Howl My Name (BBW Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance) (Grayslake Book 5) (17 page)

“Have I told you how beautiful you are?”

“Once or twice,” she gave him a soft smile. “But a girl likes to hear that she’s appreciated.”

“Baby, you’re gorgeous and I’m so damned lucky I get to keep you.” He cupped her breast, thumb flicking over her hardening nipple. “Forever.”

This was for show and yet it wasn’t. They were playing a part, but her body didn’t get the memo because when he pinched her nipple, she moaned. And when he tugged on it, she groaned. And when he snapped her bra strap and lowered the bra cup to expose her… she gasped and then moaned and groaned.

She was supposed to focus on their surroundings. But how when all she could think about was his cock in her pussy, threats be damned.

Reid knew exactly what he was doing. That cocky smirk and his sparkling eyes told her that he was fully aware of her reactions.

And he liked it.

Okay, she liked it too, but she didn’t want to!

“Reid,” she gasped and arched her back, pressing her breast against his palm. “Please.”

“Please what?” His eyes flared brighter.

“Fuck me. Claim me.” He’d only plucked her nipple, but she was
so
ready for him. Her pussy was slick and wet, memories of his mouth on her heat spurring her arousal.

Then his look changed, the desire and joy still present, but something else filled his expression. A wariness, a readiness that she’d witnessed before they’d entered the clearing. As if his body was prepared for whatever came at him.

The wolf lurked beneath the surface of Reid’s skin even if Evelyn couldn’t see clear evidence of its presence. His muscles were tense—not with need, but restrained violence. His nostrils flared and his amber eyes brightened, the wolf in her mate catching a scent that excited him.

She waded through the desire and cravings for him and sought out what Reid discovered. And found… Zeke.

Close.

She’d almost forgotten their purpose, overcome by pleasure when their true purpose was capturing and killing her uncle.

That was something she’d adopted from Reid, a distance between what her human mind perceived as right and wrong and that of her bear. The bear didn’t have a problem with what was about to happen while her human half felt a twinge of regret.

The bear told her to man up.

And instead of arguing with the animal, she gave in.
I’m trying.

Reid continued his attentions and she continued to spur him on, giving him the drawn out whimpers and moans he expected, but they saw the truth in each other’s eyes. Zeke was close… watching… waiting.

How far would their party go before he struck?

“Let’s take this off, baby,” Reid murmured, tugging at her other bra strap. It took two slices total. One for the left strap and another at the center so he could brush the rest of the fabric away. Now she was bared to him, breasts growing heavy and aching for his touch. “You’re so gorgeous.” He cupped her tits, tormenting her nipples once more. “I don’t know where to put my mouth first.”

“Well, I have my own ideas.” She wiggled her eyebrows and Reid released a short laugh.

“Pain in the ass.”

Evelyn grinned. “Not yet.”

“Evie—”

That was it. The last word before her world erupted in a mass of brown fur and angry snarls. In a whirlwind of claws and fangs and…

* * *

Reid was ready for the strike and when it came, he rolled with the movement. So when the bear meant to pounce and drive him to the ground, Reid ensured the male overshot his mark and stumbled across the leaf-littered ground. He didn’t spare a look for Evie, knowing she’d do as he said. They’d talked about this and he had to believe she’d listen at least
now
. Who knew what the future would hold.

In bear form, Zeke scrambled for purchase, claws digging into dirt and foliage as he fought to right himself. And he let the male find his feet, looking forward to an almost fair fight.

Almost because there really was no way for a fight to be fair if Reid was one of the opponents. Zeke was a dead bear breathing.

Ezekiel roared, mouth wide and spit dripping from his fangs and spraying from his mouth with the movement.

“Impressive.” Reid agreed. It was loud if not threatening. “Come peacefully, and I’ll end you quickly.”

He always had to give a choice, give someone a chance to save themselves some agony. Some called him soft.

They only ever said it once.

Unfortunately for Zeke, he wouldn’t give in.

Fortunately for Reid… Zeke wouldn’t give in.

“Your party, then.” Reid grinned and waited, meeting Zeke’s gaze, the bear staring at him as it calculated its next move.

Most were afraid of a predator larger than themselves. Reid always thought of them as a challenge.

