Mated to Four Werebears_A Paranormal Reverse Harem Romance

by T. S. Ryder

  These guys kidnapped Ana and killed Buck, his Bear growled. They die.

  We have to find Ana first.

  "Where is Ana?"

  The cage door was opened and the men glared at him. "You'll see her soon… the boss has something special planned for the human. What did you say to convince her to want you, eh? What lies did you tell her?"

  Joseph growled, earning himself a jolt from a cattle prod. The electricity had him falling to his knees, white lights flashing before his eyes. Somebody kicked him in the face and he was dragged to his feet again. The men dragged him along and shoved him towards a small, dark room. His head spinning, he sagged against the doorway.

  "Joseph?"

  His head came up and he practically ran into the room. The door shut with a slam behind him, but he didn't care. Ana was in his arms. He held her tightly, peppering kisses over her face as he made sure she was really there, that she was safe and unharmed.

  "Oh, Joseph!" She buried her face into his shoulder. "I hoped you wouldn’t come for me. Now we'll both die."

  "No. No, I'll find a way out of this."

  Ana shook her head. "There is no way out… but before we die, I have to tell you something."

  He had something to tell her, too.

  "You're my mate," he blurted. "I didn't want to think you were, I never thought I wanted or needed a mate but—"

  "I know. I figured it out." She sounded breathless. "And I love you. I don't know how, we've only known each other for a few days, but I love you."

  She looked up at him. In the darkness, he could barely see where her beautiful eyes were. It took him a moment to realize what she had said. A rush of euphoria made him forget where they were and he kissed her again.

  Told you she was our mate, his Bear said smugly. See, she felt it too.

  Yes, you're really clever.

  "Joseph?" Ana gasped breathlessly when he broke the kiss.

  "I love you, too. I have from the moment I saw you, as much as I tried to fight it. I didn't want a mate… but you are mine. And I am yours."

  Tears flowed down Ana's cheeks. "For the rest of our lives."

  Joseph kissed her again, knowing what she meant. We're going to die here.

  Chapter Nine

  Even though she knew she shouldn’t, Ana couldn't help but be glad that Joseph was with her. They were going to die, and she wanted to rage against Joseph's death. She wanted to kick and scream and get a gun and kill the people who were going to kill them. But somehow, being in his arms made her feel safe, even in this situation. It made her feel like no matter what happened, as long as they were together, everything would be fine.

  She bandaged his leg as best as she could and Joseph undid the tourniquet. He needed the blood flow to use his leg properly, to fight. Maybe that was why she felt so safe… He wasn't giving up, he was planning what to do to get them out of there; maybe there was some small part of her that felt hope again as well.

  It was only a few hours after he was brought to her room that the two of them were dragged out of it again. Ana blinked. The warehouse she remembered seeing had been completely transformed. It now looked like somebody's living room, and bright filming lights shone at them from every direction.

  "Hello," a voice trilled. A female voice.

  Ana looked at the source and found a petite woman. She was quite lovely, with black hair and blue eyes, and was surrounded by men holding guns on her and Joseph. Ana recognized her. She was a TV personality. Crystal Scott. A talk show hostess who married an insanely rich man who also happened to be very anti-shifter.

  The two prisoners were dragged to the couches. Ana was relieved to see Seth there already, looking pale but calm.

  "Are you okay?" she asked him.

  He nodded once. "You?"

  "Yeah."

  "Please take your seats," the woman said. "My name is Crystal Scott. I'm so glad that you could join me for my show today."

  Ana leaned into Joseph's side. The woman stared at the three of them with unbridled hatred.

  "We are here today with shifter Seth Fischer. Tell me, senator, who did you have to bribe to get into office? Everybody knows that shifters are untrustworthy, vile creatures. They should not be allowed to walk freely in public. Would you let a Bear stroll down the street?" She turned to Joseph. "And yet we have a Bear right here. A detective. Shifters are unpredictable. They are ruled by instinct, how can we trust that a Bear like you will protect the people?"

