Roaring for Him (BBW Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance) (Wicked in Wilder Book 1) (21 page)

“Your job is to go to school, study, do well, and graduate. Let me deal with Verity.”

“You’re not listening,” Liv growled, her tigress obviously invested in the argument as well.

Lovely.

“I’m listening and I’ll take your opinion under advisement.” Basically, a polite
fuck you
.

“Tilly—” The rest of Liv’s words were lost beneath a ground-shaking roar. It vibrated the entire bakery and the windows at the front trembled in their casings. It was a low, deep, enraged sound. And it was familiar. There was only one thing that’d bring that bellow out to play—a threat to all the furious
bear
held dear. “Oh, fuck. Phee’s here and she smells that wolf. Fuck, fuck,
fuck
.”

Tilly’s mind went blank, her fingers boneless as she stared out the shop’s front window. Her cellphone clattered to the ground, the plastic bouncing on the tiled floors, and Liv’s raised voice reached her ears.

“Tilly? What wolf? What happened? Tilly?”

She’d call Liv back later. Right now, she had to get Phee under control. She caught sight of Phee about a block down from the bakery, her large brown form raised on two legs as she tilted her head back and released a loud bellow. Mitchell was nearby, the SUV they’d occupied now abandoned and empty between them. Her sister stared down at Mitchell with furious eyes, the color so dark and black that Tilly knew there wasn’t a whole lotta human-Phoebe left inside.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Then Phee dropped to all fours, her attention still on Mitchell, and curled her lip to expose her deadly fangs. Her sister took a step toward the still human-shaped wolf, and she realized this wasn’t going to end well. Not if she remained motionless on the sidelines. Without another thought, she flicked the lock on the front door and burst into the street. She didn’t shout or yell to draw Phee’s attention. Nope, she knew better than that. That was a tactic she took when she hadn’t known better.

Now she did. Now she raced toward Phoebe, tugging at her clothes as she sped over the asphalt. It was easy to lose her shirt and shoes, but the pants were harder. After one stumbling step, she decided that they’d have to be a loss and left them in place.

She let her lioness rush forward, let the cat take control and crash through her like a freight train. In that last split second before her transition overtook her, she met Mitchell’s amber gaze. She noted the surprise that coated his features and then it was overtaken by fear.

Not for himself, but for her.

She wasn’t sure why. Yeah, Seth had taken her by surprise and gotten in a good shot, but this kind of stuff—an attack—was old hat. Especially with Phoebe.

Her shift slammed into her. Between one breath and the next, she went from fiercely protective sister to enraged lioness.

At her mother.

At the wolves.

At what her life had become because of both.

Her roar drew Phee’s attention, that large brown head swinging her way and those midnight eyes widening a split second before they narrowed.

Yeah, you pushy little bitch, Momma Lion is not letting this happen.

Tilly noted the shift of muscle and fur that rippled over Phoebe’s body and she knew her time was limited. The bear was about to hop back to two feet, making herself a stretched and larger target. Good in some ways, bad in others.

In the past, when Phee’s bear caught Tilly’s lioness’ muzzle with one of those swinging paws, it was a very bad day. So she fought to keep the animal on four feet as much as possible. Which meant adding speed, drawing deep for extra energy, and launching herself at her youngest sister.

Sorry, Phee.

* * *

The scent hit him a split second before Phoebe. Some of the tang crept through the SUV’s air conditioning system, stung his nose, and that was the beginning of the end.

His wolf reacted immediately, rushed forward with its fangs bared, snarl on its lips, and it had taken everything inside him to keep it at bay. He drew on his hard-learned control and kept it leashed inside. He needed to understand why the overwhelming aroma of urine from one of his wolves soaked the air. He could lose control later.

Phoebe… Phoebe was only seventeen. Seventeen and unable to restrain her beast. It’d begun as a full body shudder and ended with the young woman rolling from his vehicle as they continued driving down the street. By the time she cleared the door, she was a bear. A five-hundred-pound, eight-foot-long brown bear.

He slammed on his brakes and immediately threw the SUV into park before climbing out. Phoebe tracked him with her furious gaze, those dark eyes trained on him, and he wondered what would happen next. He recognized her fury and knew her thoughts. He was sure they mirrored his own. There was one reason for the area to be so heavily marked by a wolf from his pack—it was a threat. The perpetrators wanted their presence known and Tilly and her family gone.

