Alpha Bears And Brides (Red Lodge Bears) The Complete Collection

by Vivian Wood

  “Hello?” she answered.

  “Yeah, uh, hey,” came her father’s gruff voice.

  “Dad? Hey, is everyone okay?” Aubrey asked, her stomach fluttering with sudden nerves.

  “Yeah. Uh, yeah. I just… I got word that a Berserker stopped by the clan compound, looking for information about you. I was calling to make sure it wasn’t anything…” Her father paused, seeming uncertain. It was an unfamiliar sensation, as her father was an Alpha and a bully, right down to the marrow in his bones. He hadn’t even called to check in after the Lawrence fiasco, preferring to let Aubrey’s mother handle what he called ‘her hysterics’.

  “I’m not in any danger,” Aubrey told him, rolling her eyes with gusto. “It’s just someone I knew a while ago.”

  “Who is he?” her father demanded.

  “Luke Beran, if you must know.”

  There was a moment of perfect silence on her father’s end.

  “Beran. So you’re following the decree, then? Finding yourself a mate?” he asked.

  “I agreed to go to the mixer, and I did. There’s nothing more going on.”

  “Luke Beran is from a good family. He’d be a good choice,” her father told her.

  “You made me a promise, Dad. You promised that you’d never put me in the same situation again, never pressure me to settle down with a mate,” Aubrey chided him.

  “So you know this bear, but you don’t want him as a mate?” her father clarified.

  “Correct.”

  “Fine, fine. Be stubborn,” her father sighed. “Your mother wants you out at the house tomorrow. We’re grilling with some of your aunts and uncles and cousins.”

  Aubrey could see it now, all her relatives swarming and chatting and scarfing down Uncle Reid’s famous ribs.

  “Is Mom making her mac and cheese?” Aubrey wheedled.

  “Course she is.”

  “Alright,” Aubrey acquiesced. “What time?”

  “We eat at one. Come a little early and visit with your mother. She misses you.”

  No mention of her father’s own feelings about his only child, of course.

  “Fine,” she ground out.

  “Fine,” her father said, and the line went dead.

  Aubrey stared at the phone in her hand, shaking her head. What the hell had she just agreed to?

  23

  Fourteen

  “Uncle Reid really does make the best barbecue on the planet, hands down,” Aubrey said, wiping her lips with her napkin before pushing her plate away.

  “I wish I could eat like, five more plates,” her cousin Emmie agreed.

  They sat together at one of several picnic tables laid out in Aubrey’s parents’ back yard, a large patio area complete with a pool, outdoor kitchen, and even a wet bar. Her parents loved to grill out, and they did it in style. Fifty or more Berserkers were here for the party, nearly half of Aubrey’s clan. The broad expanse of the back yard was enclosed by a thick tree line, making the event feel safe and private. It was an ideal meeting place, since a lot of the group would probably shift and explore the forest later.

  “I think one more plate would kill me,” Aubrey said as she watched the bear shifters mingling. So far the gathering had been pretty sedate, not a single fight breaking out. Then again, the guests had been here for less than an hour. Not enough time or booze to get anyone riled up… yet.

  There had been a tense moment when Aunt Lilah had pointed a finger in Aubrey’s father’s face and shrieked, “Jack Umbridge, you son of a bitch!” Moments later, Lilah giggled and launched herself into her brother’s arms, and the whole party relaxed and went back to the business of chowing down.

  “Killed by ribs?” Emmie snorted. “We’re all being sent into forced mateships anyway. Maybe death by barbecue isn’t such a bad demise.”

  Aubrey laughed, casting a discriminating eye over her favorite relative. Emmie and Aubrey were definitely swimming in the same gene pool, looking so like one another that as kids, their own parents had sometimes confused them. Nowadays, where Aubrey tinted her hair to bring out her natural reddish highlights, Emmie’s short chestnut locks were natural and curly.

  “What?” Emmie asked, sipping her Corona.

  “I was just thinking that about how you and I used to be mistaken for one another as kids,” Aubrey said.

  “Yeah. I mean, Sarabeth looks like us too,” Emmie said, pointing to another cousin who stood across the yard, socializing. “And Ann, and Becky. Wow, I just noticed that there are only two kinds of women in our family. Big, dark-haired, and busty, and thin, blond, and brainless.”

