A Lion, A Tiger and Her Bear...Oh My!_A Howls Romance

by Everleigh Clark

  “You all right, female?” His gruff voice sent shivers down her spine. His blue eyes softened for a moment as he assessed her.

  “I’m not a damsel in fucking distress. Put me down.” Yeah, way to piss off the guy who kept you from breaking your nose. But she couldn’t stop herself. Between the pain, the aggression still surging through her body, and her mating heat building up to hammer her within the next few weeks, she was a mess. And her inner filter was on permanent vacation.

  His lips tilted up at the corners in a hint of a smirk, and the scars disappeared for a moment, showing him for a rugged bad boy with panty-dropping good looks. Shit.

  “I’m not even wearing panties.”

  “Is that a problem for a bear?” He grinned down at her, and she cursed herself for thinking out loud. So yeah, bullets didn’t really help her filter.

  “Put me down before you hurt yourself.”

  “Since you almost face-planted a minute ago, I’m going to ignore your request.”

  “It wasn’t…a…request.” She fumbled for a way out of the firm arms and warm chest making her feel tingly and safe instead of warrior bitch.

  “Sweetheart, I’m not letting you down until I have you safe in the truck.”

  “My name isn’t fucking sweetheart. It’s Sam. And I am not going in a vehicle with you. Take me over to the van my mom’s driving.” She gave him a hard shove, which did nothing but jar her already sore fingers.

  “I’m sorry, Sam.” Another male strode up to them. Where her current mode of transportation was all Greek god and blond, this male was cute, taller, and dark-haired—with dimples. She loved dimples. Gah!

  “Ida says the van is full, and she has to hurry back to your town to get medical help for some of the more injured shifters. She asked if you’re okay driving back with us. I’m Noah Shaw, and this is my brother, Traeger.”

  “Do I have a choice in the matter?” she grumbled, wiggling in Traeger’s arms.

  “Of course, you got a choice.” The blond tightened his arms around her. “You can come with us or fucking walk home with a bullet in your leg.”

  What the hell?

  “Stop being an asshole,” Noah said to him and smiled at her. “You can go back home with anyone you want. We thought you might do better stretched out in the back of our truck instead of curled up in a van with the rest of the injured parties. We have the luxury of stopping for the night, too, so you can get a shower, rest …” He smiled, and the damn dimple appeared again. “Whatever you want to do, Sammy.”

  Damn, the way dimples said her name… Hell, she could let that nickname slide. Just this once. She examined the lot for her other rides. They had to get going quick before the place exploded. The Impala Zach and Nissa drove wasn’t going to fit her big ass, not now that Izzy had commandeered the back. The van was full. She didn’t know Stone, the panther dude in charge of this little group. Shit. “Fine. I’ll ride with you guys. But you can let me walk myself to the damn truck.”

  “No time. Our main bombs are about to go off, and I want to be past Main Street when the first one goes.”

  “What is with you Alpha assholes?” She fidgeted until he scowled and put her. Ouch, yeah, standing didn’t feel much better. She should take him up on the supernatural taxi offer. But her pride was not feeling it.

  He leaned down until his stern gaze and strong chin were right in front of her. “Come on, before your leg gets worse. We don’t know what kind of alloy they used in their bullets.”

  “Fine. You can help me walk to the truck. But I’m not letting you carry me anymore.” A sudden jolt shot through her whole body, and she whimpered in pain and almost keeled over. This time, he didn’t wait for her approval before he scooped her into his arms. And damn if she cared at the moment. Her leg was killing her. But she was a badass. Sam Cooper wasn’t supposed to be carried off a battlefield like a damn porcelain doll. “I can…walk…” Yeah, even she didn’t believe her own words.

  “Sweetheart, we can do this the easy way or the hard way.” He carried her as if she weighed next to nothing.

  “What’s the hard way? A splint and tourniquet using duct tape and dental floss?” She winced as the pain grew.

  “Nah.” He squeezed her ass. “I flip you over fireman style and smack your gorgeous ass all the way back to my truck.”

