Taming the Bear Collection Read online

  Taming The Bear Collection

  By Jessica Ryan

  Copyright © 2014 Jessica Ryan

  All Rights Reserved.

  Published by Jessica Ryan Books

  Cover Art by Yoly Cortez of Cormar Covers

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each reader. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  CONTENT WARNING: This short story contains adult material with explicit sexual situations and language. All sexually active characters in this work are 19 years of age or older.

  PLEASE NOTE: This book is for sale to ADULT AUDIENCES ONLY. It contains sexually explicit scenes, graphic language and may be considered offensive by some readers. Please store your files where they cannot be accessed by minors.

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  ***All my serials are sold as individual entries and as collections. It would cost you MORE to buy each individual entry than it would to purchase a collection.***

  TAMING THE BEAR PART 1

  Chapter 1

  Rain had to squint to see the scene playing out just across the street. The sun was rising behind Rowan's house and the glare was too much. All she could really make out were shadows, until her eyes adjusted.

  When they finally did, the scene that was laid out made her heart start doing backflips. Rowan, the wolf who had taken on an almost father-like role in her life, was across the street with a smaller girl buried in his arms. The girl wasn't Eva, his human mate, whom Rain had grown to love like a sister in just a few short days.

  Rain had no clue who this girl was, but Rowan was holding her as warmly as he'd hold anyone who had his heart. Immediately her mind turned to thoughts of infidelity and betrayal. How could Rowan do this to her new sister from another mister?

  Sure, Rain was immature and young, spending her short adult life hopping from man to man. It was because she could never find the right one. Every date ended the same: she was with some horny wolf who only wanted to claim her and fill her stomach with his children so his blood-line would be carried on. None of them wanted to have fun, none of them cared about her and none of them gave a damn how she felt about the proposition of children.

  She'd tried to date human men, but that had gone over as well as one would expect from a town run by testosterone-filled males.

  "How can a human protect you?" Rowan would ask. "You're more powerful than any human man. I forbid it."

  Rowan put on a hard exterior to the townspeople but he had a soft, loving core with those who were close to him. She had seen him and Aster cut up and laugh like two college kids drinking too much despite the fact that Aster never smiled in public. She had seen a soft and caring side to him that she didn't think existed when he brought Eva home. But with Rain? There was none of that. He was a stern disciplinarian who rarely showed that soft side.

  The first time he forbade her from seeing a human she'd run away to Cedarville, trying to pick up any boys she could. Unfortunately Rain was the kind of woman who oozed confidence and self-esteem. In a college town like Cedarville that just scared the boys away. They were all horny frat-jerks looking for an easy lay. Their games didn't work on a girl who actually respected herself.

  When she'd returned home Rowan had grilled her incessantly about where she'd been. When she finally admitted the truth he'd forbid her from ever going to Cedarville again. She didn't speak to him for a week after that. But she knew in the end he loved her like a daughter and she always went back to him.

  But right now? She couldn't forgive him for this. Eva was the best thing to ever happen to him. He'd claimed her, and their emotional bond was stronger than any Rain had ever seen. Now he was hugging it out with some floozy on his front lawn.

  Rain pulled away from the window and began to pace, rage seething inside of her. What an asshole! She had a mind to go whip the skinny bitch he was hugging and then kick him square in the balls. She'd love to see the look on his face as he grabbed at his wounded manhood while she forbade him from leaving Eva.

  How could he leave her, anyway? Wolves mated for life. It took a lot, usually death, for a wolf to break his mating bond. Some wolves had tried to leave a mate, but the bond always brought them back.

  "Eva!" Rain yelped, spinning back towards the door. What if he had killed Eva? In her head she knew it wasn't possible, but her mind usually created elaborate scenarios that she just couldn’t get rid of without some kind of hard confirmation. All she could do right now was picture Eva dead in the bedroom while Rowan and his new hussy banged it out in the living room, laughing the whole time.

  What a horrible thought, she realized. Why did my mind go there? Oh, well, fuck it.

  Rain had just woken up and wasn't dressed for public viewing. All she wore was a pair of tiny boxer shorts that both of her well-formed ass-cheeks hung out of. Up top she just wore a thin sleep tank. She had no bra on, but her small, perky breasts were at attention as usual. That was one of the pluses to being a wolf: she never really had to worry about getting old and saggy due to her being a shifter.

  None of that mattered at that moment; she had to appease her mind, which was running wild. Due to age her hormones were running wild and her wolf was young and confused, always looking for a man to take her and make a real wolf out of her.

  "Slut," she whispered at her wolf. She had an odd relationship with the beast inside. Most of the men complained about the aggression their wolf felt. Their wolves were constantly wanting to rise to the surface to fight and conquer. If their wolves had their way, all they would do was eat, sleep, fuck and conquer.