  Aubrey giggled, knowing that they were both looking at their cousins Jenna and Leslie. Both women did fit the ‘thin, blond, and brainless’ ticket.

  “What about Samantha?” Aubrey asked, nodding in the direction of yet another cousin. “She’s thin and blond, but she has a PhD in spatial physics. She’s basically a genius.”

  “Ugh,” Emmie said, shaking her head. “She’s super nice, too. Way to ruin things for the rest of us.”

  They both cracked up, relaxing as they sipped and people-watched. It was a welcome distraction from the rest of Aubrey’s life.

  “Whoa…” Emmie said, setting her beer down and grabbing Aubrey’s arm. “Please, please tell me that’s not a cousin.”

  Aubrey followed Emmie’s gaze to see that Luke had just emerged onto the patio, Aubrey’s father on his heels. Half the women on the patio turned to scope Luke out, admiring him in his light blue plaid button-up and well-fitted dark wash jeans.

  “Oh, god. Is he here with one of the blond cousins?” Emmie moaned.

  “I doubt that,” Aubrey said, but Emmie wasn’t listening.

  Luke smiled and nodded at Aubrey’s father, that beautiful oceanic gaze of his roving the back yard until he landed on her. Aubrey shivered, feeling strangely exposed. How the hell was Luke here at her family home, meeting all her relatives?

  Luke broke away from Aubrey’s father, making a beeline for Aubrey.

  “Omigod, he’s coming over here!” Emmie gasped.

  “Yep,” Aubrey said. “Of course he is. He’s here to see me.”

  “What?” Emmie asked, but there was no time to explain.

  “Hey,” Luke said. Aubrey looked up from her seat, her eyes soaking up every tall, lean inch of him as he towered over her.

  “Hey,” she said, confused. “What are you doing here?”

  Puzzlement lit Luke’s features, but Aubrey’s father pushed his way into the conversation before anything became clear.

  “Uh, Luke. Got some people I need you to meet,” her father said, reaching out and ushering Luke away from Aubrey’s table.

  “Jack—” Luke started. Aubrey’s dad cut him off, steering him directly into a group of the ‘thin, blond, brainless’ types who were gathered around another table, all staring Luke down like he was the last rack of Uncle Reid’s ribs.

  “You know him??” Emmie asked, swatting Aubrey’s arm. Aubrey swallowed and nodded, but she had no words to explain things.

  Aubrey’s father handed Luke a cold beer and ordered him to sit down at the table. After another glance at Aubrey, Luke complied. One of the blondes gave a dazzling smile, laughing as she touched Luke’s arm.

  Jack Umbridge made a beeline back to Aubrey, raising a brow. He crossed his arms and stared down at Aubrey, a satisfied look on his face.

  “See? I fixed it,” her father grunted.

  “Fixed what?” Aubrey asked, crossing her arms.

  “I meant what I told you. You don’t have to take anybody you don’t want. I said you had my protection, so…” He waved a hand at Luke. “I’m giving Beran something else to occupy him. Problem solved.”

  Aubrey opened her mouth, preparing to blast her father for butting in, but he held up a finger.

  “Hold that thought. Looks like Beran’s getting bored,” he said.

  Luke stood up, giving one of the cousins a forced-looking smile, and tried to brush off another c
ousin’s touch. The way Jenna, Leslie, and Mary were fussing over him made Aubrey realize that not everyone was fighting against the forced-mateship decree. Her cousins seemed ready to go all in, right here and now.

  “Shit,” Aubrey muttered. She stood up, looking around for her mother. Locating her in the far corner, Aubrey skirted her father and Luke and all the cousins.

  “Mom, what the hell?” Aubrey asked, frustrated.

  “Is there a problem, Aubrey?” her mother asked, raising a brow and crossing her arms.

  “Why is Dad doing this? I didn’t ask for help getting rid of Luke.” Without meaning to, Aubrey found herself mirroring her mother’s agitated pose.

  “You gave him quite the guilt trip, missy. Your father isn’t a talker, he’s a doer. So he went out and did,” her mother said.

