by Olivia Arran
His chest brushed against my back, his arm curling around me and urging me up. I arched into him, bucking against the firm grip pinning my hip, unable to stop my body from chasing his, not wanting to let him go, even for one second. “Love you.” I gasped, the pressure inside me building.
He growled, the sound one of triumph. “Love you, my mate.” A sharp sting at the base of my neck registered somewhere in my mind, wiped away by an overwhelming rush of sensation crowding my mind as I felt his love sink into me. His strength. His unending devotion to me, his mate. It sank into my center and made a home as I came apart again, my voice hoarse as I screamed his name, his accompanying groan loud and strangled as he pulsed inside of me.
We collapsed in a tangle of limbs, Grant rolling me and tucking me into his side. We didn’t speak, our ragged breaths communicating in a language of their own.
Eventually, he patted my hip. “We need a bigger bed.”
I wanted to move, but I couldn’t summon the energy, so I wriggled my toes against his calf. “Okay, fine, we’ll get a bigger bed. Just for you.”
Epilogue
Mandy
A few months later…
A branch cracked under foot and I swore under my breath. Around me, the forest was a frozen, glittering wonderland. The snow had started to melt over the last couple of days, peeling back to reveal the green that had all but disappeared from this world, but the night had halted the retreat in its tracks, holding the world in stasis until the morning sun.
Breath puffing out in front of me, I rubbed my hands together, thankful for the soft mittens I’d remembered to put on, and the thick wool coat that Grant had bought me before the winter snap had arrived.
Talking about my mate… I peered into the trees, straining my eyes to search the shadows. Spinning in a slow circle, I closed my eyes and tried to use all of my senses, something Grant had been working with me on. Despite the fact that my human senses were weak when compared to a shifter, they could still be honed.
Keeping my eyes shut, I listened, separating the sounds in my mind and naming them. The hoot of an owl. The soft scratch of a rodent. The sigh of the wind as it ruffled through my hair. A rustling coming from underneath a bush—I wasn’t sure what that one could be.
I spun, facing the direction of the sound. Silver glinted back at me. “Gotcha!” I jumped in the air, letting out a whoop of victory.
Something nudged me on my ass.
“No. You’re in front of me.” I folded my arms over my chest, shaking my head.
When a large black furry head, tipped with silver pushed between my legs, almost knocking me over, I groaned. The wolf tilted his head to look up at me, his teeth bared in his version of a smile.
“Okay, fine, you win this round.” I tightened my legs around his head, holding him in place while I patted him on the head, longing for warmer weather so I could discard the mittens and run my fingers through his fur while we explored his home.
A rumbling noise came from him, his tongue lolling in his mouth and eyes rolling back.
I released him and he wriggled backward, then circled me. He was stunning in this form, and every time I saw him, he took my breath away. Almost as big as a small pony, his fur was as black as coal, tipped with what looked like stardust. Paired with his silver eyes, I thought him to be the most handsome wolf—no shifter—in Heartsridge. He even gave the dragons a run for their money, and they sparkled.
“Okay, your turn to count and don’t cheat.” I wagged my finger at him. I checked to make sure he’d closed his eyes and covered his ears with his paws.
He hadn’t.
“Grant…”
He whined, backing away from me.
I frowned, following him. “What is it?” The only downside to him being in his wolf form was the communication issue. I’d told him many times I didn’t speak ‘dog’.
That usually resulted in me being tackled and tickled, the usual punishment for my smart mouth.
When he nosed at the bush where I’d originally thought he’d been hiding, I crouched down. “What is it boy?” I slapped my knee, clicking my tongue. “One bark for a scary animal, two for baby lost in the woods.”
A rush of air at my side, the slide of fur and a couple of other sounds that I preferred to block out, and Grant knelt beside me. “Sometimes I think you believe you’re talking to a horse. Clicking at me?”
I greeted his scowl with a smile. Of course I was smiling; he was naked. Yum. “You’re much better than a horse.”
His lips twitched when my eyes dipped between his legs. “You’re not riding me.”
“You weren’t saying that last night, caveman. Or this morning.”
He eyed me like I was his last meal and he was a starving man, giving me a thorough once over that had me questioning my need for clothes.
Oh, yeah. Risk of frostbite on parts I would never, ever want to risk.
He arched an eyebrow. “Baby lost in the woods?”
I huffed out a breath, lifting my shoulders. “You never know. Dogs have a knack for finding lost children. Ever heard of Lassie?”
He ground his teeth together and I gave him my most sultry smile. Then my most innocent one. One of the two usually worked.
When his jaw loosened, I threw myself at him, landing in his lap with a wriggle. “Hey there, naked caveman.”
His arms were wrapped around me, his cheek resting against mine as we breathed each other in, absorbed the strength we found in each other’s arms. Back home, in the city, our jobs kept us busy and work expected a certain level of … decorum. Yeah, I hadn’t been too impressed with that, but we’d made it work. Out here, we could be ourselves, and that was two people who were still completely head over heels in love. “Love you, pretty lady.”