  With a female wolf, it was different. Her wolf was easier to control as it didn't have that insane aggressive drive like a male did. Unfortunately it had the extreme need to find a mate and begin having puppies, something that made Rain's skin crawl. It was a constant battle with her wolf every time she met a new person. It wanted to completely give itself to every strong male she had the displeasure of going on a date with.

  Another drawback was that it latched onto every wild thought she had and amplified it in her head. Right now all her wolf could think about was Rowan's betrayal and how hurt it was by this. She was going to show Rowan a thing or two about loyalty. Rain was incredibly loyal to her surrogate father, but that didn't exclude him from being a giant douche. A good kick in the balls or a punch to the face would fix him right up, and then she was going to pounce on the new female and slap her around too.

  Modesty be damned, Rain threw open her front door and rushed across the street with her T and A on display. Hopefully no unmated males would be walking by—that could get awkward. Male werewolves treated humans so much better than their female counterparts; it pissed Rain off to no end.

  Sure, they'd get possessive with a human female, but there was always an underlying tenderness and caring to their relationship. She'd seen it happen too many times where they were cold, brutish and uncaring with a female werewolf, preferring to use her more as a puppy mill than a mate.
Of course werewolf pregnancy was tough; for some reason it was hard to reproduce with two werewolves. A human female could get pregnant just from a male cutting his eyes at her. Rain figured trying to get pregnant would be fun, but the first time a female got pregnant it suddenly became easier from that point forward, like their bodies had accepted one another and decided to keep pumping out offspring. She was wholly against spending the rest of her days barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen.

  Nobody looked up and noticed the angry bombshell stomping across the street, her arms gesticulating wildly as she began to spout off at the mouth. Finally Rowan looked up as Rain got within earshot.

  "You son of a fucking bitch!" Rain screamed. "How dare you cheat on my new sister like this! I don't care if you are the beta for my pack, I'm whipping your ass!"

  Rowan's eyes grew wide as a goofy grin appeared on his face. He was completely unintimidated by her oncoming assault.

  "Laugh at me, will you?" Rain asked, winding up her fist and taking a hard swing. Showing why he was one of the biggest and baddest wolves in town, Rowan easily caught her punch in the palm of his hand. He didn't squeeze, but he kept a firm hold on it. Rain was completely powerless to free herself from his grip.

  She felt no pain, but he didn't have to know that. Instead of calming down, she began to wail into the morning air—screaming and thrashing like a bucking bronco.

  "You're hurting me!" she screamed. "I can feel my bones breaking! Ow! My hand! My hand! Rowan, you're breaking it!"

  He continued to stare at her, his facial expression unchanging from the one of amusement that had taken shape earlier. He held his ground, still not speaking. She thought he intended to wait until she tired out, but the joke was on him: she could keep this up for hours, maybe even days.

  The strange female started to come close to her, but Rain kicked out to the side, warding her off. She even smelled like Rowan—how disgusting. Rain's wolf was furious now, demanding to be released to the surface for vengeance.

  Finally Rain pulled back as far as she could, Rowan still holding her fist. She charged forward, causing Rowan's eyes to pop wide in astonishment. When she got to him she jumped, planting one foot on his chest and pushing backwards. The plan worked, as Rowan was knocked off balance, releasing her hand in the process. The momentum she had created carried her over backwards, allowing her to backflip away from him. In mid-air she shifted, taking on her sleek, black, dangerous form. She landed in a crouch, a low growl escaping her lips.

  "What in the hell is your problem, girl?" Rowan bellowed. His amusement had now changed to anger as he balled both of his fists up. The veins in his thick forearms looked like they were going to explode out of his skin as his face turned three shades of red.

  Rain responded with a snap and snarl, not wanting to back down and relinquish any ground. The other female was standing to the side in the yard, her mouth hanging open and her hands up in defense. Past them was Hawk, the alpha of the Skyvale pack, towering over everyone else with his usual stoic expression. However, he had his hand resting firmly on a strange female's shoulders, one that Rain had never seen before. She was short, with flowing red hair and a thick body.

  What was it with humans and their curves? Rain would kill to have curves like humans did, but instead she was cursed with her athletic body.

  It was like Rowan and Hawk were having some kind of wild orgy where they fucked whomever they wanted. It was the only explanation for the scene in front of her. As her eyes travelled past Hawk and his new jezebel they landed on another person, a sweet human face that was twisted in horror.

  Eva! It was Eva, back from the dead and here to put an end to Rowan's infidelity! No, that wasn't right. Eva was obviously fine. What the hell was happening?

  Rain's wolf was just as confused as she was, leading her to sit and whine rather than continue her threatening display.

  "You impulsive child," Rowan said in disgust as he straightened up and unclenched his fists. "What is wrong with you? Get into the house and get dressed this instant."

  Rain was still feeling defiant, not wanting to give in to his commands until she had answers. Instead she quickly shifted back into human form, eliciting a gasp from the two humans and Hawk. By this point Rowan was used to her lack of modesty, accepting her nudity as a peril of knowing Rain. The strange woman didn't react at all; instead, she remained perfectly still.

