ROMANCE: PARANORMAL ROMANCE: Mated, Bearfoot and Pregnant (Bear Shifter BBW Pregnancy Romance) (Werebear Hero Fantasy Romance) Read online

  "You think he knows?"

  "I don't know. They say that when mates spend all of their time together, as I am led to believe that Victoria and Gabriel do, that sometimes the onset of the scent is so gradual that it goes unnoticed."

  "And if he does know?" Jessica asked. The answer felt obvious to her, but hearing Lewis support her suspicions would make it a reality. Lions were fiercely territorial, and she had kidnapped the woman and the womb Gabriel had marked as his own. With a Liston child involved, his temper would be uncontrollable.

  "Then our plans remain unchanged. Flown off the handle, Gabriel will expose himself as an over-emotional leader hand-fed by the mortals and unconcerned with the diplomacies of his own pride. One way or another I will work this out, Jessica. It is my web to weave. But before I go forward with the pattern, I need to make sure that the results will be the ones my work anticipates."

  So calculated. So careful. Jessica sighed and flopped back against the couch, bored of the documentary and bored of waiting to strike.

  "But her parents don't matter one way or the other. Can't I just get to work right now, Lewis? I figure that if that bitch wants to ruin our family by ending my engagement to Gabriel and our chance of supremacy, then I can end hers."

  "Jessica, your—"

  But before Lewis could finish his sentence, there was a noise. The back door had creaked open as if it had been left unlatched and the wind had caught it. Jessica jumped up from her place at the couch and inhaled deeply, trying to make out any scent signatures, but the door was too far away and her senses too dull for her to tell immediately.

  Neither herself nor Lewis had long to wait before the identity of the newcomer was revealed.

  "Lewis?" Finneus' voice called from the kitchen. "I have something of yours."

  Jessica had met the man a few times when dealing with the Listons, and knew the Finneus was an uptight man who played by his own version of the rules. That he had aligned himself with the Leroux pride was interesting. Her eyes darted to Lewis, but he sat placidly upon the couch, eyes glued to the television as if nothing had happened. She knew better — she could see the thoughts processing as he worked through what was happening.

  "An interesting turn of events," Lewis mumbled to himself before standing. When he spoke again, his tone carried so that it breached into the kitchen. "I'm surprised to see you calling upon us, Finneus. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

  As he spoke he rose and began to pick his way across the living room to the kitchen door. Jessica heard it first. The muffled cry, pathetic and choked. Feminine.

  "As I said, I recovered something of yours. Upon learning that you were the one who lost it, I thought I'd bring it back."

  Lewis had crossed into the kitchen, and now Jessica took the chance to peer in after him. Finneus was standing just short of the back door, a restrained Victoria standing just before him. He'd silenced her with a cloth gag and had tied up her arms behind her back. Her eyes, a bright blue Jessica had never seen in any mortal prior, flicked this way and that in fear. She was trembling. The scent of her dried blood and her fear overwhelmed the change in her scent that Lewis had mentioned.

  "Well," Lewis' eyes darted from Victoria to Finneus, and he grinned, "I'm glad to see you. Know that you always have a home amongst the Leroux pride."

  Jessica saw the smug grin stretch Finneus' lips, and she scowled in dislike. Lawyers, always so proud of themselves, always ready to double cross and cut others to advance their own goals like they were poison festering beneath the skin. How she hated him. Back stabbers had no place amongst the Leroux pride. Perhaps they were devious compared to the Listons, but they never went against their own.

  "Thank you," Finneus said, chest puffing with pride. Jessica leaned against the doorway, watching the exchange. The Liston reject pushed Victoria forward, and she stumbled on her way to Lewis.

  "I was wondering if we might be able to talk," Finneus said once she was in Lewis' custody. "I have some doubts about the new Liston monarchy, and I was hoping to discuss options with you."

