by Lynn Hagen
Bobby Ray opened the cabin door and waved Noel in. “Rising.”
The room tilted sideways as Noel passed out.
Chapter Two
Bobby Ray stared at his sleeping mate. Noel had been out since last night. He was anxious for the human to wake so they could talk and have a lot more sex. He still couldn’t figure out why Noel had passed out in the first place.
Maybe he had because of the bite. Bobby Ray hadn’t been able to help himself. His bear had taken over, and the next thing he knew, he was sinking his canines deep.
Soon Noel would go through the mating heat again, and his body would change so Noel could conceive—if Noel hadn’t conceived already because, damn, their hot sex session in the woods had been mind-blowing.
Bobby Ray grinned. “I’m gonna be a daddy.” Then he frowned. What if Noel went apeshit when he found out what would happen? Bobby Ray was no good with panicky, tearful men.
He studied Noel’s sleek, blondish-brown hair and thought of his light green eyes. He grew hard just thinking about what they’d done in the woods.
A knock sounded on his door. Bobby Ray covered Noel with a sheet, then went to see who would die.
Walker stood on his porch, resting his arm on the doorframe. “Just checking to make sure your mate didn’t gut you in the woods and take off.”
Bobby Ray scowled. “You know better than to come here. Noel’ll be going through the mating heat again when he wakes up.”
One of Walker’s brows rose. “Wakes up? He’s still asleep?”
Bobby Ray shrugged. “More like he fainted, then probably slept from there.”
Walker burst out laughing. “Only with you, Bobby Ray.”
He slammed the door in Walker’s face. Bastard. Bobby Ray spun when he heard a quick intake of breath. Noel was crouched on the couch, his gaze bouncing everywhere. Great, now he had to deal with a terrified mate.
“Where the hell am I?” Noel inched off the couch, then ran to the other side of the living room. He went for his backpack, but Bobby Ray beat him to it. He opened the bag, examining the contents.
Bobby Ray pulled out a small Taser. “Is this what you were going for?”
“Give me my backpack,” Noel snapped.
Bobby Ray tucked the weapon back inside and handed the bag over.
Noel took it, his brows furrowed. “You’d give this to me knowing I have a Taser?”
Bobby Ray grinned. “A few summers ago, Wade—one of my brothers—thought it would be fun if we tasered each other. You could try to use it on me, but fair warning, it just might turn me on.”
Noel’s jaw dropped. “You’re one pancake short of a stack, aren’t you?”
The human wasn’t trying to rip Bobby Ray’s clothes off. Shouldn’t he be going through the mating heat again? Why did he stand there as though he wasn’t ready to jump Bobby Ray’s bones?
“Lift your shirt.”
Noel crinkled his nose. “I don’t think so.”
“You just got fucked in the woods last night, and liked it, judging from the sounds you made. Why’re you embarrassed to show me your stomach?”
If Noel had a faint line running from his navel to his groin, then he was pregnant. Damn, that would’ve been fast. Bobby Ray wanted to pat himself on the back for being so virile, if that was the case.
Noel set his bag down and lifted his shirt. “Happy?”
Bobby Ray’s heart bounced in his chest. Sure enough, the faint conception line was there. From what he remembered, Clint’s mate had taken days to conceive. Everyone in a five-mile radius had smelled Dane’s heat. In truth, the scent had made Bobby Ray horny as fuck.
But Noel wasn’t in heat. He was pregnant already.
“Happy as fuck,” Bobby Ray said as his grin grew. He’d always imagined having a mess of cubs, and hot damn, he was about to have his first.
“You’re weird.” Noel lowered his shirt. “Now tell me where I am so I can get out of here.”
“Naw, Sugar. You aren’t going anywhere.” Bobby Ray sauntered over to him. “Got my cub in your oven.”
A burst of laughter broke from Noel’s throat. “Say what?”
Bobby Ray pointed to Noel’s stomach. “You’re pregnant.”
“And you need a straitjacket.” Noel picked up his backpack and pulled it on. “It was fun, but I’m outta here.”