  There was something off about Crystal's monologue. The things she was saying were bad enough, but the way she said it, talking too fast, pacing back and forth, gave her a hysterical quality. Ana shivered. She had always thought of anti-shifters as being crazy, but when it came to Crystal Scott… she couldn't help but think it was true. Rumor had it she'd had a mental breakdown recently. Was it true?

  "And then there's the danger to humans." Crystal focused on Ana. "This woman thinks she's found a mate. A mate who will stay with her forever and ever and ever. But did you have a choice in the matter, Ana Medina? Or was it because the Bear forced you into it? Yes, he tricked you, lied to you, and then… then you didn't have a choice. When a shifter decides they have a mate, they produce pheromones that draw that human to them until they don't have a choice."

  "That was scientifically disproven," Ana tried to say.

  Crystal grabbed a handgun from one of the men around her. She pointed it at the three of them in turn, panting, her eyes wide and wild. Ana shrank back. She was insane! Her own eyes widened and her mind raced, trying to think of a way to talk the woman down.

  A gunshot went off. She heard the bullet hit and a spray of blood splattered her face. Seth let out a cry of pain, hunching over. He clutched his abdomen. Ana was just able to repress a scream.

  "You're stopping the Shifter Registry," Crystal said. "We need the registry to protect humans from the monsters that shifters are!"

  She turned the gun on Ana. But Joseph had already leaped from the couch. In one fluid motion, he shifted. The guns of Crystal's guards fired rapidly; Joseph barreled through them, slapping Crystal away. Her gun clattered to the floor. Rearing to his full elephantine size, Joseph struck out, knocking the men with guns every which way. He pounced on each of them, crushing guns and bone between his teeth.

  Ana sprang from the couch, grabbing Seth. She couldn’t do anything to help Joseph, but she could get Seth out of here. She dragged him up, looping his arm over her shoulders. He stumbled, leaning against her and she looked around wildly–the forklift. They could at least have some protection in there. Ana tightened her grip on her boss and started lugging him towards it.

  A bellow filled the warehouse. Ana turned, her heart jumping to her throat. Crystal had scrambled to her feet and was charging towards them. That maniacal gleam in her eyes was back; she bellowed again, the sound inhuman, and in a blink, her form changed. A moose bigger than Joseph's Bear barreled towards them, foaming at the mouth.

  Ana screamed.

  A roar echoed, challenging the moose for dominance. Crystal turned just in time to meet Joseph as he threw himself at her. Ana stared, frozen and horrified, as the moose caught him in her antlers and tossed him aside. Joseph landed in the couches, sending them flying, but rolled to his feet and charged again. This time, he was able to avoid those antlers and wrapped his front legs around Crystal's shoulders, biting at her neck. Blood splattered on the floor.

  "Ana," Seth wheezed.

  She shook her head and turned her back on the fight. Her heart pounded in her throat. If she got into the forklift, would she be able to ram the moose, help Joseph get the upper hand? Or would she just end up putting herself in danger?

  In the end, though, it wasn't necessary. When Ana got to the forklift, she risked a glance backward. Crystal was on the floor, her legs crushed against her body by Joseph's bulk; his jaws were around her throat. Ana helped Seth into the forklift and when she turned back, Crystal was human again, cowering on the floor, her body shaking with sobs.
>
  "You've ruined everything," she cried to Joseph as he also shifted. "I was just trying to protect the humans from Beasts like us. Can't you see? We don't deserve to walk free!"

  "You are suffering because you've suppressed your shifter side," Joseph panted, still pinning her. "You're sick, and it's because you haven't talked with your Beast enough."

  She clutched her head. "Shut up, shut up! I don't want anything to do with her! She's a demon inside of me, I have to find a way to cut her out before she can hurt anybody else."

  Ana shuddered. Crystal believed what she was saying. She really did. How could anybody think of themselves like that? It was so horrific! Ana climbed into the forklift beside Seth and cautiously drove it towards where Joseph was. He was tying the woman up as she continued to sob. Seth slumped, his face pale as he tried to stem the flow from his bullet wound.