I snuggled closer. Cuddling Grant was better than sitting next to a roasting fire. “Love yo—”
Silver sparkly things dangled in front of my nose. “Oh!”
“You were meant to find them in the bush.
I reached for the chain. Two rings dangled from it, completely identical in every way. Diamonds circled a narrow band, interspersed with black stones. “Pretty…”
“The band is platinum and I had some of my wolf hair woven into the setting. The stones are black and clear diamonds.” He undid the clasp on the chain and retrieved one of the rings. “In the human world, it is customary for a married woman to wear a wedding ring to declare that she has chosen her partner for life.” He held out the ring. “Will you wear my ring, a mating ring?”
“Yes.” As he slid the ring onto my finger, I swallowed hard. I would not cry. I would not cry. “Why are there two? You hiding a second mate around here somewhere?”
Reaching up, he fastened the necklace around my neck, tucking the second ring beneath my coat. “This ring is for when you have to take the other one off for work. So I’ll always be with you.”
“And I don’t have to worry about losing it!”
He smirked, then tiled my chin with his hand and kissed me. “You’ll never lose me.”
“That’s not what I said.”
“Are you sure?”
“Well, it was a good line, so I’ll let it slide. This time.”
Dante
Present day…
The prisoner hadn’t moved from his corner. I’d been watching him for over an hour, and he’d barely moved a muscle.
“Progress?”
Owen came up next to me, grunting when he saw the prisoner was untouched.
“I haven’t started yet.” I preferred to play a game of psychological warfare. Fear was far worse than reality. I leaned forward and tapped the viewing glass with my claw. Tap … tap … tap…
The prisoner remained stationary.
“He’s not really—”
My claws dragged across the glass, a shrieking noise filling the room.
The prisoner flinched, huddling in on himself.
“He knows I’m here. Every so often I visit the room.”
“What do you do to him?”
“Nothing yet.”
Owen nodded. “What will you do to him?”
In all honesty? I wasn’t sure. My dragon would certainly like to come out and play, he hungered for some kind of revenge against the Purists, but… I don’t know. For some reason, the idea of torture for torture’s sake wasn’t as appealing as it once was.
I’d been hanging around with humans too much.
Seriously, dude, there’s something wrong with you. A woman’s voice inside me head, taunting me.
Why would her opinion matter to me?
Owen repeated his question, reminding me that I had—once again—managed to lose track of time and place. Not an unusual occurrence, one growing more and more familiar as the years pass. A decade, gone in the blink of an eye. Two decades, time to redecorate again. People rely on you. It was the only thing that kept me from drifting off into my mind. The challenge the purists presented was a welcome distraction.
“Shall we begin?” Owen waved his hand.
The door slammed open. “Uh, guys?” Nita bounced in the doorway, her eyes wide and a phone clutched in her hands. “Mr. Moonbeam just sent us a text.” She spun her phone around, thrusting it toward us. “And it can’t be from Chris, I checked. You’re going to want to read this.”
Thank you for taking the time to read Heartsridge Shifters: Grant, I hope you enjoyed meeting Grant and Mandy. If you’d like to read some more from me, The Everson Brothers series is complete and ready for you to read!
Keep reading for a sneak peak of:
My Curse to Bear (The Everson Brothers #1)
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Also by Olivia Arran
Recommended Reading Order
True Mates - Wolves
(Series complete - best read in order)
Found (a Prequel) HERE
Promised - HERE
Taken - HERE
Healed - HERE
Redeemed - HERE
Cherished - HERE
OUT NOW - True Mates: The Complete Series Boxed Set HERE
Alpha Protectors - Wolves
(Series complete - standalone stories)
Guardian - HERE
Sentinel - HERE
Defender - HERE
Enforcer - HERE
Watcher - HERE
Her Dragon Protector - HERE
Her Dragon Temptation - HERE
The Everson Brothers - Bears
(Series complete - standalone stories)
My Curse to Bear - HERE
My Duty to Bear - HERE
My Wound to Bear - HERE
My Heat to Bear - HERE
My Hunger to Bear - HERE
OUT NOW - The Everson Brothers: Complete Series Boxed Set HERE
Heartsridge Shifters: South- One Bears
(Series complete - best read in order)
Austin - HERE
Cade - HERE
Brent - HERE
Jake - HERE
Nate - HERE
Heartsridge Shifters: The Protectors
Owen - HERE
Grant
Dante - Coming soon
Sneak Peak: My Curse to Bear (The Everson Brothers)
Prologue
Craig
Eighty-seven years ago…
“I love you, Craig,” she whispered quietly.
My acute shifter hearing picked up the soft words from the other side of the room and I flinched, cursing inside.
Shit. Here we go again.
“Meridith…” I started to say, turning to face her. This part was never easy.
Let her down easy, it’s not her fault.