He liked Noel’s sense of humor. Bobby Ray crossed his arms over his chest. “You’re fifty miles from Grizzly Ridge, and there’re wolves, leopards, and lions roaming these mountains, not to mention other wild animals. The roads branch off in every direction. You’ll starve to death before you make it back to town, and that’s if you ever find your way.”
Noel pulled his phone out, then smiled. “I have service. I’ll just call my brother and—” He frowned and tucked his phone back into his pocket.
Bobby Ray didn’t like the scent of fear that filled the room. Was Noel still afraid of him, or did it have something to do with his brother? “Why didn’t you make the call?”
It wasn’t as if this brother would be able to find where Bobby Ray lived anyway.
“Look, I just need to get home, okay? I have responsibilities, and if I don’t give Bart my share of the rent…” Noel headed for the door. Bobby Ray didn’t stop him.
He would have, at one time. Before his father was killed four months ago, Bobby Ray had lived in fear of his old man. If Clarence had still been around, he would’ve tied Noel to the bed to ensure he didn’t leave the house.
Instead, he followed him outside.
Walker was lounging twenty feet from Bobby Ray’s porch, soaking up the morning sun in his bear form.
Noel stopped on the porch and gaped at Walker. “T–there’s a bear in your front yard.”
“There’re four more around here somewhere.” Bobby Ray leaned against the porch railing. “Clint is probably chasing King around or cooking Dane something to eat, and there’s no telling where the others are.”
Noel waved his hands. “Wait, what? How can a bear cook food?”
Bobby Ray was getting a kick out of messing with Noel. The little cutie was adorable when he looked confused. “Come on. Tell me you didn’t see those bears in the woods before me and Walker shifted into humans. You were in the fetal position when we approached you.”
Noel glanced at Walker, then looked back at Bobby Ray. “That wasn’t real. It couldn’t have been.”
“Hey, Walker,” Bobby Ray shouted. “Change so Noel knows I’m not pulling his leg.”
Grunting, Walker rose and shifted. Bobby Ray half expected Noel to pass out again. Instead, he stood there with a blank expression.
“I think you broke him,” Walker said.
Bobby Ray growled. “Okay, get your naked ass out of here before I have to fuck you up.”
With a roll of his eyes, Walker strode away, but not before saying, “That’s the thanks I get for helping a brother out.”
Bobby Ray snapped his fingers in front of Noel’s handsome face. “Hey, you in there?”
Noel blinked a few times before he looked at Bobby Ray. He wiped a hand over his face as it paled. “Then the rumors are true.”
“What rumors?”
“That the Rising men can change into bears.” Noel swallowed as he backed away.
“Actually, it’s the other way around. The Rising bears can change into humans.” Bobby Ray tapped his chest. “Got a bear heart, not a human one.”
“Like that makes it any better.” Noel leaped over the railing and took off.
Bobby Ray grinned, shifted, and chased after him.
* * * *
Clint frowned from his porch as he watched Bobby Ray’s bear chase after a human. “What in the fuck is going on?”
Dane stepped outside with their son, King, in his arms. “What is Bobby Ray doing and who is that guy?”
Clint hadn’t the slightest clue. “Stay here while I go find out.”
A rare shifter disease had eaten away at their father’s brain
. Clint didn’t want to think of Bobby Ray contracting that disease. It made the shifter violent and downright black-hearted. Bobby Ray was too sweet to suffer such a crippling illness.
Praying that wasn’t the case, Clint shifted and took off after his brother.
* * * *
When Noel looked over his shoulder and saw two bears gaining ground, he cried out and ran faster. His hiking adventure had turned into a complete nightmare—no matter how mind-blowing the sex had been. And as good as Bobby Ray had been, sex so wasn’t worth dying over.
He ran without direction and came to an abrupt stop when he reached a ridge. The drop would kill him. He backed away, his gaze bouncing everywhere for a way out as the two bears padded toward him.
One slowly approached Noel. He’d started to shout for the bear to get away when he heard a loud yowl. Noel glanced around but couldn’t find the source of the noise.