  "This is why I do what I do," he whispered. "Look at her. This is what happens when shifters are forced to keep themselves hidden, when they are taught to hate themselves so much that they refuse to acknowledge their own identity. When will enough be enough?"

  Ana had known all this but hadn't realized how bad it was. Her gaze flickered over all the dead bodies lying on the warehouse floor. If they hadn't hated shifters, they would all be alive. She shuddered again. If anything, her resolve had been bolstered from this. She had always been a proponent of shifter rights, but now she knew she had to do more.

  Joseph picked up the petite Crystal easily. She continued to sob. He looked at Ana; their eyes met, and a feeling of love burst in her chest. That was her mate. He was alive and well.

  And together, they were going to change the world.

  Chapter Ten

  Joseph leaned heavily on the crutch he still needed. The bullet wound in his leg had healed, but one of his knees had been completely shattered in Crystal's attack and he was still recovering from surgery. It had been several weeks since he had been kidnapped with Ana and Seth, but thanks to Ana's tender care, he was almost better. Without her, he would have been so bored stiff lying in bed all the time that he would have wrecked it further.

  "Can I get you some water?" Ana asked as he sat down in an old, worn couch in her parent's house that was extremely comfortable despite its age.

  "I'm good, thank you."

  Behind Ana, Mrs. Medina snorted. "Get him water. He doesn't drink enough, a man that size needs to stay hydrated."

  Ana rolled her eyes, and they shared a long-suffering look between them as Mr. Medina tried to convince his wife to leave Joseph alone. Ana's parents had insisted that they come for dinner today.

  Not that Joseph didn't enjoy spending time with her parents. They were nice people and balanced one another out nicely. He was feeling a little tired of the energy levels here, though, and wanted to go home to have some relaxing time with his mate.

  Well… relaxing might not be the right word for it. If they were careful, then the right position didn't strain his knee at all and they could take part in other activities…

  Ana's father sat beside him and turned on the television. The news flickered on showing a picture of Seth Fischer.

  "He's getting out of the hospital today," Ana commented. "Full recovery. Well, the doctors told me to make sure that he doesn't overdo it. It'll be hard, though. Seth's more determined than ever."

  So was Ana. And so was Joseph. Crystal's mental breakdown only highlighted the need for change to happen. How many other shifters were out there, suffering like she had?

  Ana and her mother hurried over to the couch when the news switched to a live broadcast from Seth outside of the hospital. The shifter looked pale, but he stood firm and his voice was powerful as he spoke into the microphones as cameras flashed at him.

  "Our deepest sympathies go to Crystal Scott and her family," he started. "This is a painful time for us all, but especially for those who loved Crystal. The events of these past few weeks have only strengthened my resolve to see change come to our country. We have seen how the hatred of shifters cost a bright, compassionate young woman to lose her mind. This is why I do what I do. So that shifters will not have to hide, so they will not suppress themselves.

  "It is a fact that when shifters does not feel free to be themselves, when they are shamed into thinking there is something wrong with them, when they ignore or, worse, try to cut out that part of them that makes them a shifter, it damages their mental health. The time has come for shifters to stand up and say "I am here. I am proud of who I am, and I will not be silenced." But in order for this to happen, our laws must be changed. Shifters are legally discriminated against in this country that is meant to be the home of the free. I ask you, free for whom?"

  Joseph felt a well of pride rise in him as he listened to the senator. Maybe change was possible. It would take voices crying for change, though, and his would be among them. No more hiding his shifter side from his coworkers. Buck would be proud of him, finally taking a stand on his own identity.

  After Seth's speech was over, Ana's father nodded. "I always liked Seth, even when he was a little boy. When are you going back to work with him, sweetheart?"

  Ana slid down next to Joseph, squeezing his hand. "I'm already back working with him. Just not as much. But Seth has me doing a bunch of research to use in his arguments against the Shifter Registry. We're hopeful that it's not going to pass. A lot of shifter rights groups have gotten more vocal since the news about Crystal broke. She was adopted by anti-shifter parents and when her husband found out she was a shifter, he accused her of raping him. The poor girl never had a chance."