  Even though she stood behind him, Jessica knew that Lewis smirked. Of course he did. Before him stood Gabriel's closest kin, candidly stating he was ready to overthrow the Liston line. This was a scenario Lewis had never anticipated, but she knew it was perfect for what he wanted. Jessica wanted nothing to do with it. Diplomacies mattered little to her; the thrills of life were more satisfying than any clash of Kings.

  "Jessica," Lewis bade her, "take Victoria downstairs and make sure she doesn't get out this time. Mr. Harbright was kind enough to bring her back one time; I doubt he will be so kind if there is a second incident."

  When Lewis was around others, he changed. Jessica despised the holier-than-thou attitude he adopted when meeting with others. No wonder Steven spent as little time around them as possible. Their kid brother was smart.

  "Fine," she hissed, moving forward to grab Victoria by the arm. Her fingers dug a little too tightly into her supple flesh, and Jessica thought she might leave bruises. That is, if Victoria lived long enough for bruises to settle in. The night was moving into early morning, and Jessica had enough of waiting.

  She left Finneus and Lewis to their discussion. The pair had moved from the kitchen and into the living room as Jessica dragged Victoria towards the laundry room and then towards the basement door. Since her escape Jessica had barricaded it once more — the bookshelf and couch were back in place. Just how Victoria had found the strength to move them escaped her; a mortal man who was no stranger to the gym might have been able to budge them, but a curvy woman was unlikely to have what it took to dislodge the mess.

  Jessica was no mortal woman.

  With Victoria's arm secured in one arm, Jessica summoned the power of the lioness within and pulled the furniture away from the door with a single hand. Victoria gasped and squirmed, but she did not try to run. At least she'd learned her lesson. As Jessica pushed her towards the newly exposed stairs she savored the view she got of the deep gashes that ran down Victoria's back. It looked like Finneus hadn't bothered to treat them at all — congealed blood concealed the severity of the wounds.

  "Down the stairs, bitch," Jessica hissed. The basement was still dark, but feline blood gave Jessica the advantage. Within moments her eyes had accustomed to the low light. In the distance she could see both of Victoria's parents cowering, the meal replacement bars and water bottles Lewis had had her throw down to them an hour or so back now just wrappers that littered the floor by the bottom step. Maybe Victoria would slip on one and hit her head. If she died then her parents were fair game. Jessica smirked at the thought. There was no reason for her to follow Victoria all the way down, but the excitement had settled in her bones. Maybe if Victoria didn't slip on the empty bottles, a well-timed push would see her stumbling upon one.

  Victoria arrived at the landing, feet deftly avoiding the discarded water bottles. Jessica hesitated right behind her, considering her next angle of attack, when the injured woman spun around to face her. In one moment her hands were bound behind her back, but in the next Victoria had lashed out and red hot agony shot through Jessica's thigh. Strength left her, and the predator became the prey. She fell like a stone, crashing down to the basement landing as Victoria sidestepped as if she could see through the darkness. Upstairs a similar commotion had started, and she could hear Lewis' roar pierce the night.

  The lioness inside of her longed to spring forth, but the pain kept her pinned in her mortal form. Crumpled in a ball on the basement landing, Jessica reached with shaking fingers to inspect the source of her pain. The handle of a knife jutted from her thigh, slender and easy to conceal. Victoria had hit just the right spot to immobilize her and keep the lioness at bay. How had she done that through the dark?

  "You fucking bitch," Jessica hissed, this time both in pain and in anger. The blade bit in deep and had gone through her muscle and grazed the bone. Its pointed edge scraped against her femur whenever she twitched or tried to move, bringing
fresh waves of agony.

  But Victoria didn't have time to answer her. She was busy ushering her parents out of the basement and up the stairs. Rage boiled inside Jessica, and when Victoria stepped over her to climb the stairs towards liberty, Jessica lashed out and grabbed her by the ankle.

  "You're not getting away, whore. We were so close to bringing the Liston line done, and we're not going to let some fat, worthless mortal get in our way."

  But to her surprise, Victoria lashed out and kicked at her. The heel of her foot connected with Jessica's ribs and knocked the wind out of her. As she struggle to recover, Victoria looked down at her.

