhelmed. He could feel her love for him. And not just the human side, but all of him. She’d always believed in him and his ability to become the man he was. He balked at her thoughts because his heart felt strange. It felt like it had swelled too big for his chest. There was a dull ache. And as he looked around at all the crews of Damon’s Mountains and beyond, he thought perhaps he hadn’t been the outcast he’d imagined.
Why else would they all come to his aid at the prison? Why orchestrate a nation-wide rally in his defense? Why would the dragons keep him from scorching the earth? Why would they pledge to help keep him out of trouble every three weeks when he had to Change?
“Because you are very loved, Vyr,” Riyah whispered, the words rattling around in his head. Her emotional gaze went to something behind him, and when Vyr turned, his father was standing there, stoic as always, his dark hair gone silver at the temples, his white oxford shirt and gray suit pants perfectly crisp. His eyes though…those were silver, and his Adam’s apple moved as he swallowed hard. “I don’t always make the right decisions.”
“You don’t have to explain—”
“I do. Wanting you to serve that sentence…it was never about choosing anyone over you, Vyr. Not the humans, not shifters. You’re my boy. My pride and joy. From the moment I held you, I was so damn proud to have you as my son, and I swore I was going to be a good father for you. If they killed the dragon…” His voice faded, and he lurched toward Vyr, pulled him into a tight hug, clenching his shirt with his fists. “If they had succeeded, I would’ve never forgiven myself. Your dragon isn’t a monster. I hope you know that. He reminds me so much of my own dragon, but when I was young, we had wars that quenched that thirst to burn everything. I was hard on you about controlling the Red Dragon, but I sometimes forget what it’s like for you, having so many eyes on you and having that pressure to be perfect all the time. I don’t want you to be perfect. I want you to be happy.” Damon released his shirt, clapped him on the back roughly and then took a step away, slid his arm around his mate, who was looking back and forth between Vyr and Damon with the mushiest smile.
Vyr’s stupid eyes were leaking, and he needed to get out of here. “I need a moment with my mate.” He turned to leave, but changed his mind and uttered the words he felt before he chickened out. “I love you, Dad.”
“I love you too, Son,” Damon murmured through a slow-growing smile.
Now mom was bawling, so Vyr blew out a breath and nodded to Torren as he passed. His best friend gave him an are-you-okay-and-who-do-I-need-to-fuck-up look, but Vyr shook his head slightly. He would tell him all about that little moment when he had time to sit of the roof of the mansion and think on everything.
He grabbed Riyah by the hand and pulled her toward the edge of the old sawmill. And when they rounded the corner, he scooped her up in a hug and kissed her just to feel steady again. He walked with her like that, holding her, listening to her happy thoughts, absorbing her devotion and love until there was no darkness left in him. Oh, it would come back. The darkness would always come back, but Riyah was light and she never dimmed. She gave and gave, selflessly and without realizing. Not even the apex predator inside of her had dampened her caring nature.
She was hugging his neck so tight, legs wrapped around his waist, completely focused on him, and that had been the plan. Distraction. Because he really did have a surprise for her.
Slowly, Vyr lowered her to the ground and kissed her in little smacks, one, two, three, four. “Remember when you gave me the sky?” he asked her low, swimming in those pretty blue eyes of hers.
“Yes,” she whispered.
Vyr gripped her shoulders gently and turned her toward the orchard of peach trees he’d spent the last three days planting.
“Oh, my gosh,” she whispered, drawing her hands to her face as she scanned the rows of fruit trees. “You planted these for me?” Her voice shook.
“It’s the least I could do,” he said, sliding his arms around her chest and resting his chin on top of her hair. “Thank you for seeing in me what no one took the time to. You kept me fighting in that prison. And then you saved me. You didn’t just give me the sky, Riyah.” He kissed the top of her head and imagined their future stretching on and on. “You gave me everything.”
It wasn’t the mountains that were Vyr’s treasure. It wasn’t freedom. It wasn’t even the crew.
It was Riyah, the light-giver and banisher of soul shadows.
Riyah the witch.
Riyah the polar bear shifter.
Riyah the mate of the Red Dragon.
His Riyah of the Sons of Beasts Crew.
He’d never really been alone, but it took meeting her to realize that. Because of her, he was back in his mountains. Because of her, the dragon lived. Because of her, he had a future, a crew, a home, and a place in this world where people weren’t afraid of him.
Because of her love, Vyr would never be in the dark again.
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Want More of these Characters?
The Sons of Beasts Crew makes its first appearance in the Red Havoc Panthers series
Red Havoc Rogue (Book 1)
Red Havoc Rebel (Book 2)
Red Havoc Bad Cat (Book 3)
Red Havoc Guardian (Book 4)
Red Havoc Bad Bear (Book 5)
More Series by T. S. Joyce
Harper’s Mountains
Bloodrunner Dragon (Book 1)
Bloodrunner Bear (Book 2)
Air Ryder (Book 3)
Novak Raven (Book 4)
Blackwing Dragon (Book 5)
Kane’s Mountains
Blackwing Defender (Book 1)
Blackwing Wolf (Book 2)
Blackwing Beast (Book 3)
Bears Fur Hire
Husband Fur Hire (Book 1)
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br /> Bear Fur Hire (Book 2)
Mate Fur Hire (Book 3)
Wolf Fur Hire (Book 4)
Dawson Fur Hire (Book 5)
Chance Fur Hire (Book 6)
Saw Bears
Lumberjack Werebear (Book 1)
Woodcutter Werebear (Book 2)
Timberman Werebear (Book 3)
Sawman Werebear (Book 4)
Axman Werebear (Book 5)
Woodsman Werebear (Book 6)
Lumberman Werebear (Book 7)
Fire Bears
Bear My Soul (Book 1)
Bear the Burn (Book 2)
Bear the Heat (Book 3)
Gray Back Bears
Gray Back Bad Bear (Book 1)
Gray Back Alpha Bear (Book 2)
Gray Back Ghost Bear (Book 3)
Gray Back Broken Bear (Book 4)
Lowlander Silverback (Book 5)
Last Immortal Dragon (Book 6)
Boarlander Bears
Boarlander Boss Bear (Book 1)
Boarlander Bash Bear (Book 2)
Boarlander Silverback (Book 3)
Boarlander Beast Boar (Book 4)
Boarlander Cursed Bear (Book 5)
Wolf Brides
Wolf Bride (Book 1)
Red Snow Bride (Book 2)
Dawson Bride (Book 3)
For More from this Author
Visit www.tsjoyce.com for a full reading list.
About the Author
T.S. Joyce is devoted to bringing hot shifter romances to readers. Hungry alpha males are her calling card, and the wilder the men, the more she'll make them pour their hearts out. She lives in a tiny town, outside of a tiny city, and devotes her life to writing big stories. Foodie, bear whisperer, ninja, thief of tiny bottles of awesome smelling hotel shampoo, nap connoisseur, movie fanatic, and zombie slayer, and most of this bio is true.
Bear Shifters? Check
Smoldering Alpha Hotness? Double Check
Sexy Scenes? Fasten up your girdles, ladies and gents, it’s gonna to be a wild ride.
For more information about T. S. Joyce and her work, visit her website here.
