by Meg Ripley
“Ezra!”
I gave her a wicked smile. “You’ll have to be nice if you want me to give you what you want.”
“I don’t do nice.”
I kissed her breasts and pinched her nipples, and she tugged on my hair to bring my face back to hers. She kissed me hard, biting at my earlobe and neck, like she was going to tame me into submission with her tongue and teeth.
I was going to draw this out and tease her as long as I could. After a lot of kissing, I rubbed the tip of my cock against her clit, slipping in the wetness. She tried to buck her hips to guide me inside, but I didn’t let her.
She grabbed my hair and pulled my face close to hers. She breathed, “I need to feel you inside me. Right now.”
I almost obeyed her, moving the tip down to her opening. She shot her hips down, but I only allowed the head to slip in.
She cried out in frustration. “Ezra!”
This was too good to rush, though, so I pushed in slowly. Before I was fully inside her, I pulled back out. She tried to reach down to grab my ass, but the couch wasn’t the place for that sort of thing. She did not have the advantage, and her cast made her even more at my mercy. That probably pissed her off the most.
If we were in her bed, she would have flipped me over, tackled me, and sat on me to get what she wanted. This might be the only time I could tease her, and I was going to make her work for it.
“What do you want, Britt?” I cooed in her ear. “It’s right there.” I pressed in again a little, then pulled it back out.
“Ezra,” she whined. “Please.”
“Oh, I like it when you beg.” I smirked.
“Please,” she said.
I pushed in halfway, then stopped.
“Please,” she moaned, “You’re killing me.”
When those words left her lips, I closed my eyes and slid in all the way. I wanted to give her everything she wanted.
“Is that what you want?” I asked.
“Yes!” She managed to get one hand on my ass and gripped my cheek to pull me closer.
Her free leg wrapped around my waist and she bucked her hips as I moved slowly in and out. I still didn’t want to rush things; I didn’t want that lust-filled sex we’d had before.
But as I moved in and out of her, I couldn’t hold back. My own hormones kicked in and my body yelled at me for being a fool. I sped up, thrusting in harder, and each time she moaned, it sent a shot of pleasure through me that made me move faster and faster.
“Yes, yes!” she shouted. “Harder!”
I pumped into her as fast as I could, my ass muscles squeezing and working. I slammed her hard, making her breasts jump and her face twist in pleasure.
“Yes!” She grabbed my ass and wrapped me tighter and snapped her hips into me as she tightened around my cock. Her squeezing and throbbing as she came pulled the pleasure out of me, and I thrust hard a few last times as I came.
“Asshole,” she muttered as we lay still.
“Oh, you love it,” I said, breathing hard and enjoying the feeling of our sweat-covered bodies sticking together.
She sighed. “Yeah, I do. But next time, don’t you keep me waiting like that. If you don’t think there’ll be payback, you’re dumber than I thought.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“The thing is…” I lifted my head to look in her eyes. “I was smart enough to pick you.”
She pressed her lips together. “Fine. You’re smart as a damn whip.” She paused, then said, “Whip. Hmm. That could be fun. Maybe I might just cuff you to the bed and whip you, see how you like to be tortured.”
“I might like that very much,” I said.
“Yeah, yeah, Mr. I Love Life And Everything About It.”
“I love everything about you.” I kissed her. “And I will make you love life like you never knew you could if it’s the last thing I do.”
18
Britt
One Year Later
I came up to the cabin, dragging a croc carcass behind me as I approached the door. I’d made a point of hunting more crocs since my quite unpleasant experience with the one who tried to kill me and had killed two of my kind.
Something wasn’t right, though. The door was open a crack and lights were on inside. I’d left in the middle of the day, so there was no way I’d left any on. Ezra was working and wouldn’t be over until much later.
My heart raced and I started my sniffing investigation. This felt too familiar. Was someone in my place? After me or panthers again?
I pulled my handgun from my side holster and pulled back the slide to load a bullet in the chamber. If someone was in there, I wasn’t going to wait for them to explain.
I crept up the porch, my gun at the ready, and aimed in front of me. I kicked the door open wider as I jumped back, out of sight in case someone was right there. When I leaned my head forward slightly to see inside, I dropped my gun and rolled my eyes.
“What the hell?”
In the center of my living room sat a trap. It looked a little like the one I’d nearly lost my foot in a year before. That one, though, happened to be covered in pink fur, and rose petals were strewn around it. The trap was only plastic. A toy.
A note sat beside it that read, “You’ve trapped my heart.”
“This is the worst damn joke I’ve ever seen,” I called out. He was there somewhere. I walked over and shut the door, then locked it.
Candles formed a circle around the trap, flickering in the gentle breeze. The candles formed a trail that I guessed I was meant to follow, so I walked back to the bedroom.
When I pushed open the door, I laughed. The candles formed another circle. This one had Ezra in the middle, down on one knee.
I crossed my arms. “What are you doing?”
He shrugged. “I just thought the candles and rose petals would be a nice touch.”
