Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 26056 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 130(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26056 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 130(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
For years, it was Julian who had mate fever, but then Lainey walked into the shop and everything turned around. Julian became a gentle teddy bear and my oldest, most dependable brother, turned into this.
It’s like all of his grizzly bear’s patience has run out and he’s incensed that his mate is not here. I think Julian’s mate arriving woke the primal part of him up.
“Let’s take a deep breath,” Julian says in a steady, forceful tone, “have our coffees, and talk about this like humans.”
Magnus swipes his hand so fast it’s a blur. He nails the tray of coffees in Julian’s hand and the three coffees explode into shreds before splashing all over Julian’s workstation.
“Magnus,” Julian snaps. “This is—”
“Let me,” I say as I put a hand on Julian’s flexed bicep.
“Magnus,” I whisper in a gentle tone as I step forward. “It’s me, Victoria. Can you come back out?”
My bear is pacing and twitching inside me. Warning bells are ringing throughout my body, but I push past them. I know my brother would never hurt me. Even if his bear is on the verge of turning feral.
“Victoria,” Julian warns. “He’s not in his right mind.”
I ignore him and push forward. “Magnus,” I say calmly. “Everything is going to be okay.”
He looks at my hand as I slowly reach out to touch him.
My heart is hammering in my chest from that feral look in his eyes. I know my brother would never hurt me, but I don’t recognize any of my brother in the snarling beast in front of me.
As soon as I touch his jacked furry arm, he pounces.
I scream as Julian pulls me back and collides into Magnus with a growl of his own. The force of Julian yanking me sends me flying onto my ass. I watch in horror as my two older brothers go at it, fighting fiercely in our tattoo shop. Magnus slices his claws across Julian’s chest as Julian jumps on him, wrapping his arm around Magnus’ thick neck.
Julian roars as Magnus sinks his claws into his ribs and then shoves him off, his fingers dripping with blood.
“Oh shit,” Julian mutters as he lands on his ass next to me. He winces as he covers the bloody claw marks on his side. “The shop is about to get fucked up.”
We both watch in horror as Magnus’ feral grizzly bear explodes out of him, bloodthirsty and pissed-the-ever-loving-fuck-off at the universe for withholding his mate.
He throws his head back and roars so loud we have to cover our ears.
“We need to get him outside,” I say as I help Julian up.
Magnus’ grizzly attacks the leather couch by the door and rips it to shreds in seconds. I still remember when we got it. The three of us were so proud to finally open our own shop after years of tattooing in the back of cars, at parties, and on campgrounds. We found the perfect brown leather couch that fit the tattooed hipster aesthetic we were going for, and although it was more than we had budgeted for, we splurged and got it. I was sitting on the couch laughing when Magnus and Julian carried it into the shop.
The nice aged leather is currently hanging in threads between Magnus’ claws. Its guts are sticking out—ripped stuffing, snapped springs, and broken wood spilled everywhere.
Magnus’ bear turns to us when we get to our feet. He snarls and lowers his head like he forgot we were even here.
This is not right. My brother has lost it.
“We’re not going to be able to hold him back like this,” Julian says. “We need to let our bears out.”
I don’t have the heart to tell him that our bears have no chance of holding this savage beast back either.
But, it’s the best of two bad options.
Come on out, I tell my girl. Maybe you can talk some sense into him.
Our bears are brothers and sisters too. Maybe my grizzly bear can help calm him down.
I grit my teeth and flex my arms as I let her come bursting out. I feel the sweet pain of the cracks and pops as my body expands and morphs into a grizzly and I’m pulled inside into the darkness.
She lands on her paws and snarls back at him. Julian’s grizzly emerges beside me, growling in warning as well.
Julian’s bear is a hulking beast of a bear too. And even though mine is smaller and not nearly as strong, my bear is still nothing to take lightly. I was raised with two older brothers after all. I can hold my own.
Normally.
But normally, we’re not fighting a larger, feral bear who is pissed the fuck off.
Julian’s grizzly circles right and my grizzly circles left. We’re trying to usher him toward the door before he destroys the rest of our shop.