His to Defend (A BBW Paranormal Shifter Romance)

by Elena Aitken

  Nina grinned, an idea taking shape. “Anything?”

  He squeezed her tighter. “Anything.”

  She didn’t hesitate before she said, “Let’s get married.” She watched carefully while he squeezed his eyes shut for a moment and shook his head. She knew exactly how he felt about marriage. Especially considering he’d only come to the ridge originally to stop Harper and Axel’s wedding.

  It took a minute, but Ryker opened his eyes and grinned. “Let’s do it.”

  “Yes?”

  “A million times…” He kissed her. “Yes.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Two Weeks Later…

  They’d only been gone two weeks, but Nina and Ryker’s return to Grizzly Ridge was cause for celebration. The ladies had hung a banner over the fireplace that read, “Welcome Home” and Kade and Ella had spent the afternoon making the most delicious cake. They passed around glasses of wine and apple juice for the pregnant women and toasted not only Nina and Ryker’s return, but also their relationship.

  After they’d made up, or finally come together—however one looked at it—Ryker had mentioned the job in Switzerland he was going to cancel but Nina wouldn’t hear of it. Instead, they adjusted the flight, bought another ticket and she’d gone with him. They’d packed up and left so abruptly that Harper made her promise to come back as soon as the job was done.

  A promise Nina was more than happy to keep. Not only was she dying to tell her best friend all about the last few weeks, she was looking forward to returning to the ridge, too. It had only been a short time, but she’d fallen for the place almost as hard as she’d fallen for Ryker.

  Almost.

  Their trip had been amazing, not only for the breathtaking scenery and the chance to write uninterrupted while Ryker was out on the peaks capturing the photos that she was sure was going to catapult his career, but mostly because of the time the two of them were able to spend together.

  They fit as a couple so seamlessly that sometimes Nina had to be reminded that they’d only been together a short time. Not that time mattered for anything.

  He was her mate. Her soul mate and as far as Nina was concerned, nothing was going to change that.

  “I’m glad you’re back.” Harper wrapped her arm around her and squeezed. “I missed you. And I think we have a lot to talk about.”

  “We do. And I missed you too.”

  “Tell me everything.”

  Nina laughed. “Switzerland was—”

  “Not Switzerland, silly.” Harper lightly smacked Nina’s arm. “The good stuff. You and Ryker. What on earth happened out there that night?”

  Nina smiled and let her mind float back in memory. “I was upset at first,” she said honestly. “But then I just felt okay, like I knew that we’d be good. I guess I just trusted in what we had and then, there he was.”

  “He was there?”

  She nodded, remembering.

  “And then we—”

  “I don’t need those details.”

  Nina laughed again. “We mated again,” she told her best friend. “Properly.”

  Harper lifted her eyebrows and pulled her into a tight hug. “I’m so happy for you,” she said, her voice thick with emotion. “I never in a million years thought you would find your bear, too. But I’m so glad you did. It’s just…well, it’s different, isn’t it?”

  It was. Nina nodded. “I’ve never been loved this way before,” she admitted. “It’s just so…complete.”

  Harper’s smile was wide as she listened.

  “And,” Nina added. “We’re going to get married. Just like you and Axel.”

  “No way!”

  “What’s a no way?” Chloe, Ella, and Kira joined them in the corner of the room.

  “Nina and Ryker are going to get married.”

  “No way!” Chloe pressed her hand to her chest.

  “Ryker? I thought he—”

  “He doesn’t,” Nina finished for Ella. “Or at least, he didn’t believe in marriage. Things change.”

  “They certainly do.” Chloe pulled her into a hug. “I’m so happy for you. Wait until we tell Bree. She’s really getting into planning these shifter weddings.”

  Nina shook her head. “Is Bree a…”

  “No,” Kira answered. “But she’s lived her whole life here and just kind of knows about us. She’s good with it.”

  “Wow.” There was still so much she needed to learn about Grizzly Ridge and everyone there. But she was looking forward to it.

