Bear's Honor: Alpha Barbarians, #2

By Leann Ryans

Taken from her home after a brutal attack, Rune is told to find a mate by spring, or one will be chosen for her.

Of course the one she wants is the one who says he doesn't want to claim her, but she's not going to let him push her away.

Bear is the second in command, but his honor won't allow him to abuse his station. He doesn't want the men to think he used his rank to get first choice, even if everything about Rune tempts him to take her for himself.

 

***This is book 2 of the Alpha Barbarians series. It can be read as a standalone but is better after reading Raider's Treasure. This story is a slow-burn Historical Fantasy Omegaverse Romance.***

• Language: English
• Publisher: Leann Ryans
• Release date: Jan 15, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224739998

Leann Ryans

I'm a wife and mother of four who's been an avid reader since I could pick up a book. It wasn't unusual for me to read a book a day, ignoring the real world as I was sucked into the pages of a great story. I grew up on sci-fi and fantasy books before discovering the world of romance. PNR has always been my go-to, and omegaverse is my addiction of choice. I love writing books featuring heroes who are a bit rough around the edges but aren't overly cruel. My heroines aren't always the take charge type, but neither are all women. They are comfortable in their femininity. If you're looking for a story that has dark themes without leaving you wanting to punch the hero in the face, mine might just be for you.

Book preview

Bear's Honor

Alpha Barbarians Book 2

Leann Ryans

Copyright © 2019 Leann Ryans

All rights reserved

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

Cover design by: Haelah Rice Covers

This one is for Bear, who made himself too irresistable not to get his own book.

Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Four

Chapter Thirty-Five

Chapter Thirty-Six

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Chapter Forty

Chapter Forty-One

Chapter Forty-Two

Chapter Forty-Three

Epilogue

Thanks!

Want to find out more about be and my books? Check out https://leannryans.com

Chapter One

Rune

Trying to settle into a new place after being kidnapped was hard enough, not knowing the language made it damn near impossible.

Rune sighed, pushing hair out of her face as she pored over her notes again. At least she wasn’t alone in her struggle to learn the Tayueta language, and the women teaching them were kind. They had been in the same position, after all.

Grumbling under her breath as the words began to blur together, she decided she needed a break. Pushing to her feet, she made her way to the door of the house, checking to see if anyone else was there.

Raider’s home wasn’t very large, and with five people living in it there was rarely a moment of peace, which was why she had been sitting outside in the cold. They had only been there for a week, and she was already tired of the constant noise from the others.

Every morning, one of the women Raider rescued from her village would come to his home to give them language lessons. After that, they had lunch together, and then usually went into the village.

Raider escorted them around the first day, but after that he left them on their own. Rune had gone with them a few times, but she felt uncomfortable, especially since she didn’t know what was being said around her.

She hadn’t really known the other omegas before the attack, and the interest they drew as a group made her skin crawl. She preferred being on her own. Attention was something she had avoided most of her life.

Relieved when she found the house empty, she slipped inside and made her way to the kitchen. The other omegas were all smaller than her, and Raider was having to provide for all of them, so she felt like she had to restrict herself to the amount they ate. It always left her hungry again within a few hours though.

Snagging an apple from a bowl on the counter, she tried to bury her guilt, but it was a constant companion. Even before the attack on her village, her brother had made her feel guilting for eating. He constantly reminded her that omegas were supposed to be small and delicate, not short and round like her.

Now she had to deal with the guilt the other omegas made her feel. They didn’t do it on purpose like her brother had, but just their presence caused the bitter feeling to churn in her stomach.

She realized that people had died during the attack on her home, and she felt sorry for those that had lost someone they cared about, but her guilt stemmed from the fact that she was glad her brother had died that day.

Emotionally abusive since she had presented as an omega, her brother had been the bane of her existence. When their father was killed during an attack on their neighbors to the south, Rune’s life had gone from sad, to miserable.

Their mother hadn’t lasted long without her mate, leaving her brother as the head of the family even though Rune was the oldest. Constantly ridiculed for her weight, her dynamic, and anything that wasn’t to his satisfaction, Rune had considered offering herself to the first alpha she could find willing to accept her just to get away from him. The attack solved that problem for her, and the chance to start over somewhere new left her more excited than she should have been.

Even if she was struggling with the language.

