Shifter Nation- East Coast Bears Collection

by Meg Ripley

  To encompass all their wedding colors, I went with a flowy, knee-length floral print dress. It was a lightweight wrap style that I paired with gladiator sandals, which I thought would be perfect for their wedding at Sand Beach in Acadia, a small beach nestled between two mountains. I had been helping the brides prepare for days and was there only hours ago, helping Sophia set up the chairs and decorations for the three o’clock wedding. We raced there in Drew’s car and ended up arriving just in time to see the brides walking down the aisle.

  All of the men were standing up front, wearing traditional black and white suits with pocket squares and vests in their designated colors. I’d heard it had been a nightmare to find a fuchsia vest for Trent—and to get him to actually wear it—but he ended up pulling off the color well.

  Min came down the aisle first from the left, wearing a white sheath dress with a robin’s egg blue lace overlay, which plunged low down her back. I had learned that Min was a simple girl, but she was beautiful, and her dress reflected that in every way. Her bob had been pulled behind her ear on one side with a jeweled hairclip. She was carrying a bouquet of forget me nots and Ramon was beaming as she approached him. They were one of the most fun filled couples I had ever been around, and I knew that would help them have an amazing marriage for years to come.

  Blanca was next, coming from the right, wearing a white chiffon V-neck dress with a full, ruffled skirt. The waist of the dress featured a fuchsia satin belt and a long, sheer train trailed behind her. She carried a plump, white hydrangea bouquet with fuchsia ribbon wrapped around the stems and her hair was styled in beach waves. Trent grinned widely when she walked up to him and he looked like he could jump for joy at any moment. Their happiness filled me with warmth.

  Hannah was the last to walk down the aisle, straight down the middle, and wore a white dress with a low back and a tulle skirt with at least one black layer peeking out from underneath. Her bouquet consisted of stephanotis blossoms with tiny pearl-headed pins peeking out from the center of each, and her hair fell in large waves that cascaded down her back. At the bachelorette party, she had boasted that the dress had cost her twelve hundred dollars, and it looked like it was worth every penny. She wore a beautiful pearl-studded hairband and all the brides had decided to walk barefoot in the sand to meet their husbands.

  Knox was serious, but proud when Hannah joined him at the altar. I felt like Hannah brought out the best in Knox, and I knew I was right because as soon as Knox caught sight of Hannah’s bright smile, he couldn’t help but return the gesture.

  Everyone was so in love and I was so happy to be a part of such a special day. One justice of the peace wed them all; he had a microphone and stood a few feet behind Knox and Hannah.

  When the vows were exchanged, the couples went in the order of the brides’ processions. Min and Ramon’s vows were playful. Trent’s vows were filled with jokes while Blanca’s were sweet and sincere. When it came time for Hannah and Knox, they shared some of the most serious and heartfelt vows I had ever heard in my life. Granted, I only had heard vows in the movies, since I had never been to a wedding before, but by the end of their exchanges, I was crying my eyes out and Drew rubbed my back in soft circles.

  “By the power vested in me, I now pronounce each of these three couples husband and wife. Men, you may kiss your brides!”

  I stood and clapped with everyone else, dotting my eyes in between as the couples kissed. A moment later, the recessional music sounded, cueing the newlyweds to march down the center aisle.

  Min and Ramon even skipped.

  The reception was hosted by Fox Fields Farm in Bar Harbor, which was held outdoors underneath several large white tents. It was such an amazing time; we all had a blast dancing all night, drinking champagne and dining on the most fabulous surf and turf I ever ate. When it came time for the couples to be on their ways, the brides asked all of the unmarried women to gather around so they could throw their bouquets. Turning their backs to the crowd, at the count of three, they tossed their nosegays over their heads in unison. Blanca’s bouquet was caught by Sophia, another she-bear caught Min’s, and to my surprise, I caught Hannah’s. I gasped, and Hannah turned and winked at me. I looked up at Drew and he just smiled back.