  "Hopefully, it works out in our favor," Joseph agreed. It would be all too easy for anti-shifter groups to point to Crystal and claim that she was proof that they needed a shifter registry, but thankfully Seth had seized it right away and was turning it into a cry for shifter rights. "Using her tragedy as a way to better inform the public was a stroke of genius."

  "That’s Seth," Ana replied proudly. "He's a master at this sort of thing."

  Joseph glanced at her. His mate. His heart swelled with a happiness he never thought he would ever experience. Maybe he was turning into one of those gooey-eyed men who lived for his mate, but he wouldn't trade it for the bland life he had led before. Ana was everything he could ever want.

  "And what about you?" Ana's father looked at Joseph. "When are you going back to work?"

  "As soon as this knee's fixed up." Joseph tapped the offending joint. "Cap is pairing me with a new recruit. I'm… hopeful we'll get along."

  The new guy reminded him of Buck. He had a lot to learn, though.

  "I don't like your line of work." Ana's mother frowned. "I don't know how your poor mother sleeps at night, knowing that you are getting shot at every day."

  Joseph laughed. "I rarely get shot at, Mrs. Medina. In fact, most of a detective's work is done behind a desk. The movies make it look a lot more glamorous than it actually is."

  "Well, you'll have to tell your parents to come over someday soon, anyway," Ana's mother said. "I'd love to meet them. I know this wonderful lawyer that might be able to help your mother get her medical license back."

  Joseph inclined his head towards her. "That would be great. I'm sure they'll love to meet you. But right now, I think we had better get home. This knee needs some rest."

  "Of course."

  They said their goodbyes, including more hugs than Joseph was entirely comfortable with. Soon, however, they were on their way, Ana driving while he stretched out his leg. She kept giving him glances and smiles that had his heart beating faster.

  "Ana, I love you," he blurted.

  "I know. I love you, too. But I know what you're up to."

  Joseph rose a brow.

  She parked the car outside the house and gave him a long, slow kiss. What she meant was all too clear, and Joseph grinned. He had to resist the urge to carry her inside–his knee couldn't take it. Ana broke the kiss and slipped away, her eyes twinkling.

  "Come and get me, my wi
ld Bear," she whispered and disappeared into the house.

  Joseph grinned and followed his mate.

  *****

  THE END

  The Dragon Shifter's Twins

  Description

  A curvy witch looking for the perfect love potion PLUS a hot dragon shifter only interested in his motorbike PLUS a headmistress who comes between them!

  Jessica Falls is a curvy witch who prefers to stir up love potions or sit by the fire with a steamy romance than to pour over textbooks at her magical university.

  Her lack of focus is a cause of great dismay to Pearl Lancelet, the headmistress of the university, who runs the school like a 1950s boarding house, including ridiculous rules like no men allowed in the dorm rooms...

  Despite Pearl's insistence that there are more important things to life than romance, at twenty-two and never having been kissed, Jessica doesn't care much what else there is to life. She wants a whirlwind romance full of steamy sex while she lands the perfect man.

  And she knows exactly who she wants, too: her brother’s best friend...

  Braden Clampett is a dragon shifter who leads the local group of young dragons who ride their motorbikes wearing their leather jackets.

  Unfortunately, he has no interest in her whatsoever...

  Can she stir up the perfect love potion to attract his attention? And will she be able to distract the headmistress for long enough to have her way?

  Chapter One

  Jessica Falls stood in front of the mirror, piling her black corkscrew curls on top of her head, imagining that she was wearing a white veil and dressed in a sleek, slimming wedding dress. It would be made of satin, with a dusting of beading on the bodice and the train. Maybe she'd also go with red trimming. She used to dream about having a full-on Cinderella ball gown, but that style just didn't suit her body type–not with her wide hips, ample bosom, and rounded stomach.