How big of an animal can I kill?

So far, it was a feral polar bear.

Ezekiel lumbered forward, mouth gaping and neck extended at his rushed approach. It was something Reid saw from a mile away, the male’s attempt at surprise ending with a punch to the bear’s jaw. It wasn’t enough to break it—and he was pretty sure he cut his knuckles on a couple teeth—but it stunned the male. Stunned it enough for Reid to bring his claws forward to scrape the other side of Zeke’s face. Punch on the right, gouges on the left and that put Ezekiel’s left out of commission.

In fact, Reid shook his left paw, did he have an eyeball stuck to a claw? Ew. Yes, yes he did. Gross. Blood was one things, but eyeballs always creeped him out.

But he didn’t have much time to consider the eyeball when Zeke swung at him, his own paw splayed wide and claws extended as he reached for Reid. He easily ducked the strike while he scraped his nails down the bear’s side. Blood coated his paw, the warm, coppery fluid flowing over his gray fur, staining it red.

Zeke danced away, shying from Reid’s attack, but it wasn’t quick enough. Not when Zeke tried the exact same thing and Reid repeated the motion on the animal’s other side.

“There, a matching set.” He grinned at the bear, malice and joy warring within him.

Zeke wanted to give him his own set, the bear giving it a shot once more. Trading him blows, but never landing a single one. Strike, dodge, cut. Over and over again. He worked to tire out the massive male, giving Zeke exactly what he’d promised.

“You could have avoided all this pain if you just would have—”

Nothing. Would have done nothing because Reid was a cocky asshole who didn’t pay attention to where he stepped and tripped on a root. On a motherfucking root.

At least his dick wasn’t hanging out. That was a bonus.

Zeke flashed his fangs, the excitement unmistakable in the bear’s eyes. He ran at Reid, pouncing while Reid tried to regain his feet. The massive paws bracketed him, caging him like an animal, while those massive teeth descended. Zeke’s jaws were spread widely, saliva dripping onto Reid and those fangs glistened in the darkness.

Destructive. Dangerous. Deadly.

Reid wrapped his hands around Zeke’s throat, grasping and holding the male, not allowing him to crush Reid’s skull with a single bite. He had a future to plan. He wasn’t about to die now. He just had to figure out how to get out of the bullshit mess he’d created. Zeke snapped and snarled, jolting and jerking against Reid’s hold, but he held fast, refusing to allow the bear freedom.

A feminine shout—Evie—reached him, but he didn’t allow his attention to be diverted. Not when life and death lingered so close.

Ezekiel put his body weight into the push, battling to close his deadly jaws over Reid’s head. Not happening. Not when he had so much to live for. So he transformed his claws further. He let the wolf slink past his control and truly join the fight. He dug his nails into Zeke’s vulnerable throat, talons sinking deep and slicing into flesh and muscle. He’d make Zeke bleed to death before he let the bear take him.

They stared at one another, bear and wolf, gazes colliding and the wolf roared at the size of the bear’s balls. He dared to stare Reid down?
He dared?

The bear would die for that alone, fuck all of his other transgressions.

Fingers digging deeper also lessened the distance between their faces, the flesh parting and allowing him to press down even further. And… this was the time he kinda hoped Zeke would bleed to death.

But Ezekiel snapped his jaws, jerking forward with each bite, trying to grasp at some of Reid’s flesh. Each move brought them closer. Each move pushed them nearer to an end to their struggles. Those deadly fangs were now no more than an inch from Reid, taunting him with the end, and he fought what was to come.

He’d been a cocky asshole and now he’d suffer the consequences.

He’d assured the clan they were safe.

He’d assured his bears he would be fine.

He’d assured Evie this battle would be fierce, but fast. They would mate soon.

He’d… never anticipated losing.

Cocky. More than that. He’d begun to
care
. He never cared for anyone before. He’d never worried over anyone. He was a body going through the motions, a frame filled with the need for violence and vengeance. Having Evie, having Brookfield, changed him. For the better, sure.

But also worse since he was fairly sure he was about to meet his maker. Or tormentor. Heaven or hell, he’d hate them both because it meant he wouldn’t have Evie.