  She pretended she didn’t just melt a little at the thought of being manhandled by him. She blamed her upcoming heat. “Kinky bastard, eh?”

  “No.” He grinned and shifted her, so her ass was seated in the palm of his hand as he strode to the truck. “Alpha. Lion.”

  He put her gently in the back of the truck and ran around the front to the driver’s door as Noah climbed in the passenger side.

  “Lions and bears don’t have a great history in my neck of the woods.”

  He grunted and pulled out behind the rest of their small convoy just as the first explosion rocked behind them.

  “So, I’m a bitchy bear with a bullet in her thigh, and blondie is a lion with a big ego. What are you, dimples?”

  Noah’s white teeth shone brightly in the light from the explosions. “Tiger.”

  “Oh…my.”

  Chapter One

  Traeger glanced into the rearview mirror once again. The gorgeous female—part warrior, part goddess, all woman—snored lightly in the back seat of the truck. Even though her long arms covered her chest, he could see the swell of her full breasts as she breathed in and out. Had her breasts grown since she’d collapsed in all her pissed off glory onto the backseat, given him a fuck-you glare then promptly fallen asleep? Hell yeah. At least a cup or two. And that amazing scent wafting into the front of the vehicle. A mixture of cinnamon and clove. He’d been rock hard for miles.

  Noah woke up, his nostrils flaring as his head popped up suddenly from the window he had been napping against for the past few hours. “What is that? It’s sweet and spicy at the same time. Like…” Noah sniffed a few more times. “Granny Elias’ molasses cookies with a bit of spice. I’ve never smelled anything like it before.”

  Of course, Noah hadn’t. Traeger kept a firm watch on his adopted younger brother. Trae wouldn’t let Noah anywhere near a female in heat. Just as he avoided them, himself. Heat meant dangerous shifters, unsafe sex, aggressive males succumbing to their need to be with the females. And the females were even worse. One never knew what would happen if she didn’t get her needs met immediately. He’d heard tales of savage maulings and rage, and that was before the males’ started on each other. And a bear? He’d only witnessed one bear heat. And decided he would stay far away from then on. Females were too dangerous. When you mixed in the hormones and pheromones, the whole nearby shifter community went into chaos. Okay, no chaos if she was taken care of immediately. Taken care of as in fucked long and hard to quench the need threatening to turn her crazy. Every fall, Trae took painstaking measures to move Noah and himself around. Away from the call of nature. He was fine with doing the whole shifter thing. Turn into a lion with Noah’s respective tiger. They hunted; they fed. Hell, they screwed females, sometimes separately, sometimes together. There was never a shortage of willing and ready females—human or shifter. But when it came to the whole mating heat, they were out of there.

  He couldn’t take any chances on either of them getting hurt. Or worse, saddled to some broad he barely knew but had fucked in a frenzy one night before getting her pregnant. No. No sex during mating season. No cubs.

  No vulnerability, his lion said quietly.

  Never vulnerability, he responded. He had his brother, and that was all he needed.

  The scent of sweet cloying feminine heat attacked him again, and he gripped the steering wheel tighter. “Stay away from her. She’s getting close to her heat, and we don’t want to hurt her.” Or hurt ourselves.

  “Will she be okay? Maybe we should help her,” Noah asked, his eyes widening with compassion. Even at twenty-five years old, Noah still looked like an inexperienced teen at times like thi
s.

  “Nah, it’s too early in the season. She’ll shake it off after she gets some rest. We just need to get her back to her town as soon as possible. Don’t worry about it.”

  The smell intensified over the next hour, and Trae’s lion paced in agitation within him. His lion was geared up. So was the female. Shit. They couldn’t stay in the same vehicle any longer. If she let her heat take over, she might shift and try to kill them or screw them—or both—right there on the interstate going seventy miles per hour. And Noah wasn’t as good at controlling his tiger as Trae was with his lion. They could go from three humans resting to three fucking animals trying to tear each other’s throats out—while fucking—right there in the moving vehicle. Trae took the next exit and pulled into a hotel parking lot. “Go get us a couple of rooms.”