  “But—”

  “Hey,” her mother said, shaking her head. “I don’t want to hear it. For all you know, this guy—”

  “Luke. His name is Luke,” Aubrey snapped.

  “Okay. For all you know, Luke might make a connection with one of your cousins.”

  “He most certainly will not!” Aubrey protested.

  “Do you have a claim on him?” her mother challenged.

  “No! No, nothing like that.” Aubrey scowled at her mother.

  “You don’t want him. That’s what you’re telling me,” her mother stated.

  Aubrey took a deep breath, heat rising in her cheeks. She nodded, unwilling to back down.

  “All right then. Go get yourself a fresh beer and go back to Emmie. She looks lonely. Even better, make an introduction,” her mother suggested.

  Across the yard, Aubrey watched as her father introduced Luke to a gaggle of dark-haired women. Leslie followed them, inserting herself into the new group as she turned on her charm full-throttle. Luke looked over at Aubrey for a brief moment before turning his back, focusing his attention on one of the pretty brunette cousins.

  “This is ridiculous,” Aubrey muttered, shaking her head in disgust. She left her mother’s side, scooping up two fresh beers as she returned to Emmie’s table.

  “Is there something going here?” Emmie asked as Aubrey sat back down.

  “Nope. Nothing worth knowing,” Aubrey said.

  They clinked their beer bottles together and sipped, sitting back to watch the show.

  24

  Fifteen

  When James Erikson, current Alpha of Aubrey’s pack, showed up with a small entourage, Aubrey really started to feel nervous. Erikson brought his mate and a flock of young, eligible women from his own family. Aubrey waved to Therese, James’s daughter. The beautiful, curvy brunette was sweet, smart, and vivacious; her girl-next-door personality mixed with her good looks made her the quintessential “It” girl. Aubrey hadn’t seen Therese since the night of the Beran family’s social mixer, but her presence here could only mean one thing.

  Apparently Luke was a hotter commodity than Aubrey realized. Aside from being a catch, as Val mentioned, he was in a position of power. As the oldest son of Josiah Beran, he had the potential to run the affairs of every Berserker in the Pacific Northwest. With his military background, he was no doubt a strong contender in the eyes of every Alpha.

  That thought made Aubrey realize that she’d never bothered to ask Luke if he planned to succeed his father. The idea of it put her off; Aubrey hated the idea of being a doting socialite, something inherent in the role of an Alpha’s mate.

  “This is getting serious,” Emmie said, nodding to James as she returned to the picnic table. With Aubrey’s nod of encouragement, even sweet Emmie had presented herself to Luke, curious about his presence.

  “Any luck with Luke?” Aubrey asked, keeping her voice neutral. Jealousy was burning her up inside by now, but she had no right to say anything.

  “Really?” Emmie sighed, drumming her fingernails on the table.

  “What?” Aubrey asked, tearing her gaze from where James was introducing Luke to Therese.

  “Quit pretending like you don’t care. I saw the way he looked at you when he arrived, all intense. And you can’t stop staring, so…” Emmie waved a hand.

  “I’m just interested in what’s going on. Everyone else is watching,” Aubrey pointed out. It was true; every single person in the backyard was monitoring Luke’s interaction with James and Aubrey’s father with great interest.

  “Oh, here he comes!” Emmie squeaked.

  Luke was heading straight for their table, anger clear in his expression. Everyone still watched him, several of the women looking put out.

  “Would you excuse us?” he asked Emmie. She scurried off to stand with her mother, leaving Aubrey alone with Luke. Though they were several yards away from everyone else, Aubrey felt the heavy weight of her clan members’ scrutiny.

  “Aubrey, what’s going on here?” Luke asked her, crossing his arms and leaning against the table. Aubrey cleared her throat and pushed away the empty bottle she’d been toying with.

  “It seems like you’re being courted,” Aubrey said, pressing her lips into a hard line.

  “If this is your idea—” Luke began, stopping short when Aubrey’s father stepped up and put a hand on his shoulder. James Erikson was right behind him, looking foreboding.

  “We’ve got two offers on the table,” Jack Umbridge said, acting as if Aubrey was invisible. “My niece Leslie is… taken with you.”