“Phoebe…” he held up his hands palms out, trying to convey that he was no threat.

She curled her lip with a snarl, saliva dripping from her fangs, and a rumbling growl escaped her throat. She rose to her back legs, making her appear even more imposing, and released a ground-shaking roar. It vibrated the windows and doors and made the earth tremble. As the roar died off, she thumped down to four feet, the threat still in place on her bear features and that snarl remained.

“Phoebe… I’m no threat to you. Calm down, Phee.” Another growl, another glare.

Her muscles tensed once again, claws flexing as her body pushed against the ground and attempted to rise to her back feet again. Except this time, her efforts were forestalled. They were stopped because from his left he watched a streak of gold race down the street. Large paws ghosted over the asphalt, making a connection and then pressing off just as quickly.

Then there was that bellowing roar. Not of a bear, but a lioness.

Tilly.

She didn’t slow in her approach. If anything, she increased her speed, running forward and then in one giant leap took Phoebe down. They rolled, lion and bear tumbling over the ground, spinning a good dozen feet before they finally lost their momentum. Somehow, someway, neither woman was injured by the roll. At least not yet.

Jaws snapped and claws scraped, Tilly and Phoebe going after each other like the wild animals that lived inside them. Mitchell wasn’t afraid to admit that he feared for Tilly and worried for Phoebe. He’d recognized the look in Phoebe’s eyes just before Tilly attacked. The young girl he knew wasn’t in control. No, she’d become all bear. And then Tilly had…

Tilly managed to get Phoebe onto her back, her large feline form crouching over the massive bear, and her deadly fangs were wrapped around her youngest sister’s vulnerable throat. It would be so easy for his mate to end her sister’s life, so, so easy. But she didn’t bite down. Instead, a threatening growl filled the air, counteracting Phoebe’s furious sounds.

Phoebe had been loud, but Tilly… was scary as hell. A sliver of fear—for Phoebe—slid into him then. There was no mistaking Tilly’s fury. Yes, fear slipped into his blood, but also pride. His mate had taken down a bear.
A bear
.

The tussle continued, Phoebe jerking her throat from Tilly’s mouth before snapping her massive jaws at her sister. While Tilly pulled her head just out of reach before returning the threatening motion. All that and still no blood. He allowed his wolf to come forward just enough to lend him assistance, and he scented the air.

He fought past the stench of urine from the wolf and sought the coppery tang of blood. And still found nothing. The battle looked ferocious and yet they hadn’t truly harmed one another. Finally—
finally—
Phoebe went limp beneath his mate, the massive bear relaxing and remaining passive beneath her sister.

The cracking crunch of bone signaled someone shifting—Phoebe or Tilly? The question was answered quickly as the bear gradually shrank; fur receded, giving way to pale skin. Long legs and deadly claws reshaped themselves into human arms and legs and small hands. The bear’s long snout and furious gaze transformed to Phoebe’s delicate features. And her fury… gone. In its place came a pair of tearful eyes stricken with sorrow and pain.

A harsh sob rang in his ears, the first immediately followed by a second, and then a third. Phoebe clung to her oldest sister, bare arms hugging Tilly’s neck and her face snug against her sister’s fur. Like a true mother lioness, Tilly nuzzled Phoebe, and flicked her rough tongue out to gather her sister’s tears.

“I’m sorry…” Another sob from Phee, her frame trembling with the cries and it tore his heart in two. “
I’m so sorry
. I didn’t mean…”

He ached to approach, ached to grab a blanket from his trunk and go to the two women, but he waited. He had a feeling this wasn’t a new scenario to them. So he watched. He kept his gaze trained on their surroundings, hunting for anyone who may lurk in doorways or peek around corners to catch sight of their small group. He was thankful they’d had this confrontation in the early morning hours when most of the shop owners had yet to arrive.

Most, but not all. He found Emma framed in the entryway to Lush, worry etched in her features while she clutched a large blanket. Seconds—minutes?—passed and finally Tilly raised her head from Phee. His lioness focused on Emma and the woman rushed forward, arms outstretched as the blanket hung between them. The moment she was close enough, Tilly backed off and Phoebe was covered with the cloth. It took mere moments for Emma to gather the teen and urge her into Lush.