  "How dare you speak like that to the Liston Queen," Victoria hissed back. Her foot connected one more time before Jessica had enough and released her. The dim light from the basement window caught in Victoria's eye, and they glowed. Winded, Jessica was unable to make a sound, but had she been able to, she would have gasped.

  Lewis had been wrong. The change in Victoria's scent wasn't due to pregnancy. It was—

  Victoria wrenched the knife from Jessica's leg, and white hot pain saw the end to all thoughts. The lioness succumbed to unconsciousness. Upstairs a battle waged that she would never see, and the news she had to share would reach her brother's ears too late.

  The Listons had come to take back what was theirs, and nothing would stand in their way.

  Chapter Four

  The roar was the signal Finneus had told him to look out for. The adults Gabriel assumed were Victoria's parents ran from the back door, and after they left Gabriel barreled into the room, shifting into his lion form as he sprung through the doorway. He'd been shirtless and shoeless in anticipation, but the pants he wore shredded beneath the sudden alteration and fell to pieces on the kitchen tile. Finneus had sacrificed a full suit; he could hear the sound of claws skidding across wood and the snarls of two adult lions locked in conflict.

  On all fours, thick padded feet passing from tile to wood, Gabriel burst into the living room to find Finneus and Lewis grappling. Finneus was the smaller of the pair, his golden fur and light mane so much like Gabriel's own. The family resemblance guaranteed that Gabriel would make no mistake in his attack, even should his nose fail him.

  Without wasting a beat, Gabriel lunged at the darker lion and sank his claws into his shoulders, collapsing backwards and bringing Lewis with him to the ground. The coffee table shot across the room and crashed against the wall. Finn collapsed to all fours, huffing for breath as the King joined the fray, but he did not allow himself to loiter for long. As Gabriel twisted and struggled with Lewis, Finneus jumped back in and sank his teeth through Lewis' thick, dark mane until he connected with his neck. Roars and hisses and throaty cries ripped from all of their throats, but the cacophony only served to stir the warrior inside of Gabriel.

  Fighting man to man overseas was one kind of adrenaline, but nothing compared to the bestial fight that only two lion shifters could share. For as much danger as he was in, the world felt so much more alive. The smells of Lewis and Finn were crystal clear, but so were the signatures of the mortals who lived in this house and their activities from earlier that day. Gabriel could smell the coffee long gone, and the hazy scent of sleep. And it was his nose that guided him forward. The world before his eyes blurred and was too sharp to make sense, as quickly and as unpredictably as he moved. But as soon as the fight had begun, it seemed it was over.

  Gabriel's back was pressed to the cold hardwood, Lewis' back pressing down against his vulnerable stomach. Black claws sunk deep into Lewis' shoulders, Gabriel was sure he was going nowhere. With Finneus' teeth sunk against his throat he was doubly sure.

  With a roar heated by the embarrassment of defeat, Lewis stopped struggling. His limbs fell still and his tail twitched, striking against Gabriel's raised thigh. The room was a disaster.

  After a pause, Finn withdrew his teeth and padded backwards. He did not transform back into his human form, keeping his unblinking eyes trailed on Lewis. Gabriel unhooked his claws, allowing Lewis to spring to all fours. He shook himself down, droplets of blood spraying across the room, and locked gazes with Finneus. As Gabriel righted himself he saw the exchange. Without words, body language was everything. Gabriel could see the betrayal and poisonous anger clearly in how Lewis looked at Gabriel's trusted advisor.

  With tempers flaring there was no way Gabriel would trust Lewis enough to present his vulnerable human form. Instead, as Lewis and Finn stared each other down, Gabriel circled them. His tail shot this way and that, betraying his rage. This was the man who'd tried to plot against Gabriel's mate — the Queen. Had Victoria been shifter born, the repercussions for such an indiscretion would be death. But with tensions high between the prides, and with his Queen's status in his life so uncertain and his pride so opposed to her, Gabriel would not risk the upset. Finneus would be proud; he'd used his heart and his head. Considering how emotionally invested Finneus had become, it seemed a fair compromise. Both of them had learned from the other, it seemed.

