Red And The Bear (Grimm Bears 1)

by Natalie Kristen

  The two vicious black wolves slammed into his massive side and dropped back to the ground.

  There was a bark of jeering laughter. “So this is your Prince Charming. I saw his mark on your neck. My mongrel daughter is spreading her legs for a grizzly bear. Well, I guess that makes me your father-in-law. I'm Lucien Westclaw, but I can't say I'm pleased to meet you.”

  Jack turned to face a raven-haired man with close-set yellow eyes and hard, crooked features. Jack growled at him, standing firmly between Lucien and Rose.

  This piece of shit had insulted his Rose. He had shamed, humiliated and hurt her. And he had even ordered his wolves to attack her. What kind of father was he? He didn't deserve a kind, loving daughter like Rose.

  Lucien glanced at the two black wolves flanking him and smiled pleasantly at Jack. “These are my two most loyal lieutenants. They will tear out your throat in a heartbeat. Why don't you just walk away? This is none of your business. It's a family matter. A little domestic dispute, shall we say. You can get yourself a nice, warm female, a pure bear shifter like yourself,” Lucien said reasonably. “Why would you settle for a half wolf, half human whore?”

  Jack roared in rage. He wanted to slash his claws right across Lucien's throat. He had called Rose a whore. A whore! How dare he!

  Lucien laughed. “You sound mightily worked up. Maybe you can take on three wolves at once. Trenton!”

  Trenton snapped to attention and nodded. Lucien grabbed Nan from Trenton and held her by the scruff of her neck. Nan let herself go limp like a ragdoll but Jack saw her hand inch to the pocket of her apron.

  Trenton shifted into a large black wolf and joined the other two. The three wolves advanced towards Jack and spread out to circle him.

  Jack saw the first wolf fly towards him at the corner of his eye. He raised his paw and felt sharp teeth bite through his fur. He shook the wolf off just as the other two wolves raked their claws down his side.

  Jack roared and reared up. The wolves came at him together.

  Snarling and growling, they scratched and bit at him, attacking him from all angles. Jack smashed his large paw into the face of a wolf and stabbed his claws into the wolf's body when it hit the ground. The wolf howled in agony as Jack disemboweled him.

  Jack spun round and snapped his jaws around a leg. He dragged the wolf in front of him and decapitated the wolf with one powerful swipe of his claws.

  Only Trenton was left. He was more wily than the others, and he had more stamina.

  He moved quickly out of Jack's reach and crouched, watching for an opening.

  He was going for the jugular.

  Jack felt blood flowing down his body to drip at his feet. There were deep gouges and ugly wounds all over his body, but the fight was far from over.

  He had to bring Trenton down. And then he would deal with Lucien.

  Jack crouched slowly, and stilled. He waited for Trenton to make the first mistake.

  Trenton's eyes flicked to Lucien. It was just a fraction of a second, but the instant Trenton's eyes left him, Jack pounced.

  Never take your eyes off the enemy.

  Jack clamped his teeth around the wolf's neck and locked his jaws. He bit down hard and gave a sharp jerk. There was a sickening snapping sound as he broke the wolf's neck.

  Jack released the lifeless body and whirled round at Nan's furious cry.

  “Monster! You killed my granddaughter! I will kill you!” Nan screamed.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Rose watched in horror as Nan flicked out a small pocket knife from her apron and tried to stab Lucien in the eye. Jack had just fought and killed the three wolves, and he was bleeding profusely.

  Nan was kicking and screaming as Lucien held her around the throat. She flailed and jabbed the small blade at Lucien, shrieking and sobbing hysterically, “You hurt my lovely, beautiful granddaughter! You monster! You ruined her. She was only a young girl. How could you do that! You scrum! You piece of shit!” she screeched.

  “Your granddaughter...was a whore, a slut,” Lucien said, taunting Nan with his words. His terrible, cruel words struck Nan straight in the heart like knives. Lucien pulled Nan closer to twist those knives in her heart. “She loved what I did to her. She was begging for it,” he whispered.

  “How dare you!” Nan screamed. “I will kill you! I swear!” Tears and snot dripped from her face.

  Nan lurched forward with a sudden, violent movement and slammed the blade into Lucien's shoulder.

  Lucien bellowed in rage and pain and his eyes became fully wolf.

  “Stupid old woman!” he roared.

  He raised his hand high, and his claws glinted just before they descended towards Nan's throat.

  Jack lunged towards Nan, but Rose stood where she was.

  She didn't move a step.

  A clear shot rang out, and Rose slowly lowered her smoking gun.

  Her aim was true. She didn't miss.

  There was a bullet hole right in the middle of Lucien's forehead.

  Lucien's eyes swiveled to Rose just before he crumpled to the ground.

  Rose ran to Nan and gathered her in her arms.

  “I remembered to put silver bullets in this time,” Rose whispered fiercely into Nan's hair. “I remembered.”

  “Oh Rose...” Nan sobbed and hugged her tightly. “I didn't want you to have to do it. After all, he...he's your...”

  “He's not my father,” Rose snarled vehemently. “He's a wolf who raped my mother. And he was going to kill you. He's not my family! You are my family, Nan. You!”

  “Rose...”

