Liam's Bride: BBW Werebear Romance (Clan Conroy Brides Book 1) (13 page)

Liam knew he had to handle his emotions, keep them from bleeding out onto the innocent woman carrying his cub. Intellectually he understood she wasn’t to blame for her father. She wasn’t even to blame for wanting to keep it a secret- how could she not want to keep that secret? No one wanted to live with a dark shadow looming over her heads. She managed to make a life for herself, grow into a caring, feisty, independent woman.

So he would deal with his anger, his hatred. Bear brushed it off. Didn’t care two fiddles for her sire, only cared about the woman, the cub. She must be taught not to lie, but her sire meant nothing in the long scheme of things. Life comes, life goes. It was the way of things.

But for now he had a more pressing issue.

Normally his duties as Alpha of a small town Den were mostly perfunctory. He helped keep the young males in check, maintained contact with local agencies, protected their private lands from government encroachment. They didn’t delve much into politics in their territory- it was too small to bother with, mostly. But with the onset of the Mother’s Council decisions to intervene in affairs of reproduction, life was more… complicated lately.

He left Meredith sleeping in his bed and slipped out of the house. The males gathered deep in the forest, restless and demanding reprieve. The ten- well, nine, since one was missing- who’d been chosen in the lottery including himself were present. And Alphonso, his second, though his name hadn’t been pulled. The canopy overhead blanketed the clearing, nearly blocking out light from the rising sun. Their shifter eyes glowed, no trouble piercing the dark.

Males turned as Liam approached, took his place in the center. He’d always thought it symbolic; the circle could either be a protection- or a vise.

He held up a hand, calling for silence. “I know there are objections to the decree and the results of the lottery.” He paused. “I don’t like it any more than you do, being forced to find a human mate against my will. But. I’ve done what is required of me.”

“We know about your human,” a male said. “And we know it has been no hardship for you to take her.”

Boden had been running his mouth. “I got lucky,” he agreed. “My Bear likes this woman. All that means is that if you stop whining and start looking, you can find a woman your Bear will want as well.” He stared at them, expression hard. “Is the survival of our people not worth this small sacrifice? How many of you already have females?”

Silence. Liam smiled. “The Mother’s aren’t stupid. That’s why our names were put in the lottery. Because none of us is entangled. Think of this as a war, and a human woman is your prisoner and your prize.”

“And what are we supposed to do? How are we supposed to find women?”

Liam shrugged, irritated. “How do human males find women? Look on the internet. Ask around. Put an ad in the damn newspaper. But I’m giving you each a year to comply with the decree. And after a year, I will find you. And you will face me in the Challenge circle.” Because if he had to go through with it, then damnit, they all had to go through with it.

They spoke, argued, for a while longer. The sun was just over the sky when Liam finally called a halt to the discussion. There was still disgruntlement- but most expressions reflected resignation, even eagerness. Evidently word on his woman had gotten around, and more than one male had already taken a peek at Meredith. There weren’t that many fire haired, curvy beauties in town. If Liam was able to find a willing human so quickly, then they should be able to do the same.

“Liam.”

His head jerked around in surprise. He stared at Norelle, displeased, eyebrow rising. “Norelle, what are you doing here? This was a meeting for the males only.” They didn’t invade the women’s business. It was a serious breach of etiquette for her to invade theirs.

“I’ve been listening to this talk of mates, of human women.” She stepped into the clearing. Voices fell, staring at the Alpha’s sister. “Everyone congratulates you for being so self-sacrificing. But there is one problem.”

Her lip pulled back in a snarl. Liam tensed. “The human woman he is planning to mate is the daughter of our family’s enemy. The daughter of the man who killed our father.”

The males looked between him and Norelle.

Alphonso stepped closer to him, abandoning his apparent nonchalance. “Go home, Norelle,” he said, voice deceptively mild. “It’s none of your concern.”

“Shut up, Alphonso,” she snapped. “You would go along with anything he did out of stupid male loyalty. Even let him foul our family line with that monster’s git.”

Liam gritted his teeth. He understood her anger, her pain, her sense of betrayal. But he couldn’t allow her to insult Meredith. Not the mother of his cub.

“Norelle, Meredith is having my cub.” Surprise rippled through the males. “I know this is difficult, but you have to accept it. I won’t have you insulting her, or punishing your niece or nephew.”

“I will never accept it. If you don’t repudiate her-”

“You’ll do what?” he growled, stepping forward. Sister or not- he wouldn’t let her get away with threatening him.