  A rumbling, warning growl rattled in Lewis' throat. He was trying to save face, Gabriel knew. He'd been bested, and now felt the shame of loss. Had Gabriel been in his situation, he knew he would have done the same.

  The stare broke, Lewis' head turning sharply to the side. Tail flicking with agitation, the dark puff at the end keeping time as it jerked, Lewis turned and ran.

  As soon as he was gone, Finneus' body slumped. As only a cat could, he flopped onto his side and breathed out a heavy sigh. Gabriel padded to his side, leaving traces of Lewis' blood upon the hardwood, and let his rough tongue run over Finneus' mane. During the fight Lewis had sunk his teeth into him near the neck, and blood had caught in the lush fur there.

  Victoria's parents had made it out. Lewis was gone. But Gabriel knew that there was the female lion still to worry about, and Victoria's whereabouts were unknown to him. Finneus had let her borrow his phone, and she'd tucked it safe inside her bra inside of in her pocket so it was less likely to be discovered if she did get caught up. First he'd clear the house, and then he'd worry about the whereabouts of his Queen.

  When Finneus swatted at him lazily with one of his large paws, Gabriel drew away and shook all over, starting at his head and then working his way down his body until the stiffness of battle had been shaken free. Scouting was best done as a man — lions struggled to open doors, and he'd have to check room by room to make sure that the house was empty.

  The lion that had overthrown Lewis and cleaned Finneus with care disappeared, leaving Gabriel in his wake. Gabriel stood, shoulders stiff, as Finneus rolled onto his back and stretched a paw out towards the kitchen, a claw extended. Some shifters had trouble letting go of their animal form, especially when it had been a while since their last transformation. Gabriel knew this to be true of his cousin, but appreciated the nonverbal message. The search would begin in the kitchen and the attached room. Victoria had said that's where the laundry room and the basement were, after all. It made sense to start at the scene of the crime.

  When he had fled, Lewis had bounded through the kitchen and out the back door. Flecks of blood spotted the tile. Neither of them had hurt the Leroux King badly, and with his heightened regenerative abilities Gabriel knew that Lewis would quickly forget his injuries. The lesson, however, would stay. That night Finneus had left an impression, and with Gabriel there to back him up there was no mistaking it — the Listons are not to be toyed with.

  There was a bookshelf and a couch near the basement door. Gabriel cast them a wary glance as he passed, heading down the dark steps without fear. Crumpled at the bottom was Jessica, breathing but unconscious. The wound in her thigh was closing, and Gabriel appreciated Victoria's work. She'd done exactly as he'd instructed, and she'd hit her mark true even in the dark. The accuracy was remarkable. A cut that deep, as painful as it was, wasn't enough to knock a shifter out. The poison that coated the blade had done its job. Jessica wouldn't die, but Gabriel knew she'd wake up with a nasty headache. It seeme
d a modest price to pay for treason, even if she did not call him her King.

  Gabriel crouched by her figure and patted her down, checking for weapons or other concealed objects. Finding nothing, he scooped her up. He was on the way up the stairs when a terrible sound shook the floorboards and sank through his chest and into his soul.

  A howl of a lion in grave pain. With Jessica in his arms, Gabriel sprinted up the stairs. Sweat lined his brow and heat clung to his skin, even as naked as he was. As he skidded around the corner into the kitchen there was another howl, and then a heart wrenching whimper. Fear blinded him — no shifter could make those noises without meaning it. Had he been too hasty in presuming that Lewis had really left?

  But it was no shifter Gabriel saw when he entered the living room. Standing above Finneus, chest heaving, was a mortal man that Gabriel recognized only through the pictures Victoria had shown him as she'd shared stories of her past.

  Peter had run a butcher's knife through Finneus' exposed belly twice, two deep gashes bleeding liberally as Finn lay prone upon the floor. The blade in Peter's hand dripped dark.