“D-don’t kill me,” the man stammered. “I...I won’t fight back. I can tell the cops everything. I’ll tell them the truth.”
Zack snarled. He didn’t want to hear another word. He just wanted to kill.
He charged forward to deliver the killing blow, but Dean ran forward and stood in front of the man.
Zack roared at his big brother. Dean had shifted to human form and was holding his arms out to block him from the cowering man. “Stop!” Dean shouted. “Stop, Zack! It’s over! He’s not fighting you.”
Zack snarled at Dean. He forced his angry bear down and took human shape. His claws were still out.
“Get out of the way, Dean,” he growled.
“No.”
“I’ll kill him,” Zack snarled.
“Just calm down and step back.”
Zack raised his arm, his claws hovering above Dean’s neck. “I said move!”
“I’m not moving,” Dean answered. “You’re going to have to fight me.”
Zack lowered his hand slowly. Dean kept his eyes on him and addressed the man over his shoulder, “You, what’s your name?”
“Yakob. I...I have all Trafford’s messages in my phone. I’ll show them to the cops. Trafford and Karina planned everything. We were just carrying out the orders.”
Dean nodded. “All right, Yakob. You tell the cops the truth, and you get to live. But if you...”
“I’ll tell the truth, and nothing but the truth!” Yakob said, raising his hands. His Alpha and pack were dead. It would be foolish of him not to save his own hide.
Zack turned away and let his brother handle that scumbag. He ran to Renee and found her huddled under a tree.
Hugging her tight, he kissed her tear-streaked face again and again. “It’s over, everything is over,” he said.
Renee sobbed into his shoulder. “Thank God you found me. I...I thought I’d never see you again,” she cried. She looked up at him and whispered, “How did you…?”
“You are my mate,” Zack said. “I could sense that you were in trouble. It took my bear some time to track you, but Dean helped me. I called him once I realized that you never made it home.”
Renee sniffed and wiped her eyes roughly. She stared at Karina’s body and shook her head. “I didn’t want to kill her. I was just trying to defend myself...”
“She gave you no choice,” Zack said tersely. “She would have killed you.”
Renee winced. “She...she loved you.”
“No. She didn’t.”
“She was willing to kill for you, Zack...”
“No.” Zack held her shoulders and looked unwaveringly at her. “Karina was doing it for herself. For her own pride and ego. That’s not love.”
Renee looked up as Dean approached with Yakob. She jerked back when she saw Yakob. “You...you’re the driver...”
Yakob lowered his head and grimaced. “I was just following orders.”
Dean put a hand on Zack’s shoulder and said, “I’ve called the cops. Yakob will tell them everything. An ambulance is on the way as well. Go with Renee to the hospital.”
Zack snapped at his brother, “I told you to wait in the car, Dean. You shouldn’t have followed me into the forest.”
“I am never letting my brother go into the dark woods alone,” Dean answered grimly
Zack fell silent as he read the regret in Dean’s eyes. Years ago, Dean failed to stop their brother Max from running out of the house and into the woods. He had lost one brother. He wasn’t going to lose another.
Zack stood and grabbed Dean in a sudden, fierce hug. “Thanks,” he said gruffly.
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
“Congratulations, Mr and Mrs Howell,” the nurse said, placing the baby gently in Renee’s arms.
“Thank you.” Renee beamed at her newborn son and looked up at Zack with tears in her eyes. “Isn’t he beautiful?” she whispered.
“He’s perfect,” Zack said proudly, kissing the top of her head. He put his arms around his son and mate, holding the two most precious people in his life close.
Renee smiled and rested her cheek on Zack’s shoulder. She closed her eyes and felt Zack kiss her nose. He had done that on their wedding day as well. He had kissed her nose before slipping the wedding ring on her finger.
Exhaling a sigh, Renee recalled their wedding day. They’d flown out to a beautiful, quiet, picturesque island with Kimberly and Dean. A minister had solemnized their marriage, and there were no nosy tabloid reporters and gossip columnists present. Just Dean, who was Zack’s best man, and Kim, her maid of honor.
She had gotten married in paradise, and she thought that was the happiest day of her life.
But now, with her tiny son nestled in her arms and her mate by her side, Renee felt as if her heart was about to burst with happiness. She was the luckiest, happiest woman in the world right now.
There was the sound of a scuffle at the door and Renee looked up in surprise. Kimberly and Dean were jostling and elbowing each other, trying to be the first through the door. Renee laughed as her sister and brother-in-law burst into the hospital room together and skidded to her bedside.
They oohed and aahed at their brand new nephew before congratulating the proud parents.
“Oh, look at him!” Kim exclaimed. “What a sweetheart! Can I hold him? Please, please, please?”
Renee handed the baby over and Kim cuddled her nephew lovingly. Dean hovered at her shoulder and made funny noises as he tickled the baby under the chin. Dean’s zealous attempts to attract his nephew’s attention finally paid off.
The little boy opened his eyes and stared at his aunt and uncle with his dazzling blue eyes.
“Ooh, he’s looking at me!” Dean cried excitedly.
“No! He’s looking at me,” Kim retorted. “Hello, you! I’m your Aunt Kim. And this is your Uncle Dean.”
The baby opened his mouth and made a tiny sound. “He just smiled at me,” Dean said, thumping his chest. “Me! I’m his favorite uncle!”
Kim sat at the edge of the bed while Renee nursed the baby. “Have you heard the news?” Kim asked. “The Mayor just resigned.”