  “I want our own wedding, though!” I warned. “I don’t want to share our spotlight with anyone.”

  Drew laughed because he knew I was half teasing, but half serious. We lined up along the cars as they pulled up one by one, whisking the couples away while everyone threw rice at them.

  As Drew and I made our way home, I realized it had been a month since I forwarded every shred of damning evidence against Hanson to all of the media outlets in the country. He was quickly detained, rotting away behind bars as he awaited his trial. We’d never hear from the bastard again. And as it turned out, the client who’d hired me to hack into the NCPD-CID’s files in the first place was one of their own: an anonymous whistleblower, looking to put an end to Hanson’s mad plans once and for all. After the fact, I wondered if he was a shifter himself, but of course, I’d never know for certain. Because of this loophole, there’s no way I’d ever be faced with charges for any of the hacking I did for him.

  As for the fire, the 747 Supertanker had made quick work of it, and after a week, the park had the air quality tested and found the levels had returned to a safe range once again.

  Everyone chipped in and helped patrol the area, cleaning up anything they could. Trees that had been scorched by the fire had to be taken down and their roots were dug up. Acadia decided to cancel their peregrine falcon nesting program due to the extensive damage to their nesting area, so when the falcons returned, they were caught and brought to the White Mountain National Forest in Lincoln, New Hampshire.

  When the trees had been completely cleared, enough fresh topsoil had to be mixed with the old to make the areas fertile again. I helped with that aspect, planting new trees in the former nesting area so the park could eventually rebuild the program. Unfortunately, even with great care, the trees wouldn’t be fully grown for another ten years, so the program would be delayed for a long time. Once we finished planting the new saplings and had closed off the nesting area from the general public, the park reopened, allowing the public to revel in its magnificence once again.

  And for the first time since I was a child back in Ireland, I felt like I finally had a place I could call home.

  Living with Drew had been so incredible. On his days off, we took long hikes, hung out at the beach and picnicked by Acadia’s many lakes. We had already eaten at virtually every restaurant in Bar Harbor and had chosen a few favorite date spots. Usually, though, we just cuddled at home and talked. And had sex. There was definitely a lot of sex.

  Life was good for us. I couldn’t imagine living without him; it was as if the difficulties of my life before him had been erased and I was born anew, ready to start my new life, with him.

  “Do you think I could meet your bear?” I turned to Drew who had just pulled into the driveway of our home.

  “Today?”

  “Yeah, why not?”

  “Here? Right now?”

  “It doesn’t have to be right now, but if you’re up for it, I am. I love you. And if I’m going to be with you and your clan for the long haul, the full moon is coming up, and I feel like I should see—”

  “You won’t be there for our full moon get-togethers. We only allow shifters to participate, so you don’t have to worry too much about it. Hannah, Min and Blanca usually have sleep overs during it, and they already invited you.”

  “Still. I want to see…” He stared at me with unsure eyes, but I was confident.

  “Okay, let’s go.” He smiled and grabbed my hand, leading me through the back of the house to the forest. When we were out of sight, he sat me on a log and stepped back.

  I watched his limbs elongate, fur erupting all over his body as he grew taller and wider, and before I knew it, a majestic black bear was standing where his human form once stood. T
he bear was on his back legs, but came crashing down to the ground on all fours, causing my eyes to widen and my jaw to drop.

  His bear approached me slowly with worried eyes. I reached my hand out tentatively and he paused, waiting for me to be comfortable enough to reach out to him on my own. As I made my way toward him, my hands felt his shiny fur; it was the softest coat I had ever felt in my entire life. Overwhelmed by the magic of it all, I nestled my face against his fuzzy neck and smiled.

  “You’re beautiful, Drew. I love you.” And in that moment, I knew I was fully ready to start a new life with Drew, one filled with magic and love that transcends all.

  * * *

  Alpha’s Second Chance

  Shifter Nation: Werebears Of The Everglades

  1

  Owen

  I stepped out into the brisk morning air with my bare feet, stretching tall as I filled my lungs. The sun peeked over the tree tops, lighting the morning fog in oranges and pinks. From where I stood on my cabin’s porch, I could just make out the glint of Shark River off in the distance. Perfect morning for a run.