  Her tiny clothes slid on quickly, not covering much more than what everyone had just been treated to.

  "What is going on out here?" Rain demanded, standing up straight.

  "I could ask you the same thing," Rowan answered, taking a threatening step towards her.

  "You were hugging some strange woman I'd never seen before," Rain said. "I thought maybe Eva was hurt or that you'd kicked her to the curb."

  "Kicked her to the...?" Rowan began, rubbing the stubble on his chin. "You're insane. Why would you even think something like that?"

  "You know how I am," Rain said, her voice still unwavering and her eyes not leaving Rowan. "Who the hell is she?"

  "Well, first of all, watch your tone," Rowan said, pointing in her face. "Second of all, I'm still pissed you would think I could just easily dispose of my mate like that. What kind of wolf do you think I am?"

  "I thought I knew," she said.

  "You still know!" Rowan yelled, throwing his hands up in frustration. "I give up."

  "Please, let me," Eva said gently, walking up behind Rowan and kissing him softly on the back of his arm.

  "She's all yours," Rowan said, shaking his head and walking back over to the strange female. In response the strange female reached up, patting Rowan on the upper arm before rubbing her hand up and down it.

  Rain couldn't help but let a growl escape her lips, prompting Rowan to shoot her another glare.

  "It's okay, Rain," Eva said, softly putting her hand under Rain's chin and forcing her gaze back to Eva's own eyes. "There's nothing wrong with Rowan and me."

  "Who is she?" Rain sniffed.

  "Rain, meet Leena," Eva said, smiling. "Rowan's sister."

  "Hello," Leena said warily, still not stepping towards the half-cocked and wild youngster.

  "You're shitting me," Rain said, feeling her knees growing weak. "Rowan's sister, here?"

  "All thanks to Hawk," Eva said, glancing back at the alpha wolf.

  "I couldn't do it alone," Hawk said, patting the human in front of him on the shoulder.

  Rain felt like she was going to be sick. She had just made a complete ass out of herself for no reason.

  "I think you'll all need to excuse me," she said, feeling the tears welling up in her eyes.

  "Oh, Rain, come on," Eva said, reaching for her.

  "I'll talk to you all later," she said, spinning around and running across the street as fast as she could. She didn't stop until she was in her bedroom with the door safely locked, having a good cry into her pillow. Hormones were a bitch.

  Chapter 2

  "So who was that?" Leena asked, pointing across the street at Rain's front door, which had just slammed shut.

  "My, umm, daughter," Rowan said, rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish look on his face.

  "You're not old enough to have a daughter that age," Leena said. "She's only like ten years younger than you."

  It was at that point Leena's eyes grew wide and then she began to blink back tears.

  "Hey, now, calm down," Rowan said, stepping forward and putting his hands on her tiny shoulders. "It's not your fault."

  Eva could feel a stab of pain in her heart as she watched the scene unfold. It swelled her heart with joy to see Rowan finally reunited with his sister after ten years of heartache and blame, but at the same time it broke her heart to see Leena so torn up over it.

  Rowan and Aster had helped raise Rain after her parents were killed by the demon-wolf Abaddon and his gang Satan's Angels. But that was before Leena h
ad even joined up with them. How could she blame herself for this?

  Eva started to walk forward to join them but a hand shot out, catching her wrist in a tight grip. She spun around, wondering who it was and what their purpose was. Hawk stood behind her, a somber look on his face. He shook his head slowly, indicating that she needed to just stay out of this moment. She stepped back, feeling a little bit hurt and put off. It wasn't like Rowan was ignoring her for another woman, but at the same time she wanted to help comfort him and his sister. She was his mate; she should be able to do that without fear of having her head bit off.

  "I know," Ciara said, as if reading her mind. "I don't understand these pack dynamics either."

  Eva nodded in silent agreement; this girl had only known about werewolves for three days and even she saw how confusing yet enchanting they could be. It was like Eva was trapped in a wonderful world, like none she could have ever dreamed of, but there was a dark underbelly that she couldn't escape. But each time she looked into Rowan's wonderful honey-brown eyes she knew it was all worth it. Unfortunately those eyes were fixed completely on his sister.

  She shouldn't be jealous at all; she knew it would all blow over soon and they could return to their lives. Hell, Rowan had finally gone out and bought her that big screen TV she'd wanted and had had the cable hooked up the day before. He was making all kinds of concessions for her.

  Of course she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Then it dawned on her. She nearly slapped her forehead and screamed at her own stupidity. The strangeness she felt wasn't coming from her at all, it was coming from Rowan.

  The emotional bond they had formed was strong, but Rowan had learned to mask his emotions from her since they had first established it. Right now he was trying to hide his emotions from her, but they were so strong he couldn't hide them completely, leading to a mixed bag of pain and fear that was making Eva feel completely wrong.