Free Big Bear Problems: BBW Werebear Shapeshifter Romance by Anya Nowlan, Rory Dale

shattered into a million pieces. The slim wolf struggled out of his grasp and Ethan let him go, turning his attention to the brother. Luke danced away quickly, distracting the bear long enough for Liam to drag himself away, whining pitifully, and for Tate to take his place.
    Tate was larger and burlier than the twins, and if he had been a stronger leader, Ethan was sure he and Ryan would have been butting heads constantly. But Tate was all muscle and drive, no brain. Unfortunately, one didn’t need a lot of sensibility when going against a grizzly – just blind rage and strength. Tate pounced up and landed on Ethan’s back, pressing his jaws into Ethan’s neck before he could shake him off.
    Ethan roared in anger and pain, thrashing and attempting to tear the wolf off of his back, but the strong shifter merely met each of Ethan’s tries with blood curdling growls. He seemed to hold on tighter and his teeth seemed to shred deeper the more Ethan tried and a second later, the other two wolves were on him as well. Luke charged back in, trying to snap at Ethan’s vulnerable belly, while Ryan taunted him by jumping back and forth in front of him. Ethan snarled and a desperate voice in his head urged him for caution.
    But there was no time for it. He could feel himself weakening. His coat was matted with blood that he knew was mostly his own. His vision blurred and he could imagine the wolves going for Jen next, their ruthless maws tearing into her soft, lovely body. He couldn’t let that happen. Luke was already hanging onto his stomach when Ethan reared up and then charged forward, going straight for Ryan.
    He put all of his strength into that movement, going like an angry bull towards red. With his full power concentrated on the sprint, Ethan caught Ryan off guard. Ryan was a fraction of a second too late with his dodge and Ethan caught him by the tail, yanking him back with him as he kept going. He broke his speed by slamming into a thick tree trunk, shaking off Tate in the process. A dull thud sounded as the wolf’s body hit the branches and then tumbled to the ground, knocked out cold.
    But Ryan was at his neck already and Luke attacked once more, the wolves doggedly determined. Ethan grabbed Ryan with his paws, letting his long nails sink into the much smaller shifter and rip at his sides. He wouldn’t let go until Ryan howled in pain, a pitiful sound of a hurt puppy. Only when Ethan felt like he was moments from passing out, teetering like a drunk on his feet, did he let go of Ryan. He had little more strength left. Luke had torn deep gashes into his stomach and the blood was spewing in an ever-increasing trickle.
    Ethan practically collapsed on top of Luke, the wailing screams of Ryan still in his ears, rattling through him. He managed to catch Luke by the neck, dragging him to the ground along with him and burying the wolf under his mass. He wouldn’t let go, and the last thing he remembered before darkness claimed him was how his entire body ached and how Luke twisted in agony beneath him. And how Jen’s sweet face had looked just before the explosions went off.

Twelve

Jennifer
    “ I didn’t know who else to call,” Jen said, trying to keep the sobs at bay.
    “That’s okay, sweetie. You called the right person,” Maisy said, putting her arm around Jen’s shoulders and trying to walk her away from the scene unfurling before them on the field near her house.
    “No, I can’t leave him!” Jen protested, yanking herself free and running back to Ethan’s side.
    Jen could hear Maisy cluck her tongue behind her, but it wasn’t a derisive sound. The older, shorter woman came to stand next to Jen and took her hand as Jameson and one of Ethan’s brothers, Everett, crouched over him, checking his pulse and murmuring amongst themselves. The first rays of the sun were spreading light and warmth over the forest, but Jen had never felt quite so cold. She could smell the stench of gasoline and burnt plastic in the