Renee stared at her sister. “Oh! That’s a pity. Georgette Eve was a good Mayor.”
“But a lousy mother,” Kim said, making a face. “She shouldn’t have let Karina...”
“Karina was a grown woman. She made her own choices. It’s unfair to put all the blame on her mother,” Renee said. “Karina led a very privileged life. She could have used her position and wealth to do so much good. Instead...”
She trailed off and shook her head. “The press blew the whole thing up, and sensationalized the case. Georgette Eve was under a lot of pressure. She had nothing to do with my kidnapping. Hopefully she’ll be left in peace now.”
There was a long silence before Kim piped up. “At least they put the other guy behind bars.”
“Yakob confessed, didn’t he?” Renee said, turning to Zack. “Wasn’t there a plea bargain?”
“Yes,” Zack said. “Yakob pleaded guilty to a lesser charge. He revealed everything and told the police that Karina and Trafford were the masterminds behind the kidnapping. The evidence was recorded on his phone.”
Renee shuddered involuntarily and clutched her precious son tighter to her breast. She tried her best not to dwell on her harrowing ordeal, but on some nights, her mind would replay the bloody images in her mind as she slept.
Her nightmares were becoming less frequent and vivid, and she hoped that in time, those horrific images would gradually fade and disappear forever.
Renee wanted her son to grow up in a safe, bright and beautiful world, a world without monsters, pain and darkness.
She wished she could keep him safe all the time, but she knew that her little boy would grow up and he would have to live his life and fight his own battles.
Zack pulled his mate and son into his arms and embraced them. He could sense her conflicted emotions, and he could feel the fierce love she felt for their
“I will do everything to protect you and our son. I promise you, our son will grow up to be just as strong and brave as his mother,” Zack said. “He won’t ever fight alone. He has us.”
“And us!” Kim and Dean interjected. “His Aunt Kim and Uncle Dean won’t let anyone mess with their nephew!”
Renee blinked back tears as her sister and brother-in-law crowded round to hug them. Her son gurgled in her arms and appeared to be laughing along with them.
The world wasn’t perfect. Life could knock you down, but it could also build you up.
Renee had gone through enough trials and heartbreak to know that. She had experienced pain, sadness and heartache.
But she’d also found the truest, purest love and experienced the most profound joy.
Renee hugged her wonderful family. “This is the happiest day of my life!”
“That’s what you said on your wedding day!” Kim teased her and laughed.
“I know.” Renee smiled and kissed her son and mate.
As long as they were together, every day was the happiest day of her life.
Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed BILLIONAIRE BOSS BEAR, I hope you'll leave a review to help other readers find it. Thank you so much and I really appreciate all your wonderful support!
Love,
Natalie xxx
Here’s a list of my other books. I hope you’ll enjoy them as well!
HEARTS ON FIRE
The Werewolf's Baby
The Dragon Tycoon's Bride
The Dragon’s Match
The Wolf’s Mate
STORM DRAGONS (Scifi Alien Weredragon Romance)
VORIK
WOLVES HOLLOW
Alpha Next Door (Book 1)
Beta's Baby (Book 2)
BRIDES fur BEARS
Bad Bear (Book 1)
Brave Bear (Book 2)
Brash Bear (Book 3)
Big Bear (Book 4)
Mail-Order Bear (Book 5)
Dating Agency Bear (Book 6)
Guardian Bear (Book 7)
GRAY BEARS series
Marrying The Bear (Book 1)
Loving The Bear (Book 2)
Mating The Bear(Book3)
Tempting The Bear (Book 4)
Taming The Lion (Book 5)
Embracing The Lion (Book 6)
GRIMM BEARS (Fairytale Shifters)
Red and the Bear (Book 1)
Snow and the Bear (Book 2)
Gretel and the Bear (Book 3)
BEAR HEAT series
Bear's Bride (Book 1)
Bear's Kiss (Book 2)
Bear's Claim (Book 3)
Bear's Baby (Book 4)
Bear's Heart (Book 5)
Bear's Match (Book 6)
DRAGON HEAT
Taken by the Billionaire Dragon (Book 1)
Desired by the Billionaire Dragon (Book 2)
BEAR BRIDES
A Bride For The Bear
A Date For The Bear
A Wife For The Bear
A Mate For The Bear
Billionaire Bear Shifters Romance
Taken By The Bear
Owned By The Bear
Saved By The Bear
MISTY VALLEY SHIFTERS
Growl For Me
Fight For Me
Purrfect For Me
MATE series
Alpha Mate
Bear Mate
Vampire Mate
Wolf Mate
Wild Mate
Dark Mate
Blood Mate
BEAR COVE (A Small Town Love Story)
Bear My Heart
NORTH WOLVES
To Kill A Wolf
About the Author
Natalie Kristen is a writer who enjoys mixing the sweet with the spicy, the light with the dark, the possibilities with the unimaginable. She enjoys exploring paranormal and dystopian worlds, deep desires and inspiring romances. She is hopelessly addicted to coffee, chocolate, reading and writing. She loves to hear from readers so please feel free to follow her on Twitter and Facebook, or visit her blog for the latest news and updates.
Don't forget to Follow her page on Amazon for new releases!
www.amazon.com/Natalie-Kristen/e/B00B9Q9OSI
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/NatalieKristenBooks
Blog:
nataliekristen.blogspot.com
Twitter:
@NatKristenBooks
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