Free Bear Run: A Bear Shifter Paranormal Romance (Pine Ridge Bear Shifters Book 1) by Belinda Meyers Page B

if
everyone lived in the forest, who would make the coffee? That was a problem, he
had to admit.
    He waited patiently, calmly
listening to the sounds of the forest. It would be hard to leave the wild, he realized with a sudden pang. He knew he would
miss the song of the crickets and birds, the rustle of the leaves and the
gentle fall of rain and snow in winter. But Alice would never consent to live
in the wilderness, and Black Valley bear shifters weren’t completely savage.
Though they did spend a great deal of time outside, they often slept in a
mobile home park near a raging river where no one bothered them and there was
plenty to fish and hunt.
    With a start, he realized that he
would miss the Black Valley bear shifters, too. Not just his brother, but all
of them. Well, maybe not Deke and a few of the other assholes, Kane’s goons and
killers, but several of them, anyway. Some of them were just like him, taken or
forced from their rightful homes and condemned to grow up in Black Valley.
Taggart knew he’d miss their friendship and camaraderie.
    Snap .
    He spun at the noise.
    Three huge, grim bears emerged from
the woods. At their head was Kane; Taggart would recognize him anywhere, even
in bear form.
    Taggart swore softly. They’d been
damn silent, he had to give them that. And they’d approached him damn smart,
too, coming at him from downwind. Kane was a bastard, all right, but he was a
cunning bastard and no mistake.
    Kane pulled his bear back into
himself and stood as a human, tall and powerful and scowling his dark eyes at
Taggart.
    “This is it,” Kane said. “I’m going
to drag you back and bleed you before the whole crew, then break your legs.
Come easy and I might not bleed you all the way. Might . Last chance.”
    Taggart swung his gaze from Kane to
the other two. They were Kane’s goons, and he knew they were murderers just
like Kane. “You think I won’t take all three of you on? Try me. And I’ll win,
too, you bastards. Because I’ve got something to live for now.”
    “What, love?” Kane chuffed. “You’ve
gone soft, Tag, and stupid, too. Brains was never your strong point, anyway.
There’s no way you could take on all three of us. You couldn’t do it healthy,
and look at you, you’re shot-up and can barely stand.”
    Taggart planted his feet firmly.
“I’m doin’ just fine.” He made his voice a growl: “What’d you do with Alice’s
family? Her pa and brother?” When Kane only grinned, his cold, cruel grin,
Taggart said, “Did you kill them?” He didn’t think they’d be that stupid, but
Kane was full of surprises, wasn’t he?
    Instead of answering, Kane stalked
forward, his chin thrust out. “Decide now, Taggart. Come or be dragged.”
    Taggart started to draw on his
bear, to bring it out and launch himself on Kane. Asshole thought he could
scare Taggart into bowing down and coming back. Idiot. Taggart was never going
back. Even if it killed him. He would bring out his bear and go down fighting.
And he would go down, he had no
doubt. The three of them would kill him, especially in his condition. But he’d make them kill him, by God. He wouldn’t
go back to Black Valley with them.
    Then he hesitated. What would Alice
say?
    She would probably want him to
live, he thought. She would probably tell him to run. Maybe he could get to the
road and flag down a car. Taggart could hear one coming. Even if the driver
didn’t pick him up, the human’s presence might deter Kane and the others from
pursuing Taggart into civilized territory.
    Shit .
Taggart hated the idea of running. Every fiber in his soul recoiled at the idea
when what he really wanted was to unleash his bear and tear Kane’s fucking head
off. But he wasn’t just in this for himself anymore. He was part of a team now.
A couple. His bear had chosen his mate and he wouldn’t take Alice’s chance of
happiness away from her just because he wanted to fight.
    “Well?” Kane demanded.
    Gritting his teeth, Taggart