Then he saw it. A large mountain lion worked its way down the ridge, heading right for Noel. Shit! He had two bears and now a lion after him. Why oh why had he been stupid enough to enter these mountains in the first place?
Because you needed to get away from Bart. God, my life is a mess.
Noel looked behind him at the drop. He had nowhere to go.
The bears growled as they stood on their hind legs, swatting their forepaws at the lion. The mountain lion hissed and backed away. When it took off, the bears dropped back to all fours.
The bear on the right turned into Bobby Ray. And he was naked. Just like Bobby Ray and Walker had been when Noel had first seen them.
“Come away from the edge.” Bobby Ray’s gray-green eyes had a look of fear in them. “Just come to me and we can work this out.”
The bear next to Bobby Ray changed, too. He stood taller than Bobby Ray, and his eyes were gray and his hair black. And damn, he was good-looking. And naked.
“What the hell is going on, Bobby Ray?” the other man asked.
“Just trying to calm my mate down.”
The stranger’s eyes widened. He looked at Noel as a smile blossomed. “What’s your name?”
“Noel.” Noel inched to his left, lost his footing, and would’ve fallen over the edge had Bobby Ray not shot forward and hauled him away. Noel’s heart pounded, and he might’ve pissed his pants a little.
“Damn it,” Bobby Ray growled. “You trying to give me a heart attack?”
“Get him back to the house,” the other guy said. “When he’s out of heat, bring him over to meet Dane.”
“He’s not in heat,” Bobby Ray said. “He already has the conception line.”
Noel had no idea what that was, and at the moment, didn’t really care.
The stranger’s brows shot up. “Damn, you work fast. When did you find him?”
“Last night.” Bobby Ray led Noel farther away from the ledge. “He was lost in the woods.”
“Name’s Clint,” the guy said. “I’m the eldest Rising brother.”
Noel shook Clint’s hand, staring at Clint as if he weren’t real. “I think I’m still dreaming.”
“Not a dream,” Clint said. “There’s another human here if you want to talk with him.”
* * * *
Maybe that would help settle Noel’s nerves. Bobby Ray was willing to try anything to get his mate to come to grips with his new life. Going back to Grizzly Ridge wasn’t an option.
“I…I…I—” Noel dropped to all fours and vomited.
“And the morning sickness begins,” Clint said. “Good luck with that, Bobby Ray.”
Bobby Ray hunched next to Noel and soothed a hand down his mate’s back. He hated to see Noel go through this, but there was nothing he could do about it.
“I’m going to head back to the house. I’ll let Dane know Noel is here.” Clint shifted into his bear and took off.
“Easy.” Bobby Ray helped Noel to his unsteady feet. “I need to get you home. As you can see, the woods aren’t safe for humans.”
“Stop saying the word human,” Noel moaned as he walked beside Bobby Ray. “I’m just gonna freak out and have a meltdown, then my head will explode.”
“You always this dramatic?”
Noel stopped walking and glared at him. “Dramatic? Oh, you haven’t seen dramatic yet, but I’ll show it to you if you don’t take me home.”
“You got fire, Sugar. I’m digging that shit.”
“Oh my God,” Noel said. “You really are crazy.”
“Not crazy. I’m just a fun-loving bear.” Bobby Ray wiggled his brows. “As soon as you accept your new life, you’ll see.”
“New life?” Noel started walking again. “I don’t think so.”
Bobby Ray had his work cut out for him, but he was looking forward to the challenge. Noel might act as though he could handle himself, act as though he was brave, but Bobby Ray felt his mate’s anxiety, his doubts and insecurities.
That was okay. Noel didn’t have to brave. Bobby Ray would be brave enough for both of them.
“We can discuss the finer points of living on the mountains over breakfast.” He patted his stomach. “I’m starving, and I know you have to be, too.”
As if on cue, Noel’s stomach rumbled. “You’re not going to poison me, are you?”
“How about I feed you, then fuck you? That sounds better.”
They’d finally made it back to Bobby Ray’s house. He opened the door and waved Noel inside.
“The feeding part is fine,” Noel said. “You can also put some clothes on.”
