Four days without her had caused a constant ache in his chest that eased as he walked toward her. Four days of worrying if she was healing okay. Four days of obsessing over the last time he’d seen her outside the cop car as he and Trigger sat in handcuffs in the back. Karis had been hugging Ava to her side and murmuring something soothing to her, while Ava had tears streaming from her silver eyes.
They both looked different now. Oh, Ava’s eyes were still silver. That would be out of her control for a while yet. But his sister was smiling at Trigger, reaching for him as he jogged to her. She looked okay. There was relief in that. Karis had done good helping her adjust since the attack. He was so damn proud of both of them.
Karis had a little bundle in her arms as he approached. “Hey,” he murmured, locking his arms against the tailgate on either side of her hips. He leaned in and kissed her, and his whole body relaxed the second he tasted her.
“Look,” she murmured as she eased back. Karis pulled a corner of the plaid, fleece blanket back to expose Genie lying on her back like a swaddled baby.
“Is she okay?” he asked, running his fingertip along her tiny ear.
“Oh yeah, she’s faking it. She just likes me carrying her around like a baby and hand-feeding her.”
Colt snorted, and then laughed, because Karis had tamed the beast squirrel. Of course she had. His mate was a fixer.
“Hey fartface, don’t look at Genie the Meanie like she’s rehabbed,” Ava muttered from where she was hugging Trig. “She bit me twice on the way over here and crapped in the hood of my jacket.”
Colt laughed louder. That was awesome. “Good girl,” he whispered to his little wishing squirrel.
“Hey!” Ava said, whacking Colt on the arm.
Karis’s giggle was the best. So cute. It was high pitched like a bell when she was really happy. He kissed her lips again just to taste her laughter.
He shouldn’t be this happy. Everything had gone to shit. The Darby police department would be watching them even closer now, waiting for them to make a move on the crows. Kurt was gone along with his boy, Gunner. That one was rough, but he’d left a note explaining he’d been tipped off that Amos was coming for him. Sure, he was trying to protect their Clan, but he’d just gone without so much as a goodbye. That one would sting for a while. They were down a bull and half the herd and didn’t have money to rebuild the front half of the barn, and they had two days to prepare for their first trail ride. Karis was scarred. He didn’t have to see her body to know it, and she would have to accept her reflection in the mirror now, like Colt had done. And Ava had a long road ahead of her to get control of her bear. Even now he could hear the growl behind her smile, as if she couldn’t help the anger, even when she was happy.
“I have something for you,” Karis murmured.
“Is it in that thermos? And is it whiskey?” Colt asked.
Karis laughed and explained that it was hot chocolate. “Ava and I drank it while we were waiting for them to release the two of you.”
“Damn. Been livin’ on bread and water for days and can’t even save me a sip of hot chocolate.”
Karis rolled her eyes. “Officer Markle told us it was Salisbury Steak day, and you each got seconds.”
Busted. “Well, what is it?”
Karis pulled a stapled stack of papers from behind her and handed it over. Colt squinted in the dim light as he read the top line. Mated Pair Contract.
Colt frowned and then ripped the papers in half. “I ain’t signin’ this.”
The look on Karis’s face gutted him. “No, no, no, don’t get me wrong. I want you…but if we sign some contract, this will come up again down the road. If there is a risk of you wondering later if I’m with you because we’re breeders, I’m not doin’ it.”
“Oh,” she said softly, troubled eyes on the shredded contract. “Okay.”
Aw, man, he was messing this up. Colt set the contract in her lap and strode over to the side of the bed where Trig kept his tool box. He pulled a knife and a bag of zip-ties from it, removed one, and made his way back in front of Karis.
“What are you doing?” she asked, straightening her spine as he knelt down on the ice in front of her.
“Look, you deserve better than me. Than this. Than the life I can give you, but I tell you what I can offer. I’ll always be there. You never have to worry about me quitting on you. I’ll keep you safe no matter what, and someday when you do me the honor of having my cub, I’ll keep our baby safe, too. I’ll love you, and remind you of it every chance I get because you deserve to know how important you are to me. I’ll be a better man. For you. Karis Dunway, you ain’t plain, girl. You knocked me dead the second I saw you, and I can’t even remember my life before you came into it.” Colt jerked his chin at Genie, munching languidly on a nut. “Plus, you don’t hate my squirrel, and that’s how I know you love me back. Karis Dunway…fuck contracts, woman. There’s no breeders here. Just a boy on his knee asking the girl he loves to stick with him for life. You wanna marry me?”
“Not if you’re proposing with a zip-tie!” Ava said.
“Shhh,” Colt shushed her.
Trigger wasn’t covering his laugh very well, and Karis was grinning so big but crying at the same time, and this was all so confusing.
His mate took her pink mitten off and put out her left hand, fingers spread. “I hope you had it sized,” she said cheekily.
“Are you serious?” Colt said. “Your answer is yes?”