Norelle’s shoulders swelled. A sound of challenge burst from her throat. His Bear reacted, echoing the roar with one of his own.

He was Alpha because he was the strongest, his shift from man to Bear the fastest. The change ripped through him, bursting the seams of his clothing even as Norelle’s shift matched his own in speed and strength. If she’d been a man, she would have Challenged him a long time ago to be Alpha. But she wasn’t.

He rose on hind legs, meeting her charge, maw gaping. They collided, powerful arms each seeking purchase around the other. Liam held back, reluctant even with the fury of Bear roaring through his veins, to hurt his sister. She was smaller, lighter- but fast, and vicious in her anger. She swiped at him. He grabbed her around the shoulders, flinging her bodily into the ground. She twisted, gaining her feet and lunging even as he followed up with a tackle. Norelle’s paw rammed into his head. She jumped on his back, teeth snapping. He threw her off and returned the favor, wrestling her to the ground with superior weight and strength, jaw sinking into her neck, demanding she surrender. She tried to break free and couldn’t. He increased the pressure, enough to break through fur and skin, pressing down until she was flat on the ground, pinned.

He felt the ripple of her muscles as she began to shift back, defeated. Released her neck, backing away warily until he was certain it wasn’t a trick, then rushed through his change to stand as a man again.

“Get her something to cover herself,” he snapped at Alphonso.

The male took off his sleeveless black shirt, tossed it at Norelle who put it on. The males averted theirs eyes out of respect- or because Liam stared them down.

“Norelle, you’re banished for thirty days,” he said as she rose to her feet. “Go to New York, bring back Cassius.” The male who hadn’t been present, though he was one of the ten whose name’s had been drawn. “But don’t let me see you again before your banishment is done.”

Someone muttered under their breath. Liam’s head snapped towards the voice and he took a step. “Does someone have an opinion?” he roared. His blood boiled, anger seeking an outlet, incisors itching for something to sink into. Norelle had activated his Bear, but he’d held back, hadn’t fully unleashed the lust for battle.

“Liam, go to Meredith before you start a fight,” Alphonso said sharply.

Liam’s nostrils flared, head swinging around in the direction of his home. Yes. Meredith. That was better than destroying another male.
Meredith.

He didn’t even think as he slid back into Bear, charging through the forest to get to his woman.

Alphonso supposed he should feel guilty for siccing Liam on Meredith, but the man needed an outlet and she was better than him injury one of the males. That would really piss the Mother’s off. Besides, the Bear wouldn’t hurt Meredith. Still, he supposed the woman at least deserved a heads up.

Shrugging, he took out his cell and called Gwenafar. She’d deal with it.

She texted him that morning, figuring he must have gone in to open the restaurant or oversee some work at the Y. Today was a garden day, so maybe she would see him there later. Her heart was only half way into her classes, but thankfully the lessons that had been preloaded were ones she was already familiar with so she could breeze through the activities with each student while her mind was half-way somewhere else.

It was after lunch when she'd checked her cell for the dozenth time and saw there were no missed calls or texts. Irritated, she angry texted and erased several messages just to get it out of her system. Set the phone down and went back to her laptop to check the lesson plan for her next student when her cell rang.

She snatched it up. "Liam?"

"Where are you?"

Meredith recognized the mature female voice; Gwenafar. "I’m at Liam’s."

"Stay there. He's on his way."

Gwenafar hung up. Meredith wanted to text her back, worry pricked from the grim tone, but she opted for patience and cancelled the student, wincing from the ding it would put on her quality ranking for the month, and sat outside on the porch, oddly nervous.

A roar sounded from the forest across the street. The sound shook her to her bones and she pushed to her feet, mouth dry, breaths fast and shallow.

A giant brown Bear exploded from the tree line, leaves showering to the ground with the force of his passing. He stopped short when he saw Meredith, rearing up onto hind legs so he stood nearly ten feet tall. His maw gaped, white fangs gleaming.

“Liam,” she whispered.

He fell forward onto four legs, porch trembling with the shock of his weight. Forward he walked, one lumbering step at a time, dark eyes pinning her to the spot.

She couldn’t have moved if she’d wanted to. The intelligence, the warmth was gone, replaced by a fury of intermingles lust and anger. She didn’t know how she knew that; if she closed her eyes she could almost feel the turmoil inside him.

When she forced her lids open, he was walking up the steps, the wood creaking under his weight even as his form began the reverse transition, muscles shrinking, fur receding. Face morphing into that of a human male- a naked human male, chest and shoulders sculpted with a strength she knew could crush her.