“Now why would I do that?” he asked. “I’ll just have to take them off again when I spread those pretty legs of yours.”
Noel scowled. “I’m not a girl. My legs aren’t pretty.”
“Handsome, then.” Bobby Ray headed to the kitchen and pulled out what he needed to make breakfast. “Now sit your fine ass at the table and let me feed you.”
That is, if Noel ate.
So far, the human had been nothing but stubborn. Well, not last night, and Bobby Ray wanted a repeat of that. Then maybe he would feed Noel again after they’d exhausted each other.
As Noel progressed in his pregnancy, his appetite would grow. Bobby Ray couldn’t wait to see Noel swollen with his cub.
He hummed as he worked, keeping an eye on Noel, as well. He wasn’t sure if his mate would bolt again, and he didn’t want their breakfast interrupted. Or the rounds of sex he planned on having. Noel might not be in heat, but that didn’t stop Bobby Ray from wanting him.
And he would have Noel, in every way possible.
* * * *
“Are you sure?” Clint asked as he spoke with Jesse, the alpha of the wolf pack to the east of them.
“My men found his tracks, and a dead body. I’m sure.”
Clint cursed. Just when he thought things were settling down. “I’ll alert my brothers.”
“I already let Lazarus and Dominic know,” Jesse said. “They’re on alert, as well.”
“Thanks.” Clint hung up.
“What’s wrong?” Dane asked as he fed King.
“Jesse and his men found signs of a nomad in the area. Seems the nomad is heading south.”
“But south will lead him here,” Dane said. “Did Jesse say what kind of shifter the nomad is?”
“From the scent they picked up, he or she is a wolf.” Clint pulled a chair out and sat at the table. “Jesse wanted to warn me that his men might have to hunt in our territory to track the nomad down.”
“You don’t want me and King outside until the nomad is caught,” Dane said with a sigh.
Clint cupped Dane’s cheek. “I’m sorry, hon. I know it’s spring and you and the cub want to go out, but I can’t risk your safety.”
Clint didn’t think he could love Dane or his son any more than he did now. If something happened to either of them, Clint would go insane. He hated putting them on lockdown, but it was the only choice he had.
“At least have Bobby Ray bring his mate over. I could use the company and I’m pretty sure Noel is s
cared. I know I was when you brought me here.”
Clint remembered that night as if it were yesterday. His bear had lost control and bitten Dane, then Clint had hauled his mate high into the mountains. Dane had been right to call Clint a caveman, because that was exactly how he’d acted.
“Hopefully we’ll catch this nomad soon and you two won’t be locked inside for long.” He kissed Dane, then kissed King’s forehead before pulling out his phone to call his brothers.
Chapter Three
Noel had to admit the food smelled good. His mouth watered as the scent of sausage and eggs filled the kitchen. He hadn’t eaten since breakfast the previous morning, and his stomach cramped with hunger.
When he’d first seen the rustic cabin, Noel hadn’t been sure what to expect, but the interior was downright gorgeous. The kitchen was painted in yellows and creams, and the appliances were up-to-date. Noel kept eyeing the Keurig, wondering if Bobby Ray had any hazelnut cream.
As if reading his mind, Bobby Ray made him a cup and handed it over. “The cream is in the fridge.”
The fridge was black, a side-by-side, and when Noel opened it, he grinned. Pies and cakes, strudels and donuts filled the shelves. “I take it you like sweets.”
“I’m a bear, sweetheart.” Bobby Ray’s gaze roamed over Noel. “I love eating anything sweet.”
Noel blushed as he searched for the cream. To his delight, Bobby Ray stocked assorted flavors. He plucked up the small container of hazelnut and poured a dollop into his cup. “Breakfast smells good.”
“Glad you think so,” Bobby Ray said. “One thing my mom insisted was that her boys know their way around a kitchen.”
Noel closed the fridge and took a seat at the table. “Does she live around here?”
The pain on Bobby Ray’s face made Noel regret asking. He stood at the stove as he told Noel that she not only wasn’t around here, but wasn’t around anywhere.
“I’m sorry.”
Bobby Ray shook his head. “It was a long time ago.”
