Free A Bride For The Bear (Bear Brides #1) by Natalie Kristen Page A

the
Blood Shadow clan and took their place behind their Alpha.
    Graig wheezed and snarled,
but the more he thrashed, the deeper Cole's claws pierced into his
flesh.
    Cole could smell Graig's
blood and anger. Cole held on to his human form even though his bear
rammed against his shields, claws and fangs out, wanting to finish
the fight and finish the bastard off. But Cole held his bear back.
    It was tempting to kill.
    Every cell, every nerve in
him was tingling to kill.
    He was an alpha predator, a
lethal killer.
    But this had to end.
    Blood begets blood. He knew
that all too well.
    Slowly, Cole stood up,
pulling his claws out from Graig's flesh. He stepped away from the
groaning black bear and faced Haluddin.
    “I hereby spare the
life of your Beta,” Cole said, his voice carrying clearly over
the field. “The Blood Shadow clan owes this debt in blood.”
    The entire Blood Shadow clan
was present. Every Blood Shadow bear bore witness to his words and
deed. They would be bound by the blood of their Beta and the word of
their Alpha.
    A dangerous glint entered
Haluddin's black eyes. “We will honor the debt. I am prepared
to execute him in front of your clan.”
    “No,” Cole
answered. “I do not want his life.”
    “What do you want,
Cole?”
    “I want the Blood
Shadow clan to leave me and mine in peace.”
    Haluddin held Cole's eyes for
a moment. A curt nod. “You have my word.”
    Cole signaled for his bears
to move aside and let the Blood Shadow clan leave their territory.
    Haluddin strode to Graig and
snapped out an order. Graig's bear receded immediately. Two of
Haluddin's lieutenants hauled Graig's limp human form up and without
a sound the Blood Shadow clan began their retreat.
    Haluddin could punish his
Beta, maim him, banish him or execute him. Cole didn't care what
happened to Graig. He was no longer his problem. The Blood Shadow
clan would have to deal with him.
    Cole heard his younger
brother come up behind him. Turning to Brad, Cole grinned and
clapped him on the shoulder. “Thanks.”
    Brad gave him a crooked
smile. “It wasn't hard at all. Once Haluddin recognized
Graig's blood on that torn collar, he knew I was speaking the truth.
He ordered the clan to go retrieve their Beta, and followed me
without further question.” Brad shrugged. “I told him
he could have my head if this was a trap. I think that helped too.”
    “The head of the
Nightfire Alpha's baby brother is certainly worth a lot.” Tony
came up and grabbed Brad in a headlock. “Wagering your head!
Who told you to do that? You prat!”
    Brad and Tony fell to the
ground in a scuffle.
    Cole didn't stop them. He
would let Tony teach Brad a lesson this time.
    Brad was just supposed to
deliver the bloodied piece of cloth to Haluddin. Cole knew that
Haluddin would come for his Beta straight away. Allowing another
clan to kill your Beta was a severe blow to a clan's reputation and
would undermine the Alpha's power and authority. If Cole had killed
Graig, it would make Haluddin an assassination target for the other
predatory packs and clans in Moonstone Creek. An Alpha who was
powerless to fight for his Beta was a toothless, ineffectual Alpha,
and would be deemed an easy target.
    By sparing Graig's life, he
had protected Haluddin's reputation as well.
    Cole knew his plan would
work. But he hadn't given Brad the order or authority to use his own
life as a bargaining tool. If Brad had allowed himself to be killed,
Cole swore he would dig him up and kill him all over again.
    Dalton stood at his side,
watching Tony and Brad have at each other. “You should have
told me,” Dalton said quietly.
    Cole turned and looked his
cousin in the eye. “If I told you what I was planning to do,
you would feel responsible for the plan. If I failed, you would have
blamed yourself. Dalton, should anything happen to me, you are the
new Alpha. And you'll have to take care of those two.” He
jerked his chin at Tony and Brad. “You won't be able to be a
good