  Noah left but came back quickly, shaking his head. “They only have one, and the next hotel is fifteen miles up the road.”

  Shit. Could they make it that long? He inhaled and almost doubled over from the intensity of her amazing scent. His lion wanted her. Now. “Get the fucking room and hurry up.”

  Noah sprinted off, while Trae examined the curvy form practically humping herself in her sleep. Trae could not help her. He wouldn’t. He had too much damn baggage, and a female like this—-the perfect one for him, calling to every inch of him, even before her scent intensified—yeah, she needed someone safe, secure, untainted. Unscarred. He ran the tip of his fingers down his cheek and shuddered in quiet rage at the man who had given him these. Trae would never force himself on a female. And a mating heat took away many of the female’s choices. What if she got pregnant with his cub?

  He couldn’t take any chances. Stay the fuck away from the female. But keep her safe, his lion said. Fuck yeah. That’s what he did. He kept women safe. Except that one time…

  Sam, his warrior goddess, stirred in her sleep and bolted upright. “How long have I been out?”

  “Just a few hours. We got a hotel room. Shower, whatever you need to take care of that...issue...of yours.” He knew he was growling at the poor woman. But he was having a very difficult time keeping his lion reined in.

  “Excuse me?” Feminine outrage poured from the back, adding another layer to her fuckability.

  “I got the key. Hey, Sammy girl, you feeling all right?” Thank the Goddess, Noah showed up at just the right time.

  “I’m fine, but your douchebag of a brother is pissing me off.” She pushed out of the truck and met Noah at the side. “I don’t know what his fucking problem i—” She took a few shaky breaths. “Oh. Shit.”

  “What can we do?” Noah asked as Trae stalked out of the car and slammed the door shut.

  “It’s a little early to be going through this, but I can handle it.” Sam glared Trae’s way. “I can take care of myself. Just show me my room.”

  “About that…” Noah faltered. “We have to share.”

  Her eyebrows reached her jet-black hair, and the huge hissing intake of breath was almost feline. It would be funny in almost any other scenario.

  “Sorry. It’s all they had. Do you want to keep driving?”

  “No!” Trae’s voice echoed Sam’s.

  “I’m almost fully recovered. I think I can get past the early stages on my own. Let’s just go to the room.” Sam smiled at Noah shakily.

  As soon as they got into their tiny one-bed, musty room, Sam started shaking. Noah reached for her before Trae could, and Trae pulled his hand back. Don’t show a connection.

  “I, I’m going to go take a shower, see if I can calm my bear down. Thanks.” She turned back and graced both with a genuine smile. “I appreciate all you’re—” The tightness took over her whole body and she grimaced.

  It took everything Trae had not to wrap the female up in his arms, carry her into that bathroom, and take care of her himself. Instead, he clenched and unclenched his fists behind his back and pasted a look of indifference on his face.

  “I’ll take care of this.” She winced and stumbled into the bathroom then shut the door behind her. Her soft groans combined with the water streaming into the shower.

  He prayed to whatever Goddess was listening that he wouldn’t be needed tonight. He wouldn’t damage another female.

  He opened the door and started out.

  “Where you are going, man?” Noah’s voice stopped him.

  “More condoms,” Traeger replied quietly. “We need to be prepared. And I sure as shit didn’t think to bring any for a prison battle.” He slammed the door behind him and sprinted to the Circle B across the street. Dammit, he’d better not need these. But Murphy’s law and all that shit…”

  ~.~

  Sam

  Another set of impulses shot straight from her breast to her core as the water pricked every sensitive part of her. “Ugh, shit!” She threw the bar of soap as hard as she could, reveling in the loud thunk that took her mind off her need for just a moment.

  The bathroom door slammed open. “What’s wrong, female?” Traeger loomed over her suddenly in front of the open shower curtain, his eyes dark, fists ready, as if preparing for another war. But this was a different kind of war. This was personal.

  Sam squeezed her legs together and forced her arms to stay at her midsection. Hell no. She wasn’t covering her boobs up for some man. Another shudder rippled through her, and the pain intensified. Need. Male. Now.