Two tears dripped from her jaw as she nodded. “I want it all,” she said thickly. “I came here just wanting cubs, but then you changed me and made me feel again, and you helped me to trust again, and look what you’ve already given me?”
Colt looked around, confused. “An asshole Alpha, my obnoxious sister, an ancient truck, tiny cabin, a half-rabid squirrel that thinks she’s a human baby, and a zip-tie?”
Karis laughed, and another tear rained down. “No, silly. You gave me an amazing Alpha, a friend, a pet, a home, a Clan, and a shot at a family. But most importantly…above everything else…you gave me you. So, yes, my answer is yes. I want to keep it all.”
His heart was pounding and his hands shook as he tightened the zip tie on her ring finger. He cut off the excess with the pocket knife. It wasn’t much, but she was wearing his ring—a token that said she was really his. That she was really in this. That she was staying, no matter what trouble came their way.
And now his eyes were burning too, as he lifted her off the tailgate and hugged her up tight. She was cryin’ against his shoulder, arms slung around his neck, and he was struck again with how special she was. Tender-hearted human side with the power to control a beast of a bear.
Karis was okay. Or she would be—he would make sure of it. Ava, too. And Genie was good, too.
He looked over at Trigger, and his best friend was all teared up. He didn’t say anything as he stood hugging Ava to his side. He only nodded once in approval, which meant the world.
They were all going to be okay.
He’d come to learn that it was the people that made a home. That made a life worth living, a life worth fighting for. Sure, the troubles were piling up, but the important things were right here, standing out in a cold parking lot, in the back of an old rusted truck, looking at him like they were proud.
He had his best friend and his sister back, his wishing squirrel, and finally, finally, he’d found his other half in Karis. He found a girl who didn’t even see his scars. Who had told him his damage was beautiful. The grit of a life didn’t matter when moments like these existed. Even if they lost the ranch…even if they just couldn’t save it…well…the Clan had each other.
And that was more than enough.
Up Next in this Series
**Surprise Book Announcement**
Up next will be a short story featuring more of the Warmaker
For the Heart of the Warmaker
Coming January 2018
New Release Newsletter Sign-Up
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More Series by T. S. Joyce
Sons of Beasts
Son of the Cursed Bear (Book 1)
Son of Kong (Book 2)
Son of the Dragon (Book 3)
Red Havoc Panthers
Red Havoc Rogue (Book 1)
Red Havoc Rebel (Book 2)
Red Havoc Bad Cat (Book 3)
Red Havoc Guardian (Book 4)
Red Havoc Bad Bear (Book 5)
Harper’s Mountains
Bloodrunner Dragon (Book 1)
Bloodrunner Bear (Book 2)
Air Ryder (Book 3)
Novak Raven (Book 4)
Blackwing Dragon (Book 5)
Kane’s Mountains
Blackwing Defender (Book 1)
Blackwing Wolf (Book 2)
Blackwing Beast (Book 3)
Bears Fur Hire
Husband Fur Hire (Book 1)
Bear Fur Hire (Book 2)
Mate Fur Hire (Book 3)
Wolf Fur Hire (Book 4)
Dawson Fur Hire (Book 5)
Chance Fur Hire (Book 6)
Saw Bears
Lumberjack Werebear (Book 1)
Woodcutter Werebear (Book 2)
Timberman Werebear (Book 3)
Sawman Werebear (Book 4)
Axman Werebear (Book 5)
Woodsman Werebear (Book 6)
Lumberman Werebear (Book 7)
Fire Bears
Bear My Soul (Book 1)
Bear the Burn (Book 2)
Bear the Heat (Book 3)
Gray Back Bears
Gray Back Bad Bear (Book 1)
Gray Back Alpha Bear (Book 2)
Gray Back Ghost Bear (Book 3)
Gray Back Broken Bear (Book 4)
Lowlander Silverback (Book 5)
Last Immortal Dragon (Book 6)
Boarlander Bears
Boarlander Boss Bear (Book 1)
Boarlander Bash Bear (Book 2)
Boarlander Silverback (Book 3)
Boarlander Beast Boar (Book 4)
Boarlander Cursed Bear (Book 5)
Wolf Brides
Wolf Bride (Book 1)
Red Snow Bride (Book 2)
Dawson Bride (Book 3)
For More Books from this Author
Visit www.tsjoyce.com for a full reading list.
About the Author
T.S. Joyce is devoted to bringing hot shifter romances to readers. Hungry alpha males are her calling card, and the wilder the men, the more she'll make them pour their hearts out. She lives in a tiny town, outside of a tiny city, and devotes her life to writing big stories. Foodie, bear whisperer, ninja, thief of tiny bottles of awesome smelling hotel shampoo, nap connoisseur, movie fanatic, and zombie slayer, and most of this bio is true.
Bear Shifters? Check
Smoldering Alpha Hotness? Double Check
Sexy Scenes? Fasten up your girdles, ladies and gents, it’s gonna to be a wild ride.
For more information about T. S. Joyce and her work, visit her website here.
T. S. Joyce, For the Heart of an Outlaw
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