  Rose turned away from the dead wolf and buried her face in Nan's neck. She didn't regret shooting Lucien Westclaw. She would do it again, to save her brave, beloved Nan.

  Rose felt warm fur against her back, and she looked up to see Jack standing guard over them.

  Jack was magnificent as a bear. His fur was a deep golden brown and his eyes were still the same arresting, mesmerizing shade of green.

  Rose reached up to touch Jack's face and smiled through her tears.

  “My family,” she whispered. “My beautiful family.”

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Jack turned away from his computer to answer the phone. It was Penny, his marketing director. Jack discussed the latest marketing plans with Penny for a few minutes. His staff could always reach him and he was never too busy to listen to their concerns and suggestions.

  Jack put down the phone and read his incoming emails. He replied to them promptly and turned his attention to the other documents on his desk.

  There was a knock on his door. Jack looked up to see Rose walk in with a broad smile.

  “Hey.”

  “Hey, darling.” Jack stood up immediately and went to kiss her. He put his hand on her swollen belly and was rewarded with a swift kick against his palm.

  Jack lowered his face to Rose's tummy. “Ah, you're a feisty little lass. Just like your mom,” he murmured delightedly.

  Rose laughed. “Are you done with work?” she asked. “Your brothers are arriving any minute now. We'll can start dinner once they're here. Nan roasted two turkeys and there's soup, mashed potatoes, salad and pie...”

  “Only Hans and Derek are coming. Not the entire company,” Jack chuckled.

  “Your managers came last Friday. Before that, your whole legal department came for dinner. And three directors will be coming next week,” Rose said, ticking off her fingers. “I think we've had your entire company over for dinner already.”

  “That's why they keep insisting on coming out here for their meetings,” Jack said. “You and Nan have been feeding them so well.”

  Rose smiled. “Yep. Nan loves having your family and staff over.”

  Jack logged off his computer and walked out of his office with her. He looked around the sprawling living room and saw vases of fresh flowers on the table. Rose had decorated the place beautifully. The long dining table often served
as a meeting table for his staff.

  Jack had renovated Nan's little cottage and added huge rooms and extensions to it. He had his large office beside their bedroom, and Nan's bedroom was now almost as big as her brand new modern kitchen.

  Jack had sold his old sprawling mansion and settled comfortably in Redcape Grove. He was still the CEO of the Grimm Group, and he knew everything that went on in the company. His staff still reported to him, and they came down to Redcape Grove very frequently for meetings and dinner.

  His brothers also came to visit and discuss some aspects of the business with him. But mainly, they came for the food.

  Nan and Rose were now the proud owners of The Cottage chain of restaurants. The Cottage In the Woods in Redcape Grove was now the largest restaurant in the chain. Many tourists and visitors came from other towns to dine at The Cottage In the Woods and Redcape Grove was now quite a lively, thriving little town. The Grimm Group had opened Cottage restaurants in other towns and cities, and Nan and Rose had been traveling to train the staff and chefs of the new restaurants. Nan and Rose owned the majority of the shares in the chain, while the Grimm Group held the other shares. Jack traveled frequently for business as well, but he made it a point never to be away from home for more than three nights in a month.

  But with Rose's pregnancy, they had cut back their expansions plans for a while. Rose and Jack wanted to concentrate on their most precious project right now. Their baby girl.

  The doorbell rang and Jack went to open the door. Hans and Derek stood grinning at the doorstep.

  “Is dinner ready?” Derek asked eagerly.

  Jack rolled his eyes.

  “You're here solely for the food, aren't you?”

  “No! I came to see you, Rose and Nan!” Derek answered in a wounded voice. “Hello Rose.” Derek and Hans went to kiss Rose on the cheek and bounded into the kitchen to greet Nan.

  Nan came out, with Hans and Derek each carrying a huge roast turkey. Jack and Rose went to help get the rest of the food onto the dining table.

  “Let's eat,” Nan declared. “And no business talk at the dinner table tonight,” she said sternly.

  “Yes, Nan!” they said in unison.

  They passed the food around, and everyone ate and talked and laughed. His brothers asked when their niece was due to arrive and Derek let slip that Hans had already bought a dozen dolls for the baby.

  Hans and Derek talked freely about their late nephew as well, and Jack joined in with funny, heartwarming anecdotes and stories about Alex. Nan and Rose had helped him sort out Alex's photographs and they put all the photos into a lovely album for him. Their little daughter would soon have her very own album too. And the album would just keep growing bigger and thicker as more photographs were added every year.

  Nan was right. Love never dies. Never.

  Love just kept growing and became better, brighter and more beautiful every single day.

  ~ End ~

  About the Author

  Natalie Kristen is a writer who enjoys mixing the sweet with the spicy, the light with the dark, the possibilities with the unimaginable. She enjoys exploring paranormal and dystopian worlds, deep desires and inspiring romances. She is hopelessly addicted to coffee, chocolate, reading and writing. She loves to hear from readers so please feel free to follow her on Twitter and Facebook, or visit her blog for the latest news and updates.

  Facebook:

  www.facebook.com/NatalieKristenBooks

  Blog:

  nataliekristen.blogspot.com

  Twitter:

  @NatKristenBooks