  That time of year—the wet season in Everglades National Park—the air was full of bugs in the heat of the day, but before the sun came up, the swarms were fewer and the air tasted cleaner. The temperature was just below 70, but in a matter of hours, the hot sun would raise it closer to 90. With the bugs, running would be unbearable, so I chose early mornings or late nights to tear through the forests.

  I pushed down my shorts and boxers, stepping out of them both in one swift move. My feet touched dew-ridden grass for only a moment. Seconds later, my thick, hairy paws were trampling the wet blades in their place. I shook out my black fur and stood tall, roaring louder than any natural bear would dare.

  Owen! Ezra signaled to me through our shared mind link, Up already, chief?

  Surprised to hear you rumbling around, Ezra. I didn’t think you got up this early unless there was tail to chase.

  There’s always tail to chase, man.

  I could almost hear the wink in his words. Who else is around?

  We both paused, waiting for another voice or two to chime into our mental conversation. All was quiet in the clan.

  Just you and me, Ezra said. Though, I should clarify. I’m not up early.

  I laughed. If you stay up all night until the sunrise, I think that crosses the line from up late to up early.

  Whatever makes me look better. Where are you at, anyway?

  I crossed the edge of my property into the boundary of the park. No one was technically allowed to live on park grounds, so my hand-built cabin sat just over the line. It felt like park living, but without the legal hassle.

  Touring the park before heading toward the office. You?

  Umm, you think you’ll need me today?

  I rolled my eyes. You are the most unreliable Ranger I’ve ever met.

  Hey! he said back, I didn’t earn my place as your second in command by slacking off. Maybe you should ask me why I haven’t slept.

  Okay. Humor me.

  The cool air rustled through my fur and my nose filled with the scents of various animals. The small family of key deer who lived nearby were out foraging, it seemed. I sent a scattering of herons into the sky as I ran too close to their nesting place. Their wings stretched out far, letting the large birds glide peacefully. Smaller game bolted when they heard or smelled me, and I wished I could’ve assured them all, “It’s okay, it’s just me. I’m actually a really nice guy and I won’t hurt you.” Well, unless the full moon was out. Though I tried to not hunt in bear form too often, it was sometimes necessary.

  Ezra took a mental breath and began his tale. Okay. So, it started out innocently enough. I was out with some of the clan last night, Mason and Conner, and we were minding our own business, having some beers. Then this asshole croc came up to us and started some shit—

  Wait, wait, I interrupted. Which croc?

  Dunno. I’ve seen him before, though. He’s local. Anyway, he was all like, “Pfft. Looks like you bear boys could use some company.” While he had, like, a chick on each arm. Whatever. We weren’t trying to pick up any ladies. So, we were all just kind of like, “Whatever, prick,” and rolled our eyes. The place was crowded, you know? And he was just calling us bears in the middle of the joint. Stupid. But then he knocked over a beer, on purpose. Of course, he was all like, “Whoops, silly me.” Just being a jack ass.

  Ezra, I interrupted again, when do you get to the part about why you were up all night?

  Patience, oh wise, Alpha. I’m getting to it.

  Is there a shorter version?

  Fine. So, we ended up outside fighting the guy. Just fists, all humaned out. People were watching. Afterward, one of the chicks he was with was making eyes at Mason. I guess he impressed her with his mad fist throws. They ended up leaving together, but the croc did not like that one bit. He threatened to follow and attack them, so me and Connor beared-up and chased them home, keeping watch to make sure they were safe. The croc never showed, though.

  So, you looked out for Mason while he took a booty call.

  If that’s what you want to call it. I just think we were being good brothers, looking out.

  Get some sleep. Come in at noon.

  Thanks, Boss.

  Ezra?

  Yeah?

  Did anyone get hurt?

  Not us.

  Good. Now get some sleep.

