Rebel of the Bears: Wild Ridge Bears, #3

By Kimber White

Can the love of a good woman turn this bear shifter bad boy into the hero she needs?

 

Bear shifter Simon Marshall is the ultimate bad boy. Alpha to one of the most powerful clans in Wild Ridge, he's had to be ruthless, bold, and cunning. When his son disappears, claiming a mate was the last thing on his mind. But when he crosses paths with a stunning beauty who may hold the key to finding his missing son, Simon finds out fate has other plans.

Social work intern Cass Wheeler has a past of her own. She's a wild girl gone good and finally has her life on track. She's known bear shifters before and Simon seems like nothing but trouble. Except, Cass can't deny the burning attraction she feels for him. His touch calls to all the wild parts of her and she just can't get enough. When enemies come at them from unexpected places, Cass could lose her heart and everything she's worked so hard to build.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nokay Press, LLC
• Release date: Mar 10, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215402115

Kimber White

Kimber White writes steamy paranormal romance with smoldering, alpha male shifters and kickass heroines (doormats need not apply). Because she just can't help herself from torturing her heroes…expect edge of your seat suspense as Kimber's characters fight for their happily ever afters and their fated mates. Kimber lives on a lake in the Irish Hills of Michigan with her neurotic dog and wildly supportive family. For the latest scoop on Kimber's new releases plus a FREE EBOOK as a welcome gift, be sure to sign up for Kimber's newsletter at www.kimberwhite.com

Book preview

Chapter One

Simon

The hunger roiled through me, rippling my fur, clouding my vision in a dark, amber haze. It gutted me and drove me to my knees. My quarry ran just ahead of me, so close but always just out of reach, darting around a cluster of petrified tree branches. The smell of blood enveloped me. Its blood. Mine. This was a different kind of prey. It slipped through my fingers time and again like an inky, black mist snaking through the forest. I reached out, slashing with my great, black claws, sharper than any dagger. But there was no flesh to rake, no body to subdue. This was different, more elusive and deadly than anything I’d ever pursued. I lunged forward, launching my body over a narrow cleft in the ground where an old creek bed had long since dried. The trees themselves seemed to come alive, some pointing gnarled branches away from my quarry, some toward it. It took something from me, ripped it straight from my heart, and with each step I took the thing got further away.

No. Not the thing. Him. My son. My heart.

Lightning shot through me, setting my nerve endings on fire as I dropped to my knees. The black mist surrounded me, choked me, and drove me deep into the earth.

Boss!

My cheek slammed against the hard wood as I hit the floor. I let out a growl and clawed at the ground, trying to get my bearings. Bones creaked as I opened one eye and saw the world through that same amber haze of my dreams. I’d shifted again while sleeping. It was becoming a problem.

Swearing, I shook the cobwebs out of my eyes and got my human legs beneath me. My claws retracted, leaving behind my curled fist.

Damn, Pete said. He stood with his arms crossed, leaning against the doorframe. He arched one brow and jerked his chin toward my bed, or what was left of it. Clouds of feathers and polyester stuffing from the mattress and box springs swirled through the room like a snowstorm. The wood frame of the bed was barely recognizable. Splintered wood covered the floor as I rose to my feet and grabbed a pair of jeans crumpled in a corner among the chaos.

That’s the third one this month, Pete said, unhelpfully. I was pre-verbal still; narrowing my eyes I gave him a grunt. I stabbed my legs through my jeans and buckled them before I finally turned to face my foreman head on.

Never mind it, I said. Why aren’t you down at the mine?

Pete shook his head and let out a sigh. "Dusty and I were worried about you, Boss. The day crew is about twenty feet from hitting that vein in the northwest quadrant. We figured you’d want to be there for that. The core samples look real good. Real good. Purest copper the boys have seen in decades."

Nodding, I grabbed a t-shirt out of my dresser, the one piece of furniture that hadn’t suffered under the wrath of my recent night terrors, and pulled it on. That’s good news. I’ll be down there in a few minutes. Just let me find my damn boots.

Pete pointed to the opposite wall. Sure enough, my work boots lay on their side next to one of the wrecked springs from my mattress. When Pete’s face split into a smirk, I had to bury the urge to punch him. I wasn’t really mad at Pete. He was my cousin and right-hand man. Between the two of us, we held the Marshall clan and my mining operation afloat. Our home was Wild Ridge, deep in bear territory in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. We held and defended one of the last five swaths of land safe for bear shifters to roam free in the world.

These days, that was no small feat with threats coming from all directions. Earlier in the year, we’d fought off a takeover attempt from a powerful outsider who wanted access to our copper mines. Then there were the rumors of unrest with a few of the werewolf packs close to our territory in the south. Worse than that was the dwindling population of bear shifters happening all over the world. Some speculated we’d be extinct in two or three generations. But, it was always something. They say the measure of a man is how he handles adversity. That’s fine for regular men. For bears like me, hell can be a way of life.