“…I think we need to talk.”
Worry lines creased her brow, marring her elfin features.
“Talk? About what? We’re good—aren’t we?”
Double shit.
“Well, there are a lot of things you don’t know about me. We don’t really know each other that well…and sure, we’ve had a good time…” My voice trailed off, as I desperately searched for the right words.
“Good time? Don’t know each other that well?” She parroted, her disbelief evident from her tone. “What I do know is that you are a shifter…”
“How the hell?”
“Oh, I’ve always known. I was just waiting for you to tell me, to share your secret with me.”
She knew. She’d known all along. Did that mean she would understand?
“You’re not my mate,” I blurted, bracing myself for an onslaught of tears and anger. There. I had done it. I hated this part. I had been a fool this time, letting her get too close—to expect too much. But, there had been something about her. Something that had made me think, made me try to convince my bear that he was wrong—that she was the one. But, though he had wavered, he had eventually point blank refused. She wasn’t my mate. Time to move on. Again.
“And?” she asked.
Okay. She obviously didn’t understand. I wracked my brain, trying to think of how to explain.
“Every shifter has a true mate. The other half of his, or her, soul. Different shifters have different beliefs, but we bears…”
“So, that’s what you are,” she said, chuckling softly. “I was guessing at either bear or horse.”
I stopped in my tracks. Horse? Really?
“Horse?” I echoed my thoughts, temporarily sidetracked, and not sure whether to feel a little insulted.
Her eyes flicked down, fixing on my crotch area, one delicate brow arched in amusement.
Oh. Right. Compliment, then.
“Definitely bear,” I replied, my voice a little strangled. This was not going the way I had planned. At all. Wrestling my mind back on track, I plowed ahead.
“The long and short of it is—my bear can recognize his true mate. While the human half of me could possibly be okay, maybe happy, with someone who is not my mate, my bear cannot.”
And then he gets grumpy. And whiny. And sullen. And unbearable. I stifled a snort. Man, I was killing myself.
I’m doing this for you, mopey furball. I hope you appreciate it!
A near deafening yawn reverberated through my skull. Get on with it, my bear grumbled deep inside my head.
“He can’t accept me? Because I’m not his mate? So, you’re a two for one package?” Meridith’s voice rose with every question, until it was a shrill shriek.
“Ah, yup. That sounds about right.” Now she got it.
“And you didn’t think that, maybe, you should have told me this? Warned me? After all the time we’ve spent together? Before I let myself fall in lo…” Her face crumpled and her wide eyes, green like a bushel of freshly picked apples, glittered with unshed tears.
Slowly moving around the solid oak kitchen counter toward her—conceding my last line of defense—I waved my hands at her helplessly. I hated it when a woman cried. I never knew what to do.
“Don’t come near me,” she spat, edging back toward the front door. Her red hair flamed around her head, curling and spiraling around her shoulders. Throwing up a small hand she begged me to stop.
I had always been intrigued by the fragility of her, how small she was compared to my 6’5” frame. Even though she was not small for a human woman—not by their standards—by mine, she was delicate, exquisite. My heart ached at the unfairness.
Why couldn’t she have been the one?
“I’m sorry…” It was all I had. But by the Mother of All, I meant it.
Visibly, she pulled herself together, her face shuttering as she swiped ineffectually at the wetness marking her cheeks.
“Well, I think I might be able to help you with your little problem…the one in which you and your bear can’t seem to agree…” her voice trailed off, still raw with hurt but starting to vibrate with anger.
“What?”
Holding me with her gaze, she stalked toward me, laying a hand on my chest.
“You don’t know
everything about me, either.” Pressing firmly against the rough cotton of my shirt, she mumbled under her breath, whimsical words of nonsense. Her hand burned hot through the fabric as I stood frozen in confusion, straining, even with my shifter hearing, to make sense of her words.
Then she stopped.
And pain ripped through me, tearing and burrowing deep into my soul. Back arching in agony as the burning sensation lingered, I tried helplessly to pull away, to break the connection.
Stretching onto her tiptoes, she reached up and laid a gentle kiss on my lips.
“I curse you, Craig Everson. To be as one with your bear, to only mate when he is ready. You are bound to the same destiny, human half and bear half.” Backing away, she turned, opening the door.
“See you in the next life, lover,” she whispered over her shoulder.
I stood rooted to the spot, the agony fading but still unable to move, watching her walk away.
What the hell had just happened? I rubbed my chest, feeling inexplicably…empty. And what did she mean?
Chapter One
Merrie
Ding. The chime of the bell above the store door sounded over the blare of the radio, which just happened to be playing some of my favorite 80’s hits. I swiftly shoved the stock I had been sorting out back onto the shelves, crossing my fingers that it looked more like an enticing display than a haphazard mess.
Customers! Please, please, please let them buy something, I chanted to myself while rising from my stooped crouch, frantically brushing the dust from my tunic-style dress.