The Bear hadn’t frightened her; seeing the huge, moist erection on the man as he stalked toward her, she stumbled back several feet.

“Liam-”

“Shut up,” he snarled. He leaped from the bottom step, clearing the stair case and porch in one powerful thrust of his thighs, landing in front of her with a thud that rivaled an earthquake. She backed into house, banging her head with the force of her retreat.

“Ow,” she exclaimed, rubbing the smarting skin. And began to get angry at him for scaring her. “Either you control your temper, or I’m leaving!” She refused to be with a man who thought it was okay to frighten her, or cause her any kind of injury, no matter how small.

Arms caged her on either side as he leaned into her, nose buried in her neck. Teeth sank into her soft flesh, just enough to make a point, not enough to hurt.

“Not going anywhere, Meredith.”

Her voice trembled. “Are you going to make me?”

Silence stretched. He pulled away from her slowly, amber eyes still hot and growly, but giving her space. Choice. She took a deep breath, licking her lips. His eyes fastened on the movement and his chest swelled even further.

“Do you want to know the best way to handle an angry mate?” he asked softly.

Um… no? Yes? She watched him warily. “Okay. How?”

He smiled, sharp inhuman incisors gleaming. “Fuck him senseless.”

Her clit pulsed. “You already have no sense,” she muttered, glancing at the erection. She realized they were standing outside. “Liam, get inside!”

He folded his arms. “Make me.”

She glared. “Everyone will see-” she waved a hand in his general direction, “-this.”

He didn’t move. Meredith stepped into him, hand wrapping around the twitching cock, squeezing. “Come inside, Liam,” she demanded in a low, husky tone.

Reason left his face, smile evaporating as a shudder racked his body. He lifted her, throwing her over his shoulder and ramming through the front door. She could only see the floor- and his firm ass- but she knew he took her to the living room. A moment later he lowered her onto the pile of thick rugs in front of the fireplace. She figured she should be glad he hadn’t just tossed her without regard for the landing.

Strong hands reached for the neck of her blouse, ripping cloth like butter. Buttons scattered as she squeaked. Her jeans and panties were next before he unsnapped the delicate lace bra. She spared a thought to have a moment of indignation- he didn’t care about the plain white blouse, but he took care with the sexy lingerie. What a… male.

“Liam, what happened? Talk to me.”

“I don’t want to talk. I want my woman.”

Her hands buried in his hair, holding his head still. He allowed it. “Either you tell me why your mother called me sounding weird-”

“My sister Challenged me.”

Her mouth gaped. “Norelle? What? What does that mean?”

Liam stared down at her, eyes hard as resin chips. “She doesn’t want me to mate you. Says it shames our father. Challenged me for rule of Den.”

Meredith’s eyes closed, dread in the pit of her stomach. She hadn’t seen any blood on him, any injuries. Gwenafar hadn’t sounded
too
perturbed…

“Is she alright?”

He smiled, and Meredith shivered. “She’s learned a lesson. And no one in my Den will Challenge my right to rule- or my right to my mate, again.”

She hesitated, eyes lowering. “Maybe she’s right.”

“Not right,” he said with short, guttural syllables. “Lied to me. Enemy’s daughter. But still my mate. Mine to punish.”

Meredith stilled, unable to move as he wrapped long locks of her red hair around his fist, tightening to the point of discomfort.

“You said you didn’t blame me,” she whispered, not daring to cover her naked breasts, stung that he’d called her his enemy’s daughter. Stung at the faintest hint of venom.

His eyes closed, shudder rippling through his body. The veins in his neck stood out in stark relief.

“Bear doesn’t care. Man… struggling.”

Meredith thought she understood. A Bear would understand the cycle of life and death, of predator and prey. The practicality of living in the wild precluded holding grudges when mating and the protection of kin was at stake. The Bear only cared that she was his, and carried his cub. The man wasn’t nearly as practical.

“What do you want me to do?” she asked, waiting on his response. “Whatever you need from me to heal- I’ll give it.”

Not because she felt guilty, not because his dominance frightened her. But because she knew he was a good man, and because her actions had led to the life growing within her- a life that deserved the best possible chance to have a happy childhood with both parents.

He shifted, body collapsing to cover her, face burying in her neck.

“Just be you,” he whispered against her skin, voice regaining its humanity from her acquiescence. “I won’t give you up.”

“You don’t have to.” Her hand dared to stroke his silk dark hair, stroke the bare skin of his back. The muscles tensed and he raised back up.

“But,” he said, expression hard. Hot. “You need to be punished. Hard. And fast.”