Groaning at the thought of going back to studying, she decided that hearing the language spoken more would help. She figured she wouldn’t draw too much attention by herself, so she could try wandering the village and seeing if she could understand any of what she heard.  

Slipping upstairs to put on the boots Raider had given her, she was ready to leave in a matter of moments. She wasn’t prepared for the alpha she ran into when she opened the door, though.

Bouncing off a hard chest, warm hands wrapped around her arms to keep her from falling back. When she glanced up to see who had caught her, her lungs froze as she stared into a pair of forest green eyes.

Is Raider here?

The alpha’s deep voice sent a shiver down her spine that had nothing to do with the air coming in the open door. When she tried to draw in a breath, his spicy musk and the scent of pine filled her lungs, and she couldn’t do anything but stare up at him with her mouth hanging open.

Giving her a little shake, he asked again in her language, assuming she hadn’t understood him.

Is Raider here?

The words was gruff and impatient. Mouth snapping shut, Rune collected her wits enough to shake her head, trying to fight the disappointment when he released her arms. She watched his eyes travel over her as a frown pulled down lips almost hidden behind his beard.

Where are you going?

Rune shook her head again to clear it before responding.

Into the village. The – the others are there, she stammered, shrinking away from him as he continued to glare at her.

While her body had heated at the nearness of the rugged alpha and his virile scent, the frown he gave her was like a bucket of water. She recognized him as Raider’s second in command, and one of the men who had attacked her village and brought them back here.

While she had seen him watching her during the trip and since they had arrived, he had never spoken to her before, and the frown made her realize he had probably been looking at her in disgust.

Ducking her head, she stared down at his boots as she fought to keep the tears under control. She told herself that she had accepted the fact that she wasn’t the ideal omega, but it still hurt to be reminded of it when she was trying to start fresh.

I’ll escort you.

Startled, her eyes flashed back to his before she focused on the center of his chest.

O-okay.

Turning, he took a few steps from the doorway before stopping to look back at her. Realizing he was waiting for her to follow, she hurried through the door, closing it behind her.

Chapter Two

Bear

He struggled to peel his eyes from the omega. He was surprised to find her alone, and his protective instincts had surged to the forefront. Even though she was in Raider’s home and their men had orders not to touch any of the omegas without speaking to Raider or him first, she still shouldn’t be on her own.

Unwilling to leave her, he decided he would escort her into town where the other omegas were before going to find Raider and deliver the message he had received. It wasn’t so important that it couldn’t wait until she was safe.

Pausing to turn back when she didn’t immediately follow him, he realized he was intimidating her, and did his best to ease the woman’s nerves.

What’s your name?

She didn’t respond until she’d caught up and they’d begun walking again.

Rune.

Her voice was soft, and quiet enough that he would have missed it if he wasn’t listening for her response. She seemed timid, but considering her dynamic and what she’d been through in the past week, he wasn’t surprised.

I’m Bear.

Nodding, her blue eyes peeked up at him before looking back at the path ahead of them.

Why were you at the house alone?

Omegas tended to be social creatures, only wanting to be alone when they were near their cycle or ready to give birth. Even then they would want their mate close, but her scent told him neither of those scenarios applied.

Rune gave a little shrug, gaze focused on the path.

I didn’t feel like going with the others earlier when they left for the village.

Watching the omega from the corner of his eye, he noticed her brows pulling together. There was something going on there. A reason she didn’t want to be with the others.

You shouldn’t be alone. It’s not safe.

He raised his brows at her snort of derision, turning to look at her openly.

It’s not safe in a group either, and a few hours alone saves my sanity, he heard her mutter.

His lips twitched as he fought the smile that wanted to break free. He had done his best to ignore the omegas during the trip home and the week since, but he had noticed the other omegas were more talkative. Rune was quiet and observant, but he had chalked it up to the stress of the situation.

Maybe she was like him though, and simply enjoyed being alone.

So, what made you decide to go to the village now?

She sighed before glancing up at him again. She was tiny compared to him, her head only reaching his shoulder, but she had more curves than he had ever seen on an omega.

His mouth watered at the thought of how they’d fill his hands to overflowing, and he had to look away.

Because I’m having trouble learning your language, and I thought going somewhere where I could listen to people speaking it would help. I can only learn so much from staring at the words.

He chuckled. The girl was smart, and he could tell that behind the shy shell was a sharp wit.