  He went quiet after that, and Ezra wasn’t one for silence, so I assumed he had shifted back. When I finished my run, I rinsed off in the shower and dressed for work. Being a manager of Rangers at the park, I was on the first shift in the morning. It was part of my job to assign the Rangers to the tasks needing to be completed, man the radios, and check in with the other departments. Then, I’d go off to do my own tasks for the day.

  I parked my Jeep and entered the Ranger station, heading right for my office. The office assistant, Rachel, smiled when she saw me. “Morning, Owen.”

  “Morning.” I poured a cup of coffee and picked up the thin stack of reports that had come in overnight. They were still warm to the touch and sitting in the printer’s output tray. “Looks like things were pretty quiet last night.”

  “Last night, they were. This morning…” She widened her eyes and blew out a breath. “You have several messages waiting for you.”

  “Great.”

  I shut the door to my office and hit the blinking red button on my phone. I was told I had five waiting messages. Rachel wasn’t kidding. Usually, I had one or two at the most.

  The last message had me running out the door the second I’d finished listening to it.

  “Owen.” It was one of the human junior Rangers, Pete. He sounded out of breath and distressed. “We need your help. A kid is stuck in the grass river by the overlook. I have the small cat, but I think we’re gonna need the big bear.”

  I tried to stay calm as I hopped into our larger utility vehicle, lovingly called the big bear. I had no idea why Pete would have only taken the smaller utility vehicle—the small cat—for something like this. And I also had no idea why he hadn’t called my walkie. All the Rangers carried walkie talkies so we could be reached immediately if there was an emergency, which it sounded like this was.

  I drove fast over the dirt and stone paths that made up the roads and Ranger trails through the park. One and a half million acres was a lot of space to cover, but luckily, Pete wasn’t too far from the main Ranger station. It took me only a few minutes to reach the overlook he mentioned.

  When he saw me pull up, he ran over. “Thank goodness!”

  “Why didn’t you use the walkie?” I asked, holding it up.

  “Oh, I…” He scratched his head and looked around. “Sorry, sir.”

  “And why in the world would you bring the small cat for a rescue mission?”

  “Oh, well, it didn’t seem like that big of a deal at first and I…” He turned and gestured toward the small crowd that had formed.

&nbs
p; Two other Rangers pulled on each of the kid’s arms while another junior Ranger watched. A crying, shrieking woman, who had to be the kid’s mom, stood off to the side, loosely held back by a big man who was likely the father.

  I took charge immediately. “Hello, folks. I’m Owen, the Ranger manager here. Don’t you worry, we’ll get him unstuck in no time.”

  I assessed the situation. The grass river was tricky. It looked like solid grass in many places, but water hid beneath. If you didn’t know and walked too far, it was nothing but mud and muck. And this kid had walked too far.

  His hiking boots were barely visible in the mud. He looked terrified and could only be about eight or so. I walked as close as I could to him without getting stuck myself.

  “What’s your name?” I asked.

  “Robbie.”

  “Okay, Robbie. The first thing I want you to do is stay calm, okay? Worst case scenario, we just untie your boots and your mom and dad get mad at me for losing them in the mud.”

  He nodded and kept his eyes on me.

  “Now. Take this rope and wrap it around your waist.”

  I held the end of the rope out to him and he did as he was told.

  “Now, I’m going to get in my UV there and press the gas real slow, but it will give you enough of a lift that you’ll start to feel yourself being pulled up and out. When you feel that, don’t panic and don’t fight it. Just hold on tight and let the rope do its thing, okay?”

  Robbie nodded again and held the rope tightly enough to make his knuckles white. I walked back to the big bear, where the other end of the rope was attached to the back roll bar.

  I watched in the rearview mirror as I slowly pressed on the gas; soon, I saw Robbie pop free and splash into the wet, swampy grass. When I got out to check, he was still mostly upright from hanging onto the rope, and he still had both shoes. I stepped into the water and scooped him up, then handed him to his grateful mother.