  “Or my Therese,” James cut in. James and Aubrey’s father stood shoulder to shoulder across from Luke, leaving Aubrey staring up at them like a child. “Either one would be a fine choice. It would bring our clans closer together.”

  Aubrey’s jaw dropped. The sheer political manipulation happening here was astounding. She looked at Luke, who was looking more and more irritated by the moment.

  “I just need a second to talk to Aubrey,” he said. “Alone.”

  “No,” her father said, his tone and expression going flat. “Leslie, or Therese.”

  The hot blond or the stunning brunette? Aubrey wondered, feeling bitter.

  Luke tried to move to see Aubrey’s face, but the two Alphas shifted to block her entirely.

  “I can’t decide something like this within a few minutes,” Luke said, his frustration evident. “I didn’t even know that this was a matchmaking event.”

  “You’ll go out with one of them, then?” James demanded to know.

  There was a long silence, every second of it making Aubrey’s guts churn. She pushed up from the table, not wanting to hear any more. Turning, she fled toward the front driveway. She needed to get in her car and get the hell out of here before this got any more claustrophobic.

  “Don’t you dare move,” she heard her father’s booming voice following her.

  Tears burned at her eyes, but she refused to look back. A tiny voice inside her head told her to turn around, tell Luke that she was interested, that she cared for him… But if she couldn’t commit to a mateship, that would be wrong. Aubrey jumped in her car and fled, knowing that she was sealing her fate, and probably Luke’s in the bargain.

  25

  Sixteen

  Luke leaned against the side of his rental sedan, watching the front door of Sunnyside Women’s Health Center. He tapped his foot impatiently, glad at least that he was out in the open air again.

  He’d come straight here after his flight back from Portland; all the noises and strangers and standing in line had nearly killed him. To top it off, his obvious agitation had once again drawn attention from airport security, resulting in a long, overly thorough, clenched-jaw search and questioning. His bear was so close to the surface now, roaring to be released. Nothing good would have come from that.

  His phone buzzed in his pocket and he checked it, finding a message from Aubrey’s friend Valerie.

  Good to go. She’s on her way out, it read.

  Luke cleared his throat and pushed off the car when the front door swung open. Aubrey appeared, dressed in a stunning light blue dress and red heels. Her long ha
ir was twisted into a thick braid that lay on one shoulder, and Luke couldn’t remember her every looking more beautiful.

  She juggled a huge stack of files in one arm with a tote bag and a purse, looking down as she walked toward him. It wasn’t until she was almost even with his car that she looked up, stumbling and nearly dropping her paperwork.

  “Luke, what—” Aubrey cut herself off, shaking her head. “Shouldn’t you be off honeymooning with one of my cousins by now?”

  Luke frowned at her, shaking his head. He wasn’t about to let her pick a fight here on the street.

  “Get in the car,” he ordered, leaning over to open the back seat. “Give me your stuff, I’ll load it up for you.”

  “I’m sorry?” she asked. He loved the look of surprise on her face, just the moment before she geared up to rip him to shreds.

  “Get in,” he repeated.

  “I don’t think so,” she snapped, turning to leave. She ran smack into Valerie, who’d walked up behind her carrying a small duffel bag. At Valerie’s expectant expression, Aubrey scowled.

  “You two are in cahoots?!” Aubrey cried, stamping her foot. ‘This is ridiculous! You are such a traitor.”

  Valerie crossed her arms and raised a brow, giving Aubrey a hard stare.

  “I’ll remember that you said that,” Valerie replied.

  “So, what? What is this?” Aubrey asked, flustered.

  “Get in the car, and I’ll tell you,” Luke said.

  Aubrey shoved her files into Valerie’s arms, turning to confront Luke. She was nothing short of a spitfire, and Luke had to admit he liked seeing her like this. More than liked it, actually. He could sense her bear rising, bringing his own to the surface, and in his too-long-celibate state, it excited him on a primal level.

  Before she could open her mouth to protest any further, Luke stepped forward and grabbed her by the waist. Pulling her close, he did what he’d been longing to do every second since she’d kicked him out of her house: he kissed her. He leaned down and planted his lips firmly against hers, holding her tightly. For a long moment she resisted, her body tensing as if she would push him away.