Switching to his language, he said, You will learn far more by speaking it, but listening is a good place to start, soft one.

The crease returned to her brow, her eyes unfocusing as she tried to figure out what he had said.

I know you said something about speaking and listening, but I can’t make out the rest, she said, pushing her dark hair back from her face.

Well, those were the important parts. More will come with time. You have only been here a week, after all.

The first houses at the edge of the village came into view as they stepped out of the trees where Raider had built his home. While many people lived close to the town center, there were more that had done like Raider and built their homes farther away for privacy. It made defending the village a headache he hoped he never had to deal with.

Do you know where the others are? he asked, looking down at her as they slowed to a stop.

Rune shook her head, clasping her hands before her in a defensive position. He doubted she really meant to join the others.

Is there somewhere you would like me to take you then?

Tipping her head back to meet his eyes, her full lips pressed into a thin line as she shook her head again. It took all of his control to hold back the growl that wanted to escape. He didn’t like the pensive look, or the way her posture changed as soon as they entered the village.

I know my way around for the most part. I’ll be okay. You should go ahead and find Raider.

Scowling at the woman, he rumbled a warning.

It sounds like you’re trying to dismiss me. I will not leave you on the edge of the village alone. I will escort you somewhere where you will be in the company of others, whether or not it is the other omegas.

Face falling, Rune glanced back down at her feet, giving him a meek nod of acceptance. Though she was an omega and naturally submissive, the way she instantly caved left a bad taste in his mouth, and his scowl deepened.

Come, he ordered, walking down the path again. They may be at the healer’s, so you can follow me there.

She seemed to perk up when he mentioned where he was leading her, and it made him wonder if she had an interest in healing. Omegas were the nurturing dynamic, and they seemed to gravitate towards caregiver roles.

Passing through the village center, he watched as she looked around with curiosity. Whatever her issue was with going with the other omegas, it had nothing to do with her not being interested in her new home. He could see the excitement in her eyes at the market that popped up every afternoon in the clearing at the village center.

Skirting the crowded space, Bear turned down a path on the south side of the clearing. The healer’s home came into view a few minutes after they left the market behind, and a gasp escaped the woman following him.

Before they made it to the door to knock, Raider and Lyric stepped out of the house, surprise crossing their faces to see him and Rune. Glancing to the omega beside him, he realized she was focused on the gardens that surrounded the home, and he turned back to the pair before him.

I went to your cabin looking for you and found her there alone, so I escorted her to the village, he said, trying to stop any ideas from forming in Raider’s head.

Raider had encouraged him to choose one of the omegas that were being brought back from the village they raided to rescue their people, but Bear had refused. They only got to keep four of them, and Raider had claimed one. Bear didn’t want the warriors to think he was using his position to take another from them even though Raider insisted it was his right as Second.

Pushing on with the reason he had been looking for Raider to begin with, Bear focused on his leader.

I received a message from the Andtay.

Glancing at Lyric, he cleared his throat, not wanting to go into details in front of the two omegas. Seeming to understand, Raider turned to Lyric and cupped her head.

I need to deal with this. You’ll have to go to the market without me.

Pressing his lips to Lyric’s forehead as she gave him a smile, Raider turned to him and motioned for him to go back down the path. Eyes darting to Rune, he figured he had done what he’d said he would, and felt a bit better leaving her with Lyric.

Giving her a nod when she looked up at him, he turned and fell into step beside Raider as they made their way down the path away from the women. He had the strongest urge to turn around and go back to Rune, not satisfied that she would be safe without him, but he forced the feeling down. She would be fine with Lyric, and he had more important things to focus on than one tempting omega.

Chapter Three

Rune

Watching Bear walk away with Raider, she startled when Lyric spoke up.

Did you decide you wanted to come to the market after all?

Eyes darting to the woman at her side, she scrambled for an excuse not to go with her to the village center. While she found it fascinating to watch as she passed by, she wasn’t sure she could handle the crowd, especially if Lyric was going to meet up with the other unbonded omegas.

No, I actually wanted to talk with the healer. If that’s okay? she tacked on to the end, unsure how to treat the woman who had been claimed by the man that kidnapped them and ruled their new clan.

Oh, that’s fine, Lyric responded. I’ll be in the market with the others if you decide to join us.

While Lyric had seemed