That left him and Tilly alone in the middle of Main Street. His sleek lioness padded toward him, her large nails clicking against the road’s surface, only that sound piercing the air. She rounded the end of his vehicle and he dropped to his knees, arms open in welcome. Her initial approach had been slow, but the minute he beckoned her, she rushed into his embrace. He managed to remain upright—barely—while he clutched her and buried his face against her neck. She did the same to him, her snout and damp nose flush with his throat. He stroked her, burying his hands in her fur and when she released a low, rumbling purr, he relaxed. The tension of the last minutes fled him and he held her tighter.

“Baby…” he murmured. “Don’t ever do that again.” Tilly chuffed. “I mean it. Scared the shit outta me.”

His mate shook her head, chin brushing his shoulder with the movement.

“I know you’re not going to listen, but humor me for a few minutes.”

She released a lion-ish laugh.

“Yeah, yeah.” His heart still raced, adrenaline pumping through his veins, and he pushed those sensations to the back of his mind.

Phee and Tilly were safe. That’s what he needed to focus on. Not the “could haves” but the “did happens.”

“You okay?” He continued to run his fingers through her fur.

With that question, Tilly whined.

“No, I doubt you are. Stupid question.” Yes, it was a stupid question. He figured he was better off just remaining silent and comforting her—comforting them both. His touch was gentle as he soothed her, fingers careful as he sought wounds hidden from his view. He wasn’t sure how long they remained in place, how long he comforted and took comfort, but eventually movement to his left drew his attention.

Emma was once again framed in the doorway to Lush, another blanket in hand, and he realized this quiet time was at an end. They’d dealt with the immediate threat—Phoebe’s fury—and now he had to investigate the mess the wolf left.

“Emma is waiting for you.” He slowly withdrew his arms.

She lifted her head from his shoulder and followed his gaze. Then she returned her attention to him. A question and apology lurked in those golden eyes, and he gave her a gentle nudge. “Go see about Phoebe. I’ll wait for you.” He cupped her snout and made sure she was focused on him. “I’ll always wait for you.” He leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to the top of her snout. “Now, go take care of her.”

Tilly turned from him and quietly padded toward Lush. She held off on her change until she reached Emma, and the moment the thin blanket was laid across her lioness, she transformed to her human shape. He rose to his feet and she turned back to him, her gaze meeting his.

“Can you…”

“Whatever you need,” he assured her.

“Can you lock up the bakery? We won’t be opening today.”

Hell no, they wouldn’t. Not with the mess they faced. Mitchell nodded and her relief was immediate. “Thank you. Give us a little bit and we’ll meet you at the bakery.”

He shook his head. “No, I’ll come back here. I don’t want you two anywhere near there until—”
Until I kill the wolf who dared to threaten you and my new family.
“—we get everything cleaned up. Give me a few minutes.”

She opened her mouth as if to argue, but Emma’s gentle touch had Tilly snapping her jaws closed and his mate nodded. “Okay.”

The moment they disappeared, the door to Lush tinkling as it closed and a click telling him they’d locked themselves in, Mitchell dug out his cell phone.

It didn’t take him long to go through his contacts, to slip through to the one he sought. He pressed the screen and brought the phone to his ear, listening as the familiar ring came across the line. Wondering… And then to… And then—

“Lo?” Kade was groggy as he answered, his voice hoarse.

“It’s me.”

“Mitchell?”

Mitchell took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the air around him. He drew in the stench the wolf left behind and identified the perpetrator. Yeah, he knew him and would have him on his knees before him—them—by nightfall.

“The whole block around Bless Your Tart has been marked by a wolf. One of
our
wolves.” Silence from Kade. Damning silence? “Tell me you didn’t know about this?”

It was important. So fucking important.

“Of course, I didn’t. We may argue, and shit went down last night, but you’re my alpha. There’s no way I’d ever allow that to happen to your mate.”

Tension he hadn’t realized he’d been holding rushed from him in a giant, heaving sigh. “I identified him.” Mitchell ran a hand through his hair, hating what he had to say because it could implicate his beta’s mate. “It’s Seth.”