I let out a sigh. “Well, let’s hear it then.” But I was laughing. This was cute.
“Britt,” he started, taking something from his pocket. “You’ve been a pain in my ass since the day I met you, when you tackled me and almost attacked me.”
I shook my head, remembering our meeting, and laughing.
“Since that day, we’ve gotten on each other’s nerves, we’ve driven each other crazy, we’ve killed together, almost died together, and made some good sweet loving. And all that was before we even really started dating. Someone—fate, maybe—brought us together to form this wacky balance of love that we have going on. But at the end of the day, there’s no one I’d rather be annoyed by than you. Your insults are like the sweetest compliments.”
I snorted. “Oh, Lord, this is getting thick.”
He laughed, too. “You’ve made me see life completely differently, and I think I’ve done the same for you. There is no one—not even close to anyone—on this earth that I would rather annoy the piss out of for the rest of my days than you.”
I put my hand to my forehead. “Is this supposed to be a proposal?”
He smiled, but turned serious. “A year ago, I almost lost you, and it felt like the world would never be right again. I don’t want to go one day without your laugh or smile or quick wit. Be my hunting partner and mate forever. Britt, will you marry me?”
He held up a ring. But it didn’t look like the typical diamond ring. I squinted and moved closer to look at it.
“Now, before you go having your fit, this is not a diamond. I didn’t think you’d want that.”
I gasped. “Is that—”
“I talked to Kat and Dezi and Kat’s gramma and they assured me—”
“You didn’t!”
“—that this was the only ring you’d want.”
“Ezra!”
He stood and slipped it on my finger.
“Is that my gramma’s jade?”
“Yep. And the band is made from your ma’s necklace, melted down.”
I squealed and wrapped my arms around him. I’d never been into typical je
welry, it was true. If he’d given me a gold band with a diamond, I’d wear it, but I’d try to get out of wearing it whenever I could. I just didn’t like that sort of thing. But this ring? I couldn’t have designed one more perfect.
“I think I’d have to say yes just because of the ring.”
“Really?” He sagged with relief. “I was worried you might be pissed that I ruined two pieces of jewelry that were both super important to you.”
“I can see why you’d think that. And if you’d screwed it up, I would be. But it’s perfect.” I pulled back to look in his eyes. “I had no idea I could love someone like I love you. You were totally unexpected and not at all who I ever would have pictured spending my life with, if I had pictured that at all. But somehow, we’re perfect together.”
“We are, aren’t we?”
“We are.” I kissed him hard. “Now come help me skin this croc.”
He laughed. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.” I took his hand and we blew out the candles as we went, starting out on the path to our forever.
* * *
Nanny For The Soldier Bear
Shifter Nation: Werebears Of The Everglades
1
Conner
From somewhere under my warm blanket, I heard my radio crackle. My ears perked and I was sitting up before the alert tones even finished.
“Search and rescue team, respond. Recovery needed.”
I grabbed my walkie and pressed the button as I pulled on my pants with one hand. “Conner Griffin responding. En route.”
I tossed the walkie aside so I could finish dressing, but as I pulled on my shirt, I shook my head. No, this isn’t right. I should be running. My pants came back off, and I snatched my “go” bag from the floor by my bed, tossing my shirt and pants inside.
I was barely out the door before the familiar popping and snapping of my bones coursed through me. My skin broke out into thick, black fur, my nails extended to claws and my teeth sharpened to fangs. I roared and took off running in bear form with my pack of necessary items slung over my back. I was much faster on four feet than two.
My paws hit the forest floor, the grass still damp with dew, the morning just starting to lighten. The sun would be peeking over the horizon in the next hour or so, but for now, the hint of dawn made the world a dull orange.
At least a few members of my clan are likely up and about, I thought, bounding onward. Owen, our Alpha and head Park Ranger, would’ve probably known what was up if the rescue was on park grounds. That meant Ezra, who was Owen’s second in both the pack and as a Ranger, might have, too—unless he was fast asleep, which was just as likely. Mason was a Ranger Officer in the area, so the situation might have involved him as well.
I tuned my thoughts into our clan’s mental link. Checking in.
You on your way? Owen asked. I’m on site and Mason is driving in.
I’m running. What details do you have? I couldn’t hear my walkie while running since it was in my pack, but Owen would’ve heard the same call go out as I had.
Looks like a body in the swamp. Suspected murder.
Murder? Mason will love that. I chuckled. He’d been in on a big case recently, but it involved animal deaths, not people. Being new to the force, this might have been his first big shot at proving himself.
He seemed very serious.
I expected that. Mason was fun, and when we got him drunk, he was a blast. But when it came to work, he was 110% business. Important for a cop. Couldn’t say I blamed him. My clan complained that I was far too serious and needed to lighten up all the time. Whatever; some things should be taken seriously. Life couldn’t be all fun and games, no matter what Ezra said.
Exact location? I asked.
East swamp, by the northbound path. Follow my scent. Shifting back now.
Getting close. I could hear the general murmur of people moving around, talking, turning car radios on and off; life sounds.