“
Reid!
” Her shout came from far away. Distant and fearful and he wanted to reassure her, but he couldn’t because—

The sound was familiar, a
pop
that was easily identifiable, but out of place in the middle of a battle between shifters. What made it odder was that the moment the sound struck his ears, something else struck… Zeke.

Brain matter scattered, blood and the spongy organ decorating the ground and Reid, coating him even further. But there was one unmistakable fact that could not be avoided.

Zeke was missing half his head.

Huh.

He looked around for Evie, annoyed yet proud of her for saving his ass. But it wasn’t Evie who held the gun in trembling hands. It wasn’t Evie who had tears overflowing her eyes. And it wasn’t Evie who fell to the ground, hands cupping her rounded belly, weapon forgotten on the forest floor.

“Katherine,” his mate whispered and then rushed to the crumpled female. “Oh, Katherine.”

“He-he-he…” Katherine sobbed. “I needed to do it. I had to. I had to. I had…”

Evie pulled the pregnant woman into her arms and he met his mate’s gaze over Katherine’s head. What he saw there, a mirror of Katherine’s heartbreak and pain, stole any hint of anger at the bear’s interference.

Yes, Reid needed Ezekiel gone, but Katherine… needed vengeance.

Reid wasn’t sure how to feel. Wasn’t sure how to live with the new knowledge and realizations that plagued him. He had half a mind to call Clary and talk this shit out, but he didn’t want her in Brookfield any quicker than necessary.

So he was stuck thinking it over himself, wondering how he could hold onto a clan when he nearly had his ass handed to him by Zeke and had to be saved by Katherine. Did he deserve to be the Itan? Did he deserve to call himself a bear, period?

Fuck if he knew though he wished he did.

For now, he had to figure out how to deal with last night’s drama and heal the clan today. At least he could walk without an escort. With Zeke’s death came other knowledge, other realizations. The clan still held a few who enjoyed a higher status due to the Archers. Those who had participated when the Archer males dragged women kicking and screaming into the clan den. He didn’t know who they were, but he’d find out.

Then there was the fact that Brookfield wasn’t the only screwed up clan due to the Archer family. There were others who
played
with Brookfield men and women. Other Itans who came to town to
play
with clan members. Those that provided Carvrix to Ezekiel.

It was a twisted web that disgusted and angered him. Even if he didn’t know every member of his clan, he was consumed with rage over what they’d endured. They’d culled the few Archer sympathizers he could identify, packaged them up and shipped them to Terrence. Reid didn’t have time to deal with them. Not when he had a house filled with bears who needed his attention.

And they’d get it. After he took time to just
breathe
for a second. The walls had closed in on him, suffocating him with responsibility. He needed a place without walls, without tethers, without
people
.

He found it in the forest, boots tromping over now familiar ground as he delved deeper and deeper until… he came across a wide patch of dark brown. Some of the grass was painted red, but the dirt had absorbed a lot of the blood. Insects had carted off some of the chunks of flesh and brain. Whatever they’d left behind when they hauled the body to the massive fire they’d created for the other three Archers and Gary.

Evil purged from the earth.

Still left a stain though.

“Reid?” her voice was soft and hesitant. Almost timid. As if she was afraid of what he’d do with her intrusion.

Couldn’t blame her. Last night had been… interesting. He’d lost it more than a little bit, the wolf furious at their kill being snatched from their paws. Today… today he was better. The animal didn’t like Katherine’s actions, but he couldn’t begrudge her vengeance. Not when Evie drew the woman close, tight grip tugging the pregnant woman’s top aside just enough to give Reid a glance at her scars.

Vengeance was hers. It’d been earned with every scarring cut and scrape and the child she carried.

“Hey, baby.” He forced a grin to his lips and held out his hand for her, beckoning her forward. Whether he led the clan or not, he still had Evie. Unless she decided a wolf who’d lost a pack
and
possibly a clan was beneath her. That’d suck.

But he’d just kidnap her. She couldn’t stay furious forever.

“You don’t have to do that.” She placed her hand in his and he slowly pulled her into his side.

“What?” He pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head.

“Pretend you’re not angry. That you’re not upset. That you’re not unsettled.”