  Across the room, Nina caught Ryker’s eye. He raised his shoulders in a shrug and she knew he’d just told the guys about the wedding, too. No doubt he’d take quite a ribbing about getting married, but she knew he wouldn’t care. If it made her happy, it made him happy. And although the only thing Nina needed to be happy was Ryker, she couldn’t wait to celebrate that love.

  “This makes you kind of like my cousin,” Kira said. “But I already think of you more like a sister, just like these ladies.” Tears filled her eyes, but she swiped at them. “These babies are making me so emotional. When are you guys going to get married?”

  That was a tricky question, because Nina knew the others had been together longer than Ryker and her. As much as she wanted to do it as soon as possible, she also didn’t want to steal anyone’s spotlight by getting married before them. She looked between the women gathered, unsure of how to bring it up. She needn’t have worried, though because it was Chloe who laughed.

  “Don’t worry about us.”

  “What?” Nina stared at the woman, who was shaking her head.

  “I mean,” Chloe said. “If you’re worried about us wanting to get married before you, don’t be.”

  The others all shook their heads.

  “It’s true, mi amiga. I’m not in a hurry.”

  “But you have a baby coming.” Nina looked to Kira, whose stomach seemed to be growing by the minute. “And you have—”

  “No interest in putting one more thing on the to-do list,” she finished. “I think I’ll be busy enough with two babies. I don’t need to worry about planning a wedding. Seriously, Nina. If you guys are ready, do it.”

  “Oh, what about a Christmas wedding?” Harper clapped her hands. “Think of the trees and the wreaths and…oh, it will be perfect. And maybe Natalia can come back by then.”

  “That would be nice,” Nina said and meant it. Before they’d left, Nina had given Natalia a hug and they’d each apologized to the other for anything that may have been said. They might not ever be best friends, but she was Ryker’s sister, and because of that, she’d always be important to Nina. His brother was a different story altogether but he hadn’t been seen or heard from since he’d left the ridge as suddenly as he’d arrived the day of the wedding. But she couldn’t worry about Liam.

  “What’s going to be nice?” Ryker and the men had joined the women. He put his arm around her and pulled her close before pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Besides living my life with you?”

  Nina shook her head and rolled her eyes, but secretly loved it when he said things like that.

  “A Christmas wedding.” She watched him closely, but she needn’t have worried. He’d never one time reacted negatively to the idea of marrying her.

  He turned and kissed her thoroughly in front of everyone. “If it makes you happy and it means spending the rest of my life with you by my side, I’d marry you tomorrow.”

  Her heart flipped with the idea, but Harper interrupted before she could agree to something as crazy as that. “Christmas it is. I can’t wait.”

  “I think that calls for cake.” Kade disappeared into the kitchen as Luke and Nash set about refilling everyone’s glasses.

  When everything was in place, Axel raised his glass first. “I’d like to be the first to officially welcome you home. You are always welcome here, and I hope you know that Grizzly Ridge will always be your home.”

  Nina and Ryker looked at each other for a moment before turning to Axel, b
ut before they could respond a voice from behind them said, “Wow. Thank you.” Everyone turned to see a blonde-haired woman, her curves wrapped tightly in skinny jeans, with tall black leather boots showing off her legs, and a fitted leather jacket unzipped just enough to show off her ample cleavage. She held a helmet under one arm and a bag in the other. “I didn’t expect a party,” she said. “But damn, I think I’m going to like it here.”

  The stranger dropped the duffel and put her helmet on the table before grabbing an open bottle of wine and, tipping it to her lips, she drank deeply.

  “Whoa.” Luke stepped forward and moved to take the bottle from her hand. “Excuse me, but who exactly are you?”

  “Zoe.” It was Chloe who answered. She stepped forward and stood with Luke, but didn’t take her eyes off the stranger. “My sister.”

  THE END

  * * *

  I hope you enjoyed His to Defend!