As I shook my head and tried to clear it from the last clinging traces of the nightmare, I grabbed my leather jacket off the doorknob and brushed past Pete. He stepped back to give me a wide berth and put his hands out palms up.

Simon, I didn’t come up here to bust your balls about your sleep schedule. Jax Lord is down at the longhouse. He wants to see you.

A familiar tremor of rage snaked through me, and I clenched my fist. Jax’s clan ran the mines south of mine. We’d had our share of differences lately. A few months ago, if I’d had my way, Jax would have been off Wild Ridge lands for good. I knew mine wasn’t a popular opinion, but you didn’t get to be clan chieftain of the largest mining operation on the ridge by being nice all the time. Some of the other clans might think I was too harsh, but while they were all off dealing with their personal problems, I’d been here, keeping us safe, strong, solvent, and fed, dammit.

I gripped the door handle hard enough to put a dent in it. Shit. There’d be another thing I’d need to replace besides the bed.

Take your time, Pete said, his brown eyes flashing. The boy needed to hunt, and soon. We’d all been so focused on finding that new copper vein, none of us had much time to run wild. Soon, I’d have to make the time for them. Managing a crew of virile bear shifters was hard enough on a good day. If I didn’t let them cut loose every once in a while, there’d be trouble.

Pete put a hand out and slapped me on the back. I gave him a nod to let him know I appreciated it. I’ll be down within the hour, I said. Whatever Jax Lord wants to talk about, it’s not as important as our own business.

Pete grew tight-lipped. Though he nodded agreement, his eyes said something different. He held a sadness there like all my crew did nowadays. One of our own was missing and it was up to me to find him. And they all knew I alone was to blame for it. Bitter grief washed over me and hollowed my heart. If Jax wanted to see me, there could only be one reason why. Pete parted his lips, about to tell me something else, but I put up a hand to silence him. Let Jax be the one to tell me. No matter how much it would hurt to hear it.

My heart was heavy as I strode up the hill to the longhouse. This was neutral ground for all the clans on Wild Ridge. We met here to talk mining business and have clan meetings when the need arose. I saw just Jax’s Jeep parked out front. Whatever he had to tell me, he’d seen fit to come alone.

As I walked up the porch steps, Jax came outside to meet me. His eyes flashed dark and he ran a hand over his thick, black beard.

Come on, he said, his voice barely more than a growl. We need to take a ride.

I put a hand on his chest as he tried to walk past me. You need to tell me what the hell is going on.

Jax let out a breath. His muscles rippled where I touched him. I felt the bear inside me rising and my vision clouded. I took a step back but wouldn’t let him pass. He clenched his jaw.

I’ll tell you on the way. I know this is gonna be hard for you, but I need you to trust me.

I let out a bark of a laugh and finally moved so Jax could step around me. He brushed past me, jamming his shoulder against mine as he walked toward his Jeep. Turning, he shook his head. Simon, look. We’re not friends. Never were, probably never will be. But we share these lands and I think we can agree that we both want what’s good for all the clans.

Narrowing my eyes, I slowly nodded. Jax was right. On that we could both agree. I took a step toward him. He slid into the driver’s seat, reached over, and started his engine. A growl rumbled through me. My inner bear wanted to get as far away from another Alpha as I could. Either that or rip his face off. But, I settled for biting down on the inside of my cheek until I drew blood. Then I exhaled and climbed into the passenger seat. Jax slammed the car into reverse and whipped it around.

When we hit the highway heading south my muscles went stiff. When he took a turn and headed straight for the Mighty Mac bridge, I couldn’t hold the growl back another second. I gripped the dashboard and had to focus on keeping my claws sheathed.

What the hell is this, Jax?

He didn’t answer. He just floored the gas and merged onto the bridge. A heavy fog settled, obscuring the highest points of the suspension bridge. Far beneath us, the waters still churned, not completely frozen. In the summertime, all you could see were ferry boats darting in and around the massive girders, taking mostly tourists across Lakes Huron and Michigan on their way to a weekend getaway on Mackinac Island. In mid-January, only the locals remained. Jax stayed infuriatingly silent as we drove the five-mile length of the bridge and crossed to the Lower Peninsula.

Now I knew why Jax hadn’t wanted to tell me about where we were going until we were already on our way. We left bear country behind and headed straight into werewolf territory. Wild Lake. I gripped the dashboard so hard it’s a miracle I didn’t crush it.

I knew you wouldn’t go for it if I told you ahead of time, Jax said.

You’re fucking right.

I have some news, he said. About your son.

I squeezed my eyes shut tight and tried to breathe away the constant pain I carried where my son was concerned. Six months ago, I didn’t even know I had a son. Now, he was all I could think about. Then the night terrors came while I slept. For weeks, I’d hunted for him, trying to pick up the faintest trace of his scent. An impossible task because I’d never seen or smelled the boy before. He was a stranger to me, the result of a one-night stand and one of the gravest mistakes of my life. Still, I hoped if I got close to him, I’d know him on a preternatural level. I’d exhausted every lead, thin as they were. The boy was nowhere, if he was even alive at all.

