Billionaire Bear Shifters A Paranormal Romance Complete Series Boxset - Brittany White Page 0,165

weren’t exactly the best of friends, but as far as he knew, none of his sleuth had done anything to prompt the wolf pack into action.

He stopped when he reached a clearing in the trees and waited, chest heaving. It felt strange to be on his own, without his sleuth behind him. But Connor didn’t regret not telling his brothers. He had to keep them safe, that was his job as their alpha and as their brother.

The scent of the wolves grew stronger and stronger. Suddenly, they skidded to a stop on the other side of the clearing. Three of them were the young wolves Connor had seen with Cody, but the fourth was larger than the others; a she-wolf with gun metal grey fur and piercing hazel eyes that Connor found strangely familiar. They stared each other down, the other three wolves circling the she-wolf like they were waiting for something.

She’s the alpha, Conner realised dumbly.

As if she heard him, the she-wolf tilted her head back and howled into the night. Connor responded immediately, rearing back on his hind legs to roar at them. If it was a fight she wanted, it was a fight she’d get.

She gave him no warning. The other wolves continued to howl as she launched herself across the clearing towards him, her face peeling back into a snarl that he felt in his bones. Connor dodged and snarled back, swiping a massive paw at her.

The two of them were a flurry of movement - teeth and claws snatching and ripping and biting - as the other three wolves watched, growling loudly when Connor tried to put any space between them and their alpha. Connor was a good fighter. Years of getting Cody out of scrapes and protecting Eric from bullies as a kid made Connor stronger, faster, and bigger than all of his brothers.

But he couldn’t get any breathing space. Every time he blocked a bite and tried to retreat, he was lunged at again. She went for soft spots, his neck and joints. He wished he could shift back, ask them what the hell they wanted. The alpha might listen to him, but one look at the wolves at his back told him he’d be dead before he could get the question out.

Shit. Pain exploded along his left side and the she-wolf lept back out of reach, blood dripping from her maw. She was beautiful, in a savage kind of way, the vivid red blood staining the grey fur of her muzzle.

Connor staggered, losing his footing in the snow as he clutched at his side. That’s going to leave a scar, he thought. The wolf leapt again and he lashed out, catching her shoulder and spraying blood over the snow.

The fighting pair paused, panting in the moonlight. This could go on for hours, Connor thought, feeling a flare of admiration for the she-wolf. She was a strong alpha; Connor couldn’t remember the last time he’d fought someone that matched him in speed and strength. The she-wolf looked back at him and Connor was struck again by how familiar those eyes looked. Brooke’s angry face flashed through his mind and he shook his head. Now is not the time to be thinking about her.

They continued to stare at each other, neither of them willing to be the first to back down, and Connor found himself frowning. She looked… unsure. He glanced down, following her line of sight and saw the amount of blood on the ground. It looked like a massacre.

This has gotten out of hand, those eyes seemed to say. Connor had to agree. But you started it. If Connor hadn’t been here, the pack would have gone straight for the lodge. To my brothers and their mates. To the cubs. He didn’t know for sure what they were after, but this had to stop. Now.

He dropped to the ground, rolling around in the snow to pack the wound as best he could and then pulled himself up onto his hind legs and roared.

The she-wolf howled in response and then turned, fleeing the clearing with a flurry of snow, the other wolves hot on her heels.

When he finally got up to his suite, it took everything in his power not to rip the place apart. He felt restless, pacing the length of the room despite his wound flaring hot along his side. He was riled up and horny and confused. It was a shit cocktail. All he wanted to do was collapse onto