  What is Chloe’s little sister doing at the Ridge? And what exactly is she hiding? When she meets sexy, small town cop, Gabe will sparks fly? Or will their pasts be too much for even fated mates to overcome?

  Find out in His to Tame. You can read a sneak peak of that story right after this…

  * * *

  AND…don’t forget to join my mailing list where you’ll be the first to hear about new stories, sales and promotions and giveaways!

  You can join me here —>

  https://elenaaitken.com/newsletter/

  About the Author

  Elena Aitken is a USA Today Bestselling Author of more than forty romance and women’s fiction novels. Living a stone’s throw from the Rocky Mountains with her teenager twins, their two cats and a goofy rescue dog, Elena escapes into the mountains whenever life allows. She can often be found with her toes in the lake and a glass of wine in her hand, dreaming up her next book and working on her own happily ever after with her very own mountain man.

  * * *

  To learn more about Elena:

  www.elenaaitken.com

  elena@elenaaitken.com

  Also by Elena Aitken

  Bears of Grizzly Ridge

  His to Protect

  His to Seduce

  His to Claim

  Hers to Take

  His to Defend

  His to Tame

  His to Seek

  Bears of Grizzly Ridge: Books 1-4

  * * *

  The McCormicks

  Love in the Moment

  Going for the Moment

  Only for a Moment

  One more Moment

  In this Moment

  From this Moment

  Castle Mountain Lodge

  Unexpected Gifts

  Hidden Gifts

  Unexpected Endings - Short Story

  Secret Gifts

  Mistaken Gifts

  Goodbye Gifts

  Tempting Gifts

  Holiday Gifts

  A Castle Lodge Collection (Books 1-5)

  His to Tame—Excerpt

  Please enjoy this sneak peek of Zoe and Gabe’s story in His to Tame!

  * * *

  CHAPTER ONE

  Grizzly Ridge was the most beautiful place Zoe Karrington had been to in years. She could happily spend most of her day walking through the forest or sitting by the edge of the creek with her feet dangling in the cold water. She could do that, too, and more—if it weren’t for her big sister Chloe harassing her every second. She’d finally been able to get a few moments of peace by sneaking away from the main lodge they called the Den—how cute for an eco-lodge run by grizzly bear shifters—and into the woods.

  It wouldn’t be long before Chloe tracked her down and dragged her back to the lodge, demanding some sort of answers about what she was doing with her life, why she was there, and where she’d been. All questions that Zoe did not feel like answering.

  Mostly because she didn’t have any answers that could possibly satisfy Chloe, who’d never done anything wrong in her entire life. And, of course, because Chloe would probably turn around and call their parents. Not that it mattered, not really. After all, Zoe was a grown woman. She could do what she wanted.

  As long as what she was doing didn’t ruffle any feathers.

  She couldn’t help but laugh at herself and her messed-up life. After all, if you couldn’t laugh at yourself, who could you laugh at?

  Zoe gave herself a few more minutes with her bare feet dangling in the cold water, pulling them out right before they went numb. It was already October, which meant that even if the sun was still shining, fall had definitely arrived. She tugged her socks and boots on and jumped to her feet. It was the perfect place to go for a run. To let her bear out and stretch her muscles. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, especially to Chloe, from the little she’d seen so far, Grizzly Ridge was the perfect place for bear shifters.

  Even for a black bear like herself, it might be a good place to settle down and make a life.

  If making a life was what she wanted.

  “Zoe!”

  Right on cue.

  There was no point running—again; her big sister would just find her. Especially considering Zoe had left her motorbike there. And there was no way she was running away from her brand-new Indian Chief Dark Horse motorbike. Not when she’d worked so hard to save up the money to have it custom built, with the sexy matte black paint job. It was everything. At least, it was everything she owned in the world.

  If it meant having a sit-down with Chloe, she’d do it. Besides, she was the one who arrived unannounced at Grizzly Ridge. Maybe she, at the very least, owed Chloe some sort of explanation.