Tell me what you know. I swear to God, Jax, if you’ve kept something from me.

I haven’t, he said. That I can swear to you. But, Olivia, my sister. She’s had a vision.

Jax’s sister Olivia was the reason I didn’t trust him. She was fully human, but still under clan protection as a family member of the Lords, Jax’s clan. But she’d betrayed all of that when she ran off with a wolf. As everyone knew she would, she got herself in trouble and we damn near had to go to war with the wolves to get her out of it. Her carelessness put the clans at risk. Plus, she mated with a wolf? Just the thought of it still made my stomach churn. For the life of me I couldn’t fathom how Jax could stand it.

As we left the bridge behind and Jax drove deep into wolf territory, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. As much as Jax tried to play it off, I could see his hackles rising too. The skin on the back of his hands shimmered and he gripped the steering wheel tight. Shit. It might have been a good idea if we’d used a non-shifter driver for this. I shot Jax a look and he let out a breath.

I know, he said. We’re almost there. We won’t stay any longer than we have to. Plus, I’ve made arrangements with Olivia. Her husband won’t be there. It’ll just be us.

I shrugged. How’d you manage that? If she were mine, I wouldn’t let her out of my sight around … well … us.

Jax laughed. Well, you’re right. He doesn’t trust you for a second. But he trusts me. Olivia’s my sister. He knows if you tried anything I’d rip your fucking back apart.

I’d like to see you try, Jax.

Jax took a hard right, squealing the tires in the process. I gripped the dashboard to keep from tumbling into him. We went up a long, winding wooded driveway at the top of a hill. The thing was all but invisible from the road, and I knew Jax wouldn’t have seen it if not for the scent. It had been years since I’d been around Olivia Lord, but I’d know her anywhere. What a damn fucking shame she wasted herself on a wolf.

Olivia’s house was a huge A-frame with large bay windows all around. She had a breathtaking view of the pure blue waters of the lake below. I could almost see myself in a place like this if there weren’t all the damn wolves around. Far to the south, I could hear a warning howl rise. The Wild Lake wolves would keep their distance, but they sure as hell knew we were here.

We got out of the car and I followed Jax down a steep set of wooden stairs leading to the water’s edge. The lake was frozen and Olivia sat on the edge of a long permanent dock, dangling her feet near the ice. She was barefoot, but the cold didn’t seem to bother her. She leaned back, resting her weight on her elbows. Her long, black hair flew behind her as the breeze picked up. When the landing creaked beneath Jax’s footstep, Olivia turned and shielded her eyes from the sun as she looked up at us.

My breath caught as she pushed herself up and turned to face us. She wore a long, flowing white dress, almost like a mumu. The need for it became obvious as she put a hand on the small of her back and stretched. Jax’s sister was heavily pregnant. She swayed when she walked and met us at the end of the dock.

My heartbeat quickened when she got near. I sensed the child inside of her move. Olivia winced as he delivered a kick that made her stomach rise and swell. I took a step back. She carried a shifter child within her. No wonder she didn’t feel the cold. His inner wolf sensed us and raised an alarm. Only his mother’s calm stroke, curving over the top of her stomach, seemed to quiet him.

Thanks for coming, she said, fixing her cool eyes on me. I know this is probably the last place you want to be. Then she stepped past me and went to Jax. He smiled down at her as she went up on her tiptoes and hugged him.

Are you sure you’re all right? Jax asked. Concern filled his eyes and I knew exactly what bothered him. Olivia couldn’t be more than a few weeks from delivery. I don’t know how it goes with wolf shifter births, but for bears, it can be life threatening. Bile rose in my throat and my field of vision narrowed to pinpoints. Oh, God. It’s how I lost the son I never knew existed in the first place. If I’d have known, I would have brought his mother, Avery, to Wild Ridge. I would have made sure she had an experienced shifter midwife to guide her through the trauma of it. Because of my failure, Avery lost her life in childbirth. My son was born alone and unprotected in the world. Shame washed over me as it always did. I swallowed past it and straightened my back.

I couldn’t breathe. I doubled over and steadied myself with my hands on my knees. A gentle hand rested on my arm. I looked up at Olivia. Her eyes were kind, but her expression was grim.

I said I won’t keep you long, she whispered. And you may not like what I have to say, but I think I know a way to help you.

Nodding, I straightened. Olivia took Jax’s hand and led us to the snow-covered beach. There was a small, wooden boathouse tucked into the hillside. We went inside. The building had a small kitchenette, a bathroom, and a breakfast nook overlooking the water. In the center, a warm fire blazed. On the table, Olivia had a leather portfolio. She reached for it and pulled out a sketch pad. One leaf had come loose and she held it to her breast facing away from me.

First, she said, sitting at the table. She motioned for me to take the chair opposite hers. Tell me what you know about what happened to your son.

I sighed. The truth was paltry, pathetic. I knew guilt deepened the lines on my face. Olivia gave me a soft smile and reached out to touch my cheek. Jax let out an