Page 91 of Cowboy Bear's Hope

“I don’t give two fucks what your Alpha told you to do. Dante Bianco is with the Motley Crewd now. I am his Alpha, and you two can get the fuck off my land,” Max snarled at Reginald Lewis, Enforcer for my former Clan.

Two massive Grizzly Shifters paced back and forth behind the hulking male in front of me, their movements predatory and deliberate, like wolves circling a wounded deer. The tension in the air was palpable, crackling like a live wire.

The hair on the back of my neck stood straight up, and my chest rumbled with the sheer force of the growl building inside me. It vibrated through my entire body, a warning to them and a reminder to myself to stay in control.

Barely.

The Willow Creek Clan didn’t play fair. They never had, and as far as I knew, they never would.

Niall Tiegs ran his Clan like it was his own personal kingdom, a place where his word was law, and his desires came before anything else.

Like a fat, greedy toddler screaming for snacks and toys, he used his Enforcers as a personal police force to intimidate, manipulate, and destroy.

He took what he wanted, leaving devastation in his wake, and didn’t give a single damn about the people he hurt in the process.

He was a tyrant. A bully. A cruel excuse for a leader.

And not worthy of a single thought, never mind the time I was wasting on this ridiculous challenge.

But here we were.

These men had come here. They tried to intimidate my Alpha. And now they were threatening my mate? My cub?

Hell. No.

Niall’s voice boomed through the clearing, cold and cruel, his words sharp enough to scrape against my nerves.

“Like I told you, Dante Bianco is still beholden to our Alpha,” he declared, his tone dripping with arrogance. “He owes us his kin. Birthing numbers are down, and if he’s found a breeder, we want her! So this challenge is for his mate and cub?—”

A snarling roar tore out of me before he could finish, the sound ripping through the air like thunder.

Breeder? This motherfucker.

My entire body shook with fury as I stomped the ground, my Grizzly clawing at the edges of my control, desperate for release.

“Don’t you fucking talk about them!” I shouted, my voice raw and filled with unrelenting rage.

The ground beneath me seemed to vibrate with the force of my anger, my fists clenched so tightly I could feel my nails digging into my palms.

My Grizzly roared inside me, demanding I tear Niall apart, that I tear them all apart. Make them pay for even daring to speak about my family like they were property.

My mate. My cub.

They weren’t theirs to take.

They weren’t anyone’s but mine.

I took a step forward, my muscles coiled and ready to strike, my voice low and deadly as I locked eyes with Niall.

“You want a challenge? Fine. But let me make one thing clear. You will regret every word that just came out of your mouth.”

The pacing Grizzlies froze, their eyes darting nervously toward their Alpha, but Niall’s smirk didn’t waver. That only stoked my rage further.

Because this wasn’t just a challenge. This was a threat.

And I was ready to show them what happened when someone threatened what was mine.

“Traitor Bear! You want some of this? You know the laws! Your breeding bitch and her cubs belong to Willow Creek now!” Reginald shouted, his voice a venomous snarl as he backed out of the pen like the coward he was.

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