  She pulled her long thick hair back to the crown of her head before letting it fall around her shoulders and took a moment to squeeze her eyes shut and take a deep breath before she turned to face her big sister, who had joined her at the bank of the stream.

  “Hi, Chloe.” Her voice dripped with syrupy sweetness, but Chloe only rolled her eyes.

  “Where have you been?”

  She was taller than her sister, but not by much, and although they were actually very similar in physical stature, Zoe tended to take up a lot more space than her older sister. She always had. As the youngest girl in their family—with two older sisters who got a lot of their parents’ attention—Zoe had learned at an early age that if she wanted anyone to pay attention to her, she better stand out.

  So she did.

  When she was younger, that attention seeking had taken the form of being her parents’ favorite. She was always seeking ways to please them and make them smile or laugh. She frequently put on small performances where she’d sing or play the piano or occasionally act out a play she’d written. In high school, she’d taken her talents to a larger stage and had shone in the spotlight. Zoe had thrived with the attention, but she’d always used her attention for good. She’d been popular and got good grades. She spent her days dreaming of the day she’d fall in love, find her mate, and settle down to raise a house full of babies.

  Unlike most of her friends, or her big sister, Zoe had always looked forward to settling down. It had been her lifelong dream.

  Until lately.

  It had been a slow shift for Officer Gabe Wilder. Just the way he liked them. A lot of police officers thrived on the adrenaline of their shifts, craving some type of crime to take place so they could jump into action. Gabe liked it quiet. He was no stranger to conflict, and had no problem chasing down a perp, breaking up a domestic dispute, taking a drunk and disorderly into custody, or drawing his weapon if the situation called for it. But all that meant was that there was trouble in the valley—his home—and that was the last thing he wanted.

  The quiet Montana mountain valley had become his home just a few years ago and despite the fact that his clan was from the West Coast, the local grizzly shifter community had embraced him as one of their own. It had taken awhile, but he was finally starting to feel at home there, and he didn’t want anything to mess that up. Which was why he’d sworn to serve
and protect the small town of Boulder Creek and the larger area of Jackson Valley, and of course Grizzly Ridge where a lot of his friends lived and ran the area’s most popular, new eco-lodge travel destination.

  But the area was growing, not in small part because of Grizzly Ridge. Their quiet valley was starting to become a more popular tourist destination, and with an increased population came an increase in crime. The days of Gabe’s slow shifts were becoming fewer and further between. Especially considering there were only a handful of officers in the area. No doubt that would be another change.

  Gabe ran his hand over his face and shook his head.

  Change was inevitable.

  But it didn’t mean he had to like it.

  Just then, a call came over the radio that reminded him exactly how much his small town was changing.

  “Officer Wilder? Reports of a domestic disturbance on Fourth.”

  “I’m on it.” Gabe spoke into the radio as he flipped the lights on the top of his cruiser. No point messing with a siren; he was only a few blocks away and given the address, he knew exactly what was going on.

  Sure enough, as Gabe pulled up to the blue and white bungalow with the paint chipping off the porch, and more than one shutter either falling from its hinges or already on the ground, the scene on the front lawn was exactly what he expected.

  Ashley Morris, a young single mom of three, who had a reputation of making all the wrong decisions when it came to her love life, stood on her front lawn, a baseball bat overhead. A man Gabe only vaguely recognized as one of the ranch hands from Blackwood Ranch up the road was on his back, using his elbows and feet fairly unsuccessfully to scoot down the lawn away from what looked like a very pissed-off Ashley.

  “Whoa.” Gabe got out of the car and walked over to the woman. He held his hands in front of him to show he came in peace. Ashley already knew he wasn’t a threat. Gabe had done nothing but help her out when it came to getting rid of men who overstayed their welcome, or for whatever reason got the wrong idea about what it was she was looking for. Which was definitely not a deadbeat boyfriend hanging around causing more trouble than he was worth.