  His eyes darkened as he inhaled. Oh yeah, he was getting a good check on the pheromones. Shifters had great noses. A big cat like this could probably scent prey for miles. But her scent had shifted into overdrive, and she’d be lucky if she didn’t draw every male shifter within a ten-mile radius.

  The large male licked his lips, his breaths choppy and deep, like he was tense and jacked up at the same time. His gaze drew downward, and damn if her nipples didn’t pebble right there, like they were begging his firm mouth to take them. Dammit.

  “How bad is it? Your mating heat?”

  She groaned as lust shot straight to her pussy. She could come from the sound of his deep voice alone. Gawd, those eyes. Flames in them. Dark. Passionate. Like he would kill to get her in his bed. “I can make it. Just give me some space, ‘kay?”

  His eyebrows rose, and the scar intensified, but he nodded and strode toward the door. “If you need help, you will let us know.”

  Not a request. An order from the big Neanderthal before he shut the bathroom door and blasted the TV in the small bedroom. Yeah, like that was going to help, but okay. She could do this. She’d done it a few other times. On the rare occasions since her nineteenth birthday that she hadn’t been prepared with a friend with benefits, she’d taken care of herself the old-fashioned way. Not pretty, and a hell of a lot harder to get what she needed, by doing it herself. Man, that scar, though, and the way his firm jaw tensed like he could crack cement with his teeth. He called to her in a way that was whole helluvalotta gotta get the bad boy on top of a girl. But she was not asking that man to help her. She didn’t even know him. And just because it felt like her whole body was lighting up in flames from the inside, like hot magma was about to burst from every pore…no, she was on her own.

  Her fingers crept down her inner thighs as she tried in vain to remember how exactly to not lose control and kill everything in sight. That was the problem. She winced as another spasm took over her core. If she didn’t satisfy this need, this longing, her bear could go feral for a while. Normally, it would have started slower, easing into the aching need. But between all the violence, her jacked-up fight mode to save Caleb, and the huge amounts of testosterone and aggression surrounding her right now, whoa momma, she was hitting this one big time. Sex, violence, aggression, all wrapped up in one tiny fucking package called her baby-bear-making machine. Yeah, it wasn’t called that. But that’s what her mating heat was. It was Mother Nature’s way of practically forcing her to pop out a cub or two—or, the way she was feeling right now, a gazillion. Thoughts of slick, hard, bodies, hot tongues, beard scruff, scars, dimples,
and thick cocks entered her mind, and she released a small whimper. She couldn’t do this. The heat was too strong. “I think I need help.” She barely whispered the words.

  The door crashed open, and two hungry males stormed in to stand in front of the shower.

  “You take her.” The low, rumbly voice of Traeger sent another zing straight to her clit.

  How dare the asshole pawn her off like he didn’t even care. She was only seconds away from launching out of the shower and climbing the guy like a tree and yeah, she might have a few extra pounds on her body, but what the everlasting hell? “Fuck you.”

  Traeger’s eyes narrowed like his lion was at the front, but he reined it in and clapped his brother on the back hard. “I’ll be in the other room if you need anything.”

  Yeah, asshole. You go ahead and piss off.

  “Tell me what to do.” Noah’s kind eyes shone with compassion and desire, and his jeans bulged from his arousal. He was waiting for her to make the move. Offering his services to help her get past this.

  “Stand still.” Her voice was a thick growl. She flung the rest of the shower curtain out of the way and threw herself at him. Yeah, the whole climbing thing wasn’t too far off. His shirt went flying to the floor, ripped in two by her sharp claws. A small glistening of red on his chest where she had been maybe a little too rough. But she couldn’t stop to think of that now. She needed… “Shit. I don’t think I can control…”

  “It’s okay, Sammy. I’m a big boy,” he slurred as he ran his tongue down her neck. “Take what you need and tell me if I need to do something. You’re in control here.”

  That was all she needed to hear. He had already pulled down his jeans—probably because he didn’t want to take a chance on another disrobing malfunction with her claws. Smart guy. She dropped to her knees and sucked his cock straight into her mouth. Had to taste him, his essence, his masculinity.