When I got close enough to smell Owen, I stopped running and shifted back to human, then quickly dressed myself. Until I knew for sure who was around, I couldn’t make myself known as a shifter. Plenty of us who worked in emergency services in Everglades National Park were shifters, and it aided us greatly, but it was a colossal secret, a great divide of us versus them. The shifters knew who was human and who wasn’t, but we had to make sure the humans had no clue about our existence. It made things tricky at times, but was wholly critical for our survival. The world wasn’t ready to believe that fairytales were real.
When I walked up, I saw that everyone present was a shifter; that was a bad sign. When a situation that involved shifters happened, those in charge made sure only shifters were sent to respond. Owen and one of his Rangers were there, Mason was there with his partner and two more cops, along with two other members of my team, Seth and Jamari.
I nodded to the others as I approached my team.
“Full-on murder,” Seth announced.
“They suspect crocs,” Jamari said.
My eyes instantly narrowed. How long were these crocs going to cause trouble? We’d been dealing with them for years by that point. They thought they were the superior shifter group. It didn’t matter that the Everglades was home to bear shifters, panthers, wolves and tigers. No, only crocs should be allowed to live there, they believed. And they constantly tried to move into positions of power to take over. The rest of us all got along and worked together. That was how we’d kept them out so long, but it was getting to the point where we might have to ban the crocs from the ‘Glades once and for all.
“As soon as the police are done taking photos of the scene, we’re going in,” Jamari added.
I stood back with them to watch. A few other rescue workers showed up, and finally, it was our time to get in the water and retrieve the bodies. It was easier in animal form, so we stripped down and shifted, then jumped in the water.
As soon as I was in the swamp, I started searching. Being in animal form gave us many advantages, especially in the water. We could see, hear, and smell better than humans. I picked up on the scent of blood, distinct, sharp and iron-rich; few other things smelled like that. I swam in the direction and noticed a figure at the bottom of the murky water.
I made the gesture we used to let each other know we’d found something, and my teammates swam over to me. Together, we got the body free of the tangles of the grass and I grabbed hold of the shirt. Female, I thought.
As I swam with her toward the surface, another scent hit me; this one was much more familiar, sending a panicked jolt through me. I broke the surface of the water, then coughed and almost lost her. Adjusting my grip, I dragged her body over to the side where two members of the paramedic team were waiting.
They pulled her out as I nudged her from behind, and when they had her, I emerged from the water and shifted back immediately, sputtering and choking.
“You okay, man?” Owen asked.
I couldn’t answer. I just stared at the body, inhaling her scent. Now that she was out, there was no denying it.
I had just rescued my lifeless sister-in-law.
When Owen looked at the body, he gasped and covered his mouth. Alaina and my brother hadn’t been part of our clan, but they were also shifters and had come to many of our get togethers. I stood by her side, not believing the sight before me. How could this have happened? And where was my brother? Did he have any clue?
“Alaina,” I whispered.
“You know her?” one of the paramedics asked.
I nodded stiffly. “My sister-in-law.”
I heard a commotion behind me: Seth surfaced with another body. We had only been expecting one. My lip trembled as I saw the last thing in the world I wanted to see.
My brother, Logan, dead; his lifeless body being pulled from the swamp.
My stomach dropped and everything around me spun. I felt my knees hit the ground. Sounds turned to echoes ringing in my ears, and I turned my head and puked in disgust. My memories were fu
zzy after that, but all I remember is scrambling to my feet, shifting and taking off.
“Conner, wait!” Owen called after me.
A moment later, I felt his presence as he shifted. Oh my God, I am so sorry. I can’t even… Be safe. Check in. We’re here for you, brother; we’re on this. We’ll find the bastards who did this and fucking end them.
Then he was gone and it was just me. Running. From something. To something. To what, I didn’t know; I just ran.
2
Jessie
I glanced at my phone again. Where was it saying to turn? I sighed in frustration, felt the anxiety increase in my chest, and made a turn. My phone’s screen said, “Rerouting.”
“Ahhh!” I growled and banged the steering wheel.
Though my sister, Nikki, assured me that Homestead was a far cry from a massive city like Miami, the area was still much bigger than our tiny little home town, which was all I knew. Of course, that was also the very reason I was moving.
Living in a town with just one elementary school and one high school, there were no nearby teaching jobs available out of college. After being turned down for the only two available job positions in the area, I ended up waiting tables at the local diner, paying huge school loans on skimpy tips. Not exactly what I had pictured for my future.
Nikki, on the other hand, had been ready to get out from the start. She went to school in Miami and moved to Homestead—right near Everglades National Park—after she’d graduated. Nikki had a stint as a waitress, too, though in a high-end restaurant that brought much higher tips. But shortly thereafter, she was able to land a position in her given industry—medical imaging—in a fancy hospital with a big fat paycheck. It had only taken her a month to find that job, and there were many hospitals and facilities within a half-hour range that she could transfer to if the first gig didn’t work out.
